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Rich

The Departure – 7 Years

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The Departure have never been my favourite band in the world, however having seen them a number of times in concert supporting various other bands, I must admit to having quite enjoyed them when I’ve seen them play. ‘7 Years’ is the latest track from the band, the first sign of new material since ‘Arms Around Me’ back in 2005. Only 500 limited edition hand-stamped 7” vinyl copies of this release have been made available, so this is a definite must have for Departure enthusiasts.

Having recently embarked on their first UK tour for near on two years, and a new album due for release in January 2008; it is clear that The Departure are really trying to make a go of things as a band again. ‘7 Years’ is a decent comeback from the band, and if this is anything to go by then their new album should be a fairly competent offering. If you want to get hold of this one on vinyl then you’ll have to move fast as very few copies have been made available, however if you’re not so fussy about owning a hard copy then I’ve got some great news for you – it’s available for free download from their website. Make sure you head on over to their website right away to get your hands on this one, it’s well worth the download.

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Babyshambles – Shotters Nation

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‘Down In Albion’ was perhaps the messiest album ever to have been given an official release, an album showcasing 16 tracks that sounded only half finished. Two years on and it seems that things have changed drastically for the band; Pete Doherty seems to be cleaning up his act, and Babyshambles have thus released an album that has been perfectly polished in the form of ‘Shotters Nation’. With Stephen Street in charge of the production duties here, the man best known for his work with The Smiths and Blur; it was always clear that this album was going to be a lot more professional sounding than its predecessor. Whilst the previous album was released through Rough Trade Records, this latest effort from the band saw a release on major label Parlophone and I guess the big question is then; Does the music of Pete Doherty live up to the media hype of his personal life with this latest offering?

In some instances, the band does live up to the media hype that surrounds Pete Doherty, however for the most part by all accounts it does not. Although the production of the album here is strong, there is no denying the fact that this album has no real stand out tracks. Whilst last album ‘Down In Albion’ was blessed with the cracking single ‘Killamangiro’, there is no sign of such strength of track here. This is in no small part down to the clean production of the album; the previous charm of the band can be seen in their edginess and the appeal of their unpredictable front man, however all of this now seems to be gone. The clean production of the band, and pleasant mid-tempo rock tracks just don’t seem to suit Babyshambles whatsoever. Although its great that Pete Doherty did not simply crash and burn as so easily could have happened, this is just not the strong second album from the band that I was hoping for.

In truth ‘Shotters Nation’ is a hell of a lot more listenable than ‘Down In Albion’ was, but given the monstrous mess of a release that the last album was; this is no great achievement. Having said this however, I actually prefer ‘Down In Albion’ as at least it was interesting, which is more than can be said about this latest offering. Plodding along and showing extremely little in the way of innovation, ‘Shotters Nation’ provides twelve tracks of neatly produced mediocrity.

There are of course a couple of moments here that do provide a decent amount of entertainment in this release, however sadly are few and far between. Opening track ‘Carry On Up The Morning’ actually introduces the album fairly promisingly and when I first heard it I actually found it to be a pretty decent introduction to the album. Sure it’s not the most exciting track that Pete Doherty has ever written, however it’s a decent track nonetheless and his drawn out vocals come across well here over the backdrop of some fine instrumental work. Sadly then, the band don’t seem to keep this up for long as with next track ‘Delivery’ things seem to go downhill and fast. Opening up with an embarrassingly simple guitar line, the track seems to have no direction whatsoever and soon becomes tiresome. Seemingly trying to sound like The Kinks ‘You Really Got Me’, ‘Delivery’ is a track that falls flat on its face.

After the initial promising opening track of the album, the next real glimpse of interesting music comes in the form of ‘Deft Left Hand’, the albums penultimate track. Eight tracks have thus passed and none have had a lasting impact on me whatsoever, and in fact by the time I’d reached this late stage of the album I’d even forgotten what the promising opening track had sounded like. So, the fact of the matter here is that even the tracks that at first come across as interesting are instantly forgettable and seemingly highly disposable.

For much of the album the lyrics here reflect the front man’s turbulent relationship with supermodel Kate Moss, and his personal drug use/abuse that has made him so popular with the tabloids. Pete Doherty has clearly had a tough time of it in recent years, and lyrics of this sort were extremely predictable, however I still don’t particularly want to hear it. The lyrical statement of “I never said it was clever, I just like getting leathered” during the track ‘You Talk’ for instance is hardly big news to us.

‘Shotters Nation’ was Babyshambles big opportunity to prove themselves as a band and justify their transition from an independent record label to a major, however all Babyshambles manage to prove here is that without a scarily unpredictable front man they are nothing more than a massively over hyped rock band producing music that offers nothing new. The clean production in this release just doesn’t suit the band, and as Pete Doherty and co. plod through this album they fail to ever truly ignite. The raw emotion of old is no longer apparent, and although Doherty proves himself to be a fairly competent musician; this was never his appeal in the first place. ‘Shotters Nation’ is an album that will appeal to very few, an altogether unexpected outcome from a man that looked destined to be heading for an early grave.

Label: Parlophone
Release Date: 1st October 2007

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Spice Girls – Headlines

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In 2000, the group took a break from The Spice Girls and all focussed on solo careers to varying degrees of success. Geri Halliwell had already left the band two years previously, and the remaining four girls in the band had clearly had enough ‘Girl Power’ and felt the time was right to move on. 7 years later however, the band are back complete with Geri Halliwell as the five piece girl band they introduced themselves to the world as when they formed back in 1994. ‘Headlines’ is the resultant single of their reformation and is to be given its release in November through Virgin as the official Children in Need song of 2007.

‘Headlines’ will without a doubt go straight to number one when it is released next month, however will ride the number one spot purely on the basis of it being the official Children in Need charity single. This latest bid to top the charts from the band is lacking in any real passion whatsoever, and really is more than just a little bit dull and uninspired. Love them or hate them; you have to admit that when the Spice Girls were about before, their singles were as catchy as hell and that’s what made them so popular back in the mid to late 90s.

This has to be one of the most disappointing comebacks ever from a band, and although I wholeheartedly encourage the single to be bought in order to help raise money for Children in Need; this truly is a lacklustre offering from the band. When Take That made their comeback recently, they had a string of well written tracks and fully deserved the success that came their way. This is certainly not the case with the Spice Girls and I just hope that once their reunion tour comes to a close, this really will be the last we hear of them.

Label: Virgin
Release Date: 19th November 2007

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My American Heart – Hiding Inside The Horrible Weather

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Having formed in 2001 under the name ‘No Way Out’, the band have come a long way in their years and still they only have an average age of 20. The band actually headlined the Ernie Ball stage for the entirety of the US Warped Tour in the Summer of 2005, and later that year also headlined a tour sponsored by MySpace. With these great achievements as a resultant success of their first album ‘The Meaning In The Makeup’, it was clear that the band were already causing a massive stir. It was not until last month however that the band would head over these shores, supporting Madina Lake on their tour of the UK. Whilst here in promotion of their recently released sophomore effort ‘Hiding Inside The Horrible Weather’, My American Heart vowed that they would definitely be returning to the UK at a later date.

‘Hiding Inside The Horrible Weather’ kicks off in terrific style, evidencing a great deal of maturity from the band. It is clear that the My American Heart have come a long way in terms of musical ability in the last two years since releasing their début, and their song writing ability has here shown a vast improvement. The opening number here ‘Boys! Grab Your Guns’ is a fabulously catchy slab of Pop Punk which grabs your attention instantaneously and easily sustains it throughout the tracks duration. It has to be one of the best opening tracks I have heard in a long time as it compels you to listen on and find out if the band can carry on at such a high level of catchiness throughout the entirety of the album.

As the album progresses, the band do not disappoint and continue to prove their worth with a number of highly impressive tracks. ‘The Shake (Awful Feeling)’ is one of the first tracks that springs to mind when I think of this album. Picked as the first single to be released from the album, it is not hard to see why this was the case as it truly is a finely crafted, exceptionally catchy track that you can listen to over and over again without ever tiring of it. This one has a downright dynamite chorus and really does show the band at their very best. Although not a massive commercial success, it could easily have been so had it been given the exposure it so deserved.

In this album the band showcase not only the fact that they have a fine art for penning supremely catchy pop tracks, but also that they can do a good job when they slow things down a little. Tracks such as ‘Tired & Uninspired’, ‘All My Friends’, and ‘Dangerous’ show a softer side of the band; a side that was never evident when they released their début album. Although it is clear that they feel a little uncomfortable in these tracks as they are outside their comfort zone, on all three occasions here the band have done well. ‘All My Friends’ I feel is the best of the three, and is in fact the track they have chosen to close the album with. This finishes the album well, rounding it off nicely and winding it down as things are brought to a close.

If you heard the first album from the band and were not impressed with what you found there; then it may be worth checking this latest release out from them as in my opinion it is a hell of a lot better, and definitely evidences a great maturity on their behalf. If you’re looking for intense lyrical intelligence then granted you’re not going to find that here, but musically the band have got things spot on this time round, and it is no longer merely the vocals that impress. It has always been evident that the band have a truly gifted front man, however in this release the rest of the band also show their worth with a display of awesome guitar licks and frantic drum beats throughout.

Given the tragically clichéd name of the band, I fear that many will give this band a miss out of fear that they are merely another generic Emo band, however the truth of the matter is that they are far from being this; at no point in this album do the band even contemplate the thought of screaming. ‘Hiding Inside The Horrible Weather’ is a finely written, highly catchy Pop Punk album that I will no doubt be listening to for some time to come. Although it is not the best album ever to have come out of the genre, the bands singer Larry Soliman is an extremely talented vocalist with an almighty strong voice. I feel that My American Heart could potentially go very far producing the great music that they are at current, and given their young age this will without a doubt not be the last we hear from them.

Label: Bodog Music
Release Date: 8th October 2007

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Reverend and the Makers – The State Of Things

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Reverend and the Makers are an ‘Indie Funk Electro’ band hailing from Sheffield and are currently signed to Wall Of Sound Records. The band have been around in their current form since 2005, however have only recently come to fame through their summer dance floor anthem ‘Heavyweight Champion Of The World’. The Sheffield music scene is currently thriving since Arctic Monkeys broke through in late 2005, and in fact an early incarnation of Reverend and the Makers actually consisted of two of their members. Back then the band were called Judan Suki however and it has taken several line-up alterations before arriving in their current form as Reverend and the Makers.

In ‘The State Of Things’, Reverend and the Makers front man Jon McClure gives us his scathing view on the society of today. With lyrical content such as package holidays, getting drunk, and the nine-to-five life; you’ll find nothing here you’ve not heard a hundred times before already elsewhere. The amusing thing is that McClure seems to see himself as some sort of spokesman for a generation, but in reality his lyrics are clichéd drivel of a similar sort of standard you’ve come to expect from your local band currently still studying in sixth form.

The album kicks off promisingly with a couple of neat little numbers from the band. As title track ‘The State Of Things’ begins, you get the impression that the album ahead is going to sound extremely similar to the Arctic Monkeys, and vocally your first impression wouldn’t be far wrong. The first track here is a neat little introduction into the album, and although not the strongest of tracks you’ll ever hear, does still provide some strong entertainment. Right from the word go the miserable lyrics are apparent, however when the sound is this good then this can always be overlooked. As the album continues into second track ‘The Machine’, the music continues to impress. The Electro edge of the band makes the music sound exciting and fresh, and as the band fire their way through ‘The Machine’ it will without a doubt get you moving your feet and dancing to the beat. Impressively catchy, you’ll find yourself hoping the track will never come to an end as it is just so good – however when the track does come to an end, this does not turn out to be a bad thing as from here we launch straight into ‘Heavyweight Champion Of The World’. There is a good reason why this track was such a summer anthem, and in fact the more you listen to this track the more you begin to love it. This one stayed in the top 10 for several weeks over the summer months, and deservedly so. With a mammoth chorus and strong musical back beat, ‘Heavyweight Champion Of The World’ proves to be the albums finest moment. It is after this track however that things begin to go a bit pear shaped for the band.

After the initial buzz the band provide in their first three tracks of the album, the rest of the release never quite hits that same standard again, and in fact the top quality introduction to the album has set the band up for a massive fall in the latter three quarters. Never again in the album will we ever witness such strength of song, and this is sad to see as this album had such a great potential to be one of the albums of 2007.

There is a great deal of Ska influence shown on this album, and a number of other notable genre influences to be found here. It is good to see that there is a large variety of different musical forms here, and although it is clear that the band take on a wide array of influences in their ‘The State Of Things’ album; this does not stop their release from being somewhat of a disappointment. Taking obvious influence from bands such as The Specials and Inspiral Carpets, the album could have been so much more than what it is.

The albums midpoint is marked with the track ‘Sex With The Ex’; a slow number from the band where McClure speaks of this potentially difficult situation. The slow pace of the track seems to suggest a somewhat more serious approach for this track, however the lyrics are laughable and the band fail to impress. McClure in his lyrics seems to attempt the Mike Skinner lyrical approach of saying it like it is in a way that is easy for all to understand, however is not quite such a master of the art as Skinner. Whilst Mike Skinner’s lyrics are often intelligently written and well crafted, McClure’s are simply childish in comparison.

I feel a definite low for the album has to be in their second single ‘He Said He Loved Me’, in which some dreadful lyrics coupled with infuriatingly irritating female vocals make for a disasterpiece of a track. This has to be one of the most annoying tracks to have been released this year, and every time it comes on the radio I curse the person who gave the go ahead for this track to be released as a single. The track does not have one single redeeming feature, and McClure’s swaggering tone here just makes you wonder what he’s got to be so arrogant about.

McClure is perhaps one of the most arrogant men in music at the moment, and in many respects reminds me of Liam Gallagher and the stage presence he possesses. The difference between these two front men however is that Liam Gallagher has good reason to be as arrogant as he is; Oasis are perhaps one of the best Rock bands of our generation, whereas Reverend and the Makers by all accounts are not.

Had this album been released a couple of years back, then I would perhaps not be viewing it in quite such a negative light. The vocals are just far too similar to those of Arctic Monkeys, and although when they first came about the sound was endearing; quite frankly I’m bored of it now. To sum up simply; ‘The State Of Things’ is an Electro edged Arctic Monkeys album. It is not just the tiresome vocals that put me off this album of course as had it been well written I would happily have listened to this album and enjoyed it, but their music just fails to entertain for the most part. An album that started so well and excited so much soon ceased to please and the quality greatly deteriorated as the album progressed. There will no doubt be a reasonably large number of people that go out and buy this album and most of whom will probably be readers of the NME, however this is by no means a strong album and is not one I will be devoting much time listening to in future.

Label: Wall Of Sound
Release Date: 17th September 2007

Rating:
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No One Gets Out Alive (CD)

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The ‘No One Gets Out Alive’ Tour is to take place throughout November and will see six of the best breaking through British bands hitting a number of 200 capacity venues throughout the country. RSJ, Asking Alexandria, Lap, Anemic, Djevara, and Circle of One will all be involved in the tour, and all six are bound to put on a great show at the venues they play. An added incentive for getting yourself along to the shows will be that the first 15 people through the doors each night will all receive promotional goodie bags featuring merchandise, free CD’s etc. so it well worth getting along to the shows nice and early. This CD has been put out in order to showcase all six of the touring bands, featuring one track from each.

The strong quality of output here emphasises the point of just how great a tour the ‘No One Gets Out Alive’ Tour will be, and kicking off with ‘Deadbolt’ by RSJ, the CD certainly gets off to a stormer. ‘Deadbolt’ is a superb track, and RSJ’s powerful Metal really does come through strongly in its 5 minute length. RSJ have a great talent for what they do, and show this perfectly with ‘Deadbolt’. Powerful guitars, demonic drum beats, and fantastic sounding vocals make this track stand out as a perfect example of what Hardcore should sound like.

RSJ are a hard act to follow, however Asking Alexandria manage it well in the second track here as with ‘Wings for the Sake of Flying’, the CD continues to impress. The track follows on well from the first, and once again we are treated to some brilliant Hardcore from a band that clearly have a lot to offer. Having formed in 2003, it is definitely apparent in their music that the band have been together for some time as they gel well together and sound extremely comfortable in what they do. ‘Wings for the Sake of Flying’ is a whirlwind of a track that comes hurtling past you, leaving you with an intense feeling of satisfaction that has just been derived from the listening experience.

Next up are LAP and their ‘The Minute I Live Is The Minute I Die’ effort. LAP is short for ‘Life Among People’, a name I feel they should forefront more heavily as it really is a cracking name. More heavily influenced by Rock than the first two bands, LAP slow things down a little and mix things up a little with the songs melodic opening. They soon launch into a powerful chorus however, and also show that their music is more than capable of packing a fair punch. The tracks heavier and lighter moments work well together, making for a well rounded little number from a band with a clear eye for penning a fine track.

Anemic are a straight up Rock band, and show themselves to have a great talent with their ‘Train To Hell’ track. This is balls out rock at its best, and definitely fits in well here. A general theme running through this CD is that all tracks here are from bands that have got something about them making them a bit different and special, and Anemic definitely fit the bill well. The band have had 165 000 views on their Myspace page and it is not hard to see why; Anemic are a highly talented Rock band are will without a doubt go far in producing the music which they do.

The music of Djevara I have always found utterly compelling. The band have a sound that they have made entirely their own, and therefore the listening experience is absolutely encapsulating. They are without a doubt a band that have a lot of good musical ideas, and as they are so different from other bands you’ll ever come across are greatly interesting. With ‘Moths to the Flames’ the band show exactly why they have become one of my most listened to bands in recent months; their unique talent and musical intelligence is greatly gripping.

Circle of One are the band to bring the CD to a close, and are an interesting one to write about. Their breed of Rock is not my favourite to listen to, however I do appreciate that the band are a great talent at what they do. It is clear that all those in the band have a great love of music, and the music of which they are creating is strongly melodic making a great powerful use of their guitars. In ‘Shooting Gallery’, the band round the CD off nicely and wind things down one last time for the closer.

It is clear that all the bands for the No One Gets Out Alive Tour have been chosen carefully, and the bands used here are without a doubt the cream of the crop as far as the British underground world of Rock goes. S-a-N Recordings have come up with a strong line up, and come the end of November will no doubt be extremely proud of all bands involved performances up and down the country. I wholeheartedly recommend you get yourselves along to at least one of the shows on the tour as each and every one of them is bound to be a stormer. The No One Gets Out Alive Tour will no doubt impress you just as much, if not more than the CD has done me.

Label: S-a-N Recordings
Release Date: 19th November 2007

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The Proclaimers – Life With You

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Having enjoyed success earlier this year with the single “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” featuring ‘Brian Potter’ and ‘Andy Pipkin’, The Proclaimers are back with album ‘Life With You’ which contains 13 brand new songs. This is their seventh studio album to date, and is the first for two years having released ‘Restless Soul’ in 2005. The Proclaimers are of course a Scottish band comprising of identical twins Charlie and Craig Reid. The band actually formed in 1983, however it was not until the January of 1987 that the band came to fame when they made an appearance on the popular music programme ‘The Tube’ on Channel 4. Since then the band have never gone more than 6 years without the release of a new studio album, and even then they broke up the silence with the release of an EP halfway through this six year dry period. It is no surprise then that the band are back this year and releasing new material.

As the album opens with title track ‘Life With You’, it is clear that the band haven’t progressed much in sound since the release of the aforementioned “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”; a track that was originally released back in 1988. The opening chord is more or less identical to that used in their 1988 hit, however this is perhaps where the similarity between the two tracks finishes. The track has great potential, with a chorus that could easily have been a sing-along classic, however it never quite delivers and just feels slightly empty. It does not serve to be a great introduction to the album, however does seem to sum up how the album will progress.

With every passing minute, you begin to question further when this album is really going to start getting going, however to put it simply; it never truly does. Although not a bad album, the band just never seem to deliver at their full potential here. The music for the most part just seems devoid of any real passion, and this is never a good thing to hear in an album. You just don’t ever feel that the Reid twins truly believe in what they are singing for the majority of the album here and therefore listening to ‘Life With You’ becomes somewhat of a chore.

As the band meander through the 13 tracks on the album, there is of course the odd track that does seem to ignite and provide an entertaining listening experience. The tracks ‘S.O.R.R.Y’ and ‘The Long Haul’ for instance are interesting tracks as here the band take on the issue of the war in Iraq and America’s stance on the issue of terrorism with a real sense of anger, and for once there is a definite passion in their tone here. I feel that they are singing like they mean it in these two tracks, and this is a great thing to hear as it is not something that comes across an awful lot throughout the albums duration. These two tracks are extremely intelligently crafted, with the brothers really showing their strength in song writing here. Despite a high degree of passion shown in these two tracks, it’s just not enough for me as it in no way makes up for the fact that for the majority of the album the twins vocals and lyrics are devoid of truth, meaning, and passion.

Over the years, The Proclaimers have shown their love of other artists music with various covers and this fact is once again true here. On ‘Life With You’, the band have chosen to do a cover of the Wreckless Eric track ‘Whole Wide World’ and have covered it extremely well. This one suits their sound extremely well, and is in my opinion perhaps the best track on the album. When the best a band come up with on an album is a cover, you just know things haven’t gone well for them. From the way this one is sung, it is clear that the band have a genuine love of the track and this is a great thing to hear from them.

As the album comes to a close with the track ‘If There’s A God’, it’s impossible not to be disappointed with the album you have just spent the last hour listening to. This final track on the album doesn’t leave you wanting for more, but instead has you feeling glad that the album is finally about to finish. With its slow pace and non-existent passion, ‘If There’s A God’ finishes the CD disappointingly and although only 5 minutes in length seems to drag on no end. It isn’t even that its a badly written track, it just suffers from the same downfall as much of the rest of the album; the lack of passion provided here. You really don’t get the impression that the duo are singing like they mean it, and although the lyrics here have the potential to be extremely powerful – the fact they are sung in such a half hearted manner means this is not so.

I would only recommend this album to the most die hard of Proclaimers fans, as anyone else is unlikely to derive much satisfaction from this release. A lot of the songs show great promise, but just don’t quite cut it and thus become tiresome extremely quickly. Whilst their classic tracks “Letter from America” and “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” will last long in the memory of many, there is little here which will have much of a lasting impact on any of its listeners. It would seem that The Proclaimers music is not quite as it was 20 years ago as although their musical intelligence and expertise is highly apparent, a love of the music they are producing is not.

Label: W14 Music
Release Date: 3rd September 2007

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My American Heart – The Shake (Awful Feeling)

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Having never listened to the band before, the name ‘My American Heart’ made me not want to change this fact. After listening to ‘The Shake (Awful Feeling)’ however, I’m extremely glad that I gave the band a chance. The band went into the studio last February with James Paul Wisner, a producer that has worked with bands such as The Academy Is… and Dashboard Confessional, and are to release the album their new album in early November through Bodog Music. Wisner’s production values are extremely apparent here, and with a sound remarkably similar to that of The Academy Is…, My American Heart have in my opinion come out with an extremely high quality single. With some terrific guitar licks, supreme vocal talent, and a downright dynamite chorus; ‘The Shake (Awful Feeling)’ is bound to go down exceptionally well upon release. With an average age of only 20, My American Heart have accomplished a hell of a lot for their years and will without a doubt continue to grow and flourish as a band. I for one am thoroughly looking forward to the release of their ‘Hiding Inside the Horrible Weather’ album later on this year.

Label: Bodog Music
Release Date: 8th October 2007

Rating:
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Kate Nash – Mouthwash

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With an image printed on to the CD of a birds eye view of a cup of tea and saucer, it took me a while to understand why this was so. Of course, the chorus contains the throwaway line of ‘I’ve got a family, and I drink cups of tea’, so that’s where they got this ingenious idea from. Lousy CD picture aside, the single itself is entirely detestable. The lyrics are laughable, the vocals thoroughly irritating, and the tune not remotely likeable. A cringe worthy continuation of last single ‘Foundations’ ridiculous rhyming of ‘Bitter’ and ‘Fitter’, the couplet of ‘Family’ and ‘Tea’ has to be heard to be believed. Her immaculate use of rhyme and strong grasp of the English language is perhaps on a par with that of William Blake in his ‘Songs of Innocence and Experience’, Or maybe her writings more akin to the meaningless ramblings of Mr Blobby in his 1993 Christmas Number One?

It is not often that an artist will irritate me to such a massive extent, however Kate Nash is without a doubt the most irritating singer songwriter this country has ever produced, and lets face it; there’s a hell of a lot of competition for this accolade.

Label: Fiction Records
Release Date: 1st October 2007

Rating:
Review Star

Iced Earth – Framing Armageddon-Something Wicked Part 1

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This year saw the return of Iced Earth with ‘Framing Armageddon-Something Wicked Part 1’, their eighth studio album to date. This is the first of two albums ‘weaving a thrilling Sci-Fi tale of mankind’s invasion of Earth, the planet occupied by the direct descendants of the Grand Architect of the Universe.’ This concept was first formed in the bands classic ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ back in 1998, and I have to say that this first part of the double bill of concept albums does not disappoint. There is a lot to take in here, so it does take a few listens in order to allow for the album to sink in, however once you’re able to do so it is absolutely amazing. Complication is the name of the Iced Earth game, and without their intensely complicated, highly technical music – they just wouldn’t be the same band and would fail to possess such a high level of depth and dexterity.

The band blast their way through 70 minutes of musical brilliance here, with a Metal album that has been intelligently written and remarkably well crafted. There is never a dull moment, with the band keeping you hooked for the full 70 minute experience. Jon Schaffer has always been the musical mastermind behind Iced Earth, and with ‘Framing Armageddon-Something Wicked Part 1’, he certainly doesn’t disappoint. Over the past 23 years Jon Schaffer has proven himself as a musician and a songwriter, and never once have he or Iced Earth let us down yet. With every album Schaffer just seems to grow and grow in song writing ability, and this latest album shows a greater development than ever. In this album, Iced Earth have created a great album of epic proportions, not just in terms of the albums length but in terms of song depth also. A lot of hard work, time, and effort has clearly gone into the writing and recording of this album, and thus the end result is truly phenomenal.

There are 19 tracks on display here, each of which contributing equal amounts to the album; take one track away and the album just wouldn’t work as the great tale it is, leave all tracks here and the album is faultless. With each and every track providing such a contribution to the album, it is therefore extremely difficult to pick out tracks that stand out most from the album, however it would be criminal for me not to mention the tracks of ‘Ten Thousand Strong’, ‘A Charge To Keep’, ‘The Clouding’, ‘The Domino Decree’, and ‘Infiltrate and Assimilate’. All of these tracks are extremely finely crafted and the more you listen to them; the better they sound and the more you gain from the listening experience.

‘Ten Thousand Strong’ is quite possibly the best Iced Earth track I have ever heard. Intensely powerful and supremely well written; ‘Ten Thousand Strong’ I can guarantee will be a favourite with Iced Earth fans the world over. Clocking in at just under four minutes in length, this is a fine piece of music and it is clear that a lot of time and effort has gone in here. It is perhaps the album’s crowning glory, and with every listen to the album is a track I always thoroughly look forward to hearing. ‘A Charge To Keep’ stood out to me for another reason; here it is not the track as a whole that captured my attention, but instead its chorus which is reminiscent of a battle cry in sound. ‘The Clouding’ shows a whole new side to the band as here they launch into a full on ballad and successfully accomplish it with apparent ease. ‘The Domino Decree’ however is a soaring track with strong guitars, powerful vocals, and some stomping drum beats. This one has a musical interlude around half way through which lasts a good couple of minutes, and truly is an epic Metallic masterpiece. Finally then of the tracks I could not go without mentioning; we come to ‘Infiltrate and Assimilate’. It is right from the opening of ‘Infiltrate and Assimilate’ that we know it is going to be something special. The crashing introduction of the drums and guitars leave you knowing that this is going to be one to remember, and as the track progresses it certainly does not disappoint.

This said; I still would not recommend listening to any of these tracks individually however as to be fully appreciated, they really do have to be listened to as a part of the album as a whole. It is by listening to the album as a whole that you realise just how much Iced Earth have accomplished here as a band. In ‘Framing Armageddon-Something Wicked Part 1’, Iced Earth have shown how diverse they can be as a band, showing here that they can produce not only Power Metal but also ballads and mid-tempo tracks alike. This album can be seen to be an experimentation from the band, and in my opinion it has 100% worked out for them. Schaffer’s abilities as a songwriter have here been shown to be greater than we first thought. Lyrical strength is more impressive than ever here, and Iced Earth truly do seem to be at the top of their game. Songs here have been created and crafted which are more melodic and memorable than ever before, and ‘Framing Armageddon-Something Wicked’ as a two part collection will no doubt be talked about for years to come.

When bands take on concept albums, the end result is not always too successful. Here however, Iced Earth have created a fantastic album in the form of ‘Framing Armageddon-Something Wicked Part 1’, and I for one can’t wait to here the second part. The second instalment is due in February 2008, and Schaffer claims that it is even better than this first offering. Iced Earth are an incredible Power Metal band, and will surely show their worth when the second album is released and their Sci-Fi concept is complete. I feel that it is not just fans of the genre that can get something out of this album. There is something here for everyone due to the fact that such an amazing story is told in the albums process meaning that it is easily accessible to everyone; even those that wont enjoy the music will be able to appreciate this as the story in itself is entertainment enough.

Label: Steamhammer
Release Date: 10th September 2007

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