exist†trace Album Review: TRUE

If you thought this band was good before then you haven't seen anything yet. Now that they've made the move to a major record label the girls of exist†trace seem determined to surpass everyone's expectations and prove that they should have been here a long, long time ago.

These metal maidens are back and stronger then ever before.

Opening the album with the title track TRUE was a wise decision and immediately shows you what this band is all about. Everyone is in top form and Omi's guitar riff paired with Jyou's opening vocals certainly surpassed my expectations and that's hardly the best part of the song. Familiar to any exist†trace fan is the sound of Naoto's bass at the midpoint of the song combined with Mally's drumming helps build the song to a climax just before a surprising but blistering double-guitar solo courtesy of Omi and Miko sends the song even higher on the scale.

Every part of this song is on fire as Jyou sings passionately about moving past betrayal and fear. Certainly a well taught lesson in being TRUE to yourself.

Only Miko and Omi can offer up a double-guitar solo of such epic proportions!



Next up is HONNOU (which translates to "instinct") and this song follows the blistering pace that TRUE began. Jyou's playful invitation of "shall we dance?" sets up Omi's raging lead guitar. The furious solo following Jyou's eerie laughter would rightly scare any man who dared to think of these women as pushovers. Instantly catchy and with a sound that will have you dancing and headbanging all day long, its a surprise when the song starts to fade out instead of just ending at a climax or a final note the way the other four songs do. Any fan in their right mind will be wishing this song could go on longer.

Mally's drums and Naoto's bass make one killer combination!

While TRUE and HONNOU were written by Miko who does most of exist†trace's songs, the next song on the album Tokoyami No Yoake belongs solely to the lead guitarist Omi. The melody is an obvious shift from the past two songs as the opening guitar leads into softer vocals by Jyou fused with the slinking bass from Naoto and the light drums of Mally. Smooth, strong, and everything exist†trace represents perfectly describes this song. While some metal vocalists my struggle a bit when it come to slower songs that is no problem for Jyou and her voice shines beautifully in this dark melody.

Left to right: Miko (guitar), Mally (drums), Jyou (vocalist), Naoto (bass), Omi (lead guitar).



KISS IN THE DARK is the riskiest track on the TRUE album as it differs from anything exist†trace has written or performed so far. The up and down pace of the song has kind of a jazz feel to it at first or maybe that of a song from the 70's or 80's. Playful and upbeat is a big switch from the almost haunting tone of Tokoyami no Yoake, but give this song a chance and you'll see it as the amazing song it really is. Every band needs to change things up stylistically and the girls do this perfectly in this song by creating a melody that is different, but hard to forget.

Closing the album is Jiyuu no Sora, Chijou no Uta which is also written by Omi. While the album opened with a bang it closes on a softer note giving a greater sense of finality. This is not the end of an era, but the beginning of a new one and the steady melody conveys the feeling that exist†trace is merely taking a breath as they prepare the next round of songs to amaze and dazzle their adoring fans.

Jyou and Naoto help show fans what this band is all about.

TRUE is a mix of both old and new styles and any fan of rock or metal would be doing themselves a huge disservice if they did not pick up this album. It is currently available online from JapanFiles.com.

Metal Madness: Screaming Girls, Electric Cellos, and Plenty of Black Leather

Metal. Its a genre of music that has propelled teenagers to all new levels of obsession and reduced rational parents into mystified, head shaking adults who cannot fathom why their children would listen to such "noise". Now I'll admit there are plenty of adults who love metal or heavy metal as well, but for the most part metal isn't as widely accepted as some might like it to be.

However, the bands Apocalyptica, Black Veil Brides, and Exist Trace (more commonly stylized as exist†trace) are all changing people's perceptions of what metal music is and how good it can really be. Whether is through the cello, a visual look that would put KISS to shame, or by being the only all female screamo group around these three groups have reached amazing success through creative songs, looks, and let's not forget amazing talent.

exist†trace is showing the men what metal is really about

exist†trace is an all female Visual Kei band straight from Tokyo, Japan. Exist Trace's music can best be described as melodic death metal, which  isn't something you hear every day and Jyou's growls and shouts rival that of any man's. Just look at their song Judea if you need proof.

Being a Visual Kei band their stylish and individual looks go hand in hand with their music and both are starting to turn heads the world over as one of Japan's first all female Visual Kei rock bands. This genre of music is generally reserved for the guys, but they had better step aside as these women are out to conquer. Singles such as Resonance and the teaser for their new song True show that there is plenty of talent to go around in this group. A heavy focus is put on the bass and drumming in their songs and this helps define their musical style and growing popularity inside and outside of Japan.

The girls have been together since 2003 and recently made their U.S. debut when they played at Sakura-Con 2011 in Seattle, Washington. On June 15, 2011 they will release their EP True.




Cello rock or cello metal? Either way this band is worth listening to


Originally getting their start as a Metallica tribute or cover band, Apocalpytica has certainly come a long way since those days when some postulated that they would quickly fade off the scene due to the fact that they only released cover songs.

While they formed way back in 1993, with a different lineup, it wasn't until the year 2000 that Apocalpytica released their third studio album Cult which contained 10 original songs as well as 3 covers. The first track featuring vocals was released in 2002 and their forth studio album featuring all original songs was released in 2003.

Their success really started to take off, however, with the release of their self titled album Apocalpytica in 2005 featuring unique electric cello songs unlike anything else to date. The album featured only one song with vocals. Undeniably a heavy rock if not metal album the studio release has found much success was followed by their sixth studio release World's Collide in 2007 and most recently 7th Symphony released late 2010. It features eight instrumental tracks and also four tracks with guest vocals. This latest track as well as their soundtrack for the video game MAG: S.V.E.R has shown a definite turn from rock to metal and helped to solidify Apocalyptica's place in the rock annals.

They've played nearly 1000 live shows and this is one of the biggest reasons as to why they are so successful. As a person who has seen them live I can honestly say that they have to be seen and heard at a live concert for you to get the best glimpse of just how talented these men are. Metal could not have better poster child then Apocalpytica and here's hoping that they will infuse even more metal overtures or undertones into their future songs as they seem determined to do.



Fan loyalty has driven Black Veil Brides straight to the top of the charts


Next up are the Black Veil Brides. If there is one thing to be said about these guys its that they may very well have the most loyal fans in the world. Young people in countries everywhere around the globe are flocking to hear a band that has not only brought back true rock and roll, but also the looks and stage presence that is so lacking at shows and in bands today. Never ones to do anything half way, the Black Veil Brides are set to release their first major label album not even a year after their first official album entitled We Stitch These Wounds.

Deep vocals and heavy screams accompanied by a heavy focus on Jake Pitt's unparalleled guitar solo's make their songs stand out from all other rock and metal albums out today. One full song from their latest album Set The World on Fire is already out and two more teasers have been released as well. While its hard to define them exactly, they have a clear metal sound to them to go with their glam rock looks. They've got talent in spades and determination that never stops.

They made it through a devastating earthquake in Japan, and unprecedented tornado outbreak in the south eastern U.S., and several disappointments when their song Set The World On Fire didn't make it into the movie Scream 4 and their single Fallen Angels could not be released on the originally planned date. A few setbacks and changing drummers aren't going to stop these guys though and they've already completed filming for the second single off their next album before the album or the first single has even been released.

Don't call them cocky unless you want an army of fans coming down on your heads. Then again go ahead because these guys have more than enough talent to back up their boasting. Namely that they will be bigger than KISS and that they are finally bringing real rock and roll back to the masses.

Some people think of meaningless screaming and noise when they thing of metal music. Those that know better think of a girl group that has helped pave the way for other female rock groups in Japan, a group of cello players who can play a classical instrument the way no one else could every dream of doing, and five young men conquering the world through their powerful lyrics and music.

Metal is here to stay and I for one say that it has never before looked as good as this.

New Releases of the Year Part 2

This is a year of some big releases in the music world and this is a follow up to the last post.

While 2011 may be a year of comebacks and music releases it has also been one marked by drama. Case in point being Paramore who lost two of its members.


We are (still) a band!

While Hayley Williams, Jeremy Davis, and Taylor York handled the matter with calm and kind professionalism, brothers Josh and Zac took a less savory route and slammed their former band with numerous accusations. The remaining three members addressed and confirmed some of these issues in an interview with MTV.

Paramore fans, however, were not swayed and have loudly proclaimed that they (still) love their band. Now that the tour is over the band is back in the studio working on their next album and will be recording a batch of songs this summer. The next full length album is set to be released later this year or in 2012 and fans of Paramore will be there every step of the way to support their band.

Another band marked by the loss of a few band members is Evanescence.



Never listen to rumors.


Amy Lee is the only original member still with the band and there has been a total of 10 musicians so far since the group released its first album Fallen in 2003. Rumors of Amy Lee being an "iron fisted" diva started to swirl after the messy departure of Ben Moody in 2003 followed by drummer Rocky Gray and guitarist John LeComp in 2007.

After The Open Door which was released in 2006 and sold 5 million albums the problems started again as Amy Lee reported in Spin Magazine. She had done a lot of writing without the band while producer Steve Lillywhite had them working on some experimental songs with more of an electro lean to them. The sessions were stopped, but music will find a way. Amy Lee and the new members moved in together and started re-working her songs and also creating some new material as well. Now functioning as a real band things started to come together and now Evanescence is back in the studio this April and is looking to release their new album sometime this year.

A band with less drama but certainly not less talent is the Black Veil Brides.

Rock and roll is back to Set The World on Fire!


After releasing their first independent album We Stitch These Wounds on July 20th 2010 the glam rock band has skyrocketed in popularity due entirely to their devoted fans the BVB Army. Now well into the AP Tour they have, or have almost, completed their next album entitled Set The World on Fire. The title track for this album was chosen by popular demand to be in the movie Scream 4 which is now in theatres. However, the first single off this album Fallen Angels will be released soon with the full length CD coming out in this summer on June 14th.

This is a great year for old pros and new faces. Whether you like pop, rock, or metal. English, Korean, or Japanese the language of music is universal and this year is shaping up to be one for the record books.

The New Face of Rock and Roll: Black Veil Brides

They have legions of fans who call themselves the BVB Army. They have raging guitars that will leave your jaws on the floor and drum beats that will rattle your windows. They have song lyrics that will lift you up and have you singing along at the top of your voice.

And they have looks and hair that put Kiss themselves to shame.

The Black Veil Brides are the true face of rock and roll.

But are they really the next Motley Crue? The next Kiss even? No.

They're even better.

That's what singer Andy Six is aiming for as part of the band Black Veil Brides. As he said in an interview with Billboard they are a "larger-than-life image" and no one will deny that this theatrical presentation is sure to capture attention. In fact it already has.

Their album We Stitch These Wounds debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at #36 overall followed by a #10 spot on the Rock Albums chart, #1 for Independent Albums, and finally #3 for Hard Rock Albums on August 7, 2010.

The first single off their debut album We Stitch These Wounds is called Perfect Weapon and is a follow up to their song Knives and Pens which was written earlier and with a different band lineup.

After some changes though, the Black Veil Brides were ready to take the world by storm and what a storm it has been!


Suit up in your leather and war paint boys and girls. BVB is here to ROCK!

Metal, metal core, glam, goth, rock it doesn't matter what you call them or what genre you want to place them in. Black Veil Brides is more concerned with the music and the powerful message of acceptance and standing up for yourself that you gain from it.

If they've spent months honing their look then they've spent years perfecting their music. The deep vocals of Andy Six followed by his screaming passion is something that must be heard to believe.

The legions of people that turn out to their concerts didn't just show up overnight though and its thanks to the major investments in live shows, social networking, and autograph sessions that they have become so hugely popular in a rather short period of time. Before and/or after each concert they take the time to hang out and talk with their fans. Taking pictures, giving out hugs, signing autographs and more is just part of the territory for this band and they love every minute of it.

While their drummer, Sandra Alvarenga, may have left and joined the band Modern Day Escape that isn't going to slow down the Black Veil Brides any. At the moment their girl Sandra is playing like the Goddess of Rock that she is for MDE and gearing up for a new album. Meanwhile, the guys of BVB have a new drummer by the name of Christian Coma or just "CC" and a new album in the works for themselves as well. 



Line up left to right: Jinxx, Christian "CC" Coma, Andy Six, Jake Pitts, Ashley Purdy

 
A vision, a mission, and song lyrics that will stay stuck in your head for days. This band has put a lot of thought into their image and music and its certainly paying off. After touring around the USA they made their way to Europe and then even to Japan before a massive 9.0 earthquake put an unfortunate halt to their plans.

But even that couldn't stop them from playing their hearts out for the 40 or so brave souls who came out that very night to see them perform in Tokyo, Japan. Bass player Ashley Purdy even had an interview with the Huffington Post about the experience which you can read right here.


The very night of the Japan earthquake BVB is still ready to play!

Whether they are meeting with fans, putting on an unforgettable concert, doing interviews or just playing a couple songs like Heaven's Calling, We Stitch These Wounds, or Perfect Weapon they are always available to their fans that that is a key ingredient to their booming popularity among both male and female teenagers and young adults.

Raging, roaring metal songs or a softer ballad like The Mortician's Daughter there is bound to be a song by the Black Veil Brides that you will enjoy.

Andy Six in the studio

With plenty more tour dates to come this year and a new album this summer there is plenty to keep fans excited and hungering for more of their favorite glam band. Their fans are truly an army set on propelling their guys straight to the top of the charts and to rock and roll infamy.

So download their songs off itunes or buy the album from Hot Topic because these guys are going to be around for a long time to come and you're going to want to be there for every pulse pounding second of it.

Concert Experience: Apocalyptica Live at the House of Blues Orlando

Sore feet, ringing ears, and 4 1/2 hours later. It was March 5, 2011 when I left the House of Blues at Downtown Disney in Orlando, Florida feeling as if I had just experienced the best night of my life. Looking back now it's entirely possible I did.


Apocalyptica is here to rock and roll!

I'm talking of course about the concert I went to. Last year when they put their concert dates up it didn't take long for me to grab myself some tickets to their show locally. It was scheduled for November and would be my first concert ever.

Unfortunately it and many other tour dates here in the United States had to be rescheduled due to Perttu falling ill.


Perttu is back!

Thankfully I opted not to go for the refund, since there was no telling when they would be able to get back and tour again in the United States and it was a decision I'll never regret.

We got there to the venue with plenty of time to spare and I made sure to buy a hat and t-shirt at the gift shop in order to qualify for the Pass the Line option offered at some House of Blues concerts.

It still meant more standing around as the doors opened at 8pm instead of 7:30pm as stated on the tickets and website. It wasn't bad though. All one had to think about was the awesome show that was to come.

Rather then stand on the floor and risk not seeing a thing due to some tall patron who would assuredly stand in front of me, I opted for a place at the top of the stairs. Doing so ensured me one of the best views in the house and put me a foot or two about everybody else. Of course unless your a shorter person there is really no "bad" spot to stand at the House of Blues Orlando. Wherever you go or stand it's practically impossible to miss the stage and the railing is a great place to lean up against if you aren't fast enough to grab one of the few (very few) seats dotting the area.



A perfect sheen to accompany a perfect sound

Opening up for Apocalyptica was a band by the name of Stained Angel who had great music and great energy to get the crowd going. I even heard a couple people singing along. The real show, however, was reserved for the four guys we had been waiting months to see.

Apocalyptica.

They opened with a bang and the roar of the crowd nearly drowned out music coming from the massive speakers and amps. Eicca greeted the crowd and asked who had bought their latest album 7th Symphony. A good number of people screamed loudly to show that they had indeed purchased it.

Eicca then proceeded to chastise everyone who hadn't which made everyone laugh. By the way I'm pleased to say I bought mine the day it came out.
Turns out Paavo was the one sick this time around with a cold, but that certainly didn't stop him from rocking harder than anyone else. Aside from Eicca and his epic cello headbanging that is.

They played pretty much all of their songs from the current 7th Symphony album with a few surprises thrown in such as a Master of Puppets a Metallica cover, I'm Not Jesus, and Hall of the Mountain King as their closing song. Tipe Johnson did all the singing and can honestly say that his voice was even better than I had initially expected. His voice was the perfect accompaniment to the amazing cello playing and hard drum beats.

Mikko can drum but he can also... strum the cello?

My favorite moment of the entire night came when Mikko disappeared off stage and then came back holding a cello of his own. Rather than sitting off to the side he joined in and played the song Beautiful with the rest of the band and the crowd stayed quiet until they finished, after which they roared with pleasure and me right along with them.

The cello playing was perfect. The singing by Tipe Johnson was wonderful. We had the privilege of seeing Mikko play the drums and the cello. Eicca started headbanging like it was his last day on earth.

You could even get drinks from the bar and food from the counter if you started getting hungry during the performance. Thankfully despite the copious amounts of beer floating by me in plastic cups and as people walked from the floor to the bar, I never had my toes stepped on or my shirt ruined by a cup tipped to far my way.

Really what more do you need from a concert?

Hall of the Mountain King was the closing song and after a long roar of approval from the crowd Mikko threw his drumsticks to the crowd and all the guys bowed before exiting stage left.

Unfortunately I couldn't stick around to wait for the guys to come back out and maybe take a few pictures with their fans, but that can always happen the next time their in town right?

So if Apocalyptica comes to your city, town, village, or hovel then you must see them live. Failing to do so is practically a criminal offense.

Artist Spotlight: Sandra Alvarenga

Black Veil Brides and Modern Day Escape. Two bands and two sets of fans brought together by the presence of one incomparable drummer.

Sandra Alvarenga.



Sandra is showing the world what real rock and roll is all about

Most people know her as the former drummer for the band Black Veil Brides, but now she has joined forces with Modern Day Escape and is continuing her domination over the rock world.

It's not exactly common to see a female drummer, but that fact hasn't stopped Sandra from playing harder than any guy could ever dream of doing as you can see in this video here.

People can laugh and joke all they want, but don't let her gender or smaller size fool you any. Once Sandra steps up on stage and sits down behind the drums... you had better watch your step. This girl's got mad skills and she's only getting better from here.


Sandra with her boys and brothers as part of the Black Veil Brides


While fans of BVB (Black Veil Brides) are surely sad to see her leave the band, this is hardly the end of her story. In fact this lady's tale is just starting to heat up. With a new album in the works and a cover song of Perfection by MDE (Modern Day Escape) to tantalize fans in the meantime, there is plenty going on to keep her occupied.



Modern Day Escape is preparing for a new album

Another part of Sandra's fame, aside from her beast-like drumming skills, are fans that are positively wild about her. So much so that some are starting to say they've come down with "Sandra Fever".

Whether they're watching her at a concert, sending her photos of themselves in her t-shirts, or asking her for a picture or autograph, one thing is for sure... Sandra Alvarenga sure has herself some loyal fans and they aren't going anywhere. They've made drawings, fan videos, and more in an attempt to reach their favorite musician. Sandra herself has posted "I have the most amazing fans in the world" as her Twitter bio.

Have you seen this girl anywhere?

Truly she has earned her reputation not only as a beast on the drums as her journey with the Black Veil Brides proved, but more recently as the Goddess of Rock. Listen to a song like Heaven's Calling or Perfect Weapon and you'll hear her raging beats pounding along in the background. If Sandra can roar like this during a warm up then you can imagine what she is like live.

While I've never had the pleasure of doing so there are many who have been to see her live at a concert and here's hoping that I will one day be able to do the same.

Two worlds brought together by one person and her legion of loyal fans. We're behind you all the way Sandra Alvarenga and we can't wait to hear the new Modern Day Escape Album and see what else you have in store for us.

If you would like a little piece of history in the making all to yourself, then you can order your Sandra's Back! t-shirt from District Lines right here.