Madonna - Rebel Heart EP [Review]

Anyone who hasn't been living under a rock or in a coma during the last week or so is probably aware of the unfortunate predicament that has been plaguing Madonna lately - leaks. Just when we think that maybe we have gotten all of the leaks that we are going to get, more come to the surface. A collection of thirteen demos titled Iconic leaked about a week or so ago, and then, between early this morning and throughout the day today, fifteen more songs leaked, bringing the count up to twenty-eight songs. It is really unfortunate that this has happened, especially so much sooner than Madonna had planned to release the album, but to combat the leaks, Madonna struck back with a release of six songs to iTunes available with preorder of the album, which is expected on March 10th. Demo versions of five of the six songs had sadly leaked with Iconic, with "Ghosttown" being the only truly new, previously unheard song. However, the versions present on iTunes are different, as they are the finalized album versions. With a visually striking album cover reminiscent of the Erotica era, the final product is titled Rebel Heart (which most likely means that the leaked song "Rebel Heart" will be featured on the album) and promises to slay. It has been said that Rebel Heart is Madonna's most ambitious work in the last decade, and I do think that that can be inferred from the six songs that are currently available officially.

The album opens with "Living for Love," a feel-good anthem about moving past heartbreak and still having faith in love. The very beginning of the song is reminiscent of 2005's Confessions on a Dance Floor, but with piano, gospel choir, and a '90s sound to it, the song, as a whole, sounds very much like a modernized version of something that might be found on 1989's Like a Prayer. Co-written with several people such as Alicia Keys, it reportedly features backing vocals by Annie. I didn't think much of the song when I first heard it, but it quickly grew on me, although it's still not one of my favorites. The second track is "Devil Pray," and if I had to compare this song to a past era, I think that I would most closely associate it with 2003's American Life. The song blends electropop with acoustic rock, the perfect way to describe American Life as a whole. The song features several references to alcohol and drug use, and Madonna has stated that the song is a commentary on people who use drugs to not only feel physically high but also to feel spiritually high, feeling like drugs make them closer to God. The song features warped, deeply pitched vocals that stand alone and also lie underneath some of Madonna's vocals, presumably intended to be the voice of the devil. "Ghosttown" is the third track and is probably my favorite of the six songs released. It starts off reminding me very much of "Teen Idle" by Marina and the Diamonds but becomes an epic power ballad about two people surviving some sort of catastrophe and being there for each other.

The fourth track is "Unapologetic Bitch," a breakup song about someone who has simply had enough of whatever problems the ex-partner caused. There is definitely a great deal of bitterness in the song, and it is certainly unapologetically bitchy, with lyrics such as, "...you never really knew how much your selfish bullshit cost me; oh, fuck you" and "When we did it, I'll admit it, wasn't satisfied." The chorus breaks away from the song's overall reggae sound as it ends with an electronic break. The song definitely breaks new boundaries, functioning as a ska, electro-reggae track. The fifth track is "Illuminati," a party song that blends rap and dance-pop and offers a sort of parodic commentary on the popular (but rather ridiculous) Illuminati Conspiracy Theory, associated closely with Madonna. The song mentions various famous people (especially those who tend to generate controversy), such as Gaga, Beyoncé, Bill Clinton, Obama, Nicki Minaj, the Pope, Bill Gates, Justin Bieber, etc. The sixth track is "Bitch I'm Madonna," which features Nicki Minaj and is probably the oddest (if that is the right word for Madge) song of the six released. It is simply a feel-good song declaring the aspects of her identity that make her young at heart, playful, etc. I really love the electronic (almost dubstep) breaks throughout the song, even the odd closing break that sounds sort of like a dog barking. I admit, however, that I prefer the demo version because I don't think that Minaj's rap verse really works in the song. She is perfect on 2012's MDNA's "I Don't Give A" but not so much here.

Overall, what we have heard so far of Rebel Heart sounds very groundbreaking and ambitious. It is more artpop than Artpop is (and I honestly mean that primarily as a joke, not as an insult to Gaga, because I am actually a devoted monster as well as a Madge fan), and I am definitely liking what I am hearing so far. Even just in the six tracks currently available officially, we really don't have much of a central sound like we normally do. Normally, each Madonna album (especially from Erotica on) has its own central sound, and if you were to hear an unreleased demo, not knowing beforehand what era that it's from, you could probably make an accurate guess. Rebel Heart, however, seems to be very eclectic, with rap, reggae, piano ballads, acoustic rock, club anthems, etc. I really like that it is eclectic, though; I think that it accomplishes two feats. (a) It shows that Madonna isn't necessarily going with what's most popular currently. She is doing her own original thing. 2008's Hard Candy is a blend of sugary bubblegum pop, hip-hop, and R&B, arguably what was most popular in 2008, and 2012's MDNA included a lot of dubstep influence (especially on the track "Gang Bang"), which was very popular in 2012. (b) It is kind of reflective of her career overall, which reminds me of Avril Lavigne's most recent album, which is definitely a blending of her preceding four albums. I just hope that Rebel Heart isn't Madge's farewell album. Many of the demos that have not been officially released yet (and, of course, might not be), such as the title track, "Wash All Over Me," and "Joan of Arc" sound a lot like farewell songs. Let's hope that the Queen of Pop will be bringing us musical pleasure for many years to come!

Preorder Rebel Heart here and automatically receive these six songs!

Amy Lee - Aftermath [Review]

As most people who know me are aware, I am a huge fan of Evanescence and have been for eleven years. Evanescence is, hands down, my favorite band, and I don't see that ever changing. You can imagine my excitement when I discovered that Amy Lee planned to release a solo album. I remember her saying years ago that she would like to do so because she wanted to prove that she is not a one-trick pony (something that this album most certainly proves), but this past summer, she did more than just say that she would like to eventually do so; she revealed the album artwork and tracklisting. I nearly jumped out of my seat with excitement. Aftermath, the final product, functions both as Lee's solo debut as well as the soundtrack to the film War Story, and I also recall Lee saying years ago that it was a dream of hers to eventually score a film, and that is a goal which she has achieved, which is awesome. I have seen many Evanescence fans respond very harshly to Aftermath, saying that it is absolute garbage (which is probably because of how different that most of it is from Evanescence's typical sound), but I am not one of those fans. Evanescence may be my favorite band, but I also love Marina and the Diamonds, Lady Gaga, Madonna, etc., so my taste in music is pretty expansive, and I think that Aftermath is a beautiful work of art that, as previously stated, shows that Amy Lee is capable of successfully pulling off multiple genres of music.

The album opens with "Push the Button," which is the song that I have seen receive the most amount of negative criticism (even though it is my favorite song from the album). The song sounds like a song that you would expect to hear in a scene of a film or television series that takes place in some sort of night club. Lee's moaning sounds are deeply reminiscent of Madonna's early '90s Erotica sound. The song is Madonna meets Annie Lennox, with a dance beat and ethereal vocals. I haven't yet, but I honestly cannot wait to work out to this song. "Push the Button" is the only song on the album with this sound, though, as most of the remainder of the album consists of strings with no vocals, as is the case with "White Out," the second track. This track is only a minute-and-a-half and is actually a bit of a disappointment to me because, although beautiful, it would seem that Amy Lee had absolutely nothing to do with it. If you look at the digital booklet, you will see that the credits for this track credit Dave Eggar and Chuck Palmer as the writers and producers, Dave Eggar, Dave Nelson, and Thad DeBrock as the performers, and Chuck Palmer as the mixer. Amy Lee had no involvement with this song according to the credits, so that is a bit of a letdown for me. The track is very slow with light strings that sound very much like an introduction to a film. This track might, in fact, be heard at the beginning of War Story, but I wouldn't know because I haven't seen it yet.

The third track is titled "Remember to Breathe," and although Amy Lee does have some involvement in the track as the mixer and producer, she apparently did not write or perform the track (both of those credits go to Dave Eggar). The track is another very slow and quiet one, with deep strings reverberating for another minute-and-a-half. The track moves very smoothly into the fourth track, titled "Dark Water," a very full-sounding song with Arabic lyrics and chanting. World singer Malika Zarra lends vocals to the song and actually sings most of it, with supporting chanting performed by Lee. The song picks up speed from the previous two tracks, as it is something to which you could dance. "Dark Water" features Arabic lyrics that are an interpretation of a poem that I am assuming was written by Amy, as it is published in the digital booklet of the album. According to Lee, the track, although on Aftermath, was not actually used in War Story. "Between Worlds" is another instrumental piece, this time with Lee featured as both a writer and a performer. It sounds very similar to "White Out" to me, and the melody reminds me of The Open Door (Evanescence's third album). It has a dreamy and wistful sound to it, as does "Drifter," the next piece. "Drifter" features Lee's typical instrument of choice, the piano, and it reminds me of anime. Anime very often features very sad, melancholy music played on piano, and this piece definitely brings to my mind anime such as Fullmetal Alchemist.

"Drifter" moves very smoothly into "Can't Stop What's Coming," one of four tracks to feature vocals. The track begins with piano and moves into a steady and soft beat (that reminds me very much of Massive Attack) and Amy's soaring chanting and lyrics. The song is only slightly over two minutes long and does not feature many lyrics: "Can't stop what's coming. Can't stop what's coming over me. I can't stop what's coming. I dream of falling into you, like sleep, not to feel, just to sleep." "Voice in My Head" is yet another instrumental piece and is like "Drifter" in that it is mostly dominated by piano. It sounds a little ambitious, as I can imagine myself listening to music like "Voice in My Head" while doing something creative such as writing. As the piece progresses, that is exactly what it reminds me of - inspiration causing thoughts and ideas to form. "Lockdown" is the final song on the album. It reminds me of synthpop and almost sounds to me like something The Cure or Depeche Mode might do. This is one of the four songs on the album that I don't think is too far from the usual sound of Evanescence; the electronic sound kind of reminds me of Origin. Lyrically, the song is about someone coping with some sort of trauma, which is not only in keeping with what I know War Story to be about but is also in keeping with the theme of several Evanescence songs. The album concludes with the instrumental piece "After," which, from what I have read, also closes the film. It is a very slow and very sad-sounding piece played on strings, and like "White Out," Lee had no involvement according to the credits.

I would be lying if I said that I don't miss the heavier sound of Evanescence, but I am quite honestly just happy that Lee has released something, something that is, in my opinion, musically and artistically innovative and original. Aftermath, to me, represents the realization of a dream, as, like I stated before, an alternative metal musician set a goal of eventually scoring a film, and she did just that. It is also considered her first solo album, and although I will not go so far as to say that I would wholly dispute that, I will definitely say that it's debatable. It is definitely solo in the sense that it's detached from Evanescence, but Lee worked with several other musicians such as Dave Eggar and Chuck Palmer, and, as I previously stated, she apparently was not even involved in two of the album's tracks. I really love Aftermath, though, and I find a lot of fans to be responding to it far too harshly. It's fine to have a negative opinion of something released by an artist, even if it's an artist that you really like, but to be disrespectful about it is a different story. Evanescence fans should be respectful of the fact that Lee is breaking out of a shell and is doing her own thing. It is not selfish for an artist to do what makes him or her happy rather than to do what is expected of him or her. My only two complaints are that (a) as I said, I wish that Amy Lee were involved in all of the album's material, and (b) I wish that the album were longer. With only ten tracks, some of which are very short, the album is only thirty minutes long. I am a little bit dismayed by the fact that she has said recently that going into the studio with the rest of Evanescence is not in store for the near future, but at the same time, I am excited to hopefully hear another project from Amy in the (hopefully near) future!

Dani's Regina Mix for Chris

[Thanks to @frozenaura on Twitter for the cover art.]

Stream it here.

Note: This is a mix CD that a friend made for my birthday this year, and I have decided to share it.

Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence [Review]

Lana Del Rey is a fascinating musical artist because she is a mainstream artist who really is not mainstream at all. She embodies a vintage nostalgia of a time period through which she, having born in 1986, has not lived - primarily the sixties and seventies. This is something for which she has taken a lot of criticism, with some people believing that she inaccurately portrays the era which she attempts to portray, an apparently inevitable crime given that she, as previously stated, did not live through it. I personally love Lana's agenda, however, and I don't think that it is uncommon to be nostalgic of a time period through which you haven't lived. It is, in fact, more likely that you would wish to perpetuate a time period if you have not lived through it, for it is essentially in our nature to desire that which we do not and/or cannot have. Lana is an admirer of Marilyn Monroe, and I think that her appreciation for past decades begins with Marilyn and ends right around the seventies, and her newest album Ultraviolence, her third major label release, does not violate Lana's trend of embodying past decades, but whereas Born to Die and Paradise embody more of sixties and seventies Americana, Ultraviolence is darker, even more downbeat, and sounds a lot more like the Doors had it been fronted by a woman. Lana holds back on the sounds of alternative hip hop and trip hop tunes like “Off to the Races” and “National Anthem” and ups the raw rock sounds of songs such as “Cruel World” and “West Coast” on Ultraviolence.

The album opens with the psychedelic rock song nearly seven minutes in length, “Cruel World,” and this song is the one song on the album that really reminds me of the Doors. One might recall the lyric “Livin' like Jim Morrison” from the Paradise track “Gods and Monsters,” which strongly suggests an appreciation for the Doors, so I think that the comparison is just. The opening lyrics of the song “Share my body and my mind with you; that's all over now” pretty much sum up the entire sentiment of the album: loss. I really love the hook of the song, which features the lyrics “...you're young. You're wild. You're free. You dance in circles around me. You're fucking crazy.” It is reminiscent of the haunting opener of Paradise, which features the lyric “I'm tired of feeling like I'm fucking crazy.” The song is definitely a little heavier and a little more chaotic than anything that is found on Born to Die or Paradise, and I love it because it is a slightly new sound for Lana, indication that she is willing to cover new territory. The second track is the title track “Ultraviolence.” The title track is more of a return to a previous sound, reminding me of the song “Cola” from Paradise. The song is a swoony rock song that is essentially about loving someone who is abusive to you, clearly evidenced by the lyrics “He hit me, and it felt like a kiss.” I definitely think that there are ways to interpret the song more abstractly, as well, as it potentially comments on love being violent even if not physically so.

“Shades of Cool” is the album's official second single, with Lana releasing a music video for it right around the same time as the album was released. This is another song that sounds like sixties and seventies psychedelic rock to me. The song seems to be from the perspective of a woman in a relationship with a man who is, shall we say, flexible when it comes to commitment, but she has the longer end of the stick, saying that there is nothing that she can do to fix him. At least, she comments, “When he calls, he calls for me and not for you.” The fourth track is “Brooklyn Baby” and is one of my favorite songs from the album; it might be even be my #1 favorite. In contrast to the hard rock sound of “Cruel World” and “Shades of Cool,” “Brooklyn Baby” is far more breezy and summery and reminds me of the Cranberries when they are light and soft. I love Lana's voice in this song, especially in the refrain, as she sings very high and sounds about the most innocently angelic that she ever has. I think that the song is meant to be taken a bit sardonically, which is something that I love about it. It seems to sarcastically challenge the aforementioned criticism that she sometimes receives regarding the disconnect between her age and the time periods which she embodies via her appearance and her music. She sings: “They say I'm too young to love you. I don't know what I need. They say that I don't understand the freedomland of the seventies.” In the refrain, however, she counters this by saying, “Well, my boyfriend's in a band; he plays guitar while I sing Lou Reed. I've got feathers in my hair. I get down to beat poetry, and my jazz collection's rare; I can play most anything 'cause I'm a Brooklyn baby.” She offers these justifications sarcastically because they obviously don't make her an expert of a previous time, but with the silly criticism that she gets, they might as well. Lana co-wrote the song with her boyfriend Barrie O'Neill, which I think is kind of cute because he actually is in a band, and he sings the last variation of the refrain - “My boyfriend's pretty cool, but he's not as cool as me” - with her. I also love how the song uses the lyric “Talkin' 'bout my generation,” a reference to “My Generation” by The Who.

The fifth track is the lead single “West Coast.” “West Coast” is a surf rock song that changes pace a bit between the verses and the refrain. Lana seems to compare her love for the culture of the west coast to her love for her lover, ultimately allowing the lover to win the contest. When I first heard the song, I reacted rather indifferently, not really liking the song nor disliking it, but it grew on me, and I now really like it, although I prefer the more upbeat radio mix featured as a bonus track on some editions of the album. The sixth track is “Sad Girl,” sounding very much like a pop tune from the sixties that, although in a much different register, might have been released by Cher. The song, composed in waves of notes, is similar to other songs on the album such as “Shades of Cool,” which is about being in love with a man who is not committed. Lyrics such as “His Bonnie on the side... makes me a sad, sad girl.” The song is definitely a bit befuddling, as there are also lyrics that suggest the unfaithful relationship as being a comfort zone for her, such as, “Being a mistress on the side, it might not appeal to fools like you. Creeping around on the side would not be something you would do, but you haven't seen my man.” It's as if she is saying that her man is worth the pain and the sadness. The next track is “Pretty When You Cry,” which is probably my least favorite song on the album. It is another slow rock song about being in love with someone who is essentially unlovable, someone who strays, uses drugs, and so forth, with the speaker declaring that her happy memories are worth more than the pain that her lover causes her.

“Money Power Glory” reminds me a lot of the Born to Die track “Million Dollar Man” at certain parts, especially the very beginning. “Money Power Glory” is also a weaker spot on the album, in my opinion; it accomplishes little lyrically and melodically and does little to move me, and I would have preferred the Target exclusive “Flipside” to this song. The song seems to be a response to someone telling the speaker that she will be damned to hell for her lifestyle, with her retorting that religion doesn't mean anything to her. I find this song to be interesting because I recall her saying that Black Beauty (the album that would have been had several songs not leaked from it) would go down a more spiritual path than her previous albums, so I really wonder what that would have meant. “Fucked My Way Up to the Top” is probably the most feminist that the album gets, seemingly about the glorification of sexual power amongst women. With lyrics such as “Mimicking me is a fucking bore” and “This is my show,” it has also been speculated that the song is a stab at seventeen-year old Lorde, whom some critics have compared to Lana. “Old Money” is, alongside “Brooklyn Baby,” one of my favorite songs on the album. It's one of the quietest songs on the album and is definitely the most beautiful. It reminds me of “Damn You (American Dream)” (my favorite unreleased song of hers and probably my favorite song of hers in general) in its sad description of a happy love long gone. I wonder if the song was intended for The Great Gatsby. Like “Young and Beautiful,” the song demonstrates a fear of aging and echoes the song in its lyric “Will you still love me when I shine from words but not from beauty?” Additionally, Old Money and New Money are aspects of the story.

The standard edition of the album ends with the cover of the Nina Simone song “The Other Woman.” The song fits perfectly on the album, and it's always interesting when Lana covers old songs because her own sound is usually so vintage as it is that when she covers an old song, it sounds like her own. The song is a bit raw vocally, which my boyfriend has criticized, saying that it should have warranted either being cut or re-recorded because she falls flat when she tries to hit high notes. I don't really agree, as I think that it is a beautiful cover, and, as I said, it fits perfectly on the album, as it is in keeping with songs such as “Shades of Cool” and “Sad Girl.” The first bonus track is “Black Beauty,” the demo version of which leaked a year or so ago. It was one of the few songs that leaked that Lana confirmed was intended for the new album, prompting her to scrap the original album idea and even retitle the album from Black Beauty to Ultraviolence. It is a song that has definitely grown on me, as I definitely really love it now but, like “West Coast,” was initially indifferent towards. It captures the Americana sound that is present on Born to Die and Paradise and is about being with someone whom you feel doesn't properly appreciate your beauty. “Guns and Roses” is another bonus track, a slow rock song in keeping with the sound of most of the rest of the album. It is a song that is about the admiration of a man who fits a specific image – motorcyclist, heavy metal lover, and so forth. The refrain says that “he loved guns and roses,” which is probably meant to be a double-entendre that also references the metal band Guns & Roses. I like the song, but the refrain basically just keeps repeating “he loved guns and roses,” so it doesn't do much lyrically.

“Florida Kilos” is another one of my favorite songs on the album. It concludes the standard version of the deluxe edition (a bit confusing, huh?). I have also read that it's a bit out of place on the album because it's more upbeat than most of the other tracks and that it has an “unreleased” vibe to it, and I would have to agree. It is probably something that was going to be cut but wasn't because Lana and/or the record label figured that it would leak, anyway (which it probably would have). It's upbeat (for most of Lana's material) and sounds very summery. The song features lyrics that remind me of the unreleased song “TV in Black & White (Living Without You),” as that song features the lyrics “If you get lonely, think of me only; prison isn't going to keep me from you,” while “Florida Kilos” features the lyrics “Prison isn't nothing to me if you'll be by my side.” I really love the song; it's one of my favorite songs on the album, but that's mainly because I love the melody and the beat. The lyrics are about making crack cocaine, something to which I cannot relate at all. “Is This Happiness” is a bonus track that I believe is exclusive to the iTunes edition of the album. It is a very slow and beautiful song about assessing the problems that you're having in a relationship and questioning whether or not you're happy in it. “Flipside” is the final bonus track and, here in the States, is exclusive to the deluxe Target edition of the album. It has a very dark sound to it, and like most songs on the album, it is about the faults of a relationship. It is about being with someone who more or less plays games with you, pretending that everything is all right when it's really not. The conclusion seems to be that maybe they will find each other again and find happiness with each other if they spend some time apart. Overall, I really love Ultraviolence and am very pleased. It delivers what Lana has always delivered while also providing a new, edgier twist.

Lacuna Coil - Broken Crown Halo [Review]

I have been a fan of Lacuna Coil for several years now. While I don't recall the exact year that I started listening to them, I believe that it was 2006 because I believe that it was very shortly after Karmacode was first released. I had heard "Daylight Dancer" from Comalies on a Century Media two-disc sampler and was instantly intrigued. After hearing more songs, I bought all of the band's albums, and being a Coiler has been a rewarding experience ever since. Since Karmacode, three albums have been released by the band (Shallow Life, Dark Adrenaline, and now Broken Crown Halo) because the band does not leave fans waiting for monstrously long periods of time for new material, and I have always appreciated that. HIM is the same way. Broken Crown Halo fails, in my opinion, to live up to standards that were set by earlier albums such as Comalies and Karmacode, but it is still a very strong album all the same, especially with highlights such as the opening track "Nothing Stands in Our Way," and "I Forgive (but I Won't Forget Your Name)." It's definitely one of the band's loudest and most guitar-driven albums to date, and I both like that and dislike that. It's full of energy but ultimately lacks the magic that earlier albums such as Comalies and Karmacode have. If, for example, you're looking for the theatrical sound of "Tight Rope" or the catchy groove of "Fragments of Faith," you're probably not going to find that here on Broken Crown Halo. It's Lacuna Coil exploring new territory on the same terrain, which is not necessarily something about which I am wholly complaining. I think that Lacuna Coil manages to gracefully put out something new and exciting while still keeping me feeling nostalgic.

As aforementioned, "Nothing Stands in Our Way" opens the album, and both lyrically and melodically, I see it as Lacuna Coil at one of its strongest piques. The first verse hooked me instantly the very first time that I heard it: "We're still struggling halfway through this journey. Our eyes are burning, but we're not slowing down. I wish we could have all the time in the world, but we have come too far to give up who we are." Not only was I instantly attracted to the blunt and honest, heartfelt lyrics, I was also attracted to the catchy melody. The refrain, which consists of fragmented words, such as "Lifelong roadblocks, high walls, teardrops...,"is, if nothing else, memorable because of its brevity. I just love that song so much and think that it was smart to open the album with such a powerful track. The second track of the album is "Zombies," a song of which I didn't think much the first time that I heard it; it, however, grew on me, and I now really like it. The guitar sounds choppy and distorted like a Korn song, which is not surprising because I know that the band has, in the past, cited Korn as an influence on them. The guitar solo more than halfway through is, for lack of better words, really cool and is an example of how this album is very guitar-driven in comparison to earlier albums. Cristina's refrain, "We are alone. We are the night. We are the ghosts that come to life. We will scare away reality when walls are falling down...," is quite catchy and is what eventually made me realize that I actually really like the song. The third song, titled "Hostage to the Light," is a song that I immediately liked the first time that I heard it. The refrain is very catchy, and it's about the closest that the album comes to old-school Lacuna Coil.

The fourth track is titled "Victims" and is very different for the band. It's still the same horror metal that the rest of the album features (with lyrics such as "Stumbling, I almost fall walking blind in this decay. It's sending shivers down my spine again."), but Cristina has a part near the end of the song that comes pretty close to rapping, a new feat for the band: "People told me I was weak. I told them I'll never quit. I will never quit..." It's kind of more spoken than it is sang, and I love that part, but I don't much care for Andrea's refrain. "Die & Rise" and "I Forgive (but I Won't Forgive Your Name)" are two of the album's highlights, which makes sense considering the fact that both are singles. "Die & Rise" begins sounding electronic before the guitars come in, pumping the song up to Lacuna Coil's usual brand of metallic volume. Andrea chants, "Die! Die!" The song is very catchy; I find "Nothing Stands in Our Way" and "Die & Rise" to be the two catchiest songs on the album, in fact. I plan to use "Die & Rise" on my upcoming fanmade Buffy the Vampire Slayer soundtrack, in fact, because it's so perfect for it, with lyrics like: "Blonde hair in the red light, she's getting down, getting down. She'll never turn me down. Put another stake into my heart..." "I Forgive (but I Won't Forget Your Name)" will also be used on an upcoming release of mine, my Maleficent mix. Cristina's soaring vocals in the refrain are absolutely beautiful, and the song is basically about exactly what its title would suggest that it's about. The speaker seems to be saying that people hurt him or her (I can't say because both Andrea and Cristina sing parts) and he or she forgives them, but what this one particular person did was so despicable and heinous that he or she wants justice (or is it revenge?). My favorite part of the song is the breakdown when Cristina sings, "Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain into my heart..."

"Cybersleep" is an interesting one. It begins with Cristina's warped, autotuned vocals, which are fitting to the song. Like "Hostage to the Light," this is another one that, at times (especially during the refrain), reminds me of old-school Lacuna Coil. It's not very heavy in comparison to some of the other songs on the album, and something that I do really like about it is that it is sang entirely by Cristina; Andrea is not featured at all. I don't mean that as an insult to Andrea, but I tend to prefer Cristina's vocals. "Infection" starts sounding electronic with piano, and I really love this song. I really love Andrea's whispery vocals on top of which Cristina's singing is layered. It sounds to me like a song about a toxic relationship causing an infection, and it sounds very Karmacode-esque to me, and I just love the little bit of resonant piano in it. "I Burn in You" starts sounds very dark and almost creepy, almost like the theme to a horror film (something that is prevalent throughout the album on tracks such as "Nothing Stands in Our Way," "I Burn in You," and "One Cold Day"). I adore Cristina's refrain in this song as well as her crying notes out over distorted guitars. It ends with the dark with which it begins (it sounds like it might be played on a keyboard). "In the End I Feel Alive" features another dark instrumental accompaniment that I really love, but aside from that, it's really one of the album's weak spots. Its follow-up, "One Cold Day," is much better. There isn't a better way to describe "One Cold Day" other than to say that it is haunting, and it's a perfect way to end the album. Written in dedication of ex-band member Claudio Leo, who passed away, the song features a melody reminiscent of a music box with lyrics that speak boldly of grief: "Sometimes, it's hard to let go. It's hard to move along the scars of life. Memories are blooming in the gloom as I'm feeling so cold inside." Overall, Broken Crown Halo is a really fantastic album with very few weak spots. I give the album an overall rating of 7.5/10 stars.

The Fringemunks - Epis. 3.19: Lysergic Acid Diethylamide [Review]

David Wu began producing his Fringemunks project back in 2008 shortly after the FOX science-fiction television series Fringe premiered on September 9, 2008. With the project still running in 2014, this might be one of the longest-running musical projects in the history of music. The project was originally intended as a joke not to be taken seriously and also originally intended to be a very minor project that would only span across an episode or two. The project soon became a series-long commitment, however, and Fringe fans such as myself couldn't be any happier about that, since the Fringemunks project has drastically enhanced my experience as a fan of the series. The project, inspired by Alvin and the Chipmunks, involves a song being released for each and every episode of Fringe (there are 100) that recaps the plot of the episode using a parody of at least one popular song. Most recently, Wu has completed his eighty-eighth Fringemunks song which recaps the Fringe episode “Lysergic Acid Diethylamide” (3.19) (usually abbreviated to “LSD”), a song parody which is a medley of “Wouldn't It Be Nice” by the Beach Boys and “Say You Like Me” by We the Kings, an interesting medley of parodies because while “Wouldn't It Be Nice” is a very old song (originally released in 1966), “Say You Like Me” is much more recent (having been released in 2011), an interesting juxtaposition of time, which, of course, is fitting for a series like Fringe.

There are two factors that make this particular song parody by Wu's Fringemunks project significant. (1) The most recent (prior to this one) Fringemunks song parody was a parody of “Everything in Its Right Place” by Radiohead, which recapped the fourth season episode of the same title of Fringe; that was released on August 9, 2013, exactly 200 days ago. The span between that Fringemunks song and this Fringemunks song is quite possibly the longest span between two Fringemunks songs since the formation of the project in 2008. (2) This particular Fringemunks song was premiered today via radio on WRLR 98.3 FM Illinois, making it one of the very few Fringemunks song to receive radioplay. I am particularly excited by the latter fact because it suggests that even well over a year after the series finale of Fringe, there are still outlets in which Fringe maintains survival. I am quite sure that I have said this before, but I will say it again because it cannot be said enough times; I have been a part of many different fandoms, including LOST, Once Upon a Time, and so forth, and I have never known a more driven and passionate fandom than that of Fringe. It is ultimately because of us, the fandom, that Fringe continues to live; it is because of us that the series has found a home.

Wu's new parody begins with the dreamy opening of “Wouldn't It Be Nice” played on the piano but is not as upbeat as the Beach Boys' tune, mainly because Wu's production is quite stripped in comparison to the original song. It gives the listener an acoustic feel, which is something that I really like (and have always liked) about the Fringemunks. Not only does the project give Fringe fans the opportunity to experience Fringe in a much different way, it also gives them the opportunity to experience songs that they probably know in a much different way. My favorite Fringemunks song, for example, is the parody of “New Divide” by Linkin Park, which recaps the episode “A New Day in the Old Town” (the second season premiere). Instead of the electronic break that occurs in the original song, Wu uses a dramatic piano rendition of the Fringe theme, using that as an ongoing hook throughout the remainder of the song, and it is simply amazing, much preferable to the original version in my opinion. While the “Wouldn't It Be Nice” portion of the “LSD” recap probably doesn't veer away from the original Beach Boys tune that drastically, it definitely, as I said, gives listeners a slightly different feeling. What makes it a great choice for the “LSD” episode of Fringe is that it features a very joyous, playful, and colorful melody, very appropriate for an episode that is primarily animated.

Using the Beach Boys song to help recap the Fringe episode “LSD” has actually been Wu's plan for quite some time. Nearly three years ago, he sent me a forty-second snippet of the song, a very rough cut that is essentially the first verse of the full, fully produced song that exists now. In justification of using the classic tune, Wu says that “'Wouldn't It Be Nice' had a good opportunity for me to rhyme 'fervor' and 'Observer.'” Originally, the second part of the song was going to use “God Only Knows” (another Beach Boys song from Pet Sounds, the same album on which “Wouldn't It Be Nice” is found) instead of “Say You Like Me” by We the Kings, but Wu felt that since “God Only Knows” is so short (under three minutes), he would have found a lot of difficulty in using it to fuel approximately half of the episode's story, as he “would have had to cram a lot of details into few lines.” I have, admittedly, only heard the We the Kings song once, so I can't offer as much insight into that part of the song, but the original song has a very catchy, summery sound to it and is not too far of a jump from the Beach Boys song, so it was a wise decision for Wu to have made, especially because of his interesting justification: “...the 'Say You Like Me' storyline for the video also involves a quest to find a lost girl,” a storyline that parallels the storyline of the episode, which involves Peter and Walter entering Olivia's mind to find her consciousness and bring it to the forefront in exchange for that of William Bell.

I think that my favorite part of the song is during the We the Kings section of the medley, when Wu interrupts the song to include the “I lost her” scene from the episode, during which listeners can briefly hear Chris Tilton's tense and dramatic score. It is a great scene, and including it in the song surprisingly works very well in juxtaposition with the We the Kings song. Lyrically, however, my favorite part of the song is during the Beach Boys segment: We knew it would be tough to find Liv's ego/In her mind's projected world, where would we go? Wu agrees that lyrically, that is probably his favorite part of the song, as well, and lyrics such as this show that Wu is not only musically talented (if the Fringemunks project isn't enough to convince you of that, listen to his instrumental piano album Orbiter) but is also talented with word usage, able to creatively find ways of rhyming even within the constraints of recapping an episode of a television series. Although the “LSD” recap is not my favorite Fringemunks song to date (that has already been mentioned), it is definitely some of Wu's finest work. “The song was an interesting one to process on my end,” Wu comments on his newest Fringemunks parody. “I set up the arrangement to be in the same kind of 'oldies' theme that I used for the bulk of the Season 3 album... lots of harmonies and weird bits thrown in.” Those who enjoy the Fringemunks project still have much to which to look forward, since Wu still has twelve songs to complete in order to fully complete the project, but in the meantime, look out for the official “LSD” release tomorrow, Tuesday, February 25, 2014!

Note: Watch David's promo video for the song here.
Note: Read my 2010 interview with David here.