Yellowcard – Where We Stand

I think that some people may think that this is a new album from the band and they have had a massive progression in sound, however in actual fact it is a re-release of an album they recorded back in 1999 – and when you look at it in this light, it is really quite an impressive album. With a different singer, and less top heavy violin work this band really do sound completely different. Ok, so this album’s never going to be your favourite album, but still – for what it is, it’s certainly very good. I have a feeling that some Yellowcard haters may enjoy this record if they didn’t know who the artist was – it really is that different.

In ‘Where We Stand,’ Yellowcard created a far more edgy Punk sound, a far cry from the highly defined, perfectionist recording approach of the Yellowcard of today. Instead of being led by the violin, it is very guitar heavy with some good violin work and the occasional violin solo which show that even at a young age this band were highly creative and trying to do something new. One thing that is extremely noticeable from listening to this album is that Yellowcard were a lot faster back in the day and in turn had a much heavier sound. The drum work throughout this album is particularly impressive – it is hard and fast and really does shine through and stand out on this album.

I’d imagine that there’s a fair amount of die hard Yellowcard fans out there that would absolutely hate this album and never consider buying it had it been recorded by another band. I much prefer this album to ‘One for the Kids,’ the bands breakthrough album which I thought was out of tune and extremely dull to listen to. Although this album is far from being perfect, I really think that this band could have had something with this singer – I doubt they would have had the chart success that they’ve had with Ryan Key, but they almost certainly would have been a Punk sensation. There’s definitely something distinctly charming about this album which makes its rawness loveable and almost adorable.

Released: 1st August 2005
Label: Kung Fu

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Brigade – Made To Wreck EP

This is the debut release from London based band Brigade and is a remarkable effort for a band on their first recording. Brigade are a young band, however they sound great in this incredible 4 track EP and will no doubt progress into something even better before long. Not a single track sounds out of place with the bands epic guitar riffs, storming bass lines and crashing drum beats. The vocals also sound great here and really make way for an incredible EP, Mighty Atom have done good in signing this impressive young band.

The band kicks off the CD with a bang with opener ‘Made to Wreck,’ a song with an impressively strong guitar riff. It really kick-starts the EP and prepares you for something truly special. It is a track of epic proportions, gradually building and building into something great. Brigade has a knack for slowly building their tracks up and gripping you with their brilliant brand of music. I feel that in all 4 of these tracks the guitar work is remarkable and shows that the band have incredible ability. Not a single one of these tracks fails to impress me with its power, with the band showing that although they are young – they are not naïve in their ability, and with ability like this they will almost certainly go far.

I’d struggle to pick a favourite off this EP as I really did enjoy all of the tracks on display, however I can tell you that I particularly enjoyed ‘Safe Hands.’ I really like the drum work on this one and the vocals as ever sound incredible, with the sound of the guitars really pushing the sound on, making it sound edgy and different, however still in keeping with the bands incredible pop sensibilities. It’s a really strong track that I’d recommend to anyone to give it a listen as I’m 100% sure that you would not be disappointed.

I’d say that this band still have a way to go before they reach the dizzy heights of super stardom, however with the ‘Made To Wreck’ EP they definitely have a decent basis for increasing their fan base and becoming somewhat of a cult phenomenon. This is definitely the best Mighty Atom band that I have heard in a while now.

Label: Mighty Atom
Release Date: September 12th 2005

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Test Switch Isolator – Let’s Dance

It’s hard at times to tell whether ‘Test Switch Isolator’ are serious about what they do or whether they are a self aware parody of the Metal/Hardcore genre. Due to the general intelligence of the bands music and their impressive beatdowns, I’d tend to go with the idea that the band are serious, however it’s always a niggling thought that they may not be.

The bands screaming/growling is at times, in my opinion laughable, however when the band aren’t doing this they are actually quite enjoyable and really show that they do in fact have talent and aren’t just good at straining their throats and damaging their vocal cords. There is a good display of double bass pedal drumming on display on this CD and a fine show of guitar work. This band obviously has a fair amount of talent and can write good songs, however a lot of the time they just don’t seem to be trying. There are some jazzy tracks such as ‘This Rat Spawn Went to Market’ showing that the band can write some genuinely interesting and entertaining songs without having to scream and shout. These moments on the album have a real Head Automatica vibe about them, and this happens to be a band that I love. It is hard to even grasp the concept that it’s even the same band that has just been assaulting your ears by barking at you in previous tracks.

Having looked at the cover, I was expecting to dislike this album for being too Emo, however having listened to it I can reveal that I disliked a lot of it for being growly nonsense. When the band aren’t doing this they are a pretty good band, however more often than not they choose to annoy you with their screaming, and it just didn’t impress me. Some Metal/Hardcore is genuinely quite entertaining when the bands are just screaming down the microphones, however a lot of the time Test Switch Isolator just sound like they’re screaming for screamings sake and there appears to be no method to it other than to growl and hope for the best. There are some genuine fine moments of Metal however, don’t get me wrong – I just think that the needless growling ruins the record a bit.

Released: 29th August 2005
Label: Casket Music

Rating:

Millionaire – Paradisiac

This is the latest album from Belgium’s impressive rock band Millionaire. This album can be incredibly heavy while at the same time being impressively catchy and danceable. This is stoner rock at its finest, with a diverse range of sounds being produced here which will appeal to a varied audience.

This is a really refreshing album to listen to and if you listen to it will almost certainly get you excited with it’s fresh, energetic and heavy feel. The band really do have their own unique sound and this is what makes this album so special – the band are highly inventive and as a result have come out with an album of true greatness. I love listening to this album – it really is one of the most incredible rock records I have heard for a good while now. Right from the album’s opener ‘I’m On A High’ you know that this record is going to be something really quite special with it’s weird yet loveable feel.

There is definitely a considerable link to Queens of the Stone Age in the music of Millionaire, however if anything I would say that this band do it better. Millionaire are, to put it simply amazing at what they do and sound perfectly suited to the brand of hard rock music which they are playing. This band seem to have a knack for penning amazing songs, and have here created a record full of classics.

Released: 26th September 2005
Label: PIAS

Rating:

King Biscuit Time – C I AM 15

I was expecting big things with this track, having been a big fan of the Beta Band, however this song didn’t really touch me in the way I expected it to. It is far too repetitive and uninteresting for my liking – it starts off fairly interesting, however as the track progressed I felt myself getting really quite bored with the track and wishing it would end.

You can tell that there are a variety of influences in this track, and as a result, in ‘C I AM 15,’ Steve Mason has produced a track which is unique and different to what most people are doing at the moment, however it just doesn’t have that spark. It’s different and out there, however it might just be a bit too different for my liking, and as a result I cant fully appreciate this track.

It’s far from the standard of the Beta Band in my honest opinion as it just doesn’t grab me as they did, however it’s not a bad song despite lacking energy and inspirational qualities. I don’t dislike this track as such; I just feel that it could have been a lot more impressive.

Released: 26th September 2005
Label: No Style

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