LIGHTS - Siberia

Artist: LIGHTS
Album: Siberia
Date Released: 10/4/2011
Genre: Powerpop

After the release of her critically-acclaimed debut The Listening, LIGHTS has amassed quite a following in Canada and the U.S., and reasonably so: her infectious pop and wildly energetic shows speak for themselves. Her sophomore follow-up Siberia takes that energy and channels it away from the teen girl-pop music that would fall under the umbrella of Owl-City copycats, and takes on a completely different sound. The album title is fitting of her recording experience in solace, but it manages to grip your emotions with every line. It's a juxtaposition of several different things, be it the wobbly dubstep-like bass lurking among the tracks, massively clipped dance beats, or the sweetly softspoken LIGHTS whispering over a lonely Moog (in the track "And Counting"), this album is seriously the best electropop/synthpop record i've ever heard. More mature and full of honest life, Siberia is anything but a cold sophomore slump.

9/10

Switchfoot - Vice Verses

Artist: Switchfoot
Album: Vice Verses
Date Released: 9/27/2011
Genre: Alternative Rock, Christian

Jon Foreman has certainly established himself as en excellent songwriter with Switchfoot's newest release Vice Verses. Having written about 80 songs during the Hurricane sessions, this album was not a b-sides collection, but was very intentional and solid - something I was quite skeptical of before listening. The songs on this album, according to interviews, are rooted heavily in the rhythm section, and I can whole-heartedly agree. The release is fairly varied but follows a punchy, driven direction of rock, which (for their eighth record) displays an impressive mixture of angst and maturity. The lyrics focus heavily on societal issues, including the poetry-slam "Selling the News", featuring a very interesting and edgy commentary on the media. All in all, this album was very interesting, and shows that Switchfoot can consistently churn out great music.

8/10

Mastodon - The Hunter

Artist: Mastodon
Album: The Hunter
Date Released: 9/27/2011
Genre: Sludge Metal

Taking us back to the days of Remission and Leviathan, Mastodon have some throwback elements in their sixth full-length The Hunter. And yet, the album is not without its Crack the Skye moments, inviting progressive elements where most appropriate. The heavy but melodic songs like "Blasteroid" certainly remind us who's in charge of the sludge metal world, but don't alienate the fans of the slow, intricate side of Mastodon, best heard in the latter tracks like "Creature Lives". While everything this band has put out has been astounding, this album has managed to testify to the band's improvement in all areas. Dailor does a spectacular job on the drums, as always, while Brent takes the brunt of the vocal duty, and all the while not neglecting transcendent riffs that push the boundaries of prog rock's role in sludge metal. Indeed, the album comes off as more of an accident prog rock masterpiece than a sludge metal record, combining the two in what can only be called "shoegaze metal". Truly their best work to date, Mastodon have never been afraid of changing the game. And, at the risk of misquoting Tron, the game has severely changed.

9/10

The Cinema - My Blood is Full of Airplanes

Artist: The Cinema
Album: My Blood is Full of Airplanes
Date Released: 9/14/2011
Genre: Indie Pop, Indie Rock

Bad music simply can't come from the combination of Leighton Antelman, frontman of indie rock band Lydia, and producer Matt Malpass. Malpass' work with Lydia was the realization of great musical chemistry, and so began the project called The Cinema. On this debut album, one might be tempted to hear a poppier Lydia, but it's much more involved than that. Featuring simple but beautiful song arrangements, Leighton and Matt work together to make some unconventional yet approachable tracks that favor a less melancholy audience. As a Lydia fan, i'm inclined to severe bias, but the album has its flaws. The songs really can be categorized as either a Lydia b-side or as a catchy pop tune, where Malpass's influence is very vocal. To be sure, however, anyone who fancies Lydia will enjoy these songs, if not for any reason but Leighton's cult-inspiring presence on the record.

8/10

Excision - X Rated

Artist: Excision
Album: X Rated
Date Released: 9/12/2011
Genre: Dubstep, Drum n Bass

Jeff Abel's debut on Mau5trap records doesn't disappoint. Under the moniker Excision, Abel has garnered widespread fame with his aggressive approach to dubstep, and X Rated is no exception. Containing very metallic qualities, most of the tracks on this release are akin to some of the Transformers dubstep remixes, but much more serious (if you're unsure as to what i'm referring to, see here) Some are quite different, however, such as the creepy anthemic-like track "8 Bit Superhero", which features some very retro game samples (no spoilers, I promise). Overall, this was not the kind of dubstep release that puts any nails in the genre's coffin, but just might make it live to see another day. The ending track even features guest vocals by Mr. Hudson (spearheading the chorus of radio hit "Forever Young"), which is fairly unconventional in my book as far as what the style usually allows. Deadmau5 picked well, and if you enjoy Deadmau5 or dubstep, pick a copy of X Rated up and enjoy!

7/10

We Came as Romans - Understanding What We've Grown to Be

Artist: We Came as Romans
Album: Understanding What We've Grown to Be
Date Released: 9/13/2011
Genre: Post-Hardcore

I gave this album a listen hoping it would at least try to avoid the Rise Record influence, but after the first two tracks I realized that was hardly possible. The album shines with the polish of overproduction but still is unmistakably WCAR, most prominently understood when the croons of Kyle Pavone soar above the music. While the songwriting was less than impressive on this record, the execution was up to par, providing a good balance of chunky, low end guitars and shiny synthesizer elements. As a pioneer of the style, it is expected, but not welcome for them to fall back on the success of To Plant a Seed with all-too-similar melodies and song formulas. As is the case with most record labels, originality between Rise bands is a constant battle, one that We Came as Romans struggles with as well (consider the similarity between them and, say, the newest For the Fallen Dreams or Sleeping With Sirens release). If nothing else, the album cover is pretty sweet, but while this release holds its own, it carries nothing groundbreaking to the table.

6/10

Opeth - Heritage

Artist: Opeth
Album: Heritage
Date Released: September 14 2011
Genre: Progressive Death Metal

While their older releases more resemble the "progressive death metal" tag, I will attribute it to this release for the sake of simplicity (and to avoid senseless trolling). With that, I have already alluded to the final stage in Opeth's metamorphosis: their complete departure from conventional metal. Relying heavily on the already established guitar virtuosity heard in older albums, most of the album is based around morose, acoustic instrumentation. The harsh growls and screams of Mikael Akerfeldt are almost absent, and any guitar work even resembling metal is very minimal. The most upbeat track by far is "Slither", with a Mastodon-esque guitar riff breaking the album up. Otherwise, The album is very low-key, which is by no means a bad thing. In fact, amidst all the over-produced and jam-packed releases out there, this one is a breath of fresh air, masterfully utilizing space and silence to evoke all the emotion these Swedes are able to muster. Akerfeldt expressed this in the recording process, and with 9 studio albums under their belt, no one is in a position to judge them. This album was a very pleasurable experience, and I recommend it to anyone with a yearning for the baroque, the quaint, and the calmly expressive.

9/10

The Devil Wears Prada - Dead Throne

Artist: The Devil Wears Prada
Album: Dead Throne
Date Released: September 13 2011
Genre: Metalcore/Post-hardcore

A band successful for blending synth and metal arrangements cohesively, The Devil Wears Prada have had a solid history backing their fourth full-length album Dead Throne. Their latest EP featured tales of a zombie apocalypse, but also featured some of the heaviest riffs TDWP have ever written. Fortunately, this doesn't let up on Dead Throne, providing several mosh-worthy riffs in songs like Constance (featuring Tim Lambesis of As I Lay Dying) and Forever Decay. The atmosphere of the album is very dark, which is obvious in the instrumentation; almost all of the synth work and clean singing are gone, or play minimal parts. For all of its success, however, Hranica's horrible screaming is sadly the most prominent factor. It grates on your nerves like nails on a chalkboard, almost as bad as Chelsea Grin's newest album My Damnation. Usually vocals make or break a metal release, and for TDWP, Hranica's weak shrilly voice is an empty shell of the low growls and intense cries heard on past releases. Overall, however, the difference in production makes this a refreshing release for a band that's had quite a few  this album will definitely please TDWP fans despite its departure from Roots Above. 

6/10

Jamestown Story - Find a Way

Artist: Jamestown Story
Album: Find a Way
Date Released: June 1 2011
Genre: Acoustic/Emo

It has been a real downer journey for Jamestown Story, with songs of heartbreak since their name was And Then I Turned Seven. This newest full-length is no exception, with plenty of songs wailing about - yep - that one girl again. Nevertheless, this album is full of decent tracks, including the first couple that are stripped down, acoustic songs, which are catchy - along the veins of E For Explosions or Ellington. While there aren't many upbeat or bright spots on the album, it's good for a spin when you're in a down mood. I recommend this album because it adds grace to the acoustic movement spurting on the generation of mini-Chris Carabbas, and holds a good collection of mellow tunes for the melancholy days.

7/10