By: Tracy Heck

Detroit’s hard rock/metal powerhouse Artificial Agent are back with their explosive sixth studio
album Prismatic.

The album is a furious blend of aggressive hard rock and metal with melodic hooks that will
continuously play in your head.

The unapologetic energy of the collection of 15 tracks is a staple of what Artificial Agent is all
about.

Prismatic features single “Here Comes the Waves,” which speaks about unstoppable forces that
come at you in life whether good or bad.

The track sets the tone for the album with themes of chaos, survival and rebellion swirling
together in a tornado of razor-sharp riffs, soaring melodies and a relentless drive that mirrors the
band’s own intensity.

Much like the album title, the Prismatic record is a prism of sounds, styles and stories.
Artificial Agent is Derek Jendza on lead vocals, Mike Elgert on guitar and backing vocals, Brad
Jendza on bass and both lead and backing vocals and Karl Crafton on drums.
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They will be on stage on Saturday, July 11 th in Woodhaven, Michigan at the Uncle Sam Jam with
Bulletboys and Vertical Horizon.

By: Philip Sayblack | Phil's Picks

For those who maybe have not yet heard or read the latest news surrounding Armored Saint and Metal Church, the two veteran bands will launch a co-headlining tour this fall.  The tour is an ongoing effort in support of each band’s respective new album, each of which being positive in its own right.  Phil’s Picks already reviewed Metal Church’s new album, Dead to Rights recently so, for the sake of this review, the focus will turn to Armored Saint’s new album, Emotion Factory Reset.  Released May 22 through Metal Blade Records, the 11-song record is a presentation that will appeal to the band’s established audiences and even to some more casual listeners.  This is proven in part through its featured musical arrangements.  The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical arrangements make for their own share of interest.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the presentation, ensuring just as much appeal through the general effect as through the content.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the record.  All things considered they make Emotion Factory Reset a successful new offering from Armored Saint.
Emotion Factory Reset, the brand-new full-length studio recording from Armored Saint, is a solid new effort from the band.  It is a presentation that the band’s established audiences will enjoy for the most part.  That is due in large part to the record’s musical arrangements.  From the beginning to the end of the 48-minute record, the arrangements exhibit a sound that is pure hard rock.  Right from the record’s outset, ‘Close to the Bone,’ what audiences get, for instance, is a solid composition that is just as comparable to works from Motorhead as to so many hard rock acts past and present.  At the same time it maintains its own identity complete with huge arena rock guitar solo and more.
The rhythm line that opens the album’s second track, ‘Every Man-Any Man’ is another strong example of the role of the album’s musical arrangements.  That bass line and solid time keeping conjure thoughts of various hard rock compositions that bridged the late 1980s and early 1990s, as – honestly – does the rest of the song.  Yet even with that semi-throwback approach, there is still a subtle modern touch that makes the arrangement its own solid work.
‘Hit a Moonshot’ has more of that hybrid 1980s/90s hard rock edge, as does ‘Buckeye,’ and…well…much of the record’s musical body.  The thing is that throughout the course of the record, the band manages to continue changing things just subtly enough to make things really interesting in each composition.  The result is a record whose musical body makes for a strong starting point for its overall presentation.
The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s infectious musical arrangements adds to the interest in their own way because they are fully accessible and familiar.  Case in point is the late entry, ‘Bottom Feeder.’  According to information found through research, the song, lyrically, is a familiar commentary on fake people; those self-serving individuals who live only to cause drama and make others’ lives miserable for their own entertainment.  The very line in the chorus stating, “Dinner bell/Call the bottom feeders/Get adrenaline and file in/Ring the bell/Call the bottom feeders/Your medication is ready/A new tragedy” makes that somewhat clear.  The bottom feeders are those negative people and the “dinner bell” is essentially a sort of metaphor for that signal that they sense to come in and feed on others’ positive energy, only to drain them as if they were feeding on them.  When they do, it gives them “adrenaline.”  It “fuels” them so to speak.  The fire in the arrangement, that “punch” that it delivers, works well with this chorus, helping to further illustrate the anger felt at those very people.  To that end, this song is just one prime example of the importance of the album’s lyrical themes.
On a more emotional note, ‘Buckeye’ is another powerful lyrical presentation here.  Allegedly, front man John Bush wrote this song as a tribute of sorts to his daughter ahead of her leaving for college in Ohio.  Every parent looks forward to the day that their child or children grow up and go off to college and become adults.  At the same time parents all dread that day because they have watched their children grow into those adults, loving them, being there for them through everything.  It is a difficult emotional moment and Bush does well to illustrate those mixed emotions.  He writes here, “Step by step/I’ve watched you take ‘em/From a toddler to a teen/On your new road if you’re fearful/You can rub eyes that came from seeds/Always have my hand/Even when we let go/Just temporarily/Stride through Ohio/A blank page to a tapestry/Release the payload of knowledge bombs/Run the race/It’s a marathon/A new generation who needs to align/Where you gonna be/The back/The middle/Or the front of the line/Under the buckeye/It’ll shade my girl/But let in sunlight/To grow that world/’Cause this life is lightning fast/Savor a kid’s eternal laugh/Under the buckeye/It’s got her back.”  Bush is telling his daughter that he will always be there for her even so far away from one another, reminding her, giving those words of wisdom to take the journey at her pace.  These are words of a father to his child.  It is something that every parent knows, while also reminding himself that she will be fine.  When this accessible and familiar theme is paired with the song’s semi-hair ballad approach, the whole makes the overall impact that much harder hitting and in turn another example of the strength of the album’s lyrical themes.
 ‘Throwing Caution to the Wind,’ another of the songs featured in the album’s second half, is yet one more example of the strength of the album’s lyrical themes.  In the case of this song, it would seem that the song is a message encouraging people to make the most of life each day. To carpe diem, if one will.  This is inferred as Bush sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Today I left the concrete/For the vivid forest green/To open up the pathways/Dip my foot into the stream//Maybe there/I indulged in/Some garden trickery/Well/Was it benediction/Or some sort of witchery/Disguised/Made me paralyzed/I glance and look around/From the soil and mother dirt/Like a phoenix rising from the Earth/Now I should begin/Throwing caution to the wind.”  The song continues in similar poetic fashion from here and the message is the same.  From seeing “a new canvas to illustrate” to feeling “revitalized/Every choice precise,” the lyrical message here is one of hope.  It is uplifting.  And together with its equally engaging and entertaining musical companion, the whole makes the song’s message even more resonant and welcome.  When this theme is considered along with the others examined and that trio with the rest of the album’s lyrical themes, the whole therein makes clear just how important the overall lyrical content featured here in is to the album.
Rounding out the most import elements of Emotion Factory Reset is the album’s production.  From the beginning to the end of this record, the impact of the songs is complete.  That is due to the obvious attention that was paid to balancing each of the album’s songs.  From one song to the next, the vocals and the instrumentations compliment one another expertly.  The result is an aesthetic impact that makes the album just as welcome as its content.  To that end, all three elements combine to make Emotion Factory Reset a mostly successful new record from this veteran rock act that will appeal widely to audiences.
Emotion Factory Reset, the latest album from Armored Saint, is a successful new offering from the veteran rock act.  The nearly 50-minute record is a presentation that will appeal to plenty of audiences, as is evidenced in part through its musical arrangements.  The arrangements in question serve the album well what with their blend of vintage and more modern rock styles and sounds.  The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical arrangements add to the appeal because of their familiarity and accessibility.  The poetic fashion in which they are delivered builds even more on that, making for even more engagement and entertainment.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the presentation.  That is because of the positive aesthetic sense that it delivers through the balance of vocals and instrumentation in each song.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the album.  All things considered they make Emotion Factory Reset a positive new offering from Armored Saint and another welcome addition to this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums.
Emotion Factory Reset is available now.  More information on the album and Armored Saint’s tour schedule is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Website: https://www.armoredsaint.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thearmoredsaint
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thearmoredsaint


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By: Philip Sayblack | Phil's Picks

Early this month, prog-rock band Karcius released its latest album, Black Soul Sickness to audiences.  Released independently, the 45-minute record is unquestionably a presentation that must be heard in order to be fully appreciated.  The third record in a trilogy started in 2018 with The Fold and continued in 2022 with Grey White Silver Yellow & Gold, it stands out in large part through its featured musical arrangements.  The lyrical content that accompanies that content is unique in its own way as is the sequencing of the overall content.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of this presentation.  All things considered they make Black Soul Sickness a presentation that is equally interesting as an introduction for new audiences and continuation for established audiences.
Black Soul Sickness, the recently released latest album from prog-rock/metal act Karcius, is an interesting new offering from the independent act.  Its interest comes in no small part through its featured musical arrangements.  The arrangements featured throughout this seven-song record are the absolute heaviest compositions that the band has crafted to date, continuing an evolution that honestly started in 2012 in the band’s then latest album, The First Day.  Up to that point, the music that the band had composed was largely full-on experimental music that blended elements of prog with jazz and even some World Music elements.  At the end of The First Day, though that started to change and was increasingly notable with each record from there, peaking with 2022’s Grey White Silver Yellow & Gold. That is until now.  Throughout the course of this album, listeners can hear influences of Dream Theater and Redemption, which is fronted by Tom Englund (who also fronts Silent Skies and Evergrey).  Right from the album’s outset, ‘Wallow,’ audiences will hear those influences, from the vocals to the richness of the overall instrumentation.  The production presented here really gives that whole that familiar sound and feel.  As a matter of fact, thanks to the production, expertly aligning the vocals and instrumentation, audiences might even think front man/bassist Sylvain Auclair’s vocals are right there with those of Englund.  The use of the keyboards alongside the rhythm section throughout throw back to early Dream Theater while the rest of the song throws in those Redemption comparisons.  The whole is a work that is fully engaging and entertaining.
The Redemption comparison continues throughout the rest of the record from here, as are the Dream Theater comparisons.  Drummer Thomas Brodeur’s work behind the kit – that ability to so easily handle what feels like some polyrhythmic patterns at times – is impressive to say the very least.  At the same time, guitarist Simon L’Esperance adds his own impressive touch to each song, showing putting his talents on full display from one song to the next.  The group’s work from beginning to end makes the record’s musical body a strong starting point for this record.
While the musical foundation of Black Soul Sickness is reason enough for audiences to take in the album, it is just part of what makes the album worth taking in.  The album’s lyrical presentation makes for its own interest.  That is because from one song to the next, the lyrical content is even more unique in its presentation.  According to information announcing the album’s release, the album’s lyrical content is “a haunting and cinematic odyssey through the fragile architecture of the human psyche.”  In other words, it would seem that perhaps the album is a concept record.  At least that is this critic’s interpretation.  The opening song, which spans 11 movements and a total run time of 13 minutes, 28 seconds (it is also the album’s longest song), finds a subject who apparently is struggling with a lot of mixed thoughts and emotions.  At one point, the subject states, “It’s here with me/Now in death/A soul not free/Is pleasure what you seek/Is pleasure what you take?/Leave me alone/You’re not the same/This is so wrong/Is this what I deserve/Is this what we deserve/Baby girl?”  The “baby girl” is apparently the subject’s daughter.  So, there is some family tension there.  As the song progresses, one assumes that the daughter addresses her father, saying, “And though I can’t escape the hollow of your face/Crawl in slowly/Closer/And find your way/Your finger on my spine.”  Again, here is a sense of something not great there between parent and child perhaps.  The rest of the song continues in similar lyrical fashion.  Again, there is a lot of metaphorical language herein that is sure to get audiences thinking and talking after the fact.
The album ends in pretty tough fashion in ‘Dusting My Coat.’  Right from the song’s outset, the song’s subject sings, “On the down side/At the end of the line/Looking back on what we had/All the blessings/All we could have done right/There’s no way to save it now/All the words we’d wished we said/Oh, the fun we could have had/Time to leave it all behind/Dusting my coat/And I’ll join you/Walking those last few miles/One final wish/And I’ll be there/One final push/To be high/Rest well/My brother/Rest your weary, tortured mind/Lay your head on the horizon/Time to skyrocket to Mars/Feel the weight off your shoulders/One final journey to be had/I never meant for this to happen/Never meant to cause you pain/I never wanted things to worsen/Thought we had more time than this.”  The song’s overall melancholy musical mood is a good pairing with the obviously less than gleeful mood set through the lyrical content here.  The whole works, again, with the noted description of the album’s overarching lyrical content as it definitely is a deeply emotional work in its own right that is sure to get audiences thinking.
‘Rise,’ which comes in the album’s second half, is yet another example of the interest generated through the record’s lyrical content.  This song’s lyrical content is just as thought provoking as that in any of the record’s other songs.  It would seem that the song, here, is the subject facing the negative thoughts and emotions, accepting things.  This as he sings, “I know the pain I’ve caused throughout/I know it’s real/I’ve failed to see/So now I run toward the fear/Rising to meet it/I’m swallowed whole/No space to breathe.”  This just comes across as one more part of the whole that really does seem to be a concept record.  To that end, it is an interesting placement considering how the seeming story ends.  It is just one more example of how much depth is presented throughout the album’s lyrical body.  The whole is sure to keep listeners thinking and actively listening.  In turn they will develop a whole new appreciation for this band and this album.
Speaking of having more appreciation for the album, its sequencing puts the final touch to that appreciation.  As noted, the album opens with its longest and most in-depth song.  From there, the album’s energy remains solid in the second entry, ‘Out of Nothing,’ which exhibits the Dream Theater and Redemption influences even more clearly than the album’s opener.  The album actually keeps the energy relatively high until reaching its midpoint, ‘Slow Down, Son.’  This subdued composition is also the album’s shortest, clocking in at just under three-and-a-half minutes.  It is actually a chance for the band to show here that it can plays soft and controlled just as well as it can heavy and loud.  It makes for a great break point for the album before things pick back up in ‘Rise.’  What is interesting about ‘Rise’ is that it starts off softly, in a sort of bluesy/country style approach and gradually builds to something so heavy once again.  That transition is expert, leading out of ‘Slow Down, Son.’  It is a subtle, controlled change whose impact is fully felt and heard. 
‘Awakening The Spirit,’ the album’s penultimate entry, is another interesting presentation after the heaviness of ‘Rise.’  The gradual rise, climax, and fall of the energy herein is a distinct change, notable in its own right from the rest of the album, with the final bars making for a solid transition into the subdued finale that is ‘Dusting My Coat.’  Interestingly enough, even that song gradually builds to its own climax in its final bars, ending the album on a powerful note.  Simply put, it is obvious that a lot of time and thought was put into the album’s sequencing.  Because of that time and effort, it forces audiences to actively take in the record just as much as the album’s content itself.  All things considered they make Black Soul Sickness a truly unique record that is one of the most unique of this year’s new rock and metal albums, as well as one of this year’s most unique independent albums.
Black Soul Sickness is available now.  More information on the album is available along with all of Karcius’ latest news at:
Website: https://karcius.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/Karciusmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karciusmusic

By: Philip Sayblack | Phil's Picks

Early this month, Black Veil Brides released its latest album, Vindicate, through its current label home, Spinefarm Records.  The band’s seventh album and 13th overall studio recording (counting its EPs), it is a solid new offering from the band that will appeal equally to the band’s established audiences and more casual listeners alike.  Its singles (which make up nearly 50% of the album’s body) have already made that clear.  There are, thankfully, other tracks to examine that exhibit the album’s strength, not the least of which being ‘Alive.’  ‘Sorrow,’ another later entry in the 45-minute record, is another notable addition to the record.  ‘Woe & Pain’ and its “partner song,” ‘Eschaton,’ the album’s closer, are collectively yet one more example of how much the album has to offer.  When they are considered alongside the other songs noted here and that group with the album’s singles and the rest of the entries, the whole therein makes Vindicate a powerful, memorable new offering from Black Veil Brides.
Vindicate, the latest full-length studio recording from Black Veil Brides, isa a solid new offering from the veteran hard rock act that will appeal to a wide range of listeners.  This is proven easily through the record’s musical and lyrical content alike, as its mass of singles has already shown – five in all.  There are other tracks featured in this record that serve to show in their own way, just how much the album has to offer, not the leas of which being ‘Alive.’  The musical arrangement featured in this song is a hard hitting composition that continues to show Black Veil Brides’ musical evolution.  The intensity of front man Andy Biersack’s growls against his clean vocals and the equally powerful guitar line makes for a notable impact in itself.  The addition of the bass line and drums puts the finishing touch to the whole, especially in the song’s breakdown.  The whole is a work that is easily comparable to more recent works from Wage War among others.  That is meant in a purely observational manner.
The intensity of the song’s musical arrangement works well with the song’s lyrical theme which comes across as being that familiar commentary about the hypocrisy of the religious institution and those who call themselves such devout Christians.  This is inferred as Biersack sings, “Bless your heart/Your perfect lies/Your truth that hides/Behind a false disguise/Preaching love/While you sharpen the blade/You sip the wine/Break the bread/Tear the flesh/From the living dead/But hey/At least you’re having fun/While the rest of us choke on the end of your gun/I’m alive and free/Of your misery/You try to destroy me/But you know you’re not holy/I’m alive/I bleed your tragedy/Fear can be deadly/But you will not break me.”  That mention of “preaching love/While you sharpen the blade” is pretty clear even in its metaphorical language.  People who preach love are the same ones pushing violence.  Just look at the white nationalist movement happening across America to this day as a result of the convicted felon in the White House.  Those people are exactly that this is discussing.  When Biersack states in the end of this section that, “Fear can be deadly/But you will not break me” comes across as that defiant stand against religion’s hypocrisy and that of those who claim to be so Christian.  They try to use fear to “bring people to Christ” but he is  saying they will not succeed in those efforts.
The song continues in similar fashion, with Biersack going so far as to say at one point, “Swinging your cross/While you kill for sport/Built your castle on spite and shame/But every grave you dig/bears your name.”  This is pretty blatant.  People who claim to be so Christian and Godly are the same ones, again, committing such acts of violence.  We see it daily on the news.  Between this and everything else noted, the message here certainly seems clear.  The energy in the message’s delivery, coupled with the energy in the song’s musical delivery makes the song in whole its own powerful addition to the album.
Another notable song not yet used as a single from this record comes in the form of ‘Sorrow.’  In regard to its musical body, ‘Sorrow’ takes audiences back to BVB’s more melodic hard rock leanings.  This even with the heavy guitar riffs.  Those riffs, the heaviness from the rhythm section, and the keyboards makes this song’s composition easily comparable to works from the likes of The Veer Union.  Interestingly enough, the breakdown here is a pure metalcore style presentation that makes for a unique juxtaposition to that more melodic hard rock approach taken through the majority of the song. 
The lyrical content that accompanies this song makes for its own interest.  On the one hand, one could argue that it is that familiar theme of a person battling a mental health struggles.  On the other hand, it also comes across as a song seemingly about the all too familiar theme of lost love.  Both topics can be inferred as Biersack sings, “My sorrow/I am the enemy/Now looking back/I know I let you down/And everything inside me/Heard it screaming out/I never told you how it felt/The devil seemed to have me figured out/Won’t let go/I fall down/I let you go/I’m broken/Sink into my sorrow/I become my own shadow/I guess I know/Now, what I am/I guess I know what I am/I am the enemy.”  Even in this self loathing, he adds in, “I won’t let it win.”  This is that determination to not just give up despite whatever has happened. To not let that depression win.  The song’s third and fourth verses continue in similar fashion as the first two verses as the subject battles the guilt and depression of the past.  At the same time, that reminder is there that he will not give up.  It is a powerful presentation that regardless of the theme, is clearly familiar one way or another.  It is also clearly fully accessible.  All things considered, the emotion in these words and in the song’s musical arrangement make the overall song another clear example of the album’s overall positive presentation.
Yet one more example of how much the album has to offer audiences comes in the form of the dual presentation of ‘Woe & Pain’/’Eschaton.’  ‘Woe & Pain’ is its own interesting work what with the juxtaposition of the band’s more familiar melodic hard rock lean alongside the more metalcore lean that has become more prominent this time out in this record.  At the same time, Biersack even does some light “rapping” in the song’s second verse.  On another note, the machine gun-fast bass drum in the song’s breakdown alongside the guitars and strings makes for such a powerful moment.
In the case of ‘Eschaton,’ its musical arrangement picks up where ‘Woe & Pain’ leaves off, opening with a somewhat mournful arrangement delivered dually by a piano and cello.  The melancholy mood established there continues through to the end of the brief composition.  It is a truly moving moment alongside the composition featured in ‘Woe & Pain,’ this especially as Biersack sings in the finale, “Life is never won/Just keep fighting on.”  He is saying that the best one can do is to just keep going, keep going one day at a time.  That is because there is no true winning.  There is no true vindication from anything because “vindication only works out when you’re dead/It’s no way to live.”  He is not wrong, either.  As much as we may want to be vindicated from everything we go through in life, as much as we may want to be proven right so that we can live life, it will never happen.  It is a little bit of a nihilistic viewpoint, but it is an honest argument that holds water. 
As is stated metaphorically in ‘Woe & Pain,’ no matter how much we may think that things will get better to the point of some clarity and calm in life, the negative will always show its face.  The thing is that we can and will get through it but it will always be there, so the best thing to do (as is stated in ‘Eschaton’) is to just go one day at a time because there is no winning life.  Winning means winning daily, not overall.  That is a powerful epiphany and one that many people need.  To that end, the lyrical theme of these last two songs, which are essentially one whole, make for a fitting finale to this record and one more pure example of how much Vindicate has to offer audiences.  When the overall presentation here is considered alongside the other songs examined here, and that collective along with the album’s singles and the rest of its entries, the whole therein leaves Vindicate in whole yet one more welcome addition to this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums.  Additionally it makes Vindicate one more solid offering from Black Veil Brides from beginning to end.
Vindicate, the latest full-length studio recording from Black Veil Brides, is a presentation that audiences established and otherwise will appreciate.  That is proven through its musical and lyrical content, as its singles have shown.  The songs examined here prove that just as much.  When that whole is considered along with the rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes Vindicate a solid new offering from Black Veil Brides that is also among the best of this year’s new hard rock and metal albums.
Vindicate is available now.  More information on the album is available along with all of Black Veil Brides’ latest news at:
Website: https://blackveilbrides.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Blackveilbrides
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackveilbrides

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By: Philip Sayblack | Phil's Picks

Well…that did not take long.  Not even a full two years after releasing its then latest studio recording, its album, Stigma, Wage War has followed up that record with a new record, its EP, It Calls Me By Name.  Released late last month through Fearless Records, the five-song record is another presentation from the band that proves worth hearing at least once.  This is proven through both its musical and lyrical content.  Throughout the course of the 15-minute record, the band switches up sounds and styles just enough to keep things interesting while also presenting lyrical themes that definitely make for their own share of thought.  Case in point is the EP’s opener, ‘Song of the Swamp.’  This song will be discussed shortly.  ‘Karma,’ the record’s penultimate entry does just as much to support the noted statement regarding the EP’s overall content.  It will be discussed a little later.  ‘Blindfold,’ the EP’s third track, is yet one more example of how the record’s overall content makes it worth hearing.  When it is considered alongside the other two songs noted here and that trio with the EP’s two remaining songs, the whole makes It Calls Me By Name a strong new offering from Wage War a positive new offering from the band.
It Calls Me By Name, the recently released new EP from Wage War (only the band’s second ever EP behind its independently released 2011 EP, The Fall of Kings, is an impressive new offering from the veteran metal outfit.  The record proves worth hearing thanks to its musical and lyrical content.  This is proven from the beginning to end of the brief presentation.  The EP’s lead single/opener, ‘Song of The Swamp’ makes that clear with its deathcore style arrangement.  From front man Briton Bond’s screams, which are comparable to those of Whitechapel front man Phil Bozeman at times, to the intense instrumental performances by his band mates – guitarists Seth Blake and Cody Quistad, bassist Chris Gaylord, and drummer Stephen Kluesner – the song’s overall musical composition is a powerhouse presentation whose punch is fully impacting through its own three-minute-plus run time.
The song’s lyrical content is tame on the surface but when examined on a deeper level (maybe this is just this critic overthinking things. If so, oh well), it comes across almost as some kind of brutal horror movie.  This as Bond screams in the song’s chorus of the deadly alligator, “Eyes roll back/When the teeth bite down/The beast stays fed/And the weak will drown/Deeper and deeper/Down to the bottom you go/Leave the bones for the bottom feeders/And the flesh for the crows.”  This is a pretty dramatic visual.  It definitely makes a person rethink going into a swamp, needless to say.  The reminder in the song’s finale about the alligator’s power adds to that horror movie sense as an announcer states of the alligator, “An alligator/The American version of the crocodile/Lies hidden in the swamps/Fish are the basis of their diet/But they eat anything they can overpower.”  That final statement, that “they eat anything they can overpower” adds to the sense of horror here.  It generates that “tingle” of fear that humans love to have and together with the song’s equally intense musical arrangement, makes the song in whole a clear example of how much this EP has to offer.
‘Karma,’ the EP’s penultimate entry, is another example of the strength of It Calls Me By Name.  The song’s musical arrangement takes the record in a direction completely different from that of ‘Swamp Song.’  In place of the deathcore style instrumentation and vocals is a more prominent use of electronics and production to give the song its own identity within the bigger picture of the record.  That at approach is used primarily in the song’s verses while the chorus is more of an emo type performance.  The song’s breakdown utilizes what can only be described as a sort of “rapping” to make for even more interest.  The whole is a presentation that holds its own among the record’s tracks and further shows the importance of the EP’s musical body.
The fire in the song’s musical arrangement works well with the lyrical content, which delivers a message of a person getting what they deserve.  This as Briton screams right from the song’s outset, “You can’t escape karma.”  He continues in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “See no saints in the mirror/Sins past due to the dealer/Can you feel the ice cold breath/Like a noose on the neck/Pound of flesh for the reaper/Pale skin crawls like an insect/Bloodstream flood like an infest/You can try to plead/But the rope still swings/And the sharp blade slings/For the death blessed/This is what you think it is/I hope you’re paranoid/I pray the punishment fits/As if you had a choice.”  This is pure anger.  This is “you’re gonna get yours.”  It is a fully impacting statement that is sure to be therapeutic for any listener considering how many people are out there who deserve to have karma get them in the end.  Bond adds as the chorus continues, “Dig yourself a grave/And make your peace/Bow your head/And face the guillotine.”  Again, herein is so much fiery emotion that will resonate with so many listeners.  It is along the lines of the fiery message in another of Wage War’s notable songs, ‘High Horse.’  Quistad adds his own talents and fire to the song as he adds in the chorus, “You’re gonna drown in the debt you repay/Burn in the Hell that you made/Maybe you should be afraid/You can’t escape karma.”  This overall statement is so powerful.  It is a statement that will definitely resonate with listeners and in turn become a memorable addition to this EP in its own right, further showing how much the record has to offer.
Yet one more song that shows the EP’s impact is its third entry, ‘Blindfold.’  This roughly three-and-a-half-minute song is the album’s “softest,” spending most of its time in a more emo mood than the anger that fuels most of the record.  As with ‘Karma,’ this song’s arrangement is dominated by electronics and distinct production that pairs with the song’s more metalcore leanings for a whole that presents its own identity within the record as well.  The softly song, almost contemplative vocals couple with the subdued instrumentation to add to the unique impact.  The whole therein makes the song stand out unquestionably within the bigger body of the song.
The song’s musical mood makes sense considering that lyrically, it comes across as yet another of those songs that centers on the all too familiar topic of a broken relationship.  This seeming theme comes as Briton sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “I could find you/With two hands over my eyes/Something binds you/A demon or the divine/Now blood runs/But it’s ice cold/I don’t wanna know too much/You drag me through the glass/Just to pour salt in the cuts/So what’s left to love?”  That last statement, “What’s left to love” makes relatively clear, the apparent theme here especially in partner with that note of a person being dragged “through the glass/Just to pour salt in the cuts.”  That is obvious metaphorical language for someone putting another through misery just to add insult to injury.  The inferred theme is heightened even more in the song’s chorus as Quistad adds his own line, stating, “Into the dark I follow/Sick with sorrow/A heart-shaped hollow/Keep your hooks in me/never set me free.”  That heart shaped hollow is apparent reference to a space where that heart once was but is now empty.  The mention of the other person keeping “your hooks in me” is clear reference to that person being there, causing that pain albeit emotionally rather than physically.  To that end, this song about a broken relationship is sure to appeal to specific audiences in its own right.  When its melancholy musical arrangement is considered along with this all too familiar theme, the whole makes the song stand out even more.  When the song is considered alongside the others examined here and that trio with the EP’s two remaining songs, the whole leaves It Calls Me By Name a mostly positive new studio offering from Wage War that is sure to tide audiences over until the release of the band’s next full-length recording.
It Calls Me By Name, the recently released new EP from Wage War, is a strong new offering from the veteran metalcore outfit.  It is a presentation that established audiences and more casual listeners alike will find engaging and entertaining.  This is proven through the record’s musical arrangements and its lyrical content alike, as has been evidenced here.  When those songs are considered along with the EP’s two remaining entries, the whole therein leaves It Calls Me By Name one more welcome addition to this year’s field of new EPs.
It Calls Me By Name is available now.  More information on the EP is available along with all of Wage War’s latest news at:
Website: https://wagewarband.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wagewar
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wagewar

By: Philip Sayblack | Phil's Picks

This coming summer, Metal Church will make its way along the U.S.’ East Coast in support of its latest album, Dead to Rights. The band’s 14th album (outlets reporting it as the band’s 13th are wrong), it came April 10 via its current label home Rat Pak Records, less than three years after the release of its then latest album, Congregation of Annihilation.  Spanning 10-songs in its standard edition (the expanded edition includes an 11th, bonus track), this 47-minute record (again in its standard edition) is a positive new offering from the veteran hard rock band.  That is due in part to the record’s featured musical arrangements.  The lyrical themes that accompany the album add to the record’s success.  The record’s production puts the final touch to its presentation.  When it is considered alongside the presentation’s overall content, the whole therein makes Dead to Rights one more positive offering from Metal Church that the band’s established audiences and casual audiences alike will appreciate.
Dead to Rights, the latest full-length studio recording from Metal Church, is a strong new outing for the veteran hard rock act.  The album succeeds in part through its featured musical arrangements.  From the album’s opener to its end, the arrangements featured throughout the record make for plenty for audiences to appreciate.  Right from the outset, ‘Brainwash Game,’ audiences get a song that is one part power metal and one part thrash.  Guitarists Rick Van Zandt and Kurdt Vanderhoof combine to make for a hard hitting performance in their own right while vocalist Brian Allen’s performance blends elements of Rob Halford, Udo Dirkschneider, and even Rob Dukes for a presence that is unique to say the very least.  That unique vocal presence carries throughout the course of the album, too, making for plenty for audiences to appreciate just in that aspect.
‘F.A.F.O.’ (which stands for F*** Around and Find Out) takes more of a thrash lean than the album’s opener.  Though, there are still some power metal and hard rock leanings throughout, subtle as they may be.  Drummer Ken Mary’s work on the drums here deserves its own praise especially as he switches back and forth between the hi-hat and ride throughout the up-tempo composition.  Van Zandt’s guitar solo and his general performance makes for plenty of enjoyment, too.
As the album progresses into its third entry, ‘Dead to Rights,’ what audiences get is a sort of vintage thrash style work in the vein of classic Anthrax, Megadeth and Metallica.  At the same time, the group’s collective work ensures the composition maintains its own identity, even as Allen even makes his performance so close in sound and style to that of Dave Mustaine.  Dave, if you read this, take note.  It is impressive.
The album’s next two tracks – ‘Deep Cover Shakedown’ and ‘Feet to the Fire’ – take the album in a more mainstream hard rock direction, changing things up just enough as the record’s first half closes out.  As the album’s second half opens, the band starts to move back in a thrash direction albeit subtly in ‘The Show.’  That blend of hard rock and thrash here is a smart move.  It makes the song a solid transition point for the record.  This is especially obvious as the album’s second half progresses into ‘Heaven Knows (Slip Away).’  The album’s seventh entry, it picks up the intensity even more again, showing the clear thought put into the record’s sequencing.  ‘No Memory,’ (track eight) maintains that intensity with yet more vintage thrash that still maintains its own modern edge.  The band maintains that modern hard rock edge, very much again in the vein of Megadeth in ‘Wasted Time,’ the record’s penultimate entry. 
As the album closes out in ‘My Wrath,’ the band offers listeners quite the surprise.  Van Zandt opens the song with a decidedly bluesy hard rock riff before the rest of the band joins in and moves things back in that familiar thrash direction.  One would think the two sounds and styles would not work but somehow the group manages to make it work and successfully so.  Looking back at this and the record’s other entries, the whole of Dead to Rights’ musical body is certain to keep audiences engaged and entertained throughout the course of its nearly 50-minute run time.
Building on the appeal of the record’s musical body is the lyrical content that accompanies said material.  ‘The Show’ is just one of so many examples of the importance of the album’s lyrical themes.  In the case of this song, the theme would seem to be that familiar theme of the forces that control us and keep us divided.  This is just this critic’s interpretation and comes as Allen sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Keep the peasant trained/And throw them away/Just want to know how much they will obey/Right about the time they realize/We run the show and will change disguise/Right now/You’ll see/What we want you to see/Your mind is mine/And we can make you blind/In time you’ll know/What we want you to know/So now it’s time to start the show.”    That very statement from the unseen force that “We run the show and will change disguise” certainly seems to point to that inference especially alongside the opening note of keeping “the peasant trained.”  Those in power use those of us in “lower levels” and throw us away in a moment.  Those in power continue to control things and as soon as we the masses start to realize what’s up, they change things up and make us se what they want us to see and believe. 
The seeming commentary continues as Allen sings in the song’s second verse, “You won’t want to leave/Stay right where you are/happy in your room/A sugar-poisoned jar/Thinking for yourself/That will never fly/Social credit score/Your freedom waves goodbye.”  In other words, “you will be happy in your station/Don’t try to do anything more/Don’t think for yourself/That will never fly.  We don’t want you to do that.”  Once again, here certainly seems to be metaphorical language regarding the control that those in power want to maintain.  If in fact that is the case then it is a unique way to address such a familiar topic.  It makes this song just one example of the importance of the album’s lyrical content.
‘Brainwash Game,’ the album’s opener, is another solid example of the importance of the record’s lyrical themes.  In the case of this song, the seeming theme is another familiar matter, that of people who make themselves the victims in life; those who sit around feeling sorry for themselves.  Again, this is just this critic’s interpretation.  The seeming theme is delivered as Allen sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Watching and waiting/The world is frustrating/Having your life pass you by/Nothing you’re doing/And everyone’s losing/While others have endless supply/Guardian angels coming alive/Always waiting/Lighting up the sky/Brainwash game/Feel no shame/You’re gonna lose it every time/Brainwash game/Yourself to blame/This is no victimless crime.”  This certainly points at someone who is feeling depressed, seeing others keep succeeding while we sit idly, feeling sorry for ourselves, we have only ourselves to blame.  It comes across as that motivation to pick ourselves up and make our own way.
The seeming commentary continues in the second verse, which states, “Winning or losing/It’s all so confusing/When you don’t know wrong from right/The path you are choosing/The truth you’re refusing/Society’s new parasite.”  That mention of refusing the truth, choosing one’s path, certainly seems to point back to the noted inference about people sitting around feeling sorry for themselves as they would rather ignore the truth that they have only themselves to blame when everyone else is succeeding.  If in fact this overall interpretation is somewhere in the proverbial ballpark then it is another powerful message that so many people need.  Yes, it comes across as some “tough love” but maybe some people need that tough discussion.  Keeping that in mind, it is yet another example of the importance of the album’s lyrical content.
Yet one more example of the importance of the album’s lyrical content comes in the form of the album’s closer, ‘My Wrath.’  This song comes across as one of those familiar songs that centers on someone who is just fed up with the actions of another.  We have all dealt with that person and sadly may even still do just that.  This seeming theme is inferred as Allen sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Wide awake/With anger in my heart/Don’t you mess with me/You will cease to be/You can’t take it/You have played your part/Look into my eyes/To doubt would be unwise/You have your head up in the clouds/And buried in the sand/And you still have no clue/On what it takes/To be a man/You will feel my wrath.”  This certainly comes across as that anger being vented about that other upsetting person.  To that end, if it is then it is certainly one of those therapeutic works that will help people in dealing with such individuals in their own lives. 
The subject’s anger at that other person is just as fiery in the song’s second verse, which states, “There’s no reason for you to speak your mind/No one’s listening/Your voice is sickening/Youre’ just a freak of nature anyway/get that nonsense out of here/You shall disappear/You keep on talking/Your life is over/Go ahead and make your funeral plans/You will feel my wrath/I hear your demons screaming/For you there is no redeeming.”  Again this certainly points to a theme of frustration with a clearly very toxic personality.  It is a fully relatable topic that is delivered in fully accessible fashion.  When it is coupled with the fire in the song’s musical arrangement, its impact is enhanced, making for even more impact.  When the whole therein is considered along with the apparent themes in the album’s other songs examined here and that whole with the rest of the album’s lyrical content, no doubt is left as to the importance of the album’s overall lyrical content.  When that content is paired alongside the album’s overall musical content, the whole makes for more than enough reason for audiences to take in this album.
Putting the final touch to the album is its production.  The time and effort put into the balance of the instrumental and vocal performances throughout the album fully paid off.  Each musician’s performance complimented that of his fellow performer’s work, with the result being a fully immersive presentation whose aesthetic is just as impressive as that ensured through the album’s overall content.  When the whole is considered collectively, it leaves Dead to Rights a definite welcome new offering from Metal Church and one more welcome addition to this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums.
Dead to Rights, the latest album from Metal Church, is a strong new offering from the veteran hard rock band.  Its success comes in part through its musical arrangements, which exhibit the band’s familiar blend of hard rock and thrash.  The sequencing thereof makes for just as much to appreciate here, too.  The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical arrangements add their own appeal to the whole thanks to the unique delivery of the familiar topics delivered and to the noted topics themselves.  The record’s production ensures a fully positive aesthetic to the record, making sure that the album is worth hearing as much for that aspect as for its content.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the album.  All things considered they make Dead to Rights one more welcome addition to this year’s already very crowded field of new hard rock and metal albums.
Metal Church’s North American tour in support of Dead to Rights is scheduled to launch July 18 in Derry, NH and to run through July 26 in Leesburg, VA.  Performances in Newton, NJ; Rochester, NY and Reading, PA are also included in the East coast run.  A series of North American festival performances are also scheduled for later this summer.  More information on the band’s upcoming live dates is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Website: https://MetalChurchOfficial.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMetalChurch
Twitter: https://twitter.com/metalchurchis1

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By: Philip Sayblack | Phil's Picks

John Corabi has done quite a bit in his career in the music industry.  From fronting Motley Crue for a period in the 1990s to working with the likes of RATT, Brides of Destruction and currently fronting The Dead Daisies, Corabi has quite the impressive resume.  One thing that this far into his career that Corabi had not done interestingly enough, is release any solo music.  That is until now.  This past weekend, the veteran rocker released his debut solo album in the form of New Day.  Spanning 12 songs, the 48-minute record is an auspicious first solo outing after all these years.  This is proven in part through the musical arrangements featured throughout the album’s body.  The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical body add to the record’s appeal in their own right.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the whole.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the record.  All things considered they make New Day welcome “new” addition to this year’s field of new rock albums.New Day, the brand-new solo debut record from John Corabi, is a strong first outing for the veteran rocker.  It is a presentation that his established audiences are sure to appreciate as well as casual rock fans.  This is proven in part through the record’s featured musical arrangements.  As is noted in information announcing the album’s release this past Friday through Frontiers Music s.r.l., the musical content featured throughout this album is a welcome throwback to the sounds of a bygone era.  Right from the album’s outset, which is also its title track, audiences get a song whose composition immediately conjures thoughts of some of the best works of The Black Crowes.  The country-rock styling of ‘When I Was Young,’ what with its blending of a mandolin alongside the guitars makes for its own unique presentation.  The bluesy base of ‘One More Shot,’ immediately conjures thoughts of the beloved Stevie Ray Vaughan hit, ‘Cold Shot,’ at least in the verses.  The choruses are more rocking.  ‘Laurel,’ which is included in the record’s second half, is immediately comparable to works from legendary rocker Tom Petty even as it maintains its own identity.
As the album nears its end, things stay just as enjoyable as Corabi and his fellow musicians make their way through the soulful Allman Brothers-esque ‘Good To Be Back Here Again.’ The gentle, bluesy southern rock lean makes it an instantly infectious work.  Liner notes were not included with the album’s digital presentation, but among the figures whop provided their musical talents to the record are producer Marti Frederiksen, who also performed on organ, guitar, piano, percussion; Evan Frederiksen (drums, bass, guitar, mandolin, Richard Fortsu (guitar), Paul Taylor (piano, organ, clarinet), and Charlie Starr (guitar).  Fortsu is known for his work with Guns N’ Roses while Taylor has worked with Winger and Steve Perry.  Starr is most well-known as a member of Blackberry Smoke.  In other words, Corabi’s fellow musicians here is a whose who of rockers, and the group’s talent makes for so much to enjoy not just here but throughout the album.
As the album continues progressing, Corabi and company throw back even more so with a work in ‘Cosi Bella’ that to a point, displays hints of The Beatles, only amped up.  It is a truly unique work that deserves its own attention. 
‘Your Own Worst Enemy,’ the record’s penultimate entry, is another fun, bluesy southern rock composition that throws in influences of Stevie Ray Vaughan and so many other well-known and respected figures of the same vein.  At the same time it maintains its own identity just as much as the rest of the record’s entries, adding even more reason for appeal herein.  Corabi and company’s cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s ‘Everyday People’ closes out the record in its own interesting fashion.  It stays true to the source material to a point while also giving the timeless classic a welcome update that throws back to the fun rock sounds of the mid-late 1970s.  It is such a fun accent to the whole of this record.  Between this song and all of the others (both noted and not), the whole presents audiences with a rich diversity of musical sounds and styles that forms a solid foundation for the album.
There is no doubt that the wide diversity in the musical arrangements featured in New Day do a lot to make the album worth hearing.  They are just part of what makes the album worth hearing.  The lyrical themes that accompany the record’s musical content add to the album’s appeal.  Case in point is the early entry, ‘When I Was Young.’  The album’s fourth song, it is a warm reminiscing about one’s past.  What is interesting here is that instead of being one of those songs in which someone laments having missed out on this or on that, or even being one of those songs in which a person laments about mistakes made, it is instead a positive retrospective.  This as Corabi sings at first in the song’s lead verse and chorus about what he “could have done.”  However as the song nears its end he adds, “Well the clock don’t stop for no one in this city/And time don’t ever wait for anyone/All the dues that I’ve paid/Made me what I am today/So look at what I’ve done/When I was young.”  In other words, at first he had those rueful thoughts but in the bigger picture he realized that he sure did do a lot.  It is one of those tales of someone making a realization – a positive realization – in looking back.  Keeping that in mind, everybody has one of those moments.  Because of that it makes this story all the more accessible and relatable for listeners and in turn, just one prime example of the importance of the album’s lyrical themes.
‘Your Own Worst Enemy’ is another strong example of the noted importance of the album’s lyrical content.  It is another fully accessible and relatable work whose title speaks for itself.  The lyrical presentation herein adds to the immediate impact of the title.  It is one of those songs about those toxic people who are…well…their own worst enemies.  As Corabi sings here, “It feels like I’ve been facing this forever/A relatively plain and simple truth….You always think the world is out to get you/While you pour your gasoline onto the flames/I’ve seen this all before/Don’t wanna see no more/Now you ain’t got nobody left to blame/You/Can do what you want/Say what you will/But you are your own worst enemy/It’s never in doubt/No easy way out/When you are/Your own worst enemy.”  There is one minor section in that lead verse that is difficult to decipher sans lyrics, but the bigger, overarching message is clear especially in the chorus.  This is a person addressing another, saying he/she is sick and tired of that toxic personality from the other person.  This subject is pointing out to the other, that said person and person’s personality are a pain, just in specific metaphorical language.  The commentary continues in similar fashion in the song’s second verse, with a slightly harsher statement that said second subject’s reality will eventually be revealed in time.  He is right, too.  There are too many people like the individual being addressed here.  Those people are eventually outed, too.  In the end, those people will have only themselves to blame for what happens to them.  Again, herein is a topic that is fully relatable and accessible for listeners.  To that end, it proves itself another solid example of the important role of the lyrics presented in this album.
‘1969,’ another later entry in the record’s body, is yet one more example of the importance thereof.  Corabi hinted at the song being a social commentary of sorts as he stated of the work, “‘1969’ is a great son inspired by the current situations in America, which made me think of another turbulent time in the 60s-70s…”  In other words the song would seem to be a social commentary.  The very mention of “Mr. President/Can you justify/All the boys you sent”? is as prescient today as it was in 1969, considering what the current occupant of the White House is doing at this very time.  Even the line about the “trip to the moon” is right there even though the song is lyrically about 1969, it certainly sounds like something that belongs right now in the 21st century.  The whole matter of trying to “give peace a chance” and there being “a change in the air” even adds to it.  Here in the 21st century, that change is coming as Democrats are (thankfully) looking like they are going to retake Congress and put a stop to the vile activities of the current administration.  Corabi is so right through this song.  It really does resonate and is such a fitting song for the times.  To that end it is yet one more example of how much the albums lyrical themes prove just as important to its presentation as its musical arrangements.
Putting the final touch to the whole of this record is its production.  From beginning to end, the production ensures a positive aesthetic for listeners.  That is thanks to the expert balance of the audio and video throughout each work.  Clearly plenty of time and effort went into perfecting that balance.  The result is that the record succeeds not only for its content but for the work that went into presenting said content.  To that end, the whole of this album proves to be a fully successful debut solo outing for John Corabi.
New Day, the debut solo album from rocker John Corabi, is a strong first outing for the veteran musician/singer in regard to solo work.  This is proven in part through its easily accessible and familiar musical arrangements, which are infectious from one to the next, ensuring their own identity while also throwing back to the golden days of rock and roll in each song.  The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical arrangements add to the appeal ensured through the album’s musical arrangements.  That is because of their own familiarity and their accessibility.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the whole, ensuring a positive listening experience thanks to all things being expertly balanced.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the album.  All things considered they make New Day one of the best “new” rock albums of 2026.
New Day is available now through Frontiers Music s.r.l.  More information on the album is available along with all of John Corabi’s latest news at:


Website: https://johncorabi.com


Facebook: https://johncorabimusic


Twitter: https://twitter.com/crablegs59

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By: Regis Lima

Supermoon delivers a powerful blend of gritty rock energy and smooth, infectious rhythm that immediately grabs your attention. From the first note, Crobot showcases their signature sound driven by amazing guitar riffs, tight grooves, and vocals that don’t just carry melodies, but transport you somewhere new.

There’s a natural flow throughout the album that makes it incredibly easy to enjoy in any setting. Whether you’re coming home after a long, stressful day, cracking open a drink, and unwinding or cruising down the road with the windows open on a perfect spring afternoon Supermoon sets the tone effortlessly. It’s the kind of record that adapts to your moment and elevates it.

Tracks like “Gun to My Head” and “Happy Day” stand out as perfect representations of that feel good yet hard-hitting balance. They capture both the raw energy and the laid-back groove that define the album’s identity.

Musically, Supermoon feels like a modern explosion of classic rock DNA. Imagine the soul and swagger of Deep Purple fused with the power and mystique of Led Zeppelin but amplified into something heavier, sharper, and more aggressive. It’s classic rock… on steroids.
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Overall, Supermoon is a high energy, vibe driven album that delivers both punch and atmosphere. Whether you’re a longtime rock fan or just looking for something that hits hard while feeling good, this is a record worth putting on repeat.