Interested in new Killswith Engage???? Well look somewhere else because we only have a clone for you today! I'm still not sure how I feel about Times of Grace. I guess time will tell but this song "Live In Love" could be any generic song from a KSE album. I mean they do it well and I'm happy that former KSE singer Jessie Leech is back but it just seems odd.
I'm not trying to be racially insensitive. I just don't understand where this video is coming from. I mean, If you watch this video on the youtube page its hosted by Warner Music Sweden? This guy is obviously Indian? Its just all an odd mismatch of things. The songs too cute for my tastes.
So I've been sitting here for the past 20 minutes trying to figure out what to do for post 400. I can't think of anything. Seriously, my mind is blank. So here's are some random video's...
This video came out months ago before I really was into the site. So I'm making up for not posting by posting it on a slow day. Lots of metal today. Sorry for all the nonmetal puss... I mean people. I like the name Black Tusk but I feel like its too close to Mastodon sounding...
Ummm... When did TRUSTcompany get back together... or did they ever break up? I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!! It sounds like they made this song in the late 90's early 2000's when the band debuted. Who knows you may like it. I want to take the chance and apologize for the crappy quality of the video. It was all I could find.
The name of the song is painful I know, but for those who are big fans of hardcore and genres in the same vain I'm sure they will love this song. Its definitely better than the other stuff I've heard from the band. It doesn't seem like the over produced stuff that we get showered with in today's hardcore scene. Their new album "Filthy Habits" will be released early next year.
Annihilator - Self Titled. I debated a great deal on where I would put the newest by Annihilator. I became a fan of the band a couple years ago when they released the album "Metal" and when I decided to look into them more I was happy to see that they had a new LP in the works. I had no idea it would be the epic awesome that it turned out to be. Annihilator plays the best kind of thrash metal. Its fast in your your face but it doesn't just bleed into noise like many thrash bands do.When you listen to the album its apparent that the band relies heavily on the guitar riffs and rightly so. The guitar work on the album is amazing, some of the best I've ever heard. They didn't forget the rest of the band though. While the guitars steal the show the drumming and bass are top notch. I called the bands music "Thrash" and it is that by definition but they even play with progressive elements in some of the song and even on song borrows elements from metal powerhouse Megadeth. Its a great album from start to finish with catchy songs and influences from the greats of metal that have a charm all their own.
"The Trend"
"Betrayed"
Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy. One day, when I was on my way home from work in my dad's car, I was listening to sirius/xm radio and the song "The Termination Proclamation" played on whatever metal station they had and I was entranced in its awesome. I had no idea what to expect from the album but I was excited to finally listen to it. So I got this album and I was ready to rock and was.... overall disappointed. Well its true, when I first hear this album I was disappointed that all the songs weren't like the one I heard in my dads car. Little did I know that when I gave the album a couple more listens that it would become one of my favorites of the year. Nevermore has been around for a long time, I knew they existed but always assumed they were a cheesy 80's trash metal band but I was wrong. These guys make some of the most deceptively heavy music out there. The talent from the guys in the band are unmatched when it comes to the thrashish genre. The album is a trip, it changes tempo, musical direction, even key and is just like "Deal with it". This album is worth listening to until you understand as I did. I challenge you to try it out.
The Damned Things new album was just released and its a ball of mediocre. Luckily they decided to play the one song on the album I really enjoy probably because it sounds a lot like Every Time I Die. The sound on this recording is a bit lacking especially for TV. "Ironiclast" was released earlier this month.
I'm all for new songs that sound like Whitest Boy Alive. I like how grimy this video is but the song is light and airy. The Radio Dept released a "Best of" album earlier this year.
Crematory covered the Depeche Mode song "Black Celebration" and while I'm a huge fan of the song and the original band, I can't help but feel that the cover takes something away from the creepiness that the song had. As covers go its not as bad as it could have been but the death metal vocals come off cheap, they had the opportunity to really make this song brutal and it just isn't. This song comes from their newest release "Infinity" which was dropped earlier this year.
Damn this song is awesome. There must be something in the water in France because they seem to breed some damn good progressive metal bands. You could make obvious references to Gojira, but the two bands actually sound very different. I feel like the vocals are the biggest difference but Gojira also has a brutality to them that this band doesn't seem to have. I'm downloading their newest album called "Black Days" which was released earlier this year. Man that was a good song!
The article I was reading on this band said that the album that this song is on is only 28 minutes long. Seem like a rip off, but I guess it depends on the quality of the material right? Their self titled album will be released Jan 25.
2010 was a interesting year for my development into the metal genre. My tastes changed a lot this year with my recent exploration into progressive metal and rock music. I still love some brutal death metal and don't mind the occasional metalcore album, but I've lost my infatuation with deathcore which is a good thing. So what does all of that mean for my over all picks this year... well for starters its not nearly as heavy as previous years. More of the bands are going to be unknown or not as widely known. The music quality is going up, oh and I'm getting older so that might be a big change as well.
Its very important that you understand that this isn't a debate. These are my top ten picks. You may disagree and that's OK. Just remember that we love metal together, as metal heads we should back support our peers even if you don't agree with what they deem is good. So for this list and all lists to come after it, use it as an informative piece and don't trash the writers opinions.
10. The Acacia Strain - "Wormwood"
To the untrained listener "Wormwood" would be, without a doubt, the heaviest album on my list. Its also the only deathcore band I'll list. With the sea of deathcore albums released in 2010 this one stands above the rest as a true testament of the staying power of bands that founded the genre. "Wormwood" just relentlessly beats the heavy into your head. Its not the "play as fast as you can" deathcore that has flooded the market. This album is at times slow and methodical. I got a lot of playtime out of this record this year so I felt it deserved to be on the list.
"The Impaler"
9. TesseracT - "Concealing Fate EP"
The only EP on my list, and its amazing that an EP made the list in the first place. "Concealing Fate" is one of the best progressive metal albums I've heard. This band has big things coming to them in the future if they stay on the path they are on now. Being an EP the album isn't very long, clocking in at around 30 minutes, but for what they miss in quantity they make up for with the utmost quality. Out of all of the progressive metal albums on my list these guys display the most skill with their instruments. I'm looking forward to TesseracT's debut next year!
"Deception"
8. The Chariot - "Long Live"
I never really thought much of The Chariot before this years "Long Live". I always felt that the albums were just a bunch of noise. To be fair is probably still is noise, but now a more structured, controlled noise. "Long Live" is also the most diverse of all The Chariot albums adding different musical instruments as well as utilizing guest vocalist who don't scream. This is the only post hardcore album on my list and it was a toss up between this and a lesser known outfit called Reno but I feel that The Chariot really brought a lot to the table with this album and should be recognized for the effort.
"Andy Sundwall"
7. Journal - "Unlorja"
If your a fan of metal you really need to hear "Unlorja". This album is completely nuts. Whats even more crazy is this band self released "Unlorja" and they are still unsigned. Its only a matter of time before they do get signed and have money to make a label release which I can only imagine will be one of the greatest mathcore albums ever released. These guys made due with what resources they had and that's why "Unlorja" is on my list. If I had a most deserving list they would be number 1!!!
"Labyrinth of Betrayal"
6. The Ocean - "Heliocentric" and "Anthropocentric"
The Ocean released two albums this year so its not cheating to put both of them as number 6. If I had to choose one of them I would choose "Anthropocentric" but this is my list damnit! There were going to be stark differences between the two albums as far as heaviness goes but I can't really tell a difference. Both albums are top notch progressive metal with light and heavy elements. The first record "Heliocentric" was definitely the risk taker of the two. It had some lite elements that the other did not. Both are good enough for their own spots. I'm glad I did it this way because now I get to post two songs!
"Heliocentric" - "The First Commandment of the Luminaries"
"Anthropocentric" - "She Was The Universe"
5. Periphery - "Periphery"
If I could see any band right now it would be Periphery. From what I understand they put on one hell of a show. I struggle where to put this on the list. The music is so good but the vocals are lacking in areas, which is not the case when seeing them live. I REALLY WANT TO SEE THEM LIVE! The songs on this album are unique in that they are super catchy. They use a great blend of screaming and singing vocals that work for the most part. The real draw here is the excellent guitar work. Its like listening to Fall of Troy and actually being able to stand more than one song. This also might be the most accessible of all of the progressive bands that I will post.
"Walk"
I really enjoyed listening to this album. I love how raw it is. I feel like I'm in the room with the artist, or in a club listening to him play. Sometimes that is a nice feeling. The music is reminiscent of Iron and Wine and bands in that more folky vain. If you like the album enough feel free to support the artist by purchasing a copy of the album!
I really can't find that much in regards to this band. I'm sure more information is out there but its not readily accessible. I would assume this debut single means there is an album in the works. I hope that's the case because I really enjoyed this song. I hope you do as well.
This video might be a little over dramatic. I think if I didn't know who Corey Taylor was it would make it easier to like this song. I don't hate it, its just a little... vagina? Yeah that's what I'm going for. "Audio Secrecy" the third album to be released under the stone sour name was released earlier this year.
Here's a decent cover of Motörhead's "Bomber". Never listened to Onslaught before. I like the name. Enjoy the video. ONSLAUGHT - Bomber (Motörhead Cover)
Another strange video debuts today, this time from Ceo. Its not creepy as much as just strange. I like the black and white because the black dominates most of the screen. From what I understand this guy is pretty crazy, but in an artistic way. You can read more about him HERE. His album "White Magic" was released earlier this year.
If this doesn't get you moving, you might be dead. I'm all about supporting artists with beards because the beard is the most manliest of features. If you want to here more by Breakbot you can visit his Myspace.
I can't imagine a world where Marilyn Manson is ok with this. I know its not an actual cover of the song, but damn. See I hope Xtina to a different standard than other pop stars because she actually has the pipes to back up her terrible pop music. This just makes me cry a bit. How many times can you say "Beautiful" before it gets old?
Its been almost a year since this band released a single and this ones a good one. Coming from their upcoming album "The Cold Still", "Step Out of the Car" is just a tease of whats to come. Look for "The Cold Still" in February.
MetalSucks is an awesome Blog/site. They always have entertaining stuff to share and might to the best interviews of any site I've seen. Today they posted the Top 10 lists from a lot of prominent metal artists. The lists are pretty good and I love when you can get different viewpoints on the same album to kinda gauge your interest in them. You can check out the lists HERE!! Make sure to look around, its an awesome place!
You might think that this video is boring and maybe the music sucks. Hell I think that as well, but damn it, is the ending not sweet! The video has definitely peeked my interest, so I think I'll go check out more about HEALTH. While I do that, here you are...
Wasn't a big fan of this song, just seems a bit stock to me. At least the video is interesting enough to keep me watching. This video is being released in support of the bands forthcoming album "Outside" being released early next year.
This song is being released to promote the bands new album "Dye It Blonde" which is being released early next year. I like the song. The video seems lazy and its definitely been done before. I'm looking forward to hearing more from these guys.
Here are 5 super short reviews of some albums I've been listening to over the past couple days. Some of these I may have only listened to once or twice so that should make for some fun.... or not.
Braids - "Native Speaker"
This album is Dream Pop at its most interesting and most filthy lyrically. Some of these songs sound like they should have been tracks from games off the Super Nintendo. I'm not saying that they are cartoony in any way, but they use sounds that were pretty prominently used for those tracks. I really like the feel of this record. Its not saturating like a lot of dream pop can be. Its very light an airy and the vocals are very unique to this album.
"Native Speaker" gets a 3.5 out of 5
The Go! Team - "Rolling Blackouts"
This is the most pop of the albums on this list. I'm not saying that there are only pop elements but they are heavy where the show up. The Go! Team aren't a band I've spent much time listening to. It is however a band that I feel like I will get to know over the next couple months. It has an epic feel to it, its loud and strong. The songs are very deliberate. If I had any problem with the album its the obvious rap influences. The songs that feature rapping vocals tend to annoy.
"Rolling Blackouts" gets a 3.7 out of 5
Dead Child Star - "Cold Hands, Warm Heart"
Dead Child Star is like the bastard child of The Postal Service and Eels. That sounds horrible, but I promise it works. The songs are constructed well, the vocals fit the source material. I really recommend listen to the song "Airport Life" to get an idea of the band. This album's sound is very small in the since that it doesn't have a lot of elements to the songs. I listened to this album more than the others but I have much less to say about it.
"Cold Hands, Warm Heart" gets a 3 .5 out of 5
Hugo Race - "Fatalist"
Hugo Race has been around the block and back again musically. I'm honestly surprised that I hadn't heard of him until now. Race has an amazing voice. Its very weathered, it speaks of character. When you listen to him sing you feel like your listening to a man with a story to tell. The songs themselves have heavy acoustic guitars and the album is produced masterfully.
"Fatalist" gets a 4 out of 5
The Luyas - "Too Beautiful To Work"
I did a small spot on this band the other day and I liked the song I posted so much I decided to give the rest of the album a try and man I was glad I did. This album is tripy, its an album that takes you on a ride. Not the kind of thing that you can break up but an album for a sitting. The songs of an old school element to them that is hard to describe with words. Almost like these songs are something different underneath the surface.
Too Beautiful to Work gets a 3 out of 5
Since rock and roll was created its gone hand in hand with drinking. I mean we have celeb rehab shows that feature almost exclusively has been rockers. Well the band Black Stone Cherry has written a song for the bourbon maker Evan Williams. The track is called "Blame it on the Boom Boom" and it sounds like its going to be COMPLETE AND UTTER SHIT! Which is a shame because, even though I hate to admit it, I kinda liked Black Stone Cherry's debut album. Below is the making of the song...
And below that is the video for "Lonely Train" which surprisingly enough I kinda dig. The vocals are a page out of Nickelback which is bad but the harmonies are very Alice in Chains which is good. Enjoy the song below.
I could be wrong but I feel like the lead singer of this band is channeling Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins. I really like this song. Its got a high intensity that I'm digging a lot. Unfortunately we have to wait until March freaking 1st to hear the album. "Departing" is the albums name and if the songs stick to this formula it could be a giant ball if awesome!
Paste has posted their version of the best album covers of the year. You would think with all of the albums that have come out this year that they would have had a better list. I'm sure some of them are just out of nostalgia, meaning the "Hurley" one. Some of them I really can't understand though. You can see what you think HERE.
I debated a great deal on where I would put the newest by Annihilator. I became a fan of the band a couple years ago when they released the album "Metal" and when I decided to look into them more I was happy to see that they had a new LP in the works. I had no idea it would be the epic awesome that it turned out to be. Annihilator plays the best kind of thrash metal. Its fast in your your face but it doesn't just bleed into noise like many thrash bands do.When you listen to the album its apparent that the band relies heavily on the guitar riffs and rightly so. The guitar work on the album is amazing, some of the best I've ever heard. They didn't forget the rest of the band though. While the guitars steal the show the drumming and bass are top notch. I called the bands music "Thrash" and it is that by definition but they even play with progressive elements in some of the song and even on song borrows elements from metal powerhouse Megadeth. Its a great album from start to finish with catchy songs and influences from the greats of metal that have a charm all their own.
One day, when I was on my way home from work in my dad's car, I was listening to sirius/xm radio and the song "The Termination Proclamation" played on whatever metal station they had and I was entranced in its awesome. I had no idea what to expect from the album but I was excited to finally listen to it. So I got this album and I was ready to rock and was.... overall disappointed. Well its true, when I first hear this album I was disappointed that all the songs weren't like the one I heard in my dads car. Little did I know that when I gave the album a couple more listens that it would become one of my favorites of the year. Nevermore has been around for a long time, I knew they existed but always assumed they were a cheesy 80's trash metal band but I was wrong. These guys make some of the most deceptively heavy music out there. The talent from the guys in the band are unmatched when it comes to the thrashish genre. The album is a trip, it changes tempo, musical direction, even key and is just like "Deal with it". This album is worth listening to until you understand as I did. I challenge you to try it out.
Braids - "Native Speaker"
The Go! Team - "Rolling Blackouts"
Dead Child Star - "Cold Hands, Warm Heart"
Hugo Race - "Fatalist"
The Luyas - "Too Beautiful To Work"
