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Tracklist |
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01 - Red Hot
02 - モンスター (US Version - Monster)
03 - Snake Fighting
04 - Marry Me
05 - Missing
06 - Bored Of Everything
07 - TV Maniacs
08 - 虹 (Niji) (US Version - Rainbow)
09 - I Hate It
10 - BBQ Riot Song |
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Review |
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G.G. Allin. Black Flag. The Rolling Stones. All artists that have set off riots at their live shows (though the Stones had help from Hell's Angels). And most assuredly, members of a club that Ellegarden could only dream of joining. Despite tearing up the indie charts in Japan with all of their releases, this is a band that specializes in spitting back the corporate-sponsored pop-punk of the West, fronted by a man with an obvious Tom DeLonge complex. In other words, it would take a lot more than Hell's Angels for this stuff to incite a riot anywhere, even at your neighbor's drunken cookout.
Clearly it would be a disservice to cut into RIOT ON THE GRILL and look for anything other than mindless fun. And it's there, when the band has the courage to color outside the lines darkened by Sum 41. The chunky industrial riffs of "Snake Fighting," while initially jarring, alleviate the tired sing-song chorus and bring a sorely needed edge to an album otherwise wiped clean of aggression. "Missing" finds singer Hosomi Takeshi finally cutting out the nasally DeLonge aping and delivering a soaring chorus with the best hooks on the album. "TV Maniacs" plays out in similar fashion, while the guitar and drums vary their style in the verses to keep the song in gear between refrains.
The remainder, however, is nothing but a reminder of the mediocrity that's taken residence on the radio for the past several years. The verses are mostly forgettable, the drums do little more than provide a beat and the bass follows the guitar like a lemming. The majority of the choruses are predictable and bleed together, sounding phoned in when compared to the better effort on "Missing."
Anyone who was pleased with the news that Blink-182 broke up would obviously do well to stay away from RIOT ON THE GRILL or anything else bearing Ellegarden's name. Those pining for the SoCal trio have a viable replacement waiting in the wings, though the same caveat remains for Ellegarden - a million bands have done this before, and done it better. |
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