SCARSICK

Whilst I found this quite catchy after the first few listens, there are only a few songs I go back to now, those being Cribcaged and Kingdom if Loss and probably the rest of the album but only as much as one song (if that makes sense). The songs are based around criticising America and all it appears to be to the outside world, especially the materialistic and egotistical components. I expect that may mean a few Americans may declare Daniel Gildenlow as the new Osama Bin Laden. The fact is that PoS aren't repeating themselves, there's a fair few curve balls for anyone wanting The Perfect Element 2. The first song, Scarsick, whilst having a bit of a dboring riff, gets into your head at the end with a build up of melody in the chorus. The second song sounds like Eminem, Korn or something, with the looped sample over a beat and rapping vocals for the verse and a melodic sung chorus. The rapping is more of a venomous rant, like Mike Patton does, not like 50 cent or Puff Daddy. It's actaully apretty good song, a bit long perhaps. The thing most people missed is that this song is basically an attack on the rapper image with all their hired ho's and how they are basically trash. It's called irony or something... Cribcaged is more standard PoS fair, but a bit more laid back to start and there's no real progressive metal flash from their earlier days. The lyrics deal with the shallowness of celebrity, etc. Here here! A top song to play to the kids. "America" - comes across a bit like a quirky pop guitar song, can't pigeonhole it, but a bit more upbeat than their serious stuff. Now for something completely different, Disco Queen will throw people, it starts up with a standard dance beat and bass line, but breaks down into a slow seedy crawl in the verses. At 8 minutes it ain't really gonna be heard on the dance floor and is probably a bit long, a bit of a double en tendre in the lyrics makes it interesting - once again, bit of a comment on the nightclub scene. Kingdom of Loss is a great song - "All for sale", you get the idea of the lyrics, a slower number that builds towards the end, nice gentle chorus, catchy melody and poignant lyrics. "Mother Mary" - Again, a repetitive riff, all the talk about customised guitars and pickups, maybe the guitar was forgotten in the production, the heavy bits sound tinny to me, not enough warmth or crunch. Not a bad song, but not right up there with the rest. "Idiocracy" is another song that builds to a finale, again, the heavy guitars grate a bit, but maybe I like a vintage tone better. "Flame to the moth" starts up with another tinny guitar riff and a bit of an eastern flavour "Enter Rain" is slow brooder, heavy in bits, softer in other bits but never gets close to reaching the heights of say The Perfect Element or Beyond the Pale.

Throughout the album, there's lots of little tastes, bit of flamenco, bit of electronica, etc, I don't really notice it (it's all music), but when I do it's a nice surprise. It's interesting and quite diverse in the genres it explores along with the way the songs progress within themselves. No, it's not as breathtaking as Perfect Element or Remedy Lane, the multilayered harmonies and instrumental passages aren't as interesting and Daniel Gildenlow is almost restrained, but they don't want to write the same song over and over, and that is why they are a great band. The songs are still interesting, the lyrics still deep. My main criticisms are a lack of melodies and instrumental noodlingand I do love a good wanky guitar solo too....