The Killers - Battle Born

[dan_smee]

Day & Age no longer exists

 

[bono_man2002]

I must admit, Day & Age left some pretty deep scars I suppose on me with the Killers can't remember the last time I listened to it and it probably put me off the band for a better part of a year before I went back and listened to the first two albums again.

Really enjoying this, almost through the first listen

 

[trojanchick99]

Do u have a link for this?

Front page of their website. Click to buy the battle born special edition bundle.

 

[FitzChivalry]

I feel like I'm the only one who likes Day & Age (except for 'Dustland Fairytale' ). It's Sam's Town that I absolutely can't fucking stand!!!!!

 

[dan_smee]

I thought Day & Age was slightly harshly treated, but the fact remains it is significantly lower in quality to the first 2. Spaceman, I Can’t Stay, This is Your Life and Losing Touch are all good songs without being classics.

The funny thing about Battle Born is I can see no songs that will be hit singles. They just don’t have the X factor (or significant lack of!) to be successful today. The quality of this album resides in the consistency from start to finish. Every song is good. There are some majorly epic choruses, some slow burners. They fuse the fun and frivolity of Hot Fuss, the storytelling and epicness of Sam’s Town, and the bombast and swagger that Day & Age was aiming for perfectly.

Runaways was definitely the right choice for first single. I would think Deadlines & Commitments for 2nd single, maybe Battle born 3rd for the epic hook.

Found it funny that some Killers fans are criticising it for sounding like Flamingo pt 2. I really liked Flamingo, and it served a purpose to get that music out of Brandon’s system. I think he brings the best parts of Flamingo with him, but it is definitely a Killers record.

All in all it surpassed my expectations after Day & Age – it really could have been the album that saw them slide into insignificance, instead it has set up the breathing space for 2-3 more at least.

 

[bono_212]

Oh shit oh shit. Travis didn't tell me

And please let's all take a moment to note: IT DIDN'T LEAK FIRST.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

I feel like I'm the only one who likes Day & Age (except for 'Dustland Fairytale' ). It's Sam's Town that I absolutely can't fucking stand!!!!!

Sam's Town is the best! Dustland Fairytale is a good song as well!

My Killers ranking is probably a bit atypical, but:

1. Sam's Town
2. Day & Age
3. Hot Fuss

Hot Fuss fails to have that 'full listen-ability' for me.

 

[trevgreg]

I didn't mind Day & Age that much. Half of it was pretty much worthless to me, but the other songs were pretty consistent I thought. I probably listen to This is Your Life and I Can't Stay the most out of them lately.

I gave the new album a full listen tonight, and the jury's still out on that. But I have enjoyed Flesh & Bone, The Way It Was, and Miss Atomic Bomb so far the most. The Way It Was actually has a huge This is Your Life vibe in the intro and verses, which makes me wonder if they're using the same chords there...

 

[LemonMelon]

Hot Fuss is by far and away the best Killers album. Everything was good and then one day Brandon found a copy of Born to Run in a Vegas dumpster and it destroyed the band.

First impressions of Battle Born:

The album starts off brilliantly with an epic one-two punch, only to fizzle out into complete shit by the fourth song, Here with Me, which has to be one of their weakest songs to date (the words "cell phone" should never stand beside each other in a chorus, or really anywhere in a song, ever). Then I remember really enjoying Deadlines and Commitments, and the closer was interesting. Most of what stood in between was goopy ballads and rockers that didn't hit quite as hard as Runaways, which has grown on me quite a bit.

Basically: lower high points, slightly higher low points than Sam's Town and Day and Age. There is no song here that comes close to Jenny, Mr. Brightside or Smile Like You Mean It, but most of it is likable.

 

[dan_smee]

Be Still is easily one of my favourite Brandon vocals. Seems to me like they mastered that slow quiet song after attempts with Everything, My List, Goodnight. Deadlines is the standout though for sheer originality and quality.

 

[Von Schloopen]

I am very excited to hear this. "Runaways" was just about as ace as ace can be.

 

[LadySpinHead]

I've streamed this album twice on iTunes now. I like. Good stuff.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

It sounds like a Pat Benatar record. Crap.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

^oh brother..

 

[bono_212]

It does sound like Pat Benatar, at least the synths do, but I like it for that reason.

 

[Von Schloopen]

It sounds like a Pat Benatar record. Crap.

That just sold it for me. Vinyl copy, get in my house.

 

[HeartlandGirl]

Finally had the time to listen to the iTunes stream. Battle Born and Flesh and Bone were early favorites, but I'm loving the overall sound. There's still a touch of awkwardness here and there lyrically, as there was on Day & Age, but there's not a lot of it in the music or vocals, as there was on Sam's Town. Very ready for this release to happen.

 

[trojanchick99]

I definitely prefer this to Day and Age and am nervously awaiting tomorrow's onsale for their show at the tiny Fonda Theater.

 

[Lila64]

We'll see you there, Diana

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Didn't really like Flesh and Bone on the first listen. Had to stop listening on the first album listen though unfortunately only 3 songs in.

Gonna sit down in a bit and start over from the top.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Flesh and Bone would make such a good instrumental track. Still waiting for a specific track to really strike me like Runaways, only been through 1.5 listens though. Starting again.

 

[trojanchick99]

We'll see you there, Diana

Woot! You must have magical Internet too!

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Jacques Lu Cont mix on Flesh and Bone is FIRE! So was the trailer with Flesh and Bone.

So maybe I'm a critic, but they really screwed up the Flesh and Bone track in my opinion so far. Could've been one of the best Killer tracks.

Songs I'm liking:

Battle Born
Miss Atomic Bomb
A Matter of Time
Runaways

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Oh, also...

I don't know why The Killers bother with these 'bonus tracks'. They should be considered regular tracks on what is a long album.

Just like how Tidal Wave was a freaking great song, Prize Fighter is a great song.

 

[U2inUtah]

Gotta say I didn't like this much on my first listen through, but now some of the tracks are starting to click.

Flesh and Bones
Runaways
Miss Atomic Bomb
Battle Born

are my favorites


Still, I don't think I like Battle Born better than Day & Age or Sam's Town at this point. This wasn't really what I was expecting from the new Killers album.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Carry Me Home rising. Miss Atomic Bomb falling.

Can't get over the Flesh and Bones disappointment.

 

[Miringeltje]

Announced tour dates thus far :

The Killers 2012 Tour Dates:

09/26 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
10/26 – Glasgow, UK @ United Kingdom
10/27 – Aberdeen, UK @ Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Center
10/31 – Birmingham, UK @ LG Arena
11/01 – Birmingham, UK @ LG Arena
11/03 – Nottingham, UK @ Captial FM Arena
11/04 – Newcastle, UK @ Newcastle Arena
11/05 – Cardiff, UK @ Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
11/08 – Sheffield, UK @ Sheffield Motorpoint Arena
11/09 – Liverpool, UK @ Echo Arena
11/13 – Manchester, UK @ Evening News Arena
11/14 – Manchester, UK @ Evening News Arena
11/16 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
11/17 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
11/29 – Broomfield, CO @ 1st Bank Center *
11/30 – Orem, UT @ UCCU Center *
12/03 – Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum *
12/13 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center *
12/14 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
12/15 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre *
12/17 – Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena *
12/18 – Fairfax, VA @ Patriot Center *
12/20 – Ypsilanti, MI @ EMU Convocation Center *
12/21 – Chicago, IL @ UIC Pavilion *
12/28 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Cosmopolitan *
12/29 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Cosmopolitan *
01/18 – Sydney, AU @ Big Day Out
01/20 – Gold Coast, AU @ Big Day Out
01/25 – Adelaide, AU @ Big Day Out
01/26 – Melbourne, AU @ Big Day Out
01/28 – Perth, AU @ Big Day Out

 

[LuckyNumber7]

The Killers are really confusing me right now...

Unless they plan on doing something in October, I'm not quite sure why they wouldn't be supporting their album here in the United States...

 

[LemonMelon]

North American leg is 11/29-12/29

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Yeah, and for all of the month of October they're not doing anything. 1 date. The album comes out tomorrow. They have 1 tour date until the end of October. That seems really strange.