Deafeningsound

The Warriors (Beyond The Noise)

Thursday, 01 June 2006 20:08 | Written by The 616 |

Sometimes change is good. Sometimes change is bad. I suppose that is in the ear of the beholder. I believe, personally, in the case of the Warriors sophmore full length, 'beyond The Noise', change more harms than helps. Whereas the band's previous and quite well accepted album, 'War Is Hell' blended metalcore, tough guy hardcore punk, and some interesting effects on the guitars and vocals, 'Beyond The Noise' removes the hardcore element almost entirely, replaces it with somewhat of a mishmash of alternative, grunge, and a something-or-other that reminds me of Rage Against the Machine (but not in a good way), and calls it a new sound. What you get, actually, is a watered down, slow, mellowed out alt rock album that tries way to hard to appeal to fans of bands like Vision of Disorder and Rage Against the Machine, and ultimately will probably end up appealing to nobody. Of course, let's give credit where credit is due.

Last Updated (Friday, 02 June 2006 00:34)

My Playlist (May)

Tuesday, 16 May 2006 17:29 | Written by The 616 |

Killing With A Smile (Parkway Drive)

For whatever reason, when I first heard it, I really hated this. But, after getting a chance to really sit down and rock out to it, this cd is one of the most brutal metalcore albums to be released in recent times. There are New England style structures and melodies, unbelievably brutal breakdowns, and the production quality makes this a must listen to for anyone who likes melodic, yet brutal hardcore. If Foster's is Australian for beer, Parkway Drive is Austrlian for metal.

Miss Machine (The Dillinger Escape Plan)

These guys get more and more of my respect every time I turn around. Unbelievable structures, amazing vocals, and incredible piece writing...at least I'm assuming it's written in pieces. If it isn't, it's beyond amazing. This is a fantastic, seemless blend of metal, mathematical rock, industrial, techno, and...well, whatever you want to call what the Dillinger Escape Plan does. I've been listening to this with relative frequency since I bought it, and that's been awhile. With a notoriously life changing live show, and songs like the ones found on Miss Machine, Dillinger is arguably metal hall of fame material.

White People (Handsome Boy Modeling School)

One of the multitudes of musical experiments headed by hip hop Einstein Dan The Automator (the man behind Head Automatica, The Gorillaz, and Lovage as well as many other projects), Handsome Boy Modeling School has the most random lineup of guest appearances of any hip hop, trip hop, rock and musical whatchamacallit. The guests on this album reach everywhere from Mike Patton to John Oats, and include such artists as Jack Johnson, Franz Ferdinand, The RZA, and De La Soul. Unbelievably diverse, this album scores a direct hit.

The Clarence Greenwood Recordings (Citizen Cope)

Citizen Cope is like so much buried treasure. Unbelievably well layered and structured instrumentals, and not necessarily refined vocals, but still amazingly well thought out melodies, this album is as impressive as it is infectious. Once you've heard the song "Sideways", if you're not hooked, you're not human. I expect great things from Citizen Cope in the near future.

Big Fat Box Of Shit (Crotchduster)

This is quite possibly the most insanely diverse album I've ever heard in the metal genre. This jumps everywhere from party boy Beach Boys style rock, to hip hop, to 80s hair metal, to congo drums, to disco, to power punk to...orchestral style vocals? Unbelievable, and it must be heard to be believed...especially since it's only two guys...picture a cross between Handsome Boy Modeling School, The Dillinger Escape Plan and...and I have no idea. just check it out, it's worth it.

{mosgoogle}

Last Updated (Thursday, 25 May 2006 00:51)

xBishopx (Suicide Party)

Friday, 17 March 2006 05:00 | Written by The 616 |

I think as a reviewer, I'm pretty bias as far as what I think of other people's reviews of albums as they relate to my own opinion. And I have to say, after reading the reviews for xBishopx's 'Suicide Party' on several websites...everybody else is wrong, and they're all saying the exact same thing. Everyone is saying that xBishopx is just another tough guy band, and that they aren't doing anything but rehashing the same old formula. On the first account, xBishopx is most assuredly not just another tough guy band, I'd be remiss if I were to lump xBishopx in as just another toughguy hardcore band...there's nothing toughguy about this cd, and anyone who says there is must be running on the assumption that any band that plays breakdowns and doesn't have guitar solos is a tough guy band.

Last Updated (Saturday, 27 May 2006 06:53)

April Playlist (The 616

Friday, 31 March 2006 16:08 | Written by The 616 |

Ok, so this list varies a bit more than last months. Peep out this shiz, ya'll.

Twiztid (Discography)

So it's not rock music...but I was really into rap music "back in the day" and I just went down south for a week, so i pulled a bunch of albums out of the crates, and I pulled all these out. More specifically I'd recommend Mostasteless, Freek Show, Cryptic Collection Volume One and the Psychopathic Ryders albums...those are all pretty good. These two guys might be a bit too cartoon-ish for some people, but I'm not ashamed to say I've been bumping these cds nonstop for like a week now.

Above This Fire (In Perspective)

I've seen these guys a couple of times and it's always an amazing show, and their lyrics are incredible. Granted, on this cd their singer opts not to scream so much as talk in a really loud voice (if you listen to them you understand what I mean) but that goes pretty well with the music, and it's not as monotonous as a lot of the metalcore out right now...a great album, and a great band. I think they've got a new cd coming out soon, keep your eyes peeled.

Anybody Killa (Hatchet Warrior)

More rap. This guy used to be on the label Psychopathic Records, run by the Insane Clown Posse...but he left recently. He's a native American MC from the Detroit area, and this album is amazing. Yes, he has a bit of a speech impediment (he sort of...lisps or something) but when he gets going you honestly can't really tell...midwest flows and some awesome instrumentals. If you're at all into rap music, I think you can safely check this cd out.

xBishopx (Suicide Party)

This is a fun record, no doubt about it. My favorite songs are probably "xBishopx Basically Owns Your Face" and "Loaded Pistol", although they're pretty much all great. Something like Bury Your Dead meets Throwdown...but not in a bad way, in a good way. I'd recommend this for sure. And even though some guys from Remembering Never are in it...this doesn't sound like RN at all, so don't get your hopes up if that's why you're checking them out. Oh yeah, it doesn't sound like Until The End either.

Aborted (The Archaic Abattoire)

From Belgium, Aborted are a great band for sure...I've listened to this just about every day since I got it. It's like a much meaner, heavier version of Killwhitneydead, another band everyone should listen to at least once. There are some sort of funny sound clips, and a few melodic passages thrown in, and then there are the blast beats everyone buys this kind of music to hear. Get this or die, it's way worth it.

He Is Legend (I Am Hollywood)

I've always loved this cd, since the day I bought it if I'm in a good mood I throw it in and jam out. The vocalist, Schuylar Croom, is one of my three favorite vocalists in the metal/rock genre (the others being Jesse Leach of Seemless and Greg Pusciato of Dillinger Escape Plan) and I love the Every Time I Die-lite tunes on this cd. My favorite songs are probably "The Seduction" "The Walls Have Teeth" and "I Am Hollywood", although, as I mentioned, there isn't a bad song on this record.

Animosity (Empires)

This is slowly but surely becoming a hot ticket item in the metal underground. It seems like every heavier band I interview mentions this as one of their favorite records right now, and these guys are getting some pretty amazing touring opportunities lately, so they may be the talk of the town sooner rather than later. Great cd, heavier, death metal-ish tunes and some straight up hardcore metal thrown in as a balance...get this for sure, before everyone else does and when you finally decide to, you're just a groupie.

Boxcutter (Pitbull Ways)

As the weather gets nicer in Wester Pennsylvania, and my annual bitchiness (which comes around every winter) starts to fade...I try to listen to stuff that puts me in a better mood or gets me moving. Enter: Boxcutter. This is sort of a novelty, I admit, but it's a good one. Picture...a really really REALLY mean and believable version of Limp Bizkit (not the way you think of Limp Bizkit now...the way you felt about them when you were like, 13...and yes...you listened to them. Everyone did.) but done by angry black men with rap metal instrumentals...this is amazing stuff, for sure...I listen to it relatively frequently, and even if it is a novelty, I haven't gotten tired of it yet.

Modern Life Is War (Witness)

This is definitely a gray weather sort of album...I know it lifts my spirits when everything outside is gray and I feel like shit, which, during the winter, is almost every day. A tip for anyone who reads these things: get this cd...and don't ever move to Western Pennsylvania. It gets gray about six months out of the year, and if you're at all like me...that means six months out of the year you don't function properly. well, thank god for spring...and thank god for music like this. get it.

Neil Perry (Lineage Situation)

This is an awesome album...it blends older, noisier screamo with a punk and metallic element that is just sick...it's an awesome album and an awesome band. While the band has broken up, the album is still available (if not...go to SoulSeek or something and download it) It's well worth trying to find...great songs for sure.

{mosgoogle}

Last Updated (Thursday, 25 May 2006 00:51)

Interview with Rob CYF (Check Your Face)

Sunday, 16 April 2006 00:00 | Written by The 616 |

Q: How did Check Your Face get together?

A: Check your face got together i think like the end of February or the beginning of March in 2005. I was in a band called 1984 and it was really tough sounding and I started to prefer something a little more fun and youth crew-ish. So I called up Griffin, the old bass player, and I asked him to get some younger kids together to start a fun band. No tough guy bullshit, no egos, no bullshit politics. Some people say shit about our name but whatever. Most tough guy bands with names that are tough and about death and killing and shit are whack suburban rich kids that live at home with their moms. We wanted a fun name that was different. Kinda Gorilla Biscuits style. A few weeks later we had our first practice.

Q: Is it hard to get a band off the ground coming from New England where there are already so many bands...or does everyone sort of help each other out?

A: It is hard. But not because of the area. I think any band coming from anywhere would be hard to get off the ground. I am a lot older and have a lot more contacts, but it's still hard. We are still trying to pull shit together and get shows outta state. I think coming from Connecticut however might be a bit of a disadvantage. We try not to be the typical Integrity, Hatebreed or 100 Demons band from CT, so in return a lot of people won't give us a chance. Plus we don't have typical breakdowns or typical verse chorus verse type songs for youth crew either. So we get stuck sometimes with people not showing us interest. Some places when they hear you are from CT turn their nose up to you, which is fine, cuz they have an expectation of your sound. We are just trying to sound like Check Your Face.

Last Updated (Monday, 17 April 2006 20:01)

Deafening Sound

Deafeningsound

The Warriors (Beyond The Noise)

My Playlist (May)

xBishopx (Suicide Party)

April Playlist (The 616

Interview with Rob CYF (Check Your Face)