Hollywood Undead - Swan Songs Review

Posted by Ben Czajkowski on 10.19.2008

This L.A.-based hip-hop-rock, sex-addicted, alcoholic group brings back nu-metal like it never went out of style.

Honesty.

That’s the only word comes to mind when I think of Hollywood Undeadand their debut album Swan Songs. Definitely not originality. Everything from the lyrics, to the band members, to the constructs of the tunes, this album is going to make you dance or it’s going to offend you, as it’s meant to. At times, it will bore you. Give it a chance, and you might find something in it for you. I did.

Hollywood Undead is comprised of:

Charlie Scene
Deuce AKA Tha Producer
J-Dog
Johnny 3 Tears
Funny Man
Da Kurlzz

and they run with a gimmick start to finish.

Undead has been around for a few years now, their disc finally hitting stores back at the beginning of September. Most of Swan Songs was leaked to the internet in one form or another, over the last few years. I picked this disc up after a recommendation by my good friend Marshall Slayton. He seldom steers me wrong, when it comes to music.

1. "Undead" - 4:25
2. "Sell Your Soul" - 3:14
3. "Everywhere I Go" - 3:30
4. "No Other Place" - 3:16
5. "No. 5" - 3:05
6. "Young" - 3:16
7. "Black Dahlia" - 3:45
8. "This Love, This Hate" - 3:57
9. "Bottle And A Gun" - 3:22
10. "California" - 3:17
11. "City" - 3:34
12. "The Diary" - 4:35
13. "Pimpin'" - 3:07
14. "Paradise Lost" - 3:10

First time through the CD, I wasn’t particularly impressed; Marshall, I thought, had failed me. However, subsequent spins revealed that hip-hop-rock can grow on me: I still had a part of me that didn’t mind Eminem-esque attitude. What caught my ear first was the specific blend of gimmicks that Hollywood Undead emulates while maintaining their own. You’re going to find glimpses of Korn, Slipknot, Linkin Park, Eminem, Limp Bizkit, and others. Basically, this band and their album is whatever is left of the good nu-metal attributes, from the first part of the decade.

The difference: Hollywood Undead is Linkin Park with a set of manly testicles. Ever wonder what the road not taken for LP was? Yeah, that’s Hollywood Undead. From the moment the first track, “Undead”, opens, this album does not back out of your face. Most of the lyrics revolve around, sex, drugs, bitches, and booze. So, when I say this is a “party album”, it’s a party album. And in case you didn’t get that, the group makes it very, very clear. There are no deep, thought provoking lyrics; there are no songs that will change your life; it will just make you want to drink.

“Undead” is probably the most solid song on Swan Songs, as the hooks and chorus as just catchy as shit. It’s a polished, rebellious piece. Give it a listen and you’ll understand what I mean:

“Sell Your Soul” is as much of a 360 you can do from “Undead”; it holds its roots in much of rock foundation. “Sell Your Soul” is one of few songs where the chorus is as strong as the verses. It’s a perfect example of how piano can easy be fused with rock, when done correctly. That only lasts for a few minutes, and we’re right back into what Hollywood Undead knows best. “Everywhere I Go” is one of my favorite tracks on the album, probably because of how song is constructed at the beginning. One you get past the “oriental” instrumental, talking about Charlie Scene’s weenie, and into the first verse, it’s good to go: “wake up, grab beer, grab rear, shave beard, put on some scene gear, gotta get drunk before my mom wakes up, break up with my girlfriend so I can bang sluts.” It makes me think of teenage lyrics sung by Eminem; it’s an all-around fun song. I’m particularly fond of the unique construct it entails.

“No Other Place” sings about Los Angeles with a sweet fuckin’ melody; it’s back to the hip-hoppin’ lyrics about “bitches” and booze. You’ve already heard it all before. “Young” is a decent, gloomy anthem to the youthful fans, which can easy be reflective of the sultry decrying of the society surrounding MySpace teenagers and their future. “Young” bleeds honesty, especially then they scream, “We are numb!” It even features a teen choir.

I hate to do the comparison, but it’s all I have. “Black Dahlia” sounds like a Linkin Park b-side that was just too angry for their corporate sound. It’s a fuming, “I’ve been dumped” track that oozes vocal compassion. “This Love, This Hate” is a playful track with a sugary sweet opening, and it feels like a manic swing away from “Black Dahlia.”

The album progresses into “Bottle and a Gun”, which boasts the catchy chorus: “And I can show you how to hump without making love. The way you look at me, I can tell that you're a freak. And I'll be laying in the sun, bottle and a gun.” “California” is now an exercise in tedium. Anything on this song…if you’ve made it this far into the album, it’s been done before. “City” and “The Diary” sport weak rhymes, although they deliver a strong message, in their own respect.

“Pimpin’” is one last summary of all the tracks. At this point, I don’t care about the track, and Scene and company are just repeating their gimmick. Thankfully, “Paradise Lost” is an extremely strong closing track, complete with piano and some string work before it melts into chants, “God of mine, am I lost in your eyes?” “Paradise Lost” easily became my favorite track on Swan Songs, and it’s the reason I even gave it a second listen.

In the end, I’ll give Hollywood Undead credit for finding ways to reference themselves, throughout Swan Songs. As far as narcissism goes, it carries the group through their debut album, which leaves a healthy amount of room for improvement. There were a lot of great moments over the fourteen tracks, but also come cavernous ones that were not easily overcome. I will look forward to their next release, in hopes that the sophomore effort gives them the maturity for a stronger effort.

The 411: “Get drunk, get fucked up, have sex” sums up the overall theme of this album. From start to finish, Swan Songs is an assignment in party albums. If you tolerate the vulgarity and monotony at times, this album is going to garnish many plays. Skip past the filler, and you have 7 or 8 strong tracks that will get you swaying.

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]