It has been about a month since Paramore (Hayley Williams) announced the plan to begin working on their fourth album. Meanwhile, I have had plenty of time to piece together a lot of different theories on what to expect from this long-awaited follow-up to, in my opinion, the extremely impressive Brand New Eyes. The group (whoever was present at the current time, at least) has always been able to focus in and deliver sensational results for the fans, time and time again – most often at a point when, well, times were tough. Currently, we have a trio (Hayley Williams, Jeremy Davis and Taylor York) consisting of just two original members (Davis and Williams). It was late 2010, if you’ll remember, when the brothers Josh and Zac Farro departed from the band. At that time, the remaining members decided to hold off on pumping out another album amidst all the controversy. The trio instead re-focused and took a bit of time to relax and re-acquaint themselves with their love for music…and more importantly, Paramore.

Before I share my thoughts and expectations on the upcoming album, I think it may be best to delve into the band’s history in at least partial detail. People say all the time that you can learn a thing or two from history, right?

Rather than go into too much detail (we all know how to use Wikipedia), let’s just do a quick wrap-up. Paramore formed in 2004 – founding members included Hayley Williams, guitarist Josh Farro, drummer Zac Farro, bassist Jeremy Davis and guitarist Jason Bynum. When they signed with Fueled By Ramen that year, Davis left the band before recording began. Josh Farro and Williams (the writers of the group) wrote “All We Know” which was the first song off the debut album All We Know is Falling. The track was in reference to Davis leaving the band shortly after the band’s signing. Of course after the record released on July 26, 2005, Davis returned to the band and has been a staple ever since. In the middle of all of this, Bynum left the band and was replaced with a personal favorite of mine, Hunter Lamb. Lamb was responsible for rhythm guitar for a bit of 2005, right up till Riot!’s release in June 2007. This was around the time that new member Taylor York started adding his skill-set to the band’s end product, mainly because Josh Farro was not able to fully undertake the lead and rhythm sections on his own. York toured with the band and was even responsible for some of the writing, but it was not until before September 2009’s release of Brand New Eyes that he was fully committed to the group (although, that is to be argued). With Brand New Eyes the now-quintet had been together since Riot! without any pause or disturbance. So, Paramore finally had a record that lacked any kind of dispute – or did they? Within the lines (or lyrics I should say), there was an obvious disconnect within the band. Take most songs on Brand New Eyes and it is clear as day. The surprising bit is that it took the Farro brothers over a year to depart after the release. Nevertheless, some kind of disturbance has plagued the band since its formation all those years ago.

This leads me to my calculation, or formula for success in regards to Paramore. As a self-proclaimed “founding fanboy,” it does pain me in a lot of ways to see so much change and drama within the group. However, the results have always been magnificent, which makes it extremely tough to cheer for normalcy. Where there is pain, there is growth – and where there is change, there is maturity. For that reason, I believe great things will come yet again for the band I hold so close to my heart.

But what will the new album sound like? Which of the three past records will it most closely compare with? In my estimation, there was a disconnect on the first (All We Know is Falling) which did not resonate entirely. Davis was back before too much time had passed to really notice. For Riot! Lamb did not play a large enough role to really demand a huge changeover when the new material presented itself. During all the success and the writing of Brand New Eyes is where a lot of issues started and it is where a large portion of passion and creation took place. Obviously everything post-Brand New Eyes has opened a lot of people’s eyes (lol) and for that reason, I feel the fourth album will most closely resemble the prior. I think it should be said, though, that this album will mark an entirely new group. While the main staple (Miss Williams) remains the face/voice of the band, I think that there is a definitive progression taking place. All in all, it is my best guess that the album will take all the respectable and lovable pieces of the group’s history and blend them together to form a unified and welcome addition to their collection.

Part of me really wishes for AWKIF part two. Even though it would not change the past seven years, it would make it feel like 2005 again. Back when all my friends called me crazy for saying “These kids are the real deal! They are going to be huge! Just wait.” I want the day-in, day-out Warped Tour summers with Paramore on some side-stage. I want the Philadelphia Flyers shirt from the “Pressure” video. Maybe Jeremy Davis can do the back flip, spin-move thing with Taylor York now that Josh Farro is gone. More than ever, I want the small hole-in-the-wall venues and random talks with the band before AND after the show. The one thing that will never change though: each new Paramore song I hear for the first time, always brings me back to those first times I heard the band all those years ago. For that reason alone, no matter what kind of product they come up with this year, or the next – it will be great.

It is time for the summer festival season. Everywhere across the country there are different music festivals for outdoor entertainment. It is always an exciting time when the lineup gets announced for your favorite festival. Everything seems so positive; the list of acts is thrilling, all of your favorite bands are playing, and the weekend is going to be a blast. But when push comes to shove, a festival attendee has to make some tough decisions about who to see.

Most of these festivals have more than one stage, with some of the bigger ones going up to four or five stages. This is great because the variety of stellar bands can be increased but it can also cause frustration when some of your favorite acts overlap each other.

I am personally headed to Sasquatch Music Festival in a few days. Sasquatch takes place at The Gorge in Washington State annually every Memorial Day weekend. The festival has been getting bigger and more popular every year. This year there are five stages spanning a four-day weekend with over 130 performers.  Some of the headliners are Pretty Lights, Jack White, The Roots, Tenacious D, Childish Gambino, Starfucker, Of Monsters and Men and Beck. Some acts are certainly obvious choices (Is anyone really going to miss Jack White?) but other decisions can be very tough. Right now I am going to go through some of the pros and cons of some of Sasquatch’s toughest decisions.

Friday:

Beats Antique vs. Explosions in the Sky

Explosions in the Sky is one of the most successful post-rock bands today. Seeing them live, there is always one thing that is certain: it is going to be EPIC. They’re playing around sunset and just the thought of beautiful mini-symphonies of rock music stretching across the desert sky while the sun disappears is enough to make a grown man tear up. That said, you kind of know what to expect. You know it is going to be epic and glorious and will have walls of billowing noise and clashing theatrics. Yet, Beats Antique brings the unexpected. They are a side-trance, world fusion group. Mixing genres, sampling heavy beats with hip-hop, jazz and afro-beat influences, and this is all on the CD. On stage they have live instruments, unlike many other electronic groups. What live instruments are used is usually undecided until the show begins. It could be violins and other strings or a flock of horns. There are also usually belly-dancers and other momentous artists onstage bringing the spectacle. Explosions in the Sky is a must-see for someone who hasn’t seen them but if you’re looking for a truly unique experience check out Beats Antique.

Saturday:

St. Vincent vs. The Shins

The Shins are currently making a comeback. With their first album in five years, James Mercer and company are out to make an impression on the main stage. We all know The Shins are pretty much Mercer and whoever he currently has behind him. The current lineup, established for the new album Port of Morrow, is very instrumentally suave. The question is, is it going to be compelling to see them play live or will their lack of history make them seem one dimensional or hollow? I am thinking St. Vincent will be a safer bet when it comes to artistic and onstage power. St. Vincent is Annie Clark, a woman who makes chamber rock with complex instrumentals featuring magnetizing guitar work. Her stage performance often includes intense strobe lights and Tim Burton-esque theatrics. Her backing band is a drummer and two keyboardists who are also masters at sampling. St. Vincent will bring an artistic flurry onstage and James Mercer will reply with his hits for a crowd-pleasing sing-along. The choice is yours.

Sunday:

Bon Iver vs. James Murphy (DJ Set)

James Murphy, the frontman of LCD Soundsystem, is a Sasquatch favorite. LCD created one of the “big” moments at Sasquatch in 2010 when they united the whole crowd in “Dance Yrself Clean” and many are hoping he will conjure up another “moment” at this year’s event. Murphy isn’t with his band this time but he is doing a solo DJ set in the Banana tent and it is expected to be a nonstop party. I was fully expecting to be dancing myself clean in a packed and sweaty dance tent, mostly because I missed the hype of the Bon Iver train. My thinking was that Bon Iver would probably be dull live and a late-night set might put me to sleep. Everything changed when I had some friends come back from Coachella raving about his performance claiming he was hands down the best of the whole weekend. Bon Iver is songwriter Justin Vernon but he is touring with nine people and a stage full of instruments. Every single person on stage is a multi-instrumentalist who trades instruments multiple times during a song. Supposedly if you’re not a fan, the live performance will make you a fan. For sheer brilliant musicianship, watch Bon Iver, but if you want to get down and rub with some hot bodies then go to the dance tent for James Murphy.

Monday:

Tenacious D vs. Spiritualized vs. SBTRKT vs. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

Monday is the most stacked day this year, which means you can’t leave early to get back to school or work on Tuesday. The first big conflict comes when Tenacious D, Spiritualized, SBTRKT and Ted Leo are all playing at the exact same time. Tenacious D is fresh off of a new album and while many other comedy-rock acts can’t capture a dynamic essence onstage, Tenacious D isn’t one of those groups. The D always brings 100% rock energy to the stage. They often talk about being the greatest rock band of all time, and while most don’t take them seriously, they take themselves seriously. Jack Black (Hollywood Jack) and Kyle Gass (Rage Cage) are surely going to bring a loud boisterous performance on the final day of Sasquatch. Spiritualized is a space rock group from England who doesn’t tour the United States very often. Their new album Sweet Heart Sweet Light is more pop-oriented than most of their discography but the guitar solos and uplifting melodies are still moving. SBTRKT is one of the most futuristic DJs out there; he brings the world into a post-dubstep landscape and shapes it with jungle limbs and a fresh weirdness. If this was any other concert I would say he is a must-see, but unfortunately this time slot is packed. Out of all four of these artists you have the best chance of seeing Ted Leo somewhere else. The man and his Pharmacists are one of the hardest working indie-rock bands as they’re always touring and putting out new albums. This decision ultimately comes down to what you’re in the mood for. There is also the consideration of who is playing afterward and if you want to be at the right stage to set up for the main event. This leads us to…

Beck vs. Mogwai

Our favorite scientologist Beck is one of the premier musicians of the ’90s-’00s generation. He may be laying low right now, mostly producing and writing for other musicians, but it is still exciting whenever he plays a show. With such a long catalogue he could play any number of songs. Will he break into acoustics with Sea Change or jam on his classics of Odelay or play a lot off 2008’s Modern Guilt? Is it possible he will debut new songs? Regardless, he should be an excellent way to end the festival. It is just too bad he is playing the exact same time as Mogwai. Mogwai, touring off of their 2011 release Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will, will surely be an energetic and magnificent performance. Coming from the post-rock helm they bring a fierce energy, tearing down roofs and smashing through walls. I shouldn’t have to decide between these two bands but I do.

Over the past decade, John Mayer has become many different artists, showcasing different musical styles with every release. He went from scrappy, acoustic songsmith on Room for Squares, to young pop wunderkind on Heavier Things, to bluesy, soul-based artist on Continuum, to smooth, contemporary crooner on Battle Studies, now to raspy, cowboy-esque lone ranger type on his fifth studio release Born & Raised. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed by the many different styles he’s taken on over the years, especially if you’re just starting to dive into his discography. However, with the help of a devoted fan at the helm, I can personally find the essential John Mayer in just five simple tracks.

In the first track of Mayer’s first studio album Room for Squares, titled “No Such Thing,“ we get the pleasure of being introduced to the artist who’ll soon win over the hearts of so many all over the world. Perfect for either your lazy Sunday afternoon, or your senior class song, Mayer displays the first example of his ability to write clever, moving lyrics full of irony, subtlety and humor (“Welcome to the real world/she said to me, condescendingly/ take a seat, take your life/ plot it out in black and white”). Discussing the fatigues of high school life and how the years succeeding it will be the best ever, Mayer finds his voice well on this upliftingly positive single.

Just like “No Such Thing,” “83,” a later track from Room for Squares, develops a relatable, intimate connection with his listeners by establishing personal themes. Though this song, we delve into Mayer’s life growing up in Fairfield, CT with his parents and siblings. Reminiscing about how “he looks just like his brother Ben, but on an eighteen month delay” and now “everything [in his home] is as it was, frozen in front of him,” Mayer brings us close to his heart on this song, sparing no detail on how the small complexities of growing up are some of the greatest you’ll ever find. Better yet, around the three-minute mark, the song ups the pace as Mayer belts out “you can paint that house a rainbow of colors, rip out the floorboards and replace the shudders, but that’s my plastic in the dirt.” It feels incredibly vibrant and heartwarming, showing some of Mayer’s greatest qualities.

Destined to make every girl in America swoon, Mayer lets loose a more observant side in “Daughters” by showcasing his feelings of neglect toward his female contemporaries. This sensitive, heartfelt ode to the opposite sex is breathtakingly smooth as it provides for one of the best choruses the artist has written to date, discussing how “girls become lovers, who turn into mothers, so mothers be good to your daughters.” The song was so solid that Mayer took home multiple Grammys in 2005, including one for Song of the Year and beating out other nominated artists like Kanye West and Alicia Keys. It also doubled as Mayer’s first #1 song on the Billboard 200, launching the 27-year-old to stardom.

Three years after hitting success with Heavier Things, Mayer released his third studio album entitled Continuum, a strictly blues-oriented album that channels greats such as Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix for inspiration. The album’s an overall knockout for Mayer, showing a more mature sound than his previous releases, but the track that stands out the most, by far, is “Vultures.“ The song’s minimalistic approach, in addition to Mayer’s beautiful falsetto-infused chorus, shows his expert quality of making a lot out of so little. Furthermore, the lyrics stay just as catchy as anything on Room for Squares, though less metaphorical as he rhetorically asks “How do I stop myself from being just a number? / How will I hold my head to keep from going under?” With a consistent tempo and solid production, it’s one of the best examples of Mayer’s adaptability to multiple genres.

Let’s face the facts: lately, Mayer’s placements in the press have been less than desirable. With Battle Studies’ less than stellar reviews, recent throat surgeries, painful splits with former lovers Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Simpson and an even more painful interview with Playboy in 2009, Mayer seemed to be losing a lot of the charm that made him so appealing in his earlier years. However, with Born & Raised finally here, it’s definitely nice to have him back in the light for his music instead of his personal life. Though I haven’t had the chance to sit down and fully listen to Born & Raised in its entirety, I must say I was impressed with the album’s first single “Shadow Days.“ On this song Mayer begins to return to the fantastic lyrical strengths he displayed on Room for Squares and Heavier Things. To say Mayer has his heart on his sleeve during his track would be a gross understatement – it’s barely hanging by a thread. It really does “suck to be honest and it hurts to be this real” – especially when you’re being this candid in just four minutes – but through this demonstration of virtue, he finds that brilliant spark he possessed so long ago.

And that, my friends, is what truly makes an artist great. No matter how Mayer decides to direct his life, both musically and socially, one thing is for certain: his classics will always be remembered for the right reasons. And for that, we are thankful.

Nothing Personal / All Time Low
I used to think of All Time Low as a pop-punk boy band. Though that could be a somewhat reasonable opinion today, I still love the band’s 2007 release Nothing Personal. This album surprised me with its more-punk-than-pop formula that I didn’t expect to hit me. If there’s anything that I love most about the record, though, it’s how fun and energetic it can get. The riffage of “Break Your Little Heart” infused with its exchange of poppy melodies makes for an extremely memorable track. The tank tops of “Lost in Stereo” and late night parties of “Hello, Brooklyn” (which is by far one of the catchiest songs I’ve ever heard) reinforce the summer essence that magically recurs throughout the record. Though I can’t say I feel the same way about every other All Time Low album, the catchy choruses, fun lyrics, and punky guitar melodies of Nothing Personal help structure what I feel is a summer staple.

Monster Monster / The Almost
What I consider to be one of the best Tooth & Nail releases of all-time, Monster Monster takes influence from every other band on the label and transverses both the vibes brought by these artists and the reverberating summer sentiments. Part of the summer feel may come from frontman Aaron Gillespie’s childhood days spent on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. On the other scope, the influences found span from The Classic Crime to Underoath – no surprise that the latter comes into play, as Gillespie used to drum for the metalcore giants. The overall feeling induced by songs like “Hands” – a great sing-along – and the suitably named “Summer Summer” make for a car ride like no other. Monster Monster seeps through the cracks of the imperfection of all the alt-punk bands before it that failed to make a record as catchy and sweeping as this one.

Enema of the State / Blink-182
When trying to pick out the bands that do such a great job of making the emotions of these months immaculate, it’s hard to avoid mentioning Blink-182. Though the trio has a handful of hits from “Dammit” to “I Miss You,” there are enough hits on Enema of the State alone that it takes two hands to count. Not only do I feel aptly fulfilled by “Going Away to College,” considering that I will be going away to college after this summer, but songs like “What’s My Age Again?” and “All the Small Things” are perfect August anthems, reminding their huge teenage fanbase about juvenility and the transition between school years. “Adam’s Song” is the darkest, saddest side of Blink seen on the record; once the cloud of angst clears, though, the guitars continue to subtly tear across a landscape that is most pristine with the windows down and sunglasses on.

Homesick / A Day To Remember
What do I love about Homesick? I could go on for days. For one thing, if you want a sleek, catchy hook, it’s there. If you’re looking for a lyric to empower you, it’s right in front of you. If you’re looking for a powerful breakdown to thrust all of your anger out, it’s also present. The songs are seemingly pop-punk from the outside but often get so heavy that they become immediate mosh anthems. However, the transition from scream-heavy metal to sing-along pop-punk is such a smooth one that it feels natural, especially in songs that are ruled by guitar chugs like “The Downfall of Us All” and “NJ Legion Iced Tea.” A Day To Remember not only changed the music scene forever with their stamp on popcore/pop-mosh/whatever you want to call it, but they also crafted an album that is an absolute perfect play when the temperature outside is 90 degrees or higher.

Enemy of the World / Four Year Strong
It was so hard to choose between Set Your Goals’ This Will Be the Death of Us and this album. For one, both records feature tracks that include the word “summer” in them. They are also albums that I consider to be the top pop-punk records of their release years. But in the end, nothing can beat beardcore, not even Hayley Williams (who is featured in SYG’s “The Few That Remain”). The guitar work is equally as impressive, if not even more technically sound than Set Your Goals’, but what makes Enemy of the World such a grand record in its own right is its flow. Guitars chime in at perfect moments, scraping together scraps of punk and taking their seats to the dual vocal effort from Dan O’Connor and Alan Day. When the world called on them, Four Year Strong, or should I say Four Beards Strong, came through with a smashing effort that should easily propel listeners through the three months they call “summer.”

Hot Fuss / The Killers
I was addicted to Hot Fuss during my early years of high school (this was way before I was into pop-punk), and last year I seemed to revitalize my addiction and raise it from its comatose state. As Hot Fuss awoke, its electro-infused alt-rock ballads lifted me off my feet once again. I felt the creative edge of songs like “Mr. Brightside” and its cunning lyrical style, and the dance-ready prowess “Smile Like You Mean It,” a song that has made me smile many times. Every song is like a summer miracle, reminding me of days spent by the ocean during late July vacations. It’s nice to know that these songs and their characteristically memorable verses and choruses can put me in such a place as the seaside. All I have to say is thank you for 2011, as I saw The Killers ironically bring something back to life in front of my eyes.

Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right…but Three Do / Relient K
I almost chose Mmhmm for this list, but then I remembered the classic feel of Two Lefts Don’t Make A Right…But Three Do. Every time I listen to it, I am reminded of high school – not only the lockers and hallways, but the time spent hanging out with friends when the final bell rang and everyone shuffled out of their cramped, overcrowded calculus classes. I recount multiple times rushing to my car to turn this album on, pulling away from the school parking lot with confidence just from hearing the high-pitched voice of Matt Thiessen. Once the final exams were taken and everyone headed to the pool, I kept listening to songs like “Mood Rings” and “Forward Motion.” Something about the band’s tongue-in-cheek swagger always charmed me with these listens, and every time I reminisce in the good times I have had with this record, I am reminded of both the months spent bored in my English class and the other three spent basking in the sun.

Under Soil and Dirt / The Story So Far
2011 saw a great efflorescence of pop-punk bloom into some of the best up-and-coming bands in music. Transit, All Get Out, Fireworks, and Go Radio all broke out and left their fans chanting the words to their summer-infused anthems from the safety of their ‘96 Honda Accords (or at least I was). But the band that seemed to produce the strongest record of 2011 was The Story So Far. Aptly named after a New Found Glory song, these guys blend together the spunk of early 2000s pop-punk and strive to hit even harder than their predecessors in their debut, Under Soil and Dirt. Parker Cannon’s tough (and often bruising) vocal effort keeps him from falling behind the album’s frenzy of guitars. It’s really hard to pick the cream of the crop in the new generation of punk bands, but The Story So Far’s invigorating melodies are just as scorching as the hot, hot July afternoons, and that makes Under Soil and Dirt an essential summer record.

Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing / The Wonder Years
After Dan “Soupy” Campbell wasn’t sad anymore with the newly-adopted life perspective “the upsides” in their 2010 release, The Wonder Years furthered their namesake with Suburbia – one of the single greatest pop-punk recordings of all-time. There’s something about their scruffy guitars, bass rumbles, and vocal jabs and crosses that makes them one of the top dogs in the genre. What makes this record such an instant classic, however, is its up-front and personal lyrics. Speaking of moving back to his parents’ basement from the start, Campbell continues his post-college captivation with lines of burnt-down bowling alleys and summers in Pennsylvania. If there’s any point during the summer months when I feel the most free, it’s when the nights become longer and blasting Suburbia becomes almost instinct. 

Ocean Avenue / Yellowcard
Yellowcard’s 2003 major label debut should grab the helms of your summer fever from its very first conglomeration of guitar, bass, drums, and strings. Thanks to the infusion of violin melodies and cogent (and often slow) guitar work, the emotions of the yearning lyrics become even more enticing. The instrumentation stresses the songwriting through its sense of urgency, often creating controlled chaos like in the chorus of “Breathing,” but also paving a path of characteristic sadness in tracks like “Empty Apartment.” Ocean Avenue is at the forefront of all albums released in the latter half of the emo/punk era, not to mention it grasps the long months ahead very passionately. The overall nostalgic feel of Ocean Avenue – and also considering that you can almost feel the waves of the songs’ emotional rush – makes it a powerful summer album.

“Currently, as it stands, Periphery is definitely a club band,” assures Jake Bowen, electronica arranger and one part of the trio of guitarists Periphery wields in their sonic concoction of punchy grooves and progressive melodies. “We’ve gotten good at playing clubs and throwing down in a certain way that looks good on a club stage. But once you move or you go on a tour that you’re playing arenas and huge venues, you have a huge stage to command. It requires a lot more energy and thought into what you’re doing.”

That idea came to fruition on that European tour, which visited venues in size much like Wembley Arena in the United Kingdom. For Bowen and the rest of Periphery, it was a learning curve they had to take head on. “We all had to kind of get it together really quickly. After the first date, we were like, ‘Okay, this is a lot different than what we’re used to.’ We had to learn really fast.”

The tour was a mix of old, new and slightly unaccustomed for those on both sides of the speakers. For Periphery, it was going to fans they seemingly either already had on their side or had never even heard of the band. “As far as the crowds, it’s very interesting because we usually do very well in Europe,” says Bowen. “Especially in the U.K. Some of the places we went on this last tour, we’ve never been to before. Seeing a good reaction from a place where we haven’t even begun to build a fan base just because we haven’t toured there, is really motivating.” However, not every date was as welcoming. “The German crowds are notoriously hard to impress, you know? It might just be a cultural thing or whatever, but those were the most underwhelming shows. Even for Dream Theater, their fans would have the first few rows would get really into it, but everyone else is just kind of standing there with their arms crossed.”

Being the only openers on a huge arena tour such as this one, it is almost expected to meet those sorts of crowds regardless of the foreign nature or genre of the band. Yet even in the less receptive of situations, the band was able to make headway on getting these new faces to open up to their music.

“At the beginning of the show, we’d see a lot of people with crossed arms, dead stares and as we would get halfway through our last song, which was really proggy, really Dream Theater influenced, you could see we were converting people right before our eyes. It was pretty cool on that level.”

Now with the band fresh off of that run with Protest the Hero, a band who once joked that this tour would never happen, the attention for Periphery turns back towards the music they’ve been writing as of late – starting with the inclusion of the track “Passenger” on the re-release of the band’s self-titled album this past January.

“I’m still kind of apprehensive about that whole release just because it gave the wrong impression I feel to a lot of people,” admits Bowen. “I think a lot of people thought Passenger was a new single off the new record and it’s not.” Though it is a new song and Bowen is proud of how it turned out, the track is really just “re-appropriated Haunted Shores material” according to him. This is particularly key to the future of the band though, as newest guitarist Mark Holcomb’s resume includes a membership in said band prior to his joining Periphery.

“We were all divided on different people that we wanted to join the band. My number one pick was always Mark, just because of how well we get along with him. He writes great riffs, he just fits perfectly. It was just so natural to have him write with us. The thing is, he wasn’t really familiar with this style of music before he joined the band. So, he really had to figure out what it is we do and how we play and how we pick the types of riffs we play. He learned it within a matter of weeks and was already writing on the same level that me and [guitarist] Misha [Mansoor] write which is really fast-paced.”

But as far as the future goes, the band has constantly had to answer questions about the current year in writing and recording for things due to having already said they’d be writing not one, but two albums for release at some point this year. The statement, along with the band’s reputation for releasing things, has caused a large stir of anticipation to build up with fans.

“I think we set a precedent early in our career with Misha just releasing stuff. Because back when we didn’t have any deals or obligations or any terms with the people we’re involved with or the labels we’re involved with, people were used to getting music all the time, hearing what the band’s been up to and hearing every demo from of all the songs we have. That was one of the biggest complaints about the first record. People were saying, ‘I’ve heard these songs already, now they have vocals on them. I want to hear new stuff.’ With the new stuff, there’s a few things that people might have heard on demo forums if they’re familiar with the pages that we post on, but most of it is brand new material. Even the stuff that came back, the demos we worked on, there’s extra sections, vocals over everything and re-arranged and re-appropriated for our modern sound that we have going on. I think it’s just, important that people get a surprise this time around.”

At this point though, very little information is coming out of the camp regarding either album. Bowen says the first album is completed and being mastered by Logan Mader, something that reflects upon the band’s collective tastes in metal. “He did Gojira’s The Way of All Flesh, which is collectively in the band one of our favorite metal albums, sounding albums as well. He is a well-known mastering guy and he used to play in Machine Head and he knows his shit.” But as far as the release of that album? The band seems to be thinking for next month as the right time to release the record, though nothing has been confirmed up to this point. “Once we get those masters back then it’s game on.”

There’s a reason that the band has been a bit hesitant to talk about such information, be it when they’re releasing music or what exactly it might sound like. Whether it is just being particular or wanting to make sure people are taking in this album in the way Periphery wants them to, it has reflected in the band’s approach to writing and recording this record. “We went to a studio this time and we used acoustic drums. We used real amps. No auto-tune on any of the vocals. It’s all very refined and legit as we could make it this time around. We get a lot of shit for being a drum kit from hell, superior band with Axe-FX and all the gadgets that we use. We use it for the ease of use, but with this album we wanted to show everyone that we can do it this way too. So you know, back off.”

Taking that extra time to refine the sound and writing of this album has led to a double-edged sword of sorts, created both by the band’s desire for this album to be taken in and their own suggestions of even wanting to do two albums in the first place.

“One of the things about this album is that it came out so good, at least to us, that we’re so proud of it. It was such a collaborative effort and turning out so good that if we release something in such close proximity to it, it might cheapen it. I want people to really listen to this record and listen very carefully because this is actually Periphery.”

The progression of the band, not only as a whole, but as different parts making up a machine, might come off as a bit arrogant in the process, but in reality the realization of the band’s sound has been a long time coming due to various member changes and solidifying something that was, according to Bowen, not just a collection of songs but a true album. “This time around, everyone was involved, everybody was in charge of tones and eliciting good takes out of our band members and being really supportive and having a support structure in the studio.”

That solidification has manifested itself in not only the songs making changes, but members, including vocalist Spencer Sotelo truly evolving in Bowen’s eyes. “We’ve all heard the album and we’re all sick of it at this point [laughs] but the one thing that’s been abundantly clear to us is that Spencer’s game has gone to the next level. And it’s not like we have this music with arbitrary vocals over it anymore. Like, the vocals are the main drive now. The vocal lines that Spencer has come up with are mind-blowingly original. Like his tone, his screaming voice. He has like four or five different screams that he uses now instead of the one on the first record. The dynamic range of the vocals has gone to the next level and I’m really excited for people to hear that.”

The question then becomes this: What happened to the second album, an album that was said to be of a conceptual nature that was to be released sometime this year?

“I know I’ve been writing for it, and I know Misha has songs and he’s been writing for it. Mark has ideas. I’ve been writing a lot with Mark lately. It’s coming together. I just don’t know with our touring plans and everything that’s going on this year where we’re going to exactly fit it in, but it is going to happen. I just don’t want to commit to anything right now with that. I know we’ve said stuff about it, but, we really don’t care [laughs].”

It’s been a bit of a long road for Periphery. A look at the band’s past roster reveals nothing short of a revolving door over the years the band has been together. But as far as Bowen sees it, the changing of the guard has only strengthened the band’s future as opposed to slowing any progression. “Every time a member has left, and this is no offense to anyone that’s ever left the band or quit the band or got fired from the band, it’s just the way it is, the band has gotten stronger as a result. I think it’s because any weak link that was present is starting to get rooted out and now we’re all on the same page and we’re all willing to put up with the same hardships at the same levels at the same time. It’s been getting better. It sucks to see all the people who were in your band, but it’s relieving to know the people who are here now are going to continue what we’re doing.”

So with the future seemingly bright and undoubtedly in the hands of the band, what does Bowen see the band doing in the coming months or even years?

“We do have a potential to evolve into a band that can play those bigger stages,” Bowen says of the band’s touring desires and ability. It seems with music as meticulous and layered as Periphery is attempting to make, it might be the only fitting place to witness it.

At the present time, it’s been a little over 24 hours since news of Tom Gabel’s sex change leaked and spread like wildfire across the internet. And in those 24 hours, I feel like there isn’t much to be said that hasn’t already been said. Tom is now Laura Jane Grace, he’s going to stay married to his wife, and together they’re going to raise their two-year-old daughter. Most people have been supportive of Gabel’s – or should I say Grace’s – decision. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since the punk community from which Gabel and Against Me! stem from is based on openness to this type of action. Hell, even the fans who shunned the band after they and their Fat Wreck label mates all went major-label warmly received who they now know as Laura Jane Grace.

While every political and social point has been argued already on a number of message boards, all I can offer is what this means to a fan. I’m not a transsexual. Aside from an extremely interesting sexuality class I took last semester, I’m very removed from the LGBTQ community. What I am though is someone who’s listened to Against Me! for close to nine years now. I was 11 when Against Me! as the Eternal Cowboy dropped back in ’03, and it was around this time that I was first exposed to punk rock. I didn’t know what “Cliché Guevera” was about, but I sure did hate all the kids I’d see wearing Ché shirts without actually knowing who he was or what he did. It was an angry, uplifting, rebellious but still digestible album, and for someone like me entering my teen years, it was one of the key reasons I got hooked on everything Fat Wreck. Fast forward to 2006. At my first Warped Tour, Against Me! was playing last. I was 14, and I caught their first song and split in time to be home for my curfew. I obviously told my friends that I watched the whole set and it was the best set of the day. I don’t even remember the song they opened with.

Fast forward again to 2008. This time, I actually caught their set at Warped Tour. It might have been one of the most perfect sets I’ve ever witnessed. It was humid and sunny, but just as the band began to play, it started pouring rain. Within minutes, thousands of kids were drenched, singing “Thrash Unreal.” I think the stage roof had holes in it, because the band was soaked as well. It was just like the music video, and to a 16 year old me, it was the most punk rock sight ever. That year, it was the best set of the day.

Around that time, Against Me! started going in a new direction. I wasn’t a fan, and I quickly forgot about them. Songs like “Stop!” were the types of songs that I would pretend don’t exist. In fact, other than random nostalgic bursts, I haven’t kept up with Against Me! much in the past four years. When the news first hit my ever-so-quiet Twitter feed last night, I thought this was some kind of joke. And I’m guessing I’m not the only one. After the initial shock, I began to consider the meaning of this. Laura Jane? Why not Tommy? Tommy? And his marriage will remain intact? The sentiment of love between him and his wife is awe-inspiring. And what about Against Me! and their sound? Why would he do this so late in his life, after all the fame he’s built up?

I think that the Gabel/Grace case is monumental because of these questions. Other than Chaz Bono, who’s arguably famous because he is trans, no person with this much notoriety has ever undergone a sex change, especially after making a name for themselves as one sex before switching to another. Not to mention, the notion that a straight man is choosing to becoming a lesbian woman is something that a lot of people find foreign in itself. The reality is, there’s no shame in admitting that Tom Gabel becoming Laura Jane Grace is shocking. It’s okay to be surprised, to find it not normal. Because it isn’t normal. This doesn’t happen every day, and in fact, this is the first exposure to transsexuality for a great number of people. Today, we’re at a point where LGBTQ rights are this decade’s Civil Rights issue. It’s important to note that on the same day that North Carolina announced their controversial amendment banning same sex marriage even more than it was already banned, Gabel’s news came out, almost as if it was a retaliation of some sort, a “screw-you!” to the ignorance of the close-minded. In the following weeks, months and probably years, we’re going to learn about Gabel’s sex-alignment and his journey to the body he’s chosen.  We’re lucky that Gabel is willing to go through this procedure in the open, on account of the notoriety of this case. As an outside commentator I can only watch, offer moral support and, most of all, seek understanding and encourage those in support of the LGBTQ community especially heterosexual, cisgendered people to learn and gain understanding from this issue. More so, I hope that those who still are not comfortable with LGBTQ issues use this as a learning experience and embrace this as a chance to familiarize themselves with this type of stuff.

I’d like to end this editorial by tipping my hat to Mrs. Laura Jane Grace for the tremendous amount of courage and bravery to not only go through her procedure, but to bring public attention to herself. She is offering us knowledge of a topic foreign to many, and a topic that should have far more light shed on it. It’s through knowledge that we’re going to see less North Carolinas, and more “every other place that is tolerant and embracing of LGBTQ communities.” Also, I think it’s punk as fuck to change your sex. It’s the ultimate testament of personal freedom.

Amanda Palmer is changing the dynamic of the music industry, one crazed fan at a time. As a completely free spirit, she believes artists should receive their comeuppance but is also pretty down with giving away songs for free. She might not be as powerful as Radiohead but she is following in their legendary footprints by putting the fate of her new album in the hands of her fans.

You might know her as half of the punk-cabernet band The Dresden Dolls. The Dolls have been broken up for a few years and in that time she has been developing a solo career, touring the world, making a concept album about Australia (Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under) and involving herself with the Occupy Movement. She also married the spooky author Neil Gaiman to form one of the most appropriate (and adorable) married couples of all time.

It has been four years since Palmer’s first solo studio album, the Ben Folds-produced Who Killed Amanda Palmer? Shortly after the album’s release a controversy blew up with Roadrunner Records, the label she was then signed with. The label refused to release her music video for “Leeds United” because they thought her stomach looked fat. This sparked an online movement of outraged fans and a pissed off Palmer who begged to be freed from the label.  After a year-long feud the label finally terminated her contract and she was a completely free artist. She released the song “Do You Swear to Tell the Truth the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth So Help Your Black Ass” as a free download to signify her newfound freedom and a kind of “fuck you” to Roadrunner.

Earlier this year she finished recording a new album with The Grand Theft Orchestra and is planning to release it sometime in 2012. The album is full of songs she has spent four years writing and is being followed by an art book inspired by the songs and an ambitious gallery tour. The problem is that now she is free from a record label, she doesn’t have the money to promote, mix, manufacture and distribute her self-described “epic” album.

Enter Kick Starter and her fans. Instead of being tied to a blood sucking record label she is putting the budget into the hands of her fans with a Kick Starter campaign.  In a video announcement featuring Palmer flipping through white poster boards a-la Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” she explains the recording budget without a label would be around $500,000, so she is asking the fans to support her business so she can actually make a profit.

Kick Starter is an online fundraiser site dedicated to creative projects. It works the same way as a telethon – a contributor can donate however much money they would like and there is usually a consolation prize associated with the amount of money contributed. Palmer’s project ranges from $1 to $10,000. If you contribute $1 you’ll receive a digital download of the album, $25 gets you an exclusive backer only copy of the CD, $300 gets you tickets to a Backer-Only art party in New York, London, Berlin, or Boston, while $5,000 gets you an Amanda Fucking Palmer House Party where she will invade your home and have a crazy party with your friends.

Palmer has spent years building a rabid fan base by treating her fans with the utmost appreciation and gratitude. She spends hours a day on Twitter interacting with her followers. She will perform “Ninja-Gigs” – intimate performances on the street with her and just a ukulele. A good band makes an audience feel special, and she makes her audience feel loved and is now literally giving them a chance to be involved.

And her fans responded. The Kick Starter was launched on April 30^th with a projected goal of $100,000; they reached that goal within six hours. As I am writing this there are 23 days to go and there have been 10,750 backers with $584,587 dollars. Amanda Palmer has broken Kick Starter records and is undoubtedly a major success.

By now you’ve heard wind that Chiodos, the band popular at their peak for literature-inspired post-hardcore, has not only re-emerged from the loss of their presumed heir Brandon Bolmer and drummer Tanner Wayne, but they are being re-helmed by polarizing vocalist Craig Owens.

The always opinionated internet took swipes at both sides of the equation – the obvious being a possible return to their pre-Illuminaudio sound in both the positive and negative limelight. While it is difficult to pinpoint the overall reaction to this news, besides mixed-leaning positive, it isn’t difficult to see the many faces of fans and how they are reacting to the news. Let us take a moment to consider all the angles in a peculiar manner – the mindset of the Seven Deadly Sins. Yes, as difficult as it might sound, the many ideals of Chiodos fans former and present are intertwined. But that doesn’t stop Owens and company from creating a packed hand of views on the band’s history and potential future.

Luxuria (Lust)

I’ve been to enough Chiodos shows to know that Craig Owens is a scene girl magnet. It isn’t rocket science. It doesn’t even have to be post-modern literature. This is mere fact. Though many of the girls ogling over Owens have been following him practically everywhere he goes, the return to the band is sure to usher back fans who proclaim something along the lines of Owens being the more attractive of the two frontmen. Particularly fickle and possibly at this point past their post-hardcore phase, this fan’s draw to the band is as shallow as probably not even knowing the band was still in existence following Owens’ dismissal.

Gula (Gluttony)

There are fans of this type for every band. Seemingly, regardless of time, timbre, tenacity or treachery, a band can do no wrong in this one’s eyes. Though the band saw a peak of popularity shortly after Bone Palace Ballet, which is probably arguable outside of this mindset, this person constantly insists the band always puts out their best record without a hint of hesitation. Illuminaudio may have led to fewer fans, but a Chiodos glutton will prove through rare demos and b-sides that the path they were seemingly on post-Ballet was saved by Bolmer – and will probably be promptly revived by Owens.

Avaritia (Greed)

Perhaps the biggest superfan of them all, this is the one you see wearing a hoodie and a shirt of the same band – while sporting stereotypically placed tattoos of obvious and/or beaten to death lyrics. You know, the dude with the ‘I’ll stop stabbing when you stop screaming’ script down his arm. He, or perhaps she, is the throne of fandom for this band and puts the word collection to shame. Though often tied to the glutton, the greedy fans will snatch up anything they can in the rekindling of their pre-teen to post-teen years – only to prove they’ve been loyal all along.

Acedia (Sloth)

What’s that? They’re getting another singer? Releasing another album? It’s difficult to pinpoint one type of sloth for this band, but as the band’s sound has changed a bit album by album, people have been reluctant to continue the journey. Even as Owens made the jump to DRUGS, many Chiodos fans were simply not interested in giving him a fair chance. This isn’t to praise DRUGS – in my opinion the album was terrible – but even now some old fans might have had enough of Owens’ charades that his return means absolutely nothing.

Ira (Wrath)

I promise you one thing. There are people very upset about this, and for various reasons. Maybe they are still clinging to the pre-Bolmer era and are upset for the change in the first place. Maybe they loved Bolmer so much, and the progression the band made in the last full-length, that they simply do not want Owens as the lead singer again. Whatever the case may be though, this is the one you don’t want to make a mistake in approaching this topic with in a conversation.

“Did you hear they let Craig back in Chiodos?”

“THAT @%@#(*% IS BACK?”

This is the rarest of the bunch to be truthful, as it seems like post-Illuminaudio Chiodos has lost some of the enthusiastic fans once thought to be a legion for the band. Truth is, the band was so near extinction that any sort of news has to be good news, right?

Invidia (Envy)

Somewhat of a mixture of one we’ve discussed and another we’ve yet to pick apart, the envious fan is a displayer and a boaster who seemingly is always living up to everyone else’s standards. While not exactly a new fan, they mingled in somewhere between Bone Palace Ballet and Illuminaudio and have been playing a vicious game of catch-up ever since. They are the wannabe hipsters. The ones who seem just on the cusp of pretentiousness but come off much more desperate than anything else. They seem to agree with everyone else but have no opinion of their own – and probably only seem excited because everyone else is and not of their own accord.

Superbia (Pride)

Possibly the most annoying of the bunch. It’s the same in every group right? “I remember when they released The Heartless Control Everything. I was at the release show.” The equivalent of hipsters. They make sure you know that they know everything about this band and that this is going to be an “ironic” attempt at bringing back the band’s past. At this point, these people are few and far between, but considering I’m from the state that birthed this band, I can guarantee they exist somewhere in the boundaries of the music scene – you just might have to really look. It would be safe to say most people into Chiodos who are now pushing their mid-to-late 20s fall at least slightly into this category. Now that I think of it, just bring up how good they were on All’s Well That Ends Well. You’ll find them.

So maybe you avoid these cliches and tunnel-visioned comparisons by your own steel nerve or practically blatant disregard for the whole thing. Yet it seems that just as quickly as people hopped on the Chiodos train to Goresville, they seem just as quick to hop back off in the return of the now-slighted frontman. Whether or not this means anything good for the band is up in the air until music is written or shows are played, but one thing is for sure – we’ll find out soon enough.

Hipsters don’t follow rules. Well, maybe except that one rule where they implicitly don’t follow anything that falls under the category of mainstream. Tastemakers and often trendsetters, the word hipster has both positive and negative connotations – whether it be an affliction for fixed gear bicycles and Pabst Blue Ribbon or being able to say you used to love a band before they got, well, popular.

That mindset seems far away from a band like Protest The Hero. Sure, the band has never really been one to follow any sort of guidelines when it comes to metal – and as recently as last year’s Scurrilous they won’t even follow their own rules. But if I told you about the band’s recent courting with Pabst Blue Ribbon, a beer notorious on both sides of the border for being the prime choice of hipsters, it would be easy enough to see why the marriage between the two makes sense.

“We were sitting in Austria, and someone brought a bottle of Jagermeister,” recalls Protest vocalist Rody Walker in the dim-lit back room of The Majestic Theater in Detroit. His band is playing next door at the adjacent Magic Stick, but the couch and strangely prepared outlay of decor makes it an odd place to conduct an interview after both of us are unable to figure out how the lights work. Yet, in his story of hatred for the taste of said spirit, Walker reveals a plan configured by himself and bassist Arif Mirabdolbaghi to get behind something a little more preferred by the band.

“Why don’t we take this into our own hands? We have like 200,000 followers on FaceBook. Why don’t we find a beer that doesn’t have anyone who gives a shit about it, and spam them. We went to the Pabst Canadian page and they have like 2300 followers. They have enough money to give us beer and they don’t have enough followers that this is actually going to affect them. So we put it up. Arif and I crafted a little thing that said, ‘If you think we should have beer, post this here,’ and it worked.”

But just like with a number of things the band has done through the years, including dropping the idea of conceptualism from their music and shifting lyricists on Scurrilous, they drew a bit of backlash. And in typical Rody Walker form, he pulls no punches on how he feels about that.

“We had a lot of people post on the site, ‘Ugh, I could handle like being a little screamo but I can’t handle this hipster stuff,’ [laughs]. I don’t know, you can make up your own mind but personally I don’t think we have a whole lot to do with being hip. If you can’t get behind someone giving you a free beer, then you’re a fucking idiot,” laughs Walker. The funny thing is, this idea of avoiding trends is exactly how he feels about his band when it comes to crafting music.

“We refuse to restrict ourselves,” says Walker with sincerity in his voice. “A lot of bands restrict themselves to just screaming and breakdowns, a lot of bands restrict themselves to singing and noodling guitars. People put themselves in a little box. We never feel the need to put ourselves in a genre or category and in that respect it’s become very non-linear. We can apply ourselves to a number of genres and play with a number of bands. Sometimes we’ll say, ‘Oh we’re not heavy enough for the heavy stuff or we’re too heavy for the… shitty stuff’ [laughs]. But you know, we’ve afforded ourselves a really rare opportunity by just being genuine and honest with music that we want to write.”

A listen to last year’s musical adventure Scurrilous and a delve into its creation shows Protest not only changing what they do as a band but how they do it. Prior efforts Kezia and Fortress were both heavily sewn with conceptual tapestries, with Mirabdolbaghi providing the primary source for lyrical creation through those two albums. Yet, as it was said many times by Walker in the past year, he took hold of the lyrical reins on Scurrilous, once again putting himself and the band right into the fire as far as some fans were concerned.

“We’re all pretty happy with the direction it went. I think there’s an overwhelming feeling of… not enough happened. There wasn’t a big enough difference, and unfortunately for some of the listeners I feel that the differences we’d like to make were in a direction that maybe a lot of the fans of Fortress were maybe not in favor of.” Walker sounds even more proud of the artwork, a painting done by Mirabdolbaghi’s grandfather that has become a part of the band’s history as well.

“It was so easy to put Arif’s grandfather’s picture on there. It was a picture we were all very familiar with. His family back in Iran are getting a kick out of the fact that there’s t-shirts and shit with this print on it. I think that’s the proudest moment of the CD.”

The release of Scurrilous marks only the third full-length release for the band in the past seven years, with Kezia being a record the band solely toured on for many of their earlier days and have tried to play less and less of as time has gone on.

“It feels good to get away from it. I know a lot of people wanna hear those songs and we do want to play those songs, but we’d like to be able to function without it. It was what brought us whatever degree of success we might have, meager as it might be. So, we owe a debt of gratitude to our history and our past. But we also would like to move beyond it.”

This tour with Periphery, Jeff Loomis, The Safety Fire and Today I Caught the Plague has proved they can move past it. As the band rips through tracks from all three full-lengths, it is easy to see that while there is still energy on both sides of the speakers for tracks like “Blindfolds Aside” and “Turn Soonest to the Sea” from Kezia, the room erupts just as much from Fortress’ “Sequoia Throne” and Scurrilous’ “C’est La Vie.” Even as touring goes, what was last year considered too nerdy, in Walker’s words, of a touring partner in Periphery has now come to fruition in 2012.

“We’ve sort of thrown our hands in the air and said whatever, let’s just do it. Let’s be as nerdy as people want.”

The question still remains though: If you’re going to be constantly critiqued for changing things up, why do it? The answer, according to Walker, is actually quite simple.

“I think the box or the equation is what takes the art form out of it. Because at that point you’re not creating something, you’re just mimicking something. When the box becomes the equation, it means the industry has mettled with it too much. Like, ‘This is how you make a star band son.’ You can picture this fat greasy guy sittin’ behind a desk with a cigar in his mouth and money signs in his eyes. That kind of idiom doesn’t exist, but it really does. They are there and they make these things. That’s why you see like, One Direction. These talentless acts that are just absolutely bending over and sodomizing the art form. That’s what you get when… [sings] You let your heart live! [laughs] That’s what you get when you put things in a box and you think linear.”

As the band moves forward, with touring on the books in South America with Underoath and a planned release for next year, what sort of unpredictable thing can we at least try to expect next?

“We’re looking to have a new release in the first quarter of 2013,” states Walker quite bluntly, “and that is very, very tentative. It’s barely just begun. That’s the plan, but we’ll see if it happens.” And while it is truly difficult at this point to figure out what a new Protest album will sound like, besides something progressive and something kind of metal, Walker does point out that the band will probably continue down the path of Scurrilous – meaning he will do most of the lyrical writing and the album will not be conceptual.

One only has to look at what Protest the Hero has done to see that while they are serious musicians who constantly look to re-invent themselves, they are also human beings who have a rather goofy side. The band’s video for “Hair-Trigger,” besides showing them driving go-karts and falling on their asses while roller skating, further pushes a mindset that reaps itself in practically everything the band touches.

“I think we’re gonna film something where we’re killing a hipster with a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon,” laughs Walker in regards to the proposed stereotype they now seem associated with because of something they enjoy – beer.

“I feel like heavy metal takes itself way too fucking seriously and it’s hilarious,” says Walker with no hesitation. “Heavy metal is hilarious. Anyone beating their chest with an iron look in their face just needs to take a look in the mirror and laugh at themselves.”

The reformed cast consisting of newly- inducted bassist Zach Cooper and returning drummer Josh Eppard systematically annihilated whispers of doubt and awkward first show tenseness, opening with “Time Consumer” through a dense nimbus of dry ice. Eppard’s unmistakable drum intro caused the crowd to erupt in acknowledgment of his return after a six-year hiatus. Before the crowd was able to catch its breath, opening riffs for “No World For Tomorrow” exploded through the theater.

Early favorites of the night included “3 Evils (Embodied in Love and Shadow),” “The Crowing” and “Here We Are Juggernaut,” the only song performed off of Black Rainbow. Then mid-set, in typical Coheed fashion, the aggressive mosh-inducing riffs were quelled by Claudio Sanchez’s soothing voice during a semi-acoustic version of “Mother Superior.” Other notable sing-along moments came during No World For Tomorrow’s “Feathers” as well as the early hit, “Devil in Jersey City.”

The crowd swayed side to side dramatically like a ship crew caught in a violent tempest during the hypnotizing melodies of “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3.” Considered a cult classic by longtime fans, the final chorus opened the entire floor into a flurry of headbanging and unrestrained crowd surfing. Wherever the security even was, it’s guaranteed that they were overwhelmed and unprepared for the Nyack quartet.

Fans heard for the first time a full band version of “Sentry the Defiant” during the encore. And to wrap it up, Sanchez pulled out the double-neck guitar to end with “Welcome Home.” He and guitarist Travis Stever traded off solos with vehement aggression while Cooper and Eppard rocked out unapologetically. And as soon as it started, the whip-lashing was over and the crowd began to dissipate. What an amazing opening show. Be sure to catch Coheed and Cambria this spring and summer—they’re well worth your time.