J. Bolton | El Cajon, CA United States | 05/18/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I actually give the album 4 1/2 stars. I'm just going to make this review short and simple. After Hopesfall released A-types i was turned off from this band after liking them so much. I felt that album was a major disapointed compared to The Satellite Years. Magnetic North seems to have gone a little bit back to their roots a but still kept the more "rock" sound. They don't really scream anymore which some might not like but i love their style of singing. My favorite tracks would have to be "RX contender the pretender", "swamp kittens", "cubic zirconias are forever", "vacation/add/vacation!", and "head general hospital" to name a few."
If The Satellite Years is the Yin, then Magnetic North is th
Jarrod D. Lawrence | Avon, IN United States | 06/10/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In a straight-forward comparison between The Satellite Years and Magnetic North, one would probably not think the two to be similar at all. Magnetic North is more of an evolution from the style of A-Types. However, the two albums are pretty similar in terms of creating an atmospheric mood and are both very melodic. Both albums are mood-altering masterpieces, keep them both around, and depending what mood you are in, choose to listen to the darker, heavier mood created by The Satellite Years, or the more calming, almost trance-like melodic rock of Magnetic North. If you loved The Satellite Years and are not one of those people who only like screaming vocals, I believe you will enjoy this album.
Best tracks: Cubic Zirconias Are Forever, Secondhand Surgery, East of 1989; Battle Of The Bay, Vacation/Add/Vacation!, Head General Hospital, Paisley"
If you are into melodic alternative rock, the likes of defon
S. Hope | Norway | 07/04/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you are unexperienced with Hopesfall, and are into alternative melodic rock you should definitely check this release out. While it might not strike you as a masterpiece upon first listen, it will eventually grab you and drag you down into a universe of depth which many bands in this genre only can hope to achieve. Even though songs are somewhat traditional structurally in terms of verse and chorus, there is so much variation within each song that everytime you listen to the album you will discover something new. The song variation itself is quite amazing, with plenty heavy tracks, and more calm indie - sounding tracks. While some listeners might critize this as a loss of focus and direction, it aslo adds more depth and longvity to album as a whole. Lastly, the vocal performance on this album is simply to good to go unmention. The vocalist might not be the best singer, but the effort and emotion he puts in into each track will amaze you."
Magnetic North will grow on you...
TheSilentCircus | South Carolina | 06/22/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I didn't even know these guys were back on the scene until earlier this week so I went to best buy and picked this record up. First and foremost, I've always loved the art direction and packaging(booklet pictures,etc) these guys use to convey their imagery; be it on the satellite years, A types, or even this album. To me, it gives off a sort of spacy, sci-fi surrealism that only adds to their overall style when the music is intertwined within these themes. With that being said.....
This is a good album to put in and just "chill" with. With moody progressive guitars, thought provoking lyrics, and ambient sounds throughout-as well as Jay's soothing melodies- I can't help but be intrigued. There are still a few heavy passages(riff wise) and screamed vocals sprinkled throughout but ultimately this album is more closely related to A-Types than The Satellite Years(yeah I know some of you will be disappointed). But if you can just take this record at face value you'll find a well put together experience that grows on you with each listen. I can't help but be drawn to it. Overall, an interesting album which holds it's own compared to their past work IMO.
Standout tracks include: Rx Contender the Pretender,Swamp Kittens, and the final track on the ablum Paisley- which is amazingly simple yet haunting and heartfelt."
HUGE improvement
John Doe | 06/13/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"So....after listening to A-types, I had pretty much given up on this band. Magnetic North came out, I didn't really care. Then I got a call from my drummer that was like "dude, seriously.......give it a chance. It's amazing" So, I gave it a listen & low & behold, it is now by far one of my favorite albums this year to say the least. The seemingly hopeless vocals on A-types are easily the most noticable improvement, as they are nothing short of incredible on MN. Overall musicianship has improved leaps & bounds as well & I now eagerly await Hopesfall's next release!"