--Robyn Dee

I have been a fan of Hands Like Houses for a hot minute now and they've always been a band I’ve always enjoyed listening to. They are everything you want in a hardcore band but without the screams.  It took me a while to get used to their unique sound, but in the end really digging their style. I’m excited to get the opportunity to review their new self-titled EP. I know based off the singles that is was going to be a new type of sound and so I wasn’t surprised that it was going to slap.

First, I would just like to say that I’m sad it was only an EP because every song was so good. They took it in a new direction that gave it a poppy feel while still keeping their roots. Trenton Woodley has a very unique and memorable voice and what he did on this EP was nothing short of fantastic. These are songs I can see being heard on the radio, especially “Dangerous”. It's catchy pop-rock for sure but still keeps that Hands Like Houses signature heaviness we all love. It’s also very technically sound with many different elements going on throughout each track. You can tell they didn’t sleep on any of these songs because they are all jam packed with incredibly big sounds and I really enjoyed the vibe that each gave off individually. It’s unlike anything else they have put out in the past but I’m definitely down with it.

From a quality and production standpoint, this EP was mixed and mastered so well. In the song “Stranger”, you can tell they spent time making sure that every transition was seamless without skipping a beat. Hats off to the band for writing such a unique song.  Furthermore, I really dig the background noises you hear in every song. They are very subtle but add so much to the complexity of each song. I speak mostly to the sounds in the song “Wired”, which has such a calming feel to it. The reverb on the guitar is simply beautiful. It’s a solid upbeat song that keeps your head bobbing due to the great drumming courtesy of Matt Parkitney.

Overall, I think Hands Like Houses latest EP is awesome. It's the perfect mix of incredible musicianship combined with solid production which seems rare in this day and age.  Sprinkle in the bands unique intangibles and its a recipe for greatness now and in the foreseeable future.  Do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this instant classic today.   As a long time fan, I love it and am sure you will too!

As always, be well and rock on!     Hunnypot Approved!     Overall Rating:  9.3 out of 10

Artist:  Hands Like Houses  LP: Self-Titled EP,   Release Date: October 23rd, 2020,   Label: UNFD

I was pretty hyped when I received Sevendust’s new album to review. I have been listening to them ever since hearing “Enemy” off their 2003 album, Seasons. Sevendust has such a great sound musically and has always kept it in the same realm from album to album. When they signed to Rise Records, I was like no way! Rise being one of my favorite labels, I could tell Sevendust was still in for the long haul and would continue to crush it. It’s been a little bit since I’ve dove into their discography, but I am excited to share my thoughts on their newest album Blood & Stone, formally being released  today. Let’s not waste too much time and jump right into it.

Sevendust doesn’t skip a beat from their last to present, kicking off Blood & Stone with “Dying to Live”. The incorporation of the electronic elements with hard-hitting riffs was an immediate attention grabber. I really wasn’t expecting that but I’m glad they did . I also really enjoyed the low tones on “Blood From A Stone", very crisp sound which adds a ton to the ultimate vibe of the track. And you have to give it to Lajon Witherspoon for always keeping his vocals consistent on each of their albums. You know you’re listening to Sevendust the moment you press play on this one - so killer! 

I love where we are in 2020 with music production because of how full you can make a song feel and Blood & Stone exemplifies that with every instrument. You get that full effect of that about 3 quarters of the way through “Feel Like Going On” where the riffs are just encapsulating your ears. The mixing done on this album is insane so props to their producer, Michael “Elvis” Baskette on a tremendous job. From a production perspective, I want to highlight “Kill Me” as well. The intro picking is the perfect dreamy feeling which keeps you tuned in waiting for more. And to top the entire album off, they end it with the Soundgarden’s “The Day I Tried To Live” and absolutely slayed it. A fantastic tribute to the late Chris Cornell.

I feel there comes a point where you have to ask yourself as a band if you keep making music or consider calling it a day.  Many bands of Sevendust's era have come and gone, but these guys continue to push out consistently solid jams that are technically solid and extremely relevant in the crazy world we all inhabit.   I have to give it to Sevendust for the dedication to their craft because some 25 years later, they continue producing mind blowing music that keeps fans coming back for more.  I love seeing bands I grew up listening to continue to succeed, and the moment live music returns, I am putting them on my bucket list to see live.

Overall, Sevendust's latest is 100% fire. I enjoyed Blood & Stone from beginning to end, and part of me wished there was more because of how much I loved it. I’m excited to see what this album does for Sevendust and their incredible legacy of high-octane metal madness going forward. Definitely give this album a spin because it is probably some of their best work to date - I can't get enough!

As always, be well and rock on!     Hunnypot Approved!     Overall Rating:  9.5 out of 10

Artist:  Sevendust  LP: Blood & Stone,   Release Date: October 23rd, 2020,   Label: Rise Records

The development of the collaboration took place during the quarantine period of the Covid-19 Pandemic. The only communications between HD & Wolf were thru via-text & email. Allowing one another to creatively and artistically express themselves without limitations or restrictions during their solitude of creativity.

The track begins in a Dark cinematic lullaby, setting an eerie sonic illusion of lifeless momentum before falling into the abyss chaotic beauty. As the tension builds before the drop, the last notes of the melody brings you into a jigsaw workflow of carefully placed sound design, drums, and glitches. Wolf's vocals effortlessly swim through the harsh digitals waters of progression and heaviness, allowing the lyrics to create a hypnotic anthem that will leave you wanting more or this track on repeat. 

HD's creative goal on "Death Awaits" was to push the limitations of today's bass music, fusing IDM and Wolf's vocals in creating an oppressive and domineering marriage between the two, allowing one another to breathe in the chaotic realm that both channel, a cosmic conversation between life and death, hence the title "Death Awaits". More collaborations are currently in the works, so keep an ear out for this artist. 

-Drew Hollinger 

Kidd Kenn the 17-year-old Chicago native newly signed to Island Records. The openly queer rapper has been making a ruckus in the music industry. The passionate kid has been climbing the tracks with some help from social media. His song "Freestyle" has been popular on Tik Tok. Kidd Kenn performed with Kehlani at the Red Bull Music Festival in 2019. This kid is talented and you have to add him to your playlist. Big things to come from this young artist. 

NACHTBLUT takes listeners on a sonic journey that evokes the imagination and stirs the soul. Each song is an act of artistic creation that opens up a conversation between the creators and those immersed in the experience. In the end, the interpretation of this experience is ultimately left in the hands of the audience. Hope and dreams may spring from within one enrapturing song, while another more fearsome song can be dread-inducing, impaling the soul while leaving a shard of itself deep within.

The embers that have been steadily burning since 2005 from the German Gothic Metal band, NACHTBLUT have become a conflagration of fire and flame. Vanitas, their sixth studio album is a maelstrom of dark musical styles that expand and contract with the atmosphere created within every song. With Vanitas sung entirely in NACHTBLUT’s native tongue you’ll be hard-pressed to find lyrics translated into English. Through the convenience of Google Translate, non-German speakers can easily gain access to Askeroth’s imaginative lyricism albeit a rough translation, throughout the album.

Unlike the predominately straight-forward march of most traditional German Industrial Metal bands, NACHTBLUT blends their influences seamlessly into a melodious concoction of Black Metal, Folk, and Gothic/Industrial. As the foreboding ambiance of the opening track “Veritas” methodically leads us into “Varitas”, the album’s title track, a Gothic choir fuels the madness behind guitarist, Greif’s pummeling riffs. Every composition on Vanitas launches you forward through a foreboding hall as every compelling step leads into a doorway that is a theatre all it’s own.

“Das Puppenhaus” is the soundtrack to the nightmare that paralyzes your every movement. “Leierkinder” takes a drastic departure into Folk Metal territory but doesn’t lose it’s crushing ferocity. Both “Schmerz & Leid” (feat. Chris Harms) and “Nur In Der Nacht” are unapologetically influenced by 80’s Gothic/Industrial while “Fürchtet Was Geschrieben Steht” is a beast that is as triumphant as it is monstrous.

With time, all paintings fade and crack but true works of art not only stand the test of time but also inspire introspection. Vanitas is inherently complex in its lyricism and composition while remaining brutally unrelenting in it’s delivery. For those that haven’t explored the darkened corners of German Gothic Metal, NACHTBLUT is sure to open your mind and lead you to strange new places within previously unexplored.

As always, be well and rock on!     Hunnypot Approved!     Overall Rating:  8.8 out of 10

Artist:  NACHTBLUT  LP: Vanitas,   Release Date: October 2nd, 2020,   Label: Napalm Records

If you’ve been roaming the dancehall desert searching for the next wave of underground sonic planeteers, look no further than Sean the Star Emperor. Sean the Star brings his voguing, Minogueing bounce in his new single, sending Earth a message of contentment in “Paradise”. Best enjoyed under bright beams, “Paradise” is a light and hip-poppy earworm perfect for a kiki, a party, a drive and pretty much any situation that could stand for an extra dose of sunshine.

Sean and his popsicle hued go-go skaters bring to life the music video that epitomises the song’s imaginative, escapist theme. Exasperated by the blandness of this mortal world, Sean flounces onto the street and syncopates his frustration to unveil a colorful, splashy good time right outside the house. Gliding through this new dimension, collecting friends and good vibrations in a single long-take vacation.

“Paradise” is a composite of imagination and reality, of expectations and exploration. Life confined to your immediate surroundings can be a bummer, but Sean the Star Emperor puts it best, “Fun is what we make of the conditions: ‘Any way you like, wake up to Paradise…’” When you work with what you have, it’s all bliss, sis.  -Robyn Dee

Hunnypot is SEAN THE STAR EMPEROR's official sync representative both Masters & Publishing, ready for LICENSING! - John Anderson

Stream/Download Disco   Spotify

Hunnypot represented hip-hop artist Indica has been putting out dope hits for years (We LOVE "Intoxicated"). His new single "Hollywood on Fire" is vibes. He brings something different to the table every time. This song has a nice cool beat that you can just groove to. Definitely have to give it a listen it's worth it. Total vibe check.

-Drew Hollinger    

Kicking off Labor Day Weekend, Lotus took the stage for the first time since the global COVID 19 pandemic started at the Citizens Bank Park, in Philadelphia, PA on Friday evening. Being one of the new Live Nation Drive-In concerts, this show was a unique experience for the band and crowd alike. For any live music fan that hasn't heard of or been to one yet, Drive-In shows are becoming the new reality in the jam band scene and live music in general with all of the strict rules now in effect during this pandemic.

To start, you must purchase a car pass and an assigned parking space.  There are no single tickets available and each car can have up to 4 people.  Next, you must wear a mask when leaving your car area  (going to the bathroom, visiting another car, etc.) Social distancing is strictly enforced, and there is no need to go to the bar or food stands  as it can all be ordered via app on your phone.  Once ready, the venue will bring you your food and drink orders via golf cart right to your car, awesome!   To listen to the show, you must tune your car radio to a station carrying the audio feed of the performance.  With no PA system available at the venue, this is a must but super cool.  You'll even get an out of this world echo and amazing stereo sound to occur depending on where you were in the parking lot, whose car was playing the station louder and softer, know what I mean?   I thought it was a really great setup as a temporary solution to the COVID problem, but my hope is this is not the future of live music and just a quick fix until we are allowed the full concert experience!

Lotus started their unique blend of funk, jam, and electronica in 1999. Longtime members include Mike Rempel on Guitar, Jesse Miller on Bass, Mike Greenfield on Drums, Luke Miller on Keys, and Chuck Morris on Percussion. This unbelievable quintet has been getting people up and dancing at music festivals and headlining shows all around the globe for years and this unique show was no exception.  Their "smooth as butter" style has a blend of funky electronica beats, thunderous bass lines, mixed with melodic and spiritual tones, which all come together for a real true life-altering experience. The band recently dropped its 10th studio album, Free Swim, and it does not disappoint.  It's loaded with their unique style and flavor and its even better live!!! If you get a chance to see them when they come back to your town after this pandemic is over, I highly recommend checking them out!

Bottom line,  Lotus show on Friday night was just what the Doctor ordered! Sure, the venue was different and experience non-traditional.  However, it was such a great experience to rock out with my friends and just enjoy being at a show again.  With the pandemic still going on throughout the world, we will just have to patiently to experience true live music experience again. In the meantime, if one your favorite bands starts announcing Drive-In shows, please take full advantage and take in the experience. Grab your friends, fill the cooler, bring your mask, and rock out.  Thanks Lotus, job well done!

Lotus 9/4/20 - Citizens Bank Park Philly, PA Setlist

Lucid Awakening, Earl of Grey, Livingston Storm [jam in G] > Wax, Caywood, Bjorn Gets a Haircut, Spiritualize

Catacombs, Straight Blade, Sift > Expired Slang > It’s All Clear To Me Now > Hammerstrike (intro) > Flower Sermon > Land of the Lush

Encore: MacGuffin

Benjamin Carter the next big thing just released his first official music video "Fragile". The young man originally from the Cayman Islands has been putting his blood, sweat, and tears into his Indie-Pop music style. He established himself in both Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. He continues to create and develop music for the next generation. Hunnypot approved! 

-Drew Hollinger