 | Artist: I Killed the Prom Queen |
BSTscore: 89
Monday, November 3, 2008
Video Review: I Killed the Prom Queen—Music for the Recently Deceased
Video Review: Between the Buried and Me—Colors
 | Artist: Between the Buried and Me |
BSTscore: 96
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Second Opinion Review: Misery Signals—Controller
 | Artist: Misery Signals |
BSTscore: 84
Let me get this out of the way before you potentially jump to a conclusion. Controller is a good album by a great band. I enjoyed the work as a whole, and it's a solid upgrade over Mirrors. Instrumentally, it's the Misery Signals we all know and love—technical guitar work, tight percussion, and complex song structures that meander back and forth between aggression and melody.
However, Misery Signals is like a high-performance engine running on all but one cylinder.
Vocally, this album falls short. While I put up with Karl Schubach's monotone growls on Mirrors, I've grown tired of them on Controller. The vocals rarely wander past the midrange, which causes some of the denser songs to be quite difficult to sit through, such as "Labyrinthian." The vocals have a tendency to mesh together into a bland blanket of sound—covering the good stuff. Also, the attempts at singing are inconsistent in quality and oftentimes clash with the flow. There were many times I wondered how Jesse Zaraska, Misery Signal's previous singer, would have fared with the material.
Granted, the vocals aren't atrocious. They aren't even bad. But, they are average at best and adversely affect the music. Schubach has his one trick scream down to a science, but that's far from enough to match the stellar instruments. It's truly unfortunate.
Nevertheless, the class of this album comprises the yin and yang "Weight of the World" and "Coma." "Weight of the World" is a furious three minute salvo, featuring nice injections of melody near the end. "Coma" ramps up the melodic quotient with intricate strings and a diverse framework. Other notables include "Parallels," "Set in Motion," and "Ebb and Flow."
What can I say? I knew what to expect with Controller. It's a good album, and I still enjoy Misery Signals. I guess my tolerance has waned a bit with the band's primary weakness. This release should be in 90 territory, but I have to listen to my heart—and my ears.
Musicianship: 95
Vocals: 70
Creativity: 85
Impact: 85
Favorite Song: “Weight of the World”
You can also read Rob's take on the album.
Misery Signals—"Weight of the World"
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Review: Unearth - The March
Artist: UnearthAlbum: The March
Label: Metal Blade
Released: 10/14/2008
BSTscore: 98
The March is the 4th full length from
Despite constant assurances against it (including from front man Trevor Phipps in our interview a few years ago), my biggest fear with Unearth has always been that the band would stray away from their bread and butter or begin to repeat riffs or breakdowns. I can assure you; this is still not the case (and has pretty much eased my fears). The only change is that there isn’t as much thrash metal with this release. Regardless, The March is undeniably an Unearth album, and the songs remain unique and identifiable.
The obvious strength of the band’s music is the dueling guitars of Buz McGrath and Ken Susi. Their ability to layer riff after riff into solos is matched by few and still leaves me shaking my head. See “Hail the Shrine”, “Crow Killer” and “Cutman” for examples on this album. I’m further impressed by the seamless transition to new drummer Derek Kerswill. The beats are powerful and thundering from start to finish. The creative breakdowns and fills are executed to perfection. Call it cliché, but The March is definitely heavy and metal.
Equally as strong and impressive on The March is vocalist Trevor Phipps. His clear, crisp delivery is easily the best in the metalcore genre and makes the band easily identifiable. The power of his voice is something that gets your blood boiling and makes you scream along. Again, check out “Hail the Shrine” and “We Are Not Anonymous”. Lyrically, the songs show passion and depth, as well as anger (as always). Favorites for me include “Grave of Opportunity” and “Letting Go”.
Every time I review an Unearth album, I feel like I’m just repeating myself, and there’s good reason for that: There’s not another band out there that can consistently produce music like this. I could ramble on and on about how great this album is, but I think you should find out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.
Musicianship: 100
Vocals: 100
Creativity: 95
Impact: 95
Favorite Song: “Letting Go”
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Spotlight - October 10, 2008
Unearth, Protest the Hero, The Acacia Strain, Whitechapel, Gwen Stacy
Gothic Theater, Denver, CO
The following is a recap of the show:
We arrived a little past the show start time, but I was a bit surprised that Gwen Stacy had already played. The show was listed as a 7:30 start and apparently it started early or the band only played for ten minutes. Either way, I can’t comment on what we missed, so I guess it’s on to what we did see.
The first band of the night (for us) was Whitechapel. Hailing from
Next was the Acacia Strain. Vocalist Vincent Bennett is one of the more entertaining front men in metal. His energy is constant and he conveys the passion of the bands music on stage very well. Also impressing me was the band’s sound, despite the fact they tour with only one guitarist (and record with 3). Obviously, some of the depth of songs is sacrificed by this approach, but nevertheless, the band was solid. Their mix of older material and a few songs (“Skynet”, “Dr. Doom”) from their latest release, Continent, was well received.
Protest the Hero is one of those bands that people either love or hate. I, for one, love this band. The depth, technicality, and uniqueness of the band’s sound are something that the metal world needs. The fact that they don’t really care what other people think only helps the effectiveness of the band. Their set flowed well with offerings from Kezia and Fortress. Highlights included “No Stars over
The headliner was Unearth. Supporting their recent album, The March, the band is as strong as ever. This was, hands down, the best set of the night. And I would venture to say, one of the best Unearth performances I’ve seen. Especially in the last 3 or 4 years. The band blistered through “Endless” and “This Lying World” before taking so much as a breath. The energy and power conveyed in their set is something that cannot be described, it has to be felt. There are countless reasons that I think this band is the best in the business, but shows like this only further my point. My only complaint was the overuse of the strobe lights, but that was offset by the guitarists taking turns with a beer bong. The band mixed in “My Will Be Done” and “Crow Killer” from the new record, as well as the staples “Giles”, “The Great Dividers”, and “My Desire” before ending with “Black Hearts Now Reign.” It was an excellent end to good show. I feel sorry for anyone who missed their set.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
End of Summer
Hey Everyone,
As you probably noticed, the last month was hectic for us. Eddy was in Brazil for most of the month and I've been slammed at work. Hopefully things will slow down for us in October. We have at least 2 interviews lined up this month, so check back for those in the near future.
Until then, keep rockin'.
As you probably noticed, the last month was hectic for us. Eddy was in Brazil for most of the month and I've been slammed at work. Hopefully things will slow down for us in October. We have at least 2 interviews lined up this month, so check back for those in the near future.
Until then, keep rockin'.
Review: For the Fallen Dreams - Changes
Artist: For the Fallen DreamsAlbum: Changes
Label: Rise Records
Released: 1/8/2008
Every once in a while, I stumble upon a band that I can’t stop listening to, regardless of the band’s strengths or weaknesses.
Musically, the band is something along the lines of a bastardized offspring of Misery Signals and Bury Your Dead. I can’t say they’ve stepped too far outside the box with their brand of metalcore, but the melody of the guitar work makes for some of the best sounding songs and breakdowns I've ever heard. For music this heavy, I can’t use words like beautiful, but it is close. On the flip side, the punishing rhythms will put you back in your place pretty quickly.
One of the glaring strengths, and yet weaknesses, of For the Fallen Dreams is vocalist Chad Ruhlig. It’s certainly not his fault, but his voice shares an uncanny resemblance to former Bury Your Dead vocalist Mat Bruso. First time listeners are bound to assume they are hearing Bury Your Dead. The angry, crisp vocals are a perfect fit for the music, but only further the comparisons.
Changes is an excellent album. From the anthems “Brother in Arms” and “Never Again” to the epic “Through the Looking Glass”, there isn’t a bad song on this release. I have to knock the band a little, as I can’t help but dwell on the similarities to other bands on the same genre, but it doesn’t change the quality of the music. The combination of brutal breakdowns and melodic harmonies is one that works for me and I look forward to more from For the Fallen Dreams.
Musicianship: 95
Vocals: 90
Creativity: 80
Impact: 95
Favorite Song: “Hopeless”
Listen to For the Fallen Dreams
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Review: This is Hell - Misfortunes
Artist: This is HellAlbum: Misfortunes
Label: Trustkill
Released: 2/19/08
BSTscore: 79
One of the most difficult things for bands today is finding their own identity.
Upon my first listen of Misfortunes, I instantly started thinking back to bands This is Hell sounds like. The obvious one is Comeback Kid, as vocalist Travis Reilly’s voice is eerily similar to that of Scott Wade and Andrew Neufeld. There are also similarities to the Hope Conspiracy and 100 Demons, as well as many of the old-school style bands from the east coast. The biggest aspect of Misfortunes that instantly won me over was the lyrics. The album is strong, passionate, and begs you chant along as you listen.
Comparisons aside, this is very solid listen from start to finish. The band’s ability to take fast-paced songs and turn them into melodic sing-alongs is excellent. Hardcore music may not require the most talented musicians in the world, but This is Hell is a band that is tailor made for this sound. The driving guitars mixed with blistering rhythm work produce a catchy album that begs you to listen to over and over again. I know that I’ll be listening to this quite often.
Musicianship: 85
Vocals: 85
Creativity: 70
Impact: 75
Favorite Song: “Disciples”/”Last Days Campaign” (tie)
Monday, September 8, 2008
Review: Misery Signals - Controller
Artist: Misery SignalsAlbum: Controller
Label: Ferret
Released: 7/22/2008
Controller is the 3rd full length from
Pulling from the strengths of their prior release, Mirrors, this album is loaded with heavy melodies and gripping breakdowns. Although vocalist Karl Schubach’s range might be limited, it’s his crisp delivery and identifiable voice that help give the band its unique sound. The clean singing is harmonious with the music and fits well. See “A Certain Death” or “Set in Motion” for good examples. While I'm not too sure about the lyrics on the songs, “Nothing” and “Parallels”, the majority of this album is excellent.
My favorite part of Controller is the flow. Not just song to song, but as a whole. You can listen to it straight through or on shuffle and everything fits together. Even the heavy and fast paced parts to the album are melodic in their own way. I find it very hard to argue with what the band is doing musically. The tempo and time changes go unnoticed to the untrained ear and will certainly help Controller gain listeners. As far as metalcore bands go, Misery Signals is a step ahead of most and they will continue to be in my rotation if they keep producing music like this.
Musicianship: 90
Vocals: 80
Creativity: 85
Impact: 85
Favorite Song: “A Certain Death”
Listen to Misery Signals