Melodic hardcore has been on the rise these past few years. Ambitions are the latest band to use this style, and while they aren’t the most original band, they certainly have passion and skill, and these qualities come off well on this debut EP. Musically the EP is not all that different from the songs you might hear on an Ignite record, although some early DC emo-core comes through on a few of the songs. Lead singer Jay Aust even rips off Ian MacKaye’s Embrace/Fugazi singing style for a few lines here and there. This is most notable on the song In Between, where Aust is clearly mimicking MacKaye’s vocal style from Embrace’s “Past”. In fact even the lyrics have a similar subject of not being able to change past mistakes. Actually the whole record seems to deal with moving on and growing up. Aust isn’t making any new points with the lyrics, but he has a powerful voice that gives each song a gravitas it probably would not have in the hands of your typical hardcore singer. It’s not that the lyrics are bad; in fact they are quite competent. But none of the songs stands out in a genre that already has an abundance of songs just like them. The band has claimed they are looking to deal with topics related to introspection and inner awareness; however none of the songs have a personal feel to them. These are exactly the sort of lines that every generic posi-core band is slinging these days. Gorilla Biscuits might have famously said that stage dives made them feel more alive then intricate song verses, but it’s been close to two decades since then; so putting a little effort into the lyrics should not be a secondary concern to how many dive bombs can be performed during each song. Lyrics like: “How do I express the way I feel today? Feeling out of touch, striving to stay sane, how do I explain what i became today?” don’t exactly show that Aust is looking too deeply into himself. Bands like Embrace and Dag Nasty (two of Ambitions influences) poured out their hearts and souls in their lyrics. Aust needs to work on writing more personal lyrics that reflect a greater sense of self then he shows on this release. In spite of all that, it is easy to imagine singing along with this band in a live setting, despite the problems with the album, Ambitions do have talent. The rest of the band play their instruments very competently, and recording sounds clear and loud throughout. While none of the songs stand out from one another, none of them sound terrible. The band probably does this melodic style as good or better then most of their peers (not including vets of the genre like Strike Anywhere or Ignite). Ambtions just need to work on making themselves stand out a bit more in an overcrowded genre.
Fireworks – We Are Everywhere (Run For Cover Records) Score: 6/10 Reviewed by Cole Schenley
Detroit’s Fireworks filled this 6 song EP (with a bonus track) with melodic punk tunes that bear a clear influence of some of the bigger names in pop-punk. I honestly thought I was listening to New Found Glory while this band played. I swear I’ve heard these riffs before, or at some variation on them. There’s just nothing fresh about these guys to justify the hype I’ve heard about them. My friends seem to like this release, but I just want to go put on NFG’s self titled album instead. It’s not that Fireworks are a bad band, in fact the music is well produced and mixed with a greater clarity then most small bands can afford. It’s that the lyrics aren’t particularly original (or even comprehensible at points) and that the music is nothing that you haven’t heard before. The lyrics are catchy enough that imagining massive sing-alongs at the bands concerts is easy. That’s probably the best part of the group; the gang vocals add a lot of extra power to the songs. The bonus track included is the highlight of the record. It’s just an acoustic piece with the best lyrics on the record (even with some misogynistic posturing that makes it all a bit icky in the end). It’s clearly a breakup song, with the lyrics touching upon the female leaving for a career or something, causing the boy in the relationship to react angrily. The line about slitting her throat could have been excised however. The rest of track is sung well and is a good change up of the other six tracks of pop punk. I wish that there was more to say about these guys, but they’re so generic that unless you’re a fiend for pop-punk you most likely would not have any interest in this record. I’m pretty sure this band is going to blow up and be fairly successful; they’ve perfected the NFG sound as good as any of their peers. I just wish Fireworks would do a bit more to distinguish themselves from their influences.
Wolves In The Throne Room - Diadem of 12 Stars Score: 8.5/10 Reviewed by Ryan Emmett Website - www.wolvesinthethroneroom.com
The most interesting thing about Diadem of 12 Stars is how many elements of it's genre Wolves In The Throne Room leaves out and how somehow it's still totally black metal, possibly even more so than a lot of current BM and BM influenced metal. Gone are the arm gauntlets and face paint. Gone are the synthesized keyboards and gone is the pure violent black imagery. Instead, they present a very stripped down and raw sound that works well with their ideologies and aesthetics, reflecting their roots in the wilderness of the US Pacific Northwest from which they are from. They explain, "We are not Satanists, nor do we subscribe to right wing ideologies, though we understand the anger and hopelessness that draws lost souls to these philosophical dead ends." and go on to state, "Our music is perhaps what happens after the initial, necessary, hateful burst; after the psychic explosion that is Black Metal wipes away that which came before: the sick and twisted 'truth' of our modern condition."
The album art and press photos all show that WITTR are very much concerned with the natural world. It is present in the music because it is deeply organic with no keyboards or synthesizers to be had. They utilize occasional female vocals in a very natural function to balance out the testosterone of the music and give a sense of beauty to the darkness, like the best of black metal does and where the mediocre tends to fall short. Clearly, WITTR bring a sense of ominous doom and misery, yet it is a pain caused by humanity and our destructive ways. As common of subject as this is in black metal, the wonder and true hope that we can find in the natural world is sometimes lost. The stripped down sound is refreshing, and I like being able to enjoy the music knowing that they do not condone any sort of hate agenda. The only problem I have is that at times the album drags and lacks variety. When it does have variety it is incredibly strong, so I wonder why they don't switch it up just a little bit more. I'm a fan of drone and doom myself, but some parts felt a little dull. This is a very minor complaint however.
All in all, WITTR reminds us of our infinite and miserable short comings while reminding us of the power of the earth we inhabit and the ability to change our ways. It is definitely black metal, but could certainly be enjoyed by non-BM fans. This is truly intense, emotional and, dare I say, beautiful metal that is still grim, dark, and ruthlessly heavy.
Target Nevada- No, We Don't Want To Play Your Shitty Fest (Surprise Attack Records) Score: 9/10 Reviewed by Jaysin Thompson
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you took the riffing of Botch and the intensity of Zao mashed them together and added a hint of humor? If you haven't, shame on you....but if you HAVE, then here is your answer. Target Nevada from south Florida come at you like a cactus to the face with crucially heavy music, complete with monster breakdowns, and super sauve lyrics going back and forth from serious to tongue-in-cheek type humor (as evident on their "Spring Break (Show Us Your Tits....)". They even get a little crazy and add both hints of melody and experimentation over the course of the albums 10 tracks. Some personal favorites are "The Tom Dice Anthem", "Spring Break (Show Us Your Tits...)" and "Coed Naked Hardcore".REVIEWS ARE COMING SOON!
