Sigh.

I’d like to know who the asshole is that’s going around lending some of my favorite bands a copy of “Surviving the Rock ‘N’ Roll Industry The Metallica Way: How to Transform Your Awesome Underground Band into a Boring, Half-Assed, Mainstream Version of Your Former Selves… and Get Away With It.”

Someone needs to find this fucker and give him an elbow to the face. Seriously, what the hell is going on out there? Sepultura, Earth Crisis, Killswitch Engage, Poison the Well, Obituary (yeah… I said it) have all seriously dropped the ball this year. Well go ahead and add Death By Stereo to the growing list of disappointments.

About a week ago, I stumbled upon the video for “Welcome to the Party“… the first single off the Death Is My Only Friend. Damn, was I impressed. Considering that their previous effort (Death For Life) was a garishly overproduced take on modern metalcore, I considered this new single to be a welcome return to form. The video is pretty awesome, the song kicks total ass, and shit… it even has a (ST-inspired) bass solo!

Translation: my expectations were high for the forthcoming album.

But are high expectations part of the problem? Sadly, I think not. To put things in perspective… 2 of the first 7 songs are ballads (one of which is a shitty reinterpretation of a shitty song off the last record). And both of them contain piano and orchestral arrangements. WHAT THE FUCK? Have I entered the Bizarro World here? DBS and orchestral arrangements? The last time I saw these guys live, Efrem Schulz was sporting an 8″ pink mohawk and screaming in people’s faces as he hurled his fat ass off the stage every 30 seconds. Now I have to sit and listen to him croon “I can’t face this world on my own… I keep on searching for your face. I promise that we’ll live forever… forever and a day” for a second straight album? Dude… where’s the spit? Where’s the fire? Even the band’s trademark “Woo-ooohh-ohhhs” seem lifeless this time around. Have DBS finally climbed aboard Desperation Train?

In all fairness, there are a few bright spots on the album… “We Sing Today For A Better Tomorrow” could easily be found on Into the Valley of Death, “The Ballad of Sid Dynamite” is a nice balance of old school DBS and modern hooks, and as previously mentioned, “Welcome to the Party” pretty much rules. But it’s simply not enough to overcome the rest of the lackluster (or downright shitty) songs here.

In conclusion… I’m considering Death is My Only Friend strike two. DBS had better stop pissing in my ear and telling me my brain is on fire.

*** Total side note: Is it me, or does the album cover (despite the fact the it does indeed have boobs on it) look awfully familiar? (Link NSFW) ***

Justin’s Rating:

King says: “The next album had better not be called “A Visit From the Dead” or you’ll be hearing from my lawyers!”

Mark’s Review:

“With each release, the goal of our label is to create an oasis of diversity and uniqueness within the industry where fans of all music can find sanctuary and solace from the drab, carbon-copy musical plagues that sweep through commercial culture.“

     - Serj Tankian, discussing his new label, Serjical Strike Records

I find this quote interesting because when prominent members of successful bands start their own labels, they’re never really their own. I’m sure when Universal heard that System of a Down was “taking a hiatus” after their massively successful Hypnotize / Mesmerize stretch, they realized that all those people that bought those records would be searching for a suitable alternative. What better alternative to System of a Down than the lead singer of System of a Down, who’s solo album sounds like System of a Down? And, oh yeah, we’ll give you your own label, so you can “promote it” and sign other bands you like… hopefully ones that also sound like System of a Down.

Which brings me to the new Death By Stereo, which is their first since being signed by Serjical Strike Records. I’ve been a casual fan of DBS since I saw them open for Mastodon and got into their anthem-style hardcore. One thing I liked about them, is that they’re a band that knows who they are, and what they want to present to the listener. Mash some hardcore riffs and punk drum beats with high-energy lyrics about teenage anger and rebellion against society, and everybody wins. So why does the band seem like its acting like a bad System of a Down cover band on Death is My Only Friend?

As Justin said, there’s quite a few ballads on the album, and that’s not the problem, it’s the sense that these songs don’t fit. Last Song and Forever and a Day are complete cheese-fests; so much so, that I had to hold back my snickering while listening. And while Opening Destruction, Welcome to the Party and The Ballad of Sid Dynamite remind me of the older stuff, overall, it seems like once again this is a sanitized version of DBS for the masses. I noticed the vocal lines and melodies for a majority of the songs sound eerily similar, which causes all the songs (and there are a lot of them) run together. Finally, the album ends with 2 of the laziest songs I’ve ever heard. It’s almost like DBS said, “Well, for maximum revenue with iTunes, Serj says we need to have 15 tracks“. Incredibly bad.

Overall, this is quite a disappointment. I’m sure the guys in DBS were flipping out at the chance to put out an album with the backing of Tankian’s label, but after toiling for years and building their underground fan base, it just sounds like they’re trying too hard to impress the cool kids. On Death is My Only Friend, DBS turns out to be what Tankian says he doesn’t want… a carbon-copy band looking to appeal to a commercial culture.

Mark’s Rating:

King says: “Hey Serj, King here… I need some cash and can sing falsetto… call me!”

Have A Listen:

Death By Stereo – Welcome to the Party:

Download audio file (Welcome_To_The_Party.mp3)