If Strike First is Facedown's minor league affiliate, it won't be long before Altars is called up to the big leagues. Opposition is metalcore done right. The band is a nice balance of the modern scene with falling to the stereotypical. No constant breakdown, followed by a bass drop, into another breakdown, into some poorly sung clean vocals. You might even call Altars a throwback to the early European metalcore scene. While listening to Opposition, the music reminds me of early In Flames and Soilwork.
The title intro opens the records and instantly puts me in the frame of mind that I'm listening to some late 90's Swedish metal. So when the vocals and breakdown kick in Advocate, I was a little bummed. But the song quickly transitions back into an In Flames style riff and the keyboard undertones and help carry that driving melodic sound. Altars does a great job all throughout Opposition of balancing a love for European metal and combing it with a sound similar to bands like For Today and Impending Doom. The music is driving yet has a great sense of melody at times. Opposition isn't full of breakdowns, so when there is a breakdown, the listener doesn't feel like they're being assaulted with the same song over and over again.
Opposition is a great debut ep from a band with big things ahead of them. Altars deliver a solid and refreshing metal album in a scene that is far too often similar and stale.
If you've never listened to the Dingees you're missing out on one of the great Ska/Punk/Reggae bands. Their 3 records on Tooth and Nail each offer something different and are equally great. The band returned last year with The Rebel Soul Sound System, a mostly reggae inspired album full of great songs. The more I've listened to this album the more I've enjoyed it. A nice relaxing album for your nice summer nights.
You ever feel like as soon as you get into a band they break-up? It happened with Haste the Day, The Famine, He is Legend, Alove For Enemies, Wrench in the Works, and now Call to Preserve. Thankfully before Call to Preserve called it a day they headed into the studio to give us four more songs. And they gave us their best yet.
Call to Preserve stepped up their game on Life of Defiance and with Validation the band builds on that sound and improves upon what they started. Exploit, Neglect, Condemn comes storming out of the gate. Hard hitting, circle pit inducing with a melodic guitar riff and chain vocals on the chorus. The title track reminds me of Shai Hulud (which is a good thing). I love the guitar riffs on this track; Really melodic and driving. Closer is another circle pit track. A four count and right into the fast paced song. The whole album reminds me of the mid-90's hardcore scene.
The problem is, it's only four songs that clock in at 10 minutes long. By the time the record ends you feel like you just started. I found myself spinning this album over and over again just because I enjoyed it so much. Why do bands hate to release their best music right as they're breaking up?
I just got an e-mail from Deep Elm Record. They're giving away a free album every week for the rest of 2011. They'll offer a new album every Wednesday (expect weeks when they have a new album out). You do have to become a fan on Facebook but again I say, a small price to pay for free music.
This weeks album is The Emo Diaries Chapter 12: I Love You But In The End I Will Destroy You. This compilation has featured the likes of Jimmy Eat World, The Appleseed Cast, Brandtson, Planes Mistaken For Stars and tons of other great acts. Chapter 12 has songs from The Dandelion War, Ease the Medic, Summer Hours, and more.
Like Deep Elm on Facebook and enjoy free music for the rest of the year. http://on.fb.me/deepelm
Sleeping Giant has been a band I've always slept on. I love Sleeping Giant but I've always slept on them. I didn't hear the band until they performed at Facedown Fest East Coast. I picked up their debut record and loved it but when Sons of Thunder came out, I ignored it. When I did eventually pick up Sons of Thunder, I loved it and regretted not getting the album sooner. So I knew when Kingdom Days In An Evil Age came out, I wasn't going to wait around to listen to it.
Kingdom Days is great. It's one of those albums that is so good and there aren't really words to describe why. Sleeping Giant are just one of those bands that creates quality, meaningful hardcore and each record is amazing. Just a solid band.
Throne Room Militance is a solid intro, a little short but it jumps right into the machine gun drums blasts of Dead Men Walking. Frankie Palmeri from Emmure lends his vocal talents to Eyes Wide Open, which seems like an odd choice for a guest vocalist on a Sleeping Giant track and even stranger considering the song is about praying for those around you but his vocals fit into the song perfectly.
There seems to be two sides of Kingdom Days. The first half of the album is a call for change and social justice. The songs are about taking stock of your world and your beliefs. It's a call for God to move you to action. But the second half of the album is almost a worship record.
Tithemi declares "All fear, all pain, all hurt, all grief, all lies, must bow to Jesus name." Tongues of Fire talks about speaking destiny and life. The Unnamable Name is a song about those who have given their life for Christ. Morning Star is another full on worship song, asking for Jesus to come. Enthroned ends Kingdom Days in a similar fashion that all sleeping giant records end, with a softer worship song (Oh Praise Him, He Will Reign).
From start to finish Kingdom Days In An Evil Age is an incredible record. Another great outing by Sleeping Giant. Just another reason why they're one of the best bands in the current hardcore scene.
When The Great Commission announced their new album would be called Heavy Worship and that the band was starting a new genre called heavy worship, I was honestly expecting something different from the band. I thought I was getting the most hardcore and awesome worship record ever created. Seeing that the band had even covered Hillsong United did nothing to put these thoughts aside. Well for those like me who were looking forward to banging your head while you raised your hands in praise, this isn't your record.
In fact you might say Heavy Worship isn't really the type of album you'd hear played in church... You know if churches actually played metal.
Heavy Worship is a solid hardcore record. A solid hook is a solid hook. I love a catchy hook that has me singing the chorus the second time through the song. That's my pop sensibility coming out. Even metal and hardcore need a catchy chorus once in a while. And The Great Commission does a great job at writing memorable lines.
The record kicks off With Don't Go to Church, Be the Church, a song that starts pretty similar to tracks on the bands debut record, And Every Knee Shall Bow. But at 50 seconds in when "Here Comes the Pain" is yelled, the track changes and my mind raced back to xDeathstarx. Then the chorus comes in and it's catchy. The song is a little scattered and has several changes but it does nothing to deter my general enjoyment. Anything that reminds me of xDeathstarx and has a catchy sing-a-long chorus is great in my book.
Walking Dead is a little more of what you'd expect from The Great Commission. Just heavy and sludgy, full of breakdowns. When It Rains is another song with a super catchy hook. Not as disjointed as Don't Go To Church, but every bit as good. Draw the Line is another moment where The Great Commission showcases their strong song-writing abilities and their newfound talent at getting songs stuck in my head. Second time through the chorus I was singing along.
Preaching To The Choir is going to step on people's toes. My first listen through, the chorus had me stop dead in my tracks and hit rewind on my cd player to make sure I was hearing right. When the chorus is "Some say Christians don't tell lies, they just sing them on Sunday mornings" people are bound to get offended. It's a great message in the song and I love the point of the song. But it did make me say what and really listen to the song.
While the rest of the album is solid, there's nothing else memorable. The riffs all blend together. I still enjoyed the songs but there wasn't anything I hadn't already heard. Weight of the World is a nice hook but isn't as catchy to me as the earlier songs. I do love the cover of Hillsong United's Came to My Rescue. It's a nice refreshing take on a worship genre that's kind of stuck.
Nothing new and a lot of people will call this another deathcore album. But I enjoy it. The Great Commission have written some really killer songs and have a great message. And I can get behind a band with a purpose.
