I See Stars have announced a brand new album with no new songs in sight. This album is all acoustic songs from New Demons and a couple of covers. Basically, we are looking at another year of I See Stars' riding off of their previous album.
Sumerian Records' I See Stars is a band that can back up their genre of Electronic Hardcore and proved it with their first headlining tour of the year in Buffalo, NY Tuesday night.
Our close source has revealed to us that I See Stars are one of the headliners for this year's All Stars Tour.
Ohio’s Metalfest was a show that was very highly anticipated and I have to say that that anticipation was justified as well as delivered. This was my first Metalfest and I caught as many bands as I could between the two stages. Before I go on, I’ll list off the bands I saw because there were a lot of great artists there and only so much time to get around to everyone (some bands didn’t make it to the show so the times were a bit messed up as well)
I made a note to try and get around to the more notable acts but I definitely caught some of the smaller bands as well. My knowledge of each band ranges as some of them are my favorite but others I had only their reputation to go off of.
I saw:
I See Stars
The Word Alive
Periphery
Born of Osiris
Structures
Sworn In
Veil of Maya
Each band played for 30-45 minutes and in general, they were all great. Some were definitely better than others and the heavily reverberated ballroom at The Rave made a lot of the main-stage sets sound muddy and at some points, inaudible. But, I did my best to keep all of those things in mind and focus on the quality of the playing of each band as well as their presence on stage.
I See Stars started things off on the ballroom stage at around 2:00pm and they definitely got things going in the room. As they came on stage, the room was immediately filled with an energetic atmosphere and the floor quickly filled up. The crowd was anxious before they came on but the second they stepped foot on the stage everyone was excited. They played great and ranged from their more famous songs like “NTZ48” as well as playing some newer ones off of their new release. Despite some small technical difficulties, the set went pretty smoothly and the band played great. The singer was the most impressive part of their live show. He hit just about every part spot on and he didn’t cut corners around the higher notes.
Many singers in this genre will half-ass their parts and often times they won’t even sing some parts. I See Stars was different as both vocalists (synth/screams) were amazing and really made them stick out in my mind. Their stage presence as well was notable as the members were all moving around constantly and keeping the audience engaged. At one point a man in a full body chicken suit jumped into the crowd from the stage.
After I See Stars came The Word Alive on the ballroom stage. This band kept the energy up throughout the entire set and the crowd was able to keep up their excitement and movement high. This band was especially tight live. The guitar solos and intense vocals were near perfect onstage and this made everything more enjoyable and immersible during the show. The Word Alive played many crowd pleasers off of their newest release Life Cycles which was a good thing in this case as it kept everyone entertained as they could sing along to each track. The band ended their set with Telle (vocalist) repeating a memorable line from Life Cycles as well as a backflip.
The next band to take the stage was Veil of Maya. Although this band has a incredibly impressive recorded material, it didn’t hold up as well live. Overall, the set was good but I felt they were carried a bit by their excessive backtracking and lack of ability to really deliver their sound live. I had a lot of respect for their one and only guitar player as he was able to carry most of the weight of the guitar parts, but all synth parts and some guitars were played entirely through the speakers.
This was a bit of a buzzkill for me personally but I do understand the necessity. The band’s presence onstage was good as I especially enjoyed the fact that they didn’t talk too much in between songs. Many of the bands at the festival repeated the same generic crowd-addressing lines and it was nice to see a band get straight to the music!
The next band I saw was Sworn In down at the theater stage. I have to say that I had seen videos of their live show but it was still very…unique. As far as the quality of their performance goes, when the vocalist screamed, he was very good and was able to match what was on the recordings. He did unfortunately speak a lot of his parts and cut corners a bit. The drums were spot on but the guitars seemed a bit sloppy. Even through the unbearable sound quality, it seemed they were off a bit. Nonetheless, Sworn In put on an amazing live act, sucking the audience into their dark and awe inspiring atmosphere.
Each member was a part of the entertainment and the band really has created something new and original with their stage presence. It completely matches their music and their style of wearing their own matching merch live only adds more to the effect. If you haven’t seen this band yet, you are really missing out on something very creative. See them.
After Sworn In I was back upstairs to the ballroom stage to see Born of Osiris. Everything about this band’s live show was great except that they had a backing track guitar in the right speaker during the entire show. Samples I understand but it was just a bit too obvious at how perfect the other guitar was and it didn’t really match the whole style of playing that the band was showing. Other than that aspect, this was definitely one of the better shows of the day. They played a wide range of their material dating back to early tracks as well as staying current with songs off of their newest release. Each instrument was tight and the band packed the floor within minutes of them starting.
Following up Born of Osiris was what I thought, the best band of the day: Periphery. This band sets the bar extremely high with their recorded material but the fact that they met that expectation was astounding to me. The band has many busy parts on each instrument and I was worried that the sounds would clash too much only leaving a confusing muddy sound but the band pulled through. Keeping each note perfect and staying true to the tracks, the band had the samples through the speakers which gave the songs the identity they needed.
Although it was disappointing at times to see how much was actually being put through on a recorded track, the band more than made up for it with their perfect playing abilities. The highlight of the day was watching Spencer (vocalist) hit every note onstage. One of the most talented vocalists in the genre, he absolutely amazed the crowd live with his ability to recreate his parts onstage. He blew away every other vocalist and the bands humor and relaxing vibes made everyone like them.
Last but most certainly not least was Structures. I had heard amazing things about their album “Divided By” and was told I was in for a treat to see them live. I had heard some of their music before but never got around to really focusing on listening to it. Despite that, I headed back downstairs to catch their set. Structures is definitely near the top for the day as they had one of the most energetic performances I had seen all day. With a smaller group they were able to work the stage and the crowd with their music throughout the whole set. Each member was entertaining and even though I didn’t know any of the songs I very much enjoyed them.
Metalfest was a show to remember and even though I did catch more than the bands above, I wasn’t able to watch their entire sets so I didn’t feel I could write accurately about their performances. My experience was great and it was a dream come true to see so many of my favorite bands in one day as well as delve into some newer ones! If you ever get a chance to go to a festival like this one, I highly recommend it as they are easy to navigate and you can save a ton of money seeing your favorite bands all in one night!
Rating: 9/10
-Nic
Ionia, the 5-piece melodic indie post hard core band is pleased to announce their upcoming tour "WINTOUR 2013" with Saint Diablo. Presented by Stand and Deliver Records, the tour will be hosted by Jennifer “JENNCITY” Arroyo and will be kicking off in Rochester, NY on January 12th, 2013. See dates below!
Ionia, hailing from New York City, is comprised of five socially and economically conscious musicians who are dedicated to their craft and determined to bring their sound to the masses. ionia has had the pleasure of playing Warped Tour, Taste of Chaos, CMJ, Dewey Beach Music Conference, Rockpalooza, and has had the privilege of opening for major label bands; We Came As Romans, Close To Home, Puddle of Mudd, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, I See Stars, blessthefall, Smile Empty Soul, The Devil Wears Prada, Falling in Reverse, Chiodos, and many more.
Ionia is currently recording with Mike Sapone and plan to release their next album in late 2013. The bands last album "Moral Hazard" was released in 2010 to rave reviews and was featured by Alternative Press, Revolver, Outburn, Substream and more! You can purchase the album here: http://bit.ly/UyE0Hs.
WINTOUR 2013 Dates:
Jan 12 Rochester, NY California Brew Haus
Jan 13 Clifton, NJ Dingbatz
Jan 14 Frederick, MD Café 611
Jan 15 Richmond, VA The Canal Club
Jan 16 Virginia Beach, VA Shakkas
Jan 17 Fayetteville, NC The Rock Shop Music Hall
Jan 18 Marietta, GA 120 Music Hall & W. Tavern
Jan 19 Charleston, SC The Oasis
Jan 20 Jacksonville, FL Brewsters Megaplex
Jan 22 Birmingham, AL The Nick
Jan 23 Jackson, MS Hal and Mals
Jan 24 Broussard, LA The Station
Jan 25 Houston, TX BFE Rock Club
Jan 26 San Antonio, TX Boneshakers
Jan 27 Fort Worth, TX The Rail Club
Jan 28 Lawton, OK The Railhead Saloon
Jan 31 Gallup, NM The Jaggarnaut
Feb 01 Tempe, AZ Club Red
Feb 02 Las Vegas, NV The Cheyenne Saloon
Feb 04 Sparks, NV The Alley
Feb 07 Colorado Springs, CO Sunshine Studios Live
Feb 09 Salina, KS The Factory
Feb 10 Lees Summit, MO Jerry’s Bait Shop
Feb 12 Little Rock, AK Downtown Music
Feb 13 Springfield, MO Outland Ballroom
Feb 14 St. Louis, MO Fubar
Feb 15 Nashville, TN The Rutledge
Feb 16 Indianapolis, IN The Emerson Theater
Feb 17 Columbus, OH O’Shecky’s
Sight In Sound and Thrust Management present: In Other Wordsand Sleep City on tour together. The two bands will tour throughout the Northeast region of the United States starting July 27 in Manchester, NH and finishing up on August 5th in West Babylon, NY (dates and cities listed below).
About the Bands:
In Other Words:
In Other Words is an explosive 5 piece hailing from Bergen County, New Jersey. After releasing their debut EP “Patience” through Tragic Hero Records in the summer of 2011, the post-hardcore quintet hit the road full time touring alongside acts such as Casino Madrid, My Ticket Home, Amyst, Decoder, Us From Outside, and more. With a new record in the works, the band will be finishing out their summer touring and entering the studio this Fall to begin work on their much anticipated debut full length album.
www.facebook.com/InOtherWordsBand
Sleep City:
Sleep City are a group of amazing musicians and close friends from Providence , Rhode Island. The band have shared the stage with many great bands such as Senses Fail, D.R.U.G.S., Emarosa, I See Stars, Chiodos, Alesana, Our Last Night, The Dangerous Summer, Go Radio, and many more. Since the release of Sleep City’s debut EP titled Still Breathing back in late 2010, the band have progressed their sound and are currently wrapping up the recording of their first full length album. Fans and music lovers alike are going to be blown away by the new sound of Sleep City!
www.facebook.com/SleepCityrock
Dates & Cities:
July 27 Manchester, NH @ Rockos
July 29 Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Loft
Aug 1 Providence, RI @ Firehouse 13
Aug 2 Philadelphia, PA @ UACA Hall
Aug 3 North Brunswick, NJ @ Frankensound
Aug 4 Boonton, NJ @Canvas Clash
Aug 5 West Babylon, NY @ Sinclair’s Pub
“The All Stars Tour,” a power-packed super tour has been rumored to release a full lineup announcement soon. Suicide Silence and I See Stars have been the only official bands announced thus far. Below is the official lineup for this years “All Stars Tour.”
Headbang Battle Winner
At The Skylines
For The Fallen Dreams
Obey The Brave
Make Me Famous
Betraying The Martyrs
Stray From The Path
Attila
Stick To Your Guns
Winds Of Plague
A Skylit Drive
I See Stars
Unearth
The Word Alive
Suicide Silence
From a reliable source:
Silverstein are headlining with I See Stars, Stick To Your Guns, and Make Me Famous as support slots. Stray From The Path is looking like a strong possibility, they said they weren’t sure yet and still trying to decide their summer.
