The Flood and The Mercy - reviews Options

[dangum]

The album is now available in some European markets.

Please use this thread to post your review of the album.

[Bremang]

After first listen to the album, I'd say it's much more listenable than Alive. The production is also a solid step up from Alive. It's fair to give Ed thumbs up for songwriting effort. There's maybe only one lyric regarding our main man Jesus Christ. No overbearing falsetto. Vocals are in the proper range and it actually sounds pretty nice at times. Expect mid tempo contemporary tracks. Don't expect any serious rock, though Watchman's Lament gets there a little. It's about as hard rock as REM. You can definitely hear Mike's good influence. I do appreciate the sound in the secret track! overall not too bad!

[PurdueSteve]

I'm downloading it now. Found it in a torrent. I don't know what the purpose of releasing it so much later here in the states is. If it was available I just would have purchased it, instead it's easier to get it the wrong way than it is to try and find some way to buy it from a European market.

Either way, I'm planning to do a long run today and I should be able to listen to the whole thing through.

[Badman]

I listened to the single and the 30 second clips from Amazon and I have to say I am surprised.

This album is the best thing Ed has come out with since the split. The falsetto is gone, he's started to reach beyond the same stupid pop patterns (love the 8+ minute long song), and frankly, some of these songs sound like they could be old Live

Yes, I said it. Sounds like old live. I'm not talking SS or before, but Cornerstone easily fits on V and the lyrics are better.

The following tracks are winners for me.

The One (!)
Supernatural Fire (!)
Seven
Angels on a Razor
Bottle of Anything
Cornerstone (!)

If I had money I would buy this. I firmly believe if I went over to WD and gave them supernatural fire and told them it was a BoP era extra they would believe it. While this album does have some songs that don't appear good, like all that I wanted and take me back, it's likely better than V, bop, and SFBM in terms of live measurement.

[Bremang]

Cornerstone is a Bob Marley song..... You gotta hear the whole songs, i wasn't a fan of the 30 second clips but the full songs aren't too bad

This post has been edited by Bremang: Sep 7 2013, 3:19 pm

[Bremang]

You can definitely hear Mike's good influence. I

Meant to say Peter

[Crossed]

Here's my song by song review:

The One - 7/10
I like the intensity on the verses, he kinda messes up on the third chorus- "the one you fear, make me disappear" part ends up sounding silly and awkward. The live versions on Youtube sound more fun and aggressive. Still a solid track though.

Seven - 9/10
This is what I want from Ed, such a beautiful song. Finally something that stays away from the positive/love/religious stuff.

Angels on a Razor - 8.5/10
Great chorus. The verses sound silly but there's a fantastic bridge. I love the fact that Ed keeps it controlled throughout and doesn't yell any of those final lyrics awkwardly like he usually does. The guitar work sounds great, good production.

Parasite - 8/10
After a few listens, this one got stuck in my head. The whole thing is very catchy, I was singing it all day at work. Only thing missing is a good bridge or at least throw in a guitar solo to beef it up. Either way this song rocks.

All That I Wanted - 8/10
Very catchy tune, the whistling is cool. I like how the bridge just flows into the third chorus. A calm, relaxing song I can play in the car without annoying my mom.

Take Me Back - 4/10
I listened to this song twice and never want to hear it again. That filtered voice of Ed on the chorus is kinda lame. This is the worst song on the album IMHO.

Holy Water Tears - 9/10
Wow, this is pure ear candy. It flows so beautifully and that female vocalist is icing on the cake. If Ed continues making religious songs, he should use this track to set the bar.

Supernatural Fire - 6/10
Kinda cheesy, but fun nonetheless. Reminds me of "Stage" a little.

Bottle of Anything - 9.5/10
Favorite song, outstanding chorus. The bridge part is terrible, should have put more effort on perfecting that bridge, especially when the rest of the song is hit material. Still, I remain impressed.

The Watchman's Lament - 7/10
I hated this at first, buts its growing on me slowly. Nice bridge on this one.

Cornerstone -5/10
Its alright but I don't like covers. Production quality is great, his voice sounds top notch.

Overall I'm impressed, Ed is evolving and most of these new songs reflect that. He seems to have more discipline now. This is my favorite album from Ed since "V". Can't wait for future albums because now Ed has his head in a better place musically.

This post has been edited by Crossed: Sep 7 2013, 7:36 pm

[PurdueSteve]

I've listened to it a bit. I'm not going to do a song by song review.

At first listen it sounds much better than Alive, and even SFBM. After a few listens that fades away. I like Seven, Parasite and Supernatural Fire. I think the production is better than Alive. The music is maybe a tad better but it's the same poor lyrical content. Ed even throws in some "Gloria in excelsis Deo".

The plus, as others have mentioned, is that compared to Ed's other solo stuff this is more towards the angle of Rock, but it isn't Rock. His voice is better than Alive and the false setto stuff has been tamed.

All in all, it's a step in the positive direction, but I just don't think he's going to win me, and others like me, over until he slows down and stops churning out cookie cutter songs with the exact same formulaic structure over and over and over again. I think he can dig deeper on the music, be more creative and can certainly do better lyrically. I'm not a Christian, and I get that Christian lyrics are likely never going to appeal to me, but there are Christian artist that sing about their faith without it being so, for like of a better word, corny.

[Rush Of Blood]

The best songs of The Flood & The Mercy are better thant the songs on Alive. A step foward in a good direction.

[mattyeagles]

Here's my song by song review:

The One - 7/10
I like the intensity on the verses, he kinda messes up on the third chorus- "the one you fear, make me disappear" part ends up sounding silly and awkward. The live versions on Youtube sound more fun and aggressive. Still a solid track though.

Seven - 9/10
This is what I want from Ed, such a beautiful song. Finally something that stays away from the positive/love/religious stuff.

Angels on a Razor - 8.5/10
Great chorus. The verses sound silly but there's a fantastic bridge. I love the fact that Ed keeps it controlled throughout and doesn't yell any of those final lyrics awkwardly like he usually does. The guitar work sounds great, good production.

Parasite - 8/10
After a few listens, this one got stuck in my head. The whole thing is very catchy, I was singing it all day at work. Only thing missing is a good bridge or at least throw in a guitar solo to beef it up. Either way this song rocks.

All That I Wanted - 8/10
Very catchy tune, the whistling is cool. I like how the bridge just flows into the third chorus. A calm, relaxing song I can play in the car without annoying my mom.

Take Me Back - 4/10
I listened to this song twice and never want to hear it again. That filtered voice of Ed on the chorus is kinda lame. This is the worst song on the album IMHO.

Holy Water Tears - 9/10
Wow, this is pure ear candy. It flows so beautifully and that female vocalist is icing on the cake. If Ed continues making religious songs, he should use this track to set the bar.

Supernatural Fire - 6/10
Kinda cheesy, but fun nonetheless. Reminds me of "Stage" a little.

Bottle of Anything - 9.5/10
Favorite song, outstanding chorus. The bridge part is terrible, should have put more effort on perfecting that bridge, especially when the rest of the song is hit material. Still, I remain impressed.

The Watchman's Lament - 7/10
I hated this at first, buts its growing on me slowly. Nice bridge on this one.

Cornerstone -5/10
Its alright but I don't like covers. Production quality is great, his voice sounds top notch.

Overall I'm impressed, Ed is evolving and most of these new songs reflect that. He seems to have more discipline now. This is my favorite album from Ed since "V". Can't wait for future albums because now Ed has his head in a better place musically.

My review: This CD is really really good, vast improvement from prior work and the best material from Ed, easily, since The Distance to Here. His voice sounds great and he keeps it in the lower register. The cheesiness factor is really low too, which is a change of pace. The music and production are like light and day compared to Alive, in a good way. Nicely done Ed.

My favorite songs are:
All That I Wanted
Holy Water Tears
Parasite
The Watchman's Lament
Angels on a Razor
Seven
Bottle of Anything

The only song I don't care for is Take Me Back. The versus and music are really good but the chorus is painful.

[Hoodstock]

I'd have to say I think The Flood and The Mercy is a huge disappointment (especially after all his talk about collaboration with other on this album).

After about a dozen listens from start to finish there are a few decent moments, but nothing that stands out as fantastic.

The decent:

The One - a decent track to open the album (although the phrase "The One" has become another overused lyric for Ed just like Water or Child/Children).

Seven - the first verse is absolutely horrible, but the rest of the song turns out decent (not a single however).

Parasite - I appreciate the attempt at an actual rock tune. His voice and annunciation in the first verse is horrible but it improves in verse 2.

All That I Wanted - a nice filler song on the album with no real downside.

Aside from those 4 tracks I feel like the rest of the album is complete garbage.

Angels on A Razor - When I was in middle school decades ago, and first picked up a guitar, I came up with a simple riff. It happens to be the exact same thing as the opening riff for this song - it's amateur. The refrain is just plain stupid.

Take Me Back - sounds like two songs that do not remotely go together at all.

Holy Water Tears - nice sounding guitars. The refrain is garbage and the lyrics are trash.

Supernatural Fire - nice riff. Song is ruined by Ed's lyrics and singing.

Bottle of Anything - one of the dumbest titles / songs I've ever hear. Sounds like something a middle school kid would write.

The Watchmen's Lament - The song is boring, and yes - Ed dropped "Gloria in excelsis Deo" right in the middle of it. Sounds great if I'm singing at church on Christmas Eve, but not on an album. Are you fucking kidding me?

Cornerstone - The first time I listened through this song it was so basic and dumb I actually started laughing. It's that bad.

Secret Track - These became dumb once CD's became obsolete. It's not even a song - thanks for nothing Ed.

I think that The Garden was a positive progression for Ed from Alive but The Flood and The Mercy is three steps backwards. I'd recommend the first two efforts over this. Out of the three albums / EP's there is nothing special to write home about and this is hands down his worst solo effort.

[Soxwsc]

I think The Flood and the Mercy is a huge improvement from anything Ed's put together since the Birds of Pray. I've been a Live fan since 97, bought all their albums, and could probably name any song in their catalog if you played any 5 seconds of a random track. After BOP, the music went downhill, production was terrible, the lyrics were a step backwards and much of it was an embarrassment. Honestly I wondered if Ed even had it in him to write brilliant music again.

With that said, here's my review of TFATM:

The One: Finally we have an album that starts off right. Remember TDC, the Intro to Simple Creed, Heaven, The River.. all of these songs didn't sound right as the first track. The One sounds great as the first track and quickly kicks in to a nice beat. I love where he yells, "I'll be shining" near the end of the bridge. Nice sounding rock song!

Seven: Another classic tune from Ed. "Black wild oceans, open up and swallow me". If you don't like these types of lyrics, I don't get why you're a fan in the first place. These lyrics and the sound in this track bring me back to the old Live. I like how the drums kick in when he sings "How could you leave me this way?". His voice sounds better than ever, he keeps in his lower register until the end when he uses a higher "How could you leave meee?". Ed shows why he's one of the best at singing with such passion.

Angels on a Razor: This took me a while to get used to but it's growing on me. I can't get that bridge out of my head and I love the laid back vibe of it "And youuu, I know you're weary baby but times like these pass, they go, just close your eyes and know that youuu, you are the center honey". Great mid-tempo chill out song.

Parasite: Great rock track. Love the guitars. Almost sounds like old Live here. And it's amazing how Ed can use his voice and sound completely different yet you always know it's Ed. He has that unmistakable voice even though he uses so many voices. Sounds much better with the volume up. At this point I usually keep the volume as loud as I can tolerate for the rest of the album. It's obviously directed at someone he's pissed off at and who's been holding him back.

All That I Wanted: Quickly became my favorite track on the album and I'm still turning to this track if I I have a short drive somewhere. I like how it begins with the whistling, sort of like continuing the taunting from the previous track. Brilliant! Haunting lyrics and a melody that quickly gets stuck in your head. The only thing I don't like about this song is the first couple of lyrics.. goes overboard on the cheesy factor. The cheesy lyrics in Secret Samadhi are what got me into Live in the first place, so I don't mind these type of lyrics, but "Holding hands through all the ages" goes a little overboard. Luckily it turns into a brilliant track, reminds me a bit of Metallica for some reason.

Take me Back: I love the melody in the verses. Sets an eerie vibe, then does a 180 into the chorus. Love it! Sounds great loud. I'm digging the part in the chorus where he yells out "It's buried deep"... and then it slows down again in typical classic Live fashion yet with a creative use of a megaphone where he talks about some mystical "foundation of the world". I don't even want to know the lyrics. Another reason I got into Live was because of the freaky ambiguous lyrics, even better sometimes when you don't know exactly what he's singing. My favorite part of the song: "And here we sit in this silent temple". Love the sound of this entire track.

Holy Water Tears: When I first heard the sample on iTunes, I was hoping the entire song would be as amazing as the sample. First listen of the whole song, I was ecstatic. Holy Freaking Gem! The sound of the chorus is incredible "To be loved, made whole again". Just the way "whole" is sung with that passion is amazing. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to this one. I can't get enough of it, and I'm betting I won't get tired of it any time soon. The way the track ends with all the voices singing together in different harmonies sounds fantastic. Best song on the album!

Supernatural Fire: Least favorite on the album but I still listen to it frequently. A fast, fun rock song that sounds great and has its moments but isn't anything supernatural like the previous track.

Bottle of Anything: Amazing song. Has a depressing vibe in the verses which I love.. however the chorus kicks in and has this amazing, uplifting energy to it. Definitely gets stuck in your head like so many other moments on the album. I love how the end of the second chorus kicks into the bridge seamlessly. The melody in that bridge and the way you can move or dance to it is one of my favorite moments on the album. I also love how Ed yells out that last "Whatever love you found" in his higher register. Voice sounds amazing in this one.

The Watchmans' Lament: Sounds super cool. From the beginning, the song rocks with an amazing uptempo energy. Can't get the "To be whole again, like a child" out of my head, and then into that "Gloria in Excelsis Deo". I think that sounds cool. Very creative in my opinion, and I'm glad he's not afraid to write or go wherever he wants with the lyrics. They're deeply his own and as a fan I appreciate that. "Gonna testify".

Cornerstone: When I heard this was a cover, I was a little disappointed. I'm not a big fan of covers, but Ed sounds amazing on this one. So simple yet sounds so good. A slow ballad with the piano and Ed sounding as good as he's ever sounded is a great way to close out the album. I love how he transitions into his higher register near the end.

The Hidden Prayer: Didn't realize this was a prayer at first. And didn't get why it was on the album. But after a couple listens and trying to decipher what he's saying, I get it, and think it's a personal and creative way to end the album. It's a little weird and out there but that's just typical Ed.

Overall, it's my favorite album from Ed since The Distance to Here. I like the cohesion of the album, the way it flows and sounds like every track belongs on the album. There are so many great moments in here. Nothing terribly embarrassing, no overbearing falsettos. Just a great sounding album from start to finish with haunting melodies, personal lyrics and fantastic music yet so simple and effortless. It's an album I'll be listening to and enjoying for a long time... along with Solar Flare which I overlooked when it first came out but now is one of my favorites. Solar Flare rocks! "Save me from myself".

This post has been edited by Soxwsc: Sep 14 2013, 8:33 pm

[Live4Life]

I like every song on it so far. Only one i'm a little leary about it cornerstone.

I like it but i like it more when they get to the harmonies and the end.
This cd just shows how much he has evolved and that he did indeed have it in him to write some more great songs.
Any one that has been a fan of this band should know that the whole "water" and river refrences have a lot of meaning to him ...they are metaphors.
He even says so in that last interview. A lot of musicians have that one or two certain things that have very special meaning to them and they include them in many of their songs.

And his being water is not a damn thing wrong with it. This is why i have always laughed my ass off at people when they have poked fun at all his water refrences. They have no clue. Unless you are a musician you would'nt ever. have. a clue.

[figure8]

Don't know where to start - bad album. 30 seconds of each track is just enough to realize that there is no need to listen to the full thing anyways, unless you're doing music reviews for a living. Same Alive only a different title. Ed needs an experiment, cause this is definitely not working. I hope that one day he will release an album which will be worth a listen, but it is definitely not the flood and the mercy.

Someone was stating here that this album is Ed's best work since TDTH, but in what exact criteria? Musically? Lyrically? Vocally? TDTH was rich in sound colors, it was a solid record in every aspect - the flood and the mercy is nowhere near solid.

And the cover is pretty bad. Some say don't judge the book by it's cover. Turns out sometimes the cover says it all.

[Bingy]

It's been a long time since I last posted something on here.
. . . Anyway

When I first listened to the album I guess I wasn't that impressed,
think I wasn't in the right frame of mind at the time when I was at work listening to it on my ipod.

I gave it another listen and there were a few tracks that stood out from the annoying cheesy poppy crap that Ed cant help but make.

Songs that stood out for me (in order)

01 Parasite
02 Holy Water Tears
03 Seven (still not keen on those lyrics 'I'm gonna scream like a little baby, call me craaazzzyy')
04 All That I Wanted

05 The Watchman's Lament

the rest of the album is a bit average for me (but might grow on me later on)

06 The one
07 Bottle of Anything
08 Angels on a Razor
09 Supernatural Fire

and these two tracks are just terrible (probably will never get better when I listen to them again)

10 Cornerstone (I do like that little bonus track thing at the end when he's having a prayer)
11 Take Me Back (starts off ok, but then when he starts screaming 'take me back to the start') just yuk.

Overall just 3 out of 5 stars for me.

and if your not keen on the album cover like me.
I changed it up a bit with a color version.