I wasn't sure about Citizens... I hadn't listened to a track but I wasn't sure none-the-less.
The band's new self-titled record sounds like what I imagine The Classic Crime would sound like if they were an 80's new wave band. Citizens is much less electronic 80's than recent offerings from Lovelite, Hillsong, and Jeff Schneeweis. It's the arrangements that gives Citizens an 80's feel, which is a nice change from the influx of electronic worship records lately.
Sweetness In Freedom is a great upbeat rock song. It's not at all what I expected to hear but it caught my attention and made me want to listen to the record. The song has great swing and movement that reminds of a more rocking Arcade Fire. It's the kind of worship song I'd love to play in church! In Tenderness starts pretty sweet with a nice piano riff but when the hook hits, the song would get any audience dancing. Made Alive has a beautifully chunky bass line throughout the song. Jesus is more of a straight forward pop song.
Citizens debut will appeal to the indie rock fans. If you like Arcade Fire and always wished there was a worship band with a similar sound, Citizens is that band for you. I enjoyed Citizen's debut a lot more than I thought I would. A great, fun worship album.
Surrogate is my kind of indie rock band. Polished but still lo-fi. Infectious pop hooks without losing any rock edge. Just enough Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" influence. The band's new record, Post-Heroic, is all of the above. THere's something 90's indie rock about Post-Heroic that I absolutely love. Like listening to a lost Granddaddy record (although better than anything Granddaddy ever released).
From the great keyboard riff (and tone) to Christopher Keene's vocals, there's something very charming and easy about Blank Page (the album's opener). Even when the song breaks down into controlled chaos, you never feel like you aren't listening to a beautiful pop single. The title-track has a beautiful slow groove that compliments the vocal melody perfectly. Battleground, Washington busts out a little more rock. Keene's vocals get buried in the mix a little during the verses but the mean guitar riffage is what really grabs your attention on the song.
Post-Heroic is a real easy listen. Whether it's a beautiful pop ballad like Belongings and Close Enough or an upbeat rock song like Sleep Alone and Crimes, each track is crafted so masterfully that there's nothing jarring or off-putting about any song on the record, making it an enjoyable listen.
Surrogate knocked it out of the park with Post-Heroic. Easily their best work to date. Late 90's/early 2000's indie fans rejoice! This is a record for you!
I've never heard much from Andy Mineo before giving Heroes For Sale a spin.
I'm a huge fan of Heroes For Sale.
The intro to Superhuman throws me off a little. It doesn't give away where the record is going, or the track for that matter, right off the bat. Some light strings and middle eastern influenced singing. It's nice but it took me by surprise. And then Mineo's rhymes kick in. It's a nice musical journey with a couple of twists that make it a solid song and sets up the record nicely. I love Mineo's line "I don't have to be great because my God is."
Ex Nihilo features a great hook from Christon Gray. Ayo is a great hype song. It's the album's first single for a reason. It took a couple listens to grow on me but the hook is infectious. The Saints is a fantastic hip-hop anthem. Bitter hits hard as Mineo's honest lyrics take heart with the listener.
Fans of Lecrae and Trip Lee will love Heroes For Sale. Mineo is another new emcee helping make christian hip-hop relevant and great. Heroes For Sale is not an album for hip-hop fans to miss.
The Rock Music's new ep, Sow, is another great worship ep in Come and Live's discography. Admittedly I like the band's debut ep, Alive My Soul more than Sow. But Sow had some great heartfelt moments that I connect with.
From Down Here, the album's opener, has a country vibe to it. Sometimes I like the song. Sometimes I'm not a fan. Sometimes I like the song more the longer the song goes. Your Love has a darker tone and it's the same vibe that I loved about Alive My Soul. Slow building without ever becoming overbearing. Holy has a similar feel, but it's more upbeat and rocking. Owe It To You brings back the southern, country vibe. I like Owe It To You more than From Down Here. It's more southern rock than country.
Sow is a solid ep and worship music fans will dig this album.
Hippos of Doom breach surface; team up with Thumper Punk Records and Veritas Vinyl Free download of “Road Trip” EP through Indie Vision Music.
The Masked Hippo and Old Hippo have combined their wonder twin powers to breach the surface and answer the questions of our generation – Star Wars versus Star Trek? Would Punky Brewster survive a circle-pit? Can someone with fingers the size of sausages successfully impersonate Matt Freeman’s bass riffs? The Hippos of Doom also wax eloquent regarding other mind-melding and mind-numbing questions over a variety of musical styles including ska, melodic,old school and three-chord punk. Get ready for a double slab of fun. The first serving will be a FREE five song EP called “Road Trip,” which will be available for download exclusively through Indie Vision Music on April 23, 2013.
Somehow the band ABSOLVED seems to have temporarily misplaced their two biggies, bass player Byron and guitarist Bob. Said Thumper Punk Records, “God must have a sense of humor. How else could you explain these guys?” To add to the insanity drum duties are being assigned to ex HIT THE DECK, ZIPPY JOSH drummer Jak Thorpe. TMZ recently spotted Waldo Nava III at the Hippo compound. It has been confirmed that his left handed guitar skills will melt your face, or at least butter on a warm biscuit. Learn more about the Hippos of Doom athttps://www.facebook.com/hipposofdoom. Thumper Punk Records (www.thumperpunkrecords.com) helps artists record, produce and distribute music that reflects a positive, Christ-centered message. Veritas Vinyl (www.veritasvinyl.net) -- In times of universal deceit speaking truth is a revolutionary act
I like Hawk Nelson. They've never blown me away but their brand of fun emo/pop punk has always found a special place in my heart. Crazy Love maybe should have been a sign that things were going to change. The album wasn't my favorite and there were only a handful of songs that I thought were good. But with Jason Dunn leaving to pursue a solo career, I thought maybe the band would return to some fun pop punk.
I was wrong.
Made is an album that makes me scratch my head and say "what the hell?' Made is way more CCM than I could've ever imagined. It's weird. It's an album where you'd say, you lost your vocalist and changed your sound, now just change your name.
It's not that Made is a bad record. There are a lot of really good songs. The album opener, What I'm Looking For, is a nice upbeat, catchy pop song. It's a dripping CCM hit waiting to happen. It will probably be on a WOW cd (are those still a thing?). A Millions Miles Away follows that up with more pop goodness. The track is the closest thing resembling old Hawk Nelson on the record but it feels more like Owl City than Hawk Nelson at parts. Elevator is a super catchy fusion song that features Blanca Callahan from Group 1 Crew. Part hip-hop, part pop rock, all fun. Anyone But You is a fun pseudo 80's track.
There's a lot to like about Made and Hawk Nelson is going to reach a whole new group of fans. Made could be the album that makes Hawk Nelson huge in CCm circles.
But to long time fans like myself, this record is weird and disappointing. Yes, losing their lead singer makes sense to re-group and start fresh and do something different, and they do it well, but... I like pop punk.
Crazy Love makes the shift in sound less drastic and like I said, there's a ton of great song on Made. But it's different. And listeners and long time fans should be aware that the Hawk Nelson you loved is no more.
I have a real love/hate relationship with For Today. I absolutely loved Breaker. It was one of my favorite records of 2010. But everything else the band has released hasn't connected with me. I thought Immortal was a better record than Breaker and that For Today had grown and gotten better as a band but I didn't like the record nearly as much as I loved Breaker. Weird, right?
The band's new ep, Prevailer, is more on par with Breaker. The songs are catchier than they were on Immortal. Lyrically, For Today has never been more outspoken. (Not that outspoken lyrics have ever been a problem for For Today)
From Zion, Flesh and Blood, and Open Heaven are all a nice mix of solid riffs, clean vocals and circle pit inducing breakdowns. It's a nice mix of what For Today does well. On the flip side, Crown of Thorns is just plain heavy. I'm not a fan of the acoustic version of Fearless. Why do we need/want acoustic versions of metal songs?
Prevailer is a great ep and For Today fans will love the new music. It's enough to tide you over to the next full-legnth. Hopefully the band continues in the vein of the Prevailer.
Paramore is proof that bands can get better with age. With each record the band's continued to grow and show more maturity. And with each record, my fandom grows. But losing two of your founding members in an ugly public leaving can be tough. And honestly, I wasn't a fan of Monster (the band's single from the Transformer's OST).
Paramore (the album) is a new chapter for the band. It's a coming out party as a three piece. Hayley said the record process was freeing and the band just wanted to leave every idea and song on the table. Nothing was off limits. And it shows.
The seventeen track album is broken up into four sides and includes interludes that break up each side. Each side has a different dimension to it.
Fast In My Car has familiar vibes to some of Paramore's previous work but the song is more groove driven than anything else the band has done. Ilan Rubin's work on drums shines and Taylor York's guitar work final gets the spotlight and he takes advantage of it. Now, the album's first single, is a strong rock song. York's groove oriented guitar riff drives the verse and the hook is strong and extremely catchy. It makes for a great lead single. It not only connects with long time fans but you cam hear subtle shifts in the band's music.
Songs like Grow Up and Daydreaming continue the musical evolution and shift we heard on Brand New Eyes. Catchy rock songs moving away from the band's early angsty emo/punk sound. Both are beautiful songs with great hooks.
It's the second "side" of the record that's my favorite. Ain't It Fun is both keeping with what Paramore's done over their career while completely shifting their sound on it's head. It's more upbeat, fun rock with infectious, groove driver guitar riffs. Hayley's vocals soar. But when the second chorus/bridge hits the song takes a gospel turn. It sounds weird but it work's beautifully. The choir that accompanies Paramore on the song adds another dimension to the song that takes it from a good song to a great song.
Part II is my second favorite track on the record. Like Further SeemS Forever and Dashboard Confessional vocalist Chris Carrabba, Hayley William's faith has been put on question over the past couple years. The public quitting of the Farro brothers only fueled that fire. But Part II is a beautiful song about the need for grace and mercy. The last line of the song is beautiful.
"If you let me, I will catch fire to let your glory and mercy shine."
They're easily Hayley's best lyrics to date.
Last Hope has a great slow build the ends with a gang chorus. Still Into You is a straight forward rock and roll love song. And by rock and roll I mean bubble gum pop.
Future ends the record on an epic indie rock note. It's a super lo-fi song that out of context and even in context feels a little out of place. But the simplicity and subtlety of the song reveal an honesty in William's vocals that we haven't really heard from Paramore before. The song builds beautifully and the epic seven minute track closes out the record with the most beautiful piece of music Paramore has written to date.
This is easily Paramore's best record to date. The songs are beautifully written and extremely catchy. There is something for old fans and potential new fans. There isn't a misstep on this album.
Unlike Chris Carrabba rejoining Further Seems Forever and Chad Gilbert returning do work vocals on Shai Hulud's latest, I wasn't as excited about Jesse Leach rejoining Killswitch Engage. I like Leach and the Times of Grace album is amazing. But Howard Jones had one of my favorite voices in metal and Alive Or Just Breathing is my least favorite KSE record.
What Times Of Grace showed us was a more matured vocalist with Leach, and you hear that on Disarm The Descent. That maturity and new smoothness to Leach's voice helps bridge the gap from Jones to Leach.
All fears that Disarm The Descent would sound like Times of Grace's "Hymns of A Broke Man" are thrown out as soon as Hell In Me kicks in. Leach's scream comes blasting into your ears when you hit play and the song explodes out of your stereo speakers. Beyond The Flames is a little more subdued, in the way that Killswitch's last record was more subdued. New Awakening is the catchiest song KSE has ever written. The hook is infectious. The theme of the song about not living in fear reminds me a ton of songs War of Ages has written in the past.
What really separates Leach from Jones is his lyrical content. While both are known for spiritually rich lyrical content and strong metaphors, Leach's lyrics on Disarm The Descent are less veiled and similar to his lyrical content on Hymns Of A Broken Man. There's an honesty that's not overbearing that I appreciate in Leach's lyrics. Spiritual but not preachy, as KSE has always been.
There's no reason why Killswitch fans shouldn't love Disarm The Descent. Leach's smooth and matured vocals won't leave this awkward gap that Jone's left. Musically, Disarm The Descent is stronger than the band's previous self-titled record. There are great heavy songs, as well as some nice ballads that let Leach's vocals shine.
If you've listened to Christian rock for a reasonable amount of time, you're probably familiar with the yellow and black attack known as Stryper. If nothing else, you know they're a christian glam metal band and they wrote To Hell With The Devil. I've seen Stryper live. Twice.
The band's newest album isn't really a new album... Which I haver an issue with.
The band's last album of all new material was 09's Murder By Pride, which I wasn't a fan of. 2011's The Covering was a great cover record that features an excellent new song. And Second Coming also features two new songs that are great! So why, why won't Stryper give us fans a new album full of great, throwback glam metal?
The new songs, Bleeding From Inside Out and Blackened, are fantastic. Bleeding From Inside Out has enough glam elements without sounding outdated. The main riff features some of the hard rock elements the band tried to throw out on Murder By Pride. Only the song is rich an 80's hair metal goodness. Blackened is a throw your hands in the hair, bang your head anthem! Both of these songs are fantastic and make me wish Stryper would release an album of all new material. They clearly have the fire and passion to write great new songs and a new album would be appreciated by the fans for sure.
The rest of Second Coming is re-recorded songs from the band's early material. Second Coming is a great album for potential new fans. If you ever wanted to hear a good range of Stryper songs and hear the band, Second Coming offers a nice range and variety from the band's early albums. The songs all stick to the original arrangements, which is nice. Loud N' Clear, Soldiers Under Command, To Hell With the Devil, and Calling On You are all obvious standouts.
Second Coming is a good record and I love hearing all these songs again. I just wish the band had given us more new material.
Hip-hop is alive and well. Tunnel Rats and Deepspace 5 emcee Sev Statik's new ep is hip-hop done right.
Midnight kicks of Sophy on an extremely solid note. The beat is tight. Drums, bass, keys and a vocal sample. It's simple but not understated. It backs Sev Statik's strong hook and killer verse perfectly. Live & Uncut has a nice old school vibe. Take It Light will resonate with fans of Common and old school Lupe Fiasco. I Believe is my favorite track on the ep. Upbeat with an infectious hook that you'll be singing the second time it hits. Death Angel has a darker undertone but keeps an old school vibe.
Sophy is a tight ep, top to bottom. Hip-hop fans tired of the modern scene will love what Sev Statik delivers on this new ep.
Regardless of what I think of Fit For A King's Solid State Records debut, Creation/Destruction, the band is a success. The band now holds the highest first week sales and highest first week charting album the label has had to date. Kudos.
Musically, I liked Creation/Destruction the longer I listened to the album. I don't mean repeated listens to the album but with each track. As I hit play each time and the intro gives way into a metalcore riff I've heard before, I inwardly sigh and groan a little. But with each passing track I find my head bobbing a little more and myself enjoy the record more and more.
Fit For A King isn't blazing a new trail. Bands like The Great Commission, For Today and countless others have brought the brand of metalcore/deathcore to us before. Creation/Destruction is heavy with a smattering of clean vocals on the hooks. It's a heavy record that we've all heard before.
But I like heavy music. And despite my constant bitching about the current state of heavy music and how much all the sampled drums and chopped, processed guitars, and cookie cutter songs bug me, I still listen to it. And Fit For A King is another band that will be in my collection.
Creation/Destruction isn't my favorite record in the world. But it is a record that I can have iniTunes and throughly enjoy when it comes on.
I wasn't a huge fan of I Am Empire's debut, Kings. The album shows lots of potential and had some nice tracks but it wasn't a record I found myself giving spins after I had reviewed it. All early thoughts on Anchors were that the band had matured and was moving in a different direction. Upon hearing the album's lead single, Sing, I could see why people were saying that.
Musically I'm not really sure Anchors is all that different from Kings. But I like it more. It feels less cheesy and more concise to me.
Gravity Bomb is super catchy. It doesn't jump out as you initially but when the hook hits, your attention is captured. Gasoline has more punch with slightly less in the way of pop sensibility. All Around Me is a solid mix of the album's first two tracks. It's pretty obvious by the time you reach Labor what you're getting in Anchors.
Am Empire write hard rock songs infused with great pop sensibilities. It's not drop d, angry sounding hard rock. It's intelligently crafted and extremely catchy.
Sing is the highlight of the record in my opinion. It's the epitome of what I Am Empire does best. The chorus will be stuck in your head for days, yet the song is a little rough around the edges. Yet you can hear the subtle, yet extremely obvious, change in I Am Empire.
Anchors is a solid record top to bottom and it's over almost as soon as you realize you're enjoying it. It know I hit play again once the album stopped to hear it again. I Am Empire's sophomore effort builds and improves on their debut nicely.
