Chamber Press Issue #4

fall 2023

CHAMBER PRESS FROM ASHES TO NEW PHOTOS + REVIEW PAGE 18

THREE DAYS GRACE PHOTOS + REVIEW PAGE 20

CHAMBER PRESS STAFF INTERESTED IN CONTRIBUTING WRITING OR PHOTOGRAPHY? email: ashley@chamberpress.org

ASHLEY REYES

editor-in-chief / photographer

AMANDA TOWERY photographer

DAWSON BOURDETTE photographer

BRANDI TROMBLI photographer

OLIVIA ROBINSON photographer

BREANA MARSHALL photographer

ON THE PAGES

4 NEW SONGS DROPOUTS TOUR 10 METALCORE review + photos by dawson bourdette QUEEN 14 SCENE review + photos by ashley reyes FROM ASHES TO NEW 18 review + photos by ashley reyes

20 review + photos by ashley reyes THREE DAYS GRACE

22 review + photos by dawson bourdette

RESCUE AND RESTORE TOUR

LO 23 TOVE review + photos by olivia robinson

29 review by ashley reyes

DUMB MONEY MOVIE REVIEW

NOW STREAMING RIVALS- Nobody Loves Me

NOW STREAMING Rain City Drive - Frozen (Reimagined)

NOW STREAMING HUNGOVER- Shake It Off

NOW STREAMING The Home Team - Loud

REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRANDI TROMBLEY

ALL TIME LOW ROCKS OUT AT HARD ROCK CAFE ORLANDO FOR FIRST TIME

Lauren Hibberd

On September 28th, All Time Low brought The Sound of Letting Go tour to Orlando, FL. After many years of touring and coming through Florida, it was their first time taking the Hard Rock Orlando stage. The American pop-rock band consists of vocalist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bass guitarist Zack Merrick, and drummer Ryan Dawson. Tell Me I’m Alive dropped earlier this year and has quickly become one of their most popular albums. This gave us the sound of letting go tour featuring Gym Class Heroes, Grayscale, and Lauren Hibberd To kick off the night, England-born artist Lauren Hibberd ran out on stage first and gave the crowd high-energy. Lauren started her set with her most famous song Honda Civic which followed along with That Was a Joke, a fun cover of Hollaback Girl and I suck at Grieving. Her charisma on stage made her such a fun addition to this tour lineup. Garageband Superstar was released in 2022 and is Lauren’s first album so, keep an eye open for more from her in the coming year!

Grayscale of course knows how to take a stage by storm. Their stage presence is something you won’t forget. The crowd was already off their feet by the time Not Afraid to Die started and they screamed along to the lyrics. Grayscale played eight songs from their already quite impressive discography. The sea of people were ready to keep dancing so it was a great time for next artist to come out.

Gym Class Heroes

Gym Class Heroes

Grayscale

All Time Low

The American rap-rock group Gym Class Heroes formed in 1997 so they’ve had a crazy timeline. They broke up in 2019. Everyone's hopes of getting to see them live were crushed until they announced a re-banding and a tour with All Time Low. The setlist had some nostalgic Gym Class Heroes classics like cupid chokehold, stereohearts, and along with some Travie Mccoy originals—a favorite being Billionaire. The sign language interpreter was a key person to the set with his energetic vibes and the way he and vocalist, Travie, vibed throughout their set made it super enjoyable.

The crowd was chanting All Time Low as the lights went down and the video walls lit up with visuals. Screams started erupting from the crowd as Rian Dawson(drummer) and Zack Merrick (Bassists and Vocals) were seen standing side-stage, preparing to step out to the almost sold-out venue. Alex Gaskarth (frontman) and Jack Barakat(Guitarist) took the stage last to start their set off with a All Time Low fandom favorite Lost In Stereo. Now that everybody was at an all-time high, the band took some time to say hey and talk about how it was their first time playing at the Hard Rock Orlando. They also talked about their visit to Harry Potter World to honor the late Michael Gambon, as they marveled at the magic of the Wizarding World and the enduring legacy of the actor. Crowd interaction has always been an important aspect of an ATL show over the last almost 20 years.

As the crowd cheered they got the set list of our dreams which included songs from their entire discography. Songs like poppin’ champagne, modern love, fake as hell, and PMA. The most fun part about their setlist was the fans got to pick a song via QR code and of course, the winner was the hit song Last Young Renegade. If you’ve never seen ATL it’s a performance you don’t want to miss. They don’t let their fans down so you won’t be disappointed and you’ll leave wishing the show hadn’t ended just yet.

CHAMBER PRESS

REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAWSON BOURDETTE

THE METALCORE DROPOUTS TOUR HITS NASHVILLE

Fit For A King

Fit For a King and The Devil Wears Prada rocked the house in Nashville for The Metalcore Dropouts Tour. First up was The Devil Wears Prada, who had the most energy I’ve ever seen from a band. I saw everything from mics hanging from the rafters to their drummer, Giuseppe, powerlifting his cymbals. The crowd could definitely feel the energy and started wave after wave of crowd surfers that lasted their whole show. Their crazy energy and heavy breakdowns pumped the crowd up for Fit For A King, who would soon follow.

Fit For A King brought the house down with one of their heaviest sets ever. They matched the energy of The Devil Wears Prada and were spinning and jumping around every inch of the stage. You could see the mosh pit double in size during their show. They played a few songs from their most recent album, The Hell We Create, and you could hear the crowd singing along to every word.

Overall, it was one of the most fun shows I’ve ever attended. Marathon Music Works was electric with the energy and hardcore sound being brought by the bands of the Metalcore Dropouts Tour!

Fit For A King

Fit For A King

The Devil Wears Prada The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada

CHAMBER PRESS

SCENE QUEEN RETURNS TO EAGER NASHVILLE WITH RIVALS

REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ASHLEY REYES RIVALS The friendship between Scene Queen and RIVALS has led to some amazing tours in the past year. It started on Twitter and blossomed into a few tours now, making us lucky to get both incredible bands in one night. Both are incredible, powerful, iconic bands who inspire people. On November 26th, the tour stopped in Nashville, TN, marking the second time Scene Queen has headlined Eastside Bowl.

RIVALS opened with an incredibly energetic set.

Anyone who has followed the band since their earlier days can see how much they’ve grown, changed, and come into themselves. Vocalist Kalie Wolfe is confident on stage and keeps the audience engaged and interacting. She’s fun to watch and very talented. Special guest Blaine joined the band to scream the parts for Fake Rich and did an amazing job. The band’s TikTok attention has garnered more viewers who show up for their set, crowding the room before they took the stage. Her outfit, like each one on tour, was breathtaking and suited the badass woman she is. RIVALS will only continue going up, and you’ll want to be along for the ride.

RIVALS RIVALS

Scene Queen

Scene Queen told us early on that she was dealing with food poisoning, but with her energetic stage energy and flawless performance, you wouldn’t be able to tell. She performed through that like a champion. Part of the fun of attending a Scene Queen tour is seeing her amazing pink outfits, and she didn’t disappoint. Scene Queen graced the stage with dancing, energy, and love. Her partner, Joey of In Her Own Words, joined her on stage for her song with Set It Off’s Cody, Barbie & Ken. The couple is incredibly adorable together, and the special moment is heartwarming and beautiful for the audience.

Scene Queen is an artist we will keep seeing on every tour possible. She’s never released a bad song, never wore a bad outfit, never been afraid to be herself, and she’s very inspiring.

Scene Queen

Scene Queen

Scene Queen

CHAMBER PRESS

REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAWSON BOURDETTE

POLARIS CELEBRATES NEW ALBUM WITH PACKED BROOKLYN BOWL

Varials

The night started off with Paledusk—who came all the way from Japan—and set the bar high for the rest of the show.

Next up was Varials, who brought heavy breakdowns that got the mosh pit ready for what was to come during Currents and Polaris.

Currents then brought the energy with an equally heavy and melodic show. They performed many songs off of their newest album The Death We Seek that had the audience singing along to every word. It was also amazing to see Ryan Castaldi back to killing it on guitar after going through his cancer treatment.

Last but certainly not least was Polaris, and they brought one of the heaviest shows I’ve ever seen.

From the crazy crowd surfing to massive circle pits, the crowd was electric. Polaris played many songs off their brand new album Fatalism, such as Inhumane and Nightmare. They also did a tribute to the bands late guitarist Ryan Siew, with this being their first tour since his passing. Rest In Peace, Ryan.

Overall Polaris and all the other bands brought an incredibly heavy show that rocked Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl to its core!

Paledusk Paledusk

Polaris

Currents

Polaris

Polaris

CHAMBER PRESS

REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ASHLEY REYES

FROM ASHES TO NEW HEADS TO INDIANAPOLIS

The Word Alive

When From Ashes To New announced a tour with Catch Your Breath and The Word Alive, I knew I needed to be there. The problem was that it wasn’t coming close to me. I gathered an interested friend and drove over four hours to photograph the show, and it was entirely worth it, though Catch Your Breath didn’t get to play while their vocalist recovered from illness.

We would’ve loved to catch Ekoh’s set, but we didn't make it due to the venue’s website being an hour off about the show’s starting time. We did get inside minutes before The Word Alive took the stage. The venue itself was a fun place with TVs to watch the show, a few bars, and a balcony to watch the show from. The back of the venue was raised, giving short people like me the chance to watch.

The first band I got to photograph was The Word Alive. I hadn’t seen them perform in almost two years. I love all of their albums, but most of their songs were from their recent album, Hard Reset, and I had no complaints. Every song on that album is amazing. They talked a bit about the meaning of some songs and played my favorite off the album, Slow Burn, which vocalist Telle Smith remarked is about heartbreak. Telle was just as wild and energetic on stage as I remembered. The band didn’t have much room on the small stage, but they didn’t let that stop them. As always, they put on an incredible performance.

The Word Alive The Word Alive

From Ashes To New

From Ashes To New is a band I was supposed to photograph over a year ago, but I got COVID. I had waited over a year for the chance, and they didn’t disappoint. Their performance was exceptionally fun, and their songs are very relatable. They make the entire set fun from start to finish. The band’s two frontmen, Matt and Danny, have incredible stage presence and chemistry together. Their vocals work well together, bringing these heartfelt, fun songs to life. They put on one hell of a show that needs to be witnessed in person. Their lyrics and stories are relatable, and they did a great job of making the crowd feel like no one there is alone. They performed a few songs for their encore, including a cover of Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You. After waiting years to see them, I’d recommend their live show a thousand times over.

From Ashes To New From Ashes To New

From Ashes To New

CHAMBER PRESS

CHEVELLE AND THREE DAYS GRACE PERFORM AT NASHVILLE MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM

REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ASHLEY REYES Loathe

Seeing Three Days Grace and Chevelle live had been a dream of mine for over a decade. So, when they announced a tour together, I was ecstatic. I attended one of the last few dates of the tour, which stopped at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, on October 10th.

Loathe, a metal band from the United Kingdom, was a perfect opener for the tour. The minute they took the stage, their energy was palpable.

While the vocalist danced on the stage, the audience brought the energy to the crowd, moving to the band’s music. It was clear that many in the audience knew of Loathe before they took the stage. They deserved all the movement, crowd participation, and devoted attention they received.

Chevelle took the stage with their instrumental song, Verruckt. Guitarist and vocalist Pete Loeffler shredded the song on guitar, rocking out all over the stage. He kept up his energy throughout the set, impressively bringing a high-energy performance with killer vocals and a stellar guitar performance. When the band announced they were going to perform The Red—one of their hit songs—thousands of phones were suddenly in the air, filming. A few fans in the crowd even slow-danced together during the song, which was something I had never seen before. The venue was absolutely packed inside when they performed. While hundreds of people usually walk around and get food or look at merch, it wasn’t the case for their set. Everyone in attendance was eagerly attuned to their performance.

Chevelle

Chevelle

Three Days Grace

Three Days Grace closed out the coheadliner with a wild, unforgettable set. They played their top hits such as Home, Riot, Animal I Have Become, and more, but they gave Nashville a special treat. Their final three songs—I Hate Everything About You, Never Too Late, and Riot—were performed with former vocalist Adam Gontier joining current vocalist Matt Walsh on stage. The crowd was already jumping, dancing, and singing along to their set, but when he joined them on stage, there wasn’t a quiet soul in the room. Screams erupted the moment he was brought on stage.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime performance for many.

All around, the night was one of my favorite concerts of the year. All the bands did incredible, and I can’t wait to see each of them again in the future. Next time any of them tour, it’s a tour you don’t want to miss.

Three Days Grace

Three Days Grace

CHAMBER PRESS

RESCUE AND RESTORE ANNIVERSARY TOUR FILLS MARATHON MUSIC WORKS

REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAWSON BOURDETTE Crystal LoatheLake

The Rescue and Restore Anniversary Tour kicked off with Crystal Lake from Japan and Brand of Sacrifice from Toronto, Canada. They set high expectations for the show with the whole crowd in a circle pit and crowd surfing through the openers.

After them was Spite, who killed it with their incredibly heavy deathcore breakdowns. The whole band's performance could almost be described as animalistic.

Finally were the stars of the show, August Burns Red, who were celebrating the 10th anniversary of their album, Rescue and Restore.

They played all the hits, especially the ones from that album. I always love the way that Jake Luhrs performs. It’s almost like he’s a puppet master controlling the whole show like it's a marionette. They also surprised us after leaving the stage for an encore and returning with Carol of The Bells from their Christmas album. I know that I, and the rest of the crowd, absolutely loved it.

Overall, the Nashville stop for the Rescue and Restory anniversary tour was one to remember, and I can’t wait for all the bands in the lineup to be back in town!

Brand Of Sacrifice

Brand Of Sacrifice

Spite

Spite

Three Days Grace

Three Days Grace

CHAMBER PRESS

Book Review

by Ashley Reyes

GOD OF FURY rina kent

God Of Fury by Rina Kent is one book in a long, generational series. It started out following the parents, and this book is one in the Legacy Of Gods series, which follows the children of the original characters. Nikolai is a mafia prince.

He’s bisexual, a player, and doesn’t want to settle down. When he meets Brandon, the brother of his enemy, he finds his body only wants him. Brandon hates him and swears he’s straight. Nikolai, being the adorable stalker he is, follows Brandon around, attempting to get his attention.

This book was my second male/male romance novel and easily my favorite. The story between Nikolai and Brandon is my favorite one yet. I finished the book quickly because of how captivated I became the minute I started reading. Rina Kent mentioned God Of Fury being her first male/male love story, and she did a fantastic job.

While the stories are interconnected standalones, I recommend starting with the first in the series, since I love all of the characters.

Book Review

by Ashley Reyes

THE NAUGHTY LIST jade west

The Naughty List was my first Jade West book, and it won’t be my last. I picked up the book after being told in a group that it was a good read if you wanted mostly smut, and they weren’t lying. The novel centers around Ella--freshly dumped, and hating her job. She starts working as a sex worker on an online marketplace. Men proposition her with what they want and what they’ll pay, and she decides to accept the offer or not. Every chapter is essentially a new sexcapade. Jade West properly uses The Naughty List to explore various kinks.

I loved reading the story and how it got filthier with each chapter. Ella is fantastic at her job and wants to move to the top of the list. She has incredible ratings from her clients.

I took off one star because the book’s description mentions a blooming romance between two workers, but they don’t meet until the end. I wanted to explore their relationship more, and hope to see them in the future.

Book Review

by Ashley Reyes

A CURSE FOR TRUE LOVE stephanie garber If you’ve read Stephanie Garber’s Once Upon A Broken Heart, then you’ve probably waited a while for the release of A Curse For True Love, the series conclusion. If you’ve been invested in the story of Eva and Jacks, you’re probably sorely disappointed, much like I am. I waited a long time to see their story progress, only to be let down. The story felt rushed, Apollo had too much POV space on page, and the love declaration was underwhelming.

I loved the first two books. I’d still recommend the trilog y to YA Fantasy lovers., with the warning that the third book may be underwhelming to some. There were still too many unanswered questions by the end. It was as if Stephanie Garber didn’t have an answer for certain plot points she set up.

Overall, I’d give it a three stars for being an average read.

Book Review

by Ashley Reyes

GIVE ME MORE sara cate TGive Me More by Sara Cate was one of my first bisexual, MMF books. I had seen it recommended all over Facebook groups. and picked it up. I finished it within hours of starting because I was beyond captivated by the story. Hunter and Drake have been best friends for over a decade. Hunter has been with Isabel for a decade. Drake is a great friend to Isabel, too, and there for most of their relationship. This is part of a series where the main men own a sex club together. The trio are touring the United States to visit other sex clubs to get ideas for how to improve their own.

Give Me More does an amazing job of intertwining the relationships of all the characters. Hunter is reluctant to be with a man, but has an urge to watch his wife be fucked by someone else, and he only trusts Drake. Drake is the stereotypical player, but he’s attracted to his best friend and his wife.

Together, they have a lot of fun on their trip.

I loved the scenes of Drake and Isabel, Drake and Hunter, and all of them together. Their chemistry is insane and the author does an amazing job of portraying their relationship realistically.

Movie Review

by Ashley Reyes

ANYONE BUT YOU Anyone But You’s marketing department undersold the hilariousness of this romantic comedy. 2023 has seen a massive resurgence of romantic comedies and raunchy comedies.

Featuring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, Anyone But You came in at the very end of the year. Their interviews together were better marketing than any preview.

The movie follows Sydney Sweeney’s character, Bee, and Glen Powell’s character, Ben, as they attend a wedding out of country, forced to try to get along despite hating each other.

The pair are the definition of a dynamic duo.

Their chemistry on screen is palpable and electrifying. They’re hilarious together and both perfect at acting in love or in hate. Their interactions had me crying from laughter in the theater.

Learning about the movie was just as fun as watching the movie. Through interviews, the cast shared behind the scenes glimpses into filming, such as how they had to film in the most shark infested waters in Sydney, and how SYdney Sweeney got bit by a spider.

Movie Review

by Ashley Reyes

THE HUNGER GAMES THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES

I was ecstatic to find out The Hunger Games was making a movie for the prequel, revolving around President Snow. I didn’t read the novels, but I did watch all the movies. If you’ve watched the movies, then you know President Snow is Katniss’ number one enemy throughout the series. He’s trying to bring Katniss down after she won the hunger games alongside Peeta. He destroys her home, and the homes of people that associate with her.

I was excited to get into his head from when he was younger. I wanted to find out if he was always the way he was, or if it was based on circumstance. I decided to go into the movie without reading the book, wanting to be surprised.

The movie did a fantastic job of showing us how he slowly became the way he was, but always displayed bad tendencies and selfishness. He’d do anything to get ahead. The movie was fantastic and worth the watch.