From the Vault...

08/05/2018
#1632

info
Institute
"Distort Yourself"


© Interscope Records

Year of Release: 2005
Rating:

track listing
  • Bullet Proof Skin
  • When Animals Attack
  • Come On Over
  • Information Age
  • Wasteland
  • Boom Box
  • Seventh Wave
  • The Heat Of Your Love
  • Ambulances
  • Secrets And Lies
  • Mountains
  • Save The Robots

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    Institute related sites:
    Institute Website
    Wikipedia
    Previous Review: #1631
    Neil Diamond--I'm Glad You're Here With Me Tonight
    Next Review: #1633
    Soundtrack--Cinderella
    Institute
    "Distort Yourself"



    This is another case of, you're at a local Goodwill store that sells CDs. And as you browse through the used CDs, an album attracts your attention, knowing that you've never heard of the artist. That album was Institute's 2005 release, Distort Yourself. What attracted my attention, was the album's beautiful album cover, of horses. Institute was formed by Gavin Rossdale, who was in the band Bush. Another bandmember from Bush was in Institute, lead guitarist Chris Traynor. Institute would release only one album. The band's music is definitely Alternative/Hard Rock. And quite honestly, this album is quite good, having a great hard rock sound, easily fitting the Alternative Rock genre.


    The album's first three tracks are definitely interesting for it's Alternative/Rock style. "Bullet Proof Skin" was the album's single, having been performed on various TV programs and radio play. It was also used for a hockey video game, NHL 06 from EA Sports. It was also part of the movie soundtrack of Stealth, an American military science fiction movie, starring Josh Lucas, Jessical Biel, Jamie Foxx, Sam Shepard, Joe Morton and Richard Roxburgh. "When Animals Attack" is just as good, as it could have been another single. What is most impressive of the first three tracks, is "Come On Over," another possible hit single, given its chance.


    "Information Age" is maybe a least mentioned track, comparing to the previous three. However, "Wasteland" is another great Alternative Rock track. And this album keeps continuing in great form, with "Boom Box." It's tempo is slowed pace as the others (in its beginning), but it blends extremely well. "Seventh Wave" keeps the album going strong. "The Heat Of Your Love" is good, yet maybe not as better as previous tracks. "Ambulances" is the album's "ballad" track, and features Gwen Stefani, who was Gavin Rossdale's wife at the time.


    "Secrets And Lies" is another good track, as it is a bit slower than the harder rock songs, yet it kicks in its hard rock form (as in "Boom Box") Still, it shapes and blends with eveything heard thus far. "Mountains" is another great hard rocking track, and "Save The Robots" ends the album, another slower paced tune, as it compares to the late Chris Cornell and Soundgarden.


    Institute resulted in only one album, yet the band it was formed from, Bush has been together since 1994. Bush has become one of many popular bands from the 1990s. Yet they broke up in 2002, they reformed in 2010. They have released a total of seven studio albums and one live. Their most recent albums was in 2017.


    For the Alternative Hard Rock fan, Institute's Distort Yourself is a fine album. There really isn't one bad song on this album (to really label it as "bad" is not a factor here; although some songs are better than others, as in most in many album reviews. Gavin Rossdale has achieved a major accoplishment with this "side band" called Institute. Call it a solo album of his, is a possibility. Yet it still defines a great sound in Alternative Rock, and this album will get repeated listening.


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    Previous Review: #1631
    Neil Diamond--I'm Glad You're Here With Me Tonight
    Next Review: #1633
    Soundtrack--Cinderella