Tampa, Florida's indie rock band Tallhart, formerly Markmen, have signed to the new imprint of Equal Vision Records, Rory Records, for the release of their upcoming EP this spring. To tide fans over, the EP's first single, "Fever (Sister of Mine)" will be releasing on March 6th. The single can be previewed below in a new video from the band.

Artist: Sons
Album: Keep Quiet
Release Date: February 14, 2012
Label: SloSpeak Records

My experience with Sons has been an interesting one. The story began in February 2010, with a small, almost unknown, band, taking on the moniker of Sons of God, and releasing a three song EP titled The Genesis Prologue through the non-profit music community Come&Live!. Until spinning the EP, for some odd reason, I figured that the band were some sort of hardcore worship band or something along those lines, but I was dead wrong. What I heard instead was a catchy, intense, and passionate dose of indie rock, tied together with very spiritually insightful lyrics. Fast forward two years later, and the band is now known solely as Sons, and have signed to SloSpeak Records (formerly Eden Records) to release their debut full length album, Keep Quiet, after a successful Kickstarter campaign and much anticipation.

Keep Quiet reveals a smooth progression from The Genesis Prologue days, showing off a maturity and cohesiveness in the band's musicianship. Frontman Aaron Newberry sounds better than ever, displaying an awe-inspiring range, backed by walls of guitars, drums, and varying sections of piano and strings. To sum up the album's sound, it would be something like the edginess of Thrice and My Epic mixed with the melodies of Copeland and Deas Vail. The lyrical aspects of Newberry and Sons are also something to be marveled at. A story of hope, doubt, and finding a true, lasting faith in God are expressed through the twelve songs of Keep Quiet, each fitting together like pieces in a puzzle, while having an individuality to be listened to alone, offering a clear message.

"Masters of the Flattery," "Doubt," and "Under The Sun" all glow with untapped energy, specifically found in the driving, heavy guitars riffs, and anthemic adrenaline. "Under The Sun" is perhaps the album's heaviest song, with an intensity overflowing from the guitars, while the redone version of "Doubt" offers a bit more bulk, mainly in the production value, than its 2010 version. The aforementioned Copeland influence is heard  in "Believe In Something" and "Ghosts," the latter taking on a delicacy, and the hope of "giving into a Love that sustains." "Sea of Glass" even adds an ambient piece to the table, coming mid album, with slow, murky picked strings, following another re-recorded song from The Genesis Prologue, the piano-laden "Caution," which has a slowed tempo, and soft harmonies, seamlessly flowing into a bursting crescendo. A slight, eerie experimental essence is found on the album's climatic closer, "Is This A Dry Season or Agnosticism?," where the story of Keep Quiet comes to an end and sorrowful realization, heavily questioning the American "Christian nation."

Overall: It's still early in the year, but Sons have perhaps created one of the best albums of 2012, with the long awaited release of Keep Quiet. The band have crafted a heavily emotional collection of indie rock, sonically astounding in just about every way, from the edgy guitars and percussion to the intricacy of Aaron Newberry's powerful vocals. The two year wait for a full length album from Sons was undoubtedly worth it, and words can't begin to describe some of the deep spiritual doubt, hope, and questioning laced throughout the genre defying album that Keep Quiet truly is. You do not want to miss the breakthrough of Sons, and Keep Quiet is a necessity for fans of Thrice, My Epic, and Copeland.

Rating: 10/10

Reviewed by Brooks Ginnan

Tracklisting:

1. Masters of the Flattery
2. Believe In Something
3. Keep Quiet
4. Retribution
5. Caution
6. Sea of Glass
7. Doubt
8. Under The Sun
9. Ghosts
10. Son On The Run
11. The Devil and I
12. Is This A Dry Season or Agnosticism?

(Buy Here)

THE SKIES REVOLT PREMIERE NEW TRACK
“FALSE PRAISE AND GLORY”


EXCLUSIVELY ON PUREVOLUME.COM

The Skies Revolt from Grand Rapids, MI. is inviting you to check out their new track “False Praise and Glory” off their February 18th release Some Kind of Cosmonaut.

Visit www.purevolume.com/theskiesrevolt to hear “False Praise and Glory”.

Don’t forget to visit www.theskiesrevolt.com to enter to win your very own SuperNintendo and participate in The Skies Revolt’s video where you CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE!

Did you know? The Skies Revolt were chosen by Motion City Soundtrack in their Making Moves Series. The new record from The Skies Revolt was produced by members of MCS.

Some Kind of Cosmonaut will be available February 18th.

Solid State Records is pleased to announce the release of metal mainstays DEMON HUNTER's sixth full-length album, True Defiance, in stores everywhere April 10.


Produced by Aaron Sprinkle (Anberlin, Emery) and mixed by Jason Suecoff (All That Remains, Trivium), True Defiance finds DEMON HUNTER continuing in their hard rock evolution while embracing the components that have always formed the backbone of their music: true metal, dark rock and balladry.


"This record is without a doubt our most aggressive," says vocalist and band co-founder Ryan Clark. "Every DEMON HUNTER record must be a step up from the last. I know that's a goal for every band, but it seldom works that way - especially today, especially in metal. It seems like most bands' prime years are long behind them. I refuse to let that be the case for us."


On True Defiance, Grammy-nominated artist Ryan Clark, Tim "Yogi" Watts (drums), Jonathan Dunn (bass) and Patrick Judge (lead guitar) are joined by their longtime friend Jeremiah Scott (guitar), whose credits as a metal musician (The Showdown) and producer (Living Sacrifice) are well established. The partnership marks a vital new chapter in the celebrated history of DEMON HUNTER, who are currently marking their 10th year of writing, breaking and erasing the rules of hard rock. Not ones to rest on their laurels, however, the members have created an album that not only lives up to their own lofty standards, but sets a new high-water mark for what DH is capable of.


"We've been extremely underwhelmed with metal for the last five years or so, and that's been the fuel to create this record," Clark explains. "With an extreme over-saturation of false, fleeting, trend-hopping noise in today's metal scene, we had to make something we've been longing to hear. Something truly meaningful and artistic. Something our fans would love and something that will turn the heads of those who have ignored us for the past decade."


True Defiance marks DEMON HUNTER's first outing since 2010's The World Is A Thorn, which debuted in the Billboard Top 40 and was hailed as the heaviest, fastest, and most aggressive record of the band's career. The album yielded hit videos in "Collapsing," which has racked up 1 million views online, and "LifeWar," which was viewed over 100,000 times in the past month. The World is a Thorn was preceded by Storm the Gates of Hell (2007), The Triptych (2005), Summer of Darkness (2004) Demon Hunter (2002), and the three-disc CD / DVD set 45 Days, which collectively sold half a million copies and garnered airplay on college and specialty radio, Fuse and MTV2's Headbangers Ball and earned the band cover features in publications like Revolver and HM.


True Defiance Track List: 
1. Crucifix
2. God Forsaken
3. My Destiny
4. Wake
5. Tomorrow Never Comes
6. Someone To Hate
7. This I Know
8. Means To An End
9. We Don't Care
10. Resistance
11. Dead Flowers

Upcoming Dates:
April 17 - Seattle WA @ El Corazon
April 30 - Kouvola, Finland @ Vappugospel
June 29 - Shirleysburg PA @ Creationfest Northeast

The Burial have just announced that they have signed to Facedown Records and will release their new album Lights and Perfections on March 23rd. Check out a new song below! And let us know what you think!