Reviews
Review: The Damned Things – Ironiclast
The Damned Things – Ironiclast
Release Date: December 14, 2010
Label: Mercury Records
Purchase: iTunes | Insound | Amazon
Creating perhaps one of the strangest supergroups this side of Tinted Windows, Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die, Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano of Anthrax, and Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley of Fall Out Boy have joined forces to create The Damned Things. Generating early buzz for their debut, Ironiclast, through their pedigrees and the endlessly entertaining video for first single “We’ve Got A Situation Here” (directed by none other than Dethklok‘s Brendon Small), it appeared that the band was ready to usher in a wave of classic, blues-driven rock. After listening to the album, you’ll know that you want to be swallowed by this wave.
Just as the combination of ETID, Anthrax, and FOB may suggest, great riffs and soaring choruses are the name of the game on Ironiclast, and in these, The Damned Things come through in spades. “Bad Blood” is one such example of this. It starts off with the musical and lyrical dirtiness of Every Time I Die. The pre-chorus, however, serves as a perfect bridge between styles, paving the way for the markedly lighter chorus, castanets in tow, to successfully take control. This integration between the catchy and the heavy is exactly what The Damned Things sought to achieve, and they succeed time and time again.
“Friday Night (Going Down in Flames)” has an immediate momentum that never relents, making it one of the strongest tracks on the album. As radio-friendly as it is, the riff-heavy classic feel is refreshing compared to what pollutes the airwaves today, as is also the case with “We’ve Got A Situation Here.”
Lest listeners tire of this combination, as good as it is, the album changes speeds slightly, starting with “Black Heart,” after which the songs become more distinctly stylized. A more laid-back, swagger-filled song, it emphasizes the blues aspect that the band aimed for, losing none of the quality in doing so. “Little Darling” starts off with a guitar line very reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age, but by time it reaches the chorus, it has somehow changed into a Coheed and Cambria song. The title track, a jab at today’s scene, is heavy as hell, sounding more like straightforward metal.
Even within these styles however, it is still unquestionably The Damned Things running the show. One album in and they have already carved out a distinct sound of their own, one that is consistently strong and rarely falters in execution. It is only when the band strays too far from their light/heavy balance that the quality suffers. One such example of this is “A Great Reckoning.” While it does have fun lyrics and a catchy chorus, the instrumentation leaves much to be desired. The tambourines and acoustic guitars feel completely out of place and bring down a potentially good song.
Opener “Handbook for the Recently Deceased” suffers similarly. While decent enough in its own right, it errs to the FOB side of the spectrum. Like “A Reckoning” it simply lacks the bite and flair so evident throughout the rest of the album. It also highlights a general weakness of the entire album: the lyrics. Although a couple of songs, the personal closer “The Blues Havin’ Blues” in particular, touch on deeper themes, most have generic lyrics about relationships or having a good time. They don’t drag things down too much, given that the album is more about the music and choruses, but better lyrics wouldn’t have hurt.
Overall, Ironiclast is a fun time from start to finish. The Damned Things may sound strange on paper, but they pull off their odd combination better than most anyone would have expected. In spite of a couple of missteps, the band has delivered a strong debut that deserves commercial recognition and a chance to show off more of their tricks and talent in the future.
8.2
Standout Tracks: “Friday Night (Going Down in Flames)”, “Black Heart”, “The Blues Havin’ Blues”
Single: I See Stars – “End of the World Party”
Track: “End of the World Party”
Artist: I See Stars
Release Date: December 7, 2010
Label: Sumerian Records
We all know the explosion of popularity that has come to the “synthcore” genre in the past five or so years, and one band that I seem to have taken a liking to above most of the other more generic bands out there is the six piece, Warren, Michigan based group I See Stars. Their debut full-length on Sumerian Records, 3D, was received with mixed opinions by the music community, I being one of those on the “liked it” side. With their sophomore LP titled End of the World Party, due to be released late next month, I See Stars gave us a taste of what they will be delivering when they released their first single last month, which will be the title track on the upcoming release. And I must say, it’s nothing that we haven’t heard before on their previous release. Opening with (you guessed it!) a breakdown accompanied by some dubstep programming in the background, “End of the World Party” shows that their is not much to be considered new to this band, but for what they do, they pull it off fairly well, so I’ll give them a sliver of credit for that. After the screams subside (with more dubstep!) this young group shows one of their most prominent qualities: the ability to write an excellent hook. The chorus of this song will spread through your mind like the black plague, and will stay there until it fully runs its course, all the while the musicianship stays on par with their previous material. The song goes on with semi-catchy verses and then hits hard again with the huge sing-a-long chorus provided by the obviously tampered-with vocals of Devin Oliver. As the song comes to an end, we hear the same breakdown that accompanied the beginning of the track and then the three minute track ends, without much to be remembered other than the flashy chorus.
All in all, it’s a good effort, and for what it’s worth, it’s a fun track to jam in the car. But “End of the World Party” leaves not much to be desired in the long-run.
“End of the World Party” is from End of the World Party, out February 21, 2011 via Sumerian Records.
Listen: Via I See Stars’ Myspace
Rating: 6.8/10
Review: J. Cole – Friday Night Lights
J. Cole – Friday Night Lights
Released: November 12, 2010
Label: Roc Nation
“So here we are…”
Here we are, indeed. Say hello to the third mixtape from North Carolina’s J. Cole, approved by Hova himself. With his debut album scheduled for a 2011 release, it certainly is Cole’s time to shine. This is “his moment”: his chance to achieve the success that is the subject of almost every one of his songs.
If you aren’t already familiar with J. Cole’s life story, Friday Night Lights can certainly fill you in. Like the TV show of the same name, the mixtape focuses on the struggles of small-town folk struggling in the larger world; in this case, Cole’s poverty growing up in Fayetteville, North Carolina and his transition to the world stage as a rapper. Cole, who graduated from St. John’s University magna cum laude, is a deep-thinking, well-educated lyricist, taking nothing for granted. It is obvious Cole works extremely hard for everything in his life and he does everything in his power to force you to realize that.
Keeping that in mind, Friday Night Lights contains nothing inherently new in terms of Cole’s choice of subject matter. This, however, also means that Cole is doing what he does best: rapping about himself, his dedication to the “game”, and his rise from obscurity and small town North Carolina. Complimented by the bright, twinkling piano lines of the mixtape, J. Cole spits smoothly and with modest self-confidence.
Friday Night Lights features twenty tracks of rap in its most unadulterated form. Cole handles almost all of the production himself and only includes three rapping features, excluding Kanye West‘s G.O.O.D. Friday track “Looking For Trouble”. The highly anticipated Drake collaboration, “In The Morning”, is a solid showing from both young rappers, with both donning ‘thoughtful loverboy’ personas. J. Cole’s girl is “summertime fine”, while Drizzy’s is “wintertime cold”, but in the end, this makes no difference. Both are troubled by the same internal question that is plausible only because of their meteoric rises to stardom.
Is the mixtape fun? Sure, listen to the energetic “Higher”. How about serious? Cole definitely has that taken care of. Coherent? Absolutely. Friday Night Lights is a great effort from Cole all around, showcasing both his lyrical and production talents, but still addressing all of the emotional issues that have become the ‘bread-and-butter’ of Cole’s musical repertoire. If you’re looking for the future of hip-hop, this is it.
Cole World, here we come.
8.6
Standout Tracks: “Before I’m Gone”, “Higher”, “In The Morning (feat. Drake)” and “Home For The Holidays”
Single: Donots – “Calling”
Track: “Calling”
Artist: Donots
Release Date: November 23, 2010
Label: Solitary Man Records
There is nothing particularly new on Donots’ punk-rock anthem “Calling”, but in all honesty, the track doesn’t strike me as an effort to reinvent the wheel. Instead, “Calling” is more of an attempt to stick with a previously tried-and-true songwriting formula. From the tremolos of the guitars to the echoed vocals of the chorus to the fast-paced drumming, nothing seems particularly innovative, yet everything still seems to fit together. The song is extremely catchy and an enjoyable listien altogether, but if it seems like you’ve heard this song before, you probably have – it just probably wasn’t called “Calling” and it probably wasn’t performed by the Donots.
“Calling” is from The Long Way Home, out now.
MP3: Donots – “Calling”
Rating: 6.5/10
Review: Underoath – Ø (Disambiguation)
Underoath – Ø (Disambiguation)
Release Date: November 9, 2010
Label: Solid State Records
Purchase: iTunes | Insound | Amazon
With zero, count ’em, zero original members in the band, some longtime Underoath fans will be bold enough to say that this Underoath just isn’t truly the Underoath that originated in 1997. Some radical fans went as far as saying they should change their name or just call it quits, which was the exact thing suspected to evidently happen by vocalist Spencer Chamberlain, who had doubts about the band’s future after the departure of the band’s sole original member, drummer/singer Aaron Gillespie, in early 2010. But with the recruitment of former Norma Jean drummer, and long-time friend of the band, Daniel Davison, and a refreshed state of mind, Chamberlain and his fellow bandmates decided to press on with the Underoath name and record a brand new record, marking the point of new beginnings for the six-piece Florida-based metalcore band.
The new album titled Ø (Disambiguation) shows just how much Gillespie’s presence was holding back the band. With complete control over vocal duties, Chamberlain doesn’t hold anything back. Unleashing an incredibly dark and eerie singing variation, while transitioning beautifully into utterly menacing screams, it is quite clear that this is Chamberlain’s band now, and nobody is going to stunt his creative control.
Lyrically, Chamberlain has never been more vulnerable in his career. Knowing his past struggles with drugs, and his current passion and faith for the lord, Chamberlain weaves a thick, yet shallow web of words that undeniably seeps from the very depths of his dark memory. As he repeatedly shouts “Where is my fix?” in “A Divine Eradication”, one can’t help but feel the passion and emotion that flows up and out of Chamberlain’s throat.
Not only is the vocalization stunning in the newest edition of Underoath, but new stickman Davison also delivers a style of drumming that flows smoother than ever, yet hits you harder than anything Gillespie has ever accomplished on previous releases. The guitar work of Timothy McTague and James Smith continues to keep the same intricacy and experimentation, staying on par with the two previous Underoath’s releases,Define The Great Line and Lost In The Sound Of Separation. Also, the atmospheric delivery of programming, graciously provided to the listener by longest tenured member, Chris Dudley, on Ø (Disambiguation) is about as prominent as it has ever been, creating the illusion of floating adrift at sea in each and every song (most present in “Paper Lung” and “Driftwood”) of this undoubtedly water-themed album.
From the heaviness of the tracks “Illuminator” and “My Deteriorating Incline” to the ambient, Radiohead-esque feel of and “Driftwood”, Ø (Disambiguation) is a huge step forward for a band that has already progressed so far in their musical endeavors. With no end in sight (crossing my fingers!), Underoath has proven they are one of the top dogs in today’s declining music scene, always creating something fresh and intricate to rejuvenate the slow downfall of the state of music.
8.7
Standout Tracks: “Catch Myself Catching Myself”, “In Divison”, “Vacant Mouth”
Single: The White House Band – “Grown-Ups”
Track: “Grown-Ups”
Artist: The White House Band
Release Date: November 26, 2010
Label: Cap City Records
Taking a page from Cleveland rapper Kid Cudi‘s book, The White House Band combine heavy guitar riffs with angst-filled, reflective rapping on new single “Grown-Ups”, from the band’s upcoming Stimulus Package EP. Lead man David E. Beats is honest and likable enough, rapping about painful experiences in his childhood and ultimately progressing to becoming a “grown up now.” After a short instrumental interlude reminiscent of the tracks on Kanye West‘s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, David E. Beats returns with verse number two, sounding very similar to Rick Ross on “Devil In A New Dress”. But enough with the comparisons: where Kanye West chooses to use samples in his music (and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that!), The White House Band play every note. Be sure to give this solid track a listen.
Rating: 6/10
Review: HoneyChild – Nearer The Earth
HoneyChild – Nearer The Earth
Released: August 31, 2010
Label: Self-released
I may sound clichéd here, but HoneyChild is probably one of the best bands you’ve never heard. The band, currently comprised of Tobias Jesso (Guitars & Vocals), Noah Gersh (Guitars, Banjo, Mandolin, & Vocals), Erik Donley (Vocals & Guitar), Jamie Schefman (Bass & Vocals), Lance Piebenga (Keys), and Rheese Detrow (Drums), hails from Los Angeles, California. Gersh describes, “We’re all very different, and all have incredibly unique things to bring to the table.”
The band’s self-released debut Nearer The Earth was recorded with just two microphones and a laptop, but the eight-track release contains a bright, sunny sound that is filled with brilliant moments of layered melodies and instrumentals.
Opener “The Father” begins the album with a mellow, passionate sound that is both gripping and inspiring. The soft crooning is emphasized by the twinkling guitar in the background and rhythmic clashing of the drums, creating a powerful mix of emotions and passion that is both didactic and contemplative: “I couldn’t leave my land by the deep doors, my eldest son…”
The pace of the album picks up with “Tijuana”, an uplifting anthem that feels suitable for a stadium. The aptly titled “Driving Song” is warm and inviting, with a catchy chorus that begs for a sing-a-long on a long road trip: “Soldier standing with head fake high / What could have been of your life / The fields have grown / We won’t live that long / I got home I got / Take me home.”
“Lonesome Tiger” and “The Owl” are slotted in the middle of the record, with both songs containing metaphoric tales of nature and life: the lonesome tiger finding love and the sage owl calmly watching over the world. “Joker’s Wild” sounds like a clever blend between a natural, folk-roots sound and the indie rock-infused sounds of Portugal. The Man, something the band must have picked up during their shows with P.TM, Alberta Cross, OneEskimo, White Denim and more.
My main gripe with the record is the relative brevity of the songs. The eight track of the album last only about twenty-six and a half minutes, with the longest track (“The Owl”) lasting 3:51. Most of the songs begin by launching the listener directly into the song, which works superbly on “Driving Song” and “Tijuana”, but the more subtle build-ups in “The Father” and “The Owl” are layered perfectly, creating a dreamy, powerful atmosphere. While the head-on approach works well for the band, the slower songs are more engrossing listens overall and, personally, my favorite songs from the album.
8.0
Standout Tracks: “The Father”, “Driving Song”, and “The Owl”
Review: Heinali and Matt Finney – Conjoined EP
Heinali and Matt Finney – Conjoined EP
Released: November 20, 2010
Label: Self-released
2010 certainly has been a productive year for ambient post-rock and spoken word duo Heinali and Matt Finney. The Ukrainian composer – Alabaman spoken word poet combination is powerful and intriguing, always powerful and chill-inducing. Where Lemonade tried to be slightly catchier, Heinali and Matt Finney’s third EP release Conjoined, is ever more engrossing and ominous, packing 32 minutes of deep poetic contemplation and orchestration into a single EP.
Heinali’s composition has changed ever so slightly with each additional release, but it’s always for the better. This time around, the ambient-infused post rock style composition is darker than before, with droning synths and methodically-pounding drum lines. Many of the tracks on Conjoined feature menacing, heavy guitar wails with metal roots.
Conjoined is the most developed of the three Heinali and Matt Finney collaborations yet. The production and composition is at its best, complementing greatly with the ominous, angst-driven lyrics of Matt Finney. One of the main strengths of the duo is that the two feed off of one another, creating a final sound that is, if you’ll excuse the aphorism, “better than the sum of their parts.” This time around, the two have blended their styles more noticeably than on past releases, with Matt’s growls sinking into the rises and falls of the Heinali backing composition.
On title track “Conjoined” however, it is actually a bit hard to tell exactly what Matt Finney is muttering. The emotion is there, and it certainly always was, but the words are less clear and harder to make out. “Conjoined” makes up for the lack of clear vocals with some of the best composition on the record.
With that in mind, its important to note that the solo Heinali closer “The Sun Will Rise Yet We Won’t Be Here” feels uplifting and happy in a subtle manner, providing a nice change of sound from the pounding of the rest of the EP. The closer is a beautiful, uplifting piece that will certainly merit repeat listens and is the perfect way to close out the record – eight minutes and twenty four seconds of spiritual ambience.
Conjoined is an aptly chosen title for Heinali and Matt Finney’s third release. As the duo produce more and more music, they are certainly developing more noticeably as a group, evolving to create a fuller, more striking sound. It’ll certainly be interesting to see what direction the two will decide to take with their next EP, expected for a 2011 release.
7.4
Standout Tracks: “Conjoined” and “The Sun Will Rise Yet We Won’t Be Here”
Review: We Are the Ocean – Cutting Our Teeth
We Are the Ocean – Cutting Our Teeth
Released: February 1st, 2010
Label: Hassle Records
Purchase: iTunes | Amazon
I was first introduced to We Are the Ocean when they supported the Thrice UK tour. I was won over by their larger-than-life performance and immediately dubbed them ‘The British Alexisonfire‘. The vocals were excellent, the songs energetic and contagious and the personalities of the band members really came across on stage. The ‘British Alexisonfire‘ tag gives you an indication of the style of music on offer: quick paced post-hardcore with screamed verses and cleanly sung choruses.
Unfortunately though, We Are the Ocean suffer the same issue that others before them have fallen prey to: the energy in their live performance doesn’t translate onto record. Two of the highlights from the live show were the screamed vocals and the uplifting songs, which helped catch my attention. Live, the screamed vocals were passionate and intense, however on record they become monotonous and predictable, which does little to prevent the songs bleeding together as one. The uplifting songs loose their elevation and end up sounding flat, which is exacerbated by the predictable songwriting pattern that stays pretty much constant throughout the ten tracks.
With that said, there are strong points on this album that really deserve praise. The band’s greatest asset by far is vocalist/guitarist Liam who provides the clean vocals. His voice is reminiscent of Dallas Green from Alexisonfire, both in terms of tone and flawless live execution. Each song on the album contains a very strong chorus, punctuated by Liam’s excellent vocal delivery, which provides several memorable moments on the album.
There may be elements that hold the album back, but it’s fair to say there are no bad songs on offer. Each song provides sufficient enjoyable moments to keep me interested throughout the album. Yes, the songwriting formula has been heard several times before, and the music may be lacking in originality, but there is clear potential here for something very special if only the band could harness the obvious talent that they have and remove the ‘Alexisonfire‘ copy cat moniker.
I do feel harsh criticizing a band for being unoriginal as it feels like an unfair demand to expect innovation from such a young band who are just trying to create some music. I accept that notion and to a degree I welcome it, but the genre is already waterlogged with bands producing this kind of music from concentrate; it’s going to take a band with the ability to create the next flavor that will achieve longevity in my album collection.
Despite these misgivings, it is very positive to see UK talent emerging and this debut album provides plenty of reasons to be positive for the band’s future. With a more varied song-writing approach and some thought behind harnessing the energy of their stage show, the follow up release could be an excellent one. I would recommend catching them on tour, as they do really come alive on stage, but sadly on this record they just don’t do enough to distinguish themselves from the hundreds of other bands playing this style of music.
6.3
Standout Tracks: “Look Alive”, “These Days I Have Nothing”
Review: Isles & Glaciers – The Hearts of Lonely People
Isles & Glaciers – The Hearts of Lonely People
Released: March 9th, 2010
Label: Equal Vision Records
Purchase: iTunes | Amazon
Recently, I had an interesting job offer that involved going overseas. It was an exciting prospect and every ingredient was right: a lovely country, an excellent salary offer, interesting work and a hassle free move. Except, when I arrived at the place, all of these seemingly perfect elements just didn’t combine to create the dream move that I was hoping for.
Isles & Glaciers is an ‘all-star’ band made up of the genre’s leading players, making this EP a mouth watering prospect. You could say that if post hardcore was a sport, Isles & Glaciers would be this year’s national team. Musically, the band is overflowing with talent, with drumming duty provided by Mike Fuentes (Pierce the Veil), bass by Matt Goddard (Chiodos), guitars by Nick Martin (Underminded) and Brian Southall (The Receiving End of Sirens), plus a good helping of sampling also provided by Brian. There is no abating vocally either; Isles & Glaciers features three of the most distinctive vocalists in the genre: Jonny Craig (Emarosa), Vic Fuentes (Pierce the Veil) and Craig Owens (formerly of Chiodos).
All of these elements combined seemed, on paper, to be something I would instantly fall in love with. However, as with my trip, once I paid the EP a visit, I was left under-whelmed and disappointed by the time it reached the end. The EP moves along at a swift rate, with basic guitar parts accentuated by fast-paced drumming, tinged with electronic effects. The vocal duties are distributed evenly between the three singers who each take it in turns to perform a couple of lines before turning the spotlight over to another, in a continuous cycle.
Thus we arrive at my main gripe. Putting aside my personal distaste for Craig Owens’ vocals, I find it mystifying that three such highly regarded singers partake in this vocal relay throughout the EP, continually passing the baton to the next person without ever attempting to create harmonies with each other instead. It’s not until stand-out track ‘Viola Lion’ that an attempt is made to introduce some harmony; harmony that the previous five tracks had been screaming out for.
In the past, bands such as The Receiving End of Sirens, Alexisonfire and Conditions have given us excellent examples of how three diverse vocals can harmonize together to create superb melody and whilst I was fully expecting this EP to be another glowing example, it is tragically lacking any such accolade. Instead, it feels as though the vocalists wrote and performed their sections in complete isolation from each other, and whilst that may have been practical for the performers, it is a tragic waste of ability and opportunity for the listeners.
What compounds the problem is that the band have clearly identified the vocalists to be the key selling point of this record, so when the vocals fail to inspire, there is very little in terms of musical quality to rescue things. The music is simply a back-drop to allow the headline names to show what they can do. We are left with overly used electronic effects (which at times makes the acoustic drumming inaudible), unmemorable guitar parts and very little attempt at creating interesting songs.
The most frustrating part of all is that ‘Viola Lion’ is a fantastic track and demonstrates just how good this EP could have been if the band had collectively contributed to creating something with depth and coherence. As it is though, the musicians of the band have been relegated to the background in the hope that a few big name singers can carry off a series of songs without really needing to think too hard about the composition. Without the advantage of these ‘brand names’ to give the band an image, this EP would not last long as there simply isn’t enough quality in the songs to carry it.
In the end, I declined the job opportunity. Although there were many carrots dangled in front of me, they were never going to amount to a meal. There were a number of individual incentives that were persuasive but in the end, it was the very foundation of the deal that proved to be the downfall: I didn’t like the city itself. The Hearts of Lonely People has been constructed using the incentive of many extremely talented and capable individuals, but the foundation upon which every successful record is built is the quality of the songs and sadly, this EP falls short. Synergies do not arise by throwing together multiple individually attractive elements and hoping that something magical happens. My recent personal adventure, and this EP, are clear examples of this.
5.5
Standout Track: “Viola Lion”
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