eMusic

Start Your Trial

In the Valley of Dying Stars

by

Superdrag

 
  • Pick
In the Valley of Dying Stars

Rate it!

Avg: 4.0 (72 ratings)

A great slice of catchy southern rock.

  • We Say...

    Perhaps best known for their hook-filled "Sucked Out," Superdrag's In the Valley of Dying Stars, is a great slice of catchy southern rock. The first line of the album, "I want rock & roll but I don’t want to deal with the hassle," might explain John Davis' new solo career singing Christian rock, but this album really is pure rock & roll. The songs are full of great crunchy guitars, catchy melodies and intertwining harmonies. Davis' voice is a bit gritty at times, which only adds to the emotion and rock vibe. Though the album is mostly fast paced, the ballad "The Warmth of a Tomb" is one of its standout tracks, showcasing the band's songwriting abilities through complex guitar work.

  • They Say...

    Superdrag's third proper album (there are a couple of singles compilations as well) begins with this lyric: "I want rock and roll, but I don't want to deal with the hassle." Perhaps the line references the Knoxville, TN, band's major label roller coaster ride that began with a decent-sized radio hit ("Sucked Out") and ended in the usual way: Trends changed, the band made a follow-up record that didn't sell as well, and then it was dropped by Elektra. Other than that lyric, though, nothing would indicate that any of the business end of the music business had affected the hooky power pop band. In the Valley of Dying Stars is a solid, terrific sounding album; the mix is great, the songs are great, and the guitars crunchingly complement singer John Davis' songs exactly as they should. The songs on Valley are among the best written by the band, from the typically rocking "Keep It Close to Me" to the more subtle "The Warmth of a Tomb." While the band may never again attain the level of popularity it reached with Regretfully Yours, it should still inspire a legion of fans devoted to solid, hooky pop songs.

  • You Say...

    Write a Review

    I would like to say...

    Artist: Superdrag

    Album: In the Valley of Dying Stars

    Review Title: (maximum 50 characters)

    Your Review: (maximum 1,000 characters)

    Cancel

    Please keep your comments to the recordings themselves, and be courteous and respectful. Thanks! For further info, read our Community Guidelines.

The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.


Rolling Stone
Start Your Trial

Recently Viewed

© 1998-2009 eMusic.com Inc. eMusic and the eMusic logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks in the USA or other countries. All rights reserved.

All Music Guide © 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC
Portions of content provided by All Music Guide, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC

Facebook®, YouTube, Flickr™ and Wikipedia® are registered trademarks of their respective owners, Facebook Inc., Google, Inc., Yahoo! Inc. and Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Neither Facebook Inc., Google, Inc., Yahoo! Inc. nor Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. are partners or sponsors of eMusic. eMusic uses the Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia API but is not endorsed or certified by Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia. eMusic does not pre-screen, monitor, endorse nor assume any liability for websites, contents, products, services or claims made by Facebook, YouTube, Flickr™ and Wikipedia®.