I just bought The Emptiness by Alesana. According to Alesana, they wanted to create the album in the form of a story. They eventually based this album on the poem Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe. When i opened the album, i was very impressed to see that they delivered a true concept album. Along with the lyrics booklet, there is another booklet titled, A Story Told Through The Eyes Of A Sketch Artist, which follows the storyline of the album and enriches the storyline of how a sketch artist finds his lover, Annabel, dead, and his actions thereafter.
This album is the first album that new guitarist Jake Campbell has played on. Musically, this change didn't affect their style much. The riffs and breakdowns are still present in this album, but harmonies are significantly lacking.
Vocally, they seem to be taking a more straightforward route. While still present, there are less of the chain screaming which is an identity in most of their songs, namely hits like Apology. Possibly caused by the absence of Adam Ferguson, who contributed his vocals during his presence. If you're beginning to think that Alesana are sounding softer, fear not. They still belt out their signature screams throughout the album. And of course, what is an Alesana album without Shawn Milke's sister, Melissa, who contributes some backup vocals and narration in the album.
The first thing you might notice when flipping through the lyrics booklet is the presence of four interludes which are not on the track listings. Placed at the end of selected tracks, these interludes are narrations which provokes some thought and imagination regarding the album. They let you delve into the mind of the sketch artist as he searches for Annabel's murderer. However, the presence of these interludes sometimes disrupt the flow of the tracks. If you were hoping for a gapless album, hope no more. The album does start off gapless, but Alesana didn't find a way to link some interludes to the next track. I feel they put too much importance into telling the story than making music, sacrificing the musical flow for the flow of the storyline.
The album artwork for The Emptiness are essentially sketches, flashes of the situation that the sketch artist is in. They seem to suggest a little more than the music would, giving a few insights into his mind. The artwork is consistent with the storyline and overall is impressive.
A very good effort from Alesana. What wasn't up to mark musically was made up with the concept and artwork. I give a 8/10.
Support artists, don't download music illegally.
No comments:
Post a Comment