Berto’s Review #1
Anberlin has always been a band that people don’t pay attention too, due to their extreme genre sex-change in every god damn album and this is exactly why the album “Cities” is a highlight in Anberlin’s music career. It has come to my attention that people only listen to Anberlin’s hits for one reason, their other songs are just too different. It throws people off so no one really cares and I don’t blame them. Personally they are my favorite but I wouldn’t recommend any of their albums to anyone but this one. This is their third album to release within Tooth & Nail productions and if you’ve ever listened to their albums, whether it’s their new one or their first albums this one has been the most creative and well produced album. Every little thing that could of been better was. Like I said before, their songs go from pop to rock to pop punk just everywhere but in this album they grabbed their genre by the balls and milked it.
If you’ve youtube Anberlin’s live videos you will find out that Stephen’s vocals are just not as amazing as you think, it could be that fact that he might be too excited on stage and throws himself around too much or maybe he’s just not the type to sing live. Kind of like Taking Back Sunday, their vocals are just not …the same. Live. But regardless to what they sound live, the album was almost perfect in my opinion. The one thing that just made it even more mouth watering was the fact that they took their old song Feel Good Drag and rerecorded it for “Cities” and to this day I still can’t decide which one sounds better. They definitely took their skills to a new level with drumming, catchy riffs, lyrics, and even sexy sounding acoustic time with Stephen’s sweet, sweet voice.
Production: 9.9/10
Lasting Appeal: 8/10
Originality: 9/10
Anberlin - Cities
9/10
Release Date: February 20, 2007
Record Label: Tooth & Nail
Jared’s Music Review #2
Every Time I Die - New Junk Aesthetic
Every Time I Die’s latest release titled New Junk Aesthetic has been out since 2009 but since i’ve just started this shit i decided i’m going to review it now…YALL HURD ME?
With having released an album once every two years, New Junk Austhetic is, in my opinion, Every Time I Die’s strongest release. With a lot of fans slightly losing hope with ETID in the coming years, as some seem to think their 2005 release Gutter Phenomenon was a downfall from their raw, relentless 2003 album Hot Damn!, but with New Junk Aesthetic their ball vice was untightened and their nutsacks were allowed to breath with a sigh of releif as this album fucking rocks.
The album opens with half a minute of feedback that leads into a crushing guitar riff and drum beat that slowly gets louder and louder until lead vocalist Keith Buckley comes in singing with everything he’s got, and it hits you like a brick to the face. The album has some awesome, and unexpected cameos as well. Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puctiato ( who happens to be one of my favourite vocalists ) comes in on the fast headbanger The Marvelous Slut and acts as an amazing counterpart to Keith when he sings through the chorus, the Bronx’s Matt Caughthran comes in singing the chorus in The Sweet Life which is an amazingly catchy song, much more catchy than half the bullshit on the radio these days ( I WAIVE MY HAIR BACK ‘N FORTH I WAIVE MY HAIR BACK ‘N FORTH ) and the last cameo, undeniably most unexpected comes from Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, who before listening to this i thought was a pansy little bitch but Wentz proves he has balls with belting out some of the heaviest vocals on the record on the roller coaster ” After One Quarter Of A Revolution ”. Relying a lot less on the ‘southern’ style guitar rifs on this album than their previous releases, Every Time I Die manages to keep the listenter enticed with each and every riff put forth, each vocal harmony and each catchy drum beat.
Using just enough cowbell ( who the fuck doesn’t love cowbell?…Honestly ) to keep a smile on my face, just enough brutally heavy riffs that make me want to be in a mosh pit, just enough sections to drum along too, and with Keith Buckly previously being an english teacher brings phenomenal lyrics and an amazing voice into the equation, this album is an instant favourite of mine this year…hell, in the last 5 years. With every song on this album catchy, heavy, and with persistantly changing tempo and song structure keeping it unbelevibly fresh this is a must listen to anyone who has ears.
Like it or not, fucking listen to this album, its so godamn good. New Junk Aesthetic fucked my face and then finished right in my eye, and i fucking loved every second of it.
Oh, and P.S- Keith Buckley, if you’re reading this, i will go gay for you. Me love you long time.
Production: 9.9/10
Lasting Appeal: 9.9/10
Originality: 9.9/10
Keith Buckey’s sexy voice 9.9/10
Every Time I Die - New Junk Aesthetic
9.9/10 (Nothing can be perfect, but this is damn close)
Jared’s Music Review #1
Attila - Rage
Self coined ‘party-deathcore’ (queer!) band Attila from Atlanta, GA have been on the scene for quite some time but have finally released their full length debut; Rage. I do have to say, for an album with lyrics that seemed to have been written by a retarted, 3 year old monkey that missed out on preschool the album itself is a damn fun listen. I’m not a huge fan of Deathcore but as far as im concerned, this one is on top of the list of Deathcore that’s actually listenable. With above average musicianship on the guitars and drums, what really stood out for me on this record was the vocals. The singer manages to go from a raspy scream, to a low growl, to an odd kind of grunt scream, and at times screams as fast as one of those Auction host people, which is not easy to do with this kind of vocal style and it was one of the first things that i noticed upon my first listen…which undeniably resulted in an insta-full chub hardon. With fantastic catchy-as-hell songs, the lyrics are extremely on the lacking side. Again, the lyrics on this album are fucking wretched. Even though they do go with the beat of the music and fit great, they are just so dull and basic that it saddens me. I think a kenyan who started learning english 4 months ago could have written better lyrics. With lyrics like ” You can’t beat it, you can’t stop it, stick it in your pipe and smoke it!”, “I don’t give a fuck if you like this song, is it heavy enough for you?”,”Who fucking spilled beer on my carpet?” and lastly my personal favourite;” chug chug chug finish that beer!”. Now, don’t get me wrong, the vocalist is obviously talented and probably does write all his lyrics while he is either high, drunk, or both but try and at least put some effort into writing them.
An album that samples bong hits, shot glasses clanking together, Beers being opened, and people choking on said bong hits, one might pass this album off as another mediocre Deathcore record and not take it seriously. The whole theme of this band is to not take life seriously, to party and just fuck shit that moves and although they don’t take it too seriously, the band does a great job of meshing their music together from catchy riff ‘A’ to breakdown to catchy riff ‘B’ and it hooks you right in off of the first part about spilling alcohol on carpets. It is a damn good debut and a must listen for anyone who doesn’t mind their music not being too serious, heavy as fuck and just fun to listen too.
Production: 9/10
Lasting Appeal: 8/10
Originality: 6/10
Being sold at Hot Topic: fail/10
Attila - Rage
8/10
