The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 289

Ah just seen your message haha

 

I have more, but I didn't want to be greedy. :)

 

I don't know Copeland, but I'll check out your albums anyway :)

 

Just a short PSA:

(region-free?)

 

It says Video not available :/

 

Try the new video @Micool1! Sorry about that.

 

I missed that post, my fav 2018 albums off the top of my head and that aren’t too heavy are the following:

DZ Deathrays - Bloody Lovley
The Xcerts - Hold On to Your Heart
Barely March- Marley Barch
Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour

Also spoiler alert but one of the albums @skurt gave me this week is really awesome too, which is The Penske File’s album Salvation.

There’s definitely others I’m forgetting (but I’m well tired and about to go to sleep) and I’ve purposely missed off the Metal releases I’ve been digging as I’m not sure if that’s your thing.

 

This is good!

 

That album ("You Are My Sunshine") was my gateway into Copeland. I'd recommend it as a first album for sure!

 

@mad gave me Eureka by Mother Mother

This was a fun album

standout tracks- Original Spin, Simply Simple, Problems, Oleander

 

Yeah Metal is less my thing. I enjoy it sometimes, but it's not my preferred genre. Thanks for the recs though! Wasn't expecting a Country album haha

 

I'll check it out after my 2018 albums blitz!

 

Haven't really seen it discussed on the site but I've been really enjoying The Fratellis' new album In Your Own Sweet Time. If you can get on board with catchy '60s-influenced pop that doesn't take itself too seriously it's a super fun listen.

 

I've added all of your recs to my 2018 must listen playlist. I've also added Anderson East - Encore.

 

My list now has 21 albums (234 songs, 14 hours 24 minutes). I should have a good time, except with the Three Days Grace album because I know it sucks, but I feel obliged to listen in full at least once.

 

And here we go with some more reviews.

First, @SamLevi11

Modern Baseball- You're Gonna Miss It All

This is one of those bands that I had heard of whispered through murmurs on Chorus and Absolutepunk, but I never got around to listening to them myself. So when Sam gave me the option of listening to them, I figured now was as good of a time as any. I went in blind with this one, so I had no idea what to expect when I dove into this album. What I found was a bit of a ride. I know a lot of people around these parts really like these guys, so I was hyped to hear this. What I was introduced to when the opening track 'Fine, Great' was a bit of an unexpected curve ball than what I had for some reason imagined they sounded like. Musically, there are some nifty things going on here. The guitars are all well toned and sound really good, and the drums kind of range from good to great on certain songs; but vocally I just could not get into this guy's voice. It was kind of monotonous, and a bit grating to listen to through the 30 minutes of these 12 songs.

Lyrically, these songs seem to sit in the range of young adult hood thematically, dealing with issues of love and the worry of death and the broken hearts that come with that time of your life. The lyrics aren't half bad through this album, really, in fact some songs like 'Apartments' and 'The Old Gospel Choir' have some really nice lyrics. However, as I said before, I probably would like or love these songs more if they were sung a bit differently. Also, as I said before, the guitars on this album are actually really good. Theres some cool folk rock influences in songs like 'Going To Bed Now', and there are some really energetic sounds on some, look no further than the aforementioned 'Apartments' for that. Sonically they are pretty good, and the best example of that and the best song on this album 'Your Graduation'. This one sounds much better, and even vocally they sound a lot more interesting than they do on the previous songs on the album. I would have loved to hear more songs like that one. I was also informed that there are two vocalists in this band...very rarely did I notice there was more than one; though on this song both vocalists seem at their peak and sound great! Out of the times I listened to this album, this was the one I came back to the most and its just a fun song.

Overall, I am sorry to say Sam that I did not click with this album. Theres some interesting things going on here and there, but something about the vocals and the production just had me not settling with this. It didn't gel for me at all. I have heard that their newest album is much better, and I probably will get around to checking that out; but going off this album I probably wouldn't have considered looking into them again. Stand out tracks for me are: Apartment, The Old Gospel Choir, Going To Bed Now, Your Graduation

5.5/10

The Front Bottoms- Talon Of The Hawk

This is a band I have been meaning to check out for a bit now. A year ago, they were on a tour opening for Blink-182, and I was supposed to go. I was amped, and I had heard that I should check these guys out and that I might like them. And then a month before the concert, the show was canceled without reason. I was a bit sour, and I never got around to checking these guys out. So when Sam gave me a chance to try them again, I most certainly took the chance. What I was exposed to was a great rock sound that stood out between the two albums given to me this week, A full sounding, catchy and fun album that was a good time to listen to. I would go around my house doing house work with my head phones in listening to this album, and it just really helped the time fly by to get lost within the songs on this album. Just something of a fun rock album that has a huge indie vibe to it; though I can see why they toured with Blink as there was a bit of a pop punk vibe going on around with them too. So, how did the album fare?

Lyrically, this album is both a blessing and a curse. The lyrics are very ambiguous, with a some vague lines in these songs. Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing; it in a lot of moments makes it a little easier to kind of make the songs more relatable because you begin to interpret the lyrics about yourself. However, sometimes there are lines that are just so vague that they kind of hinder the songs but luckily this was few and far between. Sonically, the guitars on this album are on point; shredding riffs rife with a bit of an indie low fi muffle to them, strummed bass lines and some rolling drums in the background fill out the songs and make the songs just sound bigger. It really worked on walks with my dog late on a summer night, with just my headphones in. Vocally as well, the band sounds great in this style of music. Songs like 'Skeleton' and 'Twin Size Mattress' show these musical flares through out them to enhance the lyrics and vocals they are framing that you cannot help but admire the passion of the song that is obviously having a lot of work put into it. Honestly with the way they are structured, they kind of remind me of The Mezingers or Tigers Jaw. 'Twin Size Mattress' was one of the huge highlights of this album for me, and by my second time listening it had me shouting along with that great chorus by the end. 'Santa Monica' is just insanely good, and has such an energy to it; and there are some very different things done within the song musically that it shows what this band is capable of. The other great example of this is 'Swear To God The Devil Made Me Do It' is just a great track; vocally its catchy and fun, musically its full of passion and energy. This song will get stuck in your head effortlessly in subsequent listens.

This was a good album, and I found myself curious to check out some of their other work. I regret that I didn't get to see them live, but perhaps I will catch them next time they are around. If you like bands like the ones I mentioned, you will probably like these guys if you haven't heard them already. I recommend giving this band a shot, and I look forward to discovering more from them and letting their sound grow on me. Stand out tracks are: Au Revoir (Audios), Skeleton, Swear To God The Devil Made Me Do it, Twin Size Mattress, Peach, Lone Star, Backflip

7.5/10


And now, two bonus trades I did with @anonimito and @Nate_Johnson

@anonimito
The X-Files Movie Soundtrack- Various Artists (1998)

This is going to be different, as this is not a band's album as I am used to doing, but rather a compilation album soundtrack from a movie. Going into listening to this, I knew that I would have to set aside my notions of an 'album' and also how I was going to approach writing this review. Just like the Tv show and the movie that this soundtrack album comes from, there are some insanely dark vibes generating from these songs; which makes perfect sense for it to work as the soundtrack. Bands such as Tonic, Bjork, Sting, and a bunch more make appearances on here. Filter's cover of 'One' makes a huge impression opening the sound track, and the album doesn't let up from there. Even without watching the movie for many years, my mind came back to certain scenes in the movie while listening to this; which is a great thing but I had to try and block them out to write a fair review as just an album. This is a hard thing to do for a compilation soundtrack album though, as many of these artists have different ways of working and sounding.

This is a good collection of songs though. It lasts about an hour, and it works well for drives on the highway at night time. There are highlighted moments in this though, 'More Than This' by The Cure being on here was a huge plus for me, and worked really well within the context of the musical collection it was, for example. A lot of the songs on this are either covers or reworking's of an artist's previous works (Something that I recognized for some of these songs, but not for others, and if I had not researched the album before writing the review would not have noticed.) It sets a dark, immersive mood that just kind of sucks you into the album for the hour that it plays; which is exactly what a soundtrack album should do. A lot of the time a soundtrack album can come off as obnoxious, or disjointed. I am happy to say this one is none of those things and its actually a really good listen; its like your favorite mix tape but in the 90s. And of course, after all these power house musicians have their moments, one of the last songs (The last if not counting the bonus track) is a cool remixed version of the X-Files theme song played with various different instruments and electronics. This alone was worth the listen.

This is a good listen, especially if you are a fan of: The X-Files, 90s music, melodic and mood setting compilation pieces, and just a good driving album. Its a collection, so you are free to pick and choose your favorite tracks; but I found this was best experienced as the one hour compilation that it was intended to be. My stand out moments on this were: 'One' by Filter, 'Flower Man' by Tonic, 'Walking After You' by Foo Fighters, 'More Than This' by The Cure, 'Hunter' by Bjork, and of course the remixed theme song.

also side note @anonimito, it IS on apple music.

7.5/10


and now @Nate_Johnson

Sevendust- All I See Is War

Some odd months back, I had several people assign me numerous Sevendust albums to the point that I did a giant write up expanding over half of their discography and kind of charting their advancement through each album. After said write up, I went and pretty much filled in the gaps of the albums I hadn't listened to and caught up with the rest of their work; so when I found out they had a new album coming out this year I was finally on board and hyped to listen to this one when it came out. After listening to it a couple times, it nudged onto my current top 10 AOTY list for 2018. Shortly after, and since no one did a day one review of the album in here, @Nate_Johnson and I worked out a trade where he asked me to write up a review of this album. I was happy to do so; and I will just say that if you wanted the most accessible Sevendust album to listen to if you are like I was and haven't listened to anything by them, this is it. This shows what a band can do after taking a break, taking their time in the writing process, and truly making something worthy of their top efforts. This album does a lot of cool things musically, with no song blending with the other one in a way that isn't good; there are no washes on this album where you don't realize the song has changed.

Right out the gate from the opening track 'Dirty' you know you are in for a ride. The guitar on this album is insane, this son especially holds some of the best shredding on the entire album. I am happy to say that this album takes from their old sound, takes from their newer sounds, mixes it all up together and pushes it forward to something completely different. Sonically, there are songs that take from their very aggressive history sounding, but there are also influences from their more modern releases like Cold Day Memory. The aggressive screaming is dialed back quite a bit on this album, though the vocals lose no emotion or powerful rawness because of this; all it seems to have done has allowed Sevendust more room to push their clean vocals to the limits of their aggressiveness and their melodic sides. The guitars also see this flux, going from smooth and crafted to aggressive and shredding; making for a wild ride that runs like a rollercoaster in the best ways possible. Thematically the album deals with facing personal demons, facing the trials and turmoil of the modern world, and yet looking for hope in the darkness. 'Medicated' for example, has some dark lyrics about being a shell of your former self, and yet the bridge and the softer moments of the song show this beautifully sounding side to this band. There is not a bad song on this album, and all of them having something great to say about them; 'Unforgiven' is an aggressive anthem of a banger that will have you banging your head, 'Risen' is an insane blast of aggression with one of the damn coolest intros to a song that I have heard in a while before heading into some nice yelling vocals, 'Not Original' sounds like the soundtrack from Stranger Things contacted Sevendust to make a song for them, decided not to use it, so Sevendust included it on their album. And the lyrics to this song, like many of the others on this one are just damn powerful. Having listened to all of their albums now, I would stand by the statement that this may be some of their most well written lyrics and they tug at the heartstrings while punching you in the gut at the same time, and this song is a prime example of this. This is one of those albums that is best listened to as a whole, but if you are in a hurry and want to select a few tracks, this album has plenty to offer in that regard too; though picking which ones will be hard because they are all just that dang good really.

This is an extremely well fleshed out album, with something for everyone on here. This seems to be a new chapter in the band's sound and I think its a very good one. This album is going to stick with me for a while, just because of how damn good it is both lyrically and sonically. The vocals are powerful and cause you to just get into the music, just begging to immerse yourself within the lyrics. The shredding guitars will have you banging your head, balling your fist, and up and about your house as you feel like singing passionately aloud some songs and tearing down the walls of your own home in rage on others. If you liked any of their older stuff, or want some really aggressive yet passionate music, this album is definitely something you should look into. Its a 2018 release to, so if you are needing to fill out your 2018 list (@Micool1), this is one you will want to check on. Sevendust is back and at the top of their game, pushing themselves forward into their most accessible sound yet. Stand out tracks are: all of them, but if I have to pick; Dirty, Medicated, Unforgiven, Risen, Not Original, Descend, Life Deceives You, The Truth
10/10​

 

Glad you liked it! That theme song track is amazing!

 

I agree with this ranking and how there is no bad song. It's hard for me to pick highlights too, so I'd probably go with yours except maybe switch out Risen with Moments or Cheers.

Dirty, Life Decieves You, Medicate, Not Orginal and Unforgiven def deserve to be on there.

 

Guys I have no idea why my font color is gray in non dark mode. It could be that my internet dropped when I wrote that on my laptop and copy pasted it back into a new browser when it came up.


I cannot figure out how to change it. It looks normal in dark mode

 

You don't need to fix anything. It's those that use non-dark mode that need to fix something.

Sent with Dark Mode

 

A couple of weeks ago @Bad Frequencies recommended Bring Me the Horizon's That's the Spirit. I have never listened to BMTH before, nor am I a metalcore fan generally, but this club is all about expanding your horizons (zing) so let's do this shall we?



Opener "Doomed" starts with some reverb-drenched drums and electronics along with softly sung vocals. The clean vocals are really pleasant and not what I expected to hear right off the bat. The chorus of this song is fantastic, sung aggressively but not screamed. More of an emotional hard rock vocal performance. The next track "Happy Song" has some heavier guitar riffing and features a sample of a cheerleading squad. I'm not a huge fan of the whole "cheer/chant" thing injected into music, but it's executed pretty much as tastefully as can be here. My only other criticism of this song is that the singer peppers quite a few curse words throughout the lyrics which seem a bit gratuitous. I'm not against cursing in music whatsoever, but when curse words pop up too often it feels a little bit like lazy songwriting to me. Despite those criticisms, the song comes together pretty well and I can't help but take some enjoyment from it.

"Throne" is another driving hard rocker, this one with a little bit more electronic influence. Another nice hook in the chorus, definitely a theme on this album. "True Friends" is the poppiest track so far, a catchy little number that reassures us that "true friends stab you in the front." Sounds like a song that could have some mainstream appeal. This is followed by "Follow You," the softest song so far with some nice almost falsetto vocals. At this point I'm becoming aware that I'm probably listening to an album that is a departure from BMTH's established sound. This doesn't sound like what I think of when I think of metalcore, and I'm actually digging it quite a bit.

Really like the hard rock chorus in "What You Need" and the more anthemic one in "Avalanche." Really great vocal performances throughout this album. Closer "Oh No" is a nice 5-minute pop track with a lot of softer moments. It ends with a bouncy, groovy section that sounds unlike any other moment on the album.

Overall, this is a really solid rock album, and I would definitely call it a rock record rather than labeling it "metalcore." I'm sure the band fit into that genre earlier in their careers, but I barely hear any trace of it on this record. I really enjoyed this listen and appreciate @Bad Frequencies for introducing me to a band that I would have never checked out on my own. I don't know if any of their other albums would be my cup of tea, but I had a very positive experience with this one!

 

Great review! Still laughing from the pun!

 

Last week I was paired with @teebs41 and he recommended the live album by Right Away, Great Captain!, Live at the Knitting Factory. I'm not usually one to check out live albums, but it was cool to have a different type of recommendation and experience this set. I enjoy Manchester Orchestra and Andy Hull, though his music has never really clicked with me to the extent that it has with a lot of other folks on this site. I have heard all of the RAGC albums, but only once or twice each, so it wasn't like I knew these songs by heart coming in.

One thing that I do really enjoy about live records is hearing the excitement of the audience and getting a little bit of that energy in the recording. That is present here between songs and it is obvious that this is an intimate setting at a small venue. This album is from 2016 and it is an acoustic performance, featuring just Andy Hull and his guitar, spanning the entire three-album RAGC discography. As someone who isn't super familiar with RAGC, this is a pretty cool listen as it gives kind of an abridged version of the narrative that extends across the three albums. Hull performs the songs in track/album sequence for the most part, starting with four songs from the 2007 debut The Bitter End, continuing through four tracks from 2008's The Eventually Home, and closing with eight selections from the final RAGC album, 2012's The Church of the Good Thief. There are also two tracks that are exclusive to this release, an interlude where Hull jokes a bit with the audience and the last track, a silly song Hull wrote for his wife called "Remember Me."

This live album does a great job highlighting Hull's wonderful storytelling in his lyricism. His voice is very delicate in this setting, and it carries the songs while only accompanied by the acoustic picking and strumming. For me, this album worked well as something to sit down and focus on, really trying to internalize the lyrics and overarching story and themes. However, it's also a really soothing and pleasant listen, and something that I could put on in the background while working or doing chores that didn't distract or demand my full attention.

I don't know that I can pick out specific favorites from this set, since all the songs sound fairly similar with just Hull's voice and the acoustic guitar. "Down to Your Soul," the opening track on The Eventually Home is one that did kind of stand out among the pack in my first few listens. "When I Met Death" is also unique in that Hull puts some more raw emotion behind his vocals and pushes the volume a bit on this track. Likewise in the climax of "Barely Bit Me."

This album has definitely inspired me to spend some more time with the original RAGC trilogy. I can only imagine how impactful this performance would be if I was more familiar with the original albums and knew more about the story Hull is weaving.

 

My Epic - Ultraviolet ep for your copeland fix my friend

 

@Micool1 2018 lp's off the top of my head shrine, void ripper and reidi