Allay The Sea - Descent

Allay The Sea - Descent

Allay The Sea is a Metalcore band hailing from New Castle Australia. Their EP Decent was released in 2010 by Aurora Live. Australia has some bloody good bands coming out and time and time again I am always surprised to see so many of them still in the underground zones in their respected genres. Gems like these don’t usually come around this often and are just waiting to be discovered. It’s extremely clear where they must have gotten their influences from because it sounds like classic Australian metalcore. Since this is a debut EP I cannot compare this to what they have released in the past, but I can definitely say that they have really made a bench mark for themselves that even some professional mainstream band couldn’t live up to.

Most debut EPs and demos are very formative releases which feature bands experimenting and trying to find their own sound. What is extraordinary about this band is that with this release, I think that Allay The Sea has already found their own sound and it fits them like a glove. Although many people wouldn’t consider what they have done here original, they have the characteristics of a great Australian metalcore band. Like many Australian bands, it’s obvious that they have been influenced in some way or another by I Killed The Prom Queen. The main similarity between them are the vocals, the sound almost exactly same. Musically they are somewhat similar but Allay The Sea has a certain vibe or signature which makes it a little different and is part of their own sound. Make no mistake, these guys don’t sound like a cheap rip off of some other mainstream band, these guys are the real deal. Musically these guys are very well rounded and in time all the way throughout the whole EP. There are times where they might sound a little loose but that is down to song writing and song structure. This hasn’t made a substantial impact on their sound because it’s fairly rare and I’m guessing it’s all part of experimenting.  

These are two main components on the outside shell of their music. The first one to point out is their melody. The melodic parts are extremely well constructed and well executed, they all have an uplifting euphoric feeling to it. Although they aren’t extremely fast they do have a certain feel off energy to them which is always good. The music seems extremely filling and there doesn’t seem to be any loose holes within the music itself, It’s well written and the momentum is maintained. Also, frequently in their there seems to be a build up of tension in some parts, they are usually predicted by some very short drum solos. This is probably one of the best things in this album because it makes transitions actually interesting. Also these is a small but evident sense of emotion in music, sometimes it sound a little dark but most of the time is sounds uplifting and just amazing.

The second highlight that makes up the outer shell of their music are their breakdowns, there are so many breakdowns within this album and all of them are of high quality. They have the signature of approval from me; they are filling, emotional and best of all they sound heavy as fuck and yes, that is the only way I can describe them. The atmosphere is usually dark and seems like there is a very sinister feeling behind them. This is awesome because in contrast with the more uplifting side of their music it really stands out. Also, breakdowns are best recorded in high quality and that’s exactly what they have done here.

After listening to this album a couple of times, you can pick up the finer details about this album. Firstly they have maintained a consistent pace throughout this album, it’s not fast and it is not usually overly slow. The only times where it can seem very slow is during the breakdowns. The breakdowns sound a lot like if metalcore breakdowns were combined with deathcore ones. This is all a part of their unique sound because it doesn’t seem very fast but it’s definitely seems filling and uniform in terms of the spread of music which is another great thing about this album. Also, not many bands seem to do this but the difference in pitch between the rhythm guitar and the lead guitar. This makes the lead guitar stand out more than what it would normally do and usually it’s at the high pitch end of things. They have compensated for this by making the rhythm guitar a little louder than usual. All this just makes the album sound better than what it would be if they hadn’t put any thought into it. Something else they have done is that it sounds likes they have used a certain distortion of the guitars that is usually reserved for death metal and deathcore bands but have incorporated it into a metalcore structure. That just adds that touch of extra heaviness in their music.

Their style of music also frequently changes as well, at times the riffs sound like something from a Nu Metal band or something along those lines. This is probably due to the distortion of the guitars and the constant palm muting. Also, there are times where they like to drag the notes on for quite a while and seem to build up tension which usually used to transition into a different part of the song or a breakdown. The best thing about this is that the music constantly switches from one to the other without feeling like you are listening to two separate genres at once. They are subtle yet evident.

The music itself is very simple, they have kept energy and the momentum of the music going without having to play at maximum over kill all the time. The music isn’t overly complex and it sounds primitive and sort of like a more traditional metalcore. They seem to focus on what they sound like as a band rather than how good they play. If they hadn’t done this nothing would have worked and everything would have sounded like an odd mathcore band. The drumming isn’t very complex and its definitely not fast, the only thing that is fast about the drums is the double bass. They are extremely fast but only last about half a second at the most but they have quite a satisfying high pitch snap to them. But there is one thing that seems a little more complex than the other guitars and that is the lead guitar. They style in which he plays seems a lot more complex than what the other band members play. That is why it can overpower the music at times and sound very out of place.

For such a small EP, it has some incredible tracks on it. This has by far a better track quality to number of tracks ratio. I think every single track on this EP is worth a go and are always slightly different from the last track. The opening track is Descent and it opens with a damn brutal breakdown. Once you get past the one minute breakdown you immediately get hit by what makes this band sound so great. The sheer energy within the music astounds me and the transition between the opening breakdown and the rest of the song is probably one of the best moments in the EP. Also, the album isn’t in monotone either. There are 3 main parts to the song and they all sound awesome and uplifting. Decent is definitely one of the standout tracks in the EP. The next track is Hung Drawn And Quartered it is probably the most memorable track in the EP. Also the intro is very weak, it has the most brutal, most awesome and heavy breakdown in metalcore and I don’t throw that around lightly. It is extremely heavy and it is filling at the same time. The double kick, growls and bass dropping really emphasise the sheer heaviness of that breakdown. Although Hung Drawn And Quartered it has an awesome breakdown it does have some great sounding melodies in it as well.  Treading The Water is the next track in the EP and it is the only track with a guitar solo in it. The best thing about the track is the melodic part at the end of the track, it sounds very uplifting and can make your day. There is a decent breakdown in it as well but it is nothing compared to what was on Hung Dawn And Quartered. The last track to mention is the track Meet Your Maker, the intro of the track sounds a lot like an intro of a very fast nu metal band, for some reason I didn’t like it because it was kind of an outlier compared to the rest of the song. This song is still awesome because onece again there is an absolutely amazing bass drop breakdown in here as well.

Overall this is debut EP from Allay The Sea is one of the best to come out of the country so far. I anticipate that people will be looking out for this band and curious to see what they have in store for us in the future. I think that this band has already found the perfect sound for them and should not change a bit. The recording quality is extremely high as well as the music quality. Some people might want to consider this to be an alternative to I Killed The Prom Queen if they don’t work out as well as what people have hoped. These guys aren’t just a cheap rip off either, they should not be overlooked and this EP is definitely worth a listen. I recommend this release to anyone who likes the heavier or more extreme “core” genres and especially to fans of Australian bands such as I killed The Prom Queen and Parkway Drive. Also I highly recommend this EP to any breakdown addicts out there because it is guaranteed to satisfy. I recommend the tracks Decent and Treading The Water for people who like uplifting and melodic music. But almost every track has this element to it. As for breakdowns, Hung Drawn And Quartered easily wins the prize but there are a couple of good ones in the track Meet Your Maker. Overall this is one hell of a debut release and the next thing they bring out will either make or break them and I have to say they are half way to making it. These guys are next in line to carry on the tradition of “True Blue” Australian metalcore and so far so good. Overall Descent gets an 18/20. 

Buried In Verona - Saturday Night Sever

Buried In Verona - Saturday Night Sever

Saturday Night Sever is Buried In Verona’s second studio album. Released in June 2010 and this definitely has the traits of an Australian Metalcore band. For some reason it seems that Australia in seems to have a higher amount of quality metalcore bands compared to low quality bands. The ratio seems to be in favour of the better side. Honestly, I think this is one of the best metalcore albums I have ever heard and I have heard a lot of things in my time. I think this album will be the thing that should launch Buried In Verona’s young career.

One of the main highlights of this album is sheer quality of their song writing. It is excellent, and what makes it even more amazing is that these guys are a relatively young band as well. The music is evenly distributed and well rounded, the musical structure is definitely top notch and the contents   of the music are also great. The result, one of the best metalcore albums to ever come out from Australia. These guys are the real deal when it comes to the “core” genres and should not ever be over looked.  This album contains some great riffs, breakdowns, vocals and emotion. Yep it has everything you want in an album and more. It’s a bit hard to describe who they sound like because not many bands sound like Buried In Verona. If there was a metalcore version of Asking Alexandria you would get something close to Buried In Verona, in terms of style and emotion. Everything else sounds fairly original and if it wasn’t, they made it sound even better than the original.

Emotion plays a big part in this album and on here the emotion is usually associated with shouts of despair and agony. This really emphasises what kind of message these guys are trying to get across. Also the music does an excellent job of setting the mood for these “emotional” parts of songs. They have more of a progressive and ambient feel to them and are slow. Also during these parts them instruments and vocals seem to work together in harmony rather than one of them overpowering the other. They have really created a masterpiece here when it comes to emotion.

Don’t be fooled though, not everything on here is all sad and emotional, these are times where the music can get pretty hectic. When I mean hectic, the music doesn’t just suddenly turn into deathcore or brutal death. They style they play at the speed kind of matches the pace of the likes of August Burns Red and Parkway Drive so not exactly 100% brutality but more than enough to get the blood pumping and the heart racing. The contrasts between the emotional sides and the other bits are so subtle, but it’s this subtlety that creates the hugest impact. Mainly because the music doesn’t feel like it is starting and stopping every damn second. The music flows like an uninterrupted river.

In terms of genres, it is very hard to tell where this band belongs because they seem to have gained their inspiration from all three of the main “core” genres which are deathcore/metalcore/hardcore (mainly post-hardcore). They have brought the best from all those worlds and wrapped them up in an almost perfect little package; the structure of metalcore, the attitude of post-hardcore and the intensity of deathcore. So obviously this album is not even close to being classified as boring, it is the complete opposite. Amazingly they have maintained the standard of music throughout the album not just one or two tracks. Also another thing is that many other bands music feel shallow and they don’t really have an effect on the listener. I can tell you that the music on here is not only skin deep and there is a real sense of depth within the music and therefore it feels a lot more complete. Furthermore, they don’t give off that vibe that says that they want to get a release out just for the sake of getting one out. They really have taken some care in constructing this album, everything from the actual music to the album cover.

The music not only feels like its meaningful it is also sounds filling. They have carried the sound very well through practically all of their songs and there is none of this hollow sound people dread in their music. The music itself is tight and is practically in perfect timing. They haven’t played it safe either, although their music isn’t overly complex or technical in any perspective, they haven’t made it seem dead boring either which is a major plus. They really have shown how good their skill and teamwork is with this release. It’s a bit hard to believe that a band like this can sound so professional and even mainstream. They have set the bar extremely high for the next wave of metalcore bands.

There is a slight problem with this album and it’s that this album is very repetitive. All the tracks sound very similar to each other with the same; musical style, vocals and even tempo. But I have to say there are two tracks on this album that seem like they are endlessly replayable. Everything about both of these tracks have a major wow factor, as in “wow these guys know what they are doing”. One of these two tracks is also the opening track of the album. The End (yes I know the opening track title is a little contradictory) is an amazing track, it has everything you want and like about this band into one song. The emotion, the speed and the variety of sounds are all in here.

The end of The End seems to be the most emotional part of the album. Just the way the lead singer screams “I’m sorry for the tears” can get it stuck in your heard for a long time. The next track to mention is the track  Hangin’ Hoes By Their Toes, now this track shows off how in your face these guys can be. The lyrical themes in this track are a little matured but the music itself doesn’t make it seem that way. When the music stops for a split second and the lead singer screams “ Your face looks better bleeding” and then they burst into an awesome breakdown is probably one of my favourite moments in metalcore. These two tracks have some of the best melodies I have ever heard from the genre. They are extremely well written and seem to be endlessly replayable.  Also don’t be fooled by their intros, they are the only two elements of electronic music you will hear throughout the course of the tracks.     

Overall Buried in Verona’s Saturday Night Sever is one of the best metalcore albums that have ever come out of Australia and I predict that this album will be a classic for years to come. With two outstanding tracks on there that are so good that they seem to make up for the lack of variety in the album itself. This album has great melodies, both clean and distorted vocals, awesome breakdowns and each member seems to have excellent skill for each of their instruments. The music itself is well rounded and very tight. Also over the course of the album I couldn’t really pick up any parts where there were any off beats or when the vocalist’s voiced died a little. I extremely recommend this album because anyone who likes any of the “core” genres would be silly to miss this as it is one of the best metalcore albums out there today. I also recommend the two tracks; The End and Hangin’ Hoes By Their Toes because the bottom line is that they are some the best metalcore tracks out there. Those two tracks are almost guaranteed to satisfy any “core” fan. Overall this album is one of the best I’ve have ever heard and collectively all of the tracks have their own little charm to them. So this album receives an extremely well deserved 19/20.

Of Whispers - Demo (2010)

Of Whispers - Demo (2010)

Of Whispers self released their debut demo in 2010, this young band came out of Melbourne which is always a great sign. These guys are a Metalcore band but they also sound like they have strong post-hardcore and deathcore influences as well. Not only do they really create a good representation of the genre, they also implement very strong emotions and moods in their sound. Musically they are pretty good as well, they don’t try and over complicate the music but it still satisfies.

It’s obvious that Of Whispers have mixed quite a few different genres and influences to create this masterpiece. Although this is the case, I cannot say there are entirely original. Rather than coming up with something new, these guys have managed to get everything everyone else has failed at and have just beaten them at their own game. They have put together better riffs, breakdowns and vocals. Not only this but these guys seem to be very musically minded in the sense that they seem to be very good song writers and the music structure is very good indeed. Also, even though this is just only a demo there is no evidence that says that they have “rushed” this because even though there are only just three tracks on the demo they all seem to be different and unique in their own way.

It’s not exactly clear on which genre exactly these guys stand as but definitely somewhere in the triangle of Metalcore, deathcore and post-hardcore/screamo. Even though the lines which they have drawn and unclear they seem to give the listener a very good representation of the “core” genre. They don’t seem to have any influences from outside genres. This is really good because many “core” fans don’t usually like their music contaminated with something else such as nu metal or death metal. I would consider these guys to be 100% pure “core”.

Another thing that they have done well and is considered vital to their genre is the way that they have implemented emotions and feeling into their sound. They have don’t used a combination of different styles to really set the scene for their music which is a mix of sad and happy emotions. The emotions have not only been brought up the music itself but its mainly the vocals. The style the vocalist uses is similar to new Bring Me The Horizon vocals to pull up some emotion. It’s not a metal scream or a growl as such, but more of a yell for help or despair. This really does highlight the emotional side and the music just embraces it even more.

So it’s obvious that emotion is one of the major elements in their music which is a good thing, but that doesn’t mean all of it is emo stuff. They can get pretty serious at times and unlike Oliver Sykes, Tim (the lead singer) can actually scream and growl very well. He tends to use a combination of death growls/screams and fry screaming. Not only this be he doesn’t sound like he is in monotone all the time, he likes to mix things up with different pace, pitch and style.

The music itself it also very tight, out of the whole thing I couldn’t find any of beat notes or where the music becomes very loose. This release features some great musicianship and it is very clear that they know what they are doing and they aren’t just some cheap wannabe band. They are so good it seems that they have some kind of mainstream feel to their music which is funny because they are the opposite. What really makes this band especially intriguing is that they have kept the music simple, they haven’t filled the thing up with random guitar solos or drum solos. Rather than showing off how well and individual can play, I think they have successfully shown off how well they can play as a band which is a lot more important.

The most excellent thing about this release is that even though there are only three tracks on it, there is so much variety to choose from and each track is unique in its own special way. They practically all have different moods and emotions thus reflecting very different vibes.  The first track Shots, Vomits And Empty Wallets is a fairly averaged paced track with some elements of emotion. The riffs are fairly well balanced and the music is fairly easy going. It’s something I would listen to If I wanted to relax. Once you hit the next track Conquest you then realise what these guys are all about. It really is a perfect combination of emotion and heaviness. It features some pretty impressive breakdowns but the highlight of the track would definitely the emotional side. Also there seems to be a sense of ambience beauty in the music especially when you get towards the end of the track. The final track If Sheep Had Shark's Teeth is probably the standout track in the demo. The music is tight and the song structure is almost perfect. It’s not overly extreme but at the same time it’s not dead boring either which is a great thing. If Sheep Had Shark's Teeth seems sound more like a mainstream song than the other two tracks on the demo.

Overall this is one hell of a debut demo and with enough publicity I predict that these guys will become huge. I can’t imagine any “core” lover not liking this band; it’s the type of music where words can only describe so much because the music speaks for itself. The music is seemingly perfect and it features everything a “core” fan would expect. It has the emotions of post-hardcore, the song structure of Metalcore and at times it can get as extreme as some deathcore bands out there. I would very highly recommend this album to anyone who likes the “core” genres , it is guaranteed to satisfy. Also I recommend the track Conquest for people who like a little bit of originality and beauty in their music and the track If Sheep Had Sharks Teeth for people who prefer a more mainstream feel in their music. Overall I give Of Whisper’s debut demo a 18/20.     

Dream On, Dreamer - Hope (EP)

Dream On, Dreamer - Hope (EP)

Hope is Dream On Dreamer’s debut release. This EP is of the Post-Hardcore genre and was released in 2010 by boomtown records. Although this band is listed as Post-Hardcore, some really people may also consider this Screamo or even Emo Metal. This is one of those Underground gems that should be in the mainstream. This is an incredible debut EP and it is a perfect mix of awesome riffs, breakdowns and vocals that fit the music live a glove. I can really see this band making it to the big time very shortly.

This EP is one of those underground gems that is only waiting to be found. This band is almost perfectly rounded in it music and they sound almost perfectly in sync. This EP has a perfect mix of breakdowns, awesome riffs, vocals are perfect for their sound and emotion. Yep, this has it all. Not only that, but everything is of a high standard. The vocals sound great, they don’t over use the same type of scream or growl. The style he uses is seemingly perfect for the music, he doesn’t do anything too out there with the vocals. He keeps it nice and simple and that definitely works with the music. Also he has great clean vocals as well, a vital part of creating emotion in the music. The level of emotion in this EP is fairly high. The best thing about their style of music is that they don’t have to get all softy to get emotional. There is emotion throughout the whole EP and they don’t have to slowdown to create it. To do this well is fairly rare to find and what also makes this band so unique. Despite all the emotion, they make some great melodies and very good breakdowns. Also the transitions are nice and smooth and they don’t make any sudden changes, but this does not mean that they are monotone. They always change their pace and keep this EP alive and not boring.

Also like many other Post-Hardcore and Screamo bands they also incorporate some electronic music in they sound. They don’t over use it like other bands tend to do but they are there, it just adds that little bit of atmosphere to their music. Also a noticeable thing that they do in their music is that they like to build up tension and then slam it, this sounds great because they down slam it down to the point where it interrupts the pace of the music but enough to make a noticeable change. Also the drums sound fairly crazy throughout many of the tracks and the drummer likes to use the Cymbals and the Top Hat a lot. He also is in sync with the rest of the band, that being said their music is very tight and can get technical at times.

There are some amazing Post-Hardcore tracks on this EP, they feature everything you want. Good melodies, breakdowns, balanced pace between slow and fast and emotion. There are some very emotional tracks on this EP. All f the tracks do contain some elements of emotion in it but the most emotional is the track In August. It is very soft and this is where the really get the emotions going. This is a very sad sounding track, it is also very well done. The vocals are perfect and the music is still fast but does not create any sense of energy.  Also the lead singer clean vocals are the best in this song. Also another weird thing about this track is that it ends with an incredibly heavy breakdown, but oddly it doesn’t really affect the mood of the track. There are some really heavy breakdowns in this EP and the best ones would probably be in the tracks In August, Chapter Desired Performance and Persist The Voice.  I believe all of the tracks are very good and there is nothing that really stands out because their all follow pattern typical, other than the track In August. That one is a little more emotional than the others. I have to say, that this is one if the tightest Post-Hardcore bands I have heard. They have some really tight tracks and great examples of this would have to be in the song Persist The Voice. It is very tight and is one of those tracks that slams from a relatively fast pace into a breakdown. The best example of slamming in this EP would have to be the track Planted Somewhere Hidden. The other stand out track would have to be Ambitions. It basically takes everything that is good about them and stuffs it into a single track.  

This is a very good release and there are very few minor little problems that may affect some listeners. I think that the main thing that may affect listeners the most is the running time of the EP. Yes this is an EP and yes it has 6 tracks and is ok for an EP, but the thing that matters is the actual running time. The total running is around 18.5 minutes, this is very short and wrecks the EP a little. 18 minutes is very short because just about when you are getting into the music it finishes and leaves you hanging wanting more. Sometimes this is a good thing but in this case they do it too abruptly and doesn’t really satisfy the listener. Although they have a really good sound, they can sound a little monotone. Now this many not be bad for people who like their style but the only problem with this is that it won’t really target a wide audience. This can be a bit weird because many bands who sound monotone have to think really hard about where they distribute their music. Also the last thing is that the music is very powerful but at times when the drummer does his double kick, it is faded and is drowned out by the rest of the music.  You really have to listen hard to hear it but it is there.

Overall this is a very good debut release and is the perfect thing to kick start their career. It may be a little hard for them because they can only distribute their music to such a small audience which may make it a little harder to get their bans out there. I am sure that they will find the right people and once they find them I expect their popularity to rise really quickly. There is no doubt this is a gem just waiting to be discovered. This is a perfect mix of emotion, great melodies, breakdowns and the vocals tie it up in a nice little package. This wouldn’t usually target a very wide audience but I will recommend this EP to any Post-hardcore, Screamo, Emo and Metalcore fans out there. For the hardcore Metalcore fans tread lightly because it may not suit you. There are a few great tracks on this EP. If you want emotion I recommend In August, If you prefer tracks that are a little faster and heavier I recommend Persist The Voice and Blackened Sky. If you want everything stuffed into 1 track listen to Ambitions. Overall this a pretty good release and I give Hope EP an 18/20.