Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2, as people may expect, is a sequel to the similarly-named 2006 title, which itself had a rich heritage. The game itself is set in an alternate timeline in 1930s Japan, where the Taisho period (which ended in 1926) had maintained stability into the 1930s. Players assume the role of Raidou, whom along with eir cat Gouto pull double-duty as detectives and devil banishers. The…
While Burden of a Day is a hardcore band, they seem to have taken the lessons provided them by current emo acts and on their “Pilots & Paper Planes†and create a soundscape that individuals will actually pay attention to. Previous hardcore acts would just focus on the vocals, drums, and guitars, but Burden Of A Day focuses on the interplay between all of these disparate elements. “High Noon†is…
Smirnoff is coming out with a number of different releases in the last few years that could be seen as shaking up the alcohol world. Their Tuscan Lemonade brought Limoncello drinks back, while their Melon interpretation of vodka really made a lighter flavor of that genus popular. Their Pomegranate one shares some similarities to the Melon one, but comes at the problem of providing a fulfilling spirit in a slightly…
The amount of different pieces that are present in an average issue of SLUG is just impressive. I know that we here at NeuFutur have given a number of different SLUG issues a review, but sometimes I just have to take a step and see exactly how much work has been done in the creation of an issue. The star power that is present in this issue is impressive, focusing…
The tracks on “Lookaftering†really flow like honey; Bunyan comes through with a distinctive, not-quite falsetto set of vocals. These vocals are bolstered by some of the most emotive and honest guitar work ever produced, and in some sense actually provide Bunyan with a second set of vocals to play off of. Every piece of instrumentation on “Lookaftering†is quality-controlled and checked until the best fit is allowed to finally…
The honeymoon may be over, but for The Handsome Family it’s just beginning with a a west coast tour beginning July 14th in Seattle, to support the release of their new album and recent sold-out dates on the east coast in April. Touring extensively throughout the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, their live performances sometimes consist of up to a six-piece band and other times just band members…
The grit in which Ms Liza Graves starts off “Dead Are Walking†is something that seems to even go farther than Joan Jett and Wendy O. Williams and seems to be much more in the vein of Retching Red. The music that Bullet Treatment plays is a pretty fast, thrashy style of punk that is only about one step removed from crust punk. The guitar riffs work perfectly with the…
The simplistic guitar-driven rock of Carol Bui reminds one of Susanne Vega or even Alanis Morrisette; throughout all of this, there is a sound that is Bui’s and Bui’s alone. The earthy guitar work present on a track like “This Is How I Recover†draws listeners back to the days of Sebadoh, even as the arrangement of Bui’s seems much more influenced by medieval music than anything. Where carol Bui…
The first few tracks on “Scissors†are a little bit weak, there is no denying that. A purveyor of this post-hardcore (essentially, more Refused-liked guitar lines and noise rock into the traditional “emo†sound) sound, Bullet Train To Vegas really start to shine during their third track, “The Camera Eye Backbiteâ€. This track benefits from an experimentation with different tempos and general sounds, all connected together with lead vocalist Dan’s…
Starting off “The Revelry†with an Offspring-influenced opening, California’s Bullets and Octane seem immediately tagged for success alongside the aforementioned act, as well as Authority Zero and earlier hair-metal acts like Lizzy Borden and Twisted Sister. The mastering is perfect on this disc and as such saps Bullets and Octane’s fury, placing them entirely within a radio-friendly box, essentially neutering what could be an intense act. Finally reaching their full…
