Episode #48
Click to listen to this episode
1. Drones
Drones are a four-piece punk and hardcore band from Camberley in the United Kingdom. They play fast paced punk and hardcore behind some thrashy, yet melodic vocals. The band released their debut for Lockjaw Records titled, Mutiny, in September 2011. It's a fast album from start to finish with 11 tracks in just under 26 minutes. Only by the ninth track (Raise the Arms) does the pace of the album take a small break with a lone guitar and voice in beginning before diving into an array of distorted chords and powerful drums. A good portion of the songs feature a lot of the high end of the bass guitar with lots of room for some crafty melodies and movement. I especially like the bass on the song, Shells Fall, Pins Pulled (check out the music video for that song HERE) during the second verse. Drones' song on this episode is titled, Jack Won't, the opening song off of the album, Mutiny.
2. El Enemigo
El Enemigo were a five-piece punk band from Honolulu, Hawaii. Originally from the Big Island, members of the band relocated to the island of Oahu. It was there that the band settled on the name, El Enemigo and solidified their lineup until their last show in 2003. The band played a really tight mix of punk, hardcore and reggae. They were really aggressive and fast when it came to their heavier punk jams, but they knew how to transition smoothly into more mellow vibes with their reggae sounds. They made a couple appearances on the Monday Night Live series at the college radio station, KTUH, both as a four-piece and later a five-piece. El Enemigo's song on this episode is titled, Bottle Fatigue, from their live set on Monday Night Live.
3. Vultures United
Vultures United are a four-piece hardcore band from Southern California. This project originally went by as Grave For the Fireflies, but a name change took place sometime in 2007. As Vultures United, the band has released a demo (2007), the Dirt Hearts EP (2008), The Healers EP (2008), and one album, Savages (2010), released through Red Scare Industries (check out the song, The Natives, from that album on both Episode 18 and Episode 22). Their most recent record is the 7” titled, To Live and Die in Gainesville, released through Kiss of Death (check it out a review on the Top 25 of 2011 show). They are currently working on a covers album which will be titled, Girls. It will feature songs originally from female fronted bands (there was a Kickstarter project for it last year). Vocalist, Jordan Salazar, also sings on Designated Vol. 2, from Bullet Treatment (pick it up through HERE). Vultures United's song on this episode is the title track from To Live and Die in Gainesville.
4. Act As One
Act As One are a five-piece punk-pop band from Saginaw, Michigan. They play catchy punk-pop complete with heavy breakdowns, guitar solos and sweet vocal harmonies. Their first album, No Looking Back, features 12 tracks of punk-pop greatness. Their follow up, Bone to Be Radical, although only with three songs, is a prime example of how consistent (and good) their song writing abilities are (check out a song from that EP on Episode 20). Just recently the band released a new album featuring nine tracks titled, The Goodtimes. A music video was all ready made previously for the song, The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday, the second track on the new album (check out the video HERE). Act As One's song on this episode is titled, You've Got Red On You, off of, No Looking Back.
5. Almeida
Almeida are a five-piece progressive thrash band from the South Coast in the UK. Their debut, Fantastic Massacre, is 11 tracks of epic thrash and punk with a nice blend of metalcore influences. The musicianship of this band is top notch and they make that clear, even after the first thirty seconds of the opening song, Kinslayer. The album is saturated with heavy riffs, guitar solos, wonderful vocal harmonies, blast beats, speedy technical breakdowns; the band actually does quite a bit within the eleven tracks they present on the album. Three tracks (Fantastic Massacre, Reservations (III), and By Sin of Omission) exceed seven minutes, which will at times during a part of the song, showcase a more musically diverse side of the band. Some other key tracks that showcase the technicality and the brutality of Almeida are Kings in Contempt and Jury and the Execution(II). Both are fast and syncopated and feature some rather nice chugga-chugga double-pedal breakdowns. And amidst the chaos of guitar solos and deep growls is a rather sweet acoustic instrumental appropriately (or oddly, however you want to look at it) titled, Ice Cream Song. Some electrical sounds sneak in towards the end as sort of a build up into the blast beat heaviness that is titled, Bale Fire. A very, very solid effort by this band. Hope they keep making music. Almeida's song on this episode is titled, Kings in Contempt, off of, Fantastic Massacre.