Monday, July 20, 2009
BURN HALO
Burn Halo
Rawkhead Records
Grab yer tightest jeans and get ready to rock the fuck out! Well, sort of. Throwback bands seem to be the thing. As my grandfather once said, everything goes in cycles...even glam metal. Burn Halo borders on the 80s sound that made spandex a fashion statement. Coming from that era (fuck you i know I'm old) I can appreciate it to an extent. The band stareted when former lead singer, James Hart, of Eighteen Visions fame met up with Zac Malloy, formerly of The Nixons. The two began writing enlisting the help of Synyster Gates (Avenged Sevenfold), Daniel Adair (Nickelback), and Chris Chaney (Jane's Addiction). The resulting sound is something I would have lisetened to way back in the day when nullets and denim jackets were the shit.
TOP TRACKS: Dirty little Girl, So Addicted, Our House
FINAL VERDICT: Glam metal is a bit hasty when describing Burn Halo. Afterall there were some good bands that came out in that era (Motley Crue, Skid Row...). There are a few ragin tracks on the album that make me want to rip lines like Nikki Sixx, but there are also a bunch of ballads that border upon suckin your dad off in the shower. Raw rock n roll. I can deal with that.
RATING: 2 out of 5 Kim Kardashian Asses!
- GDeViL
EARTH CRISISTo The Death
Century Media
What's this? Kids breaking out the fat markers and painting X's on their hands? "sXe" is labeled on every article of clothing? A "Straight Edge" resurgence? All this can only mean one thing. Either Earth Crisis has delivered yet another powerful album or the fashion industry has infected yet another aspet of the punk/hardcore lifestyle. Yes, Earth Crisis has reunited and have put out a another brutal album with To The Death. And sadly, yes, straight edge has seeped into fashionistas hands, but thats a whole other issue. Its been a while for the Syracuse quintet but they collectively still bring it. They pack intensely brutal riffs and their signature use of gang vocals and breakdowns have never been better. Lyrically, Karl tackles some serious subject matter and answers it with his militant stance on these topics (drug use, animal rights, terrorism, the media, etc...). Not for the faint of heart.
TOP TRACKS: To Ashes, Security Threat Number One, Control Through Fear, To The Death, Cities Fall
FINAL VERDICT: Definitely worth the 8 year wait. No I'm not Straight Edge, not by a long shot. But I can appreciate good hardcore and Earth Crisis delivers. I'm usually not one for political beliefs but some of their (Earth Crisis) stances on certain topics should be heeded.
RATING: 4 out of 5 Kim Kardashian Asses!
-GDeViL
NarrowsNew Distances
Deathwish Inc
Narrows is a force to be reckoned with. With members spread from London to Seattle, the transcontinental project is a mix of artists who worked with Unbroken, Over My Dead Body, These Arms Are Snakes, Nineironspitfire, Tropics, and Quarantine, just to name a few. The debut “New Distances” is an aural masterpiece, if there ever was one. “New Distances” is a melodic and technical album with some intense and fierce vocals. The influences of the American hardcore pioneers and London’s punk rock foundations blend beautifully in tracks like “Changing Clothes” and “Chambered”.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Kim Kardashian Asses!
-Amanda
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