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Well guys, sometimes you can't be everywhere, and other times you don't have the right words to say.  In this case, I don't have anything to say.  This post features a review of the recent Devil Wears Prada show at Croc Rock in Allentown, PA.  Ladies and gents... I give you Justin Tayvin

If you like his style you can find more of his thoughts on his own blog.  Click here.

What's happening my fellow rockers and metal heads and lovers of all things syncopated! I am bringing you the down-low straight from the mosh pit of the first show I have been to in a really long time! The lineup was stacked with Oh, Sleeper, Let Live, Every Time I Die all opening for The Devil Wears Prada.
Oh, Sleeper was first up and they never disappoint with their live show, the had a slight line up change since the last time I saw them with a new bassist and a new drummer. But these changes mad no difference in the technical soundness of Oh, Sleepers show. They shredded and did an awesome job of  getting the crowd fired up for the rest of the show, playing a few tracks from each album. Ending the set with one of their classic breakdowns, the stage was set for a high energy show.
Let Live was next up and though I am not a huge fan of their music, they did put on an emotionally charged performance. By this time the place was really starting to heat up, literally. The sweat was pouring off of the people on the floor and the pit was getting serious. Let Live's set ended with their frontman jumping off the stage grabbing the light rigging and proceeded to climb/walk on the crowd around the perimeter of the rigging all the way back to the stage. I must say it was awesome and we were all primed for Every Time I Die.
Now, I have always been a fan of ETID and have seen them live before. Their show is like one big wild, hardcore party. The place got nuts real fast as they opened up with their new single off of their newest album, which is a blistering track. They played all of their big hits and it was getting wild. I found myself in the pit raging hard and letting the music take over. It was UNBEARABLY HOT and I ended up ripping my shirt off during the song Werewolves and swinging it wildly around my head. Every one fully enjoyed the ETID set, it was relentless, with no stoppage in the action! Never a dull moment with ETID. Bodies flying, both members of the band and the crowd were body surfing and the crowd was moshing and singing with all they had! I was so friggin' hot in the venue but the greatest thing about Croc Rock is the fact that they have 2 huge garage type doors that open up to the outside to relieve the heat and let in fresh air and a loud cheer rose from the crowd as the doors rose.  I have to admit, I was pretty spent after their set and I knew I was going to have to find a second wind for TDWP.
And find a second wind I did. After what seemed to be way too long of a set change, TDWP came out and opened up their set with 3 straight songs from their latest album, Dead Throne. Strobes popping and lights flashing and their lighted upside-down triangle trinity symbol added to the atmosphere. I was totally recharged and ready to throw down. TDWP has matured so much since the first time I saw them at Purple Door, like, 5 years ago and they sounded great. They continued to batter us with heavy jams only to show mercy for a brief moment when their front man, Mike, grabbed a guitar to everyones surprise and they marched through an instrumental piece. After that it was on like Donkey Kong and things only got heavier as the set moved on. I thought they did an excellent job at diversifying the set with songs from almost all of their albums. At some point close to the end of the set a guy got knocked out cold as the ferocity of the pit reached its' highest levels. As TDWP finished up the crowd chanted and called for an encore. TDWP obliged and came back to play to more songs. The set wrapped up an everyone began to file out tired, sweaty, neck sore from head-banging and hoarse and we all had smiles on our faces.
For me this was the first hardcore show I have been to in a while and I couldn't have asked for a better way to get back in the scene. To sum it all up, totally awesome, brutal, and such a great display of the brotherhood of hard music and the young talented artist of todays hard music scene. I absolutely cannot wait for the next show, which might just be For Today and MyChildren MyBride...
Anyway, thanks for reading, a huge thanks to my boy Joe for letting me guest write for his blog.
Maybe I will see you in the Pit.
Live Free
~J

All shots used in this post were taken during the Devil Wears Prada set by Justin.

Metal Mania!!!

Ladies and gentlemen... I present to you, Metal!

In this post we have Christian Metal, American Metal, and even what some may call "pseudo-metal".  Okay, I may have made that last one up, but you will see what I mean shortly.

To start off, let's talk about Christian Metal, and by that I mean Impending Doom, and MyChildren MyBride, specifically.

Baptized in Filth album cover

Impending Doom has released a new album in the last few months.  I know this may not sound like a big deal to the average person, but for those who are fans of the band, or of hardcore metal in general, the release has been highly anticipated.  It has been two years since the band released their last full-length album entitled There Will Be Violence. The band has now released Baptized in Filth in March, and it is every bit of the face-melting, awesomeness that fans have come to expect from the guys.

Whereas I do appreciate the raw aggression that their music has, and the adrenaline-fueled need to destroy things as I listen to it, I also realize that the band is lyrically astounding.  You may be thinking "There are lyrics?"  Yes, yes there is!  In fact, they are quite deep, and extremely theological in nature.  These guys definitely know their Bible...and make it rock!

Speaking of bands that tear your throat out...MyChildren MyBride have been on a rampage since 2008's release of Unbreakable. The group tour's almost non-stop, and the release of their latest self-titled album already has them on the road.  In fact, they are coming to the Philly area on April 14.  The show will feature the band and guests For Today.  Pop Deflator's is working on covering the show, so keep an eye out, you may see one of us there.

What about the secular realm of Metal?  What's going on there?  I'm glad you asked (even though you really didn't).

Self-Titled Album Cover

Of Mice & Men also has a tantalizing offer your sonic pleasures.  The band released their current effort The Flood in 2011, but I just got the chance to listen to it recently.  I never admitted to being on top of things...get off me.

People who are familiar with the band already know that the band was founded by Austin Carlile, of Attack! Attack!  Thus, the band's sound remains in that vein of clean vocals and style, but add a punishing brutality to the sound-palette.

On to that "pseudo-metal: comment that I talked about.  I know I have spoken highly of Five Finger Death Punch in the past.  Unfortunately, I have to express how disappointed I am in the band's current single "I Remember Everything".  This song does not sound like 5FDP at all!  It sounds more like Nickelback, or early 90's Staind, where every song was about "daddy issues".

There are many more bands that I could talk about, but unfortunately I don't want to write that much, and I'm sure you are tired of reading by now.  So in that state of mind... be sure to check out Like Moths to Flames, Fit for A King, and Memphis May Fire.

Mediocrity vs. Greatness

Let me start this off by saying how incredibly sorry I am that I haven't posted anything in two months.  I apologize to my readers for making you wait for new material, but trust me when I say that I have tons!!  So much in fact, that I really can't cover it in one post.

So this post is going to cover the basics....

Two different album covers. Same great music.

My friend, and partner-in-crime, Ash Starkweather, of Pop Deflators, sent me a link to stream Less Than Jake's new EP entitled Seasons Greetings.  It's been about 4 years since anyone has heard anything recorded from these guys, and their last major-label album release is 2006 didn't strike me as their best effort, just being honest.  Seasons Greetings, for me anyway, is a return to the Less Than Jake that I know and love.

Readers of my blog know that I grew up on punk rock and ska style music.  That said, it's FANTASTIC to hear horns return to Less Than Jake's sound. Granted the return of the ska-styled sound came in 2008 with their return to indie labels and release of GNV FLA, but I missed out on that one. Most of the EP features the signature LTJ sound that fans have come to know and love. The tempo is up and very ska-like throughout a lot of the album.  However, the band is sure to leave room for a half-tempo chorus or two where it's needed. Welcome back boys, many happy returns!!

Check it out for yourself by clicking here.

So now it's time to have some good old-fashioned fun.  Let's take apart the band Halestorm, shall we?

Halestorm is what I would call a chick-rock version of Motley Crue... at first glance.  The first song I heard by the band, "Loves Bites (So Do I)", gave me this impression.  Unfortunately, the group didn't live up to the precedent they set with that song.  The rest of the what I heard on the band's website, www.halestormrocks.com, left me sad and expecting more.  There's a lot of slow melodic songs featured on the site, which seems to speak against the aggressive style set forth by the "Love Bites" song.  Honestly, "Love Bites" (in my opinion) in the only really good song the group has.

Halestorm

Again, let me say that I am generally a fan of chick-rock. I listen to Fireflight, Flyleaf, Evanescence, and similar bands of that sort.  So when I heard about Halestorm, I was optimistic, but sadly let down in the end.  Obviously, someone thinks better of them than I do, because the group is signed with Atlantic Records.

There's much more to come... Stay tuned (especially if you love Metal).

On the Horizon...

Hey everyone,

There are some pretty big things coming up that you may be interested in.  I have news on Green Day, The Chariot, and Fireflight.  There is also some items of interest coming to our friends Pop Deflators, but first let's cover the news.

Green Day

Although Valentines Day is one of my least favorite holidays, and is also over a week past, I thought you might want to know that Green Day gave the world a Valentines gift by announcing that they are in the studio again.  February 14th was the first official day of recording for Green Day's new album!  With respect to Green Day and the music they have produced in the past, I can only hope that this album is one of the best they have.  Their last release 21st Century Breakdown didn't fair too well with the "old school" fans of Green Day like myself.  Will they continue in their emo-esque crusades, or will this album be a return to their roots as punk-rock icons of the late 90's? According to the band's fan site, this album promises to be more punk and less political.  We shall see...

Chariot's Latest Album Long Live
In Stores Now!

It's been a month or two since we've seen some solid news from the Christian side of the music industry.  So it brings me a lot of excitement to tell you that The Chariot is currently working on a new album as well.  They recently put out a Twitter post asking Billy Corgan, frontman of the Smashing Pumpkins, if he would like to work on the album with them as a guest.  My mind is going a thousand different directions with this.  Billy Corgan and the Chariot??  Could be an interesting blend of style/genre... I guess we have to wait and find out.  In the meantime, here is a little Chariot love for ya!

Fireflight

Also in the Christian rock realm is a new single by Fireflight.  It's just a single, not the promise of a new album... believe me I looked.  The link to the video for the single, entitled "Stay Close", is up on the Pop Deflators Facebook page.  Be sure to give it a listen.  If the band continues to write like this for a new album, I won't be upset at all, especially since their last effort For Those Who Wait kind of fell flat on me. That is just my personal opinion, some people really liked it.

Where do we go from here?

Speaking of the Pop Deflators, my work with the crew has continued, although I haven't got to cover any shows yet this year.  We are discussing and have made a few changes for the fans.  We have a new podcast up and running on iTunes.  We are also looking to start doing video podcasts, so you can see our beautiful faces!  With the thought of video comes the idea for a graphic logo to play behind us.  This is where you guys come in.  What should the logo do?  Should it explode, should the fire move?  Let us know what your thoughts are.  You can either comment here, or post your thoughts to the Pop Deflators wall on Facebook.

Grammy Whammies!!

Whammy

For those of you who don't know what a Whammy is... it's a character from the game show, Press Your Luck. I used to watch that show almost everyday as a kid!  The Whammies made their appearances when a contestant stopped on them, and then lost the game.  "No Whammy, no Whammy.....STOP!"

That being said, I have to give a few Whammies to some (not all) of the Grammy performances.  There was good, bad, and "what was THAT!!!" in this year's show, so let's get started with some positive things about the Grammy show.

Bruce Springstein opened the show with the E Street Band, singing a semi-patriotic anthem entitled "We Take Care Of Our Own."  Although I have never been the biggest fan of Springstein's work, I can at least say that he did a decent job for his age, and kept to his signature sound.

Bringin' Back Motown

Next up is Bruno Mars... again, I am not a fan of his music per say, but I do appreciate the homage he paid to the early days of rock n' roll in the 1950's and 60's era.  His stage set and costume were brilliant in the tribute they paid to the Motown era.

I could go on listing artist by artist, but then you would all be really bored, and my fingers would get tired, so here goes the summary of my "positive thoughts"... Paul McCartney can still rock, Taylor Swift actually knows what real country is, and the tributes to Glen Campbell, Etta James,  and Whitney Houston were touching and nicely done. Props to Jennifer Hudson especially, she was fantastic in her handling of a very sensitive area in music right now.

Foos Rockin' Out!

Now, I need to take some time out for the really awesome parts of the show. Of course, anyone who reads this blog on a semi-regular basis knows that I am a Foo Fighters freak, and maybe hero-worship Dave Grohl a little too much.  To you guys I say.....you're right.  But anyway, The Foos made a great showing not once, but twice in the Grammy show, and took home an award for Best Rock Performance to boot! I love the amount of heart and energy the Foos put in to each show. It's infectious and travels right through the TV screen! I was a little miffed with the network for cutting off Dave's acceptance speech though.  If you go to the Grammy video site, you can see an edited version of speech in which Dave makes a gorgeous point of where true music comes from.  Just bear in mind it's not the whole things, cause he doesn't scream "Long live Rock N' Roll!!" at the end of it.  I wouldn't do justice to the Foos if I didn't mention their wardrobe choice for the evening as well.  Only they can pull off t-shirts under suit coats.

Moving on to another, very cool and surprising moment for me.  Adele...I really didn't know much about her before the Grammys, but I have to say that I have a whole new respect for her as an artist.  She is unlike anyone, and has a unique voice unlike anyone I have heard or known in the music industry so far.  Her come-back performance following vocal surgery was truly amazing.  You can check that out here.

Chris Brown vs. Q-Bert: See the resemblance?

Among the evening's annoyances are Chris Brown with his lip sync happy version of the video game, Q-Bert, in early Nintendo days; Rhianna with her repetitious lyric of "we found love in a hopeless place" ten-million times in 2 minutes; Carrie Underwood with her completely disrespectful upstaging of Tony Bennett; The Beach Boys Tribute which looked as thought they would rather be taking a nap than singing; Katy Perry- you're fake fuse-blowing ruse was clever, but your music still sucks, nice try. Add to the list Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson with their so-called country duet.  Sounds more like bad pop-music to me.  Let's be honest, country music hasn't really been country since Hank Williams Sr. But the "special" (as in short-bus) award goes to none other than Nicki Minaj.

WHAT WAS THAT!  I won't be surprised in the least if the Roman Catholic Arch-Diases doesn't sue the pants off of her for the next three decades for the amount of sacrilege that took place on that stage!  That was NOT cool. It was NOT innovative. It WAS just plain dumb.  Honestly, words fail me as to how bad this was... so if you missed it... here is the link.  May God have mercy on your soul as you watch this.

So to sum up the Grammys...the good, the great, the bad, the annoying, and Nicki Minaj - who single-handedly caused every pope to roll over in their grave simultaneously.  Congratulations! 

Super Bull...

Hey guys!!

Sorry I have been such a slacker lately when it comes to getting the news up and in your faces.  A lot of craziness has happened, and you can rest assured that the Pop Deflators crew and I have a lot of things to say about recent events.

This particular post is going to focus on the Super Bowl Halftime Show, featuring Madonna. In order to make up for that catastrophe, I will also review Hats Off To The Bull, the latest album release by Chevelle.  I know I had mentioned the album back in November, but now I have it and have listened to it...so I get to review it.

Let's start with the hard part, Madonna...

She's Not Xerxes!?!?

Now before you start thinking that I am going to bash her, and tear her in a million pieces, let me say this... she has done a lot of good for the music industry in her career and her talent, be it strange at times, is undeniable.  She has carved a place for herself that is unique and no one, despite the efforts of Lady Gaga, can fill.  But here is where the tricky part comes in...

Because I respect her contributions to music, why she make a choice to enter the football field being carried by Roman soldiers?  This was watching 300 done by the cast of Glee. It's confused, and scared me at the same time...and the show hadn't even started yet!
I can appreciate that she did a wide array of songs from her catalogue as most of her fan-based is now in their late 30's and early 40's, so I have no problems with that.  What I do have problems with is her "guest-stars", and the over-emphasis on her dancers and performers over her.  I thought MADONNA was the star of the Halftime show, not her dancers or cheerleaders for that matter.

I still can't believe this is real.

In my honest opinion, the highlights (meaning the good points) of the show were the drum-line remix, and the stage effects. The entire field and stage were converted into a LED screen for the show, which displayed some really cool lights and effects.  I could go into how those are created, but I don't want to bore you.  Besides, if you watched the Super Bowl, then you've already lost enough brain cells as it is. Not only because of the Halftime show, but the commercials this year were just plain STUPID.  Who knew that the most boring game ever could be turned into a movie?  Battleship?  Really?  What's the dialogue going to be, "Captain, missile coming in B-4...miss!"

Hats Off To The Bull Cover

Okay, enough about Madonna, let's focus on some good stuff for while.  Back in November I announced that Chevelle would be coming out with a new album entitled Hats Off To The Bull.  I recently picked up the album, and I have to say that it's definitely Chevelle.  They have managed to keep their signature sound on this album.  I would almost say that this album is a throwback to the style that Wonder What's Next was written in.  Their current single from the album "Face the Floor" is getting regular airplay here on the East Coast, and I don't mind it at all.  It definitely gets stuck in your head.  For more information on the album, or to purchase the songs, be sure to visit iTunes, or Amazon.

Stay tuned...the Grammys are coming......mwahaha!!!

Time Warp!

Traditionally, a new year is a time when people make resolutions and vow to change the way they do things. Often, these resolutions are broken in a matter of weeks, if not, days.  In that spirit, I have decided to open the year by going back in time a little bit.

As I have said in this blog before, there is not a whole lot of new things happening in the Christian Music arena.  There are a lot of things I could say to that, but it will have to wait for another time. However, since I don't want to be too one-sided, let me take this post and devote it to "old skool" Christian Rock/Metal.  When I say "old" I am NOT talking about Audio Adrenaline, or D.C. Talk from back in the 90's, so get it out of your head right now!  What I am talking about is a little older...say from the late 70's early 80's period.

A friend of mine gave me a stack of CDs for Christmas, and I went through them all and chose a few to share with you...my faithful readers.

Spoken Self-Titled

First up is Spoken.  These guys have been around for a while, but have recently decided to make a come back with a secondary self-titled album.  I like what I hear out of these guys with one minor exception.  Their lead singer sounds a lot like the singer from 30 Seconds To Mars.  If you happen to be a fan of 3SM, then you are in luck, and probably want to check these guys out.

Next to the party is Se7enth Seal.  No I didn't miss-spell that...  This band came as a HUGE surprise to me.  I wasn't expecting to hear the onslaught of sound that I heard from a name like that.  These guys are comparable to older Godsmack or Disturbed.  I had the disc in my player for around a week solid.  This one definitely grows on you.

Eternal Decision

Eternal Decision boasts a pre-haircut Metallica type of sound.  If you have ever been a fan of Metallica, and you appreciate extremely biblical lyrics, you should give these guys a listen.  I have copies of their debut album and their third effort, cleverly titled "ED III" (no one said creativity had to extend to album names). The first album almost tries TOO hard to sound like songs from "And Justice For All" or "Ride The Lighting".  Their third effort changed things up a little bit.  For starters, the sound quality was WAY better, and the style took on more of a blend of Metallica and Megadeath.

Not everything I listened too was worthy of compliment though.  In fact, A LOT of what I listened to ended up getting trashed (or worthy of becoming a coaster on my desk).  Groups like Sinbreed and Goliath are prime examples of this.  A great number of groups from this era in Christian Metal, especially Sinbreed, spent WAAAY too much time trying to sound like Judas Priest.  The squealing high vocals with almost incomprehensible lyrics drove me INSANE for the 30 seconds that it lasted in my player.  I just couldn't stand anymore.

Dick Clark - Oompa-Loompa

Speaking of not being able to stand crappy music... Pop Deflator fans, brace yourself.  Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve was anything but.  The musical line-up was absolutely horrid!  The only thing I could justify listening to was One Republic, who I don't even like!  Was the music for 2011 just that bad that EVERYTHING sucked?  I beg to differ!  Foo Fighters were named the best Rock Band of 2011 with the release of "Wasting Light"...so I know that something good came out of last year.

Lady Lightbulb

With all respect to Dick Clark himself, I have to wonder what the TV station was thinking when they broadcast this pile of junk across the airwaves.  Not only was Lady Gaga dressed like a giant lightbulb, but the song she sang (at least in my head) sound almost exactly like Madonna's "Express Yourself" from the early 90's!  Furthermore, I really feel sorry for Dick Clark himself.  I know that his health has been down as of late, but why try to hide that with a metric ton of makeup?  For those readers who have seen the broadcast...you know what I am talking about.  HE LOOKED ORANGE!  They took Dick Clark and made him an Oompa-Loompa!

Hopefully, this year will bring change.  Change in the Christian Music Industry, the "secular" Music Industry, and people's brainwashed heads.  Good music is out there...you just have to know where to look!