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No Music Review Monday (MRM) Today & General Updates
Posted 8 years agoI'm thinking about changing how I do the Music Review Mondays; I think I will shift them to being once every two weeks.
I think it would be cooler if I were to illustrate a scene from my favorite song on each album I review. It will give me practice with backgrounds & characters and will hopefully motivate me to improve beyond simply doing bust doodles all the time.
A Decaying Realm is still underway, I have just been tired from my job (doing the work of two people is oh so wonderful). The one-off comics are coming along, too, and I will update my userpage when the first one of those is officially started.
Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day!
I think it would be cooler if I were to illustrate a scene from my favorite song on each album I review. It will give me practice with backgrounds & characters and will hopefully motivate me to improve beyond simply doing bust doodles all the time.
A Decaying Realm is still underway, I have just been tired from my job (doing the work of two people is oh so wonderful). The one-off comics are coming along, too, and I will update my userpage when the first one of those is officially started.
Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day!
Music Review Mondays (MRM #5): Death Angel - The Evil Divide
Posted 8 years agoI know I said I would focus on albums from genres beyond rock/metal, but while I enjoy the last two albums I did not enjoy writing the reviews as much as when I wrote the first two.
Also, I will start reviewing albums that weren't released within the last two years because music is expensive and I have a ton of older stuff that sounds great too. :)
Let's go!
BAND: Death Angel
ALBUM: The Evil Divide
GENRE: Thrash Metal
YEAR: 2016
LINK: The band officially put out five tracks and the other five have been uploaded by other users to YouTube (Here)
HIGHLIGHTS: Lost, Breakaway, Let the Pieces Fall
These guys started back in 1982 when all the members were young teenagers (and their drummer was ten!). Prior to their return in the early 2000s, the band was composed of siblings and cousins, and, while only two cousins remain (vocalist Mark Osegueda and guitarist Rob Cavestany), the band still sounds incredible.
The Evil Divide is Death Angel's eighth album after thirty-four years of music, but it holds its own against their other fantastic releases (in my opinion, it beats their 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 7th albums to sit as a fantastic third behind 1987's The Ultraviolence and 1990's Act III, barely edging out their 6th album for the spot). Osegueda's voice has only improved as he has aged, and here I feel he solidifies the Ronnie James Dio-style of singing he has been gradually melding with his style since the 5th album. But a singer is nothing without their band; Cavestany, Aguilar, Sisson, and Carroll provide the perfect backing to Osegueda's energetic roaring.
Every time I listen to this album, I discover something new and awesome I did not notice before. From the dissonant opening of "The Moth" to the final riff jam at the end of "Let the Pieces Fall", this album delivers a batch of energetic thrash that demonstrates the style without sounding dated. While I would say that "Lost" (the most melodic track you will find on this album), "Breakaway" (featuring great gang shouts!), and "Let the Pieces Fall" (I cannot get enough of the instruments in this track, the way that Osegueda's voice flows alongside the music is superb) are necessary listening, I would also recommend "Cause for Alarm" and "Father of Lies" (the way Osegueda snarls "Lies!" at the end of the choruses will stick in your mind!). "The Electric Cell" also deserves a mention; it is the most notable of the tracks for its sudden drops into a slow groove at the chorus and boasts (in my opinion) the best solo of the album.
Please let me know what you thought about this album if you decided to give it a listen, and please give me any advice you may have on improving these reviews as well as any recommendations for great albums like this one!
Thank you for your time, and have a great day, you guys!
Also, I will start reviewing albums that weren't released within the last two years because music is expensive and I have a ton of older stuff that sounds great too. :)
Let's go!
BAND: Death Angel
ALBUM: The Evil Divide
GENRE: Thrash Metal
YEAR: 2016
LINK: The band officially put out five tracks and the other five have been uploaded by other users to YouTube (Here)
HIGHLIGHTS: Lost, Breakaway, Let the Pieces Fall
These guys started back in 1982 when all the members were young teenagers (and their drummer was ten!). Prior to their return in the early 2000s, the band was composed of siblings and cousins, and, while only two cousins remain (vocalist Mark Osegueda and guitarist Rob Cavestany), the band still sounds incredible.
The Evil Divide is Death Angel's eighth album after thirty-four years of music, but it holds its own against their other fantastic releases (in my opinion, it beats their 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 7th albums to sit as a fantastic third behind 1987's The Ultraviolence and 1990's Act III, barely edging out their 6th album for the spot). Osegueda's voice has only improved as he has aged, and here I feel he solidifies the Ronnie James Dio-style of singing he has been gradually melding with his style since the 5th album. But a singer is nothing without their band; Cavestany, Aguilar, Sisson, and Carroll provide the perfect backing to Osegueda's energetic roaring.
Every time I listen to this album, I discover something new and awesome I did not notice before. From the dissonant opening of "The Moth" to the final riff jam at the end of "Let the Pieces Fall", this album delivers a batch of energetic thrash that demonstrates the style without sounding dated. While I would say that "Lost" (the most melodic track you will find on this album), "Breakaway" (featuring great gang shouts!), and "Let the Pieces Fall" (I cannot get enough of the instruments in this track, the way that Osegueda's voice flows alongside the music is superb) are necessary listening, I would also recommend "Cause for Alarm" and "Father of Lies" (the way Osegueda snarls "Lies!" at the end of the choruses will stick in your mind!). "The Electric Cell" also deserves a mention; it is the most notable of the tracks for its sudden drops into a slow groove at the chorus and boasts (in my opinion) the best solo of the album.
Please let me know what you thought about this album if you decided to give it a listen, and please give me any advice you may have on improving these reviews as well as any recommendations for great albums like this one!
Thank you for your time, and have a great day, you guys!
MRM #4: Nossiens - Nossiens (2017)
Posted 8 years agoIf you may recall, I mentioned in last week's MRM that there was an incredible opening band when I went to see Living Together play live. That band was Nossiens, and it would be a sin to not share this great music with you all!
Let's go!
BAND: Nossiens
ALBUM: Nossiens
GENRE: Post-Punk/Post-Rock
YEAR: 2017
LINK: https://nossiens.bandcamp.com/
Wow. Just wow. I am a sucker for post-rock, and this album delivers. Additionally, they put on a hell of stage show - if you ever have the opportunity to see them (I hope they go far!) you need to do yourself a favor and go.
This album is fantastic. It is hypnotic. It is a glorious soundtrack that fits any occasion. It is beautifully constructed, and while the slow pace can test my patience (I am still primarily a metalhead and speed is a must!) Nossiens's great work always rewards me for sticking around through each song. The band is composed of a vocalist/guitarist, a vocalist/bassist, a guitarist, and a drummer. These guys know their instruments inside and out, and every single vocal line meshes perfectly with their wickedly awesome music.
The songs blend perfectly into each other - not in a way that makes them all alike and unrecognizable, but in a way that seems like a natural progression through a single long piece of music. Yet, at the same time, individual tracks can stand mighty by themselves. I want to try to describe the individual tracks on this album, but there is no way I can do them justice with mere words. The tracks shift from upbeat segments to calm passages like a knife through butter, and this quaint variety only works to amplify the unique beauty of each note of music. You should listen to the entire album, but if you only want a taste (and it will make you hungry!) check out the tracks "Castle on Camp St.", "Bleeding Color", "Eerie Eaves" (beautiful saxophone!), and "The Flood". Not to say the other four tracks are lesser - these four just happen to barely beat them in my mind (and I am currently doubting the choice of these four to represent the album!).
Please let me know what you thought about this album if you decided to give it a listen, and please give me any advice you may have on improving these reviews as well as any recommendations for great albums like this one!
Thank you for your time, and have a great day, you guys!
Let's go!
BAND: Nossiens
ALBUM: Nossiens
GENRE: Post-Punk/Post-Rock
YEAR: 2017
LINK: https://nossiens.bandcamp.com/
Wow. Just wow. I am a sucker for post-rock, and this album delivers. Additionally, they put on a hell of stage show - if you ever have the opportunity to see them (I hope they go far!) you need to do yourself a favor and go.
This album is fantastic. It is hypnotic. It is a glorious soundtrack that fits any occasion. It is beautifully constructed, and while the slow pace can test my patience (I am still primarily a metalhead and speed is a must!) Nossiens's great work always rewards me for sticking around through each song. The band is composed of a vocalist/guitarist, a vocalist/bassist, a guitarist, and a drummer. These guys know their instruments inside and out, and every single vocal line meshes perfectly with their wickedly awesome music.
The songs blend perfectly into each other - not in a way that makes them all alike and unrecognizable, but in a way that seems like a natural progression through a single long piece of music. Yet, at the same time, individual tracks can stand mighty by themselves. I want to try to describe the individual tracks on this album, but there is no way I can do them justice with mere words. The tracks shift from upbeat segments to calm passages like a knife through butter, and this quaint variety only works to amplify the unique beauty of each note of music. You should listen to the entire album, but if you only want a taste (and it will make you hungry!) check out the tracks "Castle on Camp St.", "Bleeding Color", "Eerie Eaves" (beautiful saxophone!), and "The Flood". Not to say the other four tracks are lesser - these four just happen to barely beat them in my mind (and I am currently doubting the choice of these four to represent the album!).
Please let me know what you thought about this album if you decided to give it a listen, and please give me any advice you may have on improving these reviews as well as any recommendations for great albums like this one!
Thank you for your time, and have a great day, you guys!
MRM #3: Living Together - Esperanza (2016)
Posted 8 years agoSorry for the delay on today's update. I'm going to try to keep this one short (unlike how the other two have turned out).
Let's go!
BAND: Living Together
ALBUM: Esperanza
GENRE: Pop Punk/Indie Rock
YEAR: 2016
LINK: https://livingtogetherband.bandcamp.....lbum/esperanza
A fairly new band composed of a guitarist/vocalist, bassist, drummer, and keyboardist. I had the opportunity to see them live after the release of their previous album, Tides, and though I was unable to stay for their entire set I did enjoy the couple of songs I was able to hear (their first opening band was killer as well and has also recently released an album!).
I honestly do not have much experience with pop punk and indie rock, so I cannot say if this a good release by those standards. What I can say is that these guys can write some incredible pieces of music - I regularly find myself with segments of their songs playing in my head. As I understand it, the type of vocals present in this band's work are common to pop punk and unfortunately kept me from fully enjoying the first two releases. However, on this album singer/guitarist Jacob Burchfield sings a fraction lower in pitch than he did on the first two albums, which I find leads me to enjoy these songs even more (I'm still not in love with the singing style, but it is slowly growing on me). I enjoy some of the worst singing in metal (Megadeth and Kreator are two of my favorite bands XD), so I am likely not a good source of opinion when it comes to vocals.
Like I mentioned before, the songs are fantastic. The album is almost absurdly short for its abundance of memorable parts, and you are sure to have at least a segment of their great work stuck in your head. "Twenty Seven" is great start for the album, and "Wolves" is a fantastic middle track that grips with a great keyboard riff that is quickly followed by an epic, heavy guitar riff. "All I Wanted" sounds like it could have appeared on their first album, the EP There, There. The closing track, "If We Are a Body", is a musical adventure; it takes a break from the fast pace of the first four tracks and slowly builds up to a beautiful passage before dropping back into calm territory where it merely takes a breath before launching back into the beautiful passage.
Give their first two albums, There, There ("Reach") and Tides ("The Lake"), a listen as well.
I am gradually trying to acclimate myself to other genres, and what I have heard so far from these guys leaves me wanting more. Please let me know what you thought about this album if you decided to give it a listen, and please give me any advice you may have on improving these reviews as well as any recommendations for great albums like this one!
Thank you for your time, and have a great day, you guys!
Let's go!
BAND: Living Together
ALBUM: Esperanza
GENRE: Pop Punk/Indie Rock
YEAR: 2016
LINK: https://livingtogetherband.bandcamp.....lbum/esperanza
A fairly new band composed of a guitarist/vocalist, bassist, drummer, and keyboardist. I had the opportunity to see them live after the release of their previous album, Tides, and though I was unable to stay for their entire set I did enjoy the couple of songs I was able to hear (their first opening band was killer as well and has also recently released an album!).
I honestly do not have much experience with pop punk and indie rock, so I cannot say if this a good release by those standards. What I can say is that these guys can write some incredible pieces of music - I regularly find myself with segments of their songs playing in my head. As I understand it, the type of vocals present in this band's work are common to pop punk and unfortunately kept me from fully enjoying the first two releases. However, on this album singer/guitarist Jacob Burchfield sings a fraction lower in pitch than he did on the first two albums, which I find leads me to enjoy these songs even more (I'm still not in love with the singing style, but it is slowly growing on me). I enjoy some of the worst singing in metal (Megadeth and Kreator are two of my favorite bands XD), so I am likely not a good source of opinion when it comes to vocals.
Like I mentioned before, the songs are fantastic. The album is almost absurdly short for its abundance of memorable parts, and you are sure to have at least a segment of their great work stuck in your head. "Twenty Seven" is great start for the album, and "Wolves" is a fantastic middle track that grips with a great keyboard riff that is quickly followed by an epic, heavy guitar riff. "All I Wanted" sounds like it could have appeared on their first album, the EP There, There. The closing track, "If We Are a Body", is a musical adventure; it takes a break from the fast pace of the first four tracks and slowly builds up to a beautiful passage before dropping back into calm territory where it merely takes a breath before launching back into the beautiful passage.
Give their first two albums, There, There ("Reach") and Tides ("The Lake"), a listen as well.
I am gradually trying to acclimate myself to other genres, and what I have heard so far from these guys leaves me wanting more. Please let me know what you thought about this album if you decided to give it a listen, and please give me any advice you may have on improving these reviews as well as any recommendations for great albums like this one!
Thank you for your time, and have a great day, you guys!
MRM #2: Deep Purple - InFinite (2017)
Posted 8 years agoSince the last review came out a lot longer than I anticipated, I will try to go a bit shorter this time around. (Not sure if I succeeded XD)
Let's go!
BAND: Deep Purple
ALBUM: InFinite
GENRE:Rock/Hard Rock
YEAR: 2017
LINK: Album has not been made officially available for listening by YouTube, but postings exist.
Deep Purple is likely a band that you are familiar with; they began in 1968 as a rock group with progressive leanings and quickly released three great albums within a two year span. After replacing their original vocalist and original bassist in 1969, the band went on to record such hit albums as In Rock, Fireball, and Machine Head (the last album included their iconic song 'Smoke on the Water') while pioneering a heavier style of rock that would eventually evolve into heavy metal. Just as quickly as this lineup came into existence, it was changed in 1973 with the addition of a new vocalist and new bassist; two albums later in 1975, the guitarist (Ritchie Blackmore) left to focus on his solo project, Rainbow (another legendary band!) and Deep Purple would record only one more album before disbanding in 1976.
The second lineup reunited in 1984 and, despite a few brief lineup changes coupled with guitarist Blackmore leaving the band in 1993 and original organist/keyboardist Jon Lord (RIP) retiring from the band in 2002, the band has continued to release material well into the 21st century. Drummer Ian Paice is the only original member still performing in the band, and he shares the stage with Ian Gillan (vocals), Roger Glover (bass guitar), Steve Morse (guitar), and Don Airey (keyboards/organ) on this release.
Deep Purple have had a rather long, quirky history, but despite all the ups and downs they continue to deliver great rock/hard rock/proto-metal/heavy metal albums. I admittedly have not familiarized myself much with their reunion (1980s to present) material (the ten albums they made from 1968 to 1976 are glorious!), and while this album will likely not attain the same status as their classics it still features great songs that exude the Deep Purple sound. The humor is present, the riffs are present, the distinctive organ sound is present (Don Airey is a fantastic replacement). Gillan will never again sing as high as he did in his youth, but he does not sound as if he is struggling over his lines.
The tracks 'Time for Bedlam' and 'The Surprising' seem to be the most strange of the lot (in a great way!), and 'On Top of the World' is a humorous track telling the story of a wild night. I don't dislike any of the tracks; all of them are fantastic in their own way. 'Johnny's Band' tells a nice little tale about the rise and fall of a rock and roll band. 'Hip Boots', 'Birds of Prey', and 'Get Me Outta Here' are standout, rocking songs. 'All I Got is You' takes an almost atmospheric route and builds up to a fantastic riff in the center of the song and cycles back to that incredible riff as it plods along. Every track feels like it belongs where it is, and the album is an enjoyable roller coaster of music. I have listened to this album about eight-nine times all the way through in the two days that I have owned it, and I have yet to grow tired.
If nothing else, go check out the songs 'Birds of Prey', 'Time for Bedlam', 'All I Got is You', and 'Johnny's Band'.
Some of their older songs to check out:
'Fireball'
'Fools'
'Bloodsucker'
'Mary Long'
'Child in Time'
The ENTIRE Machine Head album (perfect from start to finish) (or any individual song from it. Seriously, pick any one of them).
'Solitaire'
'Hell to Pay'
'Mistreated'
'The Shield'
'Lady Luck' (the last three feature different vocalists)
I was planning on doing an album a bit more removed from rock/metal, but when I discovered that Deep Purple had released new music a month ago and it was addictively good, I couldn't resist reviewing it. Now I need to fight the welcomed urge to collect all the Deep Purple albums that I do not yet have in my collection. XD
Please let me know what you thought about this album if you decided to give it a listen, and please give me any advice you may have on improving these reviews as well as any recommendations for albums!
Thank you for your time, and have a great day, you guys!
Let's go!
BAND: Deep Purple
ALBUM: InFinite
GENRE:Rock/Hard Rock
YEAR: 2017
LINK: Album has not been made officially available for listening by YouTube, but postings exist.
Deep Purple is likely a band that you are familiar with; they began in 1968 as a rock group with progressive leanings and quickly released three great albums within a two year span. After replacing their original vocalist and original bassist in 1969, the band went on to record such hit albums as In Rock, Fireball, and Machine Head (the last album included their iconic song 'Smoke on the Water') while pioneering a heavier style of rock that would eventually evolve into heavy metal. Just as quickly as this lineup came into existence, it was changed in 1973 with the addition of a new vocalist and new bassist; two albums later in 1975, the guitarist (Ritchie Blackmore) left to focus on his solo project, Rainbow (another legendary band!) and Deep Purple would record only one more album before disbanding in 1976.
The second lineup reunited in 1984 and, despite a few brief lineup changes coupled with guitarist Blackmore leaving the band in 1993 and original organist/keyboardist Jon Lord (RIP) retiring from the band in 2002, the band has continued to release material well into the 21st century. Drummer Ian Paice is the only original member still performing in the band, and he shares the stage with Ian Gillan (vocals), Roger Glover (bass guitar), Steve Morse (guitar), and Don Airey (keyboards/organ) on this release.
Deep Purple have had a rather long, quirky history, but despite all the ups and downs they continue to deliver great rock/hard rock/proto-metal/heavy metal albums. I admittedly have not familiarized myself much with their reunion (1980s to present) material (the ten albums they made from 1968 to 1976 are glorious!), and while this album will likely not attain the same status as their classics it still features great songs that exude the Deep Purple sound. The humor is present, the riffs are present, the distinctive organ sound is present (Don Airey is a fantastic replacement). Gillan will never again sing as high as he did in his youth, but he does not sound as if he is struggling over his lines.
The tracks 'Time for Bedlam' and 'The Surprising' seem to be the most strange of the lot (in a great way!), and 'On Top of the World' is a humorous track telling the story of a wild night. I don't dislike any of the tracks; all of them are fantastic in their own way. 'Johnny's Band' tells a nice little tale about the rise and fall of a rock and roll band. 'Hip Boots', 'Birds of Prey', and 'Get Me Outta Here' are standout, rocking songs. 'All I Got is You' takes an almost atmospheric route and builds up to a fantastic riff in the center of the song and cycles back to that incredible riff as it plods along. Every track feels like it belongs where it is, and the album is an enjoyable roller coaster of music. I have listened to this album about eight-nine times all the way through in the two days that I have owned it, and I have yet to grow tired.
If nothing else, go check out the songs 'Birds of Prey', 'Time for Bedlam', 'All I Got is You', and 'Johnny's Band'.
Some of their older songs to check out:
'Fireball'
'Fools'
'Bloodsucker'
'Mary Long'
'Child in Time'
The ENTIRE Machine Head album (perfect from start to finish) (or any individual song from it. Seriously, pick any one of them).
'Solitaire'
'Hell to Pay'
'Mistreated'
'The Shield'
'Lady Luck' (the last three feature different vocalists)
I was planning on doing an album a bit more removed from rock/metal, but when I discovered that Deep Purple had released new music a month ago and it was addictively good, I couldn't resist reviewing it. Now I need to fight the welcomed urge to collect all the Deep Purple albums that I do not yet have in my collection. XD
Please let me know what you thought about this album if you decided to give it a listen, and please give me any advice you may have on improving these reviews as well as any recommendations for albums!
Thank you for your time, and have a great day, you guys!
A Decaying Realm (Taunt) Comic Outlook & General Updates
Posted 8 years agoHey everybody!
I want to start this off by saying that A Decaying Realm (previously called Taunt - that has now become the name of the first chapter!) will be returning on October 21, 2017. I am extremely sorry that I have been silent on that front; to be honest, there have been several periods over the last two years in which I have mulled over possibly abandoning the comic and even a time last year where I considered severing all ties to this site and my art due to a personal relationship. That relationship has sadly but happily ended, and I feel better than I have in years.
Don't worry though, the comic is back in my plans as well as my goal to become much more active. I will be cutting down on how many people I watch (sorry!) because it is daunting to come onto the site once a day and see 200+ Journals and 1000+ Submissions. I want to bring it down to a more manageable level so that I can actually have time to interact with people and not simply read their journals. Anybody who I watch who watches me need not fear, your stuff is awesome and I will continue to watch you!
ANYWAY back to A Decaying Realm, I am roughly 60% through a complete draft of the comic's story. This one will be a long one XD. There is only a single page left in the first chapter (Taunt) and then the second chapter (Unto Eternity) will begin. I plan to build a buffer over the summer as soon as the draft is finished (don't want any plotholes!) and then I hope to regularly update every Friday starting October 21. I want to build a website for it, but that may have to wait until a few months after it relaunches.
Also, I've been doodling up more of my Opal Park characters - which are from the first comic I ever attempted (and will never see the light of day!). Opal Park also has a somewhat lengthy but more relaxed story, so it will need to be roughly drafted a bit before I bring it to life here. Whereas A Decaying Realm will be horror/adventure, Opal Park will be slice-of-life/silliness. I need a nice counterbalance so I don't get burnt out again.
I will also be posting music reviews every Monday. Feel free to suggest albums for me review! I'm a fan of good (and bad!) music, and I always like to discuss music. Warning, I am a metalhead, but I am trying to learn music theory and appreciate other genres!
I will also be doing short, random comic series (anywhere from 1 to 30 pages) that I will hopefully start up sometime in the next few weeks. They will be black and white and update on a weekly basis.
If you happened to survive all of that, how is your day going? XD
I want to start this off by saying that A Decaying Realm (previously called Taunt - that has now become the name of the first chapter!) will be returning on October 21, 2017. I am extremely sorry that I have been silent on that front; to be honest, there have been several periods over the last two years in which I have mulled over possibly abandoning the comic and even a time last year where I considered severing all ties to this site and my art due to a personal relationship. That relationship has sadly but happily ended, and I feel better than I have in years.
Don't worry though, the comic is back in my plans as well as my goal to become much more active. I will be cutting down on how many people I watch (sorry!) because it is daunting to come onto the site once a day and see 200+ Journals and 1000+ Submissions. I want to bring it down to a more manageable level so that I can actually have time to interact with people and not simply read their journals. Anybody who I watch who watches me need not fear, your stuff is awesome and I will continue to watch you!
ANYWAY back to A Decaying Realm, I am roughly 60% through a complete draft of the comic's story. This one will be a long one XD. There is only a single page left in the first chapter (Taunt) and then the second chapter (Unto Eternity) will begin. I plan to build a buffer over the summer as soon as the draft is finished (don't want any plotholes!) and then I hope to regularly update every Friday starting October 21. I want to build a website for it, but that may have to wait until a few months after it relaunches.
Also, I've been doodling up more of my Opal Park characters - which are from the first comic I ever attempted (and will never see the light of day!). Opal Park also has a somewhat lengthy but more relaxed story, so it will need to be roughly drafted a bit before I bring it to life here. Whereas A Decaying Realm will be horror/adventure, Opal Park will be slice-of-life/silliness. I need a nice counterbalance so I don't get burnt out again.
I will also be posting music reviews every Monday. Feel free to suggest albums for me review! I'm a fan of good (and bad!) music, and I always like to discuss music. Warning, I am a metalhead, but I am trying to learn music theory and appreciate other genres!
I will also be doing short, random comic series (anywhere from 1 to 30 pages) that I will hopefully start up sometime in the next few weeks. They will be black and white and update on a weekly basis.
If you happened to survive all of that, how is your day going? XD
Music Review Mondays (MRM #1): Invictra - Invictra EP (2016)
Posted 8 years agoWelcome to my first attempt at a music review! I hope to do one each Monday as a way of introducing people to albums and bands that I enjoy, and you might too! A lot of them will be metal albums, but I hope to vary it a bit by including other genres, too.
To kick this off, I wanted to review a debut album that I have enjoyed since my first listen. Not going to lie, the vocals will likely be a strong deterrent, but I enjoy the spirit of the recording. Let's go!
BAND: Invictra
ALBUM: Invictra EP
GENRE: Groove/Thrash Metal
YEAR: 2016
LINK: https://invictraband.bandcamp.com/releases
Invictra is a New York-based band that started as a three-piece but has since expanded in a four-piece lineup. These guys play songs on the slower side of thrash metal (though they aren't afraid to speed up!), typically falling into the groove metal category.
Like I mentioned before, the vocals take a bit to get used to (the vocalist recorded the vocal tracks in his closet to dampen the sound) and, in my opinion, sound a little demo-ish. This album was recorded in early 2016 as the band were looking for a drummer, and he joined right as the band were heading into the studio. Since this recording, the band has seen the addition of another guitarist and the replacement of their bassist.
TRACK ONE: Open Your Eyes
This song kicks off the album with a nice little intro before launching into the assault. The vocals make a somewhat lackluster debut, but with continued listening I feel that they slip into proper position as one of the pieces of this musical puzzle. There is a nice slowdown after the first half that welcomes in a solo that delivers the sensation of a rising force; I feel like the climax of the solo works fairly well with the vocals here.
TRACK TWO: This World
This one starts with a nice drum intro that leads into a slow, groovy section. The vocals glide into this one instead of being a jarring addition. The shift in riffs and change to harsher vocals ushers in a slow, wonderful solo that returns the track to where it began.
TRACK THREE: Amor Vincit Omnia (A.V.O.)
Explosive, packed with vocal hooks and gripping riffs in the first half. I feel like the second part falters a bit in vocal delivery, but redeems itself through sheer buildup and repitition.
TRACK FOUR: Crushing the Bones
Another fantastic intro before slowing down and then changing up the riff. Unfortunately, I find the lack of a rhyme at the end of the pre-chorus a distraction that pulls me out of the flow of the song - but luckily, the chorus quickly drags you back in. The transition to a slow, mosh-able section is fantastic. Another delectable solo pops in, only to be stopped briefly by a drum solo that kicks off another guitar solo. The vocals slide in perfectly here, and by the end of the song I can hear why this track is listed on their page as a single.
TRACK FIVE: Between the Lines
Possibly my favorite song from the whole album; a quiet bass intro ushers in the drums and guitar, and the trade-off between harsher vocals and cleaner singing is fantastically demonstrated. The drop in intensity prior to yet another fantastic solo is a wonderful transition to the repeated clean vocal passage as the drums thunder on behind it all.
TRACK SIX: Genuine Swine
This groovy number does not change much in speed, and employs significately harsher vocals for its duration. The solo is simpler than the ones exhibited before, but functions well with the constant groove that the bass, rhythm guitar, and drums maintain in the background. The song then ends a bit abruptly, flying by just as quick as the first track.
TRACK SEVEN: Callus
Here, I feel, the vocalist makes right on the failed intro roar that appears in the first track. The longest track on the album, this song exhibits more great vocal hooks and an abundance of riffs. Another great solo marks the latter part of the song before dropping into a slow melodic guitar section with minor accompaniement by drums and bass. A final punishing groove passage is delivered here and unleashes yet another solo on top it all, much like in the sixth track. The final track slowly fades out in the same way the album faded in. Maybe this could be considered a cheesy and overdone way of starting and ending an album if it didn't sound so good.
And there you have it. While it is not an innovative album in the thrash/groove metal genre, it is far from a absolute waste of time. I was initially captivated by the fifth and seventh tracks, so while the fourth track is what Invictra considers a great representation of themselves, I would recommend listening to Between the Lines and Callus first.
The album is available at Invictra's bandcamp as Name Your Price, but it is free to listen. Please let me know what you thought about this album if you decided to give it a listen, and please give me any advice you may have on improving these reviews as well as any recommendations for albums!
To kick this off, I wanted to review a debut album that I have enjoyed since my first listen. Not going to lie, the vocals will likely be a strong deterrent, but I enjoy the spirit of the recording. Let's go!
BAND: Invictra
ALBUM: Invictra EP
GENRE: Groove/Thrash Metal
YEAR: 2016
LINK: https://invictraband.bandcamp.com/releases
Invictra is a New York-based band that started as a three-piece but has since expanded in a four-piece lineup. These guys play songs on the slower side of thrash metal (though they aren't afraid to speed up!), typically falling into the groove metal category.
Like I mentioned before, the vocals take a bit to get used to (the vocalist recorded the vocal tracks in his closet to dampen the sound) and, in my opinion, sound a little demo-ish. This album was recorded in early 2016 as the band were looking for a drummer, and he joined right as the band were heading into the studio. Since this recording, the band has seen the addition of another guitarist and the replacement of their bassist.
TRACK ONE: Open Your Eyes
This song kicks off the album with a nice little intro before launching into the assault. The vocals make a somewhat lackluster debut, but with continued listening I feel that they slip into proper position as one of the pieces of this musical puzzle. There is a nice slowdown after the first half that welcomes in a solo that delivers the sensation of a rising force; I feel like the climax of the solo works fairly well with the vocals here.
TRACK TWO: This World
This one starts with a nice drum intro that leads into a slow, groovy section. The vocals glide into this one instead of being a jarring addition. The shift in riffs and change to harsher vocals ushers in a slow, wonderful solo that returns the track to where it began.
TRACK THREE: Amor Vincit Omnia (A.V.O.)
Explosive, packed with vocal hooks and gripping riffs in the first half. I feel like the second part falters a bit in vocal delivery, but redeems itself through sheer buildup and repitition.
TRACK FOUR: Crushing the Bones
Another fantastic intro before slowing down and then changing up the riff. Unfortunately, I find the lack of a rhyme at the end of the pre-chorus a distraction that pulls me out of the flow of the song - but luckily, the chorus quickly drags you back in. The transition to a slow, mosh-able section is fantastic. Another delectable solo pops in, only to be stopped briefly by a drum solo that kicks off another guitar solo. The vocals slide in perfectly here, and by the end of the song I can hear why this track is listed on their page as a single.
TRACK FIVE: Between the Lines
Possibly my favorite song from the whole album; a quiet bass intro ushers in the drums and guitar, and the trade-off between harsher vocals and cleaner singing is fantastically demonstrated. The drop in intensity prior to yet another fantastic solo is a wonderful transition to the repeated clean vocal passage as the drums thunder on behind it all.
TRACK SIX: Genuine Swine
This groovy number does not change much in speed, and employs significately harsher vocals for its duration. The solo is simpler than the ones exhibited before, but functions well with the constant groove that the bass, rhythm guitar, and drums maintain in the background. The song then ends a bit abruptly, flying by just as quick as the first track.
TRACK SEVEN: Callus
Here, I feel, the vocalist makes right on the failed intro roar that appears in the first track. The longest track on the album, this song exhibits more great vocal hooks and an abundance of riffs. Another great solo marks the latter part of the song before dropping into a slow melodic guitar section with minor accompaniement by drums and bass. A final punishing groove passage is delivered here and unleashes yet another solo on top it all, much like in the sixth track. The final track slowly fades out in the same way the album faded in. Maybe this could be considered a cheesy and overdone way of starting and ending an album if it didn't sound so good.
And there you have it. While it is not an innovative album in the thrash/groove metal genre, it is far from a absolute waste of time. I was initially captivated by the fifth and seventh tracks, so while the fourth track is what Invictra considers a great representation of themselves, I would recommend listening to Between the Lines and Callus first.
The album is available at Invictra's bandcamp as Name Your Price, but it is free to listen. Please let me know what you thought about this album if you decided to give it a listen, and please give me any advice you may have on improving these reviews as well as any recommendations for albums!
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