ALBUM REVIEW-Magma, By Gojira

 
  For those of you that don't know, a few weeks back I did a review of Gojira's record "From Mars To Sirius" and it ended up getting one of the highest ratings I've ever assigned, something that may be surprising to some of you is that that record was my introduction to the band and I've been a huge fan ever since. So when I heard they were making a new album, I was ridiculously excited (especially after hearing one of their newer singles Silvera).
To give you guys who are unfamiliar some basic info, Gojira are a French metal band who started around 1996 and are known for their environmentally charged lyrics, and their unique blend of death, groove, and progressive metal.
Their second full length record on Roadrunner records, "Magma" manages to be every bit as solid as it's predecessors. The record is unique in that it's the bands shortest record, focusing less on the over the top, proggy stylings of past releases and focusing more on being brash, visceral, and ear splittingly heavy.
Instead of starting off on a heavy note though, the band opens with "The Shooting Star", a fantastic song with an almost tantalizing quality and a rarely straightforward vocal performance (as opposed to the frantic vocal stylings of a song like stranded).
In terms of lyricism it doesn't differ much from prior releases, that said though it's full of numerous interesting lyrics focusing on subjects like change, politics, life, death, and environmentalism. Musically, it covers a wide array of metal stylings with tracks like yellow stone giving off an almost doom metal like feel. Some tracks throughout giving off an almost hazy, stoner metal like vibe (Magma almost sounding like it could be off a Kyuss album).
The vocals are as rough and brutal as ever, you can almost hear the emotion and hate in Joe Duplantier's vocals. I have very little negative to say about this record, and while yes it's shorter than previous releases and not exactly reinventing the wheel stylistically or lyrically, the band have created another solid record with heavy instrumentation and just enough differentiation to attract new fans and satisfy longtime fans.


Sidenotes: First album since relocating to New York, First album recorded in the bands personal studio.
Highlight Tracks: Silvera, Magma, Stranded
Overall Rating: 8.4/10

INTERVIEW- Joshua Alvarez of the "Thank You For Existing" Project

Not too long ago I got a chance to meet Joshua at a show in Amityville, from there, I saw on his Facebook that he had this project going on in the scene called Thank You For Existing and I had to know more about it. That being said, here's a quick little interview I did about it with him, and shout out to him for doing something so positive.

PMR- So, what exactly is the “Thank you for Existing” project, and how did you go about starting it? Joshua- The "thank you for existing" project is a project based mainly on reminding people that they are matter. They are significant, and they are important. Just as much as everyone else in this world. And what truly inspired me to create this project was because I had been going through depression for most of my childhood and during that time I had felt invisible, worthless, and alone. And I would never want anyone to feel like that.

PMR-I see you’ve reached out to people in the scene at large for this, have you had a positive response to it thus far? Joshua- Yes, I have had a positive response up to this point for my "thank you for my existing" project mainly because I have told everyone that I meet that it is a project for mental health awareness, especially for individuals who are struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts.

PMR- What artists have you reached out to for this project, and how has their response been? Joshua- Artists whom I've reached out to for this project are in from the bands Convictions and Versus. And when we first met at one of their shows together in New York City, they were all very inspired and supportive of what I was doing. As well as the message that I was spreading because they themselves all are on the same journey to helping create a much more loving society. And we are currently thinking of more ideas on how we can all continue to reach out to everyone.

PMR- What does hardcore/metal music mean to you, I mean like, the culture and the community itself. Joshua- Hardcore/metal music absolutely means the world to me especially because it was and still is one of the many things that continues to help me through my lowest of times. The culture is beautiful because I think of hardcore/metal as it's own form of art. It's a way of expressing yourself through different kinds of emotions through music, and that's something that you wouldn't normally do in the outside world today. It's about feeling completely safe, comfortable, happy, and free. It's about sharing your passion with everyone else. And I could say the same about the community, as well. It's about being who you truly want to be, and never allowing anyone to take that away from you. PMR-Where do you plan on taking this project, and do you have any plans to expand it? Joshua- I plan on continuing to take this project to greater heights, and I plan on continuing to help every single person out there who is struggling in their way because I believe that is required to constantly keep reminding each other that we matter and we are valued. So, this project is a message that I am going to be pursuing for the rest of my life. And the foundation of this project is to actually help inspire each and every single person to want stand out and to want make a difference themselves. The beginning to creating a better world begins with every one of us. And if I am capable of standing out, then so can you. You are just as strong as I am.

Always stand up for what you believe in, no matter who you are or where you come from. Your voice is just as important as everyone else's voice. Use it to build a better world.

"It takes one person to make a difference, and many people to change the world." PMR- Do you have any words of encouragement for anyone else who may want to do something like this project you are pursuing?

Joshua- All I would truly want to recommend for anyone who is beginning a project that is similar to the "thank you for existing" project, is to remember to always love yourself and to always believe in yourself, because you cannot give someone something which you do not possess. Once we love ourselves, and once we appreciate ourselves then we can all share that love and appreciation with humanity. It all begins with us. Don't ever give up, and don't ever stop believing in yourself. You are capable of doing anything that you want in this world, as long as you have a positive mindset, have a passion and have hope. Finally, Joshua had a few words for me (Scott) after the interview, and they were truly heartwarming Joshua- And with that being said, I just want to thank you Scott for such a wonderful interview. I absolutely loved answering these questions and sincerely appreciate you offering to interview me about why go out of my way to share the "thank you for existing" sign with the world. Hope begins with each and every one of us. Thanks again to Joshua for answering our questions, and for spreading positivity through the scene at large, keep at it buddy!

ALBUM REVIEW: WITCH HUNT BY WICKED WORLD

Burn the witch.  Send her to the gallows.  She is unholy.  She is Satan's pawn, there is no good in her.

You hear the townspeople talking, but you don't believe them.  After all, you love her.  You'd do anything for her.  You'd leave your family, your job, your life.  You would kill for her.  You would kill yourself for her.  You would die.  For her.  Always for her.

This is true love, this is the Witch Hunt.

The panic sets in.

Everything you know about your lover is a lie.  She is not the kind, beautiful creature you met, no. Instead you see a disfigured, mangled caricature of the woman you love.  Her once shimmering hair now seems more akin to a blinding fire, her laugh seems less like purity and more like nails scarping a chalkboard, and her voice is no longer the soothing, angelic song it was once, instead there is hatred and hell fire in its place.

She is the witch.

She is the focus of the new ep from Wisconsin resident death dealers, WICKED WORLD.  After bursting onto the heavy music scene with 2015's murderous mix, As I Decay, WICKED WORLD is back, and they're better, more emotional, more honest, more broken.  Comprised of vocalist Alex Miller, bassist/vocalist Matthew Tucholcke, guitarist Chris Easton, and drummer Josh Kanute, WICKED WORLD has proven yet again to be deathcore's premiere story tellers.

The panic sets in.

Opening with the ominous, oppressive funeral bells of the Salem days, opening track Panic effortlessly sets the tone of the seven track slab of pure, unadulterated sorrow that is Witch Hunt. Opening the album with the lyrics telling a story of a man who fell in love with evil in all her beauty, the concept fleshes out perfectly with lyrics comparing heaven to her embrace, and hell to her absence.  The character drives his loss like nails into the forehead of the listener, warning of the dangers of a toxic love, of falling in love with a witch.  "Purgatory exists for you and me. Forever within, forever without" captures the theme perfectly, serving as a reminder that even the most torn of lovers can still exist in harmony, even if it's in eternal limbo.

While Panic is an introduction, a summary of things to come, follow up track WATCHYOUSLEEP is the true start of the story.  Outlining the relationship between man and witch, the song talks of losing sleep over the longing to be near her, and the nightmares she leaves in her wake.  No matter how desperately the man wishes to be free of her grip for one night, he can never escape her.  Driven home by Kanute's pin-point precision on his bass and snare drums, as well as Easton and Tucholke's start/stop groove and chugging, every syllable becomes more like a nail, slowly being hammered into the listener's pysche, painting a vivid portrait of the witch's power over her lover.  Each second is coated in muk, each riff is slathered in self-loathing, every crack of the snare more intense than the last.  Featuring a guest spot from powerviolence royalty Jon Hoffman (Weekend Nachos), WATCHYOUSLEEP is the perfect first chapter of this putrid novel.  

Picking up where WATCHYOUSLEEP left off, Crowd of Horns furthers the plot. Staying in the same first person narrative, the character professes his love for the witch, and admits that he has been trapped by her magic, doomed to rot unless he sacrifices her to God above.  Lyrically and musically this is the most emotionally descriptive song on the album.   With Miller's barks more grisly and enraged and his highs more pained than ever, he effortlessly strokes the canvas to paint a picture of pure insanity over his own refusal to accept the evil.  Lyrics like "I saw your face and it looked like God's, I looked at my sins and it looked like us" further drive this message home, as the character seems to come to terms with the fact that while his lover is beautiful, she is consumed with the darkness and he is powerless to save her.  Promising to cleanse the world of filth, the character relents and sacrifices her to purify the old town of Salem, and bring about Armageddon.  He admits there is no hope, and as the slam breaks in (and BOY is it beefy), the wicked are washed away. The witch is dead, and no love can bring her back.

The next track, Burn Victim, shifts the narrative from the desire to fix a broken relationship to that of a man lamenting his lost love and being plagued by the apparition of his former lover.  Still feeling her breath on his neck and comparing it to hot ash,  comparing her lips to fire and her love to falling from grace, the man slips into a deep, desperate depression.  Unable to break free the man feels like his bed is a coffin, one the witch happily perches upon, her ghost tormenting the man for what he had done.  Musically speaking this is the weakest track on the album, with the drumming seemingly by the numbers, however that is not to say it detracts from the album as a whole- rather, it is the perfect interlude, shifting the setting of the story from a toxic relationship to a man slipping away from reality more and more as time goes on.  The character  finally caves and wishes for death, with the Kanute's barbaric drumming slowly tightening the noose around the listener's throat.

From here we are moved into Dogmother. Opening with a riff straight out of Mayhem's cookbook of black metal mastery, the song is much more somber than the rest.  While Easton and Tucholke melodically weave a web of pure despair, Kanute creeps below, offering a percussive display of subtle, but murderous, technical prowess, with each ping of the ride cymbal sounding more akin to the sky falling from the heaven's.  This track is Miller's standout performance, making his suffering and unmitigated anguish shine through with every venomous bark he spits out.  It is here that the listener truly begins to understand that the character never wanted to betray his beloved, and had actually become infatuated with the pain she brought him and the terror she plagued Salem with.  Jason Lionel Frazier (of BeheadingTheTraitor and Choke notoriety) makes a brief, but effective appearnce here. Blending perfectly with Miller, he barks and yells his way in time with the band, adding the voice of yet another broken lover to the frenzy.

Where Dogmother was a more melodic and somber trek, penultimate track PACK OF TEETH is straight forward aggression and anger in a pure, raw state.  Directing the self-loathing of the last five tracks outward, Miller makes no attempt to hide his grim intentions. "I'll make you wish you had an extra pack of teeth" exemplifies this perfectly, as the line gives way immediately for Andrew Hileman of I AM to make his appearance, with grisly, guttural bellows that shake the very foundation of the earth.  Refusing to let the witch control him any longer, Miller ends the song with the lyrics "Your bite won't break my skin. Shatter.", reminding us all that there is no evil too strong to be overcome, as long as you want it bad enough.

But does the character of the story want to move on?  Album closer I Am the Grey doesn't think so.  Easily the most epic and theatrical song of the album, the song tells us the ending of the story- the character never recovered.  He never loved again.  Instead, he allowed the void to consume him, the evil took over.  Such a selfish way to live, such a selfless way to die.  The only way out is in a wooden bed.  The character realizes the woman he loves, while pure evil, is God, and he cannot break away from her vile, poisonous love.  As the album closes with the lyrics "I'm finally one with God,  I am the Grey", the character gives in to his desire and kills himself, slowly descending to purgatory, forever to remain with the Witch.  As the album closes, the bells are heard again- everything is clear.  The story is repeated, we understand how the character came to be in his eternal place of suffering.  Where Heaven is her arms, Hell is her absence, and Purgatory is his place to be with his lover, until the end of days.  The Witch has claimed another hopeless, longing soul.  As the album loops into itself, the story ends, and the listener is left with a hole in their chest, and a sudden realization that nothing is ever what it seems.

Overall, this album brings new life into a genre known for constant stagnation.  For every bitter grunt from Miller's mouth, Easton creeps behind, with riffs so evil, so hateful, so grotesque that you feel the arms of the one below embracing you.  But it would be all for not if it weren't for Kunate's outright insane drumming.  Giving each riff the extra punch it needs to really stand out, Kunate and Tucholke blend seamlessly, providing the low end thunder that makes the atmosphere of this seven-track album as suffocating and oppressive as it possibly can be.  Each track is memorable, with every song adding new emotion to the mix, further engrossing the listener, leaving them speechless every single time.  Even the guest spots are perfect, as each guest vocalist has the perfect voice to compliment Miller's mental decay.

The witch is coming.  Prepare for the hunt.

RATING: Five out of Five Innocents Burned in the name of Christ

FFO: Despised Icon, Drowning, Death

Witch Hunt drops 6/24 through Innerstrength Records

check out WICKED WORLD at

https://www.facebook.com/wickedworldwi

REVIEW: DEPRIVATION SPLIT BY INTROVERT X IRRITA

                                 

Duality.

From the moment human beings stood upright for the first time so many millions of years ago, we as a species have had an obsession with the concept of this/that scenarios, focusing on dichotomy and oppositions.  You've heard the old sayings.  Opposites attract.  Negativity needs positivity.  There is no peace without war, no life without death, no sorrow without rage.

This concept has manifested itself once again, this time in the form of the spirit crushing split from NJ/Pa's Irrita and Michigan/Pennsylvania internet project Introvert.  These two groups come together to offer heavy music's most emotionally raw release of the last five years, Deprivation.

From the opening seconds of Introvert's half of the split, intro track Things that Rhyme with Noose, vocalist Connor Welsh makes it clear what has hurt him- everyone and everything.  Welsh screams "When they think of me, I hope they see your face.  That's the only real thing that ever mattered anyway." Fueled by multi instrumentalist Eric Fletcher's eerie soundbites and downright destructive fretwork, every word hits the listener harder and harder, leaving them a broken shell, begging for love or death.  The song is a reminder that even the ones you give your heart to will leave you empty, with your head below the undertow.  It is a bitter admission of longing to move on but not wanting to let go.  "The last thing I want is you on my mind" is a sentiment we've all felt, but nobody drives the point home like Welsh.  And on that note, let's talk about the band for a minute.  Introvert is comprised of vocalist and drummer Connor Welsh and multi-instrumentalist Eric Fletcher.  For every forlorn yelp from Welsh's mouth, Fletcher lurks below, supplying the perfect canvas of bending and chugs to make the listener drown in a sea of murky, malicious melancholy.  "So tell me, are you warmer at his side than you ever were at mine? I could write a million one-liners pointing the fingers at you, but the sad sad truth is I still don't know what to do".  From the opening seconds of Sad Max 2: Forlorn Road, Welsh and Fletcher have summarized the last year of their lives, down to the last depressive, demoralizing detail.  Fans of Abjection and Self-Helpless rejoice, because Introvert toned down the Yuth Forever worship present on those releases to expand on a unique and revitalized sound that would make Freud seek therapy for every broken, bitter thought he just had drilled into his brain. From the very beginning the listener is suffocated in pure, unmitigated anguish, hearing the soundtrack to a failed relationship that left both parties mere parodies of their former selves.  

The last track of Introvert's half is indeed unique.  Unlike most split eps, where there's a clear line between the two bands, Introvert and Irrita yet again look at the traditional way of things, and promptly give it the finger.  Not ones for subtlety, track 3, aptly titled Gray actually flows from Introvert's side of the coin to Irrita's.  In other words, the two bands share the track, serving as a reminder that sadness and hatred are just as much the same as they are different.  Starting off with a sinister, evil groove, and dropping into unholy aggression and ruthless riffing, Introvert lets go of the reigns, truly letting the other half begin.  From the moment Irrita vocalist Daimien Hartranft lets loose with his grisly bellows (which are very reminiscent of genre titans Feign and REX), the listener understands that this is no mere walk in the park on a rainy day- no.  This is a walk through the hellish mind of two men who have entirely given up on themselves and everyone around them. 

Gray serves as the perfect introduction to Irrita's half of the split, as from there, their songs get progressively angrier and slower, focusing less on a suffocating atmosphere in favor of outright destructive violence.  This is exemplified in the opening lyrics to Unconscious, with "Follow me now into the darkness, I will show you light".  That light comes in the form of guitarist David Thomas, bassist Alex Baker, and drummer Ben Avila.  For every hate-filled bark and grunt from Hartranft, Thomas follows suit with dissonant chugging hard enough to smash clean through the most powerful psyche.  Every slam, every lead, every riff brings the listener closer and closer to the boiling point.  Adding to the frenzy is Baker, who compliments Thomas with the murkiest, most thunderous bass tone I've heard in years. Each chug is given an extra bit of heft to it, every slam more oppressive than the last, every breakdown as terrifying as Hell itself.  But of course, all their efforts would be in vein if it weren't for Avila.  Playing along perfectly with his bandmates, Avila brings disgust to a physical plane.   Each and every thud of the bass drum, every single crack and ping of the snare adds more and more fuel to the fire that is Irrita.  Where Unconcious is the band giving up on life, album closer Ghoul is the band directing that hatred and loathing outward, warning the listener of what is to come.  Think of Unconcious as the band stepping to the ledge, and Ghoul as the last, bitter, venom filled cry for help before jumping to their doom.  Ending with a breakdown evil enough to shake Lucifer himself out of sleep, the song outlines the theme of the ep perfectly: there is no hope, there is no love, there is no happiness, there is only Deprivation. "All alone/Nothing Left/Fade to black/dead and gone" are the last words the listener hears before the reaper comes to collect.

All in all, this album is absolutely perfect.  There isn't a dull or repetitive moment, no lackluster vocal performance, no clearly-edited-to-shit instrumental work, no cheesy lyrical content. Both bands serve their purpose with precision- Introvert breaks the listener's heart, and Irrita urges the listener to give in and give up. Sadness, anxiety, hatred, rage, self-loathing, anguish, All of which are personified and given new meaning.  There are bad people in the world.  There are bad things happening.  There is Deprivation.

Introvert/Irrita: Everyone Dies.

INTROVERT RATING: Five out of Five burned photographs of ex lovers

FFO: Sworn In, Yuth Forever, Barrier

IRRITA RATING: Five out of Five loaded bullets ready to pierce your skull

FFO: xKINGx, REX, Feign

Deprivation drops 6/10 through Chugcore Promotions

Check out the bands on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/IrritaBandOFFICIAL

https://www.facebook.com/Introverthardcore/

SHOW REVIEW: Against Me! ft. July Talk

Just the other day, I got the chance to attend an Against Me! gig at Webster Hall. The show itself was apart of the Governors Ball music festival, since the show was called "Govs Ball After Dark Presents". The show started just around ten with opening act July Talk starting. July Talk are a Canadian blues rock/alt rock band from Toronto, and I have to say that I wholeheartedly enjoyed their set. Their sound was very southern influenced but had indie rock hints to it as well. I'd say that this band is for fans of bands such as Kings of Leon, or Alabama Shakes to a degree. One of my favorite tracks they played was one of their newest ones entitled Push and Pull. Overall, an enjoyable set by an incredibly talented band, one that I'd highly recommend listening to (A link will be posted below.)
 After a wait, where I mingled with the crowd for a while, Against Me! went on.  Now, they came out and ripped right into the crowd with their first song, I Was a Teenage Anarchist, and with that the show, and the crowd got really, REALLY into it. People were pushing each other around, singing along and crowd surfing almost all at once. Laura Jane Grace, their frontwoman, didn't banter a whole lot on stage, and they went song into song, playing such hits as 333, True Trans Soul Rebel, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, and Thrash Unreal.
 On a person note, I was brought to tears by True Trans Soul Rebel, and also during Thrash Unreal, for personal reasons for the first, but the latter because of the emotional tone of the song, as our writer John has told me before. Overall, this show was one hell of an experience, and a big thanks to July Talk and of course, Against Me! for making it such an enjoyable and amazing experience.


July Talk- 6/10

Against Me!- 9/10

Overall, 9/10