10 Years has never been a 'go-to' band for me, despite the fact that I have seen them perform live 3 times now and owning every album in the band's discography. The Cd's they have created before this newest album, 'Feeding the Wolves', were not weaker or worse than this newest release, but have always felt lacking in some way. This 'umph' that was missing from them is finally found in this new release, and it is fantastic.
Unlike past albums, 10 Years has put more energy into this newest work that forms more power (or in the words of my best friend John, more confidence) in these songs. No longer is there feeling like the songs came from a band on the cusp of success, but like those of a band that has been on top for years. 10 Years has finally found a sound of their own, and what a great sound it is. Over all, the tracks are a bit harder than those of the previous outings, but it's this harder, darker sound that adds a great dynamic that works well for the album singularly, and also helps add a variety to the entire song catalogue of the band. Certain songs, such as 'Shoot it Out' and 'The Wicked Ones' even have screaming, which is a new direction for the band, but never once did it feel like the songs being sung/screamed to were not of 10 Years. Though slightly contradictory to the typically mellow sound that is used by the band, the screaming itself is never over bearing or too strong to take away from 10 Year's signature sound. In fact, these brief riffs are typically in the background, behind lead singer Jesse Hasek's voice and add a fantastic accompaniment layer to the tracks rather than taking away from them.
Even with this more powerful approach, there is still plenty for fans of the more subtle tone of the band's past exploits, including the very catchy and perfect radio release 'Fix Me' which follows the styles of 'Wasteland' and 'Beautiful' with the right mix of fetching instrumental riffs and powerful lyrics. The disc's finale, 'Fade Into (The Ocean)' is another great track for fans to enjoy with a haunting melody and perfectly delivered lyrics to round out the work.
The over all arching theme of being hounded and running from this ravenous pack of wolves adds yet another layer to this well crafted CD, carrying into the lyrics in songs like 'Shoot It Out' and 'Dead in the Water' and pervading even the titles of the songs themselves, like 'Now is the Time (Ravenous)'. This recent trend (at least in the past 10 years) of adding another layer to a well crafted album by connecting the songs with over arching themes and even a pervading story to add themes and layers of depth is really taking off and this is just another fantastic example.
This is a CD that after being picked up the first time, will be hard to put down. I highly recommend this CD for fans, newcomers, and even people who have given the band a shot in the past but didn't agree with them. This album is definitely worth your time.
Here are some links for more information about the band:
The Band's Official Page: http://www.10yearsmusic.com/home.aspx
The Wiki Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_Years
'Shoot it Out' Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VCvSJo-yC0
Recommended Tracks:
'Shoot it Out', 'Fix Me', 'Fade Into (The Ocean)', 'The Wicked Ones'
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