Page 43 - Black Velvet Issue 84

BV84 pg43.qxd:BV84 pg43 19/03/2015 23:51 Page 1

BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 43
YYYYY Excellent YYYY Very Good YYY Good

YY Listenable, Just Y Poor

started out but as profes- But the lyrics enlighten and the rock music scene. ritory. ‘Planet Eater Inter-
sional sounding and expe- inform listeners without YYYY stellar 187’ has a mon-
rienced as they are right bombarding them. The Carissa Thorne strous drum line and
now. most prominent track which underlying death metal-like
YYYYY calls out to listeners is ‘The THE JURY AND THE growls of the alien. ‘Astro
SBV Last Garrison’ tying every- SAINTS Psycho-Galactic Blood
thing tightly together and THE JURY AND THE Drive’ features a slightly
SKARLETT RIOT pushing Enter Shikari to- SAINTS trippy, swirly intro before
WE ARE THE BRAVE wards new found limits of (SPV) launching off into a fast-
(SKARLETT RIOT) maturity. Auckland rockers The paced thrash sound. ‘I Ain’t
THE SUBWAYS Skarlett Riot are back YYYY Jury And The Saints, com- Got Time To Bleed’ is more
THE SUBWAYS with the highly anticipated Stella Bibb prised of Jesse Smith, Ivan glam/sleaze metal, com-
(YFE) ‘We Are The Brave’. The Beets, Marty Kroon and plete with soaring guitars,
The Subways do not CD kickstarts with `Divide Rowan Crowe, sure know while ‘I Love Watching You
disappoint with their new Us´, a gritty, in-your-face how to put an album to- Die’ is like an anti-ballad, a
album. It’s their fourth rock ‘n’ roll number. It’s gether. Their self-titled heartfelt, soulful vocal,
album and the one they’ve dark and alluring to the album features 12 heart slightly slower pace, and
chosen to self-title, due to it ears. `Cascade´ is a fast racing, punk rock tracks intent on violence. This a
being pure and unadulter- tempo track that is infec- that are certainly stadium great album with many out
ated Subways with no out- tious throughout. It shows worthy. ‘Monday Morning’, of this world tracks.
side influences or off a strong rhythm section the fourth track on the YYYYY
interruptions. The album is added with punchy guitars, album, would definitely Clare Huckett
the first produced by front- which makes for a fine make Garfield proud. Its
man Billy Lunn and is piece of rock ‘n’ roll. `Wake gloomy lyrics of everyone’s
packed full of raw energy Up´ holds the pace with on- THE AMSTERDAM RED hatred of Mondays com-
and vibrancy. Billy is great point guitar work and LIGHT DISTRICT bined with its intense cho-
at switching from polite heavy hard drumming GONE FOR A WHILE rus and passionate
singing to rabid punk-styled guiding its way throughout. (RED-LIGHT) instrumentals make this
burning screams and the `Rising´ actually does what French rockers The track unforgettable.
band’s instrumentation is it says on the label. It gives Amsterdam Red Light Dis- Spending a night on the
like a set of colourful fire- you this sense of rising out trict may not be the most town with good friends,
works on New Year’s Eve. of the dark and in to the skilled bunch when it that’s what ‘City Lights’ is
‘My Heart Is Pumping To A light, yet keeping the al- comes to choosing a band all about. Its edgy quality is
Brand New Beat’ immedi- ready set tempo flowing name, however 'Gone For the reason why you want it
ately sets the tempo. It’s a forward, while `Are You A While' is quite remark- playing whenever you walk DANKO JONES
bouncy, bubbly number Alive´ pulls you back down able. 'Time Flies' opens the into a room. ‘Last Mistake’ FIRE MUSIC
that immediately creates a into the dark space. A grit- release with pummelling has the strongest intro on (BAD TASTE)
rush of excitement. ‘I’m In tier sound comes through guitar riffs and an earth- the album. Its lyrical poetry Toronto trio Danko
Love And It’s Burning In My and it definitely leaves you shattering scream from vo- is something truly notewor- Jones come out fighting
Soul’ includes backing vo- feeling alive. A great execu- calist Elio Sxone, it's an thy. You can’t deny The from track one, the aggres-
cals from Charlotte Cooper. tion from the female fronted epic opening which sets Jury And The Saints gave sive ‘Wild Woman’, who
She gets more of a promi- band. They are the brave. the tone. The aggressive this album their all. While might listen to hate if she
nent role vocally in ‘Taking YYYY 'Just Have A Good Time' this album is good, it will won’t listen to love any-
All The Blame’, as Char- Haylee Roebuck opens with a twangy truly shine in a stadium set- more. The first half of this
lotte and Billy each sing ukelele, before ferocious, ting rather than through album bursts with frustra-
parts as if a couple in a re- ENTER SHIKARI heavy guitars and Elio's your speakers. tion, and with shout-along
lationship singing to each THE MINDSWEEP screams. ‘A Chance To YYYY hooks and scorching gui-
other. ‘Dirty Muddy Paws’ (AMBUSH REALITY) Change’ and ‘Set The Hayli Zuccola tars it’s also something of a
features a projecting elec- Enter Shikari have re- World On Fire’ both contain release. ‘Gonna Be A Fight
tric guitar riff and is about a leased their fourth elec- immaculate riffs and hooks WEDNESDAY 13 Tonight’ is classic, fast-
relationship but inspired by tronic and rock fused and find the perfect bal- MONSTERS OF THE UNI- paced rock, while ‘Body
Billy’s dog’s paws after album ‘The Mindsweep’. ance between punk and VERSE: COME OUT & Bags’ takes no prisoners –
he’d been outside. ‘Black Lead singer Rou Reynolds hardcore. Half-way through PLAGUE vitriolic vocals, a riotous
Letter’ is a favourite for issues listeners with aggra- the album, you are greeted (WEDNESDAY 13 LLC) drum beat, and frantic riff-
having a quirky semi-spo- vated lyrics about politics by the soothing ‘Final Wednesday 13 has un- ing. There’s a change of
ken verse, a hand clapping and the on-going changes Boarding Call', a low-key leashed his full storytelling tone, but no let-up in the
beat and then a scathing to Britain’s National Health instrumental that gives way talent on this, his first con- pace, with the more hope-
interjection. It reminds us of Service, through the track to catchy pop punk title cept album. Think a zom- ful ‘Live Forever’, while
a song we’ve heard before ‘Anaesthetist’. The band is track 'Gone For A While'. bie-alien invasion of the foot-stomping number
but we can’t for the life of more striking as they push Final track 'Waiting For So earth and you’re pretty ‘Getting Into Drugs’ has
us think what it is. Maybe their fierce energy towards Long' (featuring Justin much there. It’s dark, brutal tongue firmly in cheek.
it’s déjà vu. Or maybe it’s serious matters. Enter Schlosberg of Hell Is For in places, and utterly deli- ‘Watch You Slide’ is an ab-
the song we’ve always Shikari still encapsulate Heroes) proves that the cious. Use of news broad- solute belter. With drums
wanted but never had. Ei- their signature sound best was saved until last. casts in the early tracks speeding along like a run-
ther way, it’s one that im- throughout this album. The Justin's vocals contrast moves the story on, so away train and rapid fire
mediately heads for your band offer an airy and sub- perfectly with Elio's, and after instrumental opener vocals, this is one of the
heart and grips on tightly. tle pace mixed into the give a renewed sense of ‘The Fall Of All’ the alien standout tracks of the
‘The Subways’ is an album track ‘Dear Future Histori- energy, making the album space craft arrive in ‘Keep album. Going out with a
that is continually invigorat- ans’. This album is a maze end with a bang. The Ams- Watching The Skies’, while bang with ‘She Ain’t Com-
ing and one that makes the with a variety of songs at terdam Red Light District a devastating mysterious ing Home’, it’s a whirlwind
band stay as relevant as every turn. It features softer have managed to find a disease spreads in ‘Come of an album from start to
they have been for the past guitar riffs and continues to niche between punk rock Out And Plague’. Aside finish.
ten years. It’s as fresh as deliver electronic sounds. and melodic hardcore – it's from the horror-punk, there YYYY
they were when they first The pace does alter unex- hectic, it's hard-hitting and are some interesting steps Clare Huckett
pectedly within this album. it's a welcome change in into marginally heavier ter-
ALBUMS