CD Review: Emissary: The Wretched Masquerade (Power Metal, 2022)

This band combines it's very strengths to bring on something like I've not heard in a longer time.

The cover already gives you food for thought about it's meaning.

The instruments of the US band feel like hey hold a talk to each other. It's all centered around the crunching riffs and the other musicians add, follow but sometimes also contrast to this. But it's far more than this. 

It all stems of a power and passion for music that cannot be heard on every Compact Disc. Just take "In Solitude". It goes far deeper than the usual release. It fires a bunch of feelings towards the listener with it's rawness and power of riffs on the one hand while the other spreads emotions through the vocals and the ever changing drums. 

It's great to hear the songs aren't set in long duration. They follow a compact route keeping the pressure and pureness intact. The album lives of it's ideas. Emissary often have a own way to write the material and that's what keeps me on the stereo. 

The stuctures on songs like "Ruler Of Defiance" follow a unusual pattern and are filled with little snippets (means melodies of the guitar) and textures (raw riffs) not to be heard otherwise. It feels like the band created something on their very own.

The sound is loud and clear. I recommend not to hear the songs on a high level. You'll be able to enjoy all the efforts the band put in more with less volume. This record lives of it's contrasts of heavy music and the fine melodic vocals and melodies on the guitar.

"The Wretched Masquerade" is a all killer no filler release so it's well worth the purchase.

Grab a copy on CD or cassette directly out of the bands hands and have a teaser with the player below.   

The band kindly still let's you download a second disc with old band demo's if you buy a CD copy.

Vinyl copies should be available at a later date.

CD Review: Amelia - Amelia EP (2015)

What happens when two women dedicated to music come together to express their musical abilities? I think the answer is a quite hard but also melodic direct sounding Rock / Hardcore experience like Amelia deliver with their first EP.

Short Introduction

With strikingly similar styles fueled by passionate musicianship, Jenn Elizabeth’s (vocals/guitar) and Tessa Breitbach’s (drums) collaboration forged the rock/hardcore band, Amelia. With their energetic sound just breaking the horizon, the band based out of Oregon, stands to become an inspirational staple to the current music scene.

In March 2015, the band ventured to Michigan to record their first EP “Ameila” with producer Josh Schroeder. 

Amelia’s focus is on creating more than just an aggressively unparalleled sound, but a distinct voice. Jenn articulates the theme illustrated throughout the album, “The EP is about individuality – never giving up on what you love – your true passion – despite any perceived obstacles. Simply, just being true to yourself.”

The cover of the first Amelia EP, (c) by Amelia, used with kind permission

Summary

The five tracks on the first EP feature a hard and edgy sound. It's kept hard, direct and live sounding. The tracks show a lot of variations in them. You'll need to make several rounds to get to all the details that are put inside the music. You'll feel the agression, the energy that these both women have layed down on tape. It's really crushing und pushing all the time.

Through all the heavyness you'll still be able to catch up a lot of fine melodies and lot's of precise rhythm patterns. At some points I've asked myself how they've put all of this together. It must have really taken a lot of time to get to this tight form. It's a modern sounding recording no question The vocals range from softer tonality up to a rougher range up to the darkest growling at some points. I love all of the rough energy you can feel when listening to Amelia. It's as if they've captured their rawest and purest of emotions upon the disc sharing it along with their points of view.

EP overview

The EP has a very diverse structure. The first two tracks are a more complex thing as they feature a lot of variation in them. They'll won't kick you on the first listen but will grow with every spin more you give to them. It goes over to a rather more easy style with "Let Them Fight For It". The climax is reached with "The Truth Is" which will throw you upside down with all it's rhythmic heavyness along with great sing along and hard guitar riffing. The last number "Before The End" throws it out the roughest and hardest just at the very end of the EP. 

Player / Purchase Link / Tourdates

The album is up for free listening on Soundcloud. If you would like to have a copy then you can get a download of the EP on itunes. You can also grab it from digital stores such as Amazon or Spotify.

There also the possibility to purchase a physical copy on CD for five Dollar plus shipping and handling at the band's online merch store. There are also beautiful shirts and EP bundles up so don't miss this chance.


Amelia will do some local shows in the upcoming time, here are the dates.

3/12 Hawthorne Theater Lounge, Portland, OR
3/18 Tony V's Garage Everett, WA 
3/18 Studio Seven Seattle, WA
3/22 Analog Cafe and Theater, Portland, OR
4/14 Black Forest Eugene, OR
5/13 The Night Light Oakland, CA 

Contact Data

Stay in tune with Amelia: facebook.com/ameliamusic | Ameliatheband/Twitter

Divides talk about being trapped in the past in new video

I've talked already in a previous post about the band Divides and their ability to bring on topics related things happening in our lifes and the ongoing changes in them through their music and videoclips. The newest output, the second single from the upcoming album "Brokentooth" is no exception from that.

This time they focussed on the danger of being trapped in the past by things that happend in those days of your life in the song "Echoes Fade". "The lyrics for this song were written in pieces since we moved down from Alaska," says bassist Joe Jackson. "Transitions anywhere can be hard, but the worst part is being away from the people you love. These lyrics in particular were really therapeutic for me to write, I'm reminded of that every time we play it. I wanted it to be less about the tragedy of absence and loss, and more so about not letting yourself get trapped in the past and the memories that hold you there. Having our friend Chris add vocals to the song really helped convey that message."

The expression of the face of Chris James, all the desperation and sadness makes it clear what the lyrics want to say. I also like the way the memories are shown in there with the use of the polaroid pictures hanging everywhere he goes. It's like the past that can follow you everywhere you go. Happily there's a way to get around that...



You can pre-order the album through itunes.

Also don't miss out the chance to catch the band live on the upcoming shows in the USA.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

Sat Jul 18th – The Viking Bar, Spokane, WA

Wed Jul 29th – The Analog Cafe, Portland, OR

Wed Aug 5th – The Charleston, Bremerton, WA

with The Quiet Cull

Thu Aug 6th – The Town, Tacoma, WA (21+)

with The Quiet Cull

Fri Aug 7th – Vans Warped Tour @ Portland Expo Center, Portland, OR

Sat Aug 8th – McCoy’s Tavern, Olympia, WA (21+)

with The Quiet Cull

Thu Aug 13th – The Ash Street, Portland, OR (21+)

with The Quiet Cull

Fri Aug 14th – The Fun House, Seattle, WA (21+)

with The Quiet Cull

(c) by Divides, used with kind permission

Make sure to stay in connection with the band on Facebook, Twitter or through the band's website.

Divides explores inner torment in "Drag The River" music Video

What I like so much about music and videos is that they can tell a story and sometimes have a effect on you that will give you redemption. In addition to that it fascinates me how creative bands work these days. They don't need much to express their message but when they do it's often something you can relate to.

These thoughts quickly came to my mind when I saw the video "Drag the river" from the band "Divides". Marie who performs the vocals has brought things up for thought when she describes the topic of the lyrics with her own words: "This song was really cathartic for me to write," says Marie. "As humans, we tend to make choices from time to time that are really fucking stupid. 'Drag The River' is about digging out those parts of yourself and casting them away."



It's a great expression of a topic I think we all already had to deal with. The cool thing is that the band uses such a few simple elements (shouting, screaming, cutting the hair and most of all the mirror) to express the message of the lyrics perfectly.

Musically the band jumps back and forth through various styles of heavyness and tonality, something which is quite hard to get by. But it makes the track even more intensive and interesting. I think it perfectly represents the inner twist the person is in. Music can express so much more than words ever could...

(c) by Divides, used with kind permission

The song is taken off the band's upcoming album (release date and title is still yet to be announced). Make sure to keep a eye upon the band's website, Facebook or Twitter accounts to stay up to date about all the further release activities.