I Breathe the Underground

Precious Blasphemous Metal: Lamb of God Loosens "Wrath" on the World

There is something so intricately formulaic in Lamb of God's sound, defined almost exclusively by contemporary metal's most creative guitarist, LOG's Mark Morton. Every formula must contain supporting factors; blisteringly fast and distinct drums, growl/scream vocal dynamic, and tight, raw recording quality are all crucial supporting cast members in the Lamb of God show.

The unreleased CD fairy has graced my home yet again with the early arrival of Lamb of God's sixth full-length studio album, Wrath. By now, these guys are seasoned veterans of the scene and fully solidified as the torch-carriers to the Pantera throne.

It's hard to believe LOG started as a strictly-instrumental outfit when you hear how well vocalist Randy Blythe's screams lead each track. With Wrath, LOG maintains the same raw, heavy-hitting and serious themes of the group's earlier work while setting the bar even higher, capturing an almost indefinable songwriting evolution that wasn't always noticeable on 2006's Sacrament.

Yet Wrath is simultaneously a step forward and a step backward. Yes, the evolution is there. But what really sets Wrath off is the band's departure from Sacrament and revisit to older work in the songwriting space. Sitting here desperately trying to put my finger on specific differences, all I can say for sure is that the differentiators are technically minute but emotionally palpable.

"Grace" is my favorite track on Wrath, laden with metal grooves, some of the coolest drum fills I've ever heard, and, of course, a classic metal breakdown. I'm also partial to the final track, "Reclamation," which is reminiscent of and as big as a Pantera ballad.

Wrath is exactly what you would expect from major metal players like LOG: simply another example of why this band is on top of the genre. Pick it up February 24. Until then, rock to some oldies but goodies.

Download 01-lamb_of_god-ruin

Download 06 Descending

"There's a bad storm blowing in / and most of us won't make it / the wreckage of your past / means nothing now, forsake it."

- Lamb of God, "Broken Hands"

The Top 20 Greatest Underground Debuts Pt. 4

And now, the finale of the Top 20 Greatest Underground Debuts! View Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.

5. Dropkick Murphys - Do or Die - Before Al Barr's grungy vocals entered the picture, DKM was fronted by now Street Dogs front man Mike McColgan. Do or Die was an animal all its own compared to the Murphys of today, riding waves of in-your-face street punk with a regular twinge of the Celtic punk so adamantly displayed in more recent Murphys albums. DKM might have turned out a very different band today had Mike McColgan not joined the Boston Fire Department. Then again, Street Dogs might be a decent representation of a very different DKM.

Download 10 - Barroom Hero

4. Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends - You haven't heard a record that more desperately requires a sing-along than TBS' Tell All Your Friends. Following the departure of Brand New's Jesse Lacey and preceeding the departure of Straylight Run's John Nolan, TBS was a complete unit, cranking out emo masterpieces filled with a new kind of teenage angst. Unlike today's TBS, Nolan's vocals seemed to stand out just as well as Adam Lazarra's had, creating the most potent and emotional combination I've heard to this day.

Download 06 Ghost Man On Third

3. Further Seems Forever - The Moon Is Down - Hey, remember how Chris Carraba formed Dashboard Confessional and made a bajillion dollars? Yeah, he was in Further Seems Forever before that ever happened. And they were incredible. The Moon Is Down is still one of the most powerful collections of songs I've ever heard, showcasing Carraba's vocals amidst spectacular drums and sentimental melodies. If you've never heard these guys, you better check 'em out. Just don't listen to any of their other albums, because this is the only one worthwhile.

Download 06 New Year's Project

2. Saves the Day - Can't Slow Down - They did slow down. But damn it all if they weren't lightning fast back then, cranking out tune after tune of sexually-frustrated emo-core with Lifetime-esque prowess. Three phrases to describe this album: short, fast, to the point. Much the opposite of my blog posts. Efficient punk rock with honest and violent, yet attractive lyrics that somehow felt comforting amidst the chaos and catchiness of the music. Still one of my favorite spins on my iTunes.

Download 07 Always Ten Feet Tall

1. Alkaline Trio - Goddamnit - What is there to say about Goddamnit that I haven't already written in detail? Not only is this the greatest debut album of all time -- it's simply the greatest album of all time. Disagree? Feel free to put your favorite album up against mine in the comments. As a warning -- I will argue Goddamnit's rightful place in punk history to the death.

Download 03 San Francisco

International Superheroes of Pop-Punk: Kicking, Screaming, and Not Without a Fight

 You should have listened to your friends.

They'll never go away. A band that walks the thin line between legend and...well, Blink 182-esque infamy...recently found a home with one of the most respected and most versatile (as of late) labels in the underground music industry. Granted, Epitaph Records is also now walking a fine line, with the addition of radio favorites like New Found Glory and Thursday...Offspring re-releases...the continued success of Motion City Soundtrack: but these are just feathers in the cap of Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, founder and owner of Epitaph Records.

Why has New Found Glory continued to play such a significant role in the punk scene? I have no logical explanation for you; rather, I propose a postulate. Whether it deals with the band's subtle hardcore roots, the teenage emotion NFG embodies, or the sheer catchiness of the music, punk rock kids have always loved New Found Glory. Not all are willing to admit it, but they do. Oh yes, they do.

It's hard to dislike NFG when they respond so well to things that freak other bands out...like, say, the leak of their first release on a brand new label a month before it's supposed to drop. Chad Gilbert remarks below:

"You are driven to get [Not Without a Fight] because you like NFG so how can I be bummed at that!"

Great form, Chad. I wish more bands had the same outlook.

While half the world is looking for news on the reformation of Blink 182, I'm pushing my blog's ratings aside and focusing on a band I find to be much, much more important. In response to the reuniting of Blink 182: Who gives a shit? If I feel any nostalgia for Blink 182, I'll sit at the kid's table next Thanksgiving where I can hear all the toilet humor I can stomach.

As you might have guessed, the unreleased CD fairy has visited my doorstep once again, and I have had a chance to preview NFG's coming release, Not Without A Fight. It isn't much of a departure from previous NFG offerings, which I think is a good thing. Let's be honest; New Found Glory is a pop-punk band, and their uniqueness stems from their collaborative sound...not from musical ability or diversity. Members of NFG smartly quench such desires to do something different with the International Superheroes of Hardcore, a simultaneously serious and hilarious hardcore side project that consists of all five NFG members.

So what can we infer from Not Without A Fight? For one, New Found Glory isn't disappearing anytime soon. No, NFG will continue to make music in the face of critics, many of whom have silenced their negativity. I could review this album for you, but it would be entirely unnecessary. With NFG, what you see is what you get. Maybe that's why the punk kids love NFG so much: they are simply a constant within a quickly changing musical landscape. Even as they grow older, their music still encapsulates a youth untainted by the immaturity pop-punk tends to proliferate nowadays.

Sorry, no preview tracks available. Don't want to get in any legal trouble. Instead, enjoy some old school NFG tunes.

Download New Found Glory - It Never Snows in Florida

Download New Found Glory - Head On Collision

"Being drowned...That's more than I can say for everyone else."
- New Found Glory, "Black and Blue"

P.S. The new NFG album was produced by Mark Hoppus of Blink 182. Irony, anyone?

The Top 20 Greatest Underground Debuts Pt. 3

Part 3 of the Top 20 Greatest Underground Debuts. View Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

10. Hey Mercedes - Everynight Fire Works - Chicago indie lost a critical component when Bob Nanna's Braid disbanded. Luckily, it was to be replaced by the non-typical pop-punkishness of Hey Mercedes. While Hey Mercedes is primarily driven by Nanna's unique vocals and poetic lyrics, the music was tight, friendly and catchy. Hey Mercedes would only complete two full-lengths before breaking up, but Everynight Fire Works is, was, and always will be a classic.

Download A-List_Actress

9. Less Than Jake - Pezcore - What can one say about Less Than Jake? The band certainly has staying power, surviving two unsuccessful runs on major labels (the second much more unsuccessful than the first). Even though they continue to put out quality recordings, Less Than Jake had to start somewhere. Pezcore brought an attitude to ska reminiscent of Operation Ivy, but LTJ brought it even faster and with more fun. This is still a stand-out album in my book. Track from Losing Streak.

Download 08 - Less Than Jake - Krazy Glue

8. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay - We all know the stigmas that come from being an NFG fan. I don't care; I'll say it loud and proud right now: I listen to New Found Glory. What's more, I believe Nothing Gold Can Stay is one of the most influential pop-punk albums of all time. The album set the pace for a generation of admittedly questionable pop-punk, but remains quintessential in the face of such criticism. Track from New Found Glory.

Download 09 Black And Blue

7. Rise Against - The Unraveling - By now, everyone knows who Rise Against is. I wouldn't be surprised if a large portion of the band's base hadn't yet delved into the awesomeness of The Unraveling. RA started off on Fat Wreck and completed an album that fit the label purposely, simultaneously making some of the label's more veteran bands sound comedic. Case in point: NoFX, who apparently want people to think they're a joke anyway. Well, at least Fat Mike has an ear for good music, whether he can create it or not.

Download 01. Alive and Well

6. Catch 22 - Keasbey Nights - What can you say about New Jersey's Catch 22 except that the band has seen better days. Before Catch 22's remaining members decided to release a couple of shitty Reel Big Fish rip-off albums, ska visionary Tomas Kalnoky led them to create one of the (arguably) best ska albums of all time. Although Kalnoky's later project, Streetlight Manifesto, went on to re-record the entire album, there's nothing like the first time. Sorry about this one -- I have both albums, but neither are loaded onto my computer. Check out this Streetlight Manifesto track, as its the closest band to Catch 22 I have readily available.

Download 01-streetlight_manifesto-we_will_fall_together

The Top 20 Greatest Underground Debuts Pt. 2

Part 2 of the Top 20 Greatest Underground Debuts. View Part 1 here.

15. The Lawrence Arms - Guided Tour of Chicago - Even though Brendan Kelly dominates the vocals entirely on TLA's first album, Guided Tour of Chicago introduced a driving power in contemporary punk rock. Follow-up albums would highlight more of Chris McCaughan's gentler sensibilities, but GTOC was a force unto itself and a fan favorite.

Download Lawrence arms - a guided tour of chicago - 10 - eighteen inches

14. Primus - Frizzle Fry - A few years after his audition for and subsequent rejection from Metallica, Les Claypool took James Hetfield's advice and started his own band. There is no doubt in my mind that Primus was ultimately more important and unique to the scene than Metallica has ever been. Frizzle Fry debuted Claypool's unique vocal and bass style, provoking an immediate underground following.

Download 03. Too Many Puppies

13. Rancid - Rancid - What can I say about Rancid? They seem to be the luckiest punk band in the history of punk bands. It's hard to put my finger on what exactly it is that makes Rancid so good and even more difficult for me to locate what makes them more marketable than other punk rockers. But they made themselves into an incredibly influential part of the scene, and their self-titled debut still rings true today. Even if Tim Armstrong thinks he's a rock star. Track from B Sides and C Sides.

Download 12-rancid-sick_sick_world-3am

12. Thursday - Waiting - Post-hardcore had no idea these guys were coming. Thursday's debut was a wall of sound that displayed a little of their now signature darkness alongside some more upbeat tracks. Thursday is still on top of the genre today and will drop Common Existence on February 17. Track from Full Collapse.

Download 04 - Autobiography Of A Nation

11. Circa Survive - Juturna - Following his departure from Saosin, Anthony Green's next project blossomed into Circa Survive, a melancholy, atmospheric, and emotive collective. Juturna did well in defining the band's signature sound, rocking slow, powerful pop masterpieces. After a few years and another full length release, Juturna is still an essential album for underground enthusiasts.

Download 07 Stop the Car