Live – AFI August 1st, 2017

AFI returned to San Diego for the fifth time in eight months, playing at the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre (what a mouthful that is) and brought Circa Survive and Citizen with them. I’ve seen AFI play many times, and had the luck of seeing Citizen several times on Warped Tour 2015 when I was on the road with one of the tour’s sponsors. On the other hand, I’d never seen Circa Survive before and their performance left me highly unimpressed.

 

Citizen

Citizen played a quick eight song, 30-minute set including two tracks from their upcoming release As You Please, as well as selections from Everybody Is Going to Heaven (2015) and Youth (2013). Though the set was enjoyable, the mix was a tad bass heavy and there was nothing to really make their performance stand out on this occasion.

 

Circa Survive

When it came to the co-headlining performance of Circa Survive, I must say it was disappointing. Though the band played at least one song from each of their six full length releases, including their upcoming album The Amulet, aside from having an hour long set they were essentially another support act. Less than half of the crowd got up out of their seats to stand and sing along, and the band was set up in the same space Citizen had been given, without even having a drum riser for drummer Steve Clifford.

 

AFI

As soon as the beginning of AFI’s intro for the night, “Miseria Cantare”, began, everyone was up and out of their seats. The vibe was entirely different – you could tell that the crowd was much more excited for the true headliner of the night.

I’m a big fan of seeing shows outdoors, yet this was only the second time I’d seen AFI headline an outdoor show. To be honest, though the set was a tad on the short side for AFI (15 songs instead of their standard 17), it was the best sounding mix I’ve heard for them. Hunter Burgan’s bass was powerful, yet not muddy, Adam Carson’s kit and cymbals were punchy but well defined, Davey Havok’s vocals were clear and consistent, and Jade’s guitar sat just right in the mix.

With cuts from their six most recent albums, AFI provided a good variety though the lack of anything from their first four albums was noticeable – many other shows on the tour did have at least one or two songs from the first four records. Additionally, AFI stepped up their production from their winter tour adding more lighting including three large triangle shaped trusses containing various lamps and fixtures.

Highlights of the night included “37mm” being played for the fourth time ever and the first song of the encore, “This Time Imperfect” which is always a fan favorite. Though I may be biased, as AFI is one of my favorite bands, I do think that this is one of the best performances I’ve ever seen them put on.

Overall, this was a great package to see. If you’re near one of the handful of remaining shows on this tour, go check it out!

 

Photo by Fabio Banin.

Super Saturdays, July 29, 2017

What's up everyone? It's time for Super Saturdays! Today we present to you: Paper Monsters, Hey Girl Slow Down, and Why A Fox! So hold on tight because these guys are about to blow you away.

Paper Monsters are an alternative rock band from Manchester, NH. If you like your music fast and catchy, then you'll like these guys. Here's a song called "Red Light", enjoy!

Hey Girl Slow Down are from Brooklyn, NY. They want to share with you a song called "Alvin" from their recently released EP Tumbling Down the Up Escalator. If you're a fan out there who loves Panic At The Disco and My Chemical Romance, you're going to want to listen to this because this band will bring the best of both worlds! 

Why A Fox is a one man band from Adelaide Australia! "On The Ledge" can be best decsribed as edgy yet smooth at the bottom.

Well thats a wrap, I hope we blew you away with these amazing bands. See you on the next Super Saturdays!

Triple Tuesdays, July 11, 2017

Hey, hey, hey! What time is it? It's time for Triple Tuesdays! Today we have Slo Motions, Rare Monk, and ESTHER, all waiting for you to check them out, so lets go!

For starters, Slo Motions, a classic rock band from Hamilton, ON, will uplift your day with their recent new single called "Leaving With Nothing". Rocking guitar tones and enjoyable harmonies, you won't be leaving with nothing after you listen to this song!

Next is Rare Monk! They are an indie rock band from Portland, OR. "Happy Haunting", a single off of their new album A Future, talks about the choices in life we usually face.

Last but not least, we welcome back ESTHER, an amazing rock band from the UK! Some of you may remember we shared them back in January. Today we share their new single "Wild One". The song is full of powerful vocal melodies that will reel you in. If you haven't heard of these guys yet, now is your chance! 

That's all for Triple Tuesdays folks, thanks for listening!

Energy – Under the Mask

After a few years of minimal activity, Energy is back. They completed a UK tour as a support act for Creeper earlier this year, and are now preparing to embark on their first headlining UK tour ever. To coincide with the tour, Energy are releasing their EP Under the Mask on July 21st, 2017.

Featuring vocalist Tank’s signature haunting vocal over a dark bed of music, “The Witching Hour” kicks off the EP. The chugging rhythm guitar and squealing lead combine forces to drive the song forward over a pounding drum arrangement.

The title track, “Under the Mask”, begins with a slow buildup in the intro. Energy finds a way to keep song after song dark, but not let it get old. The dual-guitar leads add a nice touch to the song.

“A Pray for Rain” seems uncharacteristically upbeat for Energy, as far as the music goes. Lyrically, the song maintains Energy’s dark atmosphere. While Tank’s voice suits most of Energy’s songs very well, I feel that this song would lend itself more to a pop punk style vocal sound.

Another poppy song, “I Killed Your Boyfriend” sounds very stereotypical, and almost like a Green Day or Alkaline Trio song from a musical standpoint. This might be because it’s the only song on the EP not written by Tank himself, but rather by Mike Rendini, and is re-recorded from Energy’s first release, Children of the Night.

Closing out the EP is the track “Leave Me Alone”. Starting off with a haunting acoustic intro vaguely reminiscent of 3 Doors Down, the song quickly builds into a more driving horror-punk song that we’ve come to expect from Energy. With a few production changes in tone and vibe, I could almost hear Bayside playing this song, it’s just that good.

Overall, Under the Mask is a decent EP. I must say I prefer Apparition Sound but we can’t expect an artist to re-release the same music over and over, and I do look forward to hearing more new music from Energy. My one gripe with the new EP, as a whole, is that the vocal level seems to be a bit high throughout the entire release.

Under the Mask will be available digitally and on CD on July 21st. You can find more information on Energy’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and official website.

Triple Tuesdays, July 4th, 2017

Welcome back for yet another Triple Tuesdays! Since summer is well underway, I've picked a few bands that you could conceivably hear at a future iteration of Warped Tour.

Hailing from Finland, Blind Channel hits hard with their single "Alone Against All". The song brings memories of Fall Out Boy, Falling in Reverse, and Sick Puppies. The production is pristine, both when it comes to arrangement and the mix, which is crystal clear. Color me impressed, guys.

Keeping with the theme of European bands (happy July 4th, 'Murika), here's Hightower and their song "The Party" from Paris, France. Though the song definitely has elements of newer punk to it, the influences of late 90s and early 2000s pop punk are quite present, and appreciated.

Ok, ok, enough of that. Happy fourth of July for real. This band's from Cleveland. Years Before and their song "Live Forever" provide another example of a solid summer anthem pop punk song.

Until next time for another Triple Tuesdays, folks! Try not to blow off any appendages today.

K.Flay @ Camden Assembly 27/6/17

The last time I saw K.Flay play was in 2016, supporting megastars PVRIS on their UK tour at London’s O2 Forum.  Being one of the largest club venues in the city, this was a perfect introduction to the K.Flay live experience, which certainly did not disappoint. Tonight’s show takes place in the comparatively modest Camden Assembly; with a capacity of only 400, I was excited to see this artist in a more intimate setting, a room which the artist has sold out for two nights in a row. K.Flay and her backup instrumentalists took the stage to roaring applause before running straight into the set with ‘Giver’ taken from the artist’s latest LP Everywhere Is Somewhere. What followed was a diverse selection of tracks from K.Flay’s considerable back catalogue, albeit heavy on new material, all of which the sold out room showed passionate appreciation for. Whilst the room tonight was decidedly cosy, the energy of K.Flay and her band was definitely not attenuated. Huge crowd pleasers such as ‘High Enough’, ‘Wishing it Was You’ and ‘FML’ generated the best reactions from the assembly of hardcore fans, with ‘Flay herself head-banging and using the full amount of space available, with the lack of barricade enabling for a much more unfiltered experience. K.Flays’ between-song segues were also very enjoyable, proving herself to be both comical and topical and often providing background information to ideas being particular songs in the set; something I see rarely at shows. After ripping through tonight’s set, the voracious crowd chanted for several minutes hoping for an encore which the band acquiesced to with a rendition of two more new tracks: ‘Mean It’ and Everywhere Is Somewhere’s ‘Blood In The Cut’. Even after this, the crowd wanted more, and ‘Flay herself was able to enter the venue floor itself afterwards, thanking each and every member of the crowd for attending; again something rarely seen from artists of her calibre.

In closing, the fact that K.Flay was able to sell out a venue such as this for two nights in a row so quickly, along with the reception from the crowd tonight tells me that her next visit to UK shores will inhabit larger and larger venues, and perhaps sooner rather than later she may even headline the likes of the O2 Forum on her own… I am surprised this has not happened already.

Sum 41

During the last day of Graspop Metal Meeting while the sun was burning us all. We at RMP found some motivation to have an in too deep interview with Jason ‘cone’ Paul and  Dave Baksh of Sum 41.

 

Hi and welcome to your first time at graspop. How has the festival been so far?

Dave: We’ve been up fro like an hour [laughs], so we ran into our friends from Steel Panter and that’s about it. I freaked out because I saw Primus was right across the walkway from us so I want to see if I can shake that golden bashand.

 

Are there any of your personal favorite bands playing here today?

D: Scorpions, Suicidele, …

Jason: Yeah, Steel Panter,….

D: Primus for me

J: Hatebreed…

D: Ow yeah Hatebreed, that’s right! I love that work that Jamie did with Body Count. I thought that was pretty rad. Who else? ..

J: I mean there so many bands so …

D: we briefly looked at the schedule today and those are kinda who we want to see. And Zombie too, I don’t know if we mentioned Rob Zombie.

 

You already played in Belgium this year at the AB and you had big balloons and you’re own version of an inflatable Iron Maiden’s ‘Eddie’ with you. Can we expect specials today when you close the last day at the Jupiler stage?

D: Ohw, yeah it’s an inflatable ‘bonesy’ we can’t call our guy Eddie. Eddie is exclusive to Iron Maiden. He doesn’t moonlight or anything like that. But today?

J: It’s a shorter set for us so we're gonna play a lot of songs that people know. I don’t think we're gonna go too deep into our albums. It’s only 50 minutes so it's hard to experiment to much.

 

Why the ‘bonesy’ figure?

D: We always wanted an inflatable, from like the early 2000’s.

J: Actually, funny enough we were talking about it on the last album, after we saw primus at a festival in Hungary. They had two of them.

D: Ow yeah, you were telling me about it.

J: it’s was so windy out there, they blow around, so they had to tie them down. But I remember when we were leaving the festival, we all thought, that’s so cool. So now we have one. [laughs]

D: So we took the first mascote from our first dvd, and it is basically a skeleton taking a shit with a camera in his hand. (Introduction To Destruction) We decided to blow that up.

 

After 6 years guys are back with an new album called “13 voices”, we were all still waiting on some new material. How has the response been so far?

D: It’s been wild, we never expected this, it kinda started a world tour for us right?

J: yeah, it’s kinda just a hard-rock album, it’s not heavier than everything we have ever done before and it’s not copied. And our fans seem to like it. We are playing a lot of the new songs live and things are going good.

D: It’s awesome to see the different generation join in and sing along to the songs. It’s really cool.

 

What’s your personal favorite song on the new album?

J: I like ‘God save us all”.

D: Yeah; I like “Breaking the chain”  and the title track “13 voices”. That’s are my favorites.

 

Everybody knows Deryck had some problems. How did you cope with the struggles Deryck had as a band?

D: You where in the band at the time, right?

J: it was just a hard situation. I mean we know each other from we were 14 years old, all of us. So you go true you're 20’s and you party and drink a lot. Like we did, we partied a lot but he ended up having a problem with it. So we done a lot of reflecting like that, we changed things, this and that way. The whole situation was unfortunate and the good thing about is that he is healthy and that’s all we can really ask for. And where here playing stuff so that’s good.

D: I remember I booked a blood test that day, to see if my lever would match his. And then it ended up that I didn't have to go.

 

Dave you can play almost every metal song? What’s your personal favorite metalsong or metalband?

D: My favorite one to play, honestly, I play it before every single show that we play, an it’s hallowed be thy name. If I don’t play it before every show than the show won't go right.

 

Cone you got your name because you ate ice cream as lunch at school, is that right?

[laughter]

J: This name is gonna keep going until I am dead.

D: Yeah, we’ve got to give you a cooler nickname.

J: it’s not that funny now that I am 37 years old. 

D: Maybe we can change the story so that you beat someone up with an ice cream cone. Yeah there we go, that’s the new meaning.

J: icecreamboy, yeah that’s what we gonna do.

[laughter]

 

Thank you so much for this interview. Do you have some last words for our readers?

D: Thanks for coming along and thanks for checking out the article. What else can we say, where 20 years old now. We hope we have many more years!

 

Northlane

We at RMP sat down and had a chat with Marcus Bridge and Josh Smith from Northlane before their first show ever at Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium.

 

Hi, and welcome to Graspop. This is your first time at graspop. In 2105 you had to cancel your show at Graspop because Marcus was sick. Are you ready for your first graspop show?

Marcus: Yeah, I got unwell unfortunately. So it’s good to finally get here, I was really bummed about last time. Graspop is just one of those festivals I remember from watching live sets on “Youtube” when I was younger, so it’s good to be here. 

 

You’ve never been on Graspop before as visitor?

M: No, never before. So it’s quite the experience.

Josh: We don’t live close enough to come and watch. [laughs]

 

Yeah Australia is kinda far from Belgium.

 

You surprised your fans with  a fourth album ‘Mesmer’, how has the

response been so far?

M: The response has been great. When we released the album the respons was overwhelmingly positive and there was more reaction than northlane ever received on the initial release of a record. It’s so good seeing so many people being positive about it. Especially with that lack of warning.

J: Yeah, I think it was a cool way to release, it was a gift to our fans, they could listen to it stread away on “Spotify” or wherever they wanted. And they didn't have to wait. We noticed when playing the new song live, that they are going really well. The audience are singing the words, they know the songs, they're really enjoying them.

 

That's good then.

J: Yeah we're very happy. [laughs]

 

Mesmer is derived from physics, can you give us more content about

the term ‘mesmer’?

J: Well Mesmer is referring to Franz Mesmer, all of his theory's where disproven. He had some really cool theory’s about magnetisme between all living things, he called it animal magnetism. I thought that this would be really interesting, I think it’s quite a cool theory.

M: I guess that idea of everything being connected has weaved its way true Northlane’s music along time. It's just a different angle on it I guess. That was very interesting to us.

J: Most of all we thought it was a very cool sounding. 

 

When releasing the album you stated that this was the toughest recording process you’ve ever endured. How come?

J: We all went thru a lot of personal stuff enduring the process. We lost friends and family, we had relationships failed.

M: A lot of bad things happened while we were writing the album. 

J: We were able to channel that into the stories we told with our songs. Marcus especially was pushed really hard by our producer David Bendeth to bring things up he never really talked about before and truly convey what he was saying through the music.

M: Yeah there's definitely a lot of deeper, not issue’s, but deeper kind of feelings that a lot of us, especially myself, never been able to let out and get channeled into our music. And I think it was very freeing and therapeutic to talk about some of this tragic stuff that’s going on. And in the end I think it’s made for songs that are more personal and something people can connect more when they are listening. It was definitely difficult but I think we achieved something special with it.

 

The album artwork got a very graphic feel to it. How did you come by this design?

J: well, there’s a certain style of designers we are into. There was this one guy in Montreal, he goes by the name Fvckrender, [laughs], he uploaded new pictures on his instagram account that he come up with. We spoke with him about doing our album artwork because, we thought his stuff was really cool. We gave him a concept and then he did something for us and we didn't really liked it. So we weren’t really sure what to do, we thought about for a week, and during that week he uploaded a picture. As soon as we saw it we were like, oh my god that's perfect, that’s us. It had got like these things in it, these recurring motives that are in all of our album art and straight away we told him we want to buy that album artwork of you. We had to modify it a bit, because everytime he makes a picture he doesn’t save any of the stuff, he just uploads it and then it’s done. So he created something very similar and that became our album artwork. It was really cool.

 

You also use a triangle in a lot of your merch or band design. Does this has a reason?

J: No, there is no real reason.

M: I think the interesting thing with the Mesmer art as well, it’s a combination of art that all have come before us, a lot of the colors are very similar to our past artworks. And I guess the cube looking design that Northlane had in their designs for a long time so it’s a cool mix of everything.

 

Any bands playing here today that are or have been a great inspiration for you guys?

J: yeah, Rammstein. [laughs]

M: Did I see Sepultura is playing today? Cause that's outrageous. 

J: They were one of my favorite bands as a kid too.

M: and I am very keen to see Europe. Their not necessary a big influence on me, but they're a band that I am very excited about to see. 

 

Thank you for the interview, do you have any last words for our readers?

M: thank you, thanks for having us. Good to be back in Belgium.

J: Yeah, good to be back.

Triple Tuesdays, June 20th, 2017

Hey there everyone, welcome back to Triple Tuesdays! Today we present Vespera, Two Year Break, and Hollace!

We're starting off with Vespera, a rock band from Seattle,Washington. "Bloom", the debut single from their upcoming album is a dark and mysterious song that talks about time and speaks of unlocking the memories and what they can do together to overcome their past.

Two Year Break is a pop-rock band from London. Their recently released single called "Hourglass" talks about wanting to change and realizing what can be done to make things better for themselves.

Hollace is an alternative rock band formed in Coachella Valley, CA. "Sidewalks" is full of beautiful harmonies and has a strong 90's rock feel to it. The song itself speaks of starting anew, looking for something better, and wanting to be free.

Thanks for listening! 

Musical Mystery Magic

Hey there everyone! Welcome to a Musical Mystery Magic night, tonight we present X-Vivo, The Holiday Electric, and Society Of Beggars.

In case some of you haven't heard of X-Vivo, they're a post industrial metal band from Berlin, Germany. "The Eyes of the Wolves Awake", taken from their new album Petrichor, can be best described as Slipknot meets Evanescence. The vocals in this song are both heavy and beautifully eerie; it's so strong in emotions that it will chill your bones. 

The Holidy Electric is a rock band from NYC. They recently released their new EP called Now, here is the title track which combines a mixture of classic rock and an 80's heavy metal song feel to it.

Society Of Beggars is an alternative rock band from Melbourne, Australia. "Old Haunts" is the single from their recent release An EP Called Night. The lyrics in the song sound like they are talking about wanting to restart something better and sticking together into a more hopeful life.  The song itself sound longing and adventurous. The video alone is about, "a group of ordinary people who are thrown together to share a ride in the backseat of a strange car, throughout the journey learning more about one another and discovering what truly counts in the end." Check it out for yourselves!

Thanks for listening!