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5 out of 10
I like Corey Taylor, he seems like an alright kind of guy and I usually trust his judgement about things. Not everything, but a lot of things. His monthly column in 'Rock Sound' is angry, funny, well written and quite often the best past of the magazine; and Slipknot have made some of the best and most innovative heavy music of recent times, most notably on their last album 'Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)'. But for every 'Duality' and 'Danger, Keep Away' there's anything I've ever heard by Stone Sour. So it's with caution and fingers crossed that I approach Taylor's production debut with so-so metalcore troupe Walls Of Jericho. A move away from their usual metalcore sound, 'Redemption' is a largely acoustic set of songs that starts well but becomes repetitive pretty quickly. The intense 'Ember Drive' showcases Candace Kucsulain's actual singing voice for the first time and it sounds better than her usual roar, and she harmonises well with Taylor, so their duet wisely makes up the core of the song. The strings and wind instruments are arranged round the band well too, neither drowning out the other. WOJ's cover of 'House Of The Rising Sun', when just Kucsulain and an acoustic guitar it sounded as tormented as it ought to, but what could have been a worthy new version is ruined by the military drumming and electric guitars. As it is, Muse and Mark Lamar singing it to Kenzie from Blazin' Squad on 'Never Mind The Buzzcocks' remain the best 21st versions of the song. 'My Last Stand' is a dull, gloopy plod, while on 'No Saving Me' Kucsulain's voice hovers above a subtle metal ballad arrangement, only for a cheesy Maiden solo to be tacked on. She and Taylor match each other well again on 'Addicted', with Taylor sounding exceptional on an otherwise generic rock ballad. 'Redemption' is probably more of a victory for Taylor than it is for WOJ. Listen: www.myspace.com/wallsofjericho
Tracklist:
1. Ember Drive (featuring Corey Taylor) 2. My Last Stand (featuring Corey Taylor) 3. No Saving Me 4. House Of The Rising Sun 5. Addicted (featuring Corey Taylor)
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