"...it feels like it was made for people who are too scared to get properly into metal/alt-rock but want to be cool and alternative in front of their friends."
DON BROCO - Technology
Label: Sharptone
Release Date: February 2nd, 2018
Track Count: 16
Run Time: 59 minutes
Overview
From the start, I could tell this album wasn't really going to be my thing. For a band that describes them as "Alternative Rock" I'd definitely say this album is more "Alt-Pop Rock/Pop-Alt Rock" (?!). Whatever you want to call it, there's SO much pop hidden behind those heavy guitars, to the point where I feel like it loses any sort of edge it could've had because, as we well know, distortion does not an edgey song make.
To my ears, the production is overall too muddy for my liking. There's a frustrating lack of variation in vocal tone, it's basically one level (shouty over sing) and not much else. A lot of these tracks feel like they would be good stand alone, but put them together in an album and I'm bored by track 3; and, to add to that, things didn't make a great amount of sense until around track five. I don't think the merging of Pop/RnB and Alt-Rock worked out as planned in the early tracks. They feel like a means to an end (I've already forgotten 3/4 of them).
This album really needs to decide what it is it's trying to be. Is it pop? Is it alt-rock? Is it stadium-rock (Got to Be You sounds like U2)? Just because smashing a load of genres together sounds like a good idea, doesn't always mean it is.
Today's Gems
Follow this month's playlist here
- Stay Ignorant
- Pretty
- Everybody
1. Stay Ignorant
- Nice transition from previous track.
- It's like club metal.
- Obligatory half time section for all you head bangers out there.
- I like the call and response in the verses.
- To be fair to them, there are some good riffs in this track.
2. Pretty
- Industrial feeling.
- I think this is the first track that feels like it knows where it is.
- I like the falceto section.
- Interesting synth section. Works really well with the guitar tones.
- First time I've heard some proper variation in vocal lines.
- I like the synth-wave sections.
- Really cool when synth takes over from guitar.
3. Everybody
- I like the groove.
- Pop piano. Interesting. Very 80s pop.
- Pre-Chorus/Chorus pretty predictable. Exactly the kind of riff you'd expect. Exactly the kind of harmonies you'd expect. Exactly the kind of melody you'd expect.
- Verses are pretty cool, but SO poppy.
- Cheesy bridge.
Conclusion
Betweend the half-time choruses, gang vocal/clap break downs, over sung vocal lines and HIDDEN BONUS TRACK (when was the last time you saw a hidden bonus track?!), this album feels pretty dated. I feel I could've listened to it back in 2008 and they've just updated a couple of sounds here and there since. Every song is very formulaic and far too predictable.
It bravely staddles some very different styles, but falls flat most of the time and it feels like it was made for people who are too scared to get properly into metal/alt-rock but want to be cool and alternative in front of their friends.
Would I recommend it? Personally, I'd probably stear clear of it. You may disagree with me. You may like it, and that's fine, that's the best thing about music. But, it's not for me. It falls flat in all the wrong places and doesn't quite acheive what it sounds like they set out to acheive.
What do you think? Are you a DON BROCO fan? Have you given this album a listen? Do you have any recommendations of what I should be listening to? Let me know in the comments below.
This album was reviewed using beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO Studio Headphones - 80 Ohm
and G3 KRK Rokit 6
studio monitors, through a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40
audio interface.
Last month's playlist can be found here