Janus – Red Right Return
Level It Records

(4/5)

In today’s “Alternative” genre, there tends to be a “cookie cutter” way of sounding, but Janus has broken the mold with their sophomore album Red Right Return! With the mix of multiple styles, including Rock, Metal, and Electronica, incorporated into this great album, it’s truly hard to place Janus into just one genre of music, but that is certainly not a bad thing. Overall, this album is just a great representation of musical and lyrical talent. Lyrically, Red Right Return reflects human condition from both inward and outward perspectives, leaving the listener to draw his/her own conclusions. This concept is definitely matched by the actual lyrics themselves including lines such as: “The stain a lie leaves on your skin; Is a choice, a right, to feel what you feel; Aim low and medicate your fear. Pray that your time will satisfy your means.” (“Six Letters Sent” (Track 1)). Reading the lyrics as you listen to the tracks helps show the power behind the music the awesome band is creating. This is music that is breaking free from the trends of today’s “popular” music to show that there is still life out there in the music world. Helping get the point across over the different styles of music presented on the album are the vocals. With a mix of singing and, a little bit of, screaming, singer David Scotney really drives home the concepts written into the lyrics. To get a really good grasp of the relationship between music and lyrics, I would suggest listening to the track mentioned above “Six Letters Sent” (Track 1) as well as “If I Were You” (Track 2), “Eyesore” (Track 5), and “Skin Deep” (Track 6). These four tracks provide a good look at the different music styles represented in this album as well as the correspondence of the deep lyrics with the music. Obviously, the concepts in Red Right Return are not limited to those four tracks, but I feel they are the best examples. Overall, this is a great album from a great band and I can’t wait to see what Janus has in store for the future!

Bayside – Shudder
Victory Records

(4/5)

Although the Alternative/Emo category of music doesn’t normally strongly appeal to me, I have to say that Bayside’s newest release Shudder is one of the few albums in the genre I’ve heard that I really like. The different styles presented in each of the 12 tracks on this album all give different reasons as to why there is a spark of hope within this style of music. It sounds funny come from a full blooded metalhead, I know, but it’s true. The tracks I find to be the best on this album have to be “What and What Not” (Track 4), “A Call to Arms” (Track 5), and “Moceanu” (Track 12). “What and What Not” has to be my favorite because of its overall feel and message. I believe the message within the lyrics can really speak to someone who has decided to solve their problems with physical self-affliction (particularly females in this category). I think that the message is one that should be heard to show that there is a better solution and hope for the future. “Moceanu” is another one of my favorites for its overall sound as well. It just has a nice “Folky” bouncing groove to it and I like how vocalist Anthony Raneri spells out some of the words in the song. It definitely gives another dimension to the lyrics. Overall, this is an excellent album and I recommend it to fans of Bayside, The Audition, and anyone who likes Alkaline Trio material around the Crimson time of their career.

Secret Lives! Of The Freemasons – Weekend Warriors
Victory Records

(3.5/5)

After listening to Weekend Warriors, I knew I had listened to a potentially great album, but I was left with a feeling that there was something missing. After consulting old Secret Lives!… material, I figured out what’s missing. Screaming! I know that there is a little bit in a couple of the songs on the new album and that not EVERY band should have screaming, but I believe that screaming is what helped bring this band’s vocal sound together in old material. I’m definitely not knocking the vocal talent the guys from this band posses and I also realize that, perhaps, the band wanted to change for this album. I give them credit for creating a good album, it’s just not really the style I generally prefer. Overall, the music written for this album is great and the vocals are expertly applied, but at this point, they are not exactly my favorite of all the Secret Lives!… material available. Although, the more I listen to it, the more I like it. All in all, this is a great album, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys listening to the Alternative/Emo style of music!

The Audition – Champion
Victory Records

(4/5)

Although the Alternative/Emo genre of music doesn’t normally attract me, I have come across a band/album that has really caught my attention! In simple words, Champion is a great album! Even though it is on the Alternative side of music, the mix of energetic dance beats, great guitar work, and excellent vocals have made this album rank pretty high in my charts. But not only are the musical aspects of this album good, the lyrics are cleverly written in a way that they simply flow with the music, grabbing your attention and keeping you from putting this album down until you can’t listen to it anymore. Even then you want to pick it up again. Being only The Audition’s second album, there is lots of potential for this band to have a bright future! Kudos on this new album, and I can’t wait to see what comes out of this band next!

The Junior Varsity – Cinematographic
Victory Records

(3/5)

Cinematographic by The Junior varsity is not an album I would normally purchase for my listening pleasure; however, after listening to it, that may change. This style is definitely not my preferred Heavy metal, but I definitely liked this album. Typically, I look for music to get me pumped up and ready to rock, but this album helped get me a little more calm. It’s definitely good for background music when working on that important assignment, or maybe even for just lounging around the house. It is definitely heavier than an easy listening group, but the Alternative aspect of this band helps create, perhaps, a less violent or even energetic environment. Overall, I would recommend this album to anyone looking for a good band to listen to while just hanging out or even trying to relax before going to sleep at night.