3
THE END IS
BEGUN
As
best as I can cipher, The
End Is Begun is a concept album about
the end of the world. But far from being a dour excursion into doom and gloom,
the band assaults us with peppy, invigorating songs with nary a minor chord in
the batch. This isnÕt to say that the opening track, ÒThe World Is Born of
Flame,Ó isnÕt pregnant with ominous unrest, pitting a church organ against
militant drums as the sky falls amidst a musical comet of foreboding guitars.
But the listener never feels endangered, being immediately comforted by the
title track, pummeled by a barrage of double kick drums (almost a drum roll),
acoustic guitar and a hopeful melody.
ÒMy
Divided FallÓ showcases the band's unique ability to devise creative, tumbling,
angular flamenco riffs unlike anything else out there, and yet so compelling
that few will escape its snare – eventually morphing into a nod to KingÕs
X before melting into a mosh pit. ÒSerpents In DisguiseÓ hits hard and fast,
mixing their twisting rhythms into a compelling power-pop confection in the
chorus, while ÒAll That RemainsÓ has some outstanding vocal harmonies,
Queen-like double guitars, an emotionally soaring neo-classical guitar solo and
an enigmatic lyric of ÒThe fatal mistake you made was of all the hearts youÕd
slain you left alive my bloody Valentine.Ó
3
have the ability to reach into the past and catapult it into the future. Songs
such as ÒBattle CryÓ and ÒLive EntertainmentÓ evoke the punchy riffs of Rush,
while ÒDiamond in the CrushÓ could easily have been co-written with Cheap
Trick. Speaking of the future, the hauntingly beautiful ÒBeen To The FutureÓ
opens with the lyrics ÒShe lives by the virtue of daytime TVÓ and explores
loneliness with unorthodox but exciting chords. The tender ÒShadow PlayÓ is
another slower-tempo song, filling the crevices of the dusty attic with
acoustic guitars and lyrics such as ÒI should have told you that this house was
haunted,Ó melding folk with punctuations of symphonic rock to crescendo with a
repeated plea to ÒDonÕt forget my love.Ó
Wake Pig, the first official album by 3, blew me out of my comfy chair and propelled me into the stratosphere. It was different yet familiar, radio-friendly yet not a sell out, melodic yet muscular. So it was with much anticipation that I awaited The End Is Begun, their newest creation. Part of the breath-taking nature of their first album was its completely unexpected innovation and freshness. Going against The End Is Begun are legendary expectations and the wretched sophomore jinx. Fortunately I can deliver the good news that The End Is Begun is the legitimate offspring of its predecessor – solid melodies, inventive riffs, mature compositions and a slightly spacey outlook. ItÕs a Mad Anthony sundae with extra sprinkles. (Jason Hoffman)
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