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New Album Review

Album Review: Which Way is Forward?

Review of Which Way is Forward? by Obongjayar

My favorite songs: Still Sun, Carry Come Carry Go, Frens

Listen if you like: British rap, Danny Brown, King Krule, Fela Kuti  

Obongjayar: a Nigerian, UK-based artist who weaves together mixtures of soulful rap and spoken word with Afrobeat and electronic influences. He completely defies genre while maintaining a relatable sound nostalgic of other British rappers and electronic artists. Obongjayar’s talent is discernible, he puts together a majority of his music by himself. 

The release of Which Way is Forward? comes after the release of multiple singles from the album. Although the album is short, it’s a beautifully constructed narrative of what black identity means in a modern society. These themes can be heard directly in the lyricism of Soldier Ant and 10K, which reflect on the intersection of the black experience with omnipresent issues of racism and discrimination.

Still Sun starts the album off with an upbeat electronic track reminiscent to me of Santigold’s L.E.S. Artistes. This song is simple, inspiring. Obongjayar repeats “I know who I am/This is not the end/I’m not afraid of anything.” This track persuades the listener to have strength even in the most difficult times. 

In Dreaming of Transit, he sings, “Hoping one day I’d fly away / Nobody told me I had wings.” He reflects on his upbringing and how far he’s come with deep vocals complemented by sporadic falsetto layered onto a drum-heavy melody. 

Carry Come Carry Go spins a distinctly electronically-influenced, Afrobeat melody. The song illustrates the loneliness of being away from a lover, there is a palpable longing in his singing, and the spoken word elements dispersed throughout the track. It is probably my favorite from the album, it is emotionally charged and a beautiful cumulation of the different styles that Obongjayar is known for. 

Frens is one of my favorite tracks because of the mix of drum beats, harmoniously layered vocals, and energetic rhythm. It reminds me of some of Kanye’s older, gospel-influenced music. 

Obongjayar has great potential as an artist and I foresee him gaining prosperity and increased influence as an artist. Definitely check the album out. 

– Miranda 

Categories
Playlists

The Saw’s Bloody Valentine’s Day Playlist

Happy Valentine’s Day Butcher Crew!! I hope your day is filled with love, metal, and even more metal! I know that some people love the love of Valentine’s Day, and others hate it. Whatever you are doing for Valentine’s Day – going out with your significant other, having a guys/girls night, or binge watching Netflix while eating a tub of ice cream, I have some songs that will fit any occasion! So crank up that music and have yourself a good time on the day of love.

·      Romance Is Dead – Parkway Drive

·      A Deathless Song – Parkway Drive

·      This Love – Pantera

·      Cemetery Gates – Pantera

·      Love You to Death – Type O Negative

·      My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend – Type O Negative

·      Cinnamon Girl – Type O Negative

·      Gravity – Wage War

·      Johnny Cash – Wage War

·      Thanks For Nothing – Bent Life

·      Psychotic Romantic – Miss May I

·      Snuff – Slipknot

·      The Death of Lies – Cradle of Filth

·      Let Me Put My Love Into You – AC/DC

·      When the Wild Wind Blows – Iron Maiden

·      I Hate Everything About You – Three Days Grace

·      Careless Whisper – Seether

·      Miles Away – Memphis Mayfire

·      Love, Hate, Love – Alice in Chains

·      Love-Hate-Sex-Pain –Godsmack

·      I F****** Hate You – Godsmack

·      Another You – Of Mice & Men

·      Vermilion Pt. 2 – Slipknot

·      On Her Mind – Volumes

·      Tough Love – Left Behind

·      No Love/No One – Gideon

·      F***** With A Knife – Cannibal Corpse

·      I Cum Blood – Cannibal Corpse

For Spotify playlist, click here!!

And always remember, the quickest way to someone’s heart is through the sternum.

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Weekly Charts

Afterhours Charts 2/11

Artist Record Label
1 JACQUES GREENE Dawn Chorus Lucky Me
2 DJ JENIFA Jag Trax Gold Panda
3 BESHKEN Aisle Of Palm Self-Released
4 SONNIKU, LIZ, SOPHIE “Sweat (Sophie Remix)” [Single] Bella Union
5 DEATON CHRIS ANTHONY BO Y Self-Released
6 COWGIRL CLUE Icebreaker Vada Vada
7 INDIA JORDAN DNT STP MY LUV [EP] Local Action
8 YEULE Serotonin II Bayonet
9 BLOOD ORANGE Angel’s Pulse Domino
10 ROBYN “Beach2k20 (Yaeji Remix)” [Single] Konichiwa

Categories
New Album Review

Album Review: Transviolet- Born to Rule

Album Review: Transviolet- Born to Rule

BEST TRACKS: Don’t Say You Love Me, Sunshine, Freak Like Me,

FCC Violations: Freak Like Me

               I am completely fangirling over this San Diego based alternative pop band. They are shameless, they are fearless, and they are unapologetic! Transviolet’s revolution really kicked off after they received high praise from pop heavyweights Harry Styles and Katy Perry for their track ‘Girls Your Age’. The staring gem of this band is lead vocalist Sarah McTaggart. Her normal singing voice shimmers but her lower, mumbling singing voice sends a jolt of electricity through my bones. This band did everything independantly for the release of this album. When I say everything, I mean everything. Born to Ruleis self-written, self-mixed, self-mastered, and self-released. Who said pop couldn’t be DIY?

               Above all, I would describe Born to Rule as Lush. This album featurs modern pop-synth and hooks galore to make for an easy listening experience. The lush southern Calofornia really shines through in the third track ‘Easy on Me’ with its tropical flourishes and downbeat percussion. My favorite song on this album is by far ‘Don’t Say You Love Me.’ I think I’m just obsessed with the sassy way bit McTaggart mumbles “I scare the hell out of your neighbours from the South, I’m not your girlfriend but I’m always at your house.” Though the lyrics on certain tracks can get a little repetitive, I’ve come to learn that repetitiveness is usually a sacrifice to endure when listening to pop.

               Born to Rule is the perfect album for a girls night out. When I listen to this album, it makes me want to risk it all and have the best night of my life. Not to mention, this album is empowering to women. Though energetic, there is nothing stressful about this album; In fact, I think it cleared my mind. It’s obvious that the band is aiming to make a splash, and they intend to do it all on their own. If you enjoy listening to Katy Perry, Dua Lipa, or Zara Larsson, then this album is right up your alley.

-Safia Rizwan

Categories
Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts 2/10

Artist Record Label
1 NEVER ENDING GAME Just Another Day Triple B
2 KROSIS A Memoir of Free Will Unique Leader
3 LORNA SHORE Immortal Century Media
4 POINT OF CONTACT Commitment Plead Your Case
5 TIME AND PRESSURE The Gateway City Sound Safe Inside
6 HANDS OF GOD Blueprint for Self Destruction [EP] Self-Released
7 DIVISION OF MIND Division of Mind Triple B
8 CRIMINAL INSTINCT Terrible Things Closed Casket Activities
9 FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE Veleno Nuclear Blast
10 ENTERPRISE EARTH Luciferous Entertainment One

Categories
New Album Review

Sobville (Episode I) EP Review

 

Sobville is the first EP released by artist Arrested Youth following his 2018 full length album, Fear. The tracks focus on the theme of taking personal responsibility for your thoughts and feelings. Arrested Youth has drawn me in with his intensely relatable and mindful lyrics. On his last release he said the lyrics are about ‘thinking of the things that are big in our heads but so small on the radar of life’.

The EP Features five tracks that all seem to focus on different aspects of the overall theme. ‘Dig’, the first track, is a powerful anthem that sets the tone by highlighting the idea of not being who he once was and how he is starting to see things differently. The hook includes the lines ‘Dig me up, from underneath, and you’ll see, I’m not who I used to be, I’m not who I used to be.’ giving insight into what inspired the work and making the listener feel powerful by the reminder.

The next track, titled ‘Expectations’, keeps up the anthem theme that holds strong throughout this album; all of the choruses are incredibly powerful and really draw in the listener. This particular track focuses on how expectations set by the world may not align with out true callings and leave us feeling like we’re not living our truth. He highlights this with the hook ‘…All the years I’ve spent, All the lives I’ve faked, Just to keep myself protected’.

The third track, titled ‘What You’re Made Of’, was the first track I heard from the album, it’s an empowering and blunt anthem. The song focuses on bouncing back from life’s troubles. Even when ‘I’ve been up, I’ve been down, I’ve been kicked down on the ground… I stand tall, where I’m at, Been to hell but now I’m back’. I put this track on to hype myself up because there’s something really inspiring about hearing him say ‘Show me what you’re made of’.

The second to last track ‘The Kid I Used to Know’ is almost a reflection of ‘Dig’ since he’s saying goodbye to his old self and his old habits. This flows perfectly into what is my current favorite track, a powerful ending to the EP, ‘Sob Story’. 

This track pulls together the point he’s been building throughout the works, ‘I’ve been broke like a toy machine, I’ve been spit back out like some listerine, But I get up on my own two feet, ‘Cause I’m not some sob story’. 

This track is another anthem and this repeating and developing chorus isn’t even the best of it. The bridge features a complete change in music, with its eerie and lighter tone. Its lyrics ‘You might be asking: “How can I be happy, When the whole universe keeps laughing at me?”, It’s pretty simple: let go of your hang ups, Life doesn’t owe me a thing’ always makes me feel powerful and calm, it’s a great reminder that we shouldn’t let the things that happen to us define us. This whole album serves as an eye-opening reminder that our thoughts are powerful and we have to be careful how we let them frame our lives.

– DJ Psyched

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Artist of the Week: Tash Sultana

Tash Sultana is an Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, described as a one-person band. Sultana grew up in Melbourne and has been playing the guitar since the age of three. She began her music career through busking (street performing) and gained a lot of attention from that. Sultana can play 20 instruments, including guitar, bass, trumpet, flute, percussion, and saxophone. Sultana is nonbinary and uses the pronouns they. They self-described themselves as a drug addict, at the age of 17, they developed drug-induced psychosis. Later in 2017, they were diagnosed with laryngitis.

Sultana shared a video on social media of them playing a song and within five days, gained one million views. They won the J Award for Unearthed Artist of the Year and had two tracks voted into the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2016 with their hit songs Jungle (No.3) and Notion (No. 32). They recorded the single Jungle at their home and gained over 40 million views. They then went into the studio and began working on the EP release, Notion, which was released in 2016. Their first full-length album, Flow State, was released on August 31, 2018. In 2019, they released 3 singles: Can’t Buy Happiness, Talk It Out, and Daydreaming.

When watching videos of Sultana playing, it looks like they lose themselves in the music. Their whole entire body is embraced within the music and you can see how much they put into performing. I first heard them back in 2018 when they released their album Flow State, and the first song I heard was Blackbird. When I first listened to that song, I was watching it on YouTube and the album cover would move while the song played. It was so trippy, and I got stuck in a trance watching the video and listening to them playing an acoustic guitar solo. When they started singing a few minutes within the song, I got chills. From that point on, I fell in love with their music.

Favorite songs: Murder To The Mind, Blackbird, Pink Moon, and Cigarettes.

What is your favorite Tash Sultana song?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Megadeth

Out of the “Big Four,” Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer, my favorite would have to be Megadeth. Although I grew up listening to all four bands, Megadeth always stuck out. My parents tell the story (and have videos) of me as a toddler, marching around with my hands in the air dancing to Crush ‘Em by Megadeth. This was the only song that could get me out of any mood that I was in. I could be eating, sitting in the car, watching tv, or playing and when Crush ‘Em would come on, I would stop everything that I was doing to jam out to the song. I have seen Megadeth live twice. The first time was with my dad in Charlotte when I was 8 and I saw them at the Carolina Rebellion! I got on the jumbo screen during the rebellion because of my headbanging, it was awesome.

Megadeth is a thrash band from Los Angeles, California. Guitarist and vocalist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson formed the band in 1983, shortly after Mustaine was dismissed from Metallica. In. 1985, Megadeth released their debut album, Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good! Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? was released in 1986 and was a major hit with the underground scene. They then released a number of platinum-selling albums, such as Rust in Peace (1990) and Countdown to Extinction (1992). These albums brought along worldwide tours and public recognition.

Megadeth has sold 38 million records worldwide and received 12 Grammy nomiations. In 2017, Megadeth won their first Grammy Award for their song, Dystopia, in Best Metal Performance category. When they were walking up to accept their award, the orchestra played a Metallica song (which if you are in the loop of the relationship between Metallica and Megadeth, this was taboo).

Megadeth has released 17 albums: Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good (1985), Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?(1986), So Far, So Good… So What?(1988), Rust In Peace(1990), Countdown To Extinction(1992), Youthanasia(1994), Hidden Treasures(1995), Cryptic Wrtings(1997), Risk(1999), The World Needs a Hero(2001), Still Alive… And Well?(2002), The System Has Failed(2004), United Abomination(2007), Endgame(2009), Th1rt3een(2011), Super Collider(2013), and Dystopia(2016).

Mustaine was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2019. He recently received a clean bill of health from his doctors, after completing chemo/radiation.

Favorite songs: Crush ‘Em, Angry Again, Symphony Of Destruction, A Tout Le Monde, and Poisonous Shadows.

What is your favorite Megadeth song? Have you seen them live?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
New Album Review

Mac Miller’s “Circles” Album Review

My favorites: Circles, I Can See, That’s On Me

Mac Miller (RIP) is an artist who will always be significant to me. I still remember discovering The Divine Feminine as a 16-year-old and realizing that our world was changing. The jazz rap, intricate drum beats, and soulful lyrics Mac used to weave stories of the strong women in his life, tales of love and devotion, still has an indescribable impact on my life. My younger self blossomed with the realization of my own value as a woman; I can still feel the shock to my system upon realizing that a male musician could align himself with feminism in a way that I identified with. 

On January 8, more than a year after his death, Mac Miller’s family announced on Instagram that Circles would be released later in the month. Mac had been working to publish Circles as a companion to Swimming (2018), and this posthumous release was a complement to his past discography. Much of the album was strung together using recordings Mac made before his death, and I believe he would’ve been proud of how it turned out. Jon Brion, the producer, worked for years to put together the album while closely following the vision he was originally presented with. 

There are so many themes within the album that tie together lose ends from Swimming and paint a picture of Mac’s battle with addiction and his periods of recovery, along with the pressure he felt as an artist. There is heartbreak, healing, and moving forward. This album gave closure to many Mac Miller fans like myself. If you haven’t heard it yet, give it a try. 

-Miranda

Categories
New Album Review

Album Review: 86 – Infected Rain

Top Songs: Mold, Serendipity, Orphan Soul 

FCC Clean

I would like to introduce one of my favorite metal bands, Infected Rain. I was a bit skeptical before listening to this nu-metal album, but much to my surprise, I completely fell in love with the album and the band. Their incorporation of metalcore, melodic death metal, electronic samples, touching lyrics, and female screams gives them a unique, gripping sound. 86 perfectly showcases the talent of each individual member. The first song of the album, Mold, gives a good introduction of their eclectic sound by combining heavy guitar, explosive vocals, and electronics. Elena Cataraga, also known as Lena Scissorhands, has a wildly impressive vocal range, spanning from clean singing, intense vocal fry, to deep gutturals Everything she delivers is packed with so much raw emotion it gives me chills to this day. This emotion shines through in Orphan Soul, where Lena writes a letter to her parents reflecting on her painful childhood while celebrating the new freedom and life she’s found despite her past. My favorite song from this album, Peculiar Kind of Sanity, focuses on how we allow our ego to corrupt our perception, overcoming deeply instilled fear, and taking control of our life. The primary theme throughout the album seems to be awakening from confusion and pain, corruption of humanity, self-acceptance, and overcoming your past or current pain. I find myself going back to their music over and over again for escape and solace. As is the beauty of music, but I find this vulnerability is somewhat rare in a lot of metal, so Infected Rain’s take is refreshing. Who said being in touch with your emotions isn’t metal?

Infected Rain formed in 2008 in Moldova, and first appeared playing at a concert dedicated to Slayer. Later that year they released their first demo CD with three songs – With Me, Parasite, and No Idols. They’ve shared the stage with bands such Obituary, Behemoth, Katatonia, Mötley Crüe, and The Agonist. After ten years of being an independent band, they finally signed with Napalm records in February 2019. Lena states on their website, “I want to touch people somewhere deep inside, try to end their fears and give them that escape that they always search for. Music saved my life, but when I started to sing is when my life acquired color. I want to share that with you.” It’s apparent listening to their work that every moment comes from the heart, and I think that’s what makes this band so special.

While I absolutely love this band, I have a few reservations about their techniques regarding electronic sounds. From conversations I’ve had and reviews I’ve seen, it’s a common thought. Songs like Mold and Freaky Carnival are a prime example. The electronic sounds are sometimes unexpected and take the songs in a different direction that I would like. Maybe this is a misled presumption I’ve developed from listening to so much traditional sounding black and death metal. I respect that Infected Rain is pushing boundaries of metal and incorporating various sounds to create their art. If you can’t get past the electronic sounds, this band still has loads to offer. Electronic sounds are incorporated in only a few songs, and the rest is pure metal. Overall, I think this band is extremely underrated and I can’t wait to see where their unique sound takes them.  

 -Sarah Thomas