Wednesday's Music of choice 4/20

Side Eye- Demo 2022

Coming off a mid-April tour including the sold-out show in Fort Worth, Texas, Side Eye has generated a huge buzz as they stomped their way across the nation. I had the pleasure of meeting the vocalist Gray in Louisville at the LDB weekend early March, I’ll never forget his signature yellow beanie floating around the ballroom throughout the weekend. The Midwest Hardcore band released their DEMO 2022 right before tour with accompanying lyrics for fans to learn with urgency. The demo is a solid 3-piece combo at roughly 7 minutes. The intro comes in hot and heavy with a metallic pit opener to let you know what time it is. Gray lets out the battle cry with noticeable amount of reverb to get things started. Not long after does War of Illusion chime in with hardcore delight; excellent way to induce a two step, ragetastic riot to get the crowd going. The right amount of angst and bounce for the modern hardcore kid to love and respect. Hardcore Pride is a 37 second thrashy banger that starts as soon as it ends. It’s just enough to get straight to the point while throwing yourself into the side of the pit, slip, fall and bust a few heads or two. The guitar solo into the drum solo track is a nice touch. Suffering is the perfect song for the Texas headbanger, that one good ole repetitive riff is the bread and butter of this delicious demo, dipped in the right amount of sauce that would almost make you think there was a bit of down south seasoning added to it. Tap the images below to check out the Side Eye Demo

Amnesia Garden- think of this as a loving embrace on the day you can no longer be in my arms (demo mp3)

DFW’s Avant- Garde, or in their terms, Avant- gore band Amnesia Garden has outdone their selves again, the true epitome of “never let them know your next move”. When lead vocalist Morgan expressed to me that the band was heading toward an eccentric direction, I wasn’t sure what to expect. In many ways, that’s the beauty of the term “avant-garde”, and Amnesia does relishes in that space of radical and unorthodox approach to their sound. Speaking of approach, I found a bit of difficulty to properly translate to the reader the tone of this track but as an avid writer and a challenge seeker, I tried my best. On easter day and in collaboration with PCB. Fetus and Xandra Abney, think of this as a loving embrace on the day you can no longer be in my arms is an eleven-minute track that tugs at the experimental fabric. Off top, it features an assortment on soothing sounds that mimics the characteristics of a late evening relaxation instrumental with a hint of eeriness. It was then that my memory chimed in as Morgan made the comment of Amnesia Garden heading towards a sound that was fit for movie scores. From the start, it eases its way into your eardrums as a melancholic ballad with a steady stream of water droplets, moaning vocals, ambient guitar and the clashing of dancing wind chimes, so it seems. Minutes later, the track bleeds into the calm, yet chilling singing voice of Xandra Abney. Little did I know, it sets the tone for the tail end of the track, captivating an ominous vibe. It gets a bit spooky as I can kept my ears open to the now steady stream of rain or rushing from up above. The stream intensifies followed by a creepy synth sound that reminds of the horror movie The Poughkeepsie Tapes. Don’t take my word for it though, find out for yourself by tapping the image below.

Deep Cover- Demo

If it hasn’t been said yet, I will say it; Fort Worth has its own brand of hardcore with exceptional Texas flavor. There is no exaggeration necessary to embellish the statement of the true-blue Texan Ty Yarborough is the godfather of Fort Worth. The elder statesman of the scene is currently in 6 current bands, alongside being a father, family man and is a working-class citizen. Along with Ozone, Feral Cry, Chainmale, Holy Order and Burning enters Ty’s latest band, Deep Cover

Coming in hot with a good ole 6 pack and is roughly 10 mins long, Deep Cover doesn’t hold back its Texas pride for anyone. It is easy to tell how marinated in southern flavor it is from the signature metallic riffs presented throughout the majority of this project. The smooth transitions for the riffage to the up-tempo punk/ thrash parts indicate its foundation in hardcore roots. There are a couple of solo parts that always have an ear for, reminding me of what I know and love in TXHC. Let’s not forget to mention the definitive level of catchiness and groove showcased in the song H. O. H, possessing all the components of a track to jam out to and rock with your socks off. The one thing that I wholeheartedly enjoy about this project is the raw characteristic in the recording and the pissed off element that captivates the essence of the genre their sound stems from. Influenced by bands such as Cold as Life and Killing Time, tap the image below to check out the Deep Cover ep