| Written by Alex Stojanovic TRACK LISTING Last Day Under The Sun Pelvis On Fire Rewind The Exit Die To Live (feat. Neil Fallon) When We Were Kids Sorry Sack Of Bones Cloud 9 Cheapside Sloggers Maybe I Believe Parasite Leviathan The Awakening Of Bonnie Parker The Everlasting 7:24 Release Date: August 2, 2019 / Label: Vertigo / Universal Website: www.volbeat.dk |  |
VOLBEAT IS:
Michael Poulsen - Vocals & rhythm guitars / Jon Larsen - Drums / Rob Caggiano - Lead guitars
Kasper Boye Larsen - Bass & backing vocals
Michael Poulsen - Vocals & rhythm guitars / Jon Larsen - Drums / Rob Caggiano - Lead guitars
Kasper Boye Larsen - Bass & backing vocals
Every time a band makes a shift of direction in their music, there's always mixed reactions. Volbeat started out as a band with a really heavy groove-oriented sound, and ever since Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, they started incorporating some more accessible elements into their music, while still maintaining that groove-oriented sound. To me, that album remains their best, because the mix of different musical elements made it a really diverse and well-balanced listen, but it still felt cohesive. Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie was more focused on the rock side of things, but you could hear the band moving in a much more radio-friendly direction. While the band's new album Rewind, Replay, Rebound continues in that direction, and leans a little more towards the radio side, there's still a handful of songs that lean more towards the sound that was found on their earlier records. One other noticable difference over these last three records is that the punch isn't as powerful as it was on the first four records.
As a result, Rewind, Reply, Rebound is without a doubt the band's most melodic offering to date. Some songs contain a big pop rock feel, like "Last Day Under The Sun", "Rewind The Exit", "Cloud 9" and "7:24". As I mentioned above, these songs are sure to be polarizing because hardcore fans most likely won't gravitate towards them, but they will certainly bring in a new audience. When it comes to the songs that lean slightly heavier, there's "Pelvis On Fire", "The Everlasting", "Parasite", "Leviathan", and "Cheapside Sloggers". The latter features a guest guitar solo by Gary Holt. If these songs were featured on any of the band's first four records, they would've been considered satisfactory, but not mind-blowing. With the rest of the album containing more of a pop rock feel, calling these songs the heaviest on the album won't exactly sit well with the old-schoolers, but the good news is that those fans will definitely find something in these songs to love.
There's something for everyone, which is a good thing. While I do miss the serious punchy production from the first four records, I enjoy both the slightly more commercial side, as well as their heavy side, but if I had to pick one side, I would obviously go with the heavy side. Is this the best Volbeat album? No. Was it an enjoyable listen at least? Of course. Now that the album has been out almost two months, it's pretty clear that the reactions are mixed. A lot of old-school fans who prefer the heavier sound from the early years are not happy with the more mainstream direction, which isn't surprising, while a lot of new listeners who discovered Volbeat over the last three records are loving it, but there's also old fans who are embracing the poppier direction.
Highs: The balance of heavy and commercial songs makes for a really enjoyable listen.
Lows: If you're an old-school fan, there isn't much here that will please you.
As a result, Rewind, Reply, Rebound is without a doubt the band's most melodic offering to date. Some songs contain a big pop rock feel, like "Last Day Under The Sun", "Rewind The Exit", "Cloud 9" and "7:24". As I mentioned above, these songs are sure to be polarizing because hardcore fans most likely won't gravitate towards them, but they will certainly bring in a new audience. When it comes to the songs that lean slightly heavier, there's "Pelvis On Fire", "The Everlasting", "Parasite", "Leviathan", and "Cheapside Sloggers". The latter features a guest guitar solo by Gary Holt. If these songs were featured on any of the band's first four records, they would've been considered satisfactory, but not mind-blowing. With the rest of the album containing more of a pop rock feel, calling these songs the heaviest on the album won't exactly sit well with the old-schoolers, but the good news is that those fans will definitely find something in these songs to love.
There's something for everyone, which is a good thing. While I do miss the serious punchy production from the first four records, I enjoy both the slightly more commercial side, as well as their heavy side, but if I had to pick one side, I would obviously go with the heavy side. Is this the best Volbeat album? No. Was it an enjoyable listen at least? Of course. Now that the album has been out almost two months, it's pretty clear that the reactions are mixed. A lot of old-school fans who prefer the heavier sound from the early years are not happy with the more mainstream direction, which isn't surprising, while a lot of new listeners who discovered Volbeat over the last three records are loving it, but there's also old fans who are embracing the poppier direction.
Highs: The balance of heavy and commercial songs makes for a really enjoyable listen.
Lows: If you're an old-school fan, there isn't much here that will please you.
FINAL RATING:
| | |
RSS Feed
