Reviews

Reviews

8.4

ALBUM: Dance Gavin Dance – ‘Mothership’

October 7, 2016

Michael Bird

It’s not unfair to say that expectations generally weren’t high the last time we got a new Dance Gavin Dance record. After the misstep of 2013’s Acceptance Speech, which came off the back of three vocalist changes within five years, you’d be forgiven for having written them off. But just as post-hardcore brethren Silverstein relaunched […]

Read more

Reviews

EP: Stick To Your Guns – ‘Better Ash Than Dust’

September 27, 2016

Matthew Powers

2016 is a year of firsts for Stick To Your Guns. Aside from signing with new (and frankly, better fitting) label, Pure Noise Records, Better Ash Than Dust is the first release from the band to be an EP rather than a full-length. Fans may be bummed that they aren’t getting ten or eleven new songs […]

Read more

Reviews

ALBUM: Taking Back Sunday – ‘Tidal Wave’

September 19, 2016

Michael Bird

After years of chasing their tails, trying to replicate the charms of Tell All Your Friends and assuredness of Louder Now to no avail, Long Island’s second best post-hardcore band finally produced an album that lived up to their first three in Happiness Is, after realising that they didn’t need to repeat themselves ad infinitum […]

Read more

Reviews

ALBUM: Bastille – ‘Wild World’

September 13, 2016

Michael Bird

Damn it, Dan. Your band could be so good. Granted, you were the least interesting of the Class of 2013 neo-indie big hitters; outshined by The 1975’s sensual swagger, the Vegas glitz of Imagine Dragons, and the eccentric Haim sisters. But you had something, and that something has made your band extremely popular. At the […]

Read more

Reviews

ALBUM: Of Mice & Men – ‘Cold World’

September 9, 2016

Matthew Powers

The leaders of the late 2000’s metalcore scene have been finding various ways of progressing onward from a strictly ‘core-influenced sound. With the death of one trend comes the birth of another which brings the topic of more ‘mature’ music styles to light. Since figuring out there’s more to being heavy than breakdowns, Of Mice […]

Read more

Reviews

ALBUM: A Day to Remember – ‘Bad Vibrations’

September 5, 2016

Michael Bird

It’s wonderfully typical of A Day to Remember to do what makes the least sense at every opportunity. Unless you’re Patrick Star, you’ll be aware of the band’s trademark fusion of mosh-call metalcore and 2002 pop punk. Scores of naysayers said it didn’t work; scores more people bought their albums. Few bands’ success stories’ have […]

Read more

Reviews

ALBUM: Sylar – “Help!”

August 26, 2016

Matthew Powers

1

Help – It’s an alarming word. A word that is never used lightly on its own merits. In order for a person to ask for help, they must believe that they alone cannot accomplish a task. With that in mind, it should be clear that asking for such assistance is the very definition of exhausting […]

Read more

Reviews

ALBUM: Crown The Empire – ‘Retrograde’

July 25, 2016

Matthew Powers

1

Taking a big, bold step into the unknown is the main theme of the new Crown The Empire album, Retrograde. For the band, this means a major change of direction. For the fans, this means uncertainty. Depending on how the average listener of Crown The Empire’s past albums decides to look at Retrograde‘s departure from […]

Read more

Reviews

ALBUM: Cane Hill – ‘Smile’

July 18, 2016

Michael Bird

Every movement or subgenre within music typically goes through three phases. The first is the breakthrough phase, where a raft of new bands with an exciting new sound captures the attention of the press and fans and become the next hot thing within the genre. Within a decade the movement will reach its second phase, […]

Read more

Reviews

ALBUM: I See Stars – ‘Treehouse’

June 17, 2016

Matthew Powers

The most noteworthy point that can be made about I See Stars is that they have always seeked to change the way music as a whole is looked at. In an age where genre splicing is as common as explosions in a Michael Bay movie, the I See Stars boys have used trends and modern […]

Read more