311 Album: “Soundsystem”

When I first bought this album I wasn't really expecting it to be great. After hearing "Freeze Time" I was amazed at how much I liked it. Despite liking the first song I got the impression that the CD sounded stale and lacked creativity. The more you listen to this CD though the more you realize how completely wrong that is. This CD has got so many positive elements to it I don't know where to start. It grows and grows and grows on you. 311 is purely about music and their efforts definitely pay off. READ the lyrics. There are some things in there that have made me a stronger person. They truly do amaze me. Seeing them in concert just reinforces how much energy they put into their music. They're completely unique and seem like they will NEVER stop making mind blowing music. I guess when you add talent and hard work together you get 311. Nick and SA are the perfect combination and the other three are truly great musicians. Great job and keep doin what you're doin.

I think 311 has to be one of the greatest bands that is overlooked. You dont see them on MTV like Korn or Limp Bizkit becasue they are not about selling out to the hip, Pop, boy band era. Much respect to the band that always stays true to their fans.

I've been listening to 311 religiously for six months now and i've come to the conclusion that you just can't go wrong with 311...whether you're looking for rock, reggae pop or wutev this album delivers and is i think the most diverse of all 311s albums. I still have to say as most 311 fans would that Grassroots and Music are better albums overall but Soundsystem is still my fav. I'll break it down for ya now:

1.Freeze Time - 5/5 i didn't dig this song as much my first time but i soon realized that it friggin rocked..all out headbanger

I would say the best opener of any of 311s cds slightly ahead of Homebrew and Down. My 3rd fav on the cd.

2.Come Original - 5/5 A big hit for 311 that got some radio play but not enough. It's a great song and up there with Do You Right as one of 311's most dynamic songs going from rock to reggae to hip hop...but it can get a lil repetitive

3.Large In The Margin - 5/5 another song i didn't dig right away but i soon became entrenched in the rockin' beat after another listen

4.Flowing - 5/5 Now this is one damn good song. starts w/ a trippy cell phone type thing for bout 12 seconds then explodes into a great rock beat. one of the best party songs

5.Can't Fade Me - 5/5 nothign to say bout this song but it rocks again..heavy guitar and bass and alotta SA and nick rapping

6.Lifes Not a Race - 5/5 wow what a slow tripped out masterpiece a total changeup from the previous songs but still an amazing song..thas why you gotta love this cd

7.Strong All ALong - 5/5 oo boy my fav on the cd and for good reasons. it speeds up a bit from Lifes not a Race but is still a lil tripped out and has great beat and lyrics. i just love it

8.Sever - 4/5 Good song with an interesting beats but can drag on after a lil bit

9.Eons - 5/5 Man this song reallly grew on me with its infectious chorus. its a slow rocker but its the bomb dude trust me

10.Evolution 5/5 Must i say anything its awesome fast paced tune

11.Leaving Babylon 5/5 Tripped out masterpiece for the fellow budsmoker

12.Mindspin 4/5 hard short rocker..good chrous

13.Livin and Rockin 5/5 craziest party song ever..so fast and crazy makes you wanna headbang and jump around so much you won't believe

O man you gotta buy this cd and give it a couple listens with an open mind..ull eventually love it unless you dont like this type of music at all...i don't skip a track on the whole cd

After their self-titled release, 311 follwed up with "Transistor"--the CD which lost them fans and left the critics saying, "They're done for". Now comes "Soundsystem", 311's statement to the music industry that they won't go down without a fight. Soundsystem has all the potential hit songs that made the self-titled release so popular. I had to laugh at an earlier customer review that labeled them "so unoriginal"--as if any other band BUT 311 revolutioned hip-hop/metal/reggae. While the brilliantly mixed "Come Original" will sell the album, "Large in the Margin" or "Flowing" could very well steal your heart as favorite song on the CD. The harmony in "Large In the Margin"'s chorus will blow your mind. "Freeze Time" also gets a big thumbs up in my book. The whole CD is 311's return to musical greatness and will save the band from extinction.

okay first off, this album is nothing like metal. Some hip hop this and that, no metal. Now I'm a HUGE metal fan, I was wishing for something near metal, but nothing remotly close. But I did enjoy it for just laying around doing nothing. It has a nice beat to it, for a slowish CD. I like come original, that's a classic song. I like the CD, but it isn't for making you get up and jump all around, more for a mellow time. Thanks for reading.