You've Been Hit By, You've Been Struck By (Anthology - Alien Ant Farm)

Member Name: Andy.mack

Product:	Anthology - Alien Ant Farm
Date:	06/07/05 (172 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Dryden's vocals in places can be superb, At times it sounds great and a little like Incubus

Disadvantages: Drydens vocals on the Nu Metal style tracks when they try to sound like Papa Roach

In 2000 there seemed to be quite an influx of bands coming out of America. With the likes of Papa Roach and Linkin Park bursting onto the scene a number of bands followed in their footsteps over the next few years. One such band, were Alien Ant Farm who are probably best remembered for their cover of "Smooth Criminal". Most people would be forgiven for thinking this was the bands only single, but in fact it wasn't, they've even released two albums. I've only ever bought one of them, this, the debut album.

The band hail from California and were formed around about the same time as Papa Roach, some 5 years before the release of this album. In fact it was Papa roach who gave them their big break, after setting up a record label through DreamWorks they signed up alien Ant Farm. And the Roach - Ant connection doesn't end their as Alien Ant Farm enlisted the help of Papa Roach producer Jay Baumgardner on this first album. So all in all it was very much a case of we've made it so now we're going to help you.

So you'd be forgiven for thinking that both bands sound slightly alike, there is a good reason for it. I feel though that Alien Ant Farm offer something slightly different to the Funk Metal Scene than their Californian friends. While Papa Roach followed the example of bands such as Limp Bizkit, Alien Ant Farm have a slightly different approach. The album sounds a lot more like Incubus as it has a lot more soulful melodies over the heavier guitar riffs and Dryden Mitchell's vocals are quite relaxed in places, which makes a lot of the tracks sound mellower than they actually are.

It's fair to say when I bought the album that I still wasn't sure if I was making the right decision and after a few listens cast it off into the CD collection. Every now and again since then I've gone back to it and tried to give it a second and third chance. Slowly but surely certain songs have really grown on me, while others I still don't really want to listen too. Obviously "Smooth Criminal" and "At The Movies" got a lot of airplay on UK radio and so I quite liked both tracks already. In going back to the album however I've come across a couple of really decent tracks like, "Summer" and "Attitude".

The album stays true to the emphasis a lot of bands had around the same time. They used soaring guitars to really give each track a focus point. While the Bass kept the tracks moving along at a decent pace and the drums added a little bit of flair in places, rather than just keeping the beat. In places this has the tendency to be a little samey. This isn't where I felt Alien Ant Farm failed though, rather it's tracks like "Wish" where they try hard to be something they aren't. It's when they are trying to emulate the sound Papa Roach and the other Nu Metal kids have that they sound at their worst.

Dryden Mitchell doesn't have the vocal abilities to pull off the Nu Metal sound and this makes his vocals sound overly strained. Musically they can pull off the Nu Metal sound but it doesn't work for them and I think their style is more suited to the more melody based Rock tunes. While on these tracks Dryden's vocals sound overly stretched the rest of the album seems to suit his vocal styling. He has a sort of melody within his vocals and the lyrics of each track seem to bring this quality out, while the tracks where he's shouting make him sound like a bloke off the street.

The album has left me feeling rather split and it's for this reason that I've never bought the follow up album. While there are some decent songs on here that show some real promise, there are an equal number of dreadful tracks that make it only half an album. Of course the highlight of the album and the reason I bought it in the first place is the cover of "Smooth Criminal". They've taken one of Michael Jackson's best songs and added a rock vibe to it and for me it sounds a lot better. This is one of the best examples of what Dryden's vocals can sound like when he's not shouting. The bass really makes the track though and it's probably the main reason why I don't regret buying this album.

Overall it is a mixed bag and one that I'm very wary about recommending to people. There is pretty much an equal split of tracks that work and those that don't. While it's worth listening to the album for tracks like "Smooth Criminal" it does raise the question of whether it's worth shelling out cash for. My final thought would be only shell out the money if you can get it for under £5. It does have some really enjoyable tracks and if it wasn't for those bad tracks I'd certainly have bought the follow up. In the end it's definitely a grower, with the biggest problem being that only half of it will grow on you.

Amazon.co.uk: 7.97
Amazon Market Place: 75p

Summary: Novelty value of the MJ cover is worth it alone