Whether you’re looking for breakdowns of the musical or emotional variety, these new music picks have something for you.
Life will probably never be the same as it was before the COVID pandemic took the world by storm. Mourning the loss of the world we knew is normal, but it’s important to recognize all the good that continues to exist. Each new week brings us music that has the potential to change countless lives, and this week’s batch of new releases is no exception. There are too many good records for us to mention, but here are four we believe everyone should experience.
Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown – Pressure (Snakefarm/Spinefarm)
Tyler Bryant has nothing left to prove. After a decade of constant touring and recording, the rock meets blues talent has built a fervent following that any artist would desire. His marketing talents are only outmatched by his musical output, which has been consistently inspiring. Pressure finds a perfect balance between old school aesthetics and a modern outlook that understands our collective yearning for freedom. It’s a fitting soundtrack for quarantine, combining the frustrations of the year with inspiring anthems that will make you want to drive fast and break laws. We wouldn’t blame you for getting into trouble while this plays, but please, don’t blame us for whatever happens next.
Mayday Parade – Out of Here EP (Rise Records)
Emo icons Mayday Parade refuses to rely on the successful output of their past to define the people that they are today. No one would blame the Florida-based rockers for becoming a modern legacy act, touring into irrelevance with greatest hits sets, but the band continues to push forward. As the title infers, Out Of Here plays like the blueprint to an escape plan that listeners will hatch as the EP unfolds. We expect every song on this release to appear in the band’s 2021 setlist, so you better start learning the words now.
Molasses – Through The Hollow (Season of Mist)
Through The Hollow is a constant reminder that the search for artistic greatness is never-ending. The first full-length release from a group of industry veterans, the record revels in the journey that is creativity. The record is both haunting and enchanting, pulling listeners into a world wherever anything is possible, and everything is on the table. It’s the kind of immersive listening experience that all artists strive to deliver, and we imagine anyone who partakes will have a hard time walking away. Through The Hollow will stick with you like muscles to bone.
Lost Symphony – Chapter II (XOFF Records)
Every corner of music has reached a saturation point where virtually any new artist falls in line with someone or more than one talent that came before them. Finding something boldly original is the dream of any genre fan, and the answer for hard rock fans lies in Lost Symphony. A supergroup of sorts, the band combines metal and classical music styles to create a wholly original sound. It’s symphonic, yes, but it’s also far more commercial than any group typically carrying that title. When listeners put on the band’s latest work, Chapter II, they embark on a sonic odyssey they won’t want to quit.
Chapter II is an essential record. Not for metal fans, but everyone. Don’t think twice. Dive in and let Lost Symphony carry you far away from the hellscape that is 2020.
Discover even more new music from Haulix clients by streaming our essential fall playlist on Spotify.
Boasting a bevy of new music from rising musicians and the latest greatest hits compilation from a modern rock juggernaut, October 9 is a big day for music fans everywhere.
Life will probably never be the same as it was before the COVID pandemic took the world by storm. Mourning the loss of the world we knew is normal, but it’s important to recognize all the good that continues to exist. Each new week brings us music that has the potential to change countless lives, and this week’s batch of new releases is no exception. There are too many good records for us to mention, but here are five we believe everyone should experience.
Bloodbather – Silence EP (Rise Records)
The world needs more bands like Bloodbather. The Florida metal act blurs the lines between chaos and methodical precision with their Rise Records debut EP, Silence. The album boasts unpredictable turns that the majority of rock music is missing, and in doing so, the album creates a listening experience that will keep listeners of all ages on their toes. We don’t know how the group managed to convey so much intensity over so few tracks, but we’re glad they did, and we are already champing at the bit to hear more. Silence is, without a doubt, one of the best breakout releases of 2020.
Eye of the Destroyer – The Wolf You Feed (Self Released)
Eye of the Destroyer is one of the worst kept secrets in heavy music. The duo’s crushing sound has turned heads worldwide, but the forward-thinking band has resisted the urge to join the traditional label system. Their passion for their craft, coupled with a need to work through personal demons, gave life to The Wolf You Feed. It’s a cathartic record that brings healing in the form of relentless sonic aggression. There is nothing like it, and there never will be, so strap in and let Eye Of The Destroyer rock your world.
Lindsay Schoolcraft – Worlds Away (Cyber Proxy)
COVID-19 has stunted the creativity of countless artists, but not Lindsay Schoolcraft. A staple of the gothic metal community for many years, Schoolcraft is channeling her roots on her enchanting solo record, Worlds Away. Accompanied by her electric harp and minimalist production, Schoolcraft takes listeners on an epic journey of the soul. She touches on love and loss, as well as the sacrifices that life in the arts can demand. It’s a record that seems as therapeutic for Schoolcraft as it is for listeners, so grab your friends, light some candles, and have yourself a cry. Things might not get better, but at least we have each other.
Pave The Jungle – The Hissing (Self Release)
The Hissing is the debut EP from UK rock band Pave The Jungle, but you wouldn’t know that by listening to it. The record, which borrows from indie rock and punk with gleeful abandon, sounds like the result of a career already years underway. The songs seek to find understanding in an age of division by examining the minutia of existence. It’s not about world peace or getting everyone to believe the same thing, but of accepting ourselves and relinquishing our evolutionary desire for control. Life is chaos, and The Hissing makes a good argument for embracing the wild ride that is being alive regardless of what tomorrow may bring.
Five Finger Death Punch – A Decade of Destruction Volume 2 (Better Noise)
You don’t need us to tell you that Five Finger Death Punch knowshow to write a good rock song. The group’s catalog is packed with anthems of strength and perseverance that have inspired millions to push themselves a bit harder in life. There is no country on the planet where FFDP is unable to fill venues, and the latest volume in their Decade Of Destruction series offers proof that the band has already cemented their place in music history. Of course, the songs are great, including the new tracks available exclusively as part of this compilation. Please turn it on and turn it up.
Discover even more new music from Haulix clients by streaming our essential fall playlist on Spotify.
Featuring career-best work from Kataklysm and Alpha Wolf, not to mention Four Stroke Baron’s cover of Post Malone, this New Music Friday is filled with records you need to hear.
Life will probably never be the same as it was before the COVID pandemic took the world by storm. Mourning the loss of the world we knew is normal, but it’s important to recognize all the good that continues to exist. Each new week brings us music that has the potential to change countless lives, and this week’s batch of new releases is no exception. There are too many good records for us to mention, but here are four we believe everyone should experience.
Alpha Wolf – A Quiet Place To Die (Sharptone Records)
A Quiet Place To Die will live rent-free in the heads and hearts of metal fans for years to come.
Alpha Wolf is part of a new breed of artists in hard rock and metal pushing forward by revisiting the heaviest parts of the past. A Quiet Place To Die combines the unabashed honesty of Slipknot’s Iowa with a sonic landscape that is only possible with modern technology. That isn’t to say the members themselves are not incredibly talented. On the contrary, their use of synth and other electronic instrumentation only helps to deepen the listening experience they present through this relentless, devastatingly brutal record. It’s perfectly orchestrated chaos that feels off the cuff, as though the band birthed each note in a singular moment of unbridled rage, and the members are now giving it to us undeserving peasants as means to keep us company as the revolution begins.
Four Stroke Baron – Monoqueen (Prosthetic Records)
2020 has given the world a bounty of rarities and covers from bands whose career was otherwise sidelined by COVID-19. Many of those releases were ultimately letdowns, offering more misses than hits, but Four Stroke Baron’s Monoqueen is an exception that every rock fan should experience. The progressive metal act uses this release to revisit critical songs from their ferocious debut, each uniquely updated for the modern era. The real highlights, however, lie in the half-dozen songs they’ve chosen to cover, from CHVRCHES hypnotic “Lungs” to Post Malone’s unruly “Broken Whiskey Glass,” Four Stroke Baron display a range with this release that everyone can appreciate. The band makes these songs their own without making them all the same. It’s a testament to their talent and boundless potential, which hopefully, we will see more of in the new year.
Kataklysm – Unconquered (Nuclear Blast)
Nearly three decades into their career, the men of Kataklysm leave it all on the record with Unconquered. The band may never reach the heights of genre adoration that some of their peers have experienced, but this release proves the group remains more creative and inventive that most artists in their field. We imagine no one can hear the thunderous sounds of “Underneath The Scars” or the pummeling intensity of “The Killshot” without feeling moved to create something special themselves. Unconquered is an album about never giving in or giving up, taking chances, and betting on yourself, even when others write you off. It is the album Kataklysm was made to create.
Nasty – Menace (Century Media)
No one understands the music Nasty as well as the members themselves. The Belgium band’s biography claims the group makes “fucked up music for a fucked up world,” that’s precisely what Menace delivers. Thirteen of the album’s fourteen tracks come in well under three minutes in length, yet each one provides a fury of fists and spit that will incite pits around the world. Forget the fact live music doesn’t currently exist because Menace will have people spin-kicking their furniture and two-stepping in public. It’s the battle cry hardcore fans need right now, combining vicious lyricism with pummeling drums and chugging guitars, and it’s delivered with pristine production from Andy Posdziech (Any Given Day).
Discover even more new music from Haulix clients by streaming our essential fall playlist on Spotify.
Returning with their first new material in three years, Seether delivers one of the year’s most exciting rock albums with Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum.
The history of rock music is littered with bands that exploded onto the music scene with one or two incredible albums before burning out creatively. Those same artists, many of which are active right now, then focus on touring as long as humanly possible with the hopes people never get tired of the songs they wrote years — or even decades — prior. It’s a sad fact of life that is as common as fist pumps at concerts, but thankfully, Seether is not falling victim to that way of life.
Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum, the band’s first album in three years, reminds the world that Seether is a powerful force. Translated to “If you want peace, prepare for war,” the album delivers songs to inspire hope in hard times. Seether has experienced rock bottom first hand, which is a topic they’ve written about at length, and they’re making it clear with this record that they never want anyone else to know those heartbreaking emotional depths. They want to save you or at least encourage you to save yourself.
“Bruised and Bloodied,” an early cut, perfectly exemplifies the sound and message of Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum. Driving, aggressive production provides a riveting backdrop for Shaun Morgan to sing about the realization that the responsibility of happiness and personal development rests on the should of the beholder. People will come and go in this life, some making more significant impacts on you than others, but they cannot do anything to save you from yourself. The world will eat you up and spit you out without a second thought. The universe does not care whether you thrive or drown in a well of sorrow. Life is what you make it, and Seether urge you to recognize that time is running out.
Haulix Recommends is a recurring feature where the Haulix staff chooses one or more recent releases from their clients. Click here to discover more great music being promoted through Haulix.
Combining classic metalcore with a modern edge, Kill The Lights make a bold statement on hard rock’s future with their full-length debut, The Sinner.
Supergroups are held to higher standards than most and Kill The Lights is no exception. Uniting original Bullet For My Valentine co-founder Michael “Moose” Thomas [drums] with Throw The Fight frontman James Clark [vocals], Jordan Whelan of Still Remains [guitar], and Travis Montgomery of Threat Signal [guitar], the band is the creation of people known for consistently raising the bar in the world of metal. Giving the world a mediocre release, or even one that is considered “just okay,” is not an option. If Kill The Lights is going to release something, it has to be great.
“We all loved the idea of having some of those throwback elements with a fresh sound,” exclaims James. “We aimed for something classic either a 15-year-old or 50-year-old could enjoy. It came out naturally by virtue of us working together. It’s not contrived. We give reverence to our influences, but Kill The Lights is its own entity.”
He’s not wrong. While many artists stretch themselves too thin by attempting to appeal to a wide demographic, Kill The Lights overcome generational gaps with ease. Critics will say that is because rock and metal haven’t evolved as much as other music areas in recent decades, but that isn’t true. Today’s young metal acts are more aggressive, brash, and far more reliant on digital trickery than yesteryear artists. The goals remain the same, but the approach has changed, and The Sinner finds a way to bring that evolution full circle in a manner that is equal parts heavy and cathartic. It’s undeniably intense, yes, but there is a lot of heart as well.
But it’s unclear if their work in other groups is responsible for Kill The Lights sound as much as the experiences the members’ previous bands made possible. Their musical precision is never up for debate, but that would be true whether or not the record or group existed. The album’s real magic is in the way it channels the human condition into rallying cries for people from multiple walks of life and generations without submitting to genre tropes or delivering a scattershot release. The album builds from the opening soundbite that calls for the burial of demons and reclaiming life, to the rapturous cry for strength to persevere the throes of existence on “Unmoved,” The Sinner is the medicine we need to survive the hell that is 2020.
Kill The Lights did what they set out to accomplish with The Sinner. Across eleven tracks, the rock veterans display a firm grasp on their genre while sharing songs of hope and retaliation that are easily accessible for metal fans of all ages. It’s the kind of album that the community needs right now, and it points to a bright future for the group in the years to come.
Haulix Recommends is a recurring feature where the Haulix staff chooses one or more recent releases from their clients. Click here to discover more great music being promoted through Haulix.
On their debut album, Transitional Forms, Sharptooth reminds us of the power music wields and why more artists should use their platform to influence meaningful change.
2020 is giving everyone a lesson in privilege that we won’t soon forget. The vast majority of people now understand the plight of others in a way that is undeniable. Anyone still refusing to acknowledge the discrepancies and advantages that exist due to class, age, disability, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and religion are merely choosing to ignore facts. That lack of acceptance is poisoning our culture and throttling the progress of society. It’s a plague that, like our current pandemic, needs to be stamped out of existence before we can move forward as a species. Empathy and understanding are essential for systemic change, but far too many continue to reveal their positions of privilege by remaining silent. In the words of Sharptooth, wielding such power must be nice.
On Transitional Forms, Sharptooth thrusts a dagger straight into the heart of hate and ignorance with thought-provoking lyricism and chaotic instrumentation. Their sound is propulsive, both musically and lyrically. It’s like a freight train that is racing at such highs speeds that the cars begin to come off the tracks ever-so-slightly. One is always wondering whether the band will maintain the momentum or aggression of what’s transpiring, but disaster is narrowly averted at the last possible second.
But there are a lot of bands that people describe as being loud and fast. Sharptooth sets themselves apart by turning the tables on their scene, and in doing so, modern alternative music as a whole. The album opener, “Say Nothing (In The Absence Of Content),” pokes fun at the empty mosh calls prevalent in hardcore music while also commenting on how certain artists get away with writing music for the sake of making noise. That isn’t a criticism of those artists as much as it of the scene itself. Groups with people of color or women (or both) are expected to use their platform in a more meaningful way, but others are not. Sharptooth says that they could write the songs everyone else performs, but they wouldn’t get the same praise. Society expects them to do more, say more, and to stand for something. Other groups should be held to those same standards, which is accurate, and the band isn’t afraid to say that out loud.
Transitional Forms is about more than music scenes and whatever stupid rules people try to enforce within it. Much like Sharptooth’s catalog, the album takes aim at numerous political and societal issues. It touches on economic strife, sexual assault, vulnerability, and how far too many people never practice what they preach. It captures the struggle and anger experienced by oppressed people from different walks of life and lays bare the fact that things must change. It’s a call to action as much as it is a razor-sharp criticism of those who continue to walk through life, turning a blind eye to the realities of existence. The group’s travels over the last decade have shown them that most people want things to change, but few are willing to get off their ass and do the work necessary. Sharptooth is already doing their part, so why can’t you?
Haulix Recommends is a recurring feature where the Haulix staff chooses one or more recent releases from their clients. Click here to discover more great music being promoted through Haulix.
UK metal favorites Bury Tomorrow take another step toward the upper echelon of heavy music with their fourth studio album.
Anyone who claims that rock and metal are dead is not paying attention. Guitar-driven music may not be the primary focus of radio or pop culture. Still, it’s hard to find anywhere on Earth without people grinding away in a practice space on songs they believe are unique. When the world is more chaotic than ever, rock and metal may be the only areas of music that can save the day. There is a release these genres make possible that no other type of sound can provide. They’re cathartic, but also revolutionary. They can start wars and soothe deep emotional wounds, often simultaneously, and few groups are doing a better job of delivering consistently enthralling material than Bury Tomorrow.
Already recognized as one of the most entertaining and prolific metal acts in the UK, Bury Tomorrow is a band that finds joy in the struggle for perfection. Their records take listeners on a journey from wide-eyed optimism of youth to the colder, more experienced perspective of adulthood without losing sight of hope. The group chooses to embrace the struggles of life as a necessity for improvement, both as a species and as a person. Their songs recognize the need to make the most of each moment that passes, and they urge listeners to make the most of whatever time they have left.
Cannibal, the band’s explosive fourth studio album, continues this trend while focusing heavily on the importance of mental health. As vocalist Dani Winter Bates explains:
“This album is for me as well as for the fans,” Bates says. “It was a cathartic process to address some of the darkest moments I’ve had in my life. For some people, it’ll be a hard listen. But I thought I have to do this. If I’m going to go in, I’m going to go in. I’m not doing something half-arsed. There is nothing lyrically I would change on this entire album.”
Though it may feel apocalyptic at times, Cannibal is about survival. Bury Tomorrow wants fans to know they are more resilient than they realize. They need listeners to understand that enduring hard times ultimately leads us to better ones, and if we can believe in our ability to overcome whatever scares us, nothing is out of reach.
While the world burns outside our doors and diseases spread like wildfire, Cannibal arrives when we need it most. It’s a relentlessly heavy and therapeutic record that listeners will celebrate for years to come.
As we enter the back-half of the year, the Haulix team takes a moment to celebrate some of the best albums released thus far in 2020.
Believe it or not, we are only halfway through 2020. The year that just won’t end has already given us more than most as far as cultural shifts and life-changing headlines are concerned. From COVID-19 and murder hornets, to the suspension of live music and an inability to visit a movie theater anywhere in the United States, 2020 is challenging everyone to keep their head above water. It is also giving us some truly incredible records, and that is what we are trying to focus today.
Musicians in 2020 are more in tune with the state of the world than previous generations. Artists from every genre are discussing topics like politics and the economy in a direct manner, and very few are pulling any punches when about those in power. The music being created right now is doing more to unite people and bring us hope for a better future than any leader, and we believe more great songs are coming in the months ahead.
Picking our favorite albums of the year is a tradition that goes back as far as this blog. We never have the time to highlight every release that leaves a positive impact on us, but we did want to pull ten albums we believe are essential listening experiences. There is no ranking or order to the presentation here. We only ask that you set aside a little time to give each artist or group a chance to change your life.
Trivium – What The Dead Men Say
What The Dead Men Say, Trivium’s ninth studio album reflects on the past in hopes of saving the future. The band – Matt Heafy, Corey Beaulieu, Paolo Gregoletto, and Alex Bent – pull from everything they’ve done to deliver an album that serves as a thesis statement for Trivium’s career. It’s a relentlessly heavy, yet undeniably melodic exploration of existence that pulls from philosophy and mythology in equal measure to paint an elaborately-detailed portrait of what makes us human. Fans will hear hints of the youthful confidence that fueled Ember To Inferno and Ascendency, alongside the grit of In Waves and melancholy of Silence In The Snow. How Trivium combines these seemingly conflicting ideas gel is one of the record’s many wonders. That said, the real mastery lies in their ability to do so while also creating incredibly accessible music for new listeners. [Full review]
Run The Jewels – RTJ4
Run The Jewels could not have anticipated how much the world would need RTJ4 when they set its June 5 release date. Fan demand was already high, but after the last two weeks in America, the music of El-P and Killer Mike has a new sense of urgency. The booming beats and tongue-in-cheek lyrics on life and death in a broken system seep through your ear canal and take residence in your cerebellum. It’s a soundtrack to survival for a generation raised to believe that living under the surveillance of other people is normal that demands we strategize ways to create lasting change that benefits all people. It’s going to get worse before it gets better, but that’s okay because the outcome will be worth the struggle. [Full Review]
Best Ex – Good At Feeling Bad
Not one to fall into the tropes of Bukowski or Salinger that entangle many of her musical peers, Mariel Loveland’s style of storytelling is one of wide-eyed optimism presented in the face of uncertainty with unabashed honesty. She’s neither the hero nor the villain in her journey. Her perspective is that of a world traveler that has felt the overwhelming joy of mass acceptance and the cold chill of failure. Good At Feeling Bad is about what comes after all that, which is where the real adventure begins. Loveland knows anything is possible, and she’s open to whatever the next chapter entails. [Full review]
Lamb of God – Lamb of God
On their new, self-titled release, Lamb of God targets all the topics that most of us choose to ignore because implementing meaningful change often feels impossible. The band asks that we stop accepting a world where everything is on fire and demands that we do something about it. Everything from the opioid crisis, to school shootings and immigration, is put in the spotlight through some of the group’s heaviest production to date, all to make us pay attention to the broken state of civilization. If you’ve fallen victim to complacency, Lamb of God is here to deliver a wakeup call that will shake your bones and clear the cobwebs from your mind. It is a reminder that you are more powerful than you know, and it is your responsibility to use your strength for good. [Full review]
Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit – Reunions
Reunions examines the role we play in the world around us. Jason Isbell and his band, The 400 Unit, leave no rock unturned in their search for answers to life’s biggest questions regarding purpose and grief. The album provides few solutions on either front but finds comfort in acknowledging that we are on this journey through the chaos of existence. If we can learn to love one another and shed the weight of stress and mistakes from our past, Isbell believes we can find a lasting sense of peace amidst the turmoil of our daily lives. It’s a big idea that some will think impossible, and he understands that. Rather than giving listeners an optimistic ear-beating, he focuses on crafting undeniably soulful songs in hopes people will reconsider our limitless potential for change. [Full review]
Dance Gavin Dance – Afterburner
Afterburner finds Dance Gavin Dance refining their talents while pushing the creative envelop wherever possible. It’s the kind of musical chaos and experimentation that would border on cacophony if it were attempted by anyone less skilled or in sync than the members of the group. Track to track, beat to beat, Dance Gavin Dance work to find new ways to catch fans off guard while simultaneously giving them precisely what they expect. It’s a magic trick of sorts, handled by musical magicians making seriously unserious music with the precision of fine craftsman. [Full review]
Dogleg – Melee
Dogleg, the latest in a long line of alternative bands to rise from the mitten state in recent years, is chasing dreams of changing lives and selling records with a passion unmatched by their peers. The band’s Triple Crown Records debut, Melee, speaks to that ferocity with ten songs built upon all the angst and stress of trying to survive in our modern times. It’s a cathartic collection of high hopes and broken dreams that reaches through the speakers with each note and lyric, urging listeners to get off their ass and influence positive change in the world around them. [Full review]
Body Count – Carnivore
Carnivore continues Body Count’s reputation for speaking their minds on the state of the world. It’s an album about taking life by the reigns, taking responsibility for your actions, and working to create the world you want to see. Body Count has grown tired of people complaining, especially when they’re not doing anything to influence change, so they use this record to ignite our collective desire to fight for a better life. They believe nothing happens unless you work to make it happen, and they use this record to urge listeners to take action. [Full review]
The Amity Affliction – Everyone Loves You…Once You Leave Them
Australian post-hardcore favorites The Amity Affliction are internationally recognized for their fierce lyricism and hard-hitting music. Their time in the spotlight has a devoted following of fans who wear their hearts on their sleeves with clenched fists and weary eyes. For them, the music The Amity Affliction creates is about more than trudging through the experience of existence. Fans know the group is writing to inspire rebellion, both from the world as we know it and from the people they were in the past, in hopes we all seek to reborn as better, more empathetic human beings. [Full review]
Hot Mulligan – You’ll Be Fine
Michigan’s Hot Mulligan is leading a long-overdue alternative uprising that emphasizes heart over tradition. Their music takes the moments in life most keep to themselves and leverages them through big hooks to create a welcoming, fully-transparent presentation that helps the group stand out from many of their peers. You’ll Be Fine teaches us how to be like them by urging us to get over ourselves before we become someone we hate.
A career musician who has already proven his talent several times over, Tyler Carter returns with his most intimate work to date.
There is a saying that suggests the only way to be successful in business is to diversify your offerings. Consumers are easily distracted, people say, so you should never rely on what has worked in the past when considering where you will go moving forward. That idea applies to music as well. A great song or sound may get you far, but you can always go further by keeping listeners on their toes. Many artists may attempt to expand, but few pull it off as well as Tyler Carter.
A staple of the modern alternative scene, Tyler Carter is a musical chameleon whose signature croon has given the world anthems that will outlive us all. He’s got the kind of voice you would expect to hear at pop radio, especially in the era of artists such as blackbear and Jon Bellion, but he’s best known as a hard rock vocalist. The majority of his time is spent with Issues, an abstract metal act that combines a variety of sonic influences to challenge the perception of metal without completing alienating fans of the genre. It’s a challenging line to walk, but Carter and his bandmates make it look easy. Case in point, the band’s 2019 album was one of the year’s most celebrated releases. Not just in metal, but in music as a whole.
But Carter is more than a one-band man. His talent in various groups is equally matched by his brilliant solo career, which has admittedly taken a backseat to some of his more high-profile projects (such as Issues). When working alone, Carter has more room to experiment and develop as a songwriter. His solo material allows him to fully express himself as he asserts creative control over each song rather than being a contributing part of a whole. The results are often more cathartic than any other material he releases.
Carter’s latest release, Moonshine (Acoustic), is a stripped-down take on his 2019 solo record that features a pair of new recordings. The first, a new track titled “Escape My Love,” offers a beautiful ode to someone who doesn’t understand the power they possess. It’s mostly a love song, but also something of an anthem for anyone who hides from mirrors and feels like they don’t deserve the things everyone else gets in life. Carter wants those individuals he will always be there for them, as will the people who love them.
The second new offering is a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s timeless hit, “Landslide.” The challenge with covering a beloved song is finding a way to meet expectations while putting a fresh spin on a track people have heard countless times. Carter’s take is simple and airy. It’s a showcase of his vocal talents as much as it is an exercise in restraint. He resists the urge to go “too big” in preference of making sure the message resonates. It’s a massive success.
With Moonshine (Acoustic), Tyler Carter cements his place as one of music’s most exciting vocalists. He’s a crooner at heart, and it shows throughout this release. “Glow,” for example, brings the hazy chaos of a late-night rendezvous between lovers into a beautiful place that is undeniably compelling. “Good Things,” on the other hand, finds happiness in the simple joys of life. There is no topic Carter is afraid to tackle, nor a single track where his soulful voice fails to connect with the listener. We didn’t need more proof of Tyler Carter’s talent, but if anyone remains on the fence, this record will convert them.
Haulix Recommends is a recurring feature where the Haulix staff chooses one or more recent releases from their clients. Click here to discover more great music being promoted through Haulix.
Finding hope in the struggle of life, “Little Miss America” gives Australia’s Josh Orange a well-deserved moment in the spotlight.
Josh Orange is a group and not a person. More importantly, Josh Orange is a testament to the power of great songwriting. The band’s catalog speaks to the universal truth that strong storytelling and memorable melodies will always do more for a track than any amount of studio wizardry. As much as people may like disposable pop songs that pass like ghosts in the night, audiences want to hear something relatable, and that’s what the Australian gentlemen in Josh Orange deliver.
With their latest single, “Little Miss America,” Josh Orange paint a melodic sonic tapestry for those caught in the struggle of existence. For all the technology and on-demand pleasures that the modern world may offer, the fact remains that life is hard more often than not. Most of us have unrealized dreams and aspirations to be anywhere other than where we are at this moment. We have visions for our lives that we cling to despite knowing such outcomes are unlikely. We are doomed to work and die and the best anyone can do is find a small reason to smile in each day we’re given to exist.
“Little Miss America” taps into the same vein of therapeutic honesty in songwriting that Tom Petty used to make his name. With visions of cigarettes and rust belt struggles wound around a midtempo production that effortlessly syncs with the intangible feeling of loneliness we all recognize, the song finds hope in the little moments. It’s not about changing or saving the world, nor should it be. Most of us never the opportunity to impact the masses the way we see in high-budget movies, but we can do our part to make the misery of existence a little bit better for everyone. We can be kind to strangers, and we can never take more than we need. We can recognize we are all in this together, even if we’re alone, and there is power in that understanding that most never realize.
Josh Orange spent the better part of the last half-decade releasing music and entertaining audiences, but “Little Miss America” feels like the start of a new chapter. The group has honed its sound to the point of perfection. Each element of the track comes together to a soundtrack for making the most of a hard life. The band understands that it’s not the small decisions that not only make us who we are but that shape the world around us. If we can just learn to recognize the opportunities we are given to help one another; then maybe we’ll all be better off.
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