Tsop Wen

I am a very happy camper, seeing as how the Winterizer What-The-Butt-F**k-Ever Tour is coming up this Sunday. I was never a massive fan of the band The Chariot, but they are really talented with a lot of heart in their music. I feel like they are a cross between newer The Dillinger Escape Plan and older Norma Jean. Although I feel as though I may get clobbered by some big- ass cymbal, the live show should be fun. In this week's aptly named section "Video Of The Week" I have uploaded an example of why you should try and see them yourself. Josh Scogin is a beast. Funny that they are playing with Silverstein. Speaking of which, have you heard their new stuff?! Leaving Victory made them really cut loose. Check it out if you can.

More next time on....TALES OF INTEREST!!!!!!!!

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

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!

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------