Coma After Crash - The World In Transition

1. And It Was

2. Red Nights & Fist Fights

3. The Nothing Will Destroy Everything

4. In Conclusion

Coma After Crash have released their second album titled "The World In Transition". This album has the sound and feel of young metalcore band. They have a similar sound to that of an Avenged Sevenfold or other similar bands. On first listen, it feels like there is some work to be done here.

When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been recorded to just an okay quality. These songs sound more like they are demos or off the floor recordings more than a finished project. The vocals seem to echo and the quality of the songs is just not quite there. With the instrumentation, you can hear that the band has some skills, and they can certainly play. This is probably the best part of the album here, but honestly, nothing is really going to blow you away. A lot is just guitar tapping and bending strings. Not bad though.

Now onto the vocals an lyrics, the vocals on this album, the screamer can scream, and he has potential, it could use just a little work. Now the singer has a bit of work to do, as the singing parts seem a little iffy, but thats usually do to just getting a random member to sing clean parts. We think this could work here though. With the lyrics, the band goes for songs about relationships and struggles. These seem to be the topics of most, especially younger bands. We do feel that the people they are targeting to hear their music will feel these lyrics and associate with them. They are a little hard to hear and understand, but if you really listen, you can get the meaning behind the songs. Not too bad.

If you are looking for a single for this album, there isn't really one, so just pick a song and give it a listen, or listen to the whole thing, it's only four songs, then you'll have an idea of the band.

Coma After Crash have added to their music and put out another album that gives the band something to play shows from. There is a lot to work on here, as far as quality and overall sound and doing things differently, but theres a base here. We don't think it's too bad. We liked what we heard. Listen to this album to decide for yourself what you think about it. They have since called it quits (R.I.P.)

Genre: Metalcore/Post-Hardcore/Metal

Release Date: January 6th, 2012

Location: Peterborough, Ontario

Label: None

Arkham Awaits - Razing An Empire

1. Welcome To Rapture

2. Visions

3. The Flame That Sparked The Fall

4. Empire To Askes

5. Vultures

6. Chimera

7. Oblivion

Arkham Awaits have released their third album titled "Razing An Empire". This album follows along the same lines as their previous two albums in style and sound. These guys do the sing and screamed metalcore vocals pretty well on here. This band reminds me of a mix between The Jettison Commitment and Searching For Satellites if you know those name. If you do not, a band Like Moths To Flames is similar as well. If you like those bands, give this a listen. They have done a pretty decent job here.

When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been recorded to a pretty decent sound and quality. Now the songs aren't quite as clear and crisp on the vocals as I personally would like them to be, but it still sounds pretty decent. The sung vocals could also be a littler louder and clearer, but you can make out what they are saying. 

The Instrumentation on this album is nothing too crazy, and it's nothing that is really going to wow you, but these guys can play, and they do it to decent standard. They have bits where you say, oh alright, but for the most part its what you would expect from this kind of music. Not bad though. 

Now onto the vocals and lyrics, the vocals on this album are pretty decent. They can certainly scream, and the sung vocals are not bad. You can certainly hear the sung vocals, and voice is pretty good. We do like the screamed vocals, they just seem a little forced, but still fit right in with everything going on, and don't hurt anything. The lyrics are a little hard to make out, but if you listen a little closer, you can pretty much make out what the songs are about. Good job.

With the lyrics, the band goes for songs about life, failing, learning, love, relationships and more. These themes and lyrics feel like something the listener can get behind, and feel relatable to them. The lyrics have you saying, hey maybe I'm not the only one who feels this way. We think that the band gets their audience, and can attract more of the target, with these lyrics. Good job all in all here.

If you are looking for a single to this album, there isn't really one. We like the song visions the best, so we suggest you try that one out first, as it gives you the best feel of the album overall. Chimera is just instrumental, so don't pick that one unless you are listening to the whole album. 

Arkham Awaits have yet again written a pretty decent album that goes along the lines of the sound and style they developed on their previous albums.  This gives the band more to pull from and give a catalog to pull from when touring. We feel this band has really hit the sweet spot for the type of music they are playing, and with some luck, this band can really push through. Listen to this album to get your own opinion on it but we really like it. They have since called it quits (R.I.P.)

Genre: Post Hardcore/Screamo/Metalcore

Release Date: April 27th, 2015

Location: Guelph, Ontario

Label: None 

Of The First Born Son - Of The First Born Son

1. The Attack Of Dr. Robotnik

2. This Could Be A Drug

3. You Can't 2-Step In A Wheelchair

4. Paper Caskets

5. Playing Dodgeball With A Shotgun

Of The First Born Son have released their debut self-titled album. These guys have a very typical heavy core band feel to them. They have a similar sound to that of a band like Attila, Abacabb, and early All That Remains, so if you like bands like this, you could like this album. They have done an alright job here.

When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been recorded to an alright quality. It has some rough points, and the production as a whole could be a little clearer and more crisp, but it does give a certain metal vibe with it. The instrumentation here isn't bad either. they do show off their ability to shred and play guitar through the album. These guys can certainly play, and its showcased here. Not bad in all.

Now onto the vocals and lyrics, the vocals on this album are pretty good, They are more just deep screams, but the vocalist seems to be able to accomplish them. If you listen closely to the singer, you can make out most of what he is saying, so thats awesome he is clear enough to get the meaning of the songs out. He does need some work on his technique, but for a first album, this is good. With the lyrics, the band goes for songs that are stereotypical in metal. They talk about hate, relationships, and more. These lyrics don't really attach to the listener or really do anything in the meaning category, but they do give off a vibe and a feel that makes the music enjoyable. 

If you are looking for a single to this album, there isn't one, so just pick a song and give it a listen. We particularly like "You Can't 2-Step in a Wheelchair" so give them a listen so you get the idea of this band.

Of The First Born Son have released an album that shows off the style and sound of the band. This also gives them a base for people to get into them and something to start playing shows off of. They have done an alright job for a debut album, There are a few things that need to be fixed, but as a fist album we like it. We also can't wait to see what they do on the next one. Give these guys credit and listen to this album for yourself to decide weather you like it or not. They have since called it quits (R.I.P.)

Genre: Metal/Post-Hardcore/Metalcore

Release Date: November 6th, 2007

Location: Kitchener, Ontario

Label: Year Of The Sun Records

Seething - Bombs In Backpacks

1. Combing Out The Obvious

2. Disintegrate

3. Each Moment

4. One's Self, Lost

5. Sorry, Sold Out

6. Confusing A Context

7. Lack Of Direction

8. The Grotesque Taste Of Freedom

9.  As Seen Through The Glass

10. Polish The Mannequins

Seething have released their debut album titled "Bombs In Backpacks".  This album is one that really shows the band in that heavier music side. They have a pretty nasty metal sound, and we think it works well. They have a similar sound to bands such as Darkest Hour, The Human Abstract or Arise And Ruin, so if you like any of those bands, you could really like this album. They have done a decent job here.

When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album quality could have been better as it sounds more like an indie, self released, raw album. This album overall feel like it could use a louder, clearer recording to get the best out of these songs. With the instrumentation on the album, the band has done a pretty good job on this. The album has some pretty decent playing on it. Now it isn't in the vain of progressive metal artists, but the band can play, and it's quite solid, so you will enjoy this aspect of the album.

Now onto the vocals and lyrics, the vocals on this album are not bad. They are a bit hard to understand, as they are screamed but you can tell that he can do it. With the way the vocals are done, it is a little hard to get the lyrics, but that doesn't hurt it too badly. All in all, we think he can sing and doesn't do too bad of a job. With the lyrics, they are hard to get, so we can't really tell what they are singing about, plus it isn't the clearest recording, so we had trouble on this part of the album.

If you are looking for a single to this album, there isn't one, but we do suggest you give "The Grotesque Taste Of Freedom" some attention as we think it is the best song on the album, and will really show you what the rest of the album is like.

Seething have made a heavy album that shows you want the band is all about. We feel like this is a little to all over the place for us, but not bad. We hope to see what they come out with next. Listen to this album to decide for yourself what you think about it. They have since called it quits (R.I.P.)

Genre: Post-Hardcore/Metalcore/Punk

Release Date: 2004

Location: St. Mary's, Ontario

Label: None

Words Like Wildfire - Quarter Life Crisis

1. Survival Mechanic

2. Quarter Life Crisis

3. Livin' The Dream

4. Back To Where I Used To Be

5. So Shallow It Shows

Words Like Wildfire have released their debut album titled "Quarter Life Crisis". This album is one that shows the band in a pretty typical Post-Hardcore feel to them with a bit more guitar work. When you listen to this band, the vocal stylings sound like if the singer of Belvedere and second singer of Set Your Goals joined a post-hardcore band like Memphis May Fire. It is interesting how the more punk style vocals go with the heavy music of this band. If that melding of music sounds interesting to you, then you could like this album. 

When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been recorded to a fairly decent quality. We are pretty stoked on the quality of this album, especially being a debut for a band. This quality is very listenable and feels like a real offering. Great. The instrumentation here is not half bad either. These guys show off a little more than just breakdowns and heaviness. We like the sound a bit of diversity this shows off. 

Now onto the vocals and lyrics, the vocals on this album are pretty decent here. The only thing we found is that they didn't really sound unique, and we found bands with very similar vocal stylings to the two separate singers. These guys can certainly sing though and it sounds pretty spot on. Their singing is quite clear and you can get just what they are singing about so that helps. With the lyrics, the band has decided to go for songs about life and whats worth living for, relationships, figuring things out and more. These seem to be what some of the people who listen to this type of music are going through, and it could connect with people. 

If you are looking for a single to this album, give "Back To Where I Used To Be" your attention, as it is the best song on the album and gives you a good idea of the rest of the album. 

Words Like Wildfire have released an album that shows of as a solid debut offering, and gives people an idea as to what the band wants to sound like. On the other hand, the band isn't really doing anything that reinvents the wheel or makes them stand out against all the metalcore bands out there trying to gain fans. Not a bad effort overall. Give it a listen to decide for yourself what you think about it.

Genre: Metalcore/Post-Hardcore

Release Date: May 4th, 2017

Location: Brampton, Ontario
Website: http://www.wordslikewildfire.com/

Label: None

Life In Vacuum - Nothing Ever Stays Secret

1. The Return Of The Bucketeers

2. Windmill Operator

3. Russian Melody (In B Minor)

4. Idea #3

Life In Vacuum have released their second album titled "Nothing Ever Stays Secret". This album is one that seems to be all over the place. These guys have weird time signatures in their music, and seem to abruptly switch what they are playing on a dime. This is pretty indicative of the math rock and experimental sides of the bands music. We aren't really sure what bands have similar sounds to this, as we aren't very familiar with this sound on a grand scale. This is something we would say is unique though. When looking at the recording quality of this album, it feels like the band benefits from that dirtier, not perfect, raw recording that you get here. This recording seems to fit their style well. The instrumentation on this album is different because they somewhat ride that thin line of is this just a mess of sound or is it genius? These guys can certainly play, but how well is a different thing. You can however tell they do know what they are doing. Now onto the vocals and lyrics, the vocals on this album are a bit sloppy here, but that seems to be the style the band is going for. He is a little hard to hear on some songs, but you can for the most part understand what he is trying to say. This isn't the best singing, but punk has never been about that, so this works. Not bad though. With the lyrics, the vocalist sings pretty fast and sloppy that it is hard to quite get what he is singing about. If you are looking for a single to this album, there isn't one, so just pick a song and give it a listen to get the idea of the album. Life In Vacuum have made an album that follows along with their debut. This gives them a bigger library to pull from, and defines the band more as to what they are. This personally isn't our thing, but we feel there is a market for this, and people will get into it. Give it a listen to decide for yourself what you think about it.

Genre: Math Rock/Post Punk/Post Hardcore

Release Date: June 4th, 2009

Location: Waterloo, Ontario
Website: http://www.lifeinvacuum.com/
Label: None

Ritual - Ritual

1. Pieces

2. Gag Order

3. Americhrist

4. Rat Queen

5. Grim Part II

6. Hot Pink

7. Model Wife

8. White Blooded

9. Love Song

10. Ripe

11. Ataxia

Ritual have released their debut album, which is self titled. As singer Matty Tobin is the formerly of Dead and Divine, this album has similarities to them. This is a heavy "core" album, and has a very professional sound to it. If you are a previous fan of Dead and Divine, you will most likely like this album. Along with bands such as Every Time I Die, Norma Jean and The Chariot, these are bands that seem to be similar in style to ritual's debut. SO if you like those bands, give this a listen. They have done a pretty decent job here. The instrumentation on this album feels very much like a band that stops on a dime and changes what they are playing, while also trying to play aggressive and fast. These guys can play, as seen throughout this album, but it isn't the type of thing that will turn heads, it's just solid music that will turn heads based on members mostly. Now onto the vocals and lyrics, when looking at Matt's vocals, he can certainly sing, and sing well he does. His vocal style, almost has a southern hardcore style to it. For the most part you can understand what he is saying, but there are times its hard to catch. All in all, he does a solid job on this album and it's worth the listen. With the lyrics, the band goes for songs about the way society is and how people are for themselves, depression, being in a bad place in life, and just overall having a bad life. We feel these reflect the singer and how his life must be at this time. Unfortunately people can relate to being this way and needing an outlet to get these things out. Many musicians use music to do so, and this feels like that. If you are looking for a single to this album, give the song "Rat Queen" your attention, as this is the hit for the album, and will give you a good idea on how the rest sounds. Ritual have made a dark and somewhat depressing album, but it's also aggressive and brings you into the bands world. Being the bands first effort, this shows what the band is going to be like, and their sound. We really seem to like this album, so give it a listen and decide for yourself what you think about it. 

Genre: Hardcore/Metalcore/Post-Hardcore

Release Date: October 30th, 2015

Location: Hamilton, Ontario

Website: http://www.weareritual.com/
Label: Bullettooth (USA)/Distort Entertainment (Canada)

Great Lakes - What We Leave Behind

1. Home

2. Dead Trees

3. What We Leave Behind

Great Lakes have released their second album titled "What We Leave Behind." This album follows along with the same sound and style that the band established on their previous album. They hit that straight forward post-hardcore right in the middle, so if you are into any bands of the genre, give this a listen and you'll probably like it. They have done a pretty solid job. When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been recorded quite well, and has a really solid sound. The producer definitely did his job here. The instrumentation isn't bad either. You can hear spots of guitar that isn't just chugging and breakdows, which we like to see. The is something here with this band. Now onto the vocals and lyrics, the screamed vocals are done quite well here. They have some really deep and harsh screams, while going into screams you can still totally make out what the vocalist is saying. The backing vocals need a little bit of work as they seem to be a little dull and don't really wow you. Maybe highlighting them a little more and some more production on them could really bring them out. With the lyrics, the band goes for songs about trust and having it broken, being around people with no ambitions to go further, and fighting for more. These are pretty common themes within this type of music. We feel this is something that can grab the attention of the listener and want to go on that journey with the band. Great job all in all. If you are looking for a single to this album, give the song "What We Left Behind" your attention, as this is the best song and will really give you and idea of the other two songs. Great Lakes have made a 3 song album that really shows the punch this band has. We can't wait to see what the band has in store for a full length and think this band has something here. Listen to this album to decide for yourself what you think of it. They have since called it quits (R.I.P.)

Genre: Post-Hardcore/Metal/Screamo

Release Date: November 24th, 2013

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Label: None

As Heads Is Tails - Infinite

1. Infinite

2. Haunted Heavens

3. The Tragedy

4. The Reprisal

5. The Cost

6. Paranoia

As Heads Is Tails have released their debut album titled "Infinite." This album shows the band in a pretty typical metalcore styled band. These guys have a sound that is pretty reminiscent of the band Skynet or The Parallel, so if you like either of those bands, you could like this album. They have done a pretty decent job here. When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been recorded to a fairly decent standard, it just seems to have a sound or something, that is missing, from making it a signed band studio quality album. The instrumentation on the album is pretty solid overall. It has a bit of showing off with the guitar work, and double kick, but it could use a little more to give it just one notch higher. These guys can play for sure though. Now onto the vocals and lyrics, the screams on this album are not bad at all. We certainly like them,but when it comes to the sung vocals by the secondary singer, they are lacking. This is a trend we see quite a bit with bands, where the second singer, who is usually a guitarist, can't quite bring it like the vocalist, which brings down the overall package of the album just a bit. Other than that, these guys can sing. With the lyrics, the band goes for songs about death, being vengeful against someone or something, burning bridges and more. This seems more like a hateful pent up anger in the lyrics. We don't feel that a ton of people can relate to those lyrics, but it also fits within the genre of music they are targeting. We don't think they have done to bad on them. If you are looking for a single to this album, give the song "Haunted Heavens" your attention, as this is the best song on the album, and best represents the album as a whole. As Heads Is Tails have made and album that really shows you how they want to be as a band, and a base to grow from. This is not bad at all for a first album, and we can't wait to see what they come up with next. Listen to this album to decide for yourself what you think of it. Oh yeah, and leave the song fades at home.

Genre:Metal/Metalcore/Post-Hardcore

Release Date: August 21st, 2018

Location: London, Ontario
Website: http://www.asheadsistails.ca/

Label: None

Hotknives - Songs 2019

1. Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

2. Splinter

Hotknives have released their debut 2 song EP which they have simply titled "Songs 2019." These two songs show off the band in a very hardcore and punk light. The band has said that they are most similar to Rise Against, but we feel it has more of a hardcore sound to it then that. If you like Rise Against or heavier music, you could like this album. They have done a pretty decent job here. When looking at the recording quality of these two songs, they have been recorded pretty well actually. Our feeling is that the vocals could of been more upfront and stronger but thats okay. The instrumentation on the album is pretty average, there is nothing to really blow you away, but also nothing that is going to make you cringe. This is just some regular across the board playing. Now onto the vocals and lyrics, the vocals on this album as we said before could be a little stronger but you can tell he has a solid base to work from. With the lyrics, the band goes for a story about cheating and relationships going sour on "Are You Afraid Of The Dark?". This is something that unfortunately people can relate to in recent times, so it resonates with the listener. On "Splinter" the band talks about a similar topic in bad relationships and people can be confused or confuse you. These two songs hit their target audience pretty well in the lyric department, since these are things their listeners deal with. If you were to choose only one of the songs to listen to, pick "Are You Afraid Of The Dark?" as its the single, but honestly listen to them both, it's like less than 6 mins total. Hotknives have made a 2 song EP that gives you an idea of how the band wants to sing and where they fit in the scene. From these two songs, we can tell the band has something here and we can't wait to hear what the full EP will sound like. Pretty decent job here. Listen to these songs for yourself to decide what you think of them.

Genre: Post-Hardcore/Punk

Release Date: 2019

Location: Hamilton, Ontario

Label: None

Forever Cadence - Something Greater

1. What It Means To Be

2. Distressed

3. Anchored

4. Tyrant

5. Currents

6. Chapters

7. Sovereign

8. Departure

9. Consistencies

10. Monarch

11. Something Greater

Forever Cadence have released their second album titled "Something Greater." This album has a faster punk feel, while still being heavy and filled with metal sounds. While listening to this album, we get the feel that the band was listening to bands such as Counterparts a lot when making this record. We also hear The Ghost Inside in this album, so if you are into either band, you could like this album a fair bit. They have done a pretty good job on the album. When looking at the recording quality of the album, this album has a pretty good sound to it. The album could use a clearer, more crisp feel to it, which is pretty evident in the lower vocals. Not sure, but the band could have been going for a little more rough sound to get a more punk feel in, but it's still pretty good. The instrumentation on the album isn't bad either, the band can certainly play, but nothing that is going to turn your head and say wow. Now onto the vocals and lyrics, the vocals on this album feel a bit forced. He has a bit of a rough, sort of struggling feel in his voice which throws the recording off a bit. You can however hear pretty much just what he is singing about so that is great. They have backing vocals that sound solid, and you can hear just what he is saying too. All in all, not too bad here. With the lyrics, the band goes for songs about relationships and people trying to break you down, looking for meaning, staying strong, not giving up, moving on when you need to, etc. These are all pretty typical, but important topics to talk about. We feel that it is always good to remind people to up and positive, than to be down. Good job on the lyrics here. If you are looking for a single to this album, give the song "Sovereign" your attention as it is the best son g on the album and gives you a good idea of the rest of the album. Forever Cadence have made a more positive album here that will grab your attention with the lyrics. We feel they have made an improvement from the last album and things are looking up. Hopefully the band will tour more and give their own area some attention . Not a bad job on this album. Listen to this album to decide for yourself what you think of it. They have since called it quits (R.I.P.)

Genre: Post-Hardcore/Metalcore/Hardcore

Release Date: October 7th, 2014
Location: Brampton, Ontario
Website: http://www.forevercadence.com/

Label: None

Horcrux - The Dark Mark

1. Resilient

2. Wormtail

3. The Dark Mark

4. Home

5. The Outsider

6. Live Through Me

Horcrux have released their debut album titled "The Dark Mark." What is first off pretty apparent, and anyone that followed the craze, that someone in the band is a Harry Potter fan. Being the band name and album title are references to Harry Potter, it's logical to assume. After giving the album a listen, you can hear that this is dark, heavy music, which seems to be the theme for this band. Another thing that gets this album and band a bit of notice is their singer was the screamer/guitarist in the last incarnation of A Skylit Drive, so if you were a fan of those guys, you may want to give this album a chance just based on that. They have a fast paced aggressive, and polished sound that gives a head turn right from the start. When looking at the recording quality of this album, the album has been recorded to a pretty decent effort, especially for a debut. Being that the members of this band have been around, making solidly recorded albums before, it is no surprise that we get this quality right off the bat. The instrumentation is pretty solid. Nothing here will make you go crazy, but the band does have a great, solid, straightforward playing and that is just what they need. Now onto the vocals and lyrics, the vocals on this album are not bad, they are mostly screamed but you can still make out most of the lyrics. He can certainly scream and he does it well. We just wish the vocals were just a little louder and on par with the music. With the lyrics, the band goes for songs about rising up, being confident, fighting against oppression, and just not letting the darkness consume you. These are actually really positive and uplifting lyrics. Although they are a little hard to get as the lyrics aren't quite direct, it's that which makes us really like the lyrical content, making it dark but uplifting if you really listen. If you are looking for a single to this album, the band has made almost every song a single here. We suggest giving the song "The Outsider" your attention as that is our favourite song and first song we heard. Horcrux have made a nice solid debut here. We like the more professional recording on a first album and we like how the lyrics aren't so direct. Hopefully the band can get together more and tour, Ottawa and Montreal are the bands towns, it would be nice to see them venture out, even just within their own province. Pretty solid all in an and we can't wait to see what is next. Listen to this album to decide for yourself what you think of it.

Genre: Metalcore/Post-Hardcore/Progressive

Release Date: February 16th, 2018

Location: Ottawa, Ontario

Label: None