Is It Worth It?

An album can serve as more than a testament to artistic, spiritual, and personal evolution of an artist, but can serve as a "tabula rasa," or even an affirmation as to why someone had connected with the band or artist in the first place.                                                                                                            With the overbearing presence of music to experience and enjoy, it has come to the point where the possibility of the latter diminishes with the multiplication of the latter; which arouses the query "Is it really worth it?" or "What did I just read?"                                                                                              This first segment will start with albums released in 2015 from four mainstream rock bands that have fluctuated from tolerable to moderately enjoyable. Not that I detest modern-mainstream, it is just that these four artists I have not consistently connected with. What I will start with is a terse impression of their ltest releases.                                                                                                                                      Hinder: Bon Jovi Country (A comma may apply, but is not required). Disturbed: another entry in their consistent catalog. Shinedown: they may no longer be modern-rock outcasts, but this album may be far enough to from Amaryllis to evade its scent. Breaking Benjamin: Old Ben has found some new friends to play with.                                                                                                                             The first full-length from Hinder I listened to was their belated foray into '"rap-rock," which I reviewed (quite sophomorically I might add). I listened to their singles and choice album cuts from their records previous, but this was my favorite. I avoided the freakshow, but decided to sample some cuts from their fifth and I stand by my first impression. If you enjoy Bon Jovi or modern "country" music, then you may enjoy this record, even When the Smoke Clears.                                                                                                                                                                         While I may not be a Disturbed fan, I respect their consistency even if I do not always enjoy their music; they also put on a good show. From their full-lengths Ten Thousand Fists and Indestructable, to a few escapees from the Asylum. Not that I disregarded their first two full-lengths, I just never listened to them prior; wouldn't that be the same thing as disregard? Regardless, "The Sound of Silence" may not be deafening, but is a worthy refute in regards to anyone's catechism of purpose.                                                                                                                                                  Shinedown is at the precipice of status "one of my favorite bands," without reaching it; they don't need my approval anyways. Nary a doubt, Sound of Madness was their most consistent and enticing record; not that I didn't appreciate their subsequent release, it just wasn't as persuasive. Still debating whether I should "Cut The Cord," or bite the bullet; they both sound painful.                      Breaking Benjamin are the most guilty of crafting albums that seem half-baked, and focusing solely on the singles. Not that the aforementioned bands were without hits, it just seems that this last band seems most reliant on them. They seem to focus their creative energy on a select few, which eventually become their singles, and while the singles aren't the only good songs on the album they are usually the best; not that the concept is new with any band, it just seems there is a disparity between quality, and that half of the songs seem derivative of their previous output or the record current.