What The Hell Happened To... 06.01.09: Socialburn - Where You Are

Posted by Dan Marsicano on 06.01.2009

This week, Dan Marsicano dives into Socialburn and their 2003 major label debut Where You Are and puts the spotlight on eccentric musician Devin Townsend.

The Introduction

Welcome to the column that most of you can't wait to end, What The Hell Happened To…I'm your host, the guy who is in the process of packing up all his belongings from his mini 411 office, Dan Marsicano.

For those who don't read this column on a regular basis (and there are probably a lot of you out there), What The Hell Happened To… will be ending in a few short weeks. I intend to do two more editions before closing the door on the column forever, which would make my last edition June 15th. This was not an easy decision to make, but after almost 75 editions, the time has come to say goodbye. I have been thinking about continuing this column with another writer, but due to a lack of anybody giving a shit, and my own egotistical mind, once June 15th comes around, this column will be no more.

Cheap plug time! I am currently writing for the Heavy Metal section of About.com, Metal Underground (under the alias heavytothebone2) and SMN News. You can also find me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Since I'm nearing the end of this interesting ride, I've decided to highlight one of my favorite editions of What The Hell Happened To… every week until the end. This week's one comes from early 2008; January 22 to be exact. That week, Metallica's St. Anger was the album I analyzed, and the shit hit the fan. To this date, that column has garnished me the most controversy out of any of my other editions. So, for your viewing pleasure, here is a look back at St. Anger.

Throughout my tenure here at What The Hell Happened To…, I've done albums by everybody from Weezer to Slayer, even taking a weird trip through Butthole Surfers country. This week's album is by Socialburn, a post-grunge band from Florida that made a small impact in 2003 with singles "Down" and "Everyone." The song came off their major label debutWhere You Are, which is the album I'm going to look at today. While not the most original sound, the foursome was able to add their own flourishes to what could have been a generic album by being way too damn catchy and keeping a strong momentum throughout the entire running length.





The Band

Neil Alday- Vocals, Guitar
Chris Cobb- Guitar
Dusty Price- Bass, Vocals
Brandon Bittner- Drums


The Track Listing

1. Break Back-3:37
2. Down-3:14
3. Ashes-4:18
4. Everyone-3:47
5. I'm Happy-4:28
6. One More Day-3:54
7. U-4:59
8. Never Be The Same-4:13
9. Utopia-4:28
10. Vacancy-2:57
11. Pretend-3:48
12. Stacy-3:49


The Analysis

I first heard of Socialburn in 2003 when I found their music video for single "Down" on the channel that actually used to have a solid rotation of music, Fuse TV. The video captivated me with its dark atmosphere and the song was a perfect blend of the soft verse/aggressive chorus structure, but for some reason, I never bought the album. Eventually, the band disappeared from the spotlight. During this time, the post-grunge landscape was in full swing, with Puddle of Mudd, Three Days Grace, Nickelback, and 3 Doors Down making their mark on the music scene.

Recently, I stumbled upon "Down" again and a wave of nostalgia came over me. I went into the iTunes store and purchased Socialburn's major label debut Where You Are. Expecting a hard-hitting album on par with the single, I was struck back by how melodic and low-key a good portion of Where You Are was. I put it to the side, more concerned with the new My Dying Bride and Papa Roach albums.

It wasn't until I decided to include it in one of the final What The Hell Happened To…'s that I gave the album a second chance. Even then, it didn't stick with me much, but repeated listens opened up my mind to the textures and mature songwriting that the foursome brought to the table. Sure, a good portion of Where You Are is as cookie-cutter as the rest of the over-saturated drivel that made up the big post-grunge movement of the early 2000's, but for a young band, there are musical concepts and ideas that, if expanded upon, could have showcased a unique side to the band.

While Socialburn attempted to try this out on their 2005 follow-up The Beauty Of Letting Go, nobody was really paying attention at this point. Due to a lot of bad luck, issues with record labels closing down and management problems, Socialburn languished instead of thrived off the solid success of Where You Are. Looking back at the album, there is much potential that went mostly unrealized.



"Down" Music Video


Like I said earlier, "Down" was my first taste of Socialburn, one that I wanted more of. It was nothing more than a tease to the organic and, at times, surprisingly deep songwriting the band wrote. This situation almost mirrors Switchfoot, which also had a big hit in 2003 with The Beautiful Letdown and single "Meant To Live." However, The Beautiful Letdown was nothing like the single and most likely surprised a few people expecting a loud and heavy experience on par with the single.

Where You Are was produced by John Kurzweg, who worked with Creed and Puddle of Mudd in the past. The album was seemingly made with radio airplay in mind, as each song has that one catchy melody or infectious chorus that people love to crank up obnoxiously at full volume. Socialburn seems to play it safe, keeping to the verse/chorus style of writing that populates the majority of modern rock, but adds their own twists and turns to keep things from getting too obviously stale.

"Break Back" is a great opener, a hard-edged and slamming rock track that knocks the listener on his ass, with Neil Alday's vocals up front and center, a mix of Kurt Cobain and Wes Scantlin. "Down" continues this momentum with one of the best choruses on the album and a solid lead guitar section to boot. "Ashes" pulls out the acoustic guitar for the verses before exploding with a heavy chorus.

While "Down" was the big hit for Socialburn, "Everyone" was also a radio staple during the band's brief tenure together. The song is direct and simple in its approach, but resonates with the listener and grabs a hold of their attention with a memorable chorus. "I'm Happy" is a more upbeat number, with fast bass work, and a harsher vocal approach by Alday near the end.



"I'm Happy" Live (Credit: Leontrackstar)


"One More Day" is a ballad that has a dynamic to it that is lacking from the other tracks. With acoustic guitars and a militaristic-sounding snare drum, the song has an airy feel to it adding a strong atmosphere to the proceedings. While every track has the soft/loud relationship clashing constantly, "One More Day" sticks with the former for the entire time. This detour into new territory doesn't last long, as the epic "U" brings Where You Are back onto the main highway with a wall of sound that emits from the duel guitar attack, a sonic attack on the senses.

The rest of the album is quite similar to the first half, keeping a consistent vibe throughout, while throwing a few curve balls the listener's way from time to time. "Utopia" is a dark and moody tune that almost sounds out of place, if it wasn't for the glossy production. Alday takes chances with his voice, hitting some high notes and pushing himself away from the Cobain worshiping for at least a track. "Vacancy" is short, sweet, and packs a left hook, though ending on a low note due to its repetitious nature near the conclusion. The one-two punch of "Pretend" and "Stacy" are decent, but the energy seems to be fading away at this point in the album. Instead of a bang, Where You Are stumbles with keeping the sparks flying.

Lyrically, the album wasn't anything special, as heartbreak and longing for that certain someone are the main themes. None of the band members are poets in their own rights, but string together decent wordplay and lines that express plainly their emotions and feelings. Musically, save for some stellar acoustic work, the foursome takes a straightforward, no-frills approach. There are some leads here and there, but no outright solo sections. The rhythm work, in particular, is steady and tight, forming the basis for many of the stronger numbers.

Where You Are was a good start for Socialburn, one that deserved way more publicity than it received from the record label or the public. With their major label debut, the band established themselves as musicians and showcased a small taste of what the future could have possibly held. Like other bands before them, including Smile Empty Soul and Cinder, misfortune and lost opportunities plagued the band. All of this led to their break-up in 2007. Socialburn was able to tour alongside bands such as Taproot, Default, and 12 Stones and did have a few hit singles, leaving behind a minor legacy. In a market filled with generic and talentless hacks, Socialburn was able to stand out, even if for only a brief moment in time.


Who The Hell Is…Devin Townsend?

MySpace Page: Devin Townsend

If the name Devin Townsend isn't familiar to you, it should be. The former lead singer/guitarist/madman for Strapping Young Lad, Townsend has made a name for himself not only as an eccentric and talented musicians, but as a man unwilling to stick to any formulas or guidelines. Ever since his main project dissolved, Townsend has been working on a four-album series under the name the Devin Townsend Project. The first album in that series, Ki, will be released later this month and is a strong contender for album of the year.

Townsend hit it big as the singer for Steve Vai's band in the early 90s. He carved out not only a successful career with Strapping Young Lad, but as a solo artist, with albums Biomech, Infinity, and his work with the Devin Townsend Band being critical acclaimed and gaining Townsend a loyal underground fan base. The great thing about Townsend is that he can pull off the rock/pop and metal material perfectly, with a wide vocal range and solid guitar skills.

The best way to describe Ki is a progressive metal album gone astray. Female vocals, insane soloing, soft piano melodies, harsh vocals, and a blast from the past that sounds like a B-side from a late Elvis Presley album only graze the surface of the brilliant madness that is Devin Townsend. On his MySpace page is a small snippet of what Ki entails; try it out and experience one of the best songwriters of our generation. Here are some videos of his past work, including one of my favorite Strapping Young Lad songs:



"Wrongside" Music Video



The Devin Townsend Band: "Slow Me Down"



The Devin Townsend Band: "Deadhead"


The Conclusion

Well, that's all I got this week. I hope you all enjoyed my look back at Socialburn's major label debut Where You Are. I'm down to my last two editions of What The Hell Happened To… and I intend to go out with a bang. Next week is a look at a later album from Rush. All this talk of Devin Townsend is making me think of pulling out one of his solo albums to end this column in style; have to think about which one, as all of his solo albums are pretty much underrated. Anybody have suggestions? Leave them below and I'll see you all next week for another edition of What The Hell Happened To….