Band Of The Week: Blessthefall

This weeks lucky band is Phoenix Arizona metalcore band Blessthefall. I'm going to start this off by saying Blessthefall has to be one of the best live bands out there. Out of all the bands I've seen live (and I've seen many bands), Blessthefall is in my top three best bands to see live. Their live shows are packed full of crazy amounts of energy and usually include vocalist Beau Bokan jumping off the highest part of the stage into the crowd. Not only are their live shows a lot of fun, their songs are just amazing. From the brutal "Bottomfeeder" to "Hey Baby, Here's That Song You Wanted", which makes you want to sing along, their songs are something you should not pass up. When it comes to deciding who is the better lead vocalist for Blessthefall between ex-vocalist, and current Escape The Fate vocalist Craig Mabbitt or current vocalist Beau Bokan, I prefer Bokan as vocalist and feel that their two albums with Bokan are better than their one album with Mabbitt. I like all their albums but i think that Bokan is more suited as vocalist and has a better voice in my opinion.
Members:
Beau Bokan-Lead Vocals
Eric Lambert- Lead Guitar/Vocals
Jared Warth-Vocals/Bass
Matt Traynor-Drums
Elliott Gruenberg-Rhythm Guitar
Discography:
His Last Walk (2008) (Science Records
Witness(2009) (Fearless Records)
Awakening (2011) (Fearless Records)
Blessthefall is one of those bands that I would highly recommend that you check out especially live since their live shows are that incredible. Since Blessthefall is confirmed to play the entire Warped Tour, i highly recommend that you take the time to catch their set, since it is something that you will not regret. Below check out their hilarious music video for "Hey Baby, Here's That Song You Wanted" which is an awesome parody of The Hangover. Also for more information including tour dates click here

Is Tyler Carter Forming A New Band With Other Ex- Woe Is Me Members?

A rumor floating around the internet is that Tyler Carter (ex-Woe Is Me vocalist) might be forming a new band with the members that recently quit (Ben Ferris, vocals/keys, Michael Bohn, vocals and Cory Ferris, bass). Rumors of this new band forming started when Carter posted some tweets that hinted to a new band, and mentioned Bohn and the Ferris brothers in the tweets. I will be the first to say that I hope that these rumors are true. If the rumors are true, then I will be beyond excited since I am a huge fan of Woe Is Me's debut album Number[s] which featured the original lineup. I am a huge fan between the chemistry between the vocals of Carter, Bohn and Ferris which helped make Number[s] an amazing album and which helped to catapult Woe Is Me to the top of the heavy music scene. As I said in my post about the recent departures, it is possible that other former Woe Is Me members like guitarist Tim Sherrill could join up with Carter, Bohn and the Ferris brothers since it is speculated that drummer Austin Thorton was the cause of all the tension in the band and could be responsible for the string of departures. If this band does happen then it could mean that Tyler Carter is going to have to put his solo career and his plan to be the next Usher on hold, which I'm fine with because I would rather listen to Carter singing in a band than as an R&B/pop solo artist (Don't get me wrong his solo songs are good, it's not my number one choice of music to listen to.). I'll keep my fingers crossed and hopefully this rumored band will actually happen, in the meantime click here to read the tweets that Carter sent out.

I See Stars, The Word Alive And A Skylit Drive Confirmed For All Stars Tour

Last summer saw the birth of a new outdoor summer music festival The All Stars Tour to compete against Warped Tour. All Stars was headlined last year by bands like Blessthefall, Motionless In White and Sleeping With Sirens ( all of which will be playing this summers Warped Tour) and was a really fun and crazy show. If you were wondering if All Stars would be back and how it would compete with warped, then you've come to the right place. All Stars is back and is promising to be bigger and badder than ever by having three of the biggest bands with some of the craziest fans. All Stars have confirmed that I See Stars, The Word Alive and A Skylit Drive will be shredding all summer long on the tour. This lineup has gotten me really stoked because all three bands are incredible live (especially The Word Alive, who happen to be one of my favorite metal bands). As a long time fan and attendee of Warped Tour, the one thing that All Stars does better is that their lineup is consisted entirely of  heavier bands. Unlike Warped Tour, no pop rock, punk rock, pop artists, techno band or rappers are anywhere to be found on All Stars. Keeping it all heavy is one thing that I really like because I mainly see the heavier bands on Warped Tour ( I'll occasionally see a different band at Warped  like pop rock band Mayday Parade). All three of these bands bring something unique to the mix that I feel is going to make All Stars an extremely fun and insane show. You have the sheer brutality from the Word Alive, the electronica/techno fused with metal from I See Stars and one of the highest vocal ranges and catchy lyrics from A Skylit Drive. At the moment no dates, venues or ticket information are available but should be announced in the weeks to come. I know that I will definitely be there and will be in the pits going crazy. All Stars is shaping up to be a can't miss show of the summer. For more information including some of the support bands click here here

Falling In Reverse, Of Mice & Men and Pierce The Veil Confirmed For Warped Tour

As we're getting closer to summer and warmer weather, it is the start of outdoor music festival season. One of the biggest and longest running outdoor music festivals is the Vans Warped Tour, something I've been attending every year since 2006. This week it was confirmed that three big bands are scheduled to play the tour. Falling In Reverse, Of Mice & Men and Pierce The Veil are all confirmed to play this years Warped Tour, with all three bands getting the honor and the privilege to play on the main stage. Playing on the main stage is where all the biggest bands get the opportunity to play and being on the main stage grants the bands a longer set. I'm really excited about having all three of these bands on the main stage because all three bands really know how to put on a show and I've had the chance to see each of these bands live. Falling In Reverse brings along some of the catchiest melodies that make you want to sing along, while Of Mice & Men bring the brutality with their breakdowns and vocals while Pierce The Veil puts on a show full of intense energy and a set filled with Mexican jokes ( Its ok for them to make Mexican jokes since all four members of PTV are Mexican). I know I'm counting down the days until July 21st when Warped Tour stops at Nassau Colosseum since this years lineup looks to be one the the best lineups in recent years. For more information about Warped Tour including dates, venues, the full lineup and where you can buy your ticket click here. To anyone coming out to the Uniondale New York date, I'll see you in the pits!

I See Stars Digital Renegade Album Review

Tracklist:
1. Gnars Attacks
2. NZT48
3. Digital Renegade
4. Endless Sky (featuring Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria)
5. Underneath Every Smile
6. Mystery Wall
7. iBelieve
8. Summer Died In Connersville
9. Electric Forest (featuring Cassadee Pope of Hey Monday)
10. Filth Friends Unite

I See Stars's sophomore album The End Of The World Party was a hit or a miss for fans. Some fans enjoyed the poppy/electronic sound while others longed for the heavier sound found on their 2009 debut 3-D. Leading up to the release of Digital Renegade, I See Stars promised fans a return to their heavy sound, and with the release of Digital Renegade they definitely delivered.I'm going to say this right off the bat, Digital Renegade completely blows 3-D away in every aspect.  Everything about Digital Renegade seems heavier. From the heavy riffs to the unclean vocals from keyboardist Zach Johnson. Personally, I was a fan of The End Of The World Party but each time I listened to it, I felt that something was missing and that it could have been better. The thing that The End Of The World Party was missing is that Zach Johnson's unclean vocals were drastically under utilized. For all those ISS fans that wanted more of Johnson's vocals (myself included), than Digital Renegade is the album for you. Johnson's vocals are utilized way more and it shows off his talents and growth as a vocalist. The unclean vocals are ten times better than they were on 3-D, and songs such as "Mystery Wall", "Endless Sky" and "NZT48" really show off his talents. For those of you that are worrying that  they are abandoning their electronic parts for a more metal sound, then you have nothing to worry about. The electronica/techno parts on the album is one of the main reasons why this album is so addicting. I See Stars really stepped up their electronica/ techno parts and they go perfectly with the heavier parts and are a blast to listen to. From the electronica/techno driven "Electric Forest" which features guest vocals from Cassadee Pope of Hey Monday, to "Filth Friends Unite" which features rave beats to "Gnars Attacks" which has a techno breakdown that will make you want to fist pump along, the electronica/techno parts have been taken to the next level.. Another improvement is the clean vocals of Devin Oliver. Oliver has also grown as a vocalist and is now hitting notes that he was not able to on 3-D. Also Oliver's voice is less auto-tuned and it really gives the album a more live feel. Oliver really shines on the title track "Digital Renegade"and hits some impressive high notes that remind me of ex-Saosin vocalist Cove Rebber.  One of the most enjoyable tracks is "iBelieve" which is a straight up techno/electronica song and is a lot of fun to listen to. The only problem I have with "iBelieve" is that it could have been longer but is still a great song. My personal favorites off Digital Renegade are "Endless Sky", "Electric Forest" and "Gnars Attacks". "Endless Sky" really stands out to me because it has a perfect mixture of everything (breakdowns, unclean vocals, techno and clean vocals) and features Asking Alexandria vocalist Danny Worsnop who just adds to the awesomness of the track. Digital Renegade is a huge step forward for the band and is a lot of fun to listen to. I would go so far to say that as of now it is my favorite album so far this year and it's going to take something really amazing to dethrone Digital Renegade. I highly recommend that you go pick up a copy of Digital Renegade because you do not want to miss out on an album this amazing.

Band Of The Week: We Came As Romans

We Came As Romans are currently one of the hottest metalcore bands on the scene. With their blend of metal along with their signature fusion of keyboards and symphonic parts, We Came As Romans have created one of the most dynamic sounds out there. Out of all the bands on the scene today (and there are a lot of bands out there), We Came As Romans are in my top three favorite bands. I'm a big fan of there music which includes positive themes such as hope, brotherhood and love. I know it's odd for metal bands to be singing about positive messages since most metal bands songs are about death and other dark themes, but WCAR's music is a breath of fresh air to the genre. We Came As Romans combines perfectly a perfect blend of clean and unclean vocals which make their songs all the more awesome. I personally feel that unclean vocalist Dave Stephens is one of the best unclean vocalists in the metalcore genre since he infuses his own style in his vocals and does not sound generic like many bands in the scene. One thing that I highly recommend is attending one of We Came As Romans shows because they infuse their performance with tons of energy and you always walk away having a good time.
Members:
Joshua Moore- Lead Guitar
Dave Stephens- Unclean Vocals
Kyle Pavone- Clean Vocals/ Keyboards/Synthesizer
Andy Glass- Bass
Lou Cotton- Rhythm Guitar
Eric Choi- Drums
Discography:
Dreams Ep (2008) (Self Released)
To Plant A Seed (2009) (Equal Vision Records)
Understanding What We've Grown To Be (2011) (Equal Vision Records)
Below check out their music video for "To Plant A Seed", which is one of my favorite songs by them. I'm a really big fan of the positive messages that the song has along with the excellent keyboard parts from Kyle Pavone just make the song enjoyable. To check out their tour schedule and other news click here because you do not want to miss one of their live shows.

Woe For Woe Is Me

It's a sad day for fans of Woe Is Me as the once seven piece band has now lost three members. As of March 7th, vocalist Michael Bohn, Vocalist/keyboardist Ben Ferris and bassist Cory Ferris are no longer a part of Woe Is Me. As a huge fan of Woe Is Me, this is devastating news. Just this past summer, Woe Is Me suffered the loss of vocalist Tyler Carter and lead guitarist Geoffrey Higgins but were able to rebound with the addition vocalist Hance Alligood and lead guitarist Andrew Paiano ( in my opinion, Paiano was not really the best choice for lead guitarist because he is unable to play some of the lead parts which resulted in him also playing the rhythm part. Basically it is like the band has two rhythm guitarists in the band.). One of the reasons I am a huge fan of Woe Is Me is because of their unique decision to have three vocalist, which made their music and their live shows all the more awesome. I personally loved the chemistry between vocalist Michael Bohn and vocalist/keyboardist Ben Ferris. Bohn and Ferris would employ dual screams (Bohn would do the highs while Ferris did the lows) which would blend together really well which made their music all the more intense. This past summer at Warped Tour, I had the pleasure to meet Michael and Ben and I have to admit they are two of the nicest, down to earth guys I know unlike most guys in bands who are stuck up. I do not just speak for myself but for all fans of Woe Is Me when I say that Ben, Michael and Cory will be missed. I will still be a fan of Woe Is Me even though they suffered a hard loss and it will be hard to replace Bohn and Ferris on vocals.  Michael, Ben and Cory all plan to continue making music and I can guess that the three of them will start up their own band. One guess that I could make is that former Woe Is Me guitarists Tim Sherrill and Geoffrey Higgins could join up with them since they all left WIM because they did not get along with some members of the band ( which is the same reason why Bohn and the Ferris brothers left the band). To read a full statement from Ben Ferris click here.

I See Stars Post Album Preview For Digital Renegade

Only eleven days remain until I See Stars release their highly anticipated third album Digital Renegade and to give fans a taste of what's to come, the band released a preview of all ten tracks on the album. After listening to the preview, I'm completely stoked for this album and can not wait for March 13th to get here. I'm not going to lie but Digital Renegade is one of the albums that is on my "Albums I Can not Wait For List". After hearing a preview for all the tracks, the ones that I'm most excited for are "Digital Renegade", "Endless Sky", "Electric Forest", "Summer Died In Connersville" and "Mystery Wall". One track that I'm curious about is "iBelieve". The preview for that track is the only one to not include any vocals and it has me wondering if the track is just an interlude or if it will be a track with singing. Personally I never really listened to any interlude tracks on albums but if it is one I'll give it a listen because the music sounds pretty cool. I know that after listening to the preview, I'm glad I decided to pre-order the album. My full review for Digital Renegade will be posted once the album is released on March 13th.

Band Of The Week: Sleeping With Sirens

After not having a band of the week for the past two weeks mainly because A Day To Remember is that awesome and need more than a week, this weeks lucky band is Sleeping With Sirens. Hailing from Orlando Florida, Sleeping With Sirens plans to change the game by taking a different approach to the post hardcore genre. Unlike most post hardcore bands who place an emphasis on breakdowns so that their music is heavy, Sleeping With Sirens choose to place an emphasis on vocalist Kellin Quinn and his amazing vocal range. Unlike many vocalists, Quinn possess a unique vocal range that I feel makes their songs all the more enjoyable. Personally I find Quinn's voice to be calming and soothing especially in their acoustic songs like "Let Love Bleed Red" and "All My Heart". Even though SWS places most of their emphasis on their melodic vocals, they can still get heavy. They still have breakdowns in their music and use unclean vocals when they are necessary. I feel that by doing those things, that is what makes Sleeping With Sirens stand out in the post hardcore music scene today.
Members:
Kellin Quinn- Lead Vocals
Jack Fowler- Lead Guitar
Jesse Lawson- Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Gabe Barham- Drums
Justin Hills- Bass
Discography:
With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear (2010) (Rise Records)
Let's Cheer To This (2011) (Rise Records)
Check out their new music video for "Do It Now, Remember It Later" below and click here for more information including tour dates because you do not want to miss the opportunity to see them live. I would highly recommend checking out Sleeping With Sirens if your in the mood for some brand new music or a different take on the heavy genres of music. Also I would recommend you not miss the opportunity to see them live when they come to New York City on March 7th. I know I'll be there!