Thursday 18 June 2009

Review - Hollywood Undead - Swan Songs

Hollywood Undead - Swan Songs

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5 out of 10

Just when you thought rap rock was dead (or in this case undead), it rises up again and grabs you by the proverbial nuts. From Los Angeles, comes Hollywood Undead, a sextet that seems to have brought the party element of the City Of Angels onto CD, just in time for summer.

Right from the get-go this album has tunes fit for a house party. Undead opens up a rap rock ruckus fit for a backyard brawl. The themes riding along throughout Swans Songs are pretty simple: booze, partying, girls and the rock n roll lifestyle if tracks like Bottle And A Gun and Pimpin' are anything to go by. The delivery of rhymes by figures such as Charlie Scene and Johnny 3 Tears are slick and are dropped like RPG's on a Corvette. This goes into territory the likes of Good Charlotte and The Transplants were afraid to go. This is music that Kat Von D would be proud - probably. The production from remix genius Danny Lohner brings out the suburban pain in this album.

Though, this album isn't without its faults. As the album continues, it begins to run out of steam, begins to wane and then pretty much falls on its face. Despite it having a different flavour to most hip hop acts, this is something that was pretty much done in 2001 by the likes of Insane Clown Posse and Cypress Hill. For few a plays it's OK but after the humour and tales of LA are delivered, there isn't much to take away from this album once the party is over.

Listen: www.myspace.com/hollywoodundead

Tracklist:
1. Undead
2. Sell Your Soul
3. Everywhere I Go
4. No Other Place
5. No.5
6. Young
7. Black Dahlia
8. This Love. This Hate
9. Bottle And A Gun
10. California
11. City
12. The Diary
13. Pimpin
14. Paradise Lost
15. Pain
16. Knife Called Lust

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