3 - The End is Begun
Rating
RIYL
Coheed & CambriaMegadeth
Damiera
Gruvis Malt
Tracklist
1. The Word Is Born of Flame2. The End Is Begun
3. Battle Cry
4. All That Remains
5. My Divided Falling
6. Serpents in Disguise
7. Been to the Future
8. Bleeding Me Home
9. Live Entertainment
10. Diamond in the Crush
11. Shadow Play
12. These Iron Bones
13. The Last Day
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For those unfamiliar with the band, 3 are a progressive metal band in the vein of Coheed & Cambria, or even Rush, with a penchant for the Motown funk somewhat analogous with Maroon 5. Their newest effort, The End Is Begun, continues an extensive collection of albums out now dealing with apocalyptic scenarios or the extinction of times as we know it. It would stand to reason that a band who playfully mingles funky beats and Prince-envious falsettos with their dose of metallic chops would be a breath of fresh air to the saturated pack, but this disc falls short of one’s expectations.
The album starts off well enough with the steady build of “The Word Is Born of Flame” into the war rally march that is “The End Is Begun”. In this second song, the very thing that makes this band unique to its genre is that which sounds the most out of place as Joey Eppard delivers the title line with a falsetto that betrays the rest of the song’s mood. This occurrence is the first point at which things begin to feel “off”. It’s rather hard to finger one specific difference, but a summation is that the album feels less genuine despite its occasional moments of splendor.
Whereas the previous album, Wake Pig, was full of prog-metal cliché riffs, it still managed to entertain and feel like they made it their own. The End Is Begun finds the band sounding more like a band trying to cover themselves. Early tracks feature the pounding double-bass, dramatic keys for ambiance, and shredding guitar you’ve come to expect from the genre, but all without the same level of enjoyment previously incurred. Unfortunately, the latter portion of the album performs at a lower level of aptitude than the first half as the songs take on a mundane quality. Many of the songs found in the back half feature the ghostly tones that worked well for the aforementioned previous album, but don’t salvage the uneventful tracks they’re attached to. Even the stylistic shift found in the Motley Crue sound-alike that is “Diamond in the Crush” just feels somewhat bland and uninspired. A disc that aims to reach for the grandeur of a “war of all wars” type album should not suffer from so little variation and such a lack of force or drama.
The complaints are not to say the album is without value or unworthy of a listen, but that it doesn’t have the staying power you’d expect this far into the bands career. There are still definitely some spots on the album where the band reminds us of their capabilities; the solo work on “All That Remains” feels like they watched a few Brian May tutorials while “Serpents in Disguise” features some of the catchiest vocal/guitar work on the disc. Pulling the weight of the second half of the album, “These Iron Bones” sports some grand anthem stylized riffs and vocals to offer a break from the monotony. Ultimately, 3 remain a talented band which will surely release more quality work in the future, but this album just doesn’t showcase the band’s writing talents at their finest.
--Jeremy Deal
Comments
New Jersey
when i see it in your eyes
i just want to go blind
"These are our lives, but did they ever even matter - are we worth remembering?"
- "Tip The Scales"
Rise Against
Fishers, Indiana
I enjoy a lot of the material on here, but I do believe that rating of 3 is justified. Not nearly as impressive as any of the older stuff. I wasn't struck with a "Wow, this is so different than everything else, and its good!" Just... "Oh, its 3."
Top Albums: 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
PA
Music Blog.
Depths blog. (my band)
New Jersey
Took me a while, too. I hated them when I first saw them live. I recommend trying out Half Life if you haven't already heard it.
when i see it in your eyes
i just want to go blind
Austin
The Daily Galaxy
An elephant that never forgets...to kill!
I hope so... I'd like for this to be one of those albums that I regret the score months later.
"These are our lives, but did they ever even matter - are we worth remembering?"
- "Tip The Scales"
Rise Against
West Haven, CT
^Yes.
The Cityscape Burns Brighter By The Hour.
Colorado
Haha... You need to change the myspace link to the "band."