I am reviewing He Is Legends debut album “I Am Hollywood”, and to me it seemed to really stand out from their E.P. “91025” which showed a lot of the potential and skill the band we’re capable of. They showed they knew how to lay down intricate guitar work with a very competent use of bass. The vocals remain mainly unchanged in style, but there is definitely more singing on the album. Personally I think this was a good improvement as Schuylar’s singing voice is very good, but they still manage to get nicely pronounced screams in there. This album is just full of great use of all their different aspects, guitars going together nicely, and great use of bass and drum fills, and excellent use of vocals, even if they lyrics are lacking in places, sometimes just repeating the same line over and over.
The Seduction 8/10
This is one of my favourite songs on the album and is the first song to be released by the band. It’s a very upbeat song, with very catchy riffs and choruses. Here’s the first example of where the lyrics lack as he repeats “You know you want it” again and again, it’s effective but eventually starts to drag on the song the more you listen to it. The verses are broken up nicely however after the first chorus, as they “break it down”. They don’t overplay the main riff and use some variety which I think makes this song enjoyable to listen to so much. The interlude after the next chorus is nicely placed too, with a very good bass line underlying it. The bass mainly follows the guitar for this song but here it breaks away on its own for a bit, which can be seen elsewhere in the album. Only problem with this song is that you will get bored of it fairly quickly.
Eating A Book 7/10
This is another upbeat song, but has a slightly “rock” edge to it. I can’t help but be reminded of School Of Rock when I listen to the intro. The verses are quite stuttery and broken up at first but they flow smoothly into the chorus which is my favourite part of this song, it seems very well put together. The interlude fits in perfectly as well, with a nice build up to a good breakout where you see another example of the vocals repeating themselves. It’s a very well put together song but the last chorus gets tedious and brings the song down slightly. It’s not a stand out song on the album but it’s worth listening to.
The Creature Walks 10/10
This is my personal favourite on the album just because of the amazing use of bass. The main bass riff is perfect and fits the song so well, and just stands out completely. It’s mainly a show off song for the bass but seems to stand out from the album quite a lot. It’s all quite slow in comparison to the previous two songs, and picks up slightly in the chorus. After the second chorus though it picks up a lot more before slowing right down again. After a short build up you get possibly the best 2 seconds on the album as the guitar does a short solo followed by a short bass solo, only about a second long but the use of it is just amazing. The way it’s followed by a slap bass interlude just tops the song off with the final chorus being well placed instead of repetitive. Simply amazing song.
The Greatest Actor Alive 8/10
After the last song the bass still somehow manages to sound impressive, underlying the guitar very well. The verse is very basic chord progressions, but it’s fast pace makes up for it and the chorus is very well done, but the “do do dodo do” in the vocals just fit so well. It has another interlude followed by a heavier bit, where the vocals show off more of their deeper screams, but the outro seems quite hectic and finishes quite suddenly. This song is pretty basic but still seems to stand out quite a bit, but is quite an easy song to get bored with quickly.
China White 9/10
This is the interlude song, pretty slow most of the time and very mellowed out, it’s a nice, simple song to just listen to and enjoy. It never picks up the pace too much and the long interlude displays some amazing use of bass again with a nice build up to a powerful outro. I like the screaming at the end a lot, but I think it did slightly ruin a very good interlude track. Apart from that it’s a very good song, well put together and it’s placement on the album is excellent.
…Best In Mexico 9/10
This song picks up the pace again after the slower track before it. Generally the bass is used very well again underlying the main guitar riffs and backing it up nicely. The verses are very well put together, with good use of vocals, a nice transition to chorus which is split into two it seems. It has a faster beginning with some harsher vocals it seems, but then it changes to a more melodic section with some great singing. There’s also a really good short build up to a solo which is vaguely reminiscent of one of their old songs “Scram, Toots” with a solo over the main riff. It works again here as an outro this time, ending the song very well. Another of my favourites on the album and hard to get bored of listening to it.
The Walls Have Teeth 5/10
A mellow start to this song, it’s put together pretty well but is my least favourite song on the album. The chorus seems a letdown where they ruin a good mellower song with some unnecessary screaming. This is where their usual vocal excellence fails. The outro though is very good in comparison where they use a lot of the same techniques they did on their E.P. which still makes the song worth listening to.
Do You Think I’m Pretty 9/10
This is a pretty simple song again, but it’s upbeat tempo and the way the verse and chorus blend together so well. It’s broken up by a heavy bit soon after and then comes a very long interlude with some great guitar work. This bit of the song is one of the highlights on the album to me. They’re doing something different from what you hear on the rest of the album and it breaks up the pattern nicely. It’s not that easy to get bored of listening to this song and is definitely one of the better songs on the album.
Dinner With A Gypsy 7/10
The intro and outro to this song are very mellow and laid back, great effects and use of bass, it’s put together so well. When it kicks in it doesn’t seem to be anything special but I think the vocals are excellent, and has some of the best screaming on the album. This song is a slow buildup and a slow anti-climax. The main section of the song though seems to let it down a fair bit however. It’s quite different again to the usual He Is Legend style however and has merit just for that. A nice song to just chill out to.
I Am Hollywood 10/10
The last song is also the one the albums named after and it lives up to it’s name perfectly. The hardest song on the album it has a lot more screaming and heavy sections but its structure is put together perfectly, with great time changes and complexity. It’s very fast paced and has a lot more energy to it, only matched by The Seduction I’d say. A great way to finish the album with a powerful outro and some amazing vocals. I find it impossible to get bored of this song and is my second favourite on the album. It’s the shortest song on the album however which is disappointing but none the less still manages to be amazing.
This album is absolutely amazing and definitely worth buying and listening to. It’s very hard to get bored of it and you’ll find yourself listening to it. It’s clear He Is Legend are very talented and are capable of showing that. I would give it 5/5 but it’s not quite a timeless classic. Definitely worth a listen though as it can be enjoyed by a lot of people.
