Customer Reviews

The Chronicles of Life & Death (Death Art Version)

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(31)

 

 

Good Charlotte blasted onto the scene with a song about High School and life.

They continued their path with music about celebrity and longing.

Now...with this CD...they face their pain. Their father left them, and they use that to their advantage. Joel's vocals are deeper. He whines less, which is nice. The music is more mature and I definitely enjoy the lyrics more.

One of the standout tracks is "The World is Black". I was shocked by this song, because the music is so adorably cute but the lyrics are so dark and hopeless. It's a contrast that leaves me melancholy yet excited at the same time.

The best thing about this album is the use of the orchestral sounds. I've always found that two intruments in popular music strike a "chord" (pun intended) inside me, twanging my emotions. Piano, and strings. They definitely use the strings. On a couple of tracks, "Predictable" in particular, it grabs you right away. Well, it grabs me, anyway. Im a sucker for a good beginning. This CD delivers.

It lacks a fifth star because I am giving them room to grow. This isn't them fulfilling their potential, but they are definitely getting there.

Check it out!!!

I think the new albums of GC are great. I'm glad they did change with their music, but we all know that they have their old music inside them still. It would be pretty boring if they had the same music from their last albums. I'm glad they made a change.
My ratings:
Once Upon A Time: A Battle of Life and Death 4/5-i like it, makes me wanna speak a different language
Chronicles of Life and Death 4/5-true lyrics
Walk Away 5/5-Rockin song
Just wanna live 4/5-very catchy song reminds me of the Backstreet Boys a bit.......
Secrets 4/5-good lyrics
S.O.S. 5/5- Got to love the guitar playing
Truth 4/5- Nice....with the screaming.
Ghost of You 5/5-Great lyrics
Predictable 5/5-love the vid
The World is Black 5/5-catchy beggining
Mountain 4/5-pretty good, vocals are strange although
We Believe 4/5-good....sad song
It Wasn't Enough 4/5-very nice break-up song
In This World (Murder)4/5-very fun
Meet My Maker5/5- loved it
Falling Away 5/5- nice skateboarding song
(Secret Track) 5/5-loved the lyrics

Wow, it seems as if there's no one here who is unbiased about this album. It's either, "Oh my God, Good Charlotte is like totally the most awesome band ever. They can even do a rap song. I mean how many punk bands can pull that off?" or it's "Good Charlotte should all be shot. They're just a bunch of poser MTV losers. They're not f'ing punk. They're whiny annoying little brats. I should know, I have every Black Flag album and like 90 tattoos. I'm f'in hardcore." Here's my honest, un-biased opinion. This isn't a great album. Nor is it terrible. They're not even trying to be pop-punk on this album. In a lot of ways they've changed much like Blink 182 did on their unlistenable self-titled album. Yes, there is a rap-influenced song on here. And even with a chorus that sounds influenced by early 90's Red Hot Chili Peppers, it really does suck. But a few of the songs aren't bad. "Ghost of You" is a catchy little ditty with some interesting instrumentation. Several of the songs employ folk techniques, and others do have a little bit of a pop-punk power chord structure. But overall the melodies are good, and the lyrics could be a lot worse. This isn't an amazingly artistic album, it won't turn heads or win over the pretentious crowd. But as a guilty pleasure it ain't half bad.

I have to say that even though I was a fan of Good Charlotte before... I wasn't as devoted and crazy as their hard core fans. After buying "The Chronicles Of Life And Death", I can now say that I am a hard core fan. I had their other two albums and thought they were really good... but this one takes the cake for sure. I think they have shown true growth lyrically and musically. It is a little different than some of their older material, but different in a good way. I think that every song on this album is easy for anybody out there to relate to. They are dealing a little more with world issues on this album as well, like the song "In This World (Murder)", which is one of my favourites. I think its kind of cool as their fans to hear what they think of all they mayhem that is happening in the world lately. My other favourites on the album are "S.O.S." as well as "Walk Away(Maybe)", "Secrets", "The Truth" and "I Just Wanna Live". I also recommend The Death Version of the album. I like the bonus track ("Meet My Maker") on The Death Version a lot better than the bonus track ("Falling Away") on The Life Version, but thats just my personal opinion. Bottom line... I bought the album the day after it was released and it hasn't left my C.D. player yet. If you like Good Charlotte, go out and get it, it's well worth the money.

The Chronicles of Life and Death
By Good Charlotte
WOW! What an amazing CD! So creative, totally differs from their usual sound, yet combines both of their earlier CD's with such growth that the sound is totally their own. With a mix of punk, rock, and alternative, they really stir it up.
Track 1 features a Chinese choir's rendition of life and death with a breathtaking musical score. You don't need to know Chinese to understand what they're saying. It was still written by Joel and Benji, but translated into Chinese later. Track 2, "The Chronicles of Life and Death", is so amazing that it will blow you out of the water. It combines philosophy with a melodious, yet dark beat. Track 3, "Walk Away (maybe)", starts with a great guittar riff, but a slightly less hard-rock song. (just slightly) Very reminescent of their first CD, but has an alternative mix. Track 4, "SOS"., is so strong it gives you goosebumps. When you feel like you need help, this song is great. With such a strong message, it is very similar to "Hold On". Track 5, "I Just Wanna Live", is fantastic! It's kindof alternative rock with a little 80's influence. It's lyrics are unbreakably powerful. One of my all-time favorites of theirs. Track 6, "Ghost of You", is good and worth listenning to, but not one of the strongest on the album. Track 7,"Predictable", YES! This is the Good Charlotte we saw in their last album's track, "The Young and the Hopeless", once again reffering to their dad's problems. They leave him behind in an angry spirit that you don't often find in Joel or Benji. Track 8, "Secrets", is not a stand-out, but it's very good. You have to listen a few times before you truly get it. Track 9, "The Truth", is pretty mellow, but not bad. Worth your time, but there are better on the album. Track 10, "The World is Black", BRILLIANT! Love this song! On a scale of one to ten, it's a 100. Can't get enough of it! You have to hear it to believe it, but it's so well crafted! Track 11, Mountain, definately a strong song, but too hard to explain. You're going to have to hear it! Track 12, "We Believe", Finally, GC has started to talk about their faith. For such devout Christians, it they didn't show any religion in their first two albums. They believe in god so much, it's good to hear them finally talk about that. Track 13, "It Wasn't Enough", was definately good enough for me. It was strong and easy to understand. However, the beat constantly changes, so it can be hard to follow. Track 14, "In This World", is GREAT! WOW! Such great lyrics, wowowowowowow! "In this world, it's not money that's evil, it's the ones who chose it over life." Track 15, "Meet My Maker", is very dark and draws you in. It's an emotionally rivetting song! Plus, here's a hint, a bonus track starts after 5 minutes on #15 .It's slower than most, but still strong. I don't know the title yet, but I'll figure that out later. Overall. 5/5, 10/10, however you want to say it, this CD is the epitome of perfection.

I was excited for Good Charlotte's new album because they said it would be darker. Its not. However, lyrically it's their best and most mature record to date. Gone are the songs about revenge on football jocks and ex girlfriends, and now have been replaced by questioning life, death, and confusion. Standout tracks include the eerie japanese choir in "once upon a time: the battle of life and death", A kid thinking about ending his life in "S.O.S", a lame but very catchy rap song in "I Just Wanna Live". The first single "Predictable" is about their fathers departure with a great melody, and "In This World (Murder)" about sins. Overall this is a very great album and it will surprised a lot of non Good Charlotte fans.

This cd is a great cd, however you do have to listen to it a couple of times before really appreciating this album. It is a lot different then the their first two albums, but its another great one. Good Charlotte goes in a new direction with this new cd. You can still see a lot of the old music in them. Almost every single song paints a good picture of what their lives can be like at times. I also seem to really relate to the songs just as i did with the other two albums. Over all its a great cd, that shows a more grown up version of this great group.

I, like most other people heard the first single "Predictable" before the album actually came out. I liked this song, and they didn't overplay it to much on Much Music (Yay Canada). However, i didn't know what to expect from this album until i purchased and listened to it. All of the songs are great, and there is an improvement from Young and the Hopeless, and a definite improvement from there self titled album Good Charlotte. However, that is to be expected from a band as they grow and mature to become a main stream band. For the most part, if you enjoyed either of their first two albums you will probably enjoy this one, and it is definently worth it to buy.

this album is ok.....alot of the choruses in the second half of the album are weak and ruin the songs. dont know about "i just wanna live"....bit hip hop for me. personally i expected more in the way of the production values on this album. joels singing is definatly not as good as it could have been. and the lead guitar in predictable needs dampening and lead guitar in secrets need to be way louder...it would make the song.

Opinions are funny things. Everyone has different opinions and tastes but still people feel they have to conform to the crowd. Good Charlotte is a good exapmle of this. Right now it seems as though it's "cool" to dislike GC and think they're "sell-outs". This is especially true for their latest album, Chronicle of Life & Death.

I encourage you to give GC's newest album, The Chronicles of Life & Death, a listen with an open mind and an attitude of not caring what's "popular". Decide for yourself what you think of this album. This GC cd is different from their previous two but who wants to listen to a band that always releases identical albums.

A number of the songs sound like vintage GC with thier fast paced up-beat pop punk (or alternative) tunes while other tracks are heavier musically and darker lyrically than what they've done previously. And yet other songs are in a category of their own muscial stylings.

Things to listen for:

3. Walk Away (Maybe) - awsome guitar driven riffs that will keep you listening to it again and again

4. S.O.S. - great lyrics accompanied by an equally good song

5. I Just Wanna Live - mix of GC rapping and a musical tribute to 70's funk

6. Ghost of You - interesting drum work during the chorus (not to mention the keyboard)

7. Predictable - Great guitars on this angst-filled song

8. Secrets - catchy pop hooks that sound just like the stuff off their first album

9. Truth - slow but strong rock ballad

In conclusion, if you're a GC fan or interested in starting to listen to them, I recommend this album. It's a cd with good vocals matched with great musicianship and a positive message. Just keep your mind open and make your own opinions of this album. Forget what everyone else thinks about it and choose for yourself!