'Death' becomes them

In Good Charlotte's first post-fame album, it's abandoned its safe, cliché pop-punk sound, but it has nothing to balance itself upon anymore. These guys have climbed so far out of obscurity and poverty to make it in the record industry, but as soon as they're given a voice and artistic license, as they were for Life and Death, they ruined it with a lackluster attempt at being everything that they aren't.\nThe Chronicles of Life and Death actually begins with a few good tracks, including a beautiful instrumental intro. "Walk Away (Maybe)" is a refreshing taste of the hard rock the band is capable of, and Joel Madden's vocals in the chorus almost peel the wallpaper off the wall. The title track has a firm, driving rhythm and moving post-fame lyrics, creating a sense of "what could be" for Good Charlotte. Another high point is a piano ballad, "The Truth," featuring Joel's now-matured voice dancing with the ivories.\nWith exception to those gems at the beginning of the album, the rest of it falls flat on its face. Critics complained that The Young and Hopeless lacked originality. So the Madden brothers wrote across the genres, and it created a complete lack of harmony from one track to the next. "I Just Wanna Live" is a dance/teen pop song featuring Joel rapping (you read that correctly). Imagine N*SYNC with lip rings and arms covered in tattoos. "We Believe," like the rest of the second half of the album, is an uninspiring shift from pop-punk to pop-rock. Even though previous Good Charlotte records were dragged down musically by an utter lack of substance, they were at least a semi-honest voice for disenfranchised pre-teens. When bands change their sound, they must do so in such a manner that pulls their fans along with them. Good Charlotte has not only deserted its trademark sound, it's also likely deserted its entire fan base.\nThis album comes in "life" and "death" versions (the difference being a bonus track), and I chose the "life" version. However, listening to it, I found myself wishing for "death"