New Music Report – Apr 24, 2020
This is another VERY big week for music. I mean, it’s big for Dance Gavin Dance alone, but there are several other very high profile releases this week that are worth your attention, so take a look.
Dance Gavin Dance – Whenever DGD puts out a new album, it pretty much puts an end to the debate for Album of the Year for a lot of people. And honestly, because of that, I’ve been wanting to find reasons to dislike DGD lately; they’ve basically put out the same album five times now, but somehow it still feels fresh and interesting. This definitely isn’t a revolution of the “swancore” sound, but instead it’s another step forward in the progression of the band that has come to redefine post hardcore over the past decade, raising the bar yet again. As much as I wanted to find fault by a band that’s put themselves up to such a high standard, I really just can’t; what a remarkable album. 10/10, go listen to this now.
The Used – Whenever someone mentions The Used, everyone is always going to think about their self-titled album and In Love & Death. But those albums are at least 15 years old now. They helped define the angsty sound of the mid-00s, but you always want to see a band push themselves forward. Most everything else they’ve done since those early efforts have been good, but always lived in the shadow of the good old days. And really, I can’t say this one is any different, BUT this is also one of the best albums they’ve put out since those two. This is a stellar effort from a band that has certainly been through some rough patches, and it’s nice to see them come back to form.
Ulcerate – What a huge record this is. These guys are some of the absolute kings of the atmospheric metal genre, which I understand has sort of gotten a bad rap lately thanks to all the half-baked bedroom projects, but this is some top tier, incredibly powerful, emotional, and rich music. Each track feels gargantuan standing on its own, and the whole album almost insurmountable but incredibly captivating at the same time. The album is a journey, and a lovely one filled with a wide expanse of soundscapes and dense atmosphere. This sound may not be for everyone, but if you want to give it a shot, this is one of the best examples of it around.
Trivium – Trivium were huge back in the early-00s; back when the new wave of American metal was hitting full swing, and more mainstream bands were really running with the melodeath sound and transitioning to full on metalcore. And Trivium were one of the best ones to ever do it. And as the sound continued to evolve, Trivium kept plugging away, putting out hits that continue to push the boundaries of the sound that they helped shape. Admittedly, I stopped paying attention for a while, but this new album has brought my right back in. it feels familiar, but still fresh; not just a rehash of a nearly 20 year old sound. I really enjoyed this one, and it’s inspired me to a trip back to look at some of the other Trivium albums I’ve overlooked over the years.
Danzig Sings Elvis – Honestly, I’m not gonna listen to this, but I’m happy I live in a world where this exists, and I want you all to know about it too.
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Show Review: Dance Gavin Dance @ Empire 4.26.15
–Written by Michael Hogan
Before I get started, this is a rather bittersweet review, because Empire, the Springfield, Virginia venue formerly known as Jaxx, is shutting down as of May 5th. To get things out of the way, that is a real shame, and the venue will be sorely missed. I have personally been going to shows at the venue for at least a decade now; back when it used to be Jaxx, I saw a few great metals bands like Shadows Fall and the like. It has since been remodeled into Empire and while it has remained the home of the majority of the good metal and post hardcore shows coming through the area, it has recently been putting on a handful of really good EDM shows as well, one of which I was fortunate enough to play back in February. I have a lot of history at Empire/Jaxx, and I know it will be missed by me, and many others that have called this venue home for years.
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AltFreq Weekly Planner (4/26/15-4/29/15)
–Written by Kevin Madert
It’s nearly impossible to keep track of all the events going on in the area, so we’re here to let you know what’s happening in live music over the next few days. Watch out on Thursdays for the “Weekend Planner” where we’ll cover the most important 72 hours of the week.
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Review: Dance Gavin Dance – Instant Gratification
There aren’t many albums out there these days that have true staying power. Music has become disposable like most everything else. There are so many good bands out there putting out good music so rapidly that there is little reason to stay loyal to any one album for an extended period of time, lest you might miss the next remarkable flash in the pan. Not to sell the music short, of course, but it’s become so easy to record good music and make it accessible, that so many artists are putting out such highly quality music all the time. It seems like every week a new album of the year contender is released. Team this up with society’s collective ADD, and you get music that gets tossed aside like a day old newspaper.
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Frequency of the Week No. 7: Tides of Man
You may have heard all the hooplah about the new Dance Gavin Dance album, if you read this blog at all, I’d say it would be pretty difficult to miss it. But in case you aren’t hip, Instant Gratification will be the second full length album from DGD with Tillian Pearson fronting the band. Tillian is far from new to the scene, he had previous played with Rise Records labelmates, Tides of Man. Tides of Man played to a similar crowd, representing the more technical side of the genre, though they were always more polished than Dance Gavin Dance. They were the Envy on the Coast to Dance Gavin Dance’s The Fall of Troy, for all five of you that will understand that analogy.
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