Customer Reviews

Last Chance to Breathe

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am a Spoken fan sinice "Echoes of the Spirit [...]" and I gotta say that they have changed. The last release was a weak effort, to say the least, and made me wonder "what the...?" Now, I went over to the website when I heard that there was going to be a new release. Well, I gotta say that I liked the few songs that I heard over there and I decided to buy it (because I was really hesitant).

Well, it's definately a much better effort... it has melodic voices, more intensity and solid music. However, it doesn't match up to their earlier stuff. I wanna hear the music that made me bob my head and picture the lead singer screaming so hard I could see the veins in his forehead popping out.

It's a good buy. It's more screamo than the original rapcore-ish thing they had. I do recomend this for fans of "Coheed and Cambria".

Overall, it's a good album with great music and great melodic vocals (though, sometimes, you can hear the old Matt Baird). Pick it up if you can.

Very simply, Spoken has topped themselves. I believe that this album is much more melodic than their last one and with much better guitar riffs. The voice of the lead singer is great... how can he produce so much emotion in a scream? I don't know how, but he does it. This is a very good band and this is a great album!

This album has grown on me more and more . Spoken are my favourite band by far . Travis Wyrick did a good job on the production andn Spoken have moved a little farther down the line with their songwriting . There are some great songs on here , but I dont like the Cindy Lauper cover - a bit out of place as well as " bitter taste " where Matt's vocals are radically different to the rest of the album where he is so good . He is at his best when he is singing melodies and not strainging the scream as he does in " bitter taste " . Overall , an excellent album . 9 of the 12 songs are absolutely great , the other 3 ok . I cant wait for their next album , because the havent lost the plot like thousand foot krutch have !

This new album by Spoken wasn't a let down to me but it wasn't what I expected. The songs on this album flow great together, so as a whole it is great. I don't think any of these could really stand alone like on their first four releases but it still delivers a punch though a light punch. I will say that for fans of Coheed and Cambria though this album will amaze them as it amazed me since I just recently discovered Coheed and Cambria. The two major highlights on this disc are "Last Chance to Breathe" and "Bitter Taste" which features Cory Putman from Norman Jean (a band that definitely rocks!), so it had better be a highlight. Other than that it is a fair album...true fans of Spoken like myself will still pick this one up.

Travis Wyrick had his job cut out for him with this band. The production and the song was very good and well produced.

This is my first acquisition of this band and maybe my last if I don't see any improvement on their next effort.

The lead singer's voice reminds me of Geddy Lee of the band Rush. (If you youngster's don't know what I'm talking about check out their CD Permanent Waves from, Oh my God, 1980). The guitar work is good but passionless (like the guitarist is going through the motions). The songs are mostly high energy rock songs with one ballad thrown in. Some of the songs sound repetitive probably because of the passionless playing and singing

And now for the play by play...

September 3/5, Wind In My Sails 3/5 - Both are good opening songs but still too little passion in songwriting/playing

Love In Return 2/5 Would be 3/5 if it weren't for the repetitive, annoying guitar riff.

Everything Is Burning 4/5 Best song on CD
1992 3/5 Has some good tempo changes
Last Chance to Breathe 4/5 Second Best song on CD

Bitter Taste 1/5 The timing is off on this song. The rhythm section is not keeping it together. The screamo singing does not fit and sounds awful and forced.
From the Inside 4/5 Good Ballad. The lead singer's voice sound the best in this song.
Home 2/5 Bland. Some of the songs on the CD sound repetitive.
4th street 3/5 Good tempo in this song
Time After Time 4/5 I gave this song an extra point just for the guts of this band to cover a Cyndi Lauper tune. I guess the boys just wanted to have fun;)
You're Still Waiting 3/5 ...for a great song. Will have to wait until the next album, I guess.

I am truly impressed with Spoken's new album. It is 100 times better than their earlier one. A bunch of stand out tracks and even a cover of Time After Time. Awesome CD go buy it now.

Best Tracks (in order from best to worst)

Home
4th Street
Time After Time
Bitter Taste
1992
September
Last Chance To Breathe
From The Inside
Love In Return
Wind In My Sails
You're Still Waiting
Everything Is Burning

Man.....what a let down this record was to me!! I am a huge Spoken fan, and was anxiously awaiting this new, highly buzzed about release.
Needless to say, it was a day of extreme let down. They just didn't move ANYWHERE with their craft! Matt still has a great voice, and the band still has flashes of tight intensity, but everythign in between was so........common (for lack of better words).
I am NEVER one to fault a band for changing sounds on albums, or trying new things, but this direction really does not work for Spoken. For heaven's sake boys...Cyndi Lauper covers??????
It is like Rage Against the Machine decided to make an album and sound like Hawthorne Heights.

I still love Spoken, and am in fact anxiously awaiting to see them live in a few days. But......I really do hope their subsequent releases are stronger, or they should really consider parting ways with Tooth & Nail.

With each new CD from Spoken their sound seems to evolve into something that their past CDs never knew. Great lyrics are accompanied by great music, leaving the listener wanting more and more.

The first album I got from Spoken was "echoes of the spirit still dwell". As I looked for more of them I had to realize that they changed their style in almost every album. I liked their heavy style and was shocked as I heard "A Moment of Imperfect Clarity" for the first time. The new album "Last Chance to Breathe" is a good mixture of both styles! I like the heavy parts (especially in "Bitter Taste") as well as the more melodic songs ("September").
All in all their best album!

"Last Chance to Breathe" is Spoken's latest realease under Tooth & Nail Records and, so far, their best album yet. Clearly demonstrating maturity from their last albums, this Arkansas-based band, under producer Travis Wyrick (P.O.D., Pillar), have now released a true masterpiece, an album that is just simply too awesome for words.

"Heavy tones, soaring melodies that bleed sporadically into fervent screams" as Spoken takes you on a musical odyssey that will keep you glued to your stereo from the opening chords until the last scream. No doubt that Spoken will make waves as this album falls on the ears of those that give them a try. This is a buy that you will never regret. "For fans of Coheed & Cambria and The Used, Spoken will have your emotions in a whirlwind with all their dynamic diversity."

Lyrically emotional and musically powerful, Spoken will surely make you get so into their album that you'll definately forget to breathe. The opening track, "September" clearly sets the tone for the rest of the album with it's witty progressions and meaningful lyrics. The closing track, "You're Still Waiting" will leave you wanting more... you won't be able to believe that the 12 tracks have gone by so quickly. Track like "Bitter Taste", "Last Chance to Breathe", "Home", "Wind in my Sails" will capture you and never not let you go. The melodic, potent, beautiful and unpredictable voice of lead singer Matt Baird, along with the perfect preogressions, flawless beats and astounding music will convince you that you won't be needing another CD anytime soon.

If you're a fan of impeccably played music and adept lyrics that are paradisiacally played... this is the album that you need; a MUST buy.