Arsonists Get All the Girls - Portals (2009)

Artist: Arsonists Get All the Girls

Album: Portals

Date Released: July 14, 2009

Genre: Deathcore/experimental/mathcore

Album Review:

I'm a sucker for mathcore, so naturally this would be my next album review. Anyway, here I go...

Portals is Arsonists Get All the Girls' third album, and since their last release, The Game of Life, they have undergone a change in vocalists. Needless to say, anytime a band replaces the vocalist in their lineup, the band just won't be the same (Haste the Day, Escape the Fate, Styx, Van Halen, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath...you get the picture). Anyway, this album keeps you on your toes, with no two songs the same. The vocals vary, from death metal screeches to pig squeal-esque sounds, and some low growling as well. The synthesizer, however, adds little to the band in my opinion. If it's going to be there, it had better BE there. Aside from some quirky interludes and backup chord progressions, it does not add much to Portals. Overall, it's not a bad album,but i'm definitely expecting more from them in the future, as I feel that their style is one of a kind, and has potential. Portals is an original piece of work, but it will leave you unsatisfied, and might make you guilty of arson by the end. If you won't take my word for it, stream it on Grooveshark before you buy it (or torrent it, because let's face it you probably will).

Rating: 7 out of 10.

Song-by-song:

Interdimensionary: Intro track, primarily synth, and primarily boring. NEXT.

The 42nd Ego: I have probably listened to this song like 42 times. Personally my favorite track on the album. With the drum pattern and chord progressions constantly changing, you are not left bored, but bewildered. A blistering last chorus finishes the track: "only in the bloodline is this terror exposed, a knife to the eye of modern times". DEEP.

My Cup's Half Empty: Fast paced song from the start, with progressive riffs in between measures. Around the 1:15 mark, there are a series of interesting "dive bombs" as it were. Another good song.

Skiff For the Suits: A very edgy song, whose lyrics I am still trying to decipher. Prime example of a vestigial synthesizer. I wouldn't have missed the keys.

In the Empyreans: This song is not as chaotic, with a very nice 'power ballad' as it were. Again, i'm not seeing the keys as a majestic wonder (and I feel they could be).

Saturnine: a good song to drive to, but some very angsty lyrics indeed. I won't post them, they might make those of weak constitutions and several piercings cut themselves.

Violence in Fluid: Triceratops: Nice key intro, then WHERE DID IT GO??? Seriously. Meh, good song nonetheless. I like dinosaurs.

Portals: an unusually long title track if you ask me. But, I will say that I like the synth in this song, from the 25 second ambience intro to the interlude around the 3:30 mark. One of the slow songs on the album, and by slow I mean that it doesn't sound like constipation in audio form. A good song, but too long!

I Lost My Loss of Ruin: I like the vocals in this one. It starts off with a darker, angry tone, and then WHAT THE HECK IS THIS? - some ska-like interlude that definitely put a smile to my face. And as soon as it picks up the deathcore jacket, here comes a keyboard interlude....I like this song :)

To Playact in Static: This song has a very nice beat to it at times, one you can actually nod your head to.

Tea Time Tibbons: This song is 15 minutes long....so I skipped it. Just kidding haha. The actual song is about 3:30 long, and silence hides a hidden track at the end, if you can call it a track. It's some humorous mess with a vocoder, a short play regarding...well, portals. Look at that. I think the clip should be the introduction, not a hidden track. But I like it.