Some of you may be thinking, Gav…how many reviews can you shoehorn references to Covid-19 into? Well…my friend, as it happens, as many as I want. You see while a lot of you are crying over 2020 festival season being buggered into next year, I’ve got my own agenda. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy festival experiences, but I am instead honestly quite reclusive, so one of the things I personally look forward to every year is the EUROVISION SONG CONTEST.

Long-time readers will know I usually cover the show in some way shape or form, be it a run-down of finalists, covering past winner’s releases, or even just live-Tweeting the event…this year, I can’t enjoy this. This year I couldn’t look forward to sitting in front of my TV on the rare occasion I do, to watch Graham Norton sarcastically bury a plethora of countries. This year I couldn’t respectfully raise a glass of Bailey’s to Sir Terry Wogan during song 9, (Who am I kidding it’s a bottle of Jack). This year I couldn’t even get annoyed by the very political voting system I expect each and every fucking year as if it’s some shocking conspiracy. Covid-19 brought an end to all of that…and for that…I despise you, even though you’ve given me two months off work paid. 1st world problems, yes, but still. Alas…what I CAN do at least is channel my inner Jim Bowen, and have a look at who could have won, as Eurovision still at least released the 41-track CD of each countries entry. With that said…Good Evening Rotterdam! Open up, and let’s shine a light on the performers to see who gets 12 points….

​I’m going to preface this by stating that no I am NOT going to be analysing every one of the 41 entries as frankly I don’t even think lockdown is long enough for me to do that, but I will mull over my personal highlights, and as usual, the Eurovision double-album does things alphabetically, so we start with Albania. Their entry is “Fall From The Sky”, performed by ARILENA ARA and it’s one of two primary Eurovision tropes…heartfelt ballad, or fucking bonkers. This one falls into ballad category and as an opening track it’s a fairly safe one. The light piano allowing Arilena’s emotive, powerful vocals to really shine and there’s a dramatic intensity to this performance; a wonderful start. If you enjoyed that ballad however, hold on to that thought because you’re going to get sick of them over the next say, I don’t know… album? 

Armenia’s entry “Chains On You” by ATHENA MANOUKAIN tries to modernise things with some middle-eastern inspired trap and mumble rap…as far as the genre goes it’s fine, it’s the kind of thing you’d find Charlie Sloth spinning, but it’s not for me. Australia are still participating even though their initial anniversary guest spot was a few years ago now, and their entry “Don’t Break Me”, performed by MONTAIGNE is…another pop ballad. Granted the modern production and bold yet husky vocals find her somewhere between say, DUA LIPA and SIA in some ways, and it’s not bad. Onion Bhaji are up next…sorry, no, Azerbaijan are up next with “Cleopatra” performed by EFENDI and we get more middle-eastern / Egyptian musical influence, before leading into more Western pop stylistics…up until the part where they start summoning demons and shit…honestly that’s what it sounds like. Seriously, I thought my desk was going to start floating or my eyeballs were going to bleed!

Let’s see what else we have here…Belgium’s entry “Release Me” by HOOVERPHONIC in its own ways sounds like a BTEC version of BILLIE EILISH doing a Bond Theme…that’s the best and only way of describing that, you’re going to have to get way off of my back about that one. Skipping ahead now but keeping a colour scheme it’s Germany who have the next real highlight with the track “Violent Thing” by BEN DOLIC. Sadly the track is about as violent as two kittens having a pillow fight…I was expecting this year’s rock entry or something but we get another up-tempo pop offering. It’s got some brass elements and a bit of funk, and an impressive high note, resulting in quite a catchy little track, but it’s not what I was hoping for. Speaking of getting my hopes up, I ALWAYS look for Finland’s entry since LORDI won it in 2006, and this year, their entry “Looking Back” by AKSEL was…meh. It’s a pleasant indie-pop piece with ample melody, nothing like Lordi, or even SAARA AALTO from 2018; disappointing this one I’m afraid, you let me down Finland.

Next up, we have the United Kingdom…and as a Welshman, you might think I’m going to be biased here, that I’m going to sing praises to our entry as if they’re God’s gift to mainstream music…well I can assure you, that you are wrong. JAMES NEWMAN is our entry for this year with the track “My Last Breath” and I would sooner give up my last breath than have this song win the competition, despite it making things logistically easier for me to attend in 2021. Another copy and paste type of emotional male-led pop song akin to anyone from JAMES ARTHUR or SAM SMITH or any generic bollocks like that…it’s just so bloody boring! Georgia on the other hand, do somewhat peak my interest…”Take Me As I Am” by TORNIKE KIPIANI is, admittedly, lyrically fucking awful, let me make that clear, but the deep, electronic tinged moody indie tones easily mirror the styles and sounds of say, IMAGINE DRAGONS or AWOLATION etc, and this is arguably as dark as things get this year.

Skipping eagerly ahead now as we’re still only about half way here, we get Ireland and honestly…this would have been a contender for the competitions winner to break their own record, securing eight competition victories. “Story Of My Life” by LESLEY ROY gives off some serious KATY PERRY vibes…it’s a bouncy, light-hearted absolute banger of a pop anthem. Sure there’s repetition, a little instrumental monotony and some childish qualities but this is the kind of track you’d understand being all over commercial radio this Summer time…never mind the political voting, Covid-19 potentially robbed Ireland of this year’s win! Do they have any contenders however? Why in fact yes they do, and there is some STRONG competition from Iceland, and who some may say are favourites to win; DAðI FREYR with the song “Think About Things”. A synth-rich, full on disco-funk driven indie track…it is so simple in execution with the most basic of hooks, so much groove in so little effort, this is superb.

Jumping forward then we have THE ROOP with their entry “On Fire” for Lithuania…and it’s another basic pop track with pulsing electronic elements, dance-pop qualities with all of the synth laden hooks, it’s not as good as past winners such as MÅNS ZELMERLÖW for example but it’s along the same vein and personally I enjoy this, it’s arguably my favourite, despite some questionable vocals in places…and the video is as stated above; fucking bonkers. The rest of the album sadly doesn’t really throw up many particular highlights or memorable tracks, other than “Uno” by LITTLE BIG representing Russia. The “Skibidi” outfit had my attention going into the competition don’t get me wrong, but they’ve done better. Granted they’ve likely been heavily censored but still! SKIBIDI WA-PA-POW! The video does make me laugh mind…it’s all in the knees fam.

Romania come in with the track “Alcohol You” and I thought I was being offered a pint in broken English to be honest, so imagine my disappointment when ROXEN starts warbling her moody, sultry vocals…a slow, albeit grandiose track , though KORPIKLAANI drink better to be fair. Serbia rock up then with “Hasta La Vista” and the name alone has me hooked…have HURRICANE been sent from the future by Sky Net to secure Eurovision victory? In short…no…imagine someone installed LimeWire on the T-800 and the sheer amount of internet aids rendered it out of order. I’ll be very surprised if you’ll be back. Eventually then, and finally, we find ourselves at Ukraine, listening to “Solovey” by GO_A, and luckily, we conclude the album on an unorthodox yet enjoyable note. The traditional native tones of the vocal performance and woodwind elements coupled with a solid dance-pop aesthetic allow for a genuinely soothing and fun listen…I mean I haven’t got a fucking clue what they are saying but I like it!

After all of that, it really is heart-breaking to know that, given Eurovision’s six-decade legacy and tradition, none of the above entries will be able to represent their respective nations and try to put themselves in the history books. Granted some of these songs work better as a stage performance with character and gimmicks as opposed to straight up audio content, but that doesn’t detract what would have been an entertaining evening of live entertainment and multicultural acceptance of diversity. I know I rant and roast but I honestly enjoy the Eurovision Song Contest…I look forward to it every year, and hopefully it comes back all guns blazing in 2021. Where…who knows…no country has ever done two in a row from winning, so will Holland get to host again on a technicality? We can only wait and see…until then, Europe, you’re a beautiful bunch of bastards, for the record, I didn’t vote for Brexit I voted remain…and as far as Covid-19 goes…nil pois.

If you cast your mind back to 1992, you may remember Sega as one of the biggest, most influential names in home gaming consoles…Playstation wasn’t even a thing yet, so while Nintendo of course had Mario, Zelda and Metroid, their biggest competition came from the likes of Sonic, Alex Kidd and other, obscure and forgotten characters. One such unlikely hero, would have his own pretty successful series of games, where he would complete underwater puzzles, communicate with marine life, use cunning to eventually travel through time to rescue his loved ones by defeating aliens…was this some sort of, early Aquaman game?! Actually no, I’m talking about a fucking dolphin; Ecco The Dolphin, to be precise…

If you remember Ecco you’ll likely remember the games difficulty, comprising of underwater mazes, and the limited oxygen supply which was realistic for the time, but it also had some stunning 16-bit graphics and a wonderfully composed soundtrack of ambient, retro synth-wave and light electronica, perfectly encapsulating the cool, underwater atmosphere…well as it happens, if you take the core elements of that mood and aesthetic, add some percussion and a little attitude, oh, and make the dolphin wear eyeliner, you may as well have today’s artist; EKKO THE STRANGE. (I really need to calm down on these segue’s, fucking hell)

Ekko The Strange was formed very recently in and around Warsaw, Poland, by C Bock Vermeer, who had previously done a 10-year stint in American post-rock outfit REVOLT REVOLT. Wanting to escape these trappings, he traveled the world looking for inspiration before eventually settling in the Polish capital to complete the brand new mini album “Haunting Me”, courtesy of Hi-Fi Mantra Records. At only eight tracks long with a half an hour run-time, it’s a brief blast from the post-punk past. Ecco was a difficult game…so let’s see if Ekko is a difficult listen.

We open up with “Noc Shift” and it sets the tone for the record as well as sets your expectations low from very early on quite sadly. Yes it has some deep, fuzzy electronica that gives off this pulsing, almost hypnotic vibe, but it’s as monotonous as it is deep, with very little of any interest happening over its run time. Given its simplicity, and the repetitive loop that it’s on, I’d say at best this could be one of those pre-set practice pieces that come built into keyboards (True story, I have a Yamaha keytar that has “Last Christmas” by WHAM built in that I enjoy more than this), I can’t see any other practical use for this track. “Soft Decay” then improves so much with the mere presence of vocals and the sound takes on a whole new direction. There’s a darkness to the track that channels the likes of BAUHAUS and JOY DIVISION in an eerie, simplistic, indie approach , allowing for ample atmosphere, sounding like it’s been plucked straight out of the early 80’s, and this works well.

Continuing in this vein is “Transylvania Found Me” and it harbours those same despondent musical influences; maintaining its steady, cold electronic rhythm  while also incorporating a certain, retro-futuristic vibe akin to say, ALIEN SEX FIEND, combining the past with the future for a synthetic mind-fuck. “Mutante” despite its instrumental nature provides the albums only other highlight, sounding like it’s crept right out of a horror movie soundtrack, with its hollow, chilling keys and atmospheric delivery…you can picture the black & white b-movie now; you’re being stalked by the creature, the alien life form, he gonna eat yo’ ass! This is what’s playing in the background. Other than that, the album fails to inspire…

The few tracks left, are fairly monotonous…”Future Mirrors”  despite some almost, Arabian instrumentation fails to inspire despite the cultural appropriation,  while closing track “Ekkos Of A Dead World” is literally depressing. Remember the bit from Monty Python’s Holy Grail where they cry ‘bring out your dead?’ Imagine that with no humour…just pile on the corpses that died of boredom because of this track. Musically, this is the Covid-19 equivalent of counting cadavers only less entertaining. Is there an audience for this? Possibly there is…but with a death toll already in the thousands, we don’t need to add suicide to those statistics. Forget haunting me, I’ma call Zak Bagan to exorcise this record…it’s reached its final destination; hell. [3]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As it’s now 2020, my New Year’s resolution is to focus a lot more on email submissions from bands and record labels/PR companies, when it comes to my review content on this little blog. I’m not for one minute suggesting I’m going to actually succeed in this…remember that scene from Bruce Almighty when Jim Carey is bombarded with prayers? That’s pretty much me as I attempt to juggle listening time, writing time, working full time and, oh yeah, occasionally 3, maybe 4 hours sleep if I’m lucky…nevertheless, I continue.

Today’s review is the beginning of my resolution, but we do have to go all the way back to DECEMBER 2018…I mean I had to get Time Team to dig this one out! Let me explain. Yes on December 4th, 2018, I received an email from a Norwegian pop group by the name of SECRET TREEHOUSE, who were typically doing their rounds, promoting their upcoming single “Fear Of Frogs”, which was to be taken off of their debut album “The Big Rewind”. Now as you’re aware I don’t generally review singles, so, I thought I’d save the email and keep checking back and forth over the coming weeks, awaiting the album. A couple of weeks did pass…nothing…a couple of months then passed yet still I found no album, the Secret Treehouse really were keeping this album a fucking secret! Fast forward to December 2019 however, and while I’m going over my end of year lists and clearing out some emails ready to start afresh, I stumble upon that saved email, having completely forgotten by this point and after a quick look, I discover they have in fact FINALLY released that bloody album! With that said, and regardless of how out-dated this review now actually is, here are my thoughts on the frankly ironically titled “The Big Rewind”.

The album opens up with that initial single “Fear Of Frogs” and to be fair it starts things off really quite promisingly. A song about the fear of unintentionally misleading someone in love, it gives off a rich 80’s synth-pop vibe with some incredibly catchy melodies, over Anja Bere’s velvety smooth vocals. In certain ways it combines the likes of OF MONSTERS AND MEN with ROBYN and THE CRANBERRIES, resulting in really quite a pleasant track. The same can be said for “Too Young” which also houses more of this pulsing electronic style although it isn’t quite as up-beat.

A lot of the record combines elements of indie, with a more shoegaze pop aesthetic, resulting a very easy listening album overall…”Wrong Hands” is a really chilled ambient piece of indie that slowly builds to some wonderfully emotive guitar, getting better and better as it winds up to its gentle crescendo. The title track manages to sound soft yet simultaneously bold, being able to pull off the sort of radio ballad COLDPLAY would churn out, while more recent single “Do You Remember” has a more lulling tone, in places giving off an almost subtle LOU REED vibe, before closing track “Hero” rounds things up with a delicate little acoustic piece, emphasising the sweetness of Anja’s hushed vocal notes.

The question I have to ask myself is, considering I was made aware of this album back in 2018…was it actually worth waiting until 2020 to review it? To a degree, no…but that’s not a direct knock on this record. Fans of this sort of dreamy pop soundscape will appreciate the tenderness and tranquility that makes up the bulk of this record, despite the initial single suggesting a far more up-tempo, retro-pop direction. It’s not a bad album by any means, and what Secret Treehouse do they do well, but it’s hardly The Simpsons Treehouse Of Horror. With their second album due to drop sometime in 2020, maybe I’ll get around to reviewing it in around two years or so…somebody remind me though yeah? [5]

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

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

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

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

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

Gothic music has for the most part; got a bit of stigma or, a reputation from the non-initiated…many simply view it as maybe just a tad miserable or, maybe even slightly suicidal, and to be fair these CAN be traits of the genre. There are of course those however more acquainted to this, misunderstood style and its nuances, that find the beauty amidst the often bleak poetic content, but most people simply think “Fuck me this is depressing!”… Today’s band doesn’t particularly help things in that sense…let’s talk about LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE.

The German outfit (Now consisting of vocalist Julian Larre, guitarist Oliver Nikolas Schmid and drummer Dominik Scholz) have a name that translated from Latin, literally means ‘To Shed Tears’…so we’re practically crying before we even press play, fucking amazing start! I digress…while the bands origins in the early 90’s harboured more of a progressive doom aesthetic, they over time switched up their sound to the more iconic Gothic / dark rock style we know and love today, but that doesn’t mean we’re alleviated from the doom and gloom…au contraire, there’s just marginally less doom! 2019 finds the band releasing their 12th studio album; “Bleeding The Stars”…so, Kleenex at the ready then folks; but will we be shedding happy tears in the end? Let’s find out…

The album opens up with “I Knew And Will Forever Know” and in all honesty it’s a pretty slow, lumbering start. The initial guitars seem to drag alongside Larre’s vocal drawl as if they’ve already given up the ghost so to speak, such is the level of sonic misery. We do get a little more lively for the chorus mind you, as the percussion picks up, accompanying heavier, more tortured vocals; really walking a fine line between their doom-metal back ground and a more melodic, melancholy. This is for the most part a reoccurring theme throughout this ten-track album…”Mother Of Doom” being a prime example (The clue is in the name to be honest). Although to be fair, as dreary as it is superficially, it’s the deep baritone croon of Larre that allows this track to connect with the listener. It’s low-key, low tempo and generally minimalistic but it’s the mood and atmosphere that carries this…it’s actually incredibly well delivered and while it isn’t about to kick start any parties, it has to be applauded.

While a lot of this album is a touch bleak, there are some enjoyable highlights that twinkle in the darkness; flashes of brilliance from this dying star if you will. “After All Those Infinities” for example really ramps up the tempo and for its brief run time it manages to deliver a boisterous, albeit brief melodic hard rock number; the kind of track that leaves you wanting more. “Father Of Fate”, unlike the preceding mother, is far more upbeat…perhaps he’s won some brutal custody battle? Who knows? Regardless, its hook-laden synth-driven style, coupled with the well balanced dual vocal approach of deep crooning and pissed-off snarling, makes for an entertaining listen. The real stand-out however comes in the form of “Celestite Woman”…the simplicity of the chugging bass, the lyricism and overall song structure coupled with the abundance of melody; this easily lives up to previous gems such as “The Shadow I Once Kissed” and “My Velvet Little Darkness” as an individual highlight, and it’s Lacrimas at their brilliantly bleakest best. This album though as a whole may not live up to some previous standards, 2004 to 2010 was a superb timeline in all honesty, but this is a solid Gothic rock album that hits most of the right filthy notes, in spite of how low they are. [7]

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are many important questions in life…like, what came first; the chicken or the egg? What colour would Michael Jackson pick playing chess? (I jest, we know it doesn’t matter if your black or white) How much wood would a wood-chuck chuck if a wood-chuck was Chuck Norris? But even more important than all of that…who is the biggest metal band in the world? Immediately I can envisage swarms of you arguing over METALLICA and IRON MAIDEN, and to be fair they’re great shouts, but here I’m going to throw another, more than credible, and definitely deserving band into the mix; RAMMSTEIN.

These German industrial-metal titans originally formed in 1994 and ever since, all they’ve done is (Without trying to put a Nazi spin on this) conquered the world one arena, one stadium at a time. From their intense, eyebrow raising cover of DEPECHE MODE’s “Stripped”, to the beautifully haunting “Sonne”, right up the gloriously R-Rated “Pussy”, Till Lindemann and the lads have never shied away from controversy, and this can also be said for their live shows. Whether it’s boiling poor keyboardist Flake alive in a cauldron, ejaculating spectacularly into the audience via a giant mechanical penis, or generally just their unfathomable amount of pyrotechnics, Rammstein put on one of if not THE best live metal shows on the planet, and with their new technically untitled album, things are only getting bigger. With that said…let’s get ready to abuse Google-translate as we check out “Rammstein”.

We open up with “Deutschland” and in gloriously typical Rammer’s fashion; their first new track in a decade is an ode to Germany. Well, to a degree. From the steady rise in intensity of the frenetic synths, to the jolting riffs, to the eventual anthemic, regimented metal flurry, it simply excites from its very first chords. Lyrically plodding for the most part, but musically this is just captivating…it’s so good to have them back and this is a classic start. Following this then is the album’s first major highlight “Radio”…again; we start things off with some bouncing synths, before we get some traditionally crunching riffs. The balance here between the electronica, which, reminds me of old-school Moogs, and the hard rock is perfect and it’s an up-tempo little number with a seriously addictive chorus. Coming back to the topic of controversy, the track touches upon Nazi propaganda by means of censorship during the 30’s and 40’s. German citizens were subject to strict control of what they had access to during the time and here they touch upon that.

The first half of this album is quite heavy on the electronic front if I’m honest, with "Ausländer" being another stand-out track. Another up-beat offering bordering on dance-inspired, the techno elements are pulsing, while the track pounds away in a well delivered crossover style. Essentially meaning ‘foreigner’, lyrically it’s very ‘Jack The Lad’ as he sings of being a man of the world and a ladies man, heavily insinuating a sense of promiscuity. Speaking of which…”Sex” I guess you could say comes (Behave) right afterwards. More chilling synths followed by a groove-rich, almost southern-metal guitar tone and yet another brilliantly catchy chorus, it’s all about fiery passion and giving in to lust…however it’s no “Pussy”.

The second half of the album does admittedly slow down a touch but it certainly retains its talking points…none more so than “Puppe”. A dark yet equally wonderful and interesting track that’s based on an old poem; meaning ‘Doll’, it’s all hushed and subdued as Till sings of the prostitution of a sister character, while their younger sibling in care is forced to hear everything from the room next door, before the track erupts into an angry, scathing barrage of vocals, the result of a seemingly troubled upbringing. It’s a powerful track! “Tattoo” is another hard-rocking number that touches upon the duality that is the pleasure and the pain of self-expression, before “Hallomann” rounds things up in a frankly quite creepy manner. Remember when your mum and dad told you not to talk to strangers? At least I hope they did…but yeah this song reinforces that notion! Singing about picking up a little girl; no talking, just get in…presumably the van? One can assume sweets were offered? Promises of trips to the seaside, wanting her to sing and dance…this is all very questionable but still another deeply interesting track. I might be reading into it completely wrong for all I know…maybe Rammstein took Madeleine McCann? Ok I’m joking naturally, but it’s an odd one. Regardless, what we have here is an album that may have been ten years in the making, but oh how the time-off has played into Rammsteins favour; they sound fresh as a daisy. The weight of the guitars, the chilling synths, the dark lyricism…Rammstein are still unafraid to push buttons yet they continue to pull in bigger and bigger crowds. An outstanding come-back this…TO DEUTSCHLAND! [8]

Back in November of last year, I found myself once again collaborating with the team over at FiXT, but instead of their usual offerings, consisting of Klayton’s multi-faceted musical projects, they’d asked me to turn my attention to the labels growing roster of original artists. In particular, I’m referring to an artist under the name of SOUL EXTRACT…originally formed back in 1998 and now consisting of sole-composer Josh Mullis, it wasn’t until late last year where we finally saw his debut album come to light! Having finally settled with FiXT, Josh was allowed the freedom to experiment and explore his love of crossover electronic rock, wearing his adoration of LINKIN PARK firmly on his sleeve, and as a result, “Circadian Algorithm” was a decent album that was ultimately worth waiting for.

As you may know however FiXT is a primarily studio-based operation, with their roster of artists rarely hitting the road…which means in 2019 we find Soul Extract ALREADY releasing their follow up album; “Filaments”. Honestly it’s like a bloody bus service! Wait ages for one and then two come along practically the same time! All jokes aside, Josh was naturally enthused and motivated following the long-awaited release of his debut, which meant he made a swift return to the studio to work on the 14 new tracks we have today. Let’s check it out…

​The album opens up with “Rigor Mortis” and initially, with its subdued percussion and sporadic string notes it comes across as almost cinematic, as if from the opening moments of a film-score, but the riffs soon kick in and we’re given an industrialised slab of post nu-metal, laced with techno. It takes a while to get going but when it does, it’s a decent opener. A little stiff and regimented in delivery as its name suggests but it’s far from lifeless. This is then followed up by early album highlight “Victim Of Yourself”…combining more layered electronica with a crunching, classic metal guitar riff, instrumentally it’s as though someone’s tried to give say, PANTERA the remix treatment, but as the chorus kicks in we’re given a more mainstream hook; fellow FiXT artist CELLDWELLER having a clear influence here vocally too.

​These influences can also be heard on the single “Redshift” and also “Ember” further down the album…the former again focuses more on the electronic aspects with rich, angst-ridden vocals amidst alt. rock instrumentation, bridging a gap between Klayton and Chester Bennington, while the latter takes on a more later-day Linkin Park aesthetic, which fans of say, “A Thousand Suns” and “Living Things” would appreciate. “Roentgen” on the other hand houses more of dub-inspired core sound, balancing the rockier aspects, which combined with the string section allows for a powerful and emotive track. This could easily appeal to fans of “Immersion” era PENDULUM in ways. Elsewhere while the album is far from awful by any means, nothing really stands out to make this a must-listen record. The interlude / set-up instrumental “Frozen Shadows” is pointless as a stand-alone track for example, and the remix of “Superheroes” is better placed than the original here really, it’s shorter and more enjoyable.

There is a deluxe edition of the album with 14 purely instrumental tracks on a bonus disc, but to be perfectly honest the tracks aren’t exciting enough to really warrant that…unless you’re a hardcore fan, there’s really no need for that whatsoever. With that said, it’s a decent electronic rock record, if you’re a fan of the aforementioned artists then you’ll likely appreciate most of this album, but there isn’t enough of a step made between this and the debut. All of the tones and influences are still there clear as day, but nothing really leaps out at you here to demand your attention. While not ALL filler, “Filaments” does sadly leave you feeling hungry for more…[6]

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

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

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

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

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

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

Metal fans are a fickle lot aren’t they really, let’s be honest…I mean go on social media and browse through the comment sections of any established music outlet. Pick an article, any article, and I can guaran-damn-tee you’ll stumble across any number of elitists proclaiming [Insert Band Here] are not metal enough or, they aren’t metal at all, or they sold out. Some of the memes can be funny don’t get me wrong, but for a collective of supposedly like-minded people, putting specific genre’s to one side for a moment, rock and metal fans can be some of the most narrow-minded and often childish music fans in the world…and this brings us, to BRING ME THE HORIZON.

Formed in Sheffield back in 2004, Oli Sykes and the lads have been raising more eyebrows than The Rock since their debut “Count Your Blessings”…their early energetic deathcore assault was ambitious, and their youthful vitriol and intensity was applauded, but the recklessness and inexperience that came with it drew criticism. Over the years that have followed however, BMTH have gradually toned down their initial brutality, becoming a household name in UK metal in the process, and also one of the fastest rising bands in recent times…but there’s only so far you can really get in metalcore; so in 2015 the band decided to split opinions even further. “That’s The Spirit” was a total departure from their original sound as they’d now started incorporating more electronica and pop production…alienating some fans and metal purists, but finding themselves riding high in the UK charts. Some people don’t like change, but the band are now bigger than ever as they continue down this path, releasing their latest album “amo”…the Marmite of the UK metal scene, or under-appreciated genius? Let’s find out…

The album opens up with an appropriate forewarning entitled “I Apologise If You Feel Something”, and while already a well-executed anti-ballad, it also doubles down as an ironic jab at their critics. A case of sorry / not sorry as they continue to explore new sounds and arrangements, moving further away from their heavy roots, emphasised by the soft, echoing synths and hushed vocals; a cleverly confrontational start. This though is followed up by lead single “Mantra” and the lads are back on anthemic form. Keeping in line with the previous albums sound, the vocals are clean, there’s all of the groove and an incredible hook through the chorus. Despite the heaviness of the lead riff and the pounding percussion at times this is polished with a rich pop production quality and it sounds HUGE.

It’s this type of production that upset so many metal fans last time around, and unluckily for you things haven’t changed a bit this time round either…”Medicine” is oozing the influence that LINKIN PARK had Oli growing up as it blends rock and electronica with a subtle R’n’B vibe, it’s easy to imagine Mike Shinoda guesting on this one. “Sugar Honey Ice & Tea” returns to a more guitar driven core sound but retains the accessibility of the bands recent musical direction, and though while ironically “Heavy Metal” again has some surging guitars it’s far from abrasive.

The majority of this record is comprised of a band happy to experiment and explore; with the album unafraid to shake things up stylistically. With the sweeping, elegant string sections of closing track “I Don’t Know What To Say”…the trance / hard house qualities of “Nihilist Blues” bringing out your inner raver, and the dark, low-fi grime influenced street ballad that is “Why You Gotta Kick Me When I’m Down?” all take the band on different musical directions and it makes for a roller coaster of a listen. Even though on face value BMTH have stayed on this, mainstream path, the evolution is still there for all to see…they have no shame in trying new things, toying with new styles and crossovers and frankly that’s how it SHOULD be. Too often we’re hypocritical of the current scene we’re meant to uphold…band does the same thing over and over? Boring, stagnant, dull…band changes up their sound as they grow as artists? BOOOO traitor! You sold out! You’re meant to be a rock band! Bring Me The Horizon in their current guise might not be for everyone, I totally get that, but what’s wrong AT ALL in one of our own going out there and fucking owning it? Nothing, that’s what…well done lads, shots have been fired. [7]

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

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

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

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

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

Well well well...what can I say? 2018 has been and gone; some of it was awesome, some of it was interesting, some of it was amusing and a lot of it was spectacularly shit...however, one thing that's consistent is the sheer volume of music and art created around the world. 2018 saw me cover my usual rock and metal albums...there wasn't a lot of goth...but I dabbled in some pop, in some rap, in some hip-hop...that's not including that which I checked out for the team over at All About The Rock...ultimately 2018 has kept me on my toes musically and I'm sure that my Top 20's, no matter the category, can show you that. 

From Eurovision bangers courtesy of Saara Aalto...to heavy metal swan songs a la Machine Head. From returning Welsh rap rock renegades The Kennedy Soundtrack...to returning Finnish goth godfathers Musta Paraati. From crossover WWE Superstar Elias...to young crossover Stranger Things superstars forming Calpurnia...you name it there's been something for everyone in 2018 and I like to think I've covered a fair unbiased amount of it. After over 200 albums and EP's, the above gallery showcases the best of the best of 2018 and I hope you agree with my overall picks. Below you'll find the link to the GTGC Facebook page, where you can find my lists in their entirety (Including the bonus WORST 20 OF 2018) and my official GTGC 2018 Spotify Playlist, and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed compiling it. Here's to 2019 and all of the new music coming our way...some of it will get the GTGC treatment, and you know you're looking forward to that. Peace out bitches...WUBBA LUBBA DUB DUB!!!!!!!!!!!!

​It’s been an interesting couple of years for one Mr Jyrki Linnankivi (Aka Jyrki 69) of THE 69 EYES fame…while it was back in 2016 where we last heard from the Helsinki Vampires, with their last album “Universal Monsters”…he’s been keeping busy himself with some projects outside the usual comfort of his coffin. Last year he dropped his first solo album, appropriately titled “Helsinki Vampire” which featured the tracks from horror movies “Halloween Pussytrap! Kill! Kill!” (I shit you not, that’s actually a thing) and “Sunset Society”…this year however he delves deeper into the Finnish goth ‘n’ roll archives, resurrecting some true Finnish legends…let me explain.

Back in the early 80’s, long before Finland was truly on the map musically as a hotbed for alternative music, when you were lucky to know about HANOI ROCKS if anyone, given the lack of internet etc…there was a little band called MUSTA PARAATI, who despite only having a brief career, as well as several line-up changes, managed to influence artists like Jyrki with their post-punk, early proto-goth style. Now, in 2018, after a 30+ year hiatus (If you can even call it that) Jyrki has gone through all the appropriate rituals to bring these Finnish goth icons back from the grave, providing vocals for the brand new English self-titled album “Black Parade”. Please note, if you’re expecting anything relating to MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, you’re going to be disappointed…

The album opens up with “Animosity” and don’t worry, it’s the track name, you aren’t going get a smack in the chops. Generally a slow burner; you initially only get the soothing notes of guitarist Saku Paasiniemi, before it expands into a soft, synth-pop piece. A beautiful blend of rock ‘n’ roll, with throwback electronic keys and retro pop production, coupled with Jyrki’s distinct baritone vocals all combine for a strong start. Despite its slow-tempo it still houses a hook-laden catchy chorus and is textbook post-punk. We then have another of many highlights courtesy of “Nacht Der Untoten” (Which is German for Night Of The Dead) and the icy synth notes, along-side Jyrki’s deep drawl complement each other wonderfully, really allowing the idea and tone of the chilling, horror theme to shine through aesthetically.

Switching up linguistically next we go from German to French via “Aujourd’hui” and given the dark gothic tones, plus the French connection this reminds of early 69 Eyes works such as “Dance D’amour”, with the synths taking on an almost orchestral approach, adding a sense of intensity and drama at the tracks climax. Both “Radio” and “Digital Twin” provide up-beat, quirky, albeit by-numbers pieces of retro goth-pop, especially the latter, before standout track “Today”, as the shortest track here, gives a hard hitting dose of up-beat, bass-driven  rock that fans of SISTERS OF MERCY should easily lap-up. While there are weaker tracks on offer here, like “Reaper” and “Chopsticks”…it’s more a case of them being a bit generic as opposed to bad, coming off as more filler than failure, managing to keep the album overall sounding consistently solid.

Given Jyrki’s distinct vocal style and the accompanying music, it would be easy to mistake this as 69 Eyes version 2.0…given the blend of garage rock and gothic atmospherics, almost acting like an unreleased selection of tracks rather than a new record with Musta Paraati…but let’s not let that detract from the fact we’re still getting superb quality gothic rock in 2018. This is must have for post-punk fans AND 69 Eyes fans, and it easily gratifies 69 Eyes fans around the world while we wait for 2019’s new 30th anniversary album, as well as reintroducing fans to one of Finland's hidden gems in the process. Musta Paraati? You Musta' listen to this one, seriously… [9]

The history of CKY is, for want of a better word, turbulent…when things were good, they were great; record deals with the likes of Island and Roadrunner, the worldwide fame thanks to connections with the whole “Jackass” phenomenon, they developed an intensely loyal fan base, or, alliance…but when things turned sour, boy did they turn sour. In 2011 after the praise and acclaim of “Carver City”, there were disagreements over the bands future direction…which led to conflict…which in turn led to one of the most, bitter, if you will, separations in rock.

In the years that have followed, while CKY, after trialing new vocalists, decided to settle on their current 3-piece formation (Consisting of Chad I Ginsberg, Jess Margera and a returning Matt Deis) Deron Miller opted to go it alone, dabbling in several projects during the period. Initially in a dispute over the rights of CKY, he released the solo album “Acoustified!” which, as you can probably guess was an acoustic medley of previous works…there was the return of his prior band FOREIGN OBJECTS who resurfaced for a new album in 2015…and then we have this; 96 BITTER BEINGS. Not only a jab at arguably one of CKY’s biggest tracks itself…but the album has been called “Camp Pain”…which, mistake me if I’m wrong, is ironically similar in theme to Camp Kill Yourself? I did say things were bitter right? Let’s see what Deron (Backed by new band members Kenneth Hunter, Shaun Luera and Tim Luera) has come up with…

The album opens up with “Try It Again” and it’s both an intro AND a skit…the idea that they’ve spent ages writing and practicing only for the track to sound like absolute shit essentially; out of tune without any sense of cohesive rhythm, it’s a rib on themselves basically as it’s been a while since we’ve had any new recorded material…they’re a bit rusty. First track proper however "Still Unstable, Still At Large" charges right at you with a serious sounding, deep, chugging albeit sluggish guitar riff, before we’re greeted with the traditional, sweet synths and moogs that so characterised CKY’s original music. Deron plays and writes with such a distinct style, this brings back so many memories…and the nostalgia doesn’t stop there.

Despite being only 10 tracks long in total, it manages to cram in a fair couple of highlight tracks…in particular “The Whipping Hands” which sounds like it could have been taken right out of the recording sessions from “Carver City”. It’s got a great rhythm and an infectious bass-heavy groove, playing out nicely. “Where Were You?” offers a more relaxed, melodic track, with a primarily down-tempo approach but a chorus that harks back to the style of “An Answer Can Be Found”…before the album ultimately ends with “December Higher Power”, a traditionally slower ballad-esque piece to close proceedings, a staple of past CKY works. Some tracks are a little questionable mind you…”Megadextria” is just a recycled track from the last Foreign Objects record, “Cavalcade Of Perversion” is 90% instrumental and 10% what the fuck? Speaking of, there’s a cover of MICHAEL JACKSON’s “Beat It” thrown in for good measure…I’m not even joking. I mean they pull it off quite well but, seriously…why?!

Ultimately, at the end of the day, it’s not a perfect album by any means, but it’s damn impossible to not enjoy this. Deron has such a creative flair for solid guitar riffs and an iconic sound that’s been missed…CKY are doing fine right now without him don’t get me wrong, and I’m not about to wish for a reunion, that ship sailed, but, I will just state how glad I am to have Deron back releasing music again. There may be 96 bitter beings but, I’m not one of them…for I am simply…Bernadette Nere. [7]

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

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

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

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

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

If you cast your mind back to a little over a month ago, I shared a review covering an artist by the name of THE ANIX…initially forwarded to me by the team over at FiXT, it highlighted their steady expansion as they slowly build up their label roster with newer, outside artists. While musically it didn’t differ a GREAT deal from their already established acts, it was promising nevertheless…and today we’re going to be looking at another of their newest signings; let me introduce to you SOUL EXTRACT.

Originally based out of Atlanta, Georgia, Soul Extract is the creation of composer Josh Mullis and he formed the project way back in 1998! With certain setbacks however it’s taken a fair amount of time for his music to see the light of day, but now, confident and comfortable on the FiXT roster, he’s able to share his hard work and efforts through the album “Circadian Algorithm”; both his label and musical debut…let’s check it out.

The album opens up with “Project Terraform” and immediately you’re swept into a grandiose, almost cinematic musical score; intense and dramatic string elements backing a slowly emanating techno wave. It’s the kind of instrumentation that would easily find itself slotted into a Transformers movie or something akin to that….vocally switching back and forth between cleaner, synth fuelled segments and angst-ridden screams; it fits in perfectly well with the likes of CELLDWELLER and also reminds me of more local acts such as CLEAR THE AUDITORIUM. Follow up track “Decryption” takes us back to Extract’s formative years and here you can clearly hear some of that early nu-metal influence. Josh openly cites LINKIN PARK as an inspiration and you can clearly hear that within not only the vocals of this track, which are a nice homage to Chester at this point, but you can hear it within the composition and instrumentation too, with some of riffs and electronic touches sounding like they’ve come straight out of the “Meteora” writing sessions.

The nu-metal influence can also be heard on the likes of “Take Another” with the vocals giving off a subtle KORN vibe, alongside the slower, more crunchier instrumentation, mirroring artists such as ADEMA to boot. Speaking of slowing things down, “Oblivion” offers a far more chilling, mellow synth-heavy pop affair; with its anti-ballad qualities, mixing icy piano keys with a bold chorus and an orchestral climatic flurry, allows for a laid back but luxurious listen. Elsewhere “Aphotic Destiny” if nothing else taught me a new word today, however its pulsing techno perfectly suits its title, as it metaphorically submerges you into the deepest, darkest watery depths, before closing track “Singularity” rounds things off with more Celldweller-inspired, vocally raw, orchestral-tinged electronic rock.

Aesthetically this album is a nice little nostalgia trip for the most part, merging those early electro-rock influences with the more modern production value found through working with FiXT. While musically fine, if anything is to be noted as a negative it’s the track length; nothing here is under four minutes long, resulting in a ten-track album sounding far longer than it actually is. Condense one or two of these down and you could have some decent singles to promote off of the back of this, and that’s about the only real issue going forward. Other than that, it’s a fine record and nice way to maybe coax some more nu-metal fans towards the FiXT brand. [6]

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of years, or, your name is Madeleine McCann, you’ve likely heard or at least HEARD OF Columbus-based chart botherers TWENTY ONE PILOTS. While the lads have been at it for a while now, it wasn’t until 2015 that they made their big breakthrough with “Blurryface” after signing to Fueled By Ramen…but when I say breakthrough mind you I don’t just mean they got a little bit famous; HELL NO…I mean they were EVERYWHERE. In the charts, on magazine covers, on posters, you name it; you could find Tyler Joseph and Josh Dunn on it…

Not since the likes of MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE or early FALL OUT BOY had an act accumulated such an intense and loyal following in alternative circles, and their quirky concept album about metal health and personal struggles found legions of young rock and pop fans identifying with the characters and concepts contained within. Now, just a couple of years later and after a brief period of media silence, the duo are back with the hotly anticipated follow-up entitled “Trench”…another concept album following on from its predecessor with a sense of fluidity and continuity…but does it meet expectation? Let’s jump in…

We open up with the title track and things are going pretty swimmingly truth be told; fueled by a thicc (Yes thicc not thick), bass-line it surges forward with a super infectious groove, coupled with some subtly layered electronic elements, which are balanced well with Tyler’s laid back, often delicate vocals. Appearing to peter out, we get a soft piano transition, before the track re-erupts with a bassy climax with Tyler's voice tearing into an intense rage. Conceptually carrying on from the success attained by their last record; the new place he sings of, is where he finds himself surrounded by fame, and the pressures they’ve essentially put themselves under creatively; stuck in a trench battling with their own success. It’s a solid start, and really speaking so is the first half of the album in general.

“Levitate” transitions in smoothly too and here we shake things up stylistically, as Tyler embraces his hip hop and rap influences, delivering some slick bars over a classic ghetto beat. He speaks of cowards only showing up when everyone’s sleeping, suggesting that those without confidence or a set of balls don’t want the attention, only acting when people aren’t looking, but here Twenty One Pilots knew all eyes were on them in anticipation…this was always going to be make or break time and it’s been handled brilliantly, they’re very self-aware. This is backed up on “Neon Gravestones”, continuing the on-going theme of handling mental health with some very EMINEM-esque vocal delivery, though restrained it’s a well-paced hip hop ballad.

As I said the first half of the album unfolds very well, with further tracks like “Morph” which utilises a super smooth, soft-jazz R’n’B inspired chorus with brass elements, while “The Hype” harbours a simple yet effective, soft indie vibe almost plucked straight out of 90’s Brit-Pop with a very THE VERVE-esque structure. Sadly, the latter half of this new 14 track album does sadly limp over the finish line with some generally unexciting content. While the strength of Tyler’s songs does lay within his lyrics, it does help if the songs warrant listening to from an aesthetic standpoint and sadly here they don’t. “Cut My Lip” has some interesting Reggae influence and “Pet Cheetah” is just, well…I mean Jason Statham? What the fuck? Aside from that, it becomes a very flat and frankly tarnishes what was looking to be a properly strong album. The excitement generated around their return and the strength of the initial singles sold this record don’t get me wrong, fans lapped this up, and this initially looked like it was going to be a superb sequel, and it DOES start off that way, but they should have gone for a less is more approach. I know they called it “Trench” but they didn’t need to give us the fucking Mariana…[6]

“Are they human? Are they wolves?” – Wait, what? This is going to be fucking great I can already tell let me read some more of this… “Their looks may be deceiving and even comical at first glance, but they have incredible brain power and a superhuman physique”…I just did a legit LOL. In case you’re wondering, this isn’t the plot synopsis to some low-budget Lycanthrope movie; it is in fact the back story to one of the biggest bands currently tearing up the Far East! If I may, allow me to continue; “Such superb abilities enabled them to carry out the planet’s most challenging top secret missions, and made them untouchable by the world’s fearsome and powerful leaders including Genghis Khan, Attila the Hun, and Ivan the Terrible.”…this is incredible…this is absolutely incredible, let me just compose myself for a minute.

The band in question is MAN WITH A MISSION and the Shibuya based 5-piece (Consisting of vocalist Tokyo Tanaka, guitarist/rapper Jean-Ken Johnny, bassist Kamizake Boy, drummer Spear Rib and DJ Santa Monica) are collectively one of the most relevant and loved rock bands in Asia today, selling out arena’s all over the continent, having racked up millions of streams and views on platforms such as Spotify and YouTube…but over the past year they’ve been broadening their horizons and have reached out further afield. Some of you may recognise them from their tour slot supporting DON BROCO recently but  now in 2018 they’ve released their first international album; the appropriately titled “Chasing The Horizon”. The question is are these wolf men leading the pack, or just barking mad?

The international release itself has a couple of exclusive bonus tracks for those of us outside of Japan, which includes “Mr. Bad Mouth”, “The Anthem” and “Brave It Out”…the former is a well-worked combination of pulsing, bass-driven electronica and an up-tempo, rocking chorus which in places resembles the likes of FOZZY, but that’s really not a bad thing, while the latter uses a more R’n’B / rap-inspired approach to its verses with the guitars and synths layered throughout, “The Anthem” sadly click-baits you into expecting something big and bold, but what you DO get is a morose ballad type track which is very anti-anthem if anything…though it’s message is positive so it’s not all bad, just a tad disappointing.

The rest of the album features a selection of singles that MWAM have previously released and to be fair this is quite an impressive repertoire…”Take Me Under” for example is wonderfully infectious piece of synth driven alt. rock with plenty of melody  and sing along qualities…”Dead End In Tokyo” has the additional appeal of having FALL OUT BOY front-man Patrick Stump on the writing credits, which makes sense when you listen to it, it’s got that certain distinction in tone…sticking to pop-culture references, wrestling fans may recognise “Break The Contradictions” from NJPW’s recent G1 Climax, the track being selected as its theme; with all of its clap-along charm it’s a really enjoyable track, before “Dog Days” give-off a more drum & bass vibe for a really up-beat slab of rhythmic techno. The only real downside I can find really is “Freak It!” which features the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra…the brass-sections coupled with the progressive jazz elements don’t really sit too well with the almost stop / start pacing of the track and really it just comes across as a failed experiment. All in all for an international debut it’s a shame…a shame because they’re actually a really good band underneath the furry gimmick and ideally we could have heard more of them sooner, and their back catalogue is well worth exploring. Definitely a recommended record, why couldn’t we get these guys instead of fucking BABYMETAL?!?!?! [8]

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

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

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

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

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

“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]

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

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

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

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

I want you to cast your minds back just for a moment, to the year 2009…what a weird year in pop music that was. LADY GAGA exploded onto the world’s music scene with her debut album / virtual hit-factory “The Fame”…inspiring young women everywhere to dress like absolute twats…weeks before his massive come-back tour, MICHAEL JACKSON passes away from accidental overdose, making sure you double-checked your own prescription or else you too would be moonwalking to the morgue (On a serious note that was a bit unexpected)…SUSAN BOYLE became a thing, no really, that actually happened…and a little known artist by the name of OWL CITY would dominate the airwaves with THAT song “Fireflies”…seriously it was everywhere, like a synth-pop plague, going 19x platinum worldwide…you must remember, surely? I digress…following the immediate success of Owl City’s (Real name Adam Young) debut, he seemingly faded away…but he didn’t disappear. In addition to having worked on numerous film soundtracks including “The Croods” and “Wreck-It Ralph”, he now returns with his SIXTH studio album; “Cinematic”…shall we see what owl the fuss is about?

The album kicks off with “Fiji Water” and such is the innocent charm of the simplistic electronica I honestly thought this was inspired by the ‘Human Music’ from "Rick And Morty"…I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Jerry wasn’t singing this himself! Jokes aside, it combines the unsullied tinkling’s of a baby’s cot mobile stylistically with the sickly sweet vocals…the chorus is catchy enough and this is harmless pop music with some pleasant little hooks; a pretty safe start. Speaking of choruses, “Montana” delivers well with what could musically find itself at home on LINKIN PARKS’s “One More Light” album, naturally he’s no Chester but aesthetically it wouldn’t feel out of place, you can easily imagine Shinoda accompanying this.

Despite being known for the easy-listening electronica, there are a couple of tracks that utilise a more guitar driven approach…”Be Brave” being the first offering. Initially a delicate piano led piece, it takes advantage of the slow-build and gradually becomes this emotive, emo-rock track and it’s genuinely enjoyable as it kicks into gear. “Firebird” then swaps the piano for the acoustic strings and again, the hooks on this chorus are pretty infectious, allowing for a clear album highlight. This too can be said for “Lucid Dream” which when it gets going embraces a total European dance-pop characteristic…in the right hands a potential floor-filler this. By contrast then, the cutely titled “Not All Heroes Wear Capes” is a wonderful little tribute to his father via an acoustic ballad; equal parts nostalgic admiration and present-day appreciation.

While the tracks I’ve highlighted have their own charms and attributes…we can’t ignore the fact that, at eighteen tracks long…this is a lot of synth-pop to get through and given the very often butter-wouldn’t-melt level of innocence within the vocals and poppier-than-thou electronica, it can become overwhelming to the point of nausea. “House Wren” for example is just so incredibly corny, lyrically it makes my ears cringe…”Winners Never Quit” ironically made me want to abandon this review but I’m in too deep now…this might even make Charlie Sheen quit and he INVENTED winning! Aside from some alternate versions of tracks, the album officially closes on the title track and essentially it’s like an excuse to use a lot of movie-themed metaphors and analogies…no more. Essentially here, Owl City haven’t really changed one iota…their sweet electro-pop is still on the verge of troubling diabetics…while they can clearly still produce infectious, radio-conquering tunes, this album in its entirety is for want of a better word; excessive. [5]