AIDEN „Nightmare Anatomy”

Music: Horror Rock/Hardcore
Country: USA
Website: http://www.aiden.org
Duration:
Cool Songs: Breathless, Die Romantic

The Victory records roster continues to perplex the life out of me – they’ve got world beating, fry your brains material from Between the Buried and Me and Darkest Hour, but as far as their foray into the commercial pop punk field with stuff like ‘The Audition, Bayside’ and ‘Junior Varsity’, it just isn’t doing it for me. And then they go and sign Seattle’s Aiden. My god, do I really have to review this?

‘Nightmare Anatomy’ is Aiden’s second album, the follow up to 2004’s ‘Our Gang’s Dark Oath’. I’ve never heard that album and based on this new disc, I’ll be staying the hell away from it too. The first thing that hit me about this new Aiden disc was its title. Bizarre! What the hell is a ‘Nightmare Anatomy’ anyway? I’m not sure what the guys in Aiden are on about re their stupid title, nor their try hard horror/goth image; however what I am positive about is the ‘Nightmare’ part. This IS a freaking nightmare!! Seriously, this is quite possibly the worst, pre-fabricated MTV fodder that Victory has put out since the last Atreyu album.

As much as Aiden pull all the right (and overtly typical) moves as far as their production qualities and hardcore/punk styling is concerned, their biggest problem is a lack of IDENTITY and a serious lack of SONGS! Coming off like My Chemical Romance’s kid brother playing in the Horror themed playground of Atreyu, Aiden bring nothing else to the table. They’re a carbon copy cut out of the previous mentioned acts without any semblance of their personality, nor their song writing nous. It’s very obvious that Aiden want to be another pop punk/hardcore, not quite emo-screamo act with the lot. But man, can we do something other than follow a generic template? The riffs are nothing new; the frantic drumming just as predictable; the vocals nauseating. Right through the Nightmare, Aiden come across as plain, boring, bland and thoroughly mediocre at best.

Did I mention the vocals? Oh lordy!! If the lack of identity and personality wasn’t bad enough, frontman/vocalist wiL (and that’s with a capital L apparently) simply destroys any positive aspects that might have been detectable otherwise. Whiny/screamo duelling in the upper echelons of ‘treble frequencies’ (the freaking high end folks!) doesn’t bode well in my opinion, and for the majority of this album wiL is nothing short of irritating. Apparently wiL switched from bass player to vocals in the early days of ‘Aiden’s’ formation. Word of advice: Get back on the bass!!

Unfortunately, I’ve really got nothing positive to say about ‘Aiden’. Aside from their drummer who is by far the most accomplished member of the band, nothing on ‘NA’ works at all. It is just so…. blleeeearrggggghhhhh!!! Bad music, bad vocals and bad songs is the bottom line here folks. Can’t recommend that at all. Save the pennies!

note: Quote: 3

Tracklist

Knife Blood Nightmare
The Last Sunrise
Die Romantic
Genetic Design For Dying
Breathless
Unbreakable (I.J.M.A.)
It’s Cold Tonight
Enjoy The View
Goodbye We’re Falling Fast
This City Is Far From Here
See You In Hell

Line-up

Wil (Vocals)
Jake W. (Guitar)
Angel (Guitar)
Nick (Bass)
Jake D. (Drums)