Burn this scene to the ground! 4.5/5
Map_Of_The_Problematique | Grayson, KY USA | 07/03/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Normally, I find it hard to review "metal" albums and feel good about myself afterward. Most of them come out as this: "So, there's this guy who screams, and he's pretty good. There are some breakdowns that are pretty sweet. The end." Why is this? Because the lack of originality in most Hardcore music these days doesn't give you much else to go with. There's screams. There's breakdowns. There's double pedal. There's no substance. None at all. That's why it's so comforting to know there are still bands out there like Danza who refuse to fall into that format.
After being stripped down to only three members, you would think the good ol' boys in Danza would lose some of their intensity. The minute "Vicki Mayhem" rips though your eardrums, you will soon realize it's almost as if the opposite has happened. They now seem to have a new sense of vigor. Almost as if they were out to prove they could overcome their loss in the most excellent of ways...by destroying everyone and everything around them. The sheer ferocity you feel from the guitars right from the start is almost unbearable. The riffs screech and weave in a way that only Danza can do. Josh Travis is definitely in top form. Not to mention that he also recorded all the bass tracks for the album, too. The man is a beast.
One thing I notice the more I listen to the album is that Danza III is the sort of Yin to Danza II's yang. Although they are both very similar in sound, Danza III seems to be reaching for the listener to find a deeper meaning in the songs and to invest more time into them. Like adding more extended sections of almost Post-Metal and Ambient Metal in songs like "W.A.L.L.S." and the phenomenal closer, "12.21.12". While on the other hand, Danza II was very quick and barraged you with everything all at once. Danza III is, if nothing else, the band trying to reach new heights with their sound.
My favorite track from the album, and possibly the strongest track Danza has ever put out, is "Yippie-Kay-Yay". It showcases everything Danza does right. Screeching, noodly guitars, a strong emphasis on groove, unpredictability and really memorable vocal lines. Hearing Jesse scream, "I am the industry's undisputed terrorist! Pushing anarchy, trigger pullin' lyricist!", over arguably the best riff the band has ever crafted is something to be admired. Also, the end line of "Burn this scene to the ground!" is also very intense. Overall, Jesse has developed leaps and bounds as a vocalist and a lyricist with this release.
Newcomer Mike Bradley also deserves a lot of attention. Filling the role of Danza's drummer is no easy task. But he does it flawlessly. Complimenting Josh's guitar work wonderfully; especially on tracks like "Suicide's Best Friend" and "A Trail Of Tears". Other songs that need a special mention are "Passenger 57" and "I Am Sammy Jankis". Both are prime examples of Danza doing what they do best. "I Am Sammy Jankis" may actually be the most overall pummeling song on the record. It never lets up at all during it's three and a half minutes. And "Passenger 57" is possibly it's most memorable and catchy (yeah I said it) song. Aside from "Yippie-Kay-Yay", of course.
The complaints I have here are very few and far between. There are still a couple of songs I don't feel are as strong as the rest. "The Lost & The Damned" is the one that immediately comes to mind. Even though it's still very good, it just seems to trudge along and never really go anywhere, as where most of the album has great progression. Also, the ending of "There's A Time And Place For Everything" goes on for quite too long. The riff and the vocals are both super excellent, but to me, I think the song should have ended about 40 seconds earlier than it does. It just loses it's strength a little when it goes on for that long. Aside from those and a few other minor complaints, the album is superb.
Overall, I would easily say this is Danza's best album they have put out. In scope and in content. Thank you Danza, for not not following the scene and becoming another mindless zombie of a band. Burn this scene to the ground!"
Albeit cliche, this IS the heavist record of 2010...
Brandon J. Scarberry | Nashville, TN USA | 07/07/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Where do I even begin? The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza have solidified themselves for years now as one of the fiercest, technical metal bands around. Danza II: The Electric Buggaloo was a monumental album that saw them reaching new heights in terms of excellent songwriting & all around tightness. After losing guitarist Layne Meylain, drummer Mason Crooks, and the always fun to watch Mike Butler, Danza III, while highly anticipated, was met with speculation of "How are they going to pull this off?". Ladies and Gentlemen,.....considered all speculations deceased. Danza III is the equivalent to having a lobotomy on the world's fastest roller coaster by a malpractice surgeon.
Doing a track by track review is completely out of the question for A Series Of Unfortunate Events, because it delivers aural annihilation, track after track after track. The one thing automatically noticeable about Danza III is how much more rhythm based all the songs are. I'm not saying that their self-titled work or Danza II's guitar frenzied offerings were not rhythmic at all, I'm saying that this record is HEAVY and Tight with a capital T. Josh Travis will be praised for many years to come once people wrap their bleeding ears around this. Every riff sounds beautifully orchestrated as if made for a film about the album's reoccurring theme, the end of days and current events that have led us all astray. There's passages of stacked staccato rhythms followed by the familiar ear splitting dissonant shreds that make Danza oh so lovable. However, there's a new element that was briefly toyed with on Danza II and that's the eerie, synth-like ambiance providing an organic, moody feel to numerous tracks throughout Unfortunate Events. Travis made full use of chord choice & effects to pull these sections off, as they feel so appropriate behind and in between the relentless carnage that is Danza's guitar work. Now let's talk about Travis's partner in crime, Mike Bradley. The drumming on this record is beyond sensational. It's reminiscent of ( all time favorite drummer>) Chris Pennie-esque Dillinger Escape Plan days, with polyrhythms running wild, and rapid fire hand techniques that make Portnoy proud. It's unreal to see the correlation between Travis and Bradley on each track, as aforementioned, the overall dynamics of Events is enough to jar anyone's preconceived notion of expert timing & precision. Original member Jessie Freeland is also in top form on the album, in both performance and writing. The lyrics are very realistic with social awareness and tales of overcoming hardship in a fallen world. His vocals have always had an appeal to me personally, as he doesn't try and 'fit the mold' in trying to execute the lowest of lows and highest of highs. Instead he delivers something much better: a powerful Coalesce-reminiscent mid-range scream that makes his lyric pronunciation a step above most bands in today's heavy music palette.
Being from Middle TN, 2010 has been the year that's putting this state on the map, with heavy hitters Whitechapel and A Plea For Purging both releasing extremely well-written albums as well this summer. Danza III: The Series Of Unfortunate Events is no different, it stripped me of all things I knew about heaviness. This album completely devastates what other bands are trying to accomplish, and I think Danza has finally jumped ahead in the pack as far as setting the bar in this "new era of heavy music". From Meshuggah rhythms, to Isis' metallic atmosphere, and an ocean full of originality, if you enjoy heavy music at ALL, do yourself a favor and pick this album up. NOW. It's worth every dime. This is the year Danza will finally receive the limelight for their endless effort. Listening to III: The Series Of Unfortunate Events is like watching a fleet of 50 garbage trucks full of nitroglycerin crash into an oil refinery while simultaneously an air-to-surface missle hits its destination: the oil refinery. It's THAT intense.
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Track Listings (12) - Disc #1
