I was a fan of these lot before I became a Cobainist. I bought this album after hearing the song 'Freak', a ballad about, well, being a freak. When I first popped this song into my CD player (which took a good 6 months to get out), I was astonished. 'Slave', a song about being manipulated, has the best song beginning I have heard in years. Then it eventually finishes with a fast, punky ending.

The third track is called 'Abuse Me', which starts off mellow but gradually becomes grungy. The fourth is a 1 minute song called 'Lie to me' that sounds like a black sabbath song. Track five sounds like Nirvana's 'Milk It', and is called 'No Association'. The sixth is a mellow song done on the acoustic called 'Cemetery'. Seven is an upbeat song, and one of my personal favourites called 'The Door'.

There are much more songs on this album, but you will have to listen to this album to discover what they're like...

I am a HUGE silverchair fan and absolutley LOVED this album! It was a mixture of the two albums, it had a lot of punk rock attitude plus more of a creative side, like Neon Ballroom. All tree band members and guests on the album did a brilliant job. Make sure you get it!

Despite the fact I prefer Frogstomp much more, this album is still quite good, and unfortunately, the last decent album Silverchair have made. Neon Ballroom is a total bust excluding the wonderful "Emotion Sickness", and Diorama rips off countless artists' music, especially on its first track off the album which rips John Lennon's "Imagine". Too bad I'm the only person who seemed to notice that. But back to Freak Show; the only downfall is its thrash songs. "No Association", "Slave", and "Learn to Hate" are all songs on the thrashier side, and they don't move me with their needless, undirected aggression. Most of Silverchair's best songs have an elements of anger to them (like all of the songs off Frogstomp like "Israel's Son", "Pure Massacre", and "Suicidal Dream"), but they were angry for a reason. Daniel Johns just seemed to put angry songs on Freak Show just for the hell of it. I know that Johns was going through his bout with anorexia during the period this album came out, but that doesn't explain who or what he was directing his anger at with the thrashier songs. That qualm aside, the rest of Freak Show shines for the most part. "The Door" is classic, catchy rock. "Cemetery", "Petrol & Chlorine", and "Abuse Me" are all softer songs that have a side of beauty to them. Freak and Roses are catchy, straight-up rock music. "The Closing" and "Nobody Came" are a somber and ominous way to end the album, which is fine by me. If you're going to get some Silverchair music, I suggest Frogstomp first, and Freak Show after that. The single version of "Anthem for the Year 2000" is worth getting too. Try to get "Emotion Sickness" from a friend who already has Neon Ballroom. Also, there's an excellent non-album Silverchair song called "Untitled", so get that from a friend too.

When Silverchair first came into the scene in '95, people often compared these three teenagers from Newcastle to the Seattle sound and Grunge bands such as Pearl Jam, Nirvana or Soundgarden. I was 10 when "Frogstomp" was released and I got the album on tape at the mall when I heard their single "Tomrrow" on MTV, and they closely resembled Nirvana by how they looked, considering I grew up on Grunge music before I went off to Middle School and always admired bands like Nirvana dn Pearl Jam.

Two years later in '97, I was 12 and in 6th grade and I was watching MTV (back when MTV was actually decent) and saw a few new videos off the upcoming Silverchair CD at the time, "Freak Show." The single "Abuse Me" persuaded me to buy this album at Tower Records. I even went to my first concert that year. Guess who it was? Silverchair.

Looking back at this record they did, it's easier for me to say I prefer this album over "Frogstomp." They still stick to the Grunge or Post-Grunge formula in making their music, they were about 17 when this album came out? Anyways. "Freak Show" also had elements musically that wasn't featured on their debut album "Frogstomp." The thrashy punk/metal tunes such as "Lie to Me", "No Association", and "Learn to Hate" are examples. I feel this is Silverchair at their best and while this album did had the Grunge sound in some tracks, the emotion of the lyrics and songs catch the listener from start to finish. When I first heard this CD in '97, I was moved by this kind of music they did. Such emotions can be found in songs such as "Cemetery" which also was a minor hit single for them. Although I could be wrong. One song in particular, "Petrol & Chlorine" was obviously stuff that wasn't featured on their first record. Because of the new instruments found and heard in some songs on the album. Such as strings, Indian instruments and etc.

And those last 2 songs on that album, WOW! Track 12 "Nobody Came" has that wailing guitar solo near the end and "The Closing" is a perfect way to end the CD with the chugging riffs and power chords! Even the guitar work in this album like the opening track, "Slave" has that bridge/solo where Daniel Johns hits that sludgy guitar aggressively. This album is in fact retaining the elements of "Frogstomp" but they branch out with a mix of acoustic balads, thrashy metal/punk and etc.

This is Silverchair at their best, although I could say I am still a big fan of them. Their newer stuff isn't just the same. It's too bad Silverchair doesn't play or create music like this anymore but I've learned to deal with it. "Freak Show" I would say, is possibly the last Grunge album they ever did put out. And also from my memory, the last album that was from a then-Grunge band that became mainstream. I did like some of the stuff they did in "Neon Ballroom" which was the time Silverchair began doing more a Experimental style and sound by bringing in different instruments and sounds and styles into their music. I sort of did like "Diorama" considering I'm a huge fan of early Silverchair. Although their newer stuff while I have nothing against it, it's musically different from the first 2 Silverchair albums. But I'd say this is my personal favorite from them.

This album still sounds fresh today. Even 11 years after it came out. I prefer "Freak Show" over 99% of the mainstream music nowadays. Nowadays you don't get Rock music like this anymore. I personally can relate to this album emotionally and personally through the depth of the songs and quality in the music.

And lastly, a shameless self-promotion of my band Blizzard of Sound. http://www.soundclick.com/blizzardofsound / Check out my demos.

My favorite Silverchair albums:

1) Freak Show

2) Frogstomp OR Neon Ballroom (TIE)

3) Diorama

4) Young Modern

This album shows Silverchair growing signifigantly, both musically and creatively. It's angry, pure, loud, but most of all, fun. The dinky windows 95 macromedia enhancement is really funny, too :D I enjoyed it.