D.I. – On The Western Front
Suburban Noize Records

(3.5/5)

Two words: Old school! If you’re looking for an old school Punk band in a new school world, check out D.I. Their newest album On The Western Front is a great example of what is that classic West Coast Punk. To compare their sound, they remind me a lot of bands like Social Distortion and the Dead Kennedys! Honestly, it’s pretty refreshing to hear a splash of that old school Punk sound that’s not all about politics and world issues! Being the only original member still in the band, ex-Adolescents and Social Distortion drummer Casey Royer tears up the vocals on the first album since the reunion of D.I. with Chckn and Clinton on guitars, Eddie tater on bass, and Joey Tater on drums. Really, none of the tracks on this album stuck out to me, but they all definitely take me back to my Punk days. Overall, it’s a good album, especially if you’re looking for that good ol’ West Coast Punk style!

(4.5/5)

Reach is easily in my top 10 albums of 2008! I seriously can’t put this album down! In this album, Eyes Set To Kill brings you a great Metalcore mixture with a few heavy breakdowns, excellent acoustic work, and all around great music! Vocally, you are hit throughout the album with Alexia Rodriguez’s GORGEOUS singing and Brandon Anderson’s, almost, demonic scream. Not only do those two cover the vocals, but Alexia plays lead guitar while Brandon plays keyboards. Joining them in the incredible musical journey that is “Reach” are bassist Anissa Rodriguez, guitarist Greg Kerwin, and drummer Caleb Clifton. Although the entire album is awesome, a few songs stuck out to me as “favorites”. Oddly enough, they all are right after another as tracks 4-7 which are entitled “Darling”, “Violent Kiss”, “Young Blood Spills Tonight”, and “Where We Started”. “Darling sticks out the most to me because of it beginning. Altogether the track is a great one as all the others are, but it starts out really strong with one of Brandon’s crazy screams and proceeds through different phases that switch vocally from Brandon to Alexia giving it a great mixture of Metalcore vocals. The next song that stands out really well is “Young Blood Spills Tonight”. This song starts out very beautifully with an acoustic part. All of the sudden you are hit with another one of Brandon’s screams before ESTK finishes taking you through different “movements” of the song, once again, providing a great Metalcore mixture. “Violent Kiss” and “Where We Started” stick out simply for their entire structures, but “Where We Started” also has the sound of a “female anthem”. What I mean by this is that lyrically, it sounds like what a lot of girls go through in relationships and whatnot. I definitely recommend the female fan base listen to that track! All in all, Reach is a fantastic album and I can’t wait to see what Eyes Set To Kill does next!

“Weekend Warriors” comes home to Asheville…

On February 22, 2008, Victory Records band Secret Lives! Of The Freemasons headlined another record release show for their new album “Weekend Warriors” that was released on February 19th. Honestly, I had a good time at this show, but it wasn’t quite as good as Feb. 19th’s record release show.

The first band to start the night was Fairground Avenue from Hendersonville, NC. As they started their set, I wasn’t too impressed, but as they continued to play, they started sounding a bit better to me. With them being heavily influenced by Alternative/Emo music, they already started off lower on my interested scale, but overall they weren’t too bad.

The second band to support Secret Lives!… was Kentucky band, Creatures. I liked these guys. They have a definite Alternative influence, but there was something about them that I really enjoyed their set. their sound all around was pretty awesome! Really, I wouldn’t mind seeing these guys play again and I have to put them as my second favorite band of the night.

My third favorite band for the evening was Charlotte’s own, Harvard. They played a pretty good set that I enjoyed, but they were pretty bizarre sounding. Not bizarre in a bad way, but they had a strange sound that was pretty enjoyable. Musically, these guys are definitely talented, but their vocalist has an amazing singing voice. Overall, they put on a great show and I wouldn’t mind seeing them again at some point either.

At last, it was time for my, obviously, favorite band of the evening to run the crowd. Secret Lives! Of The Freemasons took the stage with great energy and blew through a great set, once again, including songs from their new album like “Chug and Leave”, “Mascara”, and “Life Begins at 40oz.”. As seen before, Jim and Tucker were throwin’ it down on guitar as Josh was bassin’ it up and Travis was beatin’ on the skins! Brien was on his game once again as he belted out this great set and finished off a good show. As with a couple of the other bands, I’d definitely like to these guys play live again, they really put on a great show!

All in all, this was a great shows despite driving 4 hours to attend. Kudos to all the bands for putting on this show and entertaining the crowd so much!

“Weekend Warriors” in full effect on Tuesday night…

On February 19, 2008, Victory Records band Secret Lives! Of the Freemasons headlined the first record release show for their new album “Weekend Warriors”. The great mix of supporting bands for the night were Defy the Hunter, Embracing Goodbye, Dead Eyes, and Akissforjersey. Honestly, what I expected the show to be like and the way it actually turned out were almost completely opposite. I went to Greensboro expected a more Alternative/Emo show, but I was completely blown away by a phenomenal Metalcore/Alternative show North Carolina style!

The first band to kick the night off was Greensboro’s own Defy the Hunter. These guys were the perfect choice to pen the show! Their performance was INSANE! The guitarists Steven and Sam were rippin’ it up their mean 6-strings as bassist Paul was runnin’ a smooth, yet nasty bass line! While this was goin’ on, drummer Josh was showin’ off his massive double-bass skils and vocalist Cowboy was proving that he could be, as far as I’m concerned, the next Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage). Cowboy’s screams and clean vocals were equally on point! Overall, this band was the first piece of proof for the night that North Carolina is pushing out some incredible Metalcore bands!

The second piece of proof was the second band to play, Embracing Goodbye. Hailing from Four Oaks, NC, this five-piece definitely has the Southern spirit in them, but they can put on one awesome show! Mixing older Heavy metal with today’s Metal, EG helped mix up the styles a bit and kept the show interesting. Much like Defy the Hunter, Embracing Goodbye put on an amazing show that was filled to the brim with energy! Guitarists Travis Avery and Josh Kelly joined bassist Erik “Easy” Huffman in “throwing” their guitars around while tearin’ it up. At one point, all three held their guitars over their heads to reveal the phrase “Bringin’ Sexy Back” posted on the backs of their guitars! It was great! While they were killin’ it on guitars, drummer Casey Allen also proved his excellent double-bass playing abilities and vocalist Paul Huffman showcased his incredible talents along with Travis’ vocal inputs. With all these elements added together, the show continued to make it’s way through the ranks to Secret Lives! Of The Freemasons.

The next stop along this Metalcore thrill ride was another Greensboro, NC band, Dead Eyes. Honestly, this band probably had the most interesting sounding element of the whole night…their screamer, Kyle! This guy’s scream was one of the weirdest thing I’ve EVER heard! Musically, however, Dead Eyes had it goin’ on! If you want to hear some HEAVY breakdowns, go see these guys live! Their breakdowns were massive! With those two elements included, these guys put on a great show and kept the night proving that Metalcore is alive on the East Coast.

The last band to play before SL!… was Akissforjersey from Pilot Mountain, NC. Althogh this band wasn’t my favorite of the whole night, I still enjoyed their set. These guys put on a good show despite loss of voice from vocalist Zach, who lost his voice recording the new album, and some electrical issues for guitarist Cory. Other than those two things, the set went great and I really wouldn’t mind seeing them again when they’re all at full strength.

Finally, it was time for Secret Lives! Of The Freemasons to take the stage! As they began their set, the crowd was small, but ready to go. SL!… played through a great set including songs off their brand new album such as “Mascara”, “The New Whack”, “Chug and Leave”, and “Life Begins at 40oz.”. Even though they were playing to a really small crowd and this was their first show since one of the members left the band, Secret Lives!… proved they still have what it takes to be a great band. Vocalist Brien was on top of his game all night as guitarists Tucker and Jim jammed on through the set. Bassist Josh and drummer Travis provided the backbone for the band through the whole set including two encore songs. Overall, their performance was great and I can’t wait to see them at their second record release show in their hometown, Asheboro, NC.

All in all, this show was definitely worth going to and I would suggest seeing any of these bands live if you get the chance! You’ll be glad you did!

Across Five Aprils – Life Underwater
Victory Records

(3.5/5)

Got Metalcore? If not, you need to run out and get yourself a copy of Across Five Aprils’ new album, Life Underwater ASAP! This album is one for the books! Throughout this 11-track piece of art, you are taken from the “norm” of Metalcore, and you’re thrown through an exciting plethora of Metal and Alternative influences! Guitarists Adam Nordmeyer and Zak Towe kick-off this album just before really being joined by bassist Josh Dycus and drummer Steve Wooteon for an impactful burst of energy in the first track, “The Darkest of Roads”! Seconds later, you’re introduced to the screaming vocals of Brandon Mullins. To be honest, I’ve never heard vocals quite like what’s coming of of Brandon’s pipes! This element helps make this album different from so many other Metalcore albums. Armed with this edge, AFA takes you through track titles such as “Faith Shaped Pills”, “This Means Not Welcome”, and they even throw in a Harry Potter reference for all you HP fans with the title “Snape Kills Dumbledore”. Honestly, I think that “Snape Kills Dumbledore” and the last track, “My Sins Stacked to Heaven” are my two favorite off the album simply because of their musical content. “Snape Kills Dumbledore” doesn’t appeal to me through the name, but this track is heavy! I love it! “My Sins Stacked to Heaven” shines over the others as well because it’s mellow makes you think that they AFA will end the track in a soft and relaxing way. Not quite! This track definitely has its mellow parts that definitely help it, but it also has very high energy parts as well, making it a well rounded end to a great album. Overall, Life Underwater is a great buy, and you should get a copy as soon as possible.

Four Letter Lie – What a Terrible Thing to Say
Victory Records

(4/5)

If you want one of the best Metalcore albums of early 2008, Four Letter Lie has answered the call! Their latest masterpiece entitled What a Terrible Thing to Say is an absolute masterpiece. Throughout the entire album, you are constantly taken from one extreme to the other as the members of FLL create an ingenious mixture of Metal and Alternative music to take you through the motions of one of Victory Records’ top albums! Seriously, this album is great! The musical aspect of the album is composed with an incredible mixture of guitar riffs from guitarists Kevin Skaff and Conner Kelly, thunderous drums provided by drummer Derek Smith, and smooth bass lines kicked in from bassist John Waltmann. From a vocal standpoint, this album continues to get better and better. The vocals provided by vocalist Bryan Nagan and guitarist Kevin Skaff intertwine screaming and clean vocals to help you along the thrill ride that is What a Terrible Thing to Say! Honestly, I can’t figure out which tracks really stick out to me; they’re all so vital to making this such a great album! The first track “Cake Eater” is a good one to listen to when looking for a track to really set the mood for the album. You know right off the bat that this album is going to have moments that are made of just pure energy, and you will have moments where the tempo is slowed enough to take a quick break before being hit with energy again. So, if you’re looking for an album to keep you on your toes and in the spirits of Metalcore, go get your copy of What a Terrible Thing to Say as soon as possible!

Farewell to Freeway
Richie – Drummer

1. Who are some of your influences for your drumming style?
John Bonham from Led Zeppelin is my biggest drumming influence. Also, Vinnie Paul, Carmine Apice, Morgan Agren is incredible, Neil Pert, etc.

2. When did you first realize you wanted to be a drummer?
I used to watch the Muppets and Animal was the one who always rocked out on the drums, he’s my first drumming memory. I also used be a huge fan of this kids rock band called KIDEO and I always loved watching their videos and TV show. The first time I saw them when I was 5 or 6 I knew I wanted to play drums, luckily my uncle has as old Royce kit and he let me learn on those.

3. What was your attitude/what feelings went into writing “Definitions”?
Its a very positive record. We wrote it gradually over the course of about 8 months. During that time we still toured as much as we could staying on the road and persevering and working as hard as we could. We toughed it out through a lot of hard times so it deals heavily with staying determined to what you want to accomplish. We knew it would be our first major release when it came out so we wanted it to encompass everything that we’re about. Its a very honest record.

4. How does it feel to be back on tour supporting a great album?
Thanks! It feels awesome, the record comes out real soon on February 19th, so we’re thrilled to be playing all the new songs and supporting something we’ve put so much into. We can’t wait for everyone to hear it. We’ll be on tour for the next 5 months as well all over North America.

5. How does tour life typically go for Farewell to Freeway?
It’s day to day, thats what we’ve come to realize, is to just take things as they come, stick together and work towards our bands goals, whether you have a good show that day or not. We try to always have that in mind. We all have a great time on tour, its an amazing way to see the world and to be playing music every night is what we always want to be doing.

6. Do you prefer to play big venues or smaller ones?
We like playing all size venues, thats the exciting thing about being in a different room every night. I think though at this point we like playing bigger venues just cause we’ve been playing smaller ones for the last 4 years and we like big sound systems!

7. What keeps you entertained during down time while on tour?
I try to spend a bit of time seeing some of the area that we’re in, sometimes we don’t get much time so I try to get as much in as I can. It’s always cool meeting new people all the time too. Other than that we usually just hang with the other band(s) we’re on tour with or play video games and watch movies.

8. With a name like Farewell to Freeway, people may assume you guys are an Emo band. What might you tell someone who makes this assumption? What would you classify FtF as?
I would tell them to just listen to the music and try to see us live to make an accurate assumption. It’s hard these days, but I usually describe our band as Hard-Rock with Metal, Pop, and Punk influences. I know it’s pretty vague but it best suites us as we do have a lot of varied sounds.

9. How has being in Farewell to Freeway impacted you the most?
Just being on tour all the time, It has a huge impact on my life as you have to say goodbye to everything at home and know that your going to be living out of a van for a month or longer. Also, just being a musician that is able to play so often has been one of the most important things in my life, I always look forward to it.

10. How do you feel about the final product for “Definitions”?
I love it! We couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. We recorded in Westfield, MASS just outside Boston at Zing Studios with Eric Arena (A Day to Remember). It’s the same studio that Adam D records all the Killswitch Engage records. Most recently, he recorded Parkway Drive there, so it’s awesome we got the chance to record there, it was awesome! It’s our best sounding and best written material to date, and to know that it’s being released all over the world is pretty amazing. I’m super proud of the record.

Farewell to Freeway – Definitions
Victory Records

(4/5)

Farewell to Freeway has officially set the bar for Metalcore in 2008 with their new album, Definitions! This album is so good, I can’t stop listening to it! Guitarists Drew and Chris absolutely tear it up on the six stringed dreams as drummer Richie and bassist Adam bring the powerful backbone accompanied by Michele on the keys. Not only are the musical aspects of this album top notch, the vocals provided by most of FtF’s members match the level of the music creating one killer combination and one incredible album! Definitions takes you from heavy “breakdowns” to a soft, Alternative sound that calms you down just before you hit heavy again. Although the entire album is good, there are two tracks that stuck out to me over the rest. These tracks are the first track “Sound Minds” and the fourth track “Lemmings”. “Sound Minds” popped out at me not only because it’s the first track on the album, but it starts this album with a nice burst of energy that keeps you wanting more. By the time you realize the track is over, you’re already to the next stop on this Metalcore roller coaster, “Lemmings”. “Lemmings” being the fourth track, this was a good time to really hit you with some energy again, and it does! It starts with a quick drum part from Richie and quickly brings in the screamed vocals that help this album maintain it’s Metalcore aspects throughout the album! This track also helps push you on through the album until you’ve reached the last track, “What Happens in Viper City, Stays in Viper City”. This track makes a good ending to the album because it starts with lots of energy, but ends with a slow and melodic instrumental finish. By the time you reach the end, you’re ready for a second round. If you want to experience Metalcore at it’s finest in 2008, go grab a copy of Definitions as soon as possible!

Bloodjinn
Joel Collins – Vocals

1. Who are some of your influences vocally?
I’m gonna have to say I’m really into various different singers. It’s hard to pinpoint just one. If I had to choose a few current ones it would be Bjorn from Soilwork, Lajon from Sevendust, Randy from Lamb Of God, & Jens from Meshuggah.

2. What are some of the influences on your lyric writing?
Lyrically I write about mostly about relationships. It’s just a subject that has always stuck with me. I don’t like to be too opinionated. I want people to relate to our songs and hopefully feel the energy, emotion and meaning of what’s being said. We’ve all been through horrible times in life. We’ve all had the friends that stab you in the back or treat you like you are nothing. And let’s not forget the great times as well.

3. What was your attitude/what were you feeling while writing “This Machine…”?
I felt a lot of rage on “This Machine Runs On Empty”. I locked myself in my bedroom for days on end, only leaving to get food and such. I just wanted to really re-live the moments I wanted to capture on paper. I’ve been through depressing times in relationships, and when I put myself back into that mentally, its the ultimate release. There’s nothing like being on stage and really feeling the meaning of your songs. I’m a very laid back quiet guy but that’s when it’s time to let it out.

4. Do you prefer playing larger or smaller venues?
Both have their ups and downs. I love the feel of a smaller room, because it is more intimate. I want to be able to reach out to the kids in the front row and crowd surf on top of them or give them the microphone. The bigger rooms however are awesome too. Especially when they are full of people. It’s really like nothing but people’s heads staring at you and judging your every move. I guess that’s kinda freaky, but thats the rush of being on stage. I want them to remember us so. Big rooms are also way more exercise, which I need!!

5. What is the meaning behind the name Bloodjinn?
Bloodjinn means to hit with heavy force, just like the original spelling and meaning. When we first started, we chose that name because we thought the spelling was cool. The name has a strong meaning in general, and being the way its spelled, it looks cooler than the original way of spelling.

6. How has being in Bloodjinn had an impact on you?
It really has changed my life. I remember 12 years ago, not ever thinking I would be on a stage, much less a vocalist. When we formed Bloodjinn 9 years ago, it was like my ultimate chance at being a front man. My brother gave me the opportunity and when we started Bloodjinn, it was something we created together. Brian Lewis took his place in 2004, but I’ve never given up this band. Regardless of the ups and downs I have been through, it’s been my dream. I still feel the passion that I had in 1999, even though I’m getting older by the minute. Roger of Agnostic Front once said to me, “hardcore has had half my life” and I realized… “Bloodjinn has had almost half my life as well”. I thought that was an interesting way of looking at it.

7. How does Bloodjinn compare to your other projects?
Bloodjinn is obviously my number 1 goal. The other projects I am involved with are just other forms of musical outlets.

8. Does working with Forsaken Records and Pluto Records ever really “clash”?
Not even. Pluto is an entirely different label out of Texas, ran by Brian Cobbel. He’s an awesome dude. I run Forsaken Recordings here in North Carolina, and I spend all my free time working with that, or my music management company, The Direct Agency. I try to stay busy, but I do have a manager and very close friend by the name of Jay Tavernese of Indegoot Entertainment, who keeps me straight as well. After all, music and the friends I’ve made, are my life! Wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Dead to Fall – Are You Serious?
Victory Records

(4/5)

You want heavy? Dead to Fall once again provides another HEAVY album with their newest creation, Are You Serious?. To kick this album off, there is a strange sounding, almost hypnotic track followed by 10 tracks of non-stop aggressiveness. Coming off a great album such as The Phoenix Throne, one cannot imagine what would come next, but now I see exactly what this incredible band is capable of and I suggest you strap yourself in for quite a thrill ride with Are You Serious?! Not only is this album heavy in terms of music, but the vocals have an extreme edge to them, taking them from a midrange aggressive sound into a Death metal-like low growl at some points. Going back to the music, the guitar riffs are absolutely incredible and are perfectly layered over intense drums and wicked bass lines! Honestly, this is one of the best Metal albums to come out in early 2008! This keeps me excited for what’s to come over the course of this year and the years to come; especially out of Dead to Fall! Overall, if it’s pure, headbang worthy, and aggressive HEAVY metal you are looking for, pick up a copy of Are You Serious? ASAP!