So, Bring On Mixed Reviews

Like A Storm – The End Of The Beginning – Review

Release Date: September 29th, 2009
Record Label: Prospect Park Records
Genre: Hard Rock

Ok, so after a long and hard weeks work, I feel like I need a punching bag to relieve some of my frustrations. Normally I would just punt a puppy or smack the taste out of some annoying, loud persons mouth — but I feel venting of the music journalism variety is what I need this week. Centered in my cross-hairs just happens to be the four-piece, New Zealand native, rock band, Like A Storm. From the beginning of this introduction you start to get a queezy feeling that you’ve seen something like this before. Could it be the painfully dull band and album name (“The End Of The Beginning”), or what is the fact that they have toured with the likes of  Creed, Puddle Of Mudd, Shinedown, and Saliva, or at the very least, that they all look like glossy cock rock poster-children.

Normally I never like to judge a book by its cover, but when that cover has soul patches, Eddie Murphy-approved leather, and generic/boring/monotonous rock adorning its bindings, then Occam’s Razor will always win out. As for their music, everything off “The End Of The Beginning” sounds like safe version of bands like Red And Breaking Benjamin. Even though the didgeridoo that belts out like a beckoning tribal horn at the beginning of “The End Of The Beginning” seems like it is simply trying to hard to set the stage for an album that frankly isn’t that bold or different. I feel like I must also tell you that Like A Storm‘s tracks “Chemical Infatuation” and “Enemy” have been placed on Sports and TV show soundtracks, which just screams both bland hard rock and tasteless capitalism. Of course that last part isn’t always the fault of the artist, but it does allow you to ponder how “stand-in-line” their music is.

Now that isn’t to say that there is nothing to appreciate with this release. The album is so squeaky clean in terms of production, that most of the human soul of music is totally erased. What’s left is riffs and vocals that are doctored, perfectly tuned, and forgettable. Maybe I’m being a tad harsh; groups such as Daughtry have loads of fans, a smooth sound, and tons of hits — but they also have repeatingly simple song structures that may be catchy, but they don’t progress music as a whole and merely spin in place. Like A Storm is similar. And they tend to borrow a little to much for their music. Go listen to “Make A Stand” and tell me it doesn’t sound like a hard rock version of something from Hoobastank circa 2004. Also the slow moving tracks “Don’t Cry” and “Change Tomorrow” sound like a copy and paste job from 12 Stones, self-titled record. 12 Stones also shared the pension for having laymen song titles (Crash, Broken, Home, Fade Away) as well as close to empty lyrical depth.

I’m afraid this album really had no chance. As a person who listens to literally dozens of new bands every day, I could come to no other conclusion that Like A Storm‘s new record “The End Of The Beginning” in a nonstop effort of perfectly plain and ordinary hard rock that you have heard before and will only enjoy if music is simply a background hobby for you. Or if you like Nascar.** ~Staff

Score: 2/5

Track Listing:
1. The End of the Beginning
2. Chemical Infatuation
3. What It’s Like
4. Just Save Me
5. Enemy
6. Don’t Cry
7. Lie To Me
8. Galaxy
9. Make A Stand
10. Alone
11. Change Tomorrow
12. Keep The Pain Alive

**I also wanted to mention that, as with most of my reviews, if I haven’t mentioned something, it simply means it doesn’t exist in the album — ie. eloquently spoken lyrics, complex guitars, etc.