Original Release Date: July 16, 2007
Label: Roadrunner Records

The latest album of Michigan based Christian metalcore band, Still Remains is quite disappointing. Having listened to their previous album, Of Love And Lunacy, the latest album seems to lack aggression, which they have already established in the previous one. I haven’t heard of their first album yet, but it has been said that The Serpent’s musical direction was taken from the band’s earlier releases. Unlike in the previous album, the keyboards in which Still Remains is known for, were more apparent this time. The less aggressive melodies made way for the keyboard to sink in beautifully with the softer tracks. It was clearly demonstrated in the first track, which has the same title as the album. Nevertheless, I expected more from the band. A smoother transition could’ve at least prepared me for the direction that they were going. Take the case of Trivium’s Ascendancy album to The Crusade. The turning point was really good that it gave me a lot more tracks to choose from. After 2 years of waiting, it just wasn’t worth it. It wasn’t the Still Remains I had previously known.

Tracks I disliked:

1. Maria
2. Dancing With The Enemy
3. The River Song

Tracks I liked:

1. The Wax Walls Of An Empty Room
2. Anemia In Your Sheets
3. Dropped From The Cherry Tree
4. Sleepless Nights Alone
5. An Undesired Reunion
6. Avalanche

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Amazon.com’s upcoming MP3-only store will sell unprotected or DRM-free music, according to a Washington Post report. When this move is realized, it will be one of a few companies that will condemn protected music downloads. iTunes and eMusic, with strong  backing from giant record label EMI are among those who have already started selling DRM-free music. Moreover, there are speculations that Yahoo! Music will  join in this DRM-free campaign soon. Yahoo! Music general manger Ian Rogers said in his statement:

We have long advocated for the end of DRM-encrypted music and predicted earlier this year that half of our catalogue would be DRM-free by the end of the year. We’re talking to all of the major labels about the possibilities but can’t comment on the specifics of the discussions.

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You might be wondering why this post was included here when all the previous posts were about technology. Let me remind you of this Web site’s title then- Articles, News, Updates and Reviews on Technology and Life. I love music, particularly metal and I consider it a part of my life. So there you go, music belongs to the Life aspect of Project Afterlight. Anyway, on with the topic.

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