by marcs77HATEBREED The Divinity Of Purpose (CD)
This is one of the record I've been on quite kinda interesting await-mood for a while when its release date was close and posts + various ads/news were taking over the net channels.
I had left HATEBREED at the times of “Supremacy” (Roadrunner - 2006) and after that I had just listened to the random songs here and there (not a loyal behaviour, right?).
Then, what actually triggered all this anticipation on the new album from Bridgeport, New Heven based metallic hardcore heavy weights? Was I waiting for a modern variant of Hatebreed highly roadtested trade-mark hardcore (read about the Celtic Frost hardcore thing)? No really, don't worry, I didn't and I'm not spending all these words to say they actually did either.
“THE DIVINITY OF PURPOSE” is 100% Hatebreed
to the point that their diehard fans will have already grabbed their copy even before reading this review and their detractors won't like change their mind either reading my words or listening first-hand to some of the tracks on the internet.
At the time of “Supremacy” Jamey Jasta (voice) was just getting out some hard and dark times on personal level and in the liner notes he explained that those songs and the basis of the record were born of personal power and belief in one self and went on to describe his fight against the never-ending adversities that life throws at each of us.
Jamey is still down with the fight for attaining the supremacy of the self (hopefully with a positive outlook toward the others I wanna add) and this is made clear when in “Honor Never Dies” he sings...“Sometimes standing for what you believe Means standing alone” or in “Own Your World” the singer spits out...“Make your stand Burn the bridge Burn the bridge to the place where your fear lives” -just a few lines I wanted to quote.
Musically-wise, the album to me sounds kind of less Slayer / Metal influenced and indeed pushing more an overall hardcore edge.
Mentioning some tracks, “Invisibly” is a old-school NYHC in the vein of Agnostic Front, Biohazard (the opening riff reminds me much of the latter) and Sick Off It All. “The Language” has that fast thrashy riffing and sounds of H8000 metalcore bands or that of the likes of Living Sacrifice. “Dead Man Breathing” is 100% Hatebreed meets Slayer meets NYHC -one of my favourites together with the title-track.
Art wise, this album is nicely adorned by an amazing work of art courtesy of Eliran Kantor (talented Berlin based artist and illustrator who has done a lot of cover artwork for many metal bands).
I am one of those who likes Hatebreed for what they are so “The Divinity Of Purpose” didn't disappoint me and made me reconnect with this band like meeting some old friends.
“The Divinity Of Purpose” is out via Nuclear Blast.
Check: hatebreed.com/
BORN FROM PAIN The New Future (CD)Dutch metallic hardcore stalwarts BORN FROM PAIN strives and fights hard their way to a new future.
The album I'm gonna review has been out almost a year now in physical form (via the dudes at GSR Music) but very much in line with a future driven outlook and taking into account the huge impact modern technologies has had in the music world, like in the day to day struggles of life, the quintet had self-released this album digitally on a totally free of charges basis some moths before the physical release was actually out.
“THE NEW FUTURE” is the aptly chosen title for the 6th full-length in their 15 years long career -the guys started out in '97.
Before adding further words let quote some words off the press-sheet “This is the musical reaction to creeping oppression, anti-human policy and fear mongering by the powerful few of this world against the people. This is a cry for the better and new future we deserve”.
They call you(us) to get our asses off the coach and fight for a better world now in order to not leave some right-wing-lobbist-massoni leading our lives to the total demise. And Born From Pain do so in the manner best known to them delivering a heavy slab of metallic hardcore and thought inspiring lyrics.
For those who love the hardcore to be metallic but not metalcore. Get this!
Check: www.facebook.com/BornFromPainOfficial
GRAND THEFT AGE We Come From Hell (CD)Are the Italians punks still good at playing some oldschool shit sung in Italian? Well, living in Italy I already knew the reply. However, yes, they are!
GRAND THEFT AGE, from Roma, are among those street punks rised on huge doses of Nabat, Colonna Infame, Payback, Skruigner, Reazione, Rappresaglia, Los Fastidios (all from Italy) and the foreign likes of Agnostic Front, Cause For Alarm, Murphys' Law, Angelic Upstarts, Cock Sparrer, The Exploited (just named a few).
"WE COME FROM YOUR HELL" is too heavy and hardcore for the 70's punkers but it's damn punk as well.
That NYC hardcore feel is definitely there and the modern production hits you like a heavy jab to your jaw.
They are good at their instruments and the guitar players fit in some cool leads.
There are some guest appearances of some friends from the Roman scene in the names of Marinaio (Payback), Dannyboy (The Fourth Sin), Lorenzone (Pinta Facile) and Blasi (Strenght Approach).
This album is out through Scarred For Life records.
If some of the bands I named tell something to you then I guess you have now a slight idea of what this band is all about but don't make the error to skip this anyway, it would be a pity. You're warned bro!
Check: www.facebook.com/GrandTheftAge
FICTION REFORM Take Your Truth (CD)As of late I rarely require for some stuff for review but, as per past habits, whenever I do I ask for some records that somehow already caught my attention.
That's undoubtedly the case with the sophomore full-length album from FICTION REFORM a Orange County punk rock four-piece ensable fronted by the charismatic rioting and smart-ass Brenna Red (yes, you've got it! that Brenna, the one who played drums in Civet under the nick Bombshell Brenz) -band's line up is completed by Danielle on bass, Aaron on guitar and Danny on drums (ex member of Bullet Treatment).
“TAKE YOUR TRUTH” has all the good things of the freshest addicting So Cal punk rock with those female raspy yet melodically catchy vocals that makes names like The Distillers, Fabulous Disaster, Tilt, Civet (FR aren't so pissed off but they are a good reference point) the Muffs and some indie riotous girrls come to mind.
“Who's To Blame” is ripping punk rock with those Cali backing vocals and that hardcore edge to it.
“Hi-Fi Violence” has something of early L7 meet Bad Religion to it that just for this gets a big thumb-up.
And song titles like “Shellac And Vinyl”, “On The X” and “Hi-Fi Violence” take me back to the 90's.
Out on Basement records.
Take Your Truth, and don't let anybody shovel theirs down your throat. Wake up!
Get this album and book this band when they get to tour Europe.
Check: www.facebook.com/fictionreform
FEAR THE SIRENS The Ruins We Used To Call Home (CD)
FEAR THE SIRENS are one of those names (drawn from the famous epic poem “Odyssey”) that I'd expect you file into your memory (be it the oldie humanly physical thing or the latest high-tech gadget) if you are into the melodic metal(hard)core and you don't wanna miss anything surfacing off this hot boiling worldwide scene.
The young five-piece formed early 2011 in Roma, Italy and “THE RUINS WE USED TO CALL HOME”, debut recording out on Indelirium records, has basically it all (say nicely crafted songs, beautiful artwork and layouts, modern pro-tool wizardly production and look).
I like them more when they delve into their melodic hardcore side (songs like “Ithaca” and the second track “My Name Is No-Man) but a number like “This Is War” (feat. Napoleon's Jason Baker) where they blaze out some metalcore tugguishness makes a good cut too.
I think I'm just curious like everybody to know where this movement will lead its countless players and how it'll succeed in breathing fresh new life into it before burning out. Time will tell, right? Meanwhile a listen to this record would not be a waste of time.
Check: www.facebook.com/fearthesirens
ALL TIME LOW Don't Panic (CD)
To some extents, especially on mainstream terms, ALL TIME LOW are matured and changed their skin from the younger brothers of Blink 182 / Fall Out Boy to a coming to age band working their way up the pop-adult-rock ladder.
Listen to their latest fatigue “DON'T PANIC” and from the very first time your hears get hit by their brand new tunes you'll get it clear that top of the cooky pop-punk backbone the Maryland's quartet layered tons more of electrockish elements and tight the whole together thanks to a lame charts-breaker production (courtesy of singer Alex Gaskarth and producer Mike Green -who already produced ATL and sat behind the soundboard for the likes of Set Your Goals, Paramore, Amely, The Matches and more).
The opening “The Reckless And The Brave” kicks off much into rock-opera Green Day fashion.
“Backseat Serenade” and “Thanks To You” have something Foo Fighter-esque to them.
“Outlines” it's kinda the dancerock beackbeat a la The Killers meets Bon Jovi (the track was co-written by Fall Out Boy's Patrik Stump).
“To Live And Let Go” is a powerful pop rock number but I feel more comfortable when they stick to the more archaic pop punk formula of a track like “So Long Soldier”.
Pretty much all songs but one hit the 3 to 3 and half minutes and to me this makes the album more difficult to digest on the long run.
The album is out via Hopeless records (Rude records in Europe) and this marks a come back to their second home since the band left their previous major label Interscope.
I'm not sure I'm ready for these guys to grow old that much.
Check: www.alltimelow.com/
GRAVEYEARD Lights Out (CD)
Is that an air raid siren? Wait! It's definitely an air-raid siren but it isn't Black Sabbath's “War Pig”. Where's that blasting epic guitar riff off Iommi's SG guitar?
It's by all odds another band here. The song “An Industry Of Murder”, opening of the record I'm gonna review, unleashes some classic darkish hard rock much in the late 60's and 70's vein but just like of all songs which follow here all sounds to me really kind of like the 25th anniversary edition of that Deep Purple's milestone entitled “Machine Head” (talking about the disc 1 including 1997's remixed/remastered versions of the original recordings).
The warm analog-vintage sound of this “LIGHTS OUT”, third full-length effort from Goteborg's hard rockers GRAVEYARD, is firmly rooted to that era but the production, though analogic sourced, stenches of years 2000.
After some minutes into the listen I start thinking of all the old bands Graveyard remind me of but I'll leave you pleasure to find out yourselves. Go searching through the records of your older brothers or parents and whether they were among that breed of rockers you'll find plenty of stuff there. If they were into other Sweden's bands like Abba then, well, the Sweden of Graveyard it's a hella different.
This music draws from the frozen and darkest nights of Scandinavian winters, the more obscure The Doors, Pink Floyd (okay I spilled two names which could be way too obvious and “mainstream”), the blues and feelings of inner tormento and some undisguised angst against a society many young or older people feel awkward fitting in.
The Lights go Out...
Check: www.facebook.com/graveyardofficial
The young five-piece formed early 2011 in Roma, Italy and “THE RUINS WE USED TO CALL HOME”, debut recording out on Indelirium records, has basically it all (say nicely crafted songs, beautiful artwork and layouts, modern pro-tool wizardly production and look).
I like them more when they delve into their melodic hardcore side (songs like “Ithaca” and the second track “My Name Is No-Man) but a number like “This Is War” (feat. Napoleon's Jason Baker) where they blaze out some metalcore tugguishness makes a good cut too.
I think I'm just curious like everybody to know where this movement will lead its countless players and how it'll succeed in breathing fresh new life into it before burning out. Time will tell, right? Meanwhile a listen to this record would not be a waste of time.
Check: www.facebook.com/fearthesirens
ALL TIME LOW Don't Panic (CD)To some extents, especially on mainstream terms, ALL TIME LOW are matured and changed their skin from the younger brothers of Blink 182 / Fall Out Boy to a coming to age band working their way up the pop-adult-rock ladder.
Listen to their latest fatigue “DON'T PANIC” and from the very first time your hears get hit by their brand new tunes you'll get it clear that top of the cooky pop-punk backbone the Maryland's quartet layered tons more of electrockish elements and tight the whole together thanks to a lame charts-breaker production (courtesy of singer Alex Gaskarth and producer Mike Green -who already produced ATL and sat behind the soundboard for the likes of Set Your Goals, Paramore, Amely, The Matches and more).
The opening “The Reckless And The Brave” kicks off much into rock-opera Green Day fashion.
“Backseat Serenade” and “Thanks To You” have something Foo Fighter-esque to them.
“Outlines” it's kinda the dancerock beackbeat a la The Killers meets Bon Jovi (the track was co-written by Fall Out Boy's Patrik Stump).
“To Live And Let Go” is a powerful pop rock number but I feel more comfortable when they stick to the more archaic pop punk formula of a track like “So Long Soldier”.
Pretty much all songs but one hit the 3 to 3 and half minutes and to me this makes the album more difficult to digest on the long run.
The album is out via Hopeless records (Rude records in Europe) and this marks a come back to their second home since the band left their previous major label Interscope.
I'm not sure I'm ready for these guys to grow old that much.
Check: www.alltimelow.com/
GRAVEYEARD Lights Out (CD)Is that an air raid siren? Wait! It's definitely an air-raid siren but it isn't Black Sabbath's “War Pig”. Where's that blasting epic guitar riff off Iommi's SG guitar?
It's by all odds another band here. The song “An Industry Of Murder”, opening of the record I'm gonna review, unleashes some classic darkish hard rock much in the late 60's and 70's vein but just like of all songs which follow here all sounds to me really kind of like the 25th anniversary edition of that Deep Purple's milestone entitled “Machine Head” (talking about the disc 1 including 1997's remixed/remastered versions of the original recordings).
The warm analog-vintage sound of this “LIGHTS OUT”, third full-length effort from Goteborg's hard rockers GRAVEYARD, is firmly rooted to that era but the production, though analogic sourced, stenches of years 2000.
After some minutes into the listen I start thinking of all the old bands Graveyard remind me of but I'll leave you pleasure to find out yourselves. Go searching through the records of your older brothers or parents and whether they were among that breed of rockers you'll find plenty of stuff there. If they were into other Sweden's bands like Abba then, well, the Sweden of Graveyard it's a hella different.
This music draws from the frozen and darkest nights of Scandinavian winters, the more obscure The Doors, Pink Floyd (okay I spilled two names which could be way too obvious and “mainstream”), the blues and feelings of inner tormento and some undisguised angst against a society many young or older people feel awkward fitting in.
The Lights go Out...
Check: www.facebook.com/graveyardofficial
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