If you don't want the entire world to hear that you are a fake, lying, "stupid girl," then make it a point to avoid dating Cold's singer and songwriter, Scooter Ward. The band's new CD, Year of the Spider, is an ode to breaking up - with more than 80 percent of the CD's songs filled with longing, bitterness, nostalgia and anger - all the pleasant emotions experienced when love doesn't always last forever.
And while all that might sound like a downer, Ward's emotion and aggression coupled with his moody voice in songs like "Wasted Years" and "Rain Song" make the album more than just a trite soundtrack of heartbreak.
The band's debut song, "Stupid Girl" is slowly gaining radio attention and about half of the album's tracks are just as radio worthy, easy to sing to, and as a result, easy to get tired of. The CD might be too much to take in one sitting. After a while most of the songs pretty much mesh into each other and sound the same. Three Doors Down sounding band might leave you exhausted after half of the CD.
The album's low point lies in the last song, "Kill the Fucking Music Industry." Ward squeals, "Sick of all this monotony/kill the fucking music industry." Ironically, the song is monotonous and repetitive itself, with him singing the same line over and over again until you just have to turn the stupid thing off.
If you are debating about whether to buy the CD, don't be lured in by the snazzy DVD offered with the package. The video clips will be exciting for hard core Cold fans, leaving others wondering, "What am I watching?"
Cold will perform in the second and third legs of the annual Lollapalooza festival with headliners such as Jane's Addiction, Audioslave, Incubus and The Donnas. The festival comes to Phoenix's Cricket Pavillion on Aug. 15.
Breaking up is hard to do but Year of the Spider, if taken in small doses, might ease some of the pain.
Reach the reporter at lynh.bui@asu.edu.
