Review Summary: Chiodos has grown up quite a bit, it seems.
I really didn’t want to like
Chiodos's latest effort,
Bone Palace Ballet. After all, apart from a few songs, I had no problem disliking
All’s Well That Ends Well. It seems, between then and now, that
Chiodos has gone through quite a bit of growing up, and this record certainly shows it.
The first thing that sets
Bone Palace Ballet apart from previous releases is, fittingly, the first thing you hear when you pop in the cd. Craig Owens’s voice has matured quite a bit, while still not for everybody. It is quite high and will occasionally go out of tune as he leaves his accustomed range. The next thing you may notice about this record is the enhanced guitar tone. Gone are the scratchy, trebly tones of ere, replaced by a warmer, more inviting sound.
While Craig Owens may have become a much more able singer, the man most certainly cannot produce harsh vocals. At times, most notably the intro to
Teeth the Size of Piano Keys, he attempts to scream and ends up sounding like he is drowning. Another noticeable vocal flaw is If
I Cut My Hair, Hawaii Will Sink, which goes overboard on the screechy clean vocals and, well, screechy screaming.
A noticeable improvement over previous attempts is the keyboard work. Many times, the keyboard creates a brilliant atmosphere, most notable the intro of
Lexington. The more prominent keyboard usage is a double edged sword, however. When the keyboard plays a solitary piano line, it generally adds to the song, whereas when the keyboard and guitar attempt a sort of interplay, it comes off forced, like in the beginning of
Teeth the Size of Piano Keys.
One thing I haven’t weighed in on thus far is the rhythm section. Chiodos features an above average drummer for their genre, crafting numerous engaging beats and little fills that serve as segues between verses and choruses. The bass, however, was nonexistent until I turned the bass way up, but even then I mostly copied the root of the guitars.
Probably the largest improvement to be found in Bone Palace Ballet is the knack for creating catchy choruses and melodies that draw the listener in. One such example is the chorus of
Lexington, where Craig makes good use of his high voice, and somewhat large range. Another prime example of a well executed chorus is the one found in
A Letter from Janelle, though it is repeated a few too many times throughout the song for my liking.
The last facet of Chiodos’s sound worth mentioning is their use of abstract themes in their music. One of my favorite points in the record it the chorus of
Teeth the Size of Piano Keys, where a polka melody is played. One other song worth mentioning is
I Didn’t Say I Was Powerful, I Said I Was a Wizard, which pulls off a spectacular acoustic feel, albeit with piano thrown in for good measure.
Even if you, like me, didn’t see much that you liked in
All’s Well That Ends Well, you may want to check this out. It’s a more mature release from a band that still seems to be finding its sound. Many of the songs contain wonderful choruses and catchy, memorable melodies, and though the technical side of the music isn’t a huge breakthrough, it is still engaging. All in all this is a thoroughly enjoyable batch of songs from a band that will (hopefully) only get better with time.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Recommended Tracks:
- Is it a Progression If a Cannibal Uses a Fork?
- Bulls Make Money, Bears Make Money, Pigs Get Slaughtered
- Lexington.
- Teeth The Size Of Piano Keys
