Band: Burden Of A Day
Title: Blessed Be Our Ever After
Label: Rise
Review By: JoshIVM

Tracklisting:

01. Blessed Be Our Ever After
02. Pt. 2 Sometimes They Do
03. Sorry Seacrest It’s Casey’s Countdown
04. The Smile That Kills
05. It’s Lonely At the Top (Or So I’ve Heard)
06. My Shelter
07. Battle For Hoth
08. Umbrellas
09. Monsters Among Us
10. White Coats And Their Medicine
11. I’m Only Laughing on The Outside

Blessed Be Our Ever After is the Sarasota, Florida natives debut release on Rise Records since leaving their former label Blood & Ink Records. The band is now prepared to really make their mark if they can stay on the road. While their debut on B&I had some shortfalls the band seems to have addressed them and have released one of the better discs in this genre in awhile.

“Blessed Be Our Ever After” opens off the album with a melodic gang vocal before a pounding breakdown leads into the first real track “Pt. 2 Sometimes They Do“. The back and forth vocals here work really well. “Sorry Seacrest It’s Casey’s Countdown” vocally sounds similar to Underoath and actually this album will probably be welcomed by fans of that band. This song has a good mix of the upbeat and the laid back parts, while never sounding disjointed. Musically they are different opting out of the post-core and sticking with melodic sounds. The guitars are distorted but not too much to remove the melodious sounds. There was a surprising amount of finger work on the album. I really expected more of a rhythmic sound, but it wasn’t a good move! “It’s Lonely At the Top (Or So I’ve Heard)” has some sweet brutal parts around 35 seconds in. “Umbrellas” was a decent album filler but I think I would have put it around the song #6 mark rather than #8. It just seemed odd there. I really like the beginning to “White Coats And Their Medicine”. It’s really calming and doesn’t really prepare you for the speedy onslaught that comes after. “I’m Only Laughing On The Outside” is one of the more poppier songs musically, with it’s upbeat and bouncy sound. While the majority of the album does sound similar and the songs follow a similar approach it really doesn’t take away the enjoyment factor of each song!

Overall Rating: I didn’t care for this release upon my first few listens during which I skipped through tracks quickly. After I sat down and really listened though I became a fan. Sure, it’s similar to a lot of the other screamo-core type bands out there but it is also a highly infectious disc and is better than many of those releases. This is a good addition to the Rise roster and a band that’s deserving of your ears! (8.5/10)

Standout Tracks: “Sorry Seacrest It’s Casey’s Countdown”, “My Shelter”, “Monsters Among Us”

Links:
Website
Myspace
Rise Records

Buy: Best Buy

Band: Andy Hunter
Title: Colour
Label: Nettwerk Music Group
Review By: JoshIVM

Tracklisting:

01. Sound Pollution
02. Stars
03. Shine
04. Miracle
05. System Error
06. Smile
07. Technicolour
08. Together
09. Fade
10. Sapphire
11. Out of Control
12. You

It has been 3 years since Andy Hunter released an album and as with most people I believe that’s far too long. He’s kept himself busy of course but this is just too long to keep fans waiting. Finally he emerges with Colour which shows him branching out and trying some new things musically. While past albums kept the pace solidly throughout this one shows a great deal more variation and plenty of slower, atmospheric sounds.

“Sound Pollution” takes a good minute and a half to really get moving and up until that point it’s a more atmospheric approach. It honestly reminds me of listening to a score for an epic movie. One the song gets started though you realize this is the Andy Hunter people have come to love. The song continues to build and build until a bit of vocals are used. “Stars” is far more mellow and ethereal than the first track and focuses a lot more on vocals. It has probably the best chorus on the disc and trust me you’ll be singing along before the track ends. “System Error” is another hard hitting club track with a great beat. “Smile” is another single without a doubt. It has the other huge chorus that you’ll undoubtedly be singing along to. Be sure to expect some remixes on this song. “Technicolour” has a different sound but one non-electronica fans might remember got popular in the 90’s. I tend to skip “Fade” and “Sapphire” which are back to back because I got bored rather quickly with them. The album rounds out with two more upbeat tracks, “Out Of Control” and “You“, but I’m often ready to stop when I skip “Fade“.

Overall Rating: This probably could have been another EP and I would be happy. I prefer more upbeat and pounding rhythms rather than ethereal songs, but the ones he presents here are not bad. I do tend to skip 1/4 of the album when I listen though. However, there is no denying this man’s talent and crafting intelligent and entertaining electronic music! (7/10)

Standout Tracks: “Sound Pollution”, “Smile”, “Stars”

Links:
Website
Myspace
Nettwerk Music Group

Buy: Best Buy

Band: Soul Embraced
Title: Dead Alive
Label: Solid State
Review By: JoshIVM

Tracklisting:

01. To End It All
02. Breaking Point
03. Curtain Of Deceit
04. The Devil’s Reflection
05. Everything Reminds Me Of You
06. La Fin Absolue Du Monde
07. Crawl
08. Into Darkness
09. Judas I’ve Become
10. Bloodstained Nevada
11. Kill This
12. In Memory
13. Dead Alive

It is the year of metal at Solid State Records. They announce all in one year that Soul Embraced would return, they signed The Famine made up of original Embodyment members, and also that almighty Living Sacrifice was back! Metalheads would have a chance to rejoice again as the label seemed to be returning to past years.

As was mentioned in a previous review, the production is far better than what Solid State offered 5 years ago. Thankfully this strengthens the album but it also cannot be depended on to carry a release. The band really has to have great songs first. Soul Embraced yet again mixes multiple styles of hard music into this album. From more nu metal flavored tracks to metalcore to more straightforward metal tracks this has quite a mix of sounds. “To End It All” starts things off metal. An acoustic riff with a slowly strengthening electric guitar which after taking over speeds up the riff and really gets things moving. This track is a good example of what to expect on the rest of the disc. Some amazing parts and some not so much. The best part of this song doesn’t begin until 3 minutes in and I guess could be considered a breakdown. That gives way to some high end guitar work and an epic ending that began the song. “Curtain Of Deceit” is one of the highlights of the album. Lots of finger work, harmonizing guitars, blasting drums, and pounding bass. This is what all of the album should sound like! “Everything Reminds Me Of You” is another great track that has some good melody mixed in with the brutality. “Crawl” was a surprise in that it features some clean vocals. It shows some of the bands changes in mixing in hard rock/nu metal vibes into their songs. This can also be seen on some parts of “Kill This“. With a different vocalist this would not be a metal song.

Overall Rating: Soul Embraced is capable of so much more than this. There are some truly incredible parts on this disc and then there a parts that bore me. The vocals still tend to annoy me during a lengthy listen even after all these years and I would like the band more without the Weyandt-esque sound. It isn’t a bad release by any means, but must be scored lower due to their abilities and what they gave us. (7/10)

Standout Tracks: “Curtain Of Deceit”, “LA Fin Absolue Du Monde”, “Crawl”

Links:
Website
Myspace
Solid State

Buy: Zambooie

Band: Means
Title: To Keep Me From Sinking
Label: Facedown
Release Date: 5.27.2008
Review By: JoshIVM

Tracklisting:

01. Awareness
02. Breaking In
03. Somewhere Up Ahead
04. Blackout
05. Steadily
06. We Dwell In Possibility
07. Burned Into Me
08. Refuge
09. What We Seek
10. Of Dread And Dreams

Means, one of Facedown’s rising acts, are back with their sophmore release. I am a huge fan of their debut Sending You Strength and have listened to it quite a bit. Unfortunately in cases like that the bar is set extremely high for the band to top it with their second release. While I don’t feel like they’re in a sophmore slump, I also do not feel they created a better album than the first.

The most noticeable difference between this album and the last is Dylan’s vocals. His voice sounds beat up. Perhaps this is the case and it was just worn out because of touring or maybe his vocals have changed a bit. At first this was an extreme turnoff to me. Being such a fan of the last album I couldn’t seem to get past the change. From his deeper, thick yells to now a more coarse, raspy approach took a bit of the brutality away from their sound. But the more I listened to this disc the more the vocals faded and were no longer as big of an issue.

Musically the band continues to bring the technical, melodic hardcore they are known for. Matt Goud has an impressive ability to craft aggressive jams and alternating his soothing vocals with Dylan’s harsh tones. Even with the change the vocals melt together really well. There is a good mix of guitars on this album from pounding breakdowns, driving rhythms, to more intricate guitar work, something about their style just hooks me. “Breaking In” is one of the heavier tracks until the more melodic chorus which is one of the more memorable on the album. The ballad “Steadily” was unexpected but extremely welcomed! This song is an acoustic song featuring Matt Goud’s awesome vocals and stands out not only because of the change in musical style but in the fact that it’s simply a good song. I would actually like to see Goud do some solo work or a even a side project that uses his vocals in a calmer musical setting. Many of the rest of the tracks keep a similar, unrelenting pace during verses and then calmer cleanly sung choruses (”Refuge“, “We Dwell In Possibility“).

Overall Rating: Thankfully over multiple listens my vocal complaints lessened a great deal although they didn’t fully diminish. I still prefer his vocals on Sending You Strength but as a whole this album is nearly as good. To Keep Me From Sinking is another impressive release and a welcome change from many of their melodic hardcore contemporaries! (8/10)

Standout Tracks: “Breaking In”, “Steadily”, “Burned Into Me”

Links:
Myspace
Facedown Records

Buy: Facedown Records Store

Band: The Wedding
Title: The Sound The Steel
Label: Brave New World
Review By: JoshIVM

Tracklisting:

01. Receive
02. Return
03. Renew
04. Reveal
05. Redeem

Losing a vocalist can quickly be the death of a band. The Wedding I’m sure hoped this wasn’t going to be the case upon hearing Kevin’s decision to step down. Thankfully and unexpectedly for me, they enlisted former Letter Kills vocalist Matt Shelton. Being a big fan of Letter Kills I was pumped to hear the news! This EP is a debut of the new lineup and it shows that the band has indeed weathered the storm quite nicely.

The album’s opener “Receive” is a catchy, bouncy track with an easy to sing along chorus, complete with gang vocals. You will notice quickly that Matt’s vocals blend really well with the bands sound. “Return” brings a southern rock guitar vibe (gasp!) initially but don’t worry it doesn’t last long. It settles in with a far more straightforward rock track. There is some pretty sweet vocal parts in this song a little over a minute in where it sounds like a choir joins Matt. The song also ends with a breakdown-esque ending that is the highlight of the song. It ends the song perfectly. Both “Renew” and “Redeem” are piano led songs which are both potential hits. Great sing-along tracks! I’ll admit I laughed when I heard the first guitar parts of “Reveal“. I thought the band had gone nu metal for a second. The riff is by far the heaviest part on the album and will get the crowds moving. Again the band has a big, catchy chorus to complement the rest of the song.

Overall Rating: This EP has some musical changes from the band’s last album Polarity, which is my favorite of their 4 releases. That album just was the band at the top of their game and made it harder for this EP to be stronger. The Sound The Steel offers a variety of styles, which is both good and bad. Good that it offers something for everyone but bad in that the sounds vary enough to lead me to desire some streamlining of their sound. I think the band will have to mold the various sounds into a more cohesive whole like the previous full length. That being said, if you liked The Wedding before you will most likely dig this album and it’s definitely worth checking out if they’re new to you. (7.5/10)

Standout Tracks: “Redeem”, “Return”

Myspace
Brave New World

Buy: Brave New World Store

Band: Since October
Title: This Is My Heart
Label: Tooth & Nail
Review By: JoshIVM

Tracklisting:

01. Emily
02. My Heart
03. Beautiful
04. Disaster
05. In This Moment
03. Guilty
07. World To Me
08. Live To Die
09. Follow Me Down
10. Waiting
11. Everything

Since October is a band we’ve covered on IVM long before they signed with Tooth & Nail. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly they won a new band contest we ran way back. Brandon can either confirm that or tell me I’m way off. I have said since I first listened to their EP that’d they’d be a great pick for the Nail. They would provide the label with another nu metal/hard rock group that would hopefully follow in the footsteps of success that Thousand Foot Krutch has achieved. The band’s EP, Gasping For Hope, were pretty impressive for an independent group, and for those who are familiar you’ll notice many of those early songs reappear on this album. Unfortunately, the band did not live up to my expectations with This Is My Heart.

Since October sounds like many of the other bands in the hard rock/nu metal realm, most notably bands like Disciple. At times they have a bit of a P.O.D. vibe which isn’t surprising when realizing that Marcos helped co-write a few tracks. “My Heart” would be a typical sounding song for this genre. Chunky guitars, thick guitars, with pounding drums mixed with a sing/scream approach. However, when listening to songs like “Beautiful” you’ll be able to notice a bit more use of melody than some others in the genre. This is an incredibly catchy track and a likely contender for the second single. It also features some of that guitar chugging but focuses more on the melodic approach. The chorus is big and catchy which is a must in this genre. “Disaster” was chosen as the first single and is similar to “Beautiful” in most aspects. “In This Moment” is the ballad of the album and a potential single for Christian radio that isn’t into the hard rock.

Overall Rating: An impressive, yet at times repetitive, debut for the foursome from Florida. If they focus hard on staying on the road they will be able to carve a place for themselves in the market. Hopefully a bit more variation will be seen on future releases as well. This band has a lot of crossover potential and I truly hope to see them do some secular tours. (6.5/10)

Standout Tracks: “Beautiful”, “Disaster”

Myspace
Tooth & Nail

Buy: Zambooie

Band: Secret And Whisper
Title: Great While Whale
Label: Tooth & Nail
Review By: JoshIVM

Tracklisting:

01. Blonde Monster
02. You Are Familiar
03. Vanishings
04. XOXOXO
05. The Actress
06. Spider Besider
07. Looming Moon
08. Attacker
09. Anchors
10. Werewolves
11. Lovers
12. Great While Whale

You probably know the story by now. There was a band named Stutterfly who lost their vocalist. They replaced him with Charles Furney and due to how much his vocals affected their sound, they opted for a new moniker. So began Secret And Whisper. It certainly didn’t take long after that for T&N to scoop them up. They were last in a series of signings of bands from the Great White North but also the ones with the most potential for success. You also have undoubtedly heard the comments that this band is a complete rip-off of Saosin and Circa Survive. I think this is predominantly due to the fact that  Charles’ vocals are similar to both Anthony Green’s and Cove Reber’s ranges and approach, but there are musical matches as well. However, while I due acknowledge the similarities, I wont go so far as to call them rip-offs. So that’s the back story if you want it.

For a band in this genre keep the music upbeat and surprisingly heavy on the majority of the album. Normally if a band is going to keep it heavy they will throw in some screams and I’m glad this band didn’t. The opener, “Blonde Monster” is a great build-up track and begins to introduce you to Furney’s range, before jumping full on into “You Are Familiar“. This track is a perfect track to introduce people to the band. Through the song it shows the various sounds the band provides throughout the rest of the disc. “XOXOXO” is the single, which is a driving, heavy track with a killer chorus! This band really knows how to write great songs, as it was hard for me to find any weak tracks on this album. The band also slows things down on tracks like “The Actress” and “Werewolves” which focus more directly on Furney’s vocals than the music.

Overall Rating: I have played this album straight through numerous times and have yet to get sick of it. If they are a “rip-off” as people claim, they are a mighty good one. In fact, I’d say that Secret & Whisper has released a better album than the band people claim they copy. This album was by far the most enjoyable out of T&N’s new crop of debuts lately. Great White Whale has provided with me with every I wanted in an album like this and will definitely be heard emanating from my speakers for some time to come! (9/10)

Standout Tracks: “XOXOXO”, “You Are Familiar”, “Werewolves”

Links:
Myspace
Tooth & Nail

Buy: Zambooie

Band: Kingston Falls
Title: Armada On Mercury
Label: Facedown Records
Review By: JoshIVM

Tracklisting:

01. The Christening
02. Armada On Mercury
03. Too Hot For Cold Feet
04. On Contentment
05. The Great Divide
06. Freakin’ eXtreme!
07. The Illusionist’s Dream
08. Songs & Fables
09. Curse of Might
10. Dry Skin (Moz Def)
11. Sand Castle Karma
12. Too Bad About Your Situation

Kingston Falls in the past few years have lost a vocalist and been bumped on to Facedown from its imprint Strike First. Their debut on Facedown and first with Nate Lambright Dale, their new vocalist leading the way, recently released. I had previously reviewed their last album and ranked pretty low because of the mix between vocalist and band, so I was hoping for a change there. Sadly, I could probably just write the same review because it is my complaint once again.

After the short intro, which I did like, the vocals were an immediately noticeable issue for me. The opening guitar lick was cool and then came this raspy scream. It sounded like someone who’d been on the road and their voice was shot. The singing during the chorus was great but again didn’t fit with the screams. This is pretty much how I felt about most tracks until I reached “Freakin’ eXtreme!“. This was the band’s first single and I think a mistake to release. It really got me excited for this album which turned out to sound nothing like this song. It is the odd man out here. Sadly, I wish the album sounded more like this. I’m assuming that the vocals here were also done by Nate and I see no reason they couldn’t have done this throughout the album. If all of the songs on the album were like this it would have received a 9 of 10 or higher guaranteed. I think there are plenty of parts throughout the album as it is that this punk metal style could have been utilized. Some examples are upbeat tracks like “Curse of Might” and “Too Bad About Your Situation“. Much of the singing on the album would fit a more punk oriented album as well. But enough of my hopes, you’ll have to decide for yourself on this one.

Overall Rating: They are better all around since releasing Crescendo Of Sirens, but I still cannot get into them. They just keep picking the wrong vocalists. Neither of the vocalists were bad, but with the sound they are pursuing it just doesn’t work for me. Some of the music here is awesome but I can’t enjoy it with the vocals. This band could be so much better if they wanted to and I think “Freakin’ eXtreme!” and other portions of songs show that. My opinion, switch the screams for yells and do more singing to go with the punk/metal/hardcore approach. (6.5/10)

Standout Tracks: “Freakin’ eXtreme!”, “Too Bad About Your Situation”, “On Contentment”

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Facedown

Buy: Facedown Records Store

A few friends came into town this past weekend so that we all could hit up the Stronger Than Hell Tour in Allentown, PA. It is quite amazing how all the details came together because these friends are limited to Saturday shows which never seem to work out. Oddly enough for once things did work out and all of them could go, so we met up on Saturday afternoon and drove just a bit over 2 hours to what hopefully would be an extremely enjoyable show.

Thankfully the crowd wasn’t huge! The last time I attended a show here it was for Underoath and when I arrived the line was all the way around the city block. I hate being packed like sardines into a small club so it was nice that it wasn’t a sell out. Due to my planning, and a pizza place across the street to waste time, once inside it only took a few minutes before Advent took the stage. I had been looking forward to seeing these guys despite the fact that I didn’t enjoy their album as much I had hoped to. They delivered pretty much exactly what I expected but the crowd was not into it. The hardcore kids were the extreme minority at this show and it showed. Just a few kids were attempting to dance. I felt bad for the band because hardcore bands feed off of the crowd. Regardless of the lack of crowd participation they put on a quick but solid set.

The Famine took the stage next and flew through a good portion of their recently released debut, The Raven and the Reaping. They were tight and easily the heaviest band of the night. The crowd began to stir a bit more during their set and the band did their best to encourage movement. As their set continued the crowd did begin to get into them more. I was very impressed with the band’s show. Nothing too crazy or out of the norm. No dancing around or jumping or anything of that sort. Just flat out, knock down metal.

Oh, Sleeper were the band that really got the show started. It’s safe to say they gained a good number of fans. They were all quite lively and the crowd responded well. As with the other young bands that opened this tour they played a good portion of their debut on Solid State. I didn’t expect this band to be as good as they were but I definitely will be seeing them again. This is a band I’d highly recommend seeing live if you get the chance. Definitely an up-and-comer on the label!

Many people were probably in attendance because of Living Sacrifice. It certainly was the seller for me, although I probably would have attended regardless. This wasn’t my first time catching them live as I’d seen them anywhere from 3-5 times before (hard to remember how many Cornerstone sets). They played a great mix of tracks from all their Solid State releases. Highlights were “Enthroned“, “In Christ“, and “Symbiotic“. I was hoping to hear one of the new tracks live and also to hear “Reject” once again but unfortunately that didn’t happen this time around. They were as fun to watch as I remember years back and I’m really excited for their upcoming full length due out in early 2009!

This was my first time seeing Demon Hunter. I can’t say I’m terribly familiar with all of their material but I knew them enough to like them. After watching their set it made me wish I knew all the lyrics. They were by far the surprise of the night for me! The band was extremely tight (although the music isn’t terribly intricate) and the vocals were dead on. They played quite a few songs from the new album and most of the favorites from the past ones as well. The crowd really surprised me here as well. Most of them knew the lyrics and were singing along. They often carried the songs as the mic was held over them. I didn’t realize that DH had so many dedicated fans up here but apparently they do. If I wasn’t a fan already this show would have won me over. It’s too bad they don’t tour because they definitely could get on some bigger tours and gain fans.

Overall it was a great night and one of the better shows I’ve been to in years. If you can check out this tour before it ends I recommend you do.

Album: My Grandfather, the Cubist
Artist: Joy Electric
Label: Tooth & Nail Records
Release Date: May 27, 2008
Review by: Eric Pettersson

Tracklist:
1. Victorian Intuition/ Father Winter Replies
2. Rudimentary Animation
3. Draw for Me, M.C. Escher
4. Four Gone Pierre (Or What Electricity Made)
5. The First Time I Loved Her It Was Here
6. I Recall the Telephone Booth
7. On Being Principally Utopian
8. Whether by Horse, or Horseless
9. Only Copernicus
10. Prelude to Cubism
11. My Grandfather, the Cubist
12. Cubism Interlude

I must admit, I am a sadly late passenger of the Joy Electric railroad. Today I browsing a local used CD vendor and came across a copy of Old Wives Tales from 1996 and thought, man, this guy’s been around forever. I wonder what he sounded like back then, towards the beginning. I mean, I heard “Monosynth” (repeatedly) on that one BEC sampler and I saw some videos on those old T&N tapes, but I never actually had a whole record until the recent Hello, Mannequin. So my review of this record is more from the stance of a music fan in 2008 than of a longtime friend of JE.

And the reason this is sad is because I have trouble getting into a lot of this disc. From what I can tell, I probably would have liked his stuff from the 90s better. Which is a little strange for me to say, because from what I can tell, almost all of his material sounds the same. I mean, I like this album. I really do. My Grandfather, the Cubist is full of smart melodies and even features some further electronic experimentation on tracks like “Draw for Me, M.C. Escher.” The problem is that it sits in my collection as an occasional guilty pleasure. As I listen right now, “Four Gone Pierre” is sounding great through my speakers, but on previous spins, I’ve been tired of this style by the end of the album and wanting to change it to something else. It’s good; it’s just not something I can listen to for very long. Again, the dark minimalist sound of “The First Time I Loved Her It Was Here” is a beautiful thing in my ears, one of my favorite JE songs of all time, but overall the music is just a little too close to those Sonic the Hedgehog games that dominated my childhood. And Ronnie Martin’s vocal approach isn’t what it used to be either. He seems to have forgotten his higher, crisper singing voice and gone for a deeper almost whiny sound (a la Brand New, Bright Eyes, etc) that doesn’t really fit. For an example of what I’m talking about, listen to the chorus of “Whether by Horse, or Horseless” or the verses of “I Recall the Telephone Booth.”

My advice for Ronnie is to go back to the happier, poppier sound that his music had before the Legacy series. I can definitely appreciate the artsy, darker side of Joy Electric that has been prominent of late, but his songwriting is really at its most enjoyable when it is more accessible, such as the old “Lift Up Your Hearts” or even “Children of the Lord.” But as it stands, My Grandfather, the Cubist was another worthwhile effort. A few rough points here and there, but on the whole, it really is a good musical offering. “Only Copernicus” is especially good, with the upbeat chorus and the weird bleeping experimentation. Overall though, I was just hoping for a more substantial directive development.

Oh, and by the way Ron, that Christmas album was sweet. I’m looking forward to the next one that I hear is currently in the works. Also, while I have you on the line, did I ever tell you that “Cubism Interlude” presents an interesting aspect of your work because it is straight instrumental, therefore not constrained by the verse-chorus approach? Perhaps you should make an instrumental record as well. That, my friend, I would also look forward to!

7/10

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Artist: We Shot The Moon
Album: Fear and Love
Label: The Militia Group
Buy: Amazon MP3/The Militia Group
Review by the Headless Horseman.

1. The Water’s Edge
2. Sway Your Head
3. LTFP
4. Faces
5. Perfect Time
6. Tunnel Vision
7. Julie
8. On Your Way
9. Hope
10. Upon Waking She Found Herself A Cougar
11. Into the Blue
12. Please Shine

As I write this, it’s 1:46 A.M. I spent most of today working and most of the last hour listening to the latest acoustic, digital-only Alkaline Trio single. I wasn’t actually planning on writing this review right now; I’ve been trying to songwrite for the past few hours. I’m not having any luck. I’ve been stuck with writer’s block since October (no pun intended). I don’t think We Shot The Moon have ever (in their rather short career) had this problem. I say this not because We Shot The Moon manifest born natural-sounding songwriting ideas throughout Fear and Love but because it feels like the band took any old ideas that happened to grace their collective heads, jotted them down quickly without bothering to, you know, make sure they were good ideas, and thus a record was born.

Time out. This may seem a bit harsh. You might be thinking, “Hey, Headless, weren’t you rather fond of the EP? You gave it a pretty nice write-up.” Well, yeah. And I stand by what I wrote there. Let’s start by talking about the EP, though. Sans the closer (and probably the best song) “Welcome Home,” it’s all here. It smacks you across the face the first time you try to listen to Fear and Love. I know bands breaking into the scene for a debut often re-release EP tracks. No big deal, right? Generally, maybe, but most of these bands don’t make the first three debut tracks EP cuts. Fear and Love opens with the all-too-familiar “The Water’s Edge.” It’s not a better song than it was on the EP, when it was, well, a mediocre song, with a fairly nonsensical, somewhat pleasant (for the first couple of listens) chorus. It was forgettable on the five-song EP, and it’s a forgettable opener here.

Time out again. Is that such a big deal? After all, Composure opened with the fairly mediocre “Shades of Grey” and was a positively great record. Let’s not be hasty. Point granted. The next two cuts are two of the record’s best. “Sway Your Head” and “LTFP” are catchier (if anything) than the opener, and they don’t make you feel like an idiot for listening to them. The lyrics are much better, and the songs are overall more interesting. Well and good. The next cut is “Faces.” It sounds pretty much like the previous three tracks, except with a chorus that not only isn’t as catchy, it’s not half as competent as the previous two (”If you slow down, could it ever be this fun? In a small town, with nowhere else to run, give it time; figure it out. Get in line and narrow it down. You’ll go farther than you ever thought you could.“). The idea is simple enough, but it sounds like the lyrics sort of needed to rhyme after that, and so the band threw in basically whatever words rhymed, no matter how cliched the sentiment or how little the finished product makes sense. Not that it’s not a fun listen, but it makes the listener realize that We Shot The Moon should probably mix something up right about now.

And they oblige. “Perfect Time” is, up until the chorus, a rather endearing (if slightly simplistic — not always a bad thing) piano ballad. And then the chorus hits. Why We Shot The Moon insist on ruining good song ideas with dull, choppy, power-chord infused choruses is beyond me. The lyrics are trite and repetitive enough (“You are, you are the only one for me. You are, you are the only one for me. I tried for years to get this right. I’m not about to lose this fight.”) without sounding like Jonathan Jones is covering the latest Hinder ballad. And for the record — anyone writing lyrics for a band, please, please, please heed my advice — never under any circumstances should keeping a girlfriend be compared to winning or losing a fight. This is a very bad idea.

The rest of the CD, believe it or not, is sort of like this. “Hope” and “Julie” are pretty decent songs until the band unleashes their inner nu-metal group. The former has a reasonably dumb first verse, a pre-chorus that makes it sound like the song might turn out to be great, and an incredibly disappointing (and did I mention plodding? It’s practically a breakdown, for heaven’s sake) chorus. “Into the Blue” has a truly atrocious chorus and bridge. “On Your Way” is very close to being a good song, and then Jones breaks out a vocoder. Wow. We’ve really sunk that low. It’s still pretty close to being a good song, and considering the mediocre (and that’s sort of generous) chorus lyrics, that says a fair amount. You get the picture.

No, the record’s not entirely this poor. “Tunnel Vision,” immediately following “Perfect Time,” puts it utterly to shame. This is a piano ballad that’s interesting, that isn’t stupid (not even the hippie throwing the narrator a peace sign), that is reminiscent of the tale of the prodigal son, and, perhaps best of all, that sounds nothing like Nickelback. “Upon Waking She Found Herself A Cougar” proves that the band has written more than one totally perfect mid-tempo pop tune (the other being “Sway Your Head”). It’s the best track, musically speaking, on the CD, and it proves that the departure of the Sherwood boys hasn’t hamstrung We Shot The Moon completely; they really can do better than post-grunge-with-pianos. The lyrics are very well done; they really can do better than, well, most of the other lyrics on this CD. The vocals and the hooks are to die for. While this makes for an excellent listen, it also leaves this listener wondering how much of Fear and Love went so wrong.

We Shot The Moon fade out after “Please Shine,” a truly moving love song that is, well, pretty much everything “Perfect Time” isn’t. But by now, the damage has been done. Some of the songs on this disc are truly near intolerable. Lyrical examples ranging from mildly trite to absurdly poor are not in short supply. The number of genuinely interesting musical passages can be counted on one hand. Even the chorus hooks, the true pop staple, are sometimes just forgettable. I’m not going to tell you you definitely won’t like this CD, and with eight of the twelve tracks available for streaming (see the above links) and the CD only $6 on iTunes (and cheaper with an eMusic plan or free trial), you shouldn’t take my word on anything I’ve said here. As for me, though, I don’t know if I’ll ever listen to half of these songs again. Before I thought We Shot The Moon’s potential was nearly limitless and with time, their skills would far outweigh their shortcomings. Now I’m not at all sure. Boys, you’re on notice. It takes more than a few rhyme schemes and power chords to write a good pop record.

Rating: 4.5/10
Standout Tracks: “Sway Your Head,” “Tunnel Vision,” “Upon Waking She Found Herself A Cougar,” “Please Shine”
RIYL: Copeland, Leeland, Waking Ashland, Mae, Pillar’s or Kutless’s softer material.

3/20/08- Day 1 of tour had started and I was already really tired from staying up late with Jesse the previous night just talking and finishing up putting seats and seatbelts in the  van. Thursday was a busy day where we worked nonstop on the van. Jeremiah and his girlfriend Meggie worked all day making a raised platform in the back of the van so we could put a futon on and have a bed (which really came in handy for Aaron who loves to read and sleep.) Friday has now come and we had to get up early to go pick up the merch and all the stuff from the practice space. Thats when we realized we had an infestation of earwigs and ants in the trailor. We had nothing to kill them with so we just kept spraying them with Febreze which actually worked. When we left the practice space we ended up meeting up with the guys girlfriends and just other great friends from the community at the waffle house. We ate and just hung out and said our goodbyes and were off on the road. We arrived in Georgia after 5 hours of driving to do a show with our new buddies Ocean is Theory. We arrived at the venue early which happend to be First Baptist Church in Woodstock which is one of the top 100 biggest churches in the United States. This church was huge so to waste time we went to the gym the church had and played four square and basketball. After getting tired from all of that we all wanted to see the inside of this huge church. We checked every door on the first floor except 2 doors thinking they would be locked, then we headed to the second floor where every door was locked, and same with the third floor. We went back down to the first floor just to see if those doors were unlocked and by some miracle they were. “We entered the core”, as  I said, when we went in. For some reason Aaron thought that was hilarious. Jeremiah also came up with the brilliant and hilarious idea that someone should change all the lights to the clap on lights so when people are at church and started clapping it would be like a rave and no one would know what was going on. I think we laughed a good hard 5 minutes on that one thinking about peoples reactions. Anyways, the show was amazing of course, but what was funny was my buddy Joel (who is on this tour and also works for IVM) and I kept mistaking the ”scene” guys for girls. At the end of the day what really grabbed me  and was awesome was just staying at Josh’s house (lead singer of Ocean Is Theory) and just him and his family opening their house to people they have never met and being just so friendly and awesome to us meant alot. I guess I am just not used to this because I have never been on tour, but its great there are people that are out there who care about the ministry this band truly is and that they would do anything to help a bunch of smelly bearded guys fulfill that ministry. That was preety much it from our busy first day of tour and what I learned, but I am sure there are tons of more stories to tell coming up for the rest of this tour.

Artist: The Myriad
Album: With Arrows, with Poise
Label: Koch Records
Release Date: May 13, 2008
Review by: Eric Pettersson

Tracklist:
1. You Waste Time Like a Grandfather Clock
2. “Get on the Plane”
3. Forget What You Came For
4. A Clean Shot
5. The Accident
6. Holiest of Thieves
7. A THoseand Winters Melting
8. Polar Bears and Shark Fins
9. Throwing Punches
10. “Don’t Let Them See You!”
11. Braver than the Rest
12. Stuck in a Glass Elevator

The arrows, of course, are these twelve songs. And the poise is to take over the world. Or at least the current music world. Yeah, it’s that good. And I don’t think I’ve said this in at least two years, but what really sets this record apart in my mind is the bass. It may not stand out as immediately as Jeremy Edwardson’s soft, smooth, crisp voice or the intricate drum rhythms supplied by NAME, but it is indeed the bass guitar that completes this album. The bass lines are thick and solid, molding everything together with power and control, adding a darker edge to an otherwise poppy band. The rock and roll exits on With Arrows, with Poise in a very jazzy, crooning sort of way, as opposed to a blazing, crunching guitar-driven kind of way. But even though these roots are more easily traced to The Animals or The Doors than to Guns N’ Roses or Nirvana doesn’t mean The Myriad can’t rock. “The Accident” could fit very easily on the next release from Lovedrug or MuteMath. But important that how rocking a record can be is how original it is, and this is where this band really shines. “The Holiest of Thieves” stands out for this reason, with one of the most creative blends of mellow and intense sounds I’ve heard in a while. The flow is perfect, and the bridge is fantastic. The whole disc maintains a consistency that helps keep things easy on the ears, but the creative juices behind it know how to still create a grand variety within that consistent sound. A much more up-beat, happy sound is heard on “A Thousand Winters,” whereas “Get on the Plane” is more spacious and epic. The piano helps broaden the sound, along with some electronic additions here and there, including a drum machine. As I sit here now listening to the album again, “Polar Bears and Shark Fins” reminds me a lot of something from the Water disc of Thrice’s Alchemy Index. It has the same, well, watery feeling, and Jeremy’s vocal approach even sounds similar to Dustin Kensrue’s on that EP. I have no doubt in my mind that With Arrows, with Poise will be featured in multiple magazines and websites at the end of this year as one of the top albums of 2008. The songwriting and production are both incredible and work together wonderfully, and artwork is pretty sweet too. A great blend of melody and energy, of pop and rock.

9/10

Official Site
MySpace
PureVolume

Artist: Man Alive
Album: Man Alive
Label: B& Recordings/Doghouse Records (US)
Buy: The IVM Store
Review by the Headless Horseman.

1. If You Breathe, You Bleed
2. The Things Left Worth Dying For
3. In Spite of All
4. Invincible
5. Stick Around
6. Mission Abort
7. Morningside
8. Laugh or Cry
9. Until Somebody Screams
10. Proud To Be Un-American
11. Myth vs. Fact

There’s something great about listening to the artists we can still unabashedly call punk.

Before I go on, let me clarify that: I am not here referring to bands like Black Flag, whom I would consider hardcore. Black Flag, while important in their own way, really aren’t much fun to listen to. I am also not referring to bands like Relient K and Fall Out Boy, who play pop music with semi-distorted guitars. These bands, while certainly fun in their way, don’t really carry over the heart or the energy found in punk and often sound like their music exists only to sell the hooks; they come off as somewhat manufactured. (This is truly an age of style over substance, a prioritization we attribute mercilessly but often correctly to today’s powerpop and pop-punk bands.) Bands I’m referring to include (in the secular realm) the Lawrence Arms, Social Distortion, Face to Face, No Motiv, Leatherface, Against Me!, and (in the “Christian music” realm) Too Bad Eugene/Thrush, Ace Troubleshooter, Hangnail, Ghoti Hook, MxPx, and Dogwood. You get the type I’m talking about? Good. Where was I?

The beauty of listening to today’s punk music is that the listener doesn’t sacrifice either intelligence and competence or catchiness and memorability for the sake of the other. Hangnail wrote as a matter of course hooks every bit as good as those of Relient K, but they didn’t sound cute while doing it. Ghoti Hook made you think a lot more than Hawk Nelson does (see “Mach 3,” “Lullaby”), and even so their songs would stick in your head for days on end. Sadly most of these bands are gone from the Christian music scene today. Lamenting the direction Tooth & Nail Records has taken in the latter part of this decade has become the cool thing to do, but even so, it’s hard to look back and not wish that some of that style had remained. The departure of punk from Tooth & Nail paralleled its departure from prominence in Christian music in general.

Into this kind of a scene enter Man Alive. They’re a rad Israeli punk band. They follow in the footsteps of the bands listed above. They’re very catchy. They write anthems that can make you contemplate, make you believe, as well as make you sing at the top of your lungs. On their fourth CD, they tear through an entirely enjoyable, often even an epic half-hour of unforgettable hooks, poignant lyrics, and some truly impressive guitar playing (”Invincible,” “Mission Abort,” “Morningside”) with hardly a misstep; only the somewhat plodding “Stick Around” feels out of place, and in large part it redeems itself with a catchy guitar riff and a solid chorus.

While Man Alive isn’t the kind of record that you can pigeonhole as a “summer album” — this seems to be reserved for cutesy powerpop albums short on substance and theoretically long on fun — plenty of these songs won’t be out of place when pedestrian hear them emanating from your car stereo. Arguably the album’s best song, “In Spite of All,” an anthem about loving an unlovable friend, has a hook that’s just dying to be played for everyone you know. Punchy cuts like “The Things Left Worth Dying For” and “Mission Abort” should also be quite enough to get your toes tapping and your hands air-drumming within a few seconds.

Make no mistake, however: Man Alive write with substance and meaning. They take on tough issues — and I don’t mean tough issues like feeling down or being dumped by your girlfriend. I mean tough issues like youth being brainwashed by militant Islam (”Myth vs. Fact”). I mean tough issues like many of the people in America renouncing personal accountability for their actions and forgetting the principles this country is founded on (”Proud To Be Un-American” — Note: this is the meaning of the title; the band is presumably asking us “What makes you so proud to be un-American?”). Tough issues like the soul’s struggle between good and evil (”Mission Abort”) and inevitable sorrow even in a universe where God promises to make everything right in the end (”If You Breathe, You Bleed”). In fact, “Laugh or Cry,” arguably the album’s other best song, contains one of my favorite lyrics of all time: “I don’t want to see you through these clouded eyes…[I] wanna live forever, but a different life.” You’ve been warned: Man Alive aren’t content to just be playing in your stereo. They want to challenge you.

I remember discussing in the forums a while back why no artists that played with the energy and the heart of those on labels like Fat Wreck Chords are prominent in the Christian music scene today. Man Alive are a band like that, and what’s more, they have a message to bring. This record’s very catchy and very fun to listen to, but it may take you a while to get into like it did for me. But this is a band that’s really worth listening to, not only because they give secular counterparts like the Lawrence Arms and Against Me! a run for their money — and believe me, in my opinion, that’s a huge compliment — but because they bring profound thought into a genre that often lacks it. This one will almost certainly make my Albums of the Year list, because when it’s done not only competently but in exemplary fashion, punk music makes for a really awesome listen.

Rating: 9/10
Standout Tracks: “In Spite of All,” “Mission Abort,” “Laugh or Cry,” “Myth vs. Fact”
RIYL: Hangnail, No Motiv, Too Bad Eugene, Ace Troubleshooter, Against Me!

Artist: Ocean Is Theory
Album: “Into The Mouth Of Lions”
Label: Independent
Review by: Billy G

Recording their debut EP, “Into the Mouth of Lions” with Matt Malpass (Copeland, Rookie of The Year) and Matt Goldman (Underoath, As Cities burn, Cartel). Ocean Is Theory is yet another group that severely impresses me. These guys are young,(Four out of the five members are still in high school) but that does not limit their musical ability at all. Recently being selected as one of the 16 winners of the New Band Showcase Contest for Cornerstone Festival, these guys have a very bright future ahead of them.

This 5 song EP shows amazing songs,talent, and plenty of potential for a great full length. It opens with Plant Your Fields and right from the get go you can tell this band has intense passion for their faith. Lyrically this album is filled with scriptural references. From the song By No Means, the chorus belts out “Must we force this grace to increase? By no means!”. Taking an apparent liking to Romans the band keeps up with the theme on More than Conquerors with the lyrics, “We are more than conquerors by your grace”. Musically speaking these guys tend to lean towards the indie/emo/rock outfit. With well placed melodies and melodic vocals this EP seems to be flawless. While there is a bit of un-originality with their choice of genre, they do indeed add a bit of there own blend to the mix. Songs like “By No Means”, carry catchy choruses and amazing falsetto. The apparent single for the album titled, “Oh Broken Son” has a darker undertone to it while carrying the same strength the rest of the EP has. This song is where OIT does something I love, an epic chorus. Too many bands rely on catchy hooks or sing alongs, yet this seems to come naturally to OIT all without being overdone. Overall it’s a solid effort from a very young and very promising band.

8.5/10

For Fans Of: My Epic, Number One Gun, Search The City

Band: Inhale Exhale
Album: I Swear
Label: Solid State Records
Review by: Kimberly J

Tracklisting

01. I Need A Space Ship (Instead I Got Problems)
02. Its Myself Vs. Being A Man
03. The Impatient Will Suffer
04. Is The Fact That Im Trying To Do It, Doing It For You?
05. I Live The Bad Life (You Make It Worse)
06. No One Is Invincible
07. The Words That We Have Chosen
08. Drink Till We Drop
09. Ill Die with No Friends And A Grin On My Face
10. Fluvanna
11. Knowledge Priceless

Ryland Raus-Vocals
John LaRussa- Guitar
Jeremy Gifford- Bass
Chris “Gator” Carroll- Drums

The past few years have seemed to be a good place in time for Christian metalcore artists to stretch their limbs a bit. Many bands have taken the opportunity to test the waters of experimentalism (yeah that’s a word) and different musical textures. One of the bands taking this step of musical acceleration is Inhale Exhale. Their debut album “The Lost. The Sick. The Sacred…” held a nice hand few of standout tracks and memorable moments for me, leaving me with a great impression of the band and their musical style. Two years later they’ve graced us with their latest creation, I Swear…

One thing that initially stood out for me with this record was vocalist Ryland Raus’ vocal stamina. I had speculations of his vocal greatness, but this album has really given me that push to just accept it. Not only is he a great screamer, he has the vocal chops that can make a song from thunderous and epic, to personal and intimate. After listening to the first track off of the new record, “I Needed a Spaceship (Instead I got Problems)”, I definitely got that original Inhale Exhale feel; hard hitting, with big, ridiculously massive, guitar riffs! The second track on the record “It’s Me vs. Being A Man”, might actually just be one of my favorite songs as of right now. It has this slow groove to it that manages to stay cohesive with even the heaviest parts of the album.

I Swear… has some common metalcore qualities such as anthem type songs; Inhale Exhale just has a different approach. I don’t want to get over analytical, which I tend to do on a regular basis, but even within the guitars there seems to be a voice only our hearts can articulate. That’s sort of a crazy statement to make, but I mean it. The songs on this album can seriously raise up something inside you and become fluid and intertwined with your own heartbeat! It’s an awesome feeling!

I could really go through and tell you how wonderful each song is, but I have to refrain myself this time. I hate to just bring this review to a halt, but I can’t help but say I Swear… is just an all around win: musical quality, vocal quality, lyrical quality; everything! This will be the recorded I put on when all I want to do is feel consumed by compelling music. This will also be the record I turn on when my friends and I want to hardcore dance in my living room when my mom isn’t home. So in all, I Swear rocks…Inhale Exhale rocks…Enough said!

9/10

Standout Tracks: It’s Me vs. Being a Man, Knowledge = Priceless, The Impatient Will Suffer

Official Site

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Band: Jadon Lavik
Title: Roots Run Deep
Label: BEC Recordings
Review By: JoshIVM

Tracklisting:

01. Come Thou Fount
02. Blessed Assurance
03. Tis So Sweet
04. My Father’s World
05. I Surrender All
06. Wondrous Love
07. Turn Your Eyes
08. I Need Thee
09. Take My Life
10. What a Friend
11. Amazing Grace

I love hymns. To me, there is no way I’d rather worship than to sing those timeless songs. I realize the praise & worship movement is all the rage now but they will never have the same impact on me. Those were my feelings upon attempting to listen to Jadon Lavik’s new release “Roots Run Deep”. I am no longer terribly familiar with every CCM release as I was when I worked at a Christian bookstore but I still keep up with what’s out there. Most of the newer hymn albums turned me away because their focus was on modernizing the songs. Thankfully, Jadon avoids this and in turn receives my support. He makes these 11 tracks his own while not straying too far from the originals. You will notice many of the titles here such as “Blessed Assurance”, “Come Thou Fount”, and “I Surrender All”, however Jadon has come up with new arrangements for these beloved favorites. The popular CCM artist Fernando Ortega joins him on “Tis So Sweet” and that turns out to be one of the best tracks on the disc. As is the style on the rest of the album, the music here is simple only utilizing an acoustic guitar, piano, and some light percussion. “Amazing Grace” is one of the songs that did stand out because of the arrangement. Jadon went for a more blues/jazz approach and it suprisingly worked with me.

Overall Rating: An excellent project which I honestly did not expect to like! Roots Run Deep might just be my surprise album of the year with its refreshing take on many classics. I think those looking for an natural, intimate worship experience will greatly enjoy this album and I definitely recommend checking it out.(8.5/10)

Standout Tracks: “Come Thou Fount”, “Amazing Grace”

Website
Myspace
BEC Recordings

Buy: MusiChristian

Artist: Soul Embraced

Album: Dead Alive

Label: Solid State Records

Review by: Jason B

I like music and lyrics that tell a story. I’ve always been a fan of records that, when listening to them, give the listener a feeling that they are partaking of something bigger than just a cd: records that seem to take individuals on a journey. Such is the case with “Dead Alive”, the latest release from Soul Embraced.

Firstly, what stands out the most is the production quality in comparison to other releases from the band. One of my big gripes with some of the earlier metal releases from Solid State, particularly past releases from Soul Embraced, had to do with the production value. Such is not the case with “Dead Alive”. In fact, it’s top-notch. Finally, listeners have a Soul Embraced record where everything sounds exactly the way that it should sound from a production standpoint. For example, on previous releases from the band certain songs would feature guitar parts or drum parts, even vocals that sounded off in comparison with the other parts in the song. If nothing else, the production quality on previous Soul Embraced records would always seem to come up short in comparison with other metal bands during the time period of release for their past cd’s. Not so this time around. Everything is featured blaring perfectly through whatever system you choose to pump this record through.

You want metal? You’ve got metal. Soul Embraced cuts no corners on this one, giving the listener a meaty, hearty, helping of punch-you-in-the-mouth-meat-and-potatoes metal. The music hits hard and it does so from the beginning. Heavy guitar riffs, raspy/gutteral/hissing vocals, Mega Man-esque guitar solos, and pounding double bass pedals fill the brunt of the record. There are even moments that are reminiscent to a smooth guitar riff that could be found on any Guns and Roses record. Such is the case within the bridge of “Crawl” which features a slick guitar riff that rhythmically moves and pounds the listener before climactically cascading back into the chorus. Another soft moment is on the beautiful acoustic track “In Memory” which seems like it’s been placed on the record with the sole purpose of relaxing the listener and allowing them to breathe before destroying them on the next track.

After listening to the new Soul Embraced, I have to say in an unequivocal manner that this is metal done right. The music is in your face and it makes no apologies. Basically, what I’m saying is that it speaks for itself and stands on its own. The cd is nothing short of greatness. It’s the best release from Soul Embraced to date and it hearkens back to the days when Zao, Living Sacrifice, and Extol dominated the Solid State roster. And not to be a downer on the new breed but, as they say, those were the good ol’ days.

(8/10)

Standout tracks: Curtain of Deceit, The Devils Reflection, Crawl, Into Darkness

p.s.-how about we get a METAL tour featuring Living Sacrifice, Becoming the Archetype, The Famine and Soul Embraced?

Artist: Underoath
Album: Survive Kaleidoscope
Label: Tooth & Nail/ Solid State Records
Release Date: May 27, 2008
Review by: Eric Pettersson

Tracklist (for both CD and DVD, unless otherwise noted):
1. Intro (Salmarnir)/ Returning Empty Handed
2. In Regards to Myself
3. It’s Dangerous Business Walking out Your Front Door
4. You’re Ever So Inviting
5. To Whom It May Concern
6. A Moment Suspended in Time
7. Young and Aspiring
There Could Be Nothing after This [ONLY ON DVD]
8. Writing on the Walls
9. Everyone Looks So Good from Here
10. Casting Such a Thin Shadow
11. Moving for the Sake of Motion
12. A Boy Brushed Red, Living in Black and White

Before I actually start this review, two things must be understood. The first is that while this is a combined live CD and live DVD, both of which contain pretty much the same track list, they are in fact separate recordings from the same tour. The DVD takes place all in one night. It is a film of a single show on October 28, 2007 at The Electric Factory in Philadelphia, PA. The CD, however, is a compilation of various recordings from several dates throughout this tour last fall.

The second thing to understand is that I love Underoath. I have from the moment I heard “Letting Go of Tonight” on This Is Solid State Vol. 3 and from the first time I saw the video for “When the Sun Sleeps.” Since then, I have been a loyal follower, and I can’t wait for the new studio album to be released in the coming months. In fact, when Define the Great Line dropped almost exactly two years ago, I rushed out and bought the deluxe version with the DVD and better artwork on the first day. That said, I have had quite a long time to become quite familiar with the material on that record.

Which leads to my dilemma with the actual review here. See, only three songs come from They’re Only Chasing Safety. And the nine others are all from Define the Great Line. For a band with three (or five) records under their belt, that seems like a pretty limited selection. So once I actually got this thing into my CD player and started pumping it out of my speakers, all I could think of was, “I’ve heard all this before.” Literally. Sure, it’s a live recording, but they seem to not be into the whole funny stage banter thing, so it’s basically just an exact replica of their last release, except with the songs rearranged and a bunch of cheering thrown into the background. The sound quality is impressive, and I applaud the engineers and everyone else involved, including the band for being so on the spot with everything, but for someone who has already spun Define the Great Line as many times as I have, it just comes across as a simple rehashing of old songs. Well played, well recorded… but give me a little more variety here. I wanted to hear funny stories between tracks, songs selected from more than one record, and maybe even a new one thrown in to get us pumped for the next release. I mean, that’s how Five Iron Frenzy did it back in the day with Proof That the Youth Are Revolting, and it has been my standard for what a live album should be ever since. A standard that is hard to reach.

Thankfully, the DVD strips me of my negativity and apathetic drivel and suddenly plops me in the front row of one fantastic concert. It’s strange that I wasn’t actually there. I do live about thirty minutes away, but I guess that’s what happens when a sweet concert is happening on the night of your anniversary. And for the record, I do not regret missing this show… especially since I now have it right here in my hands. And I must say, everything is right on. The performance itself is incredible. The lighting and everything else about the venue works well with the footage, and Underoath play through their songs in an above par quality. Spencer Chamberlain (lead vocals) connects with the crowd instantly and is able to maintain stamina throughout all thirteen songs, an impressive feat for someone doing so much screaming and running around. Watching this DVD also made me realize/remember how great Aaron Gillespie (drums and vocals, The Almost)’s voice quality is. Some singers just aren’t as good live. I’m not blaming that on Pro-Tools or whatever other studio magic exists. I’m just saying that some guys can sing great in a relaxed atmosphere like a studio and then just don’t do as well trying to run around playing an instrument on a stage for twenty to forty minutes. But not Aaron. His voice is clear and hits all the high notes with passion and flair. At one point between songs Spencer takes a few minutes to explain that the reason Underoath is around making music is because of Jesus, the man who saved his life. That little bit alone is worth the whole DVD, and it was encouraging to see and that the band said it live and the label allowed it to stay on the film.

As a total package, I’d say that Survive Kaleidoscope is a worthy purchase for any truly hardcore Underoath fan or anyone new looking for an idea of what the band is like. The DVD is obviously the superior disc, but the CD isn’t complete crap… it’s a good recording and a fun listen, it’s just not going to be anything new and exciting for those of us who have heard Define the Great Line so many times before. So if you’re like me, I’d say definitely give this thing a shot, but maybe borrow it and give it a test drive before deciding to fork over the cash.

CD: 6/10
DVD: 9/10
Total Score: 7.5/10

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Artist: Destroy the Runner
Album: I, Lucifer
Label: Solid State Records

Review by: Jason B
Track Listing:
1. Crumbs For the Murder
2. Isabella’s
3. Mr. and Mrs. Cuckoldom
4. A Bag of Marbles
5. I, Lucifer
6. It’s Always Cold In Paris
7. A Pathetic Psalm
8. Luxuria
9. On Falling Leaf
10. A Novel Of War
11. A Mountain So Big, A Question So Small
When Destroy the Runner burst onto the scene in 2006 with their ferocious debut “Saints” they were filling four minute time slots of songs with familiar breakdowns, guitar solos and chug-a-chug riffs that would make the biggest of As I Lay Dying fans question whether vocalist Tim Lambesis had been replaced with another guy. Comparisons to that other band aside, it was a record that immediately had people talking. I remember seeing them on tour with August Burns Red and I went away saying that they were the most impressive metalcore band that I’d ever seen live. A beast of a record, “Saints” was extremely powerful, but it didn’t really distance the band from any of the other bands inside of the metalcore world. Thus, their cd quickly found a spot collecting dust on a shelf somewhere in my room. Now, in 2008, they’ve returned with their sophomore release “I, Lucifer”.
The first thing that stands out when listening to “I, Lucifer” are the vocals. Former vocalist Kyle Setter surprised everyone when he jumped ship in favor of pursuing other ventures, and the band scooped up Chad Ackerman to take over. While many fans and scene kids everywhere were wetting their pants in fear of what lay ahead, DTR were busy in the studio crafting some of the most impressive vocal melodies that this reviewer has heard in awhile. Every track on the cd is epic from a melodic standpoint. Much like Underoath, the band weaves and intertwines singing/screaming vocals and music together perfectly for a sound that is just as deep as it is mesmerizing. Unlike their previous effort, this record flows along so effortlessly. If “Saints” was an elephant in terms of explosiveness, “I, Lucifer” is a behemoth in the way that it captures melodies. It’s so good that it’s almost soothing.
From a musical standpoint the band is just as heavy as they were on their previous effort, but it’s just a different version of heaviness. For example, while there are still breakdowns they seem to have so much more of a reason to be there than the ones that were heard on “Saints”. What I mean to say is that instead of just filling space and putting breakdowns into their songs because that’s what metalcore bands do, DTR have advanced past that, seemingly now using breakdowns to their advantage to aid in their new sound because the flow of the song really called for it. Gone are the random guitar solos, but in their place can be found some of the more catchy and memorable guitar parts and fills that will be heard on any release in the genre this year. Every guitar part, every drum fill, every breakdown has a purpose. The result is a much more powerful, emotional, and memorable record than the majority of the releases of their counterparts in the scene.
While “Saints” seemed to be intent on pummeling the listener by trying to be the most brutal, take-no-prisoners metalcore record possible, “I, Lucifer” is content with offering the listener the chance to grow and mature with the band. One can almost get the sense that the lyrics from the song “Isabella’s” are almost like an anthem from the band to let the scene know that they are fine with what they’ve produced, what they’ve become, and where they are headed: “You cannot stop us, this is who we are”. Sophomore slump? Not a chance.
(8.5/10)
Standout tracks: Isabella’s, Mr. and Mrs. Cuckoldom, Luxuria, On Falling Leaf

Artist: The Famine
Album: The Raven and the Reaping
Label: Solid State Records
Release Date: May 27, 2008
Reviewed By: Caleb T

Track Listing:

1. Scar The Earth
2. Behemoth
3. Consume, Devour, Repeat
4. The South Will Rise
5. Death Threat
6. Killing For Sport
7. Cut From The Stone
8. Ascend
9. Another Foot To The Shovel
10. Unending Silence
11. Stitched In Plastic

When you think of the word “famine”, deep growling vocals, fast guitar riffs, and endless double bass usually aren’t the first things that pop into your head. This, however, is what The Famine have given us with their Solid State debut “The Raven and the Reaping”. Sticking to the trend of reuniting, The Famine, which consist on members of ex-Embodyment, have brought back the metal sound we all came to know and love during the Living Sacrifice, Extol, and yes Embodyment era. This is a nice break from the usual metalcore, emocore, or ____core that seem to be saturating the music scene these days.

From the very first track, the listener is sucked into the experience. Beginning with a chant of “Rise” which is sure to get anyone pumped for what’s ahead, the first track “Scar The Earth” kicks off the album with a bang that never lest up. The best part about the entire album for me were the vocals and the message they carry with them. The production quality is excellent to say the least. Listeners can still manage to hear every word clear despite being accompanied with heavy guitar and an endless amount of double bass. The message that is portrayed in the vocals is the most impressive part. The usual themes of death and destruction are clearly present through out the entire album. It’s the hope and light at the end of the tunnel aspect that is found in the songs are what set this apart from others in the same genre. It’s reassuring to hear a band that’s not afraid to put thought and emotion into every single word that is said in the cd.

You can’t review a metal album without mentioning the guitars that come along with the territory. The guitar riffs start early and don’t stop until the last second on the album. They mix well with the other aspects. Not once did I feel overwhelmed or lost in what was going on. My only complaint is that the guitar parts are so intricate that the bass gets lost in the mix. This is quickly forgotten once you get deeper into the cd. There are even a few guitar solos thrown in that offer and nice break before the onslaught begins once again(see Death Threat).

Overall Rating: This pick up was an unexpected surprise when I decided to give it a listen. I honestly wasn’t expecting much from The Famine’s debut but I was proven wrong. Every song on the album seems like a little story in itself. This makes the cd easy to get into and easy to listen. I found myself anxious wanting to see what the next song had in store. I do, however, have a few small complaints. The songs are relatively short. This is disappointing because I found myself want to here more and more. My only other complaint is that a few of the songs tend to have the same heavy guitar and double bass the entire time. It would have been nice to see The Famine try to incorporate some fresh music that often isn’t seen. They did place a sound clips and the beginning of a few songs which I have always liked. Overall, this is a good cd to own if you enjoy any metal cd. It’s a solid debut but mostly a solid foundation in which they should be able to grow in the years to come.

Final Rating: 7/10
Standout tracks: Scar The Earth, Death Threat, Unending Silence

Artist: The Hotshot Freight Train
Album: The Devil Pays in Counterfeit
Label: Future Destination Records
Release Date: October 23, 2007
Review by: Eric Pettersson

Tracklist:
1. Love like Heroin
2. Zoltar
3. Liars Like Us
4. My Dear, Sweet Little Faith
5. Appalachia
6. Had I Known
7. Too Close to Let Go
8. My Holy Spirit
9. Don’t Fight It
10. This Train
11. On and On

Combining punk with good old rock and roll, along with a swig of indie, The Hotshot Freight Train continue to perfect their sound and strive for originality with their latest release, The Devil Pays in Counterfeit. The guitar tones, riffs, and solos are all a wonderful nod to the 70s, but the overall feel remains modern and unique, with vocals (and especially gang vocals) that show a definite love for unpolished punk. The standout track in my mind is “Appalachia,” a tribute to the band’s homeland, “where the Bible and the cross are as visible as the sun, and endless debt and addiction have our children on the run,” but the guitar solos alone in “My Holy Spirit” and “Don’t’ Fight It” are enough to set those tracks apart as well for the sake of their soul-hitting grooves and feelingful melodies. Spiritual themes are frequent but not constant, as general life issues are discussed throughout, and always in a thoughtful and poignant way.

8/10

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Artist: Search the City
Album: A Fire So Big The Heavens Can See It
Label: Tooth & Nail Records
Buy: Smartpunk/Amazon MP3
Review by the Headless Horseman.

1. Son of a Gun
2. To The Moon, For All I Care
3. Detroit Was Built On Secrets
4. Ambulance Chaser
5. Talk is Cheap and I’ve Got Expensive Taste
6. The Rescue
7. Bigger Scars Make Better Stories
8. The Streetlight Diaries
9. In This Scene You’re Just An Extra
10. Clocks and Time Pieces

Let’s talk about pop music. Why doesn’t the underground music scene like pop? This is the question Search the City begs. After first experiencing the band, I had them pegged as a relatively uninteresting pop-punk band, but then a more knowledgeable reader here set me straight, calling them a relatively uninteresting pop band. And that’s the best way to sum up this release. Search the City are a pop band.

What exactly does this entail? First of all, the music is interesting but not groundbreaking. Give Search the City credit, however: they are interesting. Make no mistake about this. Riffs like those on “Talk is Cheap and I’ve Got Expensive Taste” and some of the other cuts here are the types that should have been present on the latest In Flames CD in abundance (and sadly were lacking). There’s plenty of 2/4 and even some cut time. “Clocks and Time Pieces” opens with a breakdown. There’s nothing that will amaze you or even surprise you, but it will keep you on your toes a bit. Is this something you can get into? Well, if Fugazi and Between the Buried and Me are your favorite bands, no. Probably not. But if you don’t hold every band to those kinds of platonic standards, then you might find Search the City pretty cool. They mix things up enough that, for the genre, their music is quite solid.

If you are a relative pop music connoisseur, your first thought upon reading the first paragraph was probably “How are the hooks?”. Well, the hooks are great. Don’t worry about this for a second. “Ambulance Chaser,” “The Rescue,” “Son of a Gun,” and basically all of the songs here will reside in your head for days. These are songs that are fun to sing at the top of your lungs. They’re fun to play in the summer (or really any month you fancy) with the windows down. And let’s face it: this is what makes pop music. Can we craft a fun song that makes you want to sing along? That’s the question. Search the City almost always deliver. Admittedly, occasionally the hooks desert them, and the results are mediocre and forgettable at best and simply undesirable at worst. I don’t ever want to listen to “To The Moon, For All I Care” again. It just kills the CD’s rhythm. But almost all of A Fire So Big The Heavens Can See It delivers on this count. Is this something you can get into? It should be.

How are the lyrics? Generally a bit sophomoric, with a fair few too many relying on turns of phrase and slices of pseudo-irony, but with a few cool metaphors (”Ambulance Chaser”). Is this something you can get into? Well, the hooks are probably good enough that the lyrics won’t get in the way, and sometimes they’ll help make the song too (”The Rescue,” “The Streetlight Diaries”). This is a major opportunity for growth, but it hardly ruins the experience.

Let’s talk about pop music. Most people really like it. It’s easy to love. Some people think it trivializes musical skill in general. That is their right. But a word of advice to these people: if you dislike everything about the current pop and pop-punk scenes, or if you insist on liking such bands almost only as “guilty pleasures,” then don’t write off Search the City as “generic” or “forgettable.” You’re stuck in your own little world, in which all that matters is how often bands can make up a new time signature or how fast they can play a solo. You can’t understand what a band like Search the City does, and you probably don’t want to. This is your right. But don’t talk about what you don’t understand. I grant you both that technical proficiency, profound lyrics, and musical innovation are all to be commended and that Search the City (in varying degrees) lacks all of these. But pop music is founded on different principles, namely, that memorable, catchy, and enjoyable vocal hooks and musical sections that allow the listener to sympathize with the lyrical standpoint, to deal with their own emotions, and to dance and sing like crazy are the main goal. And believe it or not, Search the City improve upon nearly all of their peers in this category. They really are that good at what they do.

Is this something you can get into? If you recognize the brilliance in the world’s Bleed Americans as well as its Blackwater Parks, then assuredly so.

Rating: 8/10
Standout Tracks: “Ambulance Chaser,” “Talk is Cheap…,” “The Rescue,” “In This Scene You’re Just An Extra”
RIYL: Jimmy Eat World, Run Kid Run, Anberlin, Acceptance, Number One Gun, Fall Out Boy, Capital Lights

I attended