Rick's Discoveries Volume XIX

The music that I listen to, in many cases, is reflective of the state of things in my life. When things are calm, simple, and stress-free my listening habits are pretty consistent to match that stability--I'll stick to the same genres and listen to stuff I know. When there's stress or upheaval or I get frazzled, I often spin through as many different musical styles, artists, and albums as I can. The more out of sorts things get for me, the more varied my listening habits. With that being known, the crazy mix of albums below is a reflection of my attempts to relieve the stresses of the last few weeks. So if you're scratching your head a bit reading through the list below… well… maybe you'll find something interesting you usually wouldn't listen to?

Amaranthe - Amaranthe

You might as well start giving me shit for picking this album. Amaranthe's mix of modern MDM, metalcore, and power metal, all done with an extremely glossy sheen, is sure to turn off anyone looking for "deep" music, but if you want something to get stuck in your head for days, just listen to "Hunger." These guys are like the bastard child of Dead By April and Within Temptation, excelling at what each does best. The only missteps are the somewhat bland ballads.

Dirge Within - There Will Be Blood

Remember the bands Soil and The Blank Theory from the early 2000s? Yeah, that's right, those crappy nu-metal bands. Well, Dirge Within contains a couple of members from those bands, so you can only guess what to expect, right? WRONG. This is far from nu-metal schlock. Instead you'll find that There Will Be Blood treads much closer to the groove metal you'd hear from God Forbid, Shadows Fall, or even Machine Head. There's a little bit of metalcore here and there (mostly in the double bass rolls and occasional breakdown), but for the most part it's simply well executed groove metal with just the right mix of riffing, solos, and solid songwriting.

Leech - If We Get There One Day, Would You Please Open the Gates?

Yes, the album name is a bit pretentious. Yes, Leech are a long-winded post-rock band. Yes, they strive to be as epic as Explosions in the Sky (but not quite as epic as Godspeed You Black Emperor). Yes, you will traverse numerous peaks and valleys throughout each song. Yes, there is a lot to take in during a single sitting. And, yes, most importantly, you will love every last damn minute of it.

A Whisper in the Noise - To Forget

A Whisper in the Noise have been a Minnesota band perpetually on my radar. Having existed since the early 2000s, they've perfected their band of slowcore, ambient, post-rock-influenced art rock. I've always had trouble describing their sound, but at the core their breed of music is focused on the mellow, introspective side of things… perhaps something like an entire album of The Dear Hunter's mellowest works, but put through a Sigur Ros filter and given a significant tempo downshift.

Solitude - Tied to the Anchor

Bullet For My Valentine's debut album Poison was a spectacular blend of Metallica influences with a lot of modern metalcore appeal. I played that album to death. It's unfortunate that their follow up albums were utter balls. But that's where Solitude comes in to play. Tied to the Anchor feels like the sequel to Poison. Solitude may not have been trying to be Bullet For My Valentine Version 2.0, but when you listen to this album, you won't be able to think of anything else. Considering how much I miss the early BFMV sound, though, this is far from a criticism.

Rusko - Songs

I know Dylan mentioned Rusko in his dubstep article, but I think he needs another mention, especially to have you take note of his latest release,Songs. This album sees Rusko going a little more in the dance direction, but there are still the trademarks of dubstep found throughout. Although, to set your expectations, don't go looking for tons of drops and brostep tendencies. Those elements are there, but are metered between many other influences.

Poets of the Fall - Temple of Thought

Most alternative rock that I enjoy leans in the "progressive" direction. However, in this case, Poets of the Fall play a very straight forward style of modern rock with some pop leanings here and there. Although, for as much as I enjoy this album, I have a hard time placing the influences (which is probably why I actually enjoy it). You could think of a slightly less upbeat Mae or a lesser hard-rock oriented Anberlin… but neither of those comparisons really does the band justice. Each song is very well crafted and thought out, and I feel like the band is very comfortable in their own skin since their sound is so natural feeling; not once do I ever feel like the band is forcing things.

Make Me Famous - It's Now or Never

This is really a band I should hate… vehemently. They play trendy keyboard infused deathcore. They ape The Devil Wears Prada a little too heavily at times. The singer sometimes feels like he's auditioning for Emarosa. There's more breakdowns than I know what to do with. The band name is terrible. The list goes on and on. But, the fact remains, I keep listening. Even though I logically should be turning the album off, I keep it on, I nod my head, I bounce my legs… I oddly feel like I'm enjoying the experience… but I shouldn't be… yet I am… help?

All Else Fails - Ruins Punk for Everyone

My love of cover songs raises its head once again. Here we see metalcore band All Else Fails providing their take on a number of punk songs. They show they have an uncanny ability to mimic the bands they cover, paying a nice homage to each, while not getting too experimental. They do a pretty spot-on cover of Type O Negative's "I Don't Wanna Be Me" that is nearly as good as the original. They put some life into "The Meaning of Life" from The Offspring. And they show their appreciation of 90's punk with various covers of Good Riddance, Bad Religion, Milencolin, andAlkaline Trio. All in all, this is a great covers album that doesn't feel cheesy or trite. Instead it feels like a nice tribute to those who have influenced the band.

Cliff Lin - This Is War

Finally. This is a stellar marrying of industrial, electronics (with some dubstep), soundtrack aesthetics, and a sense of epic grandeur--all this while still sporting track lengths usually in the 2-3 minute range. Since he's had a lot of experience creating music for movie trailers and TV spots, this would seem only natural, but his compositions are great to listen to even without the backing images.

Rick's Discoveries Volume XVIII

I'm on the 18th volume of this article series now, which means this series can finally buy lottery tickets, smokes, and serve in the military. It also means I've recommended 180 different bands throughout the course of this series, which is not a small amount, and I'm already also hard at work on volume 19. Before you know it, I'll be on volume 25… 30… 40… who knows how many bands will eventually get recommendations from me. It's actually pretty amazing to think about, that there's so many bands out there that I want to tell you about. I can't very well listen to everything, though, so I've added a section to Decoy Music for you to give your band recommendations. Let's all celebrate our diverse, varied love of music!

Ascariasis - Ocean of Colour

I'm not sure what to classify the genre that Ascariasis plays within. Deathdjent? Djentcore? Pro-djent-ive deathcore? Whichever way you want to slice it, Ascariasis melds deathcore and djent together to create a mechanical, progressive, aggressive, unrelenting set of 5 tracks on this EP. It's kind of like Periphery got into a bar fight with All Shall Perish. So if that sounds interesting to you (trust me, it is), then go get this from the bandcamp asap.

Scorned Embrace - Enclosures

Talk about wearing your influences on your sleeve. Scorned Embrace are a mix of equal parts All That Remains and Killswitch Engage. Every song, every passage, and just about every moment of this album screams out either one band or the other (and sometimes both). Be it the vocals, the guitars, or the song structures. I usually abhor bands that blatantly rip off other artists, but in this case… it's actually pretty damn listenable!

Breakdown of Sanity - Mirrors

I usually am not a huge fan of straight-up deathcore (a lot of it sounds too contrived for my tastes), but I'll make an exception when something really interesting comes by. And Mirrors is definitely an interesting entry. This is very much a tried and true deathcore album, but there are some traditional metalcore elements that shine through, as well as a few mechanical, progressive elements. Don't doubt for a moment, though, that this album ever lets up--it doesn't. This is full-on, aggressive, face-smashing deathcore, but done tastefully.

Gypsy - Giant's Despair

Wow, talk about hitting a nostalgic nerve. Gypsy perfectly encapsulate the classic emo sound, embodied so well by bands like Jawbreaker and early Further Seems Forever. I also hear some hints of Puller and/or For Love Not Lisa during more than a few of the songs. But who they sound like specifically isn't that important. On a strictly genre-based level, Gypsy recreate the emo sound of the 90's from song structure, to chorus hooks, to production values. I feel like I'm in high school all over again.

The Sun Aesthetic - Composure

Between all the metalcore and progressive metal albums I listen to, I occasionally need something to bring me down; I need an album that is a calming hand on my shoulder after hours of smashing face. Composure is the most recent album to fit that mold. Imagine, if you will, a more ambient leaning God Is an Astronaut and you'll get a pretty good picture of the general feel of this album. Content with creating soundscapes and calming moods, there are few large crescendos, but plenty of movements that ebb and flow with ease. It is quite the relaxing experience.

Milo - Milo Takes Baths

I'm not quite sure if you could really call Milo nerdcore or not. He has some tendencies to rap about nerdy topics, but he also hits on pop culture, his personal life, and general thought-provoking topics. His approach is also much more laid back and relaxed than most nerdcore. Imagine, I guess, a combination of MC Frontalot and Atmosphere's When Life Gives You Lemons… for a general idea of what to expect. The combination of the mellow approach and rapid, yet flowing, lyricism creates a nice, breezy EP to listen to.

Caulfield - The Feast

Ok... so this is a deathcore heavy article... I must have been a little more aggravated than usual, but bear with me. In regards to this album, I'm just going to call this melodic deathcore. I'm sure that's a sub-genre, right? Imagine deathcore where the guitars (despite chugging along) at times take on some melodic progressions and undertones. Obviously not during the pre-requisite breakdowns, but during verses and bridges there's some hints of melody to be found. It feels a bit like Caulfield wanted to dive into the deathcore scene, but also was trying to hit the Misery Signalsdemographic. I won't complain about it since I'll take anything Misery Signals flavored.

OSI - Fire Make Thunder

Having been in existence since 2002, the duo of Jim Matheos (of Fates Warning fame) and Kevin Moore (who was the original keyboardist forDream Theater) have now put together 4 top-tier progressive rock/metal albums, and I'll fight anyone who thinks differently! Fire Make Thunderdoesn't stray too far from what's been established on their first 3 albums, so if you're a fan you know what to expect. If you're not, then imagine a mix of Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater, The Pineapple Thief, and a healthy dose of electronic undertones. That may make OSI sound like an also-ran or copycat band, but they're definitely not. Their influences can very much be felt, but these songs have their own life.

Transcends - Breathing in Oceans

When you compare one band to another band, one that is a leader in their genre, it's hard not to get some flack if the band you're talking about doesn't live up. So let me state right off the bat that even though Transcends at times reminds me of a more deathcore-y version of Misery Signals, I acknowledge that they don't quite measure up to that high bar. However, if you enjoy deathcore, breakdowns, and some atmospheric metalcore, there's a ton to like here. The vocals are really the only aspect of the band that I think could use a bit of an overhaul. The yelled vocals seem forced and don’t come naturally in spots.

Falloch - Where Distant Spirits Remain

Man, do I love me some blackglaze when it's done well. Falloch brings forth an epic mastery of the -glaze with, fortunately, little of the black- in their debut album. Multiple tracks span the 10 minute mark weaving together a mesh of equal parts Alcest, neo-folk, Agalloch, and Celtic influences. Most blackglaze lovers will be saddened by the lack of harsh vocals, but the softer melodic tones provide a melancholic feel that suits the overall pallor of the album. If I would have discovered this before now, it probably would have been a contender for my year end top-10 list of 2011.

Rick's Discoveries Volume XVII

When I think back to the beginning of this millennium, before the internet was as ubiquitous as it is now, the choice for what albums you could possibly listen to were what was on sale at Best Buy, what your friends already owned, or what you might be able to find scouring internet file-sharing apps. And for a band to be in any of those categories, usually they had to have already made it. Now… well, it's a totally different story. Anybody can write an EP or album, record it, mix it, produce it, (optionally, autotune the hell out of it), put it up on the internet, and promote it. What this means is there is SO MUCH to listen to that I'm overwhelmed with the sheer volume of music I have floating around on my computer, favorite websites, and in my email. It's this sense of being overwhelmed that got me to start this article series--I hoped to help get some good releases to the top of your listening piles. So, here, toss these on your pile!

Under the Flood - A Different Light

I've got a soft spot for well done hard rock and I've heartily enjoyed Under the Flood's previous two albums, so it shouldn't have been a surprise that I also dug A Different Light. Less "hard" than their previous efforts, the band almost has more of a pop-rock sheen instead of a hard-rock or alternative-rock aesthetic. I'm often reminded of Last Winter or a chilled out Trapt as I listen to this album. What it has going for it that most rock albums don't have is a genuine catchiness. The songs don't feel overly manufactured like a lot of what you hear that's popular in the pop-rock arena.

Max Karon - Will to Exist

I would be lying if I said that Max Karon doesn't worship at the Meshuggah altar. Many newer djent artists are trying to branch out into different realms, keeping the mechanical sound but adding something to it, but in this case, there are some serious Meshuggah overtones… and there's really nothing else to hide how blatant Max Karon's main influence is. That being said, anyone craving a solid, quite competent, instrumentalMeshuggah clone then this is your album.

Rogue Empire - Rogue Empire

Now this is an interesting approach to the progressive math metal genre--add a heaping dose of keyboards and electronics (but not in a gimmicky way), make sure to have extremely aggressive metalcore vocals, and then augment the djent-like proceedings with some well placed breakdowns. Heck, toss in some slight melodic death metal influences too for good measure. It may seem like a lot to pack into a 5 track EP, but it works very, very well. I'm quite anxious to hear these guys put together a full length album because this EP is simply not enough!

Arctic Plateau - Enemy Inside

What if Porcupine Tree were more shoegazing and post-rock influenced? Sound interesting? Because that's what Arctic Plateau sound like. UnlikeAlcest or similar shoegaze bands, Arctic Plateau's songs have many post-rock elements (despite lacking epic track lengths) that define songs, and upon this strong bedrock, they slather on the shoegaze and progressive rock elements (even some blackglaze at times!) that make their sound something uniquely bite-size and effective (most songs are in the 3-4 minute range).

Tribunal Records 100: Cover to Cover

I'm a sucker for cover songs. I love seeing how bands interpret someone else's songs. Sometimes covers are horrible, sometimes they're better than the original. For Tribunal Record's 100th release they've put together a 21 track collection of bands from their roster (past and present) covering songs of their choosing. This leads to quite an interesting and varied mix, which I quite enjoyed. How often do you have Vanisher coveringRob Zombie next to Century doing Seal next to Aria covering Coldplay or He Is Legend doing Third Eye Blind? Not too often!

Soen - Cognitive

Need something to fill that Tool shaped void in your life? Centerum didn't do it enough for you? Well, then how about you give Soen a listen or three? Whereas Centerum (from the last Discoveries article) didn't dive all that deeply into the prog realm, Soen definitely does. Besides sounding extremely similar to Tool, you'll also catch some Riverside vibes as well. Now it would be foolish to write Soen off as nothing more than a copycat band. They're most definitely not. Yes, they play a style quite similar to Tool, but this album stands on its own merits. It's well written, expertly executed, and will stick with you.

Like Vegas - Machines

Every now and again, I want to listen to something that makes me want to furiously break shit, usually when I'm staring at the treadmill or weight bench and need some motivation to get going (and a little adrenaline usually helps). Like Vegas fill this need nicely. What you have on Machines is 7 tracks of modern metalcore with none of that melodic shit or clean vocals (well, except on "Pathfinder" which has a guest vocalist). This is straight ahead metalcore in the vein of The Ghost Inside or Bury Your Dead that should get you pumped--nothing more, nothing less.

Waning - The Human Condition

I suppose you would classify this as black metal, but it doesn't feel like most traditional black metal. It has good production values, most of the songs are digestible lengths, and there's not as much monotony as you'd usually see… but Waning are still black metal at their core. There are a few blackglaze moments, but they're only an augmenting feature, along with some progressive elements, which sets Waning apart from the masses of untalented black metal bands that seem to play in the genre because it's easy to get away with being shitty (you just say you'resupposed to sound shitty, and all is accepted). This, however, is far from shitty.

Sunpocrisy - Samaroid Dioramas

Is there a particular reason why "progressive" bands like to bloat albums with filler? No one needs intro tracks or outros or interludes… they're all superfluous, especially when they're minutes in length. So just cut it out already. With that rant over, Sunpocrisy have written more than a couple sprawling, epic progressive metal tracks on Samaroid Dioramas. Mixing pieces of The Ocean, Burst, and Cult of Luna Sunpocrisy's progressive metal is slathered in sludge without being straight up sludge metal. And, if you want, you can call it "atmospheric" as well because of the spacey in-between sections, but the meat of this album comes in the form of a few epic, 10 minute-ish (each) tracks that allow the band to show all the facets of what they can do.

Valkiria - Here the Day Comes

Valkiria are long-time veterans of the gothic/doom metal realm and with Here the Day Comes, I think they've finally broken through into the upper crust of the genre. Mixing a healthy dose of atmosphere with early-to-mid career Anathema aesthetic and keeping it close to what My Dying Brideand Swallow the Sun create album to album, Valkiria know exactly what they're doing on these 7 well developed tracks. Here's to hoping they break out beyond their home country of Italy.

I'm Now "In" My 30s...

This month I celebrated my 31st birthday, heralding in the 9 year span of me being "in" my 30s instead of being able to say I'm only 30. As with most birthdays, I tend not to see or feel or notice any difference from before I was 31 to when I hit that age. Personally, I find it odd that we even celebrate birthdays, but I suppose it's a nice marker that's personal enough to each person that gives us a unique celebration opportunity. Anyways, back to the fact that I'm older. Since a birthday is a nice arbitrary marker that occurs in my life each year, I like to take a few moments to reflect on the past year, reviewing it more or less.

This past year seemed to be simultaneously busier and less eventful. I'm not quite sure why those conflicting classifications of last year are the first to spring to mind, but that's definitely the sense I get. The busier feeling I know stems from a few things--work picked up pace and I've had more responsibilities under my belt, but that happens any time you want to attempt advancing in your career. I also had time tied up with trying to sell our previous home (which we didn't), then getting it ready to rent (which it is), doing showings (about 20 per week, which was leaps and bounds beyond what I expected), then actually getting it rented (thankfully, we ended up with great tenants). There was also my continued editing and writing duties at Decoy Music, plenty of ultimate leagues, lots of volleyball, some broomball (when there was actually ice), and the occasional hosting of a social gathering. These are pretty consistent year to year.

There was a bit of a dark pallor that fell over the end of last calendar year as my mother-in-law passed away after a strong fight against cancer. I tried not to focus on it, but it's hard not to have something like that at the forefront of your mind as you watch someone struggle, grapple, and eventually succumb to an adversary that is so formidable. Her loss obviously affected many people, myself included, but out of it, once all of the heavy emotions have subsided a bit, you tend to get a greater appreciation of that person's life. Her memories take on a bit more of bright and powerful tone.

My parents also lost a longtime pet, their cat Mystique. She was a wonderful animal that I spent so much time with all the way back from the beginning of this millennium until last year. It's weird to have a fixture of my parents' house disappear, now only living on in memory.

I hate to say that last year was a dark year, as it may seem that way, because it really wasn't. Yes, some heavy events happened, but I also had the chance to finally go on my honeymoon with my wife, enjoying the sun and beach in Mexico... although I did end up with pneumonia after the trip... but the trip itself was great! My wife and I settled into our home, and I think I now feel truly at home there. We've made it through another year of marriage as wonderful companions. I had numerous visits with my parents, each helping me to appreciate having them in my life. There were a lot of small, wonderful moments throughout the year.

So with all that having been said, how can I feel that the year wasn't eventful? I'm not sure, but maybe it's because I've started to establish and fall into routines. I've always been a creature of habit, so as I establish patterns to my days, my weeks, and my months, perhaps the lack of variation makes it feel like there's less going on. I'm not sure, but for some reason, I feel like I should have had tons of time to do things last year, but I also feel like I didn't get to nearly as many things as I wanted to...

Where does that leave me at the end of year 30? I don't know really, but it was insightful to look back on the year. I'm not sure what to draw from it yet, but it at least gave me fuel to ramble on for a few paragraphs, spitting out random thoughts as they came to me, which is essential for any rarely read blog!

Lullacry - Where Angels Fear Album Review

Lullacry put out their fist album way back in 1999. It, along with the 3 albums they would follow it up with in the following 6 years, showed a band playing around with a combination of gothic metal, some traditional heavy metal elements, and a dash of straight up hard rock aesthetic. They seemed to peak on their sophomore album and by the time they released Vol. 4 in 2005, they already felt tired, worn out, and simply going through the motions. Vol. 4 felt like the band didn't even want to try and simply slapped together a group of hard rock tracks, shuffling them off hoping fans would buy it. That was their final album before this year's Where Angels Fear.

Honestly, when I saw this was an upcoming release, I was quite curious about what the band could put together after being away for so long. Could they have finally found their focus and hit the sweet spot they were so desperately trying to find, putting all of the pieces together that were there in their previous efforts? The quick answer: nope. Knowing that, is Where Angels Fear at least on par with previous releases? This answer to this is a qualified "nope" in that it's not even close to what they created on their earlier releases and only bests their weakest album, Vol. 4, by a hair.

What hurts the band the most is their continued pursuit of simplistic and bland songwriting. They seem to be trying to add various differentiating elements to their gothic rock sound, but it never quite elevates songs to the point that they're interesting. For example, "Bad Blood" sees the band trying to be a bit more bouncy, energetic, and punky, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. They still resort to chunky riffs to bridge the verses and the vocals during the chorus feel forced while the background gang vocals are misplaced.

Not content to focus on their gothic metal sound, another experiment is "Still an Angel" where they seem to combine cheesy power metal lyrics and vocals with a hard rock song structure. It comes off as making a blatant play attempting to attract a broad audience beyond their core musical demographic. There are numerous moments where Lullacry are simple just for the sake of a broad appeal and, unfortunately, they're at their weakest when doing so.

Where the band excels is at creating gothic metal tracks. "Gone Are the Days" is a perfect example. The vocals stay within Tanja's range, there's a solid melodic bridge, the tempo is perfectly mid-range, and the thick guitar tones work to make the song nicely meaty. Lullacry are very, very good when they stay inside this realm… but for the majority of this album they continue to make attempts at branching out into genres where they just don't have the know-how to make it work.

Maybe it was too much to hope that 7 years would help Lullacry reorient themselves, especially after seeing that in 4 previous albums they couldn't ever really come into their own. They continue to show, frustratingly, that they have flashes of brilliance, but they choose to ignore them in their pursuit of other, simpler avenues.

Thousand Foot Krutch - The End Is Where We Begin Album Review

Believe it or not, but back in college (which, for me, was 1999 to 2003) I didn't have nearly as discerning of musical tastes as I do now. At any given point, you'd be able to hear the likes of Papa Roach, Saliva, Korn, or Drowning Pool blasting from within my dorm room. Today, a decade later, I wouldn't listen to those bands if given the choice, and some I even have a hard time stomaching even in a nostalgic fashion. There's no wistful gaze on my face when I hear "Click Click Boom," "Bodies," or "Last Resort." Instead I question how I ever listened to that garbage 100% unironically.

Even though I don’t feel any connection to individual songs from the heydays of nu-metal and rap-rock (and, in fact, revile most popular tracks), I do sometimes find myself craving something completely and horribly nu-metal-ish to jog my memory, unearthing some of those collegiate memories of yesteryear. As soon as The End Is Where We Begin's "We Are" kicked off, my memory wasn't just jogged--it was lit up by a bolt of old school lightning. Thousand Foot Krutch, with this album, have created an unabashed tribute to the nu-metal glory days.

Throughout the 12 songs on this album, all of the popular genres of the late 90's and early 00's are covered. I dare you to take one listen to "I Get Wicked" and tell me with a straight face that it's not something Disturbed would have written in their early days. Not only does it have the type of song title Disturbed would use, but the guitars use the stuttering style they overused and the chorus vocals sounds identical to David Draiman.

Or how about "Be Somebody"? You can't tell me that it doesn't remind you of just about every mid-tempo song 12 Stones ever wrote which, incidentally, is nearly every song they ever wrote. It's your standard modern power rock ballad that has since been perfected and regurgitated ad infinitum by Nickelback and Shinedown.

Now it should not be ignored that TFK has been at this game since the heyday I speak of, but never have they felt so in touch with the aesthetic of turn of the millennium popularized metal. "Light Up the Sky" is equal parts Rage Against the Machine-lite and P.O.D. The guitar lines in the chorus are a dead ringer for what RATM would have written on their more lazy days and the rap-rock of the rest of the track are even lazier day P.O.D.

TFK also, believe it or not, somehow manage to channel the boy bands of yore. "Courtesy Call" is a relatively nu-metal'ed up track, but the opening could is a dead wringer for something that could have been written by the Backstreet Boys. Then the rest of the song sounds like an odd mash-up of a pop anthem and any nu-metal band that ever got famous from doing a cover song.

So is all of this throwback styling good or bad? Well that depends on what lens you look through when evaluating the album. From a completely critical perspective, this is pretty close to one of the most derivative and uninspiring albums I've heard so far this year. From a personal perspective, however, TFK know how to get the nostalgic juices flowing. Unfortunately, the critical lens must take precedence because, as much as I want them to be, my experiences aren't your experiences. To most, there's going to be no connection to this sound or fond memories and without that connection, this is a pretty awful album.

Rick's Discoveries Volume XVI

In my unconscious (or, more likely, conscious) desire to be diverse, I have crafted this Discoveries article to be similar to the last, so you're going to see some hip-hop, some house, and some post-rock to go with the usual metal leanings. These "other" genre entries aren't here just to be tokens, however; they are genuinely enjoyable albums, so even if they're not usually your cup of tea, you still might want to try them out.

Face Candy - Waste Age Teen Land

The few reviews I read for this album paint it as a mess… which, well, I can actually understand. Like the first Face Candy album from 2006, Waste Age Teen Land is a 40 minute improvisational experiment. Recorded live, Eyedea, Kristoff Kane, JT Bates, and Casey O'Brien start with a blank canvas and improvise beats, rhythms, raps, and flows, going with whatever comes to mind. Much like the first Face Candy experiment, this is an odd beast all around. I think I'm partially drawn to it because this is one of the last things Eyedea recorded before he died, but even barring that, I admire the way these individuals go out on a limb and explore whatever road they decide to go down throughout the course of this album. For anyone who likes freestyle hip-hop, this is something to check out.

Sleepmakeswaves - Sleepmakeswaves

This is a busy post-rock band. Having released an EP in 2007, another in 2008, and a full length in 2011, they start off 2012 with this self-titled EP. These Australians aren't breaking any new ground in the post-rock arena, but they're executing on it flawlessly. Using the build-up, crescendo, come-down formula Explosions in the Sky made famous, interspersed with some louder Caspian moments, Sleepmakeswaves gives you exactly what you would want and expect from a post-rock album. It's not boring, yet it's not overly complicated or off-putting. They hit that post-rock sweet spot that so many other bands fail to even come close to.

Invisius - Changes

As I Lay Dying + newer Soilwork + some metalcore tropes + some Killswitch Engage = Invsius. I'm not sure I need to tell you any more, do I?

Cult Cinema - Iscariot

This is a brutal, little EP. Combining chaotic hardcore, the darkest Cult of Luna influences, and throat ripping screams, Cult Cinema utterly destroy you with the 5 tracks on this EP. Now when I mention "chaotic hardcore" I should probably temper that by saying "controlled chaotic hardcore" because even though there isn't one iota of slickness, and the band tip-toes so close to losing it, they have a firm grip on how to channel their chaotic tendencies to make songs that keep you wondering how they keep it all pulled together. What I wouldn't give for a full length by these guys!

Thira - The Ascension Construct

I was initially caught up by the song "Release" when I checked it out on the band's bandcamp page. It started as pretty standard deathcore with djent leanings, but in the middle of the song there was a bit of southern swagger added to the djenty guitar tones that reminded me a bit of a mix of Nemertines and The Showdown. Not content to just add a southern twang to their approach, Thira also has some industrial elements that provide even more variety to their djenty deathcore mix.

Dot Three - Antithesis

Whereas Thira went down the deathcore lane of djent-land, Dot Three are firmly planted on groove terrace. If your favorite part of any TesseracTsong is the thick, guitar lead then get over to bandcamp and buy this album. The full focus of this album is on the movements of the guitars; everything else just serves to back them up. The downside to this is that the djent guitar tone is so very obvious here and is so far at the front that if you're getting a bit worn on the sound, it may seem old hat and slightly uninteresting. However, I found it to be a solid instrumental entry utilizing the now popularized djent sound.

Dungeon Elite - New World Disorder

Man… I feel really dirty recommending this album, but I have to simply based upon how catchy it is. This is trendy nintendocore that shouldn’t be good, but the combination of bouncy, almost j-pop style song structures with mallcore metalcore elements, keyboards, and infectious choruses is simply too much to deny. This is the definition of a guilty pleasure album. Imagine Enter Shikari with male/female vocals, and that they listened to tons of pop music and grew up watching ungodly amounts of anime… if that doesn't turn you away instantly, then New World Disorder will easily keep you entertained.

Born to Suffer - The Rambler

I'm not completely sure if I like this album or hate it. The band has so many influences mixed into their songs, from Onward to Olympas toKillswitch Engage to Attack Attack! to Anberlin. It's an interesting mix for sure, but sometimes it feels haphazardly slapped together. I like the mix of metalcore, melody, and keyboards… but I also know I've heard this all before by other bands (and executed a little better)… so why did I listen to this album a couple of times instead of tossing it aside? I'm not sure, really, but since I did come back to it they must be doing something right!

Kaskade - Fire & Ice

I really like the concept of this double album. One disc, Fire, offers the clubbed up, house version of a song while the other, Ice, is a more subdued, trance version of the song. The Fire versions of the songs are very club oriented and have a strong focus on big beats, so make sure your sub can kick it. The Ice versions, for the most part, are a bit slowed down and more nuanced than their Fire counterparts, but some still have a big bass focus (like "Llove")… so I guess what I'm saying is this is a great double album to give your sub a workout, regardless of your mood.

No Trigger - Tycoon

On their third album (their first in 6 years), No Trigger have not changed one bit which, if you ask me, is the best thing they could have done. No Trigger play no frills hardcore punk in the classic EpiWreck style. Think A Wilhelm Scream meets Kid Dynamite meets Strike Anywhere to get your head in the right mindset. There's honestly not a whole lot else to say other than that they do this sound perfectly. They had this style nailed in 2006 with Canyoneer and they haven't lost a single step on Tycoon.

There's a Reason Why Digital Comics Aren't Flourishing...

...and it comes down to one thing--price. But before I complain about it, how did I get to a point where the price on digital comics even mattered so much to me?

Only when we moved to our current home did I realize how many comic books, of the physical form, I actually owned. The picture on the left shows my collection after having eliminated about 4-5 long boxes of comics through Ebay. My collection was cumbersome and space-eating, and I really didn't need all these comics cluttering up the basement, did I? Probably not. So I decided to start selling chunks of my collection on ebay (which I'm still in the middle of doing). It's nice to see the number of boxes (slowly) decrease, but it's a battle that I'm not helping because instead of strictly selling comics, I still buy comics as well.

Just because I'm selling my collection doesn't mean that I've given up on reading comics. Quite the opposite! The older I get, the more I need that connection to a simpler day and a link to my youth. That and I absolutely love the visual storytelling medium that comics create.

But I don't need to have floppy versions of comics. I'm not in it for the collectibility or resale or anything like that--I just want to read the series and graphic novels that I like in the most cost effective manner possible. Ideally, it would make sense to just go completely digital like I'd started to do with my book collection thanks to Amazon and their Kindle app for my iPad. And I thought I could do the same with the Comics app from Comixology, but even though I occasionally buy comics through the app, I still don't use it as my primary way to buy comics.

The notion that I could have my entire collection on my iPad, which is smaller than my cat, instead of taking up a chunk of an entire room, is so enticing, but it still doesn't work on a price level.

If you think about it, digital comics should be cheaper than their paper counterparts. There's no materials costs, no shipping costs, no printing costs, and no warehouse costs. Yes, you'll have some costs related to various outlets (such as iTunes) taking their cut, but overall you'd think that companies should be able to price digital wares cheaper than their physical versions. This is the case for some comics, but for most it actually is not the case.

Marvel and DC have both jumped into the digital world, which is completely awesome, but they are pricing all of their new releases at the same price physically and digitally. So that new copy of Batman is $2.99 whether you get the physical floppy version or the digital copy. And the latest X-Men (or other Marvel title) will run you $3.99 for either version. Yikes. That's not persuading me to buy the digital copies at all.

If I can get the physical copy for the same price, and often less, then why opt for the digital version? I make all of my physical comic orders through DCBService, where everything is usually at a, to start, 40% discount. So instead of paying $2.99 or $3.99, I'm paying $1.79 or $2.39. I'm already saving money by going physical over digital. As a bonus, which is what I do now, when I'm done reading the physical copies I'll often sell them on ebay, allowing me to recoup some of what I did pay, so I'd say in actuality I'm paying probably $0.99 or so for each comic in physical format... so why aren't the digital prices there?

I'm not sure, actually. I can't possibly see any reason why digital prices should remain as high as they are and equal to print. Sure, there's sales every now and again, but only on very select titles. Also, some publishers have caught on and are pricing their digital comics a little less than print, but until the entire market, especially the big players Marvel and DC, gets to a point where digital comics are cheaper and easier to get than their physical version (they're already there on the easier part), it's just not going to work.

And if people really want to get their comics digitally and not pay the ridiculous digital prices, they'll just torrent them and use Comic Zeal to store them on their iPad. Heck, for portability's sake, I'll often torrent digital copies of the comics I own and buy physically just so I don't have to lug around big old trade paperbacks or a stack of comics. I want to buy comics digitally, but until they're cheaper, it doesn't make sense for me to move away from the physical format. Let's get with it, Marvel & DC. I guarantee you sales will increase if you bring that price point down a bit.

Believe It or Not, I Survived Another Year

Another year, another high school alumni basketball tournament. It's a bit hard to believe that it's been about 13 years since I was playing basketball as a high school student. What's even more hard to believe is that we keep coming back to play each year. As another tournament has come and went, we participated, we didn't get last place, and we all were a little more worn out afterwards. At least there were no injuries this year!

I think the main reason that our year, the class of 1999, puts so much effort into getting back together to play in the tournament is it is our way to remember one of our close friends--Mike Johnson--who passed away from cancer while we were all in college. Probably half a decade ago the annual tournament looked like it was going to fade away as the local high school coach didn't really care to organize it and no one else stepped up... until one of our players, Eaton, stepped up to get the tournament rolling again, putting the focus on fun, charity, and remembering the good ol' days. I find it interesting that as we finished yet another successful tournament, I ran across an article I wrote for the re-launch of the alumni tournament, when we branded it the Mike Johnson Memorial Alumni Tournament. I think it's just as fitting now as it was years ago, and helps to keep fresh a good friend's memory.

From the 2006 Mike Johnson Memorial Alumni Tournament launch:

It’s been well over seven years since the class of 1999 graduated and left the halls of Hayfield High School. I’m sure that for the majority of us it doesn’t feel like it was that long ago that we were still running around the school and going through the numerous senior year events we all remember so fondly. In hearing about this year’s alumni tournament and the mention that it would be in Mike Johnson’s honor, it stirred up many old memories, as well as a little bit of my competitive nature, more than I would normally let bubble up because, let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to win the tournament in Mike’s honor?

As we’ve grown up and become more immersed in our personal lives, our jobs, our families, and all of the other things that now mean so much to each of us, staying in the shape we were back in high school has, well, sometimes taken a back seat. I know it definitely has for me, so in trying to prepare for the upcoming alumni tournament, I decided I’d attempt to put in some miles on my parents’ treadmill while I was down to visit them over the Christmas weekend. However, I found I left my running shoes at home, no doubt because subconsciously I wanted to keep myself from doing any of that running nonsense. That competitive nature I mentioned before took over, though, and I found myself rifling through my closet in my old room and came across a t-shirt that was too small, some shorts that were too short, and my beat up basketball shoes from senior year. Somehow, some way, they survived and were waiting around for me to find them.

Armed with clothes and shoes that fit my body back in high school, but were a little tight around the extra pounds that the years have put on, I approached the treadmill tepidly. Before I could even get up to a full on jog, I found myself not only starting to breath heavily, but also awash in memories. These high school basketball shoes felt a little bit funny on my feet. It had been seven years since I’d worn them last, after all, but even though it was a little weird having these old shoes on, there was also a sense of familiarity and nostalgia that accompanied the sensation.

Once I got the treadmill and up to a running, the shoes felt right at home on my feet, just like I was back in high school at basketball practice. Everything seemed so fresh in my mind. It may have been five years since Mike passed on, but in the memories that have stuck with me he’s still right there poking away the ball as I try a lame crossover during practice. Instead of getting upset or angry for getting the ball stolen as I was prone to doing, when it was against Mike I couldn’t help but laugh instead because he wasn’t trying to make me look bad or show off -- he was just having fun. He didn’t need to make me look bad; I was doing a good enough job of that myself without his help.

It was that sense of fun that helped make basketball practice with Mike as enjoyable as it was. If it wasn’t the good natured playing on the court that got us all grinning, it was probably talking about the tomfoolery that went on before practice started or after it was done. I remember one time in particular when Mike and I had unscrewed the top of Mike Young’s cologne in his locker room locker and placed it just so perfectly above his practice jersey so that it would fall over from the slightest jarring. Once Young moved into position near his locker, we “accidentally” bumped him so that the cologne spilled all over his uniform. Listening to guys complain about guarding a sweaty, gross, and slimy players was pretty commonplace, but listening to everyone throughout practice ask Young why he smelt like he was going on a date while they were guarding him was priceless.

Chugging along on the treadmill, chuckling, I could still smell the overpowering stench of Aspen cologne in the air. Practice was always a fun time, but so were the games, mostly because I had prime seating for all of the games – right up next to the coach in the front row on the bench! I was never a starter and didn’t go into games unless we were either winning or losing by 20 points or more so on most nights I spent my game time cheering more than actually playing. Because of this, my high school basketball career was lived somewhat vicariously through the players on the court, and one of the many memorable moments that I now recall was watching Mike heave up a half court shot as the buzzer sounded, following it through the air as it glided by on a prayer, and then staring in amazement at the scoreboard after the ball magically fell through the cylinder for the last second win. How often does something that crazy happen? Not often, friends, not very often at all.

Much like that storied once in a lifetime shot, our memories of Mike are always with us. Our lives are busier than ever as we constantly make our way through this world, creating new memories and forging our own paths, but as we live our lives, we are often reminded of the memories we have already made. I know that I often fondly remember the time shared with Mike, not only on the basketball court, but also on the farm, in the fields, cruising through Rochester, playing back yard football, and just hanging out as friends. And those are just my memories. Combine them with the rest of the class of ’99 and you’d likely be overwhelmed with a cornucopia of stories to be told.

You are not forgotten, Mike, and you’re still an active memory in all of our lives today. Seriously, who else would manage to motivate me enough to throw on my old basketball shoes and torture myself on a treadmill for a few hours in a last ditch effort to get in shape for this tournament? Eaton? Not a chance. We’re thinking about you, remembering you, and playing for you, Mike, knowing that all the while you’re watching us from the best seat in the house and cheering us on.

A Diet for the Whole Family...

This past weekend our dog, Tori, was having a bit of an issue with her back leg so we decided to take her in to the vet to make sure nothing was too wrong. She's getting up there in years (she turns 9 this year!) and has been a bit of an overweight lady ("I'm big boned!") for most of her life, so it's probably better to be safe than sorry. I should note, my wife is the more caring one as I had a bit more of the "Tori will tough it out, she doesn't need a vet!" attitude when discussing going to the vet. She won out, however, which was probably a good thing. I tend to dislike doctors of both the human and animal variety... so I'm usually colored in one direction when it comes to these decisions (and it is also no doubt why I ended up suffering from pneumonia for 6 weeks instead of a couple).  Anyways...

It turns out Tori is pretty good. They think it may have actually been an equilibrium issue since she was continually falling in one direction and was fine the next day. But while we were at the vet, we noted Tori's weight was creeping back up. We'd done a relatively good job of keeping her on a diet and getting her exercise, but the winter and Tori's sad eyes at the dinner table knocked us a bit off track the past couple of months. Since Tori has gained a bit of weight and she has notable arthritis in her back legs, the vet stressed that it would do her a ton of good to shed 10 or more pounds. So we're going to work on getting her slimmed back down the next few months, no matter how good she is at making puppy eyes a mealtime!

Then, as Kristi and I thought about it, we've both also gotten a bit lazy and haven't eaten as well as we should or exercised as much as we should. It probably wouldn't hurt for us to make an attempt to lose a bit of weight too. So the genius idea struck us to have all three of us (myself, Kristi, and Tori) try to actively lose some weight; we'll all shoot for losing 10 pounds.

Obviously Tori will have it the hardest being the lightest of the 3 and I should, theoretically, have it the easiest as I am the heaviest, but I think I also have the worst diet of the 3 and have next to no will power when it comes to snacks, especially chocolate ones... or Oreos... or ice cream... or chips... or pizza... crap... I'm starting to realize this is going to suck.

So, in order to keep me a bit honest in this whole process, I'm hoping to check in on occasion here on how my diet and exercise regiment is coming. I figure if we're forcing Tori to do it, the least I can do is try to do it with her. With that, my goal in the next couple of months is to drop from 215 lbs down to 205, with a stretch goal of breaking back under 200. I'm pretty sure I'm going to hate this. A lot.