So for the second time this year me and the photographer headed to the brewery to review the song we have been sent, found and listened to this last fortnight. The table with the plug socket is reserved and we have beer. We also have our first guest reviewer who, when she managed to get the headphones to work also gave her opinion. Not very long opinions as it turns out. Anyway, here’s what we thought. Feel free to join in, listen, post your views and let us know what we got wrong.
Also this week appears to be the week of useless intros, even the song that is two minutes long has an overlong intro.
Gravedigger – Beyond Extinction
The photographer sums this up with gravel & JD gargling vocals, standard metal fare, it’s not the most innovative but def not the worst. Suzie the guest says she quite likes it because it’s heavy and I think it has decent riffage and a good metal vocal. It’s a decent track to start with.
Wolf Manhattan – Sometimes
This is Indie Rock and it’s alright but that’s about all. The photographer says that it’s inoffensive and just a bit boring. Suzie sums it up as Indie-Beatles. I told you she doesn’t say much.
The Tubs – Wretched Lie
This is a folky indie song, the photographer is liking the instruments but not so keen on the vocals. Suzie has no comment as at this point we were experiencing technical difficulties with her headphones.
Dobbeltgjenger – Frankenstein
I thought that this is quirky nonsense, the photographer said it’s an odd mix of pop and strange lyrics, he’s not sure it’s got too much listening in it. Suzie said it was okay.
Suicide Silence – Alter of Self
The best video so far this year, punk metal hardcore nothing surprising or new but a great song. The photographer thinks it’s more of the gravel voiced and screaming fast drum metal stuff, meh. Suzie liked it.
Ice Nine Kills – Welcome to Horrorwood
This is Emo hardcore, sounds like My Chemical Romance but not as good. The photographer says that it takes thirty seconds to start and it’s nu emo garbage, go away. Suzie had no comment, I think she was at the bar.
Lana Del Rabies – A Plague
The best name of the night, it is muted Industrial noise and an interesting track but it’s too long. The photographer suns it up as it sounds like someone else’s headphone music, half way through it stops being remotely interesting.
Mandy, Indiana – Injury Detail
This is Electronic with a very loooooooooooong intro, as I said before, this is the week of thoroughly disposable introductions, it’s pretty good song. The Photographer says it’s got a thumping baseline with added noises and odd vocals, builds but never quite kicks off.
Screaming Females – Brass Bell
The photographer says it starts with some electronics then moves to what sounds like it’s going to be a punky thing then just goes to a uninteresting rock track, vocals are uninspiring. I like the introduction and the epic sounding Rock is okay. The intro is not only needless but it’s totally misleading – which is probably the whole point.
Narrowhead – Caroline
The photographer says it’s indie guitar rock, not unpleasant and has its guitar solo moments. I think it’s a bit wet, not very interesting overall and is very shiny and smooth. I have no notes on what Suzie thinks, she may have dozed off…
Full of Hell/Primitive Man – Rubble Home
This is Doom sludge noise and it’s Ace! The photographer says, another pointless thirty seconds then into a fuzzed out slow drone until it kicks into a screaming noise battering your head, best so far. Suzie gives it a thumbs up.
Insomnium – the witch hunter
This is overproduced old school heavy metal. The photographer says it’s more gravel kids metal. Boring. I think Suzie liked it.
High Vis – Trauma Bonds
This is a great post punk track. The jangly guitar is nice and I’m always a fan of a northern accent. The photographer says that it’s not instantly forgettable and he quite likes it.
The C.I.A – Bubble
This is a decent electronic punk track, fuzzy and cool. The Photographer thinks it starts promising but never really goes anywhere with its electronics rumblings. Suzie likes this one.
Bria – Don’t come home A-drinking (with lovin’ on your mind)
This is the best pop song of the week, it’s ace! The photographer says that it’s a big old slice of indie pop, nice bit of disjointed Hammond in the background. Suzie says it’s really poppy and you could have a good jig too it.
Anna B Savage – Crown Shyness
This is a bright jazzy tune, it’s alight but not that interesting. The photographer says that it’s standard singer songwriter pop song , not very interesting. Suzie just says it’s boring.
Maria Chiara Argiro – Clouds (Byron the Aquarius Mix)
I think it’s a cool laid back house tune. The photographer sums up as it’s a nice dance beat with breathy jazz sax stuff floating in and out, bit laid back and lacklustre. Suzie says it’s not for her.
This is old school hardcore, think the Dischord records stuff and it’s brilliant just like most of that stuff. The photographer says it’s old school American punk, think minor threat. Suzie is nodding her head vigorously, Yes old school punk!
Rob Munk – Slumber
This is indie massive perfection, the photographer however thinks it’s more standard poppy guitar stuff, bit of sax for interest although it doesn’t elevate it to worth a second listen. Suzie isn’t interested, I think she wants 7 Seconds back on.
Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys – Burning Building
This is an inoffensive pop rock groove, the kids will love it. The Photographer says it has a whiff of Sonic youth detuned guitar in this fairly inoffensive guitar pop.
Holy Moly & The Crackers – Skyline Drive
We were both a bit disappointed by this because Holy Moly & The Crackers’ last album is a favourite of mine and the Photographer likes a fair bit of it. The tune is a little disappointing but the voice is really really good, I’ll wait for the album. The Photographer says strong female lead vocal is the best bit, the rest is average pop song – another instantly forgettable tune.
Atena – Subway Anthem
The guitars and sentiment are good, the Photographer sums it up as ..bilge, emo metal tosh.
Babymetal – Metal Kingdom
I think this is metal. Another pointless intro but I like this. However, more emo tosh in a foreign language, dreadful says the Photographer. Suzie is a fan.
Kosaya Gora – Motorcyclists Die
The Photographer says this is slow speed droning beats with ethereal vocals – not got much to it to be honest, I agree, Suzie isn’t a fan.
Maps – Fever Dream
The Photographer says that the beats are about the only bit keeping this going, the rest is like 80s synth stuffer. Pretty much sums it up for me too. Suzie gives it the thumbs up.
Iñigo Vontier – Setsi
I think that the beat and drones are good. The Photographer likes the low drones, not so keen on the cowbells. Suzie is non-committal
Leathers – Highrise
This is great synth pop music, Suzie likes it a lot, the Photographer thinks it’s just a bit meh.
Sabaton – The First Soldier
Between us the verdict was.. stop now and don’t come back. Terrible heavy metal, Scorpions meets Europe, it’s not bad enough to be good and they sound like they take themselves very seriously.
Dez Dare – Bloodbath -on-Hi
I like this one, fuzzed out groove. The Photographer agrees that it’s fuzzy and then says it’s average, not great, the video is great.
Heaven’s Gate – Smear Crusade
The photographer says he doesn’t know why you need an intro for a two minute track? It baffles him, but when it does start it chugs along frenetically til the end, not too shabby. I think this is an ace slice of hardcore and the intro is perfect. Suzie lieks it becuse it sounds like dragSTER
Jesus piece – Gates of Horn
This is great, grindy, grunty and groovy. Suzie likes the heavy but noit the rarring. The Photographer says it’s another slab of grunty shouty metal at two and a half minutes it’s bearable but forgettable. He’ll needs strepsils in the morning.
Ov sulfur – Earthen
This is okay but a bit much. Summed up by the photographer as more gravel gargling over-produced metal, goes on for far too long. Suzie is not a fan at all.
Heather Woods Broderick – Crashing Against The Sun
The photographer says it didn’t go anywhere for 2 mins then bored me for the rest of it’s dullness, boring electronic pop. Suzie didn’t like it.
Deathcrash – Empty Heavy
This one isn’t my favbourite, the pgotographer says that it drivels along for two and a half minutes in a predictably uninteresting acoustic type fashion, then chucks a load of crashing guitar over the top – why ? Nonsense.
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Ultimate Hammer
We all agree that this is the single of the week. It’s a driving fuzzed out guitar driven slice of bonkers with just a hint of nuttiness in the vocal. It’s easily the best of the bunch Geordie lunatics going bonkers. Excellent.
Bass Drum Of Death – Everybody’s Gonna Be There
By the time we get to this track and onwards it’s just a free for all on comments as we just shout over each other, so please bear that in mind. It’s got that Strokes type thing going on, not as good though. I don’t like the strokes but this is ok, it’s decent indie quite like it.
Sunroof – November
This is disjointed slow beats with bleeps n blips, Photographer says, meh, nothing really happens. I think that’s probably the point but still. Suzie says that it’s alright.
Fever Ray – Kandy
This is a creepy disturbing pop song, it’s slow and the photographer says it doesn’t really go anywhere or get going but I still really like it.
Wednesday – Chosen To Deserve
This isn’t really my thin, The Photographer says that it started promisingly and then its terrible. Suzie just says No.
Katie Gately – Fawn
We like the start, is it going to do anything else???? no, it appears not. Oh well another promising track that doesn’t do anything…
Suuns – Wave
Another ace intro but it doesn’t do anything or really go anywhere, this could of course be the point but we are not impressed.
Tim Hecker – Lotus Light
This is joint single of the week. It’s the polar opposite of the Pigs x7 track but it’s wonderful. The photographer says it’s interesting its.. he waves his hands around… great ambient music.
Nuovo Testamento – Heat
The Photographer says that he has to say it’s shite,if I say anything other than that then Neil Brogan would kill me. I’m indifferent really, it sounds like Dead or Alive which isn’t a bad thing.
So there it is, a page of slightly alcohol fuelled singles reviews, joint singles of the week are predictably Pigs x 7 and Tim Hecker. Some good tracks and some pretty awful. Let us know what you think, what we got wrong and whether you want to be a guest reviewer.
All words by Adrian Bloxham, Martin Ward and Suzie.
