Album Review: Neverending White Lights - Act III: Love Will Ruin

Album:  Act III: Love Will Ruin [Part 1]
Band:  Neverending White Lights
Release Date:  November 8, 2011









Here is album number 3 from Neverending White Lights (NWL).  NWL continues its trend of using variety guest artists to contribute the vocals.  But on this album you'll hear a lot more input from Daniel Victor (the man behind NWL).  This is because he has noticed the difficulty in touring playing songs sung by many different artists.

The album opens up with another great and powerful instrumental song similar to what he's done in previous albums.  This is followed up with the albums main single "Falling Apart".  Great tune, very catchy.  Another great song to listen to is "Lonely War", a very dramatic melancholy tune.  "Ghost Ship" is probably my favourite song on this album.  It has such a great opening and great chorus.  The song "The Greatest One" has some interesting notoriety.  Fans love the first half of the song, but in the second half there are some hi-pitched vocals mistaken to sound like a chipmunk.  NWL has received quite a bit of controversy on that part of the song.  But Daniel reported (in a Web blog) that that voice is actually his at a high frequency.  That voice is supposed to represent a spirit which is what he was trying to represent with the voice manipulation.  I guess it didn't really work out but Daniel has no regrets.

All in all the album is a good listen.  Act 2 was my favourite album and with this release it still is.  In Act 2 NWL set a very high bar which would be very hard to top.  Still I enjoyed this album and hope you give it a chance as well.

Oh and if you are wondering why this album is titled Part 1, the obvious answer is that there will be a Part 2.  When writing this album NWL amounted a large number of songs, too large for album, so it was split into two.  The second part is expected to be released sometime in Fall 2012.

Rating:  8 of 10

You can sample some of the songs here:

www.neverendingwhitelights.com/player
You can also search around on Youtube.

MSTRKRFT

Origin:  Toronto, Ontario
Genre:  Electronic / Techno









MSTRKRFT is pronounced "Master Kraft".

MSTRKRFT is the other half of Death From Above 1979 (JFK; who is one the two guys in the image).  You will immediately notice the drastic difference in musical direction JFK took from Sebastien Grainger which is ultimately why DFA split.  While Sebastien followed the Rock stream, JFK pursued Electronic and Techno.

Like with Sebastien the parts are not as good as the whole, but MSTRKRFT has managed to produce some catchy beats.  I know this strays of quite a bit from the type of music I am focusing on, but I figured it be nice to complete the full picture.

If you are curious, time to get your feet wet by checking out the following:  "Keep Hope Alive (MSTRKRFT Remix)", "Is You (JFK Remix)", "Paris", "Street Justice", and "Click Click".  They have tons of other songs, mainly remixes so go nuts.

www.myspace.com/mstrkrft
www.mstrkrft.com
www.facebook.com/mstrkrftofficial

Sebastien Grainger

Origin:  Toronto, Ontario
Genre:  Alternative / Rock / Folk










Sebastien Grainger is the former lead singer of Death From Above 1979, which broke up :(.  But they have been touring lately so maybe they'll get back together :D.  He decided to pursue a solo career. 

The vocals you'll recognize but the music style will be quite different from DFA.  Definitely not as adrenaline pumping.  With Sebastien you'll notice more of a drift away from the Electronic side of DFA to a more Rock and Alternative side.  He also adds a bit of a Folk flare that reminds me of Sam Roberts.

Honestly he's not as strong on his own, however his solo music is still good just different.  It's worth a listen.  Check out these songs: "I Hate My Friends", "BlackWater", and "American Names".

www.myspace.com/sebastiengrainger
www.facebook.com/Sebastien-Grainger
www.sebastiengrainger.com

Death From Above 1979

Origin:  Toronto, Ontario
Genre:  Electro Rock








Death From Above 1979 may be the most well known band I have posted thus far and are not really considered Indie.  But I still find that many people are unaware of this group, which is a shame because they are really really good.  My favorite of the bands I have posted so far.  Also my favorite Canadian band.

Do yourself a favour and check these guys out.  Then you'll learn what you've been missing out on.  Any song will do they're all good!

www.deathfromabove1979.com
www.myspace.com/deathfromabove1979
www.facebook.com/DeathFromAbove1979
grooveshark.com/#/death_from_above_1979/songs

Album Review: Kosmograd - Self-titled

Album:  Self-titled
Band:  Kosmograd
Release Date:  September 21, 2011










After blogging about this band way back, they are finally back with some new tunes and their first official album release (see Kosmograd Blog).  Unfortunately the album consists of only 5 songs.  Since it's pretty small I can give you a quick run down of the songs.

"The Weather Of Hangman" is the first track and my personal favourite of this album.  The song is purely instrumental, quite long, and ebbs and flows between light and heavy parts.

"The Owl" is a song a highlighted in my original blog of Kosmograd.  Well they include their best song on this album adding some polishing to it.  Personally I liked the original rough demo track, but nevertheless a great song.

"Velossaraykin" is a very gritty song with an upbeat intro and some metal screaming.  You'll either love it or hate.

"Cheeseburger Picnic" (really weird name) is all instrumental and is much softer kind of song than any other on the album.  It's got a cool but kind of creepy guitar riff.

Finally, the album closes with "Hard Six" starts of slow but in the middle it really picks up and gets more into the typical Kosmograd style.  One way of putting it, it is another song that will take you on a Journey of sorts.  Overall I very much enjoy the album, but I would like more songs.

Rating:  7 of 10

You can sample the album here:

www.kosmograd.bandcamp.com
www.grooveshark.com/Kosmograd

Album Review: Dead and Divine - Antimacy

Album:  Antimacy
Band:  Dead and Divine
Release Date:  August 2011











I did mention before Dead and Divine (see my D&D blog) is one of my favourite bands so it's a convenient time for me to unveil my new blog article, Album Reviews, beginning with Antimacy.  Antimacy is Dead and Divine's fourth full length album and in my opinion does not live up to the standard set by the third album The Machines We Are (TMWA).  Don't get me wrong there are some amazing songs and I do like the album overall and still listen to it.  However TMWA just set the bar really high and its a tough task for any artist to keep topping their previous work.

There are some great songs on this album and whether or not you are already of fan of this band you should check them out.  Start out with the opening track "Asphyxia Fiend" which has a crazy guitar intro ans sets a fast pace for the rest of the album.

Next listen to "Antimacy" and "Carcinoma" which both have catchy and powerful chorus'.

Finally, "Nothing Is Alright" which is a purely instrumental track that makes you think Dead and Divine should make more instrumentals.

Rating:  8 of 10

You can sample the album at these sites. Note that these links may not work long after this post was made.

www.antimacy.com
www.grooveshark.com/Antimacy
www.youtube.com/Antimacy

Gallows

Origin:  Watford, UK
Genre:  Punk / Hardcore
Recent Release:  Grey Britain







Gallows is another one of the few Punk bands I really like. Their vocals are very Punk-like which may piss you off. It did for me at first. Their music style however mixes Metal and Punk, which is pretty evident in the different guitar riffs throughout a song. But much like a Punk band they are loud, crude, gritty, and in your face. Tame and calm are not words you would use to describe these guys.

Here is the list of songs you need to check out. You may notice a bit of a maturing in their sound on the Grey Britain album as compared to previous ones. "The Vulture (Acts I and II)" is my favorite song of theirs and is truly unique from the rest. One of their few songs that starts off softly almost sounding acoustic-like. For more of their typical stuff check out "Abandon Ship", "Sick of Feeling Sick", "Black Heart Queen" (wicked ending), and "Riverbed" (wicked intro).

www.myspace.com/gallows
www.gallows.co.uk
www.facebook.com/gallows

Cancer Bats

Origin: Toronto, Ontario

Genre: Metal

Recent Release:  Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones

Seriously, what an odd name for a band but it kind of grows on you over time. Cancer Bats produces some good old fashioned Metal that makes you want to thrash your head around. Their sound is very raw, gritty, and grungy. This group only knows how to play one style, fast and hard. Who could go wrong with that?

It is difficult to describe them in words, so you should just check out their songs. Start off with, "Diamond Mine" and "Smilingly Politely" my two favorite songs of theirs. Next for some real head thrashing tunes listen to "Hail Destroyer" (note: the chorus is simply vicious) and "Sorceress".

Even if you are not big fan of Metal I recommend you check out Cancer Bats' cover of the Beastie Boys song "Sabotage". Come on it's Beastie Boys so you got to check it out, plus it turned out to be an awesome cover.

http://www.myspace.com/cancerbats

http://www.cancerbats.com

http://www.facebook.com/cancerbats

Dead and Divine

Origin:  Burlington, Ontario
Genre:  Metal
Recent Release:  Antimacy








Alright, you may or may not have already heard of this band. Dead and Divine is my favorite Canadian Metal band and one of my favorite Metal bands overall. Their songs have very good rhythms which mix vocal yelling (not senseless screaming) with more traditional Rock like singing. They also throw in some variety providing some pure instrumental songs and some very soft slow songs (almost acoustic like). I like them because they are a Metal band that doesn't hit you too hard, but also a Rock band that will blow your socks off. They've released a handful of albums so far and I haven't been disappointed yet.

Normally I don't make a big deal out of lyrics, but when you carefully listen to Dead and Divine's you'll notice they are actually meaningful and almost profound; usually relating to drugs or love.

Since Dead and Divine is so diverse in their songs I will give you a taste of this. Right off the bat, the first song you MUST listen to before all is "Teeth" which is my favorite by far. It is a song that transcends their sound and the genre. "Creature", "Third Times The Charm, Right?", and "Professional Cinderella". For the softer affair check out "Something I've Rehearsed".

http://www.myspace.com/deadanddivine
http://www.facebook.com/deadanddivine

Comeback Kid

Origin:  Winnipeg, Manitoba
Genre:  Punk / Metal / Hardcore
Recent Release:  Symptoms and Cures







Typically I am not a fan of punk music, but Comeback Kid is different because they blend Punk with Metal. If you listen to any of their songs you will immediately recognize the vocalist (assuming you listened to Sights & Sounds from one of my earlier posts). Anyway the lead singer is the same guy from Sights & Sounds; pretty cool. This band has a lot of good catchy tunes, although I'll admit it took me a few listens to get into them, mainly because of the Punk flair. But do not take that as a negative, Comeback Kid is a talented group, it just took me a bit longer to realize that.

Here are some songs you should check out, "Because Of All" which in my opinion is their best song, "Wake The Dead", "Magnet Pull", "Pull Back The Reins" (which has a wicked instrumental ending), and "Get Alone".

Their most recent album, Symptoms and Cures, by far their best work yet. It is easy to notice the maturing and evolution of their sound compared to previous albums.

http://www.myspace.com/comebackkid
http://comeback-kid.com/site/index.html
http://www.facebook.com/Comeback.Kid

Metsu

Origin:  Toronto, Ontario
Genre:  Experimental / Metal
Recent Release:  As The Earth Drinks










Metsu is an interesting band. They don't have much music available since they are a pretty newly formed band, but the music they do have is solid. Their songs are instrumental, for the most part, but every now and then you'll here some vocals. Metsu is a band very much like Co-pilot which plays very melodic sounds. Even though they are considered Metal, their music is far from heavy and is really easy to get into. It flows smoothly starting off slow and quiet building up to a climactic bang. This takes rock back to its roots. Can't wait to sample more of their music.

Check out songs of their latest release, "Imber", "To Keep From Drowning", and "Floating"


http://www.myspace.com/metsutheband

Titan

Origin:  Toronto, Ontario
Genre:  Metal / Hardcore
Recent Release:  Colossus













Moving back the heavy side of rock we have Titan. Titan sounds like a combination of Alaskan and Mountains Unfold. Their songs tend to be longer than your typical song mixing traditional metal screaming with powerful drum and guitar rhythms. You may find this style of vocals unattractive, but if you look past it you get some powerful and enjoyable music. Titan also likes to explore long instrumental portions which act as transitions between the different phases of the song.

Here are my favorite two songs of theirs you need to check out "Feast" and "Glory of the Fleet".

http://www.myspace.com/titanslays

Neverending White Lights

  


Origin:  Windsor, Ontario
Genre:  Alternative / Melodramatic
Recent Release:  Act III: Love Will Ruin










Neverending White Lights is a very unique sound. It's a much lighter affair than most of the other bands that I have posted, yet they are one that I hold dear. One of the first things you may notice as you sample their songs is that the vocals vary. This band relies upon a variety of guest artists to provide the vocals. With each different artist the song seems to have a different flavour. This band's style is very melodic and very powerful, almost like a modern day symphony. Each song has very endearing lyrics. Even the titles of the songs tell a story. Each album encompasses a theme which is expresses through each song in their title and lyrics. The end result is some very deep intelligent music that tells a story about the band. But if you don't care about all that you can simply enjoy some plain and simple music that is good to your ears.

This band has so many great songs so you can't really go wrong sampling any of them. But for starters I recommend "The World is Darker" a darker more upbeat song and "Angels & Saints" which has a softer sadder vibe.  I also recommend "Always", "Ending of a Story", "Dove Coloured Sky", and "The Living".

Neverending White Lights is truly a hidden Canadian gem.

http://www.myspace.com/neverendingwhitelights
http://www.nwlmusic.com/
http://www.facebook.com/neverendingwhitelights

The Live Lights

Origin:  Texas
Genre: Alternative / Rock
Recent Release: Self-titled album








The Live Lights are a band that plays a softer kind of rock (compared to the metal content I have posted thus far) but are far from being poppy. They explore a lot of different background sounds synched with their main rock foundation. It's different at first, but its pretty easy to get hooked on. But this is what gives this band their unique sound. I would place their sound somewhere in between RIBS and The Most Serene Republic. I can even sense a bit of British flavour in their music.

My favourite song of theirs is "Song For Strangers". An incredibly catchy tune that's easy to get into. Also check out "Lights Out" for more Live Lights goodness.

http://www.myspace.com/thelivelights

Pelican

Origin:  Chicago, Illinois
Genre:  Rock / Instrumental / Experimental
Recent Release:  What We All Come To Need






Pelican, like Co-pilot, plays mostly instrumental songs that don't contain vocals. You will also notice their songs are very long and mix a blend of softer and harder rock tunes. Having long songs can be a bad thing, but because the transitions are smooth and the flow is meaningful you will hardly notice the time fly.

So if you are interested in instrumentals check out these songs: "Lost In The Headlights", "The Creeper", "Dead Between The Walls", and "Last Day Of Winter"

http://www.myspace.com/pelican
http://www.pelicansong.com

Alaskan

Origin:  Ottawa, Ontario
Genre:  Metal / Hardcore
Recent Release:  The Weak & The Wounded







Alaskan is another intense metal band with a powerful sound and angry screaming vocals. So a warning, this is not for the faint at heart. Their style is very much akin to Mountains Unfold and Le Kraken, so if you liked them then Alaskan should be easy to get into.

Be aware that in some of their songs they use some weird (very weird) sound bites from some show or movie. I found these to be quite annoying and tend to just skip over them. Check out songs "Bludgeon", "Epicurus", and "Greed and Grievance". Give them a few listens and you should be into this band as much as I am.

http://www.myspace.com/alaskanband

The Most Serene Republic

Origin:  Milton, Ontario
Genre:  Alternative / Rock
Recent Release:  Fantasick Impossibliss









Here's a band a bit different from the others I have posted thus far. If you're a fan of Arcade Fire then I'm almost certain you will like The Most Serene Republic. They have a similar style and vibe, they are a large group which introduces various different (non-traditional) instruments playing a softer almost folk-like type of rock. Typically I wouldn't bother with this style, but their songs are pretty catchy and easy to digest.

Listen to the songs "Photocall" and "Jelly Chamber" to get an idea what The Most Serene Republic is all about.

http://www.myspace.com/themostserenerepublic

Dance Electric

Origin:  Mississauga, Ontario
Genre:  Punk / Rock









When I hear the name Dance Electric a punk band does not come to mind, more like something poppy. But these guys are far from any first impressions you may have.

Now I'm not normally a punk fan, as you can probably tell by the bands I have posted thus far, but these guys stand out from the other punk bands I've listened to. They definitely play a punk style with frantic fast paced jams and some crazy hardcore vocals (aka screaming). But they also seem to have a rock undertone which gives their sound purpose and flow. It's not just random sounds and screams.

The first song you must listen to is "Us vs. Them". This song is just unbelievably amazing. You just have to hear it. After listening to it I started liking these guys. Their other songs are not as good by comparison but are still good songs in general. Also check out "Wall Street Dracula" and "Stigmata Baby".

http://www.myspace.com/danceelectric

Gang of Coyotes

Origin:  Mississauga, Ontario
Genre:  Alternative / Rock
Recent Release:  FRNDS








Gang of Coyotes is a band new to the scene and as I write they are just preparing to release their first album. It's hard for me to describe their style in words but I'll try my best. They have a more laid back style playing cool smooth vibes not overpowering intensity. They have a bit of punk influence but on a much more tame level. They play a softer style rock but nothing resembling poppy.

I could try to compare them to some other bands, but I don't want to butcher that. You're better off sampling their music to understand their style. Check out songs "Monsters (Side A)" and "Monsters (Side B)" and judge for yourself if this is a style to your liking.

http://www.myspace.com/gangofcoyotes
http://www.gangofcoyotes.co.nr/ 

Milanku

Origin:  Montreal, Quebec
Genre:  Metal / Instrumental / Hardcore







Milanku is another metal hardcore band hailing from Montreal. Montreal is another city, like Toronto, that has a very strong and talented indie scene. Milanku is just another example of this.

Milanku plays a similar style as Co-pilot, in that their songs are for the most part instrumental, i.e. void of vocals. They start off with a slow quiet pace and build and build to a heavier louder sound more typical to metal standards. This band is more hardcore than Co-pilot as their songs progress to more heavier thrashing sounds with some traditional metal screaming. Might be a little different at first, but they have produced some amazing songs that blend the best of both extremes.

Check out songs "Sournoisement" and "Masse Synchronisee". I never bothered to check what the titles mean, but who cares when its some kick-ass music.

http://www.myspace.com/milanku