Hinder – ‘When The Smoke Clears’ [Review]

As a set of classic-style hard rock tracks, When The Smoke Clears does the job. There’s no faulting Hinder’s musicianship or songwriting skills; every track on this album was ready-made for arena/festival-level consumption. The songs on When The Smoke Clears will stick in your head for a good while, and Hinder’s long-time fans are sure to get off on them.

Beyond that, however, there’s not much else to it. For starters, there’s no passion at all – performed and theatrical, forced attitude that connects on the shallowest intellectual level, sure, but that’s as far as Read more…

Posted on 15 May 2015

The Decoy – ‘Parasites EP’ [Review]

This EP put me in two minds on the first listen under headphones. The songs were definitely great – but the sound was terrible. Waaaay too much treble. It almost gave me a migraine.

Then I tried putting it through proper speakers. It sounded sick. Then some Apple earpods. Still sick.

Basically, the Decoy (and producer Chris Coulter) showed me how shit my new Sennheiser earbuds are. Forty quid, they cost me. Forty fucking quid. Literally in the bin as I write this.

Anyway…the Decoy fill in the grey areas between Read more…

Posted on 14 May 2015

KoMaRa – ‘KoMaRa’ [Review]

Long-form music making is a rarity in today’s no-speed-except-hyperspeed world. With iTunes cherry-picking and Spotify playlist-generating the default mode of consumption for many, even the idea of the album seems old-fashioned in some quarters. Movies, meanwhile, tend toward tedious strobe-ridden shitfests riddled with action but devoid of connective tissue.

There are few places to turn for those who crave Read more…

Posted on 13 May 2015

Blood Youth – ‘Inside My Head’ [Review]

Thick. Solid. Big. Full of spunk.

Get your mind out of the gutter – this is a melodic hardcore EP we’re talking about. Honest.

Listening to Inside My Head‘s five cuts of plectrum-eroding, string-melting, Read more…

Posted on 13 May 2015

Calling Apollo – ‘Hunter / Gatherer’ [Review]

What a difference a year makes.

Fans of Arcane Roots, Coheed And Cambria, Deftones, and SikTh are guaranteed to find something to love inside this EP. Calling Apollo may make their influences obvious, but they’re playing with a wicked mix of punchy riffs, well-defined tones, and great songcraft. It’s certainly a leap forward from Read more…

Posted on 12 May 2015

Cyclamen – ‘Departure (Feat. Yuuri)’ [Review]

Imagine a Japanese tech-metal band distantly orbiting Planet SikTh, and augmented by Yuuri of Outside The Coma. Think grim post-rock atmospherics, tangled and tortured riffs, and frenetic beats.

Sounds sick? You bet. And below, you’ll find Read more…

Posted on 10 May 2015

And So I Watch You From Afar – ‘Heirs’ [Review]

Opening with the joyous, shred-heavy post-rock heaviness of Run Home, Heirs manages to be uplifting, intellectual, and addictive all at once. Cheeky second tune These Secret Kings I Know feels playful and summery despite raw and edgy guitar tones and far-from-polished production – a real achievement – and from that point, I was just straight up fucking hooked.

It’s no challenge to imagine Read more…

Posted on 09 May 2015

Godsticks – ‘Much Sinister’ [Review]

Demonstrating a mastery of prog-rock technicalities and a metric fuckton of blinding musicianship on Much Sinister as well as opening shows for the already-legendary Aristocrats, Godsticks aren’t being shy in Read more…

Posted on 06 May 2015

Skylab – ‘#1’ & ‘#2: 1999 (Large As Life And Twice As Natural)’ [Double Review]

Electronica fans are in for a treat this June, as the influential Tummy Touch Records gear up to re-release a pair of classic experimental albums by creative collective Skylab. The result of collaborative efforts between Howie B (Björk; U2), the UK’s Read more…

Posted on 06 May 2015

Silence The City – ‘Brave’ [Review]

Riffs + Balls = This. Silence The City fuse modern hard-rock tones with early-2000s alt-metal vibes, and Brave itself is a fucking wicked song. A band to watch, and Read more…

Posted on 04 May 2015