Spring Break
If Hell had music, Alesana would be playing
A CD review
Frank Miller
Issue date: 3/20/07 Section: Features
If you enjoy lead singers with a vocal style that resembles a screeching bobcat with a throat infection, you just may like Alesana's new CD "On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax."
The CD, much like its overly dramatized title, offers very little in the way of levity or emotional positivism. Much of the album relies too heavily on the tired gimmick of sing-song verses, mixed with indecipherable guttural howls for choruses. The songs are clinically depressed almost to the point of parody. One of the tracks is actually titled "Congratulations, I Hate You."
Consider this lyric from the track "Daggers Speak Louder than Words," as an example of exaggeration for the sake of appearing tragic: "Eyes open to splattered
blood/Cold tile mocks me as I arise/To find the knife is still in my back." As tragic tales of heartache, death and mutilation are still in vogue with the hormone-laden youth,
desperate for desperation, bands like Alesana are a dime a dozen.
Alesana has six members (because any less wouldn't be as 'epic'), with three of
them (Dennis Lee, Shawn Milke and Adam Ferguson) sharing vocalist duties. What the
members of Alesana might mistake as originality is, in fact, a tired example of genre plagiarism. The group picture of the band in the CD insert even depicts the members wearing the same white T-shirts and sporting the same moppy, black, overgrown hair that looks as if it was styled with a Flowbee.
"On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax" is the perfect album to put on for your
personal pity party. If the elevators in hell have 'muzak,' you can expect to hear this album playing. Some unsolicited advice for the next release: Ditch the yowls, embrace the absurdity of your genre with some bombast and try and entertain your audience instead of making it feel more depressed than before putting the album on.
Frank Miller can be reached at features@statehornet.com
The CD, much like its overly dramatized title, offers very little in the way of levity or emotional positivism. Much of the album relies too heavily on the tired gimmick of sing-song verses, mixed with indecipherable guttural howls for choruses. The songs are clinically depressed almost to the point of parody. One of the tracks is actually titled "Congratulations, I Hate You."
Consider this lyric from the track "Daggers Speak Louder than Words," as an example of exaggeration for the sake of appearing tragic: "Eyes open to splattered
blood/Cold tile mocks me as I arise/To find the knife is still in my back." As tragic tales of heartache, death and mutilation are still in vogue with the hormone-laden youth,
desperate for desperation, bands like Alesana are a dime a dozen.
Alesana has six members (because any less wouldn't be as 'epic'), with three of
them (Dennis Lee, Shawn Milke and Adam Ferguson) sharing vocalist duties. What the
members of Alesana might mistake as originality is, in fact, a tired example of genre plagiarism. The group picture of the band in the CD insert even depicts the members wearing the same white T-shirts and sporting the same moppy, black, overgrown hair that looks as if it was styled with a Flowbee.
"On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax" is the perfect album to put on for your
personal pity party. If the elevators in hell have 'muzak,' you can expect to hear this album playing. Some unsolicited advice for the next release: Ditch the yowls, embrace the absurdity of your genre with some bombast and try and entertain your audience instead of making it feel more depressed than before putting the album on.
Frank Miller can be reached at features@statehornet.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 11
Evan
posted 9/22/07 @ 6:45 PM PST
basically frank, youre criticizing the band for being unique. i infact like their screams if you cant understand them look them up. the singing can be whiny at times but honestly i dont really care and judge them based soley on one aspect of music. (Continued…)
Kayla
posted 11/21/07 @ 4:44 PM PST
Uhm, yeah alesana is amazing.
Philip
posted 11/27/07 @ 5:18 PM PST
Judgmental people shouldn't even be reviewing. Grow a sense of tolerance and then come back. I don't poke fun on your polka.
Chris
posted 1/18/08 @ 9:12 AM PST
um i def agree with evryone here.frank wat tha hell do u listn to? alesana speaks of emotion and tragic tales...point being,they r amazing! they are not mainstream like tha rest of tha crap u call musik. (Continued…)
V-Dawg
posted 3/27/08 @ 5:22 PM PST
i agree with everyone, the matter o' fact version of your argument has no evidencial basis; all you are doing is givinG a biased verdicat based on your ear tolerance, which infact is nothing if you cant handle ALESANA. (Continued…)
Angel
posted 4/08/08 @ 7:28 PM PST
Wel first of all Ive never heard of Frank miller but ive DEFINENTLY heard of ALESANA. You have no right to critisize the unique styles of this band. Thier music is revoultionary. (Continued…)
Joe
posted 5/10/08 @ 2:48 PM PST
Umm lets see, someones full of bull crap! their sound is amazing. alesana's amazing the end.
lauren
posted 5/12/08 @ 2:40 PM PST
Angel claims Frank Miller has no right to "critisize" this band...and yet...he does. In fact, we all do. And I have the right to criticize you, Angel. (Continued…)
john mark
posted 9/22/08 @ 10:02 PM PST
Alesana is awesome! I don't know why you were the one to review them, but next time let's have someone with good taste in music review them.
alyssa
posted 4/13/09 @ 4:12 PM PST
If you have never heard of Alesana, and you are just relying on this pathetic excuse for a man's review of the band... go screw yourself. Because you obviously haven't lived until you have listened to Alesana. (Continued…)
Post a Comment