Album Review (Soulless Hymns - The Last Ten Seconds of Life)

Soulless Hymns - The Last Ten Seconds of Life

 Soulless Hymns is the third studio album from American deathcore band The Last Ten Seconds of Life. The Last Ten Seconds of Life are a deathcore band that shy away from the new norm of breakdown after breakdown and weak repeated lyrics and revitalise the genre with a slower and heavier tempo that works amazingly well. TLTSOL are a relatively young band, only releasing their first EP in 2010, but have secured their sound and a loyal fanbase. Soulless Hymns was released though Density Records

Notable Tracks

 The Box - The Box is the second track from the album and was early on through the Pig Squeals and Breakdowns Youtube page. The Box opens with a heavy and stuttery intro that leads into the whispered lyric "Think outside the box" that is repeated throughout the track well. The Box is superbly dark with vocals being whispered while the instrumentals blare muted in the background. The Box also has a eerie spoken audio sample that really progresses the track. The Box closes with a broken down version of the main riff and more scarily repeated lyrics.

 North of Corpus - North of Corpus directly follows The Box and increases the momentum the the previous track conjured. North of Corpus is a monster of a track and single-handedly demonstrates what deathcore can be (and should be). North of Corpus is strangely catchy with a range of different vocal styles being used and blended. The instrumentals on this track and really something special as they travel from brutal breakdowns to sweet riffs like nothing. North of Corpus is just down right a amazing track and is a must listen

 Ballad of the Butcher - Ballad of the Butcher is at the halfway mark of the album and still has more to offer. Ballad of the Butcher opens with an extremely fast intro and continues a faster pace thoughout. The tracks experiments with different vocal styles while still remaining true at its core, vocals on this track move between the forefront and background giving the track a good fluency

 Sacrifice (The Prince) - Sacrifice starts loud with a 90's nu metal riff and stays heavy until the halfway point. Sacrifice is the best of both worlds with awesome breakdowns at the starts then followed by a mellow soft vocal section then slides into an almost psychedelic guitar riff until the finish.

 After way too many plays of this album. Its more than clear that this album is spectacular and an absolute must listen. TLTSOL have clearly defined themselves sound-wise with their against the grain deathcore formula of precision and atmosphere over speed and breakdowns. I am personally quite new to deathcore but TLTSOL are a breath of fresh air inside the genre but make no mistake; this album will not convert someone to the genre, just display the genre to its full potential. A flawless album (now they just need to come over to the UK)

2015 Update

November December 2015 Update

 So you have probably noticed that this site has not been updated for the longest time for a multiple reasons but this post should detail some of the events that have happened since the start of October.

 Feed the Rhino @ Underworld 17/10/14

 In a week with three gigs and two consecutively, Feed the Rhino was definitely a stand out gig. Feed the Rhino were supported by a favorite of mine Baby Godzilla and Night Verses. Didn't take many pictures because it got quite rowdy quite quickly and it was a messy night in general resulting in a lost phone and a split knuckle. Nevertheless it was a good night and I would recommend keeping an eye out for Feed the Rhino live in the future.

.5 The Gray Chapter and Slipknot in general

 Since October, Slipknot released their first album is six years: a very eventful six years with the death of forming bassist Paul Gray and the departure of drummer Joey Jordison. Slipknot released singles up until the release that showed promise (especially The Negative One) but after a month with album I can safely say that it is as good as All Hope is Gone. .5 has some throwbacks like more samples and a darker feel but lacks the commitment to a heavier and rawer sound that was promised during the build up to the albums release, a lesson learned form Linkin Park no doubt. To reiterate, .5 is not a bad album by any stretch but it wasn't worth the hype.

New bands

 I haven't posted in a while so i have had a lot of time to regroup and discover a ton of new bands that stretch across genres that i can't wait to introduce to you in band and live reviews

Changes

 Now that I am juggling employment and studying I'm trying to create a new update timetable that I will be able to follow with ease so things might be changing with that soon so watch out for that.

Gigs I didn't write about because...

 So during my 'hiatus' i missed reviews for quite a large number of gigs which has annoyed me because i can't really remember them that vividly now that time has wandered on. To generalise, Hacktivist pulled off two great shows during their Download Frozen Over tour alongside The One Hundred and Dead Harts (although Dead Harts dropped out for the last few dates}. Crossfaith also put on a good show at the Koko Club in November which was recorded for a DVD release this year so keep an eye out for me in the pit.

Upcoming gigs

 After the can of sardines that was the last three months of 2014: 2015 shows no sign of being anything less then crammed, with at this early stage in the year a gig planned for every month. 

Apology?

 I apologise from the bottom of my heart for the past couple of months: everything decided to become urgent and needing of attention at the same time so i had to put this on hold for a while. Things are still quite hectic but I'll try to do what i can for now until something starts to give. So for now post will be thrown out as soon and as frequent as possible.

PS: I started writing this in November so further apologies if this post doesn't seem so fluent or smooth

Album Review (Everything Will Be Alright In The End - Weezer)

Everything Will Be Aright In The End - Weezer

 Everything Will Be Alright In The End is possibly the longest album name on .DTF to date and is also the name of Weezer's ninth studio album. Weezer are an alternative rock band from the US that have been making music together since 1992. Weezer blend pop punk with rock to create a far superior breed of pop punk that has invaded the music scene in recent date. EWBAITE was released on the seventh of October through Republic Records.

 Notable Tracks

 Ain't Got Nobody - Ain't got nobody starts off the album with an eeiry dialogue sample which is swiftly followed by an incredibly loud bass guitar roar. The main melody builds throughout the track until it climaxes into its credibly catchy groove. The guitar work on this track help propel the tracks atmosphere as they wander from the beaten track just to show off. Surprisingly, Ain't Got Nobody has not been released as a single.

 Back to the Shack - Back to the Shack was the first single to be released from the album. Back to the Shack also starts with a bass intro but there is where the similarities end. Back to the Shack starts with an alternating vocal and bass section that evolves into the main melody of the song. Back to the Shack's vocals appear stripped back giving a simple and clean feel to the song.

 I've Had It Up To Here - I've Had It Up To Here begins with a stop start guitar riff that is built upon with the vocals throughout the track. This track is a return to a more familiar Weezer sound with far vocals and wandering guitars that feel surprisingly welcome despite the genre's constraints 

 Cleopatra - Cleopatra (unlike the same suggests) has a more country intro which soon swaps it's acoustic instruments for more electric ones. Cleopatra has a simple and upbeat tone that is hard not to smile at. Cleopatra's lyrics are obscure to say the least with the five times tables cropping up on more than one occasion.

 To wrap up, EWBAITE is a solid album and isn't bad by any stretch but generally lacks that killer track that more recent Weezer albums have relied on. EWBAITE definitely showcases some of Weezer's most adventurous guitar work to date. Give the album a listen, you might enjoy it.

 To finish, here is the music video for the first single from the album, Back to the Shack (video linked here for mobile users)

King 810 @ 02 Islington 26/09/14

King 810 @ 02 Islington 26/09/14

 King 810 (band review here) are a relatively new band on the block and have consequentially have been bombarded with publicity. This tour, the first part of the Download Freezes Over string of tours, was the first time king 810 had played in the UK thus making the date at Islington the first London date. King 810 were accompanied by London based doom metal group Hang the Bastard and Welsh rap band Astroid Boys (correct spelling trust me)

 First up were Astroid Boys, well at least i think so. While at the bar, the ambient sound track stops suddenly for a louder sound to take its place, with zero introduction, a man and his Mac start pumping out sounds in what I guess was a warm up DJ set from the band. After this the full band came on stage and introduced themselves and generally had a good time. Although not my musical preference, Astroid Boys' presence on stage was fun with maximum crowd interaction and general banter with band members and members of the crowd. Look out for their latest track, lovingly named by the crowd, Fuck her Right in the Pussy or for radio listeners F her Right in the P-juice.

 After Astroid Boys came Hang the Bastard which I knew nothing about before they came on apart from the fact that they were going to be heavy as hell with a name like their's. Hang the Bastard waltz on stage played their set and left; albeit a good set with some crazy riffs. Hang the Bastard's lack of interaction baffled me as i was unsure if it was part of their persona or mystique but looking back through previous live footage (journalistic research and all that) they have engaged or at least spoke with the audience on more than one occasion. Other than that down, Hang the Bastard's set was great and was quite refreshing or at least palate cleansing from the rap endure previously.
  

 Hang the Bastard left the stage and the King 810 gang prepped the stage with "Caution" tape (like that found in the War Outside video). After a short interval the band came on and made every mistake Hang the Bastard made, absolutely zero crowd interaction. That being said, the pit started without instruction and did get quite rowdy quite fast. King made sure to play a wide variety of tracks from their debut with both electric and acoustic tracks making an appearance. During the acoustic tracks, David Gunn sat down by the side of the stage making his hidden from anyone more than five feet away. In the spirit on variety, Gunn also performed a live version of an Anatomy track which, although a task to remember, felt out of place.

 To sum the night up in one word, that word would be underwhelming. I was expecting a great vibe from the band and a lot of energy transfer but really all i got was a live album performance.

 [Side Note] - I have noticed my camera's photo quality is deteriorating fast so expect better quality live photos in these posts before the end of the year.

Band Review (Feed The Rhino)

Feed The Rhino

Feed The Rhino (From L to R) Sam Colley, James Colley, Lee Tobin, Oz Craggs, Chris Kybert

 Feed The Rhino are a hardcore five piece from Kent with punk rock influences. Since their formation, feed the rhino have released three studio albums as well as taken part in a compilation album. Feed The Rhino's style fuses intense harsh vocals with complimentary clean vocals, together this creates a very atmospheric tone. Feed The Rhino are currently signed with Century Media Records.

 Feed The Rhino's unmistakable vocals are delivered by Lee Tobin, guitars are manned by Sam and James Colley alongside Oz Craggs on the bass. Keeping it coherent is Chris Kybert on the drums.

 Since their formation, Feed The Rhino have gone from strength to strength due to the combined effects of amazing live reviews (Watch for a live review coming here soon) and album reviews of an equal caliber. Feed The Rhino have seen a lot of exposure due to consistent support slots for well known bands and due to their signing with large record label Century Media.

 Feed The Rhino have announced a tour this year that will last throughout October with support bands being Baby Godzilla (Band Review here) and Night Verses. The tour is to promote the band's latest album; The Sorrow and the Sound.

 Feed The Rhino are everywhere on the net but here are some handy links to know: Facebook here, Twitter here, Official site here and a Youtube channel here.

 To wrap up, here is Feed The Rhino's latest music video for the song Deny and Offend from their latest album, The Sorrow and the Sound (video linked here for mobile users)

 

Album Review (Language - The Contortionist)

Language - The Contortionist

 Language is the third studio album from The Contortionist but the first album to feature Michael Lessard (of Last Chance to Reason) as the vocalist. The Contortionist are a progressive metal band from Indianapolis, The Contortionist formed in '07 and have swiftly found recognition for their atmospheric and experimental sound. The Contortionist are currently signed with E1 records.

 Notable Tracks

 Language I: Intuition - Intuition is the first single released from the album and with good reason. Intuition opens with a soft guitar riff that builds steadily with added percussion and backing rhythm. At the 1:15 mark the track explodes into its full potential with vocals and more percussion. The vocal style used utilizes layers with a harsh background layer with a more melodic layer on top. Towards the 4:15 the track gets a lot heavier with a slow breakdown and harder riff, the tempo slowly increases from this point until the track ends and leads into the second part.

 Language II: Conspire - Conspire is the second and heavier part of the Language two-piece. Conspire opens with some heavily palm muted notes and slowly builds into a deep melody. Conspire features a more prominent harsh vocal style throughout and overall just heavier approach towards the start. At the 2:45 mark the vocals mellow into a more melodic style that compliment the instrumentals well. Towards the end of the track the layers build and build until they dissipate for the finish.    

 Integration - Unlike the mathematical function, Integration is far from boring and tedious. Integration starts with a funky keyboard intro with a slowly build bass line. Guitars are added to the mix. At the minute mark the vocals kick in with a melodic tone, the vocals on this track are echoed at times adding immensely to the atmosphere of the track. The bass line from the intro continues throughout the track while the other instrumentals evolve around in. Towards 3:45 the track get a lot heavier with the volume being thrown up to max and the vocals getting a load more deeper. 

 Primordial Sound - Primordial Sound is the second single from the album. Primordial Sounds starts immediately vocals that soon stop and make way for a purely dynamic instrumental. After a minute vocals begin again  for a short time before they stop again. The main riff for the track sounds more like a scale with an inquisitive tone to it. Towards 3:15 the vocals take a more death metal style that works surprisingly well, the vocals soon return back to a more melodic tone. Leading up to the finish of the track, it take a more sci-fi sound with cosmic like sounds until it slowly fades out.

 Arise - Arise starts more like a rock take with vocals and audible lyrics, the main riff for this track is complex and sounds awesome and is impossible not to close your eyes to it for the first time it enters your ears. Arise takes an overall faster pace than previous tracks that adds to the diversity on the album. At 2:30 the track gets heavier with the harsher vocals on the album yet and a schizophrenic guitar riff to match. Arise is a relatively short track compared to the runtimes of other tracks on the album but still manages to squeeze in the familiar Contortionist complexity

 After more than a few playthroughs, it is clear to see the Language is a contender for best album of the year. Language is immensely atmospheric but each track is unique enough to be told apart. Each track is incredibly detailed, so much so that every listen through a notice a different instrument in the mix. If you are thinking about buying this album then don't hesitate in doing so because this album is truly awesome or for more dramatic effect, inspires awe.

 To round off, here is the video for the first single from the album, Language I: Intuition (video linked here for mobile users)

   

Classic Album Retrospect (Body Count - Body Count)

Body Count - Body Count

 Body Count was the first album from Ice T's thrash metal band of the same name. Originally released in 1992, Body Count was the center of controversy due to the track Cop Killer and was subsequently removed in later releases. The album focuses on social issues but primarily the issue of police brutality. At release, Body Count received mixed reviews and peaked at #26 in the Billboard 200. Body Count was released through Warner Bros. records.

 Notable Tracks

 Body Count - Body Count starts off with a stripped down acoustic guitar with some spoken word about the depiction of the police in other media. After a minute the track explodes into a its full potential with alternating vocal and instruments sections. This track stands out because of its almost live tone; Ice T addresses other band members directly making for a fun listening experience.

 Voodoo - Voodoo is featured towards the halfway mark of the album and depicts the (probably fictional) story of Ice T's encounter with a witch doctor in New Orleans. The track feature two main riffs that alternate between verses adding to the story telling element immensely. The story in Voodoo is continued in Body Counts latest album on the track Black Voodoo Sex.

 The Winner Loses - The Winner Loses is a more serious track compared to the others on the album. The Winner Loses is a ballad about a friend that abuse drugs and his eventual demise. The Winner Loses feature two distinct riffs with different styles adding to the progression and narrative of the track. The Winner Loses also features backing vocals that compliment Ice T well and adds a more somber tone to the track.

 There Goes The Neighborhood - There Goes The Neighborhood was the only single released from the album and represents Body Count's invasion of the rock scene. The track fights back at stereotyping in the music scene. TGTN features an awesome drum solo that showcases Body Count's skill.

 Cop Killer - Cop Killer was the source of the album controversy at release mainly due to its themes. Cop Killer comes after a thirty second intro where Ice T says he shoots pigs in a parking lot. The actual record is quite good, The track feature samples of firing guns to add to the overall theme of the track as well as the use of named examples such as Rodney King.

 After a couple of playthroughs, Body Count is still quite a solid album and if anything quite avant-garde of the year it was released. In recent years, rap and metal have had quite the relationship and are sprouting love children left, right and center. With the inclusion of intermissions throughout the album, the album remains refreshing and immersive. (check out our review of Body Count's latest album Manslaughter here)

 To finish off, here is the video (that features the censored lyric) that accompanied the single from the album, There Goes The Neighborhood (Video linked here for mobile users)