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Featured

Logan’s Circle – Walk Away

So way back in the day I reviewed a Logan’s Circle track called Moved On. I liked the chorus, drum line and guitar work quite a bit. In fact I liked that song enough that checked out some of their other stuff. I’ve had Heartless Calamity on my playlist since 2021 and I always feel a little something when it plays. When I saw there was something new, I knew I had to check it out.

I liked the opening quite a bit. It’s stripped down with sounds like just a guitar then everything else just goes boom! This song is giving a ton of 90’s alt rock vibes and I am so here for it. As I expected the vocals are super solid and the drum work is on point. I will say that much like the previous review for them it’s all about the chorus. I’ve only listened to this twice now and I already have that repeating in my head. In my opinion that’s the mark of a worthy track, sticky is good.

Not that I have any issues with the verses or anything. These guys can write a damn good track and I’m really enjoying the musical composition. There is a lot of movement going on so you don’t get bored with anything. There is something about that voice though… I can’t quite put my finger on it, but he reminds me of someone. That’s going to keep me up at night, I just know it.

I will absolutely be listening to this track again. I’ve already added it my like list on spotify and it will be going on the Musicbank list very soon.

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The Rock Show

Fall Out Boy 2016 Tour

So back in 2016 I was super stoked to go see Fall Out Boy. I had been listening to a lot of their music in the year or two prior to them coming to my town, and I really liked their vibe. I have to say if they come back I’ll be going again. That show was a blast!

According to Setlist FM this was the average set list for the 2016 tour:

Irresistible
Sugar, We’re Goin Down
The Phoenix
Hum Hallelujah
Alone Together
The Kids Aren’t Alright
This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race
Novocain
Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes
Save Rock and Roll
Fourth of July
Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
Uma Thurman
Dance, Dance
American Beauty/American Psycho
Jet Pack Blues
I Don’t Care
Thnks fr th Mmrs
Centuries
Saturday

Since it’s been a while and a phone upgrade I’ll have to rely on this as gospel since I don’t have any of my notes and only a handful of pictures and video that I managed to salvage. What I will say was this was a super high energy show. Fall Out Boy put on a hell of a memorable show, and I was thrilled at the songs on the set list.

I was a little concerned about the sound since the venue we saw them at is a bit wonky and every show I’ve seen at this location has had some sound issues. Also we were on the floor for this one and since the floor has no slant of any sort it was really difficult to see the stage once the band took the stage and everyone got to their feet.

Thankfully there were some monitors set up so if you couldn’t see the stage you could at least check out the monitors and view the show that way. This of course didn’t take away from the show, more of a judgement on the venue.

As you can see from the set list the show covered all the major singles you would expect and a couple of tracks I didn’t see coming. Honestly I couldn’t recommending hitting up one of their concerts nearly enough. If you get the chance, you really should check them out. As I said I lost some footage when I upgraded my phone, but here are a couple of clips to give you a taste of what Fall Out Boy is like in concert.

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Featured

Bedlamite Rising – Religion (feat. Fronz of Attila)

Death Metal band Bedlamite Rising

The opening on this grabs you by the balls in the first second. This track is an all go no quick big balls kinda song, I promise that if your into music that kicks your ass this is a track you have to check out. There is some stuff going on here I don’t entirely understand, but I know I like it. I feel like on one of those angary AF days this would be all kinds of cathartic.

Over the years I’ve really gotten into drum work and I think this is some killer shit right here. I dig the pacing switch ups. Though most of drum work is done at a blazing speed there are some sludgy moments that for me at least really set this off. I would love to see the drum kit at the end of one of their shows. I bet it looks like it’s been through hell.

Vocally this track is a bit out of my wheelhouse. There aren’t any clean vocals which is something I tend to look for in music I would listen to in my spare time. However I’ve been trying to expand my tastes in music so I spent a bit more time focusing on the vocal track. While I still couldn’t understand a lot of the lyrics, I found I didn’t really care. They were more like an additional instrument and I can honestly say that I really enjoyed dipping my toes into the waters here. Enough that I might could find myself listening to more.

Overall I really enjoyed this track and can certainly see myself listening to more of their music. Since I’m new to the genre I can’t really say I have much that I would pair this with, though I am for sure getting some Iowa style Slipknot vibes.

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Featured

From Ashes to New – Monster In Me

From Ashes to New

10 years ago I did a review for a little band called From Ashes to New. Maybe you’ve heard of them? When I initially did the review I was quite taken by the song Stay this Way. My first impression was that they reminded me a lot of old Linkin Park, think the first album Hybrid Theory. I was so damned taken with their vocals and composition that I had wished there were more stars or a love button instead of like.

Over the years this is a band I kept my eye on. I called them badass 10 years ago and these guys have continued to prove me right, album after album and year after year. I was lucky enough to finally catch them live at a small venue in Wichita a couple of years ago. I actually bought their Day One release in vinyl, and yes it was perfect.

These guys just keep rolling on with some of the best Nu Metal has to offer. Blackout is an amazing album chalk full of audio goodies that you shouldn’t pass on. To be fair I am a total fan girl when it comes to this band so my review of Monster In Me is more than likely biased, but I give zero fucks.

Monster In Me
The creepy ass opening builds into a thunderous cacophony of awesome. You can hardly wait for those drums and the reward is well worth the build up. By the time the rap vocals kick in your already sold on this track. Lyrically I think we can all relate to the story they are telling. If you’ve every been pissed, frustrated or anxious I think you’ll find some catharsis in this song. The chorus is extremely solid, truly rocks and deserves to be turned up to 11 every time. I think one of my favorite lines in the track is “So bite your tongue and walk away because I need a minute”, I know I have that thought at least once a day.

Back in the day I said if you are listening to them and aren’t in love, you have no soul. I stand by that statement to this very day. I’ve heard they are coming back to Wichita this summer and bet your ass I’ll move heaven and earth to make sure I’m at that show. I really hope to see you there.

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Editorials

What’s With the Metalcore Hate?

people in concert
Photo by Sebastian Ervi on Pexels.com

As we know I tend to be late to the party. It’s a problem I know, and I get reminded about this all the time by my metal loving friends. Seems like every time I find a new band to obsess over my friends are like, “yeah I listened to that about 10 years ago”. I get it, I live in a seriously messed up time slip.

A good example of that was when I started listening to Asking Alexandria. I hadn’t heard of them and I stumbled upon them while I was deep diving through one of Spotify’s song radio options for some other band. Another band I was late to the party on was Trivium, now one of my favorite bands. So you get what I’m saying about missing the mark.

But here’s the thing, now that I’m expanding on what I listen to I’ve realized that these new music obsessions I have going on are apparently lame. I’m not sure why or how it is I constantly feel the need to apologize for my musical choices but here we are.

A quick check on Spotify lists bands like In This Moment, Falling In Reverse (yeah, I know people have issues with Ronnie, but whatever), Ice Nine Kills, and From Ashes to New. And really, isn’t FATN actually NuMetal but I digress.

These bands are all amazing! What is it about Metalcore that makes people so ready to fight? Is wanting harmony and melody in your music really such a crime against humanity?

I was just watching a Nik Nocuturnal video where he was talking about the upcoming Trivium/Bullet tour and was almost apologizing for liking Metalcore. He’s not the only person I’ve seen either come really close if not actually apologize for liking that genre. So my question is why? What it is about Metalcore that makes it the redheaded step child of Metal?

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Editorials

Far Beyond Driven – A deeply Personal Dive into Pantera’s Third Album

I came of age in the suburbs during the late 80’s early 90’s.  Where I lived could have easily been called Pop country.  No one I went to school with listened to anything other the “mainstream” stations and MTV was still in its infancy. I had yet to learn the joys of Metal and at that point I hadn’t even hear of Pantera.

Sure, I had a couple of friends that moved in from places like California that were happy to offer up some lessons on what they considered “real” music.  It was then that I learned about bands like Anthrax.  However, being young and focused on school I didn’t have the pocket money to follow up on these bands.  I hadn’t learned about Headbangers Ball yet.

1992 ended up being a big year for me.  I turned 19, had a job and some spending cash. I had time to kill watching TV and that is when I started watching Headbangers ball and was first introduced to Pantera.  I was a huge fan from the opening riffs, but I still had no real idea how good this new music could be. I would learn in just a few short years.

Far Beyond Driven was a revelation to me. There was something going on here that I still didn’t quite understand but I knew I wanted to.  So, I took what little cash I had, and I bought the CD. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to hear and feel. From the first song to the last one I was entranced.

These songs matched what I was feeling at that point in my life to an absolute T. Listening to 5 Minutes Alone made me reflect on my parents and how I was trying to live my life on my own terms while they were still very much trying to exert control over what I did, how I did it and who I did it with.  I really did just want 5 minutes alone. At the same time there was some turmoil in the family, and I felt like an extremely broken human being in an extremely broken family.  Enter I’m Broken, another track that I felt spoke to my anger, frustration, and disillusionment with life. I won’t even go into 25 Years, somethings are just too painful to relive, but safe to say this song resonated with me on some levels that I thought I had fixed.  Even today as I listed to I realize there are some wounds that never fully heal.

It was also the same year I learned about the movie Heavy Metal. Planet Caravan became a go to song for me (along with Sammy Hagar’s Heavy Metal).  I’ve long been a fan of what I call “floaty” music and I think this may be the best example of what I’m talking about. There is something about the song that reaches me in ways that defy explanation.  I just know that it’s a part of me, then, now and forever.

If you haven’t listed to Far Beyond Driven and you are down for some heavy shit, I can’t recommend this album highly enough. But be warned, this album may well bring some things up for you but it may also help you cope.

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Music News

Villins: New York City’s most dangerous band to release debut EP The Power

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Villins will release their self-produced EP The Power on March 26, 2021. The Power is available to pre-order at Villins.com.

Featuring lead singer Jesyka and guitarist/producer Kareem ‘Jesus’ Devlin, Villins have built a reputation in the New York area for their tightly produced live shows that transform even small venues into arena-like atmospheres. With a dazzling mix of power vocals, lasers, memorable choreography, and a palpable onstage chemistry, Villins have secured residencies at The McKittrick Hotel (Home of Sleep No More) and Arlene’s Grocery, performed at anime conventions, and made a special guest appearance on Adult Swim, among many other exciting ventures.

In 2020, Villins recorded their first EP, The Power. The four song EP includes ‘Let’s Break Some Shit’, the song they performed for their appearance on Adult Swim’s Desperate Losers. The Power EP is a direct interpretation of their live show, beginning with ‘Lightgiver’, a rock heavy track, continuing right into the high energy ‘Let’s Break Some Shit’, the sensual ‘Do It For the Thrill’, and ending on the cinematic title track, which pays homage to Villins’ diverse range of influences. The EP’s themes are empowering, unapologetically sexy, and intentionally over the top. The Power showcases the muscular guitar work that earned Kareem his nickname “Jesus” from Lady Gaga on her Monster Ball tour. As a whole, the EP is guitar centric, featuring searing, memorable solos and driving riffs, but it’s especially exhibited on the balls to the wall title track.

The first time Jesyka saw Kareem, he was playing lead guitar on Lady Gaga’s The Monster Ball World Tour HBO special. Fate brought them together when Kareem produced an EP for Jesyka’s former band. They developed intense creative chemistry almost instantly and went on to form Villins in 2016. Wasting no time, they began playing live shows in 2017, while writing and recording songs.

The Power was recorded at Villins HQ during NYC’s COVID quarantine. Live drums were performed remotely by Gunnar Olsen (Mother Feather, Puscifer, Bruce Springsteen) and engineered by Ryan Howe. Joshua Valleau mixed the EP, and Chris Gehringer from Sterling Sound mastered it. It will be available through Spotify, Apple Music, and wherever music is streamed and sold, as well as in physical copies through Bandcamp.

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Music Reviews

Sebzzz – Self Esteem (Offspring Cover)

This was thrown at me through a twitter user and I couldn’t not post a review. I’m a huge fan of covers in general and I have been listening to The Offspring since their first single dropped. I happen to be of the opinion that they can do no wrong, so I tend to get a bit, um, elitist when it comes to covers of their songs.

This one happens to fascinate me in new and exciting ways. When I first listened to it I couldn’t help but think that it sounded like a cross between The Talking Heads and The Cure. There is a nice slow burn intro with some static that reminds me of listening to vinyl. The down beat drums are a really interesting punctuation to the song. It’s for sure the rhythm of the song, you can’t mistake it but there is something just a bit off from the original. I really dig the whistling parts as it adds an almost whimsical touch to what is really a pretty down song lyrically.

I feel like the vocal style works well with the musical choices and the song’s lyrics. The guy sounds a little bitter and disenchanted which is appropriate for the story being told. While the original track made me laugh (I know people who live this life) because of the lyrics, the cover makes me feel sad and even a bit angry for the guy. But as he said, “I really think it’s better this way” so how bad can you feel for the guy?

I think it would be fun to que up both tracks back to back and listen to them. The choices that Sebzzz made were so unique that comparing the two songs would be impossible but incredibly fun to try. So long story short if your a fan of The Offspring and you like a good, weird and wonderful cover you have to check this one out.

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Music Reviews

Code Orange – Swallowing the Rabbit Whole

I was turned on to this band a few months back and every time I hear something new by them I feel like my personal definition of Metal get’s re-written. Reviewing Swallowing the Rabbit Whole was not on the agenda, but when I was trolling twitter I was seeing a lot of links to the song and I quickly realized this song is exactly what I need to hear and review on this sub zero Monday.

There is a lot to unpack on this song when it comes to the review, so let’s get to it. I want to start with my favorite part and that’s the drum line. The intro is dominated by the drums despite the fact there are other instruments at play. There is some sparse keyboard work that lends to the really dark tone of the track, but it’s the drums that keep you going. The odd and seemingly random sound effects in the intro create a really deep almost disturbed feel.

When the song kicks in full force with all instruments added and the vocals your face is going to melt. Vocally this track has just about everything you could want. There is some really legendary screaming for the bulk of the song, but there is also some clean vocals that allow for some really sweet highs and lows. The guitar work spans the gamut with some finger flaming licks but I’m also hearing some more mellow riffs in the less intense portions of the song.

Towards the middle of the song there is this break where the music is minimal and the vocals are clean. My neck appreciated the break from the extreme amount of headbanging I was already doing. I especially liked the ending. The trail off effects and the slow dark feel left me ready and wanting more.

The more I listen to Code Orange the bigger a fan I am. Fans of hardcore heavy metal are going to really love this track and if your just getting into the scene, Code Orange is a great band to start with.

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Music Videos

Official From Ashes to New – Stay This Way

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Music Videos

Official Music Video for Weak13’s Mary

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Music Reviews

The Hyena Kill – Bleached

Manchester based band The Hyena Kill released Bleached last year. It’s a banger, blending hardcore and alt rock to create something fairly unique.

The song starts off with some cleaner chords to build the hype and then drops into the main tune. The dynamics between the lower key alt rock sections and the higher energy screamed sections help make the song feel alive and constantly changing. The vocalist has great aggressive screams and I really enjoyed the noisy, dissonant guitars behind him. The drums are also a high point — they’re full of energy and keep the song moving forwards. I do wish the bass had a more aggressive tone so it could shine more during the quieter sections but that’s just personal preference.

Overall I really enjoyed this track. It’s on the shorter end clocking in at just over two minutes but it’ll grip you the entire time. In the immortal words of Sum 41, it’s all killer no filler.

If you’re into harder music definitely listen to this one. It reminded me a bit of another English hardcore band I like, Gallows. Check out Bleached and learn more about The Hyena Kill at the links below!

They Hyena Kill Official Website
The Hyena Kill on Bandcamp

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Music Reviews

Lonely Oak Radio

The great thing about this place is it’s all indie music you can find them twitter here @LonelyOakRadio

Per their website “Classic Rock, Alternative Rock, Indie, Brit Rock, Acid Rock, hard Rock and Metal. But we also play Blues, Jazz, and alternative country.” Are all a go however they Don’t play Rap and say they avoid R&B and Electronic.
Check them out here.

Categories
Music Reviews

Louis Tomlinson – Defenseless

This is such a sweet little ditty! Not normally a fan of pop songs, I have to say this one has wormed its way into my grapefruit and isn’t letting go. I appreciate the tone and pacing of this track as well as the story the song is telling. I feel like we’ve all been here and that makes the song highly relatable. It’s going to have me up all night thinking about it!

I love the vocal tone through out the song. There is some really good falsetto work and his regular tone is just beautiful. There is just the tiniest bit of an edge to his vocals in the beginning but that levels out to this buttery tone for the rest of the track. One thing I enjoyed was at the beginning the music is very minimal and almost hidden behind the vocals. As the song continues the music becomes more apparent, but you can still hear that the focus is the vocal track.

Musically it’s a pop track so there aren’t any heavy guitar solos or blasting drums. Both the drum and guitar lines are fairly simple but extremely effecting for the song. There is certainly an emotional connection that is underplayed by the drum beat. While it’s not shoved in your face it’s pacing does keep the listener interested. As the music rises and falls through out the song it’s solid punctuation for the vocals. I am digging that guitar riff that pops up during the verses. There is something familiar about this song I can’t quite put my finger on, but the feeling I’m left with is a happy one.

As I said I don’t listen to a lot of pop music. I have some exposure to Ed Sheeran, Pink, Bruno Mars and a handful of others, so my take on this song may be a bit skewed. That being said occasionally you do want to take a break from headbanging and I think this is a great track in that respect. It’s fun to listen to and you will find yourself bobbing along listening to it.