Page 37 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 102

BV102 albums pg3_BV102 pg37 29/09/2019 18:47 Page 1

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lights of the album, along yet another release that will written at the same time nurturing optimism and
with the brooding ‘6AM’. definitely please the Wild- and so has the same fresh- promoting self-belief, you
‘Counterfeit People’ has hearts fan collective and ness, energy and enthusi- will find this album meets
more of a pop rock feel with perk up anyone that might asm. Opening with the your needs. You’ll be
lighter, catchy rhythms be feeling down in the clashing chords and multi- greeted by conflicting emo-
while ‘Let The River Run’, dumps. layering of ‘Sooner Or tions as you make your
dealing with anxiety and YYYY Later’ is a treat. The rock way through the songs,
depression, is pure classic SBV heart is overlaid with a sec- showing that the war within
blues rock. The riffs and ondary rhythm and minor yourself is not easy to win.
solo of ‘Not Fading’ are glo- DANNY BEARDSLEY vocal distortions which give On the uplifting ‘Do Or Die’,
rious, that bit more aggres- BLOOD FROM A STONE a trippy feel. ‘In Here’ is an Hetherington sings ‘I’m not
THE NEW ROSES sive and featuring a great (DANNY BEARDSLEY) early, upbeat highlight – its another suicide, I won’t
NOTHING BUT WILD bass line as well. With this Danny Beardsley’s bluesy with a striking brass give up when you get me
(NAPALM) album Barras is going from bands range from thrash section, big sound, and a down.’ While the song that
German hard rockers strength to strength. (Isolysis) through classic positive message that it’s follows, ‘Dark Days’, in-
The New Roses explode YYYY rock with prog touches okay to feel what you feel. cludes the line ‘...I don’t
out of the traps with opener Clare Huckett (Emperor Chung) to instru- By contrast, ‘You And I’ is know if I’ll be here tomor-
to album number four, mental prog (The Parallax initially more melancholic in row’. The songs on ‘Ar-
‘Soundtrack Of My Life’. Method). For his debut solo its reflection of overcoming mageddon’ come from a
Frenetic riffage and a defi- album the guitarist / vocal- blocks in life’s path. It has dark place, but the lyrics
nite swagger set the tone ist has opted for classic a lovely slow-paced rhythm also spread an inspirational
for a good-time rock album rock with a blues edge. The that gradually builds to a strength to overcome the
chock-full of catchy stomping intro rhythms of soaring crescendo. ‘Turn It battles going on inside your
rhythms and big melodies. opener ‘Accept Defeat’, its Around’ has a 70s style lyri- own head. The heavy
‘Can’t Stop Rock & Roll’ acoustic verses, the classic cal flow and stripped-down riffage included in
continues the party atmos- riffs of the choruses and rock swagger, while the ‘Rearview Mirror’ and the
phere in anthemic style – the sparkling solo make for funky blues of ‘Doesn’t Re- anthemic ‘Shatterproof’
perfect for a live audience a tasty package and a solid ally Matter’ has instant ap- sound perfect for the live
to get their teeth into. start. ‘Blind Eyed Deci- peal from the opening bars. set. There are no fillers on
‘Down By The River’ looks THE WILDHEARTS sions’ has an infectious This is another cracking ‘Armageddon’, the time
back on youthful summers, DIAGNOSIS groove and yet again, album from Rich Robin- taken to create this album
carefree, sun-drenched, (GRAPHITE) some scintillating guitar son’s supergroup. has certainly been worth it;
when all that mattered was ‘You are not your diag- work. Title track ‘Blood YYYYY it’s quite possibly their best
music and friendships. It nosis,’ Ginger Wildheart From A Stone’ is a big bal- Clare Huckett work to date.
captures that sense of nos- sings in the title track of lad featuring some dy- YYYY
talgia in its classic hard The Wildhearts’ ‘Diagnosis’ namic instrumental breaks Penny Gower
rock sound. ‘Unknown Ter- EP. It’s a lyric that can refer and lovely vocal harmonies
ritory’ has a hint of Thin to himself as much as any- in the chorus. The main TIRADE
Lizzy in its infectious one else. ‘Diagnosis’ was a vocal comes over as NOTHING DRAMATIC
rhythms and is another track on The Wildhearts slightly strained, though. A (TIRADE)
with a claim to anthem sta- ‘Renaissance Men’ album pity because he does have Tirade are a four-piece
tus. There are slightly released earlier this year, a good voice, as shown to alternative rock quartet
slower-paced tracks with a the band’s first album in ten best effect on mid-tempo from Manchester. Their EP
strong Southern/country years. ‘Diagnosis’ was a rocker ‘Never Too Late’. ‘Nothing Dramatic’ speaks
twang like ‘The Bullet’ and standout track from the ‘Breathe’ is another high- for itself. The tracks on this
the brash, ballsy ‘As The album with important lyrics light, with its acapella intro, EP are indeed nothing dra-
Crow Flies’, but then it about mental health, so the bit of funk in the rhythm ART OF DYING matic, but rather raw. The
would be hard to keep up picking it to kick off and title section, and its general ARMAGEDDON title track has a long-
the pace for a full 13 tracks a follow-up EP was a good catchiness. The guitar em- (GET A GRIP) winded instrumental which
plus two unplugged bonus decision. And while ‘Diag- bellishments and instru- Almost four years have sets us up for the tone of
songs. All in all, it’s a crack- nosis’ begins with a hard- mental flourishes passed since we last had a the EP, which is upbeat
ing album. rocking, AC/DC-sounding throughout give this classic full-length release from Art and catchy. ‘No Time’, re-
YYYY riff, the following track ‘God rock album a modern deliv- Of Dying. There were leased as a single, has an
Clare Huckett Damn’ is a multi-personal- ery. Beardsley has a solo hopes of the fourth album array of fast instrumental
ity number with elements of debut to be proud of. being dropped in 2017, but segments with solid vocals
KRIS BARRAS BAND sublime sing-along YYYYY that didn’t materialise. With that flow very well. As the
LIGHT IT UP melodies, punchy injec- Clare Huckett guitarist Tavis Stanley EP progresses, the tracks
(PROVOGUE) tions of adrenaline and a heading out on the road slowly progress into heav-
For Kris Barras, the 18 speedy instrumental guitar
months since album num- section which morphs into with Adelitas Way, then ier tones. Third track and
bassist Cale Gontier joining
single, ‘To Be Honest’, has
ber two have seen multiple a cadaverous beast to- Saint Asonia, things in the a pop-punkish intro, the vo-
UK tours, festival appear- wards the end. ‘A Song world of Art Of Dying went cals are strong and the
ances, and included joining About Drinking’ swiftly un- quiet. Now the quartet - lyrics catchy, yet personal.
Billy Gibbons in Supersonic ravels like your grandma’s completed by frontman The EP closes with ‘Well
Blues Machine. It’s a won- ball of wool attached to a Jonny Hetherington and Spent’. Midway, the song
der he had time to write hyperactive kitten before drummer Cody Watkins - adopts a softer tone as
and record anything new, becoming one of those are ready to make some choral sounds emerge very
and yet here we are with punk rock drinking an- serious noise. ‘Armaged- briefly. What Tirade have
album three, ‘Light It Up’. thems everyone sings to- don’ is here. The first two done in adopting a variety
Although Barras says he gether after a few pints. THE MAGPIE SALUTE tracks, ‘Armageddon’ and of sounds for this is some-
forced himself ‘to write in a ‘LOCAC’ reminds us of the HIGH WATER II ‘Cut It All Away’, were thing spectacular. A soft-
different way’ and that he band’s ‘Endless, Name- (PROVOGUE) made public ahead of the ness about their music is
wasn’t thinking about less’ era, a heavier, The Magpie Salute re- album release and both expressed in their lyricism
genre, this is still strongly in shoutier, antagonistic, elec- turn with their second have been well received. If and the realism seeps
blues rock territory. There tro-fueled mutiny, while album, another fusion of you enjoy muscular hard through – for most of their
are added funk rhythms for ‘That’s My Girl’ is pure rock ‘n’ roll, psychedelic rock blended with catchy, tracks this is echoed in the
‘Vegas Son’ and ‘Ignite Wildhearts material; a vi- blues, and rasping Ameri- pop-rock infused melodies, lyrics rather than the
(Light It Up)’, although a brant and catchy, rousing cana. It follows smoothly this is for you. If you want sound.
harder edge to the latter tune that you can’t help but on from their debut since lyrics that tell a story of YYYY
makes it one of the high- bop along to. ‘Diagnosis’ is much of ‘High Water II’ was pain and anguish, while Sara Ashton

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