Word by Jamie Reynolds

The Fox sombrely oozes out of my speakers as I start my journey through Dear Reader second album. Slowly each subtle tone filters and resonates all it’s beauty and penetrates me on a different cosmic level than I have experienced in a while. Dear Reader have an uncanny gift to sound ‘pop’ if I must stain them with that dirty word, however they do it with a certain style and class like no other current sensation loitering on our radio playlists at the moment. It’s the perfect intro for Idealistic Animals. Cheri holds back a touch on the opener and it’s this that really attracts me. It adds an extra bit of curiosity as to what this album is about to unfurl.

Monkey follows suit and stands out early on as a single that should be running constantly on airwaves around the world. I am not a fan of humming at the best of times but it works so well on this track. Add violins, piano and an intriguing guitar riff here and there and you have the perfect recipe for pure bliss.

I was a little apprehensive when first hearing that founding member Darryl Torr would be missing in the Dear Reader line up. However sad it is for members to come and go the band have still managed to hold on to everything I loved from “Replace Why With Funny” and have pushed their sound in so many new and exciting alleys. Quaint classic tones and melodies thrive on MacNeil’s vocals. She is the heart and soul of Dear Reader and with Idealistic Annimals she hits every note perfectly and effortlessly. Her vocal beauty is further enhanced with her flair for doing more than just writing thoughts to paper. Her lyrics are phenomenally enchanting and honesty sweep me off my feet. The words come right out of the music and tug at every heartstring possible. If there was honestly an artist I could fall in love with at first sound it would be Dear Reader and Idealistic Animals is just the right record to come into my life right now.

9.5/10

Words by Ryan Cooper

Back in 2009 I went to witness one of my all time favourite bands destroy the Brixton
Academy, this band being Papa Roach. This venture resulted in me discovering one of
my now favourite bands…Heaven’s Basement. My heart was well and truly won by these
UK hard rockers opening set consisting of drumstick tricks, insane behind head solos
and captivating riffs. Buying their debut self-titled EP from then singer Richie Hevanz, it
became a irremovable resident on my i-pod. Their relentless touring schedule enabled
me to get my Heaven’s Basement fix quite regularly, but they were plagued with line up
issues. With original singer Richie being replaced by Johnny Fallen (singer of York band
theFALLEN) for a while.

Now minus guitarist Jonny Rocker, but with (hopefully long term) vocalist Aaron Buchanan,
they seem to have settled long enough to record this amazing EP. Completed by guitar
hero in the making Sid Glover, bassist Rob Ellershaw and drummer Chris Rivers, hopefully
they are finally about to get what they deserve. A shot at the big time! When I first heard
of the original vocalist change, doubt plagued my mind as I loved Richie’s style. But being
a huge fan of ‘theFALLEN’, I knew what Johnny Fallen was capable of, and seeing them
live..he didn’t disappoint. Then he was replaced by Aaron Buchanan, and after seeing him

perform live with the band, the original doubts were violently evicted from my brain!

This magnificently crafted 7 track EP does what it needs to do. It highlights EXACTLY why
Heaven’s Basement should be a fuckload bigger than they currently are!! All 4 members
are astonishing musicians, and collectively they make some of the huge bands they have
spent the past few years supporting look amateur in comparison. All of this comes across
so strongly on this EP. Packed with what can perfectly described as ‘rock anthems’, not
one track makes the skip button look the slightest bit tempting. The advantage of an EP
over a full length is that there is no room for filler. Just 7 tracks of pure stadium hard rock
beauties!

Opener and title track ‘Unbreakable’ rockets from the gates, grabs you by the balls and
gives them a mighty pull. With a chorus so catchy it forces all other songs in my head to
evacuate the premises..they’re onto something already. And they don’t let go of the tightly
gripped testicles until 27 minutes later when the EP comes to an end. Closer ‘Leeches’ is
the ultimate standout track for myself, being the heaviest offering on here, giving the EP
the perfect send off.

Never heard of Heaven’s Basement? Where the hell have you been hiding?? The
basement? Ah sorry that was poor! Well the basement is not where these guys are gonna remain for much longer thats for sure, they will soon be exploring the rest of the house, getting the success they deserve!

8.5/10

Words by Alex Radzio

Army Of The Universe come packing with a unique and powerful alternative sound set to take the listener on a confusing journey through heavy guitar riffs that are thrown in between industrial rave beats and the accompanying rave-esque vocals. Mother Ignorance is an album designed to be listened to and it should be noted that without the appropriate mood, doing so can be downright annoying.

The sound of the album is very industrial and consists of heavy industrial rave beats and relevant sound samples and vocals that are punctuated by grinding, industrial guitar riffs. The addition of these guitar riffs certainly does not stagger the listening experience; instead it builds up moments in the song and almost reenergizes them just before they overstay their welcome by showing signs of monotony.

The album is competent musically but there is very little that gives each song its own flavour and the heavy nature of it results in the album becoming obtrusive very quickly. The 14-track album rarely, if ever lets up and constantly delivers a bass-y beatdown but there are times that it all becomes a little too much to handle and, given the nature of the sound, starts to sound like a noise.

Mother Ignorance is not an album to listen to softly or in the background, it warrants a dedicated listen, and those who do so are bound to find something to like in the showcase of industrial prowess. The sound is pronounced, unique and brave and for that I commend Army of the Universe but this brand of music is a niche that makes it difficult to recommend to all but the dyed in the wool followers of alternative/industrial music.

5/10

Words by Jo Dodge

Now reformed to their original line up, Taking Back Sunday, bring us their self titled new album which unleashes a sense of unity and passion; a strong indication that the band are back on track, without recreating another “Tell All Your Friends” album.

With the opening track ‘El Paso’ jumping straight in with ferocious riffs, thrashing drums, and lively vocals from both Adam Lazzara and John Nolan. This seems to be the heavier track on the album but none the less sets the energetic tone. Next track ‘Faith (When I Let You Down)’ offers a considerable change from the first but does not disappoint. Even with the more generic rock sounds, upbeat tempo and contagious “woahs” that accompany the song throughout, this song highlights the collusion between both vocal performances and the tight knit band. This is set to become a fan favourite.

Next track, ‘Best Places To Be A Mom’ shows how Taking Back Sunday have carried through their familiar style and structure from previous albums. This album offers many highlights, ‘Who Are You Anyway?’, ‘It Doesn’t Feel A Thing Like Falling’ and ‘You Got Me’ which boasts catchy melodies, striking riffs and well thought out balanced dual vocals. The last song comes in the form of ‘Call Me In The Morning’, which has more soothing melodies and will leave lyrics “call me in the morning, call me when you’re home, I know what you’ve been through, don’t let go” resonating, and is a perfect conclusion to the encouraging album.

Although with this album these New Yorkers haven’t created something new, they have showed their progression as musicians, producing an album where each song compliments the next. These five members are keeping to their original sound, accentuating their strengths with dynamic vocals and rhythmic choruses, skilfully managing to incorporate elements of rock into every song, as well as adding a modern spin on pop punk. An exciting prospect for the future.

8/10

Words by Jade Leaf Willetts

The Loud are quite simply loud, making a serious amount of noise for a three piece. Harris Shutter is a psychedelic attack on the senses; rammed with crunching riffs, T. Rex-like grooves and hard hitting beats. From the debut single and opening track ‘Amy’s Gonna Get You’, the garage/glam band set the precedent for the sheer quality of this mini album.

Vocalist/guitarist Pennington Lee slurs his way through ‘Horror Scope’, his effortless drawl distinctively British and bold. British accent aside, this sounds like the product of a Jack White / Strokes jam session.

‘A Little Taste Of Home’ aptly draws on influences this side of the pond. Oasis, The Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines are the main ingredients thrown into the pot when the band cooked up this catchy number.

The Loud are a band unafraid, pulling off the hard to master ‘la la la’s’ with swagger and charm. It is a case of not trying to be cool, equalling cool. ‘There’s A Bomb In The House’ firmly cements their signature sound, outing them as a band who are inevitably influenced by their predecessors and contemporaries but clearly have no interest in fitting in.

‘Avida Dollars’ has a seductive quality, oozing with fuzzy vocals and dirty guitars; it is the perfect soundtrack for sauntering through a Rock bar. Demanding a reaction, this song compels you to move, dance, or sing; to do whatever it is that you do.

The E.P ends with the soulful ‘Magic’, borrowing the style of a 1960s ballad – evoking a bittersweet atmosphere, a melancholic ending to an upbeat record. Arguably the best tune of the six, ‘Magic’ is a song that you will keep coming back to. To say that The Loud are simply ‘garage’ or ‘glam’ perhaps misses the point and this song is a perfect example of the band’s insubordinate attitude towards genre.

The Loud

Words by Alex Brady

What can be said about the band? The Grace and Death of Us (hereafter know as TGDU to save time, are a fashionably hairy quartet of talented youths, they seem to be ambitious and are causing quite a stir amongst those in the know in industry circles and all for good reason.

In a time when the majority of music on the radio is manufactured, repetitive pop, barely intelligible hip hop and Lady Gaga again and again, TGDU are a much welcomed fresh breath of summer air. ‘Elevate’ is a short but sweet release which showcases the great potential this band possesses.

In terms of sound, they fall on the side of rock and indie, at times being noticeably similar to You, Me At Six but with a homely British taste. Every one of the five tracks is an enthralling emotional outlet without becoming whiney and pretentious, a pit fall of many a young band who go on and on about how a girl in school hasn’t noticed them which is the most horrible thing that could ever happen in life and now the world will end in flames, unbridled tears and a record deal. ‘Careless’ seems to be the track of choice for many; emotional, bouncy, catchy and could easily be seen as a sneaky chart hit in times to come, but it is not the greatest track on the album. Each song stands proud and equally magnificent with the others. Creamy vocals, exceptional instrumentation and a consistently strong performance throughout with variety, mood, depth, clarity in intention and musical style; this is a simple 5 track EP, how many mainstream albums can you say all that about especially from ones so young?

To look at them as well is to see something serious yet down to earth and attainable, as though you could see them in a darkened pub, smouldering in good looks and hair with girls swooning over them from afar. ‘Elevate’ comes across as a coming of age epic, moving from one time of life into another with the wisdom of time and experience fuelled by the vigour of youth. TGDU are ones to keep an eye out for and hopefully they will achieve the recognition they so richly deserve.

9.5/10

Words by Jemma Dodd

From the earlier material of There For Tomorrow and being labelled pop punk, the band’s debut album, The Verge shows a shift in their musical talents reaching out with a heavier edge to their music.

Songs such as ‘Joyride’ show the elements of their pop punk roots, with an upbeat tone and a bit of bounce ensuring old fans are not being left behind but rather encouraged to embrace the new sound. The album’s tracks are varied with some songs having a bit more to them than others, but that’s for you to decide your favourites! Oh and of course there are still the slower melodies as in ‘Circle Of Lies’ and ‘BLU’, to surely grab the hearts of female fans.

7/10

Words by Alex Brady

So, The Worldonfire. Yes, that is how it’s written and yes that is how Alexisonfire write their name too. The four piece, made up of David Walsh, Haaris Ali, Billy Ginn and Joe Lazarus and their new album, ‘Music to Leadership’, have been the source of much conflict and contradiction, a storm cloud with a silver lining both competing for the centre of attention.

The album is made up of eleven tracks which were at times difficult to listen to and at others, a glimpse of prodigal talent. ‘Five Years’, the opening track, came across as a disjointed mix of sounds, not quite in time and not quite belonging, akin to two pieces of a different jigsaw jammed together because they looked like they would fit. It felt awkward and uncomfortable. This misplaced construction was a well known attribute of the punk genre and it fitted in with the atmosphere and ethos of do-it-yourself and do-it-badly for rebellion, but in this case, it drains your brain power trying to squeeze some sort of coherence from the track.

It’s a shame to say that the next three efforts of the album follow the same path, though your attention is drawn to the quality of both the vocals and the instrumentation simply because your brain can only listen to one or the other, listening to both is quite disconcerting. Both elements are best compared to Billy Talent, but with greater restrain and less incomprehensible screaming and on their own, are quite beautiful.

Then the second half of the album arrives, like a sun beam through a storm cloud. ‘Patien(ce)’ is a calming, contemplative song where Walsh’s vocals shine through in moments of musical stand-still, splitting instruments and vocals into two distinct entities through deliberate composition, not through your own cognitive difficulties in processing the two. When the two do meet, they are like summertime and lollypops, made for each other.

From then on the album is nothing but gold. Everything fits together and it’s like the band has woken up from being half asleep. ‘This is the Wrong Way’ is an intense packet of energy begging to explode from your speakers and comes close to compensative for the first few tracks whilst showcasing all this quartet are capable of.

Out of 10, this album verged on a 5 to begin with, but the sheer brilliance of the second half and obvious potential of the band pushes it up to a 7.5, half a point being lost from an 8 as pay back for the first four songs.

7.5/10

Words by Heather Fitsell

Well it’s about four hours to midnight, but it doesn’t matter what time you play this album, from the word go you are rocking around the room, beer in hand playing air guitar, ‘Dogs’ is a cracking album opener and ‘Run’ just keeps the flavour going!

This band are multi-platinum selling in their Australian homeland and this album hankers back to their early material like ‘Sickfest’ that won them the Triple-J (Australian radio station) ‘Unearthed’ competition way back in 1995. It is radio friendly rock, evidenced by tracks such as ‘Take One’ and ‘Comeback’, but it still has enough weight to make it enjoyable for the heavier rock fan amongst us, who may prefer the likes of ‘Passenger’ or ’60 Sign’. Jamieson’s vocals may not be to everyone’s taste, but they work and are a fundamental part of this bands sound.

The album is littered with some good riffs like that at the opening of ‘Right Now’ and on ‘Surrender’, which are contrasted with the likes of ‘Give You More’ which sounds a bit like it should be on Eddie Vedder’s soundtrack for ‘Into The Wild’ and by token shows a different side to the band, which I rather like, but may be too much of a contrast for some listeners who prefer their heavier sound.

For the first time in ten years the band recorded this album live and together which is why I think it works better than some of the albums that have come out since their inaugural release, it is a bit more raw and exposed and I like the sound created. It has the dirtiness of the 90’s grunge scene mashed up with some good old rock and frankly, I just want to get the BBQ out and play this album to my neighbours.

7.5/10

Words by Alex Radzio

Newcomers to the scene, Sold Out, give us a taste of things to come with this awesome EP showcasing what sets them apart and ensuring we get to hear more of them in the future.

The EP consists of four songs that perfectly showcase the abilities of the band and range from straight up rebellious punk-rock (Complete with shouted gang vocals) to sombre and melodious showcases of emotion. Sold Out isn’t just another punk band; they manage to set themselves well apart with their unique guitar tone and use of gritty vocals.

The guitar tone across the album is distorted enough to add the needed punch but what makes it unique is that the guitar tone is that of a fuzzy and dark single-coil pickup. The floaty guitar tone allows the heavy punk riffs to get their point across without sounding obtrusive. This practise is really clever because it allows the drums to tear through the mix and deliver the high-impact punch that is crucial to the heavier spectrum of punk. The vocals follow suit similarly as the clean vocals do a great job of sounding adequate but stepping aside to allow the gritty screams to really rip through the instruments when implemented and hence conveying a very real emotion that you can really feel.

Sold Out has done a great job with this EP despite being a little rough around the edges. Despite the short length of the EP it still manages to leave a lasting impression long after you had listened to it and will leave you begging for more.

8/10