Search - Beloved (US) :: Failure on

A Genuine, Timeless Masterpiece

Stan Barosky | Waitsfield, VT | 05/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Failure On" is a phenominon that I haven't quite understood yet. If you've taken the time to read any of the other reviews, "hardcore," "emo," "screamo," "hard rock," and "post-hardcore," will come up quite frequently. You must realize that, to this day, "Failure On" is an amalgamation of only the BEST qualities of those aforementioned genres.



Vocals are rich, edgy, heart-felt, and aggressive all at once. The screams, which I've never been too fond of in any music, have a perfect tone for a sound that is so aggressive. Beloved's lyrics are nothing short of brilliant. I'm always disappointed by the lyrics of today's rock music, whatever genre. It's always about relationships, growing up, and death. Beloved poses life-messages as well as those other archetypal messages. Listen to the words of "Only Our Faces Hide," or "Inner Pattern." ("We can't carry this vessel to shore/Without an anchor of hope.") A very Christian message that can relate to anybody who cares to remember it.



Guitars are so appropriately harmonized it's ridiculous. Sure, there are a lot of other bands who can top Beloved as far as their chops, and impress the hell out of everyone with ridiculous riffs. These guitars in "Failure On," however, craft beautiful harmonies as previous reviewers have described, and they never get in the way of the vocals. They paint a picture before they shred. They move your soul before they move your body. They aren't even very complex, from a musician's standpoint, but are some of the most touching riffs I've heard in any music even beyond rock.



Joe Musten (the drummer) as a previous reviewer said, should be a model to hardcore/post-hardcore/modern rock drummers everywhere. I hate to make this analogy in such a different genre, especially because it's so young comparitively, but Musten is like Art Blakey was to jazz. I know this is a very bold comment, but this drummer knows exactly what to play and exactly where to play it. His drumming does nothing but contribute to the sound of the band, the build-up of each song, and the execution of each climax. He is very skilled but he never gets carried away. I urge anyone who listens to this album to check out the intracacies of of what Musten is doing and then take a step back to realize how he is shaping the song just as vitally as the guitars/vocals, playing more than just beats, but keeping it real all the same.



The bass player, while never really in the foreground, makes a presence as the solid rhythmic foundation of this band. I'm sure not many people even take notice to that, but as a bass player, I certainly do. Since the guitars are generally doing their own thing and there is no doubling of rhythm guitar/bass on most of the tracks, the bass is setting up the chord structure. It's a shame Beloved disbanned because the bass creativity probably would have grown.



There is a lot more to say, a lot more to tell about each song, but straight up, I will tell you that Beloved was one of the most original and perfect modern rock bands to ever have existed. This is clearly demonstrated in "Failure On." As a jazz musician, I still listen to this album quite frequently, that's how respectable I find them and how musically vital they are. I've always thought about what makes their sound so unique when you can hear hints of any hardcore/emo band in their playing. It could be the drummer's perfect taste, or the sheer beauty of the guitar landscapes, or the crafty vocals. Or it could be that Beloved is one of a very select few bands who knew themselves and had a direction that will keep them on my personal timeless bands list forever."

Amazing.

Chris Thomas | Albany, NY | 05/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It isn't very often, at least for myself, that a band like this comes along. It isn't very often that I actually find a melodic hardcore band that stands out with a CD that I can get lost in, that I can listen to over and over and never get tired of. "Failure On" by Beloved is just that.



From the start of this record, Beloved grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until the minute music stops. In the time between, you'll be taken on a roller coaster ride through a broad range of emotion. Sincerity is a pretty easy disguise in hardcore/emo/rock/screamo music today, finding something with pure feeling behind it is rare, but it's easy to lose yourself in the emotion that "Failure On" will invoke.



Josh's vocals are absolutely incredible and fit the music behind him perfectly. His singing is clean as hell and the screams are not at all overdone, they are only implemented where they are absolutely necessary. Guitar work is intricate, amazing and pummeling at times, breakdowns and tempo changes are flawless. Joe's drumming is fantastic (as one reviewer hit directly on the head - he only plays what needs to be played.)



Christianity or no Christianity - I don't care. I find it a weird coincidence that many of my favorite bands came with firm religious beliefs, however it isn't something I put too much stock in - great music is just great music. This is just great music. Period. Buy this record, listen to it through and through and you'll probably never stop listening."