The following thread is one of those hard to write threads because of the so much to say factor and the added weight that they are one of those bands that are hated by many just IMO as a factor of them having a large teen fanbase and for being a screamo band. On my end I think they are one of the most raw, energetic, varied, artistic forces in the music industry in the past decade!
The Debut c.d. by The Used was a revelation for me. Up until that point I really never bought anything with a screaming vocal in it. A lot of metal screaming sounded like gorillas IMO. No attempt at melody or any purpose behind the screaming outside of sounding demonic or hardcore. Of course there were exceptions but few and far between. When I first heard the second single (I came in after first single A Box Full of Sharp Objects) for The Used debut:
The Taste of Ink
I was hooked. This was a pop song with real raw energy. It sounded like youth in a bottle which is fine because even at 30 I can relate to the energy in a youth driven song. I was still hesitant to buy the c.d. because I felt the screaming vocals would be just a headache of the c.d. but I kept hearing over and over what a great c.d, this was with a little bit of everything. I finally caved in and bought this self titled debut:
The Used
The reviews were right for once. What a complete flawless album full of different tempos. I also attribute the hard hitting sound that up to that point was pretty new, as in screamo was unheard of at that point, to the production of John Feldmann. John definitely had a great hand in developing their sound and they haven't been quite the same since leaving him.
Ironically one of my favorite songs is the loudest and most aggressive. I love the opening track and it gets me amped up like nothing else:
Maybe Memories
The ballads on this album were completely out of left field because I never thought this band would have it in them but both these songs could make it into my top 50 songs of all time easily! On a unique point neither one are typical love songs for once and they are more about friendship and just a general state of being respectively!
Blue and Yellow
(Just amazing IMO)
On My Own
(a more raw acoustic type ballad, the scream in it is great and carnal and it's a great combination of ugliness and beauty, I love the strings)
Other great tracks are the heavy:
Bulimic
(great energy)
The raw, punk tale:
Poetic Tragedy
and the epic closer:
Pieces Mended
Anyway, loving the album track for track I'll end with those. Since I've developed a love for every album I'll leave this for now and do one album at a time! I'll also do one with live clips seeing as that's a great element for them. I've seen Taste of Chaos twice and they own out of every band they've played with. They stand at the top of what they do for music and deserve immense praise for being a band that cares about what they do. Every c.d. and performance has more energy and emotion and work put into it than most new bands even know how to muster! so I'll be keeping this alive because I have a lot to fill in! Cheers for now!
In Love and Death
(awesome cover and book art IMO)
was the sound of a band breaking into the mainstream but the results were so good it doesn't even matter! One thing for sure, it was still heavy as this awesome first single attest to:
Take It Away
and one of their heaviest tracks ever
Sound Effects and Overdramatics
The best part of this c.d. were some of the best pop singles ever in the last decade:
The live c.d. had one of my favorite album covers ever!
Berth
Here's a track originally performed on their debut that was on the live c.d.:
A Box Full of Sharp Objects
The studio album was
Lies For The Liars
This album was their most experimental IMO and had some great sonic ideas! It was less pop than the last and the energy was very high!
had to be a lighter album vocally due to the damage to lead singers Bert McCrackens vocal cords. This was obviously because of the wear and tear due to the screaming vocals that had been continually done throughout his career. Regardless, Bert does just fine without the screaming and they make up for it by being even heavier in the music itself!
I kind of thought you might like this band Bucky, they have that high energy that you seem to enjoy in a lot of your bands.
I am amazed however that any of these Screamo bands lead singers last at all, in this case McCraken was famous for having a bucket on stage and would throw up when they were playing concerts. As Soot mentioned he has toned it down now, and I have no problem with that.
Thanks for introducing me to this band! I like them alot!!!
Originally Posted by Lord Grendel
I kind of thought you might like this band Bucky, they have that high energy that you seem to enjoy in a lot of your bands.
I am amazed however that any of these Screamo bands lead singers last at all, in this case McCraken was famous for having a bucket on stage and would throw up when they were playing concerts. As Soot mentioned he has toned it down now, and I have no problem with that.
RTbuck, actually thank you for listening! That's why the effort goes into these threads and if I can get even one person to discover something they like then it's like a reward. The Used particularly is a band I'm in love with so it's even better that I can find them a fan. They desreve more than just the preteen/teen fanbase they have!
LG, yeah, I left the bucket thing out because I always found that to not be a highlight of the band! It's an interesting factoid nonetheless though!
Here's a great single off of the debut I haven't posted yet aka I'm dying for new material but the old favorites will have to quench my thirst for now!
"The Official" The Used Thread 
It's an interesting factoid nonetheless though! 
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