Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Listenable Step Backwards From Where Do We Go From Here, October 6, 2006
Where Do We Go From Here? Apparently backwards.
The Reckoning is a bit above average compared to some of the more generic Nu Metal plaguing the Rock radio airways these days, but The Reckoning is far below the high standard that Pillar set with their 2004 release Where Do We Go From Here.
Gone are song after song of unique sounding, head bobbin', melodic, kick-ass, hard rock gems like Frontline, Dirty Little Secret, Underneath It All and Bring Me Down. Gone are standout tracks with intricate beats, intricate guitarwork and anthem choruses that you can sing along to.
In are songs where some you can't even tell the track has changed, the guitarwork is mediocre, and they mostly sound like all the other Nu Metal on the radio.
Pillar does indeed put together a listenable 13 songs. But "listenable" versus their last release's "rockin'" classification is a downgrade. Rob Beckley's singing in is mostly clear on The Reckoning and you can understand almost every word. However, in a shift from the last release, Rob uses an angry growl redundantly on the first 5 songs that seems really out of place.
The Reckoning is just absent of a really standout track, while Where Do We Go From Here was full of them. So all in all, The Reckoning is a disappointment for me...an average effort.
If you're new to Pillar, be sure to pick up Where Do We Go From Here with (or instead of) The Reckoning. Where Do We Go From Here Pillar fans will probably see what I mean; devoted fans will just give me a NO vote.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Welcome Sound, March 4, 2007
I cannot claim that I have been a fan of Pillar since their forming days. However, I can say that, without a doubt in my mind, The Reckoning is spectacular. Its not often that I find a CD that remains in my stereo for well over a month. I am going to say that as someone who enjoyed Where Do We Go From Here, I believe The Reckoning surpassed it. Many will question Pillar for producing a a so-called mainstream album. Mainstream? Obviously, whoever made such accusations did not take into account that the band has grown from Where Do We Go From Here's nu-metal influences. I will say with all honesty, I am not Christian. I do not believe in God, but I can say that this album has made a difference to me. Every song has given me a sense of hope and generally a feeling that life will always go on. Thankfully, Pillar can create great music, without sounding preachy, or giving way to what the "fad" currently is. Enjoy the album for its music and its message!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pillar evolves again, December 25, 2006
After listening to Fireproof, Where Do We Go From Here, and now the Reckoning, Pillar's tremendous evolution in the melodic metal genre becomes apparent. Going from generic rap-rock in Fireproof to the soaring choruses and intricate riffs of a band ascending beyond what was expected in WDWGFH, Pillar has now morphed into a mature and confident rock band that is unafraid to abrogate the suffocating taboos of hard rock. They are constantly on the move, one step ahead of where everyone is at the time, and have truly become trendsetters in hard rock.
It's hard to imagine any other band pulling off the hard-rocking, earth pounding, southern riffs of `The Reckoning' and then following it up with `Angel in disguise' with any credibility. But Pillar is so mature as a band, so unafraid to take risks, and confident in their vision, that there able to go from high voltage rock in `Crossfire' to a melodic song your mom could fall in love with in `Wherever the Wind Blows'. And that's the niche of this album, it shows a band constantly moving forward without deferring to convention or expectations. That they can put together an album with such diversity as `The Reckoning' and not be laughed off the face of the earth, is a testament to that. Pick this album up, its definitely one of the year's ten best.
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