Friday 14 September 2012

New The Ghost Inside Music Video

As already mentioned The Amity Affliction is on tour and have released a new album. Well so has The Ghost Inside and they will also tour on the same tour with The Amity Affliction, "The Chasing Ghosts Tour". Tickets are already ot for this Australian tour and most already sold out. The Ghost Inside's new album is called "Get What You Give".

New The Amity Affliction Music Video

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, just serious in real life issues to deal with, but I have still been looking through music. For this announcement is a band called "The Amity Affliction" which are an Australian band which will soon be touring in the end of September to October. They now have released their new album "Chasing Ghosts" which is being well received from the current fan base. Though I am yet to have a listen of the new album.

Phinehas: Thegodmachine

Phinehas is a newer band on the scene in America. The band is considered as a "Christian Metal Band" which in all is nice to see more of, considering they tend to have some meaningful lyrics and tend to be to my tastes.

One of the most noticeable feature of this band is that they do have some metalcore influences, though not too similar to other bands, which is what I like as their style sounds in between newer bands and older bands, mainly from the style of guitar with breakdowns and solos like I'd hear from Children Of Bodom, but still have riffs like I'd hear from August Burns Red. Which I find a really nice blend giving the band a more unique sound.

With such writing the band has a nice level of technical writing but still has a nice level of feel to the writing. The song "The Wishing Well" is an especially interesting song as it helps let the the album mellow a bit with a nice clean intro and quite nice clean guitar work which is nice to see in a metal band.

One of my favourite songs on the album is "Grace Disguise by Darkness", it just has so much feeling to it, it just gives shivers, the screams have so much emotion around the 4 minute mark of the 5 minute and 38 second song. The guitar work is also fantastic in this song, the tone being quite well done for this song for and for the album it self. This would be a song I would certainly want to learn, it just has such a nice flow of heavy and technique writing, but then flows into a nice chill and meaningful break. Something I am not too used to seeing, so this is appreciated.

The album it self is well composed and well mixed with tones I am quite fond of.. The singers screams are alright for the style they are playing, not really heavy screams and not too much difference between screams, but they are broken up with decent cleans which give the songs nice variation. All in all this album is a nice listen which I have already given 48 play throughs, and will continue to,

Phinehas - Thegodmachine               7.3/10

Wednesday 25 July 2012

Memphis May Fire - Challenger Album Review

Challenger is Memphis May Fire's newest release in 2012. And to start this review I will say, this is quite a decent album. Challenger was released on the 26th of June with their record label they are still with, Rise Records.The album was also well received and did very well with sales.

With interviews about the album and just listening to the lyrics of the songs, a lot of them discuss issues the singer has faced. Which involves binge drinking (Vices), a prostitute (Jezabel), and record companies (Prove Me Right).

The album is lighter than the previous albums in my opinion, in terms of the heaviness of the songs. And there seems to be more cleans than screams, though with the meaning of the songs, the message comes across really well with emotion. Of course his clean vocals have improved and also the addition of Kellin Quin and Danny Worshop on the album was a nice touch on the songs.

The songs are some what simplistic by how they are written, the guitars aren't the most technically but of course more melodic to compliment the cleans that singer are doing, so a lot of chords are done. Though when screams are done the guitars do pull a good riff to go along with it, with some difficulty to the writing of it. Though never too out of line with the previous riff and chords.

A thing I want to comment on is the song Mile Away, a song about the singer's wife. This is a great song and nicely breaks the album as this song is really mellow but full of emotion, also starring Kellin Quin just complimented the song greatly. The song has really light guitar work, nothing like the rest of the songs in the best way I have already put it, mellow.

The whole album is genuinely quite well done, the mixing is great so the singers cleans sound great and the tone of the guitars don't ruin the feel of the emotion that is given in the songs. Drumming is also decent with some complex beats. I have already given this whole album literally around 80 play throughs and I still enjoy it. So over a great album and a must listen to.

Memphis May Fire - Challenger                         8.5/10

Friday 15 June 2012

New Music Video and Album From Miss May I

Miss May I have released their new album "At Heart" on the 12th of June, along with a new music video "Hey Mister". Though as much as I support Miss May I, I haven't heard the new album as I have ordered it and I am waiting to relieve it in the mail.

Though I am liking the new sound, though of course fans are arguing it sounds nothing like "Apologies are for the weak", though this still has the Miss May I sound I like and thew band has improved quite a bit.

Though of course a review should be done for this album, though of course till I receive it.

New For The Fallen Dreams Album Song

For The Fallen Dreams are releasing a new album and have recently shown one of their new songs called "Hollow" from the new album "Wasted Youth".

Though produced by the same man as from their last album, the sound is quite different, though I am not sure if it sounds better, oddly it seems the production is a bit worse than their previous album, though not sure till the whole album is released.

Monday 14 May 2012

Make Them Suffer and Resist The Thought Releases

Okay just short news, Make Them Suffer's first album will be released on the 25th of this month and should be available world wide. This also goes for Resist The Thought's new album as well being released at the same time, also available worldwide. These bands have also organised shows for their release, of course I will most likely do a review of Make Them Suffer's new album at their live show.

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Resist The Thought - Extermination Music Video

Australian Sydney band "Resist The Thought" have released a new music video "Extermination" for their upcoming album "Sovereignty" beng released on the 18th of May. This album was recorded after thier tour with "All Shall Perish", which they got the lead singer of "Eddie" to do guest vocals of one of the tracks.


Resist The Thought - Extermination

Tuesday 10 April 2012

I The Mighty - Karma Never Sleeps (Review)



The new and first release from "I The Mighty" which are also newly signed to Invogue Records, "Karma Never Sleeps".

This is a nice change of albums to see from these newer record labels, as they seem to attract the more usual metalcore that doesn't have to much variation. Though "I The Mighty" is a good catch and a nice refreshment on the usual new bands I have been seeing.

"I The Mighty" aren't, and probably not even considered "metalcore" or any form of "core", just a nice alternative band with some light screams here and there.

First of all the most capturing aspect of this release is the lyrics. The lyrics are just so in depth and relateable in some aspect it acts as a good form of reflection, something I don't think you get to say to often anymore with music. As heard in "The Dreamer", a song about a person that to shy to admit his love and so rather dream about it, not releasing that the one he loves, feels the same, but as he just leaves himself in his dreams, he is missing out on what can be. The lyrics are just captivating, and the other songs feature that sort of lyrics which are reflections of how people are. Kind of gives you an idea about how people are.

The writing of these songs come well along with the consideration of the lyrics. The style is quite melodic with quite a bit of use of clean guitar and smooth chord progression. Though the songs do reach a sort of "heavy" point, nothing like a breakdown or anything but, just how the chords are used with a touch of blemishes or so.

The songs aren't too technical, though not simple as they are obviously quite well written and not just a few chords with cleans over it. Drums are nice and keep a great beat to the songs, completely suiting the style. What I quite like seeing is how the bass is being used in this band, it is defined from the gutiar and sometimes independent of the guitar, really make it, it's own instrument, which is nice to see rather than the usual just do the root notes of the gutiar's part.

Overall it is a great album and a nice refreshment to the usual that has been coming up lately. Maybe some bands can create such lyrics as well. Cleans are great, smooth and great to sing along, instruments are well defined and mixed well, a well done album in quality and structure.

I The Mighty - Karma Never Sleeps               8.2/10

Tracklist:
1. The Dreamer
2. Dancing On A Tightrope
3. Cutting Room Floor
4. The Frame III: Sirocco
5. These Streets Are Alive
6. Escalators


Note how you literally cannot see the dislike bar. (if you got on the youtube page).

Saturday 7 April 2012

Make Them Suffer Releases First Video

Prior to Make Them Suffer being signed to Roadrunner Records, the band had made a teaser trailer for their new and first music video "Neverbloom". Though now the new music video is released, and to say it is pretty up there with quality. The mixing is better in my opinion, having a larger take on the guitar rather than the keys like in their EP, which I am really glad for since I felt that though it was good, I didn't really like how I would really only notice the guitaars till the breakdown, but now, they got it right in my opinion.

Also with their new album they have also gotten a new keyboardist that now can do vocals, though the album is said to only have very little of her singing involved, though I believe it works well with the style though, but some already displayed their dislike towards the female keyboardist's vocals.

The breakdown is hectic and the drums and guitar have great tone, a real step up and working well for them, with their new album being released on the 25 of May.

A new gutiarist, and keyboardist seemed to turn out well for the band.

Neverbloom:

Friday 16 March 2012

Make Them Suffer, Signed and New Music Video

Recently Australia's Blackened Deathcore band Make Them Suffer have been signed to Roadrunner Records and now finished recording of the new album Neverbloom with Roland Lim. Make Them Suffer is becoming highly inticipated in their local scene for their release and their last live show before their release of the album coming out on the 2nd of April (2012). Once the albun is released, a review of the album will be posted.

Friday 17 February 2012

Developments Of Sketchars.com

Sketchars,com has actually done better than I'd hoped, the site gains quite a respectable amount of traffic. Though with recent developments such as the other soon to be released website which is done on a different platform, I've ran ideas of producing a sort of Sketchars v2.0, though the name will be changed to something more related to the content of this music. The point getting at here is that this site might reach it's end, I can just leave it here and let the traffic that comes to it be, though the site won't really be updated, and with the work I am doing now on another site, it isn't being updated to frequently either.

The new version will be a re-amped metalcore/deathcore music site like this (thus Sketchars.com v2.0), so this site would clash with it, and running two of the same sites would seem a bit odd, though I am not completely sure of dropping Sketchars.com, also leaving the problem of what to do with the domain I still have registered.

Though I will keep the site running for another 2-5 months that's for sure, since a new site would take some time and effort to put together, though I will see how things will develop. To all the people that view this simple music blog, thanks.

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Crossfaith - The Dream The Space

Crossfaith is a Japanese metalcore, which actually has released 2 albums and 1 EP. The Dream The Space being their second full album release, being their "American" release, also including a cover of "Omen" by Prodigy.

The album consists of 11 tracks all being in English (though I am not sure if their previous work was in Japanese). The Tracks Being.







1. Technologia
2. Chaos Attractor
3. Stars Faded In Slow Motion
4. Promise
5. The Dream The Space
6. Snake Code
7. Demise And Kiss
8. Panorama
9. Crystal Echoes Back To Our Tragedy
10. Nostalgia
11. Omen (Prodigy Cover)

The band features the use of standards sort of metalcore writing style, though they also include some techno which is actually done by one of the  band members and not just a track being played in the background, which is nice to see.

Though the songs a nicely written, they are not to technical and not to melodic either, mixing of the songs sounds pretty good, but nothing too great. Vocals in the album are pretty monotone, they do not change to much, either slightly more stressed, or slightly lower, though I can't really make out the words to well.

Guitar tone is pretty crunch, sounds to be done with a direct input and ran through a few plugins for that tone, though not to bad, though nothing to fancy. Drumming in this album is quite good and keeps are good beat.

Though it is a nice attempt by Crossfaith, there isn't to much to look at with the album, the songs sound to similar, and the guitar tones don't help, though with the skills they have now, they could apply later to better affect. Though we will have to see on their decision.

Crossfaith - The Dream The Space         5.5/10

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Wednesday 18 January 2012

Capture The Crown - You Call That A Knife? This Is A Knife!

Another small and unrecognised band whom I believe deserve some recognition.

Capture The Crown is a Sydney metalcore band which I had the pleasure of speaking too. The band is full of well meaning guys trying to become noticed in their scene. Their recently released a music video for their new single "You Call That A Knife? This Is A Knife!", though currently have not released EP nor album yet.

Though I am excited for any new releases to come from them, as they have already given a small show of their new song to be released featuring guest vocals.

To Like Them :  http://www.facebook.com/capturethecrown

Friday 13 January 2012

Miss May I - New Album Being Recorded

Miss May I have recently announced that recording for their 3rd full album is being done at the "Machine Shop", claiming to be their most "dynamic metal" album they have made yet. As Miss May I being a favourite, the release will be high anticipated by me and surely I will order what ever pre-order bundle they can throw out, considering the writing styles and their direction in music, this release should be unique and quite good. Though according to their latest interview, they have only complete 7 songs, though album designs, and promoting will also take place. So hopefully the release will be before the end of February.

Sunday 8 January 2012

Crown The Empire - Voices

After searching for new bands to listen to, support and hopefully recommend to others to spread their music, I finally have come across group of bands whom only have EPs, or haven't even released a full album of some sort.

For today it will be "Crown The Empire", with their new album "Limitless" which I believe has already been released. With their extensive effort for promotion, creating individual band member videos, doing contests, new and well produced music video and the most important, a new and well produced album this band has yet to be recognised.

Soon enough I will get their album and do a review of it.