Hailing from Memphis, TN, Egypt Central have the raw talent that the Alternative Rock scene needs, and they are quickly gaining the recognition and respect they so deserve with their remastered, self-titled album. Roaring through radio stations across the country and XM and Sirius satellite channels is the first single, “You Make Me Sick,” with its massively thunderous sound and John Falls’ crooning voice that resembles that of AFI’s Davey Havok. “Over and Under” is another immensely popular song, and it’s much more upbeat, having lyrics that describe the breath of fresh air when one gets away from a stifling relationship: something anyone can relate to. “Leap of Faith” has a deeper tone and a wonderfully intense blend of crunchy guitars with smooth vocals, and then the bittersweet “Home,” with the perfectly complementary mix of acoustic guitars and melancholy lyrics, wraps the album up ever so neatly. There’s something for everyone in this album, and the remastered Egypt Central delivers the music with great quality. Five stars.

I actually wrote this review shortly after the album was released back in July before Music as a Metaphor was born, but this is a good starting place for the blog.

Darkest Hour’s new album, Deliver Us, bears the weight of massive drum and bass lines, loaded lyrics, and guitar and vocal melodies that move faster than a bullet. The opening track, “Doomsayer (The Beginning of the End)” sets the mood of the album, warming up with clean guitars and unleashing the fury of the album with fast-moving guitar lines and hard-hitting lyrical lines. Tightly delivered, double bass-style drumming and heavy bass guitar keep the ear tuned in to the thunderous sound that is heard throughout the album, though most noticeable in “Fire in the Skies.” And superior guitarwork is definitely a staple of the album: The fast pace of songs like “Tunguska” and “Deliver Us” is delivered by the two perfectly harmonizing guitars with melodies that engrain themselves into your brain. Though the songs are presented mostly through vocalist John Henry’s raspy screaming – a voice that’ll make your throat hurt just listening to it – the screaming is balanced with a hearty amount of clean singing. “A Paradox with Flies” and the following “The Light at the Edge of the World” surprisingly bring a sense of calm surrealism. “Paradox” opens with light, echoing plinking and plunking of guitar strings, though it inevitably bursts into the usual organized madness. But “The Light” is short and sweet, less than two minutes long. The surreal overtones beautifully cascade over a voice that recalls part of T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, a poem with a theme closely resembling that of Deliver Us. After the quick break, reminiscing on Eliot’s prose, the album slumps into grimy depths with songs like “Stand and Receive Your Judgment” and “Full Imperial Collapse.” Though the two are bookends to two notable songs, including the aforementioned “Fire in the Skies,” these messes seem to orchestrate the war you would envision if given the titles alone. Deliver Us is the perfect soundtrack to a day when you feel like destroying everything in sight, yet stopping for a breather once in a while.  Four stars.