This band is certainly not the same one that released "Tomorrowland". In name and even sharing the same musicians, it is, but in spirit and sound, this is another animal altogether. The frontman position has changed, but more disappointingly so has the sound. With
Token's attempt at finding a new direction,
AOR fans will be lost and most likely dislike this album instantly. Not that "Tomorrowland" was all fluff and cuddly keyboards, they were sporting an attitude then that had a menacing edge, but "Punch" takes it to another level entirely.
It is difficult to figure out exactly what this album is going for. On one hand some of the songs have pretty nice hooks, and can be compared to the likes of
Harem Scarem and
Talisman in various ways. On the
other hand, the rest of the album is pure nu-breed rubbish. The deeper the hole they dig for themselves with talking vocals in that oh-so fashionable disinterested current US rock star feel and distorted guitars crushing all over the place the more interest is lost. In fact at one point it makes one feel like taking a punch at their eardrums as a token sign of their aggravation. A couple of instances they break the barriers between the two and come up with something that's worthy of your time, since the distorted guitars provide a little bit different of a backdrop than most of us are used to, and the clean sparkly melodies trying to find their way out of the sludge makes for a unique mix.
New vocalist Mattias Ahlen would be more at home in a power metal band. He has a great voice in general, maybe a bit generic at times, but overall much cleaner and more powerful than the previous guy, HB Anderson. Mattias handles the grittier stuff convincingly too, and since
Token seem determined to morph into some nu-breed band, you know, the kind of awful stuff played on mainstream "rock" radio, they got a two-for-one with this guy.
As we
"Punch In" they treat us to a very atmospheric track that mixes some very distant and muffled sounding snippets from songs on the album, maybe all from the opener,
"Tear Down the Wall", hard to tell. The first two real tracks are both extremely promising.
"TDtW" is an in-your-face metaller that exposes some of their outside the melodic circle influences in the form of skull crushing guitar. The chorus is bursting out with melody and carries the song nicely.
"Free I'm Gonna Roll" is even cleaner and more upfront, less sludge and packing a flirty feel of 80s rock of the traditional kind.
"Sometimes" continues the trend of good stuff and is a fantastic little piece. Lots of keyboards lighten up the song while the guitar still reverberates with that thicker sound. Mattias smooths things over with a lovely performance that climbs to a higher peak for the catchy chorus that's all melody and no rubbish.
Back to back uptempo goodies are represented with
"Falling" and
"Dreaming". The first is one of the best songs on the album, and has a kind of twisted progressive touch that reminds me of
Fates Warning in the "Inside Out" vein of things but forces down some rather strongly forced guitar.
"Dreaming" uses some studio synth sounds that is reminiscent of the mood setting backdrop doodlings in Yngwie's "Odyssey" album, to reproduce a nifty vibe, and Ahlen turns in a strong performance that makes the song even more convincing. These two represent what
Token is best at, using the nu-breed guitars and voice distortions exclusively for effect, breaking out some cool acoustic passages, classic guitar soloing, big melodic hooks and classy vocals.
The other two notables are the ballad
"Save Me", which is very mainstream radio. It seems like a cross between
Harem Scarem and their alter-ego Rubber with a dash of something like Train - for lack of better comparison, I hear plenty of snippets of here in the now radio rock but never stick around long enough to figure out who's playing what, its all pretty much grating to these ears. Some purists won't get this one, and really they can't be blamed. Despite all of the elements that are actually good, the overall tone is too out there to make it a classic or anything of the sort.
"Can't Heal" is the other one and it's a high powered melodic rock tune that starts off on the right foot sizzling with
AOR touches while the guitar strikes out in rougher edged anger. Vocally its all good, even the little spots where its muffled and distorted for a few seconds for dramatic impact. Good stuff. The CD closer, well besides the bookend atmosphere bit,
"Punch Out", is
"Turn Back Time" and it sports a tight structure, smashing chorus, and some sections that are almost whispered in this creepy fashion. The rhythm guitars are all crush and distortion but the ones laid on top as the lead take a more classic rock n roll stance. With all the keys and vocal harmonies, it is enough to turn it into a killer ending track that blends the best of both worlds.
Then there's the crap, and does it ever stink.
"Wake Up" is the worst offender by far. Everything that can turn off a fan is here, its aimed squarely at the kiddies, and since this band has no hope in hell of getting that coveted radio play, it seems useless to junk up the album with its presence. Detached monotone talking over sludgy guitars and background chanting drones make it seem like Hoobastank's latest single. Barf.
"On the Move" commits similar sins which drowns it in the stagnant pool of crap.
"The Sin" is just that, tacking this on the album is a major one in fact. The best I can do is compare it to Saigon Kick's "Water" only stripped of all the bits that made that album actually good. Lyrically
"Media Doll" makes some good points but the execution in the end is poor and very modern rock. This one however you could probably get used to since the keys pop in as saviors and helps to separate it from the rest. Time and patience with this one is the key. With so much other great music on the market currently, whether you want to devote yourself to warming up to this is another matter entirely.
The question with
Token's "Punch" for potential customers that may be willing to shell out the cash for this is - How much nu-breed rock are you willing to put up with? If "None" is your answer, then stay far, far away. Even some of the better tracks are peppered with some of radio rock's trademarks, and the rhythm guitar rarely bobs its head above the general murky sounds of gritty heavy bottomed distortion. While it does lend
Token a sound that stands them out from the rest of crop, it also lowers their accessibility to those that will outright refuse to tolerate such outsider influences in their music.
"Punch" feels modern and not just because of the access of updated production methods, when the word modern is used, it's meant in the tone of modern rock. The throwbacks to melodic rockin' metal are worth a peek simply for their structuring, good vocals and catchy harmonies. If you don't mind the mixing of the two styles and keep an open mind to the extremes, then this is an excellent piece for those seeking something that plays favors to those thinking outside the box. On the plus side, you can't just lump
Token in with all the other melodic bands anymore. if that is a plus, all depends on your state of musical mind.
Written by
Alanna Tuesday, June 22, 2004
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