(Century Media Records, Eleven Seven Music)
Release Date: February 19, 2013
Most of you are familiar with the band Buckcherry. This five-piece from Los Angeles has been around since 1995 and, aside from a brief dissipation from 2002 to 2005, have been going strong ever since. They have released six studio albums to date and have gone through a few line-up changes, but are now one of the leading bands in the Hard Rock scene. Their latest album, Confessions, is a great compilation of good songs and offers a glimpse of the inner workings of lead singer and main songwriter, Josh Todd. While Buckcherry’s Confessions album is admirable musically, a major focus for this album needs to be placed on Todd’s lyrical construction and the arrangement of the tracks, so here goes…
While most people will easily be able to tell that this album is a confessional for committing the seven deadly sins (gluttony, wrath, greed, sloth, pride, envy, lust), it is also clear that this album is a confession of love. Todd is expressing his love for the subject in a very unique way; through two of the essential elements of life: air and water. Perhaps the main theme of the album is the seven deadly sins and how they have impacted the life of Todd. While he conveys the urgency in the lyrics during each of the seven themed songs, Keith Nelson and Stevie D. contribute some intricate and fast-paced finger work on their guitars to help with the mood. Accompanying them is the rhythm section with Jimmy “Two Fingers” Ashhurst on bass guitar and Xavier Muriel on drums. Each of the seven deadly tracks are fast-paced and are meant to keep you on the edge, possibly because, once committing all of them, you will be on the fast track to hell… or a good time, whichever you prefer. The religious overtones for this album are very clear, from the seven deadly sins, to the album cover, to the thirteen “unlucky” tracks, to the sheer fact that the album cover is a cross with a crown of thorns, which seems a bit surprising for a hard rock act like Buckcherry, but it makes for an interesting spin.
Another prominent characteristic about the album is the way the songs are ordered. It starts with “Gluttony” and “Wrath,” two of the most physical sins. Both songs are high-energy and will get you pumped up and wanting to run full speed into a mosh pit with your limbs swinging, which is appropriate for the war and fighting implications that come with them. Then the angst slows down a bit – though it is still apparent – with a song to get you through a breakup, “Nothing Left But Tears” where Todd sings of how, even though he is left an emotional wreck, it’s for the best and he needs to move on. And he does; to the next song “The Truth,” which is the first actual love song of the album. This is also the first time that the music takes a breath and relaxes for a bit, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad song, it’s just one that requires you to think about the lyrics for four minutes instead of the rapid-fire drums or the screaming guitars. It’s a nice change of pace and a good insight into Todd’s personal world, just the first glimpse of many more to come throughout Confessions.
We then leave the love songs and get thrown back into the action with “Greed” and the sins’ hard-hitting, fast-paced tempo. “Water” is up next and is the first of the two essential elements to life turned hard rocking love poems. Todd feels that the subject is as fundamental to living as water; an enormous statement and love confession. In fact, the subject is so fundamental that his love for her is “clear like water when I’m with you.” “Seven Ways To Die” is next and returns us back to the sin theme only to be torn away again by “Air,” the final essential love song. “Sloth” is next up for the sins and is probably one of the most powerful songs on the album. The line “I always hated your suicide” is repeated multiple times throughout and is an indicator of the fact that, if Todd weren’t so guilty of sloth, he could have saved his love from herself. This guilt induced track definitely sends a strong message to all listeners. “Pride” comes next and is a very unique track in that Todd sounds like he is stating facts for the lyrics. Though he is still singing, it sounds very much like he is talking and his tone implies that what he is saying is proven and lends itself to no argument. “Envy” and “Lust” rightfully go hand-in-hand and are full of energy, just like the chase and the catch that accompanies them. The final song, “Dreamin’ of You,” is possibly the sweetest love song on the whole album. It is definitely the most mellow on the record and its lyrics offer the most intimate perception into Todd’s Confessions. This is definitely a soft and sweet way to end this album full of sins and treachery and it creates a feeling of peace for not only the listener, but for Buckcherry as well.
Rating: 8.5/10
