Product Description

Tom DeLonge of Blink-182 fame presides over the second album from his California stadium rock experiment Angels & Airwaves, 'I-Empire'. After the bombastic politically-inspired excess of their first record (2006's 'We Don't Have To Whisper'), 'I-Empire' sees Angels And Airwaves harness a tighter, more efficient sound akin to the punk-pop dynamics of DeLonge's former group. Thematically this release deals with the aftermath of the supposed artistic and personal re-birth DeLonge experienced after leaving Blink-182 and starting Angels &Airwaves. Once again taking on the role of producer confirms his dictatorial creative control over this ambitious project.

Track Listing

1. Call To Arms
2. Everything's Magic
3. Breathe
4. Love Like Rockets
5. Sirens
6. Secret Crowds
7. Star Of Bethlehem
8. True Love
9. Lifeline
10. Jumping Rooftops
11. Rite Of Spring
12. Heaven
13. It Hurts

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2880 in Music
• Released on: 2007-11-05
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 57 minutes

Customer Reviews

Half as good as the debut
When I first began listening to Angels and airwaves I was disappointed with the sound of We don't need to whisper. After loving Blink 182's final album I was expecting more of a mature rock sound and I couldn't quite take in why Tom had split up Blink for this band. It took me about a year to really fall for that album and since then I have never turned back. That album is my favourite and AVA are my favourite band. Now all the music I listen to is viewed in a different way thanks to the debut. It is so incredible, and for a debut album it's quite mind blowing when I think about it. Tom really wanted to show his listeners what he was trying to create and what he wanted us to believe in. It was so amazingly ambitious and Tom worked very hard to make a sound that was like no other. Now, after making the most amazing album Tom was wondering how to follow it up, and what sound to create and this is what we have. Tom states that God co-wrote 'We don't need to whisper'. If that is true then my local vicar must have co-wrote this album. The result is an album half as effective and less uplifting. When Tom was on prescription drugs, suffering from pain and going crazy, he was writing much better songs.

The first album was about creating a utopia and having the world change around you. This album deals with what to do in the utopia when the world has changed. The first album had huge anthemia sounds and was so space rock that you were so easily taken away to a different place. The debut album had such an amazing, big, epic sound. This album has pop punk, and more friendly sounding songs and you need a vivid imagination to take in what this album actually beholds. The effect is less serious and much less dramatic music. The power for most of the album is also decreased. When I heard Everything's magic the first time, I couldn't believe how pop it sounded. It is probably the most pop sounding song on the album though.
One thing I resent is the people saying that this album has a better sound. If that is so then you really don't understand what AVA are all about. If you want pop punk then you should be listening to Good Charlotte and not this! AVA are not about catchy music and pop riffs, they're about making you believe that you can do anything. Maybe I expected too much from this second album after experiencing so much from the debut. It was always going to be difficult to top the first album, and this has been shown clearly. The album is ambitious and it does represent what Angels and airwaves are about, but it just doesn't take me where I want to be in the way that the debut does.

One change that Tom made in the band was to have Ryan Sinn replaced with Matt Wachter. This really wasn't the smartest idea to make because Matt was from the emo band 30 seconds to Mars. The result is jazzy bass lines, more similar to Blink than the sound of Sinn's. AVA really don't needed that sound in the band. . Gone are the days of David Kennedy's intelligent and very effective rhythm guitar (although it seems a little overdone in Everything's magic). Instead, most of the rhythm is made by synthesizers and computerised sounds. Tom is my favourite guitarist so I can hardly fault his guitar work.

The opening tack is a good one, but just represents how different the sound of this album is compared to the opener of the debut, `Valkyrie missile'. There are 2 instrumentals on this album, whereas there were none on the debut. I think that goes to show that they are trying to fill up empty space. There are a few powerful songs on here, not in the same way as the debut album, but they're strong nevertheless. My favourite is Breathe, which is an amazing song and is an awesome love song as well. Track 6, Secret crowds is the most physically powerful, with that driving rock sound. Although it isn't the best on the album, most effective or favourite. It sounds similar to track 6 of the debut as well. The 2 ending songs, Rite of spring and Heaven are one of the few AVA songs which aren't love songs. Rite of spring is sort of a vain song about Tom's life. It has that folk story ambience. This song has the F word in it. I can't understand how this album isn't classified as a Parental advisory, if this is so. The Who - Then and now is also in a similar position with the F word in `Who are you?'. It doesn't feel like an AVA song and is probably the least pop feeling song. It is nice to learn that Tom was living a dissatisfied life before it all changed, and the extreme difference of what he has now. It is quite an inspirational song. Heaven begins with short samples of The adventure and Start the machine; the first and last songs from the debut album. Showing that what Tom was preaching leads up to the final song on this album. It's a good song about living life to your satisfaction. It also represents hope and your own idea of heaven. The song finishes with a sample of Valkyrie missile; theoretically the beginning of AVA.

For me, this album was a bit of a let down and that was due to how much I expected of the band and the power that I felt in the music. It is going to take a lot more listens to see this album as being close to as good as the debut, although this will never challenge the greatest album ever made.

Whoa!
So, as an hardcore Blink-182 fan, I was deeply upset like the rest of us when they split up. I have since listened to both +44 and AVA's albums and whilst I thought +44 were just another punk band, I had a different opinion of Angels & Airwaves.

I bought We Don't Need To Whisper on the basis of good reviews and that one of the Blink-182 members was in it. Personally, I loved it but felt it lacked alot of the enthusiasm of the Blink-182 days. Whilst it was epic and well produced, it never really achieved the heights of what it probably set out to be.

And then....

I-Empire was released. And to be quite blunt, this is simply amazing music. Whatever expectations of the first album were, this shows just how hard working and intelligent these boys are. Much mellower yet more compact than the first attempt, I-Empire excludes alot of the epic intros whilst still maintaing the cinematic approach that AVA always had.

Call To Arms is an exception: at 5:05, it has an epic intro but is quickly followed by miltary style drumming and a chorus fit for arena concerts, something these guys will be doing soon if they keep up this kind of work. Everything's Magic brings back the Blink days of pop rock whilst Breathe is a cool ballad-esque song that you can fall for so easily.

Secret Crowds is by far the best song on the album. Crunching riffs and excellent percussion followed by another one of those awesome arena choruses make this the selling point of the album. If you have a tough decision as to whether or not to be this album and you have heard this song, buy it on the basis of that song's quality!! Because the whole album is up to it's standards.

This is really really good stuff and if the AVA boys can keep up this kind of quality then role on Album No.3!!

Lovin it
I just have to say that after hearing the first album shortly before the 2nd I really do love both! I'd give specific favourite tracks if I thought any were much better than the rest but the thing is I like them all! Recommended for any Blink/Boxcar/+44 fans!