Nine New Bands to Watch (Part 2)

     Earlier this week, I began a list of ten relative newcomers this year who had, plain and simply, blown me away with their debut work. Today, I'm going to finish the list. Here are five more bands that you should check out.
     Again, these artists are in NO particular order.

       6 Glass Cloud

       What's better than 8-string-heavy post-hardcore? Jerry Roush's vocals with 8-string-heavy post-hardcore! Ex-Of Mice & Men vocalist's side project turned major act, Glass Cloud released their debut album The Royal Thousand to almost universal acclaim in July this year. With a combination of furious energy, reverberating guitars, and a stage presence that will knock your socks off, Glass Cloud's massive start has made it very clear they're here to stay, and if Josh Travis' blistering riffs don't beat that message into your head, then you're missing out. Coming out swinging with a signature sound without even an experimental EP, or a synth to boot, Glass Cloud have laid their claim to the post-hardcore battleground.


     7. Waking Theo

        Flawlessly combining metalcore and melodeath into their own hybrid of awesomeness, ABR-tinted British act Waking Theo are have been around for a while, releasing EPs quietly since almost 2005. Upon parting with their vocalist last year, the band has battened down the hatches and are currently dead set on making new material. With a new release slated for the end of the year, the absence of former vocalist Mikey Slatcher will undoubtedly put the band in a new direction. For this reason, the band has my attention - will their interesting genre fusion finally propel them out of the ditch of obscurity? Only time will tell, but this is an exciting prospect.

    8. Muse

         As disgusted as I am with Matt Bellamy's decision to mix dubstep with his band's signature sound, I have to admit it's an interesting idea. While Muse is hardly a headbanging act, it can't be denied that dubstep does have a very hard sound to it - while it's not the muted roar of an electric guitar, gritty bass drops and djent-y breakdowns sound moderately similar. And that's saying nothing of the mosh pits dubstep fans are wont to start at their shows. What's going to be interesting to watch is twofold - firstly, Muse's take on dubstep as a genre. YouTube is full of failed dubstep artists who release a single song, get 2,000 views, and then are never heard from again. Because it's such a recent genre, people are still experimenting to find the right formula. Hell, even Skrillex can screw up! Secondly, adding a dash of heaviness to Muse's strange mix of synthpop and rock is the reverse of what's happening to rock these days. By all accounts, the new Muse album is worth investigating.

     9. Jamie's Elsewhere

           Of course I couldn't go a full countdown without these guys sneaking in. A sleeper hit for the past four years, Jamie's Elsewhere owe their rise to fame to internet music boards, propelling their innovative brand of post-hardcore to the forefront of indie hardcore fans. Despite the departure of lead vocalist Aaron Pauley, a new album remains in the works, and with the band's recently garnered popularity, the effect this band will have on the genre is going to be interesting to watch as a whole. I also posted a massive circlejerk about this band. Bottom-line: the new album's effect on the genre is going to also be an interesting thing to watch. 

     

Texas in July announce self-titled new album

    

       Pennsylvania metalcore outfit Texas in July have formally announced their third, self-titled studio album. Currently set for release in October, the new record is set to feature high-profile metalcore figures, among them We Came as Romans' David Stephens and the legendary Matt Greiner of August Burns Red.
      The band joined the Scream it Like You Mean It! tour late this summer to have more time to prepare for this release, after a winter tour with Silverstein and I, the Breather. The record is set for release on October 9, following single 'Bed of Nails' on September 11. This comes just a little bit over a year since the release of sophomore album One Reality, widely hailed as a step down from debut record I Am by the explosive quintet. Hopefully, despite the short time frame, the self-titled will be a return to form.
      

Nine New Bands to Watch (Part 1)

        As 2012 passes the halfway mark, and the last of the huge summer tours wind down, artists are beginning to go their separate ways. Some have entered the studio to produce, while others are continuing their touring extravaganza on a smaller scale. Nevertheless, with every summer, bands explode out of the woodwork, hoping for a shot at fame and glory. Most fail, but the few that succeed are the most innovative, the most talented, and the best of the newcomers. That, or they're Kellin Quinn.

           Christ. This is my salute to the summer's newest who have a unique take on their genre. In no particular order, here are ten artists I'm going to be watching closely for a while.

      1. Upon a Burning Body

           Charging out of San Antonio, Texas, with all guns blazing, the boys from Upon a Burning Body made their large-scale debut when they played Mayhem this past summer. Alongside genre staples like The Devil Wears Prada, and metal legends Slayer, the band's unrestrained aggression and flawless incorporation of technical elements gives their djent-tinged southern metal a unique punch that assaults your ears with its complexity and rhythm. With their sophomore album Red. White. Green released earlier this year, Upon a Burning Body quickly superseded the tired and hackneyed releases of deathcore titans Whitechapel and Chelsea Grin. Combining some of the silliest lyrics I've heard this year with a two-year rivalry with emo rockers Attack Attack!, Upon a Burning Body are one of the pre-eminent deathcore acts of the past year.

      2. Hands Like Houses
          While post-hardcore as a genre took a serious hit to its reputation this summer with the mainstream fame of Sleeping With Sirens and Pierce the Veil, gems remain in a genre that's beginning to show its age. With an intensity that's pulled off with minimal breakdowns and no screaming, Australian act Hands Like Houses are on the rise with a new take on post-hardcore that we haven't seen in a long time. With catchy rhythm, one hell of a drummer, and great lyrics, Hands Like Houses released their first studio album, Ground Dweller, in March of this year. Since then, they've had only a short amount of time to tour, but are set to open for Pierce the Veil and Sleeping With Sirens this fall. I wrote an extensive circlejerk about the band that you can read here. Bottom line: this is a stellar band that I hope gets much more attention.

       3. Art By Numbers
            At a cursory glance, Fresno, California progressive act Art By Numbers are nothing special. Another rock band with a vocalist yelling his heart out and a piano that's out of place, right? Wrong. Taking inspiration from genres as disparate and distinct as jazz and metal, and continuously displaying an affection for technicality (one of my secret pleasures), Art By Numbers are never content to play blocky, bar-chorded riffs. With a take on hard music that's reminiscent of Protest the Hero, time signature variations and swept riffs abound. As extreme newcomers to music in general, and with their unorthodox take on established genres, Art By Numbers' creativity and the epic feel of their debut album Reticence: The Musical is going to take them places.

      4. Refused
             "But idiotinremission!" you're saying, "Refused broke up in the 90s! Why the hell are they on a list of bands to watch?" Well, unless you've been living under a rock, you know that the seminal Swedish hardcore group reunited this year and began a world touring spree under the tagline 'Refused are not fucking dead'. Now, despite having no new material in over ten years, this was (and is) a completely unexpected move from the godfathers of most modern punk bands. Whether or not they choose to release some new material is up to them, but in any case, this is a move to watch. Refused's extreme-left political stance is definitely going to be at odds with today's climate, which will make the band's reunion even more interesting.

       5. Like Moths to Flames
            Welcome to the challenging world of metalcore, where if you add in too many breakdowns, you're a sellout, and too little, you're a pussy. Making a metalcore act unique and making it acceptable are two very different things that often are mutually exclusive. It's far too easy to pull a Rise Records and sign on to a hackneyed formula - money and recognition will easily come as a result. On the other hand, go off on your own and not only do you risk never getting signed, you risk rejection by the community you're trying to impress. That's why Ohio metalcore outfit Like Moths to Flames, at first, sounds like every other band in the genre out there. With a heavy emphasis on rhythm, but eschewing the traditional song structure of other artists, Like Moths to Flames do have their own take on the genre, but it's subtle enough to avoid attention. In layman's terms: Like Moths to Flames are unique enough to put themselves a cut above the rest of the rabble, but close enough to staples to prevent that from acting against them.

I'll finish off this countdown later this week, but for now, give these guys a try. You won't be disappointed!

Pierce the Veil Release 'King for a Day' Music Video

      Three weeks ago, California post-hardcore outfit Pierce the Veil released their third studio album, Collide with the Sky, to general acclaim. I posted a review of this new release about a month ago, praising the band for frontman Vic Fuentes' vastly improved vocals and the darker, more energetic direction the band took.
       That being said, the band released a new music video for the album's first single, 'King for a Day'. Featuring Sleeping with Sirens' Kellin Quinn, the song is Collide's strongest suite, and it's nice to see that the band has put its best foot forward. On the other hand, this is an incredibly goofy music video that has nothing to do with the subject matter. Don't get me wrong: that's totally fine. In fact, it makes it funnier. The premise of the music video is two disgruntled bankers (Fuentes and Quinn) who decide to stage a robbery to expose a fraudulent boss. Sounds exciting, right?
         Yet despite this strange idea, and the fact that the clip features a bit too much lady eye candy (namely the two vocalists in suits), the inherent silliness makes it fun to watch, even if it features hilariously bad acting, water guns, and pee jokes. Compared to the equally silly but cringe-inducing video the band has for 'Bulletproof Love', this new release is, much like the album, a vast improvement.

        You can watch it here:

             

Randy Blythe Released from Czech Prison

    


        This summer, the focus of the metal community has been turned to the Czech Republic, where Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe was jailed and tried for manslaughter that occured during the band's stop in 2010. According to police, a fan climbed on the stage during the set, and was thrown backwards by Blythe into the crowd, landing on his head. The fan in question suffered severe brain trauma, fell into a coma, and died a few weeks later.
       Here's where the account begins to differ - Czech authorities say Blythe proceeded to beat the victim in question before tossing him off the stage, where he suffered his injury. According to a concert promoter, however, the fan in question had hopped the barricade three times and pushed Blythe. On the third time, he was shoved backwards and fell on his head. Following the victim's death a month later, the Czech Republic appealed the US Department of Justice to begin an investigation. The Justice Department did not comply, but also didn't alert the band's managers.
        Thus, when the band returned to Prague in late June, Blythe was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and held in a Czech prison. From then until today, artists from Anthrax to Ozzy Osbourne have raised an uproar, imploring the American government to take part in the investigation and trial. Since his detention, Blythe has appealed twice. While, at first, the Czech government accepted his bail of 200,000 USD, Prague's Municipal Court doubled the bail in mid July. Yesterday, the court accepted this modified bail and Blythe was released from prison. He is currently awaiting trial in the US before his trial in November.

Sleeping with Sirens' Acoustic EP is actually really good

     About a month ago, as part of my 'Countdown to Warped' series of posts, I took a critical look at this summer's eminent superstars - Florida quartet Sleeping with Sirens. I came away completely and utterly shocked as to how such a generic band could capture the hearts and souls of so many people (not just teenage girls!). With countertenor vocalist Kellin Quinn as their only claim to uniqueness (and a pretty paltry one at that), I concluded that Sleeping with Sirens are a dirty word in the hardcore community - overrated.
      You can read my full rant here, but it came to my attention that the band had released an acoustic EP (Entitled If You Were a Movie, This Would be Your Soundtrack) in late June. As late as I am to the party with this, I decided to buckle myself in for one last tour of mediocrity with Sleeping with Sirens.
      And...I was surprised. This is actually one of the most relaxing and pleasant releases of the summer. While all five tracks are simply acoustic covers of existing SWS songs, the band approaches each one in a unique way, putting out five songs with a fundamentally different feel to each of them. That, by itself, is commendable - acoustic guitar is a difficult instrument to master. It's far too easy to use the same chord patterns constantly and have all your music blur together.
       Just as well, a healthy amount of folk influences in the form of background ambience heighten the calm sound of the EP. Quinn's pitiful screams are thankfully absent, and his voice melds seamlessly with the guitarwork of underappreciated guitarists Jack Fowler and Jesse Lawson to create a soothing experience. New song 'Roger Rabbit' incorporates a mixture of country and R&B elements, with rhythmic verses and heavily strummed choruses. The variety of influences that never detracts from the overall mood of the EP fundamentally adds to the experience of listening to it. Instrumentally, this is a beautiful album, and with a few hitches in the acoustic rendition of 'If I'm James Dean, then You're Audrey Hepburn', the mellow nature of the EP is an interesting change of pace from the anemic energy of SWS' studio albums.
         The thing about acoustic songs, for a hardcore group, is hitting emotion square on the nose. If a band can deliver that emotional kick, the song resonates with the listener right in the feels - I know a few friends who have been moved to tears by Silverstein's 'The End' or A Day to Remember's 'If It Means a Lot to You'. And, unfortunately, this is where If You Were a Movie falls flat.
         Simply put - every song is a love ballad. The lyrics, while gorgeously written, lack variety. It's hard to feel any sort of emotion for someone singing about their experiences being in love - the aforementioned Silverstein and ADTR songs are about incredible loss, which are events far more likely to happen to the average person. Perhaps this is a liberty the band took Bin another attempt to hide behind Quinn's voice, but that might be too harsh.
          More likely, it's an attempt by the band to maximize the EP's folk/country feel. Love songs are a rarity in hardcore, and while SWS' studio releases have a healthy amount of them, acoustic renditions of aggressive songs are pretty laughable (Springsteen *cough* *cough*), so a safe bet is to go with what's been tried and true. While it's a little bit unfortunate, I can't beat on the band for this too hard - acoustic EPs are hard enough to do as is.
           All together, this is a sound Sleeping with Sirens can go places with. Their harder sound was lackluster at best, but this acoustic EP shows that there's still potential, and the band is still trying desperately to find its sound. Once it does, Quinn's voice will live up to the hype it's been given so far. Check this EP out - it's a good one. Hopefully, some day, SWS will stop being 'Kellin Quinn and Friends'.
You can listen to 'James Dean and Audrey Hepburn' here: