Customer Reviews

It Hates You

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I preordered this album over a month ago and I honestly forgot about it until the package showed up at my door. I began to think as I inserted the cd into the stereo how I first heard about this band. I Am Hollywood hit me out of nowhere similarly how this cd just found its way to my door. Isn't it funny how some music just finds you?

For major fans of I Am Hollywood, beware, It Hates You is not a return to that style of music. This album is a further decline from the style of music that made them a breakout band on Solid State. Suck Out The Poison really tested the waters with their fans and many didn't appreciate the growth of their musicianship. Everyone who loved them had something to say about it, a lot hated it, some loved it, and the rest of us thought it was just...different (that's where I stood). This album will probably further divide the remaining fans of He Is Legend.

The lack of their trademark energy is evident and the absense of McKenzie Bell is obvious. There is not a lot of yelling, which isn't bad at all because Schuylar Croom has a great voice and it wouldn't match the slower tempo well if he kept yelling. The rhythm and tempo of the album is catchy and dare I say...radio-friendly. The stereotype they battled their entire career at solid state is of being branded a "christian band" is pretty much settled with this album. Although they mentioned several times through varying mediums of media that the beliefs of the members of the band are not unanimously Christian and therefore they don't subscribe to any one religion. The one-time use of the f-word on "Don't Touch That Dial" is enough to settle that question.

The album seems to give the feeling of resentment to it's fans for forsaking them with the release of Suck Out The Poison although I wouldn't say that it would be limited to just that, the writing process of an artist usually deals with more than one subject. The dark tone of the album appears to be both more what He Is Legend wants to perform and what the former fans hate. The album will probably repel bandwagon high schoolers away, the real fans intact, and attract new fans. Those who enjoy southern rock or southern blued and have never heard of this band - you might want to pick up this record. And although I hate this name for this particular genre - if you like STONER rock (hate that name)- you might also want to give this record a listen.

Some highlights of the album are "Stranger Danger", "Don't Touch That Dial", "Decisions, Decisions, Decisioins", "Everyone I Know Has Fangs", & "Cult of She". "Cult of She" is the closest thing you're going to get to hearing the way they sounded before they adopted their new sound. "China White III" isn't nearly as voilent in content as the first two parts in former albums. So be open minded if you're really into China White I & II when you hear China White III.

Overall, I think the album is great. Great tempo transitions, the song "Mean Shadows" will display that. The guitar work is still fabulous. It sounds a lot different because it's easy to get used to hearing two guitars but still good. Schuyler Croom does a good job writing and singing. But it is another step further away from the music that made them well known and any band that has the balls to do that is awesome in my eyes. If you just can't get away from how much you liked I Am Hollywood then you may not like this album, but give it a listen anyway. And if you loved Suck Out The Poison you may face the same dilemma but to a slightly lesser degree. Great album. Awesome band. It Hates You. Take it or leave it. God knows He Is Legend couldn't care less if you like it or not.

Rock n' roll is dead... you've heard these words before, as these words that have rolled over the lips of every music critic since the Beatles. As I have tried to extinguish this lie for several years I've realized the problems I have been facing haven't been with the music, it's been with the people listening to the music: it's hard pressed to find a someone under the age of 30 whose life hasn't been dominated with catchy pop music that requires little or no music attention.

Well I'm not here to tell you about how rock isn't dead, I'm here to tell you about the greatest band you've never heard. This is my review of It Hates You, and while I ramble on with wide enthusiasm of a "fanboy" I want you to know that I had already written this album off as a cop-out or a sell out album long before hearing the demo tracks and seeing the new songs live in concert. Oh, how I was wrong. While I would love to be the guy that sees through this album, I'm afraid that I must bow down before its rock greatness and worship at the alter of the Legend.

He Is Legend is not a rookie band nor are they a one-hit wonder. The band has already had 3 albums and 3 eps, and my aggregate rating of the bands previous work has been an 5/5. While their previous work has gotten excellent ratings from music enthusiasts and only the hardcore rockers they've never had a CD that could appeal to everyone.

I'm here to tell you that It Hates You is not only that CD, it also manages to not sell out and get jumbled in with all the rest of the pop garbage that you hear on the radio today. The new album draws heavily from influences such as Alice in Chains, Queens of the Stone Age, AC DC, Stone Temple Pilots, as well as other 90s alternative kings. The new sound is more reliant on Schuylar's deep rhythmic vocals that the screaming of the previous albums. The bass play by Matt Williams, is some of the best bass play not by someone named Flea. The guitar is trance inducing and includes all of the little tiny things that makes Adam great, although sometimes I wanted him to break out a little more, although they were down a guitarist. I don't have to even talk about Steven just listen, if you are not awed by how alive this music is then you need to check your pulse.

If you haven't heard them before please check out Don't Touch That Dial. If your puny ears can conform to the epic tones that are set before them, get ready to enjoy the best alternative album of the decade. Such a gap between where He Is Legend was 6 years ago when they were the darlings of the local scene, to now where they are a mature band that is way ahead of their time. Adam Tanbouz (guitarist and song writer) and Steven Bache (drummer) might be some of the most underrated musicians of their time. They don't get the appreciation that some other musicians get because they concentrate on writing good music, that has meaning rather than trying to put extra notes/beats in places they don't belong. (metalcore bands/fans i'm looking at you).

While I can already see die hard fans wincing, who where hoping for more of the same, they should have already learned they're lesson with Suck Out the Poison. He Is Legend conforms to no one, and never keeps they're music the same, and it's always for the better. Suck Out The Poison caused quite a stir when He Is Legend abandoned their Post Hardcore sound angering off emo kids and hardcore kids who like "breakdowns" weeding out the fans who like music and the fans who were just scene kids who had daddy issues and wanted to fit in with the rest of the mall-core crowd.

Yet again I feel that it is Christmas night, you know after you have gotten all your presents then you realize that next Christmas is another year away. Do yourself a favor get this CD.

PS: If you find that you don't get this CD, you might fall under two categories:
You love breakdowns and a song must be "danceable" for you to get your "rawk" on.

You missed 90s alternative or think that rock-n-roll died with the break up of the Beatles.

First off the album is good. These guys are talented and that has never been the question. Style wise this album focuses more on vocals and harmonic structure. For the most part the crazy single note riffs and breakdowns are gone except for brief moments dispersed intermittently. they have been replaced with harmonically sound chord structures and unorthodox yet simple, vocal melodies. Which is good and bad. Good because the songs are solid, bad because it doesn't sound as inspired as past releases. Like they were thinking more than feeling.

What was great about the last three albums of theirs was while they may all sound different from each other, and I Am Hollywood is a lesson in ADD, they all have a natural feel. Those albums are what naturally came to the band as it was. Maybe the departing guitarist had an effect on this album or vice versa. I didn't get Suck Out the Poison when I first listened to it but after I really gave it a few chances I think it's there best album because it just flows perfectly from song to song, and each song can hold up on its own even outside of the context of the album.

If you like everything else they've done you'll like this. However this album is hard to listen to all at once, whereas the other ones were over and you were still wanting more. this one feels like it's too long at times. But with the rest of the crap pile of music that is out there in 2009 this still is toward the top of the pile..

I just got this CD and am listening to it now it's amazing and well worth the wait. I can't say enough good things about this band and this CD it's just awesome and I love it all the music the vocals, lyrics are great, it's hard to pick my favorite songs so early in hearing it but I'd say "Don't touch that dial" "stranger danger" are prime examples why this band is so good in my opinion. If you never heard He is legend please give them a listen all their CD's are great really.

Well folks, the ever-controversial He Is Legend are back again with their third album, and they do not disappoint. "It Hates You" sounds like an odd combination of "I Am Hollywood" and "Suck Out the Poison," along with a completely new, bluesy sound. With this combination, the band have crafted their most ambitious and jaw-dropping record to date. I would recommend individual songs, but they are all equally amazing. If you appreciate musical growth, be sure to pick up this album.

I used to mostly listen to Chillout, Classical, Jazz, Electronic, or Alt Rock - but then He Is Legend came along and blew my mind.

This music is impossibly good. It's varied and complex. It doesn't adhere to the same simple, predictable formula that everyone else is using. Their bridges are insanely cool. Everything - the rhythm section, guitars, vocals, keyboards - is played with ridiculous skill.

I don't like heavy for the sake of heavy, and I'm not impressed by someone trying to act hardcore by screaming a lot. But this...this is something different. Forget whether or not you like rock/post-hardcore/whatever. If you like MUSIC, then this is something worth listening to.

I play this album all the time - have been for about a year now - and it just doesn't get old. I'm still discovering smart little bits of harmonies that I missed the first 50 times.

I should note: it's common for me to get obsessed by a new piece of music - listening to it over and over again for days at a time - but once I sort of "get it," I become bored with it and only listen every once in a while. For some reason, all of He Is Legend's albums are different (especially I Am Hollywood and It Hates You). This stuff keeps me coming back for more. It's better the 200th time than the 2nd. That is freakin' rare.
Anyway, I could keep waxing poetic on the internet, or I could simply sum it up with this:

Whatever music you think you like, give this album a try. It's phenomenal, and it is unlike anything you've ever heard.

There is great movement within the confines of the music here. As a singer/songwriter myself... just sayin' this one moves and rocks hard.

He Is Legend does it again with It Hates You! This album is superb in every way, even though it's different from all the previous albums. That's HIL for you though; they're one of the few bands who can make a change is sound/genre and make it work. My hat's off to Schuylar and the gang for making another masterpiece.

From reading various reviews i was not expecting much from this album. I was a huge fan of I am Hollywood and was dissapointed to hear this album had a new sound, one that, people where not digging as much.

Truth be told, after listening to this for a while, its hard for me to like the I am Hollywood songs as much, as they just arent as raw, both in recording style, and in sound.

I think the best way to compare this album is by saying I am Hollywood is like Nirvana's nevermind album, and It Hates You is like In Utero. Both have a very different sound, where as I am Hollywood is more poppy and catchy, with high treble, It Hates You is more "raw" with deeper bass and drums and lyrics. Make no mistake, this album is nearly, if not as good as I am Hollywood.

Thats not to say all the songs are good. Which keeps this from becoming a masterpeice in its own right. Some songs are freaking amazing, such as "Dont turn that dial" and "decisions, decisions, decisions" while others are just "ok" and a few select songs must have been used as filler material for the album cause they kind of suck. But also to note, every song, even the ones that start of sucky, have AMAZING chorus's hidden in them if you can get past the initial cringe. A good example of this is, Mean Shadow.

This album is definatly worth getting, especially if you like your rock on the heavier side. Im giving 4 stars because of the few songs that i think are lackluster.

He Is Legend is somewhat infamous for their tendency to follow up stupendously brilliant albums with albums that are completely different than the ones before. I'm one of the people who love this fact about the band, and if you are too then I think you're going to find that It Hates You is exactly what you wanted to hear. It Hates You finds the band taking a step back from the booze-drenched southern metal sound that was smothered all over Suck Out the Poison (though you can still hear it at times, on tracks such as "Dicephalous" and "Cult of She") and toward a more straightforward rock sound with touches of metal and more experimental sounds that are deceptively reminiscent of the band's first disk. The heavy tracks are still here, this record has plenty of slap-your-momma moments, it's just that vocalist Schuylar Croom has decided to focus more on an extremely ballsy but clean delivery that shows he's regained all of the vocal power that some thought he'd lost with Suck out the Poison. And that's the key word to remember about It Hates You: it's effing ballsy, that's what.

Check out their live show as well, if you ever get the chance.