He Is Legend

It Hates You

July 21,2009/Tragic Hero Records

Back in mid 2004 a band from North Carolina appeared on the hardcore scene named He Is Legend. Through Tribunal Recordings HIL released an eight song ep entitled ‘91025?. The cd fit in perfectly with the Norma Jean’s and the As I Lay Dying’s and all those hardcore bands with chug-a-chug breakdowns followed by those screeching high notes. 91025 was a run of the mill disc that was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. It was heavy and didn’t really venture far out of the realm of hardcore/metal. Solid State noticed these fella’s and brought them on board for 2004’s ‘I Am Hollywood’. This full length was another hardcore outing that didn’t bring as much rock to the scene as their previous Tribunal release did, all in all it was a bit of letdown. The cd did have a certain little song on it called appropriately ‘I Am Hollywood’, which truth be told, was the bomb. The end of the song has probably one of the best breakdowns in a good three or four year span. The song was immortalized with the live version, being everything you’d hope for from such an explosive song. Five years later, looking back, the cd has several other songs that are quite good, including the song China White, which we’ll delve further into later. In 2006, He Is Legend released their second cd called ‘Suck Out The Poison’. After one or two listens, one would say ‘Is this still the same band from the last cd?’. ‘Poison’ was a gritty attempt at southern-style music. If you’ve heard of Maylene and the Sons of Disaster then you’ve heard of a crappy version of He Is Legend’s Suck Out The Poison. Taking a little getting use to, and after repeated listens, this cd turned out to easily one of the best releases in 2006. Songs like Attack of the Dungeon Witch, Stampede, and (((louds really stand out as great songs. Also on the disc is China White II, a sequel to the like titled track on ‘I Am Hollywood’. II is possibly my favorite song from 2006, it’s one of those songs that you love to sing way out loud driving in your car late at night with the windows down. It’s simply awesome.

A new label, one less guitarist, a new year, and He Is Legend releases It Hates You. After one listen, I thought, holy shit, this cd is it for 2009. Every. Single. Song. -on this cd is musical goodness. I haven’t skipped a track since I got my hands on this a week ago. Everyone I Know Has Fangs, Cult of She, That’s Nasty, Don’t Touch That Dial, The Future’s Bright Man, I could list all of the songs, they’re all great. Every chorus is perfection, there’s melodic singing, there’s dropped D Korn style riffage, there’s solos, there’s breakdowns, there’s everything you want in a modern day rock cd. Following suit, there’s China White III. A slow, bluesy, acoustic song, all singing and no screaming, III is the best song of the trilogy, by far, and it’s predecessors were the best songs on each of the previous discs. ‘I’ve got my eyes on you, and they weep, and you stay.’ ‘Even when I close my eyes, these tears continue, and they find their way to you.’ ‘I thought I’d never see the day when the clouds would roll away. In the pain and suffering, bring the rain and bring this pain. Don’t cry for me dear, I’m alive and I’m right here, I missed you so damn much then with no garden to tend.’ In 2009, I’ve listened to China White III more times than I’ve listened to any other song this year, and I’ve had this song for a week, its that good. It’s crazy good. This cd is what rock is about; having some fun, rocking out, and occasionally belting out something that means more than just what the words represent. It Hates You is He Is Legend’s best, and thus far in 2009, it’s my favorite. Please listen to this cd, you won’t regret it. [5/5]

Darkest Hour

The Eternal Return

Victory/June 23, 2009

Every other year we here in Bearland are graced with a new Darkest Hour release to beat our metal ear drums. An elite click of four friends from back in the Snellville days became a DH bandwhore, we love(d) the group, love(d) their show, and for the most part, can all agree that the band probably makes just about the best metal out there, consistently. In Darkest Hour’s sixth foray into metal history they release ‘The Eternal Return’, which is an alleged ‘return’ to their roots of rocking riffs, that are undeniably bad to the ass. Let’s see where my feelings lie on these matters, shall we?

Alright, you can count me in as one of the bigger fans of this band, I’ve liked loved everything this band has done, and to fully realize ‘Return’ we must venture into the past of  the D to the H. The last cd ‘Deliver Us’ was a technical brain basher that contains probably some of the most mind boggling guitar doodling that I’ve ever heard. Yes there was a tad bit of singing on the disc, but that didn’t bother me much, the song that had the singing in it blew up at the end and kicked mucho asso. 2005’s ‘Undoing Ruin’ is considered by me to quite possibly be the peak of the DH career, it’s not my favorite of their catalogue, but it is in the runner-up spot. It is their catchiest record to date and has some seriously solid tunes. Sound the Surrender and Convalescence are timeless songs that will never get old. 04’s ‘Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation’ is easily the thrashiest cd to come out in the 2000’s, if you disagree, ask the Bear that eats people, he’s a musical genius. Hidden Hands is not the easiest cd to listen to, but if you like fast guitars and drums, this is the fastest. It’s seriously, bizzaro thrash. It also has the solo to end all solo’s.  Then of course there’s the pup that started it all: 2001’s So Sedated So Secure, my personal favorite metal album of all time. This disc is riddled with glorious riffs that are beyond significant to each song, you hear the riff and you know exactly which song it is. SSSS is one of those 5/5 records that stands in the halls of metal rockdom and will live forever. It’s a Wolf Necessity to be exact.

It’s 2009 and Darkest Hour have a new guitarist, and a new record, and I’m not sure if I like it as much as I’ve liked everything previous from these duders. All the reviews on the interweb love this disc and I think I’m the only person out there that can’t find where this cd belongs in his box of treasures, or if it even needs to be in the treasure chest at all. This cd is simply put, boring to me. Aside from the initial single ‘No God’, nothing on this cd grabs me. ‘Tides is cool and so is ‘Into the Grey, but honestly, I couldn’t think of a riff from either of those songs in my head right now, and I can do that with like every Darkest Hour song from the previous five records. Two to three weeks into a new DH release and I’m all over it, but right now I find myself listening to other new things out there that are, sadly, better. This cd is somewhat of a return to  SSSS, but no song on this record has a signature to it. Every song sounds nearly the same to me, nothing really stands out as making each song its own. It lacks style and creativity. Don’t get me wrong, it’s metal, it’s heavy, and it’s loud, but that doesn’t make a cd good. That’s just what this cd is for me, it’s good, but Darkest Hour has always been great, and good isn’t good enough for me from my favorite metal band. [2.5/5]

iwrestledabearonce

It’s All Happening

Century Media/June 2, 2009

iwrestledabearonce is a funny little band from Shreveport, Louisiana, a place I once lived matter of factly. I’d heard of these fellas (and one lady) a little over a year back from the Bear himself, and back then I was pretty turned off by their techno interludes and wacky keyboard bridges and solos. I first heard of their latest release ‘It’s All Happening’ a couple weeks back right here on BEARSEATPEOPLE.COM!! with the video for ‘You Ain’t No Family’, and what a hootin’ hollerin’ time it was. I immediately enjoyed the brutality of the metal that these musicians created. I was also shocked that such a voice could spawn from a female, I always thought it was a two singer thing goin on (She’s hot too, btw). At the end of the song the metal breaks out into a country-western themed boot scootin’ boogie kinda thing, a horse neigh’s and explosive breakdowns ensue. iwrestledabearonce is thrash meets metal meets speed metal meets techno electronica meets the best thing you’ve heard. It’s not metal all throughout (thankfully almost), the cd dramatically  slows down at times to explore singer Krysta Cameron’s more melodic side accompanied by metallic techno keyboard rhythms. ‘It’s All Happening’ is a fresh approach at the metal scene that pleased me greatly. It’s perfect for techno blasting in your boosted  Toyota Scion at 3 am. [3.5/5]