Category: Music Reviews

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Where You Can Get It:

Tattered – Lies

Dude, I totally love that guitar riff in the intro. Am I feeling some serious Rise Against influence here or am I way off base? I think it’s that guitar work that is giving me that vibe so hard core. The drum work is extremely solid. It’s an up tempo rock beat with a couple of really nice change ups. The vocalist is able to do both clean and screaming vocals, always a plus in my book. The lyrical content is not of a shiny happy nature by any means, but that is what I like about them. Those lyrics are real this kind of thing happens and I felt the singer connect really well and told a great story.

All in all I really liked this song. I was very impressed with the guitar work and would love to hear more of it. The vocalist’s ability to connect with his lyrics allowed me to really get into the song. I would like to pair this song up with some Rise Against.

Who They Are:

When metal and rock collide; “A confession of raw emotion, the styling of modern rock, the sound of modern metal”
Five musicians with different styles converging all they know into one. “From death metal to funk, we all have different tastes in music. That is what makes the band what it is today” says lead singer Brad. Before being signed to Blackstream records in 2013, Tattered ‘s hard work and dedication landed them on the radio in 13 countries with their self titled debut EP. Now, their full length sophomore effort is just weeks away from release. With musical influences ranging from blues to metal to radio rock, Tattered’s second album promises to be a unique and jaw dropping sonic experience from start to finish. Available soon wherever music is sold, you won’t want to miss it!

The Band is:

Brad Rempel – Frontman
Jeremy Balogh – Bass
Clayton Braun – Drums
Tim Daigle – Lead Guitar
Ben Braun – Rhythm Guitar / Backing Vocals

Where You Can Get It:

Carl Elizondo & The Royal Union Of Architects – Council Flat

I am getting so many flavors of music in this song it’s outrageous! I’m having a blast just setting here enjoying the patchwork quilt rich sounds. There are moments where this track feels like a 60’s throw back with a dash of Oasis and maybe even a bit of Styx in the beginning. The drum line is a great happy, poppy beat while the guitar has this slightly muted dirty sound. I loved the guitar solo, that riff is so fun to listen to. Vocally I am grooving on his voice. His song style reminds me of Oasis. It’s kinda trippy the way he modulates his voice.

This song is like an acid trip for your brain. I can see it as a soundtrack piece or playing at home while hanging out with friends. I like it well enough I want to hear more from the band and download this to my server. I have some Beatles, Oasis and even some Alice in Chains I was to pair it with and see what happens.

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Who They Are:
Carl Elizondo & the Royal Union of Architects have been writing music for years, taking the world that revolves around them and putting it to words. A lot of their music is kind of the standard protocol of songwriting such as love gained, love lost, depression and life.

The Beatles and Oasis are the main influences in Carl’s music ” as Noel Gallagher said ” (in reference to him borrowing from the Beatles) ” if you are going to pinch, you might as well pinch from the best” “I do believe that” Carl says ” it’s not like I don’t have an original Idea in my head, I just like that sound.” “I do try to write from the hip, meaning that I try not to think the songs out too much, they are what they are”.

Taking on the daunting task of writing, recording and producing each song has been the biggest challenge Carl faces ” every day is a learning journey” not having an education in music or even recording, Carl hits this task head on. ” It doesn’t scare me, the not knowing, it invites me in, I always say -Life is based on logic- and I can think anything out, my other creed is- I will cross that bridge when I get to it-, so I don’t worry about what I don’t know, I will eventually get it!”. And he does, this can be heard on the first CD The Crystal & The Cross, and again on The Tomes of Lore.

In April 2010,they released their third Album titled Pieces of Eight (referring to the Spanish coins of old), to great reviews, among this group of self penned Brit Rock gems is “Content at Tea” a song that pays homage to a “Barmy Nack”, someone in Carls past, and “Seven Seas” a song of lost love on the high seas, these are two of the featured tracks in this collection. Carl says he has song ideas streaming into his head at all hours of the day, especially at 2 in the morning! “I have at least 40 songs that are just waiting to be recorded, plenty of fodder to choose from!” Carl usually sequesters himself in his recording studio towards the winter months, his favourite time of the year to record. “Sales are good, wish they were better but I’m not in this to become rich, just got to get this stuff out o me head?
The next CD scheduled for a 2012 release is titled:
At Her Majesty’s Command We Present: The Royal Union of Architects”

The Band is:
Carl Elizondo
Bobby Collini
Carl James
Carlos E. Drummer

Where You Can Get It:

Disappearer – Dog From Hell (pcp mix)

I like the dark atmosphere of the song. It’s got a lot of really good almost demony guitar work. There’s also a stellar drum line at work here. I miss a vocal track, but that’s just me. I never really have understood the idea behind instrumental songs. However I do feel like this one is special. It’s not about “Hey, I’m the most awesome guitarist that ever lived!!”. This one seems to me more about creating an atmosphere and allowing the listening to visualize a story line for the music. I kinda like that part. I think the more I listen to instrumental music the more I understand it.

Despite my non love for the instrumental, I think this one I would like to download and keep around. I can think of several scenarios where this track would be awesome. For instance when my metal minded friends come over I can throw this one and we can enjoy it while we chat and stuff. Overall a good track and well worth the time to take a listen.

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Who They Are:

Pedro Coelho Pereira
and the BDC (social assassins)

The Band is:

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Where You Can Get It:

Adam Jensen – Numb

I like the nice dark undertones in the song. But that voice is absolutely killing me. I mean the things I wanna do to that voice are probably not legal in certain states. It’s rich, full and really sexy. Those vocal breaks are amazing. The lilt of his voice is a perfect cadence during the chorus. The music is well composed and underscores his voice in the best possible way. And is that a violin in the background? I can’t quite tell what it is, but it’s really eerie and I love it. Also loving the lyrics a whole lot. This song is telling me a story and I’m buying every bit of it.

I’m already planning on checking out more of his music. That voice got me where I live so I have to hear more of it. It’s not a choice, I just have to. I would put this on a seduction list though I’m sure others would argue. But I was caught up far more in the sounds of this song than the lyrics. Just looking at it that way I could totally have this going on a list with “things going on” and be perfectly ok with it.

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Who They Are:
Adam Jensen is an award-winning recording artist, songwriter and producer from Boston, MA. From an 8-year-old classically trained pianist, to a 15-year-old playing his first gig on the piers in Boston, to a 25-year-old rocking out at Gillette Stadium with Bon Jovi, Jensen has always known music is his path to staying out of trouble.

His debut EP, “Head on a String” (released January 29, 2013) and his follow up EP “Behold The Man” (released December 3, 2013), both peaked at #7 on the iTunes singer/songwriter album chart, as independent self-releases.

Formerly signed to Toucan Cove Records (Universal) and known as “Mission Hill,” Jensen has made a name for himself with a commitment to his songwriting craft and relentless gigging which includes dates all over the world and opening for artists such as Kid Rock, Train, Tim Reynolds and many more.

Jensen is nominated for “2014 Producer of the Year” and was up for “2013 Songwriter of the Year” at the New England Music Awards, and previously received the LA Music Award for “Male Vocalist of the Year.”

The Band is:
Adam Jensen (vocals, guitar, piano, bass, keyboards)
Alex Knutsen (guitar)

Where You Can Get It:

Just Another Traitor – Not The American Average (Asking Alexandria Cover)

So we are all square, I am not familiar with the Asking Alexandria version of this song. So I won’t be comparing the two works.

This song will wake you up in the morning. The intro kicks your ass right off the bat, I like that. There is so much going on in this track it’s hard to keep track of where I’m at in the review. There are some amazing screaming vocals that I would love to hear more of! The clean vocals are pretty decent to, though I think sometimes the guy is pushing himself a bit hard when he hits the high end of his register. I love how this song pulls influence from several genres. I catch a bit of punk, thrash, and death metal all in one song. There is even an absolutely beautiful moment of piano work with some amazing vocal work and harmonies. I did not see that coming at all! I love this down tempo moment, it’s perfect in the middle of all the musical chaos that is the bulk of the song.

Parts of this song remind me a lot of old Obituary songs my husband listens to. Especially in those moments with that deep growling vocal style. I also think I could list this with the heavier Slipknot because they both have that chaotic musical style down to an art form. All and all this is a song that I would like to have on my server. This may be one of the most bizarre songs that I’ve reviewed, but I also think it’s one of the most fun.

Who They Are:
A small band from the St. Louis Metropolitan Area.

The Band is:
Unclean Vocals: Mitchell Dee
Bass Guitar/Clean Vocals: Brandon Dixon
Lead Guitar: Dexter Greer
Rhythm Guitar: Dylan Gralewski
Drums: Jordan Baxter

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Where You Can Get It:

Pushing the Sun – Tragic Love

This is a great track! I’m loving the guitar work throughout the song. There were some really awesome riffs and slides. Reminds me a bit of the guitar work back in the days of “big” guitars. It’s got a tinge of dirty, which to me is always a win. The drum line is a solid up tempo hard rock beat. I bet this guy’s working his ass off during this song. The vocals kill. It’s the perfect match for the style of the song. I love the touch of gravel to his voice, not too much but just enough. He’s got a great range and the sustained notes are brilliant.

I want this song right now. I want to put it on a playlist with some of other really guitar heavy songs. I’ll throw it on my phone and have it ready when I take my trip this Friday. Fans of hard rock are going to appreciate the guitar and drum work especially.

Who They Are:

Bringing light to your life with fire in their hands- Guitarist Billy Connally launched Pushing the Sun in 2012. After his successful instrumental album release, The Silent Canvas on Steve Vai’s Digital Nations label, Connally was ready to return to his roots — a rock band with a charismatic lead vocalist. Releasing a 3 song ep and a music video for their song Tragic Love, the band has rapidly gained momentum playing a ton of gigs in Northern California including an opening slot for Rockstar Uproar when it came to the Shoreline Amphitheater. Pushing the Sun worked with producer Tim Narducci (Systematic & SpiralArms) on their upcoming full length album “House of Lights” which is scheduled to be released in January of 2014. Their music can be described as a balance of musicianship and songwriting that is constantly evolving and dynamic, while still maintaining songs rich with addictive riffs and catchy hooks. Pushing the Sun consists of Andrew Saman on Vocals, Billy Connally on Guitar, A.J. Curtis on Drums, Johaan Hill on Bass and Neil Hagge on Keys.

The Band is:

Andrew Saman – Vocals
Billy Connally – Guitar
A.J. Curtis – Drums
Johaan Hill – Bass
Neil Hagge – Keys

Where You Can Get It:

Kenny Barney – Hollow

Love the fact that this is an acoustic jam. It really allows you to focus on this guy’s voice, which is amazing by the way. I love the lyrics I am able to really connect to the story thanks to his vocal style. I really like the natural breaks in his voice. He’s able to use that to really underscore the lyrics and it shows a vulnerability that is necessary to carry a song like this. There is a lot of pain and anger in his voice during many points in the song. Makes me wonder what he’s thinking about when he’s singing it.

Kenny has an amazing vocal style. At least in this song he wears his emotions on his sleeve and I think that is always beautiful. I want to download this and put it into my general rotation playlist. That one has pretty much all my favorite songs. Sometimes I don’t have a particular vibe or type of song or even band I feeling as much as I just wanna be surprised by what comes on. I think this would be a great addition to that list.

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Who They Are:
Hey guys! I’m Kenny! Im 20 years old, and this is where I’ll be uploading my solo work as a singer/songwriter. Im slowly becoming more experienced in recording and engineering, so as time progresses I hope to upload better quality sounding music. Stay with me, I won’t let you down!

The Band is:
Kenny Barney

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Where You Can Get It:

King D Mr. Perfect – Music in my Soul

There are a lot of things I liked about this track. I enjoyed the story that he is telling us, and I happen to agree with most of what he’s saying. I certainly understand the idea of not doing it for the money, the music is in my soul. I even liked the beats and the overall flow of the rap. But here’s what made me sad, I think this guy has a great voice when they aren’t running it through all those filters. I get that it’s a hot thing to do, but if your talented I wanna hear you! I feel that way about this cat. He’s got a great voice, not just for rap but his singing voice is also really damn strong! Really this is meant as a compliment, I enjoyed his voice enough I would love to hear him singing more.

I’m going to check out more tracks to see if I can find one that doesn’t have all the filters. I have a couple of friends who will absolutely love this track so I plan on downloading it so they can hear it. I may keep a copy on my server to add a bit of flair to some of my playlists, but I would rather find one of his songs minus the filters.

Who They Are:
United States Air Force Veteran & former bouncer from Liverpool, England. King D Mr. Perfect’s music is distributed by his own record label, Perfect Entertainment, and produced by Osu Beatz (King D Mr. Perfect & DJ Smiley). His sound is a unique combination of southern hip hop and r&b, mixed with beats from the UK.

The Band is:
King D Mr. Perfect

Where You Can Get It:

Michael Bello – Solaris

The intro was kinda cool, had me picturing an old abandoned east coast beach. This is really my first foray into a full on electronic song. I find myself fascinated with the sounds that Michael is using to tell his story along with the spoken word content. It’s kinda like if the Terminator was telling a story. It’s got some great concepts going on.

Personally speaking I’m not much of a fan of electronic music. I always find myself missing good old fashioned guitar, drum and bass lines. What I did like was the sound effects. It felt like I was in a sci fi movie or something. I will say that all that grooviness did keep me interested in the song. And while this may not be my cup of tea, I as always strongly encourage you to give it a listen and see what you think.

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Who They Are:
I’m a composer and Producer writing music in all the genres and styles I love with my current project being based around an Industrial Electronic style. I write music based around telling a story and capturing the moods and emotions within that story.

The Band is:
Michael Bello

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Where You Can Get It:

Downfall – Divinity

Oh my lord yes please! I love the hard core musical action that kicks you in the stones right off the bat. That drum line makes me wanna mosh like a mofo! Those screaming vocals remind me so much of the song ‘Sugar’ by System of a Down or maybe just about any Static X song ever.. Then there is that gun cock sound they use in the perfect way. I’m so digging on the guitar work, so tight but there is this awesome feel of reckless abandon that I get from it. Mixing those clean and screaming vocals then bringing in some harmonies in that bridge was a genius idea. It’s definitely got some art rock flair to it, but I would certainly call this metal heaven.

Can I have some more right now please? I wanna put this on my hateful playlist and turn up my speakers to 11 just to piss off my neighbors. The song itself is an all go no quit powerhouse that fans of metal are going to go ape over. I can’t think of any metal acts that you couldn’t pair this with. Just get it and you can thank me later.

Who They Are:

Downfall 2012 has shared the stage with Hed(pe), The Hunger, Twisted Sister, Alice Cooper, The Damned Things, Fair to Midland, Dirty Wormz, and numerous other national acts. The band has won metal band of the year from Houston’s Radio station 94.5, and has been nominated for multiple categories yearly from The Houston Press Music Awards.

The first single off of “Every Man for Himself”, “Divinity”, is currently in rotation across the US and Canada, on FM, satellite,college and internet radio stations with the video for “Divinity” set to drop mid March 2013.

With a ferocious live show, growing radio airplay and Issue 2 slated for release April of 2013, Danny Gil, Boo Rogers and Casey Bowen have the take-over underway.

The Band is:
Danny Gil
Boo Rogers
Casey Bowen

Where You Can Get It:

Dream Alive – See You Tonight

This song is all about the power cords. Personally I think that is a lovely thing, I am after all a child of the 80’s at heart. There is nothing about this song that doesn’t take me back to the days when I was listening to bands like Foreigner, Journey and Boston. I’m actively imagining them all in tight pants and feathered hair. The vocals are big and round, perfect for an arena venue. The guitar work is a bit reminiscent of some of the stuff I remember from Bruce Springsteen off the ‘Born in the USA’ album. The drum line is a clean and classic rock line that you can really sink your teeth into.

I love this track. I wanna get it on my I love the 80’s playlist. I actually have several current bands on that list. Mostly because I think that there is a resurgence of that guitar/drum style coming back in some wonderful ways. This song while there was a total reto 80’s thing happening it felt really light and fresh to me. The vocals were stellar and the vocalist had a great range. Fans of that 70’s/80’s feel should really love this track.

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Who They Are:

It is fitting that Los Angeles-based Dream Alive founding members Nik Phoeniks and Ramon Ryder initially met at the famed Rainbow Bar and Grill on the Sunset Strip – a haunt that has played host to music’s most esteemed icons for decades. Nik and Ramon were both in other bands at the time, but immediately bonded over the yearn to create a more original, transcendent body of work and about their common influences such as Pink Floyd, Muse and Journey.
“The core of Dream Alive is melodic pop rock,” says Nik. “But we’re always interested in expanding our musicality to incorporate everything from a psychedelic direction to cinematic range. We want to bridge the gap between our classic rock roots and our modern rock influences.”
In order to achieve that expansive and epic sound, the pair enlisted the talents of lead guitarist Karan Parikh, bassist Martin Fredriksson and drummer Stanley Love. After tracking drums at Simon Phillips’ (Toto, Judas Priest, Michael Schenker Group) Phantom Recordings in Van Nuys, the band recorded the rest of the tracks at Karan’s K Loft Studios where Dream Alive self-produced their debut album, Before The Dawn.
“We spent innumerable nights in the studio creating and experimenting with tones. Our aim was to discover new sounds that would do justice to the material, while giving audiences something they haven’t heard before,” explains Karan.
Before The Dawn’s dynamic, inimitable style shines through on the first single “Don’t Say No,” which merges classic rock bombast with a modern energy of big harmonies that are immediately irresistible.
“The album’s theme is that of overcoming obstacles,” shares Ramon. “We all have fears and insecurities to battle, but if we rise above, we can be triumphant.”
“Waiting So Long” and “We All Move On” offer a gust of guitar riffs, lithe and lush keyboards, and a percussive boom. Meanwhile, “See You Tonight” kicks off with a resounding propulsive six-string and piano harmony, and “Away From You” slips from a chugging groove into a shimmering refrain.
Dream Alive reflects the same spirit of the legends who have frequented their initial breeding ground, and now they too, are poised to etch their own place in history.

The Band is:
Nik Phoeniks – Lead Vocals/Keyboards
Ramon Ryder – Rhythm Guitar/Vocals
Karan Parikh – Lead Guitar/Vocals
Martin Fredriksson – Bass
Stanley Love – Drums

Where You Can Get It:

Boy In The Shadows – Overcome

Wooohooo! Go bass player with that awesome line. This song feels like it would be right at home in an episode of The Munsters and I love it. In some ways I also feel like I’m hearing some Type O Negative. It’s probably that keyboard combined with the other musical styles. It’s got a great upbeat rhythm going on that’s got me boppin’ my head and tapping my feet as I write this. The vocals are really cool. There is an almost indifference to his vocal style here. I loved some of the echo effects.

All in all I gotta say this track was pretty good. I loved the kick back to Type O I got from it (RIP Peter Steel). I would download this track and put it on a playlist with some old school Manson and Type O. I think just about anything with a slight bit of emo feel would be a good fit.

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Who They Are:

Boy In The Shadows is a rock project from Sweden, that consists of Andreas Ericsson, who writes, performs, produces and records all the songs. The music can be described as melancholic rock and pop, inspired by bands like R.E.M., The Mission, H.I.M., Paradise Lost, Nightwish, Live, U2, Radiohead, David Bowie and Roxette.

Between 2006-2009, Andreas Ericsson released 30 songs on a Swedish digital label. All the songs were released under his own name. But that changed in 2012, when Andreas decided to release music without a lable and under a different name: Boy In The Shadows. In December that year, he recorded the song, Grey Morning, which was released digitally on January 9, 2013.

On February 13, 2013, the first Boy In The Shadows album, The Awakening, was released. The album was recorded between 2008 and 2013.

The second album, Horizons, was released on May 11, 2013, and recorded between 2012 and 2013. Apart from the vocals, all the instruments were recorded on an iPad 2.

Boy In The Shadows released his third album, A Day Before Tomorrow, on July 11, 2013. It was recorded between 2010 and 2013. Compare to the previous records, A Day Before Tomorrow was more electric guitar driven. The album contained the popular song, Not Enough.

In July, 2013, Andreas started writing new songs for the fourth Boy In The Shadows album. On October 23, Soul In Ruins, was released. It was an acoustic album with orchestral elements. The songs were recorded in GarageBand on an iPad 2 and an iMac.

On February 7, 2014, Boy In The Shadows released the single, Overcome.

On May 2, 2014, the EP, Not Worth Anything, was released.

The song, The Flow, was released on October 15, 2014. It’s the first single from the upcoming full length album.

On November 21, 2014, White Mountains, Black Roads, was released. It’s the second single from the upcoming full length album.

The Band is:
Andreas Ericsson