Thursday , March 28 2024
Family Values 2006 is coming soon to a stereo near you, so get your neckbrace ready in case of headbanging accidents. You were warned.

Music Review: Family Values Tour 2006

The soon-to-be-released Family Values Tour 2006 CD, spinning in my stereo as I type, is everything I hoped it would be and a little less. Maybe this is because I still remember the feeling of attending one stop on the seminal Family Values tour. I had such an amazing time that night; maybe I’m unfairly judging this experience against it. It is very difficult, after all, for the music alone to duplicate the experience that is an all-evening extravaganza of a rock concert.

Tell you what – let me step back for a moment and go through this CD:

Korn — “Right Now” kicks off this CD with a bang. As this is one of my favorite tracks from Korn, it certainly sets the mood for how I’ll respond to the rest of this CD. Filled with the chunkiest bass-line groove you’ve ever heard, the song just smashes its way into your eardrums with no remorse.

Korn — “Coming Undone” slides back the aggression factor from the opening track and just see-saws on a deliciously slow groove. Though it isn’t one of my favorite Korn tracks, it is also nowhere near my least favorite.

Flyleaf — “I’m So Sick” is a song that had me scratching my head for the first few listens. Showing my age a bit here, I’ll admit this is my first experience with Flyleaf. Actually, you’ll be hearing me say that about a few of the bands on this CD. That’s not a bad thing – or an unexpected thing, really – as quite a few of the bands accompanying Korn on the concert I mentioned earlier were also new to me. All in all, once I got used to the lead singer’s scorching vocals (who knew a woman could howl like that?), this song grew on me.

10 Years — “Wasteland” is a solid song from a solid band. While it doesn’t wow me in any way, it also doesn’t make me run to forward past it. I’ll be honest, though, in that they sound not too unlike any number of “hard-rock” bands out there. That might jade my perspective of them a bit.

Stone Sour — “Through Glass” is a lovely, lovely song from one of the better voices in rock today – Cory Taylor. Cory’s voice is one of the reasons I am a gigantic fan of his other band. Unlike Slipknot, however, Stone Sour allows him to explore melody in ways very few would accept from the man. Just a great track from a band fortunate enough to be blessed with a great singer.

Deftones — “My Own Summer” is a scorching, howling swirl of music goodness. Seriously, I have no idea how Chino’s voice could be any more amazing than it is. This is the song that made me need to purchase every Deftones CD they have or ever will release.

Dir en Grey – “Merciless Cult” seems to be this tour’s version of Rammstein. Dark, brutal, and gloriously so, this song makes me want to suit up in armor and go out and kick something – anything! – in the ass, repeatedly. Where’s my sword?!

Stone Sour — “Reborn” gives listeners a little bit more of an edge than the earlier song on this album. It is still nowhere near the edge that his other band achieves, but that’s okay. This is a damned-good song. Actually, you should probably go out and buy both of Stone Sour’s CDs right now. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

10 Years — “Waking Up” is perhaps one of the more ironically named songs on this album, as it nearly lulls me to sleep. Not a bad track, but not one I can tolerate listening to each time I play this CD. It’s like a guy singing an Evanescence track, really.

Flyleaf — “Pride (In the name of Love)” features the ex-lead singer of Filter and current lead singer of Army of Anyone, Richard Patrick. Simply put, he is the best thing about this track. Sure, the band plays the well-known U2 song ably, but his voice is what truly makes this song soar. You should never have guest singers that sing better than your actual singer, right?

Dir en Grey — “Ryoujoku No Ame” is thankfully harder to pronounce than it is to enjoy. This song is making me want to go out and learn a foreign language. Darn this band for making me want to think when rocking out! With my luck this song will turn out to be a song about loving mashed potatoes or something.

Korn — “Shoots and Ladders / Wicked” is a track I could have really done without. Sure, I love Korn and I happen to get an immense kick out of these songs. Plus, I love the little cameo by Chino from the Deftones at the end, but couldn’t they pick something with a little more meat on the bones to sing? Hearing these guys duet on “Clown” or “Fagot,” maybe?

Deftones — “Nosebleed” is a song that might just accomplish its own name, and give you an auditory nosebleed! The guitars and drums on this song just reach out and grab hold of your eardrums and simply pummel them. Ye Gods, I love this band!

Korn — “Blind” is a very nice version of one of the band’s signature songs. Many bands have tried to imitate the crunk-rock that was Korn’s debut album – namely due to songs like this – but few could hope to succeed. Even with the loss of Head’s guitar, this song still sounds amazing and fresh after all these years. Love it.

Deadsy — “Carrying Over” is heartfelt and meaningful and…leaves me cold. Is this supposed to be this tour’s version of “It’s been a while” by Stain’d? I don’t know. Maybe that’s unfair. This isn’t a horrible song, but it certainly doesn’t convey to me the emotion that I can sense it trying to convey to me. Maybe I’m just out of touch? It’s well played, at least.

All in all I think I can unabashedly tell you what I thought was missing from this CD, and that was being able to visually see the bands perform these songs. Very rare is the live CD that can blow me away and make me feel like I was there.

Having said that, this is still an admirable effort and a release I feel safe endorsing to you. If you are simply looking for a fairly heavy-to-hard-rockin’ CD you can just pop into the stereo and sing along with for a good solid hour, then this might be just what you are looking for. Myself? I can’t wait to buy the DVD version.

About Michael Jones

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