Three Days Grace- One-X

Three Days Grace have been a nice flashback for me to mid-90's alternative rock. That was my personal favorite time for rock, mostly because that was when I was growing up.

Three Days Grace's second album, One-X, is quite excellent. Besides the radio single, "Animal I Have Become," there are many other great songs on the album. My personal favorites are "Time of Dying" and "Gone Forever." Lyrically, the album is very angst-ridden. At times, the lyrics become a little immature, such as in "Riot," but overall, the album is very successful in being angry without coming across as annoying or stereotypical. I think the second single, "Pain," is a little weak, but is not at all a bad song. The echo on the chorus is especially unique, not something you hear very often.

The lead singer's voice really shines on this album. He shows more range, and proves that the band can slow down at times, but can still scream when the lyrics need to be hammered into your head. I love this band, and the albums are just getting better and better. Damn, I hope modern rock music moves more in this direction than the rest of the emo crap!!

First Review- Tool "10,000 Days"

I decided to write my first review on Tool's new album, 10,000 Days, for a few reasons. On a certain level, I've always had a fascination with a band like Tool. A band that has very little airplay, yet has a ton of rabidly loyal fans. More importantly, Tool's old song "Schism" has always stuck in my head, especially the bass line. Also, if I was going to really become serious about music, I knew I had to open my mind to bands that I would not normally seek out to listen to. Having said all that, I am so glad I finally listened to a Tool album.

The mood of this album, as with other Tool albums so I'm told, is dark, yet strangely soothing. I could listen to this album as my central focus to rock out to, or I can have it as completely awesome background music that doesn't distract me from more important things. I was pleasantly surprised to find Maynard Keenan (lead singer) was capable of making his statements through very vivid imagery and haunting metaphors. I am not overly fond of his actual voice, but the musicianship more than compensates for any doubt of the band's talent. As I expected, the bass lines were amazing. All the songs are pretty long, with a 10-minute mindblower thrown in. Highlights of the album include the songs "Rosetta Stoned," "Vicarious," and "Right in Two." The best song on 10,000 Days, however, is "The Pot." A catchy hook ("who are you to wave your finger? you must've been out of your head...") leads into the groovy bass line that serves as the groundwork for the entire song. The rest of the song is very satisfying, clocking in at well over five minutes in length.

I must say, Tool has made quite an impression on me. Now I have to go back and listen to their other five albums. 10,000 Days is definitly worth listening to, especially if you're looking to relax and groove for awhile, with a few moments of headbanging rage thrown in to keep you on your toes. I think we all need that from time to time....