

Album Review: You Me At Six - Night People
By Marvin Dotiyal, Contributor [Infectious; 2017] Rating: 4/10 Key Tracks: “Plus One,” “Give,” “Spell It Out” You Me At Six’s Night People is not what you'd expect if you religiously chanted the chorus to “Save It For the Bedroom” back in 2008. Even if you only saw them because they frequently toured with All Time Low, you still had a blast singing that song. Hailing from the UK, You Me At Six is best known as a pop-punk/pop rock band during their career; however, in Night Dr


Album Review: Animals as Leaders - The Madness of Many
By Marvin Dotiyal, Contributor [Sumerian; 2016] Rating: 7.5/10 Key Tracks: “Inner Assassins,” “The Brain Dance,” "Apeirophobia" Animals as Leaders is back with another mind-blowing release, The Madness of Many. In their fourth album, the progressive-metal trio manages to capture a diverse sound; some songs have an energetic drive while others are rather relaxing and mellow. Animals as Leaders has proved that metal doesn’t always have to be heavy, loud and fast in order for it


Album Review: The Chainsmokers - Collage
By Marvin Dotiyal, Contributor [Columbia; 2016] Rating: 3/10 Key Tracks: “All We Know,” “Closer,” “Inside Out” The DJ duo The Chainsmokers once again prove themselves to be mediocre artists in their latest release, Collage. In this five-track EP, The Chainsmokers bring in new artists as a lousy attempt to not only spice up the EP, but also to attract more mainstream listeners with up-and-coming artists. Everyone knows “Closer (ft. Halsey) and “Don’t Let Me Down (ft. Daya)” by


Album Review: American Football - American Football (LP2)
By Marvin Dotiyal, Contributor [Polyvinyl; 2016] Rating: 8.5/10 Key Tracks: “My Instincts Are the Enemy," I’ve Been So Lost for So Long,” “Everyone is Dressed Up,” The sad boys are back. Finally. The '90s were an innovative time period for emo music, with influential acts such as Sunny Day Real Estate and The Promise Ring dominating the scene. However, American Football took a turn with their indie/math-rock approach, closing the '90s emo scene with a fresh new sound. While J


Album Review: Meshuggah - The Violent Sleep of Reason
By Marvin Dotiyal, Contributor [Nuclear Blast; 2016] Rating: 5/10 Key Tracks: “Clockworks,” “MonstroCity" Ever since Meshuggah spawned the path of progressive-extreme metal with a spark of djent rhythm work, their musical career still remains to influence many metal bands today. With almost 30 years in the music scene, it seems like Meshuggah is still keeping it heavy and chaotic, but their latest album, The Violent Sleep of Reason, is rather a dull reinvention of heavy techn


Album Review: Yellowcard - Yellowcard
By Marvin Dotiyal, Contributor [Hopeless; 2016] Rating: 8.5/10 Key Tracks: “Rest in Peace,” “Fields & Fences,” “Savior’s Robes” 12 years after “Ocean Avenue” became one of pop-punk’s biggest anthems, Yellowcard still does not fail to impress the alternative/pop-punk scene with their newest and final release, Yellowcard. This album reveals what Yellowcard is musically capable of; elements on the album range from alternative rock, pop-punk and emo. And of course, Sean Mackin st

Album Review: OG Maco - Blvck Phil Collins
By Marvin Dotiyal, Contributor [OGG; 2016] Rating: 6.5/10 Key Tracks: "No Love," "Talk Too Much," "Move" Bitch you guessed it? No, not at all. In fact, OG Maco’s latest EP, Blvck Phil Collins, takes his music into a completely new direction. OG Maco brings in a multitude of different producers in this EP, ranging from obscure underground producers to well-known producers like DJ Snake. This 7-track EP is rather an experimental project of OG Maco, not the typical in-your-face


Album Review: Against Me! - Shape Shift with Me
By Marvin Dotiyal, Contributor [Total Treble Music; 2016] Rating: 6/10 Key Tracks: “Rebecca,” “333,” “Boyfriend” Against Me’s latest release shows what they are all about: old-school punk. Against Me refuses to conform to new-school punk, sticking it up with what you would hear commonly in the underground local shows. However, with a blend of $5 choruses and some power chords, Shape Shift with Me is a “C+ at best” record that proves the band’s love for punk music, but lacks i


Album Review: Devin Townsend Project - Transcendence
By Marvin Dotiyal, Contributor [HevyDevy; 2016] Rating: 6.5/10 Key Tracks: "Offer Your Light," "Secret Sciences" Devin Townsend Project’s latest album, Transcendence, showcases a wide spectrum of modern, progressive metal; the album is best described as a heavy, spiritual, musical journey accompanied by a mixture of different metal sub-genres. The album utilizes a myriad of musical components such as symphonic elements, atmospheric synth leads, melodic guitar riffs, and heavy