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Enochian Theory – A Monument To The Death Of An Idea

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It was September 2004 that this band first began its assault on the music industry. The four individuals that make up this fine band that is Enochian Theory got together and started writing material, tracks that would be included on the bands first EP ‘Our Lengthening Shadows’. With an EP behind them the band was then able to be taken seriously as a unit and began to secure shows for themselves up and down the UK. Enochian Theory began working on début album ‘A Monument To The Death Of An Idea’ in June 2006, completed it in August 2006 and it was then that the album was released independently. In April 2007 the album was given an official release through Anomalousz Music and from then on the band has continued to go from strength to strength.

‘A Countermeasure In Hindsight’ kicks this album off, a nine minute epic as Enochian Theory here unveil their sound and the music unfolds. A mere five tracks make up this album and yet the albums runs for over half an hour. The tracks are long, Enochian Theory cruise through them with great accuracy and precision however and all four members of the band prove themselves to be excellent in their field. The vocals are excellent, the guitars superb, and the drum beats provide a brilliant backbone for the band. The music is a mix of Prog Rock and Metal, it’s an interesting sound that is produced here and definitely one that I would recommend.

With some Prog Rock bands you listen to the music and are constantly waiting for it all to kick into action. The end of an album can sometimes be reached and you’re left feeling as though nothing has really happened, this certainly isn’t the case here though and Enochian Theory provide plenty of excellent music to keep you entertained throughout the albums run time. It’s great music to relax to, for the most part the sound that is produced here is reassuringly soothing; every element of the music is strong and yet you can easily unwind as you let the music pour through every inch of your soul. In contrast to this however there are times when the music is quite heavy in its approach, at the end of ‘For Those With Conscience’ for example it all explodes as the band enters the final minute of the track and decide here to thrash out a bit of heavy metal. The vocals are rough, the guitar riffs are huge and every element of the music is here extremely heavy. The album offers a great deal of variation in sound, never do you quite know where the band will go next and it is this element of the music that makes it all so brilliant to listen to. The sound is constantly changing throughout this album, the music is always out to shock and surprise you and it is this that I love most about Enochian Theory.

‘Namyamka’ is the track given the task of bringing this album to its close. It’s an excellent one to end it all with I feel, a truly exquisite piece of music which finishes the album on a definite high for the band. The track was actually released in August 2007 as a single, you can definitely understand why the band would choose this one from the five that are present on this release. For a start it’s the shortest track here at just over 5 minutes and I would also say that it’s perhaps the most approachable of all that are included on this album. The album has so much going on, a vast array of music that really makes you think for long after the music has met its end. As this track ends and silence ensues due to the albums finish, you really feel a great sense of satisfaction and appreciation for the brilliant music that you have for the last half an hour been listening to. Although the tracks could all easily stand alone as superb examples of music, the album as a whole really is superb and in order for the music to be fully appreciated I really feel that you need to listen to this album from start to finish without any breaks or pauses.

Five tracks will not be everyone’s idea of an album, there will be plenty out there that would prefer this half hour of music be spread over double or even triple the number of tracks that are here present but there is just no denying the quality of this release. Enochian Theory is a greatly talented band, the music is full of depth and never does this album disappoint. The sound that is produced here I feel is supremely successful, the music holds you deep in thought as the album unfolds and the talent of the bands four members shines through strongly. Enochian Theory is an extremely tight unit of musicians, you can really feel the great group unity that this band possesses. You really get the distinct impression when listening to this album that as well as being in a band together, the groups four members also hold an extremely close bond in the form of friendship. This album is made all the more excellent I feel due to the bands ability to play together as one individual unit rather than as four separate components; all elements of the music fit together perfectly and the sound that is executed here is extremely well rounded and thoroughly enjoyable to listen to.

Label: Anomalousz Music
Release Date: 30th April 2007

Rating:
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one:day:life – Heroes, Hoods and Headphones

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‘Heroes, Hoods and Headphones’ is the début album from one:day:life, a pop punk band from the east coast of England. One look at the cover of this release and the genre of this band can quickly be deciphered, to look at the band is extremely reminiscent of Blink 182, to listen to however this band is not. Fans of the genre of pop punk will have heard the sound that one:day:life produces many a time before, it’s not original but the music is in fact quite enjoyable.

The band looks American, sounds American, and whilst listening to this album you tend to forget that all three members of one:day:life are in fact English. There is no denying however that this band is producing terrifically catchy pop punk music, and although it’s not the most original sound in the world it’s definitely still worth a whirl I feel. There’s not much variety here, but what the band does is done well and all twelve of the tracks present on this album will surely please fans of the pop punk genre. It’s not essential listening, but I’m sure that most fans of the genre will certainly find this album to be of great interest and derive significant listening pleasure from this ‘Heroes, Hoods and Headphones’ album.

The album begins with ‘Caught In The Crossfire’, an energetic offering of pop punk which instantly grabs your attention with its catchy chorus and frantic pace. Throughout the rest of the album however it would be hard to tell any major difference between any of the twelve tracks here. The music is interesting but all too similar, the album is therefore enjoyable to listen to but ultimately extremely unmemorable. It’s done well, the guitars produce some interesting sounds, the vocals are tuneful, the drum beats powerful; all in all though the sound that is produced here is really quite unspectacular.

Vocally I would say that if you think along the lines of bands such as The Starting Line, Home Grown and other Drive Thru Records artists of this ilk then you’ll get a good idea of what kind of sound it is that one:day:life produces. This sound would have been hugely popular a few years back, these days there are far less bands out there creating this sort of sound though and this brand of pop punk is therefore nowhere near as fashionable as it once was. Musically this band is not hugely creative, what the three members of this band do is effective however and although it won’t be to everyone’s taste it should surely go down well with hardened fans of the genre.

one:day:life made a name for themselves as a band through heavily touring the county with successful school tours. I thoroughly commend this band for their efforts, one:day:life will play any place possible in order to increase exposure and the bands drive and ambition are therefore excellent qualities to see. The problem with this band lies in the nature of the music that is here being created, one:day:life will never make it massive if the music continues in this manner and although further underground success will surely come; I fail to see how this band will be able to break away from this school tour scene at current. This album has been financed by the band themselves so obviously there is a genuine passion for creating music on the behalf of one:day:life, how far the band can progress producing this sound however I feel is extremely limited.

To fellow fans of the pop punk genre I recommend this ‘Heroes, Hoods and Headphones’ album, it’s a decent début from this band and although not particularly progressive or original, what’s here will surely put a smile on your face. The choruses are catchy, the melodies are interesting, and a genuine passion on behalf of the band can definitely here be felt. This is not the best pop punk album you will ever hear, there are a lot of bands out there producing this sound and doing it a lot better but ‘Heroes, Hoods and Headphones’ is still a catchy and quite interesting début album from one:day:life.

Label: Frontierless Records
Release Date: 18th February 2008

Rating:
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Headcharger – Watch The Sun

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Hailing from Caen in France, Headcharger produces a brand of rock music combining elements of metal and hardcore into the mix. The music is energetic, the guitar riffs are hard hitting and not once on this album does the band ever fail to impress with this fine rock sound. A definite hardcore influence can be heard running through the very heart of this release, the stomp that the band possesses is reminiscent of many a successful hardcore band and the music is resultantly greatly hard hitting and always this band seems to hit all the right notes with the music.

Eleven tracks are contained within this ‘Watch The Sun’ release, never is the music anything short of sensational as Headcharger crash and smash through this highly charged powerful rock display. It’s hard, impossible even to tie this band down to just one genre given the diversity of sounds that is here produced. With each and every track the band has something slightly different to offer, whatever the sound is however always it is highly entertaining and hugely impressive to listen to. Metallic guitar licks are spattered all over this album, the hardcore pace and power of the drums can often be heard, and never quite do you know where the vocals will go next. The vocal range here truly is impressive, so many different sounds emerge from the mouth of front man Seb. Shooting from sublimely sung to raucously shouted, it would seem that there is very little that this talented front man cannot do.

Such hardcore ferocity can on this album he heard, right from the offset you know that hardcore runs right through the veins of this band but as the album unveils itself the power of this band just seems to get greater and greater. Never does this album cease to impress me, always Headcharger possess great energy as a band and this energy has here been exhibited on a truly fine album display that is ‘Watch the Sun’. Not once does the power seem to lessen in the slightest, it remains at a constant throughout the entirety of this album and always the music of Headcharger is seemingly supersonically charged.

The instrumental talent of this band truly is phenomenal, the guitars chug through tracks such as ‘Get Naked’ and ‘You Wanna Dance You Gotta Pay The Band’, the drum beats are relentlessly furious, the vocals are unpredictably excellent, and at no point in this album does this fine French band ever show a single sign of weakness. Having supported bands such as Agnostic Front, Throwdown and The Exploited, I feel that any paying crowd would be highly impressed with the fine music that this band produces. The sound of Headcharger will not only appeal to fans of metal, but those of the hardcore scene also as the music is a fine cross breed of the two. The music has the edge of metal, the passion of rock n roll, and the brutality of the hardcore genre all encased within this hard hitting, highly impressive sound.

For those that like their music hard and heavy the sound of Headcharger should definitely be of great appeal. From start to finish this ‘Watch The Sun’ album is an excellent attack of music, to pin this band down to just one genre though would just be absolutely criminal. So much goes on within the sound of Headcharger, there is plenty to take in from the music and not once will you ever feel at all disappointed throughout the albums progression. As the ‘Watch The Sun’ album reaches a close you feel a great sense of upset, never do you want this album to stop and always you are left wanting for more. Headcharger is an excellent French band, ‘Watch The Sun’ is only the second album to have been released by this band but I have a sneaking suspicion that there will be plenty more to come from this supreme French force. The music is here played to perfection by all five members of this Headcharger band, it will be extremely difficult to top this album in terms of quality but I’d like to see the band try. Headcharger could perhaps be considered as France’s finest import, the music is magnificent and I for one am incredibly impressed by this super second album.

Label: Customcore Records
Release Date: 27th September 2007

Rating:
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Bad Love & Licker – Sleazers Palace EP

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Bad Love & Licker produce music in a similar vein to that of Every Time I Die. It’s hard hitting music played quickly and aggressively. The sound created here is an extremely interesting one, four tracks make up this EP and I have to say that it provides for an incredibly enjoyable listening experience. At only four tracks long this EP is a little too short to give any real idea of the sustained quality of Bad Love & Licker as a band however. What is here is good, but whether or not this band would be able to maintain your interest throughout an entire album still remains to be seen.

The music on display with this EP is all very similar, I like it though so for me this is really no bad thing. Variation is not a strong point of Bad Love & Licker, still however the music is extremely effective and terrific fun to listen to. The band storms through the guitar riffs in great style, the vocals are shouted supremely and at all stages of this EP the music absolutely explodes with energy. The music impacts instantly and within seconds you find yourself beating on anything in sight to the time of the drums.

The EP’s opening track ‘Spread The Bad Love’ has to be my favourite from this release, for me this track captures the essence and structure of an Every Time I Die track entirely, a band I personally am a huge fan of. At every moment of the tracks progression it’s just like listening to Every Time I Die, it’s this that I love so much about the track and for me nothing after this can ever quite live up to the fantastic opening that the band here presents you with.

Bad Love & Licker is a decent band, with this EP a definite talent can here be recognised and the music has a ferocious bite about it that is absolutely brilliant to hear. I want to hear an album from Bad Love & Licker before long, it will be interesting to find out whether or not the transition can be made from four track EP to full length album. I have no doubt that the live show of Bad Love & Licker would be an incredibly explosive one, to hear this band on the live circuit would surely be to hear them at their best but I certainly can have no complaints with the four tracks that are present on this EP. Quickly this EP progresses, always it entertains and at all moments the four members of Bad Love & Licker prove themselves to be talented and intelligent musicians with a definite ear for producing a fine sound.

Release Date: 28th April 2008

Rating:
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Voodoo Six – First Hit For Free

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London band Voodoo Six certainly has a passion for producing hard hitting rock music. The guitar riffs are powerful, the vocals come crusading through at all all times and never does this music ever fail to ignite. This album originally surfaced in late 2006, the band did not like what their then record label had done to the album though and therefore had a huge falling out with the record label of the time. The album was originally released under the name of ‘Feed My Soul’, this time around things are being done differently however and the album comes complete with the new title of ‘First Hit For Free’ and a brand new track included entitled ‘Faith’.

‘Faith’ was the lead single chosen here, released one week before the release of this album an impressive classic rock sound is evident here as all five members of the band smash their way through the five and a half minutes of this track with a great deal of energy and passion. It’s the perfect start for the album, and the fun certainly doesn’t stop here. Not once do Voodoo Six ever sound anything short of enthralling on this album, the music is full on and truly thrilling to listen to. Fans of the hard rock genre should absolutely love Voodoo Six, the guitar riffs are epic and every element of the music just seems to come together perfectly on this album. There are few bands that express such ability with their music, Voodoo Six are definitely one band that do however and I for one do not have a bad word to say about this fiery début album.

With every track on this album Voodoo Six puts forth an epic rock sound, a passion ridden display of love and adoration for the genre. These five band members clearly have a love for the sound that is being produced here, with each and every passing guitar riff you can feel the force of the band members passion surging through. The guitars are excellent on every single track, always the riffs progress forcefully and furiously as Voodoo Six slam through this truly invigorating album. Such proficient musicians are present within this band, each members experience shines through at every moment on this album and not once do you ever feel that the band members hearts and souls have not gone into the recording of this album. ‘First Hit For Free’ is an album of pure passion, belief in and love for the music that is here being created.

Vocalist Henry Rundell has such power to his voice, during every track his vocal excellence is very much at the fore of this bands sound. A true titan of the genre, Voodoo Six come across easily as one of the most exciting British rock bands that there is right now. Not one of this bands members fail to contribute on this album. ‘Mistaken’ is one of the lighter offerings on this release, the vocals are not as big and bold as they always are and the guitarists of the band are here given their chance to shine. They certainly take the opportunity that they are given here, and with every passing track in fact every musician of the band provides further evidence as to why they are a key component of this well oiled rock machine.

The music of Voodoo Six is always fuelled by a supreme love for the genre of rock, the passion can be felt at every moment on this album. Right from the offset when Voodoo Six cruises into this release with ‘Faith’ to the point where the album reaches its climax with supreme closing track ‘Slip Inside’; always a huge energy is here present. My opinion is that this band shall go far, so many poor bands do well for themselves and its only right that every once in a while a genuinely talented group of musicians attain commercial success also. Given the brand of hard rock that Voodoo Six produce, it mat well be the case that true success never does come for this fine specimen of a rock band; fans of the genre that hear the bands music however should absolutely love the explosive, truly impressive guitar riffs that Voodoo Six fires out on all occasions. Music is always at its most effective I feel when a genuine underlying current of passion can be sensed, this is most definitely the case here and with this ‘First Hit For Free’ album never does the music of Voodoo Six disappoint even once. Combining a true talent of guitar playing excellence, fine vocal style, and domineering drum beats; the sound that Voodoo Six produces is one that I feel should be listened to by all.

Label: Pebble Beach
Release Date: 24th March 2008

Rating:
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Illuminatus – The Wrath of the Lambs

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Influenced by bands such as In Flames and Anathema, the music of Nottingham’s Illuminatus is an interesting breed of progressive metal. Instrumentally the music is quite interesting, vocally however the music can at times be a little lacking. Listening to this album reminds me a little of Fightstar’s ‘Grand Unification’ album sometimes, it’s very similar in terms of sound I feel. The problem is that Fightstar did this a lot better, the music isn’t bad but it’s not particularly great either.

The title of this ‘The Wrath of Lambs’ album had led me to believe that this album would be a little more heavy than this, more energetic also. I had an image of this band before I listened, an image that Illuminatus here fail to live up to. The music is quite tiresome, not enough really goes on within the sound in order to maintain your interest throughout the albums duration. The music is at times quite enjoyable, always however you feel as though the band is holding back a little with their sound. The music is tame and yet you feel that there is a ferocious force lurking within this band just waiting to be unleashed. Never does the music ever really let rip here, always Illuminatus are quite timid in their approach and the music lacks excitement and life.

Progressive metal of this sort if done well can sound excellent. The music of Illuminatus does not, it’s very mediocre and you just get the distinct impression that the bands members are not putting their all into this album. Illuminatus have an interesting line-up in that one of their members is English, one Spanish, one German, and one Italian; the problem here is that each member does not take their musical background and inject it into the heart and soul of this band. The music could be so much better than this, yes the vocals aren’t always excellent but at times front man Julio Taylor sounds fully competent in his approach. There are some sounds that his voice simply cannot produce, others however he executes excellently and if each member of this band works on their strengths then I feel that Illuminatus could well have a decent album in them yet.

Whether or not an impressive album will be released by this band remains to be seen; this ‘The Wrath of the Lambs’ album is okay but nothing more than this. Mediocrity will get you nowhere in the world of music, you need something about you in the world of music if you’re to get noticed as a band and producing the sound that Illuminatus does at current I fear that this band shan’t be progressing very far at all. ‘Wargasm’ is perhaps the best track that the band has to offer with this album, even this track is severely flawed however. Great moments of promise are evident on this album, particularly when the music of Illuminatus is at its most aggressive; never does this band sustain the strength long enough however for ‘The Wrath of the Lambs’ to be considered a particularly worthwhile purchase.

Label: Anthill/Pinnacle
Release Date: 12th May 2008

Rating:
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Elliot Minor – Parallel Worlds

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With their self titled début album due for release on April 14th, Elliot Minor have here decided to re-release first single ‘Parallel Worlds’ nearly a year on from its original release. Having originally hit number 31, it probably should have ended up higher than this and you can therefore understand the decision to once more put the single out there for all to hear.

The re-release of ‘Parallel Worlds’ should get all well and truly excited about the soon to be released début album from the band. The single is an infectious slice of rock which comes complete with an epic orchestra feel. The music is big, bold, and best of all truly exciting to listen to. Such energy has here been captured, Elliot Minor is a truly talented band and here prove this to the world with their enthusiastic and highly energetic approach. It’s hard not to smile when you listen to this music, everything about it all impresses and I fail to see how anyone could not like the powerful progression of this epic rock gold.

With such great passion and life, Elliot Minor is a band that really should go far. It’s not long now until the album is unveiled and as the big day draws ever closer I’m sure there are plenty getting excited at the great anticipation of its release. Few bands can combine such exceptional qualities of rock and classical to this effect, the music is hard hitting and always hugely effective. Elliot Minor can currently be found supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour so my advice is to get out there and witness this band in action as soon as possible. It surely shan’t be long until success well and truly explodes for the rock sensation that is Elliot Minor.

Label: Warner Bros./Reposession Records
Release Date: 7th April 2008

Rating:
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Dark Water Review

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Walter Salles 2005 film ‘Dark Water’ is dark and mysterious, a truly chilling remake of Hideo Nakata’s Japanese horror film which was originally released in 2002. It’s an interesting concept that Walter Salles should take on a film of this sort, he’d previously had success with the film ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’ but ‘Dark Water’ is really something far different than this. What’s more is that this is a major American remake and yet Walter Salles himself is Brazilian. Although this was not a predictable film for Walter Salles to have taken on, what I will say is that he has done an excellent job here and successfully directed a brilliant horror film.

In the 2000s there has been quite a trend for remaking popular Japanese horror films. ‘The Ring’ films were remade, as too was the ‘Ju-on’ series, it’s only right then that ‘Dark Water’ also was given a remake in the English language. I personally don’t see either of the aforementioned films as particularly successful remakes, my favourite thing about ‘The Ring’ for example was the way in which a horse met it’s end, and as for ‘The Ring 2’ quite frankly it was rubbish. ‘The Grudge’ was similarly disappointing I felt, but then again I didn’t particularly like the Japanese ‘Ju-on’ film either. I didn’t even bother with the second ‘Grudge’ film, Walter Salles ‘Dark Water’ however is terrifically terrifying and in my opinion has here been remade incredibly well. That said, I’ve not seen the original so have nothing to compare it to; in it’s own right though this Walter Salles remake is excellent.

Dahlia has just got divorced from her husband and is now entangled in a bitter custody battle for daughter Cecilia. She must show that she can provide for her daughter and therefore must find a home, her budget is low and before long she therefore finds that she must move in to a small run down apartment as this is the only place she can find in New York City that suits her budget. In Cecilia’s bedroom there is a damp stain on the ceiling, disgusting dark water persistently leaks through the house, and strange goings on in the apartment mean that Dahlia’s mind starts to play tricks on her. It’s all too much for her and she feels as though she is going to crack, Cecilia is having problems also which really don’t help her cause. She realises all is not well and desperately seeks to find out what is going on in this strange apartment, Dahlia is adamant that she will get to the bottom of this and as the film unfolds she starts to ask questions and delves further into the history of this apartment and the previous inhabitants of the flat above which persistently leaks dark and dirty water.

If you’re expecting a conventional all visual horror film then ‘Dark Water’ will come as a great disappointment to you. This film works on a deeply psychological level, and working on the basis that it does is greatly effective. ‘Dark Water’ gave me goosebumps, I found this film genuinely frightening, and although I saw the ultimate outcome emerging from a long way off; this is perhaps the result of my watching far too many horror films for my own good over the years. The final scene of the film is quite odd and does in fact spoil it all a little, on the whole however this is an excellent remake of an extremely well received and highly popular Japanese horror. The majority of my favourite horror films work on a psychological basis, I gain far more enjoyment from seeing a horror film of this sort and do in fact find them ultimately a lot more scary than films that merely forefronts blood and guts. With psychological films you find that long after you have finished viewing the film, still it continues to effect you. ‘Dark Water’ makes you think for long after the film has finished, you’re on edge and extremely wired as you walk away from watching this. So frightening is this film that at times I really had to look away, this didn’t help my cause however as the chilling musical score continued to ring through my ears and always it was scaring me.

Music plays a large role in films of this sort, there is a spooky soundtrack here that provides for many of the films scares. The film is much more psychological than it is visual, and sound therefore has to play a large part in the horrific nature of ‘Dark Water’. All sorts of sounds are utilised here in order to make the film as effective as possible. Look away and your fear will not cease, plug your ears and merely watch the film though and you’ll not find it scary at all. There is some visual impact here, but bear in mind that this is not where the strength of this film lies. If you’re expecting the wrong sort of film then it would be easy to be left disappointed by ‘Dark Water’, slasher fans for instance may not fully appreciate the excellence of this film but I personally am a huge fan of all things horror and when watching any given film from the genre always I remain open minded.

In terms of performances, Jennifer Connelly as Dahlia is key here and certainly doesn’t disappoint in her role. She’s extremely convincing, you feel her pain and she really helps to make this film a success. Jennifer Connelly truly is a phenomenal actress, she is the central focus here and had she not been up to the job of carrying this film then ‘Dark Water’ would have failed. Young actress Ariel Gade also impresses here, she was only eight years old when this film was made and already she were exceptionally talented. There’s so much depth to this young character, she is not at all phased by it all and takes everything well and truly in her stride. I always wonder how people so young can appear in films such as this, surely they must on some level recognise how frightening the films are that they appear in and I can only imagine that it effects them in quite a way. As a twenty something year old male I am petrified in watching ‘Dark Water’ and yet one of the main people within the film that provides for the creepy nature of it all is a third of my age. It seems a little odd when you think about it like this, as I say though; the performances here are brilliant and everyone is hugely impressive in their parts.

The deteriorating state of mind of Dahlia is what makes this film so creepy. As the film progresses, for much of it all we are kept in the dark as to whether this is all going on in her head or whether it is truly happening. The boundaries between fantasy and reality are blurred, the content of the film in itself is not particular frightening, but the effect that the film has on you I feel is chilling. Some may not see this film as scary, I did though as a result of the subject matter and the way in which it all comes together. It’s psychologically scarring I feel, the film is given only a 15 certificate and yet for me this is a lot more effective and frightening than a lot of films that are given the 18 rating. A connection with the spirit world is here explored to great effect, it’s believable and for this extremely frightening.

Not everyone will be impressed with ‘Dark Water’, for some it shan’t seem scary and given it’s label as a ‘horror’ film some may feel a little cheated by the content of this film. This is a greatly effective psychological horror, an excellent film of its sort and one that I personally can’t recommend highly enough. Walter Salles has here put forth a film that scares greatly, psychologically it cuts deep and for me ‘Dark Water’ is hugely frightening and continued to terrify me for hours after I had finished watching it. ‘Dark Water’ is definitely a film that I would recommend, it loses impact a little through trying to introduce too many characters but all in all this is a brilliant film that I personally found to be hugely effective.

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The Futureheads – Radio Heart

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The return of The Futureheads was marked by the release of ‘Radio Heart’, a track that made it sound as though the band had never been away at all. ‘Radio Heart’ carries on where the band left off with their last album; the music has not progressed very much at all but should that really be seen as a bad thing? The way I see it is that it shouldn’t, The Futureheads is still a band playing catchy Indie music and if you find a winning formula then why not stick with it. ‘Radio Heart’ is a hugely catchy single; the clean drum beats shine through strongly in the sound and the guitar riffs also are absolutely excellent here. The vocal tone has not changed one iota, vocally The Futureheads sound is as fresh and fun as ever and I for one absolutely love it. This is three minutes of The Futureheads finest, most definitely a single that I personally would highly recommend seeking out.

Label: Nul Records
Release Date: 19th May 2008

Rating:
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Refused – The Shape of Punk to Come

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This year marks the tenth anniversary of the release of ‘The Shape of Punk to Come’ album from Refused. Refused was a Swedish Hardcore Punk band and active between the years of 1991 and 1998. ‘The Shape of Punk to Come’ was the last album that the band would ever release, an album that marked a dramatic change from their earlier work and is considered by most to be the best album that the band ever released. Ten years on it is still an album which is held in extremely high regard, and several nods towards this album have been made from UK based bands in recent years. Adequate Seven had a track entitled ‘The Shape of Funk to Come’ on their ‘Songs of Innocence and Experience’ album, and Sonic Boom Six have a track called ‘The Rape of Punk to Come’ on their ‘Sounds To Consume’ EP. It is clear that although Refused as a band are long since dead, their impact upon modern Punk music is still being felt today and this is due to the exceptional quality which their music possessed. The music of Refused possessed a great energy, and they embodied the true essence of Punk with their vigorous aggression and ‘Screw You’ mentality.

With a heavily Marxist ideology and inspiration drawn largely from the hardcore bands ‘Nation of Ulysees’ and ‘Born Against’, Refused blast their way through ‘The Shape Of Punk to Come’ album with a great deal of intensity and a huge level of energy. The band begin their album with the furious ‘Worms of the Senses / Faculties of the Skull’, end it with the awesome ‘The Apollo Programme Was a Hoax’, and never once do they show any signs of weakness whatsoever. In my opinion ‘The Shape of Punk to Come’ was the finest hour of music that Refused ever did record as a band, and for this reason it is and perhaps always will be my favourite hardcore punk album of all time.

As the band repeat the line of ‘We want the airwaves back’ throughout the track ‘Liberation Frequency’, there is something greatly hard hitting about this. It is when they slam into a hardcore assault of shouted vocal fury however that this track truly comes alive. It is one of my favourite tracks from this album, but then again there is not one single track here that I do not hold in extremely high regard. Such aggression is expressed on this album and yet the whole time the lyrical content is excellent. The music is intelligent and insightful, heavy and greatly effective; Refused were an excellent band and ‘The Shape of Punk to Come’ provides all the evidence you should require to hear just how brilliant a band Refused truly was.

‘Summerholidays Vs. Punkroutine’ is another of the finest moments that this album has to offer. There is near on a full hour of exceptional music here (55 minutes and 11 seconds to be precise), but there are a few tracks that I really see as key to ‘The Shape of Punk to Come’ album as a whole. Due to some exceptional drum work, a powerful vocal style, and hugely effective use of guitars; this is one of those tracks that I can’t help but see as essential to this album and its overall excellence. The track includes the interesting vocal line of ‘Rather be forgotten than remembered for giving in’, a line I can fully relate to and appreciate. The lyrics are always interesting and never do they disappoint, always they are intelligently thought out with each line carefully woven to the next.

Opening vocally with the shouted line of ‘Can I Scream?! Yeah!’, ‘New Noise’ is perhaps the most memorable of all tracks from this album. The opening guitar riff has to be one of my favourites of all time, one that every time I hear I just want to pick up a guitar and tear it out myself. The memorable vocal line doesn’t actually kick in until over a minute into the track, and yet everything that comes before it is equally memorable if not more so. The guitar riff is repeated relentlessly throughout the track and never does it becomes tiresome. I could listen to that riff all day, I truly could; it genuinely is that excellent. Shouting ‘We dance to all the wrong songs, We enjoy all the wrong moves’ multiple times over, the track comes to its end with the repeated line of ‘The new beat!’ over and over before simply settling with a ‘Thank you’ for the final few seconds of the track. Everything about this one comes together perfectly, it is an absolutely excellent offering of hardcore punk and I fail to see how anyone could not love this.

Title track ‘The Shape of Punk to Come’ is another track from the band blessed with an absolutely excellent guitar riff. The guitar riff here is in fact more impressive than that of ‘New Noise’, this I feel says a lot about the quality and consistency of this album. Every time I listen to this I picture the band tearing their way through the track, bouncing around brutally as they dazzle everyone with their fine display of hardcore punk perfection. The vocal line of ‘We’re all dressed up, we’ve got somewhere to go’ lives long in the memory, it is meticulously exploded out from the mouth of Dennis Lyxzén and I have no cause for complaint whatsoever.

The album comes to a close with the controversially titled ‘The Apollo Programme Was A Hoax’, a four minute swan song which begins with the sound of a double bass and as it progresses turns out to be the only slow paced track present on this album. For this final track of their last ever album, Refused saw it fit to bow out with a track memorable for it’s difference from the rest of the album it belongs to. The lyrical focus here is on the overthrow of the ruling power, a revolution involving ‘petrol bombs & barricades’ in the ultimate hope that ‘sabotage will set us free’. It’s an interesting track that does I feel benefit from it’s slow pace, the lyrical content is hard hitting and this final track is one that I do in fact enjoy hugely so. The band vocally state here that ‘The destruction of everything is the beginning of something new’, it’s an interesting line from Refused and as always is one that truly does make you think. The lyrical content of this album is absolutely brilliant, never are the band anything short of sensational in the lyrics department. Every single track from Refused makes you think with ‘The Shape of Punk to Come’, not one is in the slightest bit disappointing and every track in fact is intelligently crafted and created.

To quote the title of a track from this release ‘Refused Are *****in Dead’, the bands music does however live on in the form of the albums that Refused released during their seven year reign. Refused were an absolutely excellent hardcore punk band, and this last album of theirs in my opinion is by far their finest offering. There is nothing more satisfying than sitting down and listening to ‘The Shape of Punk to Come’, not one track disappoints and every one of the twelve tracks here present is in fact entirely excellent. Never have I come across a finer hour of music than this, it’s ten years since the album was released but it’s significance is still massive; a definitive album in the history of hardcore punk. ‘The Shape of Punk to Come’ is vital listening, this is without doubt one of my favourite albums of all time and to say that this is the finest hardcore punk album ever released really goes without saying. Its great musical intelligence and expansive lyrical depth make ‘The Shape of Punk to Come’ a truly enlightening album from a once great, now gone hardcore punk band.

Label: Burning Heart
Release Date: 27th October 1998

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