Smile Empty Soul

Smile Empty Soul

Lava/Throwback Records

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Smile Empty Soul

Smile Empty Soul

Lava/Throwback Records

As we venture through the Billboard Modern Rock Charts, we struggle to come up for air in a rock world filled with Godsmack, Three Days Grace and Staind. We look for a breath of fresh air from these mind-numbing heavy beats and aggressive angst. And Smile Empty Soul is definitely not it.

Smile Empty Soul is a three-piece hard-rock band from California consisting of Sean Danielsen on vocals and guitar, Derek Gledhill on drums and Ryan Martin on bass. Together, they create heavy rock songs drowned out by tactless, distraught vocals. Their sound can be best described as Fuel gone bad.

“We are the people that you hate /The f— bastards that you created/A generation with no place/A generation of all your sons and daughters,” lead singer Sean Danielsen screams out in the rebellious-kid anthem, “Nowhere Kids.” It’s written all over this album: Danielsen has a big chip on his shoulder, and he needs to scream loud about hating the world to get it off.

This band is no different than other modern rock bands out there. They have the cookie-cutter sound that modern, mainstream rock radio stations seem to thrive on. One thing Empty Soul is missing is the catchy hooks that make those bands so popular. They also lack the main things that bands need to survive in this business: talent and originality. They are selling to an angry generation that can express their anger by screaming along with them.

They make an attempt at substance with an anti-war statement in the song “This is War,” a haunting ballad that expresses both confusion and anger about the war. “I’m not really sure why/But the TV says you are wrong/Now here we are,” Danielsen sings.

Even with their attempt at a love song “For You”), he expresses his love for a girl by saying, “So kill me with the love/That you won’t give to me.” Can’t let any hint of happiness show here either.

As you can tell by Empty Soul’s juvenile lyrics and thoughtless ways of expressing emotion, there is really an empty soul expressed in this album. Every song is filled with vengeful lyrics and the same theme of hating life.

As Danielson expresses in the song “Therapy,” “There’s too much anger inside me”. Yes, there is. But please don’t make us suffer through your personal therapy sessions.