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.

[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