The Devil Wears Prada: Plagues

So I was going through my Zune (yes I said ZUNE... not IPOD) yesterday, looking for something I hadn't heard in a while... and there they were.  Ahhh... can I just say how much I love this band? Why yes... yes I can... because this is MY blog ;)

So this wasn't just a band of the week for me.  These guys were a steamy love affair with my ears for quite some time.  I was fortunate enough to see them while on tour for this album with an a amazing line up (you might want to be sitting down for this), Saosin and Underoath!  So I enjoyed everything they've put out, but Plagues definitely their best work.  I'm so particular about clean vocals in Hardcore.  So many times the melody just doesn't match the song.  But hey, what do you expect from a bunch of metalheads?  There's no excuse!  It was also one of the bands that did scream harmonizing well in the beginning.

It's pretty awesome where keyboards have fit into metal.  We've all heard that Scandinavian metal with weird ambient keyboard use... eh... it only goes so far.  Even bands that I love like Children of Bodom, at times I've questioned the presence of the keyboard.  The Devil Wears Prada have hit the nail right on the head.  Perfect accentuation of break downs, and who doesn't love the sound of that arpeggiator?!!

So I'm pretty sure anyone who listens to newer metal is familiar with the whole "Punk Goes..." series.  This has been both good and bad.  But throughout everyone of those albums, I can say with certainty that their cover song is the best.  They do a cover of "Still Fly" a classic rap song.  I did find the lyrical editing towards the end hard to "sing" along to in the beginning, being familiar with the song prior to the cover.  But hey, They are just being good Christian kids.  I could totally go off into a rant about "Christian Metal" but I think I'll save that for a different post (you're welcome).  The song is done so well, where they've put in their own style to it, unlike some of the others that are merely the band doing someone else's song, they made it their own.  Just in case you would like to know, August Burns Red Cover of "Hit Me Baby One More Time" comes in close second ;)

"I'm gonna hope for you,
I'm gonna pray for you,
Amongst the reckless and the black.
Salvation lies within.
I'm gonna hope for you,
I'm gonna pray for you,
Amongst the reckless and the black.
My time is yours, my friend"

Check out their Myspace:  http://www.myspace.com/tdwp

P.S.
Let's hope that Eurotour with them and Bring Me the Horizon and Parkway Drive makes it's way to the states ***cross your fingers***

Attila: Rage

First off, thank you to my good friend Cole for bringing this band to my knowledge in the recent past.  That's right... as you read above the band of the week is Attila (and by band of the week, I mean the band that I personally can't stop listening to for whatever reason).  So this whole "party metal" (oops there I go with core generalizing) is actually pretty funny to me... in a good way.  I love brutal lyrics as much as the next but it's pretty refreshing when they are not solely about world destruction and the loss of self through consumerism and greed.  Don't hate... I still love All Shall Perish with an unhealthy passion.  But if you're into newer metal... you know exactly what I'm talking about.  It seems more and more bands are headed in that area, or maybe just that general direction.  Anyway... back to the band.


Pros:  Well the first thing that stands out to me is the guitars.  Probably because I play the guitar... weird.  So for a newer metal band with pretty brutal vocals and son August Burns Red Style chops, it seems you tend to get a lot of  Melodic Minor scale based riffs and solos.  Yes those little babies are fast and furious, but they are everywhere.  So I was so excited to hear these leads based in Pentatonic and Blues!  The intervals of those scales just make them sound HUGE!  They are definitely putting the Rock back in Metal.

Cons:  Now this is tricky.  I'm going to say the vocals are the con, however I don't fully mean it.  The vocals are what originally made them hard listening.  Now I don't mean the low end... It's than really nasal higher growl that scat/raps.  You either have heard them and know EXACTLY what I'm talking about, or hopefully you will and then it will take you 10 whole seconds to figure it out.  It seems scat/rap is making it's way across the face of metal, and some do it so well, like Whitechapel for instance.  So back to the vocals.  They do grow on you after a while.  Plus the lyrics are clever as hell ;)  So look at that... even the cons turned out well.

So over all I give Attila and their album Rage 3 licorice whips, some pocket lint, and a genuine artificial replica of the Pick of Destiny (the actual pick not the movie).  Give them a listen...  Their myspace link is listed below:

http://www.myspace.com/attilaga

"Alright everybody throw your hands up
 Put em in the air and if you’re not holding a red cup
 You know the drill- get on your knees"

What's your Core?

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What's your Core?

What's your core?  Long ago in the genre of punk, there was a band called Guttermouth.  They had an interesting approach to the topic.  It was all punk, why was it so divided?  "I want to be unusual, I want to be punk rock."  It seems Metal has taken this same turn.  I also think that it's interesting that quite a bit of Metal is referred to as a "core" which is taken directly from punk.  The evolution is astounding.  So we have punk, which evolved into the whole straight edge and hardcore scenes.  And somehow or another we ended up and Deathcore and Grindcore.  So I was talking with some buddies the other day, and exchanging information about different bands that we thought the others would like.  The whole description was described by core.  "Dude... it's got like Grindcore vocals, Shredcore guitars mixed with melodic metal, and way too heavy on those Deathcore blast beats."   I'm pretty sure there was a time when we compared one band to another.  I love the fact that no one can have these conversations without getting into a semi heated argument about what band falls into which core.  It's all in good fun though.  I feel like a all those Jewish guys on fiddler on the roof arguing about what the good book say... "it says something about the chicken!"  I say, if it sounds good go with it.  I love these rants I hear on Youtube about, "that band is pussy, they couldn't possibly be Deathcore... only girls listen to them."  Well for one, it may not be the worst thing to have some chicks at your shows.  I'll bet they score more than you ;)  The second thing is, why is it so important to fit into this tiny little genre?  If you can rock out to it, more power to you.  Besides, what are the chances you listen to your new favorite band so many times because they're the next big, that you'll be sick of them in a month or two and possibly forget they exist?  Probably pretty good.  I guess I can only speak for myself, but my taste in music is constantly evolving. 

Aw... the old days of the genre.  It was either Metal or Rock.

Intro to Metal as heard by evilEvon

Metal is my driving force.  The raw energy and talent blows my mind over and over again.  This is my outlet for it.  This is NOT going to be classic metal only.  While who owe so much to the pioneers and our forefathers of metal, it's time to move forward.  Join me on my progressive journey through metal.