Now to explain the ratings…

RATINGS

5 STARS: A perfect song.  This is truly an accomplishment of musical genius and talent, which will inspire young artists for generations to come.  If there’s any song you should listen to before you die, make it this one.

4 STARS: A kick-ass song that’s just a few points below being perfect, composed by a band that has the potential to be great and legendary.

3 STARS:  An entertaining song that you and your buddies can kick back and listen to when you’ve got nothing else going on.  Not the best song you’ve heard, but good enough that you all can sit through it and still have a good time.

2 STARS:  Truly a waste of production costs and editing.  There’s nothing special here.  Listen to it on the radio or online if you have to, but other than that, don’t bother.

1 STAR:  FUCK THIS SONG!!!

Now for what I gave the songs on the album

SONG: We Won’t Back Down
RATING: 2 STARS

Such a shame really, the song started out strong, it even has a decent chorus, but there are points after the first chorus and second choruses where Craig’s voice just cracks like you wouldn’t believe, that’s unforgivable.  Seriously he sounds like a pubescent 12-year-old boy to singing for his school play.  I was set to give this song 1 star after that bullshit but then the solo kicked in and I bumped it up to 2.

SONG: On to the Next One
RATING: 2 STARS

This was probably the most disappointing song on the album.  I really dig the opening guitar line and the solo is amazing but the chorus riffs are nothing special, and the lyrics are synonymous with something a heartbroken teenaged emo boy would write in his diary.  If there’s any song I wish someone would not just cover but totally remake, it’s this one.

SONG: Ashley
RATING: 1 STAR

God I hate this song.  I tend not to like songs that are about one particular person.  First of all, unless you know someone just like the person in the song with the same name, it leaves no room for lyrical interpretation.  Plus I hate it when anyone tries to use the word “baby” in a rock song.  It’s just a pet peeve of mine.  Other than that the lyrics are really cliché and obvious.  I knew what the singer was going to say next before he even finished the line.  This is just a generic love song, no better than anything the Backstreet Boys would write.

SONG: Something
RATING: 2 STARS

The song is just dumb.  The music’s okay, but other than that, there’s nothing poetic about this song, it’s just a cluster-fuck of words and phrases you’d hear in teen dramas or Twilight.  I seriously think Craig should go back to school and take some sort of creative writing class. 

SONG: The Flood
RATING: 4 STARS

Finally, a good song!   I’m so glad this is one of the songs they decided to use for a music video.  The guitar lines are sweet, I really dig the chorus, and the lyrics aren’t half bad.  But mainly this is a good song cause every time I play this song in my car, everyone joins in on singing it.  It don’t matter if you suck at singing or not, it draws you in. Craig’s voice still sucks but I’ll forgive him this one time.

SONG: Let it Go
RATING: 1 STAR

I already hated this song after the first two lines… “I’m on the verge of a breakdown, I’m on the brink of an epic meltdown.”   Seriously?  FUCK THIS SONG MAN!!!!  I just can’t believe they wasted a guitar solo in this song.  A really good guitar solo too!  Despite that, it wasn’t enough to turn this SHIT STAIN  (not even worthy of being a piece of shit) into a decent song.

SONG: You Are So Beautiful
RATING: 2 STARS

I don’t even know where to begin.  It’s just another shitty love song, but this time they mix in hardcore screaming, and while I do enjoy the extreme guttural vocal style, it just doesn’t fit here. 

SONG: This War is Ours
RATING: 4 STARS

While this is the song that made me want to buy the CD, listening to it again made me realize it has no place on this album.  This was my biggest problem with the album; the band doesn’t seem to know what direction it wants to take with its music.  They keep writing all these depressing love songs yet some of them will be mixed with some pretty heavy riffs.  And then out of no where they have a song like this which is the exact opposite of what they’ve been writing and I’ll just be sitting here thinking, “This doesn’t fit.”   It’d probably work better if it wasn’t the title track, because that right there is just misleading the listener. By itself it’s a really good song, but on this album it takes it down a peg.

SONG: 10 Miles Wide
RATING: 4 STARS

The only reason this song is good is because Josh Todd came in and added some masculinity to it.   

SONG: Harder Than You Know
RATING: 1 STAR

Blah blah blah, ANOTHER SHITTY LOVE SONG!!!!!! 

SONG: It’s Just Me
RATING: 5 STARS (holy shit, really?)

Yes really, this is the only song on the album I consider to be a Perfect Song.  Musically it’s very creative.  If you were to close you’re eyes and listen to this I guarantee you would come up with a lot of creative images in you’re head.  It’s just that type of song.  The kind that makes you feel like you’re in another realm of existence while you listen to it.  This is the song I recommend the most for downloading off of iTunes!

Well that’s it for the ratings guys.  I know I’ve been late in posting my TDWP review, but I’ll be sure to upload that shortly, along with more song ratings.  Well that’s it for now.  KEEP IT HEAVY GUYS!  Peace!

- Joey B.