Okay, I openly confess, I may have dropped the ball. But what do you mean, you ask? Well, there’s a long laundry list of brain farts on my part so I should clarify. Apologies to a couple of ex-girlfriends beforehand as said list includes my lack of communication. That out of the way, I’m shocked that it took this long for Replicant to come to my attention. This Garden State unit has been around for 10 years so you would think that my decades-long travels on the heavy music highway would have warranted a listen or two. But thankfully on Infinite Mortality (Transcending Obscurity Records) I’m correcting the oversight.Continue reading
Tag Archives: New Jersey
ALBUM REVIEW: Skid Row – The Gang’s All Here
The Gang’s All Here (earMUSIC) is the sixth album from New Jersey’s Skid Row. Of course, the gang in question is somewhat different from the one that emerged in the late eighties with Sebastian Bach at the helm. The core lineup of guitarists Dave “The Snake” Sabo and Scotti Hill plus bassist Rachel Bolan has remained since 1987, but many drummers and singers have come and gone since the band’s 1999 reformation. Rob Hammersmith has sat behind the kit since 2010, whilst former Swedish Idol winner Erik Grönwall only joined earlier this year, replacing ZP Theart.
ALBUM REVIEW: Binary Code – Memento Mori
Yeah, I know a little bit about Binary Code. My first brush with this New Jersey act traces back to 2010 when I was a mere college student and just starting my internship at 91.5 FM WUML Lowell. It was there that as a metal padawan I delved deeper into more progressive and heavier music and Binary Code’s debut LP Suspension of Disbelief (Metal Sucks Records) certainly fit those parameters. And on their third full length, Memento Mori (Memory Facility), they’ve still got it. Continue reading
Thank You Scientist – Terraformer
My issue with Thank You Scientist’s Terraformer (Evil Ink) is the same problem I have with Luca Guadagnino’s recent take on the Suspiria: don’t confuse self-indulgence with genius. I appreciate the balls it takes to drop an 84-minute opus and these New Jersey natives are fucking talented players, but do they really have nearly an hour and a half of captivating sounds? Unless your name is Bob Dylan or The Cure I’m not sure I need such a serving. Continue reading
Cloudburst – Cloudburst
One of the most appealing aspects of getting to listen to Cloudburst’s self-titled sophomore (Samstrong Records) effort is learning that they hail from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Through years of tape trading, international touring and eventually communicating online we’ve always known that the extreme music market is indeed a global one, but it’s always exciting to receive these imports.Continue reading
Save Face – Merci
Save Face is the band from New Jersey that the emo scene has been missing. With just one previous EP under their belt, the quartet that includes frontman Tyler Povanda, guitarist Phil McGarry, bassist Chris Aveta and drummer Chris Flannery have created an album that Jimmy Eat World and Taking Back Sunday would be proud of. Continue reading
Kolossor – Crown of Horns
The sludge genre is within itself a reputable place for any band to reside especially of the stoner variety. With the likes of High on Fire and Old Man Gloom (R.I.P. Caleb Scofield) pummeling the scene, it’s no surprise that standards are set abnormally high. When one even hears the utterance of sludge, they are guaranteed to come running from the hills just to get a taste of the new blood. And with Kolossor’s début album, Crown of Horns released on Sludgelord Records, new blood has arrived. Hailing from New Jersey, Kolossor has been around for a mere 2 years, having released a self-titled EP in the year prior. But now that they’ve finally dropped their first release, they’ve officially put themselves on the map.Continue reading
Misfits To Perform In New Jersey With Suicidal Tendencies And Murphy’s Law
Last week Live Nation teased a Misfits show on the East Coast, and now it’s been confirmed! Continue reading
Rock Allegiance 2017: Live At BB&T Pavilion, Camden, NJ
On a perfect autumn day in October, the 3rd annual Rock Allegiance Festival rolled into BB&T Pavilion & Wiggins Waterfront Park in Camden NJ and over 20,000 rock and metal fans took in a great one-day event. Twenty bands played on three stages while fans of all ages enjoyed food and a fun atmosphere that included a riverside view of Philadelphia and a great VIP area on a real Navy battleship! Continue reading
Five Finger Death Punch Performs “The Bleeding” With Maria Brink At Rock Allegiance
The 2017 Rock Allegiance festival took place last night at BB&T Pavilion and Wiggins Waterfront Park in Camden, New Jersey, and did not disappoint. With a lineup that included the likes of Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Mastodon, In This Moment, and Gojira, fans were treated to an all day experience with some of the biggest names in the business. Of course with so many bands on the bill, guest appearances were sure to happen, and Five Finger Death Punch had something special planned for their closing number. Continue reading