Choices by Truth And Its Burden (Rite Of Passage Records)

Truly impassioned hardcore collectives may hail from any section of the world, as music has always been the universal language. Truth And Its Burden call Johannesburg, South Africa their home, an exotic, extremely historical location to be sure. Recently signed by Rite Of Passage Records (a subsidiary of the mighty Mediaskare imprint), Truth And Its Burden exudes a massive amount of conviction within their lyrics along with a mesmerizing soundtrack that should easily appeal to genre fans all across the globe. Choices is their stunning full-length debut, and it’s destined to catapult the band onto even greater glories.

Choices begins with the convincing sounds of The Deal, instantly hooking the listener in with its crucial lyrics and soaring musical dynamics. “I’m only human and I’ll share this burden with you,” the chorus conveys with an overwhelming sense of sincerity and fervor.

The Decider then emerges with it’s a stunning exuberance that really grabs your attention. Since Day One is a thrilling track with its shimmering guitar interludes and magnetic spoken word aesthetics. My Distance then pummels the senses with its dazzling wall of sound. “And I struggle and I feel pain and anguish, and they made me strong enough to press on,’ vocalist Ashley Beers sings with a incredible sense of perseverance and strength.

“Every Gift, Each Day” continues with a potent sense of wonder as “I can’t seem to save myself these days” and the entire composition packs such a tremendous punch. Partial is a peaceful instrumental interlude where thoughts may be collected before slamming into the colossal barrage of the fully loaded Placed In My Path. Threadbare has a swampy grunge like underscore while still making one want to launch themselves into the nearest mosh pit.

Symphony Conspiracy is another brief instrumental respite that plays like a remote musical memory from the past. The band then blasts into Building A Better Me, a wonderfully cathartic tune showing a good deal of diversity within the confines of one song. And then closing out Choices on a highly memorable note is the breathtaking Realigning Faith, ending the album on an ultimately inspiring note.

Calvin Clayden supplies an atmospheric wall of sonic artistry on guitar, always keeping the interludes lively and interesting. The rhythm section attack is first rate, courtesy of drummer Dale Keegan and bassist Niekie Van Niekerk. And then the aforementioned Mr. Beers slams it all home with a ferocious magnetism, delivering the powerhouse lyrics with a gripping sense of urgency.

They’ve toured South Africa with The Ghost Inside and even made their way over to the European continent. Here’s hoping Truth And Its Burden head on over to the States and unleash their heartfelt message of positivity as well as their hard-hitting soundscapes. Another landmark discovery from the folks at Mediaskare Records!

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Truth And Its Burden on Facebook

Pastime by Create Avoid (Pure Noise Records)

The legendary spirit of American hardcore is very much alive and well in Southern California, thanks to bands such as the mighty Create Avoid. Their latest EP Pastime has just been unleashed through Pure Noise Records – four dynamic songs of passion and empowerment that should ignite mosh pits all across the nation when performed live. Producer Sam Pura at The Panda Studios has captured the sonic intensity of the band’s live show, and it’s a staggering assault to the senses genre fans will want to relive time and again.

The EP slams a hardball into the stratosphere right away with the impassioned strains of Left Alone, a commanding track that will surely grab the listener by throat. Never Again then unleashes a metallic fury that is nothing short of a triumph. Nothing More detonates with its explosive breakdowns and confrontational lyrics. And then closing out Pastime on an earth shattering note is Timeline, where a thrash attack shows just how diverse yet thoroughly compelling this band is.

Based out of Riverside, the Create Avoid lineup consists of Mike Alsaybar (vocals), Jake Round (bass), Chris Williams (guitar) and Steve Reese (drums). Fans of Terror and The Ghost Inside should definitely check into what Create Avoid has to offer. Judging by what’s been presented on the devastating Pastime, we’ll be hearing a whole lot more from this vibrant band in the years to come!

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Create Avoid on Facebook

Be Good. Be Gracious. by Boy Jumps Ship (Self-released EP)

Boy Jumps Ship takes a giant leap towards the stratosphere with their third EP entitled Be Good. Be Gracious. Based out of Newcastle Upon Tyne, Boy Jumps Ship presents indie pop rock and roll gems in the grand tradition of Taking Back Sunday and Death Cab For Cutie. The four tracks found within are destined to acquire Boy Jumps Ship a good deal of attention worldwide. Expect new fans to hop on board once they encounter the massive tunes these talented UK lads has to offer.

Be Good. Be Gracious kicks off in a glorious way with the dynamic and thoroughly infectious Black Hearts Don’t Beat – an all-out anthem that has considerable hit single potential. The thrilling aural sensations continue with the victorious inflections of Better Days, with its swirling chorus that will remain in your head for ages.

Fugitive is up next, unleashed with a grand sense of vibrant passion and urgency. And then closing out the EP on a stunning note is a slice of indie rock perfection entitled Let Me In. Although the sonic exhibition ends way too soon, there are more than enough reasons to go back and listen to the tunes all over time and again – and at maximum volume!

The resourceful Boy Jumps Ship lineup consists of Si Todd on vocals and guitar, Jonathan Douglas on guitar and vocals, Jonny Rob on bass and vocals, and Gav Gates on drums and vocals. A wonderfully exhilarating EP that would even launch the most jaded of music critic into a blissful state of appreciation, Be Good. Be Gracious. is an exciting collection of songs well worth seeking out. Expect Boy Jumps Ship to hurdle their way into the big leagues with this one – the third time will indeed the charm!

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Boy Jumps Ship on Facebook

The Rise Records Freshmen Class of ’12 Tour with The Air I Breathe, My Ticket Home, Hands Like House, Palisades, Our Reflections, You Only Live Once, and From The Sky Down, The Whisky, May 13, 2012

The Rise Records Freshman Class of ’12 Tour made its way to the world famous Whisky a Go Go on the infamous Sunset Strip. The commencement included four newer bands from the Rise Records roster as well as three local acts in support. One the fastest growing labels on the music scene today, Rise Records has launched the careers such noted alumni as The Devil Wears Prada, Attack Attack!, and Drop Dead, Gorgeous. Any one of the bands in this year’s Freshman Class could be voted most likely to succeed on their own roads to success, just like the Rise Records trailblazers of the past and present.

Due to problems at the door, we were unable to catch From the Sky Down’s opening set. From the looks of it, they appear to have a good deal of fans and actually sounded pretty terrific as we waited outside to clear up guest list credentials. We will definitely check out From The Sky Down’s live show in future days, so stay tuned! Be sure to catch From The Sky Down at the Chain Reaction on June 24th!

YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE

The first thing one notices about You Only Live Once from Los Angeles is the super brutal vocals of Stephanie IsIs. Screaming out in the grand tradition of Angela Gossow of the mighty Arch Enemy, you just don’t expect that voice to be emitting out from what appears to be nice young lady. What an absolutely stunning, charismatic presence!

Ariel Sanson supplies a wonderful juxtaposition on clean lead vocals, the two front women making for a lethal combination. Ms. Sanson has been seen on TV shows such as America’s Got Talent and The X Factor.

The rest of the band was in top form, with Valentine and Jaffy shredding it into oblivion on dueling guitars, and bassist Luis and drummer Jared Salazar driving it all home with super tight beats. Top song in the set was the closing number Take My Hand, leaving an indelible impression on all of the early arrivals.  We’ll definitely be checking this band out again!

OUR REFLECTIONS

Our Reflections drove up for Mexicali to perform a stunning set of deathcore that nearly leveled the venerable Whisky.  On the heavier side of the metal spectrum, this band would definitely be at home opening for the likes of Suicide Silence and Chelsea Grin.

Songs such as Distance And Horizons and Through Your Lies were memorable, clearly showing a band ready to break out in a big and glorious way.

Clearly the most brutal collective of the night, the talented Our Reflections lineup consists of Chris on vocals, Heri and Roger sharing lead guitar duties, Juan Angel shredding it up like a demon on bass, Ali on drums, and Jr. on keyboards.  This tremendously talented band is tighter than hell, and surely gained a whole new assortment of fans with their wildly spirited presentation. Here’s hoping we see more of Our Reflections here in the Los Angeles area and beyond.

PALISADES

It was now time for the Rise Records bands to take over the stage, and Palisades from New Jersey kicked off the ceremony with a vengeance. Playing a set comprised of tunes from their dynamic Rise Records debut EP entitled I’m Not Dying Today, the performance definitely brought the room to ultra vivid life. Louis Miceli is a powerful front man, presenting the lyrical content with a stunning mix of passion and intensity.

Highlights of the set included the introspective Seamless Endings and the massive assault of the killer Wolves. The set was nothing short of thrilling, easily introducing to the City Of Angels a band that could very well be headlining their own shows when they pass through next time.

A perfect combination of melody and all-out intensity, with impassioned lyrics and equally crucial instrumental implementations rendering this band quite a standout. In addition to the aforementioned Miceli on lead vocals, the Palisades connection consists of Matt Marshall on guitar, Xavier Adames on guitar and vocals, Earl Halasan in guitars and programming, Brandon Reese on bass, and Aaron Rosa on drums.

HANDS LIKE HOUSES

From Down Under to glittering Tinseltown arrived Hands Like House, ready to rock the Whisky with their stunning brand of pop punk and rock anthems. The Canberra collective opened their set with Antarctica and proceeded to play selections from their well received Rise Records debut Ground Dweller.

Showing that diversity within the Freshman Class on Rise Records, Hands Like Houses possesses a dynamic strength in both clean vocals and wildly infectious melodies. A decisive stand out song was The Definition Of Not Leaving, a slower track that possessed a passion and honesty that swept rapturous throughout the Whisky venue.

They are certainly a long way from home, but Hands Like Houses will be spending a good amount of time here in the States. Their next big tour will be Scream It Like You Mean It 2012 with We Came As Romans, Attack Attack! and many others, so there will be plenty of chances to catch up with this band once again. With songs this impressive and timely, expect Hands Like House to have a long and prosperous career far beyond the Freshman Class of  ’12!

MY TICKET HOME

First of all, I need to be painfully honest here and say that after their outstanding clean vocalist Sean Mackowski parted ways for seemingly greener pastures as touring member of Attack Attack!, it looked like curtains for My Ticket Home. Mackowski’s clean vocals on their Rise Records debut full length To Create A Cure contributed greatly to the band’s wonderfully impassioned and unique sound. That being said, do not even dare to write My Ticket Home off, as this Columbus, Ohio collective presented the most thrilling, mesmerizing set of the night at the legendary Whisky a Go Go.

Nick Giumenti is a supremely charismatic front man, screaming with a force of passion and enthusiasm that really had the crowd responding. Newest member Derek Blevins had some big shoes to fill on guitar and clean vocals, and he does so with a stunning sense of professionalism and conviction. Matt Gallucci performed some impressive guitar work while Luke Fletcher on bass and Marshal Giumenti on drums unleashed a powerhouse rhythm section.

Songs such as A New Breed and Who Is 67? are destined to become lasting genre favorites, and really ignited the mosh pit! Rise Records has another soon to be monstrously successful band on their hands with My Ticket Home. It will be exciting what journeys the future has in store for this thoroughly compelling band. To Create A Cure remains one of the best metalcore records of 2012 and My Ticket Home is rides into the future as an entity that is not to be missed!

THE AIR I BREATHE

Headlining The Rise Records Freshmen Class of ’12 Tour was The Air I Breathe – hanging in there in spite of personnel departures that would suffocate any less dedicated collective. With most of the members being from other bands on the tour, vocalist Tony Dougard was there in full force, using the apparent bands changes to a gloriously cathartic effect. Delivering a heartfelt performance, Dougard and whoever else was left in the band closed out the night with a sonic blast.

Opening with Take This To Heart, The Air I Breathe slammed through a short yet impressive set of tunes from their recently released Great Faith In Fools collection. The lead guitar work is the band is especially noteworthy and heroic, in the grand stylings of the great Yngwie Malmsteen.

Highlights including XIII, Deliverance, and the wonderfully triumphant Here’s To Letting Go. A dramatic, emotional ending to a memorable night of rock and metalcore on the Sunset Strip!

(Review by Kenneth Morton – Photos by Adam Gendler)

LINKAGE

From The Sky Down on Facebook
You Only Live Once on Facebook
Our Reflections on Facebook
Palisades on Facebook
Hands Like Houses on Facebook
My Ticket Home on Facebook
The Air I Breathe on Facebook

The English Beat, Remedy For Kill, Stupid Flanders, MADhaus Gallery, Long Beach, CA – May 12, 2012

Ska, Soul and Reggae was the style for tonight. This was an all – ages show at an art house garage at a house style facility between 6th St & 7th Street on Pacific Avenue in downtown Long Beach. I didn’t know that Long Beach had this arts district, but sure enough there were mural paintings and visual art all over this venue happening this night. This show included three bands performing as well.

First was Stupid Flanders. They are a seven piece band from Orange County. They are a new band that plays fast ska with slight rock  guitar riffs thrown in to get a little hard at times. They have a great two piece horn section that blast out riff lines and harmonizing sounds that were a treat to hear. The drummer who had not played in six months with the band, due to school, was in full strength who punched it up at times to please the audience. In the lively set included was a strip down version of Come As You Are by Nirvana mixed in with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song which the audiences appreciated greatly. The black uniform, pants and shirt, mixed with the bright orange ties made the band look professional. They were a great fun warm up band.

Remedy For Kill was next with a distinctive reggae style music featuring ska talking style with rap lyrics at times. This was an interesting mix the vocalist used together well. To match that was his three piece back – up band that were so tight that they were able to play off each others leads and riffs without missing a beat. Remedy For Kill was the local band performing tonight and they rocked the place to a smooth reggae swagger with ease.

Dave Wakeling and his band The English Beat were next. They played over two hours of a show. It included most of the band’s hits and included a couple of General Public tunes as well. The set included songs as: Tears Of A Clone, Never You Done That, Tenderness, Rough Rider, I’ll Take You There, I Confess, Twist & Crawl, Can’t Get Use To Losing You, Whine & Grine/Stand Down Margaret and many others.  The English Beat ended the show with Mirror In The Bathroom. The show was sold out and packed all night long. Our dancing feet though might have been hurting on the way home but still felt good anyways. Thanks for the great time Dave Wakeling and company.  Lets do that again sometime! Awesome!

(Review and Photo by Jonathan D. Wright)

Moving In Dreamscapes by Dismember The Fallen (Self-released EP)

Structures was the first self-released EP by Detroit’s own Dismember The Fallen, a promising slab of metalcore that would gain the collective a good deal of notice. A commendable effort to be sure, and now their latest recording Moving In Dreamscapes slams the Motor City band towards a whole different level. A thoroughly compelling effort exuding not only skilled musicianship from all members involved, but an all-out stunning brutality and intrigue. This is the kind of sonic experience that gets bands signed! From the passionate death metal growls to the soaring clean vocals and the staggering musical interludes, Dismember The Fallen is a massive adventure well worth seeking out.

The disc begins with the shattering strains of Earthmover, where the listener is slowly catapulted into thrash mode, complete with thunderous breakdowns and otherworldly choruses. Absorption continues to relentless attack, with the keyboard underscore transforming the material into a whole state of wonder.

More Than Meaningless places the pedal to the metal, with its slamming “This is the end of everything you’ve hoped for” passage combined with even more dramatic keyboard work weaving its way through the deadly breakdowns. Aspirations furthers the assault, with tremendously impassioned vocals that launches the material into the stratosphere.

Give It Up shows Dismember The Fallen channeling the glorious melodies of European death metal, creating a pulsating artillery of intense reverberations. This is where In Flames and Underoath collide in the wilds of Detroit, creating a breathtaking composition.

Closing out Moving In Dreamscapes is the impassioned dynamics of Heart. “It is so hard to move on, when you’re still the only one I dream of” screams the refrain with a poignant sense of urgency. Showing the band at the height of their creative prowess, Heart will definitely leave you wanting to commit to even more of the Dismember The Fallen experience.

The Dismember The Fallen lineup is tighter than ever, with imaginative contributions from Nicholas Deneau on vocals, Michael Chamberlain on guitar, Jacob Matzkows on guitar and vocals, Alex Honeycutt on bass, Mark Pfromm on keys, and Nicholas Matzkows on drums. Judging by what’s heard on Moving In Dreamscapes, this just may be the last time we see Dismember The Fallen releasing their work without the assistance of a record label. Fans of truly inspiring metalcore should definitely check into the mighty sounds of Dismember The Fallen, and prepare for the devastating collision of sheer intensity and heartfelt lyrics. Consider this one a promise fulfilled!  Highly recommended!

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Dismember The Fallen on Facebook

Rewind by Summertime Dropouts (Voluminous Records)

The soundtrack for the summer of 2012 has already arrived! Fans of Blink 182, New Found Glory and Yellowcard are destined to discover a new favorite when encountering the pop punk anthems found on Rewind by Summertime Dropouts. Based out of the sometimes chilly confines of Minnesota, the wondrous music found within would even warm the hearts of an Arctic Eskimo – as well as the most frigid of musical critic.

The band has already released a single entitled Full Time Cutie, a slice of pop rock perfection that opens Rewind.  Telling the carefree tale of a girl, “who will never be a prom queen, she’s got one too many tattoos and a lip ring” with a “bright pink guitar,” this dazzling song is a genre classic in the making.

The sweet confections continue with the sentimental 1999, a wistful tune about going back to best time in your life to correct a mistake.  Get Lost is a Goo Goo Dolls style rock number with a ton of attitude and powerhouse vocals.

Getaway is a standout cut about being stuck at work when the hot weather and ideas of the beach are running rampant in your head. “I’m gonna hit the beach, take a swim in the ocean, work on my tan with cheap crappy lotion, lay in the sand and watch the world pass me by,” is the super terrific chorus that will jangle in your head for ages!

X has a stunning sense of punk rock aesthetics that should send pits all across the nation spinning with excitement. Then there’s the spirited power balled Spring Flings that possesses its own keen sense of adventure.

Just The Way is an important song for the band, emphatically dedicated to the misfits and outcasts of the world. The spoken word performance towards the end of the track possesses a commanding sense of empowerment as the vocals says, “Hold your head up kid. We’re all in this together.”  You’ll want to take on the world after hearing this one.

Put Em Up has a sing-a-long chorus that should have audiences responding enthusiastic. Then the booty shaking Amie takes you on tour while being very much in love. This bit of sonic heaven should be overplayed all over the radio airwaves!

The album closes out with a stunning piano rendition of 1999 Rewind, giving the already superb song a whole new sense of poignancy.

Rewind by Summertime Dropouts is that rare album where each and every tracks stands out and shines.  The tremendously talented Summertime Dropouts lineup consists of David Erickson on lead vocals and bass, Danny Knoblock on lead guitar, Joshua Stoll on rhythm guitar, and Mark Nolan on drums. The album was executive produced by Clint Gibbs, whose recording credits include such high profile top charters as Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj and Britney Spears. With soaring hooks, epic choruses, and memorable lyrics, Summertime Dropouts are destined for the big leagues. Check into Rewind when it comes out in June and catch a rising star. The most exciting pop rocking feel good album since the arrival of Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard!

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Summertime Dropouts on Facebook

THE MIDWEST ROCK N ROLL EXPRESS with STYX, REO SPEEDWAGON and TED NUGENT — The Greek Theater, May 6, 2012

There was ample reason to shell out some hard-earned cash this May night.  It might not look like a fun prospect if you don’t know the bands: three groups that have made a handful of albums between them in the past 20+ years, touring on songs made no later than 1984.  But the audience at the Greek Theater knew that these multi-platinum (that’s millions of albums) artists and staples of rock’n'roll the world over still have what it takes to put butts in seats and then get them up and dancing.

TED NUGENT

First up on the Midwest Rock’N'Roll Express was one Motor City Madman, aka The Nuge, Uncle Ted, one Ted Nugent.  Playing on a stage lined with guitars, Nugent broke out some of his choicest songs like Cat Scratch Fever, Wang Dang Sweet Poontang and Wango Tango.  His groove-oriented songs were often short on sentiment, the lyrical subject matter mostly about sex, women and good times and a  lovely lady was invited out to shimmy and shake to bring the point home.  He called out to some originators of rock’n'roll like Little Richard, James Brown, Chuck Berry and many many more, saying if it wasn’t for them, there wouldn’t be any rock music in the world.  After hearing this I now can spot those influences in his music.  Closing out the set, Stranglehold sounds like no other song out there: a slow-burning number with “Wild” Mick Brown (formerly of Dokken) laying out a suspenseful tempo, Greg Smith slinking around on bass and Derek St. Holmes and Nugent squeezing out guitar peals and playing like a rising storm.  The song grooves along on triumphant highs and sexy lows before finally breaking loose in the last minute, causing the audience to jump around and go nuts.

REO SPEEDWAGON

Our ears still ringing from Ted Nugent’s high decibel set, REO Speedwagon showered us with their sunny songs of love and positivity.  The band began their set with Take It On the Run, a song about a rocky relationship, the impossibly fit and youthful Kevin Cronin singing with gusto, Dave Amato’s angry guitar solo reflecting the nature of the lyrics even as the whole band had huge smiles on their faces.  REO is a band that’s been around long enough to understand showmanship, dressing nice and acknowledging the audience.  Their set was so full of energy and they all looked like they love what they’re doing.  Keep Pushin’ sounds like a new song for all the vitality the band put into it.  Bassist Bruce Hall, with his white hair flowing took the microphone for Back on the Road Again, a bluesy rocker that reminded the audience that before they wrote ballads, REO was a bar band for years.

Of course there were the ballads.  Hands and lighters waved in the air for I Can’t Fight This Feeling, couples hugged and kissed and fans sang along without irony to this classic love song.  Keep On Loving You came later, Cronin on piano, a singalong about unconditional love, with another excellent solo from Amato.  Cronin stayed at the piano to begin Roll With The Changes, singing about “deserts burnin’ and “sweet sun showers” inciting the audience to sing along.  After that lovefest, REO Speedwagon encored with their hardest rocking song of the night: Ridin’ the Storm Out.  The fans in my section finally took to their feet and sang along as Amato soloed and Neal Doughty played some tasty organ runs.  If you get a chance to see REO Speedwagon the next time they come to your town, do yourself a favor and get your tickets early because these guys know how to put on a great show!

STYX

Headlining the night was Styx, the band that knocked REO’s Hi Infidelity out of the number one spot with their Paradise Theater album.  Last year fans got to hear Pieces of Eight and Grand Illusion performed live in their entirety, this time around fans got to hear hits from the band’s long career.  And what songs they were!  Tommy Shaw, another eternal youth, began the set with Blue Collar Man, celebrating the working class, the packed Greek Theater singing at the tops of their lungs.  Singer and keyboardist Lawrence Gowan took over for Grand Illusion, his theatricality a great fit for the band.  Gowan’s throaty vocals and attention to the audience led us into continuing to singing lyrics about not being drawn in by celebrity and besting your neighbors saying that “deep inside we’re all the same”.  His keyboards and James “JY” Young’s guitars captured the magnificence of the song and sentiment wonderfully.  Riding on that high, the 80′s keyboard sequences of Too Much Time On My Hands began, Tommy Shaw making faces and having fun, bringing the microphone around to the audience to trade lines about wasting time and daydreaming while (likely) being unemployed. While Lady is the better known song, Lorelei is even better, a hard rocking celebration of love sang by JY and joined by the rest of the band, with the chorus “Lorelei let’s live together/ Brighter than the stars forever,” a song that put smiles on our faces and was quiet heartwarming.

Tommy Shaw sang the lovely and forlorn Man In The Wilderness, the first of four more songs from The Grand Illusion.  Original bassist Chuck Panazzo joined the band for Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man),  a call to the youth to “Get up, (get up!) get back on your feet/ You’re the one they can’t beat and you know it”.  Gowan spun his keyboard around, played it with his hands behind his back, and we all sang along as usual, raising our voices in exaltation.  Miss America came along to blast any progressive nostalgia out of our heads with JY taking over on the vocals as the band tore into the hardest rocking song of the night and likely of Styx’ catalog.  A pumping disco rhythm and angry guitars backed JY’s growling vocals about the “Apple of the public’s eye” and how she’s put on display and has her life taken away.  The whole band just tore this song apart and left us happily exhausted.

For their encore Styx played Rockin’ The Paradise, showering us with confetti, the colorful backstage screen showing a theater marquee with scenes of the band performing from the past, followed by Renegade, with silhouetted horses and western themes, the audience out of their seats for the upbeat song about running from the “long arm of the law”. Lights flashed in our eyes, guitars squealed,  keyboards rang and sang, confetti fell and minds were blown.

(Review and Live Photos by Bret Miller)

LINKAGE

STYX Official Home Page
REO SPEEDWAGON Official Home Page
TED NUGENT Official Home Page
See all my pictures from the show HERE

True by Violens (Slumberland Records)

I love being able to tell others about new music. Case in point, this three-piece from Brooklyn called Violens.  Led by Jorge Elbrecht, who also produces here and elsewhere, he’s obviously not content to stick with one style, mood or color.  Throughout 2011 the band released a song a month via download and while some appear on True, they have been mixed to fit better as a cohesive album.

Der Microarc brings to mind Stereolab in the tightly wound rhythms and layered guitars, Elbrecht’s vocals express a breezy nostalgic mood.

Nostalgia is also to be felt on Totally True, the jazzy pop lushness continues the vocal harmonies having less to do with Spandau Ballet’s True than evoking sunny memories of times past and hopes for the future. 

When to Let Go sounds like a long lost pop classic with high echoing vocals, direct bass melody and jangling guitar.  The song builds up to the last minute, rising into a blissful racket.  Sariza Springs takes you to a warm outdoors area, birds chirping in the breeze, Elbrecht’s vocals taking on a woodsy feel, Myles Matheny creating a strutting bass tempo, two thirds in, the song takes a more serious tack, as if the earlier good times don’t always last. 

Every Melting Degree is the fittingly titled blast of hot hair caused by thumping bass, crashing percussion and ecstatic vocals followed by cloudy highs and blood-pumping distortion-heavy low.  The guys get their guitar groove on with this one.  All Night Low starts fast and hard, barely letting up for a second, Elbrecht’s vocals soaring through the distorted guitars and double time percussion.   

Watching the Streams builds up a swirl of off-key and off-putting guitar noise that is carried over into the instrumental Lucent Caries as the guitar melody winds down into an eery moaning voice.  Through the Window takes your heart from the first seconds, Elbrecht echoing around Iddo Arad’s textured synths and scratchy, itchy, soothing guitars, the solo is bright and invigorating. 

True closes with So Hard to See, as woozy guitars play over a shaggy drum shuffle Elbrecht “oohs” and “aahs”, his vocals weaving together around a tinkling keyboard line and dancey bass groove.

On True Violens craft classic pop and reference new wave, expressing a sometimes spectral, always pleasant sound all their own.

(by Bret Miller)

Learn more about Violens HERE.

Alpha Noir / Omega White by Moonspell (Napalm Records)

Dark Metal masters Moonspell return with their ninth album Alpha Noir / Omega White. The Alpha Noir CD opens with Axis Mundi, evil Latin chanting and angry guitars clawing skin from your chest.  There’s a brief respite towards the end of the song with Fernando Ribiero’s soothing melodic crooning in English.  Moonspell know how to get your blood boiling, and keep up the energy for Lickanthrope. Moaning and animal noises merge with a sinister swinging rhythm and chugging guitars as Ribiero growls about Little Red Riding Hood and night swallowing the day followed by some truly frightening howling.

On Versus Ribiero snarls about a primal man-to-man battle at the end of times while keyboards and strings elevate the song with beauty.  After the out-there disco beat and orchestration of Versus, The title track grabs you by the throat from the get-go, Miguel Gaspar’s kick drums propel the song at a break-neck pace as the guitars squeal and chug, Ribiero layering various vocal approaches, making one long for more of his baritone crooning.  Aires Pereira’s bass pounds your skull at the start of Em Nome Do Medo, then Pedro Paixão’s choral keys soothe as Ribiero growls in Portuguese.  There’s some amazing guitar solos from Ricardo Amorim stabbing like a sword further into your heart. 

Opera Carne stays rather straightforward and unpretentious, Ribiero gruffly singing ”Our flesh burns in mysterious ways”.  Here the keyboards are quite accomplished and the melodic guitar solo is enthralling.  Sine Missione, an orchestral instrumental closes Alpha Noir on a dramatic note, sounding for all the world like the theme to a heroic epic, horns and strings begin the song creating suspense, then the band joins in with jagged guitar chugs and pulverizing percussion adding more muscle to the proceedings, rising in intensity to a climax of deep horns and wailing guitars.  Simply stunning.

Omega White is the companion album to Alpha Noir and is a more textured, contemplative but no less impactful album for its slower pace.  Ribiero croons and sings, the guitars are strummed and are under less distortion and the keyboards are more distinct. Because the vocals are intelligible, Ribiero’s lyrics express their meaning more directly, coupled with the cleaner performances and arrangements, the songs on Omega White are just as accessible and successful in expressing Moonspell’s strengths as anything on Alpha Noir.

(by Bret Miller)

Moonspell Official Website HERE