Fall Out Boy - American Beauty / American Psycho - ALBUM REVIEW

Fall Out Boy is a band that I've grown up with. Witnessing their rise and popularity through Kerrang!'s publications, I always enjoyed keeping up with the squad. Although I was never an all-out fanboy, the big bangers of Sugar, We're going Down, This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race & Dance, Dance are the definitive collection of FOB that were enough to keep me coming back and enjoying what they threw out but I never could see myself rushing out for a new album to add to my collection. Then it hit me in 2013 - Save Rock n' Roll jumped onto the scene with the ingenious plan of creating music videos for every song on the new album with one narrative that really captured me. At this point, I found the FOB album that I would go out and buy, the one that I can play endlessly without it going stale.

If you want to read my review of Save Rock n' Roll, Click HERE

Obviously, I was extremely excited to follow the developments of American Beauty and loved the full album release on Youtube. What defined the previous album was a compilation of featuring talents and obviously a Rock inspired composition. Now, FOB turn the tide with an album that has electronic flares, no featuring artists and a definitive style. With the bands desire to appeal to more than just the rocker community, they have diversified their style and blended catchy riffs and chorus' that'll have you itching for another fix. Its move into the mainstream music means a reliance on synth and auto-tune, albeit well balanced and not as potent as T-Pain's catalogue but a level of which seems out of place and character.

As ever, certain songs jump out to me. Centuries is the first single released then you have The Kids Aren't Alright and Uma Thurman that have some awesome sampling and little titbits that add individuality to each tune. Technically, the variation is great, each song is its own, flows well in and out of the structured playlist with alternating tones and emotions. Stump's vocal range and style is brilliant and flourishes with the backing vocals of his band mates, although we cannot define whose voice is whose. Although it is minor, I feel that they have been cut out and replaced.

The album is solid. Its loud, rhythmic and a must for any fan. Yet, we have the issue of length and with albums, the bigger, the better. American Beauty has fallen even shorter than Save Rock n' Roll with just less than 40 minutes. Its this sort of length which means albums can finish so quick, you didn't have time tidy yourself up. Although its move to a more mainstream audience has led some of their older fans to get their knickers in a twist, I feel that Fall Out Boy are pushing boundaries within the rocker scene and American Beauty extends these further. However, at this moment, I don't feel that this album is as diverse and exciting as Save Rock n' Roll and lean towards giving this outing a 7.5/10 in the hope it will grow on me like its predecessor and may warrant a higher score. Its ambition is reported positive and I'm inclined to agree with some of these groups out there.

Theory of a Deadman's Savages - Quicky Album Review

It feels very odd to review an album after so many movies and games, so please forgive the flow of my piece. If you have any music you'd like me to review please let me know! Upon the release of the album, you can catch the whole album on their youtube channel (Click here for the playlist). Its not in any order so be wary that the flow of the album may be a little different

Over the last few months, Theory of a Deadman have been releasing a series of lyric videos for their upcoming album "Savages" titled after the song of the same name featuring Rock legend Alice Cooper. As singles, the songs are strong both vocally and musically. With a blend of heavy, catch riffs, lyrical wit and Connolly's iconic tone, these singles rank up as some of my favourite songs by the group. One issue that has plagued the band is that any songs that aren't singles don't hold the same gravitas and appeal factor. Can they turn it around with Savages? I don't quite know.

With 4 of the songs getting their own music videos, the other 9 tracks were left completely in the dark. As I've already mentioned, the 4 tracks are brilliant and upon listening to the rest of the album, this time around it appears that they have kept to a slightly heavy trend for the majority of the album rather than a small sample of track. There is a healthy variation between tracks with "The One" & "Livin' My Life Like a Country Song" featuring Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts demonstrating a far slower, acoustic approach that's wonderfully contagious. Just prior to these tracks, I felt like I was listening to Rob Zombie rather the TOAD and its great to see the selection the band has chosen rather than lumping the same sort of things together that blend together into something that breezes by with no distinction.

My favourite part of this album is actually the lyrics of a fair few songs. The singles are obviously the strongest of the lot but "Blow" is probably one of their best written songs to date. I may even consider it one of the best I've heard in quite a while. Taking stabs at pop culture from reality TV too Kanye West and Chris Brown make it even better. Many of us will agree with all the points they say within the song and it shows that as a group, Theory of a Deadman really don't give a damn about what sort of flak they may get from the moronic state of individuals.

I'm no professional musician but listening to the album, the technique that goes into the pieces are great. Musically the album is solid. Its heavy, which can qualify itself for the Rock genre but its also catchy which make it extremely popular with a much wider audience and a great stepping stone for those interested in the genre. Canada appears to have released another group that can produce concrete music. Yes I'm talking about Nickleback and yes, I do like them. Alright, some tracks aren't up their with the greats and the singles but I feel that overall Savages deserves an 8/10. I'll end up having this album on repeat for a number of weeks and I doubt I will become sick of it!

Jay-Z - Magna Carta Holy Grail

So yeah, Jay Z has a new album out. Just looking at the cover would make you think it is a sophisticated collection of well written and brilliantly performed album. Unfortunately not.

I'm currently on my 3rd run through of the album and I find it really difficult to deal with the excessive amounts of "UH"& "Yeah". For a rapper at the top of the rapping tables, he doesn't really show it in this album.

So lyrically, the album is really poor. The album talks about tweeting, sex and how much money he has. "FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt" features Rick Ross and it encompasses exactly what I said prior. Except, Instead of Ross shouting out that he is the "Teflon Don", it was Jay-Z linking to Lucky Luciano. I won't go on a rant about how pathetic this is but both of these guys have done nothing to compare themselves to some of the biggest criminals in history.

The execution of the tracks are alright. Vocals are ranged and have a variety of featuring artists. Yet you never feel the songs, they just blend into the background and don't really excite you and the actual music doesn't make you want to dance or give you any sort of boost to your day. Personally, I feel the album suggests that Jay-Z has lost his classic 99 Problems and Blueprint ability. I'm giving this album a 5/10.

#WillPower Quicky Review

Welcome back to Black Ribbon Reviews, sorry I haven't had much, if any new content up but I have exams coming up and there is also little out at the moment!

Next Week : Star Trek - Into Darkness! 

As one of the biggest artists in our generation, you would suspect that Will.I.Am's albums should relate to his success. However, this album really doesn't fit.

The album is 1 hour 12 mins long with 18 tracks, so there is plenty for you money, yet it does feel as if that's all he really wanted. For instance, the song with Justin Beiber being a Single is actually not very good in comparison to another song on the album. While some of the songs seems to lack a punch.

The album is very bassy and has a nice variation of genres and backing tracks but lyrically, it is really lacking. Geekin' and Ghetto Ghetto songs are the perfect examples. It truly is weak, not Lil Wayne's new album bad but bad. Yet some albums are good with lyrics, for instance , Smile Mona Lisa is a very good song. Smile Mona Lisa has an Italian flair to it which sticks out prominently against the typically bass drops and dance music. Then you have Bang Bang straight after which feels like 40's swing music and is a great end to the album. The generic club tracks are alright. The bass drops are a particular favourite of mine. They are executed well and are grimy in comparison to the clean cut synth sounds. 

The variation throughout does make the whole album bearable but it's a very brain-dead, you don't really focus on the music until you are at the last 2 songs which are outrageously different. I feel that the album wouldn't appeal to those that have quite a substantial music taste and who pay attention to their music. So I shall be given this album a 6/10.

Fall Out Boy - Save Rock n' Roll - QUICKY REVIEW

Sorry for the late review!, I only just got my paws on it!

It's safe to say that this album truly is a refreshing reboot for Fall out Boy. Opening with the two singles you are left a little open to what is going to punch you on song #3 which packs one.

Sugar, we are going down is far, far away. This breaks new ground, into the pop/charts scene which some fans may really dislike. With the hiatus, the thought of an album was unlikely, but the drastic changes couldn't have ever been predicted.

Mr Stump's voice is far clearer and sharper than previous records and the lyrics are very good. His ability to appear that his voice leads the music really helps you to capture the lyrics and the extent of Patrick's vocal range, yet this can become over used when you notice the amount of crescendos that fill the majority of the songs. With a varied use of synthesisers and other musicians, the album is very strong with songs that stand on their own and don't fade away and a very positive feeling running throughout.

However, including Big Sean was a bit of a downer. He brought nothing to the song and doesn't blend in. Then you have Courtney Love. I don't like this women and it doesn't really help me listen to the song, yet the song has her influence within and is quite rockish in it's genre, but Courtney's lines (Rapping, singing, whatever it is.) are pretty poor. The 3rd noticeable featuring artist is Elton John. This is no surprise seeing he's performed with Eminem. Save Rock n' Roll takes Elton's classic love song and lumped it with Fall Out Boy's anthem capability and it's a magnificent tune. Elton's bass tones are exceptionally strong and great for that drive home...on your own with the tunes on full blast!

Musically the synth's made it sound like a show tune at the start and didn't fit with the songs it was used it. With an album length of 42 minutes (Yeah, I know right!) it certainly seems a stab in the back when they come back after 3 years. You would have expected something that was at least an hour long, with all the time to think about music, it doesn't truly reflect on the size and price of the album.

So, what do I rate this album? I feel that the album warrants 8/10. It's positive feeling to the album, keeps my head bopping and is very good as keeping me calm. Also, including Courtney Love and Big Sean were huge downers for me that didn't really push the songs to their full potential.

P.S - Save a bit of money and download it!

Stone Sour - House of Gold and Bones part 2 QUICKY REVIEW!

 Ha!, didn't expect me to throw this out, did ya!?

Right, straight to it. The album doesn't drift to far from what we normally expect from Corey and his gang. So we won't be hearing any fan boys/girls crying about them changing. Around about average, the album is 51 minutes long and

Corey Taylor's ability to shift between deep growls and harmonies are well executed and isn't over the top. We open with what appears as a calming track but soon kicks in with true Stone Sour fashion!

Musically the album is filled with killer riffs, a mix of old tape or vinyl recordings blended to make them as creepy as damn possible, and then drop into the roar of the guitar. They have kept their metal flavouring which everyone likes and we won't see many people moaning about drastic changes or those 'Hipsters' with the whole "Saw em before they were cool" shite!

Corey has always been strong when it comes to his lyrical capability which is reflected in Slipknot and other projects or collaborations. Nothing lyrically is actually lacking, but songs do appear very similar in their tones, style of vocals or common vocal trends (I can't think of a word for it, gimme a break).

I'm enjoying the album, it's short, so I recommend downloading it. Unless you are an extreme fan of hard copies. The album doesn't have much variation to differentiate it from previous albums and

seems like it may just drift out of people conciousness in a months time. Hard work has gone into this album and the music is alright. Yet why part 2?, it seems like they trapped themselves into following part 1's style and may be the reason that it appears much the same.

I'm thinking that the album deserves a 7/10

Paramore's self titled album QUICKY REVIEW! 2013

Hello guys!, Paramore are back and it's not bad! Since two of the original group left, you would think that it was kinda the end for these guys. Yet they have bounced backed with a fresh new style!
Let's start with my basics for a good album. Length is an hour plus, which I feel all albums should at least aim for when music costs as much as it does. Even if the quality of the music sucks, they have given you an hour of suckiness for your dosh! My second positive for this album is the release, we in the UK got it before the US which is the 9th! Not a huge gap, but it's nice to see that the UK are getting earlier releases recently. One issue I do have however is the interludes...it's not a fecking show, play the music...
Paramore recently said that the single "Still into you" was written as a pop song, this may seem a huge punch in the face of die hard anti pop people out there, but the album blends pop and Paramore's classic pop styling throughout the album even sometimes having an indie flare wrapped up inside. Opening up the album with "Fast in my car" really helps to strengthen my claims.

Lyrically and musically the album is good, catchy choruses and powerful riffs make this album a definite listen, yet it does lack some finesse with how Hayley's voice can over power the music and doesn't blend with backing track. The album flows nicely between songs but doesn't show you the

change, which can make a song appear much longer and quite dreary to listen too. As always there are lyrics that don't vary and feel like they have just been copied and pasted later into the word document!

Overall, the album is good, it's a sound album and as a fan of them from Misery business, I've seen what they've been through, such as the dark times with the whole Twilight thing...but anyway I have seen that the group are changing their style and adapting with the music industry to access a bigger audience and I believe they have done this very, very well!
7/10 from me!

Imagine Dragons Night Vision album - QUICKY REVIEW!

We finally have it here in the UK!, it's only taken a few months...

Since the release of the single "Radioactive", I've been dying to listen to the album. On release, you notice that the tracks aren't as powerful as "Radioactive", yet they do still have a punch to them.

Unfortunately the album is 51 minutes long, which is a little shorter than I would like but the general quality of the music is brilliant, especially for a breakthrough album. The album is 13 songs long, which should technically be 14 songs when there is "Che-ching" missing from the US version of the album and "Fallen" from the UK version. This make me a little wary as the album lacks a great song to spread to their new audience but to also expand the length of the album to 55 mins.

Musically the album has the iconic indie style which varies song to song capturing your attention and avoiding the song feeling like they're dragging on. It's very calming and really is a nice album to cruise around with in your car...It works for me and my occasional spouts of 'road rage'. The instruments don't drown out the lead vocalist, but help to pronounce his lyrics and his distinctively powerful voice.

The lyrics are varied giving diversity to the album, moving from inspirational to stuff you could consider love songs. Every song has the catch chorus that wraps you into the song and gives even more power to each song! Vocally the lead singer has a very obvious style but manages to adapt to each song independently. With all the power and catchyness of these songs, you can see why they are getting used for adverts here, there and everywhere. I just hope that the songs don't get overplayed to the point that it can ruin this brilliant album.

Overall, I love the album. It doesn't blend into one big song, it has brilliant vocal and lyrically capability and has a nice mix of backing music. Occasionally however some song to appear a bit samey and catchy and strong songs are picked by advertisers to sell an item which may ruin some of the songs for me but I think this album deserves all the praise it is getting...8/10...maybe 9/10!

P.S - I also recommend buying the Amazon MP3 version, simply as it costs a lot less!

Lil Wayne's I'm Not a Human Being II -Review-

Only heard about this a couple of days ago, which I find very odd but it was probably better that I didn't get myself excited for it's release.

Musically this album is brilliant, many variations in backing tracks make it so tracks don't blend into a constant stream. The variations are created and demand good lyrical content to push them further.

Lyrically the album is a bloody mess. I've loved Lil Wayne for years, I still think he's pretty badass but when you constantly shout 'pussy' in all of your songs, you begin to ignore the drone of his voice.


There's a few songs that catch my attention throughout the album that are the good from the 17 song album. 'Hello', 'Rich as F$#k',  'Love Me' and the return of 'Hot Revolver'' featuring Dre. Two of these happen to be singles, so they already stand out from the pack, and 'Hello' looks to reflect Wayne's rock album, Rebirth, which the 'Hot Revolver' originated. Why he has done this?, no one apart from Wayne will know. It may just be the cough syrup that had an influence on this album causing him to change it up...

Looking back at his albums, there were some that were poor to my taste and this appears to be one of them. However he manages to pull it back at some point or another. A redeeming factor to this album is the length, at approximately 72 minutes, you get plenty for your money (even if the majority is him rapping about sex and referring to pussy alongside Souja, who has to be one of the worst rappers alive). Compared to the lyrical capabilities of I'm not a human being 1 and The Carter IV, this album is getting 4/10.