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Photos: FROM ASHES TO NEW at ROCK ALLEGIANCE

Photos of From Ashes To New at Rock Allegiance. All photos were taken by Luke Spencer in Philadelphia, PA on 10-10-2015.

From Ashes To New opened the tent stage at PPL Park for Rock Allegiance and almost 2,000 people crammed under the tent to see their show.  Their single “Through It All” is out now and you can watch the lyric video below the pictures.  Click any picture below to view the gallery.

 

Photos: KORN at ROCK ALLEGIANCE 2015

Photos of Korn at Rock Allegiance.  All photos were taken by Luke Spencer in Philadelphia, PA on 10-10-2015.

Photos: ROB ZOMBIE at ROCK ALLEGIANCE 2015

Rob Zombie closed the main stages at Rock Allegiance.  To sum up the experience, the final song was Dragula.  When Dragula started there was a boat that went out on the river behind the stadium and shot fireworks during the start of the song.

So imagine huge stadium fireworks in a clear sky at night while looking at Rob Zombie spinning around in a blur, also while being surrounded by over 50,000 people.

Click on any photo below to open the gallery!

Album Review: Silversun Pickups – Swoon

A look back at Swoon: Silversun Pickup’s second full album from 2009.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWMiXffgT8M

https://vimeo.com/141357404

Album Review: Clutch – Psychic Warfare

After twenty years, ten albums and a lifetime worth of travel; Clutch show no signs of slowing down in Psychic Warfare.

https://vimeo.com/141236113

 

Text Review:

After ten albums and over twenty years it would be normal for a band to start winding down in their career and becoming more casual with what they produce.  It’s a natural order of events in life for any profession, but somehow the men in Clutch have not only stayed at full throttle for most of their career, they don’t show any signs of slowing down.

The eleventh full album Psychic Warfare is just another testament to the work ethic and devotion that Clutch have become associated with.  After so many years of working together though you have to question how a band doesn’t get burnt out or become undone in the process of touring, performing, and writing.  One would think that making an eleventh album must be a completely different experience than making a debut.

But in that creative experience in making music, nothing changed too drastically for Maryland’s Clutch.  When asked about writing, Jean-Paul Gaster said that: “”The creative process really hasn’t changed all that much. It’s really just the four of us getting together and banging out jams, so to speak.”

Some people may take that as a “business as usual” type stance for rockers who have perfected their craft, but I see that as a huge accomplishment for a band to work together for over twenty years and still know how to get together and create and write and construct what they know will be good for an album.

And in this new album Psychic Warfare is the same gritty, rough, bass filled, distorted hard rock and roll that they have drawn cult like fans from and in the process made a legacy out of music the old fashioned way.  And you can tell that just from the only song released before the album came out, X-Ray Visions.

Hearing the opening Affidavit and then the story of X-Ray Visions is a huge trip to go on when starting an album.  Being thrown into the supernatural and paranormal while listening to an amazing bassline and the growling of Neil Fallon sets the mood of a concert hall in the northeast with a thousand 20 to 30 year olds drunkly bumping into each other while trying to headbang.

This opening song X-Ray Visions is the style that Psychic Warfare does best.  When the guitar has a little more of a dynamic and Fallon is a little more loud then you’ll notice a definite raise in attention to the music.  The raw groove in the heavier songs are what carry this album.

That’s not to say the more simply toned songs that don’t range as much don’t have any value, but when tracks like X-Ray Visions and Noble savage and Firebirds kick in are the times you will find yourself moving uncontrollably one way or another to the rhythm.

The chorus of Noble Savage makes you come alive.  Hearing the energy and passion in this song from everyone in Clutch is instantly visible in your mind when hearing this track.  When Tim Sult picks up the shred at the word “Go”, it becomes overwhelming and being unapologetic for rock and roll turns from a line in the chorus to a life statement.

Even if there are some tracks that don’t lay in the mood or the dive bar groove as strongly as intended like Our Lady of Electric Light or Your Love Is Incarceration, it can’t be stressed enough that when the intensity is raised with Fallon’s vocals is when Psychic Warfare shines.

While Psychic Warfare may not be the greatest spectacle of an album in Clutch’s 20+ years, it still stands well in their discography as something worth getting behind AND is a testament to the fact that these men are incapable of slowing down or showing any signs of age.

Overall, the fury and energy in Psychic Warfare is the reason why many Clutch fans and new comers will love this album.  Even if not every song is something you instantly hit replay on, the grit and groove in many of these tracks make this album worth listening to.

Album Review: Tool – Lateralus

A look back at Lateralus: Tool’s third full album from 2001.

https://vimeo.com/140787641

Album Review: Silversun Pickups – Better Nature

Three years after Neck of the Woods, Silversun Pickups bring in the deep and rhythmic new album Better Nature.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8fZWTZip9U

https://vimeo.com/140140758

 

Text Review:

The term alternative gets thrown around a lot but rarely are people able to define just what genre of music it is.  It used to be that the styles of Nirvana and Soundgarden were once alternative but when THAT became the biggest thing in the world, it wasn’t an alternative to anything.

In my opinion, I label alternative as a band with the basic rock instruments and elements but isn’t the rock formula.  When digital effects, soft vocals or an accordion get thrown in, it’s definitely an alternative to vocals, drums, guitar and bass.

BUT, then you have a band like Silversun Pickups.  Masterful musicians with those instruments with an added keyboard, but what makes them alternative is some of the softest whispery vocals of any band in the last 15 years.  After two top 10 charting albums and consistent radio play even now from albums over five years old, in comes more stylish rhythms and high-range singing on the band’s fourth album Better Nature.

While your mileage may vary depending on which songs you prefer (if you prefer the bands style at all), but some things are guaranteed in almost every album produced by Silversun Pickups.  Amazing basslines by Nikki Monninger, atmospheric buildups in tracks that add depth, and a distinctive feeling that each song is its own unique entity.

So in 2015’s Better Nature, it is safe to anticipate some definites, but there have been problems in the past with skipable songs such as with their 2012 release Neck of the Woods.  It is easy to keep hopeful however with the album’s first single Nightlight and its accompanying 7+ minute video.  The imagery and story involved are scripted perfectly to match the fantastic deep, rhythmic new song from Silversun Pickups.

After the first minute of listening to Nightlight you realize it’s a song that you may never be able to forget.  The haunting guitar riffs and the bass brought to the front makes the perfect opposition to the higher pitched vocals of Brian Aubert.

Lyrically this song is another example of just how well this band’s music is written and it’s a shame because when many people think of Silversun Pickups, the writing is NOT what comes to mind.  The opening verse of Nightlight proves that this band not only know how to craft something more thought provoking then basic words to get to a chorus, but it makes it that much more powerful when sang along to.

Of the two released singles to tease the upcoming album, Silversun Pickups made incredibly smart choices.  Both Nightlight and Circadium Rhythm demonstrate the band’s talents at their best.  These songs are slower but become loud, and create an environment where you can let your imagination run loose and match it to music like this.

Hearing Monninger’s vocals at the front for this track with Aubert singing backup add a refreshing change in style without sacrificing any identity of the group.  The slid up guitar chords are gorgeous that create a great effect as a vocal break up and  the chorus is another instance of something you may never get out of your head.

When listening to the full album stream on Pandora you do notice there are songs that don’t flow together.  The opening tracks Cradle and Connection start at a higher pace while the album becomes slow and deep near the center, and THEN fall in between the two near the end.  While I feel the opening of the album is not as strong as the rest, that doesn’t mean they are in bad, and it also doesn’t mean some of the songs with a little more speed don’t have the same talent.

Silversun Pickups spaced out three years between album releases and you can tell in the quality of mixing and production that they paid attention to the details.  There is a very reminiscent quality of Better Nature that Neck Of The Woods possessed.  While not every song felt spectacular, the songs that stand out make the ENTIRE album.

Overall, Better Nature will not only satisfy the Silversun Pickups fans back from the days of Carnavas and Swoon, but the new fans that are jumping in to own the atmospheric tracks will love owning an album like this.

Album Review: Atreyu – Long Live

Atreyu returns by going back to its roots with Long Live almost six years after disbanding.

https://vimeo.com/139589309

 

Text Review:

Taking time off is essential for everyone. The amount of time will always vary from person to person and especially when considering a group of people working together all with separate families, but when you look back in the history of rock and metal you can find many bands that when time is taken off (for whatever reason), they can come back refreshed and with a force.

Enter Atreyu, the metalcore heroes from the mid and late 2000’s who are bringing their first album in almost six years. And on top of that is the promise of Atreyu going back to its roots. Along with the ecstatic posts from the band online in being back and promoting the album, Atreyu’s front man Alex Varkatzas said that:

“Absolutely no melodic vocals on my end. AMEN! Happy to get back to my roots and still bring in some new tricks. My brothers and I have made our best record yet. Can’t wait to share it with you all.”

There have been MANY promises this year of bands saying that their 2015 releases would be their best records yet, but there is still an appeal to that attitude when you haven’t heard from a name like Atreyu in years and then find out they are arriving with everything they can bring to the table.

So with the promise of a return to form from the band’s heyday and new material in Long Live, Atreyu debuted the title track of their new album with the accompanied music video. After almost six years, this was our first listen of the returned Orange County screamers.

The title track feels like it was ripped straight out of the mid-2000’s. The drums and guitar steal the show here with consistent flow, a fantastic bridge and chorus. As promised, Alex V sticks with what he does best and shouts with full impact, though there may be a hint of melody peppered in the track.

Living up to high expectations after years of silence is a difficult task. Somehow, the time off has proven well for Atreyu in that they were able to rekindle the fire that helped put them on the map. Songs like Long Live are the tracks that when heard on radio play and online are the ones that can cause an instant flashback of past fans and cause them to seek out what has been happening in 2015.

When listening through Long Live the album you get the impression that the band were careful and deliberate on what they wanted on here. Rather, they were particular in only showing their strengths and not filling up an album with material they weren’t 100% behind. An example of this are the beat driven tracks like Do You Know Who You Are & Heartbeats and Flatlines THAT BOTH fit well along with the slower songs and interlude.

I love the deep rhythm and beat in this song. The drum work and backup vocals carry this song and give this visceral feeling when you hear it. The single drawn out guitar riffs along with the bellowed chorus make everything come alive with rest of the track when you get the lyrics. It’s difficult not to sing along once you hear it and then hit replay with more volume. There is a fire in this track and it matches the rest of Long Live’s intensity.

This album is something that bands who have been out of the limelight can only dream of having. Music that reflects what made their style unique and unforgettable but at the same time is completely new and continues to deliver what people have wanted for years. What lines are repeated are memorable and even when what you think might sound cliché comes in, it still stands out as vibrant and invigorating.

In 2015 we have heard many bands come and say that their latest album is their best, and then it turn out to make the listener feel burned. Regardless of whether this is Atreyu’s best work or not, they proved that even after a 5 year hiatus they can return with a fire and deliver on the promise of making something great while holding true to their sound.

Overall, Long Live will satisfy the fans of mid 2000’s Atreyu and also bring in a new wave of listeners. All cylinders are firing together on this album that make Long Live worth searching after and playing at the loudest volume possible.

Album Review: Skillet – Rise

A look back at the winner of Loudwire’s Best Rock Album of 2013: Rise by Skillet.

https://vimeo.com/139101422

Album Review: Bring Me The Horizon – That’s The Spirit

That’s The Spirit marks the turning point for Bring Me The Horizon with the band’s shift to traditional rock.

https://vimeo.com/138834005

 

Text Review:

“It’s about getting better.”  That was the original statement regarding the new direction of Bring Me The Horizon.  After years of selling out venues and co-headlining festivals, there has been a gradual change in style from Sheffield’s once Deathcore band.  After years of non-stop screaming to incorporating singing with screaming, That’s The Spirit looks to take a new direction.

Through expectations, this album will have fans completely split.  One side of Bring Me The Horizon’s wall of death will be screaming for their days before Sempiternal, and the other will be praising the new style and path made by the band to pursue a more melodic and traditional singing performance.

That’s The Spirit, an album as a celebration of Depression, or at least making light of it according to frontman Oli Sykes, offers a challenge for the band in attempt to grow and become something more.  In a direct quote from Sykes, he stated that: “This time round, the challenge wasn’t just for people to be impressed that a screamer’s learned to sing. We had to come back with something that would be impressive for people who had no idea of the history of the band.”

There are many factors to take with the new style of Bring Me The Horizon  going forward: live performances, what will come after That’s The Spirit, the change in a new fan base that could possibly alienate the original fans of Count Your Blessings, and so on.  Regardless of opinions and expectations, we now have That’s The Spirit.  An album with a new direction that was highlighted instantly earlier this summer with the first single Drown.

Anyone who has ever heard Bring Me The Horizon before 2014 can instantly tell the difference between Drown and any other song they have recorded.  The volume is lowered, the tempo is slow throughout the verses and Oli Sykes is singing.  Not screaming for 99% of the song but actually singing.

For the song Drown, his quieter singing when cruising through the verse has a charm behind it.  You can hear him emote and raise or lower the notes well.  When trying to sing the chorus though it sounds like he’s straining himself to keep up.  The beginning and end of the song stand as energetic bookends to the track, but I feel like there could have been a better choice to promote a new album and style.

After additional singles started being released like Throne and Avalanche, I was convinced that there were songs that could sell this album and make people want to see where Bring Me The Horizon was heading.

Throne is the song that grabs your attention.  If this song would have been the lead off single from That’s The Spirit then it may have helped sway more BMTH fans into the new direction as to the overly radio friendly Drown.  Sykes singing is cleaner with better written lyrics and the percussion and rhythm are fantastic.  It makes you excited to hear what the band is capable of.

There are many good examples of the new softer sound of Bring Me The Horizon that work well on That’s The Spirit, but it’s the songs where the energy and volume are turned up that stand out.  You can audibly tell that there is a fire in their performances and that this is the turning point.  Through trial and error, they are putting forth what they think is better than what they’ve done before.

Bring Me The Horizon had to have known that their new methods would divide a long time fan base.  Regardless of whether you prefer the glory days or love the new melodic rock style, the truth is that the band is finding a way to make it work.  The new direction may not resemble their work from the late 2000’s, but it’s a step in a new direction that isn’t difficult to listen to.

Overall, That’s The Spirit is well written lyrically and while it does have forgettable moments, it also contains parts than shine.  Not everyone will love everything, but if you have trusted Bring Me The Horizon this far, then this album may surprise you in a good way.