Is anyone else tired of the over-processed, Autotune, American Idol, pop crowd? Me too! Here on this blog, we feature rock. Anything from news headlines, CD reviews, and concerts are covered - with style. Sure, I might be a little sarcastic, but I have a lot of fun.
Wilkes-Barre PA will never be the same after last night's performance at the Mohegan Sun Arena!
I had the pleasure of working as a Pop-Deflator once again. Starky and I attended the show last night and had an interview with the opening band, Rains. Be sure to watch the Facebook page for the interview post.
Rains
As far as the actual show goes, the entire show was actually really good. I can't say that I was disappointed with any of the performances that were given. Rains started out the night showcasing their blend of rock with a little country influence. During the interview they shared with us that they did not want to make that "cookie-cutter" sound. Amen to that, good sirs!
Hatebreed
Hatebreed followed and really got the crowd warmed up and active in the show. They put on a great heavy metal show, but the most interesting thing to me about their set was the almost patriotic nature of the banter between songs. There was a lot of "God Bless America" statements and a respect for the soldiers that I admired from such an aggressive group.
All That Remains Bassist
The third act was All That Remains. I have heard them on the radio and on discs before, but to see them live is something entirely different. The shocking revelation that the bass player is not only female, but also the growler of the group had my jaw on the floor. I made sure to give her some horns from the pit where I was busy snapping the photos from the show that are being used in this blog! Yep, you heard right...these concert photos are all me baby!
Five Finger Death Punch
Finally, on to the headliner...Five Finger Death Punch. If you are unfamiliar with their sound, they have a pretty cool blend of a 12 Stones sound with the crunch of a good metal band... so rest assured metal-heads, there is plenty of screaming and growling for you too. The coolest part of their set was when they brought a group on really young kids on the stage. These kids were crowd surfed up to the stage and then introduced as the "Future of heavy-metal music" by the lead singer. That had to be the greatest moment of their young lives!
Thursday
Enough about the show...how bout some news? Get ready for the eye-liner (or guy-liner if you prefer) to run on the faces of the emo-crowd once again. Thursday has announced that they are on an indefinite hiatus following their U.S. and Australian Tour. The band released No Devolucion recently, and I could tell that, while the content was still good, they seemed as though they were getting tired. The mix on that album, in particular, seemed lazy and not properly balanced at all. Before I incite an angry mob, let me just say that I am a fan of Thursday, but of all of their efforts, No Devolucion fell short for me. I much prefer the quality and energy behind A City By The Light Divided.
Album Cover for Hats Off To The Bull
Chevelle is set to release a new album next week (December 6th) entitled Hats Off To The Bull. This is the group's sixth studio effort, and from what I can tell of their single on the radio, it proves to be a harder sound for Chevelle, but not a big departure from the signature sound we have come to know.
Last but not least, Angels and Airwaves (AVA); Love: Part 2 released on November 8th this year. I took a listen to the album and I was not disappointed in my expectations. AVA is known for their anthem style music, and obscenely long intros to songs. Love: Part 2 is no exception to this rule. The band has released a dual disc package featuring Love: Part 1 and Love: Part 2 that is available in any retail store. You can also find it on iTunes and Amazon
That's right kids, this week Ska is making a comeback. For those of you who missed the mid to late 90's, the Ska movement was insanely popular and has been part of the underground since then. I remember bands like Reel Big Fish, Buck O Nine, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones sparked a flame in a lot of young punks back then... well ladies and gentlemen, they're back!
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are releasing a new album in December this year called The Magic of Youth. You can listen to a single off of that record called Shotgunhere. All I can say, after listening to this track myself, is FINALLY! The Bosstones have their signature sound back. It was so nice to hear horns again. Make sure to keep up to date with the Bosstones progress by following their Facebook page.
Some other Ska-related news is that Reel Big Fish announced a UK tour. Rocksound.tv has the dates for the UK leg of the tour, so be sure to check that out!
Rise Against
Although they might not be termed as "Ska", Rise Against has been around for a number of years, and they have stuck to their original sound too. The band recently released a new record, and so (as the natural progression goes) they are currently on tour to promote the album entitled Endgame. The dates for the UK leg of the tour can be found by clicking here. The band is touring with Tom Morello formerly of Rage Against the Machine. For those of you who don't live in the United Kingdom, but rather in the United States, you can view the U.S. tour dates by clicking here. As an added bonus to the U.S. tour, Rise against plans to play with A Day to Remember, The Menzingers, and joining the tour in February will be none other than Glassjaw!
Skillet - Is that guy liner?
I hate to kill the buzz that I've created, but an ugly truth has come to my attention lately. In the realm of Christian Rock, there has been a certain band by the name of Skillet that has been very successful as of late. Here is my gripe...although they have recently scored their fourth Top 10 mainstream hit, I really have to ask; is it really them? When Skillet first started out, their sound was completely different than it is now. They went from something sort of techno-grunge to this hard (using the term loosely) rock sound. Since the change, they have gained a mass of emo-kids for a following and have influenced the producers of Christian Rock albums to make every other Christian band sound like they do. Thus, my point is, when I listen to a Skillet song, who am I hearing? Is it them, or is it Ashes Remain, or 12 Stones? Continuing this trend of sounding the same are bands such as House of Heroes, and I Am Empire, who mysteriously took on the same sound as long time Christian rockers Disciple. So please, producers of the Christian Rock, DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT! Canned music is not good music, be original...please.
Last but certainly not least (and much needed after that rant) is a piece of news from our dear friends August Burns Red (ABR). A while ago, I reviewed their latest album called Leveler. Well the fun and goodness of that album are far from over. ABR just released a video for the song "Empire" from the album. Why wait? Watch it right here... right now.
