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FIGHT: Can't Be Bothered CD Single
After a day of reviewing and the last hour featuring more yawns than an episode of Eastenders, this happened to be the last of the pile. F*** me - I was ready to go out, tear down the road and party hard. A slice of pure pop-punk with driving guitars, dynamite rhythms and a classic female vocal that oozes the spirit of vintage UK punk from every pore. Not only all that but a three minute anthem to every teenager known to man - the sort of song that gets into you from the moment you hear it and stays there, challenging you not to play it once an hour on the hour, knowing that you'll never tire of hearing it. Guaranteed wake-up call and the life and soul of the party, this is genius. The group also add to their credentials with an acoustic second track that sounds like a UK punk answer to Avril Lavigne only this one's attitude is real, full of angst and genuine passion that comes flooding out of its strident acoustic guitars and deep bass, the female vocal so in your face and just perfect. Any justice in the world and this would be top 5 - f*** justice, buy the record!!!
FIGHT: Nothing New Since Rock 'N' Roll CD
OK - so you've had your appetite whetted by the stunning punk single that is the lead track on this album, 'Can't Be Bothered', and you buy the album hoping it will live up to the promise. Live up? F**kin' demolishes it, matey - this is the finest punk rock album for the kidz since…….well, the last one. With an attitude that could bore holes in Avril Lavigne at a hundred yards, this quartet of spotty punks proceed to deliver an album that exudes all the power and venom of the Sex Pistols with the lyrical fun and pace of Helen Love and the couldn't-give-a-toss attitude of The Ramones, Across 14 tracks and forty-one minutes of music, we are treated to a stunning set of blistering and anthemic pop-punk tracks with a female vocalist who sounds like she sulks for a living and is having the toughest time at home that could make a groan man cry and the attitude that would make any parent wonder why they'd bothered to have that night in the hotel all those years back. This is angry young punk at its fun finest and there isn't a less than fantastic track on this album. It'll have you up and dancing whenever you play it, wherever you are, drunk or sober, angry or sad - this is the ultimate good time album for kidz of all ages - lyrically bringing a wide smile to your face - and you can't argue with something that makes you smile and leap about for forty minutes every time you put it on - more fun than a roll in the hay, time to make your day - go out and get this album!!!
FIGURE OF SIX: Step One CD
The promo sheets for this described it as "impossible to categorise" - I know the feeling!! But, a good thing? In this case, yes……and no. Fundamentally, this is storming hardcore metal that's as anthemic as Linkin Park, in quite a few cases with songs just as catchy, and as heavy as Slipknot. But, somewhere in the middle there lurks this place - a place where electronics and effects are present by the shedload - the result being that you get all these extra layers of sounds emerging from the hardcore riffs and punishing rhythms that propel the tracks on this thirty eight minute, 12-title album. The "no" bit in the introduction refers to the feel that, at times, the extra electronics slightly take away from the overall power base on first hearing, but the more you listen to this, the more it makes sense, although there is still the impression on some tracks that the right balance is yet to be found. Yet, overall, in terms of a comparison to the 'Links', of which that's a valid thing to do, this stands up well.
FONY: Nefer CD Single
Gotta admit - out of all the bands to take off on the "New Millennium" rock/emo/hardcore scene, this band remains a personal favourite - there's something about their whole style of arranging, composing and playing that sets them apart - they've got flow and depth, daring to be adventurous while at the same time rocking out with a venomous passion. Here we have the whole band in microcosm - three tracks, one from each of the two albums and an exclusive live track. The lead title taken from the latest album just soars into life with the band delivering a sonic attack that is so pure yet bites like an angry bear, vocals, guitars and rhythm section in perfect harmony and driving like a juggernaut. Then the live track, a version of 'R.I.U.P.' that just blows you away with its intensity as the live band kick ass. Finally we're into the dynamics of the magical 'Fait Accompli' with its silent angst lead vocal that suddenly explodes into a cacophony of guitars, the rhythm section driving with the devil on their tail, then back to subdued before it all takes off again, the contrast serving so well and never failing to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. What a band - make them HUGE!!! - they deserve it.
FONY: Live At The Harlequin CD+DVD
First live album from one of the leading UK rock quintets that we have around right now, and why this lot aren't already a name hanging off the tongue of every decent rock fan, is nothing short of criminal. I mean to say, you only have to listen to this album to se that here you have a band that practically reinvents the melting pot that is nu-metal, rock, hardcore and emo, all in one nuclear blast of a performance that sees both band and vocalist shine like a thousand suns. You can't help but be spellbound by the sheer power and dynamics of vocalist Olly Gibbons, as he launches into the songs with a vengeance, a passion I've only before heard from lead singer Don in Dundee's finest indie-hardcore -rock band Henissi. The rhythm section drives it all along as the quite intricate arrangements twist and turn, blazing a metallic trail like a comet's tail, thundering out a wide array of punishing beats and rhythms that defy you to keep still and not gyrate like some out of control dervish. But it's the twin guitar attack that is the heart and soul of the compositions, as riffs and solos fly off at all angles, and you are held breathless in the spell of dual guitars carving out paths that take them far apart only to mesh and combine to form a positive guitar holocaust before heading off into solo territory once more. So much more of a hurricane in a live setting, this is the sound of rage and passion whipping up a storm in concert as the band deliver the goods to perfection, even throwing in a new number for the masses to enjoy, the track, 'El Matador', marking the trademark twists and turns that this band are capable of producing while at the same time rocking out with the best of 'em. By the time we hit their phenomenal anthem 'Chore Again', it's like finding your second wind as, seemingly rocked out, you summon the energy for one final blitz on the senses as the track erupts and the crowd go wild. Complete with a bonus DVD featuring their videos plus six live tracks performed for Spanish TV, this is an absolutely essential purchase for most rock fans around.
FR8: In Cold Blood CD
Yeh, it's a debut album - OK, so it's only 27 minutes long, but there are seven tracks and enough vocal and instrumental firepower to bomb a small town. It's punishing stuff as the pummeling rhythms drive holes through your chest and the guitars become the equivalent of musical flame-throwers, destroying everything in their path with intensity and grunge overload. Over all this, as classic a hardcore vocal as they come, just bellows out on top, but this guy is different - first off he's mixed well but secondly the guy actually manages to make the vocals sound "sung" so, with the lyrical clarity and sheer overwhelming passion, he makes every song sound spot on. In many ways this reminds me of the acceptable face of Slipknot, and I would imagine that this would appeal to most fans of that band . Unfair to single out any tracks, because they're all monsters that will tear you limb from limb and spit out the bones. This is heavy and then some, intense and seriously brain-mincing, but so feckin addictive, you'll be OD'ing on it for months and years to come. The bright future of metal-core is here - grab it with both hands - before it grabs you!!
FRUIT TREE: Sunset CD
Now you have to admire any band who take chances, musical chances, because the end result can prove to be either awesome or fatal. This sextet have elected to create a blend of death, goth and black metal with the intention of making the end result more palatable than over-the-top. The result is surprisingly excellent. The opening five minute 'Asylum', fuelled by a sea of mid-paced guitar roar, is almost instrumental as the death metal male vocal is buried so low in the mix, it almost becomes part of the instrumental expanse,. But as an opening track, it just steams. Then it's onto the second track, 'Hymn To The Archangel' where the likes of Nighrtwish, Evanescence & Within Temptation come into play, but here the band make a classic ploy that puts them ahead of the rest - their female vocal does not opt for anything operatic in the vocal department, instead she has an almost AOR type of vocal that still soars above a sea of crashing drumming and sizzling wall-to-wall slow riffing guitars, before her vocal shifts down a notch to sultry sensitivity, still strong, as the band goes the other way and takes the brakes off, now flying - and when the vocal and band meet in the middle, the effect is jaw-dropping, as the song takes on a life that simply burns a place in your heart with ease and grandeur, six minutes of joy. 'I Am The White Wizards' is almost literally six minutes of power-packed black metal heaven, as the sound of driving riffs, crushing rhythms and soaring leads combine with the almost harshly whispered vocals and huge-sounding choirs to create a sort of black-goth metallic hybrid that has you gasping at its potency. Then, for 'Confusion By Statue Fall', both styles are brought together with incredible results, this time the female vocal really hitting the spot, combining perfectly with the low-down and evil male vocal as the band just plays a blinder, slowly moving chords of epic proportions combining with strident rhythms and a guitar solo that lights up the night sky with electrical intensity before the whole thing drops back to acoustic eloquence as the song takes a surprising and absolutely brilliant new direction, so melodic and passionate, as the band fires up once more and the whole thing then rages along on thunderous waves of guitars, riffs and rhythms, to a near seven minute end point - superb!! Three further tracks of equal class, quality and she unadulterated pleasure, follow on, and make up a simply stunning album that takes a musical hybrid you might think had been overdone, into wholly new, fresh and wide-eyed dimensions.
FULC: Embrace Destroy CD
When you want to hear something that's powerful, rocks with a passion, dynamic and intricate, something to get your teeth into and something that, when it erupts, takes your whole life with it, then you play this new studio mini-album from FULC. There's a burning cauldron of guitars on fire here, a flame that has the reach of a napalm gun and the brightness of a thousand suns. Together with a positively punishing rhythm section, the songs simply leap out of the speakers with all the force of a hurricane as this driving wall of guitars, bass and drums take hold - then there's the vocal - whoaaaaahh - this guy can sing!! - he delivers the songs with steaming angst, soaring rage and yet exudes emotion by the truckload as he takes the song by the scruff of the neck and wrings every last bit of life out of the thing, leaving only the lifeless corpse to see things out. The first three tracks are every bit of this and more as you get caught up in the magical musical maelstrom. Then, on 'System' the intensity subsides a little as a slower song ensues, but even here the band sounds huge and expansive - then about a minute and a half in, they erupt - a hail of guitars, vocals, bass and drums climbs skywards like a Saturn V after take-off, before dropping back, going into orbit and then, with one final burst of rocket fuel, launches into outer space in a blaze of riffing guitars and crushing rhythms. The three minute 'Pedestal' is every bit as punishing as the earlier tracks while the final track, 'Entrapment' starts off serenely yet powerfully enough, then builds slowly to become a veritable torrent of nu-millennium rock that towers mightily over its prey before the guitar assault lays waste to everything in its path, the vocals and rhythm section finishing off any last remnants of life that may stand in their way. Quite simply, as modern rock goes, this is awesome and you have to buy this - you have to - your life won't be complete without it.
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND: Streetcar CD Single
Built on one of those solid, chunky chiming guitar riffs on one side of the screen, while a swirling, soaring, lead guitar weaves wondrous webs on the other, the song erupts into life with a passion as the rhythm engine powers up and drives it all to heaven. The song itself, lyrically full of the melancholic angst that makes great anthems such as this, is an absolute winner - superbly sung and counter-sung by a lead vocalist full of heartfelt passion, a guy who can just cruise through the maelstrom with the grace of a swan on a stormy sea. The whole thing is immense and yet so passionate - it's anthemic rock of a new breed - AOR for teenagers - TOR is born - get it - like, now - what are you waiting for!!
GETAMPED: Reject & Sterilise CD Single
Hmmmm……..catchy for sure, inventive - definitely, song-writing that makes sense and an arrangement that swirls around your head - yes, this is a fine single. It borders a hinterland between something like Green Day or Blink 182 and the more serious style of FFAF, hints of Porcupine Tree on track two, and emo-rock in general, full of twists and turns as well as some stonking guitar riffing and soaring, economical soloing. The song itself features upfront vocals, well sung solo and exquisite harmonies, while the overall effect is to keep you hooked yet put a smile on your face. The two anthemic compositions are arranged superbly, produced well and with enough adrenaline to have you up and rocking while at the same time being seriously brilliant home listening.
HEADSPEED: Blueprint For Disaster CD
Ah yes - a band from my old stamping ground of Wolverhampton. On the evidence of this, I wish I was back there, because this is one awesome metal album delivere with a confidence that makes you think they've been going for years rather than just starting up. The embody all the best bits of things like Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Funeral For A Friend and similar, spice it up with some wickedly understated Death Metallizing riffing, but pour the whole mix into their own melting pot to come up with eleven tracks that are wholly original and a decidedly fresh approach to all-out nu-metal attack. The main thing to mention is that this is a song album - the emphasis is on compositions, structure and while the music is sensational, the production and delivery allows you to hear every bit of the vocalists, losing nothing of the sheer rock power that makes this album such a stunner, in the process. Every track seems to fire up with an enthusiasm and, above all, a practically faultless level of composition and musicianship, so that you are totally caught up in forty-three minutes of molten metal that is so magnificent, you'll wonder why this band aren't a household name amongst the rock fraternity already. Not a track on this album is less than unutterable amazing, and if you want loud, well-thought, superbly delivered and refreshingly inventive nu-metal, then look no further. Today Wolverhampton, tomorrow the world. Stunning and then some!!!
HELLOGOODBYE: EP CDEP
Wow!!!! Wheatus meets Sum 41 with a blistering set of songs taking commercial nu-metal to a wholly higher dimension - the opening track is the sort of thing you want to play and play and play - so accessible, so commercial, so hard and just a supernova of guitars with a gloriously sung male vocal, such an infectious song and one that I'll be playing long and often - hit by any other name, if there was any justice. 'Call 'n' Return' is equally sensational although less of an intense experience and more bouncy but still so addictive, this is pop punk at its finest, the song full of feeling and the band pogoing up and down with almost indecent simplicity, that sea of guitars and keyboards swirling all around the main choruses for its just over two minutes duration. 'Bonnie Taylor Shakedown - 2K1' is just so sublime, so gorgeus, so passionate, from the male vocal full of heartbreak to the roaring mass of guitars, keys and rhythm section that inhabit the chorus and take the song to u8nimaginably tear-jerking heights. 'Jesse Buy Nothing' is almost like a New Millennium Dictators, with a classic song that takes cod-punk-electro-dub on a wild ride that will make you smile and make you sway, so bizarre and yet so perfect in the context of this EP. A further sizzler and what amounts to a dance remix of 'Bonnie Taylor….' that has "smash hit" written all over it and should have been the lead track, end what is 22 minutes of wide-eyed, smile-inducing, leaping-around-the-room, good-time songs with a solid punk heart.
HALIFAX: A Writer's Reference CD
Ooooo - I do like it when a band waste absolutely no time and deliver the goods with you, the listener, right there in the heart of the conflagration - and this is what ensues right from the off. A steaming train of riffs, rhythms, solos and vocals comes soaring out of the speakers with passion and power, a sort of hi-octane EMO with plenty of angst-ridden and yearning vocals that are truly heartfelt as well as being superbly delivered, while the band just charge ahead with a wall-to-wall mass of guitars and rhythm section - a truly inspired opener. But it gets better, as the title track comes along - this time, more of the same only, if anything, even more anthemic, a corking slice of emo 'n' roll erupting from the speakers, glimpses of things like Sum 41, Foo Fighters & FFAF passing before your very ears, but sounding intensely original on this awesome track that twists and turns with dynamic power at the heart of things, and one sensational track that should be a staple part of any nu-millennium rock fan's diet. Then things take a notch down as the chiming guitars introduce 'I Hate Your Eyes' as you expect a ballad, but then the band explodes and their now anthemic, good-time brew of rock intensity just spreads like a tidal wave all over you as you go down under a sea of red-hot vocals, thickly riffing guitars, a seriously pounding rhythm section and lead guitar work that just shines - totally sensational, so addictive and you can't help but race around the room to this - fantastic and then some. Two equally incredible and similar sounding tracks follow before you reach 'Scarlet Letter Part II' which really is a ballad, showing that the band can slow down with conviction as the vocals soar out, right from the heart, accompanied by chiming guitars and deep bass, additional harmonies adding the icing on the cake, as a slice of lead electric guitar briefly surfaces and the song rises up in majestic, emotional fashion - and just one more stunning track. Finally the band do a reprise of the opener, 'Sydney', as an acoustic version, and it works a treat - showing that this guy's got one seriously fine voice and that the band can write a seriously good song - seven of them in fact. This is stunning but apparently there's some even newer stuff to come - I, for one, can't wait if this is anything to go by.
HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW: Life In Dreaming CD
From the evidence of the opening three tracks on this album, I'd say that we're dealing with a modern hardcore band who must be fairly young, for the enthusiasm with which they roar through their songs is positively infectious, the distinctive vocals of singer Joe Reo right out front as you hear every word of the lyrics, even when the band launches into its stride. For a debut album it is really good, but you get the feel that the band has still got some way to go to prove themselves, as they surely will. The instrumentation is fiery with guitars, bass and drums turned way up loud, while the compositions - all originals to illustrate that this band really are facing success right around the next corner - are strong, solid and potent, yet it isn't until track 5 and 'Twenty Below' that you hear a track that makes you smile broadly and go "oh YESSS" in the realization that, although crushingly heavy, this is the first time that they've delivered a killer blow on the album, at least proving that they have it in them. Oddly enough, after this, things seem to make a lot more sense as you really start to wallow and bask in the rifle-fire arsenal of guitars, thunderous bass and crashing drums, as song after song rise up and take you over in positively anthemic waves of rip-roaring contemporary rock that seems to blend EMO, hardcore and nu-metal in equal, palatable and on-fire doses. On second play, the earlier tracks do seem to gel more, impinging on your consciousness, as the album as a whole takes hold and, while leaping about the room uncontrollably to a massive sounding sea of rock, you finally realize that the band really have got what it takes - and that, although you didn't think it at first, have delivered what is a monumental first album.
HIJINX: Sleeping Sin EP CDEP
A five-tracker and eighteen minutes of powerful, passionate rock that's not as anthemic as emo, not as hard-hitting as metal, more dynamic than yer average rock album and generally a more studied listen than most. The band do fly, for sure, but with the vocalist tending to be way upfront in the mix, it can sometimes detract from things, but what does initially make you take up and notice, is they way that they will so often break out only suddenly to take it all down before erupting once more - or almost, anyway. Sometimes they take their time doing it, but I guess that's what dynamics is all about. There's a definite promise to what this band is doing, and as a sort of new direction in the type of rock started by Fony/FFAF, it is good - but it's only a beginning.
HOLLYWOOD ENDING: AngelTown Pt2 CD Single
With the edit and the full album version of the title track, plus a third track called 'Always', this is a great introduction to a great band, that perfectly represents how a modern emo-rock band can blend a wall of sound approach with stuning song-writing and arranging to produce a huge-sounding slice of magic that is both commercially palatable in a radio-friendly way, while still retaining this immense sound that the band are capable of providing. As a mix of passion and power, it's spellbinding. 'Always' is, if anything, even more radio friendly, reminding me a bit of classic Blink 182 but with more intelligence and creativity, yet totally catchy - superb stuff!!!
HOMEGROWN: When It All Comes Down CDEP
Whoooaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yes - he said leaping about the room to the opening track - now THIS is the business - ohhhh, I mean - just listen - LISTEN - to that riff - pure new millennium pop-punk with Blink 182 written all over it, only this is sensational stuff - that song, it gets better then - OH CHRIST!!! - that chorus - I'm in heaven - that is FANTASTIC - back to the verse - chiming guitars, driving rhythms, Americana punk vocals then - BLAT!!!!! - into that chorus that is so anthemic I'm flying - watch me - just stunning - what a song - sorry, sod the review, I'm putting that on again - I just have to hear that song again. One more run through later, it's onto track two, 'Cross My Heart', and it's another gem, more of an overall flow than the first track but no less effective or addictive as you find yourself carried away in its guitars-fuelled, rhythm-driven, anthemic vocal delivered magic, this time a song that almost makes verse and chorus one gloriously sublime entity, and just such a joy to hear as you leap around the room at an even more intense rate. 'I Was Right About This' takes on the likes of Sum 41 & Blink 182 at their own game and comes out winning by a country mile, with a song that is just the epitome of good-time, pop-punkarama, a sea of guitars, vocals and huge production, huge choruses and immense arrangements providing something that's almost a religious experience and just one thunderously addictive sucker of a song. Three further songs complete the twenty-three minute outing and each one is equally amazing, completing what is the finest statement of this sort of music from any band around right now - with radio play this will be IMMENSE - trust me, I'm a reviewer!!
HONDO MACLEAN: Unspoken Dialect CD
It's easy for a rock band to unleash a monster torrent of metal mayhem from the very first second of the album, but to make that mayhem musical and completely in control - well, that takes talent - and this band have got talent oozing out of every pore. Even in their wildest dreams, the legendary Motorhead never delivered as massive a blast of pure unadulterated nu-metal as is on evidence here, and the effect it creates is simply shattering. On the opening two tracks alone, there is so much happening in the music as the dual vocalists sing and scream over a sea of guitar leads that twists and meanders like a snake in pain as that mighty, crunching rhythm section powers it all on with the effectiveness of a juggernaut going downhill - and the brakes cut! But there's more to it than just power - there are dynamics that provide the brief respites, and even on the intro to 'Don't Forget To Feed The Fish' a tender vocal amid chiming guitars, which is then set against rifle-fire electric guitars before the band power up and unleash such a wondrously musical fury, it makes Linkin Park look like Westlife. The actual songs are almost anthemic, some actually so, but the band manages to turn anthemic into hollered at a moment's notice, and yet it works a treat, only adding to the sheer wealth of arranging and creaticity that exists on this album of exquisitely crafted and absolutely massive songs. With the odd foot in the FFAF camp, it's safe to say that this lot could well be bigger than even the mighty FFAF. On the evidence of this awesome powerhouse of an album, that could be a lot truer than most people think as a new metal band lights up the UK - magic!!!
HOUSTON CALLS: A Collection Of Short Stories CD
Now this is hot - it's like an intelligent Blink 182 in many ways. Every song tells a story, and it's all delivered in that classic Americana pop-punk style with solid guitar riffs, anthemic songs, hooks and harmonies to keep you happy and a thoroughly attention-grabbing set of performances. The song-writing is superb as you enter the personal world of the composer and experience their lives, loves and lifestyles, while the arrangements bring the lyrics to life, the result being a set of 11 songs that are catchier than the common cold. You simply don't need vast amounts of words to describe this - it's the sound of your life, the sound of summer, the sound of everything you ever wanted and plenty that maybe you didn't - all wrapped up in pop-punk perfection. Glorious!!
I AM THE AVALANCHE: I Am The Avalanche CD
Now this is f**king fantastic. It's essentially modern day American anthemic indie pop-punk but this separates the men from the boys. There's nothing stupid or mindless about this band - the songs ooze feelings, angst and emotions from every pore, absolutely superbly written and totally riveting. But the fact that they manage to arrange the songs in guitars-laden slabs of pure anthemic genius is also jaw-dropping, but what REALLY makes this album stand out is the variation - there's real thought at work here. It's not a case of finding a formula and milking it - there's songs that are supercharged, songs with a bouncing rhythm, powerful punk balladry, high-flying indie anthems, intensely flowing mid-paced slices of nirvana and, overall, not a less than stunning track on the entire album. You feel every ounce of the emotional intensity that shines through as it moves you in every way, emotionally and physically. A joy to hear, a long-lasting musical treat on the ears and a set of songs written and sung to perfection, the sound of American youth in angst mode never felt so good.
I CAN MAKE A MESS LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS: S/T CD
Wow!!! - the art of "shoegazing" comes to modern indie-rock and the result is a spellbinding CD with total originality and the sort of glorious musical black hole into which you are only too happy to dive as your mind is pushed this way and that. With a musical base of guitars, rhythm section and real strings, this is a very emotive and emotional offering, with songs as songs, songs as clouds flying overhead on a summers day, songs as passionate purity, in many ways it's a Damien Rice gone rock-orchestral type of sound, and the amazing part is that, particularly as a slice of late-night listening with the joss stix burning, the lighting on soft and the distant glow of the candle silhouetting the bottle of red wine on the table, as you lay back on your sofa and drink in both the wine and this album, it works to perfection. The word "sublime" was created for this CD - and it's awesome. Rarely has song-writing with an emo touch, shoegazing with a solid heart and passionate singing with an emotional edge, sounded so brilliant and addictive - this is one of THE classic late-night albums, and as good at any other time of day, when you want romance without sex, passion without pain and angst that you can enjoy. Stunning and then some.
INSOFAR: The Fall EP CD Single
Debut three tracker from a new and young Surrey band of pop-punksters. The lead track is delivered with a passion as the required riffs and rifle-fire drumming make up a steaming brew of driving punkitude that will have the dancers colliding head-on when it comes to a live setting. The vocal is a little raw and you do feel that a tad more multi-tracking might have helped, but otherwise it's a roaring number. Track 2's 'Drowning' is slower, but oddly, more effective with a much more expansive sound and the vocals possessing more warmth as they fly into the airwaves on a multi-tracked anthemic sea of wings while the guitar work soars and the rhythm section steams. Finishing with a demo version of 'Choker' seems an odd move - did they not have enough material? - for a debut but it's pretty good, for all that. A promising start but they're not the stuff of dreams just yet.
JOHNNYTRUANT: In The Library Of Horiffic Eevents CD
Jeezussssssss……………now, this is heavy!! But you know what? This band are going to be huge - I'm talking ENORMOUS!! Why? Because of all the hardcore/death/rage metal bands around right now, they have got exactly what it takes to rise above the opposition. Evidence? This album, for starters. You only have to hear a track such as 'The Bloodening' for instance - it's hard, fast, furious and unleashes a metallic terror that makes Slayer sound like Bananarama - but at the heart of the beast is a song - structure, inventiveness, thought, passion, care, detail - all this and more, even to the extent that the wall-of-sound actually conveys a sense of melody at the heart of its nuclear-powered core, the result being one of the most LISTENABLE and enjoyable yet so outrageously heavy slabs of hardcore metal that you'll hear this year. Every song carries with it an arrangement that is truly awesome, showcasing a band that has got its direction in life well and truly pointing towards the top. You don't need me to tell you that this album rocks - that the rhythms, riffs and guitarwork harness all the energy of a thunderstorm and unleash it with the intensity of a hurricane - that the vocals rage and yet are so f***ing addictive - that the sum of the parts is greater than the whole - and that the album is one of those that, not only do you HAVE to play it from start to finish the moment you put it on, but which defies you not to put it on at every waking moment when you want to feel that electricity - the energy that makes the earth move - flow through your veins and keep you alive. Just the beginning and already surely a contender for rock album of 2005 - it can only get bigger and better from here - and that's an awesome prospect!
KEENANTS: Let's Start From The Beginning CD
Italian hardcore band who sound so darned English or American, it's untrue - and that's a complement. With a debut album consisting of 13 tracks across forty four minutes, it's a roller coaster ride of adrenaline-rousing proportions as you hardly pause to take a breath amid the roar of this band. Going hell for leather on an explosive mix of wildly riffing guitars, underpinned by thunderous bass and crunching, almost garagey, drumming, the band deliver a furious blitz on the senses but always within listening limits, the song remaining the structure through which it all happens, the vocalists delivering a mix of roar and anthemic on a set of songs that are exceedingly well written, the bizarre thing being that, for songs with few or no hooks, this is remarkably addictive and pretty memorable stuff throughout. They've got a sound which, while incredibly well produced, loses none of the power and energy that must surely light up their live sets to burning intensity. A band to watch, for sure, and if they tour near you, go see them - promises to be a rip-roaring night of anthemic and well delivered hardcore mayhem. For now, this superb album will do just nicely, thanks.
KINGSIZE BLUES: Live Fast And Die CDEP
Four tracks and twenty minutes of fast-paced, in-your-face metal, the sort of thing that makes Dio look like Bananarama!! From the opening salvo of rifle fire drumming, pummeling bass and swirling guitar riffing, you know you're in for a wild ride and when the vocalist comes in and shouts himself hoarse, in both upper and lower register manner, the intensity is unleashed and there's no way you're gonna get this sucker back in its box. Full of wildly riffing, frantically rhythmic raging man's metal, this is a hurricane force set of songs that takes no prisoners and, albeit a tad one-dimensional, creates an effect that's hard to resist if you want to be swept away on a sea of metallic mayhem and rapid-fire riffing, pummeling you into the ground then stomping hard just to make sure it's done its job. Not for the faint-hearted.