Review by Dom Vigil
Asking Alexandria have come full circle with the release of their self-titled fifth album. A reintroduction to the band, this album welcomes back vocalist Danny Worsnop with fire, passion and a sense of vulnerability that makes it the band’s most explosive and versatile record yet. From the opening line, “I’ve been away a little while,” to the unexpected “Empire” and powerful closer, “Room 138,” these twelve songs find Asking Alexandria exploring their sound and pushing boundaries like they never have before.
Opening track, “Alone In A Room” is the perfect intro to this powerful release, with Worsnop quickly proving that he’s here to stay. Touching on self-reflection and recognizing when you need help, “Alone In A Room” actually features some of the album’s most vulnerable lyrical content. “All I needed was the last thing I wanted / To sit alone in a room,” spearheads the chorus and allows Worsnop to open up to listeners and let them see behind the curtain a bit.
Following “Alone In A Room” is the explosive, “Into The Fire,” which feels like the first chapter following the reintroduction to Asking Alexandria. The difference between the vulnerable opener and “Into The Fire” is night and day, but they sit perfectly side by side. Both songs have a massive, arena ready vibe that’ll make for great live performances.
From there, Asking Alexandria quickly fall into a groove. One of the first things that long-time listeners will notice about the album is the more melodic sound than From Death To Destiny, Worsnop’s last release with the band, and along with this sound comes some of his best vocal work to date. Sonically, the rest of the band follows suit, which gives the album a very cohesive and full feeling. These songs are confident, ambitious and full of energy, and Worsnop’s vocals feel more powerful and refined than ever before.
The album isn’t without aggressive tracks, either. Fourth song, “Where Did It Go?” might start slow, but it quickly explodes into a massive chorus, giving fans some of those screams that they’ve surely been missing. “Where Did It Go?” is full of confidence and swagger from the line, “Don’t have to like it but you can’t deny you needed me” right down to the chuckle at the end of the song. This is followed quickly by the battle cry, “Rise Up,” which is sure to become a fan favorite.
The pace of the first half of the album can be a bit exhausting, but thankfully, the electronic based seventh track, “Under Denver” will give you a moment to breathe and really appreciate the diversity of the album. This is then followed by the soulful acoustic track, “Vultures,” which features some of Worsnop’s best vocal work.
The only thing that really sounds out of place on the album is the second to last track, “Empire,” which features guest vocals from Bingx and sounds like a different band entirely at first. Give it a chance, though, because the song really starts to take shape around the halfway mark and finds its place among the rest of the album. If anything, it proves that Asking Alexandria aren’t afraid to try new things, no matter how different it might sound.
This album is sure to be Asking Alexandria’s most divisive release yet – some people will love it while others will long for the “old” sound, but you can’t deny that the band really executed this release perfectly. The production on this album is incredible, the little electronic elements peppered in each song are subtle yet attention grabbing and each song is honestly arena ready. As a whole, the album finds Asking Alexandria exploring their sound more than ever before, and the result is one of their most powerful and dynamic releases to date.
LISTEN TO “Alone In A Room” or “Where Did It Go?”
STAY CONNECTED WITH ASKING ALEXANDRIA: https://www.facebook.com/askingalexandria/