Worse Than Alone Review

Released: Mar 10, 2009
Genre: Mathcore / Progressive Metal
Label: Eyeball
Number Of Tracks: 10
Worse Than Alone is the fourth studio album by The Number Twelve Looks Like You.

Sound:	10
Lyrics:	9
Impression:	9.5
Overall rating:	9.5
Reviewer rating:	9.5
Users rating:	9.4
Votes:	21

overall: 9.7

Reviewed by: plague_runner, on march 23, 2009

Sound: TNTLLY definitely surprised me once again with another great album. The guitars have a stronger metal tone this time around, from speed-y Grind to Fluid Prog metal. But the biggest highlight in the guitars is the Jazz pieces that are excellently preformed. I didn't pay too much attention to the drums but that's a good thing because all I could hear on their last album was the drumming, it's toned down a bit and less noisy. Over all the sound of TNTLLY is their best to date in my opinion. It's less noisy, and the influences and sounds aren't just thrown all together like most mathcore bands. You can hear the smooth jazz, the abrasive Grind, the prog-y metal, and the chaotic mathcore, but it's all pieced together in the smoothest of ways witch makes Worse than alone a trully unique piece of art. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The vocals have changed a bit too. You have less of the angry sponge-bob-esque shreiks, more clean singing passages, more Death growls and you can finally hear why it takes the band to have 2 singers to achieve the unique number 12's vocal acrobatics. Before all you can hear was screaming and minor clean and growled vocals and you couldn't tell that the band had 2 vocalists. The lyrics have improved too. I looked over and couldn't find any curse words witch is cool because you don't need fowl language to sound bad ass. There is some "EL pinata de le muerte" styled lyrics. Minorly gory at times but with deeper meanings than death. I found that members of the band had a dark past just judging by the lyrics. Songs like "To Catch A Tiger", and "If They Holler Don't Let Them Go" have some pretty dark and gruesome imagery. There is also a lot of numbers and names in their lyrics as well. // 9

Impression: I really like this album I really can't compare this record to any others but I suppose if your fans of mathcore groups like Fear Before, Daughters, Heavy Heavy low low, The locust, The human abstract, Between the buried and me, you would probably like this band better than most of the bands listed. My favorite song on this record would probably be "Marvin's Jungle" or "Glory Kingdom" but it's really hard to decide the best track because they are all great songs and have something different in each song. I love the effort put into this record and the fact that I'm a Number 12 fan and this really exceeded my expectations. If it were stolen or lost I would be hella pissed at whoever stole it and I would hunt them down and "Find creative ways strip their body parts and use them as weapons of torture" (if any fans got the reference lol) And if stolen I'd try to buy another copy or even steal one(risking my clean record). // 10

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: plague_runner, on march 23, 2009

Sound: Omg! From what once used to sound like a "scene kid/false grind" mathcore group, now sounds like a well assembled 6 piece mathcore group without an identity crisis. I've always like The number 12 looks like you, matter in fact they are one of my favorite bands, but this record has blown me away. The band is still noisy as ever, but also has a more laid back/ chill style as well. And even melodic. Worse than alone's sound goes from Grind, to prog, to indie-pop/jazz all with the mathcore aggression that is typicaly found in most bands in the genre. Most mathcore piece their influences into a mess of obnoxious noise. Number 12's latest offering is one of the best mathcore albums to date. The guitars are as amazing as ever combining Grind and Prog, odd time signatures, and even have smooth jazz pieces thrown into a couple songs witch are my favorite highlights of the record.The guitars have a more metal sound as well with break down esque passages and riffing. The drumming has toned down a bit giving the band some room to breathe, and the additional percussion is a nice surprise as well. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are better this time around. A lot of meaning and imagery is put to good use in Worse than alone. Songs like to catch a tiger and If they holler don't let go are really dark songs. I'm not exactly sure the meaning behind each song but these two tracks are pretty gruesome, sound like the band has had a very dark past, and if definitely shows in this record. Other songs like The garden's all nighters have some fun indie-pop style lyrics like "quick check coffee is cooling down" and makes you feel like you are at some indie/jazz club or something. The vocals are chaotic at times with the sponge-bob-esque shrieks, and death growls. But this time around the vocalists(there is 2 of them) use more clean singing in their songs and come up with some great singing passages. Brilliant. // 9

Impression: I love this record so much I can't stop listening to it. The record combines some of the wacky moments of Heavy heavy low low, the surprise melodic passages as Between the buried and me, and the dark moments of Fear before's newer material. Great for mathcore fans, or anyone into experimental metal genres. I suggest tracks like Glory Kingdom, Given Life, Marvin's jungle, The Garden's All Nighters, and If They Holler Don't Let Go. If stolen I'll hunt down whoever stole it and chainsaw them in the freakin face. If lost I would simply buy another copy. Or steal it. // 9

Comments

[Dregen]

Haven't listened to the whole album yet (still stuck on As The Roots Undo by Circle Takes The Square), but I've heard quite a few good tracks, The Garden's All-Nighters being probably the best of them I've heard so far.

Actually, it's probably the best track I've ever heard by them.

[andrew12398]

I honestly don't like it that much. I sort of like Glory Kingdom, and LOVE If They Holler, Don't Let Go. But that's about it. This is nothing compared to Mongrel =/

[plague_runner]

Sorry I didnt think my first review was gonna show so I made a second one...sorry at least it gave me a chance to give you guys a little more info.

Dregen wrote:

Haven't listened to the whole album yet (still stuck on As The Roots Undo by Circle Takes The Square), but I've heard quite a few good tracks, The Garden's All-Nighters being probably the best of them I've heard so far.

Actually, it's probably the best track I've ever heard by them.

And I agrre this is my favorite track as well.

[tbrown8890]

Sad that the 2nd vocalist left...I saw them in concert a week ago with just one. They put on an AMAZING live show and the single vocalist put on an amazing show himself. Its hard to imagine how great they would be with a 2nd. They performed the songs off this album well.

[drscreen]

definitely an AMAZING record and the Band will be missed dearly, the nylon guitar puts everything together and inspires me!