Il disco si sente molto bene ed è qualitativamente parlando eccezionale, la stampa è precisa e non ci sono distorsioni nell'ascolto. La musica all'interno per un appassionato del genere è sicuramente di alto livello. Molto belle anche le grafiche. Non ho provato a scaricare i contenuti extra.
Much better than Pick of Destiny. On par with their debut but this one has more songs and fewer skits, which I really like. The vinyl is nice because it comes with the MP3 downloads as well.
IN SHORT: Buy this album -- it's tremendous! Listen to it a lot and it will grow on you (like the blurred out giant evil 'fenix' on the album cover ;)
LONGER REVIEW: I couldn't wait for this album to come out. I set aside the evening, prepared -- stereo cranked up, on my fourth or fifth drink, etc. -- and listened straight through paying close attention. My first impression wasn't great to be honest -- I thought it was a little "soft". I almost wrote a knee-jerk negative review saying the D had lost it etc. Instead I went to bed. The next day I listened to the album again but in the background at a lower volume. It started getting its hooks into me. That was last week, and I've now listened to the album a dozen times or so. I've also done a "comprehensive review" of the D recently -- I've listened to the other 2 albums a bunch of times and rewatched everything including the POD movie. My conclusion? "The Rize of the Fenix" is a very rich, multi-layered and creative album. Dare I say it's really "mature," in the sense that JB & KG's songwriting has evolved to encompass a wider variety of styles. Don't worry -- it's still really vulgar, profane and hilarious, but the scope is wider in my opinion. "39," and "The Ballad Of Hollywood Jack And The Rage Kage" stand out in this regard (anyone else hear Neil Diamond in there?) And I don't mean that they've half-assed tried to write songs in genres other than metal/rock in order to appear creative and diverse but ended up contriving some BS. Not at all. They've upped the ante and successfully produced a complex and advanced masterpiece. The impression I get is that they are far from complacent -- they've worked their asses off in the interim and pushed their own limits and it paid off. Some fans might be unable or unwilling to evolve and work harder to appreciate their effort -- and that's fine. This album does require substantial input/effort on the listener's part, but it will be repaid in spades with interest. Lest you think I've blindly swallowed every last inch of the rizen fenix, I personally think "Rock Is Dead" and "To Be The Best" are kind of boring, standard and the weakest songs on the album. I could do without them. HOWEVER, they lead up to the last song, "39," which is just incredible. A few random notes in closing:
* "The Ballad Of Hollywood Jack And The Rage Kage": listen to how beautiful the song becomes starting around 2:05, "he would cry and he would rage ... for the stage." Don't get me wrong, the whole song is awesome, but that part is over the top! And the lyric "Because Rage Kage and I can't you see are ONE AND THE SAME!!"
* "Throw Down" starts a little soft, perhaps -- that's a fair criticism. But I love the transition around 1:40, and then it really starts rocking around 2:00 -- and I *love* the clapping! It's little details like this that push this album over like the 9th edge they pushed it over!
* the title track "Rize Of The Fenix" is excellent and worth the price of the album alone. Anyone else hear some "2112" or even "Beneath, Between, Behind" in there? Just a thought. JB's got some great vocal work in there too.
* "Low Hanging Fruit" is classic D.
* "Senorita" is another example of the D's style evolution. I love the horns, the buildup at 2:33, and they nail the guitar (classical, acoustic and electric).