3 Pill Morning – The Side Effects of Chronic Ambition
3 Pill Morning started in Minneapolis in 2004. The band’s songs and personality saw them move from local stages to the regional scene and they have never looked back. Known as a very dedicated and hard-working band, their focus has always been to tour relentlessly and build their fan base from the ground up, one show at a time.
Their debut album The Side Effects of Chronic Ambition emphasizes the band’s dedication to being successful and although the album was not a great success in the charts, the album did gain them new fans and further recognition through touring with bands like Papa Roach and Hinder.
Considering that it’s the band’s first album, I think it’s a very well put together album and displays the band’s talents both musically and lyrically. On first listen, the band reminded me of Papa Roach with touches of Linkin Park’s earliest material.
The tracks on the album vary from melodic rock to heavier metal, but what the songs all have in common is catchy lyrics.
Track Listing:
1. Mindright
2. Nothing’s Real
3. Hey (Stay There)
4. What Now?
5. Let’s Live For Today
6. Embrace The Grey
7. The Sweet Smell of Taken
8. Good Run (Explicit)
9. Want it Back
10. Without Telling You
11. Disappear
My favourite song off the album is ‘Mindright’; it is full of angst and guitar rhythms that elaborate the grind of the song. The song also has a slight rap sound to it, the same sort of rock rap that made Papa Roach a global success. The chorus is, in my opinion, the best part of the song though with big ‘woah’s’ that you can both sing along with and rock out to.
Another song that stands out to me on the album is the melodic, yet solemn ”Embrace The Gray.” The song possesses a heavy guitar rhythm teamed with the poignant lyrics of – “When we fall when we break can we ever embrace the gray? Looking up did you say everything will be OK?” I feel that the song is one that many will be able to relate to. In my opinion, one of the most important qualities in a song apart from the musical aspect is having lyrics that people can relate to and can take something away from them. This is what makes a true musician.
One of the heaviest songs on the album is “Sweet Smell of Taken”, with repetitive guitar and vocals that borderline on hardcore. The vocals on this track again are similar to style of Linkin Park. Even though the song is heavy in parts due to the repetitive notes on guitar and the echoing, screaming vocals, the song both opens and closes on a melodic note, thus bringing emphasis to the anger expressed in the main section of the song.
“Good Run” is perhaps the most powerful song on the album; you can feel the emotion in the song. The song starts with ghostly piano notes in the background and the song continues on a smooth pace as if to mimic the sadness within it. The song is about a relationship coming to an end, but not necessarily through good means. As the song goes on, the music picks up the pace and becomes more restless in sound and thus ultimately conveys to me the restlessness of the characters in the song.
It certainly has to be noted that there is a rap quality to the songs and this stands out the most in the track ‘Disappear’. The rap I speak of is more in the style of Linkin Park than it is Cypress Hill though and it adds to the song rather than making it sound disjointed. This is another heavy track on the album with a lot of screaming vocals and heavy drums (a lot of cymbal action) - the anger in the lyrics is highly reflected through the singing style. This track is definitely more metal in sound than it is traditional rock.
The album possesses a raw quality that some big mainstream rock bands no longer have and this is what makes the album worth listening to. There is a nice mix of heavy tracks and those that are more easy listening. It will be interesting to see what 3 Pill Morning’s future material is like.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Victoria Student Journalist - United Kingdom - Rock Chick - Lover of Download Festival. "Some people have a hard time explaining rock 'n' roll. I don't think anyone can really explain rock 'n' roll. Maybe Pete Townshend, but that's okay. Rock 'n' roll is a lifestyle and a way of thinking... and it's not about money and popularity. Although, some money would be nice. But it's a voice that says, "Here I am... and fuck you if you can't understand me." And one of these people is gonna save the world. And that means that rock 'n' roll can save the world... all of us together. And the chicks are great. But what it all comes down to is that thing. The indefinable thing when people catch something in your music." - Almost Famous
Victoria, THANKS again for the review of 3 PILL MORNING! I am looking forward to listening to both their cds.
John
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