Fire - Good song to start the album. I was a big fan of this song live and I still like it. Positives: Sick, heavy drum/guitar intro. Solid vocals from Chester. Bridge is very nice. "On the other side" which Chester screams rocks my world. Negatives: Layered vocals kill me, man. Keyboards mixed a little too high. Rating: 7/10 Crawl Back In - First single. Wasn't a big fan initially live. I've played it a lot in my car and had it on repeat the other day. Chester sounds a bit weird but I got really used to it and it settled in nicely. Positives: That "fake chorus" leadup that's in the first verse. The structure of that totally reminds me of QWERTY. That guitar riff comes in heavy when he says "I wanna Crawl Back In"...I like it. Nice way to end the song. Negatives: Guitar solo isn't that great for Amir's talents. Overall song is just maintream as hell...I'd prefer something a bit different. Rating: 6/10 Too Late - Interesting first impression from this song. Slow, not really my thing, but certain things stand out as being pretty cool. Positives: Guitar work on the bridge stands out immediately. Very nice. The bridge into the last chorus flows very well. Negatives: Lyrics aren't that great really. Song is really slow, not that that's a bad thing, but it's not one that sticks out to me. Generic song that's kind of bland, not a big fan of this one. Rating: 4/10 Inside Of Me - Loved it from the very first listen. "What the hell is wrong with me"...I love that line. Positives: Screaming, chorus, verses, everything. Lyrics remind me of Given Up. Good track, one of my favorites on the CD. Elias kills it! Negatives: Too fucking short! Intro is very weird. Otherwise, nothing! Rating: 9/10 (could be perfect if it was a bit longer) Let Down - Was looking forward to this one Positives - I really like Chester's vocals. Negatives - Keyboards. Too much. That fake drum sample going in the background the whole song is very annoying. No real drums until the first chorus is kind of weird. "I don't wanna be Let Down" repeated on the 2nd chorus isn't attractive to me. Bridge was totally massacred from the live acoustic version. The bridge there was made out to be a lot better with Amir and Ryan trading off on epic guitar pieces while Chester sang harmony over it...don't like what they did on the studio version. Rating: 5/10. "Let Down" (pun intended) from the acoustic version...I prefer that one over this version. Give Me Your Name - Stood out as a solid track from the first listen. 30 second clip made it sound terrible but I legit like the track after listening a few songs. Positives: Lyrics for sure. Guitar licks are powerful in this one. Verses are solid in this song, but damn the chorus is excellent. Chester nailed the vocal parts. I like the softer songs like this when they are done right. Good song! Negatives: I have none on this song. It was Chester's wedding song and was appropriately picked in my opinion. Rating: 10/10 My Suffering - Loved the Club Tattoo version...this version is decent. Positives: Screaming on the choruses. That was great to see live. Negatives: A bit overproduced. Short. Not as good as the demo from Club Tattoo. Not really much to this song, so meh. Rating: 5/10 Condemned - Didn't like the 30 second sample and the album version doesn't do much for me. Positives: Sick guitar work in the bridge. Chester's screaming is epic....we need that in the next LP album! Elias is solid again. Negatives: Not my type of vocal work, not my type of song. My Suffering is much better. Rating: 3/10 Into You - 30 second sample stood out to me IMMEDIATELY. I knew this was going to be an epic track. Positives: Intro is good, verses are awesome as hell, chorus is good. Lyrics are excellent. Very nice job on this one Chester, I really like it. Whether that's an acoustic guitar or not (it sounds acoustic to me), it sounds great. The vocal structure in this song is great. Excellent bridge! Negatives: None. None at all. I love this song. Rating: 10/10 End Of The World - Sample of this one said that it'd be ok to me...and it was. Song is alright, not bad! Different type of track for Chester. It almost sounds like it could be a Nickelback song, lol. Positives: Lyrics. Hell yes, some great lyrics on this one. The keyboard is used effectively on this song...good work Fu. Chorus is good, vocals are good. Fan of this song for sure. Negatives: Bridge is weak due to that clapping effect (or it sounds like clapping to me). Then it picks back up but that part isn't that great in my opinion either...song gets back on track right as it ends. Interesting outro though. Rating: 7/10 Walking In Circles - Been looking forward to this one for a while. Live version from Club Tattoo was incredible...I really would like to see this one live. Positives: Vocals. They sound raw initially which is what I like. The verses have none of that nonsense layering bullshit. The chorus does which makes it sound like Fire, but oh well. Howard Benson, please don't work with Chester again. You layer the everliving fuck out of his vocals and it's annoying man. The higher pitched line in the 2nd chorus is great. The song builds up...very nice. Elias again, nice job. Good vocal range on the last minute of the song. Negatives: Intro is kind of odd. Bridge isn't that great...could be a bit better. Rating: 8/10 In The Darkness - The clip sounded great at first but I was a bit hesitant on how the whole thing would sound. Positives: Vocals are pretty good in the verses. Sounds almost like a haunting/dark Chester. The drums come in at the perfect time and build it up to the chorus which is excellent. Finally a song without short verses, but long ones that are nicely put together. This song was a really big surprise for me when it got to the chorus. Fucking love the choruses, they make the song. Absolutely excellent work. Huge fan of Chester's vocals and vocal structure in the chorus...some of his best work right here. Song stood out immediately. Solid bridge and outro. Negatives: Intro has to be the weirdest thing I've ever heard in a song. Other than that, I like it. The first impression made me think people would get lost and bored in the verses but no, they are structurally solid and are lengthy which is always a plus (especially for a song Chester is involved in). I like how he uses the words "In The Darkness" quite a bit too. Rating: 10/10 Morning After - Blah. That's all I can say. Positives: Not really sure, lol. I love the song but the studio version doesn't do it for me. Elias's work in the bridge is different and stands out as alright. Negatives: Almost the whole thing. Vocals are layered to hell, the production is way overdone...the entire thing sounds like the Julien-K remix. Now I know why it didn't make the album. The whole song should be redone for a more "rock" version. Heavier guitar, etc like it was when it was played live with Bucket Of Weenies. I prefer the 2001 acoustic version much better...this one is like a 2nd take of the Julien-K remix, lol. I don't hate the song, I love it, but for a "studio version", it fails. Rating: 2/10 Overall Album - I think we heard a bit too much beforehand since it was only a 12/13 song record, so upon hearing 4 or so songs coming into it, you only have so much to look forward to. However, the record is alright. A few weak songs, a few epic songs, so it all evens out. I'm proud of Chester for putting the record out but I think the timing was just god damn terrible. This is prime time for Linkin Park to be doing an album and Chester doing DBS is taking away quality time from Linkin Park...I am upset by that and I don't like how DBS was included in the LP set this summer. But other than timing and the horrible overproduction by Howard Benson, the album is good. Chester came into it with some solid material and came out with a solid CD. Howard Benson layered the hell out of his vocals, which is something I hate with Chester since his voice raw is so incredible. They clip his vocals and push certain pieces (like screams, etc) back in the mix so far it sounds weird. I think someone else could have produced it and done a better job, but that's just me. Standouts are Elias's great drumming and some interesting vocals by Chester. So in summary, bad timing for a solo project (where were you in 2005 Chester?) and I'm not a fan of Howard Benson's production this effort, but a nice job was done by the Julien-K guys and Chester on this to come out with an alright CD. It's an album I'll listen to at times...I love a few of the tracks, but I think the Fort Minor project was executed much better, so I prefer Mike's solo effort over Chester's is what my final decision is. Final rating: 6/10. Final comments: Linkin Park time now please?
This album would be ten times better if it wasn't the most over-produced album I've heard in my life. None of it sounds like a band playing together at all. Back to listening to Thrice's Beggars. THAT'S how an album should be produced.
Yeah seems weird to say that already, lol. It's one that I really like start to end and I don't get that with many CDs. Vocals are just great and the entire vibe of the CD rocks. Big fan of that album and I've never even heard of Thrice before this one. I need to check their other albums out.
wow, i really love to read that, man! check their previous stuff, you might love a few more songs . my review without typing: Fire 7/10 Crawl Back In 3/10 Too Late 9/10 Inside Of Me 8/10 Let Down 8/10 Give Me Your Name 4/10 My Suffering 7/10 Condemned 7/10 Into You 6/10 End Of The World 5/10 Walking In Circles 9/10 In The Darkness 8/10 The Morning After 7/10 overall 7/10
You should probably check out Vheissu next. My favourite is probably Artist In The Ambulance by them, but that's probably just because i've grown some sort of emotional attachment to it.
Fire - Wasn't a big fan of the song when I first heard it. But it has kind of grown on me. I still think it lacks soul. The bridge was weak. 2.5/5 Crawl Back In - Loved it in the first listen. Sounded fresh! Still like it a lot. The lyrics are pretty generic but the melody and singing makes up for it. 3.5/5 Too Late - Amazing. One of my favorites from the album. Don't really have any complaints about this one. Loved the lyrics and Chester's singing was incredibly smooth. This song can easily be passed as a (good) Linkin Park song4.5/5 Inside of Me - Didn't really like it the first time I heard it. But upon hearing it a couple of times I now like the chorus quite a bit. Still one of the weaker songs on the album. Lyrics were pretty horrible as well. 1.5/5 Let Down - Was looking forward to the studio version and it hasn't let me down totally. But I was expecting to hear the guitar Chester used in the chorus for the live version. That took the song in a totally different level for me. Still an amazing song. 4/5 Give Me Your Name - This song drags like crazy! Not a fan. 1/5 My Suffering - Enjoyed it in the very first listen. Very energetic stuff and one of my favorite heavy songs from the album. 3.5/5 Condemned - Enjoyed this one. Reminded me of Grey Daze right away, which is a good thing! One of the more raw songs from the album. Liked the guitar solo and it's actually one of the songs where a solo fits. 3.5/5 Into You - Loved it! Really defines the dark/melodic side of Dead By Sunrise. The lyrics are some of the best on the album and also from Chester. However I was hoping it wouldn't have those heavy riffs midway through the song. That took away from the dark aspect of the song a little. Still it's one of the highlights of the album! 4.5/5 End of the World - Didn't really enjoy this one. This one doesn't seem to fit well with the rest of the song, both in terms of singing and lyrics. 1.5/5 Walking In Circles - Another favorite! Probably the most epic song on the album. However I was hoping for some tom-based drum pattern instead of the generic pattern they used here. Would have made it 10 times more EPIC! Lyrics were amazing! 4.5/5 In The Darkness - Liked how it started off but it totally took me out of it when it segues into the normal drum pattern. This one drags too. 2/5 Morning After - I liked this version but it's too similar to the Julien-K remix. Chester should have stuck with the stripped down acoustic version. 3.5/5 Overall feeling: It's a solid effort but in no way a perfect album. Some of the tracks felt really over produced. The constant use of layered vocals didn't really bother me that much but I can see how it can downplay the overall feel of the songs. A little more variation in the songs would have been a welcoming change. Chester could have done some really interesting things with the bridges instead of simply throwing in guitar solos. However, I thought he did an amazing job with the slower/softer songs... those were the ones I enjoyed the most anyway. Despite it's weakness it's one of my favorite albums of the year! Out of Ashes - 3/5
@ Hahninator Yeah, check out Vheissu next (Vheissu is my favorite album of all time), then the Alchemy Index. You might want to avoid listening to anything released before Vheissu unless you're into the post hardcore type of music. They COMPLETELY changed with the release of Vheissu. In an amazing way.
C'mon you all heard the album, we need more reviews. As for me: Fire (6/10): Something sounds off about the song, feels like it's trying too hard. Like the bridge though. Crawl Back In (7/10): Lyrics really suck, instruments are alright, but sounds a little generic. Too Late (9/10): A great song, whoever said it could be an LP song is right (except the solo). This is what I want from future DBS. Inside of Me (5/10): Good intro but chorus sucks. Let Down (8/10): Grown on me immensely after hearing the original, a big improvement over that. Give Me Your Name (8/10): A very nice ballad. My Suffering (5/10): Another victim of great-intro-crap-chorus disease. Condemned (3/10): Fail attempt at heavy song. By this point, I realize DBS should stay away from trying to be too heavy. Into You (7/10): Also grown on me a great bit, Chester's vocal melody here is really damn good. End Of The World (6.5/10): On second thought, not so good after all, kinda meh. Walking In Circles (9.5/10): Best song on the album hands down. Epic build-up and chorus. Only downside is that Chester's vocals could be a bit more passionate/energetic. The drum thing someone mentioned would be cool too. In The Darkness (7.5/10): Slightly above mediocre, the cool vocal effects save it. Morning After (7.5/10): Mediocre until about after the second chorus where Chester adds a new part. Verses and main chorus still aren't that great. Overall: (7.5/10) - A great first effort by the band. I realize a lot of these songs have been WIPs for years and the majority of the lyrics definitely reflect that, but Chester needs to step up his songwriting game. What we have here is a few gems in a pool of mediocrity. I think that, since this has been due for release for so long, I'm just glad to have it out in any form, so Chester can move on and write a better sophomore album. If he can master the Too Late/Walking In Circles chops, the second one should be a doozie. I agree with the people who said the production isn't great too, a raw sound would fit a lot of these songs better; the heavier ones for example, are only hindered by the layered vocals and effects. I'd really love to see DBS work with a producer like Rob Cavallo. Rob really brings out the in-your-face aggressiveness in a band.
Lol so you want DBS to be LP with solos? I'm not going to go through every song, but I enjoyed the record for the most part. There are a few misses (Condemned being the biggest for me) but there are some legit great songs on here like Into You, Walking In Circles and In The Darkness. Not a superb record, but like I said there are some great tracks in here and I look forward to the next one (in five years or so.)
I meant that it reminded me of an LP song, minus the solo part of it 'cause you don't hear too many solos in LP songs. The future DBS comment meant that their future songs should be like that one.
Well Into You is a fucking good song, if nothing else. Still listening to the rest, haven't disliked anything except Morning After, I just feel like I've been listening to that for years.
Morning After I'm unsure about. The first almost third of the song withthe verse chorus verse chorus doesn't sound particularly great but right after (when he sings 'I'm so tired') the song takes a 180 degree of win. And then back to the meh. Can't decide if I should keep it. Edited my review post a bit, the album's definitely a grower.
Fire 9/10 Fell in love with it when it first came out, still one of my favorite tracks. Couldn't ask for a better opening track. Crawl Back In 7.5/10 This one was a grower for me. Didn't like the generic feeling of it but now I can dig it. Not much to say though. Too Late 7/10 This one is weird for me, I think it's a good song but at the same time I don't care for it. It's difficult to describe. Inside Of Me 6/10 Reminds me way to much of CBI. Probably be a grower, but it's kinda meh right now. Let Down 8.5/10 This should have stayed acoustic. The electronics are weird and seem out of place in the beginning but once the chorus hit the song really comes together and becomes something awesome. Although it ends too soon. Give Me Your Name 3.5/10 Wow...this one is just dull. Drags on and on and nothing demands attention. Easily the weakest point on the album. Partially the song and partially where it's placed on the album, as a closer I would give it more points, but right after Let Down. Brings the album to a screeching halt. My Suffering 8/10 Love it. Picks up the album after GMYN slows it down to a near stand still. Still think it sounds like a Queens of the Stone Age outtake though. Condemned 6/10 Nice heavy song but it seems to be lacking something. Be a great one to see live but the recording just lacks energy. Into You 5/10 Another ballad. Just meh. Like GMYN it's dull and nothing demands attention. However, it's much shorter. End of the World 8/10 The lyrics and music don't seem to match up in this one. Lyrics are dark but the song is upbeat and fun. Something you'd hear at a party. Although the background screaming is unnecessary. Walking In Circles 9/10 The only track I consider to be on par with Fire. I think it could use some more keyboards during the verses since they seem somewhat bare but that can be forgiven. In the Darkness 8.5/10 This succeeds where GMYN failed. It's layering gives it a nice ambiance that leads to the harder chorus. One of my favorites off of this album. Morning After 7.5/10 What can one say about this one? What is arguably the single most anticipated track from the album. Well...it seems bare. The Julien-K remix is better. It just cuts off at the end as well. But I still like it. Maybe just because I enjoyed the acoustic. The keyboards and the rest of the music just don't mix well. The whole thing just sounds awkward, but I like it. As a single piece: 8/10 Some epic songs, some mediocre. one that just really blows. Worth listening to, but nothing to write home about.
01. Fire : Average song, nice intro to start the song/album. One of the few songs that has a singing bridge/verse. And also has a soft middle part, (the starting where he sings I've got to find a way...) and then builds up to the chorus. However somehow I can't really can't dig the chorus that much. It could be the melody or Chester's vocals.. It sounds rather annoying and whiney. 3/5 02. Crawl Back In: The first single of the album. Sounds pretty ok to me. Like with everyone else, the track sounds like another generic rock song. Did not like how Chester sings on the verses.. He sounds like he is trying too hard to sound grungy/rough or whatever it is when the music is not "hard/rock" enough to match?? A little weird for me. The chorus sounds pretty good though. Lyrics are simple but cheesy. 3/5 03. Too late: This song is got to be one of my favorites off the album. Aside from the simple lyrics, the melody and music allowed them to be felt more honest than being cheesy. The chorus melody is very very addictive and catchy. One listen and it immediately gets in your head. 4/5 04. Inside of me: Bad lyrics. Gives me the impression that this song was made very last minute and in a rush.(This song was the last song the finished if i'm not wrong) It's like a filler on the album. Could have add a couple more lines to the verse before the prechorus comes in. It just feels like a very rushed effort. Chorus has some nice singing melody though. 2/5 05. Let Down: Lots of high expectations from this one, ever since the acoustic version of this came out in 2005. Track is pretty good. Glad they kept Chester's pure stripped vocals instead of adding tons of effects. What the hell did they do to the new solo/bridge part? The old one in 2005 was better. Thought the oh~ oh~ singing parts over the solo part could be louder. Hated the ending though, felt too draggy. Would have wished he sang the last chorus a little different ,higher and more dynamic. 4/5 06. Give me your name: This song is either you love it or hate it. But it depends on your mood kinda thing you know? Like sometimes you can sit through it and listen to it and enjoy every minute of it while sometimes you tend to skip it halfway through because you can't stand it. Lyrics are above average i guess? Some parts of Chester's singing on the verse made me cringed. Glad he sang the chorus using his falsettos and then at the end back to his full blown normal vocals. 2.5/5 07. My Suffering: This song somehow lacks something.. As to what i do not know. The screamings and all are good additions to the entire song, nice electronic elements added to the bridge breakdown. Lyrics are ok, average or alittle below average. It kinda sounds quite similar to inside of me for me.. 3/5 08. Condemned: Doesn't seems to fit in with the rest of the songs on the album. Very different style as compared to the rest. Though it showcases Chester's different side of his vocal abilities. Nice screamings. But i just don't like the chorus. It is quite a let down to what could potentially be a great song. The chorus just doesn't do the song justice. Also wished the third verse after the solo, he could have screamed or sang them higher. 2/5 09. Into You: One of the better songs on the album. Nice lyrics, melodies and a nice unexpected singing bridge in the middle which then builds up to the awesome chorus till the end. The whole song is dynamic and it tells you a story which many of the songs just failed to do so. 5/5 10. End Of The World: Politics kinda of song... Hmmm pretty interesting i would say. A somewhat different song structure compared to the rest of the songs and from what I had always expected from Linkin Park songs.. I liked the way he sang the part" And I beg I please, have mercy on me" differently in all parts. The clapping kinda part is ok, but the effects on his voice is overkilled. I can't really hear what hes singing to be honest. The chorus melody could be better, sounds rather mono and dull. 3/5 11. Walking In Circles: One or should I say the best song of the album. Very linkin parkish. But the vibe and melody is just too awesome. The intro is abit draggy though. Nice pure singing vocals in the verse without all the effects shit. Just love the ending, where Chester sang "walking in circles now" behind the chorus. Makes the song very alive. It is also one of the darker sounding ones of the album. Somehow when Chester said the album is dark, i only could thought this would be the only song that could be classified as dark". 5/5 12. In the Darkness: One of my favorites of the album. Nice ambience and song atmosphere. Chester's voice in the verse sounds just right in terms of techinically and emotionally. The chorus is just awesome. When he sings "in the darkness" behind the parts where he sings " All that you want from me..." the chorus creates a powerful impact which some of the other songs failed to do so. There's no distinctive dynamic differences from the verse and chorus unlike in the darkness. A perfect song to end the album nicely. 5/5 Overall:6.9/10 Very inconsistent is all i can say. Some of the songs sounds very mono and dull throughout.. Its like the song does not tell a story, theres no start, climax and end you know? No depth, no ups and downs just makes the song very ------------------------ "flat". In all, out of ashes is a pretty decent album that is still worth listening to.
Most ridiculously detailed review EVAR...go! Fire - Love the instrumentation in this song. Sounds like a "movie soundtrack song" in a lot of ways, which might be a turn-off for some people, but I like the epicness of it. The call and response in the chorus is great too, the only thing I would change is to bring down the keyboards in the second half of the first verse, they're louder than they need to be (which is a recurring thing throughout this album, unfortunately). The way this song ends on a non-resolving chord is also a nice surprise. Of the 4 songs that were posted on the DBS Myspace prior to the album leaking, this one is by far my favorite. 9/10 Crawl Back In - This is one of those songs that just sounds like a lead-off single, I can't help but believe that it was made with that purpose in mind. It's not really "bad," but I've definitely grown tired of it. It's one of the more straightforward rock songs on the album, which is actually more in line with Chester's initial description of what his side project sounded like than a lot of the other songs on the album, but it just seems to lack depth. The solo is good, but nothing special, Amir has a lot better work on this album. I think the main riff is catchy and the vocal harmonies are good. There are some cool bass fills throughout the song too, but sadly, the bass is mixed way too low for them to stand out (note to Howard Benson: More bass, less keyboards, kthx.). The sound effects/over-effected vocals in the bridge don't do anything for me either. 6/10 Too Late - Another song with fantastic instrumentation. Great vocals throughout the song too, the only drawback here is the lyrics. I feel like Chester could write a song like this in about 20 minutes. The guitar harmonics in the bridge are very Linkin Park-like, and that section kind of sounds like filler that was added just to make the song longer, but it's not too bad. The piano that comes in during the last chorus is beautiful. The ending is a little weird, but I don't mind it. Cool song, I just don't like the lyrics, and I think the bridge is a bit lacking. 7.5/10 Inside of Me - This song just never did much for me. The filtered call-and-response vocals in the verses are the same thing they did in My Suffering, and sound cheesy as a result. The chorus is a sonic mess, there is no clarity on the guitars at all. This is another one with pretty lame lyrics too. The bridge on this song kicks ass though, which is the only reason I don't skip it. Elias kicks some ass on drums here as well, but this song just screams "filler" to me, in terms of lyrics, length, and overall feel. 4/10 Let Down - I remember not really caring for this song when I saw the acoustic version on ReAct Now in 2005, although I'm not sure why...it's a pretty song. The verses are nice and calm, then the chorus kicks in hard. I think the instrumentation conflicts with the way Chester sings the chorus though, his voice seems a bit calm to be put over heavy guitars and drums like that. I love the little acoustic guitar fill between the first chorus and the second verse. Some people don't really care for the way the bridge was re-worked, but I like it. The call and response guitar work is still there and it's pretty awesome. The strings that come in over the last chorus are really nice. My biggest complaint with this song is how it just repeats and fades out at the end, I absolutely HATE when songs do that. As a musician myself, I'd never make a song fade out at the end, because I think it sends the message that I couldn't come up with a way to end it and took the easy way out. Anyway, I like this song, and I think it'll make a good single, but it's just a smidge below being "great" in my opinion, and the fade-out at the end hurts it. 7.5/10 Give Me Your Name - Wow. I was a bit worried about this song being incredibly cheesy, after hearing that it was the song Chester and Talinda danced to at their wedding, but it's a beautiful piece of music. The slide guitar work is one of my favorite instrumental pieces on the album. The intro sounds a lot like Pink Floyd to me, and that's a good thing. The chord progression throughout this song is great, the melody is great, and the chorus harmonies are absolutely FANTASTIC. I love how the harmony vocals create a G7 chord at the end of the chorus that leads back into the C major verses... </music theory geek> The drum work on this song is sort of Coldplay-esque, and although I don't like Coldplay, it fits this song perfectly. I love how Chester switches from falsetto to full voice for the last repeat of the chorus. The acoustic ending is a nice touch too, it kind of recalls the initial idea of how the solo project was just going to be Chester singing and playing guitar until the guys from Julien-K got involved. This song may just be my favorite on the album, and I'm glad Chester took the risk of putting songs like this on the record. 9.5/10 My Suffering - This song back-to-back with Give Me Your Name might just be the most awkward song pairing in the history of music, lol. While I liked the screaming vocal approach Chester took on the 2008 live version, this version is far superior in terms of lyrical development. I love Elias's double bass blasts on this song, they give the chorus a real sense of urgency. Unfortunately, as with Inside of Me, the chorus on this song is a sonic mess. Too many layered sounds all occupying the same range of frequencies, and it comes out sounding really muddy. I can't tell the keyboards apart from the guitars half the time. The keyboards in the second verse honestly sound pointless. The bridge is another Linkin Park-ish moment, you could've told me Joe Hahn was a guest on this song and I would've believed it. The scream and double bass roll that leads into the last chorus is my favorite moment in this song. There's a pretty cool-sounding lead guitar part in the outro, but it's so buried in the mix I can barely make it out. At least Chester's scream still seems to be in top form on this song! I think it's a good song overall, but there are quite a few better ones on the album. 6.5/10 Condemned - Now THIS is angsty Chester at his best! Catchy riffs throughout the song, love the gritty vocal approach. This is some really dark material. The keyboard tone used on the chorus of this song sounds almost identical to something in a Coheed and Cambria song, although I can't remember which one it is. Amir's solo on this one is good, but short. And as cheesy as it is, I actually like the single repeating guitar note over the riff that follows the solo, it fits that part of the song well. The feedback in the third verse is a nice touch too. Chester's screaming on this one goes into a range of his voice that I didn't even know he had, he's almost doing screamo-esque shrieks on this one. Maybe not my favorite screaming he's done, but cool to know he has it in him. There's some more great guitar work during the outro. My biggest complaint about this song is how it just ends abruptly, it feels like they could've tacked an even heavier part on after where the song ends. Love the song until it just comes screeching to a halt. 8/10 Into You - Love the guitar tone on the intro to this song. This is probably my favorite intro on the album. Great vocal harmonies on the chorus once again. The verses seem to get a bit wordy at times, but they aren't bad to the point that they get cringe-worthy. The transition from the second verse to the chorus on this one is a bit rough, it's really obvious that they pasted two vocal tracks together there. The transition after the second chorus is another story entirely, it's a huge surprise. The first half of the song kind of lulls you into thinking the whole thing is going to be a mellow, kind of dreamy song, then it gets all heavy when you least expect it. One of my favorite musical moments on the album. The third verse is the weak point in the song for me, I don't like the echoed vocals here. The structure of this song kind of bothers me too, I think the third verse and chorus should have come before the bridge, followed by two repeats of the "heavy" chorus. Instead, it builds up throughout most of the song only to come back down for the third verse, then it randomly goes heavy again for the last chorus. I really want to love this song, but the way it's structured just rubs me the wrong way I guess. 7/10 End of the World - Ah, the political song. Thankfully, it's not one of those political songs that comes across as sounding whiny. I kind of view this as Chester's response to Hands Held High, which was essentially a Mike song. Pretty sure this is the song that "sounds like T-Rex" that Chester was talking about years ago, it definitely has that vibe. This song has one of the few keyboard parts I really like, the recurring synth lead throughout the song is cool, and the other keyboard parts fit the song really well too. I love the classic rock feel of this song as a whole. The breakdown with the clapping and the wailing vocals kind of annoys me...I get what Chester was trying to accomplish with it, and I think it fits the song, but it just wasn't executed properly in my opinion. The filtered vocals on that part are incredibly hard to understand as well. The doubled synth and guitar solo is great, but I find myself not really wanting to listen to the rest of the song after it, it gets kind of samey after that. The outro is kind of cool, and I like the "radio interference" sounds that close the track, but I feel like this one would benefit from being about 30 seconds shorter. 6.5/10 Walking in Circles - Despite being built around a chord progression that's been done a million times, this song somehow manages to be absolutely amazing. This is just a masterpiece from an instrumental standpoint, there are so many little nuances in this song, you can tell they spent a lot of time on it. This song has my favorite lyrics on the record too, and if you had to play a single song to somebody to try to show them everything Chester Bennington is capable of as a vocalist, this would probably be a good one to pick. He covers a lot of ground on this one. To top it all off, this song also has my favorite guitar solo on the album, Amir puts a ton of emotion in his playing on it, and I generally prefer guitar solos with great note choice and vibrato over ones that show off how fast someone can play anyway. If Give Me Your Name hadn't been such a pleasant surprise, this song would by far be my favorite on the album. As it stands, I can't choose between the two. 9.5/10 In the Darkness - I'd say Chester took the biggest risk with this song, as it's rather...well, risqué. College guys the world over are going to be using this song to get laid! I wouldn't say Chester's the next Adam Levine, but he did a good job on the lyrics to this one, they fit right into that narrow space between being too cheesy or being too dirty. While they're as different as night and day lyrically, I think this song is kind of a musical cousin to The Little Things Give You Away, and I don't think it's any coincidence that they're both album closers. However, I actually think this is the most "boring" song on the album...it's not great, but it's not terrible either. 7/10 Morning After - I really wish they would've left this song tuned down half a step like the original acoustic version was, Chester's vocals sound so strained on the higher-pitched version. I actually like this version of the song better than most people, if you think backwards from the remix and think that the original is going to be a more basic version of the same thing, that's exactly what you get here. The doubled keyboard/guitar solo is nice, but the one on End of the World is better. I think they could've come up with a better way to end this song, although I didn't care for the way the remix had an echo/fade-out that literally lasted like 25 seconds. More than anything, I'm just glad that this song has finally been fully realized, it'd kind of be silly of Chester not to finish it, considering it was essentially his first solo song. I guess I, like most people, have heard this song so many times, in one form or another, that it doesn't do much for me at this point. Good to finally have the "final" version, but nothing special. 6/10 Overall, a pretty consistent album with some great moments, and a few fantastic songs. I wouldn't say there's a "bad" song on here, even Inside of Me is perfectly listenable. Being able to listen to an album from start to finish without skipping a song is what defines a good album to me, which is something I can't say about a lot of other albums in my collection, including a certain disc called Meteora. I wouldn't call it a "classic," it's a couple stellar songs short of that, but it's a solid album that I'll be enjoying for quite a while. Overall score: 8/10