When Skies Are Gray by When Skies Are Gray

/when skies are gray by when skies are gray\

1. Her face in the grass

2. We passed each other quietly 

3. Wayfarer

4. Bloodletting

5. The widows walk

6. The things I once cherished, now indiferrent

7. Subdue and consume 

8. The tundra of my heart, my tired frozen heart

9. It's certain that I'm dying

10. Renoir, 1920

Dark emo violence// melodic emo pop punk outfit, When Skies Are Gray, shows off it's gritty, teeth grinding emotion that brings your blood to a depressing boil. The cathartic yelling over catchy emo Pop punk instruments smash your face while the melodic, soothing instrumentals make your head away back and fourth. I can see this as something I can come back to over and over again.

Everything beautiful is gone

Woah there grab your sing along pen and write in your diaries, because this shit makes you wanna think about how shitty things are while at the same time thinking about how much you don't care when really maybe things aren't 100% bad but you don't think about that because you're listening to this guy say everything you're thinking but because you aren't good at putting into words what you're thinking the way you want to, you can't say, you'll go post these lyrics on Twitter and tumblr and others will feel what you're saying  but will have no idea what you're talking about//referencing so people will think you're deep and you'll get that cool girl/guy you've had a crush on forever to think maybe you aren't just another SnapBack wearing fuck boy so you guys will date and things will be great at first but after a few months things will go south and you'll start listening to that basement album but you feel so much about her and also hate being alone so you'll stay together and be in a toxic relationship that doesn't help either of you so you'll get with some of your friend and make a band when you guys break up and try to make it sound like this album but you'll realize when skies are gray is too good of a band to recreate and also your drummer probably sucks a lot so rinse and repeat. 

Anyway, this album is really really great and it was released through mayfly records so check that out, good label and I would love to see these guys live and you should get this album. 

Favorite track: we passed each other quietly 

Bandcamp

Me when I put this album on

Growing Pains by Storyteller

//Growing Pains||Storyteller\\

1. Never Was

2. Never Will Be

3. Scars

4. Dead Sleep

5. Heavy Hearts (ft. Osacar Bamaca)

6. Fool's Gold (ft. Mackenzie Colvin)

7. Stand Up, Stand Tall

8. Passive Progression

On Distro from Driftwood Records CDs, Storyteller's 8 song release, Growing Pains, has a lot to be said about. The songs are quick, melodic, and filled with emotion. Combining spoken word vocals with Skramzy-esq/emo vocals, the lyrics take hold of the listener, combining with the emotional and well thought out music to swell and create some actually all around great music. Production is high quality, and instrumentation is mixed perfectly. While the songs meld together, almost seeming to form an entirely new song, there isn't a dull moment. The first song lulls you into a false sense of tranquility, yet immediately casts you into the raw emotion of the rest of the release. The songs rise and fall like a wave, cresting to peaks at certain sections and landing at lows at others. The songs keep moving, driving forward with emotion and head bobbing instrumentation. I'm not usually into bands like this, with the spoken word parts and the melodic hardcore vocals and such, but Storyteller does something amazing with it, making me come back to this release and start it over after every time I finish listening to it. This is a band everyone should check out. 

Favorite Song: "Passive Progression"

Get it here

Storyteller's facebook

IOWACORE COMPILATION VOLUME TRIPLE I

Iowacore Volume 3

91 tracks that I refuse to list

ARE YOU READY TO GET U MOSH(e) ON?
If you weren't before, after, and only after you listen to all five hours of breakdowns and other things that don't 100% match up, you'll want to hate mosh you're grandmother. I'm guessing these must all be bands from Iowa? If so, what the hell Iowa are you guys holding out on us bring some mosh over to Missouri. So me being not the BIGGEST fan of Metalcore, but still kinda able to get into it, kinda enjoyed this giant thingy. But then again I'm a little confused because not all of these bands are "core" bands. You'll find bands like Goods (emo/emo throwback) and then there is an acoustic song like four songs in. So this isn't all metalcore, but the first few million hours is. It's not bad though, all of these songs are really good, and there are quite a few gems in here.  All of these are good bands and it's cool to see a compilation of this size. Props to the Black Hand Promotions and the Iowacore guys and gals. It's cool because if you're like me you can't just sit and listen to this entire thing straight, I mean come on it's hella long. But you can always come back and just chose a part and go. You find so many different things that it's crazy cool. Pop Punk, Metalcore, Acoustic, Hardcore, Emo, Djent, everything. Iowa has a nice looking scene. Download this. It only takes a LONG time but it's worth it.

favorite track: f-dat I can't choose.

get it here 

(Shout out to Kegan of Corkscrew/goods for sending me this shit)
(all these bands may not be from iowa idk I'm stupid)

Those Who Challenge the Sun by Mariner

Those Who Challenge The Sun | Mariner

1. A letter home

2. The Grind

3. Kilgore trout

4. Pride

5. Patterns on the Ceiling

6. Boundary Waters

7. Statues

8. Occam's Razor

9. Eurydice

10. Pithy

Found another amazing Missouri band. St. Louis band Mariner's first release, Those Who Challenge The Sun, is a melodic/post hardcore/indie rock 10 song release. Maybe this is just a thing with post hardcore, but a lot of the songs sound really really similar. That's one of the major major major downfalls to this release. That's essentially the only one. Vocals are a mixture between defeater-esq yells and some Flawlessy singing. 

This was never about you

I notice that they seem to be putting lyrics and vocals in front of everything else. That's fine, if that's what you're going for, but if you do that than the band usually ends up with music that isn't that interesting. They kinda do it well on this release, music still is fairly good and all, and at least the lyrics are good. Right now they hit home so I can appreciate them even more. Song length wise they keep them at that length most post-hardcore bands throw out their songs. Normally around three minutes long, the longest track clocks in over six minutes. "Eurydice" is a symphony of a song, once again set around the lyrical aspects. 

I think on a whole, these guys did a really good job what with this being their first release. From the quite start of the release to the spacey fading outro, these guys define what they play, and they define it well. Really good release, and one that you should all check out.

Favorite track: Eurydice

Bandcamp

Common Wealth|Goods Split

Common Wealth / Goods Split

1. November - Common Wealth

2. Wither/Fade - Common Wealth

3. Depart - Goods

4. Beautiful - Goods

Released off of Deaf Negative Records, the common wealth/goods split is a four song melodic hardcore/throwback emo release. Common Wealth, starting off the release, throws out a fast paced, hard hitting song, "November", which to me, seems to be the best song off this release. Although i'm a huge fan of Goods, I'm really digging the Common Wealth side of this split. 

When it comes to the goods half of the split, they follow the flow of the melodic hardcore/throwback emo of the songs, and I'm really digging "Depart". Really love Kegan's vocals. Overall, these two bands really matched well together, making this a really cool split to listen to. Check it out, you can find their sides of the split on their respective bandcamps. 

favorite song overall: November
Favorite Common Wealth Song: November
Favorite Goods Song: Depart

Bandcamp

Wolves by Messengers

Wolves | Messengers

1. Wolves

2. Chapter One: Release

3. Chapter Two: Recover

4. Judgement

5. Unworthy

6. Children (Featuring Marina Chiarletto)

7. Kings & Queens

Spirit filled melodic hardcore/metalcore-esq band Messengers from the 417's first release, Wolves gave me more than I was expecting. I'm not exactly one for Christian-core, but even with the lyrics, I really love Wolves. First off, production is done amazingly, the kind of production you see in mainstream bands with big production value.  Local studio Chi Rho studios is to thank for that. Next, instrumentation and song writing is great, songs flow together, and I didn't find much repetition. 

Don't even get me started on the vocals.

The vocal talent for the vocalist (Juan) amazed me. I knew he was good, but the lows and hi's this guy has are sick. The best part is he uses his lows intermittently, sticking to his hi fry-esq vocals most of the time, so when he does throw in those deep, cathartic lows, it's amazing. I don't think I can describe it well enough, so check this release out. Especially "Judgement."

As for the rest of the instrumentation, it's mixed quite well, so nothing stands out overly. Everyone is really talented at their instruments, and I dig the drums. The featuring of the female vocals kinda chilled out the ending to the release, but on a whole it's really angry, even for a "Spirit filled" release. To wrap it up, check out "Judgement". The breakdown is something I want to see live. Also, got to meet some of these guys at a local show, and they were some seriously nice dudes. 

Favorite track: Judgement

Bandcamp

Bearing the Cold, by Flawless

Bearing The cold by Flawless

1. What a Waste of Time

2. Entirety

3. Anybody Else

4. Untitled

5. Stutter

I was just talking about Flawless with my friend Kasey, and mentioned the fact that they put out a new release every December. Well, here is 2013's Flawless release. Flawless is a local 417 Post-hardcore/pop punk band, and probably the biggest band on the scene. 

At first listen to this new Flawless, I didn't really enjoy the new sound that they are putting out, but after a few more listens, I started to enjoy it more. These 5 songs are very punk-esq, with emo-ish lyrics. Ian's vocals continue to get better and better with each release, and the sound of "Bearing the Cold" seems more like Flawless's first release. Local drumming all-star Alex Harris (Drummer for Dirt Nap, Blackhole, Dirk Frazel, Grammer,, and many many other bands) shows off some stock Alex Harris Drumming, and guitar is set to what seems to be a medium tone, not too heavy, and not too light. What really sticks out to me on many of the tracks is the Bass, heavy in the mix, and driving the songs forward. 

What caught my attention most, aside from the bass lines, would be the lyrical aspect of the songs. I mentioned them to be emo-ish, and that's all I can relate them too. Dark, sad, makes you think about things you don't really like to think about. 

In all, if you're a fan of Flawless, you should like this release, but it's no Winter Tour Tape. Check it out.

Favorite Song: Anybody Else

bandcamp

Walk Away EP By Companion

Walk Away EP, by Companion

1.Strangers

2.Judges

3.Sleepless

4.Walk Away

5.Question Master

Companion is another local 417 melodic/emotional hardcore band. Companion's last release was in 2012, with the single, "Question Master", a song that we see a new version at the end of this EP. The amount of growth this band has gone through in this year long period is amazing. Although it may be true that many of the band members are not the same members as when "Question Master" was originally released, it is true that Shane is still the vocalist, and his vocals have developed much more, in my opinion. The lyrical structure of the songs have stayed the same, and the song structures, for the most part, have stayed fairly progressive. What keeps me coming back to Companion has to be the amazing amount of emotion put into each song, you don't see that much anymore, many bands seem to write hollow lyrics and sing/play with no emotion, so it's good to see a band that puts their hearts into their songs.

Drums seem to stand out throughout the songs prominently, bass is well writen and driving, and guitar is very well done. For what seems to me to have been done with lo-fi recording equipment, sound quality is good, however it is still pretty lo-fi. Because of this it seems, guitar seems to be a little sloppy in parts and the cymbal rides seem to overpower many song parts, but that's not to say it doesn't all still sound great.

A word about "Question Master". If you are as huge a fan as I am of the original, you'll appreciate this version of the song. However, I do still like the original better. The band puts a new flair on it, but the changes put into the guitar, and into the vocals/how the song is sung at some parts, seems a little lacking, or quickly thrown together to me.

In all however, this is a wonderful release, and shows so much promise for this band. I can't wait to see them start touring.

Favorite Track: Judges
bandcamp

Winter Tour Tape by Flawless

1. Eagleton

2. Take My Pride

3. Take My Pride (acoustic)

4. I'll Never Have My Turn

Flawless is a local 417 band, Winter Tour Tape being their second release.
I really dig the production value of this release, and you can tell that the vocalist really evolved at how he does what he does. You've got two full band songs, and then two acoustic songs with this release, I dig the acoustic side of the release, but the full-band songs are amazing. Probably the best band in the 417, hands down.
Favorite Song: Take My Pride
bandcamp

Portraits of Dying by Malon

Portraits of Dying by Malon

1.Socks and Socks and Socks

2. Symphonies in Seashells

3. Shitty Art

4. Drowned in the Caspian Sea

5. A Portrait of Dying

6. Cormorants

7. Pretty Art

8. An Osiria Rose

9. Tree Accidents

Portraits of Dying is the newest release by Malon, an Emo/Skramz/Twinkle band. This release however, is one you can't just place into one category. You have your normal Emo/Twinkle music, you have your Skramz aspects in some places, and you have a Powerviolence aspect in "A Portrait of Dying". The final three tracks switch up the entire release in a strange way, giving a more acoustic feeling, filled with actual singing, and recorded tracks played over the music. The Vocals throughout are well done and the lyrics are something worth deciphering. This release is filled with raw emotion, and is one I'll be listening to for a long time. 

Favorite Track:  Tree Accidents

Bandcamp

Question Master, by Companion

Question Master, by Companion
Companion is a local 417 hardcore band. Question Master was a release of a single track back in 2012. What you've got on the surface is a simple, fast paced track. And while it may be as such, something about it really gets to me. I've essentially had this song on repeat since I heard it, and it's becoming one of my favorite tracks of this year. To me, it's way underplayed. This is a great song. What I think makes it so great, honestly, is the pure emotion that Shane puts into the song. His vocals are done wonderfully; raw, powerful,  angry yet completely sad.
A few words about the drumming: I know i'm not exactly a drummer, but I can tell that in some parts this drumming is fairly simple, but in other parts of the song it's something different entirely, moving the song from behind. This drumming really pleases me in this song, not sure why, maybe if I was a drummer I'd be able to explain, or maybe it's because I'm not a drummer at all that it makes me feel as it does.
A word about the bass: I would hate to pass up the bass lines in this song. Simple, driving, yet there. Stock bass playing but it works with this song greatly. Really comes out in the last parts of the song.
Guitar: Alright as a guitar playing man I can talk about this and know what I'm saying, kinda. Here goes:
The guitar seems like the thing that stands out most in the mix, so it's quite noticeable. What you've got is a driving guitar playing. While it doesn't differentiate much throughout the song on the aspect of chords and stuff, what changes it up to defeat the monotonous chord progressions would be the strumming pattern changes throughout the song. I really like the guitar done in this song, it adds a wonderful air to the song in it's entirety. Especially at the end "breakdown-ish" part.
Vocals/lyrics.  Like I said, raw, powerful, angry yet sad. Shane puts so much emotion into the song. I still listen to it and get chills at the ending part of the song. The first few times I listen to it, and still some times when I'm feeling sad, I almost tear up. It's definitely something. Mad respect for that. Plus, the lyrics are great, amazing in my opinion.
Overall: Damn, it's becoming one of my favorite hardcore tracks of 2013. Even though it was released in 2012. Deal with it. Listen to it. Love it.
Bandcamp

A Better Hope Foundation

A Better Hope Foundation - You Can Never Go Home Again

I'm going to start off with a favorite of mine, and then get the ball rolling on some other albums that I don't enjoy as much as this one.

ABHF is an Dark Hardcore/Emotional Hardcore band from somewhere California--they mostly play at a local café called Ché Café Collective. This guys just really sit on the border of not being Emotional Hardcore, the only I'm saying they are is because these lyrics are stock emotional hardcore lyrics. BUT they are definitely the best I've come across; deep, thought-provoking, and generally on the sadder-side.

The instrumentation on this 4-song EP is fairly common (vox, bass, guitar, guitar and drums). It has all the D-beats you could hope for in all the right places, and the drumming is actually one of my favorites on ANY release, everything helps the songs while not being a lame drum part, thus making me spend plenty of hours playing along for the shits-and-giggles of it. The guitar is pretty common too but there are moments were the atmosphere they provides is more dark than the usual emotional Hardcore provides. I almost get an Egyptian atmosphere which is a real ticket seller for me. The bass lines on this EP, oh my god. The bass lines on this EP is probably the best I've ever heard out of the genre, so damn tasty that it makes the drums sound so good, which is important.  Now for the vocals, this guy has probably one of the better sounding voices in hardcore, it's kind of in your low-medium range, and it just helps build that atmosphere I was talking about earlier.

My favorite track for vocals: City Laments
My favorite track for drums: Brothers In Broken Arms
My favorite track for bass: Below The Salt
My favorite track for guitar: Below The Salt

The songwriting on this EP is just fantastic, there doesn't ever seem to be a dull spot in this 13 minute time span. The use of dynamics is so tasty.

Just beautiful.

http://abetterhopefoundation.bandcamp.com/