New Discovery: I've Got Gloria

It all started with a tweet: “Our bassist has agreed to take everyone out for dinner and a movie to who help try and reach 7000 followers!“
I've been following the five guys from Niagara Falls, Ontario for a while but this tweet caught my attention. Obviously (and unfortunately) it was a joke but they got their 7000 followers, I had something to laugh at and a new band to write about.
I've Got Gloria are: Vocalist Matthew Dell, bassist and soon broke because of all the dinner invitations Jeremy Morocco, drummer Nicholas Plati and the guitarists Antonio Cirillo and Jason Golden. They started making music together in 2007 and released their EP Rebuilt on August 27^th 2012.

The first song on the record, Ange Avenue, created a little film in my mind while listening. Two teenagers are driving in a car, he tries to get closer to her, she rejects him and leaves. Later I find out that they were in a relationship which she ended and now he tries to get her back while standing alone at the corner of his heart. I see him walking around at night with all the memories on his mind but before I know how the film ended, I'm back to reality.
The next song totally contrasts with the first one: Better Now reminds me of summer, of long nights, of being happy. It's about a boy and a girl who leave together to a better place, he seems to love her a lot because he says he'd die for her. This is one of the songs I'd marry a guy for if he wrote it for me.
Oh the joy – I'm taken back to school again, to science class this time. Chemicals is about the end of a relationship, the writer's attraction for his partner will die soon. If I was better in chemistry I could probably say more about the metaphors but thanks to the talent of the whole band you don't have to understand the lyrics in order to get the message of the song.

Our Time basically is a song about the band, about how hard they work to fulfill their dreams and how they'll manage to stand out in the crowd. I can definitely picture these guys playing in front of a huge crowd because they manage to deliver emotions through their songs and if music isn't connected to emotions then I don't know what's the purpose of it.
The last song on the record, Rebuilt, is about love again, especially about the beginning when you're so in love that it feels like you're high.

So, you should go and check out I've Got Gloria for two reasons: First, they take you on a rollercoaster of feelings while you listen to their songs and secondly they are really talented musicians who deserve some more recognition. 

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Light 'Em Up - F like Fall Out Boy

“WHAT THE FUUUUUUUCK, FALL OUT BOY ARE OFF HIATUS WHAT IS HAPPENING???“
I don't remember her exact words but that's just about how my best friend reacted when she read the news. I was making tea in the kitchen when she ran up to me like a lunatic, almost crying from happiness. I thought she was just joking or that some bored idiots were spreading rumours again because literally two days before, Pete denied everything and suddenly there was a new song and a release date for a new album and dates for a tour and good god that day was perfect. We danced around, screamed a little and had some shots because how else are you supposed to celebrate the best band ever coming off hiatus?

When I got into Fall Out Boy, they were already on hiatus. Again my best friend gave me all their albums and I didn't listen to anything else for weeks. Do you know the feeling when you discover new music and it's like you found Jesus? I'm not religious but that's how it felt when Fall Out Boy came into my life. I was a little sad when I read that they're not really around but I just kept listening to the brilliant music they left for us because if nothing else cheers me up, their songs do. I don't understand 99% of the lyrics so I have to improvise and sing whatever I think could be the closest to the actual lyrics but I guess that's something very typical for Fall Out Boy.
I don't even know how to express my feelings for this band because there's absolutely nothing I dislike about them except from the fact that I don't know when I'll finally get the chance to see them to make sure they're real. I mean, have you ever heard somebody saying they don't like Fall Out Boy? I haven't. Even my mum thinks they're cool and usually she is the first and the last person so tell me how fucked up my taste in music is.

What comes to your mind when you hear Fall Out Boy? I think of sunny days, long hugs, the feeling of pure happiness. Listening to them literally makes me feel like I'm floating and I can leave all the shit on earth while I'm up in space for a while.
I know that I have an unhealthy relationship to all the band members, but there are only a few I love as much as I love Patrick Stump. I love watching his facial expressions when he sings, I love his pure voice because it always gives me this fuzzy feeling in my stomach, I love his sense of humour – just have a look at his twitter account, his answers to some questions are the most brilliant thing you'll read today. I love how inspirational he is. He lost a lot of weight and whenever I discuss in my mind whether I should go on a run or not I tell myself that Patrick made it so I can do it too.

Fall Out Boy coming off hiatus was the best thing that happened so far this year and I guess that only their new album can top that. 

New Discovery: The God We Create

“Art never comes from happiness.“
That's what Chuck Palahniuk, american author and journalist once said and looking at the singer I want to present you today, this quote seems to be very accurate.

17 year old Ben Thomason from Nashville, Tennessee is also known as The God We Create, a hardcore solo project. His six songs sound a lot like Bring Me The Horizon and I have to be in the mood for them because they're too heavy for me to be listened to 24/7.
Looking at the lyrics you can see that Ben has already been through a lot. The first song is called Goodbye and tells the story of death taking somebody you were close to. It tells the story of how you continue living even though it's a lot more difficult now (“My world's gone dark with you gone“), how you constantly have this person on your mind (“When I dream, I dream of you“) and how you'd do everything to bring them back (“Take my hand I'll bring you home, take my hand I won't let go“). As sad as this song is, the end offers some inspirational lyrics I didn't expect while listening: “I swear no matter how bad it may seem or how awful it may get, there is hope around the corner for each and every one of you.“
Hands down: I don't know many 17 year old boys but the ones I know would never come up with lyrics like these.
The second song, Long Gone, is in no way inferior to Goodbye. While listening you can literally feel the sadness, anger and disappointment raging in Ben because this song is very raw, very real. I can't imagine how it feels when your family is torn and I also can't imagine how it feels to leave a part of your family behind to start over without them but Long Gone really touched me and I'm quite impressed because Ben managed to turn his negative feelings into something positive that he can share with the whole world.
I don't know how many of you heard the story of Katelyn Norman, a girl who suffered from cancer for a long time and passed away last week. I only heard about her because she was a big fan of Of Mice & Men and the whole band, especially Austin Carlile, was there for her until the end. I assume that Ben knew her because he wrote a song for her which sent shivers down my spine and I get goosebumps only from reading the lyrics. Rest in Peace, Katelyn.

The other four songs are as raw as the ones I mentioned and I honestly think that Ben can make it far when he gets some more support and a record label behind him to boost his talent.

http://www.reverbnation.com/thegodwecreate

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Album of the Week: Bullet For My Valentine - Temper Temper

 I know I'm super late with this but I finally got a physical copy of Bullet For My Valentine's new album Temper Temper which was released on February 11^th 2013 and is the fourth album of the welsh heavy metal band. 

The album starts with a song that sounds like a warning or even a threat: Breaking Point is a message to everybody who pisses you off until you can barely take it anymore and all you'd like to tell them is: “do not scratch the surface and wake the beast cause he's ready to bite“.
The screaming and screetching guitars only support this aggressive atmosphere and create the kind of tension you feel when you're really mad.
Truth Hurts, the second song, picks up the pace of Breaking Point and deals with addictions and what they do to you. “One more drink, one more pill just one more lie to make me feel like I have something left to give 'cause without it I'm just giving in.“ Whoever struggled, or still struggles, with addictions perfectly understands the feeling of being in a circle that takes you down and controls you, the feeling of never being able to make it out, the thought that nobody could possibly help you. For literally one second there's a spark of hope inside of you (“No more lies, no more games, is it too late to make a change?“) but as fast as this spark appears it's gone again and everything starts from scratch.
You keep all the rage, the unsaid words and thoughts inside of you until you can't hold them back anymore and you just explode. Temper Temper the song which names the whole album, describes this moment in a very detailed way. Sometimes it's just necessary to stop pretending and we all know that it “feels good when we lose control“.
My favourite song on the record is number four: P.O.W., it's one of these songs I'd print on a card and whenever somebody asks me how I'm doing I'd give them this card because songs do a better job at describing my feelings than I do.
After all the fast, angry songs you can take a deep breath now because Dead To The World is a rather calm song and you can almost feel the resignation and hopelessness. However, your break won't take too long; with Riot the typical style of Bullet For My Valentine continues to the end of the album.
I have to admit that the rest of the songs didn't leave that big impression on me. They're all very good (Bullet For My Valentine have never disappointed me and don't disappoint me now) but there's nothing new coming anymore. If you like the last three albums, you'll also dig this one, that's for sure.

New Discovery: Another Mask

“dep·o·si·tion (dp-zshn)
n.
1. The act of deposing someone; removing a powerful person from a position or office
2. The act of depositing, especially the laying down of matter by a natural process.
3. Something deposited; a deposit.
4. Sworn testimony recorded for use in court at a later date.
5. "Deposition" The removal of Jesus from the cross.

This record tells a story of an intelligent civilization that is gradually becoming aware of itself and its place in the universe. Each song represents a step in perceiving the nature of things that increases the scale of known universe, making an individual less and less significant.
It is a message to any other species telling that it is possible to overcome greed, selfishness, ignorance and superstition and to prosper in knowledge, love and peace.“
This is what Another Mask have to say about their second record Deposition which they released on March 7^th 2013. Pavel Kazantsev (vocalist), Maxim Gribanovsky (guitarist), Oleg Sharikov (guitarist), Andrey Rozhkov (bassist) and Artem Taganov (drummer) are five guys from Moscow, Russia who started making music together in 2006 what you can definitely hear on their record. The twelve songs on Deposition deal with serious issues like the fast development of our society and how we can find our place in it (“So we grasp whatever hands can reach trying hard to show that we are the masters of this tiny place that we call home“). However, no matter what we do, we'll never be more than “ the smallest cogs rotating endlessly inside this perfect clock“ what's a symbol for our society again and a line in their fifth song Perfect Clock. I like this song a lot because it perfectly describes the vicious circle we currently live in.

The eighth song on the record is my favourite: Origin Locus offers great lyrics just like “The greatest secret is kept forever from our eyes, so one can just surmise. I think it might be the reason we breathe, the reason we keep this fire bright, I think it might be the reason we fight, the reason we lock ourselves inside“. Apart from the lyrics, I like the pace of the song, especially how strong the guitars sound.
The next song takes me back to biology class at school: Natural Selection. I'm glad that I don't have to explain the concept of natural selection now because the lyrics of the song pretty much cover everything you need to know (and I was really bad at biology). I have to admit that I'm quite fascinated because of how the writer turned such a boring topic (sorry) into such a good song!

All in all Another Mask impressed me. Not only because the songs deal with these unusual topics but also because the lyrics are very well written. Even though english isn't the band's native language, the songs contain words I had to look up because I never heard them before but this formal language is something what definitely separates the band from other bands out there.
I want to lose one quick sentence about the artwork: Every song has a different cover fitting to the meaning of the song. For example the song Won't Last Forever has an hourglass as a cover or Perfect Clock has three cogs as a cover.

You can clearly see how much work, energy and passion stands behind the whole album so you should go and check Another Mask out right now and download Deposition!

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New Discovery: Shapes & Colors

“Oh my god, I'm amazed by this Shapes & Colors band!“
That's what my best friend said while she listened to Shapes & Colors, the next band I want to present you. The five guys from Detroit played as Aria Aesthetic for three years but then decided to start over as Shapes & Colors and consist of the following members: Travis Bobier and Aaron Loftis as vocalists and guitarists, Mike Morris as guitarist, Bob Allers as bassist, vocalist and violinist and Zack Waggener as drummer.
I totally agree with my best friend – Shapes & Colors are an amazing band. At first they reminded me a lot of You Me At Six but the more I listen to them, the more I figure out their special style. While doing my research I stumbled over a great phrase they put in the description of their website: “We now play music under the banner of Shapes & Colors, hoping to spread our message of hope; hope in times of despair. You can overcome the darkness that surrounds you if you keep your sights set on the light ahead of you.“
I really like the idea behind it because I believe that music has the power of helping people to get better. Sometimes it's even more effective than one session at a therapist; you can believe me because I'm speaking from experience.
Shapes & Colors released their first album Hold Your Breath on May 19^th 2012 which contains eleven fantastic songs. The Intro is already pretty great, I like how they worked with the violin there. I was hoping that the intro flows into the first full song, The Reckoning, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Apart from that, the next five songs are kept in the same fast, melodic style what I like a lot. Imagine them playing these songs at a concert and the whole crowd sings along, how awesome would that be!? What I also really like is how they work with the guitars, especially the parts where you can only hear them, it shows that there are some pretty talented musicians behind the instruments.
If these songs don't convince you of the talent of this band, the first slow song, Dear Sister, definitely will. Make sure you're in a quiet place, turn up the volume and enjoy. I love how fragile the song sounds because of the violin and how all the instruments take a step back to make place for Travis and his voice.
The tenth song on the record is Hold Your Breath. I don't really know what to say about it because it's just fantastic. It gives me this warm, fuzzy feeling in my stomach, it makes me happy and it gives me hope.
The last song, Change, is one of the most beautiful songs I heard since I started discovering all the new bands. The piano and violin turn the song into something very special, combined with Travis' powerful voice it's the best song on the record and my absolute favourite.

I honestly don't understand why Shapes & Colors aren't signed because they're an amazing band and they deserve everything connected to a record label. I guess you can tell that I turned into a fan of them while doing this review so go and check them out, it'll be worth it!

http://www.shapesandcolorsmusic.com/

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I Can't Drown My Demons, They Know How To Swim - B like Bring Me The Horizon

What a great moment I caught there to write about Bring Me The Horizon when their new album is released (go and buy it right now!!), I'm already drowning in my feelings because this album is the best thing that happened so far this year apart from Fall Out Boy coming off hiatus.
This time I know exactly how I got into the band. I was just looking through my tags on tumblr when I saw a pic of Oli. If I haven't mentioned it yet: I have a huge weakness for tattoos and since Oli is covered in them from head to toe I wanted to find out more about him and his band. Again I already knew Bring Me The Horizon but I also knew that they're heavier than the bands I usually listened to. Nevertheless I gave them a shot and thought to myself “well, this is a little bit too much screaming for me“. However, they kept going around in my mind, I literally had the urge to listen to them even though I didn't really like it. This is probably the weirdest experience I ever had with a band because in the end I listened to them when I hit rock bottom and suddenly everything made total sense to me. I lost count of the times I cried while listening to It Never Ends and Don't Go and actually felt better afterwards because it's like Oli understands you. Maybe I interpret songs too much and lyrics and everything but music is the only thing on this crazy planet that makes sense to me so I stick to it. I mean, how can you not believe that Oli understands when he screams into your ear: “We all have our horrors and our demons to fight but how can I win when I'm paralysed? They crawl up on my bed, wrap their fingers round my throat, is this what I get for the choices that I made?“
There are more of these brilliant lyrics I clinge to whenever I need it and I feel like there are a million things left unsaid but I honestly don't know how to put my feelings for this band into words, so I'm just gonna say thanks to Bring Me The Horizon for keeping me sane when I'm about to lose it.

I will write a proper review for Sempiternal when it's finally mine (in two weeks.......) and analyse each word of every song because as far as I can tell (thanks to Spotify by the way) there's a lot of amazing stuff waiting for me to be worked with.