CD Reviews

Alteras – Grief (review)

Published

8 years ago

July 19, 2016

JJ Ulizio

Alteras – Grief

Review by JJ Ulizio

08/05/16 will see the release of the full length debut from Alteras from Youngstown, Ohio. The album, titled Grief, will be released on Revival Recordings. Not hearing of these guys prior to listening to the album I must say they were a pleasant surprise. Though this is not typically my favorite style, their heavy guitar riffs and contrasting vocal parts hooked me in right from the first song. Recommended for fans of The Used, Dead By April, & Underoath.

Mild electronics and keys are used to give a dynamic and flavorful depth to the intros of several songs and to add subtle atmosphere behind the hard hitting drums, heavy and at times crushing guitar riffs. Harsh screams for the vocals offset the, dare I say, emo style of the clean singing in the vocals. Strong emotion is conveyed through the music regardless of the subject matter. The lyrics gives me the feeling that the content is truly felt by the vocalist, at times I wish I knew all the lyrics, because I would catch myself humming along or “do do do doing” along with the melody.

Being a sucker for guitar riffs, there is no shortage on this album, full of palm muted drop tuned metal-core styled breakdowns; they don’t come across as repetitive as is easy to do with the style but rather are the angry offset to the clean style singing. The songs flow pretty seamlessly without any harsh or jerky transitions.

My standout track on this album would have to be “Broke.” The first track on the album, with electronic effects that fade into a crunchy hard guitar riff, that breaks into a punk-like beat for the harsh screams of the vocalist to emphasize and push his lyrics across before the song breaks pace for the chorus with the clean style vocals to come in.

But kiddies relax, balls to the wall heavy and screaming not your thing? At least not for a whole album? That’s fine because the song “Could Ever Love” will get you a power ballad fix with melodies and song structures that bring heavy and emo together in a way rarely done well. There is no screaming in this song kiddies, later in the album they show off some of their music diversity with an acoustic track titled “Black Box.”

All in all a decent album, it will be in my regular rotation of music for a little while yet, looking forward to checking them out live sometime and to see what the future holds for them. You can check them out on all the usual social media outlets.

About Author

JJ Ulizio

JJ has been a contributing writer and huge asset to Empire and Empire Extreme since the very begining. He is always digging for new bands and has a true heart and desire to see the bands grow and succeed.

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CD Reviews

BUSH 30th ANNIVERSARY OF “SIXTEEN STONE” VINYL

Published

4 days ago

November 20, 2024

Ron

I remember when this album came out in 1994 . I was 15 and really discovering all types of music. As being a typical teenage boy I seen the band name “Bush” and thought hmm I love bush, let’s check it out. It was such an amazing album from beginning to end.

The new released vinyl that just came out on November 17th is such a testament to this album being as great then as it is now. Listening to the vinyl just brought back so many memories of being an angst teenager that just wanted to heard. The vinyl package is amazing with lots of photos of the band throughout the years and the sound of the vinyl is so pristine.

I got my hands on the opaque red vinyl and just looks awesome spinning on the player. It’s crazy to think that this album has so many hits and no filler songs, even the songs that didn’t become hits are just as good as the hits.

With the hits being “Glycerine”, “Everything Zen” , “Comedown” “Little Things” and “Machinehead” but some of my favorite songs are not the hits songs like “Swim”, “Bomb” and “Alien” which is probably my favorite song on the album. If you’re a fan of Bush or this album or just want to dive into the mid 90s Grunge/Post Grunge era this is a key album to have in your collection.

About Author

Ron

Ron has keen eye for new talent, a love for the underground, and a tremendous passion for music of any genera. You’ll probably bump into him at a horror convention or some seedy club checking out the next need-to-know band.

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CD Reviews

ALICE IN CHAINS “BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE” VINYL REVIEW

Published

2 months ago

October 3, 2024

Ron

Alice In Chains have Re-Released the 2009 album on vinyl. This album was the first Alice In Chains in 14 years and the first album with guitarist/singer Willam DuVall after Layne Staley passed away in 2002.

I was a huge Alice In Chains fan and was a big fan of both Layne and Jerry. When this album first came out I remember sorta pushing it the side only cause of sadness about Layne but after hearing “Check My Brain” I gave it a chance and was so glad that I did. This album is amazing and really put Alice In Chains back into the mainstream.

The vinyl not only looks super awesome but sounds amazing. If you’re a fan of Alice In Chains and into collecting Vinyl, this album is a must in your collection. It’s a great packed vinyl with 2 vinyls included.

Side A: All Secrets Known, Check My Brain and Last of My Kind. Side B: Your Decision, A Looking in View. Side C: When The Sun Rose Again, Acid Bubble, Lesson Learned. Side D: Take Her Out, Private Hell, Black Gives Away To Blue

About Author

Ron

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CD Reviews

VENDED: Album Review

Published

2 months ago

September 20, 2024

JJ Ulizio

9/20/24 sees the independent release of the full-length, self-titled debut album from Des Moines, Iowa natives Vended. Featuring vocalist Griffin Taylor, Simon Crahan on drums, Jeremiah Pugh on bass, Cole Espland on lead guitar, and Connor Grodzicki on rhythm guitar.

On this album they have taken more abrasive elements of nu metal as seen in the late 90s from bands like Slipknot and Soulfly and utilized elements of metalcore to slap a fresh coat of paint on the style. There are elements that remind me of the more modern and spastic styles of nu metal, similar to a band like Tallah.

Griffin’s vocal styling showcases mid-range screams as the main driving force bending the vocals. True to the nu metal elements, the rage and anger perceived from the screams are offset by the occasional catchy riff or fast talking, almost rapping stylized lyrics.

Crahan shows an impressive command of rhythm with his double bass drum. Driving each track forward with a machine gun-like purpose, which makes the more groove-oriented parts hit much harder. Crahan, in addition to the rest of the rhythm section (Espland and Pugh), all really work together well to keep the momentum moving forward while not sacrificing said groove.

While I wouldn’t call it album of the year or anything. It’s definitely worth checking out. Standout tracks: “Nihilism” and “The Far Side”.

Vended can be found on the usual socials. And the album is available on all streaming platforms. And physical copies can be purchased though https://www.officialvended.com