Great Album, and a TON of top level tards underrating it....
boxerjames | Kali | 07/04/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"First off, "Tristan" should legally change her name to "tard". Im not kidding. Whining about this CD and your closed mind not being able to grasp it is one thing, Saying that Lars and the Bastards "Viking" CD was the worst thing out in 2004 is altogether ignorant. Viking is hands down the BEST CD of 2004, and brought back old skool, kick ass, in your face punk while your idols Yellowcard and Good Charlotte continued to pollute the airwaves. Listen to 1 percent and Maggots on Viking, and attempt to deny the GENIUS guitar work. Knucklehead.
On to "Haunted Cities":
The greatest thing about The Transplants is they really DONT GIVE A F**K what people think of them. They do what they do, and enjoy every second of it. In my version, the CD blasts off with "Not Today". Honestly, there is so much going on with every track that you really have to listen 3-4 times to appreciate the hell out of it. My girlfriend was so blown away from the first track alone that she had me play it again so she could soak in everything about the song.
And thats where the genius of the transplants comes in.....its punk, soul, hip hop, reggae, funk and rhyming. The feeble minds wont get or like this CD, because it simply asks your brain to actually process something unique, deep, and completely different than the usual mundane, droning garbage out there. The Transplants proved that they can't be labeled in the first CD, and they stay true to that on this one as well.
5 stars isnt enough-this CD will blow your mind if you take it ALL in and give it the listening time it deserves.
Tim also proves once again that he simply one of the most talented music cats on the planet.
"
More solid than the 1st
Bob Brown | Waterford, MI | 08/04/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The thing that attracted me to this band in the first place was Travis. He is my favorite drummer and I knew he would never dissapoint and that he'd bring something special to any band he's in. After that 1st impression I discovered that the Transplants are very versatile and the vocals and melodies are very strong. The 1st album was great but the production was a tad bit rough as it was recorded in Tim's basement and Travis only had 5 hours to record drums. This record is a lot more polished and the vocals have improved.
Not Today-7/10 A good opening punk track that gets u pumped for the rest of the cd. This song does get repetitive and a little boring after a while.
Apocalypse Now-8/10 This song brings in the electronic elements which I'm not really fond of. But since there is a nice mix of electronics and real instruments I'm ok with that. Good rapping and a good rock chorus.
Gangsters and Thugs-8/10 The 1st single is really all electronics. But since it has a great melody and good rhymes, I can't help but to give it 8.
What I Can't Describe-7/10 This song is completely different fron the rest of the cd since it is pure hip-hop with a little bit of funk and soul. I like the melody but the song's a little too ghetto for me. Not a real heavy beat or anything.
Doomsday-8/10 I like where they were going with this song. There's a swing beat with solid vocals and interesting instrumentation. I just think they should of took the musical idea further instead of the focus being on vocals most of the time.
Killafornia-10/10 One of my favorites. I love the beat and the attitude of the whole song. The guy from Cypress Hill sounds amazing and the track just flies. I wish I saw them play this at Warped.
American Guns-9/10 Damn catchy song. Not too fast or heavy of a song, just fun. I've had this stuck in my head a lot.
Madness-8/10 This is also a fun song. Cool instrumentals, just not as memorable as American Guns.
Hit the Fence-9/10 Basically a short rap song with an awesome beat. This stands out to me cuz Travis puts a pretty simple cadence into a song to make it bounce and sound amazing.
Pay Any Price-7/10 I'd say the worst sounding song production wise on the album. Not very catchy and they sound like they don't care about what they're singing. Pretty cool instrumentals with a kind of lazy, beach vibe.
I Want It All-10/10 Another one of my favorites. I love the hand claps and the beat through the whole song. A really fun, party kinda song.
Crash and Burn-6/10 This in my opinion is the worst song on the cd. It sounds like a bad No Doubt song with the reggae feel with all electronics. The vocals are the best part of this song but still not that great. I'd say a bad way to end the album.
Overall this is a good album. I've grown to really like Rob's rapping style. It has different songs for any mood you're in, which is always good for when you're trying to find something to listen to. They are also awesome live. Travis changes a lot of the parts to make it a lot more interesting. The compositions are also more complicated live and they just put on a good show.
"