Customer Reviews

Here I Am

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

 

 

20 Dead Flower Children is one of the forerunners of the underground music scene and will soon make the big time. Having been around for years now I am surprised that they have not yet been noticed by record companies. Their music is fresh, aggressive and they have developed a huge fanbase. This debut s/t cd is merely a preview of what was to come from 20 Dead Flower Children.

Although I hate labels I would call the music industrial rapcore metal. Think Rammstein meets Limp Bizkit. The music is not really aggressive, more groove-oriented accented by wicked drumwork, steady guitar interplay and bass that at times can be pretty weak and at other times, just dominating. The music as a whole has a metallic-edged sound to it with traces of programming and scratching. The programming is more prevalent on some songs then others and should have been utilized more. The song structures are kind of weak and simple and the flow is not really that tight. Nevertheless, they had the sound and style they wanted, 20 Dead just needed to expand and finetune their music.

The vocals on this s/t cd were done by Von who is no longer with the band. This is a good thing as Von actually downplayed the performance of 20 Dead. He has an annoying sounding voice that does not flow well with the music and his singing style which is a kind of half-rap, half-talking, hardcore screaming is just not pulled off well. His lyrics are very simplistic featuring 2-3 three line verses and one word choruses repeated over and over. Getting rid of Von and replacing him with Dennis (who is just an amazing vocalist) is one of 20 Dead's better accomplishments.

The cd as a whole was kind of a disappointment. Having heard "Candy Toy Guns and Television" first, which is just an amazing cd and one of the best that I own (highly recommended if you can find it), I was expecting more. Nevertheless, at the time, the band was young with a different vocalist and they still exhibited their talent. "Give In" and "The Quick" are two very cool songs, more laid-back and dynamic than the others. "Focus" and "Burn 777" are probably the best songs on the cd, very groove-oriented, bass dominated, with cool verses and choruses, the only setback being that they are very short songs that seem to be abruptly cut off. Also the production as a whole is not that good. Still, a decent debut.

While this cd is just all right do not let that deter you from getting on the 20 Dead Flower Children bandwagon. It's been over five years since the release of this s/t and 20 Dead is much improved, evolving their sound and style into something that is just simply amazing. They sound like no other band out there today, and will blow you away. Definitely check them out, and if possible obtain their second cd, "Candy Toy Guns and Televison". Also be on the lookout for an ... ep. Peace.

This album is the answer to our prayers. This is REAL music mad from REAL emotions. This isn't your "Do it to piss you off" or "do it to get $$" kinda music this is true from the heart music. You can feel it in every song. I've ben a fan of 20 Dead for about 2 years now and I don't think that any of their new stuff can compare to this album, it's just pure raw emotion and it's truely HEAVY (Not that their old stuff was bad, it rocks hard too. IF you like REAL music that shows REAL emotion and keep it REAL havy then you MUST buy this album. I know you don't know who they are BUT TRUST ME I'm sure you've spent more that ( ) on something that was FAR WORSE!

This is an excellent band that unfortunately never became very popular and now I think is broken up. They offer an excellently performed mix of metal, hardcore and a little rap. There isnt as much of that on this one tho as there is on Candy, Toy Guns & Television, their next cd. This one is mostly hardcore, and well done at that. My favorite tracks are "Give In" and "Downtime" because of the melodies and weird effects they are able to pull off within the framework of somewhat simple verses and one or two-word choruses. Anyway, if you're into hardcore and have an open mind (which you probably do anyway if you listen to hardcore) then check this cd out.

I saw this version of the band a grand total of once at the Small Planet in East Lansing, MI in early 1996 (that bar sadly no longer exists and is missed). This CD is a pretty good representation of what the band were about at that time. Their singer at the time (Von or Vaughn, I don't know what the spelling was) thought he was Henry Rollins (attempt at same screaming style/ muscles/ shirtless / tattoo across the back/ same hair cut/ shorts--- only thing missing was that he wasn't barefoot). It was literally a cross betwen Henry Rollins and an industrial/metal band. As cheesy as that may sound in 2006, it was actually pretty f***ing intense in 1995. That was my initial judgement and after listening to it again, it's a fairly good description. I had never heard of them prior to that gig--- I went to see another band that night (Powerface) and bought 20 Dead's CD on the strength of their set. Favorite song on disc: Tear The Tie.

By the next time I saw the band a few months later, the front man was no longer in the band, replaced by the much-more-spastic, much-friendlier Dennis. In my opinion, they were better off for it (that line-up recorded the Candy Toy Guns album which I think is much better). Though I think they did their best work later, this disc is cool. I don't think it's great, but I think it's a decent album (though I fully admit that I'm biased because this album reminds me of good times of my youth). I think the second album is much better.

20 Dead Flower Children are a great industrial metal band. That being said, this isn't a CD that's up to par with their later work. The biggest fault is the vocalist's weak performance on the majority of the songs. (The singer was later replaced) However, the music is still pretty solid and it's interesting to hear how the band has grown and branched out in direction. This is a very abrasive, bordering on avant-garde, release.

A good comparison I can make is that this album holds value like a pre-Mike Patton Faith No More CD has value. It simply isn't as good with the old vocalist but is still interesting because the strong musical roots are there. You can practically feel the potential.

If you're looking for an introduction to the band, check out Candy Toy Guns and Television or Garage Demos before making any decisions.

I've been listening to these guys for well over 5 years now (has it REALLY been that long??!!) being that I'm from their hometown. These guys are gonna be big soon. They relocated to advance their career. Their second album is even better than this one, but I don't think its available nationwide. If you're into any underground scene, check these guys out. If you're into the now called "rapcore" definately check these guys out. They totally have their own sound, and don't try to copy everyone else like some other "hot dog water" group out there.

This album starts out great and ends great. Get it, it's really good