Glassjaw - Material Control

Every genre has influential bands. Special bands that pave the way for so many bands that follow them. Bands that aren't afraid to do things differently and end up becoming so individual that even copycats can never sound like them. Every single genre has these bands. Post-hardcore has Glassjaw. Developing a loyal fanbase very early on that's continued to grow over the years, Daryl Palumbo and crew took the hardcore formula and threw a ton of other influences in, and created music that was as destructive and manic as it was beautiful. Their first 2 records Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Silence and Worship and Tribute quickly garnered what you could call cult status within hardcore, and have been cited as influences by numerous bands over the last 15 years. They started teasing new material a couple of years back, and we've been eagerly waiting. The new music is finally here, and it's in the form of their first full length in 15 years Material Control. There is certainly hype surrounding this record. Does it live up to it?

This album, as you'd expect, is a rollercoaster ride of adrenaline fuelled madness and the occasional spot of calm to allow you to catch your breath. Lead single shira was the first introduction we got to the new material, and what an introduction. A dark, brooding, energetic return to form. Exactly what the masses of loyal fanatics needed to hear. The vocal melody choices reminded me a LOT of Chino Moreno (Deftones vocalist), and added to the sinister feel of the track. Other tracks that follow this suit are the unmistakably angry golgotha, the white knuckle ride that is new white extremity, and the classic Glassjaw sounding cut and run. They have in no way lost their spark, and they're most certainly flaunting that fact as often as possible. As expected, there are shades of light thrown in to the dark to provide a bit of relief from the madness, and on this record it's in the form of strange hours. A pulsing, gradually swelling lullaby that provides a well needed breather in the middle of the album. When you reach this breather, appreciate it, because it's the only one you'll get. The album bursts straight back into more absolute ragers like pompeii, bibleland 6 and personal favourite my conscience weighs a ton. Musically this album is great, and is just as clever and mind bending as it is simple and tasteful. There's a great balance between both elements, and the musicianship and skill on show is at a high level. I have to give a special shout out to the bassist Travis Sykes for ripping some absolutely beasty basslines throughout the record. Like seriously, every single track has something tasty going on at some point with the bass, be it cleverly placed stabs or musically decorative runs. All in all, this is a great record. Not their best, and definitely not their best produced as it sounds kind of muddy and blurred at times. But that's part of their charm right? They aren't clean cut, they're raw and to the point. And that's exactly what this album is. Raw and to the point.

I can't lie, this album isn't quite what I expected. I mean it is in places. Sort of. But there is a massive Deftones vibe running throughout the entire record. I don't have an issue with this at all, as I love Chino and his merry band of stoned musicians. I just wasn't expecting to hear that influence on a Glassjaw record. That said, they did make a name for themselves by combining a load of influences together. What harm is another ingredient to the recipe, ay? This album is unpredictable in places, and they definitely haven't lost that "edge of your seat" element. It's definitely equal parts destructive and beautiful too. All in all, this is the logical next step for them. It may have taken 15 years to finish the step (which I guess is more of a drawn out stride, or a lunge), but it's so good to hear them finally make it. They're back, and they have some time to make up for. Expect a new wave of solid post-hardcore to emerge. Glassjaw have just breathed new life into it.

D.S

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ALAZKA - Pheonix

Post-hardcore. A genre laden with passion, emotion, and energy in infectious levels. It's popularity has been on the rise for years, with bands like Glassjaw and At The Drive In paving the way for countless bands to follow. Bands that are appearing in the scene today display the genre in it's current evolved state, with polished production, uplifting melodies, pain-filled screams and equally pain-filled clean vocals. Hailing from Germany, ALAZKA are a fine example of this. Formerly Burning Down Alaska, they've undergone a rebrand, picked up a clean vocalist, and released an absolute corker of an album with Pheonix. One that holds nothing back. One that demands you listen to it.

Right from the very beginning of the album, you can tell that this is going to be an emotional journey. Opening tracks "Ghost" and "Empty Throne" are full of pain and heartbreak, especially in the vocals. The sheer grit and rawness of Tobias Rische paired with the powerful sultry tones of Kassim Auale are painting the same canvas with two separate brushes, leaving you with a colourful and brutally honest picture. The dynamics of both songs are tasteful and complimentary to the vocals, making the emotional delivery of the vocals more emotional and the power of the aggressive sections more aggressive. "Pheonix" and "Blossom" showcase the bands ability to write anthemic material, both boasting enormous choruses and immaculate melodies. Perfectly paced and bursting with heartbreak and agony, it's very hard to not feel something whilst listening, no matter how black or dead your heart might be. "Everything" provides a passionate change of pace in the middle of the album, slowing things right down and showing a musically lighter and more ballad driven side to the band. In a way I guess you could describe the whole album as ballads, as all of the songs are about very honest and heartfelt issues, but this song in particular really strips things back a little and adds some diversity to the album. The entire album is great, but the highlight for me is "Hearts of Gold", a slice of post-hardcore excellence from beginning to end. The chorus has a gang chant vibe about it and sounds enormous, sitting perfectly over the thick guitar chords and pounding drums. Dropping the volume in all the right places, tastefully rising and falling in all the right places and really erupting with feeling on the run up to the tracks close. Although technically not their debut, this album shows real promise and potential. I would be surprised if this album doesn't get them places.

A few years aho, I had listened to Values and Virtues, their album when they were known as Burning Down Alaska, and I can honestly say that I was underwhelmed by it. It was good, sure, but it wasn't anything special. They weren't doing anything particularly different, they were just another good post-hardcore band. But this album tells a different story. This album is leagues above their previous effort. Vocally impressive, musically tasteful and powerful, Pheonix sets them apart from their previous album and allows their reincarnation as ALAZKA to stand very much in it's own league. The Pheonix has risen.

D.S

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Being As An Ocean - Waiting For Morning To Come

It's been a couple of years since we last heard from post-hardcore heavyweights Being As An Ocean. And for good reason. Since the release of their self titled album in 2015, a number of hurdles presented themselves. Their drummer left the band in the back end of 2015. They signed to Equal Vision Records, and announced the arrival of Jesse Shelley (Sleepwave live drummer) to the band. They set an album release date for June 2017, which wasn't met, and no explanation was given as to why. In response to this they acquired the rights to their album, bought out of their record contract with Equal Vision, and became an independent band. And then, on Friday the 8th of September, Waiting For Morning To Come was released. I don't know about you, but I hadn't been waiting for morning. I'd been waiting for this album. I'd also been waiting to win the lottery and for someone to invent teleportation so I can go to all the amazing tours America gets, but I guess it makes sense to deal with things that already exist. Being As An Oceans new album now exists. So I've checked it out.

The first half of the album runs in a sort of pattern, an interlude, followed by a track, followed by an interlude and so on. The interludes almost act as a breather of sorts, a palette cleanser in between tracks, setting the tone for what's about to follow. Opener "pink & red" flowing into "Black & Blue" is a perfect example of this, the delicate emotive piano of the former gently guiding you into the soft and soothing tones of the latter, opening with the question "Have you ever heard that love is a metaphor?". The track continues to subtly rise and fall, allowing instruments to creep in from the background to add to the atmosphere, before dropping out and stripping down to allow the vocals and lyrics to really stand out. The next two tracks follow the same pattern, with "Glow" showcasing the first distorted guitar of the album. The verses, completely soaked in reverb and stripped to the bare minimum, dynamically rising and falling before exploding into what I think is one of the biggest choruses on the album. Both Joel (vocals) and Michael (guitar/vocals) deliver their vocals with such rawness and passion, really making you listen to what they're saying and helping the honesty of the lyrics really hit home. The interlude into a song pattern is really good at pacing the flow of the album. It took me a couple of listens to properly appreciate it, but it gives the album an almost movie-like feel, the interludes acting as transitions between all the different "scenes".

"Dissolve" and "OK" stand out as what I imagine will be crowd favourites. "Dissolve" has been getting airplay for a while, initially being released last year, and "OK" has been popping up on YouTube as they've incorporated it into their live set. Both songs sport memorable choruses with really powerful lyrics. Michael has such an incredible voice, arguably one of the best in post hardcore today, and he really utilises his range here, most notably on the line "And I wear my heart on my sleeve so you can watch it bleed". The chorus really breathes and pulses, much like a heart, which may or may not have been intentional, but when the guitars swell and flourish it completely lifts the chorus and creates one of those goosebump moments. They've also done something very brave on this album with the track "eB tahT srewoP ehT", which, as you may guess from the name, is entirely in reverse. The track played forwards is a little confusing lyrically as, well, everything is backwards, but the music still works and the track plays out as an experimental interlude. However, I stumbled across a reversed version of the track on YouTube, and when played backwards the song amazingly also works in reverse. Or the right way round, depending on your view. It's kind of confusing. It makes a very interesting addition to the album, and it's the first time I've seen a band intentionally release a song in reverse. The whole album is great, but the stand out track for me is album closer and title track "Waiting For Morning To Come", which from the off is musically the closest to the sound they incorporated on previous albums. It's almost an Easter Egg of an album closer. Go on the journey, drift through the calm, and end the journey with a familiar friend. The lyrics are brutally honest and full of so much feeling, effortlessly wandering in and out of dynamic changes like it's childs play. A very gentle end to a very gentle, moving album. The track ends with a crooner style saxophone, ending things with a touch of class. But that's really what the entire album was. A touch of class. Not over indulgent, not so relaxed that it becomes a chill out album, but (without sounding too much like Goldilocks) it was just right. They've done it again.

There's a quote on this album that says "I want you to listen very, very carefully". And I agree. You really should. On a whole, this entire album is soothing. It's relaxing, atmospheric, beautiful, serene, mellow. Musically, it's calm. However, it also shows glimpses of pain, depression, grief and anguish, especially in the vocals. This, paired with tasteful sonic bursts in the music, thrusts the emotive content skyward and really takes you on an emotional ride. This might not be the post hardcore album that you were expecting, but it is definitely worth your time. A true musical experience, with elements of bands like PVRIS, Emarosa and Michaels previous band The Elijah running throughout. 

As mentioned previously, the album came out on September 8th, and is available literally everywhere that you can think of. If you want to sit back, relax, and really get lost in something, this is the perfect album to accompany you. 

D.S

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What I've Been Listening To - August 2017

This month has been a solid month for music. Some really strong releases from some bands I love, and I've rediscovered some absolute gems whilst me and the boys were on tour. We play this game called "The A-Z Game" when we're in the van, where you go through the alphabet naming songs but never duplicating artists or bands. Passes time in the van and also stops us from trying to murder each other (We're all friends really. Apart from Adam, we all think he's a dick. Not really. Or do we.....). The albums below are the ones that have stuck out for me the most over the course of the month.

Neck Deep - The Peace And The Panic

Possibly my favourite album of this genre to have come out so far this year. I've followed these Mancunian pop punk heroes for a number of years now, ever since the Rain In July EP. The absolute balls to the wall punchiness about them is what made them stand out for me. Compared to all the other pop punk around at the time, they stood out and started to carve their route to the top of the game very much on their own. If you listen to their back catalogue in order, you can hear the progression and development of their sound creeping in with every single record. And they have absolutely found it with The Peace And The Panic. Without a doubt, this is their most polished record, seamlessly weaving from the punchy, anthemic choruses of single Happy Judgement Day to the stripped back, emotive heartbreakers like Wish You Were Here with absolute ease. I was also excited to hear Don't Wait when I saw that Sam Carter of Architects had done guest vocals on it, and my God it's good. I wasn't sure how it would come across, but Sam is nothing short of perfect and his vocal sits on the track like icing on a cake. Only the icing is cheese and the cake is a pizza. If you're a fan of the genre and haven't given Neck Deep a spin yet, start with this album and work your way backwards. You will fall in love with this record.

Wage War - Deadweight

Good Lord. What. An. Album. Tinged with Nu-Metal stylings throughout but retaining a solid modern metal tone and an absolutely punishing pace, Wage War have smashed it out of the park with Deadweight. If I had to describe it in one word, that word would be HEAVY. And that word covers every aspect of the album. Firstly, I want to mention the production, which is one of the best I've ever heard. You can literally hear every single instrument. It is so unbelievably weighty, but you can hear everything breathing, and it completely adds to the impact. Secondly, the songs. Two Years and Southbound are perfect album starters, setting the tone for how the rest of the record is going to progress, effortlessly combining crushing riffs and soaring melodies, a taste of what's to come. Tracks like Deadweight and Disdain have an almost Slipknot punch to them (which is absolutely NOT an issue), whilst tracks like Witness and Gravity provide a sense of calm amongst all the chaos. This record literally has everything. Like metal? Don't ignore Wage War.

The Gospel Youth - Always Lose

This is the first album I checked out by these guys, but I'd been hearing good things so my expectations were pretty high. This album has become one of my most regularly listened to since its release in July. Hailing from the South Coast of the UK, The Gospel Youth have made their debut very hard to ignore. Right from the off, I Will Deliver You To The Fireflies is a beautiful, heartbreaking start, and perfectly sets up the rest of the album. The dynamics are on point, rising and falling in all the right places, really keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout (unless you're stood up when you listen. Edge of the curb maybe?), and you continue to do so with everything that follows. Gin And Black Coffee has some really smart songwriting and intricate melodies, almost Disney-esque in places, both vocally and instrumentally. Songs like single Moods Like English Weather really pulse and breathe, constantly changing pace and exploding with a huge chorus. The album as a whole really reminds me of Fools and Worthless Liars era Deaf Havana, but with a slightly softer and less harsh tone throughout. If you love that album (I certainly do, it's my favourite Deaf Havana album), then this might become your new favourite album.

Reuben - Racecar Is Racecar Backwards

I remember when I first discovered this album. I bought an issue of Rock Sound, and this particular issue came with a compilation CD. I don't remember what it was called, but it was blue, and the first track was No One Wins The War. And thus, my love affair with Reuben began. I still think they're one of the most underrated bands of their time, and this album is still one of the most underrated albums in existence. It's in my top 10 albums of all time. Without a doubt. The album showcases so many different sides of the band, but without straying so far away that songs sound out of place. Blending absolute radio anthems like singles Freddy Kreuger and Moving To Blackwater with heavier hard hitters like Our Song and Missing Fingers, whilst also slotting in slower soothers such as Song For Saturday and the album closer Dusk. They are the post hardcore band that didn't get enough attention. In my opinion, there's no one like them, they're so unique, and this was the album that started it all. They split up a number of years ago after releasing their 3rd album In Nothing We Trust, and their loyal following has been dreaming of a reunion. I am a part of that. If you've never checked them out before and you like bands such as Alexisonfire, Poison The Well, Taking Back Sunday and The Bled, give them a go. You won't regret it.




I'll do another one of these next month. If anyone has any music they'd recommend, let me know, I'm always open to give anything a go. Literally anything. My iTunes has everything from Drake to Dying Fetus.

Thanks for reading!

D.S
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