Broken is the third release by Soulsavers, which consists of 13 dark and soulful rock songs. The album opens with Seventh Proof, an instrumental dominated by piano and strings that provide a somber and ominous glimpse at what's to come. Death Bells and Unbalanced Pieces follow with what can only be considered the album's most upbeat rock songs. The remaining songs get darker and slower from here on out, but it's within these songs where the album shines brightest. Songs like "You Will Miss Me When I Burn", Some Misunderstanding", and "All The Way Down", although bleak and somewhat depressing, are nothing short of stellar. However, mentioning these songs in particular, shouldn't deter anyone from listening to the album in it's entirety. The simple truth is that you really can't go wrong with any track on this album, which can't always be said of other albums.

The majority of the album's songs are lead by singer Mark Lanegan, who is better know for his work with Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age. Lanegan's voice is haunting and full of soul, making for a perfect fit with the album's gloomy atmosphere. Aside from Lanegan, Broken also features singers such as Mike Patton (Faith No More), Jason Pierce, and Red Ghost. While it's unclear (to me at least) which songs Patton & Pierce appear on, the same certainly can't be said of Australian newcomer Red Ghost, who makes her presence known instantly. Rosa Agostino, going by the name Red Ghost, makes her first appearance on the song "Praying Ground", which sounds as grim as it is graceful. The next song is "Rolling Sky", a duet shared by both Agostino and Lanegan, and is poignant when considering their vocal styles. Agostino also caps off the album with "By My Side", a song that provides a fitting moment to showcase her stunning voice. Although Red Ghost's time on the album is short-lived, the impression that is left is a memorable one.

Broken was brought to my attention late last year, and it was also my first introduction to this incredible band. Up until this record, I'd heard many great albums by many great artists, both old and new. This is by far, one of the best albums that I heard last year. I highly recommend this album to anyone who's not afraid to slow things down for a while. Just sit back, relax, and listen.

In the past year (thanks to the soon to be shutdown music service known as lala) my taste in music has grown considerably, branching out to genres other than just metal and rock. And, it goes without saying that without lala (and all of the great people that I met on said site), my faith in music would be dire. With the end of lala in sight, I will try to make the most of my stay at MOG a great one, however short or long it may be.