Decyfer Down – Crash
By admin | September 1, 2009
Picked this up on Amazon.com the other day. I am kicking myself for not getting it before now, what is wrong with me?? This CD dropped in January!
Decyfer Down, much like RED, outdid themselves on their second CD. I heard a lot of melodic tones in this CD, but at the same time I am hearing the lead vocalist sounding like a 1980s hair-band singer. He carries his notes and vocals to a small extreme which resembles Stryper or someone in that genre.
Crash, the title cut, is definately the best song on the CD, but that doesn’t mean that the others aren’t any good. The 3rd track, titled “Fading” is quite good. Lyrics, vocals and unique music and rhythms all.
If you like LOUD guitar, solid vocals, grounded lyrics and a just good overall sound, especially for driving music, I recommed this CD. I turned the iPod up all the way, attached to the car stereo when driving, and I almost have to roll my windows down. And that isn’t enough.
Topics: Decyfer Down | No Comments »
Secret and Whisper – Great White Whale
By admin | March 4, 2008
This CD ROCKS. I bought it about 2 weeks ago and I have listened to it about 7-8 times, that is with all the other new CDs that I have bought and been listening to also. Had I not had so many new purchases, I probably would have listened to this even more.
Secret and Whisper’s new CD is unlike anything I have heard before. They have a very unique sound, I can’t really compare it to anything else I have heard. Their sound is unique, but this doesn’t stop them from mixing-it-up and expressing themselves uniquely in each and every track. I am quite impressed with the new sound and band that I found, which I heard here on the local radio station, originally.
Great While Whale gets a 2 Thumbs Up from me and I will be anticipating this band’s tour that will hopefully come through Dallas, soon.
Type: Alternative / Rock / Melodic Rock /?
Lyrics: A
Sound: A
Song Diversity: A-
Overall Rating: A
Topics: Secret and Whisper | No Comments »
IvoryLine: There Came a Lion
By admin | February 18, 2008
Brand new CD from a Brand New Band. This album started out hard and fast with a pop/alternative style that some other bands try to pull off, but few accomplish. The first 4-5 songs on the CD were phenomenal, giving us great lyrics and rockin’ guitar. I thought that the middle few songs all sounded very similar; I like the sound, but I would have liked to see a little more variety in these. However, overall I think the album is quite good and I have listened to it 5-6 times already.
My personal favorites:
Be Still and Breathe (played on the local radio station in Dallas)
Hearts and Minds
Remind Me I’m Alive
Type: Alternative Pop/Rock
Lyrics: A
Sound: A-
Song Diversity: B
Overall Rating: A
Topics: IvoryLine | No Comments »
FireFlight – The Healing Of Harms
By admin | February 2, 2008
I heard Fireflight’s new song Unbreakable on the radio, which has been used in the new Bionic Woman show, and I decided to check out their latest CD.
The Healing Of Harms was released in 2006 but I just got it. I thought that the CD was well-conceived and had a very good, alternative rock sound. I really like the lead singer’s voice, she has a really great sound.
The songs on the CD all have a similar sound, but I didn’t believe that they all “sounded the same”. To me they sounded all uniquely different. I look forward to their next release which should drop this month.
Type: Alternative Pop/Rock
Lyrics: A
Sound: A-
Song Diversity: B
Overall Rating: A
Topics: Fireflight | 1 Comment »
Demon Hunter – STORM THE GATES OF HELL!
By admin | November 8, 2007
In traditional Demon Hunter fashion, I had to replace 2 of the speakers in my truck after I bought this CD. I have been buying most of my music on iTunes of late, but when this CD dropped 2 days ago and they were offering a Deluxe Edition, which included a DVD, some postcards, a bumper stick, 2 extra bonus tracks on the CD, and a souvenir necklace in a commemorative package, I had to make a trip to the store to purchase the real deal.
I haven’t watched the DVD yet, so I might blog about that later, but the CD totally rocks. Demon Hunter continues their tradition of hard-hitting, guitar grinding, metal-core music and they add a couple of thrash-metal songs into this mix on this one. Ryan Clark delivers growling thrash vocals like he is famous for. This guy isn’t gonna have a voice in another 10 years, I am betting.
This CD is Demon Hunter’s 4th release and I tell you that each one gets better and better. It is worth the extra $20 (retail price of $29.99) for the Deluxe Edition set just to get the extra 2 songs on the CD, imo. But you get so much more also.
Rock on, Demon Hunter. Keep the music coming. And tour on back to The Door in Dallas, TX so I can come see your show again.
Type: Nu Metal / Thrash Metal
Lyrics: A
Sound: A+
Song Diversity: A
Overall Rating: A
Topics: Demon Hunter | No Comments »
Spoken: Self Titled
By admin | October 27, 2007
I think my ears bled when I put this CD on.
Spoken outdid themselves on this new release. What a strong, high octane sound! They have redefined hard rock in my opinion. They start off with a bang and grind your ears with electric guitar all the way through the CD. This one hits harder than their former release, which I also liked very much. But if you want something that will make your neighbors come knocking on your door and asking you to turn it down, this is the CD for you.
Spoken’s lyrics are strong as ever, they just seemed to like to turn up their amps more on this CD.
Type: Hard Rock
Lyrics: B
Sound: A
Song Diversity: B
Overall Rating: B+
Topics: Spoken | No Comments »
The Almost – Southern Weather
By admin | October 27, 2007
Not since Todd Agnew’s Grace Like Rain have I heard such an uplifting and heart-pounding remix of Amazing Grace. I admit that the reason I bought this CD was because I heard their song, Amazing, Because It Is, on the local radio station here in Dallas/Ft Worth, TX at www.897powerfm.com.
I listened to this CD all the way through several times and found the sounds as diverse as I like them to be on a new CD. The Almost just about melts your face off on the first couple of songs, then they slow it down with a few lighter tracks also. Then comes my favorite, track 7.
This band does a phenominal job of both lyrics and sound. I think the thing that impressed me the most about them is their strong, Biblical lyrics that accompanied the hard rock sound, much like Disciple’s early CD, This Might Sting a Little.
Type: Alternative/Hard Rock
Lyrics: A
Sound: A
Song Diversity: A
Overall Rating: A
Topics: The Almost | 1 Comment »
Emery – I Am Only a Man
By admin | October 3, 2007
This new release that dropped yesterday is a lighter side of Emery that I haven’t heard before. Their last 2 CDs that consisted of beautifully melodic voices mixed with screaming harmonies and accompanied with a good, alternative style of rock-n-roll. The new CD, while it remembers much of the old style, is quieter and softer and on music side, and there simply isn’t as much screaming. That isn’t really a good or a bad thing, it is simply an observation. Emery’s previous style of mixing the melodies and loud screaming was what attracted me to them, much like the popular sound of Anberlin.
I am pleased with the growth of this new sound that Emery has and happy to see them expand. The first 2 songs grab you with the traditional Emery sound, then a whole new sound takes over for the next 2 songs and the switchback continues throughout the entire CD.
Also, right now Amazon has the CD selling for at $1 cheaper than iTunes. Check out this link to download the full CD in MP3 format.
Lyrically, Emery is just the same as always. Strong, yet quiet, Christian Lyrics.
Type: Alternative/Modern Rock
Lyrics: B
Sound: B+
Song Diversity: B+
Overall Rating: B+
Topics: Emery | No Comments »
12 Stones – Anthem for the Underdog
By admin | September 30, 2007
I am finally getting around to reviewing this album. I bought it on iTunes the day that it came out, and listened to a few songs here and there since then, but never could get the whole CD in one fell swoop. So this weekend I went to New York and finally got the chance to listen to the whole CD on the plane.
This CD, while very good as a stand alone, doesn’t live up to the previous CD, Potter’s Field. But that didn’t make me regret buying it, I still think it was a great CD. The lyrics weren’t as solid as some of their previous work, in fact a couple of the songs spoke to a woman rather than God. That is fine, there is nothing wrong with that, but this is ‘Christian Rock’ right? But still, I have seen many Christian Artists write love songs to their wives or loved ones and I think that is cool. It just doesn’t happen all the time.
Anthem for the Underdog provides solids lyrics on their songs about God, unique sounds so that every track doesn’t sound the same, and updated tunes to previous CDs.
I’ll tell you something and that is that I didn’t think this band was together anymore. I bought their first 2 CDs and loved them, then thought there was a delay in any more releases. One of the DJs on the radio mentioned a while back that they hadn’t heard anything from this band in a while, then BAM, here is this CD. So I am glad that the band is still active and together.
Great CD, 12 Stones! I’ll listen thankfully and look forward to the next one.
Type: Alternative Rock
Lyrics: B
Sound: B+
Song Diversity: B+
Overall Rating: B+
Similar Artists: Must, Creed, Evanescence
Topics: 12 Stones | No Comments »
Demon Hunter – New Album Artwork
By admin | September 22, 2007
From their site at www.demonhunter.net
Become our friend on Trig.com to see our new album cover! Storm the Gates of Hell in stores 11/06!
Demon Hunter is one of my favorite bands right now. They blow you completely away both with their grinding metal-core style and their lyrics as well. I saw them play last year at The Door in Deep Ellum and they were fantastic. I am REALLY, REALLY stoked about this new CD!
Topics: Demon Hunter | No Comments »