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Saturday, October 12, 2002

Hopesfall - The Satellite Years - music, 4 stars

From chaos to beauty. Only Hopesfall has been able to pull off the remarkable task with such finesse. "The Satellite Years" marks the second full-length from a band that has undergone several changes throughout their existence. This CD brings in new vocalist Jay Forrest, replacing former vocalist Doug, whom was featured on previous albums "The Frailty of Words" and "No Wings to Speak Of." Ryan Parrish, guitarist/songwriter on the first two CDs, was kicked out of the band shortly before recording this album; another example of change. "The Satellite Years" definitely differs from what Hopesfall has offered in the past, although it does not fail to please me.

The CD begins with "Andromeda," a track that represents instrumental beauty. "Waitress" follows with the somewhat generic hardcore sound consisting of an octave riff. Track 3, "Dead in Magazines," definitely marks the differences between the new Hopesfall and the old. Singing. Vocal lines on CDs past were sung at times, but not to this extent. At first, I was not too impressed with Forrest's singing voice, but I'd have to say that it has grown on me. "Dana Walker" begins with a drum beat very similar to Norma Jean's "Creating Something Out of Nothing, Only to Destroy It," although I realize that was not the intent. Track 5, "Decoys Like Curves," serves as another song for Forrest to sing. After two tracks that transition between heavy and beautiful, the CD reverts back to chaos with track 8, titled "Only the Clouds." Beauty is then defined by track 9, "Escape Pods for Intangibles." The CD closes with my favorite track, "Waitress." Only Hopesfall can leave me with a feeling of sorrow and a glimpse of joy.

Hopesfall has definitely received their share of criticism, due to the various lineup changes they have gone through. Despite that fact, I feel they shine quite well with this new album. They have seemed to distance themselves from the generic hardcore sound, as they begin to experiment with actually singing on this album. Some may see this as a downfall, although they still are able to maintain their heaviness. The album will be released on October 15th, so be sure to purchase it. Prepare to see Hopesfall everywhere. Hopesfall is beautiful.

You can listen to the new album in its entirety via QuickTime stream at http://www.thesatelliteyears.com, thanks to Trustkill Records.

Purchase the new Hopesfall album from the following vendors:

http://trustkill.com/store/music.php?id=523
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006JTH0/qid=1034442120/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/102-0312723-1472977?v=glance&n=507846
http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=2142560320/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/album.html/artistid=HOPESFALL/itemid=1596417

Also, be sure and look for my friend Casey's review of this album in the October 12th issue of the The Wichita Eagle. If you would like to view Casey’s review, visit http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/living/religion/4265191.htm.

Friday, October 11, 2002

Living Sacrifice - Conceived in Fire - music, 5 stars

LS = Metal. "Conceived in Fire," the 6th full album in the band's list of credentials, maintains the elements that helped make the band popular in the past, yet also strives to redefine their sound for the general music market. The CD begins with the track "Imminent War," a song with a political stance concerning how God's state/nation/country of Israel will one day prevail. Without losing any sense of brutality set by the first track, the CD transitions into "Symbiotic." Track 3, titled "3x3 We Carried Your Body," maintains the heavy sound with a somewhat disturbing overtone consisting of spoken word and whispering. The following track, "The Poisoning," begins with a melodic guitar riff before Rocky Gray begins singing. Yes, Rocky sings just as he did on the infamous 5th studio album, "The Hammering Process." Bruce's deep, throaty vocals on this song are remarkable. Rocky eventually caps off the song with a solo reminiscent of something off of the "Reborn" album. After tracks 5 and 6, released a few months back from a sampler sold at Cornerstone, the CD takes a very unexpected turn. Track 7, titled "Into Again," is an instrumental song similar to percussionist Matt Puttman's side project, Unwed Sailor. The following track, titled "Separation," remains my second most favorite song on the entire album. Reverting to the heaviness featured on such albums as "Non-Existent" and "Inhabit," the song serves as perfect metaphor for the word "heavy." After a drum-oriented "Black Seeds," the CD crescendos into what I consider my favorite track on the album. "Ignite" is freakin' amazing. Yeah, I know, I probably should not use the word freakin' in a review simply because it does not sound professional, but there is simply no other word to emphasize how amazing the song is. Starting off mellow with a brief instrumental intro, the drums literally blow me away (even blowing one of my car speakers). Yeah, that's brutal. I'd have to say this track serves as the peak of the album. A metal song would not be complete without a guitar solo. Rocky Gray captivates my mind as he plays a Steve Vai-ish solo, with total precision and speed. Whoa. After an encompassing track 11, titled "Distrust," death metal re-emerges with "Martyr." The CD ends in chaos with "Reach for the Sky," a brutal track that surprisingly ends in peace rather than brutality. Guess their goal was to leave the listener with something to think about.

All in all, I cannot find one bad thing to say about this CD. Although I had the release mixed by Barry Poynter for several months before the actual release, the Andy Sneap mastered copy is nothing short of amazing. Despite having purchased several other great CDs throughout the year, this release is by far my pick as the best. Sad to say, based on various rumors that have been circling around, this may be the final release by the band. If you have never listened to Living Sacrifice, I'd advise you to check out this album, as it seems to incorporate various portions of previous albums. LS = Metal.

Go support your favorite metal band:

http://www.toothandnail-mailorder.com/merchant.cfm?step=4&pid=708
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006JJ35/ref%3Dnosim/manincagejack-20/103-6514540-6058235
http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=1485926699/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/album.html/itemid=1593217

Thursday, August 15, 2002

Norma Jean - Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child - music, 5 stars

Norma Jean's 1st CD release, (2nd if you count them as Luti-Kriss), was one I have been anxiously waiting for. Although many people would disagree, I really enjoyed their first CD, as it was hardcore w/ a worshipful attitude. The only disappointment with that album were the easily-found comparisons to the Deftones.

This CD marks a new era for the band. Only one word can attempt to describe the sounds emitted...chaotic. Although this CD could probably be compared to some Converge stuff, overall I think it is very original and unique. Starting off the CD with "The Entire World is Counting on Me," the CD begins in crazy fashion. It remains psychotic, hard, and heavy until a little track (I mean little) titled "Pretty Soon I Don't Know When, But Something is Going to Happen" pops into the mix. OK, I was exaggerating a bit when I called it a little track. It's actually a 15 minute track full of strictly instruments for most of the track, although vocals come in about halfway through the song. The CD then reverts back to the style shown in the first 4 tracks.

Overall, this CD is an excellent purchase. If there is one track I'd advise you to check out, it would have to be "Memphis Will Be Laid to Waste." The song features Aaron Weiss from mewithoutYou fame on vocals and on tamborine. The song leaves me speechless. I'd also check out "I Used to Hate Cellphones, But Now I Hate Car Accidents." Lyrics in that song crack me up. There are also a couple out-of-place tracks on this CD, as they are more rock 'n' roll style.

Go support Norma Jean...

http://www.toothandnail-mailorder.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006CTE9/qid=1029421698/sr=8-10/ref=sr_8_10/102-4358712-2205702?s=music&n=507846
http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=2001252946/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/album.html/ArtistID=NORMA+JEAN/ITEMID=1579408

Tuesday, August 13, 2002

Dead Poetic - Four Wall Blackmail - music, 4 stars

I bought this CD instantly after downloading the entire thing in mp3 form overnight from Audiogalaxy. With melodic vocal/screams and simple guitar lines, this CD makes for some good listening. The various rhythms and riffs remind me of Embodyment, but according to Brandon, Dead Poetic's lead vocalist, they tried to formulate their overall sound based on Embodyment. I'd have to say the only disappointment with the album is that it is very simplistic, although simplicity is good at times. Very young, yet talented band.

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