TRAPT | Shadow Work | Album Review... kindasorta

This album isn't even worthy of a regular review, since we all know exactly what this album is and who it's by. I am not going to break things down like I usually do. Instead, I'm going to go right off the cuff. And let's face it. No one else was even going to touch this album with a ten foot or even a hundred yard pole because I think most humans in civilization don't care even slightly about Trapt as a band. Especially after Chris Taylor Brown, aka Mr. Trapt, and his egregious actions throughout the past several months. And let me tell you, for those who are SOMEHOW wondering if "Shadow Work" by Trapt is any good, or if they should actually seek it out for some ludicrous reason, let me spoil everything by saying... it's not. For those who missed out on this album, good for you, because I think even using this album as melatonin to help you sleep at night would cause you to exponentially grow more disoriented. And you would probably get laughed at. This album is insanely dull and boring and flat. There isn't a single track on this album that elicits any sort of emotional response from the listener. Occasionally, you will hear bits of talent coming from the backing band, but that's RARE across this entire album. And none of that talent comes from nu-metal's biggest cretin, Mr. Trapt, who proves once again that if Brown is your last name, you should never name your kid "Chris". It's a bad idea. Vocally, he just sounds like he got out of bed and decided to sing along to whatever he could find on Spotify without having a caffeine boost. Lyrically, there's a lot of repetition in each track and nothing is particularly well written or even salvageable. It's all stuff we've heard before and stuff no one cares about. Musically, there is absolutely zero merit that makes any of these songs good as a complete whole. This album is like getting a cheap flashlight from one of those Dollar Tree knockoffs instead of getting a valuable flashlight. It is garbage, and you'll forget you even came face to face with it at some point, and it will remain completely absent from your mind.
 
At least with Trapt's other albums, no matter how bad all of them were, there was SOMETHING I could get behind in SOME way. Most of them are decently produced even though Chris Taylor Brown is a phony vocalist and has never sounded engaging in his entire career. And even on the awful 2010's albums, especially "DNA" and "Reborn", there was still some heaviness. I mean, whatever songs had the heaviness and variety sucked, but at least they showed a grain of salt's amount of care. This album has the same level of non-existent connection and appeal as a trap rap album. I've heard albums that are nothing but sound effects that have more allure and character and emotion than this album, and the sad thing is that it desperately tries to convince you that it has those things. Well here's a bit of feedback for you, Mr. Trapt. It doesn't. Not a chance. The only effort that you've given is to spew 9,000 tweets about you and your Pandora streaming numbers and how everyone else needs to "STFU" if they don't agree. Regurgitated right back at you, you hack moron. Who would like this album? Please find someone who genuinely likes "Shadow Work" and thinks that it is an essential classic that every person should own and listen to for generations to come. Because those people are very minimal. To say that THIS is among the top five best albums of all time... this petulant, whiny, lifeless, bland, empty wasteland of an album... makes me feel so much shame and regret for anyone who follows that sentiment blindly. If you do like Trapt's music, then go ahead and enjoy it. But, in my opinion, this is absolute trash. It's an awful album that would make even the most basic music feel complex. It is DEFINITELY not objectively good music, and it is definitely not worth listening to repeatedly. That is the end of this review. Do not subjugate yourself to this. And don't subject this on another person, either. No clever pun for the end of this review, because it doesn't deserve it. 

RATING: 0/10

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