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  • Poynte “Discreet Enemy” Album Review

    Poynte
    Discreet Enemy

            Atlanta, Georgia’s Poynte, release the follow up to their debut album; One More Day with the February 17th release of Discreet Enemy. The 11 title EPK (Released by THC Music/Ingrooves) offers up a fresh take on metal in this undying scene & promises to keep your head rocking from beginning to end. The album opens up with a 1 minute 15 second ominously, eerie intro that sends chills up the spine and Goosebumps along the arms just before lead vocalist Kenny Hathorne, shows us just what he can do during the track Take Control. By this point this photojournalist was easily hooked.
         Discreet Enemy is packed with instant hits, of in-time guitaring & in sync bass guitar & drums that really pull this album together… Picture Frames (A personal favorite) follows the opening track keeping the heads bobbing and the feet tapping as the drone synths begin this savory track, with some Brazilian beat backing the guitars every step of the way. Continuing the album with Hold On. Hold on being one of those Anthem type songs full of quick double bass faster guitaring and somber lyrics sure to strike a chord in the hearts of fans who hear it instantly.  “Every Day Is all the same; there’s got to be more to this life than living this way; Hold on” Following Hold On, with Aberration (another personal favorite) the track opens up with slight winning of the guitar and slowly bringing in the drums for this seemingly softer track. Then once you get use to the idea; BAM some heavy hard hitting guitar & bass punches you in the gut bringing you back to reality. In rapid succession the album kicked major ass with tracks like Erase Me; Nursery Crimes; Coping & What Will It Take before reaching The Villain.
         The Villain starts off with some processed drums and soft melodic synth guitar, slowly bringing you into the inner workings of the track mentally as your body relaxes to the soothing beat. Enter in some soft female vocals backing Kenny Hathorne & you’re hooked instantly. Last Embrace follows The Villain. Beginning the track with some reverberating, processed synth, throw in a slight crunchy yet melodic guitaring, then blows heads off with that heavy metal-core scream. Before I knew it, I had reached the end of the album with In My Head… This track begins like much of the album. Nothing short of phenomenal… Stabbing synths, bleeding in some melodic keys and BAM in your face guitar, bass & drums coupled with the arioso vocals of Hathorne.
          Discreet Enemy has it all; everything a true metal fan could want in one album. From the in time guitaring from Andrew Davis & Matt Bryant, to the syncopated drumming from Josh Fulcher with the phenomenal baselines of Jake O’Donnell. Last and certainly not the least. The many vocal styling’s of Kenny Hathorne, an amazing accomplishment for Hathorne as he survived a horrible scissor lift accident leaving the lead vocalist with a titanium jaw replacement… Those of you who experience this album will not regret one track. If you’re looking for something new, fresh and refuses to stop at unbelievably prodigious? This band and this album is right up your alley. Buy your copy NOW!
    Soundcheck411 Rating: 8/10
    Review by: Jared Wingate 

  • Teutonic Terror with Accept in Los Angeles, CA

    Accept

    September 12, 2014

    Saban Theater- Los Angeles, CA

           Heavy metal legends Accept went on a mini North American tour in support of their new album, Blind Rage. Metal Church was to be the support for the tour, but they dropped due to singer Ronny Munroe undergoing surgery. So instead, the heavy metal band Raven filled in.

    Accept is one of the biggest bands of the 80’s with many singles and metal anthems and have returned after a 15 year hiatus and have brought with them a new singer, Mark Tornillo making Blind Rage the third album with him. Fans of all ages eagerly waited for the show to begin. On September 12, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California at the Saban Theatre, both Accept and Raven were prepared to melt everyone’s faces with their musicianship.

    Raven Started things off nicely with their classic heavy metal-sounding music. The crowd was into them as they raised their fists in the air, sang along, head-banged, and anything else they felt like doing. Once they were finished, the stage was cleared to make way for the metal legends from Germany.

    Accept’s setlist composed of a range from newer material to their best known classics. They opened with the first track from their new Blind Rage album called, Stampede. Other songs for the night included: Restless and Wild, Teutonic terror, Ahead of the Pack, Stalingrad, and Pandemic. The song highlights had to have been their best known hits which were: Metal Heart, Fast as a Shark (which will get whoever is standing around to get crazy), and their metal anthem called Balls to the Wall. The entire time, the crowd was on their feet singing along, head-banging, and raising and pounding their fists in the air. The age diversity had to be one of the best parts. There were young fans, young adult fans, and the obvious Accept fans of the 1980’s. Accept never showed signs of slowing down and it was monstrous song after monstrous song. Accept have a long career ahead of them still and time itself will not slow them down!

    Review by: Misael Ruiz