On December 28th, Palisades released their fourth studio album titled “Erase the Pain.” If you were like me, your introduction to Palisades came when “Let Down” gained airplay on rock stations and especially satellite radio a couple years ago. While the song is good, it didn’t motivate me to explore more Palisades music. That has changed with the release of this album!
Palisades is composed of Louis Miceli as lead vocalist, Xavier Adames on lead guitar and backup vocals, Matthew Marshall on rhythm guitar, Brandon Elgar on bass, and Aaron Rosa on drums. The talents of the band are on full display throughout this album. “Vendetta” is an appropriate opening track with a brief build-up (an intro almost like one would enjoy at a concert as a band takes the stage) and lyrically it is one of the better songs on the album. The song is open to interpretation but describes a person battling an outside force (relationship? society? norms in general?), but the person is fighting back by stating, “I won’t march in your parade” and then later in the song “I know you’re coming for me, but you won’t make me bleed!” This is a great opening track to set the tone for the album.
The best two tracks on “Erase the Pain” are the first two singles to be released from it: “War” and “Fragile Bones”. “War” is perhaps the heaviest track on the album and while containing a similar theme to “Vendetta” it appears to be more about the inner struggle an individual may face, making it very easy for listeners to relate to. “Fragile Bones” is a bit of a slower track and will remind fans of the aforementioned song “Let Down”. This song is a great demonstration of the range of sound the band possesses, especially vocalist Miceli. Please take time to view the official video for “War” below:
Overall, I give this album a 7/10 which on my personal scale translates to very solid. Unlike previous work, I am finding myself wanting to explore Palisades’ previous work in much greater depth as well as looking forward to what this band produces in the future!
Track Listing:
- Vendetta
- Erase the Pain
- Fade
- War
- Ways to Disappear
- Ghost
- Fragile Bones
- Push
- Patient
- Shed My Skin
Listeners can learn more about the band at the following social media sites:
https://www.instagram.com/wearepalisades/
https://twitter.com/WeArePalisades
And, finally, it is shaping up to be a big late winter/spring for Palisades as they have many great dates lined up, including providing support for Nothing More’s headlining tour. You can catch Palisades live at the following events:
February 15th at the Hard Luck Bar in Toronto, Canada (with Dorian Grey, Savage Hands and The Ocean Cure)
February 16th at The Big Room Bar in Columbus, OH (with Savage Hands, Fear Culture, and A Decade Apart)
February 17th at Saint Andrew’s Hall in Detroit, MI (with Savage Hands and Dead Silent)
February 21st at The Van Buren in Phoenix, AZ (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
February 22nd at The Belasco Theater in Los Angeles (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Hyro the Hero)
February 23rd at The Ace of Spades in Sacramento (with Nothing More and Of Mice and Men)
February 25th at The Depot in Salt Lake City (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, Badflower, and The Noise)
February 26th at Ogden Theatre in Denver (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, Badflower, and Men)
February 28th at the Diamond Ballroom in Oklahoma City (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
March 1st at The Truman in Kansas City, MO (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, Badflower, and Men)
March 2nd at Skyway Theatre in Minneapolis (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
March 3rd at The House of Blues in Chicago (with Nothing More and Of Mice and Men)
March 6th at 20 Monroe Live in Grand Rapids, MI (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
March 7th at Stage AE in Pittsburgh, PA (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
March 8th at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, PA (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
March 10 at The Playstation in New York, NY (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
March 11 at the Webster Theater in Hartford, CT (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, Badflower, and Men)
March 12 at The House of Blues in Boston (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
March 13 at The Fillmore Silver Spring in Silver Spring, MD (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
March 15 at The Fillmore Charlotte in Charlotte, NC ((with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
March 16 at Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
March 17 at Ritz YBOR in Tampa, FL (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
March 19 at Fillmore New Orleans in New Orleans, LA (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
March 20 at The House of Blues in Houston, TX (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
March 22 at South Side Ballroom in Dallas(with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)
March 23 at Aztec Theatre in San Antonio (with Nothing More, Of Mice and Men, and Badflower)E
April 12 at The Firmament in Greenville, SC (with From Ashes to New, Ice Nine Kills, and Afterlife)
