The Vital Might

The Vital Might is an alternative rock band from Boston. As soon as I opened their myspace page, I was bombarded with some of the best music I’ve heard in the last couple weeks. They have a nice background effect which uses one of the guitars with a lot of delay and reverb. Also, a good demonstration of the drummer’s ability can be found in the song Trouble somewhere around the 2:30 mark. He also plays a similar beat over the last few seconds of the song. I really like the intro to Phantom Spaceman. It has a nice 16th note ride on the hi-hats and an effect-affluent guitar providing the ambience to fit the “spacey” mood of the song. Around 2:25 in this song, the drums again get a nice fill in. This time, he focuses on the toms, particularly the lower ones which creates a nice rhythmatic feel to the song and offers a break from the usual hi hat-snare focused beats. I don’t particularly like the chorus to this song but the drummer’s ability definitely makes up for it.

As soon as the drum intro starts in Bird of Black Fire you are immediately drawn into the song. It basically sets up the rhythm found in most of the song. There have been many songs that have achieved greatness just because the first few seconds contain an iconic drum beat that gravitates any who listen. I’ll take the time now to comment on the vocalist’s voice. He has a very unique voice; I’ve never heard anything like it. It’s very hard to describe the sound. It may be just a post-processed effect but it seems like his voice has several layers to it. It takes a few seconds to get used to but once there, it is an enticing sound. He also has a very good range. A singer’s voice can easily make or break a band and in this case he makes it. I’m not saying that his voice is the only good thing; the other musicians are also extremely talented. Overall, these guys are extremely talented and show a lot of promise in the future.

Once again, the intro to one of The Vital Might’s songs has amazed me. The guitar at the beginning of Don’t Mind Me is quite epic. What’s even better is that it continues throughout the song. This song has such a nice “chill” feeling to it along with the occasional breaks where the energy is increased momentarily. I am very curious as to who writes the instrumentation for this band (if it is even any single member or if they all write their own parts). Moving on to Measure I found that it was also exceptionally made as expected. These guys really know how to make music.

As far as the recording quality, it sounds very professional. I cannot hear any of the artifacts that are usually present in small-time recordings. Everything sounds very clear and precise. I am interested to see what method they used to record. By method I mean a large number of things such as location, direct-usb versus external digital recorder, microphone brand, and method of instrument input. These recordings are most likely the best I’ve heard for a non-professional.

As of post time, The Vital Might has over 40,700 profile views. I happen to find that impressive. It means that people are finding them and enjoying the music and then, most importantly, returning to the page. Anyone can stumble across a good band (I am living proof of that), but it takes a really good band to make the viewer want to return to the site. These guys are doing it right. They are delivering on many aspects where other bands would fall short. This band is a truly amazing example of what every unsigned band out there should strive for. I am truly impressed.

Final Word
The Vital Might is a great band. They have virtually no faults while possessing a gratuitous wealth of assets. Every single one of their songs has a different sound to it. That is amazing and very difficult. I hope they can continue that trend. I find it hard to believe that this band is only made up of three guys. It sounds like there are so many more. All of the instruments sound very good and have a perfect amount of complexity to them. The actual quality of the recordings surpasses all unsigned bands I’ve heard and even some signed bands. On top of it all, they have a huge fan base. These guys are set. Check them out here.






-ishibustim

Final Start

Final Start has a great sound. To me, they seem to sound a lot like blink-182 with their background lead guitar and upbeat rhythms. They also remind me a lot of A New Found Glory mostly due to the singer’s voice. This band sounds much bigger than just the four people that make up the band. With all four of them doing vocals in some way, it gives the music that epic feel that I often search for. Overall, I really like how these guys sound and based on the success of the two aforementioned band, I feel that they have a very good chance. Here is what the band has to say about their music:

To their audiences, the name Final Start is synonymous with words such as upbeat, entertaining, and unpredictable. During their high school career, Mark Burchfield, vocalist, lead guitarist, and song writer, and Robbie Thornton, who plays bass and adds backing vocals, formed the foundation of the high energy band. While in search for a fitting drummer, Mark realized that the distractive yet definite beats he heard during Spanish class were coming from Jonathan Titty Lang who was soon included as the drummer and background vocalist of Final Start. Recently, an advantageous addition has been incorporated Scott Lowder, guitarist, vocalist, and song writer. All four members have different musical backgrounds that allow them to incorporate catchy melodies, enjoyable harmonies, and memorable hooks in a unique punk mix. Together, they write and perform positive music, with lyrics about real circumstances for all ages, states Mark. The song lyrics can be attributed to personal experiences that Mark and Scott are openly ready to share. With their stage acrobatics and high energy shows, says Jonathan, they have caught the attention of and have therefore been able to perform with other pop-punk bands such as The Ataris and A Change of Pace. The feel of their music is most comparable to that of Relient K, Mae, Mest, and The Starting Line. Robbie, the most colorful member, feels that what draws their fan base of 75-250, depending on the venue, to their shows, is their musics ability to raise the dead like Michael Jackson, while Scott claims it is their charming good looks that keeps their fans wanting more. Within the five years they have been performing together, the magnitude of their accomplishments has been intensified. While in high school, they won the Battle of The Bands show. The band soon decided to record their pieces and have worked diligently in the studio to produce three CDs. The members all agree on the fact that hearing their music played on a local radio station106.5 The Endwas a defining and exciting moment in their music career. Final Starts music can also be heard on the soundtrack to Lord of the Vampires, a movie filmed by Alternity Productions; in return Alternity Productions has agreed to allot the band two music videos. As a finalist for The Moneys East Coast Showcase, the band was recognized as one of the areas best punk bands. The guys of Final Start desire to continue writing and performing their pieces not only for their own fulfillment but also for the enjoyment of others.

I only have minimal complaints with this band. I feel that the singer’s voice may be a little ridiculous if I were to listen to them for an extended period of time. The backup singers are fine, it’s just that the main vocalist has an almost “nasally” sound that can be annoying if the backup singers are not singing the same thing. Don’t get me wrong, I really like the sound when both the lead singer and backup vocalists are singing together but alone, the lead vocalist doesn’t sound as clear as I would like.

Final Word
These guys definitely have a chance at making some success for themselves. They already have been played on a local radio station which really feels good once you’ve accomplished that. As far as instrumentation goes, these guys all seem to know what they are doing; all I hear from them is new and original things. As long as these guys stay focused and don’t let anything keep them from losing the sight of their goal, I believe they can do it. I really hope you guys make it. Check them out here.





-ishibustim

Breaking the Silence

I was finding some difficulty in finding a band to review today so I did a simple search on Myspace Music for “Stand”. Either by fate or some random stumble across the song Stand, I found Breaking the Silence. They have a very solid sound; every instrument is lined up perfectly with the rest of the band. This band features a female vocalist in a very tasteful way. She takes center stage while a male vocalist sings backups. This combination makes an nice clean and full sound. I like what the band has to say about their sound:

Breaking the Silence is easily recognized by their unique sound. With chunky riffs, monstrous and catchy choruses, and drum beats that make it impossible not to bang your head, this band is the next big thing in the “big-rock” scene.

They are so absolutely sure of their sound that they are willing to call it the next big thing. That says something about their confidence and knowledge of music. Everything that I’ve heard from this band uses some of the most complex rhythms and sounds that I’ve ever heard. They even have some interesting sound effects such as in the beginning and verse of Under God.

I honestly believe that I have no complaints with Breaking the Silence. That is very rare for me. The recording are great (they should be since they were produced by Travis Wyrick of POD) and the music is catchy. In the end all it really takes for a song to be liked is how catchy it is (just look at Gibberish by Relient K). I applaud whoever writes the songs in this band.

Final Word
Breaking the Silence is a band of great musicians who love what they do and may actually be the next “big thing”. They really know how to have the rollercoaster effect within their songs which gives amazing energy to the choruses and still brings it down for the more intricate verses. I really think that these guys (and girl) can make something of themselves as long as they keep focused and never lose hope. Best of luck guys! Check them out here.






-ishibustim

Something To Call A Hero

I finally received my first request. A friend of mine suggested I check out one of his friend’s band. Thus I present to you, Something To Call A Hero. Their genre is a little different from what I would normally cover but I feel that they too deserve a chance to be heard. These guys are a slightly heavier than some of the other bands here. On their myspace page, they have listed The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus as a band they sound like and I would have to agree. They remind of many bands because of the strong rock feel with the occasional break down. I personally like “Open Letter”. I like the chorus and how they perfectly combine several types of rock. Their sound is made unique by the combination of existing music styles.

The only complaint that I have with this band is the occasional guitar riff that sounds a little too dark for my taste. I feel that the same overall effect could be created with another chord progression while maintaining the anthem feeling of the rest of the song. As far as the drums and bass, I have no problems. I really like the rhythm section of this band. They are solid and together. Other than the moments when I feel that the guitar is too dark, I think that the guitar is doing some really interesting stuff. Both guitar players always have a complex system of playing off of each other which adds an entire new layer of complexion to an already intricate sound.

Final Word
Something To Call A Hero has a lot of potential and I think they are using that potential very well. These guys could very possibly have something great happen with their music career. All it takes is the right person hearing you. I really look forward to hearing more from these guys in the future. Check them out here.






-ishibustim

A No Coast November

A No Coast November is a five piece band from Kansas City, Missouri. It is somewhat difficult to classify them as a specific form of rock; they have their own sound. This band’s creativity extends beyond their musicianship to their song titles. The song titles as well as the band name are intriguing and draw people in. After the titles have drawn in the listener, the music fulfills the promise of something new and fresh. There is something about this music that seems very familiar and yet at the same time, unlike anything ever heard before. There always seems to be a high level of guitar throughout and the drums and bass have some interesting parts. The vocals definitely are not bad and at the same time, not perfect either.

There are only a couple problems I could find with this band. The first is the vocalist as previously mentioned. I cannot exactly explain how I feel about it. He definitely has a good voice but there is some artifact of a sound present that I cannot get past. The second problem I had is that the recordings have little or no depth to them. It feels very flat and one-layered. Some possible fixes to this are adding more bass into the mix or somehow make the individual tracks in each song “cleaner”. Other than these issues, I feel that these guys have a great deal of talent.

Final Word
A No Coast November has three songs on their myspace and each one is unique. That alone is difficult for a band to do. Once a certain level of complexity has been added to music, changing exactly what makes it unique is often difficult without mimicking your own work. These guys know how to pull it off. Considering that these guys are working on getting their music into iTunes, they have an increased chance of making it. Check them out here.





-ishibustim

Storm

Storm is a indie band from the Netherlands. They utilize a female vocalist and thus create a sound that is indie with some variation. Their myspace page is here. The instrumentation of this band almost has an alternative feeling to it, but the indie is dominant. In Time To Undo, they use a very interesting effect on the bass guitar and that alone brings the listener in. Another use of a unique sound is at the very beginning of Oh Mother where they use a panning sweep sound. The guitar also seems to use a unique effect in most of the songs.

These guys (and girls) seem to be a well-formed band based on the sound and complexity of their songs. Their sound is unlike anything I have ever heard before, which leaves me unsure whether or not I like what I hear. It doesn’t matter how I feel about their music, however, because they are doing what they like which is what makes music worth while. I do feel, nevertheless, that their songs need a little more diversity to them. Many of the rhythms and such seem to be repetitive in their music.

Final Word
Storm does have a sound that can easily become infectious, although many of their songs have that same sound. These guys are not bad musicians by any means, though; I only feel that their sound needs some variation. The concept of a female singer can easily attract many listeners at first, then the band itself needs to keep those listeners and it seems to do so. As long as a band loves what they do and has a following, they have a chance to become something just like everyone else. Best of luck guys.




-ishibustim

The Flood

The Flood is an alternative rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They have already released an EP on their own and recently released their new single, Breakdown. These guys have an extreme amount of ambiance in their music, which adds to the uniqueness of the band. As musicians, these guys seem to know their stuff. The complexity of the various instruments creates a depth to the music that forms a sound which seems to be more than music. The sounds that come from this band are very original and very rare in today’s music scene.

Despite the originality of the band, they do have a couple downfalls. The first is that the quality of the recordings are only mediocre, which is not desirable, especially when they have posted their music on iTunes. The second, and most important, is that all of their songs sound so similar that it is hard to distinguish them from one another. I also find some chord progressions to be dull sounding. I know that they were going for a certain mood and style but I feel that another choice may have worked better.

Final Word
The Flood has quite a bit going for them. They have a lot of talent and are definitely getting the word out. I feel that the uniqueness of this band could be a compensation for the minor flaws I have found. I do understand that it would be hard to be so unique and still make each song different in its own way. These guys also have the advantage of being in a very populated area; they have a good chance of the right person hearing them. I believe that The Flood has a chance to make it in the music business. Check them out here.




-ishibustim