Back in September I ran a review on one of Klayton’s numerous projects on the FiXT roster; SCANDROID, who returned with their highly anticipated second album “Monochrome”…a very nostalgically indulgent project acting as a throwback to the 80’s era of new-wave synth pop, the neon retro glow of early electronic music, with the concept of living in a futuristic cyberpunk neo-Tokyo…it was done incredibly well and proved once again that Kalyton is one of the top electronic artists in the world today…but he’s not the only one dabbling in the past. Fellow label-mate BLUE STAHLI (Real name Bret Autrey) has caught the retro bug too it seems and for his own new project, he’s dropped the heavier, guitar driven EDM for a spot of synth-pop. With the debut album “Starlight” being released December 1st…let’s checkout SUNSET NEON…

We rather appropriately open up with “Opening Title Sequence” which, really, is probably the most straight-to-the-point, generic track title you could possibly imagine…if this was a film score, I would understand but here it doesn’t even have any sense of ironic self-awareness…it’s just lazy. The track itself is just over a minute of otherworldly, spacey soft-synth…it’s like something that may have found its way into one of the scenes on "Stranger Things" and while it’s promising regarding the rest of the album, I’m already distracted now, Netflix is calling me…I regain focus however as first track proper; “Got You” kicks in and this is more like it! It’s rich in bubbly, up-beat disco inspired new-wave indie-pop…the style, the sound, the vibe; it’s all absolutely spot on here…an early album highlight this is something you could easily imagine having been on old-school Top Of The Pops.

Further highlights include the vibrant “Never Dance Again” which wonderfully blends era’s into one light-hearted, happy-go-lucky electronic pop number…imagine KIM WILDE collaborated with CHARLI XCX and you wouldn’t be far off…it’s beat and rhythm are minimalistic while the guitar during the chorus adds a little depth and just a touch of attitude, this is an enjoyable pop song. “You Are The Sun” layers incredibly soft vocals over a relaxed soft-synth backing, akin to early boy bands in ways, while the title track utilises a lo-fi ambience with a charming delicacy fans of SAVAGE GARDEN would appreciate. The real highlight however comes courtesy of “Tonight”…more guitar-driven in tone and in ways more suited to a glam rock band, it’s got more of an edge, it’s pumping, it’s motivational; it’s the kind of song Rocky Balboa would punch frozen cow carcasses to…excellent stuff. Several of the tracks fail to inspire as instrumentals however; “Strut” has this, nu-disco swagger, it’s got funk but it feels like filler…”Metrocenter 84” too suffers similarly, though more laid back and ambient…but the real kick in the childhood comes from the surprise cover of PRINCE classic “Kiss”…merciful god…the original was painfully cringe-worthy with his unique high pitched vocal but it’s worse when imitated…it’s like MIKA and Justin Hawkins from THE DARKNESS had a bollockless lovechild and it attempted to match the track cringe-for-cringe. Ultimately though, the album as a whole has its quaint nostalgic tones firmly set in the lighter, poppier end of the retrospectrum (See what I did there?) and it offers a wholly different listen to Scandroid, though sadly, the songs here are weaker if we compare the two projects…Sunset Neon needs to replace a few bulbs I think. [5]

It's competition time! Yes! Are you a fan of NIKKI SIXX and fancy getting hold of some goodies? Do you know someone who would appreciate some rockin' stockin' fillers this Christmas? Well look no further! The lovely people over at ELEVEN 7 MUSIC have sent to me a copy of Nikki's New York Times best-selling autobiography "The Heroin Diaries" to give away...PLUS...to go alongside that, I have a copy of "The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack: 10th Anniversary Edition" to give away too...which features the original 13 tracks, plus 3 additional 2017 re-recordings of "Accidents Can Happen", "Girl With The Golden Eyes" and the single "Life Is Beautiful"...to be in with a chance of winning, Like & Follow the GAVTHEGOTHICCHAV Facebook page, and answer this simple question;

"Nikki is infamous for his multiple overdoses due to his love of heroin...and has seen numerous doctors in his time, but, what doctor found Mötley Crüe success at the top of the US Billboard Charts back in 1989?" Was it;

A] Dr. Seuss 
B] Dr. Dre
C] Dr. Feelgood
D] Dr. Acula

Leave your answer, along with your name in the comments below this post and a winner will be chosen at random. I'll even wrap the prizes for you myself, gift tags, ribbons the lot! The competition closes Monday, December 11th. Good luck!

The great thing about reviewing is, from time to time, you’ll witness growth…now, while all artists change and evolve from one album to the next (Well, I SAY all…AD/DC made a fortune on stagnation) nothing quite beats seeing a band in their formative years growing in sound, growing in style and more importantly, growing in confidence…back in 2014 in the early days of this blog’s existence, I reviewed a band by the name of DRIVEN in Fuel, Cardiff (I’ll never forget that conga line) and in the years since, I’ve witnessed them achieve so much in such a relatively short period of time. Having undergone a name change, and finding themselves signed to Spinefarm Records, IN SEARCH OF SUN (As they are now known) dropped a highly promising debut album by the name of “The World Is Yours” and grabbed a lot of people’s attention…now…in 2017 they deliver us the much anticipated follow up; “Virgin Funk Mother”…was the world truly theirs for the taking or were they ultimately searching for the sun at night? Let’s find out…

There’s no messing about with this record whatsoever as we open up with “Say It Like You See It” and we’re thrust into an infectious, groove-laden surge of riffs and funk-driven passion…the song writing, the musicianship, the delivery…it’s hard to imagine these were once just a couple of lads from London giving copies of their EP away for free just wanting to be heard, this is superb; this is anthemic…the sound here is positively huge and in ways it’s a blend of INCUBUS and YOUNG GUNS, a brilliant start this. “Bad Girl” follows immediately afterwards and while notably restrained compared to our opener it utilises a heavier, prog-fuelled guitar sound giving the track a more menacing tone as it maniacally reaches its more metal inspired crescendo…with the addition of MONUMENTS  guitarist John Browne bringing a certain djent style, this is a lot darker.

Next up we have Ronseal…or at least it may as well be, as “Motherfunk” does exactly what it says on the motherfucking tin! Its super upbeat, super smooth and front-man Adam’s clean vocals are wonderful, he’s developed into such an equally charismatic and capable vocalist he really helps carry these songs effortlessly, while the guitar work here again from David, Rory and not forgetting bassist Faz, is top drawer; they’ve nailed it here again…funk has seldom felt so relevant in alternative rock music. “Never” ticks all of the same boxes with another bold chorus emphasising another impassioned vocal display, slower and emotionally deeper in tone with subtle power ballad qualities, this further highlights their song-writing capabilities…while “Mega Piranha”…well, it’s more metal in style but don’t worry about that, look up the film…it’s amazing…it’s no Sharktopus but it’s still amazing. Actually scrap this review lets go watch them both! I jest...there are a couple of weaker moments though, yet nothing that completely ruins the record…”Little Wolf” as an interlude is barely existent and while acting as a segue, it may as well have just been a lengthy track intro instead of being its own entity, it’s a little bit pointless, while closing track “Mon Amour” overstays it’s welcome. While a decent track for the most part, we hit the halfway mark and we slide into repetition, couple that with the rising level of distortion and feedback at the songs climax and it just becomes annoying rather than awe inspiring and it really, sadly closes proceedings on a dud note. That’s not to say however that this record is a failure by any means, not at all…the past couple of years has seen the guys really put the time and effort in and it’s clearly paid off, this is a totally different band to the wide-eyed aspiring metal heads I saw in Cardiff back in the day and they certainly aren’t looking back…in search of sun? This album is positively beaming…[8]

I want to take a minute to talk about “emo”…but before you get all excited like a wide-eyed eleventeen year old browsing Blue Banana for the first ever time, I mean proper emo…no not the pompous black parade peddling MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE or even worse, BLOOD ON THE DANCEFLOOR (Seriously how are they even a thing?)…I’m talking about proper, original emo. All emo really is…is emotional rock music, that’s where the tag comes from, but it descended into a fashion statement and became more of a trend among youngsters. Bands like HELL IS FOR HEROES wonderfully blended post-hardcore with melodic indie elements to great effect in the early days but were overlooked for the poppier commercial value of the likes of FALL OUT BOY and PANIC! AT THE DISCO as the genre snowballed, and one such band who were resigned to their cult fan base, was REUBEN. The Surrey based three-piece hit their peak with 2004’s “Racecar Is Racecar Backwards” but went on indefinite hiatus following 2007’s “In Nothing We Trust”…this year, they’ve re-released the latter on white vinyl celebrating its 10th anniversary…let’s revisit it…

The album opens up with “Cities On Fire” and after a mellow, softly plucked guitar intro, we hit some feedback and the song suddenly bursts into life with a bitterness; a sharpness with Jamie Lenman’s intense, heavy vocals…he’s giving this his all, switching between soothing and savage you get a real sense of what emo should be…the mellifluous segments find themselves somewhere between SNOW PATROL and LONELY THE BRAVE while the more aggressive elements really add weight and character, balancing it out well, this is a nice opener. “We’re All Going Home In An Ambulance” has some wonderfully distorted guitar tones aiding a frenetic, disjointed musical onslaught…it’s noisy, it’s messy, it’s off-kilter…someone would probably label this mathcore today but whatever you want to call it, it’s wonderful.

Second single “Deadly Lethal Ninja Assassin” has a slower, lethargic tempo but its simplicity is infectious. Its melody is subtle and it’s a far tamer track overall with a solid climatic flurry, add to that an appearance by one Mr FRANK TURNER and we’ve got an enjoyable listen. Lengthy track names became a staple of emo albums, and “Crushed Under The Weight Of Enormous Bullshit” was no exception…for the most part utilising almost “Psycho” inspired notes, it’s an intense, unsettling listen, while “Good Luck” on the other hand is a far more peaceful acoustic led track, featuring guest vocalist Hannah Clark, it’s a lovely little relaxing campfire ballad, providing another highlight. Speaking of which, “Agony/Agatha” is another enjoyably simplistic offering; piano driven, equally quirky and catchy, before we eventually finish up on “A Short History Of Nearly Everything”. Primarily sombre in tone, it’s a fitting closure to not only the album, but their career at the time. Emo may have gone stratospheric in the years that followed and many would argue its core values were more than tainted, but bands like Reuben were properly underappreciated as soon as there was a commercial bandwagon to jump on. Ten years on, this is still a solid listen, while emo itself, was crushed under the weight of its own enormous amount of bullshit. [7]

The weather today is absolutely shit, it’s windier and wetter than a category 5 queef…so I’ve decided to uproot and head to Italy! I’m just kidding, there’s perfectly good pizza in my local kebab shop I’m not going anywhere, but today’s band however are indeed from “lo stivale”…let me introduce you to HELL IN THE CLUB. Formed in Alessandria back in 2009 and consisting of vocalist David Moras, bassist Andrea Buratto, guitarist Andrea Piccardi and drummer Marco Lanciotti, the four-piece have been living their dream of sex, drugs & rock ‘n’ roll over the past couple of years, and with a couple of records under their belt already they’ve accumulated a strong fan-base, with their sound taking influence from the glam-metal heyday’s of the 80’s…2017 sees them release their brand new album “See You On The Dark Side”…returning Jedi or are they rock’s Jar Jar Binks? Let’s find out…

The album opens up with lead single “We Are On Fire” and immediately we hear their glam-metal influence…there’s a level of swagger here akin to the likes of MOTLEY CRUE and HANOI ROCKS in places, coupled with the melodic hooks, the gang vocals, all the way down to the guitar solo, acting very much like a time capsule full of 80’s rock splendour and they fit a lot into this relatively brief opener, setting a good tone for the record going forward; a decent start. “The Phantom Punch” follows this up with little to no change in overall approach then other than slight tempo changes; there’s a more power-metal tone in the chorus with Moras properly belting this one out, more gang vocals and another solo round this one off and again, it’s decent…

The incredibly random “I Wanna Swing Like Peter Parker” is a peculiar one…while upbeat and lively for the most part, highlighting an apparent fondness of Marvel comics, it’s got this wonderful soft-jazz fill halfway through the track, it’s a cheeky play on words; half web-slinger, half FRANK SINATRA, literally swinging and I imagine this was in part inspired by THAT scene from Spiderman 3…bizarre. “A Melody, A Memory” starts off well enough with a rich, groove-laden riff sequence but as we switch into the chorus there’s this really awkward key-change that doesn’t sound right at all…it kills all the momentum gained leading into it, while it should really burst into life for a bold chorus we get an underwhelming transition…disappointing this, before we finish up on a stronger, consistent note. Album highlights like “The Misfit” utilise vibrant, catchy pop-rock qualities to deliver a light-hearted, fun listen, while “Withered In Venice” by contrast is a more mature rock ballad; dramatic and emotive…ultimately there’s enough here to entertain fans of that bygone glam-rock era but it isn’t over saturated in clichés to the point where it’s a mere tribute act…or even worse, STEEL PANTHER. Now if you’ll excuse me…I’m off to dance my way down the street looking like an absolute prat like Toby Maguire, despite the rain. [6]

Outside of the squared circle, wrestlers are very rarely (if ever at all) taken seriously…obviously I mean by people who, don’t particularly care about wrestling in the first place that is…sure there are anomalies, Rock “The Dwayne” Johnson has become a global movie star all credit to him…John Cena is trying too but nobody can see him doing it and Hulk Hogan? The Hulkster is a living legend there’s no two ways about it brother! Say your prayers eat your vitamins and believe in yourself and you too, could land yourself winning millions of dollars in a court case over a sex tape…but I digress…what about music? Chris Jericho has been gradually winning people over with his rock band FOZZY…John Cena, again, remember that rap album? Enough said…and then there’s JEFF HARDY. Hardy is one of the most loved and decorated tag team wrestlers the industry has ever seen alongside his brother Matt, he’s won numerous singles titles too in both WWE and TNA (Or whatever the hell it’s called these days)…but…did you also know that he front’s a band too? Let me introduce you to PEROXWHY?GEN…no that’s not a typo, that’s actually the band’s name (Pronounced Peroxygen) Hardy and co have released several EP’s and albums over the past couple of years and this year they dropped “Precession Of The Equinoxes”…let’s see how far we can get before we tap out…

We open up with “Sphere On Earth” and it’s an interesting one to say the least…it’s a weird, spoken word track, almost a monologue in ways…he speaks of his mother with a poetic adoration and it’s all an ode to her in her passing, this family role model, loved and respected and while quaint, it goes full-on track length at 3:00…it’s really quite artsy instead of being a brief intro and while creative it doesn’t really benefit as being an opening track…an odd inclusion this. The first proper track, “Revived” gets the album going more adequately with a mixture of rock, indie and emo qualities, tapping into that general genre-bracket…imagine bands like AMERICAN HI-FI and that ilk…clean vocals, melodic but raw…it’s got substance this…there are moments where the vocals can come across a touch flat but there’s enough here to carry it forward, this is more enjoyable start. We change gears again though as immediately we follow up with “Occasion” and while we stick with certain, soft-emo tones we’re given a far more delicate track. Heavy on piano and strings, leading into acoustics it’s got an almost semi-country feel and in ways develops into something fans of SMASHING PUMPKINS could appreciate.

At 2:44, “Otherwise” is the shortest track on offer here and while it’s a little disjointed in places, we’re treated to some decent throwback, early 2000’s alternative rock, this could have easily of come out of the nu-metal era listening to this chorus, balancing on a fine line between nostalgic and dated…”Unforgiveable” then retouches certain ballad aspects but here it’s clear Hardy doesn’t have the vocal capability to properly do this justice, he lacks a softness; a sweetness at times which would have taken this track to the next level, before we finish up on another diverse trio of tracks. “Emotionless” has more of that throwback nu-metal influence with its crossover rap metal vibe, “September Day” utilises slow, gritty electronica; coming across as spacey before we close on “Catastrophic” and it’s a weird mixture of trippy spoken word and poor rap…leaving the listener with more of a sense of “Why?” as opposed to “Wow!”. Overall…while I can sit here and applaud Hardy for all the entertainment he’s provided me over the years in ladder matches, musically he doesn’t quite grab my attention so easily, there are genuine moments here that offer a great deal of promise as some of the rockier tracks have potential, and credit to him he's not afraid to experiment, but he needs to iron out a couple of things. One things for sure, it’s not as bad as THAT match with Sting at Victory Road 2011….[4]

What happens when you combine Finnish alternative metal with WWE tag team The Ascension? No, this isn’t some quirky “Sorjonen” crossover episode of the Fashion Files…today we’re actually talking about a band by the name of EMBER FALLS. Formed in Tampere, these red and black clad rockers dropped their debut single “Shut Down With Me” back in 2015 and since then have steadily become a promising home-grown talent in their native Finland, backed up by being signed to Spinefarm Records…now, 2017 sees them release their debut full-length album; “Welcome To Ember Falls”. Is the album really welcome though? Let’s find out…

We open up with “The Cost Of Doing Business” and immediately we’re subject to a barrage of slick metal tinged hard-rock riffs channeling an infectious groove; it’s an up-tempo introduction and full of energy, aided by both gang-vocal harmonies and metalcore-inspired screamed vocals courtesy of guitarist Calu, it all accompanies front-man Thomas Grove perfectly with his almost power metal core style…in some ways imagine if ASKING ALEXANDRIA and TURISAS had a baby…that’s what you’ve got here essentially…this is a strong intro. “Falling Rain” continues with the power metal / almost symphonic elements and in places has subtle nods to NIGHTWISH within the structure of the track giving it a slight dramatic touch, before “Of Letting Go” steps it up a gear with a more prominent electronic based sound layered within the riffs and percussion. It’s really up beat and throws a power-ballad style chorus into the mix; its balanced well, some delicate piano coupled with a decent guitar solo and provides another enjoyable listen.

“Freedom” then goes all the way into soft ballad territory with no shame whatsoever, showing a versatility in the Finns, it doesn’t come across as pompous but simply oozes genuine emotion and as the track ascends to its climax it picks up with a certain classic rock tone; the guitar here is simply elegant, a softer track all around but no less impressive. The clear highlight here though is “Open Your Eyes”…featuring NC Enroe (Niko Moilanen) from Finnish pop rockers BLIND CHANNEL…coursing with electronic, vibrant pop-rock energy and a touch of nu-metal attitude courtesy of NC's rapping, this is the kind of song that would get any alternative night club moving, incredibly infectious and easily the standout track on this record, before we close proceedings with another inclusion of their debut single, and “The Lamb Lies Down In Sacrifice”…a meatier, melodic death metal inspired piece akin to the likes of SCAR SYMMETRY and such, the riffs are back, as are the wailing guitars and the whole thing ends on a more aggressive, assertive note. While some of the albums track’s all too easily blend in to some of their influences from the Scandinavian melodic death artists, primarily their neighboring Sweden’s Gothenburg scene, you can’t dispute how down right enjoyable a lot of this album is…welcome to ember falls? You’re very welcome indeed. [8]

Without meaning to sound pessimistic, I absolutely love being set up for a fall…listen to this; “The album hits like a revelation, jolting the listener upright and transporting them from a dreamy landscape to a wide-eyed state of consciousness textured by humility and sandblasted by the winds that weather life”…it sounds amazing doesn’t it? You read that and think who the hell is this?! Well…let me tell you…this is a snippet from a bio by Las Vegas rockers OTHERWISE. Yes, clearly they spent most of their creative energy on their biography, and settled for one of the most mundane sounding band names of all time in the process…but the question now is, will we truly be swept away by their newest album “Sleeping Lions”…or…are they musically as beige as their own name? Let’s find out…

The album opens up with “Angry Heart” and after a brief period of guitar feedback we’re met with some fairly standard metal-tinged hard rock riffs…vocally Adrian Patrick is relatively clean, especially within an admittedly catchy chorus, aided by gang-vocal backing…the bass here is on occasion reminiscent of KORN in subtle ways, and I mention this purely to state that, bassist Tony Carboney has a better name than the band he plays in…say them both out loud…told you. If I may get back on track, we follow up with the title track and we get more generally run of the mill American alternative radio rock…fans of say, THEORY OF A DEADMAN or NICKELBACK and the like would probably enjoy this…what I’m certainly not getting, is the dreamy landscape or the feeling of being sandblasted by, anything to be honest, other than, mediocrity…it’s fine, but they set the bar so high with their bio that, this falls so far short…

There are a couple of pleasant tracks on offer here if I’m totally honest, such as “Suffer” with its pop rock melodic tendencies providing easy listening, while “Nothing To Me” drops some solid hard rock hooks…there is a slower fill mid-track which sounds out of place that detracts from an otherwise enjoyable song, before “Weapons” gives us our first real album highlight with it’s incredibly catchy pop qualities…the rest of the album however goes completely arse over tit via its own determination to appease the mighty god Chad Kroeger…just listen to “Crocodile Tears” and “Dead In The Air”…honestly it’s as if they climbed up into the Canadian’s arse, crawled directly into his brain and had him write them songs like some sort of parasitic infection…either that or there’s a case for plagiarism here…”Blame” on the other hand is effectively yawn inducing while, “Bloodline Lullaby” just…shoot me, someone…anyone? This is every clichéd romantic movie epiphany / last dance soundtrack rolled into one song…”Won’t Stop” ends things on a livelier note but, it redeems nothing. They promised the world and more in their biography and what they delivered was nothing more than a rip-off of a rock music meme…Sleeping Lions? Sleeping Gav…[4]