The Academy Is...

Almost Here (2005)

Genre: Pop, Indie, Pop Rock
Myspace
Rating: 10/10

The Academy Is… first full length album Almost Here, released in February of 2005 was the band’s debut on their current label-Fueled by Ramen. Almost Here is an epic 10 song album. I hesitate to even call them songs, because Michael Carden (Guitar) and William Beckett (Lead Vocals) lyrics are deeper than Mariana’s Trench.

The opening track “Attention, Attention” starts off with a soft riff by Carden overlaying Beckett’s muffled voice, but quickly turns into the catchy pop-rock/emo that the rest of the album exudes. Tom Conrad (guitar) adds not only perfect complimentary backup vocals, but also compliments Carden’s lead guitar nicely. Andy “The Butcher” Mrotek’s flawless drumming adds to the beauty of this song.

The third installment on Almost Here is my personal favorite track. Entitled “Slow Down” this track unleashes TAI’s full potential. Carden and Beckett’s lyrics start off stunningly with the lines; “Close the door and take the stairs, up or down; ups and downs. And don’t pretend you’ve never been there…you kiss me like an over dramatic actor, who’s starving for work…” You can almost feel the emotion bleeding from the song as it plays through. Becketts vocals soar above the guitars of Carden and Conrad, Adam Siska’s bass, and The Butchers tight drumming. Conrad’s voice flies perfectly below Becketts through the entire song, making you almost forget the incredible job they are doing on their instruments.

Upon first listen to the album, I remember thinking there was no way that they could follow up a song like “Slow Down”. I was thrilled to be proven wrong, however. Track eight, which bears the name “Checkmarks” comes in a close second to “Slow Down”. It starts off very similar to “Attention” but is much more powerful, not only lyrically but musically as well. The Butcher’s drumming is absolutely brutal throughout the song, and they lyrics are probably the darkest of any throughout the album.

The final two songs “Down and Out” and “Almost Here” conclude the album perfectly. All ten songs flow perfectly into one another, and any pop-punk, pop-rock, indie, or emo fan would appreciate Almost Here, and there are lyrics anyone can relate to as well. I do hesitate to use the word “emo” because of the negative connotations that come with it. When you listen to this album, don’t go in thinking Hawthorne Heights-its miles above that. So don’t let their emo reputation scare you away; give this album and a chance, and maybe you’ll soar as high as Williams vocals.

- Colter

Within The Ruins

Invade (2010)

Genre: Progressive, Metal

Myspace

Rating: 9.5/10

Within the Ruins new album Invade, hitting stores August 31, will definitely be one of the contenders for Album of the Year in my opinion. Every song is memorable in one way or another that it is just so easy to love. Even for those who are not a fan of the heavier metal genre this album is at least worth a listen.

Designing Oblivion, the typical intro track provides a slow but steady sound that can ease your ears from silence to the powerful riffs and beats of the entire album.

Versus, being one of my favorite tracks on the album, has one message throughout the whole song. If God was real he sure does like to watch us suffer. Now although the message probably will cause a couple of true believers to dislike the song, I find it bad-ass when the the vocalist, Tim Goergan, is calling God out. The double bass pedal drumming is also incredible in this song, showing the talent of drummer, Drummer (coincidental name I guess).

Behold the Harlot contains all the basic qualities of a Progressive Metal album but continues to show that Within the Ruins does an excellent job of building upon a base, with everything they do throughout this song being clean cut. Behold the Harlots has some extremely powerful breakdowns and heavy moments in it, again making it extremely memorable.

Again another song with heavy hitting breakdowns from start to finish, Red Flagged, has the most power on the album in my opinion, while also at the same time having slick guitar riffs to show off the guitarists, Joe Cocchi and Kyle Marcoux, master of the instrument.

Invade, the single released before the album, seems to be a fan favorite to many, at least before the albums release, but I don't feel that it stands up to the other songs on this album. This was a great idea to release this song because if the fans thought this song sounded incredible they would be in for a real treat when the LP hit the shelves. There is no doubt that the song itself is incredible, but it just doesn't stand out as a very memorable song compared to the others.

There is always that song with the guitar riff that you just could not forget no matter how you tried, Ataxia is that song. If you are a fan of the guitar in any way then there is no doubt you will fall in love with this song. Its excellent guitar talent thrown in with some solid breakdowns. It is always a great thing when such a talented band throws in one or two instrumental songs.

Crossbuster has a similar approach to religion as Versus, in a way that it is fully against it, stating that you better not force your religion on the vocalist. Besides any of the breakdowns and riffs this song does a good job of blending into the mix of the album with nothing extremely memorable.

Feast or Famine has some of the catchiest chants I have heard in a Metal album, announcing that life is what you make it. However besides that it is mostly forgettable, if you are a fan of gang vocals or chants you will most likely favor this song over the others.

Oath, contains some of the greatest vocals on the album, where you finally get to hear the range of the vocalist, where he makes his voice go extremely deep to flow better with the slow paced but powerful riffs.

The Carousser is one of my top tracks for the album simply because of how amazing the guitar riffs sound, they are produced so crisp and flow so well with the song that it can't help but be memorable on the album. Although I'm sure plenty of guitarists will not feel the same towards the riff since it sounds easy to play and overused, it is the one thing in The Carousser that keeps me interested in the song.

Roads is six minutes and twenty four seconds of nonstop metal, the perfect way for Invade to conclude. For the extreme musicians this is the track where they will fully see the talent each and every member of Within The Ruins is capable of. It is hard to describe how you feel while listening to Roads, but I can't help but tap my foot and move my fingers around while listening to this song. It is that good.

Within The Ruins remade themselves, a completely different band from when they released their previous record, Creature. Within The Ruins new album Invade promises to deliver, and does not fail in any way for the Progressive Metal-Heads. If you are at all a fan of either Progressive music of any type of Metal then I highly recommend you give this album a listen. If you were a fan of Within The Ruins before this album came out then do yourself a favor and buy this album, you won't regret it if you do.

- Tom

Harbor Royale

Aspirations (2010)

Genre: Ambient, Indie, Post-Hardcore

Myspace

Rating: 8/10

At first glance, Harbor Royale is just your average five-piece post-hardcore outfit, but after one listen through their debut EP, Aspirations, you'll be hooked on these dudes for quite some time, if not indefinitely. The quintet from Utah recently just released their 8-track debut record and embarked on a 7-week tour across the midwest. Since then, they've only been experiencing success.

To begin the record, I would say that Harbor Royale chose probably one of the safest, if not the safest, tracks on the record. "Feels Like Destiny" samples what the band is capable of, but does not put forth any effort to showcase the extremes that they are able to push. It is an enjoyable, more indie song, with choruses, and all.

"One Of Those Nights" starts out with the high voice of frontman, Brock, with a very Circa Survive-esque approach, musically. The song keeps a steady, easy to jam to, beat throughout, but never really blows up or hits any huge sort of climax, which I was expecting. It really doesn't make the cut any less listenable, it just would've added another interesting aspect, and aside from the wretched vocal effects used in the bridge, I dig this track very much; the chorus, especially. I don't think it's too forgettable, but I am also unsure as to whether or not it can compete with a few others that appear on Aspirations.

"We were never pirates!" are the first words that ring out with the help of delay, as the third track, "The Arsonist" is initiated. I feel like this song could've had a lot more elements thrown it, because it never really reaches its full potential. I guess I could call this track another one of the "more safe" songs on the Aspirations. Nevertheless, it is a decent listen.

"Oh, Alaska", my personal favorite song off of Harbor Royale's EP, is the first to show any sort of programming or keyboards in the music, which adds a whole other aspect to the band's take on an indie experimental ambient post-hardcore sound. The lyrics in this song are also very memorable with lines like, "Your words like wolves, they're chewing at my bones. You love to see me so miserable," from the second verse, and the everlasting chorus, "Oh, Alaska, I'm frightened to say, that we might be doing things the old fashioned way." I had to repeat this track several times before I could even continue on to the rest of the record.

Excellent guitar work is the most standout part of "The Distance Is Treacherous". Tapping and delay are used so effeciently in the verse, that I couldn't even focus on anything else for the first few times. This song is nothing too special, though. Yet another "safe" song, with no real branching in the songwriting.

"I hope you know when you walk away, that everything this meant is just a memory" is the first line in the especially catchy chorus of "Lying Through The Cracks Of Your Teeth". This song doesn't really show Harbor Royale trying anything new that would stray from the rest of the ep, but it is another favorite of mine. It does, however, present a fury and urgency that isn't all that present in the rest of this mostly chilled out record.

"Waves Like Skyscrapers" is easily the shortest track on the record, clocking in at 2:13. The verses are pretty average, but they do actually add in some screaming with a Harbor Royale version of a breakdown, which is not actually that heavy, but still does the job. It almost resembles a chant, though. I wasn't honestly feeling this song too much, but it definitely is one of the faster songs on the EP, I think just to change it up by adding a few "breakdowns" in their debut effort.

The beginning of the end, "Asleep In The Deepest Dream", has a very nice, instrumental breakdown, almost reminiscent of They're Only Chasing Safety-era Underoath. It then takes a turn for ambient indie rock, in the verses, as you will have gotten used to by now. It doesn't really change for a while, being the longest song on the ep. They do add in a gang vocal melody to make it more epic, as the climax (and finale) comes to a close, with "We're all just burning out!" and a nice piano melody.

All in all, I enjoyed Harbor Royale's debut very much so, and with the hardships of being an up and coming DIY band, in a scene already drowning in similarities, I can waive the fact that they don't really try to break any mold or exceed any standards, just because they do it so god damn well. I am also interested in hearing Harbor Royale in a studio with much better production and live as well.

- Daron

CDVR

Electric Playground (2010) REVIEW

Genre: Electronic/Hip-Hop

MySpace

Rating: 4/10

After departing with I See Stars, Christopher Moore decided to spend more time on his solo-project CDVR. Now with the release of "Electric Playground" this Summer could CDVR be a hit or miss?

I just want to throw it out there that this record was very disappointing and only has one song that pops out. The stand out track "Electrocute To Galactic", is filled with superb synthesizing followed with a nice beat; the biggest con with the song is the cheesy lyrics. "Electric Playground" all starts off with "Lghtngndthndr" which is basically a B-Side from Brokencyde which you know what that means, it is completely terrible. The rest is basically filler with god-awful rapping mixed with a bad flow. Overall, the whole EP was mediocre and felt rushed during the observation.

Hopefully Christopher Moore gets serious with his music career because he has potential with a synthesizer but the song writing really needs work. Try sticking to playing in a post-hardcore band, Chris.

- Robby

Counterparts

Prophets (2010)

Genre:Hardcore

Myspace

Rating:10/10

In the stale genre of hardcore, numerous bands are emerging into the scene with nothing more than a generic sound and a fetish for breakdowns and basketball jerseys (Emmure). But the Canadian melodic-hardcore outfit Counterparts brings a breath of fresh air into the already overpopulated scene. Their debut full-length “Prophets” serves not only as a monument, but also a guideline for future bands in the genre to follow.

Right from the beginning of the record, the first track, “The Reflex Tester”, immediately begins to kick the crap out of you as Ryan Juntilla shows his skills behind his kit. They provide the perfect backbone for Brendan Murphy’s vocals as he yells/screams about staying true to yourself, finding who you are, and following your dreams throughout the album. “Goodbye Megaton” brings the heaviness with crushing breakdowns and dark guitar riffs as Murphy screams “Now is our chance to rebuild!”. Heavy as this may be, Jesse Doreen and Alex Re create some of the most melodic guitar parts written this year. The contrast between heavy and melodic is so prevailing that it gives you a euphoric feeling whilst listening.

It wouldn’t be hardcore if there weren’t a couple of breakdowns thrown in. And trust me, there are plenty for all you mosh-a-holics out there. Just throw on a pair of old gym shorts and start your windmilling and spin-kicking. The breakdown in “Only Anchors” will make you want to become an ADTR fan and “disrespect your surroundings.” If you aren’t sweating by the end of this song, something is clearly wrong with your sweat glands. But how could it be that one of the heaviest songs on the album is also one of the catchiest? Lines like “I’m standing my ground/ living for right now” and “only anchors can keep me from moving forward” will be stuck in your head for weeks to come. The quintet repeats this later in my personal favorite, “Sturdy Wings.” Thrashing guitars and tight drumming outline the framework until the break, which leads into the most melodic moment of the record. Murphy yells “this is where I belong/this is where we belong.” You will try desperately to get these lines out of your head, but soon realize you can’t as you return and listen to it another forty seven times. Album closer “Digression” provides the perfect ending to this epic as emotion pours not only out of Murphy’s mouth, but from all of members of the band.

Counterparts is still a very young band with an average age of about 18. But they have such a mature sound, even a classic metal-head could find something notable in their sound. Though the album clocks in at barely over thirty minutes, rest assured it will be played on repeat for hours.

- Dan

Hey Monday

Beneath It All (2010)

Genre: Pop, Rock

Myspace

Rating: 7/10

The new Hey Monday EP, "Beneath It All", is very well put together with a variation of lively Pop Rock songs as well as the calming songs (Wondergirl, Hangover) to just sit back and relax to. This EP does a great job of showing that the lead singer, Cassadee, has true control of her voice, never seeming to be out of pitch.

To start off the EP the easiest song to tap your foot to, "Wish You Were Here", has a very catchy beat and chorus and makes you really grow a liking to Cassadee's voice. She does a great job with her vocals in this song and gives it a lot more energy then it should have.

"Wondergirl" can be seen as the average song in the EP, where you will like it but will much rather prefer to listen to the other songs that have more energy. You can think of "Wondergirl" as a hybrid of "I Don't Wanna Dance" and "Hangover" in the sense that it is balanced between slow and energetic.

"Hangover" is easily the song that will be most forgettable on this EP, which is a shame because the vocals are just as good as any other song, but it is lacking the pizazz that the other songs possess.

Quite opposite of "Wondergirl" would definitely be "I Don't Wanna Dance", definitely striking itself as the hit of the EP. This song is as close to Disney style music as you can get while still keeping its rock attitude.

While listening to "Mr. Pushover" I can't help but feel as though I am listening to a country song, which is strange because the only part of the song that actually makes it sound at all country is the chorus. This isn't necessarily a bad thing unless you really hate country, in which case it isn't hard to just skip over the track.

"Where Is My Head" will probably be the second favorite track of listeners because it is extremely catchy but has the feeling of more Rock and less Pop, unlike "I Don't Wanna Dance".

This EP I believe is very fun to listen to however except for a couple of songs it is mostly forgettable. I am sure that Hey Monday put a ton of effort into this EP and I hope that they add more lively songs to their full length album in the future.

- Tom

Katy Perry
Teenage Dream (2010)

Genre: Pop

Myspace

Rating: 3/10

"There must be something in the water". Yes indeed, Ms. Perry, there must be something in it that allows people to enjoy your music, because it just doesn't seem possible.

Allow me to smugly enjoy that for a second.

Now back to business. Teenage Dream is the latest offering from Katy Perry, of lesbian kiss-loving and nude cotton candy cloud-riding fame. The album starts out with the album's title track, " Teenage Dream", and it screams No.1 hit right away, though that's not a bad thing in this case, definitely the album's best song by far. For the next few tracks, nothing else quite stands out, decent at that point. Then comes "Peacock" the point where you wish she wrote her own songs and didn't have to embarrass herself with such outwardly slutty material. The rest of the album is disposable, with nothing of value to be found save a couple of club banger-type tracks in the middle. All this being said, KP still has one rocking pair of knockers. Pay to preserve those, not her musical career.

- Gio