| |
| Hint: Add a reviewer as a friend to be notified when they post reviews. | Author's Rating
Inside AP.net
| Aiden - Conviction | 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. |
|
|
Displaying posts 1 - 15 of 66. |
09:07 PM on 12/29/07 | This is just downright upsetting. | | |
|
09:27 PM on 12/29/07 | Thank God for Baseball and Music. 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. | | |
|
10:19 PM on 12/29/07 | Originally Posted by Jaster |
That is golden, and perfectly fitting for this thread. | | |
|
10:46 PM on 12/29/07 | Tonight I'm a Rock 'n' Roll Star | | |
|
11:04 PM on 12/29/07 | I like how the user ratings are all under 1, haha. | | |
|
11:11 PM on 12/29/07 | 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. | | |
|
11:46 PM on 12/29/07 | A City Heart instrumentalist 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. | | |
|
12:22 AM on 12/30/07 | is going to cockblock Delaware. Oh my god, hahahahahahahaha. | | |
|
01:16 AM on 12/30/07 | 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. | | |
|
|
| Review Tools
More From This Author |
Browse Reviews
Write a Review
Alphabetized Listing
Popular Reviews
Best New Music
View Artist Profile
View News Articles
Stream the Music
Buy the Album or MP3s
View Profile Picture
View Signature
Posts: 4,396
View Blog
Share This Review
Print This Review
Subscribe to Review
More From This Author