oh my goodness, oh my GOODNESS!!! what an amazing weekend i've had!!! i can't just sit here and write nonsense words without using my skills to describe how awesome it all was. ok, so friday night started off good with me and mike going to the blue note to watch, The Cancer Bats. oklahoma locals, Over Stars and Gutters, opened the show and they were solid. the cancer bats were crazy awesome and further down below you'll find out about them for this post. heh heh ;)
me and "big" mike in da hood. (seriously...)
saturday began with me going to work to fill in a few hours for all those snow days we had to take. it was nice and relaxing, so i was grateful for the chance to do it. the day went on and i ate pizza at my grandma's then met up at mike's house to gather with the crew. you see, mike's wife, chealsey, had her cousin, john, come up from stillwater to hang for his late b-day party. he chose bricktown, so we ventured out to the strip and hopped around all night. it was a total blast and i'm soooooooo glad i made the effort to go. i don't get out much often, especially with close friends, so this was a real treat. uh, i think the pictures below are enough evidence...
me and mike eating sushi. (he was a noob!!! j/k)
the gang right before the sake bombs exploded...
buffoons fo sho!!!
so anyway, the weekend was a blast (like i already said...) and today was just as great. i got my dad to close our old phone account and now i'm starting to pay for my own service. included in the deal was my new HTC 4G smart phone. it's a touch screen and flippin' awesome. i just spent over two hours foolin' around with the set-up and applications. woo hoo!!!
alright, like i said, me and mike saw the cancer bats, so i think they deserve this nights music banter. uh, so without further adieu, here's The Cancer Bats.
this is a band that hails from toronto, ontario canada. they formed around 2004 or so, with the effort to make straightforward music that combined their love for bands like, Black Flag, Refused, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and probably d-beat, 70's-80's styled punk from england. their music is intense and brutal, but not in a jokingly, "deathcore" kind of way. (nothing against deathcore. to a point...) watching them friday night, i was reminded of some recent acts over the past few years i've seen like, Every Time I Die, The Gallows, The Bronx and perhaps some other artists that haven't been seen yet like, The Melvins and F*cked Up.
if there happens to be a chance to see these guys, go do it. they are totally awesome and put on a great show. they tore up the tiny stage friday night at this bar and there were probably only 30 people there. that's hardcore and it's what music is all about.
for the music, we first start with their self titled ep, then swing on by to their first full length, which is the album, Birthing the Giant. this is an awesome album by the way!!! right, so after that is their second full length, which is titled, Hail Destroyer. and after that is their latest full length titled, Bears, Mayors, Scraps and Bones. (really awesome album artwork there!!!) listen up and listen close. PLAY THIS LOUD!!! dig it...
back to the grind. the holiday was very nice and welcomed by me. i managed to relax a bit and catch up on some much needed me time. shoot, on black friday i went out and purchased six new video games!!! DUDE!!! six new video games that i now need to beat… here’s the list:
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Fallout: New Vegas
Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
God of War III
Demon’s Souls
in addition to these, on monday i checked out the cyber space sales and found three more games!!!
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor
MadWorld
so, yeppers. i got’s me some new games that will last me a LONG time. these need to be spread out over the upcoming year, so no rush to conquer them all. heck, i still have about ten left from the last few years that are all in the stages of being beaten. (most of them are about 75 to 85% complete…) don’t you hate it when you stop playing a video game and then come back and have to remember the feel of it all over again??? I DO!!!
anyways, back to the weekend. saturday night was an exciting one, what, with OU almost getting beaten by OSU at bedlam. OMG, seriously, it was a close game!!! very close… there were way too many missed plays to remember, but in the end, my team won and my family celebrated by jumping up and down, making the food in our stomachs churn and mix like cement. (mom made spaghetti!!!)
tonight will be my first practice for the upcoming native american christmas pageant. i will need to muster up all the strength i have in order to make this work. i was nicely asked, so i better step up and be a man, or in this case, joseph, the father of jesus…
i want to make this a one album post, so here is a little known band that kills every time i listen to them. they went by the name of, Mare.
mare was a very short lived band that existed from 2004 to 2007. they were from toronto, canada and shared members with the band, The End. aaaaannnnnnnndddddd that’s all i really know about them. how did i come to find them you might ask??? well, i did so by reading up on other bands such as, Isis, Jesu, Godflesh, Neurosis, Keelhaul, Converge, Botch, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Cult of Luna. as you hopefully can tell, mare have a close relation to the style those bands produce/produced. they were always mentioned when i scoped out profiles on that particular doom metal/post-metal/shoegaze style of music. glad i paid attention, because these guys were good. really, REALLY good, and they only released one ep!!! yes, ONE EP!!!
do yourself a favor and check these guys out. they were on the top of their game and remain legends despite their very short career and recorded output. if you like any of the bands i mentioned, this should work for you. dig it...
oooooooooo!!! last night i went and watched Paranormal Activity 2 and had a blast. it's not the most perfect movie, but you can't beat a fun movie watching experience. i went with several members of my family and we all got spooked bad. the film has a lot of those jump moments that try and catch you off guard, and for the most part, they work to great effect. i'll never forget how funny it was to hear the audience scream out loud while something happened on the screen. something like a fart under the blankets or a cell phone vibrating...
since it was soooooooooooo scary, i think i'll let you all watch some of Simon's Cat, because he's soooooooooo CUTE!!!
and in other news, today is another OU football game, so i guess i'll be watching that later on with the family. i think that's going to be fun!!! and so, let's get a bit scary again with some DEATHCORE!!! DEATHCORE!!! DDDDDDEEEEAAAAATTTTTHHHHHCCCCCCOOOOORRRRRREEEEEE!!!... seriously, that is the lamest thing ever, but the music is so BROOOOOTAL that it requires all caps people!!! okay, and so with the band then??? yeah, let's talk about the band, who happen be be called, The Red Chord.
the red chord is a band from revere, massachusetts that formed in 1999. they are considered one of the pioneers in the deathcore genre. of course, i honestly thought they were just a metalcore band with heavier growls, but then i noticed the grindcore dynamics, and now it seems to have taken shape and become it's own separate genre called, deathcore. shoot man, it's all just metal to me, but there are those purists out there that beg to differ, so i'm trying my best to list all references in honor of those tight pants wearing scenesters. funny how much i used to like this band back in the early 2000's. i got the chance to see them several times, and each show was bigger and heavier than the last. in my opinion, nothing really tops their debut album simply because it was radically different than most of the metalcore material that came out during that time. but as the years have passed and crab core has raped its way into the young minds of our nations youth, the metal genre's have taken more expansive routes, and thus, have begone to slide around and mix things up a lot more. it's a mish mash of all styles and you really have to dig through the garbage to find something good. the red chord are one of the best and are still around, tearing up the clubs and making the kids mosh. i just wish more people would mention them instead of all the others... and by others, i mean, Suicide Silence, Winds of Plague, Whitechapel, Emmure, Salt the Wound and Bring Me the Horizon. (not that those bands are terrible and such...)
time to rest, but before i go here's the music. first is their debut album called, Fused Together in Revolving Doors. after this is the excellent album, Clients and then, Prey For Eyes. and last is Fed Through the Teeth Machine. check these out and get scary and BROOTAL!!! or just get cutsey!!! aww...
http://www.mediafire.com/?j2zmm2zm5my
http://www.mediafire.com/?nmk0yit5muq
http://www.mediafire.com/?gd5nld5nu2i#
http://www.mediafire.com/?nrfinza3myy
if you have a ghost in your house, listen to a minority...
what a day. i awoke to the sound of my phone vibrating against my window ledge. it was a call from the local IHS. they asked me to come in for an interview around 1:15. this was something that came about from my previous attempt to apply at that location. for that past attempt, i failed to fully included every document in my application. take this as a note. if you are going for a federal job, be sure to read the application thoroughly and included EVERYTHING it asks. oh, so as for the interview.... i nailed it!!! i now have a job with the indian health services and i start this thursday!!! i'm still a bit shocked...
and since i'm shocked i need something spastic. let's listen to Daughters.
daughters were a math-rock/hardcore/screamo/grindcore band from providence, rhode island. they formed after the ashes of the screamo/hardcore band As the Sun Sets in 2001. the band quickly became famous for their intense and acrobatic live shows. the band members style and artistic talents behind their instruments and live setting was always something to behold and be aware of. too bad they called it quits this year after the release, of perhaps, their most accomplished work to date.
for the music you find their entire discography. we first start with the self titled seven inch followed by the excellent album, Canada Songs. we are then met with their Live at CBGB's compilation, (sorry for the rapidshare...) and then the polarizing album, Hell Songs. and finally we have their third and final full length which is also self titled. look into these for a bit and set the pace as fast as you want. this is all micro bursts anyway...
in some crazy surprising news, i just found out that New Found Glory, will be playing at the conservatory on september 11th. i'm very excited for this since it's an awesome punk club that's about the size of my living room and kitchen combined!!! like i've said before, it's those small intimate shows that are the most awesome. oh, and local hero's, Red City Radio, have signed to the label, Plaper + Plastic and will release their upcoming debut full length soon!!! sock it to me!!!
going on the third day of associated bands with Converge, here are a legendary act that are one of the most honored in the mathy/metal world of hardcore. i'm am of course talking about, Coalesce.
coalesce are one more of the "big four" when it comes to math rock/metalcore bands. the others are, Botch, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Converge. so, if you happen to like any of those artists, surely your tastes will be quenched here. coalesce have had a hard time throughout their sporadic history as a band. they hail from kansas city, missouri, and started way back in 1994 then ended in 1999. they reformed in 2005 with about half of the original lineup, with former members stacy hilt going on to The Casket Lottery and drummer james dewees playing with The Get Up Kids and forming Reggie and the Full Effect.
sadly, coalesce are one of those bands that don't get enough credit for how much they accomplished in their short time. it seems that just when they were about to explode, they implode, and then all the leeches come and pick up their styles and designs and run with it, cashing in and not showing respect. eh, oh well. that's enough of this old man talk...
alright, so right here is just about the entire discography of the band, minus the self titled 7 inch and the splits with Converge and Napalm Death. so we first start with the ep titled, 002, then follow that with the 7inch titled, A Safe Place. this is immediately followed by the full length, Give Them Rope She Said, which is a reissue, hens the longer title from "give them rope...". this is my personal favorite by the band and it's a great place to start. well actually, this next one might be my favorite, or i'll just say, second favorite. it's their second full length and it's titled, Functioning On Impatience. it's really dope and hits you across the face like some crazy person with a piece of lumber might. after that is the reissue of the ep called, There Is Nothing New Under the Sun. this album contains the original ep that was entirely Led Zeppelin covers, along with their songs from the splits with and Boy Sets Fire, The Get Up Kids and Today Is the Day. after that we come to their last full length before their first breakup titled, 0:12 Revolution in Just Listening. almost eight years later the band reformed and released the 7inch called, Salt and Passage. this kept old school fans happy and wanting more, which the band did, thus in 2009 we got the new album called, OX. this would be followed by the OXEP in 2010. sssssooooooo there you have it!!! a collection of music that will annihilate your ears and make a man out of you. or maybe even a woman... so anyway, enjoy!!!
well i finally got to see the series finale of LOSTthe other night. it was a bit overwhelming and emotional for me. you see, this series takes me back to my first year of college in santa fe, new mexico. it reminds me of a lot of things during that short time in my life. to see it all finally come to an end is sad, but also rewarding. i stayed with it all the way to the end just like i did with school. (my last semester almost didn't happen though...) but, like my college graduation, the show's ending left me a bit confused and saddened. after time has passed, i look back on it and see how certain things happened and what i should have done to make other things better. i hope i am more wiser now... and with the show, i look back on it and see how certain events took place and made the ending the way it was. i don't think television will ever be this good again, for a very LONG time. and once again, just like college, there was a time and a place for it...
continuing with my mention in yesterday's post about bands that are, or have toured with Converge this year, i now like to welcome the band, Keelhaul.
keelhaul are a very underrated band in the current scene of metalcore/math rock/post-metal. trust me on this one. if you dig bands like, Neurosis, Jesu, Isis, Pelican, Red Sparrows, Cult of Luna and Botch, you will like keelhaul. this band started back in 1997 and come from cleveland, ohio. they take their time between albums and have just recently released a new lp through hydra head records, which is an awesome label. i suggest you give these dudes a listen and see if you can catch on quickly to whats good in the world of music.
i'm geekin' out right now because one of my favorite websites has posted an album review of mine. the site is punknews.org and the review is of the new Deftones album, Diamond Eyes. i don't know, but for some reason this is really making me happy. i needed this and even though it isn't all that big of a deal, to me it is a sign that good things can happen. the key word here is "patience". we need massive patience in order to see through to our goals and the living of life. this is a good day for me. i can't ask for anything more.
what a rush of total excitement!!! let's get things busy with the band, Snapcase.
snapcase is a hardcore/metalcore band from buffalo, new york. they originally existed from 1989 to 2005. they called their first incarnation as a band, Solid State, but after several member changes they eventually went with the name snapcase. they recently reunited for some sporadic shows and a few european festivals before coming back to america. hopefully this will lead them to make new material, but all i can do is hope.
one of the best bands to ever grace the victory records catalog, snapcase were ahead of the game with their experimental styles of hardcore punk. over the years, the band garnered praise and popularity while touring their butts off all over place. they played on the warped tour twice and even opened for the deftones on their 1998 fall tour. okay, so if you are anywhere near buffalo on may 8th, then that's your chance to see them play again. they are playing alongside with the band, Sick of It All, so if you are brave enough, then go see them for yourself you luck dogs!!!
ending this post we come to the music. skipping out all their self released demo's, a compilation album and the comatose 7 inch, we have here all their immediate music to try out. oh, and i'm also leaving out their split with Boy Sets Fire. yeah, so in first place we have the album, Lookinglasself. following that we have the ep called, Steps. the next full length is a fan favorite and one of the best hardcore albums released during the 90's. the album i'm talking about is, Progression Through Unlearning. after that is the album, Designs For Automation and then my personal favorite album, End Transmission. this is the band at their peak of talent and it's an awesome piece of work that thunders down your spine when each word is screamed and each note is strung. dig it...
today was the start of several months of training in order to get my body in tip-top shape. i'm making some huge plans for my life and in order for those to happen, i need to get physically fit. so far, i'm terribly out of shape. i haven't worked like this since high school baseball, and even then i didn't always go all out. still, this is different and it's something i'm not going to quit. i'm nervous, or better yet scared, so i need to build up my confidence and strength and ability to believe in myself. i don't want to look back on this and regret a lot of things like i have been doing for the past year. this is my time and it's starts right now.
i want to mention an awesome band that is under the radar, but very respected amongst those who know. the band is called, Cult of Luna.
this is an awesome post-metal/post-rock/doom metal/ambient band from umea, sweden just like Refused, who i posted on last night. to describe this band without only using genre tags, i guess i'd say you take the metal heavyness of bands like, Isis, Jesu, Neurosis and Pelican, and then mix those with bands like Envy, Between the Buried and Me, Mogwai and the always amazing, Radiohead. the music is epic in a post-rock sort of way and it builds and builds higher and higher. it's amazing and very pretty music that gets interrupted by the ferocity of the lead singer who has a painful sounding growl. trust me once again when i say, this is awesome music and something not to miss.
today i have one album for you all to check out. it's their breakthrough album and the one that got them the attention they deserve in the underground. that album is called, Salvation, and it's a great piece of work. also, the video below contains some of their music alongside clips from the japanese psychological horror film, Suicide Club. enjoy!!!
ugh, i felt sick after eating mexican for lunch today. not that it was bad food, it's just that my stomach, for some odd reason, acted like it couldn't hold the food down. this is a weird situation since i love mexican food and i always have it under control. today all was not well though. maybe it's because i had a hot chocolate this morning and we had lunch around eleven, or maybe it's because of my nerves and stress. regardless, i feel much better now as i type this. let's see how the weekend goes for us. apparently, we are to get another massive snow storm coming this weekend. it's going to hit us saturday morning and drop over ten inches or so. i guess winter wants to mess with us one more time before it finally goes away for the summer. this is completely fine with me. i love winter and hope it can stay for as long as it can!!!
today is a massive post on one band. this one band is very unique and something i'm very grateful for discovering on my own. here today, is the band, Envy.
first off, envy is from japan. all their lyrics are sung in japanese and there is nothing wrong with that. when first listened, it doesn't take long for one to notice the depth and pure emotion that is contained within this music. envy are a hardcore/screamo/post-rock band that has been around since 1992. over the years, their music has greatly evolved from frantic screaming, to almost godly beauty in the form of lush instrumentals, and spoken word vocals. comparisons to bands like, Explosions In the Sky and Mogwai, are frequent and not far off, but that shouldn't pigeonhole them. they are one-of-a-kind in the fact that they pave their own way with their brand of chaotic elegance and graceful unrest. this is music for the sleepy ones who wake from nightmares with angry thoughts or peaceful feelings. there is a mix of all kinds of emotions contained here, that one must contemplate where, and who they are as an individual and a living organism. most seriously, this music can change your life, or change your day depending on your overall attitude and such...
it's been a real pleasure to know this bands music for a few years now. they hardly, if ever, come to american and play shows, so if by chance that opportunity comes along, by golly, TAKE THAT CHANCE, and go see them!!!
right here is their ENTIRE, discography. the only thing i'm leaving off are their early splits and 7inches because those are all compiled in a latter release, so you got it all here anyway. first thing to start with is the album, Breathing and Dying In This Place. take note, that this is an early release and it contains their spastic screamo/skrams style of music and not the post-rock style they would latter be known for. still, it's an interesting place to start, seeing as how the band has evolved so much over the years. next is the album, From Here To Eternity and then the ep, Angel's Curse Whispered In The Edge Of Despair. (you might want to get used to the long album titles, because the song titles can top it!!!) again, these are early releases and chaotic pieces of music. next we have two more ep's, titled, The Eyes Of Single Eared Prophet and Burning Out Memories. following those two we come to the awesome lp, All The Footprints You've Left Behind and the Fear Expected Ahead. this is the start of the bands change in sound and structure. they cut off a lot of the hardcore elements and begin to stretch out the song lengths and flow. check out the song, "chain wondering deeply" for a great example. okay, so with all of those behind us, we now come to what many fans consider the bands best work, the lp titled, A Dead Sinking Story. this is where i first started with the band, and to see them from their past all the way to their current present, i will say this is their final gap between hardcore/screamo to post-rock gods, and perhaps their best work. there is great continuity in this album, and all the slow buildups presented within are some of the best payoffs i've yet heard in music. the ideas behind this album are solid, and it's just really intense and satisfying to hear. now is the album for those hardcore collectors. Compiled Fragments: 1997-2003, is the bands best effort to put all of their hard to find material into one great package. all their early splits with bands such as, Sixpence, Endeavor, Iscariot, This Machine Kills, and Yapheto Kotto, are all contained here along with a few unreleased tracks, some singles, and live tracks. overall, it's worth it for those who are hardcore about all that stuff. following that release we come to the album, Insomniac Doze. this is their album following a dead sinking story and, like many might have thought, it takes the band into the post-rock world and almost leaves behind their hardcore roots. don't take that the wrong way though, because when needed, the band still rips most throats wide open. it's just that this time, it's all a bit restrained and more carefully used in conjunction with the dynamics of the song craft. the song titled, "scene" is probably my favorite track the band has ever done and one to check out below. phew, almost done here!!! okay, now for the last three. next we have the ep called, Abyssal. it's another great album and a short stop in between full lengths. but wait!!! the band hasn't released anymore full lengths yet??? no, no, instead they released two more split ep's with some well known bands in music today. first is the split with metal/shoegaze artist, Jesu. this split is awesome in the fact that envy seem to be doing more experimental approaches to their craft by mixing in some electronic elements. no, they haven't gone techno, but instead have tried out a minimalism idea, and for me, it works. it's great to hear and offers something new and different from the band. and now we come to the last release, which happens to be a split with, now emo legends, Thursday. this is the album that made many people notice envy, and that was entirely the point behind it. thursday are an awesome band, and they know good bands when they see them. they have often spoken highly of envy, and recently borrowed some of their post-rock style for their newest releases. it can most definitely be heard on this little split, and it's once again, totally awesome. envy are on the top of their game, and one band to not miss. give them a look see and lay back to listen to beauty and chaos.
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