Aiden

Conviction

Written by: TL on 22/08/2007 00:31:19

Pondering my status here at Rockfreaks.net, my latest theory is that I could aptly be titled "The axeman" or "The executioner". You see, some records are simply sheep before the slaughter in the hands of a reviewer. Records by bands who have been stamped with the CHEESEFEST stamp on their previous efforts and who, if they haven't sold out earlier, are expected to do so on the CD in question. I feel like I'm getting all those records. I feel like the general sentiment here must be "if it's too cheesy for Tim to like, then it's GOT to be binned. And fast too!".

Let's cut the crap. I'm reviewing Aiden. I'd like to say I'm reviewing their latest album, but I can't. You see "Conviction" is not really an album. It's a cover up. What's being covered up is the complete and utter lack of talent and incapability of originality present in each and every band member, but demonstrated beyond doubt by Wil Francis's horrifying inability to sing. Now I'd like to say that in the past they've gotten by on their energy, because I used to be able to find at least some redeeming parts on their previous efforts, but to be honest, I'm starting to think that they only really made it this far by riding the whole makeup wearing goth punk bandwagon. Kill Hannah would've been in the drivers seat of if they'd remembered the "goth" part. In any case, made it this far is what they did, and this far means they got to the point where they're suddenly a major label success story, in effect taking the role as the band to whom the label dictates the sound.

Effectively, the sound of "Conviction" is basically one that clearly has been through the "major machine", meaning that any kind of energy and attitude has been clinically cleansed from the sound in favor of soaring hollow riffs, painstakingly simple stadium/radio-friendly nonsense lyrics and endless repetition of all too obvious choruses. Now granted, I expected nothing less from Aiden, so that isn't really what buries this album in my mind. No, the one fact that completely renders me of the ability to take this album seriously is the huge and obvious amount of work that has been put into disguising the fact that Wil cannot sing. Oops, I said that already didn't I? Let me rephrase that: Wil Francis's vocal work is so horrible it makes Buddy Nielsen of Senses Fail sound like Chris Cornell. Got it? And it doesn't even work because we all know it. Everyone who has ever heard Aiden before knows his horrible nasal voice and some even forgave him that in the past, but now, ironically, the way the band has failed at hiding it dominates the entire record.

It isn't that much of a shame though, because if you work your way around it and actually listen to the CD, you'll find that each and every track sounds the same, and each and every track is completely uninteresting. Add the stated factors up, and the sum will say that Aiden has produced a record that's worse than Linkin Park. Congratulations.

Download: Teenage Queen, One Love
For the fans of: Kill Hannah, My Chemical Romance, AFI, The Alkaline Trio
Listen: MySpace

Release date 21.08.2007
Victory Records

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