Finland’s finest alt-rock romantics HIM have left behind a luscious and long-lasting legacy now that they have sadly called it a day, and last time round we revisited the band’s earliest albums as we reminisced over their formative years, and the tracks that laid the foundations for the band we grew to love. Continuing on from where we left things in 2001 and the band had established themselves throughout mainland Europe with multiple successful chart positions, but their journey didn’t stop here…oh no…there were other markets to tap into and thanks to a certain celebrity skateboarder and a shit load of plugging, Valo and co were about to break into the UK and beyond…and it all kicked off in 2003.

First and foremost, we need to talk about BAM MARGERA…say what you will (Some people disregard him completely but I personally believe that’s not fair) but without Bam, HIM certainly would not have taken the path they found themselves on, and you could argue that he directly contributed to a lot of their success outside of Europe. Bam discovered HIM while in Finland for a skateboard competition when “Razorblade Romance” was released and he was seeing HIM everywhere so, ultimately fell in love with the band. He was using songs for skate footage in the CKY DVD’s…he used tracks in soundtrack for his movie “Haggard”, he used the Heartagram on his official Element skate decks…HIM were getting exposed to the “Jackass” crowd and a lot more ears fell upon HIM’s music…the result? More success! Bam and Valo became good friends and when the opportunity arose, they naturally collaborated…he did them two music videos; "Buried Alive By Love" and "The Sacrament"...and they would both come on the next album…

HIM returned to the studio in 2002 with their original producer Hiili Hiilesmaa and the resulting album was a blistering return to form; “Love Metal”. Once a tongue-in-cheek term for their style of darkly romantic rock music, it had now become its own cult-like sub-genre so naturally, Valo (In all his sarcastic brilliance) does a VENOM and makes an album out of it! The Heartagram, in all of its glory emblazoned across the album cover in solid gold on a glossy, intricately designed Gothic black background was more than artwork, it was a thing of beauty, it was symbolic and the music within was just as powerful…opening up with “Buried Alive By Love”…with Gas crashing those cymbals, Mige and Linde bursting in with those powerful riffs…this was a band full of hunger and intent. As openers go you’d be pushed to find one with such impact…this was raw, this was rocking like a motherfucker and HIM were back! When the band get going it’s hard to stop them…tracks like “Beyond Redemption” feature some of Valo’s most powerful vocals and “Soul On Fire” is simply scorching…but they still manage to balance the beauty with the brutality. “The Funeral Of Hearts” with its rich melodies was their first foray into the UK charts hitting a very respectable 15, while “The Sacrament”, with Burton’s dreamlike piano intro was simply beautiful. Rounded off with “Love’s Requiem” and the seductive, spine-tingling “Circle Of Fear”…HIM were on the up. Very much like an erection Valo may say with a wry smile…[9]

With their music now reaching across the sea…and having already been around for nearly a decade, now was the perfect time to capitalise on all of the new fans they had accumulated and in 2004 the band released their first compilation album; “And Love Said No: The Greatest Hits 1997-2004”…not only spanning their four full-length releases up to that point, they also acquired Bam Margera to direct them another two music videos for two brand new tracks to accompany the collection. The first was the title track, which with its quaint melodies and gentle vocal harmonies provided blissful listening, but tugging on your heart strings just enough to remind you that it was HIM here, it was still a bit dark…while the main single was another cover the band would arguably go on to claim as their own; “Solitary Man” by NEIL DIAMOND. This powerful rendition added plenty of the Finn’s character and took the song to another level, eventually reaching number 9 in the UK charts…HIM were on top of the world, or so they thought…there was just one more place to conquer; America…and the only thing in their way, was the Atlantic ocean, but they’d crossed oceans of wine to find you before…[9]

Ville Valo has always made little jokes about himself and the music, being really quite humble…and in 2005 HIM would go on to take over the world with what he calls their BON JOVI album. Yes in the September of 2005 they released “Dark Light” after signing a deal with Sire Records…produced by Tim Palmer, it would be some of the sleekest and most polished work of the bands career and it did them wonders. Tracks like “Wings Of A Butterfly” and “Killing Loneliness” saw the Finn’s stamp their name on the charts yet again with their infectious pop qualities and the direction, despite being primarily more mainstream earned them many positive reviews with critics. As a whole the album was produced with accessibility and radio play very much in mind, with the band losing much of the aggression from its predecessor, but it retained Valo’s darkly poetic writing style which the band still carried off superbly…tracks like “Under The Rose” and “Behind The Crimson Door” being up-beat and a little feisty, another superb cover in the form of THE RAMONES classic "Poison Heart", while “Play Dead” and the title track heaped on the melancholy…too smooth for some fans, but it saw them become the first Finnish band to go Gold in America…HIM had made it…but pressures were mounting. [7]

We’re going to go on a little trip down memory lane right now…back in 2014 when this blog was but a fledgling project with little to no sense of structure (Honestly I’m a little bit of a technophobe)…where my earliest reviews and my first forays into writing were there, posted for all to see in their amateur, cringe-worthy glory, I came across a band by the name of ANAVAE. Formed in London in 2011 and consisting of only vocalist Rebecca Need-Menear and multi-instrumentalist Jamie Finch, they had released a mini-album by the name of “Dimensions” and I praised it for its slick production and catchy, easy-listening electronic rock qualities…now, three years later and after a couple of random singles here and there, they’ve released their much anticipated follow up EP “Are You Dreaming?”…Well? Let’s find out…

We open up with a statement of intent in “All Or Nothing” and the track slowly crawls out of the shadows with some cold, semi-industrial tones…the feeling here is a serious one and the sound they’ve gone for is considerably deeper…the chorus here is still bold, not quite anthemic but it is assertive…coupled with the subtle techno qualities layered throughout, it’s a solid opener but heavier than previous works, an interesting start. Following that however we have the wonderfully quirky “Forever Dancing” and this is the Anavae I recognize…the charm and innocence of the pop melodies, coupled with the positive up-beat tone of this track are delightful…this is the catchy Anavae we are familiar with and it’s a clear EP highlight.

More questions are asked next with “Are We Alone?” and musically we’re met with a more stripped back, ambient alt. pop sound, there’s a gradual build to this huge chorus before it dies down again, the two elements of the song complimenting each other quite nicely but it ends on an abrupt flat note instead of properly peaking at a crescendo, leaving the listener wanting just that bit more. “Stay” has a similar issue with a feeling of being a little more, reserved or restrained, despite its harmonies…there’s a huge pop hook here, again in a strong chorus and in ways this would appeal to fans of SHINY TOY GUNS to a degree, before we finish up on “Lose Your Love”. Probably the weakest track on offer here, it’s lethargic as though the love truly has been lost; it’s personal…drained of all energy and hope, like she’s given up and ultimately it’s a sad listening experience. While the EP itself it a pleasant collection of songs within itself it lacks in the intensity and stand-out appeal that made its predecessor so appealing. Am I dreaming? No…but at least its not a nightmare. [6]

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

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

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

Back in 2003 the world of rock music underwent a little renaissance and for the first time in a long time, Goth was cool again…yes black was back and several artists made huge impacts on the world stage. Without a shadow of a doubt, EVANESCENCE stole the show with their chart topping, haunting super-hit “Bring Me To Life”, alternative rock having rarely seen such commercial success…veterans TYPE-O-NEGATIVE dropped the outstanding “Life Is Killing Me” in all of its dark humoured glory…Finnish icons HIM made their UK / US breakthrough with “Love Metal” (Helped ever so slightly by the relentless plugging of Bam Margera) and rock music as a whole found a new heart-throb in Ville Valo…and a little band called THE RASMUS released one of the year’s biggest hits, “In The Shadows”….many thought that the Finns had come out of nowhere, capitalising on this wave of alt. rock popularity but in actual fact they started life back in 1994 while still in high school, and while charting higher than their Scandinavian peers here, the longevity wouldn’t last and as quickly as they became new Goth’s on the block, they ironically slid back into the shadows, eventually going into lengthy hiatus in 2012. Fast-forward five years however, and 2017 see’s The Rasmus return with their ninth studio album; “Dark Matters” but…the question is, do The Rasmus? Let’s find out…

The album opens up with lead single “Paradise” and it finds itself somewhere between ambient acoustics and generic indie-rock…front-man Lauri’s vocals are still honey coated as ever and he sings with an air of innocence as he juxtaposes the idea of one man’s hell being another man’s paradise…it’s a pleasant little song for what it’s worth but for a come-back single after a five year absence it’s a little underwhelming and it doesn’t incite much excitement to start the album…”Something In The Dark” follows up immediately afterwards and here we have this incredibly light, bubbly pop track…musically it sounds like it’s taken influence from modern dance-pop records, lacking only in pace, and the chorus here suffers from being a little flat really, it works as a nice, simple pop song but little else. With “Wonderman” then we’re finally met with some chugging riffs and you’re lead to believe that the album is going to come to life here but, the idea is shot down as the track descends into a soft ballad and it’s massively disappointing…and here we find the album’s primary flaw.

While we know Lauri’s vocals aren’t exactly the strongest, they’ve never been an aggressive rock band…but…we do know they can churn out an absolte banger and he’s capable of delivering, I’ve already mentioned “In The Shadows”, but they also have “Guilty” in their repertoire and hell, just listen to “Life Burns!” with APOCALYPTICA…they can do it, but this album is bereft of life, or even a point at times… despite having certain easy listening qualities, such as the funk driven “Crystalline” and the frankly Eurovision-esque “Delirium” providing an album highlight in all of its catchy pop splendour, the rest of the album is annoyingly lacklustre. “Empire” for whatever reasons deemed acceptable in production utilises a god-awful kazoo-like effect that you’d possibly find in a clichéd R’n’B track…it’s actually horrendous…while “Black Days” and “Dragons Into Dreams” are for whatever reason content with boring the listener into a coma more effectively than an opioid overdose…this album simply fails to inspire on many levels and it’s just an absolute shame…even from a pop music perspective this is relatively half-arsed and lifeless and to make the point clearer, there’s more substance to the last LINKIN PARK record, and look how that was received. Dark matters? Well, this album sadly doesn’t. [3]

I’ve touched upon certain influences and my own personal inspirations in previous posts, musically or otherwise, but for now we’re going to focus on one in particular; BAM MARGERA. Yes growing up in the MTV era of JACKASS it was always Bam that stood out to me more; the skating, the style...the taste in music…the latter in particular struck me as I noticed he (like myself) was a big fan of HIM which I thought was ironic…and as I watched more of his stuff, I slowly discovered his taste in bands was frankly pretty fucking good! This was cemented when he said he got to pick his own music for his own spin-off show “Viva La Bam”…so when he released his very own compilation record entitled “Viva La Bands” back in 2005, well, you can only imagine my excitement…several of the bands I was already aware of but one or two would become new favourites for life and today we’re going to be looking at one of those very bands…THE SOUNDS. Formed in Helsingborg, Sweden in 1998 and cited as being a combination of BLONDIE and THE CARS, they quickly found themselves a loyal fan-base with their blend of up-tempo rock ‘n’ roll funk with retro synth-pop undertones and earlier this year, they returned with a brand new EP called “The Tales That We Tell”…gather round folks, it’s story time…

The EP opens up with “Thrill” and immediately we’re immersed in their retro disco-pop style…Maja Ivarsson’s vocals distinctive with her combination of high pitch with husky, graveled tones…the rhythm here is simple, allowing her voice to stand strong amidst the synth-led alt. pop…and really there are aspects of this track musically that could appeal fans of both BILLY IDOL and A-HA…a wonderful start this. “The Darkness” follows up and we’re met with a deeper, bass-driven piece here but not in a heavy sense…with a touch of piano sprinkled within the song sporadically and an up-beat chorus with a great hook…for a break-up song it’s rather positive, Félix Rodríguez rocks up with a brief but passionate solo to add a climatic feel to proceedings…it’s equally defiant and delightful.

We take our foot off the gas for a moment with follow up track and EP highlight “Sail Into To Sun”…utilising soft string sections over a soothing acoustic piece, coupled with the subtle inclusion of steel drums, we’re given a truly beautiful little ambient pop record and for four minutes we sail away with Maja’s voice, the mellow tone of the track allowing her vocals to flourish; she excels here, this is lovely, before we finish then on closing track “Turn To Gold” and we return to their preferred mix of big pop melodies with a  funk-driven core sound; with a bold chorus and a superb saxophone solo closing the track, this really is gold (OK it’s brass but you know what I mean) and the EP ends on a high note. While it would be incredibly picky of me to be disappointed here, I can’t but help but wish that this was a new album…these four tracks prove if anything just how consistently good The Sounds are and really it just wets your appetite. Here’s hoping for a new full-length soon but for now, the tale that I’m telling YOU is go and listen to this EP…seriously. [8]

Tequila, vegetables and…glitter? No, this isn’t one of those random-ass lists from Keenan & Kel, this is actually (or apparently, I should say) a winning formula for PRETTY LITTLE ENEMY. The self-proclaimed “Metal ABBA” (I wish I was joking when I typed that, I really do) formed in Somerset back in 2015 and are looking to steadily grow and gain momentum with their blend of riff-heavy pop-rock. Consisting of vocalist Louise Body, guitarist Georgia Bell, bassist Jason Coles and drummer Ben Dean, the four-piece (who have already shared stages with the likes of THE LOUNGE KITTENS and CRAZYTOWN) are looking to follow up last years “Bitch Please!” with their brand new EP “Second Load”, scheduled for release on September 15th…let’s take a second to check it out…

We open up with lead single “Get A Grip” and right away we’re met with some meaty, hard-rock riffs and generic crunchy guitars; there’s nothing overly complicated here, pretty straightforward to be honest but it’s got some weight, before Louise kicks in with her impassioned vocals…and it’s a rather annoyingly 50/50 offering. While there are glimmers of promise as she proves she can both hold and hit some pleasant notes, while most importantly showing emotion in her delivery, sometimes she comes across as just a tad rough and shouty…and sadly, the song descends into a poor case of repetition, becoming rather methodical and plodding as it drags along, struggling to retain real interest as lines are repeated. Second single “Collide” is substantially better it has to be said…continuing with a core hard-rock sound but with a lot more enjoyable melody; it flows a lot easier with a far more appealing rhythm…it’s got it’s pop elements with certain catchy hooks, key changes, layers of subtle acoustics and it works well, but…that breakdown? Really…that breakdown…it benefits nothing. It really does feel dragged out; an unnecessary pause, no diversity, it feels like mid-song filler and ultimately spoils the track…a track which really didn’t need an attempt at a heavy breakdown, we get enough of that in metalcore, don’t go jumping on the bandwagon guys and gals…

​“Play By The Rules” utilises a start/stop approach for the most part, with the guitar work breaking intermittently for Louise’s vocals, which again, do hit some encouraging notes and she can carry a song well, there’s enough depth there, enough diversity through here to break the song up nicely, whether she’s releasing pent up frustration or hitting powerful notes, or even with her hushed segments, she’s the main focus however musically it’s really rather generic…and the, solo? Is it a solo? It’s one of two things…they forgot to cut it from the master tape or Georgia fucking panicked during recording because honestly, they can’t be happy with that? Listen to it…you tell me, before finally we finish on “It’s All Just A Show” and honestly they’ve saved the best until last. It’s got that extra swagger, that extra dash of attitude within the pop-hooks and melodic qualities; this here is the foot tapper you’ve been waiting for, there’s another breakdown but a little more lively than the previous one so, there’s improvement there, it has to be said. Ultimately PLE have a solid template and some steady foundations to go forward from here in the near future…they’ve got a capable vocalist in Louise and musically their aim is fine but right now they are just short of the mark, a little polishing is all they need and maybe tone down the riffs and the breakdowns…as daft as it sounds, you call yourselves the metal ABBA, I’m sorry I just want to hear more ABBA! Use that inspiration! One of the most iconic pop groups of all time, embrace that, don’t shy away from it, I’d pick a smooth melody with a great hook over a generic breakdown any day of the week…there’s promise here, but they’re not up there with THE DIRTY YOUTH and SKARLETT RIOT yet. [4]

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]

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]

I’d like to begin by pointing out that, I’m not bilingual…hell, I’m barely lingual! English is awkward enough and I’m born and bred in the UK! SO when faced with an artist or band that, sings / performs using their native language, well it’s safe to say that I have about as much a grasp of the songs as say, the Conservative party understand…well…human beings. Lyrical content and storytelling goes out the window quicker than Bam Margera during the opening of Jackass Number Two, so all I’m really left with is purely musical interpretation; mood, atmosphere, feelings…and the blind hope that Google translator doesn’t fuck me over for the song titles at the very least. With that in mind, let me introduce you to HAPPORADIO…formed in Helsinki, Finland back in 2001, the band have had steadily growing success in their home country and are looking to continue their journey with new album “Kauniin Kääntöpiiri”…roughly translated as “The Beautiful Turnaround”, let’s see what’s gotten these Finn’s spinning…

The album opens up with “Valopallo” (“Ball Of Light”) and we’re greeted with a classic rock style of sorts; the percussion and guitar tone is for the most part generic and straight forward, simplistic riffs but backed by an incredibly melodic chorus, coupled with the use of the talk box, the whole thing has shades of BON JOVI dotted throughout and it’s an enjoyable up-beat track, a good start. The same can be said for further album tracks such as “Älä Puhu Huomisesta” (“Don’t Talk About Tomorrow”) with it’s incredibly infections, almost disco-inspired retro tone…the soft synths, the sweet pop hooks, in ways reminiscent of DAFT PUNK’s smash hit “Get Lucky” in its overall feel musically; its bright and incredibly relaxed, living in the moment, while “Mies Vailla Huomista” ("Man Without A Nightmare”) retains a similar approach albeit more focused on the light pop-rock aspects…focused on discarding fears and negativity, the chorus is sickly sweet and as to a degree this sounds like it could pass for a really good Eurovision entry…and I mean that in the utmost complimentary way; it’s really quite infectious and they all provide album highlights.

Some of the tracks here however are less inspiring shall we say…”Ihan Hyvät Ihmiset” (“Always Good People”) is a more restrained offering vocally…while the chorus is undoubtedly passionate and the track has a good rhythm, for the most part, vocally it’s almost spoken word content courtesy of front-man Aki Tykki…there is a semi-climatic flurry and in ways it comes across as late 90’s indie…while “Leevin laulu” (“Leevi’s Song”), at just over two minutes in length can’t decide whether it’s a quaint ballad or an interlude before finally we close the record on “Pidä Pinnalla Pää” (“Keep Your Head Above The Surface”)…a wonderfully melancholic piano driven piece…it’s rich in emotion and sonically it’s dramatic…the ideology of holding your head up high, stay afloat, have hope and stay strong in difficult times, it’s gently encouraging and positive despite its somber tone and ends the album beautifully. While it’s understandable that many would look at this and give it a miss purely because it’s all in another language, obviously we like to be able to understand what the singer is saying and it’s not something you can easily invest in sometimes, we have to remember the huge popularity of artists like RAMMSTEIN and BABYMETAL…granted German and Japanese as languages are more prominent culturally, here in the UK at least, but we can’t and shouldn’t overlook the music…a succession of number one albums in Finland highlights Happoradio’s clear talent for writing these infectious songs and they deserve a chance to flow through your speakers too. Nosta radiota ja paina soitinta! [7]

When you think of Finland, from a musical perspective at least, you generally tend to name check the heavy hitters; the likes of HIM and NIGHTWISH, and yes, Finland is one of the few countries in the world where rock and metal is predominantly mainstream, but that doesn’t mean it’s all doom and gloom all of the time. Inspired by a mixture of artists including A-HA and NEW ORDER, Helsinki’s ICONCRASH offer up a far softer, electronically driven sound, broadening their appeal outside of the general audience that metal provides with their most recent album; “Inkeroinen”. Let’s give it a spin…

Kicking off with “Zeroes And Ones”, it’s a very upbeat almost 80’s stylised techno-pop track. The soft vocals of Jaani Peuhu are passionately delivered and it’s all sounding very much like SHINY TOY GUNS to some extent, which is a brilliant start. Continuing with the same energetic pop-infused electronica we go straight into “Dangerous”, which really sounds anything but, yet matters not when the track is as catchy as it is. “Doomsday Disco” has elements of early DEPECHE MODE, musically, but as a whole it’s slightly more funk driven at its core, the chorus milking the 80’s style again for all it’s worth, more of a grower this one.

However, tracks such as “Love Like Mercury” do let the album down slightly, if only for how forced Jaani’s vocals sound during the chorus, they sound stretched and frankly, the higher key doesn’t suit him all too well. All of that is cast aside though when we come to “Stockholm”; returning to the jolly dance-along synth-pop style, the album comes back to life with a burst of energy, which can also be said for “Hunters And Lovers”. “Sixty Seconds” is sadly anything but…it is in fact, over seven minutes long and as about as entertaining as a trip to the dentist; a bit much this one. Luckily, we finish on a brighter note, with “We Are The Night” closing the album as it started.

All things considered, having mentioned Finland’s tendency to produce quality rock and metal first and foremost, it’s also worth seeking out artists such as Iconclash. This has all the potential to do very well for its self in more pop orientated markets and should be given the opportunity to do so. [8]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iconcrashgroup

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/inkeroinen-special-edition/id712204902

It has to be said, 2001 was a great year not just for established artists, but breakthrough bands as well. SUM 41 released “All Killer No Filler”, JIMMY EAT WORLD oh so casually dropped “Bleed American”, Aaron Lewis’ STAIND were absolutely everywhere with “Break The Cycle”…and as much as we try to, we can’t ignore the impact LOSTPROPHETS had on the UK scene when they unleashed “The Fake Sound Of Progress”. All of these would go on to become household names…but some bands just came and went…or so we thought. One of these bands was AMERICAN HI FI, and when they delivered us “Flavour Of The Week” off of their debut album, we didn’t think that’s literally all they would be. Sure, they released a few more albums down the line, but they never truly took off after that initial hit. However, 2014 sees them back with a fresh new album, “Blood & Lemonade”…is this their year?

Starting off with “Armageddon Days”, its evident the band retains their ability to write catchy hooks around seemingly serious undertones. The track is subtle but a real foot tapper, a great, simple yet effective chorus and as a whole, there’s plenty of rock ‘n’ roll swagger here. It’s a good start. “Golden State” sounds more familiar, a pleasant dose of radio friendly rock, the bands signature sound unchanged inducing a welcome nostalgia trip, resulting in an enjoyable listen.

“Wake Up” is a far livelier effort, which is fitting, with its almost punk style guitar driven intro. Front man Stacey Jones’ vocals remain soft and melodic however keeping everything on a more pop based tone, but it’s a highlight track. “Amnesia” takes things up a gear yet again with some great bass driven rock, musically it’s probably as heavy as you’re going to get with the Boston based 4-piece and it’s a welcome change of tempo. “Killing Time” and “Portland” keep the album ticking, before we end on “No Ordinary Life”. The longest track on offer here, it’s a sombre rock ballad of sorts, but it does include some slick 6-string work courtesy of Jamie Arentzen.

“Blood & Lemonade”, despite its charm, will never live up to that song thirteen years ago, we can’t deny that, the band were lucky AND unlucky enough to have such a hit, people always seem to remember the song before the band, but, credit to AHF, they’ve stuck at it through an ever changing landscape in musical trends and they’ve written another simple yet enjoyable album. This may not catapult them into superstardom, to be fair I think they’re past that now, but it’s still very much worth a listen. [7]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/americanhifi

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/blood-lemonade/id890566287

If you’re a supporter of your local scene, it’s always heart-warming to see with your own eyes,  a band develop over time, and back in June, I wrote a piece on a young band by the name of GLASS GIANTS. Having steadily risen in popularity as a reliable live band, as proven by a recent sell-out show at the iconic CLWB IFOR BACH, the Welsh quintet are back with their 2nd EP; “Cocktails & Bikinis”. Aided by the trusty hands of producer Romesh Dodangoda, how far have these Welsh lads come?

Opening track and lead single “D.A.N.C.E.” see’s the boys continue down the path of fun, light hearted pop-rock which they’ve undoubtedly mastered. It’s easy on the ears, catchy and simplistic, drawing you into the EP with its mildly hypnotic tones.  “Seeing Is Believing” and “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” keep things running along smoothly; the production is slick allowing you to take everything in with crystal clear quality. Ross Dixon’s vocals are powerful and melodic whilst also managing not to drown anything out, given the almost laid back, somewhat gentle style of indie inspired rock the band plays.

“Dirty Knees” despite being an EP highlight, an undeniably enjoyable track, with a great chorus, for some reason, seems to come across as just a little bit, too...innocent? A song such as this, about cheap women and such…you’d expect from STEEL PANTHER, and done with no remorse for that matter too…the track’s been done well but it’s all a bit polite if you ask me, before we finish up on “Love.Live.Laugh”. It starts off with some nice solid guitar work, before plodding along with more of the expected clean vocals and radio friendly rock.

Whilst Glass Giants have earned a name for themselves as live performers, and are clearly good song writers, there hasn’t been a great deal of progression since their ironically titled first EP; “Define Progress”. The sound is still great, it’s enjoyable, but, ultimately, it is essentially more of the same, if not just more polished. Once the cocktails have run out and the bikinis are off, there’s only so much you’ll have before you eventually want to go home. A short burst of fun this one. [6]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlassGiants

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/cocktails-bikinis-ep/id897196227

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

Since their emergence in 2011, Exeter based rockers I DIVIDE have steadily proven themselves as genuine contenders for success in an admittedly heaving  UK music scene. Releasing “What’s Worth More” that same year, it was clear from the start that this 5-piece wasn't doing anything by halves; proving they were already capable of churning out top tunes, but fast forward a couple of years and we find ourselves listening to a much more confident and comfortable band. With the release of “Last One Standing”, let’s see how well they can back-up this self-assured title…

Kicking things off with “Follow Me”, it’s already clear the production quality has improved, everything sounding that bit more polished. Tom Kavanagh’s vocals coarse, yet melodic, giving the song an edgier feel, despite its core sound owing to the heavier side of pop-rock. It’s a good start, before “Tell Me Something” bursts in almost immediately. It’s a much bolder number from the word go, with a real hook to it and further highlights the bands new found confidence.

Newest single; “I'm Not Leaving” is brilliantly conflicted, in the sense that it still manages to sound huge, whilst maintaining a somewhat subdued feel. It’s a passionate performance all round and delivers a massive sing-along chorus; the softer moments allowing Kavanagh’s vocals to shine through, over some subtle yet enticing guitar playing from Henry Selly and Josh Wreford, great stuff.

“Cold At The Bottom” and “Run Away”, continue to take advantage of utilising pop melodies in amongst the more rough around the edges feel of the bands playing, with the former even throwing in a sleek, albeit very brief guitar solo, until the album closes on “Look At Me Now”, a refined yet melodramatic piece that draws you in with its emotional feel, focussing more on the bands tender side, and its works really well. I Divide may lack in experience, having only been around for a handful of years, but they pay their dues on the road and on the live stage, and rightfully deserve your attention for the song writers they are. Can they keep it up though? With the industry they are in being so cut throat these days, with so many artists being disposable, it’ll be hard work to say the least, but with “Last One Standing”, they've made a solid statement that they are in this for the long haul, so it’ll be interesting to see how they develop for record number three. [7]

Download: “I'm Not Leaving”, “Look At Me Now”
"Last One Standing" is available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/last-one-standing/id816417026