Contrary to popular belief, Pop Punk and Emo are far from dead and buried. There are tons of true-school cool pocket scenes all over with great bands and fans supporting the hell out of them. One of best bands that have come from the underground recently to earn props is Grumpster from Oakland. Always a legendary place for Punk (thank you East Bay scene, 924 Gilman Street), but has had more than a few killer bands of late too. Continue reading
Tag Archives: songcraft
ALBUM REVIEW: Wayfarer – American Gothic
American Gothic (Profound Lore) opens with a great deal of fanfare – a Western-tinged throb of guitar before you are reminded Wayfarer are a Black Metal band: snarled vocals control the mic, the drummer leans into a deliberate double-bass attack rather than joining the blast-beaten status quo… the band displaying a dynamic progression as songwriters on their fifth album as they continue to get even better with each release.
INTERVIEW: Josh Elmore of Cattle Decapitation Discusses “Terrasite” and Making a Career Out of Death Metal
Ghost Cult’s Ojaay chatted with mainstay guitarist Josh Elmore of Cattle Decapitation! The band is releasing their new album “Terrasite” soon via Metal Blade Records! Josh discussed how he joined the band, his impact as one of the longest-serving members, his past non-metal project with Weasel Walter, CDs’ return to a hearty touring schedule, and more!
EP REVIEW: Jamie Lenman – IknowyouknowIknow
Not even a year on from his last full-length album, The Atheist and Jamie Lenman is back with yet more music. Acting as a companion EP to the aforementioned album, IKnowYouKnowIKnow (Big Scary Monsters) features some of the tracks that didn’t fit in with the theme and sound of The Atheist, allowing Lenman to truly showcase some of the varieties of influences that went into the sound of this phase of his career. What can this additional release add to the package that was his previous album?
ALBUM REVIEW: VV (Ville Valo) – Neon Noir
Following the 2017 death of HIM and a brief hiatus, Ville Valo debuted his solo project VV in the spring of 2020. After surviving on drip-feeding of singles over the past few years, romantics and vampires everywhere can finally rejoice as we’ve been given a feast in Valo’s first full-length record in a decade, Neon Noir (Spinefarm).
ALBUM REVIEW: Wake – Thought Form Descent
Since their earlier days as a formidable and unmistakable grindcore act, the evolution of Calgary, Alberta’s Wake has been an absolutely joyous spectacle to witness. Expanding their sound with wider influences and tones on later releases, the culmination up until this point was 2020’s spectacular Devouring Ruin which, whilst utterly furious and feral also conjured further expansiveness and intrigue to their sound. It was a truly exciting work that deservedly generated high expectations for what was next (as well as signing to Metal Blade Records). Expectations that have, staggeringly, been surpassed.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Dashboard Confessional – All The Truth That I Can Tell
A contemplative, but serene gaze out of the window, as a hazy half-smile plays on the corner of the lips. Half a memory aligns with the story that is playing in the ears, but it has its own shade and hue, something the same but different, but definitely and absolutely connected. ‘Me and Mine’, the second song in a breathy, intimate, quietly sung middle of the album causes pause to reflect. A simple song about children, how being a parent as your kids grow up can be, it’s about closeness… And it is genuine.
ALBUM REVIEW: Frank Turner – FTHC
There are a lot of great storytellers in the world. For over fifteen years as a solo artist, Hardcore kid and childhood Heavy Metal devotee Frank Turner has mined the considerable depths of his life experience to bring his raw delivery, and his unique take on the human condition. His transparent honesty as a person and artist has earned him a lot of love from fans, and respect in general from his peers. At the end of the day, he’s just a regular guy, sharing his story. Much like the rest of us, but sorting it out one verse, one song, one album at a time.
ALBUM REVIEW: Rolo Tomassi – Where Myth Becomes Memory
They say no band is really an “overnight success” in the music industry. Like most cliches, that one has been ridden into the ground by lazy people. Rolo Tomassi has been a band for over fifteen years at this point, and if their ascent to the top of the underground metal genre has taken you by surprise, you just weren’t paying attention. The band has been DIY (with some proper distro mixed in) the entire way, making music on their own terms, gathering forces of fans and waves of respect. Wearing many musical masks and expertly jumping from Grindcore, to Thrash, Hardcore, Pop Rock and even Blackened extremism, the band has always sported loads of talent and great songs. For their debut album for MNRK Music, Where Myth Becomes Memory, the band is determined to change your perception of the band, even if you are a longtime fan.
ALBUM REVIEW: Amigo The Devil – Born Against
There are many ways unironically describe the last year or so of human life in a manner we can all appreciate. A lot of us use sarcasm and deflection as a means to cope, and it shows. We may become numb to our own reality based on a lot of loss and sadness, and the mass psychotic break the world seems to have suffered. If you are here reading these words, hopefully,you are looking for an escape from the mundane in some good music. Music is here for you, both as a hug to say “it’s gonna be OK,” but also to commiserate with someone who has been there through the muck, just like you. Danny Kiranos, a.k.a. Amigo The Devil has found a foothold in our musical diet, a needed figure to tell the unpleasant truths about that muck and mire we need to learn from, or just relate to. He asks us to look with him and at ourselves too. He does this to a bold effect on his new album, Born Against (Liar’s Club Records, Regime Music Group).