Reviews

THIS IS NOT A FULL REVIEW. Gotta make sure you all understand that before going any further.

So this is the first experience I’m having really taking a good listen to some Brand New, and I figured I’d share it because they seem to be quite the influential band and they seem to have almost a cult like following.

Anyway, I started with Daisy. It was the controversial record that I’ve heard the most complaints about, so I wanted to hear it for myself with no bias whatsoever that’s based upon how it compares to the older stuff.

But having not heard the old stuff didn’t make a difference. I can hear, even through this single listen, that this was going to alienate people. It has all the workings of a likeable collection of songs, but it’s organized in such a way that can only be described with the word I’ve seen many people throwing around like nothing: jarring. Looking back, it feels like I’ve been listening to a gentle guitar riff with some syncopated drum beats and a lot of bass for most of the album. But then I realize that the end of “You Stole” and the choruses of “Sink” exploded with a barrage of loud guitars and shrill yelling and just mad noise. But mad in the best way, mainly because it mostly sounds like its sole intention is to be off putting to the listener as soon as they get used to the soft parts. Brand New clearly had the intention to turn some heads here.

That being said, every individual section of this album is met with brilliant execution. If the part feels out of place, the vocals seem like they’re given just the right amount of carelessness to match it. Once again, this is their way of displaying madness in a good way. And when they go for the parts that feel completely at home, there’s a careful precision heard in the guitar, where no notes are added where they won’t enhance the listening experience. All the right guitar effects and production tweaks are in all the right places. The drums never stick to a by-the-book rhythm unless enough is going on outside of them to keep anyone from noticing. The bass shines through whenever the guitar and drums feel like they’re slipping out of the foreground. At every turn, this album feels right. Is everyone going to like it? No. It’s a strikingly erratic display of pure madness attempting to take the form of a refined alternative rock album. But if you don’t, you’ll listen to every little detail, you’ll appreciate the craftsmanship it took for Brand New to create such a technically brilliant record, and you’ll be perfectly okay with the fact that Daisy is just not your speed.

Coming back with a new album just one year after their first effort Overseer, Pittsburgh’s New Vegas are back and making it abundantly clear that they mean business. While Overseer was a fantastic debut, it was pretty clear that it was the band’s first venture into the music world. There was a great idea that was very well executed, but it didn’t feel like there was too much ambition behind it. Now, just a short time later, New Vegas is already showing signs of progress with More Than Mythology, a well-rounded yet diverse sound spread out over 9 tracks.

The biggest and best change from Overseer to More Than Mythology is the amount of thought that went into every second of this album. It’s clear that this was not created by messing around on a guitar and waiting for something to stick. These songs are the ones that need to wait until inspiration strikes before they are created. From the sound of it, New Vegas has taken this inspiration and worked out every angle behind the songwriting to make each one just about as good as they could make it.

There’s a really impressive mix of styles on this album. The band gets their influence from a wide range of bands throughout different subgenres of hardcore music, and each one shows itself both on its own and mixed in with others. What’s great about that is the band doesn’t take a crescendo that Caspian would’ve written and put it next to a mosh part from a Touche Amore song. Instead, they tone down both styles and integrate them together. There can be an all-out hardcore attack complete with heavy screaming vocals, but right after there will be a slow and ambient guitar part slowly building up, and the whole time it will be clear that this is New Vegas trying to create something fresh and  and not just take what other bands are doing and try to throw it together.

Another strong point lies in the production. More Than Mythology comes off as more fine tuned and precise, not to mention the guitar tones are damn near perfect. There’s always the right one to match whatever’s going on, whether it be a slow, reverb-laced buildup, a crunchy guitar break, or full, thick chords at the top of a crescendo. On top of the well-written instrumentals, the ethereal sounds that can be heard often on this album almost create a landscape that is really easy to lose yourself in (see the bridge of “Watered Down, All Around”). Then you have the heavier riffs like the bridge of “Ensnared,” which sounds like it came straight off of the most recent Thrice record.

Despite all this, at the end, it still feels like there’s something missing. The problem is that New Vegas have a sound that puts just as strong a focus on the vocals just as much as it does on the instrumental, if not a stronger one. Unfortunately, this is where the band comes up short. The clean vocals seem to explore a wider range than was heard on Overseer and technically they can be appreciated, but they simply fall flat as far as catchiness and melodic flow (save for one track, “Les Enfantes Terribles”). Not to mention the screaming vocals don’t seem to be used to their full potential. This album could definitely use some moments where heavy vocals are layered over soft and ambient passages, which were successfully implemented on Overseer, but not so much here. I’d go so far as to say that this album could be more effective as an instrumental album rather than what it is.

All in all, however, this album is definitely a success and a good mark of progress for New Vegas. It shows that the band has just about all the resources they need to create the album that affirms their unique identity, but they simply have to figure out how to cohesively meld all those resources together for that to happen.

7.75/10

Recommended If You Like: Moving Mountains, Athletics, Thrice, Caspian

1. Ensnared - 4/5

2. Watered Down, All Around - 4.5/5

3. Canvases - 3.5/5

4. More Than Mythology - 4/5

5. Les Enfantes Terribles - 4.5/5

6. Atlas - 4/5

7. Homes and Coffins - 4.5/5

8. In Limbo - 3/5

9. The Winter Soulstice - 3.5/5

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newvegasband?fref=ts

Bandcamp: http://newvegas.bandcamp.com/

So not too long ago, the rock band Nonpoint, who have been around since 1997, put out their seventh record. I’ve been sitting here for a while just staring at a blank screen, waiting for some clever anecdote to pop into my head that could smoothly segue into my opinions on this record, but there’s really nothing to be said except for one thing. It’s bad.

Before you start thinking otherwise, I don’t think it’s bad because of their genre or the sound they’re going for. I find nothing wrong with slightly radio friendly rock tunes every now and then, sometimes I really love them, but every genre has its bands that hold up the lower end of the spectrum, and Nonpoint would definitely be one of them. This album is bad simply because it’s completely thoughtless and uninspired. There isn’t an ounce of effort anywhere to be found on this album; each song just recycles the same sounding guitar riffs with drums and bass that do nothing but follow along. Wherever there’s a moment where the songwriting sounds like it’s going outside the box, like on the tracks “Go Time” and “Ashes,” it ends up just being a moment where the band is forcing themselves to write something different simply for the sake of being different.

As if that weren’t enough evidence that this album is completely devoid of any effort, there are the lyrics. Oh the lyrics. I’ll try not to linger here too long, but let’s just say that repetition runs rampant in these songs. Take the song “I Said It” for example. The chorus is nothing but vocalist Elias Soriano rambling “I said it/I said it/I’m saying that I said it/I mean it, I don’t care/I don’t care I don’t regret it/You needed to hear it and I needed to say it/I’m not playing, I just said it/No I don’t regret it.” I think that pretty much speaks for itself. If you dare to take a look for yourself, let me just warn you that it gets worse.

Another particularly weak point that is probably the biggest thing holding Nonpoint back from garnering attention is the lackluster melody writing. Just about every chorus on this album is centered around a single note. Soriano will sing that note for most of the chorus, every now and then straying for a moment, just to go right back. A lot of the songs like the opener “Lights, Camera, Action” have very rapid vocal lines delivered nu-metal style, so the limited melodies have even more attention brought to them, much to Nonpoint’s disadvantage. Even a few of the more radio-rock-sounding songs face the same problem, although slightly less so than the rest. They at least make for a fairly listenable part ofNonpoint.

I figure the best way to summarize this in one sentence is to say that Nonpoint has taken everything that’s wrong with nu-metal and everything wrong with mainstream radio rock, threw it together on an album, and released it. That’s what we’re dealing with here. If you were a fan of the band, I don’t know what to tell you. I’m fairly unfamiliar with their catalog, but I would hope they had never put out an album as bad as this one before. Whether you were a fan or not though, take my advice and just let this one go. Maybe just check out “The Way I See Things” or even “Pandora’s Box” and just forget about the rest. You won’t regret it, trust me. Maybe you can go pick up the new Nickelback record instead…

RIYL: Disturbed, Korn, Stone Sour, any rock/hard rock you’d hear on the radio

1. Lights, Camera, Action - 1/5

2. The Way I See Things - 4.5/5
3. I Said It - 0.5/5
4. Left For You - 3/5
5. International Crisis - 2.5/5
6. Another Mistake - 3/5
7. That Day - 3/5
8. Pandora’s Box - 4/5
9. Go Time - 1/5
10. Independence Day - 2.5/5
11. Temper - 2.5/5
12. Ashes - 3/5

One question that is applicable to every band out there is one of the most important ones they’ll ever face; when will they be ready to release a debut LP? And I don’t mean “when will it be best for them?” because that’s pretty much the same for every band; there’s always one specific time frame that, if followed, will give a band the maximum exposure. As far as being ready for said release, though, that is a much more important question that needs to be assessed and worked on as soon as possible. A band can’t release four songs of solid material drowned out by six filler tracks when making such an important first impression. A first release really can make or break a band, so when UK metalcore outfit While She Sleeps decided to break away from EPs and put out 2012’s This Is The Six, I had to ask myself; were they ready for that?

I’m still having a hard time answering that question.

The main problem here lies within the gap between the quality of some of the songs on this album. It’s not so much that the worse songs are particularly bad, it’s just that the best songs on the album are so considerably better that it left me unable to truly enjoy the others. I mean I liked a part here and there, but as a cohesive and structured song, some tracks just fell short. That’s probably the biggest noticeable issue here.

Take three songs from the middle of the album: title track “This is the Six,” “Be(lie)ve,” and “Until the Death.” Aside from an interlude track between the first two called “The Chapel,” these songs show a regression towards the second half of this record and just how disjointed things can get. The title track is absolutely killer. It’s a top notch display of quality metalcore that balances just the right amount of melody with plenty of in-your-face hardcore and a steady balance of good riff writing, structure, and musicianship throughout. The vocal teamwork of Lawrence Taylor and Mat Welsh both shouting aggressively as the chorus comes around is unlike anything I’ve heard before. Taylor lays down his most gritty growls as Welsh provides the cleans, which are almost as edgy and rough as the screams, on top of that. This technique is used a few times on the CD and it’s a really interesting and pleasant change of pace.

Unfortunately, after that brilliant song leaves you wanting even more, you’re left with, after a short interlude, two less than ideal tracks. As I said before, they aren’t particularly bad. Nothing on this album really is, but they just don’t hold a candle to what you’re expecting after a fantastic six songs passes you by. Even the song after that, “Love at War” is a bit lackluster. That and the few songs before it have a well written riff here and there, a nice, heavy breakdown to draw attention, but the average and forgettable parts in between make the song a whole more or less just as forgettable. The next track “Plague of a New Age” does a lot to bring the familiar strength from the beginning back around, but as the album closes out, the minute and a half long “Reunite” does nothing to maintain that strength, giving nothing but a repetitive low group chant over some piano.

I don’t want this to sound too negative, though, because I think this album is very good. The first six tracks in particular are very strong, showcasing a good balance of melodic guitar lines, some of the most aggressive and powerful vocals, and thrashy and pounding drums that are always working to keep things interesting. So here’s what I recommend. Take a look at that RIYL down there. If you love one or more of those bands, definitely check out the full album. But if you’re not the biggest fan of those bands, but you still like hardcore music, check out the first six songs on This Is The Six, maybe even “Plague of a New Age” as well, because those are some well written, choice metalcore songs that no fan of the genre can deny the quality of. And to go back to my initial question, I’d say that While She Sleeps was indeed ready when they released This Is The Six. It’s a solid album in every meaning of the word, but there’s definitely underutilized potential within these guys that can be used to put out a groundbreaking sophomore effort that changes the face of the band, maybe even the genre. All they have to do is pick up where they left off here.

While She Sleeps - This Is The Six - 7.75/10

RIYL: Stick To Your Guns, Vanna,  Lamb of God

1. Dead Behind The Eyes - 5/5

2. False Freedom - 4/5

3. Satisfied in Suffering - 4.5/5

4. Seven Hills - 5/5

5. Our Courage, Our Cancer - 4.5/5

6. This Is The Six - 5/5

7. The Chapel - 2/5

8. Be(lie)ve - 3/5

9. Until The Death - 3/5

10. Love at War - 3.5/5

11. Plague of a New Age - 4.5/5

12. Reunite - 2/5

I’d really hate to be Alex Koehler. He’s such a great vocalist, but mediocrity seems to follow him around like a plague. When I first heard that he would be making music under a name other than Chelsea Grin, I was thrilled. I hate Chelsea Grin with a passion, but I love Koehler’s vocals, so I figured this would be my way to enjoy the latter without having to suffer through the mindless chugging that comes with the former. What I discovered upon a few listens of his new project Hearts & Hands is that he’s still making generic music devoid of any substance, just in a different genre.

As you’ll see from the score on the left, there’s one redeeming quality to this EP and that is the vocal teamwork of Alex Koehler and Garrett Garfield. If you’re a fan of Koehler or Chelsea Grin, you’ll definitely recognize the screaming vocals here. Koehler is just as raw and aggressive as ever, even with this lighter side project. The guitars may be tuned higher and the drums may not be hammering out blast beats, but the screams are still powerful enough to suit both deathcore and this new style he decided to take on. Then there are the cleans, which are as strong as they come as far as metalcore and post-hardcore releases. They can be shaky at times, but as far as the writing of the melodies, it’s spot on and it provides a hook that carries this album and makes it worth listening to. And when these two variant vocal styles come together, the product is really impressive (see “Choices”). There is a perfect balance between the two vocalists, and paired with the skillful execution, it gives the EP it’s biggest source of lasting value.

Unfortunately for Hearts & Hands, though, the vocals just aren’t enough to bring this record to anyone’s attention. If your old band is really generic, you’re gonna have to pull out all the stops with your next release to prove that your new band isn’t just as weak as everything else you’ve ever done. Koehler, with his new group of musicians, simply fails to do this. Sure, it’s a completely different sound, but it isn’t going to turn any heads. The main issue with this EP is how forgettable the instrumentation is. The drums do absolutely nothing that stands out throughout the whole thing and the guitars keep recycling the same parts. There are simple power chords to match the clean vocal parts, basic breakdowns when the vocals start getting heavy, and the same lead riff can be heard in every song, often more than once. Not once is there a moment where any aspect of this band (aside from maybe the vocals) will be impressive or surprising enough to make you stop and think “hey, that was really cool,” and I feel every song needs to have at least one moment like that. Essentially, they simply fall victim to the exact same problems that every other hardcore band you’ve never heard of have faced, so that’s all Hearts & Hands are going to end up amounting to if they keep putting out songs like these.

All of this is just really frustrating because of how good the melodies are in this EP. I really can’t stress that enough. Take a song like the opener “Revenge,” for instance. That chorus is as powerful and addicting as you could expect, but surrounded by a generally weak and predictable song structure of breakdowns and steady chords, it becomes just another line that is going to be forgotten because no one has the patience to sit through the filler to get to the good parts. It’s really a shame, because I feel that a lot of potential and talent here (specifically from Garfield) is going to waste and will probably never be built up apart from Hearts & Hands.

I really can’t believe I’m saying this, but Koehler should stick to Chelsea Grin. At least he’ll be able to enjoy some reasonable success there.

Recommended If You LikeAlex Koehler, old Alesana, Asking Alexandria

Hearts & Hands - Hearts & Hands EP - 5.5/10

1. Revenge - 4/5

2. Gravity Proof - 4/5

3. Choices - 4.5/5

4. We’re Not Alone - 2/5

5. Memories - 4/5

I hate to take one flaw and just pick at it for a while, but I feel I have to in this case. For Today isn’t a bad band, but their use of awful cheesy breakdowns and cliches is just impossible to overlook. No matter where you are in their Prevailer EP, there’s a breakdown right around the corner. It can almost be felt as the band keeps trying to build them up. The worst one is at the end of “From Zion” where, after the hi-hat counts it off, a chant of “We are the resistance/Rise up” is repeated incessantly, layered over the typical low and thumping drum pattern. Basically every overdone tactic in the book is used to make way for the breakdown, which is nothing but a few slow chugging triplets on the same low guitar chord. It’s painfully uninspired parts like this that make it seem like these songs were just written to gauge a reaction from the fans of other bands that have used the exact same ideas, and this EP is just full of parts like that.

The most frustrating thing about For Today is their awesome potential. Boy do they have a lot of it. If you listen to the songs, you can hear it, it’s in every one. Even right off the bat in the EP’s opener “From Zion,” a melodic guitar line slowly evokes anticipation as a booming breakdown shatters right through it. Then there’s the bridge of “Flesh and Blood” where an incredibly catchy hook really shows off the secret weapon that For Today possesses. The lead guitar work of Ryan Leitru is just far superior to any other aspect of this band, and that, honestly, is pretty much the sole reason this EP is worth listening to at all.

Now, Prevailer isn’t without a few positives. “Open Heaven” manages to retain a fair level of musicianship and good songwriting throughout, and it’s quite balanced. However, the melody writing is a little weak (although the same can be said about most songs by this band), and there is yet another corny breakdown right before the song ends, but if that weren’t there, it’d be a really solid song all the way through. There’s also a pleasant acoustic rendition of “Fearless” off the band’s previous record, which shows off more creativity than this band has ever shown before. There are adjustments to the song structure and melody that allow the song to sound like it was never a heavy song in the first place. It just shows a whole new side of For Today that I really wish people could see more of.

Don’t get me wrong, here, I love breakdowns sometimes. I believe that they can be a really tasteful and powerful addition to any hardcore band’s arsenal. It just takes a good ear for song structure and some careful execution, which really isn’t too much effort. And while there are plenty of bands that pull it off, there are also countless others that neglect the formula and just throw in single note chugging patterns whenever possible, even when they don’t fit. That’s when I can side with the excess of criticism towards breakdowns, and it happens to be where For Today comes up short on Prevailer. The potential to fill these songs with a bountiful abundance of hypnotic leads over aggressive and heavy undertones is so great, but only used to a minimal extent. More than half of Prevailer consists of different chugging patterns and clean vocals over simple power chords. When it seems like most of your records’ content was created via the Arbiter method, there’s a problem. If a band can’t show off some creativity in songwriting, their potential means little and their songs are bound to be soon forgotten.

RIYL: Bury Tomorrow, Emmure, other generic metalcore, breakdowns, gang vocals, etc

For Today - Prevailer - 5/10

1. From Zion - 3.5/5

2. Crown of Thorns - 2/5

3. Flesh and Blood - 2.5/5

4. Open Heaven - 3.5/5

5. Fearless (Acoustic) - 4/5

30th-of-february:

Excited to announce a few shows to you. Here’s the list, which includes a couple shows we already announced. Check ‘em out

3/24 - Orange Ale House, Orange, CT - 4:30 PM

NEW 3/28 - Heirloom Arts Theater, Danbury, CT - 7 PM 

NEW 4/27 - Bank Street Cafe, New London, CT - TBA

NEW 5/7 - Webster Theater (Underground), Hartford, CT - 5 PM

8/17 - Short Beach Concession Stand, Stratford, CT - TBA (afternoon)

Please come out to one or a few of these! We’d love you for it :)

My band. Please check this shit out! Thanks :)

With their most recent effort, it’s clear that Vanna is really trying to push the boundaries of most of the music in their scene. The ‘post-hardcore’ label they’ve given themselves would generally either lump them into one of two completely different groups of artists. The first and probably less accurate of those groups would be the one consisting of Touche Amore and Pianos Become the Teeth. The other group would contain the likes of Silverstein or In Fear and Faith. The latter would be more accurate, but to say Vanna fit with either of those groups on The Few and Far Between would be misleading. They’ve really developed a unique sound and pushed past the common patterns that most post-hardcore bands usually embrace.

Probably the best thing about this album is the range of influences it draws from. Most of the songs are centered around the typical post-hardcore sound they established with their earlier records, complete with booming breakdowns and driving drum beats, which can be heard in its purest form on the lead single “Year of the Rat.” But this sound is not what’s most enjoyable about The Few and Far Between. In fact, “Year of the Rat” could easily be the weakest song on the album (although the slow and boring eponymous opener gives it a run for its money). What makes this album great is the unique infusion of elements from the other 'type’ of post-hardcore, such as the ambient and effects-laced guitar parts on “Please Stay” and “The Dreamer/The Thief/The Relic.” There’s also an excess of raw and angry energy that can be heard on every song, clearly drawing influence from a lot of old school hardcore punk.

All three styles can be found scattered throughout the album. Sometimes they’re blended, sometimes they’re on their own, but at every moment, the songwriting is tasteful and there’s a lot of power behind the instrumental. A lot of this power is probably channeled through pure anger. Vocalist Davey Muise clearly has a lot of frustration and hatred to get out through these lyrics, and the rest of the band are writing the perfect parts to match them. With themes of unforgiving anger towards an absent father in “The Weekly Slap in the Face,” Muise proclaims “you’re not a man/I’ll tell you why/men don’t leave their families to die.” This fury carries over into “A Thin Place” where he continues to express his discontent with absence and screams “hey God, it’s me again/where have you gone? where the fuck have you been?/you’ve watched wars, you’ve watched people die/you’ve watched my father sin, you’ve watched my mother cry.” This overarching theme pushes the album in the hardcore punk direction and really matches the influence the band draws from that style, creating a very unified final product that is as refined as it is aggressive.

Despite the lineup changes across their time as a band, most notably the various vocalists they’ve been through, Vanna has still been able to put out a solid record that sounds enough like them, but has plenty of originality that both shows growth and maturity and sets them apart from a lot of the other bands they would normally be compared to. New lead guitarist/vocalist Joel Pastuszak shows that he fits right in with Vanna, and while he may not be heard quite as much as Evan was, his vocal melodies are much more tasteful and match the instrumental perfectly. The Few and Far Between is simply a strong effort that shows a band in their prime doing the best they can to show that they’ve got something that isn’t too easy to come by these days.

RIYL: Every Time I Die, Senses Fail, Norma Jean, letlive.

Vanna - The Few and Far Between - 8/10

1. The Few and Far Between - 3/5

2. The Lost Art of Staying Alive - 4.5/5

3. Year of the Rat - 4/5

4. I Said I’m Fine - 4/5

5. Casket Rhythm - 4/5

6. A Weekly Slap in the Face - 4/5

7. Please Stay - 5/5

8. A Thin Place - 4/5

9. The Dreamer/The Thief/The Relic - 4/5

10. When In Roam - 4.5/5

11. His Heels - 4/5

I’m back! My first full length review for AbsolutePunk.net in months. So excited to get this to you guys.

If there was one word I had to choose to describe Holy Grail, it would be huge. Everything about them is big. These guys don’t just write metal songs. They write soaring vocal melodies, thrashy and explosive drum beats, fast and driving guitar riffs, and overall infectious music. What’s better than that is each song on Ride the Void provides something unique, yet when listening through the album, it’s clear that each song is truly a Holy Grail song, showing off an unmistakable style indicative of everything they’ve established over the years.

On Ride the Void, there is a clear blend of metal styles ranging from death metal, power metal, and even some old school 80’s metal in the vein of Judas Priest. This combination allows their songs to stand out on the album but still create one unique sound for the band that can be heard in each one. After a brief little intro “Archeus,” which provides a taste of what’s to come, you immediately find out that the vocals are one of the main center points of this album as “Bestia Triumphans” gets started. As the greeting lyric of “welcome to submission” starts to get things going, there is soon an attack of pounding double bass drums and some death metal style tremolo riffing.

As the album progresses, the lead guitar begins to take it’s place at the forefront as an assault of lightning fast lead riffs and intense solos shows itself on each song. It may even prove to be too much like in “Too Decayed to Wait” as a lead riff is immediately followed by a solo, and then another solo shows up towards the end. They do sound tasteful up against the original lead riffs that aren’t as fast because it creates a balanced and dynamic song structure, but each one of those parts just consists of running through scales, and that can get a little boring after a while. 

An aspect of the album that keeps things interesting is the taste of modern and melodic metalcore that can be heard in many of the songs. It’s a subtle change, so it doesn’t feel like Holy Grail is straying too far from their death and power metal roots, but it’s still effective enough to give the songs accessibility and catchiness without taking away their heaviness. Almost every chorus on the album is addicting and provides a nice contrast to the heavier parts. There are also a few guitar parts like the one during the chorus of “The Great Artifice” that could easily be straight out of a post-hardcore or metalcore song, extending the level of contrast even further because the part is followed by the thrashiest moment on the album.

All in all, Ride the void is simply a standout album because of it’s ability to be catchy, heavy, thrashy and skillful all at the same time. Also, fans of each subgenre the band draws influence from will all enjoy it because of how well you can hear each different style. This is definitely the kind of songwriting push that a band needs to mature and gain a lot of attention because of how many people would enjoy listening to their album.

Recommended If You LikeNevermore, Shadows Fall’s “Fire From The Sky,” Avenged Sevenfold, Conducting From the Grave, 80’s heavy metal. 

Holy Grail - Ride the Void - 8/10

1. Archeus - 4/5

2. Bestial Triumphans - 4.5/5

3. Dark Passenger - 4/5

4. Bleeding Stone - 3.5/5

5. Ride the Void - 4.5/5

6. Too Decayed to Wait - 4.5/5

7. Crosswinds - 4/5

8. Take it to the Grave - 4/5

9. Sleep of Virtue - 4/5

10. Silence the Scream - 4/5

11. The Great Artifice - 4/5

12. Wake Me When It’s Over - 3/5

13. Rains of Sorrow - 4.5/5

Big big big surprise for everyone. I hold in my hands the new For Today EP and the new Vanna record, both set for release in a little over a month. I won’t be leaking them, unfortunately :P I don’t feel like being blacklisted by a bunch of record labels. What I can do for you, however, is post reviews of each release as soon as I get through them, which should take a couple weeks. Look out for them!