Your Memorial has posted a lyric video for "Redirect", the first single from their highly anticipated upcoming album of the same name. Redirect will be released July 17 and pre-orders are now available. http://facedown.merchnow.com/catalogs/your-memorial

You can catch Your Memorial on this summer's Scream the Prayer Tour with Sleeping Giant, Demon Hunter, Facedown's own Gideon, and more.

Check out "Redirect" here:



Tour Dates:
Jun 22 - Nashville, TN @ Rocketown
Jun 23 - Douglasville, GA @ The 7 Venue
Jun 24 - Jacksonville, FL @ Murray Hill Theatre
Jun 25 - North Charleston, SC @ The Warehouse
Jun 26 - Charlotte, NC @ Amos Southend
Jun 27 - Richmond, VA @ Kingdom
Jun 28 - Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
Jun 30 - Dayton, OH @ The Attic Club
Jul 01 - Joliet, IL @ Mojoe's
Jul 02 - Memphis, TN @ Newby's
Jul 03 - Birmingham, AL @ Mountaintop Family Life Center
Jul 05 - Corpus Christi, TX @ House of Rock
Jul 06 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
Jul 07 - San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
Jul 08 - Dallas, TX @ The Door
Jul 10 - Tulsa, OK @ The Compound
Jul 11- St Louis, MO @ FUBAR
Jul 13 - Willmar, MN @ Sonshine Festival
Jul 14 - Goshen, IN @ The Goshen Theatre

As you may have heard, the Bushnell, Illinois-based Cornerstone Festival have recently announced that this year's would be their last (the announcement can be read here). To help support the final Cornerstone (and perhaps keep the festival alive), a donation campaign has been launched, with rewards such as limited edition posters, complimentary tickets, this year's program, and other things, which can be viewed at the Cornerstone website. In addition to the campaign, the current lineup of bands for this year have been announced, and the list can be viewed here.

Artist: mewithoutYou
Album: Ten Stories
Release Date: May 15, 2012
Label: Independent

It's been three years since mewithoutYou last released an album, 2009's experimental folk album It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright!. The band had said that on their newest album they'd include elements from this album as well as 2004's Catch for Us, the Foxes and 2006's Brother, Sister. Usually when bands say they're going "back to their roots" I don't believe them, because most times it's not true. mewithoutYou's newest album Ten Stories is the exception of this rule. With this being the band's first completely independent album they had all of the artistic freedom to make the best album they can, and when they say they're combining three albums and three styles into one album, they meant it.

Personally, [A-->B] Life, and Catch for Us, the Foxes were my two favorite albums by the band, but the other albums grew on me and I love them just as much. I was hoping for more influences from Catch for Us, the Foxes (CFUTF) on this album, but it seems mostly like the music comes from Brother, Sister and there are a couple of songs that seem like they could have been on It's All... The album starts out with the "sequel" song "February 1878" which is one of the songs on the album that sounds the most like the band's earlier material, and starts the album with a bang. The next few songs bounce between the styles of the band's latest two albums, with the softer edge to the music, and Aaron singing more than his spoken word/screaming vocal style. There aren't too many songs on here that are strictly folk like the last album, but the song "Cardiff Giant" starts out very folky, and then about 2:40 into the song Aaron screams the last few lines further blurring the lines of the distinct sounds of the band's albums. The band finds a way to blend all of these rather different styles of music within the album, and sometimes within one single song, like they did on "Grist for the Malady Mill". Not only do they blend the styles, they do so flawlessly and make it feel like it's one style, more like this is musically the album that mewithoutYou has been building to over the last ten years. 

The album is more-or-less a concept about a circus train wreck. The lyrics for the songs revolve around a few main characters like the tiger, rabbit, elephant, fox, and bear. As with every song Aaron and the boys have done the lyrics are clearly a metaphor for people, and are deeper and more thought provoking than anything else you'll hear. The entire album is one continuing story, with each song becoming more a chapter in a masterful story than a song on an album. Reading through the lyrics, it's more like reading a classic children's story than it is reading song lyrics from 2012. One of my favorite lines comes from "Grist for the Malady Mill" in which it says "And don't it just break your heart to hear of so much pain?" To me this is kind of like hearing about all the pain and suffering that Jesus went through for us, and it should break our hearts to hear of His pain, and to know He endured that pain out of His love for us! Most of the albums lyrics cannot be taken out of context because like I said they're part of an ongoing story from the first line of "February, 1878" to the last word of "All Circles". Perhaps the best line of the entire album comes from the song "Fox's Dream of the Log Flume" in which Aaron says "...though,some with certainty insist that 'no certainty exists'..." Every single day I hear people say that God does not exist, and they are always certain of this "fact", and I think that is exactly the point the line and song are trying to make.

Overall: mewithoutYou has been releasing excellent albums for ten long years, and they've finally released their masterpiece. The combining of different musical styles and influences in such a masterful and flawless fashion is a welcome breath of fresh air, in an industry that wants to spit out the same album over and over again. The lyrics telling the story of humanity through animals remind me of the book Watership Down, and shows that Aaron is one of the best lyricist of our times, and puts some much time, thought, and passion into each and every word he puts into a song. There are also two guest appearances by Hayley Williams of Paramore, adding to her impressive list of guest appearances in faith-based music (she also appeared on a song with The Chariot), although she mostly does backing vocals, or provides a more more feminine harmony to the songs she performs on, the songs would not be the same without her, and I applaud the band on their choice of female guest vocalist.

I was hesitant of this album, after what was to me a disappointing album in 2009, but the band has found itself, found its ideal sound, and made the best mewithoutYou album ever, and perhaps the best album of 2012.


Rating: 10/10

Recommended Tracks: "February, 1878", "Elephant on the Dock", "Fox's Dream of the Log Flume", and "East Enders Wives"

Reviewed by Michael Small

Tracklisting:
1. February, 1878
2. Grist for the Malady Mill
3. East Enders Wives
4. Cardiff Giant
5. Elephant in the Dock
6. Aubergine
7. Fox's Dream of the Log Flume (Featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore)
8. Nine Stories
9. Fiji Mermaid
10. Bear's Vision of St. Agnes
11. All Circles (Featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore)

(Buy Here) 

This week, North Carolina metalcore quintet To Speak of Wolves will be releasing their sophomore album, Find Your Worth, Come Home. We had the chance to chat with new frontman Gage Speas about the process of writing the new album, music videos, and more.

Brooks Ginnan (CRR): You guys are on a headlining tour right now, how has that been going for you?
Gage Speas (To Speak of Wolves): It's been a ton of fun! We got to hang with our label mates Wolves At The Gate for a few days. Plus Harp and Lyre are good buds of ours, so it's always fun touring with those dudes. Also, we've been playing some new songs and kids seem to be liking them so that's great.


CRR: The new album is out this week, how long has it been in the works since you joined the band?
Gage: Well, we were working ideas and stuff for a while, probably like six months or so. As soon as I joined the band, I started writing lyrics for the record. So by the time we got in the studio, I had a lot to choose from and work with.


CRR: Lyrically. how much of an emotional process was it to write Find Your Worth, Come Home?
Gage: That's a great question. Some songs were a lot harder to record than others. There were times I'd be tracking vocals and balling my eyes out. I really wanted to open myself up. I wanted to be honest. I feel like a lot of music today is lacking honesty and passion. When we were in the studio, all I did was work on lyrics. I took old journals with me so I could go back to that time in my life of being broken.


CRR: How was it to have both Micah (of Oh, Sleeper) and Levi the Poet on the album?
Gage: Dude, it was a dream come true! I worked for Oh, Sleeper before I joined To Speak of Wolves. Those dudes got me in the band. Micah is a big brother to me and is my spiritual mentor. So to have him write a song with me was so awesome. Levi and I pretty much grew up together. I used to sleep on his floor, haha. It's been awesome to watch each other's careers grow. For him and his sister Bree to open themselves up for that song was a huge blessing. Suicide is never an easy thing to talk. They made that song what it is.


CRR: What do you hope a new fan or first time listen gets out of hearing Find Your Worth?
Gage: I hope they feel connected to it in some way. I want people to hear the passion in the music. Today, most bands sing about how much they hate girls or how tough they are or what ever. I don't want to put people down with my music, I want to rebuild people.


CRR: The first of the two concept music videos that were released (for "Je Suis Fini") had an interesting story line. Can you elaborate on the significance between the concept and the two songs chosen for the videos?
Gage: The director thought of the idea for the videos. He presented it to us and we thought it was awesome! We picked the two songs because we thought they show both extremes of the record.


CRR: Any last things you'd like to mention about To Speak of Wolves in the coming months?
Gage: Yeah dude, we are playing a bunch of festivals this year. Also, we are on the last half of Scream the Prayer, so I'm really excited about all of that! Come hang out and stage dive with us! Thanks for your time.

The new Mychildren Mybride music video for "God of Nothing" can currently be viewed right here. The song is off the band's self-titled album, which is available now in stores and online via Solid State Records.

Artist: To Speak of Wolves
Album: Find Your Worth, Come Home
Release Date: May 17, 2012
Label: Solid State Records

There's a feeling that some get while listening to a new album that holds greatness; hope for a band that fit all the pieces into place to create something of a magnum opus, packed with an emotional intensity and well crafted music to capture attention. I had this feeling on my first listen of Find Your Worth, Come Home, the sophomore release from the North Carolina quintet, To Speak of Wolves. If you're not familiar with the band, they play a form of metalcore (if you can even call it that), that isn't quite as abundant these days, with sounds of quick, punk-esque drumming, ferocious, feeback-laden riffs, and vocals, from new vocalist Gage Speas, that range from commanding growls to clean vocals that break the mold of high and whiny, drawing comparisons to bands such as Underoath, The Chariot, and Norma Jean. That's only the start.

Find Your Worth, Come Home is noticeably different from the band's debut, Myself < Letting Go, and it's not only because of their new vocalist. The band have shifted their sound, making it more cohesive, keeping the melody in a way that flows better with the aggressive sections. This is show particularly well in "Je Suis Fini" and "Dialysis Dreams," which are two of the album's most memorable songs. A different route is taken on "A Simple Thought That Changed Everything," which is filled with strictly clean vocals in a heavy, ambient rock setting, while "Oregon" feels like Balance & Composure mixed with Underoath, a combination that works well, giving the listener a breather from the frantic tempo of the majority of the album.


"Hivemind" and "Stand Alone Complex" kick off the album with a fiery passion, never really letting up on their energy, and when transferred to a live setting, are only guaranteed to have the audience in a sweaty frenzy. The aforementioned "Dialysis Dreams" is an emotional trip, and is an extremely relatable song for those who have faced the loss of friends or family, the theme also being tied into the closer, "Rearview Memories," which features Levi the Poet and his sister Bree Macallister, both who convey the emotions behind the loss of their father, truly touching stuff.

Overall: Find Your Worth, Come Home is a story of life, struggle, and ultimately redemption, and is written in such a poignant way that really tugs on the heart strings. While it's only their second release, To Speak of Wolves have truly crafted an album that shows musicianship and a maturity that surpasses their few year span as a band. Vocalist Gage Speas displays great versatility again and again, backed by frenetic instrumentation (a la Norma Jean or Underoath) that has become less and less widespread in the current state of the heavy music scene. Look for To Speak of Wolves to make big waves in 2012, and far beyond.

Rating: 9.5/10

Reviewed by Brooks Ginnan

Tracklisting:

1. Hivemind
2. Stand Alone Complex (featuring Micah Kinard)
3. Vertigo
4. Broken Birds
5. A Simple Thought That Changed Everything
6. Nostalgia Seeds
7. Je Suis Fini
8. Oregon
9. Dialysis Dreams
10. Voidwaker
11. Rearview Memories (featuring Levi the Poet and Bree Macallister)

(Buy Here)