SIA
is awesome. Like I said when I reviewed her last album '1000 Forms of
Fear', she's one of the few writers / artists whose stuff appears in
charts that I will actually listen to albums of. If you can get past
the acrobatic-ness of her voice and the RIHANNA-esque vocal stylings
(she writes for her and pretty much created that style for her), then
you'll find her stuff has leanings to ROBYN, THE KNIFE and TEGAN AND
SARA, which ain't a bad thing at all in my ears. Amongst these twelve
tracks, we have the piano-driven ballads like 'One Million Bullets';
full on dance tunes like 'Sweet Design' and the awesome, addictively
genius 'Move Your Body; purely perfect pop songs rendered in her
unique style like 'House on Fire' and the awesome power number
'Unstoppable'; and of course the huge belter, in this album's case
'Alive', which features one of the biggest and most euphoric choruses
I've ever heard (at least equalling that of 'Chandelier') and of
which her vocal take during the musically minimal bridge is just
astounding. SIA's songs have an awesome, unique sense of melody and
thought-provoking lyrics that will lift, crush, comfort, puzzle,
encourage, and blow you away, all in the space of a few tracks, and
this album is a perfect example of that. Check out the unbelievable
'Alive' (goosebumps at the ready), the irresistible 'Move Your Body',
and I especially love the haunting and beautiful 'Broken Glass',
which features not only one, but two upward key changes in the final
chorus (now she's just showing off). Consistently brilliant
throughout, consider this if you like pop with depth. Awesome.
So
yeah, MILLENCOLIN are another of my fave 'growing-up' bands that have
come back with another album recently, and those that, like myself,
have missed the sound of their stellar, earlier, faster efforts, will
be pleased to know that this is great stuff, and a welcome return to
form. There's a perpetual urgency and energy throughout 'True Brew's
13 songs (that come in at just under 35 mins) of melodic punk /
skate-punk that's been largely missing since the masterpiece that was
'Pennybridge Pioneers', and it consequently sounds surprisingly
fresh, as though they've dug up a fresh dose of passion: something
that is always impressive for a band on their eighth full length
(ninth including 'The Melancholy Collection'), having been going for
24 years now with the same lineup. It's another lyrically interesting
one too, touching on racism, relationship dynamics, and discovering
what's important in life, and is vocally brilliant in both tone and
melody, with some of the best verses and choruses that I've heard
from Nikola for a while. I think most impressive for me on here is
the consistency; albums like 'Machine 15' and 'Kingwood' had their
moments, but were a little hit or miss, whereas this is fantastic
from start to finish, from the super-catchy 'Chameleon' and 'Bring Me
Home', through angrier tunes like 'Sense and Sensibility', and to
vulnerable and emotion-driven songs like 'Wall of Doubt' and the
brilliant 'Something I Would Die For'. Super pleased with these guys
for this release that bears the maturity of later albums and injects
the fun, energy, and passion of 'Life on a Plate', 'For Monkeys' and
'Pennybridge...'; and for those that that means nothing to, get this
if you're into FACE TO FACE, NO FUN AT ALL, SATANIC SURFERS, or THE
OFFSPRING.
When
I got into melodic punk-rock as a teen, FACE TO FACE were one of the
first bands that I properly got into, and, despite not loving stuff
since the album 'How to Ruin Everything', they've remained one of my
favourites. Subsequent to that album, they've released one that I
didn't like at all, one that was a little better, and have arrived at
this, which, thankfully, is probably the best thing they've done in
about ten / fifteen years. For those that aren't familiar with FACE
TO FACE, they play melodic punk rock that sits well alongside bands
like BAD RELIGION, DESCENDENTS, and THE OFFSPRING's faster stuff, but
still has it's own sound, especially in Trever's distinct vocal
delivery and arrangements. If ever there was an album to show how
crucial Scott is to this band too, then this is it; his basslines on
here are absolutely sublime (and are given a lot of moments to shine
in the more guitar-bare sections), and Danny's drumming is on point
too, especially when they play at speed (they have this particular,
awesome speed that they only use once or twice per album, and on here
it's on 'I Won't Say I'm Sorry'). As usual, lyrically this is more
personal than political, and there are some pretty memorable choruses
on here. Even if this isn't quite what they used to be capable of,
there are some good songs on here, stylistically falling somewhere
between the classics of their self-titled album and 'Reactionary',
and their album prior to this, 'Three Chords and a Half Truth', and
it's definitely worth checking out if you like that 90s melodic punk
sound. A decent effort; I'd recommend the songs 'Double Crossed',
'Say What You Want', and 'Fourteen Fifty-Nine' for something a bit
different, but I'd also like to stress how great their previous
albums 'Don't Turn Away', their self-titled one, 'Ignorance is Bliss'
and 'Reactionary' are, so they're worth checking out too.
You
may know Catherine from one of a number of places; for her
involvement in zines (and her blog SPILL THE ZINES), her work for the
Swansea Feminist Network, or even for this, her solo musical project.
I know, busy lady, right? Anyway, this four track EP is her latest
(and I believe third?) release, and is a bit of a cracker. There'll
be obvious comparisons to make to TORI AMOS, KATE BUSH and PJ HARVEY,
but Catherine, who contributes piano / keyboards, bass, and vocals to
her tracks, with guitars and drums coming from a selection of family
and friends, brings a fantastic rock / grunge vibe to the table,
making for a really full, powerful, and dark yet emotional listening
experience, with a strong feminist backbone, including lyrics about a
woman's right to be on stage instead of in the crowd. Personally my
two faves on here are the last two; 'Not Enough' for that brilliant,
chant-like chorus, and the closing title track for the wonderful
piano melody, but a great EP all round.
So
after a short hiatus, BASEMENT are back with another ten tracks of
their heavily 90s-influenced grunge / emo sound, and to be fair, I'm
pretty glad they reformed because this is as good as anything that
I've heard them do before. It's thick on the guitars with some great,
emotive chordwork (that's brighter than what I recall of 'Colour Me
in Kindness'), straight and heavy on the bass and drums, and as well
as having some really good vocal melodies, the vocalist still plays
on that dynamic between his slow, soft, and droney voice, his bigger,
fuller singing voice, and that almost-shouting that he does, which
gives this a lot of depth and helps to pace the songs and create some
pretty big moments. There's something really cool about the
simplicity of BASEMENT's stuff; it eschews any technical flare in
favour of quite basic playing styles and arrangements, so it's easy
to get into and will stick to you really quickly. If you liked their
previous stuff (I really liked 'Colour...', and this is a great, if a
little brighter, follow up) then you should have no problem getting
into this, but if you're not already a fan but you like MILK TEETH,
TIGERS JAW, or grunge / emo from the 90s, then this is as good of a
place to start as any. My favourite tunes on here are the opener
'Brother's Keeper', the catchiest number 'Aquasun', and the closer
'Halo' which is simple but wonderful, so they might be a good place
to start.
Anyone
that picked up these guys' debut 'Fantastic Massacre', or has seen
them live or even heard them before will know that they're mental.
Utter loonatics, no doubt about it. They play a highly technical and
thrashy punk / metal amalgamation (that even breaks for a short
reggae rhythm in the second song and has a circus-y bit of keys in
the fourth) that is relentlessly lightning fast on the drums in
blasts and skate punk rhythms, both riffy and mathcore-twiddly on the
guitars, bass heavy, and vocalled with a combination of deep, demonic
growls, and soaring, power-metal melodies that at times reach
ridiculous heights. Comparisons will always be drawn to bands like
PROTEST THE HERO, but ALMEIDA definitely have their own sound and
style (it's more skatepunk than metal really; think a heavier
PROPAGANDHI), and if you're not daunted by very technical and proggy
song structures, they're an awesome listen, and somehow fantastically
tight live. The whole thing is musically sublime as always, but
credit to Tom because lyrically this is class (I don't know how on
earth he writes to this stuff), and he has some real stand-out
moments on here... but I'll let you find them for yourself. So yeah, an ace follow
up to 'FM', and they've made a video to the shortest song on here,
'Payday', so that would be a great place to start if you like metal /
thrash / prog / tech / skatepunk crossovers...
By
the time this zine comes out, Stourbridge-based four piece UNHINGED
will already have a second EP done, despite only having released
this, their first EP back in December. 'Nostalgia' features four
tracks of pacey, angry punk rock that has its hardcore influences
firmly rooted in the old-school 80s and 90s, with elements of IGNITE
and GORILLA BISCUITS coming through the more contemporary sound of
bands like THE BRONX and CANCER BATS, and produced locally with a
pretty DIY, lo-fi recording. Pacey drumwork, rock-infused hardcore
riffs, and a combination of angry shouts and don't-give-a-shit
attitude style singing that makes for some pretty catchy moments, all
meld to make for an impressive debut EP. Check out 'Homesick' and its
accompanying video for something to go on, and then go check out
their new EP.
SVALBARD
- 'One Day All This Will End' cassette review
Oh
man, SVALBARD are good; another band I feel hugely lucky to have
shared the stage (well, floor) with, they play an astounding and
melodically unique style of post-hardcore that is all at once heavy
and melodic, epic and emotional, and on here, from what I recall, I
bit faster than their previous releases, utilising a bit more double
time and blasting, giving it a bit more of a hardcore punk / black
metal vibe. Fans of anything from LIGHT THIS CITY, to CIRCLE TAKES
THE SQUARE, to old DARKEST HOUR should absolutely love this. The male
/ female dual vocal works as brilliantly as ever, the two different
tones interspersing considerately and intelligently, and occasionally
joining to epic effect; the beautiful single string lead guitar
melodies pierce the shroud of thick bass and heavy guitars perfectly;
and the aforementioned drumming is really something to behold,
tearing technically through these eight stylistically varied and well
structured tunes (as well as a cool cover of VICTIMS' 'This is the
End'). A solid album, well worth a look if you like your stuff dark,
heavy, fast and melodic. Also available on record I believe, but the
cassette (with chrome shell) is a beaut.
So
yeah, BRATAKUS have finally dropped their debut EP / three-track
demo, and, as expected, it's awesome. For those that missed our
interview with them in the last issue, they're a two-piece of sisters
from up in Scotland who play riot-grrrl punk with influences like
BIKINI KILL and THE DISTILLERS, with even a bit of an old-school
MINOR THREAT vibe in the vocals and lo-fi production. The lyrics are
actually really cool for such a young band; they're pretty angsty,
with vegan and feminist subject matter, and it's so fast vocally, I
have no idea how Breagha fits some of these lines in! The vocal
harmonies work well, the bass and guitar riffs and progressions are
really catchy, the drum machine programming sounds cool, and the
whole EP is fast (the first song lasts about 70 seconds), energetic,
and a really fun listen. There are some SIMPSONS quotes (I think)
between songs which made me chuckle, and the very DIY packaging /
artwork is class, especially the collaging of random newspaper and
magazine headlines. An awesome little release from a band that are
doing punk-rock how it should be done, and that hints at ace things
to come. Go and check out 'I Know Nothing' on Youtube for something
to go on. Nice one!
This
is awesome stuff. Punk rock without any guitar; just solid, riffy
bass, tight, almost mechanical drumming, shouted female vocals, and a
keyboard that sound somewhere between KRAFTWERK and low-budget 70s /
80s horror film soundtracks (think CREEPOZOIDS or anything directed
by LUCIO FULCI i.e 'Zombie' or 'House by the Cemetery'). It's rare to
find stuff these days that sounds genuinely different, but this
really is; the synth sound is somewhat creepy and isn't something
that I've heard much in this style, and the way it marries with the
highly strung, desperate but angry vocals is something you need to
hear to appreciate. Every song on this four track is really catchy,
both vocally (with great lyrics) and musically, and has some great
vocal hooks that, owing to being based around repetition, will
inseminate your mind like few things can. This is especially so in
the final two tracks 'Girls' and 'Cheer Up Luv', and the respective,
unforgettable lines "it's not a competition; we're not the
opposition" and "cheer up luv, it might never happen".
Brilliant stuff with a unique quality, the greatness of which is
tough to describe.
We interviewed indie-rock / Riot-Grrrl punks IDestroy for issue nine of 'The Screever'; here's what they had to say to a few questions we threw at them towards the end of their 'Vanity Loves Me' EP tour.
Heya guys, please introduce yourself/ves, tell us what you play, and
who makes up the rest of IDestroy.
IDestroy
are Bec (guitar/vocals), Becky (bass/Bvox) and Jenn (Drums).
So you're currently on a UK tour; how has it been? Have there been
any stand out shows?
Tour
has been a lot of fun. One of our favourite shows was our recent
return to London, playing at The Gunners pub. The quality of the
venue really surprised us (knowing that its main focus is on
football), the sound was great and there were a large number of
people there to see us - we recognised a good number of the people
there from our last London show, so we were very pleased that we have
started gaining a following in another city!
How long have you been a band for now? How did you three meet?
We
all met whilst studying in Bristol and became good friends before
forming the band. We’ve been together around a year and a half now.
Your music seems to have a number of influences, including rock,
punk, blues, and indie; who would you say are your biggest
influences?
This
is always a tough question as we enjoy so many different types of
music. The band has definitely been influenced by riot grrrl bands
such as Bikini Kill and Sleater Kinney. We hope you will also hear
the older punk influences such as Iggy Pop and The Runaways.
So you released your first EP called 'Vanity Loves Me' this year; how
has it been received? Are you all pleased with what you
created?
We’ve had some really great reviews from the
likes of Classic Rock, Punktastic and Fred Perry Subculture as well
as being enjoyed by the independent bloggers on the DIY circuit. We
are so happy that it has had this wide appeal to all rock n rollers,
and we hope its reach will keep growing. We are proud of this
release, but we are certain that the next one will only get better!
Did you enjoy making the video for the title-track from that CD?
Where was it filmed?
It
was good fun, although a long day and very hard work. Being a short
song, you get to hear it a lot of times when filming for it over a 10
hour day! The silliness at the end of the video was a new experience
for all of us. As perhaps you can tell, we’re not all that
interested in make up and other ‘girly’ things, so it was cool to
experiment and see what came out! We filmed it at Farm Studios in
Bristol with Nick Pitt.
Can you give us a brief run-down of what the songs on the EP are
about lyrically?
I try to avoid the “what is this song
about” question, mainly because I’d rather the listener think for
themselves. When I hear great lyrics, take Kurt Cobain for example, I
personally don’t want to know what he was singing about. Why would
I? When I can pretend he’s singing about everything I feel right in
that moment.
Having said that, this EP is very much based on my
observations of modern day life. I’d like to think it’s a pretty
relatable listen.
What else do you guys do outside of IDestroy? Are any of you in any
other bands or anything?
Bec
plays guitar and song writes for art rockers ‘The Blue Aeroplanes’
and Becky plays bass in metal band Triaxis.
Ph: Jake Matthews
So what do you have planned for the rest of this year? Any more
touring or recording in the pipeline?
We have a few more
‘Vanity Loves Me’ tour dates left (Southampton, Minehead,
Stalybridge and Birmingham). After these shows we will spending some
time songwriting and preparing to record the next release. We have a
couple of festival appearances and other gigs this summer, but now
the ‘Vanity Loves Me’ tour is over, our main focus is on the new
material.
Cheers for answering these! Any last words, links, shout-outs, or
anything?
As
soon as the first track from this six song tape from Italy's (I
think) FOLGORE dropped in, I thought of LOMA PRIETA. So yeah, they
play pretty awesome melodic screamo / post-hardcore that is
aggressively and distortedly vocalled throughout (save for some
ENVY-esque spoken word), and crashes through abrasive fuzzy riffs and
the odd bit of finger tapping, backed by chaotic drumming, and
interspersed with pretty, picked, melodic sections. I especially dig
the second track 'Likho', but this has a consistently similar song
throughout (save for the more brooding, largely slower penultimate
track 'Mediocrita'), so if you like stuff like LOMA, RAIEN, or LA
QUIETE, then this should be worth a listen.
CADY
(named after Lindsay Lohan's character in 'Mean Girls' of course)
features former members of FOR THIS WORLD IS HOLLOW..., and follows
on from the intensity of that band, playing awesome blast-beat
infused proper-screamo with some really heavy bass, abrasive
chordwork in the guitars, accompanied by some ace underlying melody
and delay-effect leads, and some seriously chaotic drumming that's as
tight as anything. There are parts that make me think of KAOSPILOT,
others of TRISTAN TSARA, and others of SAETIA, so hopefully that
gives you something to go on. The packaging on this is ace too, with
hand constructed, monochromatic cardboard sleeves, and with a little,
albeit tough to read, lyric sheet inside. Physical copies may have
sold out by now, but go and check this out on their Bandcamp if you
like your proper screamo, and listen to opener 'Goodnight Clark
Adams' for something to go on. Great stuff.
This
7" contains two tracks of what I can best describe as
psychedelic surf-rock that is a bit 70s and reminds me a bit of bands
like FRET and YOUVES and maybe THE MURDER OF ROSA LUXEMBURG in places. Both songs have a really funky, catchy lead
riff, on bass in 'Scary Eyes', and on guitar in 'Graveyard', helped
along by some tight and pounding drums that marry rhythmically with
said riffs. There are also some cool, heavily reverbed yet reserved
(and suitably spooky with regards 'Graveyard') vocals on both tracks
that compliment the music by way of adding extra texture to the
rather awesome musicianship rather than being a focal point, which I
really liked about it. A great little two-track record if you like
garage-y surf rock with a psych vibe.
Bloody
hell yes, this is pretty much exactly the kind of thing that I hope
will drop into my inbox to review. Fast, no messin' about, thrashy
hardcore with immense drumming that flicks between blasts, double
time, and lightspeed fills, that complement the awesome, tight guitar
and bass riffs perfectly, and multiple vocalists, all with very
different but equally pissed-off sounding tones. Every song on here
is brilliantly structured (that's what 9 years of experience will do
for you), from the 66 seconds of 'Dogsbody' (one of my personal
favourites, and featuring one of the best thrash-inspired riffs on
here) to the slower but no less furious 'Cunt of the Litter', and the
rather odd, somewhat amusing, yet still awesome 'Blinded by Leaves'.
If you like your hardcore how it should be played i.e. fast, heavy,
and abrasive, well-produced and with no nonsense, and that reminds
you of stuff that used to come out on DEAD AND GONE RECORDS (FIFTY ON
RED, BREAK IT UP, etc.), then this will please you a lot. This 12"
also comes with their last album 'Seaside Resort to Violence' on the
other side. Ace.
Ta-da! Issue nine of 'The Screever' is done! 56 A6 black and white pages of awesome-ness, featuring interviews with Bristol indie-rock / RiotGrrrl punks IDestroy, comic writer Dan Barnes of Dead Bride Comics, Jamie Brewer of skate collective GNARGORE, fantasy zine illustrator BODIE H., and Stourbridge hardcore kids Unhinged. Plus a bunch of reviews, a couple of recipes, puzzles, stencils, and a guide to making a pinhole camera; what more could you want for a quid?!
