On August 10, 2018, As It Is will be releasing their third full length album, The Great Depression. Note that we said that is yet to be released. You may be wondering how I am able to post this ahead of time then, and I can tell you.
As It Is was doing this very cool thing where they were selling signed early copies for $15 and you best believe we jumped on it. Now my boyfriend is the actual owner of it, but that was only because he pulled his wallet out quicker and they had a limited stock so we were only able to get one. I've been really looking forward to this album, especially because the singles have been extremely different from anything they've ever released. They've basically turned into the more pop version of My Chemical Romance, and to quote Patty Walters' -"We are My Chemical Romance, welcome to Warped tour 2005." Saying that may be pushing it a little bit, but the aesthetic is definitely there and its something to love. "The Wounded World" got my attention instantly from the first note, and I've been playing it basically on repeat ever since. But there's so much more to this album than just the fun beat. Its actually set up to depict the stages of grief. "The Handwritten Letter" is a very special song. At first, it sounds like its a love song, geared toward a particular person. However, its actually saying you need music. Music is there for you, it fills your silences so you're not alone. There's a little monologue in the song, filled with different voices that makes that extremely clear and I love it. It also helps that its exceptionally catchy. This is hands down my absolute favorite song on the album. Another favorite of mine is "The Truth I'll Never Tell", which feels like something everyone can relate to. When you're at your worst, and someone asks you how you're doing, you're faced with a choice. You could tell them how you really feel, and risk bringing them down, or you can just "fake it til you make it." Because then you're not bothering anyone. Unfortunately, I think everyone's felt that way many times, and this song puts that feeling into words. Its a shame really that any of us have to feel that way, but its something many people deal with daily. They worded this one beautifully, and I applaud them for that. I imagine it was written as a way to vent, and then was shared with the world. I really like that this album is heavier but still true to the classic As It Is sound. Its just slightly on the heavier side of pop punk, where As It Is has usually resided on the poppier side of punk. Each song tells their own stories, all of which I don't want to spoil. You'll just have to check it out on the 10th, when its properly out. You will be able to get it through the official As It Is website, along with multiple bundles for the record. You can also get it on iTunes, Amazon, ect. And tell me, if you managed to get a copy at Warped tour as well, what did you think? Do you have a favorite song from the album? Let me know in the comments down below or anywhere on social media and we will talk to you very soon! Congratulations to As It Is on yet another great album!
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Hey guys, its Alexis! For my first album review, I thought I would use an album entitled Duality: Stories Unplugged from one of my favorite bands Set It Off. Released on June 15, 2015, the EP takes an acoustic spin on tracks like “Why Worry, “The Haunting”, and “Tomorrow”. Also on this album is their song “Wild Wild World”. This was released after their album Duality, which was released back in October, 2014. This album is all acoustic, giving the tracks a more personal feel to them.
"Why Worry” was one of my favorite tracks off the first album. The song speaks about living your life, to leave all your worries behind. This song became a personal inspiration of mine, battling with my anxiety and living my best life to the fullest. I even have the Duality symbol tattooed to my wrist to remind me when I’m having a bad day. “The Haunting” speaks of feeling angry and betrayed by someone you thought would always be there, just to be left for someone else. We’ve all felt that once or twice in our lives I’m sure. “Wild Wild World” quickly became one of my favorite tracks on this album. With it’s lovely melodies, the song emphasizes on societal problems, and how we all can make a change. The video itself has a very powerful message, how we need to be accepting of one another and how even small kind acts can make a difference. “Destroy and rebuild / It’s kill or be killed / But we can change / we can change everything / A little love / Never hurt anything”. Set It Off just finished three dates on their final run of Vans Warped Tour, and will soon be going on their first headlining tour in August and September. I highly encourage everyone to give their music a listen, especially their new single “Killer in The Mirror”! Be sure to watch that by clicking here, and then head on over to their website to see where all they're going on their tour! I was debating if I was going to review this one or not, because I actually wanted to do it the day it came out. However, procrastination, and lack of motivation got the better of me. So I've proceeded to listen to bits and parts of it every single day since then, and have thought about doing this constantly. Finally, here I am, reviewing Panic! At The Disco's sixth album, Pray For The Wicked.
When I heard the first two singles, "Saturday Night" and "Fuck A Silver Lining", I'm not going to lie, I was not real impressed. I was honestly thinking there was no way he was going to top Death of A Bachelor, or maybe it was just a fluke that I absolutely loved the Death of a Bachelor album. Every Panic! album has been vastly different from one another, and I actually am not in love with all of it. I appreciate it all, and definitely have songs from every album that I enjoy, but nothing has held my attention quite like Death of A Bachelor did. None the less, I held my reservations and waited for more. "High Hopes" gave me some hope, pun fully intended. I sincerely adore that song, and maybe its a little stereotypical to say one of the singles is my favorite song but it is. Its catchy and fun sounding, but its also very really. When I first heard it all the way through, my instant thought was "This is the millennial anthem." If you listen to it, you probably will understand what I mean. "Had to have high, high hopes for a living, shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing. Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision, always had high, high hopes. Had to have high, high hopes for a living. Didn't know how but I always had a feeling I was gonna be that one in a million. Always had high, high hopes." Its literally just adulting told in catchy song form. It gets stuck in your head, and I love that so much. I also wanted to point out that I feel Brendon Urie's Broadway performance in Kinky Boots really heavily effected the sound for this album. Almost all of it sounds like it could be in a Broadway play and that's not something commonly heard anywhere off stage. So that's something that grew on me fairly quickly actually. If you asked me what my favorites besides "High Hopes" are, it would probably have to be "Hey Look Ma, I Made It" or "Roaring 20's." "Hey Look Ma, I Made It" is honestly kind of just cute, and catchy because everyone wants to make their mom proud of them. "Roarin 20's" really just stood out to me because its catchy and fun to listen to. Sorry, it didn't go deeper than that for me really. So yeah, Panic! At The DIsco did it again. They released another very unique album and still totally killed it. If you're interested, you can get the album all over the internet, and probably in stores like FYE, Target, maybe even Walmart. Its Immortal Music approved. Also if you're interested in keeping up to date with Panic! You can follow them on all their social media and catch them on tour, though I would get your tickets quickly! A lot of the US dates now through August 18 have already sold out, so check to see if your local date is included or not. After that ends, they're flying overseas to perform at Reeding Festival in London, and have dates October through February all over the world. Go check out the Panic! At The Disco official website for further information and get your tickets now! On June 15, 2018, pop punk icons, State Champs released their third full length album, Living Proof.
Now I'm a little bit late to this game, not gonna lie, but hey, better late than never. State Champs is one of those bands that I need to look into more, yet somehow always forget to. I love what I have heard, despite not hearing a lot of it. I'm working on that, so stay tuned because I definitely will be doing reviews. They released the first single for it, "Dead And Gone" back in April, and I would tell you what the song is about but chances are, you've probably already heard it, since the song came out like three months ago. Hearing it though, made me curious for more, though the track itself didn't quite stick with me. I found myself wondering a few things while listening to this album, some of which might be coming from a place of exhaustion. First of all, and this goes for the entire album for the most part - who hurt Derek DiScanio? Second, why are they the love child of I Prevail and All Time Low? I thought of that as I was listening to "Frozen", and I cannot pinpoint why that is. They just sound like the pop version of I Prevail. As I got deeper into the album, I found myself enjoying it more and more. The singles are by far not the best songs on this album. They're still good songs, don't get me wrong, but they've got so much better. Such as "Lightning", or "Safe Haven", which are both very different albums. "Lightning" is honestly an adorable song. There's no other way to word that, because that's exactly how it is. I have never heard anyone compare that stereotypical "spark" you feel when you develop feelings for someone to lightning. "Who knew we were lightning? I saw a spark before we heard any song to follow. I think it's time to let my eyes stay open, I'm missing out on the point if they're always closed. Switched focus, now I know this is worth my time. So can you read my mind? It says I'm trying to find a reason to leave it all behind." For some reason, I just love that. "Safe Haven" is without a doubt my favorite on the album though. Anyone who has ever felt like they've hit a wall or lost in life would love this song. A lot of these people turn to music for comfort, guidance, strength, ect. I feel like songs like this just back up how much music can be there for you in times of need. Its not an inspirational song, but rather one that expresses the feeling of needing a....well, safe haven. Something to turn to where maybe you will find peace. Songs like this can help make you feel like you're not alone and that's something I think we all can appreciate. This album as a whole tells a story of love, heart break, and then your own personal growth. I still want to know who hurt him, but I'm glad to hear that clearly a better place was built. Each song is its own story, and I don't think I can quite do it justice to explain. I do highly recommend you listen to the album though. Plus, even if you're not in the market for something deep and meaningful but something with a catchy beat, I think you'd enjoy this album. If its something you're interested in checking out, you can get it wherever music is sold. This includes iTunes, Amazon, in stores, the State Champs official website, or wherever else music may be sold. You can also catch them on the final Warped tour, which is now in its final week. Warped tour ends August 5 in West Palm Beach, FL, and Immortal Music will be there. Stay tuned for photos, a vlog, and who knows what else. Its all coming soon. Tickets are still available for all the remaining dates as of July 27, so if you're able to go to one of the last eight dates, we highly recommend you do. If you're unable to, and still want to see State Champs, fear not. They're also going to be supporting Blink 182 on a short tour in September. For further information, please head on over to the State Champs official website. Also while you're at it, please let me know what your favorite song on this album is, and check out their video with YouTuber Michelle Khare! It has been an extremely long time since an album review has been posted on Immortal Music, but this one deserves to be written. On May 4, 2018, Shinedown released their sixth album, ATTENTION ATTENTION. The band has spoken up quite a bit about internal struggles to reveal exactly why this album was made. Its a rock opera of sorts, something they have never done before, about mental illness, struggles, and all sorts of real life things that people deal with every day.
Something else makes this very special is this is the first album that vocalist Brent Smith was completely sober for. That was a piece of information that absolutely blew my mind, since I have been happily calling Shinedown one of my favorite bands for the past decade. I had been aware that he had an addiction to a perscription drug back in the day, circa 2005 or so, but I thought it was a thing of the past. I had absolutely no idea that Brent still was battling that addiction to this day, so hearing about that, and how guitarist Zach Myers has been suffering panic attacks so bad he keeps in touch with a cardiologist every day, really just opened my eyes. There's no other band like Shinedown, these boys will never cease to amaze me, and their raw openness just adds to that. The album starts off with a knock on a door, and someone entering a room in the first track, appropriately titled, "THE ENTRANCE." It then moves directly into the first single, "DEVIL." There's actually a lot that's very special about this album, in not only the meaning, but the way it all commands your attention. They picked the perfect title for this album, which is not something I think I've ever said before. Its also heavier than any other Shinedown album has ever been before, though it feels like a very natural evolution for them. With each album, Shinedown changes just slightly, and each time they manage to out due themselves. Something else I really found to be very unique about this album was the titles of each track. All of them but one are in all caps. The one that isn't is called, "special", which is written in all lower case letters. That being said, I definitely have my favorites on the album. One of them being the title track, "ATTENTION ATTENTION." Its catchy, its powerful, it literally commands your attention. Its all about mental turmoil, whether its anxiety, demons, depression, or even just the judgement of others. And its told in such a beautiful way. Nothing bout me is ordinary, My friends all say I'm going crazy. I don't hear a word that they say, 'Cause the voices in my head are legendary. But I'll never tell em where the bodies are buried. Keeps them coming back every day." Another one I really want to talk about is, "GET UP." This is one of the tracks that feels very similar to the Shinedown song we've always heard, but in a great way. Its inspirational, and encourages you to just keep moving even when you don't feel up to it. It reminds you that you're not alone. "If you're ever in doubt, don't sell yourself short. You might be bulletproof. Hard to move mountains when you're paralyzed, but you gotta try." Its just there to remind you that things may be possible, even if it doesn't feel that way. But you will never know unless you try. I feel like every song on this album tells its own story, and they're all worth listening to. I could talk about them all, but rather than spoil it, I just recommend you go check it out. Even if you've never been a Shinedown fan, this one just might change your mind. ATTENTION ATTENTION is available wherever music is sold, but especially on Shinedown's official website, and through Walmart, which has two exclusive songs. I have yet to hear those as of the time of writing this review, but stay tuned on social media. I may just talk about them once I do. Goodbye June is an alternative rock band from Nashville, TN and just back on August 26, 2016, Goodbye June released their debut EP, Danger In The Morning.
This EP is only 5 songs, starting with the first one they released, "Oh No." Instantly, I had a lot of different thoughts regarding them. The first being, they are definitely not what I expected, but that's not bad. They have a sort of classic rock feel to them, yet also have a modern twist. They actually remind me of another band that's quite underrated called, Rival Sons. The whole EP goes through different styles and lyrical content, which on its own makes it quite special. My particular favorite though is the slowest track on the EP, "Darlin'." "Darlin'" seems to be a message to someone who's broke your heart. Clearly it was written in a time of heartbreak, and reflection. He points out how much she hurt him, and points out all of their dreams, and how he feels about it. "Darlin', I don't know what you've done to me, but it works and I hate it." It's a beautiful, and very sad song. Near the end of it, it picks up in tune, but all through it you hear the passion, and the heartache shines through. If you haven't heard of Goodbye June, I highly recommend you check them out. I see them going very far, and they're already on the right track. Starting on February 9, they set out on a tour with Whiskey Myers, that ends on February 22. After that, they go back on the road and will take part on several festivals such as KFMA Day, Edgefest, Welcome To Rockville, Fort Rock, Carolina Rebellion, Northern Invasion, Rock On The Range, Rocklahoma and the River City Rockfest. In between some of the festivals are a few select tour dates, so please be sure to head on over to Goodbye June's website for further information. If you want any information on any of the festivals, please check out the respective festival websites. On September 5, 1989, Soundgarden released their second album, Louder Than Love. This classic album didn't do a lot on the charts, and it's suspected to be partly due to the Parental Advisory that was placed on the packaging. Not all the lyrics were suitable for young listeners, so someone felt this was necessary. The album had three singles, "Loud Love", "Get On The Snake" -which was released for promotion purposes only, and "Hands All Over." I noticed something very quickly about this album, it's extremely political, and I feel like that was something of a trend in the late 80s. It may not have been, but I seem to notice it quite a bit. Because of that, and assumably their pretty awesome instrumentals, I can understand how Soundground rose to the fame they hold today. However, I unfortunately cannot say this was my cup of tea. There's honestly nothing wrong with the album, at all. Its perfectly fine, but to me, that's all it is -fine. Given its not my usual taste in music, I tend to gravitate award from political music, or much of anything from this time period, for some unknown reason. If pressed to pick songs that stood out though, I would have to vote for, "Loud Love", and "Full on Kevin's Mom". "Loud Love" actually is rather empowering, so this one I have to give full credit to. Plus, it feels rather relevant to our current situation here in the US. It's about wanting people to speak up, and take a stand. They don't want silence, they want to hear what's wrong and see people do something about it. As for "Full On Kevin's Mom", it's a rather funny track, about a band of brothers, it says. "You don't get nothing for free, Kev & me were two of three. Three brothers tw the end -then one went full on Kevin's mom, and now things have changed." I feel like this was written out of sheer boredom one day, and caused a lot of laughter. Which is why it stood out to me, it's nice hearing the fun in music sometimes. I think I made it pretty clear how I feel about the album, it's not that special to me. You may feel differently though, so I highly recommend checking it out for yourself. I'm going to look more into Soundgarden, so please stay tuned for that. Reviews for all of their albums that came after this will be coming soon. Also please be sure to head on over to Soundgarden's official website to see everything they have going on. They are going to be headlining many of the festivals happening here shortly in the US. Starting with 98 Rockfest on April 28 in Tampa, FL. From there, they will also perform at Welcome To Rockville, Fort Rock, Carolina Rebellion, Northern Invasion, Rock On The Range, and Rocklahoma. For further information, please visit the respective festival websites. In November 1998 -on the 17th to be exact, The Offspring released their fifth studio album, Americana. It did absolutely incredible on the charts. It hit number one in Sweden, Poland, New Zealand, Brazil, Austria, and Australia. It also hit number 2 in the US, France, Finland, and did very well on other charts as well, all over the world. It also has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, and has been certified platinum almost world wide. It's even 5 times platinum here in the US! You cannot question the success of this album -you simply cannot do it. I do believe this is the album most people think of when they think of The Offspring, partly because of the first two singles. "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" and "Why Don't You Get a Job?" Now, I was only five when this album was released, so it's really no wonder it feels like those two songs have always existed. They basically have always existed in my life, but we all also know they're among the most popular songs The Offspring has ever made. Quite possibly the most popular. Because of that, I'm not going to talk about those songs, because we all know them, and their awesome qualities goes completely without saying. A couple tracks really stood out to me, both for vastly different reasons. Those tracks are "Feelings" and "The End Of The Line." Its a bit ironic that I chose those two songs as the stand out tracks, because "The End Of The Line", definitely gives you some "feelings." Okay, I get it, that was a lame joke, but I couldn't resist. Anywho, the reason I picked, "Feelings" was while it felt a little cliche' it also was fun, fast paced, and easy to relate to. Its actually about trying to forget feelings of hatred you have toward someone, assumably an ex, but I think we've all been there before. Emotions are highly important to human existence, but also tend to get in the way as well. They're a necessary evil, sadly. As for "The End Of The Line", I had to choose it because it was so touching. It very clearly was written after someone had passed away, leaving you lost. It sort of seems like it was written after a loved one's suicide, but I am not sure if that's the case, just based off the lyrics. Its clearly a very personal track, and was probably written as a mental release. It's quite beautiful, and definitely tears at the heart strings. I'm going to put this out there -this album is not my usual taste. I'm not exactly a punk fan, but at the same time, I definitely see why this album is so popular. Its got a little bit of everything, and I feel like punk fans will be all over the style of the album. So, because of that, I do recommend you check this album out. While you're at it, keep in mind that The Offspring is still very active today. Since the release of this album, they've released four more albums, played countless festivals and tours, and they are not stopping there. Coming up this March, they will be flying over to Japan to perform at Punkspring 2017, which happens in Osaka, and Tokyo. Then they fly all the way back over to Mexico to perform at the Parque Fundidora 2017, and then start playing festivals around the US. Those festivals begin on April 1 with Edgefest 2017, then goes to Welcome To Rockville, Fort Rock, Carolina Rebellion, Northern Invasion, Rock On The Range, Rocklahoma, and Rivercity Rockfest. They then get a bit of a break before going over to Europe to perform at a good handful of festivals there as well. Those festivals include Amnesia Rockfest, Fezen Festival, Festival Fête du Bruit, and the Highfield Festival. For further information, please check out the respective festival websites, and of course The Offspring's website! On March 14, 1980, a band that is now seen as one of the leading names in classic rock, released their debut album. The album was called On Through The Night, and the band is no other than Def Leppard. The album has done extremely well, and still is very well loved today. So much so that its been platinum in the US since May 9, 1989, and Canada since 1991. It also originally hit number 15 on the UK Album Charts and 51 on the Billboard 200. So, it clearly goes without saying that they were off to a fantastic start. The album had a few different singles, and it actually depends on what country you were in. For the UK, they had "Getcha Rocks Off", the rest of Europe got, "Wasted /Hello America." Then the US got "Hello America/ Good Morning Freedom", followed by "Rock Brigade/ When The Walls Come Tumbling Down." Now, I personally have always found it a bit hard to get into most of the rock music from the 80's or earlier, but I can definitely see Def Leppard's charm. While they are not my taste, and I often felt like I was struggling to hear the vocals over the instrumentals, as you do in most 80's music, they had a lot going for them. The instrumentals are incredible, each track was quite powerful, and I really appreciate the overall flow of the songs. My particular favorite was "Satellite." This one just drew my attention in for some reason, not to mention, I could actually hear Joe Elliot singing. Its a difficult to pinpoint the exact meaning of the song, leaving it up for interpretation. I would say its about love, having control over you. "Its got the power, it's got the strength to steal away your soul." But I also could see it being more of a conspiracy theory, or even about aliens, since it does speak of the bright lights shining from the sky. Either way, its an interesting track, and definitely my favorite. This is one of those albums that has a rating that goes without saying, in a way. While its not over all my taste, I can't say it's bad. It was a whole other era, and therefor, it won't be for everyone. However, Def Leppard began with this, and paved the road for all the rock and metal bands we have today, so you have to give it its credit. Music has come along way, you still have to appreciate the classics. This was only the beginning for Def Leppard, they've released eleven more albums over the years and are still very active today. So active in fact, that they will be going out on tour with Poison and Tesla. The tour begins on April 8, and concludes on June 25. Also during this tour will be several US festivals, such as Fort Rock, Welcome To Rockville, Carolina Rebellion, Rocklahoma, and River City Rockfest. For more information, please visit Def Leppard's official website, along with the respective festival websites. And please stay tuned for a ton more content regarding all sorts of Fort Rock artists, Def Leppard included! We are posting a new review every day until late April, so you're going to have a lot to check out. Please be sure to leave your thoughts on all the albums, and start a conversation. |
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