Asking Alexandria's “Reunion" Sparks Most Innovative Album to Date
by Cameron Martinez
In a reunion that many were hoping for since early 2015, vocalist Danny Worsnop is back with Asking Alexandria as they release their brand new, self-titled record. The singer/screamer left the band in early 2015 and was then replaced by Denis Stoff, who was discovered through his Asking Alexandria covers on Youtube. A lot has transpired since then, including a country rock solo release from Worsnop, a full-length album, The Black, from the boys in AA, and a speculative fallout with the aforementioned Stoff. Following all of that, Worsnop has now re-joined the band, and it seems they are going at it full force with their new record.
Self-titling the album may have been a way for the band to demonstrate a ‘rebirthing’ process after making mends between Worsnop and lead guitarist, Ben Bruce, and in that vein, the band sheds some new light on sides of Asking Alexandria we haven’t seen before. Immediately in the opening track, “Alone in a Room”, we experience a vocal style that leans more towards the pop genre than ever before laid over Asking Alexandria’s trademark metal instrumentation. We were treated to track two, “Into the Fire”, early on as it was the first single released, and in this track the band delivers one of the most epic choruses they have created to date along with a bridge that will satisfy their fans who have been here since day one.
In terms of lyrics, the band does not fall short of things to sing about. Worsnop seamlessly transitions between singing about the band’s history offering inspiration to the children of the world, and him recollecting a moment in a hotel room years ago where he feels his life could have ended.
In perhaps one of the most surprising turns for the band, they feature a rapper by the name of Bingx on their track, “Empire”, which they surprisingly fit perfectly into the rest of the song. Despite experimenting with new genres previously uninhabited by the band, you can still expect some classic AA sound in tracks like “Rise Up” and “Eve”.
It’s hard to say what the best parts of the new album are, whether it be the catchy, soaring choruses sure to be blasted on radio stations across the world, the heaviness that the band has managed to infuse throughout, or the mature, self-aware lyrics that take us on a roller coaster ride from beginning to end. However, I can say that this new release will please fans of the past as well as attract a new wave of AA fans. The band contributes their love for the recording process to the fact that there were no strict deadlines and previous disputes being mended this time around. Though it may take some time for older fans to warm up to this album, with this refreshing take on their sound, Asking Alexandria make it clear that they are done being told what to do and taking hold of their future.
8/10
Listen to: “Into The Fire”, “Where Did It Go?”, “Room 138”
Asking Alexandria is out on 12/15 on Sumerian Records.