Album Review: Waterparks – Double Dare

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November 3, 2016

After making new believers at Warped Tour, Waterparks hope to make even more in Double Dare.

https://vimeo.com/190116013

Text Review:

With the resurgence of pop-punk bands making a return this year including Sum 41, Blink-182 and others, it should be noted that there are still up and coming bands trying to make their name. Whether that’s through a relentless Warped Tour schedule or spending weeks in studio sessions mixing levels and effects on an album, there are a lot of new pop-punk bands coming up and going strong. And one of the many bands who are trying to make their name is Waterparks, now releasing their full studio album debut Double Dare. This is a band who performed on every date for 2016’s Warped Tour and were also managed by Good Charlotte’s Madden Brothers. Needless to say that the band has more than enough work and name value behind them to make 2016 the best year of the band member’s lives so far.

When you hear the phrase pop-punk band you expect an upbeat sound and rhythm in a short, quick song. In this case of Waterparks’ intentions, they are trying to push the boundaries of what people should expect in Double Dare. Lead singer and guitarist Awsten Knight said about the band and their new album: “It’s just more. Everything about it is expanded and bigger. We wanted to push the boundaries to show people that you can be more than one thing. It isn’t just a “pop-punk” band and I think when people hear the rest of the album, it’ll be pretty apparent.” Awsten would later go on to say that Double Dare would include elements of punk, electronic, indie, pop, jazz, and more. What will get people’s attention however are the featured songs that have already been released from Double Dare that definitely have the pop-punk vibe. The album opener “Hawaii (Stay Awake)” might as well be a pop-punk anthem pulled directly from the early 2000’s. It literally is what you would expect from a band on Warped Tour.

“Hawaii (Stay Awake)” is an upbeat double guitar track that moves quickly and is a flashback to Warped Tour this year. The build to the chorus is infectious and the writing feels like the band wanted to do something more than generic “wake up” lyrics. Even though the band is from Texas this song definitely feels like a California or beach track. Waterparks are definitely a pop-punk band at heart and you can tell in a song like this, but Awsten Knight didn’t lie when he said they pushed boundaries to prove they were more than one thing. There are several songs that sound like a completely different style in what you would hear from a band like this. “Made In America” is more energetic and resembles a rock anthem, “Little Violence” has much more of a punk rock vibe, and “Take Her To The Moon” is full electric pop. Double Dare has a collection of styles in it and while the track to track transition doesn’t always flow smoothly because of that trait, the songs individually are fun to listen to and for the most part put you in a good mood. Even some of the songs that are a bit more personal and deep still leave you feeling energized like “Little Violence” and “It Follows”.

There is a great rhythm and strong riffs in Little Violence that prove Waterparks can get a little stronger in the front end than most pop-punk outfits. Knight has a solid performance when trying to get a bid louder and even with the electric links that lead off the verses it still feels like a good punk-rock song. Along with that style, there are slow acoustic ballads such as “21 Questions” and the previously mentioned electric dance style of “Take Her To The Moon”. Double Dare has a lot of variation. I’m not going to say that every song on the album hits its mark. There are tracks like “Dizzy” that sound awkward and too engineered for its own good and “Royal” which feels like it’s two steps too slow to really enjoy, along with a chorus of na na nas that break up what is mostly a well written album. But even with a few misfires, there are many tracks on Double Dare that are too fun to ignore.

There are many people (me included at times) who hears the phrase pop-punk and are reminded of the days where bands like Simple Plan and Good Charlotte were the best of that sub-genre and it didn’t speak well to the other bands who were MUCH better. The truth though is that there are many good pop-punk bands out there that are worth your attention. Overall, Waterparks deliver a solid debut LP that live up to their claim of being more than just one thing. Some songs will definitely be played more than others, but there is a lot of talent in this group and Double Dare is proof. And after winning over many people at this years Warped Tour, Waterparks might win even more fans because of this album.

Riffage: The Darkness – I Believe In A Thing Called Love

By

Luke Spencer

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October 30, 2016

The Dom & I take a look at what love is. It apparently includes crabs, hentai, and hairy armpits.

https://vimeo.com/189513022

Check out The Dom’s channel by clicking here = https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPtiXdv7RoU8IkrJeNY73qw

Highly Suspect Debut New Single “Little One” from upcoming album The Boy Who Died Wolf (coming 11/18/16)

By

Luke Spencer

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October 28, 2016

2x Grammy nominated act, Highly Suspect debut new single, “Little One”

+ from sophomore album; The Boy Who Died Wolf

due November 18, 2016 via 300 Entertainment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7_iSuGcUUQ

Two time Grammy-nominated, festival-storming trio Highly Suspect, are returning with second album The Boy Who Died Wolf on November 18th. The moving, jubilant LP from the Brooklyn alt-renegades follows two Top 10 Mainstream Rock hits (“Lydia,” “Bloodfeather”) and two Grammy nominations (Best Rock Song, Best Rock Album) just one year from the release of their 300 Entertainment debut, 2015’s Mister Asylum. For the follow-up, the band — Johnny Stevens (guitar/vocals), and fraternal twin brother rhythm section Rich (bass/vocals) and Ryan Meyer (drums/vocals) — are reappearing stronger, livelier and more mature.

“The title The Boy Who Died Wolf, its like, we were so young and now we’re adults,” says Stevens. “I went through a lot of issues that I had to sort out and sometimes I cant believe that I’m alive. And now here I am traveling the world with my best friends, making music, and living the exact dream that we had set out to accomplish a long time ago … We’re learning a different lifestyle. And it’s good, it’s positive. But it’s also hard to let go of everything that happened in the past.”

That new lifestyle comes in the wake of success that’s snowballed since 2014, featuring Grammy nods; radio smashes; stops at major festivals (Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Reading and Leeds and so on); tours alongside Scott Weiland, Chevelle and Catfish & the Bottlemen to name a few; tours around the world including Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the UK as well as multiple headlining tours in the United States one of which is currently underway. The feeling of celebration infuses The Boy Who Died Wolf, while still heading into haunted regions of Steven’s past, yowling somewhere between the metronomic robot metal of Queens of the Stone Age, the bluesy wallop of Jack White and the feedback-shrieking noise-pop of In Utero-era Nirvana.

To record the LP, the band traveled far from their New York comfort zone to Bogotá, Colombia, recording with Mister Asylum producer Joel Hamilton (The Black Keys and Wu-tang, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello,).

“Normally we would record in New York or L.A., and when we’re in those places we just have too many distractions, too many friends,” says Stevens. “When you’re trying to make art.. pure art, it’s good to be secluded. So we were literally in a fortress, 20-foot walls all around this compound in the middle of Bogota.”

“The energy around you, the culture that you’re taking in, will affect the songs,” he continues. “We were really enjoying ourselves. So I think there’s a little more step to this album. There’s happier tones. There’s some dark stuff too but there are simply more uplifting moments on this album. I think we finally realized we are supposed to be here making music. That people like what we do. We had more trust in ourselves and each other and just let the music come out.

The upbeat vibe begins to show its face lyrically in the lead single “My Name Is Human” (“I’m feeling the way that I’m feeling myself”), and then appears full force on the blazing desert-rock dynamite of “Postres” (“I’m havin’ fun for the rest of my days”), but takes a back seat in their dreamy cover of Real Life’s 1983 new wave swooner “Send Me an Angel” and on the anthemic “Little One” which reminds us all of the hopeless, lovelorn pangs that most have undoubtedly felt in the pit of their guts somewhere along the lines. But even the more serious songs are steeped in an unrelenting optimism. A great friend of theirs took his own life while the band were in Colombia, to which they responded with “For Billy,” a beaming post-grunge burst.

“The song is not a downer, it’s sad, but it’s a charged up anthem,” explains Stevens. “It’s what he would have wanted. It was a really sad moment but he was such a happy person. So that song is something he can blare through his Harley speakers wherever he is now .”

Johnny describes Billy as an “original crewmember” of MCID, the collective shouted out on Highly Suspect’s jackets, hats, lyrics and tattoos. “That’s our ethos,” says Johnny of the acronym that stands for “My Crew Is Dope.” “We’re trying to invite any and all positive people to what was once exclusively for us. We’ve realized its bigger than us; as long as you’re not a racist, not a homophobe and you have good intentions then we welcome you to join the family and spread the love.” In turn, Wolf’s “Viper Strike” namechecks MCID in a venomous, knives-out attack on bigots: “We’re all equal except for you/’Cause you’re an asshole with an ugly point of view”

“It’s a family of positivity that we’re really trying to build,” says Johnny. “Our whole purpose is not just about being some famous fuckin’ band, but kind of making a movement. Making a difference for our generation who are so constantly misled. We barely made it out of the wrong mentality. We want to help. We’re no fuckin hippies, those days are gone. The irony is that now you have to “fight” for positivity. Which is crazy but so be it. We’re strapped and ready to defend free thinking. When you come to our shows, it’s kind of like this family affair.”

Catch the band on the road this Fall:
10/28 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
10/29 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
11/3 Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar
11/4 Asbury Park, NJ @ House of Independents
11/5 Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Sound Stage
11/9 Holyoke, MA @ Gateway City

11/10 Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
11/11 Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall
11/12 Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
11/16 Cincinnati, OH @ 20th Century – w/ Slothrust
11/17 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Stache – w/ Slothrust
11/18 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge – w/ Slothrust
11/19 Flint, MI @ Machine Stop – w/ Slothrust

Album Review: Testament – Brotherhood Of The Snake

By

Luke Spencer

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October 27, 2016

Testament return with a rhythm and progression in its thrash on the new album Brotherhood Of The Snake.

https://vimeo.com/189179050

Text Review:

You cannot say thrash is dead in 2016 with many of the biggest names in the sub-genre of metal releasing albums this year including the legends like Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Testament. Since their formation in 1983, Testament has been a name held in high regard along the likes of the Big Four and now we have their eleventh studio album Brotherhood Of The Snake. And 29 years after their debut album The Legacy, Testament plan to get loud and fast as the Brotherhood Of The Snake will be a return to the 80’s style thrash album. Testament is a band who have written albums with success that progress in styles going from fast to heavy and then to deep, so to hear Chuck Billy and company are going full board, it’s hard not to get excited to hear what comes.

That’s not to say that there isn’t a progression at all in the album. In fact, there is a rhythm and transition even with all the volume. As explained by Chuck Billy: “If a Testament fan knows our history or has followed our last couple of records, they’ll hear the progression. Everything is right there and in-your-face. That’s the way it should be with us.” As for the writing on Brotherhood Of The Snake, we have more than enough to dive into than just random anger. Some of the album is inspired by the old Ancient Aliens TV show where aliens visited Earth thousands of years ago and were the ones who helped shaped culture and progression on our planet. So, take thrash, add ideas like aliens and creation, and you have Brotherhood Of The Snake.

Chuck Billy’s statement about there being a rhythm even with all the volume was backed up and you can hear it just from the opening few tracks. Right out of the gate in the first nine minutes you are given just about everything you could want from Testament. Just listening to the title track will give you more than enough material to understand what you are will be mostly getting when listening to this album.

This title track is killer. You can easily tell this will be a concert staple for Testament for the foreseeable future. The drumwork from Gene Hoglan is absolutely crushing and the riffs from Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson come in clear and don’t clash. The rhythm section is strong in the bass and Chuck Billy carries this song to a high note. This is a concert anthem that will incite riots at festivals next year.

There have been many breaks and changes in Testament over the years for a myriad of reasons. After hearing a song like this from the band though you get the impression that the members, especially those who have been in Testament since inception, haven’t lost a step in their signature and style. They can still be as ferocious as they were 30 years ago. This album definitely has a consistent speed throughout most of the tracks and the title track is the pace. Even in an occasional song like “Born In A Rut” where the tone gets more low and heavy, the speed is picked back up in “Centuries Of Suffering” and “Neptune’s Spear”. The consistent fast pace and loud intensity is the standard on the album, which many people were expecting and hoping for.

The flow through over five minutes of “Neptune’s Spear” gets into your pulse and this is the type of song where everyone in the band shines. After three minutes when you think the bridge and solo are going to lead to a close, the track retracts back to the style from the beginning. It creates this alerting sensation when listening that pulls you deeper into the song. Even if not every song hit’s it’s mark like Seven Seals or Canna Business which is reminiscent of an angry garage session, the album still has many highlights that last and give a lot of replay value. The previously mentioned rhythm is present is almost the entire album and even for the few tracks that are skippable, there are others that you will be listening to for a while.

It shows a lot of tenacity when a band can keep running through many changes and a long hiatus over the course of decades and still be as powerful and well regarded as they were in their youth. A lot of thrash legends have given or are planning to give us something fun to listen to this year and now Testament have contributed to that. Overall, Brotherhood Of The Snake delivers what it sells in a heavy thrash album filled with rhythm and progression. It’s another solid entry from Testament who are still proving to a new generation what metal can be about, even if it includes alien conspiracy theories.

8/10

Riffage: Korn (featuring Corey Taylor) – A Different World

By

Luke Spencer

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October 23, 2016

The Dom & I look at A Different World and adjust to our future nightmares after seeing it.

Check out The Dom’s channel by clicking here!

https://vimeo.com/188538682

Album Review: Korn – The Serenity Of Suffering

By

Luke Spencer

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October 21, 2016

Korn return with the intention of being heavier than the band has been in years with The Serenity Of Suffering.

https://vimeo.com/188317535

Text Review:

In October 1994 Korn released their debut self-titled album and 22 years later the band is still intact and going strong. From Follow The Leader to finding God to finding Skrillex (of all people), Korn have had an amazing career in every way imaginable. Whether you are a fan of Nu-metal or not, you can’t deny that Korn has stood the test of time in that sub-genre and stand a head above many other nu-metal bands that have fallen by the wayside. And after co-headlining separate tours in 2016 with Rob Zombie and Breaking Benjamin, Korn now give their twelfth studio album The Serenity Of Suffering. Throughout Korn’s touring in 2016 Jonathan Davis has been promoting and selling his excitement for the new album and it really does come across as genuine. While Korn has had different variances throughout the past years dabbling in EDM and dubstep, it’s this new album that might make longtime fans happy. According to Brian Welch, “We want everybody to be smiling at the end of the process. So we do have other things to consider, but we’re gonna come out heavier than anyone’s heard Korn in a long time.”

After 11 previous albums many Korn and nu-metal fans are going to have a specific favorite time period and album of the band’s that they hold dear. But with the statement that Korn are going heavier than they’ve been in a long time, which for many older fans may not have heard in a while, can be something to get excited for who long for their reign in the 90’s and weren’t in love with the more recent venture in The Path Of Totality. In typical Korn fashion, the new music will not be about sunshine and rainbows and with song titles like “The Hating” and “Die Yet Another Night”, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. When you listen to the album you are quickly given two examples of Korn getting heavy and dark with the songs “Insane” and “Rotting In Vain”.

“Rotting In Vain” was released back in July of this year and according to Jonathan Davis is a song about being stuck in bad situations. The slapping bass from Fieldy comes in clear and while the verses feel slightly quieter as a buildup the chorus still feels strong and haunting. The heaviness doesn’t come in until a little over two minutes with the guitar riffs from Head and Munkey behind Davis’ scat singing. While this may not be the heaviest song Korn has done, it definitely feels heavier than what has been presented over the last few albums. “Rotting In Vain” is reminiscent of “Make Me Bad” in several ways with the rhythm and build into the chorus. Davis’ voice comes in clear through his singing and his bombastic embellished wordless shouts give that signature feel to what Korn is known for. The heaviness that Head was talking about comes in blasts throughout the album. It isn’t a consistent barrage but rather it goes in and out. While the opening two tracks are heavy, following tracks like “The Hating” and “Everything Falls Apart” have slower quieter moments that give a good opposition to the louder side. While they aren’t as heavy, they still feel like they belong in Korn’s ever growing discography.

It’s kind of like adding a tiny bit of salt when baking cookies. It makes the sugar taste sweeter by comparison. These slower moments in some of the tracks add to the mood and dark tone in the album while making the heavier moments stand out. As The Serenity Of Suffering goes on, you hear several examples of this. The ambient mood set by the guitars create a solid background that all leads to a breakdown where everyone loses it. It’s those bridges and breakdowns in the album that do come abruptly however. They tend to sound so much heavier and more overpowered than the rest of the track that it becomes disjointing to the song. Sometimes it works great, but other times they sound like two different parts laid on the same timeline. That being said, there are still more strong points in the album to make listeners happy, including the stand out track featuring Corey Taylor.

While The Serenity Of Suffering may not be the heaviest album in Korn’s 20+ year career, Head’s words about this album being heavier than anything they’ve done in a long time holds true. It may not stand along their greatest moments of their self-title, Life Is Peachy and Follow The Leader, but the album still has many tracks that hit hard and deep. Overall, The Serenity Of Suffering should satisfy just about any longtime Korn fan, especially if said fans have been wanting something louder than the band’s previous few entries. If you enjoyed A Different World and Rotting In Vain, you may find more songs you like in this album, whether or not you are able to scat sing along with Jonathan or not.

Album Review: Amaranthe – Maximalism

By

Luke Spencer

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October 20, 2016

Amaranthe bring a variety of styles in the band’s fourth album Maximalism.

https://vimeo.com/188165425

Text Review:

One singer is the standard. Two singers make it unique. Three singers make it unprecedented. However, since 2008 Amaranthe have found a way to make a three vocalist band not only work, but excel in the rock and metal scene. And now they are bringing their fourth full album Maximalism that aims to continue crossing multiple sub-genres. It was clear that after of all things, a Myspace Demo, got the attention of many record labels that Amaranthe had something special. Male and female vocals, death growls, guitar solos, keyboard effects, there are many elements involved in the bands format. Normally putting this many ingredients in the same soup can cause a mess, but Amaranth might be one of the rare exceptions to make it work.

Now comes Maximalism, Amaranthe’s fourth full album. And as you might expect from a band with such a unique lineup, the new album will have many different styles and surprises in this 12 track album. In an interview promoting Maximalism, guitarist Olof Morck said: “We are genuinely thrilled with the new material… fused with an even broader range of genres than before…there’s everything here including stadium rock, innovative pop and danceable super-hits. Expect these tunes to enter your mind on a permanent basis!” Hearing that there are so many styles involved on top of an already full roster can be a lot to take in. The band’s proclaimed “bleeding Edge” in modern metal has been promised to be kept intact, but with the added prospect of a broader genre range it appears we’ll get a vast intake of style. When listening to the first released song titled “That Song”, there actually appeared to be not much of an enormous difference from what has been done in the past, outside of maybe being a little slower paced.

“That Song” definitely feels very far from the bleeding edge metal style. The drum rhythm that comes in clear from the opening seconds keeps this track strong even with the very melodic singing from both Elize Ryd and Jake Lundberg. Even the chorus itself has a sing-a-long vibe that’s easy to get stuck in your head. As far as modern rock tracks go, “That Song” really nails it down to a formula that makes you want to hear it again. Unlike many other albums in today’s rock market, Maximalism does not rely on one style and then lock in the cruise control. In the first three songs on the album you get a strong kickstart with three different styles of song and a showcase of what every member of the band can contribute. When Olof said “there’s everything here”, he wasn’t kidding around or blowing smoke. It’s that front loaded blast on the beginning of Maximalism that will sell you on this album. “Maximize”, “Boomerang” and “That Song” are the strong tracks on the album and they brought to the very front for a reason. When you get to the chorus of a song like “Boomerang” after hearing all three vocalists contributing at their best, it’s hard not to be involved in what you are listening to.

Boomerang was the track that opened my eyes to Amaranthe and what they are capable of doing. It feels like everyone in the group is heard and this three-and-a-half-minute song goes by fast. The three singers all alternate at a perfect pace and the chorus highlights the experience. As far as rock tracks go it’s hard not to see this as a fun listen and even harder to not hit the replay button. As the album goes on there are many different variations from what Amaranthe may be known for. The synthensized keyboard and growling in “Break Down & Cry” sounds very different than the moving “Limitless” that features more of Elize Ryd. There are a few questionable moments like the Na Na Na chant in “On The Rocks” or the literal mic drop in “21”, but these moments are quickly forgotten when listening to the rest of Maximalism.

If you are going into Maximalism looking for a heavy metal album you will more than likely be disappointed. However, if you are going into this album looking for a lot of variety in tracks from several musicians who can deliver a lot of modern rock and impressive hooks, than Amaranthe have exactly what you are looking for. Overall, Maimalism is an album that will give you a decent amount of replay value regardless of which style from Amaranthe you prefer. How it stands up to the band’s past works is up for debate, but the band has more than proven they are capable of offering something different from the voices and instruments of six talented musicians.

8/10

Photos: MOTIONLESS IN WHITE on the Nocturnal Underground Tour in Jacksonville, FL 10/12/2016

By

Luke Spencer

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October 16, 2016

Photos of Motionless In White on the Nocturnal Underground Tour. All photos taken by Luke Spencer in Jacksonville, FL on October 12, 2016.

Click any photo below to open the gallery.

Photos: SILVER SNAKES on the Nocturnal Underground Tour in Jacksonville, FL 10/12/2016

By

Luke Spencer

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October 15, 2016

Photos of Silver Snakes on the Nocturnal Underground Tour. All photos taken by Luke Spencer in Jacksonville, FL on October 12, 2016.

Silver Snakes opened the Nocturnal Underground Tour while supporting their latest album Saboteur which was released earlier this year. Silver Snakes has also spent time opening for Coheed & Cambria earlier this year making it a busy 2016 for the Los Angeles based band. You can find more information on the band on Silver Snakes’ Official Facebook Page.

Click any photo below to open the gallery. Scroll below to see the band’s music video for “Red Wolf” and my review of their latest album Saboteur.