Hollywood Undead - 'Swan Songs' Review

Hollywood Undead’s Swan Songs recalls the metal-meets-rap era that reached its peak with Limp Bizkit’s Significant Other. Unfortunately, Significant Other came out nine years ago, which makes the bratty self-absorption of Swan Songs feel hopelessly dated. Disguising their faces and performing under pseudonyms, the six young men who make up Hollywood Undead don’t seem menacing as much as they do devoid of personality. The album’s mixture of rap-rock attitude and firsthand accounts of the grittier side of Los Angeles has some merits, but the rampant women-bashing lyrics eventually become too much to take.

For most listeners, Swan Songs may sound like a trip down memory lane. Beyond the comparisons to Limp Bizkit, the album also brings to mind Eminem – when Hollywood Undead rappers Johnny 3 Tears, J-Dog and Charlie Scene scream their vocals, they sound so much like Marshall Mathers it’s a little disconcerting. And in general, the songs’ rap-rock sonics will remind you of Linkin Park and other groups who work primarily within the confines of mainstream rock but include hip-hop elements to spice up the proceedings. None of these similarities work in favor of Hollywood Undead, though – instead, it brings to light how derivative much of Swan Songs is.

Lyrically, the band’s focus on the desperation of wayward youths struggling to find themselves in the City of Angels has resonance. Unfortunately, tracks like “Sell Your Soul” don’t articulate that desperation in striking ways. Hollywood Undead tend to sing in generalities about their angst, resorting to dull yelling when they want to show how tortured they feel. On rare occasions, they do connect their youthful discontent to a general disillusionment about the post-9/11 world, but you have to really dig to find such insights buried amongst the clichés.

The most troublesome element of Swan Songs is the band’s immature attitude toward the fairer sex. Much like the Beastie Boys at the beginning of their career, Hollywood Undead treat women as playthings and props, showing little respect and using every derogatory word in the book to describe them. Now, to be fair, sometimes this juvenile streak can be extremely funny – on “Everywhere I Go,” the over-the-top boasts and come-ons are hilarious – but the ultra-chauvinist atmosphere soon becomes oppressive.

Swan Songs works best as a series of mindless anthems to get you pumped up before hitting the gym. Tracks like “Undead” and “California” are high-energy rockers that bring the noise, even if their lyrical content is pretty suspect. On Swan Songs, Hollywood Undead spend a lot of time celebrating and mourning the madness of youth. Maybe when they get a little older they’ll get a lot more interesting.

Best 'Swan Songs' Tracks:

“Undead” (Purchase/Download)
“California” (Purchase/Download)
“Everywhere I Go” (Purchase/Download)

Release date – September 2, 2008
A&M/Octone Records