If you're a Protest the Hero fan, chances are you're already familiar with their recent Pacific Myth EP project being recorded and released one track per month over on Bandcamp. Maybe you're even a subscriber already. But if you're not necessarily a Protest fan, you might only have heard about this Pacific Myth thing from me (please, let me hold onto the delusion that I'm somehow your go-to for this kind of thing). And unfortunately, since Pacific Myth is a subscription-based project, I can really only recommend new songs to you when they come out, rather than linking you directly to the goods.
So today I'm going to be a nice guy. Rather than pointing you at the latest Pacific Myth track (called "Cataract", which you definitely should check out if you get the chance) I'm just going to hit you with a tasty tune from the band's last LP, 2013's Volition. "Underbite" is a characteristically high energy song with a characteristically acerbic and tongue-in-cheek take on rock stardom and the music industry. Would you expect anything less from Rody and the Gang?
Showing posts with label Protest the Hero. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Protest the Hero. Show all posts
Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Sunday, 20 December 2015
Friday: Protest the Hero - Cold Water
I hate to feature something as a Song of the Day that you can't necessarily go out a listen to readily without paying something out of pocket, but the guys in Protest the Hero have recently released the latest installment in the Pacific Myth song-a-month EP and I can't help myself. Sorry.
Despite being brand-spanking new, "Cold Water" has a lot of classic Protest stuff going on -- high energy, shreddy riffing, acrobatic vocals -- but it's also very much reflective of the focus on songwriting instead of riff-grafting that's characterized the band's last couple of albums. And just in case anybody still had any doubts about new-ish bassist Cameron McLellan, there's a mid-song section with a little tasty slappity slap slap going on, and there's some solid bass work throughout (and it's sitting in a pretty good spot in the mix, too).
As I said above, this one's part of the Pacific Myth subscription service, so you'll have to shell out a bit of change if you want access to it as well as the preceding two tracks, but this Protest the Hero fan would like you to know that Pacific Myth has been worth the price of admission so far. Get in here and see what you're missing, OK?
Despite being brand-spanking new, "Cold Water" has a lot of classic Protest stuff going on -- high energy, shreddy riffing, acrobatic vocals -- but it's also very much reflective of the focus on songwriting instead of riff-grafting that's characterized the band's last couple of albums. And just in case anybody still had any doubts about new-ish bassist Cameron McLellan, there's a mid-song section with a little tasty slappity slap slap going on, and there's some solid bass work throughout (and it's sitting in a pretty good spot in the mix, too).
As I said above, this one's part of the Pacific Myth subscription service, so you'll have to shell out a bit of change if you want access to it as well as the preceding two tracks, but this Protest the Hero fan would like you to know that Pacific Myth has been worth the price of admission so far. Get in here and see what you're missing, OK?
Monday, 26 October 2015
Wednesday: Protest the Hero - Ragged Tooth
It hasn't been very long at all since the last time I featured a Protest the Hero song here at Loud Noises, but those of you who follow the band know that they've recently announced a new project that I would be very remiss not to mention. The downside, of course, is that I can't link to this one for you this time.
The reason for this is the nature of Protest's new endeavour: Pacific Myth is a brand-spanking new subscription service the boys are launching, with the first content being a new song a month for the next sixth months (or at least that's how I understand it). But this is more than just a stretched-out EP with a few crowdfunder-style perks thrown on top -- this seems to be how the guys are going to distribute new material going forward.
So yet again Protest the Hero is trying something new to removed the middleman from the delivery of their music to their fans. The first new Pacific Myth track, "Ragged Tooth", is available now, but the catch is you've got to subscribe to Pacific Myth on Bancamp. The un-catch is that the price starts at twelve American greenbacks, which is a pretty good deal for some new Protest material if you ask me.
Oh, and "Ragged Tooth" slays. Almost forgot to mention that....
The reason for this is the nature of Protest's new endeavour: Pacific Myth is a brand-spanking new subscription service the boys are launching, with the first content being a new song a month for the next sixth months (or at least that's how I understand it). But this is more than just a stretched-out EP with a few crowdfunder-style perks thrown on top -- this seems to be how the guys are going to distribute new material going forward.
So yet again Protest the Hero is trying something new to removed the middleman from the delivery of their music to their fans. The first new Pacific Myth track, "Ragged Tooth", is available now, but the catch is you've got to subscribe to Pacific Myth on Bancamp. The un-catch is that the price starts at twelve American greenbacks, which is a pretty good deal for some new Protest material if you ask me.
Oh, and "Ragged Tooth" slays. Almost forgot to mention that....
Tuesday, 13 October 2015
Thursday: Protest the Hero - Turn Soonest to the Sea
For your belated Throwback Thursday song for last week, I'm turning to perennial Loud Noises favourite Protest the Hero. What does such a young band have to do with throwing back, you ask?
Despite their relative youth, Protest the Hero have been busy over the last decade, releasing four LPs and touring like crazy. More importantly (at least for my purposes today), the band's stellar debut album Kezia turned ten years old at the end of August, and to commemorate the guys have planned an anniversary tour with the original, now-defunct lineup. There's no Kingston date this time around (what gives, guys?) but it still looks to be a good time.
So that's why you're getting a track from the ten-year-old Kezia today, namely "Turn Soonest to the Sea". Crank this one and then go grab your tickets for one of the Kezia X dates. It'll be worth your while, I promise! (hint: you might get to hear some Mandroid Echostar material if you catching them opening on this tour...)
Despite their relative youth, Protest the Hero have been busy over the last decade, releasing four LPs and touring like crazy. More importantly (at least for my purposes today), the band's stellar debut album Kezia turned ten years old at the end of August, and to commemorate the guys have planned an anniversary tour with the original, now-defunct lineup. There's no Kingston date this time around (what gives, guys?) but it still looks to be a good time.
So that's why you're getting a track from the ten-year-old Kezia today, namely "Turn Soonest to the Sea". Crank this one and then go grab your tickets for one of the Kezia X dates. It'll be worth your while, I promise! (hint: you might get to hear some Mandroid Echostar material if you catching them opening on this tour...)
Wednesday, 24 June 2015
Sunday: Protest the Hero - Skies
Wow, I guess I have to send a cartoon factory worker up a cartoon ladder to reset my imaginary "days since last accident" sign here at Loud Noises. At least this time I have the slightly-more-legit excuses of "visiting with family for Father's Day" and "being a lazy pile of crap for my birthday yesterday" for being behind the eight ball once again, rather than my usual "just falling behind on my shit". Catch-up rematch, anyone?
Let's start with a little something tried-and-true for you Sunday song, to get back into the swing of things. I'm thinking some Protest the Hero, as it's been a bit since I last championed their cause. This time out I'm going with "Skies", the closing number from the band's 2013 album Volition. If you've ever listened to Protest and dug them, but never really gotten into them further, this is the song for you: six minutes of pure Protest shrenergy (that's "shreddy energy", for the uninitiated) bookended by just enough sparse guitar intro and outro to keep you from pulling something on takeoff and landing.
It's not my favourite Protest the Hero record, but Volition is still rock solid, thanks to the strength of tracks like "Skies". This longtime Protest fan can't wait to hear what's next.
Let's start with a little something tried-and-true for you Sunday song, to get back into the swing of things. I'm thinking some Protest the Hero, as it's been a bit since I last championed their cause. This time out I'm going with "Skies", the closing number from the band's 2013 album Volition. If you've ever listened to Protest and dug them, but never really gotten into them further, this is the song for you: six minutes of pure Protest shrenergy (that's "shreddy energy", for the uninitiated) bookended by just enough sparse guitar intro and outro to keep you from pulling something on takeoff and landing.
It's not my favourite Protest the Hero record, but Volition is still rock solid, thanks to the strength of tracks like "Skies". This longtime Protest fan can't wait to hear what's next.
Saturday, 28 March 2015
Thursday: Gyre - I Release
Sisyphus here, coming to you live on location from behind this giant boulder that just won't go up this damn hill...
Yes, I'm still catching up from last weekend's lax performance, but I'm going to do it today, I swear, and I'm going to start with a belated Thursday post of some rather tasty metalcore. Even if you're one of those anti-metalcore types I'm always talking about, I still think you might find a thing or two to enjoy in this one.
"I Release", from the upcoming EP Moirai, is the latest from New York's Gyre, and while it'd be easy to just call it a metalcore song, it'd be doing these guys such a disservice. Sure, it's metalcorey, but it's got an edge of progginess, a vein of thrashy shreddiness, and a healthy share of catchy energy like you might find in, say, a Protest the Hero song.
Needless to say, this track goes (know what I mean, nudge nudge?) so metalcore aficionado or not, you should probably give this one a listen or two. Or three. It's really up to you.
Yes, I'm still catching up from last weekend's lax performance, but I'm going to do it today, I swear, and I'm going to start with a belated Thursday post of some rather tasty metalcore. Even if you're one of those anti-metalcore types I'm always talking about, I still think you might find a thing or two to enjoy in this one.
"I Release", from the upcoming EP Moirai, is the latest from New York's Gyre, and while it'd be easy to just call it a metalcore song, it'd be doing these guys such a disservice. Sure, it's metalcorey, but it's got an edge of progginess, a vein of thrashy shreddiness, and a healthy share of catchy energy like you might find in, say, a Protest the Hero song.
Needless to say, this track goes (know what I mean, nudge nudge?) so metalcore aficionado or not, you should probably give this one a listen or two. Or three. It's really up to you.
Saturday, 7 March 2015
Friday: Timerity - Isosceles
You know I sometimes like to do something a little more chill heading into the weekend, so for this week's Friday post (a little late, yes, I know...) I've got a nice little metal-related surprise for you to chill out with.
So think back to Protest the Hero's second album Fortress. There's a song on there called "Spoils" that has this piano section at the end of it. You might, at first listen, think the boys brought it a guest musician or something, without realizing that guitarist Tim Millar, in addition to being a master beard-grower, is a pretty good pianist as well.
And now he's got a full-on little side project going (if that makes any sense) under the moniker of Timerity. That's why you're going to check out "Isosceles" for your Friday song, which contains the aforementioned piano section from "Spoils" and a bunch more too. Turn your pianist friends into Protest the Hero fans today!
So think back to Protest the Hero's second album Fortress. There's a song on there called "Spoils" that has this piano section at the end of it. You might, at first listen, think the boys brought it a guest musician or something, without realizing that guitarist Tim Millar, in addition to being a master beard-grower, is a pretty good pianist as well.
And now he's got a full-on little side project going (if that makes any sense) under the moniker of Timerity. That's why you're going to check out "Isosceles" for your Friday song, which contains the aforementioned piano section from "Spoils" and a bunch more too. Turn your pianist friends into Protest the Hero fans today!
Saturday, 24 January 2015
Raiju - Yetzer Hara
If "yesterday's" post of Crosses was meant to be a little more chill for a Friday evening of hanging out, then today's song is meant for a more... energetic Saturday evening. Prepare yourself for some progtastic out-rocking.
I've written about Berkeley's Raiju before, and if the strength of their debut LP Haunt is any indication, I'll most definitely be writing about them again. Haunt's chock full of a variety of proggy flavours, from shred-djent a la Periphery to speedy pop-metal riffing a la Protest the Hero, and all of them are present in generous-but-not-overindulgent amounts.
Check out "Yetzer Hara" for a slice of the kind of cocktail I'm talking about, and give Haunt a spin if you're looking for more where that came from.
I've written about Berkeley's Raiju before, and if the strength of their debut LP Haunt is any indication, I'll most definitely be writing about them again. Haunt's chock full of a variety of proggy flavours, from shred-djent a la Periphery to speedy pop-metal riffing a la Protest the Hero, and all of them are present in generous-but-not-overindulgent amounts.
Check out "Yetzer Hara" for a slice of the kind of cocktail I'm talking about, and give Haunt a spin if you're looking for more where that came from.
Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Raiju - The Kool-Aid
Yesterday's bout of cosmic inspiration regarding Refused took precedence over your usual Tech Tuesday programming -- I had to strike while the iron was hot, so to speak. But just in case you're still jonesin' for something a tad techier, I've got the perfect prescription for you.
California's Raiju remind me a lot of Protest the Hero: a powerful vocalist with some range, a super-tight rhythm section, a healthy helping of high energy noodling, even a melodic, sing-alongable chorus. But where Protest started life as more of a punk band, and still occasionally show flashes of this in their more recent, more metal offerings, Raiju takes the spastic Protest ADD formula and goes full shred with it. If Protest is perhaps a little unsure of its musical pedigree, a little "jack of all trades", Raiju is unabashedly shreddy, proggy metal.
So, in summation, it's not tech death, but technicality takes many forms, and after listening to "The Kool-Aid" from the band's recently released EP Haunt I think you'll agree that these guys are plenty tech enough for a Tech Tuesday... even if it does happen to actually be Wednesday right now. Stay tech everybody.
California's Raiju remind me a lot of Protest the Hero: a powerful vocalist with some range, a super-tight rhythm section, a healthy helping of high energy noodling, even a melodic, sing-alongable chorus. But where Protest started life as more of a punk band, and still occasionally show flashes of this in their more recent, more metal offerings, Raiju takes the spastic Protest ADD formula and goes full shred with it. If Protest is perhaps a little unsure of its musical pedigree, a little "jack of all trades", Raiju is unabashedly shreddy, proggy metal.
So, in summation, it's not tech death, but technicality takes many forms, and after listening to "The Kool-Aid" from the band's recently released EP Haunt I think you'll agree that these guys are plenty tech enough for a Tech Tuesday... even if it does happen to actually be Wednesday right now. Stay tech everybody.
Tuesday, 19 August 2014
Pit Report: Protest the Hero
I told you it was coming eventually, and now here it is, my pit report for last Sunday's Protest the Hero show here in Kingston. Now that I've had some time to ruminate on the experience, you're going to get the complete rundown. It'll be like you were there!
Let me start by saying I felt like a bit of a fanboy at this show. When I heard about this Protest mini-tour, with this line-up, I was beyond stoked. I've only known about/been into Mandroid Echostar and Pomegranate Tiger for a little bit (at least compared to being a Protest the Hero fan for the better part of a decade) but having already interviewed the one opener (Mandroid) and having wanted to do the other for a while (Pomegranate) at the time that I heard about the show, I couldn't miss this one.
I did, however, make a miscalculation on the actual evening of the show. As I think I've mentioned here before, when I was younger we usually skipped the opening acts at concerts unless we already had a pretty good idea who they were. This is a habit I'm slowly trying to get out of, since discovering new music is kinda what I do around here, but either way I certainly wasn't going to skip out on any of the opening festivities for this one. So I figured, doors at 7, do a little math, and we should be able to show up at 7:30 or 7:45 and just walk right in. It's a little club show, right?
Not so. Well, yes, it was a little club show, but no, my clever timing calculations didn't work out. The doors didn't open until 8 or after, and we didn't get in until a while after that. So despite my best efforts, the evening began with an unfortunate amount of standing around and being more than likely the oldest person lined up for the show.
But things started looking up as soon as we got inside. I've never really been the starstruck, autograph-seeking type, but within the first half-hour or so of the show (before things got started and then into Pomegranate Tiger's set) I'd scored the John Hancocks of both of Protest's guitarists Luke and Tim. On top of that, I had the chance to meet Mike from Mandroid and thank him for doing the Twenty Questions with me a while back.
Anyways, back to the whole point: the badass metal show. First up was Pomegranate Tiger, who had the crowd pretty into it despite being the first opener and an instrumental act. I don't know how many people (can I say kids without unfairly generalizing? probably) in the audience knew PT beforehand, but you'd be forgiven for thinking that they were indeed very familiar with Pomegranate's jams, such was their enthusiasm. If the crowd was already aware of Pomegranate Tiger, then I guess I'm impressed with the number of people in Kingston who seem to be that into them, and if they weren't cognizant of PT already, I'm similarly impressed with PT's ability to fucking bring it to an unsuspecting audience. Well done.
Next up was Mandroid Echostar, a band whose presence and general tightness really speaks to the fact that they've been playing some shows and honing their chops. The band's got three guitarists, two of whom spend a good amount of time shredding out some tasty leads, and all three are rock solid across the varied material that Mandroid plays. If they play it on the record, they can play it live. Likewise, the aforementioned Michael Ciccia has plenty of range, and sounds great on record, but also doesn't sacrifice any of that range or any of his power in a live setting.
And then, of course, there's Protest the Hero. What can I say about Protest's live show that I haven't said before? I've seen Protest three or four times now, and I would see them again any chance I get. As usual, the boys played a decent mix of old and new stuff, although also as usual, not a lot of love for debut LP Kezia (one track, or maybe two, if I recall correctly). But realistically, after the rest of the evening, a good set from Protest the Hero was almost icing in the cake.
All in all, despite the slow start, and the fact that I had to work at 4 AM the next morning, it was a pretty sweet night. I really hope that any and all of these bands make it back to Kingston sooner rather than later, because the convenience of being able to take in three great metal acts in your own backyard just can't be beat. I highly suggest you try it sometime.
Let me start by saying I felt like a bit of a fanboy at this show. When I heard about this Protest mini-tour, with this line-up, I was beyond stoked. I've only known about/been into Mandroid Echostar and Pomegranate Tiger for a little bit (at least compared to being a Protest the Hero fan for the better part of a decade) but having already interviewed the one opener (Mandroid) and having wanted to do the other for a while (Pomegranate) at the time that I heard about the show, I couldn't miss this one.
I did, however, make a miscalculation on the actual evening of the show. As I think I've mentioned here before, when I was younger we usually skipped the opening acts at concerts unless we already had a pretty good idea who they were. This is a habit I'm slowly trying to get out of, since discovering new music is kinda what I do around here, but either way I certainly wasn't going to skip out on any of the opening festivities for this one. So I figured, doors at 7, do a little math, and we should be able to show up at 7:30 or 7:45 and just walk right in. It's a little club show, right?
Not so. Well, yes, it was a little club show, but no, my clever timing calculations didn't work out. The doors didn't open until 8 or after, and we didn't get in until a while after that. So despite my best efforts, the evening began with an unfortunate amount of standing around and being more than likely the oldest person lined up for the show.
But things started looking up as soon as we got inside. I've never really been the starstruck, autograph-seeking type, but within the first half-hour or so of the show (before things got started and then into Pomegranate Tiger's set) I'd scored the John Hancocks of both of Protest's guitarists Luke and Tim. On top of that, I had the chance to meet Mike from Mandroid and thank him for doing the Twenty Questions with me a while back.
Anyways, back to the whole point: the badass metal show. First up was Pomegranate Tiger, who had the crowd pretty into it despite being the first opener and an instrumental act. I don't know how many people (can I say kids without unfairly generalizing? probably) in the audience knew PT beforehand, but you'd be forgiven for thinking that they were indeed very familiar with Pomegranate's jams, such was their enthusiasm. If the crowd was already aware of Pomegranate Tiger, then I guess I'm impressed with the number of people in Kingston who seem to be that into them, and if they weren't cognizant of PT already, I'm similarly impressed with PT's ability to fucking bring it to an unsuspecting audience. Well done.
Next up was Mandroid Echostar, a band whose presence and general tightness really speaks to the fact that they've been playing some shows and honing their chops. The band's got three guitarists, two of whom spend a good amount of time shredding out some tasty leads, and all three are rock solid across the varied material that Mandroid plays. If they play it on the record, they can play it live. Likewise, the aforementioned Michael Ciccia has plenty of range, and sounds great on record, but also doesn't sacrifice any of that range or any of his power in a live setting.
And then, of course, there's Protest the Hero. What can I say about Protest's live show that I haven't said before? I've seen Protest three or four times now, and I would see them again any chance I get. As usual, the boys played a decent mix of old and new stuff, although also as usual, not a lot of love for debut LP Kezia (one track, or maybe two, if I recall correctly). But realistically, after the rest of the evening, a good set from Protest the Hero was almost icing in the cake.
All in all, despite the slow start, and the fact that I had to work at 4 AM the next morning, it was a pretty sweet night. I really hope that any and all of these bands make it back to Kingston sooner rather than later, because the convenience of being able to take in three great metal acts in your own backyard just can't be beat. I highly suggest you try it sometime.
Monday, 11 August 2014
Monday: Pomegranate Tiger - Stars
I know it hasn't been all that long since the last time Pomegranate Tiger provided me with your Song of the Day (I picked "Not to See the Sun" to accompany the Pom Tiger Twenty Questions post that went up back in July). But last night's show was such a good time, and Pomegranate Tiger killed their opening slot, so I figure they've earned a little more Loud Noises love.
Tonight I'm going with "Stars", another track from the band's self-titled debut LP. "Stars" is a chunky riffathon, chock full of the shreddy arpeggiating (arpeggio-ing?) that's pretty much Pomegranate Tiger's stock in trade. "Stars" is also a good Pom Tiger song to check out if you don't know them, because it strikes a good balance between being proggy and being concise, between being heavy and being melodic, between being technical and being accessible. Check out "Stars" and then agree with me that these guys need to release album number two already.
Tonight I'm going with "Stars", another track from the band's self-titled debut LP. "Stars" is a chunky riffathon, chock full of the shreddy arpeggiating (arpeggio-ing?) that's pretty much Pomegranate Tiger's stock in trade. "Stars" is also a good Pom Tiger song to check out if you don't know them, because it strikes a good balance between being proggy and being concise, between being heavy and being melodic, between being technical and being accessible. Check out "Stars" and then agree with me that these guys need to release album number two already.
Sunday: Protest the Hero - Mist
Some of you might be wondering what happened to Sunday's Song of the Day. I'll lay some of the blame on my recovery from Saturday's Mini-Olympiad, but the more exciting excuse is that last night was the long-awaited Protest the Hero show here in town, with support from Pomegranate Tiger and Mandroid Echostar.
I know I've mentioned this show and its tour at least a couple of times here at Loud Noises (I asked the guys from Pomegranate Tiger in our Twenty Questions exchange, for example) but I've been busy at work, and I've had the mini-olympics on the brain for a bit, and somehow or other this show just kinda crept up on me. Not that I'm complaining.
I had of course intended to drop a quick Protest song on you before we left, but much of my afternoon yesterday was consumed by napping, in preparation for my 4 AM start at work this morning. (Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a real sob story.) So the order of business when it comes to catching up on yesterday is most definitely a Protest the Hero song, and the boys have helped me make a choice as to which one by releasing a new video recently.
Your song for yesterday is "Mist", from last year's Volition, an homage to the province of Newfoundland. The boys in Protest have apparently long had a soft spot for Newfoundland and the warm reception they continually receive whenever touring takes them there. And if the song is dedicated to the band's favourite province, the video is perhaps even more so. Crank "Mist" and be jealous of the time I had last night while you await my Pit Report later in the week.
I know I've mentioned this show and its tour at least a couple of times here at Loud Noises (I asked the guys from Pomegranate Tiger in our Twenty Questions exchange, for example) but I've been busy at work, and I've had the mini-olympics on the brain for a bit, and somehow or other this show just kinda crept up on me. Not that I'm complaining.
I had of course intended to drop a quick Protest song on you before we left, but much of my afternoon yesterday was consumed by napping, in preparation for my 4 AM start at work this morning. (Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a real sob story.) So the order of business when it comes to catching up on yesterday is most definitely a Protest the Hero song, and the boys have helped me make a choice as to which one by releasing a new video recently.
Your song for yesterday is "Mist", from last year's Volition, an homage to the province of Newfoundland. The boys in Protest have apparently long had a soft spot for Newfoundland and the warm reception they continually receive whenever touring takes them there. And if the song is dedicated to the band's favourite province, the video is perhaps even more so. Crank "Mist" and be jealous of the time I had last night while you await my Pit Report later in the week.
Monday, 14 July 2014
Destrage - Are You Kidding Me? No.
In yesterday's song post, I talked briefly about how "catchy" doesn't have to be a bad thing to call a metal band. It can, in the right circumstances, be a perfectly fine thing, and if you mix "catchy" and some "weird" together, it can be a perfectly great thing.
I've written about Italy's Destrage before, but since then I've spent a lot more time with their latest disc Are You Kidding Me? No. and have come to the conclusion that it'll be criminal if this record doesn't end up on some Best of 2014 lists at the end of the year. There's a decent chance it'll land on mine, but for now I'm just going to urge you to check these guys out, and facilitate your doing so by featuring another track from this killer album.
I'm honestly hard-pressed to pick the right song to feature from Are You Kidding Me? No. "My Green Neighbour" feels perhaps the most singley (and I mean it is the album's single), but I've already done that one. Album opener "Destroy, Create, Transform, Sublimate" does a great job of kicking things off with a bang and setting the tone for the rest of the record, but I think I have to go with the album closing title track as your Song for this evening.
"Are You Kidding Me? No." opens punky and techy and even a little mathy, like some hypothetical super jam featuring members of Protest the Hero and The Dillinger Escape Plan. Things go a bit further down the math-prog rabbit hole before taking a turn for mariachi oom-pah town before ultimately resolving into some very neo-classical sounding shred. All in all, it's a good encapsulation of the confident wackyness to be had on Are You Kidding Me? No. and a good encapsulation of why you should give Destrage a listen.
I've written about Italy's Destrage before, but since then I've spent a lot more time with their latest disc Are You Kidding Me? No. and have come to the conclusion that it'll be criminal if this record doesn't end up on some Best of 2014 lists at the end of the year. There's a decent chance it'll land on mine, but for now I'm just going to urge you to check these guys out, and facilitate your doing so by featuring another track from this killer album.
I'm honestly hard-pressed to pick the right song to feature from Are You Kidding Me? No. "My Green Neighbour" feels perhaps the most singley (and I mean it is the album's single), but I've already done that one. Album opener "Destroy, Create, Transform, Sublimate" does a great job of kicking things off with a bang and setting the tone for the rest of the record, but I think I have to go with the album closing title track as your Song for this evening.
"Are You Kidding Me? No." opens punky and techy and even a little mathy, like some hypothetical super jam featuring members of Protest the Hero and The Dillinger Escape Plan. Things go a bit further down the math-prog rabbit hole before taking a turn for mariachi oom-pah town before ultimately resolving into some very neo-classical sounding shred. All in all, it's a good encapsulation of the confident wackyness to be had on Are You Kidding Me? No. and a good encapsulation of why you should give Destrage a listen.
Monday, 7 July 2014
Twenty Questions - Matt and Martin from Pomegranate Tiger
Well howdy, stranger. Beginning to wonder if, after six months or so
of radio silence, I'd ever be back with another Twenty Questions
interview? Oh ye of little faith...
Yes, it's true, it has once again been far too long, but I am indeed back with another twenty of my inane questions for another one of heavy music's up and coming bands. Today we're going to learn a little more about some pretty complex, pretty progressive instrumental metal from Matt Shaheen and Martin Andres, guitarists from Pomegranate Tiger. Take a look.
Yes, it's true, it has once again been far too long, but I am indeed back with another twenty of my inane questions for another one of heavy music's up and coming bands. Today we're going to learn a little more about some pretty complex, pretty progressive instrumental metal from Matt Shaheen and Martin Andres, guitarists from Pomegranate Tiger. Take a look.
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
Album of the Week: Protest the Hero - Kezia
It's Canada Day today, so you know I'm going to take that excuse for a theme and run with it as far as I can. The end result as far as you're concerned is some Canadian stuff for your song and album today, starting with the rock-solid debut LP from one of my favourite bands.
The success of their crowdfunding campaign for last year's Volition may have put them front and centre in the metal world for a bit, but Whitby's Protest the Hero were making their name on their tasty tech riffage for years before that. Protest has a great back catalogue, and I could comfortably recommend you spend the week with any of their records prior to Volition, but in order to fully appreciate how far they've come, I think you've got to start at the start.
Kezia is one of those debut records that struck like a proverbial bolt out of the blue, an effect only compounded by the teenaged status of the band at the time of the album's composition and recording. It certainly depressed me, a guitarist in my early twenties at the time, that a bunch of kids several years my junior had come roaring out of the gate with such an impressive first album.
Punky energy, metal technicality, Rody's phenomenal vocal range, high-brow concepts -- none of it is anything new for Protest. They've been doing that kind of thing since the beginning, and have only been honing their sound. Longtime fans of the band will know how good Kezia is, but latecomers to the Protest party who haven't delved into the band's early days should be implored to do so. Just because the guys don't play a whole lot of cuts off Kezia anymore doesn't detract from said album's awesomeness. Discover that awesomeness for yourself this week, please.
The success of their crowdfunding campaign for last year's Volition may have put them front and centre in the metal world for a bit, but Whitby's Protest the Hero were making their name on their tasty tech riffage for years before that. Protest has a great back catalogue, and I could comfortably recommend you spend the week with any of their records prior to Volition, but in order to fully appreciate how far they've come, I think you've got to start at the start.
Kezia is one of those debut records that struck like a proverbial bolt out of the blue, an effect only compounded by the teenaged status of the band at the time of the album's composition and recording. It certainly depressed me, a guitarist in my early twenties at the time, that a bunch of kids several years my junior had come roaring out of the gate with such an impressive first album.
Punky energy, metal technicality, Rody's phenomenal vocal range, high-brow concepts -- none of it is anything new for Protest. They've been doing that kind of thing since the beginning, and have only been honing their sound. Longtime fans of the band will know how good Kezia is, but latecomers to the Protest party who haven't delved into the band's early days should be implored to do so. Just because the guys don't play a whole lot of cuts off Kezia anymore doesn't detract from said album's awesomeness. Discover that awesomeness for yourself this week, please.
Thursday, 26 June 2014
The Kindred - A Grand Debate
Just in case the last couple of days of tech death have left you a little drained, I've decided to ease off the throttle a bit tonight. But don't worry -- things'll still be a little proggy.
Ottawa band The Kindred are no strangers to the heavy music seen, having been formerly built a bit of a following under the moniker Today I Caught the Plague, but they've only released their debut LP under the new name earlier this year. Nevertheless, all that experience shows: Life in Lucidity doesn't have any debut album jitters or timidity, instead coming across as the work of a band that's confident in its sound.
"A Grand Debate" is a good example of this, combining some energetic, intricate-but-not-too-intricate guitar work with the dynamic performance of vocalist David Journeaux, who reminds me a bit of Rody from Protest if Rody had a little less range and a lot more raw, unpolished edges. At times The Kindred are musically vaguely reminiscent of Protest the Hero as a band as well, but not at all in a way or to a degree that should prevent you from giving "A Grand Debate" a listen right now. So do it. Go on. Right now.
Ottawa band The Kindred are no strangers to the heavy music seen, having been formerly built a bit of a following under the moniker Today I Caught the Plague, but they've only released their debut LP under the new name earlier this year. Nevertheless, all that experience shows: Life in Lucidity doesn't have any debut album jitters or timidity, instead coming across as the work of a band that's confident in its sound.
"A Grand Debate" is a good example of this, combining some energetic, intricate-but-not-too-intricate guitar work with the dynamic performance of vocalist David Journeaux, who reminds me a bit of Rody from Protest if Rody had a little less range and a lot more raw, unpolished edges. At times The Kindred are musically vaguely reminiscent of Protest the Hero as a band as well, but not at all in a way or to a degree that should prevent you from giving "A Grand Debate" a listen right now. So do it. Go on. Right now.
Saturday, 7 June 2014
Mandroid Echostar - Ancient Arrows
The boys in Mandroid Echostar have put out another guitar playthrough vid for one of their tasty tunes; what more reason do I need to give them another go in the spotlight?
The playthrough of "Ancient Arrows", from last year's Citadels EP, is instrumental only, but it'll still give you a good sense of their proggy, noodly, vaguely Protest the Hero-y sound, and hopefully whet your appetite to the point that you'll want to go check out the real thing. Mandroid's first two EPs have been so solid that I can't wait to hear what they put together for a debut full-length. Maybe after today you'll join me on the Mandroid bandwagon?
The playthrough of "Ancient Arrows", from last year's Citadels EP, is instrumental only, but it'll still give you a good sense of their proggy, noodly, vaguely Protest the Hero-y sound, and hopefully whet your appetite to the point that you'll want to go check out the real thing. Mandroid's first two EPs have been so solid that I can't wait to hear what they put together for a debut full-length. Maybe after today you'll join me on the Mandroid bandwagon?
Friday, 31 January 2014
2013 Round-up: Loud Noises Ten Best of 2013
Well, it's finally time to sit down and look back on the year that was and celebrate the fact that 2013 was a very strong year for heavy music of every stripe. My belief that we shouldn't judge a year until it's actually done, coupled with my very gradual (read: glacial) working pace over Christmas, has put me several weeks behind where I originally intended to be on this, but now that 2013 exists only in our memories, and I've got all my ducks in a row, I'm ready to jump on the bandwagon of musical criticism (every other metal website out there has of course had their "Top X of 2013" lists up for, like, two months now).
Now, before you read the following list and then explode with rage at my selections, let's establish right now that these are my personal favourites from last year, the albums that I would say I spent the most time listening to and enjoying. I am in no way saying that these are definitively or objectively the ten "best" albums from 2013. Yes, the words "Ten Best" do appear in the title of this post, but in the context of being the Loud Noises Ten Best, not the Ten Best. So there. I refuse to take any responsibility for any butthurt you might incur from the omission of your favourite band or album.
So, without further ado, and in no particular order, please enjoy the Loud Noises Ten Best albums of 2013.
- Tesseract - Altered State
Tesseract's first LP One left me such a fanboy that I probably would have lapped up new material like a cartoon cat with a saucer of milk regardless of its quality. What good fortune then that follow-up full-legnth Altered State is so goddamned awesome. Call it metal, call it prog, call it djent if you feel you must, but whatever label you choose to apply to Tesseract, you can't deny their infectious groove and rhythmic power. More than perhaps any other band represented on this list, Tesseract are a band you can put on for your non-metal head friends and still reasonably expect them to enjoy it. Yeah, you read that right: Tesseract are an accessible metal or "heavy" band, but in a way that renders "accessibility" a good quality instead of a dirty word.
- The Ocean - Pelagial
If you'll pardon the nautical pun, Pelagial is album with a very deep concept. The idea, if I understand things correctly, is that the sonic journey of the album from start to finish is supposed to represent or replicate the experience of descending into the depths of the ocean. Of course, Pelagial doesn't adhere to this template rigidly, but rather does so just enough to sketch out the concept's bones. The prettier, prog-rockier early parts of the record, replete with piano parts, give way to denser, more prog-metally parts, and things get doomier mood-wise as we get further down. Interestingly, Pelagial is also one of several albums I've come across lately (another being Tesseract's Altered State from above) that come with both a regular version of the album and an instrumental one. Regular readers will know I'm a fan of instrumental music, but it's a true testament to The Ocean's songwriting and musicianship that Pelagial is just as enthralling without any vocals at all.
- Revocation - Revocation
Thrash is dead! Long live thrash! I've heard the whole movement of which Revocation can be considered part called retro-thrash, or re-thrash, but there's nothing retro about the Boston band's badass sound. What Revocation plays is decidedly modern thrash, an evolutionary leap forward from the kind of metal bands like Metallica used to play back in their heyday. And yet, Revocation has a classic feel too, like it would be at home alongside any era of fast and furious metal. Revocation is also one of those albums that satisfies with its own awesomeness at the same time that it whets the appetite for more awesomeness to come. Songs like "The Hive", "Archfiend", and "Invidious", to name just a few, make me very excited to hear what Revocation will come up with next time out.
- letlive. - The Blackest Beautiful
Yet another year has gone by without a major new release from post-hardcore legends Glassjaw, making them the genre's equivalent of Tool in terms of productivity. An album like The Blackest Beautiful, however, is enough to make you say "go ahead and take your time, Glassjaw". I don't know that everybody would agree with me on this one, but I really feel that letlive has the vibe of a "spiritual successor" to Glassjaw, especially with The Blackest Beautiful. They've got the same blend of energy, aggression, and pop sensibilities and vocal stylings. Glassjaw's Worship and Tribute is still a classic, but letlive might have crafted the modern equivalent in The Blackest Beautiful. And if they haven't done it here, their next album is going to slay.
- Misery Signals - Absent Light
This one is a little like Tesseract's Altered State, in the sense that I've been a Misery Signals fan for a long time and would probably have been satisfied with just about whatever Misery Signals came up with. I don't know if it's possible to re-bottle the lightning of earlier Misery Signals albums (2008's Controller is still my favourite) but Absent Light is still a rock solid balance between the dense technicality of Misery Signals' more recent work and the earnest aggression of their early stuff. As a supporter of the band's Indiegogo campaign, I for one am fully satisfied with the album that the band came up with, and would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
- East of the Wall - Redaction Artifacts
A word I often like to use about the sound and style of the band above, Misery Signals, is "dense". This is a word that could also be applied to East of the Wall's latest, Redaction Artifacts. "Dense" in the sense that there's so much going on. If you read even the occasional post around here, you'll know I like to try and compare bands to other bands, to help all of you get a bit better handle on things before you press play. East of the Wall had me stumped, and in the best possible way. Redaction Artifacts is unorthodox, but not inaccessible, technical, but not overly so, disharmonious, but not amelodic... I could keep pulling juxtapositions out of my ass all day, but a better use of your time would be to just go on Youtube and find out for yourself exactly why East of the Wall and Redaction Artifacts resist my attempts at classification and description.
- Anciients - Heart of Oak
As I've made clear in an Anciients Song of the Day, Heart of Oak is a hard album to pin down. It's a well-forged alloy of Mastodony post-metal, Opethian prog, straight-up death metal, and healthy helpings of classic metal and rock. Sprinkle in some impressive drum work, some vocal variety, and some truly tasty guitar leads, and you've got a delicious brew that is, incredibly, only the debut LP from this Vancouver band. I can only imagine what a little maturity will do for a band that's already this technically sophisticated.
- Plini - Other Things
I don't know if it's cheating a little or not to include an EP on my list of ten best "albums" of last year, but I don't really care. Plini is an incredibly talented guy, and he's put out some incredibly rad music in the past year, but his first EP Other Things was how I initially discovered his work, and of all his releases so far it's the one that's spent the most time coming out of my speakers since I got it. More than almost any other act on this list, I can't wait to hear what's next from this rising star, and that's saying something. It'll be absolutely criminal if Plini doesn't eventually get huge.
- Protest the Hero - Volition
Another longtime favourite of mine, Protest the Hero could almost do no wrong on this one. Me and thousands of other Indiegogo contributors basically said (or gambled) as much when we threw scads of money into a Protest-shaped hole in the internet. News of drummer Moe Carlson's departure disheartened as much as word of his session replacement Chris Adler excited. In the end, we needn't have worried about a thing: Protest's technicalilty is still top notch, and while the prog is dialed down, the songwriting is dialed way up. These are some of the best songs -- not collections of cool riffs and parts strung together -- of the band's career.
- Circles - Infinitas
The debut LP from Australia's prog-djent darlings Circles demonstrated that not only can the band craft riffs but songs as well. That was the thing about the band's 2011 EP The Compass: it was full to the brim with tasty riffs and bits, but the songs weren't always cohesive wholes so much as these riffs and bits strung together serviceably (sound familiar? *cough* Protest the Hero *cough*). Don't get me wrong, I really really dig The Compass, but for the most part you can't really build any kind of a career with just a good collection of riffs. You need some solid songs. Circles seems to think so too, as they brought an album's worth of solid material to the party with Infinitas. With initial outings as strong as The Compass and now Infinitas, this is yet another case of me being well stoked to hear a sophomore LP.
Aaaaannnnd there you have it. Not exactly ringing in the new year punctually, but as they say, better late than never. Right? Right?!
Now, before you read the following list and then explode with rage at my selections, let's establish right now that these are my personal favourites from last year, the albums that I would say I spent the most time listening to and enjoying. I am in no way saying that these are definitively or objectively the ten "best" albums from 2013. Yes, the words "Ten Best" do appear in the title of this post, but in the context of being the Loud Noises Ten Best, not the Ten Best. So there. I refuse to take any responsibility for any butthurt you might incur from the omission of your favourite band or album.
So, without further ado, and in no particular order, please enjoy the Loud Noises Ten Best albums of 2013.
- Tesseract - Altered State
Tesseract's first LP One left me such a fanboy that I probably would have lapped up new material like a cartoon cat with a saucer of milk regardless of its quality. What good fortune then that follow-up full-legnth Altered State is so goddamned awesome. Call it metal, call it prog, call it djent if you feel you must, but whatever label you choose to apply to Tesseract, you can't deny their infectious groove and rhythmic power. More than perhaps any other band represented on this list, Tesseract are a band you can put on for your non-metal head friends and still reasonably expect them to enjoy it. Yeah, you read that right: Tesseract are an accessible metal or "heavy" band, but in a way that renders "accessibility" a good quality instead of a dirty word.
- The Ocean - Pelagial
If you'll pardon the nautical pun, Pelagial is album with a very deep concept. The idea, if I understand things correctly, is that the sonic journey of the album from start to finish is supposed to represent or replicate the experience of descending into the depths of the ocean. Of course, Pelagial doesn't adhere to this template rigidly, but rather does so just enough to sketch out the concept's bones. The prettier, prog-rockier early parts of the record, replete with piano parts, give way to denser, more prog-metally parts, and things get doomier mood-wise as we get further down. Interestingly, Pelagial is also one of several albums I've come across lately (another being Tesseract's Altered State from above) that come with both a regular version of the album and an instrumental one. Regular readers will know I'm a fan of instrumental music, but it's a true testament to The Ocean's songwriting and musicianship that Pelagial is just as enthralling without any vocals at all.
- Revocation - Revocation
Thrash is dead! Long live thrash! I've heard the whole movement of which Revocation can be considered part called retro-thrash, or re-thrash, but there's nothing retro about the Boston band's badass sound. What Revocation plays is decidedly modern thrash, an evolutionary leap forward from the kind of metal bands like Metallica used to play back in their heyday. And yet, Revocation has a classic feel too, like it would be at home alongside any era of fast and furious metal. Revocation is also one of those albums that satisfies with its own awesomeness at the same time that it whets the appetite for more awesomeness to come. Songs like "The Hive", "Archfiend", and "Invidious", to name just a few, make me very excited to hear what Revocation will come up with next time out.
- letlive. - The Blackest Beautiful
Yet another year has gone by without a major new release from post-hardcore legends Glassjaw, making them the genre's equivalent of Tool in terms of productivity. An album like The Blackest Beautiful, however, is enough to make you say "go ahead and take your time, Glassjaw". I don't know that everybody would agree with me on this one, but I really feel that letlive has the vibe of a "spiritual successor" to Glassjaw, especially with The Blackest Beautiful. They've got the same blend of energy, aggression, and pop sensibilities and vocal stylings. Glassjaw's Worship and Tribute is still a classic, but letlive might have crafted the modern equivalent in The Blackest Beautiful. And if they haven't done it here, their next album is going to slay.
- Misery Signals - Absent Light
This one is a little like Tesseract's Altered State, in the sense that I've been a Misery Signals fan for a long time and would probably have been satisfied with just about whatever Misery Signals came up with. I don't know if it's possible to re-bottle the lightning of earlier Misery Signals albums (2008's Controller is still my favourite) but Absent Light is still a rock solid balance between the dense technicality of Misery Signals' more recent work and the earnest aggression of their early stuff. As a supporter of the band's Indiegogo campaign, I for one am fully satisfied with the album that the band came up with, and would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
- East of the Wall - Redaction Artifacts
A word I often like to use about the sound and style of the band above, Misery Signals, is "dense". This is a word that could also be applied to East of the Wall's latest, Redaction Artifacts. "Dense" in the sense that there's so much going on. If you read even the occasional post around here, you'll know I like to try and compare bands to other bands, to help all of you get a bit better handle on things before you press play. East of the Wall had me stumped, and in the best possible way. Redaction Artifacts is unorthodox, but not inaccessible, technical, but not overly so, disharmonious, but not amelodic... I could keep pulling juxtapositions out of my ass all day, but a better use of your time would be to just go on Youtube and find out for yourself exactly why East of the Wall and Redaction Artifacts resist my attempts at classification and description.
- Anciients - Heart of Oak
As I've made clear in an Anciients Song of the Day, Heart of Oak is a hard album to pin down. It's a well-forged alloy of Mastodony post-metal, Opethian prog, straight-up death metal, and healthy helpings of classic metal and rock. Sprinkle in some impressive drum work, some vocal variety, and some truly tasty guitar leads, and you've got a delicious brew that is, incredibly, only the debut LP from this Vancouver band. I can only imagine what a little maturity will do for a band that's already this technically sophisticated.
- Plini - Other Things
I don't know if it's cheating a little or not to include an EP on my list of ten best "albums" of last year, but I don't really care. Plini is an incredibly talented guy, and he's put out some incredibly rad music in the past year, but his first EP Other Things was how I initially discovered his work, and of all his releases so far it's the one that's spent the most time coming out of my speakers since I got it. More than almost any other act on this list, I can't wait to hear what's next from this rising star, and that's saying something. It'll be absolutely criminal if Plini doesn't eventually get huge.
- Protest the Hero - Volition
Another longtime favourite of mine, Protest the Hero could almost do no wrong on this one. Me and thousands of other Indiegogo contributors basically said (or gambled) as much when we threw scads of money into a Protest-shaped hole in the internet. News of drummer Moe Carlson's departure disheartened as much as word of his session replacement Chris Adler excited. In the end, we needn't have worried about a thing: Protest's technicalilty is still top notch, and while the prog is dialed down, the songwriting is dialed way up. These are some of the best songs -- not collections of cool riffs and parts strung together -- of the band's career.
- Circles - Infinitas
The debut LP from Australia's prog-djent darlings Circles demonstrated that not only can the band craft riffs but songs as well. That was the thing about the band's 2011 EP The Compass: it was full to the brim with tasty riffs and bits, but the songs weren't always cohesive wholes so much as these riffs and bits strung together serviceably (sound familiar? *cough* Protest the Hero *cough*). Don't get me wrong, I really really dig The Compass, but for the most part you can't really build any kind of a career with just a good collection of riffs. You need some solid songs. Circles seems to think so too, as they brought an album's worth of solid material to the party with Infinitas. With initial outings as strong as The Compass and now Infinitas, this is yet another case of me being well stoked to hear a sophomore LP.
Aaaaannnnd there you have it. Not exactly ringing in the new year punctually, but as they say, better late than never. Right? Right?!
Friday, 10 January 2014
A Sense of Gravity - Stormborn
It's still super early in the year, but I think today's band might be taking up a lot of my listening time over the next twelve months, or ten months, or however much is left of 2014 after Travail comes out in February.
I've seen A Sense of Gravity compared to Between the Buried and Me, but personally I hear more Protest the Hero meets death metal in the combination of riffage and vocal style. But any way you slice it, I'm intrigued by A Sense of Gravity's first outing "Stormborn" and I look forward to hearing more when Travail drops.
I've seen A Sense of Gravity compared to Between the Buried and Me, but personally I hear more Protest the Hero meets death metal in the combination of riffage and vocal style. But any way you slice it, I'm intrigued by A Sense of Gravity's first outing "Stormborn" and I look forward to hearing more when Travail drops.
Saturday, 21 December 2013
Twenty Questions - Salt of the Chief Cornerstone
Hey everybody, as you may or may not have noticed, it's been a long
time since I've posted a Twenty Questions interview, and I think it's
high time I fixed that. What's that? You agree that I should rectify
this situation? You want to read another e-mail interview as soon as
possible? Well then today's your lucky day!
Today's Twenty Questions were answered by the boys from Salt of the Chief Cornerstone, an instrumental guitar-and-drums duo I saw open for Protest the Hero back at the start of November. I dug their sound so much that I picked up a copy of their demo EP and subsequently singled them out as my next victims for interrogation. Read on for the results of my questioning.
Today's Twenty Questions were answered by the boys from Salt of the Chief Cornerstone, an instrumental guitar-and-drums duo I saw open for Protest the Hero back at the start of November. I dug their sound so much that I picked up a copy of their demo EP and subsequently singled them out as my next victims for interrogation. Read on for the results of my questioning.
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