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4/5 | Posted September-29-2011
When the Chariot used to be on the Solid State records roster, they were probably one of the most unique bands. Their debut album proves that uniqueness as it is 28 minutes of pure insanity. Crunching guitars, brutal screams from Josh Scogin, and the fact that this entire album was recorded live and left unmastered gives this album a very raw feel. It's a very promising debut.
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5/5 | Posted September-27-2011
Switchfoot's previous album, Hello Hurricane, was what I thought was their best album and I felt that it would be really hard to top. But I believe they have with their latest album, Vice Verses.
The theme of the album is a journey through life. A journey through it's up and downs, high's and low's, victories and defeats. In the first song, the high energy rock anthem "Afterlife," a question is raised that takes us through the rest of the album. That question is the lyric "why would I wait until I die to come alive?" The temporary answer to that question also lies in "Afterlife" in which it states, "I'm ready now/ I'm not waiting for the afterlife." The album gives us the true answer to the question in the powerful closer "Where I Belong." I won't reveal that answer but I will say that the song brings focus to the whole album and gives us a sense that we have just gone through a life journey to find the answer.
Musically, Vice Verses continues the sonic and raw sound that Switchfoot introduced us to in Hello Hurricane. There are high energy anthmatic rockers like the aformentioned "Afterlife," "Rise Above It," and the lead single "Dark Horses." But it's the slower songs that make Vice Verses, and subsequently Hello Hurricane, unique and worth the price. Songs like "Thrive," "Restless," and "Where I Belong" show off the emotionality in Jon Foreman's voice and the lyrics are so well written that it feels like he is speaking directly to you.
I had quite a lot of expectations for Vice Verses and Switchfoot delievered on them. Every song is unique, every chord sounds great, and every lyric delievers on emotionality and realism. I still feel that Hello Hurricane is the better album but, over time and repeat listenings, I feel as if my opinion could change. For now though, Switchfoot strikes gold again and has created another solid album of the year candidate.
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4.5/5 | Posted September-24-2011
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster's III continues their trend of awesome sounding southern metal music and it also gives us a bit of change, essentially a preview of what is to come. Fans of the previous albums will enjoy this album as well as it contains everything they like, the harsh metal with a southern twang, Dallas Taylor's harsh scream, and a whole lot of southern attitude.
The changes here are mostly subtle with some songs just being straight forward hard rock. It's a refreshing change and provides a break in amidst the chaos.
III has everything that any Maylene album has and more. Some tracks drop the screams and sound like normal hard rock songs and the final track is an instrumental that ends everything on a melancholy tone. This album has got me excited for what Maylene can bring to the table with the upcoming IV.
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4.5/5 | Posted September-24-2011
Secret and Whisper's debut album, Great White Whale, is a very unique rock album. It combines a mix of hard rock and emo rock with an almost ambient magical undertone throughout. It's this fantastical element that is the sheer highlight of the album. Charles Furney's amazing voice and almost dreamlike lyrics contribute to the magical element very well.
Great White Whale is a very unique rock album that is made by a band that has found their identity early. A stellar debut.
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5/5 | Posted September-22-2011
Rapture Ruckus really made a name for themselves over the past year. They released a self-titled EP to critical and fan acclaim. Now their first full-length album on a major label drops and it continues the sound that was introduced on the EP. For those who don't know, Rapture Ruckus's sound is a mix of hip-hop and techno.
Open Your Eyes contains much to be appreciated, from the terrific lyrics to the funky techno beats. This is one album that dares to be different and does so extremely well. With this album, I think the band will have a whole bunch of new fans eagerly awaiting what they have in store for us next. Count me among them.
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5/5 | Posted September-22-2011
This is one of the most interesting and fun hip hop albums I have heard in a long time. Heath McNease further embraces his nerd self by throwing in so many references to classic Nintendo games and the beats behind him are mostly made up of the 8-bit music from those Nintendo games. The whole album is basically a love letter to the classic 8-bit Nintendo era but with a few references to current times.
Straight Outta Console is a fun album to listen to. And best of all, IT'S FREE TO DOWNLOAD!
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4/5 | Posted September-22-2011
Again it's always fascinating to me to go back to the very early days of a band and hear how ideas and styles formed throughout a discography. As I Lay Dying's major label debut, Frail Words Collapse, is no exception. The band sounds much younger and are still trying to figure out their groove. One thing that they had figured out was the amazing drum work of Jordan Mancino, which is probably the main highlight of this album. (Check out the opening track "94 Hours" for some insane drum work.)
Frail Words Collapse is a fine album worthy of a listen. The music does sound a bit amateurish but it only serves as a learning tool for the band to more finely tune their sound and gain the maturity they got for the future.
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4/5 | Posted September-22-2011
I don't think that I have heard a rap album as more diverse lyrically and musically then Heath McNease's The Gun Show. It has everything from straight up rap songs, a song inspired by reggae, a couple of acoustic songs that are reminescant of B. Reith, and a part of a song that suddenly turns into an 80's rock ballad. Lyrically, McNease's style is very similair to KJ-52's in that he's got some songs that reflect on the fact that he's a nerdy white dude and other songs about serious issues.
If you are looking for diversity, The Gun Show is just the album for you.
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5/5 | Posted September-22-2011
This album introduces us to a new MxPx sound, pop punk. And believe me, after 4 album's worth of hardcore punk, it was starting to get a tad bit boring. This album does feature some punkish elements but it's more toned down in order to reach a broader audience. This is a good album for that audience. It's upbeat, fun, and really postive lyrically. The Ever Passing Moment is MxPx's best pop punk album out of the 3 that were put out between 2000-2005.
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4/5 | Posted September-21-2011
Brown showcases major improvement over P.O.D.'s previous album, Suff The Punk. For one, the production quality sounds much better, the overall sound is more polished, and more of the band's signature elements are fine tuned and defined. Brown is a good album. It does have some not so interesting filler, but it is still a good album nonetheless. The album serves as a stepping stone towards their eventual popularity.
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