Artist: Chiodos
Title: “Bone Palace Ballet”
Label: Equal Vision Records
Release Date: 9/4/2007
Genre: Emo/Post-Hardcore
Rating: 3.5/5
While this was the sophomore release from Post-Hardcore’s Chiodos it would be my first exposure to the band and their sound so I was able to appreciate it with new ears as opposed to those who might either adore or despise them at this point. Let’s face it, the audience for these kinds of bands is fickle, and one dramatic change to the balance that they enjoyed finds them shifting gears without a thought about it. “Bone Palace Ballet” is an interesting musical ride and one that has some really odd song titles to its tunes when it comes down to it. I say it like this because the titles of these numbers seem to just be random phrases and not have much to do with the tracks themselves but I could be wrong since this was all a very new musical experience for me. I had to say that this was pretty interesting to listen to and it was safe to proclaim it as very musically diverse based on how many different feels the guys showcase across the album as it progresses. It’s a heavy album of course but there are piano interludes and softer guitar parts and vocals that give us a slight pause before the intensity of their larger groove kicks in. The first track I keyed into was “Teeth The Size Of Piano Keys” and while that appears to be speaking of a smile, the dark poetry of its lyrical content seems to refer to romance gone terrible wrong. The vocal style of singer Craig Owens is rather high register and often associated with those Emo-core bands and yet he still growls in anguish when that is called for and this seems to work rather well. It’s not the kind of band I normally lock into and yet for ten tracks it was short enough to give them a chance. They did really good switching it up with “Life Is A Perception Of Your Reality” and I loved the classical introduction that this one got as well as its piano parts. It was very different to say the least. Another favorite was “A Letter From Janelle” and based on what the lyrics denote, Janelle is very disappointed in someone.
The album is rather short and clocks in at just less than forty minutes. They give you a booklet that offers up some weird artwork and of course the lyrics to the tracks. I guess the best way to approach this one is with more of an open mindset to those kind of bands often found on the Warped Tour and realize that it is aiming at the younger generation of heavy music listeners. “Bone Palace Ballet” is a good place to first check out this band in my opinion as I felt that I was able to get through it without going “yuck, next tune please” and believe me there are bands that spark that activity out there. The album is however the final one recorded with singer Owens and drummer Frost; the singer has gone on to do solo material and I am unaware what became of the drummer.
Track Listing:
1. Is It Progression If A Cannibal Used A Fork
2. Lexington (Joey Pea-Pot With A Monkey Face)
3. Bulls Make Money, Bears Make Money, Pigs Get Slaughtered
4. A Letter From Janelle
5. I Didn’t Say I Was Powerful, I Said I Was A Wizard
6. Teeth The Size Of Piano Keys
7. Life Is A Perception Of Your Own Reality
8. If I Cut My Hair, Hawaii Will Sink
9. Intensity In Ten Cities
10. The Undertaker’s Thirst For Revenge Is Unquenchable (The Final Battle)
Official Website: http://www.chiodos.net