He Is Legend is one of the most underrated bands around today. Their new album, White Bat, is one of the best albums of 2019, and I’ll get to that in a later post. While on a big kick of listening to them, I came across this gem of a cover they did of Third Eye Blind’s song “Wounded.” This is an interesting take on the song and they did something cool with it.
He Is Legend- Wounded:
Third Eye Blind- Wounded:
There are bands that come around every so often that are truly inspiring and remarkable. More often than not, these bands never get the due they deserve because of the genre they are a part of as well as not playing by the generic norm of the industry. And that’s what makes heavy music truly great. There are no rules to abide by and there are no compromises when it comes to making the type of music and albums these bands want to make. There’s a band from Orange County, CA, that have been carving their own path for some time and with the release of their new album, they have cemented themselves as torchbearers for a genre and have set a standard for what’s to come from this style of music.
Reverie of the Revolving Diamond by Seizures, is an album that is truly outstanding and genre defining. The ability this band has to mix metal, jazz, punk, atmospheric sounds as well as deep and poetic lyrics is something that should not be overlooked by anyone. The instant that the first song “Mazarine” begins, you are immediately drawn into the soundscapes and almost psychedelic undertones. “The Cycles Unnumbered” unleashes a fury of off time playful chaos and delicate jazz scales directly into the rush of blood to your head of “In A Valley Of Twilit Meres.” “Toxophola” is one of the more experimental songs on the album but still maintains the ferociousness that resonates through the entire album. This song also features Keith Barney (of Eighteen Visions/ex Throwdown). “The Ponds You Dried Yet Still You Stare” is one of my favorite songs on the album. It has everything I love about this band all wrapped in one song. Listen and you’ll hear why. “Atollian” continues to expand upon the atmospheric undertones of the album and keeps it tasty as a sweet transition right into the decimating “Of Indigo and Seven Crows.” “Severnaya” provides a really cool interesting vibe as it serves as an entry into “Bedlam Blues” which is the most straight forward song on the album but not in the way that defers from the spastic nature of the album. “On Saturine Shores” is another moving interlude of sorts. These little atmospheric jazz breaks in between songs give the album and listener a breath in between sonic assaults. Closing out the album is “Eru” and this song is epic and like “The Ponds…” this too has a bit of everything that Seizures has to offer and then some.
Seizures have released an album that stands up with the best albums as their contemporaries and the ones that inspired and influenced them. They have a sound and style that is ferocious and brutal yet delicate and oddly soothing. Reverie of the Revolving Diamond is an album for today as much as Calculating Infinity by The Dillinger Escape Plan was 20 years ago. The band live is a whole other beast as well. I’ve only had the pleasure of seeing them once but, they truly left a mark on me and I’ve been anticipating this album since I saw Seizures. Do yourself a favor and take a chance on something that might (well it probably is) out of your comfort zone and discover what this band has to offer. This album is definitely in my top ten of the year as well.
Seizures- Reverie of the Revolving Diamond:
By: Brian Lacy
Back in 1997, 311, released Transistor, the follow up to their break through self titled album. There was one song on the album that has always been a favorite of mine. The song is “Beautiful Disaster” and it rocks. The intro is beyond recognizable anytime you hear the first few notes and the vibe the song emits, has this flow to it that is perfectly 90’s but, still sounds fresh today. Interestingly, “Beautiful Disaster” was the third and final single released from the album.
311- Beautiful Disaster:
Remember the days of reading the liner notes and seeing the list of bands that are thanked and then checking out the ones you didn’t know? It’s always a pleasure and fun to come across bands that people in other bands you dig like. Not too long ago, I saw a posting on Instagram from Riley of Thrice talking about the band Drug Church. So, I did what I do, and checked them out. Needless to say, I enjoyed what I heard. Drug Church is a post-hardcore band hailing from upstate New York. Their sound is a mix of hardcore punk, alternative rock and a tinge of grunge. Think of it like this, if Black Flag (Rollins era), The Jesus Lizard and In Utero era Nirvana all somehow made music together, you’d get a pretty close resemblance to what Drug Church sounds like. The band was started by Self Defense Family singer Patrick Kindlon. Since their inception, they have released three full length studio albums, and a handful of EP’s and singles. Their most recent album, Cheer, is one of the coolest albums I’ve heard in a long time. It’s a very focused and powerful album as well as experimental. Cheer is the type of album that will leave you wanting to go right back to the first song after its over. The lyrics that accompany the music are smart and and thought provoking with enough of a sarcastic approach to make them really stand out. From the live videos I’ve seen of the band, they are one of the more exciting bands to see live. A band like Drug Church is a much needed breathe of air in a musical climate of today that is dominated by so much manufactured crap. So, do yourself a favor and take a listen to this great band!
Drug Church- Cheer:
Drug Church on Audiotree:
There are certain songs in a bands catalog that no matter how many times you’ve heard it, you always get that same feeling wafting over you. That happens to me every time I hear the MTV Unplugged version of Alice In Chains “Nutshell.” This version is quite astounding. Opening the show with this song too was something special. It’s truly one of those magical music moments that will give you chills. “Nutshell” is in my top 5 favorite Alice In Chains songs of all time and this version just might eclipse the studio version for me.
Alice In Chains- Nutshell (MTV Unplugged):
10 years ago, Mastodon released their epic masterpiece, Crack The Skye. That album catapulted Mastodon to all sorts of new heights. If you’ve never heard that album, you really should. It’s absolutely incredible. Anyways, during this time, Mastodon started making the rounds of playing on late night TV and their performance of “Oblivion” on the Late Show with David Letterman, was pretty damn good.
Mastodon- Oblivion on the Late Show with David Letterman 2009:
Billie Eilish is the talk of most of the music world yet, I’m just not into it. Maybe it’s me getting older or maybe it’s just that I really don’t dig it. Either way though, her song “Bad Guy” has been played everywhere and it’s in my head, and I can’t get it out. While I was looking up live videos of Billie live, to see what all the hype is about, I came across this really fun and cool cover of “Bad Guy” by the ska-punk band The Interrupters. They made this song quite fun and enjoyable and now it’s the only way I can listen to that song. So here you go!
The Interrupters- Bad Guy:
This topic is pretty self explanatory. It’s all about exploring the deep cuts off certain albums.
Pearl Jam are one of those bands with an extensive catalog and so many great songs. A lot of these songs are not as recognized and that’s a shame because, there truly are a plethora of underappreciated songs. One song that I’ve always held in this regard is “Green Disease” from their 2002 album, Riot Act. The album itself features a diverse sound, including songs influenced by folk, art/alternative rock and some experimental rock. Lyrically, it’s one of the bands more political efforts as this album was influenced by the September 11 attacks and the changing political climate that followed. Which is where “Green Disease” plays a pivitol role on the album. Each Pearl Jam album always seems to have that one song that is very “punk” based in nature and this is that song for Riot Act. The song is all about greed and the despicable nature of it. The song is written by Eddie Vedder but, without the other guys in the band, it just wouldn’t have the same impact. This is also one of those songs that is a crowd pleaser too, though it’s only been played 65 times since the albums release.
Green Disease (from Riot Act):
Green Disease (live at Madison Square Garden):
It’s always interesting when bands take different genres and mix them together. The end results are at times questionable but, when a band finds the right pairing, it all comes together. There is a band that has caught my attention that has mixed shoegaze and sludge in a way that not only works, it feels right too. Greet Death, a three piece band from Flint, Michigan, are releasing a new album, New Hell, on November 8 (via Deathwish Inc.). The first couple songs released are just a glimpse of the lush and full melodies, dreamy guitars, and punchy rhythms that drive the poetic lyrics to soaring heights. The groups debut album, 2017’s Dixieland, showed that Greet Death are here to leave a lasting impression and that they did. New Hell looks to pick up where their debut left off, while expanding upon their sound to reach a new level.
Greet Death- Do You Feel Nothing? (from New Hell):
Greet Death- Strange Days (from New Hell):
Greet Death- Dixieland:
This new topic, Breaks & Rhymes, is all about Hip-Hop and Rap music.
Over the last few years, I’ve found myself delving deeper into things I haven’t really listened to. Since the release of the first Run The Jewels album, I’ve come to really enjoy them a lot. Killer Mike and EL-P are truly a dynamic duo and continue to put out quality music as RTJ. While getting into them, I started to really notice how great of a producer and beatmaker EL-P is. His style is interesting and inspired from so many different genres. After raving about RTJ to a friend of mine, he sent me a few of EL-P’s solo albums (Thanks Adam!!!). One of those, Cancer 4 Cure, really stood out to me and had me totally taken aback. Listening to that album was almost like a revelation.
Cancer 4 Cure is one of the best hip-hop albums I’ve ever heard. Everything about this album is genuine, pure and transcendent. The production on this album is truly remarkable. The beats hit on different styles from trap, old school hip hop, and even bits of industrial. The samples used as well are innovative and fresh. His flow is menacing and sharp as a Mastumoto katana blade (nice Kill Bill reference there Brian *pats self on the back for that one*). EL-P (real name Jaime Meline) is and always has been the real deal.
The album starts off with one of the coolest hip-hop songs I’ve ever heard in “Request Denied.” The moment you put this album on and this song starts, you know this is going to be pretty spectacular. You’ll also find yourself reaching for the volume button or knob to turn it up so loud it rattles your speakers, car or house. The rest of the album is chock full of sic beats, flows that would make Niagra Falls jealous and topics that have actual depth and reason. Tracks like “The Full Retard,” “Works Every Time (featuring Paul Banks of Interpol), “Drones Over Brooklyn,” “Tougher Colder Killer (featuring Killer Mike),” “The Jig Is Up,” “Sign Here,” “For My Upstairs Neighbor,” “Stay Down (featuring Nick Diamonds),” and closing double track “$4 Vic/Nothing But Me and You” are to me classics. The venom spit on these songs along with the realism is very vivid and striking. Everything about this album screams classic.
Cancer 4 Cure is the type of album that if you aren’t a fan of hip-hop, it will make you one. This album hits hard and is everything that modern hip-hop should be. It’s a vicious album that is sinister at times as well as heartfelt. The album is dedicated to EL-P’s friend Camu Tao, who had a huge effect on his life. As you listen to the words and the style of rhymes, you can really tell there is more in there than what’s on the surface. EL-P has created a style of production that is revolutionary and it accompanies his rhyme style so perfectly, when you hear any song he’s been a part of, you will know right then that you are getting something sensational. EL-P has made me a believer in hip-hop music.
EL-P- Cancer 4 Cure:
AUDIOECLECTICA 