The Wonder Years - Sister Cities

Have you ever wondered what a pop punk band would sound like if they were really, really sad? Like if instead of writing songs about having cool friends and getting out of your hometown they sang about not fitting in, death and loneliness? If you ever have wondered what that might sound like, check out The Wonder Years. They are, in my opinion, one of the most important bands in their genre right now. Having transitioned from pop punk to a more post-hardcore/emo sound, their newest record Sister Cities is far more dark and melancholy than their back catalogue. I mean their entire back catalogue has elements of sadness and struggle running through it, but that's mainly in vocalist Dan "Soupy" Campbell's lyrics. On this record, the pain in the lyrics is mirrored by the music.

The lead single Sister Cities is probably the most familiar sounding track on the record, featuring their usual formula of fast paced verses and enormous soaring choruses. The rest of the album treads a number of different paths. Pyramids of Salt is a soft and sombre affair, swelling and calming in all the right places to create a moody rollercoaster ride through the senses. Heavens Gate (Sad & Sober) is a boiling pot of emotion that's spilling over the brim from beginning to end. Check out the second verse in particular. If you can't feel the emotion in Soupy's voice then you're probably dead inside (sorry if reading this is how you found out). The Orange Grove is crammed full of vocal melodies that are impossible not to love, delicately draped over tastefully written verses and punchy chorus chords. The tracks that stand out the most here, though, are the softer songs. The passion and feel that's been woven into them is impossible to ignore, and I found myself getting hung up on every single note. Tracks like Flowers Where Your Face Should Be, When The Blue Finally Came and The Ocean Grew Hands To Hold Me are all simply breathtaking. All of them create an atmosphere that completely envelops you, leaving you to drift amongst the delicate guitar tones and soothing vocals. The latter is especially impressive, utilising string sections and atmospheric effects to gradually build towards a mountain of tone and a truly moving outro section. After the final chord abruptly comes to an end, I found myself somewhat speechless. To say that it impressed me is a huge understatement. I was genuinely moved by it.

How The Wonder Years aren't bigger than they are is a complete mystery to me. They're unique, they're always grafting and pushing forwards, continually evolving. With every album they change ever so slightly, each one sounding different yet still retaining their signature sound. This record is no different. This record is truly special. It's one of those records that you can only fully appreciate by listening to it from beginning to end. Don't get me wrong, every single track is strong enough to stand alone and impress, but the journey that this takes you on is so worth keeping your fingers away from the skip button. Sister Cities is yet another diamond to add to their already glistening collection. You should add it to yours.

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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Seaway - Vacation

Every genre of music has a few bands or artists that are hugely underrated. Always releasing solid and hard hitting material, but just never really making the same kind of waves as other bands in their genre. As far as pop punk is concerned, one of those bands is Seaway. Armed with a back catalogue of bangers, strong albums and EP's under their belt, they are often over looked and don't seem to get the same recognition as bands such as Brit pop punk heroes Neck Deep or New York giants State Champs. However, their new album Vacation may just change that. They've gone on vacation somewhere with a beach. And that beach has a LOT of waves.

On the run up to the release of this album, Seaway released a couple of tracks to give us a taster of what was coming. The first of these songs was album opener "Apartment", and what a song to start with. A bold statement, completely laying out what they're doing with this album. A nice big slice of pop punk gold, boasting an enormous chorus with an immediately memorable melody and vocal hook. The second song they released was "Something Wonderful", a more pop tinged track; noticeably more uptempo but boasting a really catchy vocal line. The bouncy feel is infectious, and would without doubt command a room full of pizza lovers to raise their slices in the air and get energetic. On listening to the rest of the album, tracks like "London", "Misery In You" and "Car Seat Magazine" all stand out as hard hitting anthems, all boasting pop punks trademark big guitar driven choruses married with hook laden vocals. Others such as "Lula On The Beach" and "40 Over" provide a slightly softer vibe, the latter displaying a real emotional side to the band, gliding through a horde of heartfelt lyrics and swelling guitars executed with precision and real passion. There was also a nice surprise on "Scatter My Ashes Along The Coast Or Don't" in the form of an absolutely stellar guest vocal performance from Caleb Shomo of Beartooth. Already being a very upbeat and bouncy track, the introduction of Caleb's vocals was immediately recognisable and really fitted with the feel, complimenting the track and really making it stand out as one of the highlights of the album. From beginning to end, there isn't one bad moment. This could be the album that really puts them in their own league.

This album is without doubt their most accomplished work to date. It's polished, clean, pristine. The songs all gel together really well. The flow and pace of the album feels smooth, no confusing surprises or loss of momentum. From start to finish, it's very well crafted. The vocals really stand out for me, demonstrating a well balanced mix of both clean and pitched rougher vocals, really driving some of the more heartfelt and powerful lyrics home. All in all, I'm very impressed by this record. This is a vacation that I would go on more than once. This will be on repeat for quite some time, I reckon. Say hello to your new favourite pop punk band.

D.S

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Comeback Kid - Outsider

Comeback Kid are one of the most important bands in their genre to have come out of Canada. Alongside Alexisonfire, Cancer Bats, Silverstein to name a few, Comeback Kid are a band who have become both masters and pioneers of the punk/hardcore scene, and have paved the way and inspired countless bands that have followed them. Or so I'm told. Personally, I haven't listened to them much at all. I've always seen so much hype around them, and I've seen people that are into them REALLY praise the band. I, for some reason, just never really got round to giving them a spin. So I thought it was about time I paid them some attention. What better time to do it than for their newest release?

I sort of knew what to expect. Sort of. The only other album I'd listened to was Wake The Dead which came out 12 years ago. Aggressive, fast, heavy in places, polished hardcore. Bands can change a lot in that amount of time, but I assumed that they wouldn't have changed the formula too much, just honed in on what they were good at and made it better. And that, from my perspective, is exactly what they've done. Right from the opening title track "Outsider", they begin to warm you up for what's to come. A punky, tasteful and gradual build, transitioning into a fast paced and snare driven verse with Andrew Neufield (vocals) snarling his vocals right in your face, followed by an anger filled fist bumping chorus. The vocals are an enormous improvement on what I'd previously heard, full of venom and anger, expertly delivered. The second song "Surrender Control" followed suit, and it blew me away. An absolute powerhouse of a track. The verse riff is a meaty slice of hardcore, impossible not to bang your head to, and it explodes into a huge chorus complete with gang chants and an immediately memorable hook. Two tracks in, and I'm already excited for the rest of the album. The third track, though, presented me with an unexpected surprise.

The first of the guest spots was on this track, the first single that was streamed, titled "Absolute". And the guest vocals came from the legend that is Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad, The Devin Townsend Project, general musical genius). A guest spot that I didn't expect to hear on a hardcore record at all, but a welcome one. And it fits. It fits so well. The track out of nowhere gets slow and sludgy, and Devin's vocals creep in alongside Neufields. It adds an eerie feel to the track, and completely adds to the overall impact. All of the tracks that follow are all unique and stand out in their own way, but all sound like they belong together on this album. The fast paced hardcore riffing and soaring choruses of "Somewhere Somehow", the whirlwind of thrash on "Livid, I'm Prime", the Gojira esque groove and all out mosh fest that is "I'll Be That". Album closer "Moment In Time" is a musical journey through everything you've just listened to, starting off gentle and soothing you into thinking it's a ballad. That is, until it all of a sudden explodes into blistering guitar tones, pounding drums and vicious vocals, before slowing right back down again to give you a bit of recovery time. But it leaves you hungry for more. It makes you want to listen again. Outsider explores every corner of the genre and isn't afraid to draw inspiration from outside of it, and weaves it all together to create an absolute belter of an album.

If you haven't listened to Comeback Kid before, this is the perfect album to start with. It has everything. If you're a hardcore fan, you'll love it. If you're a punk fan, you'll love it. If you're a metal fan, you'll love it. If Stick To Your Guns, A Day To Remember and Hatebreed somehow managed to have a baby, Comeback Kid would be that baby. Although I think in some of those cases Comeback Kid actually came first, so that doesn't really work. But you get what I mean.

I've been more impressed by this album than I thought I was going to be, and it's been a welcome surprise. It's without doubt going to be regularly listened to over the course of the month. The album came out on September 8th (at time of post, yesterday), and you can find it on iTunes, Spotify, Deezer and everywhere else you can think of. You can probably grab it in stores like HMV too if you want to cop a physical copy. 

Also, if they play anywhere near you, grab a ticket.

I'll see you in the pit.

Maybe.

I'm getting on a bit and I'm a lot more afraid of flailing limbs than I used to be.

Maybe just see you at the bar. If you buy a drink.

I guess you might not need to if you don't get thirsty.

Erm.

I'll just see you there I guess.

D.S

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Stray From The Path - Only Death Is Real

Stray From The Path are an absolute force to be reckoned with. Always have been, always will be. Their albums are punishing, their live show is unrelenting, and their message is powerful and passionate. I say this with some level of bias, as I've been a fan of Stray ever since Make Your Own History back in 2009, and they quickly became one of my favourite bands. For those that are yet to discover these guys, they display a Rage Against The Machine style delivery with a modern twist. Breakdowns and chugs a plenty, both musical and vocal hooks, they're a mixture of everything that's good about the genre and ram it down your throats without giving you a chance to chew. Today, they released their new album Only Death Is Real, and I felt compelled to review it. I just had to.

Right from the off, they set the tone for the entire album on opener "The Opening Move". They pack everything that follows into 1:30. Choppy guitar stabs that develop into a giant wall of riff, heavy and technical drums, Drew's trademark distressed angry vocals, changes of feel, changes of pace. If you like the first track, you will love everything that follows. The shrieks of the guitars married with the sludgy bass in "Loudest In The Room", the Tom Morello styled riffing, strong political message and a headbang approved breakdown in single "Goodnight Alt Right", the single string riff groove of "Plead The Fifth". Every track possesses something different, but doesn't stray from the formula (no pun intended, but I'll roll with it) in any way.

There were a number of nice surprises I came across during this album. The first being the track "They Always Take The Guru". The track begins with a breakneck speed drum fill, and immediately floods into a runaway train of riffs and vocals. It keeps pulling out punches the entire way through, surprising you with more riffs when you don't think there could be room for anymore, gradually getting heavier and heavier until it climaxes with a lyric that made me think. Is this track a nod to Tom Searle, the late Architects guitarist? The final lyric of the song is "Now you're gone with the wind, everything is still. I'll stay here forever, to watch what you've built." I then went back and listened for a second time, and noticed lyrics such as "You don't know what you've got til it's gone" and "It's nights like these that remind me that we are all temporary". Stray From The Path are good friends of Architects, so it wouldn't surprise me if at all if this song is a tribute to him. And what a tribute.

Another surprise were the guest vocalists on the record. The first that you come across is Keith Buckley (Every Time I Die) on "Strange Fiction", which was a nice surprise for me personally as he's the vocalist of my favourite band. He nails it, by the way, but what else would you expect from Keith? He's one of the best vocalists in the game. His delivery is unique and unmistakable, and it compliments the outro of this track perfectly. The next guest spot comes from Bryan Garris (Knocked Loose) on "All Day and Night", and this one is a little marmite in my opinion. Bryan's vocals are very love or hate, his high pitched angry delivery isn't to everyone's taste, but if you've ever listened to Knocked Loose, it works. The section of this song that has Bryans vocals is very similar to a Knocked Loose track. The guitars are chuggy and thick, the pace slows right down, the drums are being smashed with such force, and I think it's great. The pit potential for it insane, I can see the dust clouds at festivals already. The final guest vocal comes from Vinnie Paz (Jedi Mind Tricks) on single "The House Always Wins". This is the one that feels the most out of place, but it isn't a complete surprise. It's no secret that the band have a love for hip hop, you can hear it in how the lyrics are delivered, and they had rapper Cody B. Ware guest on their previous album Subliminal Criminals. The track Cody guested on had a more hip hop vibe to it, stripped down and had more of a focus on drums and bass, whereas this track is a more no holds barred, full frontal assault. Vinnie's section is lyrically powerful, and has a very strong political message, but it just doesn't sit right in my ears. No doubt I'll learn to love it, but initially it's just not for me. But the track itself is great. A full on aural assault, and lyrically aims its crosshair directly the White House and the current president of the United States. All 10 tracks on this album possess some form of political message, and it's one of the things that makes Stray stand out from the crowd. They know what their views are, they're passionate about them, and they aren't trying to push their views on you. They just want you to listen.

All in all, this album is another corker to add to their catalogue. Would I say it's better than their previous album? No. Would I say it comes close? Yes. Very close. I think that Stray From The Path have completely found their formula and they're consistently releasing banger after banger. If you love Rage Against The Machine and also bands like The Chariot, Every Time I Die and Norma Jean, give this album a spin. If you can get into this album, you'll more than likely get into everything else they've done. Grab it on iTunes, listen to it on Spotify, go and grab a copy from HMV or something. Whatever you do, don't sleep on this album. I don't think these guys are going to be playing intimate venues for much longer.

D.S

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