A Band on Hope Album Review

I know this review is about a week old and therefore not able to ride the wave of hype for the album release on September 15th, but I realise I should keep my blogs up-to-date with all the relevant material I am writing. This is the edited version which was uploaded to the Plymouth University The Knowledge webpage. If anybody would like to give this album a listen, check out their Soundcloud.

What happened when The Scribes front man Ill Literate and multi instrumentalist and producer Kristian Sharpe got together? Only one of the best collaborations of the year! A Band on Hope merges Sharpe’s multi-genre experience with the caustic reality of Ill Literate’s lyrics, distilling it all into a self-titled 13 track masterpiece.

From the very first track, I was unsure what I was in for – the rapping therefore came as a surprise – but as I progressed through the album, I found myself struck by the poignancy of Ill Literate’s words and the dream-like quality of Sharpe’s synths. It began to grow on me – immensely!

The opening track ‘Che Lives’ is an intelligent and breathless statement, infused with a modern melancholy which permeates in further tracks like the catchy ‘Low Budget High Life’, the poetic ‘So Far’, the terminal ‘Standstill’, and the edgy, acidic ‘Furgh Que’. However, it was the disturbingly honest likes of ‘Russian Doll’ which stood out to me, the lyrics dealing with the tragic effects of a parent’s drink/drug addiction on their children, the vocals of the chorus adding to the unease by being so quiet.

As if to ease the burden of so much reality, there are also a few songs which consist of much gentler rap vocals, slower guitar rhythms, and fluid synths. ‘Dead Angels’ is the first, a head-nodding fusion of feather-weight rap, playful rhyme, and down tempo rhythms, which becomes more haunting with ‘God Knows’ and trippier with ‘Mindfields’ – the only track without Ill Literate’s quick-fire vocals. That’s not to say reality is put at any great distance, as the album concludes on the stark, philosophical and bluesy ‘Spaced Out Break Out’, the alliteration and rhyme of which makes me realise just how poetic rap really can be.

After my second listen, I came to the conclusion that this album was almost too real, a creation of brutal self-reflection saturated with the blood of real people, and this came through in tracks like ‘Spaced Out..’ and ‘Russian Doll’. It seemed evident that, like the drug-addled parents, the listener would be in need of a drug of some kind too, to help them escape that reality, and this is provided in the shape of tracks like ‘Mindfields’ and ‘God Knows’. It is, effectively, a series of highs and lows, a literal rollercoaster of an album which has surprisingly won me over, which is unusual for a rap record. For fans of hip-hop, electronica, blues, and punk, A Band on Hope is the album to hitch a ride on.

Bastille - Send Them Off! Single Review

I was asked by a friend who is Arts and Entertainment Editor for Plymouth University's The Knowledge to write up a review of Bastille's new single 'Send Them Off!' and this is what I came up with:

Just when we thought London indie-pop stars Bastille were losing steam, they conjured up their next tantalising single, ‘Good Grief’ in June 2016, an original and catchy return to the alternative music scene, and one which was unlikely to leave any die-hard fans disappointed. Now, to kick-start the motor of forthcoming second album Wild World, which the simmering, anthemic ‘Fake It’ failed to accomplish, comes ‘Send Them Off!’, the single which I believe maintains Bastille’s original and iconic levels of swagger.

A bold hip-hop fanfare of horns to open leads swiftly into Dan Smith’s gentle yet powerful vocals which he explains are a fusion of “Othello meets The Exorcist”. Haunted by that green-eyed monster, Smith sings of a desperate jealousy which can be alleviated only by the exorcising of his mind. Alongside this comes a soft backdrop of guitar and piano/keyboard which steps up its volume and tempo as the chorus breaks in, echoing around the vocals and effecting slight chills in me with every subsequent listen. The addition of quotes from 70s sci-fi film ‘Cosmos: War of the Planets’ only adds to the band’s reputation for ‘magpie’ tactics, helping ‘Send Them Off!’ to defy the genre’s boundaries once again, and offer up a little darkness to the light of Wild World.

The band have already added a second London O2 Academy date to their Wild Wild World tour after selling out their first, and with a single as strong and relatable as this, there can be little wonder why. Previously I had only noted the band’s new releases in passing whilst listening to Radio X, but there’s something about Bastille which means each single latches onto something in you and now I think I might need my mind exorcised. Their new album Wild World is due for release on September 9^th, and if ‘Send Them Off!’ is anything to go on, it may well match first album Bad Blood in popularity, so get listening.

You can listen to the song here.

Korn Again - with Manipulated and The Mishits at The Hub, Plymouth - 29.4.16

Welcome back, metalheads (or whoever you may be), I have another review for you: last night's [surprisingly less popular but no less spectacular] Korn Again gig at The Hub (which I am happy to say is still standing). 

Before I even entered the venue - the doors of which were not open yet due to delays - the ears (and eyes) of me and my friend Joanne were assaulted by a pink drag racer car bombing up and down the small lane beside the building. For what reason, we could not understand. It was a relief, therefore, that we were finally able to go inside - along with the fact that for an April evening the wind was blowing quite cold.

Inside, we chilled in the bar (I without an alcoholic drink, as I am staying sober at least until my course deadline day of May 23rd). Only when we heard some heavy guitars rip to life did we decide to make our way towards the stage. Here we were met with the first support act, Manipulated who, despite the small crowd (no more than 15 people), managed to command the room with their intense riffs and eerie instrumental intros, reminding me Metallica and Killswitch Engage in one go. One guitarist experienced a few difficulties part way through, but the bassist and singer (also on guitar) picked up the slack easily so that I barely noticed. It was a shame to see them leave the stage so quickly. 

My friend and I took a short break outside for some air, only to discover a guy swearing at a fence and apparently looking to pick a fight with a small crowd of smokers. Weird.

When the second support act, The Mishits, arrived on stage, I didn't know what to make of them; their three members didn't quite seem to fit visually. The drummer was a punky girl with Jack-o-lantern face paint, the primary vocalist and guitarist a larger guy who could've just as easily been playing a banjo, and the bassist, who perhaps fit better than other two into the style they played. It felt very heavy punk, with tinges of Blink 182 and, surprisingly, my dear friend Ben's band, Eight Days (during their transition phase away from pop-punk and into hardcore). The bass was the dominant sound through most of their set, the harsh scuzzy kind which overrode his partner (I am not complaining, however, because it sounded pretty sweet). For all of their incongruity, though, I had to admit the vocals of both guys gelled very well in the rare moments they sang together and they did improve as they worked through their set (with lyrics like 'I want your skull'?). Overall, a bit of a Mishit, I'd say (sorry).

We were definitely impatient for Korn Again at this point. The roadies brought in the replica of Jonathan Davis' famous mic stand under a cloth, and the bassist was the first one stage, looking a lot like 'Fieldy' himself. He was soon followed by a guitarist attempting a resemblance to 'Head' and soon all but the singer himself were in place. Stephen Emerson (singer) joins them in a sequined tracksuit, looking a lot like the man himself, moments later, and they launch into It's On!. Classics Right Now, Falling Away From Me, and A.D.I.D.A.S. follow, before the floor begins to vibrate with I know not what manner of bass to introduce Dead Bodies Everywhere. Throughout, Stephen was channeling everything into the signature crazed energy of Jonathan Davis, it was no wonder he needed to take a moment between songs. After Good God, he disappeared backstage, reappearing with - yes - the BAGPIPES for Shoots and Ladders. It was song after song, small mosh pit kept waking up in front of the stage, and I genuinely didn't want it to end. They had Faget, Clown, Here to Stay, Need To (perhaps not with as much visceral energy in the screamed 'why's as JD manages but he made an effort), Make Me Bad (always a favourite of mine), Freak on a Leash (where it all began for me), Y'All Want a Single (with the command to raise your middle fingers high), Ball Tongue, and Blind to finish (or so we thought). There were calls for 'one more song', to which Korn Again obliged with my rollercoaster track, Got the Life.

Perfect, huh?

Puddle of Mudd - with The Fallen State and Unzucht at The Hub, Plymouth - 27.3.16

Hello once again, I'm back with more music news from Plymouth, though as of right now I am no longer IN Plymouth, but back home in Kent. 

Today I want to do my best to review the Puddle of Mudd gig at the Hub on Saturday March 27th.

Despite the size of the venue - The Hub is pretty small but it is an impressive space nonetheless (and one I can't believe is under threat of demolition!) - [most of] the bands who played made the most of it.

First up were The Fallen State. It was difficult to pin down their particular sound, though I have learnt that their influences include Young Guns, Shinedown, and Daughtry (which came across along with Rise Against). 

Mid-set, their singer wanted us to do something for him, which turned out to be nothing more than lending our voices, however one 'smart' fellow posed getting naked....erm, no thanks. My eyes were drawn again and again to both their lead guitarist who looked a little like a young James Hetfield, and their drummer who was occasionally spinning his drumsticks in his hands. Quite a charismatic bunch as I found out after the show when I went to collect my winnings. Oh yes, for simply tagging myself in a group shot on Facebook taken after their set, I won a free t-shirt and EP! A piece of luck I suppose, given that most of the attention that night went to two girls with pink hair who dominated the space beneath the stage almost all night.

In the interval, as with any show, there were some familiar tunes being banged out which included I Wanna Know What Love Is and to which most people began to sing along - until the second act began part-way through!

Enter Unzucht. I was already intrigued by the presence of a blood-stained scarf attached to the mic-stand, but their chest-pounding intro wasn't the only thing pounding because their lead singer had me spellbound with his looks and his

voice - sexy for a German guy. A German Ville Valo perhaps with his charisma, curly hair (and beanie), not to mention a cheeky smile. The unexpected crowd-surfing, however, was not something I could see Ville doing - or the permitting of a female fan to touch him....which our lead in this case allowed - just the face, mind. All the same, Unzucht had quite an eerie but heavy vibe going on, a more melodic Rammstein, I'd say, with raw and unnerving 'atmospheric' side-vocals. My hands were stinging a little from all the clapping by the end.

But finally came Puddle of Mudd. There was hype and it fell flatter than a failed souffle. Wes Scantlin, it seems, has been exhibiting less than perfect behaviour at a lot of their gigs on this tour (as evidenced in Doncaster), so it's no wonder he was looking bleary-eyed, tired, and drinking throughout the set. All the visual aesthetic of Kurt Cobain, with the impression that he had risen from the grave. A nearly-empty bottle of Southern Comfort ended up going round the audience (the rest of the contents most likely already in Wes's bloodstream). We were treated to the likes of Blurry, Psycho, She Hates Me, Nothing Left to Lose, and Away from Me (being the songs I knew) and even an anecdotal little story about how he dated a stripper (the details of which I shall spare you), but microphone issues (amongst other things) meant he kept disappearing off set and potentially never returning without audience enthusiasm. A mosh sprang up after Wes managed to stumble

back on stage halfway through, which I pointedly avoided at the risk of injury and a liberal dowsing in beer. The end of the set was still an uncertain one, but as I had my free merchandise to collect, I didn't stick around.

In the end, the main act were no better than a puddle of [actual] mud, or at least that is where I imagine I'd find Wes after such a night. But hey, I learnt the difference between a guitar and a bass, so that's another good thing! 

Hopefully my next review will have a better view than this one, but then again, you can't tell or help how a musician will act.

P.s. I apologise for the picture quality - my phone, while great, doesn't deal well with low lighting or venues like this.

Korn - See You On the Other Side (2005) - Plus Music Challenge

Well, would you look at that! Another album review! Only a couple of months late but I've finally got around to it. As promised, this is See You On the Other Side, a more experimental and rebellious album that I would consider a backlash against the child-like hate and fear in their previous material. The album artwork (which I shall upload at the end of this month - hopefully - when I can get at my CD collection once again) is truly beautiful, designed by a guy named David Stoupakis whose art is just as disturbing as some of the songs on this album.  
Fading into the spotlight first is Twisted Transistor, the full minute of discordant noises, guitar sounds, and peculiar mob-like chanting eventually giving way to a characteristic droning guitar riff and stomping beat laced with schizophrenic vocals and explosive drum beats. It's a rather overwhelming start, but the first time listener won't be given a respite as they are quickly thrown into the chameleonic but equally crunchy Politics. Jon's acidic vocals seem to outweigh the backing for a lot of this song, until the short sing-song breakdown. It nonetheless addresses a crucial and modern issue many of us can get behind: that of the absurd and prolific nature of politics.
Following in a similar fashion is the ominously distorted and uneasy Hypocrites, showcasing Jon's seemingly split-personality with sing-song and raw vocals tumbling one after another, the title shouted scathingly throughout. Not missing a beat, Souvenir swaggers and stomps in, feeling somewhat more lightweight than the rest of the album (for the most part) without sacrificing strength, particularly during a short instrumental breakdown.
If you were looking for your token dirty Korn song, you get more for your money on this album, the first courtesy of 10 or a 2 Way, the intro hovering uneasily before sliding in, Jon's vocals lazy and erotic, but escalating dramatically in a rush of searing guitars, bested only by a scorching growl in the breakdown. Then things get rather weird as the guitar sputters out, making way for a confused bagpipe tune and the sound of slow, deep breaths in an oxygen mask. 
Keeping with the uneasy feeling, Throw Me Away falls back on Korn's earlier fears to make a track laced with desperate sing-song vocals (often shadowed by a raw whisper) and electronic elements. When the tone shifts at the 3/4 mark, you can feel the volume struggling to return, and return it does. You get the impression of Jon being a broken toy, telling us 'Kick me and I'll be okay.' (You've been going for 11 years at this point, Jon - no one's throwing you away). The heavy scathing swagger of Love Song, which follows, was a song included in their MTV Unplugged set, and I must admit I prefer the acoustic version, except with regard to the chant in the breakdown which is much more sinister in the original, overlaying the final chorus. 
Now I'd like to think this next song was once a conjoined twin with the penultimate track; Open Up and Seen It All have a lot in common, but for the moment I shall focus on the one. Open Up feels different from the rest of the album, displaying more moments of calm than most, Jon's vocals never going above a certain volume, and the unsuspecting listener is treated to just another falsely disturbing ending. At first, there is the smooth sound of metal bar chimes and a slow violin/bass note, but then the bagpipes return, and with them a more creeping violin note. As if that wasn't enough, Jon puts his skills of gibberish to the test in a display of disturbing noises unlike anything I've heard before. You're almost grateful for the driving guitar intro of Coming Undone! A real headbanger this one, drum-heavy, and exploding with energy in the chorus, coming across as a much more simplistic, cleaner, but no less iconic track. 
And then you run into dirty track #2: Getting Off, which outdoes its predecessor in the lyric department (I'll leave you to enjoy that for yourself), and tips the scales in its favour weight-wise. When the volume and tempo drop off around 2 minutes, the suppressed energy is barely contained, breaking free occasionally until it is released in one acidic burst (innuendo intended). The stomping distorted Liar combines elements from two places, feeling very similar to opening track Twisted Transistor, while reminiscing on Life is Peachy with a short burst of Twist-esque gibberish. The final few seconds wind to a close with one drawn out line, those sneaky bagpipes making another appearance. 
Continuing with the theme of rebellion is the driving For No One, riding in on a strong guitar intro and brandishing a huge middle finger to the police by proclaiming 'we're not gonna stop for the pigs and no one'. Short and sharp. Conversely, there follows the severed twin of Open Up in the shape of Seen It All, a maniacal and desperate collection of drums, guitars and peculiar sounds. What sets this song apart is Jon's quiet yet harsh lament at the halfway point which is an impossible thing to maintain for Korn as the sound quickly kicks back in, fading away into another ambiguous but short bagpipe ending.
And finally, what I consider to be the most original Korn song yet: Tearjerker, which is in possession of some super eerie sounds, flirting with Jon's unadulterated and lonely vocals which echo as if he really was alone. It feels a little disturbing but also gentle, like a lullaby, and all the while that energy is vibrating just beneath the surface, soon bursting through with a massive escalation in vocal weight. Strangely enough, this outburst can only sustain itself for 45 seconds before the drums slowly die away, leaving just gentle guitar notes and Jon whispering 'never can'. 

Whoa boy, this was a tough one to come back to. Next time, perhaps, won't be so long coming. I always loved this album, but in much the same way I have been made to rethink my opinions, this album has fallen a little out of my favour. But Tearjerker will always have my heart, and so I suppose, as I promised, I'll combine that into my Music Challenge.

Song of Choice: Tearjerker

As I've already given you a run down of what this one sounds like, I'll just offer a reason why. I've identified it as 'the most original' Korn song because of the way it manages to strip back all that iconic energy and focus on the misery that often gets sidelined. Of course that energy can't be kept on a leash forever, bursting forth with as much viscera as misery. It's what endears this band to me more than anything.

Live Sound Promotions Presents...YAK + Swedish Death Candy + The Velvet Hands @ The Underground

Afternoon rockers! I'm here with another live gig installment for your viewing pleasure (and your audible pleasure too if you choose to give these guys a listen).
This gig was postponed from its original date of December 4th, 2015 to Friday Night, February 5th, 2016. Certainly gave my night some purpose and energy - though maybe a little too much? I'll let you be the judge.

Starting a little late, Indie rockers The Velvet Hands made their appearance at 8.20pm. In comparison to most bands I'd seen at this venue, they drew a much more serene crowd - an observation which the next two bands would contradict - however, that did not detract from the experience. So many bands came to mind as they strolled through their set: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, even a dash of Green Day? (which having skimmed their site biography, I found to be scarily accurate!) And I say strolled because, aside from a few microphone volume issues, these guys felt very at ease on stage, expressing a rich sort of energy, which affected me as well as the increasing swell of people in front of the stage, particularly from Dan Able's energetic shredding.

I would also like to wish the drummer a belated Happy Birthday for that night, and thank Toby Mitchell for the free single having told him about this impending blog. (I hope I did good! You really stood out for me.)

Following a short interval, the heavily instrumental Swedish Death Candy made their appearance in true psychedelic fashion. The visual alone was enough to entrance me, playing against a projected swirling liquid backdrop, but the pounding discordant intro and floor-rippling bass got my attention still further - as it did for everyone else in the now-crowded room, the 'pit' coming alive with movement. I thought I sensed a little bit of The Smashing Pumpkins or Nirvana without their usual calm, but I genuinely couldn't pin down anything to compare this band to with their chaotic maelstrom of reverberating riffs, heavy drums, and dreamy (though often drowned) vocals. I won't deny Swedish Death Candy gave it their all that night, however contrary to my initial introduction through their Bandcamp, it became somewhat tough to differentiate between one song and the next. I shall leave it to your own personal taste what to make of them as I move onto the final act.

YAK. The name alone was just as intriguing as that of their support acts. I had given them a listen before buying my ticket and found Plastic People to be an infectious tune so again, I knew pretty much what I was in for....I might have been a little too quick to judge in that respect though. 
A mere trio of a band yet they had quite a fanbase, and managed to blast out more power than I had thought possible for two guitars. Similarly frontman Oliver Burslem (looking freakishly like a young Jeff Beck) made a few ballsy jaunts across the pit, crowd-surfing mid-song (apologies for picture quality but those are Oliver's legs on the ceiling!)
The mosh pit was wound up at one point, held teetering by the music before it exploded like cornstarch on a speaker. By the apparent end, YAK's final song was now on a simmer, punctuated by Oliver's primal screams, but never quite boiling over like before; this was rectified by the much-demanded riff-packed encore. 
Then it was all over and the dust could settle on The Underground once more.
My thanks to all who played last night! May your fame continue!

Music Challenge: Korn - Take A Look in the Mirror

Song of Choice: Counting On Me

There was a moment when I wasn't sure which song to pick from this album. Excluding the classics like Right Now, Did My Time, Alive, and Y'All Want a Single, I was still faced with many tracks whose raw energy was too perfect to pass up. But one song it must be, and so I came to Counting On Me. This was another one of those infectious songs that, after I'd listened once, would probably stay with me all day. The sinister intro, constant changes in intensity, and Jon's schizophrenic vocals all meld into a song which always leaves me with shivers, especially by the chorus, and the raw chaos of the breakdown.

I'd like to point out at this stage that so far I have been relying on my previous blogs about these albums to aid my decisions, but as this is the last album I reviewed, I am going to have to catch up. So instead my next entry will be accompanied by a full album review (hopefully).