Silvermuffins

Silverstein was probably the first screamo band I ever listened to. They were a bit of a gateway into post-hardcore for me, and I’ve always had a special place on my iPod for them. A Shipwreck in the Sand started to hint at the potential for something heavier from them, but it seemed to be only a hint. However, after switching from Victory Records to Hopeless Records, they announced that they’d be releasing a new record entitled Rescue. Along with that announcement, they also filmed a music video for “The Artist” which featured guest vocals from melodic hardcore band Counterparts’ vocalist. When I found that out, I was sold. I knew this would be their best work to date, and I was right.

“Medication” starts things off right with the guitars of vocalist Shane Told, Neil Boshart, and Josh Bradford fading in over some drum fills by Paul Koehler and a little bass line from Billy Hamilton. The verse kicks in with a wicked little punk feel before we get a full taste of Shane’s screams. Previous albums have had him screaming on occasion, but never really let us see what he could do – this track alone changes that. This song is easily one of the heaviest tracks that Silverstein has ever written. “Sacrifice” continues on this much heavier path as Shane leads off with his screams, throwing his cleans into the mix for a great contrast. Clean guitars open the third track “Forget Your Heart” and transition to distorted while Shane lets his singing voice dominate the vocal duties this time. “Intervention” channels the metalcore spirit with its speedy drum work and Told’s screams driving things forward through the verses and his cleans layering over screams for the chorus. This may be my favorite track on their new album, as it mixes old Silverstein with a much harsher edge. Track five slows the pace a little, as “Good Luck With Your Lives” turns down the distortion and turns up the bass for the verses. Even with the chorus at full blast, it has a softer feel to it that breaks things up nicely. “Texas Mickey” picks up the speed again and Shane’s alternation of cleans and screams provides a brilliant juxtaposition of melody and abrasiveness.

As mentioned above, “The Artist” features some guest vocals from Counterparts’ Brendan Murphy. Brendan and Shane work together perfectly on this hardcore infused track. At this point, it’s obvious that Silverstein has embraced a much heavier side of themselves, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a couple throwbacks to their original style. “Burning Hearts” is one such throwback. It really shows that, even when playing their old style, they’ve grown greatly as musicians. “Darling Harbour” is another nod to where these boys got their start. After this walk down memory lane, “Live to Kill” kicks things back to the present. Shane switches up the standard formula, singing on the verses and screaming his way through the chorus. I know I haven’t paid much mind to the guitars on this album, but they have been absolutely spectacular, and this track is no exception. “Replace You” has another great lead guitar intro that fades to the background as Shane comes in for the verse. Simple lead overtones complement this track nicely. “In Memory Of…” closes out the album. It brings the bass up to the front and pairs it with simplistic guitar and drum parts through the verse before the rest of the band really joins in on the chorus. The pairing of simple and soft with a very full sound ties things together perfectly for an album closer.

Silverstein has evolved to a much heavier sound than anything they’ve written so far without sacrificing their signature sound. Throughout the whole album, it felt like I was still listening to a Silverstein album, which is difficult to do. Be sure to pick up Rescue, because it definitely won’t disappoint.

Muffin Is...

You may remember back at the end of last year, I released my top 15 EPs from 2010, and Ten After Two made that list. They are a 5-piece post-hardcore band out of Sacramento, CA, and I told you to be on the lookout for this band in the future. Their debut full-length on Rise Records Truth Is… is exactly the reason why.

“Yes” starts things off with a bang as Patrick Hennion and Josh Doty let a catchy but heavy little riff fly, backed by Vincent Adorno on drums and Danny Clark on bass. Then we get a taste of Sean Wall’s vocals, and you can already hear that he’s matured his screams from their EP. His cleans have a great tone to them as well, using a style that sounds like a combination of The Word Alive and Senses Fail. “Before You Know It” has a slight progressive bite to it, which is very unusual in this genre and helps these California boys set themselves apart from the plethora of post-hardcore groups on the scene now. “Dead After Dallas” opens with a crushing breakdown and a wicked little lead guitar part layered over Wall’s vocals. The whole song has a heavier feel to it than the first two tracks, but manages to hold on to the melody. Moving to a slightly more down-tempo style, “Satan’s Slumber Party” slows things down and builds on the brutality set forth in the previous track. “Anxious” takes us back to the standard post-hardcore guitar work – a little bit of discord with a whole lot of melody and harmony on the guitars – and Sean Wall’s continued masterful combination of clean vocals.

“Well, Oh Well” keeps things in the post-hardcore vein with a simple rhythm guitar piece and a more complex lead part forming the backdrop for Wall’s vocal onslaught. The title track pulls in some metalcore elements to keep things fresh. Eight tracks in, they switch to the extremely ambient instrumental track “Interlude In D Minor”. Ten After Two throws us a curve ball here as they intro with what sounds like a little pop-punk riff on “The Awe Song”. Fear not, though; it transitions to a much heavier verse and chorus. “A Sight At Sea” gives Adorno a chance to have a little fun on the drums – it leads off the song with a nice fill that is joined by the rest of the band later. “Believe Me” closes out the album in a slightly different fashion. A piano and violin start things off and they build up to bring the rest of the band in, but with a softer edge than the rest of the album. That’s right, my friends, Ten After Two closed their debut album with a ballad, and they did it right.

Ten After Two has only been around for two years, but they’ve managed to attract a good deal of attention – and that attention is completely deserved. Truth Is… is more than worth your time, so check it out.

Firemuffins

I know what you’re all thinking. You’re thinking, “This blog needs more epic metal!” And you are correct. That’s why I’m pleased to bring you the epic melodic death metal band Blackguard out of Quebec, Canada. That’s right, another metal band from the great white north. After moving from Nuclear Blast Records to Victory Records, they’ve released their second full-length album Firefight, and it’s a wicked good time.

“Tephra” opens things in true epic metal fashion, making full use of what sounds like an army marching to war. The title track picks up exactly where the intro left off.  Kim Gosselin tears it up on the lead guitar, while Terry Deschenes handles the rhythm parts, Étienne Mailloux owns the bass, and Justine Ethier helms the drum kit masterfully. Finally, Paul Zinay’s absolutely brutal screams tear through the airwaves and you have a truly epic band. This band blends elements of epic metal and melodic death metal perfectly for a truly intense experience. “Farewell” opens with the melodeath side of things, but quickly mixes in the epic and power metal influences. Oh, and just because they weren’t content to leave things at that, they have at least one ridiculous solo in every song – and they’re all amazing. “Wastelands” uses a similar style intro to the first track to build atmosphere and momentum before the floodgates are opened and the full force of Blackguard is unleashed. This band must be channeling everyone from Nightwish to Insomnium, because they incorporate everything about epic power metal, operatic metal, and melodic death metal that make those genres so impressive into “Cruel Hands”.

“Iblis” gives us a quick break from the pummeling Blackguard has delivered thus far. An acoustic guitar with some atmospheric synth provides the backdrop for a female vocalist that puts forth a truly haunting performance. They don’t waste any more time, though, and pick up right where they left off with “The Fear of All Flesh”. Once again pulling from the examples of Nightwish and Kamelot, they keep the synth in the forefront on “A Blinding Light”, but they make the sound their own by pairing it with some melodeath-style guitars in the vein of Amon Amarth. “The Path” gives us what I can only describe as a little taste of the 80’s, minus the really crappy production quality, combined with Zinay’s crushing vocals. The album closer “Sarissas” pulls from Nightwish’s catalogue one last time as this Canadian powerhouse finishes things off strong.

Blackguard have really brought something unique to the table. They’ve taken elements from multiple genres and melded them together for a truly unique sound. So go pick up Firefight. It’s an epically good album that you don’t want to miss.

Dismuffinment

With a name like The Gun Show, you know this band has to be heavy. This Ohio quintet plays a brutal combination of metalcore and deathcore with a major Christian lyrical influence. Discontentment is the follow up to their 2010 debut Currents, and they’ve taken everything up a notch with this one.

You may be lulled into a false sense of security as “An Overview” plays through. “Barely distorted guitars? A female singer? This is not the heavy I was promised!” you’ll say. Fear not, dear reader. After two minutes and fourteen seconds, you’ll be crushed under the weight of the title track. Massively down-tuned guitars, courtesy of Cory Messer and Eric Biddle, will leave you floored. Mike Mitchell’s work behind the kit will make sure you stay there. Jon Bourcier’s bass onslaught will hold you down. And Tom Hirst’s vocals will pull you along behind this powerhouse. “Negligence” works with some harmonizing guitars before switching back to the deathcore-style riffage. The intro for “The Adegan System” gives us a slightly different taste of things with a much more metalcore and hardcore influenced style song. “The Girl” returns to the chest-crushing deathcore that these Ohio boys know how to wield.

“Apocryphal” begins with atmospheric guitars that are heavy on the reverb and a touch of clean vocals. This reprieve doesn’t last long, as things pick back up about halfway through the song. Though they bring the heavy back in, they also pair it with the female vocalist from the intro, which gives a nice contrast of melody and brutality. “Currents” brings us another hard-hitting deathcore track – it’s got some ridiculously heavy breakdowns, boys and girls; listen responsibly. “The Honest Truth” lets the guitars have a little bit of fun with some quick sweeps before returning to the down-tuned riffs they do so well. Throwing a little more hardcore into the mix, “Founded Upon the Seas” changes things up just enough to keep things interesting. The final track on the album, “Authenticity”, fades in with a brutal breakdown before the guitars take on some wicked fast sweeps and then transition back to their deathcore roots.

The Gun Show are not afraid to take their faith and scream, growl, and sing it from every stage they can. They take the heaviness of the music and use it to drive their point home. Discontentment is a good album, and it shows how well they’ve developed in the short period after their debut. Keep an eye on this band. They’ve got a lot of potential.

We Do What We Muffin

Post-hardcore/screamo veterans Emery have been around for nearly a decade. They have a total of five full-length albums and four EPs under their belts, they’ve managed to maintain a fairly stable set of members, and they’ve tried to keep developing their sound with every release. However, fans were unsure of what would happen to the band when long-time vocalist Devin Shelton decided to step down and go be with his family. However, Devin’s co-vocalist Toby Morell stepped up and stated that the band wasn’t going anywhere, and had been moved to Solid State Records – Tooth and Nail’s heavier branch.

As soon as I found that out, my excitement jumped. I loved how heavy Emery sounded on “Walls” from their debut album and on most of In Shallow Seas We Sail, so hearing them state that this album would be their heaviest to date had me quite hopeful – and Emery did not disappoint.

“The Cheval Glass”, the first single and album opener, kicks things off with a bang. Josh Head’s screams are just as strong as they were the first time I listened to “Walls”. Toby has stepped up to full lead vocalist and he has no trouble filling that slot, in addition to holding some guitar duties. Matt Carter hasn’t lost his touch on the guitar, Head keeps working the keyboards nicely, and Dave Powell does a great job on the drums. Track two is “Scissors”, which continues the pattern of mixing Head’s screams with Toby’s impeccable singing voice. Carter has fallen in line with the heavier sound and is obviously comfortable with it. “Anchors” has a slightly atmospheric opening with Toby singing, soft guitars fading in and out, and Powell hammering away on the toms before the screams layer over the melody for a beautiful contrast. Things appear to slow down a little more with “The Curse of Perfect Days”. Clean guitars paired with Toby’s vocals provide a short diversion from Emery’s newfound sound. It is only a short diversion, as the track kicks into full post-hardcore mode for the duration.

“You Wanted It” might have the heaviest intro Emery has ever written. Discordant guitars, Head’s screams, and pummeling drums hit you hard before Toby’s cleans come back. However, his melodic style vocals pair nicely with the hard-hitting feel of the track. Josh Head’s screams really get a workout on this album, more so than anything they’ve ever written, and “I'm Not Here For Rage I'm Here For Revenge” makes sure to keep him on top of his game. “Daddy’s Little Peach” has a little alt/pop-rock flair to its verses, but the chorus reverts back to their new sound. They continue meshing the alt-rock sound with the post-hardcore with “Addicted to Bad Decisions” for yet another catchy track. The last two tracks on the standard edition slow things down considerably. Both “I Never Got to See the West Coast” and “Fix Me” (which was written by Devin Shelton before he left the band) take on an indie/acoustic form. This transition closes things up nicely for the regular version of the album.

“Crumbling” uses Emery’s full repertoire of tricks to give you a track that is definitely a welcome addition to the album. The second bonus track is just an acoustic version of “The Curse of Perfect Days”, which gives the song a very different atmosphere.

Emery’s newfound heavy sound is more than welcome in my opinion. They’d hinted at it in previous albums and songs, but with their backing by Solid State, we can hope that they keep moving in this style. Be sure to pick up We Do What We Want.

Celestial Muffin

Christian progressive death metal maestros Becoming the Archetype are back with their follow-up to 2008’s incredible work of art Dichotomy. This four piece band has proven that they have talent through their previous three releases, and they’ve shown that they have no problem in trying to continue evolving their sound and growing as musicians. Their fourth studio album, Celestial Completion, is a continuation of this evolution, and a bold one at that.

A bit of synthesizer courtesy of “Count Seth” Hecox and a small choir lead us in to this album, as the drums, manned by Brent “Duck” Duckett, bass, helmed by vocalist Jason Wisdom, and guitar, wielded by Daniel Gailey are added to the mix  before “The Resonant Frequency of Flesh” fades out. “Magnetic Sky” kicks in right away with a dual guitar onslaught of Count Seth and Daniel before Jason’s growls come into the picture. Seth and Daniel also provide the clean vocals on the album, and they do a magnificent job of it, especially in this song. You’ll have it stuck in your head for days after the first listen. They move to a little more death metal influenced style with “Internal Illumination”. Guitars, synth, bass, and drums all form the perfect setting for Jason’s brutal growls. And just to sweeten the deal, the breakdown at the end of the song feels like a throwback to the old school Solid State Records roster. “Path of the Beam” proves that BtA has a knack for writing some of the catchiest intros in metal. Some excellent work on the guitar by Daniel and Seth and Count’s keyboard accents complement the duo’s clean vocals throughout the track.

This brings us to the first instrumental track: “Music of the Spheres: Requiem Aeternam I”. Count Seth takes the lead on the piano for this beautiful piece. The brutal comes back in “Elemental Wrath: Requiem Aeternam II” with a single guitar and kick drum preparing the way for the brutality that is to come. Jason brings up the vocoder to give his screams a robotic/electronic tinge that works really well with this track. “Xenosynthesis: Requiem Aeternam III” brings us to the end of the “Requiem Aeternam” saga with a great death metal song that’s heavy on the atmospheric synth and even has a beautiful soprano part. “Invisible Creature” is the other instrumental on Celestial Completion, and it will catch you off guard. It’s got a Middle Eastern feel to it and is led by a sitar. However, it leads perfectly into my absolute favorite track on the album “Cardiac Rebellion”. Jason moves back to the vocoder for the verses, and the boys of BtA pull some gang vocals for the chorus, which you will be shouting along to in no time. You also get just a hint of trombone mixed in. Just after the halfway mark, they switch to some clean guitar work before moving into a full-blown bluesy swing piece, complete with trombone and a wicked lead guitar part. “Reflect/Refract” moves back to a more traditional progressive death sound, and they close with “Breathing Light”, a powerhouse of a song with beautiful lead guitar work, synth that complements the music perfectly and a brilliant combination of growls and singing with some gang vocals tossed in for good measure.

Becoming the Archetype has done it again. They’ve crafted a musical masterpiece that shows growth and a desire to really push the limits of the music scene. Celestial Completion is an epic journey that no one should miss out on. I know it will definitely be returning to my playlist again and again.

Before The Muffin Takes Us

After seven years on the scene, Across the Sun is finally starting to get some recognition. After releasing three EPs and touring extensively, they were finally signed by Metal Blade last year and released their very first full-length album. The question is, was the wait worth it? Did this melodic metalcore quintet from Portland, OR deliver? The answer is a resounding yes.

The album starts strong with “Tipping the Scales”. Some atmospheric keys, courtesy of Shane Murray, layer over the drum work of Alan Ashcraft. Then the hammer falls as Sam Hafer lets loose on the guitar with a devilish little riff and Brandon Davis growls through the verse. The low end is rounded out by John Malloy. Then the chorus hits and Brandon shows that he’s got an amazing singing voice to pair with his screams. “Song for the Hopeless” once again showcases Hafer’s skill with the guitar. At this point, you’ll realize that the keyboards will be near the forefront for most of the album. Not ten seconds later, you’ll hear a perfectly placed synth transition and you’ll realize that the keyboards belong near the front, as they complement the guitar perfectly. “Seasons” takes a slightly slower pace and lets Hafer and Murray play a little bit on their respective instruments before things cut back for what feels almost like a ballad inspired verse. They build back up for the chorus, while Davis gets to show off his clean vocals for most of the song. Not wasting time, they kick things back up to speed with “Descent and Discovery”. Hafer sets a blistering pace and Davis growls along beside him. “Ghost of Grandeur” opens up with some nice melodic guitar work, and then the verse hits with a crushing hardcore drum line. Davis once again switches seamlessly between cleans and screams throughout the verses and chorus.

The title track gives us another pairing of guitar and keys working together, before the synth backs off and only pops up to emphasize parts throughout the verse. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I love Davis’ voice. He’s got a magnificent growl and one of the best singing voices I’ve heard in the metalcore scene in a long time – he’s got a great low voice, which is a nice contrast to the constant effort to use high clean vocals by most bands. The intro “A Moment of Clarity” is a grainy record audio sound, with some keys layered over top of it. A clean guitar fades in with the drums and bass not far behind. Later in the track we even get a taste of some string effects. It all meshes into a stellar instrumental track, which transitions nicely into the slower paced “Blessing in Disguise”. Things don’t stay slow for long, as the song quickly builds speed as it progresses. “In the Face of Adversity” pairs the guitar with the keys to give each a very melodic feel. As the closing track, “Belay My Judgment”, begins, you can tell that it’s going to be quite an epic finish. Soaring cleans and deathly growls, crushing guitars, ethereal keys, pummeling drum work, and a bass line that hammers it all home deliver on all fronts and give this album the perfect finisher.

Across the Sun have a great deal of talent, so it’s very good to see them getting signed to such a big label. They’ve got positive lyrics and an incredible musical gift. They’ve given us a spectacular debut album with Before the Night Takes Us, and I’m excited to see what they do next.

Muffin The Hero

For those of you unfamiliar with Protest the Hero, your life is poorer for it. Allow me to enlighten you. Protest the Hero is a five-piece progressive metal act out of Ontario, Canada. That’s right. Canada. Didn’t think anything metal could come out of Canada? You were wrong. Anyway, with three full-lengths, two EPs, and a live album under their belts, PtH is on quite a roll. Scurrilous is the follow up to 2008’s Fortress. In my opinion, their debut Kezia was, and still is their strongest release, and Fortress is most definitely the weakest. Their third release falls nicely in between the two giving an accessible, yet well written feel.

“C’est La Vie” kicks things off with a familiar method, but institutes a small change: the lyricism is a very different style. The Canada quintet has finally stepped away from the concept album and into a much wittier and more satirical method. I really have nothing against concept albums – as I said, Kezia, which is definitely a concept album, is still my favorite. That being said, Scurrilous is giving it some serious competition. “Hair-Trigger” follows up with strange time signatures galore while Luke Hoskin’s and Tim Millar’s guitar prowess hasn’t diminished at all in the three years since their last studio album. At this point, you may also notice that Rody Walker’s vocals have matured significantly. He has a much firmer grasp on his style than he did on their previous release. Protest keeps things moving right along at breakneck speed with “Tandem”. As always, the guitars are perfect, but the drum work of Mr. Moe Carlson really shines through here.

Like I mentioned earlier, the lyrical style for this album is very different. This is due to the fact that Rody took over writing duties, rather than Arif Mirabdolbaghi (with a couple of exceptions), who had written both of their previous albums. I had nothing against his style, but I definitely love the way Rody’s written this release. If you were still skeptical about this band’s talent, all you need to do is listen to the intro for “Moonlight”. This may be my favorite track on the album, because it really shows you what Protest the Hero can do: immensely technical guitars that complement each other perfectly, a stellar bass line, thunderous drums, and soaring vocals. “Tapestry” did something I really enjoyed. They started out basic with just one guitar and the hi-hat cymbal and added in the other instruments gradually without losing the sound of any of them. It blends together to give a great sound.

“Dunsel” starts out a little slower with some synth keys and fading guitars before switching into a double guitar harmonization. Time changes are plentiful in this track, but they don’t feel awkward as they do with many bands. Hoskin really gets to let loose on track seven, “The Reign of Unending Terror”. The lead part runs through the majority of the song. “Termites” sets a more atmospheric tone, but not in the traditional sense. It’s not haunting or ethereal, but simply sets a mildly frantic mood, but in a good way. “Tongue-Splitter” almost feels like a continuation of the previous track – like the logical progression from one to the other. This musical masterpiece closes out with “Sex Tapes”. The lead part absolutely tears up and down the fret board with some insane tapping, and Rody definitely goes all out for this closer.

This third release by Protest the Hero shows that the band can, in fact, write something other than concept albums, and I love it. It’s catchy, witty, and absolutely oozing talent. Definitely be sure to pick up Scurrilous. You won’t regret it.

The Muffin Within Us

Facedown Record’s newcomers Onward To Olympas are back with their second release on the aforementioned label. A follow-up to 2010’s This World Is Not My Home, these North Carolina boys keep the punches coming with The War Within Us. These guys know how to make heavy, hard-hitting metal.

Now, after hearing me say that, you may be surprised with the intro track “The Continuance”, which is a slow moving piece with clean guitars and not a double kick to be found. Fear not, dear readers, as track two flips the switch from “atmospheric” to “kick your teeth in”. The title track’s verse sports the double guitar attack of Andy Simmons and Andrew Higginbotham and the absolutely crushing vocals of Kramer Lowe. This man has some serious pipes. We also get a taste of some melody during the chorus courtesy of Mr. Simmons. “Revealing” starts off fast for the verse before a quick time change and a switch to clean vocals then switches back to the verse just as quickly, then follows it up with a breakdown. OTO really make this almost schizophrenic approach to music work. “Hidden Eyes” has a wicked southern beat to it, and you all know how much I love southern riffs. This track probably won out as my favorite song on the album. The NC quintet slows things down a little and seemingly softens them up as “Seeker” starts off with clean guitars with just a touch of reverb. After lulling you into a false sense of security, they proceed to bludgeon you with a brutal barrage of heavy, mixed with just the right amount of melody.

“Structures” picks up right where “Seeker” left off, using a riff that took what the previous track had started and built on and evolved it. Opting for a very post-hardcore feeling intro, Onward To Olympas embraces the style throughout the entirety of “Unsuitable Patterns”, excepting a bone-crushingly heavy breakdown. “The March” finally gives us a reprieve (eight tracks in). Clean guitars, melodious vocals, and simplistic drums show that OTO can write more than just metal. Toward the end, it does gain steam and sets up the follow-up “Accuser”.  “From The Mouth” might be the heaviest song on the whole record. Even with the more deathcore feel, they manage to through in some melodic guitars and make the style their own. “Rebuilt” closes out the album in a very thrash/groove metal style with touches of metalcore sprinkled all over. They also manage to fit a short bluesy interlude in about halfway through the song before transitioning to an awe-inspiring finish.

I’m a fan of Facedown Records’ artists in general, so I may be a little biased, but I greatly enjoyed Onward To Olympas’ sophomore release. They have a real passion for what they do and it shines through in their music. Be sure to go pick up Onward To Olympas’ The War Within Us.