NYS Music 20​18

Category: Album Reviews

  • Hearing Aide: The Big Sip ‘Sip Responsibly’

    America is in the midst of a funk revival and no place is currently funkier than Middlebury, Vermont. Home to The Big Sip, this town has helped the quartet grow their sound since they met on the Middlebury College campus in 2016. With Evan Mercer on the drums, Jack Cattabiani on the bass, Nick Schrope on the keys and Matt Dienar tackling the vocals and guitar, it’s easy to see why they have gained such popularity over the last two years. 

    This past June, The Big Sip unveiled their 2nd release, Sip Responsibly, their follow-up to 2017’s debut EP, Music for Clapping. This fantastic album starts with an immediate gem titled “The Worst of It”. On the first listen, the Elton John and Zappa influences drip out of the speakers but that similarity doesn’t do the track justice. This bubbly lounge song grows on you immediately with its slow crawling groove and sharp beat. 

    Following this is “Midnight Snek”, which sounds like a track from Sonic Spinball, my favorite 1993 Genesis game. When the band plays together, it’s organized cacophony with the guitarist’s high notes bringing the track to a whole new level. This song is very fun in a Richard Cheese kind of way and has a plucky solo to end the jam in this track. Jack really sets the stage for the third track, “Skucking Funks” with his infectious bass line.  Matt balances the vocals incredibly well with his guitar in this song and Nick’s synthy goodness is really apparent in the chorus. Overall this song has a rhythm to it that immediately gets stuck in your head as soon as you hit ‘Play’. 

    The second half of the album begins with “Parking in the Parking Lot”, which takes the mood down a notch with its soulful verses and emotional chorus. The guitar in the intro sounds like rays of sunshine peeking through the clouds while the beat drifts along like a summer breeze. The jam in this song is equally impressive when it takes a little walk, building up more and more before shimmering and diving back into the vocals again. 

    “Two Hips / One Night” starts off with some spooky synthesizer before the band kicks into the groove you’ve come to expect with this album. This song has a lovely mix of different styles and also features a spectacular saxophone solo from Jack to end the track. 

    The Big Sip concludes this album with a truly magical rendition of “Valerie”, the Amy Winehouse classic hit. The track itself starts off slow and unassuming with a lovely organ solo but grows as the first verse unfolds into the famous chorus. For a band that started out covering Vulfpeck tracks, it’s really nice to see them return to form with a cover of this caliber. 

    Sip Responsibly is a magnificent release from the Big Sip and an impressive follow-up to last year’s debut EP. Do your ears a favor and check them out on Bandcamp.

    Key Tracks: The Worst of It, Midnight Snek

  • Hearing Aide: Jeremy Discenza ‘Hearts As Vessels’

    I’ll be the first to admit that it took me a few listens to understand Hearts as Vessels, but I’m curious to hear more from its curator, Jeremy Discenza of Chittenango, New York. The new EP went live 28 April, 2018. First impression is that Discenza is formidable as a musician — he single handedly performed all instruments and vocal parts. Between interlocked, glassy guitar lines, 80’s horror movie soundtrack synths, and escalations to some heavy metal, we end up with a lot to think about. The music takes flight off the strength of influences characteristic of multiple genres, but most notably present is alternative rock. Fans of Stellar Young, Cymbals Eat Guitars, and La Dispute will likely appreciate many aspects of this melodic work.

    While this EP is a generally strong debut, its vocal production leaves room for improvement. This is not to say that Discenza can’t sing — he obviously is competent — but his potential certainly is not realized in this iteration. Track 1, “Burning Up the Night,” features a soaring, sing-along-able chorus, but it’s verse melodies would welcome a second opinion. Needless to say, Discenza stays introspective and nails down meaningful and conceptual lyrics in all songs.

    Hearts As Vessels has a lot of other great things going for it: track 3, “Destroyer of Worlds” includes twisting verse melodies and a driving chorus while remaining catchy and chaotic. “Destined to walk this Earth, created to watch it burn, is this all I am?” Discenza asks. This track stands out as the highlight. Additionally, the track listing on the album ushers the listener through a journey. The EP finishes off with “Goodnight and Goodbye Forever” whose guitar parts tie the album together thematically. In general, Hearts as Vessels does a standup job experimenting with multiple musical genres while keeping my ears tuned in — this is difficult for any musician to do and should be commended. If this is just the first release, I’m curious to see what other music Jeremy Discenza comes out with and how his abilities grow over time. In the meantime, I definitely give Discenza credit where credit is due.

    Hearts As Vessels is available for streaming on major platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and BandCamp.

    Key Tracks: Goodnight and Goodbye Forever, Destroyer of Worlds

  • Hearing Aide: Waydown Wailers ‘Backland Blues’

    Canton, NY  based electric blues outfit Waydown Wailers have released Backland Blues, their third album released on Woodstock Records.  The band, which was formed in 2011, is composed of brothers David Parker (vocals, guitar) and Christian Parker (rhythm & lead guitar), as well as Connor Pelkey (bass, backing vocals) , and Mike Scriminger (drums).Waydown Wailers Backland Blues

    Backland Blues is Waydown Wailers‘ third release and was produced by Aaron Hurwitz aka Professor Louie on the  Woodstock Records label.  Hurwitz who was given the moniker “Professor Louie” by Rick Denko of The Band, plays Hammond Organ on multiple tunes on the record including No Mercy,” the fifth track. The song also features some excellent guitar work by Parker and illustrates why this band has garnered so much attention by music critics in the U.S. and Europe as an outstanding electric blues outfit.  Another highlight of the album is “Another Bump In The Road” which feels more like an electrified Country and Western Tune.

    The band also included two covers on Backland Blues, “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” (Made famous by the Beatles and Elmore James’ “Done Somebody Wrong.” The band did a superb job covering these vintage tunes and it was probably a calculated gamble that paid off handsomely for a band that has a large following in the United Kingdom.  My personal favorite track on the album is “I Want Your Soul,” which is a tight little rocking number that demonstrates how well the boys play together as a band.  The tune also features a nice hard rocking tone with great slide guitar.

    The Waydown Wailers will be supporting the new album this summer, with their next date slated for Friday, August 23 at the Concert in the Park series held in Massena, New York.

    Key Tracks:  Back Door Woman, I Want Your Soul, No Mercy

  • Hearing Aide: We Banjo 3 ‘Haven’

    On July 27, 2018, as We Banjo 3 make their first appearance at the Great American Irish Festival, in Frankfort, NY, they will also be releasing their fifth album titled Haven.  As lovers of both bluegrass and Celtic music, these four musicians from Galway, Ireland have dubbed their sound as “Celtgrass” and achieved the perfect marriage of both sounds.

    The album starts out strong with the title track “Haven,” a song of wanting to escape the daily grind that surrounds each of us every day to a personal haven.  We each need a haven to regenerate and refill, and to each of us it’s different. Whether it’s a person, place, or thing, the song inspires us to find that haven and refuel our souls.

    Recently I spoke with band member David Howley about the new album and a few of the songs that really resonated with me. He told me that “the idea of (the song) ‘Haven’ came about organically. The world is crazy right now, probably no more crazy than it’s ever been, but we are all reaching a boiling point. Art, music and culture have always provided relief amidst the chaos. We realized that so many people come to our shows to dance, sing and step away a little from the every day, to recenter on what’s truly important. That interaction is what fuels us as a band, the smiling eyes or the tear of empathetic harmony that rolls down someones face, it means we’re down to our human level and that’s where people can be fully present. We are not claiming to know how to fix things or to change things; we just know how to get people to dance like new born baby giraffes and sing like they wrote the lyrics themselves.” And for those of us that dance like new born baby giraffes, we can totally relate. Music is a haven for us all and this song is a perfect depiction of that. Loved the song, and loved the horns within it.

    As you get deeper into the album, they pick it up in the next couple songs with quick tempoed banjo and fiddle numbers.  In “Light In The Sky,” you can’t help but be inspired to follow your dreams while, with “Sugar House,” you’re grabbing the nearest partner to cut a rug. True ‘Celtgrass’ magic these two numbers are.  I loved how the “Sugar House” progressively sped up, exhausting you and encouraging you to keep up at the end. You would definitely get your steps in on this one if you were on the dance floor.

    I’m a sucker for love and in “War of Love” you can’t help but reminisce about the one got away while watching them move on. Loved the beautiful writing and harmonies on this one with Sierra Hull.

    In “Annabelle’s Cannon,” you have the perfect blend of musicianship – great banjo, great fiddle and great mandolin in this number.  Okay, I just love the melody of this one which made it all great in my book. The beauty of it is that they each were featured perfectly, never competing with each other, only accompanying each other as they took turns front and center…and did I hear an electric fiddle or cello in there, friends?! Not quite sure of which it was, but great add!

    “Pack It Up” has a very folksy vibe to it and I specifically liked the progression of the song to the climatic end of musical movement.

    On “Marry Me Monday,” I love this love song’s vibe. It makes you want to grab the one you love, or would like to love, and take a twirl to this classic Celtic waltz. Definitely a favorite for this season’s wedding dances.

    “Sunflower” is an inspirational quirky tune. With lyrics about love, I found this number very uplifting and loved the harmonies on this one.

    “Don’t Let Me Down” is my favorite number of all on this album.  It’s a beautiful love song that is beautifully written, with beautiful musical composition and outstanding harmonies – a true example of less is more. You’ll see what I mean when you listen to it. Just beautiful! Too many beautiful’s? Nah!

    “Dawn Breaks” is my second favorite track on the album. It’s a true Irish jig mixed with a peppering of bluegrass music. It’s a perfect marriage of both and shows the true musicianship of all the members of the band in this number. It’s a party in a song; some mighty fine craic here!

    “Hold Onto Your Soul” is my third favorite.  Although a bit serious in its message compared to the others on the album, it’s beautifully written and conveyed.  I asked David about this song. He told us that, “‘Hold On To Your Soul’ sprouted from an idea our banjo wizard Enda had, a heartbreaking story that is so common in today’s metal health climate. He and I sat down in a hotel room in Tokyo and grew it a little more…we got together as a band and watched as it kept growing into the song it is now. It’s brutally honest, and doesn’t shy away from how it really feels to be down. The message of the song is that when your right there, as low as you think you can be, that’s when you just need to hold on a little longer and things will get better.”  This a message that so many don’t tackle. It’s something that should be talked about more, however, tends to be taboo. So through these lyrics, they speak to so many, sending a message of hope for tomorrow.  Although things may look bleak today,  just “Hold on for tomorrow / Your time will come / This too shall pass  / And there’s nothing to fear / Hold on for tomorrow.”  It’s an amazing number all around. I applaud them for tackling the subject!

    You can’t help but be happy listening to this album. I’m a sucker for a banjo and fiddle, but the compilation of the lyrics and music weave a story of love, adventure, hope, celebration and community throughout the whole album.  Although I’ve been around the Celtic music scene now for about twelve years, this is the first time I’ve heard their music and I was very impressed. They lived up to all the hype I’ve heard and blended two of my favorite genres to make the best of both worlds.

    Being a newcomer to their music, I asked David if he felt this album was different or an continuation of a story of their previous albums. “Our previous albums are all perfect snapshots of where the band was at a point in time. This album is a little different, it was written, recorded and mixed with a sense of risk. We’ve never been as honest in our writing before, from love sappy songs to songs about going to your ex-girlfriend’s wedding, we tried to stay honest and not shy from uncomfortable feelings. Mental health is a big theme of the album because it’s been a big theme in all of our lives, but we also wanted to portray that ‘Haven’ is a safe space for people to come and just be free.”  I look forward to exploring their other albums as well as seeing them live as I have heard they are highly energetic and this energy is impossible to capture in an album.

    Join me this year at the Great American Irish Festival to feel this energy, share their message, and welcome them for the first time as we are extremely fortunate to have them playing here.  Take a ride down, grab their set, grab their new CD and meet them as they bring their musical Haven to the festival.

    Key Tracks: Don’t Let Me Down, Dawn Breaks, Hold On To Your Soul

  • Hearing Aide: Allison Leah ‘Fly Home’

    In a time when music is being self-released by unsigned musicians at a breakneck pace, it can be hard to sift through the barrage of noise and hype. Finding something new and fresh with promise is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. For someone like myself who continuously samples new emerging artists, listening to Allison Leah was like getting a breath of fresh air.

    Leah has been making a name for herself across the state, from her New York City home to her stomping grounds in Rochester and Geneseo. The singer/songwriter even garnered some attention in Nashville when she spent a summer there cutting her teeth in the music industry. After years of honing her songwriting skills, she’s taken six of her songs and recorded them on her debut EP Fly Home.

    “A Love Song,” was the debut single from Fly Home. This pop ballad is a catchy number with its pulsing percussion, jangly guitar and layered vocals. However, the upbeat instrumentation masks the bittersweet lyrics about trying to hold onto a relationship that’s clearly long over. “Sometimes I wonder how we’ve made it this far. ‘Cause I see you with her and I don’t feel a spark. But keep pretending and keep me in the dark. That’s what we both agreed upon.”

    This song gives way to others which also have artful arrangements, catchy hooks, and relatable storytelling. There’s one about healing from heartache and another about venturing out into the world. Perhaps the most unexpected track on the album is “Black and White.” Leah addresses the issue of racism, appealing to people’s sense of humanity. “I met a man the other day and he recalls fighting hate for over decades. See? He wants his kids to learn to dream and play outside unafraid of the streets.” While the melody has a 90’s retro vibe (think Jewel or Lisa Loeb), the subject matter reveals a lot about Leah’s values and convictions about social justice.

    The EP ends with the title track “Fly Home.” Leah strips down the layers of instruments to just a piano and strings, baring her vocals and her soul. The straightforward melody creates a sincere backdrop perfect for the heart-rending tale about loving someone enough to let them go.

    Leah’s songs capture the joys and heartaches of coming of age, touching upon timeless themes of falling in love, heartbreak, self-doubt, empowerment, and rising above adversity. She has an indelible optimistic spark that permeates even the depths of sorrow in her songs. Fly Home is a harbinger of remarkable things to come from this promising young artist with a voice as sweet as honey and a heart of gold.

    Fly Home was produced by Jon Altschiller, and engineered and mixed at Chiller Sound NYC by Jon Altschiller and Danielle Warman. It was mastered by Scott Hull at Masterdisk. The Musical Director was Doug Derryberry, who also performed some of the instruments on the record. Additional instruments were played by John Hadfield (drums/percussion), John McFaul (bass), Eddie Martinez (synthesizer), and John Carroll (piano on “Fly Home”). All music and lyrics were written by Allison Leah, who sang all vocals as well as playing guitar and piano.

    Key Tracks: A Love Song, Black and White, Fly Home

  • Hearing Aide: Harsh Armadillo ‘Bite’

    The first ‘Bite’ sinks raw into your gums, perking your ears with sound. Harsh Armadillo and their latest four-track EP release is uninviting to the easy-listener. Regardless, you delve in for seconds and it becomes clear- there is no turning back. It’s “quick, punchy and powerful,” said vocalist Andrea Belaidi. Harsh Armadillo Bite

    Bite hooks your lip and reels you deep into the 24-minute storyline of Harsh Armadillo on the rise.

    Since their inception in 2013, the New Hampshire based ensemble is out for blood. Harsh Armadillo debuted their first full-length album Thayer It Is in 2014 and quickly began to draw crowds of 700 or more. Harsh Armadillo was named New England Music Awards’ Best Band in NH (2017) and has shared the stage with bands like The Nth Power, Kung Fu, Twiddle, After Funk and Kat Wright.

    The seven-piece is equipped with keyboards, synth and organs, saxophone, trumpet, guitars and drums making their soundscape endless. R&B, funk and soul roots create a whirlwind of driving dance grooves that are paired with slow feel-good vocals and melodic leads throughout the EP.

    Bite was recorded at Iron Wax Studio in Erving, MA with Alan Evans of Soulive. “Working in Alan’s studio was like getting catapulted through a black hole and emerging with no pants or conception of time,” siad Max Harris (saxophone, vocals). Harsh Armadillo looks up to artists like Evans which made the four day recording endeavor energetic and natural for the band. “It was just wild seeing how Alan did his thing,” said bassist Thomas Forbes.

    “The EP all works together in sequence. These songs are comprised of bits and pieces that make it different,” said Max. The band recorded the album together – all in one room, whereas it is typical for bands to record each part layered independently. “The intention was for it to be a cohesive unit. There’s something about proximity,” that makes it all flow, said Max. “We learned that it was okay to have bleed into the drum parts.”

    “Gravy” starts the EP off smooth, building in volume, before the drums and horns crash in unison. The groove is sharp and interrupts with syncopated off-the-beat phrases. Male and female vocals, funky guitar licks and changing drum and bass grooves drag your head from left to right with your feet. The feel livens up in the bridge with syncopated snare, contrasting horn pads and rolling bass fills. Soon you timehop, fired-up for the hot saxophone solo in “Two Wishes and a Truth.” When playing these songs “we want someone like ‘Sput’ from Ghost Note (one of our idols) to turn around and say: What was that?,” added Forbes.

    The new songs are all about pushing the envelope. Spoken-word rap in “Animal” contrasted by Dmitrys’ synth leads expand your mind. When the band digs through the bridge they become unstoppable, in full break dancing force. Songs like “Live Action” are amped up and refreshing from the laid back push-and-pull of the rhythm section. It drives hard, so you better hang on.

    Guitarist Camden Riley felt that the EP is “one tiny seed planted; It is a landmark of how we are as a unit [at this moment in time].” According to the band’s press release, “The EP is about biting hard into life and being the most unapologetic version of yourself possible. A lot of the songs have this swaggy feel that everyone’s frothing over these days. I think Questlove calls it drunk drums. Either way it’s an addiction. It takes a team to get this feel.”

    Harsh Armadillo is cueing up for the second EP release of the series within the next few weeks. Evolving with the changing times of the music industry Max Harris felt “You can’t put an album out every two years and still be relevant.” Harsh Armadillo’s second release “Blame Bad Habits” was exactly that – two years in the making, which became boring by the time it was ready to drop. Thus, the ensemble is ‘keeping it loose’ as they move forward not only as a band, but moreover as a tight-knit collaboration of friends.

    For those wondering about the ‘moldy basement’ – it’s Dmitrys’, the bands keyboard player. “It [actually] is moldy,” added Dan [the band laughs]. To this day, Harsh Armadillo continues to practice in the same stinky rehearsal space where they were founded. “That’s where the fun comes in.” It allows Harsh Armadillo to sound raw, capturing a live feel effortlessly on Bite. “An idea sparks the song…and then we start arguing in the most exciting sense of the word. The idea is growth – to push the bar one-hundred percent.”

    “Stay Harsh, Dan.”

    Key Tracks:

    “Gravy” is one thick serving of horns, backed by ‘2’ and ‘4’ on the snare. It cuts right to the groove and sucks you into the song. Tight melodic hits occur when you least expect it and the drums continue to push and pull you in time. Andrea’s smooth vocals, add the right amount of soul, half way through the track.

    The EP would not be complete without “Live Action.” As their press release describes, “It tracks the speed of the missile and shoots just enough in front of it to hit it.” With lightning speed it is too energetic to soak up the funk from each instrument. Guitars take the spotlight early on with hot, up-beat rhythm and a blazing guitar solo within the first minute of listening. It is ever-changing. “Live Action,” is all Harsh’s best ideas morphed into one; from funk to a jam band with heavy synth-lead, to soulful vocals and back around again.

  • Hearing Aide: Florence and the Machine’s ‘High as Hope’

    Florence and the Machine released their newest album High as Hope on June 29 and it feels like a blast from the past, still holding that classic Florence and the Machine sound known and loved by fans. This fourth studio album by the them was released by Republic Records and Virgin EMI Records. Being a big Florence and the Machine fan, like many others, I waited to see what this new album would hold with a slightly skeptical eye. Not having been as impressed with their 2015 album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful as much as I would have hoped, I wasn’t sure how the new album would sound, but to my delight it didn’t disappoint in the slightest.

    Florence Welch courtesy of Florence and the Machine’s Instagram.

    The ten song album, which was produced by Welch herself along with Emile Haynie, had a very minimalistic feel to it that grounded it. The album started with the song, “June” which has these lines that say, “And you’re so high, you’re so high, you had to be an angel/ And I’m so high, I’m so high, I can see an angel” which immediately tells the listener what this album is about. It’s about struggle, it’s about belief or lack thereof, it’s about love, it’s about drugs. The song then moves on to one of its singles, “Hunger,” which focuses on all these points. It talks about Welch’s struggle with an eating disorder and has the lines saying, “We all have a hunger” over and over, showing that every person has some struggle in their life. For her, it was an eating disorder but it could it be something different for someone else. Her voice leaves the listener with this aching feeling of knowing that’s what pain suffered in solitude feels like. It’s a pain we all know but seldom talk about.

    I could talk about each song in this much detail but then you would be left with a very long article so I’ll just talk about two more songs. The first song is “Big God” which was the other single off of the album and has the iconic lines, “You need a big god/ Big enough to hold your love/ You need a big god/ Big enough to fill you up.” This song really pulls into this minimal feeling of the album, having having the bass notes of a piano following it for half of the song before the rest of the ensemble comes in. But even this ensemble is a minimal one. This song, just like the others, has this continued theme of struggle and belief or lack thereof.

    The other song which needs to given some proper attention is “No Choir” which is the last song on the album. It starts by saying, “And it’s hard to write about being happy/ ‘Cause the older I get/ I find that happiness is an extremely uneventful subject/ And there will be no grand choirs to sing/ No chorus will come in/ About two people sitting doing nothing,” which really stuck out to me as a listener. The song has this very melancholy emptiness to it which I believe is this acceptance that the whole album rounds back on. It’s an understanding that happiness doesn’t feel as great as sadness feels awful. That struggle, belief or lack thereof, love, drugs – they all make an impact on us and it’s what we do with that impact that matters.

    Overall, I thought this was the best album Florence and the Machine has had since Between Two Lungs. It manages to keep an authentic Florence and the Machine sound with a more grown up set of topics. And it does this well, keeping itself well rounded between upbeat and mellow songs. The minimalist tracks throughout builds on this authenticity of the lyrics. It doesn’t need to be big and flashy to get it’s point across. In fact, being flashy would most likely only distract the listener from the main messages. You can listen to the entire album on Spotify.

    For more information visit Florence and the Machine’s website.

  • Hearing Aide: Pass Away ‘The Hell I’ve Always Seen’

    There comes a point in everyone’s life where their innocence is stripped, and they realize many of the sad realities of our society. Many people turn the other way to how dysfunctional American society can be and enjoy their lives in delicate ignorance, while others stare reality in the face and yell. When Mike Ireland and Kellen Robson of I Am The Avalanche and Eric Fairchild of Crime In Stereo came together as Pass Away to cut their latest album, The Hell I’ve Always Seen, that is exactly what they did. The album reflects the artists’ deepest fears and anxieties about growing up and living in our culture, and shows a more mature side to aging punk rockers.

    With heavy guitar riffs and crashing symbols, The Hell I’ve Always Seen is anything but light. However, through all the cryptic lyrics and punk rock growls, there is a glimmer of hope within the music. The lyrics reflect the darkness in the songwriter, while the upbeat, delightfully bright melodies express emerging joy throughout. Through the entire album, the singer seems to struggle with growing older in American society and what it means to conform to a mainstream life. He is depressed about and cannot accept melting into society’s mold, however, the music infers there is still happiness in his life.The Hell I’ve Always Seen

    The album does not represent teenage angst, as so many other punk rock albums do, but rather a group of matured musicians thinking profoundly about what it’s all about. Filled with regret, fear, and anxiety about life, it draws from those feelings everyone seems to have and asks if that’s what it’s all for. More and more people are forced to be cogs in a giant machine, just growing tired as society slowly drains us, and people don’t tend to ask, “Why?” The Hell I’ve Always Seen questions the reasoning for our societies decline, how we ended up where we are, and what is next, although not always in the most joyful way.

    Key Tracks: NOLA, Minus the Care, Brooklyn Sky

  • Hearing Aide: Five Finger Death Punch ‘And Justice For None’

    5FDPI was tasked with reviewing Five Finger Death Punch’s new album And Justice For None but after listening to it I was hard pressed to find anything to enjoy. Over the years 5FDP has achieved a reputation of sticking to a formula, this isn’t a bad thing by itself, some people want more of the same formula that 5FDP has mastered but then there are those like me that wish the band would at least try to progress their signature sound, every member is a talented musician and artist which is why I was so disappointed by And Justice For None. The band is trying out a few new things on the album while sticking to their signature sound which resulted in the album feeling like an experiment backed up with the tried and true.

    For some reason there’s a cover of Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s “Blue On Black” but 5FDP decided to turn the blues rock song into a country song. Let me repeat that. Five Finger Death Punch, the most mainstream current metal band covered a blues rock song as a country song. I’m not sure why or who this is supposed to appeal to but there it is.

    “Sham Pain” was an interesting experiment with some actual insight into Ivan’s inner struggles. Ivan showcased his range accompanied with a nu metal tinged sound that I wish was explored in more songs.

    “Fake”, “Top Of The World”, “Fire In the Whole” and “It Doesn’t Matter” are all standard angsty songs that have been done so many times by the band that it all feels manufactured.

    “I Refuse”, “When The Seasons Change”, “Bloody” and “Will The Sun Ever Rise” are obligatory soft emotional ballads that I can no longer take as genuine due to how common these songs are in every album.

    And for an added bonus there’s the cover of Offspring classic “Gone Away” that debuted on their greatest hits album A Decade of Destruction and I still can’t figure out what anyone was thinking when covering the song. All the emotion and heart of the original is replaced with Ivan’s tired woes of despair.

    Overall I wasn’t expecting much and I wasn’t wrong. The past couple of years have been rough for 5FDP and it shows. Here is a band that for better or worse is the biggest mainstream metal band comprised of nothing but talented individuals who fail to showcase that talent (for proof listen to Ivan from his Motograter days). I’m not going to give the album any more listens because it just wasn’t for me, I have plenty of 5FDP albums that I can listen to which sound 99% the same as And Justice For None. Instead I will be looking forward to Eternal Crypt’s debut on July 21st at the Bug Jar, checking out Ancalagon who have been on my list of bands to give a listen for a while now and when I get my paycheck will buy Necrostalker’s new album, Bloodstained. Three Rochester metal bands who are worth giving a chance. You can listen to And Justice For None now on Spotify

    Key Tracks: Sham Pain, Bad Seed, Blue On Black

  • Hearing Aide: Black Mountain Symphony ‘Peacetime’

    The winner of NYS Music’s March Madness this year followed up their victory with the release of their EP Peacetime. Black Mountain Symphony is a six-piece band consisting of members Annie Campo (vocals, violin), Bear Campo (vocals, keys), Paul Burke (bass), Jason Matthews (drums), Chris Peppe (vocals, guitar), and Charlie Burgess (vocals, guitar, Native American flute). Each band member compliments the other, and brings a unique skill set to the band culminating in the creation of their unique sound. Referred to as both a symphonic groove pop group and a rock band, Black Mountain Symphony’s sound goes beyond the confinements of genre.

    Their EP was released at the start of this month on June 2, 2018 and is a cohesive piece of work featuring six tracks. The opening song, “Closer” sets the tone for the rest of the album. It lets the audience know they are about to give their ears a treat as all six tracks are composed using real instruments – a rarity in today’s popular music scene. Campo’s somewhat haunting yet soothing addition of the classical violin is the stand out moment for me in nearly every track. There is something special about hearing a violin in recorded music today that adds an element of richness.

    “Scorched Earth” is the second song on the EP and serves to highlight their beautiful harmonies. These harmonies are very complementary to the music in the piece as neither instrument overpowers the other. Another noteworthy track is “Peacetime” whose title perfectly sets the song up for its peaceful and groovy melody. Lastly, (and a personal favorite) is the song “Walk to the Edge”, specifically when the male and female voices come together and sing what sounds like ghostly “ohs”.

    If you voted for Black Mountain Symphony in our March Madness or are a fan of their sound, don’t forget to catch them live as they tour New York State this summer!

    Key Tracks: Peacetime, Walk to the Edge