ALT-006 - Lady Gaga, The Horrors, Verses, We Were Lions, Erilaz

LADY GAGA
'Born This Way'
INTERSCOPE

Following the highly acclaimed debut album of electropop sensation Lady Gaga, the sophomore attempt was to be a hard one to accomplish, or was it? Following 'The Fame' came the American-Italian's 'Born This Way' with a more technical approach the electronic music initiated on the first album and even so with the slight hint of Heavy Metal influences; the latter becoming a shocker to the music industry, but then who says opposites don’t attract? 'Born This Way' brings out the Lady Gaga sound, an upbeat face-puncher of dance music with synthrock and sensual sounds to unleash the belter on the dance floor, lets face it people may find her with a wardrobe malfunction, but don’t judge the book by its cover, Lady Gaga is bringing the best of pop to life, considering most mainstream music is all the same, Lady Gaga makes the sound emerge right.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

THE HORRORS
'Skying'
XL RECORDINGS

Maybe the sounds of Southend's music scene have undermined the rock etiquette and persona established by The Horrors. The quintet started off with the sound of Gothic Rock/Shoegaze but have now edged to a more space-rock/post punk sound with their third full-length album 'Skying'; naturally not sounding remotely similar to Muse but spot on with a comeuppance of synth-infused rock and catchy beats to entrance all who listens into sensual and phantasmagoria euphoria. 'Skying' without a doubt has the complete emphasis of the music shift riding on it and whilst the overall tone of the release is fruitful and delinquent, The Horrors themselves will always be remember for the Gothic look.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

VERSES
'No World For Us'

Versatility, imagination and a sense for making the bizarre the obscure and bringing out the best of the missing pieces of British rock, such is a statement in reference to Brighton boys Verses and their latest release 'No World For Us', the EP carries four anthemic rock tracks, powerful enough to keep a thousand generators running the UK's electricity supply. Sounding in the same sort of style as Muse but definitely closer to 30 Seconds To Mars, nonetheless Verses have a clarified sound with as much excitement as a derby in football. Verses bring the best in rock sound, a bandmember apparently looking like 'David Tennant (Dr.Who)' and enough fists to raise an army from anything.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

WE WERE LIONS
'Rebirth'

From first impressions conceived, this is an EP worth counting for as a new step in rock music, lashing together a mix of Power Pop with Hardcore as heavy as a two ton breakdown. We Were Lions came from the ashes of Faint Young Sun, a Wickford-based Pop/Hardcore band with enough power to blast peoples clothes off. Now with a new moniker and a new path for sound, the quintet from Essex are working their way to change the course of music, with their debut EP in tow and four tracks making it up, there is no reason why the Essex music scene wont receive a 'rebirth' from this boyband. Highlight songs include 'backseat' with its groove-laden breakdown from 1:37 to 2:17; such an imageable sound coalescing from the intricacy of this song, but even 'silver medal' delivers justice.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

ERILAZ
'First Of The Vortices'

Coming from the eerie darkness of the Helsinki suburbs is Finnish industrial/EBM project Erilaz. 2012 marks the coming of the debut EP from this project, 'First Of The Vortices' takes into its production the very sensual embodiment of EBM and logistically adapts it to make it more commendable. With influences from Eisenfunk taken aboard and industrial music implemented in the way the Finnish go about doing it, there is no reason to stop this project from breaking more barriers down. Those who enjoy fast electronic music mixed with a soul-soothing pace, this is the release for you.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON