ROZEN-DEEWAR ALBUM REVIEW BY RIZWANA
MALIK
"Rozen-E-Deewar" , one of the most
anticipated albums of the year by none other
than the famed band "Roxen" ,was scheduled
to hit the market by the end of August but
the release was delayed which left fans in a
state of melancholy.
Ultimately, the album came out this EID and
my oh my, was it worth the wait.The album
kicks off with their chart topping track "Sapnay”.
Now if you all remember, this song totally
revamped Roxen’s image as being another band
following into the footsteps of JAL.This
superb rock track with hefty vocals, lyrics
and kickass music in perfect harmony quickly
became the highlight of this year and it
wouldn’t be wrong to call it the anthem of
this summer.
Moving on, the next song is "Chaltay Rahay”,
a perfect blend of pop and rock. This song
centers around the theme of a deprived love.
Now you would think it’s another sad song
but no, it s a real catchy number with
really meaningful lyrics that go like "Yeh
batein khuwab hogaee saraab hogaee mai keh
na saka”. The intersting thing about "chaltay
rahay" is that it kind of gives you the
essence of their single "yaadain"
Although musically speaking, both these
numbers are diverse but when you hear it,
you can make the connection."Tau phir aao”,
now this song is no stranger to the average
music listener .This slow-paced,Melodious
number with soothing guitar riffs and a
voice that could melt anyone's heart,
had landed the band at the top of their
competition. The final version of this song
is in the album which has been meliorated to
a more refined form, that is once again to
leave everyone speechless.
"Aas ka jo bhi hai diya paas hee tho woh jal
raha
himmaton ko tu aaj barha waadon ko ab na
bhula" ,
these are the sentimental lyrics to their
track called "Aaj" . Judging by the lyrics,
we can see it’s a real fervent track which
oozes with hope and the dream of an
optimistic tomorrow. It is a really splendid
track and the best thing about it which I
like , is how the vocalist varies his voice
throughout the song hitting high and low
notes which really makes this song very
unique . It's a small track but still it has
that lasting impression making you beg to
listen to more of it.
Proceeding to the next song, everyone is in
for a treat with the song "Lams”. Now this
is a semi-instrumental-fusion track. This
song is like another dimension to Roxen's
music where the music is relaxed, really
placid, with the tablas and the guitars all
fusing together to create this serene
environment. There is not much pressure of
vocals since only one line is repeated
throughout the song. Now you might think
that would be monotonous but its quite the
opposite since the vocalist has maintained
this classical touch in his voice which
grows on you and makes you think that there
is more to this rock
singer's voice and the band's music
potential than meets the eye.
PUMP UP THE BASS ! PUMP UP THE VOLUME! GET
THE PARTY STARTED! That’s what I would say
for their title
track "Rozen-e-Deewar".The title track for
any band carries immense significance
because it becomes their trademark , a song
which the general public associates the
band with .This song is a really
motivational one which conveys the message
of not losing faith in life and to work hard
to accomplish your dreams because in life
nothing is unattainable, just like a
prisoner confined behind bars can still see
hope through a hole in his cell wall and
know that he has the chance to start new in
his life once again, hence the title "rozen-e-deewar"
.And as we know that this band's music is
all about inspiration for our youth, so that
it could touch their lives and give them the
courage to do something positive.
This song is PHENOMENAL! And you can clearly
see how hard they have worked on this track.
The music exudes vigor and energy with
confidence-boosting lyrics and the singer’s
mesmerizing vocals are definitely gonna make
this track the creme de la creme of all the
current music out there. (On a personal
note, Musti's voclas are scorching Hot in
this track)
Coming to one of my personal favourite
songs, "Jag chor diya” is next in line and
this song is just astounding.Once again you
get to see a different streak of their
music.It’s a mix of punjabi and urdu lyrics
and seeing today's musicians, who knew that
punjabi would be so desirable once again. It
starts off slow and then as the chorus
approaches,the music blasts off which is
really the best part of the song. You have
to really hear it to experience the
sensations portrayed in this number.I am
warning you, this song WILL get stuck in
your head.It’s as good as it gets.
"YAADAIN" was Roxen's debut single and it
was the song that placed them on the map. It
was a massive hit and the entire craze back
in 2004. But along with the publicity they
acquired, they were also criticized for
being another Jal wannabe band.I always
thought this was a mediocre song Anyhow, "Yaadain"
has been totally revamped with more powerful
vocals and lively upbeat music. The new
sound is really enchanting and all those who
liked the previous version will definitely
savor from it.
Coming to the end of the album, the second
last song is "Mujhko Satao”. This is the
rock version of "Tau Phir Aao”. Well, who
else would make an extraordinary remake of
their own song than the band itself???? (hehehe)
. The guitars in this song are to die for
.The song has been modified to a completely
hardcore rock track and even the vocals are
more intense. It would be unfair to compare
the two versions because both of them have
their own appeal and have something to
satisfy your taste buds depending on your
mood and choice.
The album concludes with "malangi”, which is
an east- meets-west instrumental with a few
alaaps in the background .I really fancied
the parts where the tabla and guitars merge
together which gives it a feel of Junoon's "heer"
but no doubt "malangi" has that distinct
Roxen flavor . I won't compare it to "Lams"
though because "Lams" is a class of its own
and it’s kind of better than malangi but
either way these two tracks prove the band
isn't your typical rock band.
Now as I wrap-up my review , I recommend you
all to buy this album and give it a hear
because without a doubt in my mind , this
album is a piece of art and it's evident how
these guys have labored hard in making "rozen-e-deewar"
.
To all those people who thought they were
another ATIF or JAL following band, they can
just keep hush because this album proves
that Roxen can make their own original music
and they are here to stay for a long long
time. They have all the traits to reach the
top and after listening to this album, THEY
ALREADY ARE! This cd is a smack to all those
who thought
Roxen were not good enough to make it in the
music biz.
A note to all other musicians: Steer clear
because Roxen is here to Rule!
P.S. A word of thanks to Sangeet Records
who did a marvellous job in distributing this
album all around the world outside Pakistan and
who made it their priority to provide their
customers with the best sound and production
quality they could offer . They sincerely did
their part in promoting the band and made sure
that we got our albums on time .
Rizwana Malik
Pakmanzil Seniour Journalist
( click on
for sample )
