grunge – Page 2

Wizard Rifle – Wizard Rifle

Wizard Rifle Cover

Wizard Rifle – Wizard Rifle
Svart Records
Release Date: 30/08/2019
Running Time: 44:23
Review by Alun Jones
8.5/10

Right, about time I got back to business with these album reviews for my pals at Ever Metal. But how do you define the indefinable? ‘Cos that’s basically the issue I’ve had with this review (not writer’s block, honest)! Comparing Wizard Rifle to other bands in myopic, lazy journo style just doesn’t seem to cut it with these guys.
There’s too much going on with Wizard Rifle’s self-titled album to accurately pin down a clumsy similarity to someone else. It’s a mixture of loud, obnoxious metal, post rock, screamy hardcore punk and grungy sludge; with waves of psychedelic beauty tying it together.
Despite the unholy wall of noise that the band produce there are just two of them – guitarist/vocalist Max Dameron and drummer/vocalist Sam Ford. That’s a hell of a racket for just two people. They’re not short of ideas either, as the genre blending demonstrates. Maybe that’s an advantage of just two minds, rather than several – Dameron and Ford display some ingenious telepathy weaving their creations together.
Loads of energy too – ‘Rocket To Hell’ (great title) is a glorious, shouty opener, and ‘Caveman Waltz’ is a possible contender for Riff of the Year. It chugs like a drug fuelled locomotive trying to jump the Grand Canyon.
There are only five songs on this record, but as none of them are under seven minutes in length, there’s plenty of value for money. The guys have learnt to expand a song and explore its possibilities in a way that keeps the ear engaged. Like on the 12 minute epic ‘Funeral Of The Sun’, which stretches out hypnotically but loses none of its heavy intensity.
Wizard Rifle are from the Portland, Oregon area – which as it’s the Pacific North West, must surely be Big Foot country. So, I’m gonna coin a lazy journo phrase and label this sound Big Foot Rock. Remember, you read it here first. And yes, when this band are huge and Big Foot Rock takes over Western Civilization, I’ll be claiming the royalties for inventing that label.
Big Foot Rock T-shirt, sir? That’ll be £19.99. “Now That’s What I Call Bigfoot Rock, Vol 1” vinyl compilation? Just £27.99! Can I change a fifty? Oh, keep the change? Thank you very much!
TRACKLISTING:
01. Rocket To Hell
02. Caveman Waltz
03. Beneath The Spider
04. Funeral Of The Sun
05. V
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/wizardrifle/
https://www.instagram.com/wizardrifle/
https://wizardrifle.bandcamp.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3fbN5GpluBevEzrhObR97w

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Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Alun Jones and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Stone Temple Pilots, North American Fall Tour 2019 – The Met Philly, Philadelphia, PA – 19/09/2019

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Stone Temple Pilots
North American Fall Tour 2019
The Met Philly, Philadelphia, PA
19/09/2019
Review and Pictures by Andy Jansons

Once upon a time, there was a musical movement, it was called grunge. Somewhat forgotten, it lost many musicians to suicide with bands changing their style. Through all that one band has survived and tirelessly worked their way back to stardom. Their name is Stone Temple Pilots. After finding mega success in the 1990’s the band dissolved due to differences. Upon reuniting they lost eccentric and ultra talented lead singer Scott Weiland to apparent overdose and later his ‘replacement’ Chester Bennington to suicide, both considered generational talents. STP’s current vocalist Jeff Gutt has been great in fitting into those shoes, which has helped them to retain their identity. With Jeff on lead vocals the band last year released a brand new self-titled album, which happens to be the second self-titled album STP have released to date.
Their current tour with Rival Sons is somewhat short, just a little under a month, but touches down in most American Metropolitan areas. After this tour STP will play a festival in Mexico and next spring head out to Australia.
On a pretty nice and warm September day STP came to America’s Independence home Philadelphia and the show took place in the wonderful Metropolitan Opera House or Met Philly for short. After Rival Sons rocked the house, STP came on the stage a few minutes early, prompting some fans to run to their places while spilling beer along the way!
Stone Temple Pilots opened their set with ‘Silvergun Superman’ and ‘Vasoline’ from their second studio album “Purple”, which will have a 25th Anniversary release later in October. They were mixed in with ‘Wicked Garden’ and ‘Crackerman’ from their debut album “Core”. These two albums were the most represented on the set list this night.
STP’s performance was just like the old days. Brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo were so energetic as if it was still the 1990’s. Behind the drums Eric Kretz was spectacular and his hair was flowing in the wind from a fan to the delight of all the ladies in attendance. Jeff Gutt definitely has his own vocal style, but sometimes there were flashes of Scott Weiland which older fans really appreciated. His vocal range complemented well with all of the band’s songs.
From the latest self-titled album STP played just two songs ‘Meadow’ and ‘Roll Me Under’. Of course they played their most decorated hit single ‘Plush’ (that had won MTV, Grammy, Billboard and American Music Awards) and the show was closed with their banger ‘Sex Type Thing’.
It was a good way to finish because, needless to say, it left the fans wanting more..!
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/stpband
Tweets by STPBand
https://www.instagram.com/stpband

https://www.youtube.com/user/stptv

BOTTOM STP3

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Andy Jansons and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Hollow Crown – Garuda EP

Garuda EP Cover Top

Hollow Crown – Garuda EP
H.C Music Holding Ltd
Release Date: 31/05/2019
Running Time: 25:17
Review by Tsarina Wilson
7.5/10

Ok, so who are Hollow Crown? Well, they are four guys from Bristol (near my hometown), who got together and released a six song EP.
“Garuda” may be short but what the guys pack into it is just pure craziness and energy. The band consists of Iain Eccleston on guitars, Tom Pepper on vocals, Ben Wilshire on bass and, last but definitely not least, Josh Armitage on drums and they are also the creators of the game LFDR coming to an app soon.
Iain and Tom met about 5 years ago while Iain was playing at a disabled people’s home. Eventually they met up to do some writing and wrote a whole album in a month, which included most of the songs for the EP. After developing the sound and doing some recording sessions, they got Josh involved and after putting out an advert for a bassist, Ben became the final member, as he was the perfect choice. They have now been together for just almost a year now and not only are these four guys very talented, they also have fun doing what they do.
This metal grunge band certainly know how to pack a lot into six tracks. The first couple of songs are fast and furious and track two ‘Hate Your Leaders’ which now has a video on YouTube, certainly shows how much talent these guys have. This track goes from total madness to almost hypnotic in the middle section and this certainly gives you a chance to hear Tom’s epic voice. Then no sooner as you start to take a breath, Iain’s impressive guitar riffs blast your eardrums once again.
The music and lyrics are written by Iain and Tom and the artwork was produced by Mateusz “The Executor” Lejman. The band’s logo was what first drew them to my attention and, after hearing the guys, they were a breath of fresh air of a band who seem to have so much talent coming onto the scene.
They won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, having a “parental Advisory explicit content” warning on the cd, but hey not everyone has good taste! Tom’s voice goes from full metal grunge to almost soothing but don’t be fooled, these guys are not for the faint hearted. I can imagine their gigs are non-stop crazy and, with a growing fan base, I think this isn’t all we are going to hear from them. They are loud, they are crazy, they are talented, and I think they have a lot to offer.
One thing I did have a little giggle about was the back of the cd cover has “Unauthorised reproduction of this recording will result in an untimely death!!” printed on it.
TRACKLISTING:
01. 7th Gate
02. Hate Your Leaders
03. Step By Step
04. You Weren’t There Man
05. White Whale
06. Rise Up
LINKS:
https://www.hollowcrown.rocks
http://www.facebook.comhollowcrown.rocks
https://www.imstagram.com/hollowcrown.rocks
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX3f0x1hKOYraRK4RXIUoUA

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Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Tsarina Wilson and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

EMQ’s with ‘the HŸSS’

EMQ’s with ‘the HŸSS’

Hi Everyone. Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Chicago, Illinois Stoner / Grunge / Doom band the Hÿss! Huge thanks to them for taking part!
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
My Name is Patrick Daniel Kennedy the 3rd, but my friends call me PK. I get to play rhythm guitar and a few hot and very sexy leads for our band the Hÿss.
All of the band members have been friends since the 80’s and 90’s. We grew up together listening to the same music, playing in various bands and mostly having fun and laughing and being brothers in life.
In 2011, guitarist Dave Fitzgerald contacted me and wanted to play some music like we did when we were kids. We use to write riffs a lot. We loved Nirvana, Clutch, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Minor Threat, the Misfits, but also loved 70’s rock as well. Dave loved jammin’ on Hendrix, Cream, and Sabbath. Figuring out tunes was fun and “making up” our own combinations of riffs that we were learning was even more fun. We got super into it. Our friendship grew even tighter. Once we started up the Hÿss, I feel like it grew like a fire and we were back to writing cool riffs. Bill Sullivan joined the band and chose to pick up the bass and man oh man, I hadn’t seen the guy in a while and he just hugs me and starts playing like a fucking champ. He has amazing creative riffs and is a smart musician, so we were lucky he joined us. He and Dave learned the blues together in college. Two badass players in my opinion. The drummer, Mike Scales has been our friend for so long I can’t remember when I started hangin’ with the guy. He has an extensive history of playing with cool bands because he has skills. If you give a good listen to “Ghost Army” on the new Hound EP you will be impressed. He joined us immediately once he saw how awesome we looked in our cool stage outfits. My jeans had a rip just above the knee. And that combined with our cool riffs? How could he resist? The singer Matt McDonald is a guy we all grew up with even though he lived all the way up on the North Side of Chicago. He was the lead singer of Chicago punk band Renegade A-Bomb back in the 90’s. He was a legend and he gave the Hÿss a shot and it was like lighting. Matt’s interests are reading about history and apocalyptic situations. That’s his jam, so we like to write some fun sounding but dark material. It works great with the music and I always like where his head’s at on these songs. He’s a great writer and has a creative mind and a voice that’s as powerful as a t-rex on a horny day. Eventually we put together a lot of cool songs and have been giving it our best shot around town for a while and it’s been a ton of fun and people are really digging the sound. It’s exciting!
How did you come up with our band name?
The snake is the international beast of rock n’ roll and stoner rock music alike, and the Hÿss is the first sound you hear before the crack of the snake bite. This name is cool when you spell it with a Y and give it an umlaut, like a little snake bite. We are the Hÿss, you know… that sound.
What country are you from and what is the metal scene like there?
America. There is a ton of new music and genres spinning off of the gods of metal: Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica, Pantera, etc. 1980’s America had the best metal. A lot of people are enjoying what’s coming from all over the world now thanks to the internet. It’s a universe of music these days and it’s pretty amazing to watch other cultures and countries create new metal and pay their respect to old metal from where I live at the same time. It’s interesting and amazing and a lot of it is really bad A, these kids aren’t fking around.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single or Video)?
Our band is very proud to say we are finished with our official debut 5-track EP “Hound”, a few killer songs we have been perfecting and we just love playing them. We really wanted to kick the door open with some high energy doom on this and we feel like it really turned out the way we wanted it to. Pete Grossmann is an awesome sound engineer, and he really helped us bring the whole thing to life and portray our music just as we heard it in our heads when we imagined it. We enjoyed working with him and we are very happy with the way it turned out.
Who have been your greatest influences?
I’m usually inspired by my friends who seem to get better at their instruments than me at a very rapid pace. That, and I’ve been digging Unknown Hinson lately. I know that’s not a metal musician, but the guy’s an amazing player and I like how hilarious he is and how fast he goes. I like shifting through genres to get my fingers to move faster; it keeps me on my toes.
What first got you into music?
When I was little, I would listen to my parent’s Beatles records and my sister’s Queen Tapes. My friend and Hÿss axe slinger Dave had a guitar he found in the trash and we started making up songs, he got good fast and I wanted to do the same. I have to say my friends and family are the people who got me into music. I practiced enough that my parents bought me a nice Washburn acoustic for Christmas. Was the nicest gift ever!
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
Any band or musician that would be nice to me. Haha! Or Clutch, that would rule. They have a real testosterone robot sound and those dudes get mad respect across the land. I love their music and if they wanted us to open for them my heart would pound. Could you imagine? I wish.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Lollapalooza so I don’t have to drive far.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
I have never been given anything. If I were it would be the weirdest gift by default because I couldn’t possibly believe anyone would give me anything Haha!
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Thanks for liking our music and for supporting live music and for being a cool person on this earth.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Kurt Cobain, because I have a feeling he would have gone solo and made a bunch of cool folk songs. That’s my prediction and I want to be right.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I love playing out with friends. The human connection of matching sounds up is a strange feeling and I’ve been enjoying that high my entire life.
I hate moving equipment and I don’t like ego maniacs. Lotta those folks out there!
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
I would kill the American Idol thing fast. Kids that sound like they would make badass singers in other types of music are told they “can’t sing” WTF is that? If I sing Happy Birthday, can I sing? And I feel like those millions of dollars travelling all through our lands and have tons of talented kids line up only to be insulted into giving up on music by some washed up celebrities. It’s like a cancer. I hope kids turn that shit off and go scream into a mic anyway!
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Nirvana – “Incesticide”. I love the pop on those tracks and then the album just gets hard and heavy and the riffs are flawless. I love the way they wrote those songs and the band is just one of my all-time favourites.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
These days it’s downloads but, if I’m honest, I prefer CD’s. The sound quality was just fine and you usually ended up listening to the entire album rather than skip songs and bands all day like an asshole.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
The best gig in my opinion was at The Forge in Blue Island. It’s a small bar, but it’s in our neighbourhood on the Southside of Chicago and all our friend’s bands were there. It was outside and lots of people came out and we had a great time that night. I love those nights.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Probably a rocket scientist that solves crimes in space. It would be boring though since the crime rate in space is very low.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
The four other Hÿss members plus Bill Gates and see if he can lend us some money.
What’s next for the band?
We’re looking forward to parading our new “Hound” around town and then maybe start working on another recording. We also have a lot of new material to work on so we definitely have our hands full!
What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
You can find the Hÿss on Facebook, Bandcamp, Soundcloud and Instagram!
https://www.facebook.com/thehyss/
https://www.instagram.com/thehyss/
https://thehyss.bandcamp.com/releases
https://soundcloud.com/thehyss
Jaffa Cakes? Are they a cake or a biscuit?
Anything baked in 1927 is a biscuit by now.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thank you for putting us out there with these fun questions. I hope you will pound the Hound by the Hÿss and enjoy it as much as we do!

Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Party Of The Sin – Party Of The Sin

Party Of The Sin Cover

Party Of The Sin – Party Of The Sin
Independent
Release Date: 2017
Running Time: 49:46
Review by Dawn “The Metal Priestess” King
9/10

Before I crack on with the review of this album, I would just like to thank the band for their amazing patience in waiting for this. At Ever Metal, we receive hundreds of albums to review and, still only being quite small, we cannot review everything. That being said, we promised these guys we would take a listen to their album and we always try to deliver on our promises.
I received the album a good few weeks ago but, due to personal circumstances and illness, it took me a while to get around to actually listening to it. And boy, should I have done it sooner!
Party Of The Sin are a Chilean band from Santiago and, to be honest, that is about the extent of my knowledge of them. I spent ages scouring the internet looking for information and there really is not much to find! Is this a band who like to keep themselves to themselves or are they SO new, that even the internet doesn’t know much about them? Whichever is the case, this is a band who should be promoting themselves EVERYWHERE and getting their name out to the many people who have yet to hear about them.
From the very first track, single ‘Explode’ I loved this album, and near on two weeks in my car is testament to that. Their Facebook page states they are “psychedelic Anglo rock” but this is not something I would necessarily agree with. Why we are still in an age where we must categorise and pigeon-hole music I don’t know, but seeing as we are, I really don’t know where they would be placed on the rock / metal spectrum.
At first, they come across as a rock band, in the vein of Def Leppard or Inglorious or Alterbridge. But after a while, you can also hear a hint of grunge creeping in. I was big into the grunge era in the early 90’s, and I can definitely hear influences from bands such as Pearl Jam, who were one of my favourites. Whether this was done deliberately I don’t know but it seems to work.
This is a band who are full of talent and really should be heard by a lot more people, which is where me and my review come in! If I can turn one more person onto their music, then I have done my job!
The band is made up of four guys and they are shown on their Facebook in the following manner: Crazy Drums – Pablo Stagnaro, Groovy Bass Guitar – Zack Arnstein, Magic Lead Guitar – Fernando Cordero and Emotional Vocals – Gabriel Sara, and I can’t personally think of a better way to describe them! Each one has something unique to bring to the table and together they mix extremely well, almost sounding as if they have been playing together for many years.
The album has a bit of a feel-good vibe to it. In terms of originality it doesn‘t bring anything new and much of it has, and to coin an over-used phrase, already “been done before!” BUT how many bands these days actually come up with anything totally original. These guys play great music, and they love what they do! They are passionate, ambitious and, above all, they believe in themselves! In this day and age, with too many bands being shot down before they have even started, to see a band who believe in what they can do, and seemingly not giving a stuff what anyone else thinks, is great.
Right from the offset, I was always going to give this album an 8 out of 10. I love the mix of rock songs with the more ballady types (I’ve always been a sucker for a ballad) and there really is not a bad song on the album (again, I know that is probably another over-used cliché.) Stand out songs for me also happen to be the singles released, ‘Another Sun’, ‘Explode’ and my absolute favourite on the album ‘My Head.’
But, after a few run throughs though, I changed this to a 9 out of 10. I loved it right from the start, but it grew on me a LOT more too, and no doubt, it might have even made its way up to nearly a 10 (and I don’t give those out that often!)
If you have never heard of these guys before, please go out and give this an album a listen. You will not be disappointed!
TRACKLIST:
01 Explode
02 She Stole
03 My Head
04 One Way Love
05 Another Sun (Short Version)
06 Falls
07 Live Forever
08 Celebration
09 Streets Of Man
10 Weaker
11 Another Sun
SOCIAL MEDIA:
http://www.partyofthesin.com/
https://www.facebook.com/partyofthesin

Tweets by PartyoftheSin

https://www.instagram.com/partyofthesin/

http://invocation.co/show/performer/party-of-the-sin
https://www.youtube.com/PartyOfTheSin

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Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dawn “The Metal Priestess” King and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Interview with Chris LoPorto, Vocalist for Can’t Swim

Interview with Chris LoPorto, Vocalist for Can’t Swim
Interview by Stephen Moss

Hi Everyone , Rick Here,

On 1st December our, Stateside, guest reviewer Stephen Moss went to see US rock band Can’t Swim play a gig at the (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York City. Whilst he was there he also managed to do an interview with vocalist Chris LoPorto. I’d like to thank Stephen and Andy Jansons at JM Pressphoto Agency for sending us the interview and, of course to Chris for answering the questions!

Stephen Moss: “Your uncle was a famous drummer and you played drums in many bands. When you took the role of lead singer and guitar player, did you find yourself overly critiquing the drum lines because you had so much experience as a drummer, or did you give your drummer the freedom to make their own lines?”

Chris LoPorto: “I recorded the drums on our first release. Now, Danny and I split the drumming duty when we record. But i’m not a control freak in any way, whoever is playing drums for us live, I always tell them to add their own spice to the parts.”

Stephen Moss: “How has your writing style evolved since you first released your Death Deserves a Name – EP?”

Chris LoPorto: “I think I have a better idea of what I want Can’t Swim to be now. I know what we can and cannot do. Also, it’s far more collaborative, we are a band who make records together, not just myself making demos on a laptop anymore.”

Stephen Moss: “It’s been said, “Music can cure things medicine can’t.” For many song writers, writing is therapeutic and it’s a way to help themselves. What’s it been like to hear stories and talk to people who use your music as a therapy treatment to help them cope with their life?”

Chris LoPorto: “It’s lovely and something I never thought would happen. Gives me a sense of purpose and pushes me to work hard at this band. It’s a realization that it’s not just loud rock music, if a person can feel better about their situation hearing about what I’ve been through, that’s a very special thing.”

Stephen Moss: “When you’re playing on stage and you hear the crowd singing your songs, are you able to take a second and soak that in or are you focused on the chords and the next lyrics?”

Chris LoPorto: “My job is very easy on stage, I can totally focus on the crowd and take it in. I wouldn’t want to do it any other way.”

Stephen Moss: “When writing songs, do you write the lyrics first or the music first?”

Chris LoPorto: “Depends. Usually the music and melody come first. Then i’ll write words to fit the melodies. I like for the vibe of the music to inspire the lyrics.”

Stephen Moss: “You had said before that some of your songs are first done on acoustic guitar. Is there any plans on doing an unplugged album?”

Chris LoPorto: “Oh jeez, I hope not hahaha.”

Stephen Moss: “You guys do a great live show, any plans for a live album or a cover album?”

Chris LoPorto: “I don’t think so, no.”

Stephen Moss: “If you could pick one band to tour with past or present, who would it be and why?”

Chris LoPorto: “Drake. I listen to his records a lot and he seems like a friendly guy.”

Stephen Moss: “Are you a sports fans?”

Chris LoPorto: “I’m not.”

Stephen Moss: “As someone from NJ, I have to ask…Taylor Ham or Pork Roll?”

Chris LoPorto: “Go veg, save the planet.”

Stephen Moss: “I spoke to Jesse from 10 Years and he said “I’ve been all around the world but there’s something special about coming to Knoxville because it’s home.” You guys have also toured around the globe. Is it still special coming back to Jersey?”

Chris LoPorto: “It’s funny, we started the band so abruptly, we don’t have much of a hometown feeling when playing NJ. it’s great to see friends and family but, we’ve probably played Nebraska just as much as we’ve played NJ.”

Stephen Moss: “So far, what’s been your favourite city to play a show in?”

Chris LoPorto: “Orlando.”

Stephen Moss: “What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened on the road?”

Chris LoPorto: “I’ve spent 3 years of my life looking at interstates.”

Stephen Moss: “As a band, what are some of your goals?”

Chris LoPorto: “We don’t really get too caught up in that stuff. We love what we are doing now and just want to do it more often. Getting a chance to play shows and make records is something we don’t take for granted.”

Stephen Moss: “Your tour schedule is crazy busy! Many shows are played back to back. How are you able to give 100% each show?”

Chris LoPorto: “Coffee! A lot of coffee!”

Stephen Moss: “I wish I was kidding but, every time I wear your shirt people ask me if I can swim. It’s a clever name because then I have to explain to them that it’s a band and we end up having a conversation about your band. So, I have to ask you, Have you learned to swim yet?”

Chris LoPorto: “Certainly not. Don’t plan on it either cause I can’t think of what else to call the band.”

Stephen Moss: “Will you be putting more of your videos on Apple Music?”

Chris LoPorto: “I have no idea. I don’t even have a smart phone.”

Stephen Moss: “I’m asking for selfish reasons but, there is a beautiful venue in Jersey City called “White Eagle Hall” or “Maxwells” in Hoboken where Nirvana played. Do you guys have plans to play any North Jersey gigs?”

Chris LoPorto: “Do they still do shows at Maxwells? I would love to play there, hook it up.”

Stephen Moss: “Do you guys still keep in touch with Andrea? (ex Can’t Swim drummer and long time friend) If so, any plans on having her be a special appearance and drum on a few tracks or shows?”

Chris LoPorto: “Totally, she played drums on two tracks of our newest record.”

Stephen Moss: “Did you guys have an epiphany moment where you realized, “Hey, we can do this full time.” Like, at what moment did you realize that this band had something special?”

Chris LoPorto: “When we first got signed, tours quickly started rolling in and we didn’t even have a chance to ponder if we could do it or not, we just had to. I think i’m still in that mind set almost like the alarm is going off and i’m rushing to make it to work on time.”

Stephen Moss: “When preparing for this interview, I was talking with a very good friend of mine named Melissa. Her favourite band is Taking Back Sunday. I asked her if she had the opportunity to interview Taking Back Sunday, what would she ask? She said two things, 1) “Can I be your best friend?” And 2) “Can I touch your hair?” Hahahaha. This made me think, what’s some weird things that you’ve been asked during an interview?”

Chris LoPorto: “If someone asks me if I can swim or if pineapple belongs on pizza, I’m probably going to quit the band.”

Stephen Moss: “Thank you for your time. I’ll see you at your next show in Jersey/NYC.”

Chris LoPorto: “Likewise. Be well and thanks for doing this.”

CHECK OUT CAN’T SWIM AT THE FOLLOWING LINKS:
https://www.cantswimmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/cantswim/
https://twitter.com/cantswim_
https://www.instagram.com/cantswim_/
https://cantswimmusic.tumblr.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/62elZbH5Iop8UPcChp7OrU

Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Stephen Moss and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Can’t Swim – (Le) Poisson Rouge, New York City – 01/12/2018

A full review of the gig can be found here:

Can’t Swim – (Le) Poisson Rouge, New York City – 01/12/2018

Disclaimer: This photo album is solely the property of Stephen Moss. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of these images, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Can’t Swim – (Le) Poisson Rouge, New York City – 01/12/2018

Can’t Swim
(Le) Poisson Rouge, New York City
01/12/2018
Review and Pictures by Stephen Moss

Can’t Swim is a new band from Keansburg, NJ. Their first studio album was released in 2017 and called “Fail You Again” and they are signed to Pure Noise Records. This is the same record label that signed Four Year Strong, Hawthorne Heights, Senses Fail, State Champs, and The Story So Far. The sound of Can’t Swim’s music is similar to those bands. If Punk and Grunge had a baby, it would be Can’t Swim.

This was my second time seeing Can’t Swim perform live. Just like the first time, it was a sold out crowd! The band is coming off the recent release of their second full length studio album, “This Too Won’t Pass.” The album was released on November 16, 2018! Just 15 days after this release, they performed in Manhattan. As the band play songs off this new record, the passionate, sold-out crowd sing along to the lyrics, not missing a beat.

Can’t Swim weren’t headliners, so they had a short set list. They were one of the bands opening for Seaway, an Emo band from Canada and only played seven songs. Those seven songs were a nice balance of old fan favourites, along with new songs.

The setlist was as followed:

1) Your Clothes
2) Sometimes You Meet The Right People At The Wrong Time
3) What Have We Done
4) My Queen
5) Come Home
6) Congratulations, Christopher Hodge
7) Stranger. (Yes, they ended their set with their biggest single, ‘Stranger’)

The band had incredible energy! They are currently on tour and many nights they play back to back, yet they show no signs of fatigue while performing. Every single member was full of life and passion. As you can tell from my pictures, their performance was powered by emotion.

Before and after the show you could find the band in the crowd listening to the other performing acts. The band were also very willing to talk to their fans. They even agreed to an interview with me that I’ll be posting soon.

Can’t Swim’s music is so good that one of the members of the other opening bands was wearing a Can’t Swim T-Shirt.

I can’t stress enough how awesome this band are live! If you haven’t heard of them, check them out on the links below and definitely make plans to see their show.

If you’re new to the band here is a Can’t Swim starter pack of songs to listen to first:

1) Come Home
2) Stranger
3) Right Choice
4) Way It Was
5) What’s Your Big Idea?
6) Even In Death
7) My Queen
8) Molly’s Desk
9) One Shot
10) Your Clothes

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Stephen Moss and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

All photos courtesy of Stephen Moss.

Resin – The Cycle of Need

Resin – The Cycle of Need
Attic Records
Release Date: 13/07/2018
Running Time: 47:52
Review by Rick Tilley
10/10

Right, before I get started on this review, it’s fair to say I haven’t been writing so much recently. Actually running a website/page gives you very little time to do anything else and, on top of that, I’ve found out I’m tremendously OCD about everything that I do so it all probably takes twice as long as it should do! I love what I’m now doing but sometimes you want to get back to just listening to some fantastic music and writing about how it makes you feel so I’m going to do that more often from now on!

Coming to that decision has been made so much easier thanks to Leicestershire Grunge/Hard Rock band Resin, whose latest album “The Cycle Of Need” has punched a huge emotional hole inside of me. I’ve known these ‘guys’ for a few years now and have interviewed them on more than one occasion. They know that when I first heard them, I wasn’t at all sure about whether I actually liked them or not, if you want to use sub-genres then Grunge isn’t my favourite word, but I’ve stuck with them and watched them grow. In 2015 there were a few line-up changes and they released their “Persecution Complex” EP which was a big step forward in quality and now we have the new album!

“The Cycle Of Need” sees the introduction of violinist Emma Bennett (Cadence Noir) as a sixth member and I’d like to shake the hand of the person that decided they needed to add strings of a different kind because her inclusion in the band is an absolute masterstroke! If you add that this collection of songs are, far and away, easily the best thing that Resin have ever recorded then things are looking more than good. Resin have found their complete sound and I absolutely adore it. Their mix of Grunge, Metal, Hard Rock and Folk is a joy to listen to, in fact it’s haunting and the more I listen to this album the more it moves me. Yes, they have revisited a couple of songs from their first album but these recordings do them so much more justice they may as well be completely new compositions!

Dave Gandon’s vocals are superb and the lyrics are sung with such feeling that it’s difficult not to wipe away a tear when listening to them, whether that’s tears of sadness or anger! Resin can be very hard hitting one minute, some of the riffs here are huge, and then completely floor you with something so gentle and beautiful the next but nothing sounds disjointed or out of place. It’s not just Dave or Emma that excel though, every member has stepped up to the plate and delivered huge performances and the production, handled by Neil Hudson at Initiate Audio, has given Resin the massive sound they have always deserved.

I’ve listened to thousands of bands over the years and whilst it’s lovely to feel safe with the Classic, Power and Thrash Metal bands that I love so much, sometimes it’s amazing to hear something different and that challenges me on multiple levels. Arguably, Resin have come up with a sound that I personally don’t think sounds like anyone else and that’s not an easy thing to say in 2018!

“The Cycle Of Need” is a breath-taking achievement and one which Resin should be hugely proud of. When music can speak to the listener like this album has done to me and then I get to write about it, well it just proves I’ve got nearly the best job in the world. I say nearly because the only way it could be better is if I had written the tracks myself.

I urge everyone that reads this to buy or stream “The Cycle Of Need” and really digest what’s on offer. It deserves that level of commitment because the music has been written and performed with such passion. Awarding full marks to an album is not something I often do but never have I found it as easy as I have done here!

TRACKLISTING:
01. Never Learn
02. Monster
03. Shitstorm
04. Clouds
05. Angel
06. Burn
07. Poison
08. Open Heart Trauma
09. Blood Of Angels (Bonus Track)

LINE-UP:
Dave Gandon – Vocals/Guitar
Mark ‘Chez’ Roseby – Guitar/Vocals
Simon Yarwood – Guitar
Drask George: – Bass/Vocals
Ryan ‘Sticks’ Hextall – Drums/Percussion
Emma Bennett – Violin

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Richard Tilley and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.