The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 303

I'm going to be writing a review for the new Ghost album.

 

I need to listen to it more before passing proper judgement on it but on the one listen I’ve given it I love it. That sax solo in Miasma

 

Miasma as whole really blew me away. The arrangements on this album are stellar.

 

I bought their record, and was on the hype wagon first and can't get free stuff let alone the two song covers @bradsonemanband owes me!

 

So I got a little bit behind on my reviews in here. So here's 3 reviews, 2 from @skurt and 1 from @Bad Frequencies (Kev your other one will follow early next week).

Heavy Hearts - Bliss (2016)


So first up is this album from Heavy Hearts that @skurt gave me the other week. Heavy Hearts are a Canadian Alt-rock/post-hardcore band and this is their debut album. I'd heard the bands name and recognised the album art from this site but I'd never heard their music before.

The album starts with Use You which is a quite mellow and atmospheric track, I thought this sounded ok but I wasn't really up for a whole album of this. I was pleased to find out when track 2 kicked in that this was really only an intro to the album, the second track Bliss came blasting out the gates with a much more up tempo track. The rest of the album tends to follow suit in being a lot faster with the band generally just rocking out. This band reminded me of a cross between bands like Deaf Havana mixed with the post-hardcore sound of some of the bands around at the early 00's, like Finch, Funeral For a Friend, Fightstar.

Anyways I'll keep this review relatively short, I enjoyed this album but it's not something I'll be going back to all the time. The band certainly have a sound that reminds me of a lot of music I enjoyed in the past but for some reason this album hasn't clicked with me yet (but it has been growing on me with each listen). There's certainly some great tracks on it though, I particularly loved Spite and Hazel (this one had some awesome grunge vibes going on in the guitars). I'll certainly check out their next album whenever they release it as there's certainly parts of this I like.

RIYL: 00's post-hardcore mixed with some modern influences.
Favourite Tracks: Bliss, Spite and Hazel

The Penske File - Salvation (2018)



Next up is the other album @skurt gave me, this album only came out in April and it's by The Penske File another band from Canada. The Penske File play anthemic punk rock in a similar vein to The Menzingers and bands of their ilk.

So one big bonus of being behind on my reviews is that it's given me a lot more time with this absolute gem of an album. The sound of this album is punk rock played with the bands hearts on their sleeves, there's anthemic sing alongs to be found on all over this record. A particular favourite being "If we were to die to die tonight" of the upbeat Golden Futures. Another highlight of the album for is the Young and Worhtless, you can hear the pure despair in the vocalist voice as he belts out the chorus.

So yeah I loved this album, it's been one of the best recs I've had so far and it's jumped into my top 10 AOTY. Anyone who loves heartfelt punk rock in a similar vein to stuff like early Gaslight Anthem, The Menzingers and Red City Radio would absolutely adore this album.

One thing I'll also add is that I checked out their previous album Burn Into The Earth and this was excellent too.

RILY: Early Gaslight Anthem, The Menzingers, Read City Radio and big singalongs
Favourite Tracks: Kamikaze Kids, Golden Futures and Young and Worthless


The Longshot - Love Is For Losers (2018)



So @Bad Frequencies gave me this album by The Longshot. For those that don't know this is Billy Joe Armstrong from Green Day's latest side project and he dropped this album out of nowhere just over a month ago now.

To be honest this project isn't a million miles away from some of the previous work of Billy Joe. It reminds me of a good mix between Warning era GD mix with the rock and roll sound of Foxboro Hot Tubs. When you've got such a well known distinctive voice as his it's never going to sound drastically different.

It's pretty much Billy Joe ditching the day job to have a bit more fun and play punk rock in a similar vein to a lot of his influences growing up. You can hear influences from bands/artists like The Replacements and Elvis Costello and Cheap Trick.

I haven't really lived with this album enough to fully digest it but from the couple of plays I've given it this week I've enjoyed it, it's a fun upbeat album that's perfect for the summer. As someone who has grown up with Green Day and fallen out of love with them thanks to most of their post Warning output this is a pleasant surprise. Does this hold up to GD's early work that I hold so dear, no it doesn't. Is this album super fun and better (imo) than a lot of Billy Joes output in the last 18 years, yes it is.

RIYL: Warning era Green Day, Cheap Trick, The Replacements, Elvis Costello.
Favourite Tracks: Love is for Losers, Chasing The Ghost, Soul Surrender

Side note for this one: One thing that's bugging the hell out of me on this album is the structure of the chorus on closer Goodbye To Romance really reminds me of another song and I can't pin it down.

 

Excellent write up as always dude, and I’m glad you liked it. I plan to have yours and @anonimito reviews (4 in total) posted between now and Tuesday night when I get a chance

 

@disambigujason and I have finalized our trades for the bonus week.

They will be listening to:
Between the Buried and Me: Automata I

I will be listening to:
State Faults: Resonate/Desperate

 

@broken22 and I traded and he gave me:
Dave Hause: Resolutions (2013) Rise

Dave Hause is an American singer/songwriter that is from Philadelphia, PA and has played in such bands as Paint It Black, The Falcon and currently fronts the Loved Ones. He has also toured alongside Chuck Ragan, Dan Andriano and Brian Fallon. Resolutions is the first of three solo records with the most recent being, Bury Me in Philly which was released last year.

The overall sound of this record is Americana with a slight tinge of punk rock, but not as much as you would expect. Similar artists that come to mind include Brian Fallon, Bruce Springsteen and a lot of Lucero.

I will be up front and say that this record is fantastic and I am sad I had never checked this out before and I will most certainly check out the rest of his discography and various side projects. His vocals are perfect for the style and bring to mind The Boss himself. Throughout the albums 10 songs and only 34 minutes there doesn't feel like a single missed opportunity to just blow you away with his talent.

Opener, Time Will Tell, is the perfect opener as it literally slowly opens up. It starts with Dave and a piano and one instrument at a time, the band comes in and by the end of the song you get the full effect. This song took some time to grow on me but once it did I was hooked and I love the use of an organ.

Melanin is a just a great rock song where you feel like he is channeling Bruce himself. Right from the opening notes you are hooked. I love how him and the band tip their toes in the water of country but then just as soon you think they are heading in that direction, they turn right around and rock out.

C' mon Kid is just a great uplifting track about overcoming adversity and brings in a harpsichord that works really well.

Pray for Tuscon is a more stripped down song that feels the closest to country with a dueling acoustic and steel guitar. As I have "expanded my pallet" and dove head first into country music, I have come to appreciate the instrument and the power it has to make you feel sentimental and it works so well with Dave's storyteller style lyrics.

Title track, Resolutions, is a great Americana song with a galloping rhythm section and twangy guitar line.

Prague (Revive Me) utilizes a ukulele but despite how odd that sounds it works so well! You could feel Dave hanging out in some bar in the old west and would fit the mood perfectly.

Heavy Heart is another stripped down song and has this great storyteller atmosphere with just him and an acoustic guitar. I can't speak enough about how I love his voice and makes the music so much more relatable.

Years From Now brings the steel guitar back but its so faint you want to strain your ears to hear because it feels like hope amongst how sad the song is. This song reminded me a lot of some of the slower Lucero tracks that build and then explode and just grab you. I love when he screams: "I HATE BEING MISUNDERSTOOD!!!" and then song slowly fades away.

Rankers & Rotters is by far the most "punk" song on the record and is just fun. It even has a fun chanting chorus of "We Wont Back Down!"

Meet Me At the Lanes is the closing track and is a great one at that, talking about hanging out with friends and just having a good time. The song feels like it would fit in perfectly on the recent Brian Fallon album and once again, I love his vocals and way he can grab you with the storyteller lyrics.

I can't recommend this album enough with my only complaint being how short it is and that I didn't want it to end! I am sure a lot of people in here would love this band seeing as how popular this genre has become, especially here on Chorus.

Highly Recommended

Favorite Songs:
They are all fantastic!

RIYL: Brian Fallon, Bruce Springsteen, Lucero.

 

Blindside - With Shivering Hearts We Wait (2011)



My rec last week from @Patterns in Traffic

Blindside is a band that I’ve been a fan of since I was in high school (context: early 30's now). This is their latest album and also the only one I never got around to listening to, this one fell off my radar for whatever reason.

The opening track There Must be Something in the Water doesn’t waste any time, kicks right in with some awesome riffs without any build up. Shortly after follows their singers scream/raspy yell that I have always associated with this band. This is a great faster paced track and one of the heaviest on the album but that didn’t stop them from throwing some curve balls in there. The bridge of the song turns from a typical break down to having a string section mixed in as well as a string section jam for the last minute of the song.

The 2nd Track The Heart Escapes is more on the lighter side, but still a great rock song. The next half the album follows this suit, all lighter rock songs with creative riffs that kept me engaged the entire time, even if I was waiting for some heaviness. That may be my only complaint on with this album, is that the track listing doesn’t mix it up enough. Besides the first track, it’s straight forward rock from track 2 through 6.

This brings the stand out on the album for me, track 7 Bring Out Your Dead through the end of the album. Bring Out Your Dead brings back the fast paced, heavy style that was refreshing, followed up with my favorite track on the album Withering. A song that starts softer and slowly builds up featuring a great catchy chorus and screams placed throughout adding to the intensity.

The last track on the album has a title that matches the opening (if there was a theme going with the lyrics, I missed it!) There Must be Something in the Wind. This track is the opposite of the the first track though, a more low key and softer track, with electronic beats replacing what the strings added in Water. The last 2 minutes evolve into straight up techno music, which was a surprising and fun way to end the album.

I really enjoyed every track on here and wouldn't consider any track filler, even though I do wish the track list was maybe mixed up a bit between heavy and not. This is added to my rotation for sure and has had me going back to older Blindside as well. Thanks @Patterns in Traffic!!!

Highlights: Withering, There Must be Something in the Water, Bring Out Your Dead, Our Love Saves Us

PS. Even though this album was released in 2011, google says they are still active and they have played shows in 2017. I hope we get another album, it definitely won't take me 7 years to listen this time, I promise!

PPS. On Spotify, Dead Poetic was recommended artist which is nice since they rule too.

 

Great review! They do have a number of more straightforward rock tracks on here, though they're all really solid IMO. "Bring Out Your Dead" is my least favorite track haha, but it goes to show how we can both really dig this album while preferring different parts of their sound. They have become a pretty diverse band over the years.

I definitely prefer this album to The Great Depression, kind of a return to form after that one got away from the aggression in their sound for the most part.

They are still semi-active, seem to do a little something each year. I hope we get another album from them eventually. I saw them play Silence in full in New York in 2015, that was like a religious experience for me haha.

 

I fucking love Blindside. I assigned About A Burning Fire to @Zac Djamoos I believe

 

You did! It was pretty cool

 

Yeah I think every track was really solid and there isn't a skippable track on there. I do like this more than The Great Depression as well and is up there with About a Burning Fire for me.

Ah, so they just play a few shows a year but aren't super active....that's a bummer but glad they are still together in some capacity. I'd love another album and would have loved to see Silence in full!

Sleepwalking is forever my favorite track by them.

 

Sleepwalking might be my favorite as well. There are few moments in music that will physically give me chills, and the bridge in that song where it gets quiet and then explodes with Christian screaming "goodbye" does it for me every. damn. time.

 

@Bad Frequencies and I traded recently for a bonus album in the bonus week and to nobody's surprise he gave me:

Hawthorne Heights: Zero (2103) Red River Entertainment

If you have been a member of CMCS for at least a month you know who Hawthorne Heights are so I won't get into the details. This is their 5th full length and followed the second of their EP Trilogy, Hope. The album is essentially a concept album but feels like a very loose depiction of that because it is hard to truly grasp what is going on until the second "Transmission", which falls at the very end. Doing some research, I discovered that it is about a group of teens known as the Zero Collective and follows their journey as they fight against an oppressive corporation in a futuristic dystopian America. Unfortunately, I would never have grasped this if I didn't do the research and felt as though Transmission 2 would have been more appropriate as an intro as opposed to an outro.

I will also be up front and say that so far this has been my least enjoyable experience with Hawthorne Heights. Every single one of their albums has been a "grower" for me with each listen getting better, learning to appreciate what they are trying to convey. This album just doesn't feel finished and is ridden with inconsistencies. I think someone else had mentioned it, but an issue with the overall production in a lot of their records is not feeling "full" and this album showcases that. The production on this record is very spotty and can be seen front and center with JT's vocals. They are all over the place and it makes me sad because I look forward to hearing his soaring melodies and the ability to harmonize well with the band. It is there on a few songs but overall there seems to be a disconnect between the two.

The sequencing on the album is a bit weird as well, alternating between "happy" and "sad" songs throughout. Many of them are some of the weakest songs in their discography in my opinion and just seem like odd writing decisions. Darkside, in particular, feels like an odd attempt to channel Depeche Mode.

My last criticism are the "Transmissions" that break up the album but don't seem to add anything to the album.

Despite all my criticisms, there were a handful of tracks I really enjoyed and could see myself revisiting. Hollow Hearts Unite is one of the best tracks they have ever written and is just a fantastic stripped down song. You have JT's amazing vocals meshing so well with the band over an acoustic guitar that channels country music with addition of a beautiful violin in the background.

One of my biggest issues with the band is the feeling that the screaming felt forced after the passing of Casey and that they would be so much better without it. With that being said, the screaming on the last song, Taken By the Dark, is actually some of the best they have ever done. They were channeling something very dark when they recorded them. I do appreciate the lack of screamed vocals on this album and felt that when they were used, they were used appropriately.

To end the review, I would say that if you are a casual fan of the band, I would save this album until the very end of discovering their discography. Although, there are some gems among it that show what the band is truly capable of. If this is what the band needed to do in order to bring us such great albums like the Hurt EP and Bad Frequencies then I am all for it. Despite all my criticisms I am very glad I got the opportunity to really dissect this album.

Favorite songs:
Memories of Misery
Sparks
Anywhere But Here
Hollow Hearts Unite
Golden Parachutes
Strangers
Ghost Town
Taken By the Dark

I am neutral on this one but recommend it once you listen to the rest of their albums.

 

I can't remember which of the HOPE/HATE EP's I was really into, but that's pretty much the last thing I was fully in on.

 

Nice write-up! To me, this Zero is pretty easily my least favorite HH full-length. Skeletons and Bad Frequencies are both really solid, but this one seemed to lack direction. I totally agree with on your thoughts regarding this being a concept album. Had I not done a bit of research, I would never have picked up on that aspect of this album.

 

Thank you! I really tried to find the good in this album and there are some but they are rare moments.

 

I haven't gone back to this one since the session that @Bad Frequencies assigned it to me, but looking at my write-up, the standout tracks to me were Zero, Put Me Back Together, and Lost In The Calm. I suppose I should revisit it to see if anything else stands out to me this time around.

 

Very nice write up, and I am inclined to agree. While i still very much like this release, and feel it has some great gems (your standouts and Put Me Back Together especially), I also agree with @bachna84 that it’s probably my least favorite HH release. They tried something different and it came out mixed. Luckily they seemed to pick up on that, as outside of Hollow Hearts they don’t play many of these songs live anymore and the two following releases, HURT and Bad Frequencies were vastly improved.

 

Time to continue my Hawthorne Heights education at the hands of none other than @Bad Frequencies. After this one I will only have two more albums remaining in their discography to review. Then Kevo will have to think harder to come up with recs for me



Hawthorne Heights' third full-length, Fragile Future, kicks off with punishing drums and a heavy guitar riff that immediately got my head bobbing. The guitars start up some pop-punk style chugging and JT Woodruff's high-pitched vocals enter. Right off the bat this track, "The Business of Paper Stars," is one of my favorite openers I've heard from HH. It is a powerful track that highlights the band's strengths (both the harder side and the poppier side) and does a tremendous job getting the listener excited to dive into the rest of the album.

"Rescue Me" follows and embraces the band's poppier side. Here's where I make my obligatory "poppy HH sounds an awful lot like Yellowcard to me" statement. Some strings are added in the bridge that carry through to the end of the song and add a nice uplifting feel. The band continues in this vein through most of the album, leaning into their softer side and de-emphasizing the breakdowns and screaming vocals. I was a bit surprised by this seeing as this album directly followed If Only You Were Lonely, but as I saw in @Nate_Johnson's recent review of this album, it is the first release since the death of guitarist and unclean vocalist Casey Calvert. I'm sure that this unfortunate circumstance affected the direction of this material, but the band managed to carry on, dedicating "Sugar in the Engine" and "Four Become One" to Calvert. "Sugar in the Engine" contains a spoken-word meditation from Woodruff at the end of the track, speaking directly to Calvert. "Four Become One" is a heartfelt remembrance of their bandmate.

Elsewhere on the album, "Desperation" contains a nice pop-punk style chorus and "321" might have my favorite hook here. "321" also has a rockin' bridge featuring a heavy riff and gang vocals. "Disaster" starts with a vulnerable vocal take and some electronic drums. I was actually a bit disappointed when the full band kicked in for the chorus. The softer, electronic base is fairly unique for HH, and I was hoping to hear their take on a chorus in that style. That being said, the chorus isn't shabby and the band does a good job melding the two styles together into one cohesive song.

Penultimate track "Corps of Corpses" has another catchy chorus and features a very enjoyable guitar solo. Final track "Come Back Home (Reprised)" is a pleasant closer which fades into a lone piano. Strings enter and the band surprisingly sings a softer version of the chorus to If Only You Were Lonely's "This Is Who We Are" to take us out.

In summary, this is another pretty strong outing from Hawthorne Heights. It is surprising that they could release an album of this quality after suffering through the death of a bandmate and changing their sound pretty substantially from their previous (and probably most popular) album If Only You Were Lonely. There were some songs that didn't stand out as much as others, and this isn't a perfect album, but there are plenty of tracks here that are worth returning to and I am glad to have experienced this album.

 

I’m glad you liked it! I honestly like this album a lot and think it’s super underrated, it gets a lot of flack for the change in tone from IOYWL, but people seem to be coming around on it in later years.

If you feel so inclined there’s two bonus tracks on Apple Music that I feel should have made the album; ‘Lost, So Lost, and ‘Scrantonicity’

 

@disambigujason and I traded for the bonus week and he gave me:
State Faults: Resonate/Desperate (2013) No Sleep

State Faults are a band from Costa Mesa, California and this is their second full length, with the first being released in 2012 on Tiny Engines. With these labels you might think the band plays some form of indie rock but they are so far from that. The band would fit nicely on a label like Deathwish and play screamo that bring to mind bands like Frameworks, Touche Amore, older Pianos Become the Teeth, Defeater and even Deafheaven. They weave these beautiful, almost shoegaze like melodies mixed with chaotic passages that contrast with razor sharp vocals. This record has little to no clean vocals and the second they show up, they are washed away almost immediately. To top it all off, they recruited producer Jack Shirley who has brought us the critically acclaimed album Sunbather.

Lyrically, you are going to need to sit down and read along with the songs as its almost impossible to truly understand what front man Jonny Andrews is saying. Honestly, it is not a bad thing and his vocals fit this style of music perfectly conveying so much emotion. Speaking of lyrics, he is a fantastic writer and I love his artistic ability to create these poem like lyrics that have so much symbolism. I want to read them even without the music and find myself trying to dissect their meaning and find some new way to interpret them every time. Look no further than Amalgamation:

"blue burning orange,
vespertine, my eyes drown in the evening glow
swallow shooting stars like a sacrament
and burning leaves just like some ancient prayer
from autumns swollen tapestry
a quilt so faded and torn to threads
I struck a match just to light my way
and burned my fingers instead"

"now the forest is gone
the ashes fall like snow
when winter sank in the soil
the garden just wouldn't grow
now the forest is gone
the ashes fall like snow
we tie our tourniquets tight
our bitter blood stops to flow
we built the funeral pyre
the ashes fall like snow"

The common theme throughout a lot of the album is denouncing the idea of religion while a few of other songs tend to stick typical emo topics of self-depreciation, etc from what I could gather. I will need more time with the lyrics to truly dissect them.

Right from the opening notes of the first song, Meteor, you are met with a bludgeoning of emotions and wall of sound that doesn't let up for more than a few seconds before returning. They have filled every second of this album with music and don't waste a minute of your time. They even go so far as to transition one song right into the next as if it's meant to be played all together in a live setting. With that being said, the album does tend to blend together after repeat listens but it is still a fantastic record nonetheless.

It is really hard to break this album down one song at a time because of how similar a lot of the songs sound but I can't recommend this album enough. If I did have to pick my favorites, they would have to be the ones that incorporate the most variety in the song structure.

Favorite songs:
Stalagmites
Disintegration
Luminaria
Amalgamation

RIYL: Screamo, Touche Amore, Frameworks, Deafheaven.

Highly Recommended

 

Last week I was paired with @Davjs and he recommended Begin Again, the debut album from Hell or Highwater. I'd never heard of this band before, but Google Play tells me that they were formed by ex-Atreyu drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller. I've never been a big Atreyu fan, but thankfully I enjoyed this album quite a bit more than anything I've heard by Atreyu.



Opener "Gimme Love" starts off with pounding drums and alt-rock riffing before Sallers' powerful vocals enter. His voice kind of reminds me of a Daughtry or any number of other expressive bellowing rock singers. There is a surprising amount of pop sensibility in the melodies of this track, and this motif continues throughout the album. Big, punishing rock music accompanied by soaring vocals with sticky melodies. After a couple of listens of this album, I was already getting songs stuck in my head. I'm surprised that I had never heard of this band, because many of these songs sound tailor made for rock radio. "Terrorized in the Night" contains cowbell and also has lyrics that mention the reaper, which...I'm not sure if that was intentional but if so touche, Hell or Highwater.

The fourth track "Tragedy" slows down the tempo a bit but still has some great metal-influenced guitar riffs. This is a standout track with a big chorus. "Find the Time to Breathe" has probably my favorite chorus on the record. "Rocky Waters Edge" finally turns the volume down a bit at track six for more of a ballad-type song. "Go Alone" has some southern flavor with a train drumbeat, slide guitars and some guest vocals from M. Shadows. "When the Morning Comes" (not the Smash Mouth classic) has another great chorus. "Come Alive," after starting with a nice quiet guitar meditation ... another big banger of a chorus. You see the pattern here. The final track "We All Wanna Go Home" ends the album with it's weakest track IMO, but it's still pretty enjoyable and doesn't bring down the album as a whole.

Overall, this album reminds me so much of the hard rock that was all over the radio in the early-mid '00s. There isn't a ton of stylistic variety here, but the band does this brand of radio-ready hard rock extremely well. If this album came out 5-10 years earlier, there could be 4-5 singles from this album that would've had a strong chance of being widely known. I'm glad that @Davjs introduced me to this group and I plan to check out their 2017 album at some point to see how they progressed from this album.

 

I will check these out! I very much want "Scrantonicity" to be about Dunder Mifflin.