All That Music & Video

The Sword “Warp Riders”
If there’s one thing guaranteed to tick off the worldwide heavy metal community, it’s bands who don’t pay their dues. There is an expectation that before you attain success and recognition, you put out a few demo and independent releases; tour like dogs for no money; and generally behave in a way conducive to the metal underground.

This isn’t quite what Austin, Texas quartet The Sword did: they emerged about five years ago and, very swiftly after, popped out a debut album of chunky stoner rock (think Sleep and Orange Goblin) which, it turned out, frontman JD Cronise had mostly written before the band existed. Moreover, they were signed to the Kemado label, owned by none other than the Disney corporation (although it’s now an arm of Sony). Any road up, The Sword needed to rock pretty titanically to win over doubters, which they do for much of third album Warp Riders.

Tied together by the theme of a planet locked in a battle between good and evil – that’s right kids, a concept album! – the band comes out fighting with majestic album artwork, akin to a 1970s sci-fi paperback, and an instrumental opening track entitled Acheron/Unearthing the Orb. All the songs are called things like that. The level of fantastical grandeur on display here is on a par with the bands who built the power metal subgenre’s prototypes: Judas Priest and Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow in the 70s, Iron Maiden, Manilla Road and Dio the following decade. Cronise’s vocals don’t quite fit this bill – they have a liquor-splashed Southern rock quality most similar to Neil Fallon of Clutch – and The Sword have by no means abandoned their previous taste for good-time boogie riffage, songs like Arrows in the Dark being the musical equivalent of a tipsy, face-wide grin.

Warp Riders is not likely to blow the mind of anyone well versed in this strain of chest-puffing metal, either in terms of originality or any member’s technical ability. But The Sword have stepped up a gear with this release, and ought to crumble the defences of more than a few cynics.  -Noel Gardner (Bbc.co.uk)

Ion Dissonance “Cursed”
 Ion Dissonance is set to release their fourth studio album, Cursed..  The album sees the band switching to 8 string guitars and reaching back in time for some of that magic that was present in the earlier years.  Cursed sounds like a mix between the two sounds they’ve created on past records.  With a churning low end focused on keeping tracks full of groovy hooks and odd-timed rhythms, and the dissonant atmosphere that was present on Breathing is Irrelevant and Solace.  It makes for a powerful sound.  Like a choppy Meshuggah, low-end and rhythm sensibility has been added to a noisy hardcore record.  It is not without devastatingly heavy breakdowns, and the production value works well for keeping the low end chunky and the higher frequencies sharp and noisy.  This record isn’t as timeless or innovative as the early ones, but it is as engaging and nearly as crushing.

“There are some tech albums that have terrible vocals that people still listen to because the music speaks for itself.  Surely the band wouldn’t collapse from his departure alone, right?”

Cursed is that record.  It’s not that the vocals are worse than they are on Minus the Herd, it’s that the lyrics penned by Kevin sound like they were written in crayon on a napkin from a Big Kids Meal by an angry, semi-retarded person with at least one count of battery on their record.  And I’m used to hardcore vocals having violent and spiteful themes.  Gabe painted pictures of scenes of death and malice with nearly every lyric he wrote, but at least he was painting a picture.  The new lyrics are inarticulate, whiny, and cut through the mix at inopportune times.  (Ex. “You People are Messed Up” ends with a uneven reverberating repetition of “Fuck” that sounds like a tourettes twitch).  Just reading the track-list that was released made me doubt I would enjoy this CD.  The vocals never reach any purpose or create any interesting points or use any interesting imagery; they’re JUST bitching, and unfortunately they’re easier to understand than Gabe’s were.  It could be that Ion Dissonance are pulling our collective legs.  Maybe there’s some kind of inside joke that I don’t get where its funny to have a run-of-the-mill, mediocre vocalist write awful lyrics and completely fail to replace a large portion of your sound that has departed.  But I just don’t see how the members of Ion Dissonance fail to see or care how awful this is.  Kevin tries to mimic some of Gabe’s antics here and there on the record, but without the emotional drive in the lyrics that probably birthed the techniques in the first place, they just sound like tasteless mockery.

Aside from this, it isn’t impossible to ignore the vocals and enjoy your listen to what really is the “return to form” album of 2010 up to this point.  Cursed is musically everything that Minus the Herd felt like it was missing, but Gabe’s absence has still left very apparent hole that needs to be filled in order for this band to be as good as their first two albums suggested they could be. -Mark Bushnoe (Hearwaxmedia.com)

Orbs “Asleep Next To Science”
With members belonging to black metal band Cradle of Filth, progressive metal band Between The Buried And Me and mathcore wizards Fear Before (the March of Flames), it’s odd that supergroup ORBS isn’t as diverse as their background would suggest. They may have culminated all of their past projects into a conceptual piece about space and nature on their debut – and now reissued – album, Asleep Next to Science, but it doesn’t feel quite as ambitious as it could be. Piano lines constantly near the edge of the cliff, but rarely are they an inch away from their life or in actual danger. Fuck, most of the time they can’t even hear the waves crashing below. Adam Fisher’s vocals on the other hand are out of control, flying up and down octaves with neither rhyme nor reason and completely ruining any potential the whirlwind of bass lines and reverb-laden guitar chords gave the band’s debut album. He truly is the Mars of ORBS’s celestial universe – luckily, there is a Venus.

Although songs like “A Man of Science” are inexcusable displays of vocal retardation, album opener “Sayer of the Law” is enjoyable with a tamed Fisher behind the mic. Ashley Ellyllon’s symphonic fetish is put into drive for once and her keyboard skills are emphasized, not ignored. Tremolo plucks and unsettling chords surround the listener, while a wee bit o’ reverb adds a distinct atmosphere to the progressive realm which the supergroup resides in. As well, it’s one of the few times where longer track lengths don’t revolve around prolix excess, unlike the rambling closer, “Eclipsical” or the ten-minute-long venture through time and space, “People Will Read Again.” Loud and quirky bass lines may add character to the band’s sound, but the band can’t help but wallow in their own pretense, or perhaps it’s their lack of understanding. Do they simply not realize how inappropriate some of the aspects to their sound are? If so, this is another argument for the “ignorance is not bliss” argument. -Austin Tracey (Reviewrinserepeat.com)

Popularity: 1% [?]

Fleshwrought “Dementia/Dyslexia”
If you’re a death metal freak then you’re probably already aware of Fleshwrought… but if you’re not, then you should be. The project is helmed by Navene Koperweis who handles all instruments on Dementia/Dyslexia, Fleshwrought’s Metal Blade debut; you might recognize Navene from his drum duties with the late Animosity and with Tosin Abasi’s Animals as Leaders. Navene recruited Job For A Cowboy’s Johnny Davy to handle vocal duties, but the results are unlike any project either man has been involved with before; this is fast, technical, intricate, proggy death metal that’s musically catchy the way bands like Psycroptic and Gorod are.  -Metalsucks.net

The Acacia Strain “Wormwood”
“Where we normally write a record with a theme already attached to it, this time around we wrote a record and the theme developed as we went,” Bennett said, refusing to reveal the exact theme. “We wanted to do something that was still Acacia Strain, but broke away from the mold that has been struck by all the bands these days that we seem to get grouped in with. All the songs have their own dynamic instead of writing an album filled with like-sounding songs. This is the heaviest record we have ever written, and these are the most personal lyrics I have ever written.” -Vincent Bennet (vocalist for The Acacia Strain)
Decrepit Birth “Polarity”
Filled with head banging moments, energy, melody, and brutality. If you enjoyed Diminishing Between Worlds, this is a must have. If you haven’t heard Decrepit Birth yet, this is a must have (along with Diminishing Between Worlds).  Happy head banging! -Sputnikmusic.com

Popularity: 1% [?]

Periphery-Self Titled debut album
One of the most anticipated releases in the progressive metal genre has finally been unleashed upon the world.

After much hype and online buzz , progressive-metal-djent masters, Periphery finally unveiled their crushing debut album via Sumerian Records earlier this year and have unveiled their new video for “Icarus Lives” .

As a genre, metal has always been firmly rooted in pushing music to new extremes, taking the sounds we’ve come to know and love from other styles and pushing them well past their limits until they become something new. Always looking to pushing things into increasingly lower directions is Periphery, the new project from expanded-range guitarist Misha “Bulb” Mansoor. Utilizing a combination of extreme tunings and studio magic on the eponymous album, Periphery presents us with a combination of blistering fretwork, extreme tunings, and studio magic to create a maelstrom of prog guitar worship reminiscent of Meshuggah and the Dillinger Escape Plan. While lightning-fast playing and odd chord structures and time signatures are certainly a part of Periphery’s charm, the production on the album helps to give it a razor-sharp edge over some of the competition. The band uses the studio here almost as an instrument in and of itself, controlling not just what you hear, but how you hear it. Guitars are gated and compressed into tones that are almost mechanical, replacing anything resembling bluesy warmth with a sound that is stark and metallic, at times sounding more like a piece of industrial equipment than a stringed instrument. What’s most impressive about the whole thing is that they manage to pull the whole thing off without sounding over-produced. By pushing the production to such limits, the album manages to blast through the typical production clichés to create a sonic assault that should quickly change your reaction from “Why did they do that?” to “How did they do that?,” making Periphery an album that’ll give lovers of prog metal something to sink their teeth into.

Periphery’s Self titled debut album is available at All That Music & Video for only $13.99!

Popularity: 3% [?]

Vanity Fair had released an article regarding El Paso and it’s thriving music scene.

The article is available in it’s entirety HERE in case you missed it.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Thank You!

THANK YOU!

Hello All That Music & Video Customers.  We’d like to thank you for making “Record Store Day” a success.  It was a great day, and it was wonderful to see & visit with many old friends and customers!  Thank also to the El Paso Times and the great article on Record Store Day.  If you missed it-click HERE.

We also appreciate your patience during our remodeling phase.  We are still adding a few finishing touches to make our store look the best it can be.  Stay tuned for more great merchandise and sales.  Thank you for your business.  We appreciate you!

Popularity: 23% [?]

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME vocalist Tommy Rogers recently told Noisecreep about the group’s upcoming effort, “A lot of the record deals with the human brain. There’s definitely a lot to do with alien abductions, and one song is about a group of people who write music in the desert, because music is outlawed across the entire Earth. I get borderline obsessed with certain topics, and that bleeds into my lyrics. During the writing of this record, I got really obsessed with the human brain, magic and code, and wrote a song about all of that. I got obsessed with freaking alien abduction and stuff like that. It’s basically what’s in my head. I want to create stories and lyrics that go well with our music, because it is so dynamic. I want the lyrics to follow that.”

On pushing the limits of musical expression:

“When we started this band, the big goal was not having limits as far as what we wanted to do musically, and as musicians, there’s a lot of freedom in this band. We’re not opposed to trying anything. And I love having that freedom, to know that the limits are endless, and that we won’t be afraid to try anything. It’s awesome. I hope we keep evolving as musicians, and writing better and better music.”

“When you try to push the envelope, that’s when things can go wrong. When you’re, like, ‘We gotta write something that’s different, that stands out,’ that’s when you’re forcing yourself to be weird or technical, just for the sake of doing it. The reason why our music is so unique is because all five of us write and in a lot of bands, it’s not like that. We all write stuff on our own, and put it all together, and it’s such a collaboration of ideas. It comes out sounding unique without really trying.”

“We never go in and say, ‘We need this kind of part’ or ‘We need this kind of part.’ We just write, and see what happens. It’s always a fun building process, because you feed off of each other, and you feed off of other peoples’ ideas. The day we start forcing things out is the day we need to stop making music. Right now, it’s fun to write because it’s very organic, and we’re really expressing what we’re feeling.”

The CD is scheduled for release on October 27 via Victory Records.

BTBAM have issued several videos following the progress of the new record “The Great Misdirect”. Check ‘em out below.

Popularity: 10% [?]

It’s been some time since Winds of Plague’s debut, Decimate The Weak, sought carnage on the scene. However, the band hasn’t been sitting around by any means, they’ve been on the road seemingly nonstop since the record’s release. Somehow, in the midst of ridiculously hectic schedule, they finally found time to record what just might be the heaviest album of the year. The Great Stone War takes the brutality of Decimate The Weak, tightens up the package and sprinkles the strength of 10 hurricanes across the top to create an album that is sure to be praised for some time to come.

An eerie, yet epic narrative welcomes us into the album. You can feel the concept of battle in the echoes of the narrators voice and the synth accompaniment only serves to further the impact. Though it isn’t until “Forged in Fire” explodes from the starting gates that we know just how far WOP has come. The dull, overly repetitive drumming of the first album has been replaced with extremely well produced sounds that paint vicious imagery of battlefields at night with the guitars serving as the weapons of war while the battle cry rings out. These ideas continue strongly throughout “Soldiers of Doomsday” and even get stronger with “Battle Scars” which is so thick with chugs and fret work that you may need to take a break halfway through just to gather everything that is happening.

Those seeking something a bit more epic than quick snare/pedal/high hat metal will also find plenty to love on the record. Tracks like “Chest and Horns” appear every so often to take the scale of the album to new heights. The synth isn’t used as some niche dance craze, but to paint vast portrayals of something bigger than WOP and the lyrics intertwining with squeeling guitars and deep bass chugs simply enthrall you throughout. However, none of the tracks on this album, or any other reent metal release, can compare to the greatness of the title track.

“The Great Stone War” may be the most well orchestrated metal song of the last 5 years. Yes, I went there. Beginning with a sparse layer of orchestral sounds, a universe is built around the song long before the verse even hits. As the band comes in, you’re taken deep into the heart of the raw powerful force most metal fans feed on. There is no gimmick to be found here. No overdramatic epic of guitars or drawn series of chugs, but a relentless assault on all forms of the art of heavy and though “Tides of Change” finishes out the record, it really only serves as a farewell to the title track and basically waves goodbye as you leave the record with your jaw on the floor.

I was a bit nervous about hitting play on the new Winds of Plague alnbum as many bands in their genre are quick to become stuck to one, narrow minded, sound. However, upon even your first spin of The Great Stone War, you’ll find Winds of Plague have quickly become one of the most driving and intriguing acts of the new generation of metal. This record is almost flawless and will without a doubt be on the entire staff’s end of the year list. This is metal at it’s finest and most brutal. This is, The Great Stone War.

“Battle Scars” off of “The Great Stone War”

“The Great Stone War” available at All That Music & Video now!

Popularity: 9% [?]

“No Time To Bleed”, the sophomore album from California deathcore masters SUICIDE SILENCE, sold 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 32 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Commented vocalist Mitch Lucker: “Well, to wake up this morning and get the news of us debuting at No. 32 on The Billboard 200 chart is mind-blowing. We are so proud of ‘No Time To Bleed’ and feel that we made a definite statement with this effort. This is the culmination of years of relentless touring and hard work. We most of all want to thank you, the fans, for helping us achieve this amazing benchmark and we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for all of you supporting us. We are going to celebrate with all of you this summer on the ‘Pedal To The Metal’ tour with MUDVAYNE this summer, which will be the first American tour that we will be selling our new record. So come out and witness the new jams. We promise that it will be a night to remember.”

“No Time To Bleed” was made available on June 30 in a number of different versions (for a limited time only). Among these are the standard CD version, an LP version (limited to 2,000 pieces), the exclusive Hot Topic edition featuring the standard album with a bonus “Live in Paris” CD (track listing below), the “Maximum Bloodshed” addition (“Maximum Bloodshed” box set with bonus DVD, bonus studio track “Misleading Milligrams”, five collector cards, fold-out poster and mail-in t-shirt offer [limited to 10,000 copies]) and the iTunes version with has the exclusive bonus cover track of the hit ALICE IN CHAINS song “Them Bones”.

“No Time To Bleed” was recorded with acclaimed producer Machine (LAMB OF GOD).

SUICIDE SILENCE recently shot a video for the new track “Wake Up” with acclaimed director David Brodsky (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, GWAR, EARTH CRISIS, THE AGONIST). The clip is a disturbing look into the inner psyche while embracing the effect of hallucinogens. Lucker stated, “It was a pleasure to work with [David] again. We feel he perfectly nailed the concept we envisioned for this clip and we can’t wait for you all to see it.”

Suicide Silence’s video for “Wake Up”.

“No Time To Bleed” available at All That Music & Video Now!

Popularity: 9% [?]

The new Job For A Cowboy album, “Ruination,” has debuted at #42 on the Billboard 200, with nearly 11,000 copies sold.

Check out their video for “Unfurling A Darkened Gospel”.

“Ruination” available at All That Music & Video now!

Popularity: 8% [?]