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There is something that I love about ALESANA.  They've got this stylistic musical direction that almost seems to create its own following.  ALESANA is a screamo / metalcore band that adds in a poetic, conceptual, and sometimes an epic feeling, grasping the listener for their last breath.  Musically, ALESANA has a ton of great pop sensibilities, and I love how guitarist / clean vocalist Shawn Milke seems to change character throughout The Emptiness, especially with all the mood swings – the man has really expanded his vocal range here.  Along with this, these guys know how to get heavy.  Their mixture of both modern melodic metal and post hardcore show... (read more)

Not so long ago Attack Attack! were the laughing stock of the ‘metal' community.   There was the infamous “Stick Stickley” video that spawned the tongue-in-cheek crab-core title, and then the interview with now ex-vocalist Nick Barham showing his complete lack of knowledge of his scene and music in general.  Add the neon colored merchandise, and we have the recipe for some pretty aggressive hostility.  The sad part of all of this is that it has anything to do with the music.  Don't get me wrong, the music was as generic as it got, but the band did not deserve the level of hatred that they received (at least on a musical level). Today, the... (read more)

Hmmm, why do I love these PUNK GOES POP compilations so much?  And this is coming from a metalhead, btw!  Maybe it's because I have a secret love for some top 40 pop singles?  Maybe it's because I used to work at Hollister (don't hate, it paid me money at the time, and was actually really fun!) and PUNK GOES POP was constantly (and mandatory to be) playing at full volume in the store?  Or maybe it's because I like some of the bands on these compilations, and I want to follow them?  I think in a nutshell, it's because these albums are so fun, so catchy, easy to sing-a-long to, and these songs can really put you in a good mood! When it comes to cove... (read more)

Bring Me the Horizon, whether it's warranted or not, have gotten a pretty bad rep, caused largely by vocalist Oli Sykes' image.  His sad puppy face rubbed people the wrong way, and the band's huge success with the younger crowds only angered the naysayers even more.  If we ignore the band's image and focus solely on the music, you'll find that BMTH's debut was filled with above average metalcore with a small dab of deathcore.  The band expanded their sound on their second release Suicide Season, but people outside of their fanbase hardly noticed, and the band continued to get dismissed.  BMTH have now just released their third record, and while having an embarras... (read more)

Chugga Chugga choo choo, hop on the EMMURE train, bro!  Well, the band's latest Victory Records release, Felony, is out and about, but nothing is special about it.  Felony is filled with generic and overused riffs, way too many chugs, and lyrics any dumb tough guy could write.  But if EMMURE is doing one thing right, they've got one hell of a fan base.  The kids (hipsters) love EMMURE, and with the smart marketing and imagery of Felony, the release has gone onto selling almost 12,000 copies in the first 2 weeks, and still rising rapidly.  Those are great numbers for a metal release, by the way.  See, we all know by now that music doesn't sell an... (read more)

I SEE STARS have hands down created the best emo record of the year.  Though I wouldn't call it just emo, because there is a ton of great electronica and post hardcore involved, too.  Seriously, kind of like when Panic At The Disco brought something new and exciting into the scene with their broadway/theatric type of approach, I SEE STARS is the next rock icon to redefine the genre.  I SEE STARS give this futuristic sound with the aforementioned electronica and post hardcore, but it's how they stylistically combine it all into one that makes them the breakthrough that they are.  And seeing how the “scene” these days bites on a “lifestyle&r... (read more)

Normally, I don't get too excited about an album after reading quotes from the band.  Musicians usually state that they've “matured”, or that they are “branching out” on a new record, but it is rarely evident when you give it a listen.  Obviously a band wants to get you excited about what they're creating, but a lot of the time their statements are just littered with filler adjectives.    There is no real reason why I believed the boys from Parkway Drive when they said that Deep Blue was going to set them apart from their metalcore brethren, but saying that I was excited about this record would be an understatement.&nbs... (read more)

In 2002, Taking Back Sunday made a huge impact in their scene with their debut, Tell All Your Friends.  Immediately after the album's release, every band tried to emulate what made that album so special.  While many bands failed, many bands succeeded in making comparable albums, and together, they quickly built a scene, popularizing the term “emo”.  Since then, the genre has taken off in a different direction, using the hooks they learned from their predecessors, but leaving behind what made the scene so special to begin with.  While Victory In Numbers doesn't completely stay true to the sound of emo bands of the past, they do a good job of blending t... (read more)

Deathcore has been done to death.  The majority of bands of this genre mainly focus on how heavy they are, making sure that there are plenty of bass drops and blast beats.  Originality is rare to find in your typical deathcore band.  Whitechapel was one of the pioneers of this now laughable genre, and all of these other bands are trying oh so hard to emulate their sound (Oceano, cough cough).  If you're in a band like Whitechapel, do you try to separate yourself from all of your followers, or do you stick to the sound that made you famous?  They chose to settle somewhere in middle, and they seemed to choose option.   If you were ... (read more)