Rejectionist Front

"Rejectionist Front is more than a happening band with a smokin sound, they are that rare band that also has something important to say." Grammy winner Andy Wallace (McCartney, Springsteen, Nirvana, Rage)

The Godfather of Funk George Clinton praised the band as 'real good,'

Evolve is new record by Rejectionist Front. I do see this band filling and playing big arenas. Filled with fast paced, heavy guitar riffs and powerful baritone vocals – every song is set to kick you off your seat and get you rock and rolling... and lose yourself into the sound. The impactful lyrics and anthemic rock music are enough for you to have a really great time. - Vents Magazine

Rejectionist Front is a driven rock band with a passion for hard-hitting, groove-heavy alternative rock. Their music echoes the work of forward-thinking groups such as Rage Against The Machine, Alice In Chain or Led Zeppelin, going for a riff-centric, big sound. The band is quickly acquiring an outstanding reputation due to their incendiary performances and thought-provoking lyrics. Even famed rock production legend Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Jeff Buckley, A Perfect Circle…) is a big fan of the band! These NYC rockers have been busy making music that is not only carefully crafted on a musical standpoint, but also extremely thought-proving, often exploring social and political issues that affect people in the United States of America, and across the whole world. - Bandcamp Diaries

Rejectionist Front has become a global phenomenon among the socially aware by its use of musical activism. We couldn’t ask for anything better. - Warlock Asylum

Rejectionist Front should be placed in the category of modern musical trendsetters because they are tackling relevant themes in our society head on in a highly constructive manner. This frenetic foursome brings you an in-your-face rock assault, a Fight-For-Your-Right anthem for this day & age. - Skope Magazine

Heavy guitar riffs, hard drums and dedicated vocals... And who better to do that then an extremely talented circle of indie musicians. Popular mainstream music today just seems to lack the natural energy and excitement music is supposed to present to the listener. Rejectionist Front always fills that void with their music. They give the listeners something they can feel in their soul and relate to. - Hotblock Magazine

Music Industry News Network (single review)
12/6/17
By Victoria Patterson
URL: http://mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=201200
Rejectionist Front is a rock band out of New York City and they’re out with a new single from their latest album, Evolve, called “All I Am”. Their goal is to produce a sound that is unique and important, with thoughtful lyrics that have a focus on the band’s activism.

Their new album is focused on tackling the struggles that we face in an attempt to make a positive change in the world, to ensure a brighter future for everyone....Perlman is the founder of the band and most of the issues referenced in their music has a correlation to his own work. He also is a filmmaker who, like with his music, focuses on bringing awareness to social issues. It’s impressive and respectable- the passion to change the world is rare, and he has it in spades....

“All I Am” starts off with powerful guitar riffs, pumping you up before you even know what’s coming for you. “All I Am” has plenty of power in it and you’ll be moving with the beat almost as soon as you press play.
There’s this one really great part in the middle of “All I Am” that definitely wasn’t expected- the song is dynamic all around and forges an interesting and distinct experience, one that can absolutely leave an impression on you if it hits the right chords. This is where the lyrics really get to me. You don’t quite get where they’re going with this until about two minutes in, but from the impact it is obvious that it’s worth it. It’s bitter. It’s frustrated. It’s looking at the world and wondering why the hell we let it get this bad.

“All I Am” is a great song and Rejectionist Front is a band that’s on a mission for a number of worthy causes. In a time where apathy still reigns, we need people who care to step in and bring awareness to our society. Change isn’t impossible, not with support and cooperation. It’s a long road, but it’s one we can and will embark on, and that’s what Evolve is all about. I would recommend this song to everyone, because Rejectionist Front has a message that needs to be heard.

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Middle Tennessee Music (single review)
12/5/17
By Joshua Smotherman
URL: https://www.midtnmusic.com/rejectionist-front-all-i-am/
Rejectionist Front have arrived with a hard rockin’ single titled All I Am, off their latest album Evolve.

Delivering pure rock and roll vibes, we are treated with a little spice courtesy of a powerful vocal performance which seamlessly weaves potent rock attitude with rapid-fire, Hip Hop-esque flows that further pack an energetic punch into this already upbeat sonic assault...

Their song Flush was selected as part of The Sound of Revolution and Reclaim is part of the Music For Occupy compilation featuring other socially aware artists such as Willie Nelson, Crosby and Nash, Jackson Browne, Patti Smith, Warren Haynes, Third Eye Blind, Our Lady Peace, Anti- Flag, and Tom Morello.

The band has also shared stages with well known acts including Talib Kweli, George Clinton & P-Funk, Joan Baez, Immortal Technique and the Nappy Roots. They also proudly support important causes like Rock The Vote, Save Darfur, Wounded Warrior, the USO, Rock Against Dystrophy and Occupy Wall Street.

Their new album Evolve maintains a focus on internal conflict within self, society and the struggle for positive change and permeating positive outlooks into a world that definitely needs it.
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Dancing About Architecture
By Dave Franklin
Well, thankfully Rejectionist Front have put that confrontational approach back on the menu... This New York City musical gang are more like a back alley fist fight. The music oozes swagger and attitude, inherent menace and bristles with energy and whilst it is easy to see their sonic family tree passing back through bands such as Rage Against The Machine and The Chilli Peppers, such an approach never really goes out of fashion. After all there is nothing more exciting, than courting danger and this is indeed dangerous territory.
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ActOne Magazine
MUST check out!
The band is a refreshing breath of riff based rock n roll-air... These guys are here to stay and thank god.
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Beachsloth
URL: http://www.beachsloth.com/rejectionist-front-all-i-am.html
With a defiant punk rock attitude, the group barrels forward with a true level of intensity. Everything about it simply works: from the power of the percussion to the raw unhinged quality of the riffs that sail through it all. Vocals tie all of it together as they sing for the spirit of true independence, the realization of the self.

The guitar rush forward with fire and fury. Volume is an absolute must for this must be felt as much as heard. Rather playful at times, Rejectionist Front recall some of the cleverness of the Clash’s best work. Layer upon layer of sound comes together into a delightful swirl, ensuring that all simply soars into the sky.

The lyrics have a poetic quality to them as Rejectionist Front embarks on an epic journey.


Unchained Music (album review)
3/7/18
By Alanzo Evans
URL: http://unchainedmusicblog.blogspot.com/2018/03/rejectionist-front-evolve-2017.html
Rejectionist Front are chasing their rock dream down one of the few avenues where roaring hard rock guitar still seems to have some popularity – lodging, musically, some form of protest about injustice in the modern world. The twelve songs on Rejectionist Front’s second release Evolve aren’t overtly political, but there are definitely humanist in the sense that they loudly and proudly campaign for the rights of an individual in a world seeking to strip us of that individuality.

The fact that performers and writers with the iconic status of David Crosby, Patti Smith, Joan Baez, and George Clinton have chosen to associate themselves with this act is an indication of the growing respect they command thanks to their commitment and talent.

Their second album Evolve picks up the first album’s mantle and carries it even further than before while still maintaining fidelity to the band’s gripping base sound.

“Ride” is representative of a side to the band’s musical character, but never all encompassing. Michael Perlman’s vocal will definitely garner your attention, but the band’s full performance is very formidable...Songs like this are comparatively rare; there’s a definite storm the ramparts, call to arms quality surrounding the first song and later track “Reclaim” and album single “Flush”. The bulk of the album’s material, however, can be a little more neatly divided between chorus-focused and hard charging rock songs like “All I Am”, “Savior”, “Sign”, and “Innocent” compared to more nuanced, layered efforts like “All Is The Same”, “Hold Or Break”, “One Life”, and the album closer “Inside of Me”. The straight forward rock on Evolve is always underpinned by intelligent lyrical content and a multi-faceted vocal approach that never fails the audience or band. Perlman works in a lot of nuance into his full throated rock bray.“One Life” conjures some of the anthemic qualities we hear in the first track, “Reclaim”, and “Flush”, but the lyrics are rife with a level of imagery we don’t hear from that trio of tunes.

Rejectionist Front’s Evolve is a wicked smart and musically astute journey with the track listing finessed in just the right way.

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The Modern Beat (album review)
3/6/18
By Michael Saulman
URL: http://themodernbeat.blogspot.com/2018/03/rejectionist-front-evolve-2017.html
Rejectionist Front’s successful run has thus far seen the New York City based quartet place their music with both television and film productions, share bills with iconic artists like George Clinton and Joan Baez (among others), release a critically acclaimed and popular first album, and appear on important indie collections alongside other immensely respected artists like Patti Smith, MGMT, Third Eye Blind, and Jackson Browne. They’ve brought their music to respected NYC area venues like CBGB, the Highline Ballroom, and Webster Hall

They’ve worked with important production figures like Grammy winner Andy Wallace, a pivotal player on recordings from artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen and System of a Down. All of these turning points in the band’s career lead to its next logical step, the all-important second studio album, and the twelve song collection Evolve finds Rejectionist Front ascending to a new level.

Lead singer and songwriting force Michael Perlman’s musical art brings every bit of the same passion to bear that color his involvement with activist causes like Rock to Save Darfur, but there’s no soapbox raving on Evolve. The first song “Ride” is a fantastic opener revealing a specific side of the band while introducing some themes that remain album constants. The band’s songwriting embraces dynamics, like any aspiring great rock band will, and they show impressive timing in when and how they bring those moments off...“Savior” is one of the album’s best pure hard rock tracks and illustrates some of the band’s primary strengths – they are able to marry especially effective hard rock guitar songs with memorable choruses, a generous but understated amount of melody, and a multi-faceted approach to vocals.

“All Is The Same” is a moment when that aforementioned strength reaches an inarguable peak. The meditative side of the band’s lyricism emerges vividly from these words and the musical accompaniment. Prout’s talent for bringing evocative, forceful melodies together with blazing lead work and straight forward riffing makes him a guitarist of rare distinction in the modern rock arena and bassist Tony Tino and drummer Dave Dawson are an effective rhythm section, yet versatile as well. “Sign” has a direct, highly charged riff propelling it much of the way and a real swagger that comes at listeners from the first. There’s no preamble here, no beating around the bush – Rejectionist Front wants to rock and does so convincingly in a familiar hard rock vein. The band returns to a more deliberative, nuanced musical attack with the track “Reclaim” and it shares many of the same exhortative elements that made the opener “Ride” so memorable... “Flush” is the album’s briefest song and a perfect choice for single status thanks to its clearly commercial inclinations, yet it never unduly waters down the band’s hard rock approach.

Rejectionist Front’s second studio release is a confirmation and elaboration of everything we heard with their debut and secures their status as one of the best hard rock acts maturing today.

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Music You Can Use (album review) USE
3/5/18
By Laura Dodero
URL: http://bluesyouuse.blogspot.com/2018/03/rejectionist-front-evolve-2017.html
Rejectionist Front’s continuing ascent to the upper echelon of modern rock acts picks up speed with their second album release Evolve.

The four piece hasn’t been together for very long in comparison to where they are in their development and the exponential growth of their power and potential is a phenomenon they’ve successfully parlayed into plum festival appearances as well as important placements on high profile various artist releases as well as theatrical and television programming.

They are politically engaged, particularly lead singer and songwriter Michael Perlman, but never in the quasi-evangelical way many music listeners find repelling. The band’s songs are, in one overriding one, about the challenges of being a human in an often inhumane world and their second album Evolve features a dozen songs further establishing them as one of the best hard rock acts achieving prominence today.

“Ride” kicks off this full length album with resounding emotional and sonic force. Michael Perlman is a singer who gives himself over to every track and manifests his talents differently each time out... “All I Am” dispenses with the quasi high flown style they flirt with on the opener and instead take things in a more rough and ready, straight hard rock direction while losing none of their apparent chops and crisp attack. The sonic architecture of the album’s third song “Savior” is much the same as the second, but the construction is even tighter here and the chorus, in particular, is carried off exceptionally well.

Perlman’s ability to bring a distinct character to each of Evolve’s twelve songs continues to shine through on the track “All is the Same” and it previews a pensive side to the band’s songwriting that they explore in later songs as well. Perlman is, undoubtedly, the straw stirring the band’s drink in many respects, thanks to his aforementioned qualities and the way he handles the lyrical content...The contrast of Perlman’s near bluesy growl and accompanying guitar jangle opening the song “Reclaim” soon transforms into one of the band’s more rousing numbers and a definite highlight of the release. There’s a more menacing quality conveyed by the song “Innocent” ranks among the musical highlights of Evolve and their continued strength in building hard hitting choruses and instrumental breaks continues to serve them well. The finale, “Inside of Me”, is naturally one of the album’s more inward looking efforts, but Rejectionist Front’s songwriting is such that even the personal finds an universal resonance – as it should.

This New York City four piece has passion to burn but Evolve makes it abundantly clear they are a band of the world as well.

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Groping Towards Grace (album review) USE
3/5/18
By Pamela Bellmore
URL: http://gropingtowardsgrace.blogspot.com/2018/03/rejectionist-front-evolve-2017.html
New York City based four piece Rejectionist Front’s second studio album Evolve avoids any of the wavering we sometimes hear from an act’s sophomore release and, instead, refines their songwriting template and consolidates their position as one of the rising indie rock outfits working today...There are some obviously commercial rock songs included on Evolve, but there are some more artful and idiosyncratic tunes included on Evolve that often veer past hard rock and into top shelf prog metal reminiscent of a harder edged Pearl Jam or Queensryche with a crucial difference coming with how Rejectionist Front only boasts a single guitarist rather than two.

Produced by World2Be Entertainment, Rejectionist Front’s second release has a powerhouse presentation guaranteed to capture the attention of both casual and hardcore fans.

There’s definitely an exultant quality to some of Rejectionist Front’s music that, thankfully, eschews any heavy handedness or over-simplifications. This quality comes across at a few key points during Evolve and one of the most notable is the album’s opener “Ride”. It’s also a powerful illustration of the rare vocal strengths they bring to a style and genre not ordinarily known for acts with a top shelf vocal presentation. They pursue their Muse down a more solidly traditional hard rock avenue with the second track “All I Am” and Perlman shows off, for the first time, the capacity for adapting his voice to a song’s demands. “Savior” continues in that traditional hard rock vein with a particularly punchy chorus and more of the outsized guitar muscle that defines the album’s songwriting as a whole.

Rejectionist Front tempers the brash, even bellicose, spirit of their music for the song “All is the Same” but this more even-handed, restrained approach still bears signatures of their style and fits in rather well with the surrounding material. “Reclaim” revisits the anthemic potential of the album’s first song and, like “Ride”, refrains from pandering to listener’s conventions about such material. “Flush” is a single from the album and it’s shortest track on a release where running times are largely uniform with only a few notable exceptions. The sleek, lean musical attack makes all the right choices if the song’s intent is immediacy and engaging the audience and Perlman delivers one of the best vocals you’ll hear on Evolve. The atmosphere of melancholic sensitivity pervading “Hold Or Break” contrasts dramatically with the song’s heavier passages and the varying tempo of the song nevertheless maintains the needed seamlessness for a coherent performance. Evolve’s closing number “Inside of Me” is another more thoughtful and orchestrated cut relying just as much on affecting vocal harmonies as it does compelling guitar theatrics. The meditative spirit of the release provides a valuable counterpoint to its boisterous, assertive sound and helps make it an even better, more entertaining listen.

Rejectionist Front are quite unlike many rock bands working today and our music world is better for it.
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Rootstime (album review)
February 2018
"Evolve" is the title of the twelve-track album of the American rock group 'Rejectionist Front'...The group name of this rock trio symbolizes not wanting to accept the status quo, but to continue to work for a positive change or improvement of the situation by avoiding the harsh confrontation between people.

For the sound of the music of this New York band, the band concentrates on guitar rock music in the style of bands like 'The Clash', 'Red Hot Chili Peppers' and 'Rage Against The Machine', although they also occasionally socially conscious and politically inclined viewpoints. For example in the song "Flush" (see video) in which they argue against the corrupt banking system or against the corruption-prone fundraising for the political election candidates in the United States...

We have always realized that there has always been a large audience for this kind of energetic music.
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Music of the World (album review)
2/28/18
By Daniel Boyer
URL: http://musoftheworld.blogspot.com/2018/02/rejectionist-front-evolve-2017.html
Rejectionist Front has tended to their musical development with all the attention you’d expect and have aligned themselves with causes and concerns clearly illustrating the importance of conveying their core beliefs through the vehicle of popular music. Their second studio album Evolve boasts twelve songs showcasing their exponential development since first debuting and they bring much of the same New York City assertiveness we heard on their first collection.

Most rock bands in the modern music world adopt either five or three piece configurations in their journey to earn public notice, but Rejectionist Front is a four piece band with immensely creative rhythm section work and creative guitar playing compensating well for the absence of a second guitar player.

The band’s appeared on a variety of high profile festival lineups and alongside a number of mammoth figures in popular music – the songs on this release bear out why.

Much of Evolve revolves around a guitar heavy attack with tones and textures leaning more towards the progressive side of the spectrum...
“Flush” contrasts some surprisingly raunchy riffing with more evocative, chiming passages...Perlman’s voice reaches some compellingly dramatic levels here...inspired energy powering his delivery... Perlman’s lyrics bring an expansive, occasionally poetic, point of view... guitar work is especially excellent. The album’s final song “Inside of Me” closes Evolve down in the fashion it deserves with an appropriately significant musical and lyrical statement that never risks heavy-handedness.

Sophomore releases are often bumpy rides for bands, but Rejectionist Front has blown past that potential barrier with every bit of the force you’d expect from this great band.
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Signatures In Time (album review)
2/28/18
By Frank McClure
URL: http://sigintime.blogspot.com/2018/02/rejectionist-front-evolve-2017.html
Fronted by politically engaged and diverse vocalist/songwriter Michael Perlman, Rejectionist Front stands as one of the more powerful rock bands with a social consciousness working in popular music today. Their second studio album Evolve expands upon the possibilities listeners encountered with their breathtaking debut thanks to musicianship and songwriting that’s worked mightily to incorporate more colors into its artistic spectrum.

Many of their abiding musical strengths are in more evidence than ever with this twelve song collection...The sophomore jinx is a real phenomenon for bands and artists, but it’s one that Rejectionist Front dodges with room to spare.

“Rise”, Evolve’s first tune, is a song of utter confidence. Rejectionist Front doesn’t make a single misstep for their existing fans or newcomers alike and whips up a sound and design for the song well balanced between prime Queensryche or Dream Theater neo prog-metal/hard rock and a fluid, aggressive modern edge brimming over with attitude. “All I Am” moves away from the sleek strands of prog metal we heard in the opener into a more rough and tumble classic hard rock sound delivered with a biting modern sound. The opener has a strong presence of harmony and backing vocals, like many songs on Evolve, but the second track’s relative lack of that device proves the band effectively mixes things up. “Savior” is another of the album’s songs that are fiercely individual yet seem ideally tailored for modern hard rock radio thanks to its thunderous salvos and near epic sweep....
Much of Evolve is both barrels blazing, but “All Is The Same” stands as an example of Rejectionist Front tempering their attack for a more thoughtful performance. There’s always a storm of passion brewing just beneath the surface of everything the band writes and it explodes once again on the song “Reclaim”. The aforementioned fierce individuality distinguishing this song is reminiscent of the first song, as are its mild anthemic elements, and one of the album’s single releases, “Flush”, hits a home run along similar lines. The album’s finale “Inside of Me” is another more aurally considered moment for Rejectionist Front and brings all of Perlman’s surveying of the modern landscape back to a personal grounding that makes this a more powerful experience.

Evolve is a more than impressive follow up to the band’s debut; it advances Rejectionist Front’s march into the future with a single breathtaking leap forward.


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Burned Out Borders (album review)
2/27/18
By David Shouse
The sophomore album from the New York City outfit Rejectionist Front Evolve is an aptly titled twelve song collection that shows the development of the band’s musical message keeping pace with its intelligent lyrical subject matter. Produced by World2Be Entertainment, the four members bring obvious passion and expertise to what they do with a dramatic edge tingeing the songs that’s never overplayed. The band has shared stages with a number of important acts, iconic and otherwise, including Joan Baez and Immortal Technique, and for good reason – the same spark setting apart those aforementioned acts is found in their music and casts a bright light for every listener to appreciate.

Michael Perlman’s lead vocals and lyrics are more powerful than ever before... “Ride”, the album opener, has an exultant edge Perlman’s voice matches from the first and the rhythm section attack from bassist Tino and drummer Dave Dawson make an impressive impact. It’s an excellent choice for the album opener and the dueling voices vying for listener’s attention are compelling listening, but it’s the way Rejectionist Front manipulates dynamics that leaves the biggest mark on the band’s audience. Evolve’s second track “All I Am” balances a hard swing with some head-down passages of tight riffing to excellent effect...The chorus for “Savior” is a great example of one of the band’s greatest songwriting strength and the transitions between verse and chorus are adeptly handled... “Sign” has a hard-hitting whiplash riff...This is another emphatic number on an album full of them, but the clenched fist tightness of this tune is notable on a release that never takes its foot off the gas pedal. “Innocent” is a great song further improved by the band incorporating some voice over passages. In the hands of a lesser act, these kind of moves often come off as pretentious twaddle, but Rejectionist Front understands how to make judicious use of such effects. “Flush” has proven to be an effective single from the album with an accompanying video and even a cursory hearing of the song bears out why the band keyed on this song’s potential for mass appeal.

On a whole, Rejectionist Front does an outstanding job of crafting accessible yet highly intelligent near prog metal sans keyboards or synthesizers. There’s a more raucous, sometimes bluesy, edge twisting the band’s music a little more than you’d hear from similar acts and it’s one of the distinctive qualities that helps position Evolve as one of the best guitar-driven albums in recent memory.

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Power Chord Passion (album review)
2/27/18
By Mike Yoder
Rejectionist Front has scored some important appearances on compilation recordings and shared the same stages as legendary acts like George Clinton and P-Funk, Joan Baez, and Tom Morello, among others in an obvious confirmation of their growing status in the modern music world. Their music doesn’t necessarily remake the wheel, but it takes up the mantle of intelligent hard rock and adds distinctive multi-part vocals to their songwriting mix that set them apart from the pack. They also share the rare distinction of never overextending things the way some acts in this vein do – instead, Rejectionist Front specializes in songs that never run on too long yet contain a vast musical world within relatively contained space.

Evolve is a wildly expressive and musically satisfying ride that their existing fans will embrace and new listeners will admire a great deal.
The album begins with “Ride” and it’s one of the near anthems on Evolve from a band who could likely turn out “call to arms” songs in their sleep. The passion coming across through Michael Perlman’s singing... with strategically placed secondary singing along the way... Rejectionist Front’s strong lyrics stand out on the third song “Savior” and the vocals enhance them quite a bit with their fierce yet musically aware phrasing...There’s a slightly lighter air surrounding the track “All Is the Same” and Perlman’s voice recalls Eddie Vedder’s delivery, but never slavishly...They toy with another near anthem on the album’s sixth song “Reclaim” but, as before, Rejectionist Front stays away from the sort of histrionics typifying most songs of this type. The personal stakes informing the band’s socially conscious material is one of the factors that set them apart from many of their generation...The single “Flush” has been accorded a video as well and there’s a strongly commercial quality to the song that makes it one of the more appealing cuts on Evolve. The second to last song on the album, “Resurrection”, has a wildly inventive arrangement that plays well in its spartan and heavier iterations.

Their mastery of bringing dynamics into their songs is notable from the opening to beginning of Evolve and there’s not a moment of filler to be found on the band’s second studio release.
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Hipsters Hippies and Dreamers (album review)
2/15/18
By WIlliam Elgin
Evolve features twelve songs with impeccable rock credentials, plenty of sonic bite, and attention grabbing lead vocals. Rejectionist Front may be politically engaged, but they are far from artistically inert.

“Ride” proves that from the first. Rejectionist Front never indulge themselves with anything as crass as paint by numbers anthems and this is no exception, but it does have a powerful uplift that many listeners will appreciate and feel invigorated by. The arrangement has a challenging, busy texture without ever succumbing to inaccessibility and lead vocalist Michael Perlman matches the exhortative qualities of the music and lyric quite well. The album’s second track “All I Am” implies, based on title alone, much more personal lyrical content and doesn’t disappoint, but the more notable shift comes with the song’s much leaner and even raucous musical attack. This is real raunch and roll that jettisons much of the textual attention heard in the opener in favor of a more visceral, aggressive approach shorn of even the faintest hints of self-indulgence. The band’s penchant for bringing two and three part harmonies into their vocal presentation further sets these opening cuts apart and remains a consistent strength of Evolve as a whole.

There’s a little less of that vocal wont in the song “Savior”, but Perlman’s pipes are more than capable of carrying the day for the band and his performance on this song has an equal amount of muscle and finesse. They do eventually build to a memorable musical climax on “All is The Same”, but much of the song demonstrates a more pensive, considered air than the earlier tunes and shows them as comfortable in that mold as they are with outright rockers. “Reclaim” is definitely one of Evolve’s more passionate numbers and features one of the album’s best guitar riffs while the single “Flush” shares much of the same territory with an impressively inspired tone. They offer up a creative variation on their foundational sound with the song “Resurrection” and the rhythm section really gives this penultimate number an extra charge of energy it might otherwise miss.

Rejectionist Front’s second album serves up more of the qualities that attracted so much attention on their debut, but they’ve opened things up further with Evolve and sound even more bracing than before. This is top shelf hard rock for the new century.


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Growing Old With Rock and Roll (album review)
2/14/18
By Jason Hillenburg
URL: http://grorr.blogspot.com/2018/02/rejectionist-front-evolve-2017.html
New York City based Rejectionist Front’s second album Evolve picks up where they left off with their debut Shock the Conscious Mass and take things a step further. Fronted by singer/songwriter/activist Michael Perlman, the band sports some obvious music influences they spin in a distinctly modern and individualistic way. It remains an entertaining effort that never presents an out of whack balance between the songs’ primary elements. There’s a dozen songs on this album and they avoid the dreaded sophomore slump thanks to retaining the same focus on the songwriting that made the first album stand out so strongly. Produced by World2Be Entertainment, Evolve has an impressive and forceful sound that, nonetheless, comes across with great warmth and bottom end.

“Ride” is an evocative and superbly orchestrated opener. The band definitely follows the example of ambitious alt rock and classic rock acts with the dynamic thrust of the song, the alternating passages of light and shadow, but they unexpectedly sweeten their musical stew with multi-part harmony vocals that enhance the performance in unexpected ways. “All I Am” is a much more straight-forward rocker with some inspired, even slightly raunchy, guitar playing from Lincoln Prout. Perlman has a tangible vocal presence.. Perlman’s talent for writing issue-oriented tunes that embrace a very human quality makes his writing resound with a more timeless quality and rarely is that more apparent than on the track “Reclaim”. Dawson’s drumming is strong again and there’s some light strings employed with this number. This is, unquestionably, an anthem in Rejectionist Front’s own distinctive style, but nonetheless recognizable.

There’s some great riffing and transitions making “Flush” fly like it needs to and there’s little doubt why the band chose it as a single release. It’s a turbulent and entertaining tune with the same vocal excellence in a hard rock setting that distinguished the earlier songs. They mix the pensive and raucous on the song “Hold Or Break” and it’s another passionate guitar workout with one of Perlman’s most diverse vocals on Evolve. Rejectionist Front concludes their second album with the song “Inside of Me” and follows much of the same template laid down in the more modulated tracks, but they further refine the technique here with a more nuanced approach. It ends Evolve on the same intelligent note that defines the album’s twelve songs.

Rejectionist Front’s sophomore slump proves to be nothing of the kind; instead, this improves on the first album and represents a new peak for their efforts.

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Music Street Journal (album review)
January 2018
By Gary Hill
URL: http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/index_cdreviews_display.cfm?id=106125
If you were to combine Pearl Jam with DOA you might come up with something really close to the sound of this album. There is a great range of sounds here. There is plenty of variety to keep it interesting. These guys know how to construct a solid song, too. All in all, if you dig your rock a bit on the rough around the edges, this will be just about the perfect ticket for you.
Ride
A crunchy jam brings this into being. It's part punk, part alternative rock and part metal. This is sort of like a singer/songwriter cut pumped up in intensity and ferocity.
All I Am
Now, this is more of a straight-out raunch and roller. It's kicked up and meaty. I love the riff driving it. The whole tune rocks. There is a bit of a rap element on the choruses. Parts seem a bit punky, too.
Savior This is fierce and furious raunch and roll. It seriously rocks.
All Is The Same
Landing very much in a mainstream rock zone, this has a lot of that singer/songwriter vibe. Yet there are definite punk and alternative rock elements at play, too.
Sign
This screaming hot stomper is very much a punk rock styled cut. It makes me think of DOA quite a bit.
Innocent
I dig this stomper a lot. It has a lot of punk rock built into it. Yet the mellower, more melodic sections are just so cool. This has a lot of skate punk sound in the mix. It's a smoking hot rocker that might be my favorite cut of the disc. The bridge with the spoken dialog (is that from a movie or something?) is a cool touch.
Flush
An insistent riff opens this. The cut drops back to a rap metal styled sound from there. In fact, this cut has a lot of that rap metal element at play. This is a fierce rocker that brings some variety to the table.

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NataliezWorld (single review)
December 2017
By Natalie Perez
URL: http://www.nataliezworld.com/2017/12/rejectionist-front-all-i-am.html
Rejectionist Front is one band that is not just rare to some, but to many are making important music. This album that is "Evolve", takes on the focus of conflict, both within ourselves and society as well, struggling for the positive of change. As that may be though, it is this one track in particular off this album that does just that, it being called "All I Am".

"All I Am", is one heck of a kicker for as soon as the track begins, it feels as if it won't ever end. It keeps this non-stop cycle of motion, overflowing throughout it. Lots of bass, guitar, structure that keeps the drumming and vocal chords on their toes. It's that much of a thriller when listening into it. Loads of instrumentals and vocalization all at once, it hits you each time heard.

No matter how many times heard through for this piece, it became much more enjoyable every time over. The feeling of the rhythm of the music just gets to you. You begin to find yourself bobbing your head and tapping your feet... In other words, Rejectionist Front is merely an act that wants to rock! They are all about change and wanting to make this place we call home a better place. Simply how their music plays out when listening in to it.

"All I Am", is one of many of the "Evolve", tracks that just speaks the truth.
---------------------------- - World2be