lista zespołów Metalcore Glass Cloud The Royal Thousand

Lately, plenty of metal and rock bands are really working to expand their genres to new levels and create some fresh and interesting music. Glass Cloud, hailing from Hampton, Virginia, is no exception. It all started in 2011 after vocalist Jerry Roush had left Sky Eats Airplane and Of Mice And Men. Since then, he got together with the great Joshua Travis, the lead guitarist for The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza. This lineup alone grabbed the attention of fans of the two’s other projects. Josh began writing material for the band, and the duo soon took bassist Travis Sykes and drummer Chad Hasty in for the run. Now equipped with a full lineup, Glass Cloud was signed to Equal Vision Records almost immediately because of Jerry’s involvement with Sky Eats Airplane, a band that was signed to the label before going on hiatus in 2011. After that, 2012 saw the rise of their debut full-length effort entitled “The Royal Thousand.” Here, the quartet takes an experimental and interesting approach to the metalcore sound, but not all is well with this record.

Glass Cloud possesses some awesome instrumental musicianship in “The Royal Thousand.” The guitarwork is incredible, although this should not come to anyone as a total surprise, mainly for fans of The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza. Soaring melodic riffs entwine with extremely heavy breakdown chugs seamlessly, and the guitarplay is ultimately one of the album’s greatest highlights. The drums are also very well done, being solid with a fair amount of complexion to fit the music itself. However, when it comes down to the vocals and the production, “The Royal Thousand” does not fare too well in those areas. The screaming and clean vocals do sound very forced, especially when it comes to the clean singing when they’re reaching for the higher notes. As for the production and mix, it tends to sound somewhat weak and thin at times, particularly in the melodic parts. “White Flag” is the best example of this, where the melodic post-hardcore music sounds a bit empty. Overall, the instrumental play in this album is fantastic, but as for the vocals and production, not so much.

Despite the flaws, Glass Cloud is really taking some unique steps into the metalcore realm. “The Royal Thousand” really showcases Josh’s songwriting, and the fusion of melodic hardcore with destructive chugs is fresh compared to other band’s music today. The formula balances between melody and chaos quite nicely, and the end result is catchy. “White Flag,” for an example, opens with a melodic post-hardcore tune, but as the song continues, the heaviness gradually increases until the chaotic breakdown assault comes in without sounding choppy. The same can pretty much be said for “If He Dies, He Dies,” which kicks off with an ambient hardcore track, before it suddenly mutates into deadly heaviness. Then recedes back to its melodic roots, but it then returns to its complex brutality again. On the other hand, “Ivy & Wine” starts the other way around. It bursts the doors open with explosive chugs that really could get the crowd’s rowdiness going. “Counting Sheep” is another incredibly heavy track compared to the others, brandishing heavy guitar grooves and explosive drums. The musical formula of “The Royal Thousand” as a whole is quite inventive, if not very intriguing.

In regards to the lyrics, they are either interesting and uplifting or just flat out weird. “The Royal Thousand” is in no way a conceptual album, with lyrics written about several topics including life, personal experiences, and Greek theology. “White Flag,” despite its dark lines including “If you’re just gonna cave in, just lay down and die” and “If you won’t look up, if you keep your chin down, then raise the white flag,” does conceal a positive message behind it. It talks about how some people are getting older, and they start to give up on their goals in life because time moves so quickly. As a result, they would believe they won’t get what they want, no matter how hard they work to reach their goal. However, as sung by Jerry, “If you want it bad enough, it’ll come to you.” “If He Dies, He Dies” has a very personal meaning behind it, involving how Jerry and an old friend of his somehow ended their bond, but after the old friend gets married and has a son, the two eventually manage to stitch their friendship back together. The lyrics in this particular track are very well-written compared to the others. On the other hand, , some of the lyrics are also quite silly and cheesy. “Falling in Style” talks about falling in love with someone, and how good it feels to be in a deep relationship with someone. It’s a nice concept, but the lyrics themselves are actually a bit unpleasant and creepy. “I am a slave to the scent of your skin,” “Heaven between your hips, I stand at the pearly gates,” and “I am the falling rain and you are the ground” are not the greatest of things to say when you’re making a serenade for your girlfriend. “Ivy & Wine” tells the story of the Greek god of fertility and wine Dionysus, who was “born the son of the god of gods, eaten alive,” “Twice born to a mortal mother,” and “Shot down with lightning bolts.” The theological concept behind the lyrics are interesting, but a few lines such as “Payback is a motherfucker” sort of kill the mood. While “The Royal Thousand” does have some meaningful lyrics, it does have some silly ones, too.

The musical idea behind “The Royal Thousand” is great, and it’s a fresh breath of air compared to many other metalcore and post-hardcore acts. However, at the same time, it does have flaws. The vocals, particularly the clean ones, sound pretty forced, the production sounds hollow and weak at times, and some of the lyrics are a bit cheesy, if not flat-out weird. On the bright side, though, the guitar and drumwork in “The Royal Thousand” are phenomenal, and much of the band’s musical talent does shine in this album. The songs are quite catchy and diverse from each other, and the quartet walks the line between melody and destruction well. The songwriting is, once again, quite fresh and innovative, but it could have turned out nicer and more memorable if it weren’t for the album’s slips and falls. Fans of Josh Travis and Jerry Roush’s previous works, including Sky Eats Airplane and The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, really may want to give this album a shot. Also, with the heavy breakdowns contained in this album, metalcore fans who are looking for something to mosh like crazy too also should check this record out. Overall, “The Royal Thousand” is not a terrible record, but it could have been better. However, with the interesting direction Glass Cloud is heading into the metalcore scene, it will be pretty intriguing what they will do next.