NEW MUSIC CORNER # 60 (BRAND NEW SIN/MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER/THE MAGNIFICENT)

[RJhog (Admin)]

The year is rapidly coming to an end, and since I have a surplus of new albums, I'm posting three this week. I've got three rockers for you, so grab your headphones, pop the top, sit back and turn it up to eleven.

Brand New Sin - United State

1. Know Yourself

2. Rotten As Hell

3. Elbow Grease

4. Goddess Of War

5. Sad Wings (Acoustic)

United State is Brand New Sin's 5th studio album.  The band comes from Syracuse, NY and plays straight ahead, in your face rock and roll.  They opened for Slash and Myles Kennedy in 2010.  The album features some nice guitar playing by new lead guitarist Tommy Matkowski.  The album features 13 proper tracks and 3 bonus tracks.  There are two covers, one which isn't anything special (AC/DC's What Do You Do For Money Honey) and a nice cover of Black Sabbath's The Wizzard.  I wanted to include it, but I wanted these 5 originals as well.  The vocalist isn't particularly good, but I've already gotten use to it and I like this album.

Packaging:  Proper Jewel Case and Printed Lyrics.

Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster - IV

6. Faith Healer (Bring Me Down)

7. Killing Me Slow

8. Taking On Water

9. Never Enough

10. Cat's Walk

Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster are a southern metalcore band from Birmingham, Alabama.  This is their fourth studio album, and that's pretty much all I know.  The vocals here are a lot better than on the previous album. 

Packaging: No Jewel Case (Cardboard pocket for the CD) and Printed Lyrics

The Magnificent - The Magnificent

11. Memories

12. Satin & Lace

13. Bullets

14. Smoke & Fire

15. Harvest Moon

Again, I don't know much about this band.  It's a collaboration between Michael Eriksen (vocalist for Circus Maximus) and Torsti Spoof (guitarist for Leverage).  It's pure melodic rock, with the best vocals of the three albums. 

Packaging: Proper Jewel Case and Printed Lyrics

[RJhog (Admin)]

Sorry about the choppy presentation.  The text editor didn't work worth a crap tonight, and I'm too tired to try to fix it.

[Scott]

BRAND NEW SIN ...  Two Thumbs down

I dont know, I tend to think that bands that feel the need to fill their lyrics full of cussing usually are lacking something in the creative and unique departments so they make up for it with shock value.  But the reality remains that underneath it all is not very good music.  I dont like this one for several reasons the latter being the biggest.  I do agree with you on the geetar work, especially on Goddess of War.

 

MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER ... Two thumbs even

Love the cover art work, specifically that worn in ring like it contained a vinyl disc for years!  And the opener is promising.  Love the acoustic undertone.  The first three tracks are pretty strong, the last two.. eh...  But it has some nice melodic work, may be worth another listen to see how it grows on me.

 

THE MAGNIFICENT ... Two Thumbs doing the same thing as everyone else

Kind of looks and sounds like every other Frontiers release lately.  Not sure if they are releasing on that label, but the current Euro Melodic Rock sound is what Im hearing here.  Nothing bad, but nothing distinct that tells me this is special or different in any way.  Its nice, but thats all I can come up with.

[Jon]

Brand New Sin--3/4 thumbs

I have their debut album and like it. This is a step down, seems like the heaviness is a bit forced. Plus the singer is trying to sound like James Hetfield here and there. Not bad, but I'll stick with the first one.

[Jon]

Maylene and the sons of disaster--middle thumbs

I listened and then forgot what I had listened to. Maybe, like Scott, I'll have to listen a couple times for it to grow, but it ain't growing at this time. Plus their band name is too long, so docking thumb position on that as well.

The Magnificent--Thumbs middle

Sounds like crappy 80's hair band crap, especially the last song. Don't really hear that much prog, just 80's hair band stuff. It's not horrible, just not notable.

I think I was a bit high with my BNS rating, not 3/4 up, it should be 1/4 up.

[Niels (Mod)]

BRAND NEW SIN - THUMBS SIDEWAYS

This is not bad, but it was only the third track, that I really liked. I like the guitars, though. They remind me of RIOT. The singer kinda sucks. He reminds me of the singer from Monster Magnet. The last track reminded me of a bad Bon Jovi-ballad, like "I'm a cowboy" or WTF it was called.

 

MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER - THUMBS SIDEWAYS

There's not really a track or two, that stands out, like a very good or bad one, and the singer is okay. The guitars are nothing special. It's not bad, but if I had bought this album, I would probably only have heard it once or twice.

 

THE MAGNIFICENT - THUMBS DOWN DOWN DOWN etc.etc.

These guys are from Sweden, right?? They must be. This is what they still love in Sweden, and have since Europe hit it big in '84. I hate this crap!! This band could easily win the European Song Contest, and that says a lot, but nothing good. There's probably still an audience for this kind of music. I think I saw a few of them, last night at the YES-concert: Old guys, with loong hair, who still wishes it was 1985!!!