If you follow the metalcore scene at all, you've probably seen Capture the Crown's video for "You Call That a Knife? This is a Knife!" After watching it, you probably had several questions: "why does this exist," "what is going on here," or "when did Asking Alexandria move to Australia and lose their butt rock get up?" Like you, I was left with more questions than answers after viewing the video. Earlier this year, Sumerian Records picked up Capture the Crown after dumping Make Me Famous for their schoolyard antics. Much to the chagrin of many, Capture the Crown's debut album, 'Til Death, was released on December 18th.
For the brave souls that listened to Capture the Crown's other single, "Ladies & Gentlemen... I Give You Hell," after watching the "You Call That a Knife" video, Capture the Crown's formula has already been figured out. For the uninitiated, Capture the Crown is every bit as generic as the band they replaced on Sumerian's roster: synth breakdowns, varying screamed and clean vocal segments, lyrics about boats and hoes, and bottom-string chugs that beget guitar tabs that look like Cheerios. If you've heard Asking Alexandria's Stand Up and Scream or Make Me Famous's It's Now or Never, you've pretty much heard 'Til Death.
Despite largely following the above formula and aurally assaulting all that dare listen for the album's 48-minute duration, the release is not a complete bust. Jeffrey Wellfare's clean vocals are actually quite good and it is the catchy chorus that makes "LAX" a moderately enjoyable track. It's a shame, however, that Wellfare frequently employs the god-awful technique of alternating between screams and spoken-word parts a la Emmure's finest, Frankie Palmeri. Other than the clean vocals, not much else about this release warrants discussion. The guitars are bland, the bass is inaudible, and the drums are nothing special.
If you're feeling brave, give 'Til Death a listen. If it doesn't make you want to destroy your bedroom in a fit of confused rage, maybe you might actually find some merit that I'm missing. I know I enjoyed music like this at one point in my life and I know there will undoubtedly be some individuals that dig this release 'til death.

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This is a shitty review. Practice your mediocre verbal abuse skills somewhere else.You obviously don't care for this style of metalcore, as evident by your hate towards AA and MMF as well as CTC of course. I don't care for rap music, so I'm not gonna go fucking review Juicy J's latest piece of crap. I simply don't know how to enjoy rap music. My brain won't allow it. You clearly don't know how to enjoy this style of metalcore. Why the fuck are you reviewing this album? It's funny, I have both Asking Alexandria's "Stand Up And Scream", and Make Me Famous's "It's Now or Never" on my iTunes, and neither or those albums get played nearly as much as Capture the Crowns "Til Death" does, so you can fuck off with your "Til Death is identical" crap.
ReplyDeleteYour shitty review would be like me saying "I'm an art critic, and the Mona Lisa is a piece of shit." and then proceeding to state non-objective reasons why the Mona Lisa is shit. You're just embarrassing yourself here, as are all people who write negative reviews for music thinking their opinion means jack shit. CTC are very talented, and they intended to compose the album EXACTLY the way it is. It's only "god-awful" because you don't care for the album; not due to any incompetence on their part. Learn the difference.
0/10
That's my rating for your review, sir. You can fuck off now.
Contrary to what you may believe, I used to be a big fan of this style of music. I used to be a huge Asking Alexandria fan, so I do know how to enjoy this style of metalcore. My tastes have shifted away from this style of music a bit over the past several years, but I hold no animosity towards these bands nor towards people that enjoy their music. This is obviously going to be an opinionated article because it is a review of a piece of music, which is an almost entirely subjective topic. As you said, you don't like Juicy J, but some people do. Is anyone in the wrong in that scenario?
ReplyDeleteI would thank you for reading, but, given all of these insults you have leveled at me based off of a very brief, four-paragraph review, I'm not sure your readership is all that valuable. A difference of opinion is inevitable, but your overly-aggressive personal attacks and profanity are not necessary and ultimately detract any weight your argument may have had in the first place.
What I'm saying is, if you just involuntarily happened to 'fancy' this style of metalcore, your review/rating would be much higher, despite whatever your apparent standards for music are (supposedly demonstrated in this review). I don't know why people even bother posting a review about something if it's going to be negative... Why not just let the album go untouched; it's shit right? Why even dignify the album with an intellectual response? I bet (know) I could take a particular album/band you have on YOUR iPod, and write a review held to ANY set of relatively similar standards, and make the album out to be garbage. In the end, it would just be an insult to those who actually enjoy whatever it is that I'm about to take my pity out on. I'm at least glad you recognize that it's subjective, but really, I'm tired of people thinking that just because they listen to Breakdown of Sanity and Periphery, or Dillinger Escape Plan or some standout 'complex' band that they have to automatically affirm any album/band more famous and less 'complicated' than their favorite bands are trash. Even subjectively.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, it's the fact that despite even knowing it's subjective, going out of ones way to not-so-subtly put down a band, in something as 'explicit' as an entire four paragraph review, makes it all the more foolish. I'm sorry that people are more blunt over the internet. I've adjusted to it myself.
No Steven, that is crap. This is a terrible album. Furthermore: this isn't metalcore. Not even close. There is nothing 'Metal' about it, and definitely nothing 'core'. This is just some generic screamo/punk, and has nothing to do with the genre. I think this review is an apt analysis of the album.
ReplyDelete