10 Years was recommended to me by some kid behind the desk at Turn 2 Collectibles in Fairview Heights. I had heard Wasteland on the radio and liked it, but thought that perhaps they were just the next Earshot or Ra. After hearing his recommendation, which was basically, “These guys are incredible”, I went and spend the best $8 of my life on The Autumn Effect.
I think most people will hear this group and automatically think of Tool, as they were obviously a significant influence. This very dark, slow, yet heavy feel is just what the doctor ordered for me. I love both the poetic lyrics of frontman Jesse Hasek and how controlled his voice is through the various tempos in each and every track. The lyrics are very similar to that of Tool and early Aerosmith in that they don’t just spell out to you what they are singing about. Jesse leaves it up to his listener to form their own interpretation.
This group represents the perfect blend of Tool, Metallica, A Perfect Circle, Staind and Korn. A lot of the reviews knock this band for attempting to sound exactly like all of these groups, yet almost all of today’s bands have used sounds from their predecessors and pride themselves for even being considered with those groups. This group has a ton of talent and is one of my favorite bands. I have been trying to push them on Justin for years, so this was the second group that came to mind when I first heard the concept of Music Togetherness. They have two albums on major labels and another called Killing all that Holds You which was released prior to The Autumn Effect. This one is extra credit, but if you get a chance, check out the acoustic version of Wasteland. Also, they have another album coming out early 2010, so keep that on your radar in the event you enjoy this week’s selection.
Suggested listening:
The Autumn Effect (2005)
Division (2008)
As anyone can tell you I am not a big fan of rock music. However, there are a few bands that I for some reason I find an appeal to. Thomas knowing that I already liked the band “Chevelle”, told me I might like this other band called “10 years.” When he started playing them I immediately saw why he thought I might like them. While they may not be similar vocally, I can see a similarity in the instrumental aspect. I am going into this week as a refresher, and seeing if there are any songs I may have overlooked through my “10 years” musical voyage.
ReplyDelete“Autumn Effect” starts off with a great intro in “Waking up.” It is already setting the tone for the rest of the album and I love how Jesse’s voice is so melodic. I notice reading some reviews that many people compare Jesse’s voice to that of Maynard of “Tool.” While I can see some similarities I think Jesse has his own unique sound, and I don’t think it’s fair to compare one to the other. The song “Recipe” is another song I really like, and maybe that is because it is a great song to get you pumped up. I am starting to think that is the main appeal of this band for Thomas. “Through the Iris” is one of the heavier songs on the album. I like how they build up the tempo; it makes for a more dramatic song. I think this band is a little on the darker side based on lyrics. Maybe they wanted to write about some past experiences to get it all out of their system. I had never heard “Seasons to Cycles” and that may be because it is a little more on the softer side than anything else on their album. I liked this song quite a bit, although when it comes to “10 years” I would prefer the heavier sounds. This is the type of album I would either listen to when I was pissed off or wanting to get a good work out.
Posting on a Wednesday? That's gotta be some kind of record. ;) You're listening to Christmas music aren't you?
ReplyDeleteStarting off, I'll comment on the "extra credit." I have a soft spot for acoustic rock songs, so I have to admit I thought this was really pretty. It was kind of reminiscent of Fuel, without the yelling I thought, and I really liked the soft beat of ... a bongo is it? Is that kosher in rock? Hehe. Having everything quieted down like this helps a person enjoy the guitar, which I like.
ReplyDeleteThomas gave me a mix cd of 10 Years a few years back, that I still have and only skimmed through once (sorry Thomas). Each day I am in a different mood to listen to certain genre's and with the music collection I have already, it's easy for something like 10 Years to get pushed to the bottom. This week gives me the opportunity to focus on these guys.
ReplyDeleteI got the feeling of listening to A Perfect Circle on the opening track of The Autumn Effect. Maynard has given a blueprint to many singers in this genre, his wavering melodies are beautiful and you could do a lot worse than stealing a few cues from him. I am two tracks in and I'm not getting the feeling that this group is trying to stand out from their contemporaries or influences. "Cast It Out" is structured quite well and the atmospheric ending is nice. I'm pretty sure I've heard "Wasteland" while riding around with Thomas, I keep waiting for a big breakdown/payoff that only comes briefly in last 10 seconds. It's weird because, with me getting older, I am getting further away from heavier music but when I listen to bands like 10 years I really look forward to a more aggressive chuggy sound that pays off a lot quicker. They seem like they could have that Tool heaviness that I like, but lean more to the safer A Perfect Circle/Incubus radio friendliness. I draw the Incubus comparison from the way he can control his voice like Brandon Boyd and how Jesse's voice has an appeal you pick up on very quickly. The title track is my favorite of the album and teases us with some industrial/NIN experimentation at the end.
Division, early on, shows the band getting more efficient with shorter songs, the instrumentation seems to take a huge hit because of it. On tracks like "Just Can't Win" it's very dull until everybody jumps in on the chorus. "11 AM" gets back to the fuller thump they have in them but don't display enough, the instrumental interlude at the end could have been shortened. Tracks like "Dying Youth" and "So Long, Goodbye" show off the acoustic chops that most singers in this genre excel at (see Aaron Lewis or Scooter of Cold), their harmonies seem to fit hand-in-hand with a simple strummed guitar. "Russian Roulette" has a nice wall of guitars. "Focus" is easily my favorite track from Division as it is very upbeat and shows how the band can stretch musically. "Drug of Choice" has a punky/Offspring feel which is welcomed. After the slow start, Division turned out to be more creative and rewarding than The Autumn Effect. It would definately get a repeat listening. I can see Thomas' enthusiasm for these guys and am looking forward to listening to the new album with him.
Autumn Effect
ReplyDeleteI was actually quite pleased with how smooth this music is. Although at times it can get dark, or hard, aspects that I’m sure draw Thomas to this sort of music, there is a kind of light in that the acoustics and vocals are actually quite soothing at times. “Seasons to Cycles” is a great example of that with its slow beat and singing range. So many “alt metal” (which is how Rhapsody classifies this) bands are all about the screaming, which is OK but doesn’t mean you have to do it ALL the time. “Half Life,” which comes right after “Seasons to Cycles” is a good example of what I feel is more typical of this type of band. That being said, I really would have gotten into this sort of thing in high school. I can definitely see myself listening to this stuff again. Sometimes you just get in those moods where straight pretty music just doesn’t do it all. In reference to Thomas’s post about critics giving these guys crap for not trying to stand out – I say that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. I don’t think they sound EXACTLY like any of their influences after all, so I wouldn’t go so far as to say copycats. While I don’t see anything that really stands out about them as a group (I probably wouldn’t hear this and say – ooh, its so 10 Years) I feel like that lack of uniqueness isn’t really hurting their ability to put out enjoyable music.
Division
ReplyDeleteThe first track on this album sounds more like Korn than anything I heard on the first CD. In the beginning it seemed like more of the same, maybe a little monotonous until I hit the song “Focus,” which I really enjoyed. I like the slow buildup and all the emotion the singer puts into the song. For many of the same reasons, “So Long, Goodbye,” was the other highlight for me on this album. I like that this band can maintain guitar heavy alt-metal status without getting too screamy or overloaded with strings. It would seem to me that this type of an album would do well on the radio. Justin mentioned some of it being “radio-friendly,” but it’s more than that. This band sounds polished and balanced without being too cheesy (like some of the crap I listen to on pop radio now). While this is still outside of my realm genre-wise, I think Thomas was closest with this pick than he has been all year (not saying that’s the point, obviously, but good job). It’s helping to jog my memory of the types of music I used to enjoy in high school, as my tastes have changed for the most part since then. All in good fun. I’ll have to give these guys’ new album a listen when it comes out and we’ll see if I still feel the same ;) JK
I have to say that I have heard the songs off of “Division” more than “The Autumn Effect.” So right off the back I really like the first four songs off of this album. “Actions and Motives” has a great intro to it, and I think leads you into the album very well. I like the message of the song in that for all the bad we do, down the line it catches up with you. “Just Can’t Win” is my favorite song on the album and I am not sure why. Ever since Thomas played this song it struck a nerve with me, and ever since has been the one I most enjoy. “11:00 A.M. Daydreamer” is a pretty powerful song, I like how the message is to stop worrying about failure and just go out and live your life. I must say that before this week I never really stopped to listen to the lyrics, but I can see that they are trying to send out the message of wake up and do something with yourself. After the initial first four songs, I pretty much like every other song from then on. I think it is interesting how they use the word “disasterbation” in the song “Drug of Choice.” Quite a fun little play on words. “All your lies” has a pretty hard chorus which when I listened to it for some reason reminded me of “A Perfect Circles” song “Weak and Powerless.” With the exception that Jesse’s voice projects so much more, and seems to make it more intense. All in all this was a great album for me.
ReplyDeleteI know that for the rest of my life “10 Years” will be a part of my musical journey. In this instance I am glad to say that I can share the enthusiasm that Thomas has for this band, and look forward to the next album.
Perhaps I should have included this in my introduction, but I wanted everyone to form their own opinion first. This may appear off subject, but bear with me for a moment. I was recently watching an X-files episode where Mulder came across a genie who granted him three wishes. His first wish was simply “World Peace.” The genie nodded her head and poof, she removed all humans from the Earth. This was a very powerful message in that we are a very violent and destructive species and the only way to truly have peace is to get rid of us all.
ReplyDeleteMy interpretation of The Autumn Effect is that there is some beauty within us, however, there are so many things in life that slowly destroy that beauty and that is why we become destructive. Birth is perceived as a beautiful thing, but Jesse portrays it as an introduction to a nightmare full of your biggest fears in Waking Up. The innocence of a child is slowly removed through adolescence in Fault Line. Again in Wasteland, we initially have good intentions but through the elements, change over time. All the things in life that are perceived as corrupt are covered in this album whether it be government in Empires, one man in Paralyzing Kings, eachother in Prey, and heartbreak in Half Life. The title track then sums it up that just as autumn appears to kill all beauty, the test of life has destroyed that beauty within us.
I don’t think it is possible to send this message any better than in Tool’s Right in Two. Maynard hits this concept right on the head. This may not be a happy or positive message, but this is real life and it needs to be sent. Mulder’s second wish was to obviously bring back the humans, but he began to type up a third wish that brought World Peace, but included several clauses to change human behavior to allow them to remain. Scully then suggested that perhaps we were put on this earth to figure it out on our own and not have it all left up to one man making a simple wish. Just like in The Day the Earth Stood Still, until we recognize that we are slowly killing ourselves and our species, we will continue to do just that until it is too late. Several movies portray this well like The Invasion, The Village, The Happening or even Independence Day, it is just too bad that these messages get lost in the reviews and the special effects. It is also strange that this message is usually brought to our attention by aliens.
While I don’t fully understand why we are the way we are, The Autumn Effect, to me attempts to explain this by listing all of troubles and catastrophic events we are exposed to everyday. This may not be completely different than Jesse’s intentions with these lyrics, but what I love about music is “To Each His Own” and how you can get lost in your imagination.
I do hope that one day we can figure it out collectively, but I fear the event that it will take to “Wake Us Up.”
Thomas, thanks for that post. I'm going to have to have a re-listen with all of that in mind, because I don't think I could have gotten all of that out of a week's worth. That being said, I agree with a lot of those points and think there could be even more to explore about this band than I initially thought. Just a suggestion, next time give us a hint, or an idea to explore while we listen to the music so we can come to the table at the end ready to discuss more than I like this and I like that. Sometimes when listening in a week you're really just scratching the surface and either deciding you don't like the band or you do, but most of the time not getting to know a band well enough to discover these things, which is something I will mention with my pick this coming week. Anyway, thanks for sharing that because now I'm even more interested to add 10 Years to my "I definitely will listen again" iPod list. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, first off I'll say that I love Tool. Maynard has one of my favorite voices in music, and he has a way of expressing his emotions that is completely unique in music, along with the rest of the band being some of the more talented instrumentalists in rock. The members of 10 Years must feel exactly the same way I do, because their sound (at least on 'The Autumn Effect') is such a complete theft of Tool/A Perfect Circle's sound that it should be considered a crime. It's practically impossible for me to listen to this band without hearing them as just a second or third rate version of a band I love, which has made this week difficult for me to get a lot out of.
ReplyDeleteOn 'The Autumn Effect', I really just wish that Jesse Hasek would sing a little differently. If you're going to sound so exactly like another artist, you should at least alter some of the way that you vocalize your lyrics, instead of singing in the drawn out manner that Maynard James Keenan is so known for. Couple this with the Tool'ish down-tuned guitars, and the pretty melodies of A Perfect Circle and you have nothing more than a tribute album, in my eyes. Where the band really fails to be as successful as their apparent idols, though, is in the instrumentation. While at times something unique shows it's face for a time (such as on the one song I really enjoyed on the album, "Fault Line"), most of the songs just have a pretty generic nu-metal sound, which is something I just can't get into.
The instrumentation on the first half of 'Division' is even harder for me to get into than the previous album. The few qualities that could have stood out on 'The Autumn Effect' seem to have disappeared at the beginning of this album, and it's all just floating past my head without sticking onto anything at all. Finally with "Focus", there's a little something there, which is ironic given the struggles I've been having with focusing on the music through the first 6 tracks. The percussion instruments on the song are great, and Jesse's vocals on the chorus really do seem to soar, a bit. It seems like with this song, the album has started to pick up a bit of steam, as "Drug of Choice" is even better than the song that preceded it...I really like the section at the end when the instrumentation picks back up after the acapella part. In all with this album, the back half is much better than the first (which is extremely atypical from this type of music, I've learned), and I think it bodes well for the forthcoming album from 10 Years.
In the end, while there wasn't a lot here that stood out to me as anything I'd return to, I think that I may have initially been a bit hard on the band. It seems that with the last few songs on their most recent album, the band may have turned some sort of corner, and possibly they'll be able to escape that Tool-aping stereotype that I pegged them with early on. Regardless of whether I fully enjoyed the music or not, the fun for me with this project is in hearing things that appeal to and inspire others. Therefore, thank you again to Thomas for sharing with us another band that he loves.