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The Number Twelve Looks Like You - Worse Than Alone Hot

Tuesday, 31 March 2009

Editor's rating

7.2

out of 10

Reviewed by:
Keith Carlson
Top 10 Reviewer
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Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Average user rating: 8.0
1 User reviews

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Music Information

Track Listing:
01. Glory Kingdom
02. Given Life
03. To Catch A Tiger
04. Marvin's Jungle
05. The Garden's All Nighters
06. If They Holler, Don't Let Go
07. Retort, Rebuild, Remind
08. The League of Endangered Oddities
09. Serpentine
10. I'll Make My Own Hours

Artist: The Number Twelve Looks Like You
Title: Worse Than Alone
Genre: Progressive Metal • Alternative
Release Date: 10 March 2009
Record Label: Eyeball Records
Format: Full-length
Country: United States of America
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The Number Twelve Looks Like You - Worse Than Alone

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Editor review

5 of 13 people found the following review helpful


Overall rating (weighted)		7.2
Musicianship		9.0
Composition		6.0
Experimentation		6.0
Production		8.0
Value		7.0

I've always noticed that The Number Twelve was on the edge of diving into trendy post-hardcore territory, although they are not 100 percent there, they are inching closer and closer. Their previous album 'Mongrel' sounded focused and complete, where as 'Worse than Alone' attempts to be more solid on a song-by-song basis. At times, the album sounds too "fun," slapstick, and loose in their new experimental ground.

"Mush Mush Mush"... really guys? That's honestly kind of lame. To top it off, some kind of spiced up Mick Thompson riff is played behind it. To me, nu-metal is a really piss poor genre to play around with. "Glory Kingdom" is undoubtedly the weakest track on the album, and a bad first impression. "Given Life" isn't much better. It's starts off with some cheese ball, theatrical 'Lollipop Lustkill'-style vocals that could have been trimmed off the start and end of the song. By track 4, "Marvin's Jungle", we are at the obvious commercial hit of the album; perfectly clean, pretty, and dressed up for MTV2. The vocals are a definite weakness of the album. They have turned into poor, faux radio-friendly singing that comes off too playful, and down right jokey at times. The Number Twelve always had a flamboyant tone in their voice, but perhaps it's gone a little too far. Is it me, or does the song "The League Of Endangered Oddities" sound like an AFI B-side?

I have to say that drummer Jon Karel is the man! Though I miss The Number Twelve's blast beats (absent on this album), I have no complaints in the drumming department. His cymbal work is definitely unique and sounds gorgeous. I thank him for attempting to bring back the drum solo at the of "Retort, Rewind, Remind". He is definitely the jazziest and tightest drummer The Number Twelve has had. Jazz is an obvious factor on 'Worse Than Alone'. A lot of Mathcore bands play a few clean chords and think its jazz. However, I think Alexis Pareja and co. clearly have this department down. My favorite track on 'Worse Than Alone' is "The Garden's All Nighters", and it just so happens to be their most fusion influenced song to date. I really wish they went without the "bah bah bah's", but that's just another example of the little touches that are bothersome to a long time follower of The Number Twelve such as myself.

The album has few good pieces and moments. If there was more, I didn't notice it because of the clusterfuck of cross-genre attempts and ideas that just don't seem to flow 100 percent this time around. 'Worse Than Alone' is still The Number Twelve and is still a decent listen. This album may be a hair overshadowed by an awkward execution. It's almost as if they are poking fun at their own scene (such as touring mates From Autumn To Ashes, From First to Last, Drop Dead Gorgeous, etc) by playing their techniques with 'just okay' sounding clean singing. Even the 2 or 3 breakdowns on the album seem half assed. It's definitely playful and progressive in other aspects, but as memorable as 'Mongrel' or 'Nuclear.Sad.Nuclear'? No way.

Music Information

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Last updated: Tuesday, 31 March 2009

User reviews

Average user rating from: 1 user(s)


Overall rating (weighted)		8.0
Musicianship		8.0
Composition		8.0
Experimentation		9.0
Production		7.0
Value		7.0

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Tuesday, 12 May 2009

Written by Jared Funk - View all my reviews - Top 50 Reviewer


Overall rating (weighted)		8.0
Musicianship		8.0
Composition		8.0
Experimentation		9.0
Production		7.0
Value		7.0

i really disagree with the editor\'s review. in fact, one of the reason\'s why i registered for the apparatus was because i really disagreed.
this album is not lame in any regards. as far as the number twelve\'s albums go, it\'s certainly not the best, but it\'s definitely not bad at all. it\'s the little touches like the forementioned \"mush mush mush!\" that make this album memorable. i get those bah bah bah\'s stuck in my head all the time. the number twelve really finds to way to not exactly replicate a genre, but take it and completely make it their own. they\'ll throw in some jazz, but it will be a spin on the genre and both makes you feel comfortable and really uncomfortable at the same time.
the weird chant kinda thing at the beginning of \"given life\" is something i\'ll never forget. chant. really? i mean it sounds so archaic and unusual, and it is, but somehow they make it work and totally transport me to somewhere in alska with the eskimos or something. is that crazy? i think it is. i\'m crazy, but it\'s also so crazy how they can make it fit so well, and sound so nice.
i know he gave this a pretty godo rating, and deservedly so. like i said, it\'s not the best number twelve album, but it\'s good, and it\'ll leave an impression. don\'t let this review stop you from listening to it.

oh, and as far as the post-hardcore cliches go,

wtf? no way dude.
check out this album.

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