Coma Ecliptic by Between The Buried And Me (★★★★/5)

I’m kicking off this season of  Album Reviews with COMA ECLIPTIC by Between the Buried and Me.

Coma Ecliptic

In the follow-up effort to Parallax II : Future Sequence, the boys from Between The Buried And Me find themselves in familiar territory. The concept is thick and cohesive, and production is as slick as a sincere lads well oiled hair. There are a few changes that one can see almost immediately from their last record and these changes are welcomed with all ears wide open. I won’t divulge the concept for it would be a disservice to the listener. Let me give you a hint though- It is as science fiction as it gets with twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The opening track Node is predominantly a soft-intro, eerily reminiscent of Opeth’s Heritage and it builds up remarkably well. There is a bunch of lyrical foreshadowing going on this track, which becomes very important to anyone who’s setting himself/herself up for this journey of sorts.

The Coma Machine opens in a grandiose fashion. Odd time signatures will be a regular affair from hereon. Swelling piano chords, tight drumming and start-stop phrasing take the listener from scene to scene. In familiar BTBAM fashion, we encounter the harsh vocals with alternating styles comfortably interspersed. This is a track that one cannot necessarily head-bang to, but one that needs  to pay attention to.

Dim Ignition caught my ear almost immediately. There is something about the atmosphere that this song paints. Reminded me of Gojira’s A Sight To Behold . It’s heavy use of techno samples with effect pedals and synths pave the way for what a concept record to should strive to establish : A solid narrative. This is the quintessential transition track which leads us into …

Famine Wolf – Haunting open strings welcome some fancy guitar lead guitar shredding. The rest of the song is your usual BTBAM business, till we reach the 4 minute mark. Then things slow down, the narrative takes center stage and guitars take prominence… easing us all into a jazz based jam. There is something recurring here. The feeling that you’re in a coma.

King Redeem-Queen Serene is what Opeth’s latest effort should have sounded like. The ode to Ghost Reveries  is pretty clear at some instances, while still keeping their signature sound. If you’ve listened to Parallax II as often as I have, you will undoubtedly hear similarities. This can get repetitive and for a moment you wonder why. I found this to be a bit troublesome, however there is enough prog-laden structural ingenuity that we have been fond of from the works of King Crimson , Yes and Genesis.

The next track – Turn on the Darkness is another one of those transitionary tracks that doesn’t do much but maybe one of those tracks that grows on you in the grand scheme of things. The crowning jewel of this record for me is what follows next – The Ectopic Scroll. I love this track for many different reasons (That piano intro is so much fun) . It reminds of a lot of Bloom from Parallax II  and if that wasn’t enough, it’s got enough diverse influences to keep you interested but not so much so that it saturates you. The nod to Queen and Dream Theater is so obvious, its almost funny. This track is pretty much the reason by Between The Buried and Me are so fine in their vision – nothing held back. Quirky, strange and downright illegal from the sense of traditional sense of what Metal is. But it works, and boy – BTBAM make it work so well, you don’t even notice the genre hopping.

Rapid Calm is another synth-centric track that keeps the tempo around the mid range, and features some core guitar work. Nothing too flashy, but catchy and noteworthy. It forms another nice concept track to lead us into Memory Palace – the first single off this record. Bring out the hammond organ, flashy guitars – lush with great backing, harmonies, intelligent use of wah-pedal and over all grins on our melted faces. The inter-play between guitars and synth is the crux of this track. Tommy explores his vocal range more prominently on this track than the others going from soaring highs to haunting lows and bone-crushing screams in between . This track is huge, its big and it’s fab. It will be a live staple for multiple tours and a crowd favorite. The ballad-esque interludes will force you to take your lighter out and wave it about. Queen influences shine bright as a supernova across your face! Option Oblivion is a logical extension of the previous track and there is nothing much to talk about it apart from the fact that it kills. The album comes to a close with Life in Velvet which does start off soft and slow but builds strong and ends with a bang.

This record was all kinds of fun. The guitars were more prominent on this record than any of their previous ones that I have listened to. Very Van-Halen-esque. The drumming and bass work is tight as ever, and I would not expect anything less from Blake Richardson and Dan Briggs. It is a great record on an initial listen and will grow more profound as you listen to it multiple times. Another very strong, diverse and coherent record from Between the Buried and Me.

Buy This record : http://www.metalblade.com/btbam

Tour dates :  http://www.songkick.com/artists/391106-between-the-buried-and-me

4 Stars / 5 Stars.

Concert Review : Protest The Hero Volition tour with Affiance and Kindred

Thanksgiving weekend is all about family and togetherness and that’s exactly what was up at Deep Elm in Dallas.

Protest The Hero performed in support of their latest record ‘Volition’ out now. If you have not read the review yet , please read it here. It was from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m at The Door , Dallas on November 29. They were supported by fellow Canadian act ‘The Kindred‘ and Ohio locals ‘Affiance‘. ‘The Architects‘ were supposed to show up but could not due to touring exhaustion.

Set 1 : The Kindred

The Kindred is a peoples band. The set was full of emotion , progressive elements and enough crowd participation to make even the dullest kid in the crowd go crazy. The songs were solid , melodic and intelligent. The highlight of the set was when the vocalist brought out a floor tom into the crowd , right in between the crowd and played an African music inspired tribal beat , getting everyone pumped and raising their fists in the air. The singing was as harmonious as it was monstrous while the most performance and energy was shown by the bass player. It was quite evident how much effort they put into their set. They surely made a big impression on the fans in the DFW metroplex.

Set 2 : Affiance  

Ohio lads Affiance wasted no time setting up their gear and then the metal-onslaught began. They were quite goofy on stage , especially the drummer . He had a very small kit with just a single crash-ride cymbal and a high-hat to compliment a tom and snare. But that did not stop him from delivering a bone-crunching performance , occasionally even hitting a crash that was on the kit for Protest the Hero to play on , placed behind him . Both the guitar players were synchronized and those high pitched screams by the vocalist reminded me of the new wave of British Heavy metal , a genre that marked the resurgence of heavy metal in England in the late 70s. They warmed the crowds perfectly for Protest The Hero.

Set 3 : Protest The Hero

That’s the song they opened their set with. The rest was sheer craziness. People flying everywhere , fists up in the air and it was just the beginning. It was as if the place was alive and in celebration of everything that metal really stood for – brotherhood , music , a sense of belonging , power , controlled positive aggression , skill , technicality and enjoying the moment as if it were your last.

They played hits such as ‘Clarity’ , ‘Hair-Trigger’ , ‘C’est La Vie’ and the crowd grew more wilder and happier. Kids were stage-diving left and right , crowd-surfing to their glory, while others sang their hearts and lungs out. The orange-haired quirky and brutally funny frontman , Rody Walker pleased the crowd with his eccentric and brilliant sense of humor , showcasing the ‘Rody Walker Stand-up Routine’ in between the songs , taking pot-shots at Star Wars and strange fans who get up on stage to ‘snap chat’ with the performers.

Even with a new drummer and a fill in bass player , Protest the Hero is as tenacious as ever. Special shout out to the sound engineers as ‘The Door’ for making the show as best as shows can sound.

‘Bloodmeat’ was by far the most stand out song performed for me as I found myself getting up on the stage , staying silent for a second till they hit the breakdown and then jumping on a small puddle of people , who graciously let me float on their hands for nearly 40 seconds before carefully putting me down. If you have not experienced something like this before , it is a felling unparalleled. Protest The Hero is a fun band , encouraging unrestrained self-expression on stage , goofy antics and advocates of the philosophy ‘Just let go!’ of all your inhibitions , your ego and prejudice.

The highlight of the night was when a small , 5 year old kit rocked out to Protest The Hero on stage , cementing that when it comes to live performances they put on a show for all age groups. You know you can’t go wrong when you have little kids rockin’ out on your show.

Here’s my playlist for the night :

Here’s the new Protest The Hero album :

Here’s their newest video :

 

Aftermath ::

“It was one of the best concerts of my life!” Andy Mandelbaum.

“I think I have a black eye , the pits were brutal , but it was all METAL!” – Joey ‘Byborth’ Byboth

@shreyas_gune

shreyas.gune@mavs.uta.edu

————————————-

Shreyas is an a Graduate student at University of Texas , works as a writer for The Shorthorn | Student Publications , plays drums for Eximius Dominus , The Shrubs | percussion for JoFace | Composer/singer for The Starscream Chronicles and  they say he cooks rather well !

Protest the Hero’s ‘Volition’ is brutally awesome

Blisteringly fast-paced notes buzz through a soundscape of thick rhythm distortion, all topped up with odd-timed drum patterns. Get ready to finger tap that fret board into oblivion.

Protest The Hero, a progressive metal band from Whitby, Ontario, Canada, released its fourth LP record, Volition, on Razor & Tie Records on Oct. 29.

This record grabs your collars with “Clarity,” a mammoth of an opening track. No time is wasted on creating an atmosphere or introducing some heavy conceptual gimmick of a tune. It’s sheer speed, bone-crunching drums and high-pitched melodic singing.

“Drumhead Trial” is a special track, as it features guest recording by guitar wizard Ron Jarzombek (Watchtower, Spastic Ink, Blotted Science). The number of notes per bar on this track will leave you amused and amazed. The drumming and singing is flawless as usual, but the dual guitar solos take the cake.

“Without Prejudice” starts of with a sample out from a 1950s movie, which quickly shifts into a guitar-chugging wall of sheer musical joy. The tempo remains high on this track, as you headbang your way to glory.

By far, the most brutal track on the record, “A Life Embossed” is not all mean, though, as it has its moments of melodic serenity. The super-frenzied guitar shredding continues. This track stands on its sheer complexity as time signatures change often.

The record closes with “Skies,” which sounds like a calm, cozy ballad. Rody sings his heart out, and you feel warm and fuzzy. When you think it’s going to mellow down, Protest The Hero stops you midway and takes you back on the roller coaster ride that Volition is.

A point to note is that the drums on this long play have been performed by Chris Adler of Lamb of God, which should tell you enough about the signature double bass patterns. This is a very strong record and one of the most prominent releases of 2013.

Protest The Hero

• Rody Walker – lead vocals(2001–present)
• Luke Hoskin – lead guitar, piano, backing vocals(2001–present)
• Tim Millar – rhythm guitar, piano, backing vocals (2001–present)
• Arif Mirabdolbaghi – bass, backing vocals (2001–present)
• Mike Ieradi – drums(2013–present)

• Label : Razor & Tie

Genre : Progressive Metal / Mathcore / Post-Hardcore

Latest Record : Volition (released Tuesday)

Lyrics : http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/protestthehero/volition.html

Website : https://www.facebook.com/protestthehero

@shreyas_gune

shreyas.gune@mavs.uta.edu

Monster Magnet’s Space Adventure!

Monster Magnet is a stoner rock band from New Jersey, United States.

They have just released their tenth studio long play record on Napalm Records called “Last Patrol”

The album artwork is quite detailed. A mean looking Minotaur poised across a whirlpool of space. The themes that the album deals with are quite prominent on the artwork. Yes it is largely about space and metaphysical elements.

The opening track ‘Live Behind the Cloud‘ certainly has a great ring to it although it starts out quite mellow.

Three Kingfishers is one of the stand out tracks for me just because there is a lot of arabic and persian influence. I could hear a lot of Black Sabbath like crunchy guitar work on this one. The tempo is quite comfortable and the transitions are smooth. There is also a trippy reverse section in the song that builds into a tasty blues influenced guitar solo.

The entire album in theme is all about Space-Noir, tales of cosmic revenge, alienation and epic strangeness. It is a journey through a dark retro-future that will make you chuckle and provoke thought equally.

 

 

More Information

Monster Magnet are

• Dave Wyndorf – Lead vocals, guitar (1989–present)
• Phil Caivano – Rhythm guitar (1999–present)
• Bob Pantella – Drums (2004–present)
• Garrett Sweeny – Lead guitar (2010-present)
• Chris Kosnick – Bass (2013-present)

Label : Napalm Records

Genre : Stoner Rock

Latest Record : Last Patrol (released October 15)

Website : http://www.zodiaclung.com/

@shreyas_gune

shreyas.gune@mavs.uta.edu

 

A good effort by Monster Magnet.

 

In Solitude’s ‘Sister’ is a dark journey !

In Solitude (CQD : Flier)is a hard rock/metal band from Uppasala , Sweden.

Sister is their third long play record released on Metal Blade Records.

If you like elements of magic and occult this is the band for you. If you have heard of ‘GhostB.C’ , I am sure this band will not disappoint you.

The album artwork is downright ghastly. Most of it is just dark black with a sickening face popping into partial illumination. That alone should tell you this album is going to give you nightmares. Although , it also gives me the first impression of this one being a black-metal record which it really is not.

Don’t judge a book by its cover but if it looks scary , it is going to be – scary!

Like most scandinavian black-metal or doom sounding metal , the production on this record is intentionally down played. You will not hear super slick high gain sound on this LP (long play). But you will understand the raw and gritty nature of the sound , the scary mood that engrosses you into itself.

The record opens with a neo-folky tune He Comes.

From there on though , its a scare-fest. The haunting guitar melodies and harmonization will remind you of what its like to go out trick-or-treating on halloween.

The title track Sister takes no prisoners. Imagine Black Sabbath , Mercyful Fate and Blue Oyster Cult got together and made a song. This song would be it. The tempo is neither too fast nor too slow. It’s just the right amount to get your heart racing. The most interesting aspect of this song is the mood shift that takes you from a feeling of being chased by a demon to a hopeful morning sunshine to one of impending doom.

The vocal delivery of impressive as it does not work too hard at establishing its intent. It will captivate you and scare you. Another prominent aspect of this record are the guitar solos – signature Gothenburg sound.

I like this record and I would recommend that people give it multiple listens because this sound can be easy to dismiss in haste.

 

In Solitude  are

• Gottfrid Åhman Bass
• Henrik Palm Guitars
• Pelle Åhman Vocals (lead)
• Niklas Lindström Guitars
• Uno Bruniusson Drums, Percussion

• Label : Metal Blade

Genre : Hard Rock / Doom Rock / Metal

Latest Record : Sister (released October 1)

Lyrics : http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/insolitude/sister.html#1

Website : https://www.facebook.com/insolitudeofficial

@shreyas_gune

shreyas.gune@mavs.uta.edu

 

DevilDriver’s ‘Winter Kills’ is satisfying , empowering!

DevilDriver is a heavy metal band from Santa Barbara, California, and Winter Kills is their sixth record released on Napalm Records.

If you are a fan of groove metal and melodic death metal, you are going to love Winter Kills, because DevilDriver doesn’t shy away from getting its message across.

The artwork is quite clear and in-your-face. Yes, this is a metal record. Yes, it has dark themes. Yes, it will be unrelenting.

The record opener “Oath of the Abyss” does exactly what a good metal album should do—punch you in the face. The fills on the drums break in while a wall of groovy guitar hits you. The song does repeat itself on certain parts but, as a record opener, it does its job well.

The title track “Winter Kills” has a good up-down palm-muted guitar chug intro to it. The drummer shines on this one, playing with odd placement of its snare accents throughout. The rest of the song is bit of a letdown, however, only because you end up feeling like you have heard it before.

“Sail,” the song that closes this record, has enough melodic elements and phrasing to make this entire listen a satisfying metal treat. This is the stand-out track from this record.

DevilDriver is stepping up their game to keep hope alive in the most bone-powdering, ear-shattering, neck-snapping way possible. The overall theme of the album is quite positive regardless of the dark imagery on the album sleeve. It’s about freedom, self-affirmation, empowerment and creating your own meaningful universe.

@shreyas_gune

shreyas.gune@mavs.uta.edu

 

DevilDriver

• Dez Fafara – lead vocals
  
• Jeff Kendrick – guitar
  
• John Boecklin – drums
  
• Mike Spreitzer – guitar
• Chris Towning – bass

Label: Napalm Records

Genre: Groove metal/heavy metal

Latest Record: Winter Kills (released Aug. 27)

Website: http://www.devildriver.com/

 

 

Movie Review : “Warm Bodies”

Love is infectious

Based on a novel of the same title by Isaac Marion , Warm Bodies is a zombie flavored romantic comedy. It’s not your average Zombie Movie – and it certainly seems to be the trend to interleave horror and gore with comedy to give it a new edge that we have adored in movies like Zombieland . The crossover on the bollywoood markets have seen mildly unappealing and disastrous recreations in the form of “Go Goa Gone” and “Jhapatlela 2” respectively.

This movie is unique in its narrative. If that wasn’t enough – it has Nicholas Hoult in it. Yes girls , that same dude from Skins(UK). Speaking of which , I think I should start watching Skins.

Cinematography	Javier Aguirresarobe

The cinematography is exciting in some instances and one can attest to that because of the feelings the scenes conjure up in the viewers hearts . It is honest. Some angles and frames could have been allowed to linger just a bit more but the job is done all the same. I give it a 3.3/5.0

Music by	Marco Beltrami Buck Sanders

The score and the soundtrack is slightly innovating and I think some tracks were added for or possibly as a result of improvisation . A very clever use of background score mixed with heart-warming songs gives this soundtrack a must listen. It’s nowhere close to soundtrack from Juno but it has enough sentimental value to be praiseworthy and valid. I give it – 3.0/5.0

Editing by	Nancy Richardson

The editing on this film is generally good but I personally think it’s been over edited. There were a lot of possibilities with exploring the chemistry between the two central characters and I reckon there were a lot of scenes shot that could help in that exploration but were laid to rest by Nancy. Having said that – its a tough job to edit , but so is life sometimes and so I give a menacing 2.8/5.0 .

Directed by	Jonathan Levine

I have not read the book so I cannot comment on how well was the Story adapted from the book. However , I should applaud Mr.Levine for understanding the essence of the story. In most cases – Directors fail to realize the essence of the story and start painting their own interpretation of what they think the story should be focusing on rather than what it actually does. The characters are convincing , the scenes are a bit messy. I mean , some scenes really capture the soul and some are just dull and boring. Some scenes are brutally honest about how they serve as fillers while some are incomplete in one way or the other. I am not sure if taking the viewer for such a ride is wise but not every viewer thinks critically about the movies they watch and here is where Mr.Levine succeeds. The general theme of the movie shines brightly throughout and the message is loud and clear. The emphasis on the message dies intermittently but revives again. “Awww that looks so adorable .. wait whats this.. d’awww.. .. hold on … booringgg  … sweet as sugar ” . But you cannot expect everyone to be Mr.NOLAN now , can you? The narrative is innocent and honest and very teen-oriented. It can be considered a chick flick.
The point is  you are watching this movie because it’s something new and fresh and full of fuzzy hope-driven high spirited goodness winning over underlying melancholic, post apocalyptic “Yummy Brain devouring” themes. Love wins is what you need to understand and be satisfied with. Could the story be expanded more? Yes sure. Is it a crime if it wasn’t – nah. All in all – I enjoyed it and so should you. I give a healthy 3.7/5.0″

Casting , Costumes and Production Design – 
I don’t really have much to say about casting other than a very satisfactory job done with points for Nicholas Hoult but I reckon if you got Robert Pat to play this role – he’d do a good job too – but I guess he’s too expensive now thanks to the Twilight Epidemic. The costumes , production design and other technical aspects are satisfactory as well. Nothing very jaw-dropping. The special effects are budget-friendly and it shows. I give 3.1/5.0.

It’s a nice movie to watch with your friends or take that special someone out to a evening show , hold his/her hand in those designated moments during the film (there are some , and they are adorable) , look into his/her eye and feel that special feeling. Then get back to the brain-eating zombies … who. .. Shhh – go watch the movie !

Score – 15.9/25.0  :: 63.6%

Love is infectious. It spreads around 🙂

 

 

 

Movie Review – “Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani”

I have been hearing about this movie for some days now. People keep telling me it’s worth the watch. So I decided to give in to my curiosity and catch this flick. This is my unbiased review of – Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yeh_jawani_hai_deewani.jpg

Now I am not a movie critic by any means so these are my own personal opinions and you may probably disagree with me , which is fine by me – it’s you that I’m more worried about .  Ha ha , jokes apart – let’s do this.

I saw this movie at Cinemax Wondermall which is in Thane. You can look it up if you want to. It’s a old – almost dead almost living Multiplex which was like the first one in Thane back in the day. The first movie I ever saw in this multiplex was ‘KOI MIL GAYA‘ – yeah remember that one – Jaadooo . Jaadoo is probably gulping down Old Monk Quarters in Goa by now. Dhooop ~ Dhooop

I’m going to make this review fair. That means it is going to have categories on which I’m going to rate this flick and then the scores shall be calculated to have an over-all score.

• Cinematography – The film is well shot. No use of filters and no annoying hand-held experimentation. It’s pretty standard – nothing bold . You do get the same feel that one got if one grew up in the 90’s watching lovey-dovey romantic flicks. I give it 2.8/5
• Sound – The Sound is solid. Good mixing and mastering. It’s pretty state of the art. I have a lot of respect for the Sound Engineers on this film. There is balance. 3.4/5
• Editing – I have a bone to pick with the editors. What were you guys doing in that editing room – playing Jenga? I’m very disappointed with the editing on this film.  You should have done your homework before you came to class , lads. The flow was strenuous and I wasn’t even trying to analyse the flick from a critics point of view. This is a saddening 2.3/5 
• Story (Writing and Direction) – Here comes the biggie. I personally think the story is the soul of a movie and it very well should be. It is the movie. Since Ayan Mukerji is the writer and the director on this one – his shoulders have to be considerably strong to bear the review. I’m not going to be a procupine and disclose the plot to you folks – I’m not that guy. What I will do is – tell you what you may want to hear and/or arrive at before/after you watch this movie – that is if you do decide to watch this movie. I can see what Ayan has tried to do here : but Ayan , you went the KJo way – you should never go the KJo way. The story is labelled as a coming of age romantic one with  friendships , love , bonds and realities all tossed up in a wok of surprise. I could taste the sweet peas and the sour vinegar in places – however the broth was bland and absent true rich flavor.  My biggest issue with this movie is the overdose of songs. It’s not a musical. There are so many songs during this motion picture –  they tire the eyes. I was forced to retire to my cellphone and swipe aimlessly on the home screen than feast on the flurry of audio visual tomfoolery.  The songs weren’t even that great , but I did not expect a lot.  I must say that the character definitions were almost spot on – so he does get some points for that. But everything was too deliberate. Dialogues too filmy – nothing was candid as they would have me believe. It felt very scripted – all of it – even the jokes and the shenanigans – even the drinking . I am not sure why but it felt so plastic and “look we are doing this because this is in the scene.. I just read it , and I’m so freaking bored I cant even think of any decent improvisation tactic” like . So characters in a stand alone capacity were well written. The chemistry between them was poor , strained and very very forced. I know what coming of age means – okay , not entirely <nudge nudge , wink wink> , but this was celluloid at its finest. To tell you the truth – this is a chick flick – and there is nothing wrong with that. I confess that the emo side of me did sit up straight and paid attention to what was unfolding on the screen but just for very brief moments. Everything else was just painfully predictable. I expected better , because I’ve seen better. So all the ho-hum was all about just one simple thing – an element of a feeling that resonates with almost everyone from the age 14-40 (maybe even older) and the only reason why this movie seems to do so well on the BOX OFFICE is because of a fairly exploited filmy treatment to a general feeling that is universal. If that’s what it takes to connect with the audience – that is fine by me.  Everything works on  clichés eh..

  Ayan , I appreciate your efforts but please , write something real and not a fairy-tale all’s well that ends well amateurs write in their early ears in writing school after a marathon session of love themed pop films. 2.4/5

• Casting and The CAST – The casting did their job 50% right and then they just left it there for the scavengers to do the rest. The chemistry between Deepika and Ranbir is there , because there was true love once there. Deepika is a fine actress but there were moments where I was convinced – “Hold on , wait a minute – she actually does love him” but whatever the case maybe – she had be convinced she was a nerd *Super-Saiyan Transformation later* a free spirited wild-child -*Super Saiyan Level Two Transformation Later* a balanced lady-like figure. I’d say it’s all in the eyes. Deepika looks in good shape and can act. Ranbir is still riding coattails from his character in Barfi , only able to speak this time. Okay – we get it – you are free spirited , cool , bindaas , reckless , dreamer , I Do what I want kinda guy with a pretty face and smile. Can you please come out of that phase and do something new and challenging? He did act well , but I know he can do so much more than be … THAT GUY. Kalki and Roy are lack-luster supporting actors but they fill the void in a very moderate capacity – not enough to grace them with my words. Sowwie.. 2.8/5.0

Over all , this is a good movie to watch once and then forget about it. That’s as simple as I would want to put it.

Score – 13.7 / 25  :: 54.8% Rating. 

Leave some comments if you disagree – because I’d love to have a discussion.

Song Review :: Funk the System – Empower

The Song builds with a nice palm muted string action , as if something is about to explode. And surely it does , in to a Pantera-ish grove riff.

Dunno why but I’m reminded of this song which also demolishes .

The Verse breaks into a wild and exciting verbal onslaught with some of the best bass work I’ve heard on a single yet. That Slapping and Popping is Grade A!

The ‘Funk’ in FTS is right here , in this verse section , and boy – you gotta see them live to find out.

After the second verse , the song enters into a march-band build bridge , which prompts the listener to get ready for another punch , but I personally felt it did not quite turn up , but it does after the incoming chorus.

The Guitars add a thick layer to the song and pretty much direct the song to its fate. I don’t really have to say much , everything in the guitar department is A-OK.

The outro is full of cheese. Vocals are impressive: Melodic , passionate and the backing vocals supports that flow seamlessly. My only concern was in the ‘spoken’ sections where I felt some dry delivery , as if the passion had been lost in the emotion that was intended to be projected.

The drums are right on the spot , dynamic and fit well into the song structure. I would have personally loved some prog fills here and there and after a couple of listens , I noticed that some of the sections repeat often , making me think whether the song would have been a bit shorter , but hey .. that’s just me!
“Funk The System” add the right amount of fun and sing-along song structures to make this single a winning single as well as a live favorite.

I’ve personally played along with them while playing with ‘The Shrubs’ and these guys are great to see live. If I were you , I’d being doing this :

Listen to the Song : Empower
Check them Out  : facebook
Tweet  ‘Em Where they were playing next..

But since I am not you , I’m just gonna call em up and body-slam that vocalist to win that “WWE Championship Belt”

Song Rating : 3.72/5.00

For all you lazy folks who don’t want to browse around …                                                                           ——– By SHREYAS GUNE

Details..of the System

Records I’m Listening To :: September to October 2012

Hey Folks. These are some of the Records that I will be spending the next couple of months listening to and reviewing. I suggest you guys buy them from your favorite Record Store , iTunes or Zune  / SoundCloud or last.fm them. These are some really promising releases and worthy of heavy rotation.

Artist – Ghost | Genre – Heavy Metal / Doom Rock | Album – Opus Eponymous

Ghost – Opus Eponymous

Artist – Periphery | Genre – Progressive Metal /Djent Riffage| Album – Periphery 1

Periphery – One

Artist – Steve Harris | Genre – Progressive/Heavy Metal | Album – British Lion

Artist – Ne Obliviscaris| Genre – Progressive Metal | Album – Portal of I

Ne Obliviscaris – Portal Of I

Artist – Maiden United | Genre – Acoustic Rendition| Album – Across the Seventh Sea

Maiden UniteD – Across The Seventh Sea

Artist – Parkway Drive | Genre – Metalcore | Album – Deep Blue

Parkway Drive – Deep Blue

Artist – Blotted Science | Genre – Over-Progressive Metal | Album – The Animation of Entomology

Blotted Science – The Animation of Entomology

 

Artist – Skyharbor | Genre – Progressive Metal / Djent Riffage | Album – Blinding White Noise Illusion & Chaos

Skyharbor – Blinding White Noise – Illusion & Chaos

 

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