Aiden

Rain in Hell [EP/DVD] (2006)

Bryan

Even though they still had members in high school, Aiden managed to sign to mega-indie Victory Records and release the immensely popular Nightmare Anatomy. The album, which received a lot of criticism for the mundane musicianship and appalling lyrics, was nothing more than just another clichéd, generic release. After reissuing their full-length debut, Aiden is now back at it again with a new EP that is once again going to please fans; but will it do anything to prove the critics wrong?

The album once again starts off with WiL's lyrical fascination with burning his friends, as "The Suffering" opens up with the very chants of "burn your friends!" So right out of the gates it's obvious that there was no maturing lyrically, as lines like "we'll take me into your dark dream and scream so loud / this place fills with misery / suffer the kiss and take me out alive" are still abundant.

Musically, the album is as generic as it gets, with distorted guitar riffs mixed with tedious melodies that do nothing at all for the songs. "The Suffering" features downplayed guitars so it can showcase dull drumming and some simplistic bass lines. I know that with as many bands as there are today, originality isn't common, but bands can at least make an attempt to stay interesting, instead of lulling the listener to sleep. And while the singing is marginally improved, the lyrics are still so ghastly that it makes the album impossible to get completely through on one listen. While writing songs that steal equally from My Chemical Romance and AFI will appeal to the fanbase, it's simply not cutting it.

Rain in Hell features a decent amount of extras, including two inept covers of songs by Billy Idol and the Misfits. The EP also features three music videos, which will float your boat if you like guys wearing more make-up then your typical drama queen. The live footage is also another extra that will satisfy fans, but just make the rest of us shake our heads in utter disgust.

Rain in Hell may be a fan-friendly album, but it's still just another headache that should be ignored. Musically, it's as generic and boring as you're going to get and the lyrics are still as pathetic as ever. It's only fitting that Aiden entitled a song "The Suffering," as it sums up this release perfectly.