Beneath the Massacre
Dystopia
Prosthetic Records
Dystopia, the new album from Montreal’s Beneath the Massacre, is 11 tracks of completely interchangeable death metal. The only defining difference between songs is how long it takes before the double kick drum starts to roll and whether the song opens on a high note, or just goes straight into the chuga-chuga. The vocals are grunted and unintelligible, though I suppose that may be the point. But after reading the lyrics I’m not sure this is a bad thing. “Can you feel the anguish taking over?” Elliot Desgagnés sings on opening track “Condemned.” Yes I can feel the anguish taking over, moments after I started listing. These guys certainly have some technical skill, their solos are incredibly fast, but since the whole thing disintegrates into a mess of noise, I’m not sure what the point is. If you’re into getting your ear drums ripped to shreds quickly and brutally, this might be for you. But if you’re into things like melody, singing or lyrics you might want to take a pass.
– Jacob Serebrin
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John Legend
Evolver
G.O.O.D. Music/Columbia/Sony Urban
Evolver is Grammy-award winner John Legend’s third album in six years. Piano melodies accompany Legend’s smooth voice, but the album still comes off equal parts R&B and neo-soul. Legend puts together lyrics with an audacity that lets him jump between the controversial and the political. The first single, “Green Light,” a collaboration with Outkast’s Andre 3000, boasts lyrics that would get any other man slapped. Later on, the track “If You’re Out There” is an openly political cri-de-coeur that got tapped by the Obama campaign. Evolver is a strong album with a handful of brilliant songs.
-Kamila Hinkson
