Well look at what Tuesday dragged in for us this week. I know myself and other readers will be thrilled to hear of some new albums from the likes of The Piano Guys (side note to watch the Batman music video), Weezer, Yellowcard, New Found Glory, Affiance, and many more!
I even have some new artists that I have yet to even finish a full song. So this week will have you guessing just as much as I will be. Bands like A Breach of Silence, Alive Like Me, Audrey Heavy, Hozier, and Those Poor Bastards all sounded great for the 30 second samplers I got of the new albums so keeping fingers crossed for some hits!
The Ozzman cometh with a new CD/DVD combo sure to rupture old school fans into a frenzy. I know for myself that even after 10+ years of cranking "I Don't Know", the song still sounds the same (and better with volume). And of course we have the nitty gritty metal albums that my heavy readers know me for. Affiance, Texas Hippie Coalition, and Francesco Artusato will have you reaching for a beer at lunch rather than the soda.
So be doll, make my site relevant, and buy some of (or all) the albums if you like them. No matter the popularity of the artist, they all need money to survive...same as us. So head to a local record store, online retailer, or a trusted digital source for all your needs. Cheers!
To her credit, she and fellow producers Dave Stewart and Waddy Wachtel have a light touch here, letting Nicks’s silvery voice lead with grace and grit. So many of these songs evoke yesteryear Nicks, from the serpentine, 'Rhiannon'-like groove of 'Mabel Normand' to the starry prettiness of 'If You Were My Love.' 'Blue Water' has a dusky country vibe; it could have been a Fleetwood hit, right down to its line 'And I wait for the sound of my gypsy.' -Boston Globe
(The Piano Guys - Wonders)
TPG's new album, "Wonders," features successful single releases from the past year such as "Let It Go" from the movie "Frozen," "Kung Fu Piano: Cello Ascends," "Don't You Worry Child," and "Story of my Life" available for the first time on CD. The album also includes new songs in their signature style from such artists as Dave Matthews, Phillip Phillips and One Direction, a fun take on various Batman themes throughout the years, "Batman Evolution," plus original compositions from the band. "Wonders" is available as a Deluxe CD + DVD set that includes a bonus DVD of six of their hit music videos. The Piano Guys have become a touring phenomenon selling out shows across the country and will be touring throughout the U.S. extensively. -Amazon
The album is well-rounded, with songs from Black Sands thrown in (classics like "Kiara" and "Kong" are obvious and welcome inclusions), and a slick roll into "Ketto" that features a burly trumpet solo. The full band complements Bonobo's instrument-heavy production so well it's hard to imagine listening to him again without it. And with live instrumentation comes live vocals, with London-native Szjerdene adding remarkable depth and improvisation to tracks like "Towers" and "Heaven For the Sinner." It's Bonobo's new spin on an old sound. -Exclaim
But the spirit of reconciliation is strong on Everything Will Be Alright in the End. For the first time since 2001, Weezer reunite with the Cars' Ric Ocasek, who produced the beloved Blue and Green albums, and who helps land Everything on the same loud, bright power-pop-metal planet. And Cuomo writes effusively about his dad, a Pentecostal preacher who re-entered his life after several absent decades. Cuomo has named the batch of songs about fatherhood ''Patriarchia''; the track list also includes a series of girl songs he's called ''Belladonna'' and a set of tunes about his troublesome audience, dubbed ''The Panopticon Artist.'' (Foucault never had to deal with nosy Facebookers.) -Rolling Stone
With such a tumultuous series of events, it’s not surprising that Lift A Sail is the band’s most ambitious and experimental album yet. The band explores massive anthemic sounds and electronic instrumentation, while Key amps up his songwriting to express what he’s experienced these past few years.
These songs form an inspiring opus of love and determination that are extremely personal, yet relatable. Sonically, this may not be my favorite Yellowcard record, but one that I will still enjoy and respect that this is what the band needed to create at this point in their career in order to continue progressing after all these years. -IDOBI
(New Found Glory - Resurrection)
It’s an anthemic pop-punk jam with a ridiculously catchy chorus and a really beefy guitar riff. Within three minutes they’ve quickly cast off any doubts about their relevancy in today’s alternative music scene here. The album then chugs on with the title track, ‘Resurrection’. It’s your average New Found Glory album track in truth. That’s certainly not a bad thing though – they’ve set the bar consistently high for the last seventeen years now. You’ve got an upbeat verse that blends into a harder hitting chorus with a memorable vocal melody. It’s a formula that clearly still works today. -Punktastic
(Those Poor Bastards - Vicious Losers)
*No reviews as of yet
(Hozier - Hozier)
The music presented on the record wouldn’t contain half the impact without Hozier’s sterling voice behind it. It sounds fragile upon the brink of destruction, despite mustering great strength and clarity to sing lines that other singers would struggle with.
What Hozier is offering here is a look into the minds of the emotionally intelligent amongst his generation. We’re living in an ever challenging world and this young man has poured all of his well thought-out deliberation on to this truly brilliant record. -So So Gay
It pains me to say it, but the best American rock band hails from Norway. Their name is Audrey Horne and they’re mercy ruling the competition out of the game. This brilliant, idiot-manchild side project of Ice Dale (Enslaved) and Thomas Tofthagen (Sahg) has blazed a shockingly catchy trail of pure rock lunacy since 2005s Confessions and Alcohol.
Pure Heavy is pure joy and if I have a complaint, it’s that it didn’t drop three months ago so it could have been the soundtrack to the summer. Music this much fun almost had to be conceived and recorded by guys half in the bag, and it’ll make you feel like you need to catch up toot sweet. Don’t miss this one, or any of their albums. American rock scene, the gauntlet has been thrown down. Step up or get a new line of work. -Angry Metal Guy
(Alive Like Me - Only Forever)
This quintet fits in with most of the other Rise Records artists with a post hardcore sound to them. The album was mixed by Dan Korneff, who has worked with bands Pierce the Veil, Sleeping With Sirens and A Day To Remember. Which helped in the band in my opinion as those three bands combined have Alive Like Me’s overall sound.
While there is some over production on the album, it doesn’t harm the overall sound of the album, but makes for some catchy songs that will be stuck in your head. If you are a fan of Pierce The Veil or Sleeping With Sirens you’ll love Alive Like Me. This band does know how to make an album and there isn’t really any skip over or filler tracks on the album. -Stars Entertainment
The Darkest Road is the second album from Aussie powercore quintet, A Breach Of Silence, and it has to be said that the Brisbane shredders have created something that, while it may have plenty of familiar riffs, has enough of a twist to keep it from disappearing into the metalcore pack never to be heard from again.
As The Darkest Road demonstrates during many quality moments, there is much more to modern metal than floppy fringes and rehashed breakdowns. -Pure Grain Audio
THC is back in the saddle and raring to go, and now in 2014, with their brand new album in tow, there will be no more denying these guys their due respect and consideration as one of America’s finest hard rock acts.
If you miss the days of old, riding around in your car, with the windows down and the music as “loud as hell”, TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION got the message; this album was tailor-made for that. “Ride On” is a masterpiece that should have these guys on the road for the extended future, and is by far, my album of the year so far. Do yourself a big rock n’ roll favor and buy this new release from the newly crowned, “America’s Band”. -Metal Temple
“This album is definitely an evolution from the first one that was released in 2011. I really focused on the song writing aspect more than the pure technical aspect of playing guitar this time. Some songs are more fun and what you would expect from a rock/metal guitar instrumental record, others are just more intense with a darker mood and some others are a little more abstract. The more technical guitar playing is accompanied by a more soulful playing and I love that. This album is pretty much the portrait of the guitar player I am today.” -Francesco Artusato
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Blackout shows a band who has improved on all fronts. This may be the most consistent metalcore album released this year. The guitar work is exceptional, with an increased emphasis on nifty solos and twin-guitar harmonies. The rhythm section is on a mission from God to pummel the listener, in a friendly manner, of course. Aside from the few awkward moments when the band tries its hand at breakdowns, everything serves one important purpose: to get your blood pumping. “Monuments Fail” calls to mind some of Unearth’s best tracks, and “In Justice” is the type of song that you literally can’t play loud enough. -New Noise Magazine
The band are about to release their third album titled Modern Vintage. The juxtaposition in the title is interesting, and it’s appropriate to describe the album’s mixing of the old with the new. It has an overall stadium feel to it, that we almost can’t imagine the band not playing to massive sold out venues.
As a whole, Modern Vintage is pretty darn impressive. Up until the last track, we were convinced that (forgive us for quoting Sum 41) this album is all killer and no filler. Despite that last track, it’s still definitely worth your time. -Hit The Floor
Although “Back From the Abyss” doesn’t stylistically deviate from anything that Orange Goblin have done before there is an undercurrent of maturity running through the material. “A Eulogy For the Damned” was certainly a more noticeable step-up in production from what the band had done before and this new album continues that progression in their overall sound; for instance, take a song like ‘Mythical Knives’ that begins with a gently picked semi-acoustic guitar intro before exploding into the familiar territory of thick guitar riffs and groove-laden drums. The subtle touches like the picked intro and a clear bass drum sound make enough of a difference that the song feels fresh, all the while staying true to Orange Goblin‘s ’70s-inspired stoner/doom metal roots. -This Is Not A Scene
CD/DVD/Blu-Ray:
(Ozzy Osbourne - Memoirs of a Madman)
Memoirs Of A Madman (DVD) is a definitive visual two-disc DVD set which includes classic music videos, along with unreleased and out-of-print live performances, plus interviews from his solo career. Both sets offer fans of the multi-platinum recording artist, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and three-time Grammy® winning singer and songwriter the ultimate collection from Ozzy's distinguished solo career.
DVD One features more than two dozen of OZZY's classic and unforgettable music videos from across his discography, including a bonus alternate version of "Mama, I'm Coming Home" and making-of footage from the videos "Let Me Hear You Scream" and "Life Won t Wait."
DVD Two features live performances and interview clips spanning OZZY's solo journey, much of which makes its debut on DVD. Some selections have appeared on long out-of-print VHS releases; others will be seen here for the first time, making this an essential package for fans old and new. OZZY's union of music and visuals could not be more perfect, and the Memoirs Of A Madman DVD showcases that to brilliant effect. -Amazon
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