Attalus - Into The Sea, For Today - Wake, Immortal Souls - Winter Metal, Rebuker - New Leaf, They Dwell Beneath The Temples - Outshine The False Light
Other Releases
The Architect - Life Giver, ChugChugWob - Redemption, Conveyer - When Given Time To Grow, DeclarationAD - Sometimes It's Us, Fireflight - Innova, Household - Time Spent, My Flesh May Fail - Surrender, Oh Redeemer - Tidal Force, Surpasses - Self-Titled
Alive & Fighting - Endeavor, Ann Perkins - Native Tongues, Atrocities - Demo 2015, The Dwelling - Strive, End Of Atlas - 1225/Prosperous House, Wither - Theodicy, Tracings - Bloodlines & Anchors, Wolves At The Gate - Reprise
Other Releases
Abated Mass Of Flesh - Deathcrusher and Abhorrent Postmortem Vicissity, Alexon - Ancient Of Days, Burn Again - Union In Death, Dripping Blood - Vergankelijk, Embers Of Earth - The Resistance, Flesh War - The Victory Of Jesus Christ, In A Broken World - For Those Like You, It Is Well - Letters, J'Accuse...! - Self-Titled, Judgement X Day - The Altar, Killing Goliath - Burning Bridges, Middle Child - As Performed By, Rapture - Trials, Richard Cory - Is This Tomorrow, Timoratus - Death and Doom, We The Fallen - Reflect Your King, Your Hands Write History - Rest/Eternal
Raze The Idols is a Texas native metalcore band. I did not have too much knowledge about this band, therefore leaving me with little expectations about this album going into this review. From time to time I do enjoy that, because it leaves me with a clear conscious and all biasness to the side, making it easier to form a completely fresh review.
Dominion opens up with an intro track that flows right into the opening self titled track. Right away Dominion proves it is one of the stronger tracks on the album, and that Raze The Idols is not your typical modern day metalcore band. They immediately flex their muscles of old school metalcore with fast riffs, stifling drumming, and intense vocals from Ben Jacobi, whose sound is almost uncanny of Matt from Mychildren Mybride. The song has an incredible guitar solo towards the end of the track, solidifying the various elements Raze the Idols is capable of displaying.
Raze The Idols continue there relentless metalcore attack through he album, also adding clean vocals and spoken parts in some songs. Harbors Of Hate and 11:28 are tracks four and five, are also very solid songs, that continue with their hard hitting riffs Ben's in your face vocals. The Bride comes in as track eight after the instrumental Leviathan. It is one of their finest moments on the album. The first half of he song is heavy, has a piano intermittent, then continues where the first half left off. The lyrical content is dark and brutally honest talking about how we (the Bride) leave God for the lust of the word. Emancipation Proclamation follows and is another solid song. Warrior is track is track twelve, and has a more hardcore feel. It also features guest vocals from Broc of the fellow Texan band, Revivalist. It is a battle song proclaiming our strength in God. In The Shadow Of Your Will closes out the album, and it features mostly cleans and finishes out strong.
Overall Raze The Idols shows they have the promise to have a powerful sound. The production is real raw which at times holds back that powerful punch they are capable of. The use of clean vocals could have been utilized better and at times felt forced. Regardless, Dominion is a good listen, and a promising step forward for Raze The Idols. They have a versatile sound, and a brand of raw metalcore that is not heard to often anymore in a Christian scene that has seen more conformant and unity in band's sounds. They are talented a cross the board at each position, and with a step up in production I can see Raze The Idols doing big things in the future.
A - [B-] - c - D - F
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Top 15 Albums of 2014
.15.
Still My Darling
A Few Years From Now
metalcore
A record that few people know about. Which should not be the case. Still My Darling sent us off with a goodbye with this album. They had a special style of versatile metalcore that separated themselves from your typical metalcore band today. There is something in this record for everybody, and though they are done, don't let this record go unnoticed. It shreds, has some of the best breakdowns, and the vocals are top notch.
Nothing Till Blood released a really enjoyable record for me. This record is heavy hardcore that is fun and energetic. The lyrics are perfectly uplifting and Christ-centered.
Today it is extremely difficult to find a good blackened death metal Christian act. And tho it is hard for me to get into the genre, I can easily say A Hill To Die Upon is on top of that short list. Holy Despair is the standard for Christian blackened death metal.
Jared Dines has had quite the viral year in 2014. But so did his band Dissimulator, with the release of This Is Darkness. Dissimulator has quickly established themselves as a wrecking force of Christian deathcore madness. One of the heaviest releases this year that is relentless from beginning to end.
What a year for Darkness Divided! Signing with Victory Records, releasing a strong debut full length, and touring the country non stop. This album has implemented DD as one of metalcore's strongest rising bands.
Enslaved In Exile is a crushing release from EOTD. A lot of deathcore bands are one dimensional and repetitive... not the case here. Anything heard in their respected genre can be heard on this record. If there is one record you were to immediately check out after reading this list, it should be this one.
Usually there is at least one record that surprises me and instantly makes the list. Comrades comes at you in so many musical directions. With a beautiful mixture of post rock, alternative, indie hardcore, post hardcore, and instrumental it is hard to pin point an explanation, but to just take it all in and enjoy.
I believe FFAK made huge strides with this album. They strayed away from the style they portrayed in their first two releases and added some refreshing elements to their metalcore roots this time around, and it results in a more versatile and mature record. And coincidently they are blowing up and being featured on bigger tours.
Sojourner was one of me favorite albums of 2012, so automatically it was going to be hard to top for me. But Forevermore clearly made a strong case this year. Bringing on ex Onward to Olympas vocalist, Kramer Lowe, was a strong move. They mastered their sound heard on Sojourner, added Kramer's intense vocals, and made a fantastic record. Strong Solid State Records pick up.
This is the year that Caleb Shomo shed his Attack Attack image and became one with his band Beartooth. Being together 2 years now, Beartooth has taken huge strides in popularity. This record has anthem after anthem for the broken teens far and wide. Positive lyrics that clearly point to a loving God, with in-your-face loud, hardcore mashed rock is the recipe for Beartooth's success.
The end was inevitably in sight for Anberlin. And this year they ended their storied career, released Lowborn, and kicked off a final tour. They went out with incredible fashion with Lowborn. It is a soothing blend of classic Anberlin and experimentation in alternative rock seen on their previous album.
Silent Planet released The Night God Slept and it took everyone by storm. It was highly anticipated and worth the hype. This record hits emotional topics and creates touching stories, all with precise musicianship from each member. Solid State Record's signing of them may be the smartest move the label has done in a long time.
I discovered them over the summer, and Separatist immediately exploded onto the Christian circuit. Now a solo project, Separatist packs one brutal tech death punch. Closure is a dark imaged story of a man going through the times of revelation. If I was more into tech death metal this record would be the top spot. Near perfect album.
Re-released, at the same time Closure was released, is a re-mastered version of their debut album, Monuments.
The Urgency has received high praise in New Zealand and Australia. And for good reason. Saving Grace releases an onslaught of aggressive metalcore mayhem from start to finish. Throw in some old school thrash and hardcore elements with solid Christian lyricism, and you have double peddle Jesus metal at it's finest.
Prepared Like A Bride released an incredibly strong, honest, and emotional album in Overcomer. Heavy personal lyrical content is the foundation of this record. With many songs dedicated to the vocalist Ryan's, father's death, making it heavy in heart, but preaches on overcoming those dark adversities. Musically it goes hand-in-hand, matching the lyrical atmosphere of the record. It has it's heavy moments, atmospheric elements, and it is full of beautiful melodies and choruses. The bar was set, now watch their career catapult to the next level.
Blood Thirsty - Sanguine River Absolution, Colossus - Badlands, Demon Hunter - Extremist, For Today - Fight The Silence, Mouth Of The South - Struggle Well, Nine Lashes - From Water To War, Silence The Ocean - Broken Vessels, Those Who Fear - Death Sentence, War Of Ages - Supreme Chaos, With Increase - Death Is Inevitable, Wolves At The Gate - VxV
Other Notable Releases
Akissforjersey - New Bodies, Armory Infirmary - Live Again, The Autumn League - Concept of Irony, Beware The Neverending - Times of War, Bruised But Not Broken - Fragment, Disciple - Attack, Fire The Sun - An Evolution In The Creation Of A New Self Being, Gideon - Calloused, Hotel Books - Almost Happy Here, But I Never Feel At Home, Lookin Up - Reborn, Memphis May Fire - Unconditional, Monolith - Monolith, Nigh Is The Hour - Decalogue, The Old Timers - Soli Deo Gloria, The Overseer - Rest And Let Go, Raze The Idols - Dominion, Reformers - Abolish, The Saving - David Star, The Scarlet Lie - Sonorous, Sleeping Giant - Finished Love, Type (A) Alert - Into Depths First Light, Uglytwin - Oh The Cost, Without A Hobby - God's Machine
This concludes my Top of the year lists for 2014. It was a fantastic year in music with witnessing a lot of growth from a lot of bands.
I thank everyone for all their involvement and support of bands!
If your band (or a band you know ) did not appear, be sure to contact God's Love For Hardcore throughout the year with your future releases to secure a submission for the annual Top 15 lists.
