Questo è il quinto album della band metal di Boston, che prende il suo nome dall’omonima canzone degli Alice In Chains. Questo lavoro, riprende la strada interrotta, dopo “Faceless”, dall’album “The Other Side”, caratterizzato da una raccolta di pezzi acustici che vedono l’interpretazione di cinque brani inediti e due interpretazioni di vecchie tracce. Quindi il sound torna ad essere potente, anche se meno “metallico” ed incisivo di "Faceless".
La prima traccia “Livin’ In A Sin” risulta essere lenta e quasi noiosa ma presenta ottimi episodi strumentali, con riff duri ed assoli decisi di chitarra che accompagnano la solita voce cupa ma graffiante di Sully Erna. Poi “Speak” il primo singolo tratto dal cd, che ripropone le sonorità tipiche di Erna e compagni, con chitarre cattive quanto basta, sui ritornelli e sul cantato aggressivo. Fa il verso alla precedente traccia “The Enemy”, che trasmette la stessa aggressività, anche se siamo lontani da episodi come “Straight Out Of Line” (primo singolo dell’album 'Faceless'), che a mio avviso resta, tra più recenti, uno dei pezzi più cattivi e d’effetto. Segue “Shine Down” che si apre su note quasi country, per sfociare in un sound alla “Metallica”, con sonorità comunque meno potenti rispetto a quelle dei pezzi precedenti.“ Hollow” è una splendida ballad, la bella e cupa voce di Erna si intreccia con quella di Lisa Guyer, voce blues della Lisa Guyer Band. Molto malinconica e riflessiva, impreziosita dalla bellezza del testo: "Once upon a time in broken dreams Reflection's that I can't face So hold your breath and make a wish for me Take me to a better place Time always seems to be passing by It never waits for me If I could do it all one more time I wouldn't change a thing I feel so hollow"
Seguono “No rest for the wicked” e “Bleeding Me”, accomunate entrambe da un carattere più rock che metal ma comunque dal sound incisivo ed orecchiabile. Comunque a questo punto ci si rende già conto del cambiamento di rotta nel sound, rispetto ai precedenti lavori (ad esclusione di “The Other Side”). Lo testimonia anche la successiva “Vodoo Too”, a mio avviso il pezzo peggiore dell’album, anche se può esserne apprezzato il pezzo solista di Tony Rombola, ottimo esecutore di note però qui troppo blande a mio avviso. La bella scossa che si attendeva e che ci riporta in parte ai fasti del passato è data da “Temptation”, che si apre in modo violento con riff potenti che preannunciano il canto ruggente di Erna, che ricorda a tratti “I Stand Alone”. Penultima traccia “Mama”, abbastanza apprezzabile, ottime chitarre ma sound un pò monotono come il testo in sè. Il lavoro si chiude “sotto la pioggia” con “One Rainy Day”, caratterizzata da un ritmo molto lento e voce cupa e “trascinata”. Pezzo alquanto anonimo ad a mio avviso noioso.
In conclusione credo che questo ultimo lavoro non sia all’altezza dei precedenti, sicuramente dopo l’episodio “The Other Side” qualcosa è cambiato ma già la scelta di concepire a metà strada un album completamente acustico (peraltro molto apprezzabile), al sottoscritto aveva dato qualche segnale. Questo “IV” infatti, conferma un ulteriore parziale allontanamento dal carattere Metal della band, che, escludendo qualche canzone, si dirige più verso scelte rock, che spesso sfociano in soluzioni molto noiose e ripetitive. Magari molti non saranno d’accordo con me ma credo che siamo molto lontani dai tempi di “Awake” e “Faceless” e probabilmente non si tornerà indietro.
Peccato, speravo in qualcosa di meglio, anche se il cd nel complesso ottiene la sufficienza.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Livin' in Sin (04:39)
Once again my friend
Storm clouds are rolling in
Broken inside myself
Can't seem to break this trend
Can't break it!
And I've seen it all
And I've walked it tall
Lived in sin
Where do I begin?
Caught between the line
My life of worthless lies
Shedding my skin to begin
A life that I don't know how to live in
I can't take it!
And I've seen it all
And I've wanted all
Lived in sin
Where do I begin?
I don't know now
Where to go now
I don’t know if I’ll ever get ahead... No
It's all broken
Not a word spoken
And I don't know how to go out. God help me now!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I’ve seen it all
And I’ve walked it tall
Lived in sin
Livin' in sin
Livin' in sin
Livin' in sin
Livin' in sin
Where do I begin?
02 Speak (03:57)
Free, you better love me.
hide or runaway from all your yesterdays!
Speak the truth, or make your peace some other way.
Well I never knew, but I believe that your trust in me,
Ohh, will speak to me.
In way beyond your controlling mind.
And no more believing in all your precious lies!
Speak the the truth, or make your peace some other way.
I never knew, but I believe that your trust in me.
Oh, will speak to me.
Speak the the truth, or make your peace some other way.
I never knew, but I believe that your trust in me.
Oh, will speak to me.
In finding balance between lies and trust they’ll never be a better source than to speak your truth or make your peace in some other way *(whispering background)*
Speak the the truth, or make your peace some other way.
I never knew, but I believe that your trust in me.
Oh, will speak to me.
Speak the the truth, or make your peace some other way.
I never knew, but I believe that your trust in me.
Oh, will speak to me.
03 The Enemy (04:07)
Hey! Hey! Mr. Back-stabbing son of a bitch
You’re livin’ in a world that willl soon be dyin’
And I know (I know!), everybody knows you try to be like me.
But even at your best as a man you couldn’t equal half of me
I am realizing that everybody’s lost their simple ways.
And now that it’s here, I see it oh so clearly.
I’ve come face to face with the enemy. Oh, The Enemy!
You! You’re another shit talkin’ punk to me.
You’re a living inspiration for what I never wanna be.
I see, (I see) you’ve been blinded by what you believe.
Now back up and sit down, shut up and act like you need to be
I am realizing that everybody’s lost their simple ways.
And now that it’s here, I see it oh so clearly.
Come to me Come to me! The enemy!
So predicting, you’re the reason why.... I lie.
Simple decision took me too much time.... to fly. Checkmate!
And now that it’s here, I see it oh so clearly.
I’ve come face to face with the enemy. Oh, The Enemy!
Come to me!
04 Shine Down (05:01)
So tired sleeping through the day.
Blood-shot eyes and the sweat from my body.
And I picked my head up yesterday.
Found no reason or hope left inside of me.
But I still believe in immortal love.
And I know there's someone above.
Shine down
Don't take it away from me, no
And I know you know how, yeah
And shine down
Just give me a chance to feel it
It's taken forever to get me off the ground
A dead silence overwhelming me
Day and night takes its toll on my sanity
And I know I've been away too long
All these years I've been hiding
A feeling I'm coming strong!
But it still believe in immortal love
And I know there's someone that's up above
Show me a path to find my way
And give me a reason to pray
Shine down
Don't take it away from me, no
And I know you know how, yeah
And shine down
Just give me a chance to feel it
It's taken forever to get me off the ground
Shine down!
Shine down!
Shine down!
Shine down!
Shine down!
05 Hollow (04:32)
One more step and I could fall away
If it happened would it matter?
And I can't tell if I should go or stay
Same old picture feel so hollow
How can anybody know what's best for me?
Another page I turn in shame
And my decisions brought me to my knees
I needed someone to blame
I feel so hollow
I feel so hollow
Time to do what's best for me I believe I can change
Once upon a time in broken dreams
Reflection's that I can't face
So hold your breath and make a wish for me
Take me to a better place
Time always seems to be passing by
It never waits for me
If I could do it all one more time
I wouldn't change a thing
I feel so hollow (feel so hollow)
I feel so hollow (feel so hollow)
I feel so hollow (feel so hollow)
I feel so hollow (feel so hollow)
Time to do what's best for me I believe I can change
06 No Rest for the Wicked (04:37)
Walked a fine line, slipped the edge under me
Rise above a suicide, taking it out of me
Got a feeling, it's going far away, yeah
Licking the wounds from yesterday
Gonna fly, taken my time, strip down to nothing
Gonna try, but there's no rest for the wicked
Been through the skin of a dragon a thousand times
In every day I live for you, still I'm not alive
Got a feeling, I'm gonna fall away
Gimme a sign what reason that I should stay
Gonna fly, taken my time, strip down to nothing
Gonna try, but there's no rest for the wicked
Gonna fly, take my time, strip down to nothing
Gonna try, but there's no rest for the wicked
Are you ready to go just to hide in?
Do you think you can make me a better man?
Crack me open, expose me to your ways
Ignorance and arrogance on my way
Oh yea
No rest for the wicked baby!
Gonna fly, take my time, strip down to nothing
Gonna try, but there's no rest for the wicked
Gonna fly, take my time, strip down to nothing
Gonna try, but there's no rest for the wicked
07 Bleeding Me (03:37)
Way, way down inside there's a hollow soul
An emptiness shatters tomorrow
And I find it hard to breathe for me in your company
Seems I've been taken for granted
And you're breaking and bleeding me down to nothing
It's tearing me down
You're breaking me and bleeding me down to nothing
Yeah!
Maybe, this time baby it's meant to be
No more suffocating you or me, oh yeah
And I payed the price but you sentencing me to life
And I feel I bought in my time
And you're breaking me and bleeding me down to nothing
It's tearing me down
You're breaking me and bleeding me down to nothing
Again
You're breaking me
And bleeding me
Again
You're bleeding me, you're bleeding me
And you're breaking and bleeding me down to nothing
You're tearing me down
You're breaking me and bleeding me down to nothing
You're tearing me, tearing me down again
Tearing me down again
You're breaking me and bleeding me
Bleeding me again
09 Temptation (04:06)
It crawls down deep inside without a pulse or a will to die
Not known To Sympathize
And now it takes what it takes and let's the feelings suffocate
It's nothing new it'll get its way
Another thing that I see is how it gets inside of me and tears away my life
It's time to love!
It's Time to hate!
It's Coming Face to face trying to desecrate.
No time at all to break away
Temptation still got a hold on me.
It's awake even when you sleep
It breathes without a heartbeat, making me incomplete
And now I know what I know
Expect the demon down below to surface through my mortal soul.
And now it looks to be it's smiling as it's killing me day to day, eye to eye
It's time to love!
It's Time to hate!
It's Coming Face to face trying to desecrate.
No time at all to break away
Temptation still got a hold on me.
10 Mama (05:14)
Oh mama what have I gone and done?
With all these years that I've been gone
My life changed me way too fast
I don't know if I could last
Help me find my way
And mama save me
Help me find today
Mama please come
And save me, oh
Oh mama if you
Could've only seen
Everything I've done
And where I've been
If only one
Thing I would ask
Why did you let me
Grow up so goddamn fast?
Help me find my way
And mama save me
Help me find today
Mama please come
And save me, oh
There's nothing more
That you can do
It's gone beyond what
You can't help me through
An emptiness has covered me
Oh mama come and save me
Help me find my way
And mama save me
Help me find today
Mama please come
And save me, oh
Help me find my way
And mama save me
Help me find today
Mama please come
And save me, oh
There's nothing more
That you can do
It's gone beyond what
You can't help me through
An emptiness has covered me
Oh mama come and save me
Oh mama come and save
Oh save me... no!
Oh please mama save...
Carico i commenti... con calma
