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Lightworker - How The Beautiful Decay

With all of the bands today that are being influenced by 00s heavy music, especially metalcore, one subset of metalcore I’m not seeing too much of is melodic metalcore. Bands like Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, Parkway Drive, August Burns Red, and many others reigned supreme in the 00s, but they balanced catchy hooks with brutal metalcore. I call some of these bands “At The Gates-core,” because they take influence from the 90s melodic death scene. Their melody comes from both their melo-death influence and the melodic choruses they employ, but these bands faded out of favor in the early 2010s when “Risecore” became really popular. Breakdowns and generic clean choruses became more popular, and flashy and melodic guitarwork and riffs became out of favor.

It’s rare to find bands like that anymore, especially when a lot of those bands turned into hard-rock / butt-rock, so hearing a melodic metalcore band that harkens back to that era is really cool. That’s exactly what I did, too, with Lightworker’s sophomore album, How The Beautiful Decay. I found this band randomly while looking at the new releases, and I saw that they’re signed to Solid State. Greyhaven just dropped their new EP on there a couple weeks back, so I figured these guys might be worth looking into. Sure enough, they ultimately are, as this record is a really fun ride through nostalgia-inducing melodic metalcore that took me back to the genre’s heyday but feeling a bit more modernized.

These guys balance catchy hooks, solid riffs, and brutal breakdowns quite nicely, and nothing ever feels out of place or bland. The clean vocals sound like they came from a butt-rock band, but they aren’t bad, and they kind of add to their 00s sound. Otherwise, I love this band’s really heavy sound, and they have some super awesome breakdowns that scratch that itch quite nicely. The riffs are really cool, too, and they’re utilized well. These guys are very talented musicians, despite being a relatively new band. I hadn’t heard of them before finding this album, but these guys were a great find.

These guys don’t necessarily have a unique sound that I haven’t heard before, but this album is so well done that if you enjoy that sound, you’ll probably really love this album. I didn’t know I needed this album until I heard it, but it’s one of the best heavy albums I’ve heard all year so far. I’ve been having a total blast with this record, especially since I’ve coincidentally been in the mood for hard hitting metalcore and this past week has given me some solid releases to sink my teeth into, so it’s been great, and this album is no exception. If you want some melody with your metalcore, this is a great album to listen to.

#lightworker #how the beautiful decay #solid state records #underoath #killswitch engage #as i lay dying #Norma Jean #metalcore #metal #heavy metal

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The Ghost Inside - Searching For Solace

Because I listen to a lot of music over a year, there are bands and artists that I listen to every few years or so. These bands put out an album, and I’ll listen to it, only to forget about them for another few years until they put out another one. There are some bands, though, that I haven’t listened to in a decade or so, but not because I didn’t want to. It’s almost always that I just forgot about them, especially if they hadn’t released anything in so long. One such band is the Californian metalcore band The Ghost Inside. They’re certainly a band that has gone through quite a lot over the last decade. After dropping a few albums in the late 00s and early 2010s, the band got into a horrible car accident in 2015, which resulted in a few fatalities and their members getting critically injured. One of their members even got their leg amputated after being in a coma for ten days.

The band finally made their triumphant return in 2020 with a self-titled album. I just listened to it for the first time recently, but it was good, despite being nothing out of the ordinary for them. Four years later, they’re back with the second album in their resurgence, Searching For Solace. That’s kind of a fitting title for a band that’s been through so much within the last decade, and they’re still on a journey of healing. This album is very much about that, even all of these years later, but this album caught me by surprise. Firstly, I had no idea this was coming out, and secondly, I was kind of blown away by this record. The thing is, though, this album is relatively basic metalcore and melodic hardcore. I haven’t kept up with this band in a decade, since their album before the bus crash, and they really haven’t changed their sound.

I feel like I shouldn’t like this record, because of how they haven’t really changed their sound over the years, ultimately making for a rather generic album. Searching For Solace is a great example of how something basic can work so well, because it doesn’t try to be something it’s not, and the band is so well adept at crafting a catchy and heavy brand of metalcore, its basic sound is easily forgivable. This record is just written and performed so well, they have it down to a science. From their catchy hooks, heavy riffs, to some of the best harsh vocals I’ve heard in awhile, this record is a very accessible yet hard hitting metalcore album that fans of the genre and newcomers could enjoy.

This album runs the gambit of having really catchy songs, and really heavy bruisers, but they’re excel at both of them. They know how to craft a catchy hook but an intense breakdown, and at only 37 minutes, it keeps it brief. I’ve been coming back to this album quite a lot, just for how accessible it is and how it’s easy to listen to. This album, at least at this very moment, is my album of the year. It could be that its themes of hopefulness and carrying on in times of strife hit hard, or that the hooks and breakdowns complement each other, but this record is a really hard hitting album. Crazy how a band I haven’t listened to in a decade has the top spot of my yearend list at the moment, but it’s truly that good.

#the ghost inside #searching for solace #epitaph records #metalcore #melodic hardcore #get what you give #dear youth #metal #heavy metal

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SeeYouSpaceCowboy - Coup De Grace

Nostalgia is often cyclical, as certain decades will become the aesthetic trend in the zeitgeist for a certain time, whether it was the 80s a decade ago, the 90s a few years ago, and the 00s now. That nostalgia doesn’t just include fashion, but it includes all facets of pop culture, especially music. A lot of 00s influences are being incorporated into all types of genres, especially metalcore. Over the past five years, a lot of younger bands are popping up that have been influenced by bands that came before them, especially when they grew up during the 00s and early 2010s. Many folks consider the 00s to be the crux of the metalcore scene, and a lot of bands getting big now are around my age (late 20s and early 30s) that listened to a lot of the “veterans,” so to speak. Some of these bands want to merely emulate that sound, but others want to deconstruct it and re-examine it. That’s what the band SeeYouSpaceCowboy does, especially on their new album, Coup De Grace, and it makes for one of the most interesting and visceral albums of the year.

Let’s back up a second, though, as there is some context to understand before going into this album. SeeYouSpaceCowboy dropped their debut album in 2019, after putting out a compilation EP beforehand that took their first couple of EPs and combined them together. They started off as a mathcore and metalcore band that was very rooted in the 00s, but their sound wasn’t anything I hadn’t heard before. It was done well, but it felt like it was trying to emulate that sound, versus do anything new with it. Since then, they’ve put out two albums, their debut in 2019, and their sophomore in 2021. I never reviewed either album, because I wasn’t writing about music at the time, but if I had to sum them up, I’d say they’re good albums, but short of great.

Their sophomore album, especially, really felt like they were just trying to sound like their influences, despite how they were adding some clean choruses and more melodic elements into the mix. It was interesting, so I was curious about where the band would go from there, because where can you go after making a couple of albums that are pretty generic (yet still quite good)? Turns out, you can go in a really cool direction, because Coup De Grace really surprised me by deconstructing a lot of sounds from the 00s, and doing something really cool with them. This album really sounds like it would have come out in the 00s, whether it’s due to the album cover itself, its myriad of sounds from the era, or its over the top concept that works insanely well.

This album is such a fascinating look at how you can try to both emulate your influences and re-examine them. I can’t blame someone if they listen to this, and think it copies a bunch of stuff from the 00s, because it kind of does. There are elements of metalcore, mathcore, post-hardcore, emo, pop-punk, and even some dance-punk from that era, and it all reminds me of something else, but it’s done so well that it doesn’t matter. That’s especially because SeeYouSpaceCowboy is still able to put their own spin on these ideas, and this still sounds like a SYSC record, regardless. They just want to show off more influences, especially melodic ones, and this album is a blast from start to finish. It’s one of my favorites of the year, and it really surprised me on my first listen.

I had no idea what to expect, but this album has a cool concept that is framed as a play with a jazzy and baroque introduction, interlude, and ending song that tells a loose story. This album is supposed to be less about personal struggles from vocalist Connie Sgarbossa, and more about characters, which is very 00s coded. It reminds me a lot of Panic! At The Disco’s A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, but with more of a metalcore and post-hardcore sound. The lyrics on this thing are absolutely wonderful, but so is Sgarbossa. Her vocals are still just as great as they have been, whether it’s her brutal screams or those whiny yelps that she does, which were very common in the 00s. Guitarist Taylor Allen contributes a lot of clean vocals on this record, even more than on any other of their albums, but he sounds great. He even takes lead on a handful of songs, but the clean choruses on this album are so much fun, and never feel shoehorned in.

Musically, as I said beforehand, this album takes a lot of influences and distills them into a single package, but it’s a very off the wall, unpredictable, and insane album that switches up between every song (or sometimes within the same song). It never feels jarring, either, but it keeps you on your toes. I haven’t heard an album like this in a long time, maybe since The Callous Daoboys dropped their debut in 2019, because this album truly threw me for a loop, and it takes sounds I already really liked and re-examines them. If you want a really heavy, catchy, and unpredictable record that takes on a lot of sounds from the 00s, check out this new SeeYouSpacwCowboy album. It’s easily my favorite album of theirs, and one of my favorite albums of the year so far.

#seeyouspacecowboy #coup de grace #metalcore #metal #heavy metal #mathcore #post hardcore #pop punk #dance punk #pure noise records #courtney laplante

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Fluorescents - Scream It At Me

For as much as pop-punk has been back in the mainstream, there’s one kind that I don’t think has been represented — neon pop-punk. In the late 00s, and early 2010s, bands like Forever The Sickest Kids, All Time Low, Every Avenue, Hit The Lights, and many others, dominated the pop-punk scene, and it was called “neon pop-punk,” named for how a lot of the bands dressed in neon colors, how bright and synth-heavy their music was, and how they placed a lot more emphasis on the “pop” than punk. I, for one, absolutely loved it, and a lot of favorite bands from that era came from the neon scene. In recent years, as pop-punk has been getting bigger in the mainstream again, I’ve noticed that a few bands have been either turning more into a catchy and neon-ish band, or they’re immediately jumping into that sound. State Champs’ last album, 2022’s Kings Of The New Age, is their catchiest album yet, and bands like Stand Atlantic, Broadside, and Honey Revenge are releasing albums that are way more pop than punk.

The latest band I found in this vein is one that I’ve been subtly following for a while on TikTok, and that’s Chicago outfit Fluorescents. They finally dropped a debut album, entitled Scream It At Me, and it’s composed of songs they’ve released within the last couple of years. These guys caught my attention by having a very pop-focused version of pop-punk, and reminding me of a lot of 00s bands, whether it’s the lyrics, vocals, melodies, and their overall sound. They also have a few other subtle influences, like some easycore and hip-hop in spots, but they mainly have a very pop-influenced sound. I didn’t know their debut was coming out until a few days before, but I was ecstatic, and to no surprise, I’m head over heels for this thing. This is one of the best albums I’ve heard all year, and one of the best pop-punk albums I’ve heard in a long while.

These guys take everything I love about the genre, especially back when I really listened to it, and make it so well. They also subtly modernize the sound, too, especially with the lyrics, but it doesn’t sound immediately dated or cringy. The biggest thing that works here, and why I keep returning to this album, are its hooks. This thing has hooks for days, and despite being a 34-minute album, I’ve played this a few times in a row before, just because I can’t get enough. It’s so sugary sweet, you might get a toothache from this record. From front to back, I always have a smile on my face when I listen to this record. Every song really sticks out, and that’s a rare feat on a pop-punk record these days.

It helps that this band has a few other tricks up their sleeve, whether it’s a few different vocalists, and a sound that manages to have the songs flow together quite well without running together. They make each song stand out enough, and it works so well. Lyrically, these guys are nothing that special, but a lot of these lyrics remind me of bands I used to listen to back in the day. One of their vocalists reminds me a ton of the vocalist of Hit The Lights, and it just takes me back almost 16 years ago listening to their sophomore album in my sophomore year of high school. They just have great chemistry, and the multiple vocalists help the album from getting stale.

I just really love this record, but it’s a mixture of nostalgia for this sound that I forgot how much I loved, and just how well done it is. I usually find a few pop-punk albums each year that I love a lot, especially after getting back into the genre around four or five years ago, and this may be the best one, unless something random sneaks up behind it. A couple of other great pop-punk albums have come out, too, like the new Neck Deep record that came out in January, for some reason, but Fluorescents is easily one of the best unsigned bands that you’re not listening to.

#fluorescents #scream it at me #forever the sickest kids #every avenue #all time low #pop punk #punk #emo #fall out boy #neck deep #state champs

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Belmont - Liminal

Something a lot of bands do is refine their sound after their debut album, or if they switch up their sound. They usually want to distill their sound into the best qualities of it, especially if they were a bit around in the edges in spots, but most bands just try to improve after each album. Sometimes that refinement works quite well, and other times it doesn’t work as well as you hoped it would. One of my favorite albums within the last couple of years is Aftermath, the sophomore album from Chicago pop-punk / easycore band Belmont. That was their debut with Pure Noise Records, but the band switched up their sound with that record, going from a generic easycore band on their actual debut album to a band that had a myriad of ideas and influences in their arsenal. Some of those ideas made sense, and some of them didn’t, but Aftermath was an interesting album. It had elements of pop-punk, easycore, metalcore, nu-metal, trap, and country. There was a country “meme song” on that album, entitled “Country Girl,” and it was fun for what it was, but not indicative of their sound.

If anything, Belmont is a rather impressive band, because a couple of their members studied at the famed Berklee College Of Music, and you can hear it throughout Aftermath. Their song structures are really cool, innovative, and unique, especially for a pop-punk band. They had elements of progressive metal, at least in terms of how technical their songs are. Aftermath was a record that I felt like a lot of people slept on, as they aren’t Neck Deep or State Champs. No shade to those bands, they’re awesome, but they’re more simplistic in what they do, and they’re also elder statesmen at this point. Belmont were a weirder band, especially with their country song that a lot of people didn’t like (it was a bad song to push as a single that you want people to take seriously, but a fun song in context).

The band is back two years later with Liminal, and this is what I was alluding to in the beginning with a refinement of sorts. Belmont refined their sound with this album, mainly in taking what worked about Aftermath and distilling it down to a more cohesive sound. As cool as Aftermath is, and as much as I enjoy it, it’s a messy album in spots, whereas Liminal is more streamlined and cohesive. Unfortunately, though, I wish I could say I liked it more than Aftermath, but I don’t. In the band refining their sound, they weirdly lost a bit of what I enjoyed so much about them. It’s not their technicality or their penchant for a solid breakdown or two, but it’s their goofy, and off the wall sensibility that they had on Aftermath. You didn’t know where that album was going at any moment, but on Liminal, they keep things relatively cohesive. It’s weird, because Aftermath was a messy album, but I still enjoyed it for that. Liminal should solve that problem, and it does, but it doesn’t work as well for me.

Maybe it’s also because this album lacks a lot of really strong hooks that also helped in Aftermath’s favor. Liminal is a really impressive album, at least instrumentally speaking; you’ll find lots of great riffs, breakdowns, and little switch-ups here and there that are really cool to listen to, but it’s like I always say when it comes to progressive music, playing your instruments well doesn’t mean much when you don’t write interesting songs. There are a lot of cool moments, but they don’t really stick with me, because there aren’t that many really catchy hooks to boot. There are a couple, but not enough to really keep me coming back. I kept wondering why I haven’t been listening to Liminal much, and that’s when it hit me that it just isn’t catchy enough, especially when they focus on technicality over accessibility.

Here’s the thing, though — this record is good, and it’s quite impressive, really, but I’m trying to refine their sound, it just makes them less interesting. It should do the opposite, but losing a lot of the weird influences and random stuff, like the random trap song they had on Aftermath, made me less engaged and less interested. Every song sounds the same, and while they sound good, I want some good hooks or some of their unique flavors. The breakdowns are cool here, but when I hear them on every song done in a similar way, it doesn’t do much for me. I’d recommend this if you want some impressive and technical pop-punk / easycore, but if you want some pop-punk with killer hooks, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

#Belmont #aftermath #pure noise records #liminal #country girl #pop punk #easycore #rock #metal

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Greyhaven - Stereo Grief

Louisville, Kentucky metalcore band Greyhaven dropped their sophomore album two years ago, entitled This Bright And Beautiful World, and I really enjoyed that album, despite having a few mixed reactions. This I mainly enjoyed their heavier side, and the clean vocals didn’t do as much for me, but I think I’ve come around to them. Greyhaven is a really unique band, especially one that fills the hole that The Dillinger Escape Plan and Every Time I Die have left (although Better Lovers, the band that has members of Dillinger and ETID is around) after their demises, because they take that 00s experimental and mathy approach to metalcore. They just add clean vocals, as well as a more accessible angle to their brand of metalcore, but it works quite well. I suppose that threw me off when I first listened to them, but I’ve come around to it now.

It’s really come to a head with their new EP, Stereo Grief, which is also their debut project with Solid State. This EP takes what they’ve been doing, and somehow makes it more visceral and interesting. The clean vocals work for me now, but it could either be they got better or it just clicked for me. I still love their metalcore sound; it really sounds great. Their heavier sound is utterly fantastic, and even the cleaner moments work, but it could be that it just works seamlessly more so now. I don’t know, for sure, but what I do know is that this EP is wonderful. It’s a 20-minute collection of songs that is perfect for newcomers, because this won’t overwhelm you. Even then, their two albums are both under 40 minutes, so they don’t overstay their welcome.

Out of this new wave of metalcore bands that take notes from the 00s, especially Every Time I Die, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Poison The Well, Norma Jean (who are still around but I digress), and other bands from that era, Greyhaven is one of the best. Of course you got bands like The Callous Daoboys, who are seriously killing it but Greyhaven is catching up. They’re on the more accessible side of that genre, too, which I like, especially if you want some clean vocals in your metalcore but they’re just as heavy. I really enjoy this EP, and it’s a good body of work to add to their discography. If anything, too, this EP is a good indication of what’s to come on their next album. I, for one, can’t wait for it, especially if it sounds like this.

#greyhaven #stereo grief #metalcore #metal #every time I die #the callous daoboys #mathcore #solid state

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408 - Hot Mess

Whether you like it or not, Blink-182 is one of the most influential pop-punk bands of the last 30 years. They’re responsible for a lot of huge songs and albums within the scene, but their influence on the genre is also undeniable. Just like with everything, many clones have come and gone, although we’re still seeing that today. Pop-punk has gotten popular again in the mainstream over the last few years, thanks to MGK, Willow, Olivia Rodrigo, and plenty of others taking that sound and revamping it for a modern and younger audience. The same can be said for newer bands in the genre, especially to invoke some kind of nostalgia with fans of a certain age that grew up listening to Blink and all of these other bands. One of those bands is 408, a band named after their zip code of Orlando, Florida. These guys take that classic Blink sound and modernize it a bit by throwing in pop, trap, and EDM elements, and people seem to love it or hate it.

I was hesitant to listen to their latest album, Hot Mess, but I decided to check it out after wanting to look for some pop-punk to sink my teeth into. Between this and the new Fluorescents album, we got some new pop-punk within the last week, but while I really like the latter album, I’m sort of mixed on Hot Mess. It’s got some things I like, and some things I really don’t, but it’s a solid enough album overall. Let’s start with what I like, and that’s mainly due to the overall sound. I really like their brand of catchy pop-punk that puts pop above the punk. That’s my favorite kind of pop-punk these days, and the hooks on this thing go nuts. A lot of the hooks on this album are syrupy sweet, and that’s what’s kept me coming back to this album.

That’s the only thing I really like here, unfortunately, because the vocals and lyrics leave a lot to be desired. The lyrics, especially, leave a lot to be desired, but the vocals aren’t half bad. What’s cool is that this band has three vocalists, and they sort of employ a Blink style of vocal delivery, where different members either trade vocals or take lead on a whole song. Each vocalist has a decent enough voice, and they all have good chemistry. They’re nothing special, though, and they’re generic pop-punk vocalists that you’ve heard a million times. They still get the job done, and they work with the hooks on this album. They won’t blow you away with their impressive range, or anything like that, but you’ll enjoy them for what they are if you’re not picky.

Unfortunately, it’s the lyrics that don’t work for me that well, because they’re the one that hasn’t been modernized. Well, sort of. There is modern slang found on here, such as “Situationship,” but the songs are all mainly about relationships (most often gone awry), and they don’t quite do anything different than their forbearers did. They’re just about how a girl is bad for them, or they’re bad for a girl, which is basically the usual stuff. Most of the time, the lyrics are usually decent, especially with songs like “Smash The Mirror,” “Clean My Room,” or “Remember Her Like That,” but there are some stinkers. “666 In The Morning,” for a glowing example, is a song about partying all night, but that hook is so annoying, and the lyrics are just as bad. The title track is another one, but a lot of these songs repeat the same ideas over and over.

It’s mainly just the same topics, including girls and relationships, but they do switch things up slightly with the thirty-second “Get Off” that’s very much in the Blink vein of very sexual and goofy songs. The joke is brief and crass, but it’s different subject matter, at least. The subject matter gets real old, and despite the hooks being so good, the lyrics just make them lose their appeal, and they aren’t as good as they could be. I’ve gone back to this a lot over the last week, but by the time it’s done, I don’t quite remember what I heard, minus a few moments. There is an EDM song at end of the album, which ends it on a memorable note, but the rest of this album ebbs and flows between being really catchy and generic. Overall, this album is pretty good, and it’s only 33 minutes, but I wish it were better and had more interesting lyrics. Nonetheless, if you love pop-punk, and want a good album to jam to during the summer, this should work nicely.

#408 #hot mess #Pop punk #punk #blink 182 #rock #sum 41 #good charlotte #fall out boy

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Northlane - Mirror’s Edge

Out of all the progressive metalcore bands, at least from the last 15 years, Australia’s Northlane is a band that I’ve had a rather complicated relationship with. They started off as a very generic djent band, and they were good at what they were doing, but their sound went into a couple of different directions since then. They went into nu-metalcore and alt-metal with 2019’s Alien, and 2022’s Obsidian was a mix of the old and the new, which worked part of the time, but ended up being a slog to sit through. I enjoyed parts of it more than the whole thing, but it’s a couple years later, and we got Mirror’s Edge, a new EP from them, so how is this thing?

Honestly, it’s pretty good, but it has its problems. This EP doesn’t quite course correct from their last couple of albums, but it tries to have all these influences and sounds coexist, so to speak. It works to an extent, but it’s good this is an EP. This EP is only 23 minutes, and it ends up feeling like it by the end. Mirror’s Edge is a combination of djent, nu-metalcore, metalcore, alt-metal, and progressive metal. They do something oddly similar things that the new Erra album, entitled Cure, did, which is have a cleaner sound in juxtaposition to the heavier moments. Whereas Cure felt too long for its own good, Northlane isn’t as longwinded. The thing is, though, Cure was more focused, and this EP doesn’t feel that way.

Mirror’s Edge is a messy EP that has a lot of cool songs, but I can’t quite remember any of them, because they’ve got a lot going on in each one, as well as just switching up from style to style. There’s just a lot of whiplash in this EP, and it’s not too bad where it’s 23 minutes, but it’s real close. I just end up zoning out and not being all that into the EP, let alone go back to it that much, although I respect it quite a lot. I like a lot of the songs here, and when it works, it works well. It’s just that the EP is unfocused, and because of that, only a few songs stick out. The rest of it is still good, but it just ends up falling to the wayside. They need to mix their various influences together in a way that doesn’t feel so unfocused, so hopefully the next album does just that.

#northlane #alien #obsidian #mirror’s edge #djent #metalcore #metal #heavy metal

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Erra - Cure

Have you ever listened to something and respected what they were going for more than you actually liked it? You can appreciate the attempt, even if the attempt itself doesn’t quite work for you. That’s sort of how I feel about the new Erra album, entitled Cure. The thing is, I like what they’re doing here, or at least what they’re trying to do. Let’s back up a little bit, because there is some context needed before we talk about this new album. I started listening to these guys about a decade ago, and they started off as a pretty bland djent band despite doing what they did well. Over the years, though, they have started to incorporate alt-metal influences, including more clean vocals and cleaner passages. They haven’t turned into a butt-rock band, but their sound has mellowed out a bit.

I never listened to their 2021 self-titled, but its length (before and after the deluxe edition came out) really put me off, I figured I’d still check out this new one. This past week had a lot of metalcore stuff come out, and some of it is better than others, but Cure is a solid progressive metalcore album, albeit it isn’t perfect. I’ve given this album a handful of listens, and I think I respect it more than I like it. At the very least, there are moments I really like, but this album is a little too long for its own good. This record is 49 minutes, which isn’t too bad, but for a progressive metalcore album that has an alt-metal sound, it’s a lot.

The band’s in top form, though, and this album is quite good on a technical and instrumental level. Their sound is cool, and the cleaner moments are really well juxtaposed with the heavier moments. When a heavy guitar riff or breakdown comes up, it sounds great, and it feels more earned compared to a lot of bands who throw breakdowns out in every song. It’s just that this album isn’t very catchy, so a lot of this album blends together, and songs feel longer than they really are. Cure doesn’t feel like a slog to get through, though, but it is a pretty long album. It’s not a record I’m dying to come back to constantly, but I still enjoy what they’re trying to do. I like that they’re moving towards a more accessible sound, and they’re in top form, but this record is still a bit too longwinded for my liking.

#Erra #cure #metalcore #metal #progressive metal #alternative metal #heavy metal

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If Not For Me - Everything You Wanted

I’ve made it clear in the past that I’m a sucker for metalcore bands that have a really catchy and accessible sound to them, such as I Prevail or Archetypes Collide. Those bands are both very heavy and catchy all at once, and while they’re nothing super unique, they do what they do well. I can always appreciate bands with that type of sound, especially if it’s done well enough. I’ve also listened to some enough generic and forgettable bands to know when something just isn’t quite at that level, at least yet anyway. That’s how I feel about PA metalcore band If Not For Me, and their debut album, Everything You Wanted. They’re signed to Thriller Records, an offshoot of InVogue, and I like that label a lot, so I figured I’d give them a shot.

On first listen, Everything You Wanted is a pretty good album, but the more listens I’ve given it, the less I’ve been into it, although I don’t want to say that the album is bad. This album isn’t bad, per se, it’s just a little too bland for my liking. They’re a pretty by the numbers metalcore band, even down to the formulaic songwriting that kind of sounds like what was called “Risecore” that plagued the metalcore scene a decade ago. They’re competent, but nothing about them really sticks out. This feels like it was made in a lab at points, like they were genetically engineered to make a metalcore album.

To be fair, this album has some solid tracks, some of the hooks are pretty catchy, and some of the breakdowns that pop up are cool (despite being predictable), but it’s also nothing terribly interesting, either. These guys are what I’d akin to a McDonald’s cheeseburger, or any kind of fast food burger — good for what it is, especially if that’s all you got to pick from, but there are things so much better out there. This album is a good case of a band putting out a decent enough debut, but they still got some potential, so if anything, it’ll be interesting to hear what they do next.

#if not for me #everything you wanted #metalcore #metal #rock #post hardcore #thriller records #invogue records

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Eidola - Eviscerate

By this point, some almost twenty years since Dance Gavin Dance released their debut EP, the term “Swancore” is kind of dated, and a little bit played out. The genre is, too, as every band that fits the bill sounds the same, if not very similar — a vocalist with a voice suited for pop music (and is almost always too good for the band), math-rock and mathcore instrumentation that’s combined with progressive song structures, and lyrics that are either utter nonsense or poetic to the point of pretentiousness. That’s exactly how I’d describe the new Eidola album, entitled Eviscerate. Released on DGD guitarist Will Swan’s record label, Blue Swan Records (hence the name “Swancore), vocalist and primary songwriter of Eidola Andrew Wells is also in DGD, and that’s just one of many cases of how these bands are all connected. They weirdly all share members, like some kind of cult or prestigious club, but I digress.

When it comes to Eidola, I’m somewhat familiar with them. I’ve listened to one of their albums from 2017, but they’ve put out another one before Eviscerate. I can’t say I was super into them, as these guys have always been a carbon copy of the other bands in this vein, but they weren’t bad, either. Wells is a great vocalist, and it’s sort of weird his vocals aren’t utilized more in DGD, but that’s another story for another day. If anything, you’ll get a good time from these guys, especially if you like this sound, and that’s all you can really ask for. I was curious enough to listen to this new album, as a lot of progressive metalcore came out this past weekend, and this was one of them.

I’ve given Eviscerate a few listens, and remember what I said about a lot of Swancore bands having really good vocalists with a sound that blends mathcore with progressive song structures and lyrics that are either complete nonsense or pretentiously poetic? Well, this album is very much in that wheelhouse, and it’s not much different from anything else they’ve done, but it’s not bad. On first listen, this album’s pretty cool, but giving this a few listens now, its issues show themselves more and more. I will say that the one thing about this album that genuinely surprised is how heavy it gets, and that’s different for a band in this vein. A lot of these bands opt for a post-hardcore sound, and their prior albums for, but this is a straight up metalcore album. This thing gets gnarly, and in the best way.

Sure, it’s nothing special, but it’s a welcomed change. Even then, Wells is still a formidable singer, but the problem with this record (and their whole sound) is that the songs just blend together, especially with a lack of hooks. There are a few, but they’re not strong whatsoever. A lot of these bands are in the same vein, they’ve got killer vocalists, yet their hooks and choruses are lackluster. They seem to favor the mathcore instrumentation over accessible songwriting. The record sounds great, and it sounds impressive, but with a runtime of 45 minutes, you can’t just make the same song 12 times. Aside from a few moments here and there, this record blends together, and not in a way that makes me want to hear the whole thing, especially where this band’s sound just go above and beyond anything other bands in this vein have done. It’s a good album, and worth hearing if you love this sound, but you’re not missing anything if you don’t, unfortunately.

#eidola #eviscerate #Swancore #Will swan #dance gavin dance #Andrew wells #Tilian Pearson #rock #metalcore #post hardcore

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James & The Shame Is A Human Overboard With Nothing Left To Love: A Review

Country music is synonymous with few different topics of conversation, but the context of which it’s discussed depends on the style of country music. If you’re listening to mainstream country, you’ll probably hear a ton of songs about Jesus, God, and praising Christianity, which is all fine and dandy, because people have the right to practice any faith they choose (even if they don’t practice one at all). The thing is, if you dig deeper into alt-country, folk, and indie country, you’ll find a lot of artists that criticize organized religion and examine its role in society and how harmful religion can be. One artist that does this is Rhett McLaughlin, but you may know him as one half of the YouTube duo Rhett and Link, as well as Good Mythical Morning. A couple of years ago, McLaughlin announced a country project that he calls James And The Shame. James is McLaughlin’s middle name and he said that “and the shame” comes from the shame his middle name gives him when thinking about his time as a devout Christian.

So far he’s only put out a couple of projects, which include his 2022 debut Human Overboard, and the 2023 EP Nothing Left To Love. I wanted to talk about both of these together, because they’re both relatively similar, yet you can also hear some growth from the album to the EP. Regardless, both of these records are wonderful, and absolutely worth your time. If there’s one aspect about James And The Shame that I love, it’s that you can listen to this without any context at all without knowing who Rhett is. This isn’t your average “YouTuber music,” and this is music that can stand up on its own, especially if you enjoy country.

McLaughlin’s sound is also incredibly interesting, opting for an old school country sound but still mixing some modern folk-pop into the mix for good measure. Human Overboard keeps the old school country sound, whereas Nothing Left To Love has a more Americana and singer-songwriter feel to it. There’s less twang on that EP in the instrumentation, although McLaughlin’s voice still has a Southern accent to it. It seems like he’s playing with other sounds and influences on Nothing Left To Love, but Human Overboard isn’t one note, both in terms of the instrumentation and the lyricism. The latter is what James And The Shame focuses on, and that’s one of McLaughlin’s strengths of many.

Before I talk about the lyrics, I wanted to talk about the overall sound some more, especially McLaughlin’s voice. His sound is very warm, inviting, and familiar, and his voice is the same way. He has such a good voice, I was blown away the first time I listened through these albums. Everything about these records is just so good, but it’s clear the focus is on the lyrics and what he’s saying. That’s a good thing because he has a lot to say. The lyrics are where these albums truly shine, and a lot of this record is about two things — his deconstruction and his family / friends. The EP expands his lyricism a little bit more, but it stays in the same wheelhouse.

If you’re a deeply religious person, let alone somehow that doesn’t want their beliefs challenged, this isn’t for you. McLaughlin doesn’t say anything negative about Christians as people, but he does criticize certain things that Christians do, such as “In Vain,” where he poses the hypocrisy of Christians not liking when people use God’s name in vain, yet they’ll use God as an excuse for why their football team won, or how their politicians got into office. It’s a double standard, isn’t it? The album is full of songs like that, especially about him growing and realizing that Christianity is not full of love and joy that he thought it once was.

#James and the shame #rhett and link #rhett mclaughlin #human overboard #nothing left to love #country #folk #acoustic

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Tyler Hubbard - Strong

Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard released his debut solo album in 2022, but does anyone remember it? Honestly, aside from a few catchy hooks, and a few personal moments here and there, the album was really forgettable. It was some really bland pop-country, but I wanted to like it. I really did. I wanted to get on board, because Hubbard has a decent enough voice, and the lyrics of that record were cheesy and bland, but they weren’t offensive. Two years later, we got his follow-up, entitled Strong, and is this thing any different from his last one or does this continue the trend of very forgettable pop-country that doesn’t really have a place in 2024?

If you answered the latter, you’re weirdly specific with how right you were, but Strong is a very forgettable album that has even less to offer than his debut. Whereas his debut had some heartfelt and honest moments, this only has it in glimpses, and for the most part, it’s all about the same stuff we’ve come to expect from him (as well as Florida Georgia Line). Hell, the first song has the poetic description of someone being his “brown-eyed blue jean girl,” whatever that means. On top of lyrical gems like that, you got lyrics that are typical of his wheelhouse, including small town living and going back to your hometown, nostalgia for days gone past, something with “summer” in the title, and songs about unnamed women, but they’re not interesting.

It feels like he’s made these same types of songs on his last album, and with his work in FGL, so what does he have to offer here? Not really anything, honestly. The thing is, Strong isn’t an offensive album, or anything close to that, but it’s also boring. Hubbard’s voice isn’t bad, and there are a few solid hooks, but it’s just instantly dated pop-country that sounds like it’s ten years too late. You can’t get anything from this that you can’t also get from a myriad from other stuff, let alone stuff that’s better. I guess I can listen to this if I want some pop-country, but I’ll stick to Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers for now.

#tyler hubbard #strong #florida georgia line #country #pop country

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Sam Barber - Million Eyes

The rise of Zach Bryan within the last few years, especially last year, means that we’re starting to see some clones pop up on other record labels. I’m sure every other label saw Warner making a lot of money with Bryan, namely “I Remember Everything” with Kacey Musgraves going to number one and staying in the top ten for a long time, and got money signs in their eyes. We’ve gotten a few artists in this vein that have kind of popped up, but they haven’t gotten the same level of success (at least not yet). The two artists that I’ve seen mainly are Dylan Gossett and Sam Barber.

I’ve been hesitant on listening to them, simply for the fact that they’re kind of just Zach Bryan clones. If you know me, you know I love Zach Bryan and his last album was one of my top favorites of last year. It’s inevitable that we’re going to get artists that sound like popular ones, essentially to capitalize on a certain trend or something that’s popular. Whether they’re good or not is the real question, and while I really like Dylan Gossett, I’m going to focus on Sam Barber here, because I don’t know how to feel about his stuff. I’ve enjoyed a few songs he’s put out, such as “Straight And Narrow,” but I wasn’t sure how an EP or album would fair.

As for right now, we do have an EP that he put out last year, entitled Million Eyes, and despite only listening to it now, I wanted to talk about it because I’ve been in the mood for some country and Americana. I just haven’t found a whole lot that’s new I’ve wanted to get into, minus the new Dustin Kensrue and Oliver Anthony albums, so I’ve spent some time looking for some country, folk, and Americana albums I missed last year. Barber’s an artist that’s been on the rise for the last couple years, so I thought now would be as good of a time as any to dive into Million Eyes.

It’s weird, because I don’t quite know how I feel about this album. Sam Barber is a good artist, all things considered, but I feel as though a few things hold him back from being truly great. I will say that he’s only 20, so I shouldn’t be too harsh, as he’s got time to grow, but there are some issues I have with not only this album, but his music at large. Nothing on here is outright bad, but the album works on a few songs, versus as a whole. “Straight And Narrow” is a good example of that, where the lyrics are quite compelling and the music is catchy and energetic, especially compared with his gravelly and weathered voice. It’s just that not much else even competes with that “lightning in a bottle” song.

Barber’s vocals are good, despite how he does remind me a lot of Zach Bryan throughout this album, and a few other songs are pretty solid, such as “Drowning,” and the title track, but other songs just feel bland, forgettable, or not that great. “Dancing In The Sky,” while being a cover, is really boring (musically and lyrically), and the song is a slog to get through. It’s a weirdly religious song, too, and not in a way that has anything to say other than “I hope you’re having a good time in Heaven.” I suppose that isn’t a bad message, but there are tons of country songs like that, despite this being a cover.

Where the album kind of loses me, at least in a lyrical way that shows Barber isn’t as lyrically adept as his peers is “Ghost Town.” I don’t like the lyrics of this song, because they sound like the musical version of “old man yelling at cloud.” The song is Barber’s way of saying “remember the good old days,” while using generic imagery of small town life, and saying that the world has lost its way. He never explains how, as most of these songs don’t, but this just feels so conservative coded, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The song could have been interesting, especially diving more into the titular ghost town, as I thought the town he’s referring to became that way from economic hardship, but he just talks about how beer and baseball games were “common ground” for people back in the day. Barber’s 20, so how does he remember the good old days? Does he mean like a decade ago?

I don’t know, that song in particular irritates me, but the rest of the record is kind of bland, uninspired, and not just that memorable. I’ve been going back to it a lot, hoping that the next listen will stick with me, but this record just fades into the background, especially compared to some of the other rising stars in this vein. He just sounds like the Zach Bryan we have at home, and that’s not necessarily a compliment, because I already love Zach Bryan, but at least stand out in some way. “Straight And Narrow” is a cool song, but that’s the only song on this record that I keep coming back to.

#Sam barber #million eyes #Zach Bryan #I remember everything #country #straight and narrow #folk #acoustic #Dylan Gossett

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Revisiting Belmont’s Genre-Defying Aftermath

Chicago pop-punk / easycore band Belmont dropped their second album, and debut with Pure Noise, Aftermath, back in 2022, and I kind of forgot about it by the end of the year. I wish I didn’t, but 2022 was a stacked year for stuff. These guys have a new album coming out literally this week, so I wanted to look back at their last album to see if it’s held up over the last couple of years. I also wanted to potentially expose more people to this band, because they’re not that popular. I can understand why, though, as these guys are kind of odd, but in a very fun and engaging way.

Belmont started off as a generic easycore band, and I haven’t heard any of their earlier material, but I got curious with Aftermath. Seeing they signed with Pure Noise made me curious to listen to them, and I was surprised with it. These guys ended up moving their sound into a cool place that intersects a few different genres, such as easycore, pop-punk, nu-metal, metalcore, hip-hop, and country. There are a lot of varying influences here, and in the same song, it can start one way and end a completely different way. Each song is relatively different, too, so you don’t know what you’re going to get with each one. Most follow a similar formula, at least a basic idea of taking metalcore, pop-punk, and easycore, and putting their own twist on it, but some songs have trap beats, rapped vocals, and there’s a straight up country song on here.

“Country Girl,” which shows up about halfway into the album, is a song that split listeners when it came out, but I’m in the camp that thinks this song is really fun, catchy, and enjoyable as all hell. It’s a dumb little country-ish song that makes fun of country tropes, and it’s not meant to be taken seriously, but I enjoy it. Aside from that detour, the album ebbs and flows between a few ideas, and it works quite well. It’s a really fun album, and there’s loads of energy, but it’s also rather unique in spots. I don’t listen to a lot of pop-punk anymore for that reason, but it’s bands like Belmont that keep the genre fresh and exciting.

This album has aged well over the last couple of years, and it makes me excited for their new album coming out in a couple days. These guys are pretty unique, and they manage to blend the heaviness and catchiness into a solid package. They have the hooks, but there are also some really cool riffs and breakdowns here. I just enjoy this album quite a lot, and I can’t wait for their new album, because if it’s anything like this, it’s going to be a lot of fun and off the wall. Hopefully these guys get bigger this year, especially after this new album, because they deserve it.

#Belmont #aftermath #pop punk #easycore #metalcore #metal

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Bayside - There Are Worse Things Than Being Alive

When I “retired” from writing about music back in 2018, one of the main reasons I just didn’t feel the same passion for writing about music that I once did is that I just didn’t listen to a lot of stuff I had anything worth a damn to say anything about. I’ve since implemented a rule for myself that constitutes having something unique to say about something, versus just saying it’s good, bad, or generic, because I’ve said that about many albums over the years. I’m not trying to be one of those “there’s no good music these days” people, but I’ve become more selective with what I listen to, partially for how much forgettable stuff there is. I also ran into an issue with a lot of bands and artists for just sounding the same throughout every album they put out. You have to give credit to these bands for being consistent, but I’m mixed on bands whose sound never changes.

On one hand, bands whose sound don’t change get stale fast, but that’s if you don’t like or love that sound. It’s a case by case basis, but even then, I love for bands to evolve and try new things (although I’m less critical when it comes to bands just doing stuff that sounds cool and that’s fun). Bayside is a band that I’ve always thought of when it comes to this idea, because as much as I like their brand of pop-punk that incorporates heavier guitar riffs from time to time, their albums have a tendency to sound the same. I enjoy a lot of their stuff, too, but a lot of their albums are near identical to each other. I was kind of skeptical about their new album, There Are Worse Things Than Being Alive, despite liking their last couple of albums. I suppose there is an upside to a band being consistent — you know what you’re going to get, and the same can be said with this album, at least to a degree.

This album is a Bayside album through and through, in that you hear their brand of pop-punk with elements of hard-rock and heavy metal, but they prove that even after over 20 years of releasing music, they’ve got some new tricks up their sleeves. I gotta say that I really enjoy this album, and it’s one of my favorites that I’ve heard from them, at least right under 2007’s The Walking Wounded. That was the first album I ever heard from them way back in my freshman year of high school, but There Are Worse Things rivals that at some points. This is one hell of a Bayside album, and I have a blast listening to this every time.

Along with their usual sound, this album may be their catchiest and heaviest at the same time. There are hooks for days on this thing, but their guitarist is able to really let loose a few times here. There are a couple of songs with what sound like thrash riffs, as well as some awesome solos. Their guitarwork was always one of their biggest strengths, and it seems like they upped it here. Vocalist Anthony Raneri is also a lot of fun here; his vocals aren’t anything amazing, but he does have a unique voice, and he is able to craft some solid melodies and hooks here. His range isn’t usually quite high, but his voice is the best it’s sounded in years here.

Maybe it was the five-year gap in between albums, despite releasing a few small EPs over the last couple of years, or something else entirely, but this album is surprisingly a breath of fresh air for them, and I absolutely love it. If you’re a huge fan of these guys, you should really enjoy this record, too. It’s got everything that people already love about this band, and then some, but it has a few new tricks, such as some catchy hooks and heavier guitar riffs. It feels like they wanted to lean into certain aspects of their sound that they don’t lean into a lot, and while their hooks are usually competent, they’ve never been this syrupy sweet before.

At the same time, their guitar riffs have never been this razor sharp and menacing before, either. You could throw some of those in a thrash band and they’d fit right in. At only 36 minutes, this is a short album, too, so it never feels as though it goes on too long. I suppose the only real complaint I have is that the lyrics aren’t anything to write home about, but they’re still written well, and there are some nuggets I really enjoy. This may possibly be one of my favorite albums at the end of the year, and I would definitely recommend it. Bayside is one of those bands that I’ve always thought were too consistent, but they really proved me wrong here.

#bayside #Anthony raneri #there are worse things than being alive #pop punk #heavy metal #metal #rock #hard rock #the walking wounded

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Dustin Kensrue - Desert Dreaming

Thrice frontman Dustin Kensrue releasing a country album was not on my bingo card for 2024, but when I saw it, I was instantly curious. In case you’re not aware, Thrice is a post-hardcore band that’s been around since the early 00s, and they’ve put out a bunch of great albums. They took a brief hiatus, but came back a few years ago with their first album in awhile and it was pretty solid stuff. They’ve always been to experiment with their sound, and a lot of their later albums explore other kinds of music, especially post-rock, progressive-rock, and things like that. Kensrue, in his own right, is a very iconic frontman, and while he’s not one of the most well known out of the 00s emo / post-hardcore crop, he’s still great. I’ve been a Thrice fan for the last 15 years, even since I heard 2009’s Beggars, which is one of their softer albums, and when Kensrue announced his third solo album, and first in seven years, back in 2015, I remember being excited and liking it quite a lot.

Since then, he hasn’t put out a solo album since 2016, and I had no idea this was even coming out until I saw it on Apple Music, but I had to check it out, especially when I saw the title and the cover art. Entitled Desert Dreaming, there’s no way this album wouldn’t be a country or folk album. For his first solo album in almost a decade, he’s putting out a country album, of all things, and I didn’t know what to expect with it, but I was curious. After playing this a bunch over the weekend, I have to be honest — I absolutely love this album, and Desert Dreaming is one of my favorite albums of the year. This does have a couple of small issues, but I still love it, warts and all. There’s plenty to love on this album, really starting with Kensrue himself.

Kensrue isn’t the most amazing singer of all time, because as great as his stuff is with Thrice, he doesn’t have much range, and a lot of his vocal performances run together, at least on more energetic and heavier songs. This album is a lot quieter, softer, and mellower, which gives his vocals room to breathe and he can utilize a bunch more of his range. This album does have a few more energetic tracks, but this is a pretty spacious folk and country album with a lot of pedal steel and acoustic instrumentation. His voice works quite well with this sound, and the album is a very catchy affair. I don’t feel bored, uninterested, or tired of this album a lot every time I listen to it. I’m always shocked when it’s done, too, because it never feels that long. It’s only 37 minutes, but it never feels like it.

That’s even more of a surprise to me, because the only real complaint I have with this album is that this album is sort of a one-trick pony. It doesn’t really do anything unique or add anything to country music, instead being influenced by 60s and 70s country, which can be an issue for people that don’t want a recreation of a bygone sound. I don’t mind, though, because you don’t hear this kind of sound a lot. It’s done well, too, so I’ll take it. This album may not resonate with every Thrice fan, because country music is still something that a lot of people aren’t on board with, but if you want a good place to start, this is a solid record for the job. It’s great for someone that’s new to the genre to get into, but this is one of my favorite albums of the year so far.

#thrice #dustin kensrue #desert dreaming #country #folk #Americana