Good Charlotte has always been embrioled in an "Are they punk or not?" battle. The Chronicles of Life and Death put it to rest. It's a decidedly not punk album, and I think veering away from punk altogether is a good thing for the quintet. Their ispriations changed on this album, from Rancid and Buzzcocks-type music to stuff more reminicent of arena rocking Brits Muse, and singer Joel Madden's fave, Morrissey.
They bounce all over the place on this CD, all the while maintaing a clear theme. From hip-hop laced techno-esque, so Creed and U2 tinged anthems, they sound like a much more mature band. They take a lot of chances on this disc, from the Japanese choir that opens this disc, the expanded use of effects, and the dark turn J. Madden's voice takes on many of the songs. On "The Truth" alone, you can hear the pain in his voice. Guitarist Billy Martin plays keyboards on many of the songs, and bassist Paul Thomas picks up the cello as well, adding a new depth to thier darkness.
To conclude, the predominant portion of this CD is new territory for GC. It's taking a bit of time, but it is starting to grow on me.
LIVE WIRE PICKS: "I Just Wanna Live", "Ghost of You", "The Truth", "Mountain".
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