Hello! Below is my review of the album Universal Truth that was released today by Elias. If you want to give it a listen, here's the official link that pulls it up on both Spotify and Apple Music. This is my first music review, and my opinions are my own and not those of this website. I rate music on a scale of one to ten potatoes, one being poor and ten being "omg go buy it now." For what it's worth, I rate things based on my opinion of the musical composition's quality of sound, mixing, content and originality and am a bit of a stickler so anything five and above is worth listening to (in my opinion). This is an EP, but only has four songs (so it should probably be an LP if I remember my albums correctly).
Elias: Universal Truth
Our opening track, Amen (I'm Going In), starts the EP off with a bouncing rhythm that sets a pace for the entire song. Elias' voice is smooth and the choir backing him up is a nice touch. Female vocals back him on every song, and it's executed well in this composition. A few lead guitar riffs are scattered throughout the piece, but there are no lengthy solos in this or any of the other songs. Musically, the song sounds like something you'd expect from late 90's Cake and has a playful blues-inflected rock feel. This is worth a listen, and I'm sure it'll register well with many who hear it. On the potato-meter, I give this song 6 out of 10 potatoes.
The second track, Street Light, starts with a soft piano intro before layering in clean and distorted guitars about a minute in. His voice isn't as great in this one, mostly because he's in a softer register and it's more akin to his kayfabe speaking voice. There's a spattering of licks throughout to accent that he's supposed to be a rocker, but this is an attempt at a rock ballad. It's not a bad song, but doesn't pop as anything special (outside the fact that it's better than most wrestler-turned-musician's attempts to do music). Worth hearing; may not be on repeat for you, though. Very short song. Of all four tracks, this is the only one I probably will never listen to again. The other three are pretty nifty, though, and will be added to a playlist. I have to rate this song 3 out of 10 potatoes
The third track is Lead Me Home, one of the songs showcased on Raw just last week during his concert. Coming in at just over three minutes, this piece successfully marries the rocker elements you'd expect from Elias with his backing vocalists, an organ, and a solid vocal performance from the WWE Superstar on lead guitar. Lyrically, like the other songs, it's more scaled down than I'd like but they do a great job of using lead guitar and vocals to establish a song that's an easy listen from beginning to end. This is definitely the lead single from this EP and could easily be something I'd expect to hear on an alt rock radio station. I'm happy to give this song 7 out of 10 potatoes.
The fourth and final track, Amazing Grace, is a mix of two songs--the lyrics of the church hymn, "Amazing Grace," which open over the music from "House of the Rising Sun." It works well, and culminates in a nice tribute to 70's rock in its own way. His vocals can be a bit rough when he ends verses, but overall this is a solid performance. I give this 7 out of 10 potatoes for being a solid cover of two songs, combined as one. This is the kind of church music I could get into.
Again, there are only four tracks on this EP but definitely give it a listen if you can! Everyone's taste in music varies, so this may be complete garbage to you--or it may be the next The Dark Side of the Moon to you.
Don't forget to tune back in tonight for Monday Night Raw!
Rajah News' Social Media Interaction
* For late-breaking WWE & AEW news & rumors, follow the official Rajah News account on Twitter @Rajah_News
* Follow Rajah owner Rajah Kumar on Twitter @RajahNews
* Follow the official Rajah Instagram account at Instagram.com/RajahNews
* Follow the official Rajah Facebook page at Facebook.com/RajahWWF
* Follow Rajah's Monday Night Mikessiah Mike "Hulk" Hogan @MikeHulkHogan
* Join the official Rajah Forums by signing up at Forums.Rajah.com
* Chat with other fans about this article in the official Rajah Disqus feed below, or at Disqus.com/home/forums/rajahcom
