(NEW RELEASE)

He Is Legend "It Hates You"


I was pretty skeptical when I heard that He Is Legend was making a new album. I enjoyed all of their releases, their EP and their two full-lengths, but they never seemed to completely pull it off. Their weak lyrics, inconsistant vocals, and annoying filler prevented their previous albums from being truly great. As much as I liked the EP and "I Am Hollywood" they both had that sort of shittty scenecore vibe about them, and as much as I liked "Suck Out The Poison" the vocals were smokey, muffled, and occasionally annoying to listen to.

But this time they got it right. They nailed it. They found their sound.

While maintaining that sort of progressive quality that all of their releases have featured, "It Hates You" manages to be a lot less scattered and more methodical than previous releases. While previous work felt somewhat rushed, "It Hates You" is carefully formulated and exacted. The first thing that struck me as different when the engaging opener, Dicephalous came on was Schuylar Croom's vocals. High pitched on the first two releases, muffled and worn out on Suck Out The Poison, here they are captivating and powerful.

Another bad trend that plagued their earlier releases was the often piss-poor, generic, trying-way-too-hard-to-make-words-rhyme songwriting. It stuck out like blood on a white shirt. I guess ol' Schuylar learned a lot in his three year absence. He still rhymes, but he certainly makes it work a hell of a lot better than he previously attempted to.

Alongside being lyrically and vocally stronger than their previous albums, "It Hates You" is the heaviest release from the band so far. This is evident from the first track, Dicephalous with its fast pace, thick instrumentation and commanding vocal delivery. It also feels like they stopped dicking around and made sure that their melodies deliver the hooks. However, it's not just twelve big hard rock songs, many slower interludes, introductions, and bluesy leads are heard throughout the course of the album to mix it all up and keep it interesting.

"It Hates You" is a definite contestant for my pick of Album Of The Year 2009. Out of everything I've heard so far, no one has surprised me more than He Is Legend. I guess I never knew that they had it in them to make an album so solid, catchy, and well planned out. I'm sure that a band will come along and top them before the year is done, but regardless: well done He Is Legend on creating your first masterpiece.

90%
Masterpiece

Originally Posted by Alfred (NEW RELEASE) He Is Legend "It Hates You" Year: 2009 Genre: Hard Rock Length: 57:34 I was pretty skeptical when I heard that He Is Legend was making a new album. I enjoyed all of their releases, their EP and their two full-lengths, but they never seemed to completely pull it off. Their weak lyrics, inconsistant vocals, and annoying filler prevented their previous albums from being truly great. As much as I liked the EP and "I Am Hollywood" they both had that sort of ****ty scenecore vibe about them, and as much as I liked "Suck Out The Poison" the vocals were smokey, muffled, and occasionally annoying to listen to. But this time they got it right. They nailed it. They found their sound. While maintaining that sort of progressive quality that all of thier releases have featured, "It Hates You" manages to be a lot less scattered and more methodical than previous releases. While previous work felt somewhat rushed, "It Hates You" is carefully formulated and exacted. The first thing that struck me as different when the engaging opener, Dicephalous came on was Schuylar Croom's vocals. High pitched on the first two releases, muffled and worn out on Suck Out The Poison, here they are captivating and powerful. Another bad trend that plagued their earlier releases was the often piss-poor, generic, trying-way-too-hard-to-make-words-rhyme songwriting. It stuck out like blood on a white shirt. I guess ol' Schuylar learned a lot in his three year absence. He still rhymes, but he certainly makes it work a hell of a lot better than he previously attempted to. Alongside being lyrically and vocally stronger than their previous albums, "It Hates You" is the heaviest release from the band so far. This is evident from the first track, Dicephalous with its fast pace, thick instrumentation and commanding vocal delivery. It also feels like they stopped dicking around and made sure that their melodies deliver the hooks. However, it's not just twelve big hard rock songs, many slower interludes, introductions, and bluesy leads are heard throughout the course of the album to mix it all up and keep it interesting. "It Hates You" is a definite contestant for my pick of Album Of The Year 2009. Out of everything I've heard so far, no one has surprised me more than He Is Legend. I guess I never knew that they had it in them to make an album so solid, catchy, and well planned out. I'm sure that a band will come along and top them before the year is done, but regardless: well done He Is Legend on creating your first masterpiece. 90% Masterpiece

Originally Posted by Sansa Stark I'm down with Jesus, in that case.

The Dillinger Escape Plan "Ire Works"


When the chaotic mess of Fix Your Face first entered my ears in February of this year, I expected more of the same from the rest of the Dillinger Escape Plan's 2007 full-length "Ire Works". And this would have been no bad thing either. The opening track provided all the awesome thrills and tempo changes that I expected to hear from the founders of "mathcore". This album was my first experience with the band, so you can imagine my surprise when the catchy pop song Black Bubblegum came on.

When the whole album was over and done with, all I could say was "what the hell was that?". I could barely remember anything I had heard in the forty minutes it took me to listen to the entire album. It was a huge mess of scream-laden structureless songs and pop hooks. And now that I've listened to this album many, many times, this verdict still holds true (in a more positive way). And after listening to all of The Dillinger Escape Plan's major releases, Ire Works seems a lot more special than it first did. They pretty much laid the groundwork for mathcore with Calculating Infinity, put a nice Mike Patton spin on it with Irony Is A Dead scene, took the Mike Patton influences and threw in many pop flavors with Miss Machine, and finally perfected it all with one big cohesive, monstrous album.

Many people might object to this comparison, but I see Ire Works as being The Dillinger Escape Plan's "London Calling" in that it's the band's finest album, it's incorporates many other elements while still maintaining the band's signature sound, and that there's never a bad moment on either album. Of course, being inaccessible to a large amount of music listeners, and incorporating too many pop elements for mathcore purists are things that hold the album down from being as highly regarded as London Calling.

But screw the purists. I have listened to other mathcore bands such as Botch and PsyOpus and all their music amounts to is stomach turning growl/feedback carnivals that rips off so much of Calculating Infinity it's not even funny. Not only do The Dillinger Escape Plan execute their mathcore in a tasteful, enjoyable way, but they also show much progression from their debut album, something so many other bands, mathcore or not, fail to do.

As a closing comment, I am going to go ahead and recommend "Ire Works" to just about everyone on this forum. I know most of you find this kind of music unbearable, inaccessible, or maybe you just plain can't take screaming. But even if you don't neccesarily enjoy it, most of you will be able to appreciate its merits, whether it be the eclectic mix of music, the complex, jazz-influenced instrumentation, Greg Puciato's freaking amazing voice, or the overall musical skill of the band. Just please do yourself a favor and listen to one of the greatest albums of our time.

96%
Masterpiece

(album re-visited)

Alexisonfire


Let's get one thing out of the way here: Alexisonfire's 2002 self-titled debut album dominates my life. The album is, in my opinion, forty-two minutes of the most pure raw passion ever put to hardcore punk. Many of you may groan because this is Alexisonfire, the same band that gave you "Boiled Frogs", but before there was safe radio post-hardcore, there was this. Cutting, razor sharp, energetic tunes that stick to you like leeches. From the depressing guitar riff of .44 Caliber Love Letter to the final shrieks of Pulmonary Archery, Alexisonfire is the finest record that five eighteen and nineteen year old kids could possibly make.

Alexisonfire's early sound is characterized by raw production, constant tempo changes, high-pitched guitar leads, harsh screaming, pretty backup vocals, strange but poetic lyrics, and powerful climaxes. Some of the songs sound like demos, that's just how punk rock and no-frills they were. During this time, they described their sound as "the sound of two Catholic high-school girls in mid-knife-fight" (you should take a look at their artwork and maybe read a few lyrics) and I think that this describes their sound pretty accurately.

You can tell that Alexisonfire weren't in it to make a quick buck at this point. And being as young as young as they were, a lot of their youthful energy, struggles, and artistic wandering made its way onto this album with no commercial goal in mind. Some odd things make their way on to the album such as a blood-curdling scream, death growls, and the following lyrics:

Even in their randomness, they do paint an odd mental picture that only an artsy high school student could understand.

During the large amount of time that I have spent with this album, it has been relevant with me in one way or another, whether that be musical or lyrical inspiration, relevant lyrics, or the overall mood that it portrays. I wish that Alexisonfire made more albums like this, or even "Watch Out!" but Alexisonfire said it best in the absolutely terrible "Keep It On Wax" from their 2006 album Crisis. "Times change and people change with 'em". Or on "Old Crows" from Old Crows/Young Cardinals. "We are not the kids we used to be". I respect that Wade, but when I hear the painful gang-screaming on Waterwings, I wish you were.

98%
Masterpiece

Propagandhi "Dear Coach's Corner"



I was never able to see eye-to-eye with Propagandhi when it came to politics and social issues. For one, I do have religious beliefs, something the band openly opposes, and two, they're outspoken vegans which I often get annoyed with. But when I heard that they wrote a song criticizing Don Cherry and the pro-army propaganda that everyone seems to enjoy associating with sports, I was intrigued and thought that I would finally download their album.

The song is from Propagandhi's newest release "Supporting Caste", which I downloaded almost purely so I could listen to this song. While the rest of the album is pretty good, nothing can compare to the lyrical quality, vocal performance, and catchiness of this song.



The main draw of this song is are its lyrics. The song is written in the form of a letter to Ron MacLean, Don Cherry's "foil", so to speak, in the Coach's Corner segment of Hockey Night In Canada. The letter starts off by describing singer Chris Hannah's experience at a hockey game in which he took his six-year old niece. There was an intermission that "paid honor" to the troops in which soldiers rappelled "down from the arena rafters". His niece asked why they had guns and he took her and left the arena. The letter goes on to criticize Don Cherry's pro-war comments on the program, and how he is not the kind of man children should be listening to.

The song is important to me because not many people are willing to criticize Don Cherry. To most Canadians, Don Cherry is a hero, due to his extremely patriotic stances and for being entertaining on Hockey Night in Canada. It restores my faith in Canadians that some people see him the way I do.

Originally Posted by Alfred (album re-visited) Alexisonfire Year: 2002 Genre: Punk Length: 42:16 Let's get one thing out of the way here: Alexisonfire's 2002 self-titled debut album dominates my life. The album is, in my opinion, forty-two minutes of the most pure raw passion ever put to hardcore punk. Many of you may groan because this is Alexisonfire, the same band that gave you "Boiled Frogs", but before there was safe radio post-hardcore, there was this. Cutting, razor sharp, energetic tunes that stick to you like leeches. From the depressing guitar riff of .44 Caliber Love Letter to the final shrieks of Pulmonary Archery, Alexisonfire is the finest record that five eighteen and nineteen year old kids could possibly make. Alexisonfire's early sound is characterized by raw production, constant tempo changes, high-pitched guitar leads, harsh screaming, pretty backup vocals, strange but poetic lyrics, and powerful climaxes. Some of the songs sound like demos, that's just how punk rock and no-frills they were. During this time, they described their sound as "the sound of two Catholic high-school girls in mid-knife-fight" (you should take a look at their artwork and maybe read a few lyrics) and I think that this describes their sound pretty accurately. You can tell that Alexisonfire weren't in it to make a quick buck at this point. And being as young as young as they were, a lot of their youthful energy, struggles, and artistic wandering made its way onto this album with no commercial goal in mind. Some odd things make their way on to the album such as a blood-curdling scream, death growls, and the following lyrics: Even in their randomness, they do paint an odd mental picture that only an artsy high school student could understand. During the large amount of time that I have spent with this album, it has been relevant with me in one way or another, whether that be musical or lyrical inspiration, relevant lyrics, or the overall mood that it portrays. I wish that Alexisonfire made more albums like this, or even "Watch Out!" but Alexisonfire said it best in the absolutely terrible "Keep It On Wax" from their 2006 album Crisis. "Times change and people change with 'em". Or on "Old Crows" from Old Crows/Young Cardinals. "We are not the kids we used to be". I respect that Wade, but when I hear the painful gang-screaming on Waterwings, I wish you were. 98% Masterpiece

It be my music and film collection.

"I think if you do it long enough, then you get better at it. You're on the road a lot and you just get better. Also, we had a great producer, Julius Butty. We learned what we like to play. We're no longer virgins to the studio. We're just not quite the band we were a long time ago."

Green Day "American Idiot"


American Idiot came out around the time that I was really starting to take notice of music. Back then, my father was still very strict on what I could and could not listen to. And being that Green Day was a (relatively) heavy band with the odd use of strong language in their lyrics, they were an iffy band. Their music blew my mind, I loved it, but at the same time, I felt guilty because I knew in my heart that it was not the kind of thing I was supposed to be listening to. A couple years later I disowned Green Day. I was sick of their music, their style, their lyrics, their makeup, everything about them.

I decided to revisit this album this month just for kicks, and I am pleased to announce that I enjoy it now just as much as I did back when I was ten years old. It is a catchy, confident, poppy, triumphant, and sort of creative take on the faux-punk sound that bands like Sum 41, Blink 182, and Green Day themselves made popular. But unlike all of the similar music that came before and after it, American Idiot was truly special.

For 2004, American Idiot was a pretty culturally significant album both musically and lyrically. The sound was very typical of the big mall punk bands at the time: poppy, extremely catchy, mildly profane, and full of studio polish. Lyrically it is politically charged while still tame enough to appeal to the typical radio listener. And of course, everyone knows that it tells a rather pointless story of a modern-day junkie named Jesus.

The songs, as arena rock anthems for the twenty-first century are surprisingly excellent. There is not a bad song on the album, and many standouts for sure. Jesus Of Suburbia in particular is a nine minute epic that acts almost like a journal for the album's protagonist. It has five movements throughout that all boast distinct pop hooks. Even more interesting is the fact that some other notable hooks from other popular songs seem to have been... borrowed. City Of The Damned sounds eerily similar to a certain Bryan Adams chorus while the second segment of Dearly Beloved has me thinking "Ring Of Fire". And of course, who can forget the anthemic Holiday, or the power ballad Wake Me Up When September Ends? The pop quality per dollar is absolutely fantastic.

American Idiot remains one of the most talked about and popular albums of the decade, and I would go so far as to say it is one of the greatest. Fans of more obscure/abrasive/artistic music will dismiss it as radio garbage, punk fans will continue to call Green Day sellouts, and the kids who have moved on to 3OH!3 and LMFAO probably don't even remember all of the words to the title track. But none of that matters, because American Idiot has made it's mark, and like it or not, it is one of the defining albums of the decade.

91%
Masterpiece