PlayBack: Paranoid City – Metropolitan (album)

05/14/2017 06:44:23 PM

It's probably a challenge for a band, especially if you aren't the typical guitar-drum-bass setup, to make music. And moreover, to spend two years in making new music and six to finally produce it on canned recording, much to clamor of everyone who's a been part of their following regardless of the varying level of closeness.

From the partying hey days, music quartet Paranoid City has gone to the more obvious and fitting new-wave infused synthesized pop music with bits of emotional lyricism and bits of alternative rock and pop-punk, layers; something Rommel Celespara (4Track) called as “titocore” (don't ask why, age-wise speaking.) 

The time has shown maturity and overall changes when each member pilot their instruments (guitars, two pairs of keyboards and synthesizers, and drums) and that includes sharing the main and backup vocal chores. La Balls Studio must be a heck of a genius in unleashing the band's new record through their sound engineering, mastering, and even arranging of the songs.

Gone are the days when Dax Balmeo was the main voice of reason for Paranoid City. Though retaining the title role, Celespara and Japo Anareta (8Bit) joined the prey and gave their respective selves a try in singing songs which speaks for their stories. That proved Japo isn't a back-up vocalist for life anymore, and Rommel's punk style blended very well in tracks like EC, Just Like The Movies.

And Eric Strange (or should we say Dr. Eric Strange) has seemingly revved up his drumming prowess, much louder than before. It has gone louder and and somewhat gave the power they needed on introducing their craft each and every single time. As for Dax's vocals, it has gone more emphatic and emotional that reminded me of either Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy and (dare I say) Jett Pangan.

While there are still (minimal) signs of Viewfinder Dreams in them, their full-blast transition has meet its needed end, and thus earning the credit they deserved. 

Despite focusing on only one track (which is Surrender), these bonus tracks proved their differences in what they can bring on the table. The acoustic piano might have been a bit less dramatic (if not steadily) compared to the original, but Mic Manalo's participation in the vocals was its salvation part. Switch's lyricism in the other Surrender version added a solid form of duality.

These four titos do 80s pop-inspired music best. 

Author: slickmaster | © 2017 The SlickMaster's Files