Review: Can’t Swim’s ‘Fail You Again’

Can’t swim are an upcoming rock band from New Jersey, and one that everyone should be excited about. Their first full-length album, Fail You Again, is the follow-up to EP Death Deserves A Name and will be released through Pure Noise Records. Death Deserves A Name was a record packed with energy from start to finish and thankfully that was not lost with this album. Fail You Again has an interesting mix of hard rock and pop punk elements much in the same way it’s predecessor did, yet this time around it sounds a little less confused and a little more polished. The past year has certainly seen an improvement in their sound as the band seem to be finding their feet.

Review: Lower Than Atlantis ‘Safe in Sound’

Lower Than Atlantis have released their fifth studio album, Safe in Sound, and it is a damn good one. One point I’ll get out of the way right away is the inevitable comparison to their previous album – no, Safe in Sound isn’t better than Lower Than Atlantis. Isolating it from all previous LTA music however, it is definitely worth the listen and I reckon it’ll do pretty well on multiple charts.

Motionless In White – ‘Eternally Yours’

Motionless In White have released a new single – ‘Eternally Yours’. Here we have a song that is almost beautiful, yet the edges are so nicely roughened with the band’s usual metalcore sound that the result is a fascinating blend of the two.

Review: Kreator’s ‘Gods of Violence’

After some musical ups and downs over the years, it seems Kreator have found themselves again and in doing so have produced an album of pure quality. Gods of Violence features that classic thrash sound that they have long perfected; it’s loud, fast and aggressive. Violence is certainly more musically intricate than their previous albums – perhaps excepting thirteenth studio album Phantom Antichrist – yet not so much that their riffs and breakdowns overshadow the primary rage that runs throughout each song.

Blaming the Media

In light of the new year (albeit a month in), I’d like to revisit one of the main fads that have of course always been popular, but really blew up in 2016. Blaming the media for all of our problems. Because, you see, the media is the cause of all of our deep-rooted insecurities, the reason why ‘undeserving’ celebrities are bigger than they should be, and – staying true to the theme of this blog – the reason why genuinely good music isn’t given the exposure it deserves. This article is especially for those who feel this way. So, let’s put a face to this hellish beast that ruins everything. Who is in control of this so-called ‘media’?

Gorillaz -‘Hallelujah Money’

On a day that will be known for years to come as perhaps the most farcical, yet utterly depressing, day in 2017 – and possibly history? – it came as a delightful shock when Gorillaz of all bands released new music. ‘Hallelujah Money’ came down from the Heavens as though to say ‘even on this darkest of days there is still something to be happy about’. And so, with a big smile and bigger excitement I sat down and hit play, ready to be encircled with a sound that would restore some life in this bleak day.

To be blunt, the aforementioned darkness and gloom has only intensified, accompanied by the droning vocals of a man that sings as though he hates life itself. ‘Hallelujah Money’ is the most depressing thing I’ve heard in a while and whilst it may throw back to the sounds of some of Gorillaz’s older music, that does not by any means make it good.

Whilst I appreciate the political intent behind the song, I would have rather they had just put out a passionate tweet like everyone else.

Review: Code Orange’s ‘Forever’

Code Orange have kicked off 2017 with new album Forever, which has led to endless talk about them in the last week. Admittedly, I knew very little of the band prior to this release so it was a lot of fun delving head-first into this record. I was not disappointed.

Live Review: Avenged Sevenfold (Birmingham Genting, January 13th)

Just over three years ago, sixteen year-old me had discovered Avenged Sevenfold for the first time and was immediately anxious to see them live. This year that wait was finally over, and what better way for it to be fulfilled than in a massive arena following the release of a surprise album that’s still being talked about. A night of incredible performances, crazy stage productions and a massive crowd marked one of the best live performances I’ve been to. But I’m getting ahead of myself; first the supports.

Don Broco – Fire

Check out the new music video for Don Broco’s ‘Fire’, live from their tour with 5SOS!

Bullet For My Valentine – ‘Don’t Need You’

New Bullet For My Valentine music has landed! And it’s not half bad, either. The band have clearly taken a heavier direction with new single ‘Don’t Need You’ – a direction that I hope their album continues with. Screams from start to finish, with a chorus that’s equally as powerful with Moose’s heavy drums, we get the usual anger that Bullet never fails to deliver.

That said, Bullet’s success with this single is also – for me – their downfall.