Six Scars is a hard rock/metalcore/alternative metal/shoegaze project from Virginia. Having put out two full-length albums – To Wilt and to Bloom: A Journey (2022) and Destruction in My Wake (2023) – Six Scars is keeping the train rolling, with several songs dropping since the release of the latter. Today sees the premiere of the latest non-album single, “Sleepwalking.”
I was able to ask vocalist JT about “Sleepwalking.”
“This song is about the changing of times, both good and bad. Being stuck in the ideals of yesterday, yet still embracing the future that is coming. Albeit hesitantly. There is also an undertone of being lethargic in life. Feeling complacent while the world passes you by.”
With “Sleepwalking,” Six Scars plays with the juxtaposition of hard and melodic, all while keeping a pure, raw energy that is unrivaled. There is an almost subconscious build up to the music, which erupts near the end with a heavy breakdown and the vocals switching from clean to growls. This journey of musicianship is crafted in a way that seems to echo the lyrical content. The steadiness is complacency, the listener sleepwalking through life, as it were. Could the climax be a sign of us finally accepting our future and waking up? You decide. Check out “Sleepwalking” here:
Mudvayne is touring this summer, and they’re bringing along one hell of a lineup: Coal Chamber, Gwar, Nonpoint, and Butcher Babies! Get your tickets at mudvayne.com.
7/20 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
7/21 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairgrounds
7/23 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
7/25 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
7/26 – Scranton, PA – The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
7/28 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
7/29 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
7/30 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
8/1 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
8/2 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
8/4 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
8/5 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
8/6 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
8/8 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
8/9 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center
8/10 – Bonner Springs, KS – Azura Amphitheater
8/12 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
8/13 – The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
8/15 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
8/16 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
8/17 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre
8/19 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
8/20 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
8/22 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
8/23 – Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
8/25 – West Valley City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
8/26 – Englewood, CO – Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre
Left To Suffer and Distant are touring North America this summer with special guests Justice For The Damned and Cabal. Snag your tickets on Left To Suffer’s Bandsintown.
Breathing Theory is a band that toes the line between heavy and melodic with an unrivaled precision (think Starset meets Gemini Syndrome meets Breaking Benjamin), and they have proven this yet again with the release of their new album. Artificial hit all streaming services on May 26th. The album is made up of ten songs that run the gamut from provoking thought to tugging the heartstrings, and all are unforgiving in their extremes.
Artificial opens with the electro-metal-symphonic “Replicas,” an introduction to the theme set by the album’s title: a dystopian future run by artificial intelligence. The very first song begs the questions “Can we define what it is that makes us human? Are we alive, or are we just replicas?”
“Replicas” is succeeded by “Beautiful Disaster,” which showcases Breathing Theory’s hard-hitting riffs paired with heartfelt lyrics and frontman Cory Britt’s strong singing voice. The band sends listeners into audio whiplash by diving straight into the relentless “Collapse.” Here is a prime example of Cory’s harsh growls and screams, echoing the anger and frustration of the lyrics – “They’re starting fires so the smoke and hate won’t clear/Misdirection keeps you trapped in fear” – and juxtaposed by the pure cleans of the chorus.
The next track – “Your Frequency” – is another switch, not exactly a ballad but certainly on the more melodic end of things. This is one of my favorites on the record. The words are gorgeous, and I have the utmost respect for Breathing Theory’s refusal to shy away from that side of their genre.
“The Cure” is crafted into solid verses and an extremely catchy chorus. It is followed by “Transcend,” the heaviest song on the album, and “My Cancer,” the softest. “Tethers” feels like something you would hear on the radio (in the best possible way). It makes the head bob and is easily imaginable as one of the sing-along moments during a Breathing Theory show.
And then, the band drops in their rendition of Journey’s “Separate Ways.” I’ll admit, I didn’t see that one coming, but I cannot stress enough how much it absolutely works! Breathing Theory manages to maintain the integrity of the original while also making it their own, a truly impressive feat.
Artificial wraps with “Blackout,” and I am going to call this a ballad. Slow and steady, with sad lyrics, Cory’s haunting vocals, and a moody guitar solo (can guitar solos be moody?), I think it fits the bill.
There is not a single track on this record that I don’t like. A mix of alternative rock and metal with a metalcore edge and a trace of the grunge element, Breathing Theory definitely knows how to keep listeners intrigued and on their toes. Give Artificial a listen, or several, and follow Breathing Theory on their socials to see what’s next!
Alesana has announced The Trilogy Tour, Part II. They will be playing the second installment of The Annabel Trilogy, A Place Where the Sun is Silent, from front to back! Joining them on this tour will be Limbs, Vampires Everywhere!, and Across the White Water Tower. Tickets are available at bandsintown.com/alesana, and you can purchase Alesana VIP packages at meetandscream.com.
Underoath and The Ghost Inside will be co-headlining a tour this summer, and they’re bringing along We Came As Romans and Better Lovers. Tickets and VIP can be found at underoath777.com.
7/15 – Mansfield, OH – Inkcarceration Festival 2023*
7/16 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed
7/17 – Louisville, KY – Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
7/19 – Reading, PA – Santander Arena
7/21 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall
7/22 – Syracuse, NY – Sharkey’s Summer Stage
7/23 – Toronto, ON – RBC Echo Beach
7/24 – Montreal, QC – L’Olympia
7/27 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage
7/28 – Coney Island, NY – Coney Island Amphitheater
7/29 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion
7/30 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium Outdoors
8/1 – North Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues
8/3 – Tampa, FL – Yuengling Center
8/4 – Boca Raton, FL – Sunset Cove Amphitheater
8/5 – St. Augustine, FL – The St. Augustine Amphitheatre
8/6 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
8/8 – New Orleans, LA – Orpheum Theater
8/10 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center
8/11 – San Antonio, TX – Boeing Center at Tech Port
8/12 – Dallas, TX – The Factory in Deep Ellum
8/14 – Albuquerque, NM – Revel Entertainment Center^
8/15 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre^
8/18 – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield^
8/19 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory Festival Grounds^
In This Moment and Motionless In White are bringing The Dark Horizon Tour to a city near you, with special guests Fit For A King and From Ashes To New.
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