Paul's Music Shack

Another update

2011-04-05T02:02:00.000+01:00

Howdy

Just gonna give you a quick insight in my most recent thoughts.

First.

I should have a review up around late wednesday/thursday so check back in soon.
Nothing too fancy and most of you had a bit of time to listen to it, just as I did, so the review won't be the "omg so awesome, but it's only my first impression" kind.

Second.

This is the most important point.
I'm not quite happy with the general quality of my past review, I do feel I've rushed it and I should've "slept on it" and get back to writing in the morning. Instead, I wrote it literally within an hour or less, of coming back home from the gig.

It's not that I'm second-guessing my opinions, as they remain the same, but the wording and details - the style. I'm not quite happy with it. Unlike the review of So Long Seattle - "So Believe" song, which I'm quite happy about, in it's own department.

Third.

There will be a review of a videoclip and - of course - a song, coming in a matter of a day.

Zat would be it.
Keep on rockin'

As Daylight Dies/In Remission/Lecarla/Arms of Atlas -The Hat Factory 31/03/11

2011-04-01T14:48:00.003+01:00

Four bands, one evening, a lot of fun, music, surprises, and... Well, you'll know soon enough :)

As Daylight Dies

You know, I was probably not the only person who had this gut feeling: "This cannot end well". Whenever I see a band consisting of very young musicians, I always have this lingering fear that something has to go terribly wrong.

This was no exception when “As Daylight Dies” arrived on the stage. Obviously the initial reaction was less than positive - but hey - everyone deserves a chance.

I'm happy to say they didn't mess it up :)

Four young lads (I mean YOUNG) rocking out and doing rather well.

Yes, considering their age, they were really good - hell they could stand their ground anyway!

I admire their urge to play live, I admire the balls that it takes to stand on the stage and perform and I admire the fact that they took it seriously.

They played a good set of straight-up hard rock and it was a pleasant experience. But - there's always something isn't there?

Well, this time; it's praise. I mean genuine praise alright? I know I've been quite positive in my reviews so far, but when I mean praise - it's exactly that.

The young man on Lead Guitar: Ollie Nash. I'm going to assume that every guitar part was written by him – just by the way he performs and NAILS it, I think it's more than plausible. Ollie Nash impressed me with his skill, passion and professionalism.

I know it's dangerous to praise a single person out of the entire band, but I could not sleep with a clear conscience otherwise :)

Regardless - if you have a chance to look them up, or see the band - do it! Your hope in young bands pulling it off will be reinforced. Titanium-style :)

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In Remission

Think of “Breaking Benjamin” with more punch and less "cheese". A lot less "cheese"! :D

Everything about this band seems to "click" and fit well.

All of the musicians know their business and how to put on a good show - they got me head-banging a few times during their set.

One of their main pluses would be the song writing. While “Breaking Benjamin” crafts music to appease the "Emo" crowd, “In Remission” can easily appeal to the hard rock crowd.

It's all in the balance really. Just enough heavy guitars, clean vocals, hammering drums and being sophisticated to the right degree.

Bands within the genre of "Melodic Hardcore Rock" - as they call themselves - tend to focus on the emotional aspect of their music, whilst ignoring the actual "Hardcore" & - Let's be honest - for almost anyone who's not in their teens it will get tiring and boring.

Thankfully, “In Remission” steers clear of being too mainstream.

They were not exceptionally good, but still very solid and I'd like to see them again.

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Lecarla

In my humble and honest opinion, this was the Headlining band! This was the highlight of the night.

I'm not just saying this because the band consists of two blokes and three beauties. I mean it because; they had the crowd, because they were absolutely FANTASTIC. Caps oh-so-very-much-intended for once.

When they came to the stage I was expecting a mix of "Hole" or "Kittie" or any other female-fronted, female-only rock/metal band. Little did I know...

“Lecarla” are a band that evades pin-pointing and “Ha! Hard rock!"- kind of pigeon-hole nonsense.

You have elements of In-Your-Face Rock, Heavy Metal, Hardcore, even elements of Pop and awesome-fucking-ness. There! I'm swearing, but I've got every reason to do that.

This band not only had the connection with the crowd, (not to mention the male section) the stage presence (duh!), but they knew how to play music that is just a plain joy to listen to.

All this by people with so much talent and skill.

Joe Alofano - Lead guitarist, nailing every song. I didn't notice a missed note. Fantastic work.

Stephen North – Drummer - with a smile. That guy is wicked! He made drumming look easy and most of all - he made it look like pure fun.

Nikki Brightman - Bassist. This girl was spot-on with her low end contribution - a goddamn human metronome with a really good backing voice to boot!

Stevie Shepperson - The flame-haired rhythm guitarist. Made some fabulous work of her own - often giving the band the backbone on which they built the songs.

Lizzy Dent – Vocalist. The girl who puts Soul into the body of Lecarla. Terrific voice that could put to shame many of the mainstream pop acts.

The entire band was exceptional in their own departments, fusing them all into what Lecarla really is.

And it's a force to be reckoned with.

I'm really trying hard to think of something I didn't like - I have nothing.

Spot-on, fun, entertaining, creative - I could go on. There's just one thing left to be said:

See them, hear them, and fall in love with their music.

Arms of Atlas

A band that could be best described as Metalcore, just without a growling vocalist.

Bear it in mind, it's in no way an accurate description - but that's as close as I can get to describe their style.

These five guys from Leicester really know how to play; they really know what makes the crowd go mental.

As instrumentalists I can hardly say a bad word, every section within every song was solid.

I'm going to get a lot of flack now :D

Unfortunately I came out slightly unimpressed.

Yes - the band was good - the songs were competent - but there were flaws.

Once I heard the intro, the verse, the chorus, I knew what was coming next.

They were too predictable for my liking. I often found myself drifting away during the set. Barely did I stay focused on what they were playing after the first verse and chorus; the notable exceptions would be the breakdowns.

If there's something the band really knows how to play; it would be heavy, mosh-tastic; breakdowns that get you either head-bobbing or just join the unveiling mosh pit in front of you.

I know there's a certain appeal for bands playing this kind of music and I totally understand why there’s fans of the genre. Hell I like Metalcore myself, but there was something missing there.

Was it a bit more diversity? I'd argue yes - there was little diversity in the sound.

You can blame the venue, as often could be the case, for not giving the band the justice of a good sound – but then the previous bands sounded great.

It's my opinion. You can have your own :D

So Long Seattle "So Believe" track review

2011-03-27T22:14:00.005+01:00

Approaching a single song as a Reviewer is always different and a bit more difficult than an EP or Album. Having said that, not so with So Long Seattle’s: “So Believe” track!

First thing I noticed instantly about the band and the song is the pure joy of playing rock / punk rock!

You can tell that they are just having fun and it’s infectious, trust me – listen to it and you’ll feel the energy behind the band. Obviously it’s a review of music, so let’s get down to business shall we?

I’ll go with contrasts:

You all probably heard the abomination of a song called “Friday” by Rebecca Black, right?
So Long Seattle’s song is nothing like it. While “Friday” represents everything I hate about modern popular music you hear on MTV, “So Believe” is what restores my hope in young people; writing and playing music.

• Catchy, tuneful guitars – Check!

• Lyrics that are well written and aren’t shallow unbearable ramblings – Check!

• Musicians who know how to play their instruments, rather than base their song on electronic beats in loop – Check!

• A Vocalist who has a decent voice, unlike a certain girl with a voice like a - to quote Charlie Brooker - “Wasp trapped inside in a polystyrene cup trying to get out” – Check!

“So Believe” is exactly the kind of song you expect from a bunch of guys, who play their instruments for fun and, you could say incidentally, are good at it!

Unfortunately nothing is perfect and this tune has its flaws:

The Vocalist - while he’s doing a grand job singing low to mid notes his voice doesn’t seem to be tailored for higher pitches, but it seems he knows it and he’s not using it too often.

It’s a positive feat for future - being self-conscious is something young musicians tend to miss.

Production of the song, at least for me, is odd. The vocals are quite clearly more pronounced than the instruments - it might be just me - but I prefer a more balanced approach.

Having said that I still think it’s a great tune that I thoroughly enjoyed and I’m waiting impatiently for their next release.

A track worth the listen and it’s definitely worth keeping an eye out for So Long Seattle!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/solongseattle

http://www.twitter.com/solongseattle1

Review as featured on : The Luton Scene

Quick update

2011-03-23T19:40:00.000+00:00

Hey folks,

You have my sincere appologies for not coming up with more reviews as I promised before. Without boring you with the details of my personal life, I'm hardly creative lately and while I've got a bunch of rough sketches and notes, none of it is finished :(

I should be able to get back on track with the reviews soon, since I have a lot of unfinished material, when it's done I'll be able to provide content every few days as promised :)

Appologies again and rock on fellow music fanatics!

Vertias, Dead Cells, Glass Artery LIVE - Luton 10/03/11

2011-03-12T13:30:00.000+00:00

Greetings everyone!

Today - I bring you a live show as my first official review! Oh yes - ladies and gentlemen - music where it belongs, music where it shines the brightest - right here before our eyes and ears performed live.

Sod all the technology, production, mixing, the entire studio magic, tonight we had bands, pulling their own weight and did they deliver!

VERITAS

As a band that not only opens up the night but is also playing their very first show - you can guess there's enormous amount of pressure put on their shoulders. It's not only their own expectations, but the fear of failing the audience - of disappointing them, must've been next to terrifying. I'll not keep you wondering for too long - they did very well indeed!

The entirety of their show was consistently good - stage presence, musicianship and the songs - well prepared from start to finish. Sure, you get the occasional missed note, but that's the beauty of a live show and I'd not trade it for anything else, it's all those little frailties that create the experience.

Sound: Imagine ‘Parkway Drive’ detuned their guitars and made more use of “Djent” techniques; voila! The band list as their influences: ‘Monuments’, ‘Fellsilent’, ‘As Blood Runs Black’ and the aforementioned ‘Parkway Drive’. It shows, but it's not just copy & pasting, oh no.

The vocals by Jay Devlin alone stand tall and proud in the category of Metalcore. He managed a consistent assault of guttural shrieks throughout the set without as much as a cough, well done sir. Although, I'd personally prefer a more clear delivery where I can actually hear the words rather than trying to make out what's being sang. Hey - I didn't say I wouldn’t be nit-picking!

One problem that I had was that the songs started to blend into one another, if not for the breaks between each, you might feel as if it was just a single song. While it might be a good thing - it shows they’ve set a direction for themselves and are avoiding stepping out of their comfort zone - it also means that they're running the risk of being – well, boring.

I do applaud the band's ability to create a very groovy sound though - that's something you don't hear too often from the up-and-coming bands. Instant head-bobbing ensues and you won't notice until your neck starts aching!

The set was strong, if these guys can continue in the same direction with a bit of diversity - I'll be more than happy to see them again.

DEAD CELLS

Unfortunately, being friends with the band members, I'd be - well, let's be honest, my review of the show wouldn't be the most objective one :)

All I can say though, they pulled off another strong gig and yet again they can all go home with heads held up high.

GLASS ARTERY

You'd think that a band with a name like this plays some fragile, delicate music - with the only aim of soothing your soul. Right? Right?

Wrong.

Maybe with the exception of the vocalist’s clean voice, but just wait for him to put on the game face and you're in for a ride.

This band knows how to pull off a good show and I mean it! How do they sound you ask? I don't even know where to begin!

We’ve got a drummer who knows how to assault your ears with death metal double bass machinegun firing, but right after that comes progressive metal complex rhythm drumming!

We’ve got guitarists who bring down a hammer blow by mighty Thor himself - with chugging riffs that will make you head bang real hard and invite you afterwards into a journey of soaring notes.

There’s real heavy, relentless and quite addictive tones that make you go: "Hey, this is like ‘Mastodon’" and before the song is finished: "Now wait a minute, ‘Killswitch Engage’?’" and just after it ends "No, that's Glass Artery". It really gives you the impression that you just heard a combination of sounds you are not instantly familiar with.

Not a single moment felt too long, too short or pulled out of nowhere.

Song craft-wise these guys strike just the right balance between heavy, in your face tones - the slower, yet so well-fitted parts - to finally the occasional melody that without a doubt drives their music. It's a no small feat, when you have so many bands trying to cut a piece of the cake for themselves these days, to distinguish yourself and merge all the right things to make yourself stand out.

They took no prisoners, up until the very last song, a rather surprising addition to what would already be an exceptionally good set, a resemblance of a ballad.

And this is what I'm talking about!

The guys in Glass Artery not only show they know how to make music that just feels right, but they've shown great diversity.

They've proved that they’re not afraid to experiment and show a wide range of styles.

It's oh so very important for any band to be able to stand above the crowd, show something new and offer a different perspective! We've heard so many bands who are so much alike, you'd not be able to tell them apart if not for - and it's a maybe - the sound of vocals. These guys are doing their own thing and it doesn’t seem like they give a damn about anyone else!

Glass Artery pushes all the right buttons; I can only hope they will not give up on spreading their quite unique blend of metal.

End Word

If you want to know more about the bands, go to:

Veritas
Dead Cells
Glass Artery

Humble Beginnings

2011-03-02T23:28:00.000+00:00

Greetings!

By some strange reason, perhaps fate, pure luck or an incredible and extraordinary set of events, you have arrived here - on my blog.

"What's this all about?" "Like there's not enough blogs already!" You might wonder...

This one, i hope, will be special. This is the place where I'll be reviewing music, whatever makes it's way to my hands -or rather, ears - will have it's 5mins of fame and glory. The glory bit I do not guarantee as I might get a bit vocal about things I don't like, but bear in mind I'll always do my best to be fair.

You should see a review every few days, I doubt I'll limit myself to one-a-week, or even two-a-week, it'll all come down to how many albums are released in a given week.
I'm also one of those lucky people who enjoys a gig every week or so, most of which are done by unknown up-and-coming bands and I will review gigs along with albums, EP's and singles.

Pop here often, as I'll do my best to keep you entertained, interested and maybe you'll even follow my advice and buy an album or two!

Now enjoy the last few hours of Paul-Free-Internet, it will not last !