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.