Jealous Haters Since 1998!
Home | News | Reviews | Day In Rock | Photos | RockNewsWire | Singled Out | Tour Dates/Tix | Feeds

Agents of the Sun - Monarchs of a Fallen Society Review

by Dan Upton

.
Monarchs of a Fallen Society is the second album from this Baltimore-based band, and while I haven't heard their debut Aurora, this CD is enough to make me track down a copy and check it out. The story from their bio goes that the two original members met in "some typical band" but kept moving around until they found exactly the right people to play with, and they've since shared the stage with the likes of 3 Doors Down, Saliva, CKY, and Cold. This all leads to a sound which is completely familiar and accessible, and yet there's enough difference and creativity to make it hard to simply dismiss them as another "typical band."

On the surface, the music owes a lot to the whole modern pop-rock sound, with guitars in a normal range (as opposed to the drop tuning of heavier acts) and big, soaring vocal harmonies aplenty. Singer Ray Dobson commented that they were still all about beauty and harmony in their music, but that if he felt the need to scream at the top of lungs, he did--the screams range from those of their pop-punk contemporaries to a sound more like the distorted vocals of Flaw's first CD.

Halfway through the first track, then, you'd probably be ready to write them off as just another pop-punk band--then suddenly you realize they're doing more than just the regular verse-chorus-verse-chorus-chorus thing. Of course, varying song structure is useless if you don't have the chops or writing ability to make it worthwhile; fortunately, that is not a problem here. There are a few breakdowns that ring familiar, but there are plenty of interludes and guitar melodies to make up the difference. On top of that, there are a few songs such as "Time Line for a Butterfly" that almost completely break away from the punk-styled riffing.

Bottom line: if you like any of the previously mentioned bands, or if you like the general style of radio fare but are getting bored by songs from 10 different bands sounding the same, pick up Monarchs of a Fallen Society. You won't be disappointed.


CD Info and Links

Agents of the Sun - Monarchs of a Fallen Society

Label:DCide
Rating:

Preview and Purchase This CD Online

Visit the official homepage

More articles for this artist

tell a friend about this review

.

Fan Speak Your turn, post your comments and thoughts on this review and CD. But hey keep it clean, we wouldn't want to have to wash your mouth out with Old Spice.


They call you
What do you think ?:


.
News Reports
.
Day in Rock:
Van Halen Vs Adele- Sharon Osbourne Addresses Black Sabbath Controversy- New Slipknot Album Not Coming Soon- Beach Boys Reunion Kick Off at The Grammys- more

Day in Pop Lady Gaga Set For New Tour- Don Cornelius Suicide Confirmed- Katy Perry and Russell Brand Reach Comprehensive Written Settlement- Ray J Camp Deny Attack- more

B Sides: Howard Stern Van Halen Special Online- Ozzy Discusses Iommi's Cancer Battle on Radio Station Launch- Q&A With Slash- Lars Explains Metallica Experimenting- more

 Subscribe To Day in Rock

.
 
Reviews
.

Road Trip: Feel the Magic - Alamos, Mexico's Festival Ortiz Tirado

Elvis Found Alive

Rock Reads: Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside of AC/DC

Scorpions - Comeblack

Room Service: Chicago, Ohio, Missouri and Quebec

MorleyView: Ana Kefr

A Marriage Between Music and Movies Part III: Cameron Crowe's Top 10 Greatest Hits

RIP: Etta James - The Dreamer

The Doors - Mr. Mojo Risin': The Story of L.A. Woman

Soki2u - Dancing through the Needle's Eye

Cameron Crowe's Greatest Hits Part II (25-11)

Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightning: The Complete Chess Masters 1951-1960

Passport: Forty Winks- Giorgio Tuma- I Build Collapsible Mountains- Spring Offensive

A Marriage Between Music and Movies: Cameron Crowe's 'Greatest Hits' Part I (50-26)


.
.
.

Search for Tickets

Or Browse For Tickets

.
.
Today's Rock News
.

Van Halen Vs Adele

Sharon Osbourne Addresses Black Sabbath Controversy

New Slipknot Album Not Coming Soon

Beach Boys Reunion Kick Off at The Grammys

Aerosmith and Stephen King Collaboration Suggested

Killswitch Engage Made Jesse Leach Audition

Foo Fighters and Deadmau5 Team Up For Grammys

Rundgren, Lukather, Rolie For Ringo's All Star Band

Paul McCartney Streaming Live Tonight

Disturbed Member Joins Mike Portnoy's Adrenaline Mob

Red Hot Chili Peppers To Headline Hangout Music Fest

Jon Anderson Responds To Yes Reunion Rumor

Van Halen Tour Invite Surprised Kool and the Gang

Luis Alberto Spinetta RIP

Karma To Burn Going on Tour in March

Cauldron React To Juno Nomination

Exhumed Hitting The Road With Cannibal Corpse

Strangler's Hugh Cornwell and Sex Pistol's Glen Matlock Tour

The Safety Fire Album Release Pushed Back

Singled Out: Fleming's Slip

Subscribe to Day in Rock Report by Email

.
.
Today's Pop News
.

Lady Gaga Set For New Tour

Don Cornelius Suicide Confirmed

Katy Perry and Russell Brand Reach Comprehensive Written Settlement

Ray J Camp Deny Bodyguard Attack

Kelly Clarkson Tops The Chart With Stronger

Lana Del Rey Makes Strong Debut

Adele Closing In On 20 Weeks On Top

Puddle of Mudd Singer's Wife Wants Prenup Tossed Out

Lupe Fiasco and Bilal To Joining Robert Glasper Experiment On Letterman

Pilar Sanders Sues Deion Over Attack

24 Creator's Wife Won't Serve Jail Time For Vehicular Manslaughter

Gary Busey Goes Bankrupt

Charlie Sheen's Winning Super Bowl Party

Alcatraz Star Parminder Nagra Getting Divorced

Eva Longoria in Hollywood Fender Bender

Nate Dogg Caregivers Win Default Judgment

Halle Berry Wants Court Permission To Leave Country With Daughter

More News

.
 
anti Worthy Links
.
The Screen DoorsuperLOUDA Journal of Musical ThingsLloyd Zeffler blogDemolish MagNightwatcher's House of RockCJ ChilversDeja VoodooThe 1st Fivethecopycat.bizDay in Rock @twitter

.
  .
.

Click Here to Buy T-Shirts!
Click Here to Buy T-Shirts!

 

Tell a Friend about this page - Contact Us - Privacy - antiMusic Email - Job Postings - Advertising - Why we are antiMusic

Copyright© 1998 - 2012 Iconoclast Entertainment Group All rights reserved. antiMusic works on a free link policy for reprinting of our original articles, click here for details. Please click here for legal restrictions and terms of use applicable to this site. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the terms of use.