Another Lost Year – Better Days [Review]
Rock is dying once again. Another break-up album filled with gloomy tracks and cookie cutter vocals. Charlotte, NC’s Another Lost Year cut the album with Justin Rimer (12 Stones, Breaking Point), and in the process, they may have actually lost a year. The couple bright spots are two solid tracks, Broken and Angels, with the latter including guest vocals from Lish. I could go on and on about the album, but in short the actual recording quality isn’t up to par…the drums sound muffled, the guitar tracks sound distant, and Clinton Cunanan vox sound nasally.
Another Lost Year: Clinton Cunanan (Vox), Adam Hall (Vox, Guitar), David Whitaker (Guitar), Lee Norris (Drums), Jason Lovelace (Bass)
Produced By Justin Rimer
www.anotherlostyear.com
MEGAFORCE RECORDS
Thermal Entertainment
Vampires Everywhere – Live at Altar Bar 3/27/13
Pittsburgh, PA 3/27/2013
Altar Bar
Hitting the Strip District of Pittsburgh was a line up jammed packed of shock rock and industrial metal. All in attendance knew that a band like Orgy, formally signed to Korn’s Elementree Records, was going to be the highlight of the night. The band played hits like “Stitches” and their cover of New Order’s “Blue Monday,” giving way to Davey Suicide and Vampires Everywhere!. The latter bands were determined to not let Orgy be the only band to give fans a good time, and each gave stellar performances.
Vampires, being the Warped Tour vets they are, stole the show with hits “Drug of Choice,” Star of 666,” and “Social Suicide.” Check out some pics below!
Photos by: Logan Rendulic ©The Rock Tribune
Texas In July: The Review
The album explodes with the blistering tune “Cry Wolf,” which consists of every sound they have used in the past, just more refined. Vocalist Alex Good hasn’t let up one bit on his eardrum pounding vocals, but has added a toned down raspy growl accentuated by screams and a bit of a yell on the side…still bringing the intensity and passion. The magnificent guitar work that is displayed on this album is like nothing they have ever done before. Christian Soyer and Chris Davis have busted out a melodic sound on a majority of the songs. “Crux Lust” and the single “Bed of Nails” are just brutal, technical songs, that highlight another instrumental aspect that makes TIJ one of the best metal bands on the charts: the beats laid down by drummer Adam Gray.
“Texas In July” might just be one of the best albums released this year, currently holding its own near the top with a highly notable band, As I Lay Dying. So cash your paycheck, get to the store (or iTunes) and purchase this beautiful work of art that will keep your head banging for hours.
Band: Texas In July
Album: Texas In July ‘self titled’
Label: Equal Vision Records
Written by: Logan Rendulic Edited by: Randy Hall © TheRockTribune.com
TheRockTribune’s coverage of the 2012 Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Fest
2012 marks the third year for the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival, and as the two prior, it’s a must see for all. This year’s line up is packed with talent, from bands like Candlelight Red and P.O.D. on the side stages, to the big boys on the main stage such as Staind, Godsmack, and Shinedown. A classic display of old and new, and being the last big tour of the summer, this may be the only thing that’ll carry you through winter until it all starts over in the spring.
Second stages tend to be where the fan/artist intimacy resides, as it gives the fans a chance to get as close as their heart’s desire and go nuts with the Gods on stage. 2012’s side stages were off the charts in Pittsburgh, PA and will continue to be throughout the rest of the tour as long as the fans show up ready to party and give the bands energy to feed off of. The Ernie Ball and Jager stages didn’t have an act that was disappointing…every band walked out on stage like they owned the place and threw down a performance to back up that attitude. Two of the most impressive acts were Candlelight Red on the Jager stage and P.O.D. on the Ernie ball stage, with CLR being fairly new to the game…they may have won “most impressive.” They stepped out with a fairly small group of people in the pit, but after their second or third song they had drew an enormous crowd…real fist pumping, “heart beating out of the chest” mayhem. Old school nu-metalers P.O.D, a band everyone knows, had the task of headlining the side stages. They straight up set the tone for everyone on the main stage with ease and passion that has fueled them for years and marked them as one of the top three performances of the whole day. If an act has to be labeled as someone who needs to “step it up,” then the award goes to Deuce. The performance they had put on was decent, but for someone who the media and radio stations hype up so much, it didn’t meet expectations.
Main stage acts included Staind (3 consecutive albums debuted at #1) and Godsmack, but let’s not forget Adelitas Way. They are the first band to come out and “break in” the main stage at every city on this tour. The entire band is crowd friendly and makes sure the fans have fun and enjoy themselves as much as they do. As previously mentioned… Staind, always a stellar and consistent performance, (even though Aaron Lewis sings about being a country boy from time to time) is still relevant to hard rock. Godsmack also threw down, with Sully Erna wheeling out (recorded drums on Godsmack’s first album) a complete second drum set, rattling off drum solos alongside drummer Shannon Larkin. When they stepped off stage it left the entire venue with mouths wide open and set the bar awfully high for headliner Shinedown. Their performance was sadly the low point of the day…the band just didn’t show up with a great set list and had a lack luster show that had some fans leaving before it was even half way over. It doesn’t look good when you’re the “main attraction” and you can’t keep everyone’s attention. But maybe someone should tell front man Brent Smith that the year is 2012 and he should be banging his head since he’s a rocker, not attempting to shake his hips like Elvis. Hats off to Rockstar Energy Drink for putting together another great line up this year. All that’s left is to sit back and wonder what next year will behold.
-Logan Rendulic, © TRT 2012
http://www.rockstaruproar.com/
Candlelight Red: TheRockTribune Exclusive
September 5, 2012 by admin
Filed under 2012 Interviews, All Metal, Artist Watch, New Music, News, Reviews
TRT’s Logan Rendulic had the chance to hop on Candlelight Red‘s bus at the 2012 Uproar Fest’s Pittsburgh stop. Check out the details on this up and coming band, their new EP Demons, the 2012 Uproar Fest, and CLR’s once in a lifetime opportunity with KISS.
LISTEN BELOW!
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Check out tour dates below:
| date | city/state | venue/description | ||
| 9/7 | Clarkston, MI | DTE Energy Music TheatreRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/8 | Noblesville, IN | Klipsch Music CenterRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/9 | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | Blossom Music CenterRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/11 | Raleigh, NC | Time Warner Cable Pavilion At Walnut CreekRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/12 | Atlanta, GA | Aaron’s Amphitheatre at LakewoodRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/13 | Tampa, FL | 1-800-ASK-GARY AmphitheatreRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/15 | The Woodlands, TX | Cynthia Woods Mitchell PavilionRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/16 | Dallas, TX | Gexa Energy PavilionRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/18 | Englewood, CO | Comfort Dental AmphitheatreRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/19 | Salt Lake City, UT | USANA AmpitheatreRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/21 | Post Falls, ID | Greyhound Park and Event CenterRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/22 | Auburn, WA | White River AmphitheatreRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/23 | Ridgefield, WA | Sleep Country AmpitheaterRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/25 | Nampa, ID | Idaho Center AmphitheaterRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/29 | Phoenix, AZ | Ashley Furniture HomeStore PavilionRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
| 9/30 | Albuquerque, NM | Hard Rock Casino Presents: The PavilionRockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival | ||
www.facebook.com/candlelightred
www.twitter.com/#!/CandlelightRed
Hyro Da Hero: The Rock Tribune Interview
August 13, 2012 by admin
Filed under 2012 Interviews, Artist Watch, New Music, News, Reviews
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Song Credits: Man In My City, Hyro Da Hero, 2012 Stereo Bang Media
We Still Popular, Hyro Da Hero, 2012 Stereo Bang Media
Check out TRT’s quick review here.
Hyro’s Bio from www.hyrodahero.com :
Seasons come and go. Trends pop and deflate. Careers rise and fall. Genres of music live and die. Once in awhile, an artist steps up who doesn’t quite follow the cycle. He doesn’t pay heed to “What’s cool.” He doesn’t give a shit about “Who’s hot.” He doesn’t follow the zeitgeist but, rather, the zeitgeist follows him.
Hyro Da Hero is about to flip rap upside down, inside out and all around.
Hyro Da Hero spins his own cycle of hip hop on his debut album Birth, School, Work, Death. Hyro loads rock ‘n’ roll attitude into explosive, engaging and enthralling rap music. With the crunch of a power chord and the snap of a rhyme, the Houston-bred Los Angeles-based MC spits pure fire. Produced by Ross Robinson—the man behind Korn, Slipknot and At the Drive-in’s legendary debuts—Birth, School, Work, Death sounds like Nas fronting Rage Against the Machine.
Hyro’s band—Daniel Anderson [guitar, Idiot Pilot], Paul Hinojos [bass, At The Drive-In/Sparta/The Mars Volta] and Blood Brothers’ Cody Votolato [guitar] and Mark Gajadhar [drums]—certainly have the pedigree to pummel as well. Guttural riffs feed into razor-sharp rhymes, building a sound that’s as introspective as it is infectious. Hyro da Hero fires off one aural grenade after another whether it’s violent punk-funk vibrancy of “Sleeping Giants” or the sugary bitch-slap of “We Still Popular.” Across the album, Hyro experiments with a myriad of styles from the psyched-out pop of “Man in My City” to his call-to-arms, “Grudge,” where he proudly declares, “I ain’t Lil Wayne.”
This is hip hop like you’ve never heard.
About his enigmatic sound, Hyro comments, “I always look to the underground. That’s where the honesty comes from. Genuine rap and rock go hand-in-hand, but no one has done it like this. It’s raw, and it’s real.”
That raw and real soul hypercharges “Section 8,” which breaks into a cathartic freakout that’s beautifully unsettling. In the same breath, Hyro can spit out witty and righteously brilliant observations of popular culture on “We Still Popular,” featuring Tony Royster Jr. [Jay-Z] behind the drum kit. After a “Sweet Child O’ Mine”-style guitar lead, Hyro examines everything wrong with Hollywood. He delves into the song revealing, “That’s about how easy it is to get fame these days, but it’s all bullshit. The Kim Kardashian’s and Lindsay Lohan’s all fall down eventually, but it’s sad that this is our pop culture. I’m happy to be regular, but I’m going to speak my mind.”
However, Hyro is far from regular. He’s been dazzling the hip hop and rock fans alike with his independently released mixtapes Gangsta Rock [2007], Rock N’ Roll Gangsta [2008] and Belo Horizonte [2009]. Those mixtapes have been downloaded in excess of 100,000 times, and Hyro received glowing acclaim from tastemakers such as Alternative Press, My Old Kentucky Blog, ARTISTdirect.com, Blabbermouth.net, AbsolutePunk.net and many more. However, there’s nothing quite like seeing Hyro live. He’s rocked stages worldwide with 50 Cent, Cypress Hill, Deftones, Staind, Halestorm, Hatebreed and countless other rock and rap acts. He adds, “It all really goes down on stage. You need to hear and see this live.”
Hyro’s proper debut, Birth, School, Work, Death taps into something that’s been missing in rock and rap. “Ross Robinson pulled a lot out me. He pushed me to the edge, and I was able to realize everything I’d always dreamed my music would sound like with his help. It got intense, but it was all worth it, and I’ve got a record that’s going to knock the world on its ass.”
In the end, Hyro screams for revolution on “Beam Me Up,” and it’s a fitting declaration. This is time to break the cycle. This is time for Hyro Da Hero. — Rick Florino (Dolor, Author), October 2010
Hyro Da Hero’s “Birth, School. Work, Death” OUT NOW
HYRO!!! Where the F have you been! Finally. Something refreshing…revitalizing the rap/rock game…and as referenced by Hyro Da Hero himself….its a new GANGSTA ROCK GENRE.
HDH can’t be compared to anyone else, he’s that original. But…if you had to…it’s a blender full of Rage Against the Machine, Gorillaz, Incubus, and a touch of Lil Wayne’s Rebirth. But fresh…whitty…true…and a slap in your face saying, “Get the fuck up! Bounce! Rock the fuck out!” Oh yeah…Hyro is the first and only known artist to play 3 separate stages at the Download Festival in the same year (2011). His first major debut, Birth, School, Work, Death is out now. You’d be a damn fool not to get it (click on the image). Also, you can catch Hyro Da Hero on the 2012 Vans Warped Tour at a City near you.
Key tracks: The World’s Stage, Sleeping Giants, A Conversation with Hip Hop
- Randy Hall, TRT
Review: Fall from Grace “The Romance Years”
Back in action once again is Fall from Grace, a punk/alternative band hailing from the great Seattle, Washington scene. With the region producing punk/alt acts in the past such as Sonic Youth and Nirvana, it’s almost a given that Fall from Grace will have great success. “The Romance Years” is their second major label album, and given the revamped lineup, it’s clear FFG are ready to hit the road backed by their new record label “Road 2 Hell Rekkids.” This emotion packed bundle of joy is just a small taste of big things to come, and and getting lost in this album makes it easy to remember how great the music of the early 90’s was, and the impact that was left on bands to come.
The Romance Years opens with “Your Majesty,” a catchy, upbeat, old school underground punk influenced track that sets the tone for this entire album. Remember who the winners of Fuse TV’s Bodog Music Battle of the Bands 2004 was? Ahhh…that’s right…now you remember. There are a few songs that stand above the others and are worthy of recognition. One being a tune titled “Heart Attack Road,” which echoes the ol’ chasing your dreams and achieving success that one wants out of life. Lyrics PLUS Riffs EQUALS amazing…and arguably the best on the album. “18 and Out,” “A Train Leaves London,” and “The Romance Years” are winners too.
The losers: “Fade 2 Gray,” and “Maybe I’m Outa My Head”
Pick up “The Romance Years”…there’s a little something for everyone. www.fallfromgrace.us
- Logan Rendulic, Randy Hall TRT
Heritage Hunter Tour Review: Live from Pittsburgh
When the Heritage Hunter Tour kicked off on April 4th, Mastodon and Opeth knew that pulling off 29 shows in 38 days was going to be a grueling ride. With most of the North American tour consisting of stops in the United States, it also includes two different stints in Canada. Both bands are veterans of the game, making them quite capable of pulling off an unforgettable experience for fans of all ages…any tour…large or small.
Of the two headlining acts, Opeth opened the Pittsburgh show with some of the most technical progressive metal heard around the world. Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, these guys are one of the best at what they do and seeing it live makes you appreciate their work even more. With tracks like Window Pane and Deliverance, they certainly have the tunes to keep a house on their feet for an entire hour plus set. From start to finish they pour out everything they have and leave it all on the stage, leaving the entire crowd begging for more by night’s end. Opeth is certainly a must see for any American metal head…but watch closely, because an elaborate North American tour isn’t something that occurs all that often.
With Mastodon headlining, the show would be one to remember. Ripping through cuts Sleeping Giants and Spectrelight, they kept the crowd’s attention for the entire night like an ADHD gamer playing the latest HALO. Granted there was some disconnect with the fans, the band was strictly business on stage. The entire set was treated like it was their last, showcasing their passion and energy. It was a display of pure American sludge/progressive metal, that everyone who’s ever listened to metal can appreciate and enjoy. Bottom line, Heritage Hunter Tour is a must see.
Logan Rendulic/Randy Hall of The Rock Tribune
The Used’s “Vulnerable” :::: The Rock Tribune review
