Customer Reviews

A Drug for All Seasons

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Good
A spine tingling riff kicks off "Faded". Vocalist Dale Steele has a great rock voice, edgy yet melodic. I'd compare him to somebody, but he really has his own tone. Guitarist's John Davis and Steve Conley create more killer riffs on "Dissidence". The song as a whole has great rock radio appeal. "Fall to Me" delivers with a Middle Eastern flair that is eventually drowned by a wall of distortion. If the catchy riffs of "Bleeding" don't grab your attention, then the lead guitar licks surly will. Steele invokes all of his emotion and pain into the chorus.

Driving riffs, pounding drums, and meaty bass lines dominate "Dying on the Vine". More of Dave Small's drum skills can be heard on the building intro to "Hold Me Down". This song is one of those `screw the establishment' anthems. It's not until the final track "Forte Sonata" that Dave Ellefson really lets his presence be known. The track is simply a somber 12 string bass solo.

The Bad
The cover of Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians' "What I Am" just doesn't come off well. The verses work pretty well, but it's the heavy distorted choruses that really don't work. Did I mention it's a cover of Edie Brickell?

The Verdict
If I didn't tell you that Dave Ellefson from Megadeth was involved in the project, you wouldn't know it. F5 do not resemble Megadeth in any way. In fact, A Drug For All Seasons stands on its own as a solid modern rock album. The riffs are heavy and catchy, the vocals are smooth and fiery, and the songs don't drag on forever; making for one easy to swallow album.

F5 is probably one of the better modern rock/metal albums of the past few years, but was not much more than a blip on the music scene's radar. Most people (myself included) probably purchased this album to find out what erstwhile Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson has been up to since quitting Megadeth, a band whose sound he had helped define since it's inception.

Unfortunately, Ellefson's playing is not only subdued on this album, but placed low in the mix. Fortunately, what this disc delivers is a solid platter of meat & potatoes modern rock/metal which is quite an enjoyable listen, with cool riffs, great vocals, and dynamic, grooving songs. I actually have found this album in heavy rotation lately. Sure, it's not exactly breaking ground, but it's not trying to. I found this album's sound somewhat like a combination of the guitar on James La Brie's solo project, "Elements Of Persuasion" and the vocal style of Filter. A cool album....check it out!

Chances are the only reason anyone's heard of this band is because they were wondering where 'the other Dave' went after his abrupt exit from Megadeth. This band retains a bit of MD's aggression, but is very modern, and the byword here is melody. With the possible exception of 'What I Am' (a quasi-Limp Bizkit rehash), every song here is a keeper - nothing earth-shattering, but very, very solid. Memorable choruses (lacking a bit of background vocals usually) and great musicianship. The album flows well, the vocalist/lyricist does a great job, and the whole thing just has a cool, driving, heavy vibe to it. Recommended for fans of Godsmack, Disturbed, Jon Corabi (Scream, Motley Crue), and Lynam. But with better songs. Can't wait to see what the future holds for these guys (hopefully some more exposure!).

The Good
A spine tingling riff kicks off "Faded". Vocalist Dale Steele has a great rock voice, edgy yet melodic. I'd compare him to somebody, but he really has his own tone. Guitarist's John Davis and Steve Conley create more killer riffs on "Dissidence". The song as a whole has great rock radio appeal. "Fall to Me" delivers with a Middle Eastern flair that is eventually drowned by a wall of distortion. If the catchy riffs of "Bleeding" don't grab your attention, then the lead guitar licks surly will. Steele invokes all of his emotion and pain into the chorus.

Driving riffs, pounding drums, and meaty bass lines dominate "Dying on the Vine". More of Dave Small's drum skills can be heard on the building intro to "Hold Me Down". This song is one of those `screw the establishment' anthems. It's not until the final track "Forte Sonata" that Dave Ellefson really lets his presence be known. The track is simply a somber 12 string bass solo.

The Bad
The cover of Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians' "What I Am" just doesn't come off well. The verses work pretty well, but it's the heavy distorted choruses that really don't work. Did I mention it's a cover of Edie Brickell?

The Verdict
If I didn't tell you that Dave Ellefson from Megadeth was involved in the project, you wouldn't know it. F5 do not resemble Megadeth in any way. In fact, A Drug For All Seasons stands on its own as a solid modern rock album. The riffs are heavy and catchy, the vocals are smooth and fiery, and the songs don't drag on forever; making for one easy to swallow album.

Admit that like me you only bought this or are thinking of buying it because ex Megadeth dude Dave Ellefson is plying his four string trade here. Well if your unsure about buying this then do so and here are my reasons for suggesting it's purchase.

Firstly this isn't a Megadeth clone - the synchromeshed guitars are gone to be replaced with a more human feeling hard rock/metal borderline inhabiting album. Songs such as Faded and Defacing would by my suggestions to sample though the riffing that combines earlier musical styles with a modern touch can also be heard on tunes like X'd Out.

Secondly the production job is warm but with enough of the pleasantness leeched out to leave you in no doubt as to the metalness of these chaps. Songs aren't overproduced or overlong and in fact some fairly scurry by with the whole thing feeling ....well... like a band not a vanity project. Two guitarists are used but it's not a Dragonforce shredfest - just hard rockin' wattage. Vocalist Dale Steele isn't a vocal gymnast but the songs do very much suit his range. In the band shot he's got a silly petulant look that reminds me of my son when he can't decide on whether to get angry or cry over something but I'll forgive this Dale bloke for that transgression.

The only real down side is a slight lack of X factor but this is an album that can be played from end to end as long as you skip the cover of What I Am (my minds gone blank - wasn't that a hit for Texas or someone like that) and the little instrumental on the end is actually a cool little number to mellow you out at the albums completion.

Four stars here people - and be careful, apparently there is an enhanced version of this album around, what the enhancement is I don't know, it ain't on mine.

Wasn't sure what to expect from this one, hadn't really been big on Megadeath in the past, but it's a really good record.

It's kind of somewhere in the area of Shinedown, Stonesour, Sevendust, Dark New Day, sort of area, lots of neat riffs in it, good playing right throughout, Vocals are good. They try some different things and it all comes together as a solid record with some interesting sounds here and there. Has something of a mild edge to it I guess you could say compared to a lot of other stuff and not overly heavy.

Songs that stand out a bit: Fall to Me, Hold Me Down, Dissidence, but a consistent record all the way through.

In spite of the fact that Dave Ellefson, of Megadeth fame, is a force handling the low end of this group, it is NOT a Megadeth clone---which is good. This is a definite metal/hard rock group that goes its own direction---which is heavy and crunching or moderate and soothing---sometimes within the same song. The musicianship is solid, vocals on target, lyrics worthy of any thinking adult, production is well-thought out. This CD is good to run from first to last---no need to skip any tunes.

My only complaint is from a production standpoint; some of the pauses within songs sound too clipped, not naturally paused, but paused by manipulating the recording. Not sure what's up with that. It just sounds too chopped to have been naturally muted by player technique.

By the way, the Edie Brickell cover works very well in contrasting light and heavy. It is one of my favorites on the album.

WOW! Great new sound with kick ass riffs and vocals.
Dale Steele pulls it off! Then again with David Ellefson, John Davis, Steve Conley, and Dave Small how could he not.

They can be heard going through the website http://www.f5fanclub.com

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.F5TheBand.com/?friend=2260"></a>

Although I am not really into metal, this was a great album. Very melodic and heavy at the same time.

Wonderful hard beat rock screams at you with this awesome CD by F5. This band has the hard rock out style that I love with smooth, electric, thrilling guitar rifts that encourage head banging at its best. Alternative and rough this music is just what I needed.

The Frontman has a excellent handle on his lyics, style and direction and does it with a flare in an exciting and unique voice.

Yep...I love this CD.

"What I am is what I am"