In 2018, death metal band, Beneath The Massacre announced their return from a 6 year hiatus. Now 2 years later, they have released their fourth full-length studio album, “Fearmongerer”. If the listener seeks a brutal and over the top listening experience, look no further. This album is extreme death metal at its finest. The guitar work is impressively shreddy and attention grabbing. The songs do lack structure or something repetitive to refer back to, but this simply forwards positively chaotic sound. “Fearmongerer” is a smart, technically sound, strong return for Beneath The Massacre. You can see them on tour in the US this March and April. 

Review By: Julia Peterson

The night started with Static Dress taking the stage as people started to file in, despite only releasing music and playing shows as a band for around 6 months they managed to draw people in and began to fill out the space by the stage. With the room beginning to fill up, Chamber took the stage and began projecting their own energy they had on stage towards the crowd, drawing more people towards the front and getting people moving. Can't Swim was next and including some very enthusiastic fans at the front you could see more people get engaged singing back the lyrics and they did a great job at warming up the crowd for Counterparts. When Counterparts took to the stage the room was filled, and it was very easy to tell this was a sold out show, the energy was high with multiple crowd surfers and stage divers, with vocalist Brendan taking brief moments to critique peoples techniques. Both the band and the crowd kept up the energy until the end of the set. 
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Review/Photo By: Ciara Wilkinson (Guest Contributor)

On Friday February 21st, new Indianapolis emocore band, Karma Kids made their debut. They played their release show for their first EP, Dystopian Dream Part One: American Mind at local DIY venue, Healer. Healer is an “immersive art and live music venue dedicated to freedom of expression and creative exploration”, as stated on their website. Upon entry is wonderland-esque room filled with odd trinkets, entertaining art displays, and dazzling lights. Healer’s unique atmosphere was the beginning of a memorable experience. 

The first band on the support lineup, Indy locals Setting Color opened with night with their newest single “Failure With Time” which debuted in December. This was their first show of 2020, and first time playing their single live since its release. Setting Color was followed by Ohio natives, I Fight Fail and Morning In May who are currently on a co-headlining tour together. I Fight Fail’s ambient and melodic sound was a perfect pairing with the venue, making their set a fully immersive and entertaining experience. Morning In May did their show stopping with their ever energetic and theatrical stage presence. Vocalist, Jake Bartolic suffered from a nose bleed mid-set, and simply ignored it, and continued his crowd-captivating performance. 

As Karma Kids took the stage to begin closing the night with songs from their debut release, it was clear they were facing technical difficulties with their mixer and backing tracks. As they huddled in the back corner of the stage trying to work with their equipment, the crowd was patient and encouraging. The anticipation over the room could’ve been cut with a knife which made the relief and excitement when the set finally did start, that much better. Their performance, while cut short due to the time loss, was strong nonetheless and gave a promising insight as to the new band’s overall sound and what to expect going forward from them. 

​Review/Photo By: Julia Peterson

Tove Lo brought her sold-out Sunshine Kity Tour to San Francisco. Even though Tove Lo broke her foot earlier in the tour in New York, it did not stop her from finishing out her shows. It was her second to last show, and she could not have picked a better city to have it in. She talked about how San Francisco was the first major city she came to when she began performing. 

To start the night, she performed “Glad He’s Gone,” the first single from her latest album, Sunshine Kitty. Throughout the night, she also had backup dancers, and somehow, Tone Lo was still able to keep up with the choreography. The crowd-favorite of the night was obviously “Talking Body” from her debut album. 

Tove Lo talked about how she has been planning this tour since October to make sure it was perfect. During her song “Moments,” she played the keyboard even though she said not very good at it, and everyone held up their flashlights on their phones up to help set the mood. 

Her set ended up being almost two hours, and Tove Lo was able to dance on a broken foot and not stop once for a break. If that’s not dedication and love for her fans, then I don’t know what is.

​Photo and review by Justine Willard

Noise metal pioneers, Today Is The Day, are touring in support of their new album “No Good To Anyone” with doom metal pioneers The Obsessed. If you are into the music of the 90’s noise and post-hardcore scenes then you are in for a treat. 

This tour took Brooklyn’s Market Hotel by storm last Friday night. It was a night of psychedelic sludge, grindy noise, and swaggering hard AF rock.

Today Is The Day is such a big band to digest. Their music is impossible to define, it’s noisy and aggressive, but has sweet melodies occasionally, sometimes grindcore, sometimes folk, always a bit misanthropic. Frontman/mastermind Steve Austin takes you on a journey through his fury live. From melancholy dirges to furious grindy metal and sweet ballads the crowd is in the palm of his hand. A lot of bands owe a lot to Today Is The Day, they are a force.

They’re supported by The Obsessed, legendary doom/stoner band from Maryland. This is a pretty rare occasion to catch them, even better that the crowd seemed heavily peppered with diehard fans. Scott Weinrich still has a mean ass growly delivery that set the bar for a lot of bands that came after. They played their thick doomy rock, and everyone settled into a nice heady groove.

Brooklyn locals, Somnuri opened with a set that was super sludgy and psychedelic and I was super into it. This was my first time seeing and hearing them and it hit me square in the place that loves super swampy heavy metal. 

This tour only has a few more US dates into April, so be on the lookout. You’ll experience catharsis.

Photo and review by Billy Devine

On February 2, the London based alt. rock/indie duo, Plastic Barricades, released their second single, Optimist, from their upcoming LP “Self-Theories”. With Dan Kert behind the genius of the vocals, guitar, bass, and lyrics, and Paul Love holding it down on drums, percussion, backing vocals, and keyboard, this is clearly a powerful and dynamic duo with talent out the wazoo. The song was written, recorded, and mixed in a Backyard Shed Studio in North-West London, um hello, how cool is that?! And, was mastered by Andy “Hippy” Baldwin at Metropolis Studios. This song has a really unique sound and personality to it. It almost gave me, like, a modern Beatles vibe, mixed with a new-era indie style, super vibey, and super catchy. 

Living up to its name, Optimism is a song encouraging our society to embrace the power of positive thinking. The lyrics focus on the enlightenment of being optimistic, and how being pessimistic is a choice that we make. To see the brighter side is a learned habit, that ultimately leads us to a fulfilled life. “Find the light, don’t curse the darkness,” was a line that really stood out to me, as it takes the opposite approach of how most people would handle sadness. It makes you think about the way you approach your problems, as most people tend to focus their energy on the negatives, instead of trying to build a life of positivity. Another interesting line was, “what if you could find pleasure in the journey? Redefine what you really want...” What an amazing message to be putting out into the world. I feel like they are really using their voice as artists to promote positive thinking. 10/10 love this band, guys, for real. 

Now, what is possibly even more interesting than the song is the music video. Created by PB art director Elina Pasok, and filmed in a bedroom, as described by the band themselves, it is a DIY music video with, “8 houses, 8 cars, plenty of glassware, some benches and trees, a crowd of exactly 300 cast members and around 20 buckets of water.” If you don’t get it, go watch the music video, it’ll make you giggle. If you aren’t inclined to watch it, rest assured that, “none of the 300 cast members were harmed during the shoot, although one house and one car were destroyed in the end.” 

All in all, the song was executed perfectly with a music video to match. The duo clearly put a lot of heart and passion into the song, and that shows. I love how much personality shines through in both aspects, as it makes you feel a connection to the duo and the lyrics of the song. Well done, mates. Can’t wait to see what’s next for you! Don’t miss the release of their new LP, follow them on social media! 

'Optimist' music video link: https://youtu.be/IHOLEtYj7oM
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7D7bbXxMiGtIDtfX2nC46U?si=8-cZhFyqS6-V--hA28WYYA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticbarricades 

​Review By: Maddisen V

​Up-and-coming Northern New Jersey based rock artist, Chris Deletto, a.k.a. Deletto, released his new album, OldKID, on January 24, 2020. Deletto got his start producing hip-hop, and playing as a touring guitarist for a local hip-hop artist. He has shared the stage with artists such as Machine Gun Kelly, Schoolboy Q, Meek Mill, and Ty Dolla $ign. His new album OldKID is a solemn, powerful album, with a sound derived of unique blends of driving rock riffs, heavy thematic drums, and ethereal vocal samples on top of a cinematic song structure, and songwriting heavily inspired by his own personal struggles and experiences. 
On the album, Deletto shares, "The title OldKID can be interpreted for many reasons and most of them will be absolutely correct. The obvious one being that it took me long to do this and I feel a little older now. That is one of the many themes of this album. I describe this album as a rebellious emotional memoir, or my angry sad boy diary. Every one of these songs hits a personal note about something very specific that I have experienced in my life, as well as touching on topics that I think are very important. These songs were all written purposely ambiguous due to the duality of each one.” 
He continues, “This album felt like an opportunity to finally open up about a few things and help others connect with some of the similar emotions that I had. My storybook was a little extreme at times, and I have gone through a number of difficult moments, but I always found music helped me push through a lot.” Going through this album, each track is intense, and emotional, with bold, and full, instrumentation, and vocals that are not only powerful, but dynamic. Deletto’s grave, and robust voice powerfully enhances his lyrics, each song creating a really strong build that has you not only bobbing your head, but already singing along. The emotion of each song shines through as each song intensifies in energy. Each track is wildly different, but each story is incredibly well versed in every way possible. There is a really great balance of energy as the album progresses, with some songs incorporating elements of string instruments and light and pretty piano parts, others embracing the full band instrumentation. The album kind of gave me old 2000’s hard rock vibes, reminding me of bands like Disturbed and Stone Sour, but with a really interesting modern edge. But, again, each song is so incredibly different. The first track on the album actually threw me off because it was a slow, singer-songwriter vibe, with a gradual development in energy. The second track with its melancholy feel, is a lot more intense and full. 
There is a song for everyone on this album, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. I’m excited to follow Deletto on his musical journey, and can’t wait to see where this album takes him. 
To keep up with Deletto: https://www.facebook.com/delettomusic https://twitter.com/delettomusic https://www.instagram.com/delettomusic/

Review By: Maddisen V

On a Sunday at 6pm, one of Indianapolis’ favorite small venues, the Hoosier Dome, was packed to the brim as local band Tongue Splitter took the stage. Fronted by Alec Harter (ex vocalist of Exitwounds) their impressive, heavy sound captivated the audience. Considering it was their first live show, their stage presence and overall sound was on point. Followed by Minnesota grown, melodic hardcore band In Search Of Solace, the energy remained high as the first mosh pits of the night begun. It was then that Indianapolis locals, Glass Hands blew the top off with the crowd screaming along to every word of their well-loved songs. Ohio natives, Sink The Ship followed and had the crowd dancing and pitting alike. Then to begin closing the night, one of Indy’s most beloved metal bands, Exitwounds brought their heavy beyond belief (in a good way) sound the room, keeping the energy high. The night was closed out by Michigan metal heads, Of Virtue, who kept the crowd captivated until the very end, with die-hard fans singing along to every word. After a fun night, a wonderful venue, and killer bands, the next day soreness was well worth it. 

Review/Photos By: Julia Peterson

Our Sorrows are a four-piece metalcore band based in Florida. They debuted in July of 2019 trying to mix the modern sounds of the genre with the sounds we might recognize from the early 2000’s. Their debut album “Anima//Animus” was released on October 25th 2019, produced by Andrew Karpovck and Andrew Wade. Our Sorrows is composed of Chris Tims (Vocals) Kyle Kendall (Guitar, Vocals) Austin Delancey (Bass) Cameron Tims (Drums) 

Each song on “Anima//Animus” is different. The first track starts us off really slowly with a progressive buildup into a beautiful breakdown paired with spoken words that change into unclean vocals. From the second track we experience heavier songs with rough and energetic sounds as well as unclean vocals. Our Sorrows have clearly experimented and blended different genres to create this impressive debut album. You can expect instantly heavy songs as well as slower ones with progressive buildups. Some chorus’s have clean vocals that almost go into a pop punk vibe at times whilst others are pure heavy noise complimented by clean backing vocals. This album is full of energy, meaningful lyrics you can relate to and a satisfying mix of genres that has created a heavy yet soft sounding album all in one. 

Review By: Sarah Perry 


LINKS 
Website: https://oursorrows.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/OurSorrowsOfficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OurSorrowsMusic
Instagram: https://instagram.com/OurSorrowsOfficial
Youtube: https://youtube.com/OurSorrows
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3WPkmecpxS1kHEWSiHgex2?si=YgI3CFX7QjGXA8S6UxWICA/ 0vWKyz9ymhtcvCnK4jOdIL?si=JpyRRr4wR9WXB4iAwTG1Vg
Itunes/Apple Music: http://itunes.apple.com/album/id1470742681?ls=1&app=itunes
Google Play Music: https://play.google.com/store/music/artist?id=Aamxfcep6pevbkq2dedpw6fj37i ​

The Metro Chicago was very lucky to be blessed with a night of Machine Head three hour set! Many people know that sadly the night before the Michigan date was cancelled due to Robb Flynn being ill, thankfully he was feeling better before he rocked Chicago. For this tour, there is no opener which is very unusual! When the lights faded to black, all I could hear were the fans going insane and screaming “Machine Fucking Head” repeatly until Machine Head came out. Machine Head opened with "Imperium" and the crowd went nuts! Fans were moshing to making a circle pit, it was intense! Lighting for this show was again incredible, lot’s of blue tones but nothing wrong with that! For this tour, they are doing two different sets which means two different vibes! The second set consisted of the Burn My Eyes album which came out in 1994! This album is also the reason they are doing a 25th anniversary tour which is super awesome. I highly recommend seeing Machine Head if you can, they were incredible live and they are a live show that is unforgettable!

Review and photo by Alexandra Geshel

Punk rock group Victims of Circumstance wasted no time getting out new music this year. The band’s new album “FIVE” dropped January 24. The first single released from the album was ‘Sober’. The jazzy, ska-esque song grapples with the fear and pain of growing older and how to deal with addiction. While trying to sound optimistic, the song preys on the nightmare of hating who you’ve become. The misdirection in the tone of the music keeps it from becoming a whiny mess. The lyrics paired with the instrumental gives the song much needed balance. Each song on the album echoes the same sentiment. Easy-to-swallow lyrics and pops of gang vocals carry one song to the next. The songs seamlessly transition from one to another. “FIVE” is an album that could easily resonate with fans of Bowling for Soup and Sublime. The playful catchiness of each song captures the nostalgia each of those bands have left behind. 2020 very well may be the return of ska. For some, it has never left. But “FIVE” does a great job in highlighting what everyone loves about the genre. “FIVE” is available everywhere now. Don’t hesitate to give it a spin. 

​Review By: Kiya Gaskin

Sigala kicked off his world tour there wasn't a better place to start than at the iconic Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow, I may be a bit biased though but the venue is cracking and if you live in the UK it is a must to go and see a show here at least once. The queue of people waiting to get inside and enjoy some music was reaching down the street as far as you could see. All of these fans were waiting in anticipation for what was going to be an amazing night. The support art Joel Correy was great at what he did, he managed to pump up the crowd so that they were ready for the main man Sigala to start his set. The lights went off, the podium started to light up and the led screens started to play. The chanting crowd were getting louder and they must have broken a sound barrier with how much they screamed and yelled the moment Sigala jumped up from behind the podium and started his first track of the night - "Easy Love" which everyone knew they lyric to as the sounds of their voices almost drowned out the music. Continuing with his set, next came "Feels like home", "Ain't giving up/Ain't no mountain" and "We got love" to name a few. Sigala continued to play hit after hit and the crowd loved every one of them. He had live dancers and singers accompanying each song which only added to the performance, and when you thought it couldn't get any better, boom, smoke and confetti canons and laser lights. We thought it was all over when the lights went out but his fans didn't want the night to end as they shouted for an encore and after about a lifetime Sigala delivered his final song in an encore of "Just Got Paid" which is one of his newer chart playing songs. It was a a great end to the night and I think that everyone left there with a feeling of euphoria, on a music high and not wanting to go home, but it was good news for those some as he was playing a second night at the same venue in Glasgow the next again night due to selling the first show out so fast! Is Sigala is taking his world tour to a venue near you, get yourself a ticket!

Review/Photo By: Tyler Sams

Cincinatti, Ohio’s PUBLIC made their Tampa debut opening for Magic Giant and American Authors on their Band of Brothers Roadshow tour. And they chose a great time to visit. You see, every year since 1904, Tampa is inundated with pirates celebrating Gasparilla, which marks the city’s pirate history. This means there may have been a few Jack Sparrows in the audience. It’s easy to see how PUBLIC has developed such a devoted fan base so quickly. Their interaction with the crowd is sincere and you’ve got to love a band that tackles Brittany Spears’ “Toxic”. Although a majority of the crowd had never heard of them (lead singer John Vaughn asked), I think it’s safe to say they can now count a throng of happy pirates amongst their fans.

Indie pop darlings Magic Giant and American Authors brought their Band of Brothers Roadshow to The Orpheum in Ybor City, FL. Alternating between solo sets and combining forces, the two bands were nonstop energy. Magic Giant’s Austin Bisnow, Zambrick Li, and Zang jumped into the audience to play a couple songs, lit only by the crowd’s cell phones. I’ve seen a lot of shows, but that was a new one for me and will definitely remain a highlight. Not to be outdone, American Authors front man Zac Barnett entered the crowd to serenade fans. While each band’s individual set was awesome, the real fun happened when they joined together. The stage was packed with talent that left the audience a most exhilarating combination of exhausted and ready for more. ​

Review/Photo By: Amy Breaux

Australian indie rock group Eliza & The Delusionals have released their first U.S. single. The single, ‘Just Exist’, is a soft, poppy song that envelopes you. ‘Just Exist’ feels like a dream. There’s a wispiness and breeziness that carries you through the song. It feels warm and inviting, but this heavily counters the lyrics which are seemingly about loss and recovering from hurt. The classic indie sound permeates through the single. It has remnants of an Echosmith sound with a Young the Giant vibe. Any fan of indie music would happily listen to this song. There’s a sudden switch in the last chorus of the song which broadens the appeal of the music. It changes from softness to a harder toned rock. This change pushes it into youth anthem territory. The catchiness mixed with the edginess and relatable lyrics make it a perfect storm. ‘Just Exist’ is available now. Eliza & The Delusionals are on tour throughout the United States the rest of February. It’ll be worthwhile to check out the band and head to one of their shows. 

Review By: Kiya Gaskin
Photo By: Matt Walter

Maryland based quintet "Savage Hands" released their debut full length album, "The Truth In Your Eyes" on January 31st. Produced by Andrew Bayliss (My Enemies & I, Sylar), and recorded in a full studio built in vocalist, Michael Garrow's home, TTIYE is a strong debut album with a dynamic listening experience. The first 4 tracks of the album are energetic and upbeat, pulling you in with their fun and heavy sound. The fifth and sixth track, "Rotten Soul" and "Washed Away" slow things down a bit, but despite the change in pace, these strong ballads are anything but boring. With track seven, things begin to pick up again for a strong finish to the album. For a debut album, Savage Hands definitely did not disappoint. For fans of Beartooth, Of Virtue and Thousand below, this Maryland group is worth the listen. You can check them out on tour this February and March with He Is Legend and While She Sleeps.

​Review By: Julia Peterson

Jozef van Wissem’s new single, “Cold Corpse” is for fans of the deep, the mystical, and the different. Wissem, an acclaimed lute player draws inspiration from the religious sounds of the late 1200s. The ancient sounds mixed with folk influence make for an overall coherent sound reminiscent of something you may find on a fantasy movie soundtrack. The lyrics of this song are simple and repetitive, driving home it’s message, likely prefacing the beginnings of this in depth concept album. While this style of music is a place uncharted for many, Wissem’s new single, “Cold Corpse” is an excellent choice for folk and general music fans to listen outside the box. 

Review By: Julia Peterson

Caravan Palace kicked off their European tour with their second night spent here in Scotland, right here in Glasgow at the 02 Academy. The group is comprised of 6 band members: Arnaud Vial - programmation, Charles Deleporte - contrebasse,  Tøøstøø - trombone, Colitis Zoé - lead singer, Victor Raimondeau - saxophone, Paul-Marie Barbier - piano, vibraphone and let me tell you, they know how to make you want to dance. Dance vibes were all around me when they were playing and it was super hard not to drop my camera and start jumping with the crowd who were right behind me. 
These guys are a French electronic music band based in Paris and who take their musical influences from bands such as: Django Reinhardt, Vitalic, Lional Hampton and Daft Punk. The energy that their lead singer Colitis Zoé gave out was so powerful and positive and for me, going to a concert is all about the performance of the band as well as listening to their music through speakers so loud that it rattles your bones. If you haven't heard of these guys before, go give them a listen and if they are coming to a concert venue near you, buy a ticket!

Review/Photo By: Tyler Sams