Buckcherry - Confessions (Album Review)

Wondering if I was about to open up a Pandora’s box of personal demons, I have to admit that I approached this review rather gingerly. Would I relate to it? Would it shock me? Would it excite me more than a sip of communion wine and a wafer? Of course, I knew, more than not, that there is no sense of humor in Buckcherry’s music. The LA rockers’ distinctive American sound, merged with Aerosmith style qualities, is always dirty, mean, sleazy and bitter and usually crammed full of self-loathing. I have discovered that 'Confessions', their sixth album to date, is all of this and more.

Written by: Anna Ghislena | Date: Tuesday, 12 February 2013

Such Gold - Misadventures (Album Review)

Such Gold are the latest exports from New York’s ever thriving hardcore punk scene and their debut ‘Misadventures’ bears all the hallmarks a young, boisterous and emotionally charged first outing ought to.

Written by: Owen Sheppard | Date: Monday, 11 February 2013

Johnny Marr - The Messenger (Album Review)

Being a legend in the music business will do founder member and guitarist of iconic indie darlings The Smiths, Johnny Marr, no favours as he dips his toe into the world of solo releases for the very first time after plying his trade for a staggering 35 years. This time has been spent within a huge number of bands, making it somewhat fitting that his very own name is remarkably similar to the word ‘journeyman’. Expectations for something special will be high; can he scale the heights the indie legends achieved, which had been the result of an inimitable partnership with flamboyant singer and lyricist Morrissey, or would he end up with egg on his face, returning to band life with his tail between his legs? Rumoured to be one of the nicest guys in the music world, you’re already hoping for his sake that it won’t be the latter.

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Saturday, 09 February 2013

Bullet For My Valentine - Temper Temper (Album Review)

Once praised for their ability to produce classic and powerful hits as well as heartfelt ballads, Bullet For My Valentine have seemingly slipped further and further from their former metal ways. Back in 2010 'Temper Temper'’s predecessor 'Fever' was released and subsequently criticised for straying from Bullet’s metal roots. Moving on three years and Bullet have drifted from metal altogether, settling for hard rock instead. Fourth studio album 'Temper Temper' will no doubt have die-hard fans up in arms because if you’ve come to this album looking for the old Bullet then you might as well leave now. On the other hand, if you’re open to change then embrace 'Temper Temper' with open arms and you never know, you just might like it.

Written by: Katie Vowles | Date: Thursday, 07 February 2013

Bridget Kelly - Special Delivery (Single Review)

The past few years have seen a new generation of R&B stars entering the fray; for one Bruno Mars with his cheeky hybrid of Motown, Rock and Reggae with the moves (and a quiff to match) that Elvis himself would have very approved of. We also must not forget the immensely talented Frank Ocean who has reminded the world that R&B isn’t just music to make “sweet love” to (R.I.P. Barry White) but is a critically acclaimed as well as a commercial powerhouse.

Written by: Jaspreet Kaur Takhi | Date: Wednesday, 06 February 2013

Steve Lukather - Transition (Album Review)

As far as impressive musical resumes go, few can match the one belonging to American guitarist, writer, arranger and producer Steve Lukather. As a founding member of AOR superstars Toto he's shifted a tidy 35 million records, but it's his work as a session musician that really catches the eye, contributing to over 1500 albums by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Roger Waters, Paul McCartney, Elton John and Miles Davis. As well as playing most of the guitar parts on a certain Michael Jackson album called 'Thriller'. He's also released a string of genre hopping solo albums, with his recent output displaying deeply personal, emotionally charged songwriting following the breakdown of his marriage, his mothers death and numerous nasty business wrangles. 'Transition' continues that introspective trend, but this time there's hope amidst the pain as the album moves from lost and angry to resigned and hopeful. Whilst not as musically thrilling as 2008's 'Ever Changing Times' or 2010's 'All's Well That Ends Well', 'Transition' is more song centric and focussed, whilst still delivering a cornucopia of styles that encompasses scorned blues grooves, lush soundscapes, prog dexterity, jazzy flourishes and his trademark melodic rock sensibilities.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 04 February 2013

The Virginmarys - King Of Conflict (Album Review)

It is not very often that listening to a new album makes you want to cry, dance and brawl at the same time, but The Virginmarys’ 'King of Conflict' does just that. It is like getting caught in a ruckus that leaves you with a bloody nose, a smile on your face and a rush to the head.

Written by: Anna Ghislena | Date: Monday, 04 February 2013

Humanfly - Awesome Science (Album Review)

Humanfly have always had a progressive streak in their musical armoury. That much is for certain. Somewhere between 2010’s impressive 'Darker Later' and their new record, 'Awesome Science', however the quartet’s lens has clearly shifted focus somewhat. 'Darker Later' was an oppressive, suffocatingly heavy record reliant on the immense power of the riff. 'Awesome Science', on the other hand, finds its brilliance in the dynamic plains the group traverse more thoroughly here than ever before.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Friday, 01 February 2013

Man The Machetes - Idiokrati (Album Review)

In the style of Kvelertak come Man the Machetes, another bunch of rowdy Norwegians who come armed with more tunes than is healthy for debut albums and, so I have been told, dynamite live shows. In just a couple of years the quintet have already started to make waves, having already played major festivals and gained some sought after radio airplay in their home nation.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Friday, 01 February 2013

The Pigeon Detectives - Animal (Single Review)

The Pigeon Detectives really are victims of the modern music trends. They were absolutely EVERYWHERE just five short years ago and now, nothing. It’s a shame really because, despite being not entirely ground-breaking, they always wrote catchy enough indie-rock anthems that would please a crowd at a gig. However, upon seeing what the Arctic Monkeys have gotten up to, still selling records despite a drop off in the guitar genre, it now seems like they have decided to all but copy their sound.

Written by: James Ball | Date: Friday, 01 February 2013

Heaven's Basement - Filthy Empire (Album Review)

If one band has had more ups and downs than a groupie’s knickers, (if you’ll pardon that well-worn phrase), having tried and tried again for years on end, then surely, success must prevail for Heavens Basement at last? With a history of hectic touring schedules behind and ahead of them; some significant band member changes over the years and two EPs to their name, the UK rockers are about to release their debut album, recorded and produced by John Feldman (Black Veil Brides/Papa Roach).

Written by: Anna Ghislena | Date: Thursday, 31 January 2013

Guapo - History Of The Visitation (Album Review)

The world of ‘progressive rock’ is one riddled with contradictions, especially today, when most of the bands that are generally seen to fall within its boundaries are arguably the very opposite of ‘progressive’ in their clear reliance on the influence of the classic prog acts of the 70s. Guapo, though, have a little more genuine claim to being ‘progressive’ than most of their contemporaries. Certainly the band is not especially original in the aesthetics of their sound, but there is something in their approach that bites a bit more keenly than the work of many others.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Wednesday, 30 January 2013

The Bronx - IV (Album Review)

Often, album titles can hint towards what the album is about, or can offer some ideas as to how it could differ from past works. The Bronx, however, do not follow convention. Where the likes of Billy Talent eventually broke their eponymous titling last year, we now find ourselves facing the Los Angeles punk outfit's fourth self-titled record. Regardless of giving nothing away in the title, the record feels long overdue, and - in that sense - the fact there is a record at all is enough!

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Monday, 28 January 2013

Biffy Clyro - Opposites (Album Review)

I’ll start with an admission. Biffy Clyro are the band that changed my life. You wouldn’t be reading this review without them. They sparked in me a passion for music that has only grown since the day I first bought 'Infinity Land' (in the St. Albans branch of HMV in case you were interested) as an impressionable thirteen year-old. This Scottish trio not only made music that I found immeasurably appealing, they seemed like three ordinary guys who were prepared to sweat it out for long-overdue success. That’s what they did. Fast forward a few years and Biffy Clyro are the biggest guitar band in Britain, besides Muse. They have earned their success through sheer hard work and dedication to their craft. 2007’s 'Puzzle' and its follow up, 2009’s 'Only Revolutions', may have lacked a bit of the raw excitement of their early material but Biffy Clyro still had a discernible character that was all their own. Their move away from awkward post-hardcore was not selling out, as some would claim; it was just a natural progression of the band’s sound. Biffy moved into creating stadium-sized rock with a heart and a soul, whilst retaining a very real personality that continued to set them apart from lame posturers such as All Time Low and You Me at Six.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 28 January 2013

Pure Love - Anthems (Album Review)

“I’m so sick of singing about hate, it’s never gonna make a change!” These lyrics make me chuckle. Not because they’re funny. No. They make me chuckle because they’re sung by Frank Carter. And the last time I saw Frank Carter, he was at risk of shredding his vocal chords whilst screaming “Misery fucking loves me! And I love her so!” in front of an incessantly violent crowd. At 11 O’clock in the morning. He also got a circle pit going. At 11 O’clock in the morning, ladies and gentlemen. Surely you can all understand how taken aback I was when I heard him sounding, well... happy.

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Sunday, 27 January 2013

The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law (Album Review)

Female-fronted Welsh trio The Joy Formidable return with a follow-up to their 2011 debut offering in the shape of ‘Wolf’s Law’.

Written by: James Goodall | Date: Friday, 25 January 2013

Boduf Songs - Burnt Up On Re-Entry (Album Review)

It’s difficult to get a firm grip on what makes Mat Sweet (the man behind Boduf Songs) tick. It would certainly seem that it’s not enough for him to merely present his feelings; he wants to make us feel with him. Such a desire has resulted in a change of musical approach for album number five. The Red House Painters-esque acoustic format previously favoured by Sweet is here ditched for a more varied palate that sees him shooting for the dense, if uncluttered, soundscape approach of Swans as well as the seamlessly contradictory arrangements of Radiohead.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Friday, 25 January 2013

Tomahawk - Oddfellows (Album Review)

There’s no point in trying, and inevitably failing, to sum up Tomahawk. Let’s just call them a supergroup, and not one of those supergroups that fall into the category just because one of their members is an ex-member of Whitesnake or something. Tomahawk are Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle), Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, John Zorn) and John Stanier (Helmet, Battles). All legends in their own right those guys, whether their names leap off the screen to you or not. Dunn is a new member to the fold, replacing Kevin Rutmanis (Cows, Melvins) on bass, but otherwise this is the same ensemble cast that made three delightfully intriguing records in the last decade. Never entirely one thing or the other, Tomahawk are perhaps best categorised as a plain old ‘rock’ band, but then such determination to categorise can be misleading.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Friday, 25 January 2013

Cult Of Luna - Vertikal (Album Review)

It’s been a long time since we have heard anything from Cult of Luna. Perhaps more so even than genre progenitors Isis and Neurosis, Cult of Luna have been the critical standard for atmospheric sludge based heaviness over the last decade and more. Their last three releases in particular, the epic 'Salvation', the crushing 'Somewhere Along the Highway' and the brooding 'Eternal Kingdom', have won unanimous praise from pretty much everyone who has ever heard them.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Wednesday, 23 January 2013

Riverside - Shrine Of New Generation Slaves (Album Review)

Riverside have always been a rather curious band. Never quite living up to the huge potential they demonstrated on their first two records, as a band they are perhaps representative of a modern progressive rock scene that struggles with risk-taking. Certainly Riverside are a talented group of players and songwriters, but by the time that 2009’s 'Anno Domini High Definition' rolled around you could be forgiven for thinking that the band had used up all the tricks in their narrow rock/metal arsenal.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Tuesday, 22 January 2013