Scream marks a return to form for Ozzy who has been sadly missed of late by those who like old school metal, not that the current talent out there is lacklustre.
Its just that over the years Ozzy has become the master of this genre , however everything else he’s been involved he hasn’t been recording new material.
Now this isn’t bias listening to the album you get a sense that this was fun to record slightly tongue in cheek and with a few journeys into heavy material Scream does mark a return to form for Ozzy and provides something for every fan
Now there aren’t any stand out tracks on the album you would not expected it, its just solid heavy rock with title tracks like scream leading the way.
This is the second outing for Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters own band the Coattail Riders and from what was a project band has emerged a very tight classic heavy rock band.
Their second album Red Light Fever which is released on Columbia Records is very accomplished, not that it doesn’t have a couple of weak tracks overall the balance is on the positive side.
In some respects this record is a little bit retro in its conception the songs follow a well crafted formula set down by the likes of Led Zep drum intro guitar vocal chorus then lead guitar break and finally guitar and drum close, whilst that may sound a little bit restrictive its that restriction that creates some truly great tracks.
The standout ones are James Gang and Hell to Pay as these show the range of the band and Taylor Hawkins although you do detect some Foo Fighters DNA in the mix, this can’t be taken as a bad thing .
Red Light Fever shows that Taylor Hawkins can emerge from the Foo Fighter shadow and produce an album that reminds you how good classic rock can be
A sheer piece of cyberpunk aggression not seen since the heady days of The Prodigy’s breakthrough.
Mixing elements of Breakbeat dubstep electronica and punk Subsource have produced something quite unique an album with no real weak track which hangs together no random noise unlike a lot of so called cyberpunk everything has a clarity of purpose.
This is an album you can listen too and not become bored or distracted it draws you into to its own dynamic thanks mainly to an incredible strong vocal, that said you can quite happily bounce off the walls to it.
This is no nerds behind keyboards and Mixing desk at times its unbridled audible aggression you couldn’t really ask for more.
Tales from the Doombox is out on the 29th of March from which the track The Ides is taken from, this could well be their breakthrough EP, taking them from all nighter obscurity into the mainstream whatever that is.
The results could only be described as worth watching like car crash TV with the power this group has the impact they will have on a rather stayed dance scene could be entertaining.
Subsource ….Blowing away all that falls before them….
Is released today the 1st of march featuring the single Glass Figures it marks the bands first serious assult on the music buying public, as such it stands out as a great example of guitar and synth driven indie pop.
This is a great thing to see as the indie scene has become dare one say boring of late with numerous copies of other bands to hear in a young band a sound which is unique to them is refreshing, and makesyou think there is an alternative to the oh so conventional chart fodder which is doing the rounds.
The clear stand out track for us is Glass Figures however the rest of the album is almost as strong and stands on its own as one of the best debut albums we have heard in a longtime .
Motion Picture Soundtracks The Shapes we fear are of our own a great album which shows indie can be beatifully complex 9 / 10
The Smoking Hearts release their Debut Album Pride of Nowhere 8th of March an exercise in no hold barred punk rock to promote the album the band have made a free download of George Street Wrestling.
The bands sound has elements of The Bronx to it which in our opinion is never a bad thing and looking at their tour dates they share the same work ethic which is amazing considering how energetic their shows are at times, this is a band that needs supporting as a standard bearer of punk in the UK with a sense of aggression on some of track that is barely concealed that is in itself refreshing to find in a very stripped down way, in that the album is by most standards short 13 songs 30 minutes punk indeed and it need not be a moment longer.
record with nick mailing and russ russell “napalm death/ wildhearts” in 14 days, it shows what can be done when your not messing about
To misquote Pride of Nowhere a short sharp shock is what they need.
Mark Everett’s latest studio album is once again a journey into the darkside of relationships and their break ups from one of the most interesting artists to come out of America in recent years .
Truly a first class album with standout tracks little bird and In my younger days haunting in their stripped down beauty
END TIMES the Best EELS album in years 9/10
The album itself is like all EELS albums almost autobiographical of Mark Everett’s life which really reads like one man’s decent in to the hell of old school blues, from personal loss of family members through suicide and illness to the recent break up of his relationship which dominates this record it takes you to that dark place.
This by no means like other EELs albums a happy record, neither does it leave you down it is more optimistic it says you can get down low but you can rebuild regardless of what happens
This is Mark Everett’s ultimate break up album documenting his relationship in the beginning through the good times and the bad until the end, and what you are left with are memories which is all we have in the end.
End Times puts this across in the best way and at least matches electro shock blues in terms of its impact and emotion.
The Lostprophets album The Betrayed was a long time coming with numerous false starts in different recording studios with a variety of producers, this so could have been another story of a bands album becoming a disaster zone with too many producers and over production, with all the problems they were having the band took the brave decision to strip things back and return to their home town and its own little studio.
This was their saving grace and what they have produced is a suprise from what so could have easily been a dogs breakfast they have come up with what is fair to say their best album to date although it is slightly tainted by the bands pop punk reputation it remains a strong album in all respects.
Its song like where we belong that make this their standout album inspired by their return to their home town, it See’s the Band with new energy and not just churning out another album.
The Betrayed can be purchased from itunes, HMV and Play
Dephic’s debut album Acolyte is a confident opening shot from the Manchester based group which does bare some resemblance to early New Order, which in itself is not a bad thing although some tracks are derivative in their nature.
However there are enough strong tracks like doubt, submision and counterpoint which stand on there own , in short Delphics debut album delivers with something that in most parts is refreshing
7/10
Acolyte is available online from iTunes and Amazon.com
Charlotte Gainsbourg IRM proving European advantgarde is alive and well, and in Ms Gainsbourg case doing better than ever especially now on this album as she has teamed up with Beck to produce what could be one of the most unique records
Not that it will chart highly here as we seem to have gone from embracing different music to being highly introverted and narrow in the musical culture, with tracks like heaven can wait and Trick Pony its an album that is more than worth a look
IRM also marks Becks return to form as a producer and in Ms Gainsbourg he’s found someone as who’s willing to experiment.
This is another installment from the PR media campaign that is Lady GAGA now normally this sort of manufactured electro pop pastiche isn’t something I would take much notice of.
However with Lady GAGA there is undeniable talent behind all of the high gloss facade, If you look a little further than the single releases you’ll find a depth in tracks like teeth and speechless which in itself shows Lady GAGA at her best the rest of the album is passable, however that in itself won’t stop people buying the album for the other tracks like bad romance .
Its just a shame there aren’t more tracks like teeth and speechless which shows Lady GAGA at her best as a writer and vocalist and not just a high profile media personality who just happens to make pleasing electropop
Ozzy Osborne Scream Columbia Records
The Smoking Hearts
