A$AP Rocky: LONG.LIVE.A$AP ALBUM REVIEW

Lets think about this for a minute. A rapper with zero reputation, an average flow and a penchant for weed rap gets signed to a major label with a 3 million dollar contract... All of this because of a mix-tape.

Now under normal circumstances, I'd call BS on the record label and say that they're obviously just signing this guy because of the controversy. But while "LIVE.LOVE.A$AP" did feature a bevy of weed raps and rap cliches, it also had some of the best beats of any mix-tape or album of that year. With contributions from guys like Clams Casino and Big Tony, the mix-tape made the 3 million dollar contract make sense ( at least to me).

And luckily, "LONG.LIVE.A$AP" is similarly reassuring. While Rocky still isn't the most lyrical or deep MC you'll come across, he still has a great ear for beats and, for the most part, hooks.

The album starts of right with the dark rumble of the title track. Rocky throws out a bunch of random images of a house full of dishes, cocaine and various other "gangsta" imagery. The next track "Goldie" you might recognize as being one of my favorite singles from last year; and it still stands out among the other tracks on "LONG.LIVE.A$AP". The following tracks "PMW" and "LVL" are also great, with Clams Casino producing the latter.

Unfortunately, after a streak of great songs, the tracks "Hell" and "Pain" are less than stellar. The hook on "Hell" delivered by Santigold, is just so flat; and the beat on "Pain" is similarly dull. The track "F***in' Problems" picks things up before "Wild for the Night", with it's Skrillex produced beat comes through, leaving an odd taste in your mouth.

After the stellar "1Train", which features pretty much all of the biggest names in underground rap at the moment, the album takes yet another dip with the only truly awful song on the album "Fashion Killa"
Thankfully, "Suddenly" closes the album out on a high note and the track "Phoenix" is pretty decent too.

"LONG.LIVE.A$AP" is surprisingly good for a mainstream rap album. While the second half is a bit spotty and A$AP never really spits anything profound, it's a really fun album to listen to, and I found myself feeling satisfied despite the flaws.

7.5/10

Converge: All We Love We Leave Behind ALBUM REVIEW

Converge have been around for a while; in fact, they've been making music for the last 22 years on a regular basis. And with 8 albums under their belt, many of them critically acclaimed, and guitarist/ producer extraordinaire, Kurt Ballou; Converge have made quite a legacy for themselves. All We Love We Leave Behind is the 8th studio album Converge has released, and the fourth to be released via Epitaph records. All of which have been produced by Kurt, who is a pretty prominent  figure in modern metal/ hardcore music.

Now up until the release of AWLWLB, I was only ever aware of Converge, and never truly listened to any of their music. But let me tell you, AWLWLB will forever be known as the album that got me hooked on Converge. With it's ruthless aggression and it's incredibly cohesive sound, it's an album that I found incredibly enjoyable form beginning to end.

The album starts with the cutthroat single "Aimless Arrow", a song describing someone who is leaving behind the people that love them the most to live a selfish life. Going further, lead singer Jacob Banon screams out the line "Aimless Arrow/ Lost from the start" driving the sentiment home. The next two tracks "Trespasses" and "Tender Abuse" blend together in a flurry of pounding low-end that is liable to scramble a few brains if listened to loud enough. The following track "Sadness Comes Home" features a great guitar lead during the verses, and like the previous tracks, is unrelenting in it's aggression.

In fact, there are only a couple of spots where Converge see fit to slow things down. And when they do, it's not for long; a great example is the song "Coral Blue" a fantastic track that has the most melodic chorus on the album, and reminds me a lot of early Baroness albums.

Converge have not only proved that they're better than ever, with a slightly less cacophonous sound and a bit more melody to boot. But they also put together one of the finest hardcore punk/ metal albums I've heard in years.

9.3/10

Classic Review: Coheed & Cambria: No World For Tomorrow

Coheed & Cambria, to me, have always represented the instantaneous side of prog music. With singles like "A Favor House Atlantic" and "Blood Red Summer" exhibiting the bands ability to craft pop gems and songs like "Welcome Home" that show far more of their prog-rock side, yet still remain instantly enjoyable on first listen. Now while everyone's usual favorite album from C&C seems to be "Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV." I think that "No World For Tomorrow" is the bands best effort yet; intricate, but perfectly balanced; not to mention, incredibly memorable.

The first eight songs on this album create one of the strongest runs of songs I've ever heard on any album, period. Starting with a somber intro that leads perfectly into the title track. Next is "The Hound ( of Blood and Rank)" then quite possibly the best of coheed's "pop" songs; "Feathers".

All of the songs on this album are filled with detail, yet still manage ( as I've said before) to catch the listeners ear song after song. I fell in love with this album back when it came out in 2007; even though, at the time, I found C&C's music to be darn near intolerable. Though to be fair, I was far more concerned with listening to the latest Incubus or Sum 41 track... But that point aside, "No World For Tomorrow" has remained to be my favorite album of C&C's, not to mention the one album I disagree with almost everybody on. Because, I admit, this album didn't receive the greatest critical reception. But that's what makes art art I suppose.

But enough of my rambling, listen to this album and decide for yourself if it's a "classic" or not; because to me, it really is an overlooked gem.

9.0/10

Classic Review: The Strokes: Is This It

At the time of it's release, "Is This It" was the culmination of a lot of different things. The 90's were over, and rock fans were in desperate need of a great album from a fresh new band. And the hype surrounding the release of the debut album from The Strokes was massive.

Luckily, this album not only lived up to the hype, but in some ways; surpassed it. With songs that are still played frequently on rock radio today, and inspiring hundreds of other bands, eager to capture the same magic. Even The Strokes themselves have been trying to recreate the pure excellence of "Is This It" in their subsequent releases, but while "Room On Fire" came close, the following two albums were either too cluttered (Angles) or too clean ( First Impressions Of Earth).
But enough context, let me get into what makes "Is This It" a classic in modern rock music.

First and foremost, the songs here are all insanely catchy; straightforward but with just enough detail to avoid being too simplistic. Singles like "Someday" and "Last Nite" are upbeat and driving, with great harmonized guitar leads, and the latter; a fantastic guitar solo. But where the singles focused on the more straightforward rockers, deeper cuts like the opener and "Hard To Explain" reveal another side of the album; the side I like to call the "sad slacker". But no matter what mood a track may be in on "Is This It" you can always count on them to be great, and very memorable.

"Is This It" is a top-notch album; sure, it's not the most complex rock album out there, but that's not what it's going for. It instead goes for catchy tunes that might just inspire a bedroom rock-out session.

9.0/10