Escape The Fate Ronnie Radke or Falling In Reverse Ronnie Radke?

Ronnie Radke is one of the most, if not the most, colorful person in the post hardcore/metalcore music industry today. He is known for his unique voice, bad ass attitude and previous drug addiction. Most people know Ronnie as the guy that started Falling In Reverse after he was kicked out of Escape The Fate for running into trouble with the law for drugs. But what many people do not know is that not only was Ronnie Radke the former singer of Escape The Fate, he is the reason for where they are today. If it wasn't for him, ETF might be opening for bands and struggling to keep their fans but instead they are headlining tours and are well off to say the least. Since his drug problems, Ronnie has cleaned himself up and has started a band called Falling In Reverse. With this band he has created a new name for himself as the "king of the music scene" (lyric from Falling In Reverse's song Tragic Magic). The band has released one album entitled The Drug In Me Is You and, because of Ronnie, are becoming bigger and bigger as we speak.

There is absolutely no doubt that Ronnie Radke is one of the most talented and most unique in this music scene today; but my question is do you think he was better as the lead singer of Escape The Fate or is he better as the lead singer of Falling In Reverse? Here are two videos from his career with Escape The Fate and his current career with Falling In Reverse. The song above is called Raised By Wolves and it is from Falling In Reverse's debut album and the song to the left is called There's No Sympathy For The Dead and it is from Escape The Fate's debut album Dying Is Your Latest Fashion. I love Ronnie Radke and I think he brought an amazing element to Escape The Fate which he now brings to Falling In Reverse. I am glad that he is continuing his success in the music business. Below, tell me what you think of Ronnie Radke! Do you love him or hate him? Do you like his unique voice or do you dislike it? And most importantly, did you like him better with Escape The Fate or do you like him more now with Falling In Reverse? I want to hear your opinions!

Make Me Famous Debut Album Announcement

Ukrainian post hardcore band Make Me Famous has made quite a name for themselves in the past year and have absolutely taken off recently. The band that was previously known for releasing more merchandise than music is sticking it to their haters with the recent announcement that they will be releasing their debut album entitled It's Now Or Never on March 27, 2012. Fans of this band have been waiting for this announcement ever since the band's inception and launch of their first ever single Make It Precious. But how did this band that started as just a gig for Denis Shafarostov, vocalist and guitarist best known for his YouTube covers under the name above92, turn into this band that has become a mainstay on North American tours and that is receiving more praise than ever.

Post Hardcore band Make Me Famous

2011 was a huge year for Make Me Famous; they released more music, signed to Sumerian Records and moved to the United States. Since then, they have been extremely busy on the Leave It To The Suits Tour where they opened for powerhouses One Last Night, Memphis May Fire, Stick To Your Guns and I See Stars. They will also be heading out on tour in a couple of weeks opening for My Children My Bride, Stick To Your Guns, A Skylit Drive and For Today. All of these tours and announcements have paled in comparison to the announcement of the band's first ever album. Although this band has only released 5 songs, including their acoustic version of Make It Precious, they have one of the fastest growing fans bases in the post hardcore scene. They have a very unique style where they mix heavy screams, chugging guitar riffs and high pitched clean vocals all while maintaining a techno/electronic feel.

While this band has a numerous amount of supporters, they also have a numerous amount of haters as well. This band has been criticized for being cocky, not releasing enough music and some people have even claimed that they are just releasing a few songs just so they can get money from people buying their merchandise. All of these criticisms have gone out the window since concert goers have said they are "one of the best live bands" they've ever seen. Maybe Make Me Famous is cocky and haven't released enough music in the past, but none of that matters if they are going to continue to release great music. I expect It's Now Or Never to be one of the best post hardcore/metalcore albums of 2012 and it will hopefully continue to get this band the recognition that they so rightfully deserve.

Top 3 Most Anticipated Albums of 2012

There are many bands scheduled to come out with new music in 2012. Some bands are just releasing new singles while other bands are coming out with their first albums or EPs. Since this post is a little late and isn't exactly at the start of 2012, I am not able to put albums in here that I would have liked. At the top of this list are the albums This Means War by Attack Attack! and The Ascent by Secrets. Now just because these albums have already come out, does that mean that there are going to be no good albums released this year? Absolutely not! 2012 just started and it is bound to be one of the best years for the post hardcore/metalcore music industry. There are many great bands that will be releasing albums sometime during 2012, but this is my list of the three that I am anticipating the most.

Metalcore band Asking Alexandria

3. Asking Alexandria - Title TBA: 2011 was the biggest year in this band's history. They released their second full length album entitled Reckless and Relentless, for which they got praise for their originality and rock n' roll style, played on the Teggart Main Stage at Vans Warped Tour and even opened the stage for rock n' roll legends Guns N' Roses. When things didn't seem like they could get any better for fans of the British band, they did with the announcement that the band will be releasing their third full length album in late 2012. Although no album artwork or title have been released for the album, lead singer Danny Worsnop said that the band's next album will be "a musical baby of Mötley Crüe and Slipknot". This band and its fan base continues to grow and it no doubt will continue with all of the things that they have planned for 2012. In March, the band will head out on their monster North American headlining tour entitled The Still Reckless Tour with support from Trivium, Dir En Grey, I See Stars, Motionless In White and The Amity Affliction. The band has also announced that they will embark on the entire Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival with high on fire, White Chapel, As I Lay Dying, The Devil Wears Prada, Anthrax, Slayer and Slipknot. There is not doubt that 2012 will be a huge year for Asking Alexandria and with the release of what is going to be their monster third album, it may even make this year better than last year.

Digital Renegade Album Cover

2. I See Stars - Digital Renegade: This is a band looking to make a bigger impact than ever before in 2012. They have been around for what seems like forever, but have never really had a ground-breaking record; until now. The band announced that they will be releasing their third full length album entitled Digital Renegade on March 13, 2012. They said it will differ greatly from their sophomore album The End Of The World Party which was released in 2011. Their previous album featured very little screaming and instead focused mostly on electronics and cleans vocals. The band said that although their new album will have the same electronic feel that all I See Stars fans have come to know and love, it will be much more similar to their first full length album entitled 3-D but much heavier. To prove that they are not messing around and are a legitimate hardcore band, the band has toured and will continue to tour to support their cause. They recently wrapped up headlining the Leave It To The Suits Tour with support from Stick To Your Guns, Memphis May Fire, Our Last Night and Make Me Famous and are about to embark on The Still Reckless Tour mentioned above. The band released their first single off of their new album entitled Filth Friends Unite and will be releasing their second single off of the album entitled nzt48 later this week. From what I heard from Filth Friends Unite and what the members of the band have been saying about the new songs, I expect this album to be the best I See Stars one yet.

Metalcore band The Word Alive

1. The Word Alive - Title TBA: My number one most anticipated album of 2012 is the sophomore full length album from The Word Alive. This is another band that made 2011 its breakout year. The band gained a lot of the recognition they rightfully deserved, mostly because of their first full length album they released in 2010 entitled Deceiver. This album is one of my favorites of all time because it ties in elements of generic metalcore but then it has hints of heavier breakdowns that are followed by softer vocals. After this album release the band went on numerous different tours in 2010 and 2011, including playing the entirety of Vans Warped Tour 2011. This band has continued to grow over the years and will definitely become even bigger with the announcement of another full length album that will be released in the summer of 2012. Like Asking Alexandria, The Word Alive has not released any album artwork or a title for the new album but they have given fans numerous teasers on Facebook and Twitter saying that the new album "will be like Deceiver on steroids". Although the band says the musical elements of the next album will be similar to that of Deceiver, they said that the lyrics for their upcoming album will be much more positive than their last. The band is currently in the recording process for the album and are also preparing for their first tour of 2012 with Secrets and Mest in support of Attack Attack! and Escape The Fate on the This War Is Ours Tour. The Word Alive is not only a great metalcore band, but just a great band in general. The thing I like most about this band is that they always inform their fans on everything they are doing and respond to them as much as possible. The release of their next album will be epic and will hopefully get them even more attention from people in the music business. That is why The Word Alive gains the top spot in my Most Anticipated Albums of 2012.

Undiscovered or Unsigned Feb. 15, 2012

Today I will be switching things up a bit and instead of talking about unsigned bands, I will be talking about signed bands that don't get even close to as much credit as they deserve. There are many of these bands out there, most of which you can find on Facebook or Twitter. Everyone that wants to support this kind of music should check them out and do whatever they can to help them get the recognition they deserve.

Palisades (Rise Records) - This band, who was previously named Marilyn Is Dead, is a post hardcore band that was recently signed to Rise Records late in 2011. Since then, they have released their debut five song EP entitled I'm Not Dying Today. They have also played the massive Ice Jam in Baltimore, MD and have been added to the countrywide Revived Tour with Send The Messenger and A Faylene Sky in support of headlining band Us, From Outside. This band is only getting started and they are continuing to get bigger and bigger. Palisades has an extremely bright future ahead of them.
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/WeArePalisades

At The Skylines (Roadrunner Records) - This band is a post hardcore band that has been continuing to grow since their inception and no doubt will continue that trend. Through Roadrunner, they have released one self titled EP and numerous singles including The Amazing Atom which features lead singer of Sleeping With Sirens Kellin Quinn. They have a very unique sound going from low, trembling screams to jazzy type cleans. This band has played a lot of shows in the West but has never really gone on a tour until they announced that they will be heading out on tour in April in support of Letlive and Enter Shikari. Be sure to check these guys out.
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/attheskylines

Broadway (Uprising Records) - This band is a post hardcore band that formed in 2007. They signed to Uprising Records in 2009 and shortly after they released their debut album entitled Kingdoms, which has songs featuring Craig Owens of D.R.U.G.S. and Jonny Craig of Dance Gavin Dance. They have gone on numerous tours around the country, but have recently slowed their traveling in order to work on their sophomore album entitled Gentleman's Brawl. The album was set to be released in 2011 but was pushed back to 2012. I would expect this band to come back better than ever in 2012.
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/BroadwayBand

Hands Like Houses (Rise Records) - This post hardcore band is from Australia and they recently signed to Rise Records early in 2012. They have released a few singles, including one entitled Lion Skin which features the vocals of Jonny Craig (Dance Gavin Dance) and Tyler Carter (ex Woe, Is Me). They officially announced that their debut 11 song album entitled Ground Dweller will be released March 13, 2012. This band has a different sound to them in the fact that they have the same higher pitched vocals we are used to hearing from post hardcore bands, but they have no screams at all. This makes them one of the more unique bands on this list and is good for anyone out there who is into softer music that is still upbeat.
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/handslikehouses

Casino Madrid (Artery Recordings) - This metalcore band is very different from the others in the countdown because of the fact that they are by far the heaviest. They formed in 2007 and released their debut EP entitled For Kings And Queens in 2009. They also released a full length album in 2011 entitled Robots. This is definitely the band that has traveled the most out of all the other bands on this list. They have toured with a lot of big time bands and are currently on the A New Breed Tour with That's Outrageous! and My Ticket Home. They bring a technical element to metalcore that we haven't really seen before that fits in perfectly with their high pitched screams, growls and auto-tuned clean vocals. This is definitely the most well-known band of the bunch, but if you don't know them you should definitely check them out.
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/casinomadrid

Shayley Bourget Leaves Of Mice & Men

Early in 2012, Of Mice & Men released a statement saying that they will be returning to the studio to record their third full-length album. All of this progress soon slowed by the February 9th announcement that clean vocalist and bass guitarist Shayley Bourget would no longer be in the band. There has been much speculation about why Bourget chose to leave the band, but the main reason is believed to be that he has been struggling through depression and a drug addiction that was taking over his life. According to the band and himself, Bourget was not only bringing himself down but he was bringing the rest of the band down as well. I recently went to a Of Mice & Men show when they were headlining the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour and Shayley was not at the concert for an unnamed reason and apparently there were many other dates on the tour that he wasn't at either. There are no hard feelings whatsoever between the band and the former vocalist; according to Bourget he still thinks of every member as a friend and part of his family. So, although this may seem like a bad thing for many OM&M fans out there, Bourget is taking responsibility and is doing what is best for himself and the band by leaving. I think as not only metalcore fans but human beings, we can all respect that and wish him the best of luck recovering from whatever he is going through. Below is a video released by Of Mice & Men speaking out about Bourget's departure and the reason for it.

Undiscovered or Unsigned Feb. 8, 2012

There are many bands in the post hardcore/metalcore scene that are extremely good and have a lot of potential but do not get the recognition they deserve. This may be for a number of reasons. Reasons include not having many songs be released, being from an area that does not have a big support base for post hardcore/metalcore music or even just starting up and not being known yet. But the main reason a lot of great bands go unnoticed is because they are not signed to a big time record label or their record label does not do enough to promote them. Does this mean they are not good and shouldn't have people listen to them? Not at all. That is what this page is for. Below I will list 5 of my favorite undiscovered or unsigned bands including links to their Facebook pages and bands they are similar to. I will do one of these posts every single Wednesday so be sure to keep updated to this page if you're interested in finding new music weekly. This week I will be doing 5 unsigned bands.

Capture The Crown - This band is unsigned mostly due to the fact that they have only released one song and are from Australia. But from that song they have earned over 18,000 likes on Facebook and are becoming more and more popular every day. Trust me when I say that this band will be huge a year from now. Similar to Asking Alexandria.
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/capturethecrown

Travelers - This band is similar to Capture The Crown due to the fact that they have only released one song, which is entitled If Only, If Only. This is my favorite song as of right now and anyone that likes post hardcore music will feel the same. This band was formed from the remains of Dawn Defeo who was also a fantastic post hardcore band. They are currently working on releasing more music for their fans. Similar to Woe, Is Me.
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/travelersband

Jamie's Elsewhere - This band is different than the two previous bands because they have released an album and have been on numerous tours around the United States. They released their debut album entitled They Said A Storm Was Coming in 2010. They are currently touring the country and they have an acoustic EP entitled Reimagined which is set to be released February 14, 2012. Similar to Memphis May Fire.
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/jamieselsewhere

The Paramedic - This band has released two EPs entitled The Devil In Me and If Seeing Is Believing. They have toured around the United States numerous times and by doing so are gaining more recognition and getting themselves out there. They plan to continue to release more music and tour more around the country and eventually get signed by a record label. The way they are going, it doesn't seem like anything will stop them. Similar to Make Me Famous.
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/theparamedicband

Alive In Standby - This band has released an EP entitled Dream Status and is quickly gaining recognition from the music world. Their sound is a great mix of jazzy vocals and heavy screams. They have toured around the United States extensively since 2011 and are looking to make a name for themselves. This is another band I would look out for to become big very soon. Clean vocals similar to Hands Like Houses, unclean vocals similar to Asking Alexandria.
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/aliveinstandby

Everyone should support unsigned bands and give them the backup they need to become signed. Check these bands out and give them a like! Let them know that Post Hardcore/Metalcore Today sent you!

Monster Tour Announced

After a very long wait, one of the biggest, if not the biggest, US tour of the year was announced yesterday. Escape The Fate and Attack Attack! will co-headline the This World Is Ours Tour with support from Mest, Secrets and The Word Alive. This announcement did not come as a big surprise to many people after weeks of hints coming from the twitters and facebooks of the bands saying they all had something big planned for April and May. Only 10 dates were announced at first and the dates would continue to be announced as fans like the This World Is Ours app on Facebook. Eventually, only about 5 hours after the tour was announced, all of the dates were released due to such a high demand. Below is a link to see if the tour is hitting your city and also some information on each band just to see what you're getting yourself into.

For dates and venues click on the following link: http://on.fb.me/thisworldisoursaa


Mest is a pop-punk band that seems as though they have been around forever but have never gotten the recognition they deserved. They became a band in 1995 and went on an hiatus in 2006 just to end up getting back together in 2008. Although they have not released an album since 2005, they still managed to make their way onto one of the biggest and definitely heaviest tours they have ever been on as a band. They bring a different style of music that will be the calm before the storm at every This World Is Ours Concert. Well-known songs: Cadillac, Mother's Prayer, Jaded.

Secrets is a post hardcore band that formed in 2010 and have been on the upswing ever since their first demo song The Oath. The band was signed to Rise Records in 2011 and they released their debut full length album through Rise entitled The Ascent on January 17, 2012. This band in my opinion is one of the most up and coming post hardcore bands in the music scene and is bound to make any show a good one. They will go on their first big time tour throughout February and March in support of Conditions, Abandon All Ships and Sleeping With Sirens. All of this will lead up to the biggest tour this band has ever been on and probably one bigger than they could have ever hoped for. I expect big things from this band not only on the This World Is Ours Tour, but in the later future as well. Well-known songs: The Oath, Somewhere In Hiding, The Heartless Part.

The Word Alive is a metalcore band that was formed in 2008 by Craig Mabbitt. With Mabbitt, the band released a few singles and worked on an EP that never surfaced. The band decided to kick Mabbitt out of the band because they believed he was spending too much time focusing on his other band Escape The Fate and not enough time on The Word Alive. Later that year, they announced that Tyler "Telle" Smith would take over as lead vocalist of the band. Since then, the band has taken off. They signed to Fearless Records in 2009 and through Fearless they have released one EP (Empire in 2009) and one full length (Deceiver in 2010). The Word Alive has also announced that they will be recording for a second full length album which they are going into the studio today as we speak. This is the first tour for the band in 2012 and it one of the most epic they have ever been on as a band. Expect this band to get the crowd going and ready for Attack Attack! and Escape The Fate. Well-known songs: 2012, Battle Royale, The Wretched.

Co-headlining band Attack Attack!

Attack Attack! is a metalcore band that was formed in 2005 by Austin Carlile. The band released an independent EP entitled If Guns Are Outlawed, Can We Use Swords? in 2008 which immediately led to them being signed to Rise Records. Later in 2008, they released their debut album entitled Someday Came Suddenly just to have the band kick Carlile out of the band shortly after the album hit stores. Austin Carlile went on to become the lead vocalist of the band Of Mice & Men. After kicking Carlile out of the band, Attack Attack! had Nick Barham fill in for tours until they decided to kick him out as well and have keyboardist Caleb Shomo take over as unclean vocalist. With Shomo doing uncleans and Johnny Franck remaining at cleans, the band released a self-titled album through Rise Records in 2010. Then later in 2010 another bomb hit the band as clean vocalist Johnny Franck announced that he would be leaving the band to focus on his relationship with God. After Franck's departure, Caleb Shomo took the reins of the band and became the clean vocalist as well as remaining as the unclean vocalist. Since then, the band has released their third full length album entitled This Means War and are currently wrapping up the This Means War Tour. With Shomo doing both vocals, the band has become much heavier and have gotten more recognition than ever. Having them on this tour makes it one of the most diverse and insane lineups for a concert in a very long time. Well-known songs: Stick Stickly, Smokahontas, The Motivation.

Co-headlining band Escape The Fate

Escape The Fate is a post hardcore band that was formed in 2005. The band gained recognition when they won a radio contest judged by My Chemical Romance which resulted in them being signed to Epitaph Records. Later in 2006, the band released their debut EP There's No Sympathy For The Dead and eventually released their debut full length album entitled Dying Is Your Latest Fashion. Shortly after these releases and some touring, the band kicked out lead vocalist Ronnie Radke after he was sentenced to prison after many problems with the law. Former blessthefall and The Word Alive vocalist Craig Mabbitt took over as temporary vocalist of the band and eventually was announced as the new lead vocalist. Since then, there has been nothing but good things for Escape The Fate. With Mabbitt they have released two more full length album, This War Is Ours in 2008 and a self-titled album in 2010. After these releases, the band has been traveling around not only the country, but the world headlining tours with support from bands like Alesana, Motionless In White and The Amity Affliction. Now, they are co-headlining one of the biggest tours to hit the US in what seems like forever. Expect this band to finish off every concert with a bang. Well-known songs: The Guillotine, This War Is Ours (The Guillotine II), The Aftermath (The Guillotine III).

Warped Tour 2012: Bust?

Band announcements for Vans Warped Tour 2012 have been taking place since mid-December. For many years, Vans has brought together some of the best and brightest post hardcore/metalcore bands for a 2 month long country wide tour. However, this year seems as though that may not be the case. There has been 45 bands announced thus far and in my opinion, those 45 do not even equal the first 5 announced for the 2011 tour. Decent bands announced so far include Sleeping With Sirens, Memphis May Fire, blessthefall, The Ghost Inside, deathcore band Chelsea Grin and Punk/Alternative band Mayday Parade. Other bands announced include Senses Fail and For Today who I do not like very much but will attract big crowds of people. In comparison, the first 5 bands announced for Warped Tour 2011 were as follows: Dance Gavin Dance, Every Avenue, Go Radio, We Came As Romans and The Word Alive. I think many people would agree with me when I say I would rather see that 5 band lineup than see the 45 bands announced so far this year. Later announcements last year made the tour even better bringing bands such as A Day To Remember, Asking Alexandria, August Burns Red, Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows and Woe, Is Me on for the ride. Now I do not know if Warped Tour is just waiting to announce their best bands later or if they are trying to mix things up by adding genres such as Rap, Hip-Hop and Reggae to the tour. Whatever they are doing right now is not working and makes me feel like this year will be one of the weakest tours in at least half a decade.

Pierce The Veil will play Warped 2012

There still is time for things to change and from the rumors and self-confirmations I have seen from bands, the tour should get better. For example, Electrocore band Breathe Carolina, Post Hardcore band Pierce The Veil and Alternative/Punk Rockers All Time Low have self-confirmed that they will be on the tour and are just waiting to be announced. There are also rumors circulating around the music industry that better bands such as Emmure and Of Mice & Men will be added for the entirety of the tour as well. Once these self-confirmations and rumors come out I will be able to make a better judgement about Warped Tour 2012 and it will definitely not be as disappointing, but as for right now the tour looks as if it is going to take a turn for the worst. However, this is just one man's opinion. Comment and let me know what you think of the lineup thus far! Do you like the lineup or do you hate it? What is your Warped Tour band wishlist? Tell me your opinions on what would make this years Warped Tour the best one yet.

Top 6 Albums of 2011

Since a little over a month has passed by since the end of 2011, we have had some time for the new music brought to us in 2011 to sink in. Many bands that have been around for what seems like forever released albums that made us love them even more. Then there are bands that burst onto the scene and made us realize how much the field of post hardcore/metalcore music is growing. With a lot of new music being released in the past year, many people have been debating what bands brought us the best albums last year. Below is my list of the top 6 (yes I know 6 is a random number but it was tough to narrow) post hardcore/metalcore albums of 2011.

6. Sleeping With Sirens - Lets Cheers To This: This album was released on May 10, 2011 and is the sophomore album from the band. The album contains 11 songs and was released through Rise Records which is one of the up and coming record labels in the post hardcore/metalcore scene. The album is a decent sequel to their first album With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear with similar characteristics. There are a few differences seen between the two albums, the main one being that Lets Cheers To This is much less breakdown oriented and focuses much more on soft vocals than With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear. Nonetheless, the album still contains heavy screaming parts where lead singer Kellin Quinn shows his versatility going from solid uncleans to the high-pitched angelic sounding clean vocals we have come to know and love from this band. The other strong parts of this album are the impressive drum stylings of Gabe Barham and the meaning that is behind every single song. The only thing that I was not very happy with on this album is how soft it was. This results in the songs sort of running together. All in all, this album was a pretty solid follow-up to With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear but I would expect much more from this ever-expanding band in the future. I give this album a rating of a 7.3 out of 10.

5. Of Mice & Men - The Flood: This is the second full length album by Of Mice & Men and was released on June 14, 2011. This album was also released through the ever-growing record label Rise. The Flood is very similar to the band's first album self-titled Of Mice & Men but makes a very big step in a better direction. The main difference between the two albums is that The Flood is much heavier than the self-titled album. This album focuses much less on heavy breakdowns and more on chugging guitar riffs and solos. There are 12 songs on the album and they all have their own unique sound. The most different and unique song on the album is most definitely When You Can't Sleep At Night. It is a slower song with no unclean vocals that focuses on smooth guitar work and the soft vocals of Shayley Bourget. But, for the most part this album is one that you can put on if you want to get pumped up for anything or if you just want to get into a fight. This album very much emphasizes why Austin Carlile is one of the best, if not the best, unclean vocalist in the business. For the most part, The Flood is much better than the previous self-titled album but Of Mice & Men still has a little more work left to be done. I give this album a rating of an 8 out of 10.

4. Memphis May Fire - The Hollow: This album is the second full length by the band and is the first album they have released through Rise Records. It was released on April 26, 2011. The Hollow is most definitely the best work ever done by this band and it is helping them receive the recognition they have rightfully deserved for so long. Some people may call it a generic album, but it is very unique in its own way. This album consists of 10 songs, all of which add a great feel to it. Lead singer Matty Mullins shows how talented and versatile he is on this album going from head banging uncleans to melodic cleans. The Hollow is similar to the band's past album and extended plays but is better in the fact that it is put together much better and has lyrics that flow very well. The album starts off with a bang when it opens with the song The Sinner and continues to impress from there on out. Anybody that is a fan of post hardcore/metalcore music would definitely be a huge fan of The Hollow. Memphis May Fire has a very bright future ahead of them. I give this album a rating of an 8.4 out of 10.

3. Like Moths To Flames - When We Don't Exist: This album was released on November 8, 2011 and is the debut album from the band. It was released through Rise Records. This band started when lead singer Chris Roetter left his former band Agraceful to start something new and different; he got exactly what he wanted. When We Don't Exist is the heaviest album on this countdown and probably one of the most unexpected. This band surprised many people with their release of this album due to its non-Christian views that were displayed throughout Roetter's work with Agraceful. Nevertheless, this album is extremely well put together and is a breath of fresh air from a lot of the generic post hardcore/metalcore you hear nowadays. Although it possesses heavy guitar riffs and bass drop breakdowns similar to other bands, this album features very strong unclean vocals and clean vocals that are more rough and manly than most bands. The best example of this can be seen in the song GNF (Give No F****) which features lead singer of Upon A Burning Body Danny Leal. Like Moths To Flames makes a statement with this album that they are a force to be reckoned with. I am sold on them and When We Don't Exist. This band will be making great music for years to come. I give this album a rating of an 8.7 out of 10.

2. Asking Alexandria - Reckless and Relentless: This is the second full length album from British band and was released on April 5, 2011 through Sumerian Records. This album differs greatly from Asking Alexandria's debut album Stand Up And Scream but in a very good way. Reckless and Relentless possesses a sort of rock and roll vibe while the debut album possessed a generic sort of been there done that feel. While it seemed like the the first album focused mainly on hatred and anger, Reckless and Relentless focuses mainly on drinking, partying and the rock and roll lifestyle. This album focuses a lot on higher pitched unclean vocals and extensive guitar work rather than the band's previous growl and chugging breakdown sound. Lead singer Danny Worsnop shows a lot of versatility on the album going from high pitched screams, to lower growls, to rough clean vocals, all the while possessing the rock and roll feel that helped this band to open for Guns N' Roses in 2011. Lead guitarist Ben Bruce is very evident in every track with his fantastic guitar work and his soft high pitched backing vocals that tie in so well with the band's sound. There were many people out there that became Asking Alexandria haters after their debut album, but I guarantee a lot of them became lovers after this album. This album stretches the limits of metalcore into something we have not really seen before. According to Danny Worsnop, the band is set to release a third album sometime in 2012 similar to Reckless and Relentless but with even more of a rock and roll feel to it. After this album, it looks like the sky is the limit for these rock stars. I give this album a rating of a 9.0 out of 10.

1. We Came As Romans - Understanding What We've Grown To Be: Well here it is! My number one album of 2011 is Understanding What We've Grown To Be. This is the second full length album from the band and was released on September 13, 2011 through Equal Vision Records. This album is extremely similar to the band's debut album To Plant a Seed in the fact that it still focuses on brotherhood and staying positive. But, this album is a story of the struggles of life and the challenges one faces when growing up. The band says that this tone is due to all of the negativity and adversity they have faced in their lifetimes. Nevertheless this album is very meaningful and is definitely something good to listen to if you are going through problems in your life. This album consists of very heavy parts where unclean vocalist David Stephens takes his screams to another level but then it continues into harmonious clean vocals where Kyle Pavone sings in a manner where it seems like he is speaking to each and every listener. Every single song of the album tells a story and there are many things one can learn from the lyrics. This album contains the things that We Came As Romans fans have come to know and love such as head banging breakdowns and catchy melodic sing-along courses. Understanding What We've Grown To Be is very similar to To Plant a Seed, but it is much better and shows how hard this band works to improve for not only themselves, but for their fans. This is a near perfect album, one of the only things wrong with it is that it is not long enough. But it is definitely great enough to be my top album of 2011. I give this album a rating of a 9.6 out of 10.

Albums that almost made the cut: A Skylit Drive - Identity On Fire, Attila - Outlawed, That's Outrageous - Teenage Scream, Us, From Outside - Revived.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you agree with and what you disagree with! I would love to hear some opinions!

January 17, 2012 Was Rise Records Day

Two very highly anticipated albums were recently released on January 17, 2012. The first album released was by Attack Attack! The band that was formed in 2005 by Austin Carlile (now Of Mice & Men) and Johnny Franck (now The March Ahead) released their third full length album entitled This Means War. Most bands would have crumbled when their two front men left the band, but Caleb Shomo took the reins of the band and did what most 19 year olds could not do; step up to the plate and deliver a head-banging album. This is the first album in which Shomo does both clean and unclean vocals and most would agree that he does not disappoint. The album contains 10 songs including the previously released song The Motivation. This album is much heavier than anything the band has ever produced but it still contains the heavy bass drops and catchy courses that we have all come to know and love from Attack Attack! This is an album that not only Attack Attack! fans will love but that metalcore fans will fall in love with as well. The band is currently headlining the This Means War tour to support the album. I give this album an 9 out of 10.
The second album released on January 17, 2012 was the debut album by Secrets entitled The Ascent. The band that recently signed to Rise Records in 2011 is not very well-known but will most definitely gain recognition from this album release. The Ascent contains 11 songs including the digitally remastered versions of their previous demos 40 Below, Somewhere In Hiding and The Oath. Anyone that does not know this band will definitely dig their style. Unclean vocalist Xander Bourgeois pounds out intense screams while clean vocalist and guitarist Richard Rogers chimes in with a different style of vocals that makes the band's sound more unique than most of the generic bands on Rise Records. However the band is similar to others on Rise with their use of chugging guitar riffs and raging breakdowns. The band is on their first country-wide tour in support of Conditions, Abandon All Ships and fellow label mates Sleeping With Sirens. All in all, The Ascent was a very good start for Secrets who are most definitely in for a bright future. I give this album an 8 out of 10.