Independent hard rock act Raze is giving audiences a new preview of its forthcoming album, Pyrography.
Courtesy: One Eyed Toad Records
The preview came Friday in the form of the album’s title track and its video. The song is available to stream and download. The song’s musical arrangement is a heavy, brooding composition whose vocals and instrumentation immediately lend the song to comparison to so many works from Tool. At the same time, the melodic hard rock leaning that is just as present makes for an interesting juxtaposition and, in turn, balance. The whole makes the song a presentation that is certain to keep listeners engaged and entertained.
According to front man Louis Dunham, the song’s lyrical theme centers on the topic of musical creation through sheer emotion.
“The concept of pyrography, I think, perfectly encompasses what we’ve tried to create with this album,” Dunham said. “The idea of making art with fire – we’ve taken a lot of strong emotion; be it desire, anger or angst, and channeled it every step of the way into creating this music.”
The video for the band’s new single is a straight forward presentation. It features the band performing its new single on a sound stage. A hooded, unidentified figure stands behind the band, using fire-laden tools to “dance” as the band performs its new single.
More information on Raze’s new single, video and album is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Independent rock act Bluphoria opened the weekend with the premiere of another single from its forthcoming self-titled debut album.
The band debuted its new single, ‘Columbia‘ Friday. The song is the record’s fourth single. The group premiered the album’s third single, ‘Ain’t Got Me‘ and its companion video early this month. The album’s other two singles are: ‘Walk Through Fire‘ and ‘Set Me Up.’
The track listing for the band’s new album, which is scheduled for release May 5 through Edgeout Records/UME/UMG, is noted below:
Album Track Listing 1. Set Me Up 2. Believe In Love 3. Walk Through The Fire 4. Pretty People 5. Let You Go 6. Something More 7. Aint Got Me 8. Columbia 9. Show It To Me 10. Guide Me 11. Ms. Jones
The musical arrangement featured in the album’s latest single is a catchy, blues-infused garage rock style composition. The production gives the whole, especially front man Reign LaFreniere’s delivery a familiar, infectious gritty sound and style that is certain to keep listeners engaged and entertained.
Rhythm guitarist Dakota Landrum composed the musical arrangement for what is the final single from the album, and he talked about making the song in a prepared statement.
“I always wanted to write a heavier more blues-oriented song for Bluphoria and I think that I did that with this song,” Landrum said.
LaFreniere wrote the song’s lyrical content and said in his own comments, the song’s lyrical theme centers on the all too familiar topic of a relationship that is anything but perfect.
“When I was putting the words together, I wanted it to be a honest and revealing look at desire and infatuation and needed the music to follow that,” LaFreniere said. “However, this song has changed a lot from its conception and many things aren’t the same as the first demo. It brings so much energy and fun to so many shows and I’m proud the whole band made it so much our own. “[‘Columbia’] is told through the lens of a toxic relationship with somebody. It is one of our more ‘60s hard rock songs and a favorite of the entire band.”
In other news, Bluphoria has a pair of live performances lined up to help promote its new album. The first is scheduled for Thursday in Nashville, TN. The second is scheduled for May 3 in Los Angeles.
More information on Bluphoria’s new album, single, video and upcoming live dates is available along with all of the band’s latest news at https://www.facebook.com/BluphoriaOfficial.
Guitarist Steve Hackett is scheduled to re-issue two of his solo albums this year.
Guitar Noir (1993) and Darktown (1999) are schedueld for re-issue on vinyl June 2 through InsideOut Music. Hackett said he was looking forward to the albums’ re-issues, saying, “I’m thrilled that my two albums Guitar Noir and Darktown are being release on vinyl for the first time! My music took on a darker edge for both those albums, and I explored additional sounds and genres I hadn’t touched before.”
The upcoming re-issues will come on the heels of the release of two new albums from Hackett in recent years, Under a Mediterranean Sky and Surrender of Silence. Both records were released in 2021 through InsideOut Music.
More information on Steve Hackett’s new single, video, and album is available along with all of his latest news at:
Independent hard rock band Rahway premiered its new single, ‘Carry You‘ as this weekend opened.
The band debuted the single Friday. The song is featured in the band’s new as yet untitled EP, on which the band is working. The song’s musical arrangement is a heavy, driving composition that is grounded in its rich guitar line. The vocals and rhythm section add their own depth to the whole to ensure listeners’ engagement and entertainment even more.
According to a statement from the band’s the song’s lyrical theme focuses on the dynamic between family members as one handles most of the emotional load while the other takes advantage of the other.
“‘Carry You’ tells the story of a person who was carrying a loved one through life, or so they thought, because in the end, it was the loved one doing the real heavy lifting,” the statement reads. “It is an epic story. One that we’ve all been through in life, because we’re all selfish beings and not realizing that without others in our lives, we can’t survive.”
More information on Rahway’s new single and EP is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
The Hu is set to re-issue its sophomore album, Rumble of Thunder this summer.
The band is scheduled to re-issue the album June 30 through Better Noise Music. Pre-orders are open here.
In anticipation of the record’s re-issue, the band debuted a re-worked version of one of its songs, ‘Black Thunder‘ Friday, along with the song’s video. The updated take of the song features guest appearances from Bad Wolves front man Daniel “DL” Laskiewicz and System of a Down front man Serj Tankian. Laskiewicz takes more prominence in the updated take than Tankian, as he really provides the lead vocals while the members of The Hu perform the instrumentation.
Tankian comes in late in the song’s five-minute-plus run time in more of a brief, supporting role as part of the whole.
Laskiewicz said in a prepared statement, he enjoyed taking part in the song’s update.
“Working on this version of The HU’s ‘Black Thunder’ was so much fun and so different from what I normally get to do,” Laskiewicz said. “Their vision, their voices…they’re special. This is more than music, it’s a movement, it’s culture, and I’m honored that I was presented with the opportunity to be part of it.”
The video for the band’s new updated song, directed by Micheal Lombardi, tells the story of Mongolian warriors preparing to go off to battle. Meanwhile the members of The Hu perform their new single as the story unfolds around the musicians. Laskiewicz appears in a separate portion on a sound stage.
Tankian shared Laskiewicz’s sentiment as he talked more in depth about taking part in the update.
“I had discovered the Hu’s music from a YouTube video that a friend sent me and was instantly struck by their powerful and delightful merging of Mongolian folk and metal,” Tankian said. “A few years back I had scored a film called Furious where we also used the legendary Tuva singing and heavy guitars. So, when they reached out to collaborate, I was intrigued.
Tankian added, “I appreciate the pride with which they represent their culture through music. It led me down a historical rabbit hole of Mongolians and Armenia. Genghis Khan conquered Armenia along with the rest of Europe, but the Mongols also later teamed up with Armenia to fight the Turkish hordes. Happy I had the chance to collaborate with the Hu and learn all of this in the process.”
In other news, The Hu is scheduled to make its way across Europe this summer beginning June 1 at the Nova Rock Festival in Nickelsdorf, Austria. The tour is scheduled to run through July 22 at the Malakoff Festival in Nordfjordeid, NO. A pair of North American festival shows Sept. 23 in Louisville, KY and Oct. 6 in Sacramento, CA respectively will follow.
The band’s tour schedule is noted below. Tickets are available here.
THE HU TOUR DATES
6/7 Nickelsdorf, AT – Nova Rock
6/8 Interlaken, CH -Greenfield Festival
6/10 Southampton, UK – Southampton Guildhall
6/11 Donington, UK – Download Festival
6/13 Liverpool, UK – O2 Academy Liverpool
6/14 Bristol, UK – O2 Academy Bristol
6/16 Landgraaf, NL – Pinkpop 2023
6/17 Clisson, FR – Hellfest
6/20 Lille, FR – L’Aeronef
6/21 Norwich, UK – University of East Anglia
6/22 Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy Glasgow
6/23 Newcastle, UK – NX Newcastle
6/24 Somerset, UK – Glastonbury Festival
6/27 Frankfurt, DE – Batschkapp
6/28 Strasbourg, FR – La Laiterie Artefact
6/30 Werchter, BE – Rock Werchter 2023
7/2 Heslinki, FI – Festival Helsinki
7/4 Hamburg, DE – Grosse Freiheit 26
7/5 Luxembourg, LU – Rockhal
7/6 Aix-les-bains, FR – Musilack 2023
7/8 Madrid, ES – Mad Cool Festival 2023
7/10 Marseille, FR – Espace Julien
7/12 Munich, DE – Backstage Werk
7/13 Dresden, DE – Alter Schlachtohf
7/15 Wroclaw, PL – Center Concert A2
7/16 Vizovice, CZ – Masters of Rock
7/17 Budapest, HU – Budapest Park
7/20 Bontida, RO – Electric Castle Festival
7/22 Nordfjordeid, NO – Malakoff Festival
9/23 Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life Festival
10/6 Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival
More informtion on the upcoming re-issue of The Hu’s new album and the band’s tour is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Royal Bliss premiered a brand new single this month, along with the song’s companion lyric video.
The band partnered with fellow rock act Citizen Soldier for the new single, ‘Through Hell‘ last week. The standalone single’s release comes on the hells of the premieres of two other singles from the band — ‘Medication‘ and ‘Black Rhino‘ — which will be featured in the band’s upcoming sixth album, Survival. The album is scheduled for release April 7.
The musical arrangement featured in ‘Through Hell’ stands separate from those of the aforementioned singles. It is a melodic rock opus that is easily comparable to works from so many of the band’s equally well-known mainstream counterparts, such as Hinder and Nickelback and Theory of a Deadman.
By comparison, the arrangement featured in ‘Medication’ is a southern rock style composition that is honestly just as accessible in its own right. The arrangement featured in ‘Black Rhino’ meanwhile is a more fiery, energetic work that is a more pure rock work. Keeping that in mind, the band’s new standalone single boasts its own identity from the singles that it has released in support of Survival that is just as engaging and entertaining as those songs.
The lyric video for the band’s new single is a straight forward presentation. It features the band in front of a CG-imposed wall of fire as the band performs the new single. At points in the video, there is imagery such as a boxer and a wall being broken to help illustrate the message in the song’s lyrical theme.
Speaking of the song’s lyrical theme, its message centers on the topic of getting through all of the negative that life throws at us, according to Royal Bliss Front man Neal Middleton.
“‘Through Hell’ will be the anthem for those who have survived trauma and struggle,” Middleton said. “We all have been through some sort of hell, and this song will help people to know, they are not alone. It’s a common bond so many of us share.”
In other news, Royal Bliss is touring in support of Survival. The band is scheduled to be in Las Vegas, NV. The band’s tour schedule is set to run through July 14 in Grand Rapids, MI and includes performances in cities, such as Bloomington, IL; Billings, MT and Hildale, UT. Tickets and dates are available here.
More information on Royal Bliss’ new single, album, and tour is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Pop punk band The Speakeasy is working on a new album that it is hoping to release this year through Thousand Islands Records.
As audiences wait for the album’s release, the band has given them a new single to whet their appetites. The song premiered Thursday in the form of the subdued punk ballad ‘Breakfast Drugs.’ The song is the second single the band has released this year behind ‘Bright Side,’ which the band premiered in February.
The musical arrangement featured in ‘Breakfast Drugs’ is a stark contrast to that featured in ‘Bright Side.’ Where ‘Bright Side’ features a high energy pop punk sound and style akin to works from the likes of NOFX and Sum 41, ‘Breakfast Drugs’ is a far more subdued, almost melancholy type composition that is so contemplative. Even in that difference, it is still an engaging and entertaining work in its own right that conjures thoughts more of more emotional works from the likes of Matchbox 20 and Three Doors Down to name just a pair of comparable acts.
No information was provided about the song’s lyrical theme in the news release announcing the new single’s premiere. No lyrics are available, either. In listening to the song, it comes across as something of an existential nature. That is just this critic’s interpretation.
Blues rock band Ghost Hounds premiered the video for its latest single this week.
The band debuted the video for its single, ‘Dirty Angel‘ Wednesday. The video’s premiere came three weeks after the band debuted the single by itself. According to information provided in a news release announcing the video’s premiere, the visualization was recorded in a horse arena near Los Angeles and stars stunt rider-equestrian Mia Rae.
Ghost Hounds guitarist Johnny Babb talked about the video in a prepared statement.
“We knew we wanted something that felt unique and would lend itself to the mood of the song, so we filmed it in a majestic horse arena outside of L.A. on a cold and rainy night with a few of our guys and the amazingly talented, Mia Rae,” Babb said. “The entire team involved did an incredible job coming together and we are very grateful for them helping the vision come to life.”
Rae’s portion of the video shows her riding a horse in the arena. The other half of the video features the band performing its new single in the arena, with lighting behind the group to light the setting. The band’s new song plays over the visualization in the meantime.
‘Dirty Angel’ is the lead single from the band’s as yet untitled fourth album whose release date is also under consideration. The song’s musical arrangement is an immediately infectious composition that is driven equally by each of the band members’ performances. The bluesy southern rock vibes presented through the arrangement are easily comparable to works from the likes of Blackberry Smoke, Gary Clark, Jr. and Robert Randolph and the Family Band.
The song’s lyrical theme is a straight forward message sung from the standpoint of a man who is praising a woman he loves and respects.
Ghost Hounds has released three albums so far, Roses are Black (2019), A Little Calamity (2021) and You Broke Me (2022). The band’s new album, which is expected for release in June, will come through Gibson Records.
More information on Ghost Hounds’ new single and album is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Early this February, rock super group The Winery Dogs released its latest album, III, through its own label, Three Dog Music. The band is currently touring in support of the record, which has already produced two singles, ‘Xanadu’ and ‘Mad World.’ Those two singles are positive addition to the record but not the only noteworthy additions to the presentation. There are plenty of other entries among the album’s 10 total songs that make the record worth hearing, one of them being the late entry, ‘The Vengeance.’ It will be discussed shortly. ‘Gaslight,’ which comes even later in the album’s 51-minute run, is another notable entry in this record. It will be addressed a little later. ‘Rise,’ which comes earlier in the album’s run, is yet another standout entry to the album. It will be discussed a little later, too. All three songs noted are just as important to the album’s impact as the two singles already released. When all of those songs are considered with the rest of the album’s songs, the whole makes III one of the best of this year’s new rock albums.
III, the aptly titled third album from The Winery Dogs, is another strong offering from the rock super group. Its musical and lyrical content alike makes that clear, as its two singles have already shown. They are just two of the songs that show the impact of that collective content. The record offers plenty of other songs that show the strength of its musical and lyrical content, not the least of which being the late entry, ‘The Vengeance.’ Kicking off the album’s second half, the song boasts a musical arrangement that immediately throws back to the pop rock sounds of the 80s through the sound and style taken in its layered guitar line and the distinct vocal style of front man Richie Kotzen. At the same time, Kotzen, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Mike Portnoy also offer a touch of more modern rock to make things even more interesting. The juxtaposition of the two sounds and styles collectively makes the arrangement here unique and fully engaging and entertaining.
The positive mood that the song’s arrangement sets through its presentation works well with the song’s lyrical theme, which presents a message of not giving in to the anger and frustration we all feel from dealing with certain difficult people in our lives. This message is inferred as Kotzen sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “I’m in my head/I’m feeling sick of life/I lend a hand and then get crucified/You act like you own me/But you don’t real/All bets are off/The air is thick tonight/I’m not talking anymore/Nobody’s listening/And you’re nothing I adore/You don’t break my boredom, you break my balls/And make me wish I never grew up/And I ain’t laughing anymore.” He adds in the song’s second verse, “I’m if I’m then I’m holy hell/I’m stopping time/I’m clearing all my history” and adds in the song’s third and final verse the most telling statement, I know the strong forgive/The weak ones seek out their revenge/I’ve got no vengeance/I’ve learned the wise ignore/So I’m not gonna waste time settling scores/I’ll let it play out/I’ve got the light without the heat/For the first time I feel alive tonight.” This comes across his frustration of how he is treated, strongly in his frustration of how he is treated, but eventually reaches the point in which he realizes there is no point in being angry and wanting vengeance. He even states it is wasting time, wanting vengeance against others. It is a statement that is certain to resonate with listeners who allow themselves to be open-minded. This message, paired with the positive vibe in the song’s classic rock-inspired arrangement make the song overall another clearly positive addition to III.
‘The Vengeance’ is just one of the songs featured in III that shows the impact of the album’s musical and lyrical content. ‘Gaslight’ is just as impacting as ‘The Vengeance’ because it also takes on people who want to make our lives miserable. Kotzen makes that clear right from the song’s outset as he sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Why you so damn sensitive/Always hanging by a thread/And you say, ‘Why you so damn negative?’/It’s what you heard, not what I said/I’m much better when I’m on my own/Life makes more sense when I talk alone/Right from the start you’re bringing crazy/That’s how you like to play/Twist up the mind and keep it hazy/Do what you wanna do/But don’t gaslight me.” He adds in the song’s second verse, “Why you need to escalate/Over something so benign/I’m not into a debate/I don’t wanna waste my time/And you tell me you’re so lazy and confused again/But I know I’m not/Telling me I’m wrong until the end.” He closes out the song stating, “You won’t gaslight me.” This is yet another theme to which so many listeners will be able to relate. That is because of the er since the Trump he topic of gaslighting. Ever since the Trump administration was in charge, gaslighting has becoming an ongoing problem nationwide, and still is today. Those people wo just want to egg others on, and cause fights are such a problem. This comes from the vantage point of those who are tired of dealing with those gaslighters.
The musical arrangement that accompanies this message is unique in its own way. The intense guitar lick that opens the song immediately conjures thoughts of guitar great Joe Satriani. As the song progresses, the driving energy actually lends itself to comparison to songs from Motorhead, especially considering the guitar lick and time keeping. Back and forth of that Satriani style performance and the more Motorhead style work makes for quite the interest. Sheehan’s bass work and Portnoy’s work on the arrangement add their own touch, what with Portnoy’s fills and Sheehan’s fluid performance, ensuring listeners’ engagement and entertainment even more. The fire in the energy entertainment even more. The fire in the energy really does well to help translate the frustration that people feel when they are dealing with people who gaslight others. The whole of that lyrical and musical content shows just as much the content featured inhere is just as impacting as that in ‘The Vengeance.’
‘Gaslight’ is just one more of the songs that shows how much III has to offer musically and lyrically. ‘Rise,’ which comes earlier in the album’s run, does its own share to make that clear. Its musical arrangement does plenty to make that clear. Right from the arrangement’s outset, that classic/southern rock influence proves that. Portnoy’s relatively straight forward performance on the drums and Sheehan’s frenetic bass line pair to make the arrangement more unique from the rest of the album’s arrangements. The overall vibe and energy in the song’s arrangement make certain audiences will remain engaged and entertained throughout. That energy also pairs well with the song’s lyrical theme, which seems to come across as being about fake friends and supporters.
This is inferred as Kotzen sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Knives thrown in rage/To cut you down to size/And that’s just how they slay/Rhymes charmed and safe/Lure you to your grave/But I won’t play/On wheels of fire I’m still riding/These gears that I grind keep me climbing/On and on/Here and gone/Revered and then replaced/They build you up/They pull you down/But I rise, rise, rise.” He adds to the message in the song’s second verse, “Their bitter tongues spit and yell/Judging the unwell/I come out unscathed” before returning to the song’s chorus. That note of people building others up and then pulling them down is as clear as the message gets here. This is a commentary about those negative people who would rather see others fail than succeed. These people are individuals that everyone has encountered in life. To that end, everyone will relate to this theme, too. Keeping that in mind, the musical and lyrical content featured in this song proves just as accessible to listeners as those in the other songs noted here and with the album’s singles. When all of these songs are considered along with the album’s other entries, the whole makes III a win for The Winery Dogs and its fans alike, and one of the best of this year’s new rock albums so far.
III, the third album from The Winery Dogs, is another strong offering from the rock super group that will appeal to a wide range of audiences. That is proven through its musical and lyrical content alike. The songs examined here make that totally clear. When they are considered along with the album’s singles and with the rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes III one of this year’s top new rock albums so far.
III is available now through the band’s label, Three Dogs Music. More information on the album is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
In May 2021, almost two years ago, the members of Project 86 announced the band had started work on its final album. The announcement came to a shock to many, considering that the band had only been in existence for 25 years. However, in that time, it had released a total of 10 albums. For most bands, releasing 10 albums takes much longer. What’s more, those records and the band’s live shows built a fan base of millions around the world, even though the band stayed just below the mainstream radar the entire time. That is quite the statement about this band. Now as the band begins the road to the end of its time, the band has padded its resume even more with the release this past Friday of its new album, Omni. The 12-song record, the band’s now 11th, is the first half of what is a larger, double album whose second half will release likely later this year, as part of a long goodbye from the band. This first half of the record is an impressive new offering that will certainly stun audiences in the best way possible. That is due in no small part to its featured musical arrangements. They will be discussed shortly. The lyrical content featured in this record is just as much of note as the record’s musical arrangements and will be discussed a little later. The record’s production rounds out its most important elements and will also be discussed later. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album’s presentation. All things considered they make Omni a powerful penultimate offering from Project 86.
Omni, the 11th album from Project 86, is a powerful new offering from the band as it begins to count down to the end of its days. The appeal offered by the album comes in part through its featured musical arrangements. The musical content that is presented throughout the album’s 51-minute run time is the absolute heaviest material that the band has crafted to date. The post metal elements for which the band has come to be known are still present. That should not be ignored, but the band has taken its approach 10 whole steps forward this time, opting for elements of death, doom, and industrial metal along with those familiar post metal leanings for a whole that must be heard in order to be understood and appreciated. Front man Andrew Schwab’s screams, against the pummeling guitars, bass, and drums come together to create comparisons to the best works of Whitechapel, Zao, and Demon Hunter just to name a few. Now that combination may seem odd on the surface, but it certainly works here from one song to the next. The wall of sound that the band creates through each composition is absolutely intense in the best way possible. Even in the album’s more subtle moments that lean back to some of the band’s existing works, the band still finds a way to transition into that much heavier side of things. Audiences can even make comparison to works from Project 86’s fellow Christian metal act Living Sacrifice in the intensity exhibited in the songs. The overall change shows a deliberate intent to do something completely unlike what Project 86 has done, and it is an approach that is certain to engage and entertain audiences new and old alike.
The musical arrangements featured throughout Omni are just a part of what makes the album so worth hearing among the band’s legions of fans and by metal fans alike. The lyrical content featured in this record makes for its own share of interest, too. The lyrical content in this case is a concept record. As with the record’s musical arrangements, taking the chance to create a concept record is something else that Project 86 has never done, either. The story overall is rather in-depth. In the simplest terms possible, the story is one of the influence of technology on mankind. Now on the surface, a person’s mind might automatically go to a comparison to albums from the likes of Fear Factory and other acts who have taken to writing about the negative impact of machines on mankind. Project 86 has not gone that route here. Rather, this story plays out like some kind of melancholy futuristic drama that does not end well. According to information provided about the story, technology has reached the point at which humans can now be immortal. Yes, immortal. However, that immortality has come at a great price. Humans have essentially become plugged into a network of sorts that brings together the physical and digital world, in essence putting their consciousnesses partly in the real world and partly in the digital realm. Sounding familiar? It should, because science is slowly reaching that point in the real world. Man and machine have finally merged, allowing humans to live on even after their bodies are gone. The Augment, the technology that has brought about this merging of man and machine, has brought out the evil in humans. As is noted in press material about the album, “Without the fear of the ultimate consequence (death), the true, dark nature of man becomes evident. Violence and anarchy begin to spread like yeast through dough…The story culminates with the narrator inviting a malicious AI (spirit) into his body, setting off a chain reaction of unimaginable horror on a massive scale.” It is a dark story, and one not necessarily unfamiliar to audiences, but certainly original in its approach. That being the case, it makes for its own engagement and entertainment among the band’s established audiences and among metal fans alike. It is hardly a happy story, but this allegory warning the world of where we are headed very quickly will hopefully resonate with every person who gives the story a chance.
The familiar metaphorical language that Schwab has used in telling the story through each song adds even more to that depth and impact. The mention of retaking Eden in the album’s opener, ‘Apotheosis’ and being replaced by an algorithm is a powerful statement about how people fail to see the long term impact of what they are letting happen through technology. Later in ‘User Agreement,’ Schwab writes of how people’s identities have become property of a company and its proprietaries through that reliance on technology, making for another powerful statement as part of the overall story. That moment when the narrator merges with the AI is displayed in ‘Tartarus Kiss,’ with the AI convincing the man, “I can be whatever you want me to be/Just say the word and as one we merge.” Knowing Project 86’s Christian metal background, it would be easy to compare this moment to Satan’s temptation of Jesus in the wild. Sadly, in this case, the narrator allowed the AI to merge with him, leading to a very negative result. It is just one more example of the power of the album’s lyrical content. All things considered the lyrical content featured in this album makes for just as much impact as the album’s musical content. When it is paired with the noted musical material, the whole increases the engagement and entertainment for listeners even more.
Knowing how much impact Omni’s overall lyrical content has on its general presentation, it is just one more positive aspect of the record. The record’s production rounds out its most important elements. That is especially considering the heaviness of each of the album’s songs. There is so much going on in each song in terms of the vocals, instrumentation, and secondary elements, such as electronics that it would have been easy for each musician to overpower his fellow performer. The attention paid to each detail thankfully avoids that issue. The result is a powerhouse presentation whose overall general effect will do just as much to keep listeners engaged and entertained as the content itself. When the production that went into this record is considered along with the album’s content, the whole makes Omni one of the best records that Project 86 has produced to date and one of the best hard rock and metal albums of 2023 so far.
Omni, the penultimate album from Project 86, is a powerful new offering from the Christian metal band if not its best to date. That is due in no small part to its featured musical arrangements. The arrangements take Project 86 in a direction little taken throughout its catalog. The band has produced some heavy songs throughout its catalog, but none to the intensity of this record. That is because of the approach taken. There is more death, doom and industrial influence here than anything else. It creates a surprising and surprisingly engaging musical presentation. The lyrical content that accompanies the record’s musical content is just as heavy as that material. That is because of the topic that the band takes on here. It is a familiar hard rock and metal topic, what with the path that technology has set out for humans the world over. The approach that the band takes here is totally unlike what any other band has done when taking on this topic of technology’s role on humans’ fate. The production that went into this album puts the finishing touch to this presentation. It ensures the best of each of the band members’ work shines in each song. The positive general effect that results from that production completes the presentation here and makes Omni one of Project 86’s best albums to date and one of this year’s top new hard rock and metal albums so far.
Omni is available now. More information on the album is available along with all of Project 86’s latest news at:
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