Critical Myth-Interpretations

The previous two albums by U2, as well as the “best of” compilations in the post-“Pop” era, have represented something of a return to a more straightforward rock approach.  Both albums are an amalgam of “War”, “Joshua Tree”, and “Achtung Baby”, and as such, they touch on all the things that fans love about U2.  At the same time, the past several years have delivered some truly horrible lyrics.  Bono’s writing can go from poetic to clunky in a matter of seconds.  So the question going into this album was twofold: 1) will U2 continue to deliver more of the same, and 2) will the lyrics be more inspired?

1) No Line on the Horizon – This song gets the album off to a decent start.  It sounds a lot like the more rousing anthems from recent albums, with a bit more atmosphere.  One thing that I did notice, of course, is the continued degradation of Bono’s upper register.  He struggles a lot in this song.  (7/10)

2) Magnificent – This is easily one of the highlights of the entire album, and even transcends much of the material from the past decade.  There are immediate comparisons to “The Unforgettable Fire” and its more experimental “European” sound.  This would be great live!  (10/10)

3) Moment of Surrender – The experimental tone continues here, with a gorgeous and meditative epic.  The music here is wonderful, and while the lyrics are a bit pretentious here and there, they fit the tone of the piece.  (9/10)

4) Unknown Caller – The song starts out well, continuing pseudo-“Unforgettable Fire” vibe.  The music is particularly strong.  The chorus, however, is weak and fails to match the excellence of the musical landscape.  The unfortunate thing is that the song would work perfectly without it!  (7/10)

5) I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight – This song is a bit of a step backwards, and sounds like it would fit better on “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”.  It’s the kind of song that would never be missed if it was absent.  Distressingly average.  And that opening falsetto is just plain awful.  (7/10)

6) Get On Your Boots – Easily the weakest song on the album, and tonally, it doesn’t really fit.  I have no idea why they would have chosen this song as the first single; it doesn’t really represent the album very well!  It makes the band sound unfocused and out of touch.  (5/10)

7) Stand Up Comedy – This brings things back in the right direction.  This is often a standard rocker, but moments soar, and this is going to be a great song live, particularly during the chorus.  (8/10)

FEZ – Being Born – This is quite unusual for a U2 album, but it works beautifully.  It fits the overall experimental tone of the album, and it highlights the musical ability of everyone involved.  This is the kind of song that works within the context of an album.  (8/10)

9) White as Snow – This song starts out in the same vein, and continues with a maudlin tone that is reminiscent of certain songs from “Rattle and Hum”.  It never quite soars, never quite touches that next level, but it is a solid track for the album. (7/10)

10) Breathe – Starting with a roar, this is another song that will be incredible live.  There are some lyrical issues along the way, but nothing too horrible, and the structure of the vocal lines is different in a good way.  It’s the last major statement for the album, and in that capacity, it’s a strong one.  (9/10)

11) Cedars of Lebanon – This is a relatively quiet coda to the album, touching more on the atmospheric elements of the album and tying them together, beginning to end.  The lyrics are a bit hokey, to be honest, but this is more about mood and message, so the preachy tone is to be expected.  The ending, however, is a bit abrupt, leaving the album feeling unfinished.  (7/10)

With this album, U2 avoided the temptation of repeating themselves again, and for the most part, took the better elements of the past few albums and incorporated them into material closer to their artistic and experimental leanings.  While the music certainly continues to be excellent, in some ways expanding on the established sound, the lyrics remain a weak link, continuing the trend that began in the wake of “Rattle and Hum”.  Interestingly, the band has noted that they have more than enough material for a second album, closer to their usual sound, and they may be releasing that in the near future.

Final Rating: 7.6/10 (above average)

Morrissey was one of my favorite artists in my college years, and I associate his music very strongly with a certain old friend from that time of my life.  I was always sorry to see the Moz drop off the map, and was thrilled with “You Are the Quarry” when it was released.  I was less moved by “Ringleader of the Tormentors”, the follow-up, so I was a bit concerned about this latest collection.

1) Something is Squeezing My Skull – The album gets off to a rousing start with this track.  The lyrics, as usual, are clever, cynical, and sardonic.  I particularly the laundry list of antidepressants in the middle of the song.  This is the kind of song that will be awesome live!  (8/10)

2) Mama Lay Softly on the Riverbed – This song has its good points, including a driving rhythm, but the middle section is a bit of an unnecessary noisy mess, and that takes a bit away from the overall effect.  What is essentially a song about wanting to lie down and die next to a dead mother is remarkably perky.  (6/10)

3) Black Cloud – Another good rocker, and another one that should be great live.  Nothing particularly distinctive, but a solid addition nonetheless. (7/10)

4) I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris – This is the first single for the album, which I suppose I can understand.  The song fits the classic Morrissey mold, both in musical style and tone.  Even so, it’s nothing amazing, about on the level of “Alma Matters”.  (7/10)

5) All You Need is Me – This brings the album back to a harder sound and a bit more vocal variety.  This is sounds like a great bar song, especially as the end of a lively late-night set.  (8/10)

6) When I Last Spoke to Carol – I’m not quite sure I get this song, from a lyrical point of view or the musical mash of rock rhythms and Latin horns.  I’ll give them props for originality, but this is not the kind of song I would listen to often, that’s for sure.  (6/10)

7) That’s How People Grow Up – This one starts out very oddly, with bizarre operatic singing over the usual rock chords.  It never really transcends that beginning to find a particularly engaging identity.  (7/10)

One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell – This is a dark little rocker that will likely become a live anthem for fans.  Those horns come back in again close to the end of the song, and the keyboards are a bit much, but it’s still solid enough to compete.  (7/10)

9) It’s Not Your Birthday Anymore – This builds into quite a cruel rock ballad, to say the least.  I can see this being used to good effect in some film and television montages.  It’s about as close to a soaring U2-esque arena anthem as Morrissey will ever get.  (8/10)

10) You Were Good in Your Time – This is a lot slower than most tracks on the rest of the album, and it seems out of place right from the beginning as a result.  And then the song descends into a morass of noise for half the running time.  It might work for some, but it didn’t work for me.  (5/10)

11) Sorry Doesn’t Help – This is certainly a lot more upbeat than the previous track, and gets the album back on its original rocking course.  It’s nothing distinctive, but at least it has a solid beat and charge to it.  (7/10)

12) I’m OK By Myself – This is very much like the prior track, and really, like most of the album.  It has a solid heavy sound, and the lyrics have the same snap and crackle, but it’s not soaring.  It does, however, gather into a much heavier sound than the rest of the album before it ends.  (7/10)

If Morrissey was looking for the chance to put together an album that would work for a brawling bar tour, then he was for the most part successful.  Other than the obvious leading single, this is not the most radio-friendly fare, and if it wasn’t for Morrissey’s typical crooning or poetically devious lyrics, it wouldn’t sound like a Morrissey album at all.  It’s a solid enough album, but there’s definitely better Moz material out there.

Final Rating: 6.9/10 (average)

The previous album by Keane, “Under the Iron Sea”, was an eclectic mix of different sounds, even as it was an evolution from the relatively simple songwriting of their debut.  I was left wondering, as the release of this album began creeping up, if Keane would continue along the more contemplative and layered path with fare like “Atlantic”, or if “Is It Any Wonder?” was a hallmark of the future.

1) Spiralling – This song certainly answered my question.  It took a moment to realize that this was, in fact, Keane, but it didn’t take long to appreciate what they were trying to evoke.  This may sound too much like “The Killers” for some, but I love this song and could listen to it all day long.  (9/10)

2) The Lovers are Losing – The same applies to this song.  Keane has always been good at harmonizing, and the chorus is no exception.  I can’t help but note that they went with a Jeff Lynne vibe with the production of this song, which is usually a bad sign, but I think it worked in this case.  (9/10)

3) Better Than This – The first half of this song is a bit rough for me.  I don’t like the vocal effect, and it feels like something is missing.  That’s because it is, and when the additional layers come in later in the song, I like it a lot better.  (7/10)

4) You Haven’t Told Me Anything – I find this song to be like many of the lesser entries in the Keane catalog: inexplicably repetitive, and not in particular interesting ways.  This is one I tend to skip or leave off the Favorites list.  (6/10)

5) Perfect Symmetry – Now this is more like it.  Some of the lyrics may be a tad trite, especially in the choral section, but this is like some magnificent overwrought 80’s anthem, and I couldn’t love it more for it.  I know it will sound pretentious to many, but wouldn’t this be awesome live?  (9/10)

6) You Don’t See Me – I have to be in the right mood for the slower songs by Keane, and that applies to this song as well.  The vocals are gorgeous, however, and the lyrical style is a bit more akin to the earlier albums, so it’s definitely a decent track.  It’s just not one of the highlights for me.  (7/10)

7) Again & Again – I love the anger of this song, how it almost attacks the listener.  It’s also very energetic.  This is about as close as Keane has ever come to a full-out rock song, and it works tremendously well.  (9/10)

Playing Along – This sounds like a mixture of tracks from the previous album and some of the production effects introduced to their bag of tricks for this album.  While it works, it’s not the kind of song that demands my attention.  (7/10)

9) Pretend That You’re Alone – This sounds like something in a pseudo-classic style, perhaps 80’s era David Bowie.  The message of the song is interesting, to say the least.  Depending on my mood, this can be a fun song.  I’d love to see how this would do as a single!  (7/10)

10) Black Burning Heart – Take away the synthesizers and slow down the beat, and this would have easily have been one of the most powerful Keane songs imaginable.  As it stands, it’s still a great song, but it could have been so much better in the vein of “Bedshaped” or “The Frog Prince”.  (8/10)

11) Love is the End – This is more in the older Keane style than any other song on the album, with soaring backing vocals and beautiful towards the end.  I’m not sure that it meshes well with the rest of the tracks on the album, but it’s a gorgeous song.  (8/10)

12) Time to Go – Some albums don’t end quite right.  Keane has not had that problem in the past, but I’m not sure about this as a final track.  The previous song was, in my opinion, a better closer.  The theme of the song makes sense of its placement, but the style of the song just didn’t hit the right note for me.  (7/10)

Starting with a furious new sound, this album is not quite what I expected from Keane, but I can’t deny that it worked for me.  Every Keane album has a handful of songs that don’t quite tickle my fancy, and that was true in this case.  But it also had a few songs that I could sing along to all day.  What else could I ask for?

Final Rating: 7.8/10 (above average)

It’s been a long time since The Cure released an album, and this had a lot going against it from the start.  Originally this release was touted as a double album, but the story changed and apparently it was decided that the more upbeat songs would be collected and released instead.  Considering that I typically enjoy the harder, darker material from The Cure, I was not enthused.

1) Underneath the Stars – The album gets off to a good start with this track, but the production values are a bit worrisome.  The sound is a bit muddy to the ear.  The dreamy aural landscape of the song, however, makes up for some of the production shortcomings.  This sounds like it would be great live.  (8/10)

2) The Only One – This is a lot more upbeat, very much like the singles from “Wish”, right down to some truly inane lyrics.  It’s essentially harmless, but the muddy production really steals away its strengths.  (6/10)

3) The Reasons Why – The lyrics in this one are just plain bizarre, but I like the groove of the song.  It’s a bit darker than the previous track.  Once again, however, the song would have worked better without so much noise in the mix.  (7/10)

4) Freakshow – This reminds me of some of the less successful material from “Wild Mood Swings”.  That said, once the song gets going, I can’t deny that it has a certain charm.  This would be fun to play live, if nothing else.  (7/10)

5) Sirensong – This is another song that is practically ruined by the distorted production.  It also sounds like a B-side from the “Wish” era, which is not necessarily a good thing.  (6/10)

6) The Real Snow White – I have absolutely no idea what Robert Smith was thinking when he wrote this song (other than what the randy lyrics reveals).  But the song is a mess from start to finish, literally lurching all over the landscape between plodding repeats of the chorus.  And the end of this song is embarrassingly bad.  (3/10)

7) The Hungry Ghost – For whatever reason, this song mostly works for me, even with the production issues.  It’s one of the better songs on the album, which may not be saying much, but it has sections that sound like classic Cure material.  (7/10)

Switch – One of my favorite songs on “Wish” was “Cut”, because it was louder and harder than most of the album.  This song sounds like an attempt to add the same kind of variety to this album.  The difference is that “Cut” was a pretty good song.  This never really comes together, and the production makes it all slop together into noise.  (6/10)

9) The Perfect Boy – This is actually a good song, if a bit more upbeat in tone than I would prefer (the lyrics are a bit less so).  I like it quite a bit.  It sounds horrible with the distortion and noise, but I think the strengths manage to shine through regardless.  (8/10)

10) This.  Here and Now.  With You.  – Perhaps the most pretentious song title in recent memory (though given the title of the album, how could I be surprised?).  This song does nothing to make itself distinctive, and it practically begs the listener to skip ahead.  (6/10)

11) Sleep When I’m Dead – This has a much more distinctive sound, and actually reminds me of material from the “Head on the Door” or “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” era.  Let’s just say there were certain chords and layering effects the band loved back then, and they show up here.  If more of the material was like this, it might have been a better album.  (8/10)

12) The Scream – This is a darker song, so it worked a bit more for me.  It actually meshes well with the previous song, and that scream is just insane.  It’s not much of a song in and of itself, and the distortion completely ruins it in the second half, but it’s noble failure.  (6/10)

13) It’s Over – The Cure is usually good with its album closers, and this one is another attempt at a strong finish.  This would be great live, but once again, the production values undermine everything the band is attempting to do with the song.  This could have been a knock out of the park, but it falls short.  (8/10)

I can’t express enough how the production choices for this album completely destroy it from beginning to end.  Granted, some of the problems are a matter of song choice and style, but even the stronger songs become a noisy, distorted, muddy mess.  It actually sounds like the songs were recorded on a cheap cassette tape from a crappy radio transmission.  Some people might like that sound, but I found it very hard to enjoy.  Add to that the lack of any truly distinctive and powerful songs, and I cannot recommend this album to anyone…not even fellow fans of The Cure.

Final Rating:  6.6/10

It’s been quite some time since Linkin Park graced fans with new material.  The previous studio release, “Meteora”, was released four years ago, and seemed to take the familiar formula from “Hybrid Theory” in a more mature direction.  One might have expected the new release to remain on the same path, especially since it was some of the better material in the alt metal/rap fusion subgenre.  Instead, the band chose a more conventional direction, and the essential question is whether or not the new style works.

1) Wake – The album begins with a short instrumental, and like so many such openings, it leaves very little impact.  If anything, one is left with the desire to hear the song that might have progressed from such a beginning.  (7/10)

2) Given Up – The first fully realized song on the album sets forth the conventional nature of the material.  The fusion elements of the previous albums are completely missing.  While the song itself has some of the familiar edge, the musical structure is a bit simple.  The middle section actually sounds like someone trying too hard to be edgy, which is never good.  (6/10)

3) Leave Out All the Rest – This song sounds like it should be included in the soundtrack for what would likely be a very good film.  It quickly erases the bad feeling left by the previous track and gives me hope for the rest of the material.  Not only that, but it gives the vocalist a chance to sing, which is always a good thing.  I also can’t help but relate to the lyrics on some level.  (8/10)

4) Bleed It Out – One of the few examples of the previous fusion style, and the best such track on the album.  When the bass line cuts in on every verse, it’s hard not to feel the energy of the song kick up a notch.  The chorus is a bit too simplistic, unfortunately, but it doesn’t ruin the energy much at all.  (8/10)

5) Shadow of the Day – This could easily be described as Linkin Park’s version of U2’s “With or Without You”.  It definitely sounds very familiar, especially the bass line, but there are enough differences to make this work on its own.  Again, this could be a great soundtrack entry, which seems to stand for many of the tracks on this album.  (8/10)

6) What I’ve Done – This is, of course, the track included in the enormously popular film “The Transformers”, so it fits with the overall impression that the songs were designed as perfect soundtrack fare.  That doesn’t take away from the strength of the song, which works just fine on its own.  (8/10)

7) Hands Held High – This is the other song written in the former style, and it falls incredibly flat.  Clearly a screed against George Bush and his political supporters, there’s little else to recommend it to the less partisan listener.  The music behind the words is often too spare, and when the song finally gets somewhere in the final minute, it’s a bit too little, too late.  (5/10)

No More Sorrow – After the drop in energy from the previous track, this is a surprisingly aggressive track that seems to present a case for more material in the “nu metal” style.  While the song is nice enough, there’s very little originality to it.  (6/10)

9) Valentine’s Day – This track brings the album back to a style more in keeping with “Shadow of the Day”, which is actually a good thing.  In fact, one is left wondering if this is the better direction for the band, given how strong the vocals can be with the right material.  (8/10)

10) In Between – This is an odd track, to say the least.  It’s quite minimalist after the lush layering of the previous track, and it feels like something that would have worked far better in the band’s former style.  As presented, this song is actually rather boring.  (5/10)

11) In Pieces – This track also starts slowly, but about halfway through the song, things pick up and the song is salvaged nicely.  Hardly one of the best on the album, since there’s still a distinct lack of energy throughout, but it could have been much worse.  (6/10)

12) The Little Things Give You Away – While this is also a spare composition, it manages to keep the album from ending on a sour note.  The vocals are very done, and while the song does feel a bit long, this is a very good way to end the album.  (8/10)

If nothing else, this album presents two very different paths forward for the band.  They appear to have lost touch with their previous style, given the uneven results of similar tracks on this album, so changes will need to continue.  Former fans would probably prefer a direction in keeping with the harder tracks, but they were a bit conventional and even generic, and that would leave the band in a precarious position for growth and success.  On the other hand, the more melodic material showcased the vocals and the musicianship, even if it appeals to a different audience than earlier albums.  As it stands now, this latest effort is a bit average, since the band is struggling to find its new voice.

Rating: 7/10

For a lot of fans, NIN hasn’t been the same since “The Downward Spiral”.  Most of the material since that landmark album has felt like variations on the same theme.  “With Teeth” was a bit less introspective than “The Fragile”, but it was also perceived as a bit safe and repetitive.  If Trent Reznor is to be believed, this album was the result of a personal epiphany of sorts: a concept album about a repressive society in the near future.  It’s been done before, with mixed results, but this is NIN and anything’s possible.

(Just a note: there’s a wealth of online information about Reznor’s vision behind the songs and hints to the deeper context of each and every cut.  It’s literally impossible to address every aspect of that; instead, this is just my interpretation/reaction to each song in the album sequence.  Your mileage, as always, may vary.)

1) Hyperpower! – A short intro, basically setting the mood with a nice wall of sound.  It ends in anarchy and destruction, which sets the stage rather effectively.  (7/10)

2) The Beginning of the End – Good driving beat, good exploration of the breakdown of civility in the world of Police State.  The intensity builds over the course of the song.  Still, nothing special.  (7/10)

3) Survivalism – An unusual sound, which puts the listener out of the comfort zone, which is entirely the point.  The lyrics are a great commentary on the ability of a population to accept and condone brutality in the name of personal survival, the breakdown of common concern for fellow man.  (8/10)

4) The Good Soldier – This song has a great groove and a solid vocal line.  More about the Police State and the role of the man sent to forcibly take control of his former world.  This is a bit more conventional, but it actually works better for it.  (10/10)

5) Vessel – Now this one just leaves me cold.  There’s clearly a purpose to the unusual arrangement, but it’s beyond me.  There’s a definite sexual vibe, a hint of commentary on drug addiction, and a whole lotta noise.  My suspicion is that the idea is mind control through introduction of specific drugs and technology to the population, which is interesting it and of itself.  (5/10)

6) Me, I’m Not – Things move back into something a bit less bizarre with this one.  The lyrics are particularly obscure, but seem to deal with self-identity and, once again, the idea of withdrawing internally to ignore the truth.  (6/10)

7) Capital G – Now this is a great song, another one with a great groove, and one of the best on the album.  In essence, this is about how people give up their power to their leaders, who abuse the power, and how those with power care nothing for their followers or the future.  Obviously, there’s a current reference, but it’s a fairly timeless commentary.  (9/10)

My Violent Heart – This sounds like the manifesto of a former soldier turned revolutionary.  It starts out very soft and restrained, but it ascends into something far more angry and ugly.  An effective blend of theme and execution, though not the most exciting song on the album.  (7/10)

9) The Warning – This one has a strong beat to it, which is good, because the song actually feels like someone explaining a plot point, not a song in and of itself.  The warning seems to be from an unknown agency, possibly aliens, come to save the world from its misuse by humanity, if things don’t change.  Very strange.  (6/10)

10) God Given – This would appear to be the response: use of state-sponsored religion to control the masses, complete with bigotry and holier-than-thou hypocrisy.  The song moves along at a brisk pace.  Another song with a good driving beat.  (7/10)

11) Meet Your Master – This one is a bit more conventional than a lot of the preceeding material, but it works very well.  It should play far better out of context than some of the rest.  The song hardly requires further explanation for those who feel disaffected, though it’s a bit more subversive than it appears.  (8/10)

12) The Greater Good – This ties back to “Vessel”; one assumes that the revolutionary leader has been captured and subjected to the mind control once again (or the first time, who knows).  The best description of this song is “soundscape”.  It’s disturbing mood music, but it has a good beat and keeps up the intensity well enough.  (6/10)

13) The Great Destroyer – The enemy hiding in plain sight, the supposedly assimilated warrior searching for the right moment to strike back.  This is more of a rock song than some of the more electronic fare, and I like that variation.  The middle section, however, threatens to destroy the song completely.  (7/10)

14) Another Version of the Truth – This is an instrumental, a staple of NIN albums since “The Downward Spiral”.  It progresses between the dread of coming annihilation and the calm before the storm.  Taken in context with the rest of the album, it’s a worthy display of musicianship and concept working hand in hand.  (7/10)

15) In This Twilight – This is a meditation on the end of everything known.  I like how the vocals are mixed amid the discordance.  This should be an interesting song to hear live, considering how some of the vocal lines are designed to soar.  (8/10)

16) Zero Sum – And now, the moment of judgment, the consequence of ignoring the warning.  The confession of those in power, the regrets of those who chose not to resist.  It’s not much of a crowd-pleaser; more of a wrap on the concept, largely spoken word.  An unexpectedly low-key end to the album.  (6/10)

Needless to say, it’s recommended to listen to a NIN concept album more than once, because it’s easy to lose sight of the vision amongst the noise.  I listened to it enough to absorb the ideas and concepts and get a feel for the music.  In the end, I still don’t think this is as infectious as the early NIN efforts.  It could gain more in the long run, but even after passing through the initial reactions, this is just average with an interesting but overly-familiar concept.

Rating: 7/10

It’s only been a couple years since my first exposure to “Within Temptation” and the lovely Sharon den Adel.  I started with “Mother Earth”, which I thought had an enormous amount of variation but some questionable production values.  “The Silent Force”, on the other hand, had great production but relatively little variation.  I liked a lot of the songs on both albums, but I have to admit to liking “Mother Earth” a bit more.  So how does the latest addition to the catalog fare?

1) The Howling – This is an exclusive to the imported version (which, of course, is the version I have).  Immediately, I was struck by the less polished quality of Sharon’s vocals, despite the higher production values.  The song itself is quite unusual, but in a good way.  It’s one very strong opener, even with the silly growling bits.  (9/10)

2) What Have You Done – It sounds like their version of “Bring Me to Life”, right down to the inclusion of a guest male vocal, but I still like it.  The lyrics are remarkably dark, and I love Sharon’s range of vocal textures.  The male vocalist is somewhat generic, but in the end, it works as the WT take on a specific kind of song.  (8/10)

3) Frozen – This is a far more conventional song than either of the previous two, and I think it suffers as a result.  It doesn’t descend into the sugary sentimentality that some of the songs on “Silent Force” fell into, but there’s nothing particularly memorable about this one.  In fact, it sounds like something out of the mid-1980s.  (6/10)

4) Our Solemn Hour – This is jump right back into classic WT territory, with the layered vocals and choral arrangements.  I love the Latin pretensions and the WW2 allusions.  Sharon’s vocals are quite expressive.  This is the kind of song that I was waiting for!  (9/10)

5) The Heart of Everything – Here we have Sharon really shaping her vocals, switching from gritty to angelic and back.  It works wonderfully.  This is the sort of thing she did a lot on “Mother Earth”, and it sounds better with the higher production values.  The song itself is a bit simplistic, but the vocals really work well.  There’s just one section in the middle that doesn’t quite work for me, but fits the overall tone.  (9/10)

6) The Hand of Sorrow – Another WT staple: the fantasy tale told by an angel against a background of driving guitar and rhythm.  It’s almost like a Dragonlance tale put to music.  This one is about the struggle between love and honor.  There’s not much else to say about it; it’s a solid effort.  (8/10)

7) The Cross – I like the variation throughout the song and the melody.  The lyrics is less about story than the previous track, but it does handle some complex ideas well.  The arrangement is also quite good, though some elements are repetitive.  (8/10)

Final Destination – After a long string of solid songs, this is a remarkably weak effort.  Apparently this was originally recorded for a video game, and it has that kind of conventional quality.  There’s nothing original about it; in fact, it sounds like another outtake from the “Silent Force” B-sides.  (5/10)

9) All I Need – A competent power ballad, but coming on the heels of a weak entry, not particularly engaging.  This point of any album can be difficult to sequence, and while this is a good enough song, it doesn’t keep up the intensity of the first half.  (7/10)

10) The Truth Beneath the Rose – I love the lyrics for this song.  This is about the struggle of personal faith, the path to forgiveness, and the cost of warfare in God’s name.  It’s very easy to get caught up in the earnestness of the vocals.  (9/10)

11) Forgiven – The album ends with a softer song, one of the few on the album (in contrast with “Silent Force”).  This song, and its associated video, is particularly poignant, dealing with the effects of suicide on loved ones.  It’s a beautiful song, and a nice denouement for the album as a whole.  (9/10)

On the whole, this album does a capable job of melding the strengths of “Mother Earth” and “Silent Force” into something equally impressive.  Only two songs fail to meet expectation, which is fairly impressive, and the album is a lot more consistent in tone that “Silent Force”.  It’s worth listening to a few times, just to take it all in.

Rating: 8/10