Marching In Time

[scarecrow]

Man I like when songs have a decent chorus. It doesn’t have to be amazing but it can’t be weak.

That’s generally because imo good choruses can be hard to write.

Often the hardest.

[SHEAKENBAKEN]

the only thing i'm actually upset about now is how awful the vocals sound on forever falling when they sound so good on this album.

The only thing I'm actually upset about is how they used Forever Falling for AB and Mark didnt save it for Marching In Time

[scarecrow]

This guy gets it.



Edit: What the hell, why do YouTube embeds never work for me??

[SHEAKENBAKEN]

This guy gets it.

[YouTube]https://youtu.be/watch?v=WrtiARjfilY[/YouTube]

Edit: What the hell, why do YouTube embeds never work for me??

When embedding a video, remove the "watch?v=" and it embeds. Dont use the link at the top of the browser either. Use the "share" link on the page.

[scarecrow]

This guy gets it.

[YouTube]https://youtu.be/watch?v=WrtiARjfilY[/YouTube]

Edit: What the hell, why do YouTube embeds never work for me??

When embedding a video, remove the "watch?v=" and it embeds. Dont use the link at the top of the browser either. Use the "share" link on the page.

awesome, thanks!!

[Dan Dando]

Anyone got any takes on what these songs could be about? They are the only songs Mark hasn't given an explanation for as far as I know.

Now And Forever
Let That Be Us
In One Piece
Not Afraid To Lose
Bleak

Now And Forever - This song feels like a pessimistic twin of Let That Be Us.

Let That Be Us - This one could be about saying goodbye to aspects of your personality, destructive behaviours/habits.

In One Piece - Maybe battling (and not really winning) with personal demons. It could almost be a song about an addict's struggle.

Not Afraid to Lose - Surely a song about Mark's relationship with his wife?

Bleak - Can't really make head nor tail of this song just yet. Need to listen to it a bit more.

[scarecrow]

[riemslag1]

bla bla bla bla bla
bla bla bla bla bla
bla bla bla bla bla
bla bla bla bla bla
bla bla bla bla bla
bla bla bla bla bla

Is it OK if I just like the album and really really really enjoy listening to it without thinking it over and analysing it too much !? Just enjoy the music..................................................
Shoot me !

[Vaux]

Only have about 1 listen through so far -

Early stand outs are Let That Be Us and Not Afraid to Lose. And I KNOW I have heard that ending of The Last One of Us before somewhere on a video or something - It's driving me nuts as to where I have heard it before.

So far it's good, gotta let it grow on me more.

[Dan Dando]

Is it OK if I just like the album and really really really enjoy listening to it without thinking it over and analysing it too much !? Just enjoy the music..................................................
Shoot me !

If everyone adopted your approach there'd be no point in having a forum to begin with

[ToNsOFuN88]

Only have about 1 listen through so far -

Early stand outs are Let That Be Us and Not Afraid to Lose. And I KNOW I have heard that ending of The Last One of Us before somewhere on a video or something - It's driving me nuts as to where I have heard it before.

So far it's good, gotta let it grow on me more.

Mark posted a video of Instagram playing the outro solo not too long before the album was released.

[ToNsOFuN88]

Anyone got any takes on what these songs could be about? They are the only songs Mark hasn't given an explanation for as far as I know.

Now And Forever
Let That Be Us
In One Piece
Not Afraid To Lose
Bleak

Now And Forever - This song feels like a pessimistic twin of Let That Be Us.

Let That Be Us - This one could be about saying goodbye to aspects of your personality, destructive behaviours/habits.

In One Piece - Maybe battling (and not really winning) with personal demons. It could almost be a song about an addict's struggle.

Not Afraid to Lose - Surely a song about Mark's relationship with his wife?

Bleak - Can't really make head nor tail of this song just yet. Need to listen to it a bit more.

To me "In One Piece" seems to be about an abusive relationship. "You're never getting out of here in one piece. You'll always be scared, alone in your knees. You could never be loved again if you tried. You'll never be anything, but your mine". Sounds like stuff an abuser would say to break someone down and keep them in the abusive relationship.

[Crumbso]

To add to my 2 pence to all these reviews. Sorry for the length. I got into a flow.

PART 1:
After a few days of listening, I've come to the conclusion that this is a solid album with some truly standout moments and glimmers of progress from Mark that takes some steps in a direction I like and also some steps in a direction that I don't.

It's certainly lost something in a feeling of abandon in relation to the other albums for me. It's continuing a move towards modern mainstream metal sensibilities that started with ADM. The choruses are often long drawn out melodies with a steady beat that tend to drag some of the energy out of the faster tunes and there are fewer twists and turns of rhythm and song structure compared the first three albums.

I miss the more old-school speed metal roots with a touch of melody from the old albums. Ryan is definitely very talented but he is a part of this change. Garrett had a more of school thrash style. I think it's also clear that WVH added a fair bit of colour, interest and rhythm when he was in the band because both ADM and MiT are of a more straight-ahead style.

[Crumbso]

PART 2:
Despite this change in style though, this album does feel like it has been worked on and refined to a point where things don't feel rushed. There's a lot of detail in arrangements and production that don't feel overdone or like a mess of overdubs. Some of the tones are spectacular (the clean/acoustic verse parts of Bleak, the beginning of the bridge for Let that Be Us and, the background guitars all throughout the Last One of Us) and there's a lot of work put into building atmosphere.

The production is still overly compressed and the bass drum, as usual, is massively overpowering but this is one of Elvis's less intrusive jobs, much like ADM and Fortress. I'll take it.

In terms of songs. Most of the songs are very listenable. There is only one properly disappointing song on this list and that is In One Piece. The chorus with the stops just totally kills the song for me. It's cheesy and stops the momentum of the song dead, every time. It's a shame too because the solo and bridge are absolutely killer. The chorus might grow on me though.

[Crumbso]

PART 3:
All the singles and most of the rest are just very competent and unsurprising Tremonti songs. Many of them have lots of great details to them, like the first verse of Under the Sun where the singing is just so good (Mark lower register FTW). Most do pass under the radar for me in terms of their place in the pantheon of Tremonti songs though. However, there are some absolutely killer standouts here that save the whole album from averagiosity for me:

- Thrown Further should 200% have been the first single. It's got simplicity, catchiness, a great riff and just drives itself along so well (super fun to play on guitar too).

- Let That Be Us. This is the chorus on the album with the most energy and the whole thing just thunders on with that great sort of unique angry/happy energy that only Mark can do (like Take You With Me).

- Last One of Us. I absolutely love love love this tune. So different for Mark and a real songwriting achievement. It oozes atmosphere and melancholy with a chilled pace. The solo is up there with his best too, some real different chromatic note choices that I've not heard from him before

- Bleak. The way this song takes its time to build throughout the first two verses and choruses is just wonderful. It sounds to me like what I heard in my head when playing the old 90s Doom games, really dystopic. This kind of patience in building up a mood is something I've been wanting from Mark's songs for years. Put this in a scifi movie pls! I also like the enigmatic lyrics and the chorus is brilliant - one of the few on the album that isn't a 4-chord long melody style.

- Marching in Time. This song was a little AB epic-lite for me at first but it's the lyrics and the sincerity of the delivery that makes me really love this one. Also, the part before the final chorus where Mark is in his lower register is just so great. I especially feel the, "I'm worn and I'm tired" line. It takes its time and it delivers its message well.

Overall. It's a really solid effort from Mark. I'm still missing the thrash and some of the real head-banging groove from the first three albums (no skank beats!!?) but the 4 or 5 absolute standouts on here do justify the push to a different direction. Well done Tremonti gang!

[cheesedip1]

“ I'm worn and I'm tired line. ”

I liked that part too.

[WaywardOne]

Anyone else loving that Mark gave the new rhythm section their own showcase in Let That Be Us? It's a really cool bridge regardless, but I think it's really classy that he gave Tanner and Ryan a chance to stand out like that.

[SHEAKENBAKEN]

Anyone else loving that Mark gave the new rhythm section their own showcase in Let That Be Us? It's a really cool bridge regardless, but I think it's really classy that he gave Tanner and Ryan a chance to stand out like that.

He definitely gave Ryan a ton of standout moments on the record I feel, where the drums are the only thing playing or they're a focal point in a song (i.e - The outro to In One Piece), but I feel like Tanner needed more bass moments to shine either solo or with the band instrumentally.

[gbruin]

This guy gets it.



Edit: What the hell, why do YouTube embeds never work for me??

Leigh has become a good internet friend of mine. I hope everyone checks out and subscribes to his channel (Iridium Rock and Metal Reviews). He has TONS of really cool content on there. He also does a lot of requests if there's something you'd like him to review. Go support my mate!

[gbruin]

Not Afraid To Lose is the best Creed song in years and I love it.