Even Heroes is:
Nathan Schroyer – Vocals
Bruce Curtis – Guitar
Tom Doss – Guitar
Billy Law – Bass
Matt Chapko – Drums

Even Heroes has played with the likes of 12 Stones and (as of this post) will be playing with new Jive Records artists Atom Smash. The band has drawn immediate comparisons to Alter Bridge. This is likely in part due to the soaring Myles Kennedy-esque vocals of Nathan Schroyer. One thing is clear when you’re listening to this collection of songs…he’s got pipes.

This album may not have the shiniest of production, but the talent is obviously there. The sound of the record in general reminds me of Alter Bridge’s One Day Remains. Songs such as “Cherish the Rain” and “The In Between” have an epic quality to it without being simply long and drawn out and the latter is a perfect singalong tune.

However, my favorite track is the track that introduced me to this band some time ago called “The Highway”. It is the anti-hero of the record. It proceeds to beat you over the head and steal your lunch money. It is a head-banger and a half from the riff, to the heavier beat, to Schroyer’s vocals once again.

Even Heroes had better be continued after this superb effort. I want to see them continue their quest to the hard rock throne. They may very well just get there.

You can find out more about Even Heroes at these sites:
Myspace
Facebook

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There for Tomorrow is:
Maika Maile: Vocals, Guitar, Programming
Christian Climer: Guitar, Backup Vocals
Jay Enriquez: Bass, Backup Vocals
Christopher Kamrada: Drums, Samples

After a successful EP, Orlando, Florida rockers There for Tomorrow released their Hopeless Records debut full-length, A Little Faster, back in 2009.

There for Tomorrow’s album is mostly produced by David Bendeth, who’s credits include Paramore’s Riot!, Madina Lake’s Attics to Eden, and Breaking Benjamin’s last three records (We Are Not Alone, Phobia, and Dear Agony).

The thing that I like the most about this record and this band is that while There for Tomorrow is a pop-punk band, their music is heavy enough to appeal to hard rock fans without completely alienating their core fanbase.

The heaviness combined with the pop-punk catchiness creates anthems such as an unbeatable one-two punch of “The Remedy” and “A Little Faster”.

The lead single and title track is my favorite song on the album. However, unlike a lot of albums where you hear the lead single and the rest of the album doesn’t seem to live up to it, A Little Faster is one of those albums that is a straight listen front to back, much like the aforementioned Bendeth-produced records.

All this being said, the hard rock fan in me likes the faster-paced songs on the record such as “Sore Winner” and “The World Calling”. But there’s something for everyone on this album and it’s sure to put the world on its ear.

You can find more about the band on these websites:
Myspace
Purevolume
Twitter

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Whoever thinks you can’t dance to rock just isn’t listening hard enough. “Something Special” offers a splendid danceable rock beat with catchy riffs and an oh-so-easy to memorize chorus (which always makes for a grand live version sing-a-long). “56 Blank” is so dangerously aggressive with a full-on screaming chorus. The Sammus Theory let out their grimmer, heavier side without straying too far from their hard rock roots. A slow start gives way to turbulent waves of chaotic, power-driven beauty. The seas calm for the verses but when that chorus begins again, a tsunami crashes over the music. This is a truly awesome song to let out your inner rage to.

It’s hard to choose a favorite song, especially because “56 Blank” is so amazingly good but I have to go with “Inject.” It’s the perfect amount of heaviness, dancing between melodic guitars and pummeling chords. The Sammus Theory know how to let a song follow it’s own path, never tiring with the same sound beaten over and over again. What makes good ‘hard rock’ music is that a song can be diverse, quickening and slowing down with ease, and knowing that soft music intertwined makes for a much more enjoyable listening experience. Not only does “Inject” perfect this, but the entire album masters this formula without actually feeling like they plugged numbers into some equation. See (It) Through accentuates the subtleties of rock music while still throwing a fist of music in your face.

See (It) Through talks of inner struggles and tribulations. Touching upon pain and hardships we’ve all felt before. It’s an album that is easy to connect with, an album you could put on a few years from now and still enjoy it all the same. In simple terms, it’s “pure win.” The Sammus Theory deliver a solid album but let’s see if they can take their next musical journey one step further and break even more barriers. This is a band to watch out for.

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Women plus hard rock is usually a win-win situation. Thankfully this is the case for Charetta, the female-fronted hard rock/alternative band. There is just something about female vocals that soar over guitar riffs that makes me just ooze with rocker’s delight. “You Prevail” is a great showcase of this band’s talent. A churning hard riff followed by heavy drumming immediately draws you in. Once lead singer Angelina Del Carmen steps in, it’s a done deal. There is no turning this song off. Her voice is beautiful and sensuous but also has bite to it, which only complements the hard groove riffs even better. Her voice and singing style are like that of Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil. She is coy when she wants, but is also not afraid to let out her malicious side.

“Stop the Cycle” is dark and indulgent. Del Carmen shows just how sinister her voice can become. She takes pleasure in revealing someone else’s faults, “Obsessed with your flaws and you will fall.” There’s no remorse or sympathy in this discovery. She couldn’t be happier to divulge this information to us. But it’s okay to let out this anger because we feel the same way. The guitars are also turned down to this state of evil making for a deliciously daunting song. The group takes a moment to slow things down on “So Convincing” and Del Carmen shows us that fragile side, the side that most keep hidden. There’s always that one person who we can’t give up and this song is dedicated to that person, but the song isn’t mushy at all. Instead, Del Carmen admits her cunning abilities to convince the person to stay. I knew she wasn’t a softy.

“The Truth is Out” completely teased me with a few seconds of a drum solo. It’s so rare to hear a drum solo these days. A longer intro could have turned a great song into an awesome song. Del Carmen again shows us that little evil side to her, “I want to see you on the floor / I want to see you on your knees / I want to hear you cry for mercy / I want to see you suffering.” I guess in her defense she admits she doesn’t recognize her own face nor believes her actions, but I’ll be the first to admit that seeing a woman take control is more than inspiring. Even if she does wish this guy harm. I’m sure he deserves it anyway! The ending to the song more than makes up for the intro however, as she screams “The truth’s out and you’re standing in defeat!” Perfect ending.

I always suffer from the dilemma of should a band end an album with a bang or with heart. Charetta chose the latter but I can’t penalize them for that because the song is simply beautiful. It’s also impossible for me to fill this review with anything negative about them. The only constructive criticism I could think to harass them with was not making Defying the Inevitable longer because after “Never,” I still craved more.



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Mike Stanley – Vocals
Ryan Puskarich – Lead Guitar
Justin Adler – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Lukas Golson – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Andrew Stork – Drums

Conflict of interest formed in 2003 by vocalist Mike Stanley with the intentions to prove themselves and bring metal back to Las Vegas.

The band released their first demo in 2005 after years of writing, touring and recording.  After Mike recruited Ryan, Justin, Lukas and Andrew, the Conflict of Interest lineup was complete and the band has rocked venues ever since. With melodic interludes, explosive lighting and a nonstop stage show, the band has already begun to win over new fans.  With their new demo, Conflict of Interest in ready to branch out past Las Vegas and take over the country.

The album opens with “LED”, an eerie, driving composition that starts the album off on a high note.  “Calling” begins with a forceful riff and doesn’t give up once you make it to the verses.  This song presents some pretty awesome guitar work and overall one of the best track on the album.  “Calling”‘s hard and intense demeanor eventually leads into one of the coolest guitar solos I’ve got to write about.  The solo fits the song perfect and is a great compliment to the already powerful guitar work presented in the song.  The next song, “Enough”, is another high energy song that will get the blood pumping for sure.  Conflict of Interest slows it down a bit with track 4, “The Grey”, a song that ends the first half of the album very well.

Track 5, “Fade Away” cranks it back up again to start the end of the album with a bang.  Between the intense screaming and the strong guitar riffs of the song, Conflict of Interest have proved only 5 tracks in that they’re able to produce high energy, jam-packed rock songs.  I would be ashamed if I didn’t mention that “Fade Away” has a killer guitar solo too.  Track 6, “Overture of You” is probably one of the most intense songs on the album. Every last part of the song will drive your mind crazy, including the intricate guitar solo. “Sunday Morning” is next, and it begins with a neat guitar solo and leads into a thumping and driving intro.  The part of this song I liked the most is the lyrics.  “Oh, we’re coming back again, this one’s for me. Oh, a new life will begin, you’re not alone.”  Sunday Morning also has another great guitar solo and leads perfectly into the album finale “Waiting For You”.  The band takes it down a few notches again for the album’s ending song. However emotionally, it’s one of the strongest songs on the album.  The band definitely made a great choice deciding to end the album with “Waiting For You”.

I think my favorite parts of this whole album were the bridges of the songs.  Not only were they emotionally intriguing, but they also included some pretty amazing guitar solos. However, if I was to simply limit the positive aspects of this album to just the bridges, I would be making a horrible mistake. This album, in my opinion, is flawless. Between the screaming, the solos, the drum work and the guitar work, this album flows together beautifully and is one of the best albums I’ve checked out in a while.

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The Undivided is:
Tony Byroads – Vocals
Steven Lavine – Guitar, Vocals
Seth Tucker – Guitar
Mat Thompson – Guitar
Drew LeClair – Bass
Matty Stacey – Drums

The Undivided boasts a familiar name that we haven’t heard from for a while…former Crossfade DJ and vocalist Tony Byroads.

The band has been touring the southeastern United States and they intend to go national starting with this EP.

If you’re expecting the typical nu-metal chugging guitars… there is some of that, but I think that this EP (while a small taste of things to come) is actually more diverse. I can see this band touring with a band that’s on the heavier alternative side such as a Seether, but they have the pop sensibility of Daughtry.

The part of the EP that I like the most is that the songs are filled with beautiful harmonies such as on the opening track “My Escape”.

“This Fire Burns” has a nice early grunge-era feel to it.
“I stand on broken chains and all
and all the shackles that imprison me…”

“Regarding Your ‘I Love You’” is a song I can totally hear on a top 40 station. You just try your damndest getting the chorus out of your head.

My favorite track though is “The Game” because it’s where the best parts of the EP come together. The strings coming in make the song so much more dynamic and powerful. The harmonies, the riff, and the badass solo at the end make me a believer in The Undivided.

You can find out more about the band at these websites:
Myspace
Facebook
Twitter

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The album is free to download and is a testament to the record labels desire to adapt to the ever changing music business.  Unlike most record labels Thorny Bleeder encourages fans to download and embraces the era of file sharing; closing the gap between artists and fans.

Get Thorny 2 features 17 artists that range from acoustic rock to hard rock.  The album features over an hour worth of music from The BaDD HaBBits, Black Hat Villain, The British Columbians, Burn Hollywood Burn, Burning Borders, Columbia, Cory Woodward, Floodlight, Isle of Thieves, The Painted Birds, The Rebellion, Ross Neilsen, Run the Red Light, Scott Valentine Presents, Stars of Boulevard, TV Heart Attack and Whitfield.

Before listening to the album there were only a few artists that I have previously heard of like Burning Borders, The British Columbians and Stars of Boulevard.  It was refreshing to hear from such a variety of artists.  The album definitely opened me up to new bands that are worth checking out.  I love the song choices by not only these artists but the rest as well.  The entire album is a great showcase of the talent coming out of Canada.

With the variety of songs and different genres, you would think that there may be a clash as you listen to the album.  However there is a sense of unity throughout the entire album and it works well as an album to listen to all at once.

The two songs that I found myself going back to again and again were Hollywood (Cleft Lip) by Isle of Thieves and A0 by TV Heart Attack.  There is something about the song Hollywood that caught my attention, the melody is light in contrast to the lyrically message; it is that contrast that I enjoy.  For the song A0 I absolutely love the playfulness and catchiness of the song.  Its catchy melody has you singing along with the chorus with only a few listens.

Overall the compilation is an excellent showcase of up and coming talented artists from across Canada.  The record label should be applauded in their ability to be adaptive to the changing business and offering great music to the fans in a new and unique way.

Get Thorny 2

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To start off, “The Haunting” drives you into the album with a crazy introduction that leads into a rockin’ verse that even brought the word “groovy” to mind. Yes, I said groovy. Somehow the band was able to mix a hard rock riff with a wild, fun beat that would make one want to dance and bang their head at the same time. Don’t get me wrong, you won’t be hearing this song at your local dance club, but this hard rock track has beats that are definitely unique and pleasing to the ears.

The second track off the disc is “Beast In Me”. If you mixed a southern rock feel and metal together in a jar, shook, and poured it out, you’d get “Beast In Me”. The introduction reminded me of the southern influences of bands like Shinedown and Black Stone Cherry, while the bridge takes the listener to a more metal, rough sound. Crafted together perfectly, Venejer was able to make one awesome song.

The dictionary defines the word vice as “a moral depravity or corruption”. The eerie introduction of the third of four tracks, “Vice”, perfectly captures the essence of the word the song is named after. Track 3 is by far the standout on the album. The lyrics of the chorus…

“Don’t try to break away / I’m not the one who planned this / You want it, you’ll get it anyway / We don’t see eye to eye / Just try to understand it / You said it regret it eating you alive”

…are the perfect lyrics to compliment the tone of the song. All of the ingredients you need for a perfect rock song are here. With captivating instrumentation, intriguing lyrical content, perfect vocals, and the ability to emotionally connect with the listener all in the mix, this song by far has potential to be a huge success for Venejer.

The disc ends with “Colors of the Fall”. This is the type of song that a person can listen to forever and never get sick of it. The battle between the deep riffs and melodic rythyms of the guitars interest you right off the bat and then leads you into the rest of the track that rocks until the very end.

Highlights: “Vice”, “Colors of the Fall”

The only thing I would’ve liked to have seen different is the length of the album. You can’t hold that against the band though, I just say that because I didn’t want this album to end. I can’t wait to hear some new stuff from Venejer. They’ve successfully attached a different personality to each of the 4 songs on this album, which could prove difficult for them, however, they allowed each song to lead back to the same fundamental fact, and that is, that they rock!

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Simulacrum is a journey into the mind and soul, delving into consciousness. “The Glitch” begins with soft piano, beautiful and tempting. Bass and drums kick in, a slow groove with touches of piano adding melody. Singer Gabriel Fry’s voice is soothing yet powerful. The song slowly meanders until it comes to an explosive peak, drums and guitars at full blast. The music slowly quiets down again, returning to that heartfelt piano. The progression of the song is astounding, dancing back and forth between the soft and the heavy, but it works well, without sounding erratic. And then out of nowhere, a cello solo appears to finish off the song —dissonant and strangely haunting.

“Artifice” is an adrenaline rush of heavy, heart-pounding rock. The song begins with an intense cello which flows directly into the music. A howling guitar solo cuts through with vigor. The lyrics are put aside and the music takes center stage, however, when Fry does lend his voice to the mix, he sings with great passion. “Manifest” is a dark spiral, with shifting time signatures and eerie effects. The song is a call to everyone to wake up from life’s dream and open up his or her mind. An electrifyingly fast guitar solo leads into a frenzy of epic proportions. The music is on steroids, and it’s by no means a bad thing, it’s wild and beautiful.

Simulacrum is a journey of the mind and the soul through music. It rises above the rest, portraying a higher level of musical talent. Distant Lights truly is progressive, and is trying to redefine how music should be made. It’s not always about making fun music, but sometimes about making people think or making people inspired. This is a truly beautiful and touching album. It’s quite an experience that will open up your mind and your ears.

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“Chemical Infatuation” is highly infectious with its catchy hook and heavy-pounding riffs. It’s one of those perfectly formulated first singles that draws in the fans. One listen to this song and you’ll have to hear the rest of album. Wailing guitar effects and a screaming Chris Brooks make for an intense bridge, and I must resist the urge to start a mosh alone in my room. Chris Brooks’ voice mesmerizes with a signing style similar to that of Chester Bennington of Linkin Park or Pete Loeffler of Chevelle. His raw voice captivates with its intensity.

“Just Save Me” is a heart-wrenching cry for help. Brooks laments, “What have I become? / Can’t face the morning sun / You’re the only one who can pull me out / Save me from myself / Just save me.” The song begins with brutal riffs but quickly subsides. An orchestra showers the backdrop of this touching song. If you’re looking for a way to make those tears come out, just add some violins and violas to any song. The band breaks through in the last few seconds of the song, returning back to where they started. “Galaxy (Rest in Peace)” is another ballad that might get the tears flowing. It only took about three listens before I had the chorus memorized. That orchestra makes another appearance, mixing with the soft edge of the band and culminating with epic intensity. An ode to the death of a loved one, “Galaxy (Rest in Peace)” easily resonates within your heart when Brooks whispers, “Heaven is taking you from me.”

Things go back to the heavy groove on “Make a Stand” —a song that makes you want to do exactly what the title says. The masses will unite as Brooks calls out to us, “Stand if you’re bored of being abused / Stand if you’re sick of being refused / Stand if you’re tired of feeling used / Stand ‘cause there’s nothing left to lose.” An inspirational chorus of voices shouts along, making for quite an empowering song. The End of the Beginning goes through many ups and downs, reveals to us songs of strength and songs of weakness, but in the end Like a Storm comes out on top. They’ve managed to define their musical style, but also show us they know how to keep their music gripping and engaging. This quartet is not afraid to show us that softer side of rock, as well as the dark and unrelenting side.

Must listen to tracks: “Chemical Infatuation,” “Galaxy (Rest in Peace),” and “Change Tomorrow”

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