Album Details

• Artist: The Forgotten Archetype
• Album: The Diaries Of Lord Xenu
• Label: Indie
• Year of Release: 2008
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: solitaryman on 2008-08-03

They're back! ME's favorite mash-up melting pot of a band, The Forgotten Archetype, have unleashed another dose of ADD-riddled hip-hop...metal...pop...music...stuff. Not much has changed since their debut EP was more or less given away, so anyone lucky enough to have caught them then is going to want to check out The Diaries Of Lord Xenu. They're still nothing but fun to listen to, novelty act or not, they've got a sound that they can put their own stamp on AND they've got all kinds of talent.

Every song more or less features the same things; intense hardcore death metal passages, electro-pop breaks and choruses, and hip-hop verses all laced with lyrics that just don't fail to entertain. I broke out laughing at the intro to "Like Times Two", a clip from one of the hilarious GI Joe parodies you've probably seen floating around the webnet highway. There are tons of influences in this music, and you can tell that the guys want to show those off while at the same time having the upmost fun possible making their music click. And it really works, despite the break-neck speed and sudden jolts into almost totally different songs within the songs. Take a song like "Cheerio", that starts off sounding oddly of Blink 182 (eerily similar) before transforming into a death metal track you'd probably have enjoyed hearing back in 1986. They are doing some different stuff this time around; the synth-heavy trip-hop on "An Open End" is delicious, and the hilarious outro to "A Christmas Story" is all shits and giggles. 

A better time with a record might not be found by anyone this year. Like their EP, The Diaries Of Lord Xenu is a twisted masterpiece of several different styles scooped up and thrown violently together, but with some obvious skill and passion to make it all come together nicely. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll question the two dudes' sanity. But most of all, you should enjoy the hell out of it. I certainly am. Look for this one on my year-end list...it's that much fun...

User Reviews and Comments

on 2008-09-07 stanscriven Said:

These guys rock! I've known them since middle school and they have always been making music, but TFA has taken them further than I think even they ever expected. For good reasons, too! I'm really impressed with their ability to seamlessly jump in and out of several different genres, consequently creating a voice that belongs entirely to them. Way to go Ben and Nick!

Stanford
Rating: 10/10

on 2008-09-06 wrathsheep Said:

TFA rules :D
Rating: 10/10

on 2008-08-03 hstisgod Said:

Great to hear an alum of IOTY 07 is progressing. Perhaps theyll win this year. I'm going to look into this based on your excitement
Not Rated