This album was more than I hoped for. With no radio play sometimes it's hard to tell. I love Tracks 1-3 and 6. There's tracks like "I don't wanna die" that are cool but a bit real. I still need to explore the second half of album, the catchy first half just keeps me coming back. I love the way they describe stuff, so much fun :-)
I was one of many addicts to bombard MySpace over the past weekend in order to listen to Hollywood Undead's new album before it was available for purchase. At first listen, I really wasn't impressed. There were songs that stood out and that I enjoyed, but there were other aspects that I found disappointing at first. I've been a fan since they came out with "Undead". While I know that's not as impressive as others, I'm a loyal sort. I don't throw away an album after one listen. So, I listened to it again. And again and again.
After a while, it grew on me. In some respects, it sounds the same. In others, you can tell that they've all grown as musicians. I respect their decision to experiment with other sounds, and it works. I've never understood why fans would abandon an artist when they alter their sound even slightly. I saw a lot of that in the form of comments over the weekend, and, frankly, it's a bit pathetic. We don't know the true reason behind Deuce's departure, and it really isn't any of our business. The truth of the matter is he's gone; Danny is his replacement. Accept it and move on.
Speaking of Danny, I actually enjoy his sound. There are some songs where he blatantly electronically alters his vocals, and that isn't too appealing to me. However, when it's not as obvious or when he doesn't at all, it's a very pleasant sound. In some aspects, he reminds me of Chester Bennington from Linkin Park. So, he's from American Idol--who really cares? I wouldn't have known nor been able to tell if people hadn't complained about it incessantly over the past month. He's got some talent; everyone starts somewhere.
There are some standout songs for me. "I Don't Wanna Die", "Glory", "Levitate", "Tendencies", "Mother Murder", and "S.C.A.V.A." are some of my favorites. "Bullet" is completely unexpected, and a definite departure from Hollywood Undead's typical sound in regards to music style. The lyrics are dark and almost disturbing in contrast to the music. I found myself wanting to get up and dance to it while feeling guilty for being exciting over the subject manner. It definitely gives the listener conflicting emotions, but it's catchy. Probably my favorite song on the album.
I bought the deluxe version of this album as a digital download from Amazon. Since I enjoyed the entire album already, I felt a few extra sounds would only be icing on the cake. I'm not disappointed. It's definitely worth the extra few bucks. And the video download for "Been to Hell" is always a plus. Interesting video.
I was introduced to HU by a friend of mine when their EP came out, and first heard "Dead In Ditches" and loved it right away. Swan songs was really good and I loved HU. Then American Tragedy came out and I thought "holy sh*t, this is beyond awesome." Deuce has changed on this one (which is why I think he's better as a solo artist), and it's not him as his typical self. But nonetheless, this album is definitely better than Swan Songs by far. I suppose some people don't have the ear that I do, but this one is more loose and carefree than Swan Songs. It also has more attitude to it and is all around much better!!!
Danny is no Duece but hes not that big of a drop down. The only real difference is that he really only sings the choruses instead of rapping like Duece did. You should probably get the deluxe version because that includes 'mother murder' and 's.c.a.v.a.' which are 2 great tracks, i didnt know this so i was bummed when i didnt get that. 4/5 good album -1 star for not including some of the songs to make it worth it.
This album is something a little different from the "Swan Songs" album. The band who's sounds like Linkin Park meets Eminem, still kept their original style. I like this one but it's hard to compare it to their first major effort.
