Special: First Listen Thoughts: Avril Lavigne "Love Sux", Dashboard Confessional "All The Truth That I Can Tell", Knuckle Puck "Disposable Life"

Avril Lavigne - Love Sux

Label: DTA Records

Press release: Avril Lavigne has announced that she’ll be releasing a brand new album entitled ‘Love Sux’ next month. Set to land February 25, it comes after the Canadian singer-songwriter previously teased that her seventh LP would be arriving “at the top” of 2022 on Travis Barker’s label DTA Records. The follow-up to 2019’s ‘Head Above Water’ – which will see her return to her pop-punk roots – sees features from Machine Gun Kelly, Blink-182‘s Mark Hoppus, and blackbear.

My thoughts: Avril returning to her pop-punk roots is a silly statement since she's never really been pop punk, she simply looked the part but there are definitely some pop punk bangers on this release but there's also some questionable songs including the first track on the album. F.U. was the first song written for this release and probably should've been the first one cut. The featured song with blackbear is a pretty good track but the feature itself is not great. My favourite tracks hit in the middle of the album headlined by Avalanche. It's possible some of the not so great tracks grow on me over time but this is a worthwhile spin.

Dashboard Confessional - All The Truth That I Can Tell

Label: Hidden Note Records

Press release: Get ready for sweet, sweet vindication: the Dashboard Confessional — a.k.a. Chris Carrabba — is back with plans to release a ninth studio album entitled All the Truth That I Can Tell. Anticipated February 25, 2022, via Hidden Note/AWAL, the album follows marks the first new Dashboard material in the four years since 2018's Crooked Shadows. "Honesty was at the heart of the writing process, at the heart of the recording process and at the heart of this collection of songs," Carrabba said in a statement. "I had the rare opportunity to be unflinchingly honest. But I think I would have thought in the early days that that would be commonplace. Now, I realize it's some kind of cycle within your life and there's great personal reward in accepting that."

My thoughts: Dashboard hasn't really reinvented their wheel in over a decade. Carrabba and hired guns speak to me more when they stay in the midtempo lane and thankfully there's a few of those here, The Better Of Me, being the albums highlight. Unfortunately though I found myself drifting away as the acoustic instrumentation made me think it was simply background noise and I felt like I missed tracks that couldn't keep my main focus.

Knuckle Puck - Disposable Life

Label: Wax Bodega

Press release: Knuckle Puck have announced a new EP, set for release next month. Titled Disposable Life, the five-track record is due out on February 4 via Wax Bodega. “It feels like we’re kind of rebooting Knuckle Puck,” says explains vocalist Joe Taylor. “Making this music has been the most fun we’ve had in a really long time. It was fresh and exciting again. It was like, ‘Oh man, this feels like it did in 2013.’ We captured some of that magic.”

My thoughts: I did not get the "this is 2013 Knuckle Puck" mentioned above while listening to this EP but I'm fine with it. This is simply a fun continued evolution of Knuckle Puck and I'm all here for it. You also feel like they're having more fun here, guessing not needing input from the label makes an album recording feel more carefree. The blink cover was a fun touch to close out the album as well.

Top 10 Countdown: February 26, 2022

10. Meet Me @ The Altar - Now Or Never
Last week: 5.

9. Set It Off - Projector
Last week: NEW!

8. LEC x Against The Current - Wildfire
Last week: 9.

7. The Maine Ft. Taking Back Sunday & Charlotte Sands - Loved You A Little
Last week: 8.

6. Stand Atlantic Ft. Royal & The Serpent - Pity Party
Last week: 7.

5. The Summer Set - Back Together
Last week: 6.

4. Hot Milk - The Good Life
Last week: 4.

3. A Day To Remember - Last Chance To Dance (Bad Friend)
Last week: 3.

2. Avril Lavigne - Bite Me
Last week: 2.

1. As It Is - I Miss 2033
Last week: 1.

Special: Kimi, The Ice Age Adventures Of Buck Wild, Uncharted Mini-Reviews

Kimi

Synopsis: An agoraphobic tech worker discovers recorded evidence of a violent crime but is met with resistance when she tries to report it. Seeking justice, she must now do the thing she fears the most: she must leave her apartment.

My thoughts: Ten years ago Steven Soderbergh would've been on a very shortlist of my favourite directors but he just hasn't delivered recently. Kimi is no exception to that unfortunately. The saving grace that Kimi has is it's short run time, but on the negative side. Only 20 of the 85 minutes gets interesting and it's the last 20 minutes. The moments leading up to it is very predictable but hey if you're looking for a free look at Zoe Kravitz's boobs then Kimi is the film for you. Talking on Zoe as the whole she plays a broken woman very well but when she's not doing that it's hard to believe that same broken woman would react as she does.

Final verdict: 3 electronic assistants out of 5.

The Ice Age Adventures Of Buck Wild

Synopsis: "The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild" continues the hilarious escapades of the sub-zero heroes as they create more prehistoric pandemonium. Eager for a little independence, the thrill-seeking possum brothers Crash and Eddie set out to find a place of their own but soon find themselves trapped beneath the ice in a massive cave inhabited by dinosaurs. They are rescued by the one-eyed, adventure-loving weasel Buck Wild, and together, with the help of some new friends, embark on a mission to save the Lost World from dinosaur domination.

My thoughts: The Ice Age franchise has been rough for years. Similar to Hotel Transylvania the movies have gotten progressively worse and that remains the same here. I'm not sure I'll say this is a new low for the franchise but that's mostly because the previous films have been low quality as well. I think at this point Ice Age should fall into forgotten TV land.

Final verdict: 3 prehistoric adventures out of 5.

Uncharted

Synopsis: Street-smart thief Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a fortune lost by Ferdinand Magellan 500 years ago. What starts as a heist job for the duo becomes a globe-trotting, white-knuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Moncada (Antonio Banderas), who believes he and his family are the rightful heirs. If Nate and Sully can decipher the clues and solve one of the world's oldest mysteries, they stand to find $5 billion in treasure and perhaps even Nate's long-lost brother...but only if they can learn to work together.

My thoughts: A fun enough action adventure romp that keeps you interested the whole way through. There was lots of silly parts that made little to no sense but if you suspend disbelief you'll absolutely adore this film.

Final verdict: 4 lost treasures out of 5.

Top 10 Countdown: February 19, 2022

10. Comeback Kid - Face The Fire
Last week: NEW!

9. LEC x Against The Current - Wildfire
Last week: 10.

8. The Maine Ft. Taking Back Sunday & Charlotte Sands - Loved You A Little
Last week: NEW!

7. Stand Atlantic Ft. Royal & The Serpent - Pity Party
Last week: 8.

6. The Summer Set - Back Together
Last week: 7.

5. Meet Me @ The Altar - Now Or Never
Last week: 1.

4. Hot Milk - The Good Life
Last week: 5.

3. A Day To Remember - Last Chance To Dance (Bad Friend)
Last week: 4.

2. Avril Lavigne - Bite Me
Last week: 3.

1. As It Is - I Miss 2003
Last week: 2.

Special: First Listen Thoughts: As It Is "I Went To Hell And Back", Comeback Kid "Heavy Steps", William Ryan Key "Everything Except Desire"

As It Is - I Went To Hell And Back

Label: Fearless Records

Press release: Transatlantic trio, As It Is — Patty Walters, Ronald Ish, and Alistair Testo — have today announced their brand new album. I WENT TO HELL AND BACK, will be released on February 4th 2022 via Fearless Records. The album might have come to life over a two year period where Testo, Walters and Ish questioned their life choices and wrestled with a world in a constant throng of chaotic uncertainty, but the band’s fourth album couldn’t sound more excited. The fourteen tracks are powerful, and fearlessly chase the unexpected. It’s the sound of a band still having fun.

My thoughts: As It Is have never been shy about changing their sound around the pop-punk genre. Their first album on Fearless was a great batch of modern pop-punk songs (at the time) akin to Neck Deep and The Story So Far, they followed that up with a throwback pop-rock sounding record in Okay before going full MCR for their last release. On this newest release they take their previous two albums and smash them together while adding 808's and other elements of modern production on top. The album is a mixed bag for sure once through but there is enough high's (I Miss 2003, I Lie To Me) to come back and with the chances they took here it definitely has some enduring potential.

Comeback Kid - Heavy Steps

Label: Nuclear Blast

Press release: Today, one of the biggest names in modern hardcore, COMEBACK KID announce their seventh studio album, "Heavy Steps" will be released January 21, 2022 via Nuclear Blast worldwide (and New Damage Records in Canada). Although the members of the band are currently residing on different sides of the country in Vancouver and Toronto, the band decided to write and record their latest effort in the band’s originating city of Winnipeg, Manitoba at Private Ear Recording Studio and once again enlisted the services of producer John Paul Peters who recorded the band’s debut album "Turn It Around". In addition to co-production by Peters, on "Heavy Steps", COMEBACK KID collaborated with prominent Grammy award-winning mixer and long-time fan of the band Will Putney. "Heavy Steps" is no longer a prerequisite to realizing COMEBACK KID’s influence on modern punk, but a delivery of pure anthemic chaos, sheer speed and force. It is a statement of intent. 

My thoughts: For those that miss "Wake The Dead" era Comeback Kid, firstly their output has never been weak (maybe Broadcasting...), secondly check out Shadow Of A Doubt that sees Comeback Kid play in their old sandbox. Gang Vocals are ever present especially on the title track and Comeback Kid's production has never sounded cleaner. It's not all sugar and rainbows as I still can't get behind Crossed but Comeback Kid has positioned themselves as the best hardcore band from the early 00's onwards.

William Ryan Key - Everything Except Desire

Label: Equal Vision Records

Press release: Titled Everything Except Desire, the upcoming EP from the former Yellowcard vocalist is his brand new solo effort and is scheduled to be released in February next year, via Equal Vision Records/Rude Records. The upcoming EP was conceived and produced by Key on a month-to-month basis through Patreon at the start of Summer 2020. Speaking about the upcoming EP, Key says, “ever since I started making my own music, I think I’ve been searching for what became Everything Except Desire. I took a risk and created something completely unlike anything I’ve released in the past. This record felt like a big step for me both as a writer and a producer.”

My thoughts: I haven't really liked any of WRK's EP's to date. I understand he's trying to distance himself from "singer of Yellowcard" moniker and it's hard to do that if you pump out songs that sound like Yellowcard but this was clearly an attempt to do just that and practice with a bunch of new toys as a producer. WRK will always be among my favourite songwriters but with a 5.5 minute instrumental to lead off the album and a closer that has minimal lyrics to it. Brighton is a 6 minute song that could've been shorter but actually has some instruments on it (or sounds like it anyways). 

Top 10 Countdown: February 12, 2022

10. LEC x Against The Current - Wildfire
Last week: NEW!

9. jxdn - Crack My Skull
Last week: 9.

8. Stand Atlantic Ft. Royal & The Serpent - Pity Party
Last week: 10.

7. The Summer Set - Back Together
Last week: 8.

6. With Confidence - What You Make It
Last week: 1.

5. Hot Milk - The Good Life
Last week: 6.

4. A Day To Remember - Last Chance To Dance (Bad Friend)
Last week: 5.

3. Avril Lavigne - Bite Me
Last week: 4.

2. As It Is - I Miss 2003
Last week: 3.

1. Meet Me @ The Altar - Now Or Never
Last week: 2.

Special: Catwoman: Hunted, Scream, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania Mini-Reviews

Catwoman: Hunted

Synopsis: Follows Catwoman in an attempt to steal a priceless jewel. This puts her squarely in the crosshairs of both a powerful consortium of villains, Interpol and Batwoman.

My thoughts: A strong voice cast leads this excellent addition to the DC Animated Movie Universe as Catwoman finally gets a full length feature. Teaming up with Batwoman to take on an array of enemies such as Black Mask, Tobias Whale, Cheetah among others. There is never a moment to rest in this globetrotting romp that sees Catwoman and friends traverse the globe to take down a group of cartels and hopefully complete the mission alive so her record can be expunged. The animation is great which was a problem I've had with the last few DCAU movies. The fight scenes are well choregraphed and although there was one scene that was forced in to appease horny teenage boys by the time the end credits hit I had mostly forgotten about it.

Final verdict: 4 cat eye emeralds out of 5.

Scream

Synopsis: Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, Calif., a new killer dons the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town's deadly past.

My thoughts: The Ghostface killer is back baby and tormenting little Woodsboro again. Returning from the original trilogy are stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette as well as the OG Ghostface himself Skeet Ulrich and Deputy Judy from the previous installment. And like that previous instalment we get a new group of kids he terrorizes. Melissa Barrera and Jack Quaid headline the newcomers who must stop Ghostface before more blood is shed in extremely meta ways and they succeed. Scream, the fifth film in the franchise continues to do what it does best and is yet still evolving as this is by far the goriest of Scream films yet. Let's just hope we don't need to wait over 10 years for the next installment of this franchise.

Final verdict: 5 Ghostface killers out of 5.

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania

Synopsis: Drac and the pack are back, like you've never seen them before in Hotel Transylvania: Transformania. Reunite with your favorite monsters for an all-new adventure that presents Drac with his most terrifying task yet. When Van Helsing's mysterious invention, the 'Monsterfication Ray," goes haywire, Drac and his monster pals are all transformed into humans, and Johnny becomes a monster! In their new mismatched bodies, Drac, stripped of his powers, and an exuberant Johnny, loving life as a monster, must team up and race across the globe to find a cure before it's too late, and before they drive each other crazy. With help from Mavis and the hilariously human Drac Pack, the heat is on to find a way to switch themselves back before their transformations become permanent.

My thoughts: I didn't notice until the end credits that Adam Sandler and Kevin James roles were recast so kudos to the new voice actors for that. Neither have a long resume of good roles but reading this script they knew enough to stay away. The Hotel Transylvania films have gotten progressively worse since their inception and they do nothing to correct the course in Transformania. This franchise is beyond clutching at full length straws as they'll need to do something epic to get back into the good graces of movie watching public or else fade into the TV Animated Sitcom realm in which it's already dabbled in.

Final verdict: 3 recast monsters out of 5.

Top 10 Countdown: February 5, 2022

10. Stand Atlantic Ft. Royal & The Serpent - Pity Party
Last week: NEW!

9. jxdn - Crack My Skull
Last week: 10.

8. The Summer Set - Back Together
Last week: 9.

7. Mod Sun - Down
Last week: 7.

6. Hot Milk - The Good Life
Last week: 6.

5. A Day To Remember - Last Chance To Dance (Bad Friend)
Last week: 5.

4. Avril Lavigne - Bite Me
Last week: 4.

3. As It Is - I Miss 2003
Last week: 3.

2. Meet Me @ The Altar - Now Or Never
Last week: 2.

1. With Confidence - What You Make It
Last week: 1.

Special: 2021 In Review: Best Albums of 2021

30. 3OH!3 - NEED

Choice cut: I'm So Sad

29. Escape The Fate - Chemical Warfare

Choice cut: Lightning Strike

28. You Me At Six - Suckapunch

Choice cut: MAKEMEFEELALIVE

27. Weezer - Van Weezer

Choice cut: The End Of The Game

26. Dropkick Murphys - Turn Up That Dial

Choice cut: L-EE-B-O-Y

25. Trash Boat - Don't You Feel Amazing

Choice cut: Silence Is Golden

24. The Offspring - Let The Bad Times Roll

Choice cut: This Is Not Utopia

23. Ice Nine Kills - The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood

Choice cut: Rainy Day

22. A Day To Remember - You're Welcome

Choice cut: Last Chance To Dance (Bad Friend)

21. Mayday Parade - What It Means To Fall Apart

Choice cut: Notice

20. DE'WAYNE - Stains

Choice cuts: I Know Something, Stains

19. Angels & Airwaves - Lifeforms

Choice cuts: Rebel Girl, Losing My Mind

18. Rise Against - Nowhere Generation

Choice cuts: Broken Dreams Inc, Nowhere Generation

17. Turnstile - Glow On

Choice cuts: Turnstile Love Connection, Holiday

16. Every Time I Die - Radical

Choice cuts: Planet Shit, Sly

15. Spiritbox - Eternal Blue

Choice cuts: Yellowjacket, Hurt You

14. With Confidence - With Confidence

Choice cuts: What You Make It, Anything

13. Beartooth - Below

Choice cuts: Skin, Dominate

12. Like Pacific - Control My Sanity

Choice cuts: Waste Of Breath, Hallow Tears

11. Hawthorne Heights - The Rain Just Follows Me

Choice cuts: The Rain Just Follows Me, Holy Coast

10. Mod Sun - Internet Killed The Rockstar

Choice cuts: Karma, Betterman, Annoying

9. Calling All Captains - Slowly Getting Better

Choice cuts: Tailspin, Undone, Collapse

8. Architects - For Those That Wish To Exist

Choice cuts: Black Lungs, Little Wonder, Animals

7. Waterparks - Greatest Hits

Choice cuts: Violet!, Numb, Fuzzy

6. The Dirty Nil - Fuck Art

Choice cuts: Doom Boy, Done With Drugs, Elvis '77

5. jxdn - Tell Me About Tomorrow

Choice cuts: Think About Me, So What!?, Better Off Dead

4. The Maine - XOXO: From Love & Anxiety In Real Time

Choice cuts: Sticky, Pretender, Lips

3. We Were Sharks - New Low

Choice cuts: Shameless, Over This, Ashley Pt. 2

2. Chunk! No, Captain Chunk - Gone Are The Good Days

Choice Cuts: Blame It On This Song, Complete You, Marigold

1. Grayscale - Umbra

Choice cuts: Carolina Skies, Dirty Bombs, Babylon (Say It To My Face)