Date: 2020
Total Τime: 52:04
Label: Sumerian
In their second album with Danny Worsnop on vocals (he left in 2015 to focus on his Rock band, WE ARE HARLOT), ASKING ALEXANDRIA seem to have left their Metalcore past behind, a fact that occurs from their self-titled album and on…
This is a Rock album with Pop elements making their presence clear. The band says that “this is a Rock album”, but that’s just not the case. The riffs have not completely been disappeared, but, even when they do exist, there are pop, synth elements in between. Of course, this is not a bad thing by itself. The bad thing is that this recipe has been tried for decades now by so many bands (which usually don’t start on Metal trails) and often with inspiration. Something that just doesn’t exist here, at least not to a large extent. The music is often cheesy and at various times indifferent.
All this means that someone who was expecting a return to their old style will surely be disappointed. You can think of it as listening to a second-rate IMAGINE DRAGONS band, with the difference being that sometimes they are a bit heavier. Some other times, not so much. You will hear synths with uninspired vocal melodies without instruments in the background, those well-known semi-rap, fast-tempo pop vocals and sometimes you will not hear a riff for a prolonged time. You will also hear clean pop ballads (for example “I Don’t need you”) and electronic tracks (“Give You Up”).
The 52-minute duration seems eternal and sometimes gives you the feeling that you want this to end but it never ends. In addition, by resetting their past guitar-oriented aspect, they do not let any of their members shine and showcase their technical abilities. They themselves insist that it is the album that will take them forward. Corey Taylor told them that “at first people may be angry and react, but this is the right time to take it into the next step and change your style”. Yes, SLIPKNOT did it in part and worthily. But here, it’s just not the same transition, as they don’t seem to respect their past at all and instead, they throw it into the bin. Let’s all keep in mind that big bands have managed to keep their identities intact, while at the same time going into a much lighter style in their music.
There are two things someone would like to hear from this effort by ASKING ALEXANDRIA: Inspiration and a Metalcore content. If you were expecting the second one, you can instantly give it up. If you were expecting the first one, you will have a hard time trying to find it.
Rating: 2/10
Editor: George Kourou
Related Link: ASKING ALEXANDRIA – Official Website:
