Album Review: CS069 “No Bad Choices”
CS069’s No
Bad Choices arrives not merely as an album but as a testament to artistic
self-reliance forged in the isolation of Solf, Finland. Released on December
8th, 2025, and recorded entirely at home on an aging laptop, the record
embodies a new era of hybrid creation where personal intent meets artificial
augmentation without sacrificing authenticity. The press material calls it a
“High Quality AI passion project,” yet the real story lies between the lines:
this is one person wrestling with identity, influence, nostalgia, and
reinvention, and choosing to channel it all into music that feels surprisingly
human.
This release feels like
the next logical mutation. The project continues its post-grunge foundation
while stretching outward into unexpected sonic territories, driven equally by
reverence for 90s–early 2000s rock and the restless urge to experiment. The
result is an album that doesn’t ask permission to exist—it simply does, and
boldly.
The album opens with “The Mask I Wear,” an immediate nod to the emotional armor worn by a generation raised on brooding riffs and introspective songwriting. Thick, layered vocal textures evoke Staind-style melancholy, but the composition avoids derivative territory by leaning into a more modern production sheen—ironic, given its humble home recording setup. The mix carries grit, but also clarity, suggesting AI tools were used not as a crutch but as a creative amplifier.
“Brothers” and “Kiss of Death” maintain
momentum with darker lyrical themes and punchy guitar progressions. The tracks
tap into alternative metal angst, full of tension and release, setting the tone
for an album obsessed with consequence and contradiction. “Home From The
War” injects thematic weight, sounding like a personal diary entry
translated through distortion pedals. CS069 has stated there are no
performances to promote because they are “studio only,” but ironically, this
track would thrive in arenas—its emotional architecture is stadium-ready.
The
record’s most striking pivot comes with “Worn Down,” the album’s
centerpiece and its most daring composition. It blends a country-tinged melodic
sensibility with metal’s muscular backbone. Rather than feeling like genre
tourism, the hybrid flows naturally, almost like a weary road song dragged
through a thunderstorm of overdriven amps. The guitars carry southern
inflections while the percussion stays heavy and locked in, proving that metal
can borrow twang without losing teeth.
Other
highlights like “My Poison Divine” and “Between Stations” dive
into more atmospheric territory, suggesting liminality and emotional transit. “Hot
& Cold” and “Last Cell” bring back rawer energy, while “Stumblin’
Through The Storm” embraces a narrative arc of perseverance, almost
functioning as a mid-album palate cleanser before the final emotional descent.
“You
Reap What You Sow”
stands out lyrically, delivering one of the album’s clearest theses: choices
always echo, even when they aren’t “bad.” The album closes with “Dead on the
Road,” the hidden-track energy distilled into a fully realized song.
Initially jarring, it reveals itself over repeated listens as one of the most
rewarding tracks—its pacing, storytelling structure, and restrained arrangement
make it feel like a secret passed from artist to listener, one that earns its
place slowly, then permanently.
Ultimately, No Bad Choices is significant because it refuses the idea that nostalgia and innovation are opposites. CS069 uses AI the way guitarists use pedals not to replace themselves, but to expand what they can express. It’s raw, experimental, sincere, and unpredictable in the best possible way. No bad choices indeed, just fearless ones.
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