Customer Reviews

Passenger

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is fantastic. It really is apleasure to listen to from start to finish as there is not a bad song on it.

This is a metal album but not in the same way as In Flames etc. this is heavy, yet melodic, with fantastic vocals that you have to sing along to, otherwise you are deaf or more likely... dead.

The songs are structured in a more verse -chorus - verse structure than other metal which gives it an almost 'commercial' feel but please dont think that this is a sell out pop metal album. It may be catchy but it still kicks ass and has an originality and personality about it which is unrivaled.

The guitars and loud and clear, the drums are heavy and the basslines and clear and up in the mix (which makes a change in metal). This is one quality production job.

Trust me, listen to this and check it out! Im sure you will like it. If your a fan of metal and you want something other than extreme music crushing your ears everyday, this album is a perfect break from the brutality.

If you like this i would also suggest checking out:

Soilwork "Natural born chaos", Minus "hallador Laxus" , soil "scars".

I have grown quite fond of In Flames in the past year or so. I always get a little skeptical of side projects though because they are always hit or miss, more often a big miss. Sometimes they are barely a hit. It's not very often that one comes along that smacks of originality and fervor. Passenger can be looked at as me being completely committed to spending money the day I saw it because otherwise, I would have left the store with it sitting on the shelf.

But, I am glad I didn't leave it there. After getting into my brother's car, we put the disc in and immediately, I felt a little uneasy. I suppose I was hoping for a side project that sounded like In Flames (which would have completely defeated the purpose) but the initial Slipknot-sounding distortion and near nu-metal rhythms gave me that "OH NO" look. But, most good albums take time to filter in and Passenger took it's time and lured me in and now I'm a convert.

Passenger; in a sense, bears some of the traits of In Flames more recent material but it's sleuced through a grater that is comprised of a heavy Depeche Mode influence with a strong nod towards the Deftones. Sound weird? Actually, it all comes together very nicely. The songs are heavy at times but the weaving of melody and synths without going too far in any one direction help everything move along at a good pace. One of my favorite aspects of In Flames is the well-sung vocals and Passenger embellishes on them very nicely. Though In Flames is the selling point of this CD, the other members are comprised of members of Gardenian and others that slip my mind at the moment but I look forward to investigating them as well.

To those who were expecting a full-on metal assault, you will most likely be disappointed. Passenger has some metallic tendencies peppered throughout but they are; more or less, afterthoughts to the music as a whole. Those whose influences or tastes expand beyond just metal will do themselves well by at least trying Passenger on for size. There's a lot of good things to be found under the hood.

I first listened to Passenger after someone recommended that I listen to them because I liked In Flames and the like.

Although different, the hard baseline still gives it that hard rock feel, with a very slight touch of nu-metal.

When I saw that Anders Friden was the vocals, I expected In Flames type singing, but, instead, I was suprised by Anders'... better? voice. He definitely worked on it, and the outcome sounds very good in this album. He does practically all the singing.

Overall, if you are any type of rock listener, this CD will get you interested. I suggest you give it a try. One of their songs, "In Reverse" is on CenturyMedia.com, their recording label. (...)

This, however, is not the best song on the album. In my opinion, "In My Head", "Just The Same", "Carnival Diaries", and "I Die Slowly" are all equal or better than "In Reverse".

Passenger's roots extend back to 1995, when Niclas Engelin and Patrik Sten decided to form a side project a shade different from the thrash/death styles that the two were playing. With their respective work in Gardenian and Transport League requiring attention, the project was shelved for a time, but revived a few laters, fleshed out by fellow Gardenian Håkan Skoger and In Flames vocalist Anders Fridén, and by 2000 the first demo was recorded, eventually followed by the self-titled debut album in 2003. True to their early vision, Passenger retains some of the aggression, and at least some of the styles, of the members' main bands, but also injects melody and a fair degree of accessibility. Others have labelled the album as nu-metal, melodic death, or alternative metal, and it is really none of the three, but perhaps a mixture of the three. In Flames fans who weren't pleased with some of the modern touches on Reroute To Remain probably won't be happy with this album, as at times it sounds like some of those influences have been heightened and further developed on Passenger. But this is a well-thought-out album, and there is clearly an audience for this.

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Guitar: Niclas Engelin
Vocals: Anders Fridén
Bass: Håkan Skoger
Drums: Patrik Sten

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Origin: Sweden
Status: Active
Label: Century Media
Released: 2003

-IN-ICED-FLAMES-

This is my opinion..17:th of June 2003 the selftitled album "Passenger" whit In flames lead singer Anders Friden got in my way,i said to myself "Well lets give it a shot"and as the big metal fan i am i was knocked to the ground...not because of the heavy stuff you think it should be,no no this is simply a masterpiece beyond anything else.After a couple of listenings i have to say iv'e changed my mind about my all time favourite album,probably listened to it 50-60 times and still gives me the satisfaction to press "PLAY" and sing along whit a big well deserved smile.Actually i cant compare it whit any other band,it's simply a unique sound that iv'e never heard of before.

Cant wait for the next one..hope there's a next coming,i sure will pray for it.ROCK ON!

Fans of melodic metal...get this album! Lead by the frontman (vocalist) of In Flames, this is basically a more melodic In Flames side project. I absolutely love this album and highly recommend that you check out the following tracks:

Carnival Diaries
Circles
I Die Slowly
In Reverse (My Favorite Track)
Just The Same
Used

Don't miss this great album!

I wouldn't really pigeon-hole Passenger as a nu-metal band at all because it's just not in the same vein to me. This band has certain ambition from the influences of the group, unlike actual nu-metal bands who just want to sell. Passenger were formed before nu-metal was around as well. This group wasn't supposed to catch just audiences of In Flames and Gardenian, although I'm sure it has even if people didn't like it. Before I decided to purchase this album, I went ahead and downloaded the whole album and I really liked it, so I ordered it the day before it was released. It arrived on that Saturday and I became obsessed with it. I listened to it for most of three days and still feel the need to put it in. There are still In Flames and Gardenian mixed on this album as well, so don't get that wrong. My favorite tracks on this album are, In Reverse, For You, Just The Same, Carnival Diaries, Rain, I Die Slowly, Used, and Eyes Of My Mind. For You has the coolest bassline; I love it. This band, as well as most European metal bands, has the gift of writing the most catcy songs ever. I remember first hearing In Reverse when it became available for mp3 and I couldn't stop listening to it. If you're into really good music, than this a good record to have. If you're just a metal head that loves In Flames, Soilwork, Gardenian, etc. amd only listens to heavy, brutal music than this record probably isn't for you, but it's worth a listen.

My first taste of this was on a Century Media compilation. "Carnival Diaries" was good enough for me to want search out another sampling, so I dowloaded "In Reverse" on MP3. What a great tune! That was it, I was sold. It had the same addictivly catchy nature that drew me into In Flames "Reroute to Remain". The entire album arrived at my doorstep a few days later, and now I'm left a little disappointed.

This is a really hot/cold album, shifting from familiar Soilwork/In Flames styled songs ("Rain") to more melancholy atmospheric pop ("Circles"--really different, but growing on me). It seems like a valiant attempt by these four songwriters to broaden their horizons outside the constraints of their other bands. On one hand there is some really good stuff going on, and you'll find yourself humming along, but it never quite seems to make an impact in the manner the band may wish for them to. Many songs are rich in accessible hooks yet retain a European metal edge, like "Just the Same" and "I Die Slowly", while the majority of this album misses its intended mark and instead collapses underneath it's "nü-metal" song structures.

I regret that I'm making this sound worse than I probably should; it's worth getting for it's unique, experimental nature. While there is a certain flair that is hard to resist, I just feel, overall, it's a little stripped down and packaged mostly for radio friendly ears.

Pure skills involved in this amazing release. Greatness pulled from two bands to form a memorable experience within each listen. A intelligent blend of styles, heavy at times and melodic, well thought out lyrics and a nice punch to the mix.

I prefer this mellow and melodic catchy album to In Flame's newer stuff. Plus, the fact that Gardenian members are in this mix solidifies the fact that if you choose to purchase this album you will not be dissatisfied. If you like catchy rock that doesn't sound grungy get this. It's easygoing music for your car or when you go to sleep or when you are depressed.