All That Remains - Overcome
|
List Price: Our Price: $9.25 You Save: $4.73 (34%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $5.75 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Overcome
Free Music Review: vocals are soft
Hit: 4 Stars
The music on this new album is killer, but the vocals are softer. I don't get it but it is worth it for the music alone.Free Music Review: pretty good cd...
Hit: 4 Stars
Two Weeks is a Great song, but still a good enough cd to just listen to the whole way through.Free Music Review: It's all a matter of preference
Hit: 3 Stars
The first thing to do is ask yourself what it is you want from an album.
Do you want something that will blend with your library?
Do you want something heavy and deep to push?
Do you want an ATR CD that sounds exactly like the others
Do you just want to be entertained and don't demand more than that?
This CD is a new direction for these guys. It's new and different...and whether you like it depends on what you want
The first thing to examine is the vocals, as ATR is largely famous for Phil Labonte's prowess for vein-bursting, bone-chilling and damn near terrifying screams.
What we saw from The Fall of Ideals is that his singing voice is nothing short of spectacular either.
Many would argue that his voice isn't nearly up to par in this new album. Others will say that his technique for his singing voice has increased dramatically.
As a singer, I can personally tell you that Overcome is much less challenging to sing than previous albums. I can also tell you that he still has a voice that i envy...so is his voice not as good as before?...in my opinion, yes, but it's nowhere near bad. He just spends a lot more time singing than screaming on this album. Maybe that'll work for you. Maybe it won't.
The musicianship:
the music is nothing short of spectacular, as you would expect form an ATR album. It is however, again, different. The choruses are a bit more catchy in this one. The technicality in riffs and solos can be even more mind-blowing at times than before...but sometimes artists can lose sight of the music if they try to push everything too far. What they gained in technicality, they lost in the intricate balance of music they maintained in previous albums.
Drums:
This guy is badass. Wish I could find a percussionist like him. 'nuf said
Lyrics...I'll be honest, sound a little less inspired on this album. For example: the chorus on "Do Not Obey"....youtube it...you'll understand. My guess is that they had a little writer's block during this album. That's ok though. It happens to everyone and they pushed through it with lyrics that are, not amazing, but good at least. As a plus for this album, it is much easier to understand Labonte's singing and i didn't have to look up the lyrics to figure them out, mostly because he does so much more singing.
I'd give this album a 3.5 if I could. I liked it, it was good, I was entertained, and that's enough for me. I didn't love it, but i throw it in the car player more than once a month.
I can tell you that this album sounded different enough to largely expand their fanbase...that means that there's plenty of people out there who love it.
bottom line:
1. it's different
2. You might like it
...You might not
3. it's different
4. It's a solid album. I, however, would not regard it as their best.
5. it's different
6. if you're unsure, youtube it!
7. it's all a matter of what you want. Ultimately it's up to you
Free Music Review: An OK metal cd, but a let down for an ATR cd
Hit: 3 Stars
Let me start out by saying that I am a huge All That Remains fan and I would love nothing more than to just put up a review saying "Totally Awesome CD!!!!! THEY DID IT AGAIN!!!", but that would just be lying to myself and to the people on the fence about this CD.
First a little bit about the last album: As an ATR fan, I loved the amazing progression from This Darkened Heart to The Fall of Ideals. In my opinion, ATR stepped up their game in every facet and put out an amazing metal CD that shines on every front. The drums took a big step forward with the integration of more intricate beats, the solos and guitar riffs shone through and actually enhanced the music instead of just being filler. Finally, the vocals progressed into some of the best metal vocals I have heard in years. Phil displays a whole arsenal of screaming and singing styles that I just couldn't believe. In short, I thought it was a brilliant CD and I couldn't wait for the next release (see below)
The new CD: The bottom line is that it just isn't as unique and solid as the previous releases. I am not going to sit here and rail on ATR for wanting to try something new and put out a few songs with a heavy dose of clean vocals, but it is how it was done that really makes it painful. However this album was recorded, they managed to take away any trace of Phil Labonte in the vocals and just leave it with overproduced clean style vocals and, in my opinion, screams that are a clear step down from Phil's various screaming styles on The Fall of Ideals. Several of the songs just seem sort of "dialed-in" with a generic clean vocal chorus and an OK screaming verse. Also, I keep finding that the screaming parts of the CD are lacking in intensity. It seems that the volume of the vocals during screaming sections is a little low and so these parts lack something.
Don't get me wrong, there are still some great solos, parts that make you go wow, and you can definitely still hear the unique style that makes ATR great. However, these parts are too far between and a loyal ATR fan will find him or herself listening to the whole album and realizing it just isn't up to par with the originality and energy of their previous release. If you love ATR, I would still recommend this CD because it does show glimpses of what makes them a great band. In the end, ATR put out an pretty good metal album that in my opinion is a let down for a group of All That Remains talent and potential considering their previous work.
Free Music Review: Can they live up to the hype?
Hit: 3 Stars
'All That Remains' previous two albums were fantastic in their own rights, with technical achievements from lead guitarist Oli Herbert and an excellent mixing of styles from the vocalist, Philip Labonte. Any fan of the group has their preference between the two, whether it be the rebellious passion of "This Darkened Heart" or the intense, clean-cut work of the group in "The fall of Ideals." There's been a lot of hype surrounding their new release, and some questions remain: Does it go in a new direction and bring creativity to the table? And if someone has never owned an ATR album before, is this where he/she should start?
The fact of the matter is, this is not where any new listener should start. In "Overcome," the group has switched producers, a vital component to the sound and style of the recording you buy in stores. Labonte must be unsatisfied with his vocals in the past, because he experiments with a touched-up version of clean vocals that ends up sounded more tough than authentic or passionate. Herbert has done a great job of extending his solos, which a new step that will certainly please many fans - let it be known that are certainly some very heavy songs, notably Chiron - but in the end, the band has chosen to tone down the guitars and put the focus more on catchy melodies and this new type of singing. Still, it's fun to listen to a lot of these songs because the choruses often hang in the back of your mind. The main problem with the changes aren't that they are bad: they were simply changed poorly.
In an attempt to become more appealing to the masses and hopefully sell more albums, ATR has found themselves with a hybrid album that will prove difficult to satisfy either hardcore metal fans or alternative rock fans. "Two weeks" is clearly an attempt at radio-friendly metal (thus losing it's metal touch) and "Forever in your Hands" is an emotional song that doesn't belong with the rest of the album. In fact, when ripping the cd, the default genre is rock, not metal.
In the end, this album is a decent hard rock album by itself, but when compared to the previous work of what I consider a fantastic and enjoyable metalcore band, it is a little bit of a dissapointment. If you're looking for a standalone mainstream heavy metal album that is enjoyable, give "Overcome" a try. If you are more a of a hardcore fan that likes intense guitar riffs and a combination of growling and clear singing, check out their older albums first.