So, I'm debating about what to write about next. Honestly, I'm afraid this thing is gonna die before it really gets off the ground, because I'll run out of ideas. However, I got a nice jump start today, with a slew of new music news that's pumped me up.
-August Burns Red's new album is DONE and the guys are predicting late June to early July for the release. I'm excited to see what Bible verses will be in it. Apparently, they'll be spoken word, in order to make sure that people know what's being said.
-The Devil Wears Prada's new album is out on May 5th. They've already posted a new song, "Dez Moines", which is pretty awesome. I like the guitar hovering over the breakdowns, rather than being mixed in. And now, they've got a live version of "I Hate Buffering", which too, is good. I still want to hear "Assistant to the Regional Manager" though....
-Techno Rock band And Then There Were None are shooting two videos, one for "Reinventing Robert Cohn" and one for "Thank the Watchmaker". Its been a while since I saw a decent techno video.
-Grindcore act Impending Doom is recording a video for "Serpent Servant". These guys are beast, but their videos are kinda lame. Hopefully this is better.
And now for the three things I'm anticipating the most:
3. Everyday Sunday is releasing "The Best Night of our Lives" on June 16th. Their last album, "Wake up! Wake up!" was awesome, and I have high hopes for it.
2. Relient K is recording a new album, and they've put up their first of four studio videos! I tell ya what, if I ever record an album professionally, I want to work with Mark Townsend. The man is amazing. And being in the studio with his would be so much fun. So yeah. My only problem is that all you get to hear in the video is some bass lines and a few drums. No doubt, it sounds good, but its difficult to gather anything about it. I don't care though. I'm excited. Also, Ethan Luck (the new drummer) seems so out of place, physically. He's all tattooed, he looks gruff, and he's got some piercings. But I love the man. His work with Demon Hunter (as their guitarist) is awesome, and he seems to really fit with the Relient K guys.
1. As Cities Burn will be releasing "Hell or High Water" on April 21st, and in celebration, they've got a new song up. "84' Sheep Dog". Its easily recognizable as an ACB song, complete with the distinct chord progressions that I've yet to hear anyone else utilize. However, its definitely still progress. Progress, but within the same, unique style. I'm not sure what's best about the song. The orderly chaos, the signature ACB guitar riffs, the faint bit of synth going on, or the guest vocals by previous vocalist TJ. TJ originally did the screams, but left after the first album to be with his family, so his brother Cody took over full vocal duty(as opposed to just doing clean vocals), essentially eliminating screams. However, TJ's signature scream is back, if only as a guest, and I couldn't be more excited. I'm interested to be able to distinctly learn the lyrics, other than the repeated "They fixed your brain, when you were young". I'm interested to hear what they're talking about. They always have deep lyrics. "What is love without trust? At my bid, would you bring your Isaac?" Oh yeah, I'm pumped.
Now I just figure out what to write about next. I was planning on doing something more light and happy (as opposed to the darker ABR post I did). Maybe The Rocket Summer, or Relient K. Seabird is also a potential choice, and Sent By Ravens. I dunno. As Cities Burn have officially thrown me into chaos. Go listen.
As Cities Burn Myspace
Relient K Studio Webisode
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Your life fell apart in your hands and you've got the scars to prove it
I never really got into hardcore music(note, when I say hardcore, I'm referring to it as a very very broad term, not a specific term) until college. Sure, senior year of college, I had one song by Underoath, and it was pretty awesome. "Reinventing Your Exit", off of the album "They're Only Chasing Safety". But really, let's be honest. That album was definitely on the lighter side of hardcore. Especially that song. However, in college, I was introduced to a variety of bands by a man named Jon, who would later go onto be a major influence in my life. Somewhat of a mentor, if you will. He introduced me to such bands as Haste the Day, He is Legend, and August Burns Red. Over time, he's introduced me to many more (the latest probably being Mychildren, Mybride). August Burns Red is the subject of this post.
August Burns Red, henceforth referred to as ABR, encompasses a few genres, like all hardcore music. I believe that most people, including myself, tend to refer to it as “technical metalcore”, aka, “mathcore”. Yes, mathcore. I wonder what kind of math sometimes. Calculuscore? Non-Euclidean Geometrycore? Algebracore? Either way, it doesn’t matter. What ABR does is technical, to say the least. The guitars are spot on in their riffs, the drummer hits with precision(and has a really nice set of cymbals), and the breakdowns are amazing, to say the least. The vocals, too, are amazing. An all around success. And unlike many hardcore bands, I liked them on the first go through. Haste the Day, for instance, was the first hardcore band that I really listened to. And I hated them the first couple times through. Same with Blessthefall, He is Legend, and others. But no, ABR hit me from the start.
Their first big album, “Thrill Seeker” was put out by Solid State Records. While not as good as “Messengers”, it’s still an amazing album. Especially four of the tracks. The opener, and single, “Your Little Suburbia is in Ruins” kicks things off. Like most of their standout tracks, it’s a brutal crushing song with a message. In this case, it’s simple. “Lend a hand and break the chains of regularity that you lean so closely upon.” The song is about getting caught in the routine of things. I know it may not be immediately apparent, but ABR is a Christian group. Their music speaks for itself. Regularity is a big problem nowadays. People go to church because they’ve been their whole lives, but they don’t go because they love Christ. They pray meaningless prayers because that’s what they were taught, not because they want to grow closer to Christ. It’s no surprise that they’d write this. Nominalism is rampant throughout the states, and it’s not good. We’ve made a suburbia that consists of white picket fences. What we need is love, and devotion, not routine.
Also noteworthy is “Barbarian”, which contains one my favorite lyrics. “Dance until the end my friend, and find joy in every living thing. Optimism, it’s not a choice, it’s a belief.” There’s a lot of junk going on in the world, and a lot of mistakes. But we can make it through.
“Eve of the End” is a sweet instrumental track that busts into the epic ending, “The Seventh Trumpet”. If there was any doubt on ABR’s beliefs, it ends here. It’s a call to end the obsession with temporary pleasures and focus on the world to come. “Something big is going to happen, something so big it could forever change the world.”
Moving on to “Messengers”, but favorite of the two albums, we get some more amazing lyrics. The instrumentation is better, and the message is still there. We have a problem, and Christ is the answer. “The truth hurts, but denial’s what will kill you.” Once again, they present a problem that we in America struggle with. “Materialism”. Glen talked at aCRe one night, and told us a story about a man. The man said that he would rather have a son addicted to pornography than be materialistic, and would rather have his daughter get pregnant before marriage than to have her be materialistic. I think he’s kinda right. It’s a big problem, and it breeds bigger problems. We’ve got to get rid of it, but we cling to it strongly. We buy things that we don’t need, things that are useless and won’t last. We buy it on a whim. I’m guilty of this, I know. It’s not something I’m happy with. But it can be fixed through Christ.
American Dream” follows the same theme. But it’s not all gloom and doom. “Composure” talks about something we all go through. Despair and trials. “Your life fell apart in your hands, and you’ve got the scars to prove it.” But it’s not hopeless. “Composure” is probably the best track on the album, possibly the best song that they’ve written. It keeps presenting problem after problem, much like what we go through in life. “More and more your demeanor looks like quicksand. It seems like you’re giving up on everything you worked for. It’s pulling you under. It’s gripping around your throat.” And then, it hits you. Don’t turn your back on the strongest crutch you’ve ever had. There’s hope. You’ve got friends who’ve been through the same thing. And you’ve got Christ. We’ve been going through Revelation in aCRe, and the first thing we covered was the pictures of Christ presented in the book. One important thing is that Jesus knows what we’ve been through, because he went through it all, and more. He knows our struggles, our trials, and our falls. Because he too went through it. “They have always been there to brace your fall”. If I could use one word to describe this song, it would be “hope”. Christ didn’t put us here alone. He gave us brothers and sisters to help us through our struggles, and he himself is there for us. “It’s time to gain some ground.”
I suppose the last track I want to talk about it, once again, the epic ending. In this case, it’s a humble cry for help. They’ve presented the problem. Now, they admit fully that they suffer with the same thing, and I think that’s important. They aren’t some group of preachers who roam around on college campuses proclaiming that we’re all horrible people, but they are perfect. Strange as it may seem, I’ve witnessed guys proclaiming that. Luckily, there’s at least one good guy who goes from campus to campus preaching. But I have literally heard a guy say that he never sins. And that’s a flat out lie. ABR puts in simply. They need Christ as much as we do. They aren’t above us, they are right there with us. That’s why they hang around after shows and talk with people. “I am just a man with a heart and sinful hands. I am a fallen victim. Lord, show me the way.” Powerful stuff. The song is filled with it. “Be my strength, be my voice, my glory.
So yeah, that was longer than it was supposed to be. But that’s beside the point. ABR is an amazing band, but what really puts them out there is this: This isn’t just music. This is a message that we need to here. We have a problem, and we have to face it. Christ is here for us, and he’s going to continue to be with us until the end. The Bible tells us the same thing. Romans tells us that we all fall short of the glory of God. Thankfully, we have Christ, because I know that I wouldn’t be anything without him. And that needs to be told to the masses. I think one of the reasons that ABR uses this style of music is because we need to reach the people out in the clubs, in the bars, getting drunk and listening to horribly negative music. Take that style, and change the message to hope. They’ll listen to it. I’ve seen it happen. Sure, ABR loves this style of music, and God has blessed them with a talent to play it. But it’s a tool to spread God’s love. And that folks, is the end of my first blog post thingy. Watch the video if you want.
August Burns Red: Composure
August Burns Red, henceforth referred to as ABR, encompasses a few genres, like all hardcore music. I believe that most people, including myself, tend to refer to it as “technical metalcore”, aka, “mathcore”. Yes, mathcore. I wonder what kind of math sometimes. Calculuscore? Non-Euclidean Geometrycore? Algebracore? Either way, it doesn’t matter. What ABR does is technical, to say the least. The guitars are spot on in their riffs, the drummer hits with precision(and has a really nice set of cymbals), and the breakdowns are amazing, to say the least. The vocals, too, are amazing. An all around success. And unlike many hardcore bands, I liked them on the first go through. Haste the Day, for instance, was the first hardcore band that I really listened to. And I hated them the first couple times through. Same with Blessthefall, He is Legend, and others. But no, ABR hit me from the start.
Their first big album, “Thrill Seeker” was put out by Solid State Records. While not as good as “Messengers”, it’s still an amazing album. Especially four of the tracks. The opener, and single, “Your Little Suburbia is in Ruins” kicks things off. Like most of their standout tracks, it’s a brutal crushing song with a message. In this case, it’s simple. “Lend a hand and break the chains of regularity that you lean so closely upon.” The song is about getting caught in the routine of things. I know it may not be immediately apparent, but ABR is a Christian group. Their music speaks for itself. Regularity is a big problem nowadays. People go to church because they’ve been their whole lives, but they don’t go because they love Christ. They pray meaningless prayers because that’s what they were taught, not because they want to grow closer to Christ. It’s no surprise that they’d write this. Nominalism is rampant throughout the states, and it’s not good. We’ve made a suburbia that consists of white picket fences. What we need is love, and devotion, not routine.
Also noteworthy is “Barbarian”, which contains one my favorite lyrics. “Dance until the end my friend, and find joy in every living thing. Optimism, it’s not a choice, it’s a belief.” There’s a lot of junk going on in the world, and a lot of mistakes. But we can make it through.
“Eve of the End” is a sweet instrumental track that busts into the epic ending, “The Seventh Trumpet”. If there was any doubt on ABR’s beliefs, it ends here. It’s a call to end the obsession with temporary pleasures and focus on the world to come. “Something big is going to happen, something so big it could forever change the world.”
Moving on to “Messengers”, but favorite of the two albums, we get some more amazing lyrics. The instrumentation is better, and the message is still there. We have a problem, and Christ is the answer. “The truth hurts, but denial’s what will kill you.” Once again, they present a problem that we in America struggle with. “Materialism”. Glen talked at aCRe one night, and told us a story about a man. The man said that he would rather have a son addicted to pornography than be materialistic, and would rather have his daughter get pregnant before marriage than to have her be materialistic. I think he’s kinda right. It’s a big problem, and it breeds bigger problems. We’ve got to get rid of it, but we cling to it strongly. We buy things that we don’t need, things that are useless and won’t last. We buy it on a whim. I’m guilty of this, I know. It’s not something I’m happy with. But it can be fixed through Christ.
American Dream” follows the same theme. But it’s not all gloom and doom. “Composure” talks about something we all go through. Despair and trials. “Your life fell apart in your hands, and you’ve got the scars to prove it.” But it’s not hopeless. “Composure” is probably the best track on the album, possibly the best song that they’ve written. It keeps presenting problem after problem, much like what we go through in life. “More and more your demeanor looks like quicksand. It seems like you’re giving up on everything you worked for. It’s pulling you under. It’s gripping around your throat.” And then, it hits you. Don’t turn your back on the strongest crutch you’ve ever had. There’s hope. You’ve got friends who’ve been through the same thing. And you’ve got Christ. We’ve been going through Revelation in aCRe, and the first thing we covered was the pictures of Christ presented in the book. One important thing is that Jesus knows what we’ve been through, because he went through it all, and more. He knows our struggles, our trials, and our falls. Because he too went through it. “They have always been there to brace your fall”. If I could use one word to describe this song, it would be “hope”. Christ didn’t put us here alone. He gave us brothers and sisters to help us through our struggles, and he himself is there for us. “It’s time to gain some ground.”
I suppose the last track I want to talk about it, once again, the epic ending. In this case, it’s a humble cry for help. They’ve presented the problem. Now, they admit fully that they suffer with the same thing, and I think that’s important. They aren’t some group of preachers who roam around on college campuses proclaiming that we’re all horrible people, but they are perfect. Strange as it may seem, I’ve witnessed guys proclaiming that. Luckily, there’s at least one good guy who goes from campus to campus preaching. But I have literally heard a guy say that he never sins. And that’s a flat out lie. ABR puts in simply. They need Christ as much as we do. They aren’t above us, they are right there with us. That’s why they hang around after shows and talk with people. “I am just a man with a heart and sinful hands. I am a fallen victim. Lord, show me the way.” Powerful stuff. The song is filled with it. “Be my strength, be my voice, my glory.
So yeah, that was longer than it was supposed to be. But that’s beside the point. ABR is an amazing band, but what really puts them out there is this: This isn’t just music. This is a message that we need to here. We have a problem, and we have to face it. Christ is here for us, and he’s going to continue to be with us until the end. The Bible tells us the same thing. Romans tells us that we all fall short of the glory of God. Thankfully, we have Christ, because I know that I wouldn’t be anything without him. And that needs to be told to the masses. I think one of the reasons that ABR uses this style of music is because we need to reach the people out in the clubs, in the bars, getting drunk and listening to horribly negative music. Take that style, and change the message to hope. They’ll listen to it. I’ve seen it happen. Sure, ABR loves this style of music, and God has blessed them with a talent to play it. But it’s a tool to spread God’s love. And that folks, is the end of my first blog post thingy. Watch the video if you want.
August Burns Red: Composure
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Obligatory Opening Post
"Boys speak in rhythm, and girls in chords" - Anberlin
So yes, blogs. I've debated doing this for a while now, mostly because sometimes I get the urge to write about music. Sometimes, music that I've listened to, sometimes music that I've written. Sometimes music in terms of theory, sometimes in a general sense. And on rare occasions, there's that whole non-related music post that pops up, and I forget. I plan on writing all of these things here. But first, some important info.
1) I am, in no way, a writer. So please, don't expect intricately designed blog posts. Nor should you expect good grammar. Mine isn't horrible, but I'm not concerned with it. You should, however, expect me rambling about music that I find amazing(and sometimes that I'm horribly disappointed about), and lots and lots of commas.
2) I don't just cover one type of music. Heck, if you were to classify music with a Linnean system of classification, I would cover more than a single kingdom of music. I tend to listen to just about every style of music, whether it be metalcore, piano pop, techno, or bands that don't neatly fall into one category or another. What you can assume, however, is that the music that I cover will be contain, for the most part, positive messages. At worst, it'll be mildly sad or pessimistic, but never negative. No horribly depressing music that puts you in a bad mood, and most certainly no music about suicide and killing people.
3) In case the whole thing about Linnean classification didn't tell you, I'm a science major. Marine Biology, to be exact. So ocassionally, you may find something obscure related to the subject. Most likely related to jellies(not jellyfish!) or some odd species of fishes. Somehow, they just slip in sometimes.
4) Most importantly, I love me some Jesus. I would go so far as to say that the overwhelming majority of my music is Christian. I truely believe that some of the most amazing music that is made is made to glorify God, worship God, spread the Gospel to others, present hope in Christ, or provide introspective in a Godly way. This, of course, can cause a little controversy with some of my classmates(or as they prefer to be called, collegues), as we don't always see eye to eye. But that doesn't matter. They're still pretty cool people.
So there ya go. I know present you with "Speaking in Rhythm." The title is inspired by the song "Foreign Language" off of Anberlin's first album, "Blueprints for the Black Market." I always liked the concept of boy's speaking in rhythm, and girls in chords. Too bad, though, that for the longest time, I was wrong. Turns out, the lyrics are "Boys speak in rhythm, and girls in code." Sorry, not as cool. Doesn't matter. I still sing "and girls in chords."
Finally, I should point out my musical orientation. By that, I mean my instrument of choice. My first love was the drums. And I still drum implusively to this day. However, I now "shred" with a Casio WK-3300 keyboard, decked out with lime green grip tape. And a stuffed jelly that I have christened "June" on the "control panel" if you can call it that. I plan on getting a synth over the summer, as Cassy(my keyboard) has limited synth options. She'll be delegated to digital piano mode. And hopefully, a sweet midi controller. In the meantime, I occasionally mess around with a friend's Alesis Micron, while I start working towards the amazing Korg x50, or Korg x50-CF. Either way, June the Jelly will be there. I have my "public" debut or whatever on Tuesday playing worship, and I plan on having June with me.
So yeah, that's it for this intro post. That being said, excuse my lame name. Old habits die hard.
So yes, blogs. I've debated doing this for a while now, mostly because sometimes I get the urge to write about music. Sometimes, music that I've listened to, sometimes music that I've written. Sometimes music in terms of theory, sometimes in a general sense. And on rare occasions, there's that whole non-related music post that pops up, and I forget. I plan on writing all of these things here. But first, some important info.
1) I am, in no way, a writer. So please, don't expect intricately designed blog posts. Nor should you expect good grammar. Mine isn't horrible, but I'm not concerned with it. You should, however, expect me rambling about music that I find amazing(and sometimes that I'm horribly disappointed about), and lots and lots of commas.
2) I don't just cover one type of music. Heck, if you were to classify music with a Linnean system of classification, I would cover more than a single kingdom of music. I tend to listen to just about every style of music, whether it be metalcore, piano pop, techno, or bands that don't neatly fall into one category or another. What you can assume, however, is that the music that I cover will be contain, for the most part, positive messages. At worst, it'll be mildly sad or pessimistic, but never negative. No horribly depressing music that puts you in a bad mood, and most certainly no music about suicide and killing people.
3) In case the whole thing about Linnean classification didn't tell you, I'm a science major. Marine Biology, to be exact. So ocassionally, you may find something obscure related to the subject. Most likely related to jellies(not jellyfish!) or some odd species of fishes. Somehow, they just slip in sometimes.
4) Most importantly, I love me some Jesus. I would go so far as to say that the overwhelming majority of my music is Christian. I truely believe that some of the most amazing music that is made is made to glorify God, worship God, spread the Gospel to others, present hope in Christ, or provide introspective in a Godly way. This, of course, can cause a little controversy with some of my classmates(or as they prefer to be called, collegues), as we don't always see eye to eye. But that doesn't matter. They're still pretty cool people.
So there ya go. I know present you with "Speaking in Rhythm." The title is inspired by the song "Foreign Language" off of Anberlin's first album, "Blueprints for the Black Market." I always liked the concept of boy's speaking in rhythm, and girls in chords. Too bad, though, that for the longest time, I was wrong. Turns out, the lyrics are "Boys speak in rhythm, and girls in code." Sorry, not as cool. Doesn't matter. I still sing "and girls in chords."
Finally, I should point out my musical orientation. By that, I mean my instrument of choice. My first love was the drums. And I still drum implusively to this day. However, I now "shred" with a Casio WK-3300 keyboard, decked out with lime green grip tape. And a stuffed jelly that I have christened "June" on the "control panel" if you can call it that. I plan on getting a synth over the summer, as Cassy(my keyboard) has limited synth options. She'll be delegated to digital piano mode. And hopefully, a sweet midi controller. In the meantime, I occasionally mess around with a friend's Alesis Micron, while I start working towards the amazing Korg x50, or Korg x50-CF. Either way, June the Jelly will be there. I have my "public" debut or whatever on Tuesday playing worship, and I plan on having June with me.
So yeah, that's it for this intro post. That being said, excuse my lame name. Old habits die hard.
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