Most of the time when a band decides to release a live album, the band has had substantial success. Bands and artists such as Peter Frampton, Linkin Park, Kiss, and AC/DC have had major success with numerous studio albums, thus prompting a successful live album.

With this said, Trapt has done something odd for their third album. They have released Live!, an 11 song record with 9 live tracks and 2 studio tracks. The two opening tracks, those of the studio-recorded variety are the only true standout performances on Live! Chris Brown is not a great singer by any means, and this becomes even more evident on the live recordings. Brown?s vocals tend to be weak and are almost completely drowned by the rest of the band at times. At soft points, he also tends to sound like a famous green character from Sesame Street.

Even when Trapt was a new band, they were a mediocre band in a mediocre genre that featured the likes of Creed, Nickelback and hundreds of unknowns (Submersed, Closure, Echo 7 and so on). However, Live! could actually help Trapt?s career, as doubtful as it may seem. The performances are very raw with great instrumentation and big crowd involvement? on the songs they know. But the between song banter will throw a lot of potential or semi-fans off. The overuse of profanity, most notably after ?Hollowman?, is not only unnecessary, but sounds forced as if to try to be cool.

There are several strong songs in the set however. Their song ?Waiting?, which is fairly new, eclipses their jock-rock hit ?Headstrong? in not only quality, but in presentation. The strength of the entire band seems to have disappeared; when everything should?ve been it?s biggest.

Needless to say, if you are not a die-hard Trapt fan, it?s ok to steer clear of this one and wait for their next studio album.

{Review by: Matthew Chesley}

Besides the death of original lead singer, Dave Williams in August of 2002, not much has been said about the Dallas, TX metal band Drowning Pool. But the boys have been hard at work in the last five years, mostly with finding a suitable lead singer. Jason Jones was brought in to fill the void on Desensitized, but radio play was minimal and no one seemed to notice.

Soon after Desensitized failed to make the impact Sinner had three years prior, Drowning Pool brought Ryan McCabe into the action for Full Circle. Some may recognize the name or voice of McCabe, because he is formerly of the Chicago based metal band Soil. And believe me kids, McCabe does not disappoint in his new gig.

The album may pass as a typical metal album. Crunching guitars, thick drums, and a voice that can go from a growl to a shriek at the drop of a hat make Drowning Pool sound like anyone else. But Drowning Pool is too stylized and slick to get dragged in with everyone else. Simply put, their songs have hooks. Songs like ?Full Circle?, ?Reborn? and the juiced up Billy Idol cover of ?Rebel Yell? could blow up on hard rock radio with ease. In fact, this album has the potential to bring Drowning Pool to the front of the metal pack once again.

The only low point is the dreary ?Reason I?m Alive?. After following the Alice in Chains styled ?Reborn?, it just can?t stand on it?s two feet and take off. ?Paralyzed? is a low tempo tune, yet it works due to it?s incredibly grunge era sound. Which makes it apparent that Drowning Pool is throwing all influences into this record. Obvious metal influences such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin are apparent throughout. But plenty of songs have Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots stamped on the forehead. And we can?t forget ?Rebel Yell? closing out the album. Variety will help Drowning Pool tremendously.

Full Circle has great potential of attracting new fans, as well as retaining original fans from the ?90?s. Expect to hear several songs on your hard rock radio in the coming year. And do yourself a favor, pick this album up and crank it.

{Review by: Matthew Chesley}

When I Was A Planet, the latest from Los Angeles quintet, Invitro, hits shelves September 11th. This Gridiron Records release marks the debut of Invitro?s full length album which features the single ?When I Was A Planet.? Invitro?s mixed harmonies, melodies, layered guitars and trouncing drum beats yield one of the most creative records in metal, punk, and prog of the year.

In support of When I Was A Planet, Invitro has been performing on the Family Values Tour and will continue touring North America throughout the year.

To celebrate the release of When I Was A Planet, Invitro is giving you the chance to win this signed Fender Guitar. FIVE (5) lucky runner-ups will receive a lab coat that the band uses to perform in and an autographed copy of the CD.

Click here for a chance to win a Fender Guitar!

Gerard Way, of My Chemical Romance, married Lin-Z of Mindless Self Indulgence Tuesday, September 3rd, after a concert in the Coors Amphitheater in Denver, Colorado. A promoter of the concert happened to be an ordained minister and wed the two after the concert later that night. There were pictures taken, but had been removed by the photographers request, but there is still a possibility of finding them online.

On 9/4, HIM will be announcing new shows in the US and Canada, and on that day, fans can get tickets before anyone else, plus order a copy of the regular edition of Venus Doom and get a free one-month membership to the new HIM club, which opens on Thursday the 6th! For fans who have already pre-ordered the album, tickets can be purchased on Thursday the 6th! Also available for pre-order is the special edition of Venus Doom with a different album cover and two bonus songs, plus a very limited edition that comes with a journal with 60 pages of photos, and a bonus disc with three songs in parchment envelopes and 3 polaroid-style photos by clicking here.

Below is a recent press release by Thrice for their new upcoming album, The Alchemy Index:

Orange, CA- August 23, 2007- The first installment of The Alchemy Index, Vols. I & II: Fire & Water will be available October 16th, 2007, followed in Spring 2008 by Vols III & IV: Earth & Air. By turning the model for rock music on its head, Thrice have exposed the different components that create their signature sound, exploring each factor thoroughly, instead of condensing them to fit with one other. In the process, they?ve created a series of songs that shift from gritty to spacious and scorching to fluid between discs.

?We?re doing something that?s the opposite of what a producer is supposed to do on a record?which is make everything make sense and fit together?whereas this project is all about taking things apart and pushing them one way,? says Teranishi. ?We really wanted to try doing things our way this time around, and make this record sound the way we want it to sound, not the way it?s ?supposed? to sound.

?Dustin [Kensrue] came up with the idea of using the elements, and separating all of the feels that we normally come up with,? adds bassist Eddie Breckenridge. ?That was scary at first, because part of what our sound is, is that combination and the experiment of mixing different feels, but this is actually helping us push each feel in a further direction.?

Thrice fans will likely find the thundering strains of Fire to be the most familiar of the four EPs, with the kind of blistering riffs and captivating melodies the band has built a career upon. From the opening bombast of ?Firebreather? to the towering, unforgettable “Burn the Fleet” – with its Elliot Smith meets Isis vibe, is a song representative of the vast dynamics in these albums. Fire exhibits a Thrice who still know how to punish with decibels, and with greater force and impact than ever before. ?I?m really happy on how [?Burn The Fleet?] came out,? says drummer Riley Breckenridge, who also resides in the house that holds the band?s studio. ?It?s really melancholy, yet crushing.?

Water, on the other hand, offers some of the most subdued textures the band have explored to date, and makes extensive use of a palette of electronic sounds, particularly for rhythms and synthesized effects. Haunting and beautiful, Water is an aural aquatic voyage as serene as it is somber, with the shimmering bliss of ?Open Water? naturally coexisting with the dark, moody ?The Whaler? and the groundbreaking and evocative instrumental track, ?Night Diving.?
?For [?Night Diving?], we ended up making this whole plot outline of what?s happening in the song, even though there are no lyrics. That was how we decided on the different movements?when they?d come up, and when they?d come down,? Kensrue says. ?It?s the story of this guy diving at night, and the things that he encounters. That was a pretty interesting way to write a song; we definitely had never done anything like that before.?

Kensrue took the elemental theme still further by composing an original sonnet for each EP, set to music, yet organized in the traditional English structure and rhythmic fashion. These passages (?The Flame Deluge? on Fire; and ?Kings Upon The Main? for Water) offer powerful sentiments that serve as thought-provoking closers for each EP?s respective journey.
?Each sonnet is written from the point of view of the personified element, speaking to mankind, and lamenting our various failings,? explains Kensrue. “The Fire sonnet deals with fire being resentful and ashamed of the way that it?s been used in destruction and war, while the Water sonnet deals with man?s pride, and the futility and idiocy of that pride, when it comes face to face with the power of the sea.?

On The Alchemy Index, Thrice destroyed the rock rulebook and created their most engrossing and accomplished work to date?The true evolution of a band.

Thrice is releasing music videos in installments of one per week for the next 8 weeks. Click below for the first two:
Here is 1/10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbOMAoIeLKE
Here is 2/10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSGp1tyak-o

For more information on Thrice and The Alchemy Index please check out www.thrice.net or www.alchemyindex.com and be sure to check them out on their upcoming headline (9 week ? 42 dates) tour with Brand New.

Here’s a recent message from The Used:

Hi Everyone

WE ARE BACK ON THE ROAD …….Hells Yes!!!! BERT IS BACK and the throat is A OK!!!!!

Bert is feeling great and we are happy to be back on tour. Hopefully we will see you in an upcoming city. We will be on the road from now until hell freezes over. A lot of great stuff has been going on including the Transformers movie. Halo 3 dentist appointments and shite like that. Our favorite thing is touring so we are very happy to get back on the road and play music.

We have created a pretty cool custom search engine for a chance for you to win free tickets to our shows in your city from now till forever at: https://searchwiththeused.com

We are also giving away shirts and swag and autographed shite through this site.

You can use this just like you use any search engine and there are no trackers or spam bullshit. Sweepstakes entries and prizes are awarded every few hours.

You can also download a search & win toolbar for your Internet browser that you can download in seconds for free!

https://theused.prodege.vmn.net

We should have it worked out in 4 weeks for people outside of America to be able to win prizes through the mail or post or whatever you call it where you live.

Peace and Hope,

THE USED

You can now preorder Emery‘s upcoming album, I’m Only A Man by clicking here.

Track Listing:
1. Rock-N-Rule
2. The Party Song
3. World Away
4. After The Devil Beats His Wife
5. Can’t Stop The Killer
6. Story About A Man With A Bad Heart
7. Don’t Bore Us, Get To The Chorus
8. What Makes A Man A Man
9. The Movie Song
10. You Think You’re Nickel Slick (But I Got Your Penny Change)
11. From Crib To Coffin

The album will be released on October 2nd, 2007.