OK so, back in May I debuted a new blog feature which I dubbed the "Unlucky Dip", where I take a break from reviewing full length albums and EP's, to give the singles a chance. It not only allows me to cover a wider variety of artists and genres in one swoop, but it reminds me of albums that will be coming out, and helps me clear more of my never ending barrage of emails. Last time around I was a little mean to one or two of the artists, but as I did point out, this feature IS a sort of cross between speed dating and a comedy roast. Luckily for these seven new artists I generally like all of the tracks I'm about to talk about, which is rare...unluckily for you however this may not be as much of an enjoyable read as the last one! Anyway, with that said, let's get into some music.

I'd like to kick things off with some genuine positivity and excitement. THE SOUNDS are one of the bands I can thank Bam Margera for getting me into way back in the day, and while I was happy to have them back with their EP "The Tales That We Tell" in 2017, we haven't had a full album from Maja and co in seven years!

"Safe And Sound" is the latest single, taken from the highly anticipated new album "Things We Do For Love", which drops June 12th. Originally planned for a May release but put back due to Covid-19, their blend of lightly electronic tinged indie rock 'n' roll sounds as distinct and fresh as ever here...I guess you could say they haven't missed a Tony the beat! I'm very much looking forward to this album and you can expect to find it in my end of year lists for sure.

This one was a submission from the people over at Pop Rush Music and as far as I can tell, this is a stand alone single, as there's been no mention to me of any releases to follow this up. The single in question; "Hunters & Wolves" is by an artist by the name of JORDAN LAKE. Not to be confused with the reservoir, Jordan was born in North Carolina and found his love for singing very early on.

At the age of 4 he became a church singer at his local parish and has had a passion for performing ever since. Now older and having relocated to the West coast, Jordan is writing mature, soulful and emotive pop music that in it's own ways bridges the likes of ADAM LAMBERT with RAG 'N' BONE MAN. Listen below and let me know what you think!

Well..this escalated quickly! GAEREA are a self-confessed cathartic black metal outfit from Portugal, and they were brought to my attention by the folk over at Season Of Mist. 

"Null" is the first track to be taken off their up-coming third album "Limbo" which is released on July 24th and if this track is anything to go by, the six-track 50-minute album is going to be one hell of a journey. There are European tour plans in place for the beginning of 2021, though they are scheduled to play a UK exclusive show in London on October 31st at the Nabucca, which you may want to keep an eye on if you're a fan of black and death metal, as it's part of the Subterranean Manifestation II line-up. Hopefully it goes ahead, and I'll say it again...fuck Covid-19.

This one is arguably the weakest of the seven tracks I'm going through today but that's purely on account the other 6 tracks, as this is still a fun little single and I'm actually not trying to be mean for once. 360 PHOENIX FLIP is the new (Albeit convoluted) moniker by which Mark Lovett now goes by.

Combining his love of skate-punk and artists such as NOFX and RUFIO, with his already experienced background in song production and EDM, he brings us his debut single "Pyromaniac" and the best way to describe it I believe would be, somewhere between OWL CITY and REGGIE & THE FULL EFFECT. Make of that what you will, but I like this and I look forward to what else he has in store. Maybe you'll find him in the new Tony Hawk remastered game soundtrack? At this time of writing I have no links to share with you, as the SoundCloud link was private...sorry.

Now this...this one is fucking bold. GHOST, who you may be familiar with as arguably the biggest rising metal / alternative rock band on the planet, helped cement their status with the song "Square Hammer" from the "Popestar" EP. BEFORE SUNDAY, are a London based duo who have only recently released their debut EP, yet here we find them covering Ghost...and the track isn't even a part of their EP!

Yes thanks to Angels PR, the duo have been in touch with label-mate Marianna from PROJECT RENEGADE and other talented musician friends, to collaborate on this lock-down cover. To be fair, instrumentally at least, they've done the song justice as it barely strays from the original in tone, it's quite a by numbers cover, but naturally they aren't replacing Tobias on vocals, so that's where they differ, although they've stayed true to the original video too in their own ways, taking limitations into account. It's a brave cover, but no real complaints for execution. 

In case you're wondering why there is no art work for this single, it's because the band didn't supply any jpeg files of the artwork. Plenty of photo's of the band, sure, but none of the artwork. The image included in their press kit isn't usable sadly as I was unable to separate and save it to file. Could I message them and ask for a jpeg of the image? I could, of course I could...but it's really not worth the effort.

Anyway, JULIPER SKY are an up-and-coming indie-pop outfit based out of Manchester, UK, and having already released their debut EP this year entitled "Visions Of A New Age", they continue to release separate singles. Opinions vary as to how effective and efficient this is from a marketing stand point...on one hand you can keep fresh content coming and keep up the exposure and relevance...on the other hand, and this is something I believe personally, is that it's annoying and I'd rather you just keep the material for the 2nd EP...let's be honest most of the tracks are going to end up on the debut album anyway, so many artists do it, and I just find it all pointless myself. I digress..."Afterglow" is the kind of light pop-based indie that might appeal to fans of BLOSSOMS for example. You'll have to take my word for it though as again, it comes out on June 26th, and I have no Bandcamp, Spotify or Youtube links to share with you. I might review the EP, give you a better idea.

Today then we finish up on this absolute gem, and another genuine bit of excitement. MUSHROOMHEAD have been going damn near thirty years now and having gone through a couple of line-up changes, they still have an incredibly prolific yet criminally underrated back catalog of albums. 

Having always faced criticism for being SLIPKNOT knock-offs, they never hit the heights they deserved to, but hopefully that will change on their upcoming new album "A Wonderful Life"; their first since 2014! The latest single promoting the album; "The Heresy" see's the real debut of new full time vocalist Ms. Jackie, as well a returning J Mann to bring some welcome nostalgia and heritage to their sound. The clean female vocals add a new dynamic which works really with their heavy, dystopian, underground progressive grunge metal style, and the political message of the single simply adds relevance. I cannot wait for this album, which comes out June 19th via Napalm Records.

​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]

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]

As it currently stands, we live in a time where our more Westernised society is, for want of a better description; all over the fucking place.  While culturally we’re (For the most part) all steadily becoming more and more open-minded and understanding, of the ever expanding perception of normality, there are still people who may get, ‘triggered’ as you may say, by certain topics and buzz-words. Some of the most common are generally simple things like veganism which, ironically, causes a lot of beef between some people…then there are prejudices and confusion surrounding the ever growing list of sexualities and gender fluid identities. Seriously now they’re giving rock and metal sub-genres a run for their money in volume and I just don’t have the appropriate graphs to go into that right now. Then there’s feminism…

Let’s be honest, it’s 2019 and the very fact feminism is still such a strong word speaks for itself. The inconsistencies regarding equality (Or lack thereof) can still be beyond laughable, covering everything from salary to bloody abortion rights! Well today’s band are proud and passionate to provide a voice for the cause, exuding a positive feminist vibe; let me introduce you to HANDS OFF GRETEL. The four-piece (Consisting of vocalist/guitarist Lauren Tate, guitarist Sean Bon, bassist Becky Baldwin and drummer Sam Hobbins) formed in South Yorkshire in 2015, and with influences including JACK OFF JILL, HOLE and THE DISTILLERS it’s easy to see where they blend punk and emancipation. They recently released their brand new album “I Want The World”…but where’s the equality in that? Let’s find out…

Opening track “Kiss Me Girl” gets the record off to a roaring start with an up-tempo flurry of punk-rock, laced with lashings of attitude and a tongue-in-cheek sense of taboo; it’s very Brody Dalle. The track explores female sexuality within same-sex relationships, with lyrics like “Have you never kissed a girl before?” and “What’s wrong just feels so right” entwined within a narrative of naughty excitement. Tate delivers the track with a brilliant sense of sarcasm and it kicks things off wonderfully. The first half of the album as a whole in fact doesn’t miss a beat and really we’re treated a solid run of tracks from the word go…”S.A.S.S” continues with its sense of female empowerment by taking a swipe at misogyny with an assertive hard rock number, balanced with subtle layers of funk, something which fans of SUMO CYCO would appreciate for sure. “Big Boy” is another up-tempo piece with a solid rock ‘n’ roll rhythm and more than a sprinkling of innuendo. Very lyrically suggestive, Tate is clearly having fun here and resonates through the track.

If you fancy something a little less intense however the album houses further gems such as the wonderfully infectious “Alien”…vocally not as fervent; there’s a predominantly more funk-pop aesthetic here with a cleaner sound and a more polished, commercial production value…this one would easily entertain fans of NO DOUBT / GWEN STEFANI and it’s got a brilliant climactic flurry. The album does run out of a little steam as it reaches its final moments however with a couple of less inspired cuts not quite on par with the aforementioned. “Milk” for example carries a strong grunge influence and as a result it’s a lot deeper, but at the same time more sluggish; sadly a boring listen, before “My Friend Said” then despite being a generally jovial little track becomes pretty stale and repetitive very quickly…I guess you could say it’s lyrically la-la-la lalalalalala-lazy? Aside from those hiccups it’s safe to say that this is, overall, a very strong and entertaining album. The punk elements where needed are raw and confrontational to aid the subject matter well, allowing Tate to get her message across in an epigrammatic fashion, while the more pop-driven segments allow for a genuinely infectious listen. They may want the world, but you may want to just give this album a listen, and very much get your hands ON Gretel…with consent though, naturally. [8]

Many reviews and, not just ones I’ve shared here, highlight some bands and genres by the evolution of certain scenes for example, like a specific style in or around a localised area of the world; such as the thrash metal boom of the Bay Area, San Francisco, or say, the grime movement in London…but if I were to ask you to name me the first band that comes to mind when you think about Omaha, Nebraska…the majority of you are going be double checking where the fuck Omaha even is let alone have quick fire knowledge of it’s clearly thriving music scene!

Don’t get me wrong, Omaha’s got its fair share of famous names and faces, ranging from Marlon Brando to Fred Astaire but it’s not got a rich history in alternative rock music by any means. Sure there are some bands you MAY have heard of at some point, such as 311, THE FAINT or THROUGH FIRE, but they’re hardly household names now are they? Well, to be perfectly honest, neither are today’s band…not by a long shot. Allow me to introduce to you, THE SCABBY GHOULS.

A relatively new outfit; the four-piece (Consisting of vocalist/guitarist Denise Hazard, lead guitarist Louie Hazard, bassist Alex Steffens and drummer Nathan Christensen) specialise in all-things that are horror punk, and while they’ve already supported the likes of DOYLE, their style is more akin to the cheesy entertainment of classic B-Movie horror, as opposed to the more serious sound of say THE MISFITS or early AFI. 2019 finds them releasing their debut self-titled mini-album…so let’s pick at this scab and see what oozes out of it shall we?

We open up with “Body Surfin’” and we’re immediately met with some deep bass-driven rock with an initially spoken word approach, before the frenetic punk aesthetics kick in. It goes from a weird combination of BOBBY PICKETT and THE B-52’s into some modern SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES type of darkened proto-punk amalgamation. The title track backs this up further especially with the vocal performance during the near spoken-word chorus, delivering that classic spooky vibrato, though instrumentally heavier in places allowing for more of a Misfits influence to shine through.

Speaking of musical influences, a band that gets nowhere near enough credit in female punk rock is TSUNAMI BOMB and there are moments of their influence dotted throughout this album, especially their earlier works such as “The Invasion From Within” EP; Emily Whitehurst (Or Agent M as she was known) deserves more recognition as a voice in modern punk rock, and there are subtle nods to her sprinkled over this record.

As is expected with this genre this is all over and done with in a relatively short period of time, with the seven tracks presented here clocking in at just under twenty minutes, but they’ve left some gems for last it has to be said. “Road Ragin’” is a wonderfully relatable, up-tempo slab of fun, simple punk rock. The typically common / everyday situations of rushing around early in the morning, late to be where you need to be, can’t find your keys, can’t find your right clothes, hampered by slow elderly drivers; it’s a wonderfully basic concept but delivered with the right balance of frustration and comedic charm, before we round things up with “Knife Fight”. Another pacey dose of frantic punk rock; the rhythm and hook of the chorus is simply infectious, and though the brief psychotic wailing's of the guitar come across as spasmodic, it’s still a fine climax.

While creatively and stylistically they aren’t as volatile as MURDERDOLLS for example, and nowhere near the bleak, black sense of humour of early TYPE-O-NEGATIVE, but they do have a certain quirkiness to them, which should appeal to a variety of post-punks, alt. rockers and Goth’s alike. There wasn’t a LOT of horror presented here truthfully, other than some zombies and a pun-heavy ‘Nightmare On Elm Street number’, but its early days yet for these Nebraska new-comers…just keep picking at that scab; their nostalgic blend of rock and cartoonish retro horror themes will bleed out eventually. [5]

Back in the early 2000’s, Matt Willis, Charlie Simpson and James Bourne or, BUSTED as they were collectively known, were on top of the world. The Essex-based pop-punk trio found themselves all over the charts with two consecutively successful albums, which spawned hit singles about sexual exploits with air hostesses, hitting on your great, great, great granddaughter in the future and, oh yeah; the Thunderbirds. But, while many rock and metal fans viewed them as immature and commercial tripe, it can’t be denied that they were a gateway for many younger fans into guitar based rock music…something which would ultimately disband them.

Charlie made no efforts to hide the fact he really preferred harder, grittier rock music, and eventually he found himself leaving Busted to go his own way with FIGHTSTAR, who to their credit more than held their own on the UK alternative scene. This was in 2005, and while Charlie was opening up pits at underground rock venues…Matt became the king of the jungle and dropped an honestly really good solo album, while James took all of the knob jokes ever written with SON OF DORK (Dork being a slang term for penis, as well as being a socially inept person…he was just one big socially inept penis). However, as the saying goes; never say never, and it would only be a matter of time before there would be a reunion…granted it would take eleven years, but the boys in Busted returned in 2016 with the album “Night Driver”. Adopting a more mature musical approach, it wasn’t QUITE like having Busted back as we remembered them, but, hopefully they can make up for that on “Half Way There”, their brand new album for 2019. The question is; where are they heading?

We open up with “Nineties” and thematically at least it sets the tone for the entire record; this is an album of deep reflection, of reminiscing and truthfully it’s really touching and relatable. Singing of fond memories; they mention ditching school and listening to SMASHING PUMPKINS and playing guitar to OASIS…even transitioning from NIRVANA into a ‘na-nana-na-nana” vocal pre-chorus. For many in their age group it hits home and makes you think how times have changed, and it’s a sweet, nostalgic track. Speaking of, “Nostalgia” sums things up wonderfully…with its up-beat, positive guitar tones and subtle FOO FIGHTERS vibe this questions their very ethos…lyrics like “Do I even want you back?” seemingly questioning their very existence as a band, in a self-aware manner that is, given the period of absence, why risk tarnishing their legacy? Why risk it all for a cash-grab per se? Also in a seemingly apropos manner its Charlie repeating the line “I was doing just fine”…as if to suggest did this NEED to happen at all? This is deep stuff given the joviality of the track itself, but brilliantly executed.

The theme continues with the likes of “Reunion” which is another album highlight and more of the recognisable up-beat guitar driven pop…and really it’s quite passive-aggressive in ways. Masked under a school reunion shtick, they subtly hint at how things have turned out and how things may or may not have happened differently and there’s traces of melancholia layered within another entertaining pop-rock track; to be fair their song-writing is on point.  “All My Friends” takes on a similar approach showcasing the differentiation between us and them, taken in context over the years and how they have grown as people, and in ways the title track speaking of being halfway to obscurity, hinting at the flame only burning for so long, before “It Happens” takes you on another nostalgic journey going over the lads background and how you should never give up on your dreams…their hard work and success story laid bare to inspire future musicians to carry the torch so to speak, ending the album on a wonderfully poignant note.

To be fair, Busted were never renowned for being poets or philosophical from a musical or even lyrical perspective, but in their later years it’s clear they are very self-aware and recognise that times have changed. Despite being a new, fresh album, the feeling is very much one of remembrance and former glories. That’s not to say that any of this new material is irrelevant by any means, they’ve touched on a lot of deep personal issues here…the real question is does it even matter in this day and age? The answer is yes…if Busted were to truly call it a day following this, there would be absolutely no complaints and that’s not a derogatory comment. They’ve been there, they played the arena’s, they sold the albums, they made it…but they changed as people…and while looking back may make you proud of certain accomplishments, it shouldn’t define them.  Nostalgia is one thing, but credibility is more important, and I think, given the vibe from this album, it’s something Busted recognise. Does it have the hits of their early years? No…does the album however capture everything it needs to, to provide closure? Absofuckinglutely. If this is Busted’s swan-song, then credit to them, what a way to go out, this is a really well executed album.  It might be called “Half Way There”, but I think Busted have come full circle, and they can go out with their heads held high. [8]

As February 8th 2019 was officially Dydd Miwsig Cymru, or, Welsh Language Music Day for those of you requiring English...I thought that I'd go local for this next installment of My Wreckord Collection. Today we catch up with one Mr Zac Mather, drummer of Pontypridd-based alternative rockers CHROMA. The currently unsigned trio have been making a name for themselves in and around Wales' live music scene since their debut self-titled EP, and continue to come on leaps and bounds through their work with Horizons, even garnering accolades at the Cardiff Music Awards. Here, Zac gives us a quick run down of five albums that helped shaped him as a person and a musician today....

There have been a few times where, while talking about musical backgrounds, I’ve referred to areas and places that seem to just, almost mass produce a certain level of quality, relevant artists over time…like, Birmingham in the UK for example. Today however we’re not going to be examining any parts of the UK, as instead we’ll be jumping across the pond to the US and focusing our attention on Detroit, Michigan. Going as far back to the 50’s and 60’s and the likes of MC5, THE SUPREMES and STEVIE WONDER…all the way up to more modern successes like EMINEM and THE WHITE STRIPES, Detroit has always had its finger on the pulse when it comes to music, and today's band want to include themselves on that list…let me introduce you to FLOAT HERE FOREVER.

The three-piece (Consisting of vocalist/guitarist Darrell Bazian, drummer Nick Marko and vocalist / bassist Samantha Easterbrook) initially came to light in 2016 with their debut EP “The Owl”, which was then swiftly followed up by the “Inexhaustible” EP just a year later. Fast forward to the present though, and the band aim to see-in 2019 in style, having released their debut full-length album on January 1st. Samantha sent me an email kindly requesting me to review it, so, let’s press play and together we shall all “Tour The Ruins”…

We open up with the track “Cars Crashing” and hopefully this doesn’t sum up our imminent listening experience…the deep, fuzzy riffs and coarse vocals, coupled with the up-tempo delivery and off-kilter breakdowns gives this an overall, punk-inspired post-rock feel. The dual male / female vocals providing additional depth and variety too and it’s a pretty decent start it has to be said. I wouldn’t go as far as a car crash though; this is at the very most just, clipping a wing mirror. “Wasps” is up next and here musically they’ve gone for a similar approach, with the energetic, up-tempo, angst ridden pop punk tone, though turning ever so slightly prog-based as the track meanders into a purely instrumental second half climax. It’s the punk aspects that truly comprise the albums meat and veg however, as it’s made up of multiple short, sharp doses opposed to more elaborately structured songs.

​The raw vocal approach to “California’s Burning” allows it’s frustrations and sentiments to shine through the tinny guitar, despite the mostly repetitive lyrics. In many ways it reflects many of the victims of the devastating fires in 2018, like, what can you really say? Such was the magnitude of the blaze. While we’re on the topic, “Quick Burn Fire” offers the listener a truly infectious chorus hook, with Samantha taking over lead vocal duty, allowing for a lot more melody, with the guitars too sounding cleaner and clearer. Further album highlight “Gradients” turns the distortion up again and really gives us a riff-heavy barrage of thick guitars and muzzled vocals, in many ways harking back to early CKY, while “Pilot” has this, happy-go-lucky indie rock ‘n’ roll vibe, providing a fun, up-beat listen.

There are a couple of off moments over the course of the 14 tracks however…”Addax”; a sombre little instrumental primarily consisting of ambient guitars, fades into nothing without the slightest of points, and it’s named after a large North African antelope…making all of the sense. “Plasmodium” being another one…insect bacteria apparently, but sounds all soft and quaint…because nothing says beautiful like malaria right? The rest of the album just consists of the same, brief punk-based indie rock, and while musically enjoyable, nothing REALLY grabs your attention. The 30 minute play time doesn’t allow you to connect with the songs, resulting in no more than a collection of somewhat entertaining, albeit short, generic tracks. Float here forever? I can already do that with Pennywise thank you, and he has balloons too. [5]

“Lifestyles of the rich and the famous, they’re always complainin’, ALWAYS complainin’”…oh such was the folly of youth in 2002, when a young  and hopeless pop-punk band by the name of GOOD CHARLOTTE, was suggesting robbing peoples mansions to give them something to complain about. Fast forward several years however, and this same band (Now rich, famous, multi-platinum selling artists themselves ironically enough) was complaining that they felt the music industry was trying to control their image and ideas, so needed to go on hiatus…boo-fucking-hoo you might say…pot calling the kettle black much? Regardless of how you look at it, there was indeed a period of silence between their 2010 album “Cardiology” and their comeback album “Youth Authority” in 2016 and individual circumstances aside; it was an interesting concept having Good Charlotte back in any capacity…

A lot had changed musically in those six years…gone were the days of their emo-inspired alternative pop-punk, that ship had sailed and the genre itself had been scaled down to little more than a meme to some people, so where did the Maryland rockers fit in? They still retained their trademark alternative core sound, but they had further embraced more of that pop-based production value; less angst, more musical maturity but frankly, despite the long gap, the albums reception was underwhelming if anything…2018 sees them look to put that behind them however with the cobwebs now dusted off, and they found themselves itching to get back into the studio. The result? “Generation Rx”…let’s check it out.

The album opens up with the title track and at this point I must point out that the Rx is a nod to the opioid crisis in the US; it’s a medical term associated with prescription drugs and suggestively a great start; are drugs a prerequisite to find enjoyment in this album? Luckily no, but it does give in an indication of the socio-political elements fueling the direction of the record. Essentially a glorified intro track, it’s very minimal with gradual piano, vocal harmonies and overall hushed tone, lyrically referring to the void that is prescription medication; a black hole of addiction that’s there in front of you, yet so difficult to see and ultimately avoid. First track proper then “Self Help” transitions in smoothly, continuing this narrative and begins what is arguably now just an 8-track mini-album. With its scorching vocal opening it takes things up several notches with it’s intense, up-tempo kick start, and it’s got a pretty infectious hook too…couple that with an enjoyable, no-nonsense riff approach, this is some decent alt. rock and much better.

Given the fact that they’ve opted for an almost less-is-more approach to this record, the highlight’s here give the album a genuine sense of solid consistency it has to be said…”Shadowboxer” has a simple but effective groove carrying another strong, melodic chorus leading up to an almost anthemic climax, before “Actual Pain” delivers an actual potential hit. Utilising more synth-pop elements in places, gang vocals and harmonies it’s no wonder this was the lead single, great stuff this. Elsewhere tracks such as “Better Demons”, with its opening monologue and underlying nihilism reflects the darkness sewn throughout the album but again it’s delivered with some great hooks, while we’re treated to a surprise collaboration with ARCHITECTS own Sam Carter on the track “Leeches” which adds additional weight and depth.

Despite all these positives there’s always room for less impressive offerings even on shorter track lists and here, they come in the form of “Cold Song”, which is just a slower guitar ballad which would have been better suited to like, NICKELBACK or even COLDPLAY…hell the chorus could even pass for a WESTLIFE track…Jesus…before closing track “California (The Way I Say I Love You)” very nearly goes down a similar path, and I’m surprised to know that this wasn’t written by Anthony Kiedis! I jest…real talk though, drop those and maybe the intro and this could go from a decent album to a strong EP! Ultimately Good Charlotte are still tweaking things musically and still gone are the days of their bombastic eye-liner clad punk vigour, but here they still manage to entertain for the most part. I’d avoid getting the prescription though, paracetamol are only 20p a pack in Wilko you tight bastard… [7]

I mentioned in my last post that I’d been contacted by a Stencil Magazine representative by the name of Andrew, and that he’d forwarded me a list of bands to check out. What struck me as interesting when I went through the list was that, despite being a UK based PR, the bands not only represented a wide variety of genres but a pretty varied range of nationalities too! Last time we found ourselves over in the US for a band called RUSTY SHIPP, this time we’re still across the pond but moving further north into Canada; allow me to introduce you SOUND DROWN. They too formed in 2014 after founding member Brandon Wiseman (Bass/lead vocals) went through a sort of, recruitment process for the songs he’d written, eventually settling on Drew Neathway (Drums), Nick Ryan (Lead guitar/vocals) and Justin Goss (Guitar/vocals). Initially a covers band while they found their feet, they soon began work on Wiseman’s material and back last year they released their debut EP; “Dino Droppings”…in memory of the late, great Ryan Dunn…let’s go poo diving…

We get the EP underway with “Living Song” and for all intents and purposes it’s a motivational speech; stand up and follow your dreams, live a little, don’t waste opportunities etc. The opening guitar tone is very much up-beat and firmly embedded within a pop-rock pigeonhole, with its melodic structure, but there also subtle breakdowns backing the track giving it an ever so slightly heavier edge, though its climax has a feeling of, they didn’t actually know how to round it up…it just plays on awkwardly, bringing it down ever so slightly. “(Bittersweet) Fault Line” follows up and again we’re met with that standard alternative pop-punk vibe, think NEW FOUND GLORY etc., it’s very much by numbers here in terms of tone and structure, not to say that it’s unpleasant by any means but, it is what it is. An interesting geographical take on relationships, likening the fragility and temperamental aspects of love to earthquakes…it’s…different.

The title track, the shortest piece here is an intense flurry of punk rock that’s best described as finding itself somewhere between BAD RELIGION and NOFX…it’s short and sharp and the solo is pretty damn infectious too by all accounts despite its blink and you’ll miss it feel; it’s fun and frankly you wish there were more of it! Speaking of fun…”M.E.G.I.A.L” is up next and initially you just know it stands for something but dread to think what…so when it turns out to mean “My ex-girlfriend is a lesbian” your inner-child can’t help but chuckle. The track itself is an acoustic gem and easily the EP’s highlight, you want to feel sorry for him but, really you have to point and laugh when he says “She took off with a she-Hulk”, it’s very self-depreciating, especially the line about the strap-on...absolutely brilliant. There’s no sympathy here really, no matter how unconventionally pretty the she-Hulk may or not be. The remaining tracks “Runaway” and “That One Song” are fine; the former returning to their pacey pop-punk formula, the latter having more of a progressive shoe-gaze tone to close the EP in dramatic fashion, but let’s be honest we’re still recovering from the she-Hulk…they peaked early I’m sorry. Pop-punk fans should embrace these as ones to watch as they have plenty of potential, but even in these formative years they’re clearly able to expand into other genres without creating a mess. They’d be more than welcome at SlamDunk, and someone should make that happen. [7]

As you’re probably familiar by now, I’ve credited a lot of my musical taste to one Mr BAM MARGERA, having discovered several of my favourite bands thanks to his compilation albums and personal choices for soundtracks (The CKY series, “Haggard”, “Viva La Bam” etc.) and one such band are Germany’s favourite alternative melodic punks BEATSTEAKS…with a brand new record released earlier this year, I was lucky enough to catch up with drummer Thomas Götz for a quick chat about the record, touring and an insight into German punk…here’s how it went down.

“I’d like to start off by saying Congratulations! You’ve just recently released your brand new album; “Yours”, twenty years after your debut…did you ever see yourselves getting this far back in the mid-nineties?”

TG: “Never…I never have seen myself going anywhere and I am really glad for spending the last 18 years with the band. I had the chance to see really beautiful places and travel through Germany, Europe and even America with the band. And I am very proud that I was finally able to avoid real work and spend my time playing music for such a long time!”

“When people think of German music, initially, a lot of people make the connection with metal; bands like RAMMSTEIN, SCORPIONS and HELLOWEEN etc…very few people automatically associate Germany with punk rock in any capacity. What inspired you to go in that direction and what’s Germany’s punk scene like?”

TG: “I think that Germany has a very vital punk scene and always had. For me it started all when bands like EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN, ABWÄRTS, DER PLAN, DIE TÖDLICHE DORIS entered the scene in the 80's and brought really innovative music to the table….back then people said it’s just noise - not even music. But these bands opened the doors for so much other bands - they were like pioneers….and nowadays bands like PISSE, KARIES, HUMAN ABFALL, GEWALT, TURBOSTAAT, DIE NERVEN, LEVIN GOES LIGHTLY, WOLF MOUNTAIN and others  reap what’s been sowed back then. We as a band are somewhere in between…too melodic for real punks….too punk for mainstream pop….too much guitar for young kids….we love DEPECHE MODE, Hip Hop, AC/DC and all kinds of music…so we are not considered as strict punks….we  just play some kind of pop music or at least something that we think of as pop music.”

“Coming back to “Yours”, it’s another batch of great songs in your ever reliable repertoire, tracks like “You In Your Memories” and “Fever” in particular stand out for me…what can you tell us about the album? What’s the inspiration and story behind it? Having recently listened to it, it’s worth noting that its 21 tracks long, which in most cases is a lot for any album, was that always going to be the case? The writing process was evidently very fruitful…”

TG: “We wanted to make an album as diverse as possible….not our usual 11 song album 32 minutes long that we normally make but an album with a wider variety….not everybody in the band has to love every song as much as another…as long as everyone enjoys contributing to the songs….that was somehow the bottom line of the album….and every time we felt clueless and didn’t know what to do….we just asked friends that we met along the way in our career to help us with the particular song…we asked JAMIE T for help with the song "HATE TO LOVE" and he wrote us a wonderful bridge and lyrics. We asked CHAD PRICE of the band ALL to help us out with the singing because we thought that’s the voice we want to hear on "YOU IN YOUR MEMORIES". FARIN URLAUB of the band DIE ÄRTZTE wrote lyrics for "ABBA DU"….the hip-hop band DEICHKIND wrote lyrics for "L AUF DER STIRN" and sang on it…FRANCOISE CACTUS wrote the lyrics for "VELOSOLEX"….so finally we had our first French song… BREZEL GÖRING of STEREO TOTAL produced two songs on our record…..then there was STEPHEN STREET who helped us with producing and mixing of the album and so on….every time we asked for help we got help and so it was a great experience to work on this album and besides the fun we learned a lot…we had a lot of songs in store and this time we didn’t strip down and made no selection of songs worth to work on….we just worked on every idea that was on the table and we succeeded almost every time but in three cases where we just couldn’t finish the ideas……”

“Another talking point would be those collaborations themselves…it’s not something you’ve done a lot of on past records but here there are several, with tracks featuring the wide variety you just mentioned…how did these come about during writing? Did you seek them out specifically?”

TG: “Jamie T. did a show in Berlin while we recorded so Arnim and me went to the show and Arnim went backstage to ask him if he could imagine to help us out which he said was no problem…..a few weeks later he sent us his ideas and we loved it…..I met BREZEL GÖRING and FRANCOISE CACTUS during a Radio session that I did with STEREO TOTAL for the Berlin based station RADIOEINS….a few months later I called them because we had this demo that cried for French lyrics and also would be perfect with her voice….and she didn’t hesitate - she listened to the song and asked for a theme to write about…BREZEL suggested something with motor scooters and Ii suggested something light and something anti right wing…she came up with the story of an ex lover trying to make up for his bad behaviour….trying to reach his ex girl living in Aix and on his way he meets Brigitte Bardot to tell BB that she’s a cunt….”

“Collaborations are everywhere in the charts these days, especially in pop, rap and R'n'B based genre's...are there any artists you'd love to work with that you've not had a chance to?”

TG: “BEASTIE BOYS, TY SEGALL, TOPPER HEADON, PAUL SIMENON, MICK JONES, TONY ALLEN, FRANK OCEAN, LIGHTENING BOLT…..all in all ….too much to mention…”

“Coming back to the new record, you’ve just completed a tour promoting the album, primarily within Germany but a couple of shows around Europe including a date in London, how was the tour for you? How has the reaction been to “Yours” in general?”

TG: “We had a great time including an amazing evening at the KOKO in London…we got along really good, the audiences were great and we’d love to come back to England as soon as possible to continue with our tour. The reaction to the new material was good and it’s getting better all the time! I guess we will have a lot of fun during the next year with this album.”

“What’s next for Beatsteaks in the new year? Is there going to be more extensive touring overseas or aiming to play any festivals? What does 2018 have in store…?”

TG: “Another tour in Germany in spring, a lot of festivals all over Europe during the summer hopefully coming back to England….maybe a few shows in France and definitely some shows in East Europe.”

“Nochmals vielen Dank und viel Glück mit dem Album.”

TG: “Thank YOU!”

The shark; the ultimate predator…having existed for around 400 million years, essentially predating spines, they’ve lived through multiple mass-extinction level events and have evolved into the perfect killing machine. They properly put the shits up some people (Jaws didn’t help) but to be perfectly honest, sharks get a bad rap most of the time…did you know you are 1000x more likely to die while riding a bicycle? And did you also know you are 75x more likely to be killed by lightning? So with that in mind…let’s see where today’s band, HARBOUR SHARKS, find themselves on the musical food chain. Formed in Kingston, London in 2015, the hardcore pop-punks (Consisting of vocalist/bassist Jack Morris, guitarist Rob Rees and drummer Richard Hemley) have steadily been finding their fins with live shows up and down the country following the release of their first single “Alive To Survive”…but on October 27th they are taking the plunge with their debut full length album; “A History Of Violence”…let’s tuck in.

The album opens up with “False Flags” and there’s no messing around here, hitting very serious topics from the word go. Inspired by the current state of the world and the on-going conflict between terrorists and the west, it’s message is simply that we need to be sensible and open minded, we can’t rely on the media…for most governments are solely interested in profits and they will use newspapers and such to their advantage; scare mongering and propaganda, we need to be wise to this as we are expendable…set over some meaty riffs, it’s up-tempo and frustrated, it’s a solid opener. “The Killer Inside Me” again utilises a chugging, breakdown approach to this blend of soft metalcore, capped off with a decent melodic chorus, the clean vocals balancing the track well, add to that a slick guitar solo and it’s another enjoyable track overall.

Album highlight “It’s Not Working Out” is considerably lighter with more emphasis on the pop qualities regarding the core sound of the track, there are still riffs and light breakdowns but there’s far more harmony within this melodic little anti-love song…this one reminds me of AMBERLINE with it’s easy-core approach, while “Swing Away Merrill” has an up-tempo BLINK 182 inspired feel, Jack channelling his inner Mark Hoppus, while “Burn Down London” has an almost NEW FOUND GLORY inspired sound, before closing track and further highlight “Abandon All Hope” rounds things off on another serious note. With subtle doom elements, it’s a far slower, morose offering and it really sets itself apart from the rest of the album, and though it does pick up at the end, it’s dramatic and emotional and ends the album strongly. On a random note…”Vulva” is a wonderfully quirky minute-long mid-album punk rock snippet with sole intention of calling the government a bunch of cunts…brilliant. All in all, Harbour Sharks have delivered a decent debut here, there are some elements such as breakdowns which feel dated already because they became the in-thing and are now overdone, but ultimately there’s enough here to keep the listener going, plus the encouraging thought of how these songs play out on stage. They aren’t quite Great White’s but, they’ve still got plenty of bite. [6]

There are a couple of reasons why I started writing reviews a few years ago; I have my influences scattered around different mediums, some might surprise you but I’ll leave that for another time…one reason however was and, I guess still is…music magazines. Now I’m not sat here saying they influenced me because I wanted to write FOR them…no…you see the beauty of a review is that it’s essentially an educated opinion. Do I see myself as the all knowledgeable Wizard Of Oz when it comes to music? Of course not, but if you read this regularly you’ll know that I care enough about my music to take it seriously (granted sometimes I include some ridiculous humour but that’s just me amusing myself)…my point is, while it’s still only a collection of my own opinions, my opinions are 100% honest. This is where I had the issue with certain magazines and for this example and for this review funnily enough I have to turn my attention to KERRANG!...back in 2013 FALLING IN REVERSE released “Fashionably Late” and amidst a sea of controversy and hype surrounding front-man Ronnie Radke, Kerrang! were tasked with reviewing it and using their K-Rating system (1K to 5K)…they voted it…”Fuck Knows”. Yep…a score of ?K’s…this told me one thing…the reviewer and the magazine, knowing FIR were hot property and would sell magazines as cover stars, were too afraid to just say look, the album is fucking mediocre at best, I don’t understand why you are so popular…so they chickened out. You won’t find any of that here…oh no…so when I see the same publication say this about the new NECK DEEP album; “11 instantly lovable genuinely unique tracks”…I’m like hold your horses, this is pop-punk we’re talking about…what the fuck is unique about pop-punk? So…without further ado, here are my thoughts on “The Peace And The Panic”…

The album gets underway with “Motion Sickness” (that in itself is a good start…) and in all honesty we do open up with some vibrant riffs; a positive, punk-inspired guitar tone, the melody is pleasant and carries the light pop qualities well, it all sounds crisp and fresh and in terms of sound, mini breakdown included, musically and vocally I guess too should appeal to fans of NEW FOUND GLORY...it references the album title and essentially it’s about struggle going forward, the choice between good and bad and you can see by the album art itself it’s very rooted in balance, civility and conflict, the choice is as clear contrast as night and day, hence the black and white drawing…stylistically they take a similar approach on tracks like “The Grand Delusion”…I mean this is so NFG, you have to stop and remember these lads are from Wrexham, not fucking, West Tampa Florida…

There are some highlights here though to be honest…”Happy Judgement Day” takes the ever-popular almost clichéd route of social-political commentary found within a lot of iconic punk artists…it’s what the genre is famous for, non-conformity, speaking out, having an angry voice, wanting people to wake up…and while here the message is clear, essentially we are responsible for our own downfall, mankind will be the reason for its own undoing because of segregation, creating diversity, wars…the usual…and while it’s good they have the passion to make a point of it, try to encourage fresh ears to make world a better place, the style here musically is just maybe too soft for such a serious global issue…like…it’s not so much “This is important! Do whatever you can!”…it’s more “This is pleasant…have a bit of a dance”. It ticks all the pop-punk boxes though so sounds decent. “Wish You Were Here” tones things down for a sweet little acoustic song, the story within a tale of loss and mourning, aided by some subtle, soft piano, it’s sad but an enjoyably quaint listen, while by contrast “Don’t Wait” has an intense, relentless energy to it…it’s heavier, it’s assertive and isn’t messing around…the gang vocals aid the chorus but it’s Sam from ARCHITECTS that puts the cherry on top here, his furious vocals really add weight to this track and it really stands out…before we finish up on “Where Do We Go When We Go”…a song about making a lasting impression, make something of yourself before, well, you die essentially. Now, while I’ve pointed these tracks out as my own personal highlights, and I’ll be honest, this album isn’t unpleasant, it’s got it’s quirks, I can see the easy-listening appeal and I can see why the band are making a name for themselves here in the UK; it’s all tailor made for radio and its easily accessible for young audiences with its light pop tones, but for Kerrang! to turn around and say these songs are genuinely unique, is quite frankly, a bit bollocks…it’s just well produced pop-punk, and as I stated, they can sound like NFG…if you sound like someone else…you aren’t unique…wake up Kerrang! [6]

When you mutter the words GOLDFINGER…the vast majority of people are going to suddenly turn into Sean Connery…shtart shpeaking really shtrong Shcottish, ordering by dry Martini’s, shhaken, not shtirred (Shhit, I’m doing it myshelf!) but in all fairness, it’s one of the most iconic James Bond movies of all time and you’d be forgiven for doing so…others may look upon the term with a mind full of filth; Goldfinger? Slip the Queen a cheeky one? Foreplay by Royal appointment…I literally can’t believe I just typed that but, I digress…the rest of you may remember it’s actually also the name of a punk band! Formed back in Los Angeles in 1994, they steadily found themselves garnering a loyal fan-base with their upbeat blend of ska and pop-punk, associated with artists like LESS THAN JAKE and REEL BIG FISH, but we haven’t really heard from them since 2008’s “Hello Destiny…”…well, luckily, 2017 sees them dust off the cobwebs and return recharged with a new line-up and a brand new album; “The Knife”. Are they still as sharp or is this a wild stab in the dark? Let’s find out…

I mentioned the new line-up and I’ll quickly touch on that before we begin, founding member John Feldman remains on vocals but here he’s joined not only by Mike Herrera of MXPX, but also Travis Barker of BLINK 182…so to some degree we’re now dealing with a punk supergroup…which is pretty cool, so we press play with plenty of anticipation and we’re greeted with opening track “A Million Miles”. To be fair you can’t really say anything overly negative about this; it’s got everything you’d want or expect really…it’s lively, typically up-tempo ska-infused melodic pop-punk. It’s got the gang vocals, it’s pretty much by numbers but, being the first track in nine years, it’s forgivable…ease in as such, so it’s a decent start. “Get What I Need” and “Don’t Let Me Go” especially ramp up the ska content, you’ve got the trumpets and occasional subtle steel drums contributing their own flavour, the latter having hints of THE POLICE layered within it and a genuinely enjoyable brass solo, so it’s all really easy listening.

Further highlights include “See You Around” which features Travis’ Blink buddy Mark Hoppus providing guest vocals, distinctive as he is, he never disappoints, it’s just a shame Matt Skiba isn’t here too, as it’s a genuinely pleasant track, nothing special, just, nice, while “Am I Deaf” offers us probably the albums grittiest track, more punk driven and aimed at the current music scene; the state in which Goldfinger have found it in coming back from their hiatus, joking that they feel old, everything’s changed, a tongue in cheek poke at the industry which is always fun. There is one track I’ll point out however…”Orthodontist Girl”…it’s a touch weird, I mean, cute love songs about having a crush are all well and good, but, this one’s just…weird. Getting turned on by her sterile rubber gloved fingers in your mouth while she does her dentistry is…an odd fetish let’s be honest. I mean, there is NOTHING remotely sexy about dentistry…drilling here, injecting there, tugging here, and filling there…actually OK yeah I can see that it’s really quite homoerotic…lovely. I’ve lost focus…anyway, to summarise, while there will be fans very happy to have Goldfinger back, especially in this new supergroup format, I guess musically there’s only so much you can do with ska-punk. It’s not bad, far from, but it’s not entirely memorable either. Now, if you’ll excuse me…I’m going to phone my dentist…[6]

Not too long back, you may remember that I wrote a piece on an American artist going by the name GAYWIRE and, essentially the focal point was people’s rights and acceptance within the LGBT+ community…now, while today’s post isn’t directly linked to that in any way, sadly I still have to bring up the topic of discrimination…the lovely people over at Rage PR forwarded me an EP by a band called JACK THE ENVIOUS recently and upon looking them up on social media, doing some research as I always do, the band stated that they’d moved to London at the beginning of the year, but it didn’t state where they originated. Merely out of curiosity I asked Rage and sadly the response I got was so incredibly disheartening. The band were formed in Israel, and while it isn’t a secret per se, they don’t talk about it out of concern it will draw prejudice or create problems given today’s political climate etc…quite frankly, that’s appalling. I’d like to start off by simply saying I don’t care where you come from, I don’t care what nationality you are, I don’t care what religion you categorise yourself as part of and I definitely don’t care if you put pineapple on pizza…all I care about is your band’s music…and to those of you reading this, I suggest you prioritise the same. Now that that’s out of the way, we need to talk about their new EP! Entitled “In Your Own Way” and released last month, the band (consisting of vocalist Nir Perlman, guitarist Guy Avnon, bassist Guy Checkarov and drummer James MacPherson) combine melodic pop-sensibilities with post-hardcore attitude, resulting in some solid yet tuneful rock…let’s check it out…

After a brief intro consisting of subtle electronica and almost drum & bass inspired percussion, we’re enveloped in a strong dose of impassioned, anthemic alt. rock via opener "Shut Me Off"…Nir’s vocals are for the most part smooth and clean but he’s capable of releasing the aggression when required, though his vocal tone generally is predominantly higher in pitch and in ways it’s the sort of style that will easily appeal to fans of say, SLEEPING WITH SIRENS and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE for example…it’s a positive start. Elsewhere further highlights include “Mrs Grim”, with its up-tempo flurry of punk-inspired energetic pop rock…wonderfully blending catchy hooks with a more intense guitar driven core sound it’s a perfect balance between happy and heavy (for its genre) in all the right places and ends all too soon, it’s one of those tracks you can happily put on repeat, so well done to the lads here, while “Never Look Down”, despite being no less catchy is far softer, the guitar tone is a touch moody, accompanying a more emotional track and it all combines very well, it’s a very enjoyable listen.

While the official EP is completed by tracks “Begging For More” and “Guilty”, which are generally fine in terms of content, there’s nothing generally wrong with them, each carrying distinct qualities including soaring vocals, bass driven hard rock, they even include some notable double kick drum…the tracks overall don’t manage to deliver the same level of enjoyment as the aforementioned…however…if you are to listen to the version with bonus content, you’ll be met with two incredibly interesting covers…and if I may say so myself, two incredibly brave covers while you’re at it…to be perfectly honest, their cover of “Wonderwall” by OASIS isn’t going to please everyone. It’s a modern classic and for all intents and purposes it’s one of the most revered songs of all time, it’s just on another level, so anyone choosing to cover it is going to face scrutiny, and while many will argue that a harder rock driven sound will take away from the song, it’s been done fairly well and they deserve at least a little credit…BUT…and oh there is a big but…we’re talking a SIR MIX-A-LOT level of big but and I cannot lie when I say that, they have absolutely butchered “Feel Good Inc.” by GORILLAZ…good god it’s bad, even Harambe will be turning in his grave at this one. The guitar just sounds so off, it’s really a track that was never intended for aggressive rock and here they’ve more than proven it. Feel Good Inc.? No Feel bad Jack! You really should! Other than that, it really is an enjoyable EP and solidifies the four-piece as ones to watch heading into next year. [7]

Having only been together little over a year, Cardiff based post-hard core pop-punk 5-piece, LED BY LIONS, aim to tackle the current music scene head on, by jumping in at the deep end with the debut EP; “A Long Time Coming”. Inspired by the likes of FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND and NEW FOUND GLORY, they've delivered us five original tracks…let’s see if they were worth the wait…

For starters, naming your opening track “So What Do We Do Now?” isn't particularly encouraging…have they taken on too much too soon? Apparently not, bluff very well called indeed. It’s an instrumental intro but the infectious guitar playing draws you in once it’s allowed to build up over its brief length, before first track proper, “Just Close Your Eyes And Think Of MacGyver” kicks in with some hefty vocals. It’s in your face, tearing stuff…that is until lead vocalist Scott settles things down with some simple melodic singing. As a whole it’s an enjoyable song with some nice harmonies, good start.

“Song For A Hero” and “Fall Of A Giant” both utilise strong pop-infused melodies in the form of their catchy, up-beat guitar driven punk, especially the latter, probably the stand-out track of the EP. The inclusion of some brief breakdowns and some more of the heavy vocals ensure things don’t get completely lost within a soft, pop-rock niche, giving the tracks an ample amount of bite, before we finish up on “So Far Away”. The chorus here alone is worth owning the EP for, definitely one that’ll get stuck in your head and is assured to incite great reactions at live shows.

For a first foray into original recording, so early on for a new band, Led By Lions have certainly not disappointed or let anyone down. For anyone thinking this was instead going to be a wild goose chase in the quest for promised quality, they’d be wrong. This is certainly a capable band, with so much ahead of them; let’s just hope they’re not led astray. [6]


The EP, "A Long Time Coming" is available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/a-long-time-coming-ep/id905316545

The line-up is complete, the stage is set, Cyfarthfa Park is ready to host the return of MERTHYR ROCK! With the stage times now announced, who will you be seeing this Sunday? Which of the three stages appeals to you more, and who do you think will step up and deliver? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
Please visit http://merthyrrock.com/ for tickets.

MAIN STAGE
21:00: Taking Back Sunday
19:35: Reel Big Fish
18:10: Anti-Flag
17:00: Blitz Kids
16:00: Save Your Breath
15:00: Clear The Auditorium

SECOND STAGE
20:25: The Blackout
19:00: Feed The Rhino
17:40: LostAlone
16:30: The One Hundred
                                                                   15:30: Colt 45


                                                                   YOUNG PROMOTERS NETWORK STAGE
                                                                   19:55: En Garde
                                                                   19:00: Continents
                                                                   18:05: When We Were Wolves
                                                                   17:10: Falling With Style
                                                                   16:15: Reaper In Sicily
                                                                   15:15: Breathe In The Silence

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

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

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


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

Newton Abbott, a Devonshire town known for its historical markets and it’s trading. It’s a town that’s generated several county cricketers and such, but it’s safe to say that it’s not a place you’d quickly associate with gruff punk rock. Well, hopefully all of that is about to change. Let me introduce to you YOUR LAST DAY; a highly energetic 5-piece inspired by the likes of FOUR YEAR STRONG, SENSES FAIL and FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, who on their brand new self-titled EP, deliver a strong, confident alternative punk onslaught capable of thrusting them into the eyes of the UK rock scene and out of their southern surroundings.

The 4 track EP opens up with “Ok To Break”, which apart from a steady rhythmic intro, descends in to a frantic paced gravelly punk number. Ryan Walker’s vocals coarse and unpolished but it’s that very style that separates it from your typical pop punk band. A lot of musical elitists complain about bands sounding like they are aiming too much for the mainstream (selling out) and sounding over commercialised, or over produced…not YLD. This is punk as it should sound; real.

“Life Lines & Land Mines” starts off slightly more pop punk sounding, but it’s still rough enough to distinguish itself. Musically there’s a little more of the Senses Fail influence on display, drummer Naff driving the song forward, guitarists Chris and Matt , as well as bassist Bill maintaining a steady and solid tone to the track. The odd breakdown, sturdy riffs, its good stuff, before third track “Gatwick: It’s Terminal” kicks in with a more “in your face” approach. Not a great deal different from the previous track, just sounding slightly more urgent, sounding hungrier, which really benefits the genre. It’s not ground breaking but its how it’s supposed to sound, which is good.

The final track then, “67-94” (which happens to be Kurt Cobain’s life span) is a song about reaching the end generally, and not actually about the NIRVANA front man himself. It’s an inspired title, to perfectly encapsulate the feeling of closure, finality and realising you’ve done all you can. A sense of, it’s better to go out in a blaze of fire, than to fade away into nothing. Go out with a bang so to speak (no ill humour intended there), and it’s a great way to end the EP. It’s poignant, meaningful, and altogether a fitting way to summarise a fantastic EP. Punk rock at its core is brash, it’s dog-eared and pretty sketchy on times, but it retains a charm that isn’t found elsewhere in music. YLD, despite their location, sound like the kind of band that could make an impression on the world scene, with a real quality sound behind them. Like I said, the last thing you’d expect from south Devon is a proper old-school punk band…but life is full of surprises. Your last day? Let’s hope it’s not really… [7.5]


To download the EP for FREE, go here! https://yourlastday.bandcamp.com/ 
Your Last Day on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/YLDbanduk

“Open your eyes and look to the Altered Sky”. This is what greets you as soon as you start reading the bands biography, and it becomes clear that this Glasgow based 5-piece is full of ambition; five friends with a dream to make music, “painting stories in real life” with their bright and colourful brand of pop-rock. They've just dropped their new 4 track EP “Stop And Live” which was recorded in Wales under the trusted hands of Romesh Dodangoda in Longwave Studios, so lets’ stop and live through these songs and see what they've come up with.

First up is “Where I Belong”, a simple and, in some ways a slightly sketchy start. Vocalist Ana Nowosielska, gives a strong performance but musically it seems a tad slow. It’s lacking in pop and isn't gritty enough to be just rock…almost cautiously played, despite being a safe and above all else fun genre of music to play, a bit “by numbers”.

“Traitor In Me” has a bit more life to it, comparisons to “All We Know Is Falling” era PARAMORE are inescapable but that’s really something I'm sure these Glaswegians don’t mind too much. Sounding altogether more punk-pop with it having a little more attitude, but this time it’s Ana that’s not quite there, occasionally throwing in the odd uncomfortable note vocally. When she reaches the part of “coz’ now I can scream!” she hits quite a high, screech of a note and goes through you a little. Other than that minute detail it’s a decent track.

“Decay” is another simple yet catchy pop-rock number, with the kind of infectious chorus that’s sure to get stuck in your head for hours. Everything about this track is just better, as though they've shaken off the rust and found their rhythm. Finally the sound of a band that’s comfortable and confident in themselves all round, which is promising indeed as closing track “Live For It” keeps in line with the steady progression evident through the EP. The best of the bunch saved until last no less. It ends the EP on an enjoyable high note and proves that, ALTERED SKY do indeed have the ability to be more than just the small band wanting to copy the big bands. It’s clear they have it in them to write some great pop rock, they just need to continue to develop consistency and grow as a band.

Having already shared the stage with the likes of WE ARE THE IN CROWD, and headlined at iconic venues such as the London, Camden Barfly things are looking up for the Scot’s. With their début full length album planned for a 2014 release, Altered Sky are going nowhere but up in the world. [6]

Altered Sky on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/alteredsky
"Stop And Live" available on iTunes for just £3.16! - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/stop-and-live-ep/id770974693

Based in Devon on the south coast and formed in 2010, Someday I are yet another fine example of Britain's up-and-coming music scene being in a very healthy position. With influences including the likes of ALL TIME LOW, LESS THAN JAKE and NEW FOUND GLORY, and with an up-beat, energetic live show to boot (as proven recently on your with valley's heroes Reaper In Sicily), it's time for them to shine with their new self titled EP.
"Without You", the first of three tracks on offer, fades in with some quirky pop-punk guitar work, before front-man/guitarist Luke Gover steps in with some smooth, melodic vocals. The bands influences on display unashamedly, this is simple and fun.
Second up is "Live It Up" and, it doesn't stray too far from the path. The hooks are there, as are the candy-coated vocals and it makes for an enjoyable, albeit non-challenging listening, before "Unbreakable" rounds things off nicely. It's set at a lower tempo and feels more relaxed than the previous tracks, the whole thing feeling more emotional and, almost sincere. There is a brief interlude at 2:23, the drumming and guitar work taken up a notch, rising in intensity to balance the mood of the song before it all dies down with Gover reminding us all; "tonight we're unbreakable". A call to believe in yourself, follow your dreams. It all works very well and it's a shame there is nothing else on offer.
Pop-punk has never really been a highly respected genre, it's simple, "less is more" style has always given nothing more than a quick fix and a sing-along. It's made to make you smile, not think, and really that's where the beauty lies. You don't NEED to worry about what the songs are about, you just need to enjoy what you hear. Someday I know this, and while obviously the band are capable of writing catchy songs, they don't concern themselves with trying to over complicate things. They don't want to spoil a good thing. Appreciate whats on offer here, it's all you really need. [6]

Download the EP for FREE: http://someday-i.bandcamp.com/
Follow the guys on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SomedayI

Aberdare based up-starts unleash their début album, all guns blazing.

In the few years REAPER IN SICILY have been together, they have slowly but surely cemented themselves as one of the best rising talents to emerge from Wales since the likes of THE BLACKOUT. With EP's such as "Chapters" and "Eden" they have proven their ability to perfectly blend rough and ready guitar's with pop-infused melodies to great effect. Developing their own sound within a very crowded and very competitive scene.
Vocalist Rhys John Bernardo is immediately recognizable with one of rocks great unique vocal ranges. His voice stands out in the same way that Brian Molko of PLACEBO does, and that adds to the bands appeal. They aren't a carbon copy of any other post-hardcore unit which is very refreshing.
Coming to the new album itself, "Islands", what we have is a continuation of the bands desire to hone their craft and find the ideal balance between the heavy and the harmonious. To help them achieve this, the band entrusted the more than capable hands of producer Romesh Dodangoda, who has worked with the likes of FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND and KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES. Together, they have provided us with 10 tracks of energetic, up beat rock which is simply a joy to listen to. Opening track "The Prisoner" which was used as the first lyric video to promote the album sets the pace with instantly likeable catchy hooks and a sing-along chorus.
First official single "Horizons" saw the band broaden their, well, horizons (sorry) even further, with it's video being played on Kerrang! TV and the song being aired on Kerrang! Radio. It's a brilliant heavy pop song, easy on the ears but maintains the grit and swag you'd come to expect from the Welsh quintet.
Title track "Islands" is a beautifully written number, as close to a ballad as things get without taking the foot too far off the gas, while tracks such as "Sunny Dale Sucks" and "The Catalina Wine Mixer" show the boys are prepared to not take themselves overly seriously by incorporating themes from films and TV shows they enjoy, clearly having fun in the making of this album. The final track on the album, "Chuck Norris Got A Chainsaw" speaks for itself.
All in all, "Islands" is a superb début from the valleys 5-piece, and after already having earned support slots with the likes of ESCAPE THE FATE and HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, and with song writing skills such as they have, this band is going places. Watch this space. [8]


"Islands" is available now: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/islands/id655789816