CD Review: Taste of Chaos

As a companion to the recently released Taste of Chaos DVD, comes this 15 track CD covering the bands on the tour. This disk covers more ground in less time than the DVD does, and the recording quality is pretty good too. Musical clarity is high, while the crowd noise is still evident, so that you do not forget that it was, indeed, recorded live. It seems to be a collection of recordings over the course of the tour, as opposed to the one stop shop of the DVD, which was recorded at Asbury Park, NJ. The performances differ from those of the DVD, including the song selection, some bands perform the same song(s), others get a different selection.

I must mention, that much of this music is not to my tastes. I am more of a metal guy, where this tour seemed more towards hardcore and punk. Still, there is a lot to like, especially for those who are open to experiencing other musical styles. I am not going to say that everyone is going to like this, or even that I like all of it, but it has it's moments. One of the things I like about the CD over the DVD is the inclusion of complete songs from the acoustic stage, I found the inclusion of this on the tour to be a stroke of genius. It brings a different style to the table and makes the band reevaluate their songs.

The disk opens with "Take it Away" by The Used, the same song which ended the DVD. The recording here is stronger. I cannot claim to be a fan, but this is a good song, and a good way to start the disk off. The second track is my favorite off of the album, and the most "metal" of the bunch, "Fixation on the Darkness" by Killswitch Engage. There are also excellent performances from Unearth and Atreyu.

I mentioned, earlier, about the acoustic stage being a good thing, and it is. Some highlights from that stage represented here include Bleed the Dream's "Broken Wings" and My American Heart's "White Lines." I particularly like the Bleed the Dream cut, and the meaning behind it, it was written for their drummer who was in the hospital with leukemia.

Overall, this is better, musically, than the DVD. The presentation is very good, considering the live setting. The music, while not entirely to my liking is more often better than it is not. The CD also has the advantage of allowing us to sample more acts, and for those who were there, to relive more of the bands they had gotten to see.

Recommended.

Track Listing:

1. The Used - “Take It Away”
2. Killswitch Engage - “Fixation On The Darkness”
3. Unearth - “Black Hearts Now Reign”
4. Opiate For The Masses - “Heaven”
5. Atreyu - “Lip Gloss and Black”
6. Bleed The Dream - “Broken Wings”
7. A Static Lullaby - “Lip Gloss and Letdown”
8. Senses Fail - “Bite To Break Skin”
9. My American Heart - “White Lines”
10. Atreyu - “Right Side Of The Bed”
11. Underoath - “The Impact Of Reason”
12. BEDlight For BlueEYES - “Hind Sight”
13. A Static Lullaby - “The Shooting Star That Destroyed Us”
14. Nicky P - “Before You Go”
15. Unearth - “This Lying World”