ACT III: LIFE AND DEATH

'Act I: The Lake South, The River North' was a brilliant taster - a 39 minute EP. 'Act II: The Meaning Of, And All Things Regarding Ms. Leading' was an awesome, sprawling, 77 minute progressive epic. And now we come to Act III: Life and Death - the third chapter (of six planned) in a fictional character's story continues from Acts I and II into the fiery abyss of World War I.

Let's get the rating out of the way first. I adored the first two chapters and would not hesitate in giving them 5 stars. But as a result, I should really give this album 6 stars (or reduce the other 2 to 4.5 stars should I review them here) as this surpasses anything that Casey Crescenzo has produced to date. It is one of the catchiest, most melodic rock albums I have heard for years. It's not quite as progressive as Act II but the range of styles, instruments and arrangements on display here show a maturity that has developed in Casey's writing and as a result, this record arguably has a more commercial edge, albeit the quirkiness remains with some very atmospheric sound effects between some tracks.

Now whereas it's easy to draw comparisons from Casey's previous group The Receiving End of Sirens and similar indie rock fare such as Circa Survive and also from modern prog-heads such as The Mars Volta and Coheed and Cambria, those groups might mean little to those who rely on UK radio airplay to whet their musical appetite. With Act III: Life and Death it's easy to draw comparisons with a wealth of more commercial musical talent with which most will be familiar. Here's my rundown of all tracks:

1. Writing on a Wall - Opens the album with the most beautiful a capella harmonies before piano joins in. The vocal harmonies are a strong element throughout the album and are reminiscent of some of Queen's early work. This track virtually picks up from where Act II finishes and having played the albums back to back the link is virtually seamless. What is noticeable straight away though is the production and depth of sound. This is a major improvement on the previous albums.

2. In Cauda Venenum - Is a huge battery of sound. There's a fanfare of guitars and chugging organ to kick off, followed by a powerful rock workout. This track is probably the closest in style to anything from Act II and demonstrates who much stronger Casey's vocals have become in the time between recordings. There's almost a Latin / Spanish style to some of the riffing half way through and the trumpet refrain sets up the song for another round of the catchy chorus before the song changes direction at the end - the last minute providing an orchestral, dreamy Beach Boy ballad feel.

3. What It Means to be Alone - This song starts off sounding like the best track Keane never recorded! And then the bridge to the chorus is like a brilliant piece of Queen with the chord progression setting up the chorus perfectly. And oh...what a chorus!!! Think the best from the post Richie era Manic Street Preachers and you won't be far off. Fantastic melody and worthy of the price of an album just for this one track. The wall of sound throughout the track is mind-blowing. This builds up until a minute before the end, when the song is stripped down to vocals and strings for a sort of orchestral Keane finale.

4. The Tank - This track kicks off with a rather robust and quirky orchestral motif, which is repeated between verses before the yet another stand-out chorus, full of the most beautiful harmonies and extremely melodic. You won't get this out of your head for hours. Again, the Beach Boys and Queen spring to mind. There's a laid back refrain with harmonic backing vocals and snare drum before a crescendo builds up to an awesome repeat of the chorus. There's a hint of Maroon 5 appearing in the vocals here. Mind-blowing!

5. The Poison Woman - There's a rag-time and Vaudeville atmosphere here; Queen's 'Good Old-Fashioned Loverboy' is a useful reference. The vocals are fabulous and the more you listen, the more you realise the amount of care and attention given to the background. There's so much detail before the track picks up in a sort of swing - Maroon 5 style; yes - it's hard to describe but you'll know what I mean when you hear it. It all hangs together beautifully.

6. The Thief - Distorted guitars and vocals hail the start before a quirky progressive beat kicks in and the harmonic vocals and keyboard arpeggio crescendo spark comparisons with the best of Muse circa Origin of Symmetry. The track twists and turns through a psychedelic backdrop and underpinned by throbbing bass. This is the most atmospheric track so far and I can only imagine the fun they could have with this in a live workout scenario. Then just when you think this song has nowhere else to go, the wonderful verse kicks back in, finally fading out with melodic tinkling bells and a sinister orchestral arrangements.

7. Mustard Gas - Starts very powerfully with a Muse / Queen style fanfare. Again Origin of Symmetry springs to mind. There are some very heavy and distorted guitars accompanying Casey's (almost screamed) vocals here but the melody and ear for a tune is never lost. And then, out of nowhere appears another piece of Vaudeville before going back to the main verse of the track. This is then followed by a kind of heavy Fleetwood Mac style arrangement. This motif is repeated until the distorted guitars finally fade out accompanied by plucked strings and piano flourish.

8. Saved - This track takes down the tempo after some pretty bombastic and heavy arrangements. Plenty of piano and acoustic guitar here. This reminded me a bit of Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme - kind of similar to the quieter tracks from Pornograffitti. The vocal arrangement carries the song extremely well. Played live, you can almost imagine the sea of lighters held aloft! About 3 minutes in there's a lovely Beach Boys style vocal arrangement, underpinned by deep drum patterns, followed by strings.

9. He Said He Had a Story - Back to a raunchy Vaudeville style here as this song recalls the central character's saucy encounter. This is quite quirky and you can just imagine turn of the century US theater, stocking tops, burlesque and drag. There's a sinister interlude before the main track kicks in again in a more rock style similar to Muse.

10. This Beautiful Life - This opens with Casey's vocal and piano carrying a great tune. Then the acoustic guitar and bass blend in before a sort of quirky rock Vaudeville bounces along with 60s style soundtrack backing vocals quite nicely until halfway when this seamlessly blends into a wonderful vocal harmony which builds Queen-like until you're left with just a lead vocal and piano. A circus style backing gradually joins in with quirky percussion until more 60s backing vocals finish of the track.

11. Go Get Your Gun - This is a bit of Country and Western - Dear Hunter style! You get a real Wild West feel with this, mixed with some Ragtime in the chorus. Very clever guitar work, with mandolin / banjo picking in the background. The harmonies stand-out again here; a real strength throughout the album.

12. Son - This is the start of a trilogy to close the album. There are some very rich vocal harmonies at the start. The depth and accuracy are spine-tingling. Then a piano, strummed acoustic guitar and bells accompany the lead vocal in a wonderful tune. The chorus is similar to Muse but stripped down to just piano accompaniment. Then there's a sudden change of direction as this leads directly into...

13. Father - A lovely percussive and piano motif open the track up before Casey's vocals softly sing a wonderful melody. Plenty of strings and piano give this a stage musical sort of feel. Then another seamless change into a fabulous melodic vocal arrangement. There is such depth to this track without it being heavy or over the top. The arrangement builds as other instruments kick in throughout. This all builds nicely until suddenly it's just vocal and piano playing the track out to lead straight into......

14. Life and Death - There's a real Beatles feel right at the start, but vocally it's reminiscent of Jellyfish circa Bellybutton and Roger Joseph Manning Jr. A lovely soft tune then just kicks into the most amazing chorus. This will just blow your mind. It's like the best of the Manics again and after a few more quirky and softer tracks, we're back to the heavier style with distorted guitar backing but never losing that melodic edge. There's some sinister phrasing halfway through but it's so impeccably arranged and produced. Unbelievable. And the chorus comes back to tingle the spine once more. Then there's a piano / vocal refrain and you'd be forgiven for thinking it's about to fade out to close. But no. The guitar comes back in and builds...and builds. And then, you get a fabulous instrumental version of the chorus. This is another tune that will stay in your head for hours. The track - and the album - finally finishes with a simple piano arrangement.

Well that's it. 57 minutes of absolute beauty and brilliance in my opinion. If you've read this far, thank you. Although I do apologise for the long review, an album such as this is deserving of the time. I simply can't stop playing this album and I love it so much, I felt compelled to write this review. If one person reads this, buys the album and enjoys it as a result, that will be job done as this group deserve to be heard and appreciated. The amount of mediocre output heard on popular radio stations is a crime when there is so much talent falling under the radar. And this album is a fantastic example of what's available if you look beyond the obvious. I hope the references help to give you an idea of what to expect. I'm almost certain you'll hear nothing quite like this album for the rest of the year and for those that enjoy rock / indie / prog and more, there's something for everyone here.

Buy and enjoy. 5 Stars.

3/6, not everyone on the board. Yet, but I'm sure they'll come soon. So, erm, ahoy. Or aye aye captain, or something.

"Writing On a Wall" (Oh, oh, oh, what a start), hummed first part of the song is soon changed for one of the best intros I've ever heard. And no, I don't write this to every album. So perfectly mood-setting. Rushes instantly into "In Cauda Verenum" which is completely opossite track. Musically of course. And again, I have feeling of emotional influences. Like tentacles from darkness, it's binding his (Casey) work. But 2:48-2:57 are sign of peace in mind. But no, we'll not be set free so soon. Only 4:00 till the end of the song, there is something very weird. Like Hawaian melodies combined with previous century's melodic work. Very hallucinating. Better not take these drugs anymore. And shrooms

///////////OLD REVIEW/////////// Oh, this is very fine piece of music. I still wonder what makes it so "tasty". I think it's the melodic side (weird ones sometimes, hard ones sometimes, but still melodic, no discord voices, not much psychedelic things). They start "like" any other new rock band with fast pace and screaming to microphone. But this music is different, we all (who listen to it) know it. When somebody likes emo music because of melody, but at the same time is ashamed by this "emo" thing and things connected with it, he has an alternative in this. I don't want to say this E-thing about The Dear Hunter, but it's like good and bad side of the melody, OK ? And it has nice retro parts. Not 70s retro, it's even older. Very catchy album, but not good to listen to it as ambient music, it's too demanding your attention. Which it will fulfil by the way. And why I rate it with five stars ? It's easy, I cannot find any flaw.//////////////////////////////

I had only heard one song from the Dear Hunter before hearing this album, and I wasn't particularly impressed. Fortunately, I gave this album a chance and was absolutely stunned. This has to be one of the best modern albums I've ever heard!

The whole album is one piece really---and, as I understand it, the first three albums are all part of a soon-to-be 6 part play. The lyrics and concept are extremely intriguing, very deeply written, and thus I don't think I'll ever figure out all of the intricacies to the story... but it doesn't matter. The music is wonderfully produced and played.

The album has somewhat of alternative sound, almost like a much more proggy version of Muse, only infinitely more enjoyable and artistically deep. The vocals are amazing, and the musicianship is proficient, as well as being completely full of soul.

Needless to say, I will definitely be checking out the first two releases by this band, and I suggest this to anyone who wants to hear a fresh sounding album that is heavily enjoyable.

This is nothing short of a masterpiece, and a glorious example as to why 2009 is quickly becoming one of my favorite years for music ever.

I love this band, and this album. The way they can take easily digestible music and add an array of small intricacies to build a larger, more inspiring sound is one of the most intelligent writing styles I've ever heard in modern music today. The chord progressions, melodies and transitions are always so smooth and seem effortless for them to write, and they always manage to capture the mood and emotion they intend to create. They manage to keep all their songs diverse and individually identifiable to the listener, and yet every song contributes to the 'whole' of the album, giving it a bigger picture to look back on once your done listening.

I also love how the continuing story of this boy and his life-long conflicts is still holding my attention, which means it's very accessible and well-written. The deluxe edition of this album includes a booklet that contains art depicting Act II, which can clear things up in case you didn't pick up on the previous plot. However, in Act III, I question if it's about our main boy, 'The Dear Hunter.' I thought this album might be about him and his repeating conflicts with prostitutes (through the lyrics of He Said He Had a Story), or I also thought maybe this is a flashback and the person's eyes you are looking through is his father's (which would make the prostitute in the previously mentioned song The Dear Hunter's mother, Ms. Terri), which really expands the story to another level. Another song that led me to this interpretation is the track Father and it's containing lyrics. Nevertheless, it obviously takes place in a time of war, which I believe is WWI due to the song Mustard Gas, which was a infamous weapons during then.

Anyways, the album is much more full of theatrics, dynamics, drama, emotion and orchestration. This band has always managed to top themselves after each consecutive album, and I will always look forward to their future releases. And I will definitely say that the world needs much smarter musicians like The Dear Hunter.

The Best Prog Album of 2009!

Oh man .. don't trust my words! You just need to prove it until you guide your mind to similar rating like I have given to this latest album by The Dear Hunter 'Act III: Life And Death'. My straight forward suggestion is: go to youtube or the band's myspace and try 'In Cauda Venenum' and decide what you gonna do. You don't need to read this lengthy, novel-long review as it wasyes your time. Just make a decision now!

I have known this band quite late when they already released their second album 'Act II: The meaning Of, And All Thing Regarding Ms. Leading'. But I also purchased the debut EP 'Act I'. I think their music is quite original in style even though, whenever I listen to The Dear Hunter, I kind like associate them with Cirque du Soleil (the circus music) or Sweden's A.C.T ... the one that I call it as cabaret in prog rock. This last album 'Act III: Life And Death' I purchased just couple weeks ago because I thought I was more interested in new album of IQ and Dream Theater. I did not include purchasing 'Act III' because I thought it's predictable. I was wrong! Style-wise, it is similar with previous two albums. But when I look at the subtleties of the music, it is so intricate to me. Despite great music offered with this CD, I also love the CD package in digipak with 14 loose postcards inserted inside the CD inlay. It's unique and enjoyable as I listened to the CD while reading the lyrics as printed in each individual post card: one lyric per post card. It's so innovative.

I cannot afford not to write track-by-track review ...

Writing on a Wall (1:36) is an inspiring opener that successfully sets the whole tones and nuances of the concept album. It kicks off beautifully with an acapella that reminds me to the Islamic nuance in some mosque activities where I ever joined. It contains solid nuance using choirs, beautiful piano notes strengthened with bass drums as well as snare sounds in marching style. What a fabulous opening, really! Not only that this is a suitable opener for the storyline but it also has a catchy melody. It serves wonderfully as Pseudo Silk Kimono opens Marillion's Misplaced Childhood, or take the other extreme example in power metal music (if you like it) like "Regalis Apertura" that opens Kamelot's Karma album. But this time, the opener has wonderful lyrics: 'Ooooohhh .....Come away young man where the ground is red and you need a mask to breathe. Oh it's been so hard but you'll like the change if you just roll up your sleeves ..'. Mann ....this is really great!

In Cauda Venenum (5:29) flows seamlessly from the opening track with an energetic music depicting angry mode that serves, at the same time, as motivator to get ahead with war. The music is like a rock opera played by the band in big band setting using brass section as well as other standard musical instruments like guitar, bass, drums, piano and keyboards. The composition is really top notch with fast tempo, great harmonies resulted from instruments being played, beautiful accentuated vocal line plus energetic choirs. The music is full of inspiration and the style is something that I rarely found before. The Dear Hunter is really creative in creating the new kind of music. Casey's singing quality is of high quality where he can scream and sing low register notes with clear words coming out from his voice. The music is dynamic as it has various tempo and style changes that make the overall composition sounds really brilliant. The great sonic quality of the CD helps elevate the energy of the music. Lyric-wise this song seems like the start of the war : "And now with our hands aligned these arms move tonight. And we cry 'we can not allow this, This is terrible' with all the sentiments remembering home and loved one : 'Oh when I think about your eyes'. Overall, this track is the best one amongst all excellent tracks provided here with this album. The melody is catchy and full with accentuation, the harmonies are great and the structural integrity of the song is solid like an iron!

What It Means to be Alone (4:16) moves seamlessly from previous track with a mellow style. Stand individually, this track might not be attractive as a stand-alone song. But as this song is used as part of the whole story, finally I find joy in listening to it. It moves in medium tempo mood with piano and string section as rhythm section and vocal that tells the story about the choice that does not seem much especially with this condition: 'Run scared from this cruel and bitter world. This has only begun, as the bombs are bursting off'. I know, I cannot view this song as a stand-alone one because each song in this album serves like a connecting chain from one song to another, telling the whole story of the concept album. As each scene (represented by a 'track') is printed nicely on dark brownies post card, it helps build the nuances of the album. I like this brilliant album of inserting fourteen loose postcards in the CD sleeve.

The Tank (4:39) starts nicely with string section of violin and cello followed with drums and energetic vocal backed with choir line. The song is structurally dynamics even though not that energetic. Casey's capability as singer is really great as he can manage his screaming as well as normal singing nicely. The music style reminds me to those of A.C.T. I am emotionally drowned when the lyrical part reaches this : 'And still he moves on. Arm and iron conquer heart and soul". As the music moves up with intricate vocal line that moves to higher register notes with this part 'And what of those in silent disconnect?' until it reaches ' ...Relief is just gone tear its time away..'. The music returns then to chorus line beautifully. It's really fabulous composition.

The Poison Woman (4:18) is a happy-go-lucky song with cheering-up mood as the vocal moves dynamically with a catchy melody backed with choir line. The tagline melody sung by vocal is really great while the accentuation from one segment to another has been crafted wonderfully so that it moves in catchy and memorable notes. Piano, banjo and bass guitar play important role in this great track.

The Theif (5:01) seems to depict helplessness in facing unfavorable situation where no one really wants to give hands. The frustration is expressed in the lyrical phrase: 'Love seems abandon when cash is king'. The music is quite experimental in nature. It starts with guitar rhythm followed with a music in floating style followed with vocal work. The experimental nature is demonstrated through the sounds of guitar effects as well as those produced by keyboard. The keyboard effects in the middle of the track is coupled with bass guitar solo. The vocal line also demonstrates high register notes in screaming style but still acceptable to my ears.

Mustard Gas (4:09) kicks off suddenly with a screaming vocal yelling 'Here they are. The wicked. A panic floods the field' backed beautifully with string section and bass guitar, guitar and drums. At minute 1:40 the music changes dramatically into another style with banjo as rhythm section creating very good segment of music. The combination of catchy melody, balanced harmonies from instruments used in the album and changes of styles throughout the track has made this track very attractive.

Saved (4:25) is an acoustic setting that, for me, provides a musical break as the music is quite simple with minimum instruments. It requires only acoustic guitar, piano and vocal in ambient mood. The melody moves nicely from one segment to another with sometimes backed by choir line. There are percussion work at the end of the song. The lyric is quite intriguing with the anecdote : 'The private does what the general says. The general does what the president says. The president does what the first lady says ... So so they say'

He Said He Had a Story (3:31) is a very attractive song which blends the harmonies, melodies and style changes beautifully from start to end. The most important component is the melody as the story telling goes with the vocal line. The accompanying music changes according to the mood as the vocal represents the plot of the story. The most enjoyable part is when there is a soft guitar riff combined with drum work or those with string section. It's really a memorable song. I like the one after Casey sings 'What was your name?' followed with music riffs. It's so greaaaaattt ...!

This Beautiful Life (4:05) moves wonderfully with excellent vocal accentuation accompanied with dynamic music that supports the storyline. Again, through this composition The Dear Hunter has successfully blended the changes in styles, ups and downs of the story, melody and harmonies in its best way. It's hard to deny the virtuosity of Casey and his brother and friends here with this song. I am really amazed with this, really.

Go Get Your Gun (2:48) is another example of how genius Casey is in crafting this piece of music and positioning it right here in the album after previous ups and downs. This is another happy-go-lucky song that cheers you up and it's very inspiring. I am thinking of playing this song in one of my management workshops that I regularly conduct as part of my profession. It's really a great song, especially with its fast tempo and happy mood.

Son (5:39) is a sad song that starts nicely with an acapella followed with a piece of music that comprises acoustic guitar rhythm section and vocal in mellow style coupled with vibraphone to enrich the texture of the music. As far as melody, this is an excellent one as well. It flows nicely and almost unnoticeable to the next track Father (4:48) which continues the sad ambient. These two songs sound like a one integral part. Well, actually all 14 songs in this album form a cohesive whole as one storyline.

Life and Death (5:46) is basically a mellow pop song but it has meaningful lyrics. It serves its role really well as an ending chapter of the whole story. The most meaning full one is the parts where it has 'We all have hearts. We all have homes. But when we die. We die alone?'. If we all remember this, we will of course only do good deeds as a saving in an account for life after death. Even though there is no complexity in terms of the arrangement as it typically comprises piano and vocal followed later with other instruments but still maintaining slow tempo. The Dear Hunter seemed to conclude the story in mellow mood after the second track 'In Cauda Venenus' runs in an energetic and dynamic way. It's a beautiful concluding track.

Conclusion

It's definitely a masterpiece progressive music album and must be the best prog album of 2009. The music is quite original in nature even though we cannot deny there must be influences from legendary bands especially on its basic elements from the like of The Beatles. But that's OK, there is no band not being influenced by The Beatles, I believe. But the composition is really masterpiece as it has catchy melody in each song it contains while the sum of the whole parts forms a cohesive melody that supports the storyline. Performance of the musicians are also of great importance in this album especially Casey's talent and virtuosity in handling vocal job in differing styles from low register, high register as well as screaming style. The string section also plays critical role in the music. The structural integrity of each song is excellent. And, very importantly, the soniq quality of the CD is really great and it's much better than any Porcupine Tree albums. I admire Casey's attention to detail in executing his duty as producer of the album. Get the CD of this album and play it LOUD! Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Poor boys, this is what they call Prog these days.

Now, seriously. I DO like some Modern Prog, which is close to being not Prog at all, like COHEED AND CAMBRIA, DREDG or A PERFECT CIRCLE. But this is just beyond me. An alternative rock clone to QUEEN? Like MUSE, but worse? 3 (THREE) with cabaret? When I saw THE DEAR HUNTER regarded as Prog on some sites, I was only smiling, because those sites had 30 SECONDS TO MARS and COLDPLAY as Prog bands too. But good Lord, ProgArchives? Sometimes I think the definition of Prog/Progressive is too wide, and not every band, that's just a little bit more interesting than the others, should fall into this category.

The music left me totally cold and unamazed. Good for an alternative rock band, but average when compared to latest THE VERVE or even U2 efforts. Melodic, catchy, radio-friendly and so on, but where's the magic? Maybe, somewhere in earlir works of THE DEAR HUNTER, can you recommend me? Because for now I feel like I just wasted my time on what expected to be if not good Prog, just good music then! In 223892735th time I'm promising (to myself) to be more careful with hyped albums/bands, I swear! 1 star for my wasted time and money would be enough, I guess.

There is something so tantalizing and charming about the Dear Hunter's music that has me wondering sometimes why I love it so much.

Each subsequent album seems to make slight improvements on the previous, and I have to admit, if Crescenzo can make any improvements upon Act III, I will eat my hat. And love every moment of it.

Act I was short and unpolished. Act II is polished but wallows in uninspired moments. Now, we finally have the finished product. The only real concern to be leveled at Life and Death is that it seems to revel in the formula of the other two albums. Hopefully, Crescenzo can break into other artistic directions as he continues the saga.

Now, with that exception, Act III is certainly an impressive affair. It starts out with the customary atmospheric intro turning quickly into fiery assault. From the first minute of "In Cauda Venenum", I knew I was in for something special. The song complements a powerful brass section with quasi-Latin organs and drum-work, propelled by laser guitar work into a sudden down-tempo shift into lounge crooning and symphonic accompaniments.

Even more impressive is the sudden switch into "What It Means To Be Alone" which floats along in a wash of orchestra and a shimmering chorus; some of Crescenzo's best vocal work.

The album only continues to astonish from there. "The Tank" dances from menacing strings to marching beats and heart-breaking chorus. "The Poison Woman" is devilish and enchanting, with lyrics that portray a woman who makes her living tricking people into drinking deadly poison. The listener becomes awash in sickly sweet guitar-work and feedback along with haunting vocal harmonies in "The Thief". The two-part "Son" and "Father" is the quietest piece on the album, in which Crescenzo elects to go straight for the heart-strings.

One thing that I love about the Dear Hunter is that they can make anything sound epic. The melodies all sound almost too big for four and five-minute songs. Case in point, "Mustard Gas" is the culmination of every inclination in the group to create monstrously huge melodies. Prog-lovers will undoubtedly gravitate towards this song, and with good reason. It's simply fantastic.

As is the entire album. If you haven't already bought Act III: Life and Death, then now would be a good time.

Following my initial listens I thought this album to be a huge disappointment. With each other Dear Hunter release I was immediately hooked, but this one just seemed to lack any energy or that golden catchiness other releases have had. This is most likely because Act III lacks the power, sing-a-long choruses that so defined the previous acts, especially Act II. This should be of no concern as this album marks an improvement in every facet for the band.

Aside from what I've mentioned, Act III continues in the same vein as it's predecessors. The music is highly layered and filled with excellent vocal harmonies and great melodies. However, everything is kicked up a notch. Here we see strings and horn sections comprising a much larger role in the music. The band has moved further from an augmented post-hardcore band to an orchestral indie/prog outfit. Technically the band also seems to have improved with Nick Crescenzo giving a particularly excellent performance on drums (aided by a fantastic mix). And most importantly to me Casey begins experimenting with his voice exploring some different areas. I especially like his falsetto during the chorus of "The Tank".

Overall another perfect album from this band really. Act III combines just about everything we've heard from the previous two and elaborates on them. Fans of the band will love it and it could possibly even turn some haters. Probably the best album of 2009.

1979 gave us The Wall. 1999 gave us SFAM and 2009 gave us this gem Act IIIl: Life and Death.

To a certain degree, i'm sure this beautiful angst of 2009 can be compared to the geniusly crafted the Wall. I read from somewhere that Crecenzo doesn't like Prog music, but who cares. It's a brainchild of one dominating mind in the band. To a certain degree, both has the elements of anti-war sentiment and are rich in sarcasm. Musically I think the Wall is extremely well-written piece of music but not focusing on the musical virtuosity (yes, the Wall has some of the world's greatest gutiar solos of all time, but they are nowhere as complex as anything John Pettruci or those lighning fast chops would come up.) The strength of Act III is in overall composition, not in monstrous solos (although instrumentals are pretty well performed). Both are concept albums with very emotional lyrics and brilliant vocal perfomance.

Finally, The Tank and The Trial are very, very similar employing strings. They happen to be my most favorite tracks off the respective album. With the typical soundscapes of music and music technologies in early late 2000's, this is what Roger Waters may come up if he is the same age with Crescenzo today.

The comparison ends here. Other than that, I agree with other reviewers that ACT III is a vast improvement from its two predecessors, both in composition and in performance. I too would be surprised if Act IV can top this one. The diverse musical influence raning from acapella, cabaret, jazz etc. What else can the man do for the next three albums without treading the same paths?

Gatot has done a very detailed and superb track by track review so i see no point to repeat that. Weak tracks in my opinions are What It Means to be Alone and This Beautiful Life. These are by no means fillers but just weaker in comparison to other tracks. Absolutely wonderful tracks are the very strong opening Writing on the Wall, The Tank, The Poison Woman, He Said He Had a Story, and the last four tracks are a brilliant climbing up to climatic finale of this album.

I only have two complaints for this. Unfortunately the two important P's in marketing. The Packaging. I'd prefer better thicker paper on the cover as this one will surely go soft in the next two years. The text in the lyric cards (yeah, not booklet) are super hard to read. The last complaint is the Price (for delivery). The official shop of Triple Crown charges criminally for overseas shipping. But these two complaints cannot stop me from giving this album the entire five stars as it's so essentially a masterpiece.

I am so thrilled that there is music like this at this point in time. Not your typical Prog metal, and not your standard Retro Prog. Just good ole progressive music thats a little different and for the here and now. If we need some reference point, think Coheed and Cambria and Mars Volta, mixed with a little Beach Boys and Gentle Giant. Still, this is very unique stuff, and not too derivative of anyone. One of my favs for 2009 for sure.

I feel sorry for Proj-Jester who gave it a 1* review, for his anability to hear the quality of this music, and how much the Prog world needs refreshing tunes like this these days. If you're going to discount this music for being too derivative, well take 90% of the bands on this site and throw them out with the bathwater too.

This is the sort of stuff that will turn youngsters on to Prog, and open their ears much more than most standard Prog Metal ever could. The Dear Hunter is doing Prog a great service. Keep it up.

3.5 stars really.

The first thing that you have to take into account is the theatrical opera-rock nature of this work. Epic symphonic sounds and theatrical/dramatic vocals are not for everyone, me included in a sense. Also, despite having an album flow and lyrics telling a story, the sound is very diverse, changing genres between (and sometimes within) songs.

some reviews (not necessarily from this website) referred to the vocals as 'emo', but I believe they have more in common with mainstream alternative rock and 70s rock, with some touches of different styles. In short, the vocalist is very versatile and experiments with his voice a lot.

The rest of the band does not seem to have any virtuosos, but they know how to play their instruments well enough to support the strong songwriting ideas put forth.

This is one of those albums that start excellently, hold on high quality songs for a while, gets less interesting halfway only to end in a very high note. The album's first tracks are generally great, particularly the harmony-driven introductory track and the adrenaline-pumping, latin-influenced "In Cauda Venenum" which are fabulous. All these early tracks have very strong choruses, including the ones in "Tank" which redeem the cheesy orchestral riff in its intro. Another highlight is the ending of "The Poison Woman". However, the trio of "He Said He Had a Story", "A Beautiful Life" and "Go Get Your Gun" hurt my enjoyment of this album. Each song is worse than the previous, hitting its nadir on the embarrassing "Go Get Your Gun".

The album comes back as strong as ever with the "Son", "Father", "Life and Death" trio. All three of these songs have the vocals taking the spotlight and are probably the singer's best moment on the album, full of emotion and great melodies. The last song "Life and Death" carries a lot of emotion and nothing couldn't have finished the album on a stronger note. In fact, I find it the best song in "Act III: Life and Death".

Act III. That would make one conclude there also exists an Act I and an Act II. Chances that I will seek them out are pretty low though. Act III is an ok album but nothing remarkable. The style is very derivative of Coheed & Cambria, and since also that band rarely manages to capture my attention, I have little need for a copy.

Well not an exact copy for sure. They throw in some Muse/Queen pomposity and the singer has a more versatile voice, resulting in a much lower Geddy Lee and Rush factor. All songs are fairly basic upbeat modern musical rock and cover a reasonable range of sugary styles, making it a fairly pleasant but rather un-absorbing listen on the whole.

I'd say this is an ok indie rock album that could appeal to Muse and C&C fans. For me this is way too tame and sweetened to make anything of an impact.

From the first word uttered in "Writing on a Wall", I knew that I was in for an experience with this album. In Cauda Venenum further raised my expectations, tossing catchy horns and driving drums in my face, before Casey Crescenzo's vocals popped in, screaming and propelling me forward. It was mayhem, and it was glorious. And yet, the band wastes no time letting the listener know that they are in for more than just a rocking ride. After the 4 minute mark, the song takes a sharp turn into more gentle music with backing vocals and light instrumentation in place of the propulsive music that started the song.

What It Means To Be Alone is sort of a slow track that doesn't grab the ear as well as the first couple of tracks, but it moves the story along nicely, and the music picks back up with The Tank. Truthfully, I can't always follow exactly what is supposed to be happening in the story, so songs like "The Tank" that are pretty straighforward make me feel smarter, and the smart military drumming and varied vocals combine with the piano and strings to make it a real smash hit.

The Poison Woman has an almost mischevious sound, aided by the pianos and Casey's singing. I really love the myriad of different emotions that Casey is able to convey with his voice, and the backing vocals that support him throughout this album. This song is one of the one that, story wise, I'm not entirely sure about. I get the basic idea, but I'm not really sure how it fits in with the songs before and after it. (Perhaps from The Tank to Mustard Gas, we are being introduced to the army that the main character is fighting along with? Although Mustard Gas, based on the song afterwards, could also be something that happens to the character.)

Speaking of Mustard Gas, this is a track that really rocks, on the same level as "The Tank" and even "In Cauda Venenum", although just like "In Cauda...", it also has a moment in the middle where the mood and tone shifts dramatically, which perhaps makes the return to the hard rocking main section sound even harder rocking. I love the lyrics too of the chorus, they are not the most original but their delivery works wonders.

"Scream to the sky, beg for a reason he would allow this Look to the sky and say, we would be better off without this, who would allow this?"

The album reveals a wry sense of dark humour in He Said He Had A Story, a story about an encounter between man and prostitute. It gets a little bit more upbeat and hilarious with "Go Get Your Gun", a catchy song that sounds like it has a generic theme until you listen a bit deeper and realise that it is actually a song about desperation, at which point the lyrics almost become a little sad.

Son/Father is perhaps the part of the album that confuses me the most, story wise. I am pretty sure I get what is happening, but it seems rather odd and comes out of nowhere. Musically, they are alright, although not quite on the same level as the rest of the album.

The album ends with Life and Death, which is actually the song I heard by this band first and the one that made me decide to buy this album. It starts off beautiful and sad, but also manages to be hopeful, and is in my mind an excellent way to close the album.

This is an album that is definitely served by owning the actual album. Instead of a booklet, it comes with an assortment of postcards for each song (minus the first, which is written on the digipack itself, perhaps as a pun on its name "Writing on a Wall"). This gives each song a visual companion, and the lyrics are printed on the back. It is definitely an interesting way to augment the story. The image for Mustard Gas is particularly chilling. The only downside is that the lyrics on the back of the postcards are wrong a fair amount (nothing major, but little things).

As a whole, this album is an excellent listen and I would recommend it to anyone who loves music that has a story attached and a myriad of different emotions, or great vocals and backing vocals.

I didn't like this album too much for different reasons: It sounds like one of those contemporary alt rock albums that are made only for selling copies, it's the classic fourteen track album where you can rarely find a couple of good songs. Don't get me wrong, I love alt rock, especially all the 80s and 90s bands like R.E.M., Husker du, Pavement, Jesus and Mary Chain, Sonic Youth and many others; But the attempt to mix all this, along with some pop and folk, with prog elements, well, I think this band has wasted a lot of their time and effort. I frankly won't suggest this to anyone.

'Act III: Life & Death' - The Dear Hunter (9/10)

At first appearing to me as a cross between the Mars Volta and Coheed & Cambria, I realized that this band has alot more going on to it then I originally gave them credit for. The Dear Hunter is one of the few bands that I really think is doing what 'progressive rock' is really supposed to do; take the popular music of the era and take it a step further. While alot of so-called 'progressive' bands simply copy and paste styles from the 70s, the Dear Hunter actually sounds like it could fit in with todays music if it wasn't for all of the extra thought put into it. Mixing modern punk/pop/rock with caberet, latin music, and classic prog rock, the Dear Hunter really have a sound of their own... And 'Act III: Life And Death' is the culmination of their efforts, I believe. From dense soundscaping to beautiful melodies to a deeply moving finale, 'Life And Death' was a beautiful introduction to this emerging band.

Listening to some parts of this record, it's hard to believe this band isn't getting serious radio airplay. As far as art rock goes, the songwriting and style here is very modern, and could be enjoyed by a great deal more people then the inner circles of progressive music. Most supportive of this statement is the vocal styling of Casey Crescenzo, which sounds like he could faithfully emulate any popular alt-rock singer of the day. What sets him apart from your typical pop-rock crooner however, is his talented ability to perform some of the most beautiful choral harmonies I've ever heard. Much in the alley of the late Freddie Mercury, Casey can very ably overdub his voice several times over, making for a gorgeous wall of sound.

Instrumentally is where things start really getting separated from the typical radio music of the day. While the songs are conventionally lengthed, and filled with melodic hooks, there are alot of little musical nuances subtle enough to escape the casual listener, but strong enough to add to the musical experience should someone be bold and meticulous enough to seek them all out.

While the year of 2009 was indeed a great one in terms of finding some great albums and new bands to dig into, 'Life & Death' really suprised me. I'm glad I wasn't too quick to dismiss this great project off as a Mars Volta rip-off... Dare I say this could be the band to one day bring Prog back into the spotlight of music? They certainly have the artistry and accessbility for it, and unlike a great too many of bands these days, this band is doing something completely unique.

Our hero's journey continues. After he ended things with Ms. Leading, the woman he loved but couldn't bear her profession (prostitution), The Dear Hunter is seeking a way to 'mend his broken heart'. So let's go to war, that'll help, no dying there. But anyways his musical journey from here is pretty epic to say the least.

We start things off with a beautiful acapella intro that really fits the mood, "come young man where the ground is red and you need a mask to breath..."

The intro bursts into the heavy art-rocker In A Cauda Venenum which decribes why he is going to war and his immeadiate impression: I came all this way just to find love?

What It Means to Be Alone is his song of regret for leaving Ms. Leading. It really balances out the mood from the just plain heaviness of the previous track. It contains some passages that echo Act 2 but none of them are too obvious.

The Tank is a pretty ominous sounding track (the violins cause this I believe) telling of how The Dear Hunter's fellow troops are attacked by a tank and he runs to a nearby village. This track is a really epic sounding one, not even really sure how exactly.

The Poison Woman is a song about a spy for both sides of the war that our the boy meets in the village. A catchy little track, this one. Although a lot of the time being more alt than prog, it's a loveable little song.

The Thief is about a thief, (imagine that) another person the main character meets in the village. Another ominous sounding track that gets pretty intense musically.

Mustard Gas is about the village being bombed, an emotional track that once again fits the mood as The Dear Hunter is trying to escape the village.

Saved is about the boy being saved from the Mustard Gas by a fellow soldier (this is where the story starts to get tricky). This is a very lighthearted track, relief that he has been saved.

He Said He Had a Story is rocky track that is made of seemingly pure emotion. The boy meets his rescuer's father who tells the story of how he made love to a prostitute at a brothel called The Dime (sound familiar?) her name was Ms. Terri. The man is the boy's father.

This Beautiful Life is mainly about the boy processing in his mind what he has just learned. It's a soft pop tune really, one that gets stuck in your head after you hear it. One of those little buggers you just have to listen to again.

Go Get Your Gun is the men going off to battle hoping they come back alive and "for those who die please try to understand." Another catchy song that's very upbeat and did I just hear a banjo?

Son and Father seque together and almost seem like a single track. The boy's half-brother dies in battle and the father shows little or no grief. This makes the boy angry. The boy poisons his father and steals his half brother's identity. Two soft and sad tracks that have heavy and emotional refrains. I almost am brought to tears at times in this point of the album.

Life and Death is a soft little closer that has just plain beautiful lyrics. At first it's just Casey's voice and a piano but soon it bursts into the boy's emotional guilt over everything that's happened. He is leaving the war zone and going to live with his step-mother. He has now learned about life and death.

I am heavily anticipating the next Act, all three of the ones released so far downright amaze me in their beauty. I will be one of the first in line to buy act four, can't wait to see how things go with The Dear Hunter's step mom.

One of these days he will learn to love again...

Like a readheaded beauty.

Ever since ELP filled concert halls and Pink Floyd played in underground clubs, long before I was even born, progressive rock has been the fierce protest wave against all the ordinary in music. In a way, an escape route from pop music patterns and and its plain mindset. Well, it had to get there somehow and I've always thought that only these first steps from '50s pop towards '60s psychedelic prog could and should be categorized as 'crossover' (because nowadays we've got alternative rock for that, haven't we). Well, in 2006 a crossover prog band showed us, that you can be crossover without being a copycat. Without being a failure on either side. Quite the opposite - you CAN have your own signature style and unique sound to please both progheads and wider audience. And suddenly, everyone were amazed.

In 2009, when The Dear Hunter's third album 'Act III' hit the stores, they needed no introduction. Casey Crescenzo's well-known compositions and amazing vocal capabilities once again escort us through yet another chapter of the adventure of The Dear Hunter, but

with a slightly new sound.

While it's predecessors Act I and II had strong The Mars Volta influences, Act III: Life and Death turns more light and elegant, still sophisticated and humorous, but notably more radio-friendly. Song lyrics and compositions paint an odd world full of people, whose life drama unrolls right under our eyes, with Act III as a tragicomic soundtrack to it all. Masterful use of cliche tunes from hints to cabaret, country and latin dance music spice up the whole mix of different genres on this album. Somewhere in the middle of it all, Pink Floyd, Bigelf and Frost* meet.

Very enjoyable use of stringed instruments, mad rock-orchestral compositions and adapting play style is probably what sets The Dear Hunter apart from other experimental rock bands. They exhibit fluent play both in Foo Fighters or Moon Safari tasting ballades (Saved, Son) and neo-proggish songs (The Thief). For this colourful audio experience there are

only good things to say.

To this day there is actually little consensus whether The Dear Hunter should be considered prog or alt rock, but one thing is for sure - the band has built a bridge across the 'ocean' separating prog and contemporary experimental rock, which wishes to be free of the bonds of '60s or '70s prog legacy.

The Dear Hunter is like a circle shaped block in a tetris game, like a redheaded beauty among blondes, like a pair of sneakers with wheels to roll around the shopping mall. Some perverse bit of you can't stop feeling you kind of missed it all along.

A pleasant collection of more Beatles-like indie-pop-oriented prog all composed and organized as the third installment of a six-album concept story concerning the life of a boy at the turn of the 20th Century. Though I have not been drawn in to much of the other Dear Hunter discography, this one is pretty engaging and not too dull or repetitive. To me this is a lot like MUSE and DOVES.

Favorite songs: "Life and Death" (5:46) (8/10), "The Tank" (4:39) (8/10), "What It Means to Be Alone" (4:50) (8/10).

3.5 stars rounded up for great production sound, creativity, and ambition--and for the reminder that when we die, we die alone.

Act III: Life and Death, as the title suggests, is the third and latest part in Casey Crescenzo's forever-on-hold Dear Hunter project, a concept release detailing some over-the-top story about prostitutes (or something), which was planned to be released over six albums. But the truth of the matter is that ambition is often a double-edged sword, as Casey obviously realised after the completion of this record. The overblown concept would take nearly a decade of writing music around it, all done in the same operatic indie rock style. And in the making of Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading, Casey made the rather ridiculous decision to make it a double album, stretching out not only the concept, but his ability to write music of that style. And it wasn't a great payoff. Act II, despite having some obviously solid moments, drowned itself in filler nearly to the brim, with Casey doing The Dear Hunter-by-numbers and filling every song with as many elements from Act I: The Lake South, the River North as possible, but without creating any memorable or notable melodies or themes, to the point where they are so forgettable that many of the highlights of Act II were the reprises of parts of Act I.

So I guess it's a bit surprising that Act III is any good at all. I mean, Casey essentially drained himself dry in the second part, and if what I've heard is true, he actually wrote two hours of music for that album. Part three was necessary only because he promised it, but at this point his promise of six albums was looking as silly as Sufjan's promise of all fifty states (and the same deal goes - he could have done it if he had written shorter releases, but instead he ran out of steam writing 140 [%*!#]ing minutes worth for Illinois). But Act III is definitely a better release from The Dear Hunter, and actually did breathe a bit of life back into the Acts saga with some motifs and tracks as memorable as the few that were on Act I. The music here is far more consistent and less wandering, and it definitely shows that Casey has sat down and tried to make each song a bit more memorable - a strong chorus, a nice string part - just to keep the flow of the album up.

But at the same time, the parts that make this album good are also what bring it down a bit. Because let's face it - The Dear Hunter have an insanely unique style. It's a wonderful blend of indie rock with connotations of progressive and art rock. It's poppy and sweet but dashed with strings and horns and lavish Beach Boys-style vocal harmonies, and crispened out by some angular math rock and occasional post-hardcore influenced Claudio Sánchez-isms in the vocals. And yet, as cool and unique as that sounds, it does get rather tiring and predictable after a while. That was certainly Act II's downfall, and it's still here, but in a less noticeable capacity. I admit to liking every track here to a certain extent, yet I can't really push this album much higher than a 7 in my score system, because there are certainly moments when I just sigh out of boredom. It's difficult to explain, but it's the sort of sense of knowing that "The Writing on the Wall" would lead into some bombastic riff coated in horns and Casey wailing in his indie/post- hardcore croon. Many of these tracks feel like I've heard them before, even if I haven't, because this style of songwriting becomes so predictable so fast.

The hooks here are definitely the album's leading selling point, with most of the songs boasting at least one wonderful melody, from the upbeat and fun lines on "What it Means to Be Alone" and "The Poison Woman" to the melancholy of the last few tracks to even some hardcore-tinged anger like on "He Said He Had A Story". That particular song is an interesting one, being the only track with lyrics potent enough to imprint them in my brain. On first few listens, that really seems to be the biggest thing going for the track, but I can now say that the massive screaming of "WHAT WAS YOUR NAME" is now one of my favourite moments on the record (although the backing vocals are pretty damn cringeworthy with them narrating the scene, but I guess it evens out). However there are some tracks here that really seem to lean on the hooks an awful lot - "Mustard Gas" being a particular example. The opening is majestic and grand, reminding me of both Queen and Muse (with less annoying vocalists of course), and bringing the mood of the album up immensely, but aside from a few great string/horn arrangements, the rest of the song just doesn't live up to the intro.

In terms of differences between this and its predecessors, the post-hardcore is definitely down and the Beach Boys are definitely up. Nearly every one of these songs has some kind of vocal harmony involved, and they are pretty great, even if the source is pretty obvious. The hook on "This Beautiful Lie" revolves entirely around a "babababaaaaa" sort of melody, and along with the opener "The Writing on the Wall", Casey really showcases the dark and moody side of pop harmonies. Another noticeable trait of this record is the absence of longer tracks, and a general lack of prog and math rock connotations. "The Thief" is in 5/4 most of the time, and "In Cauda Venenum" has some pretty mathy twists to that bombastic opening riff, but throughout most of this album Casey focuses more on the art rock and chamber side, with massive emphasis on instrumentation and layering. Oftentimes, the strings and horns will take the lead far above the guitar, showing influence from baroque pop, jazz and chamber music (and even a bit of Streetlight Manifesto-influenced ska in the aforementioned "In Cauda Venenum"). This is a softer and more melodic album, but it is still quirky enough to define it from the melodic indie pop/rock that the band would go into on Migrant.

This isn't the last Dear Hunter record, of course, but both The Colour Spectrum and Migrant are a bit removed from this style of bombastic and horn-driven indie rock, and really act as Casey Crescenzo solo releases more than part of the band concept. But Act III is the last of the Acts series, even though it was supposed to be the third of six, and I'm glad for it. I know many bands who have written the same record decades over and never seem to get bored with it, but Casey is different. Hell, it's only been five years since this album and he's already onto Romantic-era symphony worship. This is a man who does not want to stay in a place for too long, and returning to the Acts would only bring about more duds. In my honest opinion, even though I like this record, it should have ended after the incredible Act I, but at least this one acts as a bit of an apology for that dreary second part. It's not a complete end to the story, and some perfectionists will be a bit mad, but I'm happy that Casey has left this behind. If you're coming here for music or a recommendation, I'd send you to Act I first, and then come here if you're dying for more. A solid album no doubt, and a good farewell to a (mostly) good concept series.

7.5

Originally written for my Facebook page/blog: www.facebook.com/neoprogisbestprog

The story continues and now we are at Act III of the six act rock opera by The Dear Hunter. Casey still has a full band though with a few line up changes. In Act III, the songs are shorter on the average and none of them hit the six minute mark this time. There is a lot more narrative to the story in this act, and I don't know if that is the reason why or if they were just cutting things back to make it more accessible. Since I really don't see any quality in the music cut back, I would rather believe the first option.

Because of the shorter songs, there seems to be less development going on, but things still remain at a high quality. As the story of the main protagonist quits his relationship with the hooker, joins the military and is saved from death, he finds his father, learns he has a half brother in the military also who is actually the soldier that saved him. His half brother up getting killed. His father shows no emotion and this enrages the main character who ends up poisoning his father. The main character takes on his half brother's identity since they looked a lot alike in order to go live with his step-mother. His life is falling apart and he is on a downward spiral.

The songs continue to be emotional and dramatic. Harmonies are beautiful, melodies are amazing, the vocals are as great as ever, instrumentals and arrangements are superb all as they were before. A little something is missing though, and I think it is the lesser chance for the songs to breathe and develop. It's not a major problem in this case, as everything else is spot on, and again I think it is because there was so much more story to cover in this album. The songs move from one style to another, but there is still a feeling of cohesiveness in all of this.

After this album, The Dear Hunter would take a break from the story, so the last song acts like a nice build up before the intermission. The band would next release the box set called "The Color Spectrum" which would consist of a collection of 9 ten inch EPs with 4 songs each based on the colors of the rainbow plus black and white. Then there would be a stand alone album. The story will continue after this point.

This rock opera continues to amaze and features some great music with a lot of progressive rock and dramatic singing. This particular part of the story seems to lack development among the songs, and that lowers the rating here one star. However, this was the first album I owned by the band and I was still impressed enough to get the rest of the series. Imagine my surprise when the other albums were even better than this. I don't regret ever buying this one though. It's on white vinyl and I paid $30.00 for it, now it's worth $200.00, so that makes it even better. So, a little drop in the rating at 4 stars, but still an excellent addition to any collection.

Act III: Life and Death is a bit of an odd case in the grand scheme of The Dear Hunter's discography, not only being the last in the act series before Casey Crescenzo took a 5 year break from touching them, but also because it proves to be the most divisive of these acts as well. This divisiveness makes sense upon listening to the album for a bit however, with the approach to songwriting and narrative tone acting as a stark contrast compared to the rest of the band's material. The music here feels as if it's going way harder into being built entirely around their aesthetic, compared to before where that side of them felt far more understated, with the intense songs being blistering, the beautiful songs having an almost ethereal quality to them, and the campy, quirky stuff practically becoming showtunes at points. Narratively this is by far the bleakest and downright most miserable part of the story, which works perfectly considering the fact that the setting here is in the midst of a war, definitely fitting the far more direct and intense songwriting to be found here. All of these interesting choices combined with one of the most consistent tracklists the ban put out makes this my overall 2nd favourite Dear Hunter album however, even if the reasons for some to dislike it are quite easy to see.

After the short intro track essentially telling the listening that Act III takes place during a war, the album immediately kicks it into high gear with In Cauda Venenum, with blaring horns and a more manic, rough vocals performance creating a a very vivid picture, one full of chaos, panic and fury. What further elevates this song is the contrast that's brought in near the end, with everything slowing down and turning this sense of vicious anger and dismay at the current situation into one of longing and remorse, immediately establishing that the main character regrets ever taking part in such awful events. This isn't the only song that leans so heavily into this intensity however, with some others being able to match this or even take it a step further. The Tank is one such example of this, opening up with a grandiose, orchestral intro to provide this sense of scale and majesty before ripping it away with Casey's distorted, strained vocal performance to further represent hopelessness and horrific destruction. This is yet another of the band's best songs, with the chorus bringing in some rather powerful, passionate emotion to reflect upon the tragedy taking place, really displaying some of his best vocals in the process. Mustard Gas is the other prominent song of this style and approach and also does a whole lot. Everything about this song feels chaotic, with the heavy focus on orchestra providing an utterly huge sense of scale, which is then twisted by the rapidly changing structure of the song, repeatedly switching between this and more personal moments, ultimately bringing forth a wide variety of tones and moods within only 4 minutes, with none of them being positive to continue hammering in this narrative point that the main character might as well be in hell.

The slower songs in Act III are interesting in the way they seem more intent on focusing on tone and atmosphere above the more catchy melodies the band so often brings to the table and focuses on. This is easily noticeable in both What it Means to be Alone and The Thief, where the densely layered instrumentation and backing vocals blend together and end up creating a near-ethereal sound which is matched by the far less structured vocal melodies. A lot of the other tracks have their own unique points of interest as well to further contribute to the album's eclectic tracklist. Of these, He Said He Had a Story is easily my favourite thanks to the evocative that ends up being extremely dark and disturbing. It's clear that Casey wanted to write a truly detestable character here and he doubtlessly succeeded in my eyes, all without forgetting to make some incredible music, with the bouncy rhythms and sense of catchiness and power in every facet culminating in a personal favourite track.

Another technique I'm a fan of is how this lighthearted, bouncy and happy music is paired with darker lyricism to make it feels as if someone's true thoughts are being desperately hidden behind a thin, more cheerful facade. This is what makes Go Get Your Gun and This Beautiful Life so good despite the way they musically stand out so much from the rest of the album, with this tonal juxtaposition being delightfully grim. All of this leads up to the final trio of tracks and one of the album's finest moments. Son, Father, and Life and Death all lead into one another smoothly and develop in a very satisfying and interesting way. Each section builds upon the previous, beginning with quite mournfulness and ending with a profound sense of dismay and regret over the actions that took place. Casey really sings his heart out in Life and Death in particular, which when combined with the lyrics that manage to simultaneously feel hopeful and totally hopeless makes for a perfect way to close off the album.

While this shifts in approach taken in this album may be offputting to some listeners, leading to the more divisive nature of Act III, this is just an incredible album across the board to me. It manages to feel so different while distinctly remaining The Dear Hunter, which is always something I find impressive when bands are able to pull it off so cleanly. The more excessive, self-indulgent qualities present here also just appeal to my prog-loving sensibilities in general, which might be another reason why this might not feel quite right to some who enjoy the more indie/alternative rock sound that the band blends into the music. Not really the album I'd tell people getting into the band to start with, but without a doubt one of my favourites, absolutely stunning album all around.

Best tracks: The Tank, Mustard Gas, He Said He Had a Story, the final 3 tracks.

Weakest tracks: Saved

The band comes with renewed energy and loads of emotions for this, yet another concept album, accompanied with a small orchestra. "In cauda venemum" is one of the strongest band's energetic trademarks, pure raw energy. Am I the only who hears the pompous, harder Muse influence? "The tank" is another highlight - a Muse-like vocal, complex and ornate sequences of ideas."The thief" shows, why drumming may be the most advanced instrument in the band's arsenal; although all other members chime in. "Son" is a great passionate ballad, where, for once, we don't have drums or guitars and can enjoy piano and vocals. It's counterpart, "Father" retains most of the charm of "Son" but brings guitar and drums back into play.

In comparison to the previous album, I hear some cliches which are linked to the band trying to reproduce the spirit of older music, it's a minor complaint, though.

It's the last great album of the "Act" series until 2015, as the break between was filled with more conventional albums.

This album makes you feel like you're in WWI

After the colossal Act II, The Dear Hunter expectedly continued their story with a third act, where the main character finds himself in WWI (Partially). Despite having such a crushing setting, the album is actually less heavy than the two previous albums. It seems to focus much more into melodic, heavily acoustic tracks. This album works very well as you can expect, as a matter of fact, I would say this is a solid 4.5 stars, I just can't seem to be capable of giving it the magic 5 star rating because there's a few tracks here and there that I don't consider phenomenal, just good.

So let's start off with my strongest opinion on this album, the first two tracks are simply the best openers in their entire discography. Writing On A Wall is easily my favorite of the one-minute openers you can find in every act, it's so epic! Of course, the heavy-hitter is the track that follows, In Cauda Venenum and good god is this track brilliant! I fell in love with it from the very first five seconds. The main syncopated riff resembling a reggaeton (you heard right) rhythm sounds shockingly well, combined with the war setting you have an absolutely crushing track. The song ends with a Hawaiian-ish outro.

The next very good song is The Tank, which is one of the theater-themed songs in this album, it has amazing drum lines and it's very groovy in general. The Poison Woman is the most theatrical of the songs here, and it's for sure very reminiscent of tracks like The Inquiry Of Ms. Terri, that possess very noticeable vocals and a rather comical vibe. The Thief also has similar properties to these, but in a more progmetal-oriented way.

He Said He Had A Story is one of those tracks that I mentioned being very acoustic oriented (that's not to say there's no distortion at all), this song establishes many beautiful vocal lines, and works as a very good ballad. This Beautiful Life also enters into the ballad category and works just as well. I personally find these two songs to be the best ballads of the album. Son and Father make up for a nice duo, just as you can expect from their names alone.

The rest of the tracks are good, absolutely. But I can't say they make me crazy like In Cauda Venenum, song that I have replayed over five hundred times. This album flows very well and benefits from having one of their best mixes to date. 4.5 Stars, a great album that, with a little bit of polishing, would easily be a masterpiece.

P.D. That album cover is SO GOOD (*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)