Aiden - Conviction

Genre rock Publisher Victory Records External Links Official Aiden MySpace Official Victory Records Website

It can be intriguing to watch the development of relatively young bands, and Seattle's Aiden is no exception. The band has only been together since 2003 and they've already released three full-length albums and an EP Conviction, which was released in August 2007, shows a strong departure from the sound they've become well-known for as found on Nightmare Anatomy and Rain in Hell. No doubt, some fans will find this new sound a shock, but there's a lot Aiden has done well on their latest release and even if it's different, it also shows strong development.

The short introductory piece, "The Opening Departure" is one of the first clues that Conviction is quite different from Aiden's previous work. Vocalist Wil Francis' lyrics are layered over a slow and pretty piano melody and the song has none of the screaming or thrashing found on songs like "Knife Blood Nightmare."

>From the delicate piano and wistful lyrics, the album moves in a more dance-oriented direction with "She Will Love You." If one can get past the fact that the song lacks the raw feeling found on Nightmare Anatomy, which had its own appeal, there is a tremendous pop/rock-catchiness to the song. While it's hard to say if this is what Aiden had in mind while writing the track, it wouldn't be a stretch to say this song would definitely be a lot of fun to dance to. The bridge of the song gives guitarists Angel Ibarra and Jake Wambold a chance to really cut loose and have that proverbial rock-star moment and Francis demonstrates that he has more of a vocal range than just screaming.

A number of the songs on the album have more of that same dance feel, but "Darkness" brings in elements of Aiden's harder sound. The slow and relatively quiet beginning of the song gets broken into with the chorus and its serious guitar riffs and Jake Davison's enthusiastic drumming. The song still is a long way from earlier work, but it is a chance to take a breath after the first half of the album with its focus on faster tracks.

Aiden still does occasionally pull in what some listeners will feel is cheesy sentiment as on "Moment." With lyrics such as, "I will wait for this moment when our lips collide and almost stop the Earth," the song can seem rather saccharine. However, if one can get past some of these lyrics, the strong guitar work on the chorus makes up for much of this.

Even before Conviction Aiden was a band that many fans of this genre were polarized over. With the release of their third album, one would expect that this sharp division in fans of the genre to only be increased. Those who liked Aiden for the raw, unpolished sound they displayed on earlier albums may be disappointed in the band's latest work as it is shows a different side of the group. Nonetheless, it is encouraging to see such a band exploring other variations of rock music and looking to different genres for new inspiration.