Walls Of Jericho “The American Dream” CD, 12" vinyl

Following an acoustic EP that received mixed reviews (at best), Walls of Jericho has returned with their opus: a blistering lesson in destruction that will remind you why you love heavy music. An ominous piano plays softly against the backdrop of a brooding sonic thunderstorm waiting to erupt in opening track “The New Ministry.” Gradually, almost unnoticeably, tension begins to build: first a guitar riff falls intoplace, followed in suit by deliberate, open hi-hat percussion. Just after the 1-minute mark, vocalist Candace Kucsulain rips the aural curtain open with an impassioned bellow (for anybody who doesn’t already know, the lead vocalist is in fact female. Before you get any ideas though, know that not only can she scream as well as her male counterparts, but in someways, she can outdo them). The track closes with another well-timed scream, only to immediately jump into “II. The Prey,” a song that will have Slayer fanspeeing themselves with joy within the first ten seconds (most noticeably because the awesome throwback guitar riff). One of the best parts about the album is its unrelenting commitment to its purpose: to decry a system that has bred false hopes and eternally unrealized dreams. This impression is almost instantly perceptible at any given moment; the raw emotion of the album spews out of the speakers like a typhoon, evoking a kind of primordial sensation in the listener (that’s not to encourageoverlooking the lyrics, however, as one glance will provide a physical manifestation to these feelings). Kucsulain’s vocals incite and deprecate, and I’m not exactly sure what it is, but something about the feminine qualities of her voice give it a certain edge that I very rarely hear men attain. If for some reason this is not clear in the first two tracks, though, “The American Dream” leaves no doubt, with Kucsulain’s enraged yell of “Fuck the American Dream” exploding off the blocks. The title track and lyrical focal point of the album, this is hands down the best song Walls of Jericho has ever made. The build-up to the breakdown is hair-raising, and only fortifies listeners’ respect for Kucsulain’s vocal range. The next twenty-four minutes follow in much the same fashion. “I. The Hunter” finds Walls of Jericho remembering its hardcore influences with rapid-fire percussion and quick-yell vocal delivery. “Famous Last Words,” “A Long Walk Home,” and “Discovery of Jones” emphasize the band’s 80’s thrash influence, while “III. Shock of the Century” leans more towards modern heavy metal. Only in the last song does Walls of Jericho lower its guard in the form of acoustic closer “The Slaughter Begins.” It’s up to you to decide if ending the album in this fashion was appropriate; personally, I think it’s perfect. Its tortured fade to nothing parallels the band’s idea of the “American Dream.” With a pissed off attitude and gritty willingness to do something about it, The American Dream is a raging mass of seething disillusionment. As Kucsulain so aptly puts it, let the slaughter begin.

Walls Of Jericho “Redemption” MCD

Redemption is the latest offering from the Detroit female fronted hardcore outfit Walls Of Jericho. Produced by Corey Taylor (Slipknot/Stonesour) Redemption takes the form of a new creative outlet for the band. The project that has been in the pipeline for the past 6 years has finally seen the light of day and it will probably divide the bands current fan base. In fact it wouldn’t surprise me if a fair few Walls Of Jericho fans turned their noses up at Redemption, as it is most certainly not Walls Of Jericho. This doesn’t mean to say it’s bad though, it’s just a radical change of direction from a band we have grown to know. As I have not been a huge Walls Of Jericho fan previous to this I feel I can give a more objective opinion and basically I like what I hear. It may be a bit on the over produced side and by that I mean I wouldn’t have minded some proper acoustic tracks, totally stripped bare. What we’ve got instead are some really big sounding tracks that highlight the diversity and range in Candace’s vocal ability. Yes this girl can growl and this is not totally forgotten in Redemption, but she’s also got a softer melodic voice in her too. I think what’s been taken away from Walls Of Jericho’s usual sound has been put back in different ways. You can hear their song structure, lyrics and true passion without the screams. It’s definitely got Corey Taylor’s mark on it, the Stonesour influence that is. His contributing vocals on ‘Addicted’ add great variation too. You cannot deny the man has talent. As for standout tracks, ‘Ember Drive’ has heartbreaking lyrics and great melody, while ‘No Saving Me’ shows Candace has not forgotten how to growl like the best of them. There’s also a great version of the classic ‘House Of The Rising Sun’. I do think any Walls Of Jericho fan put off by this will only prove their inability to enjoy diversity in music. There are certain bands I personally love even more after having released acoustic tracks. I believe music in its simplest form is the most beautiful and passionate and while this is not quite as simple it’s certainly proved that there is a lot more to this band. Redemption shows Walls Of Jericho’s raw emotional state, removing the layers only shows the beauty underneath, it may be different and it may not appeal to all, but at the same time I think it will pick up a whole new audience too.

Crash Romeo “Gave Me The Clap” CD

Fresh off their Trustkill Debut "Minutes to Miles," Crash Romeo are back again with their follow-up dubbed "Gave Me The Clap." But this time around the group strike the pop-punk ranks with A different formulaic blend of poppy melodies and vocals loops then before. In their 2006 "Minutes to Miles," the group's sound seemed to draw parallel to that of Boys Like Girls where this time around these rookies have developed their style into a form that fans of The Starting Line, Taking Back Sunday, and even All Time Low would appreciate A lot more. When considering "Gave Me the Clap" for purchase at your local record store or in most cases I-Tunes, there are a few things you must be aware of before confirming your transaction. Crash Romeo are in no way out to re-invent the pop-punk genre. In fact in most cases, the group's latest efforts remind me of the bands that built the foundation of which the genre was formed on. They impliment simplistic leads with faster strummed rhythms ala All Time Low and top it off with vocal tendencies of TBS and TSL to make this pop punk experience A truly enjoyable one. In tracks such as "Popular" listeners find themselves faced with copious amounts of cringe-worthy lyrics. But It's pop-punk, What do you expect? If the genre wasn't full of 25 year old guys still singing about Highschool and being "Popular" it just wouldn't be pop-punk. "Victim Liar," "About to Break," and "Better Off In Jersey" are tracks that open up to the aforementioned Taking Back Sunday influence combined with hints of Armor For Sleep (mostly evident in "Better Off in Jersey.") While the title track opens up with A Brand New-esque riff relevent to "Jude Law and A Semester Abroad." Crash Romeo don't score very high in creating a soley original album, but the group truly wins me over when they combine influences from such bands as Brand New, Armor For Sleep, No Use For A Name, Taking Back Sunday, and All Time Low. Granted these are popular bands to copycat, but Crash Romeo pull together influence from each of the artists' early material which is sure to send listeners for A trip down memory lane. With this album being as catchy as it is, I think it's safe to say Crash Romeo's "Gave Me the Clap" is one infection that penicillin won't easily scare off.

This Is Hell “Misfortunes” CD, 12" vinyl

Aggressive, dark and heavy. Those are three simple words that describe a classic hardcore disc best and luckily for This Is Hell, their follow up to the Sundowning is just that. This Long Island based five piece know how to get a mosh pit going and Misfortunes portrays that chaotic energy nicely on disc. From the second the crunchy guitars, thumping basslines, rapid fire drumming and tortured, venom dripping vocals kick in on Reckless, you know you’re in for quite a ride. The lyrics Travis Reilly growls are angry and dark but not to the point that they’re cheesy, plus they compliment the gang vocals spread out among the record nicely. Things don’t let up until the beginning of Realization:Remorse , a short song that slows things down for a second with a cool little riff before returning to the chaos and blending a little too well into Without Closure , another super fast track. Not everything is short and fast though. The final track Last Days Campaign clocks in over four minutes and gives listeners the best of both worlds. If you’re into hardcore and you still don’t know who This Is Hell is, get on it. 2008 isn’t over for awhile but chances are few other hardcore bands will be able to top Misfortunes because yes, that disc is just that good.

Memphis May Fire “Memphis May Fire” CDep

For those who were distraught when Chasing Victory called it quits earlier this year, no need to worry because I have discovered that the band in fact had a long lost monozygotic twin, Memphis May Fire. With the release of Memphis May Fire’s debut self titled EP, the band is clearly trying to capture audiences with their infectious southern rock, metal blended formula. Memphis May Fire use their formulaic breakdowns, growls, clean vocals, and squeals in opening track, “Cowbell’s Makin A Comeback”, leaving the listener with a slight feeling that the band has been listening to a lot of Every Time I Die and Underoath. “Cowbell’s Makin A Comeback” is just a taste of what the rest of the tracks are. The four following tracks (“Neutron Cameras Vs. Smuggled Nuclear Bombs”, “Therapy Caravan Of The Fair Room”, “History Of Mercia”, “Conjunctions, Conjunctions, Everybody Loves Them”) swim their way through numerous genres boundaries so much to the point where you couldn’t label Memphis May Fire under any particular genre—southern rock, metal, hardcore, pop—frivolously breaking down the walls of any specific genre. While this style of rock is not anything new or original, Memphis May Fire pulls it off decently; in fact the problem with the EP it is just plain addicting at times. Memphis May Fire have really done nothing more than add catchy hooks, growls, clean vocals, and squeals in the right places. Regardless of that lack of “creativity” Memphis May Fire will definitely please the crowds where ever they are and while I look at this EP as a critic, when it’s playing, it’s very hard to not be content with what the band has created. Recommended If You Like: Every Time I Die, Underoath, Chasing Victory, A Day To Remember