Review: SUM 41 – ‘Order In Decline’ [Official Video]

 

Sum 41 found its way into my musical playground back in 2001. The album was ‘All Killer No Filler’ and the single that got cemented into my head was “Fat Lip.” Although I was deeply entrenched within the metal genre, that song was so catchy that it tattooed itself into my brain and I couldn’t stop listening to it. The band was labeled pop punk and by all accounts, based on that album, it seemed to fit but if you listened closely, and peeked through the cracks, there was more than met the eye. They found their sound on the brilliant ‘Does This Look Infected?’ record in 2002 and its follow up, ‘Chuck’, in 2004. That’s where my passion for this band reached its peak. They found a way to put punk, pop, hard rock, alternative, and metal together to create a sound that was unique. The next decade and a half saw the band losing members and dealing with health issues. They put out three records in that period and although there were some solid songs, none of them could capture that magical formula that made them such a force until now. The band is set to release their seventh studio album called ‘Order In Decline’ via Hopeless Records on July 19thand it burns a path back to those iconic albums. The songs are heavy, angry, emotional, and most of all, catchy, and those ingredients are the blueprint Sum 41 built itself on. Continue reading

Jayden Panesso (SYLAR) “I Was Afraid Of Seeing What I Was Capable Of”

 

Sylar have been dominating the music scene lately, not only with new tracks but also with their killer performances on stage. The band formed in 2011 and quickly started pumping out material. They released the EP ‘Cutting Ties’ in the same year as their formation, and followed it up with another EP in 2013 titled ‘Deadbeat’ produced by Caleb Shomo (of Attack Attack!). Sylar then released their debut album ‘To Whom It May Concern’ a year later via Razor & Tie. This is the album that truly got the bands feet firmly planted in the music world. With powerful and emotional tracks like “Prescription Meditation” the band put a little bit of themselves in each track. The New Yorkers went on to sign with Hopeless Records and one up themselves releasing ‘Help’ in August of 2016. This would give them one of their biggest hits thus far in “Assume”. The album charted as high as 8th in Heatseekers Albums in September of 2016 on Billboard. The band already had 4 releases under their belt and on October 5, 2018 the band released another full length studio album marking their 5 release titled ‘Seasons’. The album is their second release on Hopeless Records. The single “All or Nothing” was the first release from ‘Seasons’ and it helps get fans pumped for the release. ‘Seasons’ was produced by Erik Ron who has worked with bands like Motionless In White, Blessthefall, I See StarsAttila, and Godsmack.

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Rock Allegiance Artist Showcase: SYLAR

From Queens, New York, Sylar brings a head-bobbing groove to this year’s Rock Allegiance festival. Their current sound reflects a fusion of rap-rock with heavy modern riffs harkens back to the early 2000’s influences that nu-metal brought to the table. Sylar came to fruition by the hands of singer Jayson Panesso and drummer Thomas Veroutis. Currently signed to Hopeless Records, they are set to release their third full length, “Seasons,” on October 5th.

Their first EP, “Deadbeat” will likely appeal more to a more hardcore audience and two full lengths in between bridge the gap to where the band currently is. Early material was produced by Beartooth frontman, Caleb Shomo, whom Sylar will tour with this fall, one of the stops being Rock Allegiance in Camden, New Jersey. You can check out our previous interview with the band here.

Sylar do an excellent job in paying homage to a major influence, Linkin Park in 2017 when they released a single of their cover of “Points of Authority.” Heavy, aggressive and sometimes unforgiving, Sylar find the perfect balance between chaos and composure. Panesso’s vocals carry a tune that glazes the beatdown riffs with something sweet.

October 6th, in Camden, NJ, Sylar will be a part of the fourth annual Rock Allegiance festival. Tickets are still for sale and can be purchased here, with some fabulous VIP options as well.