Grace Potter – 2015 – Midnight
By Eric | March 30, 2016 6:00 pm
Artist: Grace Potter
Title: Midnight
Label: Hollywood
Released: Aug 14, 2015
Packaging: Jewel Case
Pack-in DVD?
Release Type: Standard
Autographed?
Tracklist:
#Hot to the Touch
#Alive Tonight
#Your Girl
#Empty Heart
#The Miner
#Delirious
#Look What We’ve Become
#Instigators
#Biggest Fan
#Low
#Nobody’s Born With a Broken Heart
#Let You Go
Review:
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Tags: 2015, Grace Potter, Hollywood, Jewel Case, Standard
Killswitch Engage – 2016 – Incarnate
By Eric | March 13, 2016 6:00 pm
Artist: Killswitch Engage
Title: Incarnate
Label: Roadrunner
Released: Mar 11, 2016
Packaging: Digipack
Pack-in DVD?
Release Type: Special Edition
Autographed?
Tracklist:
#Alone I Stand
#Hate By Design
#Cut Me Loose
#Strength Of The Mind
#Just Let Go
#Embrace The Journey…Upraised
#Quiet Distress
#Until The Day
#It Falls On Me
#The Great Deceit
#We Carry On
#Ascension
#Reignite
#Triumph Through Tragedy
#Loyalty
Review:
https://play.spotify.com/album/1zcMqDzxecHx6JQvi7oFmH
Topics: CD Collection | Comments Off on Killswitch Engage – 2016 – Incarnate
Tags: 2016, Digipack, Killswitch Engage, Roadrunner, Special Edition
3 Doors Down – 2016 – Us And The Night
By Eric | March 13, 2016 6:00 pm
Artist: 3 Doors Down
Title: Us And The Night
Label: Republic
Released: Mar 11, 2016
Packaging: Jewel Case
Pack-in DVD?
Release Type: Standard
Autographed?
Tracklist:
#The Broken
#In The Dark
#Still Alive
#Believe It
#Living In Your Hell
#Inside Of Me
#I Don’t Wanna Know
#Pieces Of Me
#Love Is A Lie
#Us And The Night
#Fell From The Moon
Review:
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Tags: 2016, 3 Doors Down, Jewel Case, Republic, Standard
Our Lady Peace – 2006 – A Decade
By Eric | February 8, 2016 6:00 pm
Artist: Our Lady Peace
Title: A Decade
Label: Colombia
Released: Nov 28, 2006
Packaging: Jewel Case
Pack-in DVD? DVD Included
Release Type: Standard
Autographed?
Tracklist:
#Starseed
#The Birdman
#Naveed
#Superman’s Dead
#Clumsy
#4am
#One Man Army
#Is Anybody Home?
#Thief
#In Repair
#Life
#Somewhere Out There
#Innocent
#Where Are You
#Angels~Losing~Sleep
#Will The Future Blame Us
#Kiss On The Mouth
#Better Than Here
Review:
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Tags: 2006, Colombia, DVD Included, Jewel Case, Our Lady Peace, Standard
A Perfect Circle – 2013 – Three Sixty
By Eric | February 5, 2016 6:00 pm
Artist: A Perfect Circle
Title: Three Sixty
Label: Virgin
Released: Nov 1, 2013
Packaging: Digipack
Pack-in DVD?
Release Type: Deluxe Edition
Autographed?
Tracklist:
#The Hollow
#Rose
#Judith
#Orestes
#3 Libras
#The Package
#Weak and Powerless
#The Noose
#The Outsider
#Blue
#Imagine
#Passive
#People Are People [Live]
#Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
#When the Levee Breaks
#By and Down
#3 Libras [Live]
#Gravity [Live]
#Fiddle and the Drum [Live]
Review:
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Tags: 2013, A Perfect Circle, Deluxe Edition, Digipack, Virgin
Death Ray Vision – 2013 – We Ain’t Leavin’ Till You’re Bleedin’
By Eric | January 22, 2016 6:00 pm
Artist: Death Ray Vision
Title: We Ain’t Leavin’ Till You’re Bleedin’
Label: Bullet Tooth
Released: Sep 10, 2013
Packaging: Jewel Case
Pack-in DVD?
Release Type: Standard
Autographed?
Tracklist:
#We Ain’t Leavin’ Till You’re Bleedin’
#Over My Dead Body
#Barfly
#Condemned When You Were Born
#Fuck Compromise
#Live Fast? Never Die
#Break Every Chain
#This Is Progre$$
#Choke
#Your Shallow Grave
#False Prophet
#A Forest
Review: 2013 debut from this band featuring current members of Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall and ex members of Overcast and Cannae. These veterans of the Boston Metal scene play a raw brand of metallic Hardcore that recaptures the energy of their old school Hardcore roots infused with all they have learned and experienced as musicians over the past decade. Produced by legendary Hardcore guru Dean Baltulonis who has helmed albums for Sick Of It All, Agnostic Front, Madball and Most Precious Blood, these new songs are short blasts of energy and intensity built on Thrash Metal rhythms and chugging guitar riffs.
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Tags: 2013, Bullet Tooth, Death Ray Vision, Jewel Case, Standard
Death Ray Vision – 2013 – Get Lost Or Get Dead
By Eric | January 22, 2016 6:00 pm
Artist: Death Ray Vision
Title: Get Lost Or Get Dead
Label: Bullet Tooth
Released: Jun 24, 2013
Packaging: Digipack
Pack-in DVD?
Release Type: Standard
Autographed?
Tracklist:
#Shattered Frames
#Get Lost or Get Dead
#Not for Glory
#Chainsaw of Bees
#Drown the Light
Review: Current members of Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall and ex-members of Overcast and Cannae have combined forces in the project Death Ray Vision.
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Tags: 2013, Bullet Tooth, Death Ray Vision, Digipack, Standard
Eric’s Top 10 Albums of 2015 (Plus 2 From Last Year!)
By Eric | December 31, 2015 10:18 am
It’s that year-end list time again. A solid year for music, let’s take a peek at what I spun the most from what was released this calendar year. As always, it’s just alphabetical, not ranked, because trying to compare albums isn’t my thing.
Clutch – Psychic Warfare
I didn’t even really get into Clutch until seeing them late in 2013, and I subsequently went and got the entire back catalog, and really liked the direction they took on Earth Rocker. This one is even better! Firebirds and Quick Death In Texas are favorites.
Finger Eleven – Five Crooked Lines
This album surprised me, both in how much the sound changed and how much I liked it. I’d been down on Finger Eleven for awhile, but once I wrapped my head around the fact that the Tip/Greyest sound wasn’t coming back, I appreciated the last couple albums a bit more. But this one doesn’t sound like those either! It’s completely different, and it works for them.
Halestorm – Into The Wild Life
Another departure from a band’s signature sound, and I dug where they went. They could have maintained the “rock girl” track and it would have been fine, but these songs are more, I don’t know, serious? Darker? Lizzy still belts it out.
Lamb Of God – Sturm Und Drang
After all of Randy’s issues and the long layoff between albums, you knew this one was going to be a rager. It didn’t disappoint. And then on the other hand, the first hint of Randy clean singing? A Chino Moreno cameo? For all the heavy, there’s some true melody here too!
Papa Roach – F.E.A.R.
I’ve liked all of Papa Roach’s albums, and I really enjoyed the electronic flair on The Connection. This one expands on that sound, and it continues to work for them. “Gravity” especially stands out because of the duet with Maria Brink, and I don’t even like In This Moment at all.
Saint Asonia – Saint Asonia
The Three Days Grace / Staind combination worked out beautifully, as Mike Mushok gets his riffs out, and its plain to see Adam Gontier was the driving force behind 3DG (their new one, Human, was nowhere near as good as their other albums with Adam). These tunes are just heavy enough (can probably thank Corey Lowery’s bottom end for some of that), but catchy enough as well. Very solid debut from the “supergroup”.
Shinedown – Threat To Survival
There’s been a lot of fan backlash to this album for some reason, and I don’t quite understand it. They tried to make Sound of Madness Part 2 with Amaryllis, and almost got there; do people really want to hear that type of stuff yet again? Threat to Survival is an evolution to be sure, but it still sounds like Shinedown, and sounds like a natural progression. Cut The Cord is as heavy as anything they’ve ever done, and then you have the more nuanced stuff like State of my Head and Thick as Thieves, and then the tweeners, like Black Cadillac (which I really dig).
Sons of Texas – Baptized In The Rio Grande
This year’s entry for “found out about them on Music Choice”, these literal Sons of Texas are trying to be the heir apparent to Pantera, with a bit more polished and radio-friendly sound, and it makes for a fun listen. The title track was the lead single and hooked me in, but the rest of the album hits pretty heavy (Never Bury The Hatchet, Pull It and Fire), there’s a couple ballads (Breathing Through My Wounds, September) and enough of that southern groove to get your head nodding (The Vestryman, Texas Trim). I spun this one quite a bit.
Will Hoge – Small Town Dreams
One of the few Tiff and I can always agree on, Will Hoge just keeps putting out consistently great albums. He leans more and more country and less and less rock with every passing release, but I’ll allow it (LOL!). They Don’t Make Em Like They Used To is a highlight, as is Guitar or a Gun.
36 Crazyfists – Time and Trauma
Five years is a long time to wait between releases, but 36CF came back better than ever. Also Am I was the first song released and is still my favorite on the record; Sorrow Sings and Time And Trauma are also standout tracks.
And then, not released this year but in my heavy rotation for 2015:
Gemini Syndrome – Lux
My friend Dave kept telling me to check these guys out, and once I finally did – WOW. It came out in 2013, so I was a little late on them. I’m not sure exactly what makes me like this record so much, but it’s got heavy, its got melody, its hooky, its got enough screaming to keep it interesting, there’s some great riffs, just a great radio-metal album. Basement, Pleasure and Pain, Babylon, and Left Of Me are my favorites. Excited to hear the new one slated for 2016.
Nothing More – Nothing More
A band I’d heard a bunch about, but took awhile to finally dive into, and boy am I glad I did. It’s got enough of that electronic edge that I like, but it’s metal enough to have your head banging. Johnny Hawkins has a unique delivery, almost shrill at times, but you can tell its 110% effort on every note. This Is The Time, Mr. MTV, The Matthew Effect, If I Were, and Jenny are top of my list.
Just missing the cut this year for various and sundry reasons:
Chris Cornell, Disturbed, The Dreaming, Five Finger Death Punch, Matthew Good, Sevendust, Tremonti, Trivium.
Topics: Blog | 2 Comments »
Tags: 2013, 2015, 36 Crazyfists, All, Chris Cornell, Clutch, Disturbed, Down, driving, Finger Eleven, Five Finger Death Punch, Halestorm, In This Moment, Lamb of God, Matthew Good, music, Papa Roach, Saint Asonia, Sevendust, Shinedown, Sons of Texas, Staind, The Dreaming, Three Days Grace, Trauma, Tremonti, Trivium, Will Hoge, Work
Eric’s Top 5 (+1!) Concerts of 2015
By Eric | December 30, 2015 4:35 pm
2015 was a pretty good year concert-wise, with 17 shows under the belt this year! I always have fun, so its hard to pick shows that are “better” than others, but on the other hand there’s always moments that will stick out above the rest. With that in mind, here’s my top 5 shows (and an extra!) of the year:
5. Powerman 5000 @ Montage Music Hall (July 7th) – For a band I’m not even really a fan of, I had a really really great time. Their set had me grinning from ear to ear the whole time, and I’ve never seen a frontman jump this much. Ever. MUCH FUN. SUCH WOW.
4. Hatebreed with Hate Machine @ Montage Music Hall (May 14th) – Hatebreed headlining in a 300 cap room, plus springing for the VIP meet and greet beforehand? Oh, and did I mention this was part of the band’s 20th anniversary tour, so they played everything off of Under The Knife, and a big chunk of Satisfaction? Good times.
3. Will Hoge @ Buffalo Iron Works (June 5th) – One of the rare shows that Tiffany and I attended together, one of our favorite singer-songwriters in a small place, with a super-long 23 song set, and Will comes out into the crowd to play the last song of the encore. Yes please.
2. Machine Head @ Town Ballroom (February 5th) – “An Evening With” Machine Head was exactly that. No openers, two-plus hours of just MH playing the “hits”, the deep cuts, and a little something off of every album.
1. Slipknot, Lamb Of God, Bullet For My Valentine, Motionless In White @ Darien Lake (July 29th) – This one was a no-brainer for the top spot. Show of the year hands down. Both MIW and Bullet were interesting enough as openers, before we got to the real deal. I had a pit ticket, so being able to go berserk during Lamb of God’s set at a place like Darien was awesome, and then Slipknot put on a hell of a spectacle as always. When you close with a run of (sic), People = Shit, and Surfacing, you’re going out on top. Summer’s Last Stand indeed.
…and because the one set was so good I have to mention it, the plus-one:
Deftones @ Darien Lake (August 2nd) – Part of a dual-headliner with Incubus, but Deftones blew them out of the building, let alone the stage. A great mix of tunes, and then concert moment of the year for me: Going absolutely BONKERS with a couple dudes in the aisle during “Headup”.
Honorable mentions:
The Hip @ CMAC (July 4th) – A fun hang with friends, Fully Completely from start to finish, but small crowd and Gord was a little off early.
Coal Chamber / Fear Factory / Jasta @ Water Street (August 8th) – Meet and greet with Jamey, fun nostalgia trip
The Tea Party / Big Wreck @ Artpark (July 16th) – We got the old gang back together, bands sounded good, but sitting that far back sucks, and Tea was better at the Ballroom the prior November.
Let’s see what 2016 brings!!
Topics: Blog | 1 Comment »
Tags: 2015, Buffalo, Bullet For My Valentine, Canandaigua, CMAC, concerts, Darien, Deftones, Hate Machine, Hatebreed, Incubus, Lamb of God, Machine Head, Montage Music Hall, Motionless In White, music, Order of the Dead, REPS, rochester, Slipknot, The Tragically Hip, Town Ballroom, Will Hoge
Kelly Clarkson – 2012 – Greatest Hits-Chapter One
By Eric | November 11, 2015 6:00 pm
Artist: Kelly Clarkson
Title: Greatest Hits-Chapter One
Label: RCA / 19
Released: Nov 19, 2012
Packaging: Jewel Case
Pack-in DVD?
Release Type: Standard
Autographed?
Tracklist:
#Since U Been Gone
#My Life Would Suck Without You
#Miss Independent
#Stronger
#Behind These Hazel Eyes
#Because of You
#Never Again
#Already Gone
#Mr. Know It All
#Breakaway
#Don’t You Wanna Stay
#Walk Away
#Catch My Breath
#People Like Us
#Don’t Rush
#A Moment Like This
#I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Review:
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Tags: 2012, Jewel Case, Kelly Clarkson, RCA / 19, Standard