癲狂院 Vixen Owl Cigar..。o○

Pop Punk Goes Dark...


A Much Improved Good Chalotte, Fun to Listen To
I Good Charlotte's songs.
They sing about their lives, and everything that's happened.
"These are the chronicles of life and death and everything between/ these are the stories of our lives as fictional as they may seem ." (From The Chronicles of Life and Death)

I recently saw Good Charlotte's for "Predictable " of "The Chronicles Of Life And Death " album.
It was the furthest thing from what I would have expected out of these
guy's.
The follow up to their self titled debut album "Good Charlotte ", and their sophomore hit release "The Young And The Hopless " shocks listeners with it's dark, edgy sound.
The band's two prier releases have done amazingly well,so you ask... why change the formula now
Well Good Charlotte stated in an interview on "Fuse " a music channel that plays little brother to the more commercial channels such as Mtv , that they wanted to capture a more dark, artistic sound rather then their predictable party pop/punk sound.

The band was tired of being labeled as just another whinny band with guitars, that makes it's watered down style of punk rock.. This album is a real leap from their other stuff,but in my opinion it shows growth,and a lot of musicianship.. This album is for the true Good Charlotte fans - lead singer Joel Madden announced.. "We do this for the the love of music,and the feeling we get when a fan comes up to us and tells us our music has changed their life ".. I personally have been a huge Good Charlotte fan since their first release,and was expecting another great album,but the same typically Good charlotte sound... Well they showed me,and millions of others that they aren't a typical pop/punk band,and they aren't afraid to venture out into the
unknown, which is well established with their third album "The Chronicles Of Life And Death".....

My favorite songs are "Ghost Of You ," "The World is Black ," and "I Just Wanna Live ."
Ghost of You is about someone important in your life leaving, and how it hurts that they're gone.
The World is Black is about how the world is cold from all the bad things people do.
I Just Wanna Live is about what's it like being famous, and how it's hard living your life.

【Good Charlotte】The Chronicles of Life & Death
No Words To Say-by Joel..

"Once Upon A Time: The Battle of Life and Death " may have you wondering if you even picked up the right CD.
It starts off like some twisted Japanese gospel, then suddenly explodes into a blistering orchestral piece with throbbing back harmonies, a bit like what George Lucas wrote for The Phantom Menace.

"The Chronicles of Life And Death " is more like what you were expecting.
It's almost funny the way the band so matter-of-factly start hamming it up, as if nothing happened.
There isn't much fascinating about this song, except for the lyrics.
"Today could be the best day of, today could be the worst day of, today could be the last day of your life. It's your life ."
I see somebody's been listening to Switchfoot.

"Walk Away (Maybe) " is where it starts sounding like Hoobastank, 'cept maybe for that Transylvanian piano cascade in the bridge.
So far, it's a relatively weak start, but it's almost like a bluff.

The opening of "S.O.S. " is like a really nice ballad, but jumps up the tempo around 15 seconds in, and it takes another 20 seconds before I start to realize it sounds good this way.
I'm not one to pay much mind to guitar solos, but the one in this song just kicks all manner of ass.

I "I Just Wanna Live "
It is a spookular, jazzy disco kind of song with deliberately ridiculous falsetto sprinkled throughout.
Very nice rhythmic guitar and a conservative use of the string sections.
This kind of originality is just the thing we need more of these days.

"Ghost of You " takes on more of a Smash Mouth/Tal Bachman form.
Quite frankly, the chorus is amazing.
Awash with dancing strings, it flows intensely, although I can see how it would look ostentatious.

Great Ending !!!!
"Predictable " sounds like it'll be some girl song at first, but this is about as far as you can get from that.
Low, reverberating guitars carry this kinda far-out melody straight into a loud spoken rant that sounds far angrier than anything I've ever heard from Linkin Park.
I the sheer honesty of it.

"Secrets " has some neat guitar work, and a speedy joyous melody that is so elementary, I wonder why you don't hear it all the time.
"We all have a darker side, a place we keep that no one else will find ."
Yep, we just saw that, didn't we
Fair warning, this has Yellowcard written all over it.

"The Truth " rides on a dissonant, low piano melody, and wonder of wonders, it actually stays slow throughout the entire song.
"I want the truth from you, gimme the truth even if it hurts me ."
Obviously, it's an attempt to rehash Hoobastank's "The Reason ", although I guess some might consider Joel Madden's raspy screams to be very "classic rock " or something.
Sounds more like Adam Sandler if you ask me.

"The World Is Black " has a nice, "conversational " flow, and an 80's melody.
Favorite line is "We come into this world, and we are all the same, and in that moment there's no one to blame ."
It only took two listens for "Mountain " to grow on this brain, even though it's about as filler as they come, like one of those "just get to the chorus " songs.
Still, I find myself anticipating it with unfounded glee.

The ambitious "We Believe " is akin to "Hold On " with its message about getting people to stop carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.
It's a little schmaltzy, utilizing the typical formula of world-sucks verses
and inspirational choruses, but it has lots of energy.
"It Wasn't Enough" counterattacks with Incubus-style depressant.
Finally, "In This World (Murder) " takes off like something from the Matrix Soundtrack, with undertones of Tonic or Collective Soul.
It all comes down to a tiny little bit of string section that suddenly grows back up into a fleeting orchestral grand finale before fading out.

The last song differs, depending on whether you pick up the Life or Death version of the album.
Verily I say unto you, choose life.
I was never much of a fan of Good Charlotte or the so called "genre" they represent, but I find The Chronicles of Life And Death truly impressive.


【Track Listings】
01. Once Upon A Time: The Battle Of Life And Death
02. The Chronicles Of Life And Death
03. Walk Away (Maybe)
04. S.O.S.
05. I Just Wanna Live
06. Ghost Of You
07. Predictable
08. Secrets
09. The Truth
10. The World Is Black
11. Mountain
12. We Believe
13. It Wasn't Enough
14. In This World (Murder)
15. Falling Away (Bonus Track)
16. Meet My Maker (Bonus Track)
17. Predictable (Bonus Track)