Flabbergaster - A Place for Music

Captors: an Album That Matters!

Wow!...and for a moment I thought their debut ep "We Are The Ones" would be all we were going to hear from Dayton, Ohio's Wolves At The Gate! It looks like they are here to stay!

A straight-forward album with an ambitious opening track, Captors displays substantial musicianship and extensive heaviness. It has its "ebby flowy" moments but they matter! In my opinion--knowing when and where to let things drop off a bit is one of the key ingredients to a "good" album! While I admit I liked these guys from the get-go, I think they have gotten better and exceeded my expectations. 

Captors first single Dead Man is catchy and the lyrics have significant meaning. Slaves has an acoustic opening that sounds like it was recorded with a tape recorder in a wooded livingroom floor(just the opening, the rest of the song is heavy and comes into focus very quickly), Step Out to The Water is energetic and straight-forward. Safeguards reminds us that while nothing in our lives are as stable as we wish they were, our faith can be as weak or as strong as we decide it to be. Man of Sorrows closes the album with a light-hearted mood filled with chants and echoes.

Wolves at the Gate reminds me of a young Thrice with a touch of Nickelback, Beloved(for those of us who remember them), and Under0ath...with their own direction on the horizon! Their clash between screaming and clean vocals work well together, and the mood is consistent!

Overall, Captors is written decisively and is a great start to their career, considering this is their debut LP. Make sure you pick up a copy when you get a chance! Solid State Records  

 

 

The Dawn Chose Orion

Here is a band from Denver, CO, who I think you should check out! They are forging their own path to share their music with the world! Here is what I have to say about them...

"The Dawn Chose Orion creates an epic atmosphere as their heavy riffs collide with surreal trance elements, and aggressive vocals! Their music is deliberate, well written, and they put a huge amount of effort into their stage presence!"

They were kind enough to let me "share" their music on Flabbergaster because they want you to hear it! Send them some love on Facebook!

 

Forsake It All - Vanity Mirror

Forsake It All is a DIY Metal band from Colorado Springs, CO. Since their humble beginning in 2010, they have poured their hearts into perfecting their music and stage presence--ignoring all the criticism that advocated their departure. They remain dedicated to their mission as a Christian band, and one of the few in their scene, I might add. Their music has come a long way,--they just released their first concept EP, “Vanity Mirror.”

Vanity Mirror is complete with spiteful metal-core riff and spiraling screams mashed with clean vocals. Their guitar riffs are appealing if you are a sentimental metal fan and appreciate good musicianship.

Vocalist, Ian Ware, reminds me of a young Dan Weyandt (ZAO, vocalist). He is lyrically genuine and strong-minded. He is also creative in his delivery! The content for Vanity Mirror derives from a book he recently read called, "Something Wicked This Way Comes," by Ray Bradbury, which is about a carnival that visits a small town and enslaves its visitors,--leaving them captive to their own desires! Each song represents the novel in one specific area. The ep title represents a carnival attraction where people can enter, look into the mirror and see themselves as they would like to be. 

The Shadow Show, the opening track, lyrically decribes the carnival as it pulls into town, insisting that something wicked is approaching. Mr. Denton on Doomsday could be considered a standalone track but accompanies the theme anyway, insisiting that no matter how how the level of self importance someone carries themself with, they will still bow before God someday. As Bold As Lions represents the courage of one of the main characters who is selfless, thinks of the needs of others, but ends up succumbing to failure in his own way. The concluding track, Darks' Carnival,  focuses on the idea that whether you do what you think is right, or best for your own needs, the only solution is to turn toward Jesus.

Forsake It All is persistent enough to make a reputable name for themselves in our ever-evolving music industry. They are forging their own path--and a wide path, it is!