In the years to follow, Avenged Sevenfold would become all I would listen to. I was to the point where I wouldn’t shut up about them; my friends hated it. The Rev was, and is, my hero, and that will never change. On August 26, I had the chance to see them live. It was the greatest thing I have ever experienced in my life. They were head lining Uproar, the name of the tour, which included great bands like Escape the Fate, Seether, Bullet for my Valentine, and Three Days Grace. Avenged Sevenfold played most songs off of their Nightmare album, which I am reviewing.

“Nightmare” came out in 2010. It was dedicated to the former drummer. I thought the album was amazing; it was very dark and meaningful, from the opening song “Nightmare”, to the final song “Save Me.”

 The album begins with the song “Nightmare,” which can also be heard in the game Call of Duty: Black Ops, in the zombie map moon when you complete the easter egg. The album ends with the song “Save Me.” It is an impressive ten minutes long. Many people would say they don’t have the time for a song that long, but if you find time for it, it’s a beautiful song. Like many of the songs on the album it was written and dedicated for The Rev. It’s about how the drummer had died young. The album itself has many songs on how the band was hurt and will not forget him.

 There is also a song on the album called “Fiction”, originally entitled “Death.” It was the last song The Rev wrote, three days before he died. The Rev died before they were able to record the entire album as a band. The Rev, however, had recorded much of the drums and some vocals for the album, which can be heard on tracks like “Fiction” and “Save Me.” “Fiction’s” lyrics makes it seem like it’s a goodbye from The Rev, as in the song he sings, “I hope it’s worth it/here on the highway/ I know you’ll find your own way when I’m not with you.”

In the first week of the album’s release, “Nightmare” replaced Eminem’s album Recovery for the number one spot which shows that The Rev was more than just a drummer or song writer; he was a hero and role model to many.

The album does feature multiple collaborations and appearances with different artists. The list includes The Doors, Sirah, 12th Planet, and Kill The Noise. Wolfgang Garter even makes an appearance in “The Devil’s Den”. This is a sign that Skrillex’s popularity is growing even higher and higher, allowing him to get all these appearances from other musicians.

The similarities to his older work may be why Bangarang has been anticipated and well received. It topped the charts in the UK, The United States, Canada, and Australia. “Breaking a Sweat” gained so much popularity that it was used in the documentary Re: Generation. Bangarang grows even more popular as the EP gains momentum. The majority seems happy with his similarity to early albums, and this is most likely the reason for the EP’s success.

Overall, Bangarang is a success due to high sales from old fans and newcomers. While more hardcore fans may be disappointed with the lack of advancement, the more easy listening fans will be glad to hear him sticking to his style. Overall the album is a success, but suffers a bit from lack of support from the more in-depth fans.

After a while, I began to wonder why Dubstep could practically change my mood. So I did a little research. Turns out, that Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that has been on the rise for the last decade. This explains why I always want to dance when I hear it. As I researched more, I found out that it originated in London in the late 1990’s. The music was put together with a variety of Bass lines, drum patterns and overwhelming sounds. When meshed together, the new underground form of music was created.

Within the next half decade, many people started to realize the potential of the new genre and started creating their own mixes and music. Today, those same musicians are making millions of dollars producing and playing their music. Artists like Skrillex and Deadmau5 have swept the music industry by surprise. Even other artists, in different genres of music have started to incorporate Dubstep into their music.

Riverside Brookfield High school was hit by the new wave of Dubstep as well. Over the last year it became more and more popular. If you walked around and looked at RB students iPods, I guarantee you would find one, if not more Dubstep songs on them. Looking into the future, I suspect Dubstep will continue to grow in popularity. But for now, Dubstep is just the new hip genre of music, with the potential for bigger and better things.

Their previous album Assailants was originally going to be their farewell. Their sophomore album Illuminate was their musical peak thus far, and it was a brilliant masterpiece of an album with thought-provoking lyrics and beautiful melodies.

Paint it Golden is no Illuminate, but it is a great return for Lydia. I feel there is something to be missed without Mindy White, former vocalist and current singer for States, but the album is still one of their best.

The first single off this album is “Dragging Your Feet in the Mud.” This song has the same high quality vocals that are expected from Antelman, along with soft harmonies and background piano melodies.

My favorite song off Paint it Golden is “Ghosts” probably because it’s reminiscent of Illuminate with a slower beat and gradually getting louder throughout the song, and I love the touch of extreme auto-tune at the end.

Paint it Golden is just slightly more upbeat than Lydia’s previous albums, but definitely has the same feel to it. The lyrics are just amazing as Lydia has ever been. Even though Paint it Golden is no Illuminate, it is a great return for what is, in my opinion, the best band ever formed.

The Cinema isn’t really so much of a band as it is a side-project of Antelman’s and Malpass’. The entire album was recorded in a house in the mountains in Colorado, with no real intention to develop as a band.

Their sound has somewhat of an electronic indie-pop feel to it, a refreshing difference to the typical Top 40 radio stations. Every song is incredibly catchy with actual well-thought out lyrics and great vocals without the liberal use of autotune. The level of electronic beats is comparable to Owl City, but with better lyrics, a much more put together sound, and less pushing-buttons-on-the-synthesizer.

With no previous albums as a comparison, one can only really compare it to Lydia’s albums This December, Illuminate, and Assailants. This album is much more upbeat than anything Lydia has done, but still has the same underlying sounds and amazing lyrics as Antelman’s previous work.

It’s nearly impossible to pick a favorite track off this album, but the one that really sticks out is “My Blood is Full of Airplanes.” It’s the softest song on the album, and shows off both the vocal skills of Antelman, but the amazing technical and beat work of Malpass.

My Blood is Full of Airplanes is such a repeat-worthy album. The songs are just catchy enough to not get annoying after about one thousand plays and still have a new sound to them. This album leaves so much to be expected from Antelman and the upcoming album from his main project Lydia.

Oracular Spectacular was praised by critics and adored by fans. The album won
MGMT a Grammy nomination for best new artist and is certified platinum. This album was filled with dance-friendly tracks like Electric Feel and Kids and was a launching pad for MGMT’s career.

Instead of following the formula that was proven successful by the fist album MGMT has decided to take a completely different route.  Since the band has already reached success, the group is more willing to take risks and experiment with their sound.

Congratulations accomplishes just that. The album is a long way from
the band’s first album; the pop-synth tracks are replaced by psychedelic songs.

The band has stated that this album is not for everyone and that is true. If you are a casual MGMT fan who likes the band for its radio-friendly songs then you will probably be disappointed by this album.

If you are a fan of MGMT and listened to the 13-minute epic song Metanoia that the band released last year, the band’s stylistic change will not surprise you.

True MGMT followers will most likely like it, although this album does not have the immediate effect of Oracular Spectacular. This album might go over your head at first, but if you’re patient, you’re in for a treat.

Although  Congratulations does not offer any catchy singles like Electric Feel and Kids some of the  tracks that make this album great are the 11 minute epic  Siberian Breaks, Flash Delirium, and the title track Congratulations.