Tag: epitaph

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Live Reviews Music

Parkway Drive Live at The Roundhouse, London

PARKWAY DRIVE
w/ Emmure, The Words Alive, Structures
The Roundhouse, London
17/11/12

Parkway Drive are the headliners at tonight’s show at a packed out London Roundhouse, and judging from the expectant air looming about the venue, it’s going to be a great night.

Up first are the techiest band tonight; Structures. They sound great and manage to get the crowd pumped up early in the night. Definitely one to watch live, as they sound a great deal more powerful on a stage than a CD.

Next on are The Word Alive, who blend melody and heaviness superbly. They manage to cram loads of songs into their relatively short set and the crowd seem to be warming to them by the middle of the performance. Pleasingly, the band seem utterly grateful to be able to play to so many people, and thank the crowd over and over, which is good to see!

Emmure are probably the ultimate marmite band. Yes, lots of people will turn their noses up at them, but they manage to pull off one of the best live performances of the year tonight. They sound monumentally heavy, and the crowd react to all of frontman Frankie’s commands without thought. They too sound better live than on a cd, thanks to massive tone and drums, along with Frankie’s unique vocal delivery. Grand.

Parkway Drive however, will ALWAYS steal the show when it comes to a live performance. Packing 2 projectors and all the lights you’d ever want onto the stage tonight, PWD are on perfect form, sounding monstrous as usual. They are deliver their set like it was their last ever show, with the crowd response matching as they go mental throughout the entire performance. With a lengthy setlist comprising of all their best songs from previous records and some huge new tracks from new release ‘Atlas’, their show is pretty much spot on, and they remain THE live band to beat. Very, very impressive indeed.

Structures
The Word Alive
Emmure
Parkway Drive
Parkway Drive
Parkway Drive

Words & Photos: Jake Owens

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Album Of The Week Album Reviews Buzz Chart Music Reviews

Parkway Drive

PARKWAY DRIVE
‘Atlas’
[Epitaph]

After creating an exceptional album with ‘Deep Blue’ expectations are high for Parkway Drive‘s November 2012 full length release ‘Atlas‘. Having such a large and passionate fan-base, Parkway Drive could put out a duff record and it still be widely adored, but there is no need for concern as the Australian quintet have yet again composed an astounding record.

Despite moving away from the completely conceptual approach of ‘Deep Blue’, Parkway Drive stick to the same format as other releases and open with an instrumental piece that slowly builds expectation when dark lyrics capture attention. Anticipation is intensely hanging in the air as ‘Old Ghosts / New Regrets’ roars into action with a driven speed that demands a mosh-pit to open.

Noting the success of the anthemic ‘Home Is For The Heartless’ from their last album, Parkway Drive have offered a few more dramatic and powerful moments which will surely cause unity at a live show. ‘The River’ and ‘Wild Eyes’ could easily fill a stadium whilst title-track ‘Atlas’ includes some exciting moments that reflect Bleeding Through’s orchestral approach.

If old-school, meaty Parkway Drive riffs are what you are crave there are still several tracks that cater for those hungry needs including ‘Sleigh of Hand’ which hosts licks similar to ‘Idols And Anchors’. And for those after a fast-paced assault on the ears, look no further than one of the closing tracks ‘Snake Oil And Holy Water’ which is sure to rip a new one into any venue.

As a whole ‘Atlas’ encompasses the true essence of what every fan loves about Parkway Drive. It could be seen as a more polished version of ‘Killing With A Smile’ whilst embracing the mature moments of ‘Deep Blue’.

Parkway Drive aren’t doing anything unconventional, they aren’t re-writing metalcore; they are continuing to define it. Each album the band produce develops over time as a milestone in the genre, in a few years time ‘Atlas’ will be reflected upon in the same inspiring light as all of their other works. Ultimately, Parkway Drive continue to set the standard in metalcore, a marker in musical excellence that very few others will reach.

Words: Emma Wallace

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Music Music News New Releases

Stream Converge Album In Full

Converge-All-That-You-Leave-Behind-Artwork-CrossfireIn preparation for 2012’s most anticipated metal/hardcore album of the year, Boston’s Converge are streaming their 8th studio album, ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ in its entirety via Youtube (embedded below).

The album has been spinning on the Crossfire HQ stereo for sometime, and let us tell you now, its intensely heavy. No one quite channels aggression in the same way as Converge. Front man Jacob Bannon comments:

“All of our albums are emotional but I feel this is our most potent album to date… Success to me is creating something that’s moving and fulfilling and I truly feel both of those things when I listen back and experience this album from start to finish.”

‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ will be released October 8th via Epitaph Records (vinyl on Deathwish). Fans can pre-order the album here. Converge will be performing at the following dates:

NOVEMBER
25th, London @ Koko
26th, Birmingham @ O2 Academy 2
27th, Colchester @ Arts Centre
28th, Glasgow @ Classic Grand
29th, Manchester @ Academy 2
30th, Dublin @ The Button Factory
DECEMBER
1st, Brighton @ Concorde 2

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Album Reviews Buzz Chart Music

Propagandhi

PROPAGANDHI
“Failed States”
Epitaph

Breaking News; I do not have my ear as close to ground as I used to, having failed to register that Canada’s Propagandhi recently released a new album, and it’s on Epitaph. So, having spotted this by chance in a high street music chain, whilst dodging a downpour, I duly stumped up the asking price.

I was a relatively late starter to Propagandhi, with their first 2 albums barely registering on my radar. I had them down as just-another production-line ‘Fat (Wreck)’ band. My conversion came with 3rd album “Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes” which hit me like a jet plane. The union of Thrash Metal, Hard Rock and banging Hardcore, played out to a seriously intelligent and impassioned radical-political agenda, won me over. Learned my lesson. Have been onboard ever since.

Like all great confrontational music, you do not stick on a Propagandhi album, and then get on with something else, whilst the ‘tunes’ idly hum in the background. No fucking way. You soak up the finely crafted (rampaging) music, and give your full attention to the lyrical scripture.

“Failed States“ ruminates not just on basket case countries in faraway places, where punks have their heads shaved by religious intolerants, and lesbian footballers are raped by men to teach them a ‘lesson’, but also closer to home, in our own free and pleasant lands, where life is not always so peachy, and it’s important to take a stand. And all this to a riotously furious soundtrack of precision executed music that veers from tender layered moments, to balls-out jackhammer Thrash/Core ultra-heaviness.

For my money, possibly their strongest album to date. Dyna-fuckin’mite.

Words: Pete Craven

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Music News

New letlive. video unleashed

Letlive. have released the visuals to their song Muther.

The track features on the awesome Fake History album, released on Epitaph Records. The band are currently finishing up a run on the Kerrang! tour and are in the midst of working on a new album.

Whilst we wait for that though, press play below and enjoy what you’re hearing, it’s big.

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Music News

The Menzingers stream album online

The Menzingers are streaming their album On The Impossible Past online.

The band, who are releasing the album on February 20th, have put the entire album up on the Punk News site and will showcasing the material when they hit Kingston on May 5th. You can listen to the whole album here and get a little taster of what to expect below.

Fans that want to pre-order the album can do so by heading over to the band’s site.

The Menzingers – Gates by Epitaph Records

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Music News

ETID drop brand new video

Every Time I Die have released a new video.

The track, Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space, is taken from the upcoming album Ex-Lives, which is released through Epitaph Records on March 5th.

The video features images that some people might find disturbing, so you’ve been warned, but if you want to hear an awesome track then crank the volume and press play.

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Music News

Dangerous! set new video live

Dangerous! have unleashed their new video.

The video is for the track ‘Movers N Shakers‘, which is out on September 12th and is taken from the debut album ‘Teenage Rampage’, released through Epitaph on the 19th of September. The band are also hitting the road on many UK dates, listed below:

09/09 Aberdeen – Lemon Tree*
10/09 Glasgow – QMU*
11/09 Inverness – Ironworks*
12/09 Newcastle – Northumbria University*
14/09 Manchester – Academy 2*
15/09 Birmingham – HMV Institute*
16/09 London – HMV Forum*
20/09 London – Notting Hill Arts Club – Album Release
21/09 Guildford – Boilerooms**
22/09 Bath – Moles**
23/09 Turnbridge Wells – Forum **
24/09 Swansea – Sin City**
25/09 Crewe – The Box**
26/09 Wrexham – Central Station
28/09 Hull – Fruit**
29/09 High Wycombe – SU***
30/09 Southampton – Unit**
01/10 Kingston – Fighting Cocks**

* Support to Young Guns
** Co-headline with James Cleaver Quintet
*** Support to Japanese Voyeurs

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Dangerous!

Not One Of You
Epitaph Records

A short sharp shock of rock’n’roll swagger, ‘Not One of You’ is the first track to be unveiled from Dangerous!’ forthcoming debut album ‘Teenage Rampage’ which is set to be released on legendary indie Epitaph Records. These Aussie tykes are just starting out but have produced a slab of rocked-up pop with an edge that sets them apart from many other bands out there. It’s kind of hard to typecast them (that’s a good thing) – part glam-rock, part punk-rock, part pure-pop. A veritable melting pot of awesomeness basically.

If this rip-roaring track is anything to go by then Dangerous!’ debut should be one of the most exciting debut albums of the year. Unpretentious, fun and full of tunes is what we’re expecting. And we’re usually right about these sorts of things. The band will be hitting UK shores for the first time ever this June and will be playing the hallowed Download festival amongst other live dates so make sure you follow them and catch the live set whilst they’re here!

Winegums.

Dangerous! – Not One Of You by Epitaph Records

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Thursday

‘No Devolucion’
Epitaph Records

It’s hard to fault Thursday. They’ve been at the forefront of a genre that has been gradually watered down over their thirteen years of existence by a huge influx of uninspired copycat bands and now, with their 6th studio album, No Devolucion is evidence that Thursday are not only still in the game, but that they’re changing the rules and making it even more intriguing.

‘Fast to the end’ starts us off, proving that they’ve lost none of the excitement or energy that’s always held our attention, but adding layer upon layer of mystery and a kind of eerie beauty that’s incredibly captivating. These themes are frequently used throughout the album but are perhaps most effective in the aptly titled ‘A Darker Forest’ where Andrew Everdings’ keyboards soar through the chorus creating brilliantly morbid soundscapes that are nothing short of awe-inspiring. ‘Magnets Caught in a Metal Heart’ provides the albums exceptionally infectious hook that conjures up fond memories of ‘Signals over the air’ from their sophomore album, War all the Time, proving that you a developed and evolved sound doesn’t have to stray too far from its roots. The journey approaches it’s finale with ‘Turnpike Divides’, a solid anthem that’s sure to have clenched fists raised high to the heavens and in classic Thursday style, they finish with ‘Stay True’, a gradual journey that starts from almost nothing but as it’s ending, sounds like it’s taking the world with it.

Geoff Ricklys’ vocals have always been honest, raw, and yet delivered with elegance. What Thursday are presenting here is powerful, emotive and all-encompassing, and although these are familiar trademarks, these new dimensions they’ve added in No Devolucion will draw you in even deeper than before, leaving you spellbound with that familiar sense of longing that’s come from out of nowhere, and it stays with you long after the records over.

Oli Knowles