Four Year Strong, one of my favourite pop punk bands for a few years now, have released their third album a few months ago. Just after hearing one song on their first record, I realised this band had potential to become big. Their first album “Rise Or Die Trying” was filled with great pop punk tunes with hardcore breakdowns. The second record Enemy Of The World, released in 2010 was even better and bigger. That’s all on the bright side for this band. 2011 hasn’t been their best year. They parted ways with their Keyboard player after  a long friendship. This has to be the reason why this new record is called “In Some Way We Shape Our Form.” So I was curious to hear what this new record sounded like after two killer albums. Have they gone even bigger, or is this record just an honorable mention in their career?

The Infected is the first song on this new record. It has a very strong start. But after a few notes, I noticed that their sound has changed in a completely different direction. The song constantly switches from a fast paced to a slower tempo. What I really like about this song is the way they added some rapping during the middle of the song. It simply a great opener and keeps me stoked for what is about to come.

Then the second song comes in. This one is called The Security Of The Familiar The Tranquility Of Repetition. What a long song name. That’s something that they are really good at. Finding crazy song titles. Besides the title: this song rocks. It has a catchy opening tune on guitar, the great combination of the two singers and a drum beat that wants you to move your head up and down constantly. The song ends with a blast and pulls you straight into the third track.

What’s up next? It’s one of my favourite songs called Stuck In The Middle. This song reminds me a bit of Nickelback but with classic Four Year Strong elements such as dual singing, great guitar riffs and blistering drum beats. This song also contains one of the funniest lyrics I’ve ever heard from them. Just in the middle of the second verse they sing

I cough the dust out of my lungs and spit down the drain, I reach inside my head and pull the cobwebs from my brain

After this verse the song builds up to a heavy middle part, before it ends with a breathtaking finale.

If we move on we’ve got their first single, called Just Drive. When I first heard this song I got goosebumps instead. The intro is the best intro I’ve heard in a while from any band. The lyrics of the song just beg you to sing along. They are catchy as hell. On the other hand the rest of the song is great, but it’s not their best, because it’s too repetitive and lacks the Four Year Strong aggressive power.

The next track Fairweather Fan is a special track. It’s a song that is dedicated to the real Four Year Strong who stuck with them in their entire career. For me it’s the most pop punk minded song on their new effort. It reminds me of their first record called Rise Or Die Trying, but with more mature influenced songwriting.

When I first heard Sweet kerosene I thought I was listening to The Foo Fighters. That’s because it has the typical Foo Fighters sound throughout the whole song. But like “Stuck In The Middle” it has the same elements that made me realize I was listening to Four Year Strong. This song is a great addition to end of the first half of this memorable disc so far.

The opener of the second half is called Falling On You. When I heard their record was delayed because of this song, I was bummed out. But this frustration went away when I heard this one. With this song they are aiming for a bigger audience, which is great. It’s a straightforward radio rock song with hard-hitting drums and guitar riffs.

Next up is Heaven Wasn’t Build To Hold Me. This song is one of the best song I’ve ever heard from this band. It starts with an explosive intro before the singers start to rap during the verses. During the choruses the band uses gang vocals to make the song more spicy and intense. For me it’s the standout track on their new record.

With that being said, the next track Unbreakable has already started. This track pulls out the speed out of the record. It’s a more heartfelt song with a deeper meaning. It’s about never giving up and be strong no matter what happens in your life. You can describe the song as a rock ballad but with a faster pace.

Bring On The World is a classic For Year Strong song, nothing more nothing less. This song has a hard rock feel. Like “Just Drive” It’s a great song, but it lacks creativity to be a killer tune.

So this new record has almost come to an end. First let’s start with the second to last song, called  Fight The Future. This song simply took my breath away. The verses make you want to dance, the choruses are heavy and hard. It ends with a distorted guitar before the last track comes in.

Only The Meek Get Pinched The Bold Survive is the last one on this new album. And Oh my god it’s amazing. It’s starts with a great piano tune during the first verse before the song explodes and opens up to the best song I’ve heard from them in a while. It constantly builds up and explodes with each chorus, before it slowly fades out towards the end of this song, to end the record in a memorable way.

They definitely aimed for a different sound on this record. I listened to it many times and for me one thing is clear. With this record there are aiming for a bigger crowd and some radio air play. This is great, because this band deserves to be known by a large audience. There’s only one major thing that I missed on this new record. Where the hell are the breakdowns that I’ve loved during their two last albums? Besides that the new record is a masterpiece and a great addition to my Four Year Strong cd collection.

The opening track, called What You Want, is the leading single of this new record. It starts with a powerful drum intro that instantly grabs the attention of the listener. The song is dark, aggressive and well put together with some heavy guitar riffs and drum patterns, combined with some soft piano tunes during the choruses. It ends  with a drum pattern, a heavy guitar riff and the voice of Amy fading out into the second track.

Made Of Stone is a totally different track. The beginning is dark and has a mystique feel. Overall, it has a more hard rock feel than the first track. At the middle the tracks breaks down and builds up to a climax. This part is filled with a piano tune and orchestra, the blistering voice of Amy Lee, that gives me chills and a little guitar solo. This part gives the song that extra punch it needed, because without it, it would sound rather boring.

That brings me to the third track, called The Change. When the first two songs make you want to scream your lungs out, this one makes you want to close your eyes and relax, because it’s a rather slower song. The song ends with a distorted guitar that fades out into the fourth track.

My Heart Is Broken is why I loved this band in the past. This song combines great piano tunes with the powerful voice of Amy Lee. The heavy drums and guitar riffs make me feel like I’m listening to Evanescence a few years ago, but now with a more mature sound and vocals.

The Other Side showcases a darker and aggressive side of this band. When listening to it I got the feeling this song would be rather boring. But that wasn’t the case. Just when you think it will end like it started, the song falls apart. Then, the piano comes in and builds up to a great finale, which is very powerful and strong.

Next up: Erase This. I’m not sure how to feel about this track. It starts great with a fast drum pattern, but it sounds bland. This song doesn’t give me what I expected it would be. I’m sure there will be fans who love it, but it doesn’t give me the aha feeling, that I got during the first five tracks.

Moving on, we’ve got Lost In Paradise. This song reminds me of “My Immortal”. This song simply took my breath away and gave me chills from the start to the end. It starts as a piano ballet, but just before the second verse the song explodes in to a rock ballad, combined with strings and a piano. It ends in a soft way, with a piano tune that guides you to the next one.

The next tune, Sick, really is sick. It’s the darkest one on the new record. You simply want to headbang and scream out your frustration, when listening to it. At the end of the song Amy Lee screams the following words

“sick of it all, sick of it all “

After these words the song slowly fades out into the next track.

End Of The Dream is very dark, but it doesn’t add much to the new record. It’s been written so many times before. It can easily be skipped.

Next in line is Oceans. Its one of my favourites. The verses are slow and dark and the choruses are aggressive and powerful. They’ve written songs like that in the past but this one really pulls it off in a different and more mature way.

Never Go Back is the track that blows me of my chair. It’s so aggressive, fast and hard. To be honest, I was amazed when I heard it for the first time. It’s one of the heaviest and best songs they’ve ever written. With that being said, lets move on to the final track of this record.

The closing track, called Swimming Home is a slow song, but it’s different from all the other slow songs they have ever written. It only uses a drum and a piano. But the slightly spooky voice of Amy Lee gives the song the extra punch it needed to end the record in a great way.

They’re back in a good way. The record has some stand out tracks such as “Never Go Back”, “My Heart Is Broken”. It also has a few letdowns like “ Erase This” and “End Of The Dream”. I only can say it’s a great record, but it’s not their best effort to date. But in the end the band is back and has a promising future ahead.

The first track is called Power On Me. It’s exactly how you would want her to start an album, a bit poppy but with electronic beats. It’s kind of built up slow, but its powerful enough to make it up-beat. However, I do feel like she could have picked a more up-beat first track, like for example, the second track Katy On A Mission.

It’s her first single, which was already released in summer 2010. This track contains a lot of dubstep and its got a lot of swing to it. Especially when she sings “oo-ooh-ooh”, you immediately want to try to sing it as well but then realise you can’t reach the notes. Well, that’s what happened to me anyway.

Why Are You Always Here is a good question for some people, and it’s the third track. Its got a long intro, and the lyrics are interesting. It’s about a girl who’s got a boyfriend who’s obviously in love with some other girl, but she’s the only one who sees it. It’s a bit repetitive, there isn’t a lot more than the chorus and a verse. But maybe that’s her style or any Dubstep kind of style and I just have to get used to it.

Either way, Witches Brew has already begun. It’s got an interesting beat on the background, and luckily it’s a different one in the chorus because I’d get irritated after a while. I really like the bridge. The then sings:

Open up your eyes now, now your love belongs to me.  Now there’s no escaping me.

Movement is a lot more funky. But, it’s again a little boring and repetitive to me. I’m not sure but I’m thinking this is a filler. Even though its funky, it doesn’t have a lot of energy. And I guess I need some energy.

However, I do like Go Away. I’m not sure why, but it moves me. It’s sweeping, and I like that. Besides, I like the beats that backing her up a lot more as well.

Moving on, we’ve got Disappear. It’s not quite an up-tempo track but it has this flow, that is quite nice. Especially the chorus, it’s catchy. I’ve noticed the lyrics as well. I kind of notice it in all of tracks, she has a great style of writing if you ask me. Really British.

It’s mad, how something so real could be conditional.

It makes you realise that things just simply change. But on a brighter side, we’ve moved on to Broken Record. Okay, that track isn’t happier either, but it is way more up tempo. I guess I expected more up tempo tracks, but I guess I was wrong. Broken Record is pretty nice.

The most famous track is Lights On,  featuring Ms. Dynamite. Gosh, you have no idea how many times I’ve heard this track. On the radio, in clubs, everywhere. It was crazy. But you can’t deny it, it’s pretty catchy. As for me, I don’t keep on moving with the lights on, though.

I’ve heard Easy Please Me on the radio quite a few times as well, but most of time, I listen to it on my own terms. I guess it’s my favourite track of the album and it’s so damn true. We’re picky and we know why. We’ve got our reasons. I love the end of the track. I guess I kind of miss that in other tracks, the instrumental part.

Perfect Stranger doesn’t have an instrumental ending, but it does have an instrumental intro, and I really appreciate it. I like the whole song, actually. It’s sweeping, and you know I like sweeping. However, it does kind of get boring with the verses, and that’s really a downer.

Last but not least (I know, cliché, right?): Hard To Get. Is it funk, is it dance? Who knows, but it’s nice. It’s a good ending, really. The nice thing is the thank you’s she’s giving at the end of the track. You’re welcome, Katy B.

So basically, I can’t complain. I wont. It’s a nice album,it really is. The hard part is that’s really not something I would ever buy. Luckily for her, I’m one of the few people who feel that way since it is a huge deal, especially in the UK. But the question is; will it last? In this quick society, where the kids who listen to this kind of music change their minds every week, will this kind of music last? And if it won’t, will she be able to reinvent herself and come up with a new concept and style? I really hope so because I like the girl. Up to the second album.

well, it starts with the title track, Mylo Xyloto. Which is more of an intro for the next song. What can I say? It’s typical Coldplay. At least, the style that they’ve been creating since their break after X&Y. It builds up slow, and when you start to feel like it’s about to blow up, Hurts Like Heaven starts.

And I guess you can say that Hurts Like Heaven does a good job blowing the place up. It’s really energetic, which I like. Usually I like it when an album starts with an energetic track. So here I go. I’m not sure why but it makes me want to do The Twist, this track. Doesn’t it? Oh well. They always manage to make these interesting lines, that actually fit as well, like this line:

you, you use your heart as a weapon, and it hurts like heaven

Coldplay is kind of that band that likes to jump right into the singles, like they did with Paradise, the third track of the album. We all know Paradise already. Some may know it because it sounds like a Roxette track, others may know it because it’s played on the radio so many times a day you can not, not know it. But it’s a good song. And I can see people catching theirselves sing “para, para, paradise” with Chris. And the video is pretty interesting too, isn’t it? Besides the whole elephant concept of it all, doesn’t anyone agree that the intro of the video looks like the scenery of The Lion King?

Charlie Brown starts just like I like them to start a track, slowly and a tad odd, but then falls into a rapid track. The heavy piano playing in this one is typical Coldplay if you ask me. Near the end, it slows down again, and the funny intro sound starts again. What is that anyway? But, of course they have to reach a climax some how, and so it starts all over again, soon enough. But this time, it feels like they’re doing it harder and faster. And then, at the very end, they let the track stop with a slow and comforting piano sound.

Us Against The World is kind of what the last album has been missing, the acoustic softer song. They have done that before, but just not lately. And honestly, I missed it. Their first album, Parachutes had a bit too much of those tracks, but they haven’t done that for a while.

But were moving on with their leading single, Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, and is intro M.M.I.X. The intro doesn’t do anything, really. Mostly its just a long prep for the leading single that is about to come up. And then it comes, and we all know that we like it. I have to say, the first time I heard it, it reminded me a lot of their previous album. Especially the guitar riff. The track has a lot of ups and downs. But it’s still pretty energetic.

Major Minus is energetic as well, certainly at the chorus but its a lot darker. It’s an example of why Coldplay is called a rock band sometimes, because most of the times they’re a lot softer. But this one seems like they’re angry. I can’t deny I like it. This is one for my down days.

After blowing off some steam, we’ve got another acoustic track with U.F.O. And it’s quite nice. Relaxing.But I’m ready to kick some butt again, and they understand that as well. Because they’re releasing Rihanna on us on a track called Princess Of China. I find the track a bit odd at first, but after you get used to it, I’m pretty sure it’ll hit off in the charts. No doubt they’re going to release this as a single. Everything Rihanna touches turns into gold.

Up In Flames, being the only ballad on the album, is pretty sad. Some might find it a masterpiece, but I can’t say I am that impressed.

Let’s continue with Don’t Let It Break Your Heart, and the yet another intro for it, A Hopeful Transmission. I would be lying if I would say that I don’t like these intros, but you have to admit that they’re always a white lie, for a bit. People expect it to have more tracks than it actually does. However, this last intro proves that sometimes an intro is needed. Because Don’t Let It Break Your Heart starts with a clash. And the clashing doesn’t seem to end, so an intro is nice here. But I love the track anyway.

The ending of Don’t Let It Break Your Heart fades into the beginning of the last track, Up With The Birds. This one is pretty much how you would expect that Coldplay would end an album. First, it’s really slow and kind of sad, but then it builds up and it becomes an explosive happy track.

Yes, I’ve waited a long time for this new album, and it finally arrived and I am not disappointed. In fact, I love it. I’ve known their work, and appreciated it, for a long time and they’ve really evolved. However, they haven’t so much from their last album. There are a lot of elements in there that were already there in 2008, with Viva La Vida. But why keep on working on something that’s already pretty good? I’ve you’ve got what people like, then go with it until they don’t like it anymore. I’m buying it, and I’m not going to be the only one.

Hope Slips Away (The World Is Ours To Change)  is the opening track for this record. And o my god how it starts the record. In a good way. From the very first notes it starts with a distorted guitar tune and heavy drum pattern that blows you off your chair. The start has a punk feel and then slowly progresses in to a more hardcore feel towards the second half and the end of the song. The switch between different genres is well executed and put together with some smooth gang vocals. At the end the songs slowly fades out with the same distorted guitar sound straight into the second track called Empty Hands.

Empty Hands is the second number and is also a part of the album title. It’s a straightforward punk song. It starts with an opening guitar riff that catapults you straight into the song. The first half of the song is fast and aggressive. Then in the middle it crashes down and builds up towards the climax at the end. This track showcases the enormous power this band consists in his vocal department. The lead singer can sing, can scream and grunt like the best in the genre. While the beginning of this one is happy and straightforward you get the feeling at the end something dark is about to come.

Speaking of dark powerful tracks: Erie, the third song, has a very dark punk feeling. The meaning behind the song is simple. It’s about a place called Erie. This band totally hates this place and have put this hate into the song. The guitar riffs and drum patterns provoke a certain dark atmosphere that gives me chills throughout one of the shortest tracks of this record. At the end the lead singer sings the following line.

“Can this fire be saved or is it too late?”

Valleys is the lead single of this record. This is also the reason why I got stoked to hear this CD. For me it’s one of the standout tracks on the record. It kicks off with a great guitar riff and the drummer hitting his hi-hat with a simple but breathtaking pattern. The verses have a punk feel and the choruses have a more hardcore feel. The second verse uses the power of the bass well to express this punk feel. The lyrics of this one are simple and easy to sing. Once you’ve heard it, it can get stuck in your head for days. With this song stuck in my head I move on to the next tune.

Injustice is the heaviest and also the most hardcore influenced track on the record. Just before the end there is a breakdown that pulls the plug out of the song before the next song starts.

Paper Thin is the odd one of this cd. it is slower than the other tracks. It’s a great intermezzo to end the first half of the record as you tumble straight into the second half. At the end of the song the gang vocals give it an extra dimension and drag you into the next track.

Wormwood kicks off the second half of this record in a slow but dark way. The beginning is slow-paced. This pattern continues towards the middle of the song. Then at the second half it switches to a faster paced song with a building climax at the end. For me it’s the most heartfelt track I’ve heard to date from this band. Heartfelt is something you can also allocate to the next track.

Keep The Lights On is about the fear about the dark days in your life. It’s the most punk influenced song on their sophomore release. The lyrics are about what they’ve gone through in their personal lives. In the middle it slows down and builds up to a great finale. During this finale the instruments fade out and the singer showcases his enormous voice surrounded by the bass player by singing.

“please keep the lights on, I am trying to make I home,

the sun is sinking, but I won’t go down with it”

The gang vocals pull the song to an and then Carry You comes in.

Carry You  has also a deeper meaning. It’s about true friendship  and helping each other when you are facing tough days. The lyrics are great but for me it lacks a bit creativity in the musical department. I didn’t get an aha feeling when listening to it. It’s the only letdown on the cd for me.

Wolves -This song is a perfect opener for the closing of the cd. It kicks of with a great drum pattern and a guitar warming up the listener for what is about to come. It switches constantly from a faster to a slower pace. The moment when you don’t expect it a huge breakdown takes place which contains a guest appearance from Virgil from The Ghost Inside. After the breakdown it ends in a slow-paced tempo leading the listener into the next track.

Scars is a fast paced hardcore song. It starts with a great intro guitar riff but in the middle it breaks down into a darker song that gives me chills down my spine. Nothing more, nothing less, it is this track that makes the listener questioning what the last track will sound like.

Heavy Hearts – het closing track opens very strong with a powerful intro riff before the first verse comes in. It starts slow but after the first chorus it speeds up and gets more aggressive in the second verse. After this the song, it even gets more aggressive before it falls apart into the final climax for this record. When you think the ending will blow up your speakers it stops and a choir starts to sing this cd to a breathtaking end.

All I can say is: Damn, this record is amazing. They have truly put their heart into this one and it showcases a more mature sound from the band then on We Will Overcome. It’s definitely worth a spin for every one who dig the punk/hardcore scene.

Making Mirrors is title track, but also the intro for the whole album, is short and soft. Who knows what this album is going to be

I feel like rocking out. Luckily for me, he felt the same when he made Easy Way Out. It kind of reminds me of a Lenny Kravitz song. The chorus is crazy and rock N Roll, but the verses seem to calm him down.And that’s what makes it pretty damn good.

Somebody I Used To Know, the leading single, is to my opinion one of the best tracks of this year. It’s been floating on the radios for a couple of weeks before I noticed it. But when I did, I was hooked, and so were others. This track is starting to take over a few countries, if not the world. I guess, partly because of the atypical pop songs Adele sings, people start to love that kind of music. The intensity of the lyrics and the beauty of his voice make it so real. Kimbra does a good job, as well.

However, the new kind of genre where people pour their hearts out, it’s really depressing. But no worries because Eyes Wide Open pops up and it’s cheerful. This one actually proves (again) that this man can sing. The sad thing is: you think its cheerful but the lyrics are so, so sad.

Everything we had, everything we did, is buried in dust. And this dust is all that’s left of us

Lucky him, most of these typical sad lyrics/ cheerish melody tracks are usually the best of the album.Next up: Smoke And Mirrors. Its weird, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. In fact, he makes it his way to make strange tracks beautiful. The ending is quite astonishing.

Is it me? Did I just shuffle my iTunes or what? I Feel Better sounds like an old funk song, or at least a Cee Lo Green one. He even sings like him, too.  So, that’s interesting. Can’t say I don’t like it though, it cheers me up. If I don’t feel better after this, then I gotta go check myself in a psychiatric ward. Okay, no that’s a bit harsh.

Lets continue with In Your Light, which now sounds like an old country track to me. Boy, this man has many styles up on his sleeve. But wait, where is he? Oh, right after a minute he comes in. I wouldn’t have minded if it was fully instrumental though, it was nice. But its nice when he sings, as well.

He doesn’t really seem to leave the funk with State Of Art. But it’s not traditional either, since auto tuned his voice and lowered it until it sounds like a robot. But that makes it so catchy, its odd. However, it’s a bit long. If you want to complain, that is.

Moving Forward, Don’t Worry We’ll Be Watching You is kind of odd, to say the least. Gotye is whispering the whole time, the track is very mysterious. In fact, it kind of creeps me out, but in a good way. If that makes any sense.

Giving Me A Chance sounds like an intro/outro, but it’s really not. But it’s still nice, I liked listening to it while it lasted.

Save Me is very inspiring. The music is really pretty as well, the piano is lovely.

Bronte is a very slow track with heavy drums. Slowly making a march out, I guess. It’s actually quite intriguing.But I’m used to intriguing by now. It makes me sad, though. Or is it because I’m sad that the album is ending? Not sure.

You can’t deny it and in fact: why would you want to? This album is a great album. I still really haven’t figured out his style yet, but putting artists in boxes never were my thing anyway. He knows his way around in the industry and with instruments, but he also knows how to make a modern computerized track without it being electronic. If I wasn’t impressed before, I am now. Besides, he was born in Belgium. What can I say?

Linkin park, the band who put nu metal on the worldmap with monster hits like “One step closer” and “In the end”, are back with a new record called Thousand Suns. The band, formed in 1996, have put out four studio albums to date including Hybrid theory, Reanimation (remix album), Meteora and Minutes to midnight. They took their time to write and create this experimental concept album and hopefully it paid off. Does this record have a lasting value, or can you change the title from A Thousand Suns into A Thousand Nones?

The Requiem kicks the record off in a very mystique and strange way. First of all, you get a spooky entering tune followed by spooky high pitch voice that says the words

” God save us everyone, we’ll be burning into the fire of a thousand suns, for the sins of our hand, sins of our tongue, sins of our father, sins of our young”

This strange and awkward voice keeps the listener curious to dig deeper into the next songs.

if you look at the next song The Radiance, it is a text that someone is reading instead of an actual track. You hear a space like the voice is telling something to the listener. It’s nothing special for me and I can easily move on to the third track.

Burning In The Skies is the third single and keeps me hoping to finally hear some music from Linkin park on this new disc. The beginning has a depressing feel. it starts with a heartbeat and uses a piano tune combined with a soft drum pattern throughout the verses and choruses. You think this will continue towards the end but after the second chorus it explodes into a more upbeat tune that turns on a little smile on my face. Before you know it this song ends and the next one has already begun.

Empty spaces leaves the listener with an empty space. it’s only 18 seconds long. This must be the shortest song to date in the Linkin Park catalogue.

After the second fill up the fifth track called When They Come For Me, starts with a ticking clock and a strange guitar tune. The song uses an upbeat drum rhythm. This rhythm makes you think you are listening to a jungle-ish track but a very repetitive one. It doesn’t have a long-lasting value for me, but there will be listeners who will dig this one.

So far I have listened to five tracks but still haven’t found what I’m looking for in a Linkin park Album. Now lets move on and listen to number six. Robot Boy gives me chills and I got blown away by the great piano tune combined with a soft voice from Chester singing his lyrics. This song is Linkin park worthy.

Robot Boy flows perfectly into Jordana Del Muerto. This tune is used as an intermezzo between the first and the second half of the record. It has a more dance/electro feel. After 1 minute and 30 seconds you can hear the track fading out straight into the next half of the record.

The second half kicks off with their second single Waiting For The End. It’s a pure rap rock tune with heartfelt lyrics and has a ballad feel. This one showcases the incredible voice Chester possesses. When listening to it, I got the chills down to my spine and it felt like I could sit, relax and let everything go.

with my brain was empty, I started listening to the next track Blackout. Its starts of with a drum beat and piano tune that creates a certain atmosphere for what’s about to come. Like Joana Del muerte it has a dance electro feel. The only thing that is different from all the other dance songs is Chester is screaming throughout the whole song. In the middle it crashes down and builds back up to an ending climax into the next episode.

Wretches and Kings has an industrial/nu metal feel. It is also the heaviest one on the record. Mike shinoda’s rapping in the verses and Chester singing reminds me of the good old days when Linkin Park used this as their trademark. It ends with a great scratching solo from Hann.

Wisdom Justice and Love is another filler. It is great for a band to use such pieces, but for me it becomes boring and it doesn’t add something special in general.

Special is something you can allocate to iridescent. It is the fourth single of the record and is also used as the title track of “Transformers: Dark Moon Rising”. like Waiting For The End this one is a rock ballad with great lyrics. The combination of Mike and Chester singing is perfectly executed. In the middle the drum beat stops and a choir starts to sing to lead the song into a great climax. It ends with a great piano tune and then fades out into Fallout.

Fallout is the interlude for the fourteenth track. It uses a robot like voice with lyrics from iridescent. Unlike the other interludes, this one gets a smile on my face and gets me excited to hear the next tune.  

The Catalyst is the leading single for the record. For me it is one of the greatest tracks. Normally I’m not a big fan of experimental stuff, but this one really pulls it off. It’s a mixture of electro, dance, a tender ballad together with rock in a clever and subtle way. The meaning behind the song is to tell the people the good days have come to an end. A message that can be well understood by many of us.

Speaking of messages, The Messenger is the closing track, finally. It is the most heartfelt song I’ve ever heard from Linkin Park to date. It’s a great way to end a concept record. If you hear it, you want to grab your lighters, and put them up high. I never thought Linkin park could write such songs, but it is something they have to continue doing in the future.

When I first heard the record I thought it wasn’t their best work. But when I listen to it now, I can say it all flows perfectly together and has some heights and depths. It contains great standout tracks like Waiting For Fhe End, The Catalyst, The Messenger, Iridescent and Burning In The Skies, but in general it lacks the raw power that I am used to hear from Linkin park in the past. I’m sure in the end Linkin park will have some new fans with this CD and lose some old school diehard fans.

Either way, I’ve got a personal friend to work with me, but if you think doing this as well, you still can. Just contact me, on the Contact page of course. And I’ll e-mail you back soon.

Made For You, which is the first track, starts off with the singer whispering: “one, and two and three and four” for a couple of times. Then, the drum and piano kick in. It’s a rather slow track, mid-tempo I would have to say. It’s even a bit dreamy. However, it does feel like something is going to come in and take your breath away. It never really comes though. The strangest thing then happens, they start to sing the chorus to “All The Right Moves”, which is the leading single and next track.

Speaking of, All The Right Moves begins and it’s a really sweeping song. It’s got a happy feeling, but it also feels really content to me. They’re going down, like they sing. I really enjoy it, but then again, that’s normal. It’s their leading single, they know what to choose. I’ve actually heard a little birdie say that they’ve been singing that song on tour, long before the release of their album. They then recorded it, and that’s the result.

Since they are known for one of the best ballads of the last couple of years, they have a reputation. Secrets is the first ballad, and also a single. It starts with a beautiful violin, which continues in the background throughout the track. They’re pretty good at ballads, aren’t they?

Everybody Loves Me isn’t a ballad at all, in fact it’s got an edge. Obviously, the title has got a big ego, and so does the song. However, this song reminds me of some other song, but I can’t say what. God, I hate when that happens.

They seem to switch it up, because Missing Persons 1 & 2 is another ballad. Not sure what it’s about, but I know that this track is quite different. The instruments are really important here. It’s rather astonishing.  I’m reminded a lot by a Muse track, especially with the high vocals of lead singer Ryan Tedder and the kind of out of this world music.

Good Life is very vibrant. It’s got a lot of energy, with various instruments playing in the back, and a bright guitar riff. Good Life is also the fourth and last single of the album.

The next track, All This Time, has as long approach, until you hear a piano. That’s how the whole song goes, really. It’s built up very slowly. When the violins begin, in the bridge, the song starts to explode and its the violins that make the track.

The violins come back on Fear, the track is really dramatic and the chorus mainly contains long stretched notes of the word, and title, “fear”. The piano makes it strong, but it’s done before I know it.

Dramatic might even be a key word, especially in the title track, Waking Up. It starts off with an organ. And soon enough, the guitar kicks in. No more organ. It is now rock. However, it’s still really heavy to listen to. Well, most of their tracks might be. It’s fantastic if you feel the same way, but for other listeners it’s just a heavy load. But don’t be mistaken, the musical part is fantastic. Could be movie material. Hands down.

Marchin On is pretty much how I expect it. It’s inspiring. That’s how it feels, really. With an almost constant “we-ooh” in the back, and a heavy drum its pretty inspiring. That’s the word, inspiring. And it should be, since it’s used for the FIFA.

I’m not sure why artists love to call their songs Lullaby but, they do. I for one think it’s mostly about the fact that they’ve got this song, which is a ballad, and they want to put it on the record but “untitled” is a mess. However, this feels like an actual lullaby.

So, it seems like the record is played and I am pretty pleased with what they’ve come up with it. It’s really dreamy, and the instruments are very important, and grand.  Grand, inspirational and dreamy are probably the keywords to the album, and the band. I didn’t expect that, though. The singles are really commercial, the pop/rock kind of stuff. But if you listen closer, they make a lot deeper music than we think we know from them. But do we always want to go that deep? If you do, then get yourself a copy.

The Downfall Of Us All, the title track and first single of this record, is a direct smash in the face. It starts with a breakdown combined with some gang vocals saying ‘LETS GO’. These vocals are spread throughout the song in a clever way that it doesn’t become repetitive. The songs combines fast/slower paced verses with slower choruses and breakdowns. It’s a great opener for this record and keeps the listener excited to hear more.

My Life For Hire has a dark and aggressive feel. It’s a song about people who have to pay for what they’ve done wrong. It starts with a powerful guitar riff and a hard-hitting drum pattern. The verses and choruses combine clean vocals with growls from their lead singer Jeremy McKinnon. Just before each chorus the band uses gang vocals to make clear where the chorus begins. The end of this song gets some extra punch from a breakdown that says

“ Watch your back, you’ll lose yourself. This is a battleground”.

This breakdown adds something special and wants you to step of your seat and start to do some moshing action.

I’m Made Out Of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of? Is their second single of the record and you can say it’s a funny/strange song title. It has a more hardcore feel than the first two songs which is great, because this keeps the record interesting and it allows the band to showcase their musical qualities. As a surplus, it contains a great guest performance from Mike Hranica who’s in the Devil Wears Prada.

Nj Legion Iced Tea is a song with a deeper meaning. It’s about the band who has gone through a lot of things in the past. They survived these tough moments or pitfalls. They want to spread the message that you have to be strong and never give up. It’s one of the greatest songs the band has ever written. When you listen to it, you can feel the frustration of the band members pumping out of the speakers of your computer, headphones or speaker boxes.
Mr. Highway’s Thinking About The End is one of the heaviest and darkest song on this record. Heavy riffs and loud drum patterns make sure the listener gets a dark feeling when listening to this one. I always get the creeps hearing the loud growls from the lead singer.

Have Faith In Me is their third and last single of Homesick. It’s a more slow-paced but very heartfelt rock song. This is the softest one besides “If It Means A Lot To You” on the record. With this song they add a great intermezzo and a pause for the listener to take some breathe and have a seat and enjoy a song with a deeper meaning. Have Faith In Me showcases their large range in song writing. Not only do they master the fast and aggressive songs, they can also write a more emotional and heartfelt tune.

Welcome To The Family is a hard and heavy song that combines loud growls with clean choruses. It has a guest vocal appearance from Vincent Bennett from the Acacia Strain. I can honestly say that Welcome To the Family is the song that I first didn’t like, but it’s got some growing potential. After giving this record a few spins, this song became one of my favourites of their third record.

Homesick is the title and the eight song on the record. The verses are straight forward and very fast, where the choruses are slower paced. After using less gang vocals in the previous songs, they appear again on this tune. Needless to say, A Day To Remember knows how to combine fast paced parts with slower parts. The song fits perfectly together and your ears get filled with some fine riffs and drum patterns.

Holdin’ It Down For The Underground starts off very heavy with some growls from their lead singer. The musical structure is the same as Welcome To The Family. They only added a large heavy breakdown and some gang vocals to give this song an extra punch.

You Already Know What You Are has a hardcore feel but is also a very short track. It’s only 1 minute and 14 seconds, but the raw power of this song keeps it interesting enough to have a place on this record.

Another Song About The Weekend is definitely the happiest song on this record. It has a pop punk feel. It’s a typical summer song and this one begs you to scream out the air of your lungs and sing along with the easy lyrics. When I heard this song for the first time, I couldn’t resist sitting on my chair. I had to jump around and sing the lyrics out loud.

If It Means A Lot To You is the slowest song on the record. It’s a love ballad about to people who love each other but haven’t seen each other in a while. With this song A Day To Remember showcase their ability to write a good ballad. The song is a collaboration of Versa emerge Sierra Kusterbeck and the lead singer Jeremy McKinnon. Just before the end the songs explodes and gives the listener a final punch in the face.

In the end Homesick is for sure the best album A day to remember have produced to date. It shows the world they can write heavy, soft, hard, dark, aggressive and fast forward punk songs without any doubt. Musically it’s a pleasure for the ear and a great record to add to your collection. A must have for every A day to remember fan and a great record to start with for the new kids on the block.

Written by guest writer Tim Pearson.

Thanks, Tim