Inspired by the likes of DEFTONES, THE MARS VOLTA and GLASSJAW, Cardiff’s self-described avant-garde post hard-core death-pop maestro’s GHOSTS AS ALIBIS are more than just another heavy band from the valleys. Combining electronica with solid riffs and sonic dreamscapes, this Welsh 4-piece follow up their impressive début; “The Fine Line Between Coincidence And Fate” with their newest mini album, “Where The Desert Meets The Mountain”. Where has their journey taken them?

Kicking off with “The First Haunting”, we’re greeted with a short, chilling intro. It’s appropriately titled, the sounds of a wind-swept barren landscape, the faint crackle of a Geiger counter, some tortured screams, it really is rather haunting, a feeling of emptiness and desolation, before first track, “Wolves”, rips through your speakers like a rabid animal. It has its delicate moments with some soft guitar playing mid-track but ultimately, it’s a snarling, emotionally charged track full of bite.

Lead single “The Great Art Disaster” kicks in with an ever so slightly nu-metal feel, it’s a bit quiet and in all honesty, the vocals overlaying the track can sound somewhat disjointed in places, it doesn't always match up. There’s a slight prog-rock influence carrying the track, it has its moments and ends better than it starts, but as a whole it’s a tad disappointing. “This Time We Caused Earthquakes” on the other hand is a much stronger offering and would have been, in my opinion, a better choice for a single, one of the records highlights, before we finish up on the title track, a near ten minute mammoth of a song. It’s lavish and bold but at the length it is, struggles to hold your focus for the duration and ends up appearing to go on a bit, which is a shame as it’s delivered well.

In the long run, what’s clear is GAA aren't afraid to dive in at the deep end, they play with a sense of adventure and seemingly thrive on pushing themselves musically. This new mini album shows signs of promise from these young technical musicians, leaving only a few areas to sharpen up on. The desert may have met the mountain, I guess now it’s just a matter of how high GAA can climb. [6]


Check out Ghosts As Alibis on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GhostsAsAlibis 


"Where The Desert Meets The Mountain" is released August 11th.

Tonteg, a quiet little village in south Wales, not far from Pontypridd, nothing particularly spectacular…nobody of any notable fame has ever come from this neck of the woods, so why am I rambling on about it? GLASS GIANTS…that’s why. This fresh unsigned 5-piece maybe merely starting off on their journey as a band, but with enough charisma to win over just about anyone, and not to mention having a support slot for McBUSTED already under their belts, Tonteg may very well be the next hotbed of a seemingly endless abundance of Welsh talent. With their début EP entitled “Define Progress”; let’s see how they do just that…

Opening up with “Pilgrim”, we’re greeted with a catchy blend of light rock and bouncy pop melody. At its liveliest it’s a really energetic foot tapper of a song, simple chorus and simply a joy to listen to, but at its most tender it’s a thing of beauty. Ross Dixon with an impressive set of vocals; the charming young lad that he is… “Runaway” focusses more so on the rockier side of things; it’s a far more guitar driven number with a more assertive tone to it. In places it’s got an ever so slight resemblance to fellow Welsh rockers 4th STREET TRAFFIC in its big, bold production allowing for a huge positive sounding song, a flurry of noise and an emotional climax, it’s an EP highlight.

“Phoenix” returns to the happy-go-lucky style of the EP’s opener, at its peak leaning more towards a fun pop-punk style, another top tune, before we finish up on “Young And Free”. It doesn't stray far from the path and gives the listener another dose of simple but more importantly, enjoyable pop inspired indie rock, rounding things off nicely. Glass Giants haven’t defined progress purely for themselves here, what they have done is inadvertently spoken on behalf of the whole south Wales music scene. With more and more bands getting inspired to pick up instruments and write music, more and more bands have to up their game to get anywhere in life, and progress as musicians in an already flooded industry. Glass Giants haven’t cared about sounding a particular way to fit in, or used breakdowns because their popular, or this, or that, they've just written quality songs and play them well, that’s all you need to stand out sometimes. Expect to hear these boys on the radio sooner rather than later. [7]


The EP "Define Progress" is available now on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/define-progress-ep/id720956895