Burn Halo’s Up From the Ashes
By Jennifer Russo

Showing the rock universe who they are as a band has proven challenging for many bands; they’ve become carbon-copies of the already cookie-cutter commercial sound that lacks fire and originality. However, five piece melodic-metal powerhouse Burn Halo released their sophomore album Up From the Ashes in June, continuing to carve out for themselves a unique identity using only their music ~ no gimmicks ~ to reveal what they’re about at their core.

Vocalist James Hart shared with me that there was “…a lot of uncertainty of the album’s direction at first and what our fan base wanted, but we ultimately decided to make the album WE wanted to make; something that we’d feel good about and proud of.”

The album begins with a first track that’s relatively slow paced, with an intricate guitar solo that teases and prepares your palate for a taste of true rock and roll. Actually, each track begins with this musical foreplay, tickling the guitar strings to give a glimpse of the song’s heartbeat before the drums and vocals kick in and take you for a tour of what IS Burn Halo. Hart shares that it was “…important to have a strong melodic host for the lyrics and that the music, written first, really shaped the direction that the vocals should take.”

As the album’s title suggests, the album as a whole is crafted to give listeners a hopeful outlook towards situations they may be finding difficult to deal with; Hart tells me that the band “…really tried to show both sides of life, its despair and emptiness when going through the hard times, but also the light at the end of the tunnel that if you look long and hard enough you can find.” This message of hope comes through in lyrics like “Sometimes I have my regrets, sometimes I just can’t find my way…I’m holding on for that moment.”

What you’ll get from Up From the Ashes is fast-paced rhythm, beautifully technical guitar riffs and harmony-heavy vocals; Burn Halo offers their own version of musical art that is truly their own masterpiece.

www.facebook.com/burnhalo, www.myspace.com/burnhalo,
www.twitter.com/burnhalomusic

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Pretty Little Suicide’s Self-Titled Album

By Alex Kantarelis

Pretty Little Suicide combines elements of old school thrash metal with classic rock to form a sound that many attempt, but few well ~ and certainly not as well as PLS. At times they sound like Buckcherry, at others like Avenged Sevenfold, and yet they still manage to keep a blend of Metallica and Guns n’ Roses in there, too. They know how to make music that pleases everyone. With the release of their self-titled five song EP, the band recently landed themselves on Rocklahoma fest in Pryor, OK with Motley Crue, Poison, Black Label Society, and Papa Roach. Not bad company to keep.

Things kick off with the song “Working Man Blues,” which opens with screeching guitars and howling vocals over a heavy drum build up. By the time the song kicks in live, blood will be boiling and the crowd will be bouncing up and down. Vocalist Paul Calnan lays out the rules to life right from the start with his lyrics bashing the everyday 9-5 working man: “I’m gonna tell you right now, I’m gonna do things my own way.” Calling out all the haters who are constantly yelping “Go out and get a job,” Calnan states in no uncertain terms that he has better plans than “…slaving away like a fool all day.”

One standout track, “Cope,” which was also PLS’s first single kicks off with a heavy riff and a massive James Hetfield sounding “Ooh.” The riff alone will get your head banging right from the start; guitarist Ed Earle shows off his skills and flies up and down the guitar with such ease it seems effortless. Lyrically, the song is from the point of view of a drug dealer who is talking about a drug addicted Hollywood rock star ~ it eventually leads to the chorus “Let me sell you some, I can help you cope.” It’s an interesting point of view for a song of that nature.

Check out the EP on iTunes and on their website prettylittlesuicide.com.

The Darlings’ Warma EP

Katey Khaos

The New York-based band The Darlings are back at it again with Warma, their sophomore album. If you’re a fan of bands like Moldy Peaches, Pretty Girls Make Graves, or Los Campesinos, you’re definitely going to dig this EP!

The Darlings know their roots, especially when it comes to classic party rock. Their catchy guitar riffs and drum beats are steady and simple (in the best sense of the word), and the presence of both male and female vocals helps create a fun, upbeat sound throughout the album.

“Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself” is one of those songs that will get you up and moving even on your worst of days (or will take your good mood and make it even better!), whereas “Don’t Wanna Hang Out Tonight” slows things down and is a great easy listen for anyone looking to just kick back and relax.

The best part of Warma ~ for me at least ~ was the sense of familiarity I had when listening to it. The album is a mélange of themes and sounds that are common in my music library, yet the combination works perfectly to create something that hasn’t been overdone and is still appealing the second and third time around.

In short, Warma is a catchy, upbeat album that is a must-have for long car rides and summer get-togethers with friends!

You can listen to and download this killer album at www.myspace.com/darlingsokay.