New Found Glory - Not WIthout A Fight (2009)

With guitar hooks you could use to pick up a small animal, NFG still continue to nail their colours ever so proudly to the pop punk mast. Aptly titled opener, 'Right Where We Left off', wrestles bouncingly with an oft-visited subject matter of theirs - lust as a weapon and the pitfalls attached to feelings of it. The balance between chugging rhythm and the bemused vocal projection of Jordan Pundik, is something that producer Mark Hoppus has obviously paid some attention to. A more stirring take on punk 'Listen To Your Friends', whilst having a typical high school rock theme comes from the school of yearning song-building that is synonymous with British punks A; especially in the more drawn out vocals akin to the style Jason Perry has always used to good effect. It may come as a dose of bitter disappointment to those who have followed these Florida tykes over the past decade and more, but there is an element of maturity to the lyrics and the song style tends to draw out the mood a lot more. 'Truck Stop Blues' displays better than most their meaningful lyrical strut, as life on the road is robbed of its glory; "I'm in a different state every night, we're kept together by telephone lines. The mile markers help me count down the next time I'll be around, the only thing I rely on is fallen leaves." Old skool Rock N' Roll riffs gives 'I'll Never Love Again' a nostalgic edge and their heavier side is leant on in the metal touching 'Reasons', and continues into the demoralised 'Such A Mess'. There is a veil of darkness that is beginning to hide some of the frivolity, and an emo trickle runs through the album - especially in the lyrics. Every album of this ilk needs a tear-jerking power ballad and, in 'Heartless At Best' New Found Glory has just this. 'Don't Let This Be The End', is the epitome of the ballsy, pop punk sound that has given this Florida troupe continuing success. It looks like they still have the vigour and rhythm to keep it going for some years yet.

DOWNLOAD

Earth Crisis - To The Dead (2009)

Holy Bejebus! Earth Crisis is back! One of my all-time favorite bands ever returns with their first album in 9 years entitled, To The Death, and it’s by far their heaviest material to date.
I’m sure you are recalling the nightmares that were Slither and Last Of The Sane. I implore you to try to scratch those travesties from your brain, for it seems that the band has done the same. Gone are the nu-metal overtones, clean vocals, and those silly pleather jackets. It seems that Earth Crisis took the criticism to heart from those last two outings and ditched all the negative aspects of what their music became. They even went as far to not return to the now terrible label they were apart of.
Oh, and how can I forget about the message. An Earth Crisis record wouldn’t be an Earth Crisis record without a purely pissed message about Veganism and Straightedge. You definitely still get your healthy dose of both in a way only Karl Buechner can dish it out. The title track to this album takes a cue from the title track of Gomorrah’s Season Ends and becomes the Vegan anthem for the band stating “VEGAN-FOR LIFE” in the final four bars. I’m sure you get the comparisons between the songs.
This album is so good that it makes me forget all about Slither. Normally when bands reunite after a few or even after a lot of years, a lot of fans do not want new material for fear that they’ll ruin a good thing. Well if a band is going to do a comeback album this is the type of stuff they should shoot for. This album has me excited for Earth Crisis again. Now if only they’d play a show at the TLA with Indecision and All Out War again, my life would be complete.

DOWNLOAD

VA - Punk Goes Pop Volume 2 (2009)

I can no longer feign youth after hearing “in the name of fun” compilations like Punk Goes Pop Vol. 2. Don’t cry for me, though; cry for Fearless Records. They’re killing music and they don’t care. These compilations make Yoko Ono’s treachery look laughable, even benign. Hearing Escape The Fate slather Carlos Santana’s “Smooth” with teenage screams is like watching your parents have sex with your dog. Listening to August Burns Red sing - excuse me, growl - classic Britney Spears is disrespectful, even if their inspiration is an umbrella wielding, hair shaving lunatic.
A Day To Strong and Four Year Remember pick two completely different songs, yet somehow make them sound exactly alike. ADTR’s take on “Over My Head (Cable Car)” might also be on Homesick, but there’s no way to be sure. Four Year Strong use a bit too much clean singing on Sara Bareilles’ “Love Song”, and only some expected-yet-satisfying gang vocals save the song.

DOWNLOAD

Silverstein - A Shipwreck In The Sands (2009)

Shipwreck features 14 tracks that span over 4 chapters. Produced by Cameron Webb, the album showcases a variety of tempos, speeds, and compositions. Tracks such as the opener, “A Great Fire,” strike hard and often, while others slow down the pace to create strong crescendos, with “You’re All I Have” being a prime example.
This isn’t a perfect album. Instead, it is an enjoyable, catchy album that digs deeper than most bands in its genre. A Shipwreck In The Sand is a showcase of a band continuing their journey on reaching their full potential. You know you wanna give Shipwreck a spin, your curiosity is burning.

DOWNLOAD

Leathermouth - XØ (2009)

Leathermouth formed in 2007 by some friends of My Chemical Romance's rhythm guitarist Frank Iero. In October 2008, Leathermouth signed to Epitaph Records as opposed to Frank Iero's label as originally planned. Iero thought that it would be difficult to promote the album himself, if released through his own label, with his current obligations to My Chemical Romance and the other bands signed to his label. Epitaph Records president, Brett Gurewitz, was impressed with the band's "intensity and songwriting of the music." Leathermouth released their first studio album on January 27, 2009 through Epitaph entitled XO. Although the album did not chart on the Billboard 200, it did reach #21 on the Top Heatseekers chart.

DOWNLOAD

The Year Ends In Arson - Vessels (2009)

The Year Ends In Arson is a five piece metal/hardcore act hailing from Orlando, FL. With pummeling breakdowns, catchier than hell choruses and bi-polar vocals, these swampland natives make sure that every single performance feels like their last one. Sounding like a mix between Motley Crue, Killswitch Engage and Trivium, not only do these guys serve up a record with attitude for miles, but they have also forged a truly unique sound.

DOWNLOAD

In Fear And Faith - Your World On Fire (2009)

Rise Records has a way with surprising me with their early January releases. While the whole metalcore scene doesn't exactly coincide with my usual musical preferences, I try to give everything a fair shot, and early last year I was rewarded with For the Fallen Dreams' Changes and the now-defunct Here I Come Falling's Oh Grave, Where Is Thy Victory. The former's skill at intertwining atmospheric guitar lines with thundering riffs and the latter's knack with a hook made them both a cut above what I would have expected. Just about a year later, enter In Fear and Faith with their debut full-length Your World on Fire, the follow-up to their late-2007 EP Voyage. Make no mistake about it, Your World on Fire is not a scene-changing record. In Fear and Faith are far from the first band to pit soaring hooks in a head-to-head battle against brutal breakdowns, but they're good enough at it that they're sure to make some serious waves.
Despite being relatively new kids on the block, In Fear and Faith draw some high profile guest appearances in the form of Craig Owens (Chiodos) and Jeremy McKinnon (A Day to Remember). I can't say I'm a real fan of either frontman or their bands, but both make valuable contributions. "The Road to Hell Is Paved with Good Intentions" is one of the strongest tracks, due in part to Owens' delivery. In addition to having a Chiodos-like title, the song features some twinkling piano that wouldn't have sounded out-of-place on Bone Palace Ballet and perhaps the best use of melody on the record.
For the band who drew their name from a much-beloved track from Juturna (a better choice than "The Glorious Nosebleed," I must say), this is a worthy effort in a oversaturated genre. While there are countless bands falling under the general rubric of metalcore who can bring the breakdowns and vocal vitriol, fewer do melody quite so skillfully, while incorporating some captivating piano sections as well. Go in with the right expectations andYour World on Fire is an enjoyable release that will likely satisfy the palate of anyone looking for an aural pummeling with some catchy hooks on the side.

DOWNLOAD

In Fear And Faith - Voyage EP (2007)

Have you ever been listening to your music and had someone make a comment to the effect of, “this is tasteless” or “it’s just screaming, there’s no depth,” like I have so many times before? Well, your troubles are over with a new, solid, seven song EP from the recently recruited emo/hardcore act known as In Fear and Faith.
What’s so special about this EP? For starters, the band features an excellent keyboardist. This is especially evident in both “The Taste of Regret” and the latter half of “Live Love Die.” They bring in just the right amount of electronics to give the music a unique feel without overdoing it like some hardcore bands tend to. They also have a drummer that has his practice in with a double bass, but even that isn’t overdone. Their melodies are entertaining, and the music flows in a way that most bands tend to miss on their first releases.
This EP has helped to restore my faith in what some people may consider a dying scene. I’m sorry for the lengthy post; when I set down to write this, I meant to give it a quick review. However, once I started writing I couldn’t help myself from adding in every detail I found significant. All I ask is that you don’t write this off as “just another hardcore album” from the moment you hear it; give it time to grow upon you, as I’m sure it will.

DOWNLOAD

In Fear And Faith - In Fear And Faith EP (2007)

In Fear And Faith began as a band in the Summer of 2006. They started as a band who loved to be on stage, writing music, and sharing their passion with their fans. Everything else comes after. And that is how it will remain.

DOWNLOAD

Aloha From Hell - No More Days To Waste (2009)

Aloha From Hell has released their debut album today. No More Days To Waste is already in stores. If you're one of fans Paramore, Hey Monday, Avril Lavigne you will love this

DOWNLOAD

Nora - Save Youself (2007)

Save Yourself has the standard metalcore riffs and massive breakdowns, but Nora adds a few things that make this much more than a standard metalcore album. Every song is furious and intense, but there's a lot more diversity than you might expect. Some songs are precise and technical, others really groovy, and there are even some sludgy and doomy riffs.

Severson's vocals are angry and aggressive hardcore style screams, both strong and passionate. Eric Rachel (Every Time I Die, Atreyu) produces, and captures Nora's controlled fury perfectly. With so many generic, cookie-cutter metalcore acts out there, it's refreshing to hear veterans like Nora who manage to inject some diversity and creativity into a genre that sorely lacks both.

DOWNLOAD

Nora - Dreamers And Deadmen (2003)

Hailing from central New Jersey, NORA has built a reputation for excellence both in the realm of live performance and in the the studio. In the seventh year of their existence, NORA continues to re-invent themselves, incorporating new elements into their repetoire, while retaining the same core mix of groove and chaos that have served them well in past releases. Since their Ferret Records debut, and through the EP ("The Neverendingyouline"), LP ("Loser's Intuition") on Trustkill Records,Their latest record, entitled "Dreamers And Deadmen", provides ten different perspectives on a common theme. It encompasses the struggle of the dreamer in a world where creativity, individuality, and purpose seem to be in short supply, and the depressing drudgery of daily life threatens to drag down even the strongest of heart. Ranging from messages of glowing positivity, to examinations of self-doubt in the face of failure, to the simple truths of finding balance and sticking to your guns, the lyrics on NORA?s latest Trustkill full-length effort reflect a band who continues to grow, mature and speak intelligently about the issues in the world around them.

DOWNLOAD

Nora - Loser's Intuition (2001)

This hardcore-metal five-piece from New Jersey, Nora, aren't exactly doing anything new, but what they're doing is absolutely brutal. "Loser's Intuition" features crisp production and a tight performance of barely restrained musical violence. The lyrics sheet is nicely fleshed out with short explanations of what the songs are supposed to be about, which is handy as you can never understand guys who sing like this. Fans of Converge and Coalesce, short hair and short fuses should check it out.

Hitting us hard with messages of having a clean conscience, respecting women and having the strength and power to continue, Nora have released an absolutely brutal album in "Loser's Intuition". This NJ hardcore/metalcore band rip the listener into tiny peices with ferocious vocal styles, powerful riffs and battering drum work. On their Trustkill debut full-length, Nora have not changed much since their earlier EPs, but they have definately improved on their songwriting skills and worked hard on their music quality. Carl Severson unleashes some of the most bloodthirsty vocal styles I have ever heard, delivering ruthless raw screams and barks that are sure to crush the weak in their path.

DOWNLOAD

Nora - The Never Ending You Line (1999)

This is the first full leght debut from new jersey hardcore band. Very awesome

DOWNLOAD

Nora - Kill You For A Dollar EP (1999)

the first EP released by New Jersey melodic hardcore

DOWNLOAD

The Rocket Summer - The Early Years EP (2006)

Bryce Avary is listed to have played nine separate instruments in his newest EP, The Early Years which means to say: he did everything. To those of you who drooled over Avary’s earlier release "Hello, Good Friend." this is painfully obvious. But to those who did not know (and that includes me), Avary is an impressive and energetic dude. The Rocket Summer sounds like a fully manned band and Avary’s musical talents – and song-writing tact – can’t possibly be overrated.
Songs like "That's What She Said" and "Teenage Love Rock" follow along the same lines as Panic! At the Disco, Fallout Boy, and Hellogoodbye (without all the silly effects that is). The release is fairly repetitive though, and by the end of "She's a Seven" at the conclusion of the demo his song structure has become predictable.

DOWNLOAD

A Day To Remember - Homesick (2009)

Its pretty good so far, the first track is so, so good. I don't think they've changed that much from the other 2 cd's. I think"Another Song For The Weekend" is the weakest track on the album! It's a very strong album. Great tracks and 'The Downfall Of Us All' has a great intro.

DOWNLOAD

Take The Crown - Let The Games Begin EP (2006)

Take the Crown is pretty much unstoppable with no cheesy gimmicks, lame costumes or false advertising.. Just music from their hearts to your ears!

DOWNLOAD

Remember Maine - The Last Place You Look (2002)

Remember Maine (a.k.a. Bill e. Beckett) has been using his neo-emo style to bring in both emo and acoustic fans alike. With his powerful lyrics and personal lyrical style its easy to recognize, and even easier to get addicted to, this acoustic powerhouse. Remember Maine uses raw emotion with well honed guitar skills to cover all that is needed for a complete musical journey into his soul.

DOWNLOAD