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Classic Jack, “Easy Go”
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This is the newest track from the small post-hardcore band Classic Jack from their upcoming debut full-length, Can You Feel Anything. These guys have always been great at their unique blend of post-hardcore with the more harsh vocals than would usually accompany their often softer music, especially considering how rough and heavy the one-of-a-kind harsh vocals are, and this song is no different.
It starts off with something experimental and different for CJ, that otherworldly intro, but some of the melodies in that first verse are the best the song has to offer, and they’re just perfectly melancholy. This sad vibe is also new for CJ who usually stick to a little more of an angry or mournful feeling, though that is still present in “Easy Go”.
Then there’s the first chorus, which is just flawlessly orchestrated with layered clean and harsh vocals and a solid background. This does drop off kind of suddenly into the second verse, but the second verse maintains the hype built up in the first chorus, carrying it into the next one until it culminates into a breakdown-esque riff that really gives the song a beautiful peak with excellent lead guitar work as a backing section. Again this part drops off kind of suddenly into the final chorus, but that last chorus is very necessary with the solo-like lead guitar leaving you with that lingering feeling that will haunt you and make you want nothing more than to hear the track this one leads into.
As is normal with these guys, the guitar is interesting but not overly technical, focused more on melody and rhythm than anything else, which this song embodies perfectly. As well the bass and drums are strong, solid backing for the vocals which really shine in “Easy Go”. Kohl’s vocal style has always held him out from the rest of this genre and yet he still manages to find new ways to improve and keep things interesting rather than depending on his uniqueness alone. As I mentioned, the melodies in the verses are just effortlessly emotional in such a powerful way, and the pitched harsh vocals he uses overtop of singing for the chorus really give you the two-sided vibe of this song: a soft, lingering sadness; and a vibrant, roaring, heart-wrenching ache. Those pitched screams are the perfect way to express the emotions they pour into their songs, and you can hear the passion in every word spoken in this track and every other these guys have put out.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
MVP: Vocals
Album Release: Unknown
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Gideon, “2 Close ft. Drew York”
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This new track from Gideon follows the precedent set by the other singles they’ve released so far with the newer sound. This one especially has its ups and downs. The vocals are solid as usual, and the cleans that pop up for just a few moments before the first chorus are fantastically done, so much so that I wish that there were at least a little more of them, if not a lot. It’s a few seconds of beauty as if to tease that they know they can do cleans so well and yet they choose screamed vocals. The lyrics are simplistic like the variety in harsh vocals, but effective—particularly for the chorus. The variety in vocals isn’t a huge issue for this track however, since they brought in Drew York to add to that with his very different screaming technique. He does a great job of keeping the song from getting boring and adding to the fullness of the sound.
The instrumental is comparatively a tad disappointing, mostly in its repetition of the main riff. This issue is made worse by the fact that you can hear a second guitar in the background doing something more interesting, and something that changes from verse to bridge rather than the exact same riff repeated far too many times. Such repetition would have been much more effective in the background rather than centre stage. The instrumental has its moments, like the few ambient sections, but it really holds the song back.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10
MVP: Vocals
Album Release: Out of Control is already out!
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Earthists, “Suicidal Temple”
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Earthists have always had a very unique sound, from the off rhythms of vocals and breakdowns to the various vocal styles used and the most choppy, progressive breakdowns that have so much bounce to them. This track starts off in opposition to this, going for the trending “Architects style,” with octave riffs that aren’t overly complicated or rhythmically challenging. It’s not bad, but it’s surely not the quality we’ve come to expect from Earthists. The riffs start to get stale, especially by the second verse. However, the choruses keep it interesting with something very different and more innovative, more Earthists, especially lyrically. As well, the lead guitar during the chorus goes wonderfully along with the harsh vocals.
The bridge is a bit of a let down with another non-Earthists, basic breakdown, and then it goes hastily back into the last chorus. However, in the final half minute of the track is where we hear that old Earthists flavour come in hard and fast for a choppy breakdown that is the perfect closure for the song.
Overall the flow of the song was really the only part that wasn’t great, and it was missing some of the progressive feel that makes Earthists so unique, but the ending and the great choruses showed us that they still have it.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
MVP: Vocals
Album Release: Unknown
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Icon for Hire, “Hollow”
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Icon for Hire has been out of the more rock scene that they started in for a long time, but they’ve never stopped having the rock/punk honesty in their lyrics and emotion in their vocals. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the last album, but this song takes me back to the self-titled, just with less instrumentals. The background for this track is simplistic, as with most softer genre songs, but it has its moments with the strings that can be heard during the verses. The beat is just a stage for the vocals, which for this song far outweigh the simplicity of the rest.
The lyrics are brutally honest, as is characteristic of Icon for Hire’s material—particularly their earlier albums—and the melodies put along with them make the vocal performance very well done. She jumps from a speaking, rap-like vocal to include little bits of melody and singing at the end of lines, making it more interesting than a straight one-tone verse. The rhythm of the vocals also keeps it interesting by mixing things up, not using the same rhythm for every line. The chorus does pop up kind of awkwardly, but it's done so well that that is easy to overlook. Then the bridge comes along, and it has a nice emotional build using probably the best line in the track to focus on. Again it’s a bit of an awkward transition to the chorus but it fits so well emotionally that the flow isn’t disrupted too much. The outro gets a little repetitive as it repeats part of a verse, but they do it in a different way with a different feeling that makes it fit well without being stale or unbearably repetitive.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10
MVP: Vocals
Album Release: Unknown
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Thousand Below, Gone in Your Wake
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On first hearing the few singles released for this album I was a little disappointed. None of them really caught me, but I ended up giving the whole album a listen and it was definitely worth it. Overall, the singles are some of the worse songs on the album. “Chemical” is just a boring radio rock track, besides the fact that it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the album’s emotion at all, and the lyrics feel very incomplete. “Alone” and “Disassociate” are much better written, they have some of that awesome Thousand Below heart and emotion, while introducing the listener to the new electronic sound, but they have nothing on tracks like “Fake Smile,” “171 xo,” and the titular “Gone in Your Wake.” The rest of this album is Being as an Ocean-esque in its emotion and electronic vibe, but it does it in a very new and unique Thousand Below way.
The instrumentals are never very complicated, but for a few tracks they have quite a bit to them, even in the piano and acoustic songs which is just fantastic, considering bands usually use soft tracks to take a break. Instead, TB uses the softer songs to build emotion and story and show off their versatility with every sound available from the little guitar licks and riffs to the vocals that just blow you away. The singing on this album has so many sides to it that are so filled to the brim with all the emotions possible it makes it very difficult to listen to this album without wanting to cry at least a little. He tries so many different techniques and styles, plus the occasional harsh vocal, and the synth effects that pop up on his voice sometimes, and that just makes the vocal performance blow everything else out of the water.
The breathtaking vocals and lyrics and atmosphere combined with the fact that the instrumentals do more than just support and do so to only build on everything else make this album a masterpiece—with the exception of the opening track. Heavy or not, Thousand Below has quickly risen to the top of this scene and for good reason.
Overall Album Rating: 9/10
Best Tracks: “Fake Smile”, “Alone (Out of My Head)”, and “171 xo”.
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Fire from the Gods, “Make You Feel It”
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When it starts out, this song threw me off. I wasn’t expecting the off-beat intro, and it sort of disrupts the flow right from the start, but it leads into a beautifully written song. The lyrics in this song can be a little off-putting because of the typical rap slang use and short forms, but the flow of the vocals is nothing short of amazing. It’s not overly technical or difficult but the mixture of singing and spoken or rapped vocals is done wonderfully, and the rhyming and rhythm is hypnotizingly gorgeous. The chorus is simplistic compared to the verses when it comes to lyrics but it really puts together the structure, and showcases the singing voice of their vocalist which is so smooth and emotional you can just feel your heart crack a little bit. And, to add on to how fantastic the vocals are, the lyrics have so much meaning and depth, they’re so applicable to today and what’s wrong with the world today put in such a poetic and honest manner that it really hits you hard. The track does what it promises and really makes you feel what he’s feeling.
The instrumental portion of “Make You Feel It” is not very technical, but it has enough different rhythms and melodies to add quite a lot to the song, more than the usual “soft-song” backing usually found on tracks like this. The syncopated guitar during the chorus especially adds a lot to the atmosphere and depth of the song, as well as the minimal piano notes that give the song a backbone to flow along. The instrumental may appear very simple on a first listen, but it has a surprising amount of layers and complexity to it, especially for the type of song this is.
Overall Rating: 9/10
MVP: Vocals
Album Release: November 1, 2019 (American Sun)
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Thornhill, “Where We Go When We Die”
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This track from the little Australian band that is finally getting the attention they deserve as they prepare to release their debut full-length is just fantastic from front to back.
The singing is hauntingly beautiful and gives you a huge range of emotions with some great lyrics, and the harsh vocals put solid emphasis on the heavier sections with their unique sound—which is similar to Void of Vision, just with their own flavour. The vocals absolutely take this song to another level with the held notes and faster sections that give it a good flow despite the often abrupt transitions that strangely fit the style.
The instrumentals are just as interesting, and even more progressive with the rhythms and ambience that never relinquished hold for even a moment. While the vocals drive “Where We Go When We Die,” the instrumental grabs you and keeps you on track with everything going on. The softer breaks show how much talent and innovation can go into less technical bits, while the breakdowns encompass you and hit so hard in combination with the screamed vocals.
While the length of this track is a bit daunting, even 5 minutes isn’t quite enough to provide closure. The ending isn’t quite out of nowhere, it fits, but the song doesn’t feel complete on its own. I’m sure the rest of The Dark Pool will resolve that for us all, but for now we have to wait. Either way, Thornhill is absolutely killing it, and this song is probably one of the best if not the best they’ve released to date.
Overall Rating: 9.5/10
MVP: Vocals (mainly those haunting cleans)
Album Release: October 25, 2019 (The Dark Pool)
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Gideon, “Sleep”
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Gideon is well known for their hardcore sound and while their new material doesn’t give that up, it portrays it in a totally different way. “Sleep” is a great example of their new style. It may be a bit less “heavy” (if you’re missing that and think they’ve sold out, go listen to “Bite Down”), but they still have solid lyrics, interesting riffs, and a lot of atmosphere which has always made them a strong band. The atmosphere is just more to the forefront in the newer material, that’s the main difference.
The bass, guitar, and drums all have some not overly complex but interesting rhythms. The vocals and lyrics are about the same, nothing overly innovative but they keep the track going. It has a good beat, strong rhythm, and a few nice lines especially that make it an interesting song.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10
MVP: Vocals
Album Release: October 11, 2019 (Out of Control)
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Void of Vision, Hyperdaze
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Void of Vision is an Australian band with more hardcore roots. Their sophomore album, Hyperdaze is where we see them solidify their sound. It’s not the most amazing album, but it is pretty fantastic. The atmospheric feel it has really sets the scene for the topics and lyrics therein. The lyrics, though poetic, can be a tad simplistic or crude, but they fit the style and are done very well. The vocals similarly fit the sound very well, especially with the effects on them that get the futuristic, electronic feel to the frontlines. The effects do however have the effect of making the vocals blend very easily, despite the variety of mids and lower scream techniques the vocalist uses. This causes some of the songs to blend, especially the ones with similar riffs, the heavier tracks that have all harsh vocals and heavy instrumentals. The more octave-based intro riffs—no matter how good they are—do start to blend all on their own, but many songs keep it interesting and different such as “Decay” and “Splinter.” Similarly, the use of clean vocals on occasion vastly separates songs from each other and makes them more memorable since they have something different to offer.
As a whole, this album is worth a good listen, because it has a lot to offer, particularly in the more atmospheric sound department. As it is more atmospheric, it seems to stagnate in flow a few times between tracks or in longer songs, and sometimes the songs feel a little incomplete. However, the amount of innovation and experimentation with song structure really keeps most of the flow interesting and smooth, rather than forcing a basic verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus structure; and the riffs and lyrics really keep you listening because they tell a great story filled with anger and bouncing breakdowns.
Overall Album Rating: 7.5/10
Best Tracks: “Babylon” and “Hole in Me”
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Like Moths to Flames, When We Don’t Exist (2011)
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Throwback Thursday! (First Thursday of every single month)
This album is pure, distilled broken heart concentrated into hammering riffs and vocals filled with rage, sorrow, and strength. This is the debut full-length from LMTF and to this day it’s some of the best they have to offer, especially melodic-wise, and definitely compositionally. When We Don’t Exist’s composition has some of the best bouncy, off-beat riffs in time signatures not common in any genre, let alone metalcore. And the amazingly rough, varied screams plus Chris’ signature melodic singing make every track full and sonically punishing in the best way.
Of all LMTF’s catalogue, this album is the most purely melodic, unapologetic show of raw fury and vulnerable emotions all encompassed in a non-stop flurry of breakdowns and head-bang-worthy riffs. It’s a classic, and a staple for anyone with a taste for melodic, rage-filled post-hardcore. And with these guys, it only gets better with each album. (Dark Divine is the lone exception to that trend, though it is still quite enjoyable. But hey the new single “All That You Lost” sounds like they’re back on the right track.)
Best Tracks: “Learn Your Place” (on the Deluxe Reissue), “The Worst in Me”, and “Praise Feeder”
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Classic Jack, “Pretty People”
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Classic Jack is a smaller band but so far, they don’t disappoint.
This track is a heavier one, with some nice, triplet-based guitar riffs that are really fun. The instruments aren’t overly complex, yet all keep up well and make a good backing, though sometimes the transitions between sections can be a bit rough in this song. The drums especially have some nice bits with the cymbals that add some solid layers to make it sound more full, which is very important in a three-piece band.
The vocals and lyrics in “Pretty People,” however, are the stars of the show. The pitched harsh vocals along with lyrical rage against the world gives the song quite the backbone. The line “the pretty people always seem to do the ugly things in life” is fantastic and the way it’s screamed is so raw that it easily becomes the peak of the song.
Overall Rating: 7/10
MVP: Vocals
Album Release: Unknown
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The Devil Wears Prada, “Chemical”
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TDWP has been moving away from their metalcore roots of late, but rather than sell out to a more pop-based sound they’ve been sticking with and exploring their more hardcore and post-hardcore roots. This song is even more different for their newer repertoire, yet it still has a post-hardcore feel to it with the backing screamed vocals and melodic, ambient guitar. The catchy, pop-reminiscent clean vocals have been heavily used for all three singles released for the new album this year, and this track is no different, but it really showcases Jeremy’s singing to a whole new level. The melodies and flow of lyrics from section to section is beautifully seamless, and the simple poetry yields a story that pulls this whole song together into a masterpiece. Not will the chorus be stuck in your head, but the verses will be too with their lilting rhythms and attention-grabbing melodies.
The instrumentals are simplistic, there’s nothing more than some interesting ambient rhythms and mostly chords, however this track only calls for a backing, a stage for the story that the vocals tell. So, the instrumental does a great job of making an emotional, ambient backing that does not take away from the focus. I’m sure they could have had more to them, but they do a good job of their purpose in this song. Their lead vocalist’s harsh vocals work similarly in this situation: to add layers and emotion—though sometimes he does feel a bit drowned out in the mix.
The main complaint I would have for “Chemical” is the repetition of the titular line, if only for complexity’s sake. The repetition is done very well though with variety and adds a lot to the song, so it’s a minimal issue. Overall this track was an amazingly personal release of heart and soul.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
MVP: Clean Vocals
Album Release: Oct. 11, 2019 (THE ACT)
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Glass Houses, “Sun Bleached Bones”
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This track comes from a smaller band with only one full-length release under their belts, but they go hard and do it well. They’re not perfect, some of the melodies—especially in the bridge, “I’m not innocent,” section—feel a bit off, and the flow can be a tad rough, but for a young band these guys are well on their way.
The instruments are interesting and though they’re not overly technical, they’re technical enough to keep the song strong while being melodic enough to keep the flow and emotion. The flow is especially important in this track as they play around with structure quite a bit, especially concerning “verses,” so the instruments did a fantastic job of making the song unique and enjoyable to listen to.
The vocals from the backing clean vocalist were good, but it felt a little off at times, like I mentioned earlier, but the lead vocalist absolutely killed this track. His harsh vocals are so unique and done so well, especially when combined with the overall sound of the band, and his rougher singing during the choruses really stood out and kept everything together a lot better than just normal, soaring cleans would have. The lyrics were really well put together as well, especially during his parts, though they seemed to lose a bit at times like the “burning church” lines or “we’re feeling alive.”
Either way, this song was well done even though it has its flaws, and I’m excited for the rest of the new album to come out already. Glass Houses have already released several other singles that I’m hoping will all be on the upcoming release, including “Lost Choices” and “Li(F)e”.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10
MVP: Lead Vocals
Album Release: Unknown
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We Came as Romans, “From the First Note”
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Following up the lead single, “Carry the Weight,” WCAR decided to bless us with a second new song on the very same day. This one isn’t as absolutely beautiful as the lead single, but it shows off WCAR’s second side, the gentler, heartful one that sings wondrous ballads that could be in romantic movie soundtracks (the good kind, of course). It’s a perfect tribute to their late vocalist, and hearing that snippet of his singing they put under the bridge brings the whole thing together in a melancholy beauty.
Dave’s singing has vastly improved over the years that he’s been doing it, and it sounds like he’s finally found a sound all his own, just like his well-loved, unique harsh vocals. Though this type of track might not be everyone’s favourite, it gives these guys their variety and shows off the wide range of their style and talent, because they can make even a sappy, poppier song be poetic and amazing in its own right, just like their heavier (sound- and emotion-wise) repertoire.
The instrumental is much more simplistic in this one, but it does its job wonderfully by creating a platform of happy-sad that WCAR does so well. It’s a little bit cheerful and grateful for all the experiences, but they can’t ever be replaced, and the lead guitar especially in this track captures that feeling, particularly during the bridge section leading into the last chorus. It’s simple but it gets the point across and it’s such a solidly written song with structural innovation and melodies that are just fantastical to listen to.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
MVP: Vocals
Album Release: Unknown
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We Came as Romans, “Carry the Weight”
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WCAR is a band that has always been one of my favourites; they got me into this genre. Seeing them continue with such soul and power even after the loss of Kyle Pavone, their clean vocalist, just over a year ago, makes me proud and oh so excited. A loss is always tragic and vastly life-changing, and it takes a lot to keep going with a project after someone who has been with them from the beginning passes away so unexpectedly. May Kyle and every other soul who has left us too soon rest in peace.
This track is by far one of the best to ever come out of WCAR, and that’s saying something because not only have they released quite the abundance of music, but they have done so with an unerring quality to it. It’s tragic that Kyle isn’t around to take part in what they’ve been evolving into since their last album. This song starts off beautiful with the ambient, echoing instrumentals with some amazing cleans from Dave, their former mainly harsh vocalist and now lead vocalist. He of all the members has improved the most over the course of the band. This is especially portrayed in the chorus of “Carry the Weight” as he utilizes his harsh range to augment and add to a more clean sound. The tonal screams that sound so close to soaring cleans yet far more fitting for the song really put the chorus above and beyond.
From the moment it hits so suddenly, yet so fittingly, the instrumental shows off its technicality, as listeners of WCAR particularly in their older days will recognize. It has the classic metalcore sound and a new-core tuning to boot, but these guys use it so well to stand out from all the rest of the bands today by not blending in with the Architects-copy-cats-era drop G, drop F tunings that seem to be so prevalent today. It’s got breakdowns, relaxed choruses with a little extra something that’s not just eighth notes, riffs that crush, and sorrowful ambience that rends the very soul. The drums follow the guitar for the most part, and so are not overly innovative, but they have their time to shine too. The bass was similar, however it really comes out in the final moments of the track to give a solid, fulfilling ending to the story.
Songs like “Carry the Weight” are the reason this genre is still alive, kicking, and better than ever. Plus they innovated hard with playing around song structure and keeping every section fresh and flowing effortlessly. From poetic, emotional, artistic lyrics to technical yet melodic and perfectly flowing instrumentals and vocals that just keep getting better with every album, WCAR killed it with this new song. Kyle would surely be proud.
Overall Rating: 9.5/10
MVP: Vocals
Album Release: Unknown
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Our Hollow, Our Home, “Parting Gift”
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These guys are a fantastic unsigned band from the UK. They’re a little smaller, but they really know how to keep things fresh and they have a super unique sound, especially with their more deathcore inspired vocals mixed with the lighter metalcore instrumental and cleans.
This is a slower track, especially for such a crazy, in-your-face band. It’s on the simpler side, lyrically and instrumentally, but it hits like a brick to the face atmospherically. The emotion in the voice, the words, and when it picks up for the finale, the sorrow is nothing if not absolutely gut-wrenching. The finale even puts it ahead of most softer tracks, keeping the softer vibe but including their main vocalist on background screams, and utilizing the whole band while keeping it a beautiful ballad.
The instrumental is simplistic, but it’s a great backing for the real showcase here: the clean vocals. Plus, the little electronic elements they include really add to the atmosphere and ambience of the track. It flows effortlessly, and even the sharp transition at the end feels fitting, no matter how much I wish they had extended the peak of the song.
Coupled with this song, from Our Hollow, Our Home’s last album, In Moment // In Memory, comes a music video that just amplifies the soul and meaning behind it. Like the song says, we can all relate to loss in some way, and Parting Gift really puts that into perspective, and how loss shapes us as people.
Overall Rating: 8/10
MVP: Clean Vocals
Album Release: already out, so go listen!
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Throwback Thursday? Anyway here’s some awesome music from a few years ago, from a band which has unfortunately broken up (it only hurts a lot).
Elitist, Elitist (2015)
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One of the best albums I’ve ever heard, this record is fantastically written from start to end. It tells the story of ignorant humanity and at the same time more personal topics such as the realization that everything bringing you down has been because of your own selfishness, all tied into a wonderful allegory that everyone can apply to their own lives. It has heavy riffs and grooves, soft interludes, beautiful melodic sections, and the lyrics are so heavy it hurts. Definitely the thing that stands out about this album most though is the fantastic instrumentals, the technical yet so effortlessly emotional guitar riffs with the most interesting rhythms that they’ll be stuck in your head too, not just the choruses.
Best Tracks: “Idle Hands” and “Gone”
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