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HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD
"Swan Songs" (A&M Octane / Polydor
Records; 2008)
Reviewed by Jeff Rogers
Rap/rock is the flavor this band wants to palletize you
with. The first cut, "Undead," will surely wake you up and it's peppered with
plenty of profanities that rhyme -- so is the whole disc as a matter of fact. I
was head bobbing the whole time. It's 311-ish but with a leaning edge of rap and
punk.
These guys started out on MySpace with tons of friends and were an unsigned band
searching for a label that wouldn't censor them. Voila! A&M stepped up to the
plate and helped them market their rap/metal sound to attract video game
manufacturers and movie soundtracks (such as "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra"). A
few cuts here are in-your-face and some are dance numbers that would keep the
club hoppin'. Sometimes, you might think Eminem was feeding them material.
A few of the intros are unique in their approach and that adds a little more
flavor to the song but it's not always what is beyond the intro that will keep
you listening. There are some benchmarks of rap/rock in between the rap songs.
See my list of the best cuts (below) if you just want the rock and not the rap.
Sometimes, they go Linkin Park on you so it’s a mixed bag of music.
Either way, the music is really good and the lyrics are snarl savvy. An initial
listen through will have you picking out your favorites and making a personal
play list. If you need one familiar name to attach to this project let me tag
Josh Freese, who lends his drumming talent on a few tracks. If you like rap/rock
and rap/metal mixed together then give Hollywood Undead a shot.
The best cuts are: "Undead," "Sell Your Soul," "Young," "California," and
"Paradise Lost."
Hollywood Undead: Charlie Scene - vocals, lead guitar; Deuce - vocals,
programming, production; J-Dog - vocals, guitar, keyboards; Johnny 3 Tears –
vocals; Funny Man - vocals, lead baritone; Da Kurlzz - vocals, percussion.
For more information, check out http://hollywoodundead.com or http://www.myspace.com/hollywoodundead.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2009 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
29 Apr 2012 17:50:36 -0500.
