Pascal vs Gojira

Gojira’s The Way of All Flesh crashes into your like a wave. The daylight drains form the skies and the heavens themselves collapse upon you. There is no greenery, no dry land, all you can hear amongst the grey is cerebral riffs, a commanding desperate call to arms. All this whilst you’re constantly bludgeoned by the terrifying intensity of the drum arrangement. There is no air to breathe, this sound you hear is the end of the world.

Pascal x

Pascal vs The Pencil Thin Moustache

I have fallen prey to sloth over the past two weeks, and have not shaved for a while. I now possess a somewhat uncomfortable mini-moustache above my lips. This lifestyle doesn’t suit me, I cannot imagine living with facial hair for an extended period of time, the tiny stubble I currently have is enough to prove that. Eurgh.

Pascal x

Album of 2008; Suicide Season

1. Bring Me The Horizon – Suicide Season

This album was a long time coming. I had listened to ‘This Is What The Edge Of Your Seat Was Made For’ and ‘Count Your Blessings’ a myriad of times. Now, I’m not bashing the quality of these two CDs but I had somewhat overplayed them and there was a desperate need for fresh material to listen to. The material arrived in October, in the form of Suicide Season. It’s a concept album which takes inspiration from Samuel Foot’s ‘The Bankrupt’. It is stiflingly dark piece of work, it’s hopelessness can is encapsulated in this extract from ‘November – The Suicide Season, The Bankrupt’ – ‘That night, sat in a dark room, my body wretched as I cried. I was in pieces. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t move.’ The album itself is a very deliberate step away from the deathcore overtones of the previous album. The opener ‘The Comedown’, is an energetic start-stop affair with interlaced vocals and a commanding chant three quarters of the way through the song ‘I’d rather live than live forever’. It is this rhetoric that captures Oli Sykes attitude. The frontman is resolute and stamps his mark on the varied track on the album. The following track is polished by Luis Dubuc of The Secret Handshake’s wizardry. ‘It Was Written In Blood’ is the backbone of the album, holding everything up, it is made up of a slow tempo, and some unrelenting and anguished vocals on the frontman’s part. Some impressive guitar work on ‘Death Breath’ make it another stand out track, there are no fillers on this album. ‘Football Season Is Over’ calls upon JJ Peters and some hardcore chants are used to show off the band’s penchant for partying. ‘Sleep With One Eye Open’ is an extremely aggressive and focused, malice drenched piece of work, with a couple of crushing breakdowns added at their most intense to finish it off. It’s as malcontent as Oli Sykes has ever sounded on record, scratch that ‘I’ve Read About Girls Like You On The Backs Of Toilet Doors’ steals that award. The song is minute long barrage of punches into the face, I won’t give any more air time as to why Oli felt the need to release aggression in this manner. Now Bring Me The Horizon has a past, and the track ‘Diamonds Aren’t Forever’ is nod to the yesteryear. ‘The Sadness Will Never End’ features Sam Carter of Architects’ clean vocals, the same Sam Carter whose voice has been described as angelic. It’s a tale of hope wrapped up in ‘rough-around the edges’ packaging. The title track is an epic eight minute ascend to heaven, Bring Me The Horizon at its best.

Pascal x

Albums of 2008, Number 2…For Those Who Have Heart

2. A Day To Remember – For Those Who Have Heart

A Day To Remember’s sophmore offering is tinged with instant classics, the opener declaring the band’s zeitgeist – ‘my friends come first, that’s the bottom line.’ The album title reveals that the songs are written for those who are loyal, trustworthy and have self-respect. Hardcore at it’s most up-beat, and as catchy as a net.

Pascal x

Albums of 2008, Number 3…The Cleansing

3. Suicide Silence – The Cleansing

Disgust, at what the human race has become. Rage at the billions who believe in the mythical higher power, and sleep walk through their lives. Disdain for the ones that cower in fear, never standing up an tackling things head on. Suicide Silence’s debut is a masterclass in the extremities deathcore, and pure, unadulterated, grim, skull smashing aggression. A accurate taste of what the blood splattered compact disc has to offer in it’s 44minutes run time, is the formative ‘No Pity For A Coward’. This album is ruthless.

Pascal x

London Astoria Closes Down In Early 2009

London Astoria is located on Tottenham Court Road, which is by far my favourite place in central London. It has been the venue for many gigs I’ve attended over the past few years. My home from home is apparently shutting down ealr in the nex year. I don’t know why this decision has been taken but it will be a great loss. It is a place with a great sense of character. In memory into the soon to be closed venue I will name all the bands I have seen at the London Astoria to date.

Story Of The Year supported by Bleed The Dream and Stretch Arm Strong

Billy Talent supported by Reuben

Aiden supported by Bayside, The Audition and The Sleeping

Papa Roach supported by Gallows and The Bangkok Five

Enter Shikari supported by PenKnifeLoveLife, and UK Carnival

Paramore supported by Anberlin and This Providence

Bring Me The Horizon supported by Architects, The Chariot, The Break In, Your Demise and Honour Amongst Thieves

Job For A Cowboy supported by The Black Dahlia Murder, The Red Chord and Gorerotted

Gallows featuring Lethal Bizzle supported by Anti-Flag and Fucked Up

Underoath supported by Envy On The Coast and Oh, Sleeper

Bring Me The Horizon supported by The Secret Handshake, Deez Nuts and Dead Swans

Pascal x

Albums of 2008, Number 4…Stay True

4. Deez Nuts – Stay True

A running theme to what I listened to this year is fun. Deez Nuts is the ex-I Killed The Prom Queen, JJ Peters’ new project. Playing unashamed positive hardcore, the dude does anything but take himself seriously. The message here is camaraderie, loyalty and friendship. It’s one big ‘fuck you’ to the world stretched over 12 diverse tracks. Subject matter is everything from loving your roots ‘Love Hate’, money ‘I Hustle Everday’, a tongue in cheek nod to hip-hop ‘Move Back’ and a tribute to Beastie Boys’ ‘Fight For You Right [To Party]‘. Load this album up and get thoroughly fucked up.

Pascal x

Albums of 2008, Number 5…Lost In The Sound Of Separation

5. Underoath – Lost In The Sound Of Separation

Underoath had a lot to live up to. They’re Only Chasing Safety was a monumental album, which marked a different direction for the band. Define The Great Line built upon the foundations laid by the previous album, becoming heavier, more melodic and more intense. The six-piece really need to pull the carpet from underneath my feet to create a sound that eclipsed Define The Great Line. They did just that. A more experimental approach has been taken by Underoath, highlighted by the opener ‘Breathing In A New Mentality’. Despite a slightly fresher sound, everything I have come to expect from Underoath is here, Aaron Gillespie’s angelic vocals intertwined with the Spencer Chamberlain’s ear-piercing screams. Aaron’s drum work has stepped about up three notches, and if the world were to end, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lost In The Sound Of Separation was the soundtrack to the terminus. Make no mistake, this is not Define The Great Line (Part Deux), the only song that retraces the beaten path is the potent ‘Desperate Times, Desperate Measures’. I could list of all the reasons this album is worthy of so many listens, but I believe that would take away from what Underoath has achieved. They are unmatched in their genre and artistic range.

Pascal x

Albums of 2008, Number 6…Ruin

6. Architects – Ruin

Architects is one of the few up and coming metal bands coming from the underbelly of the UK, Brighton. The concept of this album is the despair and conflict a person can go through in a very short time, and how through unwavering resolve you can come out at the end a much stornger person than before. The fresh Archictects vocalist; Sam Carter has brought a lot of experience and personality to his role. The band’s second outing has an altogether different feel from ‘Nightmares’. Constanlty shifting from slow burning emotional durges, to tapping riffs – there is something here for every fan of the progressive metal genre. The message of help is splashed sparingly across the stand out songs including ‘You’ll Find Safety’, ‘Always’, ‘Heartless’, ‘North Lane’ and the finale ‘Save Me’. It is difficult not to take something away from this masterpiece, The lyrics are the words of someone who wishes to inspire and motivate. Constant in their tone, the lyrics are Sam Carter through and through. It is one of those cases wherein a band would not be everything it is without its front man. Well worth picking up.

Pascal x

Albums of 2008, Number 7…Decimate The Weak

7. Winds Of Plague – Decimate The Weak

This band came out of nowhere into my iTunes, I discovered them whilst trawling through the murky depths of Myspace. Winds Of Plague has it’s own form of deathcore which throws a keyboard and synth into the mix. Devastating breakdowns aplenty, the growls and screams are tongue-in-cheek and more than the usual fare of low/high, rinse and repeat. ‘The Impaler’ is almost succeeds in fusing rap with deathcore, whilst the title track ‘Decimate The Weak’ introduces some gang chants. Each song has a varying structure on this album with ‘Reloaded’ being the stand out track, a quick glance at the lyrics reveals that this band is here for a good time. Perhaps not the best deathcore album of the year, but Decimate The Weak always leaves a huge grin on my face.

Pascal x