Filter:
The Amalgamut
Label: Reprise
Records
Rating:
Tracks: You Walk Away
American Cliche
Where Do We Go From Here
Columind
The Missing
Only Way (Is The Wrong Way), The
My Long Walk To Jail
So I Quit
God Damn Me
It Can Never Be The Same
World Today
The 4th
On Filter’s third album, The Amalgamut,
frontman Richard Patrick tells us what he thinks about the state of America
today. The only problem is that what he has to say isn’t all that interesting,
and nobody asked him.
The Amalgamut isn’t The Rising. Hell, it’s
not even Short Bus. And that’s the problem. Patrick’s ego is telling him
it’s still 1995, when the band first started collecting royalties for a
song about a politician who shot himself in front of a live audience. True,
the band scored a hit three years ago with “Take a Picture,” a song about
Patrick’s misadventures on an airplane, but the fact remains that Filter
were never a seminal alt rock band, and Patrick will still forever be known
as Trent Reznor’s former bitch (and the T-1000’s brother).
There’s plenty of quasi-politically relevant
songs to be found on the ‘Mut: “American Cliche,” “Columind” (guess what’s
that’s about?) and “My Long Walk to Jail.” Much like most of Filter’s songs,
they attempt to rock, but there’s nothing to grab your attention away from
the fact that there’s probably a thousand other songs out there that sound
just like these (Does anybody remember Stabbing Westward or Gravity Kills?).
Meanwhile, the album’s lead single, “Where
Do We Go from Here” acts as a mission statement… or a declaration of guilt,
based on your feelings for the band. Either way, the answer to the song’s
titular question seems to be, “Let’s pull a Sugar Ray and cash in on ‘Take
a Picture.’”
Perhaps the album’s two main offenders
are the last two tracks, “World Today” and “The 4th.” Both songs are based
around alt-industrial chanting, the latter without words, the former solely
“I like the world today” over and over. Ironically, “World Today” comes
shortly after a pair of songs, “So I Quit” and “God Damn Me,” wherein Patrick
rages against the world and himself, respectively. But the world is neat.
VERDICT: Celebrities’ opinions on September
11th and Columbine don’t really amount to anything, especially celebrities
mired in mediocrity. That being said, there’s really nothing special about
an album named after Patrick’s theory that we are all of mixed breed in
America. Because “So I Quit” and “American Cliché” rock just (and
I mean just) hard enough to elicit some attention, The ‘Mut gets an E for
Effort, but that’s about all the credit it deserves.
Posted by Miss Blue:
Filter are an awesome band, and I highly recommend their music to anyone who loves hearing raw emotion in music, but without whiny, girlishness. Its not metal in its purest form, but it derives from heavy, hard rock and is f-n great. One of my favorite bands, for sure. Great album.
Posted by Jake:
I love Filter and they made and will continue to make some of the best music that pushes buttons. F** all this emo s***. Filter could kick the s*** out of Taking Back Sunday and all those other p**** bands. Filter is awesome.
Posted by Captain Bligh:
I'm a massive Filter fan, I have never heard of any better music than theirs, Except...I was a bit dissapointed at the Amalgamut's two last songs: World today and The 4th., What is it? some buddhist chant or something in a differnt languege, It really seemde pointless and soured up the whole cd. But otherwise the rest of the songs are all pretty good.
Thank you
Posted by sociably psychotic Leprechaun:
oh ya and the person who did the article is wrong and doesn't know good music when they hear it
Posted by sociably psychotic Leprechaun:
this Album is probably their best one overall. The best songs on the Cd are: where do we go from here, the missing, and it can never be the same. those are my favorite overall but all their songs jam, this Cd is worth the 15 bucks I paid for it!
Posted by Davis:
The writer of this article has less of life in his/her own means than does his/opinions.
Posted by sye from New Zealand:
Sh%ty, freid bollocks, bought it by accident, now in the under $10 sectoin at my music store, dillinger Escape Plan piss all over them.
Posted by DONTCALLMEJEROME:
emo at its finest!!!!
Posted by Gringo The Grey:
It's hard to say it's a bad album, it's different from their last works. There are parts that kick ass and others that don't. All in all, a standard junior release.
Posted by bitch:
i wanna lick your ass
Posted by -ve creep:
I think The Amalgamut is a great album overall and certainly doesn't deserve 2 f*ckin' smileys. Now if you don't like Filter, try something else...Shakira for example or better, Limp Bizkit! There's no good or bad album, it's just a matter of taste and yours is horrible!
Posted by krakor:
I like filter and I don't need any jerk come tell me how filter rates in the light of other alt indus bands. I like the band, the man, the sound, and don't ask any question 'bout it... You not liking filter merely gives a clue 'bout your bad taste!
Posted by Schizoid:
I think anyone who listens to Filter is a f$#@in pu#$@sy, and should find some real music - Filter is like those bands Gravity kills and Stabbing Westward, s#$t that isn't even 4-th rate NIN ripoff
Filters stuff sucks, and the singer is a drugged out as@#$@#$le
Posted by the small clone:
i have never even liked filter and i bought this album solely on the fact i liked what i heard in the VW hummer comercials. i can honestly say this is one of the greatest cd's ive ever heard, every song is hookheavy. the reveiwer of this cd is a prick and has bad taste in music... he actually listens to the noise tracks at the end for enjoyment?
Posted by the small clone:
i have never even liked filter and i bought this album solely on the fact i liked what i heard in the VW hummer comercials. i can honestly say this is one of the cd's ive ever heard, every sone is hookheavy. the reveiwer of this cd is a prick and has bad taste in music... he actually listens to the noise tracks at the end for enjoyment?
Posted by southofheaven:
everyone sit back and wave and filter drive away into the sunset of one-album wonders
Posted by krackwhore:
its a kickass cd, buy it if you get the chance, filter is just awesome as hell
Posted by the man:
i think whoever wrote this review must be one of those pussies who has never been able to write a song because they have no talent....that's what i think....the truth is you have no clue what it takes to write good music. keep up the good reviews, jerk off
Posted by teoplanker:
fitler fuggin rocks.
Posted by Sean:
The Amalgamut seriously rocks. Filter has a way of portraying their musical unlike any other band, sonically.
They use alot of sus2 chords, which I love, and its a great album to just rock out to. I've seen them live, and they put on a great show. Richard Patrick is great at putting together tunes and with Geno Leonardo doing the all the guitar tech, this album is short of nothing.
The guy who wrote the review has something against filter obviously. He should be listening to the music, and enjoying it. All of the points he made in his silly little article could be said about ANY artist/band. Maybe he was just having a bad day when he wrote it.
I think Richard Patrick has way better ideas than trent reznor has ever had. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Posted by me:
people who bullsh*t about filter don't really see the uniqueness and talent of the band. and what's this crap about patrick being reznors bitch?patrick left his sorry ass years ago.nin has wandered into the darkness and i haven't heard from them for ages.but look at filter.their music is revolutinary and you just cannot see it.get a life and create a better band, if youre so sure that filter sucks.
Posted by AK47:
Never in any other band have I felt so much adrenaline pumped into my system just from one song but all of filter's songs do it to me. This group is the future of rock.(hopefully)
Posted by Didj:
Filter were one song really, off a great album in '95. NOTHING since.
Posted by DDT:
All the people who hate this album are Justin Timbera$$ fans. Sh*t! Filter is a unique polished band and all of their 3 albums should be placed on voyager and shot out the solar system.
Posted by adaj7:
god damn...am i the only stabbing westward fan on the planet?
Posted by SubXavier:
The singles off Title Of Record were terrible, but "Where Do We Go" isn't that bad.
Posted by you will obey me.:
no, not limp bizkit, and not creed either. i'd rather those two "bands" started a war and all killed each other. but, i don't want to listen to this album either. f*ck filter and the boring untalented bullsh*t that makes up this album...i said f*ck it. the end.
Posted by Your mother:
Hey this album's great. Sure, the political opinions suck but it rocks and it's pretty catchy. The ballads are really good, not some garbage like Creed or anything. Plus The 4th is more of an ambient song. It's not bad. And sriously, would you rather listne to Limp Bizkit than Filter?
Posted by althepal:
Sorry gotta defend the band. This album cound not have been any better. Considering a lot a bands change their style drastically after a hit single.
Posted by aG:
Yeah Dan how dare you compare Filter to Stabbing Westward, everyone knows SW is a far better band j/k, well not really SW is better. Is Filter the modern version of Warrant??
Posted by Potato:
i haven`t heard much of the new album, and after reading that sh*t review i still don`t know much. i`m just shocked that you wrote that stabbing westward and filter sound the same, utter bollocks just because they both use a keyboard is that it.
Posted by you will obey me.:
agreed...they were definitely just hype.
Posted by the voice of reason:
yeah, thanks for stating the obvious. These guys need to get off their high horse and make another Short Bus. As it stands now: the album is boring and their live show sucks. better luck on the next CD obey.
Note: avoid Aphex Teory. I got it a couple of weeks ago, and no one wants to buy it off me.
Posted by you will obey me.:
this album is the sh*t...
sorry, i mean this albu is sh*t! i've listened to it once since i wasted fifteen bucks on it.
