Customer Reviews

Megalithic Symphony

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Like most of the other reviewers of the album, I first Awolnation with the song 'Sail' and almost instantly fell in love. I didn't preview any of the other songs based on my love for the song 'Sail' before purchasing the album, and I was pleasantly surprised in the several directions that the songs take.

1. Megalithic Symphony - 3/5 - A simple intro song. Interesting sounding, a good start to the album.
2. Some Sort of Creature - 1/5 - I don't really know why this song is on the album. It kind of ruins the flow set up by the first song.
3. Soul Wars - 5/5 - The first real song on the album and it kicks it off with a bang. This song is up tempo and extremely fun. It combines a quick fun verse, and then a hard hitting chorus that combines screaming and singing. Great song.
4. People - 4/5 - I've never been a fan of songs that start off with talking, and this song takes a penalty for this. But as soon as it gets to the actual song, this song is more of an uplifting close-to-epic track.
5. Jump on My Shoulders - 4/5 - This song is similar to People, but much more simple. It's basically a fun tune, and nothing more.
6. Burn it Down - 5/5 - The sheer anarchy of this song is what makes it so perfect. Starting off with a crazy drum fill and then a quick beat and lots of screaming makes this song not only fun to listen to, but also gives the feeling of being on a thrill ride. One of the best songs on the album.
7. Guilty Filthy Soul - 5/5 - I love this song! It sort of sounds like a modern rock version of a Jackson 5 song.
8. Kill Your Heroes - 5/5 - Not as dark as it sounds, and actually turns out to be a bit up-lifting with lyrics "No need to worry, because everybody will die," in one of the best choruses of the album. Great song.
9. My Nightmare's Dream - ?/5 - Interlude. Can't really rate this song.
10. Sail - 6/5 - I have to give this song a little of a bonus point, since not only is it putting this band on the radar of the music scene, but is doing so for great reason. This song is pure dark-electronic heaven.
11. Wake Up - 3/5 - The opening is a bit odd, with an female vocalist that sets up the song to be somewhat of an anthem, and then becomes a song similar to Soul Wars, but not as good. Not a bad song, but the band is clearly capable of more.
12. Not Your Fault - 5/5 - Another favorite on the album, great verse, great chorus, a simply great upbeat song.
13. All I Need - 5/5 - The only true slow song on the album, and it shows that Awolnation has the ability to do a slow tempo song just as well as a quick one. The only downside is that makes me wish for more ballads on the album.
14. Knights of Shame - 2/5 - This song is five minute long song, drawn out over fifteen minutes. It's not all bad, but after a few minutes it causes the loss of interest. Especially with the unnecessary two minutes of silence at the end of the song.
15. Shoestrings - 4/5 - A fun song. Not the best closer for the album, but it ends the album on a light note at least.

The ratings obviously don't add up to the 5/5 that I gave the entire album, but as a whole, the entire album works perfectly. Some songs are better than others, but it flows perfectly and is one of the best Electronic/Indie-Rock albums ever (Not that it has much competition...)

To start it off, this album is simply amazing!

About 4 years ago I discovered a band called "Under the Influence of Giants" who is such a great band...I was sad to hear they made one great album and split up...Now to back to the present, I rectently discovered Awolnation through Amazon (like all of my music) and very quickly became attached to the album. I thought there was something very familiar about the sound of the vocals/sound...I looked it up, and sure enough Its Aaron Bruno from Under the Influence of Giants. I was very impressed when I found out its his solo project!

I cant stress enough how inspiring all of the tracks are on this album (besides track 2 which doesnt make any sense). Aaron Bruno is very talented! Such original sound, with upbeat sound and very broad vocals. I highly recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of Under the Influence of Giants, or anyone who is looking to add another superb album to their collection.

The first time I went through this album - I liked one or two songs.
I tried it again the next week - liked the whole second half.
Listened to it again the same day - realized the whole album was great.
Literally was the only thing I listened to on my iPod for 2.5 weeks.
I'm still going.

I genuinely love this album. It's probably one of the best all-around albums I've heard in a long time.
AWOLNATION doesn't constrain himself to just one style of music - he's dedicated to making each song great. And that's what make this album so good. He didn't say "let's make a rock album" - he said "let's make a great one".

First listen of this album wasn't too spectacular, but a few songs really stand out. Probably the most intoxicating and catchy is the track "Jump On My Shoulders"... why this wasn't the group's first single, I have no idea. "Sail" was the first single, and while it is very original sounding and gives a cool vibe, it lacks the instant attraction of some of the other tracks. Although it is very electronic in production, the songs themselves are completely pop/rock based which gives the album a much wider appeal. Regardless of the sound, this is NOT a techno or dance album.

Continued listens reveal new gems (a LOT of work and thought went into the production), and as a whole, this album is worth definitely worth buying.

Hello I'm I'm a close minded little pop lover and I HATED THIS ALBUM. I LOVED SAIL and no other song sounded like it so i hated it. 0/5 cus i like sail so much and everything else sucks on the album. Hur de hurr

Now that my point has been made, I would like to say I really don't get how people disliked this album, 6/5, and my favorite by far was KNIGHTS OF SHAME. yea i said it, many people disliked it, but in my view it,s the best on the album! it was almost beautiful in a sense. Don't listen to people who hated the album because their precious sail wasn't repeated in another song. I seriously didn't dislike one song on it. I'm so glad bands like this exist, bands that are capable of making EVERY SONG on an album incredible!

This band is rising fast!... Every few years a band comes along that changes the alternative music scene, and becomes an inspiration for many new bands to come... I think AWOLnation may be one of those bands...

AWOLnation has a truly original sound and unique voice in Aaron Bruno (signer / lead songwriter) His vocal skills are eminent and range a variety of genres... he can sing catchy melodies, break out into staccato vocal beats, rise to epic emotional rock screams, drop back into a rap line, and then into a multi piece gospel harmony with backup vocals and instruments... and often, all these vocal styles in a single song. The result is a great variety and range of pace and emotion.

The rest of the band is very good as well.. including Blind Melon guitarist Chris Thorn... and even though the music is heavily Pro-Tools produced, AWOLnation manages to pull off really great live performances.. (check out YouTube for various live tracks) .... the true test of their musicianship.

In addition to nailing the cross pollination of several genres, writing catchy melodies, and having great production values, I will also say that this band does a great job of writing songs that "breathe" well... they deftly allow space in between beats and melodies to give the downbeats and changes a great effect. Translation: They get your head bobbing!

The entire album is very good... I've listened through it several dozen times now. It's well worth the purchase.

FIRST LISTEN HITS:

-> "SAIL" (5/5 stars)
Their first single / radio hit... a dark sounding song combining ripping electronic synth bass, staccato string chops, catchy guitar arpeggios, and a combination of great vocal melodies and heavy angst filled vocals. This was the song that convinced me to buy the album in the first place... probably like most.

-> "GUILTY FILTHY SOUL" (5/5 stars)
I loved this song as soon as I heard it... opening with a catchy guitar riff that breaks down into a killer beat. Great vocals and vocal variation. Great melodies, interesting lyrics, catchy electronic synth piano, and production effects. I'd say this is the best track on the album. iTunes says I've listened to it 37 times.

-> "NOT YOUR FAULT" (5/5 stars)
Their latest single / radio hit... Features a great combo of synth keyboard and bass parts, with a variety of genres. Great vocal performance with heavy angst filled chorus and catchy melodic verses. Its a fun, dancey song. Great recording/production.

THE NEXT SONGS THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION
These songs caught my interest and replay buttons after the second or third listen through.

-> "KNIGHTS OF SHAME" (5/5 stars)
It's not often that a 10+ minute song is even attempted by bands these days... indeed, anything longer than 5 minutes is rare... it goes against commercial recommendations of the labels, and basically guarantees no radio play... which is too bad, but thats for another discussion. Knights of Shame is an epic song that goes through many great sections. This song showcases the huge variety of sound that AWOLnation is able to produce. Electronica, Pop, Cartoon Indie, Drum and Bass, Rap, Funk, Gorillaz-esque Hip-Hop, Rock, Space Synth... this song has a little bit of everything... and its doesn't feel gimmicky... its solid all the way through 12 min.

-> "JUMP ON MY SHOULDERS" (4/5 stars)
More great combination of shakin' beats with electronica synth and a variety of vocals.

-> "WAKE UP" (4/5 stars)
A combination of heavy beats that will shake your body and melodic Jamiroquai-esque breakdowns.

The rest of the tracks are very good as well (3/5) to (4/5) tracks. My recommendation: get this album. I appreciate it as a fan of a many genres of music, and as a musician myself.

AWOLnation is currently touring. I'm hoping their sophomore album will be as inspired as this one is, and not be too far off in the future.

Love this album. Favorite album this year. There is so much trash out there in radio land. This is a breath of fresh air. It just seems genuine and honest. The dude hits alot of bases, musically. Like some other listeners, i also loved it the more I listened to it. Yeah, there are a couple tracks that are just fillers, but it doesn't take anything away from the whole album. KILLYOUR HEROS is probably the weakest track for me, but the others are fantastic! Just a great feeling to this album. K, I'm done...just get it and enjoy.

What a nice surprise. Very nice beats, memorable melodies and harmonies, varied enough to hold my jaded attention. Singable choruses and VERSES. How refreshing! I prefer the slightly rougher edges here. It's fresh. I think I'm in love with a whole "album". I haven't enjoyed anything this much since oh, about 1977.

Let me preface by saying that this is my opinion based on my musical tastes. Just to give you an idea, my 4 favorite bands are Sublime, TOOL, the Killers, Mars Volta. Awolnation is quickly climbing my list. With that said, here is my review of Megalithic Symphony. The lead singer's voice is the best I've heard in a very long time. I'm one to get annoyed if I don't like the singer. Very refreshing from all the other crap that is out there. As for the album as a whole, I give it a 9 (the only 10 I have ever given was for TOOL's Aenima album). After 5 playthroughs, I haven't had the urge to skip a track yet (well maybe the bonus track). The creativity is a 10 in my book and it all comes together nicely. The beats are crazy good and I can see DJs and Rappers having fun with some of the stuff in this album. For each song I gave it an initial rating from the first playthrough and a final rating based on 5 complete cycles. Although I do give out some 5s and 6s, its only to have some separation in my ratings. In all honesty each track would not have received less than an 8 because they all have their own unique hook that keeps you coming back.

Track 1,2,9: Fillers/Transition tracks. The placement of 9 in the album was interesting.

9.5/10 Soul Wars - Can I get a litlle AMEN! Started off as a 9 rating on the first playthrough and kept getting better. Gets you pumped up.

8.5/10 People - Started out as a 6 rating and keeps getting better. Reminds me of a Killers track.

6.5/10 Jump on my Shoulders - Fun song. Started at a 7.5 and fell off a bit.

6.5/10 Burn it Down - a little repetitive for my taste. Started at a 6 and stayed there. The second half of the song would get an 8 rating.

8.0/10 Guilty Filthy Soul - Reminds me of a Jack White track. This started as a 9. Only reason I decreased the rating is that other tracks started standing out more.

6.0/10 Kill Your Heroes - This started at an 8.5. Dont know what happened. The hook still gets me singing tho.

9.0/10 Sail - Started as a 10 for me. Just waiting for JayZ or Timbaland to sample this one. Reminds me of sex.

5.5/10 Wake Up - I hated this song on the first playthrough and gave it a 3 but it got better. Reminds me of a Maroon5 track.

7.5/10 Not Your Fault - the chorus is great. This song was ranked higher on my first playthrough at an 8.5. Parts of it reminds me of an MCR track.

10/10 All I Need - This started at a 7 for me and quickly became my favorite on the album. Best lyrics on the album hands down. Reminds me of something out of Jesus Christ Superstar.

9.9/10 Knights of Shame - The rating for this track kept changing up and down. Everything is in this song. Each section becomes a new favorite with each listen. The beats are sick. Parts remind me of Bob James.

5.0/10 Swinging from the Castles - Just couldn't fully appreciate this one. It actually started off a little higher at 6.5.

I really love this cd! I first heard the single "Sail" on the radio and decided to buy the album. I have heard some people complain that the rest of the songs don't sound like Sail, but I think that is the beauty of the album - the songs are all so different, but they are all really great. Personally, I think cd's are boring if the songs all sound the same. The one thing I could have lived without are the interludes - I think they kind of ruin the flow of the songs.

Bottom line - if you want a good look at what sort of crazy goes on inside Aaron Bruno's head, then buy this album!