Eisley - Deep Space EP

Eisley is a band who  I only started to listen to at the start because of the fact that their lead singer is married to Say Anything's Max Bemis, but after hearing more of Eisley they became more of a band who I could find myself really enjoying instead of just because of Max Bemis. Eisley is a family band made up of siblings vocalist/guitarist Sherri DuPree-Bemis, Stacy DuPree on keys and vocals, Chauntelle DuPree on guitars and vocals, Weston DuPree on drums, and their cousin Garron DuPree on bass.  They formed in Tyler, Texas in 1997 and so far have released 3 full length studio albums which were "Room Noise" in 2005 off of Reprise, "Combinations" in 2007 off of Warner Bros., and "The Valley" in 2011 off of Equal Vision Records. They have also released 10 EPs, while only 7 were released off of record labels, 1 off Record Company, 5 off of Reprise, 1 off Sire and now Deep Space EP which was released on Feb. 14 ,2012 and also off on Equal Vision Records, as was their most recent full length. I would describe them as an almost indie pop rock with other almost 'space' rock characteristics, you would like this album if you like Passion Pit or Never Shout Never's album Time Travel I think you would get into an album like this. The album only consists of 5 tracks, 1."Lights Out", 2."Laugh It Off", 3."Deep Space", 4."192 Days", 5."One Last Song", totaling just under 20 min. I have heard Eisley's last full length, and it feels as this EP is just an extension of that. I really enjoy this band and almost every thing they put out, and this EP is no exception. After listening to this CD a good 20-30 times I have decided to rate it with a
4.4 Out Of 5 Stars
because of that fact that even though this band plays a genre that usually I'm not to crazy about, I think they pulled it off beautifully. My only big complaint is that lyrically this album really lacked and the fact that this album, although doing it smoothly, really felt like one big song and difficult to tell where one song stops and the other begins. Sherri really shines with her perfect soothing vocals. The band always plays amazingly together, whether it is just because they are family or just because they are amazing musicans. I mostly never do track-by-track reviews but since this album only has 5 songs, I will do quick summary's of things I enjoyed about each song. The opening track on the album "Lights Out" has the most soothing melody on the album, but as for lyrically, the rest of the album included was nothing spectacular. However the lyrics on "Laugh It Off" were the best on the album, and it it one of the slowest paced songs. Even though most of the EP is set to a really slow relaxing tempo, I believe that they really pulled everything off perfectly. If you want to listen to a song on the album that really sums up Eisley as a whole, it would be the title track "Deep Space" because both the music and the vocals really shined on this song, and if you like this song I believe you are going to be a fan of the band as a whole. The track "192 Days" was a demo from an older EP and this song, although catchy has the most corny lyrics on the entire EP. The final song on the album "One Last Song" is my personal favorite song on the album because of the way it flows, and the instrumental sections, the lyrics are also some of my favorite on the album. If you are a fan of Eisley or have now become one after reading my, mostly, positive review of their new EP, you can no longer pick it up from their MerchNow store as I did, being that it is sold out but it is available in a limited quanity on Amazon.com. Thats all for this one and until next time
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Bombay Bicycle Club - A Different Kind Of Fix

Bombay Bicycle Club is an indie rock band formed in 2005 in Crouch End, London, England. So far they have released 3 studio albums their first being "I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose" in 2009, "Flaws" in 2010, and "A Different Kind Of Fix" which was released on August 26, 2011 everywhere but it was not until January 17, 2012 that it was released in the U.S. All of their albums have been released off of Island records, except for the U.S. edition of "A Different Find Of Fix" which was released off of A&M/Octane Records. The band consists of Suren de Saram on drums, Jamie MacColl on guitar, Ed Nash on bass, and Jack Steadman on vocals. The album has 12 tracks totaling around 50 minutes, a relatively long album. This band is for fans of bands like Death Cab For Cutie, Bon Iver, City & Colour, Portugal. The Man, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. The album has the most relaxing feel to it, almost as if you are floating. The lyrics are extremely heart-felt and meaningful. Albums like this are very hard to review because of the pure simplicity of the album, where most of the songs have the same soothing feel to it. I have listened to this album a number of times and really focused on the music, and decided that an appropriate rating for this album is a
4.0 Out Of 5 Stars
because of the fact that although I do really like the CD, it is not something I would find myself listening to on a regular basis or singing along to. The album had almost this feel that the music background to a movie or TV show drama would have. Their were a few stand out tracks on this album I thought such as "Bad Timing" which had an almost alt rock feel to it at some points, and the single "Lights Out, Words Gone" which not only had a great melody but also amazing female backing vocals over really meaningful lyrics. The other main single off of the album "Shuffle" is one of the most fast paced and catchy songs on the whole album. If you were only going to download/listen to one song just to get the feel for the band and the album it should be the opening track "How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep" because I think it is the most relaxing song on the CD and I think that is Bombay Bicycle Club's most redeeming quality. I was not the only person who enjoyed their album because it received amazing praise along with peaking at #6 on the UK 200, and it is even certified Gold in the UK, along with all of their albums. If you guys liked "A Different Kind Of Fix" as much as I did, tell me about in the comments and make sure to support the band by going to your local record store to pick up their music, or do what I did and order it off of Amazon.com. That's all for now so until next time,
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MXPX - Plans Within Plans (Album Review)

MxPx, one of the biggest and most influential pop-punk/punk rock bands of the past decade, among others such as Sum 41, Green Day, Blink 182, Good Charlotte, and New Found Glory and influenced by bands like NOFX, Black Flag, and The Descendents. They formed their band in 1992 in Bremerton, Washington. The band initially had three members which were Mike Herrera on bass and vocals, Yuri Ruley on drums and Andy Husted on guitar, but after their debut album Husted left the band for college and was replaced by Tom Wisniewski on guitars. The line-up has remained strong since then. MxPx has been called a Christan band but they don't like being labeled. So far they have released 9 full length studio albums being "Pokinatcha" in 1994, "Teenage Politics" in 1995, "Life In General" in 1996, "Slowly Going The Way Of The Buffalo" in 1998, "The Ever Passing Moment" in 2000, "Before Everything And After" in 2003, "Panic", which is my personal favorite MxPx album, in 2005, "Secret Weapon" in 2007, and now their 9th release "Plans Within Plans" which was released on April 3, 2012 and their first release through their own record label, Rock City Records. The album has 13 tracks and totalling a little over 35 minutes. I have listened to this album an extreme number of times and I have decided to give this album an overall rating of
4.9 Out Of 5 Stars
because of the fact that this album is hands down one of the best that they have ever done, MxPx are living punk rock legends and have always put out amazing material. It is very difficult to pick out my favorite song but I think that if I had to pick one it it either "Best Of Times" or "When It Comes To You", even though those are a couple of the slower songs on the album but I think they are a couple of the most powerful songs on the CD, and the most passionate. The album featured a ton of faster paced songs and a few of my favorites were "Screw Loose", "Nothing Left", and "Stay On Your Feet". If you were to download or listen to only one song to get the feel for this album I think it would be the opening track "Aces Up" because of the classic MxPx feel and with great strong lyrics and fast punk rock music. The only reason that this album did not receive a 5/5 is because their were some points during the album where it felt as if I was listening to the same songs, but a little repetition is not bad because if you like it once your bound to like it twice, repetitiveness only bothers me when I cannot distinguish between songs, but other than that it was a perfect album. If you are a fan of MxPx or you just discovered them, you can pick up their album at your local Best Buy like I did and order it off of Amazon.com. That's all I got for you guys on this one, so until the next one,
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Rocky Loves Emily - Secrets Don't Make Friends (Album Review)

So, Rocky Loves Emily is a Christian power pop band from Sterling Heights, Michigan formed in 2008 and signed to Tooth & Nail Records. So far they have released 2 EP's which were the independently digital only release "The What What What EP" in 2009 and "American Dream" EP which was their first physical release and their first off of Tooth & Nail. Then on April 24, 2012 they released their first full-length album "Secrets Don't Make Friends" off of Tooth & Nail. The line up of the band has changed a few times since the initial formation of RLE. but the personnel of the band in Secrets Don't Make Friends consists of Pete Kalinowski on drums, Andrew Stevens on guitar, Brandon James Ellis on vocals, Stephen Hull on bass/keys, and Sean Kick on guitar. This album is a crazy power pop album with some pop-punk and pop-rock influences. This album is for fans of bands like Never Shout Never, Mayday Parade, Forever The Sickest Kids, or We The Kings. Lyrically this album features the classic pop-Esq themes with a 'boy meets girl' mentally, except for the album closer, 'The Root Of All Evil', which features very meaningful lyrics, you can listen to it by clicking on the song title. As I have listened to this album a good number of times I have to give it an overall rating of
3.9 Out Of 5 Stars
because of the fact that that even though they grew up a lot on this album lyrically and musically in comparison to their past EP's but it still featured songs like their lead single and title track 'Secrets Don't Make Friends', which was my least favorite song on the album, with simple and corny lyrics and generic pop music. Don't get me wrong I love power-pop but it can get really repetitive, like a lot of this album did. My favorite song on the album hands down was 'Be Mine Tonight' which they just released a music video for. This song really sums up what RLE is capable of, with fast catchy Melody's and had a nice pop-rock sound to it also the lyrics basically kept with the same theme but without being to mundane. The album had some songs that were really fast and poppy like 'I Don't Like You' and 'Drivin' Me Crazy' but also had slower more mature songs like 'Dream' and 'Oil & Water' and also had more pop-rock songs like 'Guilty, Guilty' and 'It's Not Me It's You'. If you like Rocky Loves Emily please support them by picking up their album at your local Hot Topic, like I did, or other record stores, or you can also buy it through Amazon.com by clicking right HERE. That's all I have for this album, be sure to tell me what you thought of the album through the comments below, and until the next review
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The All-American Rejects - Kids In The Street (Album Review)

On The All-American Rejects' 4th full length album, they stepped up their game. AAR started their band in 1999 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. They have released 3 full length albums prior to 'Kids In The Street', which were 'The All-American Rejects' in 2003, 'Move Along' in 2005, and 'When The World Comes Down' in 2008. All of their releases, excluding their self-titled album which was released off of DreamWorks, were released off of Interscope Records. Kids In The Street was released on March 26th 2012, through Interscope/DGC Records. AAR's line up has been generally solid through out the years, their current line up has remained the same since their album Move Along, which consists of Tyson Ritter on lead vocals & bass, Nick Wheeler on lead guitar, Mike Kennerty on rhythm guitar and Chris Gaylor on drums. Kids In The Street is 43:12 and has 11 tracks in the standard edition and has 15 tracks in the deluxe version which consists of one new song and three demos. The album did fairly well on the charts with peaking at #18 on the US Billboard Top 200 and #10 on the US Billboard Rock charts. The album so far as spawned three singles which were Beekeeper's Daughter, Kids In The Street, and Walk Over Me. After listening to this album like 100 times and weighing all the pros and cons of this album I have decided to give it an overall rating of
4.7 Out Of 5 Stars
I a giving this album this high of a rating because this album was very hard to find a major flaw in it. I tried to stay away from comparing this album to their older, more 'poppy' sound because this album really created a new face for The All-American Rejects. Although I have always loved them, they still had that very radio pop sound quality in their songs which gave them their mainstream success. Kids really opened them up to more things since they are expanding their sound to a more alternative rock and less of a pop rock. Now I can't say this is their best album, because of Move Along but this CD came as close as ever. Tyson really changed everything from his writing and singing to just his overall appearance. He really shows himself maturing and really growing up overall. The album still features really catchy songs like The Beekeeper's Daughter but also featured really alt rock tracks like Kids In The Street and Walk Over Me and indie rock tracks like I For You. I feel the best track on the album is the opening track 'Someday's Gone', because of the fact that it shows the biggest change in not only their sound but also their writing ability. If you want an album that is catchy and everything else that an album can be all in one, you can pick it up at a record store or even a Wal-Mart, like I did, or by clicking the Amazon.com link to buy a physical copy with some of the strangest album artwork i have seen in a while. Make sure to comment on your thoughts on the album on the bottom of the page. That's all for this one, and until next time
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Skip The Foreplay - Nightlife (Album Review)

WE ARE... SKIP THE FOREPLAY!!!!! The opening line of the intro of the album, 'ST4P', which got any listener pumped for one of the most brutal electro metal albums ever. Skip The Foreplay is a band who really gets to the point in their lyrics and in their musical presence. Nightlife is their debut album and it is released off of one of my favorite record labels, Epitaph Records. Aside from their fairly offensive album cover, this album was vey properly done, and it seems as this band is going to be a force to be reconed with in the metalcore scene even though STF is know as an Electro Metal group. The band consists of Marc-André Fillion on vocals, Chuck Pilon on lead guitar, Mathieu Maltais on rhythm guitar, Julien Guy-Béland on bass, Marc-André Lemyre on drums, and Jean-Michel Aumais as the bands DJ. If you can't tell by their names alone, STF are from Montréal, Quebec, Canada and have been around since 2010. Nightlife is their first full length album but they did have an EP in 2010 which only had three of their songs on it, which all of them made it on to Nightlife. All the music on the album as original material accept for the final song on the album 'Champagne Showers' which is a LMFAO cover. Dispite very ridiculous song titles like 'Dinner With Snooki' and 'Date Rape Predator' this album did not feel like a debut album. Even though this band still has much room to grow, it felt like they knew what they were doing on this record, and I believe that is why such a major label like Epitaph would sign them so soon. Lyrically they deffinattly they need to grow but as for musically and Fillion's vocals were spot on and his screams were as good as any seasoned screamer. The bands music was anything but sloppy, they felt so together on this record. Going over everything about this album I am going to give it an overall rating of
4.1 Out Of 5 Stars
 Because of the fact that even when you wheigh all of the factors that made is album great you can't overlook things like their amature, even though sometimes comical, lyrics and corny voices and skits between songs. If the band is able to improve their writing, this band is in the running for being my favorite metalcore band. It seemed that every song was crazy catchy and melodic, with the screams being spot on, and they put in the techno parts in the perfect places. My favorite song on the album hands down was 'Destination Nowhere' and is the song you should check out by using this Link to YouTube. They have also two music videos for their songs 'DJ', which has some of the mosy catchy parts in the entire album, and 'This City' which featured Alex Erian (Despised Icon), Jonathan Cabana (Blind Witness) and Tyler Hoare (Blessed By A Broken Heart). This album was 100% worth the buy, and I strongly suggust picking it up if you are a fan of bands like I See Stars, That's Outrageous, and Dream On Dreamer.You can pick up this album at your local Best Buy like I did or you can order it off of Amazon.com using this LINK.  This is all I have for this review, so until the next one,
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The Real McKenzies - Westwinds (Album Review)

The Real McKenzies are a band who mix punk with bagpipes to create an amazing genre of music, known as Celtic Punk. This is their 8th full length studio album, and their 4th release off of Fat Wreck Cords. They started their band in 1992 out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Since their start they have had numerous line-up changes but the personnel on their most recent release Westwinds is Sean Sellers on drums, Mark Boland on lead guitar, Kurt Robertson on guitar, Gord Taylor on guitar, Paul McKenzie on lead vocals, and Justin Burdick on bass. The album consists of 13 tracks and a length of almost 45 minutes. The album was released on March 27, 2012. The album for me was a different experience, I didn't really know what to expect being that I had never before really listened to bagpipes before. This was the first album I bought, or even listened to for that matter, by The Real McKenzies but I can honestly say that I was not disappointed. I think I loved that album a lot based on the pure rough voice that the lead singer, Paul McKenzie, has. The band I feel has two different sides, one side where it is a fast paced punk record, like songs like 'Fool's Road' and another side where the album is extremely relaxing.like the pipe only instrumental song 'Francis Fraser' or 'The Tempest'. After weighing the pros and cons of the album I am giving it a rating of a
4.2 Out Of 5 Stars
because even though a good portion of the album I enjoyed, there was still a part of me that was questioning every song. The lyrics on the album can be meaningful and powerful and on the other hand, some songs lyrics sound purely fantasy like the song 'Barrett's Privateers'. Most songs on the album were fairly enjoyable, but my favorite song on the album hands down is 'My Head Is Filled With Music' because of the fact that I think that song combines many of the amazing factors that make up this band into one song. You can listen to the song HERE. I purchased my physical copy of the album through amazon.com, and you can do the same using this LINK. Make sure you support this band if you like them, they have been around for 20 years and they still need support thought buying CDs or merch and going to venues. That's all I have for The Real Mckenzies 8th studio album Westwinds, and until the next one
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Metallica - Beyond Magnetic EP (Album Review)

Metallica, one of the biggest highest ranked metal band, or at least have been for over 30 years. They formed in Los Angeles, CA in 1981. They have released 9 studio albums, 4 live albums, 11 DVD's, and this is their 6th EP. The band has had a fairly strong line up, excluding their bass player, consisting of James Hetfield on vocals, Lars Ulrich on drums, Kirk Hammett on lead guitar, and since 2003, Robert Trujillo on bass. Beyond Magnetic was released digitally on December 13, 2011 but was released on CD on January 31, 2012. The album was produced by Rick Rubin who also produced their previous full length album Death Magnetic in 2008. The EP was released off of Warner Brothers Records, only has 4 tracks but still is almost a half hour long. The EP did fairly well, peaking at 29 on the US Billboard Top 200. The track listing for the album is 1.Death Train (6:59) 2.Just A Bullet Away (7:12) 3. Hell And Back (6:58) 4.Rebel Of Babylon (8:02). I included the length to show how long all of these songs really are. Most times the longer the song, the more repetitive it becomes, which is exactly what happened on this EP. Most likely because of the repetitiveness and lack of lyrical writing ability on this album I am going to give this EP a

2.8 Out Of 5 Stars

because of the fact that even though I genuinely liked their 2008 release Death Magnetic, and this EP, which was just a collection of songs that didn't make it on to the full length. My favorite song on the EP was Just A Bullet Away because even though it was filled with much repetitive sections, it still featured very strong vocals and amazing guitar solos, which I believe were the best on the 4 track album. You can listen to the song Here. If you are a Metallica fan and haven't either bought the album off of their own website, at best buy or any cd retailers, you can always buy it off of amazon.com using this LINK. This is all I have on Metallica's most recent release, and even though many die hard metal fans most likely wouldn't agree with me on this review, but still

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Eve 6 - Speak In Code (Album Review)

Eve 6 is a three piece band from Southern California who started their band in 1995. Speak in Code is Eve 6's 4th album released following their previous releases: Eve 6 in 1998, Horrorscope in 2000, and Its All In Your Head in 2003. Speak In Code is the bands first album in 9 years after their breakup. The band consists of Max Collins on lead vocals and bass, Tony Fagenson on drums and keys, and Jon Siebels on guitar and backing vocals, who are all founding member of the band and appear on every album to date. Max writes all of lyrics for the band and it was produced by Don Gilmore and mixed by Don Gilmore and Chris Lord-Alge. The album was released on April 24th, 2012 through Fearless Records, the bands first release through this label. So far they have released 2 singles off of this album which are Lost & Found and Victoria, and they have released a music video for Victoria. I have always been a huge Eve 6 fan so when I heard news of the new album I was super stoked being that their self titled album is hands down the best pop-punk album from the 90's. So I made sure I pre-ordered the physical album, I didn't get any packages, because I am not really into all of the extra stuff, I usually just want the CD. My biggest fear was that Eve 6 would go off of their track and try new stuff, not that there's anything wrong with bands doing that, but I was just looking forward to some classic Eve 6. Any I was not disappointed. While they did not create something crazy out of the ordinary, they also did not create Horrorscope Part 2. They did something that I think every single comeback needs, a classic sound mixed with new elements, which is something they pulled off almost seamlessly. So after listening to the album like 100 times I am going to give it a

4.8 Out Of 5 Stars

because of the fact that after 9 years of not recording any new Eve 6 music they return with a new breed of Eve 6, an almost more mature version of their self titled album, which if I reviewed it, would get a 5/5 stars. I feel that the album was a powerful mix and mash of 12 songs that were new sounding mixing with older sounds while still keeping with the mix of pop punk and alternative rock. I think that my favorite song on the album was the opening song 'Curtain' because it made me feel nostalgic and hope for the new sound Eve 6 is making. You can listen to the song 'Curtain' Here. Also If you haven't picked up the new album which can be so easily done Here. So if you like catchy alternative pop-punk rock with powerful lyrics, with a singer with a different yet amazing voice with an experienced band backing him up, then I strongly encourage you to pick up Speak In Code by Eve 6. That's all for now so until next time

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Fun. - Some Nights (Album Review)

Fun. is a 3 piece band who has virtually came out of nowhere, or so the general public thinks, but Fun. as you may know released their first album Aim and Ignite in August 2009, which charted really well, but did not get as much commercial attention as their sophmore release Some Nights. Fun. formed in New York City in 2008 as the new band formed by lead vocalist Nate Ruess, Jack Antonoff doing the guitars and some vocals, and Andrew Dost doing the rest of instruments including drums, bass, guitar, vocals, piano, and synth. They were created after the members other bands depleated. So in 2009 they released Aim and Ignite through Nettwerk Records. After a few singles and a extremely good critical response, they signed with Fuled By Ramen in 2010. Their album Some Nights was featured as one of AP's Most Anticipated albums of 2011 although it was not released until Febuary 21, 2012. Before the album was even released they were a huge sucess after releasing their first single 'We Are Young' which was featured in Glee, numerous commercials, 90210, Chuck, and many others. Some Nights, although only 11 tracks totaling over 45 minutes, has done amazing critically, basically running off of their single. It peaked at the US billboard 200 at #3, on the rock charts #1, and on the Alt charts #1. This indie-power-pop album was produced by Jeff Bhasker, who has produced albums for artists such as Jay-Z, Drake, and Adam Lambert. I loved this album from start to finish and even after I was done listening cause you will never get Fun. songs out of your head. I am going to give it a
4.7 Out Of 5 Stars
because, not only do I love the album, but it was #1 on the VH1 Top 20 Countdown for 4 weeks straight, eventually broke by Gotye. The album is just one big ball of indie pop from begging to end and in such songs like We Are Young and All Alone showcase Nate Ruess's almost perfect voice hitting every note right on key. The lyrics on the album were not like you average pop band which is what seperates them from the rest of mainstream, because their lyrics can be deep and thought prevoking like in One Foot or Some Nights (intro), and they can be uplifting and inspirational like in It Gets Better or All Alright, but most of all they have a simple catchy curous that will get stuck in your head for days like in songs like We Are Young and Some Nights. The album was one of the most perfect pop albums of the year if not ever. My favorite song on the album is Some Nights which you can hear Here. It has a strong mixture of powerfull pop-rock and catchy mainstream pop sounds. I want you to go out and buy this album, if you like fun. or are a fan of musicans like Never Shout Never, The Script or even Circa Survive. You can pick it up at your local record store or by clicking this link to Amazon.com. Thats all I have on this one so, until next time
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of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks (Album Review)

of Montreal is a band that has been thriving in the indie pop/rock scene since their beginning in Anthens, GA in 1996. Paralytic Stalks is the band 11th studio album to date, you can view their complete discography Here, and their 6th release on Polyvinyl Records, since 2004. Paralytic Stalks was released on February 7th 2012, with only 9 tracks but still almost an hour in length because if all of the extremely long songs including 'Ye, Renew The Plaintiff' at 8:45 long and the album closer 'Authentic Pyrrhic Remission' at an astonishing 13:13. The album was released digitally, on CD (which is how I acquired it), on cassette, and on vinyl. The band is made up of an assortment of musicians playing a wide variety of instruments. The main member is Kevin Barnes who not only produced and wrote all of the songs, but is also the lead vocalist for the band. He arranged all of the tracks and also preformed all of the tracks. As for professional reviews, this album did fairly well, with it getting a 3 1/2 stars by AllMusic, 3 stars by Rolling Stone, and peaking at 121 on the US Billboard 200. As for a TheAltMusic rating I am only going to give it a
2.9 Out Of 5 Stars
because to start off, I have never really been a fan of the whole psychedelic indie pop genre, but I think that musically, and to people who enjoy that genre of music would love the album. I just felt that to start off, I just don't care for Kevin Barnes voice, it just always seems to be off key. The lyrics on the album were OK, nothing ground breaking but still very thought out, as they should be for a band who has done this 10 times before. My favorite song on the album would have to be 'Wintered Debts', and even though it is over 7 minutes long, I think it is one of the best song writing, and display of Kevin's vocal talents, which I did enjoy in this track. The song has an amazing melody, which you can listen to HERE. If you like of Montreal, and haven't picked up this album with artwork that is just downright strange, which is most likely some sort of abstract art but I just don't know what exactly it is supposed to represent, I suggest that if you listen to them, like them, and haven't already bought the physical release, I can't even stress this enough to purchase it. I bought mine at Best Buy but you guys can use my link to amazon and buy it Here. I want to know what you guys thought of the album, so leave a comment on this blog telling me, but that's all I have for this one, so until the next one make sure to
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Anti-Flag - The General Strike (Album Review)

Anti-Flag is a four piece straight up punk-rock outfit formed in 1988, coming out of the greatest city in the world, Pittsburgh,PA. Hometown Hero's. The General Strike is their 9th studio album following such past releases like Die For The Government in 1996, A New Kind Of Army in 1999, Underground Network in 2001, Mobilize in 2002, The Terror State in 2003, For Blood and Empire in 2006, The Bright Lights of America in 2008, The People Or The Gun in 2009, and now their most recent release, The General Strike on March 20th, 2012. This is the band's second release on the record label OneSideDummy. The album has 12 tracks totaling almost a half-hour of hard hitting punk rock. This album was self-produced, written, and recorded in Pittsburgh,PA in 2011. Anti-Flag consists of Justin Sane on guitar and vocals, Chris #2 on bass and vocals, Chris Head on guitar and vocals, and Pat Thetic on drums. They have had the same line-up on every single album but their debut album, Die For The Government, which featured Andy Flag on bass, and Chris Head had not joined the band yet. So far the band has only released one single from the album, which is The Neoliberal Anthem. I think I am a big Anti-Flag fan to begin with just because they are a hometown band that has really gotten big over the past decade and a half. This album is by far their best, whether is was lyrically or musically, and I even really liked the cover art. I am going to give this album a rating of

4.7 Out Of 5 Stars

Because even though they are known for their controversial music, this album really expressed that, hitting against the government and media in particular. The vocals on the album are classic AF but with a more melodic hardcore twist with it. Any hardcore or punk fan would love this album. The album art, which also goes for most Anti-Flag albums, was extremely well done and very detailed and thought provoking. The General Strike is one of the best albums of 2012 so far. My personal favorite songs on the album are Turn A Blind  Eye, which you can listen to Here, because it is a short song while also fast paced and catchy mixed with powerful lyrics to go along with it, and The Ghost Of Alexandria, which you can listen to Here, because of the fact that this is hands down the catchiest song on the album and I am a sucker for catchy rough punk-rock. If you are an Anti-Flag fan but didn't pick it up yet, you can do that through Amazon.com by clicking this Link, or by buying straight from them with this LINK to their web store. That's all for right now, so make sure to leave a comment on this review by clicking the comment link at the bottom left so, until my next review,

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Legacy - With Peace In Mind (Album Review)

Legacy, although good, are the very definition of a generic metal-core band. They have the pig squeals, the deep growls, and the catchy pop-punk melodys. This band is a fairly new band, who has been around since 2010 coming out of Toledo, OH. This is the bands debut full length album and they released it off of inVouge records on March 27th 2012. The album was produced by Landon Tewers of The Plot In You. The members of the band are Gabe Lopez on vocals, Lupe Lopez on guitars and clean vocals, & Marcus Springer on bass. Their general manager is Tyler Smith of The Word Alive. The album has 10 tracks which are 1.Intentions 2.Disbeliefs 3.Blindfolds 4.Illusions 5.Burdens 6.Vices 7.Fears 8.Demons 9.Curses 10.Barriers. Out of all the tracks on the album, I feel the song Vices was hands down the most powerful on so many levels whether it was lyrically, screams, and the amazingly catchy courous. If you would like to get a taste of Legacy, you can listen to the song HERE. After considering all of the things this band has going for it, and seeing that it is only their debut album, which is always more or less an experimental album. I am going to give this album an overall rating of

4.2 Out Of 5 Stars

because of the fact that the lyrics are pheomonal whether most of the album's musical aspects were fairly generic. As for the album art, I found it simple yet intreaging with amazing detail, which I really liked. The musical portion of the album was somewhat repetitive but with a lot of promise and I think that with future releases this band will really stand out of the crowd of the general population of metalcore/post-hardcore. I puchchased the album off of their website HERE, which I recieved an autographed poster. If you really like their music I would like you to go out and buy their music, and help support them. You can also purchase it off of amazon.com by clicking this LINK. I am really proud of these guys and really hope to see more. Thats all right now, so until next time,

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Torche - Harmonicraft (Album Review)

So Torche, a Miami, FL band formed in 2004, consisting of Steve Brooks on guitars and vocals, Jonathan Nuñez on bass, guitar, synth, and he recorded and produced the album, Andrew Elstner on guitars and vocals, and Richard Smith on drums/percussion. This is their 3rd full length studio album, 8th release overall; after their 2 studio albums, 4 EP's, and 2 Splits; and their first album off of Volcom Entertainment. Their past studio albums are Torche in 2005, Meanderthal in 2008, and now Harmonicraft was released in 2012 on April 24th. The album consists of 13 tracks totaling roughly 40 minutes. The album is what is called Sludge Metal. I would more or less consider the album pop-metal, pop-rock, or just plain alternative. To be 100% honest I never cared for Torche, and I didn't like this album the first or second time I listened to it. The CD was on sale at Best Buy at the time and AP had placed it as one of the Most Anticipated Albums of 2012, so I thought I would buy it. As of right now, after listening to the album 9 or 10 times in preparation for this review, I have come to the conclusion that I liked it to an extent, my top 3 songs on the album are Kicking, Snakes Are Charmed, & Walk It Off. My favorite song Kicking, which you can listen to HERE. After much consideration and listening I am going to give this album an overall rating of
3.8 Out Of 5 Stars
because of the fact that nothing really held its ground in this album. From start to finish the drums and guitars sounded repetitive and on some tracks all you heard were instrumentals the entire time. As vocals go they deserve a big fat MEH because they were nothing special, basically they lacked passion as did the lyrics. Now I'm not saying all the lyrics were bad but just most of them felt meaningless to ME, they are probably important to many other people. As for the artwork, I hated it, first off since I buy physical releases, there was no booklet and the artwork overall just seemed pointless and not really in any relation to the music. The album could be very powerful at some parts and very cool and relaxing at others, don't just take my word for it and go listen to them yourself too, I am just trying to lead you in the right direction. This band is for fans of bands like Thrice, Mastodon, or even High on Fire. If you like Torche a lot and you want to buy the album, which I strongly encourage, you can do so with this link to Amazon.com. That's all for this one so,
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Alcest - Les Voyages De L'âme (Album Review)

Alcest is a one man band run by Stéphane Paut aka Neige , although there are touring members and one other full member of the band which is Winterhalter on drums. The original solo project was created by Neige in 2000 in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France as a black metal band, which has now evolved into more of a post-metal sound with his more recent, slower, music. This is Alcest's 3rd full length album the first being Souvenirs d'un autre monde in 2007, Écailles de Lune in 2010, and now Les Voyages de l'Âme released on January 6th, 2012. The album was released off of Prophecy Productions and consists of 8 tracks totaling roughly 50 minutes of music. The album title in english means The Journeys of the Soul, and most of the track titles along with the lyrics are all in French. I don't speak French so I thought I wouldn't like the album but his voice and instrumentals were so pure and symphonic and beautiful that it didn't even matter what the lyrics were, although I have read the english translation of the lyrics, and they are all very thought out poetic lyrics. So far the album only has one single and music video out and that is for the song 'Autre Temps'. Although the entire song is amazing, my favorite song is 'Beings Of Light' because of the beautiful eireeness of the song plus the awesome combination of black metal into the song. You can listen to the song HERE. My other favorite song on the album would be the song Faiseurs De Mondes which has more of a metal sound to it with amazing screams encorporated into the song which you can listen to HERE. My overall rating of the album is a

4.6 Out Of 5 Stars

because I felt that only an extremely talented musician could create a masterpiece like this. I want everyone to at least give either this album or even just a few songs a listen. If you like Alcest then I strongly encourage everyone of you to go pick up LVDL Here at Amazon.com, or at your local record store. His vocals are perfect as is his writing and music production. Make sure to go check out Alcest if you have not, but that is all I got for this one but un till the next review, comment, and

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The Koffin Kats - Our Way & The Highway (Album Review)

The Koffin Kats are a 3 piece band from Detroit who have been around since 2003 and have been writing songs about drug use, self loathing, and all things evil ever since. The band's lineup consists of Vic Victor on lead vocals and upright bass, Eric “e Ball” Walls on drums, and after the departure of founding member and guitarist Tommy Koffin, in 2010, is now filled with EZ Ian on guitars and backing vocals. Our Way & The Highway, released on January 24, 2012, marks TKK's 6th studio album, and their first release off of Sailors Grave records, following Koffin Kats in 2003, Inhumane in 2005, Straying From The Pack in 2006, Drunk In The Daylight in 2008, and Forever For Hire in 2009. Most people consider their sound as psychobilly punk n roll, and I really don't think I could have put it any better than that, because with the look, sound, and lyrics they are just a rugged bunch of punk rocking psycobillies. It was reviewed by Alternative Press in the February 2012 issue with the Anthony Green cover story. AP gave it a 3/5 stars and they really hit a lot of strong points. The drumming on it is amazing along with most of the interesting instruments on the album. I am giving this Koffin Kats album an overall rating of

2.7 Out Of 5 Stars

because of the fact that even though the musical instruments on the album were very interesting and fun to listen to the album really lacked in many parts. Granted I am not a fan of the psycobilly genre, and that my be the leading reason why I didn't care for this album as much as I would have hoped. They lyrics and the vocals on the album was pretty bad, I didn't car for his voice but maybe some people might like it, and the lyrics I honestly just felt as if they didn't put enough time into it. My favorite song on the 14 track album was 'For The Good Times' which you can listen to HERE. Make sure to judge them yourself and don't hate them cause I gave them a bad rating. If you genuinely like them and want to purchase their CD as I did you can do that either through their record label Sailors Grave, like I did or through Amazon.com. Make sure to support them if you like them because this band tours non-stop and that cost a lot of money, so if you want to ever see them live or if you just want them to NOT break up, I suggest you buy the album. That's all I got on this review, more to come but until then,

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Best Coast - The Only Place (Album Review)

The new Best Coast album The Only Place was on sale at Best Buy for $7.99 and it was also listed as one of Alternative Press Magazine's Most Anticipated Albums of 2012, so I decided to give it a go. I have never listened to Best Coast before buying this CD, however I did know it was a female fronted by Bethany Cosentino who also plays guitars, the only other member being Bobb Bruno, who plays drums, guitars, and bass. The album was released off of Mexican Summer records on May 15th, 2012. The album has 11 tracks and is roughly 34 minutes long. The vocals on this album were all spot on and even though most tracks seemed very similar musically, I thought the music aspect of this album was very good also. The album art for this album is taken from a sheet music piece cover from 1915 entitled 'I Love You California'. Best Coast is located in CA, and that is very present within the lyrics of the album. The album was produced by Jon Brion, who also plays a few instruments on the album as well. This is their second overall record, the first being Crazy for You which was also released off of Mexican Summer. The band has been around since 2009 and has gained a pretty large fan base in that short amount of time and I hope to see more from them. But over all I am going to give Best Coast's sophomore record an overall rating of

3.0 Out Of 5 Stars

I am giving it this rating because I guess I didn't care for their brand of laid back surf-rock as much as I would have of hoped I would. A lot of the songs were very much the same, and I thought the lyrics could have been a lot more stronger, but overall I didn't hate it but I definitely don't think its in the running for any Album Of The Year awards. That's all I got on this album, so until tomorrow, If you want to buy the album CLICK THIS

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