Lakota De Kai - Heavy Teeth (2013)

There seems to be a decreasing focus on storytelling in albums released these days. This isn’t to discredit or devaluate bands who are still working hard to bring fresh, new music to our ears on a daily basis, but all the same – it is a valid observation. It would seem that nearly gone are the days of artists writing comprehensive, immersive tales with a fierce and complex musical backdrop – it would seem that way, were it not for bands like Lakota De Kai. These Ohioan masters of blues-ridden post-hardcore bring intense, ferocious music with deep, passionate lyrics to create an in-depth experience for listeners of all walks of life. Heavy Teeth, their first EP under We Are Triumphant records, is proof of this.

Opening with a catchy, raunchy southern-tinted riff, Heavy Teeth already lets the listener know that it’s a far cry from the run-of-the-mill post-hardcore which is running rampant amongst today’s scene. While the riff work on “Babe Ruthless” is intense, the pounding drums and driving bass kick in the door, knocking it off the hinges and the listener out of their seat. The bi-polar oscillation between fleet, catchy riffing and dissonant, down-tuned grooves keep the listener on their toes, as if they were walking upon a sea of shattered glass. This dynamic continues with tracks like “Honey Badger” (which definitely don’t care) and “Kid Come Back,” both of which are infectiously fast-paced and absolutely incessant in nature. Crashing cymbals roar underneath mach-speed chords and notes from the guitar which are bolstered by booming, bodacious bass guitar. However, there is a very different side to Lakota De Kai’s instrumental soundscape which makes Heavy Teeth all the more incredible. The closing portion of “Kid Comeback,” along with a great majority of “Truth or Consequences, New Mexico” utilize a slower, more plodding song structure which peel back the curtains on the soft, spongy emotional core brooding within the unstoppable musical juggernaut the listener has witnessed thus far: the vocals, and their lyrics.

Lakota De Kai are absolutely wonderful lyricists, and they are absolutely not ashamed of it. “Truth or Consequences, New Mexico,” alongside “Find Your Deathstar” are brilliant, shining stars amongst the cluster of 'innovative' tracks being released by otherwise mediocre post-hardcore acts. “Find Your Deathstar” makes use of a female-vocal guest appearance which is so completely contagious that it will plant a seed inside the listener’s head that will take over their head for weeks on end. “Kid Comeback” also makes use of an almost Jordan Dreyer-influenced vocal style which blends spoken elements with harsh, grating screams that further inspires emotion and feeling upon the listener. Non-stop toggling between harsh, violent shouts, subtle, spoken segments and crooned, Keith Buckley-esque singing attacks the listener no matter where they might try and hide – not that they would want to hide in the slightest. In fact, the bombastic vocal efforts riddling Heavy Teeth keep the listener so intensely engrossed in the EP that they might find it hard to focus on the real world around them. This is the true art that is Lakota De Kai’s unique dynamic.

Listening to Heavy Teeth is like listening to the very heart of the Midwest. The instruments paint stellar, fluid soundscapes which range from lush, rolling hills to flat, barren plains­ – and everything in between. Meanwhile, while the guitars roar and the cymbals splash color over Lakota De Kai’s immense canvas of sound, the vocals and lyrics provide detail – the sort of detail which can only come from the gift of true storytellers. These details are what keep the listener coming back for more; the difference between a pretty picture and a masterpiece. “Find Your Deathstar” is archetypical of this–using a guest vocal appearance alongside the oscillation between innocent catchiness and reprimanding heaviness and groove to lure the listener in, only to trap them in the painting. However, once trapped, the listener finds themselves in a state of serenity – what reason would there be to leave? Heavy Teeth more than willingly provides everything they might need.

Have you been searching for an immersive story rather than a collection of scattered songs? Then search no further than Lakota De Kai’s Heavy Teeth. With all the immersive nature of a full-blown novel, but the accessibility of a simple television show, this EP will grab your attention and hold onto it for as long as you let it – hours, days or weeks.

9.8/10

Links: Facebook
For Fans Of: Defeater, Every Time I Die, La Dispute, Partycat, Fall City Fall

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Altars - Something More (2013)

Altars is a five-piece melodic hardcore/metalcore band that formed in 2010 in Colorado Springs, CO. Their first official release, Opposition, was released in 2011, and the band signed to Facedown Records the following year. Shortly after their signing, they released their debut full length, Conclusions. Altars' second full length, Something More, hits the shelves on May 14.

Since releasing the Opposition EP in 2011, Altars has changed their style quite a bit. A few years ago, they sounded like a typical melodic hardcore/metalcore band that was trying to duplicate the sound of bands like For the Fallen Dreams and Legend. Now, however, Altars has progressed beyond chugging, the occasional melodic riff and heavy screams. Something More sees the band incorporate more of a punk influence, which is most noticeable on the tracks that feature clean vocals, and a much more polished sound overall. Back to the vocals, the lyrics on Something More were one of the first things that I noticed; they weren't very preachy and there were quite a few that gave me chills because of the reality and positivity. My favourite lyrics were "Question everything/Seek truth/Spread hope" ("Question Everything") and "The driving force that gets me through every day is that there's something more to give" ("To Give").

Something More is definitely a step up from the band's previous releases because it's so dynamic. The vocalist transitions between metalcore lows, hardcore yells and punk cleans without any blunder, the guitar parts are much more varied and so too is the drumming. A few tracks that really caught my attention were "Sent to Destroy" and "Transparency" because they were so strong vocally and instrumentally. Both of these tracks feature a few very fast-paced verses and choruses as well.

The previously released "Eternity" is another song that really stood out to me. The third track features a catchy chorus, an excellent main lead that you have the privilege of hearing several times, one of the best callouts/breakdowns of 2013 ("You're committing mass genocide! BLUURGH!") and a beautiful ambient outro that acts as a two-minute instrumental interlude. Because it has all of these aspects, "Eternity" is the longest track on Something More (it's just over five minutes long), but it doesn't drag on.

In its 35-minute playtime, Something More has several "wow" moments and there aren't too many weak moments. With that being said, I initially wasn't too fond of "Revolutions" because the lyrics were primarily sang. In small doses, the punk-ish cleans sound excellent, but if they're the main aspect of one song, they sound a bit awkward and overused. "Revolutions" is a grower, though, and now I can get through it without wanting to skip to the next track. "Westboro" is similar – cleans are the dominant vocal style – but everything seems to flow much better and it's a very emotional track.

With each thing that they release, Altars has changed up their style a bit and it has been for the better. If they continue at this pace, their next album might be even more dynamic and impressive than Something More.

8.5/10

Links: Facebook

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The Storm Picturesque - Arrival (2013)

The day is upon us: extraterrestrial invasion. The figurative “end of days” which has been so oft addressed by countless science fiction movies, novels and enthusiasts waits impatiently at humanity’s porch, ready to kick in the door. How do you respond? Do you sit, cowering inside, sucking your thumb and awaiting demise? Or do you ready yourself for war–prepare to fight tooth and nail for those you love and for all of mankind? Newcastle’s finest in progressive, hard-hitting and groove-packed deathcore, The Storm Picturesque are far from the former. With razor sharp riffs, pummeling percussion, visceral vocals and vicious grooves, Arrival is armed to the teeth, ready to prevent the hostile takeover of Earth – and poised perfectly to take over the listener’s head in the process.

Arrival storms into action from the very get go. “Arrival,” the first track of The Storm Picturesque’s debut album, doesn’t play coy, and is far from shy. Opening with a gyrating, hard-to-follow groove and a full-blown vocal onslaught, the listener gets a fantastic idea of what is in store for them as the album progresses. Looping, twisting and turning guitars run circles around the sturdy, triumphant bass lines, while the band’s pounding, pervasive drumming pushes the album forward. While, for the most part, the album moves fluidly, in a linear manner from riff-centric segments to hard-hitting grooves which decay into blistering, crushing breakdowns, there are some exceptions that throw a wrench in the works. These moments, like the conclusion of “By Design,” catch the listener completely off guard. One second, the guitars and bass seem lost adrift in an ethereal, sky-bound shred session, only to be brought crashing back down to earth with an absolute sneak-attack of a breakdown that will blow the listener clean out of their seat. A similar phenomenon occurs in the opening seconds of “Observing Polarities,” which, fittingly enough to the name of the track, operates at extreme ends of the band’s spectrum. One second, there is a fluid, unstoppable groove that seems as if it could go on for days, only to be cut short by a jarring, jolting and awe-inspiring Edenic series of solos and furiously-fretted riffs.

The instrumentation, which is undoubtedly a major component of The Storm Picturesque’s song structure, is not the only factor worth considering when one listens to Arrival. Vocally, there is a simply jaw-dropping amount of diversity on this album which fits, once more, with the intergalactic concept that drives it. “Arrival” kicks off with a barrage of harsh, mid-range shouts which quickly establish themselves as the album’s norm. However, by the time Arrival is half-way over with, the listener has been subjected to nearly every kind of vocal attack imaginable. Whether it’s the crippling, piercing highs, or low bellowed growls, there are a wide range of screams which make themselves known throughout the album. However, where the harsh vocals are heavy and grating, there is a soothing, clean vocal croon which also makes a series of concerted cameos throughout Arrival. Indeed, The Storm Picturesque include just enough of a clean vocal element to add the extra “space groove” feeling to the release–furthering the atmosphere which drives the album both conceptually and instrumentally. These clean vocals often find themselves playing brilliant, back-and-forth, cat-and-mouse style games with the band’s programming and softer-strummed instrumental elements, giving the listener brief moments of rest in between intergalactic assaults of seemingly unending heaviness.

The Storm Picturesque quickly establish an effective, galactic dynamic which ultimately sells the album more than any one of it’s respective parts. Sure, the heavy parts are heavy, the programming is cool and the vocals and lyrics are great, but altogether, the album is completely immersive. Arrival tells a story not just with words and lyrics, but with its instrumental elements. As the album continues, the riffs harmonize more and get darker and heavier, where the sampling and programming gets more invasive and finds itself working more into each song’s respective structure. “Ghost” is evidence of this, as is the album’s climactic, epic track, “Written in the Stars.” These tracks, especially when compared to “Arrival” and “By Design” have a much more technical and intense dynamic which drives them. This is by no means an allusion to the early portion of the album being shallow, or even two-dimensional, it is simply just detailed in a different way. Where the latter parts of Arrival focus more on keeping the listener engaged, the opening parts of the album reach out and ensnare the listener. How better a way to do this than reach out and grab them with sheer, sharp and vicious heaviness?

Stand up and fight for what you believe in. After all, isn’t that what humanity is all about? Pride, glory, and the right to exist? While you’re at it, let The Storm Picturesque’s Arrival be your soundtrack. Packed with driving, pounding grooves, hammering, skull-splitting breakdowns and catchy, remarkably technical riffs, every element of the band’s immersive dynamic is functioning at full steam, creating a positively encapsulating, atmospheric experience for the listener.

9.8/10

Links: Facebook
For Fans Of: Meridian, Volumes, Lifeforms

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The Wonder Years - The Greatest Generation (2013)

There are very few things on this planet that get progressively better with age. I'm not about to throw some overdone wine analogy at you, but this is exactly how I would describe the six-piece pop punk band The Wonder Years. The Wonder Years have returned with their much anticipated fourth release, The Greatest Generation, and saying that The Wonder Years "have done it again" with this album would be a drastic understatement. Rather, they have reinvented and redefined an entirely new sound for themselves that I foresee many bands attempting to replicate in the near future. This is normally the turning point in many band's careers where things begin going downhill and the quality of albums decline, but not for The Wonder Years. With every new album, they just improve from the previous release. The Wonder Years can definitely be considered as one of the greatest bands to emerge in the past decade, and with good reason.

On their past albums, The Wonder Years have been known for making a dramatic and impressionable entrance ("My Last Semester" and "Came Out Swinging") and not a thing has changed. With the first track on this album titled "There, There," there is a soft intro that subtly builds into some passionate and heart-wrenching vocals. The vocalist, Dan (Soupy) Campbell, has always had a distinct sound to his voice and has built up his vocals with every album. On The Greatest Generation, Campbell is at the top of his game. Every word he sings carries a melody that can make even grown men tear up. Another noticeable difference on The Greatest Generation is the lyrics. Gone are the lyrics about hometowns and heartbreak. The lyrics Campbell now produces are about the pains of growing up, being alone, or not making a difference, and they are the most down to earth words that have ever been written by this band, such as in "The Devil in My Bloodstream" where Soupy sings "Depression grabbed his throat and choked the life out of him slowly/I've got the same blood coursing through my veins/It'll come for me eventually." Putting each track together, the entire album feels like huge work of breathtaking poetry.

After a few listens of The Greatest Generation, I was shocked at how much variety there is throughout the album. Some songs sound a lot more punk than anything that The Wonder Years have done before ("The Bastards, the Vultures, the Wolves"), some are much slower ("The Devil in My Bloodstream"), others sound like classic alternative music ("Teenage Parents"), and of course, there is the obligatory acoustic song ("Madelyn"). I'm impressed at how much The Wonder Years can mix things up without everything sounding too cluttered, and how they can avoid sticking to one sound and playing it to death. Each band member plays their part perfectly and all have significantly improved over the years. The crunchy guitar sounds appropriate with the rougher tone that The Greatest Generation has. Each drum hit matches with the rest of the music, and vice versa. Another merit that The Greatest Generation proves to have is the vocals done by people other than Campbell. Like the previous releases, bassist Josh Martin returns with his gruff, yelling backup vocals. Martin's vocals go hand-in-hand with Campbell's vocals to make up The Wonder Years' signature sound. Other vocals that were done on this album were on "The Devil in My Bloodstream" and done by Laura Stevenson.

I could write a track-by-track review, but that would take me hours and thousands of words, so I'll just say that you don't know what you're missing out on until you listen to the album in its entirety. With that being said, the final track, "I Just Want to Sell Out My Funeral," is easily one of the best closing songs for any album I have heard. It is the longest and most emotionally packed song that The Wonder Years has ever written. The main feature of this track is that it features what seems to be a medley of all of the best parts from each song on the album combined into a song. Somehow, this is done without having an avant-garde feel and everything in it flows very smoothly. Older fans of the band may have noticed references to older material in the album, or sometimes even references to other songs. These references are yet another thing that The Wonder Years does to stay original, and you could say that they are an "easter egg" for some of the older fans.

In truth, there is not a single bad thing I can say about this album. Every single aspect of The Greatest Generation blows me away and continues to do so on every listen. I get chills dozens of times throughout the album. All I can say is that you need to give this album a listen, regardless of what music you are a fan of. Rich with poetic lyrics, angelic vocals and biting guitars, there is something here for everyone. Hopeless Records now has the entire album streaming on YouTube, so check out the link below to listen. Don't sleep on such a phenomenal album.

10/10

Links: Facebook - Album Stream

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UTKF - Set the Fire (2013)

UTKF is a pop-punk band that formed in 2007 in London, Ont. They released their first EP, Welcome to the Real World, in 2009, and released their second EP, Takin' Out the Trash, in 2010. After being fairly inactive for about a year, UTKF went into the studio to record their debut full length. Their debut full-length effort, Set the Fire, was released on May 3.

The first thing that I noticed when listening to Set the Fire was that UTKF's vocalists compliment each other extremely well. Their styles aren't extremely contrasting, but one has a raspier vocal style than the other. The 'dual' vocals are executed excellently throughout the entire release, but they're particularly impressive on tracks like "Wake Up," "Put Me On" and "Tonight's the Night." Also, the sixth track, "What Matters," features a guest vocalist (I think) that supplies some screams.

Instrumentally, UTKF is on par with the vocal aspect of Set the Fire. You won't hear many blistering solos (but there is one); however, the riffs are great – and sound quite fresh – and the drumming is very impressive. There are several fast-paced sections on the album, and the drummer doesn't miss a beat. Occasionally, the bassist spices things up, but he's not a huge factor on this release.

The tracks that stood out the most to me were "Grey Matter," "Set the Fire" and "Underdogs." "Grey Matter" is a very catchy song that reminded me of Set Your Goals at times, both instrumentally and vocally. The title track is packed full of excellent punk riffs and melodies, but it also features some melodic hardcore-ish dissonant chords and more aggressive vocals. "Underdogs" is the fastest track on the album, and my personal favourite to boot. Right from the get-go, the drumming is extremely upbeat, as is the riffing, and it stays that way for the majority of the song. "Underdogs" features a fast solo near the middle of the track that reminded me of With the Punches; then it comes to a close with an undeniably catchy outro.

From start to finish, Set the Fire is an excellent pop-punk release. There's enough variety that, despite its 40-minute playtime, it doesn't become stale. That kind of length is a bit longer than most pop punk albums typically are, but UTKF managed to pull it off. The album is currently streaming on AbsolutePunk.net for the weekend, so if you like what you've read, check it out. Maybe you'll like it so much that you'll purchase it too!

9.0/10

Links: Facebook - AbsolutePunk stream

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