Weekly Dose of Prog: Awestruck - Telemision

So Blogger has been down all day, so I haven't had a chance to post this article till now. I apologize for the lateness of this release, I know how some of you like reading these weekly posts.

I've actually met the guys from Awestruck, my good friend Andrew Clayton went to high school with the drummer so we all have a bit of history. I interviewed them for my short-lived radio show, I've been to their home and to their recording studio (same place really) to help out with a track. They've been making waves here in Orlando over the past few years, headlining a lot of local shows and special events around town, and I've only ever seen them live once, much the pity on my part.


The band gave me their debut album, Telemision (sorry for the iTunes link, it was the only one I could find), after our radio interview - Jesus that 2008... doesn't seem like it should have been that long - and so I've had a lot of time with it and it has a lot of listens to it's name. The album itself meanders between neo prog, post-hardcore and the alternative rock sound that been popular lately. Their sound reminds me of 3, early Incubus or even (slightly) Coheed & Cambria (but in a good way!).

New Album: Ironweed - Your World Of Tomorrow

With a name like Ironweed, I'm always surprised with how much energy this act puts out. As I said last week, the band's style melds stoner and alternative metal - something they do quite well - but from my experience with bands that have 'weed,' 'pot,' 'dope,' 'bud,' etc within their name, they are usually more stoner and less metal (except for the sludge acts). This is what history has shown me, and this is why I am never expecting the intensity that Ironweed throws out there with every riff. This was true with their debut, Indian Ladder, and it is true now, with Your World of Tomorrow.

I've been hearing some grumbling across the interwebs about this album, about it not being a fulfilling sophomore release and other such squawking. I can't see how this could possibly be a concern or worry, because if Your World of Tomorrow is anything, it's consistent with Indian Ladder. The punchy guitars are still a focal point, this time with added solos over it all, the vocals are still stoner/thrash style (shouted but understandable), the drums still pound away. I don't see a huge difference here.

Play It Again: Ironweed - Indian Ladder

I was going to review the new Ironweed album (part of the Small Stone gift pack), but I decided to listen to their debut first, to both remind me of the group and to hear some sick tunes. I discovered Indian Ladder through Chief Iron Lung, a fellow blogger (although with an ulterior motive), who said these guys kick some major ass. He was not wrong, and has steered me to some great acts before and sense, and I aim to do the same now.

I really enjoy Indian Ladder because of it's fresh take on the stoner genre. Ironweed mixes the fuzz of the usual stoner with a alternative metal edge to it. I mean by that, that instead of the sort of laid back feeling of most stoner acts, this album holds onto a quick and frantic style that reminds me of something more mainstream; I don't mean this as an insult, but it's sort of like the singles from Avenged Sevenfold or Five Finger Death Punch mixed in with the more usual stoner side of things.

Guilty Pleasures: Disturbed - The Sickness

Here we go, another throwback album, one that if you were a child of the 90s you probably listened to ad nasaum, and another one to raise the ire of those opponents of 'false metal.' Whatever, I don't care, I jammed out to this album and group for a number of years, and I still enjoy hearing their releases occasionally today.

While not my favorite Disturbed album, The Sickness is by far the heaviest and most known release from the group. It was the act's debut album, and became immensely popular; collecting much radio-air time, selling most of the available tickets on their tours, and scurrying around the halls of my high school (I was a freshman at the time). It is also the album most within the nu-metal bracket, which is why it receives the current level of animosity that it does. I don't see why really, while it does have nu-metal tendencies, this is most definitely heavy metal, if only with some semi-industrial pieces mixed in.

Guilty Pleasures: Godsmack - Faceless

I almost didn't have anything for today, I could not for the life of me figure out what to write about. I didn't feel like a review of something new, I just did an 'All In The Family' and I've been working on Queen's A Night At The Opera for a new 'Favorite Albums' but it's got a long way to go. I was afraid that I would of had to put up a video or some stupid current events or something. Then, while I was driving to the store, some 90s alt-rock song popped up on the radio, and it reminded me of Godsmack, and how they were a guilty pleasure of mine. This thought process led to the new segment about my guilty pleasure bands, songs, and albums. Seeing as I grew up in the 90s, it'll probably contain mostly artists from that era, and mostly consist of alternative or (gasp) nu-metal. I know, I know! I said the 'Nu' word, but that is what I listened to as I grew up (check out The Times, They Are A-Changin' (Part 2) for more info), so that is what constitutes as a guilty pleasure to me. This is broken up into two halves; Then and Now, which will give what I remember loving about the album, and what I think about it now, comparing the two thoughts. Let's give it a try.

I wouldn't say I grew up with Godsmack, mostly because their debut album wasn't released until 1997, and I was eleven at the time, but my Dad did own their debut (mostly for the song "Voodoo") and their follow-up, Awake, so I was introduced to the group from the beginning. I heard the singles both on the radio and at home, I learned most of the songs and lyrics to the first album, mostly on road-trips with the old man, so I knew it all pretty well. Then they released their third album, Faceless, and my enjoyment of them came to a new level.

New Album: Serj Tankian - Imperfect Harmonies (Part Deux)

Again, to give another look from The Pyro's point of view ...Imperfect Harmonies.

While it is an obvious fact that Serj Tankian was the leader of System of A Down, it is also evident that he was not the whole picture. His style is a definite throw-back to the days of SoaD, although it is not the same. I can't help but compare Imperfect Harmonies with Elect The Dead, try as I might. While within Elect The Dead, he strived for a stand-alone style (at least partially), mixing his really eclectic style with the alternative metal scene, with Imperfect Harmonies all of the originality (and eclecticness) has pretty much vanished. It's an album of dull, radio-friendly songs, attempting at being political but falling from the mark. It's not even a throwback to SoaD, it's just doesn't have the energy to compete with Serj's history.

New Album: Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare (Part Deux)

The Pyro already wrote about this album, so I'm not going to go into to much detail with this one. It is not my intention to undercut his review (his being a positive one), but I intend to show an alternate view (mine mostly negative). Read both and choose your own fate. (Cue evil laughter)
I've never been a big Avenged Sevenfold fan; I have their album City of Evil, mostly for that song "Bat Country" and little else, but after reading The Pyro's review (and hearing from a few others) I decided to take a gander at Nightmare...which led to a waste of my time.

New Album: Serj Tankian - Imperfect Harmonies

I didn't make the connection at first that Serj Tankian was the lead singer of System of a Down, but hey, that voice is unmistakable.  But I'm not here to review SOAD, I'm here to review Imperfect Harmonies - the second studio album by Serj.

Like most (if not all) of Serj's music (including SOAD), the music is different.  It is not the normal everyday, run-of-the-mill, "cookie-cutter", trying to be different band.  Which is why I, and I think others like his music.  Not to mention there is an orchestra backing him.  Which is just plain awesome.

New Album: Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare

Upon the death of Avenged Sevenfold's drummer, The Rev, many fans of A7X wondered how they would continue. Well my friends, they did 'push on' and I do have to say, Nightmare has become one of my top 10 albums. The Lyrics are written fantastically, the melodies and harmonies are amazing. Very, very catchy songs. And with Mike Portnoy (the ex-drummer for Dream Theater), at the helm of the drum kit, this is a dynamite album. The first track opens with the title song, which is melodic and yet at times, haunting - which fits perfectly for a song named "Nightmare".  Nightmare is reminiscent of their first, self-titled album with it all being orchestrated beyond the normal metal band setup.  In fact, towards the end of the album, the songs slow down somewhat, and become a lot more musically in-depth, almost to the point of becoming classical music - with guitars and drums thrown in (this point can be argued that all of their songs are musically in-depth, but work with me here).

This album is almost like a concept album, in a way before concept albums even existed. Back in the days that artists created the track listing for a reason. Mainly to tell a story, or get the feeling that a story was being told. 

The Pyro's advice: GO BUY THIS ALBUM  4.7/5 stars 

New Album: Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue

I'm currently listening to the new Alice In Chains album, and although I've never been a huge fan of them, this new album is pretty decent.
I know they have a new singer (after the other one overdosed a while back) but it really sounds similar to their older stuff. The music is all the slow, grinding riffs with light drums, and the vocals are still a bit whiny, but in a good way. The whole album pulls together fairly well.

New Band: Black Tide

I love finding new music, and I love even more to find new bands. Some people may have heard of Black Tide at this point, they had a very successful Ozzfest tour in 2007 (which I went to) and have their album, Light From Above, out for 9 months now, so they are growing in popularity and known.

Now, not to brag (lies) but I found these guys before all that. Months before the start of the Ozzfest tour, when I decided to go, I went and researched all the bands performing (because that's what kind of music geek I am), to find those that I know I'll hate (the screamers) and try to learn some of the music of the groups that aren't bad. This is how I found Black Tide. At the time they didn't have any album out, and not even an EP per se, they just had their MySpace. I listened to said MySpace, liked what I heard and added them as a friend (I no longer have a MySpace because I would like a job one day), to keep updated.
Time passed, and I forgot about these small-time artists who had a lucky break. Later, while I was on MySpace one day I saw a bulletin from them that caught my eye. Apparently, because all of this band's members were under the age of 21 (I think the oldest was 18 at the time) they were being kicked off the tour. See, the second stage (where these guys were opening) was hosted by Jägermeister, and they had a problem with a bunch of underage kids playing on their stage. So they were off the tour, and a little pissed (as would be expected).
About a week passed and I saw another bulletin, a 180 on the previous one. It seems that Ozzy, the man himself (with probably a push from his wife), thought that what was happening to these guys was crap. So he decided to bump the band up to opening for the mainstage, a honor usually held by those bands who have been around for over a decade. So Black Tide jumped from being a no-body band that most people would miss (I rarely make it in time for the first band, especially for Ozzfest), to the openers for the mainstay of metal.
So they went on to play a great show (I guess, I really don't remember, with 14 hours of metal, it all seems to blur together. But they weren't bad, I would have remembered that), and released their debut album shortly after. The album did alright, breaking the Billboard Top 100, landing at 73, not to shabby for a debut band and album within the metal community.

I have the album (obviously) and I think that it is great. They do a cover of Metallica's "Hit The Lights" and don't suck at it. As I was listening to it, it struck me that they are a mix of the golden-age Thrash, reminiscent of Metallica, and NWOBHM, with Judas Priest-esq vocals and lyrics. My favorite song, by far, is "Warriors of Time." It's a simply-lyric'd song, with only one real verse and alot of guitar-work, but it keeps me enthralled, and my the hair on the back of my neck prickles every time I get to their haunting voices chanting "We are the warriors, the warriors, the warriors of time!" This disc is a must have for anyone who enjoyed the days of Iron Maiden but wants a little more of a kick.


Black Tide - Light From Above

1. "Shockwave" - 3:38
2. "Shout" - 3:26
3. "Warriors of Time" - 5:53
4. "Give Me a Chance" - 3:34
5. "Let Me" - 3:30
6. "Show Me the Way" - 3:59
7. "Enterprise" - 4:31
8. "Live Fast Die Young" - 3:01
9. "Hit the Lights" (Metallica Cover) - 3:42
10. "Black Abyss" - 4:06
11. "Light From Above" - 5:46
12. "Black Widow" (UK Bonus Track) - 3:48
13. "Again" (iTunes Bonus Track) - 3:18
14. "Rise" (Hot Topic Bonus Track) - 2:46

Tour Dates: Snot Releases New Song and Upcoming Tour Dates

So for those that don't know, Snot is a short lived metal band that folded after one album due to the death of their lead singer (not the usual music death, he was hit by a drunk driver with his parents). After his death they called it quits and released a live album and a tribute album of sorts, but it was not nearly the same.
Now, after almost a decade, the remaining members paired up with Tommy Cummings (former Divine Heresy singer) for a new tour, and are planning on releasing new material, with a new album due out sometime next summer.
They have put their first single, "The Band Plays On," on their MySpace. The song isn't bad, but it is not the Snot I know and love. It is a different sound but that is to be expected, so take a listen and see for yourself. When the new album comes out we will have to see what the final picture looks like.

Snot Headlining Shows:

Aug. 23 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Vegas
Oct. 10 - West Hollywood, CA - Key Club

Snot Supporting Devildriver:

Oct. 14 - Bakersfield, CA - The Dome
Oct. 15 - San Francisco, CA - Slim’s
Oct. 17 - Portland, OR - Roseland Grill
Oct. 18 - Vancouver, BC - Red Room
Oct. 19 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
Oct. 20 - Spokane, WA - The Big Easy
Oct. 21 - Boise, ID - The Big Easy
Oct. 22 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Vegas
Oct. 23 - Las Vegas, NV - Jillian’s
Oct. 24 - Pomona, CA - The Glass House
Oct. 25 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
Oct. 26 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick

Info "borrowed" from MetalMartyr.com

Currently listening to: AC/DC - Ride On