Review of Flaw's "Through the eyes" album

Flaw is an alternative metal nu-metal hard rock band from Kentucky. "Through the Eyes" was their first major studio album released on Universal Records. It was #119 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album cover is of a child with his mouth zipped shut and silenced. The vocalist expressed this is how he felt throughout his childhood. The album is characterized by clean singing, screaming followed by aggressive guitar riffs, melodic instruments, and pure heavy metal. The album compasses a variety of emotions such as grief, anger, trauma, and so forth.

Only the Strong - I enjoyed this song particularly because it's a positively charged song about rising above your circumstances and overcoming the odds stacked up against you. I loved the build up the intro, the aggressive chords, and vocalist's nu-metal rhythm provide to the chorus.

My Letter - This song focuses on the vocalist's tragic incident where his adoptive mother committed suicide leading him to write a letter in song to her. The vocalist along with the band overall set the mood of the song very well. It sounds as if the songwriter has overcome so many obstacles in life and wants his mother to watch him grow but yet has more to overcome.

Get up again - This song has been featured on both UFC's 2009: Undisputed soundtrack and xXx. It's a positive song with a powerful message on never giving up regardless of the circumstances. It has a similar build up as in "Only the Strong" but with a more melodic chorus.

Whole - The song is another song centering on his mother's suicide and how it has affected him. As he summed up his feelings with the lyric - "I have not been whole.." The instruments themselves evoke a sorrowful mood but also a mix of other feelings.

Amendment - This song's focus on how we all seem to point fingers and destroy each other when we should be focused on ourselves before we pass judgment. The instrumentation is a mixture of anger and pity when it reaches the chorus. "Amendment" is a fitting name for this song."

Inner Strength - This song addresses all the injustices of life and encourages us to strive to make them right. The instrumentation is a mix of an uplifting tone that gradually increases as the song progresses.

Best i am - This is a song calling for people to be role models for the sake of humanity if we are to instill good morals in the world. The instrumentation is energetic throughout the whole song and also encouraging especially at the end.

Out of Whack - This is a song addressing the hypocrisy of someone who holds them as a self righteous leader who tries to control everyone's morals but not realizing that he or she is just as flawed as anyone else. The melodic instrumentation and mood evoke that of someone longing for change.

Reliance - "Reliance" is centered on an abusive relationship and how the songwriter doesn't need to rely on his partner. He is in charge of his own life. I love the aggression and anger expressed in the mood of this song.

One more time - A song expressing the songwriter's regret that he hasn't appreciated his life enough when he's on his deathbed and pleas for it all to change. The mood the instrumentation sets is depressing.

What i have to do - This song is about doing what is best for your life when everyone goes every other direction. Musically, i love the pace of this song and it's gradual explosiveness in the chorus.

Scheme - This song exposes the evils of our government and how it robs people of the lower class.

Payback - One of the most aggressive songs on the album especially the intro when the vocalist sings the first verse. It's about a man who has lost everything and is bent on leaving nothing behind.

No Time - This song addresses the moral dilemma between good and evil before our time runs out. I love the shift in moods from a sad reflective one in the verse to a more energetic one in the chorus.

Overall, this was a solid album. I loved it because it didn't focus too much on production quality. Sometimes in music, a "rough" recording can be fitting. Ultimately, this album was memorable because of the sheer passion it delivered.

My favorite singers/vocalists:

Here are a list of my favorite vocalists from various genres. I picked the following artists as some of the best vocalists because even if you removed the instrumentals from their songs, their voices alone would still



* Ryan McCombs - SOIL's lead vocalist. He's one of my all-time favorites because he packs raw energy, flaming aggression, a heavy tone, and power into his screams. He seems to fuse various styles and rhythms into his music such as death metal, groove, rock n' roll, hard-rock, thrash metal, etc. This is great for a general audience. When he yells into the mic with such emotion and enthusiasm, it's like he has a point to prove.

* Phil Bozeman - Brutal deathcore vocalist for the band "whitechapel." He screams with such fury whether he's doing low-pitched screams or high-pitched shrieks. He also changes the speed of his screams and adds variety in his songs. He makes almost every song sound so epic.








* David Draiman - I love his creative chants throughout his songs and the way he changes his voice pitch. He has a certain rhythm quickly paced as if he were rapping and it fits perfectly with the background instruments.









* Marilyn Manson combines many different genres like heavy metal, pop, rock, hard-rock, doom/black metal, and so on. He truly revives the soul of Rock N' Roll through his music which is what separates him from most musicians. He adds gloom, sorrow, but also catchy rhythms in his singing. Overall, i love how he uses his voice to inspire insight into his lyrics and not distract viewers with excessive melodies.










* Lana Del Rey - She does various genres of music most notably Jazz. Unlike the greats (Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, etc.) Lana Del Rey sings with much more melodious power and emotional depth. She also loses herself in almost every track and it is noticeable in her voice.





* Korn's lead vocalist Johnathan Davis carries the torch of styles such as Nu-metal as he is dubbed "the godfather of Nu-metal." What sets him apart from other musicians are his wailing screams and enraged growls. Whether he's screaming or singing, i can tell he puts so much emphasis in the words he wants to express with emotion.

How to convert Youtube videos to MP3

If you've ever wondered how you can convert Youtube videos to MP3 format, this guide will help you. It's as easy as 1-2-3 and doesn't require any money:

1. Find an MP3 converter - There are several programs such as Youtube downloader that you can download and use, but there are others that are easier to use and require no downloading. One that i frequently use is Convert2MP3.com. You can find the link below

Link: http://convert2mp3.net/en/

2. Copy the URL of the YouTube video and paste to the converter - There should be a search bar allowing URL to be pasted. Once you've done that, it's time for the next step.

3. Select the desired format and click "Convert" - Simply wait for the file to finish downloading which can take a couple of seconds or minutes. You can also convert it to several other formats such as MP4.

Once you've converted your file, now you can listen to music in your headphones or through speakers and take it everywhere you go.

Most underrated rock/metal bands

Like any genre of music, talented rock and heavy metal bands receive less exposure as many mainstream artists. This could be due to being at the wrong place at the wrong time when it came to advertising their music or not being in very successful labels. For whatever the reason is, these are a list of bands whom i thought were underrated:

* Static X - The band is a blend of Nu-metal and industrial metal. First time i've seen them perform was in the animated film "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker." Static X relies on heavily distorted sounds, electronic keyboards, pounding bass riffs, heavy synths, and fast paced aggressive metal vocals. Static X has had connections with the band "Korn" so it's easy to see how they both are similar. However, Static X did not receive as much attention as Korn despite being a year older.

* SOIL - The lead vocalist of Drowning Pool was the frontman for a band called SOIL. Drawn from influences of death metal, SOIL is born as a hard-hitting, heavy, and aggressive rock band. SOIL writes emotionally charged lyrics while playing tuneful yet powerful instrumentals. While i'm not a huge fan of Drowning Pool, i do love Ryan McCombs' contributing work to the band. 

* AM Conspiracy - Ryan McCombs was also in the band "AM Conspiracy." Despite releasing only one self titled debut album, i found the band gave everything they had in that album. The album was more emotional and somehow more vocally powerful than Ryan's other projects. The instrumentals are also more melodic and slower paced.

* Stereomud - A heavy metal band full of aggressive metal vocals, hard hitting lyrics, and low-tuned rhythmical instrumentals in their album "Every Given Moment." Although they released only two albums, i believe this was all we needed. The album "Perfect Self" was softer but still a solid release. "Every Given Moment" was old school heavy metal but it did not impress critics. I imagine that the band felt discouraged and decided to go their separate ways into other bands. Either way, i loved the music they left behind.

* Earshot - This metal band has been widely compared to "Tool" but mistakenly so. For one, Earshot is a darker version of Tool. Another is that Earshot is one of the few bands managing to bring the sound of post-grunge metal into the rock scene. 

* Device - David Draiman (Disturbed's vocalist) worked on a side project known as Device. Overall, the band is much heavier than Disturbed being an industrial metal band with hard hitting guitar riffs and loud drum solos. 

These are all the bands that i can think of at the top of my head. There are many underrated and freshly tuneful bands out there that you can listen to if you did extensive research. 

Why i love Stereomud's "Anything but Jesus"

While this might sound like just another angry rebellious anti-religious song, it's message is profound and symbolic. Stereomud's "Anything but Jesus" is a song using biblical symbolism to illustrate anger and frustration towards people who expect you to be perfect. The screams, rhythm, instruments, all paint the picture of someone having an outburst. An outburst against those who put others on a high pedestal of moral and spiritual perfection. It's an outburst that we can relate to. The lyrics are basic but profoundly speak to our emotions. 


Lyrics: 

"I'm not your savior I'm as simple as a lost sheep!
But you think I know everything!
I'm just like you I'm trying to figure out this bullsh*t!
So why ya looking up to me!

"I don't want to hear!
Don't want to hear the questions!
I got no answers anyway!
See I don't know!
See I don't know what you want!
I never said I knew everything!"

The artist opens up beautifully and powerfully. He begins by stating that he is not a personal savior. He is just as frail as any morally corrupt person. He is just as confused and ignorant as a person void of morals. He cannot be a guide or a leader who tends to your every need. He is limited.     

"I don't want to be! I don't want to be Jesus in your lost head!
I don't want to be! I don't want to be Jesus! Your Jesus I said!
Anything! Anything but Jesus in your lost head!
I don't want to be! I don't want to be Jesus! Your Jesus I said!"

Someone who makes another person into a being of perfection is "lost" by biblical terms. He or she fails to understand the original purpose Jesus came to the earth. The artist in his agitation, anger, and fears of criticism says "Are you listening to me?!? I don't want you to be your personal savior!" 

"There's no mistakes there's only lessons I believe that
You've got to find out your own way!
So, don't you make me into someone that I can't be!
That will never appeal to me!

I don't want to hear!
Don't want to hear the questions!
I got no answers anyway!
See I don't know!
See I don't know what you want!
I never said I knew everything!"

The songwriter doesn't believe that mistakes define you. It's the wisdom in experiences that mold you into the person you are now. How do you gain this? Explore the darkest sides of life. Discover the evil within you and realize your just as vulnerable as anyone else. 

"Strike down on me when I don't have the answers!
Don't strike out at me look for the answers!"

When someone fails to be a perfect role model, he or she get attacked for their mistakes. The wisdom in this lyric is rather than channel negative energy, use that energy for personal self growth. Meditate and find the answers you seek to life's greatest problems. Truth can be attained when a person has an open mind and soul. The song-writer ends in such a powerful note: 

"I'm not your savior i can't help you so why ya looking up to me!" 

What makes this song so great is the strong connection it builds with it's listeners. Society will often hold many people to such a high degree of perfection that they leave no room for mistakes. The symbolic usage of Jesus in this song reminds us that he came to cover human imperfections, not bring a "holier than thou" attitude. To break away from the moral expectations and the stigma of being a scapegoat. This is genuine rebellion against society.  

Dissing your foes in battles

Dissing your opponents can be a fun, challenging, and exciting in battles. I'm going to give you some tips on creating powerful disses in rap battles.

1) Feel the fire - You have to be passionate about rap battling. Don't give weak bars, but take pride in them. Be aggressive with the intention of obliterating your foes to the point of no return. This is a rap battle and you are a warrior. Be crazy and wild with your lyrics, dissin' anyone in your way. Be energized to land some bone crushing punch lines. Once your on fire, you will be able to perform at your fullest potential.

2) Diss yourself - Be comfortable with the idea of laughing at yourself and pointing out your own flaws. When you are disciplined in this area, you are ready to take on your enemies. This will mold you into a person who isn't scared of what people think. Do not hide weakness, but use it as an advantage.

3) Be original - Do not make generic disses that everyone already has used. Be original and unique in your disses as you use your own creativity.

4) Study your enemies - Before you do anything, know your enemy. Pay attention to their clothes, style, what kind of person they are, how they walk, how they talk, how they carry themselves, everything. Take these kinds of people for example:

Male players - These guys dress nice, flirt with women, look good, have jobs, and are arrogant. They may brag about how many girls they've slept with but their weaknesses in my perception is that they don't love themselves. They're insecure so they need approval from others to feel better about themselves. They feel they're in control of women when the opposite is true. Their arrogance is their downfall.

The wanna be gangsters - These people act like they want to be in a gang but in reality, they're not. They want to fit in a place where they don't belong because they dislike themselves. They want to prove they're hard and top dog when they're probably deceived by the media.

Popular guys/gals - These people may seem popular and have many friends when they have few to none at all. Most likely, they're faking it to please everyone and are afraid to admit who they truly are.

Religious people - Talk about how there are contradictions in their religion and/or how they fail to live up to their moral code. Expose the fact that they care more about winning converts than about souls.

5) Be disrespectful - Don't be afraid to trash talk in their face. Disrespect their values and anything they hold dear. Call them out on their weaknesses while being mindful of your own.

A few final words, be yourself and no one else. Love yourself for who you are and learn from both your victories or defeats.

Responding to a rapper who admits their weaknesses

When i watched this one scene in 8-mile, i had to admit it's cleverness and uniqueness. Admitting your weaknesses is a great way to completely rob your opponent of pointing them out and it almost assures that you've won the battle. I hardly know of any rapper other than Eminem who would outright do this, but in the case that someone does--don't panic. You can still win the battle no matter how difficult the position you are in. How do you respond to a rapper who admits weakness? I can't explain exactly how, but i can give you a few ideas. 

1) The best way to counter is to come up with some harder punchlines and disses. Rap something around the lines of "You thought i was gonna point out that your a piece of white trash? Gee, your something less of a lyrical genius, your really a _____" Be sure to also point out some other weaknesses your opponent has never noticed or thought of. 

2) Laugh it off - Say something around the lines of "Screw battling with me, this should be you versus you." Let them know that you can still bring up many more ideas than they can and that you haven't given up yet. 

3) Be confident in yourself and your abilities. Do not look intimidated or worried. More importantly, be sure to admit your own weaknesses as well before your opponent does. If you can keep the pressure up by demonstrating yourself to be the dominant lyricist then it will be alot harder for your opponent to make a comeback. 

These are only a few of many ideas to counter this. The key is to never lose the art of being creative.