As Ugly as They Wanna Be

Carson gave this album on2008-11-10.

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While short, As Ugly as They Wanna Be does not feel lacking in any way.

Overall, the album focuses heavily on rhythm and features dark themes presented in a non-serious, almost comical, manner such as marijuana usage, alcohol abuse, anger mismanagement, and child abductions.

"Madman" starts off with birds chirping and kids playing to give the feeling of being at a park when suddenly the guitars and drums kick in and we are warned of a mad man being on the loose kidnapping children. The narrator in "Whiplash liquor" is cautioned of the dangers of his drink of choice, but is nevertheless drawn to it. Of all of the tracks on the album, "Too Bad" sounds most like "typical" metal and can be hard to get out of your head, but does not live up to the expectations set by the rest of the album.

In "Everything About You" the narrator goes into a tirade; how does he hate you - and your relatives? Let him count the ways. This song changes tempo and feel several times throughout which, coupled with its lyrics, keep the listener's attention focused. "Sweet Leaf/Funky Fresh Country Club" starts off with a Black Sabbath cover from Master of Reality and finishes with an original song. Somehow "Sweet Leaf" does not feel as sedate as it should for being about marijuana usage. After a definite switch in songs - but in such a way as to not cause a shock to the system - "Funky Fresh Country Club" begins. Finally, the extremely short "Heavy Metal" features all musical themes that one would expect from a Metal song: fast, heavy usage of guitar and drums, grunts, and high-pitched screams.

This album has all of the typical elements of a metal album, without sounding like a typical metal album. The topical themes of sex ("Everything About You"), drugs ("Whiplash Liquor" and "Sweet Leaf"), and Rock and Roll ("Heavy Metal") are present as well as musical themes. The laid back atmosphere of "As Ugly As They Wanna Be" is a great change of pace from more serious groups.

Track	Name		Carson	Katherine		Track	Name		Carson	Katherine
1	Madman					4	Everything About You
2	Whiplash Liquor					5	Sweet Leaf/Funky Fresh Country Club
3	Too Bad					6	Heavy Metal