Hollywood Undead

Hollywood ain't what it used to be. Not more than a decade ago, the city resembled an open cesspool. Gangs ran the streets. Drive-bys were a regular occurrence. Hookers posted up on every corner. Drugs were everywhere. Tourists stayed away. However, in the last 10 years, it's changed immensely. "Gentrification" doesn't even begin to describe how the city has evolved. It's a veritable haven for tourists, and the once bereft central spot of Hollywood and Highland now mimics Times Square. Other parts of the city have been Disneyified with malls such as The Grove sprouting up, and all seems to be well. However, Hollywood Undead have crawled up from the gutter to remind us of the bad ole days.

On their A&M/Octone debut, Swan Songs, the six-man masked militia burns down their hometown's plastic beauty and reveals the darkness underneath. Through a combination of violent raps, industrial textures and metallic melodies, Hollywood Undead inject a classic vitriol into a decidedly modern sound. These are six angry young men, but it's easy to vibe with them because they know how to carry a groove. The album kicks off with a bang during the first single, "Undead." It's half club banger and half arena rocker. The styles never clash. Rather, Hollywood Undead seamlessly bridge the rapping and rocking without ever sounding overly derivative. In fact, they're more than just Linkin Park with balls. They've got a Nine Inch Nails's catchy desperation, and that makes cuts like "Sell Your Soul" extremely memorable. The band excels when they mix genres. The high level production courtesy of Danny Lohner [NIN, Black Light Burns] and Don Gilmore [Linkin Park] definitely doesn't hurt either.

"No. 5" and "Everywhere I Go" could become anthems for aimless suburban white kids looking to steal beer from their parents, smoke weed behind the football field and tip over trashcans. What's more rock n' roll than that? In fact, that's the beauty of Hollywood Undead. The metal and rock bands that should be doing this have all donned tight jeans, "scene gear" and adopted the emo "swoop" hairdo. Hollywood Undead brandish much more attitude. This is what the kids have been waiting for. Hollywood Undead rap about promiscuous sex, tons of violence and partying it up like the world's about to end. Sometimes the lyrics become a bit harsh. The band had to wait awhile to finally release this record in its uncensored form due to feelings that certain songs were too misogynistic and crass. It's certainly not for the faint of heart, but even in its darkest moments, such as "Black Dahlia," Hollywood Undead can still carry a hook, even if it's for impaling an ex-lover.

Ultimately, Swan Songs is dirty, violent, corrupt and angry, but isn't that what Hollywood's supposed to be?

—Rick Florino
09.02.08