Under the Gun Review

Entertainment news for today's generation

SINGLE REVIEW: Falling In Reverse – “Fashionably Late”

Artist: Falling In Reverse
Track: “Fashionably Late”
Album: Fashionably Late

When Falling In Reverse released “Alone” a few weeks back, we thought our site was likely to crash. Only a year had passed since Falling In Reverse released their Epitaph debut, The Drug In Me Is You, but fans were already chomping at the bit for new music. Unfortunately, not many of those rabid followers ever expected to hear frontman Ronnie Radke rapping about how much more money he has than his fans, and the fallout that followed the premiere of “Alone” is still lingering in comment …

STAND UP TUESDAYS: Dan St. Germain

Stand-Up Tuesdays is a weekly comedy spotlight written by the wonderfully talented Angie Frissore. Covering both known and unknown comics, Stand-up Tuesdays is your new source for all things funny.

This week, Angie puts a spotlight on Dan St. Germain’s comedy career. If you or your comedy troupe would like to be featured on Stand-Up Tuesdays, please email utgjames@gmail.com.

Dan St. Germain is having one hell of a year. The Best Week Ever regular just debuted his first “The Half Hour” special on Comedy Central on May 17, and has recently announced a script deal with …

EDITORIAL: DMX’s ‘It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot’ Turns 15

We talk a lot about nostalgia, but rarely when it comes to the world of hip hop. Aside from our features on Lord Willin and Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” we have been admittedly lacking in our celebration of legendary releases in hip hop. This morning, however, a headline hit me in the face with all the power the reminder of how old you are possibly can. I knew right away I needed to write something, even if it were only a few lines, because this album was something special to me (even if I was 11 when it came out). Today …

UTG EXCLUSIVE: Late In The Playoffs – “Never Wrong”

Late In The Playoffs became site favorites with the release of Everything I Know, a 5-song EP from the promising Chicago pop-rock band that featured my favorite song of 2011.

They continued their role and we continued our coverage of their growth with a premiere of “Force of Nature,” one of two singles from The Wayside Sessions released in May of last year.

Now, as the band is rearing to release their full length album, Alive And On Your Own, we’re happy to host and offer a free download of the new song, “Never Wrong.”

Look below for …

REVIEW: Have Mercy – The Earth Pushed Back

Band: Have Mercy
Album: The Earth Pushed Back
Genre: Alternative
Label: Topshelf Records

There haven’t been a ton of records I’ve been really excited about this year thus far. I’ve given some high marks in terms of “scoring,” and I think that is partially because there has been a lot of pretty mediocre records coming out of the scene these days, and I’ve lost sight of what truly great really means. Though it may seem strange to admit, some albums I’ve given high marks to earlier in the year may have deserved lower scores in hindsight. Why, you ask? Well, …

Sleeping With Sirens Perform “Alone” Live With Machine Gun Kelly

May 22nd, 2013

Grant Trimboli

Sleeping With Sirens were filmed performing their new song called “Alone” for the first time, with help from rapper Machine Gun Kelly, in London.

The song was performed on May 16 and does not fall short of energy or charisma. We understand the video quality was not prime but this is the very first performance captured of “Alone.” The song will come off of the group’s forthcoming release, Feel, dropping on June 4 through Rise Records.

Check out the original audio of Sleeping With Sirens’ single right here as well. Read more »

Slam Dunk Festival Set Times Announced

May 22nd, 2013

Grant Trimboli

Slam Dunk Festival is gearing up to start in five days and the final sets times for each performer has hit the internet. This event will take place from May 25 through the 27 so be sure to grab your tickets before they sell out.

Performing at this year’s festivities are none other than Four Year Strong, Pierce The Veil, The Early November, Cancer Bats, The Wonder Years, Fireworks and so many more. Click through the link provided to view the entire listing of artists and bands.

Are you planning on attending the year’s Slam Dunk Festival? It should be a fun time! Read more »

Michael Shannon Shines As Zod In New ‘Man Of Steel’ Trailer

May 22nd, 2013

James Shotwell

Forget about Ryan Gosling, Michael Shannon is possibly the greatest living actor working today. Those needing proof need only spend a weekend with Take Shelter, The Iceman, and the first two seasons of Boardwalk Empire. Today he finally gets the spotlight in a trailer for what is easily his biggest film to date, and call me crazy, but I think I am about to start rooting for the bad guy.

Man Of Steel has been gestating in post-production for over a year, but it is still weeks away from release here in the United States. Michael Shannon appears in the film not as Clark Kent, but instead as his latest nemesis, Zod. Little has been revealed about the mysterious bad guy thus far in the marketing campaign, but a new trailer released today gives us our first taste of his mighty power. You can view the trailer below.

The jury is still out over whether or not Man Of Steel will be the redeeming epic the beloved comic character needs, but I am 100% confident Michael Shannon will not let moviegoers down. Comment below and let us know your thoughts on the latest visuals. Read more »

NOT FOR EMETOPHOBES: ‘Human Centipede 3′ Begins Production In Los Angeles This Week

May 22nd, 2013

James Shotwell

After over a year of speculation and legal complication, it seems cameras are finally set to roll on the long-gestating, somewhat anticipated finale in Tom Six’s Human Centipede trilogy.

According to a new article in the LA Times, Six Entertainment Co. is scheduled to shoot a scene for The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence) on Friday in the Monterey Park area. The permit for the location shoot was filed with FilmL.A. Inc., which handles film permits for the city and the county. The article also says casting has been going on for weeks.

If you recall, production on this feature was originally slated to begin last year, but hit a roadblock when star Dieter Laser was sued after he spoke out about issues he had with the final film’s script.

Like almost everyone else in the horror community, I was both intrigued and disgusted when The Human Centipede originally debuted. The sequel, however, offered more of the gross and far less in terms of enjoyable content. My guess is that part three will be significantly worse, but it’s anyone’s guess as to what Six has planned next. We’ll update you as more information becomes available.

PROCRASTINATE: Watch 3 Acoustic Videos From The Wonder Years

May 22nd, 2013

James Shotwell

Sometimes the news we post isn’t as much news as it is an excuse to take a break from the boredom of day-to-day life. Hate your 9-5 or wish those final classes would end so Summer could begin? Don’t worry, we’re here to help.

AlexIsLegend, known for his work with Absolutepunk and fondness for live videos, has posted three acoustic performance clips from The Wonder Years’ recent in-store performance in Norwood, MA. The videos released feature some of the first performances of “Passing Through A Screen Door,” “Dismantling Summer,” and “Madelyn” that have been posted online, and the overall quality is as top notch as one could possibly hope. You can view the performances at the end of this post.

“Passing Through A Screen Door,” “Dismantling Summer,” and “Madelyn” all hail from The Greatest Generation, which hit stores last week through Hopeless Records. Click here to purchase a copy on iTunes. Read more »

Hatebreed Prove “Honor Never Dies” With Brutal New Video

May 22nd, 2013

James Shotwell

Hatebreed promoted their new album The Divinity Of Purpose as being a return to their ‘all pit, no shit’ sound. This lead us to a feverish excitement for the album’s release, and in the review that followed critic Jordan Munson confirmed this promise, commenting “The fact of the matter is that The Divinity of Purpose is a very solid record, and true to form for Hatebreed.” The band has now released a video for the album’s latest single, and once again they prove they’re the best at modern hardcore.

“Honor Never Dies” is the kind of song that goes straight for the jugular when it comes to its official video. Viewers follow a skateboarding tough guy who proceeds to beat the living hell out of a pair of rapists he comes across. Spliced between these graphic moments are energetic performance shots, and anyone familiar with Hatebreed’s video history knows those moments are always the most captivating moments of their clips. You can view the video for “Honor Never Dies” at the end of this post.

Nearly six months after arriving in stores, The Divinity Of Purpose continues to shine as one of the strongest offerings of 2013. If you love “Honor Never Dies” we highly encourage you to give the full album a chance. Read more »

System Of A Down Bassist Blames Frontman Serj Tankian For Lack Of New Music

May 22nd, 2013

James Shotwell

System Of A Down have not released a new album since 2005. In the time that has passed since that time UTG was born, over a dozen writers for the site graduated college, and the face of mainstream rock has completely changed at least three times over. Still, even with all that has happened, fans of SOAD continue to ask the band for new material and until now they have received almost nothing in the form of a response.

Taking to Facebook recently, System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian blamed the lack of new music on frontman Serj Tankian and suggested the band considers completing a new album without him (as long as fans are on board, of course). His post reads:

“OK, I’ll come clean. It’s not us (meaning Daron, John Or Shavo!) Its Serj, who doesn’t want to do a new album! So please stop harassing us about it!…We are just waiting for Serj. Now, he might hate me for exposing the truth but I had to. Sorry folks! We’re trying to get a new album out, it’s just not passing Serj’s rules! Kinda funny, since we started the band and now he’s holding us back! I think we should should release another album again. As for me, I’m ready to release one with someone who wants to be the singer of System. Not someone we have to beg to be a part of System. So with that in mind, what do you guys [think we] should do? Just remember, he’s been holding us back for seven years so far. Wanna wait another five years? Or shall we release a record without Serj? You tell us? I’m furious that he let us down like this, but we gotta do something to keep this great band alive! agreed?” Read more »

Maroon 5 Get Painted For “Love Somebody” Video

May 22nd, 2013

James Shotwell

Maroon 5′s signature brand of dance-laden pop rock is not exactly rocket science. The band found a sound that worked well early in their career and have stuck with it. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but sometimes it does make them a bit predictable. Their latest video, however, is another story altogether.

When it was premiered on The Voice earlier this week, “Love Somebody” struck me as just another Maroon 5 jam about a topic all their songs seem to be about (l-o-v-e). It was an acceptable entry into the current pop charts, but nothing out of the norm for the group or current music. The video then premiered this morning and I initially thought it would be the same, and now I’m writing this post to express just how wrong I was. Their music may not be the most complex offering available today, but never say Adam Levine in crew are fully focused on moving forward.

The video for “Love Somebody” features Levine, or at least parts of Levine, covered in blue paint against a bright white background. As the song plays we see the half-there frontman from various angles, as well as a female companion, and in no time at all the sparks begin to fly. It’s as high concept as confectionary art can be, and it’s executed in utterly fantastic fashion. You can view the video below.

“Love Somebody” is available now at a number of digital retailers, including iTunes. Click here to purchase the song and add it to your personal collection. Read more »

Lil Wayne And T.I. Release “Wit Me” Video

May 22nd, 2013

James Shotwell

Just days after dropping the official audio, Lil Wayne and T.I. have released the video for their collaborative single “Wit Me.”

When so little time passes between the single and video release I always feel like we run the chance of repeating ourselves. That said, “Wit Me” is just as infectious and hard hitting now as it was the first time it filled our office with its bass-loving sound. The video features a flimsy story about Weezy and The King of Atlanta running from police in expensive cars through the streets of Miami, but more than anything it’s a well-edited performance clip. Wayne is starting to get back on his game, and it’s exciting to see the passion back in his efforts. You can view the video at the end of this post.

Rumor has it a plethora of additional songs and videos from T.I. are on the way in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned to UTG’s Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates and releases. Read more »

REMAKE: ‘Starbuck’ Becomes Vince Vaughn Lead ‘Delivery Man’

May 22nd, 2013

James Shotwell

It’s not too often a director gets to (or even wants to) remake their own film. Aside from Hitchcock, only a few have dared such a feat, but recently Dreamworks gave fast-rising Ken Scott that opportunity.

If you live near an arthouse or a box theater that features indie films, there is a good chance Ken Scott’s film Starbuck recently made an appearance on the local silver screen. Released originally in 2011, the comedy effort about a man who learns he fathered over 500 children as a sperm donor earlier in his life, a portion of whom want to know his true identity, just completed its initial theatrical run here in the states. You might think that means that remake teased in the headline is years away, but that is in fact the exact opposite of the truth.

This morning, Dreamworks released the first trailer for Ken Scott’s new film, Delivery Man. The film follows a man who fathered hundreds of children as a sperm donor earlier in life, a portion of whom want to know his true identity. Other than the title change and the replacement of up and coming actors with the likes of Vince Vaughn and Chris Pratt, the film is exactly the same. You can view the trailer for both films below.

While I am happy people are recognizing the hilarity of Scott’s work, it’s a shame he has to remake a film that already works so well. I hope he at least managed to work the top billed cast from the original into the remake, but it does not seem that is the case from the information and footage that has been made available thus far.

Delivery Man opens November 22. Read more »

ALBUM STREAM: Thirty Seconds To Mars – ‘Love Lust Faith + Dreams’

May 22nd, 2013

Kriston McConnell

Thirty Seconds To Mars are now streaming their brand new album, Love Lust Faith + Dreams, in its entirety. You can listen to the album by taking a look below the jump.

If you have not purchased the album yet, you can do so by heading on over to iTunes. I’ve listened to it already, and I definitely recommend picking it up!

Interested in learning more about the album? You can read an interview Rolling Stone had with Jared Leto on the production of Love Lust Faith + Dreams. Any fan of the band should check it out!
Read more »

Architects Release New Song Teaser

May 22nd, 2013

Kriston McConnell

Architects have released a short teaser for a new song, titled “Black Blood.” You can listen to the clip by taking a look below the jump.

The band also announced they will be releasing details on a deluxe version of Daybreaker. It sounds like this song, and possibly some other new songs, will be featured on that deluxe reissue. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more updates on that!

They have a handful of tour dates coming up, then they will be heading out on this year’s Vans Warped Tour. Check out their Facebook page for a full list of dates to see if they will be playing in your city soon. Read more »