Back in 2017, LINKIN PARK released an album by the name of “One More Light”, which garnered mixed reviews from a lot of people. Including myself. Now let’s not beat around the bush here... I scored it negatively. It was an OK pop album; it just didn’t feel like it fit the Linkin Park aesthetic. It FELT like a label pleaser, to adapt to the shift in the mainstream, with collaborations including STORMZY and KIIARA. People on the internet will say that I did so because I live in the past, and that I just want every record to sound like “Hybrid Theory” or “Meteora”...this is not true in the slightest. I appreciate growth and expansion from within bands, and the way they see the world around them, it’s what inspires them to create art. The art that, we as consumers enjoy. Also no, I’m not ignoring or forgetting “Reanimation” or the JAY-Z collaboration...this just felt different. 

​I mean, if I wanted to listen to an artist that put out the same thing over and over again, I’d listen to AC/DC, or insert generic overhyped and deified rock band here. (You’ve heard one you’ve heard them all is what I’m saying). The trouble with Linkin Park, was the sheer level of success that that first album garnered. It completely blew them up on a global scale, and so when it came time for the sophomore, the label justifiably said “Hey, look, money...more of the same please!”. We lapped it up as fans and consumers, don’t get me wrong, it was their sound; they excelled at that subtly electronic layered rap/metal crossover, but it frustrated the band to the point where, by the time “One More Light” came out all those years later, they’d gone out of their way to do the remix albums, acapella albums, experimental albums like “A Thousand Suns”, and ultimately tried their very best to show there was more to them than meets the eye, before that aforementioned 2017 pop album, and subsequentially, Chester Bennington’s suicide mere months later. There was more to the death of Chester, let that be clear, but we didn’t help his mental health, I acknowledge that.  

It was a catch-22, as we needed to respect the band for sticking to their guns, and creating what THEY wanted to create, or felt they needed to, for better or for worse, but we just wanted the band we loved, to create music we could enjoy; (You can only push an envelope so far), we knew what they were capable of, and we didn’t always see eye to eye. We were part of the problem (Admittedly I can’t speak for EVERYONE). The whole situation soured, and there was a lot of guilt following Chester’s death where we realised, we could have been more open, and supportive, and maybe Chester would still be here with us now. The sad fact is, he isn’t, and we thought we’d lost one of the most important and influential bands of the 21st century as collateral...but here is the dilemma. The new divide, if you will... 

2024 sees the RETURN of Linkin Park, with a completely new reshuffled line-up, after we thought we’d realistically seen the last of the nu-metal icons. With a brand-new singer at the forefront by the name of Emily Armstrong, who previously sang for DEAD SARA (As well as new drummer Colin Brittain, plus guitarist Brad Delson no longer touring with the band is notable) we find them opening a fresh can of worms and splitting more opinions than the US presidential election arguing over a jar of Marmite. I can’t believe I’m saying this but...this is “From Zero”, this is brand new Linkin Park...and these are my thoughts... 

We’re off to a bad start, frankly, as we have “From Zero (Intro)”...and it’s on the verge of being at least patronising to a degree. We have this almost angelic, choir-esque vibe, as though the heavens have opened, and the band have returned, risen again to start from scratch. There’s a spoken word snippet where new vocalist Emily offhandedly says “From zero? Like, from nothing? OH WAIT YOUR FIRST...” and it’s cut off before she can say band. We know that Mike Shinoda has openly stated that XERO was the original project before the formation and finalisation of Linkin Park...and we know that he’s produced this album, he’s pushed for this album, and it’s like he’s pushing this ideology from the start to use Linkin Park’s name to sell records, instead of going back to that first name he’s not even hiding away from.  

I’m feeling almost nonchalant dictatorial vibes right here. THIS is a primary gripe among many fans, who identify and associate Linkin Park with Chester on vocals, as the voice of the band...regardless of founding members, he was the unique, distinct voice, he was the generational talent at the forefront. If you’re so insistent on harking back to that Xero band name Mike, use that name, embrace that name if you are so proud of it, and release the music as Xero...not treat Linkin Park as a cash cow (See Wembley ticket prices). But the dilemma is only beginning... 

First track proper, and first single, “The Emptiness Machine” is an absolute banger. I wanted to make a joke about McDonald’s ice cream but, it would be petty of me. I am actually Mclovin’ this. (That was cringe...whistle and I will strike you). It’s a genuinely fun, engaging track with a lot of hooks in its short run time. Lyrically it can be interpreted as a reference to Emily being associated with the Church Of Scientology; being born into it second generationally, blending a sort of realistic world view with a feeling of hopefulness. She has been moulded into this lifestyle and belief system from childhood and it’s about wanting to just fit in and wanting to find oneself. Metaphorically hammered home by the very societal "cog in the machine" type music video. As an interpretation, this just makes sense, never mind fitting in with twenty years' worth of Linkin Park fans. But were the follow up singles as strong? 

Next, we have “Heavy Is The Crown” and we’ve got an immediate sense of burden here. Instrumentally the band have harked back to the period of “Minutes To Midnight” and “Living Things”, blending those practically recycled synth notes and overall tone. There’s an air of defiance in the lyrics, with lines like “You can’t win if your white flags out when the war begins” and it could be seen as Mike’s approach to Linkin Park in the face of life after Chester. The whole commitment to the band's continuation, and the pressure of Emily stepping into such iconic shoes...but they still manage to throw in a passive aggressive middle finger, as Emily does an equally long scream here as that of the track “Given Up”...as if to hammer home this justification of her appointment, in a “told you so” manner of fact. This again feels more patronising than vindicating under the surface and just comes across as hollow imitation on this instance. 

Emily gets to utilise her clean vocals on the track “Over Each Other” and to be fair, she sings well through a wall of anguish and frustration, and it reeks of relationship breakdown, be it romantic, platonic or professional, but here is the issue. It's an angsty pop song, which there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with, it’s a fine song, but if I or anyone was living under a rock, and didn’t know Linkin Park had reformed in this new era with new presentation, you wouldn’t be like, “Oh is this Linkin Park?”. As fine as the song is, it could be PVRIS, it could be HALFLIVES, it could be insert modern female vocalist of current day rock band name here. There’s nothing WRONG with it, it’s a decent song, but there’s a generic quality to it. It also ends terribly as they include studio snippets of interaction with Mike, trying to push a feeling of connection and bonding, as he asks her to put her “screaming pants on”.  

Why is this, I hear you ask? Ladies and gentlemen let me introduce to arguably the WORST Linkin Park song to ever be green lit for recording; “Casualty”. Honestly Charlie Fairhead should be on call to prepare you for theatre after listening to this. We’re booked in for a Tympanoplasty and a Stapedectomy...and a slap in the face for good measure. There’s a raw, hardcore, almost punk-inspired aesthetic here and while Emily CAN do this, Mike CAN'T...and when Mike starts trying to shout and produce aggressive vocals or seem assertive, he comes across as Clarence Claymore boxing and it’s pitiful to be honest. (That’s a nuanced reference, look it up). 

Emily, credit to her here, sounds pissed off; she sounds like she’s really invested, and she's built for this...but this is wholly unnatural for Mike. While it has throwback elements to “The Hunting Party” with its raw presentation, and hardcore punk levels of vitriol, Mike doesn’t quite cut it here. He honestly doesn’t sound comfortable or confident performing in this manner, and the quality, or lack thereof shows, he personally brings this track down. I guess ironically you can now ask why is everything so heavy? Genuine question. No wait, no, I know what it is. Doing such a shit job himself will make Emily sound so considerably better! She’ll be praised! You tactical motherfucker. Honestly Mike she can do the aggressive vocals perfectly fine on her own and I applaud her for that, you don’t need to be involved in that. You stick to the rap stuff and the brand appropriation. 

Speaking of, “Two Faced” absolutely oozes of “Meteora” era Linkin Park with the guitar tone and overall tonality regarding to chorus/verse transitions. This is more of a classic Linkin Park sound, and it does take you back twenty years, and truthfully you could easily see this as a collaboration that never saw the light of the day in 2003. It honestly wouldn’t be out of place on the original, it’s that close. 

Tracks like “Stained” further hammer home that Pvris type vibe in presentation and we have to admit that Emily does bring a brand-new dynamic to the band's aura when she’s more subdued vocally, before “Good Things Go” somewhat ironically wraps up the album. There’s an almost apologetic essence here, as though the band are anticipating the reception of this new era; pre-emptive damage control if you will. It’s almost in direct acknowledgment of Mike’s decision to continue Linkin Park from a lyrical standpoint, with Emily very much being a factor in that. It’s the musical equivalent of puppy dog eyes and fishing for sympathy when you read into it, and as pleasant as the song is, aesthetically...lyrically there’s a disingenuous feeling to it and it can’t be ignored.  

Ultimately, the question is, what can we take from, “From Zero”? The unbiased answer is a pletheora of things (See what I did there?). For anyone who was there from those early days in the 2000’s, that grew up with Linkin Park, when Linkin Park moulded the fabric of the person you were to become, it’s a band that holds a special place in your heart. I’d swear in a court of law, that Linkin Park helped shape the person I am now...fuck I was in Cornwall on holiday when I purchased “Hybrid Theory” and listed to it on repeat on my Buffy The Vampire Slayer skateboard with my Sony CD Walkman. It’s THAT ingrained.  

As we’ve grown older as fans, we appreciate those years because they were pivotal in our upbringing...I had no peers, I had no alternative community...I had nobody trading mix tapes or cassettes or burnt CD's...but I knew this band was special. As we age, our tastes change, our worldview changes, our political mindset changes; we evolve, as individuals as well as professionals. It’s so easy to see why on a business perspective why Mike would want to bring back Linkin Park...but where do we stand when it comes to morality? On face value, this is not a bad record in the slightest, it’s got some nostalgic moments, and it takes you back to the good old days momentarily in places...but is it Linkin Park? For me, the answer is no.  

Call me cynical, but they’ve tried to blatantly rehash elements from previous albums to sell a new narrative, they’ve made passive aggressive comments in spoken word segments as well as lyrics, Mike is trying to push for this, and as honestly decent as this album is on face value, which it is, it’s a fine album, I’m sorry, it’ll never be Linkin Park. QUEEN tried it with ADAM LAMBERT, can you imagine TYPE-O-NEGATIVE continuing without PETE STEELE? Can you imagine HIM without VILLE VALO? Or KORN without JONATHAN DAVIS? There's an IDENTITY...do you see my point? Any long serving band can emulate and recreate their sound instrumentally, but, you can seldom replace a voice, and the emotion that comes with it. The stories and feelings they share. We can agree to disagree, I’m fine with that, you have a right to an opinion such as I do...but to me, this is a reshuffled band recycling ideas in places to live off a rhetoric, and I’m not even mad, I’m disappointed...[6] 

When you think of the term “emo”, you tend to get a very stereotypical mental image. It’s skinny jeans, Vans or Converse daps, studded belts wrapped around your arse cheeks because they are there for show not for practicality, a plethora of rubber wrist bands second only in number to the scars they cover, cartoonish band t-shirts from Blue Banana (Essentially Hot Topic off of Temu) and crippling depression masked by the most perfectly straightened fringes. Your mental state is fragile, but your hair is on fleek my guy...please avoid naked flame. 

Musically speaking, the scene dominated the mid 2000’s and gave us some of this century's biggest stars. PARAMORE for example gave young girls the world over a voice, and someone to look up to in Hayley Williams. With women severely under-represented in rock music, they also managed to make orange hair cool. That’s how good Hayley is. MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE saw sales of eyeliner, drummer boy jackets and nail varnish soar with their anthemic mega-hit “Welcome To The Black Parade”, and in all its grandiose pomposity, has rendered a simple G note somewhat of a sensory trigger for broken, beaten and damned millennials. But who influenced THEM? 

Emo, if you even want to categorise it as a genre all in and of itself, goes a lot further back than that, well into the early 90’s, with the likes of SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE and JIMMY EAT WORLD. Despite the dirtiness of the grunge movement, and facing the birth of nu metal, they went against the grain, allowing emotionally raw lyrics to compliment often more melodious, candidly unvarnished instrumentation. Their stripped back, openly emotive presentation allowed for more poetic, deep, heartfelt song writing in alternative music, without the pretentious imagery of some Goth for example, and it led to the eventual 1995 formation of today’s band; THE GET UP KIDS. 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the Kansas City collective's sophomore album “Something To Write Home About”. Dubbed arguably one of the most important and influential albums in the entire genre, by one of its pioneering artists, let’s see if this 1999 classic can live up to its title. 

The album begins with “Holiday”, and we’re met with a flurry of vibrant, energetic pop-punk laced instrumentation, with strong garage rock vibes. This is remastered, but here it still sounds as raw and rugged as can be. That’s part of the appeal of the original wave of emo; the realism, and the relatability. Just like punk before it, it was MEANT to sound rough around the edges; purity over professionalism. A tale of wasted emotions and very apropos in 2024, with lines like “Where did our respectable convictions go? Your words don’t match the story that your actions show”. This is a great start. 

Next up we have the albums initial promotional single “Action & Action”, and we’re greeted with more up-tempo guitar play, but with some nicely layered synth notes assisting the melody. Bands like REGGIE & THE FULL EFFECT (A side project nonetheless) and PANIC! AT THE DISCO would incorporate this further down the line, merely highlighting the albums influence on this blend of rock music. Synths and programming weren’t just for the new wave artists of the 80’s, instruments are to be used to your vision, and these kids helped lay some foundations. 

Further highlights include “Ten Minutes” which utilises a lot of the same tropes; pop-punk energy, happy-go-lucky tonality and the exact sort of song that would be played over a Warped Tour promotional montage package. It’s light, it’s casual but it’s heartfelt and it’s what got these kids noticed. “Close To Home” carries itself in the same vein, and the angsty vocal delivery balances with the instrumental joviality really quite well.  

The thing with emo though is there is always a softer side to the teenage hardship. I know far heavier bands have tender, softer moments, just look at PARKWAY DRIVE with “Darker Still” for example, beautiful song. Emo is an adjective more than a genre, and emotions fluctuate, plus are independent of those feeling them, so it’s a grey area. “Valentine” is a typically trope heavy song of longing, reluctance to give up on love in the face of separation. Wanting to hold on to a one-sided relationship. It’s almost lulling in its sweet delivery, but undeniably sad hearing the hurt in the lyrics. “Out of Reach” goes one step further with an initial acoustic driven campfire ballad. The subtle piano layering and build-up of percussion gives the track more character, but it’s a delightful little ditty at heart. 

There is additional content here too, as they have included an album worth of demo’s, including “One Year Later” and “Central Standard Time”, and it’s always interesting to see, or hear rather, the evolution of songs as they are tried and tested in the writing process. Again though, this is something for the die-hards and elders to dive into essentially, as they don’t really affect the album that much in terms of listening experience.  

It’s a solid album, and again we must mention it set standards back in the day and put this kind of artist on the map. It kickstarted Vagrant Records, the band toured for two years solid with the likes of GREEN DAY and WEEZER, it got into the Heat Seekers Top 40 which was a rare accomplishment for an artist of this ilk, they weren’t fashionable! It’s undeniably an important record in the melancholic makeup of the emo genre we mope about nostalgically. My only gripe? It’s not the first reissue or anniversary release. The band also re-released this in 2008 to celebrate ten years of the same album, with a DVD featuring a live show, and a photo booklet, and even though they have released other albums since, the most recent being 2019’s “Problems”, it seems they have a problem with holding on to this record, and they’ve allowed it to essentially define them.  

My point? Look at the aforementioned bands...My Chemical Romance weren’t afraid to change drastically when they wrote “Danger Days”. Panic! At The Disco found Brendan Urie on Broadway and separating himself from your typical emo aesthetics, and Paramore have just come off of the back of one of the biggest world tours ever with TAYLOR SWIFT following their musical evolution. The Get Up Kids have just released an album for the third time, and even though it’s remastered, it still sounds rough. Back in the day that meant something, now it’s like, come on guys, at least re-record it in a better quality if you’re going to sell it again. An important genre album, that is undeniable, but does it warrant yet another re-release? Available on streaming services from August 23rd, and with another physical copy scheduled for September 20th, “Something To Write Home About” is on the verge of being something to roll your eyes at. The Get Up Kids grew up, and as adults, they seem to just like reminiscing on the good old days; trying to recapture that feeling of acceptance and success, and on this instance, it’s a little bit desperate. With that being said, I am currently home, I have written about it...and I will very likely never listen to this album again. [5] 

Back in 2022, everything was coming up Milhouse. Despite Russia playing real-life Risk with Ukraine, Queen Elizabeth II going from her platinum jubilee to an oak coffin, additional incidents of Russia trying to penetrate Ukraine, a monkeypox outbreak (As if coming out of Covid wasn’t bad enough), further issues of Russia deep inside Ukraine, more US school shootings (That’s a given), Pakistan floods, the world's population reaches 8 billion too many and...believe it or not, more Russia making a mess in Ukraine...despite all that, there was quality new music to enjoy, unless you were in Ukraine. Too busy balls deep in ballistic missiles to hear the radio. The Russians were coming...hard. Hnnng. 

I say coming up Milhouse ironically of course, as 2022 was another shit-show, let’s be honest, but we ARE going to revisit Mulhouse, a far-eastern region of France, (See my tedious link there?) where we reacquaint ourselves with today’s band; SEXBLOOD. Dubbed the French Manchester, or Franchester as I called it, we discovered that Mulhouse, was an industrial town/city with a rich history in vehicle engineering and locomotives. With museums dedicated to each respectively, it’s only natural, they developed their own dreary indie/post-punk scene, just as Manchester had done with JOY DIVISION and THE SMITHS, for example. 

Following on from their 2022 album “Teach Me To Cry”, which I highly recommended, Sexblood are back with their follow up album “Intimidating Visions”, but are we going to get mad for it? Il n'y a qu'une seule façon de le savoir... 

We begin rather menacingly with the track “I Choose To Live In Hate”, and it's got this, deep, slowly chugging riff that gives off early, proto-doom vibes, accompanied by subtle icy synths, and even brief horn elements towards the tracks climax. It builds for this genuinely creepy yet fantastical piece of instrumentation, and it sets a darkened tone very early on. Vocally we have a sort of, hushed, lightly warbled, husky drawl that pays homage to the likes of Carl Macoy, or Andrew Eldritch, non-discernible at times, but this is a mood. There’s a bitterness to this; a sense of self-spite, politicism and despite the vocal quality being occasionally blurry, it has its Gothic charm. 

​We follow this up with our first album highlight; “Time Is Running Out”, and the band utilize the universally recognised sound of a heart monitor slowly flatlining to kickstart this one. It’s a trope and has been incorporated into tracks previously by the likes of TYPE-O-NEGATIVE on “Life Is Killing Me”, and ZEROMANCER’s “Dr. Online” for example, but it does help set a certain narrative, adding character to the composition. We’re greeted then with simplistic percussion, wonderfully light melodies and more nostalgic 80’s post-punk sensibilities. The guitar work coming out of the chorus reminds of “Temple Of Love” for example, as Abel De Beauvoir sings of mortality, and the choices you make as the sands run down. Moral questions and self-reflection, as you look within yourself as death looms, and it’s thought provoking. 

Further highlights include “Doctor Death”, which houses more of the same, catchy post-punk aesthetics instrumentally; clap-along percussion, prominent basslines, nicely layered synths and plenty of hooks that would leave Slimelight swaying away like a coked-up colony of bats. Speaking of things hanging, the song is about Harold Shipman, who had over 200 confirmed victims, making him one of the world's most prolific serial killers. But, sometimes, you’ve got to make a bunch of vulnerable, elderly patients overdose in order for Goth bands to write funky songs about you twenty years later, no? PhD officially stands for posthumous dance along. (Look I know he was just a GP, but I committed to the bit, OK, deal with it). 

It’s safe to say that Sexblood haven’t veered too far from the formula that they established on their debut. “The Meat Wagon” has a wonderfully bass-driven level of dark funk with icy-synthesized elements that’s VERY SISTERS OF MERCY in places. “Out Of The Dark” houses an edgier guitar tone that bolsters their classic post-punk delivery for a more rocking, energetic track. “Walpurgis Night” is an ode to Germanic Catholicism, warding off witchcraft and other priorities such as, whooping cough. (You can deep dive that one yourselves I’m not going into over a thousand years of religious history here). Bonfires are lit to deter evil spirits, unlike here in the UK, where we light bonfires on November 5th in memory of Guy Fawkes, who was THIS close, to burning down Parliament, where all of the real evil spirits congregate.  

There are some lesser tracks, in all honesty, but they don’t spoil the album as such. “The Dust” is quite a slow, methodical piece that just, creeps along with a sense of spookiness within the synth presentation. I’m not saying it GATHERS dust, but you get the idea. The title track is a little underwhelming sadly. With its name you’d expect something a little more intense, more akin to the aforementioned highlights, but it's really quite mellow and casual. It’s about as intimidating as the current wave of youths wearing balaclavas, carrying glorified purses riding E-Scooters, listening to 21 SAVAGE or any other generic excuse for a rapper. Less wannabe gangster, more underage gimp. They round things off with an incredibly disquieting version of the French nursery rhyme “Maudit Carillonneur”, which I believe means “Curse You Bell-Ringer". From morn till’ night he rings the bells, tormenting those within hearing distance, driving them insane. Or something, I don’t know it’s in French, it’s probably just Quasimodo frantically pulling the cord in the disabled toilet at Notre Dame. 

Essentially, what Sexblood have delivered here is another fine mortuary slab of old-school Gothic rock. They very effortlessly keep that post-punk sound alive and well, breathing fresh life into such a niche genre, without sounding dated, or out of place. Goth as a term is multi-faceted, and you will always find people lean certain ways to what they believe Goth represents, be it musically, visually, stylistically, hell even architecturally and historically, but in terms of no-nonsense, mood-driven, aesthetically macabre yet melodic alternative music, Sexblood are keeping the genre alive and well. I can’t say I’m intimidated, but I CAN say that I am continually impressed by Sexblood’s output. A murder in the bleu, blanc rouge morgue if you will? Très bien. [7]
 
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​Certain things are simply made for one another, and rightfully go hand in hand, can we all agree? Like, Jack and Coke for example. If I could get endorsed by Ol’ Uncle Jasper, believe me, I would. I’d happily pickle myself in your Tennessee tastiness HMMMMMMMM (Makes Shayne Topp horny face)…*cough*, sorry I got carried away there. Moving on. Another example would be pineapple on pizza. Before you try to cancel me, get yourself a ham & pineapple and add some freshly sliced jalapenos, make yourself a spicy Hawaiian then apologise to me AND Canada, when you learn it’s the best damn pizza in the world. (Look I know Canada produced Justin Bieber and Nickelback as well but, swings and roundabouts, alright?) A fairer example, however, would be punk and politics, and this ties us into today’s band; GREEN DAY. 

Now, punk rock at its core, has always been very anti-establishment in its principles, it’s message and its purpose, going back decades to its very conception. Ranging from the likes of DEAD KENNEDYS and SEX PISTOLS, and in more recent era’s artists like PUSSY RIOT, to name just a select few. There has always been a voice for the people. People don’t always listen, don’t get me wrong, that’s why the US Presidential election campaign is a joke, and the UK’s populous seems to comprise of utterly braindead sadomasochistic fuckwits, that seemingly WANT themselves and our nation to be thoroughly buggered in every taxable way possible. Rishi Sunak is not my Prime Minister. 

Where do Green Day fit into this? Well in their lengthy career, they’ve established themselves as one of the biggest names in the punk/pop-punk genre, with “Dookie” firmly putting them on the map thirty years ago, before “American Idiot” completely reinvigorated them during the second Bush administration. They wonderfully blended social commentary with deeper agendas and it catapulted them to a status of one of the biggest bands of the new Millennium. So, what happened? They peaked.  

Everything they’ve done since, has failed to live up to the pop-culture impact and success of “American Idiot”. Commercially, granted, their name carried them, and they’ve charted well since, but fans haven’t been overly impressed. Be it the all-filler, no killer trilogy that was “Uno”, “Dos” and “Tre”, for example, in which the band very clearly had ideas above their station yet no real direction, or the incredibly phoned in “Revolution Radio”, and we can’t forget the absolute shit-show that was “Father Of All Motherfuckers”. Green Day seemingly turned into a band without cause, or even relevancy. Can a group of fifty-something punks not even so much as cling onto, but reclaim their youthful, vitriolic drive on latest album “Saviours”? There’s only one way to find out. 

We open up with “The American Dream Is Killing Me” and it would be hilarious, if a polka-dot clad Dusty Rhodes was dishing out Bionic Elbows here, but we aren’t that fortunate. Lyrically it IS a powerful song, and it's a damning indictment on what is very clearly an illusion. For what feels like forever, we’ve all been sold on the American dream. You go there to prosper; for opportunity, for wealth, for success, but, with lines like “People on the street, unemployed and obsolete”, and “My country under siege on private property”, it’s more of a capitalist nightmare, as the working and lower classes, the true people of the country are being increasingly overlooked, and abused by the very home they are meant to feel so undeniably patriotic and proud of. When Billie Joe Armstrong sings “We’re paedophiles for the American dream...” you know it’s a problem, likening such a sickening perversion to the simple want of a better-quality life. The only trouble here? Its their own sound. This song is just so happy-go-lucky, and bounces along with just this, too-ironic, juxtaposing frivolity, you forget the seriousness of the subject matter, because you’re just bopping along to a fun piece of pop-punk. 

Tracks like ”Look Ma, No Brains!” touch upon a sense of arrogant ignorance that a lot of people view Americans as having, with opening line “Don’t know much about history, ‘Cause I never learned how to read”. There’s a lack of awareness and self-reflection within America it feels, and this is a decent slab of social satire. One of the main promotional singles was “One Eyed Bastard”, which resulted in Ofcom being inundated with zero complaints, as Cyclops’ don’t exist outside of Greece, so they’re safe. Controversial for all of the wrong reasons, it’s been alleged that they heavily plagiarised P!NK of all people for the main riff, and the resemblance is uncanny to be fair. The song being “So What?”, which, I’d imagine is exactly what Green Day thought when writing this. It’s also got shades of “Holiday” in tone and presentation, just slowed down, so they’re even riffing off their own material, almost sounding recycled, or lazy even. 

We have a subtly punk-infused indie-pop ballad in the form of “Suzie Chapstick” which reminds of THE LIGHTNING SEEDS or WEEZER in its soft semi-acoustic strumming, while “Living In The 20’s” gives us arguably the albums edgiest track in terms of tonality. It’s got some nice crunching guitar, back to basics but delivered with more bite and attitude. This is more like it, and easily one of the albums highlights. The title track “Saviors” is ironically self-depreciating. We thought Green Day were intending to BE the saviors here, and that, that was their mission statement; to save face by saving their scene, this new generation; giving us a reason to deviate from the norm. Instead, it’s more of a defeatist attitude, basically stating that hey, we’re no spring chickens, where are the kids that are up in arms, where are the kids with dreams to make a stand? Where are the kids that want to make a difference? They are the future, THEY will be the saviors, and it’s essentially a rallying cry. Again, however, given the way the band write songs, it’s too despondent...it’s like, they’ve given up, and are just asking, even hoping, that more people make their voices count. We finish with some “Fancy Sauce” and sadly this isn’t the least bit sexual. It’s quite a sluggish track, but lyrically nods to the video for “Basket Case” in places, almost coming full circle in the bands story arc.  

Ultimately, here we have a case of the right messages, purpose and sentiment driving these songs lyrically, but Green Day do what Green Day do, and their almost whimsical style of song writing negates any of the seriousness they intend with the points they are making. Yes, you are a multiplatinum, absolutely massive band in name and appreciation, but if you’re going to take jabs at society, the government, the establishment, your countries situation and way of life...you've got to sound like you mean it man. You can’t be like, let’s call out the bullshit but make you want to dance to it at the same time. The messages they try to portray are sincere, don’t get me wrong, but there’s absolutely nothing about them here musically that says, we need to be angry, we need to be pissed off and we need to do something about a lot of things. The only thing they are saving here is their own airplay value and income. Green Day might be saying some of the right things here, but it is severely lacking conviction. The American dream isn't killing you...you're just slowly killing yourselves with mediocrity.  [5]

What is it, about the number two? Coincidence or not, the number two has seemingly had an aura of negativity in several aspects of life. If you come second in a race, you’ve technically just been the best at failing. Kids go through a phase called the “Terrible Two’s”, because most parents want to yeet their own toddlers into a woodchipper when they’re that age. Also, a number two is LITERALLY an expression for taking a shit! So, how does this apply to media? 

Let’s take films for example...a sequel, is very rarely as good as, let alone better than, the original. “Jaws” was the original blockbuster, but repetition, a 3D gimmick, and Michael Caine vs a roaring shark, sank that franchise quicker than I can sink Jack Daniels. “The Exorcist” is a horror masterpiece, one of the greatest movies of all time... “The Exorcist II: The Heretic” however, was merely possessed by bad acting and a plot so piss poor demons prayed to make it stop. The list goes on, as there’s “The Crow”, “The Lost Boys”, “Tremors” …but that’s just film. What about music? 

The “Difficult second album” is typically a recognised phenomenon surrounding sophomore releases, that finds a band or artist either making it, or breaking it. If you’ve managed to strike gold on your debut, you better be ready to back it up, because seldom does lightning strike twice, and styles, trends and popularity wane so consistently and quickly in music, you need to be on the ball. But what if your debut album blew absolutely everything out of the water, not only for that year, but this entire CENTURY to date? We’re of course about to discuss LINKIN PARK. 

When the band dropped “Hybrid Theory” in the October of 2000, it completely re-set the bar for what an alternative rock band could accomplish, as, it went on to go 12x Platinum in the US alone and has shifted over 32 MILLION copies worldwide. Linkin Park were THE hottest band on the planet, and their angst-riddled, intense yet melodic blend of hip-hop and rap, with crunching guitars and scorching vocals, saw the band reach heights many can only dream of. They had a problem on their hands though; how in God’s name would they, or more importantly COULD they, follow this up? Well, damnit they had an answer for that! 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of that seemingly impossible second album, “Meteora” ...let's look back and see how they faired. 

We start off very annoyingly here with “Foreword”, as it’s beyond pointless as a stand-alone track. It’s a 13 SECOND intro of gently pouring rain, and light knocking until you hear glass shatter, transitioning into the next song; “Don’t Stay”. That’s it. You may as well have simply extended “Don’t Stay” by those 13 seconds and absolutely nothing would have changed, because it already blends well, and these decisions just baffle me. Conceptually there are elements in this brief sequence that could allude to say, a glass ceiling, the band breaking through barriers and boundaries to achieve what few have done in recent times, before the actual track kicks in with the slowly built riffs, until it erupts with its nu-metal gloriousness. In some ways it could be seen as a subtle dig at their label, who pushed for more of the same following their debuts success, the headache of contractual obligations, being told who to be, how to sound, while naturally it could easily be about a failed relationship. It screams of wanting to be done with something, someone, wanting to grow, to evolve on your own terms, and it’s a powerful opener. 

Next up then we have the first single to be taken from the album; “Somewhere I Belong” …and if the predecessor had four singles, then “Meteora” had to have five. “Somewhere I Belong” sonically in ways, with some of the music video presentation and structure, felt like, a semi-canonical successor, or follow-up to “In The End”, with Chester’s minimal vocal melodies complimenting Mike’s bars, before a harder hitting chorus line and well utilised heavier elements. Grittier, ample Japanese Gundam influence, following on from "Reanimation", but still very much Linkin Park, and they clearly showed consistency upon this release. Again though, at what cost? Mike spits lines like “Just stuck, hollow and alone, and the fault is my own” …were they victims of their own success, doomed to live in Groundhog Day creatively? 

Now, I’m no gambling man; I couldn’t tell a poker-face from a resting bitch face if my life depended on it, but I know unfavourable odds when I see them, and, this review, is certainly not in my favour. I’m either going to go viral, albeit very briefly, and the world will move on (Is that too neurotypical of an assumption?) or I’m going to get cancelled. OK, I’m probably not going to get cancelled because, I’ll write reviews regardless of what you think (If since 2014 you haven’t grasped that by now, I don’t know what to tell you) but this, is a challenge even Geraint Pillock would second guess in his time travelling coracle. We’re going to talk about WILLIAM CONTROL. 

Before we go any further, we have to address the elephant in the room, and as if elephants weren’t noticeable enough, this fucker’s wearing PVC and fishnets. Back in 2018, William, (WiL Francis, formerly of AIDEN) released the “Revelations” album, following on from his run of highly lauded and well-received EP’s, amalgamating the releases into one cohesive compilation, and musically, you couldn’t fault him. He blended a sense of retro synth-driven Goth-pop if you will, with his dark, BDSM-inspired counter-religious lyricism. Then it all went nipples north. 

Many girls and young ladies, fans of William, came forward, with claims and allegations of grooming, sexual abuse, manipulation and rape, from his time on the road. These are not things, that I take lightly, let it be known, and I do not condone this AT ALL. Victims need to speak out, and get justice, I endorse that whole-heartedly. HOWEVER. William, to his own detriment, sat down, and shared very damning, very intimate conversations from social media messenger Apps, from several of the accusers, highlighting not only consensual activities, but almost begging from the parties involved.  

The whole thing got William cancelled for the best part, he lost his wife, access to his child at the time, and he was very open and honest about his lifestyle, which to very many, would render him an unfaithful, absolute fuckboy. LEGALLY however, there were never any charges brought to him, so despite how uncomfortable those videos were, where he bared his shame, and affairs to the world, technically, in the eyes of the law, he is innocent. A walking red flag perhaps, and in terms of grey areas morally, he’s greyer than that fucking elephant.  

This is the point now which I believe that, will probably get me some heat, as I’m about to do what no alternative UK publication I’m aware of, is willing to do; review William Control’s new album. “Sex Cult” is available on Apple Music and Spotify from April 14th, but here, on GTGC, we have a UK exclusive. Before we press play, remember, wear protection, and the safe word is pineapple...let’s go. 

The album kicks off with “Hell” which is a wonderful place to start! How much worse can things get, right? The track immediately bounces into life with some very, NEW ORDER inspired synth notes and this has a wonderfully 80’s vibe to it. It lyrically very self-reflective, quite literally as he looks himself in the mirror, and speaks of solitude, loneliness and repenting. If you’re going through hell, well, you’re going through hell with me. Facing things head on. Is this, the beginning of a redemption ark for William? Is he acknowledging the past and looking to put it right? 

The title track; “Sex Cult” continues down the route of rich electronica, instrumentally, but this takes on a somewhat darker tone. It’s slower and more focused, like latter day DEPECHE MODE, and here he very openly tackles the topic of conversation, very directly referencing himself as the villain, the scoundrel that was welcomed into bed, as he recalls the intimacy of his dastardly dabbling's. There’s a quick nod to consent in the second verse, with the line  “...only if you’re willing, you recognise the price...”  and as a track, it works fine, though, the female sexual moans at the tracks climax are a little bit excessive to be fair, somewhat spoiling the track, sounding corny. 

Next, we have the first of two early promotional singles, going back two years I guess to gauge fan reaction and see where he stood among the court of public opinion. “Baptized” brings the tone back up to a more jovial presentation, as the keys sound brighter, livelier, though it has this juxtaposition of warring ideology, blurring the lines between light and dark. “Oh take me down to the riverbanks, and wash away my sins and hate, you can teach me how to celebrate this brand new life in love, oh Lucifer”...it’s suggesting he wants to start afresh, but he’s so accustomed and friendly with the darkness, so comfortable, there’s almost a conflict of interest veiled here, and it’s interesting. 

The second single was “Abuse”, and again here things take a darker turn. Referring to himself as the revenant, dressed well and decadent, there’s a smugness to his character and presentation here, and he doesn’t hold back on detailing his affairs. “Hey there baby I have tallied up the names, and the notch marks, on my withered dirty bed frame...”, and “Now you feel the pain of losing all you had, the bed you made is sad; suicidal...well take this comfort, take my only kind advice, don’t fall in love with me; don’t fuck your idol”. That lyric right there is bound to trigger and upset the vast majority and what’s uncomfortable is that he probably sang that with a wink and a wry smile. Complete and utter shithousery from Control here, and he knows it. Turning real life experience, pain and such into powerful art is one thing, but that line is positively cruel. 

The whole album in some way, shape or form tackles the entire situation, such as “Allegations”, which in its own way, exudes a sense of false self-pity and crocodile tears, especially if we’re to go by previous highlighted lyrics. Suggesting he’ll pay the price for his bad reputation and villainy, considering he’s back making music after not being charged, I’d say he was doing just fine. Finally, then, we round things up with a cover of “My Way” by FRANK SINATRA, and if this hasn’t been done in the fullest sense of irony, I don’t know what to say. He may as well record himself laughing maniacally into the microphone for 3 minutes. This is beyond tongue-in-cheek, because MARK TREMONTI he is not.  

Ultimately then, it comes to this; how the fuck do we score this album? Removing the artist from the art, and looking at this album, purely as an album objectively, it’s absolutely fine. If you are fan of 80’s inspired synth-pop, electronica with darker, Gothic-based imagery, this album delivers aplenty, even if the traditional BDSM tropes William throws in conceptually aren’t necessarily your thing, musically, this is a frankly enjoyable record. It flows well, the instrumentation is vibrant and it’s been produced well, resulting in a crisp, clear listen.  

The issues that come with this album, are to do with William himself, and where you personally stand morally, with whatever integrity you have as an individual. As stated, there were very many accusations and allegations made against William, and while he may not have been charged, the young women involved aren’t simply going to forget what they believe they experienced, and what they’ve gone through with all of this being very public. His lack of legal conviction doesn’t automatically lessen THEIR conviction in what they claim. This album WILL stir the pot, and if you’re easily offended, knowing what the situation is, you are probably best avoiding this. Neutral? It’s a solid record, that creatively sticks to a proven formula given the success of the EP’s. [7] 

2023, officially started, with ALL of the bang, and a welcome lack of whimper. (“The exact, polar opposite to the night I lost my virginity to be fair!”, he laughs, as a single tear rolls down his cheek). I digress; we are in-fact talking about everyone’s favourite darkly romantic, albeit positively bleak, modern-day Goth daddy VILLE VALO. The former HIM front man got Heartagram’s breaking on the bands 2017 farewell tour, but, in the years since, through a rollercoaster of feelings and emotions, ranging all the way from equanimity to intrigue and anxiousness, he got them racing once more this January, when he released the sonic defibrillator that is “Neon Noir”.  

Now, the admittedly stunning solo record, was covered quite extensively within the alternative music press as it is, as it charted well around Europe (Including a UK Top 30 slot in the vinyl charts), and with his European tour currently in full swing, we must satiate our rejuvenated musical lusting's, with all things love-metal inspired, and get right back into the thick of it, which brings us to today's band; FLOVER.  

You may remember Flover from my 2020 review of “Songs Of Our Broken Hearts”, from which we played a tongue-in-cheek game of HIM Bingo, as the sweet rockers had zero shame in wearing their Heartagram’s on their sleeves, being influenced by Finland’s finest. 2023 finds the fan boys on fine form, as they release their latest album “Love’s Poetry & Dead Melodies”. Eyes down folks, it’s time for another round, but, in this year of thee and me, are we talking two little ducks, or giving too little fucks? Let’s find out... 

Now before we proceed, the whole HIM-Bingo game itself is FAIRLY loose in terms of rules and such; we’re essentially just looking for similarities and parodies, cheeky nods to other songs if you will. Imitation IS the sincerest form of flattery after all. So, with that in mind, we open up with (According to their Bandcamp at least) “Requiem Of Love”, which is an immediate Bingo-card crossed off, as it references “Love Metal” and the bonus track “Love’s Requiem”. The track starts with some incredibly gentle synths, and houses all of the typically slow-chugging riffs you’d expect from a HIM track. Vocally too it’s an ode to Ville, with the similarities in baritone drawl, soaring moments and hushed subtlety. It’s absolutely fine as a track, and could easily pass as a HIM demo, without implying any negativity. 

Next up we have “Suffering” and this one initially has a brief whiff of “Dark Light” regarding the synth delivery and tone here. Again, it’s only subtle, but HIM fans will easily pick up and appreciate the recognition. It’s got ample chorus melody and transitions, and they even deep dive into Ville’s own tastes as there’s a cheeky nod to “Crazy Train” by OZZY OSBOURNE thrown into the mix occasionally on guitar. “Just Our Autumn” has “Razorblade Romance” levels of production all over it, and it reeks of “Join Me (In Death)” but, let’s be honest, that’s never a bad thing. The throwback nostalgia this induces is sweeter than any number of sixes. 

The fun doesn’t stop there either, folks, as “Wonderland”, or it’s chorus structure at the very least is very unashamedly “Salt In Our Wounds” from “Deep Shadows & Brilliant Highlights”. It’s uncanny by this point, that you could quite easily state that Flover were HIM from an alternate dimension and do you know what? I don’t think anyone would call you a liar. “Dance With Me” then steps it up a gear in terms of grit and attitude, with the guitars oozing hard rock swagger, but, what’s this? This too is familiar? Of course, it is, there are more than enough nods to “Soul On Fire” here in the instrumentation, it’s just not AS aggressive, fast-paced or intense.  

“Agony In Your Eyes” then, tonally finds itself somewhere between “And Love Said No” and the gloomier aspects of 2007’s “Venus Doom”, before we eventually get the abbreviated “L.Y.L.I.C.”, which couldn’t possibly be in reference to “Tears On Tape” and “W.L.S.T.D.” could it? Surely not? An abbreviation of “Love You Like I Can”, it actually serves as a 2-in-1, as we could argue it also references “Love You Like I Do”, especially as it’s a deep rock ballad with a slow tempo and impassioned vocals.  

All in all, if you are reading this, you could easily think, Gav, why are you picking so many holes here? Can’t they just enjoy what they create in honour of something they care so very much about? Well, they absolutely can, and on this, their 3rd full-length album, they haven’t disappointed. Sure, it looks like I’m calling them rip-off merchants with a near copy-and-paste formula that’s bordering on identity theft, but that’s admittedly part of the appeal. As a HIM fan, while it is genuinely appreciated that a band has taken it upon themselves to continue HIM’s niche style and sound, you can’t help but have a chuckle and a bit of banter when some of these things are so blatantly obvious.  

Be it a riff, a lyrical likeness, a melody, a vocal delivery; some of these similarities we’ll say, are plain to see, and with Flover, that’s a key contributing factor of what makes them such an enjoyable listen. I respect what they are, and legitimately recommend checking them out. Not a fan of HIM but just generally enjoy Gothic-tinged melodic rock? Here’s a new band for you to check out. You ARE a HIM fan and still miss HIM, even though VV is currently active? Maybe you couldn’t get tickets for VV’s European tour and need cheering up? Get your fix here, without taking life too seriously. It’s a win/win really. [7]  

What is there to say about 2020, that hasn't already been said? Within these reviews over the past nine months I've light-heartedly made reference to issues like Covid-19 and such, but let's not detract from the seriousness of the whole situation. As a calendar year, 2020 was one of the most difficult, frustrating, upsetting and confusing in recent history, and this isn't strictly down to Coronavirus...this time last year we were on the brink of World War 3! Politics has been a shambles, social injustice has been rife, the divide in both community spirit and the classes seemingly continues to grow, and generally speaking, the world is a complete mess. Luckily we've had music to keep us going, if not to keep us sane, and for that at least I am grateful. The images above showcase my personal highlights of 2020, grouped in categories covering pop, metal, EP's and general favourites, and it shows that, despite the state of the world, music flourishes. Music and the arts are SO important, as many of us learned during national lockdown, and we need to appreciate the people who dedicated their lives to creating that art SO much, because times like these prove we'd be lost without them. 

I mean, just looking at the cover art above, it's been as diverse a year as any. MILEY CYRUS embraced her inner rocker on her new album, having collaborated with the likes of BILLY IDOL and JOAN JETT. Groups like STEPS made an unexpected comeback showing they've still got it in an ever changing pop industry, as did MELANIE C. From a metal standpoint, PARADISE LOST prove they just get better with age, as they not only released one of the albums of their career, they also found themselves in the UK Top 40! Imagine that! Goth metal on Radio 1! It gives hope to newer acts like SOUTH OF SALEM who delivered a truly stunning debut album, and certify themselves as ones to watch for sure. There have also been plenty of superb EP's released over the past twelve months...especially VV. Ville Valo surprised everyone with his 3-track EP and HIM fans rejoiced at the new material, I for one certainly cannot wait to hear more from him. CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS put emphasis on the art as their whole EP was turned into one big choreographed music video which was impressive, while I personally made some brilliant discoveries in the form of LUCIA & THE BEST BOYS and JACKIE. 

Finally then, my official albums of the year, and I was spoiled for choice to be fair. THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE always deliver, they never release a bad album and I'm looking forward to catching up with Chibi on the rescheduled tour dates. MARILYN MANSON dropped his best album in years much to my delight, having found his last couple a little bit boring (Sorry Mazza!), GREY DAZE tugged at the heartstrings with a touching tribute to the late Chester Bennington, releasing unheard material from his pre-LINKIN PARK days, reminding us all how much we'll miss such a talented, brilliant human being. NINJA SEX PARTY on the other hand proved they remain one of the funniest groups around with their bonkers writing style, comedic lyricism and story-telling and wholesome attitude. Yes, 2020 has been a bit of a mess to say the least, but we've still got music, and as fans of that music, we've still got one another, and as a community, we need to hold on to that. With that said, below, is my official GTGC Spotify playlist of 2020, with 40 hand-picked tracks spanning the above records, and it is dedicated to my very good friend Scot 'JD' Rees, who is sadly no longer with us in body, but will forever be with us in heart and spirit. Whether he had a Jack & Coke in his hand, or his guitar, he was always laughing at something, and his energy for enjoyment was infectious. I will miss you Scot, and this compilation is for you. X

The end of the calendar year; a period of time this reviewer looks forward to annually. Not because of Christmas and the time-off work (Although the time-off is wonderful) and not because of the festive indulgence, because let’s face it I don’t need an excuse to drink, but because of the annual Winter Goth Getaway.  You may be thinking, what the hell is that? Is there some sort of alternative event that’s slipped under my radar?  

No... it’s basically myself and a group of friends, getting together every Winter, for a select live music adventure. Last year we hit London for the one-off UK date by THE 69 EYES, as well as hitting Bristol for the RXPTRS X-Mas bash...while in previous years we’ve been up and down the country to catch HIM, CKY and FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM. It’s become a tradition and a whole lotta fun...that was until Covid ruined everything. This year, my friends and I didn’t get to go to any special Winter gigs, meet awesome new people and get ludicrously drunk, resulting in Christmas this year being a little less black...and I won't stand for that. We need some Goth damnit! And I may just have a solution. 

​Cast your mind back to 2017, and I reviewed an interesting band by the name of FLOVER. The Italian/Russian project comprising of Fabio and Kolya respectively, had released their debut album “Dark & Sweet”, and you’ll remember I made sure to point out that they more than borrowed a lot of sound and substance from the aforementioned HIM, even going as far as naming their sound “Sweet Rock” in homage to “Love Metal”. While I jested that, imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but identity theft is a crime, it was impossible to not appreciate their sound and style in the absence of a recently separated HIM. 2020, the bonkers year that it’s been, finds them releasing their follow-up album “Songs Of Our Broken Hearts”. Let's check it out and salvage whatever goth we can... 

​The album opens up with “Secret Romance” ...it’s a bit like Secret Santa, but you already know what it is...HIM. The sultry piano-led dose of rock easily lends itself to the earlier demo-days of “Razorblade Romance”, especially with the underlying, faint synths sounding like they’ve been inspired by “Too Happy To Be Alive”, coupled with the guitar tone and key changes...this is certainly pink era HIM, and a decent start as a result. At this point we may as well start playing Heartagram Bingo...but instead of numbers we’ll be looking for riffs, song structures, vocal harmonies and parodies. Eyes down folks, we’re playing for a full house... 

“Love Beyond Death” starts with some heavier guitar work initially and it’s quite “Venus Doom”, but the chorus melodies soon kick in and it sounds more akin to something taken out of the “Screamworks...” sessions. The chugging riff is balanced nicely with the more delicate piano and the vocal crooning, and it all blends well truth be told. The albums first real highlight comes courtesy of “Love’s Scarecrow” which for all intents and purposes is a pretty straightforward track; simple structure and decent chorus hooks, but it comes to life with an impressive albeit brief solo and the track has this wonderfully energetic, climactic crescendo. 

“The Kiss Of Death” is clearly a take on “Kiss Of Dawn” not only from a titular standpoint, but even in vocal tone and sonic structure...it only slightly differs in tempo and even the wailing, scratchy guitar solo mirrors Linde’s playing on “Venus Doom”...there’s a couple for your bingo card! Speaking of...”Stay With You”...for a moment I honestly thought I’d skipped an album and started playing HIM’s cover of THE RAMONES “Poison Heart”! That opening riff is practically the same! They’re parodying other bands covers of other bands now, we’re getting too deep here, this is some inception type shit. It’s going to get to a point where riffs and musicianship aren’t enough...I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them does an Ed Gein and wears Ville Valo’s skin. I jest, of course. “Lost Souls” takes our mind off this with another simple yet effective chorus hook, even though the pre-chorus more than teases hints of “Dying Song” in delivery, but it’s an enjoyable track, before the title track goes all “When Love And Death Embrace” ...and this once again sums up our listen. 

While I can sit here and scoff at the obvious likenesses to our favourite infernal majesties, and joke about plagiarism, in HIM’s absence, Flover do a great job of keeping that bittersweet sound of romantic melancholy alive. Sure, Ville Valo did surprise everyone this year with a three-track EP, teasing more work to come at some point, but all of that is very minimal and secretive. If you lack the patience for that, Flover offer a more than adequate substitute for Valo himself, and I’m sure you can find it in the depths of your blackest heartagram to appreciate the appreciation they have for the band we all love. After all, these ARE songs for our broken hearts. [7] 

​So back in April, I reviewed an album for All About The Rock called “Italians Die Better”, by B-Movie punks SUPERHORROR. It was somewhat controversial given its title, as it was released during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic (One which we’re actually still in, despite the countries neither here nor there approach to public safety). Their background is plucked straight out of a low-budget zombie slasher, and while I did refer to them as a BTEC MURDERDOLLS, they are at least keeping the horror-punk scene alive. However, diving into my email submissions, I find an album forwarded to me by Stencil PR that predates the Italian’s…

Formed in Budapest, Hungary, THE HELLFREAKS are another seemingly horror-punk inspired outfit, consisting of vocalist Shakey Sue, guitarist Jozzy, bassist Domján Gabi and drummer Budai Béla, though they aren’t quite as tongue-in-cheek or gimmicky. Their own background simply stating that hell was “full” so they came back, but their original sound somewhat contradicts this at least in principle. Sure there were horror elements entwined within their lyricism, but as a generally psychobilly based band, I can’t so much as see them being denied entry to hell because HELL was too full, it’s more likely they were denied entry to an alternative club night for not having ID and exaggerated the story; embarrassed they couldn’t get served WKD. I mean there’s always room in hell for psychobilly!

I digress…over the years however they have adapted their sound to be more befitting of their name and claim, as 2020 finds them releasing their latest album “God On The Run”. With an angrier, seemingly more metallic approach to their writing, let’s see what the almighty father is fleeing…and does it explain the events of 2020 thus far? The album opens up with “Men In Grey” and you can immediately sense the increase in aggression compared to their debut…Sue’s vocals are coarse but retain a level of clarity and melody that drives the chorus hook home, all the while complimenting the more frenetic riff-work wonderfully. This is some enjoyable, up-tempo melodic alternative punk, and a solid start.

Recent single “Red Sky” then follows up and after a brief build we’re thrust into another dose of pacey, melodic alt. rock, combining pop sensibilities with a more vitriolic punk aesthetic…not too dissimilar to our opener but with ever so slightly less attitude; it’s cleaner with more harmony allowing for a generally smoother, easier listen without losing any bite. The rest of the album then  in all fairness sticks to this formula pretty vehemently, fleeting between those same duel aggressive and arresting aspects of their song writing style. “Doldrum Dynasty” is another great example of a simplistic yet really effective chorus hook amidst edgier guitar elements, while “Adrenalized” uses soaring gang vocals and almost pop-punk riffs to great effect, before we eventually finish up on “Tabby”. The odd one out as the slowest paced piece here; it’s got a deeper, darker,pulsing synth underlying some predominantly grunge-influenced hard rock, but this change of pacing is a pleasant one. It’s nice to know that they CAN shake things up a little more at least.

Ultimately while “God On The Run” doesn’t explain the complete shit storm 2020 is turning out to be, what it has done is turned a psychobilly horror-rock band into a more straight up, alternative punk rock monster with a more sleek, serious tone and less of a niche appeal…which is saying something. The only thing going against it is its lack of real overall diversity; as it’s pretty much all systems go until track ten, and while the melodies are tight, it CAN sound a little samey. If you’re a fan of SUMO CYCO and NEW YEARS DAY…check out The Hellfreaks…if they let you in that is. [8]

LESLEY GORE once famously sang the now immortal words “It’s My Party And I’ll Cry If I Want To”…and the way 2020 is going so far, a lot of us have related in some way. We hardly got chance to celebrate the new year really; we had the insane and catastrophic Australian bush fires kicking the year off, the UK was battered by some of the worst storms in years resulting in some horrendous Welsh flooding, not to mention the on-going fiasco that is Covid-19! It’s only fucking March! Honestly I would not be surprised if April brought with it an alien invasion!

All of this has naturally disrupted the lives of millions over the last three months, especially the pandemic, and as I mentioned in my recent ALKALINE TRIO review the music industry has taken a hit…but what about us every day folk? Everything is either on hold or has been scrapped, with employment being frozen and the government suggesting we all isolate, a lot of plans have gone nipples north. Just this weekend me and some friends were meant to be getting biblically drunk in Bristol for my good friend Izzy’s birthday celebrations, but Corona sadly put a stop to that. I don’t know what’d be worse to be honest…catching Corona or the state of my liver when we finally get to catch up!

There are millions in the same boat however, and frankly we have A LOT of overdue birthday bashes to catch up on. Luckily, thanks to Metropolis Records, today’s ironically named band helped us celebrate while stuck in lock down; THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE. The Canadian synth-goth veterans were forced to release their latest album “Diamonds” early as businesses closed up for the Coronavirus lock down…resulting in them in their own way, giving us an early birthday present. At only 9 tracks long it’s one of their shorter offerings, but remember; it’s not the size of the present, it’s the thought behind it that counts…so let’s check it out.

The album opens up with “Enter” and we’re immediately met with some light keys that give off an innocent, 80’s pop vibe as we transition into the main beat and rhythm of the track. The simplicity of the instrumentation allowing Chibi’s sweet vocals to take center stage and it really is a blissful little number. The chorus brings with it more guitar and they blend more of their grittier style into the retro-synth sound and this is classic Birthday Massacre; simple, catchy and repeatable…a superb start. We follow this with promotional single “The Sky Will Turn” and we slow the tempo right down to more of a brooding, colder synth style, allowing for the darker aspects of the band’s sound to shine through like the full moon in a murky night sky…beautiful but chilling and quite awe-inspiring.

This continues through the title track “Diamonds” as well as cuts like “Crush” which use the down-tempo delivery to great effect, building up atmosphere and mood, channelling their gothic influences wonderfully, balancing subtle vocal and synth hooks with a darker, dispirited tone. Tracks like these prove The Birthday Massacre really are like diamonds themselves… oh so precious, but to many sadly they remain hidden gems. What this album IS lacking is some of their past, anthemic-style darkwave floor-fillers such as “One Promise” and “Walking With Strangers”, and the nearest we get to that here really is “Run”. Utilizing an almost DEPECHE MODE sense of deep melody, it flows delicately through each verse before kicking in with a grittier, guitar driven chorus.

Depeche Mode aren’t the only sounds you can pick up on either…during “Flashback” some of the guitar tones resemble the likes of ORGY in their futuristic, synthetic delivery, while “The Last Goodbye” harbours more of an accessible electronic-pop sound you may get from the likes of PET SHOP BOYS, before we round things off with closing track “Parallel World”; the calming synth ballad creating a dreamscape so apropos to its title, your mind wandering as Chibi serenades on.  

The Birthday Massacre never try to reinvent the wheel and this is what makes them so consistently good; they have their distinct style and they own it. They’ve proven time and time again that you don’t fix what isn’t broken, and “Diamonds”, arguably one of the strongest albums of their career to date, proves that. These are uncertain, often worrying times, but Chibi and co are themselves the diamonds in the rough here, but if we’re stuck at home in quarantine and isolation, you couldn’t ask for better company. Our own birthday’s may have been massacred, but the sky WILL turn, we just have to ride this out together.  [9]

For those of you living under a rock, good, stay there and self-isolate. For the rest of you, you’ll be aware that the world is currently being absolutely shafted by the on-going Coronavirus pandemic; with thousands of directly linked Covid-19 deaths reportedly recorded worldwide…supposedly 23,721 at this time of writing. Basically, life has for the most part, practically ground to a halt, as many people have to either work from home or have been furloughed indefinitely during this time of uncertainty, but while that covers all aspects of life, as summer approaches we can’t overlook the severe impact it’s had on music, more specifically concerts and festivals.

Just recently, UK heavy hitter Download Festival announced it was essentially writing this year off entirely, as have Glastonbury and Isle Of Wight, with Slam Dunk being fortunate enough to reschedule for later this year (Assuming things don’t continue to go tits up). It’s not JUST festivals though, as any large gathering is now prohibited in the interest of public safety, so bye-bye MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE reunion shows too! (We haven't long suffered flooding in Wales I don't particularly want to drown in a sea of emo tears thank you!) One of the tours, I would have not only given my left testicle to attend, but I would have sold my last roll of toilet paper too…and that would have been BAD RELIGION and ALKALINE TRIO. The trio are wholesome punks however, and themselves, personally not wanting everyone to miss out, went and dropped a surprise three-track EP simply entitled “E.P.” to make up for not being able to perform. As we’re all currently on lock-down, let’s take 10 minutes to appreciate this generous gift…

The EP opens up with “Minds Like Minefields” and we’re swiftly greeted with the up-tempo, alt. pop-punk that Alkaline Trio have made their own over the course of their career. It mixes a great, catchy off-kilter delivery with an intense, alternating instrumental flurry and some subdued yet distinct whoa-oh backing vocals. In typical Matt Skiba fashion it’s a darkly poetic love song about the aftermath of a damaging relationship leaving you mentally unstable to some degree, but delivered with so much bounce and energy it’s actually uplifting; a fantastic start this.

We follow this up with “Radio Violence” and we welcome Dan Andriano back to vocals which has always been part of Alkaline Trio’s appeal…the dual vocal styles not only gel well but it allows for completely different approaches to the bands writing and overall sound. The track retains the bands punk aesthetics when it gets going, including some sleek guitar work, but it has a lighter, more pop-oriented delivery, with its quirky chords and fun instrumentation; the band sound like they’re enjoying themselves here…if they’re trying to spread a little positivity it’s working.

Finally then we finish up on “Smokestack” and it’s like we’re taken right back to the “Damnesia” sessions…for the simple campfire acoustic approach is, surprisingly, yet another strength of Trio’s song-writing prowess, for not only can they write solid punk rock bangers and alternative goth punk anthems, they can also absolutely nail an acoustic folk ballad and they prove that here effortlessly. While not AS good as renditions of “Every Thug Needs A Lady” for example, it’s easily good enough to have been taken off that same compilation, and this mellow simplicity is just as stirring as their more perturbed punk rock, highlighting their talent for emotive story telling. The guys are quite obviously on top form here and quite frankly, just as with the recent VILLE VALO EP, the three songs only make you want to hear more, but if this is the level of material they’re putting out, whatever comes next will certainly be worth the wait. They dropped this EP because they felt bad about fans not getting to see them live because of this stupid virus…so I implore you now, the very next moment you get an opportunity to catch them live and thank them (Hopefully rescheduled shows with Bad Religion) you do it. I know I will. [9]

2019 has like most years, been a strong year for new music. It doesn't matter what genre we're talking about; it's been a year of triumphant returns, exploratory and experimental albums and EP's and an overall win for you and me, the consumer. Over the past 12 months, in between changes in my personal life with relationships and employment, undertaking a completely new job with no prior training or background, I've still done my best to keep on top of new music, more specifically my reviews, despite my own mental health which I don't really talk about much. With all of that said, I've still managed to listen to a total of 274 brand new EP's and albums in 2019 and out of all of those, I've managed to whittle down that number to a categorised series of Best Of lists. Ranging from EP's specifically, to pop music, metal and my own personal favourite releases of the year, I've managed to expand my listening experiences and broaden my horizons to allow myself to grow as a reviewer, and these albums sum that up quite well in my opinion. While I've already shared these lists on social media, such as my Twitter ( @GavinJGriffiths ) my Instagram ( @gavthegothicchav ) and my Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/GTGCReviews ) I wanted to give a more in-depth look at my choices for the year, and my individual scoring of each record...essentially doing a Dave Meltzer star-rating system for each individual track. I hope you find my choices interesting, and as usual, I've compiled my official Spotify end of year playlist which I've included at the bottom of this post for your listening pleasure. Here's to 2020 where all of this starts again...until next time...have a happy new year, and, A LITTLE BIT OF THE BUBBLY! 

20] KILO KISH - "Redux" EP - 1.60/5
19] HEAVY LUNGS - "Measure" EP - 1.60/5
18] NAUT - "Semele" EP - 1.66/5
17] INTERPOL - "A Fine Mess" EP 1.80/5
16] POPPY - "Choke" EP - 1.80/5
15] SODOM - "Out Of The Fontline Trench" EP - 1.80/5
14] YUNGBLUD - "The Underrated Youth" EP - 1.83/5
13] BENNY BASSETT - "Words For Yesterday" EP - 1.83/5
12] 8MM - "Heart Shaped Hell" EP - 2.00/5
11] MILEY CYRUS - "She Is Coming" EP - 2.00/5
10] CATHEDRAL IN FLAMES - "Children Of The Blackest Hole" EP - 2.20/5
09] SKYLAR GREY - "Angel With Tattoos" EP - 2.20/5
08] SUN ARCANA - "Just Another Dream Away" EP - 2.20/5
07] PALAYE ROYALE - "Massacre, The New American Dream" EP - 2.25/5
06] YEAR OF THE LOCUST - "Year Of The Locust" EP - 2.25/5
05] RXPTRS - "I" EP - 2.40/5
04] LIL NAS X - "7" EP - 2.50/5
03] HAWTHORN AVENUE - "Wildfire" EP - 2.50/5
02] HER DESPAIR - "Exorcisms Of Eroticism" EP - 2.50/5
01] SOME VILLAINS - "Outliars" EP - 2.75/5

20] P!NK - "Hurts 2 B Human" - 1.53/5
19] BASTILLE - "Doom Days" - 1.54/5
18] TOM WALKER - "What A Time To Be Alive" - 1.57/5
17] BILLIE EILISH - "When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go" - 1.57/5
16] EMMA BUNTON - "My Happy Place" - 1.60/5
15] POST MALONE - "Hollywood's Bleeding" - 1.64/5
14] BLACKPINK - "In Your Area" - 1.66/5
13] KERLI - "Shadow Works" - 1.66/5
12] MIKA - "My Name Is Michael Holbrook" - 1.69/5
11] ALICE MERTON - "Mint" - 1.81/5
10] SIGRID - "Sucker Punch" - 1.83/5
09] LEWIS CAPALDI - "Divinely Inspired To A Hellish Extent" - 1.83/5
08] MARINA - "Love + Hate" - 1.87/5
07] DAVE - "Psychodrama" - 1.90/5
06] BUSTED - Half Way There" - 1.90/5
05] WILDWOOD KIN - "Wildwood Kin" - 2.10/5
04] WILL YOUNG - "Lexicon" - 2.16/5
03] JAMES BLUNT - "Once Upon A Mind" - 2.18/5
02] HANTE. - "Fierce" - 2.23/5
01] SCANDROID - "The Light" - 2.28/5

20] KHAIDIAN - "Penumbra" - 2.00/5
19] INCITE - "Built To Destroy" - 2.00/5
18] LEACH - "Hymns For The Hollow" - 2.00/5
17] SWALLOW THE SUN - "When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light" - 2.00/5
16] HEARTSICK - "Sleep Cycles" - 2.07/5
15] CRYSTAL LAKE - "Helix" - 2.08/5
14] AS I LAY DYING - "Shaped By Fire" - 2.08/5
13] KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - "Atonement" - 2.09/5
12] FALLUJAH - "Undying Light" - 2.10/5
11] AFTERLIFE - "Breaking Point" - 2.10/5
10] THROUGH THE NOISE - "Dualism" - 2.11/5
09] KAAMOS WARRIORS - "Ikuisen Talven Sarastus" - 2.12/5
08] ABIGAIL WILLIAMS - "Walk Beyond The Dark" - 2.14/5
07] AMON AMARTH - "Berzerker" - 2.16/5
06] MEGADETH - "Warheads On Foreheads" - 2.20/5
05] SOILWORK - "Verkligheten" - 2.33/5
04] DEMON HUNTER - "War" - 2.40/5
03] CORRODED - "Bitter" - 2.41/5
02] ROTTING CHRIST - "The Heretics" - 2.41/5
​01] CHILDREN OF BODOM - "Hexed" - 2.45/5

20] RISKEE & THE RIDICULE - "Body Bag Your Scene" - 2.33/5
19] DEMON HUNTER - "Peace" - 2.40/5
18] THE DIRTY YOUTH - "Utopia" - 2.40/5
17] DREAMSTATE - "Primrose Path" - 2.40/5
16] THE WRAITH - "Gloom Ballet" - 2.41/5
15] NORTHLANE - "Alien" - 2.45/5
14] D-A-D - "A Prayer For The Loud" - 2.45/5
13] PAPA ROACH - "Who Do You Trust?" - 2.50/5
12] SUM 41 - "Order In Decline" - 2.50/5
11] IN FLAMES - "I, The Mask" - 2.50/5
10] WHILE SHE SLEEPS - "So What?" - 2.54/5
09] BAD RELIGION - "Age Of Unreason" - 2.57/5
08] LINDEMANN - "F & M" - 2.69/5
07] WEEZER - "Teal Album" - 2.75/5
06] MOTIONLESS IN WHITE - "Disguise" - 2.81/5
05] RAMMSTEIN - "Rammstein" - 2.90/5
04] YONAKA - "Don't Wait 'Til Tomorrow" - 3.00/5
03] LACUNA COIL - "Black Anima" - 3.18/5
02] THE 69 EYES - "West End" - 3.27/5
01] BLAQK AUDIO - "Only Things We Love" - 3.33/5

Few things in this world entertain me more than the idea of terrifying little children. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t belong on a register before you all jump the gun here, (I have three names, none of which are Jimmy and/or Saville) but I’m talking about when kids get legitimately scared. You’ve all seen little YouTube videos or Vines etc., where kids get startled by something or, if a parent pranks them in scary mask or whatever, and they end up bursting out crying and running away in some sort of mild panic attack, squealing and screaming…that shits funny! Well today’s band takes a more philosophical look at that entire concept; let’s catch up with NIGHTMARES FROM THE DISCOTHEQUE.

Formerly going by the moniker of MASSIVE HORSE, I discovered the Cardiff based duo of Canz Rickman and Rick Schaple many moons ago when they supported firm favourites of mine ELECTRIC SIX at a show in the Welsh capital, and I’ve been an admirer ever since. Their penchant for comedic song writing based on social commentary is genuinely entertaining, and they’ve managed to get the balance between humour and musical integrity spot on. I often reference STEEL PANTHER in these situations, where the joke and gimmick has truly worn thin, but NFTD continue to be both inspired and creative.

Regardless of whichever name they go by however, they’ve proven in the past that they can mix horror and comedy very well indeed. Whether it’s the brilliantly catchy vampire parody “She Only Comes Out At Night”, or the sexually haunting “Phantom Pregnancy”, they do enjoy dabbling in the darker aspects of entertainment, and their new track backs that up wonderfully; “Real Things To Scare Your Children”. Yes their new Halloween track see’s the pair in character, cos-playing as ‘Robert Smyth’ and ‘Marilyn Maanson’ in brilliantly tongue-in-cheek fashion, as they take us on a tour of Marilyn’s Mansion in the accompanying music video, where we aren’t subject to the hauntings of ghosts and monsters, but real life adult problems such as taxes, declined credit card payments, running out of toilet paper and all manner of horrifying scenarios. If you appreciate a spot of dark humour and want to inject a little fun into this year’s Halloween party playlist, you can find the track on Apple Music, iTunes and Spotify, the links to which are on the NFTD Facebook profile, linked below. Check out the video, and leave a comment sharing what scares YOU…personally in a sense of twisted irony, I’m afraid of horses, so I’m glad they dropped the Massive Horse name, I mean, normal sized horses are bad enough! FUCK! THAT!

Back in 2015, THE DIRTY YOUTH were primed and ready to spearhead a new wave of Welsh alternative rock. Their sophomore album “Gold Dust” received critical acclaim (Including most importantly of course, my own) and fans were lapping up their evolution as artists. While they experimented with new styles and ideas, not only did their sound grow, but so did their reputation as one of the UK’s hottest rising bands…and I guess you could say they had a golden touch?

Their rise continued while touring with established acts such as INME, ALIEN ANT FARM and FOZZY, resulting eventually in them finding themselves being the first ever signees to the newly created Marshall Records, with their new material set to be recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. However, after the initial release of the single “Hurricane”, things seemed to come off the boil…the gold dust had settled and everything seemed quiet. Fast forward to 2019 and the band are no longer on the Marshal Records roster (With “No Results Found” on the website) and they’ve released their anticipated third album with the help of Kickstarter…so what happened? Let’s search “Utopia” for some answers…

We open up with the title track and we’re initially met with the apparent childlike innocence of a glockenspiel, before we make way for the more familiar, up-tempo rocking instrumentation we’ve come to expect. The ideology of the intro here, seeming to metaphorically at least take us back to simpler times, with the song itself then acting as a rallying cry of sorts. Lyrically we deal with concepts of revolutions, scrapping societal norms and starting afresh for a better world…there’s a sense of frustration fuelling this track and it’s a decent opener.

If you’re familiar with The Dirty Youth you’ll likely expect a fair few decent tracks spanning this new record, given their previous, and really here you won’t be too disappointed. “Horizon” continues the bands experimentation with a more futuristic, electronic sound, combining simplistic hooks and riffs, a quaint piano melody and layered synths, for a catchy piece of alt. pop. If you prefer TDY of old though, then you’ll more than likely get a kick out of “One Dance”…with it’s harder percussion and a more guitar driven approach it’s one of the rockiest, traditional sounding tracks on the album and Danni flexes her vocals that bit more, allowing for a really bold, really enjoyable track. By contrast, “Lights” utilises a far slower build, opting for a more soulful, power-pop / ballad aesthetic…this chorus is absolutely bouncing however and it’s this dichotomy that makes the track appealing; full of emotive and instrumental fluctuation.

Their previous single makes a reappearance here as “Hurricane Pt.2” and here we find the track has been given a bit of a makeover; a slight revamp, as it’s considerably more up-beat and up-tempo, sounding more like a polished track as opposed to more of a demo, which this makes the initial single sound like now. “The Ballad Of San Frandisco” also reappears having undergone the same treatment. No longer a B-side; its synth-driven retro qualities make for a clear album highlight, and it still gets brownie points for the name. San Frandisco…made me do a chuckle that.

The rest of the album to be fair maintains a fairly solid, consistent level of quality…there are no real negatives here to be perfectly honest. The band know how to reel you in with a good hook, they’ve always written great melodies, and when called upon, they CAN rock out with the best of them…I guess the only real issue of this record, is that there isn’t enough of that. The ten tracks here are fine, there’s nothing wrong with the run-time, but there are times you can’t help but feel this is a band that are, for some reason, holding back. Danni Monroe has a truly remarkable voice and can properly belt them out, but there’s a level of restraint here for some reason and it stops this album going from good to great. It’s not lacking quality, but at times it is lacking a bit more oomph…The Dirty Youth here sound a bit too…clean? [7]

We live in a world where everything seems to be, well, for want of a better word; fucked. The USA is, in many cases, devolving rapidly as a country socio-politically when it comes to human rights. Between deportation issues, police brutality and abortion debates; it’s becoming less ‘united’ by the day. Speaking of the US, mass shootings! Popular as ever apparently! We’ve got Boris Johnson this side of the pond, who, for all intents and purposes is like, an Everyday Value version of Donald Trump, despite his privileged upbringing, and he’s attempting to questionably force the country through a geo-political trade clusterfuck. The Amazon rainforest is STILL on fire, which is far more important than Notre Dame burning but hey, it’s only trees so that’s fine I’m guessing? It’s not like we need to, you know, breathe? People continue to watch Love Island, reaffirming the rise in mental health issues and for some reason, McDonald’s named their new burger the “Double Quarter Pounder”…guys…I don’t know if you noticed…but two quarters makes a half? It’s…it’s literally a half pounder. I thought it was just failed students that worked there who need to whip their dick out just to count to eleven, turns out their marketing team struggle with maths too! Alas, when we’re faced with all of this…we need a beacon of hope, and a message of reassurance and positivity…and that’s where THE MAINE come in with their new album “You Are OK”.

The Arizona-based alt. pop-rockers have been around since 2007 and have built themselves a loyal following over the years. After early tours supporting the likes of GOOD CHARLOTTE and THE ACADEMY IS…, 2019 welcomes them back with their 7th studio album, to remind everyone one that, while there’s a lot going tits up in the world, you’re doing alright. So without further ado let’s cast out any negativity and realise that we are indeed OK. The album opens up with a touch of macabre courtesy of “Slip The Noose” and it’s about a special encounter, leading to salvation and safety. That special someone that manages to let you see and think clearly, preventing you from doing something you’ll regret is so invaluable in life, and it’s delivered with an up-beat dose of happy-go-lucky indie-pop. It’s got some light riffs, some strings and some solid drum fills, yet manages to retain a sort of, MARK OWEN pop-vibe vocally.

“Numb Without You” lyrically highlights a juxtaposition of feelings and emotions that all flourish at once during a relationship; both negative and positive…and like marriage vows typically state, “For better or worse”, it means life and love will have up’s and down’s, but it’s testament to your character how you overcome the worst bits to flourish in the best, and this track champions that very mind set. With more string accompaniment, we’re given a sweeping emo-inspired pop anthem with soaring gang vocals and it’s got an impassioned chorus. Album highlight “Heaven, We’re Already There” takes that formula and refines it to deliver a much more intense, hook-laden synth-tinged, emo-rock banger that, in places reminds of KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES during the chorus and it’s an absolute belter of a track this, really well done.

Elsewhere, “One Sunset” with its energetic, tinny guitar tone and gradual build to a beaming chorus makes it impossible to not tap your foot and bob your head along to this, another fun, bubbly track, while “Tears Won’t Cry” retains that guitar tone and has certain, modern boy band charm akin to artists such as THE VAMPS or the like. “Flowers On The Grave” does allow for a bit of a come-down however ,with a 9-minute-plus acoustic driven pop ballad with some lulling piano…it DOES liven up courtesy of some rockier sequences and progressions, but overall the track ebbs and flows between sounding highly animated and anti-climactic at the same time. Despite this, the album as a whole just oozes a positive, enthusing simplicity resulting a genuinely easy-listening feel-good record. Like I mentioned earlier, the world is on its arse at the moment, and times are testing…but you need to be reminded that you’ve got this…you’re doing alright…you ARE OK. Unless you voted Conservative…you’re not OK…fuck you. [7]

As hard as it may be to believe (Given some of the shit I come out with in these reviews) I do from time to time come across a new band that I actually, genuinely like. I mean it’s rare…not quite Shiny Pokemon rare…but it’s rare, and it does happen. While in recent years you may have seen me give praise to the likes of WE ARE HARLOT and AS LIONS for their absolutely scorching debuts…last year my attention was turned to YONAKA. Having discovered them supporting ANDREW WK, I was eager to check out their catalogue of music as they were legitimately great live, to then find myself enjoying their 2017 “Heavy” EP, it’s safe to say that Yonaka were a band I was prepared to keep my eye on…

This was a decision I would certainly not regret, as following some impressive festival appearances and support slots with BRING ME THE HORIZON no less, they dropped arguably my favourite new EP of 2018 by the name of “Creature”. It’s said that lightning doesn’t strike twice but the EP proved that the band were on a fine run of creative form, not only matching their previous work but surpassing it, visibly and audibly growing in confidence with each and every crowd they won over on the road throughout the year. Now, in 2019, we find the band ready to step up; hoping to live up to their own hype and expectation, as they deliver their debut full-length album; “Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow”, and it’s definitely one I’ve been looking forward to. Well? You read the title let’s give it a fucking listen shall we!?

We open up with “Bad Company” though we’re in anything BUT with Theresa Jarvis and the lads…starting off with some bass rumblings and stiff percussion, it provides perfect backing for Jarvis’ multifaceted vocal approach, switching from brooding to powerful; almost angelic in places on certain high notes, with such relative ease. There’s a certain darkness to the tracks tone, yet it’s got a rich alt. pop groove, and we still hear similarities with the likes of JESSIE J and FLORENCE WELCH in its delivery, but everything’s tighter, sharper and it sounds great…a fantastic opener. “Awake” begins in a similar fashion with its stripped back percussion the only instrumental accompaniment to Theresa, but the track quickly erupts into a wonderfully infectious pop-rock number with some assertive riffs and more powerful vocals. If you’re not awake for this one I question the existence of your very pulse, seriously.

“Rockstar” is, before you wonder, not a NICKELBACK cover so it’s already got that going for it. I mean OK, the premise of the track lyrically garners obvious comparisons to the aforementioned, but this is backed up by yet another infectious, hook-laden chorus and is far, FAR less annoying. This comes across as more about hopes and dreams as opposed to focusing on wealth, not emphasising the excess; much more of a rags to riches ‘What If?’ scenario and it’s something we can relate to…it’s something we’ve all thought about. “Creature” and “Fired Up” make it to the album as select cuts from the bands previous EP’s but they slot in perfectly in all fairness, sounding just as crisp and impressive here as they did last year, before we eventually finish up on “The Cure”. Despite its initially almost trap-inspired beat, we’re treated to more of the bands enjoyable blend of light indie rock, sweeping melodies and soulful pop, ending the album on a genuine high note.

Patience may indeed be a virtue, but here Yonaka prove without doubt that sometimes you simply have to strike while the iron is hot, and Christ has the iron been hot for the Brighton-based quartet. As they continue to play new towns and cities around the UK and Europe, be it in a supporting role or with their ever increasing likelihood of headlining their own big tours, Yonaka can and will grow. One of the brightest and most promising bands on the UK circuit right now, if you haven’t already, you NEED to be checking out Yonaka for yourself, seriously, don’t wait ‘til tomorrow. [9]

​There are plenty of little things in life that I appreciate; like, having two kidneys for example, one simply wouldn’t be enough to handle my love of Jack Daniel’s in all honesty, but one thing I actually do appreciate; is a band putting in the hard work to make their dreams and aspirations come to fruition.  As it happens, one such band would be FOREVER STILL.

Hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark, the four-piece (Consisting of Maja Shining, Mikkel Haastrup, Rune Frisch and Inuuteq Kleemann) are really anything BUT what their name suggests. From day one and their 2013 debut EP “Breaking Free” they’ve gone above and beyond to ensure they do things as they want and how they want. From booking and arranging all of their own tours with no agents, to doing all of their own photo shoots for promotion and record covers, and even filming their own music videos, they manage virtually every aspect of their career themselves, and it’s paying off. Over the years they’ve had opportunities to support the likes of CHILDREN OF BODOM and LACUNA COIL on tour, and have signed a record deal with Nuclear Blast. 2019 saw them release their newest album entitled “Breathe In Colours”, and you suggested I check it out on my last poll, so let’s do just that…

The album opens up with “Rewind” and initially we’re greeted with a slightly industrialised barrage of riffs and mild distortion…there’s a subtle crackle to the sound quality in places giving the track a rustic character, before we erupt into a chorus of powerful, soaring vocals. In ways Maja finds herself somewhere between Lacey Sturm of FLYLEAF and Sharon Den Adel of WITHIN TEMPTATION and her delivery is bold and assertive, drawing you in as a listener; it’s a solid start. “Fight!” keeps things going with a predominantly Nu-Metal inspired affair…the guitar tone coming straight out of the early LINKIN PARK repertoire, backed up by the harder vocals and climactic ending. This is full of piss and vinegar and it’s a very enjoyable listen.

The rest of the album in all fairness is pretty damn consistent and to be honest doesn’t really put a foot far wrong if at all. “Is It Gone?” utilises a more symphonic metal ballad style with a strong power-pop influence, allowing for a very melodious track with honey-sweet vocals, which can also be said for “Pieces”.  Another soft, dramatic effort, it mixes a solemn yet powerful vocal display resulting in an incredibly deep, emotionally testing track. “Survive” has a more metallic approach with harder riffs and an increased level of intensity, with the screamed vocals providing a deeper, angst ridden delivery. There are some questionable high notes on “Do Your Worst” which is ironic as it seems Maja did just that, something seems off about these vocals in places, like it was hurried or something and they settled for it, but she doesn’t hit those notes as well as she may think.

The end of the album though is very much worth the wait however…beginning with a stripped back version of “Is It Gone?”… A straight up piano ballad, it totally differs from the previous version, providing a deeply emotive and mournful listening experience, channelling the likes of EVANESCENCE in ways; it’s a pained track and you can literally feel every note. The real album highlight however comes at its very end, courtesy of a cover of the LOU REED classic “Perfect Day”. It manages to sound tender and touching while retaining a strong guitar sound during the chorus, though it’s delightfully done, as though the track was tailor made for Maja. This cover works incredibly well for Forever Still and I can see this going down brilliantly live. There may not be any tracks that leap out at you here, but to be fair they blend into each other pretty well…and though while the quality in terms of consistency and production value is fine, don’t expect to single out any massive tunes. They’re on the right path however…and you can expect some anthems from this lot in the future. [7]

Do you wanna be in my gang? It’s my gang, yes that’s right, mine…my gang. I’m the leader of my gang, I am! OK, OK…I’m not REALLY GARY GLITTER, but if I may I would like to touch upon the subject of sexual abuse in music…maybe touch upon was a poorly chosen expression…although I DID ask…you gave consent…right? I digress…I’m facing a backlash before I even get to my point…and that’s not a reference to my penis…FOR FUCK SAKE GAV STOP!

Start again…sexual abuse, or even the accusations of sexual misconduct, whether found to be guilty or not will not only potentially ruin a person’s career but also ruin several lives. The sad thing is it’s a far more common occurrence in music than virtually anybody would care to accept as happenstance. On one end of the spectrum, you’ve got Ian Watkins and let’s be fair, the less said about him the better…don’t get me wrong I fucking miss LOSTPROPHETS but…no, just no. Then there’s cases surrounding the likes of WILLIAM CONTROL, and despite the shit storm surrounding him, all I can gather is that at worst he’s just a terrible husband and a serial cheater. It doesn’t matter if those girls gave consent mate, you still destroyed your own marriage, just hope you had a decent prenuptial in place!

Then we come to the likes of Austin Kerr…the former SET IT OFF bassist was another name to be subjected to allegations and accusations of sexual misconduct and as a result he was ejected from the band back in 2015. Was he guilty? He admits his behaviour wasn’t 100% acceptable, but denies any abhorrently wrong doing…so that’s up in the air…HOWEVER…what would this mean for Set It Off? Despite the negative press they continued to make music without him...but, the question is what did it do for their reputation? They HAVE gone backwards in the Billboard charts, but is that in correlation to all of the trouble surrounding Kerr, or have they simply just dropped a below-par album? Let’s find out as we check out their newest offering “Midnight”…

The album opens up with “Killer In The Mirror” and you can’t help but wonder if this is a confession or they’ve just been reading the newspaper…a song of apparent reflection, it speaks of solitude and the acceptance of circumstances…music is a cut-throat business and you have to take a look at yourself first and foremost. You have to look yourself in the eye and tell yourself you want this, because there are people trying to put you down; this is an unforgiving business and it’s kill or be killed, as much as we’d like to think otherwise. This industry will eat you up as soon as you put a foot wrong, and this song touches upon not only that dog-eat-dog world but in ways mirrors the situation with Kerr. The fuzzy guitar tones, along with the subtle hip-hop/reggaeton inspired instrumentation provide a solid groove and it’s ultimately a fine opening track.

Sadly, the remaining fourteen tracks…that’s’ right, fourteen…really don’t offer a great deal of diversity throughout the record. “Lonely Dance”, aside from being something you’d expect someone who plays Fortnite to do, may harbour certain Latino / Hispanic qualities with its guitar tone and backing brass segments but it’s pretty generic alternative pop-rock. “Go To Bed Angry” may sound like optimum wanking circumstances but it’s still just another dose of harmless pop…granted the additional vocals from WAYFARERS add an extra dynamic but it’s a only minor improvement, and that generally sums up the album as a whole.

“Dancing With The Devil” may utilise deeper vocal effects but that’s really all they are, effects…musically we’re in the same boat; the vocals may be deeper but the track is still shallow. “For You Forever” does have some catchy throwback 80’s synth-pop vibes and provides an album highlight aesthetically but it’ll take more than neon to light this album up. “Raise No Fool” does an amuse with it’s ironic ending…lyrically stating “Won’t let you leave me hanging” but then cuts the song abruptly short, leaving the listener hanging themselves…I see what you did there you edgy bunch of bastards! The only REAL change comes in the form of “Unopened Windows” which is sadly the most boring of the tracks on offer here…the piano ballad coming so late on it’s on the verge of being anti-climactic.

Overall while I’ve been quite sarcastic here the album isn’t completely AWFUL by any means…the innocent charm of the pop-inspired melodies is hardly offensive and it’s a generally easy listening record. It’s all mixed and produced well and has a ton of commercial viability…what’s annoying is that over fifteen tracks, there’s very little if anything to differentiate at least fourteen of them and they all blend into one quotidian collection of songs. Nothing truly positive stands out here and it’s a shame because they can clearly write a tune or two, it’s just that on this instance they all more or less sound the same, and by the same what I really mean is the same as FALL OUT BOY because fuck me does this album wish it was a FOB album…but that’s a whole new kettle of fish. Midnight? Goodnight… [4]
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If there’s one thing that can help you invest interest in something, whether it’s to do with a movie, or a character, or in this case a band; it’s an interesting back story...and few back stories are as intriguing as the formation of THE KING’S PARADE. If you cast your mind back to 2017 you may remember I’ve already covered the English 4-piece (Still consisting of Olly Corpe, Sam Rooney, Tom English and Chris Brent) when they released their “Haze” EP, where I discovered they’d actually formed on a cruise ship around Hawaii…

Yep…no cheap rented rehearsal rooms or jam sessions in your mates garage for this lot, they used to play shows aboard the ship as a means of practicing and tightening as a band, honing their craft as they travelled; not technically on the road per se but it’s one way I guess to get that vital stage experience, and it’s far more glamorous than playing to 3 people down the local pub! The EP itself (While not their debut) was a fine sample of soulful indie pop and could have easily tapped into the buzz around RAG ‘N’ BONE MAN’s success at the time…so let’s see what they’ve done in the time that’s passed.

As it happens, they’ve released not one, but two EP’s since we last caught up with them; last years “Woman” EP and now new to 2019 they’ve released another by the simple title of “Mad”, so they’re seemingly going for the little and often approach. The question is though, how mad are we talking exactly? Where is the context? Let’s find out as we get the EP underway with the title track. It’s got a quite stripped back vibe with initially minimal instrumentation and smooth vocals, combining low-fi indie with a shoe-gaze aesthetic and it’s incredibly mellow. The chorus does have a bit more oomph behind it as the guitars get bigger and bolder and the vocals become much more impassioned; it’s a decent start.

The EP continues then with “Mistakes” and again here we’re given a mellow, minimal piece of music with emotive vocals carrying the song…a reflective little track about life lessons in love, and learning from the inevitable mistakes we will all make at some point or another; quaint but not much different from the opener really. “20” again takes a similar approach but at least incorporates subtle country-guitar in the tracks climax, and although that’s hardly a drastic departure from their usual style, it’s enough to make a noticeable difference to the listening experience. We then finish up on the closing track “Good Excuse” and it’s a good excuse as any for me to admit that my interest has sadly waned by this point. Another slow, minimalistic soft indie-pop piece with tenuous soulful elements layered within.

The disappointing thing here isn’t really about this EP to be quite frank; it’s about the band themselves…in the couple of years that have passed since, despite still managing to write lovely, twee little songs with butter-wouldn’t-melt melodies, they’ve seemingly made little progress if not gone a bit backwards. Their earlier material was at least a bit more enthusiastic and the soulful elements of their writing was just that; soulful…I’m not saying that they went all-out gospel and could raise the roof, (They ain’t no ‘Sister Act’) but their sound at least had more energy. It’s that very energy that draws you in as a listener; both motivating and uplifting…here we get none of that.

Despite this though the bands core sound and writing style has remained more or less the same, and over the course of a couple of EP’s, they’ve essentially released one album spread across three years. Despite the tonal differences between these and previous tracks, if shuffled together they could all easily make up one cohesive record and no one would really guess it was a compilation…a bit like ED SHEERAN’s music in some aspects. This EP may very well be “Mad”, but this reviewer on the other however is just sad. [3]
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South Wales has always played an important role in the UK’s music scene; be it the love and support for traditional grass roots venues such as Fuel in Cardiff, or the old TJ’s in Newport, but more importantly the bands themselves that have emerged from the valleys and beyond that have helped put the area firmly on the map. BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE may be riding high at the moment as one of the UK’s biggest modern metal exports, but there’s a bit of a transitional period in play right now as many if not 99% of the biggest names from the area have called it a day. Luckily however there’s always a group of plucky up-and-comers aiming for that brass ring and willing to pick up the ball to run with it…which brings us to today’s band; HOLDING ABSENCE.

Fresh off of the back of his previous band, FALLING WITH STYLE, vocalist Lucas Woodland helped form Holding Absence (Who are completed by guitarists Scott Carey and Chris Smitheram, bassist James Joseph and drummer Ashley Green) as a means of truly delving into his song writing capabilities. With an emphasis on love; its nuances and the  roller-coaster of emotions that accompanies it, their initial singles garnered them much critical praise and the adoration of fans very early on. Momentum grew as they released their split EP with LOATHE and the acclaim kept coming, so in 2018, they began working on their debut full length album. Now, here in 2019 we find that album finally released after much anticipation, as the Cardiff quintet declare that this is…”Holding Absence”…

The album opens up with “Perish” and it’s a bleak start as we find ourselves confronting the heaviness of mental health and its effects on relationships…with over a minute of introductory resonance, it sets a sense of tranquility with its flowing soundscapes before the apropos breakdown, a nice instrumental metaphor for a fragile state of mind. This is mirrored by Lucas himself as he switches from lulling, morose clean vocals to a blistering onslaught of intense shouting amidst a barrage of riffs, and its solid slab of alternative post-hardcore. “Your Love (Has Ruined My Life)” continues with the theme of seemingly depressing song-titles as it also seemingly repeats a similar formula; a soothing intro segment, albeit drastically cut, leading into a wall of noise that transitions into more clean vocals, before a soaring chorus. It’s lyrically where the song stands out as Lucas digs deep into his own level of self-awareness, with an acceptance of his own emotional state; he is an impassioned performer, credit where credit is due.

Speaking of depressing there are a couple of tracks that should come with a repeat prescription for Citalopram in all honesty; “Marigold” is a sombre piano ballad that’s as cold as it is cathartic…and however sweet the admittedly emotional performance is, with its numerous floral references there’s very little blossoming here…which can be similarly said of closing track “Wilt” (Plant related segue for the win). The longest track that’s presented, at near seven minutes, it speaks of the helplessness of watching a love wither away…a heart wrenching story of appreciating the love for its original beauty, like a bouquet of flowers, but those flowers will eventually die and there’s nothing you can do about it. Completing the hat-trick of heavy-heartedness would then be “A Godsend” which again, with its morose tone and low-fi, shoegaze inspired delivery leaves the listener almost despondent.

It isn’t ALL doom and gloom however, this isn’t a MORRISSEY record for fuck sake, and that’s reinforced by album highlight “Like A Shadow”. A sharp dose of angst-ridden, punk-inspired post-rock…it’s got a great rhythm and an infectious chorus hook full of pop aesthetics that you simply can’t help but move to, this is incredibly enjoyable stuff this. “To Fall Asleep” too, despite its heavy message of wanting support through life’s darkest periods is a wonderfully up-beat dose of melodic alt. rock, likewise with “Monochrome” which would easily appeal to fans of artists such as TAKING BACK SUNDAY for example. Ultimately as one of the UK’s hottest rising prospects, they’re showing plenty of promise for big things to come. This may only be their debut and it hasn’t been out long, but their fan base is a loyal and enthusing one, and is growing with each gig and festival slot, no matter how big or small the stage. Raw and passionate, they have all the talent to help lead a new generation of Welsh artists into the spotlight. Just…cheer up lads though yeah? [7]