Cymbals Eat Guitars "Lenses Alien"

There is so many little details that make up sweet dreams, like the deeper chords, the distortion, higher notes, piano, traveling between heaven and earth, mood and groove changes, yelled vocals (at times), and a good deal of influences give me "Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)" and a bad headache. The boys have earned "Shore Points" for the sunny harmonies (they're no beach boys, but I digress), upbeat tempo, and for reminding me of Polaris for some reason; who sang the theme song to one of my favorite 90's shows (The Adventures of Pete and Pete). I feel that if they ever tour around here I hope they don't "Keep Me Waiting" too long because I wouldn't mind seeing them live. You often do not expect to be cuffed by your dealer, and are surprised by getting caught, because it's something you don't expect. Well, this song must be wearing its own "Plainclothes" because you're led into it with a false sense of security.                                                     There is a "Definite Darkness" that had inspired the lyrics of this song; maybe due to the H.I.V. dreams, and "panicked screams" from some random guy in the night, but that's only a tip of the iceberg. The next song recalls a certain explosion in 1927, but the mellow tone may have you forget; "Remember you and I would get so high/we'd pass out with our shoes on." Maybe it is just his mind that he is referring to, or mine, on this next track. I am carried away by "The Current" that this awesome rhythm produces, and the emotions that are felt; I see images of surfers, and huge tidals throwing me around like a rag doll. In the end, I hit my head on a rock, drowned, and am finally free of life's malignancies; we must not be on the same "Wavelengths." Favorites: Rifle Eyesight, Shore Points, Plainclothes, The Current, and Gary Condit

Chiodos "illuminaudio"

Chiodos always manages to take me to a different place whenever I listen to one of their albums. I may not always want to go to that place, but they transport me there. I usually associate them with a mansion in the 18^th century, or during the era of dragons (wait, they don’t exist). This is the first time they take me somewhere else, and not only do I have to familiriaze myself with a land of Illuminaudio, but I must do so without Craig Owens.To be honest I really do like Brandon Bolmer’s vocals a lot, and their focus was more on the intricate songwriting than the vocals. The percussion takes prominence on this death march through the haunted “Caves.” This poor minstrel died a mysterious death earlier and no one was the miser. “Love is a Cat From Hell,” and the song is about the omnipotence of karma, especially in relationships. The latin metal vibe and rhythm are nothing short of intriguing, and it’s only right that Vic Fuentes is featured in the song as well. This next song cuts some "Modern Wolf Hair"  from a story, over a millennium old, that eventually became the commonly told Aesop’s Fable “The boy who cried wolf.” They gave it the Red Riding Hood treatment; meaning taking a moderately scary tale and upping the ante. Soasin comes to mind when it comes to this song, vocally; I specifically I hear these voices, but I’m not sure if it’s this “Scaremonger” raging war on the mind. The vocals and an instrumental smidgen resemble that of Saosin’s most well-known single, but then you add that chorus and the drumline that goes with it, more intricate instrumentation, several mood changes, and the vocal climax (with some distortion?) which serves as a prologue to “His Story (which) Repeats Itself.” “Let Us Burn One” sounds like it is referring to a bridge because she never reciprocated in returning what he gave. They use The Phantom of The Opera as inspiration for this next song "Hey Zeus! The Dungeon." "Stratavolcano Mouth"  is about reaching your true persona. Sometimes people behave differently in different situations, and they act as someone they are not as their true personality slowly brims and boils. There might be several personalities, and one is screaming to reach the surface, but would either be misunderstood, or is just the loudest. Being the loudest does not mean it is the right one either; it is just the easiest to hear. Musically the song lives up to its name. “Those Who Slay Together, Stay Together” may end up being words to live by if a zombie apocalypse ever rises.  In the end it was for naught: “This plague has taken control of us/Come through hell or high water/We die only to be born into a monstrosity.”  “Closed Eyes Still Look Forward” whether they hear those voices or not. This one bears a closer resemblance to that song, but the band remains the same. It’s a dreamy indie-pop piano lead affair with lyrics indirectly referring to the life of a traveling band of musical “brothers.” Favorites: Love is a Cat From Hell, Notes in Constellations, His Story Repeats Itself, Hey Zeus! The Dungeon, Stratovolcano Mouth

Linkin Park "A Thousand Suns"

    I have been a fan of the band since 2002. Before they released their “eponymous” album they had to change their name to Linkin Park due to legal issues. Hybrid Theory went diamond in the U.S. and multi-platinum in several countries like Australia, United Kingdom and Europe (to name a few) for a reason. Even if what they created was not anything new, it struck a chord because of its emotion, its presentation, its energy, and its honesty. Some fans may never forget their debut, but encourage the band to try new things. Meteora was an excellent follow-up that did not stray too far from their original sound, but showed a definite improvement, and added subtle changes. The biggest of which was the song that proclaimed they were breaking the habit.  It was said to be one of their favorites explaining its release as last single; high promotion due to its “innovative” animated video and own collectible dvd/graphic novel set; was said to serve as the blueprint for their follow-up (in abstract memory). It’s Minutes to Midnight, and we wait for their album devoid of any “nu-metal.” It was an experiment for sure, and was inspired by bands such as Pink Floyd and U2, among others. It had some of their best songs ever written and was their most diverse album. Consistency was another story. I love this record, but with all experiments there are successes and failures, but remember without failure how can one become better? It was the album that divided fans because of its slight absurdity, but in no way prepared for what was to follow. I was afraid to not only listen to this record, but review it as well.   A Thousand Suns is a multi-layer, multi-concept record that has been compared to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of The Moon, Radiohead’s Ok Computer and Kid A, and even Public Enemy’s Fear of a Blank Planet, respectively. The album was also labeled "2010's best avant-rock nuclear-anxiety concept record" by The Village Voice’s Chris Weingarten. Have I piqued your interest yet?                           “The Requiem” sparse piano notes and whirring distortion set the stage to the harmonizing choir that soon drowns in  auto tune. The chorus of the first single is what is relayed to us; a cry for help. J Robert Oppenheimer is featured in “The Radiance,” and  sets the stage for the first full song. A river of synth, amidst a drum machine beat, accompany Chester Bennington in this enticing reconstruction of the paved streets after the “Burning in the Skies” because there are no roads left. All I hear is eighteen seconds of war, and these “Empty Spaces” sound like a good place to hide “When They Come For Me.” The tribal drums, and tone amidst the harmonizing in back are perfect for the verses spit as fire. After three minute mark your ears are graced with this synth arpeggio and Bennington’s beautiful voice; yes he can sing. For old-school fans you may remember a time you rode a carousel in the last half-minute. The piano may have you question what you’re listening to because it doesn’t sound like a “Robot Boy” is playing, but someone from ragtime.  I cannot help but think of Michael Franti as I sit here “Waiting for the End” in one of their most melodic and catchy songs in their repertoire, and Bennington’s vocals shine in one of his best performances. The “Blackout” was caused due to the varying emotions a listener feels when listening to this song; the screaming of Bennington, is probably what caused it with that surge of anger, contradict the predominately poppy techno/electronic synth with a slight infusion of dubstep. Mike Shinoda lends his singing voice to re-align the circuit board before Chester returns to harmonize. Mario Savio sets the tone for what is to come for those “Wretches and Kings” in what is a nod to Public Enemy, and Chuck D in specifics in one of their most aggressive and hip-hop focused tunes.                                                                                                          Who better to speak of “Wisdom, Justice, and Love” than Martin Luther King Jr. before the last line is repeated by a robotic entity. Mike Shinoda is in between the vocals of Chester Bennington and instrumentals reminiscent of U2. “Fallout” borrows verses from the third track sung by robotic vocals. I would have to say that this may seem like one of their most distinctive singles because of the persistent percussion and its techno-aesthetic, but “The Catalyst” is the subject matter and the album that the single is encased in; forcing them to take their sound to where it has never been before. It did not get much airplay because its atmospherics and (pre) tension frighten the mainstream, what do you think? “The Message” is the closest you will get to an acoustic torn-heart confessional often played by punk-pop (or singer-songwriters) letting you see their tender side.  KAZOWIE!

Owl City "The Midsummer Station"

   Welcome aboard The Midsummer Station, these may be just words, but what you see depends on imagination. Or am I the only one who sees that whale? Talk about impatience! When you’re through with rolling your eyes we can use them to replace those we lost on the train. You don’t need them during an unconscious ride. “Shut the F--- up!” We are headed for Owl City, and with these guests, what a pity. I was hoping to enjoy it. Prepare for warp drive through “Dreams and Disasters.” Anybody hear that middle-eastern vibe or country twang? I’m not sure which. Hello, everybody left already. Stargate helped produce this “Shooting Star.” It’s kind of funny because the name is S…but I’m not laughing, and you might not be either. The pulse of the song is a dance club beat, but the heart of it is coming from the anthemic angels and airwaves.  As the majority of you can be annoyed or indifferent I will avoid the “bullsnit” and just tell you that this next song is “Gold;” from the uplifting lyrics, which could be about anyone with a dream,  to that rhythm. Ahhh, I be a fool for me gold, and no finer find than that at sea or ground below. However, once it’s spent it be gone, but this may stay forever!                                                                                                                One of the symptoms of fame can be “Dementia.” Not everybody experiences the same level of this malady, but it can wear at your mind; if you let it. Mark Hoppus is in this song (holy f---) cannot forget it!You may see a stream of colors in the rainbow, but there is no oxygen out there; the shock of it, prepare? I like the vehicle he uses to describe this type of scenario; a police car. “How fast are we actually traveling?” Going faster than the speed limit, and so fast that the police officer won’t even see us pass; this may be cheesy, but we’re going at the “Speed of Love.” If you are not having a “Good Time” then maybe this will lighten the mood. It features that beautiful girl who lacks confidence, and how can you call someone maybe? “As a nickname.” That’s just weird; celebrities naming their offspring after fruits and other things. Oh, the eyes roll again. “Embers” can refer to passion of pursuing a career streamlined to your interests: “And you'll find there'll be mornings/When the ashes and embers are cold.” The strings are a nice addition, and the drums seem oddly aggressive at times. “Silhouette” refers to subject previously referred to, but is more introspective spotlight piano number, and sounds like it was inspired by fellow co-writer Matt Thiessen; even though he did not help write this one. We’re going to take a little detour; everything is starting to look gray, and the stream is fading. Buckle up, because “Like a hijacked plane or a runaway train/Or a speeding bullet, there's no stopping this!” Young may have left his eyes in “Metropolis,” to be guided by Thiessen, but this song is still strictly his. You better be buckled right now because we’re goiiiiing Dooooooowwwwwwwwwn! Tough guy, you look like a dear in headlights, are you ok? We’re here, oh, and any luggage or baggage you may have brought with you? Please “Take It All Away.” I don’t need any more. The best songs are: Dreams and Disasters, Gold, Speed of Love, Good Time, Silhouette, and Take it all Away.    

Yellowcard "Southern Air"

    I don’t know if it is the Southern Air, but I was surprised by being graced with another album after their last one was a little over a year old.  I thought Paper Walls was the pinnacle of their creativity, or the album that could not be topped. Their last was not the same, but it was not much of a downgrade. Let’s just call this album an “Awakening” to the likely possibility that they have more to give. With their multiple vocal tracks, instrumental passage to score a trip through the clouds, a sense of urgency (or stockholm syndrome), and some makeshift wings they dare to touch the “Surface of the Sun.” ‘Always Summer’(More). The next song, co-written by Patrick Stump, follows a different rhythm than the last few tracks; it even sounds like a song Stump’s former band, or Smash Mouth, would have written. While the lyrics examine the possibility of being one’s own mentor, well, “Here I Am Alive.” With an aural attack similar to the weekend warriors, holding that evidence in hand, but I’m not sure if it was a polaroid. They march forward with truth out in the open as the maiden grows fifty feet tall to tear down this fortress only so Key can “Sleep in The Snow.”                                                                                                                             You live and you learn, you may have your heart broken, but it is better than to have it entrapped by another of “A Vicious Kind.” Enough with the “Telescope,” and lets enjoy the “Rivertown Blues.” The latter sounds like they are on cruise control, but at least the tears did not cause them to veer off the road; the last thirty seconds or so is when they take it past the speed limit. The country-tinged “Ten” is about a hypothetical relationship between Key and his son; if he was still alive today. The title track brings us back to a more cheerful place as the album comes to a close; it is a song dedicated to their roots. There is a little more spring in their step, maybe because they are glad to be home.  My Favorites: Awakening, Surface of the Sun, Here I am Alive, Sleep in the Snow, A Vicious Kind, Rivertown Blues, and Ten.              

10 Years "Feeding The Wolves"

     Not that they are the only band that does this, but you can usually always tell where the band was at when they recorded their records. Such as in their follow-up to their pretty successful debut The Autumn Effect, which almost led to the the Division of this band as they struggled with writer's block and the anticipation  of creating a record greater than their debut, hence the title. This record documents the virtues of artistic integrity and growth against the prospect of pleasing/gaining approval of critics and fans,or the struggle with fame.  The first song and single confirms this theory as Hasek sings "I'm not gonna fight you war/All the distractions kill the compassion /Suddenly, fame has lost it's attraction." It might be their heaviest single sonically, and it's still pretty heavy thematically, but I think that prize goes to their first single Wasteland. They have said that they were going for a heavier sound on this record, to sort of please those fans that were hoping for one, and they have definitely achieved a heavier sound sonically; we already know they were pretty heavy already thematically.The song is very catchy and addictive, repeats the first two lines a good amount of times, but it doesn't mean the rest of the lyrics have nothing to offer; U just wanna "Shoot it Out" as you listen to the song; ready to replace a hole.The next song takes us to the old west through a road of perdition, in an updated sound and attitude, but just who are "The Wicked Ones?" and who will defend us from them? If the only way to defend ourselves from  becoming like them is by committing suicide then it sounds hopeless but only if we believe so. The next song is a more dangerous journey driving through Alabama with hydraulic rhythm and some screaming for those that are dumb,deaf, and blind, while then building up the pace of a line that is filled with venom after the chorus is repeated a second time. The first track that is tender-hearted, and a touch of strings to embrace the sentiment that "One More Day" I'm not afraid to fall in love; even if you're not there to catch me. A touch of their atmospheric grace and their geyser tension of arpeggio before the blast in their final chorus, that is not as powerful as expected is what hits me about the song, but it is best that way.  The song is fine in the fire,and I feed on the friction to try and take me higher, but as Hasek sings "I'm right where I should be." I'm not sure if I'm a liar, and I don't think I'm broken, so don't try to "Fix Me." The next song is about "Chasing The Rapture" while wishing for something to make the world a better place, and  leaving the clean-up for those past our own lifetimes, because if that trial is not bothering us we don't need to worry about it, right? Wrong! If we can do something, do it we must, and the chorus says it all. At first, I thought the screaming part,which sounded like a professional vocal cord shredding volcano, seemed like it was added just for audio aesthetics. When you pay attention to the rest of the lyrics, especially that part, it would not make sense if that line wasn't screamed.                                                                                                                                 There are two types of churchgoers: those that are actually good people outside of church, who try to help others, etc. and those that believe going to church every week will serve as atonement and a facade to make them seem that their moral fiber is stronger than it really is.  It's a contradictory hypocrisy, and that is what I think they are addressing here; not raging a war on churchgoers, but the fakers, liars and thieves whose consciences must be "Dead in the Water." The song is driven by its lyrical attributes,but also has a pounding and driving beat in a song with lots of energy. The next song's sentiment and sound are easy to fall into, but "Don't Fight It." I know, that was too easy, but the song is easy to love. The time sig in the next track starts off real nice, and then changes to become an atmospheric adrenaline rush with a consistent pace that builds up tension as strings come into the fold. As the dead memories are closer to being unearthed, he comes closer to "Waking The Ghost" and the spirit of the enemy inside.I tend to think of someone running for fear of awakening the spirit in Rose Red. I think the title is perfectly matched because it does sound like the song is "Running In Place." This would be the final track on the regular album, and I think I'm done writing, maybe I'll just "Fade Into (The Ocean)" which doesn't sound so bad at first, but then it seems as if a storm is brewing;  the ocean starts to birth waves after two minutes have passed only to calm down and have you think it's over. The acoustic version of their first single starts dreamy, and does sound really strong its own, as well as the acoustic version of "Fix Me." The final bonus track is one of those songs that can be described as a silent scream, or a "Silhouette of a Life" Something you might miss if you do not pay attention. This is definitely a strong album, and there are hardly any duds on this disc.

Earth "Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 2"

We return to planet Earth as we are greeted with a "Sigil of Brass," but things are not always what they seem. The demon is invisible, and what sounds like an improvisation of notes, may also be an escape from the pits of h3ll. “His Teeth Did Brightly Shine,” but were more dangerous to the ears than to human flesh; no matter how sharp they are. It’s best to keep your ears open, but avoid eye contact because his shiny pearly whites are a distraction to enter your mind; think positive thoughts or beware, because there is plenty to think about when listening to this next song. You avoided eye contact right? All he needs is one second, but instead of him entering your mind and stealing your soul you will find yourself in a “Multiplicity of Doors” in a dimly lit hallway in some huge mansion. There are a few paintings of dead ancestors, the kind that look like they stare at you when you turn away, but instead of giving you an eerie feeling it gives you a sense of security; like you’re not alone. You keep looking through each door hoping to find something, but then when you think you have come to the end it just extends, but on the way to the 52^nd door you see one of the Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 2 of ‘em actually, slowly riding away. What unfolds is a whole battle scene in slow motion between the 2. The cello has to be the predominant reason for the enjoyment in the song, and soon you become a part of the scene without affecting it. You then wonder if you are just dreaming it all, and if it’s just a side effect from all of the cough syrup, becoming addicted and morphing into “The Corascene Dog.” I warn to be careful because he hides, and could be anywhere, disguised as anything until it’s too late. “The Rakehell” is a slightly uncouth prodigal demon returning back into the center of the earth, or on another plane; depressed because the feeling that he has is too heavy to carry.