Arrow to the Sun

You guys might not know this, but I consider myself a bit of a loner. I tend to think of myself as a one-man wolf pack. But when I bought the new Arrow to the Sun album, I knew it was one of my own. And my wolf pack… it grew. So there… there was a new album in my wolfpack… Anyway… what I’m trying to say is that this album makes me feel like a wolf, a wolf who found an awesome new six track CD.

Be Brave is a headbanging good time. Each song is carefully constructed and jam packed full of soaring vocals and twisting guitar leads. Jimmy Pianka artfully and poetically bends words to his will. Every song on the CD allows the listener to connect on a simple emotional level, but it’s clear that behind the scenes there’s more content and story to these lyrics.



The guitar work of Jeffrey Brooks and Nate Kerbin is familiar yet uniquely new. The two axe swingers switch between lead and rhythm with class, creativity, technical skill, and dissonances that would make Dexter Morgan smile his menacing mischievous smile.

Be Brave is a shining new album from the growing Boston music scene that proves opening for TREOS is only the beginning for this great new band.

Also, “The Wolf Pack” would be an awesome name for the fan club. Just sayin.

Buy their shirts:


For more info check out: http://www.myspace.com/arrowtothesunband

and to buy sweet shirts check out: http://www.districtlines.com/arrow-to-the-sun

Feel Bored Drag

Starting off with some rock, the new Anberlin album Dark Is A Way, Light Is A Place starts off powerful and engaging. Pressing forward and hoping for another Paper Thin Hymn, I'm sad to say I was let down. With each track my mind continued to wander farther from the album. In an interview with Absolutepunk.net, a band member was quoted saying this new record had an "in the zone" feel all throughout the writing and recording process.

While I wish Anberlin had created a masterpiece worthy of competition with Britney Spears' third studio album, it didn't have a "Toxic" feel to me. Regardless, as one of my favorite bands, I really hope they are successful enough with this release to record a new album that leans more towards New Surrender and Never Take Friendship Personal than the "Dream Within A Dream Tour".



As a side note:

"Woahs" have become a dangerous tool in a songwriters bag of tricks. Through the development of our genre, "Woahs" have become a cheap tactic in a formulaic songwriting pattern to add some free, and most of the time heartless, catchyness. Please! replace those "Woahs" with lyrics unless you can nail an absolute perfect moment.

For more info check out: http://www.anberlin.com/