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Apes, Pigs and Spacemen - Simple Simian EP
(Phat Monkey Records) Review by Steve Green |
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I have to admit I
didn't really know what I was letting myself in for when I was
told this disc was on it's way. Once signed to Music For
Nations, support slots with the likes of Monster Magnet, Skid
Row and Warrior Soul, pretty safe territory I thought. Wrong
again.
I'm still not sure what to make of opener Vertigo. Eccentric,
is the only word that springs to mind. I hate to use the word
Nu, but all I can think of is the melodic class of The Beatles
being put through Korn's thought process. Thankfully 2nd track
Kill or Destroy lives up to it's billing and is a molten slab
of Metal, well for the most part. The heavy/light process is
utilised again. Except this time the vocals remind me of a
funk free Dan Reed Network. |
Yes, my
comparisons are confusing me as well. The Best Thing, is
anything but and the band once again change direction
completely, this time for a mellow acoustic sing-a-long. Soul
Asylum anyone? Last track Take Away, sees the band,
thankfully, plugged back in, but it follows on from The Best
Thing in the mellow sing-a-long stakes. Not something that
warms itself to my heart as I'm more of a Kill and Destroy
type of guy.
APS have had a tough time over the years due to the bollocks
that is the music industry. My only concern now is where they
fit in musically. This EP is about as diverse as it gets and
despite my own broad tastes, it's left me scratching my head
in bewilderment.
www.apespigsandspacemen.com |
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As We Fight –
Midnight Tornado (Goodlife) Review by Samuel Munch-Petersen |
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Out of all the albums I got this time round to review, this
has been the nicest to review. It starts like the album title
suggests; a tornado. And they’re my kin; Danish. I love the
Scandinavians sometimes. They can give us such great music.
And beer. And women. Yum.
I swear one of them dresses in a tube-top though. Made me take
a second look before deciding it was a man I was looking at.
Right, the album; recorded by Jacob Bredahl (Hatesphere) and
this shows through the way the music seems to just knife you
in the ear. Just the one. Mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen
(The Haunted, Sick of it All, Himsa) this album has all the
marks of being a decent |
listen.
And you’re not disappointed from the first burst of riff to
the last drum beat.
They fall into the category of almost power metal to some
degree, with elements of hardcore creeping through heavily in
the vocals. They’re likened to Avenged Sevenfold, Nine and
Darkest Hour. Not bad bands to enjoy and you can see the
similarities within the music and vocals. So far I’m enjoying
the tracks; twelve of them in total and not long either.
There’s nothing bad to say about this album or the band, it’s
their second release and I’m looking forward to the next if
it’s as good as this one. So look out for them and I’m sure
you won’t be disappointed by your choice. Short but sweet my
dears. www.aswefight.com
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Closedown –
Deflexion and Polarities (Hangmans Joke) Review
by Will Knott |
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I hate bands that
cross so many genres that it gets confusing on where to pin
them down. For the most part Quebec's Closedown ply a brutal
screamo/hardcore, yet they've a softer side that completely
throws my main impression out of the window. Light jangling
acoustic guitars give way to clean (but not emotive) vocals
and it's hard to believe it's the same band that blew my head
off one song before. Surprisingly, the styles blend together
well, unlike the samples/beats which really don't do it for
me.
Best song title, the delicately titled "I Always Hated Dancing
With A Burning Mannequin" fires - pun intended - down some
Maiden-esque lead guitars, which are matched by some |
fearsome
vocals and my old noggin is doing ten to the dozen in
appreciation, which makes me wonder why they threw in a
trip-hop beat to completely kill the feeling. The song then
disintegrates into a ballad that wouldn't be out of place on a
bloody Boyzone album, so I'm not sure what the band were
thinking when this song was constructed.
The norm is restored on the following track The Universal
Paradox Vs The Red Organ (whatever that means), but then the
lightweight approach appears again on Murder In The
Discotheque, which the politest way I can describe it is, as
limpwristed shite and then the last track is a mixture of the
previous two. My patience by now was well and truly tested and
I switched off mentally and I also headed for closedown.
www.myspace.com/closedown |
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Conquest of Steel - May Your Blade Never Dull
EP (No Face Records) Review by Steve Green |
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Conquest of Steel
are purveyors of True Metal. Back patches are worn proudly,
they are creators of odes that make the mighty Manowar quake
in their boots and they have an ability to freeze time and
keep the true message of Metal alive. Which makes it even more
difficult for me to say that I don't like this EP. I'm afraid
the title track has come back to bite Conquest of Steel in
their asses, as I'm afraid their blade is beginning to dull.
I'm not sure if it's the production that's the problem or the
quality of the songs. Either way, this EP sounds laboured with
the band simply going through the motions. Which is a shame
for me and I'm an avid fan of the band. |
| Upon
hearing a studio version of live classic Steel In The Law, I'm
more inclined to think that it's a case of the band not being
able to capture their live sound in the studio. Conquest of
Steel are a phenomenal live band. And it's in that environment
that I urge you to make your acquaintance with The Steel.
www.conquestofsteel.co.uk |
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Crane - The Fall Of Time (Hangmans
Joke Recordings) Review by Will Knott |
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This is punk rock,
apparently. Sorry, this is well played, well structured, even
the chanted choruses are pretty good, despite lacking any
punch, but do you honestly want to listen to the type of punk
rock that makes The Offspring seem aggressive?
Tales Of Modern Life comes closest to rockin' my socks off,
yet I'm still yearning for Marc's lead vocals to contain a bit
of bite, it's Jay's backing vocals that steal the show. Maybe
the guys should swap roles. I'm afraid that complaint applies
to the rest of the album. Despite some quality material and
some interesting musicianship, there's no bite to the vocals.
For those of a disposition that like this commercial "punk"
and I use the word |
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begrudgingly, then Crane could be the band for you.
www.myspace.com/crane |
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Engine Of Pain - I Am Your Enemy
(Lion Music) By: Joe Florez |
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I have to hand it to
the Lion Music label. Lasse tries to spice things up a bit by
picking up artists that just don’t play around in the
progressive movement. This Dutch outfit plays thrash music
that will peel the flesh off of your face. But how well does
it fare against the others? Let’s find out.
The title track is a vicious assault on the ears. The way the
song is composed however is very bizarre. The intro is filled
with electronics giving it an industrial vibe, until the meat
and potatoes kick in after ninety seconds. Nick screams his
way through much to how Marco Aro did during his days in The
Haunted. He also manages to, not so much sing clearly as |
| well,
but talks, which is odd. The guitar licks are abrasive, but
manage to throw in some melody at some point. The drum work is
pretty simple, but relentless. It’s pretty unique to say the
least. “Fuel The Engine” is packed with more rage, but
contains some killer solo work. Some of the singing, er
screaming reminds me of Tom Araya. Each song is filled to the
hilt with brutality that just wears you down after a while.
The lyrics are filled with angst as you would pick up just by
music contained within. The bio says that the band has
similarities to Testament and Pantera. Wrong! It’s more akin
to the Hatebreeds, Bury Your Dead and anything on the Victory
label. The guys try their best to be different, but as far as
I’m concerned they just get lost in the shuffle after two
songs. There isn’t enough originality in here to make them
stand out. There is some potential, but will have to up their
work ten fold the next time around if they want to survive.
I’ll pass on this one.
www.lionmusic.com |
www.engineofpain.com |
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Glenn Hughes - Music For The Divine
(Frontiers Records) By: Joe Florez |
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Usually when someone
else dubs you a nickname in the industry, it doesn’t really
apply to that individual for whatever reason. In this case
however, Glenn Hughes rightfully deserves the title of “Voice
Of Rock.” This is one individual who can sing rock, blues,
R&B, soul, funk and then some. He has proved it time and time
again. The man is very busy with singing on numerous artists
projects, but has managed to find the time to create another
piece of art. Just like the last time, Red Hot Chili Peppers
drummer Chad Smith is back for more along with J.J. Marsh and
now another member of RHCP has joined the fold for this
record: John Frusciante. “The Valiant Denial” is off to a
running start with the perfect mix of |
slick
bass playing from Glenn and melodies that just get your blood
pumping, but in a positive way. Chad’s drumming is infectious
and so damn rhythmic that I see why Mr. Hughes hired him. High
impact energy is here and with The Voice Of Rock’s crooning
voice that is smooth and packed with emotion I would like to
call this the perfect song. It makes you just feel good.
“Steppin’ On” is very funky and even manages to get a little
tripped out at times. James Brown would be proud if he heard
this. After rocking the house for at least three songs, “This
House” brings it down several steps as it’s more laid back and
the vocals are softer and gentler. One song that intrigued me
was a cover of The Moody Blues “Nights In White Satin.” This
is a bit of a heavier version with louder and somewhat more
distorted guitars and thicker bass licks. The voice also has
more impact than the original. I think what makes this record
better than some of the other releases is the fact that Chad
and John are on here. You have a couple of artists that also
play in a funk/rock band and they all understand each other.
You can hear it in the music and they also know how to play
well off of each other. This release is very diverse, making
sure that there is a little something on here for everyone.
It’s dynamic, funky and rockin.’ If you call yourself a self
professed music fan like myself, then you must have this.
ABSOLUTELY zero disappointments here.
www.glennhughes.com |
www.frontiers.it |
