I'm MCMC and I review cool bands I've seen live. Music and writing are my passion. It's very important to me that talented bands get recognized, so my hope is that people will find new music from this blog while I also get to share and catologue my memories of the incredible shows I attended. I also book and promote with Planet of Sound Promotions. (No pictures are my own unless specifically said to be so.)
For Fans Of: Acceptance, Moving Mountains, Icarus The Owl, Foxtrax,
Blueblack, We Take Fire
Formed In: 2016
Status: Working on new material / readjusting lineup
Label(s): Unsigned
Recorded at: Greenroom Studios
Mixed By: Tom Malinowski
Mastered by: Ed Brooks of Resonant Mastering
-Album Review-
The Betters' debut release You From Before is an excellent addition to Long Island's already large collection of Indie and Alternative rock bands. This debut release maintains a poppy, radio friendly sound, but without the typical basic/mainstream composition or approach. Every song from start to finish is crafted with incredible guitar work, solid drum work and lovable vocals. I love how the vocals sound familiar and unique at the same time.
My first thought upon visiting the band's bandcamp was thinking that the price was a little steep, I mean, it's $7 for a local band's debut with only six tracks. But, by the time I finished listening, my opinion was adjusted. As you can hear, this album is essentially of the highest quality of recording, mixing and mastering, and I'm pretty sure that couldn't have come too cheaply. Speaking of which, my only complaint is that I can't really hear the bass well which is a bit of a shame, but not exactly uncommon. The bass playing is best heard on the self-titled track "You From Before", and it sounds great and beautiful! Wish it was noticeable more often. Aside from that though, the two guitar players step it up big time with fantastic riffs, melodies, and harmonies. They play off of each other and that's definitely the coolest part about this band in my opinion. Keeping in mind that this is a debut release, I'm absolutely stoked to see where these guys progress from here. The Betters have a lot of potential with their original style and their catchy compositions. I also get the feeling that they're the type of band that's even better live, so hopefully I can catch these guys sometime soon.
Favorite track: "You From Before"
The Betters is:
Guitar / Vocals - Eric L
Drums - Ian B Guitar - Brandon K Bass / Vocals - Mike W
For Fans Of: The Faceless, Cattle Decapitation, Necrophagist, Between the Buried & Me, Rings of Saturn, Nile, Archspire, Spawn of Possession, +Animals As Leaders , bass leads and fast drums, extreme instrumentation.
Formed In: 2005 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Status: Preparing a North American Tour
Label: Seasons of Mist
-Discography Overview-
The Aura is the breathtaking debut release from one of Canada's finest bands in the scene. Montreal based Beyond Creation is heavy, technical, slow, and fast. I discovered this band and album because of the Rings of Saturn Facebook page, and I'm not afraid to to admit it. There are several similar bands, but few can fuse the elements of technicality and brutality better than Beyond Creation. The most incredible aspect of the band is arguably the bass skills. The bass lines and guitar shredding in "Coexistence" are phenomenal. The song has everything you could hope for: a heavy breakdown, an insane guitar solo, and a gorgeous interlude with an additional bass solo. Few bands could have the bass follow the guitar so perfectly. Of course the band wouldn't be so impacting without the wonderful vocals that fit the style perfectly. And what would a death metal band be without a blast beating powerhouse behind the kit? The grooves and pounding riffs are as catchy as they are heavy. "Omnipresent" was the first song by Beyond Creation I ever heard, and the bleating riffs on guitar and bass were instantly enough to draw me in and acquire the rest of the album. "Omnipresent" is truly a masterpiece of a song. The pace and dynamic of this album is done really well, which you don't always see in Progressive Metal or Death Metal. The second to last track serves as a beautiful interlude slash intro for the finale. It's a peaceful intermission before the blast beating powerhouse known as "The Deported" closes things off. Overall, this album has some tracks good enough to bring it to the list of the greats like Planetary Duality. Go listen if you haven't yet!
Earthborn Evolution is Beyond Creation's sophomore release, and boy is it hard to stand up to their powerful debut release, but Earthborn Evolution puts up a damned good fight. Many similar sounding elements from the first album are still there, but Beyond Creation does a pretty good job at giving a fresh perspective. That's the mostl clear when you reach the second track "Sous La Lueur De L'empereur" which does all of the things you love about this band, but in a different way. The title track begins like a really cool melodic interlude, then quickly turns into consonant and slow approach to a song. This song feels almost like a tech death ballad, and I mean that in a good way. "Theatrical Delirium" is another cool one that I like a lot. I don't know how to properly describe it without sounding repetitive, but...holy fuck that bass! There are still a ton of cool parts in this album, but in the end, it still didn't leave me as WOWed as I was after The Aura. It's a great release, but it leaves me to wonder if Beyond Creation can manage to top their first record. Unfortunately it's very hard to stay original and fresh in death metal genre. Still, I'm quite curious to hear what these guys do next.
-Live Review-
Beyond Creation is a must-see Death Metal act. They're brutal and beautiful. The instrumentation is on point, and the sound quality has always been great. The vocalist also has a fan (or something?) built into his guitar, so that it blows on him while he plays making his hair fly back behind him in a corny but hilarious display of metal power. \m/.
Beyond Creation's energy is powerful, so the crowd will usually circle pit or indulge in a push pit of sorts. Unfortunately, the first time I saw Beyond Creation in the city my fellow New Yorkers embarrassed me by yelling out "Canada sucks" and stuff like that, but the band took it in good humor and played out their heart's content. My friends in Animist opened up for that show, and it was absolutely sick. The second time I saw Beyond Creation was at Summer Slaughter at Webster Hall. They had an even bigger crowd this time around, and played just as well. I'm really happy these talented dudes have been able to break out into the big leagues, they definitely deserve it.
The first song I ever heard, and the same video too! Check it out. (Bass players be warned, it's intense.)
For Fans Of: Giraffes? Giraffes!, Chon, Mouse on the Keys, American Football, Tottorro, The Number Twelve Lookes Like You, TTNG, Antarctic , +Animals As Leaders , Toundra, Psyopus, Piglet, prog rock, weird math music, bass and drums, extreme instrumentation.
Formed In: 2009
Status: Uploading Weird Cover Photos on Facebook
Label: Nefarious Industries
Bangladeafy's debut album is a release you won't soon forget. The album art and title is very telling of what you should expect. From start to finish, you will feel like your brain is on drugs and/or bugs, as Bangladeafy's unique erratic sound crawls in through your ears and then infests your brain with catchy technical prowess. I can't think of any more extreme math rock then these guys. Time signature changes, grooves, oddly like-able singing that fits, and drum beats that I could only dream of playing. You can try bobbing your head, and I wish you the best of luck in doing so. Man, the bass and drums are so on point for this record as well as the others, you need to show it to anyone who appreciates those instruments and blow their minds. Listening to Bangladeafy is also great for bragging rights.
Favorite Song: Burn The Witches
The Briefcase isn't that much different than it's predecessor. This isn't a bad thing either. Right away you can tell all of the same elements you love are still there, with perhaps a slightly more advanced and intricate approach. The bass only gets catchier, and the drums faster. You'll be wondering how bassist John Elhers and drummer Atif Haq write these extreme songs let alone play them. Don't think about that too hard, or your brain will bounce around in your head too much. Dare I say so, but I feel like this EP is a little more jazzier too. The Briefcase is a very catchy record, that will make you want to pack up all of your things in a briefcase and go somewhere in the woods just to decipher the complex musicianship this album holds.
Favorite Songs: Tubes or Fruit Flies
Narcopaloma. This EP is the culmination of everything dissonant, everything consonant, everything that Bangladeafy is and ever was, is perfectly represented in this prog blender of an EP. Some scientists think that you hear Naropaloma front to back when you die [Disclaimer: Please buy the music rather than die to hear it for free]. The drums on this EP are undoubtedly my favorite yet, with seamless transitions, hyper-active grooves and the ever-addicting cowbell on Trillionaire. As always, John supplies tasteful bass like no other band can as well as some sick Synth playing. In my opinion, Bangladeafy has managed to top their prior works with this release, which truly leaves me frightened and excited to hear how they top this masterpiece.
Favorite Songs: Act Like An Adult or Trillionaire
I remember hearing about Bangladeafy for years. Probably since around the time of their first release back in 2011. I didn't listen to them though until they were on a bill with my good friends in Cryptodira. I checked out the band and was like "yeah wow I gotta go!" but for whatever reason, I either didn't or couldn't. It wasn't until Crypto announced they were playing with them again in 2016 that I re-listened to them. Since my love for math rock and progressively weird music has only increased, as well as my ear's sharpness, I realized they were also only a duo in addition to comprehending how insanely talented they are. I instantly fell in love and knew I'd have to take off work and drive to Brooklyn for this show. Plus they were also playing with my homies in Fall of the Albatross and Consonance. Lucky me!
Spoilers: They are just as insane and unbelievable live as they are on their CDs. You're jaw will be wide open and your foot will be tapping, but your face will also be melting. Bangladeafy is a live experience like no other. You could write entire term papers on their music. In addition to being prog gods, John and Atif are extremely nice and down to Earth. They were more than happy to converse with me just as I was more than happy to buy Narcopaloma. Can't wait to see this band again. Make sure YOU see this band next time you can too!
If my words aren't enough, and listening isn't enough for you to comprehend this band's talent, check out this video play through!
Download (and buy) their music here: https://bangladeafy.bandcamp.com/
Keep updated on their blog +bangladeafy or facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Bangladeafy/posts/?ref=page_internal
For Fans Of: Scale The Summit; The Contortionist; Cloudkicker; The Ocean; Pelican; Plini; Intervals; Between the Buried & Me; Animals As Leaders; chill vibes; guitar shredding; climbing music.
Formed In: 2013
Status: Working on new music, playing shows.
Label: Unsigned
Location: Staunton, Virginia
Atlas Concept is a progressive metal band from the far away land of Virginia. I had the pleasure of helping book them a Long Island date on their tour. Huge shout out to Harold from Fall of The Albatross. Without him, I would have never known this wonderful band exists. You can tell right away from listening to the opening track "Tessellate" that Atlas Concept is a beautiful and adventurous sounding band, with serene but powerful riffs and the perfect bass and drums combo. This debut EP is great for chillaxed background listening, or an epic instrumental theme for those who like to go outside and take music on a journey with them. The progressions and melodies are done expertly throughout the debut EP, but the first song alone displays all the different perspectives the band has to offer us. The second song, adequately titled "Stardust", is a beautiful guitar and bass interlude that leaves as quickly as it arrives. Atlas Concept probably could have put this interlude between every track or made this one ten minutes and I wouldn't have minded either. "Primitive Nuances" starts off slowly, and builds up faster and faster. The guitar work on this track is utterly phenomenal. Atlas Concept may sound a lot like Scale the Summit, but they are by all means, a very original and uniquely expressive band. "Kunai" further backs up my last statement. This track is tense, groovy, and heavy. All of the instruments work together to make "Kunai" as extreme and mathy as possible, replete with catchy riffs. If your head isn't bobbing to this track, then maybe you need to raise the volume. It's super impressive to me that this band would not function as well if there wasn't a good drummer and bassist able to follow the guitar work precisely. This dynamic is changed up completely, when the next interlude kicks in. My statement from before also applies. I could listen to an album of mellow music by Atlas Concept that's how good they are at doing serene music. "Construct" is another track that blends an interesting dynamic of their guitar work and an insane post-rock interlude in the middle of the song. These dudes are seriously great at composing beautiful artistic songs. "Construct" is the album closer, and it fills that role perfectly. Another compliment I want to give these guys, is how well they organized their track list. From start to finish, their debut is fantastic and well-paced. Thanks guys for giving me another incredible album to listen to when I fall asleep, or go on hikes!
I only listened to one track by Atlas Concept before, seeing them live. I just wanted to make sure I liked all the bands I was booking, but I didn't want to spoil anything. They blew me away with an ocean of powerful prog music. I can't think of any band on Long Island that composes music such as they do, so it definitely helped me appreciate how insane Atlas Concept is live. There was no doubt that I would get their music after. I highly recommend catching this band live if they are playing near you, and if they aren't then go download or buy their music and wait until they do, I promise it'll be worth it. I'm definitely waiting to see them again, especially now that I know their music a lot better. One can only imagine how good and epic the next release will be. I have high hopes it'll be as impressive as their self-titled EP. I suspect the new record may even have vocals this time around...
You can listen/download/buy their music on Bandcamp here: https://atlasconcept.bandcamp.com/album/atlas-concept
Make sure you like them on Facebook too, it's a crime they only have 500 likes. Fix that here --> https://www.facebook.com/AtlasConceptBand/
For Fans Of: Giraffes? Giraffes!, Chon, TTNG, Antarctic , +Animals As Leaders , Bangladeafy, A Lot Like Birds, Circa Survive, prog rock, weird math music.
Formed In: 2014
Status: Just Chillin’ (Pretty sure the drummer is recovering from an injury)
Label: Unsigned
The American Working Class is a duo of math rock wizards hailing from Nassau County, Long Island. Their debut EP Summer Sessions sounds as non-chalant as the title implies. The duo makes music that sounds somewhere in between a jam and written material. The drums and guitar balance each other very well, and the first three songs of the Summer Sessions EP sound like they could all be parts of one song. The fourth song "Ricky Spanish" continues in the same manner, but has a hidden gem in it that sets it apart from the rest. After a pedal interlude, the last minute or so of the song switches gears completely. Short and sweet, but a fun twist for the end of their debut work. This is a cool quick record to pop in.
TAW's sophomore release, is noticeably more mature sounding. From start to finish, there's more variety, and possibly some new influences such as Chon. The guitarist also sings, which changes things even more. He has a unique and soothing voice which fits the band's style well. The audio clip in the first song "About As" somehow manages to fit very well. The outro in the second song is really cool and spacey. I like the band's subtle way of ending that song. The third songs starts with an awesome speech clip, and an excellent groove. Guitar and drums fuse together effortlessly. There's even a mathy-breakdown in this song.
When I saw The American Working Class for the first time, it was at Evolution Sound Stage, and they happened to be the only band I didn't know on the bill. My friend Cody Hosza had them labelled as math rock though, so I knew I'd enjoy them, as well as the fact that they were put on a spectacular line-up with all of my friends (Blueblack, Luke Zwelsky Group, It Came From Space and Animus Apart). The American Working Class certainly did not disappoint. I saw them again a second time at O'briens with a bunch of other experimental and math rock bands. Their drummer was a fill-in, but you wouldn't have known unless you were told so. The American Working Class's music is even more intense and dynamic live. If you like technicality and mellow beauty, I definitely recommend catching these guys when they play their next show. It'd also be interesting to hear what they come up with if they ever do a full-length. I happen to be looking forward to both!
So, I had the opportunity to see Baroness right around the time that I was jamming them hard. Naturally I copped a ticket before even checking out the other bands they were playing with. I travelled to Webster Hall by myself to see them. It was definitely worth it, but they still left me a bit disappointed and upset. Why? Because Baroness hardly played any old music. As is common with my taste in music, my favorite releases are the earliest ones. First, Second, “Third”, Red, and Blue are hands down my favorite releases. Baroness ripped back then. They were sludgy and fast paced, but also melodic and elegant. Their song composition was unpredictable and exciting. In later albums they felt more of a formulaic hard rock band with only hints of the band they used to be. What happened? Maybe the singer can’t do old songs any more because of the growling yells? Maybe they just hate their old music? I have no idea, but the best I got was them playing “Isak” and the instrumental track off of Blue “Ogeeche Hymnal”. The six tracks that comprise the first two EPs have a perfect dynamic, excellent flows and progression, and the most impressive drumming and guitar that the band has shown. Despite this, I wasn’t expecting to hear the two EPs live because of their age, but I did feel insulted that they only played one Red song and one Blue song, yet Baroness played almost all of Yellow & Green and Purple.
Yellow & Green is definitely what I would consider the band’s low point, as that music is essentially progressive dad rock. However, even that album has it’s merit, and it’s still a good album, it’s only ‘bad’ in comparison to the albums that came before it.
Despite their choice for a set list, they did sound tight as hell. It was like listening to the records live, but better. In addition to their sound, they also had cool stage lighting effects. The stage was illuminated by whatever color album the song they were playing was off of. (Red, Blue, Yellow & Green, Purple). There was a point where they started playing a song and the lights were still red-trust me, I was hype- but then I realized it was a song off Purple. The same time that I realized that, the stage engineer did too cause they actually switched the lighting mid-song that time. Talk about a sad face.
Because I try my best to be unbiased, I’m giving Baroness four stars for their live performance, because if you happen to like the last two albums the best, then you were probably having the time of your life. They were energetic and powerful. I’m still glad I got to see them and experience them live. Maybe when I get a time machine I can watch Red Album or Blue Record played live all the way through. That’d be tight.
Reccomended tracks:Tower Falls, Wanderlust, The Sweetest Curse, Jake Leg, Chlorine & Wine.
For Fans Of: Dear Hunter; Neurosis; Isis; Pelican; Rosetta; Russian Circles; Pallbearer; heavier Explosions in the Sky; loops; pedals.
Formed In:2014
Status: Four upcoming shows, and a late September release for the new album.
Label:Unsigned.
-Discography Review-
So, your first impression of Blueblack will be based entirely off of which way you listen to them first. If you listen to their debut record, you will find an entrancing stoner rock album with lots of pedals, loops and distortion. You’ll be sucked into a post-rock vortex and mesmorized by the bleeting guitar riffs and the precise and powerful drums. If you’re looking for bass, you’ve got the wrong band. Blueblack makes it work without a bass player, most likely because they know if they had one, you probably wouldn’t be able to hear him anyway. So, what I love about this record is that every track is memorable. The intro track is exactly that, an intro. It just sets the stage for the musical agression that is to come. “La Bestia” and “On the Moor” are the next two tracks that utilize catchy effects and powerful bridges. The former track “La Bestia” is probably my favorite song on the album. It’s catchy, heavy, and has a great beat and expert pacing. This song live is heavy enough to make me wanna punch people, which is no easy feat for an instrumental band that isn’t just playing a breakdown. The latter track could make a great movie soundtrack, it’s both beautiful and gritty at the same time. The next track is the longest on the album, and it’s very slow. The guitars seem to be reminiscent of classic rock/Pink Floyd here. This is definitely the most post-rock song on the album. But instead of going for a cliche build up, Blueblack opts for a more subtle approach on this song. After the serenity clears, “Horsehead” begins with what sounds like a wah pedal on loop, then they go all out with their pedals and effects. “Mountain And Sea Changing” is an atmospheric experience in the vein of Explosions in the Sky and God is an Astronaut. Its soothing spacey feel passes by very quick, and before you know it, you’re on the last track of the album. The last track isn’t much different than the one that preceeded it. It’s still a cool way to close off the album.
One of my few complaints about this record, is that some songs don’t sound entirely complete or connected with one another. If the idea is to have autonomous tracks, then that goal has been achieved, and that’s why I don’t have this complaint live, but as a record to be listened to from start to finish it’s a little lacking in that department. Also, all of the energy and heavy tracks are in the beginning of the album. I assume this is known, but the balancing still feels a little off because of it. Despite these things that I only care about because I’m analyzing and rating this album, I love this album for how unique it is. I have a wide range of taste, and I still had to ask my friend Gio if he agreed with the bands I put for the for fans of section. The dynamic and composition is great, and the live experience is an incredible one that I’ll get into in a little bit.
Destroy, Blueblack’s sophomore release, starts off on a similar note to the prior album. The opening track, “Anthem” sounds a lot like the first track of the self titled. The biggest difference between “Anthem” and “The Cloudcage” is how much muddier the track is this time around. Between near-sludge guitar tuning and more prevalent drums, Destroy has only just begun with a great start. The next track is “Don’t Call Me Girl” where Blueblack utilizes their abilities to write a catchy and melodic song. This song is so pleasant that I’m sad it wasn’t one of the long ones. Next up is a song with an audio clip played throughout it. While “Branches Broke” probably isn’t a song that could be played live, it does a good job of breaking up the action in the album, and it’s a tranquil and weirdly cool little piece. “Hawkwing” is the next track, and it’s another diverse one starting off with beautiful progressions. The song just gets wilder and wilder with effects, and reminds me of a movie soundtrack once more. It’s probably my favorite song on this record. “Spaghetti Western” starts off sounding like an 80′s movie theme, it has some cool flashy riffs and solid beat. Essentially, the type of stuff you’d expect from the trio. It’s cool how it still has a Blueblack feel to it. “Against Corners” is an exciting track that comes out of nowhere. Unfortunately, its impact on me kind of wears off after a little bit. This track just seems to fail to grab and maintain my attention throughout. I guess you could say it drags a little. Despite that, it’s still not a bad track. The final track “Jump Up Get Down” however, does everything the track before it couldn’t. It serves as an energetic and satisfying finale. All in all, I’d say if you enjoyed Blueblack’s first release, then you’ll be in for more awesome tracks and you shall not be disappointed.
-Live Review-
My friend told me that Blueblack was a sick local band. At that point, I am unsure if I had heard of them or not, but they left a lasting mark on me on that faithful night at O’Briens in Coram. They were desribed to me as “that band with a shit ton of pedals” and they did not disappoint on that front. Their set was so heavy and powerful, that I made sure to cop their debut self-titled album. They impressed with me with a tight and loud performance. When I got home that night, I uploaded the album to my crappy Itunes account and listened to it more and more. (I’m also big into CDs so I listened to it a lot in the car as well.) Because of this, the next time I saw the band it was an even better performance because I knew all of the songs. Hearing those catchy riffs and stoic drums come to life again at AMH was great. Showing them off to my friends was cool too. My third time seeing Blueblack was at the Evolution Sound Stage and I still didn’t feel bored or sick of any of the songs, and the new song they played was good too. Blueblack’s Dynamic of heavy and soft is cool live, because all of it is still loud. If I can, I’ll continue to catch these guys whenever possible.
Music aside, I have noticed that the 2nd and 3rd time I’ve seen them, some of my friends have felt distanced by the band’s snarky comments while on stage. I think the sarcasm and wit is part of an act, but also who they are. Essentially, the sole speaker for the band during shows is the drummer Christian Phillips, and he has told me “As a band, we mostly just wanna have fun and make sure that at the end of the night, people remember our music.” I’d say his/their mission accomplished in all cases, but perhaps I should warn easily offended readers just in case their skin isn’t thick enough as well. In the end, Blueblack is here to create and play music, and I have a feeling no matter what anyone feels they’re going to keep doing just that, and power to ‘em for it.
You can buy their debut album here at name your own price, and the new one will be released in late September. Get stoked.
