Project 86 – Wait For The Siren (2012) [Review]: Wait. What Did I Just Listen To?

Yell! Magazine Reviews Wait for the Siren:

Project 86 have just released their eighth studio album, Wait for the Siren. In the past they’ve been compared to the likes of POD, Helmet, Rage Against the Machine, and Tool – none of which can be heard on this album, well, maybe some POD.

Buy Wait for the Siren for $10.49 on Amazon or $7.99 in the iTunes Store.

To be perfectly honest with you, I’ve never heard these guys, much less heard of them. And after listening to Wait for the Siren, I don’t think I’m any better for having heard it, despite their Christian lyrics of hope. I’m not going to go down that path of condemning them for their beliefs or their message. It is what it is and I don’t really care. Yes, lyrical content is important, but it’s not all there is when considering good music.

So, when Wait for the Siren opens with “Fall, Goliath, Fall” and its military drum roll and its traditional (is it Celtic?) instrumentation, I was thinking, “OK, what’s going on here? This could actually be somewhat unique and good.” But it quickly devolved into some kind of ‘90s-era college rock with edge enough for frat boys to think that they’re hardcore for listening to it.

By the time the opening track is finished I felt that I’d heard enough. And I had, but I carried on through the rest of the album like a trooper. For me, the six tracks between “Fall, Goliath, Fall” and “Blood Moon” were as forgettable as a night alone with my hand. With “Blood Moon,” P86 slows things way down and ends up sounding like bad-ballad Motley Crue, circa Generation Swine.

Track 10, “Ghosts of Easter Rising,” returns with the traditional sound, thankfully. In a way, the drumming sounds a lot like some horrorbilly backbeat, but slowed way down. The Christian lyrics on this track are anything but subtle, which is fine. It’s a rather enjoyable track, though nothing really happens and it doesn’t go anywhere. Same can be said for the closing track, “Wait for the Siren.” You’d think as the title track more would be going on, but no, it serves purely as an outro and an extension of “Ghosts of Easter Rising.”

The Verdict: [rating:2]

I can’t compare Wait for the Siren to previous albums by Project 86; all I can do is judge this album on its own merits, which might be the most honest approach to take. I can’t really fault this album on anything but sounding generic. Production quality is good. Andrew Schwab’s vocals sound great. Musically it’s easy on the ears, which also means that it’s easy to ignore and forget.

I imagine that if you’re a fan of Project 86, you’re liking this album. Good for you, but don’t count me among your masses; I won’t be returning for a repeat listen. Given the interesting things going on in “Fall, Goliath, Fall,” I was actually hoping to like this album more.

Rock Hard \m/