Review Summary: If only there were a 2.75 rating...
The Word Alive is a band that come from Phoenix, Arizona, forming in 2008. They dropped an EP in 2009, and a respectable debut titled "Deceiver." In that debut album, they had shown us what they were capable of creating. With a few hit-or-miss songs, Deceiver had shown us how talented The Word Alive's members are. In the few months prior to Life Cycles release, Tyler "Telle" Smith would keep tweeting how Life Cycles would become album of the year, pretty much building up his fans. And so soon thereafter, The Word Alive dropped their first single: "Entirety." You could tell they were going for emotion in this song, but it resembles "You're All I See" from Deceiver in a way. And then later on they dropped their second single: "Life Cycles", and then the album dropped. This is where the review begins...
After hearing Life Cycles (song) you could just tell what kind of album you would be hearing when the album dropped. Simple lyrics that might hit it for some people ("I'd rather die for what I believe than live a life without meaning"?), but for the rest of us we can hear the mediocrity. The album opens with Dragon Spell which paves the way for the rest of the album essentially. A lot of chugs, over used synth that doesn't belong, and screams that almost seem forced. I will say I like the distortion they used on their guitars for the album, but unfortunately distortion can't carry the weight of the flaws on the album. And catchy songs can't carry it either. Wishmaster is one of those catchy songs. Opening with a guitar tuning very low, it leads directly into chugs that seem a little too brutal. But the recycled lyrics, TOO much synth and the lack of Zack Hansen's amazing guitar riffs, the song is just another catchy song without any real talent or passion.
Passion. This album is without it unfortunately. I believe the band relied too much on what made a song sound over produced, not talent. I'm talking about synth. Did you hear the beginning to "For Your Health"? And the breakdowns are very generic, along with the lyrics. The speed and ferocity in "Bar Fight" is misleading. You can really get into how quick the double bass is in it near the beginning, but then the rest of the song just shows how they can make a song sound mediocre. "Evolution" is one of the few tolerable songs on this album. With riffs that explode out of nowhere, and the brutality that follows along with that creative chorus, it almost makes you think "Perhaps the rest of this album won't be so average!" That thought will be pummeled in the following songs, however. With synth that could have been easily replaced with guitar riffs that the band used to jam, Tyler's forced vocals and lackluster drums, this album is just average, "Room 126" being the exception.
Also, did anyone hear their bonus song "The Conscience"? The beginning of that song is what the whole entire should sound like if you know what I mean.
Recommended songs:
Wishmaster
Evolution
Room 126
Ambitionary
