What Are You So Scared Of? is enough proof that Tonight Alive is perfectly suited for success in the States. Whether it be elements such as the big chorus of “Let It Land” and “To Die For” or the near-perfect guest spot from Mark Hoppus of America’s most recognizable pop-punk band Blink-182, Tonight Alive put all of the pieces together in 14 tracks of catchy female-fronted jams.

Now with every female fronted group, the comparisons between the band in question and the ever so dramatic Paramore are evident. Normally that immediate notion is inappropriate and unnecessary,  but with Tonight Alive it couldn’t be more fitting. “Fake It” and “Listening” could be placed on any Paramore album and not many people would realize that it is an entirely different group. At times it feels like the only difference between the two groups is internal drama, worldwide recognition and nudez. But those uncanny resemblances turn out to be the only downfall of What Are You So Scared Of?

As the album progresses one can easily find something to love in at least a few tracks. “Sure As Hell” and “Thank You & Goodnight” are enough to appease any fan of pop-punk as the latter (which features Hoppus) contains one of the best choruses on the album. Slowing it down a bit are “Safe and Sound” and the indubitable ballad “Amelia” in which Jenna McDougall displays her vocal chops proudly.

Instrumentally, What Are You So Scared Of? can be repetitive as it seems the guitar riffs, while showing enough flair to make it fun, all blend together in a monotonous fashion. Luckily, McDougall’s fantastic vocal performance is enough to save where it seems the musicianship tends to waver.

Fearless outdid themselves when they nabbed this group off the market. While this debut has its shortcomings, much like any other debut, it still contains enough positives to be considered a solid record overall and even more solid as a debut. Tonight Alive built a name for themselves with their previous EPs, but this record will be enough to put them over the top.

Earlier today we posted a link to an Emarosa demo that featured Tilian Pearson‘s vocals on it. We reached out to Tilian, who confirmed that he has not joined Emarosa. Pearson admitted he and the band wrote together for a few months, but ultimately nothing came out of the pairing. The next time we’ll hear Tilian’s vocals will be on his upcoming solo record, recorded with Matt Malpass.

Additional reporting by Jacob Testa

In a few short years, Tilian Pearson has amassed quite the resume: he’s recorded two Tides Of Man albums, backed-up Jonny Craig, temporarily replaced Jonny Craig, joined/quit Archives, and is/isn’t in Saosin. Most recently the singer has been working on a solo album – but has Tilian secretly re-joined Emarosa?

On January 31, a mysterious song surfaced on YouTube titled “Tilian Pearson’s New Band Demo.” The account only has two uploads, the other also featuring Pearson’s vocals on unknown music.

Many remember that following one of Craig’s numerous scandals, Emarosa finally dismissed the vocalist for good. Since then, the band has quietly auditioned singers without so much as a peep, only offering that they will be releasing a new album in 2012. One of the auditioned vocalists was Mikey Sawyer, formerly of Forever Sets The Sun. Sawyer has exclusively revealed to MindEqualsBlown.net that the music behind the demo is in fact the same music he was given by Emarosa for his audition.

Listen to Tilian’s take below:

EDIT: The video has been removed from YouTube.

With Tilian’s solo album arriving soon and his status with Saosin unknown, it is unclear if this is merely an audition or if the vocalist has joined the band. Emarosa has kept quiet since the holidays, only promising a new album in 2012. We have reached out to both Pearson and Emarosa for comment.

Typically, when I get sent music by a new band, I tend to listen to it with my headphones on, so as not to disturb anyone in case the music takes a turn for the worse.  I should have known better when I listened to Cut Teeth’s Televandalism EP.  After all, the band contains members of The Felix Culpa, Monday’s Hero, Red Knife Lottery and Stay Ahead of the Weather.

Halfway through the first track, “Who Is Thomas Driscoll?,” the headphones were unplugged and I was blasting the album through my tower speakers.  This is music meant to be played loud.  The opener contains everything you could possibly want from ‘90s- and early ’00s-inspired punk rock: riff-driven guitars, heavy drums, and coarse vocals.  Vocalist/guitarist Dustin Currier (The Felix Culpa) shouts with a force that would scare the “singers” of all the recent punk bands that attempt to reach the sound that Cut Teeth so effortlessly captures, and the twin-guitar attack of Currier and Dan Yingling (Red Knife Lottery) is superb, meshing together elements of their previous bands with an amped-up punk attitude.

“Dessert Vines,” is driven by an intro riff, which seems to be the 21^st-century punk equivalent to Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog,” layered over Currier’s hushed singing.  Currier and Yingling admirably manage to craft separate riffs in the chorus that combat each other perfectly without becoming overpowering.  Also worth mentioning is Matt Jordan’s drumming near the end of the track.  For a musician previously known for his guitar playing, Jordan more than manages to hold his own on the drums.

The droning “Gossip Choir” and the propulsive “Stone Of Yap,” make up the middle of the album.  One of the best things about Cut Teeth is that it isn’t merely a band trying to recapture what the members’ previous bands did, but that it strives to create its own sound.  This is displayed particularly well on this pairing of tracks. “Gossip Choir” and “Stone Of Yap” make for an interesting couple of songs, with the former being a showcase for Currier and his excellent vocals, especially near the end of the track, at a fairly slow pace, whereas the latter runs at breakneck speed, featuring some great backing vocals from bassist/backing vocalist Kyle Johns (Monday’s Hero).  The riffs from Currier and Yingling are the “stars” of the track, showcasing experimentation not often found in the genre.  Currier and Johns take turns shouting “Don’t change a thing,” near the end.  I’d like to relay that message back to the band.

My personal favorite on the album is “Blood Under the Bridge,” which features some incredible backing vocals from Johns that complement Currier’s leads perfectly.  The chorus, which is led in by a great drum beat by Jordan, is my favorite part of the record.  It showcases some enormous riffs (if you haven’t picked this up yet, Currier and Yingling are pretty great at playing their guitars) reminiscent of early Cursive and At the Drive-In.  If you’re a fan of punk, I challenge you to try and not love this track. Televandalism closes with “Disappeared Like Dinosaurs,” which begins with a drone of feedback and a groove-driven beat by Jordan, as well as some great lead vocals from Currier.  The bass-heavy track thrives as an ending track, complete with fantastic vocals from Currier and a thumping bass-line from Johns, thunderous drums, great riffs and some “Woahs,” which one might not come to expect from such heavy music.

A couple of days ago, I tweeted “If you can listen to @cutteethband’s EP and not go apeshit raging over it, you probably either don’t like music or don’t have a pulse.”  I stand by this statement.  Not only is this the best EP I’ve listened to so far this year, but it’s the best piece of music.  I can’t say enough good things about Cut Teeth.  Go buy the record, put it on a CD and play it at the highest of volumes.  You’ll thank me.

2012 is on its way.  We at Mind Equals Blown have an idea of some bright young bands rearing to make their mark on the scene in 2012. Below is a list of bands that each staff member feels has what it takes to make it big in 2012, but only time will tell who the big winner is.

Jacob’s picks:

Farewell Fighter

With two incredible EPs under their belt and having played over 160 shows in 2011, Farewell Fighter is exactly the sort of band that should be primed to do big things in 2012.  Their debut, 2010′s The Winning Team (which you can download for free here) is great, but they built upon their sound with The Way We Learn to make my favorite work of music of 2011.  Powerful, personal lyrics, tight instrumental work, and just the right energy combined with genuinely nice people puts Farewell Fighter in position to take the spot of “Favorite Band” from whoever might currently hold it for you.  Look out.

Bad Rabbits

Bringing a bit of nostalgia stemming from their 70s soul and funk influences, Bad Rabbits played Warped Tour this year.  Yeah, the skate-punk tour that has been the summer home of a slew of hardcore, post-hardcore, and pop-punk bands over the past few years.  Aside from being unique, they put on the best set of any I saw, drawing fans from all of the above genres to make them dance, laugh, and stop taking themselves so seriously.  I’d like to compare them to Foxy Shazam in terms of how they might fit into the scene.  They’re something unique with enough energy and musicianship to draw fans from anywhere.  If you don’t believe me, check out their Stick Up Kids EP for free here.  Look out for not one, but possibly two records and a ton of touring in 2012.  It’s going to be fun.

The Weeknd

Judging from the popularity of the three free mixtapes (available for download here) released by The Weeknd this year, you might have already heard of this atmospheric R&B act.  Featuring the smooth vocals of mastermind Abel Tesfaye, this is music made for the night, but it’s also perfect for just the right kind of party.  What’s impressive about these mixtapes is their high level of quality, leading some to put them above albums by established acts on their year-end lists and wonder, if these are mixtapes, how insane an album will be.  In any case, the combination of his past work and his connections to Drake, Lady Gaga, and Florence & The Machine makes it a safe bet that whatever The Weeknd does in 2012 will have a huge impact on the music world.

Dylan’s picks:

Such Gold

With such a great year for pop-punk under our belts, Such Gold are the odd men out. Earning the old-school pop-punk fans’ and the new fans’ respect and love with incredible energy and quick pacing Such Gold quickly joined in on the thriving pop-punk scene. Even though they released a couple of splits with pals Koji and A Loss For Words in 2011 (along with a few other small releases in the past) we have yet to see the New York-based punk group release a proper full-length. 2012 will change that. With a brand new record deal with Razor & Tie Records and their first full-length on the way, I expect great pop-punk to be carried over into 2012.

Into It. Over It.

Proper could not be a more fitting title for Into It. Over It.’s (more formally known as Evan Weiss)  2011 release. Being Weiss’ first “proper” full-length after releasing a series of EPs in his 12 Towns collection (12 songs about 12 different towns) along with the monstrous and bold 52 Weeks project (Weiss wrote a song a week for 52 weeks and released it all in one…you did not read wrong) Proper included a more full-band sound from the talented mind of Weiss. This full-length, Weiss’ ambitious behavior and his obvious affiliation with 2011′s pop-punk leaders scream potential success and I feel that is what we will see in 2012.

Title Fight

Breaking the generic pop-punk mold, SideOneDummy’s Title Fight’s debut full-length Shed witnessed the band’s eagerness to avoid being misbranded. Digging into their roots and delivering a strong 90s emo vibe Shed marked the beginning of Title Fight’s growth and was received well enough to land them a direct supporting spot on the Alternative Press Fall tour with the likes of the rapidly growing Four Year Strong. Personally I’ve been hearing Title Fight’s name pop up among people that I would never expect to enjoy the band and that, plus their impressive track record, is enough for me to keep an eye on them in 2012.

Daytrader

I know it is hard to believe, but 2011 really was Rise Records’ big year. Contributing to this success aside from the big signings was the signing of Daytrader after the release of their fantastic 2011 EP Last Days of Rome. When a pop-punk band shows signs of vast maturity in the vein of Bayside and current Saves The Day it is easy to see the potential that lies within them. There must be something in the water over in Long Island, for this band has what it takes to join the likes of The Movielife and Midtown.

Tim’s picks:

Middle Class Rut

The duo’s debut, No Name No Color, was one of my favorite albums of 2010. It just seemed like the band had great chemistry together, as the album featured many heavy-hitters and an overall energetic vibe. It also had a few great radio singles to keep more alternative fans happy. But the band’s grittier, more hardcore side is where their roots are. As long as the band keeps to their roots and just keeps doing what’s working well for them, I see no problem with the band’s sophomore release being one of the best albums of 2012.

Write This Down

Being such a big fan of Tooth & Nail Records, I was enthralled when Write This Down released their debut in 2010. With a sound that brings together the metal element of Underoath and the crunch of Thousand Foot Krutch, Write This Down has a sound that I felt very comfortable with. But the thing I enjoyed most about the band’s debut was the heavy amounts of passion that drove the music. Now the band has a chance to rise or fall with their sophomore release, which could decide their fate and also help the band find their niche as one of Tooth & Nail’s rising stars.

Abel

Usually free music is pretty lame, but indie worship band Abel, who’s on the priceless record-producing Come&Live! Records, is one of a kind when it comes to Christian music. Their last album, Lesser Men (which can be downloaded here), embraced a soft sound that reminded me of artists like Paper Route and even Thrice. The thing that made this album stick out the most though was the fact that there was very little filler to be found; Lesser Men was fairly open-ended and carried a very fixed message. With a new record hopefully due out sometime in 2012, it will definitely be something to keep an eye on, because Abel is one of the better bands of their genre out there right now.

Make Do And Mend 

After signing with Rise Records a short while ago, hardcore quartet Make Do And Mend said they were already producing a new album. Their last work, End Measured Mile, which came out in 2010, was one of the bigger surprises that year, considering that the band had a very polished sound with little hints of pop and catchiness in it. Even with how memorable the songs are, there was enough raw emotion in End Measured Mile to keep me coming back again and again. Let’s just hope that when the band leaves the studio in February that the band’s forthcoming release is anything but a sophomore slump.

Jason’s picks:

Childish Gambino 

In a matter of months, Donald Glover‘s rapping pseudonym has racked up enough buzz to propel him to a ridiculously huge headlining tour in the coming months. How a man goes from selling out small clubs to headlining 3,000 capacity venues in less than a year has to say something, but a listen to his new album Camp proves the dude can do more than just act. Crossing his humor and wordplay over into his rap game, Gambino’s clever lyricism and energetic beats make him a shoo-in for someone to watch next year.

Native 

After seeing them open for Thursday on their farewell tour, I guess you could say something to the tune of third time’s a charm. While they’ve always been enjoyable with their mix of bombastic and noodly post-hardcore, word of a new full-length next year should be more than enough to spark or rekindle our love for Native. If you haven’t managed to stumble upon Wrestling Moves, the band’s 2009 LP, do yourself a favor and listen to it immediately. Look for this and a hectic touring schedule to continue to build buzz for this criminally underrated band.

Sebastian’s picks:

Girls’ Generation

If you’ve spent an unhealthy amount of time on the internet then chances are you’ve already heard of Girls’ Generation, more likely than not, from the music video to their incredibly infectious single “Gee”. With more than 50 million views on that music video alone and tons of awards and recognition in their native South Korea, it’s safe to say that these girls are no strangers to fame. Yet their true moment of stardom here in the states has yet to come, but all signs point to it happening in 2012. Packed with infectious tracks, their latest record, The Boys, has received a marketing campaign in the U.S. with promotion on iTunes and a release show in Madison Square Garden. Their music presents the future of pop, one that is without bland tracks and imitation. With nine members in the group, the girls constantly bring in new ideas and voices, preventing themselves from getting stale. With our online access and the rising popularity of K-pop it’s only a matter of time until the language barrier between English and Korean is broken, and you can bet that Girls’ Generation will be more than partly responsible for it.

 Clams Casino 

Clams Casino (a.k.a. Mike Volpe) isn’t the kind of name you’ll see on MTV, or being constantly uttered by mainstream music fans. Instead it’s the kind of name you’ll find in the liner notes of hip-hop’s biggest albums. The New Jersey producer has already made a name for himself by working with popular artists such as SouljaBoy and Lil B, however it’s his connections with the upstarts like A$AP Rocky and Main Attrakionz that will get him far. This producer’s work is far from being your run of the mill hip-hop beats, instead it’s dark and haunting, yet it lends itself to the swagger of those rapping over it so easily. Even if hip-hop isn’t your thing, his solo work also works by itself and makes for a damn good listen.

 Big K.R.I.T.  

Justin Scott is honest, friendly, old-school, and all around hard-working. With eight mixtapes already under his belt, it’s clear that Big K.R.I.T. (King Remembered in Time) is no rookie in the rap game. After years of constant work it seems like his chance to shine has finally surfaced. Signing with Def Jam put him in a good situation, it also doesn’t hurt that he has collaborated with big names such as T.I., Wiz Khalifa, Ludacris, and Chris Brown. Set for release in early 2012, K.R.I.T.’s debut full-length, Live From the Underground, has the potential to be a successful record that bring back that funky southern flavor that artists such as Outkast were know for. The cards are all in place for him, it’s all a matter of how they play out, if talent is the prime factor however, Big K.R.I.T. has this one in the bag.

King Krule 

Previously known as Zoo Kid, 17 year old Archy Marshall has already gained quite the following both from fans and critics. His bizarre mix of folk and new wave electronics has helped him stand out from the pack of singer/songwriters. Marshall’s main asset however is his low heartbroken voice that can turn all of his tales into believable stories. Inking a deal with growing indie label True Panther Sounds earlier this year, King Krule released a self-titled EP that has left listeners yearning for more. With a full-length scheduled for sometime in 2012 and comparisons to Morrissey, Marshall is sure to be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming year.

Lana Del Rey

When your first song becomes so extremely polarizing that Interscope records offers you a record deal based purely on that track, then chances are you’re on your way to stardom. Lana Del Rey isn’t some pop hack who has become famous for making intolerable music (I’m looking at you Kreayshwan), she has the backing of music critics as well as Damon Albarn and Bobby Womack, who have asked her to collaborate in the latter’s upcoming LP. Lana is simply one of those stars who appeared on the scene ready for fame, which is what has irked many listeners, who have branded her a “phony”. Her voice however, speaks for itself and with her debut album Born to Die already set for a January 30^th release, there is no doubt that Lana has her eyes set of the world.

Kaitlin’s picks:

The Head and The Heart

An indie folk band from Seattle, The Head and the Heart has been quickly capturing the hearts of fans across the nation. Hailing from the same town as Fleet Foxes (and both signed to Sub Pop!), this band brings similarly loveable folk music. Having released their incredible self-titled in 2010 and recently releasing a beautiful iTunes session, The Head and the Heart is only getting started. If you’re a fan of bands like Fleet Foxes and Iron & Wine, be sure to keep an eye out for this heavenly folk ensemble on tour in 2012.

Larry and His Flask 

Originally a grunge punk band, the members of Larry and His Flask have transformed themselves into a punk-infused high-energy bluegrass phenomenon. Kicking off the transformation was their self-titled EP in 2010, but the true extent of their greatness became apparent with this year’s All That We Know. They started turning heads on a grand scale at 2011’s Vans Warped Tour, with Alternative Press naming them as one of the 10 Must See Under-The-Radar Warped Tour Acts. They’re putting out a new album in 2012 and are perpetually on tour, so check them out if you enjoy the likes of Dropkick Murphys, Old Crow Medicine Show, or Trampled By Turtles.

Tennis 

Husband-wife duo Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley first came onto radars with the touching story behind 2011’s Cape Dory: they met in college then pulled all their money to sail the Eastern Seaboard for nearly a year and, upon arriving home, felt the urge to document their experiences of travel and love. How better to do this than musically? Cape Dory is an album that was never intended (they never planned on making music together until the inspiration of the trip) but is so beautifully retro-pop and nautical that it seems incredibly well thought-out. Tennis sounds like a combination of Best Coast and La Sera; surf-rock with noise-pop seemingly straight out of the 60s. Can’t wait for the new album in 2012 titled Young & Old.

If one were to listen to at least one song from the bands listed above and then listen to Zelliack’s Noir Tone EP, they will be thrown off the map. But listening to the EP, you can’t just stop it. So much sexiness and groove is going on that you can only let it play in its entirety. The control that the EP has over you is overbearing. With Coleman’s impressive vocal range, it’s hard to draw any comparison. The closest one can honestly come up with is Anthony Green (vocalist for Circa Survive), but even he doesn’t possess the amount of raw power that Coleman has.

Then you have the other essential half of Zelliack, the legendary Zack Ordway. While mostly known for his metalcore riffs, some know him as a heavily jazz-inspired guitarist who turns that influence into modern music in ways you can’t imagine. Just take a gander at this track he wrote when he was seventeen: http://zackordway.net/music/On%20the%20Road%20to%20Boston.mp3. Get the picture?

Yes, this gets a perfect score. If you listened to OMNOM when it first came out and haven’t had any actual releases of his vocals since, then maybe you would understand. “Autumn In Analog” was a track we streamed Here a few months ago and is the epic “soul-inspired, R&B-tinged, panty-dropper” opener for the sexiness that is to come. To describe it in one word: silky.

With the lounge music of “Hargrove,” you can start to see the EP’s progressiveness. It’s a gorgeous tune that starts off with a lovely mood-setting piano, only to go off into a swanky vibe that truly captivates the listener. It’s a unique groovy track that has lots of class and significance in the music world. About halfway through the song, it climaxes into a seductive aura of sensual proportions, but that can honestly be said for the entire EP. That last line picks you up off your feet from whatever haze the song sets you in to prepare you for the next track.

It can only get better from here, right? Of course. With “Without A Doubt” it gets much better. There is a lot more energy in this song, with Coleman’s crazy range and Ordway’s musicianship that creates a dreamy soundscape that only they can make. It’s more rock-influenced than the rest of the mostly soul and R&B album, but it is still heavily influenced by both. For the one song that I will leave as a surprise, “These Hands” will fit the bill. Although it’s nearly impossible to pick a favorite track, it would probably be this one.

With the energetic opening track that can replace Viagra, “Autumn In Analog,” the laying-her-down phase of “Hargrove,” to the cuddling, bluesy track “Call Me Old Fashioned,” this is the perfect baby maker for that special night. Go buy the EP on their Bandcamp page Here. It’s set for $1 but I would suggest you pay more, because I can’t stop throwing money at the screen while yelling “JUST TAKE IT ALREADY!” Also be on the lookout as they will be releasing a sixth song entitled “Smoove” for free soon.

Now that I have your attention with my cheesy one-liner, elaboration is necessary. The definition of dynamic is as follows:

adjective: characterized by constant change, activity, or progress.

Keep Quiet is the perfect example of this word. Sons exhibits characteristics of a band worth listening to from the opening song, and that trait follows through all the way until the final note. Full of an assortment of twists and turns, breakdowns, buildups and more, this album is not one to use as a coaster (for those of you who still put music on CDs) or a space-taker-upper on your computer.

The first track starts the album off with a sound comparable to House of Heroes. It really manifests itself after the first thirty seconds of vocal and guitar duo when the signature HoH guitar tones come riffing through. The instantly catchy song makes a perfect fit for the album opener.

The second song, “Believe In Something” has the graceful melodies of Copeland. With the chill drum-work, resounding guitar tones, keyboard doings and the buildup to slightly ominous harmonies paired with strings and dark, eerie guitar work, Sons has lured you in to keep listening.

Each of the referenced bands has that common ability of being dynamic in the sense that they can go from pure vocals coupled with piano to guitar-driven choruses and indie-style heavy drums (need another example? listen to “Caution”). However, if any band sounds like My Epic, it is this one.

From the vocal melodies and the tones of Aaron Newberry’s voice to the actual lyrics, there is that same emotional connection you get when listening to My Epic. Aside from vocals, the guitars are also a dominating factor in the album; the varying tones are always lined up with the mood of the song. There are also a number of creative little touches that they use to make them stand apart from any other band in their genre: strings, an assortment of affects in all the right places, along with piano parts that add to that unmitigated, innocent sound.

The overall musicianship throughout the album is astounding for such a young band. Only two years old, they have achieved the professional image of a band that has been at it for multiple albums. The twelve tracks are not arranged in a way that avoids that feeling of “is the album over yet,” rather, they aim more for the “album-on-repeat” method.

With all the attention A Skylit Drive has been getting since the release of their phenomenal debut album Wires… and the Concept Of Breathing, few people realize that the lead singer, Michael “Jag” Jagmin, actually has some goodies up his sleeve for fans all over. Read on to learn more about his solo project and some behind-the-scenes of their latest album Identity On Fire.

MEB: Many people know that you’re the singer for A Skylit Drive, but are not aware that you have other projects. Care to tell the people about them?

Jag: I’m sure most ASD fans aren’t aware of any side projects I’m involved in. Well, my solo project is the only one, but I hope in time they all do know about it.

With your old project Of An Era, how many songs did you write under that name? Do you plan on releasing them under your solo name?

I have tons of demos for my solo project. I’ve completed more songs after switching the name to Michael Jagmin. I plan to release a single very soon, and once I give myself time to see what kind of response it gets, that will decide what move I make next.

What differences will there be between your solo material and ASD? When can fans expect some sort of release from your solo project?

I’ve always been a huge fan of pop/rock and pop punk, so those are easily big influences in my music. It’s very energetic, emotional and thoughtful. As stated before I plan to release a single very soon.

Do you play all the instruments on your solo project? If so, how did you learn to play them? If not, who else do you have playing them?

I write everything and perform everything myself. For the first single the producer I chose is helping a lot with making things the best they can be though. I played guitar and drums religiously all through high school. I played guitar in my first handful of bands.

What sort of life experiences did you go through that compelled you to write the lyrics to Identity On Fire? What other sort of topics did you cover? Do you ever see A Skylit Drive becoming as heavy as Odd Project was?

Everyday tour life with ASD is what mainly inspired the topics on Identity On Fire. I’ve always been big on helping people find themselves, and being happy with who they are. I’d rather send a positive message to our followers instead of a mixed one that could be misconceived as something else. I never know where ASD is going to end up. I don’t think any of us do. We just kinda go with what feels right.

What are some key differences between what you did in Odd Project and A Skylit Drive?

Odd Project was nowhere near the professionalism of ASD. OP was a much more laid back situation. I think that’s primarily because it took us so long to release the album I sang on. The long wait sucked a lot of the life out of the band as a whole, whereas with ASD we tend to keep busy practically all the time.

Are you and Jordan Blake (ex lead singer for A Skylit Drive) on good terms? Would you ever consider working with him on some music?

I’ve met the guy numerous times, and he’s always been very pleasant towards me. As for working with him on music I feel we’re on two different wavelengths. I don’t see much of a chemistry there.

Have you guys already started the writing/recording process for an upcoming album from ASD?

We actually haven’t started any new material yet. That’s one main reason I’ve been so diligent about my solo project since being home from tour. I’m definitely not the kind of guy who can just sit around and do absolutely nothing. I go crazy after a few days, so I guided all of that towards my own music.

Fans have noticed that the screaming has been toned down much more now compared to She Watched The Sky. Even though you were not the singer on that EP, will you consider bringing more screaming back or continue doing more singing?

I think after doing things a certain way since Wires we’ve gotten comfortable and happy with the vocal style we’ve chosen. The popularity of Wires along with the most popular songs since gives us a good enough thumbs up that the singing/screaming ratio we’ve stuck to is what works for us.

What made you decide on covering Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love The Way You Lie”? If Fearless Records came to you guys to do a Punk Goes Crunk 2, what song would you cover?

It was 100% our choice to cover that song. The label wasn’t pumped on our choice, ha! But they changed their minds when they heard the finished product. I don’t think I’d want to do a Punk Goes Crunk 2 after doing the Eminem song.

What have been some of your personal favorite shows you’ve played so far?

Standout cities for me would have to be: San Diego, Sacramento, Anaheim, Pomona, Dallas, San Antonio, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, NYC, anywhere in New Jersey, and Seattle.

Is there someone you would like to collaborate with and maybe share the stage with?

I would love to do a song with Aaron Marsh of Copeland. That band is easily my favorite band.

What are your biggest inspirations to go out and sing?

Even though I have favorite artists and all, I do my best to not find inspiration in their styles. I like searching myself for what seems natural and right to me.

What songs do you like to play the most live?

“The Cali Buds” and “Wires….”

Any last words for your die-hard fans?

Thank you guys so much! Please continue to support me and the guys. We appreciate everything you do for us!

That’s all the introduction you’ll need, because the band have returned with a brand spanking new album, Resolution – their seventh studio album – and after the mis-step in 2009 that was Wrath, LOG fans will rejoice at the return to form. Josh Wilbur returns as producer on Resolution, and the consistency seems to have helped the band solidify their foothold, but unfortunately also plateau their creativity.

Album opener “Straight For The Sun” sets the mood with vocalist Randy Blythe’s doom metal-esque growls and yells, though surprisingly slow by the band’s usual breakneck speed. The next track, “Desolation” shows the LOG that we’ve all come to know and love, with groovy guitar lines and Blythe’s impressive range of petrifying shrieks and guttural roars. Blythe puts in some of his strongest vocal showings to date, evoking every emotion within the spectrum of rancor, pain and rage with relative ease. Compliments are in order for drummer Chris Adler as well, who puts in a monumental shift behind the drum kit with some inventive fills and tremendous stamina, what with his all-action performance.

“Terminally Unique” brings back memories of LOG’s earlier albums, with melodies clashing throughout the song and intense shrieks running riot alongside the pounding drum beats. Album closer “King Me” begins with a menacing spoken-word intro and even classical stringed instruments as the choruses collide and destroy anything that gets in their way.

Resolution is a very good record, and if you’re already a fan, you’ll be pleased this album. None of the songs stick out as being particularly bad, but then again, the band seems to have taken two steps sideways rather than a step into a new direction. This would be slightly more understandable for a band that is still finding its feet on say, their sophomore record, but I find it a little disappointing to see the lack of hunger from veterans of the metal scene.

Don’t get me wrong – continuing with a sound that’s been fine-tuned and continues to be enjoyed is alright, but fans will eventually get bored and want a sound that’s new and fresh. I recommend the record to all metal fans, but if you’re still new to the genre, you’re better off looking for copies of LOG’s earlier material.