Don't Dismiss Then Yet
Set to kick off Download Festival this weekend, Hollywood Undead is fast becoming a driving force that can not be ignored. From the array of masks that hide their six faces to the aliases that disguise their true identity, Hollywood Undead is a kind of enigma. Refusing to stick to one genre, the band have managed to dive head first into the metal melting pot, tipping in handfuls of electronic beats to grind alongside a hardcore centre that nods happily along to rap fused lyrics to guarantee it's all there, but whether or not you actually find something that is your cup of tea within the mish mash of sounds is another question entirely.
Boastful with youthful exuberance cascading out of every beat, ‘Undead’ kicks ‘Swan Songs’ off with powerful force. Instantly engaging and undeniably catchy, the track bounces and pounds along with confidence as the sextet punch their way into your life. This is the type of track destined to gain everyone’s attention which is why the following tracks come as such a shock and let down. Sounding more like a boastful adolescent boy trying to keep up with his peers, ‘Everywhere I Go’ is Eminem for the metal crowd but simply falls flat and never regains the impact of the opening track. Indeed it is not until ‘Young’ that the band start to make a memorable impression again as the punchy beats and hard core pounding returns along with lyrics that actually have something serious to say. This is the Hollywood Undead that deserves your attention and with glimpses of promise such as this, ‘This Love, This Hate’ and ‘The Diary’, you start to realise what a great album this could have been.
Looking like the quintessential scene kids begging for attention, you’d be forgiven for giving Hollywood Undead a quick dismissal, and whilst their melting pot of sounds and almost laugh out loud lyrical content may suggest your instincts were right, to dismiss the band entirely would be a shame. Amidst the tales of sleeping with girls, there are moments when Hollywood Undead get everything right, where they suddenly put some emotion and thought into their lyrics and produce a track that bristles with pride, confidence and pure anthemic cravings. Hollywood Undead don’t deserve to be overlooked and swept to one side absent mindedly; for those who take the time to look past the Eminem imitations, ‘Swan Songs’ holds some hidden wonders that truly warrant your listening time.