Posts Tagged ‘album reviews’

Paramore Feature 2013

REVIEW: Paramore – Self-Titled

April 5th, 2013 Adrian Garza

Band: Paramore
Album: Paramore
Label: Fueled By Ramen

There is plenty to cover with this introduction. I could start by mentioning how it’s been nearly four years since Paramore released their last full length effort, Brand New Eyes. I could say that because of various momentum hits, like the Farro brothers’ departure under the most shocking and inamicable of circumstances, the Tennessee group have become but an afterthought to longtime fans. Haley Williams has even gone on as far to say that this self-titled record is a statement, one that’s not just limited externally to the world, but …

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REVIEW: The Strokes – Comedown Machine

April 4th, 2013 Josh Hammond

Band: The Strokes
Album: Comedown Machine
Label: RCA
Genre: Garage Rock

If the whole of your research were to stem strictly from the interwebs, one would have to surmise that The Strokes’ new album Comedown Machine was, without question, the worst album ever created in the history of modern music. This, however, is nothing more than a collective hyperbole. The album is not only serviceable, it is better than a majority of the albums released and swept under the rug in this unforgivable industry.

Sadly though, that’s not how the industry works. Often, as an artist, critics place your latest …

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REVIEW: Eric Clapton – Old Sock

March 19th, 2013 Grace Duffy

Artist: Eric Clapton
Album: Old Sock
Genre: Blues
Label: Bushbranch

Releasing an album composed almost entirely of covers might seem like a strange decision. It runs the risk of implying that you’ve run low on ideas or – even with two new songs included – that you’ve become jaded and cynical and would rather indulge yourself than offer anything new. Yet, there’s nothing untoward or manipulative about Eric Clapton’s Old Sock. It is an indulgent album, but it’s a warm, lengthy, and luxuriant one that feels more like an intimate session by the fire than anything self-aggrandizing. It has a …

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within the ruins Elite

REVIEW: Within The Ruins – ‘Elite’

March 7th, 2013 Adrian Garza

Artist: Within the Ruins
Album: Elite
Genre: Deathcore
Label: E1 Music

Not as many deathcore bands can match the longevity and work ethic of Within the Ruins. The Massachusetts-based quartet has been a band for nearly a decade. Although the group has about as many years under their belt as they’ve had member changes (no really, their Wikipedia page lists about nine previous members), they haven’t lost any steam leading up the release of their third studio album, Elite.

…

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REVIEW: Buckcherry – Confessions

February 23rd, 2013 Grace Duffy

Artist: Buckcherry
Album: Confessions
Genre: Hard rock
Label: Century Media Records

Steady and constant in their music, Buckcherry have made few sweeping departures from their formula over the years. Sticking with the recipe that has garnered them widespread fame and chart success is hardly unwise, though it does mean there are few surprises when it comes to their brand. One area which does seem to be thriving however is ambition, as the band proves with latest effort Confessions. A themed album that will also form the basis for a film, it is suitably pompous in vision and well-trodden in …

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REVIEW: The Royal – Origins EP

December 3rd, 2012 Grace Duffy

Artist: The Royal
Album: Origins EP
Genre: Metalcore/Melodic Hardcore
Label: (Unsigned)

Even for the Netherlands, a country with an esteemed history of producing excellent artists, this is quite the marvellous debut. The Royal are an up-and-coming five-piece from Arnhem and in Origins, their six-song debut EP, they make the most compelling argument for the preservation of the metalcore genre that I’ve heard in a long time. It may not be groundbreaking, or even all that distinctive in the general scheme of things, but it does display a passion and feverish commitment to the style and integrity of their sound …

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REVIEW: Kid Rock – Rebel Soul

December 1st, 2012 Josh Hammond

Artist: Kid Rock
Album: Rebel Soul
Genre: Something

Since I have always prided myself on writing reviews with an unapologetic and honest tone it is only fair that I also admit that there was a time that I not only owned but enjoyed Kid Rock. Those were confusing times comprised of angst and wardrobes from Hot Topic. My hair looked a lot like something from a Nine Inch Nails video. Obviously, a lot has changed since 1998. For example, Kid Rock’s sound has shifted from an aggressive rap-rock hybrid to something posing as a southern gentleman. Somewhere along the …

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REVIEW: Deftones – Koi No Yokan

November 11th, 2012 Grace Duffy

Artist: Deftones
Album: Koi No Yokan
Genre: Alternative metal
Label: Reprise

I had originally wanted to write a one sentence review of this, citing a section of Tolkien describing the beauty of an Elven lair and then putting “Add metal” after it. It wouldn’t be too far from the truth. Anyone who feels metal can’t be beautiful has obviously never listened to Deftones, for they’ve spent their career crafting crushingly effective metal tracks disguised in the sensuous gleam of grace and eroticism. Koi No Yokan is masterful. It is textbook Deftones and yet, at the same, offers so much …

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Album Review: Calvin Harris – 18 Months

November 5th, 2012 Josh Hammond

Artist: Calvin Harris
Album: 18 Months
Genre: Pop

What you take away from Calvin Harris’ new album 18 Months, really depends on what you’re looking for when you’re listening. The fifteen tracks are all over the place in terms of sound. Set up like a Chinese buffet, the LP hits as many angles of the red carpet as possible. Mixing quick synth-pop riffs with full on radio friendly singles, the album features a little bit of everything for everyone. I bet you a dollar the biggest haters and Indie snobs will manage to find something to put on their …

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REVIEW: Stone Sour – House Of Gold And Bones – Part 1

October 21st, 2012 Grace Duffy

Artist: Stone Sour
Album: “House of Gold and Bones Part 1”
Genre: Alt-metal, hard rock
Label: Roadrunner

Stone Sour’s House of Gold and Bones (Part 1) has all the hallmarks of an event, but somehow it feels like a non-event. It’s a fine record, but not in a showy or extravagant way – rather, its cutting, clinical precision is what gives it an air of accomplishment, neither excessive nor modest but dead on the mark. It’s as if the band conceived of each song in its entirety and moulded them carefully together to create something just as proficient in …

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Further-Seems-Forever

REVIEW: Further Seems Forever – Penny Black

October 15th, 2012 Grace Duffy

Artist: Further Seems Forever
Album: Penny Black
Genre: Rock
Label: Rise Records

For a band that had early associations with that much-maligned, so-called genre of emo, Further Seems Forever have come a long way. Penny Black is a riveting, engaged, and entirely involving record that screams of maturity and focus. The steely grey resignation in Chris Carrabba’s voice is testament to this, as he anchors each song with a grim and earthy demeanour, speaking frankly of inner turmoil and persecutions while also reserving a softer side for eerie explorations of weakness. It’s a sublimely together record, confident in its sound …

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REVIEW: The Wallflowers – Glad All Over

October 13th, 2012 Grace Duffy

Artist: The Wallflowers
Album: Glad All Over
Genre: Rock
Label: Columbia Records

It’s been a while since The Wallflowers released a new record, but you’d certainly never think it from Glad All Over. The band are as tight and together as ever, illustrating a truly remarkable precision and mastery over their craft that is nothing short of inspiring. They’ve clothed this album in the most elusive yet consuming sense of nostalgic warmth, burying tweaks and details in understated guitar touches and minimalistic instruments to create a record that is simple and dedicated yet captivating in the most wholesome of …

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