Review: 10 Years - ‘Division’
Posted: May 10th, 2008
Contributed By: Nick
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Purchase @ Amazon.com Release Date: May 13, 2008 via Universal Republic |
| 10 Years is: Jesse Hasek (Vocals) Ryan “Tater” Johnson (Guitar) Matt Wantland (Guitar) Lewis Cosby (Bass) Brian Vodinh (Drums) |
Overview: The nine year old band 10 Years has seemingly accrued a decade’s worth of accomplishments and accolades in a mere couple of, well, years. The Knoxville, Tennessee bred band dropped a full length independent release in 2004, entitled ‘Killing All That Holds You‘. Universal Republic took notice and snatched the quintet up, unveiling 10 Years’ major label debut ‘The Autumn Effect‘ in August 2005. The response to the album’s lead single “Wasteland” was sluggish at first, but the song quickly caught fire and sat atop active rock charts before 2005 was spent. “Wasteland” chipped and clawed its way to the top of two more charts, reaching the pinnacle of both modern rock and alternative by early 2006. Having conquered rock airwaves, “Wasteland” hit film, and the video 10 Years birthed for the song really opened eyes and dropped jaws; the clip was nominated in two different categories at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. Throw in a second stage headline on 2006’s Family Values Tour, stir in yet another successful single in “Through the Iris”, add in a dash of headlining dates to wrap up the year, and 10 Years had quietly found the recipe for 400,000+ in sales of ‘The Autumn Effect‘ before venturing off to start their second effort for Universal Republic. The party of five settled on Rick Parasher to pilot the ProTools rig and worked meticulously on the new album. With their newest single “Beautiful” impacting rock radio as we speak, 10 Years is ready to unleash ‘Division‘, an album that will surely re-define the band. Catch 10 Years on tour right now with Saving Abel, as well as this summer on the Projekt Revolution Tour.
The Good: I’m not even going to try and hide my content for 10 Years’ new release, so let it be known that ‘Division‘ is going to astound you. This thirteen track powerhouse begins with “Actions & Motives”, a surging and bustling round one that strips the foundation of Incubus’ “Beware! Criminal” and lets 10 Years roll out its own exclamatory arsenal of pulsating riffs and unflinching vocal finesse; think of “Actions & Motives” like this-if the first track from ‘The Autumn Effect‘ “Waking Up” meant 10 Years were just crawling out of bed, then “Actions & Motives” is the band after a few cups of coffee and a jog around the neighborhood. Not backing down from the foot 10 Years slammed down with the leadoff hitter from ‘Division‘, the band delivers the soaring and ethereal “Just Can’t Win”, which is the purest, smoothest ride ‘Division‘ has to offer. The album’s lead single is “Beautiful”, a song with more character than it seems to bring to the table after just one breeze through. 10 Years seems to take a cautious approach in its delivery with “Beautiful” and it pays dividends, as each delicate step further into the song weaves in more and more texture and ambiance, “filling” the track out masterfully and gracefully guiding it to its climax; make sure to give “Beautiful” a few extra spins before calling it quits, because with each successive listen, the musical climate becomes more enveloping and Jesse Hasek’s witty lyrics are colored in further. “11 AM (Daydreamer)” flashes a grungy and meaty principle riff, but the song is headlined by Hasek’s noteworthy vocal delivery, awaking cunning dynamics and galvanizing the choruses. Just when you thought “11 AM (Daydreamer)” was placidly dissipating into the next song, a classical guitar and piano ensemble ensues, lasting for the remaining two minutes of the track’s life; although this may seem peculiar and unnecessary at first, you are soon engaged by the soothing and captivating harmonies and melodies of the guitar and piano blend, an intrepid move by 10 Years as the band gently cools off the album at an appropriate time without sabotaging the foundation which the band laid with the first four songs. Having been perfectly situated by the outro of “11 AM (Daydreamer)”, ‘Division‘ is able to coast into the theatrical “Dying Youth” seamlessly. One of the most honest and memorable journeys on the album, “Dying Youth” grabs hold of your senses with its haunting and exploratory verses and seeps into your emotions each time its fierce and heartfelt chorus reappears. “Russian Roulette” leads you through a fittingly eerie intro before arriving at the pulp of the song, but rather than red line it and come out of the initial buildup firing on all cylinders, 10 Years tip-toes back onto the scene, an astute approach that provides this crafty venture a chance to showcase and highlight each fascinating moment; a stunning chorus, brain-teasing lyrics, and one hell of a sultry delivery by Hasek make “Russian Roulette” an easy favorite. 10 Years bring the zest with the Arabian twang of “Focus”, proving its ability to adapt flawlessly to any musical situation and produce a sound that is as earthy as it is refreshing. The breakneck speed of the rumbling “Drug of Choice” enlists as one of 10 Years’ most commanding and zealous surprises; despite being the “tirade” of ‘Division‘, it emanates the band’s penchant for consistency and a clear direction with radiance. “Picture Perfect (In Your Eyes)” will undoubtedly keep you on your toes, as in a split second, the landscape of the song will be set ablaze by towering, revved up choruses, kept afloat by a mammoth post-chorus riff. The testosterone of “Picture Perfect (In Your Eyes)” is jettisoned for the song’s epic outro, a tandem of a doleful acoustic guitar and a disclaimer read in echoes by a female voice. The most audible phrase of the essay is “pay attention”, which will soon be revealed as a stunning segue into the next song, as well as a tongue-in-cheek method of framing the two tracks; the debuting lines of the expressive “All Your Lies” read “pay attention”. “All Your Lies” will have no problem holding your attention, as the rhetoric of the song’s lyrics and eloquent, yet penetrative Egyptian inspired bridge will pay testament. ‘Division‘ goes unplugged with the acoustic number “So Long, Good-Bye”, a poignant and touching moment of decadence that can be defined in three words: urgent, elegant, and above all, humble. 10 Years pun and say so long good-bye to caressing acoustic guitar and titillating vocal work and wave hello to the visceral energy of “Alabama”, a song that although quite robust and rugged, does not mask its overall catchiness; the melancholy bridge of “Alabama” is sly, as it not only portends the final minutes of ‘Division‘, but also cleanses the listeners palate, a necessary move prior to lucky thirteen. Sadly, ‘Division‘ has to let go, but after hearing “Proud of You” this might seem like an unbearable parting. A ballad of pianos and dualistic male and female vocals, “Proud of You” is utterly breathtaking and will shoot chills up and down your spine within the first minute; serene and magical, ‘Division‘ ends with six minutes of unadulterated rapture, and leaves you to absorb and recollect upon an album that will linger for quite some time.
The Bad: Shit, do I have to detract from ‘Division‘? Better yet, is there really anything to nitpick or fault-find throughout ‘Division‘? In all honesty, 10 Years’ latest is about as crease-free and stainless as you will find in a rock album, or any album released for that matter within recent time. If I had to take one swing at ‘Division‘, it would concern the longwinded outros found in “11 AM (Daydreamer)” and “Picture Perfect (In Your Eyes)”; while they understandably gift the album with a greater sense of flow and overall unity, would they really make a difference if they were left in absentia? As far as “the bad”, that’s the worst I can do on ‘Division‘ without turning to fallacies and cliches in order to make this review feel more “critical”; if you give an honest and thorough listen or listens to ‘Division‘ and think you can add to this section, please send me an e-mail and let me know, but I don’t think many messages, if any at all, will make it to me. One final fault to 10 Years concerns Jesse Hasek hacking his signature dreds, as a pretty cool live and photo feature, as well as many years of ardent avoidance of shampoo, was sadly laid to rest.
Bottomline: I was a fan of ‘The Autumn Effect‘, but for some reason the album tired as quickly as it grew on me; while I enjoyed the atmospheric and tranquil feel of their brand of rock, the songs seemed to meander a bit too much and lost my attention as a result. The moment I heard “Actions & Motives” and “Just Can’t Win”, all I could do was smile and hope in anticipation that the remainder of ‘Division‘ would continue to raise the bar on what 10 Years could do. I have played through ‘Division‘ 11 times now, straight through without bouncing around the album, and with each subsequent listen, I am falling more in love with the latest 10 Years brainchild. With each go ’round, I hear something new, I feel something new, and I am inspired by something new, each and every time. Say what you want, but what 10 Years has spawned with ‘Division‘ is not just innovative, but inquisitive and challenging to the listener; ‘Division‘ encourages you to think, to feel, to mourn, to pray, and to grow, without hiding behind tricky metaphors, intricate time signatures, and overly cinematic and exacerbated epics. A blessed album any way you dissect it, from the unquestionably gifted minds and hearts of 10 Years.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Comments
Comment from lateralus
Date: May 10, 2008, 10:23 pm
My album of the year so far <3
Comment from Nick
Date: May 10, 2008, 10:38 pm
hahaha who tweaked the last sentence, nice haha
Comment from Mike
Date: May 10, 2008, 10:44 pm
Nick, don’t be afraid to use paragraphs on “the good” section. Lol
Comment from Nick
Date: May 10, 2008, 11:02 pm
hahaha yea i got a little carried away
i never re-read anything i write so it just kinda flows and away it goes
Comment from Dave_APTQ
Date: May 10, 2008, 11:52 pm
Great Review .. Great Band!
Comment from Mike
Date: May 11, 2008, 12:51 am
Really? When I do reviews I re-read it a ton of times to see if everything is okay. There’s nothing worse than writing something and you spelled something wrong and can’t fix it. It would bother the hell outta me, lol.
Comment from Corey
Date: May 11, 2008, 1:26 am
Great review for a great album, Nick.
But if it was so hard to fill out “The Bad’ section, why a 9.5 instead of a 10?
Comment from Deuce
Date: May 11, 2008, 1:43 am
100x better than the Autumn Effect
Comment from Chris
Date: May 11, 2008, 6:48 am
He gave it a 10, but I dropped it down to a 9.5
I re-added the last sentence Nick, wasn’t paying attention when I took out the sentence you wanted out.
Comment from Nick
Date: May 11, 2008, 9:27 am
haha s’all good brah
Comment from Corey
Date: May 11, 2008, 11:28 am
Chris, your treachery knows no bounds.
Comment from Meagan
Date: May 11, 2008, 12:38 pm
I guess I am in the minority here. I’m just not feeling it. I’ve given it a few spins and I just can’t seem to get into it. IMO they went in a totally different direction than I thought they would. Not necessarily bad, just different. Kind of what Linkin Park did. I was expecting too much, I guess. It’s definitely not TAE II if that’s what anyone is expecting…
Comment from Fred
Date: May 11, 2008, 1:01 pm
Noting left to say really. This is everything I want in a album. I actually really love that those outros, and after listening to the album many times now, Ive never wanted to go onto the next song by just over those parts. Im not a big fan of handing out 10 out of 10 remarks, but this is as close as it gets for me.
I was a fan of TAE, but I like nick found it to wear out after a bit. Not entirely, and I still think its a fantastic album. But to me , this is just hit me in a way that I wasnt prepared for. Its STUNNINGLY good. Since there really arent enough words IMO, I’ll just say Id re-emphasize everyhing Nick put in the “GOOD”..Id highlight it and underline it and whatever else. Great review, great album.
Comment from secondguess
Date: May 11, 2008, 2:10 pm
This album is great. Easily one of the best of 2008.
Comment from Chris
Date: May 11, 2008, 2:12 pm
There’s no way you could compare what 10 Years did with ‘Division’ to what LP did with ‘Minutes to Midnight’
Comment from dadgbe
Date: May 11, 2008, 3:13 pm
I really love Division, but HERE’s why it’s a 9/10 or 9.5/10 instead of a perfect 10…….
The demo for “All Your Lies” was better than the album version.
Why is it better? Three things I loved about the demo they took out of the album version….
1. They took the double bass drum out of Chorus which starts when he says “price” and “demise.”
2. They took the screams out of the bridge.
3. It is slightly less heavy overall…which i’m just gonna be picky about;)
So the album’s amazing, but this was the one disappointment for me. Anybody else feel the same way about All Your Lies?
Comment from ragekorne
Date: May 11, 2008, 4:12 pm
I havent heard the entire album yet, but honestyly, I dont think I’ve ever looked forward to an album this much. The Autumn Effect was my favorite album of that year, and what I’ve heard of Division, it’s shaping up to be my favorite album of this year. I heard them perform a few tracks live a few months back when they opened for Sevendust, and that just stoked me more. Then, to have to deal with all the delays….ugh! But only a couple more days! I’ve had 11 a.m. streaming non-stop on this site. And I love the outro. I sense a 10/10 coming tuesday in my mind. Great review though.
Comment from salastna
Date: May 11, 2008, 4:35 pm
Yeah the demo for All Your Lies was much better.
Comment from Mike
Date: May 11, 2008, 6:42 pm
Chris, might I ask why you changed the rating? I reviewed Faktion’s CD and Jay changed my rating from a 10 to a 9.5. Nick reviewed Karnivool and I recall he gave it a 10 but I just checked and now it is a 9. And you said Nick gave this CD a 10 but you changed it to a 9.5.
I just don’t see what the big deal is with giving an album a 10. We don’t overuse the 10 rating. I’ve probably done around 20-30 reviews on here and I’ve only given one CD a 10 rating.
It’s not like 10 means perfect, nothing’s perfect, it just means it’s the closest thing to perfect. I really don’t understand why some sites never rate movies, games, CDs a 10/10. What’s the point of even rating things if they can’t go higher than 9.5.
Comment from Chris
Date: May 11, 2008, 7:09 pm
I didn’t really have a reason for changing it I don’t guess.
I changed the rating to what Nick gave it to start with…
Comment from Nick
Date: May 11, 2008, 9:53 pm
the demo for ‘all your lies’ was definitely much better didnt even think about it until yall mentioned it
Comment from Nick
Date: May 11, 2008, 9:53 pm
butt the best song on here is ‘russian roulette’ IMO
great great song about drug addiction
any other favs?
Comment from ohgreat
Date: May 11, 2008, 10:08 pm
Holy shit. This is a jaw-dropping review I have ever seen with the rating scored at 1-0!
I’m very shocked that more reviews will come and won’t score that high. That means it must be quite good?
I’m buying!
Comment from Corey
Date: May 11, 2008, 11:30 pm
I actually liked the demo of “All Your Lies” better, too. The album version sounds like it should’ve been the demo.
I agree with Nick about “Russian Roulette”, too - fucking amazing. I wish they’d kept the original name (”Chemical Christ”), but that’s really the only thing I can nitpick with Division.
Comment from Nick
Date: May 12, 2008, 7:03 am
it was called ‘chemical christ’? damn that woulda been sick haha
Comment from Nate
Date: May 12, 2008, 7:31 am
I can’t argue with 10/10. I don’t think its better than TAE, because that’s how much respect I have for TAE. But it is as good as TAE. My fav is Russian Roulette. I’m looking forward to the 2 bonus songs from the Best Buy version - “Scream at the Walls” and “Cycle of Life”.
So does anyone have the demo for All Your Lies? I’d like to hear it.
Comment from Fred
Date: May 12, 2008, 9:37 am
I have it.
I certainly agree I like the original better. I would have liked to hear a cleaned CD quailty of that. I think they both hold up well though, but given the choice, I liked the “demo” better. Its the first thing I mentioned to my friend about the CD, that “All Your Lies” had been reworked a little.
Comment from Corey
Date: May 12, 2008, 9:40 am
Here you go, Nate.
Edit: Please don’t link to stuff you don’t own the copyright to. If you can link to something provided by the band or label, by all means do. But rapidshare just screams illegal and we don’t wanna have to deal with that.
Comment from Lucas
Date: May 12, 2008, 10:46 am
Definitely my album of the year. I really like “Drug of Choice” and “Russian Roulette” as well. Probably 2 of my fav’s. “All Your Lies” demo was very good, and I agree I think I may like it better than the final album version, but it is still a great song and it’s growing on me. The only song I think is kind of weak of “Focus”, mostly because it felt somewhat out of place on the album for me between “Drug of Choice” and “Russian Roulette” where it’s a little softer than those two. But still, over all a great album. 10/10 all the way!
Comment from Nick
Date: May 12, 2008, 11:13 am
ey thanks for the ‘all ur lies’ demo corey
Comment from Nate
Date: May 12, 2008, 8:34 pm
well crap
Comment from dadgbe
Date: May 12, 2008, 9:47 pm
my favorites are defiantly
1. Russian Roulette
2. 11:00 AM (Daydreamer) - love that acoustic end
3. Drug of Choice
4. So Long, Good-Bye
I think “Focus” is starting to grow on me, but it does seem out of place, but then again….the brothers from STP helped right that song (I think I read).
Comment from dadgbe
Date: May 12, 2008, 9:48 pm
hahah….”defiantly” whoops
Comment from Nick
Date: May 12, 2008, 9:55 pm
hahaha public education dadgbe?
Comment from dadgbe
Date: May 12, 2008, 10:00 pm
exactly! ;)
Comment from dadgbe
Date: May 12, 2008, 10:02 pm
Sidenote: I think Jesse still has a hat/wig that he made out of his dreads.
I’m pretty sure I saw a video where he was rocking out with dreads and then halfway though the song, he took off the hat/wig and the crowd was like “H*** S***!”
Comment from Chris
Date: May 12, 2008, 11:30 pm
Yeah, Brian played drums for Copper during one of their shows a few months ago. Jesse came out and did “Wasteland” with them. That’s probably the video your talking about.
Comment from Nick
Date: May 13, 2008, 12:23 am
ha oh does he have a wig with dreds? haha i had to put SOMETHING in the ‘the bad’ section.
did yall know hasek’s cousin was brad renfro? interesting…
rent the movie ‘the cure’…renfro was young and its amazing
Comment from Jay
Date: May 13, 2008, 2:33 pm
here’s the video in question:
Comment from Mikel
Date: May 13, 2008, 2:46 pm
hmm, that was pretty stupid imo
Comment from Jay
Date: May 13, 2008, 2:54 pm
well now that I think about it, maybe it was a wig all along and he just got sick of wearing it. it was a wig in the video, what’s to say it hasn’t been all along?
Comment from Mikel
Date: May 13, 2008, 4:41 pm
I was just thinking that Jay
Comment from Fred
Date: May 13, 2008, 10:50 pm
I have the demo, but didnt post it because I didnt know the rules.
Just a question, how COULD I give someone an MP3 if they wanted it, without “siting” it. Maybe .RAR it and email it? Guess Id need instructions. Im good with computers, but never had to send and MP3 to anyone.
I have all the Tantric “demos”as well if any would want them, but as 10 years, I dont put up links.
Direction is welcome for those that want it.
Comment from Lucas
Date: May 13, 2008, 11:22 pm
Video is no longer available.
Damn, but I think I’ve seen it b/4. You know, Jay, I never thought of it like that. It didn’t look like they were fake before like when I saw them live and stuff so I’m highly doubting it’s been fake this whole time. I am pretty sure I remember something about him talking about cutting off his hair at some point.
Comment from Chris
Date: May 13, 2008, 11:25 pm
video works for me
however it does not do the actual performance justice. it was 10x better in person
Comment from Nate
Date: May 14, 2008, 6:53 am
can someone email me the All Your Lies demo?
natetempmail at yahoo dot com
Comment from Lucas
Date: May 14, 2008, 9:21 pm
Aah, video works now. I bet that was fucking amazing live. I’m not too jealous as I’ve seen 10 Years live twice now. Hope to again soon, too. Gotta hear some of the new tunes live. Still great video and I think it’s kinda cool pulling of the wig and throwing everyone off haha.
Comment from Jay
Date: May 15, 2008, 3:10 pm
I think you can hear Chris squealing like a girl in the background ;)
Comment from Mikel
Date: May 15, 2008, 5:45 pm
I thought that’s what that was
Comment from Justin1888
Date: May 19, 2008, 6:57 pm
Does anyone have the two bonus tracks that were available on purchase through Best Buy? I live in an are without a Best Buy and had to buy it at Circuit Shitty. I was wondering if there were any other ways to get those.
I would also love if someone could send me the demo of All Your Lies: neonfrog18@aol.com
Comment from scionchick
Date: July 19, 2008, 1:57 pm
I love the new album! My favorites are Beautiful, Actions & Motives, and 11:00am daydreamer… This album is definitely worth purchasing!!! :-D
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