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████▓▄ ▓▓████▀▀▀▀███████████▓▀ PRESENTS ▀████████████▓▓▀▀████▓▓ ▄███▓▓
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██▓ ▀█▄▄ ARTIST ...: Painkiller Hotel ▄▄█▀ ██▓
▄█▓▓▀ ▀▀█▄ TITLE ....: Afterglow ▄█▀▀ ▀███▄
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░ ░ ▀██▓ LABEL ....: Presbrey Productions ██▓▀ ░ ░
░ ░ ▀██▓ GENRE ....: Alternative ██▓▀ ░ ░
▒ ░ ░ ██▓▄ SDATE ....: 2010-00-00 ▄██▓ ░ ░ ▒
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░▒░ ░▒░███▓ QUALITY ..: 224kbps/4410kHz ███▓░▒░ ░▒░
▒▓▒ ░▒███▓ MODE .....: Joint Stereo ███▓▒░ ▒▓▒
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░▒▄█▓▀ SIZE .....: 55,10 MB ▀██▄▒░
░██▀ PLAYTIME .: 34:08 min ▀█▓░
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█▓▄ URL ......: http://www.myspace.com/painkillerhotel ▄█▓
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▐███▓▌ ▓▓████▀█▓▀███████████▓▀ TRACKS & NOTES ▀████████████▀▓█▀████▓▓ ▐▓███▌
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█ █
█ 01. 3:24 I Understand █
█ 02. 3:28 Afterglow █
█ 03. 3:44 Take My Hand █
█ 04. 3:17 Can't Have It All █
█ 05. 2:58 I Never Thought It Would End This Way █
█ 06. 3:29 Crave █
█ 07. 2:59 If I Only Knew █
█ 08. 3:53 Already Dead █
█ 09. 4:01 Life's Gonna Bring You Down █
█ 10. 2:55 Wait For Me █
█ █
█ █
█ Painkiller Hotel is a pretty little known bandùI █
█ mean, they donÆt even have a Wikipedia page for █
█ crying out loud. TheyÆre a bit more prominent than █
█ one might think, though. Their songs have been █
█ featured on such television shows as MTVÆs The Hills █
█ and Real World. TheyÆve been compared to such bands █
█ as Live and Tonic, and played over 200 shows while █
█ touring the Midwest last year. Starting out in the █
█ underground music scene of Chicago, this rocking █
█ quartet broke out with their album Black Roses last █
█ October. Less than a year later, theyÆve released █
█ their sophomore effort Afterglow. Although a bit █
█ uneven, Painkiller Hotel delivers an enjoyable, if █
█ not generic, listening experience. █
█ █
█ ôI Understandö gives the record a very energetic █
█ beginning. The first thing I could think of when I █
█ heard them was the band Cavo or Lifehouse. While not █
█ a very unique voice these days with the whole █
█ Daughtry-style music thatÆs being cranked out these █
█ days, Prez is obviously a very powerful vocalist with █
█ a bit of a country vibe. Although he starts well, his █
█ voice loses its luster midway throughùas if heÆs just █
█ ready to get the song over with. ôAfterglowö sounds █
█ very much like a Rob Thomas-esque backwoods tune. █
█ Although I donÆt particularly enjoy country, this one █
█ is quite nice. ItÆs a slow-tempo yet very pleasant █
█ ditty with creative lyrics, the main one being ôYou █
█ were like the sunset/and IÆm the afterglow.ö Some may █
█ call that clichΘ, but I found it quite nice. And █
█ while not quite as eerie or depressing, ôTake My █
█ Handö has that same distant quality that I love so █
█ much about ôBlack Hole Sunö by Soundgarden. Except, █
█ you know, with some funky country mixed in. ôCanÆt █
█ Have It Allö has a haunting melody, but the lyrics █
█ are a bit on the typical love song territory. ôYouÆre █
█ terrified/from all these lies/IÆm feeding you/to hide █
█ the truth.ö Yeah, not my favorite song on the album, █
█ but still not terrible. The band departs from the █
█ usual country for a more alternative soundùwith █
█ light, skippy guitar and fast-paced drums. ôCraveö is █
█ a raunchy yet slow-paced tune where he lets his █
█ vocals really shine, working the scales like a █
█ master. ôIf I Only Knewö reminds me of American Idol █
█ alum Kris Allen, maybe just because of the whole █
█ happy, upbeat song talking about death (AllenÆs way █
█ over-played ôLike Like YouÆre Dyingö). Although his █
█ voice sounds good, I just donÆt find the lyrics █
█ appropriate with the heavy metal and funky rock █
█ qualities of the song. By this point, IÆve come to █
█ realize that Painkiller Hotel has abandoned their old █
█ country tunes from the beginning of the album, and █
█ are moving into Daughtry territory where all the █
█ songs sound the same. ôAlready Deadö is the perfect █
█ example of thisùSkillet, Nickelback, Shinedown, so █
█ many artists could have sang this song and IÆd never █
█ know the difference. Not to mention his vocals sound █
█ weaker than usual here. Just as I was losing hope, █
█ ôLifeÆs Gonna Bring You Downö came onùand while still █
█ rock-heavy, the lyrics exude misery, and the song has █
█ a nice balance of rock and simple lyric-driven guitar █
█ melodies. The final song ôWait For Meö is a bit of a █
█ letdownùit channels DaughtryÆs ôSeptember,ö minus the █
█ commanding vocals which allow the song to soar. It is █
█ simply one-note, and while nice, does not transport █
█ the listener whatsoever. █
█ █
█ As surprised I am to say this, I think the band is █
█ strongest when they dig into their country roots. IÆm █
█ not a big fan of the genre on a whole, but Painkiller █
█ Hotel delivers in that medium. When they go into the █
█ ballads dripping with sappy inspiration is when they █
█ are at their weakest, and donÆt reach their full █
█ potential. IÆve gained a lot of respect for █
█ Painkiller Hotel by listening to Afterglow, and hope █
█ they donÆt sink into the generic pit of pop singles █
█ like so many before them have. █
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▀▀▀████▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ iNTERRUPTING THE SILENCE ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀████▀▀▀