eden

i talk about music. emo, phxc, hxc, industrial, metal, and more. not a professional critic

[edensmusicgarden]

wonderful emo album (collection?), great for I Hate Myself and Mineral enjoyers.

[edensmusicgarden]

the new bad omens single was… definitely not what i expected, at least.

disclaimer: this is just my opinion!! i dont hold anything against the band!! don’t attack me plzplzplz

i honestly didn’t think i’d find myself making another bad omens review as they don’t occupy much space in my mind, but i heard some talk about the new single and decided to give it a try.

the intro was slightly intriguing, which is more than i can say about specter. there were some interesting reverse effects and sound design, but the arrangement itself was pretty uninspired.

the vocals felt quite overproduced and the pitch correction was very noticeable in many places. i’m not a huge fan of noah’s style of singing in general, but that’s just a personal preference; i prefer more belt-y stuff, however i can see how someone could enjoy his softer tone. the reverb felt excessive at points. when it comes to reverb, i prefer when it’s done in a way that imitates how it would sound in a live performance. this song did not accomplish that. it didn’t make noah sound like in he was in any environment at all, for that matter. just in a recording studio with it slapped on after, which obviously is what they did but i wish it was made less obvious.

when the drums came in, i was taken aback. they sounded like a sample, specifically one that would be used in your run of the mill jungle song. props for subverting expectations i suppose, but they felt strange in context, especially considering i know they have a human drummer lol. later on in the song it switches to more human-sounding drums, which was an interesting change of tone quality, i’ll give them that.

the piano was painfully generic and uninteresting in tone quality and arrangement. the guitar was barely noticeable, which i’m sure was intentional but it wasn’t different enough in tone quality or pitch from the other layers to make me see the point in its existence. almost every layer felt quite round and soft, lacking sufficient contrast to make it interesting or give it depth.

there was less repetition in the lyrics than specter which i did appreciate, and while they were somewhat on the nose at times, the emotion was there so i wouldn’t say they’re bad, or good, just y’know. average

now, it would be disingenuous for me to approach this song as if it was meant to be metal, because it clearly was not. they seem to be going for a more pop like sound, which may make more sense if the rest of the album its part of sounds like that. but on its own it felt entirely out of place in their discography, even compared to specter, like if blink-182 randomly released a country single. i’m not saying that bands cannot stray from the genre they’ve previously been assigned, but the sound was so unexpected that i can presume it would be disappointing to their long time fans looking for more of what they love. it’s cool they’re experimenting but i don’t think it should’ve been a single if it can only make sense in the context of their album and not their discography as a whole.

overall, it was just kinda odd. not particularly enjoyable to listen to but the creativity was there. 3/10

[edensmusicgarden]

def one of the best albums in pop screamo. there was obviously a clear concept that was fully committed to without fear of venturing into uncharted territory. the variety of instruments such as piano and trumpet (?) along with the classic electric guitar and bass gives it a wild texture that is very captivating to listen to. the vocals were incredible as well, and you could hear in their voices that they had a lot of fun with this record. one of the most creative takes on the genre ive ever heard and i wish they got more recognition

[edensmusicgarden]

this album and norma jean’s discography as a whole are a perfect introduction for anyone trying to get into metalcore. heavy but still meaningful and well written. this is my personal favorite track on the album, mostly because i cannot get enough of that OHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAOH at the beginning

[edensmusicgarden]

now, i should make it clear i’m not a bad omens fan, nor hater for that matter. they don’t really cross my mind that much. but i saw a lot of buzz about the single that came out today so i thought i’d check it out. my official rating is: ehhhhhhhh

DISCLAIMER: i have nothing against bad omens or their fans, and i’m not a professional critic either. i just wanted to share my thoughts on the single because idk i like to hear myself talk. this is just my opinion!!! please don’t attack me!!!

the intro (and the first verse i guess, there was very little distinction between them) was pretty boring, and also weirdly long. despite the dramatic vocal melody, it was pretty flat and uninteresting. the piano was nothing special.

noah is a very talented vocalist, but i think he leans a bit too into flourishes in this song. just a bit too much vibrato and the breathiness was pretty excessive at times. now, i will say that i generally don’t like when vocalists use a lot of falsetto/head voice, which is just a personal preference so take my critique of his vocals with a grain of salt. i also think they are probably the strongest part of the song but that’s not really saying much lmao

the lyrics were once again just. ok. again, nothing special, and the constant repetition of “do you feel love” was bothersome. i’m sure they were going for emphasis but it was just not pleasant to listen to over and over again.

speaking of listening to stuff over and over again, the instrumental was annoyingly repetitive, just the piano occasionally broken up with guitar for the chorus. it felt empty, if that makes sense.

the chorus itself was quite basic, pretty standard modern metalcore stuff. not much to say about it other than again that it was, again, flat and uninteresting.

for my final thoughts, it’s definitely not the *worst* song, but it was just boring and flat, and didn’t do anything to set it apart from the heaps of repetitive ‘metalcore’ being made at the moment. it didn’t really make me feel anything and i definitely won’t be catching myself humming it later. but the production was pretty solid, and despite it not being the type i usually gravitate towards, noah’s voice is objectively incredible. overall 4/10

[edensmusicgarden]

been having an aggrotech phase recently and have noticed that latin america knows their industrial, holy shit. been obsessed with this band along with hocico

[edensmusicgarden]

the fall of troy is definitely top three post hardcore bands of all time and their impact on the genre is immeasurable. i’ve never heard guitar work quite like it and it’s just incredible. the entire döppelganger album is a masterclass in composition

[edensmusicgarden]

i think japanese rock is criminally underrated. people who only listen to music from their own language are pussies

[edensmusicgarden]

i know it’s a bit silly that my only negative reviews on this page are about PRESIDENT but god i just gotta rant

starting with the instrumental, it’s definitely the band’s strong suit. but that’s really not saying much. the guitar tone is.. not awful? very bland though, almost sounded like MIDI. the four high notes (you’ll know what i mean if you listen) near the beginning are cool, but that’s about as interesting as the guitar work gets. the vocals hit me like a truck, not in the “i was blown away” way, more like being squished on the highway and subjected to pure agony. arguably would be a more pleasant experience than listening to that overproduced mess. look, i don’t mind excessive autotune, i’m a hyperpop fan for christ’s sake, but it is so jarring next to the (albeit bland) metal intro. it sounds robotic. chorus is a bit better but you can tell he’s straining underneath the pitch correction. it’s also, yet again, mind numbingly bland. the lyrics are equally uninspired and read like a teenager’s attempt at sounding poetic after their first breakup. nevertheless, i gotta hand it to them for being the first human band to create ai-generated music.

now, you might be thinking i’m being a bit harsh, and i am, especially in comparison to my usual posts, which are usually so positive it’s borderline corny. but this fucking band just pisses me off. i’m not the first person to say this so don’t give me credit for this take, but i find it awfully tone deaf to, in the midst of a global resurgence of fascism, call yourself “president” and your tours “campaigns” while not having the balls to make an ounce of political commentary and resorting to sappy romance music. if non insensitive, it is certainly misleading to wear a mask of what looks like a caricature of the average old white male politician (some have said it’s a specific politician, but it’s so ugly i can’t tell) and create a whole gimmick centering around political terms, and then have your music and MV’s have absolutely nothing to do with politics. it’s like the reeled people in with the promise of actually meaningful artwork and then pulled a complete 180. it makes the gimmick feel pointless and shows a lack of intent. this along with the excessive marketing (paid for by the singer’s previous boy-band endeavors) makes the whole thing feel soulless and like a way to cash in on this emerging genre of not-metal metal.

[edensmusicgarden]

lovehatehero is a must-listen for anyone who prefers the more pop-punk-esque side of post hardcore. i ss’d white lies because it was what i was listening to but goodbye, my love is my favorite song of theirs. basic i know but it’s popular for a reason lol. that guitar solo is nyasty

[edensmusicgarden]

i really hope i can see aesthetic perfection live one day because this song and many others in their discography are perfect dancing-poorly-in-the-pit music. the vocals have that signature industrial “evil whisper” which i love.

[edensmusicgarden]

black veil brides really outdid themselves with this one. the production is absolutely insane (and i believe they did it themselves!!). andy’s vocals are also incredible and he’s improved so much over the years. bvb gets a lot of flack for reasons i have yet to figure out, but they are really all such talented musicians and i can’t wait for the new album.

ps: sorry for the brief hiatus, been busy lately

[edensmusicgarden]

stage 4 is one of the most devastating post hardcore albums i’ve ever heard. i believe it’s about the vocalist’s mother dying of cancer, and you can hear the grief in every song. highly recommend but will make you cry.

[edensmusicgarden]

i think this is one of the best screamo albums of all time. the vocals convey such raw emotion and you feel like you are hearing real, agonizing human suffering. i cannot rave about this band and album enough. please check them out although it may make you miserable, but i mean thats just screamo amirite

[edensmusicgarden]

been a minute since i posted any midwest emo so i thought i’d post some charmer! incredible vocals. can lean more indie rock at times but definitely has that midwest emo vibe to it. i mean, what makes something midwest emo besides having “that vibe to it”, anyway? good for fans of hot mulligan.

[edensmusicgarden]

i know this topic isn’t super relevant at the moment but this is definitely one of the best songs about seasonal depression i’ve heard. idk what’s up with the intro tho lol

[edensmusicgarden]

i honestly forgot about from first to last for a bit but this song came up on my playlist and i was hooked all over again. it’s got to have some of the most unique vocals i’ve heard in post hardcore and they’re just incredible. the drums are also incredible to me, but that might be just due to the fact i prefer very fast drums in my phxc. also fun fact, skrillex was in this band LOL. i know this band isn’t exactly an obscure recommendation but i’d recommend any elder emos to revisit them as their music has aged so well and any newer emos to check them out!!