DARK SHADOWS '11:11' '11:11' might be the time that the release was finished at, whether it was or not it is a gracious album that crosses every T and dots every I in the Post Punk / Gothic Rock chambers. The band behind the blast is Dark Shadows, hailing from Australia this trio take the old school sounds of Bauhaus and The Cure and weave a new sound to the masses. Engineered to epic levels, '11:11' is a classic example that the old ways are usually the best and in this case Dark Shadows do well to prove this to be the truth. In fact, fans of Siousxie & The Banshees may well relate to this lot more than the Bauhaus fans, but that is anyone's guess. Salient point behind this luscious release is that has enough vibrating energy to capture a whole new audience. Download This: "Blame" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON EVA JADE LANDON 'Evalution' SHE'S TROUBLE Electro-pop / Power Pop Music is usually a goldmine and when artists like Eva Jade Landon come storming out of the underground with such a level of creativity that eclipses the likes of Carla Rae Jepsen and Lady Gaga, you know something is coming. The latest release 'Evalution' is a non-stop torrent of electric music that would get anyone on the dance floor, raving and ripping out all of life's worries on a Friday or Saturday night. If the release was a freshers week, Eva Jade Landon would be the one tipping plenty of different sounds into the mix to end up with a cocktail that is deserving of mainstream attention. 'Evalution' carries everything one would want for a dance anthem soundtrack, even so it would seem doubtful that she will go quietly and as a result Europe better be prepared for what can be dubbed as the next greatest electro-pop export from the USA. This is more than a musical evolution, this is a musical 'Evalution'. Download This: "Walk Away" [9.5] RHYS STEVENSON MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE 'Halloween Music Collection' Perhaps this maybe the ideal soundtrack or soundtracks to a horror or Gothic fiction franchise, sure not on the scale of the Saw heptology but in essence Dracula, Van Helsing and the like. In fact, Midnight Syndicate of whom are a duo from Ohio, create an atmosphere that circulates the darkened surroundings found when listening, so much so this would be ideal to listen to on a ghost hunt or when camping out near a graveyard as most goths would agree this music is exceptionally unique and utmost emotionally connected to personal feelings and the like. 'Halloween Music Collection' is a twenty-two track filled release that will keep many mesmerized for a long, long time and overall is an essential for those who like the old style of Gothic music, stretching back to Gothic church music. Download This: "Awakening" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON ARMONIGHT 'Tales From The Heart' RAVENHEART MUSIC The Italian musicians love their Gothic music, it is as if they were born to be goths or at least dress like them and play music relating to the subculture. No wonder then when sextet Armonight unleash a torrent of darkened melodies via their release 'Tales From The Heart', they do so with a sensational outburst of angelic vocals, blade-swiping riffs and solid drumming, all of which together add up to develop an atmosphere that could be likened to bands such as Evanescence and Lacuna Coil. This is what you call heavenly music and bodes the band well, as they are sure to garner greater attention over the next few years as they share with the listener, the stories and 'Tales From The Heart' that binds this band together. Download This: "When You See Me Cry" [9] RHYS STEVENSON THE DROPPER'S NECK 'Second Coming' Essex in recent times has had a sudden upsurge of rock bands from all strains of the music virus, so when a bunch of lads known as The Dropper's Neck set sail to release their debut album 'Second Coming', much is riding on this release. What strikes immediately is the inescapable fact of them owning their own sound and not a recycled clump of 'been-there-done-it' music. Call it Alternative Punk Rock but with a few added twists here and there, such as similarities to bands like The Horrors and bizarrely the vocals draw comparisons with the late 70's Gothic rock era, namely the Bauhaus song 'Bela Lugosi's Dead'. But as standard the album is sure to turn heads as this lot are certainly Download Festival material (let's hoping they're paying attention). For Fans of: QOTSA, Pulled Apart By Horses, Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster 'Second Coming' is out Monday 29th July 2013 via major outlets. [8] RHYS STEVENSON ...SOIHADTO... '...soihadto...' PFC Besides a really bizarre name, the Baltimore boys finally unleashed their self-titled album. What comes with it is a rather inexplicable event, basically it's experimental rock but without any experimentation as such, confusing eh? '...soihadto...' can be labelled as one of those albums (and bands) that somehow do not know where they want to go with their music, regardless of how clean and organized the finished production is, the band are all over the place. On the other hand it would seem that benefits this lot to the core, but sadly as a result it lacks elements of class and so whilst the band have deservedly crafted a decent enough album, it is not cutting edge and nor is it anything special, just another album. Download This: "Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso" [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON UNDER HEAVEN 'What Lies Between' RAVENHEART Reminiscing of the bygone chamber opera music era is easier said than done, unless of course you are indulging in Canada's Under Heaven and their latest album 'What Lies Between'. Silencing the darkness and harnessing a symphonic sound has not proven to be much of a challenge for the duo, even if the elaborate background sounds of the violin and Spanish guitar adds a unique style to the framework laid out by these two musicians. This is no Within Temptation, no Epica or no other Symphonic Gothic Metal band that sounds anything like the aforementioned two bands, no Under Heaven are in their own league and with 'What Lies Between' firmly set to get them some well earned attention, this could be Canada's finest hour. Download This: "Behind The Shadows" [8] RHYS STEVENSON CARTEL 'Collider' LAB The instant feeling that this could be the sound of the summer is already on the tongues of many people, well for starters Cartel employ that specific style of rock that would go down well playing on a stereo whilst working on a sun tan or having a garden party. In fact 'Collider' the band's fourth release exploits the bouncier and more chilling side to rock as to set the tone for what could be their best release to date. Spewing out a myriad of influences, Cartel are priming themselves to take their calming rock music to greater heights and are sure to grab the attention of more people along the way, what separates this quartet from the other pop rock all-male bands out there is that they keep the listener on their toes as the unexpected drops every seconds. 'Collider' is out 20th May 2013 via LAB Records [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON ESCAPE THE FATE 'Ungrateful' ELEVEN SEVEN MUSIC Take Escape The Fate as a ten-legged machine as they simply do not slow down, preparing to unleash their best album to date, the American Post-Hardcore suave experts return to the core that made this band what they are today. Catchy riffs embedded on a funky rhythm that would make bands like Guns 'N' Roses listen up, whilst at the same time the vocals command a whole new sound, powerful cleans and mind-blowing growls that tussle for control against the eccentric harmonics erupting from the erotically charged guitars and sublimely inserted auto-tune snippets. If this is not the soundtrack of the summer, it is without any doubt the soundtrack that Escape The Fate will live on by, 'Ungrateful' is the TNT of Post-Hardcore and explodes on every dimension in every possible direction. Download This: "Forget About Me" 'Ungrateful' is out 13th May 2013 via Eleven Seven Music [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON WORDS
'Division Of The Masses' Wallowing in the minefield of Post-Hardcore wannabes, are a group Californian gold miners by the name of Words. Sure the vocals at times are not completely related to Post-Hardcore and more or less sometimes stray into Melodic Hardcore as a result. But here we have the EP 'Division Of The Masses' which the product of Words and words are exactly what will be said after music lovers clock up this EP. The saddening thing is that there are points where one would expect harsh vocals to be at but they fail to materialize and so in some parts of the songs, the momentum is lost. Overall the EP is a valiant effort, but with some tweaking and fine restructuring, Words could become a potential for breaking out into the international scene. [6] RHYS STEVENSON
0 Comments
JET PACK 'Chasing Sunsets' There aren't many bands that sound unique from the off, so when bands like Jet Pack propel themselves out of the underground and into the national limelight, we could see them becoming placed alongside the likes of Mallory Knox and Verse of whom in recent times exploded like fireworks. That said, the four-piece from the West Midlands could not emerge on a better note than by releasing their latest EP 'Chasing Sunsets', which essentially is a delicate balance of pop punk and alternative rock ballads, with a sharp and calm atmosphere as well as the flavor of a fruity range of influences and similarities, it is clear that Jet Pack will make an impression on the nation in 2013 and ultimately power themselves to greater heights, let there be lift off! [9] RHYS STEVENSON For Fans of: Jimmy Eat World, Reuben, Blink 182, Foo Fighters, Taking Back Sunday 'Chasing Sunsets' is out Monday 6th May 2013 OUR FINAL HOUR 'The Moving House' From the depths of the Irish sea arises one frantic band from the Post-Hardcore music genre, enter Our Final Hour with their latest EP 'The Moving House' and their fist-punching wall of sound. Hitting hard on all fronts, the five-piece drag together elements of furious drumming sequences with the erotic emotions excreted by the savage riffs and of course the vocals delivering a heavier performance than a WWF match. 'The Moving House' spews out a ballistic sound that will, without a doubt act as a solid foundation for Our Final Hour to build upon and endure international success as they fill in the blanks and position themselves as such, to become what can easily be dubbed the greatest band the Isle of Man has ever seen since The BeeGees. [10] RHYS STEVENSON For fans of: Defeater, Stick To Your Guns, Pianos Become The Teeth 'The Moving House' is out 24th June through all stores THE DARK PLAINS 'Come On & Get Some' Instantly when hearing this EP, certain influences come blurting out, give the track 'Look Around' and you get stark resemblances to Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Californication". But perhaps that what makes grungers The Dark Plains tick, the groovy side to rock music and when taking into account their latest release 'Come On & Get Some', there is a myriad of different sounds emanating from each song, as if they whipped together a bunch of influences and strapped them together. You got Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc - basically you would have to be a 80's to 90's rock expert to pluck out every single reminiscing sound to professionally pigeonhole them, they are that varied in song context. But what 'Come On & Get Some' does is it delivers a rock sound that at first may elude some as being another basic, bog standard release, but in truth is a masterful wonder-piece that will get heads turning. Download This: "Look Around" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON SAHARA 'Intox' Basingstoke's Sahara sum up an ingenious selection of math infused Indie Rock with their four track EP 'Intox', from the start it seemed to be a bit of a boring release but once past the introductory track and onto the first song "Coming Down", the real sound begins to kick in and in the background there is a lot of math rock going on, somewhat similar to progressive rock if you like. But the core sound of the release is the Indie Rock style, drawing comparisons to The Horror's 'Skying' and bands like Minus The Bear. Love it or hate it, 'Intox' is a unique EP in it's own rights, but like many releases has it's drawbacks and one major one is there is at times too much going on, what with a slower rock sound on the forefront battling a math rock sound that sits in the background, it can get rather too much. Download This: "Bloodhound" [7] RHYS STEVENSON SIXTYFOURS 'All On You' Every so often a band will come out of the darkness and will deliver something new to the scene that has not been explored before or has been explored but not in great depth. Therefore enter Warwickshire quartet Sixtyfours with their latest single 'All On You' which, get ready, mixes rock with the technical side of hip-hop. Exactly. Hip Rock, get it? No? Oh, well basically what rock fans can hear is not unlike Linkin Park but nowhere near sounding the same, simply imagine the rock style of funk rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers slamming into the hip-hop 'bruthahood' of LL Cool J and the like. But whether you like hip-hop or not, the fact is this band will make waves in the next year or so and as the band prepare for their next release, its 'All On You' the fans to push this band beyond their wildest dreams. Download This: "My Sound" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON SPEED MACHINE 'Speed Machine' Picture this you're driving down Route 66, you have just listened to Chuck Berry's 'riding along in my automobile' when you switch radio station in your car (or as you could call it your speed machine) and on comes an English Hard Rock band of the same name you called your car. The instantaneous reaction is of that you would find from films like The Cannonball Run, a quick surge of no nonsense, ballsy classic rock and with it comes the sensational power of vocal-driven music by this four-piece. The band's three track release of the same name spews out the same sort of rock you would listen to driving down the highway, nay evidential 80's rock is performed right here and can be likened to songs like 'Humans Being' by Van Halen and bands of the same class. The fun side of this release is that it carries the feeling that you can easily chill out without worrying that it could develop into a jive or even a jitterbug, even Elvis Presley would party to this sensational piece of music. Download This: "Speed Machine" For Fans of: The Candy Runts, Aerosmith, Van Halen [9] RHYS STEVENSON WOLFREDT 'Lullabies To Vilhelmine' One for the calm and soothing music fans, well also the electronic fans too, in fact Wolfredt's latest release 'Lullabies To Vilhelmine' delivers a smooth and dreamy feel to the atmosphere whilst the electronic parts add a sort of surreal escape to the whole dimension of the release. Originating from Estonia, Wolfredt is a project led by one Margus Voolpriit who is a musician for some prominent indie bands in the same country, but what is different from that music to this music (besides different genre) is that Margus Voolpriit lets his musical talent run wild and so what you end up with as a result of this free constructive power is an album that truly represents his own thoughts, character and feelings and that can be detected through the ever-changing tempo of the music, from the quirky sound of 'In Dreams' to the more rock-laden sound of 'Things That Remain' and so what listeners will tend to realize is that this album is like a rainbow, a musical spectrum. Download This: "Silent Heartbeats" [8] RHYS STEVENSON ACELSIA 'Dont Go Where I Can't Follow' QUIETUDE PRODS. The debut album by Norway's pop rock / doom rock ensemble Acelsia is finally upon us, 'Dont Go Where I Can't Follow' unravels a darkened atmosphere and lays it out across the release, like a blanket of mist with eerie sounds come from all corners of the area. But, what makes 'Dont Go Where I Can't Follow' different from all of the other pop rock bands is that they use doom metal influences in a sort of depressive and bleak manner, as to light up the darkness with a darkened, light feeling of conflicting emotions and sounds, from this comes a debut that would appeal to many rock fans alike but also those who love poetry and tragedies. Download This: "Up On The Roof" [8] RHYS STEVENSON MICROWAVE 'Thời Gian' Calling from the Far East is Vietnamese rock veterans Microwave who way back in 2009 released their latest album 'Thời Gian', from this feast from the east comes a cooked sensation of powerful and aggressive Hard Rock / Heavy Metal aligned with the band's native Vietnamese language, so when the quintet course through their album like a pigeon with its tail on fire, looking for water to cool off in, the result is a desire for more of the same thing. 'Thời Gian' is a culturally musical experience to those outside of Vietnam and for those inside the country, it's a personal connection, but one thing that both can agree on is that Microwave are certainly Vietnamese rock legends. Download This: "Chỉ Là Giấc Mơ" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON DIE KUR
'Era' Die Kur or The Cure if you prefer, is an Industrial / Electro Metal outfit from the downtrodden darkened streets of London, armed with their latest effort 'Era', they deliver the early style of Industrial music, in fact likening to bands and projects like Pain, Marilyn Manson (although not as creepy), etc. What you find here is electronic beats and vocals that coalesce with the very foundations of Industrial Metal that were set out by prominent bands like Nine Inch Nails, however with the Londoners displaying a solid piece of music, the result is one that would elude most peoples perception of said music genre. This is no Rammstein, this is no Deathstars, this is Die Kur zu alle volk von England und diese band sind sicher die Industrial Metal Szene beleben in London. Download This: "(Meeting) The Gatherer" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON |
Please follow Global Mainstream Arts (https://globalmainstreamarts.weebly.com/) from now on as this website will cover all non-metal music.
© 2011-2022
|