|
|
Not their strongest but still has plenty of enjoyable tracks.-
|
| Kittie: I've Failed You |
Alternative Metal, Alternative Rock
eOne Records, Massacre Records
August 30th, 2011
- I've Failed You - 2:12
- We Are the Lamb - 2:52
- Whisper of Death - 4:18
- What Have I Done - 5:25
- Empires (Part I) - 2:14
- Empires (Part II) - 3:42
- Come Undone - 2:16
- Already Dead - 2:51
- Never Come Home - 3:15
- Ugly - 2:57
- Time Never Heals - 4:31
|
| Links |
| Review Information |
Release length: 36:32
Review posted on August 13th, 2011
- |
|
| | Overall Score: 7/10 |
 |
|
|
| Discography |
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed. |
| Full-Length(s): |
Spit (1999) • Oracle (2001) • Until the End (2004) • Funeral for Yesterday (2007) • In the Black (2009) • I've Failed You (2011)
|
| EP(s): |
Paperdoll EP (2000)
|
|
| - |
| Review |
Ever since Kittie stormed into the then dubbed "Nu-Metal" scene, the band has really helped to establish a path for females in Metal today no matter how you look at the band's music and where the style could be found in Metal today. Back in 2000, the young all female band really gathered many fans with their debut Spit, but immediatley after that release, the band seemed to almost vanish. While they are still issuing albums, having a discography of five full-lengths, a DVD, number of singles and EPs, the band has yet to regain that same recognition they had with their debut aside the very loyal fanbase (and very strong and really ignorant Spit fanbase as I had the misfortune of hearing ridicule the band after not playing anything off that album in their set). Through the years, the band has clearly changed, and with the recording of their sixth full-length effort, I've Failed You, the band presents their more Alternative Metal sound with a bit of a Metalcore attitude. But, is it enough to bring Kittie back into the spotlight they once had?
With a strong audio production, it's pretty clear that there is not a lack of expense to put a good album together. The music may be rather simple, but many tracks still have a strong crushing guitar sound with a present bass performance backing them up that isn't the most impressive, but does it's job well of adding an edge by mirroring the guitar's riffs. The drums are often pretty simple and never really go that fast, having a nice click to the kicks, echoing cymbol crashes and some rich snares. The vocals are pretty good here with the recording quality as well, having a strong bite to the harsher rhaspy screams, and in some tracks the clean singing feels innocent, yet holds a bit of a Punk presence with a nice little extra hint of echo on them. The only complaint is that the screams and clean singing sound a bit louder then the music.
I've Failed You is basically set up similar to previous efforts from the band. It has a decent amount of variety, though the first two tracks are really the heaviest off the recording, as well as the most impressive. "I've Failed You" slams forward with a commanding authority and more mid-tempo pace, which sadly is the main tempo for many of the heavier songs and nothing faster. The sharp, rhaspy screams really give the track some extra attitude, and the only complaint is that this song is really just too short, clocking in at a little more then two minutes long. "We Are the Lamb" follows the same kind of mid-tempo concept with a heavy focus on solely screaming vocals. This is really where Kittie shines through the most. This isn't to say the clean singing is horrible, and it does do a good job at breaking up the screaming performance considering it's somewhat lacking range and how it can sometimes feel like it's sticking around the same pitch, but overall it still sounds good and works with the simpler approach of the music.
There are a number of tracks on here that feature both clean singing and screaming, and for the most part, these tracks are fine and often quite enjoyable. However, the track "What Have I Done" clearly takes to a more Alternative Rock approach with a heavy focus on clean singing. The vocal range here is lacking, the music is really not that great, and the whole song ultimately just feels drawn out with the repeated chorus performance that isn't all that great or powerful, both musically and vocally to begin with. There's a random moment near the end that the track picks up and we're given more screaming vocals, which should have happened quite a while before it, but for a nearly five and a half minute song, the track just feels really redundant and beat like a dead horse to the point where you'll probably skip it way before you realize there's some screaming involved in the song. Luckily this is really the only track you'll want to avoid immediately, though the instrumental track "Empires (Part I)" is also not that great. It does do an alright job establishing "Empires (Part II)" as the acoustic guitar performance does have a good depressive atmosphere to it that works with the following track, but overall is nothing that will really make much of an impact where it's at. Infact, this song would have made a fantastic introduction to the album instead if the band were able to transition it into "I've Failed You" well enough since "Empires (Part II)" is a good song, but not the first track you'd want this album to start with.
Of all the songs on here, "Never Come Home" is perhaps the closest to early, old-school Kittie as you'll find on this effort. There's a melody to it that once again creates a depressing atmosphere to the song with some really emotional singing tied to it, bringing the song to sometimes skirt between a traditional Alternative Rock song and have some more Punk Rock tendencies in the mix. This does make the song feel more geared towards a mainstream single release, but that doesn't matter at all considering how enjoyable the song is, and how well the screaming passage is transitioned into the song, allowing for accompanying music that can feel a little more epic thanks to the way the clean singing and music builds up for a fantastic closing to the album.
Everyone who has heard Kittie has some reason or another to like or dislike this group. Given the knowledge that the group can be pretty heavy and energetic on their releases, I've Failed You admittedly is a good album, but doesn't really feel like one of their strongest efforts. It has it's flaws, including the track "What Have I Done", and the simpler material works, but it leaves you wishing for a little more speed or just more going on in the music in general. If you like what Kittie has done over the years, you'll definitely enjoy I've Failed You, and if you're not then you simply will not enjoy this one. I've Failed You is not an album that is going to win over those already opposed, and may not really attract a lot of new fans, but the band offers a good amount of musical variety throughout the release, and some of the simpler material can be catchy, though the heavier songs are often by far the material that stands out with this effort, all working to make this a fine Alternative Metal release.
|
| - |
|
Digital review copy of this release provided by:
Massacre Records.
| Submit to Social Networks |
|
|
|
|
