Up next on the chopping block is the band Filter. Now I had first heard these guys back in the day when they used to play that song Hey Man Nice Shot on 96.7 The Bus and on 97.5 Santa Barbara. I also think they had a song on that soundtrack for the movie The Crow: City of Angels. So here we go…….
Short Bus- I guess I would describe the sound of their debut record as being industrial music fused with hard rock. It makes sense considering that lead member Richard Patrick was a member of Nine Inch Nails. The thing about this record to is that they also used a drum machine to do all of the drums. The sings on here go from hard rock to a more mellow sound. Overall, great album. I give it 9/10
Standouts: Stuck In Here, Spent, Dose
Title of Record- I mean this one sort of picks up where the last one left off. I know that for the first album there were problems with numerous lineup changes and for this, they actually had a solid lineup. I remember hearing the song Jurassitol from this album on the soundtrack for The Crow: City of Angels and seeing the video for it on MTV. Overall, a great follow up record and definitely a 8/10.
Standouts: Welcome to the Fold, Skinny, Captain Bligh
The Amalgamut- I guess there were many problems recording this record due to Richard Patrick’s struggle with drug addiction. He also wanted to make this album with more of a metal edge as well as making it more mainstream. As far as making a heavier record, they’ve hit the mark. More mainstream? Well I feel like the last album would fit that description. I didn’t really listen to this one and I do like the heavier stuff on this album. I give it 9/10
Standouts: My Long Walk To Jail, American Cliche, So I Quit
Anthems For The Damned- this one would’ve been released earlier had it not been for Richard Patrick pursuing other projects such as Army of Anyone and The Damning Well. What’s cool about this album is that you have John 5 on guitar, Wes Borland on second guitar, and Josh Freese on drums. As far as the album goes, I feel like it could be a little heavier and faster but it’s a good album. The standout moments are badass and there is just some moments of filler here. I give this one 7/10
Standouts: What’s Next, The Take, Hatred is Contagious
The Trouble With Angels- I feel like this record wasn’t really talked about as much as it should’ve been. I’m not sure why either because it’s a really good and underrated record. Like if you take parts of Short Bus and parts of Amalgamut and put them together, this is what you get. I think because Richard has his shit together that he made and the rest of the band made a great rock record. Definitely a return to form and I give this one a strong 8/10
Standouts: Drug Boy, The Inevitable Relapse, Down With Me
The Sun Comes Out Tonight- so in continuing where they left off, they gave us this one. I find that with Filter I always prefer the more heavy rock stuff and less of the soft kind of radio friendly stuff. Here I find that the mellow stuff is actually somewhat heavy and I’d actually put it up there with Amalgamut and Short Bus. I give this 9/10
Standouts: Self Inflicted, We Hate It When You Get What You Want, Burn It
Crazy Eyes- if you’re looking for a more industrial sounding record then this is the record for you. For this one, Richard decided to use less of a big guitar sound that was on previous records and go for a sound that is reminiscent of his Nine Inch Nails days. I mean while it is more of an industrial sound, they don’t go so far off the rails with it and it still sounds very much like a Filter record. I actually thought I wouldn’t like it as much but it’s actually pretty good but overall it’s not my favorite since I’m not a big fan of industrial music. It’s a different record that’s for sure and I think that they just wanted to do something different. I give this 7/10
Standouts: Your Bullets, Welcome to the Suck (Destiny Not Luck), Tremors
If you want a hard rock band with an industrial edge to it, then this is the perfect band for you. In spite of the drug problems, Filter has always managed to put out great albums. Now there is an upcoming album called Murica and from the one song that they’ve released off of it called Thoughts and Prayers, it’s actually pretty heavy which makes me look forward to that album. Anyway, if you haven’t checked these guys out, I would definitely recommend doing so.
Final Grade: B
Album Rankings:
- Short Bus
- The Amalgamut
- The Trouble With Angels
- The Sun Comes Out At Night
- Anthems For The Damned
- Title of Record
- Crazy Eyes
Sinister Reviews 