Category: 2013 International Releases

Daughtry – Baptized

Daughtry – Baptized

I’ve liked Daughtry since their first release and with each album they have grown and showed that they can make a great rock album each time and in the two years since Daughtry released ‘Break The Spell’ a revelation must have taken place and it’s ‘No Surprise’ sorry, pun intended… ‘Baptized’ opens with the title track and a distinct different […]

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Pearl Jam – Lightning Bolt

Pearl Jam – Lightning Bolt

Welcome back Pearl Jam, good to have you back… before we start, let me tell you a quick story about Pearl Jam… it dates back to 1991, I hear a song called ‘Alive’ I think ‘uh oh… between this and that ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ song, something is happening here…’ at that time I was heavily in to the ‘hair […]

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Korn – The Paradigm Shift

Korn – The Paradigm Shift

In Summary: “They may not completely be the Korn of old, but they’re sure as hell on the way back…” There are a couple of things I’m intrigued to get into about this new Korn album, firstly after their last album ‘The Path of Totality’ which was interesting to say the least, it can’t be any worse, and the fact […]

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Teenage Casket Company – Still Standing

Teenage Casket Company – Still Standing

There are a few, but there aren’t enough bands out there making the kind of music Teenage Casket Company or TCC for those playing at home, make, but thankfully a band like TCC are one of them and aren’t scared to make an album that throws back to the bands they love, the bands of old that had fun making […]

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Twin Forks EP

Twin Forks EP

In summary: Infectious, happy, energetic and what music is missing… My hand is up, yep, I admit it, I love Dashboard Confessional, there’s just something about Chris Carrabba’s words and music that resinate with me, and now with Dashboard on a break here he is with his new project called Twin Forks, and within its opening bars it’s here for […]

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Bowling For Soup – Lunch. Drunk. Love.

Bowling For Soup – Lunch. Drunk. Love.

Bowling For Soup are one of my favourite bands and I’ve been there with them since back in ‘Nam… mind you, I actually wasn’t there when the honourable ones rocked on or when they did it for Johnny but I was there when they were drunk enough to dance and have been ever since, there for them, not drunk, well, […]

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Crossfaith – Apocalyze

Crossfaith – Apocalyze

In Summary: “Crossfaith may just be the future and the something new and different that we haven’t really got in music at the moment” One of my highlights of Soundwave 2013 was completely unexpected, welcome Crossfaith from Japan and they showed Australia how it’s done. If you missed them at Soundwave, well you have a chance to see them very […]

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Avenged Sevenfold – Hail to the King

Avenged Sevenfold – Hail to the King

Avenged Sevenfold are back, well they didn’t really go anywhere, but they have had some time off, and this marks their first album in three years and their first completely ‘Rev-less’ R.I.P…  and as sorely missed as he is, the band marches on and in a big way with their sixth album ‘ Hail To The King.’ What isn’t missing […]

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DevilDriver – Winter Kills

DevilDriver – Winter Kills

I’m awake, I’m awake!! Sorry, if I was in any way dozing, I am no longer as the new DevilDriver album ‘Winter Kills’ begins, so does my treatment for the mini heart attack I had as my volume was up all the way… my fault, but at least I’m alert now. Welcome back DevilDriver! ‘The Oath’ is the one that […]

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Misery Signals – Absent Light

Misery Signals – Absent Light

I always get intrigued when I have an album to review and I find out that the band has been around for quite some time (over ten years in fact) and I’ve never heard of them. Shame on me, shame indeed. Although in reading up on this new album by Misery Signals, I find that it’s been five years since […]

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Yellowcard – Ocean Avenue Acoustic

Yellowcard – Ocean Avenue Acoustic

In summary: This project was a perfect one for Yellowcard, the songs translated perfectly, they are played perfectly and ten years on I have that feeling of excitement I had when I first picked up ‘Ocean Avenue’ in 2003, and hopefully when you listen to it you will too… First off, it’s hard to believe that Yellowcard’s album ‘Ocean Avenue’ […]

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This Century – Biography of Heartbreak

This Century – Biography of Heartbreak

I love a bit of pop rock, you just can’t beat that easy to listen to element of it and there are bands out there doing it and doing really well from it. I think of bands like ‘All Time Low’, ‘The Maine’ and ‘Hot Chelle Rae’ that have carved their niche. Enter This Century with their second album ‘Biography […]

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Skillet – Rise

Skillet – Rise

Christian rock for some reason always gets somewhat frowned upon by some music fans, in particular rock fans, especially when it’s widely known that a band represents that. Look at bands like Stryper who have always maintained their beliefs, and I’m not scared to say that I caught a Stryper bible at one of their shows and I dug that. […]

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Death Dealer – Warmaster

Death Dealer – Warmaster

From the opening seconds of putting on ‘Warmaster’, this assault and onslaught of Metal has me intrigued, intrigued meaning excited and eager to hear what this new band is all about. This opening track, aptly named after the band that plays it ‘Death Dealer’, is fast, furious and to me takes shades of every metal band that paved the way […]

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City and Colour – The Hurry and the Harm

City and Colour – The Hurry and the Harm

Dallas Green and his magical musical beast City and Colour finally releases his new album ‘The Hurry and the Harm’ this week and I know that in the music world the words ‘highly anticipated’ get thrown around a little, but with City and Colour there are so many that wait with baited breath, with good reason too as this act […]

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Thirty Seconds To Mars – Love Lust Faith + Dreams

Thirty Seconds To Mars – Love Lust Faith + Dreams

Genius isn’t a word I throw around much. I could simply review this album with that one simple word ‘Genius’, as I feel like it is. I’m now into my fifth listen through the album and not because I needed to get into it to review it, but because it’s simply THAT good. I don’t know what it is about […]

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Frank Turner – Tape Deck Heart

Frank Turner – Tape Deck Heart

Frank Turner in the last few years has grown in popularity to become one of England’s hottest artists and has become renowned for not only his amazing song writing but also for his amazing live performances that are now captivating fans worldwide. With this, his newest album Tape Deck Heart, Frank has moved away from his usual ‘England’ based content […]

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Authority Zero – The Tipping Point

Authority Zero – The Tipping Point

In 25 words or less: “This is a solid album full of catchy, fist pumping songs that you should check out…” You may or may not have heard of Authority Zero, I’m in the later of that statement, but I was surprised to find out that they have been a band for the best part of almost ten years and […]

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Bring Me The Horizon – Sempiternal

Bring Me The Horizon – Sempiternal

In this day and age its almost inevitable, the album leak, I don’t like it, think it’s completely unfair, all I know is that artists take a lot of time and money creating an album for their fans and when those months of labour and love are just given away well you can kind of see how that’s a little […]

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Bon Jovi – What About Now

Bon Jovi – What About Now

Ok, so everyone that knows me personally knows that I’m a huge Bon Jovi fan, have been for 25 plus years and I’ve seen it all. Been through the good times and bad times with the band and stuck with them every step of the way. Each album as they’ve ‘grown’ or ‘evolved’ with the day and ages sound to […]

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Coheed and Cambria – The Afterman: Descension

Coheed and Cambria – The Afterman: Descension

In summary: A perfect companion and conclusion to The Afterman storyline concept. Musically and lyrically heartfelt and one to definitely check out. Following on from 2012’s ‘The Afterman: Ascension’ here only a few months later Coheed and Cambria bring us part two of this opus in ‘The Afterman: Descension’ and if it’s anything like the first then this will be […]

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Wednesday 13 – The Dixie Dead

Wednesday 13 – The Dixie Dead

In summary: The Dixie Dead is a ‘feature’ of heavy riffs, gruesome lyrics, awesome melody and many a toe tapped. What more can you ask for? From the opening of ‘The Dixie Dead’ with its haunting musical introduction and the premise of ‘Death Arise – main titles’, this concept from Wednesday 13 on his newest studio release gives you the […]

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Steve Lukather – Transition

Steve Lukather – Transition

In Summary: You actually feel like you’re along for the ride on this transition, vocally, lyrically and musically, it all draws you in to what ‘Luke’ has created. Some of you may know him by name, some may not, but I can tell you one thing, you’ve heard his work before. Steve Lukather has been touring for the best part […]

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Continents – Idle Hands

Continents – Idle Hands

I think I can sum this album up in three words ‘Holy Fucking Shit’.  Let me explain how I see this band and this album; to me there’s a perfect balance of everything here, to compare and bear with me here, it’s like when Mr Burns had all those diseases but, as they were all there and he had everything […]

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CRASHDÏET – The Savage Playground

CRASHDÏET – The Savage Playground

“Some say we are the poison, I say we are the cure” – CRASHDÏET are indeed the cure for those of you (like me) who are repulsed by the highly manufactured, disposable and predictable music acts that abound the airwaves in this day and age, CRASHDÏET bring back that unbridled danger and rebellion essentially absent these days from the world […]

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Adler – Back From The Dead

Adler – Back From The Dead

In 25 words or less: “One of 2012’s greatest surprises packets which slays anything ever released by any of his former GNR cohorts.” One of the surprise rock albums released in recent months would have to undoubtedbly be Back From The Dead from Adler, featuring drummer Steven Adler, of course of Guns N Roses and Adlers Appetite fame.  Enlisting frontman […]

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Black Veil Brides – Wretched and Divine: The Story of The Wild Ones

Black Veil Brides – Wretched and Divine: The Story of The Wild Ones

In summary: “Concept style albums seem to be what a number of bands like to do at least once in their career, so… let’s see what this concept is all about.” Concept style albums seem to be what a number of bands like to do at least once in their career, whether it be Queensryche with ‘Operation Mindcrime’ or My […]

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Toxic Rose – Toxic Rose (EP)

Toxic Rose – Toxic Rose (EP)

Having first heard a couple of teaser tracks (which don’t appear on the EP) from Sweden’s Toxic Rose way back in February 2012, their debut EP has certainly been one of most anticipated of 2012.  For the likes of myself who keep both eyes and ears tuned into the Swedish/Stockhkolm rock scene, then the Toxic Rose members would already be […]

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