Local Releases of 2015

This year the Long Island music scene had plenty of cool releases. The LI scene continues to grow year after year with genres like hardcore, punk, metal, pop-punk, emo, and indie rock.  Most of the bands that I mention I have seen and these bands are worth checking out and supporting. This list is a mix of albums, singles, compilationss, EPs, demos, and splits. Here are the releases of our great scene.

My Top Five Long Island Releases

1. Jeff Rosenstock- We Cool?
2. Commonwealth- Bold Print
3. Soda Bomb- Wanna Jam?
4. GOTTEM- Cool
5. Jukai- Devoid of Hope

Here are the other cool releases from the Long Island scene.

An Old Friend- S/T

Binary Hearts- Brighter Days

Brainwaves- Demo 15

Broken Bay Coalition- BBC EP

Broken Bay Coalition-  Fill it Til it Spills EP

Carcosa- Demo 2015

Check Engine Light- Nothing More To Me

Cryptodria/East of the Wall- Split

Depressant- The Manhattan Project

Detriment- Suffer This Life

Draw The Line- Demo

Figure Eight- August EP

Forced Out- 2015

Hangman- S/T

Iron Chic- Ys

Jukai- Result of Death

Mouth- Mouth

Nice Shot Kid- Personal Space

Ornaments- Stories to Weather and Strong to Hell

Oso Oso- Real Stories of True People Who Kind of Looked Like Monsters

Petal head- Raspberry Cough

Reasons- ,

Red 100- S/T

Regulate- Zero Toleranxe

Sanction- Demo 2015
Sanction- With Blood Left Uncleansing 

Separated- Alone

Separated- Cycle of Suffering/Retribution 

Shorebreak- Misdirection

Shorebreak- Severance

Somerset Thrower- Falling Swingers

Somerset Thrower- Rain/China White

Strength Through Suffering- Setting This Straight

Survivor’s Guilt- ll

Survivor’s Guilt- Milpol

Table Talk/Northernmost- Split

We Take Fire- Movies Where the Dog Dies

Witch Tripper- Tardus Mortem

  

  

My Top Forty of 2015

This year was a fantastic year in music. There were so many good releases that came out this year. 2015 had a stronger year in music over last year. This here is my top 40 releases of the year. Some of the bands mentioned are bands I've seen in the last year. Some of them I saw them multiple times this year. So here’s my top 40. Please note that these are not all albums, some of these are demos and EPs.

1.      Title Fight- Hyperview

2.      Foundation- Turncoat

3.      Jeff Rosenstock- We Cool?

4.      Turnstile- Non Stop Feeling

5.      Turnover- Peripheral Vision

6.      Deafheaven- New Bermuda

7.      Commonwealth- Bold Print

8.      Superheaven- Ours Is Chrome

9.      Citizen- Everybody Goes to Heaven

10.  Donovan Wolfington- How to Treat the Ones You Love

11.  Beach Slang- The Thing We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us

12.  Adventures- Supersonic Home

13.  GIVE- Sonic Bloom

14.  Soda Bomb- Wanna Jam?

15.  Freedom- USA Hardcore

16.  Jesus Piece- S/T

17.  Ceremony- The L Shaped Man

18.  Harms Way- Rust

19.  FIDLAR- TOO

20.  Metz- ll

21.  Old Wounds- The Suffering Spirit

22.  Vice- No One Gets Buried With You

23.  Cult Leader- Lightless Walk

24.  Nai Harvest- Hairball

25.  G.L.O.S.S.- Demo

26.  Swervedriver- I Wasn’t Born to Lose You

27.  Disgrace- True Enemy

28.  Milk Teeth- Sad Sack

29.  Blind Justice- Undertow

30.  Westpoint- Dive

31.  Rotting Out- Reckoning

32.  Stray From The Path- Subliminal Criminals

33.  Agnostic Front- The American Dream Died

34.  Anti-Flag- The American Spring

35.  Twitching Tongues- Disharmony

36.  Drug Church- Hit Your Head

37.  Night Birds- Mutiny at Muscle Beach

38.  Vacation- Non Person

39.  Counterparts- Tragedy Will Find Us

40.  GOTTEM- Cool   

December Releases

2015 is over and we had a strong year in music. Here are some of the releases of this past month that we would like you to check out.

Baroness- Purple

Detain- Feel The Blade

Freedom- USA Hardcore

Pulled Under- The Antithesis of Life

Resistance Wire- Demo 2015

Sanction- With Blood Left Uncleansed 

Scented To Burn/Renounced- Split

   

PHOTO SHOWCASE: Incendiary//Backtrack//Jukai//Petal Head @ AMH

Upcoming Shows 12/25/15-12/31/15

Here's another week of shows upcoming we would like you to check out. Please note these shows are in the Tri-State area.
December 25
December 26
1. AMH- Incendiary, Backtrack, Jukai, Petal Head.
2. Revolution Bar- Patent Pending, This Good Robot, The Calvary is Us, Older Than Oceans, The End Period, Mint State.
3. Black Bear Bar- Sheer Terror, Inhuman, Brain Waves.
4. The Meatlocker- Sunflower, Debt League, Frogg Party, Jean Pool, Polaroids, Harvard On The Hill.
5. Outer Art Space- Lilac Daze, Foozle, Secret Mountain, Secretary Legs.
6. The Grand Victory- Freya Wilcox & The Howl, Binary Hearts, Nihill, Hopeless Otis, Tesla's Revenge, Trashy.
December 27
1. Starland Ballroom- The Starling Line, The Movielife, Somos.
2. Revolution Bar- The World/Inferno Friendship Society, Glowing-Eyed Friends.
3. Palisades- Warthog, Razorheads, Nadidas, Fur Helmet.
4. Aviv- Eskimeaux, Foozle, Lllac Daze, Real Life Buildings.
December 28 
1. AMH- On Broken Wings, Old Wounds, Doomsday Mourning, Sanction, Red 100.
December 29
1. Baby's All Right- Sports, Pinegrove, Vagabon, Long Beans.
2. Terminal 5- Clutch, Crobot, Valkyrie.
3. Starland Ballroom- Killswitch Engage, Unearth, Act of Defiance, '68.
4. The Silent Barn- Future Punx, Gauche, Bueno, Pousie Poole.
5. Saint Vitus Bar- The Loved Ones, Garret Klahn, Make War, Jackie Thousand.
6. The Grand Victory- Yotam Ben Horin (Useless ID), Spirit Houses, TBD.
December 30
1. Terminal 5- Gogol Bordello, Chicano Batman.
2. Saint Vitus Bar- The Queers, Bigwig.
3. Revolution Bar- Candlebox, The Infinite Staircase, Midnight Mob, Sharks in the Shallows, Year of The Locust.
4. Baby's All Right- Tendencia, Activator, The Wilding Incident.
5. Shea Stadium- Addie Prey, Yohuna, Adult Mom, Trace Mountains, Boosegumps.
6. The Meatlocker- CityCop, Take One Car, Narrow/Arrow, Archie Alone, Basement Beers.
December 31
1. Terminal 5- Gogol Bordello, Chicano Batman.
2. Music Hall of  Williamsburg- They Might Be Giants, TBA.
3. Bowery Ballroom- DIIV, Tameryn, TBA.
4. Rough Trade NYC- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Surf Rock is Dead, Monograms.
5. Saint Vitus Bar- Mutoid Man, Royal Thunder, Ageist.
6. The Shop- Murphy's Law, Hymen Holocaust, Turn It Up, Zero Rights.
7. The Grand Victory- The Droogettes, SPIKE Polite, Sewage NYC, The Cuts, The Rats, Ted's Dead.

REVIEW- Misdirection by Shorebreak

A few days ago, Shorebreak released Misdirection, a four track release. I had found this by somebody showing it to me, as well as one of the other blog writers seeing the band and telling me about them and this release coming out. Upon a first listen, I can say that this is totally for fans of early 2000's pop punk and for fans of bands like The Starting Line, as well as more contemporary acts from the current wave of pop punk.
 Instrumentally this release is formulaic of the genre, with some catchy riffs and drum patterns. I am particularly partial to the guitars on this release as they use a really nice tone. The bass I can't say is very audible which is something I'm very partial to, but that's just me nitpicking. The use of pedals is very much apparent here, which is nice as some bands in the genre choose not to use them, and those who do end up leaning toward the shoegazey side of pop punk/emo.
 The vocals are strong, and very typical sounding of the genre but overall very enjoyable. They add alot of feeling to the lyrical content which, as mentioned a few times already, is formulaic to the genre, but always come from the heart of whoever is writing them. The lyrical content deal with girls, breakups and rejection, and truly do feel heartfelt.
 Where this release will lose points for me is this, it doesn't do anything inherently special with the pop punk/emo genre and I find that formulaic is overall somewhat boring. This however, doesn't mean that the release itself isn't good, because all around it is good, and you can clearly hear the time put into it.

That being said, overall this release earns itself a solid 7.5/10, and I look forward to being able to catch Shorebreak live at some point in time.

Listen and pick up the release here

LIVE REVIEW- Iron Reagan @ Gramercy Theater

Just a few days ago, I got the chance to catch a very, very cool crossover thrash band called Iron Reagan. The band calls Richmond VA home, and have been active since around 2012, now I have heard about them prior to seeing them with The Black Dahlia Murder, but had never gotten the chance to see them. That being said, there was definitely some pre existing hype surrounding them in my eyes. I had arrived to the venue a little late, as we had gotten lost wandering NYC trying to get to the venue, but as we walked in, the band was just going on.
 They opened up with Tyranny of Will, the title track off their fourth release as a band, and the energy was already there. With some really fast paced, wild riffage I was immediately drawn into the thrash. The constant circle pitting, with occasional two stepping was fun and highly energetic, though I wouldn't have minded some hardcore dancing, as there were a few parts where I felt I wanted to do some swinging on some nerds. Their setlist was very long track wise, but didn't last long as a handful of tracks were shorter than a minute or a little over one. Coming in at around 20 tracks, there was a lot of material to be heard from this very, very cool band.
 I got a chance to talk to them very briefly afterward, and they were all very down to earth people, who were happy to hear compliments about their set. I picked up a hat from their merch table, and was overall very satisfied with the whole night because of them.

So here's where they score for me!

8/10- instrumentally
10/10- energy

Upcoming Tours

Upcoming Shows 12/18/15-12/24/15

Here's another week of upcoming shows we would like you check out. All of these shows are in the Tri-State Area.
December 18
1. Music Hall of Williamsburg- Perfect Pussy, Big Ups, Guerrilla Toss.
2. Terminal 5- Foals, Circa Waves.
3. Starland Ballroom- Taking Back Sunday, Beach Slang, Modern Chemistry.
4. Webster Hall- Armor For Sleep, Sleepwave.
5. Saint Vitus Bar- From Autumn To Ashes, Fashion Week, Primitive Weapons.
6. The Bowery Electric- HR of Bad Brains & Dubb Agents, MC Jumaalski, Skarroneros, Banddriodz.
7. The Brighton Bar- The Dickies, Night Birds, Joe Caspi & The First Guy, After The Burn, The Bomb Dropouts.
8. Harper Pub- Sprint Breaker, Mass of Mouth, Garland Greene, Dissent, Rich People, Stories Living.
9. Don Pedro- Demencia, Alkohalika, Narscisiter, Shrine, TBA.
10. Sinclairs Pub- The Avoiders, The Last Stand, Progress, Out Live Death, Zero Rights, Enemy of The State.
11. Irving Plaza- Bayside, Dan Andriano, Bombers.
December 19
1. Revolution Bar- State Champs, Transit, Broadside, Rarity.
2. Shakers Pub- Outer Heaven, Mother Brain, Dead Shall Rise, Carcosa, Mauler, Locus Mortis.
3. Music Hall of Williamsburg- Moneen, Moving Mountains, Prawn.
4. Starland Ballroom- Taking Back Sunday, Frnkerio and The Cellabration, The Superweaks.
5. The Lab at Game Changer World- Major League, A Will Away, Watermedown, TBA.
6. Webster Hall- Royal Trux, Blues Control, IUD, Lexie Mountain.
7. The Bowery Electric- The Dickies, Night Birds, Fat Heaven.
8. Union Pool- Harry and The Potters, The Potter Puppet Pals, Draco and The Malfoys, Tonks and The Aurors, Ashley Hamel.
9. The Shillelagh Tavern- Caught In a Trap, Prone to Violence, Yo! Scunt, The Avoiders, Spewing Cum.
10. Aviv- Chud, Wad, Rubber, Slur, Guido.
11. The Grand Victory- CJ Ramone, Citizen Blast Kane, Knucklehead.
12. ABC No Rio- Empty Vessels, Death Vacation, Pharaoh, Kids Having Kids.
13. Black Bear Bar- Radio Armada, Grupo Descurrito, Delsorido, Corrades.
14. The Meatlocker- Freya Wilcox and The Howl, Disposable, Montosomerser, Archie Alone.
15. Even Flow Bar and Grill- The Skeevots, Muckrakers, 55 Bee Strings, Limelight, Virgil Antics.
16. The Loft- All Out War, Shai Hulud, Eternal Sleep, Recycled Earth, Jagged Visions.
17. Obriens- Gutterlife, Kissing Candice, L.I. Nation, Staleworth.
18. The Grand Victory- Constant Companion, The Last Throes, Thundera, The Loneliers, Mark Desmarais.
December 20
1. Santos Party HOuse- Burn, Mindset, Wisdom in Chains, King Nine, The Widing Incident, Regulate, Activator, Impact.
2. Rough Trade NYC- Baroness.
3. Saint Vitus Bar- Baroness.
4. The Grand Victory- Empty Vessels, The Regressive, Comb The Desert, Wombat in Combs.
5. The Brighton Bar- Before Its Too Late, Breathing Ashes, The Fifth Down, The Awakened, Breakfast Kids, Until We Ger Caught, Burnt Out.
December 21
1. Kississippi, Milkshakes, Reduction Plan, Bilge Rat.
December 22
1. The Stone Pony- Bayside, Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties, Petal, Lost in Society.
2. Baby's All Right- Yohuna, Washa, Emilie Weibel, Aiken and The Eggman.
3. The Grand Victory- Skelptarsis, Namatay Sa Ingay, Material Support, Dominio Propio.
December 23
December 24

Iron Chic, Vacation, Oso Oso, and Troubled Hearts at Mr. Beerys 12/09/15

             Last Wednesday, I went to my first ever 21 and up punk show. I recently turned 21 back in October and I was always curious about the difference between an underage show and a 21+ show. The venue was a little weird and there was no stage so it was in your face, but overall the crowd seemed cool. I do not expect a hardcore show to be here because of all small this place is. This show was perfect for this venue.

            The opening band of the night was Troubled Hearts. Troubled Hearts are a pop-ish punk band from Long Island. They played a very good set and had a lot of people watching. No one was going crazy for them, but a lot of people seemed to enjoy them. They were pretty cool dudes and I really liked their sound. I would totally see these guys again. 

            The next band up was another local Long Island band named Oso Oso. This is my second time seeing this band. I recently saw this band over a month ago opening for The Hotelier at the Studio at Webster Hall. They put on a good show both then and again that night. People were into it, but I think they had a better reaction at the Webster show- possibly because that show wasn't 21+. Overall, Oso Oso was really good and people should really check this band out.

            Vacation was up next. They were the only band that was not from Long Island; they are from Cincinnati, Ohio. I fell in love with them right before the first song even ended. They were a true, loud and noisy punk band. Every song was great and they just ripped through their set like it was nothing. They even did a punk cover of The Cure's 'In between Days' and did great. Just by watching this set I knew I could see this band over and over again. It was the best set of the night and I was up in their faces enjoying every second of it.

            The final band of the night, Long Island's own Iron Chic. For Iron Chic, everyone rushed up and was ready to go right before they played. Everyone looked ready to sing along and have fun. This was my second time seeing this band. I saw them play an all ages show at the last Woodshop show. Iron Chic put on a great show and everyone in the crowd was singing along. Iron Chic is one of the best bands on Long Island. There was no moshing or crowd surfing but people were singing to each other and rocking out. Overall, Iron Chic played a great show and I can not wait for the next time I see them.

Iron Chic- 10/10

Vacation- 10/10

Oso Oso- 8.5/10

Troubled Hearts- 8/10

Mr. Beerys- 8/10

Overall Concert- 9/10

REVIEW- 'Dead Society' EP by We Were Giants

Just a few days ago, Boise, Idaho metalcore outfit We Were Giants put out their debut EP entitled 'Dead Society' which has gained a lot of traction in the last few days since it's release. With it streaming on Revolver Magazine and clocking in with a current  9,000 + views on their video for the titular track on YouTube. With some very crunchy guitars and hard hitting and powerful vocals from vocalist Logan Peel, this came as something I could get down to personally, despite not totally being as into the genre as I was a few years ago.  To start, instrumentally this release is formulaic to the genre but it absolutely works for them. With some really crunchy guitars that start out with some really tight intro sound files that remind me a whole lot of In Hearts Wake's most recent release. The drum patterns are very catchy, and easy to move to, and by that I mean you know exactly the points when you can bring that sick mosh. Their bassist also makes himself heard on this release, something I personally am very fond of as well, making a particular little 'bass solo' bit in the track RISE that gave me a little smile for sure.  The band also does something that I enjoy, in the sense that it isn't just mindless down tuned metalcore that you just see kids beating the life out of each other, instead this is thoughtful, tasteful and overall incredibly enjoyable to listen to. Something I'm also very fond of is that the lyrical material isn't just about the same 'metalcore topics' of breakups and the like, they're as mentioned before, very thoughtful and seek to challenge conceptions and social norms. Standing up against hatred, self doubt and societal expectations.  My only real issue with this release is this, that it doesn't bring something wildly amazing to the table. It's formulaic, which I don't inherently dislike, but find to become somewhat redundant. But in the case of We Were Giants, I didn't find a real sense of redundancy and boredom as I find in a number of contemporary metalcore bands this day in age.  This band is absolutely for fans of In Hearts Wake, For The Fallen Dreams, The Color Morale, The Word Alive and even features guest vocals from Garrett from The Color Morale & Chad from For The Fallen Dreams, which I found myself very fond of as FTFD is one of my favorite acts in the genre.

SCORE- 8.5/10

Listen to the stream here

Everything Ever, ROMP, Casanova, Binary Hearts, and Broken Bay Coalition at AMH 12/06/15

           Last Sunday, Everything Ever and ROMP played their last show on their tour at Amityville Music Hall. They had local support from Casanova, Binary Heart, and Broken Bay Coalition. This was my first time seeing most of the bands that were playing that night. There was not a big draw of people but there was an older crowd there. I felt if this show was in Brooklyn there would have been more people, and maybe people under twenty one.

The opening band of the night was Broken Bay Coalition. Broken Bay Coalition is a local band from Long Island. They started to play and from the first song I liked them. They had a mix of Jawbreaker and other 90’s influenced bands. I enjoyed their sound, plus I really love their bass. The bassist made sure you could hear and I really like it when bassists makes themselves heard. I love the fact that they had three singers; that brought some unique aspects to this band.  Overall, Broken Bay Coalition was a solid opener and I’m glad I got a chance to check them out.

Up next was Binary Heart. This band is another local Long Island band. Before this show I checked them out and saw Jeff Rosenstock produce their music, which I thought was great, because everything Jeff Rosenstock does is great. Binary Heart was very good and they played a great set. Overall Binary Heart was great and I would like to see this band again. The only problem was not a lot of people were checking this band out; this band should have more fans.

The final local band from Long Island was Casanova. This was my seventh time seeing this band. Casanova is four piece band with female lead singer. They have a very 90’s influenced sound and each song has a different influence. They mix the sounds of Weezer, Turnover, My Bloody Valentine, Pixies, and The Breeders. They have a very unique sound. From seeing them play their first show, they have progressed a lot and they look really comfortable playing on stage. Overall, Casanova is a really good local band. Check them out if you get a chance.

ROMP took the stage and they rocked the stage. ROMP is a four piece from New Brunswick, New Jersey. They have a female lead singer who played the keyboards and totally played a great set. I felt they mixed some nerdy aspects with Riot GRRL and it rock perfectly for them. The first set part of the set was a little slow but the second part of the set was very upbeat. I really enjoyed the way they play and I would see this band again. I just wish there was more people checking this band out. Like I mentioned before, I feel that if this show was in Brooklyn there would have been a better reaction and more people enjoying ROMP.  

The last band of the night was Everything Ever. Everything Ever was another band that really rocked the stage and had a lot of fun doing so.  Everything Ever is a punk band from Staten Island. Every song was great. It sucks that there wasn't a lot of people who stayed to watch them play. Otherwise, Everything Ever was very good and probably my favorite band of the night. I recommend everyone reading this to check out all of these bands and support them.

Everything Ever- 10/10

ROMP- 10/10

Casanova- 10/10

Binary Heart- 9/10

Broken Bay Coalition- 9/10

AMH- 9/10

Overall Concert- 9/10

Dinosaur Jr at Bowery Ballroom 12/04/15

Last Friday, I finally got the chance to see Dinosaur Jr.. Dinosaur Jr. is an alternative rock band that has been playing for over twenty years. I saw them play at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC which was part of their seven stands playing their debut album in full. The band was celebrating thirty years since the release of their first album. The band played two sets every night and I was there for the second night. Before they played their first set, they had Henry Rollins introduce them which was really cool.  The first set was great and they played their first album. Every song was great live. It really interesting to see a trio having so much power and volume. They had Black Francis from the Pixies perform with them. Their next set was even better. They had more guests showing up like Lee Ranaldo from Sonic Youth and comedian Fred Armisen. Overall, Dinosaur Jr. played a fantastic show and probably one of the best shows this year. They blew my mind and I would totally see Dinosaur Jr. I totally recommend everyone who is reading this to see this band.

Dinosaur Jr.- 10/10

Bowery Ballroom- 9/10

Overall Concert- 10/10

Four Chord Music Fest 2015 Spotlight

December 13th will be the second annual Four Chord Music Festival 2 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This festival features some of the best modern day punk and pop punk bands around the nation. This event will be taking place at XTAZA Night Club. This is only one day event. This is an all ages event and also be out on a look out for Long Island locals Check Engine Light.

The Lineup  

Yellowcard

Anti-Flag

Citizen

Hit The Lights

Masked Intruder

The Spacepimps

Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties

Patent Pending

Survay Says!

Harbour

Look Out Loretta

Head Injuries

WATERMEDOWN

Drop The Act

Cynimatics

Check Engine Light

Handicap Parking Lot

Across State Lines

Cold World, War Hungry, Build and Destroy, Hard Stripes, and Mauler atAMH 11/27/15

            On November 27th I saw Cold World play Long Island the first time in three and a half years. The venue hosting this show was at Amityville Music Hall, which is a LIHC hotspot. Cold World was on tour with War Hungry and Build and Destroy. Two days before this show I saw Cold World and War Hungry play in Nanticoke, PA opening up for Title Fight. Hard Stripes and Mauler and opened up the show. 

            Mauler opened up the show. Mauler is from Brooklyn, New York and they were kind of like a grindcore band. I thought they were weird for this bill. There was a little bit of a reaction for them. I felt that this lineup was not meant for them and maybe if this show was actually in BK they would have a good reaction. They were a weird opener but I respect the style that they performed. I would like to see this band perform in Brooklyn with some grind bands and see that reaction.

Hard Stripes was up next. Hard Stripes is from Richmond, Virginia who takes on the classic 1980’s NYHC vibe. From start to finish Hard Stripes got a great reaction. A lot of two-steps and mosh parts. Hard Stripes played maybe less than twenty minutes but they blew my mind and probably got the first big reaction of the night. I’m glad they got added to this show because in August they were supposed to come play but drop the day of the show. Overall, they played a great set.

Up next was Build and Destroy. Build and Destroy is from Detroit and they killed it. This set was crazy and I was not expecting this at all. Build and Destroy brought out a lot of fury and the crowd ate it up. The reaction for this band was insane and totally woke up the crowd up. Their set was maybe twenty minutes but it went by really fast and every second was crazy.  Build and Destroy was my favorite set of the night and I was not even there for them. The best band and totally would see them again.

War Hungry was up next. War Hungry is from Pennsylvania and has not played Long Island in years.  This was my second time seeing this band and the second time seeing them that week. After what I saw two days prior I did not know what to expect. They only played like five songs and they had a really good set. The crowd was pretty crazy. The set I saw two days prior was better plus had a better reaction. Long Island went off but PAHC took it to another level. Besides that War Hungry was great and if you ever get a chance to see this band do it.

Cold World took the stage and got the place amped up. This was my third time seeing this band. Cold World played the same exact set from two days prior and got a good reaction. The reaction as this show was a little violent but it was not crazy. The band was great as always and they played a lot of good songs. The pit got pretty big in this small venue and a lot of people got in there. If you have not seen Cold World then I do not know what is wrong with you because this band is a lot of fun live. Cold World always puts on a great show.

Cold World- 10/10

War Hungry- 9/10

Build and Destroy- 10/10

Hard Stripes- 8.75/10

Mauler- 7/10

AMH- 9/10

Overall Concert- 8/10   

For The Children 2015 Spotlight

This upcoming weekend is the fifth annual For The Children hardcore festival. This takes places in Los Angeles, CA on December 12th and 13th at Jewels Catch One. This is also the annual holiday toy drive.  This is a pretty big event because Rotting Out announced this will be their last show ever. The band previously announced their break up on tour earlier this year. Be sure to check out this amazing festival for a great cause.

Lineup

Rotting Out (Final Show)

Power Trip

Death Threat

Modern Life Is War

Alpha & Omega (Last Show)

Loyal to the Grave

Xibabla

The Beautiful Ones

Soul Search

Fury

Skinfather

Rude Awakening

Absolute Suffering  

Mizery

God’s Hate

Vamachara

I Against I

Acquitted

Runamuk

Madd Crew

Level 4

Upcoming Tours

Upcoming Shows 12/11/15-12/17/15

Here's another week of upcoming shows that we would like you to check out. Please note that all of these shows are in the Tri-State Area.
December 11
1. AMH- Foundation, Criminal Instinct, Blind Justice, Regulate, Free.
2. Webster Hall- Modern Baseball, Sorority Noise, Jeff Rosenstock, Tiny Moving Parts.
3. Shea Stadium- Show Me The Body, Earth eater, Dream Crusher, Casas.
4. Toad's Place- The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, Caspian, Old Wounds, The Island of Misfits Toys, Loner Chic.
5. Fuze Box- Stigmata, War Time Machine, Steel Nation, Brick By Brick, Meth Mouth.
6. The Meatlocker- Paralysis, That of a Lion, Robots and Monsters, Uhkempt Herald, Xenophile. 
December 12
1. Webster Hall- Silverstein, Senses Fail, Hundredth, Capsize.
2. Revolution Bar- Andrew W.K., Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, Persona, Space Compound, London Fires, Save IT For Later, Onto Carthase, Amboy.
3. Kings Theatre- Sleater Kinney, Torres.
4. The Bowery Ballroom- Hop Along, Radiator, Hospital, Desk Ark.
5. The Studio at Webster Hall- The Acacia Strain, Counterparts, Fit For An Autopsy, Kublai Khan, Newcomer.
6. Starland Ballroom- The Get Up Kids, Into It Over It, Rozwell Kid.
7. Palisades- Speedy Ortiz, Aye Nako, Dirty Dishes, Gemma.
8. Cake Shop- Fern Mayo, Memorial Gore, Patio.
9. Alphaville- Gun Outfit, The Men, B Boys, Scully.
10. ABC No Rio- Ornaments, Arrowhead, Bordello, Ill Earth.
11. Fuze Box- Stigmata, Cruel Hand, Born Low, Lowered A.D., Concrete.
12. Obriens- The Avoiders, Yo! Scunt, Enziguri, What doesn't Kill Me, All Things End, Reign of Terror.
13. The Grand Victory- All Torn Up!, Una Bombers, Skum City, Zero Rights.
14. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church- Hurry, The Planet You, Night Crwlrs, Jacobus, Tula Vera, Din.
15. Otto's Shrunked Head- Eleventh Hour, The Wurst, The Breaking Sounds, Point Blank NYHC.
16. The Grand Victory- The Noise, Dead on A Friday, Adios mafia, Pinhole Burns.
December 13
1. Terminal 5- Sleater Kinney, Waxahatchee.
2. Shea Stadium- Timeshares, Spill, Adult Dude, Straw Hats.
3. Starland Ballroom- Senses Fail, Silverstein, Hundredth, Capsize.
4. Saint Vitus Bar- A Wilhelm Scream, Pears, Gameday Regulars.
5. The Meatlocker- The Banner, Facility, Ninety-Six, Death Vacation.
6. Lucky 13 Saloon- Full Blown Chaos, Vincent Price is Right, Decimate The Living, CrimexScene, Menacing, Get Ignorant, On Point.
7. The Grand Victory- Yuppicide, Urban Waste, Ice Cold Killers, Close To The Edge.
8. The Grand Victory- Lost Coves, Cosmonaut, Razorland.
December 14
1. Irving Plaza- Sleater-Kinney, Perfect Pussy.
2. Shea Stadium- Cymbal Eats Guitars, Laura Stevenson, Antarctiso Vespucci, Mikey Erg.
3. Starland Ballroom- Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Restorations, Homeless Gospel Choir.
December 15 
1. Terminal 5- Sleater-Kinney, Schrly Bliss.
2. Playstation Theater- The Academy Is.
3. Irving Plaza- Between The Buried and Me, Enslaved, Intronant, Native Construct.
4. The Grand Victory- Larla Rose and The Thorns, Vic Thrill, Monster Over There, Max Low.
December 16
1. AMH- Tim Kasher, Beach Slang, Field Mouse.
2. Gramercy Theater- The Black Dahlia Murder, Goatwhore, Iron Reagan, Entheos.
3. Dingbatz- Patent Pending, Survey Says!, Eli, States//Capitals, Automatic 253.
4. Palisades- Future Punx, Bambara, Heaven's Gate, Pill.
5. The Grand Victory- Vic Ruggiero, Mikey Erg, Bryan McPherson, The Worming Mothers.
December 17
1. Gramercy Theatre- Bayside, Cheap Girls, Worries.
2. Alphaville- Painted Zero, Fern Mayo, Operator, Dos Island.
3. Palisades- Zula, Red Sea, The Gradients, Faun and a Pan Flute, Leapling.

SINGLE REVIEW- From The Deep Throat - Time To Die Feat. Alex Satana Terrible

Another Facebook surf session has led me to this act, From The Deep Throat, which I can't say is a sexual innuendo or not. A deathcore band from Moscow, Russia which hits just as hard as you'd imagine if not moreso. They clearly follow the formulaic ideas of what deathcore is these days, and what I enjoy from a deathcore band.  But enough of a synopsis, time to talk about the instrumentals, which I have to say are very well put together and sound amazing.
 First going into the track, you'll notice just how phenomenal the guitars sound. With some really heavy hitting riffs and that deep and elongated "bowwww" sound that makes you bob your head in delight. The basstone is great, though I wish there was more of an emphasis on it, perhaps with a bass slide or something thrown in for good measure. The drums are well put together, and slam pretty damn hard and make for an overall enjoyable experience that keep the tracks flowing well.
 Vocally, I was thoroughly impressed, especially with the pitch shift that the vocalist does. It makes for a vibrant vocal, that isn't monotone and dull which some deathcore bands do. Overall this band is totally for fans of Fit For An Autopsy, as well as Oceano, Castiel and other acts in that light, and this track earns itself an even 6/10.

Listen here!!

REVIEW- Grinding Under The Influence EP by SpermBloodShit

SpermBloodShit, I didn't think I'd ever have to type that out on this publication ever, but here I am, doing it. I'm personally a fan of grind, and this gem of a grind record is something I'm very happy I found.
 SBS is a three man grind act from the province of Chieti Italy that recently put out their most recent EP in October. I was flipping through bandcamp and this was under the most recent releases and I think the name drew me in most to this release.
 So what can I say about the instrumentals? Well they're certainly in your fucking face, the feeling is similar to being beaten repeatedly with a bat covered in barbed wire, in the best way possible. The guitars are fast and slightly distorted which adds for great effect. What really hit me though are the drums, which are fast and grindy as you would expect from a grind band, with some really great rythm that gives good flow to the tracks. The vocals are interesting, because they aren't exactly what I'd expect from a grind act, as I can understand what the vocalist is saying. Not that that is a bad thing, but it makes for a semi coherent experience.
 This EP features a cover of Breaking the Law by Judas Priest which I was very fond of personally, taking a grind turn on a, for all intensive purposes, a traditional metal track. My second favorite track on this EP is Conjoined Fetus Lady. Overall, this is a really great grind release from a band with an expansive repertoire of tunes to listen to on their bandcamp. This release got itself a solid 8/10, good work guys!

Listen here!!

November Releases

Well, November is over and there's one more month of this awesome year in music. Here are some cool releases of this month.
            Blind Justice- Undertow

Free- Demo 2015

Go Deep- Influence

Kublai Khan- New Strength

Leftover Crack- Construct of the State

Malfunction- Fear of Failure

The Max Levine Ensemble- Backlash, Baby.

Moving Mountains/Prawn- Split

Fallcore 2015 Spotlight

This upcoming weekend is the annual Texas Hardcore fest, Fallcore. This is a two day event featuring some of the best hardcore bands from Texas and also bands from around the nation. This year they will be having Foundation's last Texas show and also feature legendary bands like D.R.I. and All Out War. This will be taking place in Houston, Texas at the venue Walter’s Downtown.

 Day One December 4th, 2015

Foundation, Sentenced To Burn, Pulled Under, Dress Code, United Races, Mind Kill

Day Two December 5th, 2015

D.R.I., All Out War, Bitter End, Will To Live, Venomous Maximus, Modern Pain, Concrete Elite, Hardside, Mastema, Survival Method, Bloodhound, Mind’s Eye, Blunt, Sketch/Driven

America's Hardcore Fest 2015 Spotlight

This weekend will be the second annual America’s Hardcore fest. This three day even will take place in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This is from December 4^th to the 6^th. The lineup consists of today’s American hardcore bands. Most of these bands are on Triple B records and Lockin Out Records. The festival will be at the Middle East and Hardcore Stadium.     

 December 4th Day 1

Hardcore Stadium: GIVE, Sweet Jesus, Death Injection, Free at Last, Some Nerve, Westpoint, Fiddlehead, Life of Reilly, Direct Impact

December 5th Day 2

Middle East Upstairs: Red Death, Freedom, Intent, Big Contest, Clear, Barge, Demolition, Wildside.

Hardcore Stadium: Fury, Stick Together, Chain Rank, Leather Daddy, Peace Breakers, Pure Disgust, Hard Stripes, Protester, Stand Off, Civic Duty, Free

December 6th Day 3

Hardcore Stadium: Disengage, Caught In A Crowd, Unified Right, Depths of Reality, GAG, Lock, Burst of Rage, Take Control, Response, Labeled

Title Fight, War Hungry, Cold World, Westpoint, and Maniac at West SidePark 11/25/15

            On Thanksgiving Eve, I traveled with my friend to see Title Fight play their hometown show in Nanticoke, PA. The lineup for the event was Title Fight, War Hungry, Cold World, Westpoint, and Maniac. This was at the venue West Side Park. Just because of this show West Side Park has become my favorite venue outside of the New York area.

            The opening band of the night was Maniac. Maniac is a hardcore punk band from Newfoundland, PA. Maniac played a quick set but they were a lot of fun. They had a pit going on for them and the songs were fast. At one point there were probably ten or more people in the pit. Maniac was really good and I became a fan just by this set. They even covered Minor Threat's  'Seeing Red.'

            The next band up was Westpoint. This was my second time seeing this alternative influenced punk band. The first time I saw this band I was not a huge fan but last Wednesday they were great. They opened up their set with 'Boy’s Don’t Cry' by The Cure. I love their sound. It’s a mixture of The Replacements, Husker Du, Title Fight, and other early alternative bands. This set changed my opinion about this band and now I cannot wait to see them again.

            Up next was Cold World. This was my second time seeing this band and this was their first home show in a long time. This set was insane and I did not know that Cold World could get violent. When I saw them in Brooklyn there was not any room to mosh and it was mostly stage dives. This time was different and the pit got pretty intense. To me, Cold World is not a crazy heavy hardcore band but this crowd proved me wrong. PAHC showed their colors and this was probably the best time seeing this band. If you have not seen Cold World, you’re messing up big time.

            War Hungry took the stage and the place erupted. This crossover band from Wilkes-Barre, PA got the crowd going and it was amazing. The band mixed hard rock and metal riffs with hardcore. I learned a lot from that set. People really enjoyed the Black Sabbath riffs. War Hungry was really good and I enjoyed this set a lot.

            The final band of the night was Title Fight. This is my third time seeing this band. Title Fight tore the place apart. Their set consisted of all three albums and one EP. Every song got the crowd going expect songs off of Hyperview which disappointed me. Besides that, I loved the amount of people stage diving and this was probably my best time seeing them. They played for an hour, I wish they could play for more but this show was something. I will travel each time they play this venue because seeing Title Fight at their home is amazing. I’ve seen them play Long Island and New Jersey, but this was the best. A punk band playing in a DIY spot with no barricades and everyone getting along. This was the perfect set and show.

Title Fight- 11/10

War Hungry- 9/10

Cold World- 10/10

Westpoint- 9/10

Maniac- 9/10

West End Park- 10/10

Overall Concert- 19/10