As popular music seems to be shifting from teen pop to trash rock, the band Reveille seems to have chosen the right time to release a CD. Bleed the Sky is the band”s follow up to their 1999 debut Laced. While this CD is clearly more polished and a bit more musically diverse then the debut, Bleed the Sky is hardly a good album. The best way to describe Reveille is a harder version of Limp Bizkit mixed with a little Deftones (though nowhere near their league), or as they like the label their style of music, rapcore.
- Paul Wong
- Malkmus paves the way for The Jicks.<br><br>Courtesy of Matador Records
While musically not the worst band on the planet, Reveille leaves a lot to be desired lyrically. Songs of pain, death, bleeding and the like earn the coveted parental advisory sticker on the front of the album, but really just seem childish in the way the lyrics are written. Songs like “What You Got” and “Inside Out” are standout tracks but sound exactly like any Limp Bizkit song out there. This is not helped by the fact that lead singer Drew Simollardes sounds very similar to Fred Durst himself. In fact his voice and style of singing are almost identical to that of Durst”s if he just screamed a little more.
The album artwork has to be noted for its “creativity.” A picture of an orange in the sky being ripped open by surgical tools only to reveal blood is a little too similar to the movie poster for “Blood and Donuts.” Simply put, it”s so tacky that it is somewhat humorous, much like the lyrics for the 13 tracks on the album (and especially the hidden track long after track 13).
The band is most known for playing Woodstock 99 and touring with the likes of Static-X, Godsmack, Machinehead and Powerman 5000 before hitting Ozzfest this past summer. If all goes as planned, next for them will be heavy airplay on MTV, a full U.S. tour and maybe even a stop on Total Request Live … let”s hope not.
Grade: C-