Illuminaudio

It's always a shame when a member of a band leaves. The drama that is created among the fan base, coupled with the uncertainty of the bands future, leaves the band in a very awkward position. The remaining members have to make a choice, they can call it quits, fill the spot and make mediocre music and be forever reminded that they were always better with so and so in the band, or they can fill the spot and rise to a higher point musically. When Craig Owens departed Chiodos he left the band in a tight spot. Owens' voice is considered one of the best in the genre and many thought that without him the band would fall apart. With the doubts of the masses hanging over them, Chiodos entered the studio and came out with Illuminaudio, a more epic and powerful album than any of their previous works.

Chiodos formed in 2001 in Davison, Michigan. In 2005 they released All's Well That Ends Well and in 2007 they released Bone Palace Ballet. Owens departed the band in 2009 and was replaced by Brandon Bolmer.

Illuminaudio is the progression you want to see a band like Chiodos make. When met with a trial, the band took all their emotion and threw themselves into the creation of a product that would show the world they were still a force to be reckoned with. Bolmer doesn't try to be Owens, instead he brings his own touch to the music and helps take the album to new heights.

Almost like an answer to any question or doubt the album's strength, "Caves" is the hard hitting single from Illuminaudio. Opening with what sounds like war drums and a haunting vocal melody, the song wastes little time in flexing the musicianship of all the band's players. The song's loose feeling verses and high soaring choruses are grounded to earth only by the scattered hard hitting sections. The song could also be seen as a chance for the band to show off their new singer's range, which leaves little room for doubt.

Almost at the end of the album lies the song "Those Who Slay Together, Stay Together," a song of epic proportions. This song drips pure energy and intensity, from the driving verses to the battle cry like choruses. This is the song the band decided to pull out all the stops on, the opening's piano melody and the screams toward the end showing the vast pallet of styles the band can handle. When the ending of this song finally comes some listeners might find themselves exhausted, so consider this a heads up.

A song the casual listener might skim over is "His Story Repeats Itself," and they will miss a real treat. First off to truly hear the song, one has to start with the last 30 seconds of the previous track. This little prelude helps set up a lovely little gem, with some of the most haunting sections of the album. The bridge is especially eire and flowing, while the rest of the song feels very much like a call to arms.

"Notes In Constellations," is a simple break from the mania and intensity of the rest of the album, that being said this isn't a song to be written off. With much more melodic guitar and keyboard parts, the song flows and sounds almost like a lullaby, a very epic lullaby. The chorus is especially nice with high soaring vocals and guitar. The outro of the song is nice relaxing float back to earth from the dreamscape the song takes you to.

This album takes all expectations and shatters them. Many people expected Chiodos to roll over and die, some people even wanted them to. Instead of doing that, Chiodos brought its fans a new, powerful album. If this is a taste of what's to come then the future looks bright for this band.

Always Listening

Nick