Theory Of A Deadman - The Truth Is...

Coming off their most successful, if not their best, album, Scars And Souvenirs, Theory Of A Deadman returns with The Truth Is… Due to the smashing success of their previous album, the bar was set pretty high for Theory to deliver the goods once again on their latest disc. Each Theory Of A Deadman album has been better than its predecessor---until now. Unfortunately, The Truth Is… does not hold up to any of the previous Theory albums and is a step down in the band’s otherwise extraordinary career.

There are some redeeming qualities to The Truth Is… , but they are few and far between. Opening track, “Lowlife”, is a familiar theme of self despair similar to “Hate My Life,” from Theory’s last album. However, this theme was done heartily by Kid Rock in the nineties. Yet, “Lowlife” has such a catchy riff and sing-along chorus that makes it a stand out song and a great single.

"Out Of My Head" is a solid ballad and while it lacks the bite of "Santa Monica" (from 2005’s Gasoline) or "All Or Nothing" (from 2008's Scars And Souvenirs), it is still a strong song and one of the better cuts on The Truth Is...

The sophomoric lyrics and grade school antics are really what sink this album. Theory seemed to take the success of "Hate My Life" and tried to tie it into every song on their album without thinking it through. Misogyny is rampant on songs like "The Bitch Came Back," "Gentlemen," "Love Is Hell," and "The Truth Is...(I Lied About Everything)." And if the degrading, child like lyrics isn’t bad enough, there are not many redeeming qualities in the music either. I have to wonder how much of this album was written on the road and in a hurry. While the aforementioned songs will be loved by the eighth graders at Fillmore Junior High, the long time Theory fans are not going to be as appreciative.

What I wondered most of all was how the hell an album's bonus tracks can be better than the actual tracks? That fact floored me about The Truth Is... The bonus tracks are better than the main material! What was producer Howard Benson thinking? Or, is this some kind of a Theory trick to say, "Ha! Gotcha! We really are better than this!" "Careless," "Does It Really Matter," and "Villain" are all as good as, or better than, lead track "Lowlife." The bonus tracks are the quality of songs that I would expect from Theory Of A Deadman and they almost save the album. If you do pick up a copy of The Truth Is... make sure that it is the special edition with bonus tracks. Otherwise, you will be one disappointed fan.

Overall, Theory Of A Deadman missed the mark with their latest album. Suffering from juvenile prank lines and misogynistic humor, the band lacked the focus and development that made their last album such a smashing success. One self depreciating song about hating women and telling the world how much your girlfriend sucks is all right and sometimes even enjoyable. However, when more than half of your record is dedicated to that theme, it wears old quickly. As a huge fan of the band, I am willing to give them a pass and hope that the next record will return them to the greatness they once had. I just hope that The Truth Is... isn't the beginning of the end.

Ryo’s Rating: 5.5 (Out of 10)

Track Listing
Lowlife
The Bitch Came Back
Hurricane
Out Of My Head
Gentleman
Love Is Hell
The Truth Is…(I Lied About Everything)
Head Above Water
Drag Me To Hell
What Was I Thinking
Easy To Love You
We Were Men
Careless (Bonus Track)
Does It Really Matter (Bonus Track)
Villain (Bonus Track)
Better Or Worse (Bonus Track)
Out Of My Head (Acoustic) (Bonus Track)
Easy To Love You (Acoustic) (Bonus Track)