Customer Reviews

Anthology

5 star:		(82)
4 star:		(58)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

I bought this cd after hearing their first single "Movies". Upon hearing the song the first time I thought the leader singer, Dryden Mitchell, sounded similar to Brandon Boyd of Incubus. It piqued my interest and I wanted to hear the rest of the cd to see if these guys were just some kind of Incubus spin-off, coming from Incubus's latest string of success. Well I was surprised to find that I was totally wrong in my assumption. When the cd opened up with the song "Courage" I was blown away. It started heavy with a guy screaming, then it slowed down when Dryden started singing. It was unexpected, it was great. Then i decided to look on the cover to find a song with an interesting name, that's when i saw "Smooth Criminal", and not realizing it was a Michael Jackson cover until later, I found I couldn't stop listening to the awesome and extremely catchy, guitar work and excellcent vocals. Next, I listened to "Death Day" it was a slower song with odd lyrics, but the vocals were strangely attracting and I found myself repeating the song over and over until finally I could sing along. After jumping around a bit I landed another couple of songs that I found were very appetizing with great vocals, drumming and guitar playing, these songs were "Flesh and Bone", "Whisper", and "Calico". "Summer" and "Sticks and Stones" are the two weaker tracks, but I can't help but keeping pace with the vocalist on these songs, as well. "Attitude" slows the album down a bit, but it has great vocals and drumming so it keeps up the quality of the cd. "Stranded" has strange lyrics but has moving guitar work to make it a memorable song. "Wish" pulls off some heavy riffs and stronger vocals to make it an amazing listen. To end the cd "Universe" slows down, but has great instrumental work and passionate vocals that make it another great listen for me. Be sure to wait a while after "Universe" to hear the hidden track its an interesting song, much different than any of the other tracks, very similar to slower Deftones tracks.

Excellent vocals, sometimes odd, punk-influenced lyrics and great instrumental work all around, make this a memorable cd that is hard to take of the cd player. And with their second single "Smooth Criminal" picking up steam this cd is sure to be a hot buy. If you like the Deftones or Incubus, than this cd is defintely recommended, if you don't, well, it's still recommended

Hailing from Riverside, California, Alien Ant Farm has been on the premier edge of the California music scene since their formation in 1996. Winning "best album of 1999" at the LA Music Awards with their independent CD release "Greatest Hits", this dynamic foursome of musicians has enjoyed popular and critical successes since their conception.

The best way to describe Alien Ant Farm is to call them "musicians", because that is what they are; they are highly technical and poetic, every member adding significantly to each of ANThology's carefully constructed tracks. This is one of the most penetrating and honest releases by any band in a long time, and with ANThology this band meshes seamlessly together as it makes something that works profoundly on every level.

This album is Alien Ant Farm's first major label release, and will feature a collage of both old and new tracks, all representing the band at the top of their game. From `harder' tracks such as "Courage", "Sticks & Stones", and "Wish" to the spiritual "Flesh and Bone", to `lighter' tracks such as "Attitude" and "Happy Death Day", this album is laden with a continual demonstration of great musical talent and provides for a very solid and visceral listening experience. As a special treat, the song "Orange Appeal" is featured as a hidden track and showcases the band's stranger side.

ANThology has a much more refined and cleaner sound than the band's previous independent releases and should please both new and old fans alike. Alien Ant Farm adds a new dimension to the current breed of pop-rock clones that permeates so abundantly from today's popular music culture, and `ANThology' will be a welcome addition to anybody who is looking for a band that can take music and turn it into a resonating experience that hits the guttural chords of emotion and feeling, bringing the listener along with it.

Alien Ant Farm is ready to explode on the music scene. much has been said about them being friends with Papa Roach and on their label, but they deserve to be famous for their music. I bought the cd when i had heard "Movies" on the radio. i saw it at fred meyer for 7.99 and figured what the heck. this cd is awesome. the more i listen to it, the better it gets. They are definately a hard rock band, just not nearly as frustrated and angry as p-roach. think seattle grunge (which i love) with the light heartedness of the foo fighters. All of the songs don't sound the same on the disk, which is a good thing. Courage, Wisper, & Wish are very hard. However Attitude is kinda a jazzy, softer song. then there are songs, such as movies, that are pop-rock. The standouts are Courage, Stranded, Attitude, & the micheal jackson remake Smooth Criminal. For you parents, the disk isn't very objectoinable. On summer d*mn is used a couple times. the only other song that is a may not be for the kiddies is death day, but not b/c of cussing. treat your ears to this cd now!

Of all the music that I have heard this year, the debut by Alien Ant Farm is by far the best. The thirteen songs here (and one hidden track) show incredible talent for a debut. The CD starts off rockin' with "Courage". An excelent song that could easily become a single. Next is their first single, "Movies" and it is worthy of single status as I just can't stop listening to it! "Flesh and Bone" is another favorite of mine, and takes a look at religion with a rock feel. My other favorites from this CD are "Whisper", "Stranded", "Death Day", and the truly excelent "Attitude". However, the song that takes the cake is the cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal". Not only do they improve on it in every way, but it has become my favorite song of the year. With this incredible debut, I'm sure that we will see much more good stuff from AAF in the future!

Wow, this CD. I just cannot explain it. I just keep coming back for more. Sure, I liked it when I first got it, but now it has become an addiction! I cannot think of a song on here that I don't like anymore. From the brutal opening "Courage" to the final track, "Universe," ANThology is a solid collection of heartfelt and hilarious songs. "Courage" is obviously a standout, with the amazing bass, which just takes over the whole song and great vocals by Dryden. "Smooth Criminal" can be taken as either an insult or a tribute to Michael Jackson, either way, Dryden does a pretty interesting impression of ol' Jacko. "Summer" was one of the tracks that took some time to warm up to, but now I love it more than any of the other songs. Other great tracks: Attitude, Whisper, and Wish. I like to think of Alien Ant Farm as Taproot with a sense of humor, and if you can handle that, by all means, pick up this CD. It is definetly on my top 5 of 2001 list already.

Alien Ant Farm's major label debut "ANThology" is an impressive album from a great band. I find that every track is exceptionally good with no fillers or down-time. Each song rolls into the next with the same power and greatness as the song that precedes.

The music is straight up hard rock, delivered by guitarist Terence Corso, bassist Tye Zamora and drummer Mike Cosgrove with Dryden Mitchell presiding over vocals. Mitchell's vocals fit the music well and goes well with the message of the vocals, at times sounding like Brandon Boyd of Incubus, in my own opinion.

As I said, each track is strong but some are catchier and can grab you easier than the others. My personal favorites are Flesh And Bone, Whisper, Sticks And Stones, Wish and Death Day. The two singles, "Movies" and "Smooth Criminal", are indeed good songs but I find the other songs on the album more appealing.

If you are a fan of the newer Incubus sound or a fan of that genre, this is a good album to check out. I don't recommend it for the people who want music with a harder edge. Its more for someone who wants popular mainstream rock music without the totally processed pop-sound used for sales.

Ok, let me start off by saying that this is NOT Alien Ant Farm's first CD, they have another little known one called Greatest Hits that was not widely released, but has MANY excellent songs on it...
Alrighty, on to ANThology, this CD is what really made me like music...the ability that the band posesses to skillfully swich between boarderline-metal tracks (Courage, Whisper), to soft, laid back tunes (Attitude, Calico), is a skill that few bands have, and even fewer can pull off. ANThology has a reserved spot in my CD player, and is a band that everyone should try, even if you don't like their genre...
CD Tracks:
1)Courage: 9/10-Very good song, one of the hardest on here.

2)Movies: 10/10-Extremely good song, easy to get carried away and play it 4-500 times though.

3)Flesh And Bone: 8/10-Stands out as the only "normal" track.

4)Whisper:10/10-Probably the hardest song.

5)Summer:7/10-Good song, but melds a little halfway through.

6)Sticks And Stones:9/10-Catchy, nonsense lyrics...you're gonna be singing this one during class for a looong time.

7)Attitude:10/10-No words can describe it's greatness.

8)Stranded:9/10-Aquatic theme, superb music.

9)Wish:10/10-Just love 'em nonsense songs.

10)Calico:8/10-I'm still trying to unmeld this one from itself.

11)Death Day:8/10-Something about this song just makes me laugh.

12)Smooth Criminal:10/10-Everything just works so perfectly.

13)Universe/Orange Appeal:9/10-The last two tracks are melded into one, successfully combining two separate songs into one kickass closer.

One day a year or two back I borrowed an album from a friend called 'ANThology' by Alien Ant Farm. Although I slapped my forehead with the lame pun, I gave the music a chance and it blew me away. The guitars are amazing, the bass most noteworthy. The drums aren't astounding, but there are times when they work in perfect unison with the guitars and it's amazing. The vocals are really good. The lead, Dryden Vera Mitchell, seems to know his limitations and works well with his range. The lyrics tend to move from acceptibly average to beautifully deep and sometimes intentionally silly. I think this is due to the band not trying to impress anyone. The songs are good, and the bonus track 'Orange Appeal' is a definate treat.

Their second album, however, was a complete disappointment. The music got bad, the lyrics followed suit. Only the bass is still excellent. If you want to check out Alien Ant Farm, buy 'ANThology'.

I was impresssed with thier first single "Movies" so after downloading the opener, "courage," I went out and got this album. I must say that Im not all that impressed after hearing it. Musically, these guys are great, but Alien Ant farm leaves something to be desired withthier lyics. the wordplay nad puns in songs like "Stranded" and "Summer" get really irritating after a while, and the song "Death Day" is a complete waste of space on this album.

There area good points on this album like "Wish" and "Courage," but this needs some improvement in their songwriting. If you like this album though, Id reconmend "greyest of blue skies" by Finger Eleven. It's similar style, with better production.

If you like the Smooth Criminal cover, you'll be disappointed by the rest of the album. Not a big fan of this band after hearing this album. They are creepily generic as if molded in an MTV laboratory somewhere in New York City. Just buy the MP3 single, and don't buy this album.