ALBUM REVIEW: Say Nothing – Theory

Time often is the largest truth-teller in music. Whether it’s a band that’s been around since the 1990s or an album that was released 50 years ago, the time in between can show a lot about their musicality and whether their authentic selves can stand the test of time. This test is certainly active for the band THEORY OF A DEADMAN, now commonly known as THEORY, having seen success with their music since 2001. Their song, Rx (Medicate), was one of the biggest hits in 2018, and their formula of music seems to have worked wonders for themselves with constant radio play and attention. But their new album, Say Nothing, is meant to show the band in a new light, take risks with their lyrics. How does the band do?

Considering they’re often called “NICKELBACK Lite”, that’s actually more generous than what is presented here in this album. It is almost impossible to gather the words to truly describe this album because it’s truly a massive mess. Firstly, the instrumentation is simple backing beats over simple chords and simple bass lines – it’s a wonder the band haven’t fallen asleep with boredom whilst playing this. There’s nothing out of the norm that the band does in terms of expanding their musical talent in this whole album and it’s actually sad that talent was wasted in favour of radio play and pop chart success. The same can be said for the vocals; monotone and no emotion in them whatsoever. It’s like Tyler Connolly didn’t care about what he was singing, which again, is a massive shame. Considering that some of the songs are meant to say something important, it’s almost disgusting that someone would sound bored singing about domestic violence.

Speaking of, the lyrics on the songs are very awkward and in places, uncomfortable. History Of Violence is about domestic violence, but the way it’s presented with the lyrics, it sounds like the band is making the abuser sound epic. The same can be said for White Boy, where the band use a clip about the Charlottesville car attack, but with lyrics that sound stuck on the fence, the band just leaves an empty shell with nothing to say about the event that could offend their fanbase. Ted Bundy sounds like they’re making a love song with the serial killer, which very inappropriate and creepy to use, and Say Nothing is Rx (Medicate) part two, except with less to say. 

To summarise, Say Nothing does what it says on the tin, as it has nothing to say about current events, the band themselves, or bringing anything new to the table in terms of progressing the band and their musical style forward. They’re jumping on trends set by other bands like IMAGINE DRAGONS and BRING ME THE HORIZON, but doing a far worse job at it. Monotonous, boring, and in some cases absolutely inappropriate and borderline scary, this is a really bad album that cannot be recommended to anyone.

Rating: 3/10

Say Nothing is out now via Atlantic Records.

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