The Thirst – Sail Away
The Thirst is a band that truth be told does very little for me. The music isn’t bad, but it’s not greatly memorable and it just really washes over me without leaving much of a lasting impression whatsoever. In the single ‘Sail Away’ the band prove themselves to be quite catchy with the chorus here, but ultimately this music isn’t particularly impressive and after only a couple of listens I find myself to be more than a little tired of the track. I’d be happy to listen to music of this sort on the radio, and it’s okay in small doses but to listen to a whole album of this wouldn’t be particularly appealing to me at all. I can see why some people might love this band, but they’re not a band for me really, the music just isn’t powerful enough to hold my interest and keep me captivated.
Label: Wooden Records
Release Date: 28th April 2008
Rating:
The Getaway Team – Lost All Hope
‘Lost All Hope’ is an exciting new single release from the brilliant indie/pop punk band that is The Getaway Team. This track comes across very much like the music of The Ordinary Boys and I for one must say that I absolutely love it. This is not the most original sound in the world, the music is however full of energy and excitement. The sound is put across well by The Getaway Team here and I really enjoy the music that this band creates. There are few bands out there that I enjoy the music of as much as this right now. Since hearing the bands ‘Haven’t You Head…’ EP I have held an extremely fond love for the music of The Getaway Team, ‘Lost All Hope’ is a fine example of the bands work I feel and should put a smile on the face of all those that hear it. If you enjoy a good bit of pop heavy indie music then I’m sure that you’ll absolutely love this one. There’s so much to take from the music and not for a second does the sound created by this band ever disappoint here.
Give ‘Lost All Hope’ a listen; I’m certain you’ll enjoy what you hear, particularly if you like the music of such bands as The Ordinary Boys. The music of The Getaway Team is creatively inspiring and always extremely well put together; highly recommended.
Label: Easy Tiger
Release Date: 28th April 2008
Rating:
StoneRider – Three Legs of Trouble
‘Three Legs of Trouble’ is a fiery display of rock n’ roll from the hard rock band that is StoneRider. The band hails from the American state of Georgia and this is the first album recorded and released under the name of StoneRider, before this however the four members that make up this band had previously been in a band together under the name of Fight Paris. Ten tracks are on display here, all of which are extremely hard hitting and never is there a dull moment with the music of StoneRider. This is certainly a band with a great talent for producing powerful rock music; this is something that soon becomes highly apparent with this ‘Three Legs of Trouble’ album as right from the offset the music is absolutely packed full of energy and excitement.
‘Rush Hour, Baby’ begins this release and immediately the music here makes an impact. From the opening guitar riff you can tell that this album is going to be something really rather special and as it all unfolds you’re certainly not left at all disappointed. The vocals come firing through here, the drum beats pound proudly, and the bass lines also sound extremely succulent. The sound that is created here is that of exciting rock music. The guitars are the most prominent feature in the music of StoneRider here and it is the guitar riffs that are the most impressive element of the bands sound throughout this ‘Three Legs of Trouble’ album. The guitar riffs that the band put forward with opening track ‘Rush Hour, Baby’ truly are phenomenal, throughout this album never does the musical edginess stop coming full throttle and always the sound created on this album is incredibly hard hitting.
For those that love their rock music, ‘Three Legs of Trouble’ should be regarded as essential listening. Tracks such as ‘Hair of the Dog’ and ‘Wild Child’ are particularly impressive here I feel. ‘Wild Child’ is a particularly strong rock track to listen to; the southern drawl of the bands front man Matt Tanner comes across perfectly here. With this track the sound put forward by the band is a cross between hard rock and southern rock, the music works magnificently and the sound created here truly is epic. It is the guitar riffs that make the music so powerful here, but also the vocal tone that makes this one stand out so much. Every element of the music just seems to fit together; ‘Wild Child’ is a finely structured track with an incredible chorus to boot.
‘Hair of the Dog’ begins with an incredible drum beat and it is this that makes this track stand out so much for me. The band makes an instant impact with this one through the powerful use of the drum kit, the guitars soon follow and once more the vocals are incredibly effective. With this track it almost sounds as though the guitar licks are put forward in reply to the lyrics of Matt Tanner. The vocalist sings a line and then the guitar returns a musical reply straight after, it’s an extremely interesting track and the guitars do in fact speak greater volumes than the vocals do here. Often the vocals are removed from the sound entirely here, the music is left to do all the talking and a fine job the instrumental element of the music does of it all too. The talent of StoneRider is put across superbly with this track I feel, all four of the bands members possess a great musical ability and the ten tracks of this album there are always incredibly well put together and an absolute joy to listen to.
‘Shut My Mouth’ ends this album well, the music is as electric as ever and the lively nature of the bands sound is perfectly put across here in order to bless this ‘Three Legs of Trouble’ album with one final moment of glory. The chorus is excellent, a brilliant track to sing along to and one that closes this album in incredible style. Such excellence is attained with the sound of the guitars here, perhaps more so than ever the guitar riffs are a central element to the music with this final track and as ever the musical construction of this track certainly does not disappoint. The track clocks in at four and a half minutes in length; the band does plenty throughout the run time of this track in order to hold your interest wholly and never allow for your interest to wander. As you listen to ‘Shut My Mouth’ always you feel entirely entertained, the strength of this track is great and everything about the music does plenty to impress here.
For those that appreciate the music of such artists as AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and Wolfmother also I would most definitely recommend giving this ‘Three Legs of Trouble’ album a listen. For all fans of music in fact I would advise giving this album a listen, the choruses are always excellent and the talent with which this band puts across the guitar sound in the music truly is phenomenal. There is plenty to take from this debut album from StoneRider, this band is clearly in possession of an abundance of talent and this is something that is always shown throughout the ten tracks of this album. There are a total of forty minutes of music present on this album spread over the ten tracks, never does the music of StoneRider disappoint here and always in fact the sound that the band presents here is absolutely brilliant. StoneRider is a terrifically talented band, this is something that is most definitely shown on this ‘Three Legs of Trouble’ album and I therefore have nothing but love for this release.
Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: 28th January 2008
Rating:
Neurosonic – Drama Queen
Arriving in the world of rock via techno/dance, this is the début album from Jason Darr’s Neurosonic. Never confining themselves to one genre, the band blasts through this release with the confidence and conviction of a band that has been performing together for some years. Producing a dark and devilish kind of noise, Neurosonic is a band with a sound that is very much its own. The album is packed full of raging riffs and towering choruses, this is a band with a mesmerizing charismatic force. Think Nine Inch Nails, but with greater pop sensibilities and a more electrifying industrial edge.
Tracks such as ‘So Many People’ and ‘Me Myself and I’ are particularly effective from this album, always the music is crammed full of excitement and the edginess of the music never ceases to amaze and enthral me. I would not say that industrial music is my first choice of genre when it comes to music, I certainly love what it is that Neurosonic is doing however as the music here is absolutely sensational. This is such an innovative début album from the Canadian industrial outfit that is Neurosonic, never does the music here fail to impress and always in fact this ‘Drama Queen’ album has plenty to offer. The reason the music is so effective is because this band does not pure and simply stick to the genre of industrial, elements of other musical genres are brought into the mix here in order to provide for an incredibly full and well rounded sound.
When listening to this album it is made very clear that Neurosonic is a band with a strong grounding in the techno/dance genre. The crossover between rock and dance here is phenomenal, the music possesses a great energy and never is this bands music ever short of excitement. Neurosonic is a band made up of four members, each of which is extremely talented and the combined efforts of these four figures really provides for an exciting album here in the form of ‘Drama Queen’. It seems that each of the four members of this band brings something different to the mix, something that makes the music of Neurosonic stand out as exceptional. The musical backgrounds of all of the bands members are here brought into the music, Neurosonic is a band like no other and the sound that is created here is therefore extremely innovative and creatively excellent.
With this album Neurosonic has something slightly different to offer with each and every track. There is an eclectic array of influences on display here, something that is made highly clear with the sound that is produced throughout this ‘Drama Queen’ album. There is at times a high degree of dance influence that can be felt impacting upon the music, at other stages the music is very much industrial in its approach, and at others the music takes more of a straight up hard rock approach. As you listen to this album you never quite know where the bands sound will go next, always there is a high level of energy running through the music and the unpredictability of it all makes this album incredibly exciting to listen to.
For fans of industrial/alternative metal then I feel that this ‘Drama Queen’ album should really be considered as essential listening. The album is excellent from start to finish and always the music of this band has plenty to offer. ‘Drama Queen’ will not be to everyone’s taste, those that appreciate the sounds made by artists such as Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails however this album should be of great appeal. ‘Drama Queen’ truly is an album full of excitement, high energy is here apparent at all stages of the albums progression and I for one wholeheartedly recommend giving this release a listen. The problem with the bands music being so diverse and different is that many may not find this music too approachable. Neurosonic is a band in a league of its own, a band creating a sound far different to anyone else out there and sounding all the more excellent for it. The bands greatest strength is also it’s biggest pitfall, never will the music of Neursonic appeal to a particularly mainstream audience and always this bands fan base will be rooted very much in the underground.
Label: Bodog Music
Release Date: 5th November 2007
Rating:
My Awesome Compilation – Frontiers
‘Frontiers’ is the latest studio release from the UK based band My Awesome Compilation, an album produced by Hundred Reasons’ Larry Hibbitt and one that showcases a darker direction for the band. Long gone is the squeaky pop sound of old and what we have here instead is a heavier and much more hard hitting musical approach from the band. A lot has happened for My Awesome Compilation in the past few years; in 2004 the band had a split single with Fall Out Boy, and more recently the bands ‘Put Up A Fight’ track was used in the popular computer game Saints Row and featured in the Australian version of Big Brother also. Add to this the fact that the band has toured with the likes of Fall Out Boy, Funeral For A Friend, and even The Darkness and the success of My Awesome Compilation is clear for all to see.
With this ‘Frontiers’ album the quartet that is My Awesome Compilation has here produced some of the bands finest tracks to date. The music is different in sound, the strong melodies and catchy choruses are still present however and the music just takes a meatier approach. The changes that the band has made I feel have been hugely beneficial to the overall sound of the music of My Awesome Compilation. The music that the band was already creating was strong, here however the band has upped the ante and further enhanced an already finely honed sound. ‘Frontiers’ is ten tracks strong, never is there a dull moment here and always the music is massively impressive. Opening track ‘Red Is For Danger’ begins the album on slightly dodgy ground I feel, the backing vocals don’t quite sound right and yet other than this everything is absolutely excellent. The first track on the album is all good other than the few dodgy moments where the backing vocals protrude through in the sound and slightly ruin what is otherwise an excellent introduction to the ‘Frontiers’ album.
What I have always loved most about the music of My Awesome Compilation is the bands vocal tone. Vocally the band is really fresh and exciting, the vocals are always full of life and when listening to the bands music this is I feel always the central focus. The guitar hooks are succulent also, there’s nothing better than this bands vocal work however and always the approach this band takes brings a smile to my face. The music really comes together exceptionally well at all points on this album, every track here is blessed with a beautiful chorus and the melodies truly are terrific. The guitars possess more power here than has ever before been present in the bands music and this I feel is something that has worked out incredibly well for My Awesome Compilation on this ‘Frontiers’ album. Tracks such as ‘Ghosts on the Underground’, ‘Hostage’, and ‘Accelerate’ have all turned out brilliantly on this album I feel. In truth I do not feel that any of the ten tracks on display have turned out badly here, these few are perhaps a little better than the others but nothing here would I ever classify as poor. ‘Accelerate’ stands out strongly I feel due to the heaviness that the band here puts across, listening to this track sounds like listening to a completely different band and I for one absolutely love it. Unlike with opening track ‘Red Is For Danger’ the backing vocals here work incredibly well and nothing about this one disappoints.
‘Ghosts on the Underground’ was actually chosen to be the lead single from this album and it’s not hard to hear why. This one is incredibly catchy and comes across terrifically. The vocals come belting through here, the guitars are hard hitting whilst remaining light enough to appeal to the pop demographic, and everything about ‘Ghosts on the Underground’ just seems to come together perfectly. Underneath the main sound of the music a keyboard can at times be heard, this provides a soft and gentle undertone for the track which contrasts extremely effectively with the heavier sound of the guitars and other instruments. It’s a powerful number, a strong single and a track that I personally extremely enjoy listening to.
A strong closing track always goes down a treat with me, and ‘Save Yourself’ most certainly ends this ‘Frontiers’ album sensationally well. It’s a three minute track, an extremely soft one when compared to much of the rest of this album and one that brings this release to a perfect close. After a hard edged nine tracks of punk heavy pop punk, ‘Save Yourself’ is a nice light way of ending the album and is extremely effective I feel in bringing this album to its climax. ‘Frontiers’ is a strong album so it’s only right then that it should finish with a track that leaves you wanting for more. A good album always has you craving for it all to continue, this is definitely the case here and when this ‘Frontiers’ album comes to a close you’re left with a sinking feeling and great sorrow that the album is over. The album clocks in at a total of just over thirty minutes in length, and when the music finishes you most certainly feel that listening to this album has been thirty minutes well spent.
My Awesome Compilation has always been an excellent band, this album I feel is an extremely strong release from them and one that most definitely does not disappoint. The harder direction that this band has taken has certainly worked out, the music of My Awesome Compilation sounds all the better and although this album gets off to a rocky start the nine tracks that follow more than make up for this. ‘Red Is For Danger’ is not a bad track to begin this album with, it’s just that the backing vocals do not work out too well here and the music is therefore not as effective as it should be. ‘Frontiers’ is certainly an album that I would recommend to fans of pop punk; the music is strong and never does this band here disappoint. ‘Frontiers’ is an angry album from My Awesome Compilation, lyrically the band is stronger than ever and musically also the sound produced here is far greater than ever before. The bands début album ‘Actions’ was released in 2005, since then the four members of My Awesome Compilation have come a long way and now the music being made is greater than ever. It would seem that the band is gaining in talent and experience all the time, the music is getting progressively stronger and ‘Frontiers’ provides great evidence of the bands furthered talent and expertise in creating incredibly fine music. Give this album a listen, the music is strong and this band I feel is now the best that it has ever been.
Label: Small Town Records
Release Date: 26th May 2008
Rating:
Millencolin – Machine 15
For a long time now I have admired the sweet sound of the music of Millencolin. The band actually formed in Sweden back in 1992, ‘Machine 15′ is the bands seventh studio album to date and it must be said that my opinion is that the bands best ever album has to be seen as ‘Pennybridge Pioneers’. Released in the year 2000, ‘Pennybridge Pioneers’ was exceptionally well crafted from start to finish and never was the music in the slightest bit disappointing. ‘Machine 15′ is the third album the band has released since 2000 and is I believe an album well worth listening to. This album begins brilliantly and although it is not the strongest that this band has ever released, ‘Machine 15′ is I feel another excellent album to have been put out there by the supreme Swedish force that is Millencolin.
One noticeable quality about this ‘Machine 15′ album is that the music is not quite so hard hitting as has been known in the past. The band has here favoured a more pop heavy approach, and even though the music may not be as edgy as it has been previously; there is still plenty to take from the bands sound here and listening to ‘Machine 15′ provides for an extremely interesting listening experience indeed. There are fifteen tracks here, the album begins with title track ‘Machine 15′ and comes to its close with ‘End Piece’. The music is not hugely powerful, the elements of the bands sound have here been put quite simply together, and yet the ‘Machine 15′ album most definitely works. The sound produced here is that of pleasant pop rock and the voice of Nikola Sarcevic comes through incredibly well. The man is exceptionally talented, his vocal display has always been perfect in the past and this is most definitely not something that has changed.
Millencolin may well be the finest punk rock band ever to have emerged from Sweden, tracks here such as ‘Who’s Laughing Now’, ‘Done is Done’ and ‘Route One’ are certainly extremely impressive and always this ‘Machine 15′ album has plenty to offer. The music is absolutely excellent to listen to and never do the vocals come across anything but exquisitely. Instrumentally the guitars are hugely impressive and the drum beats also are incredibly strong. The sound that this band produced is never bad, even though this album lacks the power of some of the bands albums in the past it is still a fine offering of music and always the experience of Millencolin as a band shines through strongly.
The album begins so promisingly with two fine tracks in my opinion. ‘Machine 15′ and ‘Done is Done’ begin the album with great power and yet this is not something that remains consistent throughout the album as a whole. These two tracks at the beginning of the album lead you to believe that ‘Machine 15′ is going to be something really rather special, and although it is indeed a good album it’s certainly not as strong as ‘Pennybridge Pioneers’. The production values are high, the music comes across well, and yet because the music here is not massively powerful this just doesn’t come across as a classic Millencolin album. I do really enjoy this album and many of the tracks here have plenty to offer musically, I wasn’t expecting more from the band than this and ‘Machine 15′ is I feel a brilliant album.
Although the album technically comes to an end with ‘End Piece’, ‘Saved By Hell’ is in fact the last musical track on this album as the outro track is merely a minute and a half of quiet indecipherable background sound. ‘Saved By Hell’ is not the strongest track here, it does however bring the album to an excellent close; a laid back and highly melodic song which finishes fantastically well this fine ‘Machine 15′ album. The album comprises of 45 minutes of music, not all of it is pulled off as powerfully and perfectly as it could well have been and yet ‘Machine 15′ is still a brilliant album that I would without doubt recommend listening to.
For those that have not yet been initiated into the world of the music of Millencolin then I feel that great enjoyment can be gained from listening to ‘Machine 15′. It’s a brilliant album, and although it is not the best of the bands career is still certainly an album that contains a lot of great music and a huge depth of excellence. Never are the members of Millencolin particularly adventurous on this album, the band plays it safe throughout this ‘Machine 15′ album and the music is therefore not quite as excellent as it perhaps could be. It’s a fine album complete with a strong helping of punk rock, the album progresses well and never are there any massively disappointing moments here. The members of Millencolin have been making music together for over fifteen years as a band now; the experience that has been gained through doing so is definitely on display for all to hear here and tightness with which the music is played is brilliant. As much as I enjoy this ‘Machine 15′ album, always I will make comparisons to the bands ‘Pennybridge Pioneers’ release; it could quite fairly be argued that Millencolin is a band well past its peak and yet the music that is being created here is still brilliant. The vocal approach is as excellent as ever on this album, all of the tracks on ‘Machine 15′ fare well and this is therefore a strong albeit not too progressive an album from Millencolin. The music is put across well and even though this is not in my opinion the best album that Millencolin has ever recorded as a band; ‘Machine 15′ should provide for an interesting 45 minutes of pop rock/punk rock for all those that hear it.
Label: Burning Heart/Epitaph
Release Date: 7th April 2008
Rating:
New Found Glory/International Superheroes of Hardcore – Tip of the Iceberg/Takin’ It Ova
New Found Glory has long been one of my favourite pop punk bands. The band actually formed back in 1997 and never once to date has the music disappointed me in the slightest. Fresh off the back of the recently released ‘Greatest Hits’ album, New Found Glory has here recorded an exquisitely fine EP in the form of ‘Tip of the Iceberg’ which features three new tracks as well as three covers. This is actually a double disc release and the second disc here is an International Superheroes of Hardcore (ISHC) album under the name of ‘Takin’ It Ova’. The band ISHC actually comprises of all five members of New Found Glory, you wouldn’t know it however as the sound that is here created is that of hardcore and is a far cry from the New Found Glory sound we’ve all come to know and love over the years. The ‘Greatest Hits’ album was the last in New Found Glory’s contract with Geffen Records, the band is therefore free now to record as they wish and this double-disc feature is the resultant factor of the bands newly found freedom.
The New Found Glory EP actually opens with title track ‘Tip of the Iceberg’, a fine way to start this release and one that really sets the mood nicely. New Found Glory has always been a pop punk band made up of hardcore fans, and the bands hardcore influence definitely shines through strongly on the six tracks of this EP. The vocals are the standard energetic New Found Glory affair of upbeat excellence, the musical backing however is certainly a lot more hard edged than usual. With every New Found Glory release I feel that the vocals of Jordan Pundik just get better and better, and this is most certainly a trend that has been continued here. Throughout all of the new tracks ‘Tip of the Iceberg’, ‘Dig My Own Grave’, and ‘If You Don’t Love Me’ always the vocals are greatly impressive. ‘Dig My Own Grave’ actually hints at what’s to come with the ISHC album, towards the end of the track there is a dual vocal attack of Jordan Pundik and Chad Gilbert also, Jordan offering the enthusiastic pop punk vocal tones of old and Chad contrasting this with a hard hitting hardcore shout of a vocal reply.
‘If You Don’t Love Me’ brings an end to the new material here and is perhaps my favourite of all the new tracks that are included here on this EP. It;s very different to the standard New Found Glory track and the vocals of Jordan Pundik do in fact sound better than ever here. The track comes complete with some interesting tempo changes and never does the music here disappoint. It’s a well put together track, probably one of the best songs that New Found Glory has ever put together as a band in fact. It clocks in at just under two minutes and is an exceptionally fine display of music from the band for sure; that’s another thing about the new tracks from this EP, two of them are less than two minutes in length and the other clocks in at just over the two minute mark. The band has here favoured short recordings rather than dragging the songs out and this I feel has worked out incredibly well for New Found Glory on this release.
After beginning with three totally brand new tracks for the first half of this release, the second half of this EP shows a display of the bands influences and here there are three covers; of Gorilla Biscuits, Shelter, and Lifetime respectively. With all three of these covers the band sticks very much to the original formula of the original tracks, at the same time however a definite New Found Glory feel and sheen is here on display. The band make the music their own in a way that does not detract from the quality of the original recordings, the members of New Found Glory here pay their respects to the scene that they came from and have a strong love for. The music is exciting and the cover tracks are executed excellently on three separate occasions here to absolute perfection. The bands cover of Lifetime’s ‘Cut The Tension’ has to be my favourite from this EP I feel, such energy is on display here and this is perhaps one of the finest New Found Glory tracks ever to have been recorded. It’s certainly up there amongst my favourites, as is ‘If You Don’t Love Me’ in fact; always the music on display with this EP is impressive and six tracks of absolute musical brilliance have been recorded by the band here.
As the second disc begins with the ‘ISHC Theme Song’, straight away the music of the International Superheroes of Hardcore makes an instant impression. The music is fast, Chad Gilbert and Jordan Pundik alternate their vocal and guitar duties, and always the sound created here is highly impressive. With this album the band puts across its views about certain music genres of today, and also the lyrics discuss such subjects as the importance of wearing seatbelts, and the bands appreciation for the hardcore band Madball. The tracks are kept short (most come in at around the one minute mark) and ‘Takin’ It Ova’ is a greatly impressive display of hardcore music which displays mightily the bands terrific sense of humour.
If you’re aware of the Agnostic Front track ‘Gotta Go’ then the introduction to the ISHC song ‘Screamo Gotta Go’ will be one that you shall recognise. The band bellows out the vocal of ‘From the East Coast to the West Coast; Screamo, Screamo Gotta Go’ before jumping into a full on 56 second attack at the genre of screamo and the ridiculous fashion sense of those that listen to this genre of music. It’s an amusing track and in the middle contains the token melodic moment in which the band states ‘This is the part where you want the girls to think you’re cute’, it ridicules the screamo genre and I for one absolutely love it. The music on display here is fun and always listening to this ‘Takin’ It Ova’ album provides for a greatly enjoyable experience. Jordan Pundik and Chad Gilbert shout and scream their way through this album, always the music entertains and never is there a dull moment here.
The album reaches its end with a track titled ‘Ebay Revenge’, an amusing little number which talks of the time wasters of the internet auction website that commit to a buy and then never pay up. It’s a decent way to end the album, a one minute track which caps off nicely what is an incredibly well put together album. ‘Takin’ It Ova’ is not the finest display of hardcore you will ever hear, what it is however is a greatly amusing and aurally entertaining album which comprises of twelve tracks and a grand total of fifteen minutes of music. Together this musical double bill of New Found Glory EP and ISHC album therefore adds up to a grand total of 27 minutes, it’s not a massive amount of music really but it’s certainly an entertaining mix.
This ‘Tip of the Iceberg/Takin’ It Ova’ release is most definitely one that I would recommend listening to. For those that have always found the music of New Found Glory to be a bit too pop heavy then this release should come as a pleasant surprise, and for fellow fans of the band this double disc release should provide for a great half an hour of utmost enjoyment. In 2004 New Found Glory showcased a harder edge to the music with the ‘Intro’ track that opened the ‘Catalyst’ album. What I would say about the three new tracks that are displayed on the ‘Tip of the Iceberg’ EP is that here you can here expect more to be shown of this harder hitting side of the band. The music is edgier, the guitars are more powerful, and with the latter three tracks of the EP the band showcases its musical influences with three fine hardcore covers. It’s an absolutely brilliant EP from New Found Glory, and the second disc of the ISHC album that follows is just as excellent.
To further emphasise what I said before; if you were not aware that the music of ISHC was created by the five members of New Found Glory then never would you know it. To listen to the ISHC album is nothing like listening to a New Found Glory release, the vocals don’t possess any striking similarity and it’s basically just an energetic offering of hardcore punk with a high level of humour here included. New Found Glory and ISHC are effectively the same band, it certainly doesn’t sound that way however and yet ‘both’ bands are excellent. The music of ISHC has just as much to offer as that of New Found Glory, the ideas are just presented here in different ways. Listening to this double-disc album is absolutely excellent; I have nothing but love for this release and would therefore wholly recommend giving ‘Tip of the Iceberg/Takin’ It Ova’ a listen. Regardless of whether or not you’ve ever been a fan of New Found Glory in the past I feel that there is plenty to take from this release and always the band has much to offer with the music. Ownership of this release is absolutely essential I feel, the sound created is really well put across by the five members of New Found Glory and never is there a dull moment in the 27 minutes of music that this double disc has to offer.
Label: Bridge Nine Records
Release Date: 28th April 2008
Rating:
The Business – Mean Girl
‘Mean Girl’ is an interesting new release of music from the hit 80′s Oi band that is The Business. This is a strange one in that three of the tracks included here are new, whilst the remaining five are live tracks that were actually recorded at The Marquee back in 1982. Although a bizarre mix of old and new, ‘Mean Girl’ works incredibly well as an eight track recording of Oi punk excellence. The EP has been released through Bad Dog Records and I personally find this to be a greatly enjoyable offering of music; the EP has its flaws but still ‘Mean Girl’ should provide for a greatly enjoyable listening experience for all those that hear it.
‘Mean Girl’ is fittingly the track that begins this release, one of the new songs and a fine display of punk rock it is from the band too. The vocals are excellent, musically this band is as hard hitting as ever, and all in all this is an absolutely fantastic way to begin this release. ‘Mean Girl’ really sets the mood well for the rest of this release and the music of The Business certainly does not here disappoint. ‘Till The End’ continues the trend of new music from this release and is a second stunning track. It’s a powerful track and once more the fine sound of the band is put across incredibly well. It’s not the strongest track you’ll ever hear but a fine offering of music from The Business nonetheless and one that I personally am quite fond of. The lyrics are powerful but musically the track is not so great, it’s not a bad track from The Business but certainly not one of the bands best.
’1-2-3′ is the final track of new music from this release and is I feel the best of the three that are on display here. The music is energetic and lively, the vocals are put across incredibly well and there’s an extremely high level of energy running through the track. From start to finish this track is jam packed full of excitement, an excellent slice of Oi and an impressive way to cap off the new music of this release. This track I would say is up there alongside the best tracks that this band has ever recorded, it truly is that excellent and long time fans of The Business will surely not be disappointed with what they hear here.
All five of the live tracks here are well put across by the band and as ever the sound produced by the band here is absolutely electric. Included here are live recordings of ‘Loud Proud ‘n Punk’, ‘Blind Justice’, ‘Suburban Rebels’, ‘Harry May’, and ‘Smash The Discos’ also. Although the sound quality for these live tracks isn’t great, their inclusion on this release is absolutely brilliant I feel. Although it’s odd that this release should comprise of three new recordings and five live tracks, the fact is that a recorded bootleg was recently unearthed of the gig at The Marquee and it’s therefore entirely understandable that the band wished to put the music out there for all fans to hear. These five tracks portray the live sound of this band more than twenty five years ago and the music here certainly does not disappoint. The live music contains all the energy and vigour that you would expect of this band and more, the live recordings certainly do not disappoint and as the release reaches its end with ‘Smash The Discos’ always this EP has been highly impressive.
The Business is an excellent Oi band, and with this ‘Mean Girl’ release the band showcases a fine melodic sound of new as well as a supreme spattering of live recordings of old. For fans of The Business I would suggest that ‘Mean Girl’ is an EP that you must seek to get hold of’; the music will surely not disappoint as always this release is full of energy and not for a moment does this fine band disappoint here. ‘Mean Girl’ contains exciting music from start to finish, eight tracks are included here and I personally believe that this EP is one that is well worth investing in. If you are, or in fact ever were a fan of the Oi punk genre then I would thoroughly suggest giving this a listen; the new music is an interesting display of where The Business is at now as a band, whilst the live recordings from 1982 showcase sublimely just where this band was 25 years ago. Add this to your collection, relax, and let the fine Oi punk music of The Business enter you aurally; you’ll surely not be disappointed with what you find here.
Label: Bad Dog Records
Release Date: 21st April 2008
Rating:
The Sorrow – Blessing From a Blackened Sky
The Sorrow is a fairly average metalcore band from Austria. ‘Blessing From a Blackened Sky’ is the bands début album and to be quite honest there’s not much of interest on display here whatsoever. The sound is pulled off fairly competently, there’s just no life in it all. The Sorrow jumps here from track to track without ever showing any signs of enthusiasm, there is no passion in the music and it’s therefore an extremely uninspiring album of metalcore mediocrity.
There is no denying that the members of The Sorrow are fairly talented musicians, there is a decent amount of musical ability on display here but the music just contains no personality. The Sorrow fail to make the music their own, there’s just no way whatsoever of telling The Sorrow apart from any other metalcore band; individuality is lacking in the music and this album is therefore not very exciting at all to listen to.
The band here progresses on this ‘Blessing From a Blackened Sky’ album through some interesting chord changes, a decent vocal display, and some finely executed drum beats. The problem is not in the music itself but in the way that it all comes across. Although the music is good, still you do not feel compelled to listen; the severe lack of individuality and personality in the music means that the music comes across as half hearted and no matter how good this album may be musically, the passion is always sadly lacking.
The vocals are often here shouted, there is the odd melodic moment however and ultimately the music just comes across as all too predictable. The music lacks imagination and listening to this album can therefore at times be difficult. ‘Blessing From a Blackened Sky’ is not a bad album in terms of musical ability here shown, it is however a bad album in the way of energy, enthusiasm, and ultimately excitement. Metalcore pulled off well can sound excellent, a sublime mix of metal and hardcore; this is not however what this is, this début album from The Sorrow is an unexciting affair of predictable and uninspired mildly entertaining noise. The music lacks substance but it’s not done badly, it’s not done particularly well either but still I would not label this a bad album.
Track titles such as ‘The Dagger Thrust’, ‘Darkest Red’, and ‘Death From a Lovers Hand’ suggest of the predictability of this band, it’s all a tad too generic and contrived. It’s as though the band has read some sort of ‘Metalcore Handbook’ and thrust as many clichés into the music as possible with the view that the more the music contains, the better. On this ‘Blessing From a Blackened Sky’ album The Sorrow sounds like a band trying desperately to replicate the sound of others rather than focussing on creating an original sound of the bands own. The sound produced here soon becomes tired, far before the twelve tracks of this album are over then any interest will be long since lost.
Were The Sorrow to inject a bit of passion into the sound then there is no doubt in my mind that this would be a decent album. The music is predictable but the member of The Sorrow definitely possess great talent. The band members here do not make the best use of their talent and from the enthusiasm displayed here are not particularly enjoying the music that they are producing; The Sorrow is not a bad band however and ‘Blessing From a Blackened Sky’ is not an entirely terrible début album. Huge improvements need to be made to the sound, with a few tweaks and changes however I can seriously see The Sorrow becoming an excellent band. The talent is there, all that’s needed now is passion and The Sorrow will be the finished article. Perhaps a change of vocalist is in order for this band, that could well be the detrimental factor behind the current shortcomings of The Sorrow. I’ll be interested to see what this band has to offer in the future, my opinion is that things can only get better.
Label: Drakkar Records
Release Date: 6th August 2007
Rating:
Elliot Minor – Elliot Minor
‘Elliot Minor’ is the début album from the band of the same name. There are eleven tracks on display here and it must be said that this is an exquisitely fine display of music from the York based quintet that is Elliot Minor. The music contains a great beauteous quality throughout the entirety of this album and never does the slick musical skill of the five members of Elliot Minor here disappoint.
The album gets going with ‘Time After Time’, a fine track to begin this release with and one that sets the mood nicely. It’s by no means the best track from this album, it is however a fine way to start and right from the offset here the music of Elliot Minor grabs you and gains your full undivided attention. The album has plenty to offer and listening to ‘Elliot Minor’ is therefore an exciting and greatly entertaining experience.
The bands commercial successes can all be found on this album; ‘Parallel Worlds’, ‘The White One Is Evil’, ‘Still Figuring Out’, and ‘Jessica’ also are present here for your listening pleasure. If you’ve been following the continued success of this band then you’ll no doubt know all the words to this lot, and even if not then I’m sure that you’ll know some of these songs by ear even if not by name. ‘Parallel Worlds’ and ‘The White One Is Evil’ are particular favourites of mine from this pack. Such energy and enthusiasm is contained within these tracks, the music is brilliant and never will the band disappoint with such fine displays of music as this. ‘Still Figuring Out’ was the first track that ever caught my attention from Elliot Minor, I had not previously seen the appeal of the bands music but this is a track that I most definitely absolutely love. It’s just so catchy, the chorus is brilliant and the melody absolutely fantastic. It’s a fine display of pop punk, one of the finest songs in the genre I have ever heard in fact.
The music on this album is not all as fast and frantic as is displayed with the bands single releases, there are plenty of slower paced tracks here and these also will no doubt impress you hugely. With tracks such as ‘Liar Is You’, ‘The Broken Minor’, and closing track ‘Last Call to New York City’ the music is awash with beautiful orchestral elements and the vocals are laced stunningly atop of the music. It’s a far cry from the bouncy pop of the bands singles, it is however terrific music which displays perfectly the fine nature and supreme talent of Elliot Minor as a band. The contrast in sound between the pop punk dynamics and orchestral urges of this band truly is sensational, it’s a beautiful mix of music executed excellently by Elliot Minor and pulled off to absolute perfection.
Such a vast array of musical expertise is here showcased by Elliot Minor, with every track the band has something different to offer on this début album and always the music is hugely impressive. From first track ‘Time After Time’ right through to the closer of ‘Last Call to New York City’ the music always has plenty to offer and there is plenty to take from this listening to this ‘Elliot Minor’ album. The vocals are exquisite, the instrumental element is hugely impressive, and every element of the music just seems to come together to perfection. ‘Elliot Minor’ is a fine album which melds meticulously the genres of pop punk, rock, and classical also. The members of this band come from ‘parallel worlds’ so to speak, each band members musical background is implemented into the sound of Elliot Minor supremely in order to produce the fine display of music that is this ‘Elliot Minor’ album.
A début album of utmost excellence has here been created by the fine rock band that is Elliot Minor. All five members of this band are classically trained and this therefore allows for Elliot Minor to blend beautifully the genres of classical and rock to great effect. This is an incredibly strong album from the band, one that contains eleven tracks of absolute excellence and never does the music disappoint in the slightest. ‘Elliot Minor’ is without doubt an album that I would thoroughly recommend to all; the pop sensibilities of this release are exquisite and always the vocals harmonies are beautiful. Many of the tracks contain massively catchy choruses and always the music of Elliot Minor is greatly impressive. Instrumentally Elliot Minor is a hugely talented band and vocally the music also has plenty to offer. For all fans of finely put together pop music I most certainly recommend investing in this ‘Elliot Minor’ album; you’ll surely not be at all disappointed with what you hear from Elliot Minor on this release.
Label: Warner
Release Date: 14th April 2008
Rating:
