There have been a couple of records this year that have come out of the post-hardcore/emo genre (which we all know is over-saturated) which have really impressed me. From First To Last and Underoath are two bands that may not be the most original in the world, but their last two records have seen a fair bit of action on my CD player. You can now add another record to that list, as the new He Is Legend album, ‘I Am Hollywood’, is another beaut. It’s nothing particularly original or different, but it’s executed almost perfectly and has everything a record of this type should. There are catchy melodies, guitars which swift from fait to ferocious in seconds and some of the best drums I’ve heard in a while.
According to vocalist Schuylar Croom, ‘I Am Hollywood’ “…harps on the creepy side of the city that is acclaimed for making your dreams come true. It just seems like such a joke…where everything is fake and over-produced.รขโฌย The record is meant to reflect this, and in the main it does just that, giving a distasteful view on Californian life. Those lyrics are performed with spite, especially on the opening ‘The Seduction’ and the album’s title-track, two songs which are varied, intelligent and very good listens. ‘The Creature Walks’ and ‘Do You Think I Am Pretty’ twist and batter their way through too – the latter builds up, goes insane and then breaks down before coming to an almost halt – before starting up again. While the music goes all Norma Jean and crazy, the vocal melodies always seem to maintain a sugary edge to them – a trait that will ultimately attract a hell of a lot of new listeners.
I’m certain Solid State has a winner in He Is legend and I wouldn’t be surprised if this release, when it is put out in the UK early next year, is a similar to success to their peers in Underoath. While it certainly breaks no new ground, ‘I Am Hollywood’ is a bitter look at a city which breeds disgust. The split between chaos and melody works well on the whole, and throw in some pretty snazzy artwork and you have a disc I think will do very well indeed next year.
www.heislegend.com
Solid State
Paul