Aiden - Conviction

[adamvinny]

Aiden - Conviction
Record Label: Victory Records
Release Date: August 21, 2007

2007 seems to be the year of 80's crossovers: Strata released Strata Presents the End of the World, which features some downright Police-influenced rock and The Panic Division's Songs from the Glasshouse turned the band from a straightforward synth-rock group into the opening act on a U2 tour in 1982. Yet, those musical transitions were not as stunning or as impressive as Aiden's transition with Conviction.

On Aiden's previous three outputs, they dabble in the goth arts, singing about setting friends on fire while pounding out fast drum beats and quick riffs. They wore black and heavy makeup, and they looked to cement themselves in the punk/hardcore scene. Then one day, front man wiL Francis must have had some sort of epiphany (or watched too much VH1 Classic), because the band's third full length album takes an entirely different, but refreshing, direction.

From the opening note on the first track, "The Opening Departure," listeners and Aiden fans alike know that they are in for an entirely new experience, both musically and lyrically. This one song sets the tone for the entire album. It is nothing short of a piano ballad, which Aiden do quite well. Francis' lyrics are much more hopeful and real, as evidenced by the line, "Someday will be your day." His vocals are also much improved; he relies more on the melodic side of his voice instead of the growling side. Aiden's 2006 release, Rain in Hell features two songs with this approach: "Silent Eyes" and "We Sleep Forever." Francis did the right thing in sticking with his new vocal style, and the album benefits because of it.

As the album progresses, that aforementioned 80's sound begins to come out. "One Love," Conviction's first single, is a textured beauty. Jake Wambold and Angel Ibarra alternate spacey guitar riffs, while Jake Davison keeps the beat with hi-hats and bass drum kicks galore. Nick Wiggins' bass lines groove and keep the listener toe-tapping. And of course, Francis stands out, harnessing his inner Robert Smith and Ian Curtis to give his enigmatic style an even more unique push. Francis sings "One love / In your eyes now / Look afraid / Beyond you and me" with desperation and emotion; his sincerity is obvious, which will grab the listener and throw him or her into Francis' shoes, something previous Aiden efforts lacked. And for more proof of the 80's nuance, check out the music video for "One Love." It looks like a remake of Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box," complete with bright colors, both on the set and the band.

The rest of the album continues the style, which does become a little tired after a straight listen. Conviction's last three songs could have been left out, as they seem to just trail off. "The Sky is Falling" is probably the worst track; for the last track on the album, it lacks that needed final punch. Because of that, the album ends abruptly. To improve without having to cut tracks, Aiden should pay attention to every song that they plan to place on its future records so that all of them can have an impact on the listener.

While recording the album, Francis said that Conviction would be different, but "still [be] Aiden." This is exactly what makes Conviction a worthwhile listen. The Aiden energy never fails. and even though die hard Aiden fans might be turned off, they should embrace the new sound. The verb "maturing" is thrown around too much in the music world, and Aiden is not maturing, but exploring. Conviction is a step in the right direction, and the band should continue to explore, because they can easily become a bigger success.

[mattybobviously]

This is just downright upsetting.

[midgen3313]

lol...aiden

[hxchairstylist]

nice to see an objective take on this band. I like the new record, much more than any previous releases. thanks for doing this review justice.

[Daniel Thompson]

too high

[a.t.123]

well thats interesting

[Jaster]

:crackup:

[mattybobviously]

:crackup:
That is golden, and perfectly fitting for this thread.

[DivisionStreet]

Hahahahahahaha.

[ARo2431]

I like how the user ratings are all under 1, haha.

[Co and Ca]

While I disagree so much it hurts, it actually wasn't that bad of a review. I give it an A for effort. But I give you an F for actually praising this shit.

[dearmsleading]

i just tried to watch the one love video. im not entirely sure i get it. theres no 80s nuance, it pretty much screams 80s, down to the way it was shot. is that jeffree star in the video? and...am i wrong or do they have a muscular black man in chains in there too? wtf is going on?

the only other aiden song i know is the last sunrise and i kinda liked that one (wait for the backlash) but i think after seeing that video i'm not in the mood to give them another chance. sorry.

[saysmydoctor]

Oh my god, hahahahahahahaha.

[stand revealed]

i'm hoping that one day, maybe just one day,.... the world will figure out that this guy can't fucking sing or write anything resembling orignal for that matter. i'm not holding my breath.

[jwelborn]

Worst album of 07'

[rob_mylo]

this cd was horrendous

[midgen3313]

yeah, i never said the review was bad. but i sincerely dislike this band and what I've heard of this cd

[loganmmm]

I gave it all 10's just because I thought it would be funny.
Still, it only brought the average up to 14%. haha.

[jerseysbest]

Review seems well written but Robert Smith and Ian Curtis should never be associated with this band.

[Intertwined]

Worst album of '07.
This "reviewer" needs a stab in the face.

[ilovesofie]

good review, i just think that "bliss" the 10th track is the best of that album!

[Justin Link]

well written review, but come on, let's face it, aiden sucks the big one. they really haven't presented any kind of respectable musical substance since they became a band.

[Heart-A-Tact]

Terrible album.

[IntoOblivion]

that was a weird review

[Mattylikesfilms]

the only thing that made me interested to hear this was that john goodsman was producing but this album is crap. the cover art is nice though

[Adrian Villagomez]

This "reviewer" needs a stab in the face.You're an idiot.

[CyberInferno]

Good review in that it convinced me to go to Aiden's myspace and listen to the songs they had posted there.

Bad review in that it Aiden still sucks.

[ThisIsNotDan]

honestly, shut the fuck up. yes, Aiden blows. yes, this album probably blows as well, but this was very well written review, so take it for what it is

[FUCKDIRTYWIPES]

under score there should just be a picture of a penis.

[Gumbyjag]

Bad score, good review. Probably their worst album, even worse than the Rain In Hell EP.

[CyrusE]

well written review.

[sh!twolf]

aiden really is so awful. this is without any bias whatsoever. i have never heard a band with so much exposure be so completely awful at everything. HORRIBLE vocals, bland musicianship, and a campy overdone image. fuck them.

[Praetor]

aiden really is so awful. this is without any bias whatsoever. i have never heard a band with so much exposure be so completely awful at everything. HORRIBLE vocals, bland musicianship, and a campy overdone image. fuck them.
No opinion is without bias. Get your head out of your ass.

Also, I applaud this reviewer for having the balls to write a (well-written) positive review of this album. The songs I heard sucked majorly, though.

[Adrian Villagomez]

Also, I applaud this reviewer for having the balls to write a (well-written) positive review of this album.First Angels & Airwaves, then Aiden. This guy doesn't skirt controversy.

[shoop]

lmao at ppl who say worst album of 07, because that means you probably actually listened to this shit. loool.

[Genuma]

:-|

[SuNDaYSTaR]

Great review. People need to stop bashing on albums by looking back at the artists' previous releases.

[finneganhob]

But...but...but... I really like the CD... :unsure:

[sh!twolf]

No opinion is without bias. Get your head out of your ass.

Also, I applaud this reviewer for having the balls to write a (well-written) positive review of this album. The songs I heard sucked majorly, though.


i don't understand how my head is up my ass...

[Intertwined]

You're an idiot.

Likewise.

[xxtrappedsoul]

I may be the only one on this site who is a big Aiden fan. Good review.

[hipvee43]

I may be the only one on this site who is a big Aiden fan. Good review.

hahhahahaha UR GAY!!!!!!

[xxtrappedsoul]

hahhahahaha UR GAY!!!!!!


hahahhaha GROW UP. Seriously.

[finneganhob]

I may be the only one on this site who is a big Aiden fan. Good review.

Whew, I thought I was alone :)

[CyberInferno]

I may be the only one on this site who is a big Aiden fan. Good review.
The only one over 16 ;-) (kidding)

[dream.so.dark]

i just tried to watch the one love video. im not entirely sure i get it. theres no 80s nuance, it pretty much screams 80s, down to the way it was shot. is that jeffree star in the video? and...am i wrong or do they have a muscular black man in chains in there too? wtf is going on?

Yeah it is J* and there's a "muscular black man" too. There is an explaination for it, but it's pretty long-winded haha.

[nUroK2008]

lol...aiden

Said best

[checkitfool]

i'm hoping that one day, maybe just one day,.... the world will figure out that this guy can't fucking sing or write anything resembling orignal for that matter. i'm not holding my breath.

Word, homie.

[ashley07]

All of you that bad-mouthed aiden should realize that nobody gives a fuck what you have to say about them. aiden doesnt care what the people think and thats one of the reasons why they made this album. they dont care and dont want to be catagorized by their looks and sound. they made this album for themselves. maybe you get some sick sedistic satisfaction of trying to make people feel like shit to improve your pathetic life, if so go away and think about that.

[CyberInferno]

All of you that bad-mouthed aiden should realize that nobody gives a fuck what you have to say about them. aiden doesnt care what the people think and thats one of the reasons why they made this album. they dont care and dont want to be catagorized by their looks and sound. they made this album for themselves. maybe you get some sick sedistic satisfaction of trying to make people feel like shit to improve your pathetic life, if so go away and think about that.
If no one gives a fuck what the naysayers argue, why should they care about what you say? I don't know how you can view any band with this pure ideology that they're solely in it to make music. If they had wanted to make this album for themselves, they wouldn't have released it to the general public. Or they would have put it on the internet for free to download. Or donated all proceeds to charity.

[nUroK2008]

If no one gives a fuck what the naysayers argue, why should they care about what you say? I don't know how you can view any band with this pure ideology that they're solely in it to make music. If they had wanted to make this album for themselves, they wouldn't have released it to the general public. Or they would have put it on the internet for free to download. Or donated all proceeds to charity.

I am very impressed with this reply, very thought out. This is the kind of honesty that cuts through the crap.

[Daniel Thompson]

If no one gives a fuck what the naysayers argue, why should they care about what you say? I don't know how you can view any band with this pure ideology that they're solely in it to make music. If they had wanted to make this album for themselves, they wouldn't have released it to the general public. Or they would have put it on the internet for free to download. Or donated all proceeds to charity.

win for cyberinferno.

[a speedo model]

This album sounds forced, because it is.

[CyberInferno]

I am very impressed with this reply, very thought out. This is the kind of honesty that cuts through the crap.
win for cyberinferno.
Thanks :-)

[fadedmemories]

Then one day, front man wiL Francis must have had some sort of epiphany (or watched too much VH1 Classic)

haha... nice one!

[notquitethere19]

yeh sure this album is alrite. but the other aiden albums are better. i was so psyced for this one. then it dropped me on my ass =[ but i still listen every now and then... but nothing beats out gangs dark oath and nightmare anatomy

[HoldenCfld]

yeh sure this album is alrite. but the other aiden albums are better. i was so psyced for this one. then it dropped me on my ass =[ but i still listen every now and then... but nothing beats out gangs dark oath and nightmare anatomy
The purple over-sized kiddie font and lack of any resemblance of ever taken an english class only accentuate your wonderful taste in music.

[nashiscash1324]

piece o shit!

[Mjk07]

under score there should just be a picture of a penis.
lol... well played sir

[drakey]

I'm not quite sure about the Robert Smith comparison, but for some reason I see Aiden opening for The Cure when I hear some of these tracks. Anyway, people should stop putting down Aiden, because they're one of the bands that seem like they'll just release a great album after a series of corny-imaged flops. Nightmare Anatomy definately had plenty of room for improvement, and this album could use a lot of work too, but they're releasing Knives now and we'll just have to see how it goes. I just hope that at some point they can stop dressing up like 13 year old's who have just discovered Hot Topic and their sister's make-up drawer.

[njdevils327]

okay wait a minute? An aiden record got the same review score as Closure In Moscow's First Temple

There is no justice in this world.

[chelseaxsmilexD]

The purple over-sized kiddie font and lack of any resemblance of ever taken an english class only accentuate your wonderful taste in music.
that's hilarious...

[chelseaxsmilexD]

okay wait a minute? An aiden record got the same review score as Closure In Moscow's First Temple

There is no justice in this world.
nope not at all

[chelseaxsmilexD]

I've never heard this album, but this reminds me of the time where my friend who likes aiden (don't ask why) gave me one of their shirts back in Our Gangs' era. She said I might like them because at the time i was into the emo alternative post-hardcore scene, so blindly i took the shirt (mostly because it is the coolest shirt i've ever laid my eyes upon) and now i regret it.

[aiden4life666]

Whoever is writing this review is a total fucking fagget.
Aiden is such a great and inspiring band, and all people do is trash them.
So im just assuming you fucks all listen to shit like Little Wayne And T pain.
So maybe if you actually knew music you would know that this is a great fuckin record

[stereokiller]

Whoever is writing this review is a total fucking fagget.
Aiden is such a great and inspiring band, and all people do is trash them.
So im just assuming you fucks all listen to shit like Little Wayne And T pain.
So maybe if you actually knew music you would know that this is a great fuckin record
um...

nevermind.

[Kiegra]

I think this album was actually pretty good. Rain in hell was okay, the stars of the show for that album was sleep forever and the suffering. Stop baggin on this band xp put down the shitty kanye west and all that mainstream crap, Aiden isn't that bad. Good review XD

[johnnyferris]

This is the only CD that I've actually thrown away lol.