Another great week of music releases here in North America. Being that I was a big fan of the first volume for the SoA soundtrack, I am totally stoked for the next 3 releases (including the 4th volume this week). Some albums I have already had the pleasure checking out such as Rob Zombie, Red, Of Mice & Men, and All That Remains will easily rock your socks off. Not to generalize all the releases this week but it seems the albums I heard have REALLY stepped their game up. Specifically regarding Red and ATR, both bands have produced some of their best work in years. I highly recommend you all checking out some of them.
So spread zee love! Hit up a local record store, online retailer, or a trusted digital source to pick up a few of these ones. I can assure you that you WILL find something good to listen to (pending an open mind). Cheers!
(The Airborne Toxic Event - Dope Machines)
Whatever the case, the band’s latest release, Dope Machines, takes the group in a fresh direction that attempts to veer away from the looming fate of mediocrity. TATE’s once-orchestral indie-rock sound has been replaced by a brigade of synths, dance beats and sing-along choruses. The album makes no attempt to pass as something it’s not and instead proudly steps into the world of synth-driven pop. Though at times Dope Machines falls into similar plights as Such Hot Blood, the new release certainly offers something new to fans. At the least, the album avoids an aimless repetition of the past and manages to stand shamelessly unique among TATE’s discography. -Substream Magazine
(VA - Sons of Anarchy: Volume 4)
*no reviews as of yet
(Big Sean - Dark Sky Paradise)
Dark Sky Paradise, his newest, does not wholly shed his aspirations for a certain level of legitimacy, as the nonsensical but very official-sounding title would implicate. But it is by many lengths his best album, and the first one that gets closest to hitting an elusive sweet spot where his music works as mindless fun while still leaving you just enough to chew on. The best example of this is "I Don’t Fuck With You", the song that kick-started the album and perhaps saved Sean’s career as we know it. Put online in September along with three other tracks, the song is an obvious banger with an instantly catchy hook and some truly great lines—"I just bought a crib, three stories, that bitch a trilogy"—that also leverages his broken engagement with "Glee"’s Naya Rivera in a way that feels authentically inspired. That song is where everything clicks for Big Sean, and the confidence he seems to derive from fully harnessing his powers seeps from its pores. -Pitchfork
(Revolution Saints - Revolution Saints)
“Revolution Saints” is another one of those records being made by veterans that feels like it's stuck in the past. Rather than being a gripe, it's a badge of honor, because “Revolution Saints” reminds me of what rock music was like when it was at its best. “Revolution Saints” will never be remembered the same way as the records these guys have made with their main bands, if only because of when it came out, but it's as enjoyable an hour of music as they could possibly make. Definitely check this out if you like old-school melodic rock. -Bloody Good Horror
*No reviews as of yet
Overall RED has an incredibly complex and put together album. Normally when rock bands add so many orchestral and synth arrangements to the music, the songs become cluttered and too produced. In this instance, RED's overproduction makes the music pop and have the feeling and emotion behind the story. It almost became essential to have that unique sound over the rock as it transitioned from song to song.
Of Beauty and Rage is for sure going to carry a ton of weight for this band as they created a near perfect record filled with all the things fans can come to expect from the band and yet equal parts ingenuity. -BREATHEcast
The best song by far is "Gates of Horn and Ivory". "My Witness, Your Victim" and "I Endeavor" are two more decent songs, but the majority of the album does not possess anything as unique or intrinsic as these songs do. After several plays only those three songs made a name for themselves. After 10 more spins, it was difficult to pay attention too. It's not that I did not like this album, it has its moments, but it certainly lacks more moments than it has. It's a good variety when it comes to listening to all types of metal, but for seasoned listeners of metal who enjoy the true essence and creativity of metal, there is much to be desired. -Metal Injection
(Torche - Restarter)
Their fourth album, Restarter, answers that question immediately. From the opening chug-along of “Annihilation Affair,” the disc is a pulsating, behemoth of a return to Brooks’ days in Floor – a band who not-coincidentally reunited after Torche’s last album. Restarter sounds exactly like the title suggests – another beginning for the band which Brooks has described as “fun metal,” but also their hardest-hitting album to date. The melodies and hooks remain in spades, but songs like “Minions,” “Undone” and the appropriately titled “Barrier Hammer” would fit neatly alongside Torche’s most visceral sludge anthems. What’s missing, however, is any semblance of air – the album’s 10 tracks are intensely focused with creative flourishes foregone in favor of maximized minimalism. -Diffuser
(Oceans Ate Alaska - Lost Isles)
It can be difficult setting out to try and differentiate yourselves from others, and Oceans Ate Alaska perhaps push things too far in setting their stall in the kitchen-sink side of headfuck music, though they can take credit from the fact that not only are they ploughing their own furrow, but they have the technical chops and ear for melody to make it happen for themselves. Lost Isles is a sensory overload that will make an impression on the ears and minds of those who like their discordance delivered as a staccato premeditated cudgelling, while with tunes like ‘Downsides’ in their arsenal, the band have the breadth to push into more melodic and conventional streams. -Ghost Cult Mag
EPs:
Though it’s not groundbreaking, The Cliff has some great dynamic range that compliments the performances. However, this release doesn’t have the staying power I crave from a Pelican EP. Even with its short length of 25 minutes, I find myself listening to the opener and then skipping to the closer. Sadly, this doesn’t make it worth the money to buy the vinyl version like I normally do. For those die-hard fans, you’ll find something here you like, but for me, I’ll just stick to my March into the Sea and Ephemeral records. -Angry Metal Guy
Deluxe Edition/Re-issue:
(Taking Back Sunday - Happiness Is: The Complete Recordings)
As top-heavy as the record is with adrenaline-fuelled anthems, arguably the highlights of Happiness Is come when the band take a step back and adopt a more restrained approach. “All the Way” isn't quite a ballad, but it's significantly more mellow than your average Taking Back Sunday number, and it's well-written to boot. “When We Were Younger” and “Nothing At All” are both down-tempo numbers that finish the record off on a delicate vibe, but the crest of this record's many waves is surely “Better Homes and Gardens,” a measured telling of an impending divorce with themes of regret, anger and eventually acceptance. Lyrically it's one of many accomplished offerings here. The band asks the question Happiness Is and answers it with this track as Lazzara screams wildly, “you'll never be happy.” Like the protagonist in the song, the band seems to have realised that throughout the line up changes, the scene moving on, and fans clamouring for the days of their earlier records, they'll never be able to please everybody. Even they themselves had a dislike for 2009's New Again. So Taking Back Sunday has decided the simplest course to take is to embrace the formula with which they are both comfortable and accomplished, hence Happiness Is is jam-packed with upbeat pop-rock anthems and reflective cuts of radio-friendly angst that should appease fans new and old alike. Most of 'em anyway. -411 Mania
(Of Mice & Men - Restoring Force: Full Circle)
The promotional run for Restoring Force featured a lot of talk about Of Mice & Men finding a ‘balance’ in their sound with this release. While I am not entirely sold on that being the case, I will say it is the most engaging record in their discography, and it features a number of fantastic surprises that will only serve to further the group’s career in 2014. If true, Of Mice & Men will be one of the few bands from the recent heavy era in alternative music to find life outside the Warped Tour scene, and in my opinion no one could be more deserving. Through lineup changes and the seemingly endless controversy that surrounds frontman Austin Carlile Of Mice & Men have forged ahead with a drive to succeed that is unmatched by their peers. They’ve channeled their struggles into songs that are as memorable as they are abrasive, and as it stands now they are the heavy band to beat in the new year.
Restoring Force raises the bar for heavy bands in alternative music and marks the beginning of a new chapter for Of Mice & Men. It’s without a doubt the best album of their career, not to mention the first great hard rock release of 2014, and I am hopeful it won’t be their last. -Under The Gun
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