RISE AGAINST - "WOLVES" (2017)

RISE AGAINST - "WOLVES"
(Running time: 40:10 minutes; 11 songs)
("Virgin Records"; 2017; CD):

Hey guys, yes, I am back again - finally... and the flow of the last weekend and the start of this now already pretty much over'n'out week didn't last that long at the... hm... at the end of the week... but that's simply what happens when 'real life happens'... but anyhow now finally back straight into the action; and so now here you have the next dose, yes, the next record review on the next 2017 album  and this time it is all about RISE AGAINST and their "WOLVES" titled 2017 album released this summer (or so...) via "VIRGIN RECORDS", yes, and so now let's go: I know now RISE AGAINST already quite a while and also already a bit longer and I pretty much like(d) all of them that I knew/know and so don't ask me now why the bloody hell I never followed them 'closely' so that their 2011 masterpiece album "ENDGAME" that totally conquered me back then (and still continues to do so) is or was since then my 'last encounter with them'... and then "WOLVES" was released and caught instantly my attention and so without thinking twice I got it, yes, and now here we are and here you get my review on it, finally. Very melodic, highly catchy, massively rousing, and very well-skilled Modern Punkrock with good healthy doses of melodic (Modern) Hardcore and maybe also some very few Emo impressions in it as well we get of/by/from RISE AGAINST and this all on a (very) high level of quality and all with owning a through-and-through very strong own identity. Maybe still to be located very loosley somewhere between BAD RELIGION and SICK OF IT ALL and maybe with some very few NOFX in it as well, more-or-less, all melted together with great fresh, modern, strong, melodic, and pretty often surprising and especially grapping ideas and elements, yes, and I am pretty sure that also fans of alternative 'Modern Rock' acts like for example BILLY TALENT will or do already cheer up loudly, heavily, strongly, and massively to RISE AGAINST - and this for all the right and justified reasons. Melodic and rousing yet heavy and pushing'n'driving guitars, first class (lead) vocals, a diverse and stunning rhythm section, hymnal refrains with strong sing-a-long potential, rousing verse arrangements, exciting rhytm structures, shining melody lines, and a high dynamic are the main ingredients of the music of RISE AGAINST (also on "WOLVES", what-else) and all is melted together via (very) strong songwriting and all is delivered by very (high) skilled musicians, yes, delivering with "WOLVES" an exciting ride through the world of Modern Punkrock. My personal favorites are without a doubt the über-hit "HOUSE ON FIRE" as well as the just absolutely fantastic "THE VIOLENCE", the totally beautiful "MOURNING IN AMERICA", "POLITICS OF LOVE", "PARTS PER MILLION", and "HOW MANY WALLS", hell yeah', and so start your discovery of "WOLVES" maybe with this bright shining gems. The not mentioned songs are also damn good stuff, for sure, but are really no rivals to/of the mentioned ones. Fantastic diverse lyrics, a beautiful artwork, and a loud blasting production sound then finally round "WOLVES" in an impressive way up. Even "WOLVES" is (in my book, at least) definitely not as strong as "ENDGAME" it is still one hell of an album and RISE AGAINST are still for sure one of the best and most important Rock and Punkrock bands around these days and if you are into this kind of music and you really still should not have RISE AGAINST's "WOLVES" (why the fuck ever...) then it is really about time that you finally change this, yes, and so go out there and get this damn strong album, oh hell yeahr, and this definitely as soon as possible.

(8,5 of 10 points)

http://www.riseagainst.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

RISE AGAINST - "HOUSE ON FIRE" (2017, "WOLVES")

RISE AGAINST - "THE VIOLENCE" (2017, "WOLVES")

RISE AGAINST - "WOLVES" (2017, "WOLVES")

RISE AGAINST - "MOURNING IN AMERICA" (2017, "WOLVES")

COUNTERFEIT - "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER" (2017)

COUNTERFEIT - "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER"
(Running time: 32:32 minutes; 10 Songs)
("Xtra Mile Recordings Ltd."; 2017; CD):

Hey guys, finally back straight into the action again and so here now comes a new post which means in this case (again) a new record review for you, and this time we finally will have some good close looks and even closer listens to a new 2017 release, and this means in particular here and now that the "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER" album of the young, british/english Modern Punkrockers COUNTERFEIT from the city of London is in the centre of the interest; okay, yes, and so here we go: This album was a birthday present from my beloved sister, and before I got it this band and album were totally and completly unknown to me. I'm glad that this finally changed simply because this is nothing but a really damn good band, COUNTERFEIT, that had delivered this year  here with "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER" a truly strong piece of up-to-date "modernised" Punk/Punkrock with some strong Modern Rock/Modern Metal and huge Melodic Hardcore influences in it and that will please fans of like (only for example) RISE AGAINST definitely and also fans of (again for example) late/later BLINK 182 and +44 will surely like if not love COUNTERFEIT and will surely enthusiastically cheer up to "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER" (even you should keep in mind that COUNTERFEIT play it all definitely much heavier and with strong Modern Rock/Modern Metal marks in it and also with a lot of up-to-date "corey" elements to enrich it all, and the play it pretty self-contained after all), and it's something that I would best describe as Modern Punkrock and, even far more important than how I would or in fact do describe it, it is something- and especially in this particular case of COUNTERFEIT with "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER"- that I really fucking like and celebrate hard, period. The frontman and lead singer, Jamie Campbell Bower, is also known from the cinematic screen and from movies like the great "HARRY POTTER" saga and also the ridiculius bullshit farce that is "TWILIGHT", but that all is just to be mentioned as a side note, now back to the really important topic, the music of/by COUNTERFEIT delivered here on/with "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER". It's a very high energetic and a damn highly dynamic 'cory'n'punky' stunning rockin' musical cocktail with rousing and stunning changes in pace and rhythm of the songs, full of fast speeding pogo parts, crushing "slammy" grooves, and a lot of cool nice surprises and some damn grapping unexpected twists and turns along the ride. All delivered by really heavy and yet very melodic and nicely diverse-varying guitars (that deliver strong bulky rhythms as well as a great melodic work with their leads'n'stuff); powerful and strong, pretty charismatic and snotty lead vocals; some strong chanted crew back ups; and a massively asskicking rhythm section. The songs offer huge sing a long potential and shine very often in an impressive hymnal and anthemic light. The songwriting is "grappingly" varying and also above all pretty intense and creates a tight and already pretty unique atmosphere with its somehow sinister-and-yet-still-gladiatorial'n'uplifting-attitude to it all. All in all COUNTERFEIT's "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER" is maybe or surely not yet a through'n'through masterpiece of an album, but it is a very good and a damn strong asskicker that I simply and clearly can and will calmly recommend to you all outta there with a faible for modern Punkrock/Core/Rock/Metal with a big heavy hitting intensity and a very intense melody work as well and a simply exciting approach and style to it all. COUNTERFEIT are definitely a band to look out for; and with saying this I now will close this review and you better make sure to get your hands on a copy of "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER" - and don't get a wrong impression because of the lame and dull boring artwork, and beside this we also get (thankfully) interesting and diverse lyrics and a first class production sound. So, yes, that's it, so now go out and get it.

(8 of 10 points)

http://therealcounterfeit.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

COUNTERFEIT - "LOST EVERYTHING" /my.personal.favorite (also lyricwise, sort of pretty exact my current situation... again... or so...)\ (2017, "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER")