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Protest the Hero - Bloodmeat
Ontario
File Size: 6.8 mb, Length: 3:55
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I’m not one that is really that big on the new wave of metalcore. There are a few exceptions here and there, but those exceptions tend to be few and far between. And then there is Protest the Hero. I can’t exactly place what it is that makes this song so awesome. It is the first track off of just recently released album “Fortress.” I think it maybe because seemingly for once there are such a shambled mish-mash of genre blurring, none of it necessarily spectacular. But it is all done with a ferocious tenacity reeking of an almost uncalled for desperation. It may not be anything that fantastic, but Protest the Hero are worlds above its peers just by this one effort.

Artist Website: Protest the Hero
Label Website: Vagrant Records

Paint It Black - Past Tense, Future Perfect
Philadelphia, PA
File Size: 4.5 mb, Length: 2:20
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Dr. Dan Yemin has a lot of street cred. And he has been a busy guy as of late as well. Earlier last year he reformed his beloved pop-punk band from the early 90’s Lifetime, released a new album, and toured in support. Not one to take too much time off, he stepped back into his lead vocalist role for the Paint It Black’s newest album “New Lexicon”. The result is perhaps the bands finest hour…or as close as it can cut it to. Clocking in at around a half hour, the blistering pace of every song is only matched by the rage in Dr. Dan’s scream. People who think that hardcore died with Black Flag need to take note, from the influential pop-punk stylings of Lifetime, to the influential hardcore punk stylings of Kid Dynamite, to what no doubt will be the influential hardcore pummelings of Paint It Black, Dr. Dan is keeping the genre alive.

Artist Website: Paint It Black
Label Website: Jade Tree Records

Crime in Stereo - …But You Are Vast
Levitton, New York
File Size: 5.4 mb, Length: 3:23
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Crime in Stereo had an impressive run as one of the better melodic hardcore outfits coming out of NYC, and then it signed to Bridge 9 Records, a label more known for the brutality of its mosh riffs more than anything else. “Is Dead” was a huge step back in the realm of hardcore, but showcases the bands musical talent and songwriting skills much better. It is one of my top 10 albums of the year and “…But You Are Vast” shows how much more mature Crime in Stereo has become, expanding on the generic label of melodic hardcore.

Artist Website:Crime in Stereo
Label Website:Bridge 9 Records

Gallows - In the Belly of the Shark
London, England
File Size: 4.3 mb, Length: 2:42
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Gallows is to UK Hardcore what The Sex Pistols were to UK Punk, raw, gritty, and angry. Only this time around, Gallows injects a pure and fine rage, bursting through the seams with vicious breakdowns. Its debut album “Orchestra of Wolves” came out last year and the band is still touring relentlessly in support.

Tour Dates w/ Cancer Bats/This is Hell

January 9, 2007 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
January 10, 2007 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
January 11, 2007 Orlando, FL The Social
January 12, 2007 Gainesville, FL Common Grounds
January 14, 2007 Houston, TX Red Room at Meridian
January 15, 2007 Austin, TX Emo’s
January 16, 2007 Dallas, TX The Door
January 18, 2007 Albuquerque, NM The Launch Pad
January 19, 2007 Tempe, AZ The Clubhouse
January 21, 2007 Anaheim, CA Chain Reaction
January 23, 2007 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
January 24, 2007 San Francisco, CA Slim’s
January 26, 2007 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
January 27, 2007 Vancouver, BC Plaza Club
January 28, 2007 Seattle, WA Chop Suey
January 30, 2007 Salt Lake City, UT Avalon Theatre
January 31, 2007 Denver, CO Marquis Theatre
February 2, 2007 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock
February 3, 2007 Chicago, IL Metro Smart Bar
February 4, 2007 Cleveland, OH The Grog Shop
February 5, 2007 Toronto, ON Mod Club
February 7, 2007 Worcester, MA The Palladium
February 8, 2007 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg
February 9, 2007 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom

Artist Website:Gallows