ROCK AND ROLL TAKEOVER

New Site

2005-08-19T17:03:47Z

were not going to use this site anymore for the reviews but there will still be a site..the new URL is http://wereallthieves.blogspot.com/
check us out over there and leave comments

new review

2005-07-29T19:09:10Z

It's been awhile since we've added anything here. anyway here is my review for Fight Paris-Paradise Found

Fight Paris-Paradise Found
TrustKill Records 2005
4.5/10

What do you get when you mix the sex, drugs and rock n roll attitude of 80s hair metal with Every Time I Die? You get Fight Paris. And their debut record off of Trustkill Records is a pretty fun CD to listen to at first. This whole record revolves around partying, sex, drugs and more sex. There is even a porn sample at the end of one song with a chick moaning and all that good stuff.

The music itself is rock n roll with a hardcore twist. There are a lot of guitar solos and the music is pretty catchy. The vocals are almost identical to Keith Buckley’s from the band Every Time I Die. Fight Paris is almost kind of like Every Times I Die’s little brother, almost. One thing I can’t stand about this CD is the lyrics. They are some of the worst lyrics I have ever heard. It sounds like a 9th grader trying to write lyrics for his nu-metal band or something; for instance (“Get ready bitches were about to blow your fuckin mind” “and that trick that she does with her tongue, yea I taught her that one” “I sold my soul for rock n roll cause I just couldn’t say no”). You can tell very little thought went into writing these lyrics, if any at all. A lot of the verses are composed of very weak and simple rhyming.

The first time I listened to this CD I thought it was pretty good, or decent at best. The more I listen to it the less I like it. I’m pretty sure this band doesn’t take themselves seriously, or at least I hope they don’t. If you like Every Time I Die you might like these guys but only for a while. If you want a serious CD don’t even think about picking this up. I would recommend downloading a few songs first and listening to them a lot before buying this and see if you like it. This is a good party CD or something to listen to every once in a while when you want some fun music that isn’t necessarily serious.

Two reviews in one night.. sweet nectar

2005-07-14T06:22:14Z

Here is my (travis) review for An Angle-We Can Breathe Under Alcohol

An Angle-We Can Breathe Under Alcohol
Drive Thru Records 2005
5.7/10

An Angle is just like the oh so lovable Bright Eyes…only not as good…actually not nearly as good. I guess I could stop the review there but I feel obligated to give it a full review.

The CD starts with an upbeat little tune called Green Water. The song starts with the lyrics “the music career is killing my liver”. I guess you could tell by the album title or maybe the song titles but if that isn’t enough for you, there are a lot of alcohol references in this CD (another Bright Eyes similarity). Kris Anaya’s voice is lazy and often whiney. There are times when he tries to put emotion into his music but it rarely adds anything to the song. What Anaya lacks in emotion and vocal skill he makes up for in some decent lyrics. Now don’t get me wrong, not all the lyrics are good and most of them are repetitive and about alcohol, which can get boring. He also blurts out “fuck the indie music scene” is a couple of songs. But like I was saying some of the lyrics are pretty good such as “I wanna live a better life, I gotta give these eyes a sight to see”. Angry Drunk is one of the better songs with some enjoyable guitar work and heartfelt lyrics but once again Anaya’s lazy and emotionless voice makes it hard to feel the lyrics. An Angle blatantly rips off Bright Eyes a lot in this CD. I’m not going to go through and name every single one because that would be ridiculous, but one song really stands out to me. If anyone has ever heard the song “Lets Not Shit Ourselves” from Bright Eyes they will know what I’m talking about when I say “Change the World” steals straight from the fore mentioned song with his attack at the media and other political issues. Anaya sings “No more war, yea no more war no more FCC, or NBC, or CBS, or ABC, and no more NRA, or the CIA, or the fast food nation, or gas price inflations”. Ok so it’s obvious by now that An Angle rips off Bright eyes and I’m done talking about it. Along side with some pretty decent-heartfelt lyrics, An Angle makes some really enjoyable music. The last song on the CD “St Augustine” starts off and consists of an acoustic guitar and just Kris singing. The chorus of this song is pretty annoying with hand claps and a group singing “la la la la…” but the verses of the song offer nice lyrics are they are pretty well sung.

Overall, for what it’s worth this CD isn’t THAT bad. And while it may rip off Bright Eyes, An Angle makes enjoyable acoustic indie music. If you want something to hold you over until the next Bright Eyes CD, or maybe you just want a record that offers an acoustic guitar and nice sing alongs you might want to check this release out. I do recommend downloading a song or two first. An Angle shows potential and maybe their next release won’t have so much of a Bright Eyes feel to it and they can start to find their own sound.

peters review for the academy is... almost here revie

2005-07-14T03:58:50Z

The Academy Is…
Almost Here
Fueled by Ramen
February 8 2005
10/10

The Academy Is… is a band that formed under unusual circumstances William Beckett and Mike Carden ( the two driving forces behind the band) grew up as rivals in different from the local Chicago scene however as both bands started to crumble, Beckett and Carden started talking and The Academy Is.. was born. After the lineup was solidified they band recorded their debut EP on local Chicago label LLR Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz listened and convinced Fueled by Ramen to fly to Chicago and listen to them. FBR was sold and signed The Academy Is.

Almost Here is a commentary on the recording of record and just growing up in general. At times sounding very bitter but other times sounding sweet. The blend of cynical and sarcastic to sweet and heartfelt lyrics combines to make a near perfect combination. Musically almost here is mostly lighthearted guitar however there are a couple track where the guitar takes on an almost ominous sound. My favorite songs would have to be Slow Down which has some of the most honest heartfelt lyrics I’ve heard recently. Black Mamba is an incredible blend of cynicism and poetry this is one my favorite songs right now period. This song has the line that sums up the whole album “I’m sick and tired of waiting sick of this fucking apartment” not many vocalist could sing that line without making it sound a bit corny however William Beckett pulls it off with utmost sincerity. Down and out is my favorite song in the album it’s a chronology of growing up and leaving friends behind this song is utterly moving and emotional hands down the best track on the album. The Academy Is… has created a record that is both catchy and meaningful a near perfect combination.

Key tracks (I’m listing more then I described because all the songs are that good and I was to lazy to describe them all or I just haven’t figured out what they’re all about yet)

Season
Slow Down
The Phrase That Pays
Black Mamba
Classifieds
Checkmarks
Down

the fuckin legend

2005-07-09T06:27:13Z

we have a new reviewer. arnell fuckin limberry the god damn legend. here is his first review for straylight runs debut self titled cd

Straylight Run- Straylight Run
Victory Records 2004
8.7/10

Not often does a good spinoff band come around, and Taking Back Sunday was one of those few, I'm sure we'd all agree( well, I'm giving the review, so whats it matter what you think?). What's even rarer is for a spinoff of a spinoff band come around. Odd? Yes. Pretty damn cool? Quite! So let us discuss the bella musica that is John Nolan's newest musical endevor- Straylight Run.

So, for a short description, think TBS meets Ben Folds meets some chick, because there is a chick in this _ male quartet. The lovely lady happens to be lead singer/pianist/lead guitarist's sister Michelle Nolan. With the former bassist of TBS and the drummer from breaking pangeaea, this formiddible foursome is striking the scene with a sound that is mostly chill, but with some amazingly dynamic bridges and choruses. Trust me, this cd will definetly make you want to step back and take a look at the world. You'll definetly be enthralled by the awesome-ass piano parts, because they catch your attention as soon as you pop it in. One specific song with a particularly upbeat and interesting piano is “Tool Sheds and Hot Tubs”, especially when you notice the neat little synthesizers weaving in harmony with Michelle's beautiful voice. There's just something about hearing a women sing that can put the type of spin on a song that a dude never could, such as in “Now it's Done”.

The key single from the album is “ Existentialism on Prom Night”, and in true emo fashion, it'll inspire thousands of little girls who wear horn-rimmed shake their hair up, throw on a track jacket, and use words like “existentialism” ( or Prom Night, for that matter) as if they know what they mean. If you want to do yourself a favor, buy this album. Or be a true American and totally pirate that shit. Either way, put some SR in your iPod( ya rich fucks)

Key Tracks- Existentialism on Prom Night
Now it's Done
Mistakes We knew we were making

news about southcott

2005-07-07T02:55:13Z

southcott has announced that theyve signed to less avenged records which is awesome news theyre touring the east coast all summer long so if your fourtunate enough to live on the east coast GO CHECK THEM OUT theyre recording their first full length some time this fall so expect a review from me or travis closer to the release date

Agony Scene Review

2005-07-05T04:53:39Z

Check out my new review for
The Agony Scene-The Darkest Red
Roadrunner Records (2005)
8.5/10

The metal core scene is getting extremely mundane lately. Thankfully The Agony Scene has released a really good record…actually this isn’t just a good record; this record literally kicks your ass. The songs are extremely brutal and you can feel Mike Williams’s emotion aka anger on every single song. As the CD goes on, the more brutal the songs get.

The CD begins with a prelude and kicks right into the title track which starts off with some amazing double bass. One of my favorite songs is “Prey” which is also their first single. This song actually has some singing in it and for a metal band the voice isn’t THAT bad. This isn’t the only song with singing on it though; a couple other ones have clean vocals including “My Dark Desire”. One thing I don’t like about this CD is the lyrics aren’t very good. Typically metal bands don’t have very good lyrics anyway so this is expected.

The musicianship on this CD is nothing less than amazing. The guitarist shred their hearts out. There are even a few good breakdowns in throughout the record. The drummer sounds like he’s shooting a machine gun most the time, not playing drums. The Agony Scene definatly know how to play their instruments and they do so like it’s the last song they will ever play.

The CD ends with the most brutal song on the whole record “Forever Abandoned” which is also my favorite. They couldn’t have picked a better song to end a record with, since it is the heaviest and it really sums up the record as a whole. The Agony Scene aren’t going to save music but this CD is deffinatly a breath of a fresh air in a scene where everything is starting to sound alike. I would recommend “The Darkest Red” to any fan of heavy music.

Stand Out Tracks:
Prey
Suffer
My Dark Desire
Forever Abandoned

Everyone should do this

2005-07-02T19:03:59Z

http://www.absolutepunk.net are selling arm bands to support Leukemia. If you didnt already know, Andrew McMahon has Acute Lymphatic Leukemia. The bands are 5$ and all profits go to a charity of Andrews choice. Here is the link if anyone is interested. http://www.absolutepunk.net/andrew

New Review Added

2005-06-30T04:44:31Z

Here is Peters review for

Underoath
The Changing of Times
February 22 2002
Solid State Records
6.8/10
This 6 piece Florida band forged their own unique sound in the music world with the release of their first full length (Changing of Times). This record is right on the line between hardcore and metal Anyway about the actual songs; the opening track When the Sun Sleeps is epic, this was the first underoath song I ever heard and was hooked on them from one five minute song. The opening track doesn't sound too much like the rest of the album. After the stellar opening track the album drifts into the short but hard hitting Letting go of Tonight which sets the tone for the rest of the album. A Message for Adrienne adds a touch of metal to the album at times it sounds a bit too metalish but its one of my favorite tracks on the CD. The title track blends a slowly built up intro into an awesome mix of screamed and sung lyrics and slowly winds into a break down if you could call it. that The album as a whole packs a number of awesome guitar hooks that coupled with Dallas Taylors intensely emotional screams makes for an awesome hardcore/metal album. However occasionally the record seems to bleed together into one long track but other then that this CD is solid and I recommend it for any fan of hardcore.

Key Tracks- When the Sun Sleeps
A Message for Adrienne
Never Meant to Break Your Heart
The Changing of Times

This Makes Me Happy

2005-06-27T15:46:14Z

from Cursives website...

HIBERNATION ALMOST OVER
We are nearing the end of our much needed time off. We plan to continue writing starting in late August and through the Fall with the hopes of releasing a new record in 2006.

Another Review

2005-06-26T05:39:09Z

Here is my review for
Saosin-Translating the Name EP
9.7/10
Death Do Us Part
2003

Saosin is a band that has been through a few line up changes after this release. Translating the Name has all the original members including Anthony Green who is now the vocalist for the band Circa Survive and The Sound of Animals Fighting. The musicians I talk about in this review are the ones who played on this record not who are in the band now. Saosin comprises of Beau Burchell who also produces the record. He used to play guitar in the band Open Hand but he left the band to start something with a little more rock. He got together with his friend from the band As Hope Dies, Justin Shekoski and started looking for other musicians to play with them. They came across Anthony Green through the drummer from Days Away and Green moved from Philly to California to sing for Saosin. Translating the Name was recorded before the band ever played a live show.

This band is essentially grouped with the whole “screamo” scene but there is something different and refreshing about this band. From the extremely catchy chorus in the opener “Seven Years” to the incredible lyrics in the last song “They Perched on Their Stilts, Pointing and Daring Me to Break Custom” this EP isn’t far from perfect. Anthony Greens vocals are unique but not in a bad way, he is actually one of my favorite vocalist. The guitar playing on this CD is very well done. Saosin does a good job mixing hardcore and punk. While this EP is only 5 songs long, you can listen to it over and over and it doesn’t get annoying. Each song sounds different than the last and each musician knows exactly what they are doing, you wont find any sub par musicianship on this CD. The lyrics that Anthony Green writes are amazing. Some of my favorite lines include “I see a blank notebook page and it's my life and there is nothing I can think to write” from They Perched… and “I once saw many places, I promised the world and a dozen roses” from the song Translating the Name. As for the negatives to this CD, I can’t really think of any other than it is only 5 songs long.

Stand Out Tracks:
The whole EP

New Review Added

2005-06-26T04:43:38Z

Here is Peters Review for

Circa Survive
Juturna
Equal Vision Records
April 19th 2005
9.5/10

Before I even start this review I'll say that this CD kicks so much ass it's unbelievable. If you don't have it go buy it before you finish reading this because I'm just going to kiss Circa Survive's collective ass for the next page or so.

Circa Survive is a band that started under almost accidental circumstances. Their front-man Anthony Green was handling vocals for the California based band Saosin before forming Circa Survive with long time friend Colin Frangicetto. However as well as things were going with Saosin Green did not feel like it was clicking. He returned to his native Philly for surgery and met with Frangicetto and started talking about starting a band as Frangicetto's current band at the time (this day forward) was starting to come apart. When Green was scheduled to return to California he found he couldn't do it and flew back to Philly from his layover in Phoenix not even returning to California to get his stuff. Green and Frangicetto began to record material for Circa Survive and solidified the other members. The other members are Brendan Ekstrom guitarist who had played with Frangicetto in This Day Forward, Steve Clifford on drums and Nick Beard playing bass who had done the opposite of Green and relocated from California.

The group was quickly adopted by Equal Vision who had shown interest in them before they even had all the members. Their debut album Juturna is one of the best albums I have bought this year. Every song is solid and there are definitely no filler tracks. Ok before I sound like too much of a suck up I guess I need to have a few complaints. My only complaints are that occasionally the lyrics are a little stale(using the same line in 2 songs, and some of the lines are a little cliché sounding); however this doesn't make or break the record just because Greens voice is so good. The music on this CD is incredibly good because it is complex and isn't just a cool riff the music itself evokes thought upon listening to it. The key tracks on this album are Holding Someone's Hair Back because of its stingingly sarcastic lyrics (it's a surprise you haven't caught on yet; it's nothing personal you're an embarrassment). Act Appalled begins with an extremely catchy guitar intro and are some of Green's best lyrics on the album. Wish Resign has a somewhat eerie but very deep intro and is a very solid song. Oh, Hello is just a great rock song, nothing more, nothing less. The Great Golden Baby is a work of art in itself. This CD has earned my highest praise of any release this year. Most likely it will end up being my favorite of the year. Circa Survive has a great if not entirely unique musical sound but Anthony Green's vocals set this band ahead of many others.

Key Tracks-Holding Someone's Hair Back
Act Appalled
Wish Resign
The Glorious Nosebleed
The Great Golden Baby
Oh, Hello

My favorite band..

2005-06-25T21:18:38Z

Order Northstars Dvd "Uncomfortable Camera" on Interpunk
If you didn't already know they broke up so this will be their last release under the name Northstar

What is The Question?

2005-06-25T21:14:51Z

Here is the track listing for Emerys new cd "The Question". It will be released August 2nd

1. So Cold I Can See My Breath
2. Playing With Fire
3. Returning The Smile You Have Had From The Start
4. Studying Politics
5. Left With Alibis And Lying Eyes
6. Listening To Freddy Mercury
7. The Weakest
8. Miss Behavin'
9. In Between 4th And 2th Street
10. The Terrible Secret
11. A Lose, Lose Situation
12. In A Win, Win Situation

I had a nightmare of you

2005-06-25T20:43:03Z

Here is the track listing for the debut cd from Nightmare of You which will be released September 13th

1. The days go by oh so slow
2. Dear scene, I wish I were deaf
3. Thumbelina
4. My name is trouble
5. Why am I always right?
6. I want to be buried in your backyard
7. In the bathroom is where I want you
8. Ode to serotonin
9. Marry me
10. The studded cinctures
11. Heaven runs on oil

they are still alive..

2005-06-25T05:16:04Z

brand new have updated their website from a white page with a couple words on it to a white page with a picture and a message that says the new site will be up june 27th

New Number One Gun Song

2005-06-25T03:15:40Z

Number One Gun have a new song on their purevolume site. It is from their upcoming album "Promises For The Imperfect". Expect a review of the album when the release date is closer

FOB on TRL

2005-06-24T05:59:06Z

i would just like to congratulate Fall Out Boy on making it to number one on TRL. They definately worked hard and deserved it so congratulations

First 5 Reviews EVER

2005-06-24T05:04:10Z

Here are our first set of reviews.

Travis:
The Higher-Histrionics
8.8/10

The Higher are the type of band where as soon as you hear them you automatically love them. With only 1 EP under their belt, the Higher went into the studio in January of 2005 to record “Histrionics”. The word itself basically means over exaggerated emotion for added effect…or something like that.

Histrionics begins with the track “Diaries” which, after a short intro build up, catches your attention right away and showcases the lead singers amazing vocals. This is one of my favorite songs on the CD. The next track which is also the title track, made me fall in love with the vocals. It is a pretty simple song with one verse repeating twice. The song pretty much consists of a driving bass line and claps and of course singing. Another stand out track is “Prepare for Something Else” which is another pretty slow song with outstanding vocals. It is pretty obvious by now that I’m in love with this bands vocals but an amazing voice seems only average if it isn’t accompanied by good lyrics, and that’s exactly what The Higher have. Each song has great lyrics so it would be useless for me to pick a couple out because I would feel like I’m leaving something out. Another thing I like about this CD is that all of the songs are diverse and you can distinguish one song from the next.

There really isn’t anything wrong with this CD. My complaints are that a couple tracks could be viewed as filler to an average listener and sometimes the guitars don’t sound very clear. That’s about it for the negatives.

Overall, The Higher have released an almost flawless pop punk CD. Actually I wouldn’t really call it pop punk its much deeper than that but I’m having trouble with genres right now. This is a must have for a fan of any type of music. I could really see this band getting huge by time they release their next CD.

Stand Out Tracks:
Diaries
Histrionics
Lo
Prepare For Something Else
Gone With the Guillotine
By: Travis

Owen-I Do Perceive
9.3/10
Owen is the solo project Mike Kinsella who is most known for his works in the band American Football. In American Football Kinsella did most of the song writing, guitar playing and singing. In Owen, he does everything from drums to bass to singing it is all his work. I Do Perceive is Owens latest CD and they all pick up from where American Football left off. Most of the songs average around 5 and a half minutes and with only 8 songs the CD runs about 45 minutes.
I Do Perceive starts with the song “Who Found Who’s Hair in Who’s” and it is a very relaxing song. This song sets the tone for the rest of the CD. The next song “Note to Self” begins with a pretty long intro. With honest lyrics like “I don’t know what your looking for but I do know that you don’t like drinking alone” along with the song title, its pretty obvious what the song is about. One of my favorite songs on the CD “That Tattoo Isn’t Funny Anymore” has some of my favorite lyrics and also has a nice guitar melody. “Bed Abuse” is a song I’m sure many people can relate to. The guitar work on every song is nothing short of breath taking.

This CD is perfect for anyone looking for a very relaxing, mellow CD. This is for fans of American Football, Iron and Wine, Bright Eyes and Death Cab For Cutie. I Do Perceive in short is a masterpiece. It has everything you look for in music. There isn’t one thing I can find wrong with it except that sometimes it will put you to sleep but not because its boring but because its so soothing and relaxing. I would recommend this to anyone looking for good music.
By: Travis

Like Yesterday-More Courage Than Most… (2004)
5.7/10
Like Yesterdays first EP “More Courage Than Most...” is a pretty solid rock album. It begins with the song “When You Come Over” which starts with a slow tempo intro with vocalist Mark Holmes straining to get the lyrics out. Now I’m not saying the vocals sound bad it’s just kind of different, think Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins almost. Holmes high pitch shrieks are kind of annoying and they happen periodically throughout the song. The song its self sounds pretty good for the most part, it’s just kind of repetitive. The third song “Courage” really saves this album. There is something about the lyrics of this song that stand out more-so then the rest of the CD. The lyrics on this CD aren’t its strong point but for what its worth they are decent. “Courage” is a slower song and Holmes vocals are almost perfect for this kind of song. The rest of the CD follows a similar pattern, pretty decent lyrics, slow verses and a higher tempo chorus. The song structure for the most part never changes, following a similar style of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. I am not saying this CD is bad though. As simple as the song writing is, there is a lot of emotion and passion conveyed throughout the whole record A lot of songs are also quite catchy and you will find yourself singing along at times. One of my main complaints is that it gets pretty boring and it has no lasting power. Mark Holmes vocals can get annoying at times but other times they fit the songs mood perfectly so it’s almost a catch 22. This is an enjoyable record for what it’s worth and Like Yesterday shows a lot of potential. I would recommend listening to a couple of songs before you buy it so you know what you are getting.

Stand Out Tracks:
Courage
7 Days (In L.A.)
Again

By: Travis

Peter:
Thursday
Waiting EP
Eyeball records
Released- December 7th 1999
6/10

This is the debut effort from Thursday if you don't know who Thursday is then you're missing one of the best bands to play in the last 25 years. Hailing from New Brunswick NJ the quintet forged their own unique sound with their first release. This was actually the last Thursday CD I bought. I made the mistake of buying War All the Time first and then tracing my way back through their recorded history. Whichever CD you buy first Thursday is solid from the ground up although I recommend starting with Full Collapse, because this is the album that defined Thursday's groundbreaking style and sound. Ok I'm getting off topic. Waiting is a much more angst filled and much rawer CD then Full Collapse of War All the Time. Listening to Waiting and then Full Collapse is like watching a person grow up before your eyes. Waiting is musically still Thursday but lyrically it is less mature and much less developed then Full Collapse of War All the Time. I mean to disrespect to Geoff Rickly here he is one of my all time favorite writers and vocalists. But some of the lyrics on Waiting are just not up to Thursday standards but still much better then a lot of bands

Waiting most definitely has a few tracks that stand out much farther then the rest. My three favorites are This Side of Brightness for its beautifully crafted and arranged intro with both guitar and violin. Following This Side of Brightness is Ian Curtis which deals with suicide I wasn't completely sold on this track the first time I listened to it but after the third time I was entirely in love with it. Dying in New Brunswick is a song that nearly anyone who grows up in a crappy dead-end town can relate too. The message of the song is simple but poignant and absolutely personal. The lyrics on this track are in my opinion the best on the album. I also really enjoy the beautiful imagery of the sunrise in The Dotted Line but I don't really feel that this counts as a song; it's more of a poem with a simple melody. Overall this is an exceptionally strong debut however having heard both of the other albums first I was slightly disappointed with waiting. But the fact that this is Thursday's debut and its still better then most bands 2nd or 3rd efforts is what sets Thursday apart in the music world.

Key Tracks- This side of Brightness
Ian Curtis
Dying in New Brunswick

The Sound of Animals Fighting- Tiger and The Duke
8.5/10

In short I love this CD. For those of you that don't know about TSOAF this band is a side project comprised of 15 members 8 musicians and 7 who did artwork and other matters of equal importance. The project is spearheaded by Rich Bailing (ex RXbandits) and lead vocalist for the project Anthony Green (circa survive) lead guitar is handled by R2k (finch).
Although the album has only 4 real tracks it is clear that the artists went with quality not quantity. The album is set up as an opera with Acts and interludes. The way this was recorded is amazing Bailing sent the drummer into the studio into the studio and had him bang out stick beats for a couple hours then he handed that to the guitarist and had him record over it and so on in that manner. The most mind-blowing part is that all the lyrics were improvised (except the parts when Bailing is talking on Act III). Green went into the studio after listening to music and sang the lyrics off the top of his head

I love every track on this CD Act I- chasing suns pulls you in with an extremely catchy intro and the vocals are amazing. Act II and III have a somewhat slowed down tempo compared to Act I and IV but are none the less incredible. Act II has a very jazzy intro and then slides into dreamy vocals and gradually progresses into Green's half screamed half sung improvised lyrics. Act III provides (to me) a clear picture of nature's beauty and fury all packed into less then 5 minutes. Act IV reverts to a more complex version of the Act I introduction. As an additional reason to love this masterful work of art every track has an incredible solo, they all have a unique sound to them which makes that makes all the tracks diverse and wonderfully talented pieces of music

Key Tracks - all of them really since this album tells a story but if I had to chose id say Act I and IV
I have two minor complaints about this album
1- Only 4 real songs although I actually enjoy listening to the interludes
2- the lyrics are not given (instead they tell you the storyline)

this is a definite must have for anyone I really like the fact that they tell you all the modes and chords they used