This is not their worst album. At all. Liberation Transmission was their worst (and it was still better than most music out right now). But, this is not their best. At all. The album starts with a shortish intro song that has marching band-like snare rides and choruses with actual choruses singing. It gears you up for something epic… but it just doesn’t happen. After the first 3 songs (which are pretty decent, a lot different from the Liberation tracks and more like the original albums, but sound like imitations other than just sounding like them), we get treated to “Where We Belong”. It’s just a nosedive after that. “Next Stop Atro City” is a pretty hard rock track that isn’t too poppy, but after that, it’s just Liberation Transmission all over again. The ending track is similar to “Sway” from Start Something, as they both end the album with an extended instrumental, except this one’s is a hidden track that is stretched out way longer than it should be. (P.S. I reviewed the Korean edition, which has about 3 extra tracks in the middle of the album and this hidden track. All other versions do not have a hidden track.)

When I first started listening to the album, I’ll tell you, I had hope. Lostprophets is one of my favorite bands and I was just wishing that they would go back to their old grind. The only problem is this: The Betrayed attempts to do go back to the Start Something and Thefakesoundofprogress days for a little bit and then gives up. Even the times it tries, it sounds like the Liberation Transmission era Lostprophets are trying to imitate themselves instead of just BEING their old selves. Plus, as I listened to the Korean edition, it was 3 tracks longer and I felt that it stretched on too long. So, I suggest just picking up the US or UK version.

I’m just a really big Lostprophets fan who loved their first two albums more than most albums. That’s how I see them. If you don’t know this band or even if you have some knowledge about them, I highly suggest you pick this up. It’s an easy to swallow album that is poppy with a hard rock edge. It’s not bad, it’s just not the Lostprophets I know and love.

The Betrayed gets a 3 out of 5.

At 12:01-12:26 PM today, he was rushed to the hospital. Paramedics said he was not breathing when they found him and the whole way to the hospital. On the way, they tried to revive him with CPR with no success. He arrived at the hospital in a deep coma and at 3:15pm Pacific, he died. They are saying he suffered a cardiac arrest and a possible overdose on sleep meds. He leaves behind three kids: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince “Blanket” Michael Jackson II.

Michael Jackson, as you all know, burst onto the scene in the pop group “Jackson 5″, in which he was the youngest of all his brothers. They made the smash hit “ABC” and other lower grade hits. Jackson then went solo and released many hit albums, including “Thriller”, the best selling album of all time with more then 50 million records sold.

Even if he did rape those little boys… you have to give him respect. He was… and always will be… THE King of Pop. Rest in Peace man.