Where the Sidewalk Ends......

I had promised you my thoughts on a particular band's efforts back in....February, I think [EDIT: Shit! it was back in September!.....of last year]. Only now am I bringing it to fruition. The band in question [statement?] is Sylosis. The album, 'Edge of the Earth'.

Beginning in three.

1.....3.....fuck.....2........3!

First off, you need to understand something. Actually, a couple of things. This album is HEAVY. I mean every capitalized letter in that fucking word. I'll say it again. HEAVY. The second thing is that the guitarists [there's two of them] absolutely did not down-tune their guitars. Standard tuning on this album. For those that don't know, that goes EADGBe. Top string to bottom string.

This is a Thrash Metal album with modern production values that rivals the best of the Big Four in their heyday. The Big Four being Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer [in no particular order]. Let me tell ya, it's damn refreshing to hear a band pull this off in this day and age. Metal just isn't the same anymore. While you have a few bands carrying the torch, there are still FAR too many bands with Screamo type vocals on top of overly distorted guitars. At least display some variance in your delivery, guys! There are more than two notes available in your vocal cords, kids. Remember that.

Back to it! One of the nice things about Sylosis' music is that it isn't overly complex, but you wouldn't know it from how it sounds. And by complex, I mean, ten thousand chord changes later you have a song. The composition is such that there may be ten thousand beats, and notes, per minute [not literally], but it is completely in service to the music. Whatever feeling they wanted to convey at that particular moment in the song mends well with what's happening both before and after.  Honestly, I haven't heard an album this well put together in a LONG time!

Lets talk about the mixing for a bit, shall we? A lot of times one aspect is drowned out. Usually it's by the drums or vocals. The bass player gets the short end of the stick here, in most cases, because his shit is almost always underplayed. Rare is the band that actually uses the guy instead of having him just play a base [no pun intended] riff with which to maybe have a beefier sound.

Unfortunately, from what I've noticed, Sylosis also falls into this category. Everything else in the mix is phenomenal, but I have a hard time picking out the bass line in a lot of their songs. Maybe it's the shit earphones I'm using, or the shit laptop speakers that I sometimes use. I'm sure if they were hooked up to one badass system [that I've yet to own] I'd be able to hear everything as it's meant to be heard. I guess unless you're Les Claypool [from Primus] you're not going to have a lead-in bass riff, or a bass solo. Sorry, fellas.

Now, another thing to note is that this album is a concept album. It's about a man living in isolation his entire lifetime and how quickly it passes you by as you age. For some reason I usually have an aversion to such things. Though, I don't think I knew this was a concept album until after I'd heard a great deal of it. If it's beforehand I kind of roll my eyes. After....hand?....I have no qualms about it. I dunno, concept albums are foreign to me. I figure I like 'em more than I think I do as the few that I own I really enjoy. Maybe I should pay more attention?

This album DID NOT have to grow on me at all. SO much melody, groove, and heaviness in this music! Listening to it front to back [that's an old term that hardly applies anymore] is, truly, a beautiful thing. These guys have a story to tell and it's a damned fine one, indeed! I can honestly say that this is one epic album. People throw that word around too much these days, but this time it's the truth.

You may be asking yourself, "Jake, where can I find this fine piece of aural entertainment?". Well, friends, there are a plethora of locales from which you can acquire the chance to grace your earholes. In the interest of saving time I'll go ahead and post a couple links for ya.

Beyond the Resurrected

Where the Sky Ends

After hearing the talent on display you're probably saying, "Jake, this album sounds incredible, but what are they up to today?!". Well, rest assured, they're busy working on their third album. To be released on September 7th, 2012 [according to Wikipedia]. I have the proof!

III

Hey, thanks for taking the time to peruse this rant. I can be a giant dickhole sometimes, so it may be a little bit before I get back to posting another blahg. However, if you were entertained then please drop me a line and let me know! Encouragement is proven to work!

But then again, so are beatings..........

TGSTK out.

Bwuuuuuhhhh.......

Goddammit! I'm GOING to get back in to this! I swear it! On my rabbit's grave! Wait a minute.......

I miss Biscuit. :(

Enter Sylosis

A forewarning at the Edge of the Earth.

Details to come......

Damn That Penny!

Clearly, this is the train from Inception.

This is me...getting back on track. I decided to look at my blog and see what the last few posts had been about. They've all been the same. How it's been awhile since my last post and that I need to get better about it. This includes the one posted last night. This time I've come, slightly, prepared! There will be a video posted below this for you to check out. It might be one you've seen before as I might've posted it on Facebook. Though, I doubt you saw it there as no one seems to watch the videos I post. Nor comment on them. Where's the interest?

Here's the video I, somewhat, promised. They're called Arms of the Sun. Song's called 'Give Me Time'. They're currently in the process of getting their debut album released. It's been through the ringer in this whole process. I've been waiting for it for some time now. I definitely dig 'em. A very 90s vibe to them.

I appreciate your patience. Though, the fact that some of you may have given up on me/this blog hasn't gotten past me. For those of you still with us, I hope I can introduce you to some new music. That's all I can really hope for.

The Time...Oh, the Time!

How long has it been? I don't even know. I swore I'd be better about this blogging thing and I have not. I figured music was easy for me. Unfortunately, my interests are more geared towards reading up on things instead of posting musings about my fascination with certain bands. I, once again, aim to fix that! I do believe I'll need your help. Constant prodding and reminders to do this thing I said I'd do.

It takes approximately 21 consecutive days to make something a habit. It's not even that I don't enjoy putting my thoughts to the proverbial paper. I just get lazy with it. Pure and simple.

Now, there are a couple of new bands in my life that I'd like to speak about. As well as the aforementioned, in previous posts, bands that I've yet to get to. There is also the fact that I planned on putting my own work up for scrutiny. Truthfully, I need to figure out how to do that. Once again, lazy.  I also need to get to recording the things I've written so I can put them up at a future date.

Wow. So much to do all of the sudden. Although, if I'd just kept up with it like I said I would it wouldn't be such a daunting task. So, "HELP! I need somebody! Not just anybody!" My God, I've resorted to using Beatles lyrics and I don't even care for The Beatles. I apologize for that.

Seriously, help me keep on this. It is important to me and it will also help me get to my New Year's Resolution of actually having an album's worth [or an EP, about 6 tracks] of material recorded. Maybe even released, so to speak. I'm tired of having the pieces and not working to assemble the final product.

That is all.

Suckville

But really, me.

  Population: me. I'm pretty damn horrible at this blog thing. *Sigh* I've been conversing with a buddy of mine [really, it was a short series of texts] about putting up some riffs. Ya know, what I mentioned in my last blog? Which was probably a month ago. I dunno, I haven't looked. I'm ascared. That's not a typo.

  Anyway, I'll be looking into it. Listening to some of my other riffs recorded and re-recording them so they're by themselves. That way I can post 'em individually if I feel so inclined. Keep this rusty train a rollin'!

'Til the next venture?

Out

Where Have I Been?

I don't know.

I've had a few things rolling around in my head lately. I've been meaning to get back on track. I just....haven't. Been thinking more about my friend Andrew's idea that I post some of my guitarages for those of you who frequent this blog to hear. I just need to play some more guitar as well. Just in general.

I'll get on that. It's not like it's hard to set up. Hook my guitar into my Pod and throw some headphones on. Commence the rocking!

I think I'll build up the list a bit more before I post anything here. I also need to separate most of them out. I'd been using one "song" to record all my different tracks. None of them mesh. It was just so I could have a place to store them.

I'll get back to ya. And back at it!