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

Evergreen Terrace - Almost Home - Review

Attention to all you who nay-say the connection between hardcore punk and metal. I challenge you now! What evidence have I, you ask? Well today I come bearing Evergreen Terrace’s newest album ‘Almost Home’. This band has been on an upward slope for a long time now, and this one defiantly hasn’t gone over the hill yet. It has left delicious flavours in my mouth, manly flavours like metal and kick-ass! You take a couple breakdowns, and mix with a healthy sprinkling of punk beats and what do you get? Metalcore! A stomach sickness with feet and elbows.

Booked with Metal Blade Records, they share the spotlight with other well known acts such as As I Lay Dying and Unearth (as well as a lot of other bands that would scare your grandparents). They have propped themselves up into a place of comfort, but they’re still putting in effort. As their fifth full length album, it is impressive that they have improved with each one this far. I sincerely hope that with such a great album streak, that ‘Almost Home’ is not their peak.

The album opener introduces it very creatively with fun sounds that their guitarist can make, thus setting the mood. ‘Enemy Sex’ is a representation of the sound that they have adopted since ‘Wolfbiker’. The quick pace is still there, but an angrier metal presence is present. This time around, they’re favouring punk beats over simple metal chugging a good deal more. Only a minute or so into the song, their quaint love of the breakdown is still made apparent. I like it so far. The title track takes the next set with a very punk sound, but you also feel the metal influence from Andrew Carey’s unique scream. A guitar solo flares it up but the lovely clean vocals from guitarist Craig Chaney really take the cake on the chorus.

In beautiful Evergreen Terrace style, the title of the following song, ‘God Rocky, Is This Your Face?’ is a reference to TV show ‘Family Guy’. It’s a real pump up, fast beats, metal gang screaming, and precision drumming on the part of drummer Kyle Mims. It’s a merciless piece of work, definitely showing off the feeling of ‘Almost Home’ as it identifies itself from ‘Wolfbiker’ with much heavier aspects. ‘We’re Always Losing Blood’ kicks it back with standard clean vocals again, and even some tweedling, which seems to be much more prevalent in metal lately. Besides an out of place breakdown, this song is pretty chill. So don’t even worry about the hardcore comeback in ‘Sending Signals’. By now it became clear to me that ET hasn’t really changed much since ‘Wolfbiker’. But then again it doesn’t sound completely like the previous album.

The energy of their past effort isn’t as present as it was before, but the Evergreen Terrace sound is still etched into every song. It’s slightly more relaxed and even more composed than previously. A lot of the new songs sound more professional. But set aside what I said for a few minutes while you get your ears boxed by ‘Mario Speedwagon’. The high guitaring in this song is most impressive and actually reminds me of some kind of metal remix of Mario Kart music. But that’s just me.

Moving on, a somber opening to ‘Failure To Operate’ confuses at first but strikes hard in a matter of seconds. By calming down the choruses in a lot of the songs with clean vocals to replace the screaming, a healthy balance is found. A breakdown for a bridge trims up the ensemble and left me happy. Another sober intro in ‘Hopelessly Hopeless’ explains a change up in this album. Not nearly as many songs start off fast and hard like before. I’m glad they’re trying new things, but I miss the fast and hard. The album sounds more mature, but that isn’t always a good thing in my books.

Time for an interlude! ‘The Letdown’ is a compression of intensity. It builds you up and then shatters your enthusiasm by ending at the minute-forty mark, in true hardcore punk style. But it’s like an appetizer for what’s coming up next, one of the best songs on the album. ‘I’m a Bullet Proof Tiger’ goosebumped me up all good. The guitar riff in this song is ominous and menacing. It’s a keeper really, they even managed to fit in a catchy chorus and mix their clean vocals and screaming agreeably. I only had to wait too long to hear it.

The final song, ‘Not Good Enough’ was as close to ‘touchy feely’ as I think a song can be while still holding a metal stance. It wrapped up the album in a good way. It felt like an ending to me. So by the time the album came to a close, I felt satisfied.

It wasn’t as incredible as I thought it would be, to be honest, but at the same time there was nothing wrong with it. It just didn’t hold itself and my attention up as well as ‘Wolfbiker’ did. That being said, many of you to hear it may disagree and think it is a step up from last time. It has the potential to be a great album; it was a different album and told a different story. I personally enjoyed the hairy, mangled sound of their previous efforts. So all I can say is that I encourage any fans to listen in and form your own opinion. I’m handing over 3 and a half napkins out of 5.

Artist: Evergreen Terrace
Album: Almost Home
Label: Metal Blade Records
Release: September 29, 2009
Rating : 3.5/5

Threat Signal - Vigilance - Review

There have been many new bands in metal since the turn of the millennium, but few have impressed me with their first album as much as Threat Signal. From our very own Hamilton, Ontario, these big boys made it up to Nuclear Blast Records and made a point to stay there. Their first album ‘Under Reprisal’ was original and sick and as a puppy, and finally they give us our metal fix and pump out their sophomore album ‘Vigilance’. But don’t let the unoriginal album cover fool you, it’s actually a good album.

One big thing to mention is that ‘Vigilance’ is a lot tamer than Threat Signal previously demonstrated with ‘Under Reprisal’. You can hear it in the album opener ‘Afterlife’ right from the get go. Vocalist Jon Howard is obviously favouring his cleaner, yet still gruff, vocals this year. Change isn’t surprising though when a band’s lineup alters between album releases. Threat Signal got an entire overhaul though, as they lost guitarists Kyle McKnight and Rich Howard, bassist Marco Bressette, and drummer George Parfitt (all within the three year space between albums, mind you). They were replaced by Travis Montgomery, Adam Weber, Pat Kavanagh, and Norman Killeen, respectively. With the only surviving member being the vocalist, style change is to be expected. And even the vocalist changed. You won’t be hearing nearly as many of his jaw splitting high screams as before. He gave his medium screams plenty of time to shine and at most times sound a lot like those of Sonic Syndicate or The Bereaved . I think it’s a waste personally. There’s no vocalist I’ve heard scream as high. In Arkaea, his side project shared with Fear Factory, he also favours the rough singing over the screams.

‘Afterlife’ says a lot about the album. The overall sound is much less like death metal or metalcore and takes a more classic metal approach. The guitars are much more basic and the drums are nothing to speak of. The beats aren’t as fast and oddly timed. In fact, sometimes they are painfully basic. In fact, it reminds me quite a lot of Trivium’s new material. To be blunt, it sounds like they’ve merely toned down the amount of talent that they used to exude. At the core, they still sound like Threat Signal, but the way they go about it is much plainer. Terrible opening song choice on their part, but fear not, with the second song comes a faint glimmer of hope.

‘Through My Eyes’ fills much bigger shoes than the beginning of the album. It is faster and more oddly timed, the vocalist screams high again, and sound much more like Threat Signal should. It slows down into a strangely mellow breakdown, but it kept my attention with its relaxed metal tempo. ‘The Beginning of the End’ sounds suspiciously like Killswitch but Jon Howard’s high scream transforms it back into TS soon enough. Catchy, slide guitar and a disgustingly sweet guitar solo hold this one together better than most. Hold up, there’s also a fist injuring breakdown immediately following. Yeah, this album’s getting better. Not quite the TS I remember, but still a sick sound besides.

‘United We Stand’ tempos up a breakdown beat through most of the song, along with guitars that make my shoulders twitch with goodness shivers. A twin guitar solo chills it down until it revs back up with another breakdown. Not such an original one, but head bopping. ‘Beyond Recognition’ finally whips out the double kick, but I still stick to my earlier statement that the drummer is subpar. The beats and fills are basic but the fancier guitar work almost makes up for it. ‘Another Source of Light’ takes inspiration from the European metal sound, sporting slower tempo beats with a lot of low intensity yelling. This song almost sounds like something Soilwork or In Flames might have put together as a more emotional switch out of their normal heaviness.

‘Hate Machine’ brings back the American guitars but keeps the European thrash beats. This one has some appealing guitars riffs and just might psych you up again. ‘Severed keeps the generic song formula alive with its turn-taking heavy verse to a calmer chorus. This turns into a classical guitar opening in ‘Lost’, (a welcome addition – there’s no overabundance of mellowing down in this album) but then soon changes to some melodic chugging and earlier said basic metal song formula. Kick in another amazing guitar solo. By the end of the song, any pussyfooting they were doing before stopped dead as soon as ‘To Remember’ funneled through my speakers. In true metal tradition, it ends heavy. I left a ring of drool on my shirt; it’s such a step up from the last few songs.

The basic formula goes on for a total of thirteen full length songs, which I must say is a tasty and satisfying breath of fresh air considering all the half hour albums lately. I commend TS for that, and for handling such a crazy lineup change so well. All things considered, they maintained Threat Signals identity fairly well. The loss of a better drummer than they currently have hurt them, but their new guitarists satisfy my metal urges. I am not happy about their dulling down the intensity that they held in ‘Under Reprisal’, but I do like the pages they took out of the Euro metal scene. And of course with the loss of their guitarist Rich Howard, the clean vocals that backed their last release are gone. I did enjoy them before, and they will be missed.

As their sophomore album, it is difficult to succeed a strong first album, but I still expected more from them than they gave me. I think they tried to make it too generic. It doesn’t possess the originality and all out brutal condition that ‘Under Reprisal’ did. I’m crossing my fingers that this downslide doesn’t continue, because that has been the fate of too many good bands. It would be a shame if their best years were their first. But I have confidence in them. It was a difficult hill to climb this time around, but I’m giving ‘Vigilance’ 3 out of 5 napkins. Hamilton, you build a tasty five-piece.

Artist: Threat Signal
Album: Vigilance
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release: September 11, 2009
Rating: 3/5 napkins

Skillet - Awake - Review

There’s always a level of expectation for any band’s newest LP, sometimes they aren’t very high. It usually depends mostly on how successful the previous album was with fans. So along comes a band that’s been releasing albums for years and suddenly let loose an amazing album that everyone loves. That’s all fine and good, but how are they expected to top that amazing album next time? There’s a staggering amount of pressure on that band. This time that band is Skillet, the archetype for all modern Christian rock. They cycled through a lot of genre changes until they released ‘Collide’ and seemed to settle on that style with another masterpiece, ‘Comatose’. Now they have to top it or at least do as good. Unfortunately their newest addition ‘Awake’ did not meet my expectations proceeding ‘Comatose’. The biggest and most irritating reason that fuels my opinion is their song choices.

The album opens raw and fast with ‘Hero’; immediately I got pumped up for a sick album. It sounds just like hard rock should. Catchy riffs and sing-along worthy vocals from lead vocalist/band master John Cooper. I was impressed by the beautiful backing vocals from Jen Ledger, the drummer and newest member of the group (appearing in the leave of former drummer Lori Peters). Personally, I enjoy her voice even more than the yet-worthy vocals of Korey Cooper in ‘Comatose’. The fun fest keeps going in the second track, ‘Monster’. This only gets my hopes up even more for an amazing album. The song is catchy and powerful, albeit the lyrics are a little bare. But other than the disturbing electronic growl close to the end, it continues the album nicely.

Following the good start is ‘Don’t Wake Me’, a slower track and a comfortable breather, not surprising for Skillet’s album style in the past. I wouldn’t be surprised if I heard one or two more. That alone wouldn’t bother me, but let’s just move on for now shall we? Close to the end of this song as well, John Cooper’s vocals seem to be failing him slightly as he attempts to sing higher notes. Honestly, surprising. Now as would be expected, another rocker, ‘Awake and Alive’, opens up with a short launch of strings, a fancy touch they pulled from their previous two albums. Still welcome in my opinion. They fill in the background noise through most of the song yet as well. Drummer Jen Ledger joins in to duet with John Cooper again for this one. Overall it isn’t as heavy as the beginning of the album, but still trademark Skillet sound, most enjoyable. However, don’t expect to be hearing anything like the opening tracks after this. ‘One Day Too Late’ stirs in another dose of heart-felt mellowness. Still not surprising.

Now, a slow song has just played, you expect something heavier to lift you back up into rock mode right? Wrong. The song that follows is not exactly my favourite. ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’ is less than inspiring to say the least. It isn’t totally a softer song. By no means, it has some of the heavier riffs thrown in, but it’s terribly cliché and predictable. I am aware that Skillet is trying to sound mainstream, but this is exactly the kind of dreg that every awful mainstream rock band writes. What bothers me even more is the lyrics. Lines like “It’s not me, it’s you, always has been you. All the lies and stupid things you say and do. It’s you.” And “You were a poison. Flooding through my veins. Driving me insane, and now you’re gone away.” In all honesty it pains me to hear such a talented band write such amateur lyrics.

With that over, prepare to hear another soft song with subpar lyrics ‘Should’ve When You Could’ve’. If this song impresses anyone, I have lost all hope in humanity. This is where my hopes begin shattering. Another soft-side song plays through called ‘Believe’. This is even more disappointing because it is actually a pretty good song with good vocals, an epically soft guitar solo, and soothing strings, except I just heard a couple mellower songs, I don’t want to hear another one already. On that note, ‘Forgiven’ is another sappy emotional song, not impressing me even more. ‘Sometimes’ finally picks up the pace a little bit, finally! Not as heavy as ‘Hero’ or ‘Monster’ though, but the low guitars and occasional angry vocals at least get my blood pumping again, slightly. A very short guitar solo takes place near the end, but doesn’t last very long. I wish they could have impressed me with a whole solo at least once like the awesome one in ‘Falling Inside the Black’ from their last album.

Don’t get used to that blood flowing though, as the last two songs slow down the album even more than had been previously done. ‘Never Surrender’ starts very melancholy with a unique string set, but veers over from a slightly more upbeat chorus into very sluggish verses. Lastly ‘Lucy’, the song that ends the album is directed to mourning the loss of a loved one. It’s a beautiful song, I won’t deny that, but it only pushed me further down into the sad rock rut that the better half of the album forced me into. Then the album ends, and I totally forgot that it started with two good songs. Wow.

I know it’s hard to top an album released at the peak of a band’s musical ability, but they didn’t have to take such a steep step down from ‘Comatose’. They just sound sad. John Cooper was quoted saying that this album would have “a lot of today’s heavier rock influences”. I’m just wondering what bands he thinks are “heavier rock”. Savage Garden? Coldplay? Even the best songs on this album didn’t compare to older songs like ‘Rebirthing’ and ‘Falling Inside the Black’. Cooper said he wrote 40 songs in preparation for this album. And he picked these 12 as the best? I think I might cry if I heard his other material. I may sound negative, but I just don’t know how such a good band can disappoint me so much. I loved Skillet’s last two albums, but this one just made me sad. I’m giving Skillet’s ‘Awake’ 2.5 out of 5 napkins. I know they can do better.

Artist: Skillet
Album: Awake
Label: Ardent/Lava/Atlantic
Release: August 25, 2009
Length: 42:12
Rating: 2.5/5