2008 part 2

Continuing with what I mentioned before in my previous blog entry, this is my list for favorite music of 2008. It was quite difficult narrowing this down, and even then, I'm pretty sure after I post this I'll be wanting to change the order slightly.

But for now, let's start it.

15. The Sword-Gods of the Earth.
I've been having to defend this band for a little while now, from cries of "hype band" or "they don't LOOK like a stoner metal band" and various other quips which shouldn't take away from their music. Hopefully the naysayers will be silenced when they listen to this bad boy. The riffs are stronger, the lyrics are a little more in keeping with stoner and sludge metal's territory. J.D.'s vocals could still use some work, but hopefully they'll get better with time.








14. TIE: Indifference-Impression, Depression and At Half-Mast-Fathers and Sons.

I couldn't value one band over the other, since they're both full of great guys, and making just as great music. Both melodic hardcore, both from the same area, but taking influences from different camps (one from One King Down and Unbroken, the other from Modern Life is War and Shai Hulud). It's rare when you can say that your surrounding areas produced two of the best records of the year.



13. Origin-Antithesis.
I've already stated how ridiculously awesome this tech death cd was, and how Origin are probably one of the few bands doing it that are worth a shit. But hell I'll say it again: this cd was awesome, and Origin are one of the few technical death metal bands on the planet who aren't boring as fuck.













12. Rotten Sound-Cycles.
This would have ranked higher, had I not listened to it so late in the year. I can credit my friend Eric for really getting me into this band, and I now have another reason to like Finland again (I sure as hell got bored with their melodeath scene). Fusing the best of crust, grindcore, punk, death metal, and a whole lot of groove, this could be the best thing they've done to date. Short and sweet (like all grind needs to be), but with still enough time to get their points across.










11. Fight Amp-Hungry for Nothing.

It's still kind of hard to believe that this band is from New Jersey, considering how much of a hardon they seem to have for the south. Hell you could almost call them Kylesa Jr. A good amalgam of sludge, doom, crust, hardcore, noise rock and some good vocal tradeoffs to boot. They apparently have to plans to record and release a followup some time this year. It should be interesting to see where they go from here.








10. Misery Index-Traitors.
One of my most anticipated collaborations of the year turned into one of my top albums. Kurt Ballou isn't just one of the most awesome guitarists in the world, but he has a knack for bringing out the best in bands. Heck quite a few of the albums on my list were produced by him. But enough Kurt ass kissing. Misery Index is almost too intelligent to be called a death metal band, yet they're too technical to be considered grind. Whatever the case, they're just plain awesome. The guest vocals from Guy of The Red Chord and Tomas Lindberg only add to this incredible release. Wonder what the new presidency will bring for their future albums?



9. Annihilation Time-III: Tales of the Ancient Age.

Again, I don't really need to explain this one since I already did in a previous entry. But just in case, the following is a list of what you may need to be a fan of in order to enjoy this: beer, weed, Black Flag, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Partying, Municipal Waste, good times, riffs, punk rock.










8. Trash Talk-s/t.
After some falling out with Deathwish Inc. (over what I'm still not sure), these California mad men made what could be considered the most pissed off album of 2008. It's over in nearly the blink of an eye, but that was kind of the point. Plus you may be too busy hitting repeat to notice. The production is dirty and there are several points which dabble with sludge, giving it an almost HHIG sound. They're already at work on a new EP set for release this year as well. GET PISSED.







7. Trap Them-Seizures in Barren Praise

As I've mentioned in previous postings, TT is one of my favorite bands I've discovered in the past couple of years or so. Their third release with Kurt Ballou, and their overall 2nd full length, this one is a mindfuck. Ryan McKenny's vocals sound like he's gargling with glass and Mike Justian's (The Red Chord, Unearth) addition on drums solidifies and strengthens the blasting. The most surprising addition to this disc though is the final track "Mission Convincers," which slows things down to a crawl and ends up being one of the strongest points of the disc. Good job gentlemen. If this crust/grind/death thing doesn't work out, giving sludge metal a shot wouldn't be a hard task for you.


6. Opeth-Watershed.
This album had one (well technically two) giant thing going against it: the departure of two prominent members, Peter Lindgren and Martin Lopez. The Swedes managed to conquer any doubt though and released, to me, their best album since Blackwater Park. The melodies are stronger than ever. "Burden" in particular has shot it's way into my top Opeth songs. Seeing them live twice in support of it helped seal the deal too.










5. Torche-Meanderthal
Yeah yeah, I know this is taking top spots damn near everywhere but I don't give a fuck. This record ROCKS. Nearly every song is perfect, and each guitar riff is memorable. It really IS like Foo Fighters meets Mastodon. Hell listen to "Healer" and "Across the Shields" and tell me you couldn't hear those played on the radio. Steve Brooks is the coolest dude sucking cock in the metal world. Yes even cooler than Halford. Mainly because he didn't try to release a concept record about Nostradamus.








4. Paint it Black-New Lexicon
Again, this would probably be even higher had I gotten around to listening to it earlier. But alas, it still made top 5. Dan Yemin is the man. He's not writing the typical bullshit punk rock/hardcore lyrics. Hell the dude has a degree in Clinical Psychology, so you know he isn't some imbecilic moron. This is another record that seems to end just as fast as it started, but it's odd use of ambiance and interludes help make this stand out from the pack.









And now we get into the top 3. The ones that will be remembered for quite a while...



3. Cursed-III: Architects of Troubled Sleep

Cursed's swan song is ultimately their best effort, showing that the furious Canucks were one of the few bands in hardcore to get better with each and every release. Everything here is dark, evil, and pissed, just the way you should like it. And if you don't like that, don't support this band. The artwork from John Dyer Baizley is only an added bonus. The chants at the end of "Friends in the Music Business" will be stuck in your head for quite some time. It's shame that a terrible incident with theft overseas caused them to disband before they could truly become legends. R.I.P.








2. Disfear-Live the Storm

Well how about that! My current favorite band from Sweden somehow managed to actually top their 2003 masterpiece "Misanthropic Generation!" How did this happen? Well, let's see: ex-Entombed guitar player in the fold? Kurt Ballou producing? Tomas Lindberg going more raw? The rock n roll vibe increased while still keeping it's crust/d-beat roots intact? Hell yeah! Every song was a winner here and just makes you want to drive down a highway fast. Or something. Now give me a full U.S. tour damn it!



















1. Blacklisted-Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God

Taking a gander at the cover for Blacklisted's latest might give you a slight idea of what is in store. It is sure as hell bleak, and singer George Hirsch probably wouldn't make the best motivational speaker, but he sure as hell makes a great writer. The rest of the band is giving their all as well, throwing out tighter playing and, like PIB, adding in ambient interludes that only add to the despair found here. It's over in less than 20 minutes, which makes better sense than one would realize. Again, I can't stress enough about how poignant these lyrics are, with each one sticking out in your mind almost like a mini suicide note (opener "Stations" for example, opens with "Peace Is Just A Warm Gun Away..."). The last track "Wish" isn't likely to put you in a great mood, but it's one of the most heart-wrenching songs I've ever heard in hardcore, or hell for ANY genre of music for that matter. I'm almost afraid to hear the follow up to this, but then again I'm really hoping the band doesn't implode and I might be able to hear them perform these songs live.




Now for some minor mentions.


Favorite EP: The Carrier-No Love Can Save Me. I wasn't too ecstatic on this band's full length "One Year Later", but I did see a lot of promise. It seems like they're getting better with their approach to melodic hardcore, and this EP is solid proof. From the slow emotional dirge or "No. 51" to the singalong of "Epilogue: Forgiveness," this is more than likely to turn you into a full fledged fan. Should be interesting seeing them in March.

Favorite Splits: TIE: Disfear/Doomriders and Hour of the Wolf/Lewd Acts. Both were just as good as the other, though every band has their roots in punk rock and hardcore (with Doomriders showing their love for stoner rock as well). While the Disfear song is apparently an outtake from Live the Storm, Doomriders gave us their first new material in a couple of years, and it rocks harder than most of their older tracks. Which is saying a lot considering how awesome "Black Thunder" is. Lewd Acts are pretty pissed off, and don't seem as intent on partying or raging like HOTW does, but that odd mix doesn't really come across as bothersome or anything like that. Check both of em out. Unfortunately the first one is only available as a 7" so you might have to d/l that one.




That's part 2. Part 3, which will deal with movies (best AND worst) will be up in a couple of days or so.

End of the Year Things

Today is Christmas, a day I've always cherished more for the presents rather than it's true meaning (which never really meant much to me). And hell I'm fine with that. It also means we only have a week left until the year is officially DUNZO. While there are many reasons I fully welcome 2008 coming to a close, there are some good things to look back on that occurred this year. Basically, here's my generic "Best/Worst" list for 2008. I'm doing this in 3 parts: top 15 for music, a top and bottom 10 for films (thought admittedly there were a LOT of films that came out this year that came nowhere near my little town), and a top 10 concerts. I didn't watch enough television to make a best/worst of list (though I will say It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the Colbert Report entertained me thoroughly, whereas Family Guy disappointed me immensely), and the same goes with books.

But hey, let's start this bad boy off with the top concerts. I went to a LOT this year, so narrowing this down was a doozy. I've only really got two left to attend (The Mongoloids/Mother of Mercy/At Half-Mast and more, and the NYE show @ Lucky's Pub) but I'll have to discard em for now.

10. TIE: Skeletonwitch/Rapture Cabaret & Skeletonwitch/Death Machine Weapons (both at Lucky's Pub). Yeah it seems sort of cheap to start a list with a tie, but alas, both gigs featuring the modern day thrashers were equally spectacular. It's rare when my mostly non-metalhead friends recommend me a band that I end up enjoying immensely, but by god after witnessing them steal the show from Dying Fetus last year, I'll be a devout follower of these guys.

9. Opeth/High on Fire/Baroness @ Lincoln Theatre- One of the best tour packages of 2008, and it would have been higher had the crowd not been rather snobbish. Every band gave 100% that night, and it was my first time seeing one of my favorite newer bands, Baroness. Being able to shoot the entire show made it even more special. Just saying to yourself "you're taking pics of Opeth!" is pretty cool.

8. Trash Talk/Alpha & Omega/Torch Runner @ The Brewery- One of the angriest shows of the year for sure. It was hard to NOT mosh at this show (heck even Mario got in on the action!), and it was remarkably cheap as well. Say what you will about Trash Talk as people, but they are a commanding and intimidating live band. Torch Runner are probably the best band playing hardcore in North Carolina right now too.

7. Trap Them/Fight Amp/Torch Runner @ The Brewery- Trap Them is incredibly fascinating, and I was beyond excited hearing about them coming to Raleigh. Fight Amp also put out one of my favorite records of 2008 (whoops, guess that's a spoiler for the top records list hehe). What topped this off was my first time witnessing Torch Runner, who like I said before, blew me away. Attendance wasn't high here, but those who went and stayed knew they saw something really special. Trap Them was intense and I couldn't be happier that they're getting more attention.

6. God Forbid/Death Angel/Soilent Green/Light This City @ Lucky's Pub- It was really surprising to see such a big tour package come to a place that couldn't possibly hold that many people, but it was even more surprising that so little people came out to watch. It's a shame, considering that every band performed to their best ability. It was also pretty refreshing to not have to drive a long distance for onceto see any of them. Shame that almost less than a month after this show that Light This City threw in the towel. R.I.P.

5. Ruiner/FC5 @ Lucky's Pub- The show itself was expectedly awesome, but what made it all the more special was the time before the show spent with the two aforementioned bands. I already wrote a blog entry about this one though, so it might be easier to just read that instead of wonder on why it was so much fun.

4. High on Fire/A Life Once Lost/Saviours/Car Bomb @ Cat's Cradle- Without a doubt the best SOUNDING show of the year for me. While I can't really support the barricade aspect of the venue, the sound system was absolutely flawless. Every note of High on Fire's set was crystal clear. Every riff coming from Matt Pike's awesome guitar was audible. Each band brought much riffage that night. I'm still puzzled by the phantom "puncher" though that seemed the strike me in the back of the head at the end of HOF's set. Felt like being hit by a 2x4.

3. Paganfest (Ensiferum, Turisas, Tyr, Eluveitie) @ Volume 11 Tavern- Hurdy gurdy, violin, accordion, folk, humpa, beer, singalongs, Iron Maiden cover, war paint, women. That's really all you need to know. It was great to see a metal show that didn't have one part that made me want to pull my hair out. I think the 2009 lineup looks okay, but if this becomes a yearly event, it'll be hard to top it's inaugural year.

2. Modern Life is War @ Canal Club- Saying goodbye to one of your favorite bands is hard to do. I can't remember when I felt such a strong connection to one band's music, but when I saw the itinerary for this Iowa band's final tour, I knew I had to make at least ONE of the dates. I traveled to Richmond for one of their final dates on the east coast, and it was a memorable one. Playing nearly every song I've longed for them to play (I'm Not Ready and Farmer's Holiday Association were two highlights), screaming my lungs out, and just having some good conversations with the guys made this one really hurt. But it was inspiring. There's actually video of the whole concert up on youtube somewhere, so if you were kicking yourself for not making this, it's the next best thing.

Our Rebel Hearts Will Turn Restless Ghosts...They Can Never Truly Kill Us, and We Will Never Truly Die...

1. Every Time I Die/The Bronx @ The Soapbox- Pure insanity. If you imagine a variety of people stagediving every 5 seconds, beer being sprayed everywhere at various times, a man trying to masturbate on stage, huge mosh pits, and a room that barely fit the packed house, it still wouldn't be an accurate description of this banger. The crowd was slow to show up, but by the time that the Bronx came on (who delivered a rip roaring punk rock and roll performance), the room was already wasted and ready to rage. When the Buffalo metalcore/rockers came on, they were wound up and ready to let it all out. When they closed with We'rewolf, Keith invited a good chunk of the crowd to come up on stage and party. And lo and behold, they did. It's shows like this one that make overlook the negative aspects of Wilmington and make me love the town I'm in. I really hope they come back.



Honorable mentions:

Flogging Molly/Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Blues Band/The Mighty Stef @ Ram's Head Live- I'm FINALLY old enough to drink at a Flogging Molly show, and I couldn't have picked a better one to start at. While the prices were certainly questionable, the show itself was an immense amount of fun. RPBDBB was one of the most entertaining 3-pieces I've seen in YEARS, and FM delivered another solid set like always.

The Black Dahlia Murder @ The Soapbox- I've always liked this band, but never really LOVED them like so many others I know. But hot damn do they deliver in a small club. The support bands were sort of hit or miss (Braindrill is talented, but they got a little boring towards the end), but the main stars were on fire that night. I'm definitely anticipating their next nearby gig.

Municipal Waste/Soilent Green/Iron Lung @ Volume 11 Tavern- This would have made my list, had it not been for me breaking my nose and the club acting dumbfounded about what to do (I'm still amazed that they didn't have ICE of any sorts). The bands did an amazing job though, and it was very gratifying to see kids stagediving for Soilent Green.


Kids Like Us/Energy/The Mongoloids/Meantime @ Lucky's Pub- The show itself was nothing special (though I thought Energy and Meantime were actually good), but the sheer amount of people attending coupled with the bizarre behavior of others at the show made it a memorable one. The second time around wasn't nearly as fun, but this still remains the most insane show I've ever seen at Lucky's Pub to date.

Terror/Trapped Under Ice- I moshed with my shirt off. If that doesn't tell you how much alcohol I had consumed that night, then I don't know what will convince you.



As far as the worst shows go, well, it's a little hard to say. Flogging Molly @ The House of Blues wasn't very good, but that was more the fault of the venue and the people who attended, especially since the bands were actually good. There were several notable bands I saw who I thought sucked the shit from a cow's asshole, but not an overall bill.

Some of the bands who I hope I never have to see again include:

Up From Ashes
Stick To Your Guns
Arsonists Get All the Girls
The Warriors
Emmure
Chimaira
Tera Melos
Know the Score
Legion of the Fallen
Recon

That's it for now. The cd list and movie list will be coming up later on.

The one thing...

Just to say, this isn't directly attacking anybody particular, though if any of these descriptions sound vaguely familiar to anybody you may know (or possibly even you yourself), don't be surprised.

The one thing that shows these days are lacking is women. I'm not referring to the sheer amount of young females who are showing up just to say they were at a show, the females who are accompanying their boyfriends only to hide whenever he may leave her side, or the females who sit on or off to the side of a stage without paying any real attention to the acts and performers sometimes pouring out their hearts and souls into their music. I'm talking about the WOMEN who go out, mosh, buy merch, sing these lyrics like it truly means something to them, and don't let gender separate them from anyone else (after all, we're all human beings). It's just depressing going out to shows and seeing a general sense of apathy towards the show itself from these girls (which begs the question, why are you really even here then if nothing about this intrigues you in the slightest?). I suppose going to see This is Hell last night was the straw that broke the camel's back. While they definitely got a great reaction, and singing along with everyone else there was exhilarating like always (props to the woman in the front who knew all the lyrics to "Nobody Leaves Without Singing the Blues"), the aforementioned girls I described were definitely noticeable. At one point on, even TIH seemed to take a little shot at them by giving them a spare mic before one song to say ANYTHING, but all they could do was look bewildered at the band. Needless to say, it wasn't surprising that during one song, Travis Reilly, This Is Hell's singer, did a front flip onto said girls, presumably to get ANY sort of rise out of them.

And before anyone chews me out, there are PLENTY of shitty guys in these scenes as well, if not even more than the girls. Guys who feel the need to follow a trend, when following any sort of trends is what these types of music are prohibiting and encouraging people to not do. If your friend likes this band, then by God I have to like them too. Hear that mosh part? Oh yeah, you KNOW you gotta go off for it. If you aren't wearing this band's shirt, I may not be down with you. And that band we saw two months ago? Ehhh well this kid said they got kind of boring, so it be for the best that if we should go to their show, it'd be more interesting to stand around and only move if they play a cover (and the more ironic, the harder we shall mosh). It's rather discouraging to see genres of music that usually promote individualism and telling you that being an outsider is cool, are now turning into the new flavor of the month for the younger generation.

It isn't deterring me from going to shows though, nor should it deter anyone else. You can stick it out, and keep tabs over whom will truly be attached to this scene for years and years to come, and who will just fade away and join the next popular fad.

Do Yourself a Favor Now and Leave Me in the Dust...

Not really much of a blog, but more of a little kudos/shout out to a few specific bands that remind me that while these states around me may not be perfect, its music scene gives me some sense of hope.


At Half-Mast: I first met these guys before I even gave their band any listen and judging from their similar taste in music, I knew I'd like their band. Watched em for the first time @ This is Hell/Soldiers/Reign Supreme and came out damn near blown away. I know the term "passionate hardcore" is thrown around a lot, but they seem like the real deal to me. It's a shame that their lineup problems have been keeping them down and under the radar lately, since their newest album "Fathers and Sons" is one of the best undiscovered gems of 2008. They WILL be heading out on tour very soon though, with a new(ish) lineup. For fans of: Shai Hulud, Modern Life is War, Ruiner, Killing the Dream. http://www.myspace.com/athalfmasthc


Indifference: I was lucky to catch this band at their 2nd show ever, where they played with the previously mentioned At Half-Mast, Legacies (another good band who seem plagued by lineup problems), and Disnihil. I had heard plenty of hype from kids in Wilmington about just how great they were, despite only having one show under their belts. I was definitely impressed after catching em that day. A few weeks ago I ran into Ian, their bass player, at the 2nd outing of Kids Like Us/The Mongoloids. The show itself was kind of more of the same, but my real highlight came from buying their just-released first full-length "Impression, Depression." It's a rare situation when within just a few months we can see a good band transform into a GREAT band, but this is one of those rare occurances. I wouldn't classify this as "emotional" hardcore seeing as how I know someone from the band would kick me in the nuts for it. :P It IS, however, a great piece of smart hardcore that will be sure to please fans of Integrity, One King Down, and Unbroken. http://www.myspace.com/indifferencehc


Torch Runner-My first words after witnessing this band live were "Holy shit. Wow." Not many bands can make me do that. Greensboro seems to be a hotbed for great music. We've already gotten Giant (who still owe us all a new album damn it!) and now Torch Runner comes along to, well, carry the torch. This is the most furious band from NC I think I may have ever witnessed, and one of the few that acually managed to steal the show from bigger names they've shared a bill with (Trash Talk, Trap Them and Advent come to mind). They're apparently touring with Giant and Advent sometime next year, so should this bill come near you, do NOT miss it. I would say pick up an album of theirs, but the band have yet to release any material yet other than songs to their myspace. Highly recommended if you like His Hero is Gone, Cursed, or any sort of dark metallic hardcore group.


Conquer Me-Wilmington's hardcore scene is coming along slowly, but the fact that it even chooses to exist is what matters most. They're another band from the Carolinas whose 2nd show I managed to catch (playing alongside of A Shot Below the Belt, who I'll take about in a bit and Folsom, whose name will never ever be mentioned again in my blog as long as I live). Though their band time is even younger than any of the bands mentioned above, they're already offering a great taste of things to come. Check em out if you're into modern bands like Blacklisted, Reign Supreme, or Trash Talk. Fast, furious, heavy, mosh, ya know the deal. http://www.myspace.com/conquermehc


A Shot Below the Belt-It's so odd to see how many small lineup changes this band has gone through, yet its helped make them stronger than ever. I'll advise anyone who may have ever listened to or seen this band in the past to watch them in their current incarnation. Its a whole new experience. Like watching Black Flag with Morris vs Black Flag with Rollins: both really good, but the latter just seems tighter and more fitting (not that I'm comparing ASBTB to Black Flag musically.) Again, another band where I met the dudes who play in it before I heard the band itself. They've been playing faster, with better guitar melodies thrown in here and there with the new tracks. Keep an eye out for em in the future. They're planning to tour again next year so check em out. http://www.myspace.com/ashotbelowthebeltnc


Obstruction-Charlotte seems to have an obsession with fast hardcore and punk, and when you hear these guys, it shows. Ironically, their vocalist Josh sang in an old metalcore band called Oblivions Rise, but I never had the chance to see them live. He sounds quite comfortable here, and the rest of the band does some damn good/fun D.R.I.-style thrash. It's a serious band, but not too serious it seems. I wish I could write more awesome things about em, but I think in keeping with their quick songs, I'll just end it here: for fans of D.R.I., Municipal Waste, Spazz. http://www.myspace.com/obstructionthrash

All Shall Perish-Awaken the Dreamers

I really, REALLY don't like deathcore. I've never seen the attraction to what I think is watered down death metal with misogynistic lyrics and a giant abundance of breakdowns. The closest thing I've ever come to liking within the genre was Glass Casket and the Red Chord, and most would consider those bands more akin to metalcore than the dreaded genre mentioned at the beginning.

But at the request of many people I know, I was urged to listen to this album. People told me it was "fuckin sick" and "brutal" which will never really sway me, but when I heard the word "diverse" being thrown around, I scoffed, but was now intrigued. I was never a fan of ASP's previous material, though I didn't hate the band. They were one of the originals in this now stagnant and stale genre, and like Job for a Cowboy (another band I've never been fond of), I can't really blame them for turning the term/genre into the joke that it's become (I'd give that dubious "honor" to bands like Carnifex, Suicide Silence, and Emmure, who have nothing but plagiarize more successful bands and dumb it further to appeal to the lowest common denominator).


The first song "When Life Meant More..." kicks off with an intro that reminded me of Decapitated, which leads into an okay death metal groove. I already hear some vocals in the middle that remind me somewhat of James Hetfield. Seriously. A little cheesy, but it raised my eyebrow. Some great solos are unfortunately ruined by cutting into a rather bland breakdown. Hopefully this doesn't become a pattern here.

Everyone told me about how awesome "Black Gold Reign" was and I gotta say...they're mostly right. 2/3 of the track consists of some appreciated nods to the gothenburg scene (which about 90% of the American metal scene now owes much to), but the other third's experimentation falls flat. Their (to my knowledge) first foray into power metal sounds like a drunken, bearded guy singing 3 Inches of Blo....hey wait a minute!

The guitars in "Never...Again" are actually charmingly over the top. They also sound strikingly similar to a video game soundtrack. The same sort of groove/half breakdown returns from the first song, but without the repetitive breakdown that ruined that song's ending. Pretty solid.

We get an instrumental break next that is actually fairly refreshing, though it's a shame that it's only a minute or so long. So far, this is much more of a melodic album than I thought it would be. Most of the experimenting (if you call singing clean experimenting) isn't too grating.

The title track tries to force some Opeth influence in , and is rather commendable for their first try. But uh oh, it allllmost goes into a typical "bro chant," one of the things that I have always despised about the genre. Keep the bro chants in youth crew hardcore please. Thankfully, it's saved by another melodic chorus and catchy riff towards the end.


"Memories of a Glass Sanctuary" sounds like the band had a day off and made the decision to smoke dope and blast "Damnation" on repeat. It's a rather soft song that you could probably give to your girl, so long as the name wouldn't drive her away. Trust me, trying to make a member of the opposite sex who ISN'T a fan of aggressive music appreciate artists with names like "Napalm Death" and "Vital Remains" is a pretty big task.

"Stabbing to Purge Dissimulation" is a good reminder about why I never liked this band before. Pig squeals, monotonous, lifeless breakdowns, and a distinct lack of guitar prowess that was seen on previous songs. Bleck. I know that those who were disappointed in the album not being "heavy enough" will most likely adore this song.

"Gagged, Bound, Shelved, and Forgotten" isn't helping the stereotype of deathcore being seemingly anti-women, and it continues the bland direction of the previous track (plus bringing back those underwhelming power metal shrieks). I also couldn't help but notice the little "cyber riff" towards the beginning. It's fairly common amongst most modern "chug chug" bands like Emmure (if you can tolerate it, go listen to the beginning of "When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong" and you'll see what I mean). It just sounds like a tactic to get the kids in the pit to move, nothing more, nothing less.

I remember Guy from the Red Chord saying he found that deathcore had more in common with nu-metal than death metal, and the beginning of "Until the End" could prove him right. It isn't hard to imagine a kid with a Disturbed shirt and baggy pants getting down to this one. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a catchy song. But catchy doesn't necessarily equal good. It turns into typical territory towards the end though. At this point, I'm already yearning to turn this off and just put on Cursed-III again.

The opening riffs of "From So Far Away" actually surprisingly reminiscent of Baroness. It turns into another wank session almost immediately afterwards, though it retains some of the slow churning that it had at the beginning. It's another instrumental as well, and feels like half Malmsteen, half Mastodon.

"Misery's Introduction" is just that; an acoustic guitar/orchestral introduction to the final song on the album, "Songs for the Damned." I originally mistook this as a Soilwork cover, which would have ruled, seeing as how their knack for decent melody probably would have worked well. Alas...oh yeah the song. It's kind of underwhelming. The song more or less feels like something that should have been placed in the middle of the record, and GOD some of the lyrics are lame ("It's 2 minutes past the midnight hour and you hate my voice like sugar coated sour"). I will give props to the clean singing at the end though. I'm not big on the good cop/bad cop routine anymore, but it was rather well done.


Overall, I went into this album dreading it, and actually came out pretty surprised. This has more in common with modern melodic death metal than deathcore (minus a few tracks in the middle) and shows me that there might be some life left in the rotting carcass of this genre. Not all of these new ideas work out, but there are enough that do that warrant it from being forgettable. I think some of my friends big into European metal could find several things to like with this, as could the band's fans who are looking for them to grow. A strong 7/10.

Wish

Wish I knew safety.
Wish nothing phased me.
Wish I felt more than just feelings of unrest.
Wish the darkness didn't cloud me.
Wish I wasn't an emotional wreck.

Maladjusted, forever fucked

The two weeks or so have surprisingly been rather satisfactory. Actually makes up for the lackluster months I've had before it. Well, almost.


The only thing that really sucked was the whole post office ordeal turning out to be a scam. I really don't even want to go into further detail about it since I've explained far too many times now, and it really boils my blood to even think about it.

But on to the positives:

-Going to Opeth/High on Fire/Baroness in Raleigh was one hell of a great time. Despite being incredibly irritated by a large portion of that crowd, I had a blast and loved every performance that night. High on Fire should have played longer, Opeth took an HOUR to set up, and I wish Baroness had a better sound mix, but overall it was great. What really pleased me was that I was actually able to shoot the show and add these 3 (relatively) big bands to an already extensive portfolio.

-Trash Talk/Bracewar/Alpha & Omega/Torch Runner/Capital Ill/The Shotdowns the next week was even better. For all concertgoers like myself, you ever have that one show that you just absolutely NEED to happen? This was it. I had a lot of built up rage that I needed to let out, and this was the perfect place to do it. I suppose my only complaint was that I was nailed right in my manhood during A&O's set, but I quickly recovered, as I do after most blows below my waist. Trash Talk was on fire tonight, and A&O made a fan out of me for sure. Torch Runner is still the best unsigned band in NC right now. Get into them while you can. Soon they'll be big. What may have been even more memorable than the show itself was the experience afterwards. I had 3 people in tow with me (drives to Raleigh by yourself suuuuck), so per their suggestion, we went to a place called Cookout, which was reminiscent of Checkers and Sonic. Unfortunately, I decided to trust my GPS with directions, which did indeed take us to Cookout, albeit a GHETTO one. We were repeatedly harassed by a homeless gentleman, who most likely was on more drugs that night than what may have been humanly possible. After I gave him a couple or so bucks, he went up to the poor guy working the place, and spouted a lot of gibberish and anti-Mexican slurs at him. Fucked up.

-More extras work on One Tree Hill. Paycheck for that should be coming soon. Ironically, we filmed a scene inside of a church. Luckily lightning didn't come down and strike me. Sophia Bush looks a lot better in person than I thought, and there was another girl shooting scenes who might have had one of the smallest frames I've ever seen, but was one gorgeous creature. If anyone knows anything about the show and its regular cast of females (this one had brown hair), lemme know about this chick.

-Caught a screening of Zack and Miri Make a Porno. I enjoyed a good portion of it, but it seemed like a lot of the humor fell flat. I know everyone is saying that it looks like Kevin Smith is trying too hard to copy Judd Apatow with this one, but one forgets that if anything, Apatow's films are more similar to Smith's older works (occasional grossout humor, smart, realistic dialogue, an awkward serious act towards the end). Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, and Justin Long were the highlights. I definitely can't watch Superman Returns again after seeing Brandon Routh's role in here. I'm sure another screening of it will cause it to grow on me, but for now, I'd say just catch it on video.

-I've landed a new job. Starting this Thursday, I'm working at Journey's in the mall. While it really pains me to go back to the hellhole that is Independence Mall, I'm just grateful to have landed a steady job right now. What is better is that when they open their kid's store, I'll transfer over to that, and most likely will be in the running for co-manager. Yay.

-Halloween downtown was a blast. Didn't really have to spend a lot of money on anything that day (costume-wise or drink-wise) but it still turned out to be quite fun. Dressing up as a bloody jesus surprisingly didn't get me killed. Jessica Gard and myself took quite a few pics which are up on my myspace page. Probably the best costume I saw all night was a tie between Mystique (from the comics) and the Greenman from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

-I attended Today is the Day/Jucifer/Monkeyknifefight at the soapbox. To call it an interesting show would be an understatement. While every band did a swell job, little things here and there prevented it from being an amazing show. Weedeater canceling (due to their guitarist breaking his hand) drove away a majority of the crowd, Jucifer having BAD guitar problems after their first song, and Today is the Day's films making no sense whatsoever. That being said, it was still one hell of a good show though. Can't wait to see Jucifer again at the end of the month in Raleigh with Black Skies.

-After the aforementioned show ended, I received a text and call from Rob Sullivan, vocalist for Ruiner, saying them and FC5 (a melodic hardcore band from Japan) were almost in town and were going to get in by about 4am. The gang of 10 did indeed get here by then and crashed overnight. I barely got any sleep due to my weird reactions with hearing rain outside. After everyone got up the next morning, we made a trip to the mall so FC5 could shop. According to the band, everything in Japan is more expensive than over here, so they wanted to do some clothes shopping. We spent a little over an hour there, and then made a trip to Walmart, so the van could have its oil changed. I made an offer for those interested to go record shopping, since I knew Walmart loves to take their sweet time with looking at automobiles. So, with three of the dudes from Ruiner tagging along, we went to Gravity and did some vinyl shopping. Everyone bought at least 2-3 items (myself included) and then we went back to Walmart. It took over THREE FUCKING HOURS to get oil in a van changed. Ridiculous. Before this, FC5 mentioned that they wanted a good priced steak from around here. So, like every red-blooded American doofus would do, I suggested Outback Steakhouse. :P Wasn't super cheap, but I noticed nobody had any complaints afterwards. :D After we got done eating, they went to the show to load in. I went back home and grabbed my camera and changed (was super smelly from being out all day and from the rain). The show itself was AWESOME. Right up there with MLIW in VA and Trash Talk as far as being one of the best hardcore shows of the year. A Shot Below the Belt and Conquer Me gave what I thought were their best performances they've had so far. Ambush wasn't too bad, but I thought the breakdowns seemed forced. FC5 though, stole the god damn show. For a group of quiet guys from Japan who just wanted steak and vans shoes, they were superb and on fire on stage. I haven't been that impressed by a hardcore band I had very little knowledge on since I saw At Half-Mast last year. They threw in a Refused cover as well (Rather Be Dead), and I think I was one of the few who noticed what it was. Ruiner did an great job themselves like always, and it was funny being fucked with/jokingly called out by Rob for being a drunk moron. The brief speeches that were given were very appreciated too (such as saying that nobody is special these days, and that Rick Ta Life is a jerkoff. That makes 2 bands I've seen this year that have called him out hahaha). What made this show worth it though was the turnout. Nobody really had any real idea about how well, if at all, this show would draw, but it seemed to be a damn good turnout for a Monday. Kids circle pitting and dancing a LOT for about 85% of the night. Made my little bad self smile. After the show was done, I picked up a few pieces of merch, got a big "end of tour" group photo and said my parting words. All great guys, and two of the best bands in melodic hardcore right now.


Thats it for now it seems. I'm sure some other fun stuff will come about this week. I'm watching the house from this Saturday until the next, and have MC Chris at the soapbox to attend. I'll keep my fingers crossed on the job and hope that I don't go insane being back in the cesspool that is our mall.