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| Abandoned Pools are back with a new album after a few year hiatus. Rejuvenated and ready, Tommy Walter hasn't missed a beat. The music on the new record is immaculate when compared to its predecessors. He's been through a lot recently but has learned what has worked for him especially under the moniker Abandoned Pools. All his work is great, this release and as well as Oliver the Penguin.
"Autopilot" and is a great eerie track that builds into a great chorus to end the song. Walter has really brought back the songwriting element. His songs are better put together and flow richer than before. Speaking of "Oliver the Penguin," You will hear a familiar voice in the second verse. The angelic track starts with the acoustic ambience and builds with the dual vocal which tells a great story. If you are waiting for some older AP sound, you will be gifted on "In Shadows" and the upbeat "Hype is the Enemy."
If you have been following Tommy through this writing process to unwilling know "In Silence," "Legionnaire" and "Marigolds" that fill this album with familiarity. Great songs that in know from the singles he released. Tommy is back and better than ever. Go out and support his music. There is a lot of crap our these, so why not support a musician who's longevity is secured with great well written songs. |
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| The Higher They Climb is 3rd album from C.T.P and the best one so far. This new album is tougher more guitar oriented than the previous albums and Christian has co-produced the album with Michael Voss (Mad Max, Casanova) with a great result. Like on the earlier albums there’s a impressive guest-list so is the case with this new one. There’s some great voices on this album such as David Reece (Bangalore Choir), Leon Goewie (Vengeance) Paul Shortino (King Kobra, Rough Cutt) and Michael Voss. Christian has also invited a few of his friends to join him such as L.A. guitarist Michael Landau, Ben Granfelt (Ex- Wishbone Ash), Andy Susemihl and Morris Adriaens. Sound wise this reminds a lot of stuff that Mr. Voss has been involved in and if you like albums with Voices Of Rock, Casanova, Mad Max and later Bangalore Choir then this is an album for you. Highlights on the album is the great rocker The Higher They Climb with great guitar work and hooks. Blue Butterfly Day is an amazing melodic rock/AOR song with a catchy chorus. Out Of My Head is a straight ahead rocker with crunchy guitars and big pounding sound very similar to Bangalore Choir. The Casanova sounding Half That Man is the song of the album with catchy hooklines, great guitar work and fantastic chorus with powerful background vocals. This is a great melodic hardrock album filled with bunch of hook laden songs and great arrangements. |
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| Go Radio formed in April 2007 after Jason Lancaster left Mayday Parade. Together with Matt 'Burns' Poulos, as well as Steven Kopacz and Patrick Hosey of the Florida band Don't Die Cindy, Lancaster started Go Radio. In 2011 the band released the album "Lucky Street" and gained some minor success on the american chart and the band went on constant touring until lastspring when they went into the studio and recorded this album. It's a good album with a lot of great melodies and a nice solid production signed James Wisner. Musically we're in the typical mainstream modern rock with a twist of a more bombastic edge with vocalist Jason Lancasters piano and some nice arranged strings. Imagine a mix between Tonic, Dishwalla, The Maine, Mayday Parade and The All American Rejects. Nothing revolutionary. Nothing new. But still really well done and well worth a check out. |
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| If you like: Finger Eleven, Atomship, Alter Bridge
Description:
Canadian Three Days Grace continues to deliver quality Modern Rock on his fourth album "Transit Of Venus". For me, their self-titled debut their peak while I think that last "Life Starts Now" is the weakest when they lost a bit of their aggressiveness. However, it is a band you can rely on and definitely think they found their place with a unique style and good material again and again.
This new album "Transit Of Venus" feels like a good sequel to 2009's "Life Starts Now". It is once again not as dark and rebellious as on the first two albums, but there's an aggressive undertone, which sets a perfect alternative touch on the album.
Is a little surprised that they hold such a high level once again as it is not easy to maintain such a high level they do. But Three Days Grace is definitely top tier in the Modern Rock genre and a band that will deliver many times more in the future. Recommended!
Highlights: "Chalk Outline", "Anonymous", "The High Road" |
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| Rattleshake is one of those many bands that never made it back in the 80s, but now Eonian Records has taken care of that. Rattleshake´s album is filled with seven never before released re-mastered tracks recorded, mixed and produced by Rob Beaton (Guns n´ Roses, Sammy Hagar, Santana and more). This is definitely an album for fans of Ratt, Skid Row, Tesla and Kix for sure. The only downside is maybe that there’s only seven songs on this album, but they are damn good and shows that this band had potential for sure with big loud guitars, powerful sound and a great vocalist in Don McBee. Just listen to the great Take Me Down with a powerful chorus, or the Skid Row sounding Jump On Me. Then there’s the ballad that could had taken them higher called Never Say Goodbye, this is really a nice one and yes we have heard this kind of ballads before. Rattleshake Boogie has some Van Halen influences in it. If you’re a fan of 80s hair-metal era this is an album you should check out right away. An album that contains great hardrock. |
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| If you like Modern Rock with a touch of pop / punk so Namesake a band you definitely need to check out. Think there are some similarities with the favorite bands Diffuser, Yellowcard and Sugarcult that all built their sound around beautiful melodies in an energetic package. And must say Namesake holds the same class which makes them one of 2012's most exciting bands.
On this debut, they have been working James Paul Wisner (Paramore, Underoath, and New Found Glory), so the band really got a world-class production behind them on “Border & Fences”.
If they will break through really remains to be seen, but the band has a bunch of good songs and a style that is hard not to like so the future looks bright for these guys from Atlanta, Georgia.
Highlights: Border & Fences, In Your hands, The Movement |
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| Do not really know the status of the power-pop band The Click Five right now. It has been quiet since the "TVC" album from 2010, but their front man Kyle Patrick has been active in the past year with his second EP "Kyle Patrick." Officially it is his debut as "kp" from 2010 barely came out, only released in a few items from his website. The Ep then distributed by Warner Music follows the same route as TCF with straightforward and extremely catchy pop. It’s a little less power-pop though as he has moved towards a more danceable and electronic sound. I like it and think it is the way to go as it feels a little more contemporary and fresh to what works now on radio. Even think that he has found a unique style in my favorite track "Wild Ways" with a great power-pop melody built up with a nice house beat. A bit too danceable for some perhaps, but think it works very well and hope he goes towards this even more in the future. Other good tracks are the "Olympic" song "Go For Gold" and the opening track "Follow Your Heart Beat" with a touch of Jason Mraz. A little pity it is that we "only" five tracks, as I want more from this big talent. But this Ep should create a great interest among major labels as he has great potential and deserves to be a big name. |
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| If you like: Switchfoot, The Classic Crime, Mainstay
Description:
Anberlin has on their sixth studio album, gone back to work with producer Aaron Sprinkle. A good choice in my opinion because as he gave the band a personal touch on their first three albums. However, understand that the band wanted to try out new ideas as they worked with Neal Avron and Brendan O 'Brien on the following albums when they got signed to Universal. The result, however, made them more mainstream and less unique although both albums holds high class.
"Transit", then, shows a slightly new sound from the band with a more keyboard-dominated touch than before. However, the band has kept the energy that characterizes their sound and overall it’s an album that shows that the band is in the right direction.
Does not that song material is perfect as there are a handful of standard track, but "Transit" is a very solid release worth checking out of course.
Highlights: "Other Side", "Self-Starter", "Someone Anone" |
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| Modern Rock Act Camera Can’t Lie was signed to Atlantic Records for three years before they finally left the label. Do not really know the circumstances, but it didn’t happen that much between band's Ep's released there and the question is whether Atlantic put out a single dime in promotion?
However, they managed to take this album with them that is a given hit if you like melodic rock with a pop twist. Their sound is very classic Mother Rock not that far away from Tonic, Matchbox 20 and Third Eye Blind, but in an updated format.
Highlights here are the tracks "Show Up And Show Me", "Call Me Crazy" and "Over and Over", but the whole record is good and should be checked out if you like bands that I compared them with or why not say, Green River Ordinance or Augustana. |
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| The thing with a Danko Jones album is that you always know what you get. It is attitude-filled blues infused rock n roll from start to finish. If you like that there is nothing here that will let you down. Clocking in at around 40 minutes it is a classic Danko Jones album and it has all the usual ingredients. They have really become a tight band and there is a lot of that live feeling to these songs. I also think that Dankos singing is improving with each album. I would not stretch as far as calling it beautiful because it will never be that, but he really sounds good on this album.
As per usual the lyrics are about attitude and pulling chicks in clubs but it would not be a Danko Jones album without this. We are treated to a couple of good, up-tempo songs from the start and Get Up is a song that I can see becoming a live favorite in the future. Another highlight is single Just a Beautiful Day, a classic Danko song. Sixth out, You Wear Me Down, is a great song and from the first spins it might be my favorite so far. It is a little bit slower song with some very nice guitar riffs and licks. More songs I like are Always Away and Conceited.
There are however some dips in quality as well and I do not care too much for Don’t Do This or The Masochist. It is too bad that they end the album on a low instead of a high. Other than that I have no complaint about the production as it suits the music very well. And overall, this is a solid rock n roll album that is sure to start a party or two this fall. Not their best work but far from a bad record. Fans of Danko or, let’s say, Hardcore Superstar will do well to check this out. |
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| P.O.D. latest album "Murdered Love" is a strong comeback after four years of silence. Liked their breakthrough album "Satellite" from 2001 where they introduced a cool mix of rock, rap and reggae, which then felt new and fresh. Think then that the two subsequent releases stylistically were a bit boring as they they became too mainstream and less experimental.
However, they are back on track on this album "Murdered Love," which is surprisingly well done and playful. Tracks like "West Coast Rock Steady", "Babylon the Murderer" and "Murdered Love" will be the future live favorites, and overall, this is an album that stands out in the band's catalog. |
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| Canadian Liam Titcom was in 2004signed to Sony and it looked very bright for his musical career. However, he got drop-before the second album and after that his television career has been clearly better.
However, he is back with a new album and by far the best so far. It feels like the pressure is gone and that he makes the music that he thinks is fun to record. Ok, he has not undergone any major musical redesign, but it sounds fresher and song material is much stronger than before.
The opening "Cicade," "Landslide" and "Brick By Brick" is really really good, and if the level had been this high throughout the disc, it had been one of this year's best. Now is the other half a bit weaker, but it’s still a good album that you should check out if you like well crafted pop / rock. |
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| Accents’ Growth and Squalor is an album found on the Deep Elm label. That is for usually a sign of quality. I have heard many of the label’s releases and they have almost never let me down. It is the side project of TJ Foster and Ben Hemingway from post-rockers The Cast Before the Break. The first thing that strikes me is that this is not a post-rock album, it is a folk one. Most of the songs are slow and acoustic based, but that is not a bad thing. This album was recorded by a duo but there are a lot of full band songs. However, the sound is very different to what they do in The Cast. There is a good variety among the songs and I get some hints from Dispatch and similar acts here and there throughout the album. Still, Accents manages to maintain their own identity and a personal sound which is crucial in this business. If you like most of the bands on the Deep Elm (brilliant label by the way) roster this might appeal to you. Fans of Ben Howard and Iron & Wine may also want to take notice. This is some solid indie rock that will get you through the late nights. |
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| Feel like playin' some slightly rough-edged AOR á la SHY, VALENTINE or later ALIEN? Well, then try these new Sweden under the band name OXYGEN. It may be a new band but the members are skilled and scarred! TONY NIVA (NIVA, AXIA, TRACY GOES CRAZY) handles the vocals; ROGER LJUNGGREN (T'BELL) plays guitar; MARCUS PERSSON brings keyboards and backing vocals and BENGAN ANDERSSON bangs the drums. Stylewise I think a lot of SHY here, thanks to the music style as well as the voice of Niva. The opener "Janitor of love" is a perfect example, as it is classic AOR but with a slight hard rock edge. The guys really know how to find a mixture of these styles, and check out "Gold from the future" with a sound like a light-weight ROYAL HUNT. The high-pitched voice of Niva is impressive and most songs are really good here. The only downside, as I see it, is that I would have liked to hear more variation and more originality in the songs. That would have lifted this CD to 4 out of 5 in grading. However, all fans of the bands listed above need to check this album out. |
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| "Invisible Stars" is Everclear’s eighth album and the last "real" since 2006’s "Welcome to the Drama Club". Between these ones we have got four albums with covers and remakes so it really was high time to release something "real" from the band. And must say that Art and his new guys really delivers a great collection of songs in a clean and stylish production. It almost feels like traveling in a time machine back to 2000 when the band was at its peak and released Songs from an American Movie Vol 1 and 2. "Invisible Stars" is actually in the same class with really good tracks like "Tiger in a Burning Tree" "Santa Ana Wind" and the first single "Be Careful What You Ask For". So if you like what they have done before, this is a must to check out for sure. A nice surprise! |
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Did you know that?
Justin Hawkins, the singer of Hot Leg/The Darkness sang backing vocals on Def Leppard´s cover of The Sweet´s song "Hell Raiser" for their 2006 covers album "Yeah!"
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