A very well rounded music selection this week. And you bet your ass I included the new O-Town album. While I have no interest in listening to the new material, I thought it was too amusing to pass up since all these boy bands from the millennium feel the need to get back together and do a new album/tour/cash grab. Don't worry, I've rounded it out with music that people will likely purchase from a record store, online retailer, or other digital source.
Rustie, Opeth, Avenged Sevenfold, and Thousand Foot Krutch all have highly anticipated albums hitting stores today. All four have come off some of their biggest albums to date so these follow ups (not including A7X) will have a doozy of a time with their follow ups. But from the reviews I have gone through so far, none of the albums listed below had much criticism (minus one guy I saw pretty mad about the heavy/prog mix of Opeth).
So kick back, turn on the headphones or speakers and spin some tunes at your work desk or at home. Cheers!
(Rustie - Green Language)
For his second album, also released on Warp, Rustie indeed slows it down a bit and peels away some layers, but he does so without making any concessions to politeness. Most of these tracks breathe more, due in part to allow room for grime great D Double E, tense duo Gorgeous Children, and a typically foul-mouthed Danny Brown, whose 2013 album Old included a trio of Rustie beats. Dynamic instrumental cuts like "Raptor," "Paradise Stone," and "Tempest," like much of Glass Swords, evoke colorful video game landscapes but are crafted with a little more finesse. -All Music
(O-Town - Lines & Circles)
It’s all too easy to be cynical and see Lines & Circles as a cash-grab by a band trying to ride the current wave of early-2000s nostalgia, but it seems like the remaining members of O-Town have put some serious effort into making a worthwhile album. I certainly can’t fault them for trying and the result certainly isn’t lazy, but it definitely sounds limited. For all the different instruments and styles that feature on this album, the music on display is of inconsistent quality and ultimately the whole album just sounds average. I’ll certainly recommend it to people who want a trendy-sounding pop band that can sound cheerful and lovelorn with equal amounts of sincerity, but those of you who want something with a bit more substance are advised to look elsewhere. -Renowned For Sound
(Cymbals Eat Guitars - Lose)
This is an album you’ll want to play loud anyway, and just soak and bask in the overall vibes that this record provides. You’ll want to hear this over and over again, and you will not tire or get sick of this album on multiple replays – in fact, it may get even stronger which each and every progressive pass through it, as it opens up and reveals itself. This is a thoughtful album that just so happens to rock out in a similar wild abandon to Cloud Nothings. However, there are more nooks and crannies to get lost in here. Simply put, this is a record that should christen Cymbals Eat Guitars as a force to be reckoned with. All I can really say is, for its themes of loss and longing, its wide-eyed sense of wistfulness, for all of its hopefulness in misfortune, Lose ends up being a win. And a major one at that. -Pop Matters
(Thousand Foot Krutch - Oxygen: Inhale)
Canadian rockers Thousand Foot Krutch follow one of the greatest albums of their career with a more somber and devoted set of tracks that strip back all the hype and production and dare to be incredibly exposed and vulnerable. With a more Americana, classic rock, or even a more “raw” rock vibe, Oxygen: Inhale brings ten tracks that are unafraid to explore both brokenness before God and utter dependence on Him. O:I may not be as immediately accepted as 2012′s The End is Where We Begin, however, I argue that there are possibly even deeper waters to be found here. -Indie Vision Music
(Opeth - Pale Communion)
If those fans were hopeful that their next LP would go back to death metal after Mikael Akerfeldt said that the album would be heavier and more sinister than Heritage, they're going to be disappointed. Pale Communion keeps the band firmly in the progressive genre, but those who are disappointed by that turn of events can at least take heart in the fact that the new LP is a more focused, honed effort than Heritage. With their first full experimentation into progressive rock established, the group is able to refine that sound into something greater, leading them to new heights within their genre. -411 Mania
(Avenged Sevenfold - Waking The Fallen Resurrected)
• Two new songs, including the lead track “Waking The Fallen: Resurrected,” which had been lost to history before it was discovered buried deep within the original multi-track recordings. Originally intended to make the album as a full song, it was ultimately reworked into a vocal free intro. Later the band drew inspiration from this lost song’s piano intro, building it out into their hit song “Beast And The Harlot” off of their next album City Of Evil. This song is a previously unknown link between two major eras in the band’s career.
• Four never before heard demos recorded by Thrice’s Teppei Teranishi including “Chapter Four,” “Remenissions,” “I Won’t See You Tonight Part 1,” “I Won’t See You Tonight Part 2.” These early version demos contain alternate lyrics, melodies, and arrangements giving fans a unique and unprecedented behind the scenes look at the evolution of four of the band’s most popular songs.
• Five live versions recorded in 2004 from some of the band’s earliest shows including “Chapter Four (Live In Ventura),” “Desecrate Through Reverence (Live In Pomona),” “Eternal Rest (Live In Pomona),” “Unholy Confessions (Live In Ventura),” “Second Heartbeat (Live In Ventura).” Very little live material from this era of Avenged Sevenfold’s career has ever seen the light of day.
• A 30 minute documentary featuring brand new interviews from band looking back on the of the lead up, demoing, recording and touring around the Waking The Fallen album. The 30 minute film includes personal behind the scenes home movies and photos from the band’s earliest days.
• The original first cut of the “Unholy Confessions” music video. -Hopeless Records
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