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Spineshank - Anger Denial Acceptance review



Reviewer:
5.0

13 users:
5.92
Band: Spineshank
Album: Anger Denial Acceptance
Release date: June 2012


01. After The End
02. Nothing Left For Me
03. Anger Denial Acceptance
04. I Want You To Know
05. Murder Suicide
06. The Endless Disconnect
07. I Am Damage
08. Ploratio Morbus
09. Everything Everyone Everywhere Ends
10. The Reckoning
11. God Complex (Anger)
12. Motive Method Opportunity (Denial)
13. Exit Wounds (Acceptance)

Back in the golden age of nu metal a decade ago, Spineshank were on top of their game and on top of the genre with their industrial influenced nu metal style. The band's punishing second album The Height Of Callousness and catchier third album Self-Destructive Pattern set them miles ahead most of their competition. Splitting up the following year, we now find that nine years after that third album, Spineshank are back and with a new album Anger Denial Acceptance.

The metal world has changed significantly in the last decade with the rise of metalcore and the fall of nu metal. Spineshank, although back with their "classic" line-up, have changed somewhat too. Still a predominantly nu metal band, the Americans have however kept one eye on the current trends and adapted accordingly. A few harsher sections find themselves on Anger Denial Acceptance and the clean vocal sections on this album seem more prominent than before too; either there is simply more, or they just sound that bit more annoying a decade on.

The album is slightly stronger in the second half after the songs written to be commercial hits have passed, but Anger Denial Acceptance as an album is disappointingly weak. There are little to no industrial elements, there are no particular standout songs and nothing especially memorable either. Spineshank are missing that cutting edge they brandished so sharply nine years ago.

Old fans of this band curiously listening to Anger Denial Acceptance in the hopes of another Height Of Callousness or Self-Destructive Pattern will be sourly disappointed, and any young kids picking this album up will soon drop it in favour of their trend-setting, new bands. As great as Spineshank were for those few years a decade ago, this album sounds more like a group of guys who are far from their younger-selves trying and failing to become relevant again.

The more aggressive sections of Anger Denial Acceptance save it from the bin, the album does have a few nice moments, but if anything good comes out of this album - it is the urge to listen to those old albums once more. Those two albums are two of the absolute greatest from the nu metal era, so let's just listen to them and remember Spineshank for the great band they were, not this.

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Nu metal
U.S.A.
Length: 44:46
Century Media


Rating breakdown
Performance: 6
Songwriting: 4
Originality: 4
Production: 9





Written on 18.06.2012 by Member of Staff since 2006


Comments

Comments: 11   Visited by: 178 users
18.06.2012 - 18:40
Neroese
Account deleted
Pseudo-industrial metal.
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18.06.2012 - 22:04
psykometal
A staff guy...
I haven't listened to this yet but the way you described this album is exactly how I expected it would sound. I will probably not ever listen to this album because I too believe that they were one of the best nu metal bands back in the day and just don't want that idea tainted anymore than it already has been by them "coming back" and trying to cash in on their old fame; I want to remember SpineShank for what they were not what they seem to be trying to become...
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~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~

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19.06.2012 - 00:43
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Meh, I always thought of these guys as a heavier version of Trapt. By the sounds of it, they still haven't improved.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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19.06.2012 - 01:51
jupitreas
hi-fi / lo-life
They were never at the top of any genre... Spineshank has simply always been one of the most embarrassing bands one could get caught listening to and based on this review, it sounds like nothing has changed. I always hoped that I'd never hear about them ever again after they disbanded, but sadly they are back now to show a whole new generation of listeners how to suck.
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19.06.2012 - 02:09
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by jupitreas on 19.06.2012 at 01:51
They were never at the top of any genre...

Agreed. To say Spineshank were ever at the top of the nu metal chain is a bit of a stretch considering they've always been one of the worst bands to come out of the scene. Their pseudo-industrial touches and overall watered down weak alternative metal style is, as you said, quite an embarrassment to the rest of the bands who were actually trying to produce something worthwhile.

If for whatever reason they still exist in a year's time, I imagine they'll be working hard to copy The Path of Totality - and will probably make that album look like a masterpiece in comparison.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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19.06.2012 - 05:50
Baz Anderson

Clearly Spineshank are a band that divide opinion...
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19.06.2012 - 06:38
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Baz Anderson on 19.06.2012 at 05:50
Clearly Spineshank are a band that divide opinion...

I'm not sure it's about dividing opinion, it's kind of debating facts. Stating a band is a genre-topper is pretty bold, especially when it's about Spineshank. Slipknot, System of a Down - those are/were genre-topping bands. Their commercial success and mainstream appeal coupled with their general acceptance (from the non-elitists, anyway) as some of the genre's best bands... that's what makes people consider them a genre-topper. Spineshank have never held such status in their career, considering their entire being is seemingly based on watering down other popular bands' sounds.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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19.06.2012 - 13:26
jupitreas
hi-fi / lo-life
Exactly, you make it seem like Spineshank is the hidden gem of the nu-metal genre, when in fact they are the hidden turd.
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19.06.2012 - 13:52
Baz Anderson

Slipknot, System Of A Down, etc. - those are just bands that have "survived" that era and are still popular now. It doesn't mean that just because Spineshank split up and failed to capitalise on their success, they weren't one of the top nu metal bands. I remember in 2003 THE nu metal label Roadrunner Records sent out a "Roadrunner Records Tour" with Spineshank headlining each date. Still, who knows - maybe they were more popular over here than over there...
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19.06.2012 - 17:59
psykometal
A staff guy...
Written by Baz Anderson on 19.06.2012 at 13:52

Slipknot, System Of A Down, etc. - those are just bands that have "survived" that era and are still popular now. It doesn't mean that just because Spineshank split up and failed to capitalise on their success, they weren't one of the top nu metal bands. I remember in 2003 THE nu metal label Roadrunner Records sent out a "Roadrunner Records Tour" with Spineshank headlining each date. Still, who knows - maybe they were more popular over here than over there...

It's also a matter of opinion, you and me obviously felt that SpineShank was a top notch nu metal act whereas they do not. Sure SpineShank never had the album sales to prove that they were factually a top notch nu metal band but any genre is full of "hidden gems" that others believe were just "unsuccessful turds".

Maybe what Baz said should be chucked up to that "old" adage that it should not be necessary to always have to put IMO in front of opinions?
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~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~

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25.07.2012 - 17:34
Syk
myspace/bonerama
Written by psykometal on 19.06.2012 at 17:59
Maybe what Baz said should be chucked up to that "old" adage that it should not be necessary to always have to put IMO in front of opinions?
Think you mean chalked up. [Up-]chuck = vomit ... how appropriate?
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death ? thrash ? death/doom/prog ? Hail Zoldon!

he's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays
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