Asking Alexandria Singer Needs Rehab

There seems to be an influx of crazy shit happening with bands lately. Check it out. Not a big fan of the band, and here is why. They came to my town and were really insulting. Just not nice people.

New Bring Me The Horizon Video...

Not many people liked this band passed when they were deathcore. I mean let's face it, as our musical tastes evolved, BMTH fell way behind. I personally have always thought they were pretty catchy, minus the whole "we are big rockstars now, so we get to act like douchebags" thing. Well their new songs have legitimately gotten well... Good. It may be hard to believe, but I can already see why. Since his departure from Australia's I Killed The Prom Queen, I have always enjoyed the works of Mr. Jona Weinhofen. He is a great guitarist. He brought a lot to the table for Bleeding Through (wow there are a lot of name drops in this post), and now is bringing that creativity to BMTH. Upon first hearing their new single, I could not believe that the band who had previously written an album full of Bury Your Dead and UnderOATH (more name drops, yay!) rip- offs was so good. Then I remembered why. Good luck Jona, you need it. ANYWAY, back to the news. There isn't much to say. Good song, decent video. Here ya go viewers.

New Emmure Single

...-Core (as to not start fights) band Emmure has released a new single, and I am not gonna lie. I am really stoked on it. It took what I liked about The Respect Issue and Goodbye To The Gallows, and put it into this song. Their new album comes out relatively soon. I would buy it if I were you. It is gonna be sweet. Do it. NOW. DOOOOOOO IT. Anyway, heres the song...

Atreyu Goes On Hiatus

Remember way back in middle school when you had that one gateway band into heavier stuff? Or more legit stuff. Atreyu was that band for me. It kind of sucks in a way I suppose, though I have had no interest in the for an extended period of time. Enough rambling of me back when I thought tripp pants were kind of cool...

SO. The official word on the subject is that they are just tired of touring and they need a break after a very full 11 years as a band. Even though they need to die after turning on their roots (this may just be the part of me that doesn't like selling out talking) they will not. They are returning as soon as everyone is rested up and everything.

Some Non- sense

Sorry for the sporadic updating everyone. I have just been so busy with life OUTSIDE OF THE INTERNET. What blasphemy, right? Anyway. I manage to catch part of Greeley Estates at a show last night. They were alright but I ended up leaving because a few friends and I opted to go to Ihop instead. They weren't playing so well anyway.

A Great Suggestion: Do not, and I repeat do not dance in pac- sun jeans. I was dancing for a friends local band, and went to do a mule- kick. The next thing I heard was an awful ripping noise and I felt like I needed a musical number like in Spongebob. Cuz nobody ever wants to dance with the fool who went and... ripped his pants... It split down the leg all the way to my knee, and also right near my crotch. Not fun America, Not fun.

The Dillinger Escape Plan on Tour

A band with a truly indeterminable genre. If I had to give them one, it would probably be metal-pop-math-beer-steroid-insane-prog-post-fuckasscore.

Moving on....

TDEP is going on tour this summer with Deftones. What an odd combination (even though it's fucking sweet) I highly recommend going to see them, they put on one of the most wil live shows I have ever seen.

Here are some dates:

4/14 Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
4/16 Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
4/18 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
4/22 Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
4/25 Kansas City, MO @ Harrah's
4/26 St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
4/28 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
4/29 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
4/30 Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
5/1 Detroit, MI @ Fillmore Theatre
5/4 Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
5/5 Hampton, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino
5/6 Providence, RI @ Lupo's
5/7 Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
5/9 Boston, MA @ House of Blues
5/10 Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
5/11 Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
5/13 New York, NY @ Best Buy Theater
5/14 New York, NY @ Best Buy Theater

Rumors About Elysia's Return..

It has been rumored that deathcore stalwarts Elysia may return to the stage. While this may not be too wow- inducing considering their last album was a lot less enjoyable than Masochist, vocalist Zach Vargas is said to be returning as well, which is exciting enough in itself to make up for it. So you may now once again proudly don your "Elysia Hates You/ You Make Me Fucking Sick" tees.

xMERRYCHRISTMASx

To anyone who had even looked at this damned thing so far, thank you and merry Christmas. Have a brutal one.

Figured it might be relevant to mention that Emmure has finished their new album, and it will be released in February. Hoping it isn't really awful because I loved The Respect Issue and Goodbye To The Gallows. Felony definitely wasn't the best on album, but they are pretty sick. I feel like trying to rap was a bad idea.

Happy holidays!

My Top 10 of 2010

So, I feel each year there are many relevant releases when it comes to core albums. Some range from extremely talented musicians, to ones that have the ability to write a riff that doesn't ever leave your head. While I feel that my love for technically proficient music may overshadow some of the more catchy options, here is my.... drum roll please!

TOP TENT LIST FOR 2010

#10

Album - Invade

Band - Within The Ruins

Short Description:

I have always enjoyed the furious wankery of Within The Ruins. Creature unleashed a flurry of complicated and equally brutal riffs. This years album, Invade, also does just that.Catchy and technical.

#9

Album - Oceans
Band - Beneath The Surface

Short description:
Deathcore can be a very hit- and- miss genre for most people. Lately, even myself has grown a bit tired of it. This album saved my hope for deathcore and is pretty awesome. Nothing is particularly inventive, but it is still a fun listen.

#8
Album - Option Paralysis
Band - The Dillinger Escape Plan

Short Description:
Dillinger always manages to put out a unique record. End of story.

#7
Album - There is a Hell, Believe My I've Seen It. There is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret
Band - Bring Me The Horizon

Short Description:
Bring Me The Horizon. Many of you may or may not like the band. Regardless, you have to recognize how much an improvement was made on this album. Some of the songs are not so great, but the good ones are really GOOD. Enough to make this at number 7. The songwriting has moved passed the generic deathcore, and then an album that only consisted of Bury Your Dead and UnderOATH rip- offs.
Listen to the single and decide whether or not you like the change.

#6
Album - Perspectives
Band - House Vs. Hurricane

Short Description:
Synth- laden post- hardcore. What isn't to like? Don't judge it by the millions of other really bad bands that use the same formula, because this band is... well... fucking sick to say the least. A few complicated melodies and synth to add a sort of dystopian atmosphere. Best of all, it comes from Australia!

#5
Album - Symptoms + Cures
Band - Comeback Kid

Short Description:
In short, CK is in touch with their roots. While this album may not be as good as Wake The Dead, it sure as hell holds up to the standards created for them. Throw in a little more melodic punk influence than the usual hardcore formula, and songs such as Balance are what you get. A record that is strong enough to stand on it's own, and will get many plays from anyone who can appreciate the band.

#4
Album - Breathless
Band - The Eyes of a Traitor

Short Description:
TEOAT is a band I have had my eye on for a while. The 5- piece powerhouse has consistently written fresh music. While the last album saw our young blood writing in a more melo- death style, this years Breathless really shows what the band has got. Some djent, some melody, some atmosphere. Not every song is a hit, about 85% of the album is more than enough to keep me replaying it.

#3
Album -S/ T
Band - Periphery

Short Description:
Oh Bulb, how you have done it again. Meshuggah needs to move out of the way, because I feel Periphery may catch up to their legacy in the coming years. Mind blowing drums and lead lines cover groovy rhythms, and music that twists and turns with the vocal stylings of Spencer Sotelo.


#2
Album - Exoplanet
Band - The Contortionist

Short Description:
I won't lie, I hated this album at first. While that is a strong word, I feel the only reason is because they changed up their sound a lot from the spacey deathcore that it used to be. Now it has grown on me a little bit, and while it cannot compare to Apparition, it is still really fucking good. The new vocalist needs a little work, but the rest of the band proves to be more than capable of writing a good piece of music. I mean, they would have had to considering Ken Susi agreed to produce them.

And now for #1.
WARNING: Fanboy- ism ahead

Album - [Id]
Band - Veil Of Maya

Short Description:
And while I wait for the new Misery Signals to drop, this is one of the few albums I listen to on a regular basis. Veil Of Maya blindsides you in a RIGHT- IN- THE- FUCKING face kind of way, with the title song. Complicated rhythms lead into the song "Unbreakable", which is probably one of the strongest on the record. Technicality and a very unique style are displayed by the only guitarist in the band, Mark Okubo. The vocalist spits out positive sounding lyrics. The drums play some mind blowing polyrhythms and make the album a whole. Codex is my personal favorite song, as it reminds me a lot of The Common Mans Collapse and is probably the most melodic of all the songs. In my opinion it exemplifies most the sound that Veil Of Maya has created.

Thus concludes 2010 in review. While there are still many albums I would have liked to put on here, I find that these 10 are easily the best. Thank you for reading!

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Getting started...

Today is the day I finally decided to create this blog, something I have been wanting to do for a while now. Hoorah! Now that is out of the way and I can get on to the point. "Clear The Pit" will be my means of writing review for albums and live shows that I have seen recently, or listened to recently. For the most part, the content will be about or involving music that have been stamped with the label -core. Some posts may be about a live show, some may be about an album, who knows? Even some new posts maybe, if they are relevant.

Anyway, the point being is that this will be my place to jot down everything I feel about bands as I see or hear them. I have quite an unhealthy lust for the genre, and is one of the few things I can honestly say I know a lot about. I see shows often. I perform in a band called Dawn Brings Revenge, and intend to take our show on the road. I wish to share my knowledge and opinions with people who may see the music the same way I do.

Okay Chris, enough rambling about yourself here...

ANYWAY
The next post will come fairly soon. As I have yet to keep a consistent schedule for myself, this blog will be updating regularly, but with no set agenda. I have no idea what this next post will be, but you'll know as soon as some crazy idea pops into my head.