At one point in time, the words “Seattle scene” brought to mind up images of Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam.
Aiden strives to bring back that popularity and — someday — they may get it. The talent is present on this release, as long as you don’t get distracted by Aiden’s poor choice of an opening track. “The Opening Desparation” is a long two minutes of droopy lyrics over a moody piano. Aiden is presented as a band that has a deep sense of despair that overpowers the intensity. Aiden can only be forgiven because the band recovers nicely with second track “She Will Love You,” a stronger candidate to showcase what this band is about.
Tracks like “Teenage Queen” and “One Love” are good but not as strong as “Hurt Me.” In the same way, “Moment” collects the best aspects of this band and compiles them into a great track. Vocalist Wil sings the lyrics “We’ll wait for this moment / when our lips collide / almost stop the Earth” along with airy guitar melodies from Angel and Jake W. that complement the vocals. Drummer Jake D. keeps the track together with solid timekeeping and not a lot of flash.
Yet, this band is not at its peak with “Moment.” Instead, they reach the best the band can be with the ballad-ish “Darkness.” After a subdued opening that establishes a somber mood, the rest of the band joins in with a thunderous drum fill. This track repeats the theme of this song in the “In this darkness am I faithless / Without your lips I live without / Am I heartless am I soulless / Without your lips I live without” captures the despair in the vocalists delivery. “Son of Lies” is another track that oozes hostility and anger.
In total, this release is satisfying and reveals potential. As with most emo bands, Aiden’s world is a terrible place and the suffering caused by their mere existence is sometimes not worth the effort, in their eyes. There is no misery, though, in listening to the band’s tales of misery and despair — and while they won’t resurrect the Seattle scene, they continue that city’s proud tradition of great music.
