Welcome Reality is a huge album release by British dubstep artist Nero. Here’s the breakdown:

2808: Just an introduction, nothing to hear here.

Doomsday: Here we go, song starts right off with a build up then it drops to gut wrenching party music. Made me wish flashing lights were going off in my room. In the middle of the song it slows back down just to punch you in the gut again, but in a good way. Great way to get me excited for the rest of the album.

My Eyes: Not as loud and rocking as doomsday. Still a great song, but a bit more chill. Like the change of tempo, not every song is going to be a banger but that’s probably a plus because that just gets repetitive and boring. Well…at first. Then wait for it…a killer build up in the second half of the song and then it kicks you in the teeth. God I love Nero, managed to put two entirely different elements into one song.

Guilt: One of the singles from the album, great vocals and a killer wub. You have to turn your speakers up to 11 for this one. Nero probably feels guilty for making a track that will blow your freaking mind. I was looking for a better pun there, I tried.

Fugue State: This makes me feel like I’m in a science fiction film set in the UK. I don’t know why. A highly enjoyable track.

Me & You: Another single, don’t like the vocals on this one as much but the drop works well. This song actually sounds fairly poppy for being a dubstep song, a damn good song. Didn’t like it a lot on the first play through, but I liked it a lot more the second go round.

Innocence: This track was a single as well, and I got this a couple of months before the album dropped. Just a great song, sounds like a lot of the Nero I had listened to pre-album (Bad Trip, Act Like You Know, etc.), but that is not a bad thing. I love those songs and I love this one as well.

In the Way: A chill track that is a change of pace from the last couple of songs. Chillstep can be great, but this song just didn’t do anything for me. It was kind of boring up until the very end where it just sort of becomes the intro for the next track.

Scorpions: A tedious build up at the beginning results in a pretty sweet chill song. Then a second build up kicks in and pumps up the song a bit, making it a heavier. Far from a banger, but far from a bust, this is a good song.

Crush On You: Remix of The Jets 1985 song “Crush On You,” and it rocks my shit. It kind of sounds like the 80s on steroids. And I like the 80s…and steroids.

Must Be the Feeling: Remix of Carmen’s 1984 song “Time to Move.” Same mold as the last track, a bit less enjoyable.

Reaching Out: This song has a special place in my heart. Putting a sample of Hall and Oates in your song is going to make me instantly interested. A pretty chill track, but besides the lovely vocal sample this song didn’t do much for me. With two songs left I hope the album hasn’t lost it’s oomph.

Promises: There’s the gut punch I was looking for. Another single, another hit. Great vocals, straight banger. This deserves to be played very loudly on high quality speakers, everywhere.

Departure: Sad sweeping music at the onset, probably with the realization that the album is coming to an end (thank God there is a bonus deluxe edition), but then the music kicks up a notch. A fantastic farewell to the listeners, and a nice ending. The song just sounds really cool. Halfway through it just stops, starts up again and then sort of just fades off until it ends.

Bonus Edition:

Angst: Remix of Justice’s “Stress,” I like the original and I like this one as well. Same concept, it just gives the track a set of balls. Sweet build up followed by a killer drop. Probably should have made the album, very enjoyable.

Welcome Reality VIP: Fun track, upbeat and pretty heavy, but somewhat generic. I can see why this one didn’t make the cut. Good, but not quite good enough.

This Way: Dear Jacob’s Face, Sorry you melted off. We’re sorry. Love, Nero. This letter has not yet been written to me, but I’m expecting it. Absolutely love this song and the vocals.

New Life: Real futuristic sound and cool robot voices make this song pretty cool. Fast tempo, once again this one deserves to be played at very high decibels.

Choices: Like if Al Gore made a drum & bass song about global warming instead of a really boring movie. As the title implies, the song brings up choices. We apparently have choices in our lives, and we had choices that we made that are ruining our planet. Go recycle. Also, I think Kenny G might be laying down some saxophone at the end.

Symphony 2808: Listening to a 17 minute song is a commitment. It is an endeavor that shall not be taken lightly. I cannot name any other song longer than 12 minutes that I have sat through (La Dispute’s “The Last Lost Continent” is 12 minutes, great song). The song begins slowly, then samples This Way and does This Way better than the original did. The middle sounds like a fantastical action/adventure film score. Towards the end Innocence is sampled as well. A very entertaining symphony, I never really got bored listening to it.

Score: 93/100

I really, really loved this album. This will be blasting through my speakers for a long time. I hope more popular dubstep artists come out with albums that are this quality.

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