The Color Morale's fourth studio album "Hold On Pain Ends" is absolutely terrible. I'm gonna start off with saying that I really wanted to do a full album review go into a lot of detail, BUT, I could not listen to this album more than about 3 times at all. It's honestly so generic and it's not fun to listen to whatsoever.
For Today announces Fall tour with headliner We Came As Romans and other supporting acts The Color Morale, Crossfaith and Palisades. The tour kicks off September 11th in Lansing, MI. The band is currently finishing up a main stage run on the 2014 Van’s Warped Tour.
The Color Morale streamed their new single "Suicide;Stigma", to listen to the track featuring Dave Stephens (of We Came As Romans) and view touring as well as information on their upcoming album, Hold On Pain Ends, click below.
The tour will also be featuring The Color Morale and Like Moths To Flames.
To view the dates of the tour they're also below.
The Color Morale show at Penny Road Pub last Saturday was a show that everyone in the area was waiting for. It had been a very long time since The Color Morale had played a small scale hometown show and with great local support from Arkham, Leviah, Shrapnel ,and Between Myth and Legend (last show for BMAL) as well as For All I Am jumping aboard, the place was bound to be packed. And it was.
The local bands were all very good, setting the bar high for local groups around the area, most notably Arkham. This band brought more energy to the stage than any of the bands before them as their vocalist was constantly in the crowd and at one point, on the ceiling. Their punk style brought a nice diversity to the show and it was great to see the crowd participating in the action with the local bands.
For All I Am was the first non-local band to take the stage as this was the group preceding The Color Morale. For All I Am did a great job overall as they jumped from playing their popular songs as well as older material and less-popular tracks off the album. The two most notable aspects of their performance was their decision to use their own sound guy and their new guitar player/clean vocalist. To start with, the sound guy is someone that the group has been friends/partners with since their humble beginnings when he was their photographer and once they started to tour, he had started doing their sound for live shows. The reason this is worth mentioning is because their live-sound was significantly worse than any other band that night and even though their slot was still enjoyable, this sudden change in sound quality was a harsh adjustment at first. To counter the poor sound, the new guitarist/clean singer seemed to fit in great with the band and he also performed very well live. His voice sounded great if you are someone who didn't know any better, you wouldn't have even guessed he was a replacement.
Next up was the headliner, The Color Morale. These guys always bring great excitement to any bill they are on and especially one that they are headlining in their hometown. Their performance lived up to almost every positive comment I had heard before I saw them and I was greatly satisfied with the show overall. The band played mostly popular tracks but they did venture back to their first album so old fans could reminisce along with the band. Almost everything about their performance was great. The sound was amazing and despite their recent member changes, everyone seemed to be on the same page. The band even fit in a couple of acoustic songs to break up their usual routine and let the crowd sing (very loudly) along to their own songs as well as cover of “Too Close”. The only picky complaint I had with their performance is that the vocalist very rarely sang the clean parts to their songs. Not that someone else was doing it, it's that he was almost always ad-lib and go significantly off course of the original melody. At first it was interesting but it became a bit annoying towards the end of the show as many people wanted to sing along and hear the melodies that they loved but what was being sung was barely recognizable.
Overall this show was hands down THE best show I have ever seen at Penny Road Pub. Not only were there great local acts but the larger bands all originated in the area and it was a great example of what local shows could/should be. The energy in the room was great and it was nice to see everyone from the area of shows all at one concert.
Rating : 9/10
-Nic
(Also, I didn't address the fight that broke out at the show in this article simply because the fight started in the very back of the room and continued outside so the majority of people in the room had no idea that any sort of altercation was going on until long after the show. Plus, my job here is to review the overall show and the bands' performances, not review the owner of the venue and his decisions for security. If you want to know more about the fight, we talked briefly about it in a separate article where we also linked Arkham's description of what happened.)
With the massive success of their third album "Know Hope", most fans had been expecting a new release for 2014. Although it's not too much of a surprise, fans of the group can breathe easy now that it's OFFICIAL. The Color Morale confirmed via Facebook that they will be recording and releasing a new album within this year! The post read "The rumors are true. New TCM album coming in 2014!" earlier today. Definitely one of the most anticipated releases of 2014, we'll see how they top "Know Hope"!
Check out the news on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thecolormorale
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, Kill The Music are sponsoring the We Came As Romans/Silverstein tour/BBQ Festival in Douglasville, GA on October 26th. If you live in Georgia or the surrounding states, come out and say hello! Who are we gonna see at the show?
We Came As Romans have announced the Tracing Back Roots Headline Tour, which will begin this October and run through November. The band will be bringing along Silverstein, The Color Morale, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, and Dangerkids. You can check out the tour dates below. We’ll be sponsoring the BBQ Fest date so come out and say hello!
Oct 02 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
Oct 03 St. Louis, MO @The Pageant
Oct 04 Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
Oct 05 Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
Oct 06 Murray, UT @ Murray Theater
Oct 07 Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Live
Oct 09 Chico, CA @ Senator Theatre
Oct 10 San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
Oct 11 Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
Oct 12 San Diego, CA @ Soma
Oct 13 Mesa, AZ @ The Nile Theatre
Oct 15 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
Oct 16 Odessa, TX @ Far West Event Center
Oct 17 Austin, TX @ Emos
Oct 18 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
Oct 19 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
Oct 20 New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
Oct 22 Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
Oct 23 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
Oct 24 Jacksonville, FL @ Roc Bar
Oct 25 Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theater
Oct 26 Douglasville, GA @ BBQ Fest – The 7 Venue
Oct 27 Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
Oct 29 Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
Oct 30 Philadelphia, PA @ The Electric Factory
Oct 31 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
Nov 01 Cleveland, OH @ The Agora Theatre
Nov 02 Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
Nov 03 Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
The Color Morale’s latest release “Know Hope” has truly shown itself to be an intense progression from the band’s other albums. One widely criticized attribute of this album is the vocalist’s (Garret Rapp) jump from his growl sounding mid screams, to the Stray from the Path-esque, yelling vocals. Aside from the initial shock, the new style really seems to fit this album well. Not only does it stand out from other bands, but it gives a refreshing look into how the band went about this album.
They really plunged 100% into incorporating the new vocals into this album. The way that the band presents their still hope-filled lyrics has come to be much more of a pleasant surprise than a shocking letdown. Songs like “Saviorself”, “Smoke and Mirrors”, and “Steadfast” fully represent the fitting theme of the album. “Steadfast” shows that the vocalist (Garret Rapp) still has his pop/R&B cleans that fans fell in love with from the first album, while “Saviorself” can solely speak for the rest of the album with its style and structure. “Smoke and Mirrors” proves to fans that the band still has their hardcore edge and love of live energy.
The band recently underwent a few member changes, but they seemed to have pulled through on this album. The style is different, but still falls in line with the other albums. It shows a very positive and promising road to a more defining sound. The few criticisms on this album are that the guitar work and instrument technicality has been reduced in comparison to their previous albums. The band has always stood out with their simpler pop-structured songs, but this album seems to have exaggerated this strategy on the majority of the songs.
One greatly defining aspect of the band’s style has always been their guitar leads. They can be heard on every album (including this one) to date, and although they are not removed on this album, they have been noticeably reduced. Although this is an important part of the band’s sound fans can still looks forward to being immersed in the inspirational lyrics and melodies that have always been distinct in the band’s career. Their single off this album, “Learned Behavior” received honorable reactions from fans. The song not only encouraged the fact that the band is still driving a message of hope and self-reconstruction; it perfectly represented what fans will come to hear on “Know Hope”.
Overall, this album is their most consistent yet and has proven to be their most popular. The new vocals (as well as the overall altered style of the band) will set the band off in a new and uplifting direction.
8.5/10
- Nic Cheatle
ICE NINE KILLS’ latest EP The Predator reached #9 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and #38 on the Independent label chart with first week sales of 1,476 copies.
The Predator EP was only available digitally and through their MerchNow store, and was funded by the band’s recently fulfilled Kickstarter campaign, which raised more than double their initial $10,000 goal (500 backers contributed $21,258 total funds). Additionally, The Predator was #15 on the iTunes rock chart and was Revolver Magazine’s ‘album of the week.’
The band will enter the studio in April to record their next full-length album.
The Predator EP can be streamed in its entirety here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUBpIsRFSC7PVOxHihYQr2WKRbWL2Wvzf
Track list:
1. The Coffin Is Moving
2. Father’s Day
3. What I Never Learned In Study Hall (Feat. Tyler Carter of Issues)
4. A Reptile’s Dysfunction
5. Someone Like You (Adele cover)
See below for all current ICE NINE KILLS tour dates.
The Hope Never Loses Us Tour
w/ The Color Morale, Our Last Night & For All I Am
1/25 – Lemoyne, PA @ The Champ (ICE NINE KILLS ONLY)
1/26 – Richmond, VA @ Kingdom
1/27 – Crofton, MD @ MACC
1/28 – Stanhope, NJ @ Stanhope House
1/29 – Madison, WI @ The Loft
1/30 – Amityville, NY @ The Spotlight
1/31 – Hartford, CT @ The Webster Underground
2/01 – Providence, RI @ Club X
2/02 – Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock
2/04 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Smiling Moose (Upstairs)
2/05 – Newport, KY @ Thompson House
2/06 – Toledo, OH @ Frankie’s Inner City
2/07 – Kettering, OH @ The Attic Club
2/09 – Goshen, IN @ The Note Venue
ICE NINE KILLS
2/11 – St. Paul, MN @ Station 4
2/12 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Stache (w/ Misery Signals
2/14 – Newport, KY @ Thompson House (w/ For All Thos Sleeping)
2/15 – Ft. Wayne, IN @ Broadripple (w/ Get Scared)
2/17 – Fayetteville, AR @ NWA Showcase Theatre (w/ For All Those Sleeping)
2/18 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory (w/ For All Those Sleeping)
2/20 – Little Rock, AR @ Downtown Music Hall
Filthy February Part 2 Tour
w/ I See Stars, For All Those Sleeping, Capture The Crown, & Get Scared
2/22 – San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
2/23 – Dallas, TX @ Tomcats
2/24 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
2/26 – Mobile, AL @ The Alabama Music Box
2/27 – Douglasville, GA @ The 7 Venue
2/28 – Tupelo, MS @ Goodtime Charlies
3/01 – Louisville, KY @ Vernon Club
3/02 – Joliet, IL @ Mojoes
w/ Capture The Crown
3/06 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
3/09 – Tucson, AZ @ The Rock
3/10 – El Paso, TX @ The War Room
3/16 – Grand Prairie, TX @ QuikTrip Park (SOUTH BY SO WHAT FESTIVAL)
