Mix Linkin Park, Korn, Nickelback, Razed in Black and a touch of Nine
Inch Nails and you come close to the sound of Celldweller. This
self-titled debut album, the musical output of
Klayton, is a mix of rock, drum & bass, techno and other styles,
lending itself to a sound similar to some of today's commercial "rock"
bands, but with a few other surprise elements as well. This band has a
commercial feel, but straddles the line with the underground scene, like
the band Orgy.
"Switchback",
track two, is a catchy, energetic song, with heavy guitar, but infused
with electronics and moments of vocals like that of Linkin Park. I
could see this song being played on commercial "rock" radio, which may
turn some people off, but getting over this point, it's a good song. You can watch the video for "Switchback" in our video section.
Many of the songs on the album, like, "Stay with Me (Unlikely)", "I Believe You", "Frozen", continue this commercial feel, but are quality songs. Track 4, "The Last Firstborn", stands out from other tracks with its big dose of techno sounds;
a welcome change. Not counting the very beginning of this song, it
reminds me a lot of Razed in Black.
There are also acoustic moments,
like the songs "Under My Feet" and "Afraid This Time" and orchestral tracks like "So Sorry to Say". For a harder, metal-edged track, listen to "One Good Reason", with growly vocals and crunching guitar.
Overall, this album's production is top notch in both sound and package
quality, though its a bit too commercial sounding for my tastes
(whatever that means). It will be interesting to see what the future
holds for Celldweller and which direction it goes.
-legion
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