Sunday, April 9, 2017

Album Review: The Warning - XXI Century Blood

Everywhere you look, it seems like achievement is happening at younger and younger ages. If, for instance you follow the LPGA, you would know that your career is considered nearly over when you hit thirty, and an eleven year-old has qualified for the biggest tournament of the year. Think about that. It happens in music as well. In this age of specialization and limitless technological possibilities, bands don't have to wait until adulthood to have the resources to make music. They can make solid recordings starting whenever they're old enough to hit the record button.

The Warning is one of these tales of youth taking over the world. The band is comprised of three sisters, none of whom have hit their twenties yet. It's astounding to think that such young women have put together a band who have accomplished as much as they have already, but what's even more amazing is just how good they already are.

If you didn't know the band's story, which I didn't when I first heard some of this music, you would never guess. This album is a polished and professional outing that hits the marks of pop-leaning rock and roll with aplomb. Last year, Shiverburn nearly won Album Of The Year with a similar style, and while The Warning hasn't hit that same level of absolute brilliance, they've made a record that outclasses many that come from bands with a much higher profile.

Not only do the sisters play with the skill of veterans, the vocals have a maturity that few young singers manage to pull off. They sound like a band that has more years under their belts, which extends to their songs. Catchy music often gets written-off with a bit of a snide remark as if it's no skill to write what you could call simple music. In fact, the opposite is true. Writing a ten minute progressive opus is easy, because no one expects the music to be any good. Writing a short and sweet pop song is one of the hardest things you can do as a musician. So when The Warning shows up with a song like "Shattered Heart", which is a phenomenal pop song, that's a sign that they have what it takes.

There is also a deft amount of variety on the record. There are the move overt pop leaning songs, some more modern rhythm-centered songs like "Survive", as well as the ballads you would expect to find. And in all cases, they do a remarkable job with each one. "Our Mistakes" and "Unmendable" are both fantastically catchy songs, while "Wildfire" is a modern burner, and "Show Me The Light" and "Black Holes (Don't Hold On)" are stirring ballads that give the album the give and take that makes it so effective. There isn't a single track here that falls short of the mark. The time and care taken to make this album shows.

Any rock group with a female singer and a mainstream sound is going to draw the inevitable comparison to Halestorm. The Warning has given us a record that is easily better than Halestorm's latest, but is still looking up at their masterful second album. That's actually high praise. These young ladies have made a better record than a huge band on a major label with every resource they could ever dream of to help them write songs could muster.

I hate to go to the well of age so often, but it's amazing to think a record like this can be made by teenagers. I remember what I was doing at that age as a musician, and I couldn't have begun to imagine making a record that rivals the names you hear on the radio. The Warning has done that. There are no growing pains here, there's no faint praise where I say I can see where they hope to be in a few albums. The Warning are already there. "XXI Century Blood" is a great album on its own merits, but with the story, it's one that does that rare thing and stands out from the crowd. I'm rather stunned by The Warning. Kudos, ladies.

18 comments:

  1. Great review, i've been following them since their cover of Metallica's Enter Sandman hit the internet several years ago (now over 14million views) but i was blown away by their live performance at TEDxUNR in Reno this year. The band is simply amazing.

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  2. Your Blog title says it all. A very fair and intelligent assessment of this superb sisters band.
    Like the above commentator, I have watch them grow ever since I came on Ale the bass player, playing the Muse Hysteria faultlessly at the age of eight. It worthy of note that she is still not yet a teenager and, with her mid-teens sisters, has been performing their own material in live gigs for several years. Also worth noting is that this album is totally self-produced, by themselves and their great team.
    Trust me, if you like this album, you will absolutely love their high energy live performances. Check them out on YouTube.

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    1. You have reazon... The Warning playing HYSTERIA is absolutely fantastic. Alejandra, eight years: incredible! How crazy to say we've been fans of a rock band since the bassist was 8! ... Very crazy!

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  3. These sisters are fantastic, and English is their second language. They have grown so much in just the 2 years.

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  4. So much more talented than the pop girls today, they are more like the great old school rock and rollers, truly talented. I could not believe they wrote their own lyrics , so many years ahead of their time, insightful and mature in many songs.

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  5. I discovered Paulina after YouTube recommended one of her covers that was done when she was 10. Shortly after I discovered Daniela and Alejandra and have been following them for about four years now. I saw them perform in Texas in March 2016 and at TedX in Reno last January. After their performance I got to talk to them and told them I am always impressed by their skill and the hard work they do really shows.

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  6. Amazing indeed, I refer to them as a true musical miracle! Here is a link to their music! https://theWarning.lnk.to/XXICenturybloodPR

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  7. The bass player is not even a teenager yet!

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  8. Their new album is absolutely amazing. I can't stop listening to it. My road trip next week will be all The Warning all the time.

    This album may be awesome but their live performances are even more incredible. Just watching them play and sing in front of a crowd is amazing. I have to admit though that Paulina is my favorite. Her drumming skills are second to none and she's only 15 (I think). She has some early videos on YouTube and even back then she was incredible.

    Love the review. You were spot on.

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  9. I, like many others, have followed The Warning since seeing their cover of Enter Sandman. I have watched their stage presence improve dramatically from their earlier videos. Their music/lyrics, while always insightful, have reached a new level with this album. I remember saying to myself when they played at SxSW in Austin, TX that they were pretty gutsy to introduce over half their set as new songs and blew me and the audience away. I have purchased their CD, the first new music CD I have bought in over 20 years, and can hardly wait for the next installment of "rock legend" music from The Warning.

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    1. Agree, first album I have bought since Monster by Kiss in 2012 (Yea huge Kiss fan). 13 songs and not one is filler. Cant wait to see whats next. Think Ale is only 12, thats crazy

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  10. What can I say, Since discovering the warning in early 2017 I have watched every you tube video I could find and purchased their new CD. This is one of the best new groups I have found in years. The sound that these three young ladies put out is phenomenal. I can't wait to see what the future brings for these sisters.

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  11. The cd and limited edition vinyl was the first purchased by me in over 30 years and more for the lp vinyl. I had to buy a turntable on Craig's list so that i can play the album... It sounds great.

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  12. Best new Rock Band of the decade
    I been following the band since their
    First video the passion and soul the group has is Electric ⚡️
    The girls are beyond their peers the sisters
    Album is flawless survive, when I'm alone,unmendable are legitimately hits I also bought a signed vinyl and a downloaded from iTunes Dany's guitar �� is blazing,Pau hits the drums it's earth pounding ,Ale bass is booming beyond her years . Rock is in Excellent hands
    Now with the sisters
    The People were Warned the Storm was
    Coming . It's taking over the globe
    Rocks future is now The Warning Army
    Are marching congratulations hard work
    Pays off lead the way into the future
    Rick Hernandez

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  13. The big thing you mentioned is they are already working on new original material. Its crazy they figured out there true colors before they were teenagers if you listen to there story at ted x at the university of nevada in 2016 . Danny at 17 is the lead guitarist and lead singershe has worked very hard to deliver the melody of there songs . Ale at the tender age of 12 took 3 years to get her groove and conquer the bass guitar. Paulina at 15 is a big part of the band when she is behind her kit she plays just as good as any grown man . you can see it in her eyes. She has been compared to John Bohnam . she writes most of the songs on 21st century blood. But it takes all 3 sisters to make the band work . and there work ethic is off the charts . we haven't heard the last of The Warning for many years to come����������������������

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  14. They are Playing at The Whisky a Go Go Jan 25 2017 Go see them if you can

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  15. I like the songs and the energy of the band itself. the songs are greatly done and polished. the melodies are catchy yet creative. hopefuly they make it big.

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