For the Fallen Dreams recently released their fifth studio album, entitled Heavy Hearts. This metalcore/hardcore band hails from Michigan, and are currently signed to Rise Records. This is my first album from For the Fallen Dreams, and I entered this release with much skepticism. Many metal fans regard them as generic, boring, and “risecore”- pretty much heavy chugging and repetitive breakdowns. After I gave this album a try, I surprisingly enjoyed this album. Although saturated with, like I said, mediocre riffs and one vocal style, Heavy Hearts has a certain catchiness to it that somehow makes up for the lack of creativity.

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I’m going to review an album that was released last year that I did not get a chance to review: Volition by Protest the Hero. Volition and Protest the Hero were recommended to me by a friend, and I’m very glad that I gave this album a listen. Volition was released on October 29, 2013, via Razor and Tie Records, and was completely funded by fans of the band. Protest the Hero replaced their original drummer with Chris Adler from Lamb of God, and Adler performed the drumming work on this record. Volition is a very impressive release due to PTH’s unique sound and the high technicality displayed throughout. Continue reading →

Die Without Hope is the fourth studio release by the deathcore/death metal band Carnifex. This album concludes Carnifex’s hiatus which began from October of 2012; fans of Carnifex are nervous but excited to hear how the band sounds following their time off. Die Without Hope was released on March 4^th, 2014, and is Carnifex’s first release through Nuclear Blast Records. With Die Without Hope, Carnifex has once again established themselves to be one of the best in the deathcore genre and showcases the full extent of their talents. The band definitely did not get rusty over their hiatus, but instead stepped up their game even more. While Die Without Hope is a progression from their prior albums, Carnifex still stays true to their roots.

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The popular metalcore band Of Mice and Men is back with their third studio release, entitled Restoring Force. The album came out on 1/24/2014 via Rise Records, and has quickly gained much success, hitting the #4 spot on the Billboard 200. The album succeeds The Flood and Of Mice and Men, both of which were also very popular among teenage “core” listeners and fans of Rise Records. The band has been known for Austin Carlile’s intense, high energy vocals, and some really catchy, high pitched choruses. For Restoring Force, Of Mice and Men has changed its sound to become heavier and more focused on harsh vocals, but still sticks true to their prior formula of breakdowns and face-paced drums. Has this change benefitted Of Mice and Men, or has this change made the band lose its unique identity? Read on to find out! Continue reading →

Periphery is a band well known in the metal community as one of the pioneers of the djent/progressive metal movement. They have gained a loyal and sizeable fanbase through their previous two releases, Periphery and Periphery II: This Time It’s Personal, as both albums were very innovative and successful. Clear is Periphery’s latest EP, released on 1/28/2014, via Sumerian Records. This EP is a unique release, and deviates from the standard Periphery releases in that instead of every Periphery member working on this record together, each member individually works on one song and the album is basically a collection of these tracks. Periphery has stated that this release is meant to be experimental, and not a continuation of their previous two records. I believe that this “experiment” turned out to be a massive success, as this album is able to showcase just how talented each member of Periphery is. Continue reading →