Birthday Massacre
Walking With Strangers
Metropolis Records
By Eavvon O'Neal
A Birthday Massacre doesn't sound too pleasant. In fact, it sounds downright painful. Cake and icing strewn about like a trial of confectionery plasma, blood like some magical trail of decorative icing. And the presents, think of the presents! Fortunately for those with an active imagination, Birthday Massacre and their Walking With Strangers release isn't as painful as it sounds. In fact, there are some pleasant surprises that strengthen the value of its presentation.
The Birthday Massacre pull strongly from an industrial sounding synth while dabbling with ‘80s tones and filters. Their ominous melodies are not nearly as dark as one might expect, which counters the gothic image they create. The first half of the album, with lyrics that are very much romantically intertwined, is dominating with cynical verse structure. "Kill the Lights" is a realistic love song that speaks to the glad-handing that can be an upsetting piece of relationships. "Falling Down" masquerades as a power pop track, but its lyrical tone, which discusses abuse internal or inflicted from another, tries to empower the morose tone with little success. As far as musicality, "Falling Down" is the most well structured song with excellently diverse bridges that help pump up the value of the song, as well as the album. The title track is of a similar ilk, but comes across more sporadic and flustered, taking on the attitude of the lyrics. This illustrates some of the artistic ability held by the BM, but unfortunately, they don't delve deeply enough into this talent to warrant further interests.
Walking With Strangers is ultimately about the realization of how little we know each other, and how little we know ourselves. It's perfect that the idea is illustrated by the Birthday Massacre not knowing themselves or the true reaches of their talents. This album shows a wealth of potential for the band, and leads one to believe that their development will only escalate the message behind their music. Until that point, they are still left staring at a heavily wrapped gift, which they must decide when to present to the world.
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