American Evil is a band that lives up to its ominous and intense title. In a world of sell-out bands, American Evil prides themselves on being a couple of “scumbags who refused to give up because they saw the bigger picture.” Their latest collection of manic tracks encompass everything life has to offer, whether that might be celebration, partying, excess or the simple ups and downs of any lifestyle. They were so determined to make a mark and a stand against mediocre mainstream music that they took to the road to spread their wild brand of metallic, brutal rock n’ roll.
Their latest six-track EP entitled Superautomatica opens with “As Real As It Gets.” Chugging, furious electric guitar pumps and propels the track onwards as the screeching, fractured vocals scream and preach about the realness of society and the worrying position in which many people find themselves in this crazy, modern world. It’s an aptly brutal tune for a brutal time in history. Still, it wasn’t relevant for the sake of relevance. American Evil’s opener possesses a melodically-infectious riff, both in terms of vocals and electric guitar, which is something that can often be lost in more brutal bands of the metal genre. I appreciated that. This, for me, is how true metal sounds. “Evil Things” is a positively evil track, as promised. It summarizes everything for which American Evil stands. It’s packed full of screeching, belting, distorted power chords and whirring, insane solos. The vocals never falter for a second; they maintain a consistently powerful and fluctuating melody. There are never any tired, over-played or monotonous moments, and that, again, is a rare find in indie metal bands. “Black Magic Sex Devil Woman” is pop metal, if such a thing could ever exist. I hope the members of American Evil don’t string me up for saying so, but I mean this in a complimentary way. It’s upbeat, powerful, catchy and yet, at the same time, raw and intimidating. It encompasses the best of both genres. There are melancholic moments in terms of the choruses, but, mainly, the track is driven by riffs packed full of raw emotion, energy and an uplifting sentiment. As the track progresses, it descends into the darker depths of American Evil’s sound, which proves, once again, that this is a band which cannot be pigeonholed into one genre or set of stylistic tendencies.” “Get High” is an emotive track, honing in on the raw angst and hatred the band members feel when discussing the topic of jobs, life and the demands of our broken, dark, twisted world. They encapsulate that combination of angst and crippling sadness which lingers within each of us. It’s the summation of their sound, but only in a conceptual sense. Musically, these guys have so much more to offer than can be contained within the narrow confines of one track. For a six-song EP, Superautomatica is really something else. I often end up sighing when I hear the same screamo bands circulating the same rehashed ideas, lyrically and musically, again and again. It was refreshing to hear tracks with a brutal, raw, real feel to them and lyrics which touched on topics that were a little tongue-in-cheek. American Evil can reflect on the world around them without getting too pretentious about it. They know it’s all about creating music and at the end of the day they do just that.
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Sitting down to write this review, I was a mess; essays due, papers to read and code to finish. You know those days— each time you think you have a minute to yourself, you miraculously remember another thing that needs to be done. Times like these make it easy to lose perspective of why we do the things that we do. However, after closing my eyes and listening to the first track on copy music’s newest album titled Hem in, I found myself at peace with that perspective rediscovered. Throughout the album, copy music provides their listeners with a collection of serene, nostalgic tunes that make it impossible not to relax. In the six songs that the band provided, I found it easy to get lost in their soft, melodic noises, and for that I am appreciative.
Right off the bat, I was attracted to the warmth that this music radiates— the combination of old-fashioned production techniques with the simple yet blissful instrumentation made for a very calming presence. The prevalent chorus on this first track titled “Another” emitted a sense of ethereality that casted the illusion of floating through thin air. The 6/8 time signature allowed for a nice, euphoric swing. “Another” is a subtle track that delicately builds until the end, but does so in a way that doesn't call attention to itself. Perhaps my favorite track on the album is “Warm Line” which gives off a very direct ‘80s vibe with its analogue-sounding synthesizers, padded snare drums, and vibrato-heavy guitar. Again, the track is very light and slightly bouncy, persuading listeners to sway to their desire. The production on this song is very nice, lending a very cozy atmosphere that allows the tune to achieve its desired effect. I also think the tremolo on the guitar adds a nice touch when paired with the gentle chord progression of the synthesizer. I would urge copy music to keep exploring their abilities musically— I think Hem in is a very good release, however I certainly think they can do more if they decide to continue working together. Going forward, I would like to see the band explore a bit more with sounds and styles, as I think the band has the potential to go a lot deeper than they do in Hem in. Now, this is not an insult to this collection of music; rather, it is meant to be encouragement to keep expanding and growing as artists. I am excited to see what copy music accomplishes in the future.
Ben Forest is an artist from Ann Arbor Michigan. He is currently a student who is playing music in his spare time. He released Hope in the Machine which showcases who has some potential but still a long way to go before being competitive with popular artists in the underground or mainstream.
The recording could use a lot of improvement. The guitars are really low in the mix, his vocals are too high and raw, and I’m am not sure what was going on with the programmed drums. He opens with “Raining In October” which is sort of an alternative soundtrack. He plays basic chords on a distorted guitar over some kind of beat. At one point he implements bells which overpower everything else in the mix. Up next is a quirky, folk/punk song entitled “Corporate Blues.” The song revolves around a very basic theme that corporate jobs and he doesn’t want to wear a “suit and time.” He goes on to sing, “A corporate drone until the day you die.” The song gets noticeably off beat and at its best has some charm. “Heroin” sounds like it is deflated with barely any energy while the title track contains orchestral synth, dissonant elements and a beat that sounds like a metronome. It’s arguably the highlight on the EP. He closes with “Then the Night Comes Crashing Down” which shows some inspired moments along the way. Forest is going to need a lot of work if he wants to be a musician full-time. The production and delivery could use improvement. There are hints of potential here and there and I hope to hear him capitalize on those aspects.
Venus Milo is a young band from Virginia that formed in 2015 and already have a good list of accomplishments under their belt. They started with playing house shows, moved on to venues and also managed to release an album entitled Thanks & Apologies. Their music is very easy on the ears and fits into what many might call indie pop. You can make slight comparisons to bands like Local Natives and Real Estate. That being said I felt a bit of a jam band sound from them.
The band prefers clean guitars over distortion allowing the music to have a lot of space. They created a cohesive sound on this album giving them a good foundation to build from. One thing that could use some improvements was the recording quality. The lead vocals were sometimes sitting on top of the mix and I felt the low-end could have been more defined. They open up with one the highlights entitled “Goodbye Ike.” The best part about the song was the groove. I really enjoyed the guitar riff. The bassist is unassuming but has some great fills throughout. The singing is solid and the vocal harmonies seemed to be the sweet spot. Up next is “Abbey Sounds” which is another solid track. The slick groove was the thing that drew me to the song. I also thought the vocals sat better in the mix on this track. “Cauliflower Melon” is one of the more dynamic songs. Lyrically, the song seems to revolve around a breakup. My favorite line was “You taught me to sing in harmonies this is my thanks and apology for not being able to stick around for you.” The band gets funky with “Nicotine.” I really enjoyed the contemporary topic the band tackles on “Rockstar.” He sings, “Am I real or am I a meme? A personality through your computer screen? I know my problems ain't goin' nowhere, I'm tired of being alone in a world that doesn't care.” It also one of the catchiest songs with some unexpected slap bass. “Knowbody” moves about at a slower pace and “3:59, Solid!” is indeed a solid closer. The band still has room for improvements in a number of areas but I felt this album was a solid start. There are a handful of inspired moments on this album and I look forward to their evolution.
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Matchstickmen is a band from Liverpool consisting of Lewis Wright (vocals/piano), Peter Donnelly (guitar) and Iain Forsyth (bass/vocals). They are a certified rock band with a familiar style that a large demographic will appreciate. It’s anthemic with plenty of hooks and a tinge of ’90s rock.
They open with “Wake Up Call” on their release Our Own Ashes. Suffice It to say if you enjoy the first song you will enjoy the others. Don’t be too startled when the song starts. If their goals were to mimic an alarm clock it worked. They start with the lines “This Is A Wake Up Call” without much warning. There weren't many surprises in the song but it's well-delivered and the band is in the pocket. The song comes with a standard guitar solo. A good opener which is indicative of the style the play on the remaining songs. Up next is “Cheap Little Thrill” which has a good amount of momentum. It moves along at a feverish pace with a good amount of attitude. The band sounds somewhere between Soundgarden and Tool on “For No Reason” while “Imperfection” has an arena rock feel to it. On “Different Paths” the band decides to lay off the distortion. This song is more or less straight up pop. It’s arguably one of the more single ready tracks on the album. As the album continued I thought the highlights were ”Not Knowing” and the closer “Numb.” Matchstickmen to my ears have a commercial viability to them. Their style has been perfected by so many that have came before to the point of diminishing returns. In such an over saturated market Matchstickmen may have benefited from looking at different ways to separate them from the herd. That being said there is still a hungry audience for this style of rock. Matchstickmen certainly has a cohesive sound and knows exactly what type of music they want to play. Those two things right there are nothing to scoff at.
Charlie Mae Wilson has been writing music for five years and also went to school for songwriting. All things considered that's not too long. She displays some growth and talent on the three-song EP entitled Red Skies.
She mentions that the tracks are “very different.” I can’t say that I thought that and to be honest I’m glad there was cohesion between the tracks. All of the songs support her vocals. She does have a great voice. There are no issues in that department. I’d say the songs paints different moods but I felt like they were sewn from the same cloth. Up first is the title track. It’s a track that gains more and more momentum and energy as it progresses. It starts with her vocals and guitar chords that are lightly strummed. Other elements start to trickle in as her voice leads the charge. About halfway though orchestral strings and bass make their way into the mix. The last minute is a full-fledged band with percussion charging through in epic fashion. It’s a good song and almost had a timeless quality to it. It seemed like it could have worked in the ’80s or today. As much as I liked the first track I preferred the second track “Falling Into Fiction” even more. It is ultimately a pop song and reminded me of a ’90s alternative song. The guitars are clean, the bass is slick and drums drive the song. It’s a feel good song that's the catchiest song of the batch and certainly the most single worthy. She closes with more melancholy and haunting on “Only If You Need Me.” The song does pick up a little like the opener but not nearly as much. The momentum here comes suddenly. Perhaps the most beautiful moment of the three songs is around the two-minute mark. Her reverb laced vocals with the instrumentation hits the mark. Red Skies is an enjoyable EP that showcases her foundation. The songwriting did feel pretty standard and I don’t think it could hurt if she got a little more experimental and looked into how her sounds could become even more defined. Overall this is a good start and I hope to hear more soon.
This drearily dreamy project makes for an eerie, yet gratifying venture to your darkest memories and back.
Daniel McDonough, the lead singer for LA-based, gothic post-punk band, Misplaced Devotion, independently released his self-titled debut album Walen Grey for his latest solo project, Walen Grey, on December 26th. Though McDonough resides in sunny Los Angeles, this album definitely has a haunting, winter day vibe that you might find most enjoyable while lying in bed in the middle of the night, staring at a dark ceiling. McDonough describes his music as, “dark” and “hypnotic,” and appropriately, that mesmerizing aesthetic is really well fostered on this record from front to back. The album begins with a sample of eerie night winds, followed by some dramatic guitar fingerpicking that plays a welcoming introduction for his soothing vocals that evoke a tone similar to Thom Yorke except with clearer articulacy and more gothic-styled lyricism. Throughout this album, the artist discusses feeling lonely and helpless in second-person, using minor chord progressions and deeply-echoing, industrial percussive noises to create a parallel mood between the instruments and subject matter. There is certainly an element of love loss in McDonough’s lyrics. It seems as though the album is an effort to illustrate a metaphysical romance in his sleep, as his dreams and nightmares provide a sanctuary for him to be heard and reflect upon brighter times in his life that have passed. The lyricism is heavy, particularly on the track “Burn,” when McDonough reflects upon his insecurities and the feeling of helplessness that comes along with them, whispering out the melancholy lines, “obsessive over your weaknesses and fears / you haven’t had a wish to make in years.” There is an underlying theme of deception on that track as well, as McDonough personifies promises as deceptive beings that built him up yet were glad to see him fall, perhaps alluding to past vows of a loved one which were broken with disappointment. The loveless sentiment is more clearly expressed on the track “Forget” when McDonough hints at a degrading feeling of self-worth, singing, “find the memory that will replace me and maybe one day you can be happy.” I was surprised to find out that this project was recorded in McDonough’s room because of the quality of the album’s production. The project is mastered by McDonough’s close friend, Kevin Abdala, to the point that there is never a second where the vocals or any of the instruments sound even slightly overbearing. The track, “Collapse,” is mixed particularly well, molds together beautifully chiming synths with a head-nodding beat that makes for a spacey experience. The more experimental aspects of the album provide for its highlights. The glitchy industrial drums looped over evolving, ambient synths on “Forget” help build desperate emotion in McDonough’s sweet falsetto cry, “please forgive me,” and personally bring to mind Radiohead’s “Idioteque.” McDonough also does a fine job in utilizing his impressive vocal range to suit the emotions of his lyrics. “Goodbye,” showcases McDonough’s most direct lyricism, as his mind ponders on a lost love, reaching for answers by asking, “Do you know how much you mattered? / Do you know what you meant to me?” before finally reassuring himself, “I will be fine. This is a project that comes jam packed with emotion, fusing gothic music elements with catchiness that any music fan – not just industrial - will be interested in hearing. McDonough’s work with Misplaced Devotion, which also dropped a self-titled project on Bandcamp just 12 days before his Walen Grey release, has a much more lo-fi sound than this solo album, granted that, Misplaced Devotion is a four-piece band with difference sources of inspiration. Perhaps, this project stands as McDonough’s attempt to capture a more emotionally honest, dreamier area in his mind. It should be interesting to see what this artist does next and whether or not he decides to expand on this promising Walen Grey sound.
The collection of tracks that make up Solace by Aquarius Dreams is something magical, eerie, artistic and a bit hypnotic. I found myself transfixed on the gentle way the music and vocals came together but also fascinated by the huge sound of “Manhattan.” The band is a self professed dream folk collective out of Montreal.
The style of this album is unique while still feeling like you should just know the song. It's also an interesting balance of very traditional instruments used in an unexpected way. I enjoyed the use of the violin and trumpet. I found myself closing my eyes just to take in as much of the music as I could. This overall album would lend itself nicely to a big theater experience in the form of a scenic IMAX film. I would also think it would be interesting to be able to see the band live just to experience the full work. “Dawn” was a breathtaking and magical start to the album. It literally gave me chills and I was glad it was left without vocals. The music was what a sunrise would sound like if you put it to music. I felt like I just wanted to take in every second of the song like the fleeting beauty of a sunrise. “Bound by the Sea” continued the larger than life sound, the vocals told a story that only added to the beauty of this song. “Mountain Garden” was one of my favorite songs on the album; it was haunting yet beautiful. In a weird way I can almost visualize what the scene would look like around this song if that makes sense. It's music that plays to more of your senses than just hearing. You can feel the songs, see them and almost smell the garden around you. “Solace” had a bit more of a folk feel combined with a soothing almost lullaby quality. This song felt familiar and yet different. “Wooden Sphere” used percussion in a unique way that peeked my interest. This gave the track a sexy and sultry feeling that none of the other tracks had. It was a nice added twist to the powerful album. The music was so hypnotic, I would enjoy seeing this band live to get the bigger experience. I look forward to more from this group and hope they continue on this path as it was truly something unique and magical.
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At the New Year’s Eve Parade is the result of a turbulent journey of self discovery that lead singer Chance Herbert endured. It’s an album based on the concepts of finding meaning in life and love, and carries an emotive and in your face drama theme throughout. The album is not a simple sad story though, it’s a complex work of art and composition of instruments and sounds that can actually help listeners through tough times.
The album opens with the track “In the New Year's Day Dress” and gives us a big intro into the style and sound of Sacresc. This is a great concept and full of potential. The guitar’s fast pace and sound is fun and exciting. It’s an acoustic but lively style with aggressive but dampened guitar riffs. The poetic style of the vocals match the pace and style of the guitar perfectly. The only problem is that the vocals themselves, while the poetic style works, sometimes miss the mark. The lyrics are great, and he sounds like Jeff Magnum from Neutral Milk Hotel quite often. Some of the instruments could have been recorded a bit better, bridging the drops and intros of incoming sounds a bit smoother. At the same time, At The New Year’s Eve Parade is an amazing ensemble of talented musicians and instruments. The album is carried by some incredible sounds, just take a listen through “The New Year's Eve Parade Part 2” and it’s amazing energy. The accompanying instruments are phenomenal. The drums in “Ariel”, for example, add so much style, personality and energy to the track. The guitar’s mellow aggressiveness is amazing and adds such a clean and beautiful sound throughout the album. The instruments, musicians and composition of this album is a huge hit and make this a great listen. You could argue the vocals could be refined The reality is that in some tracks, like in “Garden Parts 1” or “Toothless Tiger” the singing works great because it’s more dampened and muted by the accompanying instruments. In these tracks, the singer’s style and poetic lyrics work really well. In other tracks, though, the vocals take a more center focus point and are more prevalent. Overall, this is a solid EP and an impressive debut.
Hailing from Wollongong, also known as “The Gong” a seaside city in Australia, The Numbered is a four-piece rock band that incorporates elements from country, surf rock and classic blues, rock n' roll, and an energetic, unique sound emerges. Their album Lost is a collection of six original tunes, plus one cover song.
A grunge-y blues guitar riff starts the record out on strong footing in “Another Time.” The band quickly settles into a driving groove, and a repeated section of slowly ascending notes provides variation several times in the song before returning to the groove. In the next track entitled “Summer,” aggressive background vocals scream out the title of the song as the lead vocalist adds a more melodic tone to the soundscape, resulting in an unexpected and enjoyable contrast. The energy of the album is taken down a notch in the intro of “The Brains are Falling” before the track plunges into a somber country-esque power ballad. The beach rock facet of the band’s songwriting style is highlighted in “Always on the Telly” with chorus-like vocals, powerful guitars and a catchy beat on the drums. Arguably the best song on the entire album, “Never in a Lifetime” explores a lighter, brighter side of pop rock with steady strumming on electric guitar, droning organ chords, and raspy, yet mellow singing. An extended instrumental outro brings the finishing touch to an already engaging and impressive display of talent. After bringing their own characteristic style to “Low” by Cracker, The Numbered finishes out the album with “Lost” a tune that quickly crescendos to a stratospheric energy level and stays there until the very last hard-hitting note. As a whole, Lost exhibits the accomplishments that The Numbered has already achieved as a group, as well as the potential the band has to continue to produce quality, inspired and appealing music.
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