THEORY OF A DEADMAN: Dinosaur (ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Theory of a Deadman is a Canadian alternative metal band from Delta, British Columbia. Originally formed in 1999 by lead guitarist/vocalist Tyler Connolly and bassist Dean Back, they signed their first deal under Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger's label in 2001 after Connolly convinced Kroeger's ex-girlfriend to send him a copy of their first demo. Nine of their singles entered the top ten of the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, with four songs reaching number one, including 'Bad Girlfriend' and 'History of Violence'.

Evolving on their first albums between post grunge and alternative rock, Theory of a Deadman's inspiration slowly shifted over the years towards more US pop/rock content calibrated for radio play. From the outset, regardless of the genre in which the band has asserted itself, each release has invariably been subject to the same criticisms: straightforward, catchy and accessible, but unfortunately a little too simplistic and too close to the standards to allow the band to stand out from the crowd. Objectively speaking, Theory Of a Deadman's success to date has not been totally usurped, as they've always had enough talent to offer us at least two or even three truly successful tracks on each album, albeit scattered among a slew of all-purpose tracks that are quickly listened to and just as quickly forgotten.

If, according to the band, "Dinosaur" is their most "fun" album to date, there's no revolution in store. Theory Of A Deadman remains true to its philosophy, delivering three excellent tracks that stand out in a very formatted and predictable whole. And that's a shame, because the album the album gets off to a strong start with 'Dinosaur', an excellent, meaty and rather unexpected blues/rock composition with an unstoppable groove, followed by the astonishing 'Medusa (Stone)', with its huge chorus and fuzz-laden bass, which could very well be the soundtrack to a James Bond movie. Past the insipid 'Sick' and a rather incongruous cover of Bill Withers' 'Just Two Of Us', we find a certain efficiency with 'Ambulance', a heavy modern metal track dealing with the sometimes a little too crazy nights that can potentially lead to the back of an ambulance. The rest is not unpleasant, but predictable. With the exception of "Sideways", which stands out thanks to its gentle melancholy and a few piano notes, "Get in Line" is inevitably reminiscent of Foo Fighters, "Head In The Clouds" and "Hearts Too Wild" are two unoriginal mid-tempo numbers and "Summer Song", as its title suggests, is aimed at a teenage skate rock audience.

"Dinosaur" isn't a complete game-changer; the same faults and qualities of the previous opuses are to be found in this delivery, but things are looking up. Theory of a Deadman's desire to appeal to the widest possible audience seems to lead them to lose themselves in their compositional work, which results in the production of common, radio-friendly tracks when they have a real talent for concocting well-crafted, genuinely entertaining hits. All in all, "Dinosaur" remains a good modern rock album which, stripped of its basic tracks, could have been an excellent EP. - Official website

THEORY OF A DEADMAN

DINOSAUR

ROADRUNNER RECORDS

ROCK