Review - This is Forever

Artist: She Wants Revenge
Album: This Is Forever
Record Label: Perfect Kiss, Flawless Records, Geffen Records
Producer(s): She Wants Revenge
Release Date: October 9, 2007
Genre: Darkwave, Goth Rock
Strong Points: Overblown goth rock stylings, reminiscent of Joy Division; slick production and emotive lyrics; heavy, danceable drums and bass
Weak Points: Lyrics tend to lean towards self-parody
Technical Score: B
Artistic Score: C+
Final Score (not an average): B+
Moral Warnings: Overall depressing content, as can be implied from the inspirations of the band; one f-word used (Written in Blood); religion is viewed as a negative (Checking Out); denial of God (Pretend the World Has Ended); mention of consequence-free sex (This is the End); casual sex mentioned (What I Want)

Editor's Note: The above artwork is not representative of This Is Forever's artwork. The artwork could be considered suggestive, and thus will not be shown.

She Wants Revenge burst onto the scene in mid-2005 and quickly rose to popularity through internet social networking site Myspace (I can’t believe I just described that). Featuring the talents of two seasoned hip-hop talents, in Justin Warfield and Adam “Adam 12” Bravin, the duo created music that throbbed with the echoing drum beats and tortured post-punk sounds of Joy Division, The Cure, and Depeche Mode, mixed with a healthy dose of seminal goth rockers Bauhaus. The music was tortured and angsty, immediately catchy and indescribably weird, much like their post-punk influences, and it remains much the same on their second album, This Is Forever.

By nature, the music is noir-ishly dark, fused with a romanticism that is very much modern and very much of the 1940s; the myths of the woman as the goddess and the femme fatale are alive and well here, and intentionally so. This style is even shown in the album artwork, with hard contrasts between darks and lights, and black and white pictures of vocalist Warfield and beatmaster Bravin earning a two page shot. That is, however, beside the point.

This Is Forever kicks off with a thumping bass, a kicking drum, and a simple piano melody on the instrumental track “First, Love.” From there, things move faster as “Written in Blood” begins. Warfield’s mostly-monotone delivery works well here, telling a tale of a doomed couple, one speeding through the dark, the other terrified. This song also really sets the tone for the album, Warfield’s voice constantly debating what the nature of love is: “You tell me that love don’t last…” and later, “…promise you that this is forever or until one of us dies.” This constant debate is a theme that runs throughout the album, and ebbing and flowing with each song.

Song after song, She Wants Revenge presents a bleak outlook on the relational landscape of today. One song, called “True Romance,” proclaims, “I know that you never really loved me/I know that you never cared at all/Maybe just one more dance/Cause that’s as close as we get to a true romance.” Throughout the song, thin, angular guitars penetrate the synth- and drum-heavy proceedings, adding an ominous layer to an already atmospheric track.

One of She Wants Revenge’s strengths is their lyricism. They’ve been criticized for using sophomoric lyrics, for their lyrics sounding like they came out of an angsty high schooler’s notebook. That’s pretty much true. But it’s also very intentional. Every song is about jilted lovers, about breakups, about obsession. It’s so layered on that it almost becomes a parody of itself, and the band is very much aware of this, much like they’re aware of wearing their influences on their sleeves. Warfield’s voice is a straight-up attempt to imitate the late, tortured Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, and the music throbs with the sound of the many bands that followed.

By the end of the album, however, it looks like Warfield may have seen the light at the end of the figurative tunnel, or at least realized a need for something a little less dark and gloomy. A realization is shown in “Replacement,” where Warfield sings, “And how you knew from the first kiss that I would break your heart.” Following that, “Rachael” begins, a simple song of a beautiful woman, a song that hints that it’s all going to begin again.

Sadly, This is Forever keeps up the band’s poetic use of sex as a weapon and nihilism as an excuse. One song questions a person’s faith, and the very next proclaims, “I’ve got no God to sell.” Certainly, This is Forever is a good album, but it’s not necessarily one to get if you’re uncomfortable with the content.

Album Highlights:
“It’s Just Begun”
“True Romance”
“She Will Always Be A Broken Girl”
“Replacement”
“Rachael”

--Drew Regensburger (drew@revolve21.com)