Author: WKNC Admin

Of Mice & Men formed in 2009 in Orange County, California. Originally, the band was a five-piece band; with Austin Carlile (vocalist), Aaron Pauley (bass/clean vocalist), Valentino Arteaga (drums), Phil Manansala (guitarist) and Alan Ashby (guitarist). Unfortunately, Carlile left the band in late 2016. He has been struggling with a long-term battle with Marfan Syndrome which is an inherited disorder that affects connective tissues. Instead of getting a new lead singer, bass player, Aaron Pauley, decided to take on the roll. Now, he is the bass player, and sole lead vocalist doing both growls and clean vocals.  

Defy is Of Mice & Men’s fifth album and it is one helluva record. I wasn’t too crazy about their 2016 release of Cold War, so I was really looking forward to this record dropping. I was interested to see how the band would sound since they are now a four-piece, and I was curious to see what Pauley would sound like. I saw Of Mice & Men last year at the Carolina Rebellion (without Carlile), and I was impressed with their sound and stage presence.

Let’s get on to the music, shall we? I will be talking about some of the songs on this record that I find pretty cool. The album opens up with the title track, Defy. This song is an absolute banger. It really sets the tone for the entire album and is a great opener. There are catchy riffs, and a chorus that will get you shouting. Up next is Instincts that has a lot of melodies in it along with sing-alongs. This song is very groovy and it is accompanied by a killer guitar solo. This is one of my favorite songs off of this record. Back To Me is next and this song has a positive message to it. The song is talking about how we all lose ourselves but we will find ourselves at the end. They also covered Pink Floyd’s Money on this record, and let me tell you, they did a phenomenal job (will this cover make The Saw’s Metal Covers segment?). These are only some of the songs on Of Mice & Men’s new record. But almost every song has catchy riffs, sick anthems, and head banging potential.

I am really impressed with this record and it has been one of my go to albums of 2018. OM&M are on tour right now playing songs off this record! For more information click here! I am excited to see where this band goes from here. I have the upmost respect for them because, out of all the challenges that this band has had, they faced them all head-on and pushed through. Rock on, Of Mice & Men, The Saw approves.

Favorite song(s): Instincts and Back To Me

Rating: 9/10

 THE SAW

The song repetition on some Classic Rock stations may lead you to believe that there were only a handful of songs ever produced in the sixties and seventies. But just like modern music, for every top hit song that becomes subject to radio overplay, there are hundreds of undiscovered songs that are arguably just as good in quality. Today, we’ll be looking at one of the more obscure albums of the sixties: Spooky Two by the band Spooky Tooth.

Released in 1969, almost fifty years ago, the second album by the British band Spooky Tooth probably seems like a dinosaur of the past in comparison to contemporary music when judged by age alone. When judged by the listening experience, perhaps the hums of now-vintage keyboards in the background of several of the songs and British blues-rock feel characteristic of the sixties can admittedly make it feel dated on a surface-level. However, “dated” is by no means bad, as this album still provides a unique take on the sounds of the late-sixties.

Tracks:

Waitin’ for the Wind – The drum build-up is an interesting choice for the first song, though the organ-like keyboard soon takes the center stage with a droning riff to back up the vocals. Though not one of the more explicitly dark songs on the album, the opening does an excellent job at setting the darker mood for the rest of the album.

Feelin’ Bad – The first song where the guitar gets a chance to shine as both a solo instrument (though not for long stretches of time) and a backup to the vocal harmonies.

I’ve Got Enough Heartaches – The Soul-esque opening of this track is certainly a surprise compared to the first two tracks. It primarily features piano and vocal harmony, which provides a nice musical contrast to the darker mood of several of the other tracks. Although, the lyrics are not exactly “light”.

Evil Woman – A huge jump back into the darker atmosphere into the album. One of the more popular tracks, it spans an impressive nine minutes. A good portion of the song is based on a standard guitar riff, though being a nine-minute song, it features a two-minute long guitar solo in the middle that does not disappoint.

Lost in My Dream – A quiet beginning with a gradual build-up. The vocals shine here and do a fantastic job of conveying the desperation of the song’s narrator, and the instruments accompany the lyrical chorus using an effective gradual buildup. Perhaps the addition of an actual chorus could be seen as a tad overdramatic to some, but even that does its job at accentuating the bleaker mood of the track.

The Was Only Yesterday – A quintessential blues-rock track.

Better By You, Better Than Me – Possibly their most accessible track and one that’s known for its cover by Judas Priest. It begins with a catchy yet simple solo guitar riff that gradually builds up to the dramatic level of some of their other tracks. The lyrics are certainly grim, though the discreteness of the lyrics and the catchiness of the tune don’t make the lyrical content as obvious on the first listen. Though, this song works extremely well as a whole.

Hangman Hang My Shell on a Tree – Another song where the grim lyrics aren’t obvious from the tone of the song. The vocal style is similar to “I’ve Got Enough Heartaches”, and it could be somewhat easy to forget about the subject matter if not for the dark title.

Overall, despite the age of the album, it still offers a fresh experience with innovative lyrics and song structures. Some of the songs need a couple of listens to truly grow on the listener, but it leaves a satisfaction at the end.

Rating: 7/10

(Double Ten-Thousand)