Variety is the spice of life – and Demob Happy are living, breathing proof of that fact. Press-ganging almost every grunge-related rock subgenre into a wickedly unpredictable set, Demob Happy spread buckets of good cheer and solid rock riffs around the Boileroom’s main room. If you fancy the musical equivalent of an early Christmas, look no further than the links below. Read more…
Somewhere in the labyrinthine depths of the Scala, Allusondrugs got this Friday night off to a raucously grungy start. Stir remained as shiver-inducing as ever, while the Reuben-esque Am I Weird? elicited laughter followed by hectic headbanging. Throughout this short but perfectly formed set, Allusondrugs shone through the dirt like a five-piece Nirvana, with jagged guitars rending the air before climaxing amid a frontman-versus-guitarist wrestling match. Read more…
This EP is aptly titled. If you’re feeling starved of intense and immense prog-fusion brilliance, then you should do two things: Read more TMMP, and check out CHON. They’ll seduce you effortlessly with opening acoustic-centric track Super Potion, and leave you wondering what the fuck just happened by the time Knot is finished. Not bad for just two tunes. Read more…
Kyshera’s new album may be delayed until March 16th, but on this evidence it’ll be worth the wait. Although Kyshera really shine live, their tracks are more than enough to tide fans old and new over until their next face-to-face fix. Inertia is grim, gritty, and custom-designed to weld itself into your memory banks; a must-hear for fans of bands able to summon the gutsy and authentic attitude of classic alt-metal at will. Read more…
Although Bypolar and In Tyler We Trust gave decent showings and played their hearts out, this show was definitively all about Reeves Gabrels & His Imaginary Friends. Bypolar have improved significantly since their support slot under DZ Deathrays, and In Tyler We Trust offered a ton of hard-rocking energy twinned with the occasional flamboyant display – but it was clear from each support’s tentative and uncertain experimentations that both acts are still testing the water and building their confidence. Reeves and his über-solid band, on the other hand, are old pros at this sort of thing – and, as you’d expect, it really showed here. Read more…
I was first introduced to this album by Falsense – and now, let’s just say that I owe him a lot of drinks. I already spend much of my spare time listening to fusion and prog bands – many of whom have been written about in this very corner of the interwebs – and my standards have been driven consistently upwards by the outstanding contributions that have already come my way. Nonetheless, Father Figure meet (and frequently exceed) those standards with a borderline terrifying effortlessness. Read more…
Now this was a real rock show. TMMP favourites In Dynamics got things off to a wicked start, performing flawlessly to an already-rammed Boileroom and running through epic tunes old and new. Immense alt-rock crackers like Waking Life and personal favourite The House sound extra fierce live, while In Dynamics’ freshest songs hint at a slightly heavier djent-influenced direction spiced up with even more delicate clean sections. In Dynamics are slowly carving out their own niche somewhere between Biffy Clyro and Arcane Roots, showing promise, progress, and some real reasons to get excited about their future. Read more…
When it comes to math-rock, ‘control’ is a key word. When odd time signatures, super-syncopated riffs, and all manner of other rhythmic tricks come into play, the results inevitably become difficult to suss out. In other words, the music feels unpredictable. Hyperactively labyrinthine. Out of control. Read more…
Long-time TMMP favourites Signals. are nothing if not ambitious, combining the best elements of math-rock and pop – two very different genres – into something vibrant, exciting, and fresh. A year ago, Signals. were sitting on one of my favourite EPs of the year; today, they’ve got a successful Kickstarter campaign, a new song (Sleep Talk), and a new record deal under their belts – and the heavily-anticipated party starts on October 19th with the commencement of Signals.’ quirkily-monikered ‘Sleep TourK’.
Read on to learn more about Signals., the joys of connection, and the intense demands of their most private creative ritual – exclusively revealed below. Read more…
The first time I heard the intro to Can’t Explain The Tide, I definitely didn’t realise that it was a live recording. However, things quickly became clearer with the arrival of second track P.I.P (Persuasion Is Power) and what I initially felt was an awkward shift in production style. Read more…