Aster Tracks

Between You & Me - Armageddon (Hopeless) Was really anticipating this album and I’m not necessarily disappointed but my initial reaction is that I heard the best material in the singles and there wasn’t much more waiting for me. I also am seeing a huge upset about the lack of promotion on this record on Hopeless’ side and I couldn't agree more. I do want to point out if you were surprised by this release that our release radar is updated daily and the date for this album has been on there since September. Dan Campbell - Other People’s Lives (Loneliest Place on Earth/Miscellaneous) The Wonder Years frontman delivers his solo debut. If you like any of the bands he’s been involved with you’ll like this. His same writing style is still present just in a stripped back, almost blues-like setting. This was a nice one to check out this week. Mayday Parade - What it Means to Fall Apart (Rise) I have been a huge Mayday Parade fan all my life. I think that with each new album they get be...

Hi everyone, it’s me! Aster from Heart Attack Man and it’s time for a review of this new Heart Attack Man EP; “Thoughtz and Prayerz.” This is the newest set of songs from Cleavland, OH’s Heart Attack Man the follow up to 2019’s Fake Blood , though last year the band dropped “Notes App Apology.” A song in which Hammy shows they have no fuckin’ patience for the fake garbage that band dudes spit out when exposed for being monsters. On this record they show more of that attitude and much more. The lead and only single “Pitch Black” is a sick post-hardcore song where you can tell this band were huge about the genre in the 2000s there’s even a quick lick in there that sounds like The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. There is a rapid-fire drum line that takes you from the first chorus to the second first pretty violently. The song isn’t all circle pit though it starts acoustic before throwing you on your ass then loops back around at the very end. Lyrically Eric does some cool word play presenting “ro...

Gold Necklace - Gold Necklace (kill iconic) Pretty much any Kurt Travis band I’m gonna be a bit into based on his talent as a vocalist alone. While I do like the more funk inspired songwriting and approach to this record the overall result isn’t wowing me. I’m gonna hold onto this and see how I feel on repeat listens, however, and I know there’s been a great fan response to this aside. The Seafloor Cinema - In Cinemascope with Stereosonic Sound (Pure Noise) This band has had a big year, getting signed to Pure Noise and dropping heat after heat in those singles. This is a great record to cap it all off too. Elements of pop punk and progressive post-hardcore with a lot of genre play in between. Been on repeat this week. Silk Sonic - An Evening with Silk Sonic (Aftermath / Atlantic) The long-awaited record finally hits after a year of hit singles between two huge names in their respective genres. Not much to say here except that it’s a great time to listen to and great songs overall. Wish...

Sugar Coat by New Jersey’s Pollyanna is an EP that was actually released last year but I missed until about the summer of this year. That EP stuck with me hard. I just could not put it down and I really wanted to write something about it and I did but I’ll be the first to admit that the format I came up with to talk about it was pretty bad by design and I almost feel it was embarrassing to put out. That’s why when the band announced signing to I Surrender records, a tour, an upcoming record and the deluxe reissue of this EP with a vinyl release I was very excited. Both as a fan that a band I admire so much was doing exciting things for themselves and in running this blog so I could talk about it in a better format.    In the midst of all those announcements came a new single, “Monster,” which finds its way on this “new” release. It starts out acoustic and taps into full band with a nice part-drumroll part-time bomb sound. Also loving the lines and how they compliment the ...

ABBA - Voyage (Universal) First ABBA record in forty years and to be honest it was sort of a challenge to get through. The singles were just fine and the overall record is kind of just repetitive. A band like this doesn’t need to release a great record this late in their career but was sort of looking forward to this one and am pretty let down. Bullet for My Valentine - Bullet for My Valentine (Spinefarm / Search & Destroy) Speaking of being let down, God was this a big one. The singles were acceptable but with the marketing you’d think this thing was The Poison or at least Scream Aim Fire levels. I also feel like the self-titled status and the album intro really show a cocky attitude toward a record that’s overall really bland and could go on shuffle on Octane and no one would even notice. Diablo Swing Orchestra - Swagger & Stroll Down the Rabbit Hole I cannot for the life of me figure this record out. Every track is a completely different genre altogether from ska to electro ...

Back in the summer I was able to be one of the first to tell you about “Opulence,” the first single off a still upcoming, still untitled, I Met a Yeti EP. This coming Friday the band is set to release the second of the batch with “Red-Eyes B. Yeti” alongside a video that appropriately serves as a sequel to their 2019 hit “Blue-Eyes White Yeti.” The song tackles themes of chasing dreams with a loved one and the loyalty that must come with that. The band had this to say about the track itself; “The foundation of Red-Eyes B. Yeti was written in Sacramento, California while staying in a motel for a couple of nights between tour dates. This song soon became one of our most collaborative efforts with everyone weighing in on the tiniest of details. We recorded this song with Matt Goings of Killian Studios, who also engineered/produced/mixed, and mastered Opulence. We also worked with Kyle Hoffer again, having him track Daisy’s vocals.” The track opens with a serene guitar intro backed by ligh...

Black Veil Brides - The Phantom Tomorrow (Sumerian) Based on the singles I was hoping this was finally the BVB record that impressed me but oh was I wrong. Manages to be just as, if not more, bland than their previous works. The instrumental interludes also add nothing at all to the experience. I’ll keep “Fields of Bone” on a playlist but they can keep the rest of this one. Calling All Captains - Slowly Getting Better (Equal Vision) Heartful pop punk with a gruff delivery, this a good and quick listen. Not sure what else I can really say here but give it a try. Save Face - Another Kill for the Highlight Reel (Epitaph) Sounds like My Chemical Romance and is even from the same place, but Save Face have a heart that is their own. I’ve been looking forward to this for a while and it did not disappoint. Attack Attack! - Long Time, No Sea (Oxide) The long-awaited return EP is finally here and made up of all the tracks released throughout the year plus one new song. I’ve been pretty vocal all...