This spring break, I did something completely adventurous. Do not fear: I didn’t get a tattoo or jump off of the side of a cliff. However, I did dig through my friend Kyle’s album collection. As the Entertainment Editor for The Charger Bulletin, I am used to being exposed to all types of music and liking many genres. What was the problem, then? Opening yourself up to someone else’s music collection is very personal. It can open your mind to new ideas and transform you. As far as this one was concerned, I really had no clue what to expect.

The first album I pulled out was Army of Invisible Men by the Windupdeads. My search definitely started on a high note. The Swedish band has been compared to enormous names like Muse and Radiohead. The album describes every emotion: love, heartbreak, numbness and confusion. The lyricist is an expert at putting these feelings into words like not many others can.

“59:1,” the opening track, has a very psychedelic-sounding bass rhythm. The song message is a classic. He is crazy about a girl but is stuck in the shadows, waiting for her to make the next move. This song definitely encompasses the title.

The actual title track is beautifully written. Every line is an analogy for falling in and out of love. Sometimes it happens so quickly that you can’t even explain it, but you never doubt that it was there. This song resembles The Academy Is… very strongly. I approve.

“Substitutes” was unique from every single other track on this album, because it was a lot slower as opposed to the rapid beats of the others. The guitar melody is sorrowful, but the message is relatable. He sings about how his ex will keep questioning her decision to end their relationship. This is my favorite track on the entire album. Perhaps the most striking part of this is that while the tune is sad, the singer is sure of every single word that comes out of his mouth. You can tell that he does not have a tinge of doubt.

“Your Limits” is so good to me, because it mirrors one of my favorite bands: The Red Hot Chili Peppers. The message is similar to some of theirs. Things change and life goes on. The vocals are brilliant and versatile, ranging from short techno-like sounds to long held-out notes.

The next album I picked up was Zangied by Robotic Lunch. With a name like this, I wasn’t sure what to expect, nor was I sure that I would like it. I was right. If you are a mosh pit kind of person this may be for you, but I am not that kind of person. While the music was not bad, it was just too hard for my tastes.

Upon hearing the third album, Chapters by the Dear and Departed, I was disappointed—disappointed that there were only five tracks on the album! I really loved this! The first three times that I tried to review this, I ended up just sitting here taking in the music, like I was caught in a trance.

“Matter of Time” was more uplifting than any other song in the collection. Between the guitars and the percussion I was completely drawn in. “Tambourine Love” and “There For The Taking” were extremely punk. The guitar chords were probably the most addicting part on this particular track.

How did I not hear of these guys sooner? I would like to just rave on and on about them, but I want to hear some more of their work first.

The final album I picked up was The Blood of Heroes by Ohm Resistance. I cringed when I saw that it was electronica. The entire work seemed like a very cool soundtrack to an action movie, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

All in all, I found this experience to be very much worth the time. Sure, I may not like or even cringe at some of the songs I found. However, I gained two more bands to listen to that otherwise I probably would not have ever found. Every artist is worth a chance.