Review: Across Five Aprils - Collapse

artist: across five aprils album: collapse label: indianola records released: 7/2006 by: rob tatum It’s amazing what a few years can do for some bands. Across Five Aprils’ first full length, A Tragedy in Progress, was a very solid debut but it showcased the band’s youth and lack of cohesive song structures. That cannot be said about the band’s latest release, Collapse. This album clearly shows maturity and more dedication to the song writing process. The first thing I noticed about this album is that the clean singing, which was both awkward and out of place on their first album and even a bit on their latest EP, was much more fluid on this record. Although it is still a little off key, the clean singing really accents the screams of vocalist Brandon Mullins. I think that it is becoming harder and harder for bands to effectively mesh emotional lyrics and hardcore without being chastised for selling out or whatever, and although this album could fit that bill, I really feel that there is something behind this release. Musically, I can’t really say that the band has grown dramatically, but since the songs are so much more complete than their previous releases, it’s hard to criticize the musicianship. The songs are much more consistent in melody and no longer contain those random breakdowns that would throw off the song. I’m glad that they got over the whole “this song has to have a breakdown” attitude that seemed to handicap them in the past. I don’t think this is groundbreaking. I don’t even think it’s a must have unless you enjoy this genre or band, but even so, this is a very good album. It flows so well and no matter how many times you listen to it, it doesn’t get old. I’m impressed by the steps this band has taken in just a couple of releases and I know the future is bright for this band. favorite song: "i will stop the rain" rating: 86%/100% listen to across five aprils

Spotlight: Protest the Hero

bst spotlight band. Need something refreshing? How about something from Canada? How about both? Try Ontario's Protest the Hero. The band is powerful and melodic. Their music is strong and meaningful. Check them out on this year's Warped Tour. For more info about the band, follow the links below. protest the hero official website listen to protest the hero vagrant records

Review: Millencolin - Machine 15 Format 2

Artist: Millencolin Album: Machine 15 Label: Epitaph Released: 5/6/2008

Musicianship: 75 Vocals: 80 Creativity: 70 Impact: 70

BSTscore: 74

Sweden’s Millencolin has returned with another release on Epitaph. Machine 15 does an excellent job of exhibiting the band’s strengths and their evolution. I remember when I first saw this band in 1997, their songs were not as serious and over the fifteen years the band has been together, their music has matured. Continuing to capitalize on the sound that started on Pennybridge Pioneers (and continued on Home from Home and Kingwood), this album has terrific flow and melody.

Vocalist/songwriter Nikola Sarcevic continues to provide a unique voice and solid lyrics to mesh with the band’s sound. Again, it is the band’s melody that is their strength and prevents Sarcevic from having to push his voice beyond its limits. In the past, there have always been a handful of songs on the band’s albums that really didn’t fit, but I commend the band, as Machine 15 is the most complete album the band has released. I hope the band continues to focus on its ability to create excellent melody and flow, without completely neglecting their punk rock roots.

I enjoyed this album, but I have a feeling that others may not share my perspective. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t know if it’s quite “punk” enough for the punk crowd, and maybe not “rock” enough for the mainstream. I think it’s a good listen from start to finish, but I fear that it doesn’t do enough to distinguish itself as something truly special. I definitely like the direction the band has taken with their last handful of albums, and I hope that more people will share my appreciation of this band.

Favorite Song: “Done is Done”

Listen to Millencolin

Review: Between the Buried and Me - Alaska

artist: between the buried and me album: alaska label: victory records released: 9/6/05 by: eduardo moutinho Between the Buried and Me has always been a band that I have really wanted to like. There's so much to admire about them. They believe in pushing the envelope by experimenting with various sub-genres of hardcore. Their songs contains no-nonsense grindcore, overly-technical Scandinavian metal, breakdown-laden metalcore, and tempo-breaking jazzy interludes. Of course, such an aural menagerie could not be accomplished without absolutely astounding musical aptitude. Between the Buried and Me can play, and I mean they can play. Yet, the pure chaos that is their music has always eluded my playlist. The overwhelming complexity of the music, for a long time, was just too difficult to enjoy. So I had my prejudices when listening to Alaska, Between the Buried and Me's latest offering on Victory Records. However, this time, I found myself getting into the music. Maybe I am starting to get it. The music on Alaska takes the risks that the band is known for. There are the aforementioned mixed sub-genres with synthesizers thrown in to season the sound a bit more. The first track lets the listener know that he or she is in for a challenging listen, "All Bodies," is heavy and contains guttural screams and even hair metal-esque singing. The title track, "Alaska," is technical and sounds like a song collaboration between Unearth and Candiria. There are complicated string parts and rubber band-like chunky breakdowns. I already mentioned it, but the band really is supremely talented. "The Primer," in particular, stands out as a demo for the technical prowess of the band. These guys can stand toe-to-toe with any guitar-driven band out there, without a doubt. The rest of Alaska is an exercise in randomness. It's common to listen to a song, expect something, and then be totally blindsided by the opposite. There are songs like "Selkies: The Endless Obsession" that contain synthesizers, "chugga chugga" grind, ghostly singing, and melodic hard rock interludes. There are songs like "Laser Speed" which can be considered as an homage to muzak. Yeah... Muzak. And, there are other instrumentals on the record. Honestly, Alaska is Pandora's Box. Overall, I really enjoyed this record, and I feel that its ambitious content has helped me grasp certain sounds that I previously tried to avoid. There's just enough good stuff in here to mesmerize me. At the same time, a lot of the good stuff wouldn't be as good without the crazier sections and the meticulously calculated transitions in between. I wholeheartedly recommend this effort, and I plan on listening to it frequently in the future. favorite song: "selkies: the endless obsession" rating: 90%/100% listen to between the buried and me

Review: As I Lay Dying - Shadows Are Security

artist: as i lay dying album: shadows are security label: metal blade records released: 2005 by: rob tatum I have always tried to evaluate each album I listen to with an open mind, but when bands release albums that show little or no progression or deviation from their previous releases, I have trouble staying objective. Don’t get me wrong, there isn’t anything wrong with Shadows are Security, aside from the obvious, but there’s nothing new here either. My opinion of As I Lay Dying hasn’t changed much since Frail Words Collapse and neither has their music. The musicianship on this release is just as superb and tight as their last album, but the band has little to advance their sound. The songs on Shadows are Security closely resemble Frail Words Collapse and could be considered a continuation of that album. The only noticeable change is that there aren’t quite as many breakdowns, but it’s easy to see that they have a song writing formula and they stick with it. The music is still heavy, fast-paced, and intense. The clean singing is still incorporated into some of the songs, but for the most part, vocalist Tim Lambesis bellows heavy, yet crisp screaming. The guitar work remains the strongest part of the band, and is matched by few. The same complaints I had from Frail Words Collapse remain on this album. I struggle with openly Christian bands, but I will still say that As I Lay Dying isn’t preachy. There are a couple songs that the lyrics bother me, but for the most part the lyrics don’t close the door on listeners and remain a little generic. I just wish this album had showed a little more progression, but it is still a decent metalcore album. favorite song: "repeating yesterday" rating: 86%/100% listen to as i lay dying

Review: Throwdown - Vendetta

artist: throwdown album: vendetta label: trustkill records released: 2005 by: rob tatum For a band that started as a joke and used to sing about straight edge all the time, Throwdown certainly has grown up. It’s hard to say if it’s for the better though. For fans that loved the unrelenting breakdowns and direct approach that was seen on the early releases, Vendetta, much like its predecessor, Haymaker, will leave a sour taste in your mouth. For everyone else, this album shows Throwdown trying to progress musically and mature as songwriters. The trouble with Vendetta is that the structures cripple the quality of the songs. Sure, the worn out verse, chorus, verse, breakdown, chorus repetition is long gone, but it hasn’t exactly been replaced by anything groundbreaking. I give them credit for straying from repetition. There are fewer breakdowns, and if anything, I would call them bridges now, because they don’t have the same effect as they once did. Vocalist Dave Peters has really expanded his vocal range, but unfortunately for Throwdown, it sounds like a bad Pantera impression. He has a strong voice, but the uncanny resemblance to Phil Anselmo hurts my ability to appreciate it properly. Musically, it’s still Throwdown. Maybe the loss of a guitarist hurt the punishing feel that was once felt when listening to this band, but I would almost call this hard rock rather than hardcore. The musicianship is nearly identical to Haymaker, but it is apparent that there was more effort and time put into the songwriting process. If Haymaker lit your fire, then Vendetta will impress the hell out of you. For the rest of us, it is a solid album and not a bad listen, but it really makes me miss the intensity of You Don’t Have to Blood to be Family. “Future of Metal?” Not quite. favorite song: "the world behind" rating: 84%/100% listen to throwdown

Interview: Boys Night Out

bst interviews boys night out by rob tatum Recently, bst had the chance to interview Brian, the new drummer for Boys Night out, when the band hit Denver as part of this year's Warped Tour. We asked Brian about the band's upcoming album, the current tour, as well as some other things. The following is a recap of the interview. If you are interested in learning more about and listening to Boys Night Out, visit the band's official website, and Ferret Records. bst: Please state your name and instrument. Brian: I’m Brian and I play drums. bst: Tell us about the new album, Trainwreck. What should listeners expect from the new album? How would you compare it to your other releases? What kind of reactions do you expect from fans of your past releases? Brian: I think it is definitely a big step forward for the band, especially compared to what Make Yourself Sick was. There is definitely more Led Zeppelin rockish stuff going on in the songs. There was a lot more thought process put into the songs. It’s way more in depth. The whole album is a storyline, sort of a concept record. It was a pretty big undertaking for all of us to do it. We like how it came out and we people like it as well. bst: How would you describe working with Ferret? Brian: It’s amazing. They are the best guys. They help us out a lot. We really couldn’t ask for more. bst: Was there any different approach to songwriting on this album? What, if anything, was the main inspiration behind this album? Brian: I think we all inspired each other. We took a lot more time with each song, rather than throwing it all together and saying here’s another album. Everything progressed even more once we got in the studio with Machine, who produced the record. He helped a great deal and fine tuned everything to how we wanted it. bst: Do you think that bigger tours like Warped, Ozzfest, and Sounds of the Underground are beneficial to the music community by exposing more people to your music? Or do you think it keeps some of the fans away who don’t want to deal with the large crowds and outside venues? Brian: I think it goes both ways. It definitely helps expose bands to a lot of new people, but it keeps some people away with the heat and big crowds. Overall, I would say it’s a good thing; it’s a lot of bands for a reasonable cost. bst: What do you think is the best part of the music industry right now? What can be done to keep that going? What do you see as the biggest problem with the music industry right now? What do you think can be done to fix it? Brian: I don’t know if there is a best part. It seems to be going more and more downhill every year. The biggest problem is that people stopped caring. It seems like people realized that if you scream a little bit and sing during the chorus, you can make a lot of money… not that we weren’t guilty of that, but we are trying to break away and move forward. This album made us realize that we have to do something different because people aren’t passionate about what they are doing. I mean, if you are playing something totally typical, but you love it, then that’s great, but if you are doing just to sell records, something is wrong. bst: Any memorable moments on this year’s tour? Any horror stories? We always hear one or two. Brian: Our bus has broken down like a hundred times. We’re on our second bus and our second driver. Today, actually, we are getting our old bus and our old driver back. It’s been a fun tour. There are a lot of cool people to hang out, party, and drink, so I may not remember some of those memorable moments. bst: What are you thoughts on the internet and mp3’s? Do you see them as assets to the music business or exploitation? Brian: We all see it as assets. It depends on what level you are on. It may seem like a bad thing, but who cares. If you want to play music, you want people to hear your music, so if they download it, who cares. If they really like it, they will buy it to get the lyrics and what not. I mean, if you download it, at least you will hear it, hell; maybe you’ll burn it for your friends. bst: What are your plans at the conclusion of this tour? More touring? R&R? Brian: After that we go on the Nintendo Fusion Tour. bst: Anything else you would like to add? Brian: Thanks. bst: Thanks so much for talking with us and answering the questions. boys night out official site

Review #2: Poison the Well - You Come Before You

artist: poison the well album: you come before you label: atlantic records released: 7/1/03 by: rob tatum The hardest thing for any band is to take what they have done in the past and improve upon it. Poison the Well’s Opposite of December was one of the most influential albums to ever hit hardcore, so it wasn’t any shock that Tear from the Red didn’t quite live up to their first full length. Now, with their third full length, and first major label release, Poison the Well unveils You Come Before You. This release takes strong points of both previous full lengths and sandwiches them into an all-out barrage on the senses. Within the first thirty seconds of the album, the song “Ghostchant” establishes that the band has not gone soft or strayed away from what most listeners have come to love. The album is once again filled with blistering and melodic guitars, amazing drum fills, and lead singer Jeff Moreira’s booming screams and harmonic singing. Any fan of Poison the Well knows that they focus on combining intense and energetic music into almost perfect melodies. You Come Before You hasn’t changed this basic platform, but the songs don’t necessarily follow any particular format or structure as appeared on Tear from the Red. There is a saying that you can never get too much of a good thing, which may hold true in some cases, but Poison the Well makes sure not to wear out listeners with repetition. In a few songs, there are noticeable similarities to past songs, such as the beginning of “Meeting Again for the First Time” has a striking resemblance to the intro of “Botchla” from Tear from the Red. Aside from those few parts, each song establishes itself as something different. The album does not run together in the way Tear from the Red did. One of the major things I noticed about this album is that the overall feeling is angrier than any of their previous releases. Jeff’s lyrics have transformed into much more mature pieces without compromising the emotional side that was established on Opposite of December. The music goes through the same sort of transformation and the album really does have some heavy hitting parts that will appease a number of hardcore fans. I really was worried that they may have averted from the intensity and gone for slower and softer melodies, but that is definitely not the case. Aside from the instrumental, “The Opinionated are so Opinionated” and an unnecessary sound bite, the album does actually come close to Opposite of December on many levels. The unfortunate thing is that the groundbreaking potential is no longer there, making it difficult to even compare the albums. Regardless of that, You Come Before You is still leagues ahead of a good majority of bands, and until there is another band that can perfect the intensity and melody infusion that Poison the Well has mastered over the years, it is going to be hard to knock them from the top of their genre. favorite song: “meeting again for the first time” rating: 94%/100% listen to poison the well

Review #1: Poison the Well - You Come Before You

artist: poison the well album: you come before you label: atlantic records released: 7/1/03 by: eduardo moutinho There is a disturbing trend going around our underground music scene. This trend concerns the actions of major record labels doing their best to come and pluck away some of the most well-known and popular bands from the rose that is our scene. Many bands have fallen under the spell of the money-grubbing majors, such as Thursday, Glassjaw, and the authors of the record that is being reviewed in this very text: Poison the Well. Fortunately, for the most part, the sound that made these bands famous is not being compromised. Glassjaw’s Warner Brothers debut, Worship and Tribute, was an absolute hurricane of greatness. And from the looks of it, Thursday’s next record will follow suit. And folks, I’m happy to say, that Poison the Well’s debut on Atlantic, You Come before You, is quite splendid. Poison the Well’s previous release, Tear from the Red, on Trustkill Records was met with mixed reviews. The group took its sound in a new direction, focusing more on heavy, crunchy, melodies and incorporating more singing into the music. Many were annoyed by this, instead wanting another The Opposite of December, the band’s most famous and influential record. I enjoyed Tear from the Red quite a bit but found myself always going back to Opposite of December, because of the epic nature of that record. In fact, I was fearful that the band would continue to change their sound, since they were releasing a debut record on a major. I was hoping that I would not have to prematurely start talking about the “good ol’ days when Poison the Well was a pioneer in melodic hardcore.” In the end, I didn’t want to hear You Come before You and hear a slightly edgy hard rock band. Thankfully, from hearing this record, I realized that the guys were given the freedom necessary to craft a record to their own specifications. You Come before You is in essence, a culmination of Poison the Well’s musical evolution. There’s a little Opposite of December here, and a little Tear from the Red there, even some Distance Only Makes the Heart Grow Fonder hidden behind a couple of layers. This, in my opinion, is the most notable strength of this record. The chaos and rawness is back, yet the increased use of singing and melody remains. There are songs that are pure aggression and emotion, that have very few breaks, and then there are songs that have slow parts accompanied by heart-felt singing. And of course, there are songs that combine everything into a big ball of melodicore. I must say, that with the evolution of Poison the Well’s sound has come an evolution of musicianship by the band members. The guitars are great here, and I can already imagine Ryan Primack playing this stuff live with his facial expressions. I can’t wait. There are sweet little riffs here and there. Just listen to “Zombies are Good for your Health” to see what I mean. These guys still concentrate on the heavy rhythm, and they execute with great efficiency. Drums are always a highlight of Poison the Well’s music, and on this record, the high marks continue. Expect to see well-placed fills, great snare work, and overall goodness. And the vocals are the same, as Jeff Moreira is in my opinion, the best vocalist in hardcore. This guy has a spectacular screaming voice, and a singing voice that would get him far on American Idol. On this album, he changes his screaming style just a bit, which adds so much to the sound. He ends and starts screams, on many occasions, by transitioning from his regular voice to the scream, which sounds really crisp and hits my ear just right. Also, his screams aren’t as high-pitched as they used to be, which is also good. Definitely, Jeff’s vocals are fantastic here. Songs like “Loved Ones,” the aforementioned “Zombies are Good for your Health,” and the end track “Crystal Lake” (which sounds a bit too much like “Zombies…”) are frenzied and filled with speed and heat. “Loved Ones” in particular is spectacular, where fast-paced heavy verses are intertwined with moody, atmospheric interludes with singing. Then, there are songs like “Meeting Again for the First Time” and “The View from Here is a Brick Wall” that are reminiscent of Tear from the Red tracks, with slow introductions and roller coaster-like song structures. The guitarists in particular, really want to show that they are getting better and better, so many of the songs have a lot of atmosphere and complicated effect-driven clean parts thrown into them. The song “Sounds Like the End of the World” is the heaviest atmospheric song I have ever heard, and that makes it really interesting. I also like how the band chose to add more traditional-sounding songs, with lots of tempo, heaviness, and little to no singing in them, to keep the variety in good check. There are instances where the “hard part to slow singing part to hard part” structure wears a bit thin. Fortunately, this problem is remedied a bit by songs like “For a Bandaged Iris” and “The Realist” that sound like nothing that Poison the Well has done before. The songs have a lot of high trebly parts matched up with heavy accompaniments, and even more uncharacteristic song structures. And to be quite honest, I think these songs will hit the Poison the Well faithful in a more positive manner than the Tear from the Red ones. Overall, I’m really pleased with this record. It’s hard to say that this is my favorite Poison the Well release, but I can say that I find it to be a lot better than Tear from the Red and easily in the league of Opposite of December. There are all sorts of songs here, really hard ones, all-over-the-place tracks, and even experimental pieces. Thankfully, the suits didn’t intervene and force this band into becoming another Hatebreed or Shadows Fall. favorite song: “loved ones” rating: 93%/100% listen to poison the well

Review: As Cities Burn - Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest

artist: as cities burn album: son, i loved you at your darkest label: solid state records released: 6/21/05 by: eduardo moutinho I’ve always been taught and have always read that clichés are detrimental to good writing. While such a statement does make sense, I’m sorry, but I just have to use one in this situation. As Cities Burn’s latest release, Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest, is a tale of two albums. Damn, that cliché works so well for this release. Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest at times sounds like unbearable mainstream filth and at other times sounds like exceptional post-hardcore. It’s frustrating. I think it also appropriate to state that As Cities Burn is a Christian band. Hell, they’re on Solid State for God’s sakes (clichés and puns, wow). The band’s lyrics seem to be ambiguous enough, but we all know what their intentions are. I was able to wade through the album with little pain, and let it be known that I get easily irritated by overly-Christian people. So yeah, listen at your own risk. With all that out of the way, I can now address the music itself. Man, this band has talent. Unfortunately, As Cities Burn exhibits its talent in bursts on this record, not one consistent groovy flow. This results in the annoying “good song, bad song” phenomenon. The album begins with the raucous song “Thus from My Lips, by Yours, My Sin is Purged,” a choppy and frenetic fireball of post-hardcore bliss. The song elevated my spirits which were then immediately lowered by the next two lobotomycore songs and the damn-I-want-to-like-but-don’t-like number entitled “Bloodsucker Pt. II.” Yet, my morale improved when I heard the thunderous chords of “Terrible! How Terrible for this Great City!” The entire album follows this pattern. There are great songs here, yet you have to wade through a lot of muck. Other highlights include “Admission: Regret” and “One: Twentyseven.” At its best As Cities Burn is sporadic guitar-driven post-hardcore with interesting song structures and competent screaming vocals; at its worst, the band is sappy singing segments, silly emocore conventions, and blatant emulation of MTV emo. I don’t know what this band wants. I just don’t think that you can satisfy both the diehard post-hardcore people and the Hot Topic frequenters by meeting them halfway. Ultimately, the band seems to be facing an identity crisis. I liked this album and I hated it as well. Yet, it gets a somewhat positive score for the potential that I see. I just wonder where they will take said potential. favorite song: “one: twentyseven" rating: 85%/100% listen to as cities burn