Country: U.S.A.
Label Number: PH 003
© 2015 Palehorse/Megaforce Records
Review by Jason Rhode for Cryptic Rock.com
In 1999, 10 Years formed in Knoxville Tennessee with lead singer Mike
Underdown, drummer Brian Vodinh, bassist Lewis Cosby, as well as
guitarists Ryan “Tater” Johnson and Matt Wantland. Independently
releasing their self-produced debut album
Into the Half Moon in
2001, the same year Underdown and Cosby departed from the band, thus
ushering in the long standing vocalist Jesse Hasek, along with new
bassist Andy Parks for a year, before Cosby returned to the fold until
2012. While the changes have been many for the band in form of lineups,
the mainstays Hasek, Johnson, and Vodinh (writing & producing only
since 2012) remain the catalyst of this well-oiled machine. Signed to
Universal Records, the band’s 2005 album
Autumn Effect garnered
10 Years their first charted album and a single, “Wasteland,” which
went gold in February 2006 and was nominated for Best Direction and Art
Direction at the 2006 MTV Video Awards. Progressing from album to
album, two follow-up records,
Division in 2008 and
Feeding the Wolves
2010, found them at the pinnacle of the Hard Rock world, providing this
band was here to stay. More a band about music than numbers, they
declared their independence from Universal, for more artistic freedom,
and released perhaps their most in-depth record to date in 2012 with
Minus the Machine via Pale Horse Records. Now after three years of touring, their 2013
Live & Unplugged at the Tennessee Theater album, and writing, 10 years are back with new album
From Birth to Burial released
on April 21st. Marking their seventh overall album, and one highly
anticipated by fans, many wonder what direction the band will go this
time around.
From Birth to Burial is a fusion of three
sub-genres many have classified 10 Years; Alt-Metal, Post-Grunge, as
well as Progressive Metal, for their searing guitar work and driving
drums. Ask the band though, they probably would ignore any labeling, as
they just make the music that feels right to them. For instance, the
album’s title track’s intro begins innocent enough with a two-beat
piano, but closer listening has a guitar playing backwards, skewing the
simple acoustic sound. Hasek’s ominous vocals creep through announcing
that “you’re next to love me” as the drums shatter the tranquility.
Next, “Selling Skeletons
“ has a psychedelic intro before the
bombastic drums and guitars slice with Hasek’s singing a satirical piece
on media vultures looking for a person’s skeletons to sensationalize,
“Everything falls apart, keep relying on dead stars. With everyone’s eye
on the prize, we kiss our loyalty goodbye. And it should come as no
surprise…” “Desperately selling skeletons, until there’s nothing left of
me.” “Vertigo” sees the return of the piano intro into a Pop-like drum
beat and the synthesizers giving an Orgy-esque Gothic Pop melody to
follow this song of a whirlwind relationship with someone, who perhaps
is bi-polar, featuring the lyrics “Around and round, we go with the rise
and fall of your vertigo.” Then, “Triggers and Tripwires
“ is a slam dance ride of hard hitting drums with jarring, yet melodic guitar play. The next track, “Luna
“, has an ethereal, laid back feel belying the dark, almost religious, love song lyrics.
As a perfect alternative to the other songs’ styling
, “Crimson Kiss
” talks
about the delusion of youthful immortality while having an array of
beauty and aggression executed by Hasek vocally. “The River
“ is a
piece parable of life’s uncertainties and includes a drumline that
feels desperate to convey a message of experience. Here, Hasek’s vocals
shine bright with notes that resonate in a powerful fashion, perhaps
more because of the context of the words. Making piano an important part
of their composition for all of
From Birth to Burial, they bring
Ashes to
life before strong bass guitar that follows throughout the track cut by
a intense lead guitar and understated, but equally important sweeping
drumline. Hasek’s voice once again convey the inevitability from whence
we began, so shall we return…Ashes. Meanwhile, “Survivors?” could be one
of the most haunting songs on the album with roomy guitars/drums
before Hasek asks a simple question to a short, but powerful song… “Are
there any survivors here.”
“Miscellanea”, which was a single released before
From Birth to Burial fully
dropped, has a deep, eerie feeling with the pianos sliding in and out
of the song towards its conclusion. Conveying a message of seduction
and selling the soul for a bit of pleasure only to to be brought down by
a disease send a striking message lyrically which is matched by the
sheer emotion of the song. The final chapter in 10 Years’ latest
journey is “Moisture Residue
“, which is almost a continuation of
the prior tracks tonally as pianos dominate, accompanied by synthesized
violins like a slow drip. Hasek’s vocals are silky smooth in a dreamy
telling of the end of his life, and how his death affects those he is
leaving behind with fading memories…”Moisture residue, slowly killing
you.”
10 Years’ dark, satirical social commentary of
From Birth to Burial sets the band on par with predecessors such as
Nirvana,
Pink Floyd, or the Dead Kennedys. Songs like “Vertigo
“
could be taken as a literal piece along with “Triggers and Tripwires,”
“Luna,” “Crimson Kiss,” “The River,” “Miscellanea,” and “Moisture
Residue
“ with the album as a whole having a desperate need to be
heard. This could be one of the band’s heaviest album to date, in more
ways than one. Inevitably, it is a cohesive piece which demands it be
listened to from start to finish and not pieces apart for single serving
downloading that has become so prevalent in modern society. Truly a
masterpiece for this highly underrated band, CrypticRock gives
From Birth to Burial 5 out of 5 stars.
tags: 10 years, from birth to burial, 2015, flac,