HEXA - HÄNDE AUS GLAS

I listen to a lot of music.  Occasionally something comes along, slaps me in the face, and screams LISTEN TO ME!  You may be curious on what that was so I am here to tell you all about the German band HEXA and their debut EP "HÄNDE AUS GLAS." 

I remember it so vividly.  I got this email about a German band and thought to myself I was going to get a synth filled death metal band with some leads and a rip off of something I've avoided for years.  But then there was a very captivating and melodic intro that immediately told me to turn that shit up to eleven.  Then the bass slide comes in and the metal rips through the veil of my expectations.  Song after song you will find yourself more impressed with the entire band.  This is not just a band, but a family of musicians working together to write some of the best melodic metal core I have ever heard, and I'm a musician in a very talented pool of metal core bands.  

The complexity of this album will remind you of bands such as All that Remains and August Burns Red.  The canorous leads are very enjoyable and well placed within their music, while the rhythm is well balanced between catchy chugs, progressive beats and very tight harmonies.  I had to use a translation application because I am so enthralled with this band and needed to know what I was attempting to sing along with.  The lyrics are well written and contain a lot of what you expect from a metal core band (struggles within ones self, love loss, etc.) but the vocalist really drives the meaning home with his low and high screams.  The only thing that I would want to hear is a little clean vocals once in a while to add an extra element to some of the songs. 

There was a lot of thought and time put into these songs and you can really hear and feel the emotions of them.  Every measure will command your attention and pull you deeper in the world of blast beats and break downs that this band offers to the masses.  HEXA only gives you a four track taste of their music with their debut EP "HÄNDE AUS GLAS" but I hope there is much more to come.  This band will be a force to be reckoned with and I hope to see them when they come to the states.   

Find them of Facebook!

www.facebook.com/hexa.germany

Rise of the Northstar w/Hightower and Inner Reflections in Paris (@Le Divan du Monde, 23/01/2015)

One of my personal goals as a writer for Two Guys Metal reviews would be to show that the French heavy music scene is one full of talent, deserving our close support and appreciation. So it was to my great surprise that I showed up at the doors to the Rise of the Northstar release party to find a horde of fans queuing behind a door marked with a sign stating "FULL". This comes off as an even more impressive accomplishment for the band, considering the largely DIY route they've adopted for a majority of their career, earning themselves a solid reputation and fanbase as well as millions of hits on youtube even before their recent well-earned contract with Nuclear Blast.

Inner Reflections setlist

First band on the bill tonight was a French band named Inner Reflections, who started off the evening with their hard-hitting modern metal songs. This bands' sound is mainly based around a melodic form of metalcore, complemented with various thrash and groove metal influences.
Armed with a solid, well balanced set of songs as well as an great amount of stage presence, Inner Reflections delivered a very solid show that got the crowd going wild only a couple of songs into the evening. With their great groovy riffs and occasional melodic leads, the band seemed determined to make the utmost out of their opening set, which they undeniably pulled off. The vocalist didn't hesitate to jump into the crowd to up the ante in the pit while delivering his powerful screams for one of the last songs of their set. Overall, Inner Reflections put on a great show, earning them some well-deserved praise from the audience.

Next up on stage was the punk rock band Hightower. Musically speaking, I must say that I was most impressed by this bands' set; having grown up to the sound of punk rock, this bands' dose of energetic and melodic punk rock amongst the likes of A Wilhelm Scream and Hi-Standard struck a chord in me. 

Unfortunately for them, one could not help but feel like their set was unfortunately badly scheduled. After being called up under short notice following The Great divide's cancellation, the band ended up playing in between 2 extremely heavy metal and hardcore acts, for fans that were eager to keep their blood pumped before the headlining act. It is on that account that I will put aside the bands' blitzkrieg style set and overall unpleasantly cold attitude. With virtually no breaks and no acknowledgement to their audience whatsoever, the band rushed through their set, dropped the mic and before rushing off the stage. Far from getting a negative feedback, only a handful of people seemed to appreciate the bands' set while the rest of the crowd simply stayed unresponsive.
Despite this, band showed a considerable amount of stage presence and energy during their superb albeit rushed and grumpy set.
Visibly the bands’ clean singing and melodic hooks played at breakneck speed did not strike a chord like it did for the old punk rock fan I happen to be, which I can understand perfectly. Still, I for one do highly recommend checking out this band, for anyone looking for an effective dose of punk rock. I hope to see this band again soon in a more appropriate context and a better mood.

自在不羈

Then came the time for our headlining act to hit the stage. After setting up some nice stage props and decorations, the Parisian act met their loyal fanbase, sporting their signature Japanese badboy attire. Starting off their set with the epic opening guitar leads off their newest debut release, the band quickly got to business by delivering their devastating take on old-school New York hardcore mix with beatdown hardcore and thrash metal. Keeping things strong and steady, they then followed the song up with their latest single, the excellent title track "Welcame".
As for the other bands this evening, the sound was spot on, allowing every song to come to life, since it is visibly through the live rendition of their songs that the band is able to showcase their primary strength.
Having turned the venue into a gigantic warzone, the crowd was more than enthusiastic to scream and chant along to the bands' deadly effective hooks.
Over the course of their set, Rise of the Northstar visibly pulled no punches when it came to making the sold out crowd of fans at Le Divan du Monde go wild. With an airtight performance, insane energy and charisma from every member, Rise of the Northstar left no room for disappointment tonight.
What we got was over an hour and a half of pure adrenaline and energy brought by a spot on performance by the band.
Visibly taking nothing for granted, Rise of the Northstar pulled off a stunning show, further affirming their well-earned fanbase and their place as one of Frances' most promising hardcore/metal acts of the past few years.

Robin

Specil thanks go to Rise of the Northstar as well as their management for their extensive and much appreciated support.

Rise of the Northstar Setlist

Inner Reflections

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/InnerReflectionsOfficial

Hightower

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/HIGHTOWERMUSIC

Bandcamp

https://hightowermusic.bandcamp.com/

  

Rise of the Northstar

Official website

http://www.riseofthenorthstar.com/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/rotnsofficial

Bandcamp

https://riseofthenorthstar.bandcamp.com/

Eyes of Mara - Self Titled

Metalcore sometimes seems to be a stale genre.  There isn't a whole lot going on anymore, which is not helped in even the slightest by the plethora of copycat bands that exist in its already overcrowded halls.  When metalcore came to prominence, it was an exciting fusion of two genres of music that held a heavy commonality.  Flash forward about 20 years, and it seems as though metalcore holds nothing close to the potential for exploration and free reign that it once did.  Bands like Memphis May Fire and ISSUES put out record after record and single after single that have not one ounce of variety or effort.  To be frank, it's formulaic.

It says something, then, that Eyes of Mara's self-titled full length breaks a few common rules.  Although a lot of the record feels familiar and explored to begin with (in particular, that ISSUES-heavy guitar tone), Eyes of Mara provide a sort of tension between the "metal" and the "core."  Parts of the record feel semi-technical, while others are distinctly hardcore.  The hardcore riffs pry for control in Don't Get Close only to be overtaken by djenty chugging seconds later.  The album's division between its influences is what makes it stand a bit ahead of the metalcore pack.  It takes advantage of the decision to keep the first half of the record focused on pure brutality and the second on an atmospheric buildup that reaches its culmination in the final track.

That's not to say that this album isn't without its faults.  Where it has a sort of self-awareness of its position in metalcore history, it does fall back on certain tropes that have been the backbone of the genre for the past 7-10 years.  The cheesy backing vocals in New Direction feel tired and overdone, and the album as a whole does fall back on chuggy riffing.  But despite its drawbacks, Eyes of Mara pull a bit ahead in the metalcore arms race and have actually managed to dust off a genre that had been sitting in a garage of stagnancy for a bit too long.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/eyesofmara

Flashy Entrance

Now here is an interesting French group, the sort who would be a solid death metal band, but they decide to bring cleans into the mix. Normally I would view this as a big no-no, yet Flashy entrance seem to pull it off fairly well. In fact, in some cases the cleans nicely contrast harsh "Blechs" and the like. Now, I still think the band might be improved by removing cleans entirely, but as is, these guys are pretty darn solid. They have a great sense of how to riff and some of the melodic guitar lines are really tasty. Perhaps the best example of this is on their track Quelques Larmes Pour Te Plaire (Ah yes, the album is entirely in French) which shows off some of the best ideas on their new record Tolérance Zéro (I sincerely hope that's meant as a Death reference) In short, if you like solid death metal with touches of hardcore and clean vocals, then you'll dig these guys, it's essentially more violent metalcore, if you're more of a purist, move on. Yet, for what its worth, Flashy Entrance are on of the tightest acts in their genre that I've heard in a good long while!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/FlashyEntrance

Beyond Chronicles, Sins, Thanatic Eyes, Unscarred and Furykane at La Chinois

Last night I made my way out to a new venue for me, La Chinois for what promised to be a night of thrash metal madness. Five bands came to play, and lets just say, it made for some interesting times. The idea of having girls in all of the bands was really cool and added a bit of flavor to the whole affair. Unfortunately the beginning of the night was marred by sound problems that messed up the first three bands. More than that, someone decided it would be a good idea to play Black Veil Brides between sets, that definitely didn't engender a positive attitude. Yet despite all of this something magical went down last night, the underground showed it was strong, and will never die.

The first band to take the stage was Beyond Chronicles. Now these guys were fairly tight for such a new group. However there were some grave problems with the mix. It meant that we couldn't hear the vocals at all for most of the set. Their general inexperience showed through too, the general performance was occasionally lacking. Yet, I think their was some good potential shown here and I think with a little work, and some better mixing, Beyond Chronicles might be able to put on a worthy stage show. As is, they started to get a nice vibe going for a night of metal magic.

SINS came on next, I saw these guys a while back when they were still Living Strength. Their music is a powerful sort of traditional heavy metal fused with thrash. They too had a few significant sound issues, but the band did a good job of holding it together and keeping strong. These guys know how to really connect and I think there is a certain magic to the SINS sound that suggests they will keep it coming for years on end. Suffice to say, SINS get how to put on a show, sure they're still a little amateurish at times, but I think with a few more shows as experience they could really get somewhere cool!

Thanatic Eyes came up next and here we started to see a more powerful vibe as sound issues got worked out (Although occasionally the voice dropped out) and a more professional stage show was brought out. The singer from Bleed fronts this band and proved that they are among the greatest in the Parisian scene. Vicious and powerful, Thanatic Eyes bring an unholy energy to the stage and leave a pint of blood on the ground. Here the pit really started up and we even had a small wall of death. I'd really like to see these guys again with a better mix and perhaps more volume.

Up next was Unscarred who were, as usual, a highlight. There is something about this band live that is just utterly perfect. Be it in the top notch guitar playing and tight drum performance or Nelly (The frontwoman) and her charismatic performance Unscarred are regularly my favorite band to see live. So, yes I've seen them four times, but every time it's still incredible and fun. Stage diving and crowd surfing galore took over the evening here, this is thrash metal at its finest. I may just be a romantic, but I think that 20 years from now these Unscarred shows will be just as legendary as some of the gigs that happened in the Bay Area thrash scene in the early 80s.

The final band of the night was Furykane, who you may recall I saw last year at Batofar. I was a little surprised to discover that the band had changed their overall style from top notch 5th generation nu-metal to something a little more rock and funk inspired. Their new material is still great though, just very different from what I had come to expect from this band. Nevertheless I enjoyed their set, tired out as I was after a very long day. After talking to a few friends who heard advance copies of their new album I'm intrigued to discover what they have been up to. A wonderful live band, and now musically renewed the future seems bright for Furykane.

In closing, last night was triumphant and beautiful. Five bands came and all sorts of good times and headbanging fun ensued. All of the bands had some great stuff to show us and I think that even the groups who weren't absolutely stellar have the potential to do much more. Let's just say, the organizers did a pretty good job of putting this show together for us. So, this morning I sit here in bed covered in bruises and with a terrible stiff neck and I think to myself, I live for this.

Find the bands on Facebook!
Beyond Chronicles: https://www.facebook.com/chroniclesband92

SINS: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SINS/415188011934399

Thanatic Eyes: https://www.facebook.com/ThanaticEyes

Unscarred: https://www.facebook.com/Unscarred.Thrash.Music

Furykane: https://www.facebook.com/furykane

Dead Like Swansea-Fragile Man

Metalcore tinged djent fronted by two screaming men. God, this is a good day to be listening to metal. Dead Like Swansea hail from a dying town in Arizona, a town where things haven't been looking up in years. So they rise, with a djent inflected sound that is heavy, passionate, and able to capture your soul. Djent destruction in its purest form Dead Like Swansea have the rage and their new record Fragile Man is a powerful debut, showcasing a band who with a little bit more polish could go on to help front this rapidly rising new wave of djentcore.

The thing is, these guys play their own unique brand of metal with a ferocity born of desperation. There is a very real rage here and it is only compounded by having two vocalists. The thing is, these guys know how to play off each other, how to create music that reflects their hearts and souls. Meanwhile, the guitar riffing is very tight and gives a strong forward motion to everything. One issue I have though is that Dead Like Swansea are often not as heavy as they should be and it leaves the sound a bit thin. Yet as a whole, the songs on this record flow together in an elegant way and are easy to fall in love with. They left me begging for more!

In conclusion, Dead Like Swansea have done something special with their new release. Fragile Man understands the meaning of djent, yet brings so much more to the table. It suggests an exciting future for these Arizona purveyors of prog perfection. In short, if you want a band who understand the spirit of their genre and want to bring it forward with an incredible violence and power then Dead Like Swansea is the band for you. Though they could get a thicker sound their attack is vicious and undying. I foresee big things happening for these young men who just refuse to give up!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/deadlikeswansea?fref=ts

The Betrayer's Judgement-Philosopher

What's this? A metalcore record that is not only good, but also non clichéd and strangely magical? I kid you not, the new EP from The Betrayer's Judgement is all of that and more. With Philosopher this band take the listener on a musical journey replete with epic suites and powerful riffs, showcasing a band who get how to write strong metalcore songs and melodies that sweep the listener off their feet. Unique and actually kind of beautiful Philosopher gives a nice little glimpse into the minds of some of modern day metalcore's most interesting and explosive artists.

One of the interesting things about this latest masterpiece from the French scene is the way The Betrayer's Judgement put a lot of technical aspects into their music but still make it accessible for the more casual listener. Meanwhile, the cleans are well done, and though while they are well within the metalcore style I think they give an appropriate flavor to the music. They definitely keep things interesting at least. The end result of all of this is a metalcore EP that most trve metalheads would enjoy. Sure the cleans might distract some, but you can not deny the excellent musicianship and songwriting talent that is so clearly prevalent throughout much of Philosopher.

In short, these five songs (And a remix) are actually pretty fantastic. Sure they might not be in my genre of choice, but there is just so much raw good here that you are almost forced to acknowledge the musical dominance of The Betrayer's Judgement. I'd even go so far as to say, these guys are almost the Revocation of the metalcore scene. Their djent inflected brand of metalcore is magical and often reaches out to the soul, even of a hardened old metaller like me. So, if you want some metalcore that transcends the genre with a powerful and poignant sound than come check out Philosopher.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/thebetrayersjudgement?fref=ts

My Mental Health Degrades-S/T

Some of you may remember that I got the chance to see My Mental Health Degrades live over the weekend at Warm Up Festival. Then they impressed me with their tight but ferocious sound and unique approach to metalcore. Their EP is more of the same, powerful, melodic, and even symphonic at times with this debut My Mental Health Degrades seem to be reaching for something more than standard metalcore, something transcendent and magical, taking the band, and the genre, to a plane that hasn't properly been explored by anyone else quite yet.

One of my favorite aspects of this record is the use of high flying melodies to give the music flavor. Their music also has a certain bombast to it that is hard to match. It gives the songs a lot more power than they might otherwise have, it makes for music that reaches at a deeper more fundamental level. In other words, this is metalcore that goes for the soul. Another interesting aspect about this record is the interesting melodies used, from the second track, This Modern Hell is Called Hometown, they become readily apparent, bringing a sort of prog atmosphere to the songs. On a final note, the cleans are actually well done and fit in nicely next to the harsh growls, growls that convey true ferocity.

In conclusion, My Mental Health Degrades have crafted something impressive and personal with their debut. This is not the kind of metalcore record that so many are producing these days, that sounds overproduced and dull. Instead this is something that has a beauty and magic of its own, a record that does not feel confined to any rules and is thus able to transcend the common limitations of the genre. I would like to hear more from this band, they certainly have a clear artistic direction and their future seems bright. So now you guys, go listen, tell me if I'm right, or if my mental health is simply degrading.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/mmhdband?fref=ts

Warm Up Day Three with Pervert Asshole, Lokurah, My Mental Health Degrades, Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition, Benighted and NAPALM DEATH

So now Warm Up is said and done, Napalm Death have played, blown my mind and left me begging for more. The bands I saw today were all great and the food surprisingly top notch (and pretty darn cheap too!) I saw all my friends from the first few days of festivaling and a lot more fans were here for the top bands. Fortunately not too many people showed up so we got to get a really personal experience for every concert, and let me tell you, it's INCREDIBLE to get to see a band like Napalm Death with less than a hundred people in the room. So now we are left with one thing to do, the review of the third day of the festival! I'm sitting in my kitchen exhausted at one in the morning let's do this thing.

The first band I saw today was Pervert Asshole, now here is a band who are wonderfully decadent in a live setting. Be it their guitarist, who wears a Mexican luchador mask or their singer who parades about gyrating freely in his underwear these guys are the definition of extreme. Their music is gloriously over the top and their new album title 'We Say Fuck a Lot' pretty much sums up their entire ethos. In other words, Pervert Asshole are the kind of thing that is gloriously offensive, gaining power through raw decadence, the kind of band who will make fun of you, if only because they think its funny. Not to be taken seriously and a blast to see live, Pervert Asshole will definitely be getting more coverage on Two Guys in the future.

Up next was Lokurah bringing their own brand of thrash metal madness to the fore. Tossing in touches of metalcore to an overall thrash derived sound these guys are pretty ferocious live. Throughout the early part of their set they were plagued with technology and mixing issues and I think it limited peoples ability to get into the music. Yet once they had a couple of songs with no problems people started headbanging and it became clear that Lokurah are quite a powerful live group. This is a band who come on and play tight and heavy thrashcore until heads are banging all around, and really, what more can you ask for from a local thrashcore band? Suffice to say, these guys know how to deliver and I'd like to see them again soon.

Then, My Mental Health Degrades charged on to the stage and delivered thirty plus minutes of destructive metalcore madness. Their music is melodic and powerful, the kind of hardcore that I genuinely enjoy, even if I think the performances can be a little silly sometimes. One of the coolest parts of their set was when the singer from another local melodic hardcore band, All My Memories, came onto the stage to perform some songs with the group. They went over so well I almost feel like the band should be doing a two vocalist thing. On their own though these guys are still stellar, the music is powerful and they know how to connect in other words, this is definitely a band I'd recommend to a friend.

I then took a break for dinner and too talk to some of the bands as well as a few of my good friends who I don't get to see as often as I like. These selfsame friends started telling me about the band to come, Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition a band who were apparently just as brutal as their name. By god were they right. With a grinding rage ripped straight from Origine Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition are violent, destructive, and totally triumphant in creating some glorious death metal that ripped my head off for the entirety of the set. Sure there music isn't intelligent or classy, but it certainly rips faces off and shows a band who have been dedicated to brutality for longer than I have been alive. These guys aren't going to stop soon, so you NEED to check them out and become a slave to their incredible heaviness.

The second to last group was French metal heroes Benighted who had a ton of local punters out to worship them. Their set was violent and vicious, the kind of thing were people (including me) were getting bruised and bloody from the very first song. Benighted's music is a sort of deathgrind with no respect for the normal rules of the genre, instead just opting to blast heads off with an attack that will hold you in thrall for hours. I could have watched them play an entire other set they were simply that good. Coming at it with a lot of energy and a vicious dedication to their music it was exciting to see these guys play, they definitely deserve their place as mainstays in the French scene.

And now on to the big guys. Napalm Death. The name says it all, legends in their lifetimes these guys have been doing this for more than thirty years and their performance is delivered with so much expertise you can not deny the bands greatness. As I headbanged in the front row I realized how impossibly lucky it was that we got to see Napalm Death in this super intimate setting. The band was tight and destructive as I imagine they always are (This was my first time). What I'm trying to say is that the sheer ferocity that Napalm Death attacked their set with was inspiring to me and their lyrics blew me away (as they always do) I especially liked how open they were with their message, aware that they are bringing good to the world. In short, I NEED to seem them again as soon as possible.

In conclusion, today was an incredible event, even more so than the previous days of Warm Up Festival. Not only was it topped off by one of the most impressive live sets I have EVER seen (And to give you a sense of scale, I've seen thirty one bands since September 1st) but all of the other bands on the bill were really well picked and fit well with the whole idea behind the festival. I sincerely hope I can come to the festival next year, Warm Up is intimate and fun, the sort of thing that creates memories that will last a life time. With a wonderful familial atmosphere and great vibes all around I just have to congratulate the team behind this event for a job well done.

Find the bands on Facebook!

Pervert Asshole: https://www.facebook.com/ZombieCatHouse?ref=ts&fref=ts

Lokurah: https://www.facebook.com/lokurahmusic?ref=ts&fref=ts

My Mental Health Degrades: https://www.facebook.com/mmhdband

Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition: https://www.facebook.com/scdmusic

Benighted: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Benighted-official/102125209845927

Napalm Death: https://www.facebook.com/officialnapalmdeath

Her Dying Regret-Legacy

Her Dying Regret is a cut above your average metalcore band, for one thing, their clean vocalist can actually sing, thus giving Her Dying Regret much more class than many of their competitors. Add in some stellar musicianship and a few gnarly breakdowns and you have yourself a band who should be followed closely as a group who could provide new hope for a miserable and broken down scene. With Legacy Her Dying Regret seek to prove their legitimacy and push their genre forward by adding all sorts of interesting elements into their metalcore base.

This bands extremely polished sound is a lot of fun to listen to and allows songs like the ultimate track, The Filthy Truth to flow perfectly as layers of guitars and vocals work together to create something unique and interesting. The thing is, this band is made up of guys who genuinely know how to play their instruments and craft a new type of more brutal metalcore that still uses clean vocals in a tasteful way. Rather than detracting from the music the clean vocals actually give it more power and help to keep things interesting, how many metalcore records can you say that about in 2013? In other words, Her Dying Regret have all their bases covered and should very much continue with their trademark sound. While it could be refined around the edges the basics are solid, and I can't really complain.

To finish, this record is the sort of album that every annoying metalcore band is trying to make. Most groups miss terribly, yet Her Dying Regret's At The Gates style riffing and precise Trivium inspired melodies are worth listening to multiple times as they show a band who is uniquely powerful, a group who genuinely know what they are doing and how to push the genre forward. Filled with modern elements but still capable of paying tribute to the founders of the genre Her Dying Regret are one of the few bands who give me hope fore the future of metalcore. Lets hope the next release can somehow match the magic of Legacy!

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/HerDyingRegret

All That I See

All That I See are a ripping metalcore band with a penchant for all that is heavy. With destructive riffs and a fabulous drum attack there is a lot to love about these metal masters. While they only have a demo out right now there is a lot of potential to be found in this band, be it in their combination of screaming styles or there simply face melting breakdown these guys understand how to make heavy metalcore that is powerful and unapologetic. One of the cool aspects of this bands sound is their use of epic melody lines, they often remind me of Avenged Sevenfold (in a good way). I'd like to see these guitar leads developed on and when the band manages to get some better production I could see them soaring on steel wings over the rest of the group, this is one of the things that suggests All That I See's huge potential to me. Overall though the band tend to embrace their heavier side and fill their music with a raw death metal aggression. If you want a metalcore band who are not afraid to get violent then this is the group for you!

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/allthatisee/app_204974879526524

Sky for Sinners

Sky for Sinners is an excellent metalcore band who I discovered on Petrucci forum. Their precise songwriting and often technical sound is a step above most of their contemporaries. Add in the fact that their vocalist has a killer clean voice and you have yourself a record for the ages. A band who transcend metalcore by adding in tastes of melodeath and other genres these guys are surprisingly fun to listen to. Personally, I feel like they should embrace their melodeath side a bit more, the heavier songs show a lot of potential and leave me begging for more. Remember though, the lighter tracks are still very impressive and songs like Lost in You show that the band is really capable of anything and everything, including beautiful love ballads. So if you're looking for a melodic metalcore band who are a little different from what you may be used to then Sky for Sinners super charged sound and technical wizardry should appeal to you. Suffice to say, you should pick up their new record Heresy Reborn its only nine bucks on bandcamp!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/skyforsinners/app_204974879526524

Sworn to Remember

Sworn to Remember is a classy, and very impressive melodic metalcore band with a sort of indescribable power that defines their music. While some complaint can be made about the way the cleans and growls blend into each other as a whole this band is very tight and their new record Farewell is a promising introduction form what promises to be one of Vermonts best bands in coming years. One of the things that makes these guys so appealing is that their riffs are profoundly different from standard metalcore riffs and branch out a bit more, this gives a lot of flavor to songs like Hopeless. Furthermore, it proves that Sworn to Remember are capable of being very much their own thing, a band who can really do something to the scene. With progressive elements and minimal breakdowns Sworn to Remember seem to be on a good path to become metalcore lords in a new generation of the genre. If you're looking for a great up and coming modern metal band who are very tight and filled with all sorts of rifftastic joy then Sworn to Remember is the band for you!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/sworntoremember

Six Days of May

Six Days of May is a tight modern metal band who use a plethora of influences from the electronic end of things to give their music a rather unique flavor, these guys have enough aggression and skill to put them above the legions of Asking Alexandria clones and instead create something new and interesting, revitalising my hope in metalcore. I think their oftentimes shouted vocals strike a happy balance and can appease both pvre metalheads and hardcore kids. These guys have had years to hone their craft, having been together since 2010, and it seems like all their hard work is paying off. Even though their discography is still fairly limited to just handful of tracks they seem to be rapidly developing and soon should be able to take the world by storm. In the future I hope to see more of their shouted vocals and more of the fun irony that impinges upon their cover of Christina Aguilera's Genie in a Bottle. So if you're looking for a tasty new modern metal band who are bringing things to a new level Six Days of May is the band for you!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/SixDaysOfMay/app_204974879526524

Where Giants Once Stood-Changing

Where Giants Once Stood is a nifty metalcore band from Toronto. Their music is oftentimes heavy but they are not afraid to use a lot of epic atmospherics to add flavor to their own distinct brand of modern metal madness. With solid songwriting and perfect production all around there debut EP, The Changing is a promising piece of music that shows a band who are seemingly capable of driving their sound to a whole new level with a little improvement. As a whole, the seven tracks on this record are a stellar example of the magic that can be found in modern metal today.

The thing to know about Where Giants Once Stood is that their heaviest parts are by far their best. Parts like most brutal bits The Changing are simply excellent blasts of death metal fury. That is not to say that their clean vocals are poorly done, but I feel like their death metal rage is simply fantastic, so why add in unneeded cleans. That being said, I really like the way a lot of these cleans are implemented and they give a certain catchiness to the music. The breakdowns are rather rare and when they are present they are pretty well executed, so I won't call them out on that either. All I'm trying to say is that currently Where Giants Once Stood are a very good metalcore band, yet I get the distinct impression they could be a GREAT death metal band.

In conclusion, if you're looking for a metalcore record that has a true death metal rage and some pretty nifty atmospherics this is something your going to want to check out. The seven tracks that make up this EP are finely polished and craft beautiful soundscapes with their excellent keyboard lines and brilliant atmospheric parts. Yet seeing this band go down a heavier and more Revocation type path might be the way forward, these guys are certainly talented enough for it! Nevertheless, this is a very promising metalcore debut and I am very curious as to see where the band brings their sound next. Be sure to check out the record when it drops on July 30th!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/wheregiantsoncestood

Athenia

Athenia is a riveting progressive metal band (not djent) whose intricate sound and flashy guitar lines craft powerful soundscapes whose very substance seems to be the raw power of metal. Interestingly, their soudn does not really fall in the death metal vein, even if their music is fairly heavy, it has more of a gritty Avenged Sevenfold or After the Burial feeling, the basis of the music seems to be rooted in metalcore. However the guitar riffs tend to be a lot heavier than you might find in the music of those bands and there is a certain raw desperation that these bands don't really have. In the vocals their is a sort of plea, a veritable cry for help that characterizes the music and makes it much more touching and powerful. The solos are, at best exquisite, I particularly like the one on Fall of a Fragile mind and I think it could even be longer and flashier. To finish, if you want a hard hitting and powerful progressive metal band who aren't afraid to incorporate some metalcore elements in their sound then Athenia is the band for you!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/Atheniamusicuk/app_204974879526524

All Else Fails

All Else Fails is an excellent metal band from the dark reaches of Edmonton. Their hard hitting sound features an interesting use of synths, spoken word and clean vocals for an end result that depicts a new type of metal, a logical progression onthe scene. Beautiful and hard to grasp their new record Fucktropolis is one of the most promising EP's of 2013, they find something new and unique with their record and help to drive out the posers with a powerful sound and riffs that are simply to die for, this band has found a new level of metal madness.

While some may compare the music on Fucktropolis to As I Lay Dying I think there's a bit more to it than that. For example, the use of cleans is far beyond how As I Lay Dying do it and is in fact a bit more similar to a group like In Flames. The spoken word side of the music really adds a lot of flavor to the sound and helps to make the tracks that implement them truly special. I also really dig the use of synthesizers, it gives songs like Most Unwanted Reprieve a unique edge to them, they become bigger and much more dynamic.

In conclusion, if you're looking for one of the records that threatens to alter metals paradigms in 2013 then this is the album for you you. With highly melodic guitar lines and tons of circle pit inducing riffs I see these guys going far. With forty six thousand facebook fans and counting the word is starting to get out about these guys. With a few breaks and another full length album in this vein All Else Fails should be able to really take the metal world by storm. A band to watch Fucktropolis is one of the most promising EP's I have heard in a long while.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/AllElseFailsCanada

Where Giants Once Stood

And so I bring you another nifty metalcore band, this time from Toronto. Where Giants Once Stood is a veritable Canadian metal force. A group who have a fairly good handle on mixing cleans and growls this band is simply fun to listen too. Their crazed riffs help to inspire circle pit starting fury in my heart and make me want to headbang until I throw my back out. Meanwhile the crushing playing on songs like Heavens Tremble (Which features a cool music video found HERE) shows a touch of the classic hardcore attitude promising a face ripping good time. Their mix of furious riffs and super technical solos is not to be missed. In the future I'd like too see Where Giants Once Stood continue in their heavier and more technical direction, I feel that's where they are strongest, but if they continue to put out very solid metalcore like this then they have a good chance to make it big. With already over two thousand facebook fans and a new EP entitled The Changing coming out July 30th the future seems bright for these sons of the American North.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/wheregiantsoncestood

Reflections of Ruin-Rebirth

Their are very few solid metalcore bands these days, they either turn into pitiful good cop bad cop moaning or just develop into djent. Yet Reflections of Ruin are content to walk the middle road and make their own brand of solid and face ripping metalcore that restores my faith in a genre so often maligned. Their new record Rebirth is a powerful testament to how good metalcore can be when written by strong musicians with a clear vision. Something you can circle pit too or simply sit back and enjoy Reflections of Ruin new CD is a promising record filled with the potential to transcend the genre.

What's important to note about Rebirth is that while it may be labeled metalcore this is mostly due to the breakdowns. If the group were to cut these out they would still be an excellent death metal band. However, that is not to say that the breakdowns are out of place, in fact they do add a lot of flavor to the music and give it a solid sense of metalcore grit. I particularly like the lead lines, they give the music a lot of flavor and help the listener swoop around the soundscape. With the crazy solos the songs become much more interesting and help to make Reflections of Ruin a more impressive band.

In conclusion, if you're looking for some solid metalcore with a host of death metal influences and soe really solid breakdowns then Reflections of Ruin is the band for you. A group who are not afraid to get heavy and who use a lot of cool melody lines I can see Reflections of Ruin rapidly leaving their Perth nest and touring the world. Rebirth is quite literally one of my favorite metalcore releases of the year as it proves that their is still a lot of interesting stuff to be done in the genre. If you want an album that will reassure you about the state of modern metal and simultaneously rip your head off then Reflections of Ruin is the band for you!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/ReflectRuin

Harlot-Saviour

Two Guys Metal Reviews metalcore favorites Harlot have a new song out titled 'Saviour'. A very solid piece of metalcore with some impressive death metal guitars Saviour does a nice job of fusing cleans with growls. Overall Harlots new single is a tightly polished track that shows the power that the band can have as well as their general songwriting skill. Clocking in at four and a half minutes this track should please many metalcore and melodic metal fans. I would like to say that while the breakdown is solid I would have much rather had some more of the crazy riffing that dominates the first part of the song. In short, Saviour shows a lot of potential and hopefully the band can take the most promising parts of the song (the death metal parts, the stellar mix of cleans and growls) and develop upon them further for their upcoming releases. Worth a couple of spins this is a track that could potentially help Harlot expand their audience and achieve their apparently manifest destiny of becoming metalcore lords.

Stream the single here!
https://soundcloud.com/harlotband2009/saviour-official-single