Avenged Sevenfold - 'The Stage'

Avenged Sevenfold have a reputation of being the pop boys of metal. It's fair to say - they definitely have one of the more accessible sounds in the genre. While remaining easy to listen to in terms of the levels of metal, they often do it well. Their new song is not one of these cases.

'The Stage' is perhaps one of the most uncreative, gimmicky songs the band has ever put out. From the over-the-top angsty music video to the absolutely dreadful drum mix, this song really has hit all the checks for bad.

You'd think progressive A7X couldn't be that bad. You'd have thought wrong, though. 'The Stage' is melodramatic in the worst ways possible. The band is known for being bombastic and upfront, but this is just distasteful. It does have multiple distinct sections that work to a passable ending that takes the song out on its only positive note. The intro is brought straight from the title track 'Hail To The King' from their 2013 effort Hail To The King in a move which shows that the band is basically ripping themselves off (at least it's not Metallica this time). The song abruptly segues into a clean, almost bluesy bridge after an electrifying solo. The guitar in this part is really great, the instrumental as a whole sounding really genuinely pretty.

Then the heaviness comes back. It's not as bad as the verses had set up, but it's still not great. The song ends with dual guitar solos in that 'Nightmare'-esque fashion and pounding drums (the only part of the album where the drums are tolerable). A classical acoustic ending brings the song to an awkward end as the crash cymbal fails to fade out with the rest of the instrumental. Also, why did they end with an acoustic guitar? What is the relevance?

Not only is the performance out of place, but the instruments themselves just sound awful. The kick drum in the intro sounds like something a teen trying out a double-kick pedal or a sampling pad for the first time would sound like. The tone of it is so completely dead, too. The snare is okay, and the cymbals are fine, but as for the rest of the kit; it's like they forgot to mic them appropriately. Their new drummer Brooks Wackerman is really not doing them any favors - Bad Religion won't miss him if this is his work now... The guitar lacks bass or crunch, sounding floppy and weak. The lead parts are good, as is expected from Synyster Gates, but what happened to the rhythm guitar? Why does M. Shadows sound like a dying horse in the third verse? What's going on?

To make matters worse, the lyrics are absolutely laughable. By some tragic miracle, M. Shadows seems to have misplaced his own lyrics with an angry middle-schooler's diary. Who let "When did the walking apes decide that nuclear war / Was now the only solution for them keeping the score? / Just wake up / Can’t you wake up?" be words to a song? The key to being prolific and making a statement is ripping cliché metaphors straight out of angry YouTube comments? The second verse sings (in the song's awful, failing melody) "Jesus Christ, was born to die / Leave it to man to levitate his own to idolize / We’re simply sociopaths with no communication baby / I see your angle but we differ from our points of view," as if this isn't the cringiest line you've ever heard in a metal song (barring Limp Bizkit, of course, who made that their thing).

Just when you thought things couldn't get worse, the music video is atrocious. It's a giant metaphor on war and corruption, with handpuppets replaying scenes from the history of man, including the beheading of Louis XIV and World War I. An interesting concept, but done with the wrong song and the the wrong direction. Watching puppets in these scenes with crappy metal playing in the background doesn't do any justice. When Hillary Clinton and Vladmir Putin appear at the end as puppets controlling the other puppets, you can't help but say "Oh, come on." Then another set of strings control those puppets, the strings attached to a skeletal hand that presses a button the detonate a nuclear bomb, sending us back to the age of cavemen, because that's how evolution works. 

There's so much wrong with this song, and it makes me angry. I want this song to be good. Repeated listens lighten the initial "what and why is this" reaction, but fails to make the bad elements of the song any better. It's a badly produced song and a badly produced video to combine into one fail of a show. Hopefully the rest of Voltaic Oceans holds up, because if this song (and the edginess of the album title) are proof of what's to come, we're doomed.

Rating: 59

Rating w/ Video: 40

Bruno Mars - '24K Magic'

Four years is a long time to take a break. For Bruno Mars, though, it was just what he needed. His first single in four years '24K Magic' sees a fresh new start for the pop's funkiest singer.

Massive success brings massive wealth, and that shows in the song. It's half self-obsessed and half excited: the song's literally about his 24-karat gold chain and having an extravagant party, but on the other hand it also says that the party is here and he's excited to be back in the game. The chorus proudly chants "Players only, come on / Put your pinky rings up to the moon / Girls, what y'all trying to do? / 24 karat magic in the air / Head to toe soul player / Uh, look out," showing the celebration and grandiose of this party we're welcomed to.

The upfront nature and hype-up vibes of the lyrics is backed by the very 90s instrumental. The whole song's a party! Packed with fat basslines and bright synths, the instrumental makes the song feel bigger than the lyrics do. Slowly building bass synths give the song a taste of modernism while still fleshing out the 90s feel. It's a departure from Unorthodox Jukebox in the sense that its emphasis is geared on the vibe rather than the meaning. Mars was always a truly funky man, and '24K Magic' takes it even further.

The music video gives the song an appropriate visualization. The song's music video features Mars and his crew partying throughout Las Vegas, hitting up casinos and grand parties. The video's pretty straightforward, grandiose imagery of the Vegas party scene paired with dancing and butts capture the song's vibe perfectly.

Bruno Mars is back. It's real and its strong, and it's ready to tear up the music scene. 2017 is going to be a big year for Mars if '24K Magic' is any signal. It's the title track of his upcoming album 24K Magic, out on November 18. Don't miss it! We'll have our review out on it when it comes. Until then, we'll be partying to this track.

Rating: 82 / 100

Kings Of Leon - 'WALLS'

Kings Of Leon made a reputation out of their country meets indie rock sound. Their seventh album WALLS is due out next month, and they've now shared the second single from the album, the title track 'WALLS'.

'WALLS' is less of a touching song and more of a formulated attempt at it. The song's pretty simple - acoustic guitar, reverberating piano, and heartbeat kick drum, a lowly mixed distorted bass, and the occasional synth. Caleb Fallowill sings with a bright, country timbre throughout, singing about breaking down barriers between people. A bass synth slowly pulses in and out, an sometimes guitar plays a note.

That's just about it with this song. Outside it's initial charm, it doesn't really go anywhere. It misses a climax or any memorable hook to bring it anywhere. The music video certainly doesn't help that either. It's a slow zoom into Fallowill playing guitar and singing, and then he just starts... moving. It's incredibly awkward and the way he stares into the camera without any life in his eyes makes you feel uncomfortable. The video his little to do with the premise of the song.

The problem with 'WALLS' is that it's very underwhelming. There isn't any punch to it, nor is there any point in it being an acoustic track, since there is no emotional attachment to any of the instrumentals to the vocals. They set a tone but not a message, which is where the song fails. There's none of the band's signature vibes to it - the electrifying guitar lines, the catchy melodies, nothing. This song would be miles better if it built up to something bigger. Being a purely acoustic track does not suit it.

Kings Of Leon aren't heading in a hot direction if 'WALLS' is the title track of the album. The title track is usually the essence and heart of the album - 'WALLS' is more of a resting pulse than the core of something meaningful. With the album ahead in less than a month, all we can hope is that there's more to it than this track puts off.

Rating: 58 / 100

Sia - 'The Greatest' (ft. Kendrick Lamar)

Sia may just be the undisputed ruler of the pop world. Her last album This Is Acting literally consists almost exclusively of songs she wrote for other artists including Rihanna and Adele. Now, she has a brand new track - 'The Greatest' - with Kendrick Lamar on it. That's just a recipe for success.

The song begins just as any Sia song does - with a keyboard synth intro. The verses consists of that intro repeating itself on top of a minimal pop beat as Sia sings about running from a hard situation: "Uh-oh, running out of breath... / Uh-oh, running now, I close my eyes... And uh-oh, I see another mountain to climb... Uh-oh, I need another love, be mine." The song feels like the narrator is running from the hardships of life and as they hit one after one, she tells herself that she can keep going with the simple statement, "I got stamina." The pre-chorus has a more blatant - but uplifting all the same - cry, "Don't give up, I won't give up / Don't give up," before the chorus explodes in a burst of pride and hope: "I'm free to be the greatest, I'm alive / I'm free to be the greatest here tonight, the greatest / The greatest, the greatest alive."

While not included in the music video version (presumably the single version), Kendrick Lamar's guest verse serves less as trying to act as a motivator to the self, but more like motivation coming from a fatherly, or even godly figure. He claims that he is "the wisdom of the fallen - I'm the youth," implying that his words resonate with anyone, the old and the young. His verse is a reassuring pat on the back that may be what the narrator needs to carry on. Kendrick ends his verse by saying it's okay to fail, and you will be able to come back and get back up again: "Letdowns will get you, and the critics will test you / But the strong will survive, another scar may bless you."

The music video is in a typical Sia flavor, her iconic teenage dancer Maddie Ziegler performing an interpretive dance throughout a beaten down house. As she jumps from room to room, she is met by groups of teenagers and kids who dance with her, their faces all painted grey as if to say their life has been drained away, while Maddie's face has rainbow paint on it (perhaps a call to the LGBT community) and she is full of life, and brings that life to the others by dancing with them. As the song ends and the video goes to a droning noise, all of the kids fall to the ground in a pile as if their life was drained as the music stopped. Maddie wakes up and looking defeated and the video ends with her crying.

The message of the song seems to be in response to the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida earlier this summer. The hashtag that has been paired with the song and video, #weareyourchildren, now has meaning. Regardless of sexuality or beliefs, today's generation has the freedom to be gay or Muslim or whatever they want to be. We are your children, so why do you hate us? The message is one to be held close not only for strength through life, but for strength in your personality and beliefs.

Sia is a prolific artist, but her messages often serve more as motivation than the almost political statement served in 'The Greatest'. It's by no means bad - it's great to see Sia express her emotions through this song. 'The Greatest' hits a lot of areas and will resonate with a lot of people. Leave it to Sia to make real music in a world of fake messages in pop.

Rating: 83 / 100

Touché Amoré - 'Skyscraper'

At the forefront of melodic hardcore is Touché Amoré, and their fourth record is just on the horizon. Stage Four is the follow up to 2013's Is Survived By, and it's bound to be something special - it's a very personal record for vocalist Jeremy Bolm, who lost his mother to cancer in 2014. This album will be full of those emotions he experienced.

The band has shared the song 'Skyscrapers' from the record. The song is an ode to New York City, in all of the most heartbreaking of ways. It's not a very intense track as far as its sonic soundscape goes; it begins with rolling drums and reverberating clean guitars. Jeremy Bolm and guest vocalist Julien Baker sing somberly as moments of guitar punch through. Bolm is the real focus of the song, despite the female guest. While the harmony is interesting, it's more captivating to hear the longing in Bolm's voice as he signs "To live there, under the lights" is its own gift.

The song builds up to a big climax at the end, harmonies of vocals and screams ultimately taking it out with a bigger instrumental complete with crash cymbals and tremolo guitar sounding high in the background. Bolm's clean vocals make this track sound like a heavy Ariel Pink song. It's a bit odd, but it's not the vocals that make the track. The meaning sends it a lot further.

The music video makes the song even more real and somber. It pictures Bolm traveling through New York pushing around an empty wheelchair, seeing sights in black and white. As the song climaxes, all of the color starts to surround the scenes, as if it's an acceptance. I like to think the empty wheelchair is a symbol for his mother, and that makes this song being sung from her perspective - Julien Baker's female vocals are his mother singing the message too. Perhaps she always had dreams of living in the big city and living under all of the grand lights, but passed away before that came true. Bolm walking through the city with the empty wheelchair is his way of finally taking her there. The way the color changes from the beginning to the end shows how this sad activity of pretending his mother is there with him becomes more of a comforting thing, as if he could do one more thing for his mother to make her happy.

Touché Amoré knows how to play with your emotions. This song is one of the few cases where I can say that the music video makes the song even better. As for the track itself, I'm not the biggest fan but I like the message and the story is sweet. Stage Four seems to be building up to be a very emotional record; anger, sadness, regret... we can't say for certain, but the prospect of it is exciting. Nothing drives music better than emotion, and the loss of Jeremy Bolm's mother is bound to be channeled through his music. It's going to be a big record.

Rating: 78 / 100

Music Video Rating: 90 / 100

The Naked & Famous - 'Laid Low'

There's no one who blends indie rock and electronic pop quite like The Naked & Famous. Their style is unmatchable in its swagger and energy. Their third record Simple Forms is due in October, and serves as the follow up to 2013's In Rolling Waves. Simple Forms seems to be taking a more upbeat direction than the somber tones of its predecessor. The second single from the album 'Laid Low' promises a big album is on the way.

Right from the beginning you know something different is on the way. It has a huge drum beat that serves as a highlight in itself; it's big and upbeat, exactly what the track is going for. The synths build a chill atmosphere as the synth riff brings in the lyrics. The choruses are subdued with reverberating synths with vocalist Alisa Xayalith sounding powerful, begging for saving: "Know that you can take me home / I'm learning to live with ghosts / the limbs I miss the most." The song's climax comes with several vocal lines singing at the same time on top of an explosive instrumental, building up before it concludes.

The song itself is about becoming tired of life, and missing what you had in the past when life's bringing you down. The lines "Laid low by heart ache / I'm trying to stay afloat." The way the song explodes at the end feels compassionate and so final; like you finally got what you've wanted through the story of the song. The lyric video shows a variety of scenes, the main focus is a woman running from a car. Like a deer in headlights she runs from it - that feeling of standing out and being afraid capturing what the song wants to be saved from. A variety of other scenes, including a burning rose, also make up the video, providing metaphors for love and the monotony of life.

The Naked & Famous have a big album in store. The previous single 'Higher' also has a similarly upbeat sound to it - this album's going to be fun. Simple Forms is out in October, but 'Laid Low' will be on repeat for the month to come yet. The hype couldn't be bigger. New Zealand's finest electronic group is about to make 2016 their own.

Rating: 85 / 100

Frank Ocean - Endless

Frank Ocean has had his fans on their heels for years now. Dropping hints for the rumored Boys Don't Cry (which is still coming out soon, it seems) had fans hounding the internet to discover every possible clue there is. The time is finally here. Ocean dropped a unique album in Endless, a visual album that is one of the first of its kind. But did this experiment turn out well?

Endless is something new and original, and for that alone it deserves recognition. We knew whatever Frank had up his sleeve, that it was going to be huge. And that it was. Ocean now has millions watching 45 minutes of three of himself building a wooden staircase to music. 

The most important element of the record is its format, and here's why it could have been a good idea in general: music is provocative of all senses, and it will always inspire a unique visualization. Watching music videos and a directors interpretation of the song provides one of millions of interpretations of it. Music videos are slowly becoming less and less relevant, but that doesn't stop them from being a big part of how music can develop.

Endless isn't like that. It's 45 minutes of black-and-white woodworking. Perhaps there is an overarching message, but the visual doesn't support the narrative of each track. It's like the three Franks put on the album in the background to work to. This idea could've been a lot better in execution, had the visual at least represented the album in some way. There just isn't any connection until you look at the big picture of it, and even then you're only looking at the overall idea of the video, not any specific moment within it. Let's not get started on how the format doesn't allow you to see which track you're listening to, or which track you're on; when it shows the album tracklist and credits at the end, you'll have to search around for it in case you missed something.

The music itself has a much wide appeal than the video, and the songs have a clearer message than the video displays. As far as the music goes, Endless is a very pretty record. Frank Ocean delivers soulful and chilling vocals on a plethora of tracks, including 'Rushed'. There isn't one sound to the album, though. As pretty as it is, there are lots of flavors on it. There's the beautiful, symphonic led cover of the Isley Brothers' 'You Are Best (You Are Love)' featuring Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, the London Contemporary Orchestra, and James Blake, with a sweet and longing vocal delivery. There's also the acoustic guitar driven sweet 'Slide On Me', topped with a great melody and great bassy beats. Then there's the hip-hop influenced 'U-N-I-T-Y', that, with its strong verses, slams the desires of an average individual in society.

This is where the message of the album ties in with the video. As heard with the robotic voice found in 'Device Control' and 'Higgs', technology has hypnotized us. We're so interested in streaming parts of our lives and others that we forget our own needs. It all becomes a game. That's what the video tries to emulate - a simpler activity in an isolated place. In that warehouse, there was no worry or need to stream anything. There, he can work on his staircase in peace and without worry. I can't quite put a finger on what the symbolism of the staircase is, but it's not clear based on the video and music.

Are visual albums the next big thing in music? Are we going to see the next Kanye West album released as a visual experience? Frank Ocean may have started a revolution, but he didn't start it well. Endless is a great album to listen to, but not to watch. Sadly, unless you're watching the video, you can't go back and replay your favorite songs (just yet - hopefully this'll change). Boys Don't Cry is coming soon, and hopefully it'll outdo this attempt.

Endless can be exclusively streamed on Apple Music.

Favorite Tracks: You Are Best (You Are Love), Slide On Me

Least Favorite Tracks: Higgs, Whitter 10 Hubolts, Device Control

Ratings:

• Music: 75 / 100
• Video: 45 / 100
• Average: 60 / 100

Korn - 'Rotting In Vain'

Korn has been through both the highs and lows of their career. Fans will remember the golden early era Korn, back when nu-metal was all the hype. Others will remember their experimental phase with contempt, especially their brief excursion with dubstep with The Path Of Totality. Since then, the band has slowly been honing their sound once more, and with another new album on the horizon, things are looking good with the new single 'Rotting In Vain'.

Progression is most easily seen when a band takes the elements that were loved of previous sounds and crafting something new, those ideas in mind while still finding a new direction to take. 'Rotting In Vain' isn't exactly progressive. Nothing necessarily new is found within the track, but it does take previous elements of Korn's music and builds a well-constructed jam.

I'm a sucker for when electronic music comes together with heavy music (thanks, Linkin Park). This is no Hybrid Theory, though; no band does that blend of heavy and electronica better than Linkin Park. The electronics in 'Rotting In Vain' are much more upfront and act as a replacement for, say, another guitar line (not to mention the guitars are drop tuned lower than a typical Linkin Park song). That being said, the melodies the electronics serve really add a lot of dimension to the song. The guitars wouldn't sound quite as immense as they do without them. It may not be the primary part of the song, but they definitely serve an important purpose.

It can't be unsaid that the riffs on this song are massive. The first riff that kicks in right after the intro buildup is immense. You can feel the earth shaking as if at a live show and the crowd jumps as this mental riff kicks in. The instrumental really kicks you in the face. The finally riff before the last chorus that is riddled with a phaser and the deep synth imitating it is perfect, too. The instrumental is a classic, epic alternative metal jam, electronics helping that come a little further. The vocal melodies support this too, though they do feel a little overdramatic. The growled vocals in the bridge could've been replaced by something a lot better, but it's Korn we're talking about here.

Speaking over overdramatic, take a look at that music video. The more I watch it, the more lost I feel. It doesn't seem to contain much meaning - just the band playing in an old, creepy house with a well-dressed man (played by Sons Of Anarchy actor Tommy Flanagan) doing some creepy things. It's one of those videos that piles in a lot of edginess in order to seem like it has meaning, where in reality they stuck Jonathan Davis in a bathtub with leaves and told him "pretend these leaves are hurting you."

Musically, Korn seems to getting back to that hold they had on metal they had in their prime. 'Rotting In Vain' feels fresh and big, still undeniably a Korn song but also feels new. With the new album The Serenity Of Suffering dropping in October, hopefully the album lives up to the hype this song has raised. If it does, we're in for a big one.

Rating: 85 / 100

Of Mice & Men - 'Pain'

After a year from on and off touring and going in and out of the studio, post-hardcore group Of Mice & Men have offered up the first single from the follow up to 2014's Restoring Force, 'Pain'. The song brings the band to a new type of metal they haven't truly treaded in before, distancing themselves from the scene hardcore and the more alternative metal sound of their last effort to an almost nu-metal sound with a modern flair.

The song begins with a frantic and effected guitar riff, before thick riffs kick in. As the riff becomes the focus of the track, vocalist Austin Carlile brutally screams to bring in the track. He mixes full on screams with dirtier growled vocals throughout the jarred choruses and verses. The instrumental doesn't really progress much past the main riff, percussionist Valentino Arteaga delivering a heavy drive complete with blast beats and double bass drum runs. Aaron Pauley's bassline imitates the heavy distortion of Phil Manansala's tuned-down riff. The bridge features a tense part with lo-fi military drums pounding as the guitars and vocals build back up to the song's heavy composition.

The music video of the track is as unsettling as that effected guitar riff. The main niche of the video is the glitchy of ballerinas doing what I can only hope is an interpretive dance, crawling tortured along an all white or black floor, their movements seeming possessed. Shot of the band performing are also dispersed throughout, though those shots kill the mood of the video. More glitchy shots of Austin Carlile are also used throughout the video, fitting in with the theme.

'Pain' feels contrived, though. The song feels just like it was taken out of the back catalogue of Slipknot. Perhaps they felt they needed to appease the crowds on the upcoming tour with Slipknot and Marilyn Manson? The song is nothing special, to be frank. The intro riff is great and had a lot of potential, but they just threw on a Slipknot riff and Austin Carlile's screaming and called it their own. It's not a bad song by any means, just... unoriginal. Another issue lies in the fact that the song pretty much sounds the same throughout its entirety. The whole intensity of the track is bargained on the riff and vocals... which sound exactly the same throughout the whole song.

If 'Pain' is to be an indicator for the rest of the album, Of Mice & Men may not have positivity heading their way. Restoring Force had a kind of poetry to it, the emotions of anger or want evident throughout every song. 'Pain' doesn't really feel like anything. The only emotion is in the title. There's nothing to it. Hopefully the album is better than this track.

Of Mice & Men's Cold World is out on Rise Records on September 9. More details are available here.

Rating: 50 / 100