Carbonstone
Carbonstone Returns With New Single/Video “Not Like This”
It has been a little more than a year since we last heard from Carbonstone, but the alt-metal veterans from Maryland are back with a brand new song entitled “Not Like This.” The song is set to be released on August 8th with the accompanying video dropping on the 7th.
“Not Like This” is a standout track in Carbonstone’s repertoire, holding a darker edge than others in their career (which is saying something). Musically, it stays true to the heavier-is-better theme that has defined their last few singles, with crunchy guitars and a driving rhythm section layered under frontman Corey James’ haunting vocal talents. With well-timed placements of rage-laced screams, the song evokes rage, pain, and frustration before offering up a note of resolve. Yet perhaps the harshest ingredient in “Not Like This” is its subject matter.
“In a nutshell, it’s a song about losing yourself,” says James. “It’s about the chaos of manipulation, self-doubt, and the war that takes place inside your own mind…standing on the edge of despair, confronting the person you’ve become, and fighting to reclaim your identity.”
“Not Like This” acknowledges both the outer and inner influences that have shaped the narrator, forcing an internal battle that makes the person in the mirror one that (s)he doesn’t recognize. “Use me up like I’m nothing ’til you’re satisfied,” the opening line challenges. “Abuse me, tell me I’m ugly, a waste of your time…”
The song speaks to the hopelessness often felt during moments of self-reflection, digging deep to sort through others’ cruel words and actions that you’ve taken to heart, but also to admit that you are willingly clinging to your own negative thoughts and opinions. “Slowly, I’ll bleed out from these wounds I’m holding inside/Am I worthless? A shadow of myself/I’m dead and alive…”
The most difficult part of the process? Looking at oneself with unfiltered honesty and deciding to let it all go and move forward. “Not Like This” grants the listener that transition from despondency to determination.
“Is this how everything ends, standing on the edge, lost inside of my head?” the narrator wonders before answering, “Not like this again. No, not like this.”
Carbonstone has always been a band that doesn’t shy away from grim realities. They don’t peek behind the curtain so much as throw it wide, allowing the light in and showing the less ideal aspects of being human. “Not Like This” is another prime example of this, of bringing up what is often swept under the rug. The beauty of it all is that James offers us the other side as well, telling us that yes, darkness exists, but we can fight – and most importantly, we can win.
“Not Like This” hits streaming services tonight at midnight! And be sure to tune in for the premiere of the music video at 8 p.m. EST.
It’s Been A While
I haven’t shared a life update with pictures in ages, it seems, so here we go!
I turned 38 back in August. I was spoiled by my BFF and her husband that weekend. They took me to dinner, then I crashed at their place and did nothing but eat junk, watch movies, and swim. (Oh, and indulge in her fantastic cooking!) It was a much needed break from reality and did wonders for my depression. When we went out, I got dolled up and, honestly, I looked cute as hell. So cute, in fact, that we were barely inside the restaurant before a waitress ran over to tell me how cute I was. Lol.
My two work besties showed up, as well, which completed the perfection that weekend was. I spent Sunday with my parents, who bought me a red velvet cake. Then, on Tuesday, one of my older coworkers left a homemade lemon cake for me. I felt very loved.
In early September, I attended the Carbonstone show in Birmingham. They opened for Julien-K, Spineshank, and The Union Underground. Hanging out with Corey and Chrystal again was a balm to my soul. I also got to meet Ryan Shuck and Amir Derakh from Julien-K. I almost chickened out, but Chrystal made me say hi to Ryan when he walked past their merch table, then Ryan was like “Come over here” and led me to their merch table. I bought a vinyl of my favorite album, Death to Analog, and we took a couple of selfies. It was an extremely good night, capped by my college football team winning their game.
And now, it’s October. My favorite time of year – spooky season – is here. Which means, of course, that I’ve been living on fall drinks from Starbucks and Dunkin, and my mom and I have been exploring local cemeteries. Our most recent day out was spent at Athens City Cemetery. We actually have family buried there, but we kept our ventures to the older graves.
October, November, and December are my favorite three months of the year, even if Christmas doesn’t excite me the way it did as a child. This year, though, my brother and his wife are back in Alabama, so maybe Christmas will regain some of its magic!
Hope all of you are doing well ❤️
The Mostly Music 2025 Playlist, Pt. 5 (Updated 5/31/25)
The second half of May has come in as strong as the first! Check out these tracks that have been released since May 16th.
- Animate Experience: “Onyx”
- The Modern Kollective: “Dreams and Nightmares”
- Azarene: “Memories”
- Falling in Reverse: “God is a Weapon” (ft. Marilyn Manson)
- Lady Strange & the Rites: “High Strangeness”
- Razorwire Halo: “As Good As” (ft. r3nrut)
- A Beautiful Scar: “Never Break”
- Shadow Reborn: “Grave of Roses”
- SKNN: “Bow Down”
- obli_x_vion: “Bird to Prey” (ft. Tyler Noxwind)
- Dark Divine: “Make Me Disappear”
- A Killer’s Confession: “Hollow”
- Ballyhoo!: “Swim”
- Them Damn Dogs: “Weirdo”
- Seethe: “Banshee”
- 40 Below Summer: “King Ghidorah”
- Priest: “My Lonely Heart”
- No Trees Touch The Sky: “3 Visits”
- Third in Theory: “Clay”
- Bleeker: “Self-Made”
- Heartsick: “Break the Curse”
- Cirkus: “Know Yourself”
- Danny Worsnop: “Harder Than the Hard Stuff”
- Sick Century: “Demon Inside”
- Wider Eaves: “Half the Way Undone”
- Shape: “Husk”
- Left to Suffer: “Anon” (ft. King 810)
- Above Snakes: “Forsaken”
- Beauty is Betrayal: “Devil Said”
- Painted Lines: “Better Off”
- Moonfall: “Light Blue Flowers”
- Closed City Terror: “Teflon Idiot”
- Storm Kingdom: “Raindrops Fall on Stained Glass Petals” (ft. Joe Booe)
- Stain the Canvas: “554th”
- Citizen Soldier: “Life Support”
- Voltaire’s Ghost: “Alix Street”
- Anchor & Braille: “Sweet Jesus Knows”
- Midnight For Now: “Friends”
- Host of Nightmare: “Diamond”
- Carbonstone: “Standoff” (ft. Jonny Santos of Spineshank)
- Caelum Wraith: “Are You Still You?”
- Hooked Like Helen: “Quote Unquote Life”
Be sure to visit the other installments of The Mostly Music 2025 Playlist. You could discover your new favorite song/artist!
Carbonstone Calls For a “Standoff” in New Single
Alt-metal titans Carbonstone are coming out swinging with their latest single and music video, “Standoff,” which releases May 30th. The new track boasts a vocal collaboration with Jonny Santos of Silent Civilian, Spineshank, and The Less Dead. With “Standoff,” Carbonstone has taken their raw emotion and relentless energy to the next level, and it packs the punch of a speeding freight train.
This song is multi-layered, both musically and in its history. Says Carbonstone frontman Corey James, “I actually wrote this way back in 2010. [“Standoff”] was originally released as a demo on an old EP called Strength in Silence. It was completely organic with zero electronic elements.”
But the track stuck with him, as some songs do, and James found himself circling back to it. “I sometimes revisit songs from the past, and this one has always spoken to me. I thought it would be really cool to bring it back and give it a complete makeover.”
Enter Jonny Santos, an influential figure in James’ musical journey. The two artists began talking after James reached out. “I literally saw him make a post and took a shot in the dark.” The conversation turned to the topic of a collaboration and, says James, a reimagining of “Standoff” immediately came to mind. The result is an in-your-face piece with the electronic/industrial/nu metal stylings so true to Carbonstone.
“Standoff” is roughly four minutes of vented fury, unleashed in the form of crunchy guitars, steady percussion, and the vocal interplay between James and Santos. The track calls out those who take advantage of the people around them and gives a hearty middle finger to anyone who believes your only worth is in being used and controlled.
“It’s such a shame you betray everyone with the fucking words you say/You believe I’m so weak/Come and get a motherfucking piece of me!”
The song is another example of a story carefully constructed with music, something at which Carbonstone excels. Using a maelstrom of instrumentation with a dance between a low tortured growl and an outburst of rage-filled screams, it carries the listener through the narrator’s emotional journey of becoming fed up with somebody who is manipulative and breaking the chains that once bound them together.
Catharsis is then reached after the second chorus, when James and Santos declare “I’m letting you go.” Echoing the release of all the anger and the sense of resolve that has been found, there is a brief acoustic interlude, and the track reaches its conclusion with a sprinkle of flamenco style picking.
“Standoff” will be available on May 30th. The music video premieres at 8 p.m. EST, and the song will hit streaming services at midnight!
You can pre-save “Standoff” here, and you can find links to all of Carbonstone’s socials and streaming profiles at carbonstone.net.
My Top 50 Songs of 2024
I didn’t even pretend I was going to do less than 50 songs for this list. There was no way. And y’all made it difficult to narrow it down to even that! I’m gonna end up with a top 100 if I’m not careful.
So, this is totally subjective, of course. There were tons of amazing releases over the past 12 months, and I tried to share them all (though I know I missed a few, or found them too late). But these are the tracks, in no particular order, that grabbed and held my attention without letting go.
View the full playlist HERE.
Note: One band/artist cannot have more than one song included. I tried not to put anything by major label bands/artists on here. Last but not least, no covers!
- The Fifth: “Starlight”
- Wicked Playground: “The Madness”
- Hayden Helms: “Motive Behind the Move”
- LASTRY: “Trick or Treat”
- Kill the Fall: “Let It Breathe”
- Maudlin Strangers: “Silver Stain”
- EarlyRise: “Dance for the Money”
- Nick Nasty: “Lose My YOUth”
- Brett Carlisle: “Runaway”
- Til Fauna: “Whisper”
- Deep as Ocean: “Dark Place”
- Globus, A.D.A.M.: “Redemption (down the line…)”
- No Fly List: “Ghost”
- Towers of Jupiter: “Morsus Frigoris”
- Hooked Like Helen: “It Doesn’t Look So Good For You Now”
- THEHERO: “Blood Money”
- Christopher Ardra: “Losing You”
- Circuit Preacher, Mobiius: “Burn”
- Blackjacket: “Blood Stains”
- Alchemy Within, Skyler Parker: “Blood in the Snow”
- Modern Mimes: “Black Butterflies”
- Major Distortion: “The Lone Sailor”
- High Fade: “Bone to Pick”
- Swim The Current: “Stay”
- Carbonstone: “Echoes”
- Bridges Ablaze: “Numb”
- A Shadow Within: “Event Horizon”
- Feverlust: “i dare you to speak”
- Leonine: “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”
- Young Other: “Change Everything”
- Neon Society: “Heliocentricity”
- Mike’s Dead: “Bestrafe Mich (Punish Me)”
- Black Tourmaline: “Embers”
- Hotel Security: “Manic Attack”
- O Mateus: “Perception”
- Silk Parlor: “Holding Me Up”
- Alibis: “Sell Out”
- Eli Howard & the Greater Good: “Too Broke to Die”
- Mads Krul: “Feeling Alright”
- The Whispering Trees: “Bloodline”
- EverFelt: “River”
- Empty Atlas: “Little Voices”
- Red Eleven: “Path”
- Nothing Like Robots: “all natural”
- Algorhythm: “Deeper”
- Signal the Revolution: “Come to Life”
- The Holy Knives: “Killer”
- Kendall Cage: “Rabbit Hole”
- Nick Palma: “Super Electric”
- Sick Century: “Tidal Wave”
The Mostly Music 2024 Playlist, Pt. 5 (Updated 10/31/24)
I’m sharing an extra update to ensure that the singles from September and October get the attention they deserve before moving on to part 6 of this year’s playlist. I didn’t do this between installments 5 and 6, so I felt that tracks released in July and August may have been overlooked. I wasn’t making that mistake again.
As always, please visit all of the portions of 2024’s playlist! You could just find your new favorite song and band.
Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5
Here are the singles that have been added since October 20th.
- DAMNAGE: “Important”
- Blood Vision: “Resurrection”
- held under.: “Gradient”
- Haast Hunter: “Trial Unknown”
- Kendrick Bebout: “Black Magic Caravan”
- Algorhythm: “Deeper”
- Soluna: “Cerulean” (Acoustic)
- Swim the Current: “Stay”
- Modern Mimes: “Black Butterflies”
- Empire Springs: “Hollow”
- Pink Elefants: “Norman Bates”
- Carbonstone: “Echoes”
- Signal the Revolution: “Come to Life”
- Jungle Dream: “Ultraviolent” (X Brand Wrestling version)
- Bullet to the Heart: “Dreamscape”
- Feverlust: “i dare you to speak”
- No Bodies: “12 Gauge”
- Lastry: “Trick or Treat”
- The Transpacific: “Afterlife”
- LIIS: “#1 Crush” (ft. Julien-K)
- Silverside: “Black Ocean”
- Skumlove: “Ride or Die”
Carbonstone Tackles Dark Inner Thoughts in New Single “Echoes”
Alt-metal band Carbonstone is back with new music. The Maryland-based outfit is set to release their latest single, “Echoes,” on October 26th, and after my first few listens, I have to say this one hits hard.
Carbonstone has never been a band to shy away from the darker side of self-reflection, especially the negative views we as humans often have of ourselves. “Echoes” puts words to that moment we peer into the mirror with complete honesty. It dives unflinchingly into the feeling of being trapped in your own head, succumbing to the belief that you are not enough and have failed in some immeasurable way because things didn’t work out as planned.
According to front man Corey James, the song is about heavy reflection and looking back at “fucked-up tragic events, or ‘echoes,’ that ultimately shape us into who we are.” For better or worse, life happens, and we are molded by external factors beyond our control. “Failed dreams, failed goals and aspirations, failed relationships,” James lists. “Substance abuse, and so on.”
The track is penned as a note to oneself. “You take the time to watch me bleed/Over and over/It’s like you love my suffering/This pain is contagious…” It is only too easy to spiral into the abyss once the narrator begins listening to those internal voices. “I see my ghost, it’s echoing/Repeating my failures/When I’m alone, it’s so haunting/The shadows consume me…”
“Bury me underground, I’ll lie with you/’Cause alone I’m nothing/Searching for anything to get me through/I’m so self-destructive.”
“The hook/chorus is basically about just giving in and submitting to everything, as it’s the only alternative to facing yourself alone,” James explains.
“Echoes” is a juxtaposition of hauntingly melodic singing and heavy, gritty music: an audio presentation of the emotions poured into the song. The choice of clean vocals for the majority of the track works on multiple levels. James was able to masterfully color his lyrics with the pain and resignation expressed in the words. Raging screams threaded throughout are the cries of hopelessness. Meanwhile, the other band members – guitarists Josh Provencio and Steve Junkins, bassist Eric Dee, and drummer Ted Hile – intricately weave together a sonic manifestation of anger and frustration. One final scream and the closing chorus are the last ounce of fight poured forth before our narrator ultimately accepts his/her fate and throws in the towel.
“Echoes” hooked me in from the first note and is a song that is well-crafted, relatable, and holds its listeners in thrall from start to finish. Carbonstone nailed it on all fronts. The song will hit streaming platforms at midnight. Meanwhile, the official music video drops tonight, October 25th, at 8 p.m. EST! Make sure to tune in to the band’s Facebook live at 7 p.m. EST for some drinks and other shenanigans.
If you haven’t already, visit Carbonstone’s socials and follow them on your favorite streaming service so you never miss a release – starting with “Echoes.”
The Mostly Music 2024 Playlist, Pt. 1 (Updated 2/25/24)
View full playlist here
These are the tracks that have been added since 2/11/24.
- Liam Kelley: “Mezmerized”
- Self Deception: “Matthew McConaughey”
- Monster in a Human Suit: “Home”
- Hey Violet: “Uncomplicated”
- Bullets and Octane: “Love H8ting You” (ft. Xtine Reckless)
- Seethe: “Away”
- Horizon Theory: “Nowhere To Go”
- International Furlough: “Pest”
- Blacktop Mojo: “Like Wild Horses”
- Modern Mimes: “Roses in Ruins”
- for all the emptiness: “Sell the Sins”
- Globus: “Redemption (Down the Line)” (ft. A.D.A.M.)
- Cropsey: “Blood on Your Hands”
- Carbonstone: “White Noise”
- Wake Up Hate: “Two-Faced”
- Matt Galli: “Reason to Live”
- CloZure: “The Devil Effect”
- MINDPiLOT: “Voices”
- Ty Dy: “Cosmic”
- The Requiem: “Kill the Lights”
- Psithurism: “Body & Blood” (ft. Waste)
- Leonine: “Volatile”
- Mule: “Tour De Force”
- New Saints: “No Hope”
- Delusive Relics: “Fairy Ring”
- Cryblood: “Broken”
- Melodicka Bros.: “Wait and Bleed” (Slipknot cover)
- A Place i Know: “Good Enough.”
- CHXSR: “Only Darkness” (ft. Sinizter)
- Bullets and Octane: “Space Lord Symphony”
- Dark Remedy: “We Are The Dead”
- Xhale: “The Devil in the Details”
- Somatic Moon: “Only Dead to Save” (ft. Dav Aviz)
- Divine Grave: “Purgatory”
- The Red Lite District: “Outside”
- Declatel: “Penny Bun”
- Shadow Smile: “Thousandfold Sun”
- Anaria: “Legends Never Die” (Against the Current/League of Legends cover)
- Dissonant Tongue: “Descensum”
- Rvshvd: “Deal With the Devil” (ft. Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria)
- The PoZers: “Save a Kiss for Me”
- Til Fauna: “Other Nature”
Carbonstone Explores the Complexities of Relationships in New Single “White Noise”
Carbonstone is releasing a new song, “White Noise,” on February 17, 2024, and this is one you don’t wanna miss! I was given an early listen of the forthcoming release, and it is certainly a standout track in the Carbonstone library.
“White Noise” has an edge, musically revisiting the band’s heavier side. The aggressiveness of the guitars, carried by the combination of a driving drum beat and rapid-fire bass line, are the perfect foundation for a song that is thematically dark.
Front man Corey James utilizes his voice to evoke a visceral reaction from his listeners. The melodic delivery of the verses offers an audibly interesting contrast to the music; the clear intonation, almost a croon, lends beauty to the tale of heartache: “You poison everything, like you did to me…” Both the lyrics and the vocal performance speak of disappointment, a resignation to the situation our narrator finds himself in. “Somewhere I can’t be found, and now this wavelength is severed/We’re nothing but white noise.”
However, as the track progresses, anger and frustration leak through, raw growls woven intricately throughout until the breakdown, when they crescendo into a lengthy scream of catharsis. “Suffocating, close to breaking, you left me buried alive,” Corey snarls, and a strong sense of breaking free seems to be implied. Perhaps the struggle is not yet over, but the light at the end of the tunnel has been seen.
“White Noise” is a song that deals with the complexities of our relationships, romantic and otherwise, and does so in a way with which we all can connect. This is a must-hear, so head to Spotify, presave it, and get ready for Friday!
Mostly Music 