Archives for July 25, 2004

Orca – The Days Are Restless…But The Nights Are Explosive

July 25, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

The band return here with a 5 track EP that is sure to once again put a smile on your face. This Plymouth band really does know how to pen a fine tune and I really think that they have progressed a lot since ‘The Thought Of Falling’ was released. The band has really matured and the sound they are not creating is much more relaxed and it has a distinct flow about it. Every song on this EP seems to fit in perfectly creating a Post Hardcore CD that you are not going to forget about in a hurry. This is not a CD that will be left to gather dust for long – you will find yourself continuously playing this release as it really is that good. I am not normally a fan of Emotional Hardcore but Orca really are a band that play the genre well and seem to know it like the back of their hand.

Here are 5 strong tracks that will get you tapping your feet away to the awesome drum beats, playing air guitar at the catchy riffs, and singing along like a madman as vocalist Dan powers out the main vocals. The backing vocals provide an excellent backbone for the band with them coming in occasional for the most perfectly timed shouts. I really love this band, and have enjoyed both their singles and their album, and it was great for me to listen to this EP because they really have improved a lot. The change from the album to the first single was big, but this time the leap is massive. The band are obviously a lot more experience than they were before and as a result are now playing some truly top quality music. I love every single track on this CD but my favourites have to be tracks 3, and 5. ‘Three Sheets To The Wind’ purely because of the punchy drum intro and ‘Hopes Ever Shifting’ because it just seems to bring the CD to a climax perfectly. They couldn’t have possibly picked a better track to finish the CD if they had tried for a year as this one really does work well and give you one last punch of action before bringing the EP to a volcanic finish. They finish the EP in style with this track – an epic track that combines melodic, heartfelt vocals perfectly with hardcore ramblings of shouting genius.

This is a great EP and really is the bands best material to date – hopefully we will see an album next from the band as I would really like to see another one from them as they have come a long way since their debut cracker. The band have certainly come a long way so far and I really feel that they can go a long way further and become a legendary Post Hardcore band in the long run. They are just oozing with talent and every time I hear them they seem to possess more energy and eagerness to perform.

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Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Punk Rock Is your Friend (Kung Fu Records)

July 25, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

Ok, when you look at the track list for this compilation CD the first names you tend to notice that are on the CD are such acts as The Vandals, No Use For A Name, and Tsunami Bomb. However, these are not the tracks from the CD that are really the most impressive. The idea of compilation CDs is to introduce new bands to your CD collection and this is no exception to the rule. When reading the press pack I found that 2 demos are included from newly signed band Underminded. Underminded are a really cool band – they really kick off the CD ion style with a really heavy track that will really get you in to the CD. Another band that will impress are The God Awfuls. I had not heard of them before but after hearing their contributions to the CD I will surely be checking the band out in the future.

Audio Karate are the first band on the CD to really disappoint as I had heard great things about this band but their shouty approach just didn’t do it for me. I am all for hardcore when it is done well but I really don’t think this track has been done well so at the moment I am not really too impressed with this band I had read such rave reviews of. The No Use For A Name unreleased track on the CD is worth giving a listen as it is quite a cool little track, but with other bands on the CD that are much lesser known, yet much more talented it is really hard to fully enjoy the track the band have to offer in ‘This Aint No Way To Live.’ I was looking forward to hearing The Vandals and their tracks on the CD as I had been quite impressed with what I had heard from the band in the past. Sadly, the music on display here was nowhere near their finest material and it really left me quite disappointed. The Tsunami Bomb remix of ‘Roundabout’ is really good. I have found Tsunami Bomb to be a bit of a hit or miss band in that you never know whether you will see the good, or the bad side of them. Here, we are truly seeing the good side of them and the quality of the remix really does do them justice and add excitement to the tune. However, on the other track the band have to offer, ‘Dawn on a Funeral Day’ we unfortunately seem to be experiencing the downside to the band.

A definite stand out band on this CD is Useless I.D. – a band who offer up two fresh sounding songs that are quite happy sounding and you can have a really good dance to. I am not usually a fan of this sort of vibrant, upbeat pop tinged Punk Rock music but the band really do it well and as a result really are the highlight of this CD. I would give the two tracks on display from the band here 5/5 if they were on their own as they really are good tracks and if you are thinking about purchasing this CD then these two tracks alone are reason enough to go out and buy it as at under 5 pound for it you cant really go far wrong. I had not really checked this band out before hearing them on the compilation but I will definitely be getting my hands on more of their material in the future as this stuff is musical gold. If all of the bands stuff is anywhere near as good as these two tracks then I could just have a new favourite band on my hands. I don’t know how the band have done it but they really have produced two amazing tracks of fine punk rock with uplifting, upbeat, fun music that will just make you want to dance and have a good time. This my friends is party music at its finest!

So, all in all this compilation is really quite an average release with relatively few tunes really managing to impress on a mass scale, but there are glimpses of genius on the CD which make it well worth spending your hard earned cash on. There are some added bonuses on the CD in videos from Antifreeze, Goldfinger, Neil Hamburger, Ozma, and The Vandals so even if you are not in to the music then there are always some visuals for you to get in to.

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Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Pama International – Too Many Freaks, Not Enough Stages

July 25, 2004 by Rich Leave a Comment

Ok, if you are in to your Ska then you will probably already have come across Pama International at some point. They are an amazing chilled out Ska band with seriously experienced band members that make way for an awe inspiring live show. This album is being released on Sean’ very own Jamdown label – a label that hasn’t really had much happening since releasing 4ft Fingers – At Your Convenience album way back when. The band have been playing a load of live shows lately and they have been going down a treat – if you ever get a chance to go and see Pama International live then make sure you don’t let the opportunity slip as you sure would regret it if you did.

Here is an album with 8 tracks on it – although there seem to be relatively few tracks from the band for an album, after giving it a listen you will soon discover that tracks are long, but they quite easily stand the test of time. Pama International are a band that play mellow, laid back Ska, Reggae and 2 Tone that will get you skanking with what seems like ease. The band have obviously put a lot of work in to this album, and it has ultimately come out smelling of roses. I have always admired the band for their strong music with its mellow vibes that you can truly chill out to – it is bands like these that are great to listen to in the car on the way to the airport to your holiday destination as the music just lets you kick back and relax and get in the mood for dancing. I love every single one of these tracks with every one just making me want to get up and dance, but one of my favourites just has to be ‘Don’t Live A Lie.’ It has some truly catchy lyrics, drum beats that guide you through the track perfectly, and a general rhythm to the song that just seems to work and fit together perfectly.

Pama International are definitely one of the UK’s coolest bands with their super mega chilled out grooves that will get inside your head and stay there for months. Pama are not the sort of the band that you are going to be forgetting in a hurry – tunes like these stay with you forever and will constantly be playing on your mind. There is so much to take from the music of this band that you have to listen to this album many times before you can even begin to understand where the band are coming from and what they are trying to do. In a world of average, poorly skilled Ska bands – Pama International are a shining light, and will hopefully show the way for Ska bands of the future with this album. You can buy the CD now from the bands official website – this is well advised.

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Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.