ALBUM REVIEW: New Empire, Vol. 2 – Hollywood Undead
It’s always a shame when a band is literally built to tackle and embrace a shift in the tides and can’t seem to capitalise on it. HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD have been rap-rock stalwarts for years, embracing the fun and theatricality of nu-metal in a time when it was exceedingly unfashionable and unpopular. Now, as the winds are finally changing and nu metal is once again finding itself entering the spotlight, and being fashionable in the process, the band, now with their biggest shot to have something to say and put out an exciting record that can stand with the up and comers, have instead released New Empire, Vol. 2; a, for the most part, toothless and boring album that attempts to stand with the trends, but just comes off as tired, trying too hard, and not able to work as well as today’s contemporaries.
It’s evident that the record and band are attempting to play down a lot of the rock aspects in favour of pushing closer to the emo/alternative rap sound that is sweeping the heavy music world with the rise of artists likes GHOSTEMANE. The problem that even when electronic beats, synths and pure hip-hop are at the front of the record, they still need to have some crunch, some grit, some power to them. There needs to be fury and danger. And although the band loves the chip on their shoulder mentality, the songs don’t reflect that nearly as well as they could. Songs like Medicate and Ghost Out never seem to mesh, with only a tiny amount of swagger and lyrics that have been heard from the band many times before. The melodies get repetitive and don’t stick much at all.
Comin Thru the Stereo, featuring HYRO THE HERO is a bright spot early on, with a more anthemic and up-tempo vibe, and the rapping here from both groups is step up from the previously mentioned tracks. One thing HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD have always been good at is the art of the pump up and the party rock, and when they’re on, they do it extremely well on this record, but it’s few and far between. In fact, the album moves right into another unmemorable lull with Gonna Be Okay and Monsters featuring KILLSTATION. The former has a somewhat groovy riff, but the guitar tone across this album has no heft and no strength to it, so it doesn’t stand out much at all. Again, there’s only a bit of swagger here and a repetitive melody to top it off. The latter track has a nice feature from an artist who is fully entrenched in the emo/alt rap world and who does a good job, but the track still feels a bit cliché, even for this group, and once again, this is a track that needs something more. It needs more fire and fury.
However, Idol, featuring TECH N9NE is one of the high points on the record. This track does indeed have more urgency, but also a great sense of darkness and bounce with its dubstep chorus breakdowns. It has catchy flow and dark, throbbing guitars, bass, and backbeat, as well as an interesting transition to a piano filled bridge. Unfortunately the momentum isn’t kept up for long as the next three songs become the most uninteresting and bland part of the whole album. The stretch of Coming Home, Unholy, and Worth It, are just forgettable.
There is a real distinct lack of catchiness on this record as a whole, which is somewhat surprising as HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD have certainly released a number of catchy tracks and records in their past. But these three tracks epitomise the issue. Each melody is so repetitive and usually only a couple notes. There are some welcome introspective lyrics on this record about overcoming anxieties and knowing your worth in the midst of hardship, but it’s not enough to erase the grind of listening through songs where the ear is begging for something to latch onto.
The album does end on a very high note though. Heart of a Champion, featuring PAPA ROACH and ICE NINE KILLS is an adrenaline shot to the heart of a flatlining album. This is the energy, fun, and catchiness that the album was sorely missing all along, and ICE NINE KILLS frontman Spencer Charnas does a great job on the choruses. The rapping here is great too; it’s full of liveliness and pace, which only continues as Jacoby Shaddix comes in to finish the song with some manic hype that only he knows how to bring. It’s a really fun song with a sticky chorus and great features, so luckily the record gets to end on its highest note.
But it’s not enough to bail out a record that took on too much water too fast. It was honestly surprising to hear a mostly lifeless album emerge from a group as full of piss and vinegar as HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD is. Credit is due to the band for attempting to get involved with the times and recognising what is popular now, but the execution leaves much to be desired. It’s time to regroup and re-plan the strategy for the next record. They’re sniffing out the right track, but they have some thinking to do when the artists they want to join go much harder lyrically and musically than they do.
Rating: 5/10
New Empire, Vol. 2 is out now via Dove & Grenade Media/BMG.
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