Oh, Sleeper – Son of the Morning
Solid State Records

(4/5)

Since the first time I heard Oh, Sleeper, they have been in the top of my list of favorite Metalcore bands and with releases like their newest full length album Son of the Morning, it shouldn’t be hard to see why they have stayed there! On top of being a great Metalcore band, the fact that Oh, Sleeper is a Christian band is a plus in my book, but either way, the onslaught brought by the 10 tracks on this album makes a hard argument for anyone to deny them despite whatever religious affiliation you may or may not have. Moving on to the tracks in the album, all 10 tracks bring their own identity to the table and make this album as great as it is, but there are a few I would recommend to get a really good preview of the overall album. The list of tracks I really enjoy consists of “Son of the Morning” (Track 1/Title track), “Breathing Blood” (Track 4), “World Without A Sun” (Track 6), and “The Finisher” (Track 10). Once again, the entire album is excellent, but these four tracks provide an excellent example of the overall talent this band has. Overall, if you’re already a Metalcore fan or you’re just getting into Metalcore/Oh, Sleeper, I certainly recommend Son of the Morning to help beef up your arsenal.

When Summers Gone – December
Self-Released

(4/5)

Rock music is a genre that has lasted throughout the years because of great bands and their ability to write enjoyable music. Today, Rock music is spread out over a wide variety of different styles that separate them by their different sounds. What does a smart band do? Break down the borders and transcend having to be labeled as one specific style of Rock. That’s what When Summers Gone has done with their debut album entitled December. Formed of multi-instrumentalists Dave Graziani (Vocals/Guitars/Piano) and Chris Lepri (Drums/Bass), When Summers Gone has combined the sounds of multiple bands including Alice In Chains, Incubus, and Sevendust with some more influence by bands such as Machine Head, The Deftones, and even some Bruce Springsteen and created Hard rock that brings back meaning to the genre. On top of that, December is a concept album that combines 8 individual tracks to create a story about “a character who loses a friend at a young age and is forced to deal with complex emotions, all while growing up”. I have a feeling that this story will hit home to more than one person who listens to this great album. As mentioned, this album is made up of tracks that can act on their own as well as being part of the story, and though each one is as important as the others, there are a few I would recommend listening to to get a good feel for When Summers Gone including, but not limited to “Welcome Home” (Track 2), “Hangover” (Track 4), and “10/6″ (Track 7). Each of these three tracks shows a different sound that When Summers Gone is bringing to the table and that shows the relationship of all of their influences. All in all, December is a great album for Hard rock fans and I suggest it to anyone looking for some more Hard rock for their music arsenal.

Korpiklaani – Karkelo
Nuclear Blast Records

(4/5)

Calling all Folk metal fans of every decent! Korpiklaaini is back with their sixth full length release entitled Karkelo and it’s another one for those drunken nights spent amongst friends. Based off of the Folk metal sound Korpiklaani presents and song titles such as, but not limited to “Vodka” (Track 1), “Juodaan Viinaa (translated “We Drink Liquor”)” (Track 5), and “Bring Us Pints of Beer” (Track 8), there are no arguments that my previous statement is correct. But whether you have those drunken nights or not, it’s also easy to see that Korpiklaaini is a band that anyone can enjoy. Moving on, when you listen to all 12 tracks it’s hard to really choose favorite tracks because the whole album is excellent, but there are a few I would personally suggest. Other than the 3 tracks listed above, I’d suggest listening to “Mettänpeiton Valtiaalle” (Track 4), “Vesaisen Sota” (Track 10), and “Kohmelo” (Track 12). All of the tracks listed in this review bring their own “personalities” to the mix, but they all mesh well with the other 6 tracks to make an overall excellent album. So, all in all, I love this album and would suggest it to any previous Korpiklaani fans, previous Folk metal fans, or any new fans to either Korpiklaaini or Folk metal.

*Note: Track listing are based off of the standard CD and not the 13-track digipak version of Karkelo.

Peacemaker – The Reconstruction of the Ossicular Chain EP
Red Rocket Entertainment

(4/5)

Just when you think Rock could be at the end of its rope and not have much new material left to offer, it’s always nice to find a newer band that proves you wrong. Peacemaker’s EP The Reconstruction of the Ossicular Chain proves that they are one of those bands. With the mix of mainstream Hard rock, a little bit of Southern flavor, and a dash of Stoner rock grit all thrown into a blender, Peacemaker is a great band in my book. Getting right into it, with 4 songs on this EP, it’s hard to choose an overall favorite, but each song does bring a similar sound, but their own individual qualities as well. For example, “Trip the Light Fantastic” (Track 2) has a fairly similar groove to the other 3 tracks, but it’s the only song on this EP that really slows down to a Pink Floyd-like softness/groove that includes a guitar solo that drips with emotion. There are other great solos, but none that slow down like that particular one.

Overall, Peacemaker has a great sound and their EP The Reconstruction of the Ossicular Chain is a great example of it. I recommend this band to anyone who likes straight forward Hard rock with Southern and Stoner groove to it and I can’t wait to hear the full length album that comes from this EP!

YesMisterBloodVessel – Racing The Relapse
Self-Released

(3.5/5)

Ok, Rock fans, if you like bands such as Nine Inch Nails, The Beatles, U2, and Filter all combined, you’ll definitely dig YesMisterBloodVessel’s debut album entitled Racing The Relapse. YesMisterBloodVessel is the solo project of Christian Peppas who, according to this album, is a great multi-instrumentalist and a great songwriter. In the 8 tracks that are on Racing The Relapse, it’s easy to see that Christian does pull inspiration from many different styles and bands (as mentioned above) and puts them together well with the additional help of various other musicians to round out the sound. With each track on this album being individual and bringing their own style, it’s hard to choose favorites, but there are a couple that I would recommend listening to. The tracks I like the best are “Victim” (Track 1), “Aries & Leo” (Track 2), and “Relativity” (Track 6). My overall favorite track is probably “Victim”, but like I mentioned before, each track has its own identity, so all 8 tracks are vital to making this album what it is. All in all, Racing The Relapse is a great Rock album that I would recommend to anyone who likes different Alternative rock styles that are put together to make a very individual album.

The Thrash and Burn Tour tore it up at the Lincoln Theatre…

On August 7, 2009, the Thrash and Burn Tour descended upon Raleigh, NC with 9 bands and a 6 1/2 hour show resulting in nothing less than satisfaction for local NC metalheads!

Out of the 9 bands that played, the 4 that I was really stoked to see (or see again) were Thy Will Be Done, MyChildren MyBride, Emmure, and DevilDriver. The other bands that were played were Periphery, Oceano, For The Fallen Dreams, Veil Of Maya, and Despised Icon. Overall, these 9 bands put on a sick show!

Opening the show at 4 pm was Thy Will Be Done. Once again, I was stoked to see these guys play and I definitely wasn’t let down. Being on the of the straight up Metal bands in the entire show, it was great to see them get a pretty decent crowd response, but I definitely would have liked to see a little better reaction. But, hey, what can one guy do, right? Moving on, I don’t remember the exact order in which the line-up went between TWBD and Emmure, but Periphery was pretty decent, Oceano was brutal, but not exactly my normal cup of tea, and For The Fallen Dreams was pretty good. The one band that was there that I didn’t know what they sounded like that I enjoyed was Veil Of Maya.

Just like most of the bands there, Veil Of Maya was in the category of either Deathcore, which basically means that they included breakdowns in their music instead of playing straight up Metal. Seeing as how I like well executed breakdowns, Veil Of Maya was right up my alley and their overall sound was definitely tight. I enjoyed their overall set and I’ll definitely have to check out some of their recorded stuff for my arsenal. After Veil Of Maya, it was time for MyChildren MyBride to play. Honestly, these guys were one of my favorites of the whole night. I had already heard a couple of their songs, so I knew what their sound was like, but they still blew me away. I was really impressed with how tight their overall live sound was and it was nearly identical to their recorded sound. To me, those are traits of an excellent band. Plus, I like the fact that they are a Christian Metalcore band; that’s a bonus in my opinion. Next after MyChildren Mybride was Despised Icon. Being a big name in Metal these days, I had heard of these guys, but I had never listened to them before. Just as with some of the other bands that night, they were good, just not my cup of tea.

Next to play was the actual direct support band for the tour, and one I had seen before…Emmure. As usual, these guys tore the house down with their well executed breakdowns, bass blasts (provided by the ever loved 808 module), and overall performance. Most of their set came from their album The Respect Issue, but they also played a track or two off of their upcoming release Felony. Overall, I was just as impressed with their performance as the first time I heard them on CD and the first time I saw them live. If you’re ever looking for a band with sick breakdowns and the ability to pump up an entire room with no problem, Emmure is the band to see.

Last, but mot definitely not least, to play was tour headliner DevilDriver. Just as with Emmure, this was the second time I got the great opportunity to see DevilDriver live and I certainly hope it’s not the last! With four full length releases under their belts, they had plenty of great material to choose from for their set list and I believe they threw together a pretty well balanced list of songs from all of their albums. I was really hoping they might play a bit more from their newest release Pray For Villains, but like I said, they had a well balanced list and I can’t complain with them playing any of their songs. After all, they ARE one of the bands that really got me into newer Metal.

All in all, I’m glad I got the concert tickets to go to this show. The overall line-up was sick, the atmosphere was great (despite most of the show being played while it was still light outside)…it was a great day for Metal!

Face Time Police – The Definition of Deviation EP
Self-Released

(3.5/5)

When looking at music today, it’s easy to find music that can be labeled in multiple styles, but no bands that truly transcend genres as the “Pop Macchiato” (Pop music marked or “stained” with other elements) band, Face Time Police with their new EP entitled The Definition of Deviation! Honestly, there’s no true way to explain this EP without including some version of the word “diverse”. Each of the five tracks brings out a different style including a sort of bouncy Pop-Rock track, a thumping club mix, an acoustic ballad, etc. In my extensive arsenal of music, I have NEVER heard a band that changes so much. It really takes “play what you want to play” to a whole different level. However, it pays off; this album is great! Out of the five tracks recorded on this album, my I really enjoy “None of the Below” (Track 1), “Nothing Left to Break” (Track 3), and “Of Man and Monster” (Track 5) the most. These three tracks seem to be the ones that fit well together with “None of the Below” being a pretty heavy/bouncy Alternative Pop song, “Nothing Left to Break” being the heartfelt acoustic ballad, and “Of Man and Monster” an Alternative-Punk-Metal mix. With this mix (plus the club thumping song “Seashells” and the Alternative Hip-hop track “Minute Made”), FTP is really freeing themselves of categorization and limitation. This is a smart move as far as I’m concerned.

Overall, liking 3/5 of the songs makes The Definition of Deviation a great EP in my mind. FTP have proven to be a great band with a lot of potential! On a side note, I have some extra respect for this band because they are a 100% DIY band. These guys write all of their music, record all of their own music, design the logos, they produce their own stuff, they do all the marketing, shoot and edit their own music videos…everything. Honestly, this is the first band I’ve heard that does EVERYTHING by themselves, and I commend them for it.

DevilDriver – Pray for Villains
Roadrunner Records

(4.5/5)

The masters of Groove metal, DevilDriver, are back with their fourth full length album entitled Pray for Villains, and it could be their heaviest yet! With the regular version of the album weighing in with 13 tracks and the Special Edition bringing 17 tracks, Pray for Villains is a great example of why DevilDriver is one of the two main bands that got me into newer Metal. To be honest, I don’t even know where to really begin to describe how great this album is. It really just brings together the perfect combination of classic DevilDriver groove and pure heaviness presented by the great teamwork of the guitarists Jeff Kendrick and Mike Spreitzer, bassist Jon Miller, drummer John Boecklin, and the intense vocals of Dez Fafara, topping everything off. Some great examples that show this combination are “Pray for Villains” (Track 1/Title track), “Pure Sincerity” (Track 2), “Forgiveness Is a Six Gun” (Track 7), and “Another Night in London” (Track 10). These are just four examples, but that killer combo is found throughout the entire album. As far as favorite tracks go, I have to go with the last track from the Special Edition, “Wasted Years”. This song is excellent for anyone, such as myself, who is an Iron Maiden fan as well as a DevilDriver fan since it is a cover of that great Iron Maiden song from Somewhere in Time (the original copy of this cover appeared on Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron Maiden). Overall, I love this album and I’d suggest it to any Metal fan despite whether you’re a previous DevilDriver fan or if you’re just getting into them!

brokeNCYDE – I’m Not a Fan…But the Kids Like It!
BreakSilence Records

(2.5/5)

There’s an old expression that goes “never judge a book by its cover”. This expression can be slightly altered to go along with brokeNCYDE’s debut album entitled I’m Not a Fan…But the Kids Like It! by saying “never judge a band by their cover”. By the looks of the members of this “band”, I assumed that they were a typical Emo/Alternative or Metalcore/Hardcore band. Boy was I wrong. This full-length album is my first look into a crossover style of music I had only heard about, but never heard (until now) called “Crunkcore”. Crunkcore combines Hip-Hop with Hardcore or Screamo in a very interesting style that I’m still not sure if I dig it or not. On an overall level, I think the album is pretty decent with it’s good beats and the rhymes fit the beats well, but the screaming style of rapping going on makes it a bit awkward for someone like me who likes Metal and Metalcore where screaming is incorporated with heavy guitar riffs, double bass, and breakdowns. Obviously, there’s something to this group because rapper Daddy-X is featured in the song “Get Up” (Track 8 ) and rapper E-40 is featured in the song “Booty Call” (Track 5). All in all, if you think mixing Hardcore and Rap while throwing in a bit of Electronica in the mix, brokeNCYDE’s debut album I’m Not a Fan, But the Kids Like It! is a great addition to your collection of music.

Eyes Set To Kill – The World Outside
BreakSilence Records

(4.5/5)

Less than a year after releasing their debut album Reach, Eyes Set To Kill is back with their sophomore album entitled The World Outside! According to singer Alexia Rodriguez, she really let loose and put more of her raw emotions into this album and doesn’t hold back on issues such as her own insecurities, the pain of lost love, and more. I honestly see the difference between this album and Reach and I feel the growth the band has made (even though Reach was an incredible album). Whether you want to pick this album apart and choose favorite tracks or not, there is no denying that the overall product is amazing! Some of the tracks I would mention that I feel represent this album well are “Heights” (Track 1), “The World Outside” (Track 5/Title track), “Wake Me Up” (Track 7), and “Her Eyes Hold The Apocalypse” (Track 11). These tracks are just 1/3 of the album. All twelve of the tracks are important to making this album as incredible as it is, but the mentioned tracks are good examples of the great amount of skill this band has and the ever growing vocal connection between Alexia Rodriguez and Brandon Anderson. All in all, The World Outside is a great album that I would suggest to any ESTK fan as well as any Metalcore fan!