Search - Pendulum :: In Silico

A different direction but still good

Jeff | CO | 05/21/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is definitely different from Hold Your Colour, but it's still enjoyable. Where the previous one was more drum and bass focused, this album has more rock and vocal to it. During the first few minutes of "Showdown," I was wondering if this was even the pendulum that I was thinking about (I listened to it on Rhapsody and wasn't sure if it was the right artist) but then the basslines started to pick up and I knew it was them.



In my opinion, the rock gives each song a little more meaning to it while at the same time giving each song an "epic" feel as it transitions from rock to drum and bass. The interesting thing about this album, as typical of Pendulum, is that each song is different and non-repetitive, making each song worth listening to unlike most mainstream drum and bass.



The only song I didn't like was "The Other Side." It had some unique beats to it, but the electronic voices throughout the song kind of drew away from the power of the song, and over all was just "weird."



A few reviews state that songs like mutiny, 9,000 Miles, and The Tempest are slow and never really pick up. I found 9,000 miles to definitely pick up with powerful bass and neat drums throughout the song. Mutiny has a different feel to it, kind of a jazzy down tempo feel, but is able to pull it together and make a sweet song. The Tempest, albeit slow as mentioned, has a lot of feeling behind it and is "epic" in its own way. This song features some foreign sounds along with a more rock sound, but listening to it gives the impression of being caught in a rain storm. I believe it makes for a very strong, proper ending to an album which is so high strung and powerful."

Absolutely Worth Every Penny!!!

JBizzle | Under A Rock | 05/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pendulum is back in full force with their sophomore effort "In Silico"!! True, the traditional D&B heads who hated "Hold Your Colour" & said that it was too commercial are gonna hate this one even more, but be a little open minded & you'll love the album. With the entire band coming from rock based roots, they've switched to live instruments so they can play live rather than just spin their sets. You can definately hear their rock based past influence in the new album as it's definately lead to a more rock sound & feel. Pendulum have taken everything good about their 1st album "Hold Your Colour" & amplified it times 100! Every track on the album feels epic much like "Slam" & "Hold Your Colour" from their previous album. Now don't get me wrong, the album is definately different. As I said before, they've gone with a more "rock-y" kinda sound with alot more guitar & whole lot more vocals. Anyone looking for pure D&B beware, you may not like waht you find. The vocals are great though, & sound like something coming from an accomplished artist, rather than the cheezy diva stuff so prevelent in the electronic music scene today. Also gone are the hard & dark D&B sounds from their previous album with tracks such as "Through The Loop" & "Tarantula". The DB is still there, but they've opted for more of a Breakbeat feel with this album again having to do with playing live instruments now. Another thing missing from this new album is the blissed out sounds of tracks like "Stream Line" & "Still Grey" (a track you won't miss at all if you own the reissue of "HYC", shame on you). One thing for sure though is that THIS IS PENDULUM!! It's different, but you know it's still them. The only problem I have with the album is that it's over too soon with only 10 tracks & 2 remixes. I just hope we won't have to wait another 4 years for their next album. "In Silico" is amazing from start to finish with not one dud or filler track & I say "Keep it comin'!!!" This is one of (if not the) 1st must own albums of 2008 & something everyone should own. Pendulum is being described as the new "Prodigy" & after listening to their sound progress over the years they're absolutely worthy of the name. This album is gonna be huge, Buy It Right Now!!!



As far as the "Limited Edition" version is concerned, in addition to the album as I said before you also get 2 remixes & a video of "Propane Nightmare" as well a live performance of "Granite". The live "Granite" video is actually really cool, cause it shows you exactly how cool it is that they're now performing with live instruments. It's pretty cool to see this big DB track is being hammered out on stage & really kinda gives you a whole new appreciation for the new album as a whole. The case is a cool flip open tin case about the same size as a regular CD case. Inside is a protective sleeve holding the disc, the inlay booklet from the regular CD version & foam padding to hold everything in place nicely. All in all if you're a fan of either the band or the album this is a great buy. I got my copy from the Amazon.uk site, as the US site has been out of stock since release. You'll pay $10 to $15 more for this version of the album, but to me it's absolutely worth every penny. BUY THIS ALBUM!!!"

Not as good as "Hold Your Colour", but still a somewhat soli

L. Richard | Bay Area, CA USA | 05/13/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The first listen through left me with a "what the f?", reaction. But I've since listened to this album a few times and I have to say, each time I do it grows on me a bit more.



I was surprised to find much more vocals in this than in their previous release. Another new addition seems to be the use of guitar. Which, in my opinion totally ruins some of the tracks Overall it has much more of a mainstream/pop feel to it. The electronica elements are still there, but I would classify them more as "electronica rock", or "dance pop"



There are a few very weak tracks (like "9000 miles"), but they are offset by some undeniably good ones (like "Visions" and "Midnight Runner").



To be perfectly honest, this is probably an album that I'll listen to casually for a few weeks, then forget about entirely. NOT a classic by any stretch of the imagination."