Equal parts epic album, visual artistic expression, and heavy storytelling, BORDER WARSis a breathtaking series of five connected episodes told through a collection of comic book stories and their accompanying soundtrack releases. The concept album is the culmination of nearly two years of blood and sweat-sodden labor, consuming tens of thousands of cigarettes and thousands of midnight hours to bring fans the biggest, coolest experience possible. Set to release in five episodic forms, the band was able to cram BORDER WARSwith a multitude of quality tracks without the constraints of adding any “filler.”

That’s a pretty scary plateau for a band to reach. At that point, you’re as much of a rock band as you are superheroes. Paramore is at an unparalleled level in its career where they’ve turned into role models, celebrities, you name it. They aren’t a punk band playing a show for kids who go to shows every week...but rock stars playing for all types of people. I saw a group of probably 17-ish-year-old girls freaking out and crying during “Let the Flames Begin,” but not 10 feet from them was a guy in probably his late 30s, nodding his head with the rhythm on his own. That’s the kind of reach Paramore has