Category: Metal/Hard Rock/Punk

EP Review: “The Sound of Forgiveness” by Sleep Circadia

Genre: Metalcore/Prog

Rating: ****1/2

Full of surprises, dark energy, and musical mastery, Sleep Circadia’s debut EP is certainly the right way to kick off 2013 in the 315 music scene. After reviewing the lead single, “Gloom”, I have been anxiously awaiting the release of the whole EP, and am in no way disappointed with the whole product. Like the single, the rest of “The Sound of Forgiveness” is ridiculously heavy, full of melodic riffing and super slow breakdowns, deep lyrics, great grooves, and dark atmosphere. The greatest thing about this EP, however, is not what is in “Gloom”, but what isn’t in it that the rest of the songs have. This EP keeps you guessing, with different melodic patterns, song structures, and sound effects. The title track/intro song is climactic, building up the suspense as it opens up into “Set It Off”, and the whole record keeps that sense of curiosity at what will come next. It is beautifully produced, giving a creepy, confined tone that seems to open up and close you inside it at the same time. This sound matches the incredibly low tuning of the instruments and key of the vocals, making the whole thing seem so mysteriously dark. The musicianship on this EP is fantastic. The guitar tracks consist of choppy rhythms, shredding riffs, slow breakdowns, and catchy melodies, all in a creepy tone, and most of which are in every single song. The drums are phenomenal, keeping the time perfectly and alternating flawlessly between very fast and very slow rhythms of different styles. The bass has one of the coolest tones I’ve ever heard, which is really saying something because you can almost never hear the bass in a song. The vocals are incredibly low and well delivered, with great execution of both the guttural screams and the beautiful clean vocals. I must mention, however, that I have seen Sleep Circadia many times before, and their screams are better live than on the studio recordings. This sounds like a bad thing, but it really isn’t for two reasons; the vocals do sound good on the EP as well, and it gives you another reason to go see them play live. If, of course, the fact that their music is awesome wasn’t reason enough to want to see them live. Their live show is every bit as entertaining and heavy as the EP sounds, but seeing them live adds a whole new depth to the character of the band. In conclusion, I recommend “The Sound of Forgiveness” very highly to all fans of metal and hardcore for its creativity, atmosphere, quality, and diversity. I predict that the future is as bright for Sleep Circadia as their music is dark.

Go “like” Sleep Circadia and download “The Sound of Forgiveness” here FOR FREE:

https://www.facebook.com/sleepcircadia

Rock on 315!

-Steve, 315MR (Upstate Metal) BTLYAP

https://www.facebook.com/315MusicReviews

Quick Glance: Blank Flank

Genre: Cybercore

I don’t have much experience critiquing electronic music, so I’m going to give this a shot… For those of you interested in local cybercore acts, Blank Flank is worth checking out. A one-man act, Trevor Anderson’s Blank Flank is in its early stages, but shows promise. With only 45 likes on its Facebook page as of now, this is the least-known artist I’ve ever reviewed. Between that and the fact that the music is fuzzy in production, you can tell this brainchild is still very young. The best way to explain the music is probably this: imagine hardcore music played on a very early Nintendo game, with “My Little Pony” references for lyrics. This is the style Anderson is going for, and although I don’t understand it, I certainly respect it. Electronic music requires a lot of adaptation and spice, of which he throws into his 8-bit music fairly well. It’s easy for a lot of it to sound the same at times, but I think that’s because of the production. He does show some variety by coming up with different sound effects, intros, and patterns that would sound fantastic with a live hardcore band. It’s actually very fascinating to hear the hardcore patterns and style that we all know and love in a different format, and I applaud the ingenuity it takes to try something so obscure but interesting. For a side project, I think it has some promise to be a good primary project, but requires a lot of work. With some better production and more variety in sound and style, it could be an excellent electronic project. I honestly don’t know what else to say, because I’ve never heard anything quite like this before, so I’m not sure how to critique it, and it is definitely too early to see where it’ll go from here. What I can say is this: Blank Flank does not sound like anything else I’ve heard before, and with time and work, could become an act that cybercore and electronic fans all over the area will come to know and love.

Check out Blank Flank’s music here:

https://soundcloud.com/#blank-flank

Like it? Like him on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BlankFlankMusic

Rock on 315!

-Steve, 315MR (Upstate Metal) BTLYAP

Quick Glance: Fear of None

Genre: Metalcore/Heavy Metal

Reaching out a bit to the Long Island area, Fear of None roars mightily from all the way out there (I realize this is UPSTATE Metal and 315 Music Reviews, but I enjoy reaching out to artists all over the world). With a sound that combines “core” brutality and melodic sensibility, these guys prove that they aren’t messing around. They have a full-length album up on their page and on iTunes, and it is definitely worth a listen. The band seems to be a mix of styles that combine to form a unique, fun, blood-pumping brand of metal. I’d say that the best part of this band is their guitar work, which is full of heavy riffs, excellent patterns, and occasional variety in sounds (even ACOUSTIC, if you can believe that). The drums and bass are also an excellent rhythm section. The drums particularly show variety with some heart-pounding beats and technicalities, as well as some patterns that aren’t too common for modern metalcore. The lyrics are moving and powerfully delivered with alternating brutal and softer vocals, yet sound a little fuzzy at times. The vocals, among other slight things, show a little lack in production value, but it is made up for completely with the muci itself. This is a band that doesn’t need perfect production, because it’s supposed to be raw, gritty, and in your face, and the best way to do that is to worry about the music first and production second. They are able to accomplish the mission of showing off who they are without flawless production, and what they have far from takes away from the quality of the sound, as it’s still something to be proud of. In essence, this is a band that shows its determination and heart through its music, and could probably sound good on a tape recorder. In conclusion, I’d say that Fear of None is an excellent band with the perfect name, because they display no fear of anyone’s opinions or remarks; they just do what they want, when they want, and how they want, and it’s something I definitely appreciate about them and find makes them believable.

Go check out Fear of None’s music here

https://www.facebook.com/fearofnone

Then go buy it here!

http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/fear-of-none/id334436976

Rock on 315!

-Steve Sbiroli, 315MR (Upstate Metal)

https://www.facebook.com/315MusicReviews