Review: To The Wind - "Empty Eyes"

Release Info

To The Wind - Empty Eyes
Release Date: May 7^th, 2013
Record Label: Pure Noise Records
Pre-order: Digital/CD/vinyl/merch

After Pure Noise Records signed Seattle's melodic hardcore quintet, To The Wind, they re-released their 2012 EP, No More Than This, before having the band hit the studio to record their debut full-length record. Empty Eyes hits shelves on May 7th and promises to put this band on the map. Admittedly, the band isn't trying anything new or groundbreaking on this record. If you follow the genre you'll recognize many themes from Empty Eyes; the guttural ferocity, the intense pace, and the jaw-shaking breakdowns are all present and accounted for. Empty Eyes, however, is a long stride from their EP; it's more polished, more determined, and flat-out better.

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Review: Wolves At Bay - "I Was The Devil Once" EP

Release Info

Wolves At Bay - I Was The Devil Once EP
Release Date: April 16^th, 2013
Record Label: Animal Style Records
Pre-order: Digital/vinyl

Wolves At Bay, hailing from Connecticut, have been keeping busy lately. In late-2012, the band wrote and put together an EP titled I Was The Devil Once. It is a sturdy collection of six brooding tracks that not only encompass what the band is capable of but also hints at the versatility and ambition they posses.

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Review: Foxfires - "The Golden Age" EP

Release Info

Foxfires - The Golden Age EP
Release Date: March 5th^th, 2013
Record Label: Escapist Records
Pre-order: Vinyl

When I first heard that an ex-member of Four Year Strong was in this band I sort of associated a certain type of sound with this band since I'd yet to listen to them, and it only took fifteen seconds for that assumption to fly out the window. Foxfires' new EP The Golden Age is old-school punk rock with hardcore undertones and almost immediately turned my living room into a one-man pit.

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Review: A Week Away - "Adversities" EP

Release Info

A Week Away - Adversities EP
Release Date: February 22^nd, 2013
Record Label: Self-released
Pre-order: Digital

A band's sophomore release is vital for a number of reasons. There are fans to please and new fans to gain, and more material means longer sets and more stages on more tours. But most of all, the follow-up effort will determine whether a band is worth supporting or if their few good songs will end up buried somewhere in kids' iPods. California's A Week Away's debut EP Who Should I Be didn't exactly knock me off my feet, but Adversities, the band's upcoming release, more than makes up for it.

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