Album Review: Tool – Lateralus

By

Luke Spencer

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September 29, 2015

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

https://vimeo.com/140787641

Album Review: Silversun Pickups – Better Nature

By

Luke Spencer

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September 22, 2015

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

By

Luke Spencer

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September 17, 2015

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

By

Luke Spencer

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September 13, 2015

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

By

Luke Spencer

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September 10, 2015

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.

Regretting The Past: Puddle of Mudd – Come Clean

By

Luke Spencer

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September 8, 2015

What’s brown, sticky and smells? If you answered feces or this album then you are correct!

https://vimeo.com/138622731

Album Review: The Wonder Years – No Closer To Heaven

By

Luke Spencer

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September 2, 2015

Pennsylvania’s Pop-Punk performers present their fifth full album No Closer To Heaven and attempt to push themselves while staying true to their sound.

https://vimeo.com/138156200

Text Review:

Once you are defined as being Pop-Punk it can be hard not to be compared to the likes of Blink 182, Fall Out Boy or All Time Low. It’s not a bad thing to be compared to successful bands in a sub-genre, but Pop-Punk now has a predetermined mold that makes it hard for other bands to fit in if they vary their style, even if their style has been pop punk for a decade.

So when a band like The Wonder Years who tries to vary their style and branch out in different directions while staying true to their sound, it can be hard to define for many listeners if it’s the same band they’ve been listening to for years. But this comes natural for fans of Pennsylvania’s sixpiece.

No Closer To Heaven, the band’s fifth full album, plans to do just that. Expanding their sound in different ways while still resembling what they are known for. In an interview with Fuse TV, Dan Campbell said: “We want to walk a line where every record we’re doing we’re taking one nice step forward but we’re not taking a giant leap…We just tried to push out in every direction…It’s meant to expand the understanding of what our band is.”

In a media market where repeating the same successful thing for years on end still brings in money, it’s extremely rare and refreshing to hear musicians who continue to strive for more. So along with the ambition to create, The Wonder Years put everything in full drive for what Campbell described as: “their best work to date.”

Early this summer we were presented with the track lineup and the first single Cardinals with a unique video to introduce everyone to No Closer To Heaven. This would be the band’s first new work after the critically acclaimed The Greatest Generation.

Cardinals has a great elevation and slow build throughout the first minute. The use of two drums sets to make the percussion and rhythm loud and consistent is mastered perfectly here along with some great chord progression in the guitars. It feels like a complete song and sounds like it has depth.

Compared to other songs on No Closer To Heaven, Cardinals feels the most systematic and obvious of what they were going for. Through the rest of the track list there are many different emotions and styles in this album. There is a brooding and soft sense in one song, only to be ramped back up with some screaming and symbol bashing. There is variety.

It goes back to branching out pushing in every direction. It feels like natural progression to expand as opposed to throwing everything in one direction and hoping it lands in the right target. The Wonder years prove that when the roots of a tree grow in every direction it makes the tree that much stronger.

In the sense of Pop-Punk, this definitely has the feel of Pop-Punk grown up. Rather, it definitely feels like it fits the same genre but not in the same way as young tweens are going to be downloading it as their ringtone. The chorus and hearing the lyrics about running until your lungs give up make a huge exclamation in this song that make it feel like an anthem.

Whether it’s the deeper meaning tracks like Cigarettes and Saints or the smoother instrumental standouts like Stained Glass Ceilings and A Song For Patsy Cline, there is something to get from this album regardless of what mood you are in. The tracks may have different content and feels, but they definitely complete a whole picture.

There are some bands you grow out of, and there are some bands that you grow old listening to. Now, after a decade of music and five full albums, The Wonder Years proved they are the latter. Overall, No Closer To Heaven continues the example they have set for the genre. Even if there are a few moments where there is more going on than your ears and brain can handle at once, the music and lyrics from The Wonder Years will make everything worth it to many listeners.

Album Review: Five Finger Death Punch – Got Your Six

By

Luke Spencer

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August 31, 2015

While many hard rock fans thought that Five Finger Death Punch wouldn’t survive another year, out comes the band’s sixth full album Got Your Six.

https://vimeo.com/137912241

Text Review:

Among assault accusations, on stage meltdowns and the continued rumors of an eventual breakup, the hard rock machine that is Five Finger Death Punch continues to roll on in 2015 with the band’s sixth full album Got Your Six.

Despite the controversies and news that may sway an opinion, it is worth it to give a review of a new album from a band that has proven their success throughout the past decade. Unbiased opinions of Five Finger Death Punch are becoming rare to find now as most people have at one point heard something from the group on the radio and formulated an opinion over the years, whether for or against.

Regardless of your opinion of the band, one thing that stands consistent is just how powerful of a voice Ivan Moody possesses. Over the past few years Moody has shaken the very core of rock radio with his vocal strength and arguably is the greatest talent that Five Finger Death Punch has.

Over the past few years and albums though, many people have questioned just WHAT he is singing and wanting something deeper than what is being shared lyrically. An earth shaking voice can only carry so much weight when singing generic expletives and repeating the same choruses.

But, regardless of past critiques and praise, in comes Got Your Six, and with it comes a bold statement from Moody. During an interview earlier this year at the Download Festival, Moody stated: “I know everybody’s supposed to gloat about their own stuff, but this is our best material yet. I swear to God. This is our best work.” It’s a bold statement to make that your sixth album is your best work, especially after years of so much music created. Got Your Six was introduced several months ago with the introduction of the first single Jekyll and Hyde.

The elevation from the buildup between verse and chorus proves just how quickly Moody can flip on the switch to blow out the volume levels with his voice. It’s a shame that half of the vocal track is almost in basic spoken rhythm under a filter. The guitar work is solid and the solo after the bridge around 2 and a half minutes is excellent, but it takes 2 and a half minutes to get to something truly enjoyable.

In many ways, Jekyll and Hyde not only demonstrate the main issue with the album Got Your Six, but also the main issue with Five Finger Death Punch as a whole. They are capable of SOOOO much more than what is presented here, but they only deliver generic lyrics and riffs with repeated verses and choruses.

The ironic thing about Got Your Six is that there ARE some decent songs with some gravity and depth, but they are not the songs that will be heard on the radio or live in concert. The focus will only be on the stadium rock.

Ain’t My Last Dance feels like it had some legitimate passion and energy behind it when being recorded and more importantly when written. This track and Wash It All Away are the few cases where Five Finger Death Punch tried to flesh out their dynamic, even with a short track time.

Songs like Ain’t My Last Dance however still result with some of the minor chorus and title chants. That style of rock works for many people, but when that’s all an album is known for and every song has interchangeable verses, then it feels like you are being given a smaller portion when you are hoping to be filled.

Lyrically with songs like No Sudden Movement and Hell To Pay really drive this feeling home. There is nothing substantial or solid, just a hollow group of jam tracks. And what’s worse, is that a majority of riffs, solos, and even full tracks are instantly forgettable after hearing them.

Despite the talents that the members of Five Finger Death Punch possess, it feels that we are hearing more and more of the same repeated material with less effort for variety and a lack of effort in writing as the years go on.

Overall, Five Finger Death Punch’s sixth full album is an example of something that could have been much better for a band who is capable of more. DIE HARD death punch fans may be satisfied, but the casual listener may want to stick with the bands backlog, as much of the material here is reminiscent of their previous works.

All Time Favorite Albums: New Radicals – Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too

By

Luke Spencer

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August 30, 2015

A series looking at my all time favorite albums. One of my all time favorite albums is also a huge guilty pleasure and barely definable as soft rock. This video is dedicated to 1998’s Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too by New Radicals.

https://vimeo.com/137759790

Photos: STARSET

By

Luke Spencer

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August 30, 2015

Photos of Starset live in Orlando, FL. All photos were taken by Luke Spencer on 8-24-2015 at House of Blues Orlando.

Starset were asked to come on tour with Breaking Benjamin and they opened the night to a sell out crowd. The unique thing for this show was that the entire venue was completely filled before Starset took place. That many people waited in line for the show at House of Blues. Their set opened with jetpacks shooting and vocals blasting. After their performance filled with visual media and lighting effects, the band came out and greeted anyone that wanted to meet them. A rare thing for bands with radio play now.