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5/5 | Posted December-18-2011
Oh, Sleeper's previous album Son of the Morning was a concept album that depicted a fictional battle between God and Satan. Children of Fire is a continuation of that concept as it revolves around the aftermath of said battle in which both God and Satan suddenly disappear. The album portrays a world that can now exist without laws and judgement. We see this horror from the point of view of two characters. A religious man who now questions his faith and his athiest daughter who also begins questioning her beliefs.
Oh, Sleeper have always had the knack for creating really intricate lyrics and this album is no exception to that. We get some truly brutal imagry as they describe this lawless world and use two real life incidents to further draw us into this world. The sound compliments the story. It's just as brutal and at some points very disturbing, (the track "The Family Ruin" is probably the most disturbingly impressive track I've heard in years,) but also at certain points in the story can be beautiful and anthmatic.
Children of Fire improves on everything. The concept is fantastic, the sound is equally fantastic and showcases some originality, and the overall message gives us a real warning as to what our world is eventually coming too. This is one of the best albums of the year.
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4/5 | Posted December-18-2011
At first listen you could compare the sound of Satellites & Sirens to that of Eleventyseven. Both bands contain those catchy pop rock/synth songs but even though Eleventyseven sticks to what works, Satellites & Sirens is not afraid to branch out a bit. The first half of their debut album sounds like Eleventyseven and, in turn, comes off a bit too generic. The second half is where things really pick up as they incorporate some more rock driven sounds amist their synths. The musical diversity found here gives me a sense that the band is able to create something really unique but is still trying to work towards it. This self-titled debut album is more of a test for them to see if we want more. After listening, I know I do.
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4/5 | Posted December-06-2011
Tobymac's full length Christmas album is unique in that it's not just him involved with every single song. Toby's part covers the first half of the album while the second half is given to members of his touring crew, the Diverse City band, to do with as they please. The result is a whole mish-mash of styles that define these people. It's great to see Toby showcase the people who back him up at every show. Christmas in Diverse City is a great christmas album that goes outside the box and showcases different parts of a winning team doing what they want to do.
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4.5/5 | Posted December-01-2011
Haste The Day's first album with new lead singer Stephen Keech is a wonderful album that manages to draw you in once the album begins. It's very energetic and lyrically compelling. Keech's voice fits in perfectly with what is essentially a rebirth of the band into a more energetic and experimental one. The reinvention of the band sounds terrific and I think that this is one album that metal fans cannot pass up.
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4.5/5 | Posted November-30-2011
This album is really weird. But that's a good thing because it shows off the band's ecclectic style. It has elements of different kinds of rock music like grunge, indie, and punk. The songs jump around styles a lot. One song sounds like a Showbread song and the next song sounds like an unreleased song from Nirvana. The music is also the key focus in this album. There are lyrics, but hey really aren't all that important. It's mostly comprised of movie lines which makes the album lyrically not make much sense at all.
Sainthood Reps is unlike anything I've heard. The debut album is so dense with all kinds of styles of rock that it makes this one of the original releases this year.
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4/5 | Posted November-30-2011
B Reith's second album is an independent release which means that he is free to do whatever he wants. This album is the result of that freedom. You get an album that sounds much different then his debut. There's more beats and overall musical growth here. Independence is a good thing for B Reith as it allows him the creative freedom to make whatever album he feels like making. How The Story Ends is a great follow up.
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5/5 | Posted November-28-2011
Icon for Hire's debut album, Scripted, leaves a remarkable impression after it stops playing. This is a strong album that contains heavy rock music, lyrics that encourage, and an almost unique sound. It's kind of a mash up of Evanescane and early Linkin Park which is quite interesting given that band's who try to add synths to their sound rely heavily upon them. Icon for Hire succeeds at this because of the catchiness behind the songs. Adding synths is only the icing on the cake. If you like awesome things, give this album a listen. It's already become the highest selling debut album put out by Tooth and Nail Records in their history. The album shows us why.
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4/5 | Posted November-28-2011
At first listen, you'd think that Hyland is just another band who plays the same old pop-punk music that other bands like Run Kid Run, Hawk Nelson, or Stellar Kart play. While I feel that assumption is partially true, what makes this band stand out is how much passion they put into their debut album. It may sound generic but the lyrics are where the passion mostly lies. There are songs about love, life, and spirituality that resonate well with the population.
While it may sound generic, Weights and Measures contains great lyrics that should speak to many people.
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4.5/5 | Posted November-27-2011
After breaking up 4 years ago and reforming this year, Life In Your Way has joined the ranks of the label Come & Live and released their latest album Kingdoms for free. If you have heard previous albums by this band, you'll immediately notice that the breakup hasn't affected their sound in the slightest. The band still packs a heavy punch with it's melodic brand of metal. Kingdoms is a perfect choice for the albums title because the lyrics and music reflect each section. The Kingdom of Man is very self relient, defiant, and childish, The Kingdom of Darkness is dark, brooding, and heavy, and The Kingdom of God is spiritual, reflective, and ambient.
Kingdoms is a great metal album that knows what it wants to say and says it in a way that resonates well after a listen. I can tell that Life In Your Way will thrive on their new label. If you like metal you must go to Come & Live's website and download this album.
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4/5 | Posted November-27-2011
Listening to Audio Adrenaline's Don't Censor Me album now, you can tell that it hasn't aged well. Most of the music from that early 90's era hasn't aged well. I still enjoyed this album though. Don't Censor Me contains many of the band's greatest hits and overall feels like a stepping stone to sucess for them. If you were a fan of Audio Adrenaline back in the day, listening to this album might bring back some nostalgia from the period. Otherwise, it's a great album to listen to and an easy recommendation for anyone who wants to know how the band became what it became throughout the years.
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