Album Review: "The Dream is Over" - Pup

Pup is an enigma of a band. Before April of 2014, the vast majority of human beings on this terrible planet (myself included) had no idea of their existence. We were basking in our loathsomeness. Settling for sub par riffs, lackluster gang vocals, and basic ass chord progressions and time signatures. But their debut self-titled LP changed every bit of that, you know, minus the whole loathsome part. 

Their new record, "The Dream is Over", is as equally anticipated as it was over due. After immediately getting signed to the legendary Side One Dummy records, the world couldn't bear to exist with only one album. And Pup, in all their Pup-ness, delivered. 

This band takes risks. It's a risk taking kinda band. They refuse to settle for a predictable song. Their ability to compose these blisteringly complex, yet catchy tunes, is something we just don't see in just about any band around right now. This album is further proof of this. The song Doubts opens with this complete rock and roll riff but immediately transitions into a Weezer style garage pop verse, which then transitions into a chorus that is both equally janky yet perfect for a sing along. The Coast sound reminiscent of Yukon Valley, yet with a darker tone. It reminds me of those old church hymns that rattle you to your core. Pup likes to reference the brutal Canadian winters a lot. And I can only image the effect of that specific climate on someone's life, both mentally and physically. It amplifies the theme of self-doubt, depression, and apathy towards the world around you. 

The lyrical content on this record focuses on the harsh realities of life. It's ebbs and flows...and how you can't stop fucking up the good things around you. It paints a picture of a dreary and cold terrain and compares it to the world around being shredded apart. The stand out track DVP, is about wondering why someone is ignoring you, and drinking yourself silly trying to get over it, only to realize that that's the problem. The song Can't Win, laments about the hopelessness in trying to succeed over arguably the catchiest chorus on the whole record. A destructively sad song about watching someone you care about deteriorate. But played over such a triumphant beat, gives the song a much more somber outlook, as if he called it from the beginning.

However, while I've gone over many positives about this record, this album does have its low points. As for the opener If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will, the melody doesn't grab me hard enough, and the initial impact doesn't hit me in a way that really conveys the difficulties of touring with your friends. Old Wounds, is fast and in your face, but the lyrics have an almost childish feel to them, which I think downplays the intensity of the song. My Life is Over, And I Couldn't Be Happier is poppy and catchy as hell, and it has a sassy flair that makes me nod in agreeance, but I definitely need a few more listens before I fall in love with it.

That aside, this band is proving that it can take the unique sound that it has created and push it another step forward. Pup only sounds like Pup. Their composition and structure are unrivaled amongst many other punk bands around right now. And I got to hand it to their drummer, because that mother fucker can switch tempos so fast it'll make your head spin. The vocal melodies are soaring, and the ever present gang vocals are built for live performances. This is a record that doesn't automatically floor me to the ground, but I know that over time, each song will blossoms and grow in my ears to its own monstrosity of an anthem. 

Final Score: 7.5/10

You can give the entire album a listen here:

Thank you so much for the read and have a wonderful day.

-Nights Off

Album Review: Knola-To the Rhythm

Continuing my little streak here of reviewing albums I've enjoyed this year, I bring you a more obscure/underrated release that most may miss. I present to you a little band known as Knola.

Born from the remnants of second string emo bands like The Exploration and Midwest Pen Pals, Knola describe themselves as four friends that make and play music music together. But...what kind of music exactly? And is it any good?

Loosely speaking, there's an indie vibe to the band's sound that owes quite a lot to American college rock, but with a number of different elements like a touch of post-hardcore (hell yea!) lurking in the background. And yes, it is pretty good actually! 

The one minute three seconds of guitar slap on 'Moving Along' soon segues into the loose indie rock of 'Weight' with its 90's vibe and frantic finale conjuring memories of Dinosaur Jr. In fact, there's a definite 90's influence running through the record, especially on tracks like the urgent 'Cottage Grove'  and 'Winter Skin' with its insistent riffing and melodic chorus.

The tracks that work best though are those with a few added twists like 'Fabric,' which offers up a more rocky feel before a shift in the aesthetic brings out a pained (almost hardcore) vocal; fantastic track. A ponderous bass line on 'Ruby Beach,' with its downbeat vibe then rolls along to a surprisingly hooky chorus of "There are/ giants in the water/ too far out/ for us to swim" as the guitar kicks in.

Knola are best summed up by closing track 'Fireworks;' the distorted open chords giving it a dark feel that suddenly gives way to an atmospheric bass line and melodic vocal that drowns in a wall of sound. It neatly showcases their slightly left-field feel, encapsulating the light and dark tones providing the atmosphere to their loose yet emotive style. 

"To the Rhythm" may be short with one foot in experimental indie, but it's pretty sweet and well worth a listen. 

Final Score: 7.5/10

To the Rhythm released yesterday June 10, 2016 on Skeletal Lightning.

I'll include links for those of you interested in supporting this young and talented band. 

Links: website / twitter / bandcamp

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day!

-Nights Off 

Rock the Fuck on Forever - Album Review: Angel Du$t

Hardcore has been a rather wavering genre in recent years. I still love it, but at the end of the day, the harsh truth lies in a plethora of modern hardcore bands whom lack creativity, vision, and originality. The good news is that Angel Du$t and a good number of other bands (who have had fantastic 2016 releases) are not a part of that plethora. Hailing from Baltimore, Angel Du$t are a -piece hardcore band featuring members of notable Baltimore hardcore acts Trapped Under Ice, Turnstile. Praise (EP review to come very soon), and Mindset. The band this year self-released their sophomore LP, "Rock the Fuck on Forever," on May 20th via Pop Wig Records, the label's first release. Pop Wig is owned and operated by the band's vocalist Justice Tripp, drummer Daniel Fang, and fellow band mate to both via Trapped Under Ice and Turnstile, Brendan Yates. If you would like more information regarding the label, I highly recommend reading this article.

If you've never listened to Angel Du$t, the first thing you should know is that, above all things, they are weird. They aren't trying to adhere to any standard set of musical rules that dictate what hardcore is or is not and, to many, that's what good hardcore has always been about. "Rock the Fuck on Forever" clocks out at 21 minutes, which is incredibly short for a 13 track LP. The longest track on the entire record, "Twist N Shout," is 2 minutes and 8 seconds in length, while the shortest, "Cool Inside You," is a 42 second dreamy interlude track. That's just how Angel Du$t rolls, no bullshit, no filler, just 13 quick little jams and they're out of your hair whether you want them to be or not.

One of the first things I noticed when I put on "Rock the Fuck on Forever" was the band was not trying to make a record that was as aggressive as their debut full length, "A.D." This is by no means a bad thing. I feel like there was an effort made for Justice Tripp to sing more on "Rock the Fuck on Forever" than he did on "A.D." which primarily contained his shouting voice and was just an overall more aggressive record. On tracks like "Stay" and "Upside Down," listeners really see a softer side to the band but that doesn't mean there is an absence of aggressive tracks on this record. Tracks such as "Rectify" and "Toxic Boombox" are the perfect shout-along bangers any "A.D." era Angel Du$t fan would be longing for on a new record. 

Like many fans of modern alternative music, everytime I hear that Will Yip had something to do with a record, I'll give it a listen regardless of whether or not I've heard of the band. If you're not familiar with who Will is, you probably actually are and just don't know it yet because, chances are, if you're reading this he probably produced one of your favorite records. His skills with production and songwriting are unparalleled and that's apparent with just a quick glance at the work that has come out of Studio 4. Needless to say, when I heard Angel Du$t would be recording their sophomore LP at Studio 4, I was beyond stoked to hear the final product and now that I have heard it, I can wholeheartedly say that this LP lives up to the Studio 4/Will Yip standard that many of us have come to know and love. 

Some of my favorite aspects of "Rock the Fuck on Forever" is embedded in little things that unquestionably set Angel Du$t apart from the herd. First off, the album title. Best album title of the past decade, hands down. Secondly, the saxophone solo that comes in during the closer to the album "Stranger Things" is an absolute ripper. It kind of reminded me of that unmistakable trumpet intro at the beginning of New Direction by Gorilla Biscuits. Overall, this record was just as solid as I expected it to be and I'm genuinely happy that bands are starting to become more comfortable with experimenting with what can be considered Hardcore punk. To me, the appeal of the record is more so the statement it makes to the people who still have their finger on the pulse of the genre, even though the record rips. My friends...rock the fuck on forever!

Final Score: 8/10 

I'll include an album stream below. Thank you so much and have a wonderful day.

-Nights Off

"Floating in the Dead of Space" - Album Review: "Adio Noir" - Bossk

Bossk is a band that I hold an interesting history with. When I was 15, I was privileged to attend a local hardcore show in Miami, Florida for free thanks to a friend. There I met a lot of people who were big into the genres I had adored so heavily growing up (hardcore, punk, post-rock, post-metal, etc.). However, these genres I had gravitated towards carved a path of tremendous alienation from others in Miami, as rock is by far the least popular form of music here. In a city encumbered in genres such as reggeaton, bachata, pop, and hip-hop I always felt a layer of brooding disappointment as it was hard to share with anyone what I found to be amazing (and frankly life-changing). Anyways back to that show.... So there I met a lot of cool people and one guy there named Mark, kept spouting prophecies of a band that he claimed would one day produce the best rock we had ever heard. It was here that I first heard of Bossk (not to be confused with the Star Wars character). Back then I didn't own a computer, but I never forgot Bossk's name as I was curious to hear what Mark was talking about. Sure enough, a year later while reading online articles on a computer at school, I finally got my first taste of Bossk's music. They had released two EPs (entitled I and II respectively) and I was indeed blown away by what I heard. I had immediately fallen in love... only to discover that the band had broken up. But all hope was not lost!!! 2013 brought with it some interesting music, but it also paved the way for Bossk's triumphant return on Deathwish Records with an EP entitled "Pick Up Artist/Albatross" I was happy to see the band had reunited, but still wondered if we would ever see a full length LP from this immensely talented group. I'm now 23 years old, and the answer came with an LP (12 years in the making) entitled: "Audio Noir."

Hailing from the town of Ashford in Kent, England, the British 5 piece has marketed themselves as a "post everything" band. The name is extremely accurate as Bossk's sound permeates between post rock, post metal, sludge metal, etc. "Audio Noir" was well worth the wait as the album is both exhilarating and musically dynamic. Rarely is it the case that listeners need to listen to an album from start to finish to truly enjoy the album as a whole, yet "Audio Noir's" passages flow so smoothly and naturally that I truly can't see the album being listened to in any other way. Tracks make sleek and interesting transitions that speaks to the band's brilliant understanding of mixing and tracking. 

Whether is the sludgy, groove heavy riffs found on tracks such as "Atom Smasher" or the stylistic balance between coursing, melodic guitar tones playing off intense instrumentals on "Kobe," "Audio Noir" solidifies its place as a niche album that seeks to exemplify the band's mastery of the genres they play. Hell, track "Relancer" is a long, instrumental track that almost sounds like it could be a villain's theme in a children's film. 

Lastly, it's worth mentioning that while the genres Bossk delves intro tend to be more instrumental focused, props need to be given to vocalist Sam Marsh. I truly feel the addition of his heavy vocals really lends to an appealing layer of intensity on tracks when it is necessary. Marsh brings a unique aspect to the band's sound. I can't help but feel that this "holding-back when appropriate" technique ought to be emulated or at least experimented with by other bands. 

"Audio Noir" has been one of my top 10 releases of 2016 thus far. It's an album for anyone who truly loves post rock, sludge metal, post metal, etc. Bossk may not be that band that is changing the face of rock music as Mark had put it when I was younger... But they are certainly a band whose masterful approach to their sound deserves profound praise. Audio Noir is a brilliant debut LP and I can only hope for more success for the band's future.

Score: 9/10

Thanks you much for reading and have a wonderful day.

-Nights Off