Theory of a Deadman are back and back with conviction!
Canadian hard rock band Theory of a Deadman, made up of vocalist Tyler Connolly, guitarist Dave Brenner and bassist Dean Back, have returned with their third album, ‘Scars and Souvenirs’.
The album title sums up what the CD is all about: a collection of good and bad stories, the emotions of which have been captured perfectly by the band. From revenge-fuelled ‘Little Smirk’ that is bursting with attitude, to ‘Sacrifice’ and its empowering message of self-belief, to the beautiful acoustic ‘Wait for Me’, which was written for Connolly’s wife, paying homage to the times she is home alone when the band are on the road.
Theory of a Deadman’s songs are simple but so effective! There’s no crazy guitar shredding or soaring vocals here, just good old-fashioned rock songs with mature lyrics. They are easy to relate to and as such, have touched my heart.
There’s not a single song on ‘Scars and Souvenirs’ that I dislike, but the following stand out for me above the rest: ‘By The Way’, the band’s raw power on this track is incredible and perfectly reflects the heartbreak and anger that comes with a break-up; ‘Bad Girlfriend’, with its quirky rhythms and sexy lyrics had me dancing in front of the mirror; the acoustic ‘Wait for Me’ brought a tear to my eye and ‘End of the Summer’ is a song that everybody everywhere will be able to relate to. Special mention, of course, goes to the single, ‘Hate My Life’ which actually builds into quite an upbeat song despite the negative subject. I love the lyrics, especially: “So sick of the hobos always begging for change I don’t like how I gotta work and they just sit around and get paid”!
Every track on ‘Scars and Souvenirs’ has a different texture; dark tracks, cheeky tracks, emotional tracks... there’s a bit of everything here. Connolly’s vocals vary from smooth and tender to rough and vicious; the instrumentals change from track to track: aggressive electric guitars, delicate acoustics... occasionally, there is the addition of a piano, string orchestra or organ which keeps the album fresh from beginning to end. I could listen to it over and over again.
Theory of a Deadman are back and back with conviction. The band have matured,
which is reflected in the songs. ‘Scars and Souvenirs’ is an incredibly emotional album that I cannot recommend highly enough; there is something for everyone here.
‘Hate My Life’, was released on 20th April and ‘Scars and Souvenirs’ hits record shop shelves on 10th May, definitely not one to be missed.
My album of 2009 thus far!