Album Review: Dream Theater – The Astonishing
Dream Theater tell a tale of the rebellion to save music through a 34 track rock opera.
https://vimeo.com/153379207
Regretting The Past: Good Charlotte – The Young And The Hopeless
Bad Charlotte! That’s a bad, bad Charlotte!
https://vimeo.com/152937380
Photos: GALLOWS BOUND in Jacksonville, FL
It’s hard to describe a band when you hear their description as Appalachian Punk, but once you see Gallows Bound live and listen to their music you instantly understand the label. Now on their first national tour supporting their sophomore self-titled album, these six Virginians are attempting win over crowds one plucked string at a time.
Gallows Bound is currently on tour and you can see their music video for “Sink In The Soil” below. Also below are some live shots of their performance in Jacksonville, FL.
Album Review: Panic! At The Disco – Death Of A Bachelor
Brendon Urie returns with catchy new lyrics and charismatic flair in Death Of A Bachelor.
https://vimeo.com/151723791
Text Review:
Whether you are a fan of pop rock and all its fancy presentation and romantic hooks, you cannot deny the musical talent of Brendon Urie and company. And while Urie now stands as the only remaining member of the band, the panic still continues nationwide with consistent touring that leaves behind a trail of screaming women.
One of the biggest contributing factors to the success of Panic! At The Disco over the years is that the music has been willing to adapt over the years. Every album since their most well known album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, has involved taking steps to further the sound and introduce something creative and new while still holding true to what made the name famous.
The unique lyrics in both story and dialogue format from an amazing vocalist behind extremely catchy rhythms has cemented the band in many listeners long term memories along with a name as memorable as Panic! At The Disco. So almost three years after their most previous release we are given more tragedies and memorable songs with Death Of A Bachelor.
And while many songs from the new album were released well before the album’s debut, Brendon Urie is still in a constant state of eagerness to deliver new material. In an interview Urie stated: “I’m just excited to show people this album because it’s so different. I don’t know how to describe it. Someone asked me which of our previous albums is it most like, and I said the first album…We’d never done anything remotely close to that before, and that’s how I feel now. That’s how it felt when I was writing this record.” –Brendon Urie
With the eagerness from Urie and all the songs already presented from Death Of A Bachelor, there seems to be more than enough hype for Panic!’s fifth full album.
Hallelujah was the first look at Death Of A Bachelor and once again showcases both the singing talents and writing of Brendon Urie. And while both of those characteristics are impressive, their first single does lack that certain punch. It feels much more generic with what sounds like stock music playing and a chorus that surrounds a single word, destined to be a live event sing-a-long.
It is a matter of taste and this song has already proven to be a hit on radio play, but when hearing about the overwhelming excitement to show new music, this song somewhat left me uninspired. It wasn’t until months later when more songs started coming out that I realized there was much more to get behind in Death Of A Bachelor.
Even if the band is now virtually a one man band with backing musicians, it’s the lyrics and vocals that are the starring attraction of this album. In many ways the lead instrument is the singing voice of Urie with symbols and guitar riffs providing accompaniment. The fortunate side of that trait is that many songs beyond Hallelujah deliver on that talent successfully.
Songs like Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time and LA Devotee stand out more as having a rhythm to work with the vocals. These are the songs that carry this album and make Death Of A Bachelor stand out. There are more creative elements in these songs along with horn heavy tracks like Crazy = Genius and The Good, The Bad and The Dirty. It’s these tracks that aren’t so much the advertised singles to promote a voice, but rather the unique backbone that makes the album stand strong.
While not every moment of this album is solid gold, there are definitely gems on this album that are not only worthy of a best of album, but also songs that will stand the test of time as what Panic! At The Disco is all about.
It’s now been 10 years that Panic! At the Disco has been in the spotlight. And as oddly confusing of a band name it may be, no one can deny the worldwide fan base and support that the music has and continues to receive. This new album will receive that same support due to the talent involved and charisma coming from every second.
Overall, Death Of A Bachelor may not deviate too far from past music as many songs are instantly identifiable as Urie and company, but not only do the pros outweigh any cons on this album, but you will be singing along to many of these songs for a long time to come.
Album Review: Ignite – A War Against You
Orange County’s Hardcore-Punk heroes Ignite return after ten years with A War Against You.
https://vimeo.com/151019955
Text Review:
In southern California, the hardcore punk scene will never die. Bands like Ignite are proof that some sounds won’t go out of style due to time, trends or the overall change of a sub-genre. And now in the beginning of 2016 the band returns with their first album in ten years.
Picking up where you left off is never an easy task when some much time has passed, but when it comes to Ignite they were more than up for the job. In several In The Studio videos posted on YouTube the band talked about recording and making the new album – and with that saying how they originally looked back at their previous album on what to work from, and THEN figured out what they wanted changed.
There have been many examples from different bands in the past throughout various sub-genres where the same album was presented with a new name every few years but in reality it’s the exact same song being repeated. But with twenty years of experience and a desire to build off what you have created previously, it’s hard to not appreciate Ignite’s effort as musicians and respect for fans.
Within the writing of A War Against You is a myriad of topics including bullying, corporate oppression and mass media. Along with these subjects is a lack of subtlety as the determined message is screamed at you along with some extremely gritty rumbling and loud riffs. A War Against You in its most basic definition is not an album you can listen to softly and in the background.
To prove this point is one of the albums highlighted songs and the debuted SINGLE for the album’s release “This Is A War”. This song is the true representation of the SoCal Hardcore Punk scene and in many ways another banner anthem for Ignite.
The chorus of This Is A War and hearing the title screamed are the examples of proving what I meant about being music you cannot just listen to low in the background. Zoltan’s vocals flow from intense to melodic between the verses and chorus and the drum work is furious and drives this song at a loud pace.
At the two minute mark though there is a bridge that takes the tempo down and instead of carrying the track forward it feels like it delays it. It makes this three and a half minute song feel longer than it is. Whether that is good or not is up for debate, but it makes the song have a odd disjoint when instead of space to pick up the volume or shred a guitar, there is an audible break.
The good news however is that after This Is A War is when things really start to pick up on the album. The real meat and worth of A War Against You is built within the center. It’s half way through the album you will be playing and realize you want to hear some of these tracks a second time due to their gritty bass lines and triumphant delivery.
You Saved Me is one of the examples in A War Against You that makes you sing along while being fully focused on everything going on in the track. The guitar riffs and fret work is fantastic and there is a dramatic buildup leading to the final chorus that makes this song feel like an enormous spectacle and a future concert staple for fans to get crazy with.
While there is some melody and shades of various genres of yesteryear like grunge and even hair metal, a large majority of this album is drenched in the punk and hardcore scene born long ago in Orange County. Songs like You Saved Me and Where I’m From stand as testaments to Ignite’s roots in both life and musical influences.
The punk scene used to be about standing up to the man in a brash and loud way. Somewhere along the years it changed to not being a perfect teenager and complaining about school. With bands like Ignite, it is very rewarding to hear the fire in a performance and music to have more substance and meaning about the world we live in.
Overall, A War Against You sees the return of a two decade name in good fashion. Even if not every song is an absolute barn burner, the replay button will be hit several times on many of these tracks while you shout along with the melody and madness that Ignite delivers.
Album Review: The Birthday Massacre – Superstition
A look back at The Birthday Massacre’s 2014 album Superstition.
https://vimeo.com/150618899
