10 Years is back with a new single “I Remember.” The band are hard at work on the follow up to their last album, Violent Allies. I’ve always considered 10 Years to be one of the more consistent bands out. They have quite the catalog of albums and songs now that really hold up quite well. I find myself going back to a few of their albums like The Autumn Effect, Minus The Machine and How To Live As Ghosts quite a lot. This new single is a great representation of the melodic heavy rock they’ve been releasing for going on 20 plus years now. Speaking on the new single guitarist Brian Vodinh said “I Remember‘ is about looking back at our youth and remembering how it felt like we had our entire lives in front of us. How we were full of hope and ambition and kind of clueless to how harsh the real world is. It’s about remembering how we used to always look at the bright side and weren’t so beaten up by life.” I for one am looking forward to what this new 10 Years album brings.
Since 2005 I’ve been a fan of the band 10 Years. Their major label debut, The Autumn Effect, was quite an album and set a standard for the band. Over the years through various incarnations of the band, albums and producers, 10 Years consistently put out albums, some of which were rather good (Division and Minus The Machine) and some albums that seemed to fall short of what they could have been (Feeding The Wolves and From Birth To Burial). Now on their eighth album, 10 Years have found the spark again and have delivered an album just as impactful as The Autumn Effect. (how to live) As Ghosts is a tremendous melodic rock album and the album the band needed to make. Working with famed producer Nick Raskulinecz (Alice In Chains, Deftones, Foo Fighters), got the band back on track and the songs really shine because of it as does the entire sound of the album.
One of the things that has always stood out to me about 10 Years is singer/lyricist Jesse Hasek. He has a way with melodies and a knack for writing lyrics that are not just thought provoking but also tug at your heart strings. You can hear that in songs like “The Messenger,” “Burnout,” “Ghosts,” “Phantoms (which is my favorite song on the album as of this writing),” “Vampires,” “Halos,” and the closer “Insomnia.” Something else that stands out about this album is the return of guitarist Matt Wantland who left the band after the album Division. With Wantland and guitarist (and former drummer) Brian Vodinh, they have written heavy yet catchy riffs that stand out among all their albums. Also included as a bonus track is a cover of Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box.” This mid tempo cover is delicate and beautiful. It’s almost haunting in the way it was arranged. It’s definitely a cover worth checking out!
10 Years aren’t the type of band that is reinventing the wheel. Instead they do rock music the justice it deserves and add the right amount of melody and aggression to be impactful. (How to live) As Ghosts is the perfect return to form for 10 Years and gives hope for the future of the band.
AUDIOECLECTICA 