Emery - We Do What We Want

I don't think I've ever stated it here but I'd rank Emery in the top 10 bands Tooth and Nail has signed since 2000. I know they get thrown into the emocore/screamo ranks but I'm Only a Man was a seriously killer record (even though it's fans least favorite). Emery is a band I've always loved.

Emery's new record, We Do What We Want, was promised to be the heaviest Emery record yet. So heavy that Emery was involved in "the greatest marketing ploy ever" and were "signed" to Solid State records. While it is by far the heaviest Emery record to date it it also unmistakably Emery.

The record starts off with a bang. The Cheval Glass and Scissors are pretty incredible in terms of how heavy they are. The double kick on Scissors combined with Toby's vocal play between bloodcurdling screams and his fantastic vocal melodies make for a killer song. But then the songs turn and have a more traditional Emery feel. Anchors, while heavier at times, is still that classic Emery emocore with great vocal melodies. I'm Not Here For Rage, I'm Here For Revenge is the perfect mix of being super heavy with what might be the most melodic Emery riff ever. Daddy's Little Peach and I'm Addicted to Bad Decisions are updated versions of the sound from I'm Only a Man.

The best moment on the record comes on the second to last track, I Never Got to See the West Coast. Where the rest of the album is Emery's heavy side, I Never Got to See the West Coast is Emery's most chill moment for sure. It's a beautiful haunting song and it's by far the best song Emery has ever released. Just an instant classic.

Without Devin you are missing the great harmonies Emery is best known for and the vocal play is far less then previous Emery records. But Toby does a great job handling the singing duties, providing his own harmonies when they're needed, and he does a great job. The mix of screaming vocals (handled by all the band members) and Toby's clean vocals are great, as on all Emery records. If you're giving a listen and not looking for it, you won't notice Devin's absence.

We Do What We Want is incredible.One of the best records I've heard this year. If you're a metal head thinking about picking this record up because of it's Solid State affiliation... I don't think it will make you a fan. The harder elements are there but this record is all Emery.

Classic Album: Six Feet Deep - The Road Less Traveled

When talk of old school Christian hardcore is brought up a few bands will always be mentioned; Focused, Unashamed, No Innocent Victim, Overcome, Strongarm, and Zao. One name you won't often here in that discussion is REX Records band Six Feet Deep, and it's a shame.

The only reason I think this happens is because Six Feet Deep wasn't part of the old school Tooth and Nail/Solid State line-up which is credited for being the pioneers of the scene, and they were. But Six Feet Deep was there from the start.

The Road Less Traveled was Six Feet Deep's second and final full-length. For a record that came out in 96, the production is top notch. The Road Less Traveled isn't as passionate a record as some of the band's peers (Focused, Unashamed) but it's a more intense album.

Right out of the box, Congruent smacks you in the face and gets your head banging. Purify has some killer guitar dynamics to kick the track off (which reminds me of P.O.D.'s guitar work on Brown). Narrow still ranks as the second best instrumental track in hardcore (Zao's Violet will always be number 1). Broken Tree is a break on the record. It steps away from the hardcore assault and showcases a different side of Six Feet Deep and vocalist Myk Porter (Broken Tree could be called the first Brandtson song). It's a beautiful song and a great worship song at the end of the album.

The Road Less Traveled has been a favorite hardcore record of mine for years and I've never understood why Six Feet Deep never got the credit for being one of the early Christian hardcore pioneers. The Road Less Traveled is a great record and if you’re a fan of old school hardcore and haven’t heard this record, you should.

Free Music Friday - Blood and Ink

Blood and Ink Records isn't a label I've ever covered here. I only downloaded a handful of their albums for the first time in January. And I liked them. Well they have a free spring sampler up on their bandcamp page and it's awesome. Blood and Ink has some great hardcore on their label and I have a feeling some of their new albums will find their way onto my top records of 2011.

The new sampler has tracks from new bands Jawbone and Ironwill. Make sure to download the entire album (and not just individual tracks) to get 3 bonus tracks including Venia covering "Kiss Of Death" by Buried Alive, a previously unreleased song from The Red Baron's "My First Love" sessions, and an untitled, previously unreleased rarity from the lost album by The Rose.

You can download the sampler for free here: http://bloodandink.bandcamp.com/album/spring-sampler-2011

Scale the Summit - The Collective

I received an e-mail last week informing me the new Scale the Summit record was out. So not knowing anything about the band I downloaded their record, ready for anything.

The Collective is pretty amazing. Instrumental prog-metal isn't for everyone but as a music nerd I'm all over it. Scale the Summit does a nice job at being interesting without getting self-indulgent. Only two songs are longer then 5 minutes (Whales @ 6:28 and Black Hills @ 7:59) while most of the tracks average between 3 and 4 minutes.

There's nothing super heavy about the Collective but it has its moments. Each guitar solo and riff moves seamlessly from one to the next creating a beautiful layers that move song to song. And while each song is short Scale the Summit does a nice job at making sure tracks move and we aren't listening to the same riff and movement for 4 minutes at a time.

The Collective's biggest flaw is that despite each song being on the short side and Scale the Summit's ability to create different textures and movements in each track, the solos begin to take on a similar form and interest starts to fade as you get into the later songs on the record.

The Collective is still worth a listen in my opinion. The musicianship is excellent on every level. Guitar, bass, and drums are all moving and creating interesting layers through out the record and when giving a critical listen, there is a lot of discover and hear on Scale the Summit's latest.

Classic Album: Starflyer 59 - Americana

I don't know if you can single one record out as Starflyer 59's most underrated, as Starflyer 59 as a whole is pretty underrated in my book, but I would say Americana would rank as the bands most overlooked album.

Maybe part of the blame should fall on Brandon Ebel and Tooth and Nail because marketing the record as having Black Sabbath riffs was ridiculous. I mean that marketing got me up buy the record and lose my Starflyer virginity.

Americana was the last of the shoegaze records but it was so radically different from Silver and Gold (two records which were very sonically different from each other to start). Americana doesn't have the layer upon layer of distorted guitar, the guitar solos that never seemed to end. Americana had a pop sensibility that would show itself fully on The Fashion Focus, well maintaining the bands fuzz rock sound.

The Voyager, All You Want Are the Things I Need, The Translator, and the Boulevard are all pretty rocking, fully fuzzed out songs. But the gems are really the pop songs. Harmony is my second favorite SF59 song (Hazelwould is #1). Help Me When You're Gone and You Don't Miss Me and Everyone But Me are phenomenal songs that I think get overlooked when talking about Starflyer 59's best.

Americana was a nice bridge between Gold and The Fashion Focus but on its own it’s a classic indie fuzz rock record that’s overlooked more then it should be.

The Meltdown 24

Classic Tooth and Nail featuring Blenderhead, Roadside Monument, Ghoti Hook, Bloodshed, and Plankeye.

Onward to Olympas - The War Within Us

Early last year I reviewed Onward to Olympas' debut album, This World is Not My Home. I wasn't very kind and the review was a short trashing of what I dubbed generic, bland metalcore. If I were to redo my review of that album it would read very differently, but it would still not read in favor of Onward to Olympas.

So OTO is back with their sophomore album, The War Within Us, and it's better. Gone is the fun/happy metalcore that was the band's debut. The War Within Us is more aggressive, it's angrier. But what helps this record and makes it better then its debut is also what hurts it.

The album starts strong after the intro with the title track. The War Within Us (the song) is much heavier then anything from This World is Not My Home and at moments has a nice melodic/ambient hardcore sound to it. But then Revealing hits your stereo and its standard metalcore and indistinguishable from any number of songs out there. It seems like for every solid song on The War Within Us (Hidden Eyes, Unsuitable Patterns, Accuser) there's an equally just as bland track (Seeker, Structures). Onward to Olympas has even included the standard, metalcore ballad.

Just like on the bands debut the guitar work is really solid and I wish the band would taken a more technical route with this record. When there are solos or technical riffs, they're great (Accuser) but they seem to be few and far between.

The War Within Us is a huge step from This World Is Not My Home and it shows tons of growth. While it's not going to be my favorite record of the year, it is changing my thoughts on OTO's music.