Review of "My Scarlet Sins" by Across the Street

  
     I want to preface this review by saying this music was all new to me and I really enjoyed it.  Considering it was a collaboration from multiple musicians that don't make up an entire band, it was especially impressive.

     "Today" is a somber ballad introduced by an emotional mix of acoustic guitar and piano followed by lyrics to follow suit, " Looking in the mirror, the reflection remains the same, but a stranger looks at me."  It tells the story of a mother marrying a much older man entirely too soon, and her son's struggle with it.

     "Take a good look at what you've done, this is your one and only son" is a key line in "Unforgiven".  Another acoustic ballad, referencing a mother who arranged to be unavailable for her son's wedding ceremony after finding out a civil union had already been performed, and the pain it caused the groom.

     I caught hints of Queensryche and Pearl Jam, with a whisper of Armored Saint in "Doubting Myself (Again)".  This track about someone questioning the basis on which decisions were made, teases as though it will be a ballad, then picks up and cranks!  "Make Believe" is a rough cut of a poem the singer's father wrote about choices we make, put into lyrical form.

     "What it Takes" pulls no punches right out of the gate, instantly reminding me of Alice in Chains.  Lyrics such as, " Try and tell me I'm wrong, cause you're not that strong, you can't just look me in the eyes and say...you're not that brave, when will you ever learn to see, you just don't have what it takes," speak of religious intolerance.

     You can check out all this music from Across the Street on ReverbNation:

http://www.reverbnation.com/acrossthestreet

Review of Act of Violence's Self Titled CD

 
      "This album was a journey fueled by our love for music and metal in particular.  A bunch of guys getting together with nothing to eventually produce this album.  Music is an escape from the daily routine, a way to vent, express one's self, or escape.  TRANSCEND"....Marcus McKenzie
 
      "Transcend" sets the stage for Act of Violence's self titled CD.  "Rise from obscurity.  Escape from reality.  This is the one thing you can't take away from me.  Rise......"  With Shawn Adams on vocals, Marcus McKenzie and Scott Mansfield on guitars, Jason Phelps on bass and vocals, and Chad Kerns on drums, this concoction of tracks such as "Dead and Gone", "Jeffrey Dahmer" and "Killing Fields" is just what metal fans need to quench their thirst.

     "Ahh Judy"  leads you through a downward spiral as the song progresses.  "Kill or be Killed" and "Lost Soul" initially take you back to the old school metal days, then quickly remind you this isn't 1985 anymore.

       Titus Rodriguez of Cleveland based metal/thrash band Feargrinder makes a guest appearance on "Fuck Humanity" and Aaron Ferguson and Eric Slone of Mithridium share lead guitars on "Kill or be Killed".

     This album took three years to make, well worth the wait, and is a must have for any metal collection.  Keep up with Act of Violence any way you can:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Act-of-Violence/107656899271349

http://www.myspace.com/actofviolence1

http://www.reverbnation.com/actofviolence

Review of One Pretty Minute's "Addict"

     When David Adams gave me a sneak preview of "Addict", the first thing I said to him was that I could tell how much the band had evolved since their first release, "The System".  After listening to their second offering in its entirety, this feeling was solidified.

     As well as Adams on lead vocals and guitar, One Pretty Minute consists of Jeff Tayama on guitar, Bill Morales on bass and Andy Kuhar on drums.  Their energy on stage is captured in this CD - you can really feel the emotion.

     OPM doesn't pull any punches, rocking right out of the box with the angry bass line followed by a killer guitar lick for "It's Over Now".  The line "It's over now, won't take the best of me" pretty much sums up the entire track!

     You barely have time to catch your breath when "Killswitch" is introduced with "Trying not to follow, trying not to lead, trying to be everything you want me to be."  Who doesn't that line hit home with?  "Hurt You" tries to start out a little more playful but quickly thinks better of it.  David exhibits a different singing style in this song, with the tempo slowing down just a little bit.

     The title track "Addict" showcases each band member's individual talents very well - they all bring it!  The reverb effect at the beginning and throughout the song really makes it stand out, then add lyrics such as "You can run away, I know you're here to stay, you want this, you need this.  So put your faith in me, I control you, I am here to feed the addict", this song rocks and will stick with you!

     "Breathe" and "Carry Me" wrap up "Addict" slowing things down a little bit at times.  OPM doesn't confine itself to a certain label or speed, they play music that speaks to them, and they are doing a pretty good job of making it speak to others as well.

     Every time I catch One Pretty Minute live it's a blast...and they are always out supporting other bands, so please support them:

http://www.facebook.com/1PrettyMinute

 http://www.facebook.com/oneprettyminute

 http://www.reverbnation.com/oneprettyminute

 http://oneprettyminute.com/fr_home.cfm

Review of Skekzi's EP "Sick"

     I started listening to this CD to write my review, but when one is mesmerized to the point of staring into space, the note taking isn't done quite as quickly...so, this took a few days!

     Skekzi, formerly System Slave, features Jeremy on vocals, Chad on lead guitar and synth programming, David on rhythm guitar, Andrew on bass, and Justin, formerly of XFactor1, on drums.  "Sick" is their debut EP.

     "Sicko" gets the party started in killer fashion, with a guitar lick that soon invites everyone else to join!  Jeremy can sing any style, and it starts to come out on track one!  David Adams from "One Pretty Minute" makes a guest appearance as well, as they belt out lyrics such as, "Close my eyes and breathe, sigh of ecstasy".

     "Burn" starts out with an synthesized effect, almost as if birds are chirping, but with a more melancholy tone which soon picks up.  The drumbeat at times is reminiscent of Metallica's "One".  I challenge you to sit still during "The Withering"!  This was used in the EP teaser, with a guitar lead in to almost galloping type drumbeats.  The mood is set during the bridge, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, something lost, something found, something dead, in the ground."

     "Mouth to Mouth" is pretty disturbing if you listen to the words - definitely a love song gone wrong!  It appears to be the voice of a madman singing to his dead love, who he now must bury AGAIN!  "I'll put you right back where I found you, in the dirt the first time that I buried you."  The guitar almost spirals as if someone is slowly going crazy, and at the end the shovel is heard doing the task.  "Leeches" has a lead in almost worthy of being an instrumental on its own, but soon Jeremy starts belting out lyrics almost at the speed of an auctioneer.

     "Sick" is going in my collection without a doubt!  You can keep up with Skekzi at:

http://www.facebook.com/skekzi

http://www.reverbnation.com/skekzi

http://www.skekzi.com/

    

Review of Thee Now Sound at Scarlet & Grey Cafe August 25, 2012

     When Thee Now Sound tears onto the stage, you can't help but ask yourself where the rest of the band is...how quickly you forget that the two members in view - Dustin Rouan on guitar and vocals and Andrew Knopp on drums - complete the entire lineup!

     Thee Now Sound followed One Horse Nation, and rocked right out of the gate with 3 to 1 and The Bark and the Bite, bringing a ton of energy to the stage and lighting up the room.  The originals with a punk feel, but reminiscent of Alice in Chains, continued their entire set, including Day After Execution, 2nd Son, Statistic, Pull Out and Sick.  The night ended with Psy, where I heard a hint of Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold" and Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Want To Be"...so as you can see, it's really hard to pinpoint Thee Now Sound's music into a particular genre.

     The energy kept going the entire set, and the crowd followed suit!  Definitely worth taking the time to go to a show!  Check out their "Up Syndrome" and "Seize Thee Sound" releases, and follow them on facebook at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thee-Now-Sound/129033883839733

http://www.facebook.com/theenowsound

http://www.reverbnation.com/theenowsound

Interview with Members of Riven for Ebony Jeanette PR

My interview with Angel, Mark and Joe from Sacramento, California based band Riven for Ebony Jeanette PR done at the Scarlet and Grey Cafe in Columbus, Ohio, June 27, 2012

Review of 2007 Self Titled "Camshaft" Release

     Camshaft:  A shaft (straight bar for transmitting motion) bearing integral cams (disk or cylinder having an irregular form).  Appropriately on their self titled CD, Braden Patchett (vocals), Mark Finckel (guitars, currently with Krynos), Damian Thompson (bass) and Tony "Crash" Carter (drums, currently with Enemy by Mourning) are decked out in their best Goodwrench Service uniforms - being a NASCAR fan, the late, great Dale Earnhardt immediately comes to mind, but that's beside the point.  The lyrics and the heavy southern rock feel of the music are exactly what you would expect with this image, however there are also some surprises showing their diversity.

     We are introduced to "Dead Cat" with a voice mail message from the police department informing us that the music is too loud.  This song is set in a minor key with a steady drumbeat, but there is nothing melancholy about it.  The pace actually quickens during the lyrics, "Eye spy a spy, I think that eyes believe, why did you try to deceive" suggesting anger within the typically upbeat mood of the song.  "Jumpstart the Joules" is just fun, it has a really catchy beat that sticks with you.  "Run for Your Guns" experiments with unique instrumental effects mimicking guns, and with the lyrics being a blend of the old west meets Mayberry, they fit perfectly. 

     "Empty Brown Bottle" is an instrumental, and I realize this is a bold statement, but I would put this in the category of Metallica's "The Call of Ktulu", Def Leppard's "Switch 625" and Black Sabbath's "E5150".  They did a really good job on this one, cool track.  "High Heat Candygirl" starts out a little like Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills" with an awesome drum introduction, but then leads into something more similar to Blackfoot's "Train Train", once again proving that Camshaft doesn't fit into a specific genre, they truly have one of their own. 

     "Even After Days" slows things way down, being a story of honesty gone wrong, leading to the demise of a friendship and working relationship.  Braden really adjusts his vocals to fit the somber tone of the story, and you can almost feel the tension in the room as his band mates follow suit. 

     This 10 track CD isn't available anymore unfortunately, but luckily you can find some of their videos on youtube!  Of course you can see Crash tearing it up with Enemy by Mourning and Mark with Krynos, so definitely check their bands out!