The Ocean - Pelagial

The Ocean - Pelagial

The Ocean have really only been a band in a traditional sense since 2009. Originally it was founding member, guitarist, and song writer, Robin Staps brain child. A collection of over 20 different musicians contributed to their early albums, and it shows. While they were all great albums, it wasn't until Heliocentric, when Robin Staps formed a stable lineup with the current members, that they really found their own style. Taking elements of metal, post-metal, metalcore, and progressing everything further, while maintaining a set theme isn't a task suited for any band. The Ocean does just that with each album. While Heliocentric and Anthropocentric were outwardly looks at the problems and hypocrisies of Christianity. It was hard hitting and unrelenting, but never to the point of bashing, just questioning.

Pelagial is a different beast. It's a concept album which each song meant to represent a different layer of the ocean. It does work, extremely well, The Ocean are masters of their craft. Taken as a whole the album does feel like a decent into the depths of ocean itself. With each song becoming darker and more oppressive as the album progresses. I can't convey in words how well the band is able to create the mood and atmosphere using lyrics and instruments. It's almost beyond comprehension how they are able to do this.

The theme also has a secondary meaning. Not only does it feel like you are diving into the ocean, it also is a look into yourself. While Anthropocentric had an outward focus, Pelagial travels inward with lines like "How much control do we have over what we wish for". It's also not as open in it's questions of Christianity. No longer focused on questioning the religion itself it takes a look at the person and their beliefs and what drives a human being.

The Ocean have a definitive style carried on through the last 3 albums they have done. Pelagial is the easiest to listen to. The riffs aren't as harsh as Anthropocentric and it feels a lot smoother as a whole. As always the lyrics are beautiful and an art in themselves. It also manages to maintain its momentum better than the previous albums, even when it slows things down like in 'Abyssopelagic I: Boundless Vasts', The song so calmly almost as to lull you to sleep, in a good way. Even as it fades into the beginning of the next song, it works. It feels like a whole cohesive concept album.

Pelagial is The Oceans best work to date, it is a master piece of an album. There are no words to express this album. The closest I can come is with the word experience. This is an album that needs to be experienced in its entirety to get the whole picture. While the songs taken on their own still stand well, together they form a complete journey into the depths of The Ocean. They set out to accomplish a great task of a concept album, and they succeeded with flying colors.

Norma Jean - Redeemer

Norma Jean - Redeemer

O' God The Aftermath was a tornado of an album, it was fast, intense, hit with an unrelenting force and in the end you were scrambling to find what remained of your senses. Redeemer is a hurricane. It's more oppressive, it's a bit slower, it covers a larger area, but it's just as destructive if not more so. Really if there's such thing as a perfect album this may be it. Redeemer is a master piece hands down.

Taking their mathcore roots, it slows everything down. Long intros that switch directions keep your ears on their toes. 'A grand scene for a color film' starts things off in full force, it's like being hit by a stampede of angry elephants. It feels more refined than anything they've previously done and for that it's heavy and harder than anything else. 'Blueprints for future homes' takes things in another direction. While just as intense as the beginning, it's a more melodic side of Norma Jean. It's something they hinted at in their previous work but never really used. Here it shows up full force. Songs like 'Cemetery like a stage' and 'A small spark vs a large forest' really show how a song can be heavy and dirty while at the same time being melodic and catchy.

The last song on the album 'No passenger:No parasite' slows things down even more, it's long it's drawn out, it's amazing. It starts of with a haunting chorus line of "wake up" being repeated over a steady drum beat, while in the background you can hear what almost sounds like a heart monitor. As it progresses slowly elements are added. The drumming gets more intense, the guitar is heard, then the bass line, breaking into a full song. It's so simple, yet so complex with so many different layers. It's haunting and probably one of the best ending songs to any album.

Norma Jean has pulled off an amazing feat. Redeemer some how takes everything they have done in the past, refines it to the point where this album should come with a suit and tie, slows it down, and turns the intensity up. It leaves you needing a shower it's so dirty. It's about as close to perfection as a band could ever get. This is a must listen for anybody even remotely interested in music.

Norma Jean - O' God The Aftermath

Norma Jean - O' God The Aftermath

Norma Jean is back with their second full length album titled O' God The Aftermath. Fronted by newly added Cory Brandan Putman, they're ready to show other bands how Mathcore is done. Even more focused on the raw intensity of the genre Norma Jean throws everything at this album. It comes out even more stripped down compared to their first album and also even heavier.

The whole album is a never relenting hailstorm of intense fast paced riffs and amazing drumming. Never settling on conventional song structures this album is their most intriguing from a musical standpoint. Even songs that start out Seemingly unfocused and crazy for crazy's sake melt into something melodic and identifiable. 

Cory Brandan's vocals are put to good use on this album creating harmonies not previously seen from the band. Particularly on the songs Pretendeavor and Scientifiction. Disconnecktie is the most progressive song this band has put out, it slows down the pace and ends up heavier for it. It's unique and won't bore even the most jaded of Mathcore fans.

This is easily the most stripped down, rawest, and fastest album from the band. It hits you from the get go, grabs you and keeps pummeling you the whole way through. When the ride is over you're going to be lining up begging for more of the abuse. Norma Jean has proven they're here to stay.

Norma Jean - Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child

Norma Jean - Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child

Bless The Martyr And Kiss The Child is the debut album from Norma Jean. Following in the steps of bands like Converge and Dillenger Escape Plan, Norma Jean ventures in the realm of technical break downs, off beats, and throw-away chords. This is a Mathcore album through and through leaning more towards the core side. While it definitely holds its own it feels a bit one note. Any harmony and melody is drowned out by the screeching and overall comes off disjointed. The other issue is it comes off a bit unpolished. However it shows promise, this is a band starting out after all and while it shows, it also shows that there's great potential for something greater. 

'Face:Face' is one of the most standout songs on the album. It starts off hard and loud, but melts into probably the best representation of a melody on this album. It becomes fun to listen to and does stand out amongst the rest. The same can be said about 'Memphis will be laid to waste'. The sheer brutality of the song is why it stands out. It's a constant assault on your auditory sense that never relents. 

Norma Jean definitely have what it takes to make it, and rise above in the Mathcore genre. It may not be immediately apparent with this album but if you listen the qualities are there. They're a band to watch to see what they become. It could be something great.

Norma Jean - Meridional

Norma Jean - Meridional

Their last album Vs The Anti-Mother showed off a slower more melodic side of Norma Jean. 2010's Meridional shows off a much heavier side of Norma Jean. Starting with the song 'Leaderless and self-enlisted' it hits you in the face with low tuned guitars, a never ceasing drum beat while still embodying the throw-away chords and riffs that make Norma Jean so good. 'Anthem of angry brides' is another heavy song although it plays more to the math-core side of things. While this is the most oppressively hard hitting album they've released it also does contain some ballads reminiscent of the previous album. 'Falling from the sky, day seven' is probably the first slow ballad they've ever really done. It's slower, it's more melodic in tone, but still heavy at parts.

This is also the most lyrically impressive album they've ever released. Norma Jean have always been a Christian band and it comes out in force on this album. The expressions and metaphors created in the songs are beautiful. Even if you're not religious or despise Christianity, you still have to give them credit for the images and mood the lyrics create. Particularly the songs 'Deathbed Atheist', 'Bastardizer', and the previously mentioned 'Falling from the sky, day seven' don't try to hide their religious tone.

I'm curious as to where Norma Jean goes from here. They've been pushing to a more sludge-metal sound for the last two albums now. Most of their math-core roots have been swept aside although you can still hear the influence. It seems like their next album is going to break some faces. It may not be the direction old fans want but it's commendable for a band not to stay still. 

[Extra Note]

Meridional came out right around the time The Ocean released their album Anthropocentric. While Meridional praises Christianity and questions Atheism, Anthropocentric is it's counter part. It takes an impressive deep look at Christianity and questions it's beliefs to the point of criticizing it. It's a musical journey to listen to both one after the other, it's a nice balance. I suggest this method of listening no matter what your religious beliefs are.

AFI Post New Song - I Hope You Suffer

AFI Post New Song - I Hope You Suffer

It's been 4 hard years since we last heard from AFI with the album CrashLove, but they're back. For the last few months they've been releasing odd atmospheric videos leading up to the posting of their newest single. Titled 'I Hope You Suffer' it's raw it's a return to the more hard rock of Sing The Sorrow rather than continuing the post-punk sound of CrashLove. I like it, but I don't think it's enough to judge the album by. Either way has me excited, it's definitely a return to the angrier side of AFI without unnecessary screaming like on December Underground.  

AFI - I You Suffer

AFI official site afireinside.net

Norma Jean - Vs The Anti-Mother

Norma Jean - Vs The Anti-Mother

Vs The Anti-Mother is the 4th full length album from Norma Jean coming 2 years after the untouchable Redeemer. It's a departure from their earlier work, a lot of different styles have been used making a very diverse album. The only track really reminiscent of their older mathcore style is the song 'Birth of the Anti Mother' which is one of the fastest and hardest songs they've done. The rest of the album ranges from sludge metal to more melodic ballads. Over all it's a lot slower paced then previous works, but at the same time it features some of their heaviest songs.

The album also saw the contributions of many other artists. Particularly the track 'Surrender your sons' co-written by Chino Moreno of the Deftons rises above, it's one of the best tracks on this album, and one of my favorite Norma Jean tracks, even though, and perhaps because of how different it is from anything they've ever done. It's a haunting guitar track, it's haunting vocals, it's heavy, it's dynamic. Chino and Cory's voice work perfectly together. The lyrics are some of the best Norma Jean has ever written. 

Vs The Anti-Mother is a polarizing album. It's so different from anything they've ever done, it's so diverse in style. Many fans will surely be put off by it's unwillingness to sound the same as previous albums. Since it's so different it does have some high points but also some low points. Taken as a whole it's a good album, it's always positive when a band branches out and is willing to take chances. It's commendable that they've diversified themselves so much and only good things can come of this for their next albums.

Norma Jean - Wrongdoers

 Norma Jean - Wrongdoers

Rockers Norma Jean are back with a new album to show exactly why to they are referred to as The Almighty Norma Jean. The band has said this is supposed to be a mix of all things Norma Jean combined with a new flavor, and they delivered. If you took every Norma Jean album put it in a pot and turned it up to 11 you'd end up with Wrongdoers. The album is that good and has something for everyone. It has the slower, heavy, songs of Anti-Mother, it has the faster songs of O' God The Aftermath, it has mathcore, hardcore, sludge, and metal all mixed into one, resulting in probably the most progressive and refined album the band has ever released. 

There is no filler on this album, even the track Afterhour Animals which is just a recorded female voice telling you that you are calm, creates atmosphere. Every chord, lyric, riff, beat, has been thoughtfully added to each track. There's plenty of parts that will stick with you similar to lines like 'Tonight the south is on fire'. It makes an amazing album to listen to, but also will make an memorizing live show as well.

While there are really no throw away tracks on here, there are definitely some tracks that stand out on this album as always. Particularly the songs 'If you got it at five then you got it at fifty' and 'The lash whistled like a singing wind' will bring back memories of O' God The Aftermath and Bless The Martyr, 'Potter has no hands' is probably one of their fastest tracks and most mathcore. The title track 'Wrongdoers' is probably my favorite off the album, it'd fit right at home on Redeemer, it's hard but a ballad at the same time. I dare you to try and not get the line 'We make love to the same mistakes' stuck in your head.

What also stands out on this album is the drumming and vocals. Cory Brandan Putman's control over his own voice is almost inhuman, especially in the hardcore genre. Most vocalists can growl, scream, or be melodic. It's the reason why dual vocalists rule the land. Cory started to show off his more melodic side with Vs The Anti-Mother and on this album it's perfected. The little nuances as he switches back and forth can't be rivaled. This album also introduces a new drummer, Clayton Holyoak. To me his drumming is comparable to Daniel Davison who is one of the best drummers of all time. He's better suited to the band and it shows on this album, no beat sounds the same nor is boring.

The only downside to the album is the length, it's not too short, but it's going to leave you wanting to hear more of this new and improved Norma Jean. 2013 has been one of the best years for music so far and Norma Jean saw no reason to break that trend. This is easily one of their best albums, one of their most accessible (not a bad thing) albums, and one of their most progressive and diverse albums. This is a new era of Norma Jean, this is the aftermath.

Shores Releases A New Song Repetitions

Shores - Repetitions 

Some bands just refuse to be boring, no matter what. Shores is one of those bands. Hot of the tails of their latest EP Beginning/End Shores has put out a new song. I suggest you check it out even if you didn't initially take interest in them. First off this song is heavy, like melt your face, hide the children, heavy. Second it's an improvement over the EP (The EP was amazing btw, this song is just better) which shows the band is growing and not staying stagnant. I'm looking forward to hearing more from this young band, what do you guys think??

Take a listen, and buy!

Shores - Repetitions

Mindless Self Indulgence - How I Learned To Stop Giving A Shit And Love Mindless Self Indulgence

Mindless Self Indulgence - How I Learned To Stop Giving A Shit And Love Mindless Self Indulgence

Industrial-pop-punk legends Mindless Self Indulgence have been around for almost two decades now, and they're still kicking. With their first release in 6 years they've manage to show they still have everything that made them awesome from the get go. This album started as a Kickstarter project since they wanted to release it independently. Full disclosure I did fund them and got a sweet hoodie in return, and this album. The fact that this is an independent release does come through at times, it can feel a little under produced, which isn't exactly a bad thing.

With their last album, If, it felt like MSI had lost some of their edge, and had resorted to trying to be a Hot Topic, mall teen, friendly group. Almost every song on that album felt like it was a bit phoned in, the passion wasn't there, and it felt more like it was done for money than anything else. This album is closer in sound to the Another Mindless Ripoff EP, or You'll Rebel To Anything. It brings back the passion they had, the humor and the pure ridiculousness. 

The album starts off with Witness which is basically 3 minutes of Jimmy Urine proclaiming how awesome he is with the line "God likes me, I am the best, fuck everybody else". It's catchy it's funny, it's MSI. The beat pumps through each line is so over the top as to be ridiculous and humorous. 

The second song is a miss though. Fuck Machine has an alright rhythm and beat, but just terrible lyrics. Just so bad, it tries too hard to be funny, it tries too hard to be a cohesive song, it's just awful. If you're going to skip any song, it's this one, it's not worth the listen.

The rest of the songs are a mixed bag. There's nothing I would call bad, some songs are a bit simplistic and weak, but there's a definite appeal, Overall you're going to want more. MSI is back and as good as ever. This is a recommend buy for fans of MSI new and old, as well as people interested in trying them. It won't win over people who don't like them but that's not a bad thing in this case. Stop giving a shit and love MSI!

Norma Jean releases new song

Today metal rockers Norma Jean have release a new song off the sure to melt your face off new album Wrongdoers, which releases August 6th. Take a listen.

Norma Jean - If you got it at five,you got it at fifty

I'm excited for this, it sounds amazing. They said that this album was going to be a mix of all their previous works with some added flavor. I think this song is an awesome representation of that. You can clearly hear traces of O' God The Aftermath and Anti-Mother with some added grooves. It's heavy it's riffy (is that a word?) it's in your face. I'm pumped for the new album, and can't wait to see them live this summer on the Summer Slaughter Tour.

Shores - Beginning/End

Shores - Beginning/End

 

The so called 'Hardcore' genre has been so over saturated over the years with so many bands simply trying to make the hardest breakdown, or the lowest growls. There's so many bands at this point that they generally all meld into one, even on an individual bands own album many songs sound exactly the same. You come to expect the same screaming, the same clean vocals, the same chugga-chugga riffs, the same song structure. The whole genre has generally become boring and stale. Shores is a different breed. A fresh young band out of Okinawa Japan they're here to show what the genre can be. While they do fall victim to some of the stale staples of the genre, overall they offer a fresher approach to the hardcore music scene.

The first song you hear is Of Alaska. Right away you'll know what to expect. This is going to be heavy and loud. The opening guitar riff is more reminiscent of Underoath or Norma Jean than what you would expect in this genre, say something like Memphis May Fire. It then breaks down into the clean vocals, yet the guitarist refuses at this point to become boring. The song does go to the boring chugga-chugga riff towards the end, but at this point the song is stuck in your head.

The Last Sound shows off the layering of the clean vocals and the screaming. It highlights the differences between the two, and you'll realize they have pretty unique voices for the crowded genre. Also just try and get certain parts of this song out of your head, I dare you.

Westward March is one of the singles off the album and while it does showcase a lot of what the band has to offer, I kind of wish they had gone with another song, it's a great song and catchy as hell but I feel like it plays it too safe genre wise. Although I suppose that will be good to get the hardcore kids listening to it. Basically it's a traditional hardcore song you know what to expect, but it's well done.

Their next single off this album fares a bit better. Beacons is more something you'd expect out of a more progressive hardcore band like Underoath. It's a great showcase of the clean vocalists range. It's also a good single, it's decently catchy, and still plays it safe enough.

If I had to pick a favorite song off of this it would have to be The Great Neck. Probably because it's the most progressive song on the album. It's the best way to show off the combined skills of the band, the guitar, the bass, the drumming, and the vocals. The stand outs on this song in particular are the guitarist with the more mellow side of things transitioning into an awesome metal riff, and the two vocalists. The layering again on this song is just amazing. Also The Great Neck strays from the path with the song structure. It's very anti-traditional and it makes it just that much better.

The album is filled out with 3 other songs, Ashes and Embers, Polaris, and Beginning End. Of the 3 the closing song, Beginning End, is the stand out. It's a good way to close and will leave you wanting to hear more. In total the album contains 8 songs, it's a bit short but it's packed with talent.

Shores hasn't really made a big name yet in the US. Hopefully that will change soon, because these guys deserve it. They possess an amazing amount of talent, and bring a fresh taste to a stale genre. This is hopefully just the beginning for them and not the end (See what I did there?), though I would like them to use a more progressive song structure and try to steer away from the over played parts of the genre. Overall this is a great hardcore album and I hope to hear more from Shores.

Pick up the album today

My Hero Is Me - Helen Of Troy

My Hero Is Me - Helen Of Troy

 

 

I write this with a bit of sadness in my heart. My Hero Is Me is no longer a band, they haven't been for a while. It is actually a loss considering the potential they showed especially in this album. Back in the early days of the whole hardcore/metalcore/core scene so many bands fought to prove themselves. Honestly MHIM is one of the bands that rose to the top and had a huge impact on the whole scene whether it's realized or not.

This is the first album they released back in 2006. It is a little rough around the edges, while the music is top notch the production is a little rough. Also as you can see the cover is a bit low budget. It's extremely misleading considering the quality of the actual music contained within.

A lot of what makes this album so good and one of the best aspects (not to downplay the others) of this band as a whole is the fantastic frontman Daryl. His control over his screams, his lows, his highs, and his smooth singing is impressive to say the least and rarely seen in the genre. Also he's a pretty cool dude. Listen to any of the songs and you'll probably come out convinced that the bands has at least two different vocalists, yet there's only him.

The guitar work on every song is also fantastic. It ranges from slower paced chords, to the heavy chugga-chugga riffs that went on to define the genre combined with throw away riffs that hit with power. All melded with a lot of blue's influenced sounds. It's interesting to say the least. You won't find a boring song on this album.

The vocals and guitar meld well together with catchy melodies and choruses that will have you humming along long after the album has finished. Combined with some terrific non-traditional song structure and you can easily see why these guys were pioneers for the genre even if they remain fairly unknown.

The album does feature some stand out songs. The opener titled The Plot To Kill Bob Barker, first of all has one of the best titles for a song, and second will stay in your head. The lyrics catch you, almost as written by Bob Barker him self, in regards to show business. It features one of the heavier break downs on the album, something that would go on to be a defining part of the genre. The ending is just sublime, everything slows down into a lament of someone tired of the limelight.

The song Even Cupid Drinks is actually pretty funny and written as if coming from cupid was really at a bar. It's funny, it's heavy, it's catchy, it's a brilliantly written song. It's reminescent of something from Every Time I Die. The Song Tree Houses With Broken ladders is a straight forward song, but it's heavy and fast paced. The main riff is pretty catchy as well.

I think I've pretty much summed up MHIM in a nutshell, especially this album. It's catchy and well written. Some of the songs may seem generic or dated at this point, but they were written before the genre became so saturated. Most do stand the test of time and always have something going for them. I really suggest any fans of the metalcore genre to take a gander and see one of the pioneers who're no longer with us.

Senses Fail - Renacer

Senses Fail - Renacer

Some day scientists are going to have to go back and pin-point the exact moment that Senses Fail decided to get really good. Not that they were ever bad but mostly forgettable, I had completely forgotten they existed until a few weeks ago. I mean I always listened to them and liked them, just never really remembered them unless prompted. They were part of that wave of post-hardcore/screamo that came around in the early 2000's, they put out a few pretty good songs but ultimately failed to make an impact. They were just one of those bands that everyone listened to, and everyone knew, but no one particularly got excited.

This album may light any fires but it's such an improvement over their past work, and something to really get excited for. It's also a pretty big deviation from their past work, I mean there's elements of their old style mixed in, some songs it's more evident than others, but right from the get-go you know this is going to be something different. 

The song opens with a fairly hard hitting, hardcore (Think Hatebreed or Stick to Your Guns) song, named after the album which is fitting because basically it sets the tone for the whole album. This isn't the softer Senses Fail of the past. It's rough it's brutal it's, for lack of a better term, in your face. Holy Mountain starts off hitting heavy with a nice guitar riff, and gives way to more traditional Senses Fail softer singing. It's a good representation of the bands new sound and shows off their range especially with the vocals. However when I say soft it's still pretty heavy as a whole, a good mix of the past and present.

Mi Amor is probably the coolest song on the whole album. First it's mostly in Spanish, which is pretty cool, and second it's an interesting song to listen to. Also it's catchy as hell. It's again a mix of their old and new style, the chorus is pretty hard hitting but has a nice groove and catchy. The rest is just hard, and then the English parts are well done, and it's a nice love song that doesn't come off cheesy, like it easily could have.

The rest of the album, is extremely good for a hardcore album, there's a lot of talent in there. A lot of progression from their older days. The stand out tracks are definitely Snake Bite and Between The Mountains And The Sea. Snake Bite is another one that mixes old and new in a beautiful, particularly the softer vocals stand out on this track, and it mixes so well with the harder moments, also anohter catchy groove. BTMATS is almost reminiscent of Brand New, it's slower, but it's heavy. The vocals will you haunted after the song has ended. Nothing comes of as whiny or forced. It's more along the lines of their older work but shows the best of that period. The guitar work is less as groove heavy as the other tracks but plays nice in the end.

Unless you have been following this band since the early 2000's or were one of their bigger fans, I doubt you'll be expecting an album as heavy and as progressive (for the band) as Renacer. It's worth checking out for any hardcore, post-hardcore, or really anyone who likes music. It's a brilliantly done album as a whole.

Thoughts on Greeley Estates

Thoughts on Greeley Estates

Ever since I was introduced to Greeley Estates with their album Go West Young Man, Let The Evil Go East, they've been one of my favorite bands to listen to. I always look forward to see what they'll put out next. No Rain, No Rainbow blew me away almost literally. Seven Hours is the theme song I share with one of my friends who I introduced to Greeley. I feel they're highly under rated as a band and really have a ton of talent in general.

I've listened to their older albums and I just am not a fan. It's not really my type of music and I just feel like it's not as good as what they've put out since GWYMLTEGE. Not to say that I think it's bad, just not representative of the talent that they have shown lately. I mean even now some of their work comes off as generic metalcore but everything is still above par to me. 

I think what draws me the most is their use of horror elements in their lyrics and the fact they've made some of the hardest songs I've ever heard. They have a knack for mixing skull splitting brutality with hauntingly soft vocals and structure. It's definitely been the main draw for me when listening to them. It's something I think defines them as a band, and it's a really good thing. Like I said before occasionally they come off as generic but even then these elements keep them ahead of the pack.

Their last full length album, The Death of Greeley Estates wasn't bad really from a musical standpoint, but it was mixed so poorly, the whole thing sounded like it was recorded in a tube, it's not really the band's fault though. I would like to see them revisit that album and release a remastered version if possible, I feel like it's going to get lost in their discography simply for that reason. 

Their last EP The Narrow Road was perfect and pure Greeley. It featured some of their heaviest work and some of their most progressive stuff to date. It was also mixed perfectly and everything came through loud and clear. I reviewed that one and gave it a glowing recommendation. To be fair if your not a Greeley fan already it probably won't sway you to this side of the fence, but to anyone interested in metalcore it's worth checking out.

I just reviewed the second part of their EP series, Devil Son. It just came of disappointing, not bad, just felt like they could do better. As a fan writing that review was almost painful since I really do find them talented and they are one of my favorites, but I can't just write about every time they do something great and groundbreaking. I don't think Devil Son is anything to write home about, I mean it really does show their growth as a band in some parts, but overall it feels more like something that they would have released six or seven years ago. 

It's just more disappointing than anything, I get they wanted to show off a slower and softer side, and that was sort of the point of releasing a split album. The first three tracks are great, like some of their best work to date, especially Turn The Night Away, which I think steals the show on this EP. Marionette was a perfect choice for a video and is another example of them moving forward, I'd love to see them do some softer/slower songs like those two. The rest is just weak overall, it feels like a regression.

Either way though, they always have me excited, I love being a Greeley fan, and I hope they come to the North East sometime soon so I can see them live. I'm ever looking forward to what they have to release. I just felt like explaining my thoughts on the last review, it took me so long to write because I kept feeling like I was just being too harsh in my criticisms. As always continue to support bands, buy their albums!

Buy their latest EP Devil Son now on Bandcamp or iTunes

Greeley Estates - Devil Son EP

Greeley Estates - Devil Son

Greeley Estates released the first part of their dual EP project last November and it was mixed perfectly and as heavy as No Rain No Rainbow, basically making up for The Death of Greeley Estates weaker production. It was representative of everything that makes Greeley, Greeley. They've finally returned with the second part titled Devil Son. It heads in different direction than The Narrow Road, and the beginning few songs shows a lot of growth as a band. Unfortunately it doesn't come out as strong as the first part.

Say whatever you want about Greeley Estates but they know how to write an opener to an album. The opener this time again shares the same name as the EP, Devil Son. It starts off acoustically with a haunting electronic tone in the back. The band comes in slowly with a powerful drum line and a haunting chorus in the background. Pretty powerful for what is probably their slowest song. I actually wish it was a bit longer it's one of the better songs on the album.

Marionette was the first video released from this EP and it's pretty good, it shows progress from the band, I would like them to do more songs like this, it's one of their softer songs that actually comes together nicely without feeling weak. Mixing soft vocals with the screaming we're used to, it's done nicely, also the guitar work is a step forward for the band in general.

Turn the Night Away is another progressive song and shows a bit of their range. Again it starts off pretty slow, and soft, not weak, just softer than usual. It starts picking up and culminates in one of the heaviest breakdowns from them. Lyrically it's also pretty powerful and should hit home for a lot of people. This is a direction I would like to see Greeley take, they can do softer songs and still remain heavy and it's evident with this song.

The rest of the album is going to feel more at home with older Greeley Estates fans. Starting with The World You Used to Know, it feels like something from their older pre-Go West albums. Again the guitar is probably the standout of this song. Overall unless what you're looking for is older Greeley Estates this song will disappoint, and it's too bad since they have progressed so far over the last few albums.

The Killing Fields is actually pretty decent, but again more like their older work. It comes off as weak. Not just because it's softer, but more because of the structure and vocal work, and the overall package. The next song up comes out the same way, it feels a bit whiney overall. Not their best work really.

The EP does close on a good note though, Cut Me Out is a haunting pretty hard tune. It's again slower than anything on The Narrow Road, but comes off feeling pretty heavy. It demonstrates the growth I was talking about with their albums. It's not anything amazing like Doomsday was but it's still a good way to end this EP.

The Narrow Road set expectations high for this EP, maybe a little too high. It's Unfortunate because there's nothing particularly bad about the album, overall it just comes off a little weak. For every moment of progress and every step forward it feels like they took two steps back. I reccomend Greeley fans pick it up, it's worth listening to, and will probably resonate more for older Greeley fans, but it won't leave you with the same feeling as The Narrow Road did.

Bring Me The Horizon - Sempiternal

Bring Me The Horizon - Sempiternal

I have never been a huge fan of Bring Me The Horizon, I never saw the appeal. Sure they weren't bad, but they were never particularly good either. Their first album Count Your Blessings was a fairly generic deathcore album, again not bad but nothing memorable. Although it did show signs of some sort of potential. Suicide Seasons seemed like they were trying to be a bit more catchy, yet again generic metalcore. Their last album, There Is a Hell Believe Me I've  Seen It. There Is A Heaven Let's Keep It A Secret, had an exorbitantly long title and came off again as generic, many of the songs seemed like rehashes of Suicide Season, the ones where they tried to sound different showed that at least they were trying, but just failed to impress. Overall the word I'd use to sum up BMTH in the past is generic. Nothing bad, nothing outstanding, just generic.

That all changes with this album. This is the first time BMTH has impressed me to the point where I'd call it good, actually I'll go out on a limb and call it really good. There's two unfortunate things about this album however, first this will easily be their most polarizing album for their fans. It's a hate it or love it album. Second is the song Anti-Vist which I'll get to later. Just everything in this album, comes out as a cohesive and impressive package, the lyrics really shine in particular.

The album opens with a song called Can You Feel My Heart? already we get off to a good start. The lyrics while maybe structured in a predictable way but they're actually good. The line "I can't drown my demons they know how to swim" stuck with me long after the song had ended. The use of the vocal modulation and the general use of electronics is now less of a gimmick and more along the lines of Underoath where it becomes an important part of the song without over powering the actual instruments and vocals.

Next up we hit the song House of Wolves this is more what fans of BMTH will be expecting, but better. Again impressive lyrics, a nice chanting chorus, an interesting theme, and a hard hitting ending. Empire (Let Them Sing) again is more like traditional BMTH but better, great use of the electronics on this one, The guitar work really shows on this one, and yet again so does the work put into the lyrics, This should actually be a great one to listen to live. 

Sleepwalking has easily become my second favorite song on this album, while the guitars/bass are fairly generic they take a backseat to some impressive drumming, amazing (I can't stress this enough) vocals, and the haunting use of electronics. This is the first song on the album that shows that Oli Sykes actually has a vocal range and isn't just stuck growling and using a harsh voice. Also again the lyrics, I'm just going to stop mentioning them because every song (except Anti-Vist) showcases that BMTH is taking their lyrics seriously.

Go To Hell, For Heavens Sake is an emotionally charged song which I'm sure will really reach home for some people. However ultimately when up against the rest of the album it comes off as forgettable. That's not a bad thing though, the song is still good, with impressive vocals and guitars back to the forefront, it's just a testament to the rest of the album that a song that on any other of their album easily would have been the best, fades away compared to the rest of this album.

This album has been leaked for about a month now, the first song to leak and later to release is Shadow Moses. It's a song I would say really best shows how far the band has come, it has elements of their older works, and yet it expands on it so much further, with meaningful use of electronics and another case of great vocals and excellent song structure. This song will stay in your head, it is catchy in a good way.

My favorite song on this album by a long shot is And the snakes begin to sing, probably their biggest departure from their previous work, it's an extremely haunting song that will have you questioning if you suddenly started listening to a different band entirely, which is not a bad thing. The song shows that BMTH is not some forgettable generic band but actually has talent. It will have you questioning whether or not this is Oli Sykes actually singing. The song is very reminiscent of Underoath, which considering how talented that band is, is a huge compliment, and another testament to how good this album actually is. Basically if I could only keep one song off this album it would be this song.

Seen it all before is a little bit forgettable, although again impressive as a whole, great vocal use, really good guitars in this, it's a bit slow probably not going to be the favorite for any fans. It's just a well composed song that falls to the background behind other songs on this album.

Anti-Vist...Anti-Vist. I can't stress how bad this song is. It starts out with promise of something heavy and hard...and then the lyrics start. "Middle fingers up if you don't give a f*ck" Why? Just answer me why was this the best you can come up with BMTH? After the rest of the songs being so amazing up to this point, showing some serious talent you revert to the worst song you have ever made? Why? I know this is a rant here but just listen to the song and try and not come out of it with the same feelings. It only gets progressively worse, I guess that's sort of impressive. Saddest part is I bet this song will be the one they play live and the one everyone chants along to.

Crooked Young brings them back in line with the rest of the album. Probably their most obvious and in your face, anti-religious song. It's going to hit home with a lot of people listening, particularly anyone going through a crisis of faith. Side-note maybe it's just me but it sounds like he's saying the crooked yoke and I keep thinking of eggs.

The album ends with a very haunting and emotionally heavy song Hospital for souls. It's a perfect ending song really, it's one again that may turn off fans of their last few albums. Heavy is the best way to put it, everything from the guitars to the vocals to the lyrics to the electronics will sit with you. It's a shining example of everything that makes this album great. 

Is this album for everyone? Not really, a lot of older fans will probably be put off, expecting something along the lines of Suicide Season or TIAHBMISITIAHLKIAS, will be disapointed. Others will identify with it and love it. Anybody who was on the fence about BMTH should pick this up it may just sway you. Here's to hoping this is a sign of things to come, this is the first time I can actually say that I thoroughly enjoyed a BMTH album and actually can say it's good and impressive.

The album is out now go pick up and give it a listen.

Greeley Estates - The Narrow Road

Greeley Estates - The Narrow Road

       If anybody thinks that Greeley Estates aren't one of the hardest working bands in the industry, they should stop thinking because clearly they don't know how. Ever since 2010's No Rain, No Rainbow the Greeley boys have given us an album a year. This year brings us The Narrow Road the first part of a two part EP release. 

       NRNR was not only the heaviest Greeley album, it's one of the heaviest albums I've ever heard. TDOGE  went back to the lighter more melodic stylings, mixing some of the heavier elements of NRNR. Overall it was a good album, however it's production was very poor. The album sounded as if it were recorded in a hollow tube or long hallway, drums were weak, guitars muddled. To start off, the production on this EP is better, way better, as good if not better than NRNR. The guitars come to the foreground and the drums sound hit hard. The vocals are as great as ever and nothing comes out unfocused or unclear.

     Track by track

1. The Narrow Road : A fantastic opener for this EP, I feel it even hits heavier than Seven Hours, and I love the dark atmosphere it creates. It starts like a freight train and definently sets the tone for the rest of the album. The vocals are interesting for this one, long drawn out screams, and some almost points of speaking. The actual lyrics are pretty impressive as well.
2. Head Underwater: Another hard hitting songs, that has a ton of momentum. The vocals come to the front here with amazing highs from Zimmerman and fantastic lows from the guest vocalist with great symmetry between the two. 
3. Lot Lizards: Weird title, awesome song. Since Greeley leaked the song a month ago it's easily become my favorite song by them. This is a perfect example of the awesome production on this album. It also highlights the skills of all the band members perfectly. If I was to introduce someone to Greeley Estates this would be the song I'd choose.
4. Watch It Burn: Probably the most forward thinking song on this album. It's very reminiscent of bands like Norma Jean and Inhale/Exhale. Very interesting to listen to, and it shows the versatility of the band. Fun to listen to, could be a great direction for the band to take. The best demonstration of the guitar work of the band.
5. Die: Die is an extremely heavy song that would have been fitting on NRNR. Some powerful and emotional lyrics brought to life. Definitely has one of the heaviest breakdowns on the album especially the ending.
6. Lennox House: Lennox House is an interesting song, it mixes parts of almost sludge metal with traditional Greeley mellow. It again shows the versatility of the band to break out of the style they're used to. Unfortunately unlike Watch It Burn, it ends up a little weak as a song. It's still an awesome song, and will probably end up being polarizing amongst fans. 
7. Doomsday: The closest to deathcore Greeley has ever come, easily one of their heaviest songs. A great way to end the album. Great vocals demonstrating a dynamic range, great guitar work, mind blowing drumming, intense lyrics, well produced. Leaves you rushing to hit the repeat button

Album as a whole

This isn't a full album, it is part one of a two part EP release, still seven songs is a pretty good length. It definitely leaves you wanting more though, but it's a good thing. You'll find yourself abusing the repeat button of your player. The album shows the band is maturing and starting to branch away from pure metalcore. Like mentioned before it's very well produced, all the sounds come together in harmony nothing is over nor underpowered. 

Wrap up

It's comendable and a bit mind blowing to have a band release an album a year, and still remain fresh. The Narrow Road is everything Greeley Estates and more so. Fantastic vocals, haunting and intense lyrics, the best guitars thus far, and hard hitting and versatile drumming. Whether a new fan or old this EP will appeal to everyone as it should. It'll be fun to watch Greeley Estates explore different directions musically and I look forward to next year's EP and the albums to come.

Buy now on Bandcamp or Amazon and soon iTunes