I read the news today. There was another miracle cure for cancer. In six moths, they’ll publish a retraction. What does this mean? Don’t take it at face value; ignore the hype.
In the same way, a lot of CDs come out that have interesting backstories. So-and-so is a progressive musician who turned to metal. Genius awaits. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever heard before. So unique they don’t even have a category for it, so we’ll put the genre names in scare quotes.
Then there’s Lalu. Promised as progressive rock/metal. Actuality: terrible hard rock with semi-difficult riffing and time changes, but no melodic development, unique song structure, or even musical complexity beyond technique.
I can’t blame the labels. It’s their job to hype stuff. I can’t blame the band; it must be like watching money walk by to see these other bands succeed. I blame the listeners, and some other reviewers, for not calling this what it is.
If you really liked Quiet Riot, and wished it had jazzier tempos and more intricate lead rhythm riffs with slightly dissonant melodies, then this is your lucky day. If not, you’ve already wasted too much time on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdGYmcJR5DI
Tags: hard rock, lalu, progressive
Sounds like a mash up between Queensrÿche and Meshuggah: mechanically played cheese. Like Britney Spears with Meshuggah as a backing band for Amaranthe. You can cover up Blondie, the Karate Kid soundtrack, and Bon Jovi however you want, but the underlying music remains the same. I guess Century Media’s focus groups need to figure out what’s going to replace In Flames and Sonic Syndicate in 2016.