April's End - Break Through Sorrow EP

Randy Newman once wrote a song called, “I Love L.A.” As someone who has grown up in Los Angeles their entire life, it seems like every waking moment is spent in the LA and Hollywood area. However, I always seem to have a New York state of mind. Maybe it’s because my family is originally from New York or the fact that the East Coast continues to make great music. Unlike the West Coast, they actually develop their talent before establishing their image and gimmicks. In any case, there is a new badass New York hard rock band that people should keep an eye out for, April’s End.

April’s End is a New York heavy hard rock band that fuses alternative and melodic lyrics to create a breathtaking blend of alternative metal music. Entertaining, energetic and ecstatic, lead singer Cyrille Robes commands the band with her powerful vocal range that demands to be reckoned with. Immediately, one can’t help, but think of all the female lead singers fronting current rock bands like Avril Lavigne and Hayley Williams of Paramore. However, Robes is reminiscent of a badass, bitchin’ lead singer with a killer band like Wendy O. Williams and the Plasmatics, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Amy Lee of Evanescence. Disregarding April’s End is a mistake.

Let me be honest. I initially brushed them off when I was handed their Break Through Sorrow EP, but after a few days passed I decided to give them a chance. I am so glad I did! Kicking off with “One Chance” the band blasts off with their hard rocking sound solidified by Danny Lysogorski’s drums. Reeling you from beginning to end, the amplified sound of Daniel Buquicchio’s guitar and JayR Castillo’s bass along with Robes robust voice, creates a stimulating song. Their abilities to pump up the listener make them a band worthwhile to check out. As a matter of fact I hardly could contain myself as I listened to this entire EP. I was just overwhelmed with energy.

“Push” just continues the steadfast energy emulating from this excellent EP. With catchy lyrics and a hard sound, it’s easy to understand why fans of heavy music like Killswitch Engage, Atreyu, and Bullet for My Valentine have appreciated the band. Their brutal, brash music makes it hard to truly classify them as they continue to waver back and forth between various hard rock and metal genres. Nothing solidifies a band’s intensity and integrity like not wanting to be labeled. Break Through Sorrow is consistently good like its predecessors. The fourth song “Tranquility” is the only song that seems out of place, but as the title suggests, it’s very relaxing and it calms your heart down before getting your blood pumping once again for the final track, “No Other Way.” At times “No Other Way” reminds me of Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life.” It’s undeniable the similarities between the vocal ranges of Amy Lee and Cyrille Robes. Cyrille Robes is definitely someone to keep an eye out for and good things seem destined for April’s End.

-- Mr Brownstone