UK
Metalcore Champion Has Ring The Changes
A full year
after the departure of Danny Worsnop whom i still missed, Asking
Alexandria has finally make a comeback with a full-length album, The Black. It is an unenviable
task, not just because of such monumental change but because of what came
before it. In 2013, they created a genuinely great album, From Death To Destiny, so there are lot of questions about
the direction that the band would take, namely whether it would be up or down. Despite
newcomer Denis Stoff, whose face in GIF format is now all over my tumblr
home timeline, who has already more than become a part of the, say, ‘AA
Family’ displaying his impressive vocals on pre-released singles ‘I Won’t Give
In’ and ‘Let It Sleep’, as well as smashing live performances with the band, some
could not help but wonder if The
Black would shape up to previous Asking Alexandria albums.
‘Let It
Sleep’ opens the album in an explosive way, with Denis’ screams coming through
right at the start, giving a good taste of exactly what his voice can do, and
it works. I have a feeling that this guy is the right match for Ben, James, Sam
and Cameron. Plus, he has wider range vocal than Danny. Although i still prefer
him to stay in Down & Dirty (oh... old fangirl~). ‘Let It Sleep’ is also
the most Asking Alexandria-style track on this record and it is definitely
comforting to hear that the band have stayed true to their music and
themselves. Let me fangirling again over my junior high reminisce, Denis
really brings the band to their 2009’s gig!
Follow-up
tracks ‘The Black’, my personal favorite, and ‘I Won’t Give In’ continue the
upward spiral of quality that Asking Alexandria have begun to produce ten
months ago. ‘I Won’t Give In’ was released and received as the confirmation
that Denis Stoff was perfect for the band. Ten months later, the hard-hitting
lyrics, powerful vocals and awesome guitar riffs still blow me away. Denis’ vocal range keeps the record afloat as
his unclean conveys a demonic, almost industrial flavor melded alongside the
melodic cleans that compliment the backing vocals of Ben without ringing
overbearingly of the style of his predecessor.
Although tracks
like ‘Sometimes It Ends’ directly state the disclaimer that The Black is not focused on the
bitterness behind Danny’s departure, many of the exasperated lyrics within the
album may argue otherwise. “Every breathe you take / I watch you slip away /
You’re slowly killing yourself” in ‘I Won’t Give In’ or just the gratuitous
amount of F-bombs dropped throughout the record show that it was fueled by a
lot of pent-up anger. I still miss Danny though.
This album
also features a couple of ballads in the
form of ‘Send Me Home’ and ‘Gone’ which quickly becoming my favorite and with
good reason. Whilst neither of those are fast-paced, head-banging songs, they
are nice reminders that metal is about a lot more than just screams and crazy
riffs. That said, i have no complaint when screams and crazy riffs are
introduced, especially in the form of penultimate song like ‘Undivided’ which
is starting with a short but slow build up that is not unlike From Death To Destiny’s ‘Don’t
Pray For Me’, ‘Undivided’ quickly erupts into a mix of screams, a heavy drum
sequence (awww Cassells...) and fast guitars. The song maintains its
intensity throughout, making the perfect track for concert moshing.
Sounding like
a continuation of some track in Reckless
& Relentless, the likes of ‘We’ll Be OK’ feature the grinding,
charging riffs long-term fans will be accustomed to, while the string-littered ‘The
Lost Souls’ harks perfectly to their delicate flourishes of the past. It is
largely familiar fare, though there are moments that simply do not sit well,
most notably for ‘Just A Slave to Rock ‘n Roll’ which is very Attila-esque. But
still like it though~
Well, a
rarity among albums that i listen to, i have genuinely failed to come across a
song i don’t like or am not a major fan of in The Black. I can assure you they are better than ever
before. Danny may be gone but the rage channeled into The Black has helped the group lift themselves back onto
their feet, showing they are more than capable of carrying without him.
I like to listen asking alexandria songs too, you should try to listen another song of them that could express our feeling :D
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