Search - Absinthe :: Good Day to Die

A Good Day for Music...

William E. Innes | Benicia, CA United States | 12/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I often associate certain albums with seasons and weather. Springsteen's BORN TO RUN will always remain an essential summertime album....while The Velvet Underground's self-titled album is the perfect album for rainy winter nights.



The Absinthe album, A GOOD DAY TO DIE, is one that receives continous plays when autumn and winter begin to show their seasons. Mind you, this album could be played at any time of the year and would be equally as wonderful. Still, the haunting themes of death, bittersweet childhood memories and regret do make this a fine soundtrack for days and nights of relentless wind and rain. There is not a bad song on this album...and it is an album that contains many great songs. Even days after having listened to this album, I continue to find songs such as "Messed Up Likes of Us" or "It Don't Bother Me" still ringing in my head. Much like the demons that Springsteen excorcised with his DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN album, BoDean Sammy Llanas does much of the same with this album. Majestic and gracefully played as this album is, it is not an emotionally easy album to digest...it cuts right to the heart and gut, a quality that makes it all the greater in my book. Right now it's December 30, 2005...and the rain is pouring down and the wind is whipping around like mad on this night. While may not be a good day to die, it is the perfect night to play an album as fine as A GOOD DAY TO DIE. And that's exactly what I plan to do as soon as I finish this review. If one is brave enough to come face to face with the demons that make up both one's childhood ("Neighborhood Bully" or "A Good Day to Die" or "It Don't Bother Me"), as well as the demons that often plague adulthood ("Messed Up Likes of Us"), then you owe it to yourself to get a hold of this album!

And I'd be willing to bet that it will become the soundtrack to haunted nights such as the one during which this was written...



"

Don't Pass This One By!!!

Marc D. Mable | Manchester, NH | 12/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being a huge BoDeans fan from years past, I had to give this solo effort by Sam Llanas a try. I was prepared to be disappointed, but was instead overwhelmed by the beauty and dark intensity of this album. The songs obviously chronical a tragic event in Sam's life (the death of his brother), but also draw from other childhood memories as well. A lot of artists would fail at this type of material, as it leaves a lot of room to come off sounding trite, but Sam executes such a mix of powerfull lyrics and superb musical composition that the album is nothing short of a masterpiece. It has been a staple in my CD player for weeks and shows no sign of aging poorly. It is one of my best music purchases this year, and I have made many. Very highly recommended."

Homely, Rich, and Excellent.

betilted | Chicago, IL USA | 08/14/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A beautiful album. When one chooses to listen to A Good Day To Die, it's necessary to be ready to accept it. Just as many of the best movies have unhappy or tragic endings, this album ends up being one of the best in my collection. There is nothing to hold you back from becoming one with this record. Deep tones, mystic lyrics, haunting melodies. It's just yummy."