Unglued Reviews

Formed by twins Nathan (vocals) and Matthew (bass) Leone together with Mateo Camargo (guitar) and Dan Torelli (drums), Chicago quartet Madina Lake play pop-punk, although itā€™s pop-punk with a heavy enough edge to be released on Roadrunner Records and praised by Kerrang magazine. The untitled atmospheric instrumental that kicks off this debut is a bit misleading ā€“ the album is better represented by radio-ready choruses such as those of Adalia and House Of Cards, or the punchy but sort of formulaic One Last Kiss.

The slightly gothic flavour of the songs and lyrics draw loose comparisons with later AFI, as do the programmed embellishments by Camargo, and the polished production by Mark Trombino works very well on the likes of Now Or Never, with its huge MOR chorus.

While the Leones kick-started the bandā€™s career using money won by appearing on US ā€?realityā€¯ TV show Fear Factor, the album nevertheless attacks the culture of celebrity, with lines like, ā€?Take my hand, letā€™s get famousā€¯ (from Stars).

Ultimately, the fact that the twins were hospitalised as a result of challenges faced on Fear Factor is more notable than anything on this album, but that doesnā€™t mean itā€™s not enjoyable ā€“ although the most memorable cut is the last track, the infectious True Love.

Owen Heitmann