REVIEWS
There’s plenty of music released every single month, and with each Monthly Music Roundup article, we share some quick reviews of several releases from throughout the month that we personally enjoyed and want to cover. Albums
Against The Current - Past Lives Against The Current are a band I’ve been a fan of for awhile - I loved their debut album, as well as the covers and originals they released beforehand. The band finally released their sophomore record and I found this release to be pretty enjoyable as well. There are slightly more upbeat and catchy songs reminiscent of the band’s earlier work (“Strangers Again,” “The Fuss,” “P.A.T.T.,” and “I Like The Way”) as well as some slower tracks with huge choruses, such as “Personal” and “Come Alive.” For the most part, this record shows the band going for a more indie leaning sound, but songs like “Voices” and “Friendly Reminder” show traces of the band’s pop rock roots and are some of the bigger standouts on the record in regards to genre. Overall, I think that this album is really good, and even though it did take a few listens for me to get into the record, these songs quickly grew on me and I ended up really enjoying a lot of this record. Before I Turn - Claustrophobic Before I Turn is a metalcore band that I recently discovered and while they have been around for quite some time (with one EP and a nine-track album under their belt prior to this), I found out about this band with this particular release. Though they do bring plenty of heavier elements to the table, especially with some of the breakdowns that bring impressive instrumentation (“Claustrophobic” and “Aglæca”) and the vocals that, in some sections, tend to be more aggressive than others (“Don’t Look Down”), there are also some more melodic and emotional moments on this record, (“Mother” and “Sleep”) that give it a bit more variety. Overall, I thought this was a solid record in the metalcore genre, and I like that it brought a bit of variety to the table, especially with the more melodic moments on there. Black Peaks - All That Divides “All That Divides,” the latest effort from Black Peaks, is a record I’ve heard plenty of good things about and have been recommended a few times, so I decided to give it a listen and was pretty impressed with what I heard. There are some slower and more melodic (for the most part) tracks such as “Across The Great Divide” and “Slow Seas,” as well as some more energetic ones such as “The Midnight Sun,” “Electric Fires,” and “Eternal Light.” Overall, I thought this record was very unique, bringing some darker instrumentation, interesting melodies, and some aggressive vocals here and there. Roses For Raychael - All We Leave Is Ashes Much like a band I mentioned earlier, Roses For Raychael are a melodic metalcore act that I recently found out about. This release was the first one of theirs that I’d heard and I was immediately impressed by it. The band incorporates some great melodies into their sound (let the majority of “Bruises,” “Easier Said Than Done” and the title track be three great examples of this), but still provides some heavier elements, especially on tracks like “Numb” and the opener “Preminitions.” On top of it all, the synths, piano, and other various instrumentals added in from time to time bring extra emphasis to the songs. Overall, I think that this is a pretty great post-hardcore/metalcore record with quite a bit of experimentation, and pretty impressive for a debut. You Me At Six - VI Rock band You Me At Six have released their sixth record. I’d consider myself a pretty casual fan of this band. I like quite a bit of their material but in all honesty, I haven’t really delved that deep into their discography. Despite that, I still wanted to listen to this album when it dropped, as I was intrigued by the singles they had released beforehand. While the album does show the band going in a new direction that leans more towards indie rock and alternative (shown especially in tracks like the catchy and upbeat singles “Back Again” and “3AM” as well as some more emotional and well-written numbers like“Miracle In The Mourning” and “Losing You”), there are still moments on here that are at least a little bit reminiscent of the band’s earlier work, such as the darker composition in “Predictable” and “Pray For Me” and tracks that mix elements of both their older and newer sound, such as “I O U” and “Danger.” Overall, I thought this record was pretty good and while it may be a bit different, I like the direction the band went in with these songs. EPs As Everything Unfolds - Closure As Everything Unfolds have returned with their third EP, “Closure.” This band is one that‘s stood out to me quite a bit in the post-hardcore and metalcore genres, and this EP is even further proof of that. Songs like the anthemic opener “17:10,” huge closing track “Centuries” and the energetic “Despondency” show off the vocalist’s talent at singing and screaming and bring some harsher instrumentals and shows the various different elements in the band’s sound, while more melodic tracks like “Divided” and “You Will Be” bring some huge, hard hitting choruses and memorable melodies. Overall, I thought that this EP was amazing and shows why this band is a huge standout in the genres they play. Still World - A New Beginning Metalcore band Still World have dropped their debut EP, “A New Beginning.” I discovered this on the day it came out and was immediately impressed. “Pale Blue” is a huge standout, easily being the most melodic track on the whole EP. Even some tracks that are heavier for the most part have huge choruses and bridges with interesting melodies, such as the opener “Dying Light,” the lead single “Dark Days,” and the closing track “As Above So Below,” while tracks like “Hell and Back” and “Place Of Regret” bring some great instrumentation and a whole lot of aggression. Overall, I thought that this EP was pretty well-written and a good release as a whole, especially for a debut.
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