22
Jan
2010
 

Hadouken – For The Masses (Album Review)

Submitted by / 14 years ago / Album Reviews, New Singles, New Songs

For the Masses is the second studio album by British band Hadouken!. It was recorded in Groningen, Holland during the Summer of 2009, as a follow up to their commercially successful debut “Music For An Accelerated Culture”. As a result of that album, major players in the game had to adapt their style and delivery to try and compete, notably The Prodigy who penned a few tracks on Invaders Must Die very much in Hadouken’s style (Colours, World’s On Fire).

Hadouken! brought in renowned drum and bass producers Noisia for production duties on For The Masses, which, initially seemed to be a good move in order to develop their sound further. But James Smith’s chants of “You take it on the chin/I’m gonna fuck your face up” and “It’s ugly like your sister” is hardly befitting of a band that have, apparently, matured. It’s a shame because the lyrics distract the listener from what in the most part are some pretty well produced instrumentals.

James Smith wanted “this record to sound good over a 1000 kilowatt sounds system or on a Nokia phone on the back of a bus.” Do they “drop beats that crack your cranium”? I guess so, but that’s not the point. For The Masses is a success in its own terms, delivering the “hard and fast” album the band wanted to create. Where it falls down, however, is in the lack of dynamics and the lack of a stand out anthem such as “Declaration of War” or “That Boy That Girl”.

1. Rebirth 04:30
2. Turn the Lights Out 03:53
3. M.A.D. 03:26
4. Evil 03:56
5. House Is Falling 04:10
6. Mic Check 03:26
7. Ugly 04:05
8. Bombshock 03:54
9. Play the Night 04:13
10. Lost 04:16

Hadouken – Rebirth

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Hadouken – Turn The Lights Out

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Hadouken – House Is Falling

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