2008 Woodie Awards
Echovalve - "Helloagaingoodbye"
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: The Edge
With this first album release, Echovalve landed its first opportunity into the big-time only to fall short while emulating the sounds and flavors of other successful rock bands in its quest for public exposure.
For the record, Echovalve is one of those rock bands still on the rise, struggling to conquer that hill of widespread notoriety. It's a group that has been touring for a short period of time, releasing two EPs in the process, and is finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Up until this point, the band members have seen no major deals with record labels, and "Helloagaingoodbye" marks the first of many more to come.
Echovalve's sound is something the casual and even the occasional listeners of the rock genre have definitely heard before. It's a distorted, abominable DNA experiment gone horribly wrong, like the product of a diabolical madman with intentions to take the genes of members in other popular, modern successful rock bands (Evanescence, Disturbed) and splice them all together. Arguably, some of those bands were not very good to begin with.
Remembering that this is the band's first album, there is time to practice and hopefully develop some different quality that could make Echovalve stand out more. Right now, the band is wading in a pool littered with a plethora of other "rock bands" that offer what already exists: the mundane, mediocre and overplayed. Echovalve is just reminiscent of the B-movie rack at the local horror film convention. There are tons of flicks on that rack that offer the typical slasher or zombie fanfare that sells. Not many stand out and give viewers some variety.
The best song on "Helloagaingoodbye" is the track listing of the same name, buried beneath eight songs of painstaking overgrowth. Even then, the only word to capture its essence and describe it is merely "OK." It's a shrug of the shoulders in response, if anything.
With any luck though, Echovalve may still obtain distinctive qualities. Either that, or the band will quietly slink back to the murky depths from whence it came. In the meantime, this is one to take a pass on, unless the customer is suffering from insomnia.
- Scott Waldyn
edge staff
For the record, Echovalve is one of those rock bands still on the rise, struggling to conquer that hill of widespread notoriety. It's a group that has been touring for a short period of time, releasing two EPs in the process, and is finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Up until this point, the band members have seen no major deals with record labels, and "Helloagaingoodbye" marks the first of many more to come.
Echovalve's sound is something the casual and even the occasional listeners of the rock genre have definitely heard before. It's a distorted, abominable DNA experiment gone horribly wrong, like the product of a diabolical madman with intentions to take the genes of members in other popular, modern successful rock bands (Evanescence, Disturbed) and splice them all together. Arguably, some of those bands were not very good to begin with.
Remembering that this is the band's first album, there is time to practice and hopefully develop some different quality that could make Echovalve stand out more. Right now, the band is wading in a pool littered with a plethora of other "rock bands" that offer what already exists: the mundane, mediocre and overplayed. Echovalve is just reminiscent of the B-movie rack at the local horror film convention. There are tons of flicks on that rack that offer the typical slasher or zombie fanfare that sells. Not many stand out and give viewers some variety.
The best song on "Helloagaingoodbye" is the track listing of the same name, buried beneath eight songs of painstaking overgrowth. Even then, the only word to capture its essence and describe it is merely "OK." It's a shrug of the shoulders in response, if anything.
With any luck though, Echovalve may still obtain distinctive qualities. Either that, or the band will quietly slink back to the murky depths from whence it came. In the meantime, this is one to take a pass on, unless the customer is suffering from insomnia.
- Scott Waldyn
edge staff
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 45
Belle
posted 3/27/08 @ 3:21 PM CST
Scott....Wow, I think I'll pass on your music reviews! You must not have listened to the same CD I did! Echovalve is a REFRESHING change to all the crap that is on radio these days. (Continued…)
belle
belle
posted 3/27/08 @ 3:39 PM CST
Do you delete all comments that don't agree with your opinion? I left a comment, it was posted and 5 mins. later it was deleted. Why? Because I disagreed with the reviewer?
Outraged Belle
bob
posted 3/27/08 @ 5:24 PM CST
Wow, you suck at life. Echovalve is quite amazing, and I agree at some points because yes they sound like a few other bands, but they out perform them In many aspects. (Continued…)
Diablo
posted 3/27/08 @ 5:36 PM CST
Scott Waldyn Sir you are a grade "A" Richard Cranium! You lost all credibility when you refer Disturbed as "not that good to begin with." Even though the guys played it a bit safe on their first album it is hardly necessary to label the album "distorted, abominable DNA experiment gone horribly wrong" due to that fact. (Continued…)
Meg
posted 3/27/08 @ 5:37 PM CST
I honestly don't see how you could say that its mundane or mediocre. They're an awesome change to what I've heard from newer bands, and honestly one of the best of that. (Continued…)
Joshua www.myspace.com/kingbooker12
posted 3/27/08 @ 5:42 PM CST
hmmmmmmm.. sad sad sad man..
scott waldyn.. you are one fucked up man
if you even are a man.. cause if you aren't
that explains some of it.. and then i'd feel
sorry for you. (Continued…)
Joshua www.myspace.com/kingbooker12
posted 3/27/08 @ 5:43 PM CST
hmmmmmmm.. sad sad sad man..
scott waldyn.. you are one fucked up man
if you even are a man.. cause if you aren't
that explains some of it.. and then i'd feel
sorry for you. (Continued…)
sarah
posted 3/27/08 @ 5:46 PM CST
lame review...i totally disagree...i thought the cd rocked and i think alot of people would agree
Brooke Echols
posted 3/27/08 @ 6:07 PM CST
Though I must congratulate Waldyn on his particularly articulate review, even a good vocabulary can't compensate for an inappropriate and distasteful review. (Continued…)
Megan & Ashley
posted 3/27/08 @ 6:18 PM CST
Scott,
We STRONGLY disagree with you and totally agree with Belle...EchoValve is a nice escape from the same old thing we hear on the radio everyday!!!
We also hope to hear much more out of this band, and believe that everyone who reads your review should listen to "Helloagaingoodbye" before they just "pass up" a chance to discover an AWESOME, upcoming band!!!
*Megan & Ashley*
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