Sketchars

New The Ghost Inside Music Video

2012-09-14T21:50:00.001-07:00

As already mentioned The Amity Affliction is on tour and have released a new album. Well so has The Ghost Inside and they will also tour on the same tour with The Amity Affliction, "The Chasing Ghosts Tour". Tickets are already ot for this Australian tour and most already sold out. The Ghost Inside's new album is called "Get What You Give".

New The Amity Affliction Music Video

2012-09-14T21:45:00.002-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, just serious in real life issues to deal with, but I have still been looking through music. For this announcement is a band called "The Amity Affliction" which are an Australian band which will soon be touring in the end of September to October. They now have released their new album "Chasing Ghosts" which is being well received from the current fan base. Though I am yet to have a listen of the new album.

Phinehas: Thegodmachine

2012-09-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

Phinehas is a newer band on the scene in America. The band is considered as a "Christian Metal Band" which in all is nice to see more of, considering they tend to have some meaningful lyrics and tend to be to my tastes.

One of the most noticeable feature of this band is that they do have some metalcore influences, though not too similar to other bands, which is what I like as their style sounds in between newer bands and older bands, mainly from the style of guitar with breakdowns and solos like I'd hear from Children Of Bodom, but still have riffs like I'd hear from August Burns Red. Which I find a really nice blend giving the band a more unique sound.

With such writing the band has a nice level of technical writing but still has a nice level of feel to the writing. The song "The Wishing Well" is an especially interesting song as it helps let the the album mellow a bit with a nice clean intro and quite nice clean guitar work which is nice to see in a metal band.

One of my favourite songs on the album is "Grace Disguise by Darkness", it just has so much feeling to it, it just gives shivers, the screams have so much emotion around the 4 minute mark of the 5 minute and 38 second song. The guitar work is also fantastic in this song, the tone being quite well done for this song for and for the album it self. This would be a song I would certainly want to learn, it just has such a nice flow of heavy and technique writing, but then flows into a nice chill and meaningful break. Something I am not too used to seeing, so this is appreciated.

The album it self is well composed and well mixed with tones I am quite fond of.. The singers screams are alright for the style they are playing, not really heavy screams and not too much difference between screams, but they are broken up with decent cleans which give the songs nice variation. All in all this album is a nice listen which I have already given 48 play throughs, and will continue to,

Phinehas - Thegodmachine 7.3/10

Memphis May Fire - Challenger Album Review

2012-07-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

Challenger is Memphis May Fire's newest release in 2012. And to start this review I will say, this is quite a decent album. Challenger was released on the 26th of June with their record label they are still with, Rise Records.The album was also well received and did very well with sales.

With interviews about the album and just listening to the lyrics of the songs, a lot of them discuss issues the singer has faced. Which involves binge drinking (Vices), a prostitute (Jezabel), and record companies (Prove Me Right).

The album is lighter than the previous albums in my opinion, in terms of the heaviness of the songs. And there seems to be more cleans than screams, though with the meaning of the songs, the message comes across really well with emotion. Of course his clean vocals have improved and also the addition of Kellin Quin and Danny Worshop on the album was a nice touch on the songs.

The songs are some what simplistic by how they are written, the guitars aren't the most technically but of course more melodic to compliment the cleans that singer are doing, so a lot of chords are done. Though when screams are done the guitars do pull a good riff to go along with it, with some difficulty to the writing of it. Though never too out of line with the previous riff and chords.

A thing I want to comment on is the song Mile Away, a song about the singer's wife. This is a great song and nicely breaks the album as this song is really mellow but full of emotion, also starring Kellin Quin just complimented the song greatly. The song has really light guitar work, nothing like the rest of the songs in the best way I have already put it, mellow.

The whole album is genuinely quite well done, the mixing is great so the singers cleans sound great and the tone of the guitars don't ruin the feel of the emotion that is given in the songs. Drumming is also decent with some complex beats. I have already given this whole album literally around 80 play throughs and I still enjoy it. So over a great album and a must listen to.

Memphis May Fire - Challenger 8.5/10

New Music Video and Album From Miss May I

2012-06-15T02:47:00.000-07:00

Miss May I have released their new album "At Heart" on the 12th of June, along with a new music video "Hey Mister". Though as much as I support Miss May I, I haven't heard the new album as I have ordered it and I am waiting to relieve it in the mail.

Though I am liking the new sound, though of course fans are arguing it sounds nothing like "Apologies are for the weak", though this still has the Miss May I sound I like and thew band has improved quite a bit.

Though of course a review should be done for this album, though of course till I receive it.

New For The Fallen Dreams Album Song

2012-06-15T02:37:00.001-07:00

For The Fallen Dreams are releasing a new album and have recently shown one of their new songs called "Hollow" from the new album "Wasted Youth".

Though produced by the same man as from their last album, the sound is quite different, though I am not sure if it sounds better, oddly it seems the production is a bit worse than their previous album, though not sure till the whole album is released.

Make Them Suffer and Resist The Thought Releases

2012-05-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

Okay just short news, Make Them Suffer's first album will be released on the 25th of this month and should be available world wide. This also goes for Resist The Thought's new album as well being released at the same time, also available worldwide. These bands have also organised shows for their release, of course I will most likely do a review of Make Them Suffer's new album at their live show.

Resist The Thought - Extermination Music Video

2012-04-11T23:02:00.000-07:00

Australian Sydney band "Resist The Thought" have released a new music video "Extermination" for their upcoming album "Sovereignty" beng released on the 18th of May. This album was recorded after thier tour with "All Shall Perish", which they got the lead singer of "Eddie" to do guest vocals of one of the tracks.

Resist The Thought - Extermination

I The Mighty - Karma Never Sleeps (Review)

2012-04-10T13:43:00.001-07:00

The new and first release from "I The Mighty" which are also newly signed to Invogue Records, "Karma Never Sleeps".

This is a nice change of albums to see from these newer record labels, as they seem to attract the more usual metalcore that doesn't have to much variation. Though "I The Mighty" is a good catch and a nice refreshment on the usual new bands I have been seeing.

"I The Mighty" aren't, and probably not even considered "metalcore" or any form of "core", just a nice alternative band with some light screams here and there.

First of all the most capturing aspect of this release is the lyrics. The lyrics are just so in depth and relateable in some aspect it acts as a good form of reflection, something I don't think you get to say to often anymore with music. As heard in "The Dreamer", a song about a person that to shy to admit his love and so rather dream about it, not releasing that the one he loves, feels the same, but as he just leaves himself in his dreams, he is missing out on what can be. The lyrics are just captivating, and the other songs feature that sort of lyrics which are reflections of how people are. Kind of gives you an idea about how people are.

The writing of these songs come well along with the consideration of the lyrics. The style is quite melodic with quite a bit of use of clean guitar and smooth chord progression. Though the songs do reach a sort of "heavy" point, nothing like a breakdown or anything but, just how the chords are used with a touch of blemishes or so.

The songs aren't too technical, though not simple as they are obviously quite well written and not just a few chords with cleans over it. Drums are nice and keep a great beat to the songs, completely suiting the style. What I quite like seeing is how the bass is being used in this band, it is defined from the gutiar and sometimes independent of the guitar, really make it, it's own instrument, which is nice to see rather than the usual just do the root notes of the gutiar's part.

Overall it is a great album and a nice refreshment to the usual that has been coming up lately. Maybe some bands can create such lyrics as well. Cleans are great, smooth and great to sing along, instruments are well defined and mixed well, a well done album in quality and structure.

I The Mighty - Karma Never Sleeps 8.2/10

Tracklist:
1. The Dreamer
2. Dancing On A Tightrope
3. Cutting Room Floor
4. The Frame III: Sirocco
5. These Streets Are Alive
6. Escalators

Note how you literally cannot see the dislike bar. (if you got on the youtube page).

Make Them Suffer Releases First Video

2012-04-07T19:12:00.002-07:00

Prior to Make Them Suffer being signed to Roadrunner Records, the band had made a teaser trailer for their new and first music video "Neverbloom". Though now the new music video is released, and to say it is pretty up there with quality. The mixing is better in my opinion, having a larger take on the guitar rather than the keys like in their EP, which I am really glad for since I felt that though it was good, I didn't really like how I would really only notice the guitaars till the breakdown, but now, they got it right in my opinion.

Also with their new album they have also gotten a new keyboardist that now can do vocals, though the album is said to only have very little of her singing involved, though I believe it works well with the style though, but some already displayed their dislike towards the female keyboardist's vocals.

The breakdown is hectic and the drums and guitar have great tone, a real step up and working well for them, with their new album being released on the 25 of May.

A new gutiarist, and keyboardist seemed to turn out well for the band.

Neverbloom:

Make Them Suffer, Signed and New Music Video

2012-03-16T04:01:00.000-07:00

Recently Australia's Blackened Deathcore band Make Them Suffer have been signed to Roadrunner Records and now finished recording of the new album Neverbloom with Roland Lim. Make Them Suffer is becoming highly inticipated in their local scene for their release and their last live show before their release of the album coming out on the 2nd of April (2012). Once the albun is released, a review of the album will be posted.

Developments Of Sketchars.com

2012-02-17T09:57:00.000-08:00

Sketchars,com has actually done better than I'd hoped, the site gains quite a respectable amount of traffic. Though with recent developments such as the other soon to be released website which is done on a different platform, I've ran ideas of producing a sort of Sketchars v2.0, though the name will be changed to something more related to the content of this music. The point getting at here is that this site might reach it's end, I can just leave it here and let the traffic that comes to it be, though the site won't really be updated, and with the work I am doing now on another site, it isn't being updated to frequently either.

The new version will be a re-amped metalcore/deathcore music site like this (thus Sketchars.com v2.0), so this site would clash with it, and running two of the same sites would seem a bit odd, though I am not completely sure of dropping Sketchars.com, also leaving the problem of what to do with the domain I still have registered.

Though I will keep the site running for another 2-5 months that's for sure, since a new site would take some time and effort to put together, though I will see how things will develop. To all the people that view this simple music blog, thanks.

Crossfaith - The Dream The Space

2012-02-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

Crossfaith is a Japanese metalcore, which actually has released 2 albums and 1 EP. The Dream The Space being their second full album release, being their "American" release, also including a cover of "Omen" by Prodigy.

The album consists of 11 tracks all being in English (though I am not sure if their previous work was in Japanese). The Tracks Being.

1. Technologia
2. Chaos Attractor
3. Stars Faded In Slow Motion
4. Promise
5. The Dream The Space
6. Snake Code
7. Demise And Kiss
8. Panorama
9. Crystal Echoes Back To Our Tragedy
10. Nostalgia
11. Omen (Prodigy Cover)

The band features the use of standards sort of metalcore writing style, though they also include some techno which is actually done by one of the band members and not just a track being played in the background, which is nice to see.

Though the songs a nicely written, they are not to technical and not to melodic either, mixing of the songs sounds pretty good, but nothing too great. Vocals in the album are pretty monotone, they do not change to much, either slightly more stressed, or slightly lower, though I can't really make out the words to well.

Guitar tone is pretty crunch, sounds to be done with a direct input and ran through a few plugins for that tone, though not to bad, though nothing to fancy. Drumming in this album is quite good and keeps are good beat.

Though it is a nice attempt by Crossfaith, there isn't to much to look at with the album, the songs sound to similar, and the guitar tones don't help, though with the skills they have now, they could apply later to better affect. Though we will have to see on their decision.

Crossfaith - The Dream The Space 5.5/10

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Capture The Crown - You Call That A Knife? This Is A Knife!

2012-01-18T00:55:00.000-08:00

Another small and unrecognised band whom I believe deserve some recognition.

Capture The Crown is a Sydney metalcore band which I had the pleasure of speaking too. The band is full of well meaning guys trying to become noticed in their scene. Their recently released a music video for their new single "You Call That A Knife? This Is A Knife!", though currently have not released EP nor album yet.

Though I am excited for any new releases to come from them, as they have already given a small show of their new song to be released featuring guest vocals.

To Like Them : http://www.facebook.com/capturethecrown

Miss May I - New Album Being Recorded

2012-01-13T00:48:00.000-08:00

Miss May I have recently announced that recording for their 3rd full album is being done at the "Machine Shop", claiming to be their most "dynamic metal" album they have made yet. As Miss May I being a favourite, the release will be high anticipated by me and surely I will order what ever pre-order bundle they can throw out, considering the writing styles and their direction in music, this release should be unique and quite good. Though according to their latest interview, they have only complete 7 songs, though album designs, and promoting will also take place. So hopefully the release will be before the end of February.

Crown The Empire - Voices

2012-01-08T00:39:00.000-08:00

After searching for new bands to listen to, support and hopefully recommend to others to spread their music, I finally have come across group of bands whom only have EPs, or haven't even released a full album of some sort.

For today it will be "Crown The Empire", with their new album "Limitless" which I believe has already been released. With their extensive effort for promotion, creating individual band member videos, doing contests, new and well produced music video and the most important, a new and well produced album this band has yet to be recognised.

Soon enough I will get their album and do a review of it.

All Shall Perish - This Is Where It Ends (Review + Live Show)

2011-12-09T00:54:00.000-08:00

All Shall Perish is a deathcore band which has actually been around for quite some time, though have not gained a real great following, but loyal fan being formed in 2002. This Is Where It Ends is their fourth album.

Luckily after their release of their new music video "There Is Nothing Left", I soon found out their were having a tour in my city which I was able to attend, but more on that including photos after the review.

Since their latest album is the only album I have listened to, I do not know how much or how little they have changed, though impressions of the new album are good.

First impressions of the song "Divine Illusion" makes it quite clear that this band is deathcore with their use of breakdowns and vocals. Though sounding heavier than their song "There is Nothing Left" for their music video. "Divine Illusion" has some quite meaningful lyrics relating to Christianity, though not in the support of it.

The vocals in this album are probably the most understandable I have heard in a while, though staying raspy and heavy, what is being said is clear, making much nicer than having to find lyrics and matching what they are saying. Lyrics are pretty meaningful, relating to religion, politics, and bad qualities of people, maming quite interesting songs.

Guitar in the album is both melodic and technical, and actually quite well written in the album, not over doing the technical part and still keeping everything heavy, so aspects of the writing for the guitar was well moderated with their new guitarist. Drums in this album are great, really fast paced, technical and keep a great beat

All Shall Perish - This Is Where It Ends 7.8/10

Live Show!
The live show was a tour with the band "Resist The Thought", this show including, "Savior" and "Paradise In Exile". All bands preformed really well giving a great live show. Though coming up to the sound check with All Shall Perish, it took around 30-40 minutes for them to set up due to complications with the audio system. Though the wait was well worth it, the tone of the guitars were clear and crisp, sounding great, and especially the drums sounding great and heavy, worth the time of preparation they did with the drums changing each piece before playing. Though unfortunately their set list wasn't really that long they still supplied a great show.

Other than audio complications the band also had problems with their flight coming in late, so they arrived just before they had to play from an eleven hour flight, so they were obviously tired, but eager to give a good show, which they did.

Lucky for me I was able to catch the show's drumstick, picture supplied below. I also was lucky enough to get a shirt signed and the drumstick after the show. The band being incredibly polite and quite funny.
I was able to talk to the singer of the band Herman (knows as "Eddie") about the meaning behind the lyrics of the album and his views on religion it self, this being quite the interesting conversation. Plus was able to talk to the bass player of the band about their new music video. After everything I was able to get a photo with the singer and had to leave, but a great show indeed it was.

The Browning - Time Will Tell (Review)

2011-12-08T12:05:00.000-08:00

Time Will Tell is an EP released by The Browning not to long ago, around 3-4 months with one music video for the song "Time Will Tell" with 29 thousand views. So relatively not the most popular band. Though I will give kudos for their interlacing of two genres, since you can't really find a band which does techno cross metal, it's either all techno, or all metal with synth sounds.

The Browning in my opinion did a better attempt and crossing techno with metal. Though improvements should be made, and hopefully will be made, as this is an EP and reception of the EP has been alright, though of course some hate has been towards this band from this sort of metal.

Though the EP is an alright listen, it isn't to special. The writing for the guitar needs to improve, as it just feels it's improv over the techno (for some songs). Though the song "Inner Mission" is a very nice song and the guitar is really nice in that. But for their general songs, the guitar should be a bit more creative with what is being played and I guess be more technical to help compliment the techno. If the band accomplishes a good unison with the guitar and techno, the album they will hopefully release would sound great, instead of two different things happening at the same time. Though we will see till then.

Vocals in this are alright, but tend to stay at the same mid pitch and do not change much. Though partly I dislike the mixing of the vocals in the songs, doesn't really give justice to the vocals. The techno tends to be a bit dominating. All this said, the tracks are not bad, but there is room for improvement.

Creating songs like this is a sure risk with how people react to it, and a band should be respected for at least trying something different. The EP itself is okay though and is a good listen and I recommend it if you are the sort to like synth.

The Browning - Time Will Tell 6/10

Music Video Of The Week - For All Those Sleeping: You Belong With Me (cover)

2011-12-05T22:06:00.000-08:00

Today is a feature from "Punk Goes Pop" where mostly metalcore bands do a cover of mainstream radio music (generally pop), and put their own spin on it. So soon I will do a cover of Fearless Record's new "Pop Goes Puck Vol 4".

This song came to a surprise, and actually quite enjoyable as you can see how it is a Taylor Swift song, but made so much better.

Born Of Osiris - The Discovery (Review)

2011-12-02T01:51:00.000-08:00

Born Of Osiris is an American death metal/deathcore band. No touring with Betraying The Martyr as they recently were signed to Summerian as Born Of Osiris is.

The Discovery is Born Of Osiris's newest album being released in 2011, and their second full length album. And a good addition in my opinion.

Vocals in this album has improved, with the screams being less gargling sounding, and a bit more raspier. Making the vocals sounds heavy, though still quite clear. And just real good in this album, a good improvement over their previous vocally.

The addition of clean vocals was quite surprising, though the way it was used was quite respectable and well used. This being seen in the song "A Solution" 30 seconds in.

Guitar is still quite technical in this album, and the tones they have used are just great, an obviously better recorded and mixed album. The guitar uses different affects through out the album, which would make it a quite difficult album to cover. Though the guitar style has not changed so nothing really has changed besides the improvement of quality, staying true to how the band sounds. Drums still having a really good beat, techical as ever and adding some good heaviness to the album.

Overall this album is quite good, staying the way Born Of Osiris and improving in all aspects of vocals, guitar and drums.

Born Of Osiris The Discovery- 7.5/10

Broke 200 followers!

2011-11-22T06:06:00.001-08:00

Well thanks to all those who bother to look, google, read, and watch my reviews and posts on bands which I feel deserve some recognition.

Other projects are on their way, though not related to this blog, though administrated by me as well. Hopefully other take an interest in that as well.

Elitist - Earth (Review)

2011-11-22T06:03:00.000-08:00

Elitist's new EP released on the 25th of October 2011 including their new singer (same from their previous EP).

The EP features 7 tracks, 3 of those being instrumentals. And first impressions, it sounds like Elitist, so the style hasn't changed to something not recognizable, but there have been slight changes. The most obvious change is how the vocals have changed, the new vocalist which people have been responding to saying he doesn't really fit the band like the old one has altered his sound from their previous EP. The vocalist now has a more low but nice rasp scream, which just sounds real furious. So vocals have been a definite improvement, and the new fans should consider his vocals well suiting now to the band.

The guitars are still written what would be expected from Elitist with their technical yet melodic sound. Using as the guitarist mentioned in one of his videos using jazz scales in his writing, gives the songs an interesting feel to them. But the same thing is always present, which is some what difficult to describe, but the guitarist casually bending notes in between triplets and that. Though I think it sounds great, so no reason to complain, but noticeable in most of their songs. What I really like is how the two guitars are usually doing something quite different to each other, like as one is doing a few triplets and such, the other is playing so higher notes, giving quite a unique feel to the songs. This being well done in their instrumentals. The tone of the guitars is great and are made very clear and very focused in the songs, which is great in my opinion, since I really hate when guitar is drowned out. The drumming as always with the drummer is quite well done and really compliments the songs.

Overall this is a quite good EP, and the vocalist has improved well. I can see their full album should be quite good and interesting with their sort of writing.

Elitist - Earth 7.4/10

Week's Video - Motionless In White - Immaculate Misconception

2011-11-17T22:14:00.000-08:00

On November 10th, Motionless In White released their new music video for the song "Immaculate Misconception". A song revolving around the hypocritical nature and abuse of religion by some Christians. Chris, the singer in the band made a two paragraph statement on the meaning of the video.
Though a few days later the venue in Nashville for their tour stopped them from playing there due to religious reasons.

Betraying The Martyrs - Breathe In Life (Review)

2011-10-14T03:17:00.000-07:00

Betraying The Martyr is a quite new band, they are a France band which I discovered when they were hardly known by another band member I knew. This was one they were just showing 2 songs off their new album "Breathe In Life". Soon before the album released, they were singed to Summerian Records. With a new singer which is British the band has progressed quite fast. The band are all Christians and so write accordingly, though they put great meaning into the songs.

The band is placed in a somewhat interesting genre of deathcore/post-hardcore. Mainly due to the fact the band features some quite deathcore like vocals while still having clean vocals and guitars to match the vocal combination.

The songs are written quite well, and the songs tend to be quite technical, though the mixing of the album has the guitar some what drowned out, and you kind of miss when the guitar does something lead like, as in the music video below, when the guitarist is doing his little solo and sweeps, it is hardly heard. Though the songs are still good in my opinion, I just personally would of wanted the guitars to be emphasized.
The screams though are quite well done, they are super low and have this sort of consistent rasp to it, which sounds great. The cleans are also quite good, but are done by the keyboardist not the singer.

The songs are quite nice, and the addition of a clean only song "azelee" was quite nice. The songs boost meaningful lyrics and are quite nicely done with the combination of heavy screams and clean vocals.

Betraying The Martyr - Breathe In Life 7.7/10

Weekly Music Video - Caves By Elitist

2011-10-06T02:46:00.000-07:00

Lately I haven't been able to to much with the blog, as for now I am learning coding languages like html, php, css etc and how to work with servers and domains, I have yet to actually purchase some web hosting. I will hopefully be releasing another site (actually properly designed and all scripted by me) early January, hopefully earlier, but knowing the amount of information I will have to take in and design, most likely half way into next year. Though I believe it is a good idea. Still have other domains to purchases.