The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 185

If you are looking for radio rock: Clumsy
Pop rock: Gravity
Progressive rock: Spiritual Machines

 

That actually helps a lot, thanks!

But I think I'll have to go with.....

 

Alright so you see that pink/orange amalgamation of color that is currently set as @JediMasterKevo182 's avatar? That is the album art to Dead Reflection by Silverstein. This is the first of two albums I'll be doing this week.

Silverstein is a post-hardcore/screamo band from Canada, currently signed to the undisputed champion of post-hardcore bands, Rise Records. Honestly, I didn't know that this band was still a thing. Their existence was relegated to a small window of playing time in my final two years of high school. You know, one of those dozens of bands that I filed under "oh yeah my best friend is into that band but I don't really listen to them," like Evergreen Terrace or The Bled or Waking Ashland. Those were dark times. Somehow, Silverstein survived those dark times and are still around doing their thing.

I'll be honest, I don't listen to much post-hardcore these days. I honestly thought the genre died. But then how can a genre with the word 'post' in its moniker ever die? Wouldn't it just be post-post-hardcore then? Music is weird. Either way, I can still hum along to a Circa Survive or Saosin song on occasion. So I had fun with this album.

You know that old guy in The Shawshank Redemption? He gets out of prison after like 50 years and realizes "the world went and got itself in a big damn hurry" or something like that? Well Silverstein went and got itself into a big damn heavy hurry. I don't remember them ever being as heavy as the first riff of the opening track "Last Looks" suggests. Down-tuned guitars for days. From that point on, it has everything I like my post-hardcore to have. One guy who screams whenever they feel like being heavy, and then one guy with those really high vocals that sings the majority of the time (Edit - I've since been informed it's the same guy who does both!). It's a recipe that always works, and it works more than well enough for Silverstein on their 9th (!!) album. I barely recall any of Discovering the Waterfront, which is their second album that was released when I was in high school, but I don't think there were really any riffs like the one in the beginning of "Lost Positives."

I would have loved this back then, but for now it's a fun blast to the past that fondly reminds me of those days. I guarantee you that I was the type of kid who would have learned the 8th track "The Afterglow" on acoustic guitar and played it to a girl as a part of my asking them to prom, or some equally disastrous endeavor. It's just a catchy album. My only complaint is that the heaviness subsides a little bit in the middle of the album, but it picks up again towards the end with "Whiplash" which is another favorite.

Standouts: Lost Positives, Last Looks, Secret's Safe, other songs with alliteration
Girls that would have said yes to high school me asking them to prom without this album: zero
Girls that would have said yes to high school me asking them to prom WITH this album: still zero

 

And now, two more reviews courtesy of @Micool1 . Meant to write these last night but I got distracted.

Dashboard Confessional- Crooked Shadows

Dashboard Confessional is a band that has been around for a majority of my adult life. I am well aware of them, I used to be a big fan of them. In high school when I got a report card that read D C D C D C I told my parents it was a tribute to Dashboard. They did not find it as funny as I did. I admittedly fell off the wagon listening to them for the last few releases, but after hearing the hype of the first single released from this album I was excited for it. Until it came out and I heard from numerous people it was bad, so I avoided it. Now, I have finally listened to it to form my own opinion on this album.

I will have to say I come in the middle of the 'its bad' 'its good' argument. When I heard the opening track 'We Fight' I was actually quite excited. This song was a good intro to the album, and a pretty dang good song in general. It was catchy, vocals on point, and it got me hyped for this album. It is Dashboard at their finest at this song, truly. I found myself wanting to revisit the song as soon as it was done. However, the next two songs after it were kind of...just there. I did not hate them, but I found myself not having my attention held by them. That happened on each listen. It was corrected when songs like 'Heart Beat Here', 'Belong', and 'Be Alright'. I really, really dug those songs. The problem was in the interim, the songs between these and surrounding them were not nearly as good. Songs like 'Open My Eyes' and the title track started out with promise, especially the formal with its featured female vocals, which the parts with her I liked. Somehow though in the middle of the songs I checked out. My other gripe with this album is the closing track. I was not a fan of this track, at all as the closing track. Its not a bad song, but this song should not have been the closer. Overall as a whole, I do like the album, but it isn't something I see myself revisiting as a whole very often unfortunately.

Decent enough album, with some very very nice songs on it. You can tell they tried to do something a little different while still working with what Dashboard is. The album has some very strong moments, but also some weak ones. I would recommend this album to fans of their older material; the songs that didn't stick with me may stick with them. All in all, not too bad. Standout tracks: 'We Fight', 'Heart Beats Here', 'Belong', 'Be Alright'.
6.5/10

Billy Talent- Afraid Of Heights

Billy Talent is a band that no one needs an introduction for. I have known a bout these guys for a long time, just like with Dashboard Confessional. They have stayed around for a lot longer than DC has though, and that is something. Sad to say though, I stopped listening to full albums of theirs a while back; so I was very happy to take on this album as a recommendation. It was time for me to dive into a band I used to listen to and have seen live before. I was hoping for great results, and I am happy to report that I received that. Fast and fun, Billy Talent has always been one of those bands I could count on for a good time.

This album starts out strong with a nice 1-2 punch of 'Big Red Gun' and the title track 'Afraid Of Heights', both of which are big songs, catchy songs, and just outright fun. Especially the latter, which was a fantastic song with these verses that just hook you in and then it hits you with a sweet catchy chorus that I really want to see live in a small venue; its that kind of song you just know they need to make a set staple. That is the course for this entire album; big rock songs with amazingly shredded guitars, and that relentless and vicious rock sound that makes you want to just get up and tear down something while you rock out to the music. 'Rabbit Down The Hole' is a fantastic song, at over 6 minutes long (wow). It starts off with this cool fast paced acoustic twang and crooning almost poem like vocals, and steadily picks up pace as more elements such as drums and more guitar are added through out the song, and then once the 4 minute mark hits it explodes. The lyrical content of this song is amazing, following a man's path down 'the rabbit hole' of the mess of life. This album has a habit of doing that, throwing these fast pitch songs at you that you did not see coming but flow so well into each other. That song is followed by 'Time-Bomb Ticking Away' which I think is the best song on the album and definitely the most fun to sing along with. Its a jam for sure, as many of these tracks are. I actually listened to the deluxe version of this album so I could hear the demo and reprise versions of these songs, and even though that version of the album is ONE HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES LONG, it never felt that long and the alternate versions of the songs were well worth it.

This is a slapper of an album. It hits you in the face in the best way possible and never lets up. If you like rock, if you like Billy Talent, if you like just a great time. This album has something for you. I would highly recommend it to anyone a fan of the punk rock/alternative genres. Standout tracks: 'Big Red Gun', 'Afraid Of Heights', 'Rabbit Down The Hole', 'Time-Bomb Ticking Away', 'Leave Them All Behind', 'This Is Our War'.
8/10

 

Niiiice write up man I’m glad you still were able to enjoy this album after this long of not having listened to this genre

 

This sounds awesome

 

Nice review! But Shane Told does both singing and screaming.

 

well dang that definitely gives me more respect for them!

 

Nice reviews! I was pretty sure you would like the Billy Talent album. Was less sure about Dashboard, but I'm glad you still found something you like about it. If you want, you can check out Alter the Ending. I like it more than the new one, but I gave you this one because that's the one I'm listening to lately.

 

Both @Nate_Johnson and @Davjs gave me Sevendust albums this week, so I plan to review them together. However, DaveyJonesLockerboy gave me another rock gem to review this week, so I am going to post it now by itself so that the Sevendust reviews everyone was clamoring about will be together.

Metallica- Ride The Lightning

I was amazed at how many damn albums Metallica has. And I was surprised this album came out in 1984. I knew OF this album, and always thought it was a 90s album at least. But I digress. I knew some Metallica, some songs here and there. I have been on record saying 'Until It Sleeps' is my favorite song by them (and it still is), but everyone was excited for me to dive into a full album of theirs. As soon as I hit play on 'Fight Fire With Fire', I was surprised by how the song began with this almost goofy sounding little acoustic guitar strum. And then from there, the flood gates are open and you really do feel like you are 'riding the lightning' as that insane guitar kicks in and shreds. Its an insane ride from there on out, and instead of breaking down the songs individually like I do normally, I need to speak on this album as a whole.

These guys are INSANE. The guitars in this album are some of the best I have heard; I forget how insane a good old fashion guitar shred or guitar solo can sound. Lord does this album have some amazing steamrolling guitar solos as well. Metallica is known for their guitar solos, and I can see why listening to some prime examples on this album. There is one in the very first track that just whets your appetite for them, and from 'Ride The Lightning' on after that, there are these guitar solos that a lot of alt/heavy rock bands of today dream they could perform. I was happy to see 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' on here as well as 'Fade To Black', as these are two songs I knew prior to listening to this album; and they shred just as amazingly now as they did back when my oldest brother was in college at Kent state listening to this band on vinyl records. Especially the former, which has some nice vocals but allows the music and heavy fist pumping and head banging guitars to speak for themselves as the center piece of the song. The music really is the back bone of this album, which makes you want to literally flip something over and tear the damn house down as you listen to it. There is little to no time to breathe on this album when listening, and even though it clocks in at 47 minutes it doesn't feel that long in the slightest. This album blazes by like the ferocious fucking fire that it is. There are no bad songs on this, and this album is definitely best listened to as a cohesive rollercoaster of a whole. Listening to this will get your blood pumping, and your body up and moving.

Many of the people on here have heard Metallica or at least heard of them, they are one of those bands that are a definite household name. This album is a testament to what ferocious musicians they are; the guitars shred, the drums blare, the vocals are gritty and coarse. If you like heavy rock, some good old fashioned classic metal, and great guitar solos; this album is for you. Its fucking Metallica for crying out loud, you know what you are getting. Throw up the devil horns, get your head banging ready, and rock on.
Stand Out tracks: 'Fight Fire With Fire', 'Ride The Lightning', 'For Whom The Bell Tolls', 'Escape', 'Creeping Death'.
8/10

 

I will add it to my list, and look into it!

 

Wow! I am impressed!!! Great review.

 

I love you. Glad you enjoyed it!

 

@JediMasterKevo182 what do you mean when you say Billy Talent stayed around longer than Dashboard Confessional?

 

Which other 7D album did you get?

 

Billy talent formed in 93. DC in 99

 

Self titled thanks to Nate

 

Oh, so you mean they have been around longer. Got it!

 

I just read a review of someone listening to Ride The Lightning for the first time. Hell yeah. Great write up. Great album.

 

For being around as long as they have been, I actually don’t think they have that many albums! Only 10 studio albums in 35+ years

 

Yeah Billy Talent have been active for a long time under the name Pezz, before they changed their name. They actually released an album under that name (which I have never listened to)

 

I was destined to like some of the DC album at least I used to love their older stuff

 

The songs you liked are my favorites from the album haha

 

Warning to whoever I’m partnered with next week:

You’re probably getting The Glass Passenger

 

Everyone on this site has heard it though!!!