Since their humble beginnings back in 2003, this Seattle punk group has had a following of endless hatred. Some Kind Of Hate’s October release marks Aiden’s second in one year, having released the lackluster Disguises back in March 2011. This disc, however, isn’t a total dud, as most who are familiar with Aiden’s work would believe.
As one has come to expect of Aiden, the first thing you need to get over is the… unorthodox (for lack of a better word) vocal styling of Wil Francis. He even says in the disc’s sleeve that his 12-year-old self couldn’t sing worth a damn. Needless to say, not much has changed.
Let’s put his voice aside for now though. The spoken word introduction to “There Will Be Blood” leads into a rather catchy song. The chorus is pretty good and the instruments are that of any decent punk song. Similar things can be said about “Broken Bones.” It’s another song that’s even catchier than the last with a similar cut-and-dry punk feel. As average as that might sound, it’s different than typical Aiden. Hell, Francis’ voice doesn’t sound half bad on this track.
For most of the rest of the album, they revert back to the Aiden you all love to hate—guy-liner, gothy punk and all. “Deactivate” puts up a catchy front, but is nothing more than another blatantly cliché song about death and misery. They even went as far as covering both The Misfits and Joy Division on this record in “London Dungeon” and “Transmission,” both with very little success.
Long story short—its typical Aiden. From the absolute crap that is “Grotesque Vanity,” with its horror film shrieks, overbearing drums, and that hand spasm of a guitar riff, to the unbearable sustained note that painfully closes out “The End,” it’s clear they’re holding on with a death grip to what was the old Aiden. But at the same time, they’re beginning to take a few steps in the right direction.
In A Word: Improved*
