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The Futureheads – This Is Not The World

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‘This Is Not The World’ is the third studio album from Sunderland based post-punk revivalists The Futureheads. The album has been released through the bands own Nul Records imprint and consists of twelve tracks which therefore provides for forty minutes of music. It’s a pretty solid album from the band, one that has been well received by the likes of the NME and Q Magazine; and for good reason too. I doubt it will be seen as one of the best albums of 2008 by most, it’s still a good effort from the band however and one which comes complete with a number of top tracks.

Right from the offset here the band is intent to make its mark and the first track present on this album is in fact the excellent ‘The Beginning of the Twist’. With it’s catchy chorus and fine use of guitar; this is a track which provides the album with a perfect start and from here on in never does the bands music disappoint. All the bands tracks sound fairly similar, if you like one song from this album you’ll like them all though and with every track here the band always has much to offer with its sound. The music is upbeat and incredibly uplifting to listen to, this is a very fun album and it’s great just to sit back and let the music flow.

One of my personal favourites from this album is ‘Radio Heart’, it was the second single lifted from this release and truly is an absolutely exceptional track. If you loved such Futureheads hits as ‘Hounds of Love’ and ‘Decent Days and Nights’ then you should most certainly have a fine appreciation for this one from the band too. The chorus is powerfully belted out by the band, it’s a great track to sing along to and never is a dull moment provided here.

‘This Is Not the World’ is another from this album that is really quite memorable, it’s the albums title track and exquisitely fine use of drum sound is here made. The drum sound is powerful and provides for an astonishingly uplifting listening experience here. The vocals are finely sung as ever, the track comes together well in all areas and always here the bands sound is very well worked and extremely strongly presented both instrumentally and vocally also. It’s another sing-along Futureheads classic and one which could easily be released commercially as a single to great effect.

‘Work Is Never Done’ is an interesting one from this album in that it all sounds a bit of a mess and yet it actually works really well. The instrumental sound is all over the place, the vocals are very different to at any other point on the album, and the band just generally seems to be trying out loads of different things at once here. The track sounds as though it was cobbled together without much thought or care; it works well though and despite its odd approach it’s actually one of the strongest tracks from this album. ‘Work Is Never Done’ is most definitely a track that stands out supremely from this album, it’s a bit different and out there and this is something that really has worked out rather well for the band here.

In terms of absolute highlights this album possesses yet another hugely effective track in the form of ‘Everything’s Changing Today’. The melody is excellent here, the track is incredibly uplifting to listen to and always the lyrics are very well sung out indeed. The guitar sound is the finest feature of the bands music here by far, the vocal element works well also and a powerful atmosphere has here been put to record by The Futureheads with this fine piece of energetic sound. The band bounces through the lyrical line of ‘We’re going out tonight’ with a great deal of positivity; it’s very well sung out and the way that the vocal sound is worked here is I feel the reason that the track stands out so much.

‘See What You Want’ is the track gifted with the task of bringing this album to its close; it does a very fine job and is yet another incredible tune from this album. The vocal sound is strong here and the melody of the music is absolutely exceptional. It’s not the best track the band has ever written, it’s certainly up there amongst the finest that this ‘This Is Not The World’ release has to offer however and does a very good job of bringing the album to its finish. The albums end is very sudden, you’re not expecting it to come like that and when this happens it’s really quite a shock to the system; ‘See What You Want’ has a very abrupt ending and one which well and truly leaves you wanting for more.

The main complaint I do have with this album is the fact that all the songs do sound so similar here; a little bit more creative innovation certainly wouldn’t go amiss and had the band implemented a few more slightly different sounding tracks here then ‘This Is Not The World’ would probably be pretty much perfect. As it stands this album is merely excellent, not quite perfect but a pretty good stab at perfection nonetheless. ‘Work Is Never Done’ provides the album with something a bit different, and although quite a messy track it’s actually a very good one. With all the other eleven tracks on the album there is little telling them apart, the band is very good at what it does but it could easily be argued that The Futureheads is somewhat of a one trick pony; this is a band that has mastered the art of one particular style of sound but at the same time is a little nervous of venturing any further and trying out new types of tracks. ‘This Is Not The World’ is an album which is well worth owning if you’re up for a bit of post-punk, if you’ve ever heard and hated a Futureheads track in the past however then I’d stay well away from this album from the band as the vast majority of the songs here do sound very much the same so if you don’t like one of the bands tracks it’s therefore very unlikely that you’ll want to listen to any of the others either.

Label: Nul Records
Release Date: May 26th 2008

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview StarReview Star

I Could Never Be Your Woman Review

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Since the release of ‘Clueless’ in 1995, director Amy Heckerling has not had a single hit. In fairness to her however she has only directed two films since then; ‘Loser’ and ‘I Could Never Be Your Woman’. ‘I Could Never Be Your Woman’ is a romantic comedy with a difference; the film stars Michelle Pfeiffer as Rosie and Paul Rudd as Adam, also present here however are a number of popular British actors from such popular TV series as ‘Peep Show’, ‘Green Wing’, and ‘The League of Gentlemen’ also. Stateside the film went direct-to-DVD; something that generally only happens when there’s good reason for this, ‘I Could Never be Your Woman’ is however a really very good film and the relatively small success of this movie therefore completely belies the excellence of it.

Rosie is a separated single mother living in LA, her ex-husband is having a baby with a much younger woman, and Rosie has convinced herself that she’s just too old now to have a love life. Her daughter is growing out of Barbie dolls, her job is on the line, and everything just seems to be going completely wrong for Rosie at current. Rosie works as a producer for a hit teenage TV show similar to that of ‘Saved By The Bell’, her boss wishes to replace it with a reality TV programme however and more and more programmes are now getting cut in favour of reality television. Rosie isn’t having much luck with anything in her life at the moment, when new actor Adam comes for an audition for her show however she sees something in him that she really rather likes. Instantly there is an attraction between these two and there’s definite chemistry as the two of them get closer and the film unfolds. It’s not all smooth sailing from here; Rosie is up against it and now entering into a relationship with a significantly younger man in a society which is very accepting of older men dating younger women, but not so understanding of older women dating younger men.

In terms of plot progression; ‘I Could Never Be Your Woman’ is a film that has got the formula absolutely spot on. There’s a powerful opening sequence and throughout the entirety of the film never does Amy Heckerling fail to keep you captivated. The film is fun, the script is extremely innocent, and despite its innocence this is not just a film for children to enjoy and nothing more. This is a film that will keep the whole family easily entertained, it’s not your typical predictable romantic comedy bore and everything about the film is just absolutely excellent.

‘I Could Never Be Your Woman’ is a film that looks into the issue of growing up; something we can all relate to and it’s approached in an extremely positive fashion too. Rosie’s daughter Izzie played by Saoirse Ronan not only here is growing out of Barbie dolls, but also is starting to have an active interest in boys, and even here has her first period. Instead of shying around the subject, Izzie’s mum Rosie is proud of her daughter; embraces the fact that the menstrual cycle has now started for her and really makes her feel proud that she is growing up and becoming a woman. Izzie is taken straight to the local supermarket and they start stocking up on all the required essentials, there’s a great bond between Rosie and Izzie and these two really do play their mother/daughter roles well.

Michelle Pfeiffer is a terrific actress, very natural and really plays her part well here. She portrays very strongly her vulnerable side as a single mother, she’s strong when she needs to be and always there for her daughter; she is very vulnerable however and does have a lot of worries mainly centred around the process of ageing. Michelle Pfeiffer is one of the main stars of the show, Paul Rudd does however put in a stunning performance as her younger partner. Paul Rudd’s big screen début did actually come in Heckerling’s own ‘Clueless’ film in 1995, never has he played any particular major role in his films since however and with ‘I Could Never Be Your Woman’ he has been given his big chance to shine. With his character Paul Rudd here has to be as eccentric and out there as Ben Stiller, reference to this is actually made within the film and of his role within Rosie’s TV show it is actually said by Michelle Pfeiffer that he could well be the next Ben Stiller. Based upon his performance here, Paul Rudd really could be the next Ben Stiller and I’d absolutely love to see him cast in more films of this sort in the future. Many of the films laughs are provided by Paul Rudd and he really does pull the performance out the bag in thunderous fashion.

Whilst Paul Rudd and Michelle Pfeiffer are very much the central focus here, full credit must also go out to the supporting cast. Young actress Saoirse Ronan plays her part as Michelle Pfeiffer’s daughter very well and always here her performance is absolutely flawless. This was only her third film but I’m sure that she has an extremely bright future ahead of her indeed. Graham Norton is great in his part as a camp American stylist, and although Peep Show’s David Mitchell has relatively little input in the film; all his lines are excellent and he really fits well here. Not one person is in the least bit disappointing here, everyone is absolutely fantastic in their role and Amy Heckerling has obviously here masterminded her casting decisions to absolute perfection.

When the end of the film rolls around you’re really left feeling extremely disappointed here; not because the film has been bad but instead it’s been so good that you just never want for it to end. ‘I Could Never Be Your Woman’ is a film I could watch all day long without ever tiring of it; from start to finish the film is fantastically funny and not a single element fails to impress. The film has a great visual sheen, the performances are of a spellbinding standard, and the plot development is just absolutely perfect. The film is incredibly innocent and pure; every positive aspect of childhood has here been captured on film and never is ‘I Could Never Be Your Woman’ anything short of sensational.

If you’ve got a soft spot for romantic comedies then you should absolutely love this fantastic film from Amy Heckerling. ‘Loser’ was no great film, with ‘I Could Never Be Your Woman’ Heckerling has found her directorial flow again however and this really does provide for a fine 97 minutes of viewing entertainment. ‘I Could Never Be Your Woman’ is without doubt one of the most brilliant romantic comedies I’ve ever seen; I fail to find any fault whatsoever with the film, and instead of sticking rigidly to the same generic romantic comedy formula; Amy Heckerling has thought outside the box here and perhaps put to film her finest work to date. It’s a great shame that this film was not as successful as it should have been; great films deserve great success, unfortunately this did not come for Amy Heckerling’s ‘I Could Never Be Your Woman’ though and whilst I’m sure the film will sell well on DVD, it certainly would have been nice had the film been the blockbuster smash it so surely would have been.

Rating:
Five Star ReviewFive Star ReviewFive Star ReviewFive Star ReviewFive Star Review

Black Tide – Light From Above

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Black Tide - Light From Above‘Light From Above’ is the début album from the American thrash metal band that is Black Tide. Black Tide is a band that sounds like your stereotypical 80s heavy metal/thrash metal band; nothing new at all is presented in the music here, and everything that is done was put to record far better than this over 20 years ago. As an album of 2008 ‘Light From Above’ is not exactly a great album; a couple of decades back I’m sure the bands sound would have gone down a treat, with so many bands having created this style of sound over the years however there’s just nothing new for Black Tide to offer as a band. Twelve tracks are present here; eleven originals and one cover of the Metallica track ‘Hit The Lights’. The album has a run time of 49 minutes, and if you have a strong love for 80s heavy metal then you may well like what you hear here; the album offers nothing new, the music is however fairly well done at times.

There are some strong guitar solos utilised throughout the album, one particularly impressive one being included in the track ‘Warriors of Time’. The instrumental sound provided by Black Tide here is certainly nothing new, there are however some really rather talented musicians in the band and although the guitar work is incredibly unoriginal; it’s often of quite a high calibre nonetheless. The drumbeats are excellent also and at times lead vocalist Gabriel Garcia really does belt out his vocal lines; not always however and there are certain tracks here when there is a serious lack of passion in the vocal performance. This is not the most exciting heavy metal album ever; it’s okay at times, very 80s in sound however and everything done here has already been put to record in far superior fashion in the past.

I’ve never been a massive Metallica fan, I do however quite like the cover the band has here done of ‘Hit The Lights’. Instrumentally the track is excellent, vocally however there’s that horrible lack of passion which is often present throughout the album. Vocalist Gabriel Garcia just sounds a bit bored, he certainly doesn’t seem to be feeling the music too much; he sounds like a man that has been reluctantly pushed into putting to record a Metallica cover by his band mates/record label and has only agreed due to contractual obligations. The guitar work is powerful here, throughout this entire album the guitar work is in fact excellent and this is one area in which I just can’t find fault with the music of Black Tide. Lead guitarist Alex Nunez isn’t exactly the most creative of guitarists; he regurgitates and recycles guitar riffs from years gone by, he does it well however and always makes excellent use of the fretboard.

‘Black Widow’ is the final track on this album and is I feel the best of the bands own original tracks. It’s included as a ‘UK Bonus Track’; quite a bonus really as had it not been included then the highlight of this album would probably have to be seen as the Metallica cover track. There’s some great guitar work here, a real display of guitar playing excellence, and for the first time on the album the band sounds to be having a lot of fun. A little more creative inspiration is displayed here than ever before on the album; the band is doing its own thing and not just sticking to an 80s heavy metal formula which should have been left well and truly in the past.

Black Tide’s ‘Light From Above’ will never be seen as the best heavy metal album of the year 2008; the bands sound is too stylistically similar to many bands that have gone before, and although instrumentally the music is fairly fun to listen to, it’s still nothing new. The vocal performance lacks passion at times, and with so many of the guitar riffs having been stolen from past artists it’s really very hard to praise guitarist Alex Nunez despite his excellent ability. Alex Nunez has a fantastic style, it’s not his own style however and no matter how well he works the fretboard; the instrumental sound created here is very 80s and not in the least bit original. This is not a complete failure of an album; it’s interesting enough to listen to at times, no heavy metal classic however and not one I can see myself remembering in any great detail in years to come.

For those that are new to the genre of heavy metal then this album may well sound like something quite exciting and original; it’s not though and although it’s not a bad album, too many artists sounds have been ripped off here in order to create a supremely unoriginal and generic heavy metal sound. Instrumentally you may well gain much musical enjoyment from listening to this album, none more so than you will from listening to many other heavy metal albums of this sort however and if you’re after something a little bit original, exciting and out there in the genre of heavy metal then Black Tide is not the band to provide that sound (at least not with this début album, perhaps for album number two the band shall return with something a little more original and creatively innovative; only time shall tell).

Label: Interscope
Release Date: March 18th 2008

Rating:
Review StarReview Star

Ambitions – Stranger

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Ambitions - Stranger‘Stranger’ is the début album from the Connecticut based melodic hardcore band that is Ambitions. The bands sound is similar to other such bands as Comeback Kid and Rise Against; this is not a bad début album from the band but certainly one that lacks passion at times. The music of Ambitions possesses an incredibly clean sound, the band bounces through this record with many a fine vocal melody and super guitar work also. The music of Ambitions is hugely catchy, the band has a fine ability for penning an infectious punk rock anthem and always here the bands song writing ability is shown to be exceptional.

The album opens to the pleasant instrumental sound of first track ‘The Habit of Despair Is Worse Than Despair Itself’; atmosphere builds well here and the sound really is very well put across by the band with this one. After this minute long introduction to the album you’re then launched into the true heart of the music as the band soars through the hugely melodic ‘The Illusion’. The vocals are well sung out, sometimes twisting and changing into a hearty hardcore shout; the music of Ambitions is hugely upbeat and positive, there’s a great bite about the bands sound and a terrific energy which the band seems to possess at all times.

The music is very well put across by Ambitions here, the tracks are strongly structured and both instrumentally and vocally also the sound created here is always really rather impressive; there’s certainly a lack of passion in the vocal sound at times however and this I feel is the main failing of the music of Ambitions. When the band escalates into hardcore shouts there’s no problem here whatsoever, with the melodically sung out vocal lines however the bands lead vocalist Jay Aust has a tendency to sound a little bored. If a band sounds bored producing the music that it is; this has a knock on effect and you therefore end up getting a bit bored too. With this album Ambitions definitely do sound a little tired as a band at points, not always, certainly sometimes however and this therefore stops the album from ever being particularly excellent.

‘Calamity’ is one track from this album that I absolutely love; the chorus is finely shouted out and every element of the instrumental sound always sounds excellent here. The drum work is fantastic, the guitar riffs crushing, and not in any single area is the music in the slightest bit disappointing to listen to. ‘Losing Control’ is another terrific track from this album which features some fantastic gang vocals, it’s a true punk rock anthem and one which I always greatly enjoy listening to. The track is less than two minutes long, it’s a powerful piece of music however and always here the music of Ambitions is passionately performed and energetically executed.

This is no melodic hardcore classic, too many of the tracks lack passion and the album therefore has a horrible tendency to stagnate. There are some really excellent moments here, there are also some fairly average ones however; at best Ambitions is a band which sounds to be one of the greatest in its genre, at worst however Ambitions sounds like a second rate Rise Against here. If you like the music of Rise Against then you should also like Ambitions; the band has a similar style of sound and if that’s what you’re looking for in a band then you should really enjoy this ‘Stranger’ album. There’s a definite lack of passion in the vocal performance here; with some of the tracks there isn’t, a lot of the time there is however and this album is therefore not quite as excellent as it perhaps could and should have been.

This is a fair attempt for a first album and if you’re interested in the genre of melodic hardcore then I’d certainly recommend giving ‘Ambitions’ a listen. Don’t expect to be too overly impressed with what you find here, there are definitely a good few excellent tracks contained within this ‘Stranger’ album however and some of the tracks shall surely be of great appeal. Exactly 31 minutes of music are present here, thirteen tracks make up these 31 minutes and if you’re after artists that possess a similar sound to that of Rise Against then Ambitions is one such band that you can look to for this.

Label: Bridge Nine Records
Release Date: November 6th 2007

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview Star

NORA – Save Yourself

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‘Save Yourself’ is the second studio album from the New Jersey hardcore punk band that is NORA. This is hardly the hardcore punk album of the century, it is however a fairly decent album of hugely hard hitting hardcore music; for most of this album nothing particularly special is offered by the band here, the music is very heavy however and always the vocals pack a powerful punch. The guitar work also is strong here, the riffs are incredibly heavy, and the music of NORA will most definitely have you fist pumping in the air.

Ten tracks are present here, 36 minutes of music are offered up by the band and for the most part the exact same hardcore punk formula is followed. NORA is not the most innovative hardcore punk band in the world, the music is pretty impressive however and something a little different is most definitely provided with one of the tracks present here. ‘The Moment, The Sound, The Fury’ is a track which possesses a dirty, sludgy sound; this is something that works out well for the band and this I feel is the best track that this ‘Save Yourself’ album has to offer. The track certainly stands out as different on this album, the difference in sound provided here is strong and this track really makes you stop and listen hard. You get quite used to the bands standard hardcore punk sound here, it works well but after a while your mind does begin to drift a little; ‘The Moment, The Sound, The Fury’ is a track which helps bring you back and grabs your full undivided attention with its powerful style of sound.

‘The Moment, The Sound, The Fury’ is the eighth track on the album, for the final two tracks the band really has you hooked and with both penultimate track ‘Chances Aren’t’ and aptly titled closing anthem ‘The Ending’ also the bands sound really does erupt here providing of a fine final few tracks of music. For seven tracks the bands sound is merely average, it all comes alive with three tracks to go however and the bands best is left well and truly until last. ‘Chances Aren’t’ is a little more melodic than the rest of this tracks present on this album, final track ‘The Ending’ does however provide one final moment of fury and leaves you well and truly wanting for more. The end of this album is its most impressive part; the whole thing has been leading to this point and with its climax the ‘Save Yourself’ album certainly does save itself.

This is quite a strange album in that it only gets going properly in its final third; what a final third it is however and with the final 13 minutes of this album the music of NORA truly is absolutely exceptional. NORA is by no means a great band, from listening to the final three tracks of this album however you may well be fooled into thinking that this band is better than it actually is. Although not exactly excellent from start to finish; ‘Save Yourself’ is an album well worth listening to for its finale alone and with the final few tracks of this album NORA is a band that sounds far greater than it actually is. It’s actually quite a shock when the final few tracks of this album begin to roll, the album is injected with new life through the sludgy sound of ‘The Moment, The Sound, The Fury’, is progressed phenomenally with the melodic grace of ‘Chances Aren’t’, and then with the last track of the album the bands delivers its final blow with the hard hitting hardcore punch of ‘The Ending’.

‘Save Yourself’ is not a great hardcore punk release, the end is excellent but for the most part this is a really rather average album. Ten tracks are present here, most of which blend together and form as one; with the final few moments of this album the band does however bring the release to an excellent end making ‘Save Yourself’ a very memorable album indeed. This is not hardcore punk at its finest, it’s certainly an interesting album to listen to however and with the final few tracks here the bands sound is always fantastic. For those that like their hardcore punk then NORA’s ‘Save Yourself’ may well be an album that shall appeal; it’s no classic of its genre but should certainly raise a smile or two. For crunching riffs, ferocious vocal shouts and some serious fist pumping action; NORA’s ‘Save Yourself’ is an album which is well worth listening to.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: July 30th 2007

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview Star

Wisdom In Chains – Class War

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Wisdom In Chains is an American hardcore punk band which was formed in 2002. Originally the band consisted of members from Holland and America also; the slight continent divide didn’t work out too well for Wisdom In Chains however and as time passed by the Dutch members left the band. ‘Class War’ is Wisdom In Chains third full length studio album and was released through Eulogy Recordings in 2007. The album contains seventeen tracks and has a total run time of 38 minutes; with this album the band blends elements of hardcore, metal, and Oi! together also, often to great effect and providing of an extremely full and rich style of sound.

The album kicks into action here with the two minute track ‘The Sound of the End’; the music opens to the sound of police sirens, helicopters, and gun fire before slamming you into some seriously heavy guitar sounds and ferociously shouted vocals also. ‘This is the sound of the end’ is here chanted by the band, it’s not exactly a hugely adventurous sound but one which reminds me a lot of Agnostic Front. I’m a huge fan of Agnostic Front and if you are too then I’m sure that you’ll love the Wisdom In Chains album that is ‘Class War’.

Lyrically the music is hugely political, the bands sound is strong and the genres of hardcore punk and metal have here been welded together well. The guitar work always is hugely powerful here, this I feel is where the main strength of Wisdom In Chains music lies and instrumentally I really do love what the band has done here throughout this album. Vocally the band makes use of many a ‘woah-oh’ throughout this album, there’s a definite punk rock feel to the vocal vibe, and although for the most part the vocal shout is fiercely hardcore; there’s also often an underlying presence of straight up punk rock in the sound.

Stylistically the songs all sound extremely similar here, there’s not much difference between any of these tracks and this is something that could most definitely be perceived to be a huge weakness of the music of Wisdom In Chains. I like the hardcore punk approach that Wisdom In Chains takes here, there will be plenty out there that don’t however and if you don’t like one track from this album then you wont like any of them; the sound created on each and every track here really is that similar in sound.

‘Class War’ is a great album to own if you’re a big fan of hardcore punk, particularly if you’re an admirer of Agnostic Front as the Wisdom In Chains sound really is extremely similar. If you don’t like hardcore punk then you certainly won’t like this though; ‘Class War’ as an album is very much a blend of hardcore punk, metal, and Oi!, and never does the band attempt anything different with its sound here. All the tracks sound extremely similar, but if you like one track you’ll like them all and this I feel is the beauty of the bands music. Wisdom In Chains attempts nothing new as a band here, the music has all been done before, it’s done well here however and ‘Class War’ is therefore an album I’d highly recommend listening to for all fans of the genre.

Label: Eulogy Recordings
Release Date: September 3rd 2007

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview StarReview Star

It Dies Today – Sirens

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It Dies Today is a New York based metalcore band that was formed in the year 2001. ‘Sirens’ is the bands second studio album and was originally released in America through Trustkill Records in 2006. In 2007 the album got its official UK release and ‘Sirens’ remains unchanged as to how it was originally released in the US. The album consists of eleven tracks and this therefore provides for 39 minutes of music. ‘Sirens’ is an album which brings nothing new whatsoever to the genre of metalcore, it’s an okay album however and although nothing special; It Dies Today has certainly taken a reasonable stab at the genre here.

The album begins with ‘A Constant Reminder’, ends with ‘Turn Loose the Doves’, and throughout this album the band bounces between harshly shouted vocal growls and sweetly spoken melodic verses also. This is an extremely generic album, if you’ve listened to a lot of albums in this genre then the music may well make you yawn; if you haven’t however then this album could well be quite appealing.

If you’ve got a soft spot for such bands as Still Remains and Bullet For My Valentine then you may well love this album, the music of It Dies Today possesses an extremely similar sound and it’s hard to listen to the music without drawing comparisons to other such metalcore bands as these. The guitar riffs are hugely hard hitting, the drumbeats are highly heavy, everything is entirely contrived here however and every last scream/melodic moment has been carefully placed and generically executed.

It Dies Today is a band that has taken its sound straight from the metalcore handbook and thrown as many clichés into the music as possible. Vocally the bands sound is like a million and one other bands of this sort and instrumentally also the bands sound isn’t exactly innovative. Instrumentally the sound is okay, every track present here sounds pretty much the same however and there is little telling these eleven tracks apart. Vocally the bands sound is actually quite well put across, the performance is not hugely passionate and the band does nothing that has not done before; the melodic vocal moments are very well put across however and the bands lead vocalist Jason Wood certainly has some strong vocal talent. Sadly with the shouted vocal lines the best use is not made of Jason Wood’s voice, were the band to make more of its melodic vocal element then this I feel would vastly improve upon the overall quality of the It Dies Today sound.

‘Sirens’ is no metlacore classic, it brings nothing new to its genre and due to the factor of all eleven songs sounding pretty much the same the album is therefore fairly dull to listen to. Only a few tracks into the album and you find your mind wandering, not enough is done here by It Dies Today in order to keep you interested; the sound has been done by others many times before, and it’s been done a lot better than this too. This ‘Sirens’ album lacks excitement, if you’ve not heard much metalcore music before then you may well quite enjoy this; if you’ve heard a lot of bands in the genre however then you’ll probably not be particularly enthralled with what you find here. There are some great metalcore albums out there, sadly however ‘Sirens’ is not one of them.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: July 30th 2007

Rating:
Review StarReview Star

Brooklyn – Clandestine

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Brooklyn is a rock band from the French capital of Paris. ‘Clandestine’ is the bands début album and one which has been released through the record label Ctrl Alt Del Records. The album consists of twelve tracks and this therefore provides for 48 minutes of music; it’s not a great album, but it’s not too bad a first release from the band anyway. The music is pleasant to listen to, there’s just a bit of a lack of excitement in the sound and the vocal performance is not here particularly passionate. Brooklyn is a band with a soulful rock sound, a very clean vocal tone is taken here and there’s a definite indie rock vibe about the music and an almost swing element at times also.

Title track ‘Clandestine’ kicks the album off here with a drumbeat that makes me think of the band The Subways. There’s a definite Subways style of sound present here, it works out well for the band and begins this album on an extremely positive note indeed. The track lacks energy; the vocals are well presented in the sound however and instrumentally also the music is very well played. There’s nothing technically wrong with the music of Brooklyn, it’s just that the band is not very adventurous and always the band here chooses to play it safe through not venturing too far with its sound and always sticking to more or less the same soulful rock script. The album is interesting to listen to, every track does sound very similar though and it’s therefore very difficult to listen to this album from start to finish in one sitting.

There’s quite a Placebo sound about the vocal performance of Brooklyn throughout this album, a definite Brian Molko tinge and the vocals always are strong here. Although there is not a great deal of passion in the vocal performance, the vocals are pleasantly put across and provide an extremely positive and uplifting vibe about the music of Brooklyn. The sound created here is not hugely exciting but it’s definitely upbeat and the sweetly sung music of Brooklyn always provides a smile.

It’s hard to pick out highlights when the tracks all sound so similar, of all the tracks present here though I’d have to say that ‘Lonely Days’ is the one I enjoy listening to the most. The guitar sound is light and uplifting here and the vocals also come across extremely well. There is more passion in the sound than ever here and this is something that works out really very well for Brooklyn. With ‘Lonely Days’ the Brooklyn sound is more exciting than ever, and although that’s not exactly something greatly difficult this is one track from this album that I really do enjoy listening to.

As far as début albums go then ‘Clandestine’ isn’t too bad an effort at all, it’s not the best but I’ve certainly heard a lot worse than this over the years. The indie rock guitar sound works well in the bands music here, the music is pleasant to listen to, and if you like the sound of the soulful rock of Brooklyn then you should most definitely give this album a listen. This will never become your favourite album, if you’re looking for a relaxing rock record to chill to however then Brooklyn’s ‘Clandestine’ should certainly do the trick.

Label: Ctrl Alt Del Records
Release Date: July 7th 2008

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Bedlight For Blue Eyes – Life on Life’s Terms

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‘Life on Life’s Terms’ is the second studio album from the New Jersey pop rock band that is Bedlight For Blue Eyes. Vocally the sound created by the band here is quite similar to that of Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, instrumentally there are guitar hooks a plenty, and the music of Bedlight For Blue Eyes always here is hugely melodic. This album contains twelve tracks and this therefore provides for 44 minutes of music; an album you’ll either love or hate dependent upon your thoughts about radio friendly powerpop.

Right from the offset here the music of Bedlight For Blue Eyes really makes its mark; opening track ‘City and the Ghost’ is absolutely fantastic and has a phenomenal chorus to boot. Vocally the sound is excellent here, instrumentally the sound is bouncy and hugely melodic also; Bedlight For Blue Eyes is very much a band for the Fall Out Boy generation. Personally I’m a huge fan of bands such as Fall Out Boy and the like, every song on this album is absolutely excellent to sing along to and never does the bands music sound anything short of exceptional here.

Tracks such as ‘City and the Ghost’, title track ‘Life on Life’s Terms’, and ‘Waste My Time’ also really are the most impressive that this album has to offer; I fail to find fault with any of these tracks and all three of them make me smile a lot. The choruses are excellent, the lyrics fantastic, and the guitar hooks truly are magnificent. The bands sound is smartly put across here, the production is superb, and vocally is most definitely where the music of Bedlight For Blue Eyes impresses most markedly. The bands lead vocalist Daniel Rinaldi truly does have a terrific vocal range and there just seems to be no note that the man can’t sing.

This is a great pop album with which the band really does sound to be having a lot of fun. The music is very well put across in all areas and in no department is the Bedlight For Blue Eyes sound in the slightest bit lacking. There are of course a few tracks that are better than others, there’s not a bad track on this album however and vocally always the music has much to offer. Instrumentally the guitar hooks hit hard with their melodic mastery, and the drumbeats provided by the band here are also highly impressive from the first track right through to the last.

Eleven tracks here consist of the bands standard powerpop/pop rock succulence, the final track on the album is however a remix of ‘Waste My Time’; not exactly a vital track, but an interesting one to listen to nonetheless. The standard instrumental sound has here been replaced with an electronic instrumental element instead. The track doesn’t sound anywhere near as good with the electronic instrumental progression, it’s fairly fun to listen to though and although the computer generated sound definitely does detract away from the overall quality of the original track I’m sure there will be some out there grateful of the inclusion of this remix

For fans of such bands as Kids In Glass Houses, Fall Out Boy, and Boys Like Girls then the music of Bedlight For Blue Eyes should most definitely be of great appeal. The bands sound bears supreme similarities to all three of these bands, and if you’re up for a bit of emo tinged pop rock then the Bedlight For Blue Eyes sound will be right up your street. ‘Life on Life’s Terms’ is a pretty solid second album from Bedlight For Blue Eyes and I would most definitely recommend giving this release a listen; it’s not the best pop rock album you’ll ever hear but it’s certainly a very good one.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: July 10th 2007

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U.S. Bombs – We Are The Problem

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‘We Are The Problem’ is the 2006 album release from the American punk rock band that is the U.S. Bombs. The album was released through People Like You Records and features fifteen tracks. For the most part the music is straight up punk rock here, there are however a couple of different tracks thrown into the mix for good measure also. I’ve never been a huge fan of the bands lead vocalist Duane Peters, I have however in the past been impressed with the instrumental work of the U.S. Bombs and as always the sound created by the band here is really quite instrumentally impressive.

The album opens with title track ‘We Are The Problem’, immediately you are struck by the bands really rather amateur vocal approach and this I feel is the main failing of the music here. Duane Peters is not a good singer, he’s also a professional skateboarder however and I think that it’s safe to say that the man is a far better skateboarder than he is or ever will be a vocalist. There’s just no passion behind the voice whatsoever here, no personality in the performance and therefore the vocal sound created here is really rather lacking. There are few times here when the vocals sound fairly reasonable, with such tracks as ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’, ‘Destroy the Nation’, and ‘Locked in My Skin’ the vocal tone taken is fairly adequate; even here however the vocal sound is not spectacular.

Instrumentally the sound created here is fairly basic, there is however some strong guitar work and excellent drumming showcased to keep you reasonably entertained. There’s not much variation in the instrumental department, it’s interesting enough though and if you can overlook the serious lack of imagination here then the album is really quite instrumentally enjoyable.

‘Heartbreak Motel’ is one of the few tracks here that does something a little different to the bands punk rock norm; the track is progressed by the sound of the piano, and lyrically here the issue of drug use/abuse is looked into. It’s not a serious track, the lyrics are quite fun, and although fairly boring to listen to musically; if you listen to the lyrics you’ll get far more out of this track than if you don’t. ‘Just Like You’ is another track from this album that’s a bit different; the sound is hard to define but it’s certainly a different sound to what is produced by the band for much of this album here. Vocally is where the main variation lies, something that does in fact benefit the band hugely as Duane Peters vocals here sound less lacklustre than ever. It’s not a great piece of music, the vocals are certainly more entertaining to listen to though and in my opinion this is a massive plus point about the track.

If you like the vocal tone of Duane Peters then I’m sure that you’ll love this album; personally I think the man has got a terrible voice though and with every passing track here the vocal drone just seems to get increasingly flatter. 38 minutes of music are contained within this album, pretty good value really for all major U.S. Bombs fans out there of the world; if you’re not already a U.S. Bombs enthusiast however then this will not be the album to convert you. This is punk rock music at its most basic and boring, it’s not exactly punk rock gold but this ‘We Are The Problem’ album does possess a couple of vaguely interesting tracks that should reasonably entertain.

Label: I Used To Fuck People Like You In Prison Records
Release Date: April 4th 2006

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