bothering to write record reviews (these aren't really reviews, and are certainly far from the analyses i have over on my review page, which i'll note has a five year minimum age on it) for newish releases comes with an understanding of my own tendencies and biases as a listener. i tend to over-react when i'm underwhelmed by something i had high expectations for.
there wasn't really a possibility that defeater could have bettered their last album, the question was whether it would be a huge disappointment or a marginal one. how would they twist the narrative? would they get poppier, or over-compensate in the other direction, or even take an experimental swing? when walking into that situation from the start, biases are going to overpower on first listen. it needs time...
i'm not going to get into the story. i'm not the teenager that is going to spend hours and hours sorting out all the characters and how everything fits into a chronological space. i have a loose understanding. that's enough to get it. it's the kind of thing that puts itself in place over years, not weeks; i'm old enough that a part of me ties itself to a reality that existed before internet forums, when there was more independent analysis. but, the loose understanding is important in understanding the musical decisions. this chapter focuses on a person with unappealing character traits, and the swing towards a broier-core (don't hate it, interpret it) seems to be contextual. ok, but is it listenable?
it's going to depend on who you are, obviously. defeater are a punk band, but they're hardcore enough that they have a crossover into that thrash/metalcore bro audience. this entire discussion will mostly not even cross their mind. for the smaller number of fans of more pure punk music (which is not remotely this heavy) that consider this on the envelope of heaviness that they can tolerate, though, it's an issue that took me about twenty listens to get over completely and put the hooks in their dominant position. take that as you may...
....but it doesn't actually answer the question, does it? well, what's your interest in theatrical music? how far are you going to dig into this oxymoronic concept of a "punk opera", anyways? there are some guest vocalists i'd never listen to, and they stand out as something i'd never listen to, but it works in that theatrical setting.
so, a loose understanding of the story is really key to get beyond the heavier gloss, if you don't usually listen to music this heavy. and time is required to reclaim the hooks and melodies.
meaning it's less of a disappointment and more of a grower. ask me how much of a grower it is in five years....
http://bridge9.bandcamp.com/album/letters-home
