Simon Rushworth
It’s that time of the week again when we cast a critical eye over the very best in new rock and metal.
And this week there’s a decidedly heavy edge to the pick of the latest releases – including the return of Serj Tankian as a solo artist and supergroup Hellyeah.
We also check out hot new band Pierce The Veil (pictured), the bludgeoning Bury Tomorrow and scary metallers Enabler. So if Warrant’s more your thing (and we love a bit of Cherry Pie) then cover your ears.
Every Sunday we reveal the RUSHONROCK RECORD OF THE WEEK and bring you the BEST OF THE REST.
RUSHONROCK RECORD OF THE WEEK
Pierce The Veil – Collide With The Sky (Fearless Records)San Diegans Pierce The Veil play the kind of music that’s perfect for sunny summer festivals (if they existed any more).
Collide With The Sky, their third full-length, offers 12 tracks of polished, melodic post hardcore laced with intriguing progressive touches.
Granted, it has a sugary coating that may be a little too sweet for some, especially on the likes of I’m Low on Gas And You Need A Ja and One Hundred Sleepless Nights.
But there’s an urgency and feisty spirit to Pierce The Veil which could propel them into the major league, not to mention the ability to combine jagged edges with soaring choruses, as Hell Above and The First Punch both demonstrate.
Expect to see this quartet gracing a few magazine covers before too long… Richard Holmes
RUSHONROCK RATED: 6.5/10 Piercing the mainstream
BEST OF THE REST
Enabler – All Hail The Void (Southern Lord)
Genre: Extreme Hardcore/Metal
All Hail The Void’s 35-minute assault on the senses should come with a health warning: such an unrelenting hybrid brew of extreme hardcore and thrash metal can’t be good for you.
And while Enabler’s punishing approach will probably account for a few weaker mortals, those with a stronger constitution can find much to enjoy in this bludgeoning beast of an album.
Speechless uses an old school thrash riff, hardcore attitude and an angular riff reminiscent of Therapy? at their best to create the Milwaukee quartet’s signature sound.
Already underground favourites within America’s metal scene and regular visitors to the minor festivals, Enabler may have written the record required to broaden their appeal. Simon Rushworth
RUSHONROCK RATED: 7/10 Hail Storm
Serj Tankian – Harakiri (Reprise)
Genre: Alternative Metal
This is a big summer for Serj Tankian. Married in June and with a new solo record out in July, the Armenian-American must hope the juxtaposition of two seismic events in his personal and private lives prove complementary rather than counter-productive.
Thankfully, Harakiri suggests everything is going to plan. The follow-up to 2010’s aptly titled Imperfect Harmonies uses the multi-talented singer’s ability to straddle style and genres to a tee.
Figure It Out is a feisty little number and the glorious Ching Chime is a cheery, cheeky chappy tune evocative of Tankian’s lighter (lyrically and aurally) moments with System.
The first of four albums slated for release in quick succession, Harikiri looks set to be the most accessible of the quartet – orchestral, jazz and dance rock efforts will follow.
Alt rock is what Tankian does best and it’s difficult to see how he will better a true career highlight. SR
RUSHONROCK RATED: 9/10 Serj Of Creativity
Hellyeah – Band Of Brothers (Eleven Seven Music)
Genre: Heavy Metal
Three albums in and it’s safe to say Hellyeah have morphed into much more than a supercharged side project designed to offer its various members an artistic release away from their day jobs.
In fact Band Of Brothers sounds even more like the perfect amalgamation of Mudvayne, Damageplan, Nothingface and Pantera – swiftly evolving into the definitive blueprint of modern metal.
The titanic title track is truly sensational with its booming vocal, killer riffs and a bass line designed to demolish entire suburbs. Rage/Burn maintains the theme with dual guitarists Tom Maxwell and Greg Tribbett joining forces to create a ravenous 12-stringed beast.
With two top 10 US albums under their belts to date it seems Hellyeah have both maintained the momentum and raised the bar – this sounds like a record that means business and on this evidence business is good. SR
RUSHONROCK RATED: 9/10 Brothers In Arms
Bury Tomorrow – The Union Of Crowns (Nuclear Blast)
Genre: Melodic Metalcore
Widely touted as the natural leaders of a bristling new wave of British metalcore, Bury Tomorrow’s timely move to Nuclear Blast happily coincides with a rich vein of visceral creativity.
Given the backing of one of the world’s biggest metal labels, the Hampshire quintet have conjured a confident album marrying the raw potential of The Sleep Of The Innocents EP with the assured quality of 2009’s debut album Portraits.
It’s a heady mix of emotive songwriting and aggressive delivery – the fusion of Daniel Winter-Bates’ screams and Jason Cameron’s clean vocals working better than ever under the banner of The Union Of Crowns.
The Maiden is an absolute belter and there are many more where that came from. Bury Tomorrow’s time may well be now: if it is then they’ll come armed with an arsenal of massively melodic metal anthems destined to explode across the nation. SR
RUSHONROCK RATED: 9/10 Tomorrow Today