Acceptance – Phantoms

Acceptance didn’t really grab my attention with their lackluster 2003 EP, Blacklines To Battlefield. It was less then satisfying, and since the release it has not graced the inside of my CD player once. A real waste of space really. Then came the drama with their drummer, which knocked my respect for the band down a few notches. So when they released their “highly anticipated” new album, I was less then enthusiastic, but sill gave it a chance. Sadly, it did not change my mind much.

First off, if the band did as their bio states and went into the studio with well over thirty new songs written – then why did they record their hit single Permanent again? It really makes no sense. Anyone can go get it on their EP, and it just takes the place of a new song for the band’s true fans.

But despite all my bad mouthing, Acceptance does show some slight promise; especially with Different and So Contagious. During every single listen, its at those two songs that I stop to see what song is playing. It is those two songs that make me actually stop and listen to the song. It is those two sounds that actually have some listening value that keeps me, the listener, entertained. They are catchy, melodic, smooth, and emotional with a nice beat in the background. Overall, they are two really good songs, but then there’s the other ten tracks to sit through too.

Well really, those ten can be knocked down to eight. Considering the fact that you’ve already heard Permanent on their EP, and that Ad Astra Per Aspera is an instrumental that really doesn’t push the album forward at all, you really only have eight more songs to listen to. And those songs aren’t that special. They tend to be quite boring, generic, and all sound like one and the same. Every once in a while there will be something that sticks out a bit, but really there’s nothing that separates them from many other bands. Its slow, piano-driven pop-rock that tries to be all powerful and strong when they would be so much better taking the emo route like they did on Different.

Is Phantoms worth a listen? If you loved Blacklines To Battlefield, then yes. But other then that, this album really isn’t all that special and even sub-par at most times.