SONG OF THE WEEK: 9/26/21

SONG:  "Dirty Little Secret"

ARTIST:  Bullet For My Valentine

ALBUM:  "Temper Temper"

YEAR:  2013

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Brigend, Wales, UK

YEARS ACTIVE:  1998 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Here's what Bullet For My Valentine vocalist Matt Tuck had to say about "Dirty Little Secret". "It’s definitely one of the more dynamic songs on the record, it’s got a lot of mood-swing going on, it’s super heavy, super melodic, super aggressive. Lyrically, it’s kind of a sexy song about an adulterous relationship and lust. But it’s definitely one of the more diverse, intricate songs on the record because it’s got so many parts."

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2005 - The Poison (Trustkill Records)

* peaked at #128 on the Billboard 200 on 3-4-06

* certified gold

2008 - Scream Aim Fire (Jive Records)

* peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 on 2-16-08

2010 - Fever (Jive Records)

* peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 on 5-15-10

2013 - Temper Temper (RCA Records)

* peaked at #13 on the Billboard 200 on 3-2-13

2015 - Venom (RCA Records)

* peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200 on 9-5-15

2017 - Live From Brixton:  Chaper Two (Spinefarm Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2018 - Gravity (Spinefarm Records)

* peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 on 7-14-18

MY THOUGHTS ON BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE:

Bullet For My Valentine are a Welsh band that formed back in 1998. Initially, the band was called Jeff Killed John. Under this moniker, the band put out a few EP's. They kinda had a Korn vibe at this time. By 2003, the band became Bullet For My Valentine and their sound became more hard rock and metal influenced. They dropped their debut album in 2005 called "The Poison". This album would become certified gold making it a very successful debut. 2008's "Scream Aim Fire" saw the band admittedly try to show the critics what they could do instead of just believing who they were as a band. To me, this was still a great album but when it came to make their next record, 2010's "Fever", they decided to do it for themselves and if the critics liked it great and if they didn't, fuck em!! "Fever" would also be their highest charting album reaching #3 on the Billboard 200. The band's next two albums were released through RCA Records, 2013's "Temper Temper" and 2015's "Venom". The band's most recent release was 2018's "Gravity" but the band will be releasing a brand new full length album in November of 2021 which will be self-titled. Bullet For My Valentine is kind of a tweener band in that they play melodic rock with definite metal influences and even some punk elements. This kinda gets them some shit from fans of each of those genres kinda saying that their not metal enough or not rock enough or whatever. It's all bullshit in my mind. These guys are a great band who write great songs. Because of their style, they can fit in easily opening for a band like Metallica and they can also fit in on the punk inspired Warped Tour. I first heard of these guys back when their debut album came out in 2005. "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" was the first song I heard by them and I was quickly hooked. I would say this was around the time when I was really into the bands who incorporated clean vocals with screaming vocals. I kinda grew out of that as the years went by and I wanted these bands to do more clean vocals than the screaming. Bullet For My Valentine is one of the few bands like that that I have continued to listen to and follow. I guess I've heard their new album is like 60 percent screaming which I'm not too happy about but I'll definitely give it a chance. All in all, these guys are a really solid band who can not only produce very melodic choruses but also put some technical metal riffs in the mix as well.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Avenged Sevenfold

Escape The Fate

Atreyu

Godsmack

Drowning Pool

TEN BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Hearts Burst Into Fire

2. 4 Words (To Choke Upon)

3. Tears Don't Fall

4. Your Betrayal

5. Breaking Point

6. You Want A Battle? (Here's A War)

7. Temper Temper

8. Don't Need You

9. Knives

10. Ace Of Spades (Motorhead cover)

SONG OF THE WEEK: 9/19/21

SONG:  "Shelter"

ARTIST:  1000 Degrees

ALBUM:  "Has Already Past"

YEAR:  2011

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Genova, Italy

YEARS ACTIVE:  2009 - present ??

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

What is "Shelter" about? Good question! Can't find the lyrics anywhere on the net. Took a few listens but because these guys have Italian accents, even though they sing in English, it's hard to catch all the words. With the song being called "Shelter", I can guess that it's trying to find some sort of safe haven for something. Best I can do!!

1000 DEGREES DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2011 - Has Already Past (IndieBox Music)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2014 - Back To A New Way (IndieBox Music)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON 1000 DEGREES:

1000 Degrees formed as a band sometime around 2009, hailing from Italy. Their first release was an EP called "A Little Beat Faster" in 2009. They dropped their debut full length album in 2011, titled "Has Already Past". The band released a video for "Shelter", as you can obviously see above as it's my song of the week! In 2014, the band released their sophomore effort, "Back To A New Way". This release was the band's most recent. 1000 Degrees can be at times melodic, almost pop punk and at other times be very technical, along the lines of A Wilhelm Scream or Propagandhi. They manage to mesh those styles very well to form their sound. I first caught wind of this band from reading about them on dyingscene.com. I believe the first song I heard from them was "Jack Elmackson". They really haven't been that active since 2015. They have posted a few things on their Facebook page as recently as 2019, but it is mostly of old live footage and what not. I'm not sure if they have disbanded or not and being that they are from Italy, there isn't a boatload of information about them. If you dig that technical punk style, these guys are a nice hidden gem you should check out.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Never Hit Again

DC Fallout

Laughing In The Face Of

Asado

PMX

TEN 1000 DEGREES SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Shelter

2. Sayonara

3. Jack Elmackson

4. Orso Grigen

5. Downhill

6. Astronaut

7. Hoping For Better Times

8. Orango Train

9. Great Expectations

10. My Girlfriend Is So Hot

SONG OF THE WEEK: 9/12/21

SONG:  "Pent Up"

ARTIST:  88 Fingers Louie

ALBUM:  "Behind Bars"

YEAR:  1995

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Chicago, Illinois

YEARS ACTIVE:  1993 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Pent Up" appears to be a song about feeling isolated. Perhaps the vocalist just wants to be alone and away from the outside world. Seems like it might be his choice to do so. Whenever someone wants to get him out of his hole, he refuses. Seems like a case of pent up frustration and obvious depression. 

88 FINGERS LOUIE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1995 - Behind Bars (Hopeless Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

1997 - The Dom Years (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

1997 - 88 Fingers Up Your Ass (Hopeless Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

1998 - Back On The Streets (Hopeless Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2009 - Lives (self-released)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2017 - Thank You For Being A Friend (Bird Attack Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON 88 FINGERS LOUIE

88 Fingers Louie is a Chicago punk band that got it's start back in 1993. After releasing a few 7" singles and EP's, the band dropped it's debut full length in 1995 called "Behind Bars". Though the band was generating buzz, internal conflicts caused them to disband in 1996. This would be a constant happening in 88 Fingers Louie so bear with me! The band got back together in 1998 and dropped what I think is their best album, "Back On The Streets". In less than a year, those internal struggles reared their ugly head again and the band again broke up. All the members did other projects but the most notable of them was bassist Joe Principe and guitarist Dan Wleklinski helping to form Rise Against. 88 Fingers Louie did get together to play two live shows in 2009 which were recorded for their very first live album, "Lives". After another hiatus, in 2013, 88 Fingers Louie got back together and have been together ever since. Their most recent release would be 2017's "Thank You For Being A Friend". 88 Fingers Louie isn't the most popular band, but in their native Chicago they are a pretty big deal. One of the most influential punk bands on the Chicago scene for sure. Though they have been around for a long time, coming on 30 years in 2023, their status has been timultuous over the years. My first experience with 88 Fingers Louie was when I heard the song "100 Proof" back in the late 90's. I immediately fell in love with that song. Their best in my mind. I think there are better punk bands from the 90's out there but you can't deny 88 Fingers Louie as an underground gem and a pillar of Chicago punk.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Good Riddance

Pulley

Bigwig

Ten Foot Pole

No Use For A Name

TEN 88 FINGERS LOUIE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. 100 Proof

2. Tomorrow Starts Today

3. Blink

4. Meds

5. Past Mistakes

6. Long, Long Way From Home

7. Catastrophe Awaits

8. Summer Photos

9. Advice Column

10. Outright Lies

SONG OF THE WEEK: 9/5/21

SONG:  "Headcell"

ARTIST:  A Dying Regime

ALBUM:  "Lost Ave" EP

YEAR:  2012

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Orlando, Florida

YEARS ACTIVE:  2011 - 2019

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Headcell" appears to be a song about hitting a point in your life where you just want to forget about past mistakes that have constantly held you down and start with a new and fresh outlook. The vocalist almost feels like he's been born again after discarding the weight and baggage that has dragged him down and held him back for years. He feels free. He feels accountable. And he even feels invincible!

A DYING REGIME DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

A Dying Regime has not released a full length album, only two EP's.

MY THOUGHTS ON A DYING REGIME:

A Dying Regime formed as a band back in 2011, hailing from Orlando, Florida. The band's debut recording was a self-released EP called "Lost Ave". The band released a video for the song "A Hedgehog Dilemma". This EP helped garner the band opening slots on tours with Authority Zero and Falling In Reverse. A year later in 2013, A Dying Regime released another EP titled "Shuttles". This EP was released through DyingScene Records. DyingScene had a great blog that has gone off the grid for a few years now which gave great updates on all things punk. As they built a following, they began signing some punk bands to their own label, A Dying Regime being one of them. In 2015, A Dying Regime released a few stand alone songs, one of them being a Strung Out cover "Somnombulance" which could be found on a Fat Wreck Chords compilation. For four years, you didn't really hear much from A Dying Regime until they posted an old live clip on their Facebook page in 2019. In the comment section of that video a band member replied and said that A Dying Regime is not active so I assume they broke up, probably even earlier than 2019 but I don't have any definitive information. A Dying Regime hasn't released a whole lot of music but what they have put out if pretty fuckin' good! They're a punk band at heart, but they do have some metal influence in their sound as well. I first heard of this band from that DyingScene blog that I spoke of earlier. That's when I picked up their "Lost Ave" EP. "Shuttles" was also a good EP as well. I was expecting some big things from this band and hoping for a full length but it never came to be. Sucks when promising bands fold so quickly. Unfortunately, that is today's music industry.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

DC Fallout

1000 Degrees

From Plan To Progress

Hit The Switch

Landmines

TEN A DYING REGIME SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. A Hedgehog Dilemma

2. Breaking The 4th Wall

3. Stand Up

4. Monitor Burn

5. Let's Start The Show

6. Swinging For The Fences

7. Boroughs

8. Headcell

9. Twisted Fate

10. Somnombulance (Strung Out cover)