November 25th, 2012:
Lamb of God and In Flames @ The House of Blues in Boston. To see more, go here.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
August 10th, 2012:
The Summer Slaughter Tour w/ Veil Of Maya, Job For A Cowboy, Periphery, BTBAM and many more @ The Worcester Palladium. To see more,
go here.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
PHOTOS FROM THE NEW ENGLAND METAL AND HARDCORE FESTIVAL HAVE BEEN POSTED HERE, AND AT WWW.MASSMETAL.NET!!
New England Metal and Hardcore Festival
4/20/12-4/22/12
The
most depressing time of the year, in my opinion, are the days after The
New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. For the past 5 years, I've
been traveling to Worcester, checking into La Quinta Inn, and having the
best 72 hours any metal head / music fan can have. This year was no
different, and perhaps on of my favorite bills to date. My legs are
sore, my ears ring like a bitch, I've overdosed on cheap beer and hot
dogs, but I miss every second of NEMHF already.
LETS RECAP, SHALL WE?! This year we were introduced to bands like OBEY THE BRAVE (former Despised Icon members), FLESH GOD APOCALYPSE from Italy, and GLASSCLOUD (with members of The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza, and Of Mice and Men), while punished by NEMHF veterans like The Acacia Strain, Oceano, Unearth, IWABO, Mychildren Mybride, The Black Dahlia Murder, and many more. They successfully separated the metal and hardcore this year, the main stage being the heavy/thrash/death metal, and the second (and smaller) stage being the hardcore section. Let the enjoyable headache begin:
DAY 1! Lots and lots of good diverse bands, we got a big batch of 20 minute sets with really quick set changes, just enough time to drink a beer or 2 and have a handful of cheez-its. FIrst Legions, Fit For An Autopsy, and Conducting from the Grave took care of our terrific breakdowns and death metal fix, and later skeletonwitch filled the awesome beard quote for the day. The Contortionist was probably the outlier band of the day, with their experimental and obscure sound (which isnt a bad thing, its actually pretty great). They had a 20 minute set as well, but filled it with pure musical goodness. Obey The Brave and Flesh God Apocalypse made their NEMHF and MA debut and were welcomed with open arms to our metal state, while Carnifex, All Shall Perish and Oceano (this was rumored to be their last live show ever, but I dont believe that ended up holding true) came back to the Palladium to crush our ears and rattle our chest cavities. With all the great music we saw on Friday, hometown heroes The Acacia Strain came and stole the show, as they always do. Their set was perfect, and loud, and even though it was just 45 minutes long, they made great use of their short set. To be honest, I left right after TAS got off stage, I wanted to leave on a high note (not literally) and that was by far the best performance of the evening. Day 1 was metal perfection, and its only just begun.
DAY 2! The second day of the festival was an even more diverse day than the first, incorporating more genres than yesterday. From Periphery to iwrestledabearonce, from Hung to Overkill, we covered all of our bases on this, the second day of the greatest festival on planet earth. First band we saw was Hung, who incorporated a violin, enough said! That set the tone for the day, different and awesome metal. God Forbid hit the stage with their 20 minute set, plugging a new album and played the classics, Holy Grail followed thrashing our faces off with hair, riffs, and high pitch screams. Periphery had a 30 minute set, as well as iwrestledabearonce, and the crowd was packed with fans of both bands. IWABO always puts on a great high energy show, showcasing their awesomely different brand of metal. They played a mix of new and old jams, as did the next two bands, Unearth and Protest The Hero. Unearth is very familiar with the Palladium, as theyve been around forever and are native to these lands, they put on an awesome show, as usual, and were followed by the Canadian prog metal masters Protest The Hero. They crammed their 40 minute set with new and old songs, and humorous little bits in between, they were probably one of my favorite acts of the evening. Metal Legends Overkill followed them, with large cab amps in tow to match their large image, these fellas have not gone downhill with age, they can still play like they did back in the day. Guitar Hero's own DragonForce had an hour long set before some more MA natives closed the show, All That Remains. Now, I don't want to sound biased or......rude.....but I disliked ATR's latest album. When they spent the first 45 minutes playing tracks from said album, I was not happy, and ALMOST didnt stick around, but I'm very very glad that I fought that urge. The last half of their set was packed with tracks off of their first 3 albums, and they sounded great. I tossed my camera into my trunk (carefully of course), and hopped into the crowd with the rest of the crazies, to get thrown around and covered in nasty man-sweat. Again the home town metallers stole the show, and ATR made sure everyone left smiling with sore necks and drenched shirts. Until tomorrow, the final and saddest day of the festival.
DAY 3! Its like the last day of a great vacation, you're still excited, but disgusted because you know it has to end, and soon. Once again a healthy mixture of newbies and vets, with some christian death metal tossed into the mix. Glass Cloud debuted with a great 20 minute set , showing us what theyre all about, and were followed by metal from the likes of I The Breather, Like Moths to Flames, Volumes, and Texas In July (whom put on a great heavy performance). NEMHF vets Mychildren Mybride hit the stage and sounded great as always, followed by the party that is Atilla, and Chelsea Grin who debuted some new material. For Today and Emmure had some longer sets, both of which had new albums come out recently, and kept the heaviness moving along smoothly. Local favorites Vanna played for about 40 minutes, they always excite the crowd, and led the way for the final two bands of NEMHF 2012, Everytime I die, and the reunion performance of Killswtich Engage with original vocalist, Jesse Leach. KSE played for about 90 minutes, and HOLY MOLY was it a monster of a set. Not only did they sound amazing, their set was amazing, and their energy was amazing. The SOLD OUT Palladium crowd was insane, and again, I put my camera in a safe place and hoped in with the rest of the nostalgic fans ready for Jesse and KSE to end our weekend of metal beauty. They put on the best show at this years festival by far, and started their new chapter with a bang.
Overall this festival was amazing, so many great bands, a few great debuts, and one INCREDIBLE reunion. It was put together and organized perfectly, and I couldn't ask for a better NEMHF weekend. Now, I shall drive home sweaty and depressed, and count down the days until next years New England Metal and Hardcore Festival.
LETS RECAP, SHALL WE?! This year we were introduced to bands like OBEY THE BRAVE (former Despised Icon members), FLESH GOD APOCALYPSE from Italy, and GLASSCLOUD (with members of The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza, and Of Mice and Men), while punished by NEMHF veterans like The Acacia Strain, Oceano, Unearth, IWABO, Mychildren Mybride, The Black Dahlia Murder, and many more. They successfully separated the metal and hardcore this year, the main stage being the heavy/thrash/death metal, and the second (and smaller) stage being the hardcore section. Let the enjoyable headache begin:
DAY 1! Lots and lots of good diverse bands, we got a big batch of 20 minute sets with really quick set changes, just enough time to drink a beer or 2 and have a handful of cheez-its. FIrst Legions, Fit For An Autopsy, and Conducting from the Grave took care of our terrific breakdowns and death metal fix, and later skeletonwitch filled the awesome beard quote for the day. The Contortionist was probably the outlier band of the day, with their experimental and obscure sound (which isnt a bad thing, its actually pretty great). They had a 20 minute set as well, but filled it with pure musical goodness. Obey The Brave and Flesh God Apocalypse made their NEMHF and MA debut and were welcomed with open arms to our metal state, while Carnifex, All Shall Perish and Oceano (this was rumored to be their last live show ever, but I dont believe that ended up holding true) came back to the Palladium to crush our ears and rattle our chest cavities. With all the great music we saw on Friday, hometown heroes The Acacia Strain came and stole the show, as they always do. Their set was perfect, and loud, and even though it was just 45 minutes long, they made great use of their short set. To be honest, I left right after TAS got off stage, I wanted to leave on a high note (not literally) and that was by far the best performance of the evening. Day 1 was metal perfection, and its only just begun.
DAY 2! The second day of the festival was an even more diverse day than the first, incorporating more genres than yesterday. From Periphery to iwrestledabearonce, from Hung to Overkill, we covered all of our bases on this, the second day of the greatest festival on planet earth. First band we saw was Hung, who incorporated a violin, enough said! That set the tone for the day, different and awesome metal. God Forbid hit the stage with their 20 minute set, plugging a new album and played the classics, Holy Grail followed thrashing our faces off with hair, riffs, and high pitch screams. Periphery had a 30 minute set, as well as iwrestledabearonce, and the crowd was packed with fans of both bands. IWABO always puts on a great high energy show, showcasing their awesomely different brand of metal. They played a mix of new and old jams, as did the next two bands, Unearth and Protest The Hero. Unearth is very familiar with the Palladium, as theyve been around forever and are native to these lands, they put on an awesome show, as usual, and were followed by the Canadian prog metal masters Protest The Hero. They crammed their 40 minute set with new and old songs, and humorous little bits in between, they were probably one of my favorite acts of the evening. Metal Legends Overkill followed them, with large cab amps in tow to match their large image, these fellas have not gone downhill with age, they can still play like they did back in the day. Guitar Hero's own DragonForce had an hour long set before some more MA natives closed the show, All That Remains. Now, I don't want to sound biased or......rude.....but I disliked ATR's latest album. When they spent the first 45 minutes playing tracks from said album, I was not happy, and ALMOST didnt stick around, but I'm very very glad that I fought that urge. The last half of their set was packed with tracks off of their first 3 albums, and they sounded great. I tossed my camera into my trunk (carefully of course), and hopped into the crowd with the rest of the crazies, to get thrown around and covered in nasty man-sweat. Again the home town metallers stole the show, and ATR made sure everyone left smiling with sore necks and drenched shirts. Until tomorrow, the final and saddest day of the festival.
DAY 3! Its like the last day of a great vacation, you're still excited, but disgusted because you know it has to end, and soon. Once again a healthy mixture of newbies and vets, with some christian death metal tossed into the mix. Glass Cloud debuted with a great 20 minute set , showing us what theyre all about, and were followed by metal from the likes of I The Breather, Like Moths to Flames, Volumes, and Texas In July (whom put on a great heavy performance). NEMHF vets Mychildren Mybride hit the stage and sounded great as always, followed by the party that is Atilla, and Chelsea Grin who debuted some new material. For Today and Emmure had some longer sets, both of which had new albums come out recently, and kept the heaviness moving along smoothly. Local favorites Vanna played for about 40 minutes, they always excite the crowd, and led the way for the final two bands of NEMHF 2012, Everytime I die, and the reunion performance of Killswtich Engage with original vocalist, Jesse Leach. KSE played for about 90 minutes, and HOLY MOLY was it a monster of a set. Not only did they sound amazing, their set was amazing, and their energy was amazing. The SOLD OUT Palladium crowd was insane, and again, I put my camera in a safe place and hoped in with the rest of the nostalgic fans ready for Jesse and KSE to end our weekend of metal beauty. They put on the best show at this years festival by far, and started their new chapter with a bang.
Overall this festival was amazing, so many great bands, a few great debuts, and one INCREDIBLE reunion. It was put together and organized perfectly, and I couldn't ask for a better NEMHF weekend. Now, I shall drive home sweaty and depressed, and count down the days until next years New England Metal and Hardcore Festival.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Municipal Waste - "The Fatal Feast" 4/10/12 Nuclear Blast
The Waste is bacccckkk, the thrash metal kings released their first album off of Nuclear Blast Records, "The Fatal Feast", and it is just as good as any of their other four full lengths. Clocking in at 40 minutes, its their longest release to date, and DOUBLES the duration of their debut album from back in '03. This Virginia foursome is pure thrash, and pure awesome, which they display in "The Fatal Feast" with speed, power chords, great lyrics, and a great attitude.
Recurring words I found in my notes: Thrash, thrash, thrash, thrash, thrash, thrash.
The album opens with an eerie little intro, sounds like something you'd hear in a 1980's horror movie, very Friday the 13th and Halloween-esque, something that they've never done before. With classic MW songs like "Reposession", "New Dead Masters", and "Unholy Abductor" sticking to the thrash, and "Authority Complex" and "Jesus Freaks" swaying more onto the punk/attitude/anarchist side of the band, this album has everything Waste fans want to hear. No Municipal Waste release would be complete without a few songs about partying and drinking, "Covered In Sick/The Barfer" and "You're Cut Off" make this a definite MW album. A few songs later we get to the title track, which opens with another creepy intro involving some keys, a nice little spice added to this album, and has a very appealing chorus and overall sound.
Whenever Municipal Waste have a new album coming out I (as well as all their fans) get excited because I know every second is going to be gold, and 5 releases later, that still holds true. This band was perfect from day 1, and still follow the same recipe (with a few minor changes and maturities) to this very day. You'd never change the recipe for the worlds most delicious beer, so why would you do that in your writing process. Now say it with me, MUNICIPAL WASTE IF GONNA FUCK YOU UP.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Adestria - "Chapters"
3/26/12 Razor & Tie Records
3/26/12 Razor & Tie Records
I don't know much about California's Adestria, but I stumbled upon one song, liked it, and bought their debut album "Chapters". My first impression of this band after a few minutes listening, was that they reminded me of a mixture of All That Remains and Killswitch Engage, which is a very good thing.
When this band is heavy, they're HEAVY, they involve some keys in their songs which can either make or break an album, but I think they execute it perfectly. Their metal vocals are great, whether they're screaming or growling its spot on. They do however use clean vocals a lot, which personally I never like in my metals, but they do it in such a way that doesn't make me frown. Their breakdowns and guitar work are solid and keep me interested throughout the whole album. "The Odyssey" is probably the best song on "Chapters", while "Outsiders" has a nice flavorful taste of hardcore in it which was a great addition. "More Than You Know" shows the softer side of Adestria (maybe too soft?), but 3 minutes in they go back to the brutality. They end the album with "Scarlet Letter", a powerful song with an even more powerful ending. This song has some female vocals, as does "Whiskey For The Soul" and one or two others, which work very nicely.
This band will definitely make a rise in the metal world in the next year or so, I enjoyed this album, and although I'm biased because I don't fully enjoy clean vocals, I'm sure most other listeners will. "Chapters" is a good mix of genres, with death metal and post hardcore, it'll make for a good listen for all metal fans.
When this band is heavy, they're HEAVY, they involve some keys in their songs which can either make or break an album, but I think they execute it perfectly. Their metal vocals are great, whether they're screaming or growling its spot on. They do however use clean vocals a lot, which personally I never like in my metals, but they do it in such a way that doesn't make me frown. Their breakdowns and guitar work are solid and keep me interested throughout the whole album. "The Odyssey" is probably the best song on "Chapters", while "Outsiders" has a nice flavorful taste of hardcore in it which was a great addition. "More Than You Know" shows the softer side of Adestria (maybe too soft?), but 3 minutes in they go back to the brutality. They end the album with "Scarlet Letter", a powerful song with an even more powerful ending. This song has some female vocals, as does "Whiskey For The Soul" and one or two others, which work very nicely.
This band will definitely make a rise in the metal world in the next year or so, I enjoyed this album, and although I'm biased because I don't fully enjoy clean vocals, I'm sure most other listeners will. "Chapters" is a good mix of genres, with death metal and post hardcore, it'll make for a good listen for all metal fans.
Friday, March 23, 2012
The Metal Alliance Tour @ The Worcester Palladium
3/22/2012
3/22/2012
My ears are still ringing and I smell like PBR, must mean another loud night out in Worcester. The Metal Alliance Tour rolled through town this week, and it was a breathe of fresh air, we've been lacking in the concert department lately. The lineup was great with bands from diverse genres, and a second stage of local acts as well. From death metallers Job For A Cowboy and Impending Doom, to the high vocals and thrash-esque party that is 3 Inches of Blood, this was a very fun show.
The local bands were great, The Summoned closed off the second stage and they were awesome. With a very spastic sound and great stage presence, they were fun to watch. Moving down to the main stage, Impending Doom had a great set, playing mostly older songs and some new ones from their latest album "Baptized In Filth" (reviewed below). 3 Inches Of Blood followed and they also have a brand new album out, they opened with their newest track "Metal Woman", and played such favorites like "Battles and Brotherhood" and "Deadly Sinners". 3 Inches of Blood always put on a great show, I've seen them many times and still get excited whenever I see their name on a bill, same goes for Impending Doom. If you ask me, the first 2 bands didn't get enough time, I'm pretty sure they got 25-30 minutes, which to me isn't enough but they made sure they filled every second with greatness. Job For A Cowboy hit the stage next, and WOW, they always steal the show. They opened with "Entombment Of A Machine", which is a GREAT song and a great way to open their set. They have a new album coming out on April 10th entitled "Demonocracy", so they played a few new tracks and they were rich in JFAC heaviness. After Job For A Cowboy the crowd needed a nap, but there was no time to rest with Dying Fetus about to destroy our eardrums even more. Everyone loved Dying Fetus, and they sounded really great, but as far as visuals go or 'putting on a show', that's not really their thing. They're very old school in that sense, they come, they rock out, they leave, WHICH ISN'T A BAD THING. A huge fan favorite came on next, The Faceless, they always put on a great show and mix their set-lists up with new songs, old songs, fast songs, and slow songs. The crowd loved them, went nuts, and some even left after their set. Why leave before the headliner comes on?! Devildriver exploded onto the stage next, with an hour or so to play, and plenty of songs to fill that slot. Much like the past 5 bands, their set was also comprised of oldies and new goodies, pleasing everyone's ears. They opened with "End Of The Line", and although a lot of people left the Palladium before Devildriver came on, you wouldn't have known by the movement and noise coming from the floor. Once their set was over and the fog settled, many pleased metal fans made their way towards the exits.
The Metal Alliance Tour contained many great bands from different genres of metal, and brought out plenty of metal heads (although the attendance wasnt too high, everyone enjoyed themselves no matter who they came to see). With Job For A Cowboy, Devildriver, and The Faceless being the fan favorites, and 3 Inches of Blood and Impending Doom sharing new music and putting on great shows (as usual), this was a very successful night at the Worcester Palladium. Next stop, the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival.....
The local bands were great, The Summoned closed off the second stage and they were awesome. With a very spastic sound and great stage presence, they were fun to watch. Moving down to the main stage, Impending Doom had a great set, playing mostly older songs and some new ones from their latest album "Baptized In Filth" (reviewed below). 3 Inches Of Blood followed and they also have a brand new album out, they opened with their newest track "Metal Woman", and played such favorites like "Battles and Brotherhood" and "Deadly Sinners". 3 Inches of Blood always put on a great show, I've seen them many times and still get excited whenever I see their name on a bill, same goes for Impending Doom. If you ask me, the first 2 bands didn't get enough time, I'm pretty sure they got 25-30 minutes, which to me isn't enough but they made sure they filled every second with greatness. Job For A Cowboy hit the stage next, and WOW, they always steal the show. They opened with "Entombment Of A Machine", which is a GREAT song and a great way to open their set. They have a new album coming out on April 10th entitled "Demonocracy", so they played a few new tracks and they were rich in JFAC heaviness. After Job For A Cowboy the crowd needed a nap, but there was no time to rest with Dying Fetus about to destroy our eardrums even more. Everyone loved Dying Fetus, and they sounded really great, but as far as visuals go or 'putting on a show', that's not really their thing. They're very old school in that sense, they come, they rock out, they leave, WHICH ISN'T A BAD THING. A huge fan favorite came on next, The Faceless, they always put on a great show and mix their set-lists up with new songs, old songs, fast songs, and slow songs. The crowd loved them, went nuts, and some even left after their set. Why leave before the headliner comes on?! Devildriver exploded onto the stage next, with an hour or so to play, and plenty of songs to fill that slot. Much like the past 5 bands, their set was also comprised of oldies and new goodies, pleasing everyone's ears. They opened with "End Of The Line", and although a lot of people left the Palladium before Devildriver came on, you wouldn't have known by the movement and noise coming from the floor. Once their set was over and the fog settled, many pleased metal fans made their way towards the exits.
The Metal Alliance Tour contained many great bands from different genres of metal, and brought out plenty of metal heads (although the attendance wasnt too high, everyone enjoyed themselves no matter who they came to see). With Job For A Cowboy, Devildriver, and The Faceless being the fan favorites, and 3 Inches of Blood and Impending Doom sharing new music and putting on great shows (as usual), this was a very successful night at the Worcester Palladium. Next stop, the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival.....
March 22nd, 2012:
The Metal Alliance Tour w/ Devildriver, The Faceless, Impending Doom, 3 Inches of Blood, and many more @ The Worcester Palladium. To see more, go here.
Or go to www.massmetal.net
Thursday, March 22, 2012
3/13/2012 E1 Music
Impending Doom, the christian metal band that sounds NOTHING like a christian metal band. They released "Baptized In Filth" off of E1 Music, which is their fourth release to date. They're heavy, they're loud, they're deceiving, they're great.
This album sounds very very angry to my ears, a much darker release from their past few albums. "For The Wicked", "Chaos Reborn", and "Angry Letters To God" are the angriest and loudest tracks on the album, oozing with pure aggression to the "non believers" and general population. Within one listen I can tell, this band is pissed! Pissed and slightly sympathetic and worried. The track "Absolute Horror" is a much slower and mellow song, but its still heavy and fantastic. This album has a slightly different sound than their last few releases, but that initial Impending Doom flame and sound is still there, and we can hear it. The opening track, "Murderer" , encompasses the album as a whole, involved both their new and old sounds. Then towards the end of "Baptized In Filth" we come across "My Light Unseen", and I'm not entirely sure where this song fits on the album, or why its playing right now, but it is. It isn't an awful song, but, it doesn't belong on this album, or in Impending Dooms arsenal, and left a sour taste in my mouth.
"Baptized In Filth" definitely sounds different for an Impending Doom album, and while it isn't as great as "The Serpent Servant" or "Nailed. Dead. Risen", its still a heavy album, and majority of the songs please the Impending Doom craving. The band is evolving musically and lyrically and still write great metal jams, and if you ever get a chance to see this band live, DO IT!!!!!!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
February 29th, 2012:
August Burns Red w/ Texas In July and Silverstein @ The House Of Blues in Boston
To see more, go here!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Veil Of Maya - "Eclipse"
2/28/12 Sumerian Records
First things first, here's where the band got their name from. NOW, this is Veil Of Maya's fourth album, and they are definitely Chicago's finest. This album has everything you enjoy from this unique band, a roller coaster of time signatures, ridiculous over lapping riffs, and head bobbing greatness. Get ready for 30 minutes of the most unique and fun metal on the shelf.
It opens with an eerie intro which explodes into exactly what I was hoping to hear, classic Veil of Maya. Majority of this album is exactly what you'd expect with a few twists and tweaks, but if you already have a great (and different) sound, why bother changing it?! With "Divide Paths", "Punisher", "The Glass Slide", and "Vicious Circles" showing the already great and heavy side of VOM, songs like "Winter Is Coming Soon" and "Enter Dreams" show the evolving side of the band with a little bit of a different sound. The title track is an excellent, and slower instrumental song with great usage of the double bass drums and has a very jammy feel, and (in my opinion) would've been perfect as a closing track. I don't care if 'jammy' isn't a word, its the best way to describe the vibe. The album ends "With Passion and Power", a track that could have been on VOM's first or second album, these fellas haven't lost their sound one bit, and that's a good thing.
"Eclipse" keeps a solid pace and flow throughout the whole album, the band pumps out the same style and sound we all love, yet keeps it fresh and exciting. They've perfected the art of metal and musical entertainment as a whole, and for that, my ears are thankful. LISTEN TO VEIL OF MAYA.
It opens with an eerie intro which explodes into exactly what I was hoping to hear, classic Veil of Maya. Majority of this album is exactly what you'd expect with a few twists and tweaks, but if you already have a great (and different) sound, why bother changing it?! With "Divide Paths", "Punisher", "The Glass Slide", and "Vicious Circles" showing the already great and heavy side of VOM, songs like "Winter Is Coming Soon" and "Enter Dreams" show the evolving side of the band with a little bit of a different sound. The title track is an excellent, and slower instrumental song with great usage of the double bass drums and has a very jammy feel, and (in my opinion) would've been perfect as a closing track. I don't care if 'jammy' isn't a word, its the best way to describe the vibe. The album ends "With Passion and Power", a track that could have been on VOM's first or second album, these fellas haven't lost their sound one bit, and that's a good thing.
"Eclipse" keeps a solid pace and flow throughout the whole album, the band pumps out the same style and sound we all love, yet keeps it fresh and exciting. They've perfected the art of metal and musical entertainment as a whole, and for that, my ears are thankful. LISTEN TO VEIL OF MAYA.
T.R.A.M. – “Lingua Franca”
2/28/12 Sumerian Records
2/28/12 Sumerian Records
Firstly, a lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue. Music perhaps?
Recurring words I found in my notes: Groove, jazz, sax, jam, music theory, perfect, sex.
Right when you start listening you can hear the heavy influences from all the bands involved in this group, which makes for a great mixture and final product. “Seven Ways Till Sunday” is a very jazzy, slow groove, jam session, quite possibly one of the best jam sessions of all time. They add some soothing female vocals in this track, as well as “HASS Kicker” and “Inverted Ballad”. One of the more unique tracks “Consider Yourself Judged” is very jazzy and sporadic, yet it stays on course and makes for a great great track and musical experience. The next track is “Endeavor”, and it couldn’t be named anything more appropriate for the sound. The guitar parts on this track specifically are very Animal As Leaders-esque. And might I add, some awesome flute work! Then we stumble upon “HASS Kicker”, very slow and mellow, the sexiest track on the album, slightly reminds me of the quieter side of Pink Floyd for the first 2 and a half minutes, then it reverts back to the sound that we’ve been enjoying for the past 3 tracks. “Hollywood Swinging” is a very jazz oriented song, and while it tapers down at the end it uses vocal harmonies as an instruments and it’s fantastic and very different. We’ve come to the end with “Inverted Ballad”, a slow song that closes off the album and incorporates all of its members, instruments, music theory, and elements perfectly. You can literally fell the song saying goodbye to the listener, and all you want is another track…..two….or ten.
I’m not fully sure how to describe this album or this band. It’s a fusion, an experience, a musical journey, a melting pot, its….perfection. I hope to hear A LOT more from T.R.A.M.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
February 17th, 2012:
In Flames with Trivium and Veil of Maya at the Worcester Palladium.
To see more, go here!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Animals As Leaders - Weightless
11/8/11 Prosthetic Records
Recurring words I found in my notes: Spastic, finger tapping, perfect, melodic, heavy, aggression, seizure, experimental, crunchy, emotions, talent.
The first track, "An Infinite Regression", is a finger tapping frenzy which leads into a melodic metal rendition that is parallel with the intro, they give you a slight break a few minutes in with just enough time to catch your breath before the rest of the album begins. "An Infinite Regression" keeps your head bobbing the whole way through, and I’m certain that the rest of the album will do exactly the same. They seem to be adding new elements to their writing with tracks "Odessa" and “Do Not Go Gently” but still have the same writing and sound that we know and love, and they display that in “Somnarium”, “Earth Departure”, (the most experimental and beautiful song on the album), “Cylindrical Sea”, and a few others. “Cylindrical Sea” displays all 3 of their talents and strong points, it stays with the premise of being crazy, yet sticking to a route and plan throughout. Towards the end, “Espera” hits, and for a short song it is packed with many emotions and moods, it’s executed perfectly and segues into “To Lead You To An Overwhelming Question”. This is one of those songs that you think to yourself “I want to see them play this live!”, and to me, it sums up the album as a whole. Then we get to the title track, which is pretty much AAL in a nutshell. If a friend were to ask, “What does Animals As Leaders sound like?”, I’d tell them to pop on track 11. Great recipe for a song, evokes every emotion possible, and a great way to lead out of an album and into the final track "David", a very mellow outro, saying goodbye to the listener, and if you weren’t a fan already, then you definitely are now.
“Weightless” is a great AAL album, and a great metal album. They’ve progressed since their first album, added some more techniques, while keeping the good old ones in here as well, a great sophomore album. Despite being instrumental, which is one of my favorite aspects, they evoke just as much and accomplish just as much as bands with multiple singers and members. AAL always leaves you wanting more, whether it’s the end of a riff, song, or album, we've all got the hunger. LISTEN TO ANIMALS AS LEADERS.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Carnifex – Until I feel nothing
10/24/11 Victory Records.
Recurring words I found in my notes: Fast, in your face, aggressive, low, gritty, consistent brutality, dark, gritty, loud as hell, fast as hell.
The album opens with an eerie intro, probably the music you'll hear on your descent to hell, involving some keys and the traditional Carnifex ingredients of breakdowns, ridiculous drum work, and terrifying vocals like "FUCK THE WORLD" that'll slap the beard off your face. The tracks that follow are a great audible way to show you what Carnifex is all about, from "Wretched Entropy" to the title track, they’ll suck you in and keep your ears happy and listening. "Never Forgive Me" shows their skills and true colors and adds a touch of orchestrated beauty towards the end, while keeping to their darkness (as always) and screaming “Don’t bother calling my name, I’ll be watching the world decay.” The title track (ironically) is the summary of the whole album, and band even. Very aggressive and in your face much like all of Carnifex's art, and the next few tracks seem to follow suit. With "A Grave To Blame" being the grittiest track on the album, and "We Spoke Of Lies" being the loudest and fastest, they both lead in to the final track "Deathwish", which is the perfect ending to an assault of an album.
“Until I feel Nothing” is 30 minutes of perfect Carnifex, pure eardrum abuse, and aggression. The guys are really going back to their roots yet still keeping it fresh, which is exactly what fans want and feed on. Even before flipping through the lyrics book, from your first listen you can tell this is about their disgust with the condition and state of the world and its occupants and their hatred towards both. This album is another great addition to your metal library, from a great band. LISTEN TO CARNIFEX.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
UPCOMING CONCERTS IN NEW ENGLAND THAT I WILL BE COVERING:
2/27/11 - Ensiferum, Fintroll, Rotten Sound @ more @ The Worcester Palladium
2/28/11 - Parkway Drive w/ many more @ The Worcester Palladium
3/4/11 - Cradle of Filth w/ Nachmystium & Tursias @ The Worcester Palladium
3/9/11 - Norma Jean w/ Stick To Your Gunes, Impending Doom, and Of Legende @ The Worcester Palladium
4/14/11 - 4/16/11 - NEW ENGLAND METAL AND HARDCORE FESTIVAL
February 19th 2011:
The Welcome to Hell Tour @ The Worcester Palladium w/ Whitechapel, The Acacia Strain, Veil of Maya, Chelsea Grin, and I Declare War.
To see more, go here!
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