Review Summary: A good starter band for heavier music.
Every music listener has to start somewhere. Whether you started at a young age with music your parents enjoyed, or whether it took you awhile to develop your love for the notes, everyone has those one or two albums that started them on the path they currently tread. Some people were influenced by artists like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, while others were invigorated by more modern fare such as Linkin Park and Good Charlotte. Either way this album, or albums made a difference in the way you perceive music.
After my initial foray into screaming music with
They're Only Chasing Safety, and my introduction to metalcore with
Burning Bridges, my next real album I delved into was Dead Poetic's
New Medicines. Combining both screamed and sung vocals, along with melodic, yet heavy guitars, and average drum work, Dead Poetic delivers a bit more of a punch then say TOCS, but still keeps the melodic side intact.
Taste the Red Hands starts things off toward the heavy side. This may throw off some listeners as this is one of the heaviest songs on the album, and may give a negative perception, or a positive one, depending on what you want out of
New Medicines. As the album progresses, the listener sees Dead Poetic firing on all cylinders as songs like The Dream Club Murders and Dimmer Light showcase the band's ability to write melodic songs and the singers good, but not great, singing ability. Tracks like Molotov and Hostages show the band's heavier side, although these songs are not noticeably heavier as much of the album tends to blur this line between melody and harshness.
The instrumentation on
New Medicines is nothing to write home to mother about, but this is not what drives the band. The guitarists are decent, throwing in a catchy lead line every once in a while, like on Modern Morbid Prophecies, over the usual standard rhythm work. The drumming and bass provide a nice backing to the guitars and vocals, although neither is outstanding when viewed among their peers The vocals are the highlight of this album. Although the harsh vocals are not amazing, they provide a nice contrast to the singer's good clean vocals. Although he may not have the range of Cedric of TMV, the vocalist gives enough range to provide an interesting listen.
So if their musical talent isn't amazing, then what does this band bring? Dead Poetic brings a knack for writing catchy songs. Try listening to New Medicines or Bury the Difference without having some line stuck in your head the rest of the day. Although this is not a necessary album you need to own, it is a very good album to start with if you are just getting into heavier music.
