There is no way that I'm going to start becoming a website for the great no-hopers of this world in the form of anyone who's recorded a CD demo, ep or album, whose mum, family and close friends say that they're going to be the next big thing, while at the same time behind their backs saying "crap but we've got to encourage him/her/them".
So.......the bottom line is this - if you're a band/artist/project/other and you think you're as good as or better than the bands and artists on the Scottish unsigned music scene, then by all means send your CD/CDR (no mp3's or e mails as I can't cope with being swamped with those) to the Dead Earnest address (see home page). Those that I don't rate at all will be ditched, never to be seen again, while those that are genuinely worthy of attention will be reviewed - you can't say fairer than that! Well, actually, you can - but I'm not going to.
So, with all that in mind, let's see what's out there.......
ALWAYS THE QUIET ONES – Freak Show CD-EP
Liverpudlian quintet blow the cobwebs away with what amounts to a killer EP of seriously powerful Classic Rock songs that mix Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Saxon in a contemporary indie blender with the result of three songs that will appeal to both ends of that musical spectrum. Through a typhoon of riffs, a sea of dramatics and an ocean of hard-rock musical depth, the band unleash controlled mayhem on the trio of corking tracks to such a degree that you'll be playing them for a long time to come. That they manage to compose, play and produce three such solid, rip-roaring songs without once sounding retro yet still possessing that warm familiarity, a sense of light and shade and the knowledge of where to take off and where to drop back, only to lift off for maximum effect. “Sign Of The Times” is a tearing hard-rocker, while “Valentina” is a mid-paced rock anthem of great strength and feel, delivered as much as a rock power ballad as a breathtaking slice of solidly lifting metal memorability that slowly takes to the skies and flies out of sight. Finally, “Freak Show” returns us to hard-rock heaven and the work is done - superb!!
DISTANT SUN – Not Your Soul Mate Download Only
Indie band from Norwich with two songs that actually manage to stick their heads above many others, mainly by virtue of a certain confident swagger to the arrangements that let you know they mean business. “Soul Mate” opens up with a stabbing guitar riff as the bass throbs, the drums strike up this lurching beat and the vocals come in early on, a male singer with a gritty but strong vocal who delivers the verses with bite and passion as the whole thing intensifies and crunches. The song rises into a chorus which is quite anthemic in a raw indie-type way as the lead guitar alternates between jangly and the dirtier riff while the mid-strength of the band keeps the foundations flowing. In its way, it's a strong and quite catchy slice of indie that's commercial but still retains its solid structure and quite a heady song. “When The Fire Goes Out” similarly lurches along, this time sounding more like an actual cross between Blur and Oasis which basically means that they have the songwriting swagger of the former mixed with the lurching instrumental strength of the latter on a more restrained trip. The song itself is once again sung with authority and you could just imagine this coming out of the classic Blur catalogue but with more depth and density – I also swore I hear piano in there briefly in addition to the jangly guitar and rhythm guitar. The singer gives it more passion less grit, still with bite and a seriously uplifting chorus, extra texture coming from brief organ fills. All in all, a really enjoyable couple of tracks – hope there's more where these came from.
MALOKAI – Heart Beats CD-EP/Download
Now this is phenomenal – what separates it head and shoulders from the recent release by Promise Me Tomorrow is simply its sense of urgency and firepower. Whereas the latter is full of fine memorable emo songs, this thing is all-out attack without sacrificing one single part of the massive expanse of playing, production and singing that characterises every single second of this superb set of songs. The vocals have real bite and passion but at the same time are so well sung, tearing through the verses and diving into heady choruses with authority and purpose. The rhythm section thunders, lurches, drives and powers it s way through acting as the perfect foundations for the songs yet still proving to be so dramatic and powerful. The guitar work from the two guitarists is incendiary with killer riffs, searing heat leads, huge swathes of guitar density, dynamics and intensity, while the songs are a blistering sea of surging anthems that mix pop, punk and indie into an explosive killer blend of songwriting and arranging of towering proportions. If anything could be said to be essential listening in this are of music, this is undoubtedly the one.
PROMISE ME TOMORROW – Through It All CD/Download
From south east Kent, the amazing thing about this band is how they are playing a brand of music that mixes punk, pop, emo and indie – the sort of thing done by a legion of bands before them - yet have pulled off an 8-track mini-album that is not only full of great songs that are nearly all truly memorable mini-anthems, but which is both achingly familiar yet avoids the tag of “sounds like.....”, not a bad trick if you can do it. The whole thing is riddled with heated guitar riffs, most of them grungy and dirty yet still performed with a certain degree of politeness, all the same. The rhythm section is crisp, hard, driving and dramatic, superbly produced. The singer and accompanying backing harmony exploits, fulfils the brief of having a vocalist who oozes passion, bite and strength whilst at the same time still manages to sound convincing on verses and choruses alike. The 8 songs are all out of the same mould, one that delivers strident sounding songs with solid, fairly varied, but consistent and powerful arrangements. Sometimes the wordless choruses are a tad cliched, and the lone lead singing occasionally sounds a bit too upfront, but by and large the hugeness of the production outweighs any shortcomings, even ending on a ballad to reveal just how self-assured with the tracks that they have presented. The finest song on the album is “Go Get Em Kid” which is the one that explodes out of the starting blocks, full of swirling guitars, features strong and flowing vocals, lurches on beats that drive and thunder, but which rocket upwards into THE most delicious chorus and it's the whole thing together that make this a track worth the price of the CD on its own. But, overall, well rewarding.
RUN FROM ROBOTS – Rust CD
The album opens with a salvo of guitar driven riffs that crash down on you like sheet metal as the rhythm section thumps away underneath the molten mass of guitars. Then, right out of the blue, these vocals don't so much sing as shout their heads off, and not just one singer either, and initially it's quite a shock as you're expecting something a touch more metal to arise from the sonic crunch. So you stick with it and witness the first track in what's sounding like it'#s going to be an adrenaline-fuelled hammer blow of snarling, snotty metalli-punk, delivered by singers with a canine bite that could chew your leg off, as the arrangements cross lines that are punk, metal and explosive pop at the same time. That they take absolutely no notice whatsoever of things such as hooks, choruses and harmonies, is not only a testament to the fact that these guys really don't care whether or not you can sing along but also to the seeming fact that they are out to drive you into submission rather than draw you in with anything that could remotely called subtlety. Thereafter, they prove conclusively that they've cornered the market in songs revolving around rage and anger, as track after track hits you squarely on the chin with the force of a sucker punch, the even odder part being that the more you get into it, the more you actually dare them to hit you even harder, something they duly oblige with every track that goes by, as this massive mix of riffing guitars, solid drums, thunderous bass and the vocals shouting from the rooftops, delivers hammer blow after hammer blow. By the time we get half way through on “Red Lights Ruin Nights”, the pace has accelerated too and now they're tearing you apart quicker than before, the effect convincingly scary and full of vocal venom as the riffs possess more of of an addictive quality than the vocals, the mid-section bludgeon of brief instrumental flare, both unexpected and a treat. ON “Overcoat”, they surprisingly relax, delivering the song as they did before but with a swagger rather than the previous hit-and-run approach, but they can't stay at the pace for long as things hot up and the searing intensity returns, on a song that's actually got the best semblance of hooks in it to date, both vocally and instrumentally. From thereon, it's a wild ride to the end on what you have to say turned out to be one of the best examples of raging punk rock that you've heard in ages, nothing particularly memorable as far as songs go, but an experience that, no matter how angry you feel, will make you realise that these guys are angrier, mean business and take no prisoners.
THE HYPE THEORY – Glory Days CD
You have to say that this Essex band really knows how to deliver one adrenaline-fuelled ride through driving pop-punk songs that really take you along for the ride. With a female vocalist who's capable of delicacy and letting rip, the band have produced 8 tracks that blaze a trail of hook-filled anthems from start to finish. While the pace of the songs varies, the quality remains the same and song after glorious song stirs the soul and warms the heart at the time as making you want to leap about the place like a dervish. Things kick off with a rousing stomp as “Hold Tight” roars into life on a bed of rhythmic power and sizzling guitars, the singer driving in with authority, as a seriously strong vocal takes the verses into a spiralling hook that refuses to let go, and the steamroller of lurching hard-driving pop-punk is upon you.”Kid At Heart” continues to rock and burn as a purposeful slice of huge-sounding pop-punk races into your heart, another unforgettable pop-punk anthem. So it goes, track after track that are full of swirling, riffing, heated guitars, varied, dynamic and hard-hitting rhythms, storming female vocals and songs with plenty of hooks and choruses, truly matching the best that Avril Lavigne could hope to offer, for that's the obvious comparison. “Where We Started” decelerates the pace to provide us with one solid gem of a power ballad masquerading as yet another band anthem. I would say that it's the sort of song you want to listen to over and over, but then that applies to the whole album. As strident, power-down pop-punk goes, with all is strength and commercial success, this is a gem in anyone's books.
OVERWEIGHT – Chapter 11 CD-EP
That question you've always wanted to ask - “can Belgians play Ska?”- is answered in this debut 5-tracker – and, oddly enough, the answer is “yes”, more by virtue of the fact that there's a lot more to this band than what the promo blurb states as a Belgian “ska-crew”. Yes – there is a brass section and, yes, there is a lot of ska in there, but also there's a lot of punk attitude, some biting if not exactly distinctive vocals and plenty of infectious beats set to driving guitars, seventies punk harmonies and a set of songs that will, mostly, have you leaping about the place. Probably the most bizarre thing here is the idiot who decided that the opening track was more commercial than the track that follows, which is actually wayyyyy better and would have been the perfect into to this band – called “Guantanamo” it sums the band to perfection in the one track and I'd buy this on the strength of this track alone, for it mixes punk, ska, a thunderously great song, chorus, harmonies, seventies and more in this addictive rush of rhythms and layers – a truly great track. “Generation” that follows is arguably every bit as good and arrange similarly, turning into yet another absolute belter of a song in the process. “I Want It You Got It” continues the excitement as the EP ends on “No More” which completes the picture to perfection. So who in gods name decided to open this awesome EP with that opening track? Weird!! Just get this and delight in tracks 2-4 – they are stunning!!!
SENSER – Biting Rhymes CD-EP
In which the newly reborn band – who've turned in some seriously exciting original tracks of late – turn their attention to what inspired a lot of them in the first place and give us an EP featuring 5 covers of early hip-hop covers. Through hip-hop classics – so I'm told – by Public Enemy, Eric B, LL Cool J and Beastie Boys, it's a mark of the fact that I'm not really into the genre, that it took me to the second listen to realise just how much of their own imprint they actually insert into the tracks. From my recollection, they definitely keep the faith with a spirited, slightly harder but fairly straight run-through of “Don't Believe The Hype” but then they really beef up “Follow The Leader” with some really hard-hitting arrangements and a varied sea of vocals. But then you get to “Mama Said Knock You Out” and, I grudgingly have to admit, it's feckin' awesome. The vocal just explodes, while the band go nuclear as the rhythms rattle and crunch, the guitars burn, the harmony-filled backdrop covers the horizon and that lead vocal blows your head off – it's absolutely amazing and worth the price of the whole EP on its own, a track that, as a non-lover of hip-hop, I'll be playing long, loud and often. “Channel Zero” is almost as good with dirty guitar riffs and another snarl of a vocal, a bit more of a lurch as opposed to a nuclear holocaust in the rhythm department, but still one hard-hitting performance. They finish with “Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun”, the only live track, that actually manages to outdo The Beastie Boys with its heavy duty rhythms, searing heat dirty riffing and multi-harmony vocals, a bit slower than maybe you'd have liked but one hell of a lot heavier. So, overall, I have to bite the bullet and say that, after the initial shock of actually listening to a hip-hop EP, the more I played it, as a metal fan, the more I liked it – but that “Follow The Leader” - just fantastic!!!
THE SUBURBIANS – Follow The Lights CD
This album bursts into life with “Breaking Away” which is one huge epic expanse of a track where guitars fill every inch of the soundscape with riffs, leads and rhythms, the rhythm section chugs away on the verses and erupts on the chorus while the lead singer pours his heart out as the song climbs from strident verses to towering, harmony-filled choruses, all on a song that's got the lot – anthem, commercially memorable, indie strength and AOR density.
Welcome to the world of The Suburbians! For this characterises what you're going to find on all ten tracks on this album, albeit in different forms. The next track, “Breathe”, could almost be AOR-metal were it not for the fact that it's got this huge weight of contemporary songwriting driving this explosive, mid-paced path through your skull, but with those incendiary guitars, heady high-flying choruses, massive bass and epic drumming, you'd be hard pressed to find any great AOR song from the past that could match up. “Red Dress” goes one better and delivers a song that's got “hit” written all over it with suitably biting lyrics sung with urgency and emotion while the hooks stick in your head and the song becomes this explosive slice of pop-punk memorability, lifting off to even greater heights on waves of guitars, driving beats, chugging rhythms and mighty harmonies. “Six In The Morning” decelerates the pace from the previous track but loses none of the effect as the guitars give us something to treasure, the whole song this absolute beast of an anthem sounding like a contemporary answer to an old metal act such as Blue Murder or even a massive modern day answer Sammy Hagar only with way more passion in the vocals as another complete gem of a song makes its presence felt and remembered. By now you realise that this band can seriously write a song and a half, not to mention provide arrangements as wide as the ocean and as powerful as the tides. The wide expanse of guitar intensity, the strength of the rhythm work, the huge harmonies – it's all got quality stamped all over it. “Wish You Well” goes for the broody, moody approach – for about five seconds – then erupts in a blaze of scything guitars and dramatic rhythms – then goes for the broody, moody approach as the vocal is intoned over the sparse backdrop – only then to burst into the chorus as the band comes up with a massive slice of anthemic indie heaven that the likes of Feeder and Snow Patrol would have killed to have created, that chorus one of the most memorable of the album so far and just one awesome gem of a song. By now, we're only halfway through and already you're looking at an album that could well turn into the best thing you've heard in terms of pop-metal-indie-AOR fusion, in absolute donkey's years. That the five tracks which follow are from the same mould, all of the same classic quality and all delivered with more power andpassion than you can poke a pig with, all adds up to an album where the only drawback is the timing of its release – too late for album of 2011 – too early for album of 2012 – for it really is THAT good.
WHEN WORDS FAIL – Eyes On Everything CD-EP
Wow!!! That title track – opens the EP – is awesome – angst, anguish, power, metal, pop, indie, punk – jeez, it's a veritable meting pot of everything that's great about every single one of those descriptions. The band drive a planet-sized performance through a song that's got anthem written all over it, one that's arranged to perfection, where just as you think it's gonna climb upwards and explode, it climbs so far, drops back, climbs higher only to find that it actually exploded right from the word go. It's one roaring stunner of a song where there's no real hook or chorus – instead the whole thing – playing, singing and all – is one gigantic hook as it burns into your head with memorable brilliance. “Over Again” has an even greater effect, being harder and faster but no less anthemic as one towering expanse of hard-hitting metalli punk-emo is unleashed with all guitars blazing, pummelling rhythms and anguished vocals, nothing short of a mighty roar of magically epic proportions. That the final track completes the similar picture to absolute perfection, means that this is one of the finest examples of what is essentially massive sounding commercially sound, metal-emo that you've heard all year.
YOU LOVE HER COZ SHE'S DEAD – S/T CD
Lordy!! Well, it's a dance album – sort of. It's certainly an electronic music album since nearly all the instrumentation is derived from electronics, right fro the synth melodies through to the massive juddering, slicing, phased, scything soundscapes to the massive beats and thunderous rhythms. But it's no normal dance album – oh nooooo – far too good for that. The feel is one of Benny Benassi's worldwide chart hit “Satisfaction” wired to Joy Kitikonti's “Joydon'tstop” or whatever it was called. But then all of this shuddering, surging, phased, lurching, in and out mayhem of electronic construction, is mostly topped off with female vocals. But these are no ordinary female vocals – right at the top of their range, they tend to be screamed, shrieked, sung and positively wrung out of their bodies, so taut, so tight and so nerve jangling that, set to the huge towering shudder of the arrangements, each song has an almost razor wire-like intensity allied to this juggernaut density that keeps you on the edge of your seat and just about stops your teeth rattling. It's not an easy ride by any means, but the more you stick with it, the more you get drawn to it – kinda like beating yourself around the face only to find that you actually get a kick from it, so you beat yourself some more. Every one of the 10 songs conforms to this enormous dense, intense driving electronic squall as those vocals have the hairs standing up on the back of your neck while you still manage to leap about the place at the same time. All in all, it's extraordinary stuff that could either be absolutely monumental or sink without trace – the phrase “halfway house” is not in the act's vocabulary.
(THE) HOLE IN THE HEAD GANG – Statement Of Intent CD
Debut album from Tamworth band sees them inhabiting a twilight world of modern day indie songs that's the oddest thing in that it sounds like some of the finest indie bands on the current Scottish Unsigned Scene and, yes, this is an English band but listen to it and you'll see what I mean. They start with “These People Aren't Your Friends”, a rousing number with cascading electric guitar figures and riffs, crashing rhythms and a vocal that's snarled out with a certain venom on the verses and a ton of cynicism on the choruses. What they also have is a knack for economy so that the guitar break is stark, multi-tracked and stripped down yet perfect in the context. This moves on to “We Are Your Friends” which is actually quite a melancholy number, lumbering along with more guitar fx and shards of guitar dropping down slowly as the mournful vocal weaves its way through the song with lurching, dramatic beats backing it all up. Thankfully, “The Hole In The Head Gang” goes the opposite way as a rousing track sparks into life with a repeated guitar refrain and shuddering beats as a vocal that sounds like a stoned-out View intones the verses in a kind of “couldn't give a toss” manner as the arrangement expands and the song relates its tale, the stabbing guitar riffs now aided and abetted by strung out guitar leads as the whole thing gallops along, not exactly merrily, but with a kind of bleak yet assured intent, and a neat hook to snare you in even further. “The Dance Of The Cellar Dweller” is faster and much more like the best of rousing Scottish unsigned bands as the whole thing could quite easily sit alongside The Balaclava Models or The Twist and you'd hardly cast a second glance. The guitars cycle up and down as the vocal sneers and drives, while the rhythm section pummel it along in ska fashion, and one decidedly weird yet mesmerising arrangement twists and turns through all sorts of areas while remaining completely engaging and extremely inventive. “Welcome To The House Of The Red Lights” is the most commercial track on the album, a fast-paced ska song of fantastic indie proportions that is both instant and memorable for all the right reasons, reminding me so much of the old Scottish band The Brogues and contemporary bands The Balaclava Models and The Twist. Superb stuff. “This Is The Lightning Striking” is even weirder, a sort of mix of melancholic Sensational Alex Harvey Band with starkly flaring guitars, a huge chorus, echoed beats and a stripped down late seventies dub feel to both the guitars and the rhythms, dark and deep at the same time but, again, extraordinarily engaging. “Twenty One Gun Salute” ends the album “proper” (there's a dance mix of “Hole” at the end of the whole thing) with a rousing slice of indie magic as phased and scything guitars lead a sea of galloping rhythms and urgent vocals that sound a bit like The Clash only more psychedelic. Overall, it's an album to treasure by virtue of the fact that it's so different, not exactly the most commercial thing on the shelf, but the more you listen, the more you get out of it, and into it.
JETS TO ZURICH – Pyramids Download Only
Fourth track released individually at selected intervals from this Welsh band and this time it's quite a dynamic and anguished slice of riff-rock that's somewhere between indie and rock, but decidedly both. The track opens with fiery guitar riffs that rattle off like machine gun fire before the whole bad kick in on this lurching juggeranut of a rhythm with the guitar heat sizzling away in the background., Above all this – possibly slightly too upfront – comes the singer who has an air of menacing snarl to his nasally American-esque vocal style, and as the song develops, he adds a throaty holler to the chorus that, surprisingly, works well. The backing is great but it's way too far behind the vocals for maximum impact as the song and its singing becomes the main focus, the next chorus even more angst-ridden, at times sounding almost “forced” while the rhythm section charges on and the guitars shine a distant light on proceedings. Happily, when the vocal drop back, a seriously good guitar break ensues and sees you out to the end of the track. Overall, not their best to date but still enjoyable and in keeping with what's gone down so far – I look forward to number 5...
EVERYTHING WE LEFT BEHIND – Our Ears Are Bleeding CD
The fact remains that when you want something of a punk natures that fits your mood of wanting to hear an album that's got rage, bite, attack, power, dynamics, aggression, structure, choruses, driving rhythms and tons of guitars, an album that you'd be afraid to let it off the leash in case it bit through everything you hold dear, then you want an album that has all these virtues in every track – no namby pamby ballads, no show-off clever bits, no “let's prove to the world that we're serious musicians – and this album has got all that by the bucketload, track after track after track. The vocals roar out in fine punk fashion – a snotty, loud, hard-as-nails sea of pure angst, anger and aggression – as track after hurricane track slices through everything it encounters with fury and yet a strong sense of songwriting structure, a band that knows instinctively that, through all the force, you have to have something that the public are going to get into instantly yet want to play over and over again. The result is this stone cold stunner of an eleven track album, an album that has punk running through its veins like life-blood, and every bit as essential in your life.
FOR ABEL – Yorkshire CD-EP
I liked the title track on the album but they've gone a souped it up for the single with a much more ferocious and urgent arrangement where fast-paced guitars sounding like a heavy duty Jam, roll along side equally powerful rhythms, over which this mid-high range vocal soars like an eagle with lyrics of a socially aware quality and a sense of urgency and vibrancy that will have this fast-paced song attached to your senses from the moment you hear it, decidedly like Yorkshire's answer to Beatnic Prestige only a bit faster. After this stirring anthem, comes “On Television”, a track that sounds more like a contralto version of Arctic Monkeys with a similarly dynamic arrangement, initially stirring with the barest of guitars backing over strong vocals before the band chop in and the whole thing builds intensity with a barrage of jangly guitars and riffing, as the band and singer soar into the skies to provide a track that's got a memorable sea of verses, addictive instrumental hooks, fiery rhythms and still retaining a sense of seriousness to the lyrics and delivery, again, a much more electrifying mix than on the album, or at least it sounds that way to me. Finally, there's a remix of the title track, lasting a tad short of 7 minutes, decidedly a dance mix, somewhat akin to a drum 'n' bass remix and, while you can most certainly dance to it, the thing is not enhanced song-wise, in any way whatsoever. So, two good tracks and it's still worth while.
KICK TO KILL – Black Kisses CD Single
Two tracker from this Scottish band and I have to say that it's the second track which does it for me – called “ Mushroom Cloud” it's altogether got more cohesion, more conviction, more urgency, more dynamics and, with its stomping rhythms, towering guitar riffs, shards of lead guitars flying all over the show and vocals that both rise and are in tune at the same time, not to mention this huge, expansive arrangement, all combine to make this mighty killer of a song the decided highlight of the single by a country mile, one heck of an explosive track, a huge arrangement, superbly played, sung and produced and a track that will blow you away every time. Meanwhile, the title track is founded more on lurching rhythms, jangly guitars that fly out at all angles, high register lead guitars that cycle and circle, all topped with a vocal that sounds more like The Cure's Robert Smith on downers. With the guitar wall and breaks, it's actually a good if a tad depressing rolling arrangement of a song, but, for all its many great qualities, doesn't have the sheer explosive territory of the next track. But, as a CD single in its own right, highly recommended.
MUMMY SHORT ARMS – Change CD Single
After a phenomenal burst onto the indie scene with the first single “Cigarette Smuggling”, they now unleash a second offering and this one sounds like a cross between Tom Waits, The Smiths and The Cure – and if that sounds a bizarre combination, wait till you hear the thing and you'll see exactly what I mean. The song rolls along merrily with that mild roar of a hollered Waits-esque vocal only higher pitched, as the rhythm roll, the guitars jangle and the arrangement builds and builds into this towering sea of rhythms, guitars and half-shouted vocals, not exactly what you'd call “commercial” yet curiously worming its way to your heart. “Where's The Mortuary” is more of a story-telling style of delivery with an urgent vocal over rolling rhythms and alternately jangly and stretched-out psychedelic guitars, not really doing a lot but saying plenty, and still a good, if unusual track.
MARTYR DE MONA – Martyr De Mona CD
Carrying on a grand tradition of mighty metal music from the Midlands, this group give us a debut album that's full of firepower and fury, a set of 10 songs that are on fire and burning with intensity. In many ways, it's Classic Rock, but there's such a density to the guitars that at times it's more like stoner or something like Monster Magnet, but without the excesses of either. Then you get their forays into Funeral For A Friend territory only, again, not as excessive. The first two songs, “Sever” and “Protect What's Yours”, blaze away in an inferno of swirling, riffing twin guitars as the bass drives holes through your head and the drummer positively thunders as the melodies and riffs provide Classic Rock firepower. The singer has a huge sounding passion to his lead vocal as he soars above it all with intent, the guitars blazing the trail throughout, riuffs lurching and driving, rhythms hammering out as the lyrics, often complex and always engaging, give the song a heart of gold as the multi-tracked choruses, of sorts, add depth before the whole thing is engulfed in a pit of fire as the guitars take over. It's powerful and it's awesome, and you're only two tracks in.
“Departed” gives us pause for breath as it starts quietly – for all of about 10 seconds – before the guitar riffs and rhythms take hold, a lead guitar flares out above it, the rhythms thunder ahead and the singer pours his heart out with rage and restraint, the vocal at times almost menacing as he delivers an observational lyric with burning passion, the guitars flashing out like solar flares as the huge sound swirls and drives. Ultimately, the singer ups the anti with a vocal that takes off like a rocket as the guitars follow suit, the rhythms roll like thunder and it all takes off in a sea of heady chorus and massive metal splendour.”The Jackal” follows a similar path, this time with even more anguish, even more intensity as the guitars drive like a monumental swarm of angry wasps burning riffs that drive holes through your skull, as the rhythms lurch and provide the most solid of foundations on top of which the guitar tornadoes provide their deep down and dirty rhythms and riffs, as the singer unleashes the hounds of angst with serious intent.
“Lycanthropy” blazes into life, the fastest song so far, as the singer powers out and more giant waves of guitars provide the meat of the track as the rhythms belt out a hammer blow of beefy bass and driving drumming. Once again, the singer delivers things with intent, sounding like his very life is at stake if he doesn't inject every ounce of feeling into what he's singing. Like the rest of the album,, it's heavy, it's engaging but, oddly for something so addictive, hardly anything that you'd label as “commercial”, but that blaze of guitar density throughout, more than makes up for this. “Esprit De Corps” tells its tale like some massive metal power ballad with multi-tracked vocals adding to the passion of the lead singer, as the band provide the metal with a huge expanse and more hammering mid-paced rhythm from the bassist and drummer. Lead guitar shines through on occasion and delivers a searing solo before falling back to the powerful riffing as the almighty metal ballad ensues.
“End Of Forever” is just awesome – mighty vocals tower over a sea of guitars, the dynamics of arrangement now coming into play as the band alternately fire up and drop back on a song that is just jaw-dropping with its multi-tracked heady choruses, that driving rhythmic thunder and that unending sea of swirling, meaty and magical twin guitar riffing, as lead guitars blaze like napalm and then drop back to a fragile gentility that's just astounding, all on a track that is truly the sort of thing of which great epic metal is made – the undoubted highlight of what is an absolutely amazing album and the sort of track you'll just play and play and play.
But there's more....
“Arms That Crave A War” gives it to us between the eyes with a stomping monster of a track that turns into this lurching slice of Classic Metal as the vocals soar and the band deliver with all the consistency and cohesion as they've illustrated to date. “Bleeding Eyes” is faster and, afguably, the most commercial offering on the album so far, a sort of massive mix of Judas Priest, Funeral For A Friend and Living Colour in one blazing metal cauldron with the heat turned right up.
Finally we have “Saving Grace” that ends things with more undoubted passion from the singer and the band rocking and rolling to the end. It's a non-stop ride of epic metal proportions, firmly in the traditions of Classic Rock yet sounding way more contemporary, if only by virtue that, for one of the most uncommercial metal albums of its time, it's also one of the most addictive – go figure.....
DRAW ME STORIES – Oars CD-EP
Each track has its own weird remix so for these purposes we'll just concentrate on the two main tracks. “Oars” opens things with thudding, lurching drums, throbbing bass, soothing guitar chords, rising jangly cyclical guitar and a sort of softer David Byrne-esque vocal as the lead singer's urgency leads into soaring multi-tracked harmonies then it's back to the tense nervousness of the verse, which then strides into more verses with synth backdrops before dropping right back to this slow instrumental middle section of ringing guitar and gently crashing, crunching drums, only to surge back to the verses as the whole thing gallops along. It's got a sort of hypnotic quality to it, even though it's not really got any sort of hook or chorus, but if it makes you want to hear it again, then that's job done. “Become The Hunted” has the same shuffling, lurching, this time accelerated, drums, deep bass, a more cosmic guitar and more anguished vocal, almost like a drum 'n' bass version of early Talking Heads, twisting and turning once again, as the taut singing oozes passion as the band gallop and drive. It's all very unusual but it works and a few plays really endears it to you.
FOR ABEL – Greater Inventions CD
When the first lead guitar you hear sounds like The Smiths' Johnny Marr on uppers and the vocalist comes in sounding like a cross between The Smiths and The Arctic Monkeys and the song, “Telephone”, itself drives along like a chevvy on route 66 with hi-octane energy, a soaring chorus and chiming guitars, you just know you're in for a treat – and this is an album that doesn't disappoint. Up next we have “I Want To See You Sway” with quieter guitar intro and the singer sounding a tad more Morrissey-esque than before as the band crash in and this sea of lurching beats introduce more jangly riffing guitars, deep bass and rhythm guitar undercurrents as this almost uncaring vocal just flies through a song with a reflective passion that belies the swell of instruments ebbing and flowing throughout another dynamic surge of a song as it all inexorably sails skywards like The Smiths attached to the national griud and some superb harmony vocals along the way as icing on the cake. For “On TV”, dirty slow riffs and equally bass-y guitars usher in another “dry” vocal and ensuing flow of verses on more lyrical eloquence that sounds as inward-looking as it does emotional. With the briefest of flurrys, the song drives forward as band and singer begin to intensify, climb and take off as another backdrop of ringing guitars, textural rhythm guitars, crunching drums, cymbal; splashes and deep rivers of bass provide a suitably dense song that's as full-sounding as it is catchy in its own flowing manner. “Yorkshire” starts with a burst of jangly guitars as the band propel the track with fervour and more crashing rhythms as a slightly higher-pitched vocal delivers another high-flying vocal performance that has more passion and depth, more density and charm than either of the aforementioned bands at the beginning and a song that drives ahead celebrating its causes with wry observational qualities and wonderfully descriptive emotion, not to mention a memorable kind of chorus along the way. “First Killing” is a slower number initially, with distant textures, slowly flowing chords, mildly lurching drumming and an almost “brass band” quality to its textures. The vocal is upfront and cyclical in slow-motion ways as the band begin to pile it on in the background, guitars ringing out in the distance as it all coalesces into this huge sounding textural backdrop that continues to pile on the intensity ending up with more layers than a royal wedding cake as the singer continues to cycle the verses-as-chorus, round and round and round, the band now this wondrously dense sea of guitars, drums, bass, more guitars, choral guitars, harmonies and towering above the earth with a jaw-dropping blaze of musical coloration, a track that's as awe-inspiring as it is genius. Without repeating myself, suffice to say that the other 5 tracks and second half of the album carry on in every way from the heights that the band have created in the first 5 songs, and if what you'fe just read, whets your appetite to hear this band at work, then you're really gonna cherish this album for a long time to come.
PERSONAL SPACE INVADERS – Tough Times Download Track
I guess if you want to be remembered for a strong pop song, then starting with the chorus is no bad idea, something that this band take on board and
practically make the entire song revolve around the two lines of the hook. That they then manage to make it work says a lot for the busy yet somehow easy discernible arrangement of the song, for there is so much going on, yet it's somehow commercial at the same time. The backing is largely rhythms, drums, synths, electronic blips and beeps, buzz-saw synth undercurrents, sequenced electronic beats, the added tonal coloration of hushed female backing vocals, and the upfront lead vocal that sounds like a contemporary answer to seventies Brian Eno, with an arrangement that's not far short of a cross between 12”-mix eighties white disco and heady seventies electronics, and if Eno's idea behind “Seven Deadly Fins” had never happened until now, with a slightly less lyrically fluent approach, this would be the modern sounding result. The more you play it, the more it works its way into your head, not something you particularly want to happen, but then that's the best sort of pop song for you.
THE RELAYS – Nothin To Give But Love CD-EP
New band from Manchester come roaring through the starting gates with one surge of a title track that follows a tried and trusted course of events but injects so much energy, emotion, intensity and dynamics into the title track, almost distilling things to the bare essentials while at the same time having an army of guitars and a legion of beefy rhythms driving it all forward. The verses are kept short, the repeated hook of the chorus, even shorter, while all around the jangly lead guitars, the rocket-fuelled riffing and the mighty crunch of the rhythm section propel a lightly treated vocal that is full of passion and leads into that huge chorus, as all around, the guiatrs spark and burn while the riffs and rhythms pound a way to your heart. One absolutely immense track. “Stealing The Words” turns the raging intensity onto a brooding intensity as a more sedate song tells its tale, the vocalist catching your attention on one harmonious vocal style, the arrangement full of more riffing, ringing guitars, lurching rhythms and those melodic vocals. Then it all coalesces into this multi-tracked harmony-backed gem of a chorus where the vocalist just flies and injects so much feeling into it, you're carried along for the ride as that hook sinks deep into your skin on a track that you just want to play and play as the guitars fly all around the core beats. “You Invented Horror” is the band at its anthemic finest as the tracks starts with mid-paced strength, an almost low-down menace of a vocal intoning the verses backed by melodic guitars, punctuated with riffs and propulsive drumming, eventually ascending into another giant of a chorus that takes you up and lifts you off, not with speed but with strength and finesse, as the guitars sing, the rhythms drive, the arrangement twists and turns, the song dives and soars, slowly leading into another giant of a chorus where the instrumental backdrop just shines. “The Sparks” is a much bouncier affair, altogether lighter on its feet, but no less effective as the rhythms tumble along set to melodic jangle of guitars, clipped riffs and a vocal that's almost out of the Arctic Monkeys style of things as the song just flies along, telling its tale and observing its target, as, lyrically, this band have it nailed, as throughout the CD. A red hot guitar break adds to the arrangement as a song that almost mixes nineties Americana and contemporary indie works so well. The band end the CD with “Epic 45's” as another steamer of a track starts with more shining guitars, hushed vocals, beefy rhythms and cyclical riffs, as harmonies are added to the verses and the song leads inexorably into another unforgettable hook-as-chorus, all arranged, played, produced and sung to perfection as the band end as consistently as they began. All in all, this is stunning stuff that heralds much to come from one of the finest new bands to come out of Manchester.
TRIGON – Trigon CD
You might think in these modern times that a 13 track album of instrumental compositions from an electric trio comprising simply of bass, drums and guitar, couldn't possibly say anything that hasn't already been said – and you'd be right – but it's not what you sway – it's how you say it. This band cover it all – slow, fast, hard, rockin', fusion, dramatic, dynamic – the works!! In many ways, you have to treat this album as a whole – many a reviewer who is a musician would probably cover it track by track in depth, but for me, it's a simple question – does it stir me enough to want to listen to it all in one sitting and to play it again after that? Well, yes, oddly enough – it does. The production for a start is exemplary – courtesy of German production wizard Eroc – and brings out each of the players to such a degree that you'd might shut your eyes and think they're playing in the same room!! While that electric guitar is the lead instrument throughout the album, you can't help but notice and admire the rhythm section who inject each and very track with invention, thrust, dynamics, crunch, intensity and strength. Above the rhythmic propulsion and solid state drive, that guitar lead shines, swirls, soars and flares – at times, particularly on “Wonder”, sounding something like the glory days of Ax Genrich in Krautrock band UFO, only more melodic, while at many times along the way you're reminded of a dirtier Jeff Beck or a less overly metallic Joe Satriani. A good deal of the leads are taken at fairly high register guitar so that the leads fly high rather than “go stoner”. On occasion, such as “Tarzen”, they're unafraid to slow things down in order to build them up as the wah-wah guitar takes centre stage over the solid, lurching mid-paced drive of the rhythm section as it all starts to intensify and the dirty riffing begins to take effect. Throughout the album it's the sheer mix of excitement and energy, muscle and magic, electrifying throughout and guaranteed to brighten up the life of even the most ardent of electric guitar instrumental rock-fusion fans.
JETS TO ZURICH – The Downward Spiral Download Track
The new track from this Welsh band veritably blasts into life with lurching, thudding rhythms as the full crunch of drums and almost New Order-esque bass, make their presence felt to drive the track on the journey. Above and alongside this, are chiming, ringing, jangly guitars that add melody and density as the introduction really catches your attention. Then, with a rush of electronic coloration to the background sounding more like an aircraft engine, the singer comes in, with an almost phased echo to his vocal, and sings-cum-intones the lyrics with a suitable twang that leads the almost brooding verse into the equally almost uplifting chorus, the whole thing sounding wider than the Grand Canyon and every bit as deep, as this weirdly commercial wall-of-sound takes you along in its wake, that bass really grabbing your attention – among other things – as the electronic panorama is as wide as it is dense, the rhythms consistently lurching, crunching and tumbling over themselves with purpose, as the jangly guitar adds the necessary melody and lightness to put the icing on what's quite an intense cake but seriously good stuff as this band get better with every single they put out.
THE DECEIVER – Resistance Demo-EP
Well, the first thing to say is that, for a demo, the quality is superb – you'd just never know. So, who are they? Actually, a raging hardcore metal band from Birmingham with three tracks that are set on “kill” and take no prisoners. But, before you turn off, let me say that, for this sort of area of metal, they are way more than the acceptable and enjoyable end of the genre. The three tracks all follow a similar path and that is one where the vocals are roared and hollered but, while it's sometimes possible to discern the lyrics, that's really not the name of the game, as rarely as a hardcore metal vocal, sounded so mesmerising. The really weird thing, particularly in the lead track, is that they manage to inject melody into the maelstrom – if you listen closely, it's there – and this adds a kind of cohesion to what would otherwise be one hurricane of metal proportions. That said, this band know how to lay down a riff as the guitars thunder, the bass thunders even more and the drums power out to drive it all forward. The arrangements also have dynamics, proving that the band are putting thought into their core, coming up with rage rock that blows the roof off, but at the same time, is varied, dynamic and addictive, all given just the right amount of strength without going so far over the top as to fall over the edge. It's wild, it rocks and it's really addictive – a band already ahead of the pack and really promising much more to come – I'll bet they're one awesome force to be reckoned with on stage.
MIND MUSEUM – Rat Race CD-EP
Debut 4-tracker from a quartet hailing from the south west of England and it's evident from the opening title track that they've got the market cornered when it comes to “angst-rock” as the singer really sounds like he's under a lot of pressure, delivering one corker of a song with bucketloads of emotion as the band provide a solid but jangly backing on the verses and this tornado of guitars set at high-pitched stun, plus the rampaging beats, on the chorus. The track switches back and forth between the two, but never once sounds anything than urgent, taut, on the edge and yet still sucking you in to its powerful charms. “Everything Eventually” does the same thing and has the same effect, only faster while “The Secret Of Happiness” does it funkier and the final track, “Seal The Cracks”, gets rid of the subtleties altogether and rages along with scorching guitars, huge riffs, solid drumming and more of those trademark anguished vocals. It's songs that exist on the cliff of tension, almost daring you to push them off, knowing that you're gonna do your level best to rescue them instead – and the reward is massive sounding enjoyment.
CHURCH OF HED – Rivers Of Asphalt CD
A 66 minute, 18 track instrumental CD that's inspired by Route 66 in America, a travelogue set to music. Very much keyboard-based, with quite a bit of electric piano work that really lends an extra dimension to the proceedings, the whole mood of travel and all its pleasures, is truly encompassed on a collection of tracks from just over a minute to nearly 9 in length. There are guest appearances throughout the CD from various members of the band Secret Saucer on guitar and synths, and these add extra texture and muscle to the music. But it's the brainchild of keyboards/synths/loops/ drumming musician Paul Williamson, and the album is largely a mix of spacey, melodic and chilled-out, the overall mood from blissful serenity to more driving passages, but always with motion so that no view outstays its welcome as things are kept moving. The electric piano as the mainstay of the music provides a depth and sonorous tone to the compositions while the added layers of synths and guitar and occasional rhythm – sometimes there, sometimes implied – gives the tracks a more solid feel. Sometimes, as on “Prairie Lights”, the piano is almost worthy of something out of late seventies Magma, but overall it's more cosmic. As a sort of instrumental concept album, it's unusual, highly engaging, mostly melodic and/or cosmic, never boring, and the perfect album to accompany practically anything you're doing that's relaxing and doesn't have sound attached to it.
COOGANS BLUFF – Magic Bubbles CD
This band really reminded me in many places of the old seventies band Armageddon that featured the late Keith Relf (ex-Yardbirds) only this lot are a tad more stripped down in some ways, a bit more like early Led Zep in others, yet throughout they are infused with the spirit of many an early seventies Classic Rock band. The compositions are generally taken at mid-fast paced but with the presence of some seriously jangly, ringing, soaring guitar leads and riffs always at the forefront of things, as the superbly strong vocals really deliver the songs with just the right hint of aggression and emotion. The band also know how to arrange a song to get everything in it from red hot leads to roaring riffs, driving rhythms and extra textural depth as the vocalist strides out above it all. The effect is memorable, electrifying, adrenaline-rousing and immensely enjoyable from track to glorious track. There are hints of early Gary Moore Band to “Boogie”, echoes of instrumental Wishbone Ash to the third track, touches of Colosseum on the title track, the blazing guitar-charged inferno of “What's The Deal” and even an emotionally charged rendition of Bad Company's “Ready For Love” - all in all, an album to be played and treasured.
(THE) GLOBAL BROAD BAND – The Free Palestine EP CD-EP
The lead track is the single taken from the band's debut album “Freedom” and it's a slice of protest song sung by label leading light Tim Jones in that mix of northern England accented and nasally ring that's become quite a trademark to his songs. As a song, it's OK. But what follows here is absolutely sensational!! The second track is a remix from the band's keyboardist and main man behind the electronic music “O-Head” project, Dave Hendry and he drops the lyrics to turn in this sublime example of a guitar-led instrumental that's as beautiful as it is solid, as hypnotic as it is satisfying, and just one gorgeous piece of music. But then they turn the piece over to ambient music legend Rapoon, aka Robin Storey, who gives us this massively long remix that, initially uses just the title hook line from the song and repeats it over backing of massed choirs to provide a positive church-like effect and it's just wonderful. But he doesn't stop there, for he runs the course of the vocal before diving off into this sea of music that's absolute ambient heaven as rattling, insistent electro-percussive rhythms are overlaid over the backdrop of choirs, space synths and mellotron-like expanses, always uplifting, utterly mesmerising, even featuring electric guitar towards the end and it's one of the very finest examples of chill-out ambient strength and beauty that you'll find around today – you get the feeling that The Orb would have killed to have come up with something as good as this. Finally we get another remix from Hendry, this time using choral voices and backing it with a techno-like percussive beats along with organ upfront, delicate guitars, deep bass and the whole thing rolls along like a freight train, building and flowing upwards, always hypnotic and solid, and just a gem of a remix. So, overall, on a more instrumental trip, if you're into the music of either of the remixers or just classic, vintage ambient a la Orb and Astralasia, this is an EP you just have to own – it's stunning!!
(THE) JUPITER 8 – Songs From The Engine Room – Part II CD
Obviously the follow-up to part I, not so obviously, nothing at all to do with songs or singing. For this is the sound of – presumably – one man and his synths – and guitars – and electronic percussives. There are 6 tracks - “each designed to reflect a different mood” according to the composer – which, basically translated, means either a masterful use of arranging so that they have a flow that runs like blood through their veins, or that they are so loosely connected, you'd wonder how they could remotely figure on the same album. Luckily, we have the former....
“Signals” opens things with a track where a myriad synths provide all manner of layers from melodies, through phased fx, through space swoops to deep bass undercurrents, all of it propelled by a electronic, sequencer and electro-percussive rhythms and beats that are more in the ;90's than the '70's, more downtempo than techno, more synth than trance – but lovingly crafted so that the dynamics of the rhythms are very carefully calculated not to become repetitive. Meanwhile the synths fly, soar and swoosh, while what sounds almost like a Frippertronic guitar figure wanders in its lonely space as the synths well up and expand, then soar into the skies to be replaced by even more layers and textures as they travel, all the time the melodies and rhythms flowing along neatly, the whole thing possessing so much depth, you're actually riveted to the piece, the moreso, the more you play it and fimd what's going on below the beats. “Return To Earth”, however, is nothing less than an absolute killer of a track – using a fuzzed-up electric guitar, what sounds like a real drum kit, a massive attack of synths and deep rumbling bass, the guy has produced a track that manages to mix Neu, Mark Shreeve and Joe Satriani in one magnificent melting pot and the effect is awesome – a track that's so addictive, it's worth the price of the CD on its own, and one you'll just want to play and play and play – one of the best instrumentals of its kind I've heard in a long while.
After this, “Time Slip Palindrome” sensibly starts on a more spacey vibe, weird otherworldly sounds opening up before a synth melody blips into life, choppy drums provide the solid rhythmic foundations as a slowly unfolding river of beats, gentle layered guitars and distant synth provide the meat of the track, this time the lead guitar more delicate and melodic, at times almost dangerously melodic, sounding a bit too “sweet” for the ride. But the stuttering synths and other textures take up the reigns from the beats, so much so that you almost are unaware that the guitar figure has changed shape until that, too disappears, and then the whole track stops – sounds strange, but works a treat. “Half Light” is altogether more cosmic but still rhythmic, in other words, slowly moving melodies that are stretched out to infinity backed by delicately choppy electro-percussive rhythms that are unobtrusive but play a vital part in the track's successful movements through space. The synths and guitar, along with a deep undulating bass, expand and spread their wings to fly slowly onwards above the addictive chilled-out rhythms as the ambience of it all proves positively hypnotic, with a warm glow as it travels.
“The Lost Voice Of Reason” is initially based around a series of repeating loops in a kind of ambient electronic Fripp & Eno territory, but just as you're wondering how much longer they'll go on, the composer gets it spot on by taking them down in the mix and replacing them with a slowly evolving series of synth fx, swirling melody patterns and solid electro-percussive downtempo beats. Above this, a lead guitar, this time more melodic, glowing rather than red hot, soars gracefully above the choppy rhythms and synths swirls and fx, full of depth and texture but deceptively simplistic sounding, yet a complete success for its simplicity. The album ends with “Go Green” which starts very bizarrely before a churning fuzz guitar lead enters, drums crunch in, a huge Magma-like bass makes its presence felt and distant synths swoop in the background as the guitar lead is joined by a bouncing synth melody and the somewhat unusual combination of grungy guitar and lightweight synth lead sound oddly intertwined until the guitar is relegated more to the background to allow the synth lead – and assorted partners – to take the reigns over the ever increasing intensity and electro-percussive variety of the rhythms. Eventually a much stronger lead guitar takes over from the synths and for the rest of the track, the effect is wondrous as the guitar-led composition takes off in a hail of melodies and layers and moves onwards and upwards to the end of the track.
All in all, it's a really excellent album – one track blows my sox off, the rest are all really enjoyable and it's an album that I know I'll be playing a great deal – once I'm in the right mood – or moods.
SUNGAZER – Sungazer CD
Dutch trio's first album and they sound like seasoned veterans – actually, they sound a lot like a keyboard-less Pink Floyd if push comes to shove, only with more going on in their arsenal – lots more – as you'll see if you stick with this. For what you initially think is going to be a kind of psychedelic jamming band, a lot of the tracks are really more relaxed, the arrangements slowly strung out while the band play it with feeling, alternately languid and more solid, sometimes “DSOTM”-era Floyd, sometimes relaxed Porcupine Tree, complete with fluid guitar lines, crystalline rhythm section and warm sounding lead and harmony vocals. But, when you least expect it, the fuzz guitar, and fuzz bass come to that, kick in, and we're off into a strident world of stoner rock where the electricity quotient is at maximum and the band roar into life with the brightness of a twin sun. There's clearly been a lot of thought that's gone into the 6 tracks on this CD and that they mix songs and instrumental workouts without either sounding like it's disconnected with the other, a testament to how this band know their sense of dynamics and how to build, drop then erupt. The mix of the fierce fuzzed-out psych with the more relaxed pseudo-prog is, at first, unless you happen to love both genres (which I do), a tad odd, but once you've got through the album once, you really will want to come back for more.
CHUCK VAN ZYL – Memoryspace CD
This is a synthesizer music album – it is no ordinary synthesizer music album – in fact, it is an extraordinary synthesizer music album – it begins with “Time” - just over three minutes of time, to be fairly accurate – and what Van Zyl does with that time is create a density of cosmic music, amorphous clouds of deep bass rumbles and twinkling stars, clouds that drift straight into the cascade of notes which introduce the near 7 minute “All Souls' Day” as a mellotron choir rises from the depths to accompany the cyclical rhythm, while all around are introduced synth melodies that stretch out and expand, slowly ascending and descending bass notes that provide a foundation on which the rest proceed to soar, the feect of the multi-layered and vari-textured musical canvas, slowly transforming into something that casts glimpses of Teutonic times gone by, so tantalisingly close that you can almost reach out and grab them. The mellotron takes centre stage with a gorgeous soundpool as the cyclical twinklings continue to shine and the deep bass is there in the distance, eventually the twinkling synths disappearing to leave a beautiful layer of bass-range string synth bliss which segues right into the twelve minute “September Cemetry” is a gorgeously flowing slice of space music, with the layers kept moving as electronic stars twinkle along the way, the combination of bass synth drifts and mellotron melodies at either end of the spectrum linked by flowing mid-range, cosmic synths, choral sounding space synths, and barely perceptible sequencer rhythms in part, all add up to this slowly yet constantly moving electronic cloud of breathtaking proportions that shimmers, expands, deepens and changes its shape throughout, and then segueing right into a near five minute and genuinely beautiful slice of truly mesmerising space synth/mellotron music, “Grave Matters”, very much in the feel of '73-'75 era cosmic-music Tangerine Dream.
Almost as if to reinforce this comparison, the near 15 minute “Marble Orchard Nocturne” begins with the continuing cosmic flow, before a magical and familiar Tangs-like sequencer rhythm begins and the process of layering ever changing, continually moving yet constantly flowing layers of synth expanses, takes you right back to the heady days of Tangerine Dream “Ricochet”-era pioneering, and for once, when anyone says “why not play the real thing?”, you can genuinely reply “coz I have this – and it's even more stunning!” - which it is – Chuck gives us the early seventies on a tantalising Teutonic plate and the effect is breathtaking once again, as you become truly captivated in a world gone by that exists once more in the here and now for your delight and long-term enjoyment on a faultless fifteen minutes of memorable music, the final five minutes ending as cosmic as it began. This moves seamlessly into “The Dead Of Winter”, initially with a slow undulating synth rhythm introducing a light series of sequencer rhythms and phased, cyclical space synths, all of this layering effortlessly to create a slow-motion sea of warmth as the mellotron rises up to provide seventies orchestral depth. While the multi-layered rhythm pattern remains, the canvas of sound strengthens and becomes a lot deeper, more of a bass level as it all travels forward and gathers intensity like some black cloud looming ominously on a previously beautiful day. By seven minutes in, the rhythms have all but dropped away as the raincloud threatens but fails to deliver, the darkness, instead, a thing of hypnotic beauty in its own right.
That this then travels right into the four minute space drift of “Desolate Consort” is absolutely fitting as, from the ether, emanates distant high-sounding mellotron wrapped in the same coat of cosmic colours as exists all around. The just short of 14 minute “Memory Of Stone” runs the gamut from the first third sounding positively identical to any one of a number of Tangerine Dream multi-textured passages of cosmic bliss from the early Virgin years through a more melodic, almost eighties sea of synth leads and layers, climaxing in a sea of space synths that is just out of this world, again seriously Teutonic but with that extra sense of flow and depth that really stands out, yet it's the fact that Chuck has fused together all these elements to create such a stunning slice of darn near perfect music, that will keep you hooked to this for many years to come.
The album drifts right into the final four minutes of Dream-like cosmic space synths as layers and textures shimmer and drift, soar and rise one final time to leave you awestruck in a blissful mood outside of space and time. Like I said, absolutely extraordinary and, for what many may call “retro”, not only head and shoulders above the rest, but sounding so fresh it's like the rest never happened – a truly remarkable, brilliant and timeless album.
XISFOREYES – Insidious Existentialism CD-EP
The opening track gives you what can only be described as “symphonic death metal” as this sea of impossibly fast rhythms is set to screamo and guttural vocals, blazing guitar riffs and what sounds like the massed ranks of the london symphony orchestra, into which burning lead guitar breaks are inserted as the icing on the cake. The really crazy bit is that it works – don't ask me how or why – it just does. The pummelling continues on “Ubiquitous Deterrent” only this time the band exercise a certain appreciation of dynamics so that while it slugs you hard around the jaw at titanic strength the blows are somehow softened by the fact that the hand holding the brick is lined with velvet. It's totally bizarre but it's absolutely fascinating, so much so that if you've got half a taste for this sort of thing, you'll be kept hooked to it just for the experience. “The Ark” decelerates initially to give us something even more symphonic as the lead guitar light up the sky and the whole thing roars into life only for the fast-paced rhythms to explode once more and we're back on the trail to hell. So it goes, through two more tracks and you're positively breathless by the end. For a genre I normally can't abide, this is stunning!
ILLUMINATUS – The Wrath Of The Lambs CD
My reviews are known for going into copious detail on a track by track basis, only on occasion an album comes along that I put on the player and, swept along by its charms, I end up enjoying to such a degree that I just listen to the whole thing in one go without even thinking of dissecting the thing for a review, on the grounds that the sum is greater than the individuals. What you get here are 11 faultless tracks of modern metal perfomed largely at mid-pace but possessing an intensity that would fit many a band operating at a much faster pace. The depth of production is staggering as the sound of a plethora of guitars range from riffing to ringing over rhythms and beats that hammer down with dynamic effect rather than punishing pace, al absolutely spot on for the arrangements. The vocals are sung, hollered, always discernible and the songs are totally enthralling, hypnotic and complete outpourings of passion – delivered with the same intensity and electrifying effect as the playing, often even more so. From start to finish, you're just hooked to the thing, not wanting to skip to the next track, completely happy just to let the whole 11 tracks wash over you like a warm slow-motion tidal wave. It's one glorious song after another, one pounding slice of excellently arranged and played metal after another, and all performed with unnervingly electrifying results – in short, one stunner of an album.
(THE) LIASON – Start From Scratch CD-EP
Hailing from Guildford, this band has emo running through their veins instead of blood, yet they stil manage to pump out a quartet of songs that are from their heart and destined to find a place in yours. Right from the outset of “It's So Clear” they deliver a driving song that has rifle-fire drumming, deep, heady bass and a searing sea of guitar leads and rhythms that crash and burn throughout. Over all this, the self-harmonising vocals provide a strength and depth on a song that has no real hook yet implies a huge chorus as the arrangement twists and turns, even touching on metal at several points but never straying from what they do best. “Can We Still Be Friends?” starts slower then just as you think it might be a ballad, it does exactly the opposite and turns into a supercharged slice of multi-harmony, vocally strong emo-heat with rivers of buzz-saw guitar riffs, shards of lead electric guitar and dramatic, pumping rhythms over which you'll hear a rolling vocal singing the verses, multi-part harmonies delivering the choral hook and even at one point, decelerating to a vocal slowness as guitars ring out before the whole thing erupts once again. The title track bursts into life with a classic sea of guitar riffing, fuzzed and heated, lead and rhythm right out there as the rhythm section drive it all forward and what amounts to the best track on the CD really sparks into life, this being the perfect mix of rock, emo and commercial indie appeal that the band have in its arsenal and every bit THE classic emo song – this should have been the opening track as it's simply awesome – one of those tracks that's got so much going on, yet flows like a mighty river, sticks around in your head, has you leaping about the room and is just stunning – a track you'll stick on repeat and never tire of hearing. “Road Trip” starts funkier and immediately sounds a tad awkward – the band realise this – and explode – unleashing a firepower of a track that retains all the hallmarks that has made this such a strong set of songs. They then veer back to the funkier side of emo very briefly and somehow it works before the band explode once again on a track that actually delivers more than it promised. Overall, superb – but that title track is something else altogether.
SPACE MIRRORS – Majestic-12: A Hidden Presence CD
Space Mirrors for those that don't yet know, is the project – one of many – from the multi-talented musician, composer and vocalist, Alisa Coral. Here she plays bass, keys, synths and sings a bit, with her long-time cohort Michael Blackman of Alien Dream on electric guitars and bits of bass guitar and percussion. Together with guests on sax, violin and flute, a male and female sharing lead vocal duties, plus a drummer and you have a recipe for......well..... I'm not actually sure what you'd classify this as...which, in this case, is a good thing....let me explain....
The album opens with the near 10 minute “Tunguska” with Alisa and Amber sharing vocal duties in a kind of distant vocal that echoes and shimmers above driving rhythms, and a veriatble ocean of instrumentation from synths, guitars, flute, space synths and sax, the whole effect like a cross between classic Hawkwind and Lacuna Coil, as a a kind of “symphonic space-rock” is unleashed, the whole atmosphere one of darkness as the mothership journeys ever on into the void, the extended instrumental section a combination of heavy duty foundations and high-flying melodies. This is followed by the near 5 minute “Roswell-47”, opening with menacing spoken word vocal before one bouncing bomb of a rhythm crashes into life amid searing guitar riffing, the menacing male vocal, gigantic drumming and the whole thing riding juggernaut fashion as an unstoppable force marches its way through to your head and heart, becoming ever darker and more evil as it goes, the cyclical arrangement eventually breaking ranks courtesy of a red hot lead guitar break from Blackman that threatens to break the hold before the main body of the titan wrestles things back to its menacing intent on the rolling bed of rhythms and riffs, this time a lead synth screaming from the mix before the whole thing comes to a stop in a hail of lead guitar and whispered vocal darkness.
“Dreamland 1:Time Warp” drives out of the starting gates like a racehorse on steroids as a blitz of lead and rhythm guitars and synths takes off like a rocket, surrounded by squealing synths and driven by deep bass as the menacing vocals return, this time more deathly and evil than before, the rhythms clattering away on a bed of rattling drumming and thunderous bass, but what really separates this from the rest is its amazing sense of dynamics between the top layer melodies and the blistering heat foundations, before the heavy metal takeover is complete and the piece drives a bullet into your head with terrifying accuracy. By contrast, the intended second part of this piece, “Dreamland II: Area 51”, features Amber on vocals and the female voice riding on top of the molten mass of space-rock and metal, alternately melodic and muscular, provides a song that's as intense as it is hypnotic, dense yet multi-layered with scorching guitar lead, expansive riffs, waves of synths all around and a driving slice of space-rock that's more Nightwish than Space Ritual, and all the better for it. “MJ-12” is just under 5 minutes and is of a bouncier variety with shimmering lead guitar, more of that menacing male vocal only this time lower down and brooding, while the space synths weave spells in the surroundings and rhythms shuffle and drive, the presence of a lead guitar break and, towards the end, some squawking sax work that adds extra tonal colour to the mix, all adding heat to a seriously expansive and deceptively heavy mid-paced arrangement.
“Liars” starts quietly enough leading you into a false sense of security before a death metal track ties the knot with a sung section that sounds more like a heavy duty synth-led Jethro Tull and the combination is as jaw-dropping as it is unique before the metal takes over and the growling vocal, samples and heated lead guitar become the main focal points of a track that's got so much depth to it, you would drown if you dived in. “Belgian Wave” returns us to space-rock albeit the more “Space Bandits”-era Hawk variety, only here way heavier and much more cohesive than anything that line-up could have dreamt of creating as the rocket fires into the universe with explosive intent and fuelled by some red hot guitar leads, soaring vocals, melodic sax and a galaxy of space synths, not to mention the propulsion from bass and drums that powers it all to breathtaking degree. The 4 minute “Krill Report” provides us with a spoken word sample over space synths, buzz-saw electronics at the bottom of the mix, shimmering fx, a feel of outer space but the sheer darkness of it all, the whole thing a perfect example of “darkwave cosmic” music at its finest., with once again, the sax coming in towards the end to provide an unexpected element of melodic light, a contrast that really serves its dynamic purpose well over the, now shuffling, rhythms, and space synth surrounds. “Neuscwabenland” at just under 4 minutes is a driving slice of more of that “symphonic space-rock” we witnessed at the beginning, with Alisa's “on-edge” vocal taut to the point of breaking, while the powerful motion of lead guitar, rhtyhmic riffing, driving beats and synth surges all combine to give us another hugely expansive arrangement that takes your breath away.
“Night Visit” takes us gently but dangerously back into a slow-motion world of dark forces, as this kind of deathly ballad ensues, only to break out into this eruption of metal with heavy duty guitar riffs, soaring lead guitar and thunderous rhythms all heading towards a death-metal vocal, the flow of the arrangement, absolutely spot on.
The 5 minute “Cydonia” features the electric violin of Cyndee Le Rule to the fore as Amber's vocal strengthens and we have a strident slice of space-rock that twists and turns its way through black holes and bizarre musical galaxies yet staying “traditional” with a universe of guitars and synths, the lead break sounding like searing heat Steve Hillage put through a blender, and just one stunning track. The album ends with the four and a half minute “New World Order” as the mix of death metal and space-rock reaches its final destination on a driving heavy duty sea of riffs, rhythms, hellish intensity and layer upon layer of synths, as solid and fitting a finale as you could have hoped to hear. Overall, it's an album that stands space-rock on its head and proves that you can put it through a contemporary metal mincing machine and come out sounding better than you could ever have envisaged, pure songwriting, arranging and creativity at a seriously enjoyable peak.
TEMPLETON PEK – Scratches And Scars CD
The opening track from this band's second album is simply so electrifying in every way, you can't help but feel that this band are the UK's answer to Green Day and have every bit the skill to emulate their success in terms of writing, arranging, memorability of songs, power and passion. The song itself just lifts off and never looks back, with a powerful, expansive arrangement that emulates the best that Green Day could ever throw out, with an equally addictive chorus above the surge of guitars and pummelling rhythms, with a vocalist who delivers the goods exactly as you like it, perfect vocals for the songs and as sensational an opener as you could get. Only thing is, that you then go into the power of “Headgames” and it's every bit as good if not better, this time the whole song one explosive chorus as the fast-paced punk-pop-rock ravages everything in its path in a blitz of commercial genius. From there on, track after roaring track is unleashed with the brightness of a thousand suns, varied yet consistent, never straying from what they do best, even the decelerated tracks full of force and fury, as one of the most potent brews of solid rockin' punk-pop you've heard in ages, comes at you in wave after wave of gloriously unforgettable, powerful and massive sounding songs, the guitars taking no prisoners, the choruses and harmonies so high they're almost in orbit and the rhythms so well produced it's like having them in your living room. One absolute gem of an album and if this band aren't huge real soon, then there's a world out there with cloth ears.
IAN BODDY – Pearl DBLCD
For 30 years – yes, 30!! - Ian Boddy has been the UK's unsung pioneer of the best synthesizer and electronic-based music to emanate so consistently from one musician. He's broken barriers, created new boundaries, made existing ones into a form all his own, steered clear of cliché and provided us with over 30 albums of the finest electronic music that any musician has created in the ensuing three decades. This limited edition CD serves to deliver and joyously celebrates that fact.
The first CD is a continuous journey through Boddy's pre-DiN label days, taking tracks from a wide range of his albums and seamlessly creating a series of 15 tracks that, each from a different album, piecing them all together to create one gigantic slice of synthesizer magic. “Hyperion” starts off as the grand theme, the introduction to the best epic filmn you've never seen, before “Aquanaut” delivers a solid sea of sequencer rhythms and clattering electro-percussives, around which the boing of a bass synth acts as as hookline, while assorted twinkings and melodies from a varierty of synths add an extra dimension to the track, the final presence of a sinuous lead synth melody, the icing on the cake. “Continuum-Alpha” decelerates, starkens and darkens the same effect, as a cyclical set of synths rhythms snake around your mind before a clattering sea of electro-percussive rhythms makes its presence felt, the solid beat right at the bottom of the mix, giving extra depth as more electro-percussive beats give bite to the proceedings, while a sliding, gliding lead synth slowly weaves its way through. The layers are as distinct as they are many, the effect one of clarity and solid structure, the result an absolute gem of slowly moving, rock solid electro-synth music. “Sequence In Blue” starts the train rolling with a fantastic line in electronic sequencer rhythms that cruise into the cosmic splendours of “Floating” with its shimmering layers of purity very much like the best Klaus Schulze had to offer only way more soilid and multi-textured, all leading into the might, mood, muscle and magic that is the electronic and electro-percussively rhythmic-led “Beyond The Event Horizon” which truly hammers out following a massive intro of choral synths and cosmic swirls, as melodies, beats and rhythms take you up and out into the uncharted reaches of space on a rocketship of a voyage that is truly mesmerising. “Who Controls Who” is epic thematic, the sound of a film soundtrack where the film reaches a highpoint of majestic proportions, as crashing rhythms are set against slowly insistent beats, rising and falling synth melodies, grand themes, classically piano rivers of melody and it's all seriously epic sounding stuff, like some otherworldly end to an electronic alternate universe “Tubular Bells”.
“Heaven's Gate” as a title fairly sums up its content, only Boddy displays that he never keeps to the path of his predecessors, instead injecting his spacey themes with booming bass synth rhythms in slow-motion, adding grand synth textures along the way to provide an almost juxtaposition of unnerving undercurrents with grand thematic melodies. “Living In A Ritual” sounds like an electronic answer to early Genesis in its intro as thudding percussive rhythms underpin some swirling synth melodies to great effect, the whole thing shuddering and shining in absolutely unique fashion, while “Shrouded” takes us into a cosmic galaxy of drifting multi-layered electronics laced with slowly unfolding percussive rhythms which gradually decelerate to oblivion as the space synths take over. “The Climb” continues the space music in its beginnings before the clattering, lurching electro-percussive beats usher in a slowly evolving set of quite sparse melodies, as they gather strength and gradually cruise over the rolling electro-percussive rhythms, melody, space and beats in perfect harmony. “Outer Limits” is pure cosmic darkness with so many layers, subtleties and facets, it's way beyond yer average cosmic music as the intensity increases on waves of space electronics and implied percussive muscle before settling into a quiet world of multi-textured, always moving, ever changing, cosmic bliss. “Skylights” is space music that segues into the driving rhythms and sparking melodies of “Metropolis” before the disc ends on just under three minutes of epic cosmic emotive joy that is “Living Planet”. It's one amazing journey through three decades of synth music at its finest – so you think – but then you come across the second disc......
This is a wholly different affair from the first CD – the almost continuous structure of the pieces is the same, but the tracks themselves are all taken from Boddy's innovative, emotive and highly engaging DiN label releases, expertly arranged to provide what feels like this epic synthesizer voyage through a myriad worlds of moods which range from enthralling and entrancing to powerful and blood-stirring. “Never Forever” sets the scene with three minutes of softly sparkling synth rhythms, echoes, symphonic rivers and oceans of emotion all carefully wrapped in a sea of bliss, crusing towards “Walking The Slow Path” whereupon a strong yet resonant electro-percussive rhythm heralds the arrival of a choppy sea of electro-percussive beats that clatter away as assorted layers of slowly unfolding synth melodies, vari-textured layers and seriously cosmic surrounds, all provide a soundscape where rhythm is central yet there is a starkness, a darkness, into which the voyage travels, the rhythms never intruding, merely the undercurrent on which the soundscapes and melodies are now beginning to take off. But soon, this scenery disappears in the distance to be replaced by an altogether more unnerving panorama in the form of the collaboration track with Chris Carter called “Coriolis”, as synth fx reveal a cold and lonely place where the music bubbles up and spread out with eerie rhythms, chattering beats, supercooled layers of synth swoops and resonant, distant electronics, again slowly gathering pace and strength as the near 8 minute track progresses, and, like all of the tracks on this CD, never staying still, always changing shape and becoming this rhythmically spacey sea of addiction, slowly ending in a haze of echoed rhythms and dark space synths.
This moves effortlessly into the near 7 minute “Chiasmata”, initial phasing fx heralding the arrival of an almost symphonic yet cosmic soundscape, slow beats way in the distance, the whole thing gradually building, its presence slowly towering over you as drums crunch like rolling thunder, sparely used sequencers add resonance, cascading high-register melodies provide the first touch of light that we've heard in a while on this CD and the whole thing strides out on its wave of solid electro-percussive and electronic beats, orchestral layers and interweaving synth fx and melodies, so solid, accelerating from slow to not so slow, leading to this huge canvas of electronic and percussive mood and melody that rises up in total grandeur yet loses none of its otherworldly feel, ending almost as it rhythmically began. The all of a sudden, the rhythms accelerate as driving percussive beats lead you into “Atomicity”, this one not even featuring Boddy but bearing his mark of authority all the same as similar sounding electro-percussive beats and rhythms provide an attention-grabbing rhythmic stride while the various melodies ride on top, but it's the percussive beats that are the stars, produced and played to absolutely stunning effect.
“The Mechanics Of Thought” takes us back into the uncharted regions of the cosmos as shimmering electronics, twittering beats in the distance and slowly rising almost rgan-like layers of space music, with a mere hint of melody to them, all combine to form a highly different sounding example of real space synth music for just a shade under 5 minutes. Then, with Markus Reuter in tow, Boddy gives us the 4 and a half minute “Presentation Of An Offering”where resonant electronic rhythms boing and bounce as almost Middle Eastern melody lines weave away in the distance, once more the presence of further, upfront yet unobtrusive electro-percussive beats, add meat to the bones of the piece. Eschewing Reuter and adding Bernhard Wostheinrich, Boddy provides “Moire”, where things bubble and bounce, the beats meaty and percussive, the synths sparkling and dancing on the almost out-of-focus rhythmic stabs, as the track drives ahead combining resonant beats with wheezing rhythms and all manner of synth layers, sparsely added on top, the whole feel one of slightly unnerving engagement, something that, even when you've heard it a few times, still sends the shivers up your spine, despite its solidly rhythmic base, slowly fading into the collaboration with Robert Rich that is “Edge Of Nowhere”, the title suitably fitting the music as almost Tonto-like rhythms and rivers of synths briefly evoke memories of “Zero Time”,before the resonant rhythms and cosmic layers make the track a melange of Tonto, glissando-styled Daevid Allen and Boddy's own injection of rhythmic strength to the blissful layers and solid beats, all in all one absolutely spellbinding piece that mixes space with massively rhythmic and works in a way that only Boddy could create so successfully, almost arrogant in its bite yet still so emotive, ending in space music heaven, segueing into the 9 minute “Aurora”, a glorious slice of huge-sounding cosmic, space synth universe, where everything changes slowly, nothing stays the same and the feel is one of absolute inner calm in a way that is engaging and heartwarming, every time you hear it. That it then segues into the 5 and a half minutes of “Arc-Angel” where Boddy and Mark Shreeve provide the ultimate in Berlin-esque sequencer patterns, is nothing less than dynamic arranging at its absolute finest as the seventies return with a vengeance and sudenly you're transported into yet another landscape that takes your breath away no matter how many times you hear it. The sequencers die away as squalls of electronic fx herald the arrival of the undulating rhythmic resonance of “Troubador” that quickly dives headlong into the most addictive set of electro-percussive and electronic rhythms and beats so far witnessed on the CD. Above this mighty undercurrent, the lone synth melody rises up and matches, not for note, everything that the rhythms can throw at it, the result being one almighty tower of a track that makes you want to get up and leap about the place for all of its slightly less than 5 minute running time. Things end almost abruptly as the CD itself ends with just over 6 minutes of “Elemental”, here gently rhythmic synths joining forces with sequencers before the whole lot crashes into this almost explosive sea of electro-percussive rhythms as interweaving synth melodies bring a sense of grandeur to the proceedings, all the while, the rhythmic base changing and striding out as the emotive melodies rise up and take your heart by storm, ultimately ending on a suitably cosmic foggy layer of space synth bliss.
So there you have it – a massive voyage through the career of arguably the finest, least heralded, synth musicians and pioneers that three decades of world-wide electronic music fans have had the privilege to enjoy – and he's sure as hell not finished yet......
PSI CORPS – Tekeli-Li CD
The side-project of Space Mirrors' multi-talented musician Alisa Coral and it's an instrumental album featuring herself on al things electronic and percussive plus Alien Dream guitarist Michael Blackman. In the tried and trusted traditions of Miss Coral's instrumental ventures into space, expect the unexpected!! The album starts with “Party At Barnard's”, a track that features a foreground cascading melody line that varies subtly and repeats itself so well, the melody sticks in your head like a musical box while underneath you have the sounds of deep slow riffing allied to shuffling percussive undercurrents that sound distinctly unnerving yet not so upfront as to distract from the main themes. This then leads into “On Board The Ariel” where the sound of Blackman's riffing guitar punches holes in the air as the sound of cascading, pealing, bell-like percussion adds to the textures while the addition of synths adds an almost discordant feel to the electro-percussive backdrop. Then the backdrop gives way to more traditional drumming as the guitar layers increase and the sound of a searing hot lead guitar moves slowly to the front. The result is a sound and solid slab of space-rock with the synths swooping all around for added effect. The pace is slower than normal space-rock, and you're getting something more like early Ash Ra Tempel than Hawkwind, which is really rather excellent, and as the track progresses you find yourself ever more immersed in its layers, the drumming especially excellent, but really superb playing all round and some incredible depths and textures, all remaining firmly melodic throughout the 10 minute, seriously addictive piece.
The 7 minute “On Board The Grampus” pretty well starts where the last one left, only this time slower, still multi-textured as the guitar echoes and chimes, percussives rattle and clatter and the synths provide that “out there” feel. Again, there's a sense of initial darkness to it as the synths swoop, the guitars shimmer and the whole piece slowly comes to life. It's like cosmic music for a really scary rollercoaster ride in slow motion. The feel remains hinting at rhythm rather than stating it as the instruments shiver and shudder, the intensity rising but never exploding. Next up is the 9 minute “Tsalal” with chattering electronics and percussion, a soaring electric guitar that rings out, flies and then starts to drive as the train ride of percussives gathers speed, and this combination of shimmering electronics, buzz-saw guitar riffing, red hot guitar leads and the insistent drive of the drumming, result in yet another track where melody prevails yet there is so much going on in the music, it's almost hard to take it all in, so that rather than concentrating on any element on first hearing, you let it all crash into you like some gloriously intense tidal wave. Then it all turns a corner as the rhythms gather steam and the lead guitar just takes off, then subsides into a more spacey textural deep bass river as the slow driving percussives provide the impetus. Gradually it climbs once more and the guitar sings, the electronics surround and the drumming is as addictive as ever – almost like vintage Agitation Free – just superb stuff!!
At nearly 9 minutes, “Further South” starts with an altogether warmer sea of electronics as the guitar kind of evolves into an echoed loop of ringing melody above the rich synth undercurrents, almost like Steve Hillage in parts. But the mood is still firmly on the side of early seventies Krautrock as the cosmic music turns into a sea of cyclical synth melodies, echoed, ringing electric guitars and tumbling percussive undertow, all totally hypnotic and transfixing you throughout, the shimmering, rising, falling, clattering and multi-textured arrangements sounding amazing, making what is essentially cosmic music into something altogether busier yet just as engaging, kind of like a bizarrely twisted Cosmic Jokers. The album ends with the 13 minute title track, starting with the heated space guitar of Blackman set against twinkling synth backdrops from Coral before a new guitar lead rings out, a driving guitar riff is added, the drums are heard in the distance, the piece starts to drive and things begin to layer and build, the whole thing now sounding mighty and promising much. More heated lead guitar is added as the drums drive forward and the sound is more akin to jamming band Djam Karet in parts. Just as you're expecting it all to break out, so it decelerates slightly, losing none of its red hot guitar-led magic, only then to build once more, the combination of melodic guitar against the train-like crunch of the percussives, a thing to savour. As a cross between great jamming electric rock bands and red hot seventies Krautrock-styled outfits, it's an absolute joy to hear, as the piece twists and turns through a myriad worlds, maintaining its grip on the theme and yet constantly engaging your attention throughout.
Overall, it's stunning – who'd have thought anyone could practically re-invent instrumental Krautrock and get away with it – yet Alisa has done just that.
DEAD MAN'S CROSSING – Tears Of A Dead Man CD Single
Any rock track that opens with as meaty a guitar riff as this, is bound to get your attention – that said band then launch into this beefy song that's got classic rock running right through its veins, is the icing on the cake. With a seriously strong vocalist in tow and some excellent harmonies that drive headlong into the song's hook, there's a sense of brooding that leads into the rising strength that then strides out into the rock expanse of the chorus, a sort of AOR Nickelback with touches of Pearl Jam, all the time underpinned by that morass of cutting, riffing guitars as the bass pummels away and the crunching drums propel the whole thing to effortless degree, all of so well produced, written and arranged, it makes you want to play it over and over again – a stunner!! The second track, “Ashes 2.0”, also begins with a meaty guitar riff, this time more circular, together with lone drum beats, but then the thing rises up with a second guitar leading the way as the bass kicks in and the drum intensity rises. For the song portion, they drop things down for the well sung, anguished vocals to deliver a seriously strong song with while the instrumentation blazes and dissipates as the song rolls along, that cyclical riff running through its veins like lifeblood, the rhythm section rolling forward and that Nickelback-esque chorus prominent in its intensity. Overall, two blinding tracks that make you salivate at the prospect of a full album.
THE GOOD NATURED – Be My Animal CD Single
The latin-esque rhythm that underpins this track is like something you'd have heard in the eighties, and the song isn't that far off either. But the intensity of delivery is a whole different kettle of indie-pop. The lead singer is a female with a deliciously rich and powerful voice as the song takes on the hues of a totally pop answer to vintage Curve. The rhythm is everything as that backing just drives into your head and is the pivot around which the song revolves – well, almost. The singer delivers the song with that stretched out vocal where mid-range suddenly flies higher and the verses take off into a chorus that's both dramatic and incredibly addictive, the extra layers of vocals adding a depth that completes one stunner of a picture, an indie-pop world where eighties and nineties crash head-on in the production glory of the now, where the strength of the song and the delivery, not to mention the dynamics and complexities of the arrangement, combine to provide a slice of heavy duty pop action that's got “memorability” and “enjoyment” firmly stamped on its magical whole. “Prisoner” starts in an altogether bouncier vein, as the vocals cascade over crunching beats and rivers of keys, distant guitar and a sea of harmony vocals. Then the whole thing crashes into this huge mass of musical production as the rhythms accelerate into a mix of eighties Siouxsie and nineties Curve, with the intensity of delivery fleshed out by the vastness of the arrangement and the ensuing sea of instrumentation, the whole thing – powerful lead vocals, angelic harmonies and a backing that sounds like a vastly more powerful answer to Kate Bush's “Running Up That Hill” - all deliver another absolute gem of a song.
HEY! TONIGHT – Don't Let It Get To You CD Single
South Wales quintet who play things on the heavier side of pop-punk with some beefy guitar work running through its veins as taut vocals really let rip on the verses and rise to the emotive anguish of the choruses while the arrangement is this fast-paced sea of guitars, choppy guitars, driving and stuttering rhythms, immense bass boom, searing heat guitar riffing and a song that just really takes you along for one wild ride that is just so catchy, yet so intensely enjoyable at the same time, the song and its arrangement cycling round and round inside your head. The second track, “Say I'm Sorry”, is still in the same vein only bouncier, with an initially whispered vocal over stuttering electric guitar leads as the rhythm section crashes in and another slice of incendiary pop-punk flares into life, carefully avoiding sounding like a cross between Blink 182 and Funeral For A Friend – but not by much. Two solid silver tracks which hopefully herald a similar, if slightly more varied, album.
NOSOUND – SOL 29 CD (2010 Remastered + Bonus Tracks)
Reissue, stunningly remastered, of the debut album by a guy who, on the evidence of this almighty, exquisite album, is all set to take the crown off prog-rock in general and Pink Floyd/Porcupine Tree in particular, and call it his own. This means that the near seven minute opener, In The White Air’, with its languid rhythms, gorgeous piano chords, richly textured synth flows and slightly accented Steve Wilson-esque vocals, all make you think of a guitar-less Porcupine Tree, although even this is remedied just after the five minute point, as a wicked, deeply buried, fuzz guitar lead emerges to complete an already wondrous musical picture. The keyboard work from piano and synths is absolutely flawless, played with such heart and melody. The four minute ‘Wearing Lies On Your Lips’ really IS the ghost of late nineties Porcupine Tree with a song that, once again languid, has all the atmosphere and glorious harmonies/textures as the drums crunch away and the song rises in to a gorgeous expanse of synhts, keys and guitars, the vocals on top fully languid and heartfelt, as the most superbly atmospheric track delivers a guitar break that any Pink Floyd classic of the mid seventies, would have been proud to call its own. A brief, near three minute, piano/synth instrumental heralds the arrival of the near ten minute ‘The Moment She Knew’, an instrumental that you can’t help thinking sounds initially like early seventies Pink Floyd with its towering organ chords shining and shimmering then it moves, via cosmic synth rivers and delightful guitar leads to an mood that's like any number of extended between-lyrics instrumental excursions from Porcupine Tree mixed with a more eloquent keyboard presence, but the whole feel and mood of the music is breathtaking throughout, as the mighty composition flows into your life with expression and emotion. A two minute atmospheric instrumental leads into the six minute song ‘Overloaded’ – starting with choral synth undercurrents, tasty acoustic guitars and those superb languid Floyd-style vocals as the sound of mellotrons adds a glorious touch before the rhythm section begins and a simply superb song unfolds its magic. The six minute ‘Broken Parts’ is similar only here the addition of a soaring electrifying lead guitar puts the icing on an already substantial cake and produces a song that is utter bliss. The near ten minute ‘Idle End’ which, although slightly slower, bears all the hallmarks of classic ballad-style Porcies, right down to the hushed, harmony vocals, although a faint trace of accent in there, working just a treat. The guitars chime, the synths are warm and enveloping, the mood heartfelt, the track slowly building and exotic, as the bass and drums come in and provide slow drive and simple rigidity. The sound billows out as the song continues, all quite beautiful and then it all takes off to wondrous effect, synths-led initially and then this incredible guitar solo just flies out of nowhere and takes your breath away for over a minute before the guitar allies with the re-emerging synths and wonderfully restrained rhythm section to slide in magical fashion through the instrumental finale. The near six minute Hope For The Future’ is another song, again languid, revolving around oceans of string synths and chiming acoustic guitars as the hushed vocals carry the lyrics, as it emerges, reveals and fades, before it’s into the final ten minute title track, an instrumental that starts off with atmospheric space synth flows, before adding synth choirs, string synths and deep rivers of bass, and it’s this canvas of sound that flows and builds then fades. The sort of album that gives a well-worn and jaded category that is “progressive rock” a whole new outlook and delivers something of great quality and distinction – but, however you put it, it’s a remarkable, consistent, self-assured, confident and totally enjoyable, long-term, debut album.
But that's not all......... the original album now comes with three extra tracks, the first of which is “Idae 14”, an instrumental that rises on waves of synths but with what sounds like what could be either a treated guitar or electronically derived bagpipe to give a sort of celtic feel to the proceedings before the huge sounding sonic canvas dies away. “The Red Song” opens with organ chords and deep bass, once again the early Floyd comparison, with a wonderful warm cosmic feel as the synth lead comes to the fore, the drums slowly crunch in the background, the chiming guitar sparkles and flies as the song piles layer upon exquisite layer to provide this slowly moving river of synths, violins, rhythms and guitar that's just astoundingly beautiful to hear. Finally, there's “The World Is Outside”, bringing this section to a supremely gorgeous close as a languid, full-sounding song takes flight on wings of synths, guitars, atmospheric vocals and mellotrons. There is also a second disc – a DVD – that features a lod of the original album mixes and four DVD promos from the album. All in all, it's fantastic, something that any self-respecting prog-rock fan, really has to own.
DEATH IN PLAINS – Life In The Woods CD-EP
I grabbed this because of the opening and title track, for its is a huge-sounding slice of uniqueness, opening with thudding, thumping bass and drum driven dance beats and this awesomely expansive sea of synthesizer from wall to wall as the vocal snippets are heard in the background and this massive wave of synths and rhythms drives so powerfully into existence. Then this phased, menacing vocal enters and what becomes a truly anthemic slice of industrial pop starts to take hold, all the while propelled by this mighty wall of electronics, pounding bass and driving drumming, the whole thing when turned up loud, making you want to leap about the place with reckless abandon as what is a solid pop song sounds like a head-on crash between Marilyn Manson and a bank of old analogue synthesizers, the effect being absolutely stunning. After this, “Animals” continues the dance factor, this time more accelerated, keeps the phased vocal, drops the immensity of the synths and provides a more rolling, more pop oriented slice of electro-disco that's also really addictive yet much less of a “blow you out of your seat” affair than the lead track, yet still a great slice of electro-pop for all that, sort of like Soft Cell-meets-Bronski Beat at a much faster pace. “Colourful” starts with wheezing synths and this juddering, hammering electronic drums rhythm as deep bass thunders, synths sizzle, swirl and drone on top, a synth hook starts to circle above the weird time signatures of the rhythms and the whole thing goes round and round before this more expansive, untreated, almost anthemic, angelic, vocal soars into the heavens above the massive ocean of juddering rhythms and huge-sounding electronics, again highly original, massive and mighty, albeit quite short. Things end with “Whirlwind” and, again, it's synth-driven piece, only this time adding guitars and sounding more like New Order, in fact, at times, uncannily like a cross between New Order, Electronic, David Bowie and The Cure, on a song that's got the first real chorus of the EP and which is one of THE most catchy slices of '80's-meet-contemporary, second decade, anthemic, electro-indie-pop that you'll have heard in the last few years. It's huge, it's dancey, it's solid, it's accessible, it's massive and it's an absolute winner of a pop anthem – so what the sodding hell the band are doing burying it as the last track on the EP, lord only knows. Overall, though, between track one and four, with two almost as great tracks in the middle, this is one stunner of an EP that you just have to own.
I AM HOPE – The Fabrication Of Secrets CD-EP
Second EP and what becomes immediately obvious is that the band are now making songs where everything counts – somehow it's all stripped down to ensure that not a note is wasted, not a note is out of place while, at the same time, having a huge, powerful sound on songs that take off like rocket ships. The EP opens with “Distractions”, as fine a slice of modern emo-rock as you'll find, starting with juddering guitars, crashing cymbals and burning riffs before suddenly turning a corner and dropping back to this bouncy rhythm from the bass and drums as the emotive, yearning vocal enters only then for this even more emotive vocal to come bursting in as the band erupt once more and this song lifts you up and off on an ever rising wave of stuttering rhythms, sizzling guitar riffs and multi-tracked harmony vocals. Without a chorus in sight, it intensifies and climbs as the whole performance glows and the band take a song that's so addictive for something so relatively uncommercial, further and further up the skies and into your heart. The lead vocal hardly pauses as it delivers the song with a fierce intensity as the band's dynamics really emphasizes the song's contrasts and, in just over four minutes, you feel like you've witnessed a kind of emo mini-anthem, “On Top Of The World” races away at the start as the band really cook, this time the guitars sounding denser, more expansive and more powerful as the twin lead vocals really holler out another adrenaline-rising song where leads and harmonies can't fail to make you feel every emotion they're going through as you raise your fists in the air and go wherever they want to take you. The rhythms crash and crunch, drive and burn while the guitar fire occupies this blazing wall of sound throughout what is one absolute blinder of a track and if you want an example of hard-rockin' emo that can't fail to make you feel that life really is worth living, then this is the one – a stunner!! “Queueing With The Animals” starts, sensibly after the last one, more sedately, and what comes along is a more restrained intro before the band then surge into a pleading, yearning, imploring song of lost love which possesses a kind of hook, but the way the song twists and turns into this hook via driving rhythms, expansive guitars riffs, almost metallic in their undercurrents, biting leads and huge-sounding lead and harmony vocals which tower over the songs to perfection, all of this delivers yet another epic of a track that appears, in a good way, like the preceding pieces, to last a good deal longer than the actual time suggests, so well do this band pack it all in. “Serenade”, again, starts sedately, but then explodes into another four minute slice of powerful songwriting, this time the riffs and rhythms, bouncing around and cascading, attacking and dropping back, swirling and driving, as the vocals really let rip on a hard-driving song that rocks, so contemporary and so epic sounding at the same time, leaving nothing to chance and with a sound wider than the Grand Canyon, at times even outdoing the likes of Snow Patrol as they sail into this mighty chorus that's as uplifting as it is decelerated. Finally, there's “Shameless” and here we end things as you'd expect with a near four minute slice of riffing, rhythmic, driving, biting and surging playing from the rhythm section and the towering wall of guitars, while the impassioned, solid, huge-sounding vocals deliver a song that' through its power and dynamics, real hooks and chorus, is THE track to close the CD and, arguably, the finest track so far on what's been one wild ride through seriously great songwriting, arranging and playing.
KYSHERA – Paradigm CD
Welsh rock in a new disguise. This band's second album takes you on a whole new trip through a world of emotions and dynamics. For a start, they open with a kind of mantra, before going into the first song proper, and here you get a slowly menacing lead vocal alternating with rising anguished vocals as the singer lets loose this stream of observational lyricism over a backing that's choppy, twisting, solid, hard-hitting, soft, biting – hell, you name it, they do it. The song is they thing – and that's the case throughout the album – so that such complex arrangements as in evidence here, become the norm over 12 tracks where it's the singer that hooks you in and the lyrics that become so important. That said, the band rocks, although it is a much more angular rock than you might be used to hearing. The third track starts in a blaze of guitar-driven heat before things drop back for the vocalist to enter as jangly guitars and choppy drums back the initial flow of verse before the whole thing takes off but in a more controlled way than you'd think with rhythms, guitars and textures flying up then dropping back then moving sideways, always on the move as the song progresses. When the track suddenly provides what''s literally only a few seconds of a blistering guitars break, it's a welcome respite from the intensity of the song as a whole. On the fourth track, things begin with a more riff-based intro as the song erupts, again, dropping back for the initial burst of singting, only then to refuel for a roaring riffing ride through the rest of the verse, alternating the two as the song continues, the vocalist always on top and always the main focal point. The fifth track starts slowly with just piano and vocal, as things slowly build with chunky drums, rumbling bass and distant guitars, threatening to erupt but then doing it slowly as the track begins to build and the piano adds the melodic edge to the guitar attack which eventually arrives as a lead break soars against the piano, and the song climbs ever higher. So it goes throughout the album – a kind of mega-arranged set of tracks which convey intensity, density and angst by the truckload, a band that are unafraid to take their rock down avenues that few would tread, a singer whose raw approach adds real snarl to the songs but, on the downside, the band couldn't write a memorable chorus if their lives depended on it, although that's not the name of the game here, and at times I wish they wouldn't use the piano as it waters the effect of the guitars. But, overall, adventurous stuff for the rock fan who wants something different into which to sink their teeth.
CALL THE DOCTOR – For Your Leisure CD-EP
Bristol based band with a female singer playing what's largely a souped-up brew of power pop that really grabs you right from the start whilke still managing to conform to something that you're not going to tire of playing.
Things open with the title track where things are propelled initially on rhythm section and sedate guitar before the vocals really lift off and the guitars catch fire on a slice of urgent pop-punk that goes from brooding to passionate as it progresses. The female vocalist really shows a vocal range and sense of drama that really grabs your attention, as the band soar through a flowing song with a staccato chorus that eventually breaks out into a guitar-driven slice of power. “Running With Scissors” is even better with a a greater vocal range from verses to chorus, much more of a flow to the song, seriously riffing guitars, chunky rhythms and one scorcher of a power pop song. “Gregory You're A Star” starts with a more down-to-earth approach as a more restrained verse with a seriously Curve-like vocal then takes off like a rocket into the towering wordless chorus as the lead guitar rings out and the rhythm section propel this mighty, chunky driving track straight to your heart. By now, all three tracks have proved to be every bit as memorable as they are addictive and forceful. “Four Foot Two” starts with purpose and angst, slower and more impassioned, a taut lead vocal leading into the band-driven chorus that rises to a point then drops back to the more sedate but almost menacing verses. Throughout this and what's gone before you'll hear elements of Blondie, Primitives, Darling Buds and classic nineties female-led power pop bands. This one's just as addictive and catchy as what's gone before only with more swing and cyclical arrangements, not to mention the ringing guitar work that sings out as the track progresses.
“Fit To Dance” takes you back from anthem to bouncy burner as another impassioned vocal leads the way on another driving power pop gem, yet again chorus and verses rising up and taking off with all the strength that you've now come to expect as the vocal paves the range from high pitched huskiness to all-out mid-range attack on the choruses. Finally, at over 6 minutes long, “Little Bones” ends the EP giving you a high-energy does of all that's come before, only this time adding even more strength to the bounce, even more flare to the chiming guitar leads, a wide vocal range from a sultry whisper to a rocket-fuelled, multi-tracked chorus.
Overall, it's one seriously infectious set of songs that, once caught, will be with you forever – and it won't hurt a bit.
STONE RUN – II CD-EP
“Open Air” opens the proceedings from this Sheffield band and, almost immediately, reveals a band capable of unleashing a storm as big, beefy, dirty riffs are propelled by driving rhythms on a deliberate rock assault, as the singer really lets loose with a seriously emotional delivery as the guitars surge ahead on beds of riffs and leads, the singer supplying verses and choruses that range from slowly brooding to mighty bite as the cyclical arrangement turns verses into searing heat choruses as one scorcher of a track crunches through a brief flare of electric guitar lead before tearing you apart with the angst and rollercoaster force as it all dives to the finish. “Scissor Choice” starts with a squall of electric guitar over dramatic rhythm section work before the whole thing takes off on yet more beefy guitar riffs, this time a more brooding, impassioned vocal stutters and strides the verses into this rocket ship of a chorus as the singer really flies over the bouncy and chunky rhythms, tumbling beats and wah wah guitar, on yet another rolling thunder of a track with more guitar intensity and an even more heated lead break. “Innocence” starts off in more introspective territory with a deep feeling vocal slowly rising against percussive tinkles, as bass wells up from below, choppy guitar chords emerge and the singer takes it slowly and gradually piles on the intensity and venom on a song that uses dynamics and drama more than out and out power for its undoubted mid-paced, full-sounding strident might, but still manages to end up as a great rock anthem with some seriously fine lead guitar work throughout. The EP ends on “This Is Real”, this time an extended intro initially rising in on waves of mid-paced guitars before the bass pounds, the drums crunch, the guitars set into riff mode and the vocals, single and multi-tracked lead this surge of rock rhythm and scorching guitar through a solid, mid-paced, lifting off anthem of a track, a world of rock where pigeon-holing is totally impossible and it emerges as just one rock solid, good-time slice of dramatic, driving rock with a contemporary indie flavour.
THIS FALLEN EMPIRE – The World Will Fall CD
The first thing you have to say about this new Leicester-based heavy metal band, is that they sure know how to begin an album. With a blazing dual guitar-led instrumental intro which burns right from the start, as the rhythm section rockets and the guitars are on fire, this band grabs hold of you and makes it known that they mean business. Then, when this segues into the first song that is the title track, things hot up even more as this whirlpool of searing heat guitar riffing, scythes back and forth before the rhythm section starts to motor, the track drives forward as though its life depended on it, and finally, the lead vocals appear, a wild ride of anguish and anger with a mid-range pitch that cuts right through, the presence of harmony vocals on the chorus adding to the depth of the track, as this rip-roaring slice of Classic Rock really takes off, the pace twisting and turning to perfection as the song weaves a solid path to rock intensity, unafraid to use dynamics as an unexpected acoustic moment sets in, rests a spell, then erupts back into the chorus.
“Screaming Out Loud” starts with more riffing intensity, this time a mid-paced arrangement with suitably gravelly vocal, resulting in a song that would be a dead ringer for Forfar band The Trade, with whom this track bears more than a passing resemblance, totally coincidental it has to be said, but amazingly close, nevertheless. This time it's a veritable anthem of a track, as the song builds, the guitars burn and smoulder and the rhythm section propels the whole thing along. “I Need A Hero” then explodes once more and another slice of searing heat hard rock is unleashed with a slightly faster pace than before, the powerful vocal, really letting loose on anguished verses and pleading choruses, all the time the guitars sounding absolutely vast at the back as they blaze like a forest fire, the rhythm section really hammering it all out, dependable, solid and tight. “Best I've Found” is blazing rock delivered by a guy with a seriously gravelly vocal, propelled by a surge of electric guitars that's riffing heaven and strengthened by the crunch of a rhythm section who can really rock, while the extra dynamics come courtesy of a distant crisp acoustic guitar that comes and goes from the mix, although, for the mostpart, this is rip-roaring rock with a hook and authority, glowing with guitar heat from every pore and one stunner of a track.
“Show You The World” is less intense, more of a solid mid-pace, the vocalist more of an emotional yearning this time as the band stomps along and the song flows to a chorus that you know is coming and, when it arrives in a hail of riffing guitar intensity, the effect is breathtaking before the song drops back to the muscular serenity of the verses, once again a distant acoustic guitar adding extra crispness as the arrangement of verse into uplifting rock anthem chorus, rolls round once again on another blinder of a track, with mighty guitars at its heart. “Choices” once again strides into life on a tidal wave of guitars, only this time, it drops back rather than takes off, as the upfront gravelly emotion of the singer deliverrs the verses against ringing guitars, only then for the band to blaze even brighter than at any time on the album so far as this huge explosion of mid-paced riffing electric guitars takes hold against the power and relative restraint of the rhythm section, on another anthem that's rock, indie and emotion wrapped into one addictive slice of rock 'n' roll heaven.
After this, almost amazingly, there are a further 7 tracks that, even more amazingly, all glow with the quality, intensity, density, thunder, twin guitar attack, blazing riffing, solid rhythms and that distinctive anguish of a vocal, all combining to provide an album that really takes hold as one of the best debut studio-recorded metal albums from an English unsigned band in a long while, such is the quality of the songs, the writing, the playing and the delivery as the band doesn't drop off the scale for one second.
AFTER THE ORDEAL – After The Ordeal CD-EP
Only been in existence 18 months but have already played the Download Festival and received strong critical acclaim from the rock and metal press. So, deciding to go it alone, they've released their new EP on their own label. The right thing to do? Oh yes!!
What you'll find here are 6 tracks of consummate modern angst-fuelled, emo-hardcore with a commercial edge that rocks. The album opens with “With A Pinch Of Salt Part 1 + 2” chiming, melodic guitar that ripples away before deep bass and strong but sparing drums are added for strength ass the opening 2 minute instrumental flows with warmth before with a searing crash of riffing, the guitars catch fire and roar before dropping back to a soft end then it's barely a pause for breath before this angst-ridden vocal emerges as the band gather strength, then rise to this adrenaline-fuelled, multi-tracked sea of lead and harmony vocals on a chorus that takes off like a rocket before getting back to the verses, as the band constantly vary the background arrangements to give the track propulsion and invention but not interrupting the rushing tide of hooks and verses that hits you like a welcome wave on a burning hot beach. It's commercial hardcore metal at its best. “The End Never Comes” veritably roars into life with power packed riffing, searing leads and driving rhythms as that sneer of a vocal sings to perfection, the whole thing a mix of Funeral For A Friend and Blink 182 and just one racing sensation of a track with a chorus that takes off like a rocket, verses to match, an intensity from guitar riffs and leads that will leave you breathless and mighty, varied work from the juggernaut rhythm section. “I Believe In You” starts a little more sedately with deep electric guitar before, with an almighty crunch, in comes the band and vocalist on a tidal wave of a track with another massive chorus and huge expanse of lead and harmony vocals, produced, as is all the EP, to perfection, and crunching away with might and muscle as the singer alternately sings and hollers in the most metallic track so far, but one that never loses sight of its memorable commercial core that's right at the centre of things. “Into The Dark” similarly erupts only this time more varied, from staccato riffing to flowing rivers of emo-core, huge vocals towering over driving backing and vast depth to the singing as well as bite and angry emotion. Finally, things go a tad more relaxed for the intro to “Other Sides” but it takes only a few seconds for the singer to come in with a pleading, yearning vocal before the band then crash in and a new river of anthemic hardcore swagger drives forward with might, muscle and intensity, the whole thing as vast as the ocean and glowing like the sun. All in all, one magnificent slice of pop-rock, emo, hardcore metal mix that works a treat and is as listenable as it is rousing, guaranteeing many hours to come of spine-tingling listening pleasure.
THE FOXES – Depression, Joy & A Moment Of Fame CD-EP
The title track opens a 4-tracker and immediately one word springs to mind - “happy”!! This band are insanely happy – you can tell this by the way the initial burst of acoustic guitar briskly strums as the vocals come in urgently before the band then cfome in as the bass dives and soars, the crisp stick work from the drummer propels it neatly and the song rises into a quick hook before dropping back to the verses as this pattern is repeated sprightly before going into this huge chorus of a middle bit and by now you're convinced you're in Supergrass or Boo Radleys territory but it sound right up to date and more focused. After this, “Something About You” carries on the happy feeling only more strung out, less urgent, as the pleading lead vocal sails into harmonies on a song more akin to a 2010 Beatles or Stackridge, particularly the latter, and you could almost imagine this as having been on a modern version of their classic “Man In The Bowler Hat” album – but a great song crisply, strongly played and arranged with exquisite harmonies and bounces along wonderfully. “No Reply” starts as a ballad with slowly rippling guitar, yearning upfront lead vocal and just as you're convinced it's gonna turn into a cabaret number, it veers more towards a Beach Boys-meets-Pursuit Of Happiness territory as the band comes in strongly and a classic slice of anthemic summery indie pop-balladry ensues, again worthy of the best that the TPOH band had to offer. Finally, the EP ends with “Country Low” , a slowly reflective observationally personal lyric, slowly building through deliberate bass, chugging drums, a low-down guitar riff and a sardonic vocal, all leading to an uplifting chorus as brief as it is wide open and shiny, before it's back to the Beatle-esque verses, rising to another slice of classic Pursuit of Happiness styled mid-paced power pop, the whole thing then gathering even more strength on the most high-flying section of the song, as chorus becomes finale and the thing ends as it began. Truly, this is one absolutely stupendous example of summer, that sounds great in any season, for it is songwriting at its happiest, hopefully heralding much more than merely a moment of fame.
(THE) GLIMMER ROOM – I Remain CD
There are 9 tracks on here but that's irrelevant. This is a CD – no, correct that; this is a work of art – which you place in your player of choice, press “play”, lie back, close your eyes and enter a whole new world of electronic music bliss. But, before you're thinking “oh no, not another cosmic/space synth album”, let me tell you that this is a symphony of sound, but it's not orchestral, it's not classical; in fact, it's not anything other than genuinely heart-warmingly gorgeous. From its opening of almost choral synth majesty, via delicate rhythms that tread carefully so as not to break the mood, you are placed into this warm, enveloping cocoon of flowing synth splendours and multi-layered travelling, where none of the layers stand still, everything is heard, nothing is hurried, nothing is wasted. At its heart is melody, simplicity as grandeur, sensitivity as strength. More choral layers wander in and out as a deep, distant bass synth river provides far-off foundations on which the synth melodies and soundscapes weave and flow.
From nowhere, a siren call heralds the sound of monks chanting – briefly – before a mix of seventies Germanic cosmic layers and more spatially filling choral synths are layered to provide something the likes of which only Constance Demby at her most electronically spiritual could hope to rival, as this huge mesh of flowing, cosmic vastness, rises up with strength and purpose. To this are added deep bass as melody, synth melodies as glorious as the cosmic universe that surrounds and it all coalesces into this church-like synthesized slice of pure inspiration and jaw-dropping beauty, again, melodic but not “sweet”. The density subsides as glittering stars of pule-like rhythms sparkle out whereupon the lead synths weave a more icy path, only to be joined by the tinkling or electro-percussives as though heralding a sleigh ride through the tundra, and it all begins to drive forward on layers of percussive heartbeats, huge flowing synth layers and the sparkle of the melodies and rhythms. When finally, a string synth layer is added, the journey is up and running and the magical postcard picture is complete. Eventually, after a lengthy trip, the journey ends slowly, as the bass layers take over, then the chunkiness of rhythm takes up from the intensity of the synth flow as this wondrous chilled-out sea of bliss and beats
comes into play. But rather than taking an ambient path, the musician elects to stay on the overtly “synth music” trail, adding more heartfelt melodies of depth and strength, not forgetting a slowly rising, almost distant, lead synth, which, allied to all the other layers, makes for another spellbinding sea of musical excellence. Via a short linking piece we move back to choral splendour, but this time a combination of immensely beautiful, simple piano chords and a descending synth line, added to the vastness of the flowing synth backgrounds, conjure images of a more cosmic answer to the “Tropic of Capricorn” (I think) track on Edgar Froese's “Ages” album as more layers of keyboard, synths, bass and percussives all join hands and slowly rise in mystical, majestic wonder, ending the album with this huge plume of mighty multi-textured, melodic, rhythmic, strong and streaming synth music perfection. No more need be said – for this is a truly remarkable album of electronic music beauty at its finest.
REV 78 – Killing Me CD-EP
The lead track is like a modern indie answer to a cross between Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet. Surprisingly, from that comparison, it's good stuff, too. There's a real emotive angst to the vocals that drives through the short verses and rises to an alternately intense and soft hook, all set against solid, mid-paced rhythm section and an ocean of guitars. The hook is repeated to ensure it stays in your head and the depth of sound is breathtaking, on what is a track that gets better and better the more you play it, so full of feeling and yet everything that indie-pop is all about. “Lullaby” is more contemporary and is an absolutely superb ballad drenched in ringing, chiming, crystalline guitars, slow-paced drums and distant cosmic depth as the simply wondrous vocal delivers the verses with soaring emotion as the vocal goes from mid to high pitch in a heartbeat, and back again. Guitar intensity briefly rises from the depths before reverting back to the song, as the drums strengthen and the guitars spiral, before finally ending with a whisper. Utterly brilliant and a track you'll play and play and play. The EP ends with a dance remix of the title track that, unsurprisingly, puts it into a whole new dimension, works a treat and shows that no matter what you wrap it up in, a great song remains a great song – and when it's delivered by such a great vocalist, is even more stunning than you could have hoped. The mix itself is primarily keyboard based, giving it even more of a retro-feel than before, which is why it works so well, and arguably the finest track that never came out of the eighties. Overall, though, an EP to be treasured.
STOWAWAY – Stuck On Verse Two CD
Eleven tracker from what's predominantly an electro-acoustic band, but what's also alarmingly original too.
Anyway, we start with “Time Is An Enemy Of Love” with Latino acoustic guitars, a seriously mediterranean feel, high-pitched vocals to add to the effect and in the midst of all this, a burst of Fripp-like guitar sustain out the back, warm if a little unorthodox. Then comes the title track which is an absolutely gorgeous ballad, with emotive, mid-range vocals delivering the verses, and more high-pitched lead and harmony vocals delivering a beautiful chorus, all set to the most sparing of backings from delicate guitar, deep bass and, presumably, string synth, on what is an absolutely fantastic track. Up next is “The World's Gunner Fall In Love With You”, starting with crisply strummed acoustic guitars, wordless, high-pitched harmonies, as that male lead vocal sort of croons and intones the verses, while the guy with the impossibly high vocal acts as counterpoint on what is more an adjunct to the verses rather than a hook. The guitars warm up, the almost distant orchestral-like backing fills out the sound and the spirit of a band such as Luva Anna rears its head on what is a really good slice of drifting, driving balladry. “User” has more latino guitars, somewhat out of focus multi-range harmonies, verses delivered with a combination of the two vocals and it just sounds wrong – plain wrong – cod opera gone horribly awry, comes to mind, or operatic-feeling folk, to be more accurate – not good!! “Down The Drain” gives more of the same only more sprightly with bongos, acoustic guitars, deep bass and the now trademark dual vocals at respective pitches. It all sounds very “70's” and anyone into the smokehaze psychedelia of early seventies folk, will probably really get something out of this – bit like a cross between Pentangle and The Incredible String Band!!! “Lost In Time”, thankfully, picks things up a bit where the mix of the two vocal ranges largely works on a reflective song that comes over as a wistful ballad before going into one of those story-telling songs of love gone wrong with added accompaniment from organ and shuffling drums to add to the acoustic guitars and strings, on what turns out to be a really beautiful song, a bit MOR, maybe, but still very very tasty. I think you gather what this is all about by now – the other 6 tracks are very similar to all the good bits that have gone before, and, barring those two lapses in the first third, it's a dreamy album for anyone into warm-sounding acoustic balladry that's easily accessible and very lightweight.
SECRET SAUCER - Tri-Angle Waves CD
Third album from the floating band of American instrumental space-rockers for which the core unit this time would appear to be synthesists Dave Hess, Greg Kozlowski and Steve Hayes. Not only that, but the line-up here would make most fans of bands such as Tangerine Dream, Ozric Tentacles, Cosmic Jokers and similar, go weak at the knees just to see – lengthy tracks, one 13 minute epic, featuring four musicians on synths, 2 guitarists, bassist and drummer, two tracks featuring just 3 or 4 synthesizer players per track, and so it goes. This mouth-watering prospect is fully justified when you start to listen. “Night Encounter” opens things up with a sea of space-psych synths going into classic early seventies cosmic territory, before the 9 minute “A Sublime Metaphor” provides more strength and depth, this time a slowly moving ice-flow of drumming and deep bass, propelling a universe of space synths through which the electric e-bow guitar from Greg Kozlowski cuts through and a slowly searing heat of guitar provides this almost textural lead as all around the drums begin to tumble and resonate, the bass acting as the foundation on which it all resides, rippling echoes of piano giving a sort of Grateful Dead-meets-Cosmic Jokers feel to the piece as the whole thing weaves its psychedelic way to the furthest reaches of your mind. Following this, Greg bows out to be replaced by guitarists Steve Taylor and Steve Hayes, as three synth players and rhythm section drive headlong into the longest track on the album and, at near 16 minutes, “Protoplasmic Accelerator” justifies every second of its existence with as strong and streaming a slice of instrumental psychedelic rock as anything the Ozric Tentacles released at their peak. The depth of sound is immense thanks to the three – sometimes four – synth musicians, while the twin guitars glow, soar and shimmer throughout the track, often burning with fierce heat, occasionally more into the feel of something like 1970-era “Dark Star”-styled Dead, only decidedly more from a space-rock background than anything, while the rhythm section keeps it all flowing at a sedate pace that allows the full expanse of the music to come through. Then the guitar moves into this wonderful Daevid Allen-styled glissando guitar lead before being joined by the swooping and diving lead guitar as the space synths swoop and soar all around, Briefly the bass rises in the mix to give a feel and sound more akin to classic early seventies jamming Agitation Free, and the sheer feel, sound and emotion of the track takes you right back to the glory days of the seventies to wondrous effect. After this, there's nearly nine minutes of “Approaching Hunab Ku” where just the three synthesists – Hayes, Hess and Kozlowski – create a shimmering, swirling, spacey, cosmic, always travelling, sea of electronic density, a world where layers travel over layers, as you journey to the edge of the galaxy in timeless fashion. After this synth nirvana, the 8 minute “Light Years Away” continues, in feel, sound and pace, where “Protoplasmic” left off, as rhythm section, 4 synth players and Steve Taylor playing an electric mandolin that, for all the world, sounds more like a psychedelic electric guitar, provide, this time, and even stronger, more forceful sound than before. The pace is still solid and sedate, the drumming crunchy and tumbling, the bass booming out, the synths soaring and diving all around the mix, but that mandolin plays some of the most heated electric guitar-sounding leads you'll hear, and the effect is one of psych/space-rock bliss as the track treads its path, nothing ever stays in one place, there's constant musical movement and the endless sea of synths, drums, bass and “guitar” are simply to die for. The album ends with near 13 minutes of “Mind Mechanics”, back to the 4 synth players, rhythm section and two lead guitarists line-up for what amounts to one amazing, searing, slow-burning, atmospheric, potent and strongly flowing slice of instrumental cosmic rock at its finest. Overall, as faultless as instrumental psychedelic rock as it's possible to get and easily the most consistent and cohesive album they've done to date – and the first two were incendiary albums, which shows just how stunning this one is. Forget the Ozrics – old hat, now – this is where the real music's still residing.
STONE PREMONITIONS 2010 – The Clowning Achievement CD
There are 8 tracks on this album between 5 and 14 minutes long with the core trio of Tim Jones on vocals and guitars, Terri B (female) on vocals and Dave Hendry (Transequence, O-Head) on all synths, keyboards and sequencing, aided and abetted by various people on bass and drums. What you have, musically, is one of the most “out there” examples of psychedelic rock that you'll hear, but one where the worlds of Gong, Daevid Allen, Ozric Tentacles, the early nineties “festi bands” and Zorch, all combine to create this unique sounding set of tracks. The album begins with the 9 minute “Perpetual Motion”, space synths setting the scene as vocoded vocals intone their stuff above a river of bass drone until sequencers fire up and the rhythm section kicks in. With a swirling guitar riff added to the fray, Tim's nasally English-answer-to-Daevid Allen styled vocals deliver the song with authority as the track reveals verses and choruses that are insistent and all given a blissful psych-rock treatment, with the core strength of the band striding out as the song portion continues ever on. Somewhat uniquely, the song dominates throughout and there are no actual leads or solos anywhere along the way, but there is a huge depth of sound that makes up for that. The 5 minute “Out of Sight Out Of Mind” is introduced with percussive electronic beats and fx plus an other worldly alien vocal before this classic slice of Ozrics-styled psych-rock bursts into life with a cascading lead guitar and beefy riffs, while the rhythms lurch and Tim's urgent, almost Alex Harvey-meets-Kevin Coyne-esque vocals, deliver the song with bite and strength as the track rolls forward to stunning effect, relating the lyrics with passion. At 8 minutes, “The Judas Kiss” takes us down an altogether different path with reggae-ish beats dominating the space synth swoops, the psychdelic riffs and the soaring synth fx as the instrumental opening gives way to a song that features upfront reggae bass, stuttering drums and cymbals, a lyric delivered with a decided sense of cynicism and sarcasm, sung almost menacingly, as the synths gather and space comets swoop and soar as organ-like riffs cascade like raindrops from the skies. With plenty of echo on the vocals, that are also quite far-off, there song moves through a wide array of twists and turns while still largely keeping to its reggae foundations, albeit definitely psychedelic rock at the same time and one gem of a song and huge sounding, sedate yet powerful arrangement. “Down By The River” (not the Neil Young song!!) is not the most memorable track in the world, still in keeping with the album's feel but just a bit faceless. It bounces along on percussive and electronic beats with space synths swooping all around and echoed vocals and fx appearing along the way while bursts of riffing guitar punctuate the proceedings. The vocals are given the Allen styled treatment and, on second hearing, I have to say that it's not as emotionless as I first thought, so that while there's no real hook or chorus, the way it strides forward is highly reminiscent of the most psychedelic of Daevid Allen offerings, and actually nearly works despite the rather self-indulgent bits along the way. The 13 minute “Infinite Potentialities” is a towering instrumental that showcases synthesist and keyboards man Dave Hendry, with Tim on guitar, and the result is a vast universe of space electronic, blissful psychedelic, teutonic synthscapes and cosmic rock. The last three tracks average around 7 minutes a throw, with “In The Image” definitely a song yer not gonna hear on the radio as Tim delivers a solid psych-rock song with venemous and strongly worded lyrical bite, above a lurching sea of rhythms and spiralling guitar riffs plus soaring synths. The irony here about the radio play bit is that, with its female vocal dominated chorus and hook, it's actually the most commercially memorable song on the whole album, one of those songs and riffs that really sits in your head long after it's gone and a song that you get the feeling Daevid Allen or Gilli Smyth would have been overjoyed to come up with. The beautiful cosmic synths dominated finale comes as a welcome surprise too. “Why Are We Here” is a slower slice of songwriting and arranging, initially taking you into a world of mystery before this huge rhythm and surge of psych guitar kick in as the vocals roll forward with strength and a menacing dual-vocal chorus is added to the cauldron of smouldering guitars, bass and drums. The vocals, as throughout the album, exhibit a vast lyrical, personal and political imagery, as the predominantly electric (as opposed to partly electronic) song drives forward. The album ends with “Give Us Back Our Heaven” and here we start with an almost disco-ish rhythm as the drums and bass shuffle along, but it turns out to be more Can-meets-trance and that's a thing to be welcomed, trust me! The whole vast rhythm races along in addictive fashion as layers of synths are added, the vocals enter, lower in the mix and multi-tracked, as the sequencer/drums/bass-dominated rhythms stride along, giving the song a great sense of movement and depth. Tabla beats are also added as the mystical Kraut-trance rhythm rolls inexorably forward to delicious degree. Punctuated by the vocals, it's the rhythm that you notice most and one that proves practically irresistible. But that's not to lose sight that this a rolling, well arranged song with depth and confidence, as the now almost Moroder-esque sequencers drive headlong into your consciousness and turn into Banco De Gaia-esque downtempo beats, as magical a last track as you could have hoped. So, overall, apart from one track needing a few more listens, this is one highly successful superbly produced, written and played and, above all, refreshing, slice of psychedelic electronic rock that's around today and one, for all its unique qualities, deserves to be heard.
KINN - Kinn CD-EP
Birmingham band's debut EP and it's solid rock that follows a long line of legendary Midlands metal mayhem. The lead track, “”Want Me Need Me” is unleashed with all the firepower of a great “Classic Rock” band and lives up to its moniker with a strong vocalist delivering verses and choruses with passion and purpose as the hook sinks its claws in, while the band roar into life with a furious sea of swirling guitar riffs, juddering leads, thundering bass and driving drumming, the whole song racing along the highway into the multi-tracked vocal that delivers the energetic, memorable chorus as the rock rages all around. Without a break, it's right into “Hole World Down” as the roaring riffing and rhythms, that huge sounding chorus give way to a searing slice of electric slide guitar, red hot sparkling lead guitar and impassioned vocals as the rhythm section drives in and propels this massive slice of metal riffing and dramatic drumming into another dimension, all on a track that's actually even better than the opener, the massive metal beast armed with even more strength, one hell of a memorable chorus, even tastier, gutsier rock guitar leads and riffing and a vocalist that's got this rock solid voice which fits the songs like a glove, unleashing a huge performance of songs that are Classic Rock in every way, and this is an absolute, 100% surefire gem of a track, easily the best and most essential listening track on the EP and, also, a track that would give many a more famous metal band a run for its money. Things end with “All Alone”, initially just emotive vocals and jangly, melodic lead guitar that plays this cyclical riff which hooks you in. As the vocal intensifies and takes on more harmonies, the drums crunch in, the bass pounds and a more mid-paced slice of almost English “AOR” emerges, only then for the guitars to fire up, the rhythm section up the anti, the vocalist to take off with intensity and passion as the track once again takes off and this roaring slice of Thunder-meets-Whitesnake rock attack draws you inexorably into its world. It drops back a notch then lets rip with a swirling lead guitar break that's electrifying, pure Classic Rock writing and arranging but sounding so fresh and exciting in these guys' hands. In short, one gem of an EP.
ANUBIS - Waking The Dead CD
It's the band's second album and features thirteen tracks and, for those unfamiliar with them, we're talking a female-fronted metal quartet from the West Midlands. The question you might now be asking yourself is something along the lines of “are we talking Nightwish/Within Temptation area” or yer traditional female fronted metal band? Well, the answer is neither and both – because the reason this really is such a great album is that it combines the best of both those worlds but without any of the extremities of either. For, what you have here is an album where the guitar rules – no synths or keyboards or suchlike – and so you might now be thinking that it's not up there with the greats of female-fronted gothic rock. But you'd be wrong – for it bears all the hallmarks of what makes a hot album in that area. The female vocal is strong, pure, crystal clear and soars every time you hear it. It's every bit up there with the legends and that's saying something. But there's also use of a male vocal and he's fairly straight forward, equally dramatic, good voice, used sparingly but effectively and a neat balance to the dominance of the female vocalist who flies out of most of the songs in the vein of the aforementioned bands. Instrumentally, the rhythm section is as solid as you'd expect, injecting the songs with all the necessary propulsion, power, dramatics and dynamics that such music demands, while the electric guitar work riffs and solos to incendiary degree, always present and always dominant, yet incredibly varied while consistently electrifying. Then there are the songs – many are subtly explosive, directly powerful, occasionally complex, but always structured with lyrics that have a tale to tell or an observation to make. Although only a few of the songs have what you'd call a traditional commercial hook or chorus, of which the opener is one of the best examples of those that have, they manage to keep you hooked from start to finish. What makes this work so well is that – and here we come full circle – this is a true metal album and yet exhibits all the range and grandeur of the finest gothic rock albums. It's superbly produced and, if you had to make a criticism, arguably lacks a slight depth on some of the vocals which, in parts, would have served well for some extra harmonies, But that's being ultra picky on what is to all intents and purposes a searing heat example of red hot guitar work, high-flying vocals and solid songs into which you can really sink your fangs.
RED IS COVER - Better Ways To Burn CD
An indie-rock quintet where at times there can be three guitarists at work, is a most enticing prospect indeed. That they also have keyboards, strong lead vocals, crackin' harmonies, songwriting and arranging skills of the highest order and more, are just a few reasons why you should buy this CD.
Things kick off in fiery fashion as the triple guitar attack launches into life with a molten sea of riffing as the drums rumble in and the whole thing lifts off in a spiral of pounding bass, rising lead guitar, and then drops back to reveal this achingly emotive vocal, soaring majestically above the ringing guitar delicacy, throbbing bass and gently lurching drums. Harmonies add depth as the distant riffing ebbs and flows before crashing on the shore, only to drop back briefly then erupt once again as the vocals climb higher and it all just glows. There's a real yearning quality to the angst-ridden emotion of the vocals as you listen intently to the flood of guitars, chiming leads, staccato drums and deep, deep bass. Through an instrumental break, a brief flare of lead guitar and soaring wordless chorus, the band cook up a storm that really electrifies you every time you listen to what is a quite lengthy track.
“Zenith For A Newborn” starts more sedately with rolling drums, gently layered chiming guitars, deep and distant bass rumble, as the vocal sort of sidles in, sounding almost distant, but absolutely emotional for all its far-off winsome qualities. Slowly the guitar machine begins to burn as the sound of dual riffs and leads sparking off and duelling with each other, really comes into play, the result being this extended instrumental break that's choc full of layers as leads, riffs, more riffs, rhythms and propulsive drive usher in a stronger, more upfront and intense vocal, only for the band to drop by as sampled effects are added to the canvas, before the track ends on a lone vocal for maximum effect. “Why Do We Fall” begins with ringing, chiming guitars over deep bass as the drums crash in dramatically and the track takes off like a rocket, fuelled by fiery guitar riffs of a more staccato nature, the pounding bass and crunching drums driving the blaze of guitars onwards and upwards to jaw-dropping degree. In from nowhere comes the vocal, strong and pure, emotive and impassioned, as the song intensifies and the massed ranks of guitars and rhythm section catch fire and burn so brightly, never losing sight of the dynamics that make the almost delicate vocal sound both strong and airy at the same time. Throughout all the tracks you've heard so far there's this mighty mix of strength and passion, dominated by an absolutely amazing ocean of electric guitars, as it ends abruptly. “Collapsing Skies” is a slower but no less powerful slice of heartfelt indie-aor balladry with rippling piano, strong drumming and solid bass, eventually joined by the guitars, as the emotive vocals fly overhead, the whole thing gradually becoming ever more powerful without once losing the heart of the song that makes it so strong and hypnotic in the vein of the finest AOR ballads, only this is modern indie and it works every bit as well. The CD ends with “Stranded In Furium”, a song that starts slowly with delicate chiming guitars, deep bass, and gently flowing keys. Gradually a more upfront lead guitar ripples and rings before there's a change of pace, the guitars accelerate their chiming, the bass starts to boom and the drums crash in as the wordless vocals and a spiralling blaze of guitars complete the picture, the whole thing rising up with power, strength and passion, on what is an indie instrumental of towering proportions, superbly dynamic, excellently executed and, bizarrely, the perfect way to end what's been a stunning CD.
JOENNSUU 1685 - S/T CD
Three people with the surname of Joensuu who hail from Scandinavia, one sings (in perfect English), and plays guitar plus Farfisa, the other two don't sing and play bass and drums respectively. All of which begs one question – how the hell have they produced such an amazing, massive sounding, inventive and utterly phenomenal album such as this?
Considering I don't know where to start, let's be traditional and go for the opener, a three minute song called “(You Shine) Brighter Than Light”, a song which serves as an opening statement in the form of an arms-open-wide electronic/electric sermon, a call to prayer, the soaring vocal over this massive drone backdrop of Farfisa and bass, amorphous guitars and gentle percussives, as an anthem to the faithful rises from the dark and spreads its light on an unsuspecting world. As we bow our heads in supplication, from here emanates the eight minute “Nothingness” as a decelerated Krautrock-esque drum rhythm underpins all manner of eerie electronics, bass and guitars to create the warm, sharp yet intoxicating musical flow, where a guitar slowly rises to the surface and shines a gorgeous lead down on the masses, rippling and shimmering as the rhythm marches slowly forward. Then the sound of multi-tracked lead vocals provide this wondrous sea of harmonies, the whole thing absolutely spellbinding, as a psychedelic anthem of richly assembled and cavernous arrangements spreads itself over your head and heart like a heady perfume, losing you in its depths as more guitar treatments, leads and textures shoot to the surface in slow motion, the whole thing like some amazing hybrid of Can, Faust, Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd – it's brilliance incarnate and absolute genius. All of which makes the fast driving two and a half minutes of the burning heat that is “Kill/Shot/Love” sound like some Krautrock answer to Jesus And Mary Jane, as this hardcore electro-textured slice of searing heat Kraut-punk just blasts to the surface in a blaze of glory. “Crystal Light” is up next and this lasts seven minutes, starts with more searing textures and layers from the electronics and guitars as this mighty rhythm begins from the bass and drums, a lot like the band Circle in the earlier classic days, a bit like Can with a much richer, larger soundscape, but overall simply immense. A snarling, out of focus, treated vocal giving the whole thing the feel and sound of Can playing Underworld's “Jumbo”, the Underworld comparison not that far off only with guitars and electronics, bass and drums, rather than synths and programms. “Electric Ocean Sailor” features a stark, pleading spoken word/semi-sung vocal over electronic textures, the sound of the sea, a heavenly choir and has an air of menace that stands next to its act of contrition, both unnerving yet mesmerising, until suddenly you are jolted back into reality as the band go into the classic Velvet Underground-esque eruption mode that starts the six minute “Sick City” where the massive sound of a whirlpool of guitars, textures, bass, drums and more guitars, are topped by a laconic vocal that flows hazily over the musical melting pot that surrounds, as it all blends into this mass of music and echoed vocals which is the mix of Velvet Underground and early King Black Acid reincarnated in the 21st century and absolutely amazing, no matter how many times you play it. The strains of echoed acoustic guitar textures which end the track, segue right into the two minute “Gamma-Minus Machine Mender” where they continue, only to be slowly buried by a squall of electric and electronic textures that ultimately take over in a fogbank of sound which is totally mindbending, slowly fading to nothing. Then the sound of scorching lead guitar textures ushers in a pounding drum rhythm, topped with haunting, echoed almost sixties psychedelic styled vocals that sing this classic slice of early Velvets songwriting with that massive squall of sound erupting as a mighty undercurrent below the vocals, while the drums never once take their eye of the classic Neu-styled rhythmic drive and they even add an harmonica to the accelerated finale of the song where the noise takes over and the effect is incredible – it's a thing of great beauty that blows your head off. Finally, there's “Perfect Grace” at just short of seven minutes, where the splendidly emotive, almost lazy, vocals, provide a song above the crunching drums, deep bass undertow and surrounding layers of guitar and Farfisa, once again that pleading lyric sung with such passion that you're convinced this guy's about to sell his soul to the almighty, as he observes life from a whole new perspective, while all around there's a mighty electric and electronic soundtrack to life swirling like a swollen river, as the track beefs up the textures, the whirlpool of guitars shimmers, glows and climbs, the drums roll ever forward and the whole canyon-sized soundscape roars towards an end point that you just don't want to come, so glorious is the experience. Make no mistake – this is one utterly stunning album that has no faults and deserves to be one of those “undiscovered” albums that should rightfully be hailed as a classic in whatever genre you care to place it.
GIN SOAKED BOY - GSD CD-EP
Opens with “Go Un-Noticed” and this hollering indie vocal unleashes a verse and a chorus that's a tad raw but full of emotion and energy while a driving rhythm, bursts of guitars and rushing riffs, all propel the song with a vengeance. The guy's got a touch of Rob Tyner in his voice and the whole thing has more than an echo of a 21st Century MC5 to it. The hook is well overdone at the end and they'd have been better off with less of that and a searing slice of guitar to end the track but, that aside, it's a neat slice of contemporary commercial punk-rock with one foot in the past. “Eternal Sunshine” has more guitar depths as electrifying bursts of leads shine over somewhat tub-thumping drum crunches while the taut and razor-wire vocal lets loose, supplemented by some hollering harmonies as the track lurches and twists its way through a blaze of not quite so memorable yet oddly more repeat playable proportions. The EP ends with “Peace In You” as a firepower guitar burst is let loose over crashing drums and thundering bass as the raw vocals emerge to provide what's actually the best song on the album so far. The rhythms are a tad disjointed but that guitar riff undercurrent has faint hints of The Dictators, although the vocal is firmly modern indie-punk styled shout, while the arrangement and delivery as a whole, is the best so far, sensibly giving the surging lead guitar some room towards the end and, overall, despite the holler, showing that the band really can deliver the goods.
I AM HOPE - I Am Hope CD-EP
Four guys and five songs, all wearing their hearts on their sleeves while coming out with some particularly powerful indie punk-pop. “The Ones We Love” is a rollercoaster of an emotional anthem, starting with emotive lead vocal and harmonies before the band kicks in and this rush of guitars, bass and drums races along below the urgent sounding, angst-ridden vocals and heady choruses, propelled by this sea of guitars and twisting, turning rhythm section – fine stuff that really takes hold. “To Your Last Breath” lurches into life with a rhythm that rolls up and down while chiming lead guitar and chunky rhythm guitar drive along as the soaring lead and multi-tracked vocals roar into life on a song that's more mid-paced but actually more solid than its predecessor. There's another chorus but this time it's more “studied” and less frenetic. The track itself has more of a magical quality to it, more depth to its emotions, more variation and , while not as commercial, is actually really wicked. Then it accelerates into much faster domain while losing none of what makes it seem way more of an epic track than its time would have you believe. “Out Of The Woods” bursts into life with ringing guitar, rifle-fire guitar riffing, and then roaring rhythms and the emotive vocals really take off on a song that's got the structure of the opener without the same heady chorus, only here there's more variation, once again, as the thing twists and turns on its guitars-fuelled drive to emo-nirvana. “The Method The Practice” starts quietly and you just know it's going to build as the upfront lead vocal and gentle guitar are embellished with cymbal splashes before the rhythm section kick in and, amid a solar flare of guitars, the track becomes this burning fireball of guitar-drenched emotion, a searing heat lead guitar above rolling rhythms as the vocal takes hold complete with harmonies and the observational lyric makes you sit up and take notice as a deceptively mid-paced slice of solid emotive songwriting and dramatic playing, combine to create yet another anthem of a track. Finally, there's “Amnesia” (altho' from the lyric content I get the feeling that they got this and the previous track titles the wrong way round on the sleeve) and this is another rollercoaster of huge-sounding proportions, again pop-punk but this time veering more towards Funeral For A Friend territory. Overall, you could argue that the five tracks are a bit “samey” but, really, that would be being “picky” as this is one solid consistent, cohesive band who can write, sing and play some excelent songs and lyrics that are a decidedly quality starting point on the road to glory.
THE POCKET GODS – Lo-Fi Sci-Fi CD
Twelve tracks of total lunacy from a band that's got the crazy intensity of Syd Barrett-era Floyd spliced with the feel of late sixties psychedelia as practised by the likes of The Deviants, on top of which they add a contemporary indie-pop sensibility to produce an album of songs that's truly out of this world, in the physical sense. A track like “Night Light” is pure Peski Kings with its languid female vocals and cruising rhythms, while “Praise The Lard” could almost be The Shirehorses taking the rip out of some obscure slice of psychedelic pop. The problem I have with most of this album is that it's just so incredibly self-indulgent. They must have had a blast recording it, and to call the songs quirky, is an understatement, but the fat remains that, unless the influence of your favourite substance-to-abuse, I can't see how or why you'd want to play it again, once you'd had the initial run-through. It's fun, for sure, with tons of variation, humorous, witty and clever lyrically, and musically commercial in a very weird way, but, like anything laced with the band's humour, if you don't get the joke, then it's not going to get you. Weird – sure; wonderful – not so sure.
(THE) PEPPERMINT HUNTING LODGE - On Switch CD Single
They describe themselves as a “6 piece experimental/electro space-rock band from Gloucestershire”. The title track pretty well verifies this, possessing more twists and turns in one track than most bands manage in a whole album. As to the description, well, in a contemporary sense, yes – any thoughts of them having any seventies influences are dispelled with one listen to the track. They begin the track by intoning the first line that incorporates the title then repeating it – and repeating it – and repeating it – while the band, who've started things off with a repeated electronic figure running underneath the repetition, gradually catch fire as the guitar flares, the rhythm section rumbles and the vocals reach a crescendo before disappearing as the band erupts in a hail of guitars, synth and rolling rhythm section, the vocals then returning in shouting, screaming mode. On top of what's now sounding more like early Funeral For A Friend with an added synth player, the taut vocal reaches fever pitch, but as you think it's heading straight for “nu-metal yawn”, instead, the vocals drop, the band changes direction and this excellent mid-section instrumental turns into a strong yet relaxed slice of contemporary space metal. Then the vocals return to intone that first line and repeat it once more “ad infinitum”, and it's at this point that you wish to god they'd stop doing that and come up with something else. That they then go into another verse and then start to repeat the line yet again, just becomes highly annoying as the track surges to an end and what started out as a really great idea is sadly overdone at the final hurdle.
The second track starts with the band playing repeated phrases with depth and strength as the rhythm section rolls and the guitars blaze a more restrained trail, while synth flies all around creating the space-rock impression and the guitar chimes and soars to follow suit. Distant spoken vocal gives rise to an initially screamed vocal which just as briefly turns into a more emotive slice of singing over the relaxed rhythms before crashing back into supercharged screamo-land once more as the guitar fires out with riffs and solos, as the band's huge sounding depths take things to a rolling, ringing, space-rock conclusion as the emotive vocal finally wins the day, and, even though there's a degree of repetition here on what is a seriously long track, it is nevertheless, a far, far better track than the first one. Overall, the band has some great ideas but there's still work to go before it all really comes together.
CARL WEINGARTEN – Lost In The Air CD
In truth, it's one of the most beautiful acoustic guitar instrumental albums around. An over-the-top statement? Not once you've heard it, no!! For the whole of this album is played live in various studio and venue settings by a master of the dobro, slide and acoustic guitar who just makes that guitar sing. I've yet to hear any guitarist who could inject so much feel into not only his playing, but what he plays. You can't put it into words – it's just magical, in sound, feel and effect. A track such as “Western Overnight”, with added depth from legendary bassist Michael Manring, is simple to hear, beautiful to enjoy and a marvel to behold. Slowly unfolding, it carries more riches than a king's ransom, and the way it slides and glides has you falling deeply under its spell, the first, and every time, you hear it. The opener, “Maybe Sunday”, lasts under two minutes, yet the joy it brings in its soaring sea of melodic rippling magic, is simply breathtaking. “Hey Leo” is a kind of slightly fractured take on the Kottke magic, while “Pick It Up” strums away to its hearts content, soaring and diving to wondrously emotive effect as the rippling and purposeful pace is an absolute joy to hear. This is the key with the whole album – it's like falling in love – you feel the music to the depth of your heart, wanting nothing more once it's over than to repeat the experience once again. A work of absolute genius, this is surely one of the top 5 acoustic guitar albums ever made – and that's no word of a lie!!
BLACK FOX – S/T CD-EP
The guy claims he's doing something ground-breaking by mixing elements of searing heat metal and drum 'n' bass avalanche. In actual fact he is breaking ground, but only 'coz the darned thing's so heavy – there's no ground that could stand the weight!! The opener, “The Question”, roars into life on a wave of thick set metal guitar riffing and solid, strident lurching rhythms but it sounds like a band at work, is in no way “dancey” and rolls along with force before going into this quiet few seconds of vocal and instrumental delicacy before emerging in a blaze of lead guitar soloing above the driving industrial beats and thick riffing. It's pretty hot stuff, of that there's no doubt. “Death Is All Around” is similar only harder and faster, this time all instrumental and a flaming path of metal guitar riffs, strident rhythms, sizzling guitar leads and one top notch rifle-fire metal guitar instrumental. I t moves through passages which range from a whisper to a scream but nothing ever stands still, going for the hot and wild approach. The final “The World Against The War” is an awesome display of hammering rhythms and fuzz/solid electric guitar leads and riffs, all, as before, melodic yet strong as an ox. Overall, it's not ground-breaking” but it's metal guitar instrumental music that's leaping over other greats in the genre before he's even begun.
SHADOW ARMY – Wake Up CD-EP
It's hard-hitting contemporary indie-rock that's got all the electrifying satisfaction that the early Funeral For A Friend possessed before they lost the plot. The opening and title track simply roars into life on a hotbed of driving rhythms, sizzling riffs and storm-force performance as the well sung, biting, angst-ridden lead vocals burn and drive over the sea of scything riffing guitars and driving rhythms. There's a real anthemic feel to it and a definite hook although not what you'd call a chorus, but, that said, it's a scorcher of a song that's filled with passion and power. “Poisoned Perceptions” is, if anything, even more powerful, as the intensity of the arrangements increases and this huge wave of guitars-driven electricity is unleashed with the heat of a thousand suns, initially deceptive as piano opens things up, but then this gives way to a sea of stuttering guitars, lurching drums and deep bass, as the whole thing blazes into action on a wave of solid guitar riffing, the vocal leads and harmonies bouncing off and flying over all this, before the band drive into the main chorus of the track as the pace hots up even more, the density intensifies, but the stunning production allows you to hear every facet of the composition to maximum enjoyment. “Running From The Sun” ends a cracking trio of sizzling heat songs with a really upfront and well sung lwad vocal on a striing song that's full of anthemic emotion, searing heat guiatrs, driving rhythms, scything riffs, a solid, resonant drum sound and, as with the rest of the tracks, an epic production that really brings out the animal in this band. If this is just three tracks at the beginning of this band's carreer, then the future's looking massively bright indeed – I simply can't wait to hear more – one seriously amazing hard-rockin slice of contemporary indie-fied, punk-pop-rock.
SKINBAT SCRAMBLE – Remains CD
12 tracks from a band that's a kind of alter-ego offshoot of the excellent Nifty Eagu & The Glo-Pilots. Overall, it's a rather fine album – which makes it even more puzzling as to why the first track in, is the worst track on the album, since, essentially, the guy can't sing. He tries a kind of half-spoken Robert Wyatt style of delivery, but it doesn't work as he doesn't possess the softness or emotion of Wyatt, and the whole thing, although flying along on a psychedelic wave of rhythms and sizzling backing, just ends up annoying you because of the vocal. But, following this, it's uphill nearly all the way as the majority of the tracks that remain feature either the female vocalist or no vocalist at all. Throughout the many charms of the album, instrumental and vocal, there are a lot of layers, textures and movement at work, with some searing lead guitar work coming right at you as the rhythmic currents lurch and flow. On top of all this, the female vocal soars, croons, flies and sings her way through the album's myriad psych music forms. Sometimes the backing is more worthy of late era Crimson than anything, while also at times, the vocal is more reminiscent of Electra or the Cocteau Twins. On occasion a male vocal enters the fray but one that's wholly more akin to something like Hawkwind or Omnia Opera than anything, and fits a treat with the rest of the band's work, that male vocal you heard at the beginning only returning once more and not for long. In many ways it's a like a mix of Nik Turner's Space Ritual and Here & Now bands, and while never overtly space-rock, does, nevertheless, have the same feel and effect and, to a degree, sound. You should try this album – the majority of it is excellent!!
SUPERNOUGHT – Explosade CD-EP
I get bombarded with CD's to review that are, usually signed bands, contemporary metal and rock in all its forms – some are dire, some superb. But, just occasionally, an unsigned band will sneak up in the post, that leaves the rest sounding like also-rans.
This, my friends, is the latest......... welcome to Supernought!
Hailing from Chester, they slam out a wild quintet of songs – and they are real songs – which manage to harness all the best and key elements from Classic Rock, hardcore metal, thrash, indie-rock and hi-density nu-metal, to provide us with five totally consistent, jaw-dropping and thoroughly addictive songs, all of which put this band firmly and squarely on the rock and metal map. With five songs lasting an average of three minutes each, this band injects so much dynamic and controlled power into the songs that you're always aware of this mighty rock roar that blasts out of the speakers, but with solid, strong and totally engaging upfront vocals on every track, this lifts the roof off with a vengeance. First, the guitar attack throughout is just mind-blowing – a consistent sea of molten riffing, yet riffs that have a crispness, a crunch and also a density to them which makes them the consummate fast-paced metal guitar riffs throughout. From time to time guitar breaks will erupt like flares off the sun and every bit as hot. The rhythms are driving, powerful, solid, and yet also superbly produced to sound huge and crunching throughout, from supercharged drum work and stomach-belting bass thunder. Above this, the vocalist sings to perfection – upfront but not TOO upfront, a great vocal that's a bit Foo Fighters here, a bit Marilyn Manson there but above all, sounding fantastic throughout every one of the five tracks. Then you get the songs thermselves – roaring, on fire, huge-sounding slabs of hi-intensity, driving, molten superheated rockers which generate enough metal electricity to light up half of Chester. The songs are delivered to perfection, exude strength, possess power and dynamics plus this massive sounding canyon of mighty metal. Every song on this EP is a red hot rockin' monster of a track, songs that you'll want to play again and again, yet songs of which you never tire, being the perfect mix of addiction with implied hooks, classic rock and metal, but contemporary sounding and simply stunning.
TENPERCENTER – The Whisperers CD-EP
The title track opens proceedings and this is one absolute gem of a song. It's nearly instant – the first time I heard it, I sort of liked it but wasn't really sure, yet the second time I heard it I adored it and I knew exactly why – it's got a real flavour of the late sixties psychedelia of The Nazz and The Beatles, but also there's a taste of seventies in there too with its mid-paced strength and harmonies, but in addition to all that there's a decidedly contemporary element in there to, as the song reminds me of loads of glimpses of things that I just can't put my finger on. The guitar work is ringing and mellow, the bass work solid, the drums crunch away merrily as it's all got a supremely summer appeal to it, but the icing on the cake are the vocals with some sublime leads and wondrous harmonies from the male vocalists, as a hook-as-chorus runs through the song to perfection and it's one of those easy anthems that you just want to play all summer long – and beyond. “Windows” is altogether faster and with more bite as the rhythm section tears ahead, the guitars soar away and a distinct feel of Stone Roses and Oasis are heard only with a much more polished sea of vocals, harmonies, hooks and choruses, as once again the whole song possesses vast oceans of emotion as it all wells up in your head and heart, with some stunning lead guitar breaks, stirring riffs and strident rhythms leading the way as the vocals just fly, full of lazy passion and strong harmonic cohesion. A stunning three minutes!! Finally, the near five minute “A Hole In The Clouds” completes what's been a truly superb trio of tracks with more shimmering guitars, sizzling riffs, Beach Boys-esque harmonies, solid driving rhythms and a sense of yearning allied to the soaring vocals that just fly overhead in majestic fashion as the band strikes out and lights up, the whole feel of 4 decades of solid indie pop, firmly endearing itself to your heart. As a three track EP goes, this is something you'll play and play till you wear it out, buy another one and start all over again, as timeless as it is immaculate.
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