Periphery - Periphery - Review

As it stands, Sumerian Records has become armed with some of the most unique metal bands of the present, including Veil of Maya, After the Burial, and Born of Osiris. Each of these bands build up a special, glittering sub section of technical metal, mastering the art of polyrhythms and displaying some of the best instrumental professionalism our favourite genre of music has ever seen. In the corner of our vision, in our “peripheral”, another band of similar stylings has been looming about. Periphery. The Bethesda, Maryland group is a sort of enigma. They have seemingly recorded over one hundred tracks over the last x number of years shared with a second, related artist called Bulb, and state on their MySpace page that they are “a shirt company that also makes music.” Beyond that they have had extensive trouble holding down a lead vocalist, resulting in the postponing of their debut album on several occasions. But after splitting ways with three vocalists and a drummer, they finally nailed down a lineup that everyone agrees with, installing Matt Halpern and Spencer Sotelo in their current positions as drummer and lead vocalist, respectively. Thanks to ideal circumstances for the first time ever, and a one album contract with Sumerian Records, Periphery has finally come to release a full length album, consisting of new and previously released tracks.

The self titled masterpiece opens up with “Insomnia”, raking your face almost immediately with brutal off time chugging. Then we hear for the first time on signed media, Spencer Sotelo in place of lead vocals. He takes his entrance with a gravelly mid range scream. It is acceptable, by all means entertaining, but most importantly, it fits the music so perfectly it makes me want to weep. To no one’s surprise, he quickly transitions to his version of clean vocals. They are very unique, lightly raspy when singing basic range tones, almost with an electronic tinge at times. But in his vast vocal range, his voice soars periodically to smooth, angelic highs, reaching near falsetto that harmonizes just wonderfully with the sporadic melodies of the guitars.

A crushing introduction to “The Walk” only nearly kicks a fissure into your brain. Bent chords followed by impeccably tight machine gun riffs, followed by haunting melodies that just shouldn’t make sense. I would never have guessed that these kinds of tones could be mixed to sound so epic. And oh! the drums. Every piece is tuned to perfection; the kick, the snare, even the cymbals are at the perfect levels. The easiest thing to get wrong has no flaws to name. And like the mint on the pillow, they’re even played creatively. Drummer Matt Halpern finds a very exclusive niche of creativity and expertise that suits the music the more attention you give it.

You find out very quickly that nothing happens twice in Periphery’s music. Not only is their style shared by no other other band, but each song on the album is streamlined to fly on its own. “Letter Experiment” stands strong alongside every other track. With three guitarists (that’s not counting bassist Tom Murphy), you get to here just about every area of variety available. The lead, lead guitar from Misha “Bulb” Mansoor honestly holds a whole new title of working the strings. If he isn’t creating brain-wrinkling chords that harmonize unbelievably, then he is probably tapping out outstanding solos that no one really, fully appreciates because they are never alone. Each tapping match and “solo” is accompanied by an entirely separate onslaught from guitarists Alex Bois and Jake Bowen that could rightly hold up the track on its own. The workmanship that Mansoor imbeds into his playing is the same he uses for his solo project, Bulb, which preceded Periphery altogether.

At four minutes, the shortest track, “Jetpacks Was Yes!” takes the albums first trip into a relatively milder track. Although the main difference is really just the exclusion of the menacing element that presides over most of the other tracks. This time around the desired effect is beauty. Ripe with soothing guitar harmonies and almost exclusively clean vocals, it is most like a dip in crystal clear water before jumping back into the muddy ball pit that was so much fun a second ago. “Light” is only a small step back into the intensity trench. Washy guitar tweadling and absolutely delicious clean singing fuels much of the track, only taking short lapses back onto the heavier side. Appropriately titled, it probably is one of the most beautiful and bright tracks on the album, but not by much.

After ending “Light” with a mellow, mousy techno party, flowery guitars flow through “All New Materials”. The pretty party is headlined by a laid back tempo riddled with momentary, guitar exclusive rises in tempo and then takes a final minute to clear the air with some more techno and dozing-off music. Oddly enough, there are no isolated breakdowns in this whole album, but a little attention reveals that many of the underlying beats are, in fact, played as breakdowns. “Buttersnips” seems to be dead set on stressing the skill at which Periphery transitions between mind-bending, heavy inlays and feather light, high toned pretty sections.

Now clear your sinuses for “Icarus Lives!” This is by far one of the best songs on the album, by originality and showmanship. You can see where the recent “djent” genre comes from, hearing one of its founding inventors work away with ease. Mansoor makes liberal use of the polyrhythmic drums and ethereal vocals by wrapping his own brand of distorted staccato riffs all around them, creating a sound you cannot understand fully even when hearing it. Especially excited drums and erratic tapping work through “Totala Mad” make it one of the most consistently awesome songs all the way through. This is followed by “Ow My Feelings”, which is faintly more relaxed, considering previous tracks. It’s ruled by a lot of dirty, off time guitars and vocals that seem to almost be telling a story. The majority of the song is led by a distinctive, highly unique drum beat that the guitars follow loyally, chords bending at every turn.

Mansoor creates magic in “Zyglrox”. Honestly, I’m beginning to doubt that he is even human. The beginning of the track will make you wet yourself or your money back. Jaw plummeting tapping and suspiciously clean drums that follow boggle the mind. I was panting by the time Sotelo’s scream dropped into the field of growls. It’s a long haul, but if you haven’t collapse and imploded from a pleasure heart attack at this point, you’ve got one more fifteen minute “Racecar” to enjoy. That’s right, fifteen minutes, no hidden track, no weepy interlude of soft guitars for ten minutes, just pure concentrated happiness for fifteen minutes straight. If the time is given, this is a very enjoyable track all the way through. It somehow never gets tiring or unimaginative.

Holy crap, this is a 72 minute album. It’s hard to listen to all at once, but that’s all right, as each track is an adventure of its own. Pick one and enjoy. Each one has its own appeal, it seems. At a very critical stand point, Periphery did everything right with this album. Every member is at a height most musicians only dream of, and it’s recorded nearly perfectly, with each instrument at the perfect level. Including the length and the originality, the only problem seems to be that there is too much to listen to at once. But I’m not going to complain about that. This album either has no flaws or I was too mesmerized by awesomeness to hear them. I think that contradicts itself, though.

Maybe the skeptically trained ear can find some minor detail wrong with it, but I’d like to see them make use of it while their face is being mauled by Misha “ The Electric Light Bulb” Mansoor’s inhuman shredding. You have to either not be into metal at all or hate life entirely to not enjoy this album. From me it gets 5 out of 5 Napkins, with my blessing.

Artist: Periphery
Album: Periphery
Release: April 20, 2010
Label: Sumerian Records
Length: 12 Tracks: 72 minutes, 39 seconds
Rating: 5/5

Veil of Maya - [id] - Review

If metal was categorized by creativity and the talent required to play it, then Veil of Maya would occupy a small subsection of progressive, technical death metal with the very few others that do it well. It could be better described however, as a rampage of furious vocal extremes and mind bending breakdowns. Having risen up from the Chicago metal scene, VoM has taken up residence at Sumerian records with Born of Osiris and After the Burial (two of the only other bands who play a similar style.) Now after showing off their sophomore album ‘The Common Man’s Collapse’ on the Atticus Metal Tour II, they have put together a brand new full length surprise, uniquely entitled ‘[id]’.

If you were familiar with VoM before, the opening title track should be a familiar welcome. At under a minute, it serves as a gateway track representing the band’s breakdown prowess. An immediate overall change to the band’s sound is audible, despite there being no lineup change since their previous release. ‘Unbreakable’ delivers a flurry of ugly chords and bent guitar notes bridled by truly superior drumming on the part of Sam Applebaum. Extremely intricate double kick patterns, and lightning fast rolls and transitions are accompanied by a singular, amazing guitarist, Marc Okubo. As the bass drop lead breakdown at the end of the track swings the momentum into ‘Dark Passenger’, keep in mind that VoM boasts only one guitarist. The speed at which his hands move from chugging chords to high, metallic finger notes boggles the mind, demonstrating a true mastery of the strings.

The pace of fret board caressing is picked up along with the energy of the drums as ‘The Higler’ opens fire on your ear drums. If each track had a theme, this one’s would be blast beats! What adds an interesting mix to all this yet is the relaxed speed of the vocals and the void between the pitches at which Brandon Butler screams. His voice really only has two speeds, as ‘Resistance’ shows appropriately: gut-wrenching death growls and predatory high screams. The only problem here is that many of the vocals, as well as the guitars are heavily overlaid, which sounds great on recordings, but will cause a lot of grief in live performances. Compromises galore! This is where a second guitarist would have been a practical addition.

‘Mowgli’ and ‘Namaste’ finally allow the album to sound more like old VoM, but with noticeable improvements. Melodic guitars now fill up much of the dead air that once pervaded the chugging and machine gun riffs. As well, a big improvement, the bassist, Matt Pantelis is actually put to work, playing away on his very own harmonizing melodies, often completely separate from the general way that bassists just “follow along”. I love it when bassists are used for more than added noise that no one notices until it’s gone. The entire mood of the album is much fuller and more alive this way.

Take note of the transition between ‘Mowgli’ and ‘Namaste’ as well. It is clean and jests no switch to a new track at all. An inobservant listener may not even know they are separate tracks. These are probably the most diverse and appetizing tracks on the album. Fast track straight to them if you want a quick taste of what ‘[id]’ is all about. However, secondary to these, I recommend lending an ear to the final track, ‘Codex’, as well. With a stellar breakdown and a confident tone, it puts a stable end to ‘[id]’.

‘Martyrs’ and ‘Circle’ offer up one minute instrumental breakdowns that unfortunately drag down the album’s full length significantly. Combined with the intro track, they bring the CD’s total playing time to just under 30 minutes. Hardly in the standing to be called a “full length” album at all. While this is disappointing, VoM only began recording the album in December and ask a mere $10 for purchase. Fair enough, but I’m sure fans will expect new music sooner than usual in light of this. And while it does not contain as many unforgettable moments as ‘The Common Man’s Collapse’, the ultimate factor is that this album is quite different than their last, while still retaining VoM’s essence. This is likely due to the unique guitar style and crushing vocals, but there is also a lot of structure added to the foundations of the band. Their next album should be interesting. In the mean time, fans of Born of Osiris, After the Burial, and Meshuggah should definitely take a listen to ‘[id]’. Veil of Maya will be receiving, for this new album, 3.5 out of 5 napkins, with my blessing.

Artist: Veil of Maya
Album: [id]
Release: April 6, 2010
Label: Sumerian Records
Length: 29:10
Rating: 3.5/5

Hundredth - When Will We Surrender - Review

In the midst of darkness, the brightest pinholes of light shine. On the subject of metal and hardcore music, the disposition has been highly demonized through the years that it has built up popularity. The Myrtle Beach, South Carolina based band, Hundredth, is doing their very best to tear down that darkened stereotype with their very own debut album, ‘When Will We Surrender’, in the capable hands of hardcore beast Mediaskare Records. The young fledgling group has put together a stellar new facet of melodic hardcore that soars on wings of passion and integrity. The uplifting message and musical professionalism of this album will undoubtedly hold Hundredth up as they chance the ears of hardcore fans everywhere.

And they don’t even dip their toes in once. They dive right in, drums blazing, vocals amped and barking. There is no introduction necessary for ‘Catalysts’. The violent tone is apparent first hand. The guitars sing sweet melodies and gut you with chugging hooks, while creative and guttural bass lines follow very thorough punk beats with distinctive tom fills throughout. Also very vocally driven, ‘Catalysts’ soon turns a mild breakdown mood into a yelling match between vocalist Chadwick Johnson and MyChildren MyBride front man, Matthew Hasting. At first, the music is pieced together very much like the dear and departed Life In Your Way, but soon carries similar styles to It Prevails and Means as well. It Prevails vocalist Ian Fike does contribute to this with his addition of clean vocals in ‘Willows’. (An appearance that is far too brief in my opinion).

Hundredth is unique in their own nuances. In ‘Betrayer’, creative use of two screaming vocalists (seconded by guitarist Alex Blackwell) is further developed and evokes scornful emotion. While not exclusive to the track, ‘Passion’ is a great example of the group’s seamless transitions from agile punk beats to driving gang vocal anthems, to melodic breaks to head-bobbing, tear-jerking, aim-your-face-at-this style breakdowns. Grudging and heavy as buckets, but chill and played to a tempo that’ll make your head bang slow enough to still appreciate the lyrics and vocals.

‘Caving’ moves into territory of crunchy guitars and morbidly crushing breakdowns that will throw your hair into windmill patterns whether your head is moving or not. Then ample build up should prepare you for ‘Desolate’, which is graced by vocals from Jonathan Vigil, of The Ghost Inside. They are only slightly different from Chadwick’s, but unlike TGI, the guitars are much more melodic and the passion of Hundredth has favoured intensity defying vocals over fast breakdowns in odd timings.

The serene interlude ‘Fade’ provides a few minutes to catch your breath and take in the surroundings that you may have forgotten about just I time to be run through by an especially melodic metalcore ‘Sinking’. Such a sorrowful sound, it was right to be called “a soundtrack to drowning.” Their approach to melody is appreciable for their attempt at unique places to tweedle their guitars and their commitment to finding beauty in low tones as well as high.

‘Rise’, another interlude, presents another chance to cool down, only slightly more musically involved than ‘Fade’ at first, but builds up to a beautiful vocal chorus with inspiring melodies. The silence is shattered however, by an unannounced scream and a fitting bass drop in ‘Brighter’. This is a short, but potent track to raise your hairs to. A fine post-metal tenderizing of your insides from ‘Sun’ sets up for fast and loud in the final track, ‘Shine’. One of the only solos of clean vocals slows down the middle, before the album finally culminates into an ethereal harmony of growls and swimming gang singing.

The music is already powerful, but when accompanied by reading of the lyrics, the affect that the band wished to achieve becomes overwhelming. The story told by this album is very plainly barked aloud in the opening track. “When will we surrender? When will we strive for what is good and not for what man has created?” That sums it up. They speak passionately of the hope found in God’s loving arms and throwing off the shackles of worldly desires. But they do so by encouraging, rather than ramming their beliefs down our throats. ‘Willows’ speaks of a world that abandons us, but then encourages with “when everyone lets me down, I will stand strong alone.” ‘Caving’ is similarly themed. “The world is caving in on me”, but “Your hands hold my days. My trust will remain in Everlasting.”

In ‘Desolate’, the lyrics talk about how the struggles in the world cause a deficiency of hope in man. It runs to a desperate plea to God, “do you still see me as beautiful?” ‘Sinking’ and ‘Greater’ express how hard it is to live a righteous life “blinded by the plank in my eye.” In relation, ‘Sun’ and ‘Shine’ tell the crushing defeat of men by pride. However, each song goes on to encourage the hope that God provides. “There is no greater love”; “I bask in my saving grace”; “Let us shine. We will shine.”

As an extremely uplifting album, the mournful sound throughout is surprisingly effective, and even appropriate for the mood and intentions desired by the band. Great emotion summons tears, whether they’re happy or otherwise. Hundredth can claim their own patch of the melodic hardcore pasture, but they will fit in well with other contenders as well. The sluggish violence with which they pursue their sound breathes fresh yet familiar air. Fans loyal to The Ghost Inside, It Prevails, and Life In Your Way should welcome Hundredth with open, sweaty arms. And with no particular grievances of note, I give ‘When Will We Surrender’ 4 out of 5 Napkins.

Artist: Hundredth
Album: When Will We Surrender
Release: March 30, 2010
Label: Mediaskare Records
Length: 42:45
Rating: 4/5

Before Their Eyes - Untouchable - Review

As music progresses over time, isolated genres seem to lose their forward motion. Rock and Roll advanced and branched off into countless new genres which all progressed as their own bodies. But now as that gets old, and everything we know is maxed out, the only measure left is to experiment with genre hybrids. Before Their Eyes has taken this to their own extreme with their third studio album ‘Untouchable’. While it is labeled as post-hardcore, very little of the album can be bunched into a single category. The Findlay, Ohio based band has taken the style that they nailed down in their sophomore album, ‘Dawn of My Death’ as the base for each song and infused several other styles to stitch together a “Frankenalbum” of sorts.

The first track, ‘Hey, Dude’ should not be mistaken for a representation of the full album. The verse is heavy and the chorus is pop-ier, which vaguely describes the flow of the album, but not well. This is definitely the most unique song on the CD. More bluntly, the chorus is catchy, but the verse is an off-key massacre of strained yelling and an overabundance of ugly chords. After this, the order of the songs quickly stops making sense. Directly after enduring the album’s brutal opening, half of the album passes by before hearing anything similar to the first track again. ‘Sing To Me’ starts off this mild marathon. It is a beautiful melodic track, albeit misplaced. This songs basic formula is essentially the only thing that every song shares: swimming vocals, melodic guitars, and a heavy bass drum.

Kicking off the diversity, ‘Not Alone’ almost takes on a 90’s disco theme, though a very uplifting song. While ‘Love Is Misery’ is a little cliché. It plays the role of the sappy love song that every pop/rock/post-hardcore album has to include for some reason. ‘My Match, Your Fire’ however, is more fun. It sounds more like their previous album ‘Dawn of My Death’, mostly on the part of the vocal style of Nick Moore and the southern rock guitars of Landon Tewers and Elliot Gruenberg. It does contain a short, but point making guitar solo as well, which adds flavour.

Yet farther down the genre train is ‘Start With Today’, a duet ballad with a very unexpected twist of bluegrass that I don’t know what to think about. Another twist they throw in after this is a full metal transition to ‘Bulletproof’. It catches you off guard but it is still a healthy mix of metal and post-hardcore. Until the sludgy breakdown two minutes in, that is. This trend is continued for three more tracks. ‘Finding a Way’ is a catchy, clean vocal dominated track with another swell breakdown and a respectable mash up of heavy rhythm and vibrant melody. ‘Hell or High Water’ is by far the heaviest song on the album though, and very well done considering it was not their primary style. It bears an intense, but short breakdown at the very end of the track that I have played back more times than I expected to.

BTE is clearly delving into a heavier sound, but not exclusively. They still cannot leave behind their roots. Which is good, but concerning the matter of progression as a band, they should have been more consistent with their sound or at least mixed up the tracks more creatively. The vocal variety of Nick Moore and Landon Tewers has expanded and improved however. Aside from the standard singing, which is already spot on, they throw in low growls in several tracks like ‘Bulletproof’ and ‘Hey, Dude’ and hardcore yells in ‘Finding a Way’. There is even some use of soprano in ‘Rick Vs. Nick’, one of the most diverse of the heavier tracks.

‘Untouchable’ contains two extremes: very soft and sweet like The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and angry metal that parallels The Devil Wears Prada. Within these two sides they have created a wide range of everything in between. There is something for everyone, but it may be difficult for most people to enjoy the whole album. Nevertheless, fans of The Wedding, Saosin, Burden of a Day, or The Devil Wears Prada should be able to appreciate this album. I am giving ‘Untouchable’ 3 Napkins out of 5.

Artist: Before Their Eyes
Album: Untouchable
Label: Rise Records
Release: March 9, 2010
Length: 37:54
Rating: 3/5 Napkins

Demon Hunter - The World Is A Thorn - Review

Whenever a band says something like “this will be our heaviest and most melodic album yet”, I get nervous. Especially after what I would call a subpar performance of ‘Storm the Gates of Hell’, I was skeptical of Demon Hunter’s new material. But low and behold! I was very pleasantly surprised by their fifth studio album ‘The World Is A Thorn’. It holds the position of one of those very rare occasions where a band reaches there climax, begins to slide, and then release another superior album. Of course, everyone will hold strongly to their own opinions, but critically and practically, this is easily the best album DH has ever released. They have somehow managed to improve upon every single area of their performance, change their sound significantly, yet still sound just like Demon Hunter. When showing this album to a friend, he remarked, “Wow, this is so different, but you can still tell it’s Demon Hunter”. Inelegant, but a perfect explanation of the album.

Demon Hunter has always played their own special breed of metal, one which no other band has been able to duplicate, leaving them with no competition to sully their style. Any competition, were there any, would have to deal with DH at the top of their game.

The change is apparent immediately. First with the epic-as-can-be opening, slow and more intensifying as it goes. That unforgettably low, crunchy guitar tone that keeps Demon Hunter true to themselves opens up with fantastic scream from Ryan Clark. Everything happens at once and may take a few rewinds to take in at once. First of all, Drummer Yogi Watts is actually playing a hardcore beat, allowing DH to finally attain the moniker of “metalcore”. ‘Descending Upon Us’ deals a full 5 minute body blow, taking hold and not letting go. Yogi Watts has never played this fast or aggressive, that making a big impression alone. But what will seize your attention even quicker is the drastically improved guitar on account of the departure of both DH’s previous guitarists, Ethan Luck and Don Clark. Replacing them with Patrick Judge and Ryan Helm (of The Ascendicate) on lead and rhythm guitar was one of the best changes DH has ever made. Fear not the lineup change.

A seamless transition from the opening brings us to ‘LifeWar’, a uniquely slow tempo, yet incredibly catchy track powered by an odd, yet appropriate marching snare beat. It is painfully simple and short enough to be an interlude, but still one of the heaviest tracks DH has written. Then take a step sideways to an anthem-like ‘Collapsing’. The vocal quality is almost entirely clean, but the music holds steady at loud and heavier than normal for DH. Bjorn “Speed” Strid of Soilwork and Disarmonia Mundi lends his voice on this track as well, although it is hard to pick out from Ryan Clark’s similar sounding voice. Slow down for a second and prepare for the closest thing to a breakdown that you’ll ever hear DH play. But who cares about that? There’s a freaking guitar solo happening at the same time! You heard me correctly, Demon Hunter played a guitar solo (one of several sprinkled throughout the album). Thank you, Patrick Judge for making my day.

‘This Is the Line’, ‘Tie This Around your Neck’, and the title track carry further DH’s new found harshness not previously heard on their other albums. ‘Just Breathe’ carries a more unique sound yet, adding violent and delicious vocals from Scar Symmetry’s Christian Alvestam, as well as backup vocals from Patrick Judge, and even some gang vocals thrown in. Not to mention the opening sounds a lot like Project 86 (you know how Aaron Sprinkle loves to tweak his music).

Then of course there are a couple ballads to season the album. Ballads, say I? Of course ballads, it’s Demon Hunter. ‘Driving Nails’ is probably one of the better ballads DH has written, though a little cliché in the structure, but ultimately very catchy. ‘Blood In the Tears’ however, while a quality track, may have demanded too much with its 4 minute length. I had a hard time enjoying it for very long.

While their unique style has always maintained them a powerful fan base, (i.e. The Blessed Resistance) ‘The World Is A Thorn’ really shows how much they have been limiting themselves all this time. There is nothing that has not been improved upon in this album. Yogi Watts has pushed the envelope with the height of his drumming, probably the best he has ever played for DH. Ryan Clark once again experiments with all new vocal styles, and Jon Dunn’s veteran bass is a staple that holds together DH’s low, growling sound. Finally, and probably most importantly, the additions of Patrick judge and Ryan Helm on lead and rhythm guitars have allowed DH to form a deep and meaningful relationship with a lofty new level of guitaring.

This is an excellent album. That being said, there will always be those who disapprove of change, and this has been the biggest and bravest change that DH has deployed. I am confident however, that the new fans gained will outweigh any stragglers that refuse to follow. For previous DH fans, this album is a no brainer. Love it or hate it. But for those of you who are unfamiliar to the band, try it out if you are a fan of bands like Living Sacrifice or Becoming the Archetype. Understand though, that it is difficult to compare DH to any other style.

Demon Hunter made a daring attempt at a big change with ‘Storm the Gates of Hell’. I feel that ‘The World Is A Thorn’ took them one step further towards that new sound. Adding much faster drumming, new vocal styles, and improved guitaring beyond words, Demon Hunter has reached new and different heights than those of ‘The Triptych’. I am very anxious to see if their next album may very well perfect their current aspirations. I give ‘The World Is A Thorn’ 4.5 out of 5 napkins.

Artist: Demon Hunter
Album: The World Is A Thorn
Release: March 9, 2010
Label: Solid State Records
Length: 41:49
Rating: 4.5/5

Counterparts - Prophets - Review

Southern Ontario has in the past few years been overflowing enough new under-twenty metal/hardcore projects to make you sick and give up the genre altogether. But that’s only because so many of them are mediocre and too few of them are original. Counterparts, one of said bands, is making a valiant attempt at shining through the dozens of others trying to make a name for themselves.

Hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, Counterparts has swept the local music scene with perhaps one of the most professional and competent metalcore compositions Ontario has seen. This could be due to their constant deliverance of captivating and high-energy performances that keep the fans coming back for more. The unanimous support they have gathered from local bands and audiences alike has allowed them to continuously play high-profile local shows, this causing them to grow in popularity and respect faster than most other fledgling groups. And now their undeniable talent and magnetism has won them the release of their debut album, “Prophets”. It is being released through Oakville, Ontario based label Verona Records (manned by Silverstein’s Shane Told).

The album opens with a demonstration of Ryan Juntilla’s drumming skills. Finally, an opening track that isn’t some useless ambient snooze fest! This one actually sets the stage for the next track. It plays for a little over a minute, in true hardcore style. The opening track really expresses the whole sound of the album in a compact little track. Fast and short, but still dominated by a breakdown to boil your blood a little. The vocals of Brendan Murphy follow the hardcore style as well, so all you turned off by the traditional yell-heavy scream are warned now. However, for some of you the stellar instrumentals should keep you interested.

Heart stopping breakdowns and bright, melodic riffs are staggered and mixed enough to keep each song interesting, but there are seldom any transitions between them. That factor can sometimes break apart a high energy build up gained from a brutal section by quickly jumping down to a sweet tweedling session. In songs like ‘The Sanctuary’, where the overall sound is bright and encouraging, the soothing guitars and simple, relaxed drumming is welcome. This kind of track just gives you a good feeling on the inside. Someone nearby may be in for a hug, but I don’t know. I’m just speculating. But then in other tracks like ‘Goodbye, Megaton’, where for the first minute and a half you could be headbanging to a very heavy musical disposition, you are forced to stop and sit through a flowery interlude before switching back to breakdown stance. I would only have stretched out the transitions between such stark differences a little more.

The sound that Counterparts delivers does build up a lot of self-confidence within the listener. In the title track, they continue to shift between fast, encouraging tunes, accompanied by very pleasant clean vocals from guitarist Alex Re and high energy breakdowns to solidify the good feelings brewing in your ears. They end off the track with a mix of the two: amazing breakdown with heartfelt guitars following along.

This formula is continued in ‘A Plea: A Promise’ and ‘Dark Ages’. They have no problem injecting brutality into each song at random intervals, but few of the breakdowns seem to follow through long enough to count. There are a lot of mini breakdowns that start and get you pumped up, but then fall back down to hardcore punk beats again way too fast. ‘Only Anchors’ did manage to satiate my lust enough to give me goosebumps. It helped that they built it up with appropriate anticipation with “Only anchors can keep me from moving forward”. I think Counterparts wants their listeners to feel as good listening as the band members do playing these songs.

‘Sturdy Wings’ is probably the best track on the album. It showcases everything that Counterparts is capable of. Driving hardcore beats, beautiful melodic guitars courtesy of Alex Re and Jesse Doreen, at least one intense breakdown, and an ending so majestic and uplifting that it made me grin and chant along “This is where I belong, this is where we belong”. Personally, if they would have ended the album with that track, I would have been satisfied. But with a sugary introduction to their concluding track ‘Digression’, they end off on one last fist pumping, build up song. ‘Prophets’ ends on a happy note. The emotion of the band bursts out in the second half of their last track.

Musically, this album in a gem among all the other bands that are playing the exact same thing, but not as well. It’s a brutally short album though, which fetches a problem for me. I found myself starting it over several times before its prime. However, it is in my nature to forgive this of debut albums. The rest of it is just so good I would have liked to hear more.

Following their “Prophets” release show in hometown Hamilton, Counterparts will be taking a short tour around the east coast and back again with Halifax experimental metal band A Sight For Sewn Eyes. They’re not going very far, but far enough to get the word out. Give their album a listen and if you dig it go check them out live at one of the several Ontario shows that they’re playing in the next month. There’s a good chance they’ll be expanding once a wider audience starts to hear them.

If you’re a fan of high quality hardcore/metalcore like It Prevails, For the Fallen Dreams or Gwen Stacy, I think Counterparts would rub you the right way. It’s good to hear real talent come out of your own area. It sparks hope in the hearts of all the other ambitious young bands giving it their best shot. “Prophets” is definitely a notable album not only in the Southern Ontario scene, but within the entire modern metal/hardcore genre. I’m giving their debut album ‘Prophets’ 3.5 out of 5 napkins.

Artist: Counterparts
Album: Prophets
Release: February 26, 2010
Label: Verona Records
Length: 31:14
Rating: 3.5/5

Living Sacrifice - The Infinite Order - Review

Can any of you remember the early 90s? Well if you do, you might have been around when 80s thrash and hair metal was ending its “majestic” reign. Bands like Stryper and Whitecross were in their prime. But a new kind of Christian metal was venturing onto the stage, and its name was Living Sacrifice. Finally someone had the spine to try something heavier than the hair metal that was so popular. In their beginnings, the band played a dirtier, thrash-type death metal with vocalist Darren Johnson as their front man. By 1997 however, with the exchange of Johnson for Bruce Fitzhugh on vocals, LS metamorphosed into the groove metal/metalcore powerhouse we all know them as today. This was a pivotal changing point in their career, and they kept that style right up until their temporary dispersal in 2002.

Now, eight years later, they’re back at full throttle with their newest recording, ‘The Infinite Order’. There seems to be a trend in new albums released after long breaks from a band being very subpar. But I can tell you one thing, it does not disappoint.

A thunderous opening awaits you with the opening track, ‘Overkill Exposure’. An initial ear catching guitar riff hooks you in for the remaining blast beats and breakdowns. The first of the album’s breakdowns is slightly uncreative, but nevertheless this track prepares you thoroughly for the impending force of the album. What amazed me from the beginning is the retention of their classic sound. The only change I can hear is improvement.

By ‘Rules of Engagement’, Bruce Fitzhugh’s unforgettable vocal rhythm is dug up from the memories of old LS. This track is fueled by a very catchy guitar riff that is followed by a chorus reminiscent of Lamb of God’s ‘Redneck’, only sped up. Then with another style swing, it moves into a bridge that could easily be mistaken for Becoming the Archetype. With this album, LS has certainly grasped the current American metal flavour. At the same time, they retain their old sound quite beautifully with the dirty guitar sound of ‘Neitzsche’s Madness’ in its opening. As it becomes heavier in its breakdown-like chorus, it pounds into an entertaining percussion interlude. Without the return of Matt Putman in the band’s reassembly, the additional percussion that LS boasted in previous albums ‘The Hammering Process’ and ‘Conceived in Fire’ was not present in ‘The Infinite Order’. However, for the sake of old traditions, added percussion was still included on two tracks.

With the first of several guitar solos to melt your face on this album, you will see that guitarist Rocky Gray exercises his shredding skills with further exuberance than in previous efforts. In songs like ‘Unfit To Live’ and ‘They Were One’, it is easy to get swept up into the pounding, marching beat that LS has always injected into most of their songs. However, it is apparent that the driving beat is one of the only things keeping these tracks alive.

This is the only point that I was slightly disappointed, but my enthusiasm was quickly revamped. The beginning of ‘The Training’ made me smile big, remembering songs like ‘Flatline’ and ‘Burn the End’ and other songs that imposed anxiety for the oncoming attack on ‘The Hammering Process’. I got chills when the second guitarist joined the rhythm in the buildup. From this track onward, some more diversity is displayed on the new album, first with eerie clean vocals in the chorus and a courtesy interlude near the end to give listeners a chance to pick up their jaws off the floor.

Once you’re ready, buckle up, because ‘Organized Lie’ is going to hit you like a semi through a smart car. First your head will bang, and then the breakdown will crunch your stomach. Then you’ll feel like an idiot when the drummer changes his snare to the offbeat and your head bangs at the wrong time. This is pleasantly unexpected, but you will get no chance to argue at any point. Between the insane guitar solo and the baying gang scream in the chorus, “random, organized lie”, you’ll be drooling with an eargasm.

‘The Reckoning’ borrows a Demon Hunter-esque driving theme. The groove metal side of their sound is apparent in tracks like this and ‘Love Forgives’. The latter has such simple yet seducing chords that ask for nothing less than your full attention. I found myself quite immersed in this song, closing my eyes and humming along with the guitars. While still retaining its brutal persona, LS is demonstrating a very professional level of musical range across these later tracks. ‘God Is My Home’ welcomes a light tweedling guitar accompaniment to its pounding vocals and low, growling rhythm guitars. These altogether stew up a very ear catching melody that strays from LS’s usual forte of grungy death metal, while still successfully holding your attention for nearly five whole minutes.

At this point, Living Sacrifice’s latest and greatest, post-reassembly, debut album is about ready to wind down. Ease into your seat and relax while an acoustic lullaby rocks you into a state of comfort, then nut up for one last epic throwdown with the final track, ‘Apostasy’. As far as album endings go, it’s hard to explain what’s required. There needs to be a sense of closure and respect that the album is over. That at least, there definitely is.

‘The Infinite Order’ holds true to LS’s own classic style, but fills in the gaps with the current progressive metal styles like Demon Hunter, Devil Driver, Lamb of God, or even Becoming the Archetype. The lyrics were very well written as well. In a progressive nature, they speak of a dying world engulfed in sin. But in tracks like ‘Love Forgives’ and ‘God Is My Home’, the mood is turned around to address the option of God’s redeeming love, as it is unfailing even in the midst of sin. ‘Apostasy’ finishes it off by turning away the misdirection of people who think that hope is lost. The words encourage those who have turned away from God to question their decision. “Love is present, grace abounds. What happened here? Was the world so enticing? Denial is treachery hard to reconcile.”

The strength and intensity that LS built up from the beginning of the album is successfully abused and then fully broken down within the containment of eleven tracks. And after sitting through ‘The Infinite Order’ in full, I am satisfied with what I heard. I give it 4 out of 5 Napkins. Now give me a glass of milk and I’ll be on my way. I’m all tuckered out.

Artist: Living Sacrifice
Album: The Infinite Order
Release: January 26, 2010
Label: Solid State
Length: 46:57
Rating: 4/5