Track-by-track album review of ‘Runes’ by Bury Tomorrow

From April 21st to May 2nd 2014, I am interning at Nuclear Blast Records in London. During my work experience, I was able to listen to lots of new and exciting albums before they have been released. As I study Journalism at university, I was asked to write a track-by-track album review of the new Bury Tomorrow album, which has inspired a new 'AAA' feature on Nuclear Blast's tumblr where interns will now be asked to contribute further during their time here.

 Five piece Hampshire metal band Bury Tomorrow are back with their third album ‘Runes’. It will be released on the 26^th May via Nuclear Blast Records.

Opening track and first single release ‘Man on Fire’ grabs your attention immediately with an insanely catchy guitar riff and Dani’s heavy lead vocals. It’s easy to tell why this song opens the album: the contrasting hard-hitting verses and melodic choruses cater for every type of Bury Tomorrow fan, making it extremely successful.

‘Shadow, A Creator’ perfectly demonstrates how Bury Tomorrow have developed as a band: their sophisticated yet furious song-writing is a skill which many other bands leave to be desired. Jason’s vocals especially stand out in this song, allowing the listener to fully take in the powerful lyrics.

One of the songs that stands out the most on ‘Runes’ is ‘The Torch’. The technical guitar riffs sound unique and impressive, giving a fresh new sound to the metal music genre. For a relatively-new British metal band to be creating such refined and elegant music is a huge feat, both for Bury Tomorrow and the future of the music industry.

Keeping up the fast pace is fourth song ‘Watcher’. With insanely fast drumming and a killer guitar solo, Bury Tomorrow prove that they are all incredibly skilled musicians.

‘Our Gift’ begins with Dani’s intense screaming vocals and leads into a melodic vocal and guitar melody from Jason. The breakdown is well put together and the guitar solos are yet again another impressive factor in Bury Tomorrow’s musical style.

Vigorous and brutal guitar riffs are what you will find in ‘Darker Water’, alongside deep and meaningful lyrics. The fast-paced nature of the song makes it almost impossible to stay still whilst listening to it, and it’s sure to be a crowd-favourite at live shows.

Halfway through the album the energy is still overwhelming, with ‘Another Journey’ sounding powerful from the first to the last second. The lyrics are catch and easy to pick up, making it an extremely memorable track from the album.

‘Under The Sun’ has a slightly slower pace, but the metal vibe is still there. The heavy and melodic vocals contrast well and is one of the best features of listening to Bury Tomorrow.

Kicking up the pace again is ‘Year of the Harvest’, which features extremely powerful and attention-grabbing vocals from Dani. His screaming vocals have become even heavier, proving that the band are constantly putting as much effort as possible into their music for the fans.

‘Garden of Thorns’ opens with a more metalcore-sounding guitar riff, which is also apparent in the chorus. The overall rhythm of the song makes it sound like it would be perfect to headbang to, almost teasing fans to get excited for their upcoming tour.

‘Divine Breath’ is not just a token slow song: the melodies presented are beautiful and Jason’s voice works perfectly alongside the stunning lyrics. Despite being the shortest song on ‘Runes’, it makes a huge impact on the album and enhances it greatly.

Penultimate song ‘Of Glory’ is both technical and heavy, allowing the listener to enjoy something that ticks all the metal genre tick boxes without sounding generic or overplayed. If you’re looking for something to become your next favourite metal song, then you’ll probably find it on this album.

Final track ‘Last of the Ice’ proves that it is possible to possess a metal album where every song sounds incredible. On many albums there is often a song which isn’t as good as the rest, but on ‘Runes’ every song is both impressive and like a breath of fresh air for those who are fed up of mediocre and generic metal bands.

All in all, ‘Runes’ is strong proof that British metal music is still alive and kicking. Bury Tomorrow are one of the best UK bands around and if you’re looking to give your ears a treat then pre-order the album now!

'Runes' will be released on the 26th May via Nuclear Blast Records.

Pre-order the album here:
iTunes Standard version: receive 'Watcher' as an instant-grat track: http://georiot.co/BuryRunesiTunes
iTunes Bonus version (Includes 3 extra tracks,+ ‘Watcher’ as an instant-grat track + Man On Fire official video): http://georiot.co/BuryRunesItunes
Amazon Signed Limited Edition Digipak CD: http://smarturl.it/BT-RUNES-AMZ

Track-by-track album review of ‘Killer Be Killed’ by Killer Be Killed

From April 21st to May 2nd 2014, I am interning at Nuclear Blast Records in London. During my work experience, I was able to listen to lots of new and exciting albums before they have been released. As I study Journalism at university, I was asked to write a track-by-track album review of the debut Killer Be Killed album, which has inspired a new 'AAA' feature on Nuclear Blast's tumblr where interns will now be asked to contribute further during their time here.

Killer Be Killed are an American heavy metal/hardcore super-group. The line-up consists of Greg Puciato from The Dillinger Escape Plan, Max Cavalera from Soulfly, Troy Sanders from Mastodon and Dave Elitch, ex-The Mars Volta drummer. With such a talented yet uniquely sounding line-up, their debut self-titled album is sure to appeal to fans all across the metal genre.

Opening track and first single ‘Wings of Feather and Wax’ is full of chaos and disruption from the first second, allowing listeners to instantly be transported to the frenzied world of Killer Be Killed. Despite the fast-paced nature of the song, it is still able to sound well-structured and features an incredibly catchy chorus.

With so many different vocals styles in one band, it’s easy to see how Killer Be Killer wouldn’t be successful. However, ‘Face Down’ is a prime example of how much hard-work and effort has gone into this album, with the fusions of vocal styles creating a fresh and exciting new journey for the metal genre to expand to. With Max’s harsh shouting, Troy’s harmonic and almost eerie singing and Greg’s contrasting shouting/singing, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

‘Melting of My Marrow’ perfectly demonstrates how versatile Greg’s voice is, with both his melodic and shouting vocals sounding very striking and fresh. Although the guitar riffs are relatively simple, the ever-changing tempo of the song allows the listener to stay interested and intrigued as to what direction it will take next.

Fourth song ‘Snakes of Jehova’ opens with a strong bass line, leading into an almost futuristic-sounding explosion of frenzied noise. Heavy vocals are featured from all of the singers in this track, allowing it to sound hair-raising and like something that you would expect to hear in a horror movie.

The opening of ‘Curb Crusher’ has an almost nu-metal sound to it, leading into riffs so heavy that they could destroy anything that got in their way. The contrasting almost-melodic vocals gives the song a fresh sound, unique to anything that has been recorded before. The further that you get through the album, the more you wonder what Killer Be Killed would sound like live, and this song is definitely one which would impress crowds all over the world.

The technical guitar and space-age-sounding opening in ‘Save the Robots’ means that the title aptly matches the theme of the song. The heavy bass line is a very prominent feature, complimenting the futuristic and almost-computerised guitar sound well.

‘Fire to Your Flag’ features both aggressive lyrics and vocals, allowing it to become a perfect angst-filled song. Greg and Max’s vocals contrast perfectly, making the song both heavy and melodic without sounding mismatched.

One of the most memorable tracks from the album is ‘I.E.D.’, which is full of heavy riffs and even heavier vocals. The energy that is portrayed on this song is almost infectious, making it impossible to bored of. The dark and murky tones work well with the lyrics, making it an all-round successful song.
The heavy metal vibe continues into ‘Dust into Darkness’, with definite influences from previous Dillinger Escape Plan songs. Despite this, Troy’s vocals merge well with Greg’s, allowing both Mastodon and The Dillinger Escape Plan fans to enjoy this song.

‘Twelve Labors’ is a slower paced song, which allows the listener to fully understand and embrace the lyrics. With so many talented songwriters in one band, lyrics are one of the best features of the first Killer Be Killed album. The bass solo in particular is impressive and works well with the breakdown of the song.

Final track ‘Forbidden Fire’ continues with the melodic and eerie themes of the album due to the slower pace, however, Max’s harsh vocals allow it to still hit all of the tick-boxes of the metal music genre. Ending the album on such a unique song allows the listeners to contemplate what future Killer Be Killed albums will sound like, and also further demonstrates how unique and individual the band are.

If you’re someone who is getting bored of listening to the same cookie-cutter mould of metal music, then Killer Be Killed are the new band for you. With so many twists and turns throughout the forty-five minutes of the self-titled album, it is almost impossible to find something more exciting or inspiring to listen to.

Killer Be Killed will be released on 13^th May 2014 through Nuclear Blast Records.
Pre-order the album here:
CD - http://smarturl.it/KBK-ST-NB
Vinyl - http://smarturl.it/KBK-ST-VINYL