DEFY THE TIDE - SOTERIA

Defy The Tide released their third EP, titled Soteria, on April 7, 2017. This melodic heavy metal band was formed in 2014 with band members hailing from Pittsburgh and the surrounding Ohio Valley area.

If you’re a fan of bands like Evanescence and Stone Sour, you’ll want to check out Defy The Tide. While this EP is only four songs long (or short, depending on how much you enjoy it - which I did), you’ll recognize the band’s talent from the opening track, “Traced In Flames”. Carly Rose shows off her vocal range and is supported by electrifying guitar and bass riffs, and layered over steadily banging drums. “Catalyst” greets you with harder drums booming, and even more fancy guitar and bass work - the band truly shows off their instrumental talents in this track. “Primrose Path” commences with slow riffs and softer vocals, complimented by some heavier drums added into the mix.

Defy The Tide is a band that contains five highly talented individuals who come together to create a sound that is beautifully metal, while maintaining a softness that will appeal to those that like the lighter side of the genre. Soteria will please both hard and soft metal lovers - from the beautifully feminine sounds produced by Carly Rose, to the bass and guitar expertise, to the drumwork. If you’re looking for a band to check out, give Defy The Tide a try and purchase Soteria. You will definitely appreciate the skill that went into this album, so sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Tracklist

1. Traced In Flames
2. Catalyst
3. Primrose Path
4. A Spectre In Silence

Lineup

Carly Rose - Vocals

Jesse Scott - Guitar

Matthew Friede - Guitar

Greg Fristick - Bass

Luke Tenley - Drums

Check out Defy The Tide here:

https://www.defythetide.com/

http://www.facebook.com/DefyTheTide

http://twitter.com/DefytheTide

http://www.instagram.com/defythetide

Written by Har-Lena Quinn for Bloodrock Media on May 8, 2017

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KYLE MORRISON - PIANOMETAL

Kyle Morrison is releasing his album Pianometal on May 26, 2017. It is available now for pre-order on BandCamp, with the pre-order you get three tracks right away. This Atlanta based musician will blow your mind away with his vision and what he’s created on this album. It is truly a work of art.

Opening up with a track true to the album’s name, “Centrifuge” combines crashing drums, electric riffs, and introduces beautiful piano melodies into a metal medley. The piano is considered a classical instrument, right? It isn’t very often that you hear it used into metal, but this album will take this classical instrument and shed new light on how it can enhance heavy metal. “Hymn Of Blasphemy” will creates an atmosphere, so beyond comprehension, it will feel as though you have a mini-orchestra playing in your livingroom, for your own entertainment. “Mammoth” offers a true metal feel, the first track on the album that introduces deep, growling vocals, typically heard in heavy metal. The heavier vocals are complimented by softer, more feminine ones and a combination of piano, drums, and bass all of which are simply amazing and quite a bit heavier, so headbanging is sure to ensue. “Eye Of The Storm” is a bit of a softer track, but still heavily influenced by all things metal. It is much less headbangy (yeah, I just made that word up) and more groove, so you will move but whiplash is less likely to occur. “Seasons” showcases the piano a bit more, and confirms the newly found concept that the piano is as metal as an electric guitar, bass, drums, and growling - or anything that makes metal what it is for that matter.

Remember how I mentioned that you can pre-order Pianometal on BandCamp and have immediate access to three tracks? Go do that, now. Thank me later.

Pianometal rocks in a way that words can't even do it any justice - it is something that just needs to be experienced to understand. The collaborations and talent contained in this one album is truly mind boggling. Each and every song is dynamic and diverse - you don’t know what to expect next and the mystery is brilliant and no less than amazing. Pianometal is primarily instrumental, but it doesn't need lyrics or vocals; the dominance of the instruments, the beats, and melodies created by Morrison, they are so completely beautiful and wonderfully metal, that vocals would detract from its artistic brilliance. We salute you, Kyle Morrison, and every artist that contributed to Pianometal - it was truly a pleasure to listen to.

Tracklist

1. Centrifuge (feat. Dirk Verbeuren and Brian Canzella)
2. Hymn of Blasphemy (feat. Francesco Ferrini)
3. The Cosmos I - Martian Dusk (feat. Dirk Verbeuren and Paul Jacovino)
4. Mammoth (feat. Sean Z, Adrienne Cowan, and Sergio Pacheco)
5. Ocean Black (feat. Elias Holmlid)
6. The Cosmos II - Orion’s Curse (feat. Andrew Stephens)
7. Eye Of The Storm (feat. Justin Rogers)
8. The Cosmos III - Interstellar Survival
9. Seasons (feat. Chet Powell)
10. The Road To Eternity (feat. Dirk Verbeuren, Justin Rogers, and Jonathan Mullins)
11. Mammoth (Instrumental) - Bonus Track
12. The Road To Eternity (Orchestral) - Bonus Track

Check out Kyle Morrison here:

https://www.facebook.com/kylemorrisonrocks/

http://www.kylemorrisonrocks.com/

Written by Har-Lena Quinn for Bloodrock Media on May 7, 2017

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NEW FOUND GLORY - MAKES ME SICK

New Found Glory has been on the scene for twenty years. They’ve just released their new album titled Makes Me Sick courtesy of Hopeless Records. Diehard fans have waited three years for a new release from the band.

The first track, if you’ve been a fan, will greet you with the recognizable vocals of Jordan Pundik. You’ll definitely get vibes of the old New Found Glory pop-punk familiarity from the opening track. With this album, you’ll find that the band has graduated to a softer pop-punk feel - but this is not a bad thing. They’ve matured within the genre to still bring what you’ve become used to from them. “Party On Apocalypse” is a perfect example of this maturation - they’re still presenting a sound that fans can count on, but showing their control of their instruments and vocal talents. That isn’t to say they aren’t incorporating a harder feel at times in their tracks. If you were more a fan of their harder sounding songs, “Happy Being Miserable” will please you from the start - crashing drums, heavy riffs, and a song about someone who kind of sucks - you can’t really get more pop-punk than that, right? “Barbed Wire” immediately opens with electric riffs and powerful vocals, incorporating softer drums in the background until the chorus kicks in. The beats in this song are going to make you move.

So, New Found Glory fans, don’t purchase this album and expect exactly the same sound we’re used to. This album presents a maturation of the genre we’ve grown to love - and that isn’t a bad thing. While this album may not sound like the classic pop-punk we’ve grown up with in every track, it is an album that’s a more adult version of the genre - proving that a genre can evolve over time and stay relevant while still weaving classic stylings into it. You won’t be disappointed with what the band has grown into - at least, I know I wasn’t disappointed with this sound.

Tracklist

1. Your Jokes Aren’t Funny
2. Party On Apocalypse
3. Call Me Anti-Social
4. Happy Being Miserable
5. The Sound Of Two Voices
6. Blurred Vision
7. Say It Don’t Spray It
8. Barbed Wire
9. Short And Sweet
10. The Cheapest Thrill

Lineup

Jordan Pundik - Lead Vocals

Chad Gilbert - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

Ian Grushka - Bass Guitar

Cyrus Bolooki - Drums, Percussion

Check out New Found Glory here:

https://www.newfoundglory.com/

http://www.facebook.com/newfoundglory

https://www.instagram.com/newfoundglory/

https://twitter.com/newfoundglory

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1TAp7wegA0AoGJ5kJmHbPw

Written by Har-Lena Quinn for Bloodrock Media

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RED MOON ARCHITECT - RETURN OF THE BLACK BUTTERFLIES

Red Moon Architect is releasing their new album, Return Of The Black Butterflies on May 19th courtesy of Inverse Records. A little background on this group - they are from Kouvola, a town in Finland known for being the ‘largest lighted cemetery’. So it makes perfect sense that a funeral doom metal band was born - their musical style appropriately representing where they originate from.

The first track, appropriately named “The Haunt”, will leave you feeling just that way - haunted. There are no lyrics to this track, just a haunting instrumental melody to start off the album. And then something surprising happens, the second track, “Tormented”, begins with slow riffs, slow drums, and then the growling vocals of Ville kick in - but they’re then joined by the feminine, beautiful vocals of Anni - creating a smooth and seamless transition between the two. “Return Of The Black Butterflies” starts off slower, helping build anticipation, until the crashing drums and hard riffs begin and you realize it’s about to be a wild ride. The low, rumbling vocals accompany softer vocals blended in the background. “End of Days” begins with an almost soothing, lullaby sound to it - until the drums resound, the bass joins in and the vocals begin, that is.

Red Moon Architect display their dynamic, diverse sound throughout Return Of The Black Butterflies. While this album is only six songs long, that is long enough for this group to present their talent - with their instruments, and their combination of exceedingly deep, masculine vocals and their feminine counterpart. They’ve mixed the growling of metal with a soft, dainty voice, which overall helps to enhance the obvious complexity of what they’ve accomplished with this album. If you’ve never listened to them before, this would definitely be an album to purchase to start your fandom. If you’re already a fan, you will love what Return Of The Black Butterflies and Red Moon Architect have in store for you this time.

Tracklist

1. The Haunt
2. Tormented
3. Return Of The Black Butterflies
4. Journey
5. End of Days
6. NDE

Lineup

Saku Moilanen – Drums & Keyboard

Ville Rutanen – Vocals

Matias Moilanen – Guitar

Anni Viljanen – Vocals

Jukka Jauhiainen – Bass

Check out Red Moon Architect here:

http://www.facebook.com/RedMoonArchitect/
http://twitter.com/RMAmetal
http://www.instagram.com/redmoonarchitect/

Written by Har-Lena Quinn for Bloodrock Media on May 3, 2017

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INCUBUS - 8

Incubus is back, releasing their eighth full-length album since the band’s creation in 1991, courtesy of Island Records. The album is appropriately titled 8, and was released on April 21st, 2017 - this was the longest fans have ever had to wait between releases for the band. Incubus has been relevant for a super long time, right?

The opening track, “No Fun” kicks off with a bit of a harder sound, until Boyd’s orgasmic vocals fill your ears (yes, I said orgasmic). “Nimble Bastard” shows off some more drum work and the talent that Jose Pasillas brings to the band. “Glitterbomb” will remind you of old school Incubus, with dirty, groove filled beats, seductive bass and just the right amount of drum to take you there (where? THERE). “Loneliest” is a song that will drag you through a range of emotions - you’ll be sad, but you’ll want to feel some love, and also inexplicably have the desire to slow dance with a random dude (or chick) to this slow, heartbreak inducing song. You’ll be perked right back up though from the opening of the next song - “When I Became A Man”. You’ll get a mariachi band feel from the beginning of this song, which is only 57 seconds long, as a little pick-me-up palate cleanser. “Make No Sound In The Digital Forest” is a song in which the band just shows off their musical talents - beats, bass, and drums, sans vocals - staying true to the title of the track.

Let me tell you - when I say that Incubus is back, they are back. No wonder it took so long for this album to come out - you can’t rush perfection. You also can’t ever hate on a band for staying true to the sound they’ve boasted from the beginning. They do not disappoint with 8. They introduce some newer sounds while still incorporating what earned them their fame and fans. If you are a diehard Incubus fan, go get this album, listen to it, revel in it, think of me when you do (I mean only if you want to). I also just need to get this off my chest - I would still have Brandon Boyd’s illegitimate baby (or multiple babies....Brandon, call me).

Tracklist

1. No Fun
2. Nimble Bastard
3. State of the Art
4. Glitterbomb
5. Undefeated
6. Loneliest
7. When I Became A Man
8. Familiar Faces
9. Love In A Time Of Surveillance
10. Make No Sound In The Digital Forest
11. Throw Out The Map

Lineup

Brandon Boyd - Guitar, vocals

Mike Einziger - Piano

Jose Pasillas - Drums

Chris Kilmore - Turntable

Ben Kenney - Bass guitar

Check out Incubus here:

https://www.facebook.com/incubus

https://twitter.com/incubusband

https://myspace.com/incubus

https://www.youtube.com/user/IncubusVEVO

http://www.incubushq.com/

Written by Har-Lena Quinn for Bloodrock Media on May 2, 2017

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