Customer Reviews

Hydra

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

 

 

Iris = a great band with great vocals. That was what drew me in and what made me go a little download crazy when I found them back in '99 or so. That is also why I am writing this review because (1) I have a hankering for the band and (2) I have a need to not repeat-buy things unless it is absolutely essential. And being in a world when items can be downloaded now, I find that buying something for a second time is not only untimely and unneeded but shows that someone did not do their homework.
With only three new songs here, older fans with undoubtedly do their homework and walk away happy.

For anyone that is pondering what is new to the game (and, if you are, you can skip the review just by looking at the song and finding anything without the work "mix" or "remix" attached to it), there is:
(1) New Invaders
(2) Stop Breaking your own Heart
(3) Nobody wins.
Out of the three I have to say that I really find Stop breaking your own Heart a perfectly done song, with superb beats mingling with perfect lyrics and constructing a brand new set of "happy" for my headphones. It has all the things I think I need from Iris - the voice is used as another instrument and that makes me a happy camper. That, however, is no condemnation when it comes to the other songs. For any fan that wants something new, the other two songs are great pieces and the remixes themselves are also good stuff. I simply am partial to non-remixed material, finding newer tastes better than a variety bucket I've already bought in almost the same form.

If you are new to the world of Iris, try out something different and then come back and pick up these songs. Awakening is also a great album, as is Disconnect and their newer stuff, and is definitely a place to start at when it comes to the band. If you are a fan and are looking for something you missed, those three are something more can mere "completion" material. I personally love the band, thinking lyrics and a voice like that are the more than the modicum of music that many bands try for, and recommend the band highly.
I just recommend other starting places to anyone looking for a new sonic fixation.

Overall: excellent album, only possible flaw being my desire for more new songs. The first three songs are new, the rest remixes of older material.

New Invaders: Good energy, nice tempo for running. Pretty, somewhat distorted. Typically inscrutable lyrics. 9/10

Stop Breaking Your Own Heart: My current favorite. Both the music and the meaning are lovely. 10/10

Nobody Wins: At first I didn't like this as much. Reagan's gorgeous voice seems a little strained, though obviously this is deliberate. It's a bit slow. After a while it grew on me, and the lyrics are fabulous as always. 9/10

It Generates (Darker Days Mix V2): About a minute and a half longer than the original. Fairly straightforward remix, with longer interludes, repeated phrases, and more focus on beats than the original. I liked the original, but I like this remix better. 10/10

Wait Move On (Andrew's Detective Mix): I assume "Andrew" is the member of Iris. Same length as the original. The vocals seem flattened, the music much more dancey. The original is prettier, but this is energetic and grabby. 10/10

Lands of Fire (Datguy Mix): Longest Iris remix ever! (Well..by three seconds. :) ) Typical club-style extension. Good intensity and the music blends well with the lyrics. About halfway through it feels like the song is over, but it keeps on going. The last minute or so gets tedious. 8/10

Vacant (Benz & MD Mix): Another long remix. Synthy/dreamy. Takes two and a half minutes before the vocals get started. The music is so lush it's hard to notice the lyrics, though the words are plenty clear. The last couple minutes aren't very interesting. 8/10

68 (Alpinestars Mix): Barely sounds like Iris! Minimalistic and interesting, but a long, long way from the original. The chorus makes a highly-effected appearance in the last moments, but the rest of the lyrics are gone. 6/10

Lands of Fire (Mesh Pyromix): Second remix of this song on this album. Aggressive, but clearly recognizable. Quite nice, possibly better than the original. Another long, not very interesting finish. (I suppose these are for club DJs to blend into the next song.) 9/10

Appetite (Datguy Mix): Another by Datguy. Slow build, eventually becomes catchy and fun. Doesn't sound like the original at all. No real vocals. 7/10

New Invaders (Beatnursery Mix): Very nice. Slightly longer, more beats, more synths, more effects. Hard to say which of the versions is better, but I think this one wins, if only because it's longer. 10/10

No One Left to Lose (Conetic Mix): Bouncy, and energetic, but there's a high pitched shaker-thing that makes my head hurt. 5/10 (would be higher without the headache)

Delivered One (Kearley Edit): Delivered One is the only track on Wrath that I thought, "Gee, this could use a remix." And here it is! But... well, it's remixed, but it's just as soft as before. No percussion until half-way through. Lots of static and strange samples. I like it, but it doesn't quite, you know, rock. :) I suppose that's faithful to the original. 8/10

Well a new album would have been better, but this remix compilation is better than nothing. The 3 new songs, which may or may not be a taste of the 4th album, are somewhat in the vein of 2005's "Wrath". Guitar driven. I'm not much for synthpop but Iris has always stood out for me. They have an appeal that alternative rock fans can enjoy. The lyrics are always meaningful and easy to relate to. The 10 remixes on here are good but nothing too special. Fans will want to buy this but at the same time I feel a bit deprived because a band that only has 3 studio albums, they've already released 2 remix albums... I would prefer more new output and less remixes. Either way, its a good CD for what it is.

Love Iris. Can't wait for next album, but this will tide us over for now. The new 3 songs are great. About half of the remixes are good - so I'm docking one star on an otherwise excellent release.

If you're an Iris fan, you'll want this remix-album-plus. If not, you'll probably want to start with one of their three solid studio albums.

This is a perfectly respectable remix album (like Reconnect before it), with three new tracks that are neither better nor worse than what came before. It's certainly worth what I spent. In particular, as a Meshoholic, I'm glad to see the Mesh remix of "Lands of Fire," which even the synthpop experts at A Different Drum weren't able to help me locate when I inquired about it last year.

Still...I hate to say it, but these guys seem to be in a bit of a rut. In my review of their previous album, _Wrath_, I made a comparison to Everclear, and I'm going to have to reiterate that opinion here: both bands have approximately two songs, one of which is slightly faster than the other, and they keep re-releasing them with different titles (and varying amounts of guitar in Iris's case).

Good band, Iris. I keep hoping that someday they'll be great.

The 3 new tracks alone are worth the purchase, despite the recent move towards more guitar driven tracks. The remixes are good, but honestly you can't improve on perfection, more often than not the remixes often just make me thirst for the original track because the remix doesn't satisfy my want to hear the song. Aside from 1 remix being so-so, overall they are good and even though they try to put a different spin on the original, they aren't as good as the original but it's nice to see my favorite tracks in a new light.

If you're fan, this is a must buy, if you're new to Iris, I recommend you check out their previous two albums as this isn't a good starting place to sample them.