Fallen from the Sky "Tonight We Radiate"

Channeling Hot Water Music and Polar Bear Club, Fallen from the Sky brings a driving, hardcore-inspired energy and sense of camaraderie to the gruff, textured punk rock with which the aforementioned bands are so closely associated. Up-tempo and built for big, group sing-alongs, the band's sound is noticeably accessible, with more than enough memorable choruses and lots of catchy guitar leads in the verses, but still raw and believable. Singer Ryan Loughley deserves credit for the band's genuine delivery; his deep, barked vocals and not-quite-perfect singing sound comfortable amongst the driving chord progressions and breezy lead guitars. For my money, Tonight We Radiate's 10 songs don't get much better than "Out of Control," which absolutely erupts at 2:30 (after a subdued, rhythmic bridge) for a booming, stepped-up version of the already killer chorus. "Skeletons" is equally catchy, with its simple chorus lyric of "I'm kicking out the skeletons tonight!" and "The Torch" lunges at you with its brisk, melodic hardcore direction. But, man, "Out of Control" is where it's at.

Fallen from the Sky - Out of Control

Find a copy here.

Braindead "No Consequences"

"Wait. What? This isn't right."

And so began my first listen to Braindead and their full-length debut, No Consequences. Having thought that this was a new record from those endearing Chinese punk rockers in Brain Failure, I was quickly surprised (and humbled, as I apparently don't know it all [sarcasm]) to hear a diverse brand of in-your-face, melodic hardcore.

Braindead. Brain Drill. Brain Failure. Brain Dead. Honestly, can you expect me to keep them all straight, all the time? (To be fair, I think it's at least a little obvious which one of those is the brutal death metal band.) The band at hand is Braindead – one word, one capital letter. And the band at hand is really good, taking vocal and songwriting cues from the likes of bands from Count Me Out to Kid Dynamite, and making them their own with varied combinations of dark, melodic guitar parts, slower tempos and a lush bass presence. While the heart and soul of No Consequences is familiar, melodic hardcore and throaty, shouted vocals, Braindead fashions a masterful ebb and flow through ambitious (and awesome) instrumentals – opener "ATI" establishes that direction in 36 quick seconds, "Dear Alison" expands on it for three minutes and forty seconds right in the middle of the record, and "A Wake for a Dream" literally blows it out as the song progresses from expansive instrumental to surprisingly climactic, pounding, static-y noise.

Braindead shows just the right amount of ambition and poise on No Consequences; they've got one collective foot rooted in hardcore's traditions, and the other in unexpectedly musical and dynamic territory. My initial impression was a false, knee-jerk feeling that something wasn't right. But when all was said and done, it had made a squealing 180-degree turn.

"Yes, this is right. Very, very right."

Braindead - So Single

Grab your copy here.

Incommunicado "Losing Daylight"

Color me stumped. I'm not really sure how to describe Incommunicado, other than they remind me of the relatively obscure, now-defunct band Kicked in the Head and they play a quirky, driving blend of melodic punk rock and tastefully experimental post-hardcore. Catchy yet clever and angular yet concise, Incommunicado has a sort of At the Drive-In thing going on; they've struck a balance between experimentation and gruff, punk rock energy that keeps Losing Daylight intriguing and, at the same time, safe from going off the deep end. And I've got to give credit to singer Chris Feigh, whose unique singing and shouting sound right at home amongst everything from the catchy choruses to the experimental flourishes, for helping bind things together in ambitious and dynamic fashion. A solid, near-half hour of music.

Check it: Incommunicado - Electrode Cathode

Pick up a copy here.

Inhale Exhale "I Swear"

I'm not hesitant to admit that Inhale Exhale's sound, as it shakily walks a tight rope between chunky metalcore and Underoath-y "screamo," is formulaic. You've got a blend of gravelly screaming and familiar, soaring hooks. Heavy, metallic riffs and upbeat melodies. Double bass-fueled beats and poppy, driving rhythms. In your head, you've practically heard it already.

But I'm also not hesitant to admit that Inhale Exhale pulls it off well. It's clean and accomplished; the band proves to have a handle on writing everything from memorable hooks to lumbering, metallic riffs to gratifying breakdowns. Plus, they feature John LaRussa, a former member of the defunct (and seemingly forgotten) Narcissus, who brings a certain progressive slant to the guitars and, I imagine, the songwriting process. His signature, atmospheric picking sequences break up the metallic and chord-based riffs, and often give Jeremy Gifford a particularly golden opportunity to fill in the low-end gaps with slick, creative bass lines. The best example is "It's Myself Vs. Being a Man," a big, expansive song that heavily relies on LaRussa's melodic, progressive playing, clean singing and prominent bass parts.

All things considered, I Swear is a reputable record, rife with sizable, satisfying songs. Nothing terribly special, but far from offensive.

Inhale Exhale - It's Myself vs. Being a Man

You can pick up a copy here.

Killing the Dream "Fractures"

For Killing the Dream, some substantial lineup changes weren't necessarily a bad thing. While holding onto their core source of identity and rage -- singer Elijah Horner, of course -- the band's two new guitarists have introduced some flavors and spices that make Fractures a progression from 2005's In Place, Apart, and a smooth one at that. You need look no further than the title track for ample proof, as medium-paced drumming and pulsing bass lines back up swooping, melodic chord progressions and strings of shimmering guitar notes. It's powerful, atmospheric and different, even going so far as to throw in some clean backing vocals.

These sorts of expansive, breezy post-rock tendencies creep into many of Fractures' songs but, for the most part, Killing the Dream churns out the abrasive and unforgiving breed of melodic hardcore they've come to represent. Horner's harsh, desperate screams tend to take center stage -- deservedly so, considering he's so able to deliver just about any lyric with emotional, throat-shredding intensity. The barreling drumming keeps the tempos fast and the momentum going, but the band's got enough songwriting tact and sense to incorporate some climactic, explosive peaks and tasteful breakdowns. The final buildup and subsequent explosion in "Thirty Four Seconds" will raise goosebumps on your arms, and "Everything But Everything" closes with a supremely juicy breakdown. The last song, "Resolution," is the longest song (at 4:23) with the biggest climax, and serves as a memorable and reflective way to end the record.

There's a lot of variety and texture to Fractures. While it doesn't quite match the chaotic intensity of the band's early material, it's certainly better arranged and more carefully detailed -- two qualities that help make it the band's most intriguing, memorable and re-playable album yet. Good stuff.

Killing the Dream - Thirty Four Seconds

Grab this full length at the Deathwish Inc. store.