January 4, 2012   1 note

CONTROVERSIAL METAL OPINIONS

Let’s go.

-BB

January 4, 2012

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE AND HOWARD JONES PART WAYS

Jones, who has provided vocals for the band since their 2004 release The End of Heartache, has seemingly left/been kicked out from Killswitch Engage. From the band’s Facebook:

To our family, friends and fans: We have decided to continue on without Howard Jones as the singer of Killswitch Engage. We love Howard and are thankful for the nine years that we’ve had him in the band. Out of respect for everyone involved we will not be discussing the specific reasons behind this decision. Howard is a part of our family and always will be, and we wish him well. He has left big shoes to fill, so we certainly have our work cut out for us to find the next singer of Killswitch, something we plan on making priority #1 going forward. Most importantly, thanks to all of you for all the support throughout the years and for sticking by us for all this time. We really do appreciate it and we very much look forward to having a new record for all of you in the not too distant future that we can all be proud of. Sincerely, Adam, Joel, Mike & Justin. 

Personally, I’ve always preferred Howard over Jesse, and am upset at this turn of events; after all, I was supposed see them in June, and was looking foward to singing along to some old tunes from As Daylight Dies and Heartache (my favorite KSE album). This probably has something to do with that porn star Howard apparently impregnated some time ago, and I hope for the best in his personal affairs.

- LP

As for me, I personally preferred Jesse over Howard, I mean, Howard did make overall better songs with them, but I always loved Jesse’s voice and screams MUCH more than those of Howard. Plus, the last Killswitch Engage album was very lackluster, as opposed to the Times of Grace album which kicked complete ass. I would love for Jesse to come back since Times of Grace album also showed his voice being completely improved as well. Overall, I wasn’t too surprised Howard left because of the whole impregnating a porn star mishap, but in the end, whether he left or got kicked out, I’d say it was his own fault. There’s such things as condoms you know! To be completely honest, Howard was bringing Killswitch down and a new vocalist is just what they need to pick themselves up. This news upsets me, but at the same time excites me for the future of Killswitch, hopefully they will bring back Jesse or find a even better vocalist. Only time will tell. 

- AK

I’ve always thought Killswitch’s music was awesome (especially Alive or Just Breathing), but like most metalcore, I could never get into them because of the clean vocals. Don’t get me wrong, I like clean vocals in metal when done right, but metalcore bands sound like whiny shits when they do cleans. Ahhh, first-world problems, I suppose.

-BB

January 4, 2012   2 notes

KATY PERRY’S TEENAGE DREAM

 

Now I know I have the reputation of a metal head, but let me assure you I do listen to other genres of music, including pop, rock, rap, etc. So coming into this review know that I do listen to all music and I am not reviewing it with a bias of a metal head. So now going into the actual album.

Katy Perry is one of the few pop stars that I seem to have been hearing a lot, it seems like every other month she has a new hit song. Surprisingly enough, Teenage Dream is full of singles that I thought were off of different albums, but really on one album. Listening to the album I already knew a few songs thanks to my sister playing the popular hits radio in the car, so I already had some kinds of expectations for the album.

The album starts with the chords of the opening and title track, “Teenage Dream”. The song is quite a fun song, while not heavy on the party and dance songs that most pop songs seem to be all about. The lyrics are typical for pop music, having to do with romance and more than likely sex, but in a way they come off as adding to the catchiness of the song and seem like they would be fun to sing along to. Though a problem I’ve noticed reoccurring in this album is the lack of utilization of her voice. Her voice shows high potential but it seems like she isn’t using it to the best of her abilities, it is definitely a shame and comes off as a disappointment in a way.

Next, the simple, catchy beat of “Last Friday Night” comes on to start one of the most fun party pop songs I have heard in a while. The beat is simple, yet catchy, and the lyrics are typical, but in a way silly and fun to sing along to. But what really makes the song shine is the random saxophone solo; while it comes out of no where and serves no purpose to the song, I find it awesome.

Sadly, with such fun intro tracks, it had to go wrong somewhere and thats exactly what happens in the third song on the album featuring Snoop Dogg, “California Gurls”. Thats right, gurls, not girls. I just find it kind of worrisome that the only song with a black man has a spelling error in the name. This song does not only feature a lame beat, but stupid lyrics that aren’t fun in anyway and just adds to the negatives of this song. Also, Snoop Dogg’s rap is just embarrassing and stupid. Come on man, Dr. Dre didn’t bring you up in fame for you to rap in Katy Perry songs. Also, is it just me or do I hear auto-tune towards the ends? Really? Was that necessary? Thinking back to it, I always found this song annoying and time did not change it for me- this song is probably one of the most annoying mainstream pop songs out there and shows the weaker side of this album.

But with such a weak song, there needs to be a stronger one to back it up. I’ll say it right here, “Fireworks” is the best pop song I have heard in a long time. If every song on the album was like this, this would be one of the best pop albums I have heard. From the build-up to the huge bouncing chorus to the cheery, happy lyrics to the hypnotizing, fun beat I just can’t see why someone couldn’t like this song. This is not just a good pop song though, its a good song in general. Not to mention, listening to the album I was just waiting till this point since Katy’s voice really shines here. I don’t know why this song clicks with me so well, but it does and it adds some serious points to the album for me.

Unfortunately, consistency isn’t her strong suit with the next song “Peacock” opening with the line “I wanna see your peacock”. Well…. I don’t even know what to say. This song is the worst thing I have heard since… well, I’m not really sure. Not only is the beat lame and boring, Katy has a annoying voice through the entire song and the extremely stupid lyrics do not let up. Listening to this song and knowing most fans are teenage girls, the teen pregnancy rate doesn’t surprise me anymore. Why am I still listening to this? Skip!

Well, being a metal guy myself, something about the electric guitar chords of “Circle the Drain” really click with me. This song actually reminds me of Michael Jackson’s type of pop, with guitar and drums moving at a fast pace to create a fast, fun beat that will probably get stuck in my head for a while. The surprising part of this song, though, is the use of the word fuck several times throughout the song. It’s not like it’s a taboo for pop artists to swear or anything, I just found the use of fuck quite sudden. If anything the use of the word comes of as a way for Katy Perry to say “Hey guys, I’m a bad girl, look at me swear! FUCK!!!” which comes off as stupid to me. Though, overall, this song is fun.

The next song I barely noticed I listened to it the first time going through. “The One That Got Away” is not bad or anything, it’s just kind of bland and feels like it’s just there to pass by the time. I don’t really have much to say about it because, well, it’s a forgettable song.

The next song, on the other hand, is another example of what I expect from this album. “E.T.”, like every other song in this album that is about sex, is ridiculously catchy. I don’t know how you could listen to this song and not get the song stuck in your head. I don’t care what you say about this song musically, it does what every pop song should do; that is, put you in a uplifting mood and get stuck in your head. I’m pretty sure this song will haunt me after this review as well; oh well, at least it’s not peacock stuck in my head.

The next four songs that follow are quite boring. “The One That Got Away”’s problem in that they are all boring and forgettable. “Who Am I Living For?” and “Pearl” are far from bad songs, but they just bore me and boredom in music leads to forgetting about the song. The songs have potential but they never really reach the fun and catchiness of other songs on the album that make them memorable. “Hummingbird Heartbeat” tries to be a more fun and poppy song. But if anything the song is disturbing in that she pretty much talks about sex with no undertones throughout the entire song. I don’t really have a problem with it personally, but thinking of the age range of the people who listen to Katy Perry, it comes off as disturbing. In that sense it is memorable, but as a song it doesn’t reach the bar previous songs such as “E.T.” and “Fireworks” set.

The last song, “Not Like The Movies” tries to come off as a slow and meaningful song, but it falls flat. While the song displays Katy’s voice ability quite well, as the last song on the album I expected it to go out with a bang. This song is boring and doesn’t do any different than any other slower pop songs out there, though I can see teenage girls relating to the lyrics, so I don’t blame them. While lyrics shouldn’t really matter in music, they can add to the music a lot of the time for certain people. It’s just a shame the album had to end like this, because I was hoping for much more.

Overall, Teenage Dream does some things right, and some things wrong. When it does songs right, they are fun and will be stuck in your head for who knows how long. Listening to this album, I definitely understand the popularity Katy has been receiving, and that’s good for her, because she has the talent. I feel like if Katy Perry keeps moving forward and takes out all the bad of this album and keeps all the awesome, she can become one of the best pop artists of our generation. But for now, I would say she’s merely above average. Now excuse me while I listen to some brutal death metal to wash the pop music smell off me. 6/10


*I originally wrote this for school, so that’s probably why It’s a little toned down. Don’t be surprised to see me write a little differently next time.  

- AK

January 4, 2012   7 notes

FINDING EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS IN METAL

Recently I have found, to the chagrin of my younger brother, that I have been “growing out of metal.” Or have my tastes merely been expanding? In the past few months I’ve found myself listening to bands like Touche Amore, La Dispute, Defeater, Pianos Become the Teeth, The Kinison, and The Roots – most of them not metal in the SLIGHTEST.

With all this being said, however, I despise the concept that my musical tastes have matured. Like what my esteemed colleague LP said on a discussion board just today, it doesn’t make any sense that a maturation of my musical tastes would yield a sudden dislike of bands once held in my favor. As much as I would like to argue the point home that my tastes are simply expanding, there is more to it than that.

Ladies and gentleman, I’m getting bored by metal.

I’ve never really thought of this way, but it’s necessary for me to find an emotional connection with the music I listen to. I listen to a bunch of death metal, black metal, thrash, and grindcore. But the thing with those genres is, more often that not, it’s impossible for me to find an emotional connection. No, I’m not just talking about albums that strike me as particularly memorable (which most metal does not strike me as these days). When I listen to these albums, a part of me, one that I may have never known existed, needs to come to the surface. I need to feel it. Many times I can even relate to the lyrics on a personal level.

I have hundreds, if not thousands, of metal albums in my music library. Yet I struggle to even make a convincing Top Ten Albums of the Decade list. I can think of maybe five albums that are definitely locks – but then there’s five more albums I need to fill in. I enjoy most of the albums in my music library (some albums I’m too lazy to delete even though I know I’ll probably never listen to it again in my lifetime), but it’s difficult for me to think of five albums that struck a chord with me.

In light of these recent revelations, here is the one metal album from 2011 that struck a particular chord for me. It was not my #1 album from that year (that title belongs to Revocation’s Chaos of Forms), but it was the one metal album from last year that I was able to develop an emotional connection with.

SubRosa – No Help For The Mighty Ones

Doom metal with a strikingly familiar sense of melancholy brought on by the three female vocalists and their electric violins.

Listen to this fucking album, people. Listen to it, and love it.

- BB

January 3, 2012   6 notes

A SNEAK PEEK OF WHAT’S COMING THIS MONTH

Here’s a little taste of what we’ve got stored for the rest of the month:

Live reviews for Year of No Light, Vildhjarta, Arch Enemy, August Burns Red, Cannibal Corpse, Machine Head, Suicide Silence, Darkest Hour, Rise to Remain, The Ghost Inside, Death Before Dishonor, Chunk! No Captain Chunk, Hundredth, YOB, Tool, and Casey Jones, album reviews for new releases from Alcest, Aborted, and Abigail Williams, a review of the new Sherlock Holmes film, and more.

January 3, 2012   8 notes

TOUR: CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, TORCHE, VALIENT THORR, and A STORM OF LIGHT

Following a short batch of dates with Clutch in December, Raleigh, North Carolina legends CORROSION OF CONFORMITY are pleased to announce a U.S. headlining tour this March. Set to commence on March 1 at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City, the trek will hit 15 cities including two performances at this year’s SXSW Music Conference in Austin. The band will be joined by Torche, Valient Thorr and A Storm Of Light.

Commented vocalist/bassist Mike Dean of the upcoming shows: “We think the lineup of music on this tour is really compatible without every band doing the same thing. We’re really proud to be on this bill and touring on a new album.”

As a precursor to the tour, the band will play one-off show with Hail!Hornet at the Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina on January 22. The special performance will coincide with a screening of Slow Southern Steel,the long-anticipated southern metal documentary produced by Rwake vocalist, CT.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY
w/ Hail!Hornet
1/22/2012 The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY 
w/ Torche, Valient Thorr, A Storm Of Light
03/01/2012 Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY
03/02/2012 Sonar – Baltimore, MD
03/03/2012 Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC
03/05/2012 Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH
03/06/2012 Pyramid Scheme – Grand Rapids, MI
03/07/2012 Double Door – Chicago, IL
03/08/2012 Triple Rock – Minneapolis, MN
03/09/2012 Beaumont Club – Kansas City, MO
03/10/2012 Downtown Music Hall – Little Rock, AR
03/11/2012 Hi-Tone Café – Memphis, TN
03/12/2012 Trees – Dallas, TX
03/14/2012 SXSW – Austin, TX ! #
03/15/2012 SXSW – Austin, TX ! #
03/17/2012 One Eyed Jacks – New Orleans, LA #
03/18/2012 Zydeco – Birmingham, AL #
! = No Torche
# = No Valient Thorr

January 2, 2012   4 notes

AS WE ENTER THE NEW YEAR, THE METAL COMMUNITY SUFFERS ITS FIRST LOSS.

Entering the new year, we have much to look forward to. With new albums from many brilliant bands including Electric Wizard, Napalm Death, Saint Vitus, and Autopsy, and great shows and festivals (MDF, anyone?) to count the days down until, we’re caught off guard with the first band break-up of the year, this being Los Angeles’ progressive metal act The Human Abstract, whose 2010 album Digital Veil was praised by much of the metal community. Metal Injection posted earlier yesterday on the matter:

Another casualty of the music business! Over the holiday break, it seems the final nail was put into the coffin of The Human Abstract, as the band have pretty much announced they have broken up. Earlier this year, they were dealta crushing blow when vocalist Travis Richter decided to leave the band. They found a temporary replacement and did a few tours, but it seems like that was the last we’d hear from the band. Speaking on his personal Facebook page, bassist Henry Salva wrote the following when asked about the band’s status: 

“Fuck. How can I put this?

It was hard enough answering fan question while I was working for Protest the Hero. Folks, we are not looking for a new vocalist. We are not touring anytime soon. I think it’s only fair you guys know that we’re on “break or hiatus if you will.” I don’t know why we haven’t said anything. I guess it’s because there is always that “maybe if something happens, etc..etc…” Or maybe it’s hard for us to realize the reality of our situation, the bands situation, to finally let go. I’ll be honest when I say the folllowing: Periphery and Never Say Die were our last tours together as a band.

It was amazing experience while it lasted. Dean is going back to USC to further his education. AJ, as you know will always continue writing and teaching. Brett, I am sure has something up his sleeve.

Thank you to everyone who came out to show their love for the band and the music. I’m proud to say that I got to perform and record along side such amazing musicians.

Does that answer your question?”

This is truly a bummer. The Human Abstract released one of my favorite releases of last year, and I was eagerly anticipating new output and the chance to see them live again, but I guess it’s never happening. Weak sauce! [via Under The Gun Review]

- LP

January 2, 2012   2 notes

LAMB OF GOD’s RESOLUTION

Lamb of God are one of those bands you love or hate. Since their inception as Burn The Priest, whose debut release was at one time the most downloaded album online, they’ve burned a path through today’s metal scene. With a huge fanbase comprised of metalheads from all ends of the spectrum and shows reminiscent of Slayer’s early shows, the hype surrounding the band leaves them a lot to live up to. With their new album Resolution, the band has not only arguably outdone their previous, solid releases As the Palaces Burn and Ashes of the Wake, but reclaimed some of their lost glory after their weak latest album, Wrath. While Wrath suffered from awful lyrical content and forgettable songs, Resolution rises above expectations in both categories. Unrelenting tracks such as “Desolation” and “Invictus” leave the listener without a chance to catch their breath, especially in the case of the album’s heavy opener, “Straight for the Sun”, boasting sludge-like riffs unheard of previously from Lamb of God. Tracks “Insurrection”, “Terminally Unique” and “To The End” feature guitar work similar to Gothenburg’s signature melodeath style, and instrumental number “Barbaraosa” provides a fresh transition through the two halfs of the album. Though few, certain tracks - single “Ghost Walking” comes to mind, as do quite a few of the tracks from the latter half of the album - do lapse into the mindlessness groove metal is famous for, Resolution is a solid, powerful release from one of the biggest bands in extreme metal today, once again proving the group’s dominance in it’s genre, over cookie-cutter copies such as Five Finger Death Punch and Devildriver. 8/10

- LP