After the Fall
Fort Orange
Raise Your Fist (2009)
As far as melodic punk goes, After the Fall are very good at what they do. They play a fast, aggressive style of punk that's similar to bands like Propagandhi, Good Riddance, and A Wilhelm Scream. Influence from said bands is evident on first listen to this record. In fact, they pay homage to their influences in some of the songs if you listen close enough. Most of the songs on Fort Orange, their second record, are very brief in time and rely on speedy melodies, tight riffs, and some pretty impressive guitar work to give them power while a lot of the lyrics have political and social messages in them. It's pretty creative of the band how they manage to combine the serious messages in the lyrics with some of the silly homages they pay in others. While those are nice, they'll probably go over your head when listening to the record. The catchy, melodic sound is what will likely keep you listening to Fort Orange. As I mentioned earlier, After the Fall are great at playing this style of punk rock. It's accessible, it's catchy and the flourishes in the guitar work make it a bit more interesting. … Read more
Battlefields
Thresholds of Imbalance
Translation Loss (2009)
There are bands and musicians that, when heard, give off the sense that their physical environment informs, influences, and shapes … Read more
Foundation
Hang Your Head
Six Feet Under (2009)
I grew up on '90s hardcore, so when I hear new band's drawing influence from that era I get excited. … Read more
Like Wolves
Paths
Independent (2009)
Paths is the second 7" release from Rochester's Like Wolves. I really enjoyed their demo 7", but this is even … Read more
Troublemaker
Sons of No One
Neutral Territory (2009)
New Jersey's Troublemaker (not to be confused with the Westcoast one) bring forth seven new songs on their Sons of … Read more
