Pillar
The Reckoning


3.5
great

Review

by Emim USER (9 Reviews)
February 24th, 2012 | 66 replies


Release Date: 2006 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Pillar's brief bout with originality

WARNING: ANECDOTE AHEAD

I had first heard of Pillar through ads for Battlecry, a Christian tour of sorts that was a three day event with a bunch of motivational speakers and bands. I remember being hooked immediately by “Frontline”, an anthem that spoke to the somewhat militaristic tendencies and parallels of Battlecry. At the time, my foray into music didn’t go much farther than the radio and Wow Hits CDs (anyone remember those?), and the crunchy guitars, driving riff and catchy chorus spoke to a type of music I hadn’t explored before. Needless to say, I thought songs like “Bring Me Down” and “Staring Back” were the pinnacle of heavy music, and they provided a crucial stepping stone into later, heavier bands. Sadly, much of Pillar’s music hasn’t been able to catch up with my progression, and their earlier music now just sounds dated and immature. The Reckoning sought to change that, and surprisingly it succeeded in many areas.

Pillar has never been a band interested in pushing conventions in music, and their fans have always been fine with that. From their nu-metal leanings on Fireproof to the more straight forward hard rock on Hypnotize, their sound has been derivative and formulaic. Vocalist Rob Beckley is a capable singer, if not somewhat generic, being comfortable in the nu-metal standards of rapping and screaming. Guitarist Noah Henson follows much of the same pattern; he’s not a brilliant guitarist, but he fits the music and aesthetic well, with a few catchy riffs and memorable leads here and there. In the rhythm section, bass player “Kalel” plays his mainstream role to the letter. He never really shines or does anything more than support the aural low-end. Drummer Lester Estelle is easily the most talented of the group, however, and lets his gospel chops shine through consistently. He’s always present in the mix, but never overpowers it, striking a nice balance with the rest of the band. It’s a fairly simple recipe, and Pillar has always been able to stick with it.

The most immediately apparent change in The Reckoning comes with the opener “Everything”. In the guitar especially, there is a distinctive southern rock flair – think Disciple meets Chevelle. This sound permeates mainly just the heavier songs, and is the main focus of the title track. While it is refreshing to hear a new angle introduced to a stale norm, one can’t help but wonder if it was truly a product of their heritage, or if it was another case of simple trend-hopping with the likes of Disciple and The Showdown. In any case, this new-found southern rock leads to some of Noah’s best guitar work. Most all his riffs are memorable, and he isn’t afraid to make them jam every now and again, or even throw in a solo or two. The band as a whole seems to have taken a step back and actually put some effort into the music. Rob sounds dedicated to the songs, and gives an emotional performance most every time, pushing his singing like he hasn’t in the past. This makes album highlights “Awake” and “Chasing Shadows at Midnight” shine all the more. Both are more mid-tempo and make good use of dynamics, never making the verses simple preludes to a chorus, nor providing a lackluster crescendo.

The main issue with The Reckoning, is that for all its expounded aspects and refined songwriting, it ultimately comes across as a disjointed effort. Songs like the borderline metal “Crossfire” and “Tragedy” sound like they should be on entirely different albums from the likes of the ballad “Angel in Disguise” or the almost pop-punk stylings of “Sometimes”. The flow of the album just doesn’t work well outside of the first few tracks, making it seem all too top-heavy, though many of the best tracks actually occur in the latter half. In addition to this, Rob’s voice hasn’t aged incredibly well. His voice is certainly still serviceable, but many of his screams come off forced and hoarse. This would be a trend that continued well in For the Love of the Game, and sometimes gives the impression of a grown man trying a little too hard to fit into the scene of his youth. Overall, however, The Reckoning is definitely the crowning moment in Pillar’s discography. They still clung a little too stubbornly to some of the conventions of their past work, but all in all managed to create an album that could appeal their fans (even if modern rock Christian kids aren’t terribly hard to please) while giving the band much needed room to grow and improve. It’s too bad that they never went back to experimentation and instead fell back into their old ways and stagnant hard rock. Oh well, the kiddies will still buy it and I’ll still sneak a listen when no one’s around and my last.fm is logged out…

Album highlights:
Everything
Awake
Crossfire
Chasing Shadows at Midnight



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user ratings (91)
2.8
good


Comments:Add a Comment 
Emim
February 24th 2012


36054 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

review was way rushed and not my best, but i just really wanted to write man



anyways, tell me how much i suck itt

bloc
February 24th 2012


70683 Comments


OMG AN EMIM REVIEW

MO
February 24th 2012


24113 Comments


^^^

Emim
February 24th 2012


36054 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I should be good for about another 2 years before I need to post another one.

pizzamachine
February 24th 2012


27668 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

This album rocks hard, I still play it in my car sometimes hehheh. Definitely Pillar's best. Good review.



Wow Hits CDs (anyone remember those?)



I thought I was the only one! :O

Maniac!
February 24th 2012


28551 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

This was my jam 4 years ago

Emim
February 24th 2012


36054 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I thought I was the only one! :O




lol, I still buy those every now and again...



This was my jam 4 years ago




Yeah, that's about right. I'm surprised I never wore out the CD.

Maniac!
February 24th 2012


28551 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

I've seen them live, they were decent.

Emim
February 24th 2012


36054 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

They headlined that first Battlecry tour and were really awkward. Honestly Casting Crowns is one of the best bands I've ever seen live.

Island
February 24th 2012


577 Comments


Emim this may be one of my last comments. Review was good didnt read it

Rip. Island 4eva

KjSwantko
February 24th 2012


12204 Comments


look at that bell curve, it's fuckin perfect

heyadam
February 25th 2012


4430 Comments


I used to love this album. I haven't listened to Pillar in so long

tiesthatbind
February 25th 2012


7441 Comments


You see, you're good at this reviewing thing. You need to do it more often.

bloc
February 25th 2012


70683 Comments


^lol good one

Recspecs
February 25th 2012


9911 Comments


Hahaha WOW CD's lol. Ahh the pains and joys of being raised in a Christian home.

Emim
February 25th 2012


36054 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

You see, you're good at this reviewing thing. You need to do it more often.




Lol, thanks man. And don't be hating, bloc. You KNOW you want to write a review now.

tiesthatbind
February 25th 2012


7441 Comments


He just doesn't have time in between listening to 300 ALBUMS PER DAY

AuntMillie
February 25th 2012


45 Comments


with work, women, and worship who has time to do anything?

Emim
February 25th 2012


36054 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

He just doesn't have time in between listening to 300 ALBUMS PER DAY




I don't see how that's possible, unless he's like a zen master with two different ear buds and ambient music in the back ground.

tiesthatbind
February 25th 2012


7441 Comments


He just puts on a pair of intersect glasses and all musical knowledge is downloaded into his brain.



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