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(04/30/21 6:45pm)
By Brandon Carson
Classic indie-rock band, Dinosaur Jr., has been on a roll since their reunion album, 2007’s Beyond. Before this incredible run of albums, their guitarist/bass player, Lou Barlow, had left the band in ‘89 after the release of their third album, Bug, and drummer, Patrick Murphy after ‘93’s Where You Been. Guitarist and lead vocalist, J Mascis, kept going with the band for two more records. Beyond is a record that sets the tone for the next four to come. It’s a return to form, while still feeling fresh and unique to their discography. Farm continued this momentum and even pushed their own boundaries on melodies and production with songs like, “Plans” and “I Don’t Wanna Go There.” These two records helped move Dinosaur Jr. forward and show growth as a band. Later, the band saw the release of “I Bet On Sky,” which benefitted the punk side of their sound. It’s another solid addition to their discography, while not being the best. Give A Glimpse of What Yer Not, released in 2016, kept the streak of strong albums alive. It had plenty of catchy hooks in songs like “Tiny,” and even experimented their sound a bit with “Knocked Around.” Sweep It Into Space carries the same torch as all the post-reunion albums. Co-produced by Kurt Vile, each song has emotional, gripping instrumentals, and their sound has adapted all while staying true to them. A few forgettable tracks don’t spoil the bunch, but still affect the album’s quality overall.
More great songs, same old Dinosaur Jr.
“I Ain’t” starts the record off with a driving riff and drum beat and introspective lyrics from Mascis. It’s followed by “I Met The Stones,” a fairly straightforward track that constantly gets better as time goes by. The first stand-out on the album is “To Be Waiting.” The production feels like a mix between the 80s and modern Dinosaur Jr., as well as the structure, pushing together all the great Dinosaur Jr. clichés into one song: a moody chorus where Mascis sings one line, an emotional solo that helps the listener feel the mood of the song, and reverbed drums that fill the space perfectly. The solos on this track are transcendent and all over the album (and their discography), Mascis pushes and experiments with his guitar playing style. The solos seem to always come in at just the right time for each song. “I Ran Away,” sounds like a happy, carefree song, but the lyrics say otherwise. The multiple layers of guitars take the song to great heights, and once again, Mascis’ emotional guitar solos will always improve the quality of these songs.
Barlow’s first song for the record is “Garden,” a slow, Pixies-eqsue jam with a big wall of sound for a chorus. It changes the pace of the album for the better. One of the constants for the reunion albums is Barlow singing and writing a couple of songs, and it always adds more dynamics to each one. “Hide Another Round,” threw me for a loop. The beginning seemed to foreshadow a forgettable track, with nothing interesting, maybe even filler. But after the first chorus, everything comes together, and deserves a spot on Sweep It Into Space. “And Me,” is another prominent track, that takes Dinosaur Jr.’s 90s era sound (Green Mind, Where You Been) and mixes it into a cleaner production, changing the album’s flow.
Expanding their sound, while keeping it the same
One thing that AC/DC seems to have lost, is the ability to keep their sound while trying new things with it. Dinosaur Jr. is a similar band, in that, if one heard a couple of their songs, they’d soon understand what the band sounds like. But what Dinosaur Jr. does that AC/DC doesn’t, can be found in the back half of the album, with songs like, “Take It Back,” and “You Wonder.” “Take It Back” brings a piano into the mix and plays with song structure. The bridge for the track is surprising and grand, with big soundscapes. It really helps the back half of the album and makes the flow of the record more interesting as a whole. Another unique song comes from “You Wonder,” the closer of the record and another Barlow track. The melodies change constantly but still work together, Mascis plays one of his most different-sounding solos on the whole album, and the lyrics feel dense with multiple meanings to be deciphered.
“Go, mystery, go/Let me shine a light/The dark corner of our yesterday/Let mе get it right/Before wе met I thought I'd lose my mind hiding/All the time you wonder how I feel”
A few forgettable cuts
The only problem that ensues across this record is a few bland songs. This isn’t to say that they don’t sound like Dinosaur Jr., or that they are terrible. But when a record is full of great songs that push their discography forward, it is easy to hear when a song doesn’t reach that level. “I Expect It Always” meanders about and feels boringly familiar. “N Say” has a good guitar solo, but the song itself is disinteresting and doesn’t go anywhere new. “Walking to You” has stand-out lyrics, but the mix overall is off-putting and too muddy, surprisingly. The album overall isn’t better than say, the all killer, no filler, You’re Living All Over Me, or even the catchy and instrumentally strong, Farm, not that it needs to be. But when compared to those classic Dinosaur Jr. albums where every song on it is great, “I Expect It Always,” and “N Say” drag down that chance of the record being on that level.
Top tracks:
And Me
You Wonder
Take It Back
Recommended if you like:
Pixies
Pavement
Built to Spill
Sources: The Toronto Star, All Music, Genius, Genius, Genius
Featured Image: Genius
(03/12/21 5:00am)
Metal-core/pop-punk band, A Day to Remember (ADTR) has been around the block before. They’ve written teenage pop-punk anthems like, “Have Faith in Me,” metal-core ragers like, “Sometimes You’re the Hammer, Sometimes You’re the Nail,” and of course emo ballads like “If I Leave.” They were on many Vans Warped Tours and helped put metal-core into the mainstream with records like Homesick and the almighty Common Courtesy. Unfortunately, ADTR flopped hard with 2016’s Bad Vibrations, full of filler and basic metal-core songs. However, throughout their career, the band established a sound and used it as much as possible. But You’re Welcome is a true anomaly. The record is an attempt to bring ADTR back into the mainstream. Every song feels like the band is trying to do an impression of popular, radio-friendly, rock bands. The songs feel too produced, repetitive, bland, and forgettable. But the biggest headache of You’re Welcome is that it has no idea what it is.
(03/12/21 10:30pm)
By Brandon Carson
Metal-core/pop-punk band, A Day to Remember (ADTR) has been around the block before. They’ve written teenage pop-punk anthems like, “Have Faith in Me,” metal-core ragers like, “Sometimes You’re the Hammer, Sometimes You’re the Nail,” and of course emo ballads like “If I Leave.” They were on many Vans Warped Tours and helped put metal-core into the mainstream with records like Homesick and the almighty Common Courtesy. Unfortunately, ADTR flopped hard with 2016’s Bad Vibrations, full of filler and basic metal-core songs. However, throughout their career, the band established a sound and used it as much as possible. But You’re Welcome is a true anomaly. The record is an attempt to bring ADTR back into the mainstream. Every song feels like the band is trying to do an impression of popular, radio-friendly, rock bands. The songs feel too produced, repetitive, bland, and forgettable. But the biggest headache of You’re Welcome is that it has no idea what it is.
Familiar faces
ADTR has always held a recognizable sound and mainstream qualities. Homesick saw the band hone in on what makes ADTR great: the catchy hooks, hard-hitting riffs, brilliant pop-punk screams, and vocals from Jeremy McKinnon. What Separates Me From You pushed their boundaries further, bringing the band deeper into the mainstream and on the radio as well as Common Courtesy. But on You’re Welcome, they keep trying to sound like other popular mainstream rock bands, when they already are one. “Bloodsucker” takes a page from Imagine Dragons’ book with a big “Woahs” and “Ohs” chorus and heavy percussion. “Last Chance to Dance (Bad Friend)” starts quite promising with a heavy, Code Orange-esque riff. But then, out of nowhere, McKinnon does his best Ivan Moody, of Five Finger Death Punch, impression with the lyrics,
“Twist the blade/Leavin' a wound that never heals inside me/Twist the blade, let it die/Vengeance is hereby mine.”
“Resentment” is what probably happened when ADTR listened to Bring Me the Horizon’s newest record, POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR, and “High Diving” has Twenty One Pilots written all over it. The problem here isn’t that ADTR has modern influences, but they get so washed up in them that they barely try and stay original with their sound.
Generic madness
ADTR has never shied away from their clichés. Their sound contains many metal-core and pop-punk clichés. But in their earlier records like Homesick, What Separates Me From You, and even Common Courtesy, they would balance that with excellent hooks and creative breakdowns. They would have plenty of generic, relatable qualities, but the way they crafted a song around it was interesting and unique. You’re Welcome is the complete generic package: with no unique qualities, filler tracks, repetitive structures, and an overproduced mix. The first offender is “Only Money,” which begins the song with the tried and true, “My momma called me…” The song is basically every radio ballad you hear on the radio. The lyrics are bland and repetitive, the definition of filler. “F.Y.M.” is equally as generic and bland, not even sounding like the same band. The third offender, “Mindreader,” is the band on autopilot, with the same structure that every song on the record contains. Among the fillers in the record are: “Resentment,” “Degenerates,” “Permanent,” and “Re-Entry.”
But the biggest misstep on the record goes to the closer, “Everything We Need.” Not only is the instrumental a bland, overproduced mess, but the lyrics are painfully dull and clichéd. It sounds like the first chorus they came up with for the song and never wanted to make it any better.
“Cuz I know I got you/And you know you got me/We got everything we need/We got everything we need/I know I got you (I know I got you)/And you know you got me/We got everything we need/We got everything we need.”
To give credit where it’s due, “Last Chance to Dance (Bad Friend),” and “Resentment,” have some explosive, heavy moments that blend well with the new songwriting style. It should also be acknowledged that they are taking a big risk, changing their sound from something pop-punk/metal-core to radio-friendly hits.
No identity
This record suffers the most from having no identity or vision with its bland lyrics and instrumentals, each track sounds completely different from the next, and not in a way that still connects it all as a whole. The result is that the record suffers an identity crisis. It’s constantly changing moods and styles, but still managing to contain the bland and annoying mainstream clichés. It jumps from the seemingly Imagine Dragons inspired, “Bloodsucker,” to “Last Chance to Dance (Bad Friend),” to “F.Y.M.,” in a row! Then the filler tracks arrive and throw off the pacing of the record near the end. Fortunately, “Last Chance to Dance (Bad Friend)” has a brutally heavy riff.
Top tracks:
“Looks Like Hell”
“Resentment”
“Re-Entry”
Recommended if you like:
Pierce the Veil
Bring Me the Horizon
We Came As Romans
Sources: Revolver
Featured Image: Genius
(03/05/21 9:30pm)
By Brandon Carson
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are no strangers to making multiple albums within a year. In November 2020, the band released K.G., which served as volume 2 in their microtonal series. It offered new paths and directions for their sound and style with the Middle Eastern sounding “Ontology,” and the electro bop, “Intrasport,” but fell short in grabbing and keeping attention throughout the record. King Gizzard has always tried to push their boundaries: changing their sound on nearly every album and experimenting, making their 17th record L.W. look like a step backward. But over time, it proves to stand out on its own amongst the rest, while playing as the sequel to K.G. The band offers plenty of new routes to take their microtonal tuning and songwriting, and the lyrics are some of the best in their career. But some of the jams here can stale over time.
New microtonal paths
With Flying Microtonal Banana, King Gizzard introduced microtonal music to a more mainstream audience, colliding it with their psych-rock sound. K.G. returned to microtones over three years after Flying Microtonal Banana, and while some tracks felt completely original, others felt lackluster, beating around the bush until they ended. L.W., however, opens with something entirely original. “If Not Now, Then When?” picks up right where K.G. left off, flowing right into each other. But after the intro, the song completely changes to a jazzy, softer tone. It’s catchy, gripping, and entirely Gizzard. “Static Electricity” brings back the Middle Eastern influences and includes off-kilter, intricate verses that keep the listener's attention.
There are standout moments in each song, like the cathartic instrumental break in “O.N.E.,” the psyched-out jam at the end of “Supreme Ascendancy,” and the seamless transition from “Static Electricity” to “East West Link.” But the mother of all songs on L.W. is the eight-minute, microtonal doom metal track, “K.G.L.W.” It’s a continuation of K.G.’s opening track of the same name, but a journey culminating the double-album experience of K.G. and L.W. Each riff in the song feels essential and is produced with a raw, uncut sound. If the band were to make another metal album, this would be the way to go. The production on the record feels just as good as K.G. with dense tones and incredibly tight drums. But there are also fun synth melodies that come up from time to time and vocal chants in “O.N.E.” that add more depth to the song.
Eye-catching lyrics
One aspect that stood out on K.G. was the introspective and timely lyrics of environmental issues and the pandemic. L.W. finds similar themes of pessimistic world views of where the human race is headed, as well as political affairs and the environmental challenges our society has dealt with and the doomed future ahead, a King Gizzard staple. But the way they write has a quality unique to them, it's simple, but can be looked into deeper.
“Drink the blood of that you spill/underneath the whippoorwill/one more piece of Jenga to pull/then Necromancer will thank us all,”
Political themes can be found in “Supreme Ascendancy,” an angry take on how people who obtain power abuse it, using the Catholic Church as an example.
“Satan in a cassock casting black magic/Childhoods tragically ripped from their shaking feet/Conscious yet inadequate,”
Retracing old steps
Besides Flying Microtonal Banana, L.W. is their most consistent of the three microtonal volumes. Not jumping too far off the rails like K.G., but still managing to be adventurous in areas. However, a few tracks here do not hit the same highs as songs like “K.G.L.W.” and “Ataraxia,” while lyrically intricate, they fall short due to the quiet, confusing vocal performance from Joey Walker. Overall, the song has a Tool-inspired instrumental, but eventually meanders to nowhere during the end of the song, never finding a new direction. “See Me” introduces a hypnotic beat that resembles “Open Water” from Flying Microtonal Banana. But the longer the song goes, the more it drags on. The songs on L.W. could definitely be interchangeable with K.G., which is the point. However, when songs become forgettable, it begs the question, “Why wouldn’t they just put the best tracks from both records onto one album?”
Top tracks:
If Not Now, Then When?
K.G.L.W.
Static Electricity
Recommended if you like:
Thee Oh Sees
Tame Impala
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
Sources: Metacritic
Featured Image: Genius
(02/12/21 9:09pm)
The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte’s editorial board.
(02/12/21 9:00pm)
By Brandon Carson
The Foo Fighters have been a leading force in the mainstream rock scene for 25 years. They constantly play sold-out stadium shows, playing their biggest songs, and show no signs of slowing down. “Times Like These,” “The Pretender,” and “Everlong” are just a few of their countless hits that have dominated the radio. There has never been a terrible Foo Fighters album, although, they’ve come close. One by One and Concrete and Gold never reached the same highs that The Colour and the Shape or Wasting Light have especially with painfully drab songs like “Halo,” and “Sunday Rain.” Lately, the band has been on a streak of bland albums with no reason to come back to them. Unfortunately, Medicine at Midnight follows the same footsteps. Produced again by the acclaimed Greg Kurstin, the record is boring and unmemorable, with very few moments to keep the listener interested. All the while, the same old Foo Fighters tropes keep coming back: featuring slow beginnings leading to fast endings, big, catchy, and repetitive choruses, with basic, tired lyrics.
(02/12/21 10:00am)
by Brandon Carson
The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte’s editorial board.
Australia’s King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard are the only known band with 16 albums, two official live albums, a wide variety of styles, and an entire universe linking them together. Formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, each record they make is a new unique take on their sound, starting from surf/garage rock in 2012 and currently landing in the microtonal sounds they tried back in 2017.
King Gizzard is the hardest working band to date. Before 2020, the band was constantly touring, even during their five-record-run of 2017. Each record builds their discography a floor taller, allowing for variety in their already energetic live shows. But not only are they just making the music, they also constantly tie together storylines, create characters, and build worlds inside these amazing records.
(02/06/21 4:00pm)
By Brandon Carson
Unlike the title suggests, it has been five long years since Weezer has put out a solid record. 2016's Weezer (White Album) was the last album where the band seemed to find a spark of magic. It was chock-full of catchy hooks and riffs, quality lyrics, and consistency. “L.A. Girlz,” “King of the World,” and “Do You Wanna Get High?” are the key tracks of the album. Gone was the pop-music pandering of Make Believe and the all-over-the-place Weezer (Red Album). However, 2017's Pacific Daydream was the ultimate step back, with its predictable pop structures, corny lyrics, and overproduced sound. What followed Pacific Daydream was a streak of miss turns. In 2019, Weezer would release a cover album Weezer (Teal Album), and another self-titled release, Weezer (Black Album). The Teal Album was a gimmick that seemed to be built around their successful cover of “Africa” by Toto. But the Black Album was a bad sign. There was no direction, no vision, only catchy hooks, and unrealized ideas with a pop sound.
OK Human is the complete opposite.
OK Human proves to be an insane jump in quality. The flow is incredible, with the mood and tone staying clear and distinct. The production is vibrant and expansive. Most importantly, Weezer understands how to change their sound, while still staying true to it.
A new (yet familiar) direction
What Weezer has always done so well in their career, during both highs and lows, is have their own distinct style. It can be found on the Blue Album, where they broke into popularity, and even on the Black Album, where they sound like they’re trying to remain relevant. OK Human follows in the same footsteps; however, the instrumentation and production are completely different. In a 2019 interview with the Los Angeles Times, singer and front-man Rivers Cuomo stated that the strings were recorded at Abbey Road Studios. They brought back acclaimed producer of The White Album, Jake Sinclair, and stripped back their entire production, making no need for loops, click tracks, or even electric guitars.
In an interview with iNews, Cuomo said, “We weren’t worrying about commercial potential, which gave me the opportunity to just sing about whatever I was feeling in the moment and explore my anxieties.”
A near-flawless tracklist
It’s hard to talk about OK Human without discussing each song. They all flow together so well that they become pieces of a whole, rather than a collection of songs like The Black Album and Pacific Daydream.
Album opener, “All My Favorite Songs,” introduces the listener to these changes immediately. It’s even a little off-putting upon first listen, with seemingly cringy lyrics like
“All my favorite songs are slow and sad/ all my favorite people make me mad.”
But right as the drums kick in and the orchestra swells, it makes for a nice, short, and sweet track. From there, “Aloo Gobi” acts as a classic Weezer track. When broken down, the orchestra is playing what would be an electric guitar riff, and the hook sounds like something straight out of 2014s Everything Will Be Alright in the End. But these aspects working together, along with the classical-sounding bridge, make for a completely new and improved Weezer experience.
“Grapes of Wrath,” a song about getting lost in audio-books, keeps the quality up, in what’s sure to be an instant Weezer hit. But the true magic of their instrumental approach comes with the song, “Numbers.” All the elements come together beautifully here: the orchestra is moving, almost cinematic, and the drums are tight. Cuomo sounds sincere and passionate, making for a beautiful chorus. It’s easy to tell how much care went into the creation of this song and the album even. This is one of Weezer’s best songs in a LONG time. But OK Human has even more surprises. “Playing My Piano” sounds like it’s straight out of a musical but “Weezer-fied,” with even more gorgeous orchestrations and piano riffs. It leads right into the short but powerful, “Mirror Image,” which may have one of the best Weezer moments in the very end with Cuomo singing as if he’s improvising the lyrics, trying to get them right:
“Heaven can't save this man/Heaven can't help this man/Heaven, Heaven turned his back on this man/Heaven shuts the door on this man.”
“Bird with a Broken Wing” is another huge highlight. It’s the next ballad and a testament to how emotional the band can get. The song is about Cuomo feeling irrelevant and sorry for himself, leading to this great line from the bridge, “Nothin’ matters in the world and everyone is free, but I’ll belong to you, if you believe in me.” “Dead Roses” continues to amaze with its baroque instrumentation and interesting lyrics. “Everything Happens For A Reason,” a short instrumental interlude, provides an excellent transition from melancholy to joy near the end of the record. “Here Comes The Rain,” is one of those songs that is so catchy and positive, you can’t help but enjoy it. Finally leading to a fantastic ending in this triumph of an album, “La Brea Tar Pits.” The organ works well here, and there’s a callback to “Undone – The Sweater Song” in the end, suggesting that if fans don’t like this new direction, there’s always the classics. Also, it’s just a neat easter egg!
A few roadblocks
Cuomo can write raw, emotional lyrics that can touch the heart, but he has written lyrics that feel underdeveloped and fail to make any sense. “All My Favorite Songs,” falls into the “Underdeveloped” category in terms of lyrics. They aren’t terrible, but we have definitely heard Cuomo write stronger lyrics, even on the same album. “Here Comes the Rain” also includes questionable lines like,
“Splish, splish-splash/Woah-oh, woah-oh, taking a bath.”
However, the instrumentals and production make up for these weird lyrical choices.
“Screens” is the only song that didn’t resonate well on OK Human. It’s the most forgettable track of the bunch, and the technophobic nature of the song feels dated. It’s not a bad song, but coming after “Mirror Image” and the whole first half of the album, it’s easy to tell when a song isn’t up to snuff.
Top tracks:
Numbers
Bird with a Broken Wing
Grapes of Wrath
Recommended if you like:
Cake
Jimmy Eat World
Green Day
Sources: Los Angeles Times, iNews
Featured Image: Genius
(11/26/20 6:30pm)
(11/18/20 11:45pm)
By Brandon Carson
AC/DC is a rock and roll powerhouse band from Australia. They’ve seen more success than almost any band in the industry: Countless world tours and songs, as well as numerous records being set. 2020 not only saw the release of POWER UP, but also the 40th anniversary of the acclaimed 1980s album Back in Black, which has sold over 25,000,000 copies. AC/DC is notorious for never changing their sound. Ever since 1977s Let There Be Rock, the group has crafted a specific sound and formula that can only be known as AC/DC. They know their sound and how to make powerhouse, stadium-filling rock music. With this formula, the band became a hit-making machine. Of course, there are the oddities and the absolute classics (Powerage, Back in Black, Highway to Hell), but the problem comes when their records can become an over-produced slog of monotonous riffs and melodies that sound the same, one right after the other. And so far, the late 80s, 90s, and 2000s have been exactly that.
POWER UP, while also their 17th studio album, is a tribute to deceased founding member Malcolm Young, who died in 2017. The songs were all unreleased, but Young’s brother, guitarist and founding member Angus Young, polished them up for this release. Their prime lineup returns as well, featuring Brian Johnson, Phil Rudd, and Cliff Williams. But even though it seemed as if the stars aligned for a fun, rocking AC/DC record, POWER UP is another swing and a miss with a dull second half, tedious riffs, and overall weak and forgettable songs. However, it still contains a few hidden gems.
A Mixed Bag
AC/DC has never been a band about innovation or change. They have been about all rock and roll from the beginning of their career to now. No one should expect their sound to change. A powerful combination of catchy hooks, memorable riffs, and face-melting solos are the key features to every great AC/DC song.
POWER UP does not go without these. However, the vast majority of the record fills the space while bangers like “Realize,” “Through the Mists of Time,” and “Demon Fire” carry the entire album. “Realize” is the perfect opener. It showcases what you’re going to hear for the rest of the record. It features a ginormous, catchy hook, and a classic AC/DC riff. But what was interesting to hear is how great Johnson sounds: The man is 73 and can still provide his raspy blues growl to perfection after all he’s been through. “Rejection” and the first single, “Shot in the Dark,” keep the intensity and provide even more captivating hooks, but “Through the Mists of Time” is where the band shines. Phil Rudd starts the song with an offbeat drum rhythm that instantly draws you in, while Johnson grooves with Young and Williams. It’s almost a power ballad that draws a connection with Malcolm Young through the lyrics, "see dark shadows on the walls/see the pictures/some hang, some fall.” The track is a perfect change of pace on the album, and a welcome surprise in the AC/DC catalog.
Just when you think POWER UP may be a great modern AC/DC album, in comes the filler. “Kick You When You’re Down” and “Witch’s Spell,” while not bad songs, stop the flow of the album dead in its tracks. Boring riffs and decent hooks take forever to get through, and instantly remind me of the tedious songs from 1995s Ballbreaker and 2014s Rock or Bust. Unfortunately, “Demon Fire” is the only memorable song from the second half of the record. The riff is one of their best in years along with a fantastic hook. The song is classic AC/DC. “Wild Reputation” has nothing going for it, “No Man’s Land” is slow and tedious, and “Systems Down” unites these three for a trilogy of similar-sounding, boring rock tracks.
Same old, same old
AC/DC’s 70s output is easily their best span of records. They made exciting and rebellious rock music that never grew old. The Young brothers crafted countless unforgettable songs even going into the 80s with Back in Black and Flick of the Switch. But none of the same creativity is here. POWER UP is not an AC/DC record that can stand with the greats. It’s good to see that the band can still get together at their age and make an average album, but that’s all it is; however, it shouldn’t be discredited completely. There are tracks on here that could be played in the same vein as “Highway to Hell” and “You Shook Me All Night Long.” POWER UP sounds like it could have been released 30 years ago, and no one would have guessed it. AC/DC does their job the way they want to, and has done so for almost 50 years.
Top tracks:
Through the Mists of Time
Realize
Demon Fire
Recommended if you like:
Aerosmith
Led Zeppelin
Kiss
Sources: NME
(11/06/20 9:00pm)
By Brandon Carson
Bring Me the Horizon (BMTH) return with POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR, an EP drenched with universal feelings of anxiety from all the wrong in the world. 2019s amo saw a new direction for the band. The hooks were catchier as the band was taking more inspiration from pop music. Along with more electronic elements being applied to their mainstream metal sound. A direction that took shape in 2015s That’s the Spirit. BMTH has been continuously changing and adapting their sound since their first record. They went from deathcore to mainstream metal in a gradual way, adapting their sound with each release. POST HUMAN, however, features a consistent sound and production overall, fusing every single BMTH era into one cohesive whole. The record is a breathtaking nu-metal revival that does justice to the genre and allows BMTH to give their unique spin.
Welcoming back the heaviness
It’s no surprise that BMTH was bringing back their metal roots. Not that it was gone in amo, but underdeveloped. But here, the band knows exactly how to fuse it with their mainstream melodies. “Dear Diary” opens the album with an incredible change of pace for BMTH. They take the listener way back to their Suicide Season sound with a heavy guitar riff and blasting drums that create an intense atmosphere delivered in the lyrics of the song. Almost every song feature breakdowns that never get old and showcases the musical ability they can bring to the table. The heaviness this album captures is callbacks to the nu-metal greats: Slipknot, Linkin Park, Deftones. But BMTH knows this and their sound well enough to create a fusion that can hold up in 2020.
Nu-metal isn’t the only edition to this heavier sound. The album’s themes reference survival horror games Resident Evil and Silent Hill, which bring a dreadful tone to the music. They worked with Mick Gordon, who made the DOOM Eternal soundtrack on the record’s production. Gordon adds an extra layer of fear and urgency to the mix that blends well with BMTH’s expected production. “Kingslayer” keeps the energy up with another blend of BMTH’s sounds. What sets this song apart is the edition of BABYMETAL. Hearing this extreme instrumental followed by BABYMETAL singing the hook creates a fascinating juxtaposition.
A tight grip on their songwriting
BMTH has had over a decade to find and hone in on their formula. A lot of songs in their discography follow it because it creates big hits and singles. But usually, each album has a few tracks that seem discombobulated. POST HUMAN surprisingly doesn’t contain this problem. The flow of the record is consistent and never getting off track. It’s apparent that these songs belong in the same universe, and it’s due to the strong songwriting. Each song features the same structure, but it never becomes a problem because they can all stand independently. Every song is not without a big hook or some sort of catchy moment. “Teardrops” is textbook nu-metal right down to screeching synths of this Linkin Park love letter. Singer Oli Sykes channels his inner Chester Bennington on the hook, that the song almost feels like a rap verse is missing. And yet this inspiration fits right into BMTH’s standard sound. The hooks on POST HUMAN are all catchy and hard-hitting, never getting annoying or anywhere close to filler like amo.
Adventurous production and collaborations
BMTH’s last couple of records have been a main point in their development as a band. Sempiternal took their deathcore roots and gave it more texture. That’s the Spirit gave them mainstream appeal and featured more electronics in the production, and amo made every song an experiment. POST HUMAN uses its production to create an apocalyptic atmosphere for the record. A whole heap of new sound appears, especially on “Obey.” The wall of sirens that ring in the background mixed with the guitar give it a grandiose quality. ‘Kingslayer” and “Ludens” also knock it out of the park, keeping me hooked at all times. BMTH took a lot of creative liberties with their production, and it works in their favor.
There are numerous collaborations on the record. The best is easily BABYMETAL, who bring heavy and melodic sides to “Kingslayer.” YUNGBLUD gets a verse on “Obey” and, to my surprise, nails his delivery. It’s the right amount of heavy you wouldn’t expect from him. Nova Twins show up on “1x1,” which is, unfortunately, the worst track on the record. While Nova Twins brings a new aspect to the missing song, it just doesn’t have the same power and impact of the previous tracks. Last but certainly not least, Amy Lee from Evanescence performs in the tremendous closing duet, “One Day the Only Butterflies Left Will Be in Your Chest as You March Towards Your Death.” Acting as a conversation between humanity and mother nature, this ballad brings the entire record together and ends the record on a high note. The song’s crescendo at the end is a great way to end this emotional roller coaster of an EP.
Top tracks:
Dear Diary
Obey
Kingslayer
Recommended if you like:
Linkin Park
Of Mice and Men
Slipknot
(10/21/20 8:54pm)
by Brandon Carson
Corey Taylor is without a doubt one of mainstream rock’s biggest stars. He screams his head off as Slipknot’s front man, who are still releasing engaging and hard-hitting metal music with 2019’s We Are Not Your Kind. He fronts the rock band Stone Sour, which was actually his first band but has always been seen as a soft, more mainstream Slipknot. He has a multitude of nicknames, a wide choice of words, and has written four books. But one thing “The Great Big Mouth” hasn’t done is release a solo record.
I gave We Are Not Your Kind an 8.8/10 and still believe it is one of Slipknot’s best albums. Some of the lyrics on that emotional roller coaster of an album are the best that Taylor has ever written. So naturally, when CMFT was announced, I was beyond excited. While I was skeptical in the back of my mind, I figured Taylor would give his all with this release. But instead, we get a slew of tired Stone Sour B-sides that have barely any impact and never try anything new. CMFT is a long, bland, and boring album with standard, by-the-numbers rock production, cheesy lyrics, and the first time Taylor is not doing anything exciting.
"I know that there is nothing more that I can say"
Taylor is no stranger to cheesy lyrics and conventional rock tropes. In fact, it seemed to be the direction Stone Sour was going with 2010’s Audio Secrecy. CMFT however, is a new low. The record feels as if there is nothing left in the tank for Taylor. Every song contains a similar, predictable structure like it’s a Five Finger Death Punch project. But one of the biggest disappointments is the lyrics and songwriting.
The opener, “HWY 666,” was initially written in high school according to Taylor, and then stretched out while writing the record. It’s obvious through lyrics like,
“When the Devil ran me down/He said, ‘Son, your soul's as good as mine/Just give me more and you'll be fine’/I turned and waved goodbye/When the Devil ran me down.../That's right!”
It’s clear to see that this is supposed to give off the vibe of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” but when Taylor starts singing, it just comes off as a corny mess. “Culture Head” tries to be woke and play both sides to an argument, but with the lines,
“Your generation loves to b*tch, b*tch, b*tch/Just stay offended in your niche, niche, niche/Nobody's perfect, but you're bringin' everyone down,”
Taylor just sounds like an out of touch Gen X-er complaining about the "snowflakes." Just for comparison’s sake, here is a verse from Slipknot’s song “Orphan:”
“I wept when I realized/There were no more demons left to conquer/An opportunity to show my feelings/With skin so thick you swear it was armor/A penitentiary that only lets the oxygen out/I wasn't ready for a version of the truth to get out/I’m getting desperate, I wouldn't wanna fester in another bad dream.”
Gripping, real, and raw. Taylor’s writing for each band is definitely different, but even Stone Sour has interesting lyrics that one can ponder over. CMFT doesn’t come close to the level of authenticity in “Orphan” or in Stone Sour’s popular hit, “Bother.”
"Life, it's all really the same to me"
While Taylor was asleep at the wheel on the songwriting, surely the music is somewhat decent, right? On the contrary, it’s the weakest part of the record. CMFT plays with genres on most of the songs, hopping from Stone Sour hard rock to blues rock and even a punk song. But even though it seems these songs are different from one another, they all end up sounding the same. None of these songs are interesting or dare to try anything new.
Each song is a sound that Taylor has tried before with Stone Sour, or it’s milking out all the boring post-grunge rock sounds that have remained in the rock mainstream for nearly 20 years. “Black Eyes Blue” and “Everybody Dies on my Birthday” are basically Stone Sour B-sides form their last album Hydrograd, and rockers like “Meine Lux” and “Culture Head” end up sounding like rip offs from the bands that influenced them (Guns ‘n’ Roses and Alice In Chains respectively). Besides two songs, the entire record features similar structure, and even those tracks contain uninspired solos from Stone Sour guitarist Christian Martucci. While Martucci’s soloing is fun the first time around on “HWY 666,” it grows old and tired. There’s one on every song with no breaks until “Home,” the eleventh song on the record.
Jay Ruston produced the record, and he also produced Stone Sour’s Hydrograd in 2017. The production and mix between the two are virtually the same. But where risks were taken on Hydrograd with “Whiplash Pants” and “Somebody Stole My Eyes,” CMFT’s risks fall flat with bland production and stale instrumentals. But there is one track here that falls so flat, it’s amazing that it was even recorded.
“CMFT Must Be Stopped” is the hip-hop/rock fusion that comes out of nowhere on the album. Taylor can rap; he has on many Slipknot songs from their first album. But here, it sounds incredibly out of place. Kid Bookie and Tech N9ne do their best with what is given; however, the fusion that is trying to happen never materializes and ends up sounding like a mess. But it’s hard not to give Taylor credit for trying.
"I'm just looking for ways to enjoy the view"
With all the criticisms being said, there are a few noteworthy achievements on CMFT. “Home” is a welcome change of pace for the album and a compelling ballad. So compelling that I’m willing to forgive how much it sounds like Stone Sour’s “Zzyzx Rd.” Taylor’s experimentation, while falling flat, needs appreciation as well. He seems like he’s having a blast writing and playing the music here and it’s hard not to fall into that excitement. Especially on the last—and best—track on the album, “European Tour Bus Bathroom Song.”
(10/07/20 3:00pm)
By Brandon Carson
(09/14/20 10:12pm)
Debuting in 2013 with a self-titled EP, Glass Animals stormed onto the scene with the song “Black Mambo,” a quirky indie-pop song about being outmatched by someone. Hailing from Oxford, England, the band grew quite an audience with their hip-hop inspired beats and fun, sexy melodies. The band released their first full-length album ZABA in 2014, which featured more or less the same sounds from their EP with more realized songwriting. Their creativity continued to shine with the release of How to Be a Human Being in 2016. The album is a light concept of stories that people had told front man Dave Bayley on tour. Overall, it wasn’t too different from ZABA, but with songs like “Youth,” “Season 2 Episode 3,” and the beautiful closer, “Agnes,” the vocals became just another instrument and made the songs even more powerful. Their new album, Dreamland, unfortunately falls flat and continues to milk the same sounds that gave them success. Don’t get me wrong, as with their two past records, there are quite a few good songs. However, the concept is inconsistent musically and some songs are so by-the-numbers for Glass Animals that they come off as filler. That being said, there are a number of notable tracks that stand out and save the album.
(08/28/20 4:00pm)
by Brandon Carson
Debuting in 2013 with a self-titled EP, Glass Animals stormed onto the scene with the song “Black Mambo,” a quirky indie-pop song about being outmatched by someone. Hailing from Oxford, England, the band grew quite an audience with their hip-hop inspired beats and fun, sexy melodies. The band released their first full-length album ZABA in 2014, which featured more or less the same sounds from their EP with more realized songwriting. Their creativity continued to shine with the release of How to Be a Human Being in 2016. The album is a light concept of stories that people had told front man Dave Bayley on tour. Overall, it wasn’t too different from ZABA, but with songs like “Youth,” “Season 2 Episode 3,” and the beautiful closer, “Agnes,” the vocals became just another instrument and made the songs even more powerful. Their new album, Dreamland, unfortunately falls flat and continues to milk the same sounds that gave them success. Don’t get me wrong, as with their two past records, there are quite a few good songs. However, the concept is inconsistent musically and some songs are so by-the-numbers for Glass Animals that they come off as filler. That being said, there are a number of notable tracks that stand out and save the album.
The Glass Animals standard
With Dreamland, Glass Animals have fully realized their sound and what works for their audience. While that’s great for the band, it takes a toll on the music and flow of the album. The fantastic opener, “Dreamland,” sets the tone for the concept of 90s and youth nostalgia with its wavy use of synths and chill atmosphere. While the vocals are basic for Glass Animals, the production is dreamier and more lo-fi than it has been previously. But as soon as “Tangerine” starts, it’s clear that that change was a façade. The hip-hop inspired beat and catchy vocal melodies make it feel like the band doesn’t want to create something out-of-the-box and would rather stick to what they know. “Hot Sugar” continues this trend with yet another hip-hop inspired beat featuring repetitive vocals and a catchy melody.
“Space Ghost Coast to Coast” feels like it could have been the change of pace the album needed with its more fun but chill sound. However, it is too short and repetitive to go anywhere new, making it feel like a standard song for them. Fortunately, their 2019 single “Tokyo Drifting” saves the flow of the album, creating a nice change of pace musically and featuring a great verse from Denzel Curry. Even the lyrical content is different on this song, providing a very braggadocious attitude in contrast to the usual sad boy attitude. The album picks up from here and gets a whole lot better. However, Dreamland is 16 songs long, and it is still peppered with average songs that fill up the space (I’m looking at you “Heat Waves”). None of the songs are bad per se, but nothing about them stands out much, making them a little forgettable.
When it’s good, it’s amazing
Even though Dreamland feels like an average Glass Animals album at times, when there are good songs, there are quality songs. “Melon and the Coconut” finally brings back the dreamy vibe of the opener and tells the humorous story of a melon and coconut breaking up. The instrumentals are new to the ears, bringing a much-needed change for the album. “Your Love (Déjà Vu)” keeps the fire lit with an exciting and suave song that has the best production on the album. It offers the catchy vocal melodies of old while also taking more chances musically that really pay off. “It’s All So Incredibly Loud” pushes the envelope and delivers both musically and lyrically. Even the subject matter for the song is interesting; it’s about the three seconds after someone tells another person something that they didn’t want to hear, and how the silence after is “incredibly loud.” The closer, “Helium,” is a fantastic closer with interesting production choices, a variety of musical shifts, and the dreamy vibe from the opener that rounds out the album well. While the album is plagued by mediocre tracks, these songs provide just enough quality and change to keep the mediocrity from completely infecting the album.
Interludes that lead to nowhere
One particularly confusing choice in the album comes in the form of its various interludes. There are interludes scattered across the record with similar titles called, “((home movies: <insert individual title here>)).” With four in total, two are very short one liners from Bayley’s home movies as a child. While the concept, reinforced by the childhood quality of the interludes makes sense, it doesn’t really go anywhere, as the songs themselves don’t do much to make the album’s concept known. The other two, however, are longer and create more of a connection with the songs, while keeping the choice to use audio from home movies. Overall, the interludes seem disconnected from the album and easily skippable.
Top Tracks:
It’s All So Incredibly Loud
Melon and the Coconut
Your Love (Déjà Vu)
Recommended if you like:
Local Natives
Portugal, the Man
Hippo Campus
Featured Image: U Discover Music
(05/14/20 1:06am)
by Brandon Carson
Every time I see Five Finger Death Punch (FFDP) release something new, I remember a time when I enjoyed their music: I was a middle school teenager with pent-up rage and had three FFDP albums that channeled it. The first two of these were pretty good. The Way of the Fist is their first record that brought them some fame. Songs like “The Bleeding,” “Ashes,” “Salvation,” and “Can’t Heal You” feature brutal screams, killer riffs, and fast tempos that still manage to fit in melodic choruses. Their next album, War is the Answer took those features to new heights. With the help of “Hard to See,” “Walk Away,” and their cover of “Bad Company,” the band was on every metal and hard rock radio station. Unfortunately, with their third release American Capitalist, they start pandering to a specific audience, and started to fall into a repetition that continues with their eighth record F8.
From American Capitalist to now, all their albums have followed the same flow, featured the same cringy lyrics, had the same guitar solos, and contained an overproduced metal sound with questionable musical choices. After American Capitalist, their two-part Wrong Side of Heaven albums were an embarrassment and did nothing to differentiate from other artists and themselves. Got Your Six buried them deeper in the hole of not trying anything new, and And Justice for None further cemented them as one of the most boring bands in modern metal. They found a formula, a never-changing recipe I like to call the Five Finger Formula. Before I get into the album, allow me to explain the Five Finger Formula. Every FFDP album:
Sounds like the last album
Has a big ballad or two (including at least one crowd-pleasing, patriotic ballad)
Has atrocious, cringy lyrics that feature the same topics as the last album
Has boring filler tracks
Has a bridge with quiet vocals reciting the chorus you have heard three times already
Has the same guitar solo at least six times
Has a heavy song that tries to fool longtime fans by saying, “See? We are still heavy!”
Has verses with the same melody
Every FFDP album since American Capitalist has followed this formula. Now don’t get me wrong; every album has had a song or two that I find pretty good. Also, good on them for getting so big that they can write the same album every two years and still remain relevant. Unfortunately, on F8, they don’t do anything to change this formula. Instead, they made the same album for the eighth time.
Same songs, different titles
There isn’t much to talk about on this album because there is nothing new, fresh, or interesting that it does. There are a few songs that are heavier than the others, but they still don’ t stray away from the Five Finger Formula. “Inside Out” contains the same angry, loner-y lyrics that singer Ivan Moody writes all the time, with screamed verses and a big hook like all their big singles. “Living the Dream” just gives the album another song to fill time; nothing is memorable about it. “To Be Alone” features a chorus that is too similar to their hit “Coming Down” from American Capitalist. There also these weird moments where they seem to be ripping off Slipknot’s live breakdowns, especially at the end of “Bottom of the Top.” Then the mandatory ballads come into play as they do on every album. “Darkness Settles In” just follows the same footsteps as the ballads on their other albums. It’s incredibly boring and at this point carries no emotional weight whatsoever. “Bright Side of Grey” is the foretold ballad with patriotic tones at the end of the album that feels formulaic (no surprise there) and cheesy with more bottom of the barrel lyrics.
Cringy, cheesy, and bland
I understand that the lyrics for FFDP songs have never been the best, even on the first two records, but if they are going to keep making songs with these big hooks and a lack of instrumental variety, then the listener is going to pay attention to the lyrics. “Full Circle” begins with whiny lyrics and bland rhymes, “That's it, I f*ckin' had it, I can't take it anymore/Yeah, I know now why I'm losing, well, just look who's keeping score” Moody screams. “This Is War” might have the award for Worst Chorus on the Album with, “You want it?/You got it/Take it/This is war.” The vocal melody for “A Little Bit Off” gets old really fast with cheesy “Hey Yeahs.” I was fully taken out of the song by the second verse when Moody solemnly sings, “I'm a little pissed off today and there ain't nothing you can do about it/I'm a little bit put off today and I could not tell you why/Got a really short fuse today and everyone around me's f*cking crazy/I'm a little ticked off today, a little pissed off today.” For this album, I think the lyrics are easily the worst aspect. They take me right out of a song with their bottom of the barrel rhymes and word choice. The instrumentals don’t add anything new or interesting to the tracks, so naturally I will gravitate toward the lyrics more, but unfortunately, they are just as boring.
Who are they trying to fool?
F8 is full of filler and unmemorable tracks like “Living the Dream,” “Mother May I (Tic Toc),” and “Scar Tissue” (which is thankfully not a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover). These tracks all cover the same ground as the one before with boring riffs and vocals followed by a bland guitar solo. They’ll sometimes throw in a heavy riff to try and prove that they can still write a good riff (which they can; listen to the beginning of “This Is War”). But this appears as a mere illusion because once the vocals come in, it’s all downhill from there. There are also these really weird production choices in a lot of the songs that just feel jarring, like a static voice filter. F8 is just another FFDP album to get them touring again. It has a big ballad and two driving singles they can play, along with their back catalog of the same sound. The only thing they did differently on this album was not including an emotional cover, which I am perfectly fine with. I’m sure if they did a ballad it wouldn’t differentiate form anything on the record.
Best Tracks:
None
Recommended if you like:
Breaking Benjamin (speaking of bands who make the same album every time)
Disturbed
Mudvayne
Featured Image: Loudwire
(02/20/20 7:00pm)
by Brandon Carson
The 2010s was a rough time for Green Day. 21st Century Breakdown released before the 2000s ended, starting the decade off on a high note with its great concept, moving melodies, and fantastic instrumentals. But soon after, they decided to release three albums in 2012, Uno, Dos, and Tré. Three long, drawn out records full of filler, with one or two great tracks thrown in. These albums caused a decline in Green Day, not just in relevance, but in quality. Four years later, Revolution Radio hits the shelves. While the album was still plagued with bland tracks, most of their fans ate it up, and Green Day found themselves back on the map. So, is Green Day going to kick the new decade off with a solid album? Well, Father of All… is yet another bland rock record with barely any worthwhile songs and redeeming qualities. Not even Green Day’s pop punk fun can bring this back.
(02/13/20 4:48pm)
(01/28/20 9:36pm)
by Brandon Carson
(11/21/19 6:03pm)
The thought of Bob Dylan, who has proved to be a masterful lyricist/musician/poet/artist for over 50 years, playing in Muncie, Indiana, is a thought I’m sure surprised everyone in the city. Emens Auditorium at Ball State University was packed with people on the night of Nov. 2. There was one merch booth and one bar with a mile-long line. The band started playing promptly at 8 p.m., without an announcement or introduction. At 78 years old, Bob Dylan and his Band managed to play an incredible 19 song set, with a surprisingly good stage presence and performances.