Nestled comfortably in the bowels of Los Angeles between homeless encampments and the 110 freeway lies an unassuming building, a building in which is housed a very nice stage, two bars, and a decently sized footprint, lovingly named 1720.
Tag Archives: Groovecore
Prolong The Agony – All We Are EP
The south coast of England has recently become renowned for its huge metalcore scene, with thousands of bands aiming to secure a record deal. Hardworking four-piece Prolong The Agony are one of the lucky bands to achieve this, recently signing to In At The Deep End Records. All We Are is their latest offering, and it is safe to say that it will definitely blow you out of the water.
Opening track ‘Dead Dreams’ sets the tone of the EP perfectly: its brutal riffs and technical guitar solos are enough to win metal fans across the spectrum over. Lead singer Larry Welling’s vocals are as heavy as always, but he has definitely stepped up his game for the new release. Just by listening to the first song it’s easy to hear exactly how much effort has gone into All We Are, and it has definitely paid off.
Although many of the songs on this EP feature ‘angry’ lyrics and brutal breakdowns, it has definitely been created in a more mature and skilful way; it’s hard to imagine hardcore dancing or people beating each other up in pits at a Prolong The Agony show. The lyrical content is actually very skilfully written and merges flawlessly with the melodic guitar riffs.
One of the stand-out tracks on All We Are is ‘Backstabbers’. It is anything other than a generic metalcore song, in fact it sounds much more like progressive hardcore. Larry’s powerful vocals contrast seamlessly with the ever-changing pace of the song, proving his versatility.
The raw energy and passion of Prolong The Agony is present in every single song on All We Are, making every song enjoyable to listen to. There are no boring or generic songs, meaning that you can listen to the entire EP without needing to skip a song. Unlike many bands in the metal scene at the moment Prolong The Agony do not need to use any gimmicks or frills, their music speaks for itself.
9.0/10
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JULIA CONOPO
Feed The Rhino – The Sorrow Of The Sound
Sometimes a band that you’ve never really fancied before creates the kind of music that grabs you by the balls and makes them stand to attention [! – Reviews Ed]. Sometimes it’s a band that you’ve previously had preconceived ideas about and due to the genre that they’ve been associated with, you’ve scoffed at the very idea of even giving them a try. Feed The Rhino is a band that fit this personal description but after listening to The Sorrow Of The Sound (Century Media) it’s fair to say that many of ones previous misconceptions about the quintet have been banished.
Having not been a fan of some of the bands that Feed The Rhino have been mentioned in the same vein as, bands such as Suicide Silence for example, it was with trepidation that The Sorrow Of The Sound was listened too, but straight from the outset it is clear that the music at hand is of a grand quality.
Beginning with ‘New Wave’ Feed The Rhino treat us to an entrancingly catchy bass line, which quickly descends into a track full of haunting groove and is a contender for best song. The whole album is very melodically appealing, with tunes such as ‘Give Up,’ ‘Behind The Pride’ and ‘Deny and Offend’ providing some rousing choruses.
Mostly fitting into the Hardcore genre of music, The Sorrow Of Sound has vocals to fit – a mixture of screaming and singing, though not everyone will appreciate the blend of both in most songs, especially the harsher ones where the lyrics can sometimes here sound incoherent. However, even if you aren’t a fan of Hardcore music in general, Feed The Rhino’s latest offering is still worth a shot. From the slow burning tunes of ‘Black Horse’ to the aggressive sounds of ‘Bright Side of a Dark Ride,’ The Sorrow Of Sound has a great youthful energy about it that feels accessible to all music fans and not just one of the genre it resides in.
Full of spirit and zest, Feed The Rhino’s third album may have some aspects that might not appeal to everyone but it’s still a great compilation of music regardless. Giving animals with horns on their heads food is not a wise idea, giving bands named after them your time, is.
8.0/10.0
EMMA QUINLAN