Enemy Logic - Bones As Armour [2009]

Genre: Metalcore/Melodic Death Metal
Label: Unsigned
URL: http://www.myspace.com/enemylogic
Country: Cork, Ireland
Note: By band request

Irish metalcore quartet Enemy Logic has released their debut album, Bones As Armour.
First impressions and the keyboards give me a thought of old school melodic death metal, but as whole it's pretty much very generic metalcore. Pretty boring riffs, mediocre vocal efforts, the songs sound pretty much the same...
Sick and tired as I am of melodic death metal, this may have an impact on this review. Don't get me wrong about this album, it's perfectly fine. However, if they work a little on standing out of the crowd and create that "something special", I may get my ears open.
I have to admit though that the Ring of Fire cover is a little amusing. Why, oh why did you make a cover of THAT song?!

All in all it's classic metalcore with a dash of melodic death metal. If this sounds appealing to you, go ahead and check the band out, you won't get disappointed. But if you're looking for progressive and new, you may want to search somewhere else.


Best song: Scatter The Ashes
Score: 4/10

Emmure - Felony [2009]

Genre: Beatdown/Hardcore/Metalcore
Label: Victory Records
URL: http://www.myspace.com/emmure
Country: New York, USA

Emmure's third full-length has been released to many's hopes, and disbelief. Nowadays I hear more negative things being said about Emmure than positive things. In one way I understand them. Going from emotional lyrics about false love and relationships to the "fuck bitches, get money"-concept. I, for one matter, am not a fan of this kind of change which began even in their previous album The Respect Issue.
I also hear complaints about Emmure being a "chugchugchug"-band. In what way should someone be annoyed by this fact? Don't like it? Don't listen to it. And keep those comments to yourself.

To get back to the album itself. For an opening track there is Sunday Bacon, which sounds like a ripoff of Bury Your Dead. I was hoping the rest of the songs hadn't gone the same way downhill as Bury Your Dead have, and I was especially not expecting to see a BYD-ripoff-album either. I was then pleased in that way; I found nothing else on this album to compare Emmure with BYD.
To be honest, a lot of songs on this album are nothing special. Many of them sound pretty much the same, with the same riffs and typical breakdowns. But the good songs on this album, First Impressions and Don't Be One for instance, sound absolutely amazing. First Impressions catches you completely off guard with the new implemented "tech metal"-sweeping intro. You even get to hear regular guitar riffs, not only the chugging! This is a big difference in what Emmure usually do. But don't worry, the rest of the songs sound like typical Emmure...
... except for one song. Don't Be One. Two words: clean vocals. Melodic riffs. What's this? Am I really listening to Emmure? The wannabe-gangsta metalcore band? Can't be... It's one hell of a change though. And I like it.


Best track: First Impressions
Score: 6/10

Open Fire! - Slaves EP [2009]

Genre: Hardcore/Melodic Hardcore
Label: Unsigned
URL: http://www.myspace.com/openfirewa
Country: Washington, USA
Note: By band request

After releasing one full length and one split with Passing In Dreams, Open Fire! have released their third album, Slaves.

Having listened to their first album and full-length Built To Abandon before, the new sound of Slaves comes as quite the surprise. While BTA is what you would call a true beatdown hardcore record, Slaves have gone more to the melodic hardcore style. In no way is this a negative thing in my opinion, because I find melodic hardcore one of the most appealing genres of all times.
Although heavier than most other melodic hardcore bands in terms of guitar play, you still find that little special melodic-defining picking in the verses commonly used by similar bands. Heavy breakdowns, band chanting, even clean vocals is experienced in this change-of-pace follow-up.

To find something to rant about on this record: only three tracks! I know it's an EP, but I want to hear more. Other than that this record is absolutely awesome if you're into hardcore. With almost 10,000 tracks played at last.fm at the time of writing, it's only a matter of time before that number is ten times higher.

Best track: Faith-Healer/Death-Dealer
Score: 8/10

Four Year Strong - Explains It All [2009]

Genre: Posi-Punk/Post-Hardcore/Pop Punk
Label: I Surrender Records/Decaydance
URL: http://www.myspace.com/fouryearstrong
Country: Massachusetts, USA

Two years have gone since Four Year Strong released Rise Or Die Trying, which had incredible success all over the world. Their passion for what they make, their energy, the fact that they have the whole band singing and the way they make us see how fun they're having when performing is probably what catches ones attention.

For those of you who doesn't know, this album is solely a cover album. Many frown upon this. This is actually not as bad as you probably think, as these songs are very spirit-filled and each song has a very Four Year Strong-feeling about it. The fact that it took them two years to release this and not an album with own-written material baffles many, but for the true Four Year Strong fan this is no problem. Sure, it's a little disappointing since you wanted something new and not an album full of covers, but it does cover the most of it (pun intended). They do not try to mimic the original in any way. They play it like it was their own song.


A perfect choice for an intro song turns out to be So Much For The Afterglow, with it's I-want-to-dance-inspiring chorus. Followed by that is a true classic, and one of the only originals I've heard. Absolutely (Story Of A Girl). In this song you hear exactly what FYS is about.
Classic punk drumming. Four Year Strong-keyboarding. Blastbeats, heavy yet melodic. It's Absolutely (Wonderful).

Something that came as quite a shock was when hearing hiphop-beats and introducing Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes. But don't sweat, even in this song there are Four Year Strong-elements! At least in the chorus. ;)

I know a lot of you out there thinks this album is pure crap, thinking "Is this what they managed to do for these 2 years since RODT?". If you think about the album name and the fact that they have the band members as kids on the album cover, it probably means this is what they grew up with, what they listened to in their youth, and what made them into what they are. It's like an homage. I think it's nice of them. However, it would've been better to get new material but even so, you know they have fun while they do covers, and they do them damn good.


Best track: Semi Charmed Life
Score: 9/10

For The Fallen Dreams - Relentless [2009]

Genre - Melodic Hardcore/Metalcore
Label: Rise Records
URL - http://www.myspace.com/forthefallendreams
Country - Michigan, USA

Long have I waited for this wonderful band to release new material. My wish was fulfilled, and with huge success.

Opening with an intro, reminding me of Killswitch Engage's melodic parts, which in 37 seconds turns into the first single from Relentless; Perceptions. Only a few seconds into the song you feel For The Fallen Dreams' distinguished melodic hardcore touch.
What you see in Relentless that you didn't meet very much in Changes is the clean vocals. I've heard many people complain about this, that it's not fitting... All I can say to them is they can go die in a fire. The growling is very similar to former vocalist Chad's chart, but the clean vocals are so damn good that they make bands with pure clean vocals obsolete. The blend of astonishing growls and wonderful cleans make an awesome mix as FTFD continue to blast my mind through the rest of the album.
Being a fan of Dylan's clean vocals my next musical orgasm came no further away than the next song, A Plethora Of. Listen to it yourself and see.
The album continues to show its way, one amazing song at a time. The intermission in In Sincerity makes you feel like you float away in zero-gravity, whereas the last song of the album The Pain Loss makes you wish this album never ended.

For The Fallen Dreams with Relentless is probably the band and album of the year. Hell, even the century. Words can't express.

Best track: Perceptions
Score: 10/10

How Things Proceed - A Single Touch EP [2009]

Genre - Metalcore/Progressive/Experimental
Label: Unsigned
URL - http://www.myspace.com/howthingsproceed
Country - Stockholm, Sweden
Note: Good friends of mine!


First of all, I would like to say that these guys have developed a LOT since the first time I saw them. I still remember the first show I went to, on which the crowd was all friends of the band members and their parents - maybe not the crowd you want. Only like 6 persons was moshing in front of the stage, because we knew you wanted it so bad ;)

Nevertheless, the first released EP from How Things Proceed, after yeeears and months and days of asking them when it's planned to be released, it's finally here for everybody to enjoy.
It starts off with the title track, A Single Touch, which blends both heavy and melodic riffs whereas the first middle part of the song is fast and chaotic and the other part is beatdown and melodic. It creates a pleasant mix and, as always, turnarounds in songs are always appreciated to chase the monotony away.

You see some old classics, like Chasing Time. On every one of their earlier shows they asked the crowd to yell "RESTLESSLY" after "We're all chasing time" to get the chanting going. Since it was a while I went to one of their shows, I'm pretty sure you don't have to ask nowadays.
All in all a very melodic song, with a lot of chanting to liven up the sing-along and get the one in the mood.

I would like to review all of the songs on the EP but it would be too much, so all I can say is that no song on this album is, in any way, bad. I love it all. However, if I have to point out something I don't like it's two things. One of them being I would've wanted more songs, maybe some re-recorded old songs. The other being it's pretty poor quality. But what the hell, it doesn't matter really, it's awesome anyway.


It's safe to say that How Things Proceed make their own music. No other band sound like them, and let's hope it stays that way.


Best track: Summer's Waving Goodbye
Score: 9/10

A Skylit Drive - Adelphia [2009]

Genre: Post-Hardcore
Label: Fearless
URL: http://www.myspace.com/askylitdrive
Country: California, USA

I had no idea this was coming, and it came as a wonderful surprise. I've always been fond of A Skylit Drive, partly because of the singer's capability at singing in an extremely high pitch, but also that his voice sounds so good in the blend of screaming and beautiful melodies.
Compared to Wires And The Concept Of Breathing, the previous album, which included a lot of clean vocals and soft songs, A Skylit Drive has gone over to being more Post-Hardcore than Rock again (even though there's still elements of it present).

As I'm a fan of funny song titles, I was looking forward to hearing Thank God It's Cloudy Cause I'm Allergic To Sunlight, and just as I predicted, it was one the best tracks on the album. It just seems like classic ASD. Brutal screams, beautiful clean vocals, and a nice little addition; some electronics!
The next song, Air The Enlightenment, comes as soothing rain. Ambient, clean, soft, delightful. It's placed at the exact right place on the tracklist since something like Air The Enlightenment was just what one needs: a little break from brutality. Too bad it's so short. The title track The Children Of Adelphia leaves nothing more to wish.

One of A Skylit Drive's best albums out there. Be sure to get it as soon as you can.


Best Track: The Children Of Adelphia
Score: 8/10

Molotov Solution - The Harbinger [2009]

Genre - Deathcore
Label: Metal Blade
URL - http://www.myspace.com/molotovsolution
Country - Nevada, USA


The second full-length newly released by Las Vegas based Molotov Solution and the band's going through a change once more.
I think there's no coincidence that Molotov Solution's two first band friends on Myspace are Whitechapel and Impending Doom. These three bands could name their bands the same and no one would notice a difference. I don't know why but it seems to be the new black to sound like this within the Deathcore-genre.
The new album reminds me too much of Impending Doom's latest album The Serpent Servant aswell as Whitechapel's latest This Is Exile. After one of these albums in the late 08 and two in early 09, it gets pretty old pretty fast. I'm sorry, Molotov Solution. It's too little, too late.
However, since neither Whitechapel's and Impending Doom's releases were bad, I can't say that this album is. It's gotten pretty melodic comparing to the self titled album and the split with War From A Harlots Mouth. I feel bad for just saying negative things about this album, but you should know that it's not all that bad that I might be expressing. It's a solid, typical Deathcore album. Nothing more, nothing less. But be sure to pick it up if you can.


Best track: The Harbinger
Score: 5/10

iwrestledabearonce - It's All Happening [2009]

Genre - Mathcore/Experimental/Female Fronted
Label: Century Media
URL - http://www.myspace.com/iwrestledabearonce
Country - Lousiana, USA


The anticipated debut full-length aswell as label debut from iwrestledabearonce is finally here! After weeks, even months, listening to their Myspace-previews and waiting for the album to come, it's finally released.

Once added in my iTunes library, I overexcitedly press Play on the first track, You Ain't No Family, and all I can say is that I'm mindblown. I fall in love with the song during the first few seconds, and hearing Krysta's beautiful screaming is the frosting on the cake. BUT. THEN. COMES. THE. CLEAN. VOCALS. After all I've seen about people not wanting her to sing clean because of it being out of tune and an incredible waste of song-space, it disappoints me that there's still a lot of the clean vocals that, in both my opinion and many others, ruins the band. If they were to remove the clean vocals the band would be so much better, and I totally agree. However, the clean vocals make the band stand out of the crowd and not being one in the masses. I think I can stand the clean vocals a bit, but putting it in every song on the album pushes the wrong buttons.

One song after the other they continue to spread the joy that they've released their new album, and once you get down to the first single they put up on their Myspace, Tastes Like Kevin Bacon, you get what IWABO is all about. A pretty ironic song title, the sweeping, the kickass breakdowns, and of course, the jazzy intermissions with clean vocals. But once the jazz is over, a humorous old-fashioned car horn plays and there continues the grind.
I can't help but notice the song The Cat's Pajamas' soft sound which actually makes Krystas clean vocals pretty enjoyable. IWABO is mostly known for their chaotic grindbeats, but this song among the other soft song, Black-Eyed Bush, on It's All Happening slow you down and show you the width of their musical skill. Not only do they offer us mindnumbing breakdowns, but they also show us that they aren't that monotone, and that they can also play beautiful, soft songs.


It's All Happening leaves nothing to wish for (except less clean vocals). Chances are that this album may be in the top of 2009's releases.




Best track: Tastes Like Kevin Bacon
Score: 7/10.