Customer Reviews

Topsy Turvy

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First of all let me start by saying that the first time I heard the Apex Theory was in March of 2002. I saw them live in Indianapolis and I was hooked. The sound that i heard at the concert was that of something I have never heard before. I was knocked off my feet. Anyways I bought Topsy-Turvy yesterday April 2nd, which was the release date. This album is absolutely incredible. It mixes a techo sound with a metal, and has a flowing feel. The verses flow easily and the choures hits hard. Drown Ink starts off with an incrdible feel and then the lyrics hit and it gets even better. Bullshed starts off with over a one minute interlude that starts off slow and gets hard. After the interlude comes a hard hitting mosh pitting sound thats turns into a groove. "Thats All" is one of my favorite tracks. It has a creepy techno feel that I loved the first time I heard it.
Overall this album is an exceptional debut that anyone one that has open ears when it comes to music will fall in ove with. I highly recommend this album. You will love it.

Like System of a Down, The Apex Theory is comprised of four musicians of Armenian descent. That's about where the similarities to SOAD end, however. Smart, unique, and energetic, you'll not find another band like The Apex Theory and once you've heard them, you'll know them anywhere.

A mish-mash of techniques are cultivated under a distinctly Eastern-European umbrella. Drum Sammy Watson spits out one drum 'n' bass groove after another, pushing the tempo, but not changing it. Layered over that are Byzantine melodies and syncopated rhythms of guitarist Art Karamian, who has learned the age old lesson of top notch-musicianship: a player is defined by what he doesn't play just as much as what he does play. Jon Bon Jovi once said that a song isn't really a song unless you can sit down and play it on an acoustic guitar. A few listens to Topsy-Turvy and you get the impression that these songs would be right at home strummed on a balalaika.

The first single from the album was "Shhh... (Hope Diggy)". And while, I dig the song, I would've chosen another place to start. The single spits alliterative lyrics in a whirling dervish delivery of soap box approximations. By the time you attune your antennae to the technique, the message is missed. On CD it's great, simply push the repeat button. On radio: no dice. My vote for lead single would be the punky, yet smart "Bravo". It's equal parts loud, political, and catchy, just like good punk should be.

With asymmetrical riffage and dazzling vocability, these Armenians are some wild and crazy guys. And while they may not sound like System of a Down, a tour with them might be just the break The Apex Theory needs.

There are a lot of bands out there that include people who call themselves musicians but are really people that just picked up a guitar. Then there are those that understand it, that know the difference, and don't play the same [stuff] over and over again. Now, no offense to the bands out there, but a majority of you don't understand music, and therefore shouldn't be making it. I grabbed this cd off the shelf because I felt like buying a cd one day. I listened to it once, and put it away for a while. Then, while going through my cd's, I picked it up again and started listening to it. I loved every second of it. I'd never heard of them, no one ever talked about them, and I wondered why bands like Blink 182 got so much hype for their music that never changes, when there was bands like this out there to where every song has it's own unique aspects. The first song is a definate attention getter. If the lyrics don't get you, then the notes will. Then you go into the next song, mucus shifters, and you are blown away by the skill that these guys show throughout this song. Then every song after that is unlike the first, and just as good if not better. Apossibly is in my favorite songs of all times list. And "That's ALL!" is a perfect example of musicianship at it's best in todays music industry. This CD has it all, no matter what genre you listen to. Whether it's for a party, or you're listening to it as you go to sleep, it's gripping, it's musical, and the musicians in it "especially the drummer" are extrememly gifted. I would suggest this CD to anyone who likes good music, and understands the really meaning of musicianship. My hats off to Apex Theory.

Nu-Metal is a genre thats often hard to follow, and even harder for one to define. So in a rock word that's often up and down with bands scattered all over the place in unlimited genres, how do we find an actual Nu-Metal band? I remember the time I mistakenly called System of a Down Nu-Metal and almost got torn limb from limb by my friends. Or how about the time I was informed that Nu-Metal was best represented by Linkin Park, of course that made me cringe. Just when I thought Nu-Metal was a rock genre that had no band that really identified with it along came The Apex Theory. If your looking for a band that is what Nu-Metal should be about, look no further than The Apex Theory and excellent debut album "Topsy-Turvy".

The opening track "Add Mission" seemingly prepares you for the oncoming album with it's eerie guitar work. The rest of the album doesn't dissapoint with such great tracks as "Come Forth", "Shhh...(Hope Diggy)" and "Bravo". David Hakopyan's ocassionally abstract and metaphoric lyrics will force you to give a song a few listens before really grasping what the subject matter is. Whether listening to a song over and over is a good thing or not really depends on your own personal choice, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What really struck me as odd is some people claim that The Apex Theory is nothing more than a System of a Down ripoff band. Yes, both bands are Armenian, but to say their sounds are even remotely close would be a gross falsity. I am a big System of a Down fan, and not at one point throughout "Topsy-Turvy" did I find myself thinking that one song sounds similar to a System of a Down song.

Now I know that after all my praise of this album you would think I would give it a 5 star rating. But, while "Topsy-Turvy" is a great album and I highly recommend it, there wasn't anything absolutely ground breaking or awe inspiring to make it a 5 star album.

A strong debut for the Apex Theory, if you need a clear cut defintion of what Nu-Metal is really about, "Topsy-Turvy" is for you.

These guys remind me a lot of SOAD, with their crazy political-wise lyrics and seering riffs. In my opinion SOAD is better, but these guys, while they do remind me a lot of SOAD they create a sound that is a little different. All the songs on this cd are pretty damn good I must say, with "Apossibly" being my favorite song on there. That song just rocks, in fact it's the only one which actually follows somewhat of a pattern. "Shh...Hope Diggy" and all their other songs don't have a pattern pretty much. Buy this cd if you enjoy thoughtful music and provoking lyrics.

Wow... That's all I can say. This CD is stunning, and I was fixed on giving it a full 5 stars, but everyone does that for every album, so non-biasedly, I'd say 8 out of 10 is pretty appropriate.

Yes, at first listen it's more of that whole nu-metal, particularaly the emo-metal that's burning up in California. But Apex Theory is the head of that trend and for very good reason. Musically, I'd say that this is one of, if not THE best album of the year. So far, it's deadliest rival is Headstrong's debut.

Anyway, more recent listens have revealed a very Mediterranian mix of sounds on top of the metal (understandably, since three of the four band mates are from Mediterranian countries witht he exception of the drummer from Washington.) What their culture brings is huge to the music. The vocals, particularly the melody lines on the choruses are very anthematic, which is what the music industry needs. We don't need simple songs. The lyrics are a plus too: both enigmatic and positive. "Shhh" the first single, is about people close to you withdrawing. It's very aggressive, very angry, very anthematic, very good. With infectious chorus line; "Hope Diggy Da, Diggy Da, Es Te Dan The," based on a lullaby that was sung to the lead singer as a child. "Come Forth" is my personal favorite, being able to relate to the protagonist's being spent on people: "Thanks for nothing, I am waiting. Comfort is arriving now." The closer "In Books" leaves the listener wanting more, THIRSTING for more. I can't wait to see what this band can do with their enormous talent. It's a quiet diddy, much like "Drown Ink," that hits the melodic soft-spot. "Topsy Turvy's" only downfall is it's tendancy to repeat itself in song structure, key, and melody lines. Otherwise, it's one of the best albums that I've heard in the last five years. Amazing. Overall: 8 of 10.

Topsy-Turvy is one of the best albums I've bought in a very long time! It's one of those cds you can just put in and listen to the whole thing without having to skip over any songs. Albums like that are very rare. The Apex Theory has a very unique, very distinct sound that I can appreciate. I have many Bosnian and Armenian friends, including my boyfriend, and the music they listen to is fundamentally similar to the songs on Topsy-Turvy. If you've ever heard traditional music from the region of the world from which 3 of the 4 members of The Apex Theory came, you can appreciate their unparallelled music even more. This is an awesome cd, definitely a refreshing wild ride through various genres. I encourage rock fans to buy it.

This is a band I've decided not to classify, but rather enjoy them for who they are - 'The Apex Theory'. They really can't compare directly to anything specific that I've seen - and are a near sure thing to be one of the next 'discovered' bands in the near future.

There's really a type of track for everyone, whatever your taste. You like guitars in the forground done to perfection ? Check out 'Bravo', 'Apposibly', and 'Aisle Always'. You like some DJ-type beats ? Give 'That's All' a play - my personal favorite track. But basically, every track mixes these elements with inspired vocals and a variety element that's hard to explain. NEVER do I feel like I'm listening to the same track again like with some artists.

The cons ? Well... uh... I guess a couple of the tracks start a little slowly, but every track given time produces something worth hearing.

This CD has frankly converted me. Now I find myself looking for their past CD and attempting to find a live show to attend somewhere in the area in the near future. ...But rest assured... this is a fantastic buy.

I whatched their song Shhhh...(Hope Diggy) and that's where my respect for their new style took my respect. Being that I like that this stuff(Linkin Park, System of a Down) I can really tell if a band is good or not.I knew Linkin Park since they were Hybrid Theory. The melodic tunes of the guitar in Apposibly is soothing, yet the lyrics captivate you to listen to them. The message from Shhh, Hope Diggy where he just complains about consumerism and the distribution of crude oils(I think thats what he says, I cant understand fast talk) but I can capture it after a while. It's the way he just rants about things. Definately a band to take seriously. The only trouble with them is that they haven't ADVERTISED their music. If they did, they would definately have a more stable ground. And listen to Bullshed, it's a darn good song.

I never knock on bands for repeating a tested and true formula of music writing, because there's nothing wrong with doing what you love. The thing about Apex Theory is that this group not only sounds like they love what they're doing, but also is doing something that is brand new. It will be interesting to see where this group stands in years to come among the hard-rock and metal genres.

This album is one that deserves a full listen and promises to not get old. The construction of the songs and contrast of vocal styles from song to song is noteworthy. The song "Mucus Shifters" starts with an almost oriental sounding quick-picking before it starts thrashing about in normal hard-rock fashion, and it is this kind of writing that makes this group stand out as different. Also worth noting is the homage the band makes to other non-American styles of music. With the addition of certain percussion or guitar effects that you are hard-pressed to find in most new hard-rock albums, Apex Theory brings their love of fast, grungy, distorted guitars to an almost Native American chant style song on "Come Forth" and an African sounding, vocally and harmonically amazing "Right Foot." The album is also well produced, because these types of songs that might scare off the mainstream metal-lover are placed strategically between more mainstream sounding songs to allow you to be more open to their sounds. Overall this is a definitive 5-star album.

Apex Theory has put together an album that makes any lover of metal or hard-rock excited to see what happens next with the group. Pick it up if you are looking for something new and different from your hard rock.