Customer Reviews

In Silico

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is definitely different from Hold Your Colour, but it's still enjoyable. Where the previous one was more drum and bass focused, this album has more rock and vocal to it. During the first few minutes of "Showdown," I was wondering if this was even the pendulum that I was thinking about (I listened to it on Rhapsody and wasn't sure if it was the right artist) but then the basslines started to pick up and I knew it was them.

In my opinion, the rock gives each song a little more meaning to it while at the same time giving each song an "epic" feel as it transitions from rock to drum and bass. The interesting thing about this album, as typical of Pendulum, is that each song is different and non-repetitive, making each song worth listening to unlike most mainstream drum and bass.

The only song I didn't like was "The Other Side." It had some unique beats to it, but the electronic voices throughout the song kind of drew away from the power of the song, and over all was just "weird."

A few reviews state that songs like mutiny, 9,000 Miles, and The Tempest are slow and never really pick up. I found 9,000 miles to definitely pick up with powerful bass and neat drums throughout the song. Mutiny has a different feel to it, kind of a jazzy down tempo feel, but is able to pull it together and make a sweet song. The Tempest, albeit slow as mentioned, has a lot of feeling behind it and is "epic" in its own way. This song features some foreign sounds along with a more rock sound, but listening to it gives the impression of being caught in a rain storm. I believe it makes for a very strong, proper ending to an album which is so high strung and powerful.

Pendulum is back in full force with their sophomore effort "In Silico"!! True, the traditional D&B heads who hated "Hold Your Colour" & said that it was too commercial are gonna hate this one even more, but be a little open minded & you'll love the album. With the entire band coming from rock based roots, they've switched to live instruments so they can play live rather than just spin their sets. You can definately hear their rock based past influence in the new album as it's definately lead to a more rock sound & feel. Pendulum have taken everything good about their 1st album "Hold Your Colour" & amplified it times 100! Every track on the album feels epic much like "Slam" & "Hold Your Colour" from their previous album. Now don't get me wrong, the album is definately different. As I said before, they've gone with a more "rock-y" kinda sound with alot more guitar & whole lot more vocals. Anyone looking for pure D&B beware, you may not like waht you find. The vocals are great though, & sound like something coming from an accomplished artist, rather than the cheezy diva stuff so prevelent in the electronic music scene today. Also gone are the hard & dark D&B sounds from their previous album with tracks such as "Through The Loop" & "Tarantula". The DB is still there, but they've opted for more of a Breakbeat feel with this album again having to do with playing live instruments now. Another thing missing from this new album is the blissed out sounds of tracks like "Stream Line" & "Still Grey" (a track you won't miss at all if you own the reissue of "HYC", shame on you). One thing for sure though is that THIS IS PENDULUM!! It's different, but you know it's still them. The only problem I have with the album is that it's over too soon with only 10 tracks & 2 remixes. I just hope we won't have to wait another 4 years for their next album. "In Silico" is amazing from start to finish with not one dud or filler track & I say "Keep it comin'!!!" This is one of (if not the) 1st must own albums of 2008 & something everyone should own. Pendulum is being described as the new "Prodigy" & after listening to their sound progress over the years they're absolutely worthy of the name. This album is gonna be huge, Buy It Right Now!!!

As far as the "Limited Edition" version is concerned, in addition to the album as I said before you also get 2 remixes & a video of "Propane Nightmare" as well a live performance of "Granite". The live "Granite" video is actually really cool, cause it shows you exactly how cool it is that they're now performing with live instruments. It's pretty cool to see this big DB track is being hammered out on stage & really kinda gives you a whole new appreciation for the new album as a whole. The case is a cool flip open tin case about the same size as a regular CD case. Inside is a protective sleeve holding the disc, the inlay booklet from the regular CD version & foam padding to hold everything in place nicely. All in all if you're a fan of either the band or the album this is a great buy. I got my copy from the Amazon.uk site, as the US site has been out of stock since release. You'll pay $10 to $15 more for this version of the album, but to me it's absolutely worth every penny. BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

To compare In Silico to Hold Your Colour is analogous to comparing apples to oranges. As such, for those seeking more of Hold Your Colour, look elsewhere. In Silico branches off and explores a new musical realm, with great success. In many respects, this album offers richer melodies, lyrics, and energy than their first installment, thus evolving their already world renowned drum and bass formula. I commend Pendulum for exploring other musical genres and am whole heartedly looking forward to their next album. For any techno/rock/drum and bass/dance lover, I highly recommend this purchase.

The first listen through left me with a "what the f?", reaction. But I've since listened to this album a few times and I have to say, each time I do it grows on me a bit more.

I was surprised to find much more vocals in this than in their previous release. Another new addition seems to be the use of guitar. Which, in my opinion totally ruins some of the tracks Overall it has much more of a mainstream/pop feel to it. The electronica elements are still there, but I would classify them more as "electronica rock", or "dance pop"

There are a few very weak tracks (like "9000 miles"), but they are offset by some undeniably good ones (like "Visions" and "Midnight Runner").

To be perfectly honest, this is probably an album that I'll listen to casually for a few weeks, then forget about entirely. NOT a classic by any stretch of the imagination.

A lot more vocals, much different from Hold Your Colour... and I love it. When a band expands its style without giving up an ounce of integrity, they're just fine with me. This album is gritty, it's rock, it's dance, it's just plain good. Making "The Tempest" the last song on the disc was a phenomenal decision... it makes the entire cd even more worth listening to.

Interesting how many comments here are from people who bought this on the strength of their first album. Most of the negative comments seem to be "it's not Drum'n'Bass enough".

Well, maybe that's true. But I'm not a genre fanatic purist and God forbid that I ever should be. Drum'n'Bass is fine as far as it goes, but it must get pretty boring playing variations on the same narrow style of music every day. So Pendulum have tried to expand their repertoire and I'm glad they have. They've proved they have a lot more talent waiting to be mined.

And I think for every disgruntled D'n'B purist they lose as a fan, they'll gain a dozen more "general music" fans with the right exposure. So good for them!

A good album, not great, but good. Should win them a lot of new fans.

And of course... they are absolutely amazing live. I defy anyone, no matter what their taste in music, not to be energized by them.

I'm convinced Pendulum's In Silico is a psychological test which reveals what music someone really likes, and how open they are to cross-genre fusions.

First up, I hope In Silico will garner Pendulum -- as ambassadors -- a lot of new fans, and introduce them to other varieties of drum 'n' bass. They've been a powerful live concert act, something which is still a rarity in this DJ-dominated day and age.

No, this is certainly not "purist" DnB, but no landmark or importantly wonderful music is -- even Goldie's Timeless was surprisingly melodic and delved into soul and other historical influences.

What's especially powerful about this album are the variations in tone and tempo: most DnB/jungle sounds aggressive and balls-to-the-wall, but it's a thin veneer for a lack of expressive range, like an actor who acts macho all the time but unable to be more versatile. Most DnB's definition of "courage" is to remove the drum (and bass) temporarily during a breakdown section, then bring it back. On the other end -- the high-end! -- of the quality spectrum, Pendulum introduces tempo doublings and halvings, live-sounding drum fills, and a lot of changes and variation which really take you on a wild ride.

Pendulum's bravery to interpolate a certain happy hardcore-esque tune (from Dune) in "Granite" speaks loudly of their disregard for snobbery, and talent to pick a great basis to lay their beats (and more) on.

I wish this album ran longer, but am quite pleased with how Pendulum has stirred up such a tasty stew: the closer, "The Tempest", would make an excellent film for a triumphant action movie scene, blaring with heavy metal sensibility while pushing forth the nimble, quick-footed drum 'n' bass style with loads of substance.

I'm on my 4th or 5th listen right now as I'm writing this. I heard the album twice yesterday and figured I should wait at least a day so I could hear it fresh again.

After hearing it several times, wow! This album has exceeded my expectations and then some. After reading various bad reviews I was skeptical and had somewhat less hope, but I loved the sound of Hold Your Colour and figured I'd listen to this one with an open mind. The songs got me pumped, and the vocals sound mature and accomplished. It surprises me that so many DnB fans were completely let down with this release. Pendulum really held onto their sound but instead of duplicating Hold Your Colour decided to try a few new things.

Just buy it, or download it or whatever. It's worth your time.

Least favorite track at this point - Visions

Favorite track at this point - Show Down

Wow, lots of haters around here.

Quite a bit of a stylistic change from Hold Your Colour, but with the same unique Pendulum sound (especially that snare, kick, and bass.) Can't really be classified as "drum and bass" anymore, as it seems that Pendulum has decided to develop a more commercially appealing sound. It will be interesting to see how many copycat bands this album spawns.

Overall, the album is superb. From top to bottom you can detect the amount of time and work put into the production and mixing, creating lush textures that define how electronics can be used to take songs to the next level.

My one minor gripe is that I would have loved to see another chill track such as the epic "9000 Miles." Other standouts are Showdown, Propane Nightmares, Mutiny, The Tempest, and Granite.

It's been the CD in my player 99% of the time since I bought it, I just let it loop. I just can't get enough, it's that good. Imho, it's a step up from Hold Your Colour, which itself was awesome.