Hollywood Undead - Swan Songs

[Klatzke]

Hollywood Undead - Swan Songs
Record Label: OctoScope Music
Release Date: September 2, 2008

Swan Songs is Hollywood Undead's first release, though they've had a plethora of fans for the past few years and found themselves at the forefront of an emerging genre. They're obviously going to be incessantly lumped in with the likes of Brokencyde and other terrible bands, but Hollywood Undead, despite the initial impressions, manages to secure themselves a little bit of actual musical integrity.

Bands like Brokencyde and Dot Dot Curve rely on two different things to completely trash the art known as music. One of these is sonically, where autotuned vocals and terrible screams, combined with stupid beats and "instrumentation" create a sound that's almost painful to listen to. Unlike these bands, however, Hollywood Undead manages to actually maintain some kind of listenable sound in quite a few of the tracks on Swan Songs. Their vocalists aren't terrible, and more often than not, they can actually throw out a good rhyme and some smooth voices, despite the one trying a little too hard to sound like Eminem. The beats aren't sub-par, and most of them fit the music and aren't over the top or annoying. That's for the "party" tracks, however, and they experiment with quite a few different types of songs throughout the album including angst-ridden tracks ("Black Dahlia"), anthems ("Young"), and more off-kilter "rap-core" tracks ("City" and "Paradise Lost"). The angst-y tracks tend to be a little dragging and unimpressive, the anthems a little contrived, and the rest somewhat impressive.

The second facet of this emerging genre seems to be a complete and utter disregard for quality lyrics, and Brokencyde songs like "Freaxxx" would attest to that. While Hollywood Undead never dips to the lows that are present in those songs, they definitely don't impress too much in this department. In the more straightforward "club bangers" they don't dip any lower than most rap artists, and many of the tracks are about either "shakin' that ass" or partying, which is basically expected from rap tracks at this point. These tracks, such as "Undead," "No. 5," "Bottle and a Gun" and "Pimpin'" are actually the highlights of the album sonically, but are some of the more questionable lyrically. The rapping tracks tend to be fun, if anything, despite the lyrics being laughably curse-ridden and "hilarious."

As much as most people will want to disregard this album immediately for it's genre and "scene-itude," the four or five tracks off of this album that are actually somewhat enjoyable, (simply as cliche'd rap tracks and nothing more), shouldn't be completely written off. If you can get past the terrible lyrics and liked the single ("Undead") then don't hesitate to pick up "No. 5," "Bottle and a Gun," "Everywhere I Go," and "Pimpin." Other than these "fun" tracks, however, the album stays mediocre at best. Hopefully, they'll drop all of their emotional turmoil if they last for another record and just stick to something they're at least fairly good at.

I Set My Friends On Fire's "Crank Dat"; Brokencyde; Family Force 5; Fort Minor; Eminem's "Crack a Bottle"
myspace.com/hollywoodundead (http://www.myspace.com/hollywoodundead)

[more heart]

This is the only time I will ever say that the score of one of your reviews is way too high.

[flks511]

I'm sorry, but Hollywood Undead is helping kill music......2 good songs off the whole album.

[more heart]

I'm sorry, but Hollywood Undead is helping kill music......2 good songs off the whole album.
...and Alesana is helping?

[flks511]

...and Alesana is helping?
Alesana just takes shit from people because they don't like the vocals, and they are working in an overcrowded genre.

Hollywood Undead is just downright terrible, and they are comlpetely untalented.

[more heart]

Alesana just takes shit from people because they don't like the vocals, and they are working in an overcrowded genre.

Hollywood Undead is just downright terrible, and they are comlpetely untalented.
I'll tell you this much, we don't hate Alesana over the vocals...

[flks511]

I'll tell you this much, we don't hate Alesana over the vocals...
Then you hate them because the rest of AP tells you you're supposed to.

[more heart]

Then you hate them because the rest of AP tells you you're supposed to.
Nah, I hate them because they are image-driven scensters who write god-awful lyrics to go along with their god-awful music.

[flks511]

Nah, I hate them because they are image-driven scensters who write god-awful lyrics to go along with their god-awful music.
Image driven? You listen to All Time Low, Attack Attack and Breathe Carolina, so you have no credibility in saying that.

[more heart]

Image driven? You listen to All Time Low, Attack Attack and Breathe Carolina, so you have no credibility in saying that.
Yeah, but I didn't give Breathe Carolina an 82% and ATL is better than most people think(see: The Party Scene, Put Up or Shut Up).

more like a 65% which is still a little too high for me..

[flks511]

Yeah, but I didn't give Breathe Carolina an 82% and ATL is better than most people think(see: The Party Scene, Put Up or Shut Up).

more like a 65% which is still a little too high for me..
All Time Low is terrible. I'm sorry, but they are. And if you don't like a band because of their image, you're an idiot.

[Klatzke]

This is the only time I will ever say that the score of one of your reviews is way too high.
Production inflated the score.

[Klatzke]

I'm sorry, but Hollywood Undead is helping kill music......2 good songs off the whole album.
Did you even read what I wrote? Seriously?

I listed 4 songs that were good. That's it.

[TSTLSOOM]

Young is a good song.

[more heart]

Production inflated the score.
I hate that category. In my opinion, they should just do away with it. For the hell of it, I was looking at the reviews for Thieves and Villains and Brad(aka hockeyguitar99) gave the productin a 1. A 1? A Paul Leavitt porduced record got a 1?.

[Klatzke]

I hate that category. In my opinion, they should just do away with it. For the hell of it, I was looking at the reviews for Thieves and Villains and Brad(aka hockeyguitar99) gave the productin a 1. A 1? A Paul Leavitt porduced record got a 1?.
Lol the production on that album is actually stellar. Of course, I liked it.. haha.

[more heart]

All Time Low is terrible. I'm sorry, but they are. And if you don't like a band because of their image, you're an idiot.
I'll say this much, it was never about the fact you like Alesana. I know I like bands that 99% of the people on this site hate. It was all about the fact you bitched that this got too high of a score yet you gave Alesana a 82%.

[more heart]

Lol the production on that album is actually stellar. Of course, I liked it.. haha.
I know, I did too it was just a bit dissappointing. I'm sure he gave it a 1 because he wanted to give a low score. Again, that is why I hate production as a category. In the end, it holds little to no relevance.

[Klatzke]

I know, I did too it was just a bit dissappointing. I'm sure he gave it a 1 because he wanted to give a low score. Again, that is why I hate production as a category. In the end, it holds little to no relevance.
Yeah, and me, as well as quite a few others I'm sure, aren't exactly "certified" to be judging it anyhow. I just go with my overall impression of it, so.

[TotalCollapse]

Awful band.

[flks511]

I'll say this much, it was never about the fact you like Alesana. I know I like bands that 99% of the people on this site hate. It was all about the fact you bitched that this got too high of a score yet you gave Alesana a 82%.
I never said anything about the score, you started this arguement.

[Klatzke]

Why do they have like 6 members or whatever? Do they all rap? Regardless they are terrible and their image is laughably bad and I'm surprised you didn't address it
I just left image out of it, and yes it is terrible. If I was addressing a Slipknot album though too, I'd leave it out. I think there are 3 that rap, but they do have unnecessary members. One guy sings I know. One guy does beats I guess.

And the post you quoted, I was talking about Thieves and Villains' album from last year.

[FaceLixeMurder]

Terrible...absolutely terrible.....

[Mikey Paine]

hollywood undead rocks.
most of the songs on this albums are pretty good.
also , a bit late?
this came out 6 or 7 months ago.

[Klatzke]

hollywood undead rocks.
most of the songs on this albums are pretty good.
also , a bit late?
this came out 6 or 7 months ago.
Oh noez.

[Mikey Paine]

Oh noez.
honestly , im not surprised to see that HU doesnt have a big fan following here.
but there not like your averge rap group, everythings not about gettingbooty and sex or drugs.

[Klatzke]

honestly , im not surprised to see that HU doesnt have a big fan following here.
but there not like your averge rap group, everythings not about gettingbooty and sex or drugs.
Yes, actually it is. Or hating yourself. Either or.

I'm not surprised, many of the songs they have completely undercut quality for gimmicks.

[flks511]

Actually they are generally hated because their music, including their cringe worthy vocals, is fucking atrocious. Image usually doesn't matter to me unless its shit like Hollywood Undead or Slipknot and it surely doesn''t matter concerning Alesana because they just look like you average scenecore band
Just saying a band has bad music doesn't prove anything. If you don't like them, you don't like them, but they have the following that they have for a reason.

[more heart]

Oh noez.
The fact that this kid is 15 and has 22 posts made this even more funny.

[denissuxx]

This review is spot on.

Exactly how I feel about the album

[TriangularDuck]

I'd prefer to listen to Brokencyde than these guys. At least Brokencyde are funny - intentionally or not.

[Klatzke]

I'd prefer to listen to Brokencyde than these guys. At least Brokencyde are funny - intentionally or not.
Not particularly.

[codenameLarz]

Guess I'm the only one that doesn't have a problem with the album? Yeah they are one of those 'myspace' bands but sold out shows worldwide and making it on the Billboard charts means working hard unlike other bands that just try to follow the trends to fit in. The album is put together well but I have to agree with the lyrics, some of them are just ridiculous.

[lurker411_k9]

After listening to "Everywhere I Go". I simply can't keep listening to this cd. Terrible.

[flks511]

Did you even read what I wrote? Seriously?

I listed 4 songs that were good. That's it.
Yes. I did read what you wrote, and you made it sound like HU was the best of their genre, and you gave it an above average score.

[Klatzke]

Yes. I did read what you wrote, and you made it sound like HU was the best of their genre, and you gave it an above average score.
They are the best of their genre, which I clarified as a genre that's full of complete mediocrity and complete shit. which makes their 53% (inflated by production) as very slightly above average.

[snipedrock]

sex

[alfadude1]

Not the a very good album. But how can the review not mention "this love, this hate". That's the one song that I would say stands out.

[Klatzke]

Not the a very good album. But how can the review not mention "this love, this hate". That's the one song that I would say stands out.
It falls in "angsty" tracks.

[UpperNinety]

this album would have done okay back in 2000 when angst was popular...
now it deserves a flat 0

should rank besides Brokencyde, dot dot colon parenthesis(i know its spelling out the happy face, but its ridiculous), millionaires, soulja boy as the worst thing in music.

[Piss]

meh

[o3dw4rdo]

there were a few (3 or 4) good songs on this album. but if your looking for mindless music with no point just to pump you up, or your a douchebag. this is the album for you

[o3dw4rdo]

I'd prefer to listen to Brokencyde than these guys. At least Brokencyde are funny - intentionally or not.
god no. brokencyde and blood on the dance floor are the two worsts bands ever. my friends band should have a record deal before them. underneath the getting drunk and partying and things like that (which is most of the album) there was emotion and some direction in the album (3 songs or so).