Usually big name bands will have another band open for them in concert. Ever sat through an opening band and said something like, “Yeah, this is great and all, but when will the real music start?”
That’s the experience with the Spider Rockets newest album, Ever After. All the tracks seem to leave you with that same feeling: when’s the real music gonna start? To be fair, they do have good moments in their songs. They have the crunchy guitars for metal; the drums actually have a good, thunderous appeal to them most of the time, but nothing ever takes off. The elements for a good hard rock band are all there but it lacks … veracity.
The songwriting is derivative, to say the least. For example, there is the song “Hate.” Super. Sounds like the kind of song a metal band should have. But the lyrics are just childish. “I don’t hate you/that I know for sure/I don’t hate you/cause there’s too much hate.” Try not to hate the song, because as the band says, there’s apparently too much hate.
These shallow kind of lyrics are sung in a supremely overdramatic manner. The female lead, Helena, has a great punk rock voice. It’s like a revved up Pink. Doubtless, she’s trying to sound vicious and menacing but like the band’s music it just never makes it there. It’s a façade. But when you’re singing things like, “facing fear/I see it clear/destroys what’s dear/help me face fear” how much attitude can you summon?
The only time the band sounds true is on the track “What I Want.” Everything gels on that track. Cascading drums, squealing guitars and punk laden lyrics belted out with true emotion. They’re not posers on that track. They are punk metal. It’s a refreshing sound on an otherwise forgettable album.
This is the third CD from Spider Rockets. Having not heard the other two recordings, this reviewer can’t state whether or not Ever After is an improvement. They’ve got the potential to be a decent band; they simply need to find a voice.
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