Oh Yeah Owl » Knockit Rockit

Album Review: Converge – Axe To Fall

ChristPuncher — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:22:03 +0000

Converge have perfected the art of making brutal metalcore albums. They’ve rarely gone astray from their formula over years, but each time manage to muster enough originality into each album to keep them ever exciting, and always fierce. I don’t think Jacob Bannon will ever run out of rage and angst. Put this on, and prepare to have your head smashed in. The first few tracks are fvckin mind numbing. You’ll feel like someone shoved your hand in a blender and punched you in the face. When people ask me, what’s a good example of really good punk/metal music, I used to put on Jane Doe, then You Fail Me, then No Heroes. But with Axe To Fall, the opening track “Dark Horse” will be the new example to show. They just keep getting better and better and it’s probably their most accessible song yet.

Axe to Fall just sounds better too. No other band has better sounding tone on their guitars. I don’t give a shit what you say. First, Jane Doe was an experiment in analogue recording, and You Fail Me sounded good, but it seemed guitarist/engineer Kurt Ballou hadn’t figured out the digital realm just yet. Well, this is one of the best recorded metal albums I’ve ever heard. The drums cut though the wall of guitars like a razor. And good thing too, drummer Ben Koller has never sounded better. His intense ultra complex fills compliment the songs like peanut butter and chocolate. It’s like when lego pieces fit together just right, expect this lego piece has 2,456 pegs to fill. Everyone in the band is at the top of their game. The guitar hooks come flying by fast and furious, like Vin Diesel is constantly hitting the NOS button.

The big difference with Axe To Fall from their previous work, besides being a little more prog rock, is the appearance of guest musicians. “Effigy,” one of four songs on the album that comes in under the two-minute mark, features Steve Brodsky and Adam McGrath of Cave In on guitar and that group’s drummer, J.R. Conners, behind the kit. Uffe Cederlund of Disfear takes over lead guitar on “Wishing Well,” while Steve Von Till of Neurosis sings on “Cruel Bloom” and Genghis Tron’ Mookie Singerman does guest vocals on the seven-minute album closer, “Wretched World, which sounds like a Tom Waits song from hell. Also included are members of The Red Chord and Himsa It really adds a great new flavor to the album. 40 minutes of pummeling metal can be hard to listen to sometimes. It’s really amazing that a band that tours as much as Converge does, and has been around so long can still put so much thought and passion into their music. Everyone will be comparing this to Jane Doe. I’m just not sure about deciding which one’s better, they each have their own identity.

If you are already a fan of Converge, then you just found your favorite metal album of the year. It may be a bit more prog rock than their previous couple releases, but it’s got everything you would expect and some sprinkles of awesomeness on top. Also, Axe to Fall’s “Dark Horse” joins the ranks of “The Saddest Day” and “Concubine” as absolutely blistering opening tracks from the Converge catalog. It will be played at all live shows from now on. Axe To Fall just drips with powerful emotions brilliantly characterized by violent and grim music.

Verdict: Rockit

http://www.convergecult.com
http://www.myspace.com/converge

Album Review: Darkest Hour – The Eternal Return

ChristPuncher — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:24:54 +0000

This albums stinks. First off let me say that i’ve been a fan of Darkest Hour since I heard “So Sedated, So Secure” So it’s not like I’m writing this not liking any previous work. But this pile of garbage is one of the biggest steps backwards I’ve ever heard a band take. Ok, let me be a little nicer than that. It is straight forward metal, all business. “Hidden Hand of The Sadist Nation” is by far the bands best release, then they got a little grown up with “Undoing Ruin” and showed some really strong songwriting chops. “Deliver Us” was a little too proggy and technical for them and the songwriting suffered. So the band decided to go back to what made them awesome. Too bad what came out was a bunch of boring, predictable songs. The album was produced by Brian McTernan who had previously produced Darkest Hour’s debut album “The Mark of the Judas” in 2000, and the production stinks too. Muddy guitars deluxe, also the kick is so overpowering is some parts you can’t hear the guitars. I know my speakers may not be the best in my sweet Civic, but it’s not like i had trouble hearing their other albums.

I don’t even want to go through the tracks because they all sound the same. When Kris Norris left, I really think the band suffered. There is one highlight lurking in the depths of all the over played metal riffs. Track number 3, “The Tides”, sounds like a more mature rewrite of “An Epitaph” off of So Sedated. It’s got that great rolling rhythm that’s more apparent in their earlier albums. And it’s got two great solos. Another good thing about this albums is it doesn’t have one of the dumbass “singles” they put on their two previous albums. You know “Demon(s)” from “Deliver Us” and “Convalescence” from “Undoing Ruin”. Soooo lame. But besides that, not much here. “No God” and “Blessed Infection” sound like a bunch of high school kids wrote it. The bands said that this album was going to have tons of energy filled with “aggression and speed”. Well just because you put fast drums behind songs doesn’t mean they’ve got energy. Bad form DH. I hope with the next release they really go back to how they were, not two albums ago because those weren’t really that good either, but 4 albums ago, when their songs had some honesty in them. Back to a band jam packed with super catchy and melodic metal riffs ready to mosh to.

Verdict: Knock It.
http://www.myspace.com/darkesthour
http://www.darkesthour.cc

Album Review: HORSE The Band – Desperate Living

ChristPuncher — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:43:25 +0000

Desperate Living, indeed.

HORSE The Band, one of the most interesting bands around today. An enigma wrapped in a paradox, floating in a pool of sewage. Their fifth album teeters on the brink of brilliance, but unfortunatly just isn’t quit there yet. The album’s jam packed full of great musical ideas that seem to stay with you longer than their previous releases. Titled “Desperate Living” after the notorious John Waters film, the album really embodies how the band has lived through the passed couple years and how it feels about the cannabalistic music business it barely stays a part of.

“Cloudwalker” opens up the album to somewhat odd result. The track really showcases the major changes in the band, mainly turning the focus to keyboardist Erik Engstrom’s synth. It’s a bold choice to put as the first track, because most listeners aren’t going to get what they expect and might get turned off. Well don’t because this change doesn’t ultimatley become a bad thing as the album progresses. The songs end up turning from metalcore, to more prog metal with a lot of more experimentation. The third track, “Failure of all Things” is a little more of the HORSE of old. But what makes this track great is that it doesn’t rely on the old hardcore cliches that they’ve used before. Less chug chugs with synth on top, but instead it cleverly builds up to one of the biggest sounding endings on any HORSE song.

The middle of the album features two of the strongest tracks. First off is the tongue and cheek “Science Police”. Pretty much take “Sex Raptor” and mix it with the music from chemical plant zone in Sonic 2. It ends up having one of the catchiest synth licks HORSE has ever put together. “Shapeshifter”, the albums first “single”, well at least the one they made a video to, has to be the most enjoyable song on the album. Featuring guest vocals by Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu, the song really shows how far they’ve come as songwriters and how much range they actually have. The ending, features elaborate synth melodies layered with soft vocals resulting in a truly emotional prog metal piece.

Anther track that features big change is “Lord Gold Wand Of Unyielding (feat. Lord Gold and His Purple Majesty)” With vocals sung by, you guessed it, Lord Gold Throneroom. Well basically it’s got a disco beat with an almost pop rock chorus. Who knew Lord Gold has good pipes? Just after they’ve hit you with a lot of melody, here comes Big Business. A track that’s obviously a tour story, it acts more like the b-sides of previous albums. Finishing off the album are “Rape Escape” and “Arrive”. The first of the two is one of the most interesting songs the band has ever written. A seven minute prog piece thats got a bridge that sounds like a tasteful ode to Crystal Castles, and finishes off with some amazing classical piano that pretty much says, “hey we know what were doing”. The fact that heavy guitar comes in with ear piercing screams of horror over the piano reminds us that it’s still HORSE we’re listening to. Finishing off is “Arrive”, one of the strongest songs on the album. It’s got all we’ve come to know and love about ‘em. Great synth, heavy guitar, and the obligatory gang vocals round out this tasty jam which is sure to bring the ruckus live.

Desperate Living really shows they’re maturing as a band with more focused songwriting and lyrics. The fact that Eric’s synth is leading the band and Nathan is taking a back seat may not be a bad thing, but it is different. If one is expecting more of the same, it didn’t happen. But don’t hold it against ‘em. Just cause a band makes an album that’s different than earlier work doesn’t make it bad. It probably won’t turn any haters of HORSE onto the band, but the feeling that they’re growing may bring in new fans who thought they’re older work was too chaotic and cliche.

Verdict: Rock It!
http://www.myspace.com/horsetheband
http://www.horsetheband.com

So You’re A Douchebag, There’s An App For That

ChristPuncher — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:02:22 +0000

Out of all the apps that Apple boasts about having, most of them are complete wastes of time. Now, there are some really useful ones out there, KashBook, Flixter, AroundMe, etc, but wow are there some stinkers. Here are some of the most pointless iPhone apps ever, and clearly say to the world, I’m a douchebag.

FatBurner 2k
Yeah that’s it fatty, take your iPhone and press it hard up against that BigMac filled stomach of yours and watch the pounds float away. Just check out these amazing workout options!
Use it …
* while finding a parking spot
* when waiting to order another cheeseburger
* at the doctor’s office because your overweight and at risk for diabetes
* while you fall asleep on your parents couch
* when watching NASCAR
* while you post updates on facebook
* while you write your fan episode of CSI: Miami
* while you keep telling yourself how awesome you are, even though you live a life of delusion and everyone hates you, fatty!

Hangtime
This app literally wants you to break your overpriced iPhone. It’s supporting you to throw it up in the air. The same phone that AT&T refuses to insure. Apple says that they didn’t make it, but let’s get serious, they’re laughing at all the douchebags breaking their phones trying to get the high score. This just pisses me off, I thnk more so because there are dumbasses around the world using this. It makes me sad inside.

iPint
Dude let’s get fvcked up tonite! Yeah brosef, totally, but we have no beer! And without beer how are we gonna get the courage to talk to super hot ladies? I know there must be an app for that! Alas there is, the iPint. It turns your iPhone into a pint of your favorite brew. When you tilt it, not olny does it give the illusion your chuggin beer, it shows the world your a total douchebag.

KissingBooth
Further delve into your own world of disillusionment and start making out with your iPhone! When living your life through facebook and other forms of non-human contact communication aren’t cutting anymore, the KissingBooth app is here to be your lover. I can just see little tween practicing at home with this thing waiting for little jimmy to respond to her post on his wall. Fuck me this is trash.

Poop The World
What the fvck is this crap, seriously? So you’re supposed to use this to “mark your territory” wherever you take a dump using this GPS feature. Is that what the world has come to? Some of the most advanced technology ever conceived by humans and we’re using it to show where in the world we take shits. And what are you supposed to do with it once you’ve built up a library of places? Share it with other Poop The World users? Pick up chicks at bars by showing ‘em how much you defecate? I hope someone finds every single person that uses this app and shoots them in the head.