Killswitch Engage have 8 demos ready for new summer 2012 album

We haven’t really heard much about Killswitch since they made a thunderous appearance at Download Festival in 2009. It is great to announce that we will be hearing some new Howard style howls over booming blast beats as KSE are set to release their new album next summer.

Founder and bassist of Killswitch, Mike D’Antonio has stated in a web post: ‘Killswitch should be in the studio in February/March, so expect a summer 2012 release for the new record.’ Although, it is going to difficult to match up to the self-titled record which was unleashed two years ago, I think we can have a vast amount of faith in the Massachusetts metal heads.

“We have a bit of a breather in the writing schedule so Adam (guitarist) can finish (producing) the Shadows Fall record, but as of now we have eight demos finished for the new record. Everything is coming together nicely at the moment… My demos are pretty fast. Blast beats, anyone?”

Published on Rock Industry

The Saturdays - On Your Radar

The Saturdays have released their third studio album, ‘On Your Radar’, and it seems that the once power ballad pretty girls have took a different direction. Result? Well, they have definitely not tried to separate themselves from the all-so-similar chart artists. The majority of their track list is heavily club-produced, and although you should appreciate the versatility of artists, this new turn in their music seems to have removed The Saturdays’ philosophy. Like their faces masked by makeup, their distinguished sound seems to be ridden by the metallic club synth which happens to be in every chart song at the moment. Original?

Travie Mccoy makes an unexpected feature in ‘The Way You Watch Me’, a composition which has been highly anticipated. Mccoy’s recognisable vocals flounces over the track, this sort of R&B ballad is flounced in guitar riffs and boasts in liveliness. Unlike most of the floor fillers on the album, this certainly accentuates the girls’ bouncy, energising voices, which combine to form a harmony over the track. However, the lyrics do get a tad repetitive, just like the dance tune ‘All Fired Up’. It flaunts in synthesised vocals and the high pitch, fast-paced squeals in the bridge of this song probably defines it and the same is replicated in ‘For Myself’.

For saying The Saturdays co-wrote the album, it lacks creative flair, “I’m a outlaw, I’m the big boss
I’m a gangster on the dance floor”. Nice. If you choose not to listen to the lyrics in ‘Notorious’ you can say it is probably one of the better produced dancey songs on the album.

Despite ‘My Heart Takes Over’ being a typical Saturdays tune, it is one of the only highlights on the album. It shows the girls can actually succeed when staying within their comfort zone. Those of you who watch X Factor could easily guess how Gary Barlow would respond if this song was performed. Quite boring. The mundaneness is reflected in the UK chart, as the girls failed to maintain their number 15 slot. The sort of good mood you find yourself in when listening to this song gets trampled on as the droney tones of ‘Get Ready Get Set’ comes into play.

The heart felt lyrics of ‘Wish I Didn’t Know’ can be comparable to a majority of sadness which appear in our love lives. When you remove the edited parts from the song, the acoustic skeleton that remains is very beautiful.

‘Last Call’ is probably my favourite song on the album. It is sweet and simple as the piano and strings accentuate the emotional vocals. We have certainly found The Saturdays’ forte. The passionate dynamics in the girls’ voices matches the negative effects of a break up which are reflected in the lyrics.

It is safe to say that we can definitely place the emotional songs from the album on to a cafés playlist which caters for mothers meetings. Without the mess of produced percussion which is only good enough for drunken people in nightclubs, I think we can come to the conclusion that The Saturdays are tolerable. Well done for making it to album three without achieving a number one in the charts.

Opeth & Pain of Salvation @ Manchester Academy 11/11/11

Like most festival goers – you miraculously miss bands you really want to see, and that is what happened with myself and Opeth, not once but twice or maybe three times. So when I found out they were planning a UK winter tour, I was well on it.

We joined the queue a little early; the weather was cold and miserable. Granted. But the atmosphere was lifted by the obvious excitement given off by the thousands of fans patiently waiting for the doors to be opened. My boyfriend and I were dressed in bright blue jackets, so we definitely stood out in the sea of black. This was proven by a guy we spoke to on the way in, “See, that is what I love about Opeth, they attract such a varied audience.” Which was a very true statement, as a mixed group and a large range of ages attended the show.

Pain of Salvation played a stimulating and entertaining set. For some reason, the band sort of remind me of Tenacious D in their humour, combined with Opeth’s comical value, it shown there must never be a dull moment off stage.

Pain of Salvation proved that they are an amazingly suited support act as they stormed in technicality. Their stage presence exposed the passion their music possesses, by executing their renowned conceptual compositions. Pain of Salvation expressed their ability in using the power of opposites as the use of contrasting aggressive and chilled parts, which shown to be flawless as it generated a fun-filled atmosphere in the crowd.

Oh Opeth. Oh how you made me speechless. As most of you who were in the crowd would agree, it’s going to be a challenge putting the show into words. Those of you who aren’t familiar with Opeth’s music, it is safe to say that they are one of the only bands you will see which transform the sound from their brash instruments into individual harmonising expressions. The ambient lighting combined with the complexity of the vibrato, pace and rhythm left the crowd breathless as everyone stood still, staring in awestruck. Particularly, Axe’s mammoth of a blast beat infused drum solo from ‘Porcelain Heart’, which was somehow equally smooth and savage.

Aside from the performance of their beautiful compositions, you would never have predicted to hear so many KISS jokes, as Akerfeldt’s witty humour never failed to please the audience. Apparently, “KISS means piss in Swedish”.

Opeth knocked down any expectation we could have built as their two hour set flowed with unexpected twists and rushes of emotion. The dimly lit show conveyed a sense of mystery, which cajoled their unique stage presence. They drilled the audience with awe as they performed an amazing rendition of ‘Slither’ which is dedicated to the late Ronnie James Duo; the song is defined by its gentle transformations in to brash guitar riffs. 
The last part of the Opeth adventure was lathered in jazzy and riff heavy guitar solos which defines, ‘Folklore’. Akerfeldt’s accentuated his vocal skills which have been scepticised in the past couple of years for ‘losing their growl’, they embraced the track, brandishing in thunderous technique.  If you ever feel low on motivation, I strongly recommend you give Opeth a listen, as they will grasp your mind and fill you with drive.

Published on Rock Industry

My Outlook on The Brit Awards 2011

Take That kicked off the well-awaited, biggest night in the UK music calendar with a controversial performance of their new single ‘Kidz,’ accompanied by floods of dancers dressed as riot police. A proposed routine that was meant to be performed at the X Factor Final, but was apparently cut by Cowell due to the student riots at the end of last year. Did anyone think it was a surprise to see Jason Orange take more of a limelight, rather than the usual Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams duo? It was no blow when Take That were awarded the Best British Group – yet another Brit to go alongside the many after being in the business for 21 years.

Hosted by a reportedly nervous James Corden – a man who was more than well-suited for the job, however, he was scandalised that he wouldn’t behave himself. He appeared on stage handling the brand new Brit award by the renowned Dame Vivienne Westwood. Corden swiftly moved the show over to Dizzee Rascal to present the award he won last year for the British Male Solo Artist. As predicted, East Londoner and jack of all trades - Plan B received the award, a former rapper who transformed himself into a jazzy soul artist, for his latest album – The Defamation of Strictland Banks. He put on an astonishing show of ‘She Said’ and ‘Prayin’ – complete with a prison riot theme and pyro, it ended in style with a ‘cop’ running across the stage on fire.

Adele pierced the bustling 02 London arena with vast emotion as she pulled off a striking performance of ‘Someone Like You’. It was beautiful and extremely shocking to view an extraordinarily bare act on The Brits, as you’re usually bombarded by money-pumped stage sets pervaded with hundreds of barely dressed dancers, pyrotechnics and distracting backdrops. It was a bit of a shame that Adele wasn’t bestowed an award this evening, as her recently released album ‘21’ just missed out on being placed for nominations.

There was a few award winning shockers. If there was one award winner which surprised many, it was the weird and wonderful Laura Marling who cut Cheryl Cole (the face that’s plastered everywhere) to the chase for The Britsh Female Solo Artist, presented by Boy George. Another accomplishment for the alternative spectre was given to Arcade Fire for the International Group Award who won over the enormous Eminem, Katy Perry, Cee Lo Green and Kings of Leon. To be honest, I am thanking god that Katy Perry wasn’t awarded with anything, we all know she doesn’t write her own songs, but why does someone get so much recognition for singing the shit analogy, “do you ever feel like a plastic bag?”

Tinie Tempah swept the Brits this evening, winning two out of the four nominations he received, his phenomenal first year in the glare of publicity he is now holding the title of the British Breakthrough Act and is honouring the Best British Single, ‘Pass Out’ which punched the number one hot spot in UK charts for most of March 2010. Tempah’s track knocked down the X Factor contestants, Olly Murs, Alexandra Burke, Matt Cardle, judge and ‘world-class’ act Cheryl Cole, amongst a few high flying acts such as, The Wanted, Florence and The Machine, Taio Cruz, Scouting for Girls and the stunning Plan B.

For some reason I’ve carried a prejudice for Jessie J since she’s hit the charts in the past couple of months. Maybe it’s due to the poor lyrical quality of ‘Do it like a dude’ and ‘Price Tag’ or perhaps the way she carries herself in music videos? So when she was awarded the Critic Choice award, I was a bit let down. However, her sensitive driven acceptance speech, has led me to change my mind on her a little.

 I don’t think any big night in music could go by without a mention of…you guessed it, the teen heart throb, Justin Bieber. As usual he was made a fuss of by many, even Fearne Cotton gave him a shout out, the budding ‘self-taught’ musician, who has recently bought out a film? He walked away with a Brit Award for International Breakthrough Act. It was presented by fellow Canadian, Avril Lavigne, so brace yourself as I bet she’s going to release some more Canadian cheese later on this year too. Despite being nominated for three awards, English folk rock band, Mumford and Sons walked away with the British Album of the Year. Which the award would have been better to be grasped in the hands of The xx or Plan B who actually show versatility in their persona.

As per, I braced myself before Rihanna took centre stage, flooding onto stage in a lovely, red number, I was stunned that she was actually wearing clothes?! But you know, I jinxed myself as she stripped down into a revealing lacy leotard as she executed the rest of her pastiche off her latest Loud album – including the highly scandalised ‘S&M’. Rihanna has been suffering from laryngitis and bronchitis prior to the Brits, so it was a great accomplishment for her to embrace her voice during her performance. It was very predictable when she was flattered with The International Female Solo Artist – to which she screamed, “I’m the only girl in the world!” which exposes that her vast fame and talent has more than likely gone to her head – doesn’t really surprise you though does it?

A collaboration of tonight’s International Male Artist winner Cee Lo Green and Paloma Faith climaxed the Brit Awards with a red-hot rendition of ‘Forget You’. An unexpected, bizarre combination of artists to close the ceremony – but the performance seemed to transfix the crowd by the hyped up performance of a track which seems to be played everywhere.

A few things The Brit Awards 2011 has taught us is that grime is on the rise and in order to be a breakthrough female act you have to dance around seductively and sing about sex. Oh, and Justin Beiber is a little bitch, end.

Published on www.altsounds.com

Facebreaker - Infected [Album]

Swedish-born, Facebreaker moved onto the scene back in 1999 and, in their lifetime they have brought out five studio pieces, their latest, being a third full-length album. Infected is set to make a storm. Like name, like nature, Facebreaker offers a vast amount of brutality with their drilling, gore-drenched death metal philosophy. The album boasts testosterone fuelled tracks; which express they would be well suited to when you’re in an angry state, when you find yourself on the edge of punching a hole through your bedroom wall.

‘Creeping Flesh’ flounces the introduction of Infected with thudding bass and mind crushing vocals, and presents the fact that many faces would be broken in the midst of their pummelling live performance. ‘Cannibalistic’ is invaded by searing riffs and roars which place you into a Texas Chainsaw Massacre setting. Mid-song the track cleverly mutes the vocals and emphasises the eerie guitar solos and a freaky beat, as it climaxes you know Facebreaker had only one thing in mind when writing the song; the motion of transforming the pit of moshing metal heads into a bloody wall of death.

The longest track on Infected, ‘Mankind of Siege’ manipulates your mind into subconsciously tapping your hands and rocking your head to the strong beat which resembles that of the human heart. It really does lead to raising the question, "what really does go on inside these guys’ heads?" As we know the creation of the ‘I’m gonna’ tear out your heart’ gory music has been prominent in death metal for years, so Infected’s feel of unearthing the dead is no big surprise. Unlike most upcoming, hard metal that prevails nowadays, Facebreaker are actually listenable as their music isn’t set on destroying their well-working sound with unnecessary, ear drum blasting pitches.

‘Infected’ finishes the album with gusto, as the incorporated range of tempos, deathly vocals and demolishing guitar solos, accentuate the album’s sense of industrial catchyness. Despite the composition being 37 minutes long, Infected offers a Traditional English Breakfast type feel - something which lacks originality but leaves you wanting more.

Published review on www.altsounds.com

Rihanna's steamy new sinlge 'S&M'

Rihanna's brand new, saucy single ‘S&M’ has recently been released off her filth studio album, Loud. In the short time of it being out in the open, it has caused vast scepticism around the world, resulting in the video being banned in 11 countries and has even been banned from Radio 1's playlist. You don’t need to be a genius to work out that Rihanna is obviously channelling her freedom by expressing that she can do whatever she wants, despite what the media scandalise. We are shown this specifically with the vast visions of the gagged press throughout the video. I guess we can all give her a round of applause for taking the piss out of the paparazzi, but isn’t this one step too far?

Rihanna has never been one to be camera shy, by never being reluctant to reveal herself or shy from performing her notorious, dirty dancing. It becomes no big shocker that the 'S&M' video entails a vast amount of sexy attributes and the bearing of lustful flesh. Rihanna acts out an array of kinky actions; portraying herself as a dominatrix, by dressing in tight latex numbers, whilst prancing around, provocatively cracking her whip.

I suppose she’s not all guilty as we have seen pretty much every female celebrity in some suggestive manner. But this is still promoting that women should have to take their kit off to make a living, or feeling forced to dress seductively, don’t you think? Particularly, after seeing men lust over these “irresistible” images and videos. Conversely, for those of you who are self-conscious, as we see Rihanna show off her curvaceous figure, flaunting around in PVC lingerie, carrying a bucket of popcorn beside her in “S&M”. It shows that you don’t have to be skinny like most highly publicised celebs. However, the unreality of the flawlessly “perfect” face of Rihanna in the video, is probably likely to make some of us girls feel badly of ourselves. With the upheaval of young girls choosing to dress revealingly to match their idolised stars, seeing girls as young as 11 or 12 getting eyelash extensions amongst other treatments, is it right that we’re allowing this to happen? Especially with the issue of paedophilia and accessibility of child pornography, should these music videos be allowed to hit the “mainstream” if they promote sexuality in such a strong way?

Rihanna is an obvious role-model for millions of people. We have all observed the mirrored effect when Rihanna changes her style. So does everyone else. Most recently her red headed army has invaded the world, exposing that wannabe-Rihanna’s’ are romping the streets. So when you see her music video being jam-packed with erotic imagery of her sexualising the “normal” act of eating a banana, being cling filmed to a wall and seeing her raunchily tied up, it comes to mind what young girls think when these sexualised images, by a world-class artist are being publicly aired? As we already have a crazily high teenage pregnancy rate in the UK, and STI’s crawling at its peak, do we need further encouragement for mini rih-rih’s to lose their virginity earlier than they should? And with 'S&M’s' steamy lyrics - "'Cause I may be bad but I'm perfectly good at it. Sex in the air. I don't care, I love the smell of it," she sings. "Sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me." Need I say any more?

Watch the video below and tell us what you think:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdS6HFQ_LUc

Click here to view this feature on altsounds

Various Artists - U Dun Know [Album]

New State Music has recently released, the well-titled album, U Dun Know, showing a British urban side on the electronic compilation of dubstep. Over the past couple of years, we have seen an immense increase in the popularity of dubstep, as Pendulum’s début, Hold Your Colour is set to hit platinum. It is no big surprise that we have begun to hear dubbed backdrops plaguing the “mainstream” tracks which flood the charts. Hounding club nights across the UK, dubstep and bass infused rhythms have certainly made an evident mark on the dance and electronica scene, becoming the new sound of the streets. The album comprises of big-tracks by big-name producers such as Nero, Bare Noize, Drumsound & Bassline Smith, Skism, Doorly and Crissy Criss.

Marco Del Horno & DJ Swerve’s – ‘Ho! Riddim’ features top Grime MC P Money, kicks off the compilation. With its rippling bass and explosive wobbles throughout, it races the firey and fistful bars of P Money. ‘Ho! Riddim’s’ well-placed breaks from the grimey lyrics, is occupied by soulful synth and fluidity. Shooting straight into Dodge & Fuski’s remix of the UK Funky hit ‘For U’ by FunkyStepz featuring Lily McKenzie. The upbeat qualities of the track is something you would find on many high-street club’s playlists on a crazy Friday night. The ever-changing prolific beats would be the consequence of many intoxicated dances, as the harsh rumbles and techy synth contrasts with Lily’s harmonious vocals.

Doctor P’s Remix of ‘Star,’ a more well-known track on the compilation, comprises of Drum & Bass legend Blame with warm vocals from Camilla Marie. Kicking straight into warped pulses, it launches you into the nostalgic feeling of the slow-motion, hazy memory of seeing the whole club pause before bouncing into the awaited breakdown. The electric, zippy synth tears into the track, as it zooms into a calamity of experimental crashes and thuds. Typically, tracks containing a great amount of repetition is something which is frowned upon, however, Doctor P pulls off the reappearance of Camilla’s ‘you know I wished upon a star’ with the pulses of electronica.

N Dubz’s vocalist Tulisa has lately aired her opinion that the UK doesn’t appreciate urban music, and to be honest, you either hate it or love it, correct? However, ‘On My Own’ (Drumsound & Bassline Smith Remix) by Blame & Ruff Squad offers a track which suggests that urban music is abundant in dynamics and shows great technicality. ‘On My Own’ portrays a vast amount of versatility; the gorgeous, urban female vocals pierce through the harsh bass lines, the song also making unexpected twists and turns and somehow swims through a pool of tranquillity.

 My preferred track off U Dun Know has got to be ‘Egyptian Horns (Amen VIP Mix)’ by Ed Solo. It portrays a musical journey through a patchwork of styles, showcasing cultural influences which cut over the metallic crunches and pummelling pulses of the warbling synths. ‘London Town (Doorly Remix)’ by Man Like Me is another great composition, distinguished by its pensive bass mixing into sketchy, wonky layers which scratch over the back beat and submerge you into the soul fully synthesised ‘London Town’ lyric. Let’s face it, whether you like dubstep or not, the genre is now prominent on pre-drink playlists and isn’t just exclusive to a passing by subbed up, blacked out Citroen Saxo, like it used to be.

As you find yourself lost in the composition, tracks such as; ‘7th Key’ by Numan and ‘Hand Grenade (Datsik & Excision Remix)’ produced by Ivory, offer a chilled take, both consisting of innovating, reverberant drum patterns and layered funk. On the contrary, ‘WTF (Crissy Cris Remix)’ by Kid Sister, Pase Rock & Tittsworth, is a real let down for the overall compilation, with its sickly drone and irritating vocals and poor lyrical choice. If I’m honest, ‘WTF’ reminds me of waking up with an awful headache and a general feeling of “hating the world” after drinking more than you should have the night before. A memory no one likes to reminisce, right?

Click here to see the published review on altsounds

ISWHAT?! - Big Appetite [Album]

Until listening to ISWHAT?! I never thought it would be possible to pull off combining soulful jazz with hip-hop, rap and rock. Well, the Cincinnati four most certainly did. Forming in 1996, the time where Tupac and Biggie Smalls were at their prime, the quirky and slightly ironically named band definitely went against the norm of the era by finding a niche in the music industry. Their music definitely does not signify generic hip-hop. From what it seems, it wouldn’t surprise me if ISWHAT?! formed to promote experimentation in the late 90s.

Combining vocalist and beat boxer Napoleon Maddox with former saxophonist Jack Walker and bassist Matthew Anderson, their first album Landmines was released in 1999 where the original trio fixated on their live performance. Signed to OSNR, a label which promotes acts which don’t possess any cliché, ISWHAT?! fits in incredibly. During 2006 ISWHAT?! endured several member changes (maybe for the best) this converted the former trio into the current quartet. Since then ISWHAT?! has recently hit the UK on tour and dished out their début album Big Appetite described by Napoleon as "more than a collection of delicious audio treats. It's a diary, a chronicle of overconsumption, real cautionary tales about lust, desire, greed and hunger."

The well-chosen opening track off the album ‘Dig’ accentuates the bands exotic philosophy; the harmonising sound of the saxophone mixed with the jazzy beats builds a climax for the addition of the renowned rappy vocals. Flowing straight into the catchy ‘Cats,’ it kicks off with intense double bass, captivating the fresh talent of Claire Daly with fierce saxophone solos. The bouncy rhythmic beats of ‘Homestead’ coincide with Maddox’s confrontational tone, drilling their passion into the listeners’ minds. Tiny tracks add a funky, peculiar edge to the conformation of the album, filling it with an element of disclosure.

When I came across ‘Fanta’ on Big Appetite I wasn’t surprised by its odd name, however, I did think, why the hell would you name a song after a fizzy drink? The sheer originality of ISWHAT?! is reflected in vast aspects of their persona which is something I adore. With the help of Sofia Rubina the composition of ‘Fanta’ is perfected with its rippling random blares. The overall make-up of the track contrasts to the opening melodies. My preferred track off Big Appetite is ‘Hungry,’ which marks a great middle way point as the subliminal rhythm and tone conceits the range of ISWHAT?!’s musical capability; with aid from Fernanda Wilmes’s vocals it complements the smooth soul. Last but not least, the highly recognisable ‘Trouble’ is left responsible to please the listener. The crafted introduction of the chilling vocals of Nymeeah the Soulslayer portray an expectation of the track being fuelled by ‘Trouble’ itself. The intricately put-together song unravels it’s dark imagery with the combination of obscure saxophone solos and shadowy lyrics.

I’d say Big Appetite is a definite album to be recommended to almost anyone, as ISWHAT?!’s innovative façade could apply to a vast amount of tastes.

Click here to see the published review on altsounds

Suns - Close Calls in the US Space Program [EP]

Close Calls in the US Space Program has recently been released by the Chicago six piece, Suns. The opening track ‘You are On’ introduces the EP with its melodic rhythms distinguished by Suns' melancholy vocals which shows how Suns suit easy listening on a Sunday afternoon perfectly. The more atmospheric tune, ‘Little Horn’ begins with a gentle guitar solo and calming lyrics which are slightly reminiscent of The Drums and Mumford and Suns mood-altering, composed sound.

‘Spare Parts’ of which is my preferred track off Close Calls in the US Space Program, expresses that each member of the band neatly complements each other, which drills a vast sense of emotion to the ear. The drumming accentuates the complete conformation of ‘Bright Lights,’ with their faultless performance, adding great rhythm and movement to each track. One thing the EP lacks is the key of versatility. Each track has its own great flare as a whole, but Close Calls in the US Space Program doesn’t offer a range of Suns' talent. The most admirable part of the band’s set up is the perfect use of percussion which adds an electric element to the overall identity of their music.

Click here to see the published review on altsounds

When Saints Go Machine - Fail Forever [Single]

Scandinavia is the home for many renowned dance artists, however, when I think of Danish music I just imagine, the pop band Alphabeat. So it’s good to see a functioning collaboration of dance and well-pleasing acoustics which formulates the four-piece, When Saints Go Machine, which goes against my sweeping judgement. Signed to !K7 records, a label which stands for electronic music, it feels as if !K7 has aided the development of the bands overall alignment. Their latest released single, Fail Forever, captivates the enigmatic sounds and is very interesting to the ear. They penetrate their own dance niche with the quirky vocals of Nikolaj Manuel Vonslid, prowling the hallucinogenic feeling of their synths and strings.

The rhythmic introductory track ‘Fail Forever’ whips your mind into a chill-like state as the soulful vocals throw you into a sea of soul and synth, piercing into the echo of cello and electronica. The song’s effect loosens the connection between the listener and the real world, sending you into an ecstasy infused frame of mind. This influence follows through into the next track, ‘You And The Gang’ with a corrupted bouncy start, the vocals guarantee that the ambience riddles throughout. Eerie vocals and added harmonising voices introduces ‘Pinned,’ which is highlighted with melodic intensity, as Silas Moldenhawer’s drumming prevails in the background. Bizarrely named, ‘Pick Up Your Tears and Run’ lives up to the name’s eccentricity with its beginning part of ghost-like, peculiar vocals which leads us into the atmospheric, zoomed, random, sketch-like synthesised noises. The track portrays a vast landscape of individualism and shows the combined skills of Jonas Kenton and Simon Muschinsky hitting the keys. ‘Greys and Blues’ is left to climax the compilation, the layered jolts of background noise is revitalised with Kele Okereke-esque vocals, which gluts the surprisingly short ending track of 1:45 minutes. I hope that these Saints do become well-noticed for their unique, enchanting persona.
 
Click here to see review published on altsounds.com

Floating Points Ensemble - Post Suite/Almost in Profile [Single]

Floating Points Ensemble released the double-A side, ten inch single at the end of last year, which features two tracks by the full ensemble, arranged and written by Manchester born Sam Shepherd. The Floating Points Ensemble is a 16 piece group that have recently won ‘Best Maida Vale Session’ at Gilles Peterson’s ‘Worldwide Awards’ which suggests their great capability.

‘Post Suite’ begins with an array of sensual strings when the percussion is added; the musicianship portrays a vast sense of imagery of running through a patchwork of fields. As the track makes an unexpected change in its acoustics a third of the way through, Floating Points Ensemble portrays a more jazz oriented feel, as Fatima Bramme Sey empowers the touching rhythm with her Motown style vocals. Freddie Gavita on the trumpet heightens the track’s atmosphere prior to constructing a more dramatic persona with the songs epically written saxophone parts, played by James Gardiner Bateman. The crescendo of the whole ensemble creates a dramatic climax to the canvas Shepherd has painted, which ends the fairy-tale tune strikingly.

‘Almost in Profile’ a slightly shorter piece, begins with a threatening arrangement of strings, taking a piercing turn by placing the track in a lighter corner infused with relaxed, soaring sensations as the ensemble touches your subconscious. Accentuating Shepherd’s talent for arranging the amazing skills of the musicians involved in the Floating Points Ensemble, the overall feel is of being lost in its unexpected phenomena, depicting a floaty feeling as you move through their compositions.

Click here to see review published on altsounds.com

Dive Dive - Liar [Single]

On hiatus from being the band for Frank Turner, collaborating with their harmonising vocalist Jamie Stuart, Oxford quartet Dive Dive have recently released their single Liar, prior to the upcoming descent of their third, self-produced album, Potential at the end of this month.

‘Liar’ jumps straight into a bang of energising vocals; ironically Dive Dive joins forces to create a feeling happiness, despite the track name being something of negative connotations. Drummer, Nigel Powell, maintains a rhythm upbeat throughout, Stuart and Lloyd drills cosmic electricity within the track. As the song becomes visualised in their video, you can tell the band’s unique style becomes revolutionised as Dive Dive’s eccentric actions are portrayed. The vocals carry a great amount of catchiness which will entitle great recognition; however, ‘Liar’ doesn’t really reflect Dive Dive’s versatility. On the contrary, they are definitely to keep your eyes open for. 

Click here to see review published on altsounds.com

Taste of Chaos @ Manchester 12/12/2010

Halestorm had the honours of opening tonight’s show, the air held a deal of suspense as it seemed a large amount of Taste of Chaos goers hadn’t heard of the “girl fronted” band. They kicked off the night with a dramatic show of vocals, lunging into ironically chosen‘It’s Not You’ and ‘What Were You Expecting’, which were welcomed by a great reception. Middle set the drummer, Arejay highlighted his skills by performing a solo which got hands clapping and fists punching, prior to the rest of the band joining in, to play some well executed, well known drum beats. The crowd bounced back to Lzzy’s almost natural stage presence – which portrayed a reminiscent edge of Brody Dalle, carrying features and qualities of a real ‘metal girl’.

Next on the bill, Buckcherry, snarled the crowd as the band slowly flooded on stage. They blasted the venue with the big fan favourites such as ‘It’s a Party’ and ‘Crazy Bitch’ which got the crowd shaken with the hilarious lyrics, but it became obvious that Todd’s vocals didn’t sound as great as what they do recorded. The powerful riffs and the known antics of Josh Todd peeling his clothes off through the set thrilled the crowd.

Papa Roach whipped their fans into a craze by starting the set with ‘Lifeline’, rocketing the crowd with rippling guitar solos. The opening lyrics of ‘Scars’ drove the arena into a spin, as the eminent words were screamed back at the stage. Moving swiftly through their latest tracks, ‘The Enemy’ and the catchy ‘Getting Away with Murder’, the mosh matched with its thumping drum beats. The renowned Ramones lyrics “Hey Ho! Let’s Go!’ was plastered across the venue before jumping into ‘Wanna Be Loved’ which energised the arena. A sudden snip of the lights created suspense and sent the fans roaring for more. The band slowly flooded on to the stage crescendoing into ‘Burn’ and ‘Hollywood Whore’, where Shaddox asked “where are all the dirty girls?” which received a heightened response. Jacobby made a comment about a certain “Mr Bieber” which was taken by storm making obvious that Shaddox’s humour contributed to the stage presence Papa Roach carry, which makes up for the occasional lack of the band’s technicality. The latest tracks didn’t seem to match to the old, upbeat tunes of ‘Infest’, ‘Angels and Insects’ and ‘Last Resort’ which ended the set with a boom.

Disturbed began their show with an epic visual of Draiman in a psychiatric ward, building tension with the sound of drum beats, before leashing into ‘Remnants’ and ‘Asylum’ off the latest album. The cleverly constructed visuals seemed to be memorising, amplifying the distinctive sound of Disturbed by its bizarreness. However, the trippy footage shown may have been responsible for the apparent sluggish stage presence. Being a band that are quite dependent on the uniqueness of Dave’s voice, tracks such as, ‘Stricken’ shown vocal strain which fans found disappointing. Nevertheless, ‘Indestructible’ and ‘Inside the Fire’ shook the arena, capturing people in a punching atmosphere. Classics ’10,000 fists’ and ‘Down with the Sickness’ bursted the venue with an intense sound, blowing the crowd into a frantic persona, proving that ‘Disturbed’ isn’t only the band’s name.

Click here to see review published on www.rockindustry.co.uk

InMe w/ support from The Perfect Crime and mojoFURY @ Sheffield Corporation 18/11/2010

Fans rushed inside Corporation away from Sheffield’s wintery weather, as the crowds began to form, we were hit by a welcoming wall of warmth. The Perfect Crime who held the task of opening this evening, have recently released their debut album, “Everything Else Can Wait”, which shows that the band possesses great potential. I’m guessing I wasn’t just the only one who hadn’t seen The Perfect Crime prior to tonight, right? They played a rousing set bursting with combinations of rhythmic guitar playing, ferocious screaming contrasting with harmonising Funeral for a Friend-esque vocals; which definitely heightened the atmosphere with their melodic, well-structured and convoluted metal sound. 

Next band on the bill mojoFURY, awakened the venue releasing a wave of sensation as a few tracks from their discography retained misleading soft-core intros which lead into a culminated clash of screams infused with dynamic drum thuds. It was completely obvious from the crowd’s eccentric reaction that FURY are well loved for their creative electricity which they generate on stage, especially with a set list which defined the band’s captivating versatility. “Lemon Marine” is up for grabs to download from their myspace, from the upcoming album, “Visiting Hours of a Traveling Circus”. 

The prospect of seeing a performance of InMe’s first album Overgrown Eden was one that was taken by many, but I feel the mediocre turn out wasn’t representative of what InMe fully deserved. Tension built up as they arrived on stage fashionably late; where they were rapidly greeted by chanting and clenching fists as they fully swung into “Underdose”. The crowd was struck by madness as InMe kicked into the melodic intro of “Firefly” inflicting whirlwinds of pits. They swiftly moved through the album with ease, stopping now and then for a chat with the Yorkshire crowd. As predicted the fan favourite “Crushed Like Fruit” was a crowd spinner; structured with intricately placed guitar parts, harmonised by Dave’s flexible vocals, head banding and devil horns peered through out of the mosh. “Neptune” the penultimate track leashed a technologic start, leading into the climatic clash of symbols led to a roaring reception. The band left the crowd wanting more as they casually walked off stage with their beer bottles in hand. They returned for their encore which they played “Cracking the Whip”, “Alaya” and “Nova Amada” off their latest, more developed records which accentuated Greg’s bass ability; outlining his technicality and presence on stage. Leaping into “Single of the Week” – with it’s catchy “What’s that shit on the radio?!” which got screamed back to the band. Climaxing with “Faster the Chase” you could easily see the admiration on stage as, Dave and Greg played each other’s chords as they strummed. Obvious to see, that the bands image has changed significantly from the long-haired punkish times of the early noughties. Additionally, the change in style may have been infectious as I felt there was a slight edge on the performance of Overgrown Eden.

Click here to see review published on www.rockindustry.co.uk

Avenged Sevenfold & Stone Sour @ Birmingham NIA – 28/10/10

I am pretty sure the feeling of trepidation wasn’t only felt by myself this evening. A peculiar gig consisting of two bands of which don’t share the same acoustics, just screams out a controversial show doesn’t it? The emotional death of Avenged Sevenfold’s drummer, Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, at the end of 2009 raised anxious concern in the minds of attendees. Will it be the same without the Rev? Corey Taylor also suffered a great loss this year; as Slipknot lost one of their founding members, their much loved bassist, Paul Gray. Supporting the co-headlined tour, Hellyeah’s drummer, Vinnie Paul, lost his brother Dimebag Darrell of prestigious Pantera, to a horrific shooting back in December 2004.  With the depressing deaths of inspirational rock heroes to many – the tour portrays a vast sense of importance - to celebrate the lives lost.

Hype was built up as a black curtain concealed the stage. The atmosphere was mounted by mutterings of restless fans longing to find out who was on first. As the opening recognisable melody of ‘Nightmare’ began, the crowd was rapidly transfixed. Sevenfold poured on to the stage with effortless poise, taking their familiar stances before the bombardment of riffs and heavy use of double bass pedals initiated. Pyrotechnics immersed the giant graveyard gates stage set, before M. Shadows in his trademark aviators screamed “NIGHTMAREEEE!” setting off the pummelling crowd. 

Commanding the stage with their metal demeanour, they performed a much loved rendition of ‘Critical Acclaim’. M greeted the audience with the well waited “Hello Birminghammm!” They hurtled through ‘Welcome to the Family’, ‘Beast and the Harlot’, Metallica inspired ‘Buried Alive’ and ‘God Hates Us’, the brandishing of guitars and heavy roars instantly satisfied the stormy crowds. Mid-set; the backdrop changed to reveal a painting of The Rev hugging his band brothers, which received a roaring reception. Shadows drilled a wedge of emotion through the crowd by paying a tribute to The Rev, referring to him as the “crazy motherfucker up there” prior to dedicating the solemn performances of ‘So Far Away’ and ‘Afterlife’. As a treat for carrying out the largest circle pit so far on tour, Shadows gave the crowd an ultimatum of ‘Bat Country’ or ‘Almost Easy’ to finish their set. The classic, ‘Bat Country’ won hands down and ended with a boom of insanity.

Stone Sour opened the more modest stage set with 'Mission Statement', moving swiftly into 'Reborn' and 'Made of Scars', with fists pumping and whirlwinds of clashing circle pits emerging, it was obvious the crowd was rattled from Taylor’s notorious stage presence.  They continued with a mix of old and new songs ‘Say you’ll haunt me’, 'Get Inside', 'Unfinished' and 'Your God'. The sign of the acoustic guitar meant nothing else but ‘Bother’ and ‘Through Glass’, transforming the thundery crowd into a sea of emotion – revealing a more vulnerable side to Corey Taylor, compared to the deindividualised, masked guy we all know in Slipknot. New track ‘Digital’ acted as a catalyst for lunacy, as the crowds countered the lyrics riddled with expressive beliefs about present society. ‘30/30-150’ couldn’t have been a better track to finish the mind blowing, moving night - as colossal cannons blasted the diffusing confetti into the air to mark the end of the show.

Click here to see published on www.rockindustry.co.uk