The 20th-anniversary release of Thrill Seeker is much more than a simple reissue. The band took their time, painstakingly re-recording their first record, finding a way to not mess with the classic recipe of the original while still elevating the songs. The sound is punchier and tighter here, allowing you to hear the progress the band has made as musicians. There is also a warmer low-end sound to it that fleshes it out more than the original, which is to be expected 20 years later. One of the most distinctive differences between the two releases is the vocals. The original recording, released in November of 2005, saw Josh McManness at the helm (the band’s second vocalist). Shortly after the band’s first tour, Josh departed and was replaced by Jake Luhrs, who has been the band’s vocalist since. Jake’s vocal style has evolved with each release, and he brings an extra depth to the sound that was missing from the original recording. That’s not a sleight against Josh, it’s just that Jake has now been doing this for 20+ years and has a lot more to offer now.

Sometimes Metalheads need to take a breather from all the headbanging, moshing, screaming, and black clothes. One of my favorite ways to take that breather is diving headfirst into different genres that I love or have a general interest in and I recently decided to turn my eyes toward Pop! I spent so many years of my childhood raging against Pop music and how formulaic the machine is, spitting out dribble crafted by a team of songwriters and hitmakers. Sometime in my early adulthood though, something clicked, and I grew to appreciate Pop music and fall victim to the catchy choruses. In 2024, it was nearly impossible for me to escape the sounds of Sabrina Carpenter in my house, as her new record Short n’ Sweet had a stranglehold on my wife and her friends. I listened from afar, bobbing my head to a few tracks, but never sat down and gave it the proper attention until now. My only exposure to Sabrina before this record was the show Girl Meets World, the movie Tall Girl, and the song “Feather” from 2023, but my interest in her grew after hearing bits of Short n’ Sweet and learning that she grew up less than 40 minutes from where I grew up! I’m always interested in supporting a Pennsylvania native (shoutout to Breaking Benjamin, Motionless in White, Bradley Cooper, Michael Keaton, etc).

I received an email the morning of January 6th that shook me out of my typical morning grogginess, acting like a cup of cold brew. In my inbox sat an email from a reader asking if I could not only review their upcoming EP but also be one of the first to get my hands on it (metaphorically speaking of course. We’re in the digital age now!). Happy to have something positive on January 6th that could alter my viewpoint of that date (considering the last momentous January 6th involved an insurrection in America…), I immediately began replying. The email was from CJ Jarvis of the band Soul Syphon from Lewistown, PA, and he outlined what he was looking for, when the EP is set to release, the concepts of the EP, and a handy download link! I asked CJ if the band was a group effort or a solo endeavor (amongst many other questions) and was pleasantly surprised to learn that Soul Syphon is a solo act! CJ began work in 2020, using this passion project to express his experiences with internal conflicts, loss, and resilience - themes that are ever-present throughout the EP. It’s rare in the Metal scene that you come across a Dave Grohl, writing and recording a solo record before having a band to assist. Thankfully, this fact does not serve as a detriment to the EP I listened to.

It’s always difficult to separate the art from the artist, especially when the artist is certifiably deranged. It’s important to remember though that in this situation, an entire team of good people worked to create this record, and their contributions should not go unlistened and uncelebrated because of the actions of one sociopathic, narcissistic lead vocalist. Through Storms Ahead is a Metalcore force to be reckoned with, only weighed down by the delusions of Tim and his lyrics. Despite that, there’s a twisted enjoyment in being able to point and laugh at Tim lyrically making a fool of himself. His inability to recognize that he’s the problem is disheartening but it does not make me empathetic toward him.

Negative Spaces manages to establish what sounds like the “final form” of Poppy as an artist, and where she has been heading all these years - a blend of Bubblegum Pop and Metalcore that is both sweet and venomous. Many tracks are reminiscent of recent Bring Me The Horizon releases, which is clear when you realize that Jordan Fish served as the producer and one of the writers of Negative Spaces. If the name looks familiar, it’s because Jordan was the keyboardist and producer for Bring Me The Horizon from 2012-2023, helping shape their sound into a similar blend of Metalcore with Pop leanings that worked much better for Oli Sykes's vocal range after struggles from their early days as a Deathcore band.