As soon as I saw this album, I knew it would be excellent! The geometric front cover drew my eye to it over all the other piles of toss sitting on the shelf. Finding a gem like this amongst a sea of R&B and hip-hop was quite a moralising occurrence, kind of like being forced to swim through a septic tank with no re-breather, but then finding a new plasma screen TV and £5000 in unmarked bills on your excretious travels. Next thing I knew, I had purchased the CD and was on my way home, happily oblivious to what I'd actually ventured into town that day to buy.
- I would not advise that you set this album to be your alarm tune in the mornings, unless you want to end up with a nervous twitch. The first song (Showdown) really comes in hard and does not let up, constantly beating away at the very depths of your head like an ant with a hammer banging on your eardrums. And that is in no way a bad thing (unless you have a hangover). A very good psych-up song and definitely a great way to start a party.
- Different is the next song, but personally I could swear that it was actually composed by Muse, considering the progressions and use of synths. This song reminded me very much of Black Holes & Revelations, but with a definite taste of d&b to add as well. This song very much epitomises the changes pendulum have made in their style since Hold Your Colour; much more tune focussed and with more varition of drum beats etc.
- One of the most famous songs from this album is Propane Nightmares. Now a common song at gigs everywhere, the iconic trumpet introduction is a sure-fire way to bring dancers onto the floor to rave. There is not much to say about this song, as you probably have heard it just as much as I have, and have your own opinions about it. Safe to say this song will be a classic amongst the interested culture for many years to come!
- Visions is a completely different style of song to any seen before by Pendulum. With distorted and mostly unintelligible vocals, this song does provide a much needed cool-down period after a good 15 minutes of jumping about to the first three songs. Never really expected to be a particularly remembered song, it is more of a song to play at home on your own through your headphones. Nonetheless, still another excellent song.
- My least favourite song in this album would have to be Midnight Runner. It seems like a way of filling time, rather than a piece on its own. Something to be played through the speakers whilst the band are setting up for their next well-loved song. Personally I think this could have been improved with simply lyrics and meaning. The actual musicality of the song cannot be faulted, but it somehow seems as artificial as the breasts of a porn star.
- The Other Side, an admitted take on AC/DC, is in my opinion an excellently constructed song. The electronic voices really add a strange effect to this song, whilst the bass line makes it a very good song to dance to. Also on a side note, the the music video for this song is wonderful too, very freaky and well directed!
- Mutiny reminded me of a mambo song for about the first 10 seconds, with a very salsa-esque rhythm. I find this song to be a throwback to the Hold Your Colour album, mixed with another Muse influence and maybe some Deep Purple too, with excellent vocal harmony and rhythm along with a fun guitar solo. Maybe a change of style which some might find somewhat stark compared to the rest of In Silico, this song definitely adds contrast to the album.
- I would not travel 9,000 miles for this next song. I find it unsubstantial and somewhat boring; lacking in effort and fun. A timefiller if ever I heard one, I would rather poke a small matchstick into my eye for six minutes than listen to this song. A poor addition to an otherwise wonderful record.
- Granite has a real sense of fun in it, especially if you like fantasizing about aliens and abductions. Very amuzing video and another great use of synths in this song. The lyrics are well written and perfectly executed, with a very interesting drum line to match! Another masterful song, showing what Pendulum are truly capable of.
- The Tempest is a great cool-off song at the end of listening to an otherwise hyped-up song. The lyrics are again excellent, really takes you back to the roots of d&b here. Perfect end to an excellent album!
9.5/10
