Bloody Valentine - Machine Gun Kelly

Machine Gun Kelly (MGK), Cleveland, Ohio, born rapper is well known for his work with Yungblud, Travis Barker, Sleeping With Sirens, Halsey amongst many other household names. Late September 2020, Kelly released his fifth studio album Tickets To My Downfall which was the first taste fans got, of the rapper's pop-punk side. 

 

Photo Credit - Johnathan Weiner

It is little to no secret that Kelly sought very limited success within rap regardless of tracks like Bad Thing ft. Camila Cabello Wild Boy and At My Best ft. Hailee Steinfeld, which both have found success over time. Being part of the industry for 15 years and counting, it was time for a change. Although it is admirable how long Kelly stuck to his music in the rap genre, it was a vital step to growing success. Time and time again musicians alter their styles for a plethora of different reasons. In this case, MGK is no different. 

 

His fifth studio LP, Tickets To My Downfall is the passport to pop-punk for his career. Although we are not hearing his singing for the first time, there is a sparse element of surprise to the tracks. It’s a stimulating and energising alteration from his other works.

 

Photo credit - Nathan James

The first single released off the album, Bloody Valentine was the first real taste fans had into pop-punk MGK. The melodic track offered a desirable tune which is a refreshing yet compelling reminiscence is very Blink-182 vibes. Which in turn makes sense, since Blink-182 drummer, Travis Barker produced the track. The first listen of the single came with its music video, featuring Megan Fox.

 

Bloody Valentine seeks the passion-pain elements of an intense relationship. It opens with the stereotypical scene-setting of MGK lip-syncing the track but; things quickly change perspectives when Kelly gets taped up, and Fox is singing. Fox takes Kelly’s place with the performance element keeping the video captivating and a pleasure to watch. Even when we see her pick up Kelly’s guitar, acting like him, attitude and all. The sheer juxtaposition between him and Fox, one minute we have him performing, the next we have him tied up, taped, and electrocuted. All apart of the journey of the relationship, so it would seem.

 

Photo credit - Nathan James

The biggest role played during this fun reenactment of a female dominant relationship comes from Fox herself, keeping things lighthearted and pleasurable to watch. Although there were comedic elements the overall gist of the video reinstates the message of MGK’s track. Visually the video works in all elements, but auditory the energy is there from the get-go.

 

Final thoughts on Tickets to My Downfall and Bloody Valentine is that cold-hard fans will be torn. They either love this side of MGK or hate it. The good to come out of this version of his discography is it has influenced Kelly to delve deeper, into a much more raw sound and a darker sound that we are yet to get from him. The year is rapidly running out though, so if we are to be getting a 2021 LP from Kelly, he has very little time left. 

 

Available to stream on all major platforms!

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All Time Low Live at the O2 Apollo Manchester

After almost 2 years without live music, it’s no secret that the next few months are integral to the success of live music’s rebirth. Within this time, the last UK performance All Time Low did was Slam Dunk 2019. The weekend of introducing the bare bones of Wake Up Sunshine with the incredibly captivating track Getaway Green. Candidly, Alex admitted that he and the band were grateful to be stood on the stage last night after the tour faced unknown fates with the ever-changing restrictions. He continued to send his admiration and love for the sold-out room packed full of every kind of fan possible. 

O2 Apollo Manchester - Lupe

It cannot be explained the passion and excitement that invaded the room as the first strum of Some Kind of Disaster began. Fans rushed forward and quickly everyone became friends with those they hadn’t arrived with. There is something to be said about All Time Low fans. The sense of community is so strong that you could easily turn to the person next to you, and dance your heart out without it being deemed as ‘out-of-the-blue. 

O2 Apollo Manchester - Lupe

Supporting guests Meet Me @ The Altar, and The Maine warmed up the audience like it was Christmas Day. The audience could not stop chattering about the incredible performances of both bands. Meet Me @ The Altar’s setlist comprised mainly new material, tunes such as Garden and Now or Never had the room grooving instantaneously, with a rare amount of bodies not getting into the spirit. 

Well that all changed once The Maine hit the stage. Playing some well-known songs of theirs like Bad Behaviour, Everything I Ask For and Slip The Noose; a lack of dancing bodies did not seem to be an issue. Unfortunately, some attending were less fortunate about experiencing these two guest bands, as a result of the overwhelming queue of people parked around the building, and down the surrounding two streets near the venue. By The Maine’s last few remaining songs everyone was in the room, and generously hugged side by side.

O2 Apollo Manchester - Lupe

Staple songs from the Baltimore Boys setlist got the crowd roaring, screaming, and dancing without a second thought. Therapy and Missing You got a loving response with a fair few tearing up. Dark Side of Your Room, PMA, Dirty Laundry, and Backseat Serenade gained a similar response, but mainly encouraged a few circle pits rather than tears. Nothing, however, beat the noise made for Glitter and Crimson nor Monsters. They had fans going at it with all they had. In those moments the atmosphere was magical. To try and explain it, would be an injustice to it. 

O2 Apollo Manchester - Lupe

An elbow to the head here and a stomp on the foot there, All Time Low at the o2 Apollo Manchester, will forever sit amongst one of the best concerts I’ve attended. Not because of the tracks played, or even the fact that it was All Time Low, but for the fact that the audience, the venue, and the staff made the night something to remember. Even Jack’s perfectly timed comments about the venue's interior and ceiling designs are something to hold on to.

Are you a fan of the band and debating on whether to see them live? Well, I have good news…they are returning in the summer of 2022. It is worth considering if you are a fan.

O2 Apollo Manchester - Lupe

What can we expect next from the Baltimore boys? Who knows. But knowing All Time Low, it will be just as fun and just as energy-packed as it always has been. Hopefully, some new tunes to look forward to as well, despite the band's immediate plans for a new album just yet; but never say never.

Instagram; 

@alltimelow

@themaineband

@mmataband 

@armm_publication

Photos;

@_lupe

Romantic Disaster - Lil Lotus ft. Chrissy Costanza

Against The Current’s lead singer Chrissy Costanza and rapper Lil Lotus recently released their first-ever collaboration together this past May, ‘Romantic Disaster’. 

 

The single is a featured song on Lotus’ upcoming album Error Boy, set to release August 30, being produced by several names amongst them being John Feldmann. Lotus’ original plans for the track were a single vocal to match the other parts of his album, but after testing out many vocal runs both Feldmann and Lotus knew something was missing. Costanza and Lotus previously connected through a mutual friend, and was partly the reason for her introduction to the track. After recording Romantic Disaster in the studio, the pair dove straight into the music video recording with little break between, ensuring that they made it just as wild and inviting as the tune itself.

 

Romantic Disaster is the typical ‘what it says on the tin’ style song. The title encapsulates the theme in its truest form. A romantic disaster of a relationship, which Lotus later commented saying that his upcoming LP, follows a pattern of bad relationships. However, he worships this single as being the more positive twist on a relationship that shouldn’t work but in some ways it does. With a kickstart instrumental intro and an abrupt-like vocal outro, the track leaves lyrical imagination throughout. Not only do Costanza’s and Lotus’ vocals partner well together, but the way that Chrissy brings her personality and charismatic nature to the fun-loving and lighthearted song drives this tune into a fresh direction for the duo. 

 

There is no harsh or overpowering instrumentation despite the overwhelming lead of guitar throughout. The vocals as a whole are light, affectionate with a twinkle of that raw vocal peeping through ever so slightly, welcoming a very relatable aesthetic. It is upbeat, wholehearted and just the right amount of passion to pass off as a feel-good song for any mood. 

 

A similar thing could be said about the accompanying video, which captures the tale of a robber couple, fleeing with what appears to be millions of dollars in their hands to a nearby motel. Unfolding within the song is the imperfect, perfect relationship. There is a lot wrong with the relationship that suggests that the two shouldn’t work but the good moments in a variety of ways leave interpretation for otherwise. Their imperfect is a different kind of perfect.

 

Stream/Listen/Watch to Romantic Disaster here:

 Romantic Disaster (Official Music Video) ft. Chrissy Costanza

 

Also available on all major streaming platforms!

Other notable information;

Against The Current - Fever - July 23, 2021

Lil Lotus - Error Boy - August 30, 2021

Bullet For My Valntine release ultra heavy single from upcoming self-titled LP...

Bullet For My Valentine (BFMV), a Welsh heavy metal band releases its first single from upcoming self-titled LP. The new album is set to be released this October 22nd, through Spinefarm Records. Knives is the first taste of what the seventh LP will sound like and so far fans are hooked. Hitting straight out of the gate, Knives explores a modern twist on classic metalcore guitar riffs with the flare of traditional BFMV. Albeit a much heavier track than we have ever heard from the Welsh group before, the single still encompasses the captivating lyricism and snappy chorus hook that they are renowned for. 

Credit: Fiona Garden

A lot more of a raw vocal has been utilised this time around, which brings out the more brutal and aggressive side of BFMV. The surprise elements of powerful drum fills and tempo changes, make the track's breakdown that much more enjoyable and slightly surprising. Although the band is known for some classic breakdowns within their songs, this breakdown hits differently. The single itself signifies a new era of BFMV that has never been heard before. Leading man Matt Tuck has said that the band felt it was time for this new sound and plenty of fans agree. 

With the enriching brutality of Knives, it will be interesting to see just how different their new LP will be, and how many of the classic BFMV elements that we will see. So far the raw and dirty vocal of Tuck hits back to some of the earlier discography, with many elements of stereotypical metalcore that meshes fairly with modern-day technology and sound.

Their upcoming seventh album has been produced by Carl Brown (Producer of Venom, Mixer of Gravity), and is available for pre-orders now!

Album Artwork:

Full Track List:

01. Parasite
02. Knives
03. My Reverie
04. No Happy Ever After
05. Can’t Escape The Waves
06. Bastards
07. Rainbow Veins
08. Shatter
09. Paralysed
10. Death By A Thousand Cuts

Music Video: 

ARMM rates this track: 4.5/5

25 - The Pretty Reckless

The Pretty Reckless, an American rock band from New York City, composed of lead singer Taylor Momsen, lead guitarist Ben Phillips, bassist Mark Damon, and drummer Jamie Perkins. Released on the new album Death By Rock and Roll, ‘25’ is the single that changes it all for the album. The pivotal sound change of the LP. Their fourth studio album hits off with hard rock tunes, ‘Death By Rock and Roll’, ‘Only Love Can Save Me Now’ and ‘And So It Went’. 

credit: Press

The track starts with echoing guitar then delves straight into soft expressive vocals which are something slightly different from Momsen. Although Momsen is known for her hard-hitting vocal range, the idea of soft vocals in the verses makes the atmospheric instrumentation stand out as a defining feature. The softer verse juxtaposed with the heavier rock vocal heard from the chorus making each chorus more powerful, as the song progresses. “At 25, all hope has died” describes the headspace that Momsen was in at the time of the tune's creation, back in 2019 before Momsen’s 25th birthday. The way that she would describe this song is autobiographical. It is telling a narrative of the lead singer's life throughout the years, and the different events that she has faced. Although ‘25’ was written in a time of despair and latent depression, the song expresses a more reminiscent side rather than a melancholic side.

It is interesting to note that the music video for the single, plays along with the juxtaposition of the vocal alterations within the song through the use of New York City. Momsen wanted to film her music video for ‘25’ in NYC because of the obvious relationship she and the state have with one another. The video almost seems like a love letter to the city, acting as if the relationship between a man and a woman, is actually between her and the city. The juxtaposition here is the glamour of New York versus the pain and suffering that the city also experiences. 

‘25’ is a powerful rock ballad that showcases something much different from The Pretty Reckless. It is the album that shows a mature side of the band that we have not seen yet before, but is also an experimentation for the band with a new producer and almost seems like there is less to hide on this album as a whole. At age 25, the song and the album seem to be a turning point for Momsen and a light at the end of a very dull tunnel, until now. To end the song, as fitting as the song's premise and the introduction...a powerful instrumentation outro with chimes of a clock, signifying the passing of time in Momsen’s life. 

The Pretty Reckless - Death By Rock And Roll tracklist:

1. Death By Rock And Roll
2. Only Love Can Save Me Now (feat. Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil)
3. And So It Went (feat. Tom Morello)
4. 25
5. My Bones
6. Got So High
7. Broomsticks
8. Witches Burn
9. Standing At The Wall
10. Turning Gold
11. Rock And Roll Heaven
12. Harley Darling

Fabrication - Future Nightfall

Future Nightfall, the sister project for Lucy Everitt releases her debut single Fabrication tomorrow, Saturday 24th April 2021. Being the debut single, listeners get an insight into exactly who Future Nightfall is, and exactly what she has to offer.

Artwork credits - Lucy Everitt

The synthwave track has a welcoming retro-esque feel with the classic building blocks of a modern-day tune. A typical fade in intro and fade out outro leaves a lot to be distinguished within. Like many of the synthwave tracks, Fabrication has an underlying futurepop vibe with its dance beat that can be linked to those of trance and techno music. Industrial beats, rhythm changes, and chord progression alterations are just a small part of Future Nightfall’s debut and leaves an open concept for what we will see next from her. 

Small atmospheric changes in the bridge, digresses the listeners' perception of the song briefly, drawing the ears back into the tune for the final remaining minute. Although the track has the same melody behind the track, leading it throughout with other instruments does not hinder the overall outcome. If the song was any longer than 4 minutes, the melody might become too much but in this case...it works. The heavy presence of the drums and subtlety of the keyboard, the self-production of the track from start to finish, and the ambiance of the song; are just some of the many reasons that fans of synthwave will resonate with this debut single.

To pre-save the single -

https://show.co/VqE7pO3

For more on Future Nightfall -

Instagram - @futurenightfall

Once In A Lifetime - All Time Low

All time low is a band that just keeps on giving. Shortly after their eighth studio album release Wake Up, Sunshine the basement boys teased Once In A Lifetime. After teasing fans with an abrupt and slightly confusing audio piece, the band announced their new single Once In A Lifetime, within a few mere hours of the radio play. Fast forward to today and here we are... All Time Low's new single, and it is far from disappointing.

In typical All Time Low fashion, the track is upbeat, energetic, and embodies the ‘classic’ pop-punk sound of the band with an edgy rock undertone. Although seemingly repetitive with the title throughout the song, it is the perfect depiction of a feel-good summer song. Imagine being sat in your car, windows down with the air blasting through your hair and this song blasting through the speakers. That is the song wrapped in one.

A breakup song is nothing new for the band to sing about but this track in particular went down the route of feeling low in the breakup stages of a failed relationship, and the trails that one will take. A rather universal concept seemingly but done in a more All Time Low way. The instrumental almost seems polar opposite to the lyrics, but as we have learned from the bands Wake Up, Sunshine era, the best songs are written out of a hard place. However, it does feel like a continuation from W.U.S. Although it is too early to tell whether or not this new track will be part of the same era, begin a new era or be a stand-alone single like Birthday and Everything Is Fine, one thing so far is for certain. All Time Low has still got it. 

From the get go, the chamber of echoes repeating the title is an abrupt way to open, leaving little to no time for the listener to question if it's worth the 3 minutes of listening. Which it is. Alongside this is a short instrumental pause between the first chorus and second verse, which offers a gentle brief break from vocals before it jumping back into the faster-paced verse progressions. These progressions are snappy and poetic all at the same time, whilst offering dimension and a Monsters like feel to this single. Heavily vocal-led, ringing guitar and steady backline, Once In A Lifetime brings back the sentimental tones of their last album in a rollover sense. But what will come next?