Placebo – Battle For The Sun
After a three year hiatus and another new drummer, Placebo is back with their sixth studio album Battle for the Sun. The album is definitely more alternative and heavier in sound than their previous albums. I also feel it’s not as edgy as their earlier works but that’s not to say Battle for the Sun isn’t a solid body of work. The album starts off very strong with tracks such as “Kitty Litter,” “Astray Hearts,” and the title track “Battle for the Sun.” I have no idea what kitty litter has to do with the song but regardless of the title, the song has some groove to it and it’s a good listen. The title track is by far my favorite song off the album with its steady pounding beat and vocals to match. The string arrangement makes for an exquisitely epic ending to the song. Somewhere in the middle of the album I get a little bored and distracted. The songs begin to blend together and I can’t distinguish one song from the next. I’m a little disappointed after such a strong start. “Speak in Tongues” is an exception with its thick bass line and melancholy vibe.
The problem with some of these songs is the constant barrage of guitar riffs and power chords. The guitar drowns out the other instruments and the vocals, and the song becomes tiring to listen to. Luckily the album picks up again with the electronic infused song “Julien.” This song also incorporates the string arrangement. I’ve learned you can never go wrong with electronica and strings. They make the song more dynamic and simply, more interesting to listen to. The problem with the tracks in the middle of the album is a lack of creativity and over-simplification. I don’t think anyone wants to listen to the same guitar riff over and over again for the entire song. Overall Battle for the Sun is an enjoyable album to listen to —if you skip over a few of those pesky songs stuck in there, and the new drummer Steve Forrest is a nice addition with some serious skills. It may not be their greatest work but you can hear the band evolving with the times and shedding their early nineties grunge skin —which may or may not be a bad thing.
Listen to Placebo’s Battle For The Sun this Weekend
Placebo are pleased to announce, for the first time ever, a WORLDWIDE EXCLUSIVE FAN PLAYBACK of their stunning new album ‘Battle For The Sun’. The playback will take place at www.placeboworld.co.uk/battleforthesun on Friday 29th May from 9am GMT. Fans must sign up to www.placeboworld.co.uk to receive an exclusive code that will allow them access to the ‘Battle For The Sun’ playback site. They will have access to listen to the entire album before anyone else and prior to its release. The playback will end at midnight on the 31st of May. The critically-acclaimed ‘Battle For The Sun’ album is officially released June 8th.
Placebo – For What It’s Worth
Placebo over the years have had their fair shares of up and downs, but sometimes things have just run their course. The band are due to release their 6th album Battle For The Sun this summer, and we’ve already gotten a preview of another song from that album last month as a limited free download. That track showed me a little something, but “For What It’s Worth” just feels like Placebo mailed in for this track. The track is a 2:47 that starts off with that standard Placebo riff that sounds like it was used in one of its past tracks. Then at about the 2 minute mark Brian sings “no one cares when you’re down in the gutter/ Got no friends, got no lover,” and I know that Placebo always go for the more emotional lyrics, but is that all we got? The song is neither thought-provoking or catchy. It just made me feel embarrassed for the band after hearing this song.
Placebo – For What It’s Worth
Video for ‘For What It’s Worth’, the first single from the 6th Placebo studio album ‘Battle For The Sun’.