The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 345

Panic! At The Disco
Pray For The Wicked
2018



The second album that @Bad Frequencies assigned me for this session was the new Panic! At The Disco album. It was released less than three weeks ago and I hadn't gotten to it yet, so this got me to listen to it a bit sooner than I would have. I like many here I'm sure, have been a fan since the 2005 debut album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out. I was in college when that album came out and I have fond memories of listening to that album with friends. The following summer, I saw them in concert for the first time and it was fantastic. They played all of A Fever You Can't Sweat Out along with two covers (Radiohead's Karma Police and The Smashing Pumpkins' Tonight, Tonight). A quick side note - I don't remember exact setlists from 12 years ago - that's what setlist.fm is for!

I have enjoyed all of their albums to varying extents and I was able to catch them on tour in 2011 supporting Vices & Virtues. A couple things stick out to me about that show. One, Fun opened for them. That was the summer before they released Some Nights and I remember them playing We Are Young and thinking that the song should be a hit. The other thing that I remember thinking is that it was pretty crazy how much Panic! At The Disco fell off in terms of popularity. When I saw them in 2006 they played at an outdoor venue that had a capacity of around 5,000. In 2011, they played at an indoor venue that had a capacity of around 1,500. However, since then, the band has released three albums charting in the top 2 of the Billboard 200 and they are back to headlining arenas.

I'm not sure how much this album will grow their fanbase, but I think at the very least it will maintain their popularity level. I'm not going to go into the full background of the band, as most people probably know it by now. At this point, frontman Brendon Urie is the only official member of Panic! At The Disco and there are several touring musicians. Nearly 15 years (and 5 albums) into the band's career, most people have probably made up their mind on this band. This sixth record of theirs isn't likely to change a lot of minds, but it sure is a lot of fun!

This album is 11 tracks and 34 minutes of pop/pop rock/alternative goodness. Nearly every single track on the album could be a single and when listening to the album for the first time, there were certain songs (or parts of songs) that I imagined translating extremely well to a live setting. (Fuck A) Silver Lining kicks off the album and it's a quick, energetic opener. As expected, the vocals are great and I got a bit of a Justin Timberlake vibe during this song. Say Amen (Saturday Night) features the lyrics "pray for the wicked" and it's another huge, catchy track. This is going to be a great song to see performed live. I liked Hey Look Ma, I Made It but it didn't quite stand out to me as much as the first two tracks did. High Hopes is an awesome song and I really liked the part around 2:30 where the music dropped out and it was only vocals. This is definitely a song that is going to get stuck in my head at various points. Roaring 20s is a bit of a unique track and it certainly has a different feel than the first 4 tracks. Dancing's Not A Crime comes at the midpoint of the album, and it's another huge number. I can see this being a big hit song and it's just so catchy.

The next four tracks don't stand out quite as much to me as the first six. One Of The Drunks is probably my least favorite song on the album. It's not bad and it's still catchy, but I just don't find much to connect to there. The Overpass has some nice instrumentation and again, it's catchy enough, but it's just not a top tier song on the album in my opinion. King Of The Clouds features a big, catchy chorus and Old Fashioned is another catchy three-minute-long pop track, but the highlight of this album's back half is certainly Dying In LA. At nearly four minutes long it's the longest song on the album and it's also the slowest song. Piano is heavily featured and it's a great way to close the album.

It's much too early to say whether I like this album more than 2016's Death Of A Bachelor (as of right now, I prefer Death Of A Bachelor), but given more time and more listens, I wouldn't be surprised if this at least equals that album for me.

I'd recommend this album to fans of Panic! At The Disco (specifically their more recent albums), Fall Out Boy (specifically their more recent albums), and Justin Timberlake. The vocals are great, the hooks are huge, the songs are fun, and at 34 minutes long it's a really short and accessible album. Again, I see these songs translating very well to a live setting and it'll be interesting to see what songs make it on the upcoming setlists. I can't imagine (Fuck A) Silver Lining, Say Amen (Saturday Night), High Hopes, Roaring 20s, Dancing's Not A Crime, and Dying In LA being huge setlist staples, but then again, I don't really know anything!

Here are some of my favorite songs that I'd recommend checking out: Say Amen (Saturday Night), High Hopes, Dancing's Not A Crime, Dying In LA

Thanks for the recommendation @Bad Frequencies !

 

I'm kinda disappointed that you don't remember setlists from 12 years ago... Just kidding. Great review!

 

@Petit nain des Îles and I traded recently and they gave me:

Svalbard: It's Hard to Have Hope (2018) Translation Loss



Svalbard are a band from Bristol, UK and this is their second proper full length, while also releasing a handful of splits and EP's. All of their previous material can actually be found on a discography released by none other than Holy Roar Records. I say that because this band fits perfectly on that monster of a label whom have released some of my favorite albums over the past few years, and I can now safely say Svalbard is among them as well.

What do Svalbard sound like? Crust, post-metal, atmospheric, chaotic, hardcore and progressive about sums it up! With that being said I need to draw attention to the vocals and the fact that there are two vocalists. The first one incorporates a shouted hardcore style while the other is very guttural while alternating with these beautiful melodies. The reason I put so much emphasis on the vocals is because the second vocalist is a female! I did not know this until I watched one of their videos on YouTube and was blown away that something so gut wrenching could come from a woman and let me tell you: I am completely on board 100%! Her vocal range is fantastic and works so well in the context of the songs.

That leads to my next point: Svalbard are a band that are not afraid to bring up the "sensitive topics". They are band that will challenge you as a person to truly look at yourself and the world around you and to quote James McAvoy from WANTED: "What the fuck have you done lately?" The title of the record is so perfect for the subject matter presented. It's hard to have hope when we are not getting paid appropriately in jobs, people are using social media as a platform to get revenge at an ex, women who are just trying to get equal rights for themselves are labeled feminazi's and all of these victims are not being defended when they finally speak out against an artist who molested them. One of the most sensitive topics they bring up is the debate between pro-life and pro choice and I respect whatever side you are on but every time the song, Pro Life?!, comes on and I hear her scream: "This body is mine, so the decision is mine" I get chills. It so powerful and actually coming from a woman makes it all the more real. I have been pretty vocal about my stance on religion but I also respect the next persons views.

Hey girls, all life begins at fertilisation
but yours ends at unwanted impregnation
You see, the embryo deserves a chance but the pregnant girl does not
She must be cursed with unwanted motherhood, this must be her punishment
The embryo deserves a chance but the pregnant girl does not
Protect the egg inside because you’re “pro-life”
No regard for the woman on the outside, the poor girl who knows she can’t provide
The struggling mother who wants to die
Is she not worth protecting? Is hers not a life?
Where the hell are you drawing the line? Why does an unborn baby deserve more rights?
Is she not worth protecting? Is hers not a life?
This body is mine, so the decision is mine
How dare you dictate that I cannot terminate these unexpected cells inside
Is it pro-life to have no rights?
To bear unwanted children in the name of Jesus Christ?

The amazing thing about this record is that it ends on a very uplifting and motivating song, Try Not to Die Until You're Dead. There is not much more to read into other than just that. As we get older, we realize the world is not as simple and forgiving as we had read in books or watched in movies. It is going to throw us so many curve balls and we are going to fall but you are not going give up and you are going use every last breath in your body to LIVE until you are buried six feet in the ground.

I smile to trick the fear inside me
I smile to seem like I’m improving
but the brave grin does not go in
A surface layer painted on the skin
of a body that is facing uncertainty
Yesterday I chased a dream
Now I just want to be able to sleep
Suddenly riddled with incapability
Funny how illness changes everything
Never really believed in believing
until I had to believe I would get better
and that was all I had, no knowledge or progress,
just hope, wafer thin hope
Clung onto with a fist
Must try not to damage it
I must believe
and even if I don’t get better
Thanks for sitting with me while I cried
Thanks for easing the hours when I was too weak to stand
Thanks for all the little detours where we wandered off together
and found things more important than what we want
Those are truly treasured moments
and believe me I know
that it’s hard to have hope
but I will try not to die until I am dead
I will try not to die until I am dead
I may be aching and exhausted but life’s not over yet
So it doesn’t hurt to hope and it will never hurt to try
Try not to die until you’re dead

From the moment you hit play, you will be blasted with brutality. The production feels dense and like you are drowning under the weight of the band. I need to give a nod to the rhythm section as they are truly the glue that holds the band together with double bass drums and just insane bass lines. This is a heavy record but there is beauty among the chaos and that is what makes Svalbard so fantastic. You can just feel the hope mixed amongst crushing heaviness. I still cannot get over the fact that this band is only a four piece because they make this expansive, atmospheric, vast sound that fills the room. As I mentioned before, the vocals on this album are just half of what make this album amazing but they are truly something. The band doesn't let up for more than a minute or two and the whole album has this galloping beat that gives it a punk or hardcore feel. When the female vocalist (I'm sorry I couldn't find their names) slows things down like on Feminazi, it is just beautiful and shows us that she can truly sing. I also love the outro song and how it is just a beautiful post rock number and reminds me of how the Respire record ended.

I am truly in aww of this record and can safely say that for now it is sitting as my number one AOTY. Thank you so much for this one @Petit nain des Îles !!!

RIYL: Converge, Post Metal, Black Metal

Favorite songs:
Revenge Porn
Pro-Life
For the Sake of the Breed
Try Not to Die Until You're Dead

 

Nicceee. Watched the video and liking the sound of this!

 

CHORUS MUSIC CLUB SOCIETY
CONCERT REVIEWS

TAKING BACK SUNDAY/COHEED AND CAMBRIA COHEADLINE SUMMER 2018 TOUR

Well guys, I just got back from the insane night that I just had. This show was a perfect combo of two great bands, and I have been looking forward to it for months. So let’s get right down to the recap, shall we?

THE VIP

My friend and I arrived at the venue at 2:00, about 2 hours earlier than the VIP began. We did this to find parking close by. It was a HOT day today and there was a mild chance of thunderstorms. Luckily the storms never came. However, it appears there was a lot of miscommunication between the band and the venue. Come VIP time, the venue employees had NO idea about the vip or where everyone was supposed to be, and TBS was still doing sound check. This was at 4:30. Finally, at 5:20, the band came out but because of the miscommunication, the Vip was drastically cut short. What was supposed to be a meet and greet/ signing/ photo op became a quick handshake and photo op, with no time to talk to the band. I do not fault the band for this mishap. I was a bit bummed, but I got a photo with them (which I barely smiled in because it went so fast and I was so nervous)

After the photo we were brought to the merch table where I snagged a shirt and we were given some goodies (tbs guitar picks, phone holder, etc). We then took our seats and waited for the show to begin.

THE STORY SO FAR

This was a band that I was semi familiar with before hand, because @Nate_Johnson recommended one of their albums to me. All in all they were pretty decent live, with a few minor complaints. The lead singer was stiff as a board. He did not move when performing, at all, despite not playing an instrument besides a tambourine. Also his vocals were turned way down for some reason. Besides this all in all they were a good opener.


TAKING BACK SUNDAY

After a little while, TBS took the stage. Now, it’s no surprise I am a huge fan of this band; this is my 7th time seeing them live and second time in a row going to see them the week before my birthday to celebrate. Once they took the stage, everything lit up. Musically the band was on point, everyone sounded fantastic. This was also an excellent night for both Adam Lazzara, who sounded great on all of the songs especially the Happiness Is and Tidal Wave tracks, and John Nolan who was on fire with his back up vocals. There were some points such as in A Decade Under The Influence and You’re So Last Summer’s endings where they let Nolan’s screams take center stage and good lord, his yelling in an amiptheater setting was fantastic and some of the best I’ve heard from him. There was also plenty of banter between him and Adam, and the band seemed to be having a blast. The crowd ate it up and the packed house seemed just as much there for them as they were for Coheed. Both bands got about the same amount of cheering and crowd reaction. Also, say what you will about Adam but he knows how to work and interact with a crowd, he had everyone laughing and having fun multiple times between songs. Here is a setlist from the night prior but it’s the same:
Taking Back Sunday Setlist at Daily's Place Amphitheater, Jacksonville



COHEED AND CAMBRIA

The other reason I was there. Coheed is a band that I have been wanting to see live for a long time. The last time I saw them was on a warped tour in 2007, hardly the best setting. These guys were also on point tonight, playing an amazing setlist ( again, different night same set: Coheed and Cambria Setlist at Daily's Place Amphitheater, Jacksonville) and putting on an excellent stage show. It was amazing how well Coheed handled themselves live, they sounded just like they do on the albums and there were some killer guitar solos thrown in at just the right moments to make everything sound excellent. The crowd was already on a high from tbs, and this just kept the flames going. They definitley have chops live, and knew how to play. They were a lot less interactive with the crowd than TBS was, but it was fine because their stage effects vastly made up for it. Some of the ways that they led into certain songs with certain effects or sonic effects was simply breathtaking, and the crowd ate it up. It’s hard to pinpoint which songs sounded best, because they all sounded great. My favorite moments were during Blood Red Summer, Ten Speed, Unheavenly and Welcome Home, mainly for nostalgia but also because just like with MakeDamnSure and Cute Without The E for TBS these were songs even fans of the other band knew and could sing along with. Overall it was a superb performance



It was an amazing night by both big name bands. Coheed and TBS seemed to have equal pull and crowd reaction, neither seemed favored more and neither out played the other. Both bands nailed their performances and it was a sight to behold. If this tour is coming near you I say GO.

 

Nice review! I’m glad you had a good time! I wish I was going to the Cleveland show but timing didn’t work out :/

 

Fantastic review, I got emotional reading it. Love how personal you got at one point, and that you shared few excerpts of their lyrics.

So happy that you loved it this much! Did you listen to the bandcamp version? I ask because the song Open The Cages, one of their finest ones, is tacked onto the end of the record, and elevates it even more.

 

I didn’t but I will. My only criticism of the record is how short it is and I wanted to hear more.

 

That Coheed set looks prettt dang good. Wish it was coming near me

 

Great band, I saw these not even 3 years ago (after the 1st album was released) and I'm not even joking there was less than 10 people in the room including the sound engineer and (potentially?) their manager. It was such a shame, but they still put on an amazing set and I enjoyed every second of it considering.

 

If they come to the states, I will travel to see them. Even their videos I’m sure don’t do them justice.

 

I would highly recommend it. They sound just as good live as they do on record, if not better!

 

I gave the album by The Barber a listen this morning after seeing so much positive stuff about them. I really enjoyed it! I can definitely hear the ETID comparison (The Big Dirty era, specifically) at various parts. Also, had I not known they were Russian, I would have had no idea!

 

Great write up and I am glad you were able to go!

 

One of our newer members to the club, @summertimejesus, gave me a fun record that is:

The Movielife: Forty Hour Train Back to Penn (2003) Drive Thru Records


(The vinyl version looks really cool!)

To those unfamiliar, The Movielife are a pop punk band from Long Island, New York and formed in 1997, disbanded in 2003, but recently reunited and released an album last year, Cities in Search of a Heart. Forty Hour Train Ride to Penn is their third full length. The album title takes it's name from the song, Jamestown, one of the two singles released for the album in which front man, Vinnie Caruana, vividly recounts having a serious van accident which nearly cost the entire band all of their lives. This accident caused the band to seriously think about whether they should continue and with the love of support of fellow labelmates, New Found Glory, the band pushed forward and gave us this record, which many consider to be a seminal record in pop punk.

Speaking of labels, I need to give Drive Thru so much credit in fostering a love for pop punk in my youth. I can recall long drives spinning their samplers and memorizing every single word of songs to bands like New Found Glory, The Starting Line, Allister, The Benjamins, etc. Without them, New Found Glory would not be where they are today.

The Movielife tend to be one of those bands that you either love or hate. Lyrically, they are by the books pop punk, with topics such as failed relationship, growing older, being on the road, etc. Musically, I have always resonated with their music more than other pop punk bands at the time because their roots are planted firmly in the hardcore scene of Long Island that fostered them. It's hard not to have influences from bands such as Vision Of Disorder, Glassjaw and Silent Majority when you are playing in shows with them and running in the same circles. They have more of a slow groove style to their sound typical of hardcore bands while mixing in straightforward pop punk. Vinnie's vocals are also used in a way that are very punctuated and reminiscent of hardcore punk bands.

This is a fantastic record and during the albums 11 songs 35 minutes there is no downtime whatsoever. Yeah, some songs are a bit stronger than others and the songs do tend to blend together after a few spins but what do you expect from a pop punk band? I will say that I love that they are not your "stereotypical" pop punk and have enough diversity to play with a variety of other bands. I have seen them a handful of times with hardcore bands, A Static Lullaby and Reel Big Fish to name a few. I am so happy we get to have the band around in 2018 after growing up with them years ago.

Thanks for this fun recommendation @summertimejesus!!!

RIYL:
Pop Punk
Hardcore Punk

Favorite Songs:
Face or Kneecaps
Jamestown
Kelly Song
Scary
Hey
Jamaica Next
Ship to Shore

If you are looking for other music from the members:
Vinnie also fronts the band I am the Avalanche and put out a solo record in 2016.
Brandon Reilly fronted the indie rock band Nightmare of You and his younger brother is the front man for hardcore band, This is Hell.

 

@Nate_Johnson i am so glad you enjoyed the record!! I actually didn’t know that NFG were instrumental in the continuation of The Movielife after their van flipped—very cool and makes me appreciate NFG even more. And I need to somehow get my hands on that vinyl!! Wow!

I’m almost done with my Kacey Musgraves review btw!

 

Not a review as such but Turnstile broke me yesterday at the first day of 2000 Trees. My god they were amazing live, so much energy and that pit was insane. Highlights of day 1 were definitely them, Palm Reader, Boston Manor and Marmozets.

 

It’s that time again! Here are your pairings for next week!

CMCS session pairings
07/16-07/23

@Bad Frequencies // @Petit nain des Îles @anonimito // @edisnfg
@Kiana // @ryanfears
@highfidelity203 // @broken22
@Nate_Johnson // @Kvothe
@Chase Tremaine // @teebs41
@ineverlose // @K0ta
@summertimejesus // @Davjs
@bachna84 // @Mister Lyrical
@Patterns in Traffic // @Jim Morgan
@Micool1 // @disambigujason
@SamLevi11 // @ugman_2000

Did I forget you?? Want to join? Let me know. Let’s have fun! And remember, review the albums how you want yours to be reviewed.

 

Also I know I owe reviews to @K0ta , @bachna84 , @broken22, @Davjs , and @Kvothe . I will hopefully have them all done Monday night.

 

No worries! You know I'll nag you until you get mine done ;) You also have a couple more for me too (unrelated to CMCS)!

 

@Nate_Johnson gave me This Wild Life - Petaluma

Thought this was a solid pop acoustic record. I wish it was a bit more dynamic and diverse in its song writing at times but the album had some real solid hooks.

2.5/5

 

New single today - I can't wait for this album!

 

@teebs41 !!!

Yaaassss

 

Let's assign each other the new Thrice record, imagine what it'll be like, and then write our pretend reviews.

 

is it dad rock or is it butt rock? the album thread is confusing