Evening's Fable - Chapter Two: Harmonium Review

     You may remember a while back when I reviewed Evening's Fable's first EP Chapter 1: Auroras Of Autumn. I liked that EP a lot, but I also thought that it's four songs sounded pretty similar, keeping to a specific lyrical theme and sound, especially on the two songs introduced on the EP, Childhood Ghost and With The Season. With The Season almost sounded like a slow version of Childhood Ghost. I pointed out that even a unique sound can get old if the musicians are unable to experiment and expand their horizons. I'm going into this review hoping that Evening's Fable were able to do that with Harmonium.
     The album opens with Heart In Hand, which sounds like an opening track, with the Diary Of Jane style piano buildup. And yet, it also sounds like the beginning of a sequel, which is what this is supposed to be. Referencing lyrics from Auroras Of Autumn (which they do multiple times throughout the EP) helps reiterate that this is part of the same story, and the rest of the lyrics sound like part of this story as well. However, musically it's very different from anything on Auroras Of Autumn, with the piano buildup, and music that is slower, yet heavier than almost anything on Auroras Of Autumn (excluding Childhood Ghost).
     Oration, on the other hand, begins immediately with vocals, then builds up to an immediate chorus, which references the aforementioned Childhood Ghost. The piano riff is eerie, but mesmerizing, and vocalist David Chamberlin is very convincing as a murderous villain as he sings "I'm your childhood ghost, now I'll slit all your throats and drag you to hell where you belong".
     These dark themes continue into the song Disillusion, which contains the amazing line "We're not the same dear, my body's grown to embrace this fear", a line which I wish I had written. The great lyrics and dark themes continue throughout the song, which sounds like a classic rock take on an Evening's Fable song. The addition of guitar worked well for this song, however I hope it doesn't become a regular thing. It added to this song though, and mixed well with the keyboard.
     The song Ties may just be my favorite Evening's Fable song. It's a beautifully dark, deeply visceral song that brings David's vocals and keyboard directly to the forefront, setting the dark mood and screaming with rage. The spoken word part towards the end fits perfectly in this song, as David closes the song, screaming "And if I could have one last wish, I wish that I never had exist!", followed by a slow part with chimes that fit surprisingly in this deeply dark song.
     If the theme of Ties was self-hatred, than the theme of Fulfilling A Promise is hatred towards someone else. Eleven seconds in, when the vocals start, the first thing screamed out of David Chamberlin's mouth is "Now! I'm gonna put you in the fucking ground!". He goes on to scream "You're so dead!" among other things. You can feel the anger he's directing at whoever he's singing to. Musically, this song is interesting. It starts out just re-using the riff from By The Conductor's Wishes, but then at about the 1:32 mark, the song completely shifts gears to a slower tempo, before changing back at the end with only fifteen seconds left in the song. Yet another way this EP connects it's songs to Auroras Of Autumn.
     The EP closes with Jukai, named for a Buddhist initiation ritual, which starts with a sinister sounding piano riff, before turning into one of Evening's Fable's slowest songs, and also one of their most professional. All the instruments, keyboard, bass, and drums work very well together in this song, and David's vocals sound very clean and powerful. The song closes with the keyboards getting slower and slower before stopping. This is a perfect example of a long song that keeps my interest the entire time. It's very multi-leveled, and I can see fans at live shows singing along with David when he sings "I'm giving you open arms to treat the world I tore apart, I can't stand up, I spilled my own guts this time". This song, unlike With The Season, doesn't feel like it leaves anything open. It feels like an ending, like a conclusion. A grand finale to a grand story.
     I said in my last review that Evening's Fable would need to be able to expand their horizons so that people wouldn't grow tired of their unique sound, and they delivered in a big way. These songs not only sound different from the songs on Auroras Of Autumn, they sound different from each other, which is very important for a musician to have if they don't want to seem like just a band with a gimmick. I liked the guitar on Disillusion, but like I said, I hope it doesn't become a regular thing. Part of what makes Evening's Fable such a unique band is the fact that their songs have a bare-bones sound with keyboard, bass, and drums, and yet still manage to be fast and heavy. I can't compare them to anyone, because they don't sound like anyone. Having no guitar is part of this sound, and while adding guitar to a few songs could be another way for them to experiment with different sounds, I also feel that they shouldn't make it part of the band, or if they do, at least keep it in the background like they did on some of the other songs. All in all, I believe Harmonium is far better than Auroras Of Autumn, not because Auroras Of Autumn was bad (believe me, it was far from it), but because Harmonium is so damn good! Bottom line, go download this EP. It's great music, and it's free, and it doesn't take up much memory, so you really have no excuse not to (unless of course, you don't like the music, but if that were the case, why are you here?). Congratulations to Evening's Fable on making a fantastic EP. They can now add "sophomore slump" to their "list of music mistakes we didn't make".

Evening's Fable - Chapter One: Auroras Of Autumn review

I haven't done a review in a while, but I felt the need to talk about this one. I recently started going to local shows, after seeing Rookie Of The Year, with All Gone Grey as an opener. One of the first local bands I heard was a very new band called Evening's Fable. Now, Evening's Fable has done something very unique. They are a three-piece rock band with only a bassist, a drummer, and vocalist/keyboardist. No guitar whatsoever. Now, if done properly this could sound really good. On the other hand, if done wrong, it could be impossible to listen to.  I was pleased with the live show they put on and enjoyed their demo CD. However, those were two short songs that only scratched the surface. The first thing I noticed about their EP, is that besides having updated versions of By The Conductor's Wishes and The Capture, It had two songs, both over five minutes, one nearly six minutes. Now I enjoy a long song, but only if it can stay interesting for the entire length of the song. Could Evening's Fable do that? I was about to find out. This is my review of Chapter One: Auroras Of Autumn by Evening's Fable.

Track one is an updated version of the song By The Conductor's Wishes. What I enjoyed about this song, was that it told a great story in less than three minutes, and was musically, unlike almost anything I'd ever heard. It's not common to have a rock song these days with no guitar whatsoever, but Evening's Fable did just that, and they did it well. On this version, the drums sounded a lot better, as did David's voice. And I think the piano outro was improved in this version. Overall, a great way to be introduced to Evening's Fable.
Track two is another updated version of a demo song, this time, it's The Capture. While I always liked By The Conductor's Wishes better than this song, this is still very good. It sounds more like a normal rock song than By The Conductor's Wishes, which sounds more like a song written to introduce people to the style of Evening's Fable. While the lyrics are more simple than the previous song, it's still a good story, and as with By The Conductor's Wishes, this version sounds better than the demo.
Track three, and the first 5 minute Evening's Fable song, is called Childhood Ghost. This is a very dark song, and a very well written one. And while the keyboard sometimes sounds just a little too much like that of By The Conductor's Wishes, it still manages to be a very original and thought provoking song. I was very pleased with the fact that it didn't get boring and kept my interest until the very end. This song proves that Evening's Fable are not one-trick ponies, and that they can write a song that is long, but still interesting.
Track four, and the final song on the EP is called With The Season. This is possibly my favorite song on the EP (although it could just as easily be By The Conductor's Wishes), as it showcases the style of Evening's Fable, coupled with some of the best lyrics on the EP. The song itself isn't as long as Childhood Ghost, but it features an ambient outro that brings it to nearly six minutes. However, like Childhood Ghost, this song does not get boring, and while some of the ambient ending seemed like it could've been cut out, it could be a perfect transition to Chapter Two, which comes out later this year. This is also the most diverse song on the album, starting off slow, then gradually speeding up until it slows down for the ending. It's one of those things that feels like a conclusion, but also seems like there's more of a story to tell, leaving the door open for a sequel. However, it is a very good conclusion to a great first EP.
Best part of this EP: Evening's Fable introduced their style to their audience, while still making great music in the process. My concern, however, is that all the songs have a similar sound. This is not a bad thing, as it is a very unique sound. However, I hope in the future, they write songs that sound very different from the songs on this EP. Even with a unique sound, it will get old if they are unable to experiment as musicians. I believe they can, as they have already proven they can make good song, both short and long, and still make them interesting. If they can do this, I believe Evening's Fable have a bright future ahead of them.
That wraps up today's review. I'm not sure what I'll review next, but I know I will review Chapter Two once it is released later this year.

Why CSI: NY's cancellation is the greatest tragedy in television history...

This is my first review of television and one of my first reviews of anything other than music, but this had to be said. You might be asking, what makes CSI: NY any different from the other two CSI shows? Well, for one thing, the characters are much more interesting. In the final lineup, you have a strict former marine as the head of the crime lab, who's wife died as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a former FBI agent born and raised in Alabama, who was kicked out of the FBI because a colleague lost the DNA evidence in the rape case of a senator's daughter, A detective who has screwed up royally before, but has proven himself to be worthy of his position time and time again, a detective from Montana who's childhood friends were killed while she hid in the bathroom, and who is married to another detective and has a daughter with him, an ME turned detective who graduated college at 18 and was a surgeon soon after, an ME who always has a strange story to tell, a detective who is often sarcastic, but very by the book, and a lab tech who is very modern, and sometimes screws up, but is the best at what he does. Previous characters have included New York native, Aiden Burn, and detective of Greek descent, Stella Bonasera. Also, the plots are often darker than other CSI shows (i.e. Blink, Yahrzeit, Rest In Peace, Marina Garito), and generally more deep and thought provoking, often questioning the viewer's belief of whether it is okay to break the rules if it means saving someone's life. The cast is great, including stars Gary Sinise, Sela Ward, Hill Harper, Carmine Giovinazzo, Anna Belknap, Eddie Cahill, Robert Joy, A.J. Buckley, and former cast members, Melina Kanakaredes, and Vanessa Ferlito. The series has also had a number of high profile guest stars including Edward Furlong, D.B. Sweeney, Maroon 5, Kid Rock, Skeet Ulrich, Peter Fonda, Pete Wentz, Criss Angel, and Ed Asner, who received an Emmy nomination for his performance on the season 5 episode Yahrzeit. Cancelling this show is not only a tragedy, it is also a bad idea, because every time they've tried to replace this show, the show has either gotten cancelled or has gotten terrible ratings. For example, A Gifted Man, cancelled after one season. Made In Jersey, cancelled after 2 episodes. Golden Boy, cancelled after one season. The point is, any efforts to replace this show have been met with disappointment, so it could be a while before they find anything decent to replace this show. Possibly the saddest part is that it was cancelled three episodes before the 200th episode, which would have been the third episode of the tenth season of the show. If you are like me, and this was your favorite show on TV, I would recommend The Following on Fox, Hannibal on NBC, or Bates Motel on A&E.

R.I.P. CSI: NY. Maybe someday we can find your killer and bring him or her to justice.

Fall Out Boy - Save Rock And Roll review

Ever since 2009 when Fall Out Boy went on hiatus there had been rumors of a reunion. Those rumors weren't confirmed until just this year when they announced a new album and tour, and released a new single entitled My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up). On April 16th their new album Save Rock And Roll was released, and having pre ordered it I should've reviewed it sooner. So here is my overdue review of Save Rock And Roll by Fall Out Boy.
The First Track is called The Phoenix. It begins with strings and Patrick Stumps singing. They really were going for an epic beginning with this song, and they succeed. The lyrics are great, and the music is epic, but could be played in a dance club. And it would be the best song played in a dance club in 2013.
Track two and the lead single is titled My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up). Now when I reviewed this song the first time, I didn't give it a good review. However, unlike Up In The Air, 30 Seconds To Mars's new single, this song has grown on me. The song is fine musically, and the lyrics are pretty good. I guess it's just the title I don't like.
Track three is called Alone Together it seems to be about staying young forever, which is almost sad because unless you're speaking metaphorically, it's an impossible to achieve goal. The music is fun and depressing at the same time. It really makes you feel the song emotionally.
Track four is called Where Did The Party Go, and if there's one thing you can say about Fall Out Boy, it's that they never make the same song twice. The last song was about staying young forever, the one before that about skeletons in the closet, this one a party anthem about growing up and changing. The music is definitely to dance to, but the lyrics are sort of sad. Still fun if you don't think about the lyrical content and chances are, people dancing to this in clubs won't.
Track five is called Just One Yesterday. Again the lyrics are sad, about someone you want to get back together with, but at the same time you want to get back at. With backup throughout and a verse from
Foxes, a singer who I've never heard of. You can hear the emotion in the lyrics and in the music.
Track six is called The Mighty Fall. There are two songs on this album with guest writers Butch Walker and John Hill and once you hear them, it's clear which one they are. Two of the more pop ones and with more emphasis on beat and bass. However whereas My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark had a rapper in the video, this one actually had a guest verse from rapper Big Sean, and it is very clear he wrote his own verse, as some of the lyrics are incredibly stupid. However it's not enough to ruin an otherwise great song.
Track seven is called Miss Missing You. This song is sad, with lyrics like "The person that you'd take a bullet for is behind the trigger". Musically it's fun, which is sort of unfitting considering the lyrical content. If you can understand lyric content and cry easily, this song will have you in tears.
Track eight is called Death Valley, and despite it's name it's a lot of fun. The lyrics are fun to sing along to, and the song rocks, but is fun to dance to. There's even a dubstep part in the bridge, proving once again that Fall Out Boy can take normally shitty things that only work in movie trailers and make them awesome.
If the dubstep kills this song for you, I feel sorry for you.
Track nine is called Young Volcanoes and I would love to hear this song live. It sounds like one of those that the entire audience sings along to while the band struggles to be heard over the audience. The lyrics are fun and the music is enough to make even a mean old man break out and dance until he breaks a hip (well, not Dick Cheney).
Track ten is called Rat a Tat. Now, if you can get past the "It's Courtney, bitch!" it's actually a really fun song. It's almost like a sequel to Alone Together. There are many similar lyrical themes, except with Courtney Love. The music is fast and energetic. While I'm no fan of Courtney Love, this song is energetic and fun and Courtney Love's singing verse is just okay.
The eleventh and final track is the title track Save Rock And Roll. You know it's going to be good when they sample Chicago Is So Two Years Ago. Most of the first verse is slow and emotional, except when Patrick goes "So fuck you, you can go cry me an ocean". With lyrics like "You are what you love, not who loves you" and "Oh No, we won't go, cause we don't know when to quit" plus guest vocals from Elton John, this is destined to become a Fall Out Boy classic. Elton John doesn't have that big a part, so you wonder how they got him to do this. Regardless, I'm glad he did. This song really makes the album, and it should.
Overall, Fall Out Boy proved they still rock with their return. Even if they don't save rock and roll, they've saved their fans from a life of waiting for them to get back together, and they've got a great album to show for it. I give this album an 8 out of 10.

Deep Purple - Now What?! review

There was a time when Deep Purple was the biggest band in the world. A time when they would be forced to play two shows in the same venue and sell out twice. While throughout lineup change after lineup change their popularity has waned in the United States, they maintain a significant fan base in many European countries and in Japan. There had been speculation about a new Deep Purple album for a while but no confirmed reports until the band themselves confirmed they they would be recording a new album with producer Bob Ezrin. This is the band's first album with Ezrin, after the departure of their last producer Mike Bradford. And now in 2013 they have released their 19th album Now What?! making it their first since 2005's Rapture Of The Deep. So, do Deep Purple still have what it takes to make a great album? Time to find out.
The first track is called A Simple Song, and despite it's name, it is anything but simple. It starts if slow, but with lyrics like "Time, it does not matter, but time is all we have, to think about", it really makes you think about the meaning. Then it switches to a heavy rock sound with guitar from Steve Morse, and keyboard from Don Airey. Ian Gillan has one of the best voices of any 67 year old I've heard (as is demonstrated on many other tracks). A great way to start the album.
Track two is called Weirdistan (did Stephen Colbert write that title?), and it sort of reminds me of Tomorrow Never Knows by The Beatles. Strange lyrics and similar key, just heavier. Were the lyrics supposed to be senseless like Black Knight, or is there some hidden meaning I'm not seeing? I believe the keyboard was sped up like on at least one Beatles song. The parts where Ian Gillan sings over a track of his vocals are more obvious on this song and less harmonious (with himself).
Track three is called Out Of Hand, and it starts out sort of creepy and ambient, but then strings, and then rock. Gillan sings about a "dirty business". This can be interpreted multiple ways, but I would say he's talking about crime, and the "you" he's singing about just wanted to get in, but things have gotten "out of hand". I could be way off though. Many of Steve Morse's solos are smoother on this album and less quick note switching. This one is a bit of both.
Track four and one of the two lead singles is Hell To Pay, and this song sounds like it's about a badass rebel, from a simpler time, which makes me think he just spit on a sidewalk or two. But the song is fun, and Morse has a pretty cool solo. And remember what I said about Ian Gillan having a great voice for being 67? Well this is a perfect demonstration of that. There's also a keyboard part with Don Airey that they cut out of the radio version. They probably argue that it's unnecessary, but fans aren't listening to hear a quarter of the song cut out of the song.
Track five is called Body Line, and it's a song about a girl, but it's proof that a song about a girl doesn't have to be crap. It's got a cool riff, a solo from Morse, and it gets the point across without having to have a stupid dance beat or autotune. Hear that R&B singers? A 67 year old sings better without autotune than you do with it. Of course that's why they don't get radio play anymore.
Track six is called Above And Beyond. This is a tribute song to Jon Lord, their former keyboardist, who passed away last year. I love this song. It's a tribute to their former bandmate and friend, but it's not depressing. Plus it's got a lot of keyboard, which makes sense, because it's a tribute to a keyboardist/organist. The lyrics are great "I may be leaving, but I won't be gone/I'll be there when you want me, above and beyond". A great tribute to Jon Lord.
Track seven is called Blood From A Stone. It starts out like a slow blues song, with Roger Glover's bass in the background, but the chorus is heavier and a lot more like Deep Purple. I interpret it as being about having everything taken from you by someone you cared about. The lyrics are great, while sort of sad, but it's a very bluesy rock song, and it's a good one.
Track eight is called Uncommon Man. Bob Ezrin had said he wanted to capture the greatness of a Deep Purple live show, and that is displayed in this seven minute song which starts out with a Deep Purple-esque intro with slow guitar from Morse, before Paice's drums and Airey's keyboard transition it into a heavy song that would be twice as good as it already is if played live. The lyrics are pretty good, but this song was really made to be played live.
Track nine is called Apres Vous. This sounds like a song they were writing during Bananas or Rapture Of The Deep, but couldn't finish. Of course it would've been one of the better songs on those albums. It's good, but I feel like it's almost out of place on this album.
Track ten, and the other lead single is called All The Time In The World. This is the Deep Purple song that just about any Purple fan can sing, as Ian Gillan gives his voice a rest on this song. It's very different, but not different from anything they've done before, and not so different that Purple fans won't enjoy it.
Track Eleven and the final track on the album is called Vincent Price. This is their attempt at a horror song and they did a great job. It's creepy, has an eerie riff, and the song is about Vincent Price coming back from the dead. "It feels so good to be afraid/Vincent Price is back again". The vocals sound like something off of The Battle Rages On, and it's a great way to end the album.
Overall this is an album fans of Purpendicular will love, but if you were expecting Machine Head 2, you're setting yourself up for disappointment, and if you're one of those who can only like Deep Purple if Ritchie Blackmore is in the band, then I have no sympathy for you. This is a great album that true Purple fans will like. I personally give it an 8 out of 10. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to listen to Dead By Sunrise. If you didn't like this review, go find Smoke On The Water on YouTube.

Skillet - Sick Of It review

So, in the years that I've been writing on this blog, I've never done a Skillet review. I am a Skillet fan, and am excited as hell that they are finally back, with their new album Rise, which will be released in June. They've already released the lead single Sick Of It, so here is my review of that very single.
The song starts out a little electronic, but quickly turns into a heavy rock song, asking on question; Are you sick of it? This song really was meant to have a video attached, and the lyric video makes the song even more moving, with pictures from fans with written signs telling what they're sick of. The song itself is like an anthem for the video, with the angsty lyrics, and a chorus that intertwines with the photos of fans. A perfect lead single for an album called Rise, and possibly their best single since Comatose. I wasn't a huge fan of Awake, so this was really fun for me. Don't get me wrong, Awake had it's moments, but it paled in comparison to Comatose and Collide. I'm hoping the res of Rise will be as good as this song, which I'm giving an 8 out of 10. Next week I will review Save Rock And Roll by Fall Out Boy.

30 Seconds To Mars Up In the Air Review

Well it's been a while since I've done a review, but this had to be done. I loved A Beautiful Lie (The album and the song), I'm not that familiar with This Is War, and even less familiar with their self titled debut. I do know that 30 Seconds To Mars are a rock band that made at least one great album. They recently announced the release of their album Love Lust Faith + Dreams by sending their single Up In The Air into space. I liked that because I live near the space station, and not a bad title for a song or band name for a song being sent into space. However upon hearing the single I was confused. I understand a band experimenting, for example, when Linkin Park first released their song The Catalyst, many complained it sounded too electronic. And it was different for LP, but it did sound like a Linkin Park song. I don't mind a band experimenting as long as it still sounds like a song they'd make. This, however, does not sound like a 30 Seconds To Mars song. I mean yes, you have Jared Leto on vocals, but besides his voice there, it sounds like repetitive Julien-K at best, and something that belongs on pop radio at worst. Now, I don't hate electronic music, I love Daft Punk, I just hate 30 Seconds To Mars sounding like intense Daft Punk! Hopefully, they'll remember who their fans are, and experiment without ruining the band in the process. 30 Seconds To Mars, I still believe in you.