2008 release from the Milwaukee-based Post-Hardcore rockers. Misery Signals are a relentlessly ambitious melodic, Metalcore band with a knack for exhausting members with their take-no-prisoners touring schedule. The band, ... more »which is a fury in live performances mixing technical precision and heavy breakdowns with spacey, atmospheric parts have been touring relentlessly across the globe. Like new age metallic surgeons Misery Signals carves through the cluttered heavy music scene and images to plant their flag in the sands of time. 10 tracks.« less
2008 release from the Milwaukee-based Post-Hardcore rockers. Misery Signals are a relentlessly ambitious melodic, Metalcore band with a knack for exhausting members with their take-no-prisoners touring schedule. The band, which is a fury in live performances mixing technical precision and heavy breakdowns with spacey, atmospheric parts have been touring relentlessly across the globe. Like new age metallic surgeons Misery Signals carves through the cluttered heavy music scene and images to plant their flag in the sands of time. 10 tracks.
CD Reviews
Incredible Musicians
Andrew J. Varilone | 07/23/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"First the good. The musicians in Misery Signals are probably some of the best I've ever heard. They have consistantly improved upon their songwriting with each album, and it is simply amazing to listen to.
Now the bad. My one complaint with this band since their first album has rang true with each of their releases, including this one: There simply is not enough vocal variety. Now to be fair, I am partial to a healthy mix of singing and screaming, so I'm sure many hardcore music fans disagree with me on this point, and they love the fact that there is very little singing on Misery Signals albums. However, I feel that their music is so melodic and intricate that singing would compliment many parts much more so than a typical screaming part.
To elaborate more on the vocals, I feel that if a band's songs are to be 95% screaming, there needs to be some type of range and variety of screams and vocal patterns. This is not the case on this release. Most of the vocals patterns tend to be very similar, and his scream, while it is very brutal, tends to lack creativity, and is often much too gutteral (for my taste.)
Despite my gripes about the vocals, I still gave this release 4 out of 5 stars. The music is simply that good."
I'm just going to flat out say it..
Craig | Ca | 07/22/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the best cd I own. My words cannot accurately describe just how magnificent this album is. Simply put, you NEED to hear this for yourself.
I realize that calling this the "best cd I own" in such a short time might seem slightly unrealistic. However, in the 9 hours I have owned this album, I have not stopped listening to it. I discover new things every time around. The album is brutal (very brutal), heavy, melodic, and stunningly beautiful, from start to finish. I even showed a few songs to my dad (a die hard anti-metal, old school blues/jazzer). His jaw dropped.
Another of my favorite aspects of this album is the sound quality. Everything sounds extremely clear and LOUD, not overproduced. I expected this from the very beginning, knowing that the genius Devin Townsend would be producing and mixing the album.
Misery Signals truly outdid themselves on this album and proved to everyone that scenes, and genres are overrated. In the end, the music had the final say."
Very Good Follow up
T. Reid | NJ | 07/25/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Their second album with the new singer is great. He has an amazing voice. I was looking for more clean singing in the background but what can I cay. More clean singing from the last album though which I liked. Can't have everything you want. This is just a very good album from them. Stayed true to who they are. What more do you want. They have such a unique style. You know when you hear Misery Signal. There is no mistaking the sound. Bravo fellas,from your humble fan I salute you."
Close to Perfect
John Cleese | long island, ny | 03/04/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I don't need something to be perfect to give it 5 stars. This album is a breath of fresh air. Their last album 'mirrors' had great material, but the production, for me, wasn't upto the standard of 'of malice and the magnum heart'. They have worked with Devin Townsend again and he has proven to be the genius that we all know he is.
I am not an overly negative person, I am neither an optimist nor a pessimist. I appreciate the good in the world, but I am not blind to the bad. I think that a lot of people are treading water in terms of trying to maintain their own emotional stability and sanity, because it's hard to live in a world that exposes us to such misery and such beauty in such equal measure on a daily basis. This album makes me feel philosophical, as pretentious as it may sound, I feel that this album contains a lot of truth in both the music and the lyrics, because of the way they resonate together and the feelings they evoke in me. It's not something I can really explain, but this album does it for me.
This album is incredibly brutal, beautiful and is somewhat of an emotional rollercoaster. The lyrics are great, thought provoking, have a lot of substance and the music is complex... and never does any of it feel like it is done merely for it's own sake. This is one of the heaviest albums i've ever heard and I don't just mean in terms of tuned down guitars and brutal vocals. It truly hits the spot, it purges my anger and soothes me and makes me feel energized.
From start to finish, there is not a dull moment. Whenever I listen to this album, I always listen all the way through, i'm addicted to it."
Amazing album from an amazing band
Richard Lorenz | Los Angeles | 02/15/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The latest offering from Misery Signals has blown me away. For over a month now. I can't stop listening to this album! The technicality of their music is awe-inspiring, and the new singer adds a nice touch to the band. (Funny that they found him on Myspace.) I'm a huge fan of these guys, and their latest CD does not disappoint in the least! I would say this is an improvement over Mirrors, which was good in its own right but didn't have the same feel that this CD does. A tip: buy the CD version, not the .mp3 files from amazon. This band is far too advanced musically to submit to the loss-y nature of .mp3 files. Too much is lost; I've ripped the songs in both .mp3 and in lossless formats and the lossless formats sound significantly better than the .mp3 files.
Update: Really, you need to buy this CD. It's still a staple in my car and .mp3 player, and it's September of 2009. Support these guys; they represent all that is good about the metalcore genre."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1