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On this page I'll be aiming to introduce you to what I believe are some true treasures in the world of music. Hopefully you'll find your next favorite artist here, with my focus being on the quality of the music rather than quantity. Select a genre you enjoy from the sidebar to get started or hit the 'View Random Post' button below to discover something unfamiliar. You can also request reviews and uploads in the above links.

Disclaimer: I do not host any of the downloadable content featured on this site. All links refer to compressed files on various file-sharing sites, where other individuals have uploaded the content. All links were found through a Google web search, so if you've got a problem with any of the content, take it up with Google for listing it in the first place. This blog is about the promotion, not the piracy of music. If you like the music, delete the album after giving it a listen, then support the band and buy the album and merch.
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Monday, 23 May 2011

That'll Be The Day - What's To Come?

2011 | HARDCORE | METALCORE

Track Listing

1. Sail Solitude
2. The Sty Of Our Lives
3. Crowd Surfin' In A Coffin
4. Palms And Teeth
5. Speaking Of Witch, Burn!
6. Open The Sky

✔ indicates track pick

Rating
 
★ ★ ★ ★

Review

Australia's played a big part in the hardcore scene over the years. Most notably, we've brought metalcore juggernauts I Killed The Prom Queen and Parkway Drive to the world's stage, who have both revolutionized and taken the genre to new heights in their own sense. They've both grown from such small beginnings into such a large entities that few of us probably remember how they reached this point; through dedication, hard work and by creating what the people really want; decent, catchy metalcore with big hooks and heavy breakdowns. Although it may seem easy, it's a tough balance to create something unique and original while still ultimately having that familiar metalcore sound that we've grown to love. Enter 'That'll Be The Day', a very welcome addition to the Aussie hardcore scene. 

This is one band that doesn't screw around; they know what works and they know what doesn't, and it's all there on their debut EP 'What's To Come', in the form of six deliciously brutal creations. They've got the big hooks, they've got the breakdowns, and they bring it all together so well that it doesn't take much to realise that this band is going somewhere. It's obvious the band has a wide musical influence; imagine the the best parts of August Burns Red, Haste The Day, Carpathian, Every Time I Die and Parkway Drive blended into one and you'd have a fair idea of their sound. 

While each of the six tracks from the EP is a step above most generic metalcore that's being churned out from the hardcore labels today, a few tracks are a cut above the others. One such pick is 'The Sty Of Our Lives'. Commencing with an experimental wandering guitar theme, it doesn't take long to get down the business with fast paced guitar riffs, pounding drums and brutal screams. Although It's the breakdowns where the band really stands out from the rest. Breakdowns quite often feel forced, as many bands just place them in the middle of song out of sheer obligation; because they're a hardcore band, and that's what hardcore bands do. I also get sick of hearing breakdown after breakdown using the same single chord, however That'll Be The Day avoids this trap and uses a variety of chords, rhythms and styles to keep things sounding fresh and different. In fact they do it so seamlessly that they'll fill half a song with breakdowns and you won't even notice, because it just blends so well and as a result actually sounds like it's meant to be there. From the first time you listen to this, it goes without saying that this would come off well in a live setting, and the band certainly has got glowing reviews about their live shows. 

It's all very much the same however, in the sense that they use a similar formula for every song, albeit in a slightly different manner every time. There's fast paced dual guitar riffs, there's some breakdowns, there's some epic and melodic chords with gang vocals then there's more breakdowns. However as the saying goes 'if it 'aint broke don't fix it', and there's certainly nothing wrong with this formula. This is why an EP format was perfect for their debut release; it hits you hard, blows you away, then finishes before it becomes tired. However a whole album played out in this style may be a little much, so hopefully the band progresses and experiments a bit more with their sound before another record. That being said, it's a solid release and shows much potential for this energetic young band in the future.

That'll Be The Day Is...
 
Clayton Nielsen - Guitars
Nic Ferretter - Bass
Harry Marshall - Guitars
Renn Beattie - Drums
  
Download
   
At the time of this review, no free download links were available online. If one becomes available I will post it. Until then, listen to the album through the band links below, or buy it on iTunes. Also, some free songs are available to download on the band's Triple J Unearthed page at the link below.

Listen
 
Track 2. The Sty Of Our Lives

Band Links

Tuesday, 17 May 2011

Tim Hockenberry & Tom Corwin - Mostly Dylan

2009 | SOFT POP ROCK | ACOUSTIC

Track Listing
 
1. Forever Young
2. One Too Many Mornings
3. The Times They A Changin'
4. Like A Rolling Stone 
5. You're Going To Make Me Lonesome When You Go
6. Mr. Tambourine Man
7. Two Steps Back
8. Boots Of Spanish Leather
9. My Back Pages 
10. Flirting With Disaster
11. Rainy Day Women
12. Tomorrow Is A Long Time

✔ indicates track pick

Rating
 
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Review 

Cover albums are always a difficult thing. It's a fine line to tread; to bring a personal touch to the music, however without altering the original artist's vision. It's the same principle as with the remakes of movies; the last thing anybody wants to see is a scene by scene remake. And to pick Bob Dylan of all artists to cover, meant the bar was set high from the start. It was ambitious project that the two musicians set out to undertake, but the result is something truly magical. 

It was an interesting but inspired choice to have Tim Hockenberry take the role of lead vocals; his voice is a far cry from Dylan's. I first came across him through his work with The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, where his mesmerizing voice just matched so well with the piano driven ballads the Orchestra are fond of. His sound is certainly unique. Picture if you will the low gravely tones of Louis Armstrong crossed with soft crooning of Rod Stewart and you'd have a fair idea of Hockenberry's voice. It's his voice that drives this album, however the production value is also particularly good, with laid back, minimalistic drums, gentle bells, pianos and dreamy guitars. It all blends into one warm sound, that's gentle on ears and soothing for the mind. 

Many of Dylan's classics are here, and it's Hockenberry and Corwin's treatment of Dylan's signature songs that make for a real treat. Such an example is found in Dylan's definitive anthem 'Like A Rolling Stone'; it's been stripped right back and slowed down to a cruisy, mellow rock ballad. While there's so much going on in the original version, here everything's been simplified; with the guitar playing basic chords and the focus being very much on the vocals. However it's on the real slow songs where this laid back approach works best. 'Boots Of Spanish Leather' conjures up images of slow dancing under a starlit sky, with echoing guitars and drawn out vocal lines. It's at times like this where Hockenberry's in his element, working every drop of emotion out of Dylan's lyrics and exploring a wide and diverse vocal range. 

This is an album for drifting into sleep, discovering first love and watching the sun set over the hill on long summer evenings. What a true Dylan fan would think of these interpretations of Dylan's works is unsure, however since I'm not a die-hard Dylan fan myself, when I listened to this I was judging it as a creation of it's own, and not comparing to how well it interpreted the originals. The matter of fact is that it's a brilliantly soothing album, and one that I'm going to still be enjoying for many months from now.

The Musicians Are...
 
Tim Hockenberry - Vocals
Tom Corwin - Instruments
(A wide variety of musicians were

featured on this album, too
many to list here)
  
Download
   
Download From BandCamp
Download From RapidShare
*Password: iZm420

Listen 

Track 2. One Too Many Mornings

Band Links

Saturday, 14 May 2011

Machinae Supremacy - Overworld

2008 | ALTERNATIVE METAL | HARD ROCK


















  





Track Listing 

1. Overworld
2. Need For Steve
3. Edge And Pearl
4. Radio Future 
5. Skin
6. Truth Of Tomorrow
7. Dark City
8. Conveyor
9. Gimme More (SID)
10. Violator
11. Sid Icarus
12. Stand 

✔ indicates track pick 

Rating

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Review 

Before this review even commences, I'll just state a quick fact; Machinae Supremacy are a REAL internet success story. Many bands will release a couple of demos online, before recording an album. On the other hand you have Machinae Supremacy. They released over thirty songs for free download on their website before singing with Spinefarm Records, all of which are still available for free from their website today. It's this kind of musical attitude that has got them where they are today. Innovatively combining an infectious and hard hitting style of metal, with sounds from the Commodore 64's SID chip has created something original which the band appropriately defined as "SID-Metal". It comes as no surprise that with such an altruistic attitude toward distributing music and with the sounds of old style gaming scattered throughout their songs, that the band appealed to the gaming community, gathering an underground internet following. But enough history. 

Machinae Supremacy's "Overworld" is an album that will keep you enthralled from start to finish. It's evident that the band did not just include material for the sake of filling the album. While many bands seem to have their few catchy songs in an album, while the rest is just filler material, almost everything on "Overworld" sounds as if it could stand alone as a single. The title track kicks off the album at full force, with shredding guitar riffs, fast pumping drum beats, and a chorus so beautiful and large it sent shivers down my spine the first time I heard it. 'Need For Steve' is another winner, showing what the band is all about; fast guitars and big hooks with some electronics thrown in. It would still be a decent album without those gaming sounds, but they fill out the gaps and make for a wider and more diverse soundscape. It adds that extra layer of melody, playing off Robert Stjärnström's vocals, to make unbelievable harmonies. In another setting the vocals might come off as whiny, but they seem to work perfectly with music, and Stjärnström's strong Swedish accent only adds to it. 

'Skin' is another piece that deserves a mention, with a tranquil guitar and strings introduction, building up to an inspirational finale, with a minute long guitar solol to end the song. That's another thing worth mentioning; lead guitarist Jonas Rörling can play brilliant guitar solos, and the rest of the band knows this, because they work in a solo into almost every song. It's a good thing however, and they never overdo it. I could almost write a paragraph on every song on this album, but using words I can only describe so much. The only real disappointment was the band's choice of 'Edge And Pearl' as the single with the music video. I found it to be the most mediocre song on the album, because it's basically an average four chord pop song with metal overtones. But I'm not trying to fool anyone here; It's all very much pop metal with a difference, amid melodic guitar riffs and enormously catchy sing along choruses. I mean they did include an amusing cover of Brittney Spear's 'Gimme More'. However I don't care what you call it. All I know is I like it.

Machinae Supremacy Is...

Robert Stjärnström - Vocals
Jonas Rörling - Lead Guitar
Andreas Gerdin - Guitar / Keys
Johan Hedlund - Bass
Niklas Karvonen - Drums

Download


*All of the band's early material is available for free and legal 
download at the official website, under the 'Music' tab.
 
Listen
 
Track 7. Dark City 

Band Links