Spotlight: Fear Before the March of Flames

bst spotlight band. For those of you who haven't been introduced to Fear Before the March of Flames, you are missing out. The four piece from Denver, CO is quickly making a name for themselves. Recently signing to Equal Vision Records after a short stint with Rise Records, the band has one full length under their belt and are working on their next. Equal Vision will be re-releasing their previous release, Odd How People Shake later this year. The band combines elements of hardcore and screamo and reminds me a lot of Norma Jean. An energetic live show makes the band even more entertaining. To check them out, go here. fear before the march of flames official website listen to fear before the march of flames equal vision records

Review: A Thousand Falling Skies - From Behind the Shadows (EP)

artist: a thousand falling skies album: from behind the shadows label: released: 2001 by: joe thomasson Holy motha. Driving, slicing, pounding, furious, metalcore. This is the kind of music that moves you -- or at least it moves me. A Thousand Falling Skies is a melodic metal band hailing form the town of Naugatuck, Connecticut. Formed in April of 2000, they have two guitarists (as many metal sub genre bands seem to) along with a single screamer. The song Paint Me a Pretty Picture hooked me instantly. It was a melodic to brutal slashing mixture that was almost perfect. The screaming is near the top of the food chain. At times, it sounds like the lead singer will make you dinner. Later on in the CD, Casting Shadows seems to be another near perfect mix of melody/hard hitting metallic rifts. Random breakdowns throughout make for great dancing. This is what I listen to music for. As with any great EP, I am left wanting sooo much more. Emo kids beware -- this is not the CD for you. This wins a prize of an A- from me. Why the minus? Only because I want more and think they could go a little further with their music if they added additional backing screams. As for another screamer, I seem to be out of luck. However, there is hope. The band is currently working on a full length CD that I, for one, am anxiously awaiting. favorite song: "paint me a pretty picture" rating: 90%/100% listen to a thousand falling skies

Review: Stretch Arm Strong - Engage

artist: stretch arm strong album: engage label: solid state records released: 2003 by: rob tatum Perhaps the most difficult thing for a band is to continually put out decent records and avoid having every album sound the same. Stretch Arm Strong’s fourth album, Engage, manages to prevent this from happening, and even surprised me a little here and there. My biggest fear for this album was that it would be too poppy and they would stray away from their hardcore roots (especially since their tour with A New Found Glory didn’t exactly help their reputation). After a couple of listens, my worries were put to rest. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Stretch Arm Strong, first, stop reading this and go buy their album Rituals of Life, which I consider one of the “must own” hardcore albums. Now that you have done that, you know that this five piece plays fast-paced, yet melodic hardcore. The majority of their songs focus on looking for the positive aspects of life and revolting against the negatives, and that’s still true on Engage. Songs such as We Bleed, Raise your Fist (which has a kick ass breakdown), and Defect encompass strong messages of not giving up on life and standing tall. These types of lyrics are the cornerstone of Stretch Arm Strong. This album is a little more poppy than their previous releases, but by all means, this is still a hardcore band. The first two songs on the album assure you of this right away. Blistering guitars and heavy beats fuel great sing alongs and remind you of what hardcore really is about. Vocalist Chris McLane reiterates his case as one of the best vocalists in hardcore. Joined by guitarist David Sease, they create some awesome vocal overlays on Engage that really enhance the flow of the album. The entire album isn’t as heavy as the first two songs and that’s actually a good thing. The songs Miles Apart and The Calling really break this album up nicely and make it a great listen. My only complaint is the cover of NWA’s Express Yourself which I find to be terrible. Normally the band does excellent cover songs (once again, listen to Rituals of Life), but this could have been left off the album and no one would have cared. Overall, I think album is excellent (minus the cover song). Time leads to change, and Engage is the type of change (progression) that bands strive for. This album may open some doors for Stretch Arm Strong because it doesn’t have to be limited to the hardcore genre. This is a must for any Stretch Arm Strong fan and a good start for anyone who hasn’t heard them before. favorite song: "defect" rating: 92%/100%