Sliver – Disobey Giants


A few weeks ago I went to a local show and since I was there quite early, I got to witness the soundcheck of the opening band Sliver. Having never heard of them, I was severely impressed by the two half-songs they played and I figured that I had to feature them on here and after their gig I was one hundred percent sure about it. Sadly, they didn’t have a recent release which is why I’m going to write a few words about their 2012 record Disobey Giants!

The quartet, which is composed of people from France, Belgium and Luxembourg, plays a hard-hitting mix of alternative rock and hardcore which sounds unlike most of the stuff you hear these days. Especially the omnipresent usage of synthesizers and keyboards is something that makes them rather unique in my opinion. The traditional instruments don’t fall short either though, by delivering a driving performance all throughout the twelve tracks.

The main concept of the band, and this album, is of a very anti-political and anti-capitalistic nature and the lyrics make that quite clear. While it might be annoying to some, because they prefer ignoring the sad reality, it is exactly that strong message that makes these thirty-seven minutes so special. On top of that you have the amazing clean vocal work, with that lovely “Frenglish” accent, and the screams which are amplified by a megaphone that just make it a blast to listen to.

All in all, there is absolutely no excuse for not checking out Sliver, especially since the entire album can be downloaded for free on the band’s Bandcamp page. I, for one, am very excited for later this year or early 2015, when the guys are supposed to release new music. As a closing statement, I’ll say that if you get the chance to see them live, do so; you won’t be disappointed. Be sure to sure to listen to my favorite track Small Is Beautiful below to give you an idea!

Miss Fortune – A Spark To Believe


Let’s face it: post-hardcore is one of the most over-saturated genres out there and there is no end in sight. Each year sees new bands pop up which are quite literally a copy-paste of what was cool a year prior. While I’m all for people trying, to me, as a listener and reviewer, it is difficult to be impressed by most of those bands. However, some artists manage to stand out from the flock and, in my opinion, Miss Fortune is definitely one of them! Their debut album A Spark To Believe was just released last week and it’s a very promising start!

Musically, the quintet, which originates from all over the United States and could be considered a casting band, reminds me a bit of Emarosa but with a rockier vibe to their sound. Melody is by far the most important factor in their sound, and the way the songs are arranged is just beautiful to listen to, resulting in an enormously high replay value of the ten songs.

Instrumentally it’s quite fast-paced during the thirty-four minutes, safe for an acoustic song as the closer, and quite diversified in terms of guitar work. The drums have some nice and fitting beats with tons of interesting fills and all in all do a perfect job in supporting the string department. And on top of that, you can even hear the bass…making it an overall highly satisfying production!

I literally can’t count the amount of times I’ve said this in the past…but it applies in this case as well: the vocals are the major selling point for me. The singer has this incredibly soulful timbre in his voice, without it sounding cheesy at all, and just manages to convey the weight of every single line he sings. Lyrically, it is mostly based on the familiar topics but there are some passages that have enormously high quotability and which get stuck in your head quite fast. While it is mostly clean vocals all throughout, there are two of the last songs where the singer screams and in a way I regret that he doesn’t do it more often, but on the other hand it makes it that much better, since it comes as a surprise…that I’ve just now ruined for you, sorry about that.

To sum things up, I’m going to go ahead and say that Miss Fortune are by far the newcomer of the year so far, and I’m quite confident in saying that it will remain that way until the end of 2014. I can strongly recommend giving their debut record a listen and following their evolution, for example via their Facebook page. Be sure to check the out their brilliant music video below which is a homage to some weird nineties band…Wink. Wink.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkHLeKa1V8c]

Miles To Perdition – Blasphemous Rhapsody


Before I start reviewing today’s record, I have to admit that I haven’t really been interested in Miles To Perdition in the past. I had seen them in 2010 as the opener for Avenged Sevenfold and I wasn’t too impressed to be honest…at the beginning of this year I saw that they were about to release a new album and I thought to myself that I owed them a second chance…and I’m very glad I did, because what I heard on Blasphemous Rhapsody can’t be compared in any way to what I was subjected to four years ago.

The quintet from Luxembourg has evolved into a melodic death metal band that understands how to make heads bang and bodies move. While there are a handful of breakdowns, their playing style is a very straight-forward barrage of brutality with little room to gain one’s breath…just how it’s supposed to be.

The string section is a very organic mix of chugging rhythm and technical lead guitar riffs, with occasional solos that serve the purpose of adding a melodic touch. The drums are a never-ending chain of blast beats and double bass madness, interjected by groove-laden rhythms that are guaranteed to make your head bounce up and down. The nine songs are, as mentioned before, on the faster side of the musical spectrum and due to their nearly flawless production, every little detail can be made out without having to strain your ears.

The heretic element of Miles, however, stems from the absolutely crushing vocal performance of their vocalist. Pretty much every form of screams is covered during the thirty seven minutes, be it deep growls or higher screams, but the main attraction is the fusion of both during certain parts where the guy sounds completely possessed…thumbs up for that. Lyrically, as you might have guessed from the album title, it’s mostly a huge middle finger to organized religion, which is a bit over-done in metal but I can’t hold it against the guys, since it is still a rather annoying reality these days.

All in all, Blasphemous Rhapsody is an album that I would strongly recommend to fans of bands like The Black Dahlia Murder and the like…and to the general public: give it a go; it might not be your cup of tea but it’s definitely not a waste of time and yet another strong entry in our national musical catalog. For more information, be sure to head to the band’s Facebook page and listen to the song below. If you like what you hear, be sure to head to Kulturfabrik this Saturday, May 24th, where the guys are playing their release show!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dr6uub4tt4]

Trash Monday CXVIII

Aside from Béla Bartók and Attila Csihar, Speak is my favourite Hungarian musician. Keep up the great work, man!!

“2003, I pray for God they people make the right decision
I don’t wanna war. I just wanna peace. Stop the war. Check this.
I hope my black brothers feel the same like me
Dre, Snoop, Puff, L, Tupac Shakur, rest in peace. He was the best. My respect (yeee, c’mon)”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIf7_ZDGSHQ]

Arkaeon – Godless


This Sunday it’s finally time, after an almost three year wait, for one of Luxembourg’s most unique metal bands to release a new EP! The guys from Arkaeon took a while to return to the studio, due to some line-up changes over time, and the question is whether Godless was worth the wait…well, just read on.

The quintet plays, what they themselves call, brutal tech groove and even though it’s a made-up genre, it describes their sound perfectly: it has the brutality of hardcore, the technicality of technical death metal and groove that makes even the most avid hater of headbanging bop their head in agreement.

If you compare the three songs on here to the band’s debut EP, New Level Of Inhumanity, you will notice that the skill of the instrumental department has increased vastly, with riffs being so tight and so intricate that even after the umpteenth listening you will discover new details. The drumming is also from a completely different planet: the amount of blast beats and double bass attacks is just incredible. A huge part of the groove comes from, the luckily not dominant, chugging parts and breakdowns…might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it helps to take off some tension of the listener, and the musicians.

The main critique that I’ve heard, from people I’ve talked to about Arkaeon‘s debut, and what also kind of bothered me were the rather monotonous vocals. After having heard the evolution of the vocalist at the 2012 edition of FFYS, I was quite surprised…well, I was even more surprised when I heard this new studio material. He has added several new techniques to his repertoire, one of which is akin to pig squeals but mixed with growls, and in my opinion sounds better than ever. My only minor gripe is that the articulation during the aforementioned growls is suffering a bit…but then again: this is metal…if you want to know all the lyrics, go read them, you lazy bastards!

As a closing statement, I can only say that I’m very pleased with the improvement I’ve heard during these nineteen minutes, and that I’m very much looking forward to the, hopefully, planned full length! You can visit the band’s Facebook page for more information, and check out the lyric video below! Also let it be known that the release party of Godless is this Sunday, May 18th, at Soul Kitchen in Luxembourg!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxGboV1dhdc]

Angel At My Table – Light


They took their sweet time, because a bit more than four years have elapsed since the release of their debut EP, but the wait is finally over: Angel At My Table are releasing their first full length, called Light, this Saturday! But rest assured that the wait was well worth it, since the Luxembourgish quintet manages to convince on, almost, every level!

Back in 2010 when AAMT first started, they were often compared to Paramore, which was in a way a compliment but was also connected to a certain skepticism toward their longevity. With their second EP, that doubt was lifted a bit but with the eleven tracks on their first album, they have definitely proven that they are not just-another-pop-punk band. To people who followed their evolution, like me, this has become apparent over the course of the last few months since the female-fronted band has toured extensively in many countries across the world…and Light will cement that success even further.

The evolution in the instrumental department is quite remarkable: the guitars are more technical, the drums and bass lock in together perfectly and deliver a driving performance. Everything just sounds so much more mature and thought through that it’s hard to believe that the band’s first footsteps were but four years ago. A fact that can be observed in the new version of City Romance, off the eponymous debut EP, which is brought back in a rejuvenated state.

The vocals during these thirty-five minutes are on the usual high level but I feel like the front woman is surer than ever of her skills and manages to deliver a truly compelling performance. Lyrically, it also feels by far more grown-up, especially on songs like the opener Broken, where, if I interpret it correctly, she brings across a really inspirational message to many women out there.

The production is top notch and allows the songs to unfold perfectly in your ear canal, and remain stuck there for a while. My absolute favorite example for that is the song Gravity, which is, in my personal opinion, the best song the guys and gal have come up with so far. My only minor gripe is the song order, since the ending feels a bit anti-climatic, but I can in all honestly not deduct any points for that.

To sum things up, I must say that I’m more than impressed by what Angel At My Table have concocted and I can only recommend every fan of the genre to check out Light! I am convinced that this is but the beginning of a long and promising journey and if you want to be part of it you should move your behind to den Atelier this Saturday, May 17th, where the band will hold their release show! For more information, you can visit their Facebook page and be sure to watch the video below!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDEFm7kO4jE]