The Grand Music Reviews thread.
Here’s how this works, kids:

I want to hear YOUR opinions on albums you’ve been listening to. They can be negative, positive, or neutral, however I ask you to be descriptive in giving your reasons for why you feel the album is what it is. This is a review thread after all, not just a rating thread. Due to this, I also ask you to only submit reviews you’ve personally written. They can be of any length as long as they cover a good enough amount of information. We’re going for quality here, not necessarily quantity. Here’s some tips to get you started and some guidelines as to what to include and how to order your review:

To start out:
-Artist-Album (Year)
-Genre (Looking this up to be as specific as you can would help greatly)
-For fans of: (What bands are similar to this album you’re recommending? If you can’t think of any, just say so)

-A link to a source, whether it be the band’s website or Wikipedia article etc. that gives us more knowledge on the band. You can also write a short band description if necessary, though we can always read it elsewhere. This helps to keep your review strictly of the album, and also gives you more room in you character limit.

Then of course, we need
-Your review

After you wrap that up, please objectively give us the core…
-…Pros and cons
-Any specifically recommended tracks
-Your final overall rating. (If you can help to keep it to a #/10 to help with comparisons, that’d be great)

Remember to include a picture of the album artwork too!

Things to avoid:
-obvious fanboy/fangirlism with nothing to show for it (Nobody likes it, and it doesn’t help us understand anything)
-Over the top band descriptions if you decide to do one (Keep it short and to the point, a link would still help regardless)
-Reviews with shitty spelling or grammar (You want to convince us to listen to what you’re promoting. Don’t ruin it by looking like a faggot. Chrome will eat you if you do. He enjoys delicious faggots with a side of fries.)
-Review that don’t review (This should be obvious. Don’t be stupid. End of discussion.)
-Bitching about other people’s opinions. If you have your own, great. Review it yourself. Don’t be an ass to other people that put their time into writing for this thread.

So, music lovers of the Dollars. Give me your reviews. Let us discover some new bands, and show us your writing skills while giving us knowledge on the albums you love ((or hate) or not give a shit about)
Thanks. –Yata

Please use the following as an example if you’re confused:

Glassjaw-Worship and Tribute (2002)
Genres: Post-Hardcore, Hardcore Punk, Alternative Rock
For Fans of: At The Drive In, Finch, Deftones, Head Automatica
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glassjaw

Glassjaw’s sophomore effort Worship and Tribute remains to this day a monumental record in post-hardcore and rock music. The album contains unforgettable songs, quite a few of which are some of the best of their genre, incredible musicianship and a distinctive vocal style that bands have tried to replicate numerous times in the decade since but all fail at. Yes, Worship and Tribute is truly a masterpiece of an album.

The record’s greatness comes in the fact that every sound, every note, every pitch and every noise are all in perfect balance within each song. From the sheer intensity and brutality of “Stuck Pig” and “Pink Roses” to the more laid-back “Must’ve Run All Day” each quirk this album has makes its personality and sound one of a kind. These quirks, such as acting as a sports announcer in the bridge of “The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports” or the random outro to “Stuck Pig” give the album a sense of experimentality as well. The pace and flow is fantastic, and each song gives perfect way to the one succeeding it.

Lyrically, the album is quite memorable as well. Vocalist Daryl Palumbo ranges a few different topics here from drinking, relationships, and social issues that perfectly reflect the mood of each song. Sometimes the lyrics don’t make much sense at all, yet still feel perfectly in place (See “Stuck Pig” “Mu Empire” or “Trailer Park Jesus” for proof on this.) When they do have a seeable point, such as the straightforward political anthem “Radio Cambodia” they make for an unforgettable track. Palumbo’s distinctive voice comes from the body of a guy that doesn’t exactly look like he’d have the range and power to sing as passionately as he does too. His screams can sound completely different at times (“Tip Your Bartender” and “Stuck Pig” for instance) and his cleans are top notch.

Continued from >>2 due to character limits and whatnot.

The guitar is the other standout I’d like to make noticed here. It has some wonderful moments, not just in “Trailer Park Jesus” when it makes that beautiful “9-10-9-0-0-0” sound, but also at the start of closing track “Two Tabs of Mescaline” among other times. I also admire the fact that it can create sheer noise and still sound amazing in tracks such as the opener “Tip Your Bartender” and especially in “Stuck Pig” (If you haven’t caught on by now, that song is a fucking monster.) It never has a dull or unrecognized moment, so props to the guitarists for that.

Accessibility is fairly good for an album of this genre. You should have no problem getting into the catchy and well-chosen singles “Cosmopolitan Bloodless” and “Ape Dos Mil” and the rest of the album is sure to come to you not much later. You won’t need more than maybe three listens to really get into this. Enjoy this album, it is possibly the pinnacle of 2000’s post-hardcore, and an essential classic for fans of the genre.

This is a fairly one-sided review to use as an example, but I really wanted to get this out for a while now, plus I had it ready and written for the OP.

-Pros: It’s a classic. Production is great. Songs are particularly catchy for their denseness. Fast moving album that flows great.
-Cons: Daryl Palumbo is certainly not going to be your grandma’s favorite vocalist any time soon. I can tell you that.
Recommended tracks: “Mu Empire,” “Stuck Pig,” “Radio Cambodia,” and “The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports”
Overall rating 10/10. Yeah, I’m serious. 10/10.

ENJOY THIS SHIT.

Bawmp for AWESOME

Bump over Azazel

Brand New-Daisy (2009)
Genre: Post-Hardcore, Experimental Rock
For Fans Of: Thrice, Manchester Orchestra
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand_New

To understand where some artists come from when making an album, a basic overview of their career must be examined. Brand New started with their first album Your Favorite Weapon being an underrated pop punk gem, and their follow-up Deja Entendu exploring deeper themes and more mature lyrics and songwriting. Moving on from Deja, they crafted an amazing third album, usually considered their magnum opus, entitled The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me. Devil and God relayed themes of depression, overdrinking, and despair, with some of the most original lyrics and brilliant songs to come out of a band in the 2000’s. However, coming out of the Devil and God, one could only imagine what awaited a band that evolved album by album, refusing to make a similar sounding record twice. The result……Daisy.

Daisy takes all the aggression that the Devil and God created, shapes it, smashes it back to pieces, and presents the best parts of it on a silver platter. Make sense? No? Good. It shouldn’t. Even the heaviest moments of the Devil and God, namely “You Won’t Know” don’t come anywhere near close to the aggression that Daisy covers. Some songs, such as the opener “Vices” are just full throttle crazy. I don’t mean they’re necessarily fast, or impressive, rather that they literally sound as if they were audible manifestations of the wiring inside the brain of a serial killer. The numerous abrasive references to fire, beds, forests, and drowning fill the album’s lyrics where they would normally be filled with clever, contemplative lines by their vocalist Jesse Lacey. This absence is due to the fact that guitarist Vin Accardi primarily wrote this album. His previous work in Brand New gave us the heartbreakingly bitter album closer on The Devil and God, “Handcuffs.” If that wasn’t a sign of things to come, I don’t know what would be. Whereas the lyrics to “Handcuffs” may not have fit in the musical style of The Devil and God, they have found their perfect place on Daisy.

The music on Daisy could best be described as a raw mess. The guitars are loud, there’s a lot of feedback, there’s a lot crashing, and there’s a lot of screaming. The moments this is most present are the opener “Vices,” “Gasoline,” “Sink,” and “Bought a Bride.” The thing with Daisy is this though; Brand New don’t go out of their way to make everything loud. The transitions between the louder and soft parts of songs give the album that feeling you get when you’re running away from something chasing you, and you think you’re in the clear….you slow down….you catch your breath, and BAM, that shit’s staring you in the face so you yell and run in the other direction. For an album filled with aggression, there are a lot of slower and soft moments present as well. “Bed” is the complete opposite of the mood presented on its preceding track “Vices,” and “You Stole” and the title track “Daisy” are both highlights, the first being a slow-burning cauldron of lyrical greatness and the latter an odd, short track relying on it’s industrial-esque drums, layered vocals and poetic “I’ms…”

Probably the best aspect of Daisy and the reason it can be played so many times and still sound fresh is the experimentation. From the opera snippets that open and close the album, to the hair-raising ambience attached to the end of “Gasoline,” there’s plenty to hear. “Be Gone” is the centerpiece interlude of the album, a short track with twangy guitar and a distorted, echoed, and cut-up voice. Even smaller things that may not be noticed at first, like a backmasking and nearly intelligible chorus in “In A Jar” give Daisy the sense that Brand New want you to not understand it. There’s definitely a lot going for that premise, the aforementioned lyrical content and just absolutely desperate yelps that fill the album’s heavier songs being the most prominent reasons. All in all though, Daisy thrives on the fact that it can be abrasive and tormenting one moment and calm and held-back the next. This works best on standouts like “Sink” and “In A Jar.”

To wrap things up, Daisy is not a run of the mill album to listen to. The desolation the album puts the listener into feels real, freakishly real, and not something that can be replicated by just anybody. There is no cheese here, there are no emotional outpourings the listener can relate to like on previous Brand New releases; just emotional outpourings that throw a surprise murder mystery party for your eardrums. While the flow of the album and song lengths work in Daisy’s favor, there are also obvious songs here that rise above the rest, and ones that stand out less. That inconsistency can fill gaps in the album when you’ve set and decided what your favorite parts are. That, and the fact that Daisy is a fucking unrailed trainwreck that can overwhelm and overshock the faint of heart and the first-time listener.

However, all of that just adds to the mystique in Daisy. That’s what it’s good for. If you want something else, you have 3 other Brand New releases to choose from. When you do want that adrenaline rush that Daisy brings…..well…..there’s no album like it. So pop in Daisy and hear the wonderful and grand-old message.

I don’t know about you, but I never get tired of it.

-Pros: Perfect balance between the harsh and soft, huge replay value, fitting length and pace.
-Cons: May be too loud and abrasive, it has its obvious weak moments
-Recommended Tracks: “Vices,” “Sink,” “Daisy,” “In A Jar”
Overall rating: 8/10

OMG what a great thread Idea. Pure genius.
>>6 Love your review on The Daisy album by Brand New, You pretty much hit the nail on the head with that one. <3

Bump.

I will write a review tomorrow evening!

>>8
As am I within the next 24 hours.
Rei is too, right?
This should be good.

Greeley Estates: The Death of Greeley Estates (Aug. 9, 2011)
Genre: Post-Hardcore, Metalcore
Similar Artists: Asking Alexandria, Eyes Set to Kill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeley_Estates

Greeley Estates is by far one of the most underrated "core" bands of our time, spinning out five whole albums full of musical genius. At the start of their career, Ryan and Dallas lead the band down a hard-rock/alternative path... But the band quickly evolved into something more fast-paced and intense, diving headfirst into the Post-Hardcore genre with their third album, "Go West Young Man, Let the Evil go East." Their next album, "No Rain No Rainbow," dropped them straight into the Metalcore genre, skipping over clean vocals entirely throughout the album. Go West and NRNR are arguably two of their best albums, but The Death takes the cake. The Death takes what made Go West great, and what made NRNR great, and smashes them together into a single motherfucking album.

In true Greeley fashion, this ragtag group of musical mercenaries has made another brilliant combination of guitar and vocals. The first track on the album, "Straightjacket," will hit the spot for anybody who is already a fan of Greeley, as the song pays homage to their biggest hit from Go West, "Blue Morning," opening with the classic broken radio before busting out into the heavy-hits we loved in NRNR and the psychotic screaming lyrics of the "monster" that resided within Blue Morning.

The first half of the album continues with heavy-hitters, blasting the listener with booming breakdowns and pure metalcore that was so popular in NRNR. The first half of the album really is a headbanger - pulling off flawless breakdowns and keeping the listener on their toes for hair-raising guitar such as the chorus in "Friendly Neighborhood Visit."

After the first interlude, however, the album takes a turn towards the Post-Hardcore end of the spectrum, focusing more on the transition between songs and making the lyrics prominent and gritty. The heavy breakdowns seem almost to vanish in favor of a more consistent sound. For those that are interested only in metalcore, this is where the album is really lacking. However, the lyrics flow extremely well with the guitars and drums, focusing on unity as opposed to blowing out the listener's eardrums.

What really struck me as amazing in the album was the use of reverb and choirs to back the otherwise intense feel of the music. I would relate the entire album to listening to the flavor of a chocolate covered pretzel - two opposite flavors that work surprisingly well together. Greeley poured their hearts into this album, especially considering the story behind it.

Ryan Zimmerman, the lead vocalist and one of two remaining "original" members of the band, took a huge lead while writing the album. "December," the final track on the album and by far the most gutwrenching, isn't metal at all. Zimmerman really focuses on encompassing the feeling of winter, paying tribute to his mother who passed away less than a year before the album was released. I have never felt the emotions of a vocalist as strongly as I did through 'December,' making this one of the greatest albums I have ever listened to. It maintains the best points that fans loved from Go West and NRNR, but brings out the greatest songwriting that the band has ever done.

Pros: Has all of the best aspects from previous albums, and focuses evenly on the soft and hard sides.

Cons: The back half of the album seems to fall off from what the first half suggests, making it hard for a true metalcore fan to get into the rest of the album.

Recommended tracks: "Friendly Neighborhood Visit," "Thousand Burning Forests," "Circle the Wagon," "December."

Final rating: Fourteen out of sixteen Ewoks.

Seahaven-Ghost (2010)
Genre: Post-Hardcore, Pop Punk
For Fans of: Brand New, the dying genre that is pop punk
http://www.welcometoseahaven.com/

Seahaven is an interesting band.

Okay, not really.

Yes, they’re a Brand New-influenced, early 2010’s act like many others, and no, they’re not the most amazing thing to hit the earth. That said, Ghost, their debut release, is a decent 7-track EP that gives everyone a taste of Seahaven and their potential. These guys definitely have a Brand New thing, with the Daisy-esque album art and numerous references to “the Devil” and “God,” in the lyrics. Their music is standard for a lot of rising bands these days, and it’s a shame that these guys don’t expand their game more than they do on Ghost.

This band DOES have potential. The opening track “Plague” gets things rolling quickly after a nice subdued almost spoken-word intro. It slowly unravels into a fantastic opener and post-hardcore (?) track that refuses to use an ABABCB structure. I like that, however my only complaint comes with the fact that it kind of ends abruptly. The harsher vocals here could use a bit of work too, they’re kind of forcibly raspy, and the vocalist doesn’t really sound suited for this type of vocal style. However, the lyrics are interesting and memorable, as they are with the next track, “Birds.”

“Birds” follows a similar style as its predecessor, complete with a faster tempo, more catchiness, and more focused songwriting. Again, the lyrics are fantastic and filled with little clever Lacey-like witticisms such as “You are camouflage, but you can’t hide much,” among others. After a killer 1-2 punch of great openers, we expect the rest of the EP to be just as good.

But that’s it. You’ve heard the highlights. It’s disappointing, really.

Not to say the other songs are bad. They aren’t, but the EP starts with these darker opening numbers that have focused songwriting, and as the mood shifts to a more optimistic tone, the songwriting becomes less and less focused and more forgettable. Yeah, really.

Pop punk that’s forgettable? How?

Maybe that’s what they were aiming for, but I don't see why they would do that. “Bottled” and “Head In The Sand (Blinding Son)” both ramble on for a good 5 minutes each and don’t really get anywhere, just relying on the vocalist to carry melodies that just don’t stand out enough on their own. This formula also fails on “Love,” a straight-up pop punk track that just stumbles around for it’s entirety.

These pop punk based songs fall so short of the expectations the band has established for itself earlier on the EP. Part of this is that I really don’t get anything spectacular from the musicians. They’re all good at their instruments, but nothing innovative, nothing epic, nothing even particularly talented comes out of these guys to help drive the tracks along.

Seahaven almost save themselves in the middle of the EP, during “Cobarde” and “Ghost.” Sadly, “Cobarde” also relies on a forced chorus that would otherwise work if the instruments could keep the listener interested. The rest of the song is otherwise more concise and to the point than the others, so it shows it’s not impossible for them to pull of a song like this, but they need to improve it nonetheless. “Ghost” is a track reminiscent to the openers, but is practically over before it even starts.

I’ve heard Seahaven’s first full-length LP, entitled Winter Forever took the direction of the weaker tracks here, and had the same faults, which is a shame. The band does have potential, but the focus and memorability just isn’t there yet, and I have no real need to see what other failures await me on Winter Forever.

HOWEVER…

Ghost is still something I would recommend for people to check out, because Seahaven shows that there is still hope in the future for bands like this. The first two tracks are golden, and the rest of the CD isn’t unbearable by any means, it just doesn’t keep the listener’s interest nearly as much. I’m kind of a picky guy, but there’s something to be said when bands keep going down this pop punk path to try to be catchy and getting radio hits when it fails in the process. Even if you get one, what’s the point anyway? Seahaven need to figure some shit out, and then we’ll see about their second full-length. The potential is there, but that’s all I can retain.

Pros: Potential, original lyrics, long running time for an EP (about 30 minutes)
Cons: Potential isn’t fully utilized, lyrics mean nothing without decent melodies, running time has hardly anything spectacular to show for it
Recommended Tracks: “Plague,” “Birds,” “Ghost”
Overall rating: 5/10 (Average)

Kreng-Grimoire (2011)
Genres: Dark Ambient, Drone, Jazz, Classical, Experimental
For fans of: dark ambient shit, horror films, people who like challenges

Yeah that’s right motherfuckers.
People who like challenges.
I was challenged to listen to this album all by myself in the middle of the night last night, and let me tell you.

It’s the fucking soundtrack of paranoid nightmares.

It really is.

I’m not going to lie and say that I’m familiar with ambient music. I’m not. I’ve listened to an album or two, but nothing strikes my fancy. It feels empty, lifeless, and not worth listening to. There’s an album here or there that keeps your interest and helps you relax, though they usually border on being post-rock or electronica. (Take Sigur Ros or Loscil for instance among others) Kreng, a Belgian project by a man named Pepijn Caudron, sets out with the opposite purpose. Fluster you, startle you, make you feel paranoid, and even to those effects….terrify you.

Yes, it’s a weird thing. “Dark ambient” isn’t exactly something I would keep on my iPod to listen to. It’s not addicting, and from what I’ve heard (because believe me, I’m no expert on the genre) most of it is just fluff, dial tone, some static here and there, and a lot of emptiness. That’s not dark. That’s dull.

Kreng however, with his second album Grimoire succeeds in his mission:
Give the listener a fucking nightmare of paranoia. It’s no secret that Yata here is a scaredycat. I don’t like horror movies, I don’t like gory bloodbaths, I hate feeling paranoid, and I go out of my way to be as optimistic as I can each day. Why the hell would I listen to this?

Because, my friends, I may not be fond if it, but I can respect art done well. Kreng makes his album a truly terrifying experience.

To elaborate on what I said earlier, a friend of mine has a knack for this type of shit. Him and I both make short movies together, and we each contribute to the soundtrack and audio effects as much as we can. While I bring more instrumental background noise to each video, he brings the ambient, mood-setting, stuff.
This started about a week ago while we were discussing plans for a Slenderman-oriented fanfiction series he was starting on. We got to talking about plans for the soundtrack, and he gave me this recommendation.

Of course I dismissed for a bit, but he was adamant.

“Hey dude, I’m serious. You need to listen to Grimoire.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll do it tonight.”
“Okay, great! Just download it off this website, put that shit on your iPhone and lay awake in the midnight hours alone while listening to this. Lights off, no distractions. Nothing. If you stare, it has to be at the album cover, if not, just keep your eyes closed.”
“Pfft. Sounds simple enough.”

I was a cocky bastard, wasn’t I?

I don’t think Grimoire would’ve been nearly as frightening in any other conditions. It relies on this weird, isolated atmosphere that reminds me of searching an old abandoned haunted brick European-style building, covered in cobwebs with cracked dolls inside at night alone. It leaves you a lot of room to imagine the shit going on around you. The album has a lot of those empty patches, but instead of just being tracks of nothingness, there’s always….something going on. Something weird. It can be an odd pitch in the background, a weird tapping sound, something, anything. Then next thing you know, an unpredictable banging of low minor piano keys starts, a classical jazz tune starts wailing complete with screeching violins, footsteps start walking towards you, anything at all. There’s always something, and it’s impossible to know what it will be and when it will happen. That’s the most terrifying thing.

Like a nightmare, things keep building and falling around you, and like a nightmare, you’re truly shaking and sweating and you want to wake up.

But you are awake, and you have an album and a challenge to complete.

When it’s done, at the end of “Konker,” the most cliffhanging crescendo steps you off of the ship known as Grimoire. Just like a nightmare, you may not remember what exactly happened, but you know it was terrifying, and you know you’re not getting to sleep so easily tonight.

Is Grimoire effective? Yes.
Did this review suck? Depends how you look at it.
This isn’t like another review where I tell you the highlights of an album, give you my pros and cons, and give the thing a rating. That’s like spoiling a series or movie. You can’t just tell them when cool stuff happens. They have to find out. Besides, Grimoire will give each listener a different experience. I don’t want to build your expectations too high. I just really don’t want to spoil much of this album for you guys. At all. It’s a personal trip, and it can’t be written down in words.

So here’s what I want you to do:
-Visit this link: http://newalbumreleases.net/39104/kreng-grimoire-2011/
-Click the RapidGator download, which to my knowledge works (It will be an .rar File)
-Download this shit to your iPod, or mobile listening device
-Listen to this tonight under the same circumstances I did.

Try to enjoy this. You certainly won’t enjoy yourselves, but that’s not the point, is it?

Overall rating: Ijustshatmypants/10

Also, considering Yata is 15 and clean, I’m not one of those guys who’s like “OH MY GOD GAIZ THIS SONG IS SO GOOD WHEN UR HIGH AND SHIT BROTHA,” but if you’re into that kind of stuff, I can’t imagine the trip you’ll have. This is crazy enough on it’s own, though if you want to go to that length, go ahead.

I also apologize in advance if there's some typos and shit in this review, I'm really eager to get this out there and I'm busy today so I don't have much time to proofread.

So yeah, CHECK THIS SHIT OUT, MOTHERFUCKERS.

Dredg-The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion (2009)
Genres: Alternative Rock, Art Rock, Experimental Rock, Progressive Rock
For: fans of art rock/progressive rock, agnostics and the like, and fans of concept albums
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dredg

Dredg are an artsy band. I can admire that. Many (if not all) of the members themselves also paint or draw, and often contribute to on-stage visuals and album art. Like most artsy bands, all their albums up to this point in their career were concept albums. The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion (which from this point on I while abbreviate as “PPD” for obvious reasons), their fourth album follows this trend. However, Dredg walk the line with this release more so than their previous efforts.

The loose concept of PPD follows themes of questionability in religion, and the various people and situations that can sway how significantly your faith (or lack thereof) matters to you. Said to be inspired by a short essay entitled “Imagine There Is No Heaven: A Letter to the Six Billionith Citizen” by Salman Rushdie (which you can and should read here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/1999/oct/16/salmanrushdie PPD addresses similar ideas. The concept is clear, not just lyrically in each track that has lyrics, but also in the grandiosity of the whole album and the way it seems to hammer quotes into your skull from various viewpoints of the same question like that annoying alarm clock that you wakes you up each Monday morning.

The record is one hour long and contains 18 tracks. Of those 18, 4 are fairly short instrumentals, and another 4 are even shorter interlude-like narratives, called “Stamps of Origin.” The 10 remaining tracks are where most of my problem with PPD lies. I’ll get to that in a minute, but first I need to get this off my chest now:

The instrumentation and songwriting is fucking magnificent.
It is. It really is.

Album opener “Pariah” begins and ends with a kids choir singing along with the band to a little “Da da da doo dada doo da,” until an absolutely crushing guitar riff comes in. It’s not even that much of a riff, it’s so simple and minimalistic, but it gets the job done and then some. The rest of the song, along with the first instrumental “Drunk Slide” and the third track “Ireland” start the album off in superb fashion. “Ireland” features some of the most elegant vocals, spot on songwriting, and beautiful swaying guitar that Dredg has ever made in their careers. Furthermore, each song has a distinct melody and style. It may take a while to get into, but there is no denying these songs are catchy. Various styles are presented over the course of the album, from straight up rock anthems like “Quotes” and “I Don’t Know,” Middle-Eastern style guitars on “Gathering Pebbles,” magical and fantasy-style interludes “Stamp of Origin: Take A Look Around” and “Long Days and Vague Clues,” and a southern Americana-style guitar riff in “Lightswitch.” Thankfully, the album’s variety works for reasons I’ll explain towards the end of the review.

With so much variety, it can be easy to get lost in this CD. Some tracks like “Lightswitch” are heavy-hitting and dense. The remarkably solid instrumentals, namely “Long Days and Vague Clues” and “Down to the Cellar” pack a wholesome punch on their own as well. More highlights such as “Cartoon Showroom” and the final album closer “Stamp of Origin: Horizon” nearly brought me to tears the first time I heard them. Sadly, other parts of this album also nearly brought me to tears too. Not tears of joy though.

Tears of disappointment. Tears you get when you catch up from last to second in a race and just don’t have that final push to get you over the edge. There are a few tracks, namely toward the middle of the album like “Savior” that just don’t make sense. The instrumentation feels awkward, the electronics featured there don’t feel like they belong, the bridge, which is really just some background voice going “AHAHHDHSHHDSHDSFSDJHFKHDSFLUSBDGIHSIDJENTIDHFDSUHSDGPUPYGYSDERP” doesn’t fit. It fails. It falls on its face.

And while that’s the only full song to do so, the others tracks are dragged down by the unfortunate anchor that is Gavin Hayes’ lyrics. Yes, the lyrics. In an album all about religion, the lyrics need to push the concept forward to new heights, skyscraper heights. Instead, in some of these songs, Gavin seems fine with them being one-story shacks with no plumbing or electricity.

These three tracks suffer the most: “Information” could be the glowing pop-rock ballad sing-along anthematic song of the fucking century if it wasn’t for…..oh you know… “You're suffering, I feel your pain. Allow me to be your sponge, cause I can absorb your sorrows, I'm the one”

….. Why Gavin? Why?

The bridge, possibly the best part of the song is neutral ground. As the song further turns out to be about the final day and morning before a suicide bomber gives his life for his religion, the lyrics act as a premise that could work if described properly. The instrumentation is some of the fucking best on the whole album, and “Information” could’ve been a HUGE smash hit on the radio everywhere. But the way the lyrics are….it just drags the song down.

If you haven’t caught on by now, I have a real problem with lyrics left as generic sketches of ideas. Fuck that shit.

Another one of those three, “Quotes” works on the grounds that it rocks like a motherfucker. It’s the final full song on the album, and for it to keep its musical barrage held back by some lame lyrics is just so, so frustrating. “Mourning This Mourning” follows the same problem, though this time, the songwriting is far more simple and unoriginal, as are the lyrics, which in addition to being lackluster here are also very repetitive. Sadly, those three songs are also the longest three on the album.

It’s a shame really, an album with a premise this thought out and with music this fucking great is held back by some lackluster lyrics. GAVIN IS A SUPERB FUCKING VOCALIST TOO. He really is. He’s got some of the best pipes and a fantastic range. Will that be enough to sway you in one opinion or another while you check out PPD?
I don’t know.

I’ve probably come across as overbearing on those lyrics and underbearing on the concept thus far. There’s a reason for this: This is an album whose concept can be taken in any direction by the listener. PPD offers at least one song that feels like it could be written for a religious struggle you’ve had in your life. None of the songs themselves are overbearing, in fact, they almost sound as if they’re telling you the mistakes and arrogance of others who use religion as a crutch. (Barabimposter, anyone?)

Let’s say you are the newest citizen to this great planet we call Earth. You see all around you beautiful and horrid sights coexisting with each other, and the more you move through life, the more complicated it gets. You’ve started out as a clean slate as Rushdie mentioned, but all these various opinions are thrown on you. You’ve more or less got PPD right there.

And suddenly the lyrics don’t seem to matter that much anymore.

In life, we usually don’t choose the best way to convey our thoughts and opinions. There are only so many times that “It’s the thought that counts” can count. Thankfully, PPD is one of them. The concept that flows throughout this album like a river can be tough at times. It can carry you gently like a stream, or it can toss you over rocky rapids. Every now and then you’re in a dried out patch where even when it rains, it’s not enough to carry your boat. But you know what? You’ll still get to that mighty ocean eventually. It may just be a bumpy ride.

So “why ride at all?” you may ask.
Because my friends, religion is a thing that will be present until the end of the world. Whether you choose to accept it or not is up to you. You’re no better off with it, and you’re no better off without it. You’ve lived with it, and you’ve learned some things from it. The same can be said about this album. There’s only so much that can be said to you, but I do want you guys to check this album out. At least give it a try. See what you think of it. Remember, there’s only so much I can do. Only so much can be shown to you.

The rest is your choice.

Pros: The songwriting is fantastic, great concept, superb production quality, vocals are magnificent even with lame lyrics, did I mention the songwriting is completely fucking fantastic?
Cons: Quite a few of the lyrics, total running length, some Stamp of Origin tracks are dull and unnecessary
Recommended Tracks: “Pariah,” “Ireland,” “Long Days and Vague Clues,” “Cartoon Showroom,” “Quotes,” “Stamp of Origin: Horizon”
Overall rating: 6/10 for me, though still worth checking out for everyone.

Feel free to check out this link here for a more in-depth analysis on the album’s concept track-by-track as well: http://www.traversingboard.com/site-ppd.html

^

This needs to be bumped to the top.

I like this thread, so I'll bump it with a review of the only full album I've listened to recently. I'll also link you to a playlist I'm made for this album too, here.

Apocalyptica- Seventh Symphony (2010)
Genres: Cello metal, symphonic metal, neo-classical metal, progressive metal, classical
For fans of: I can't think of any. Apocalpytica is so different, and the album is so different. The singer of Bush, Flyleaf, Slayer, Shinedown, and Gojira will be in there though.
Wikipedia Page: Apocalyptica
Wikipedia Page: Seventh Symphony

This album has much diversity, creativity, and beauty. I personally love the sounds and how they are put together to form this beautiful piece of art. The singers each bring their own thing to the song, and yet each song still has it's own uniqueness that is defined as Apocalyptica. The cellos indeed replace the need of guitars, as they are supposed to, and I would rather listen any of these songs on cello than guitar any day. The cello gives a beauty to the song while the player keeps it in the hard metal genre. I don't think I've ever heard anything quite like this. As their seventh album, I'd have to say that some of their best songs are in here. This truly shows why this band stick out from the rest. It holds such a great variety that it's hard not to find some part you like within it.

Pros of this album, it opens you up to diversity. It crushes the idea that many have planted in their head that orchestra instruments cannot be in a rock band. It stands out from everything else you could possibly hear on the radio because you can here and identify the cellos, yet it does not take away from it's actual genre of hard rock or hard metal. Any rocker can appreciate the ability to head-bang to this album as the music takes over.

Cons, some of the songs are longer, and the whole album is 46:17 for ten songs. Even some long loving Apocalyptica fans believe that some of the longer songs could be cut shorter without much being lost. It's currently a high strung (no pun intended) debate among the Apocalyptica loving community.

Recommended songs (and which number they are on the album):
At the Gates of Malana (1)
On the Rooftop with Quasimodo (7)
Sacra (9)
Rage of Poseidon (10)
((Hint. Hint. Listen to 9 and 10 back-to-back to find something cool.)

My final rating is 7/10.

I rate it so low when I talk to high of it because the length. As much as I love the longer songs, I don't enjoy listening to music for long periods of time, and I get tired of it.

Okay, so my descriptive words were a little over the top. It's a curse for me to be descriptive. I also meant to tell you that I listened to part of it while typing up that lovely review.

“I rate it so low when I talk to high of it because the length. As much as I love the longer songs, I don't enjoy listening to music for long periods of time, and I get tired of it.”

At only 46 minutes? That’s pretty average album length.
This seems like a monster compared to that.

*Ahem* Commencing review.
(You knew this review was coming eventually)

Periphery-Periphery II: This Time It’s Personal
Genres: Djent, Prog Metal, Fuck you, more djent
For Fans of: DJENT
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periphery_%28band%29

Periphery I was too big for its britches.
At 72 minutes, the collection of 12 songs from the mind of Misha “Bulb” Mansoor certainly ran its course, and succeeded, though partly due to the “Rule Of Cool” factor the album had. It was delayed again and again, and in early 2010, just released as it was shortly after the band hired vocalist Spencer Sotelo and had him re-record the songs. It certainly was an experience to hear, but it was too big for its britches.

So what’s a band to do on their sophomore release when their first album had that impact but lacked consistent amazingness? Fit their britches?

No way. The britches must be crazy.
They got bigger ones.
And it’s all the better for them.

Periphery II is seriously making a run at album of the year for me. I loved Periphery I, but even I could admit it had its issues. Periphery II completely kills those issues and doesn’t give rise to new ones. It’s about as perfect of a follow-up that a Periphery fan(boy) such as myself could want. The guitars are heavy and fast, the djenious Matt Halpern is still knocking the shit out of his drums with nary a dull or unappreciated moment, and Spencer….

Don’t even fucking get me started. Listen to “Muramasa’s” intro and tell me that fucker didn’t improve tenfold. Hundredfold. Thousandfold. Zyglroxfold.

Too late, I started. Spencer’s recording on Periphery I were forced. He had to sing what the band had previously written through what, like, 4 other vocalists? That’s hard to do and he pulled it off, but you could hear the strain. You could feel the discomfort at some points. It even needed the occasional thing every major music junkie fears most……autotune.

Periphery II has none of that. Spencer wrote his own melodies, and I’d be damned if even the weakest song on here is better than some of the better ones on Periphery I.
The melodies do drive the songs along, but what makes this listen, just about 3 minutes shorter than its predecessor listenable, is the fact that every song changes it up. Periphery I had its obvious standouts in the tracks that sounded fresh and free-flowing, namely “Letter Experiment,” “All New Materials,” and the 15-minute epic fan favorite closer “Racecar.” If the whole album sounded as solid as these tracks, it would’ve been something big. Periphery II IS that something big. The variation between songs, however minimal it may be on first listen, keeps Periphery II fresh and organic compared to Periphery I. You may get confused on what’s what at first, but give it a second chance, and you may find that every single track here kicks complete fucking ass.

Since every track here kicks ass, it’s hard to elaborate more on some of these songs, but I’ll give you my highlights. “Muramasa” is indeed the intro Periphery II needs, and it delivers fully. “Have A Blast” starts with a little Irish techno thing (just listen to that shit) before it blasts into a full throttle motherfucker of a track. It encompasses pretty much everything new done right on Periphery II, and is a perfect choice for the first full track. Well, that and it features the first of three guest solos, this one done by Guthrie Govan. The next three tracks all blend in their own right, and have a steady flow that leads successfully into “Scarlet,” what was originally a Haunted Shores song (much like the single “Passenger” the band released on its own earlier this year) brought to the band by new guitarist Mark Holcomb. Scarlet doesn’t overflow its time, and much like the 4 tracks that came before it, blend the frenzy and carefree perfectly. The middle section of the album is the heaviest, featuring “Make Total Destroy” and “Ragnarok,” the latter of which is my favorite on this section. “Ragnarok” features a riff in the bridge similar to Tool’s “Schism” and after a lyrical throwback to “Muramasa” also ends with an electronic little glitchy piece reminiscent of “Racecar” from Periphery I.

“Erised” is the “clean song” on the album, and possibly the best. A much welcome break from the heavy that had dominated your eardrums for the past 20 minutes, “Erised” features Spencer’s catchiest vocal melody to date, and is also prominently focused on Matt Halpern’s incredible drumming. The track includes a guest solo at the end by none other than Dream Theatre’s John Petrucci, and is all kinds of eargasmic icing on the cake. “Epoch,” and “Froggin’ Bullfish” are the two weakest songs here, the first being excused since it’s just an interlude anyway, and the latter, while good, seems more fit for an EP or for being a B-Side. “Mile Zero,” the penultimate track though, is just all kinds of amazing. Featuring yet again, another outstanding vocal performance by Sotelo, this song is written about Shawn Bennet, seemingly someone Spencer knew who died. He refuses to give specific details about it, so the fact that this song is all we get is, well, pretty spectacular. In addition to being one of the best on Periphery II, it also features a guest solo by The Faceless guitarist Wes Hauch, and flows brilliantly into “Masamune,” the closing track and the end of the three-song trilogy that also consists of “Muramasa” and “Ragnarok.” The album ends just like it begins, with a mindblowing “Somewhere in time, we welcomed in the fall. But in the distance we can see shining clear our demise to be, we’re not listening to ourseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelves!!!!!” albeit with a crushing djenty guitar riff that fades out over the last two minutes instead of “Muramasa’s” clean and atmospheric intro.

Long story short, this is exactly what Periphery needed to do with their second album, and they did it all and then some. While a 69 minute album (lol69) will daunt the unfamiliar listener, to someone who’s already a fan of Periphery or any other djent band, this is going to go down as cult classic. I can already see it.

But then again, I’m not listening to MYSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELF.
(sorry, couldn’t help it.)

This time, it may not necessarily be personal, but it sure as hell is fantastic.

-Pros: Duh.
-Cons: Fuck you.
-Recommended tracks: In light of not having a third sarcastic remark and saying “All of them,” definitely listen to “Muramasa,” “Have A Blast,” “Scarlet,” “Erised,” and “Mile Zero”
Overall rating: 9/10, because subjectiveness is subjective.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an album to go djack off to.

--------------------------- DISCLAIMER: ---------------------------
This record has been reviewed countless times, and I’m not here today to talk about the music. The music isn’t why I listen to it. Ever be impressed more with the emotion a movie can give more than the film itself? The same works with some albums. Brand New’s The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me is one of those albums. This review will probably have a few references to Brand New’s work that other fans will immediately catch, and this review will also get pretty personal, so I don’t expect people to immediately pick up on what this record sounds like, because again, that’s not what I’m here today to talk about. You can search up plenty of other reviews that tell you that. This is about an experience, not a record. A record that withstands time, time and time again, and boy will I tell you, god damn, time takes its damn time.

Here we go.

Brand New-The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (2006)
Genres: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Metal, Emo
For Fans of: Manchester Orchestra, Thrice, etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand_New

This record has an enigma.
Like two demons standing on a front porch.
Like a girl standing there with them, out of sight by them, but not phased at all.
Like a wolf staring you in the face with it’s blurred pupils.
Like scarlet headlights illuminating a dark highway.
Like an ashamed young man in the mirror of your car.
Enigmas are a powerful thing, and they can let you tap in to what the writer was thinking, and why they wanted their music to sound the way it did.

You can tell this record was written by a broken man, in his most depressed state of mind, thinking about the sorest ideas and stories a person can fathom and we can all relate to that. I think he knew it too. He flat out tells you in the first track “I’m not your friend. I’m just a man that knows how to feel” and then contradicts himself later on by pondering why “You say you’re my friend, but why won’t you be my family?”

But damn, if I ever feel this bad about things, somebody call a fucking ambulance. There is something to be appreciated in a person’s misfortune. There are lessons we can take from it and thankfully never have to experience ourselves. Sometimes we, as human beings, think things we normally wouldn’t when driven to despair and frustration. It’s healthy to be doubtful about things yet still confident enough to share your thoughts. As far as I’m concerned, I think we’re all not scared to die, just a little bit scared of what comes after. Jesse Lacey pins these points out again and again, track after track, listen after listen on TDAGARIM.

And there are so many “moments” on this CD, they can all strike you at different times. I’ve listened to this album at least 50 times in 2 years, and there is still nary a dull or unfresh second in it. It’s like a motion picture that you’ve seen a million times, but the suspense is always at a different moment and you can still never predict what will happen. At first, it was the deathly crescendo at the end of “Limousine.” I still feel it with each listen, but now something else happens at some other point that I can’t predict how I’ll react. Maybe I’ll laugh at how nearly cheesily morbid “Handcuffs” is. Maybe I’ll huddle in a corner when “Welcome To Bangkok” starts howling and grinding. Maybe I lose all my shit at start “WOOAH”ing along to “Millstone’s” bridge. Maybe I’ll calmly sing along, raising my voice ever so faintly during “Jesus.” I can never predict what I’ll do and how the music will affect me.

And that’s what you look for when you want to experience music, right?
Something that can mean whatever it wants to at any given moment. Something that doesn’t let you think about it the same way twice. I could be playing along to “Degausser” on guitar and have to stop because a thought was just lodged into my cerebellum and I can tell that it means something important, but I’m not sure what.
Maybe I’ll hear other voices in my head during “Luca’s” breakdown and in the untitled “--“ track. I can never know what will happen, and it exhilarates me and wipes me out at the same time.

I think that no matter what happens, the lyrical content stays ingrained into my head more than anything. Sometimes it doesn’t even have to be a specific phrase. I can switch to whatever I want and it makes no difference. Whether it’s “I found sleep in the alkaline” or “I feel asleep in the incline” doesn’t fucking matter. The point is shit is going down the drain, and I don’t get anything right. The storm is coming in, and it’s not stopping for your petty emotional concerns.

I can easily say right now, I’ve listened to a lot of music that moves me in emotional ways, but never before in my life has a song put me into such a scared and sorrowed mindset as the 1-2 punch of “Limousine” and “You Won’t Know” have. The imagery is mind-scarring, and you don’t even have to see anything with your eyes. You can close them, and still can’t get the image out of your sorry head. A drunk driver fumbling on the side of the road unscathed after killing a 7-year-old girl by driving head on into their vehicle. The mother cradling her daughter’s decapitated head in the breakdown lane. His smug, grim, face in court while the family tries to get the fucker in jail for what his careless actions brought upon them. There’s something inside your head that has to snap to be able to write a song on such a subject and make you feel like you were there, in that car when the brick was thrown and a life was shattered. There isn’t enough sanity in the world to be able to comprehend it. A person can write a song about it, they can sing about it at every concert, and they most certainly dish it out, but I don’t think they themselves can even take it.

So don’t reply.

Just don’t.

Sit there and ponder it. There are moments like that every day around the world that can’t mean nothing to you. We ignore them every day, and we think about ourselves as if other life means nothing. Sometimes it takes a harrowing act of depressively impressive musicianship and songwriting to be able to get that point across. The words are the focus, but words don’t describe anything. Sound does. Noise does. Songs do. These songs. So as I sit here writing these words, nearly in tears as the ambient outro to “Limousine” plays through my computer speakers, filling the room with the only sound besides my fingers hitting the computer keys, you can feel it. You can feel a ghostly presence with you as you listen. The presence of a soul that has lost all hope. They’re out of their forgiveness supplies in heaven, and they certainly can’t use a telephone to tell people they are gone. So feel it, and you may just know. You may just fucking know.

[Part 2 of 2; first part of post is post >>21.]

After approximately 54 minutes, you will feel refreshed. There are probably a myriad of other emotions that stick with you. You may be sad or disappointed, pissed off or you may stick a little hopeful smirk in. God forbid this record bores you, may the Devil and God have mercy on your pathetic soul.
It gives an emotional rollercoaster that cannot be described by any other words, sounds, musicians, or events. It is an event, and it’s better to listen to it then be at the center of it. Remember, this just came out of one man’s head. You’re that deeply connected to the thoughts of one musician from Long Island, and you can’t even help it because there are no other ways to cope with emotions like this. We will feel emotions all the time in life, and maybe that’s why this record refuses to grow off me or get old. Not many people in my age group listen to this, and it’s obvious why. It’s almost unbearable to hear. But sometimes…..sometimes there isn’t anything else you want to hear. In the end, this is just the sound of some men that know how to feel, and they nail emotion pretty fucking accurate.

So when you’re in distress, take a listen to TDAGARIM, and tell me what you learn, you joyous broken thing. Let your voice sing about it, let the people know about it, and be conscious about it and acknowledge it. It may just save a life, and who are you to know? You could lay on your back and be beaten, or put up your fists and fight. You could give it a listen and see how it is. Feel it. Experience it. Never let it go and never take a happy life and a good time for granted. That’s what I say.

10/10

A Skylit Drive-Wires...and the Concept of Breathing (2008)
Genre: Post-hardcore/Melodic metalcore (Yes, that actually exists)
For fans of: Eyes Set to Kill, Greeley Estates, Escape the Fate, Chiodos, Sleeping with Sirens, Pierce the Veil, & Alexisonfire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wires...and_the_Concept_of_Breathing (Album)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Skylit_Drive (Band)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jagmin (Lead vocalist)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Blake (Original vocalist)

A Skylit Drive may not be the most popular core band, but it certainly proves it's worth as a Melodic-focused band (In my opinion :S). Already having one release with their original vocalist, Jordan Blake, under their belt, they improve on the Screamo/Post-hardcore sound from She Watched The Sky, and add some heavier sounds, mixed in with Jagmin's vocal abilities, and even track titles referring to Final Fantasy, to create the album that is "Wires...and the Concept of Breathing".

Right at the beginning is "In the Beginning There Was Void", which certainly fits it's title. Starting off with some...odd sounds (I can't describe :S), you hear Kyle Simmons' Piano skill put to work......but close to the end, it fades into guitars and drums in full-on hardcore intensity, which leads into "Knights of the Round", which kicks off with the unclean vocals of Bassist Brian White, and Drummer Cory La Quay, which leads into Jagmin's high-pitch vocals, which, when mixed together with the instrumentation, makes a great Melodic metalcore track :)

From there, the rest of the album is tracks that are mixed with the brutal, gritty unclean vocals, and not-so-heavy breakdowns that still manage to capture one's interest somehow, and Jagmin's ability to evoke emotion in each and every playfully-titled song and the instrumentations, finishing off with "All It Takes for Your Dreams to Come True", which is, you guessed it, Melodic metalcore, with probably the heaviest breakdown on the album playing for the end.

I found the Vocals really well-done, considering that each had their own role: Jagmin would be the frontman, handling cleans, White paired with the uncleans, and La Quay taking on Death growling. The instruments did just as well, with beautiful keyboard and synths, mixed in with guitars, drums, and bass to make beautiful Post-hardcore.

Pros: Improves upon their previous release, and more heavier sounds. Instrumentation was Well-done, reminded me of a Screamo band called Raein, actually.

Cons: Didn't really focus on the heavy sound.

Recommended tracks: Title track, Eris and Dynsnomia, & City on the Edge of Forever.

Final Rating: 10/10 (Yes, I'm that much of a fan LOL)

(Sorry if this wasn't well done :S)

Linkin Park-Living Things (2012)
Genre: Electronic Rock, Rap Rock, Alternative Rock
For Fans of: I don't fucking even.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Things_%28Linkin_Park_album%29

VOICE REVIEW: http://vocaroo.com/i/s0P6OXmoFIwO

Pros: They certainly do...experiment
Cons: This album is what we call a failed experiment.
Recommended tracks: "Roads Untraveled," "Powerless," "Castle of Glass"
Final Rating: 4/10

Bruce Springsteen-The Rising (2002)
Genre: Heartland Rock
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rising_%28album%29

Recommended Tracks: "Into The Fire," "Worlds Apart," "The Rising," "Paradise," "My City of Ruins" especially, but really the whole thing. Concept albums are best listened to all the way through.
Rating: 10/10 fuck da haterz

I initially wrote this review on my Facebook as a "note" and I liked how it turned out. Sometimes hearing someone's sentimental experience can describe more than outlining the music itself ever could. It will have a sort of strange layout, but I like how it turned out.

////////////////////////////////

We are steadily approaching the 11th anniversary of a day that shook America.

Even a clueless fool could guess what I’m talking about.

I’ve heard people ask the question before, and it almost seems too cheesy, more like a movie quote than it should be. “Where were you when you heard the news?”

I was just a few weeks from my 5th birthday at the time. I was quite an anxious child in my early years. I wasn’t very cooperative with my parents in public and I had some social issues that needed ironing out. I also got frightened and paranoid about the smallest of things quite often. If some people make mountains out of molehills, I made Mt. Everest from atoms. My parents didn’t tell me about 9/11, not at first. They let on gradually. They knew that eventually I would see something about it on TV or overhear some adults talking about it, so they kept my knowledge on it to a bare minimum.

I don’t blame them. Hell, if I knew what really happened the day it happened, I wouldn’t have set foot in a skyscraper or on an aircraft for years. As time went on, it became less dramatic, yet it was still a lot to take in. A young child such as myself couldn’t possibly understand the concepts of suicide missions, terrorism or our former president’s desire to blow shit up in the Middle East. However, I could tell it was changing a lot in my family. My father started to working for various relief and liberal political organizations, and my mother calmed down from her normal frenzied worker-bee self. All I could understand at the time was that something terrible happened on September 11th, 2001, and people had lots of mixed feelings on the matter. Some were frustrated or scared, others mourning losses of family and friends. Some had no connection to it and took it upon themselves to try and keep optimism up, but how does one go about that?

Well, fast forward to the summer of 2002, and Bruce Springsteen did.

The Rising is in all actuality, the first full album I ever listened to in my life. Yeah, I, a 6-year old now, got his first taste of true music with an album detailing every emotion involved in an incident my parents kept hidden from me. My father had copies of this disc at home, in the car, at his job, he played it everywhere that year. Needless to say, I heard it almost nonstop if there was music playing somewhere. My father was a longtime Bruce fan, and this was Springsteen’s return to music after a 7-year hiatus. (18 with the accompanying E-Street Band)

And while those circumstances should’ve made me just plain not understand it, I remember a strange sentimentality about it. There’s something about human emotion where even while my dad sang horribly out of tune over the music, I could still hear every word, and every pitch, note, strum of an instrument or tick of a beat made me happy. It gave people hope, and it still does. I was indeed just 6 years old though, so I don’t think I ever really got the whole point. I could tell the songs were sorrowful and uplifting at the same time, but I don’t think the lyrics ever really got through to me.

Fast forward to September 2011.

Just about a week before 9/11’s 10th anniversary, I was digging through some old records and albums in my dad’s shelves. I think I was initially looking for something by U2, but I hit the case odd with my elbow, and this came falling out.

Instant nostalgia.

I hadn’t listened to the Boss in over 8 years at that point, and I don’t know what made me give it a listen, but I did.

And holy fucking shit. I cried the whole time.

Grown up, just weeks from his 15th birthday at this point, here was poor ol’ Zack bawling in tears in a corner of his room listening to a record that at one point was the only record I knew. I immediately recalled every single word, every melody, and whether they were tears of joy, sadness or a mixture of the two, I didn’t stop letting them out for well over an hour. By the time “My City of Ruins” finished, my eyes were bloodshot and beet red, and I couldn’t take it all in, so I napped.

It was truly a life-changing experience. I rarely ever cry to music, let alone for an entire album. The following weeks I listened to it at least three times a day, whenever I got a chance. Heart-on-sleeve classics like “Lonesome Day” and “Countin on a Miracle” took on new (lesser and far more embarrassing) meanings with holy-shit-I’m-just-starting-high-school representations, but the emotion was still there. When the 11th came, I woke up that morning and put on the album. I sat there at the kitchen table with my headphones in eating some waffles ready to go to church, and watched the news broadcast of some people at a crowd at Ground Zero giving speeches and reminiscing.

And after that day, I didn’t listen to it again, not til just now.

Apparently some guy shot some people just outside the Empire State Building. There were just issues a few weeks ago with a now-infamous murder shooting at a movie in Aurora, Colorado. Tragedy happens every day, and I don’t think we really take it all in unless it gets dramatized. So here I am writing this review (is this really a review?), not nearly as much emotionally affected as I was a year ago, but still feeling it. Singing along with every word. Knowing everything going on. I know every goddamn second of this album, and if it gets played, nothing else in the world matters.

I suppose I shouldn’t say that. Springsteen made an effort to make this album the emotion of the world following the event that shook America. I can’t say nothing else in the world matters, this album IS the world. And what an everchanging, emotional roller-coaster ride of a world it is. Kind of like the one we find ourselves in now.If you have a chance sometime in the coming weeks and want something to listen to, check this out. I have a very hard time imagining you won't like at least one track here. It's a fantastic album, in my top 10 of all time in fact, and it deserves attention again.

La Dispute-Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair (2008)
Genre: Post-hardcore, hardcore punk, lyrically emo
For fans of: Thursday, Glassjaw, Finch, Envy, pretty much any other post-hardcore

“I guess love’s a funny thing, the way it fades away without a warning. It doesn’t ask to be excused, and when it’s gone--- oh, it’s gone and it ain’t ever coming back.”

La Dispute’s debut full length is filled with similar sentiments about overdramatic love and the uncertainty and betrayal contained therein. Well, I suppose “overdramatic” isn’t the right word. It can’t be if it’s done convincingly, right? Nearly the entirety of the record consists of vocalist Jordan Dreyer’s tangents on love stories gone wrong, but there’s a strange contrast to his expressive and emotional, borderline whiny vocal style and the poetic devoted lyrics he presents to us. It caught me so off guard on the first listen and initially turned me off to it. Hell, I haven’t devotedly dated anyone yet. I just turned 16, and I’m that dorky kid in the back of the class who keeps to himself most of the time. I don’t know love. Maybe that’s why I eventually picked this back up for a second chance. There are two drastic opposite sides of a coin, and while the love-stricken and despair-stricken will immediately take to this album, the opposite end who hasn’t experienced it firsthand will also immediately connect with why the hell they’re staying single in the first place.

The music here is impressive and presses along with appropriate dynamics and changes without ever overdoing things. At first one will focus on Dreyer’s lyrics, but the instrumentality is super without ever being too overtechnical to be listenable. The best moments on this disc consist of energetic buildups in which the riffs and rhythm mold perfectly with the mood and lyrics. After the brief introduction “Such Small Hands” (of which its outro counterpart “Nobody, Not Even The Rain” closes the album in book-end fashion) “Said The King To The River” gets things immediately rolling in what is one of the standout tracks of the whole album. Going through section changes and increasing intensity all the way through, the track is about as perfect as you’ll find on here with one exception. (You’ll see)

The next four tracks all continue in the similar manner, each with their own distinctive moments. “Newer Storms For Older Lovers” gets the highlight for the climax it hits midway through when the mood rids itself of fury and replaces it with what could best be described as the inner wiring of a lover's brain in denial. “Damaged Goods” continues with a more straightly-played punk influence and “Fall Down, Never Get Back Up” gives us a break from the harsh vocals for a short 2.75 minute narrated reading played over some chill music. (If you like this I recommend you check out La Dispute’s spoken word EP project entitled Here, Hear) “Bury Your Flames” gives a more upbeat rendition of the cohesive beauty that “Said The King…” contained but after that, the second half album becomes more hit-or-miss.

“Last Blues For Bloody Knuckles” contains some fun parts, but doesn’t flow as well as it should, and drags on for a good 5 minutes. “The Castle Builders” is another punk-esque number that redeems it, and its follow up “Andria” contains another spoken-word section which isn’t bad, but fairly redundant when compared to the earlier “Fall Down…” “Then Again, Maybe You Were Right” is a short 1:50 long screamer that can’t stand out and “Sad Prayers For Guilty Bodies” also doesn’t contribute much. Ultimately the formula that makes La Dispute’s music so damn great shows weakness in that it can’t hold interest after the better-quality tracks have been completed. This middle third of the album is where most of the problems come into play, and if you weren’t particularly fond of what came before it, it can be a pain that overstays its length and content.

That is, until the penultimate 12-minute epic “The Last Lost Continent” comes into play. Easily the most fully realized and most anthematic song on the record, “The Last Lost Continent” plays itself through one of the most exhilarating thrillrides of emotion I’ve ever gotten out of a song. Consisting of multiple sections, the track just effortlessly unfolds onto the listener and doesn’t try to make itself work. It just works. The first section contains of a fainter shouting by Jordan over an eerie clean guitar riff that builds up and up til a little drum break and new riff comes in and segues between the….oh screw this. I’m not gonna write out the song for you. Just listen to it. When those final pounding drums and gang chorus chants fill your ears, you’ll get it. The aforementioned outro “Nobody, Not Even The Rain” nicely reinforces the uplifting finale of its preceeding track and ends the album on a slightly more optimistic note.

As explained, the largest problem with Somewhere At The Bottom… is the lack of consistency in songwriting in the middle of the disc, but even that still hardly takes away from the impact and beauty of the other tracks. Beware though, for those just straying into or who have never experienced post-hardcore before, the unfamiliar vocals will grate you. Even some post-hardcore veterans may not be fond of it at first, but if you are a fan of the genre and don’t have this, it’s most likely right up your alley and fantastically so. It may not all be perfect, but there’s so much they have failed to ruin yet.

Pros: Fabulous lyrical content, original and fun to listen to riffs, two (+ more) landmark post-hardcore tracks
Cons: Middle drags on, unfamiliar vocal style for those new to post-hardcore may be a turn-off, said lyrical content is kind of repetitive at times, particularly the weaker tracks
Recommended Tracks: “The Last Lost Continent,” “Said the King to the River,” “Newer Storms For Older Lovers,” “The Castle Builders,” “Bury Your Flames”
Final rating: 7.5/10

If you enjoyed the spoken-word sections, please check out their Here, Hear EP project. Little to no harsh vocals are contained, the music is chill, and the lyrics are far more varied while many of the songs still hold direct references to song on here. Enjoy La Dispute, yo.

OTB

not sure if this is against the rules of the Dollars but I have multiple reviews + Download/Buy links of Sonic Youth, Expire, Wavves and more at my blog here.
It'd be cool if you checked it out. Please tell me KINDLY if this is against any rules.
http://cavsreviews.blogspot.com.au/

The Pretty Reckless is the coolest band I heard. Taylor Momsen played as Cindy Lou Who from the Grinch. This song: Makes Me Wanna Die means to me that I don't want to be alone, it's special to me.

When I hear this song, I feel something warmth and cold in my flesh and blood crumbling my blood.

>>29 Thanks Aza!
I'm going to check out this album thanks to your 10/10 review!

Reggie, it's Slayer.

Bump.

Just want to rebump this and say Im writing reviews for this Australian zine called Rest Assured. You should check it out and support it. Its also a recent record label.
I write under the alias of 'Cav'
Reviews: http://restassuredzine.com/reviews
Label: http://www.restassuredrecords.com/