Quite possibly the shortest band review yet because for me, their music speaks for itself. I envisage this band to be bigger than Kasabian and I would hope so too. I’m very much hooked into their sound after seeing them live as a support band. I ended up preferring them to the main act. Just listen to the passionate, psychedelic warmth that wraps around you. Brilliant!

I love the fact that these boys from Huddersfield in the North-West England are the thrash metal lords of darkness at this present time with their latest release Infected Nations.

Evile must have been overwhelmd at the chance of recording with Russ Russell shaping them out. These are classic, plectrum destroying riffs which just blow you away with their intricacy, their pace and the fact that is sounds pretty damn cool too. The drummers got some beef, the singer has audacity and the guitarist will just rip you up, spit you out into the mosh pit without a care nor a flinch.

This ranks with the top dogs from the days of old such as their influences Sepultura, Slayer and Metallica. Old friends of mine they are and I now call Evile as friends of mine too after Bathe In Blood. A cracking number.

Priceless production work, priceless riffs and solo’s that will blind you and make you twitch.

Infected Nations is out now.

There is something fascinating, mysterious and rather charming about Karen Stever.

The music she writes is very Marilyn but with more clarity. Her style is more alike Lacuna Coil and there is an awesome feel to it all despite the darkness that accompanies it.

The Stever tracks I’ve heard certainly have a medlodic, goth, industrial essence but tweaking resemblances of Tori Amos, Kate Bush and more so Alanis Morisette and Evanescence. The happy-go-lucky intro and fill-ins on Funeral Mute add a quirkiness to a very full track being as it contains heavy distortion, anthemic keyboards and is almost too cluttered being a little “not knowing what it is” kind of number.

The rest of the tracks are great records. I persoanlly like the fact that her guitarist has down-tuned on Shame On Me, it adds a huge wedge of grit that is very suited to her vocals.

We need to hear more like that.

The effort, blood, sweat and tears that Karen has put into her work is highly commendable with her own artwork, her own material. It is all Stever. 5 Stars for that without doubt.

I do feel that the production of her work is a touch OTT which is spoiling some of the simplicity that is within the tracks. They don’t need to be full of everything and if they do, then the orchestration needs improvements.

Worth a look indeed. If you don’t then shame on you. Not shame on me because I have and I like her.

They all started somewhere didn’t they? Pink, Christina and that bird who shaved off all of her hair.

Natalie Spangberg is just starting. Under the title of Lucy In The Sky we’ve a young, punk-rock chick belting out teeny-bopp-esque pop songs that wouldn’t go a miss on MTV.

Having startling similarities to a young Avril Lavigne who has dissappeared from our radio stations lately Lucy In The Sky could quite possibly take the young, rock-chick mantle.

The tunes on her MySpace player such as Pretty Face and Til I Die are well written, got a certain hook about them and I can envisage many a deliquent young lady copying her image. Lucy is also extremely attractive so the boys wouldn’t say no either. The music does suit her but I would think that the occasional ballad would really hit the charts hard. Being as her age is noticable in the maturity of the songs in a few years time we will see her music grow and develop into something less Pop-like and more spreading across the genres.

This girl’s got something.

Power, empathy and grace. This is Depeche Mode

I actually became interested into listening to Mayday! Cried The Captain merely due to the name of the act, so I was suckered in for a start.

After listening to their work on ye ol’ MySpace I thought the sound was rather similar to those acts that I have reviewed previously falling into the same genre.

The main differences are the synthetic aspect of the additional electronica, the passionate, hardcore screamo supporting the main vocalist is absolutely blinding, (that’s how you do it people)

The songs chosen to be sung as well are not as pathetic as I would stereotypically expect. If they made Today’s Gonna Be A Good Day in the same tone as WTCGM then I would like it more. I thought it was a little light and could’ve done with being turned down 1/2 a step.

The Lady Gaga cover on their player is great. If ever in the UK and were to be invited into the Radio 1 Live Lounge this would go down a storm. Not only a good cover but a fantastic rendition. I have warmed to the band after listening to that and the other tracks flow very nicely indeed. The Jekyll and Hyde vocal style on That Ain’t No Electrocore need a touch more work. rather than splitting it up, layer two vocal tracks over each other similar to Metallica’s track Cure on the Load album.

Comparing them to others similar, they are harder, smarter, but maybe not faster because they are getting it right before they start. Good effort.

But the Lady Gaga cover of Just Dance is brilliant.

Now this, this here, is the kind of stuff I not only grew up on, but also the stuff I care to still listen to. Why? Because this is the kind of consistency I like. Good, solid, rock music. It never lets you down.

New Model Army have just released yet another album, (their eleventh!?) titled Today Is A Good Day and with the support that they get from their fans and the continuous return of their die hard fans, it’s no wonder that nearly every day is good for the 5 piece rock artists from Bradford.

What I like about this band more so is the slightly different layout of their tracks. The way the music is orchestrated. Not just intro, verse, bridge, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus, solo, etc. They are more musically orientated but still not letting the lyrics disappear within the song.

All tracks are unique and there are no serious similarites between them as you can get quite a lot on many “classic rock” bands.

A little samey if you know what I mean.

States Radio from the album track that you can imagine levitating the stadium crowd as they all bounce and clap in unity. God Save Me is just an amazing poetic tune and it will touch the sternest of hearts. I have heard many a student / university rock band attempt to emulate this kind of song, but this is how it is to be done.

Below is a video sample of this latest piece of work from the band.

Being as they have released a quality record and it being their eleventh, I’m already looking forward to the twelvth. For now indeed, Today Is A Good Day.

Now this is what Vanessa from Headbangers Ball is talking about. Riff after riff, foot tapping, head banging, teeth grinding aweness.

Wanderlust is an awesome example of metal, hardcore, rock as are the rest of the tracks on New Junk Aesthetic their latest studio release.

Passionate, hardcore metal like this is not heard by me very often. Or at least it is, but not like the quality Every Time I Die deliver.

This is tight, this is rawness honed into sublime studio perfection produced to a level that I can appreciate and other hardcore, screamo style bands should compare themselves too.

This is a template for others to follow. This is the proper job.

This is a short review, because it just frickin’ rocks!

Immediately when pressing play for the first track of this debut album A Brief History Of Love you fall into a relaxed state of consciousness. When the lyrics begin, you believe that you know exactly what you are going to get. You hope it is going to be like it is, and let me tell you, yes people, it is.

The Big Pink are obviously to me anyways influenced by the psychedelic dance waves of the late 80’s and early 90’s without mentioning any particular bands or artists. MGMT have a similar sound but I am now afraid to say, they can move over.

There is an anthemic feel, an uplifting nature to all the tracks and the warmth it carrys takes the chilling cold away from all shivering parts of your soul.

The music is intrciate and sounds complicated but truly it is just very smartly mixed. A fullness in sound and soothing vocals are heard, welcomed and even make the spine quiver a touch.

One track Dominos has been heard by many already (the video is below) It has a nice drum and bass feel, yet it is a simple eclectic mix of synth, drums and positive lyrical aura. Love Is Vain is also as enchanting as well as Velvet but with a darker tech noir tinge to it. I adore the warmth, harmony, emotion and depth to Tech Noir.

Yes man, this is good, this is really good, I’d get this if I were you.

With the amount of Pop-Punk bands that play the teenage style of rock that you hear on American teen comedy and romance films, these guys are probably the best I’ve heard.

All Time Low have the lot, they have the talent, the image, the management, the tour, the merchandise and of course in the 21st century a smart, multi-media manager.

But of course revolving this article around their music which you can hear, here, it’s got some really good riffs throughout, the bass is filling the tracks, the drumming is pounding away delightfully and the vocals have a good tinge of rawness that come out giving it a true rock edge.

I’m not a fan of this particular sound due to the stereotypical, high throaty singing nor the way the tracks are orchestrated to create those uplifting moments and subtle drops. (sorry about the terrible technical jargon used there) but that’s the descriptive way and that’s is what puts me off it.

Admitedly, I don’t mind the way they tell the story in the song. The lyrics are really quite good and that allows many people to empathise which is what enables bands like this to succeed.

Tracks like Weightless which is the one below and Stella. They are ones you can relate to, no matter your age don’t think.

As a whole, anthemic, rocky and fun. A good pop band playing their own stuff, my hat goes off to them.

Pearl Jam, have managed to stand the test of time. Although it appears to some as if they have gone off the radar a little over the latter years of their career, these boys have managed to stir us all up with their release of their latest release Backspacer, which is now out today.

I remember listening to them when Ten and VS came out in the early 90’s. I felt then that they could rock a record, and that a lovely story could always be told, not just singing or playing songs about self-emotions. Stories being told are always going to sell records. See the Followell’s band for instance. I’m listening to Backspacer as an album in itself, not as another Pearl Jam studio release. Which you can here by clicking this link here.

The songs are short and explosive as is the whole record. The Fixer is their single released and doesn’t even touch 3 minutes. It is a simple track lyrically, it has a feel good vibe to it and it will rock out the venues where ever they play. The drumming is quite the hook of the song for me. It makes it fast and furious. But it’s just dead short. Supersonic is a headstomper of a tune bordering on a punk anthem similar to that of Green Day’s tracks.

Fans I don’t think will be disappointed. As for me, I like it but I’m not overwhelmed by it. The album has great tracks falling it into a cracking rock record. I sense a touch of bleakness. They have a pace, short and punchy tunes and but the explosiveness is not quite there for me. But that’s me comparing it to Even Flow , but that was then and this is now.

It’s good to hear them back even though they haven’t really gone away.

I was asked by Blackslider to check out their work from their MySpace and I was asked if it might tickle my fancy.

After the first two tracks I thought they were not too bad. Industrial style tunes can appear to some as just regular noise. There was depth for definate as there should be. A groove going through the heart wishing that you had the ability to scream with the tracks in empathy. Unfortunately, they weren’t quite deep enough for me.

Industrial Electro needs aggression

I felt that Blackslider was a little too soft and not as frantic as I was expecting it to be. Heresy – Nine Inch Nails is a fine example despite being more Rock based and Combichrist too with Blut Royale.

The track Gonna Get Ya! was perhaps missing a rumbling dub, dropping half a step and of course, more time to listen to the track as the samples didn’t quite give me enough to work on as I would expect the same for any passer-by.

Apostolate very nearly got me salivating because of the overall sound but it just didn’t quite kick with any rapturous roar.

Nevertheless, a great foundation to work on, but more depth and more choas required. So yes, it merely tickled.

Having the the hardcore screaming metal acts playing on these shores in the UK I tend to cringe a little because to be quite honest, I don’t think we can quite cut it. Omit the screaming part, then we’re on top of the world.

Monday Massacre from the dragon’s land of Wales are a hardcore, screaming metal act. their tunes on their MySpace are loud, fast, aggressive and tight. I can’t help wondering though if there is any need for the screamo part.

Everything else sounds great but if there was a reduction in the strenuous sounds of the vocalists larynx then it may become more musically orientated and reach into a further demographical area.

Legendary Philip Anselmo I use in reference. He can hold the screams and make them sound melodic too, not just make them sound like screams.

If that’s what they do then, then that’s what they do. The drumming’s to die for, the guitaring takes me back to my youth, skiving school and checking out the latest Slayer or Corrosion Of Conformity release round my mates house. The track Forget These Streets is a fine example of the classic metal from days of old.

These boys appear to everything going for them so I wish them all the best. But the amount of honey and ice scream they will use will be phenomenal.

Now, immediately, right from the first bar, I’m thinking that this record could go either way.

I haven’t heard of The Used but when I stumbled upon them on MySpace, or in fact, they stumbled upon me, I felt that I recognised the sound. The familar metallic, distorted, rock riff resembling the greats. When the vocals kicked in I felt relief.

I wasn’t listening to some kind of teenage, pubescent rugrats. Which unfortunately nowadays, are all too frequent in the charts.

The Used have been around for a few years. This latest release Artwork is experienced, tight and they certainly do have a good collection of ear-bleeding chords, aggressive melodlic vocals, rumbling bassline and the drums are awesome. I feel the energy from Dan Whitesides kit, I love it, just how it should be.

Burning Down The House is a good rendition of Sir Tom Jones’ track which he recorded with the Cardigans a couple of moons ago. You can imagine it done live on stage, the crowd going ballistic similar to a German infantry in a blitzkrieg on acid.

The energy is what gets me on this album the most. It’s levitating, positive even though the songs are occasionally revolving around sad times, but it is the upbeatness that lifts you up, and tells you that everything is going to be alright.

These are The Used, and if you’ve been too, then you’ll also be part of the Artwork.

Grunge is not something you hear or see much of nowdays but it is a level of heartfelt, moody rock that I used to adore.

Considering that it kind of started in Seattle US of A, coming from Manchester The Gift are not really miles away.

The singer Niall has some power in his vocal chords and can dish it out. You feel his “pain” resonating in the air so it is very empathic. Musically the sound is classic and intricate in many areas. You can believe an unplugged session can be handled competently. Listening to their track Don’t Take It Out On Me on their MySpace player confirms that thought.

As a live act it can be easily envisaged that this band can rock the roof with their well-structured layout of material. It is quite well thought out and has the oomph needed. If I would compare them to any other band my first thought would be Audioslave due to the more rock based sound and vocal power. but of course this is grunge, so the Nirvana feel is within them.

My only criticisms would be less wah-wah, notch the vocal level up a touch and take out some echo. Nialls voice is an instrument and is slightly surrounded by the rest of the band at times, volume wise he needs to stand out a bit more. The confidence level will certainly rise after their tour and that will also have an impact on their sound in the future. The Americans are lucky for these boys to show them what the Brits can do. And vice versa.