Tampa Bay Florida Death Metal Godfathers OBITUARY collide with Bay Area Thrash Metal Kings EXODUS for another epic Battle of the Bays this Fall! The two American legends went to war in Europe last year and are now bringing the Battle to America this time with support from POWER TRIP and DUST BOLT. The co-headlining tour kicks off September 14 in Durham, NC and ends on October 15 in Baton Rouge, LA. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 16 and a complete listing of dates is available below.
Additionally, OBITUARY will perform at the prestigious Hellfest Open Air 2017 on June 18 in France and return to Europe for a headline tour on July 8 including multiple festival appearances at Resurrection Festival, Rock Maraton 2017, VOA Heavy Rock Fest and more. All confirmed OBITUARY tour dates are listed below.
OBITUARY’s latest, self-titled album is out now on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse Records. Physical packages and digital order are available via Relapse.com HERE and Bandcamp HERE.
— All Dates Sep 14 to Oct 15 w/ Exodus, Power Trip and Dust Bolt —
Sep 14 Durham, NC Motorco Music Hall
Sep 15 Virginia Beach, VA Shakas Live
Sep 16 Baltimore, MD Baltimore Soundstage
Sep 17 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
Sep 19 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
Sep 20 Worcester, MA The Palladium (Downstairs)
Sep 21 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
Sep 22 Quebec City, QC Imperial Ball
Sep 23 Ottawa, ON Bronson Centre
Sep 24 London, ON London Music Hall
Sep 26 Grand Rapids, MI The Intersection
Sep 27 Columbus, OH Park Street Saloon
Sep 28 Indianapolis, IN Deluxe @ Old National Center
An album review on Wolves, the 8th full album from Chicago’s Rise Against.
Text Review:
Long lasting hardcore and punk rock bands from the early 2000’s are becoming rare. Over the past 18 years Rise Against have been giving their fierce view on politics and life while becoming more mature in their sound as they transition from stage destruction to more emotional and affirming themes. Wolves, the band’s eight full album is a definite continuation of Rise Against’s view of the world.
Through the past decade, the ferocious intensity of Rise Against has not so much mellowed as it has become more focused and direct. It’s the same strong writing from creative minds that want to get a point across clearer as their priority, as opposed to destroying a stage and smashing guitars. Which version of Rise Against you prefer is up to you, but it should be noted that Chicago’s own has done both of these styles quite well. The album Wolves is a unique entity in that it is trying to offer a bit more of the original Chicago punk days while still offering other serious tracks ranging from love to the current political power in the United States. And within the lyric writing of this album is the intent to not beat around the bush. In an interview with The Shrine Auditorium, Tim McIlrath said: “Wolves isn’t about creating a safe space, it’s about creating a space that’s dangerous for injustice”.
Punk rock historically is supposed to fight the machine while being fast and loud. While age and maturity come for every band, Rise Against have been able to grow as people while still holding to their ideals. Like I said before, whether you prefer the intense and wild early 2000’s style or their honed in and rock style of Appeal To Reason and beyond, Rise Against has stood the test of time in consistently delivering.
“The Violence” is the song that Rise Against released to highlight Wolves and it’s a good baseline for what to expect in energy. I say baseline because there are tracks that get much louder than “The Violence” and other songs that are slower paced but lyrically more direct. In other words, “The Violence” captures is the overall sound and style of the band’s eight album. Over the past few weeks I have listened to “The Violence” over a dozen times. The opening of the chorus “We’re not good enough” is memorable and helps highlight the song. It’s a song that I like, but I admit I don’t love. It’s hard to explain why “The Violence” didn’t hook me. After hearing the rest of the album, I truly feel that there is many more memorable songs on Wolves.
Like I said with “The Violence” being the baseline in volume and style, the standout tracks in my opinion are the louder and faster paced songs. The album opening title-track and “Welcome To The Breakdown” from beginning to end are the amazing songs that made me remember why I love Rise Against. The drumlines, the riffs and short hooks make these songs stand out like gems when compared to the singles “The Violence” and “House On Fire”. Those singles are good songs but there is so much more on this album that is worth diving into that it will make you completely forget them after a full listen of Wolves.
It’s hard to sit still when listening to songs like “Welcome To The Breakdown” and “Bulls***”. There is an anger in the delivery along with some great lyrics that are easy to connect with the listener. The choruses get stuck in your head in a good way and it makes you want to listen more and also see these songs performed live. The album is not a top to bottom masterpiece. Songs like “Parts Per Million” could be completely omitted from not having any impact and “Mourning In Amerika”, while lyrically strong, doesn’t have much impact in the music. But with the remainder of the songs on Wolves ranging from good to great, some of which even including direct statements to the 45th President, it’s hard not to get involved with the album.
While there are two to three tracks that caused me to lose my energy and focus with the album, I can’t deny just how much I got out of a listening experience from Rise Against, again. I say “again”, because since I discovered this band in the late 2000’s, I have not been disappointed with any album they have released and Wolves continues that feeling. Overall, Wolves once again proves that the fire in Rise Against hasn’t died out. Regardless of your political stance or which style of punk rock speed you prefer, this album has songs that will make you remember why you enjoy music in the most while giving you lyrics to remember.
Coming on the heels of the recently released EPK and album announcement, Projected returns with the video for the debut single “Reload.” The video was produced, directed and edited by
Jamie Brown for Smoking Gun Productions and can be seen here: https://youtu.be/Y3dtoi4VZdw. The song comes from the band’s sophomore double-length release, Ignite My Insanity, scheduled for release on July 21st via Rat Pak Records. Thetwo-disc collection is now available for pre-order in various configurations at http://www.ratpakrecords.com/Projected as well as digitally via iTunes at: http://smarturl.it/IMIiTunes. Fans who pre-order the album via iTunes will receive an instant download of “Reload” with two subsequent downloads scheduled prior to the full-album release. Ignite My Insanity is the long awaited follow-up to the 2012 self-released debut album, Human from the band comprised of Sevendust guitarist John Connolly, Alter Bridge/Creed drummer Scott Phillips, Sevendust bassist Vinnie Hornsby and Tremonti guitarist Eric “E-ROCK” Friedman.
Ignite My Insanity features 21 all new tracks from Projected and continues to build upon the sound the band established with their debut. It is an album designed to resonate with fans from the member’s original projects and guaranteed to garner new fans along the way. From the melodic piano interlude of the opener “Strike” to the raucous ending of closer “Battlestations,” the new album takes the listener on a journey inside the minds of the band. Songs like “Six Feet Below,” “Gomorrah,” “Inhuman” and “Upside Down” are infectious rockers. The first single “Reload” is a frenetic composition that showcases the musicianship of these accomplished performers. Alter Bridge/Tremonti songwriter Mark Tremonti co-wrote “Rectify” and “Call Me The Devil” and Sevendust’s Morgan Rose co-wrote “Concede” with the band. The EPK on the making of Ignite My Insanity can be seen here:
A review on The The Birthday Massacre’s seventh full album Under Your Spell.
Text Review:
One band whom I consider on the underground and off the radio radar while still having an extremely strong following thanks to the internet is Canada’s The Birthday Massacre. After their 2014 album Superstition which I loved comes their seventh full album Under Your Spell. And with that strong following came a lot of support in making this album. Thanks to PledgeMusic, The Birthday Massacre’s campaign to create Under Your Spell was not only met but then supported further with an end result of 233% of their campaign goal. One look at the last page of the album’s liner notes will give a glimpse at just how many fans pledged good money to hear new music from the band in their electronic and goth-rock glory.
In the press release and statement from The Birthday Massacre on the new album, they state how Under Your Spell will prove to be the band’s most intimate and emotive record to date. That is a big declaration coming after their album Superstition which was a brooding electronic work that was not only oozing with that goth-rock style, but it was also fantastic. But now in 2017 comes an album that is in almost every way a tribute to the synth and electronic music of the 1980’s. No matter how old you are it is almost undeniable just how much the music on Under Your Spell could be placed in a majority of 80’s movie soundtracks seamlessly. If this would have been The Birthday Massacre’s debut album then people would swear they just stepped out of a time machine.
Along with the 80’s vibe, the noticeable distinction of Under Your Spell when compared to its predecessor is that it is (for the most part) much more energetic and up-tempo. Whether it has more of a hard edge like “Counterpane” or the more carefree style of “One”, there is a feeling that this album has a pace and energy. “Counterpane” was featured in the trailer video for Under Your Spell and is arguably the hardest song on the album. It’s the halfway point and is one of the few breaks from the nostalgic tribute to an electronic decade. This song had the right balance however even with it’s loud opening. Chibi’s vocals in the bridge and chorus are great and it all connects to some hard riffs at the end.
The main stand outs on Under Your Spell I feel are the tracks that indulge in the electronic effects but take some time to breathe while running. I say this because lyrically there are some great themes and concepts here but when the songs have this happy upbeat synthetic bounce it disjoints the tones. Tracks like “All Of Nothing”, “Games”, and the title track are the few that slow the pace down slightly, but even these songs have a rhythm and flow that moves everything along. Musically everything sounds produced and mixed well. Each song feels like an individual event. When you listen to the first half of the album, you get that feeling of each song being a separate entity and they all give a different emotion that way. From the opening synth keys of “One” you get that reminiscent sound of 80’s music and then it goes into that romanticized goth style that The Birthday Massacre is known for.
The first half of Under Your Spell starting with One is where most of the replay value will come. While each song feels individual it feels like the most emotion comes from the first five tracks. I definitely get the vibe of intimate and personal when hearing Chibi sing and lyrically there is a lot to latch on to. The first half of the album is where those qualities shine.
Not every song is going to be getting your undivided attention. Song like “Unkind” and “No Tomorrow” are unfortunately forgettable almost as soon as the track is over. The listening experience all the way through the album can also take you out of the moment because each track feels individual so the flow from track to track isn’t completely smooth. Even with those critiques though, there are several songs and moments that really shine here.
The Birthday Massacre has the ability to say they have a unique sound in 2017 while performing in a genre where many bands are trying to chase the next trend. And while this album may not be the most complete experience you are looking for, there is still a massive amount of creativity and talent that was involved in this electronic love letter to the style of a past decade. Overall, Under Your Spell will please the fans that helped both contribute to this album and the fans that have supported the band though six previous releases. Whether this will be those fans’ favorite album in the discography will be up for debate, but it is a strong effort in emotion and writing that every John Hughes movie from the mid 80’s would be lucky to have.
DROPKICK MURPHYS RELEASE VIDEO FOR “UNTIL THE NEXT TIME”
BAND LAUNCHES FROM BOSTON TO BERKELEY TOUR WITH RANCID JULY 27 THROUGH AUGUST 26
In the midst of European festivals and headlining shows, Dropkick Murphys have released a video for “Until The Next Time,” from their 11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory album.
Dropkick Murphys’ Ken Casey explains,“The music video for ‘Until The Next Time’ was directed by our longtime friend and amazing photographer Gregory Nolan during our 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory Tour in both Europe and the U.S. This song is about our relationship with YOU, the best fans on the planet. It’s about the memories and the great friends we’ve made along the way…about the pleasure of coming to so many cities that we feel we can almost call home, and the bittersweet moments of having to say goodbye and move on to the next town every night.”
According to drummer Matt Kelly, “Until The Next Time” is “a song about having to put the good times on hold temporarily. We were glad to come, so sad to go, so while we’re here we’ll have us a real good time! See you out on the ice!”
Gregory Nolan, tour videographer and director of the video said, “There are two kinds of shots I love with the Dropkicks: hijinks between band members and moments of connection between the band and fans. The awesome thing about putting together this music video is that I got to shape the story that puts these relationships at the center, with music as the method of connection. It’s the perfect song to celebrate the good times, and to get the sense that the friendships we share will always come back around again.”
Dropkick Murphys—Al Barr, Tim Brennan, Ken Casey, Jeff DaRosa, Matt Kelly, James Lynch—return to the U.S. in July for their co-headlining From Boston To Berkeley Tour with Rancid.The month-long trek kicks off July 27 in Bangor, ME and wraps August 26 at the It’s Not Dead festival in San Bernardino, CA, near Los Angeles. Each night of the tour will culminate with Rancid and Dropkick Murphys on stage together for a joint encore.
The Bouncing Souls and Jake Burns open the July 27 – August 9 shows and The Selecter and Kevin Seconds open from August 11 – 26.
Rancid and Dropkick Murphys have a long and important history together. Back in 1997, Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen came across a copy of DropkickMurphys’ original EP at a friend’s house. He turned it over to his bandmate and Hellcat Records president Tim Armstrong, who quickly snatched up the band for his new label.
Dropkick Murphys are touring in support of their 11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory album, released through the band’s own Born & Bred Records earlier this year. The album debuted at #8 on the Billboard Top 200 and was the #1 independently released album. There’s a feeling of purpose throughout the album, influenced by the band’s work with The Claddagh Fund, a charity the band established in 2009 to help support addiction recovery as well as children’s and veterans’ organizations. Dropkick Murphys are hands-on in raising funds, mentoring, and lending a helping hand with veterans, youth sports, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Many of the songs reflect these experiences, and the band’s sadness, anger and dismay at the opiate epidemic ravaging the country – in particular, Boston and New England — and also their feeling of pride and optimism at the sight of those who have turned their lives around. Dropkick Murphys have become ambassadors for their city. In Boston, it seems like everybody knows someone connected to the band whether by blood, friendship, or the time they shared a brew at a Bruins game. They’ve built a legacy that does Beantown proud.
Current Dropkick Murphys tour dates are as follows:
European Tour Dates
6/23/17 – Grafenhainichen, Germany – With Full Force
6/25/17 – Pilton, UK – Glastonbury Festival
6/26/17 – Nottingham, UK – Nottingham Rock City
6/27/17 – Dunfermline, UK – Alhambra Theatre
6/28/17 – Liverpool, UK – O2 Academy
6/29/17 – Bournemouth, UK – O2 Academy
7/1/17 – Munster, Germany – Vainstream Rockfest
7/2/17 – Werchter, Germany – Rock Werchter
7/3/17 – Saint-Etienne, France – Le Fil
7/4/17 – Zurich, Switzerland – Volkhaus
7/6/17 – Lugo, Spain – Resurrection Festival
7/8/17 – Belfort, France – Les Eurockeennes de Belfort
7/9/17 – Weert, Netherlands – Bospop
7/11/17 – Milan, Italy – Carroponte
7/14/17 – Carhaix-Plouguer, France – Festival Des Vielles Charrues
7/16/17 – Dublin, Ireland – The Iveagh Gardens
From Boston To Berkeley Tour With Rancid & Dropkick Murphys
7/27/17 – Bangor, ME – Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion
7/28/17 – Montreal, QC – Montreal ’77 Festival
7/29/17 – Toronto, ON – Echo Beach
7/30/17 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
7/31/17 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
8/2/17 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
8/3/17 – Philadelphia, PA – Festival Pier
8/4/17 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage
8/5/17 – Boston / Brockton, MA – Brockton Fairgrounds
8/6/17 – Brooklyn, NY – Ford Amphitheatre at Coney Island Boardwalk
8/8/17 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
8/9/17 – Milwaukee, WI – BMO Harris Pavilion
8/11/17 – Denver, CO – Sculpture Park
8/12/17 – Salt Lake City, UT – Saltair
8/13/17 – Nampa, ID – Idaho Center Amphitheatre
8/15/17 – Vancouver, BC – Thunderbird Arena
8/16/17 – Seattle, WA – WaMu Theater at Century Link Field Events Center
8/18/17 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Avila Beach
8/19/17 – Sacramento, CA – Memorial Auditorium
8/20/17 – Berkeley, CA – The Greek
8/22/17 – Chandler / Phoenix, AZ – Rawhide Event Center
8/24/17 – San Diego, CA – Petco Park, Park At The Park
8/25/17 – Las Vegas, NV – Downtown Las Vegas Events Center
8/26/17 – San Bernardino, CA – Glen Helen Amphitheater, It’s Not Dead Festival
Bullet For My Valentine have released an official live video clip for “Don’t Need You,” evidencing the pure fire (literally and figuratively) of their two consecutive sold-out performances at the world famous Brixton Academy, London, last December.
The video features footage found on the forthcoming DVD Bullet For My Valentine – Live From Brixton: Chapter Two.
The shows in question saw Bullet For My Valentine perform career-spanning setlists, in addition to select performances of their classic 2005 debut album,The Poison, in full.
Pre-orders for Bullet For My Valentine – Live From Brixton: Chapter Twoare now live HERE.
Fans will now be able to experience the intensity of both “Night One” (December 9‘s “career-spanning” performance) and “Night Two” (December 10‘s The Poison performance) via DVD, Blu-ray, CD, and Vinyl.
Full format details are below:
“Night One” CD (career-spanning setlist)
“Night Two” CD (The Poison in its entirety setlist)
DVD (featuring both nights)
Blu-ray (featuring both nights)
Triple disc Red Vinyl (“Night Two” only)
Additionally, BFMV have started work on a new studio album, which is their first for Search and Destroy/Spinefarm Records.
DOPE / (HED)Pe Announce The Monster High Tour 2017
Ill Niño to Appear on Select Dates
Industrial Metal Veterans DOPE are teaming with G-punk innovators (HED)Pe to announce their The Monster High Tour 2017 with metal rockers Ill Niño on select dates.
“I’m really excited about this tour” says Edsel Dope. “We have never done a proper USA Tour with (HED)Pe, or Ill Niño, so this should be a really cool experience for the fans and for all of us…Me and Jared from Hed Pe are already talking about doing some collaborations before and during the tour…
“We’ve continued to add to our production to each and every tour” Edsel says with a smile.. “The show is almost out of hand at this point”
“I am anticipating that this will be the last Dope tour for a little while” says Edsel…”Once it is over, I want to focus on finishing up the next Dope album before we hit the road again…I am looking forward to seeing of our fans and friends out there this Fall…”
“Hell yea brother! Me and Edsel are gonna bring one hell of a party to your city, so y’all can bring the weed” Says Jared Gomes..
Both bands will play full sets each night and Dope will again be bringing out their highly interactive production, complete with 100 square feet of LED wall, geisers and more.
Get ready to worship the music – announcing the 2017 Voodoo Music + Arts Experience Lineup featuring Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters, The Killers, LCD Soundsystem, DJ Snake, Galantis, and tons more! Check the complete list of artists and stay tuned. Tickets will be available on Friday, June 9th at 10AM CT.
Gather your tribe and let the good times roll with 3-Day GA, Loa VIP, and Platinum Tickets, on sale Friday, June 9th at 10AM CT! Claim tickets to experience Halloween weekend in New Orleans, and join all your favorite artists at Voodoo this year.
JIBE Release Official Music Video for “We’ve Only Just Begun”
Off Upcoming ‘Epic Tales of Human Nature’ Out 6/9/2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 12, 2017 – Legendary Dallas, Texas Rock band JIBE has released the Official Music Video for “We’ve Only Just Begun,” which originally premiered on Tattoo.com the second single off of their upcoming album, Epic Tales of Human Nature. Due out June 9th, Epic Tales of Human Nature was produced by Matt Noveskey (Blue October), and mixed by Grammy award-winning producer/engineer Toby Wright (Metallica, Alice In Chains, Korn).
We’ve Only Just Begun tells the story of an endless quest for redemption in a turbulent sea of uncertain times. Realizing there’s no beginning and no end in sight, one finds them self at a proverbial crossroads in life. When I left the band, my beautiful dreams turned to recurring nightmares of an unrealized path that kept me running endlessly. The video and song perfectly reflect this journey and finally I’m able to be back home with the band that sets me alight. – Joe Grah (lead vocalist)
About Jibe:
Line Up
Joe Grah – Vocals
Toby Bittenbender – Guitar
Ben Jeffries – Drums
Corey Tatro – Bass
Jibe began in late 1993 after friends Joe Grah and Toby Bittenbender met bassist Sean Robinson while working at Guitar Center in Dallas, Texas. Drummer Ben Jeffries joined the other members upon moving to Dallas in February 1994. Jibe played their first show at a club called The Basement in Dallas in April 1994. The group soon became known for their energetic and intense live shows and relentless touring schedule, playing well over a thousand concerts in their first five years. Jibe released their first album, a live concert recorded at Trees in Dallas, in 1994. The self-titled LP Jibe followed in 1996.
The band received their first taste of success in 2000 with their single “I’ll Meet You Halfway” from their second studio album In My Head, which reached the #1 spot on college radio stations in Texas and Louisiana. Although compared by the press to classic rock acts such as James Gang and Led Zeppelin, the band cited contemporaries such as U2, Pearl Jam, and Jane’s Addiction as the primary influences on their developing sound.
In 2003 Jibe released their third album, Uprising. The single “Yesterday’s Gone” received significant national airplay and spent nine weeks in the top 30 on the national rock chart, peaking at #26. The song soared to #1 at radio stations in Dallas, Austin, and Shreveport, and reached the top 10 at dozens of stations across Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana and made the top 20 in several other markets nationwide. “Yesterday’s Gone” charted at #71 on Radio & Records year-end list of the top 100 rock tracks of 2003[4] and was chosen by the Dallas Cowboys as the music bed for their 2003 season. Uprising was also a critical success, earning awards for alternative album of the year, male vocalist of the year, producer of the year, and song of the year at the 2003 KEGL local show awards. [6]
Jibe quickly found themselves in high demand as an opening act for popular nationally touring post-grunge rock acts of the day such as Creed, Staind, Sevendust, Shinedown, Seether, Saliva, Ours, Oleander, Lit, and Our Lady Peace. Jibe toured with Nickelback, Jerry Cantrell, Josh Todd, Kings of Leon, and Marilyn Manson and established themselves as one of the premier rock bands in the Dallas scene.
After playing over 2,500 concerts, Jibe suddenly broke up in June 2004, much to the dismay of their fans. According to the Dallas Observer, the band seemed to be “perpetually perched on fame’s doorstep” and after the success of their most recent album, by all accounts were “on their way up”. According to Jibe frontman Joe Grah, one night he simply got in his car and drove to Los Angeles and didn’t tell anyone for three days. During his time in Jibe, Grah had become addicted to drugs and alcohol and believes that if he hadn’t left Dallas and broken up the band, he probably would have died.
Jibe’s reputation in the Dallas scene has become legendary. The legacy of the band is inextricably tied to the pinnacle of the Deep Ellum music scene of the 1990s. Along with other prominent Dallas bands such as Tripping Daisy, The Toadies, Drowning Pool, and Reverend Horton Heat, Jibe are revered as standard-bearers of a bygone era when rock fans packed the clubs of Deep Ellum.
Jibe played their first concert in eleven years on September 25, 2015 at Gas Monkey Live in Dallas. The show was free, but required tickets which could be reserved at Dallas rock radio station KDGE’s website. The tickets sold out in less than ten hours, and the concert was moved to a larger venue, where tickets again sold out. As of early 2016 the band has written an album’s worth of new songs which they are recording at Orb Studios in Austin with producer Matt Noveskey. They are also working on a documentary film about the band’s history and reunion.
An album review on the new Doyle (of The Misfits fame) metal album As We Die.
Text Review:
While many long for the full time reunion of The Misfits after their two surprise performances last year, everyone’s favorite punk monsters are going strong in different directions. Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein is one of those monsters who has been pushing for more music in both The Misfits AND at the same time working on his on solo project, and in that comes Doyle II: As We Die. Teaming up with Alex Story, vocalist of Cancerslug, Doyle’s follow up to the 2013 “Abominator” is 13 tracks of horror that The Misfit’s shredder is known for helping create for several decades. I feel like many people keep looking for new material from Glen Danzig and while he is still continuing to make albums, Doyle is a guitarist who should get more attention from rock and metal fans.
As for the second album under Doyle’s self-named band, the vegan monster intends to pull out all the stops while including guest performances from Randy Blythe of Lamb of God and members of Arch Enemy. Different sides of metal are contributing in this soundtrack to a horror themed stage play coming on David Ellefson’s label EMP. One of the big factors to remember on Doyle’s new album is that this isn’t a focus on the punk style that many Misfit fans will be looking for. Doyle’s band belongs in the metal world with heavy solos and bridges along with brutal rhythms and Alex Story growling his voice out. The heavier sound is what will be coming out through just about every track on As We Die.
To give an idea of how much detail was spent on some of the music in this album, the lead single “Run For Your Life” had the guitar sections written back in 2013 when the debut Abominator came out. After that the song spent over 14 months in mixing just to make everything sound perfect. That is an insane amount of attention to one song. When you listen to the first 45 seconds of “Run For Your Life” you get the impression that this song was meant for a concert opener and possibly even the album opening originally. Listen to the drum beat from Black Flag’s Brandon Pertzborn and you get that energetic kickstart. The rhythm and the heavy riffs from Doyle continue through the song that leads to a great, albeit short, solo. The unfortunate detractor from “Run For Your Life” as well as a few other songs on the album is the vocal layer. It has the effect that it’s being layered along with every other instrument and as a result doesn’t come out in front but rather sounds like it’s being sang from the back of the room. On the flip side of that issue however is that all the instruments come out louder and they have glorious moments.
As you might expect from a group named after an amazing guitarist, it’s the music that is the focus and not necessarily the vocals and lyrics. Songs like “Kiss Me As We Die”, “God Of Flies”, and “Show No Mercy”, not only feature moments of great rhythm sections but you can hear Doyle become unhinged with his Annihilator guitar.
“Kiss Me As We Die” featuring Alissa White-Gluz is my favorite track on As We Die. It is a complete song with a buildup and features everything that Doyle and his band have to offer in four and a half minutes. This track along with “Virgin Sacrifice” featuring Randy Blythe are the standouts in giving something memorable. My biggest issue with As We Die again though is is the vocal deliver. It’s definitely not bad but over half of the album is spent with what sounds like uneven layers and it just sounds watered down underneath everything else in the music that is firing on all cylinders. I want to like this album more than I do, and I feel this is what holds everything back.
Despite my comments on the vocal volume, the biggest attraction from Doyle is the man himself and his guitar licks. And in 13 tracks you will get more than your fill if you are a guitar lover looking for amazing riffs and bridges. Credit also comes to the rhythm section and special guests, but it makes sense that the guitar is the standout in a guitarists album. Overall, As We Die is a fun listen from Doyle that captures a great energetic feeling with a blast of horror and a hint of style from The Misfits. While it may not be for every metal fan or even the diehard fans of The Misfits, there are still many songs worth hearing; especially with someone on an Annihilator guitar cutting loose in almost every track.
