I honestly can't say enough about how amazing these guys are, I currently am listening to Welcome The Night, which is not out yet, apparently they are going to add a few more songs to it though, so it's not complete, so it makes it that much more worth buying, plus I was planning on buying it either way. Anyhow, from the start these guys have mixed intelligent lyrics with, fast guitars, clever bass lines, and fun drum lines. Recently The Ataris have went through a line up change, the only original member is Kris Roe, and now they sound more like a snow patrol mixed with a few other bands with more of a slower sound. At first I was a little weary, however this sound really works for these guys, and is easily their most impressive album to date. Kris Roe is easily my favorite lyricist and proves why with this album and their last. While their new sound is indeed slower than their previous efforts, it is by no means softer. This is some of the hardest music I have ever heard, and when you purchase this album you will see what I mean. In conclusion these guys are very worth your time and effort, check them out, especially their later stuff which really shows off their musicianship (I think from End Is Forever and on is their best work). So go get one of their cd's and enjoy.

I have been a fan of Rise Against for a good while now, and was afraid that with the success of their previous effort 'Siren Song Of The Counter Culture', that they would not be be able to measure up to it. This is not the case at all, Rise Against came back with a vengeance, and delivered a kick ass album. The only problem I found with this album, is the final tracks intensity doesn't measure up to the opening song. Not that the final song is bad, but if they reversed the two I think the album would have been a little stronger. These guys have always impressed me with their clever lyrics, but they have even stepped them up with this album. Rise Against manages to deliver a melodic album, without ever sounding poppy. These guys take you on one hell of a ride with this album, and never take their foot off the gas. From start to finish a solid album, and I recommend it to everybody.

These guys have to be one of the most educated bands that I listen to, with references to books, video games, tv shows, and movies. Unlike their previous effort, which was also a very solid album, it seems as though they spread the stronger songs out more, instead of sticking them all in the beginning, not to say the rest of the cd was bad, but I really enjoyed the earlier songs more. This is not that case at all with this album, The highlights of the album occur all around, the highlights being, \'You All Everybody\' and \'Station 5: The Pearl\' (Which both songs are a reference to the tv show Lost), \'Shadow Of The Colossus\', and \'The White Mountains\'. This song really has some wierd melodies, chord progessions, and tempos, which is definately their unique style. I think you either love these guys or hate them, just because of the sound of their music. I think these guys are extremely over-looked as musicians, and deserve some more acknowledgement than what they have received. If you are a fan of these guys than this will definately be a worthy buy for you, but if you aren\'t a fan and are looking for a solid album from start to finish than these guys are for you. This album is definately their best yet, and I highly recommend it.

Let me start off by saying that this album while although is an amazing album, does not deserve a perfect score because no album is actually perfect, there are always areas that could use improvement. Having said that this album does not deserve a 2, that is simply an unfair rating, so in my attempts to pull up the overall rating I chose a 10. I would probably give this album a 9.5 because it's amazing but no album is perfect.
Now for the review, this album is nothing short of genious. Songs like Insomniac Meat, Peace of Mind, and my favorite song Reduced to Teeth make you listen to this album in a whole new way. The music does a great job complimenting the lyrics by making you feel what they have to say. The lyrics themselves are great, one of the best albums I have lyrically, with refrences to literature and even to religion.
The biggest thing with this album is you have to look past the surface, one of those "Don't judge a book by it's cover" kinda things. At first listen if you were expecting a more melodic What It Is To Burn kind of approach you will be extremely suprised. At first I listened to the first few songs and wasn't sure what to think, but after a few listens I loved it, and now almost a year later it still is in constant rotation in my cd player.

Live is a band that has withstood the test of time. Now we finally get the long awaited 7th studio album Songs From Black Mountain, and it is nothing short of excellent. For me this album has taken all the good things from their previous albums and put it into one fantastic masterpiece. Ed's lyrics and voice are at the highest point of his career, and it seems the band as a whole has just gotten so much better. On this album they have taken it back to beginning, with the acoustic guitar being a key instrument, very similar to that of Mental Jewelry but their catchy melodies and amazing lyrics are the real highlights here. As Ed has said numerous times he wants to write songs that connect with his audience, and this album is a prime example of that. I have been a fan of these guys for a few years now and with every effort they just seem to be getting better. I wish these guys the best of luck and can't wait till I see them again live. Just to sum it up, great album for anybody into some catchy fun music.