Paramore - Paramore

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.

Killswitch Engage - Disarm The Descent

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.

Disarm The Descent is not a record to skip.

The Meltdown 112

New Music from Killswitch Engage, Paramore, Sev Statik, and For Today.

Stryper - Second Coming

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.

Sev Statik - Sophy Ep

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.

You can download Sophy for free at http://sevstatik.bandcamp.com/album/sophy-ep

Fit For A King - Creation/Destruction

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 Am Empire - Anchors

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.