The Story So Far Announce Fall Co-Headliner with STYG

The Story So Far, Stick To Your Guns, Such Gold and Rotting Out will embark on a North American tour starting on November 1st. Dates are as follows:

11/01 Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst
11/02 Seattle, WA – El Corazon
11/03 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
11/05 Murray, UT – Murray Theatre
11/06 Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
11/07 Omaha, NE – Sokol Underground
11/08 Iowa City, IA – Gabe’s
11/09 Burnsville, MN – The Garage
11/11 Louisville, KY – The Vernon Club
11/12 Indianapolis, IN – The Irving Theater
11/14 Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
11/16 Vero Beach, FL – Heritage Center
11/17 Tampa, FL – The Orpheum
11/19 Greensboro, NC – Greene Street
11/20 Richmond, VA – Kingdom
11/21 Philadelphia, PA – Theatre Of Living Arts
11/22 Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony
11/23 New York, NY – Irving Plaza
11/24 Boston, MA – Royale
11/25 Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance
11/26 Montreal, QC – La Tulipe
11/27 Toronto, ON – Phoenix Theatre
11/29 Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall
11/30 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
12/01 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
12/03 St. Louis, MO – Firebird
12/04 Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
12/05 Dallas, TX – The Door
12/06 Houston, TX- Fitzgerald’s
12/07 Austin, TX- Red 7
12/08 San Antonio, TX – The White Rabbit
12/10 Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
12/11 Mesa, AZ – Nile Theatre
12/12 San Diego, CA – Soma
12/13 Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory

Yellowcard Release Ocean Avenue Acoustic

10 years ago Yellowcard released Ocean Avenue and shortly after with the album title track becoming a radio hit, Ocean Avenue became a platinum selling record and Yellowcard was launched into pop-punk stardom. Today the band returns with a re-issue of the record featuring newly arranged acoustic versions of the original album tracks. Ocean Avenue Acoustic is a collector’s piece for long-standing fans as well as an album for those fans looking to revisit 2003. You can download it on iTunes or Amazon. The band is also heading out on the road soon to promote this release and you can check out the dates and buy tickets here.

Sworn In Premiere New Song

You can stream a new song off of SWORN IN’s upcoming debut album ‘The Death Card’ called “deadpan” now here: http://www.metalsucks.net/2013/08/08/exclusive-premiere-sworn-in-deadpan/

Balance And Composure Premiere New Single

Indie-Alternative rock band Balance and Composure has premiered a new single called “Tiny Raindrop” from their forthcoming album, The Things We Think We’re Missing, today at SPIN.com.  The long-awaited new album is scheduled for release on September 10th via No Sleep Records and can be pre-ordered now at iTunes and at nslp.co/bacpreorder.

Panic At The Disco Reveal Artwork, Track Listing

Panic! At The Disco have finally revealed the artwork and track listing for Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!

This Is Gospel

Miss Jackson

Vegas Lights

Girl That You Love

Nicotine

Girls/Girls/Boys

Casual Affair

Far Too Young To Die

Collar Full

The End Of All Things

Review: Norma Jean - Wrongdoers

The explosive energy of Norma Jean’s “Wrongdoers” is enough to make any person fall in love with the alternative hardcore sound that this album brings to the listener.

This album combines sounds of metalcore screaming with hard rock guitar riffs. Norma Jean shows that you can still have an influential hardcore album without the stereotypical repeated breakdown in every song. Throughout “Wrongdoer” you will hear cleans that resemble many alternative rock/metal bands like Five Finger Death Punch or even Three Days Grace. This aspect of the album shows the diversity that Norma Jean brings to the genre with their newest release.

“Wrongdoers” opens up with “Hive Minds” by starting off the album with a drum buildup leading into the main part of the song. As soon as the song kicks in, you’ll find yourself immersed in a sound consistent throughout the album. This sound lays down the groundwork for other notable tracks like “Sword In Mouth, Fire Eyes” and “Funeral Singer”. These songs represent the album well with their sporadic energy and distinctive sound. The track “Afterhour Animals” connects the following songs in a fashion that, although seen before, works better than when most bands try it.

Although there, this album falls short in few places. One of those places being notable is that some songs drag out on instrumental breaks that seem to fill more time than anything else. Way too many bands make the mistake of writing out instrumental ambiance to take up the majority of a perfectly good song. This can be heard at the end of “Sun Dies, Blood Moon”. Even though it is the closing song and possible even interesting at first, it prolongs the atmosphere of the album as well as diminishes the listener’s attention.

The most important thing to take away from this album is that it expands the boundaries of the hardcore genre. Although some songs on the album (like “Sun Dies, Blood Moon”) completely separate the sound of “Wrongdoers” from hardcore or even metalcore, the essence of the style is hardcore at heart. Norma Jean pulled off the sound of a hardcore band but with the style of something that mimics an alternative metal band. This type of album, as well as the band, is something that needs to be produced more often from bands. An album that breaks the boundaries, an album that that expands the mind of the listener, an album that can influence other bands to stray from the cookie-cutter path that is so heavily traveled.

Rating 9.5/10

-Nic

iTunes: http://bit.ly/Wrongdoers
Amazon [CD]: ;http://amzn.to/WrongdoersCD
Amazon MP3: http://amzn.to/WrongdoersMP3
Vinyl: Amazon [Vinyl]

Looking For Album Reviewers

I’d like to get some more album/movie/game reviews going and since I’m having trouble finding someone to write for me consistently I’m going to ask you all for some test submissions. I’m currently looking for 3 writers right now, so hopefully at least ONE of you will stick this time.

If you’re interested email us with some writing samples and tell me what area you’d specialize in as well as your favorite bands/movies/games of those genres. You even even review a gadget or a console, etc. Got questions? Post em here and I’ll answer. If you’ve got a friend who might be interested, feel free to send them the link to this post.

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INTRONAUT announce headline dates in September

Post-metal proggers INTRONAUT are pleased to announce they will hit the road for a string of headline shows next month in support of their current album, HABITUAL LEVITATIONS, that was released earlier this year.  Label mates Vattnet Viskar will join the tour as special guests.

INTRONAUT & VATTNET VISKAR tour dates:

12-SepTempe, AZRocky Point14-SepAlbuquerque, NMLaunchpad16-SepDallas, TXClub Dada18-SepSt Louis, MOFirebird19-SepLouisville, KYDiamonds Pub20-SepRochester, NYMontage Hall

Polar Bear Club Sign with Rise Records

Rise Records is proud to welcome Rochester NY’s Polar Bear Club to the family. Since 2005, Polar Bear Club has steadily climbed the ranks of their genre. Releasing several critically acclaimed albums and touring around the world with Gaslight Anthem, Rise Against and Bad Religion, it’s been 2 years since the release of their last album. Look for their new LP, Death Chorus, in stores this fall. Death Chorus was produced by Will Yip at Studio 4.