/ Nick Rich

/ Progress In Color

Sent By Ravens delivers exceptionally catchy melodic rock n’ roll with moments of heaviness and an overall message of hope. Their debut album, Our Graceful Words, abounds with deliciously memorable songs bringing to mind the brightest moments of bands like Emery, whose own Matt Carter helped craft the South Carolina group’s debut album with producer Aaron Sprinkle.

There is punk rock passion, melodic pop skill and joyful, soulful intelligence throughout the band’s music, bolstered by driving power and the soaringly smooth voice of Zach Riner. Guitarists Andy O’Neal and JJ Leonard weave hard-charging guitars together with fluid hooks overtop the solid rhythm of drummer Dane Anderson.

The young band has created a record beyond their years, with decidedly mature and starkly honest examinations of a renewing strength in the face of fears. Our Graceful Words is a record one of the strongest debut albums in recent memory, from a band whose story is just beginning to unfold

/ Sent By Ravens

With somewhat of a fresh start, Life On Repeat are preparing to spread their infectious brand of pop-rock with melodic hooks, dance-able beats and driving guitars in the form of a digital EP to be recorded with producer Brian McTernan (Thrice, Circa Survive, Senses Fail) in August and released later this fall. “He’s responsible for so many successful albums that each of us grew up listening to. When we heard that we had the opportunity to record with him, it was a no-brainer,” explained Walker. “Upon leaving the studio, we wish to not see home for months at a time, no matter what it takes,” Baylis expressed what could possible be the band’s mantra. Striving to perfect their craft not only in the studio, but more importantly live, self-booked tours have kept the band on the road for over two years, including shows with Versa Emerge, Dance Gavin Dance, The Ataris, and more. Just a month ago, Life On Repeat played all 6 dates of Cornerstone Festival 2009. While consistent touring is an essential ingredient for the recipe of any successful band, it was a much bigger requirement for the quintet. “In a nutshell, there is no music scene in Salisbury; the closest venues are about 2 hours away. We rented out halls and churches to hold our own shows,” Walker described. “Throughout the past year or so, we’ve basically established our own local scene through the shows we’ve set up.” Of the signing to Equal Vision Records, the band says, “Equal Vision has not only launched the careers of many highly respected artists, but they have maintained a work ethic that continues to prove they are here to stay. From day one, we aspired to be involved with a label that is, in every way, able to properly have our music heard. We couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds with Life On Repeat and EVR.”

/ Life on Repeat

/ The Wedding

In a pop-rock world of neon and auto-tune, it’s not very often that a band has a clear vision for themselves, their music and what they represent. But Ivoryline isn’t just any band.

Two years ago, the band out of Tyler, TX released their Tooth & Nail debut THERE CAME A LION (2008) which opened as one of the best-selling albums from a new band in the label’s history. While it can be attributed to driving guitars and catchy choruses, the success of the band’s first effort can also be traced back to the passion and integrity of the songs.

As their career developed, Ivoryline intended to expand on this sincerity. So when it came time to work on their sophomore album VESSELS, they started simply. “We just started writing,” says vocalist Jeremy Gray. “We didn’t really have a plan or agenda for the record. We just wrote what was on our hearts and hashed out the songs together. We had ample time to get the songs just the way we wanted and had a blast writing and recording the record. It really was one of the most exciting, joy-filled times of my life.”

And that genuine excitement and joy the band has for their music comes through in the songs. Joined by Guitarist Dusty Kittle, Bassist Robert Woodward and Drummer Wesley Hart, Gray and Ivoryline began taking the band’s sound to a new level. “With The Daylight” and “Hearts Open” harken to the heart of the band’s catchy rock core while “Search Me Out” and “Instincts” take that sentiment and forge forward to plateaus like “Made From Dust” and “You Bring Fire,” which are arguably the most ethereal and moody songs of the band’s career.

“It’s been four years or so since some of the songs on THERE CAME A LION were written. Our tastes in music have changed, and we have changed as people,” explains Gray. “As a band, we listen to all different types of music from classical and movie scores to metal and hardcore. Since we do all our writing together, we influence each other all the time, and we employ each other’s strengths and different tastes in the writing process.”

But it wasn’t just enough for the songs to have more to them, the band also wanted their new music to have a renewed meaning. “During the recording process, I began praying that God would literally fill our songs, lyrics, and the album as a whole with His Spirit; that he would use us as His vessels. That was just really on my heart,” Gray says.

Thus VESSELS was born.

“The record is definitely more honest, revealing, and spiritual than our previous,” continues Gray. “We really want it to impact people in a deep way. Of course we want them to jam it and love the songs, but we also want people to be uplifted, loved, and maybe even challenged by some of the topics we address.”

The band has presented this challenge across the country, touring with acts such as Family Force 5, The Maine, Silverstein and Emery. “Through the years in the band, doors being opened and closed, thousands of miles of driving, one of the main things we’ve learned is anything can happen. God surprises us all the time. Many of the things we have been able to accomplish have blown our minds. So we’ve learned to take it day by day.”

/ Ivoryline

An empowering call-to-arms descends upon the weak-minded, the undecided, the superficially concerned with the arrival of Son Of The Morning, the new album from OH, SLEEPER. On the followup to their When I Am God debut, these Texan lads obliterate any notions of the “sophomore slump” with an alarming urgency sure to excite anyone with even a cursory interest in bands like Underoath, Slipknot or Dillinger Escape Plan. Oh, Sleeper has crafted a concept album detailing the final battle between the devil (with Micah Kinard screaming in character on the title track) and God (with Kinard answering on “The Finisher,” which closes the record) from start to finish. Produced by Andreas Magnusson (Black Dahlia Murder), Oh, Sleeper’s Son Of The Morning is poised to turn 2009 upside down. 

Kinard and guitarist / vocalist Shane Blay (ex-Between The Buried And Me) offer a brilliant and somehow uncontrived vocal point / counterpoint with the ten catchiest heavy anthems of recent memory, delivering on the promise hinted at by the first album’s breakout video / single, “Vices Like Vipers.” 

There is not a moment of filler on Son Of The Morning, with Kinard screaming his heart out while Blay and guitarist James Erwin add just enough shred and complexity to their blazingly memorable riffs. New drummer Matt Davis is full of dynamics and power without ever sounding needlessly busy, laying down a foundation sure to elevate him to the upper ranks of heavy music drummers. Bass player Lucas Starr, who started out in Tooth & Nail rockers Terminal alongside Erwin, injects the proceedings with power and groove which anchors everything heard on Son Of The Morning. Kinard weaves a literary and intellectual yet relatable tale of good, evil and humankind’s spiritual struggle.

If “The New Breed” and “Commissioned By Kings” (with it’s “bring out the dead! bring out the dead!” chorus) don’t get your fists pumping, nothing will. “A Banquet For Traitors,” “In All Honesty” — Epic moments, driving moments, pummeling and punishing moments — all are to be found in abundance throughout the record. A few tasteful doses of electronics can be found on the record which combined with Blay’s soaring vocal melodies lend balance to the otherwise ultra-heavy assault. 

The broken pentagram adorning the cover of Son Of The Morning represents evil vanquished, both inside and out. Oh, Sleeper has brought their music to stages across the world touring with bands like Underoath, Bleeding Through, Haste The Day, Bring Me The Horizon, Every Time I Die and more, sharing their musical and spiritual point of view. 

/ Oh, Sleeper

MEMPHIS MAY FIRE have consistently pushed the envelope to redefine both themselves and the various sub-genres they’ve made their mark within. 2009’s “Sleepwalking” full-length yielded no exception as the band ventured into the territory of Post-Hardcore / Southern Rock with no reservations. Their fresh approach to an otherwise stale scene gathered critical acclaim and found “Ghost In The Mirror” featured on the both the Saw VI Soundtrack and DVD/Blu-Ray releases. Subsequent touring with the likes of Asking Alexandria, From First To Last, and Alesana facilitated the delivery of their music to the masses and established a live precedent that the band continues to build on today.

Following well-received releases on both Trustkill & Bullet Tooth, domestic/international touring success (featuring the band’s first visit to Japan) and a tag as one of Revolver Magazine’s “Top 25 Under 25,” we’re left with only one certainty; members Matt Mullins (vocals), Kellen McGregor (guitar), Ryan Bentley (guitar), Cory Elder (bass), and Jake Garland (drums) are headed somewhere fast.

In fact, it’s safe to say that MEMPHIS MAY FIRE are “Sleepwalking” no longer. Their latest effort, “Between The Lies,” boasts an elevated aggression that tastefully combines elements of melodic metal, southern rock, and electronics amidst a platform of carefully crafted songwriting. Existing solely in the digital realm, this EP is clearly an indication of things to come in terms of its unique dynamics & cross-genre experimentation. 

Fast forward to 2011 and MEMPHIS MAY FIRE have now partnered with Rise Records as an outlet for their musical creativity. This move continues to broaden the band’s reach and welcomes a new world of possibilities within the scope of their burgeoning career. MMF’s high-octane live show acts as a testament to their ever-increasing identity and always leaves the audience wanting more. Expect their RISE debut to enter your lives later this spring alongside a massive touring cycle that is sure to reach your doorstep. Critics beware; MEMPHIS MAY FIRE are not only here to stay, they’re paving the way.

/ Memphis May Fire