Halestorm Teases With Hello, It's Mz. Hyde EP

Halestorm seemed to come out of nowhere in 2009 with their song ultra sexy song and video for “I Get Off”. Led by lead singer Lzzy Hale, who was a deadly combination of leather and lace, the band was called an overnight sensation by many. What many did not know was that the band had been together for a long time and paying their dues. They released an EP in 2005 entitled “One and Done” and became road warriors, playing just about anywhere and everywhere.

Their self-titled full length album spawned numerous hits including “I Get Off”, “Familiar Taste of Poison” and more. Here we are three years and hundreds of shows later and the pressure is on as all eyes are on these childhood friends from PA. Will they rise to the challenge or suffer the dreaded “sophomore slump”? Well, for now, we are getting a 4 song EP entitled Hello, It’s Mz. Hyde to serve as a teaser for what’s to come.

The EP is a digital download only, but that’s familiar ground for the band. They released a covers EP last year entitled ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP as a digital download only. For anyone who is familiar with the band, they know that they have been infamous for doing killer cover songs for years now and that EP was no exception.

The first track and single, and maybe even song title of the year, is “Love Bites (So Do I)” and it shows off a bit of an aggressive edge for the band that brings to mind Skid Row’s “Slave To The Grind”. Lzzy vocals are diverse on here and effective to bringing true emotion to the lyrics. Joe Hottinger offers some tasty guitar work in this song. Lzzy’s brother Arejay also is a beast on the drums on this track

The band showed us on their last album that they definitely know how to create a catchy song that will get stuck in our heads. “Rock Show” is another example of one of those songs that you will immediately be singing the chorus after only one listen. This is one of those songs that all fans and music lovers can relate to. As Lzzy sings, ‘At the rock show, you’ll be right in the front row’, you just start rocking your head in agreement. Josh Smith also lays down a solid bassline that carries this song from beginning to end.

“Daughters of Darkness” is a great track with Halestorm doing what they do best. The chorus screams for audience participation and would fit in great at a live show. The last track, “Here’s To Us”, shifts gears and shows that Lzzy and the boys are no strangers to the old school power ballads from the eighties. The acoustic intro sets a great tone as the boys slowly join in on this track and establish a great melody. Lzzy’s reflective lyrics are sure to strike a chord with everyone who listens as I am sure we can all relate.

A mere four song teaser and I am so hungry for more. We have been served an appetizer and now we must wait until April for the main course. This EP is everything that we would expect from Halestorm, but they raised the bar. Anyone who has seen this band live knows that they are diverse and rich with talent. This EP taps into that a little more than their debut album did. Lzzy’s vocals are stronger than ever and even more convincing in her lyrical deliver. You actually feel what she is singing. Joe, Arejay and Josh sound tighter than ever and have really pushed themselves. Man, April needs to get here as soon as possible!

OTHERWISE Sign With Century Media Records

It seems as if every now and then that the music industry gets it right. Well, I do believe that this is one of those times. Century media Records announced on January, 12, 2012 that they had just signed the band OTHERWISE to a recording deal. Now, I know that many of you out there may not have a clue as to who this band is, but you are about to; mark my words.

The band was formed in 2005 by brothers Adrian and Ryan Patrick. The road up to this point in their careers has not been a bed of roses, as there were a few thorns experienced along the way. Adrian garnered quite a bit of national exposure when he was featured on "The Promise" singing with Maria Brink and In This Moment. The song received mainstream airplay and a video was also shot for the song. Adrian joined In This Moment on the 2010 Mayhem Festival and performed the song with the band. After the tour, he returned home with a new found hunger to make it to the big leagues, but it a setback. A major shakeup in band personnel happened and what might have ended other bands, just made Adrian and Ryan that much more determined.





The guys found the remaining pieces of the puzzle in bassist Flavio Ivan, drummer Corky Gainsford and guitarist Vassilio Metropoulos. The band was labeled by FOX News as the "#1 Unsigned Act in America" and by Xtreme Rock Radio 107.5 as the "#1 Unsigned Band in Las Vegas". Well, those two labels are a thing of the past thanks to the announcement on 01/12/12. The band are currently in the studio with Jay Baumgardner (Bush, Linkin Park, Papa Roach, Incubus) recording their debut album.

This article is just a little intro for all of you who may not be familiar with the band. The first video included here is "The Promise" by In This Moment. The second video is for "Soldiers" by OTHERWISE. Check out their Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/otherwiseofficial#!/otherwiseofficial?sk=wall, and learn more about this band who will definitely be making a major noise in 2012.

Melissa Bel Proves She's Going The Distance

I think everyone has dreams when they are really young. One day you want to be a cowboy, one day a firefighter, the next day a doctor, but Melissa Bell was a little different. At the young age of six, she decided that she wanted to be a singer. If anyone doubted her back then, she is quickly proving them wrong. She just released her brand new album entitled Distance and this Canadian dynamo is creating quite a buzz.

The album opens with the title track “Distance”, which is a remixed and remastered version from her Brave album. There was not a huge promotional push for that album in Canada, but Melissa and her producer Tom Treumuth both believed it deserved another shot. Melissa also believed she could do a better job vocally, being a few years older and more experienced, so she re-cut her vocals. The efforts have paid off as the song sounds fresh and new. Melissa’s new vocals add a richer, more emotional layer to the song. Guitarist Sean Ashby adds some wicked fretwork and a very unique sound to the song with his playing.

“Joyride” is a funky little number complete with an added horn section. Melissa’s sassy side comes out in this number of a love gone wrong. I think we can all relate to this song of being taken on a joyride by someone we were in a relationship with. The diagnosis by the doctor on “Lovesick” is one that he cannot offer a prescription for and she’s ok with that because she’s willing to endure this feeling.

Melissa does an amazing cover of the Bill Wither’s classic “Ain’t No Sunshine” on which she even shows off some of her guitar skills. She wraps herself around this song and delivers a powerful and convincing vocal performance. The album closes with “He’ll Never Be You” and is another song that I am sure that many will relate to. You know how it is, you are in a relationship with someone new, but they just don’t compare to that one person that you’re not quite over.

This EP shows a lot of growth by Melissa on many levels. She had more input on this release and more creative control. She had no experience going into recording her last album, so she relied on her producer and her musicians. This time, she had the confidence to run the entire recording sessions. That new found confidence shines in the end result as this EP is pretty awesome. It’s funky, bluesy, and emotional and it rocks. Melissa’s vocals are so powerful and passionate they pack an emotional punch that is well beyond her years.

Distance is leading up to a full album release in March of 2012. She has already won many awards in her homeland of Canada, including Artist of the Year in 2008 and Best Pop Album. Canada’s rising star is poised to share her gift with the US and the rest of the world. Check out her new EP and hear for yourself as the buzz she is creating will soon become a roar.

Attack Attack! Return With This Means War

Attack Attack! has been through quite a lot in their short career. The band released their debut EP in 2008 entitled If Guns Are Outlawed, Can We Use Swords and were quickly signed to Rise Records. Their major label debut, Someday Came Suddenly, was released in 2008 to mainly negative reviews. Their second album, which was self-titled, was released in 2010 to better reviews. Along this short ride, the band lost more singers than Spinal Tap did drummers; not to mention other personnel changes also earlier on.

The band is now poised to release their new album entitled This Means War. I am not sure if that title is a message to the many critics who have constantly slammed these guys, but they are more focused than ever on this release. In a genre known for its breakdowns, let us “breakdown” this album and see what it’s all about.
The album, which was produced by lead singer and keyboardist Caleb Shomo in his home studio, opens with “The Revolution” and what a great opener to set the tone of the album. Caleb Shomo is quite impressive with his mix of clean and unclean vocals. Lead guitarist Andrew Whiting delivers some crushing rips that chug right along throughout the song. This song is an excellent choice to begin this latest chapter in the band’s story.

“The Wretched” is another great example of the growth of this band. Caleb’s keyboards and synthesizers add so much to this song and many others. They add an interesting layer to what would could easily be just another metal core song and elevate it to another level. The conventional “breakdown” now sounds fresh and original because of that.

“The Motivation” is a song that will catch you off guard more than once. It opens with a rather slow and tranquil keyboard before Andrew’s guitars erupt in a wall of sound. The rhythm section of John Holgado on bass and Andrew Wetzel are on their A game on this selection. A song about staying focused and never giving up should become a theme for these guys as a band and overcoming their critics.

Over all, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this new album. It definitely shows growth by the band in many areas. Caleb seems to have found his comfort zone vocally. His non clean vocals show a lot of improvement and his clean vocals, used mainly on the choruses, make them catchy and infectious. Andrew also gives a solid performance on guitar turning in some pretty amazing solos while managing to keep his breakdowns from just becoming a chug-a-thon.

The guys have announced dates on the “This Means War Tour” with The Ghost Inside, Sleeping with Sirens and others. It should be interesting to see how the new material translates into the live show. Pick up a copy of This Means War when it’s officially released on January 17, 2012 and listen for yourself. It definitely lives up its title.

Rammstein: Flame Thrower Sold Separately

There is no denying the impact that Germany’s Rammstein has had on the metal/industrial scene since they released their debut album Herzeleid in 1995. They quickly caught the attention of Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and he gave the band some major exposure here in the US by including two of their songs for the David Lynch film Lost Highway. Their breakthrough album Sehnsucht was released in 1997 and their worldwide hit “Du hast”.

Over the span of sixteen years, Rammstein have become huge superstars in their native land of Germany releasing platinum album after platinum album. Their live shows are the stuff that legends are made of. The over the top theatrics including tons of fire, guitars that shoot sparks and gloves that shoot fireworks have attracted a huge following. With a show like that, there’s no wonder their shows here in the US constantly sellout even with limited “commercial” success here.

So, here we are sixteen years after their debut and a career retrospective is finally being issued by their label. It’s entitled Made in Germany 1995-2011 and it is being released in three forms. There’s the single disc containing sixteen tracks, the deluxe disc containing an extra disc of seventeen remixes and a super deluxe edition with discs plus all the band’s music videos and a 240 page book all encased in a steel box.

The main disc contains an interesting mix of songs. Whenever a “best of” collection is issued on a band that has been around as long as Rammstein has, then there will be those who complain that certain songs are missing. First, let’s look at the obvious choices that did make it to the disc. “Du hust” is here as well as “Amerika” and “Mein Teil”. So, what about the fan favorites that were excluded? Well, “Benzin” and “Mann Gegen Mann” and Das Modell” are missing. One of the most puzzling omissions is the song “Feuer Frei” which was featured in the movie xXx starring Vin Diesel in which the band was shown performing live.

The remixes on disc two include efforts from Faith No More on “Du Riechst So Gut 98”, the Pet Shop Boys on “Mein Teil”, Devin Townsend Project on “Rammlied” and Meshuggah on “Benzin”. Some of the remixes do not stray too far from the originals feel while others, the Devin Townsend Project, are comical. I am usually not a fan of remixes, but I will have to admit that a few really caught my ear. Laibach’s remix of “Ohne Dich” and the Sono remix of “Mutter” as very interesting efforts.

Rammstein is one of those bands that has to be seen live to truly appreciate the power and energy that their songs empower. Lead singer Till Lindemann was born to front this band. His voice is so powerful and unique and brings so much to the songs that he writes. Who cares if almost all the lyrics are in German? It’s so easy to get swept away by the music and energy that you almost forget that you can’t sing along to them!

Overall, this retrospective is really good and especially for the casual fan who wants a compilation that spans their career. As far as the die-hard fans, well it may come up a little short for them. I think most of those fans have everything included here. Well, unless they want to fork over the big bucks for the super deluxe version; flamethrower is not included.

Dead Throne Elevates The Devil Wears Prada To A New Level

There must have been something in the water last year when The Devil Wears Prada recorded their Zombie EP. It’s as if someone or something took control of the band and steered them in a direction that was unfamiliar territory for them. The music and songwriting was taken to another level and the fans were caught off guard, but in a good way. It also left fans wondering if this was just an experimental phase because of the EP or was this something wet their appetites as they awaited the new album.

Well, the wait is over and it is proving to me well worth it. The band just recently released their fourth studio album entitled Dead Throne with very favorable results from both critics and fans. The band is sounded more focused and heavier than ever. The songs on the album, for the most part, were written by guitarist Chris Rubey. Maybe having just a single person focus on the songwriting is going to be the formula that TDWP needs to push them to the next level. It definitely seems to be leaning in that direction on this new album.

I do have to admit that I was buying into this new found direction during the first few tracks on this new album. The band seems to be warming up on the first four tracks and then it happens. I got kicked in the groin when “R.I.T.” began. It’s as if the case of Redbull didn’t kick in until then. Oh, but wait; it doesn’t end there. The rest of the album is just insane! The riffs are much heavier and the musicianship is tighter than ever. The trade off of vocal styles between singer Mike Hranica and guitarist Jeremy DePoyster is taken to a whole new level too.

“Born to Lose”, “Constance” and “Hold Fast” are standouts for so many reasons. Of course, the above mentioned reasons are ever apparent on these selections, but the balance between being heavy while still being catchy on these songs is just unbelievable. The band has also included a synth element with James Baney doing those duties. It really adds a layer to the music while still allowing the songs to take on that heavier sound.

The new album was produced by Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage. I think he definitely needs to be credited, at least in part, for helping the band find this new comfort zone which helps them to grow as a group. This is definitely a different TDWP and they show that they have grown by leaps and bounds in such a short amount of time. I don’t know, maybe Adam helped them unlock their own personal Pandora’s Box? There is even an instrumental on the album entitled “Kansas” that showcases just how much the band has grown as musicians since the early days of their debut.

The rhythm section of a band is like the glue that holds them together, but doesn’t always get the praise that they deserve. Well, I think bassist Andy Trick and drummer Daniel Williams need to be given a co-MVP award on this album. The fill-ins that Daniel provides are top-notch and that double-kick of his is in rare form. It’s almost exhausting listening to him on this album!

So, is this the best that TDWP has unleashed on us? Well, I would have to say a major YES to that question. It seems as if almost every aspect of the band has been given steroids, with the exception of writing. It’s pretty much in line with past efforts, but this time it just seems to click better with their new sense of heaviness. The only thing that really doesn’t work for me would have to be Mike Hranica’s high-end screams/vocals, which seem to be a little weak when compared to his low end. His low register has quite a bit of depth to it and is very effective.

I really hope that TDWP will take this new found focus and build on it. Change and evolution is good for a band and is also very necessary for staying power. It’s tough to be a one trick pony in this industry now and not fade away quickly. The guys seem to have woken up to this fact and seemed determined to become a staying power and not just another footnote. This is definitely one of the best releases of 2011 and it also sets the bar high for many bands from this genre looking to release a new album in 2012.

The Force Is Strong For The Empire Shall Fall's New Release

Every now and then an album is released that just demands to be heard by the masses. Now, that’s a pretty bold statement to make, but I do believe that this is one of those albums. The Empire Shall Fall is not a Star Wars reference, but a fairly new metal core band founded by former Killswitch Engage lead singer Jesse Leach. They released their debut album Awaken in 2008 and garnered quite a bit of attention for their non-conventional sound. It was a hybrid of jazz, punk and metal core and definitely caught quite a few people’s attention.

Their new release is entitled Volume 1: Solar Plexus and is being released on 180 gram vinyl and digitally only for the time being. It is the first of three EPs to be released and all three will have a theme that ties them all together. The band has stated in an interview that the album is about “picking up the pieces of your life and starting over.” Once all three of the EPs are released, the band will release an actual CD with all three combined into one. An interesting and bold concept, so let’s take a look at Volume 1.

The album consists of a total of seven tracks with four being complete songs and three being instrumentals. “The Genesis of These Scars” open this journey that the listener is about to take off on and it goes from 0 to 60 in about 2 seconds! Jesse mixes clean vocals and screams in a very effective way. The arrangement on this song is also amazing in the way it mixes up alternating from metal core to a more melodic styling.

“Narrow the Path I Walk Part 1” and “As the City Sleeps” are great songs and show the versatility of the band. On their debut album, the guys really did break down the stereotypical walls established by a genre. They brought so many different elements into the mix and made their sound fresh and new and not just “traditional” metal core. These two songs bring even more of that to the table.

My favorite song on this album is the closing track, “The Final Redemption” which clocks in at an impressive 7:48. The beginning is very slow and has a jazz feel to it, but it builds. It really hits its groove at the 38 second mark. I think this is the bands’ shining moment on this track. It’s heavy, it’s melodic, it’s progressive, and it’s djent and more all rolled up into one. Jesse vocal delivery is stellar on this as well as some amazing guitar work by Jake Davenport and Marcus de Lisle.

The only problem that I have with this album is that it is way too short! I know it’s just an EP, but you just don’t want it to end. The instrumental tracks really work great to connect the songs together and they don’t just seem like throwaway tracks. The guys really have put together something special here and I cannot wait for part 2 to be released. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up and give it a listen. In a genre of so many sound-alike’s, The Empire Shall Fall are carving a niche out for themselves that is going to propel them to the font of this genre. With the way that these guys are going, they may even create an entirely new genre on their own.