Memphis May Fire Rise to the Challenge

The metal core genre is a big sea with a lot of little fish trying to jump to the head of the stream and become one of the big fish. It’s not always the easiest thing to do, but it is required in this business in order to survive. The Texas based metalcore band Memphis May Fire did just that with their 2011 album The Hollow. Now, they have released the follow-up to that album entitled Challenger and it looks as if they built on the momentum that followed that 2011 album.

Challenger, their second full length album for Rise Records, was produced by guitarist Kellen McGregor and Cameron Mizell, who also produced The Hallow. I think fans will be surprised by the intensity of this record along with the heartfelt messages found in the powerful lyrics. Lead singer Matty Mullins delivers a very performance that is stellar from the first track to the last; even though the last track is an instrumental.

“Alive in the Lights” is the second track on the album, but it’s the one that really gets things going. Mullins definitely knows how to deliver a catchy chorus. He mixes up his vocal deliver to where one moment he is singing in clean vocals and the next minute he’s screaming with power and passion in his voice. “Prove Me Right” is another killer track that rocks. It may use the “traditional” breakdown approach in this song, but it still manages to sound fresh and relevant.

“Vices” is one of the standout tracks on the album. The song starts out intense and hard and ready to melt your face. Then, the chorus kicks in and it gets very melodic and catchy. Where some bands may fail and not be able to pull it off, Memphis May Fire makes it work and it sounds really cool. Add a few dashes of electronic elements that compliment the song and all the parts come together to make a pretty awesome song.

“Losing Sight” is a pretty interesting track that features Danny Worsnop, lead vocalist of Asking Alexandria. Matty and Danny offer contrasting vocal stylings that seem to complement each other really well. It would be nice to hear more collaborations from these two. There’s another collaboration on the album on the song “”Miles Away” which features Kellin Quinn from Sleeping with Sirens. It’s a metalcore ballad of sorts which features some heartfelt and emotional lyrics about life on the road. This track really displays the band’s versatility and truly stands out.

Overall, it seems as if Memphis May Fire has definitely raised the bar on this release. I am pretty sure that if you liked The Hollow that you will be pleasantly surprised by this new album. Matty turns in a stellar vocal performance and sounds stronger than ever. Kellen McGregor lays down some pretty tasty licks throughout the album as well as adding depth to many songs with his additional vocal contributions. The electronic elements that he adds to the songs help to propel them from ordinary metalcore to something different and special.

Is it a perfect album? No, of course not and that’s ok. There are the pitfall, generic, traditional breakdowns scattered about, but those few bitter parts just make the sweeter spots that much sweeter. It’s great to see a young band push themselves and step it up from one release to another. That’s definitely a key to longevity and Memphis May Fire seems to be travelling down that track and not looking back.

This Is Hell Unleashes Black Mass

There’s a new addition to my ever growing “music to get a speeding ticket to” collection. This Is Hell has just unleashed a new album entitled Black Mass and it is definitely worthy of being added to that collection. It’s a full-on assault of the senses that just crawls underneath your skin and spreads all over your body.

The guys released Weight of the World in 2010 and it was their first album since leaving Trustkill for Rise Records. If that album was a step in the right direction for the band, then this new album is a huge leap for them. The band seems to be tighter and more focused than ever. One may even say that they are hungry and feel as if they have something to prove.

The first track on the album, “Acid Rain”, definitely sets the tone of the album and that tone is intensity and aggression. This takes me back to the early days of thrash with Slayer and Anthrax. The riffs are so insane on here that it should come with a “no responsible for spontaneous acts of air guitar” disclaimer!

They don’t even give you a chance to catch your breath as “Black Rain” and, my personal favorite; “Salt the Earth” continue the onslaught. The two guitar assault of Rick Jimenez and Chris Mazella is something of sheer power and brutality. There will be many a horn thrown in honor of these shredders throughout the world upon listening to this album.

Next up is the title track and for a mere 13 seconds, the band lets up on you with a slow, acoustic intro, but don’t be fooled. The pedal is then pressed to the floor and the thrash onslaught continues. Mike “I’m Gonna Beat the Living Hell Outta My Drum kit” Sciulara is a beast beyond control on here. He puts in a solid performance on every track, but this one left me exhausted.

“The Outlaw” has one of those infectious guitar riff intros that enter the ear and nests in your brain causing an instant mosh pit in your head. “Demons” then pushes the gas to the floor again and takes off at top speed. The level of intensity on this album just makes you shake your head in amazement.

I have to admit that I was totally floored by this album musically and exhausted by the end of it. It’s a non-stop joy ride on the hardcore highway. The guys sound tighter than ever and more focused. I love the old school thrash tone to the album too. This may just be the bands’ best offering since they debuted in 2006. Put this one on, crank up loud and sweat a few pounds off in the process.

The Air I Breathe Come Out Swinging On Debut

The music industry has always been a breeding ground for below par bands to jump on the coat tails of a popular genre and bleed it for all its creative worth until everyone is sick of hearing it. It happened in the 70s with disco. It happened in the 80s with hair bands. Now, the metal core scene needs to be aware of how history is prone to repeating itself. Yet, once in a while, a glimmer seems to shine through the sea of mediocrity.

A group of guys from New Jersey calling themselves The Air I Breathe have recently unleashed their debut album Great Faith in Fools onto the metal core scene. They have definitely created some waves in this somewhat stagnant pool of imitators. While not necessarily recreating the genre, TAIB show signs of uniqueness and creativity that are needed to keep the metal core scene thriving and fresh.

The opening track “The Inevitable” is a short track whose intro is an odd subway conjuring sound. The only line in this song pretty much sets the tone for the album, ‘When the world turns its back on you, turn your back on the f’n world”. That leads into “Take This to Heart” which begins with Tony Dougard’s guttural growls and the one-two guitar punch of Jesse Butler and Cam Baptisa. This song grabs you by the jugular and refuses to let go.

There are plenty of the quote unquote “traditional” elements of metal core throughout the album. The riffs are heavy and there are plenty of breakdowns to be found so as not to disappoint the enthusiasts. Yet, Cam’s blistering finger work is refreshing to the ear and a style that will surely elevate him to a higher level of guitar hero worthiness.

There are quite a few standout tracks on here. “The Life I Promised” and “Here’s To Letting Go” are two great examples of how this band is much stronger than what you usually get from a group’s debut effort. The guitar work is insanely solid and Tony does a great job mixing in clean vocals on the chorus to compliment the aggressiveness of his growls. “XIII” is a song that proves size doesn’t matter. It clocks in at less than three minutes, but it proves to be a song small in quantity, yet heavy in quality. If this doesn’t get you head banging, then there is not much hope for you and maybe you need to get back to your Top 40 fluffy songs.

Great Faith in Fools is a very strong album by TAIB and is much stronger than the label “debut” usually implies. Is there room for improvement? I would have to make note of the song writing and hope for a little meatier content next time. I’m not asking to reinvent the wheel, but give me something with a little more substance.
The Air I Breathe is a band to get excited about. A young band that puts out a debut this strong is one to keep an eye on. I do highly recommend it and I hope people who may grown bored with the metal core genre will give it an honest listen. It may just kick start your hunger for this flavor that you’ve grown tired of.