Dayseeker “Sleeptalk” Album Review

November 12, 2019 Leave a comment

Dayseeker- Sleeptalk

Dayseeker are a band in the post-hardcore scene that I’ve been a fan of for quite awhile. Their last album, “Dreaming Is Sinking /// Waking Is Rising” landed a spot in my top twenty five albums of 2017, so it’s safe to say that I was highly anticipating their newly released album, “Sleeptalk.” 

The band kept some of their post-hardcore and overall heavier roots and showed those aspects in a few of the songs on here. “Crooked Soul” is easily the heaviest of the singles that released, with the more aggressive instrumentation in the intro and the louder drums and vocals building the pre-chorus up to the chorus, which lets the instrumentals and cleaner vocals shine through some very passionate performances. “The Color Black” brings a performance just like that in its intro, one that really blew me away on first listen, but the heavier aspects of the song are shown through the screamed vocals and much harsher instrumentals during the breakdown that follows the equally as captivating bridge. Heavier vocals and instrumentals are delivered right off the bat in “Gates Of Ivory” and the breakdown and bridge found on this track lean more towards the hardcore side of the post-hardcore genre, and really embrace those influences.

On the other hand, a lot of tracks on here lean way more towards the melodic side as far as the vocals go, and show the new direction Dayseeker is going in with their sound. Opener “Drunk” kicks off the album very well, beginning with softer vocals and instrumentals in the verse, with additional vocals and harmonies bringing extra emphasis to the performance, and leading the song up to its huge chorus where the instrumentals really kick in and the vocals really stand out. Single “Burial Plot” is similar, also having a much softer start, but harder hitting drums eventually come in during the pre-chorus, which lets the vocals show even more, leading up to a very memorable chorus, where the vocal performance brings just as much emotion as the lyrics. “The Embers Glow” is an interlude that’s very laid back, but still brings the darker composition found on this album and in the band’s sound in general, and “Already Numb” is a memorable ballad primarily led by piano and acoustic guitar, which really allows the vocals to shine once again. Despite the much bigger choruses where the instrumentals kick in, “Starving To Be Empty” is another one of the most melodic tracks on this album, and the vocals of the guest vocalist featured on the track fit perfectly with the overall more laid back vibe of it.

The two remaining tracks land more in the middle, combining elements of both of these different sides of the album and the overall sound on it. “Sleeptalk” has much softer verses, but its massive chorus and bridge both bring very powerful vocal performances to the table, and while the closing track “Crash And Burn” begins on a softer and more melodic note, the melodies still have that darker composition found on this record, and there’s a much heavier bridge and breakdown later on that, while I certainly didn’t expect to hear them on the track, fit pretty well and prove how well this song fits as a closing track.

Dayseeker’s latest release contains elements that show the continuous evolution of their post-hardcore sound, while also still incorporating parts of the band’s older material. From that balance to the powerful performances found all throughout the record, “Sleeptalk” is another very solid record from Dayseeker.

Spotify link:

https://open.spotify.com/album/2oLk2Z8wtuGX1xC9evzvC9?si=2bN99ufyTKK4–34h59fgg

Dayseeker

Review courtesy of Megan Langley | Instagram

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Blue Ridge Rock Fest Day 1 w/ A Day To Remember, The Convalescence, Beartooth, Of Mice & Men, Hinder, 10 Years,Cold, Soil, Flaw, A Feasting Beast, and Two Sides of Me

October 30, 2019 Leave a comment

Blue Ridge Rock Festival Day 2

Two Sides of Me

A Feasting Beast

Flaw

Soil

Cold

10 Years

Hinder

Of Mice & Men

Beartooth

The Convalescence

A Day To Remember

A Day To Remember | The Convalescence | Beartooth | Of Mice & Men | Hinder | 10 Years | Cold | Soil | Flaw | A Feasting Beast | Two Sides of Me

Photos courtesy of Chyenne Conner| Instagram

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Blue Ridge Rock Fest Day 1 w/ Godsmack, DMX, In This Moment, I Prevail, Yelawolf, Another Day’s Armor, Memphis May Fire, RED, Kore Rozzik, New Years Day, and Burdens Within | Photos

October 28, 2019 Leave a comment

Blue Ridge Rock Fest Day 1

Burdens Within

New Years Day

Kore Rozzik

RED

Memphis May Fire

Another Day’s Armor

Yelawolf

I Prevail

In This Moment

DMX

Godsmack

Godsmack | DMX | In This Moment | I Prevail | Yelawolf | Another Day’s Armor | Memphis May Fire | RED | Kore Rozzik | New Years Day | Burdens Within

Photos courtesy of Chyenne Conner

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Grayscale’s Nella Vita Tour 2019 ft Bearings, Belmont, & Rich People.

October 19, 2019 Leave a comment

Grayscale are a band that have been on my radar for quite a while now. I first became a fan right when they signed to Fearless Records and released their single “Atlantic,” the lead single of their debut LP, “Adornment.” Since then, the band have been on numerous national and international tours, including the 2018 Vans Warped Tour, and this year, they did their first headlining tour here in the United States, in support of their newly released sophomore album, “Nella Vita.”

Opening up the night was New Jersey based Rich People. Three of the songs that the band played (“Fierce Grace,” “White Mark,” and one of my personal favorites of theirs, “Back Step (All The Real Girls”) are off of their most recent release, their 2018 album “Grace Session.” I love the raw emotion in this band’s music, but that is amplified even more in their live performance, which really impressed me.

Second on the bill was Canada based pop punk band Bearings. They primarily played songs off of their debut album, “Blue In The Dark,” such as “Where You Are,” “Aforementioned,” “Eyes Closed,” “Beautiful Places,” and the title track from that album. The band also included “So Damn Wrong” (one of their two recently released singles) and “Letters Home” from their third EP “Nothing Here Is Permanent.” Bearings brought quite a bit of energy throughout their whole set and were a lot of fun to watch.

Second to last was the Chicago based band Belmont, another pop punk band that have now become label-mates with Bearings, with their recent signing to Pure Noise Records. Belmont’s music leans more towards the more energetic and overall more punk influenced side of the pop punk genre, and they carried that energy into their live performance from start to finish as they played many songs from their self titled record (“Pushing Daisies,” “Hollowed Out”) as well as a few older favorites, such as “Overstepping,” “731” and “Convalescence.”

Finishing out the night was Philadelphia based band Grayscale, who have evolved their sound quite a lot over the years, and especially with their sophomore LP “Nella Vita,” which this tour was in support of. They played a handful of songs from that album, including singles “In Violet,” “Painkiller Weather,” “Old Friends” and “Baby Blue,” as well as a few others off of the album: “Just Right,” “YOUNG,” and “Twilight: My Heaven.” Grayscale have quickly become one of my favorite bands to see live and have impressed me each time I’ve seen them, and this show was no different.

 

Grayscale put on yet another impressive performance, I got to see Belmont, Bearings, and Rich People for the first time (and all their sets were a great first impression of their live performances), and overall, the Nella Vita tour may just be one of my favorites that I’ve attended in 2019 so far.

9/24/19 – Marquis Theater

Photos + Review courtesy of Megan Langley | Instagram

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Amon Amarth ft At The Gates, Arch Enemy & Grand Magus | Berserker World Tour 2019

October 16, 2019 Leave a comment

Grand Magus | Arch Enemy | At The Gates | Amon Amarth

Photos courtesy of Laura Lateralus | Instagram

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Free Throw ft Chris Farren, Youth Fountain & Macseal | Fall 2019 Tour

September 29, 2019 Leave a comment

I’ve heard a lot about Free Throw over the past couple of years through the albums they’ve released and tours they’ve been apart of, but really became a fan of them this year when they released their third album, “What’s Past Is Prologue.” The band began a headlining tour in support of this record, with support from Chris Farren, Youth Fountain and Macseal, which I attended the Denver date of.

Macseal kicked off the night. The emo/alternative quartet played songs that spanned their discography as a band so far, from playing “Cats” and “5:45 AM (Not Fun)” from their 2015 self-titled debut EP, to “Harry” and “Next To You” from their 2017 release “Yeah, No, I Know,” and “Golden Hour” and “Sure, Thing Shelly” (which was a great choice to open the set with) from their most recent EP to date, 2018’s “Map It Out.” Their set also included music from their upcoming debut LP, “Super Enthusiast,” – the lead single “Always Hazy,” and another new song from the record. Macseal put on a very fun and energetic set and started off the show very well.

Speaking of energy, that’s easily a word I’d use to describe the set from the next band, Youth Fountain. The Canadian pop punk band played several songs from their recently released debut album, “Letters To Our Former Selves,” an album that has also quickly become one of my favorites of this year so far. I love the band’s more emotional and slightly aggressive take on pop punk, and that all shows even more through their incredible live show. From the set opener (Rose Coloured Glass) to the song that not only closed out their set, but also closes out their album (“Blooms”) and the many songs in between (“Letters To Our Former Selves,” “Complacent,” “Worried,” “Moody,” “Deadlocked,” and “Grinding Teeth”), the crowd was singing and shouting along with them, bringing as much energy and passion as the band did throughout the entire set.

 

Next up was Chris Farren, who’s been releasing music under his own name for a few years now. He opened with the very catchy “Search 4 Me,” one of two singles that he’s released so far from his upcoming record, “Born Hot.” (The other single of the two is “Surrender,” which he played later on in the set). He also played a lot of previous material, including the singles “Where U Are” and “The Way That I Love U Has Changed,” and three songs from his sophomore album “Can’t Die” – “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Human Being,” and “Say You Want Me.”

Closing out the night was Free Throw. Throughout their hour long set, they played eleven songs, also spanning from throughout their entire discography, including a handful of tracks from “What’s Past Is Prologue” (“The Corner’s Dilemma,” “Tail Whip, Struggle,” “You Don’t Say That” and the title track), as well as some older favorites, such as “Better Have Burn Heal” and “Randy, I Am The Liquor” from their sophomore album “Bear Your Mind,” and “Tongue Tied,” “Two Beers In,” and “Good Job, Champ,” from their debut LP, “These Days Are Gone.” With each song they played, the band brought so much energy and so much emotion, putting on a great live show overall.

Photos + Review courtesy of Megan Langley | Instagram

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2019 © The Camera Affect

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Boys of Fall |Gold Edition Release Tour 2019

September 29, 2019 Leave a comment

Photos courtesy of Alyssa Santiago | Website | Instagram | Twitter

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Papa Roach w/ Asking Alexandria and Bad Wolves | Who Do You Trust? USA Tour | Photos + Review

September 28, 2019 Leave a comment

Papa Roach Trusts Hollywood To Close Out Their Who Do You Trust USA Tour

Venue: Hollywood Palladium on 8/31/19

Papa Roach has been a consistent band I have listened to throughout the years. Their song “Last Resort” is a staple in the Nu Metal genre and is iconic. When I saw the lineup for their “Who Do You Trust?” USA tour, I was thrilled. Asking Alexandria was the very first band I ever saw live back in 2011, and Bad Wolves’ debut 2018 album “Disobey” absolutely slays, so I knew this would be an amazing night.

First up was Bad Wolves from Los Angeles, CA. Before they even got on stage, the crowd was roaring as Josh Brolin, an actor best known by his’ recent role as Thanos in the Avengers franchise, came out to announce the band. When the band hit the stage, they were immediately on fire. The band opened with their song Learn To Live, which shows off their progressive metalcore roots, with djent style guitar riffs courtesy of guitarists Chris Cain and Doc Coyle, as well as a mixture of clean vocals and screams courtesy of vocalist Tommy Vext. But at the root of djent is the deep bass tones courtesy of Kyle Konkiel and odd time signatures courtesy of drummer John Boecklin. The band played a set that mixed their heavier riffy songs, with more radio rock friendly songs. The band played a total of 8 songs, finishing with their chart topping cover of The Cranberries’ “Zombie”, which they raised $250,000 towards the family of the late Dolores O’Riordan, who died on her way to record her vocal part on their cover. Their performance was filled with such vibrant energy. I was completely blown away by their performance, and they blew my expectations out of the water.

SETLIST

  1. Learn To Live
  2. No Masters
  3. Remember When
  4. Better The Devil
  5. I’ll Be There
  6. Hear Me Now
  7. Officer Down
  8. Zombie

Up next was Asking Alexandria from North Yorkshire, England. Coming on right after Bad Wolves with how tight and energetic they are would be tough for any band to do. For old fans of the band, hoping to hear the heavy metalcore stylings Asking Alexandria was once known for, unfortunately you will not be getting that here. I too have been a fan since their origins with a more metalcore and post-hardcore base, but the band has certainly transitioned to a more radio rock sound and style. They came out of the gate with their new single “The Violence”, which is pretty solid. While all of the other members were wearing normal attire, vocalist Danny Worsnop came out in a beige plaid suit and sun glasses, which definitely felt off. Besides that, the band played a variety of songs, most of which came from their 2017 self titled album “Asking Alexandria”, which was released via Sumerian Records. The only earlier song from the first two albums that the band played was “Someone Somewhere”, which they for some reason decided to play acoustically. The band relied on a lot of pyrotechnics to get through the performance, and while they were entertaining, they distracted from the actual set. The rest of the band consists of guitarists Ben Bruce and Cameron Liddell, bassist Sam Bettley, and drummer James Cassells. Overall, they put on a solid set, however, compared to when I saw them back in 2011, they lacked the heart and emotion I once saw them provide on stage.

SETLIST

  1. The Violence
  2. Into The Fire
  3. Where Did It Go?
  4. Run Free
  5. The Death Of Me
  6. Vultures
  7. Someone, Somewhere
  8. Moving On
  9. Eve
  10. When The Lights Come On
  11. Alone In A Room

Finally, Papa Roach from Vacaville, CA. Playing a sold out show in their hometown state on the second to last day of tour, this legendary band came to slay. For this tour, they prepared a whopping 19-song set that showcased songs from their whole discography. Vocalist Jacoby Shaddix is the ultimate showman, truly utilizing every inch of that stage. Behind the band was a huge LED screen that had many images and lyrics popping up, making the performance so tight and feeling like a full-on spectacle. The rest of the fourpiece consists of lead guitarist Jerry Horton, bassist Tobin Esperance, and drummer Tony Palermo. The band has so much heart and you could feel such positive energy radiating from the stage. In between the songs, Shaddix expressed how important it is to keep music alive, and really thanked people for supporting. It was truly awesome to see a band who’s been doing this for quite some time still be so humble and kind. And of course, the band’s encore “Last Resort”, got the crowd going nuts, with crowd surfers, circle pits, and crowd participation galore. Papa Roach was incredibly high energy, and chose a setlist that flowed beautifully. They proved that they indeed trusted Hollywood to be one of the last shows to close out the tour, and the crowds reactions definitely proved why. Papa Roach put on an incredible set, and I cannot wait to see them again!

SETLIST

  1. Who Do You Trust?
  2. Getting Away With Murder
  3. Broken Home
  4. Help
  5. Elevate
  6. Gravity
  7. Song 2 (Blur Cover)
  8. Drum Solo
  9. …To Be Loved
  10. Blood Brothers
  11. She Loves Me Not
  12. Come Around
  13. Forever
  14. Scars
  15. Between Angels and Insects
  16. Renegade Music
  17. Born For Greatness

ENCORE

  1. Last Resort

The “Who Do You Trust” tour was an amazing experience filled with a mixture of Metalcore, Radio Rock, and Nu-Metal. Papa Roach put together such a dynamic show and truly proved why they are still on top of the game after 26 years of being a band! They deliver and slay on stage!

Papa Roach | Asking Alexandria | Bad Wolves

Photos + Review courtesy of Jamie Kaufman | Instagram

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Suspending Gravity Tour 2019 ft The Unlikely Candidates & Marianas Trench

September 24, 2019 2 Comments

 The Strand Ballroom | Providence,RI

Photography by : Amanda Spring 

 The Camera Affect Promotions |Instagram | Twitter | Youtube

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“Pressure” by Wage War out NOW!

September 10, 2019 Leave a comment

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One of many bands in the metal-core scene who has continued to evolve their sound is Ocala, Florida based Wage War, from their debut “Blueprints,” which showcases the heaviest aspects of the band’s sound to their sophomore effort “Deadweight,” which incorporated some more melodic elements into their metalcore and post-hardcore influenced sound. However, the band’s third LP, “Pressure,” seems to show the evolution of Wage War’s sound the most, as they include elements from past material while also trying out some new styles.

Wage War really experimented with their sound on this record, with quite a few of these songs showing influences of rock and post-hardcore. “Grave” and “Take The Fight” show off Briton Bond’s singing skills through some very raw and passionate performances, “The Line” brings a lot of energy and a bit of aggression through the instrumentals accompanying a mostly melodic vocal performance, and the closing track “Will We Ever Learn” brings some dynamic instrumentals and powerful vocals through both heavier and more melodic performances.

Although the band did experiment quite a bit with this record, there are still quite a few moments on here that are reminiscent of their older material. “Low” is easily the heaviest out of all the singles, “Ghost” brings a ton of energy through the instrumentation and one of the heaviest breakdowns on the record, and “Fury” is one of the most aggressive songs all around, from the vocals to the instrumentals. Two of the singles (and two of my favorites on the album), “Who I Am” and “Prison,” both show off the band’s post-hardcore and metalcore influences with the balance of heavier and more melodic sections. A few of these songs take influence from the more melodic elements found on the band’s previous record, “Deadweight.” “Me Against Myself” has extremely catchy melodies from start to finish and is one of the most memorable songs on the record, “Forget My Name” is just as memorable and even shows some slight alternative rock and pop punk influences in the equally as catchy guitar work, and “Hurt” is a lot slower compared to a lot of these other songs and is a very raw, emotional ballad with a huge chorus.

While Wage War’s album is certainly a little bit different from their previous two LPs, I enjoyed the amount of variety and experimentation on it, and really like the different sounds and styles they experimented with. It not only shows new sides to the band’s sound, but also shows what they are capable of.

Review courtesy of Megan Langley | Instagram

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