Music Seen – Synch Licensing Hot Picks * This or the Apocalypse

December 1st, 2010 by Dave Hnatiuk

This or the Apocalypse will charm the s&%$ out of you.

Song: “Charmer”

Why I Luv It: Metal-core band This or The Apocalypse from Lancaster, PA landed on my radar earlier this year. That’s when my MTV video editor/friend Andre Sosnowski gave me the heads-up that the band was getting in the studio with Josh Wilbur (Atreyu, Avenged Sevenfold) and Chris Adler (Lamb of God).

(I also found out today that a talented young bass player/drummer who I am currently mentoring at MTV, Dan Stankus of the band Cabin Theory, is friendly with the drummer of TOTA. Cabin Theory is an act that is impressing me more and more as I get to know them as well, so give them a good look too if you dig the “This or the Apocalypse” sound.)

I have immense respect for anything Josh Wilbur and Chris Adler touch musically speaking, and for these two monster visionary and accomplished engineer/producer/musicians to anoint “This or the Apocalypse” as worthy of their time and ideas in the studio, I couldn’t help but pay close attention to what would come of the collaboration.

The result does not disappoint: The song “Charmer” is a raging onslaught of riff-tastic guitar work by Jack Esbanshade and Rodney Fields along with Sean Hennessey on bass, as well as bombastically-executed drum performances by Grant McFarland, and vicious vocal performances by Ricky Armellino. The influence of Wilbur and Adler are clear and present when listening to “Charmer” too by the way.

Keep in mind, Josh Wilbur co-produced Lamb of God’s most recent full-length effort “Wrath” (released last year) among a long list of other multi-genre and noteworthy acts. Chris Adler (drummer/co-producer of Lamb of God) has impressively found the time to be in the studio alongside Wilbur for This or the Apocalypse’s latest effort “Haunt What’s Left” (Lifeforce Records/Good Fight Music, 2010) in between a grueling business and touring schedule.

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If you know Lamb of God’s “Wrath” album, I’m sure you’ll hear Josh Wilbur’s instantly recognizable production influence, and you’ll also pick up on Chris Adler’s fluidly powerful and precise drumming rubbing off on Grant McFarland. The same goes for the powerhouse guitar work by battle-ax-trio Esbanshade, Fields, and Hennessey.

Blatant influences are a damn good thing: Josh Wilbur and Chris Adler in the studio with TOTA.

Scene I Can See it In: “Charmer” is spot-on perfect for a placement in a film, TV show, or trailer (for either) that has a storyline based on an intensely inspired hero main character who has one goal — and 1 goal only: to inflict punishment on the head bad guy in retribution for whatever it is the main hero character is fighting for.

Our hero main character has a tortured soul too BTW. Follow the lyrics on the YouTube video link provided above and see for yourself….

“Charmer’s” relentless battle ensemble of thrashing yet intelligent guitar riffs, complemented by high-speed-precision “stomp of war” drumming and passionately performed vocals, along with very direct lyrics makes this track a seamless-soundtrack-match for a lead hero character who is enraged and out for revenge against a very powerful/evil opponent.

It should also be noted that the dynamic arrangement of this song make it a film/tv music editor’s dream!! Be sure to listen to this track in its entirety. There are a tremendous amount of options to be considered from a music editing standpoint within the song “Charmer.”

For instance, the instrumental breakdown at 02.22 followed by the harmonic/melodic/psychedelic vocals in the bridge are perfect sections of this song that could be used by a film/TV music editor to create a transition in mood, character motivation, or story arc with the ultimate goal of transitioning back in to the main verse riff of the song to pay off the emotional goal of the video sequence.

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