Tag Archives: velocity records

01/27/2012

[MUSIC REVIEW] ‘The Ascent’ by Secrets

By lmpmagazine

The Ascent
by Secrets
[January 17, 2012 – Velocity Records / Rise Records]

Verdict: 6.5/10 (Stream It)
RIYL: Scream Out Loud, A Day to Remember, the Fall of Troy

Think of SECRETS’ debut the Ascent as a snowball rolling down a hillside. The opening “Genesis” opens the proceedings well enough, but as the Ascent progresses, it builds and grows with powerful waves of forceful swells and progressive breakdowns, most notably with the destructive back-to-back combo of “the Heartless Part” and “40 Below”, though the Ascent isn’t all such pomp and circumstance. SECRETS are a band at their very best when they kick things into a melodic gear and let their post-hardcore skills take center stage, as evidenced by popcore-esque tunes like “Somewhere in Hiding”, “Melodies” or “the Best You Can’t Be”, cuts that find the band flexing their dynamic muscles via soaring vocals and infectious hooks. Not to be overlooked are the production contributions of ex-A DAY TO REMEMBER guitarist Tom Denney, and you’ll see why as you make your way through this slate of songs. For a band that’s been together for around a year, the Ascent is a quality first offering and just a glimpse of what this promising San Diego quintet is capable of down the road.     -by Brian Campbell

Most Recommended Track: “The Heartless Part” – One of the heaviest tracks on the album, though it represents some of the albums better melodic hooks as well.
Studio Notes: Produced by ex-A Day to Remember guitarist Tom Denney
Release Date: January 17, 2012
In Conclusion: While it may be hard to pick Secrets and probably any song of this album out of a crowd full of their sonically cloned peers, still, the Ascent is worthy of at least a little bit of your time. Sure, the hallmarks of that mallcore type sound are here, but some of these songs are pretty damn good.

FOR A SECOND OPINION, CHECK OUT THIS REVIEW BY NICHOLAS SENIOR: http://lmpmagazine.com/2012/01/24/music-secrets-the-ascent-review/

AND A THIRD QUICKIE OPINION…
Verdict: 8.5/10
Apparently, out of the main staff writers here at LMP, I was the most impressed by this debut. However, is that really a surprise? I am, after all, the screamo fan of the staff. Any way, Secrets do a great job on The Ascent. While their ability to switch between brutal/intense to melodic/catchy isn’t something new to the scene, the band does it very well. As a result, there are plenty of great breakdowns and soaring choruses to be heard. Fans of screamo should really dig this, especially with the metalcore influences peppered throughout. Fans of the older Rise bands (those that really got the label popular) should certainly pick this one up without hesitation. — by Nathaniel Lay

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10/17/2011

Music Review: A LOSS FOR WORDS – No Sanctuary

By lmpmagazine

A LOSS FOR WORDS
No Sanctuary
[Velocity / Rise Records]
Verdict: 8/10
In the past, I had never really listened to A LOSS FOR WORDS, but I had the impression they played gruff punk. After hearing No Sanctuary, I can’t help but wonder where the hell I got the idea from; these guys have way too much pop to really get a “punk” labeling. Despite my surprise, I did find this album enjoyable. While No Sanctuary primarily gave me a MAYDAY PARADE vibe, there are a couple “heavier” moments that showed an interesting side to the band. The faster and angrier stuff comes to play with the title track, which is a bit odd; if the album is named after this kind of material, why is the rest of the record so different? Still, “No Sanctuary” has a very dynamic sound to it that fuels the listener with ease. If A LOSS FOR WORDS would do more of this style, then this collection may have stuck harder. However, as it stands, this Velocity/Rise debut for the band offers a lot of swimming melodies and memorable work. Some more hardcore and punk elements would do the band wonders, but they still impress with these songs. Longtime fans and new listeners will probably enjoy this one; No Sanctuary has made me interested in A LOSS FOR WORDS. – By Nathaniel Lay
>Recommended Tracks: “Honeymoon Eyes”, “No Sanctuary”, “JMR”
>Release Date: October 18, 2011
>Bottom Line: A LOSS FOR WORDS play primarily pop rock with light usage of punk. If the band would pull out these elements more often, then they’d be better for it. However, No Sanctuary is thoroughly enjoyable and fun.

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06/08/2011

[REVIEW] The Air I Breathe – Great Faith In Fools

By lmpmagazine

THE AIR I BREATHE
Great Faith In Fools
[Rise / Velocity Records]
Verdict: 8.5/10

Velocity Records, teamed up with their father label (or whatever you would refer to them as) Rise Records, have released several great new bands to the scene over the last year (my personal favorite being Abandon All Ships thus far). However, The Air I Breathe is here to fight for that spot. Their brutal and crazed metalcore sound reminds me a lot of Emmure’s last album, which was highly enjoyable and intense. Like that disc, Great Faith In Fools is also very much energetic and insanely monstrous sounding. The difference, however, is in the lightly used clean vocals. While some fans may want to fight this addition, they are used very sparingly throughout the record, and always sound well performed. As a result, they WORK. Helping to add balance from time to time, they never actually take away from the heavy sound of everything (which is, what I assume, what some fans may worry about). The Air I Breathe also introduce some electronics and extra instrumental work momentarily during the record, all of which work wonders. Take the string appearance during the second track, “Take This To Heart”, for example; or the vocal stutter during the first thirty seconds of “Deliverance”. Both may seem small, but they each play their part in beefing up the atmosphere. As Great Faith In Fools plays through, you won’t find any slow tracks to branch out the formula. Instead, The Air I Breathe keep things very powerful and enraged sounding from start to finish. From the soaring guitar work, to the pounding of the hardcore-like drumming, to the guttural screams and growls, to the clean singing and electronic touches…it all sounds quite brilliant. The Air I Breathe have released a helluva debut with Great Faith In Fools. – by Nathaniel Lay

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09/28/2010

ABANDON ALL SHIPS – Geeving [Review]

By lmpmagazine

ABANDON ALL SHIPS
Geeving
[Rise/Velocity]
Score: 9.5
Stream: “Geeving”

Think of a mix between Attack Attack!, I See Stars, and For The Fallen Dreams if you want an idea of how Abandon All Ships sound. Geeving, their debut album, is instantly likeable. After just one time hearing this album through, you’re going to want to replay it again and again. Twenty play through-s later and you’ll know every great moment it has to offer. It’s one thing to say an album grows on you, but when it starts off great already, then you know you really have something worth getting into. This is the case with Abandon All Ships. Geeving brings you track after track of addictive, brutal, and swinging anthems that are enough to get any fucker moving. Even the songs that don’t hit you as hard the first time through will become favorites soon enough. Out of the many amazing moments here, “Geeving” has to be one of the top tracks available. However, the band gives you a lot of well executed styles to drool over throughout this disc, so it’s hard to talk about just one song. The heavier stuff is more hardcore than anything, while the singing is almost all auto-tune. This is something I usually hate, but Abandon All Ships are definitely able to pull it off. Most of the breakdowns heavily rely on the electronics, but that’s OK considering just how good those are. This is probably the best band using synth right now. If not the best, they are in the top three for sure. Everything flows impressively, and you can’t help but get these songs stuck in your head. This one has been in heavy rotation for me weeks now, and it’s not going anywhere soon. Check out Abandon All Ships as soon as possible. Don’t just hear one song; sample several at least. Geeving is a masterpiece for this genre. (NL)

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