Finger Eleven

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Finger Eleven

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Finger Eleven's new album is more thoughtful and softer than The Greyest of Blue Skies or Tip. It still keeps to the F11 style, only gone on a more emotional adventure than their previous albums. Of course, TGOBS is my favourite CD by these guys, but they are still progressing so you have to give this album a chance. Here is my review of their self-titled album.

1. Other Light- Short, but a good way to open the new CD. 7/10

2. Complicated Questions- One of my favourite songs on the album. Scott does an amazing job on the vocals. 9/10

3. Stay in Shadow- Another awesome song. It's like the Drag You Down, except it's not as heavy. 8/10

4. Good Times- Like every CD when it comes out, this was the first single so I tend to skip over it, but still a cool song. 6/10

5. Absent Elements- Definitely in my top three. This song blows me away, I can't think of any way to describe it. The lyrics are really deep. 10/10

6- Thousand Mile Wish- Pretty good song 6/10

7- Conversations- One of my least favourites 4/10

8- Last Scene of Struggling- Haven't heard it enough, but it's pretty cool. 6/10

9- Panic Attack- AMAZING SONG!!!! 9/10

10- Therapy- Probably my favourite song on the CD. This song is so deep. I loved it the first time I heard it. 11/10

11- One Thing- A great softer song. 8/10

12- Obvious Heart- it doesn't have the same closing impact as Stay and Drown, but it's a good song nonetheless. 8/10

Like I said it's not as good as their last, and it's much softer, but in a good way, like White Pony was to Deftones.

I like music. A lot. Particularly rock music. I'm always looking out for some band to grab me by the throat with some huge, awesome album that I can waste my money on; hence my purchase of FINGER ELEVEN. The band came extremely well-recommended, and there I was with a wallet-full of cash in my pocket, so . . .

First things first: Scott Anderson is incredible. The strong emotion in his voice is just lovely throughout the entire album, giving his words meaning rather then making them obsolete. He can make agonizing screams like a frikin hyena on `the Last Scene of a Struggling', and then turn around and sing with such passionate elegance on `Thousand Mile Wish' that you can FEEL his hope and love surging within your own heart. His work on this album is the only reason it's getting the 3 stars I'm giving it.

Unfortunately though, nothing else on this album is quite as good. The guitars, for example, are too CLEAN. They're not RAW. They don`t have the heaviness that it seems like they should have. There's not enough distortion or volume or SOMETHING, but that SOMETHING is what's holding back EVERYTHING else. The bass lines and guitar riffs are interesting, but on the whole, while the music seems to be trying so very hard to take you to hell and back, there just isn't enough power to make it past the gas station at the end of the street.

To their credit, the band's sound is much different then most of the stuff you hear on rock radio. The album's filled with hard rock tracks, each different from each other and retaining their own diverse identity, something Smile Empty Soul doesn't do well. Some tracks DO get somewhere: the aforementioned `Last Scene of a Struggling' is a strong implication of this, as well as the blistering `Complicated Questions', the truly powerful lead single `Good Times', and, of course, the magnificently riveting `Panic Attack'. Each of these songs are very well constructed, hard-hitting, and the most downright rockin' tunes on the entire record!

But since the music often doesn't compliment Anderson's vocals enough, this album suffers. `Stay in Shadow' is the absolute perfect example of this. The opening riff is undoubtedly awesome, but the guitars sound soooo weak, and throughout the song it just all feels tired and sorry . . . the vocals on this song are soooo intense though, and while the brutal lyrics seem be brutal just for brutality's sake("I wanna watch it drown!"), Anderson's voice is what totally saves this song. The emotion is strong and feels genuine. . . all of which could be said for the entire album, really.

The most emotional point on FINGER ELEVEN is revealed in track 6, gracefully titled `Thousand Mile Wish'. This song displays exactly what Finger Eleven is capable of. Containing beautiful lyrics("Maybe stars know why we fall, I just wish they were thinking out loud . . . oh, I could wish all night . . ."), gorgeous musical work from the band, and superb, gentle singing from Anderson. This is a wonderful expression of soulful love, something all of us feel, and is sincerely is the most touching piece on the album, and very well deserving of a my great love for it.

The final track "Obvious Heart" deserves comment as well, containing a seriously wicked bass-line and haunted, echoing guitar chords with wonderful vocals, giving this song a great feel and gives the album a great ending.

FINGER ELEVEN has it's own sonic identity, and even if their lyrical topics aren't extremely original(hey, what band`s lyrics IS these days?), the lyrics themselves are mostly strong and uniquely stated, helping to influence the tone of the album. These factors, added to Scott Anderson's undeniable talent, make an album that, while definitely not mind-blowing, remains a worthy addition to most rockers' collection. If the album is cheap, go for it. And here's to hoping there's less blandness and more then just a few memorable moments on Finger Eleven's previous works.