Metal Warriors
The first thing that strikes me about Tour De Force, The Poodles’ latest album, is that it tackles the heavy subject matter of change, whether flittering to and fro from a ballad tackling personal loss, change among society or your own dreams, Tour De Force is an album all about change that becomes infinitely listenable to everyone, having a song for everyone that has the fire in their bellies for some change.
The opening track shows this thematic tone effortlessly, Misery Loves Company is an inspiring track, infinitely prone to leaving the listener feeling elated just from the instrumentals which I equate to sounding like it belongs as a theme song to some kick-ass anime from Japan and that’s even before the kicking vocals. (Before you ask, the Japanese versions of these shows, where they have the good sense to choose kick ass tunes)
Shut Up! Is a personal favourite of mine though, this is the song you’d hum to yourself when someone’s just fu**ed up your groove, Happily Ever After dips down into something more sobering, a tragedy not mentioned but felt nonetheless through this tune reminiscing, I can’t put my finger on it but the entire piece just feels like a song that’d play if your loved one just passed away if your life was a movie and it was one of those montage bits showing your coping with it afterwards.
That can be said for the whole album though which is why it’s (the album) so damn good, dipping to a touch heavier and back to the inspiring feeling with Viva Democracy and carrying on through to Going Down.
After this it slows down in Leaving the Past to Pass with some beautiful violin and piano work which gradually metamorphoses into an uplifting piece when the drum work kicks in around 2 minutes and the gradual bringing in of the instruments we all know and love in metal, then eventually fading out again into 40 Days and 40 nights, another uplifting piece much like Past to Pass.
I could keep harping on though but the gist of it is that each song mentioned and those not mentioned here in length (Kings & Fools, miracle, Godspeed, Now Is The Time and Only Just Begun) are all some pretty damn uplifting pieces, just like the songs I’ve discussed here, they all got that distinct Poodles touch and all of them can fit in any occasion you want to hear something inspiring about change, either personal or societal.
A very powerful album that makes me want to pump my fist up in the air and sing at the top of my lungs, it’s well worth a listen for those who like to have a tune stuck in their head for a few nights.
12 phantom poodles out of 13
