Customer Reviews

Season of Poison

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I have been a huge fan of Shiny Toy Guns since they first got Carah Faye in the band. Her beautiful voice and their fun, dancy beats got me into them.

I've been waiting for a new cd of theres for quite some time hopeing it would have the same type of sound because honestly I can never find any other bands that sound like Shiny Toy Guns.

After hearing that Carah Faye had been booted from the band over the summer I checked their myspace to listen to the new song "ricochet!"

I had to double check to see if I was actually at shiny toy gun's page. Unfortunetly I was, and this is what they have become?

Generic radio music?

Lame guitar beats?

Terrible Covers of Turn to Real Life?

It's sad when a band re does an old song and it becomes a cover because the origional was so much better.

Sisley's voice sounds like she's nervous and sort of like she's holding back.

The only way I can listen to this CD and NOT hate it is if I think to myself that "this isn't shiny toy guns" I have to think of it as some sort of side band.

I am very disappointed. Givin the length of time in between we are pilots and season of poison I was expecting something amazing.

We all have been let down :(

After showing so much promise on "We are Pilots", Shiny Toy Guns have devolved into something truly unfortunate. Gone are the anthemic synth-new wave gems, replaced by generic rock songs. The few songs that actually sound like STG are really poorly written as well. I am not opposed to bands changing and growing, but this is a momentous step backwards. Whether this is because of the departure of Carah Faye (who was a much better vocalist than the new one), I don't know, but something went very wrong.

If you liked the first album and that type of sound, you will probably not like this one. If you think Linkin Park and Evanescence are really cool bands, then you might actually like this.

I dunno about you guys, but I really liked this album. Maybe that's because this is my first time hearing the band, so I can't compare it to the other albums. Definitely check it out, especially the song "Money for that".

this is not nearly as good as we are pilots. best tracks by far that sound more like the old album include when did this storm begin, ricochet, and season of love. season of love is also unusual in that its very similar to imogen heap's hide and seek. and fyi according to shiny toy gun's my space page select stores will include a b-side with two additional tracks and on their site you can also listen to the full-length versions of all of these songs except for those b-sides.

This only gets the 2nd star because Chad's vocals are still there, but it's clear to see (or make that hear) why this CD isn't taking off like Pilots. Ricochet is catchy, but after seeing the new Shiny Toy Guns performance in Boston, I think it's safe to say STG is done. Was fun while it lasted.

I am a somewhat recent convert to STG, getting into it just before Season of Poison was released. I admit that "We Are Pilots" is probably the better album, but I think Season of Poison is a great album as well. There are a couple songs I don't care for, like "Poison" and "Ricochet!," but the album has far more hits than misses.

Poison just doesn't meld well with the rest of the album, as it is makes it feel "all over the place" and a bit, well... to put it mildly, boring. Ricochet is a little too jarring in my opinion, as it takes the bold female vocals a little too far, making it a little unpleasant. Le Disko from WWP was a perfect example of using hard or edgy female vocals to great effect, creating a very addictive and fun song.

Now, the thing that originally got me into STG was the fact that they had a female vocalist. I have a "thing" for female vocalists; I just enjoy listening to them more so than male vocalist, as I find them more relaxing. As for STG's female vocalist, I know a lot of people are angry that Carah left, but she did just that; she left on her own accord. Apparently she wanted to create her own band, so she is doing just that.

The new female vocalist is now Sisely Treasure, who is a bit of a departure from Carah's vocals, but adds a very unique element to STG which I think will ultimately be very beneficial. In fact, I REALLY like Sisely's voice, it is very soothing as shown in "Turned to Real Life" and "Frozen Oceans." I was just not as big on the screaming in "Ricochet!," but I think she did well with the harsher vocals in "Ghost Town," another good song on the album.

I am very excited about what is to come though, as their newest release, a cover of Peter Schilling's "Major Tom (Coming Home)," is simply one of the coolest songs I have ever heard. I first heard it on the Lincoln MKZ commercial, and was delighted to find it was no other than STG who covered it. (It's available for free download on STG's or Lincoln's website... GET IT NOW!) Sisely's voice is perfect, the synth is perfect; the song is just the bomb. If this song is any indication of the route they are taking, I can't wait.

Im sorry to say this band is crap with out her. I was obsessed with Shiny Toy Guns since 2005 But these songs are not Shiny Toy Guns like someone else mentioned they should change thair name. Sad

I really enjoy when a band who has hit it big with one overinflated song, in this case Le Disko, gives the middle finger to the world and puts out an album that ignores what's expected.

Shiny Toy Guns has turned their fanbase upside down with Season of Poison. For those who didn't know it while snapping their fingers to the catchy tunes on We Are Pilots, this has always been Chad Petree's band. Ex-member Carah Faye Charnow is no doubt an enormous talent, but she was window-dressing on Chad Petree's and Jeremy Dawson's masterpiece, and hardly integral to the genius of it.

Season of Poison expands on the tones hinted at on Pilots by songs like "Chemistry of a Car Crash" and "You Are The One". Petree's vocals are a beautiful mix of nostalgia and heartache. The electronic blips and beeps from Pilots have graduated to clever guitar progressions that are easy to write off as noise at first. I expect those fans who were drawn to the more Pop-like elements of We Are Pilots will be the first to peel away when presented with the challenge of the brutal guitar riffs on "Ricochet". At least they can take solace in the dismal cover of "Turn To Real Life", a song I consider the weakest and most out of place track on the album.

The new vocalist, Sisley Treasure, holds her own throughout the set. She is obviously less talented than Carah Faye, yet her voice suits the tone of Season of Poison in a way that Carah Faye's wouldn't. Sisley's shaky moments on "Ghost Town" and "Turn To Real Life" are instantly forgiven upon hearing her brilliant, epic performance on the closer, "Frozen Oceans", a fist-in-the-air heartbreaker that will no doubt close a future "best of" tracklist.

No review of Season of Poison would be complete without mentioning the drama of the centerpiece track, "Poison"- an 8-minute gem that might hint at the direction in which Shiny Toy Guns is moving on future albums. The music is dark, dramatic, and urgent, with Petree's vocals sounding more a late 70's Pre-New Wave than the the expected 80's revival Shiny Toy Guns has become known for.

The challenge of Season of Poison is to let go of the innocence of We Are Pilots. With this bold progression, Shiny Toy Guns has reinforced one of the oldest music dilemmas: you either embrace change or you live in the past, destined to be trapped by the music genre of your youth. Personally, I can't wait to hear what Shiny Toy Guns does next.

It's just not very good. Sicely Treasure has audible deficiencies that can border on annoying. The first track had so much promise but when she started to squeal through it, I knew I was in for a world of pain. Carah Faye had a wonderful airiness and pop slickness about her that complemented the rest of the group's talent perfectly.

I think it's cool when bands try out new sounds and I'm glad some fans are happy with this outing, however, I'm not one of them. "Season Of Poison" is like "We Are Pilots" remixed with nails on a chalkboard. Don't like, don't want.

This follow up album is a huge disappointment for me. The sound is no longer unique and there's nothing that makes me continue to listen to the songs over and over like We Are Pilots.

Perhaps Shiny Toy Guns will return to what made their sound and/or songs special in their 3rd album.