Enter Shikari – A Flash Flood of Colour
The best way for a band to grab my attention is by providing me with lyrics that are extremely heartfelt and demonstrated as such by the vocals. Oh, Sleeper and La Dispute are prime examples; both of their releases last year made my top ten and my reasoning behind that is largely because of their lyrics and strong emotional presentation of them. Now we’re in the early days of 2012, and I’ve been graced by an album that is right on par with the previously mentioned bands in terms of heartfelt lyrics. Of course, as far as the music goes, it’s impossible to compare any of them with each other, so allow me now to elaborate on the renowned Enter Shikari and their third album, A Flash Flood of Colour.
Rather than beat around the bush, I’ll just come out and say it—I LOVE this album. As I mentioned above, it has an obvious heartfelt message about the current status of Earth’s government and society. Coupling that with… dare I say it… groundbreaking orchestration, it is candy to the ears. They infuse elements of punk, ambient, metalcore, dubstep, techno, hardcore, and a plethora of other influences, all extremely well. Several of those terms I know that I just scared off half of my readers. I urge you to read on though, and give it a chance. It might surprise you.
They start things off with “System…”, setting the foundation for the message of the album. Rhymed spoken word verses are backed with violins and ambient effects that build up to the second song, “…Meltdown”. A monster of a song, guaranteed to get your blood pumping. It is fast paced, and has a pair of filthy breakdowns with dubstep infused. As I listened through the album, I recalled The Browning’s latest release, and came to the conclusion that the dubstep and key work by Enter Shikari in this album surpasses theirs. It is infused PERFECTLY, no cheesiness at all. It’s not over used, and enters the song at the most fitting moment every time.
The track “Search Party” guitar riffs and gang vocals remind me of some of Comeback Kid’s, with the addition of haunting ambient effects. The following track “Arguing with Thermometers” starts off with instant brutality, and leads into a catchy galloping chorus. Going back and forth between the two, it closes with the designation of heaviest song. Flowing perfectly into the next track, “Stalemate”. It has incredibly thought provoking lyrics whilst providing a soothing break from the chaos. It doesn’t last long though, as it comes right back in your face, with “Gandhi Mate, Gandhi”. This is probably my favorite song on the album. Its lyrics are bitter, witty, and humorous. Its dance worthy beat and… strange (the best word I can think to describe it)… synth is put along with weedly weedly guitar riffs, meaty chugs, and crushing drum work. The last minute and a half of the song sold me completely, as it absolutely floors you with a breakdown. The closing song, “Constellations”, is a beautiful song with the rhymed spoken word, simple guitar work, keyboard chimes, and ends with a soaring flare of instruments and positive lyrics.
Anyone who listens to Enter Shikari knows their vocalist Rou Reynolds has an unmistakable British accent. I’m sure that alone earned him several female fans from America, because I’m positive it isn’t just my sister that thinks British boys are cuter. And yes, she does have a shirt that says that…I digress. This album is without a doubt his best work vocally, both in his cleans and yells. And, going back to what I brought up in the beginning, the selling point for me, his best work lyrically. The rhyming is extremely clever throughout the album. The message is a refreshing change of pace from the typical girlfriend-related lyrics that bands usually resort to. It is evident that Enter Shikari truly believes their message. Take this verse for example, “Change cannot be subject to conditional falls, ‘Cos we’re squatting in a system that consistently stalls, Don’t be fooled into thinking that a small group of friends cannot change the world, That’s the only thing that ever has“. This album is a loud picket-sign held up in front of the government and society, it is a plea for this generation to stand up and take action against it. It’s a powerful message that could certainly entice many to stand as activists with them. Of course, bringing up politics is a dangerous thing to do, and there certainly will be many opposed to their message. This album is a bold stance, however, and Enter Shikari holds their ground without budging.
My taste for pure emotional music is satisfied by A Flash Flood of Colour. There are little to no flaws. After this album, and, of course, having already heard the chatter of how fantastic their live show is, seeing them live has been put on my bucket list. Regardless of your political viewpoint or musical preference there is no denying the heart and effort put forth in this record. This is truly a fantastic album, and a great start to 2012 in the world of music. I’m fairly confident that this will remain an easily replayable album and also a contender for top ten lists at the end of the year.
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201 Comments
January 7th, 2012 at 7:49 pm
Now this is a band that can use electronics well, unlike a lot of bands now. I have been waiting for this album for months and I’m so excited it lived up to the hype.
Awesome as always Jonathan! I love reading your reviews.
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 7th, 2012 at 8:11 pm
Thanks bro! That means a lot!
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January 7th, 2012 at 7:51 pm
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 7th, 2012 at 8:11 pm
Hmm…never heard Skindred in this…haha. I understand a lot of people probably won’t like this.
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Jen replied:
January 7th, 2012 at 8:30 pm
How many Skindred songs have you actually heard though? lol
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 8:01 pm
I like their album Roots Rock Riot best. =] The first is good too…the rest after I’m not crazy about.
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Jen replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Andddd….my comment is hidden, even though I tried to be respectful and nice about it.
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Achantion replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
I pos’d you, lol.
those enter shikari fans don’t seem to like it when they are told they listen to shitty music. (I bet you this is gonna get neg’d to!)
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Jen replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 12:38 pm
Well, the band posted the review link to their twitter account, so it was probably a bunch of fan(atic)s downvoting anything they didn’t agree with. Typical. But Austin got 10 upvotes below so that’s kinda confusing. People just hate me. Whatever. I’m not trying to win a popularity contest. lol
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Achantion replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 12:43 pm
I bet that if you wrote this review they would have all agreed, haha.
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Jen replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 1:47 pm
Well, if I wrote this review, it would have been a little bit different. lol
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jc3494 replied:
January 13th, 2012 at 4:47 pm
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Marcos replied:
January 14th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
It doesn’t suck.
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Achantion replied:
January 14th, 2012 at 1:49 pm
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Marcos replied:
January 14th, 2012 at 5:12 pm
*sadface* well,to each their own,I guess.
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January 7th, 2012 at 7:58 pm
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Max Grundström replied:
January 7th, 2012 at 8:02 pm
Seriously, you if anybody should enjoy this band, Austin, lol. I really don’t understand how you can’t.
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 7th, 2012 at 8:12 pm
What Max said Austin, you SHOULD love this.
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Austin Williams replied:
January 7th, 2012 at 8:15 pm
I love electronics in metal more than pretty much everyone else on earth and I STILL don’t find these guys appealing.
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 7th, 2012 at 8:19 pm
Give this one a listen for me though!
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Austin Williams replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 1:56 am
I legitmately find the vocals OBNOXIOUS
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Jen replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 9:44 am
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Jen replied:
January 7th, 2012 at 8:53 pm
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Luke Amos replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 4:31 am
Mostly because these guys are such trash.
Fantastic live set though.
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Achantion replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 5:29 am
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Every synthcore band is “trash”….in your opinion. Obviously you don’t appreciate this…point taken.
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KillHipsters replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:14 am
Great review, obviously I agree this is a great album. Achantion just because Enter Shikari didn’t release an album that sounds like your beloved Nickelback or Creed does not make this a “crappy synthcore” album. Enter Shikari have more talented in their pinky’s than you do in your whole body.
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KillHipsters replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:14 am
*talent
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:42 pm
Thanks man.
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January 7th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
One of the most original bands out there, and in this case, original means good. Judging by the samples it sounds like they’ve once again evolved their sound. It’s basically impossible to compare them to others, and I LOVE that. I gotta say though, the samples seem to show a lot more electronic emphasis, rather than actual instruments. How it works out in the full album I can’t say yet. Still stoked as hell to hear it!
For people who haven’t seen this band live, DO IT. One of the most intense live performances I’ve seen. Rou’s DJ-ing abilities to improvise dubstep/techno remixes of their songs on stage is remarkable, and their stage presence is fantastic.
[Reply to this comment]
Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 7th, 2012 at 8:14 pm
It’s true. This is for sure their best album and sound to date. I cannot WAIT to someday see them. If only concerts weren’t scheduled on weekdays.
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Nicholas Misiak replied:
January 7th, 2012 at 11:52 pm
I agree 100% about their live performance Max. You can tell they are in the business for the love of their music and it really shows through their amazing live shows.
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January 7th, 2012 at 8:02 pm
as a person who has seen enter shikari live (opening for TDWP), i can vouch that their live show was fucking insane.
now, on a relevant note to the review, this album was one of my most anticipated of 2012, and now it sounds like it’ll be top 10 material for me. these guys can do no wrong. great review, johnathan.
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 7th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
So I’ve heard….I hope it is for you Robert! Thanks a lot man!
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January 7th, 2012 at 8:05 pm
This album is actually very listenable. The only thing that I think is so funny is that this album sounds like a lot of the nu metal stuff released eight to ten years ago, and kids now are eating it up. If this would’ve been released then and talked about now, it would be trashed simply because of the era it was in. So funny.
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 7th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
I’m glad you like it Lee! I wish I could say I know what you’re talking about. But considering I was 9 ten years ago….hahaha =]
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butcher666 replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 5:00 am
There was a band called Shellshock which did very similar stuff (might still be around) and I bet most of the band have a few Pitchshifter albums tucked away in their collections.
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kadafi replied:
January 11th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
that was kinda nu metal + d’n'b, pretty boring band btw. enter shikari is more like entershikaricore
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Marcos replied:
January 14th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
entershikaricore lol,I agree,you just can’t label Enter shikari,awesome band is awesome.
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January 7th, 2012 at 8:18 pm
This will be one of the best records of the year. Sure, it will get hated on because it’s different, but, thats fine. Love them or hate them, I don’t think anyone out there now sounds like Enter Shikari, and their recognizable sound, albeit possibly polarizing, is very welcome in a dead, boring, copycat scene. At least, in my opinion. I look forward to this release, and I very much enjoyed your review!
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 7th, 2012 at 8:24 pm
Thanks for the comment man! I think it has the potential to be as you said…appreciate the positive support =]
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Clinton replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 8:34 pm
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January 7th, 2012 at 9:39 pm
Yes!! I’ve been waiting so long for this album. I’ve been following them since before their second album years ago and they’re honestly one of the bands, along with Rise Against and Limp Bizkit, that got me into metal and, unlike the latter I’m still listening to them. I can already tell this album is going to be just great having heard the previews and all the singles released before the album release. Can’t wait to give this album a proper listen. They’re making England proud, some of the best lyrics of any band I know about.
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January 7th, 2012 at 10:47 pm
All I can say is I cannot wait for this album! Loved the review Jonathan and I’m glad Enter Shikari retain their personality(awesome lyrics as usual), industrial side, and brought more heaviness. I do however agree with Lee in that had this album come out ten years ago, it would have been destined to be trashed in the future for its nu-metal characteristics. I love nu-metal and I love Enter Shikari so I guess I win either way
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 1:14 pm
Thanks man!
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January 7th, 2012 at 11:25 pm
Though I don’t get these guys at all and find the electronics obnoxious, I enjoyed the review. Totally agree about the awesome lyrical content of La Dispute and Oh, Sleeper’s releases. Phenomenal.
[Reply to this comment]
Jen replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 9:57 am
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 1:14 pm
I just feel a lot of passion in their music…and his wit and humor that is used to portray their message is pretty creative to me.
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KillHipsters replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:17 am
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Jen replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 8:02 am
Why do you bother commenting to ask me why I bother commenting? My comments get downvoted because the band has a bunch of fanboys, like yourself.
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January 8th, 2012 at 3:40 am
Always hated the band and the samples aren’t doing anything to convince me otherwise.
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KillHipsters replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:18 am
Your head is slightly angled, you have a hipster haircut and you are wearing glasses; you have no opinion, now go sit in the corner with the rangas’.
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Jen replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 8:05 am
Ad hominem is pathetic. It only proves you have nothing better to do than insult people.
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Achantion replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 12:49 pm
Haha, I actually upvoted this guy, been reading all his comments and he’s hilarious.
have a cookie and knock yourself out with embarrassing yourself even more.
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January 8th, 2012 at 4:31 am
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Clinton replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 12:07 pm
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KillHipsters replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:19 am
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Clinton replied:
January 21st, 2012 at 7:20 am
You like this music Mr. or Mrs. KillHipsters?
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January 8th, 2012 at 5:16 am
My girlfriend, oddly enough, got me into this band, by blasting different songs in my car on differing occasions. Needless to say, their sound was something hard to absorb at first. But when I saw them live at Warped last year, I was dumbfounded. Pure insanity and emotion packed into a half hour/forty minute set. As soon as I got home, I grabbed their material and have been in love ever since. I’ve been waiting patiently for this to drop, and this only makes my needs grow more.
Great review, broseph. As always
[Reply to this comment]
Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Thanks my broski. Glad you got into them! Hope you love it!
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January 8th, 2012 at 7:31 am
That Ghandi track is terrible! luckily Sssnakepit won me over a bit… i still like their debut a lot more though…
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 1:15 pm
You’ve heard it?
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Linchpin replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 2:29 pm
Just few tracks, yet to fully listen to the whole this but i’m not holding my breath to be blown away… might end up being just good and not great.
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January 8th, 2012 at 8:20 am
Their sound reminds me of a new-era version of One Minute Silence meets Mammal. I’m surprised that no one else seems to hear that. Oh well, I’m headed back to the island again.
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bobsan replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
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Lee replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 12:55 pm
http://bit.ly/myyoSp
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Nicholas Misiak replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 11:04 pm
Guess I can’t speak for the entire album since it’s not out yet, but from what I’ve heard I cometely agree with your comparisons Lee. I’ve been listening to a shit load of One Minute Silence lately lol
As for you bobsan, go to hell or Sputnik or whereever you came from you wanker
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Nicholas Misiak replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 11:30 pm
*completely oopsy lol
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Marcos replied:
January 14th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
I bet he came from that absolutepunk site… that thing is filled with losers lol,hate that site,tried to be a member but I felt like,bullied.
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KillHipsters replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:20 am
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butcher666 replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 10:17 am
Said above that sound a bit like a band called Shellshock who, in turn, did sound a bit like OMS now you mention it.
STAY BACK, STAY DOWN
[Reply to this comment]
January 8th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
I’m a bit skeptical because I really disliked Common Dreads. Still going to give this a shot due to what I’ve heard from this album so far and the review. Good one Jonathan.
[Reply to this comment]
Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
Thanks man! Give it a listen…definitely their best work..
[Reply to this comment]
Gabriel Pio replied:
January 13th, 2012 at 6:31 am
I was wrong, it’s bad. lol
[Reply to this comment]
January 8th, 2012 at 6:30 pm
Been anxious for this one since I saw these guys live in… September. Really looking forward to my first listen when I finally get around to get it.
[Reply to this comment]
Job van Dongen replied:
January 19th, 2012 at 5:15 am
Amazing album. Is it too early to call this the album of the year, Jonathan? My god, the dubstep parts are sublime and the riff that drops in at the end of Warm Smiles is one of the best I’ve heard in a long time. However, from Warm smiles on, I feel the album goes downhill a little, and Constellations is barely as epic as I expected from Enter Shikari.
HOWEVER,
System – Meltdown, Sssnakepit, Arguing with Thermometers, Stalemate, Ghandi are all monster tracks that are gonna hit the spot live, let me tell ya that.
[Reply to this comment]
January 8th, 2012 at 6:54 pm
im looking forward to this album but i dont think anything will top their debue take to the skies for me and i dont think anything they do ever will, still an amazing band 5/5 for the review aswell man
[Reply to this comment]
Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 8th, 2012 at 7:59 pm
Thansk Bradd =] I dunno…I think it does cause it just feels a lot more mature.
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January 8th, 2012 at 7:33 pm
This would definitely have to grow on me, but I can’t disagree that this is absolutely unique and unprecedented. I like it, but I will have to delve in deeper to truly understand it.
It’s an odd sound and it kind of contradicts itself; it’s a commanding sound, but it doesn’t sound that serious. Enter Shikari is to music what Colonel Cathcart was to Catch-22.
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January 8th, 2012 at 8:30 pm
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Jen replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
hahaha Hipster triangle.
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KillHipsters replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:21 am
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Jen replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 8:10 am
That comment had ZERO to do with the band OR review. Seems like your hatred for me is bigger than my hatred for the band. Give it a rest.
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Azriel replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:54 pm
I smell a little butthurt on this KillHipsters kid.
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Clinton replied:
January 21st, 2012 at 7:24 am
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January 8th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
Awesome review dude. I’ve been looking around at reviews for this album and they haven’t gotten a single bad review or a thing under 4.5/5 or 9/10 except for one 8/10, so I’m real excited
Plus, after hearing the previews after trying hard not to, this is definitely gonna be awesome.
[Reply to this comment]
Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:51 pm
Thanks man =D Hope you like it!
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January 9th, 2012 at 1:03 am
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Achantion replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 2:48 am
The peeps on this site don’t like the idea of multiple scores, I noticed that a while ago :p
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Jen replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 12:29 pm
The issue with that is just the sheer amount of time it would take to have multiple reviews of the same album. People don’t realize how much work it is to review an album (and get photos, links, clips, etc.) :/
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Achantion replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 3:57 am
Scoring system then? like 1 score is the reviewers score and underneath you can find the average user score?
Also writing a review takes about 2-4 hours, I’ve done a couple for sputnik and the average it took me is about 3 hours. though I didn’t have to look photos, clips and all the other stuff. Just writing the review after having listened to the album a couple of times.
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KillHipsters replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:25 am
It’s only a big effort to review an album if you’re not a passionate reviewer and don’t genuinely care for wanting to review an album to give others an opinion. Music journalism isn’t for you, Jen if a review is too much hard work. Reviewing an album to a lot of professionals comes quite naturally, and the effort is worth it.
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Jen replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 8:27 am
…says a guy that just reviewed an album via a LEAK. (Actually, I think you have a few you’ve reviewed via leaks.) Not to mention the fact that the review is littered with obscenities (unprofessional), errors, trendy memes, insults towards the band, and the pejorative use of the word ‘gay’ (it’s 2012 now; that’s simply not acceptable anymore). On top of that, you gave a William Shatner album a 10/10. Please.
It’s obvious you don’t put time into your reviews. We have writers that will go back and listen to a band’s entire back catalog first, then listen to the album they’re reviewing A MINIMUM of 5 times. They also research about the band’s history, lyrics, etc. So just because YOU don’t devote a fair amount of time to an album (i.e., download a leak, listen to it twice and write a terrible review), doesn’t mean that people who do aren’t professional. I’d say your method is less professional, wouldn’t you?
When you start doing things the right way, then come back and we’ll talk.
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KillHipsters replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 8:08 pm
All reviews that have ever been written by myself have never been of leaks. I am on the same PR and Media lists that this site is most likely, all music that is reviewed is sent by whatever PR firm or record label represents the band, just so you know before you go making baseless accusations.
I don’t claim to be professional, all reviews that I write might not have the same amount of intense research behind them as your reviews do and I respect that, but not everyone out there wants to read a review that tries too hard, that feels like it has to prove something. I stick to the mantra keep it simple. Just because many of my reviews may fail to make comparisons to a bands back catalogue or perhaps read like rants does not make them any lesser of a review. People express their thoughts in many different ways.
Yes, there are people who care whether or not a review draws comparisons to previous material and yes there are also people who only care about the now. Is it different to what other bands in the same genre are putting out, is it well produced, etc.
My grammar and spelling is never perfect even on a good day, I don’t claim to be a literary scholar nor have a great grasp of the English language I am only human. My real job is being a front-end / web applications developer, I write reviews and run my site for fun not to impress people or to post every press-release I get sent, I do it because I like music.
I’d say my method of reviewing is more than fine. I don’t operate the site to make money, if people want to read what I’ve written then good for them and if people don’t then there is no loss.
I apologise if my other comments came across as rude, unprofessional, erratic or offensive. There is no need to be condenscending just because you may be a better writer than I am and I’m not afraid to admit that. Whatever silly feud has developed between us, I’m calling an end to now and lets leave it at that.
[Reply to this comment]
lee replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 8:47 am
It looks as though someone just got their ass handed back to them.
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January 9th, 2012 at 1:06 am
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Achantion replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 2:47 am
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Clinton replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 12:09 pm
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Jen replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Nah, it isn’t worse than Brokencyde.
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Clinton replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 5:32 pm
Well then I will not check out Brokencyde…..Thanks for the tip.
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Achantion replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 12:35 pm
Lowest I’ve seen so far is a 0.5 so I guess haha.
[Reply to this comment]
Jen replied:
January 9th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
Nope…
http://thenewreview.net/reviews/brokencyde-will-never-die
“This album is objectively the worst thing to happen to humanity since the Holocaust, except this time I’m the one suffering.” - Luke
Circle of Dead Children was our .5, but there may have been more.
http://thenewreview.net/reviews/circle-of-dead-children-psalms-of-the-grand-destroyer
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Luke Amos replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 4:46 am
That quote is fantastic.
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KillHipsters replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:26 am
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:56 pm
Enter Shikari does the oppisite of what you said…They make their electronics work. They don’t just do it because it is cool, they actually do a superb job of it. You’re extremely biased obviously, and your credibility is lessened every time you rant about it.
[Reply to this comment]
Marcos replied:
January 14th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
Well said,Jonathan,I don’t know how can someone say Enter shikari doesn’t make good use of electronics,they’re like,the only band that does it without making it sound cheesy or forced,these people don’t know what they’re talking about.
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Seth replied:
January 15th, 2012 at 6:58 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 17th, 2012 at 5:31 pm
Swoopy hair? None of them even HAVE swoopy hair bro. There is nothing about this that fits that demographic. There is no trend here, and I have NEVER heard a band that sounds like Enter Shikari.
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Jen replied:
January 17th, 2012 at 5:41 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 17th, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Whatever, my point is still made. lol
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January 9th, 2012 at 11:38 pm
If you haven’t seen them live, it’s an absolute MUST. They put on the best show I have ever seen during warped tour, they literally brought the roof down and Rou crowdsurfed 15 feet in the air on top of a huge trash can.
Rou trashcan surfing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmXbvqBnSfc
Bringing the roof down http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhJRTo53hwU
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 4:43 pm
….NICE
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January 10th, 2012 at 4:23 am
I would love to start writing reviews for any website. I’ve been trying to become a member of sputnik for years but I can never get the confirmation email to set up an account lol. I think there should be an average rating on here mainly because if I had never seen this site before, but noticed it gave an album I hated (lets use this one as an example), a 5/5, I most likely wouldnt come here again because my thoughts process would be ‘this clearly isnt a site that appeals to my tastes’. A Blabbermouth rating system would work wonders on here because at least on here, everybody isnt a pretentious metal douche.
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Achantion replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 4:43 am
Tastes vary, this review is a proper example of it.. As this -in my books- would be a 1 or 1.5.
As for the confirmation email, try again? I didn’t have any trouble with it, haha
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Jen replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 8:59 am
You’re making my point though. The album isn’t out yet, isn’t streaming and hasn’t leaked so that means you haven’t heard it. How can you rate something you haven’t heard? So if we had a user rating system, there would be a bunch of people giving this album a 1 or something based off their opinion of the band and how they THINK they’ll feel about the album. That’s why user ratings are bullshit. There’s no quality control.
Game. Set. Match.
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Achantion replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 3:19 pm
From what I’ve heard + know + current opinion. I never rate before totally hearing something.
+ user rated scores are always better then a single mans opinion. The 5 this review gives is proof of that.
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Nicholas Misiak replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 3:59 pm
I think being able to upload what we would rate the album would be a nice addition, as well as a random comment/blog section. I’m not trying to dictate how things should be ran, but I’m just providing food for thought as I normally hate change anyway
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Achantion replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Or a forum! THAT’s the one thing what missing on this site. Forums are awesome and allow for a lot more discussion than just the reviews (as we can’t start about random things here haha).
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 4:45 pm
We’ve gone through this user rating system debate several times…and we just don’t feel that is something this site will use. If people don’t like the opinion of the reviewer and would give it their own rating, say it in the comment or make your own website!
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Achantion replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
And the forum? C’mon a forum is like the coolest and most useful thing a website can have, especially if it’s community based such as this one.
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
I personally would love a forum. However, the time and effort it takes to make one and maintain is something I’m not sure fearless leaders Jen and Lee have.
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Jen replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 5:02 pm
We’re looking in to it. I was hoping to find something that would integrate with WordPress so people wouldn’t have to register for the forum all over again, but the options are very slim. Also, forums are ugly, so we’ll have to remedy that. lol
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Achantion replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Nobody cares how forums look like haha, as long as we have them and cant talk/discuss our asses off it’s fine muahahaha.
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VN1X replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 8:07 am
To come back on Jen’s comment as far as Forum Aesthetics go:
Forums definitely don’t HAVE to be ugly. I frequent http://www.rllmukforum.com and used to be a top poster over at http://www.hlfallout.net and these two have some of freshest designs I’ve come across. The latter especially although they’ve been pretty hard at work removing a ton of useless stuff and adding their own design ideas to it.
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KillHipsters replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:28 am
Forums are all fun and games, until copyrighted material starts getting slung around and bam, the forum is over. Happens to a lot of music sites that have forums, they always come to an end because people start sharing leaked albums or discussing them and when you run a music site that gets pre-release material it sort of looks like you’re the perpetrator.
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lee replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 8:50 am
I totally agree with you on this.
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Jonathan replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 6:32 pm
Plus, the vast majority of user reviews would be either 1 or 5 stars. I think it would be better to give users the opportunity to thumb a review/album up or down like a comment.
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Achantion replied:
January 11th, 2012 at 10:55 am
Wow no faith in a userbase?
There will always be trolls but I don’t think most would either 1 or 5 this. Some of course, but not the majority.
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Jonathan replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 8:20 pm
I don’t think most people who comment here would 1/5 an album, but I also don’t think that the people who comment here are the majority.
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Nicholas Misiak replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Yeah a forum would rock! There was a music site I usef to visit, called Tunelab, and they had a pretty decent forum setup. But that site no longer exists, but they had a solid community. I think the owner of that site helped fun and produced new albums by Under the Flood and Freestate. TNR is still way better though, with or without a forum
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Nicholas Misiak replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 5:10 pm
*used
*fund
damn typos lol
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jcup replied:
January 13th, 2012 at 8:08 pm
Before TNR i visited loudside, they had a upcoming releases section. I think that would be a great addition to the site.
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Scott Murphy replied:
January 13th, 2012 at 9:11 pm
They do, click on the releases tab on the top of the page.
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jcup replied:
January 13th, 2012 at 9:47 pm
Thanks Scott i feel slightly retarded now!!!
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Gabriel Pio replied:
January 13th, 2012 at 9:48 pm
http://thenewreview.net/releases
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jcup replied:
January 13th, 2012 at 10:20 pm
Thanks Gabe. Do you know when Vision of Disorder, Spineshank, and Minus are releasing?
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Boneyards replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 6:32 pm
I’ve tried creating new email addresses and everything I cant for the life of me figure out what is going on with it. Part of me thinks I just live in a black spot that for some reason wont let me become a part of Sputnik lol.
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Nicholas Misiak replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 8:41 pm
Let’s just say that not being able to become a member of Sputnik is a blessing, not a curse lol
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Achantion replied:
January 11th, 2012 at 2:31 am
not really x)
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January 10th, 2012 at 6:30 pm
If there was a forum people could then write their own reviews at least. Wouldnt even matter if they went completely ignored, but lets say a new album came out and you disagreed with the review on the sit, go to the forum and write your own review. That’d be cool.
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Dustin replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 6:41 pm
or if you don’t like it you can just post here? I don’t understand.
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Boneyards replied:
January 10th, 2012 at 8:27 pm
But all comments on here feel much less significant than the review itself. If a rating system was created or an alternative area for other reviews, then the differing opinions would actually mean something. Instead, commenting on a review about how you dislike the album and disagree with the author has the tendency to make one seem like a hater.
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KillHipsters replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 7:29 am
A blog is a forum, albeit more simplified. You can’t write your own blog posts, but think of this post as a forum topic and your reply a forum topic reply. What’s the difference?
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January 10th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
Can’t wait for this to drop!
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Onetruemyth replied:
January 11th, 2012 at 11:15 am
i agree with you, and by agree with you i mean i hope it drops into a ever consuming fire of creative quality so that it would be utterly laid to waste. roar.
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January 11th, 2012 at 8:39 am
What is everyone’s beef with the vocals? I’m English, and whilst my accent isn’t like his, it makes a nice change to hear a UK frontman who doesn’t try to sound American.
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January 11th, 2012 at 9:56 am
I do not partake in disco-mosh. No thank you.
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jacob replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 9:17 am
disco-mosh. haahaa!!
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January 11th, 2012 at 11:31 am
this kind of “musical” attempt seems to push forward my suspiscion that creativity and quality are not, in fact destined to be lovers in this, said attempt. I’ve no reason to squelch the creative minds of men technology – i mean just recently i was aiding a lost hiker with the help of what he called “GPS” and with this new fangled contraption the soft skin was able to get back to “his kind” with nothing more than a bit of a scratch and the memory that the nobler bears in said forest are in fact helpful and not always the hungry brutes so many end up finding lost on nature trails – yet this production of “computer ADD mating with creativity sans quality” is nothing short of a mess. if these wannabe “hunters” wish to enter these woods they would be pummeled simply for bringing poorly thought out and annoying music that hopes to be called good based solely on its unique merits. creativity is not the mark of quality in this case, its the mark of lame. roar.
*no random hikers were hurt that bad in the re-telling of this story.
**please, bears everywhere are signing a petition to have mel gibson go back to england and finish the job he started in Braveheart and The Patriot…bands like this are all the more reason why…
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Achantion replied:
January 11th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
This is one of the best comments I’ve seen in a looooong time, haha.
Seriously for me the only redeeming thing about this band is the unique vocals (and that’s not saying much). The music is bland and the dubstep/electronics is just thrown in there without any thought and just for the sake of being their.
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Lee replied:
January 11th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
If you’ve ever listened to bands like One Minute Silence and Mammal, they aren’t all that “unique” to be honest with you.
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Achantion replied:
January 11th, 2012 at 3:51 pm
Not sure what you mean but I haven’t heard those albums, so I’ve got no idea haha.
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Achantion replied:
January 11th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
Damn I should really think more before posting.. I understand what you mean now.
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lee replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 8:51 am
I could’ve phrased it better.
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David replied:
January 13th, 2012 at 8:19 am
Yeah i know what you… wait…
wat
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January 11th, 2012 at 11:50 am
great album, 4 – 4.5 in my opinion. song Pack Of Thieves just amazing
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January 11th, 2012 at 11:55 am
I find that their lyrics seem to be a bit too much. I like their message but sometimes, when sometimes they make it just… how to word this..
On the other hand, they are like nothing I’ve ever heard, their live show is one of the best things I’ve ever experienced.
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January 11th, 2012 at 12:50 pm
I love this band! To me this is the bold direction Lost prophets could have went on after The fake sound of progress..But instead they nose dived into emo girlie crap. I love the way they make you headbang to chugging guitar and then slap you in the face with better dubstep wobs then skrillex could ever imagine. Dubstep is like reggae. It’s good but i love it soo much more when infused with punk or some other genre.
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January 11th, 2012 at 5:01 pm
Never liked this band, but downloaded because I’m curious and hey. Album is pretty good. …Meltdown breakdowns are serious neckbreackers
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January 11th, 2012 at 11:53 pm
Don’t mean to promote other sites but its streaming on alternative press if you guys couldn’t wait like me.
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Jonathan replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 12:42 pm
Link?
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Dustin replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/premiere_enter_shikari_a_flash_flood_of_colour?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=altpress
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January 12th, 2012 at 8:02 am
Honestly, this record is so well produced and has such a great and positive message how can anyone NOT love these geezers!
Seriously though, I understand if their style is not up your alley but Enter Shikari have always been a bunch of stand up blokes. Plus creativity in a Flash Flood of Colour is pretty much through the roof. This’ll be the first Enter Shikari record I’ll buy!
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Gabriel Pio replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 11:33 am
Because Common Dreads sucked.
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Katy replied:
January 15th, 2012 at 1:19 pm
Take To The Skies was definitely much better. I wouldn’t go so far as to say Common Dreads sucked though. >.>
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Nicholas Misiak replied:
January 20th, 2012 at 11:52 pm
I loved “Common Dreads”! Is that Katy Ketchem(sp??) above me? lol
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January 12th, 2012 at 9:16 am
gonna check it out in a bit. not sure how i feel about samples, but its a good review!
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Thanks Jacob. =D
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January 12th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Wow 5 for this Jon, looks like you’re really into Enter Shikari
which isn’t totally bad…To me Enter Shikari have always been creative though crazy and kiddish and annoying at times but innovative as they always come up with something new…I think the problem with these guys is the folks who’re totally into “core” who kinda hate ‘em for mixing electronica….I havent yet checked out this new album, I think its not even released yet…
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 12th, 2012 at 8:02 pm
I actually have never been a HUGE fan, just a casual listen…until this album. I’ll return to this one regularly though.
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January 12th, 2012 at 6:47 pm
Finally got to have a listen to this on Alt Press an have to say I am impressed. Their previous stuff has always sounded a bit bolted together but this album sounds a lot slicker.
That being said I don’t buy the whole “original” tag. Although they are incorporating the newish genres of electronica (dubstep etc wub wob wub) they sound like an updated version of Pitchshifter who used Drum & Base and Techno in their punk metal tunes without any faux American vocals as well.
Faux American accents do get my goose.
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January 13th, 2012 at 12:49 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Marcos replied:
January 13th, 2012 at 4:25 am
are you drunk? or high? “filth friends unite” is a good progression for I see stars,but still sucks and I don’t see how can THAT be better than any of the Enter shikari songs,once again,since when I see stars make a good mix of electro & post-hardcore/whatever properly?
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Dustin replied:
January 13th, 2012 at 3:51 pm
What this dude said, exactly.
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butcher666 replied:
January 13th, 2012 at 4:53 am
I don’t cheers Boney.
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January 13th, 2012 at 11:43 am
Hated Common Dreads, love this.
Early contender for top albums, this one is.
Also– the breakdown in “Hello Tyrannosaurus, Meet Tyrannicide” is sick. His “blech!” is well done.
Swell review!
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Gabriel Pio replied:
January 13th, 2012 at 4:42 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Jordan replied:
January 14th, 2012 at 11:07 pm
I can’t help it!
I’m a fan of the dubstep, and these guys are always fun and have a fantastic show.
I’ll redeem myself throughout the year– don’t worry. ;p
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 14th, 2012 at 9:03 am
Thanks man! =]
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January 13th, 2012 at 5:10 pm
I was curious what all the hype was about with this band. Then I listened to the samples and a couple songs on Soundcloud. I regretted that. In my opinion, this is awful. I’m currently flogging my curiosity…
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Achantion replied:
January 13th, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Join the club of those who share the opinion.. Which seems to be about half of the members here haha.
Also prepare to be down voted as those ES fans are very picky if you say the truth.
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Jordan replied:
January 15th, 2012 at 6:35 pm
Upvotes for everyone’s unique opinions!
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Nitrohippie replied:
January 18th, 2012 at 11:27 pm
I don’t care about being down-voted. My self-esteem remains intact.
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January 13th, 2012 at 10:33 pm
I’ve never liked I See Stars but I heard their new song the same day I heard a few tracks of this album. So what I meant to say was, I feel I See Stars mix the styles together the correct way while ES just sounds like a mess. Thus still my suprise at this getting a 5/5.
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January 14th, 2012 at 8:22 am
nice review.
Enter Shikari are a really good band.
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 14th, 2012 at 9:31 am
Thanks man =] I’m glad at least someone thinks so.
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January 15th, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Pretty stoked for this album now. Great review Jonathan!
Am I the only one who finds it absolutely hilarious to see all the negative comments about Enter Shikari getting downvoted? I totally get that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea and all that jazz, but seriously? At the end of the day, do those opinions really matter?
It just kills me to see people getting so angry about it. Did you write/create/produce/master/distribute/promote this album? No? Then shut up and get over it. At the end of the day all of our opinions are invalid and are meaningless. Go do something productive instead of getting all butthurt over a stranger’s opinion on the interwebz, lol.
Jeez.
/rant
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 15th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
Thanks Katy =D
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January 15th, 2012 at 5:49 pm
This band realy suck,i like the combination heavy-melo-electro when its well done,but this is poor,sorry.
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Achantion replied:
January 15th, 2012 at 6:18 pm
Pretty much my thoughts too.
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January 17th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
How can anyone NOT like Enter Shikari!? They defy every genre boundry, and are unlike any other band out there. Completely agree on the 5.0 score, great review mate.
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Achantion replied:
January 17th, 2012 at 5:28 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 17th, 2012 at 5:29 pm
Thanks Mike! I have seriously begun to question myself after seeing so many people not like it. hahaha
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January 19th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
It makes me sad to see how many people dislike this album:( I cant get enough of it!!!lol but each to their own.
Awesome review btw
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Nicholas Misiak replied:
January 19th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
I think the only ones that dislike this album are the ones that haven’t bothered to listen to it in its entirety. They just write em off because they’re butthurt about how successful the band has become. Enter Shikari have worked hard to get to where they are today. People should wake up and give credit where credit is due. There’s really something for everyone on this record, reguardless of your musical taste. And for those dissing this band because their lyrics are political, just get over yourselves already. This band has obvious influences from RATM, OneMinuteSilence, The Apex Theory, Full Scale, Mammal, etc…….all of which were bands with huge political messages.
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Lewis replied:
January 19th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Couldn’t agree more
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Achantion replied:
January 19th, 2012 at 5:06 pm
I listened to it as a whole (on a stream). And no I still don’t like it..
Instrumentals sounds like the watered down, terrible b-side from hXc giants like “Lower definition”, “Of Machines” or “He is legend”.
The synths are beyond cheesiness (which mostly happens in the genre), I have to admit that I OCCASIONALLY got interesting but the moment I started liking them the drove them too far and it felt incredibly out of place again.
Clean vocals were good, can’t complain about those. Screams however weren’t that good and felt lacking.
So PLEASE DON’T SAY THAT PEOPLE WHO DISLIKE THIS HAVEN’T HEARD IT. Some dislike it because they actually think it’s bad. And no, ES got big because they jumped the synthcore band wagon and choose for the scene audience (big mouth, only know famous bands, etc..) not because they worked that hard. I would give them credit if there actually was something worth crediting for.
Now start downvoting this, MUAHAHAHA.
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Lewis replied:
January 19th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
AArgh! soo frustrating! dunno how your mind works… but i guess youre entitled to your own opinion:)
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Nicholas Misiak replied:
January 19th, 2012 at 5:36 pm
As much as I love He Is Legend(one of my fav bands), Lower Definition, and Of Machines I understand they would never dare tread the waters of ES. You see all the bands you mention are very good at their craft, but they rarely stray from their comfort zones. I’m not saying ES are better or worse than those bands, but I will say they’re way more experimental. But, like Lewis, I respect your opinion and am slowly understanding ES aren’t for everyone. All I have to say is that anything Dan Weller has touched lately has been pure gold. If you don’t know what I’m talking about then go check out “The Epillanic Choragi” by No Made Sense
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Jonathan Anderson replied:
January 24th, 2012 at 8:44 pm
Thanks Lewis =]
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February 5th, 2012 at 12:34 pm
I don’t know if I’d give it a 5. This is still a great record though! I doubt I would’ve even checked it out if it wasn’t for this review.
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