I didn't really have nice things to say about Rocky Loves Emily's debut ep American Dream. Well... I actually didn't say much about the ep itself. I took my time to rant about Tooth and Nail and the state of music and how kids these days listen to music that I think is garbage. You know... General old guy bitterness.
The band's new full-legnth starts off pretty good actually. I Don't Like You You is a solid rock and roll track and starts the album off on a high note. Lyrically Drivin' Me Crazy is immature and a little silly but the hook is great and I thought maybe my thoughts on Rocky Loves Emily were going to change.
But the title track and Oil& Water lose me. Both bring the energy down. Secrets Don't Make Friends is a ukulele away from being a high school hipsters favorite new song. Oil & Water has a weird country twang to it that I can't get in to. Be Mine Tonight punches it back up with an almost 80's synth lead line but by this point, I'm done. Nightmare sounds like they changed the opening chord progression from Smells Like Teen Spirit to make it a happy, poppy song.
Again, young music fans will probably love this record and Tooth and Nail likely has another hit record on their hands. But this old guy just isn't digging it.
I had no knowledge of 7 Horns 7 Eyes before downloading Throes of Absolution. The promises of a brutal metal record were really enough for me to check it out.
Throes of Absolution is fantastic. 7 Horns 7 Eyes sounds like a great European death metal band so finding out their from Seattle was a little bit of a shock. The songs are heavy, have great solos, and like all quality European death metal records, there's a really nice layer of synth ambience. It's just a fantastic metal record.
But it's not mind blowing. I've spun this record a dozen times and I like it a lot. But there's nothing super special that makes me sit up and take notice or that begs me to hit the repeat button. It's just great metal. No more, no less.
My review of War of Age's last record, Eternal, wasn't very favorable. With the exception of the title track, the record at the time of my review just wasn't clicking for me. But some time after I wrote my review of Eternal the album clicked with me. And for that matter, so did War of Ages. Eternal became my workout record of choice. Finally seeing the band live at Scream the Prayer really won me over. Their set was solid and there was no denying how good WOA is.
Return to Life works instantly for me. It's a return to the grittier sounding WOA. Where Eternal sounded slick and Tim Lambesis' fingerprints were all over that record, Return to Life has a edge to it. Return to Life is almost a return to War of Ages' roots. The album blends the great metal elements that Eternal had with the more straight forward hardcore that the earlier records had.
Immortal kicks the record off on a high note. Best opening WOA's song since All Consuming Fire. Redeemer starts off with a great gang vocal chant between the clean vocals. It's one of my favorite songs WOA has written. Fallen Idol and Silent Night both have a killer opening riffs. Return to Life has more gang vocal sing-a-longs as well as more clean vocals. But what sticks out most to me are Leroy's lyrics. While he's always been a strong lyricist, there's something different about Return to Life. War of Ages has never been a band that's been shy about their faith but it seems... More outspoken on Return to Life. There's less of the warrior mentality. It's less about standing strong and more about resting in God.
Return to Life is War of Ages best record yet. It's raw and driving but has great melodic moments. It's a combo of everything that has previously made WOA such a great band. War of Ages fan will not be disappointed.
Waves was one of my favorite albums last year. It came out of nowhere. I'm not even sure how I got a hold of that record or where the knowledge of Moving Mountains came from but once I heard the record I was glad I did. It blew me away. So of course I was stoked for a new ep.
New Light is an acoustic ep featuring two tracks from Waves and two from Pneuma. What makes Moving Mountains such a great band is the atmosphere they create, so stripping that away gives the songs a new life. Alleviate was the "heaviest" track on Waves and it makes sense that it kicks off New Light. The screaming is gone and the song has a serene quality about it that isn't on the original. You can really hear the Appleseed Cast influence on Ode We Will Bury Ourselves. Stripping it back and making this epic eight minute song a track that clocks in at under five minutes really changes the dynamic. Where Two Bodies Lie is one of my favorite tracks on Waves and hearing the acoustic version is really nice. 8105 brings back in some of the ambience that Moving Mountains does really well.
The songs aren't new but they feel like new life has been breathed into them. New Light is just more great music from Moving Mountains.
Love and Death is the band I think everyone wishes Korn would have become. Love and Death is the new band from Brian Head Welch. It's the band he's been touring with for the past couple of years and the name change brings a fresh start for Head. Chemicals is a nice way to give fans a glimpse at what the band is going to sound like on their full-length (due out later this year).
Like I said, Love and Death is what I, and I think most people, wish Korn still sounded like. Or ever sounded like. For Head, Chemicals is a step up from Save Me From Myself. Having seen Head live, his live show was always more brutal and the songs from Save Me From Myself worked way better live than they did on the record.
Chemicals on the other hand is stellar. The songs are heavy, driving, and all around well done. My issue is the songs are so good that I want more. A lot more. I know this ep is just a taste but the taste makes me want more. And that's the point of the ep right?
5 songs. 2 originals, 1 cover, and 2 remixes.
Paralyzed kicks the ep off. The intro reminds me of the great tracks on Korn's first three records. Great atmosphere before the intro riff kicks in. And then the song explodes. The hook is catchy but the song is straight up brutal. When the bridge drops and the track crescendos... Just wow. Turn your speakers up and get ready to bang your head. Then comes the cover of Whip It. Yes, the Devo song. It might be one of the best covers I've ever heard. If you heard this song on the radio, you would have no clue that this is the Devo track. Even when the chorus comes in you have to double take and ask yourself is this really Whip It? Next up this the title track. Chemicals is a little more hook based. Again, the intro riff is stellar and heavy but the track has a little more atmosphere and electronics that creates great layer on top of great layer.
Both Paralyzed and Chemicals have remixes. Both are well done and give just enough of a twist to the originals that make them fun listens without completely changing up the track.
Love and Death is great and these 5 tracks are enough to make Chemicals one of my favorite albums I've heard this year. It puts Love and Death's up-coming full-length to the top of my most anticipated albums list.
Take the World But Give Me Jesus, Ascend the Hill's Hymns record was the album that sold me on Come and Live Records. It's a modern take on a bunch of great Hymns and it's one of my favorite worship records ever released. I was excited for the band's follow up.
One of my favorite moments from Take the World is the track None Compare, a spontaneous worship track that plays off of Hallelujah! What A Savior. It's a moving piece where the band just flows and plays. It's what worship is all about. O Ransomed Son is full of tracks that extend and have the band just playing in the moment. Tracks like Inheritance, Whom Have I, You Have My Heart, Song of the Redeemed, and Heaven Come Down, all clock in at over 7 minutes and all just take time at the end to flow.
It's a great record. Ascend the Hill is passionate worship music that is palpable. You can't help but be drawn in to the music and hear their genuine heart.
You can download O Ransomed Son for fee at http://comeandlive.com/downloads/
