Wristmeetrazor - Degeneration

 

Wristmeetrazor are an interesting band. They're remarkable unashamed of wearing their influences on their collective sleeve, but the execution on their work is really impressive and it makes for some truly compelling stuff. The vision behind their new album Degeneration is potent to say the least. The band has managed to augment their brand of metalcore into something all the more impressive, intensely personal, driving and addictive. This is metalcore done right, elegantly fusing influences both old and new into something greater than the sum of its parts. 

The thing that really resonates with me throughout listening to this record is just how good the songwriting is. Wristmeetrazor spent a long time recording this album and it feels like this release sees the band pushing their sound to bold new heights with all sorts of intricate layers on the production and refreshing execution on the guitars. The band has found a sound that is massive, distinctive and wonderfully exciting. Their ability to blend in touches of nu metal with the overarching vision is especially tastefully done on this record. The depth of the performances is refreshing and it makes me curious to indulge in the bands back catalog. 

Degeneration is exactly the step that Wristmeetrazor needed to take to reach the next level of their music careers. Between the surprisingly massive pop hooks to the driving metal guitars and multitiered production Wristmeetrazor consistently find ways to craft something refreshing and exciting. They have a unique and potent vision that has had this record on repeat for me all morning. I'm curious to see it continue to evolve and I'm certain the live execution will be thrilling. Grab a copy of this rager before it drops end of March! 

Pre-order the album here: 

https://wristmeetrazor.bandcamp.com/album/degeneration

Naga Siren - Sea of Myself

Naga Siren are an incredible blend of pop and hardcore, but done in such a compelling, inspirational and interesting way that it's clear to me that this band is tapped into something else. Sea Of Myself features ten incredibly well written songs full of gorgeous pop hooks, hard hitting guitars and combinations of ideas done in ways that feel remarkably fresh. This makes for a record that you're going to want to listen too again and again. Sea Of Myself is a goddamn blast, and perfect listening for a freezing cold Saturday in New York City.

Even if Naga Siren are definitely pulling from the example of pop meets hardcore forebears like Four Years Strong, the band has found a way to make the combination of styles wholly their own. Their is an infectious bounciness of these songs that makes for some of the most addictive listening I've had all year. Naga Siren are wholly self aware of their stylistic blending and the vision that they present here is far too much fun. Aiding that of course is the top tier execution, every take here was clearly agonized over and the result is a record that is just delightfully punchy. 

Sea Of Myself is a really fun listen and one that you're not going to forget anytime soon. These songs are more than just A Day To Remember worshiping metalcore (Although there is certainly an element of that.) What Naga Siren do so well is making hardcore that is unafraid to be in love with pop music and they do it in a way that still feels resolutely punk rock. They are a one of a kind, incredibly emotional force in the underground  and a group I could see continuing to charm listeners for years and years to come.

 Pre-order the album soon!

https://nagasirenband.bandcamp.com/

Earthshatter - 1135

Metalcore is interesting to me because there's essentially two different types of music that refer to themselves as metalcore. On the one hand you have the pop inspired work of bands like Asking Alexandria or A Day To Remember. On the other hand you have skronkier and more abrasive bands who are much more focused on the blend of hardcore and metal. I'm talking about bands like Every Time I Die or Varials. Yet from what I understand - no one has ever attempted to fuse these style of metalcore - until Earthshatter.

Earthshatter do a great job of fusing the new wave of hardcore of bands like Knocked Loose or Varials with the more straight ahead poppy metalcore of some of their musical ancestors. The end result is a surprisingly fun EP that shows a breadth of musical knowledge and has replayability. The way the band flawlessly moves from almost blackened hardcore into potent pop punk vocals on a track like "W.T.M" makes the band almost seem like a parody of themselves, but that's whats makes the music so goddamn compelling. Who else can counterbalance crushing breakdowns like these with moments worth of Killswitch Engage?

So yes - this is a band who have found a way to balance the vile and most devilish moments of the genre with some of its most lighthearted and portray a clear passion for both. There are moments you can two-step too and there are moments where the band is clearly more focused on making you crack skulls. This is all made possible through top notch production and a weird adulation for everything from Earth Crisis to Fall Out Boy (Seriously, listen to the track "Spit") It's a unique sound and one I can't get enough of.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/earthshatter416/

Lifecurse - The Wolf You Feed Part 1: Ulsiga

I don't cover a lot of metalcore on this site. Every once in a while though a friend slides something onto my desk that is worth me spending the time with. Such is the case with The Wolf You Feed Part 1: Ulsiga, the latest from Lifecurse. This is a potent metalcore record, full of At The Gates worship and top tier songwriting. There is a very high level of execution throughout this record and it makes for compelling listening. The down and dirty madness that Lifecurse bring to the table is interesting, especially when paired with how finely polished the album is.

I think what gets me about this record is the sheer intensity that they bring to the table. The opening track The Wolf You Feed is an energetic metalcore banger. The breakdown hits hard and early and speaks to the strength of the bands riffs. I love the hyper melodic guitar lines laying on top of everything and nicely enhancing the overall atmosphere here. All in all - if you are a fan of heavy music in any form there is quite a bit to enjoy in the punchy rhythms and angular guitar attack of The Wolf You Feed Part 1: Ulsiga. It may be a bit tropey, but those tropes are there for a reason and Lifecurse have the chops to pull it off.

At the end of the day - I don't think I realized I like metalcore this much. But I do. It's been a long time since I've dug into any bands in the genre, and it's kind of cool to hear a record that is good enough that it makes me want to dig back in. I think a lot of young metalheads of my generation wrote metalcore off in foolish youthful anger. Here now I realize that I was wrong to do so. THis is one of the most impressively executed records I have heard in a good long while with powerfullyrics and fun riffs. What's not to love?

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

Let It Rot - The End Of Humanity

It's hard not to be enamored with metalcore coming out of the midwest right now. There are a ton of really solid bands many of whom are extremely disciplined and clearly pushing for something more. The latest band from this vibrant scene to come across my desk is Let It Rot, whose most recent offering, The End Of Humanity is a tight little EP that shows these guys have a ton of potential and if they can harness it right, proves they can become titans in their scene. The Michigan metalcore scene is rising, and this is just part of the wave.

While overall I really appreciate a lot of the ideas deployed by Let It Rot here I feel like certain elements on The End Of Humanity are lacking in execution. On the one hand they have moments like the intro to King Of Worms which is truly heavy and almost Suicide Silence-esque. It transitions into potent growls undercutting soaring cleans. It's great. Yet on the same record there are tracks that feel like they are underproduced or simply not given the love that they really deserved in the first place. Not all of the performances are where they need to be, which is frustrating because there are clearly some very good ideas at hand here.

Point being - there are some moments of brilliance here in a record that is very much an early effort from a band trying to come to terms with their own potential. I really like a lot of the ideas being put together here and watching them get polished over the next couple of years is going to be a real treat. The End Of Humanity is a fun listen, especially if you have been following metalcore for the last decade or so. The band clearly know what they are doing and have a very definite sound, know they just need to hone it.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/Rotten517/

Darkest Hour - Godless Prophets and Migrant Flora

At this point in time, it is fair and safe to count Darkest Hour amongst the few acts to have survived the Metalcore era from which their mainstream success took root. As the band enters its 22nd year with this ninth full length-record, one can already measure in the factors that have set them apart from their lesser peers, not the least of which is their audacity to expand and experiment on their heavy melodic death metal formula. The last few efforts by Darkest Hour saw a progressive shift in the bands’ sound, from the often overlooked The Human Romance leading up to their Self Titled album, which saw the band edging towards Alternative Metal territory with angsty, clean sung metal core hooks and a sharp, digital production (courtesy of Sumerian Records). While competent and admirable in its delivery, fans and critics alike were beginning to grow concerned about the bands’ sound falling into a generic register. With Godless Prophets and Migrant Flora, the Washington-based quintet seem to have picked up these concerns.

As the record jumpstarts into the thrashy opener that is “Knife in the Safe Room”, we quickly come to understand that the band aimed for a different approach for this record. Godless Prophets and Migrant Flora is a heavy record, and a pretty intense one at that, the bursts of rapid-fire drumming and string-skipping-based riffs of the opener serving as a decent representation of a good deal of the record. The band returns to their old-school roots on this record, setting their modern metalcore leanings aside, in favor of a rawer, Swedish Melodic Death Metal sound.The most notable difference on this record may very well be John Henry’s vocals, undoubtedly the most distinguishable feature of Darkest Hour’s sound. Ditching the clean vocals, Henry’s ferocious saturated vocals reach a new level of intensity, adding to the album’s overall merciless sound. Another highlight feature for this ninth record is the lead guitar work, which also makes a triumphant return on this record, with flamboyant solo licks that seem to stem straight from a Megadeth or Metallica record. Wilder and flashier than on the previous record, the guitarists go full-on Kirk Hammett on the Wah pedal, providing for exceptional solos on tracks like “Another Headless Ruler of the Used” and “The Last of the Monuments”. 

Beyond the brilliant return to roots, the album does however score lower than its predecessors in terms of pacing and diversity. The album pummels you with track after track of feral thrashing for a solid half of its runtime, leaving little in the areas of breathing space and dynamic range. This comes as a particularly regretful realisation as the last few records which the band seems to shy away from were particularly well paced and diverse. The album does end up providing some variation towards its second half with an instrumental interlude and epic, slower tracks like “In the Name of Us All” and “Enter Oblivion being stuck at the end of the album.

Overall, despite its flaws, Godless Prophets and Migrant Flora is a incredibly effective album, one that will undoubtedly reclaim Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation-era fans. While this ninth record may alienate newfound fans of the band, it does admittedly feel great to hear the band return to their roots at the height of their form. While some may call Godless Prophets and Migrant Flora a “return to form” for Darkest Hour, one must be weary of such accolades, as it undermines the brilliant consistency of the bands’ musical output. 

Robin Ono

Darkest Hour

https://www.facebook.com/DarkestHourDudes/

Adept - Sleepless

If you read this blog regularly you know I rarely cover metalcore - but sometimes I like to get out of the box, so fuck it - here goes. A metalcore review, because I trust Napalm Records. Sleepless is actually a step beyond anything I have heard from the metalcore scene, in a way it's a concept album, and though yes it does have the occasional post-hardcore cliche Sleepless proves that Adept are masters of their craft. With a powerful spoken word intro triumphant orchestrations and stunning melodies Sleepless is an absolute motherfucker of an album. 

One of the things that impresses me about Sleepless is how soundscape-y it is. These songs aren't just metalcore songs, they take the listener on a journey, and while yeah - you occasionally do have a breakdown or two and even the occasional djenty moment as a whole Adept feel a lot more like a really good pop punk band who use growls. Of course - that's not all, again, the way that this record is put together is truly unique with parts flowing gently into each other, caressing your ears and then stunning you with an impressive angular melody. Toss in a few moments that seem to be there purely to add bombast and you start to understand what makes Sleepless so fascinating to me.

That's what I love about this blog - that every once in a while I stumble across something I never would have touched on otherwise and it leaves me agog. Adept are able to take a lot of traditional metalcore ideas but then infuse it with something that is truly their own, strangely technical and compositionally on point. Perfectly organized, tightly structured and full of the sort of mourning that comes from the albums essential question, "Do I really deserve happiness?" and by the end you realize - maybe you do.

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/adeptofficial/

At the Harbour - "GASLIT"

When a debut album/EP comes across my desk I always get tickled.  Listening to a group of people who craft several instruments into a piece of art that grows and spreads across the world like a virus is just amazing.  I want to be this bands ground zero for a whole new population of die hard fans.  I bring to the masses the debut EP "GASLIT" by At the Harbour.  

This six piece from Reading Pennsylvania brings intensity to a scene saturated by skinny jeans and windbreakers that just shatters the pattern of similar sounds coming from the hardcore and pop punk genres.  This EP comes in like a fight song to build up to the mayhem.  Built like a house, this band has a strong foundation of hardcore husk but with a modern twist that captivates the listener.  Harmony is very important when it comes to this EP and most listeners would expect this to be mostly screams but coming in at exactly the right time the other vocalist comes in to seal the deal on your new favorite band.  The vocal duo in this band work together perfectly to bring the emotions of each lyric to life.  Also, you're not getting a "cat in the hat" band that uses basic vocabulary and rhyming schemes.  These are real thoughts and experiences creating each line.

The music drives the pace of this album and reminds me of the reason why I chose to play this kind of music myself.  You are getting empowering build ups and destructive breakdowns but still have the option to take the lighter road to get deep with your audience.  "GASLIT" shows the bands ability to play on both sides of the fence while writing for themselves.  They aren't trying to be progressive just to show off and they keep their music catchy and memorable.  Placement is just as important as quality and At the Harbour demonstrates great songwriting techniques throughout the entire EP.  If you haven't caught the virus yet then this must not be your cup of tea, but if you enjoy the variety in bands such as Silverstein, A Day to Remember and blessthefall then welcome to the outbreak. 

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

I Hate Heroes - IF LIFE WERE A BOOK, I'D SKIP THIS CHAPTER

Being in a band is a struggle just plain and simple.  You need to be dedicated and push through every ceiling that tries to hold you back and restrain you from success.  I Hate Heroes from Reading PA has smashed through every obstacle that has been put in their way and their new EP "IF LIFE WERE A BOOK, I'D SKIP THIS CHAPTER" is the newest installment for a young band pushing their way to the top.

The first few seconds of an album is very important to let your audience know what they are in for when they continue to listen.  When track one hits your ears you get exactly what this band is about.  Catchy melodic singing with a perfect balance of screams knitted into a fusion of metal core and pop punk.  Their instruments are like well calibrated machines that keep the listener interested but don't over power the singing or draw too much attention from the song as a whole.  As a musician this is one of the hardest thins to achieve and this band keeps doing it over an over again without skipping a beat.  Your getting progressive leads, heavy pit worthy  breakdowns, memorable hooks, crushing screams and even an acoustic song, all in one EP.  This is what this generation of punk pop music was meant to become.

There are so many bands saturating the market with a similar sound so what makes this band stand out?  They have a unique mix of two genres that really just spreads across the whole plain from metal core to pop music.  You can't help but enjoy yourself.  They lyrics cover a variety of topics that relate to everyone in there constant struggle to preserver and be there own hero.  This band lives by what they preach and never lets the world bring them down.  Take a stance, know your self worth and to hell with those who can't accept it.

 With this EP your getting the sounds similar to bands such as Bring me the Horizon, A Day to Remember and Four Year Strong.  One thing I can't stress enough is how this is a band that really just works.  Theres not a time in the album I thought to myself someone in this band didn't put their all into this music.  Fresh off the Vans Warped Tour I Hate Heroes is hungrier than ever and with music like the EP "IF LIFE WERE A BOOK, I'D SKIP THIS CHAPTER" they will only gain more momentum and climb even higher.

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

Counting Days - Liberated Sounds

Now this is my favorite part of the job.  Listening to a band that is hands down better than what the main stream kings are selling.  "Liberated Sounds" by Counting Days is a mind blowing reminder of what bands you don't know of yet have to offer.  Before I get too deep into the songs I also want to point out the value of having a physically appealing album cover or merch design and I know someone will say "looks are deceiving" or I'm "superficial" but why do you think bands pay for professional artwork?  Because they are professional. It's a representation of what you are and the first thing someone sees on your merchandise.  It's your brand and this band has bad ass written all over it.  

"Liberated Sounds" starts off with a straight dropkick to the face and no apologies.  This is the sound bands in the hardcore scene wish they could write but lack the ability to think of the song as a whole.  These songs are groovy and heavy with a sound similar to bands like It Dies Today and Chimaira.  This has the elements expected of a hardcore band with that thrash edge combined with a metal background ever present in these songs.  As I listen to the album more and more I find that I'm involuntarily playing air guitar while head banging in my kitchen with people just staring at me.  There is some slower parts in the song which show off a more relaxing side of the band also.  I personally love when bands take it down a notch and get fresh with the audience.  These bands members are no strangers to success and the road, which shows in this well executed medley of hardcore music with metal and punk influence.   

There is a common idea that all metalcore/hardcore music sounds exactly the same and I can see where that stems from but it doesn't change the fact that there are bands out there that are doing it right and make a name for themselves and break away from the pack to become a force of nature.  Counting Days is a quintet of mayhem that has put in the work and it really shows.  Don't get me wrong you aren't getting something groundbreaking but your getting the cream of the scene when it comes to "Liberated Sounds."  There are people that imitate and people that are real songs writers, and for me this band delivered one hell of an album.  If you like tons of screaming with gut punching guitar riffs, dirty breakdowns and catchy melodies than you need to look no further than my friends from the U.K.

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

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

While She Sleeps - Brainwashed

Following the release of their first two studio efforts, While She Sleeps had taken the world by storm, earning themselves great praise and a tremendous amount of exposure from critics and metal fans alike, and with good cause. Within a genre plagued by tedious gimmicks and saturated with copycat bands, here we had a 5 piece metalcore act from Sheffield showcasing a good deal of potential and personality by delivering a powerful, straightforward dose of pissed off metallic hardcore. After a 3 year recording break, here we are with the bands' sophomore release Brainwashed.

For those familiar with the bands' previous album, the While She Sleeps have visibly decided to stick to the same formula with Brainwashed. All of the trademark elements you had come to hear from This is the Six are back; from the groovy, metallic hardcore heavy riffs, Lawrence Taylors' roaring pitched screams, the gang vocals, up to the occasional piano sections sparkled here and there throughout the album. From this perspective you'll find that there are no surprises to be found, but for a band at such an early stage of their recording career however, there is no reason for this to be considered a bad thing. What's left to be explored now is how the songs on the album hold up.
I will start out by saying that with this release the sound seems to have gone through a more polished production, which does unfortunately take away some of the bands' raw intensity. Though I am clearly not saying that this album lacks heaviness or intensity (far from it), I will admit that the production does take away a bit from the bands' singularity.
As to the songs on this album, it was to my great regret to find most of the songs to be lacking in terms of structure and pacing. A good deal of the songs seem to move on from one section to the next without as much semblance of coherence aimed towards a specific intention than stringing together a bunch of otherwise great riffs.  The songs don't seem to build up much tension nor do they have enough diversity to make them discernable from one another. While I will give the band some credit for trying to break away from conventional song structures, the songs on here do not hold up and their ideas don't seem properly exploited.
The gang vocals on this release, while not new to the bands' formula, are a lot more prominent this time around, upping the anthemic side of the bands' sound a few notches, notably with tracks like Our Legacy, No sides, no enemies. However, these gang vocals are used so prominently on the album that they not only water down their impact but work against their own goal, much like a power metal bands' over-the-top emphasis on "epicness" can kill the epic side of its music. This issue with the overused gang vocals, coupled with the bands' lyrics do make for quite a cheesy feel for the album.

While there isn't anything inherently wrong with any of the ideas on here, Brainwashed does present itself to me as an album full of great ideas that could have been arranged and put to better use. While She Sleeps have proven their worth as a talented group of musicians as well as an outstanding live act, and this album does hold some moments to vouch for that, notably on Four Walls, Our Legacy as well as with the outstanding, tasteful lead guitar work played out throughout the album. Ultimately though, this album ends up for the most part sounding like an album by a lesser Darkest Hour. Nevertheless, I do urge you to keep your eye on this band and catch this band on tour if you get a chance.

Robin

While She Sleeps

Official Website
http://whileshesleeps.com/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/whileshesleeps?ref=ts&fref=ts

Upcoming show: Dir en Grey - "The Unstoppable Life" tour 2015 - May 26th in Paris

On tour promoting their latest effort ARCHE released back in december, Dir en Grey will be making a stop at Le Bataclan in Paris on May 26th.
Throughout the course of their career spanning over nearly 2 decades, the band has become known for their highly unorthodox and unique brand of metal music, constantly breathing new life into their formula by pushing their sound forwards into unknown territory with every single full-length release (thanks to an ever expanding range of influences ranging from Nu-metal, Metalcore, Progressive Metal and Post-metal amongst others).
Thanks to the bands' leanings towards constant experimentation and innovation, Dir en Grey have not only earned their place as one of Japans' biggest names in rock and modern metal with consistently sold-out tours and hundreds of thousands of records sold, but they have also been getting high praise from metal fans and critics worldwide.
Having shared the stage with bands such Deftones, Korn, Killswitch Engage, Dagoba and Linkin Park amongst others, Dir en Grey have taken the rock and metal world by storm with their relentlessly heavy and chaotic riffs and bittersweet melodies led by charismatic frontman Kyo's extremely ecclectic and unique vocal performances.
With their ninth and latest full-length release ARCHE, the 5-piece from Osaka have yet again reinstated their singularity in todays' metal scene with an album combining elements from both their older and newer material without ever breaking the band's sense of progression.
Armed with a stellar repertoire and a reputation for ferocious live performances, Dir en Grey are sure to put up a show you're not going to want to miss out on!

Robin

Further infos at:

http://direngrey.co.jp

https://www.facebook.com/direngreyofficial

https://twitter.com/direngrey_jp

You can get your tickets through these links

Fnac : http://bit.ly/1yKKdmJ
Digitick : http://bit.ly/1FhgDxc
Ticketmaster : http://bit.ly/1v4eb9U

VIP Pass + Tickets : http://direngrey.seetickets.com/
Ticketless VIP Pass  : http://bit.ly/1MEZa3X

"The Unstoppable Life" tour dates:
17.05.15 - (BLR) Minsk - Re-Pubilc
18.05.15 - (PL) Warsaw - Pogresja
20.05.15 - (DE) Berlin - Astra
21.05.15 - (DE) Dortmund - FZW
23.05.15 - (UK) London - O2 Academy Islington
24.05.15 - (UK) London - O2 Academy Islington
26.05.15 - (FR) Paris - Le Bataclan
27.05.15 - (NL) Eindhoven - De Effenaar
29.05.15 – (DE) Nürburg - Grüne Hölle Festival
31.05.15 – (DE) Munich - Rockavaria Festival

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/