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Scars On Broadway is an experimental rock band that has risen out of the “indefinite hiatus” of Grammy winning act System Of A Down. Former members Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan look after vocals and percussion respectively – they bring in a collection of friends whenever they play a live show.
So without the distinctive presence of SOAD frontman Serj Tankian (from both a political and vocal point of view) what path would SOB follow? Well, it appears that even Malakian and Dolmayan were not sure.
'Exploding/Reloading' and 'Stoner Hate' are songs that could easily have been on an SOAD album, a distinct metallic edge is evident in the frenzy that is each track.
The two lead singles 'World Long Gone' and 'They Say' are splendid slices of hard rock, well worth a listen as they walk the tightrope towards the melodic.
Then SOB deliver tracks like 'Serious', 'Funny' and 'Insane', which while presenting a rock front, have a softer, bordering on poppy, heart. Not what you expect, yet surprisingly effective.
So what does one make of all this? Well, unfortunately these tracks represent the high points for each stylistic direction – this leaves the other 8 tracks to take on a term dreaded by artists the world over.... "filler".
I get the feeling that these songs were written over an extended period of time and reflect a range of different sounds and styles as a result. Inevitably this makes for a disjointed listen, with SOB’s debut coming across more as a collection of singles rather than a total package.
Oh well.
Essential Tracks
Serious
Funny
World Long Gone
Full Track Listing
1. Serious (2:08)
2. Funny (2:55)
3. Exploding/Reloading (2:15)
4. Stoner Hate (2:00)
5. Insane (3:07)
6. World Long Gone (3:16)
7. Kill Each Other/Live Forever (3:05)
8. Babylon (3:56)
9. Chemicals (3:13)
10. Enemy (3:03)
11. Universe (4:15)
12. 3005 (2:54)
13. Cute Machines (3:03)
14. Whoring Streets (3:01)
15. They Say (2:48)
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