Alien Ant Farm is releasing its new record “ANThology,” on March 6, and will be visiting our fair city March 7 at the Newport with Orgy.
Those who bothered to get in early enough for the opening band at the Linkin Park show Valentine’s Day would have heard the musical styling of AAF. “ANThology” is the band’s first major label release.
Aside from poor attempts at humor, AAF brings very little to the music table. Its style is nearly exactly like the other edgy rock bands like the aforementioned Linkin Park, Papa Roach and the numerous others that constrict the popular airwaves. It gives nothing to be excited about, using the same song structure that has given its genre counterparts fame – lighter type music during the verse, crescendo to hard chorus, and breaking for a slower bridge. Its first single, “Movies,” follows this pattern, as do its songs “Stranded,” and “Wish.”
AAF has also elected to do an ’80s cover, another standardized vehicle of the genre. For “ANThology,” it chose Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” Although the instrumentation of the song differs from the original, AAF doesn’t change anything about the song. It even uses a Jackson sample, or an imitation, of his famous “Wooo!” Unlike Orgy, or even Limp Bizkit, who at least made the songs they chose to cover their own, AAF plays it almost exactly like Jackson.
On the upside, the group is comprised of some decent musicians. Dryden Mitchell on vocals, Terry Corso on guitar, Mike Cosgrove behind the drum kit and Tye Zamora on bass make up AAF. Mitchell’s vocals are more than just screaming, he actually sings the lyrics. The band works in uncomplicated chords and rhythms, but it does it well; the musicianship is not the problem.
What AAF lacks is style. The members seem to have gotten together and decided they liked what some other groups were doing, and that they’d do the same exact thing. There is no originality to the band’s music. The only effort it’s made to be original is the poor attempt at a witty and unique album title. Music lovers are becoming tired of the “same-ole, same-ole” and AAF does nothing to wake them up.
AAF will continue touring throughout the spring with Orgy through March 13, then add Papa Roach for the “Raid The Nation Tour.” It has also nailed down a spot on the “Vans Warped Tour” this summer.
Popular music is fickle. The radio and television industries find something that will make them money, squeeze every ounce of blood can from it, then toss the husk to the side. AAF is coming into the end of this genre of music, and will be shucked and devoured by the rock scene. On the bright side, if it plays it right, it can ride the single to monetary gain and go quietly, (and filthy rich), into the long goodnight.
