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Search Archives OnlyDS Festival Review: Copenhell Day 2 – Deathbyromy, Mr. Bungle, Limp Bizkit, and many more!
Day 2, let’s go. That is what I told myself when I woke up at 6 am, after four hours of sleep. But screw it, you want to know why? Because it’s LIMP BIZKIT DAY!! For months on our Discord channel, I have been waiting and waiting for this day. I have zero shame if […]
Day 2, let’s go. That is what I told myself when I woke up at 6 am, after four hours of sleep. But screw it, you want to know why? Because it’s LIMP BIZKIT DAY!! For months on our Discord channel, I have been waiting and waiting for this day. I have zero shame if we need to dissect my music taste. I cherish Limp Bizkit and how silly they can be. But it wasn’t just Limp Bizkit that was showing up on the sunny and warm Thursday. Haha, no, no – Mr. Bungle found their way to Copenhagen, Thy Art Is Murder served up on hell of a pit, and The Hives proved they could play the main stage at Copenhell.
But let’s get into it!
DeathByRomy shows No Mercy.
Usually, I’m good at time management; I know how long it takes me from my home in Lyngby to Refshaløen, where Copenhell takes place. However, I am not in control of public transport, so while my busses were delayed, our group chat was going off about how DeathByRomy was about to start. I think it’s an understatement when I say I was annoyed. Having missed a few songs, I arrived at the end of “Hellhound”. Romy Flores has brought a band with her, and wow, this was the perfect way to kick off Thursday. “This song is about crashing my car,” Flores tells us before kicking off the song “Crash.” on record, it’s already an intense song, but hearing it live had the hairs on my neck rise.
“No Mercy” got the energy flowing on stage and in the crowd. DeathByRomy usually is a one-piece, but seeing a band accompany her on stage, bringing a well-rehearsed ping pong between each member, just showed how this was one of the best bookings Copenhell gave us this year. And when it all ended with “Day I Die”, you are left wanting more; that high you are on from the set is a wholly different drug. Next up, I hit Helviti right next to the stage for Thy Art is Murder. [Karina Rae Selvig]
The audience at Thy Art Is Murder has the cure to deal with hangovers.
Sometimes, I get tired of my friends going to shows in genres I have zero interest in because our group chats are constantly filled with praise or funny stories about what the bands did or said. Now Thy Art Is Murder is one of these bands that I have found to be highlighted constantly, followed by the phrase, “Karina, you need to see them.” And being as curious as I tend to find myself at festivals, I did indeed head over to Helviti with my trusty pal Sebastian to see what the hype with this band was about.
Finding ourselves in the pit, I was not mentally prepared for the hell that was about to be unleashed upon me. Advice: if you are going to see Thy Art Is Murder, do not go into an area where a pit might erupt. Because that’s what we did, and I need to admit, I felt very claustrophobic being pressed up against people, but at the same time… Oh, I wanted to be in the pit, but due to an unlucky episode a few weeks prior, my pit days are over until the dentist says so.
But let’s talk about Thy Art Is Murder; before hitting the stage, “We Like To Party” by Vengaboys was playing from the stage, and as soon as the band took the stage, we needed to prepare to step the hell back. Because as the first riff came out of the speakers, the pit was getting going. The band indeed ate up the energy that was coming from the crowd, but clearly not enough to get the band moving on stage. Maybe I’m too used to punk bands that go flying off the wall at shows; it was a bit of a disappointment. Did I maybe expect a lead singer to jump from speaker to speaker? Yeah, actually. They had the main stage, which proved to be too big for them in the end. Indeed, the audience was the highlight of this show. From a circle pit that was never-ending to people on the ground rowing, you would be amazed by how the audience lifted the band, while the interaction between the band and the audience felt limited. But honestly, I would see them again; it was cool, scary, and overwhelming. [Karina Rae Selvig]
The Baboon Show
Starting my day off with iced coffee and Swedish punk was a brilliant idea. The energy from four piece, The Baboon Show, was radiant. The songs were short, groovy, and filled with conviction. And the band celebrated oddballs that cursed out sexism, racism, and capitalism to joyful crowd surfing and compelled the crowd to join in a “middle fingers in the air-morning gymnastics”. Adding kazoo to the song “You Got a Problem Without Knowing It” really got the party going. As did the Pyro during “Playing with Fire”. The Baboon Show pretty much left everything on stage, confetti on the ground and hundreds of smiling faces ready to continue their day at Copenhell. [Sabina Hvass]
Mr. Bungle was here.
I actually don’t know how to review Mr. Bungle. My first time seeing Mr. Bungle, and I actually didn’t hate it. Mr. Bungle is an odd band; they are funny and have some titles that make you go “ok…” but overall, you cannot deny that the stage presence that they have is intoxicating. Because what the fuck did I witness.
Starting their set with “Grizzly Adams”, Mike Patton came dressed for the event, from the cool braids to the word “Neck” written on his neck. Nothing could divert my attention from what I had signed up for. I’d say that they sounded good; they played some of their popular songs, which we probably won’t write the titles to, but if you are a Mr. Bungle fan, you know which ones I’m talking about. And they did some covers, actually a lot of covers, to the point where I questioned why. They have such an impressive back catalog; it just got too much. But whatever, they sounded amazing, and judging by the crowd, I wasn’t the only one thinking that! Would I see them again? Fuck yes. [Karina Rae Selvig]
The Hives
The Hives presented high kicks, high energy, and a friendly, neighborly feud between the Danes and the Swedes on the Helviti stage late this Thursday afternoon. With confidence reaching far back on the concrete floor, The Hives busted the myth that garage rock does not fit a vast Copenhell stage. With a surplus of humor and charm, the band delivered a tight set, with swinging fan favorites like “Walk, Idiot Walk”, “Hate to Say I Told You So,” and finale, “Tick Tick Boom”! [Sabina Hvass]
Tom Morello
Legendary guitarist of Rage Against the Machine, Tom Morello, kicked off on the Helviti stage performing his songs like “Soldier in the Army of Love” and medleys of RATM tracks to scenes of people joyfully crying, jumping, and pleading for revolution. A touching version of Audioslaves “Like A Stone,” was beautifully placed mid-set. With the addition of Måneskin, MC5, and eventually a Bruce Springsteen cover, “The Ghost of Tom Joad”, tension was clearly building. Morello and his band played an improvised track, “Copenhell Rocks,” leading up to the powerful release of energy during “Killing in the Name of”. To close the set, Morello guided an attempt to get the audience registered on the Richter scale as we jumped to John Lennon’s “Power to the People”. I’ll finish as I started: Legendary! [Sabina Hvass]
Now Zulu Are Through With Me
Back in 2019, I fell in love with an EP called “Our Day Will Come”, and that became a part of my hardcore journey. When they released “A New Tomorrow” last year, it came in as my number 21 best album of the year, which, in hindsight, I regret to this day today. However, once I saw that the hardcore/power violence band was making their appearance at Copenhell, it felt like a dream come true.
Once again, we head towards Gehenna, and I find myself a bit on edge since Wednesday’s continual failure to secure proper sound for the artists throughout the day. Zulu took the stage and five right into “For Sista Humphrey”, but not long after, they were forced to stop their performance since they were experiencing some technical difficulties, which wasn’t their fault. As the show went on, they managed to get the crowd going, playing some of their biggest bangers from the album “A New Tomorrow”, and managed to get me dancing and screaming along. While I may have had the time of my life, it was an unfulfilled experience, but you know what? That’s how it is sometimes. But I’m still fangirling over seeing Zulu kicking ass at Copenhell. [Karina Rae Selvig]
Lack
Wrapping up the day with Danish post-hardcore band Lack – the band that delivered the soundtrack to angsty train rides in my college years. Recently resurfaced from a long hiatus, their new songs were performed with precision, intensity, and emotive strength that I could only have dreamed of. The punchy drums placed some really powerful and dynamic details onto hard riffs that were handed back and forth. Bass, guitar, and vocals ripped through the chilly summer air with lyrics leaning into the accompanying genre-bending music – call it emo, screamo, noise rock, or hardcore – this band is still gallantly spreading out in punk territory with guts and heart spilled and spewed over the crowd. Lack dove into their back catalog with the biting “Hund”, bisexual anthem ” Deserters,” and swinging “5 p.m.” standing out as highlights as I moved further and further toward the stage. As lead singer and guitarist Thomas Burø bravely proclaimed that ‘The future is female” and called out the half-hearted crowd surfing in the front rows, some of my fellow female audience members were also motivated to take a surfer view over the show as it concluded. A beaming performance by this band on the big stage, they always deserved. [Sabina Hvass]
Get The Fuck Up, Limp Bizkit
As I mentioned earlier in the post, I have waited for a chance to see Limp Bizkit. As a matter of fact, I know they’ve been to Denmark a few times, but I never really had anyone to go with. But at a festival, everyone is there. This was one of those that I call a mandatory meet-up gig. The one where you expect everyone you know to make an appearance and have the best time with you, even if they don’t like the band that much, or as much as me.
As the song “Sweet Home Alabama” was playing from the speakers, my friends and I were making our way through the sea of people there to see Limp Bizkit in action when we found our other friends and the band came on stage; they dove right into “Full Nelson”. From then on, it was every person for themselves. I had told my friends earlier that I wanted to go to the pit for Limp Bizkit, and those who weren’t feeling it could stay back and chill. So, into the pit I went with two friends, and that’s where I discovered what I liked about the band. See, they actually sound good live. There is no doubt that Fred Durst & Co. still has a lot to offer. In between their songs, they did give us some covers, and that gave us some minutes of downtime before they started playing their hits like “My Way”, “Break Stuff”, and so on. The moment I heard the first notes to “Boiler”, I think my mouth dropped. What a pleasant surprise that came from Helviti, I swear – The delivery, the atmosphere, and every moment felt terrific, actually, throughout their whole show, which flew by in a blink of an eye. They can come back anytime, and it’s fair if you don’t like Limp Bizkit, but don’t be shit and hate on others that do. [Karina Rae Selvig]
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DS Original Content: Sick New World, Coachella for heavy music fans
Attending 2024’s Sick New World Festival was one of the most exciting experiences of my adult life. It was an 80-degree day with a perfect lineup. What more can a fan ask for? The festival was extremely organized and well run. The bands seemed to be having the time of their lives. This clearly wasn’t just […]
Attending 2024’s Sick New World Festival was one of the most exciting experiences of my adult life. It was an 80-degree day with a perfect lineup. What more can a fan ask for? The festival was extremely organized and well run. The bands seemed to be having the time of their lives. This clearly wasn’t just another stop on the rock festival circuit. This felt monumentous. Every aspect of the day had a grandiose feel to it. Sick New World is (one of, if not) the best, punk rock and heavy metal festivals currently.
Most people compare Sick New World to its sister festival, When We Were Young. While yes, they are managed by the same team, take place at the exact location, and have very similar business styles, I believe they cannot be compared. When We Were Young is more based on nostalgia. It’s literally in the name. Most of the bands on that bill already had their heyday. The 2024 lineup is actually just bands playing all their older records in full. There is nothing wrong with this. The festival plays classic bands that serve a purpose in their community. There will always be a space for those bands, and When We Were Young will always continue to have the coolest lineup.
The key difference with Sick New Word is that these are all the bands that are making a splash in the community NOW. Bad Omens’ newest record, “The Death of Peace of Mind,” is not only their biggest but also one of the most successful rock albums of recent memory. Sleep Token have ascended into amphitheater headliner status, something extremely rare in this genre. The last rock artist to really start playing areas of this size was Rise Against in the early 2010s. Knocked Loose is slowly becoming the biggest hardcore punk band to ever exist, playing Coachella and getting mainstream attention. They’re the face of the genre right now. In a different scene, Lorna Shore has become the most well known deathcore band in history. Will Ramos is appearing on covers of Rocksound and getting talked about in Loudwire the same way they talk about Corey Taylor. Ice Nine Kills are currently opening support for Metallica and proving they’re also the future of metalcore music. Most of the bands on the bill, have had their most recent album be their most successful. It’s not nostalgia bait; it’s the heartbeat of heavy music today.
A highlight set that needs to be discussed is the carnage that was Bring Me The Horizon’s set. The band brought their A-game in a massive way. As someone who has consistently seen the band for over 10 years, their set at Sick New World was a moment in time. It felt like their entire career had been building to that show. The band had Babymetal appear for guest vocals on their song “Kingslayer,” and every single person was on their feet. Video screens featured an AI named Eve trying to destroy humankind between songs. It added flair and personality. I felt like I was living inside an action movie by moshing. I would fly out to Las Vegas just to see that single set again.
Knocked Loose was so intense there were four mosh pits all going off simultaneously. The guitar tones sounded exactly like they did on the studio albums. The band connected with the fans live in such a strong way. Everyone was pointing screaming lyrics at Bryan and the band was giving the energy right back at them. They brought Poppy out to play the live debut of “Suffocate”. Knocked Loose should be a household name at this point.
Ice Nine Kills also played their first show of 2024 at Sick New World. This being my 18th time seeing the band, it’s safe to say I was excited. It was astounding, as usual. The band had a massive inflatable Silence Killer behind them as they performed. During “Meat & Great,” they rolled out a chained Hannibal Lecter, and fans got to watch him escape. Spencer did his classic American Psycho during “Hip To Be Scared” when he murdered Paul on the breakdown. It was a spectacle, it was extremely heavy, and more than anything, it was unapologetically Ice Nine Kills.
The festival also needs to work on its entrance. It had a capacity of 80,000 with only 4 gates to get into the festival. I waited outside for an hour and a half before I was finally allowed in. It was a brutal experience. This can be easily remedied with more entrances. It can also be fixed by having entrances in different locations. Everyone had to enter in the same parking lot area behind Circus Circus Hotel. Another possible solution to this would be having doors open much earlier. The doors opened at 10:30 am, and the first artist started at 11:15. Spacing out the time when doors open may allow for a more gentle flow of people.
A critique we’ve seen a lot about Sick New World is that the band’s set times were too short. While we understand the frustration fans have, we firmly disagree. Did Lorna Shore only play “Sun // Eater” and the “Pain Remains” trilogy? Yes. But in the span of 2 hours, you have seen four headliner-sized bands for the price of one. If fans go choose to see the smaller artists on the Diablo and Siren stages, that turnaround is even faster. In 3 hours (from 6-9pm) fans could mosh out to Drain, Vein.Fm, Code Orange, Better Lovers, Static Dress, and Incendiary. That’s a bucket list lineup right there; it’s just the last quarter of your night at Sick New World Festival. I did not understood the vision until I saw it with my own two eyes. It’s a sacrifice for the length of the set in exchange for the volume of artists. If the lineup is as good as it was this year, that’s a worthy trade-off.
There were no wait times to get food or beer. The food was delicious, and the alcohol was strong. The festival merch line moved quickly and efficiently. The artist merch line had a two-hour wait, but if you flew to Las Vegas to buy band merch, reevaluate your life! There were four bands playing at the same time! Go crowdsurf or run around in a circle pit! The bands have merch online after the festival anyway.
Overall, the title says it best. Sick New World is Coachella for heavy music fans. It’s THE festival for anyone who grew up playing guitar and trying to learn to scream. It was a mass congregation of every hardcore punk fan in the world. At the festival, I ran into people from Brazil, Canada, and every part of the United States. Sick New World 2024 is in the history books.
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Dying Scene Photo Gallery: Meth, See You Next Tuesday, Deaf Club, Usurp Synapse, and DJ Speedsick, Thalia Hall, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago’s own Meth headlined a wild night of noisy hardcore punk metal madness “in the round,” where they set up on the floor of Thalia Hall and were surrounded by the crowd for the night. Meth delivered an incredible set and the crowd went wild. Opening bands See You Next Tuesday, Deaf Club, Usurp Synapse, and DJ Speedsick […]
Chicago’s own Meth headlined a wild night of noisy hardcore punk metal madness “in the round,” where they set up on the floor of Thalia Hall and were surrounded by the crowd for the night. Meth delivered an incredible set and the crowd went wild. Opening bands See You Next Tuesday, Deaf Club, Usurp Synapse, and DJ Speedsick brought the magic and didn’t disappoint and Dying Scene was there to witness this show.
See You Next Tuesday is a death core band from Bay City, Michigan. Find them here.
Usurp Synapse is a screamo hardcore band from Lafayette, Indiana. Find them here.
Chicago’s own, DJ Speedsick started the night with his mix of industrial techno, industrial hardcore, and noise music. Find him here.
Thanks for checking this out. Be sure to support your favorite bands and enjoy.
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Hail The Sun
Hail the Sun is an American post-hardcore band from Chico, California. Formed in 2009, the band consists of lead vocalist and drummer Donovan Melero, guitarist Shane Gann, guitarist Aric Garcia, and bass guitarist John Stirrat. Hail The Sun are known for their progressive rock and math rock style, along with traditional elements of screamo and post-hardcore. The band have released five studio albums, with a sixth studio album, Divine Inner Tension, slated for release on August 11, 2023 via Equal Vision Records.
Hawthorne Heights
Hawthorne Heights, formerly A Day in the Life, is an emo rock band from Dayton, Ohio.
HOOF Band Spotlight: Sparkling Urbana, Peach Vomit and Carnivore Mommy
In anticipation for H.O.O.F., the one day music festival celebrating the women, femmes and thems of the Chicago punk scene, we are interviewing and spotlighting some of the awesome bands playing this year. We have Sparkling Urbana, Peach Vomit and Carnivore Mommy today! If you are in the Chicago area we better see you there […]
In anticipation for H.O.O.F., the one day music festival celebrating the women, femmes and thems of the Chicago punk scene, we are interviewing and spotlighting some of the awesome bands playing this year. We have Sparkling Urbana, Peach Vomit and Carnivore Mommy today! If you are in the Chicago area we better see you there October 19th!
First things first…introduce yourselves!
Hey! We’re Sparkling Urbana, we’re an all trans/queer grunge/alternative band from Chicago. We’re powered by gender-angst, queer joy, and the general chaos of being alive, jam that through some twinkly, fuzzy riffs and loud vocals, and see if it makes sense when the screaming stops.
What are you looking forward to the most at HOOF this year?
Honestly, getting a tattoo done by a cool nonbinary tattoo artist while there’s badass fem/queer punk bands playing on stage sounds like a dream come true, so yeah a couple of us are planning on getting a tattoo from Teddi.
What does HOOF mean to you?
We’re so glad as queer folks and local music lovers that this sort of thing exists. This would’ve been the coolest thing in the world to us when we were younger, which is a standard we try to live by. And it’s not just about the music (which of course the bands are gonna be killer) but about getting people together in a safe space, and celebrating this space by enjoying really talented artists and all of the other fun events–costumes and music and drag and tattoos etc. We want you to be your weirdest self here.
Why should people go to HOOF?
Because they want to be a part of something with other people who want to be a part of something, and they want to see some of the best local bands. Truly, everyone should see EVERYONE here. Carnivore Mommy, The Daddy Sisters, of COURSE Sweetie, and on and on. Sparkling Urbana will be playing songs from our new EP (Give It Extra Teeth) and at least one never before played song. Go see everyone, you literally can’t go wrong.
Anything else you want the people to know? New music/show announcements? Favorite gum flavor or song to cry to?
Our EP Give It Extra Teeth is on all of the streaming platforms and iTunes/Bandcamp and we have additional shows this fall. Follow us on instagram (@sparklingurbana) for show details. 🙂 Sparkling Urbana runs on queer joy, queer rage, and caffeine, so, shout out to the french press, top level cheap way to make coffee if you’re looking for a way to make coffee.
First things first…introduce yourselves!
Hey what’s up? We are Peach Vomit! A crappy punk band based out of Harvard IL. Been a band for roughly 7 years and going strong.
We got some awesome members including : Mama Vomit aka Meg, the vocalist and the wild woman. There’s Eric aka Papa Vomit who gets silly on the strings of his guitar and he looks fabulous doing it in his signature dresses! We have two awesome bass players , Abby aka Avalanche who is our primary bass player and Habacuc aka Haba who also fills in on bass for us from time to time. Last but NOT least we got Skylor aka Sky beating the crap out of the skins for us.
What are you looking forward to the most at HOOF this year?
We are looking forward to playing a new town, which also happens to be close to Meg’s hometown in Hazel Crest, IL. Also super stoked to see all the fabulous outfits and costumes.
What does HOOF mean to you?
Mama: hoof has an extra special place in my heart especially being a woman in the music scene. It shines a spotlight on those who are overlooked constantly and that is something that I truly respect and love about this fest.
Why should people go to HOOF?
Because it’s a wonderful and inclusive festival where everyone can be themselves and have a great time doing it!!
Anything else you want the people to know? New music/show announcements? Favorite gum flavor or song to cry to?
Yes actually we are currently in the process of working on an EP “Queerdo” and we are hoping to have them in the process of recording by November and hopefully have it released by December!!
First things first…introduce yourselves!
Ever wanted the theatrics of emo and the horror of queercore to smooch a little?
Maybe you’re a lil’ freak who desperately wants to be Mommy’s favorite?
May we introduce to you, Chicago’s very own eerie, dancey, sick, and scream-soaked Carnivore Mommy.
Hi! We’re a femme-screamer-fronted, queercore band with influences of metal, screamo, and theatre! Our members are Sage Bryant (bass), Nich Svoboda (guitar), Lauren Memery (scream vox/lyrics), Gabriel Neimark (drums), and we’ll hit our one year as band this December!
What are you looking forward to the most at HOOF this year?
Lauren: I’m excited to hear from my fellow screamers! And also hopefully see some familiar faces from last year! Double also my fellow Mommys are cookin up a great band costume, soooooo very excited to play dress up!
What does HOOF mean to you?
Lauren: Going to HOOF last year was actually one of the final kicks I needed to go all in on Carnivore Mommy. Sage was the first one to hop onto my brain baby for this band, and I had just recruited Gabe by the time HOOF rolled around. Spending that gorgeous day in such sparkly, dingy, saccharine to suddenly vitriolic to delicious space, surrounded by truly the sweetest folks I’d been dreeeeeaming of finally meeting. Of course it finally clicked. The scene is waiting for what you have to offer, now get out of your own way and GET IT.
Why should people go to HOOF?
Lauren: Why wouldn’t you want to spend your day with the loveliest, silliest, most talented scenesters, and just lavish in generosity and power and spit and bite all dang day? Why would you NOT want to do that??? And everyone dresses up! Like, have fun already! Ugh!!!
Anything else you want the people to know? New music/show announcements? Favorite gum flavor or song to cry to?
Lauren: We’re playin’ Cafe Mustache (pwyc!) with our pals in An Fang on Oct 22nd and Liar’s Club Oct 27th with the Cult of Space Skull AND The Cult of Nasty! (So if you like cultic goodness AND screamy tunage, then you know where you gotta be, Baby.)
Also our Insta is: @carnivore.mommy ️
Double also, best song to sob your dick off too is Because Dreaming Costs Money by Mitski. Obviously.
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In Case You Missed It! – DS Album Review: Basque – “Pain Without Hope of Healing”
Basque is a 4-piece screamo band from Kitchener, Ontario. They released their debut LP, Pain Without Hope of Healing, on March 22nd, 2024, with support from labels all over the globe. Mixing ethereal dream-like riffs with heavy power violence-inspired bursts under a droning wall of noise, Basque has brought forth a record that peaks and falls constantly. A unique take on […]
Basque is a 4-piece screamo band from Kitchener, Ontario. They released their debut LP, Pain Without Hope of Healing, on March 22nd, 2024, with support from labels all over the globe. Mixing ethereal dream-like riffs with heavy power violence-inspired bursts under a droning wall of noise, Basque has brought forth a record that peaks and falls constantly. A unique take on the screamo genre that forgoes a linear progression and embraces a chaotic rise and fall of emotions throughout the short 7-song, 20-minute album. The bleak lyricism on the record touches on modern-day capitalism, addiction issues, confessional repentance, and inescapable melancholy. Pairing the simple yet dismal words with the mathematical intensity of the instruments, it is undeniable that Pain Without Hope Of Healing is a highly personal and emotionally charged project.
Going into the first song, I realized they weren’t kidding about the droning wall of noise, in the best way possible. These guys are LOUD and PROUD, and it’s infectious and works great for their vibe. Kicking off the album is the track “Nausea.” The chaotic instrumentation is front and center here, and the lyrics almost serve to complement the music rather than the other way around. This works in their favor for many of the tracks on this album! The lyrics are accessible on their Bandcamp page and, despite being short, they have such deep and relatable meaning. “Discontinue, disconnect; Now I’m trying to forget…” I can only imagine the number of people who can relate to those heavy lyrics.
Track two, “Perks,” is a song that brings in the longing of wanting to just tear off the mask they’re wearing to make others happy. The people pleasers of the world would rally seeing the lyrics to this song. “It’s futile to pretend I’m good at something again…” Incredibly relatable, even behind the vagueness of the surrounding lyrics. Relating to this is going to be a walk in the park for many of us and it’s truly a talent to say so much in so few words. Seeing the trend of this album made me realize just how bad these epidemics are becoming in the modern day.
“Stillness” is my favorite song lyrically, hands down. The way it’s written and executed is just so well-placed and relatable, it definitely elevates the album as you continue to listen. “…Before there was heaven, I hated my chin; Before there was stillness, I was the wind..” The poetry of the lyrics had me captivated as I listened closely to hear them over the chaos of the music. Which, in retrospect, kind of feels similar to all the noise and pointless news we hear every day, with the real problems flying ever so slightly under the radar, much like the lyrics vs the music of the album. It’s a beautiful parallel, if that was their intention!
Bringing us to track 4, another relatable banger. With lyrics coming at you from beyond like with lines like, “I heard but I didn’t listen; I held on too long but I didn’t like it…” from someone who knows the fear of everyone wanting to like you, or relate to them or have them relate to you in some way, “Worry About Everything” is a song that everyone who struggles with making sure everyone likes them needs. I struggle with it myself, and it’s important to just be yourself, and you will surround yourself with people who will be like-minded and compassionate to you and your world. It’s important for not only our mental health, but our physical, too. “…The youthful glow is gone; And in its place another scar; To reinforce the fear that one day it will strike my heart…” Honestly, metaphorical or not, it has a ton of truth. The amount of energy it takes to entertain people who aren’t like-minded and compassionate towards you is unimaginable. BE YOU.
“All Good Things Will Crumble” has a slightly more lax and mellow intro, until the screech of the guitar coming in to (possibly) rub some ears the wrong way, but if you hang in there, the instrumentation gets intricate and chaotic as you grow to recognize! The lyrics would tear any bleeding heart’s heart in two, but the timing of the music makes this song almost impossible for me to skip! I love trying to tap along to each instrument’s timing since they’re each a bit different!
This song has such a beautiful title, at least in my opinion, but call me a sucker for poetic wording. “Concrete Thoughts, Soften” has a soft title, but don’t let it fool you into thinking it’s got a softer sound. The lyrics are a whirlwind of vague, yet relatable, truths. “To say I’m tired is an understatement; So, I’ll lay my head on the pavement; Thinking of the thoughts of today; And the thoughts of tomorrow…” Just the despair of being locked in that depression, sometimes even reaching the point of the next few lines “…No time for sleep; No time to borrow…” It’s a dark place, but I can imagine some could relate. (If you need help with these thoughts and feelings, please reach out to the Suicide Hotline or your local mental health providers for help). As I go through this album, I just become more and more sucked in by the lyrics and the instrumentals they’ve paired with them.
The final track has the heaviest lyrics, yet the softest instrumental intro. I genuinely was FLOORED when I heard the picking and how beautifully slow it was. It gave this album such a beautiful ending. It’s probably my favorite track overall and if they had an entire album where all the songs sounded like this, sign me up for that review, I have DIBS. “Funeral For A Mouse” is incredibly dark, yet beautiful. In all honesty, this song’s lyrics are to be read at your own discretion. I find them beautiful, yet the subject may be triggering to some readers. I absolutely LOVE any and all music that brings awareness to and relates music to suicide and its darkness, having struggled with it myself at one point in time. That being said, I want to mention again; If you or anyone you know is having and struggling with these feelings or thoughts, please reach out to the Suicide Prevention Hotline or reach out to your local mental health professional.
Fans of Jerome’s Dream, Portraits of Past, City of Caterpillar, Blind Girls and Lord Snow will enjoy these guys’ music!
Paint Without Hope of Healing is out NOW on all streaming platforms as of March 22nd, 2024!
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Silverstein
Silverstein is a Canadian rock band from Burlington, Ontario, formed in 2000. Their band name is a reference to the famous children’s author Shel Silverstein, whom the band had admired and whose work they had read as children.
The Used
The Used is a post-hardcore emo band from Utah that emerged from the emo explosion of the early 2000s.