[new music] BARRIERS - "Cancer"

© Kssael Productions

With a lot of bands emerging in this day and age, Barriers, a straight-up, in-your-face metal band hailing from Metro Manila, Philippines is one you shouldn`t dare to neglect.


For several months in the past, the lads have had some rough patches with members having difficulties of keeping up with local gigs and personal issues, yet early 2014 came and Barriers is finally back in the scene — renewed, restored, and revitalized.

© Niko Cezar

Their influences include bands such as The Devil Wears Prada, Parkway Drive, August Burns Red, and Miss May I among many others. They also play alongside melodic hardcore band Saving The Dying Hope, False Contender: a pop punk band from Quezon City, and SIMILAR//INTENTS, a progressive/melodic hardcore band.

Enticed already? You should be. With their first single Cancer [free download here!] from their upcoming EP entitled, CONTAGION out now, these boys would be hard to miss.

"I am torn between someone I should let go and someone I should hold on to.
Torn in two, forgotten the truth.
I seem to subject that the answers aren't bestowed upon me.
Yet they are right in front of my face.
So many months on end. So many days passed by.
Am I bound to live alone or am I bound to live with someone?
Is this the only way to make my life relevant
or are there any means for me yet to learn in this forsaken world.
Torn in two, forgotten the truth.
Fate is a cancer, it spreads on and on without end.
I am a slave to fate and nothing can set me free.
We are all slaves to fate and we aren't meant to be free.
Every remaining piece of my soul shatters at your first sight.
I am devastated in a blink of an eye.
Maybe I'm meant to be wretched and alone at the same time."   Like what you`re hearing? Then go follow them on Facebook and Twitter!

LUCID RIOT x BARRIERS

Last night, I went to iAcademy`s party to kickoff the year: Lucid Riot. The whole venue had numerous booths, all amongst neon and black lights, illuminating every urbanite`s colorful outfits. There were several performances by their music org, a couple of dance troupes (which in my shame, forgot their names. I`m sorry.) and Barriers. More photos under the cut!

GRIM REAPER

Finally, finally, FINALLY back!! I have been itching to update this little world of mine but things have been hectic for me. I`ve been going places back and forth, running errands here and there, attending events everywhere (although I`ve turned down opportunities :'() and my boyfriend recently had his birthday week which was oh-so great! Did I mention my flash drive was being a little bitch? My files were nowhere to be found unless I attached my drive to my boyfriend`s laptop. Talk about being clingy.

Anyway, I wore this outfit to a gig and boy, May 22 will forever be remembered as an insanely fun day. Happy anniversary to Saving The Dying Hope aka everybody`s favorite band!! ☺and below is a photo taken by street photographer Bene Arcayan while I was walking along Ayala on the way to said gig. Moral lesson: always look your best wherever you go because you don`t know when the camera`s pointing at you ;)

CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED

Whatever happened for 2 weeks that I wasn`t able to blog?? I couldn`t remember like half of it but I sure was busy. Anyway, I shot this look days before and for the Pulp Summer Slam `14: the longest running annual metal festival in Southeast Asia. It was my third time to go (consecutively, yaaas) and I must say this one`s the most interesting and the one I had most fun in. I went with the best company, so far, and I couldn`t wait to be with the bunch again!

Going back to the outfit, sleeveless tops are your best friends in festivals. I honestly don`t have that much shirts so I got the muscle tee I`m wearing in my boyfriend`s closet for extra comfort and opted to tie a light-weight blazer around my waist because 1.) it looked cute and 2.) I needed some cover up when we travelled home early in the morning. Ha, my friends also had polos on and they were imitating me, tying their polos on their waists and doing the "Jia pose" HAHAHAHA PLS STOP. Snapbacks to beat the heat and I got new iridescent sunnies from Vans just before the day of the festival that I wasn`t able to shoot with it. And congratulations to my Dr. Martens for finally stepping into the Slam grounds!!

How`s your summer, by the way? Have you been to any festivals lately? 

You can see the photos from the actual Summer Slam in my Facebook and Twitter

NOT-SO-ODD COUPLE: LYRICS FOR LIFE

Yes, 5 lines is never enough! There are just so many songs that have great, empowering, tear-jerker lyrics. You can say that this list is only the first edition.

Let`s start with his choices, shall we?

HIS:

1. "I will bask in the blackness of my darkest days" — RIT by The Devil Wear Prada

2. "If the good die young then I will live forever" — Deliverance by The Air I Breathe

3. "False statements fall to the feet of dead gods" — Lord Xenu by The Devil Wears Prada

4. "So take this life and hold it for it's about to change, bleed out the coursing veins. Who will answer the call when it comes from within?" — Abrasumente by Northlane

5. "Find life in the consequence of discovery but there's still a mystery that blinds." Two Worlds of Design by Born of Osiris

HERS:

1. "I`m a rough and tough; nothing`s gonna knock this girl down." — Settle Down by No Doubt

2. "Your time will come if you wait for it. It`s hard, believe me, I`ve tried." — Amsterdam by Imagine Dragons

3. "Nothing comes between me and my plans. I can`t live my life always backing down." — All Signs Point to Lauderdale by A Day To Remember

4. "Just cause you`re right, it doesn`t mean I`m wrong." — Best Of Me by A Day To Remember

5. "I love you so, but why I love you, I`ll never know." — I Love You So by Cassius

There you go! All these are what is commonly called "quotable quotes" (wtf) they`re good for tweeting actually! HAHA the song titles are all linked to their Youtube videos, btw so I hope you give them a listen! You can consider this post a playlist too ☺ and you can expect more of this next time.

Much love,

Jia

SICK NIGHT, BITCHES!

Sick Night, Bitches! happened last January 19th, 2014 at Black King`s Bar, West Ave., Q.C.

Apologies though, the photos aren't in order according to the lineup.

Saving The Dying Hope

Bet you can spot me..... NAH DON`T EVEN TRY :| their`s were my favorite though cause they give you that at-home feeling when they`re performing. You can totally see they`re good friends because of the jokes here and there during the performance. Good music + good laugh.

Barriers

Also known as my boyfriend`s band lol. If there`s one word you could describe their performance, it`s HEAVY. Not just heavy, but HEAVY AS FUCK YOU FEEL ALL THE ANGST IN THEM.

Above are several selfies of me with my best friend Shao, and my boyfriend.

They were hailing Mac. Believe me when I say he can do awesome, awesome, guitar solos.

False Contender.

Last band but definitely not the least.

The rest are some more shots from the gig. I couldn`t find other photos of the other bands, I`m sorry :( and to be honest with you, I`m not so much in the mood to blog tonight. I blame this on PMS. 

I don`t go to gigs that much mainly because of the fact that my mother doesn`t allow me. There`s just a different adrenaline rush you get when going to gigs/concerts. It makes me happy, the genuine kind. These kinds of happenings make me cry as well. When Now You Make Me Angry started to play Right Back At It Again by A Day To Remember, I was outside having a nerdy chat with some boys and we instantly ran inside to join the fun. ADTR is one of my most favorite bands and I`d do anything to bring them back here again. So that set really made me want to punch someone in the face, in a good way...............???????

Okay, I really can`t say much more. That Sunday night was really great for me. From Sunday morning to Monday morning, it was all great especially the fact that he slept over my house! I got an awesome mum, did you know that? I can`t wait for another great night like this to happen again.

Much love,

Jia

Photos courtesy of Niko Cezar, Ellona Espino, and Shao Entrina, Thank you so much!