Page 44 - Black Velvet Rock Music Magazine Issue 92

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of a mountain, but it is far rock attitude – all present You’ was a great song to est and picks up pace and
from all balls and no brains. and correct. ‘Ready To Roll’ pick as one of the lead sin- strength as it continues.
Variety is a word that kicks off proceedings nicely gles before the album re- ‘Lucky Me’ is one of the
springs to mind. Sticking to with a catchy, grinding lease. It has an infectious heavier tracks; the band re-
the rock/punk ethic, but rhythm, followed by the hook and melody and the ally rock out on this one,
drawing on the many won- bluesy ‘Livin’ Free’, which subject matter delves into while ‘For You’ has a main-
derful influences that alter- is a bit of a foot-stomper. something very personal – stream, summery, radio-
native music provides, The Southern/country rock Sam’s experience with de- friendly vibe. There’s no
‘Aurelia’ is the first track to of ‘Six Hundred Sixty Six’ pression and being given huge epic like ‘She Took
stand out with its alterna- and its high quality riffage medication from a doctor. Him To The Lake’ on previ-
tive folk influence. It cap- is infectious, while ‘Rat- ‘Falling In Love’ begins ous album, ‘Asymmetry’,
LOWER THAN ATLANTIS tures a darkness that gets tlesnake Shake’ has the quite melancholy and also but as a whole, this album
SAFE IN SOUND under the skin and evokes pace and rhythm of a run- mentions personal issues is epic in its lyrical subject
(EASY LIFE/RED ESSEN- the nocturnal primal feel- away locomotive; fast, fre- such as demons and hav- matter, and shows a band
TIAL) ings that any decent alter- netic, and fabulous. ‘Run ing a ‘broken soul’. While a unafraid to speak out and
‘Safe In Sound’ is the native song should do. If Home’ is a little deceptive. guitar is plucked, you can do what they want.
fifth studio album by Lower you want an all-out sprint It slows the pace down and hear the baring of a soul. YYYY
Than Atlantis and it’s one that owes more to punk, has the angst-driven vocals The song is brave and hon- SBV
that sees the quartet ex- then listen to ‘Dumb Kids’. and soul of a heartfelt bal-
panding their range of mu- ‘Snow Cats’ is another that lad, but there’s a hint of
sical styles and sounds. demands attention, easing menace in the lyrics. The
The most flawless song on in before bursting into a gospel ending is certainly a
the album is ‘I Would’, powerful chorus and dying surprise. A cracking debut
which is a smooth, heart- back down, driven on by from a no-frills foursome
melting, life-affirming hid- encouragement from the who know how to rock. BACKYARD BABIES at around 1 hour 15 min-
den gem, the pot of gold at snare drum. It ends with a Well worth checking out. LIVE AT CIRKUS utes it’s a decent length set,
the end of the rainbow. It’s guitar fading into the dis- YYYY (GAIN) complete with encore in-
a romantic song about tance. If you are after a Clare Huckett The title credits float cluding crowd favourite
being in love with someone more edgy guitar sound, over a smoky haze and ‘Minus Celsius’. Recom-
so much that you’d do al- then ‘So Beneath You’ is for THE DEVIL IN FAUST waiting crowd. There’s a mended for BYB fans old
most anything to be with you. It is rough and raw COME APART brief glimpse of the walk and new – and anyone else
them. Elsewhere, ‘Had and will batter you around (THE DEVIL IN FAUST) from backstage then into with a love of live music
Enough’ kicks the album off the room as you let loose The debut EP from The the glare of the strobing who likes their rock mixed
with a tough edge. Mike listening to this rocker. The Devil In Faust has been a lights step Backyard Ba- with a good dose of punk.
Duce is honest in his lyrics production on this album is long time coming, but it bies, blasting straight into YYYYY
about not liking people. superb and this band deliv- was worth the wait. This ‘Th1rte3n Or Nothing’. And Clare Huckett
‘Could Be Worse’ is a ers music of a very high outfit is best described as we’re off! Prepare yourself
stroke of melodic positivity, quality. Jade Puget, the alt-rock with a gothic for a raucous, energetic DEF LEPPARD
written and translated in a band’s guitarist, produced flavour and an occasional and exhilarating ride. AND THERE WILL BE A
realistic way. ‘Work For It’ is this album. A band that has sidestep into indie territory. Filmed in February 2016 at NEXT TIME…
bass-heavy, ‘Boomerang’ been around for this long ‘Come Apart’ showcases a Stockholm’s legendary (EAGLE VISION)
has more of a trippy feel, have learnt things along strong songwriting ability, Cirkus, it captures the boys Named after Joe El-
while ‘I Don’t Want To Be the way but the one thing tight, high quality perform- in their natural habitat and liott’s now-famous penulti-
Here Anymore’ is a sad, that they probably have ances, and a certain successfully draws you into mate leaving quote at
melancholy song. Mike come back to with making amount of versatility. The the live experience of a shows, ‘And There Will Be
spills his guts while orches- this album is that the ba- gothic flavour comes in the club gig. Ripping through A Next Time… Live From
tral strings add emotion. sics that they had in their darkly atmospheric intro to ‘Highlights’, ‘Made Me Detroit’ is a new live pack-
The album ends on a posi- heads when they first ‘Soulmate’ but that falls Madman’, ‘UFO Romeo’, age from well-known rock-
tive note with ‘A Night To started out remain to be away early on in favour of and the brilliantly infectious ers Def Leppard. You get to
Forget’, a chilled, mellow great building blocks. It’s pounding rock bass and ‘Brand New Hate’, com- see the band from the best
number with a happy, party an album packed with en- drum refrains. ‘In My Eyes’ plete with fist-pumping, seats in the house, follow-
atmosphere. The best thing ergy where you feel every is a bit 90s indie, while scream-along audience ing the video camera’s best
about ‘Safe In Sound’ is the raw emotion in Davey ‘Seed’ is back in rock terri- participation, no one could high-definition shots. There
emotional honesty in the Havok’s sometimes des- tory with a strong bass line blame them for needing a are lots of colourful close-
lyrics. Mike Duce is forever perate, sometimes haunt- overlaid by very appealing breather. Everything comes ups (I bet you’ve never
blunt and real, and as ing singing. This, their 10th classic rock guitar rhythms. to a stop for a bit of audi- seen Phil Collen’s wash-
such, you feel for him and album, is far from their The Devil In Faust have a ence chat from singer board stomach this close-
relate to him. Lower Than hardcore roots, but the lot of potential and could be Nicke Borg before the up!), as well as wider
Atlantis are a band of band have gone on to ex- one to watch. slower pace of ‘Bloody angles showing the full
down-to-earth and very tal- plore and expand their YYYY Tears’ but they don’t lose crowd. Def Leppard are the
ented guys. With this sound. Aggression has Clare Huckett the energy and get straight kings of melodic arena rock
album being their first top given way for creativeness back to it with ‘Heaven 2.9’. and this amphitheatre-
10 album, they definitely but there will always be a MALLORY KNOX Later on there’s another based show features all the
deserve the success that’s bit of ‘out of control’ in the WIRED brief slowdown for the hits you’d expect – ‘Animal’,
come with it so far, and DNA. (RCA UK) semi-acoustic ‘Painkiller’, ‘Love Bites’, ‘Armageddon
hopefully this will continue YYY There are a lot of great before going full throttle for It’, ‘Rocket’, ‘Pour Some
to grow. Steve Rigby albums being released at ‘Roads’. Both Borg and Sugar On Me’ and more, all
YYYY the moment and Mallory lead guitarist Dregen have sounding a dream. From a
SBV THE WILD! Knox’s ‘Wired’ is at the top a good rapport with the au- show in the summer of
WILD AT HEART of the pile. From start to fin- dience – although subtitles 2016, this is an up-to-date
AFI (STEAMHAMMER/SPV) ish, the album is packed might be handy for the non- account of Def Leppard in
AFI (THE BLOOD They may be Cana- with quality songwriting, Swedish speakers. As a action and it shows exactly
ALBUM) dian, but the hearts of The bursting with heartfelt and live spectacle, the band’s why they’re still such a big
(CONCORD) Wild! lie in the land of the open lyrics. Opening with performance is practically draw. The long time rockers
AFI’s self-titled album, Delta Blues. Their hard ‘Giving It Up’, a standard flawless. The camera an- are professionals with a
AKA ‘The Blood Album’, rockin’ debut ticks all the rock gem, we find that lyri- gles are well considered – quality catalogue of music
should be listened to while right boxes. Dirty blues gui- cist Sam Mallory had feel- decent longer shots for the and it shows in this
doing something energetic tars, whiskey-drenched vo- ings of giving music up – full concert feel while the 2CD/DVD package.
whether that be skating or cals, foot-stomping drums we’re glad he didn’t close-ups manage not to YYYYY
freewheeling down the side and a good dose of punk though. ‘Better Off Without feel obtrusive. Clocking in SBV

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