musicsenses

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Guess who is back?! Here's a new track and music video from I Prevail! Their new album Trauma will be out March 29th!  

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MUSIC MONDAY MORNING JAM: Awaken I Am's new song #Indifference from their upcoming album #TheBeautyInTragedy. Their new album is out April 26th.

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Happy Friday! Breaking Benjamin released the final chapter in their three-part music video about a story of a father trying to reunite with his daughter. Will they reunite after all?! Watch the video to find out! 

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Exclusive iHeartRadio Q&A: Tobias Forge from Ghost - 12/3/18 at 4pm ET via Facebook

#iHeartGhost

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The Smashing Pumpkins Members Kicks off Reunion Tour in Wisconsin, Few Shows Remain: To go or not to go?

The Smashing Pumpkins reemerged and stopped in Madison, Wisconsin to kick off their Shiny and Oh So Bright Winter Tour on November 28, 2018. With only three-fourths of the original members back together, let’s say having three-fourths of The Smashing Pumpkins is better than no reunion at all.

In a 2000 MTV article, lead singer Billy Corgan said to KROQ, a Los Angeles radio station, that the band was breaking up.  Later that year, the band performed their final show together in Chicago, Illinois at the Metro. Before then, bass guitarist D’arcy Wretzky already left in 1999 leaving Corgan, Chamberlain, and Iha to be the only original members left.

Since their farewell show, life had moved on as each member had their own solo careers and individual projects, and then The Smashing Pumpkins began to slowly rise back up when Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlain revived the band in 2006 and made the band’s seventh studio album Zeitgeist. Fast forward to now, The Smashing Pumpkins resurrected yet again with Corgan, Chamberlain, and guitarist James Iha back together for their eighth album Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun. Jeff Shroeder who replaced Iha in 2007 also joined in on the tour.  

When the band stopped by in Madison, Wisconsin at The Sylvee, the stage design consisted of a huge screen that projected beautiful, stunning, and experimental visuals to complement the music. Basic, but nostalgic and artsy. The concert could not be any more simple and original and oh, so Smashing Pumpkins. They still got it, so it seems!

Often times, Corgan closed his eyes and sang to the mic in his child-like and raspy voice as people from the crowd sang along to the songs from when The Smashing Pumpkins began and their career was soaring. Hence, the sold-out show just so proved that after all these years of the band’s dysfunction and drama, some fans never stopped paying attention or admiring. 

Corgan’s wardrobe changed throughout the show from a gleaming red and gold outfit to an all-black outfit with a white half-skirt and a snazzy long coat kept the concert interesting as the rest of the members were deep in focus on playing their part. 

Iha, who wore a dark blue sequin blazer, spoke a little bit about the Wisconsin freezing weather, reminded the crowd that the band recorded their first studio album Gish in Madison in which made the night even more special. He even sang a cover of The Cure’s Friday I’m in Love as Corgan stepped away from the stage, leaving a moment to let the rest of the band shine. 

There were only 8 selected cities in the States for their Winter tour before heading out of the country next year in May. So, this opportunity is short and rare for fans to experience the three original line up together all in one stage and revisit the band’s past through the music as the setlist is glossed with nostalgia - songs that spanned from the band’s music career and a dash of some new music from their LP.

Because the setlist consisted of both new material but much more of the old songs, it seems as if The Smashing Pumpkins did not come out with a new era with a clean slate or a new reinvention onto the table. It was as if they are picking up where they left off and there is nothing wrong with that. Regardless of the true intention, it is better than nothing. 

To be sure, sometimes bands break up. It happens. It is unavoidable. For example, The White Stripes, My Chemical Romance, and just last year HIM called it quits. Even so, sometimes bands break up for good and life goes on. Unfortunately, Wretzky was not part of the reunion as she is the missing piece of the puzzle for a full and complete reunion. However, reviving The Smashing Pumpkins in this shape and form is a miracle and a gift to the fans.

At the Madison concert, it was almost as if they never disbanded nor had any tensions because of the way they interacted with one another. They played together, exchanged smiles, and were all in sync. That’s a special moment. Sometimes bands don’t make it up to this point in their music career. So take this opportunity, if you may, go see them and live.

Setlist from the Madison concert:

Solara

Zero

Today

Never Let Me Down Again (Depeche Mode cover)

Knights of Malta

Tonight, Tonight

Dross

 Friday I'm in Love (The Cure cover)

 Disarm

Bullet With Butterfly Wings

Porcelina of the Vast Oceans

Travels 

Cherub Rock

1979

Ava Adore

Heavy Metal Machine

Encore:

Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)

Muzzle

Encore 2:

Siva

Listen to the full track list of the Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol 1/LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun. album on Spotify! 

Check out where they are going next! smashingppumpkins.com 

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BOO!!!!! 

Did we scare you? 😉 Have a spook-tacular night, everyone! 👻🎃☠️

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Are you dressing up this #Halloween as your favorite rock singer/band? Let us know! 

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The wait is over! #VERIDIA released their new album The Beast You Feed. Head on to Spotify to listen! Did you know Amy Lee from Evanescence plays piano on "I'll Never Be Ready"? Go check it out!  #NewMusicMonday

Click on the link to get your copy of Veridia’s new masterpiece. https://onerpm.lnk.to/TheBeastYouFeed

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Soooo...this just happened! A new music video from #Ghost! Enjoy! 

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How's your #NewMusicFriday going? Good? Well, it is going to be even better because Starset just dropped an intense music video for their first single #BringingItDown (version 2.0) from their new album #Vessels 2.0! ��

Get your copy of Vessels 2.0 now! 

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Within Temptation The Reckoning Music Video Review | The Good, The Bad, and The New Era

Within Temptation “The Reckoning (ft. Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach)” music video premiered earlier this week, and let’s say the band is saying goodbye to the past!

With the world ever so changing in music and in technology, the Dutch symphonic metal band comes back after a hiatus with a new self-reinvention and artistic direction as shown in their new sci-fi inspired music video.

As we wait for their new album Resist to be released on December 14, 2018, the band’s style drastically changed since their seventh studio album, Hydra, back in 2014. Now they are aiming towards a cutting-edge style where the video’s dramatic concept of a futuristic and post-apocalyptic world. The music video follows the band going on an unknown mission in the fictional universe.

After a hiatus since the release of Hydra, Within Temptation steps out again to sharpen their creativity by blending heavy rock, pop, and a bit of a dubstep and electronica to their sound. Although the symphonic sound is lacking in the new track, the band still prevails in maintaining their heavy rock style and catchy melodies.

With the presence of Shaddix’s tenor voice in the song, it balances out lead singer Sharon Den Adel’s light and soprano vocal. Although this collaboration is perfect, what’s even better is seeing the vision of the band’s dramatic sci-fi concept in action as the music video utilize CGI effects and film/editing techniques to bring the futuristic world to life with drama and edge. And the final result is compelling and interesting to see.

Let’s take a look!

The Good 

The use of wide shots exaggerates the depth of the location. These techniques give viewers a sense of what kind of world the band is living in this fictional narrative as the focus is not just the band but the surrounding of the location. This only shows that music videos serve a deeper purpose and it can be the one telling a story too besides the song itself.

 Here is a bird-eye view. Pretty neat! 

CGI comes into play to show what else exists besides the band as they walk through a dusty, deserted, and lifeless landscape. And what do you know? The band comes across these android - like sentries, who towers over them. These robotic pillars rest in deep sleep but awaken only to caged those who try to cross its path with red laser beams, preventing further access to the other side. Dramatic and fascinating. At this point of the video, the sci-fi theme is clear.

Side note: Can we take a moment to appreciate Sharon Den Adel’s outfit and style? The long red draped cardigan, the tied back high ponytail, the bangs, the mismatched earrings, and the black arm warmers. 

And going back to MORE CGI, a humongous starship hovers before Den Adel as she sheds a tear upon seeing it.  And what do you know? There goes a wide shot angle again! Anyways, the animation makes a huge difference.

Its red beams of light nearly engulf and attempts to capture the fearless Den Adel. Because the video lacks colorful visual as the setting takes place in a gloomy universe, automatically the red beam is striking. 

In the bridge of the song, if you listen carefully, you can hear a bit of dubstep. And in the video, the effect of the laser beaming to the starship and the dubstep are in sync with one another which is a nice arrangement per se.  

Soon enough the ominous object is soon destroyed by Den Adel’s fellow mates. Again, the use of wide angle shows a larger depth of field where the whole demolition of the starship can be seen crushing to the ground from defeat. It is oddly visually beautiful to see.

The Bad

The only disappointment in this music video was the absence of Jacoby Shaddix. He sang in the song and should have been in the video for he would have fit perfectly in the music video.

The New Era

The futuristic concept, the electronica and dubstep element adds a whole new realm for Within Temptation. This is a glimpse of the band’s artistic direction and what their upcoming album RESIST entails. The band has been active for years and that hiatus did not hurt them in any way. It is safe to say that they are not going nowhere yet not anytime soon because this era marks a whole new beginning for Within Temptation.

Their new album RESIST is out December 14, 2018! Don’t forget! Preorder it if you want! 

The band will be on the road for their European Tour starting in October. Please check their official website for dates and tickets.

Check out the music video for “The Reckoning (ft. Jacoby Shaddix)” down below!

Curious to see the magic that went on behind the scenes? Well, here ya’ go! 

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The tragic passing of Kyle Pavone from We Came As Romans only shows how important it is to support musicians in their time of need. Please check out The Kyle Pavone Foundation to support the musician community.  Help support and bring hope to all musicians. Make a promise today.

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ATTENTION: The band Ghost will be returning to Milwaukee in October to finish a concert that was cut short due to a tragedy involving a fan back in May.  Ticket holders from the canceled event will be contacted by the Pabst Theater Group. See link for more details. Source: https://bit.ly/2PnzL4u

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Can we take a moment to admire this beautiful artwork by GHOST? 

If you haven’t, check out the glorious video for Dance Macabre! 

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As It Is Music Video “The Stigma (Boys Don’t Cry) Confronts Toxic Masculinity

A conversation is on the rise about toxic masculinity and the new music video released by British band As It Is is shedding more light on the topic.

Once they dropped their first single “The Wounded World” from their upcoming album The Great Depression, we saw and heard a darker different side of As It Is. They are continuing to explore serious topics through this dark, but meaningful journey by confronting toxic masculinity in their newest music video for their second single “The Stigma (Boys Don’t Cry).”

For those who are not familiar with the term toxic masculinity, the definition is dramatized in the video where the boys are coerced to learn outdated ideas and stereotypes of who men should be. 

For example, in the video, the boys have to:

1.  “Man up” a gender-specific term that has a masculinity ideology behind it. This term is used to influence someone to be brave and courageous when a challenge arises. The term is fitting to address in the video as it is about gender expectations. To think about this deeply, if the world only used gender-neutral terms, how would today’s society be different? And can you think about how this gender-specific has an impact on society? 

2.  Skip the makeup because make-up on a boy is shameful, almost frowned upon even though we know in reality makeup is accessible to anybody and could be worn expressively. The symbolism of boys not being allowed to wear makeup is that they are being taught to suppress their emotions just like saying boys don’t cry.

3. Be physically fit or look a certain way to showcase the ideal masculinity body. See the images of the bodybuilders? This part can be about the idea of body-shaming for boys or forcing the idea of what a man looks like.  

The narrative in the music video gives us something to think about perhaps start a conversation about our own individuality and of course, the gender stereotypes in our society and how much impact it has on our mental health and lifestyle.

Traits that are repressed upon boys can be detrimental to society for it can lead to narcissism, violence, and sexual aggression among many things.

It is important for As It Is and anyone to address such a topic because as stated on an article by The Ascent, a 2017 analysis about the mental health-related outcomes derived from conforming to masculinity standards found that “men who follow the traditional norms associated with masculinity are more likely to experience depression, stress, and body-image problems” aside from many issues. The article also addressed that men rarely seek help when it comes to medical assistance and even mental health because they do not want to be portrayed as weak.

The video even dramatized the outcome of forcing someone to conform to society’s gender expectations. Isolation, loneliness, depression, and many things.

Seems like As It Is is on a roll here as they are tackling this topic. The more there are topics about this kind of topic, the more people will start to see and open or hopefully further a discussion about it.

Sometimes the topic of toxic masculinity does not always make it to the table, but now it is out in the open more than ever when Hollywood actor and former NFL Athlete Terry Crews known best for his role in the sitcom comedy show “Everybody Hates Chris” openly talked about how toxic masculinity had negatively impacted his life on the Today Show with Megyn Kelly back in May. In addition, he recently shared a compelling testimony at Capitol Hill to push the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights, a legislation to protect sexual-assault victims’ rights, by sharing his own personal experience with sexual assault.

Here’s a question for you: How often do you see and hear men speak about their own experiences?

Here’s another one: How many men would speak about their own experiences?

Don’t freak out! This is only something to think about.

This will not be the only time the band will cover serious issues as The Great Depression will be released on August 10 this year where the album explores serious topics such as mental health, life, and death among many things. The best part is that the band is doing more than just writing songs about them, they are taking action with organizations.

The band has worked with charities such as BulliesOut and will continue to give back in this new era as lead singer Patty Walters stated in a Facebook post, “More so than ever before, we’ll be working alongside incredible non-profits, donating proceeds to worthy causes, and using our music in hopes of creating a positive change.”

A new generation is always rising and for those who are struggling will need someone (like this band) in their time of struggle to let them know that they can take control of their own individuality and reshape it however they want to.  

As the band is trying to make a positive change, they ignite a conversation first with their music. Well, the conversation has started.

Now it is your turn.

If you are interested, watch the music video down below! 

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Evanescence Hi-Lo Music Video Review: 5 Things I Love About the Video

Instead of sticking to the usual dramatic concept that Evanescence is known to have in their music videos over the years, the band is taking it down a notch and focusing on a deeper meaning in their latest new video.

Earlier this month, rock band Evanescence released a music video for their second single “Hi-Lo” from their orchestral and electronic album Synthesis.

Evanescence always had an imaginative and dramatic visual to their music videos. You know, the falling off the building, submerging under water, jumping off the Brooklyn bridge, and chillin’ with wolves type thing. It was always dark and intense. However, they are heading down a different path visually as a new era unravels.

The usual dramatic concept is still there, but this time the new video is swapped with live concert footage instead to capture the heart of their Synthesis tour. Don’t worry. It is not that there is a lack of creativity for a music video that is powered by such a powerful and sentimental song, but the whole concept of capturing a moment to remember.

To be sure, artists have stepped away from the traditional music video and use concert footage for their music videos. For instance, Good Charlotte used concert footage for their single “Actual Pain”, Breaking Benjamin used some for “Failure” and even Of Mice & Men used it for their video “Instincts.”

I find the video artsy, personal, and one of a kind out of all the Evanescence music videos. Here’s why.

1. The video is artistically driven per the editing recreating the scenery and dimensions with the blur, the distortion, the contrasting colors, the transparency between scenes, and the juxtaposition. I find it experimental and synthetic.

2.  “Hi-lo” was an old song made in 2010 but remained unreleased until now. Lead singer Amy Lee said, “It's just a song that never fit anywhere that I've been holding on to and waiting to find its right home for 10 years,’ according to a 2011 video interview with 105.7 The Point. So, the live tour footage and the song complement each other in a sense where the song now lives in the Synthesis era. It all makes sense!

3. I love the footage of the street city life. The footage shares similarities to those free stock footages. Just sayin’! I think the footage was inserted into the music video for the ambiance.  

4.  The footage of the live performances captures the intimate and beautiful setting of the whole Synthesis tour and the people that made the tour possible; the orchestra, the instruments, the musicians involved, the conductor, and the band members,.etc.

5.  Last but never least. Lindsey Stirling was featured in the song and it was so obvious that she had to be in the music video AND her performance was phenomenal! Her graceful ghost-like figure is chilling and beautiful, and I think it adds drama and mystique to the video.  

All in all, the music video proves that not all videos need a whole production to create a dramatic narrative. I see this video as an appreciation of the beauty and art of their Synthesis tour. And the most important thing about making a music video with live footage is capturing a real authentic moment to remember, and Evanescence did just that. Watch the music video for yourself!