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]

If you cast your mind back to this past December, you may (Or may not) remember some of the albums I listed in my 2019 Top 20’s…some of which I reviewed here, others I may have reviewed for the likes of All About The Rock or, Astral Noize…but others I didn’t review at all. To be more specific, as well as my usual lists covering rock/metal, EP’s and my overall favourites, I’m always sure to cover my Top 20 Pop albums. I don’t really (Or at least very often) review pop music here, but I will listen to a lot of pop and keep track of what’s new as best I can. This brings us my number one pop album of 2019; “The Light” by SCANDROID, which ties in nicely with today’s review.

I’ve mentioned Scandroid, as well as Klayton’s other projects here on numerous occasions, as I’ve been lucky enough to have regular submissions from his record label FiXT, but while I very much enjoyed his most recent retro-pop endeavours, I haven’t showcased the label in some time now…but that’s about to change. Let me introduce you to 3FORCE. 3Force are an electronic/retrowave trio from St. Petersburg, Russia, and are one of a growing number of artists on the FiXT / FiXT Neon roster. Consisting of members Dmitry Gancher, Aleksey Ruin and Andrey Eyescream, they recently released their latest collection of tracks via the new album “Divide & Collide”. I’m just glad their name is in English…because fuck trying to pronounce три силы! Let’s check them out.

The album opens up with “Shape Shifter” and given the genre I’m immediately envisioning were-folk throwing down absurd shapes on a blinding neon dance floor, a la An American Werewolf In Paris. I digress; the track itself is a purely instrumental one…initially a slow starter, it gradually builds atmospheric synths not unlike the Stranger Things title screen, but soon comes to life; rich in pulsing electronica and regimented percussion…the 80’s aesthetic oozes from each and every keyboard note. A fine piece of music but no more than a glorified intro track ultimately…not that it stops Lycans shaking booty though.

Next up we have the first of the albums collaborations and it comes courtesy of Robin Adams on the track “Uprising”. The UK-based musician/vocalist provides a slightly rockier vibe to an otherwise GLITCH MOB sounding piece of electro/alt.-pop, but it works very well. It houses certain funk elements in places and the former CELLDWELLER collaborator allows the track to explore a plethora of avenues. Robin shows up again on “Guardian Angel” but here, musically at least it’s not as intense, his grating vocals giving the more subdued track its character. Fellow FiXT label-mates RAIZER join proceedings on the track “Lost & Found” and we’re given a lighter, more melodic mix, allowing for a more pop-based retro style…while Scandroid themselves get in on the action on the track “Abyss”. As distinct as the resulting sound is, and as enjoyable as it is…it suffers with a pretty repetitive and unimaginative chorus that brings an otherwise enjoyable track down.

Surprisingly though, a lot of the albums highlights do come courtesy of instrumental offerings which speaks volumes of the quality of sound 3Force have managed to recapture. “Future Frame” in particular perfectly bridging that gap between throwback techno and modern dance-pop, it’s like something Creamfields would belt out at 2am to a throng of ketamine fuelled cretins…in a good way,  while “Outcome Theory”, “Insect” and later on “Celestial Squad” reinforce the strength of the album as a whole. A lot of artists have been capitalising on this retro trend in recent years, riding a wave of nostalgia celebrating that throwback, 80’s aesthetic, and 3Force are no different, but they manage to retain a crisp, fresh sound as opposed to sounding recycled. That said FiXT have a solid track record with cherry picking quality electronic artists, and these Russians bolster an already impressive roster on the back of this album, which has more killer hooks than Ivan Drago. A recommended listen comrade… [7]

How about a tedious link? Yeah? You ready?…OK…so, if you were to dispel something, it would be like, relieving something or getting rid of something…maybe even curing something? THE CURE were a new-wave Goth band who originated in the late 70’s, who went on to release tracks such as “A Forest”, and also enter the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame in 2019. The Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame is situated in ‘The Forest City’, which is the nickname for Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland Ohio is an anagram of Cool Heaven Lid, which is in ways ties into “Just Like Heaven”; a track by The Cure, which coming full circle, could mean to DISPEL…and that brings us to today’s band. You follow?

Dispel are a throwback, Gothic / darkwave outfit formed in Cleveland, Ohio, consisting of founding member and percussionist/programmer Scott Doland (Alongside vocalists Ravensea and Sean Gallows) and together, they’ve created a sound combining old-school electro-Goth nostalgia and an even older school sense of medieval theatrics, as they release their debut album “Lore”. Released in January 2020, the team over at Shameless Promotions asked me to check it out, so let’s do just that before I get caught up in any more convoluted segues…

The album opens up with “Spiritual Warrior (The Hero)” and initially we’re met with some hushed, choir-esque harmonies, backed with gentle bell chimes, before we suddenly transition into a deep, pulsing dose of synths and percussion. Gallows’ vocals here are almost robotic given their languid delivery, though he does switch up in tone here and there. There’s a cold monotony to the track…its very CLAN OF XYMOX.  Follow-up track “The Call (To Adventure)” gives Ravensea a turn on vocals and the tone changes immediately. While instrumentally it takes on a similar style with some brooding electronica, it incorporates more of a guitar influence, which counters Ravensea’s softer, sweeter vocals. She provides a more pop-oriented style, especially within the chorus, which sounds like it’s been plucked from some generic 90’s dance track for want of a better description.

“Gift Of The Goddess (Andante In Bb)” is our first primarily instrumental track, which aside from some echoed, almost monastic chanting consists of a simple, low-fi drum fill and very little else; it showcases their adoration for the medieval and fantasy gaming (Which is another influence) as this could easily be taken out of some sort of loading screen. “Atonement (Andiago In Bb)” is the other…and it’s far more morose in its delivery. It’s incredibly dreary with its slower pacing and aesthetically gives off a despondent feeling of mourning and loss. Luckily there are more SLIGHTLY uplifting cuts on offer here, such as the promotional track “Modal Consequence (The Threshold)” which sees Ravensea wrap her harmonious vocals around some electronic alternative rock, however the track is a touch subdued instrumentally, before we eventually round up the album with “The Depth Of Transformation (The Return)”. Coming back to Gallows on vocals we get a subtle hint of the likes of PITCHSHIFTER before it becomes more hushed throwback post-punk.

Conceptually, Dispel are admittedly onto an interesting approach…utilising traditional proto-Goth and post-punk sounds but coupling that with a medieval, fantasy RPG-inspired song-writing characteristic, they can tap into multiple markets with very die-hard followings, which in itself would continue to open doors for the alternative rockers. The only real issue is these nine inaugural tracks (Ironically enough) aren’t quite game changers. Sure the ideology is there and they have a vast sea of potential inspiration and material to play with creatively, given their niche, but it’s not quite there yet. If I can liken this to anything it would be a mimic chest from Dark Souls…you open it expecting riches but SIKE…you died. Ok a little extreme as this album isn’t going to eat you alive, but Dispel could possibly offer so much more than this album showcases. [4]

Quite often within these pages, I’ve bumped my gums about how the UK virtually pioneered post-punk, and the concept of “Gothic rock” as we recognise it today. You could reel off any number of late 70’s / 80’s bands that you could pigeonhole as post-punk, or, trad-Goth or however you want to put it, and you could almost guarantee that they’re from somewhere in England, but today we’re going to be turning our attention stateside…

We all know that America has produced some of the most successful Gothic / alternative metal artists of all time, especially industrial titans like NINE INCH NAILS and of course, those iconic dark-humoured darlings TYPE-O-NEGATIVE, but they came a little later…we want to know what post-punk bands helped shape America’s earlier underground music scene.

While you’ve more than likely heard of CHRISTIAN DEATH, other bands may be a little more obscure unless you’re already a Goth-rock fan…bands like THE DANCING CIGARETTES and ROMEO VOID are well worth checking out, but today we’re going to focusing our attention on MY LIFE WITH THE THRILL KILL KULT. Often shorted to just Thrill Kill Kult, the Chicago natives initially started out as an early industrial outfit, and you may actually recognise them from the soundtrack to “The Crow”…but although maintaining a steady, 30-year career, they’ve always been relatively niche. 2019 finds them still releasing records, and their newest one; “In The House Of Strange Affairs”, was chosen by you on my last readers’ poll…so let’s get all of our affairs in order and check it out shall we?

The album opens up with “Gold To Grey” and it’s slow, sullen bass line has a wonderfully nostalgic tone to it, sounding like this track could very well come from those early proto-Goth days…its deep and chilling, as it leads into a spoken-word segment, before kicking into gear with its snide vocal drawl and cold atmospheric synths. The beat is simplistic and the electronic elements rarely inject much life into the track, resulting in an ambient yet algid listen; a slow start this. The following couple of tracks do admittedly get your hopes up to be honest, with “Forbidden Saints” sounding like the first proper track, as opposed to a lengthy introduction. The electronica is more prominent and instrumentally it’s got a decent, but again, simplistic hook, with a lot more rhythm going for it. It’s lyrically dark and fetishized and it’s something you could easily imagine being played to a throng of leather and PVC clad Goths, sipping on absinthe at 3am in some underground club. Although…mate…WHAT is with that ending? Absolutely cringe-worthy, you just shat all over that entire song right there, seriously…forget the saints, I forbid whoever gave that the green light to ever work in production ever again!

Up next we’ve got “Treat Street” and although while still relying on the synths and new-wave style it’s got an old-school disco-funk groove layered throughout the track, with the additional inclusion of…harmonica…resulting in a wonderfully curious listening experience. There are more sexual references, and at this point it’s like, OK, fine, it’s a gimmick…reinforced with the husky vocals, but to be honest they detract from what is essentially a decent little piece of music. We follow this up with album highlight “The Chains Of Fame” and really that’s saying something…it utilises a catchy low-fi hook with chill-wave aesthetics, but the guitars give the track some much needed bite. He asks ‘How much cash can you make with that ass?’ and to be honest…I…I don’t know. Nor do I want to. Rough guess, twenty bucks on a good day? Fuck knows. I digress, the track ends rather abruptly and truth be told, this is about as good as the album gets.

There are moments like on “Studio 21” which peak your interest,  which houses more of that original disco funk combined with subtle trance elements, and “Royal Skull” which returns to a more guitar based approach, sounding much grittier, but overall the album fails to excite. Too often we’re faced with a lack of energy and drive from the remaining tracks and the bulk of the record seems to drag itself along like a reluctant cadaver. Appropriately we eventually end on “Am I Dead?” and to be frank, by this point…yes. Fucking feels like it anyway. To summarise, there’s nothing really thrilling whatsoever about this kill kult, and the house of strange affairs needs to be boarded up and demolished to make way for a Greggs or something…having said that they’re equally as bland as each other; disappointing this. [3]

Just like heavy metal itself, post-punk and the conceptual origins of Goth-rock can be primarily traced back to the UK…whether it’s CABARET VOLTAIRE or THE CURE, SISTERS OF MERCY or SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES, Great Britain knew how to get its Goth on! However, like with a lot of new genre’s or, evolution's in popular music, post-punk was very much of its time and found itself culturally confined to the late 70’s and 80’s. Mind you, while production quality has improved over the years, and Gothic music gradually became a touch heavier, darker and bolder, despite becoming even MORE of a niche genre…that love of the original post-punk aesthetic has never dissipated. Several indie and alt. rock bands continue to take influence from post-punk to this day, which brings us to today’s band; DEW.

The German three-piece, consisting of vocalist (I Think, going by photos) Mike Antibody and…two others (I’m honestly having a stab in the dark here; their social media is minimal at best, and I don’t speak German) got in touch with me not too long ago via the GTGC contact form, sending me a Bandcamp link. It was suggested I give their 8-track mini-album “DEW-STORTION // DEW-MORGEN” a listen, so, on the anniversary of Ian Curtis’ death, let’s set the mood for melancholia and find out what this alternative krautrock collective has to offer…

The album opens up with “Zuerst Maschine” which basically translates as ‘First Machine’, and it fittingly starts with some industrial / mechanised backing noise, before ripping into some pacey, regimented percussion and up-tempo riff-work. A nostalgic nod to the origins of the genre; fusing those industrial elements with the early proto-Goth sound, all the while housing a decent melody, which balances the semi-scratchy vocals well…the vocals appear a touch overpowering in places with some of the instrumentation drowned out, but for a self-recorded and produced record it’s an entertaining start.

“Menschenfeind” or ‘Misanthrope’ too provides a wonderfully up-beat dose of reverberated post-punk, with more intensity in its delivery; having a certain punk-heavy simplicity that would appeal to fans of say, early BAD RELIGION. If it’s throwbacks you were after though, look no further than “Umgekehert Kontrovers” which roughly means ‘conversely controversial’ and it delves deeper into the genre’s origins audibly. The tinny, slightly-off key guitar with deeper, darker atmospheric tones harks back to those early days of JOY DIVISION, sounding like it’s been plucked straight out of the era itself; thematically it’s been wonderfully recreated to its credit.

There are one or two lesser tracks offered up but they don’t exactly ruin the album so to speak…”N.I.W.E.S. (Nicht Ist Wie Es Scheint)” or ‘Nothing As It Seems’ is a predominantly slower more lethargic track, with arguably the albums weakest vocals; there’s a bleak drone to them at times, all the while sounding pained and shouted as opposed to sung. Technically then, there’s nothing WRONG with “(…)-?!” per se other than its name…I mean seriously I can’t pronounce that in fucking English let alone German! Am I to literally call it “Left Bracket Ellipsis Right Bracket Dash Question Mark Exclamation Mark” or just guess some sort of bilious guttural noise? Pronounce it like I’m actually vomiting into the microphone? Fuck knows…before we then finish up on “Die Lösen Sich Ja Selber Auf” or, ‘They Dissolve Themselves’ which again, is appropriate as the album dissolves into a brief, quirky bass-heavy outro track, ending the album on a rather abrupt note.

The combination of using the German language lyrically, and playing a style and genre that’s nostalgic and underground at best isn’t going to find DEW a great deal of commercial viability, but post-punk, as dated as it is by today’s scene’s standards has always had a loyal cult following, which should in all honesty accept DEW with open arms. Their sound has been brilliantly crafted to be right at home among those early 80’s playlists and could easily find themselves mentioned alongside the likes of THE DAMNED. DEW haven’t reinvented the wheel, but they are due some recognition. [6]

When you think about bands and their longevity, you’ll be forgiven for making a B-line to the classic-rock generation, and those artists that have been together since whichever year BC they formed out of single cell organisms, (I’m looking at you Rolling Stones) but we sometimes forget that time moves on, and, as a result, some bands get lost in the nostalgic shuffle. This brings us to WEEZER. The Los Angeles based alt-rockers formed back in 1992 and we need to remember that, that was nearly thirty years ago now! Thirty years ago still feels like the 70’s! Granted while they aren’t exactly old-timers, their consistency and reliability over the years has been impressive, and coming back to present day, they’ve surprised us all again….

​Every now and again a band will release a cover-song that’ll slot into an album as a bonus track, or, for an EP for example, but Weezer have gone all the way down that rabbit hole, and delivered a full length covers album dubbed the “Teal Album”. Their fifth self-titled album and their twelfth studio album overall, it started life as an innocent cover of “Africa” by TOTO, but it’s snowballed into the collection of tracks we have before us right now. With that said, let’s go undercover and scope this album out…

It opens up with that Toto track and to be fair, there isn’t a LOT to differentiate this track from its original. The soft synths remain; the gentle percussion and River’s clean, melodic vocals are a pleasure as always. There’s an extra layer of guitar thrown in to the mix to give it a little more character but overall it’s a pretty by-numbers cover. Next up we have the TEARS FOR FEARS classic “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” and again really, they haven’t done a great deal to it…other than hearing Rivers own distinct vocal the tracks delivery more or less remains unchanged in style, in tone and tempo and, to a degree you could argue that, again, bar from some additional guitars, this could essentially just be Rivers doing karaoke.

There are a couple of occasions where the tracks do actually feel like covers; “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” being an early example…the EURYTHMICS anthem, naturally, originally voiced by Annie Lennox, sounds different with male vocals and here it’s presented in a good way, unlike the god-awful attempt by MARILYN MANSON, though the synths are still pretty copy and paste. We do manage to shake things up on the surprise inclusion of BLACK SABBATH classic “Paranoid” as guitarist Brian Bell takes up lead vocals…why you may be asking? Well…it turns out he can do a pretty fucking decent Ozzy impression so again, it’s like a karaoke track, though I will admit the modern production value and crisp guitar solo breathe new life into this legendary piece of metal history. A-HA classic “Take On Me” gets a turn too and again, with Morten Harket having such a distinct vocal, it’s interesting to see Rivers wrap his chords around it but it’s clean, clear and he does a brilliant job hitting THOSE high notes.

Arguably the most talked about track though will be “No Scrubs” by 90’s has-been R’n’B unit TLC…long-forgotten one-hit-wonders, this is the kind of thing that can revive a career with media interest so thanks Weezer…thanks a fucking bunch, last thing we need is a TLC reunion tour, it’s bad enough with THE SPICE GIRLS. Ultimately though, at only 10 tracks long it’s not a bad listen by any means, the production and mixing are all good, as are the majority of selected songs themselves, but despite the odd, brief, minimal twist, they do for the most part, just sound the same, and there isn’t a lot of additional character offered; there are no extra quirks. It’s like, how can I put it...when you buy a CD full of old Christmas songs, but they couldn’t afford the licencing or the rights for the original artists, so they just got some session singers to get as near to the original sound as possible. That’s what this album sounds like. Having said that…just be grateful they didn’t pick anything by Mariah Carey. [6]

While it’s been a short while now since we’ve properly heard from Anaheim alt. rockers NEW YEARS DAY, we’ve been treated to a couple of projects from front-woman Ash Costello. Last year saw her branch out with horror-pop band THE HAXANS and their incredibly fun album “Party Monsters”…but this year, although returning under the NYD moniker, we find Ash indulging herself on what is essentially a covers EP. Occasionally you’ll find interviews and articles in magazines, revolving around the artists and songs that shaped other artists…but Ash wanted to go one better and actually record her own versions of the songs she deemed so inspirational. The result; the “Diary Of A Creep” EP…a fitting tribute, or should their new year’s resolution be no more covers? Let’s find out…

We open up the EP with the sole original track “Disgust Me” and it’s somewhat appropriate, like, you say it out loud, and the EP does its fucking best to do just that. With its hard-hitting percussion and deep, chugging riffs, coupled with Ash’s melodic vocals over a hook-laden chorus, its trademark NYD…balancing subtle gothic tendencies with a heavy, nu-metal aesthetic, getting the EP off to a decent albeit standard start. We follow that with the first of five covers…and we’re spanning a plethora of era’s and styles here. Naturally it’s fair as influence can come from all walks of life, but here, together, in this style…something just doesn’t quite gel. We begin with a cover of NEW ORDER’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” and gone are the quaint synths…gone are the soft vocals of Bernard Summer…instead we find crunching, disjointed riffs and Ash’s powerful vocal chords, backed with key changes, repetitive classic guitar licks and gang vocals. The whole thing comes across as copy and paste, looping itself as it ticks along and sadly lacks any of the originals charm.

We shift gears completely next up, as we dabble in a spot of metal via PANTERA classic “Fucking Hostile” and it kind of does what it says on the tin; the raw aggression carries through with Ash’s angrier vocals and they know how to deliver a riff, but it’s hard to see how this would go down with traditional metal fans…they’ll either respect you (Albeit resentfully) for covering it in the first place, or form a Wall Of Death that even Donald Trump would be in awe of, but aim TOWARDS the stage and trample you into the floor for doing so…they’re on thin ice here. Next up…and, oh god…we have “Crawling”…yes…THAT crawling, by LINKIN PARK. Now, let’s be honest, who hasn’t been inspired in some way by Linkin Park in recent generations? But, to attempt to cover such an iconic song is BRAVE! It totally lacks the original feel of the song, there’s no angst or passion, and sadly it comes across as really quite flat, which is a complete shame. Ash’s melodic vocals work here but as soon as the track shifts into gear, it just doesn’t compare; the pain is missing and the result is a hollow song.

The last couple of tracks include GARBAGE hit “Only Happy When It Rains”, which while originally an iconic 90’s indie rock hit, here, even aided by LZZY HALE, lacks any of the song’s original feel…not even the duel vocals here can match up to Shirley Manson and if anything just makes you cringe, before there is some level of redemption on closing track “Don’t Speak”. The NO DOUBT classic works well here as Ash really does justice to Gwen Stefani’s vocal style and with the metal touch musically it gives the track a new lease of life. Overall while it’s all well and good to want to pay respects to your hero’s and inspirations, it sometimes works better in theory rather than practice. Ash and NYD have a style and a sound that suits them, and some of the tracks covered here really don’t benefit from that sound at all. If anything I guess, it gives you a chance to go through the originals, and maybe discover some classics you may have missed, depending on your age and tastes…other than that, it’s an EP of interesting but sadly disappointing covers. [4]

Aside from a variety of remixes and instrumental reissues, the last time we heard new music from SCANDROID was 2017’s sophomore album “Monochrome”, which firmly established the more, retro-based aspects of Klayton’s creative spark. Despite a background in more industrial-based metal with an aggrotek attitude, found in early work such as CIRCLE OF DUST, Klayton has been embracing the bright lights and bold colours of the 80’s and now in 2018, we find him already revisiting Scandroid with the much anticipated follow up “The Darkness”.

The first of a two part concept album, “The Darkness” is a collection of six new tracks, exploring the darker aspects of Klayton’s psyche, manifested within this neo-futuristic post-retro style…with “The Light” coming out in 2019, this is very much a case of Yin and Yang; opposite forces and ideals coexisting symbiotically through music. Does the warm neon glow mask something sinister, or will a blinding luminescence guide you through the darkness itself? Let’s find out…

We begin with “Into The Darkness” which, as a brief intro piece really only sets us up for the crepuscular journey ahead…a simplistic piece of sullen synths and a deep, intimidating electronic pulse, gradually building until it transitions into first track proper “Phoenix” and what a shift in gear this is. Erupting out of your speakers with a crunching, classic metal riff entwined with the trademark synth hooks, this is a style more akin to CELLDWELLER and you can feel immediately that this is a different Scandroid. While conceptually the winged creatures are completely different, this very much makes me think of Rodan’s emergence in the recent trailer for “Godzilla: King Of The Monsters”, and given the tracks almost, 80’s bad-ass movie montage tone, (I mean, THAT solo) the two could coexist brilliantly; this is entertaining stuff

“The End Of Time” awaits us next and here we find a more traditionally presented Scrandroid track musically, with it’s upbeat, dance-inspired rhythm, pop-infused electronica and retro throwbacks…what’s interesting however is Klayton’s vocal delivery here. On one hand typically clean and melodic, but there are traces of something deeper…the course yet hushed vocal elements give this track more of a darkwave aesthetic and highlights the conceptual darkness intended. Recent single “Onyx” opens up with a semi “Stranger Things” vibe and though it initially has a more restrained tempo, it picks up for a more energetic second half. Essentially the title track to a degree, the idea of this black, shiny little gemstone offering the darkness and the light, as it’s lyrically name-dropped pushing the concept home and it’s delivered nicely, before we round things up with “Red Planet” and closing piece “Out Of The Darkness”. Continuing with the more darkwave inspired approach, we’re given two primarily instrumental pieces resuming this journey through the vacuum of space and time…the former with its aura of foreboding, while the latter acts a continuation of the intro, taking things full circle.

While there are more tracks on offer here, they come in the form of four remixes (The man does love a remix) and while VOLKOR X, 3FORCE and HEXENKRAFT do indeed inject some additional flavour into some of the tracks, they’re more like bonus tracks on a mini-album than actually being officially canon, neither truly enhancing or detracting from the albums overall original quality. The six new tracks here however do take the listener on an interesting adventure as Scandroid really has channelled more an underground, alternative club influence into his otherwise nostalgic brand of new-wave synth pop, but without straying too far from the projects core sound, and it’ll be interesting to see where he takes things on next year’s follow-up. Until then, embrace your inner Sith lord and feel the power of the darkness flow through you, for the mean time at least. [7]

​GIRL! I WANT TO TAKE YOU TO A GAY BAR! Well, to be honest, actually I don’t, BUT, I DO however want to take you on a journey, to remind you about one of the most underrated, hardest working bands on the planet; ELECTRIC SIX. I preach this practically every year, and that’s simply because, whether you’re aware of it or not, Electric Six have practically released a new album EVERY FUCKING YEAR since “Fire”, and frankly not enough people take notice!

People may naturally assume that, to be so prolific creatively, to produce a full album a year and complete all their touring commitments, it really must be a case of quantity over quality? And sure over the years, the band have dropped a lot of their overtly blatant ridiculousness, but having spoken to front man Dick Valentine, it’s interesting to learn that, despite him being very much the face and voice of the band, it’s very much a group effort. Each member of the band in fact writes three or four songs for each album cycle, resulting in a lot of time being saved and more importantly, a rich tapestry of differing styles and influences shaping each and every record. With that in mind, we’re about to delve into album number FOURTEEN; “Bride Of The Devil”…let’s get hitched…

With Dick’s typically dry-humour we open up with “The Opener” and I do like it when things get to the point it has to be said…with its subtle distortion and sludgy riffs, accompanied by plenty of vocal wails, plus Dick favouring his gritty, higher pitched delivery here, almost channelling an AC/DC-esque style, it’s an intense but enjoyable start. This actually carries through the first half of the album with some truly solid cuts from E6, keeping momentum going at a steady but satisfying pace…tracks like “You’re Toast” musically slowing things down for the most part, opting for a semi-blues rock offering, with Dick’s vocals full of piss and vinegar, to a degree akin to something CLUTCH might produce, which is always a good thing, while “(It Gets A Little) Jumpy” is a quaint little acoustic number, full of smooth melody and Summery hooks; it really is a lovely little track.

The second half of the album however….sadly; doesn’t match the same quality. It exceeds it! It honestly just gets stronger as it goes on and seriously, the band is on top form here…”Hades Ladies” saunters in with its gravelly rock ‘n’ roll vibe and deep groove; full of swagger and confidence…the title track utilises more of a simplistic synth-based hook layered within some classic rock influences, especially the brief solo which would easily please fans of THE DARKNESS for example, before album highlight “Witches Burning” delivers some classic E6 with its bluesy guitar licks and quality riff-work with an anthemic chorus…this is quality.

The album DOES drop the ball slightly with its closing track “The Worm In The Wood” as the sudden drop in tempo isn’t so much of a come-down as a let-down, with the latter half of the album getting you pumped up, hoping for an explosive climax. The tinny almost tropical guitar’s giving off an almost CHRIS ISAAK vibe which is nice, don’t get me wrong, but it can’t help but feel ever so slightly anti-climactic. Overall however that’s a minor annoyance that doesn’t take away from what is admittedly a superb album…fourteen albums in and Electric Six are still as consistent and reliable as ever, on this instance maybe even more so, as it’s one of their strongest collection of songs in a few years now…if I may paraphrase the great BILLY IDOL…it’s a nice day for a white wedding; it’s a nice day to, start listening to Electric Six again. [8]

Today we’re going to be looking at an artist from the lovely folks over at FiXT. Now, it’s been a while since I’ve covered any of their releases, not that they don’t get in touch, but when they do more often than not it’s usually singles and remixes (So many remixes) that I generally don’t cover here, but, FiXT in case  you may not know from past reviews, is the brainchild of producer extraordinaire Klayton of CELLDWELLER fame (As well as SCANDROID, CIRCLE OF DUST and even FREQGEN, honestly the man doesn’t sleep) and they specialise in studio-based experimental crossover music, primarily focusing on bridging rock and electronica…and while Klayton has those four projects of his own on the roster himself, slowly but surely they are expanding, gradually adding more outside artists to the mix. Recently they asked me to check out a brand new member of their roster by the name of THE ANIX so naturally, I obliged and…here’s what I discovered.

Formed in 2001 by Los Angeles based artist Brandon Smith, The Anix was initially a band-orientated project playing live shows up and down LA before their debut album “Demolition City” dropped in 2008…this led to a stint on CLEOPATRA Records and several more albums, but they remained relatively underground to the wider audience. Now in 2018, The Anix is signed to FiXT as a one-man project in which Brandon himself takes the role of composer, producer and mixer and he’s recently released album number six; “Shadow_Movement”, his FiXT roster debut…let’s see if it takes him out of those shadows and into the spotlight.

The album opens up with “Race To Nowhere” which sets us up with the albums concepts of a dystopian cyberpunk universe…a glorified intro piece, the lyrics simply repeat “Out in the end, racing to nowhere I’m gonna crash through” over futuristic, ambient techno and it does the job of setting the listener up for a journey, serving no purpose other than basically providing deus ex machina for the records overall concept. First track-proper “Fight The Future” however gets going then with a sultry dose of dark synth pop and deep electronica…it’s quite methodical and quite cold, with the majority of Brandon’s vocals delivered in a hushed manner aside from the chorus which provides more melody. In ways it’s easy to see why Klayton signed The Anix as this sounds incredibly similar to something Scandroid would put out…I won’t lie at first I thought it WAS Klayton on vocals for this too!

Over the rest of the albums 15 tracks what becomes apparent is that this is an album of two halves, with the first half providing much better results and lead single “This Machine” being a particular highlight.  Much more up-tempo it initially takes on an almost EISBRECHER-inspired tone, before it marches on with an infectious, percussion led dose of electro-rock, spitting out all of the hooks. Incredibly rhythmic, this machine is well oiled and fires on all cylinders, great stuff this. “Come Back Down” goes down a similar path but is generally softer, though loses none of its rhythm or groove, opting for pop-based production qualities, it’s really rather catchy. “Interchanger” and “Overdrive” again go for the easy-listening retro-pop vibe and the similarities to label-mate Scandroid are prominent once more, but that’s not detrimental, while “Open Fire” has subtle touches of electronic icons DEPECHE MODE with its deep fuzzy synths and general tempo; it’s for the most part deeper and you can’t help but want to hear what Dave Gahan would do with this.

The second half of the album however sadly tapers off and you can’t help but debate that age old conundrum of quantity vs quality. With a handful of tracks resorting to no more than instrumental pieces, such as “Clouds” and closing track “Strategy X” being so short compared to the rest of the track list, it makes you wonder if they really NEED to be there at all. The former is just filler, all grey and overcast, allowing no light, while the latter is less strategy x, more strategy exit; swiftly evacuate my eardrums please, you serve me no purpose or enjoyment. Other tracks like “Ghost” disappoint too with its low-fi trance tones and repetition, asking are YOU a ghost? I don’t know let me go ask Scooby-Doo…that’s how seriously I take this track, while “Pendulum” just makes me wish I was in fact listening to PENDULUM, which would be much better. Overall while not perfect per se, it’s nice to see a fresh face on the FiXT roster, as variety is the spice of life after all. Granted a lot of this does already sound a lot like Scandroid at times like I’ve already said, but it is Brandon’s debut on this label and maybe he’s just trying to fit in while still doing his own thing, I mean, an annex itself is something only a LITTLE different after all. [7]

The UK music scene in the 90’s was an interesting place to be it has to be said…less of an exotic cocktail and more of a dirty pint if anything. At one end of the spectrum we had a rising popularity in girl/boy bands, spearheaded by the likes of SPICE GIRLS and TAKE THAT…at the other end we had the dawn of a new era of darkness by means of the freshly malformed CRADLE OF FILTH and MY DYING BRIDE, and somewhere in the middle of it all, MR. BLOBBY managed a Christmas number 1, I shit you not. The main talking point however was always Britpop, which was of course famously established by the war between BLUR and OASIS, but at the turn of the century when tastes all changed, bands either sank or swam…Blur front-man Damon Albarn however didn’t just swim, he evolved, grew legs, left the pond and changed the concept of performance art as we knew it…he created GORILLAZ.

Consisting of fictional members 2-D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel, the “group” existed entirely in animated cartoon form and was spawned from Albarn’s growing appreciation for electronic and world hip-hop music, and they made their breakthrough in 2001 via their self-titled debut album and the mega hit “Clint Eastwood”, never looking back, only growing in success with further singles along the road like “Dare” and “Feel Good Inc.” until their eventual hiatus. 2017 saw them return with 26-track behemoth “Humanz” but 2018 sees them back already with the follow up album “The Now Now”…the question is, is it the good good?

We open up with the album’s lead single “Humility” which features famed jazz-guitarist George Benson and what we’ve got is a quirky little, low-fi synth pop piece…laid back in approach combining ambient funk and subtle reggae influences for a very fresh, Summery vibe. This is backed up by the music video, inspired by the Santa Monica lifestyle; carefree and easy-going, and it speaks of the inner struggles of failed romance and yearning, though not entirely serious with Jack Black doing, well, Jack Black things. It’s an OK start…follow up track “Tranz” however is a completely different kettle of fish. Whilst simple in structure and approach it’s got a definite, retro electronic tone musically combining the simplicity of KRAFTWERK and the edgier, darker tones of DEPECHE MODE, all the while utilising some really catchy pop hooks and it works wonderfully, this is easily an album highlight.

Sadly however, highlights over these 11 tracks exist in much the same way Harambe does; i.e. he doesn’t, not anymore anyway (RIP you majestic beast). “One Percent” harbours soft synth melodies that wouldn’t feel out of place in a scene from “Stranger Things”, while “Lake Zurich” is another up-beat, primarily disco / funk-driven instrumental for the most part and it has to be said, on the track “Hollywood”, it’s always good to hear a bit of SNOOP DOGG (Even though the guy will work with almost anyone, refer to my old COREY FELDMAN review for that)…the rest of the album however sadly lacks any real sort of momentum. “Idaho” is structured very much like a dreamscape which would not only put you to sleep, but the sheep you were counting too. “Fire Flies” strikes me as purely ironic and cruel as I’ve literally just reviewed an OWL CITY album and this track actually makes me miss that, before closing track “Souk Eye” rounds things up with some more dreary pop. Damon Albarn is a talented song writer and creator, that’s not in question, but there were days he used to write with a sense of positivity and fun, with more LIFE…lately this project sounds like he’s either half asleep or stoned, or both…honestly, take the W’s off of the album title and it’ll be more appropriate. [3]

With the odd couple of exceptions, generally you’ll find that bands who have been together for a lengthy period of time usually start to mellow out at some stage in their career. Only recently I was saying this about the MANIC STREET PREACHERS who have lost some of their original punk-rock attitude in middle age…and this can be said too for artists such as ANATHEMA for example; originally a Gothic / doom metal outfit, over the years they evolved into the ambient, progressive band they are today (Check out “The Optimist” if you haven’t already). Well this can also be said about today’s band; let me introduce you to MANES. Formed in Trondheim, Norway back in 1992, they were originally part of the 90’s black metal scene alongside the likes of SATYRICON and IMMORTAL but over the years they’ve toned down into what’s been described as a bastardisation of rock, electronica and progressive jazz. The last time we heard from them was back in 2011 with what WAS to be their final album; “Be All End All”…but 2018 sees them return with the brand new album “Slow Motion Death Sequence”. Available through Debemur Morti Productions from August 24th…lets check it out…

We open up with “Endetidstegn” which more or less translates as ‘end-time signs’ and thematically kicks off the start of this death sequence on a dark, apocalyptic note. It’s slow and dramatic with minimal electronica and percussion, with vocals soaked in melancholy, though it picks up with some intense, dramatic, looming power chords and double kick drums, and the track develops a serious sense of foreboding…this album isn’t going to be a walk in the park let me tell you…and if it were, it would be at night in the middle of The Purge whilst you’re stalked by sociopaths. “Scion” follows up and it’s more of the slow, cold synths, with vocalist Asgeir Hatlen here giving it an 80’s alternative indie vibe; however its slow tempo makes the track feel like it lasts an eternity, with the repetition not helping one iota.

The album overall is fairly consistent in tone and approach, rarely veering from its path but it does have its few interesting points; “Therapism” utilises a moody, almost darkwave inspired tone…the creeping electronica occasionally pierced by assertive guitars, the use of single chords is simple yet effective and though while it does have a feeling of gradual build it never really puts it’s foot down, while “Building The Ship Of Theseus” returns to that almost post-punk, alternative 80’s vibe, aesthetically in ways slotting in between the likes of  BAUHAUS and NICK CAVE…but sadly the rest of the record struggles to capture much attention. At seven and a half minutes, “Last Resort” sums itself up nicely, as a long-winded dreary acoustic-led piece and I really would only consider listening to this as a last resort…oh how I wished this was a PAPA ROACH cover...wouldn't that be fun...“Ater” then closes the album on what is essentially an avant-garde instrumental bar some minimal lyricism, and it’s a despairingly slow one at that, the last breath of this album escaping into the ether. Conceptually, as a listener I have to agree with the album’s title here because this truly is a slow motion death sequence…for generally it’s such a dull, miserable album…imagine yourself or, someone, anyone, in a time-lapse montage, just sat there, motionless, going from young adult, to being frail and elderly, before just succumbing to time and death itself; that’s what this album sounds like and it would perfectly accompany that montage in tone, for both conceptually are as equally sad and boring as the other. [3]

Back in 2005, a little know indie band by the name of EDITORS burst into the spotlight with their debut album “The Back Room” and it just the beginning of what was to become a new era in British guitar music. Artists such as STEREOPHONICS and OASIS were still riding high in the charts but there was fresh meat on the table and Birmingham’s Editors were among the new specials on the British scene. Ever since they’ve scored numerous number 1 albums and have gone multi-platinum, with their modern blend of indie and throwback post-punk a-la JOY DIVISION and ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN, and 2018 sees them return, wind-milling their way through a sea of mainstream mediocrity via album number six; “Violence”…let’s check it out…

The album opens up with “Cold” and we’re met with a slow, subdued introduction consisting of light, repeated keys and Tom Smith’s distinct deeply melodic vocals, extra layered piano and simple percussion take the song out of first gear but thematically it’s appropriately named; very mellow, speaking of loneliness in life’s bigger picture, time will be up for us all in the end, let’s be lonely together, ghost along in life…and there’s a beauty in his melancholy that once again they’ve perfected; a good start here. “Hallelujah (So Low)” picks up next and again we’re given a predominantly steady opening; continuing with more synth, coupled with a hushed delicacy to Tom’s vocal delivery…before gang-vocals lead into an eruption of hard-hitting riffs and crunching guitar. Very much a song of light and dark but it’s balanced brilliantly.

The title track maintains the consistency going forward with its laid back, ambient approach to electronic pop music and is easily an album highlight…a song of disparity, it highlights humanities struggle to coexist in ways, growing further apart, with lyrics like “The last train will pull you through, at night the war still comes to you, it makes it harder to join the dots, the river gets wider in front of us”…the violence itself referring to the state of the world, the track then culminating in a frenzied climax, summing up the growing tensions worldwide and it’s been wonderfully done. Further highlights include lead single “Magazine” which is full of hooks and emotive vocals, as well as some wonderfully gritty guitar segments resulting in a highly enjoyable listen overall.

At just nine tracks long, there’s very little room for negativity here which is something I wish more artists would embrace when compiling track listings for finished records, but if I had to pick anything to bring this album down, it would be “No Sound But The Wind”…a delicate piano ballad and in its own right, it’s a sweet, sombre listen…BUT…it’s a re-recorded track that was once used on the soundtrack to “Twilight: New Moon” and to that I say “FUCK THAT!”…I don’t want to promote any shiny, sparkly vampire shit here! Keeping within the same tone however, the album closes on “Belong” which acts as a wonderfully sad metaphor for hidden passion, burning within but private and secluded…locked within the four walls of your own skin; a constant struggle. Overall it is a very restrained album and has nothing in means of classics like “Blood” or “Munich” but Editors have proven that less can certainly mean more. Sometimes violence CAN be the answer apparently. [7]

As a music reviews blogger I’d like to say or at least think that I’m fairly open minded…I’ll cover the majority of genres, but one thing I have to address is my own potential false advertising. My whole tongue in cheek gimmick is that I’m a Gothic Chav; an abomination of dress sense and the self-proclaimed outcasts outcast…but truth be told, I sadly don’t really cover a great deal of Goth bands within these pages (As much as I’d like to at least) and I can’t say I’ve ever truly considered attempting to form words about a Ministry Of Sound compilation, so I need to fix one of the two…Goth it is then! With that said in all seriousness, let me introduce you to MGT…far from a new kid on the block, Mark Thwaite as his birth certificate states is a seasoned veteran when it comes to alternative/Gothic rock music…in the early 90’s he was a guitarist for THE MISSION but he’s also worked alongside legends such as GARY NUMAN and PETER MURPHY and he’s a respected name in post-punk…back in 2016 he released “Volumes”…a collection of songs with a variety of collaborations, most notably a brilliant cover of ABBA hit “Knowing Me, Knowing You” with Ville Valo of HIM…this year he returns with a much anticipated follow up entitled “Gemini Nyte”…is MGT the MVP? Let’s find out…

The album opens up with the lead single “All The Broken Things” and immediately we’re met with the classic guitar tones that defined the 80’s new-wave / post-punk movement…the gentle melody wrapped around a subtle melancholia that defined the era and laid the foundations for so many Gothic rock bands in the years that followed. Vocals are provided by Ashton Nyte of THE AWAKENING…returning from the last album but what’s different here is that he’s the sole collaborator, making this feel more like a complete album as oppose to a playlist. The continuity is most prominent on “The Reaping (Reprise)”…the song making a second appearance re-recorded but without feeling like lazy filler, it better suits this album stylistically and feels right at home here.

Elsewhere highlights include “Armageddon’s Sideshow” which again perfectly captures the emotions and memories of the likes of SISTERS OF MERCY, but with a modern twist; Ashton has an ideal baritone vocal that carries the despair that this genre so thrives upon, but the music is up-beat, lively and energetic, while by contrast, “Tear The Sun” has the same level of throwback nostalgia, but it’s a much slower, morose yet hypnotic piece, more akin to his time with The Mission…combining elements of alternative rock with shoegaze. What’s also a pleasant surprise is another cover…last time we had ABBA but here we go full synth-pop courtesy of THE HUMAN LEAGUE and their hit “Love Action (I Believe In Love)”…it stays loyal to the overall tone of the track and is delivered incredibly well but it adds enough grit and attitude to separate itself from the original. The album isn’t without its lesser moments however; as “Atlanta” comes across as pretty slow and repetitive, providing a dreary and boring listen sadly, while “Everything Undone”, utilises a 50/50 approach combining sultry DEPECHE MODE inspired electronica with surging GOTHMINISTER-esque guitars in the chorus…not awful per se just, indecisive. Overall the album is solid from start to finish, this sole-collaboration with Ashton gives the album a sense of completion instead of feeling like an experimental project and they work well together, this is nostalgic without feeling forced or cheap, with their passion for this genre worn proudly on their sleeves. If you feel at home at alternative club nights like Slimelight or Spellbound then I’m sure MGT will make it into your playlists with this album. [7]

I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now and, sometimes it’s nice to look back and see how you’ve progressed…it’s nice to remind yourself of some of the music you’ve covered; sometimes good…sometimes not so good…and sometimes I’ve questioned my own judgement, even my sanity. Back in 2014 for example I was tasked with reviewing a German duo by the name of JUNKSISTA…with influences ranging from LADY GAGA to NINE INCH NAILS I was naturally intrigued by the prospect of their then album “High Voltage Confessions” but merciful god were things about to get Nazi (Nasty…I made a Pun before you go all Alt-Right on my ass)…with songs about panties, whoopee cushions and I’m not even joking; twat punching…I was left mentally scarred. The group have recently gotten in touch with me once again and asked if I fancy round two…their new album “Promiscuous Tendencies” drops on February 9th…cue the Dad’s Army intro…let’s do this…

We open up with “Monday” and like the beginning of every week the prospect is a depressing one, especially knowing what preceded it last time round…musically it combines a dark pulsing techno with a trance inspired feel elevating the chorus and it’s got it’s hooks, it’s not a bad listen by any means musically but I can’t help but feel they dropped acid listening to THE BOOMTOWN RATS and thought “Yeah, fuck Mondays!”…never mind the Cleveland Elementary School shooting, Bob Geldof was referring to this song 40 years in advance! New single “Fuck For Love” is a considerably slower, more morose effort…an anti-ballad of sorts, it’s cold and synthetic and emphasises the juxtaposition of the title which works well given it’s more serious tone. Then we have “Ice Cream”…and given its suggestive lyricism and seductive approach I can’t imagine that this is a play on words promoting anything other than oral sex…do I ask Tonibell for a 69 or do I get a spit-roast from Ben & Jerry? I have too many options…

​One thing that I will say though…all jokes aside…this album is a remarkable improvement. “Control” for example utilises some infectious dance-pop qualities and has a good rhythm, while “Bitch This Is My Party” is rich in bubbly, light electronica which is undeniably enjoyable, but the real highlights come courtesy of “Monster” and “Freak At Heart”. The former, featuring LAYZEE, is a wonderfully catchy, disco inspired up-tempo piece with a strong DAFT PUNK influence, while the latter, a collaboration with EMKE is a brilliant slab of 80’s inspired synth-wave; it’s impossible to not appreciate this…and here I eat humble pie. When vocalist Diana emailed me I have to be totally honest, she called my bluff and I fell for it. I conditioned myself to expect the worst and mentally prepared myself for the impending cringe, but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The musical quality has never been in question, it was the last albums saving grace, it was the song content that really got under my skin…but here they’ve toned down the ridiculousness but managed to retain their core character and it’s paid off really rather well…a solid electronic album; even though I’ve been put off ice cream for the foreseeable future. [7]

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

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

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

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again…Klayton is a busy, busy man…seriously…the guy is like the bloody Energizer Bunny…over the last year alone he’s released three full studio albums by three different projects through FiXT…”Machines Of Our Disgrace” by the returning industrial metal monster CIRCLE OF DUST…he debuted SCANDROID and only earlier this year, released a brand new CELLDWELLER record…and that’s not counting his instrumental and remix releases! Yet, low and behold, like the true workaholic that he is, he’s back again to round off 2017 with “Monochrome”...returning under his Scandroid moniker, we find ourselves immersed once again in the soft, neon glow of 1980’s new-wave synth pop…conceptually set in a futuristic, cyberpunk-inspired Neo-Tokyo…let’s go back to the future to check it out…

We open up with “2518” and essentially it acts as a foreword, setting the tone, setting the scene for the album going forward…amidst slow, sweeping synths, we get echoed vocals, very mechanical and cold, talking of a conflict between man and machine, set in the year of the song title…this is very SkyNet…is John Connor safe? I digress…It gives us a brief yet interesting intro, actually having a plot, instead of the overdone, purely instrumental opening track…before we’re met with first song proper; “Afterglow” and what a way to get this album going…this is some seriously slick techno-pop, at its core inspired by the likes of NEW ORDER…the beats and rhythm are so infectious…looped, bubbly keys, it’s spacey…the slightest touch of electronic guitar adding extra substance but not detracting from the feel of the song, a brilliant throwback pop track this, superb. The fun doesn’t stop there however, oh no…”A Thousand Years” once again channels all of that 80’s influence through the likes of ULTRAVOX and DURAN DURAN…Klayton’s vocals are so smooth over this up-beat, percussive piece…it’s incredibly vibrant and catchy, the fade out works well and it’s simply a wonderfully retro track, really well done, likewise with “The Veil”….again utilising more guitar, it’s got a feeling of A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS to it and it’s a brilliant piece of alt. pop, Klayton is on top form here it has to be said.

The fun doesn’t stop there either…as fairly early on we’re treated to an incredibly brave cover…”Thriller” by MICHAEL JACKSON…but in all fairness it’s done a level of justice here that has to be appreciated…while it IS missing the legendary Vincent Price monologue, the intro here instead is more befitting of an 80’s slasher flick…remember when Friday The 13th Part 3 had that funky disco/synth intro? More akin to that…it’s a classic and few can match the pop credentials of Jackson but this is done well overall…and while on the topic of pop-culture, he’s only gone and included a synth cover of “The Force Theme” from STAR WARS too…the iconic film score gets a new lease of life and it sounds so lively but no less dramatic, your inner nerd will want to swing your lightsaber to your heart’s content, and that’s not a metaphor I promise! There are other instrumentals here such as “Oblivia” and “Searching For A Lost Horizon” but they can’t match this by default…essentially what we have here, is Klayton taking all that was good from the debut and giving it an upgrade…it’s odd that an album with such vibrancy and character would be called monochrome…while yes, it is of one style and era, it’s such a colourful genre to begin with, this record is full of life, it's brilliant...mark my words, we’ll still be listening to this in the year 2518…[8]

Let’s take a minute to talk about taste…everyone has taste in something. Sometimes you question it and say someone has “bad taste”…be it in clothes or films or food or music…but it’s human, we’re all different, if we all liked the same things, we’d be boring or, I’d imagine it’s what it’s like living in North Korea…I digress, anyway,  you’ll never find me wearing tracksuit bottoms for example or, you won’t find me watching romantic comedies, or, you won’t find me ever enjoying R’n’B…it’s not in my taste! I hate them! But that’s OK! However, when someone comes along and shares the same interests and tastes as you, you become one of The Inbetweeners…”Ooh Friend!”… This happened very recently with regards to a band from Warsaw, Poland, who emailed me their new EP; “Eternal Hunger”…the band, who formed in 2014, is called THE POISONED HEARTS and they are the culmination of all things I love in music. Their name is derived from THE RAMONES track “Poison Heart”…and their influences include SISTERS OF MERCY…JOY DIVISION…THE CURE…all of the original alt. bands that paved the way for goth rock as we know it…misery loves company as they say, so let’s check it out! Ooh friend!

We open up with “The Ancient One” and we’re greeted with a very soft, delicate guitar tone with some ever so slightly darker underlying bass-driven synths…it’s incredibly simplistic and carries a really good, catchy hook, harking back to those early days of new wave alternative pop, vocally, Lukasz Boldyn delivers a brilliant performance channeling the likes of Andrew Eldritch and Jyrki Linnankivi…it captures the tone of the era and the humble beginnings of the genre perfectly, this is both nostalgic and refreshing, a good start. Following on from here we have the first of two covers and oh boy have they picked a classic…everyone knows the emotional story of Ian Curtis, one of rock ‘n’ rolls saddest chapters, immortalised in the posthumous Joy Division hit “Love Will Tear Us Apart”…here they’ve taken the iconic song and stripped it back, making it a little darker, a little grittier but it’s lost none of its melancholic charm…as soon as you hear that riff, you can’t help but feel happy and sad at the same time and they’ve done it justice here, beautiful.

The second cover is “Alice” by goth-rock godfathers Sisters Of Mercy…it’s not one of their bigger hits but here the band have perfectly paid homage to the retro charm of those early forays into alt. rock, the production quality is incredibly precise; it’s so nostalgic, it feels like you actually have been transported to the 80’s, and here Lukasz voice is perfect, absolutely spot on for this, it’s brilliant. The remaining two original tracks “When The Dawn Is Coming” and “Deadline”, despite being good themselves are always going to live in the shadows of the aforementioned…the former carrying a lighter, positive tone, having a soothing feeling, whereas the latter, with its slower, more morose delivery is probably the weakest track on the EP. However, overall, there’s nothing here you can really complain about…if you’re a fan of old-school alternative rock and have missed the youthful post-punk heyday’s of your upbringing, TPH will provide you with a quality blast from the past, for this truly sounds like the real deal…go on…get your goth on. [8]