Dymytry Vance
08/24/09, 05:04 PM
Arsonists Get All The Girls - Portals
Record Label: July 14, 2009
Release Date: Century Media Records
Okay, so I've always treated Arsonists Get All The Girls as a guilty pleasure. Sue me. I fully accepted the flaws of their work (especially their vocalist), but now I can say without doubt, that Arsonists have made their best work to date.
With their other albums coming across as too inconsistent or full of HORSE rip-offs (a few synth sections are suit for a neigh) this album evens things out and gives Arsonists a pretty decent record. Starting with an intro, “Interdimensionary” would definitely be my soundtrack if I were abducted by Marvin the Martian and company for a minute and twenty some seconds. The track segues into the somewhat forgettable “42nd Ego” that will grow to you like a mosquito (less itchy and ugly). “My Cup's Half Empty” shows some deathcore breakdowns blending into a nintendocore smoothie (pun intended).
If I could criticize anything so far it would be the vocals. They easily become redundant and seem cookie-cutter. They're not bringing anything new to the table but aren't that listenable. They're just enough to get the job done, but they won't leave you praising the new voice at hand. It's really saying something when, after three songs, you want a new vocalist to come in (and no, not the guy from Embrace the End).
“Skiff For The Suits” and “In The Empyreans” are my favorite songs off the album. While the other tracks seem to drag on and on (minus the intro) when they shouldn't, "Skiff" incorporates some amazingly catchy synth lines that blend into some gauntlet of rustic deathcore. While “In The Empyreans” seems to start out as another old Arsonists track, it goes into an awesome solo and gives you all the synth you could ever want, along with all the metal any headbanger could ever want. Beneath the screams and Mario Bros. impressions is an actual message about the death of former bassist, Patrick Mason. It's always respectable when a band can incorporate something to relate to in lyrics, especially when we have bands in the deathcore scene who just want to have intercourse with you via knife, and then stab you in your genitals when you refuse.
“Saturnine” isn't that great of a track, and reminds me too much of this Hot Topic scene more so than I find tolerable. While many other tracks have their moments, they blend into one another a little too much. They all retain that Arsonists sound, and stray from the simple formula of breakdown, synth section, dance part, fast blast-beat section, horror scene, synth, end formula. However, when you hear such little variation it's hard to keep your attention to the album.
“Tea Time Tibbons” is too normal to be so abnormally long, but nevertheless does a pretty adequate job at closing this pretty adequate album. I'm not going to rave about how amazing this album is. As I've said before, I know what to expect from this band, and I like what I hear to an extent. But it's not going to be some groundbreaking record that will sell a million copies in three weeks. It's a great album to listen to when you feel like conversing with extra-terrestrials. Hold on, I have to go, ET is calling!
Record Label: July 14, 2009
Release Date: Century Media Records
Okay, so I've always treated Arsonists Get All The Girls as a guilty pleasure. Sue me. I fully accepted the flaws of their work (especially their vocalist), but now I can say without doubt, that Arsonists have made their best work to date.
With their other albums coming across as too inconsistent or full of HORSE rip-offs (a few synth sections are suit for a neigh) this album evens things out and gives Arsonists a pretty decent record. Starting with an intro, “Interdimensionary” would definitely be my soundtrack if I were abducted by Marvin the Martian and company for a minute and twenty some seconds. The track segues into the somewhat forgettable “42nd Ego” that will grow to you like a mosquito (less itchy and ugly). “My Cup's Half Empty” shows some deathcore breakdowns blending into a nintendocore smoothie (pun intended).
If I could criticize anything so far it would be the vocals. They easily become redundant and seem cookie-cutter. They're not bringing anything new to the table but aren't that listenable. They're just enough to get the job done, but they won't leave you praising the new voice at hand. It's really saying something when, after three songs, you want a new vocalist to come in (and no, not the guy from Embrace the End).
“Skiff For The Suits” and “In The Empyreans” are my favorite songs off the album. While the other tracks seem to drag on and on (minus the intro) when they shouldn't, "Skiff" incorporates some amazingly catchy synth lines that blend into some gauntlet of rustic deathcore. While “In The Empyreans” seems to start out as another old Arsonists track, it goes into an awesome solo and gives you all the synth you could ever want, along with all the metal any headbanger could ever want. Beneath the screams and Mario Bros. impressions is an actual message about the death of former bassist, Patrick Mason. It's always respectable when a band can incorporate something to relate to in lyrics, especially when we have bands in the deathcore scene who just want to have intercourse with you via knife, and then stab you in your genitals when you refuse.
“Saturnine” isn't that great of a track, and reminds me too much of this Hot Topic scene more so than I find tolerable. While many other tracks have their moments, they blend into one another a little too much. They all retain that Arsonists sound, and stray from the simple formula of breakdown, synth section, dance part, fast blast-beat section, horror scene, synth, end formula. However, when you hear such little variation it's hard to keep your attention to the album.
“Tea Time Tibbons” is too normal to be so abnormally long, but nevertheless does a pretty adequate job at closing this pretty adequate album. I'm not going to rave about how amazing this album is. As I've said before, I know what to expect from this band, and I like what I hear to an extent. But it's not going to be some groundbreaking record that will sell a million copies in three weeks. It's a great album to listen to when you feel like conversing with extra-terrestrials. Hold on, I have to go, ET is calling!