Friday 20 May 2011
Saturday 14 May 2011
Review of The Last Caress of Light by Darkest Era
Ooh, proper singing. I'd forgotten what that sounded like.
Much as I've come to terms with cookie monster growling et al it makes a nice change to hear someone actually singing their heart out. And on The Last Caress of Light, Darkest Era's excellent debut album, we get heart as big as a house.
The band are from Northern Ireland and their Celtic roots provide the foundation to everything they do, infusing the music with passion, honesty and conviction.
First track The Morrigan teases before a rousing roar kicks things off. The double-bass drums pound along merrily and there's a great guitar break. A morrigan appears to be a "a goddess of battle, strife, and fertility", giving a clue to where Darkest Era's lyrical inspiration comes from. This is the perfect opening statement.
Next track An Ancient Fire Burns launches straight in and already you realise that this band believe implicitly in what they do and they do it superbly.
The middle three tracks contain more soaring guitars, pounding drums and convincing vocals in an immensely satisfying way but then Darkest Era pull out the stops for the final three tracks.
The epic start of To Face The Black Tide is full of fire and brimstone before settling back into a more reflective passage. Then the band really hit their straps. Krum's vocals are superb...best new rock vocalist I've heard in a long time; plus we have a new female-drummer hero. Stand up Lisa Howe...not literally though.
Poem To The Gael is a traditional-type Irish folk song and its beautifully done. It paves the way for the closer, The Last Caress Of Light Before The Dark, all 11 minutes of it. An acoustic start continues the feel from the previous track but then the guitars and drums fire up and we are on a journey, drawn along by the force of Darkest Era's will. Its an adventure, fraught with danger but with redemption and glory in sight.
The playing by the whole band is exemplary and this is a magnificent way to finish. I will have to pootle along to the Barfly in September if they are half as good live as they are in the studio.
Other reviews have mentioned Thin Lizzy, in particular Black Rose, but I think the band that this album most reminds me of is Amon Amarth. Not that Darkest Era are remotely black metal but because it is obvious that they, like Amon Amarth, are very proud of their heritage. I read that Darkest Era remind other reviewers of Primordial, another Irish band, but I know nothing about them so I'll have to leave that one hanging.
Furthermore, Darkest Era are rousing and jolly in much the same way as Amon Amarth are. Jolly is probably not a cool epithet for a metal band but what the hey.
Its pointless to predict that a metal band is going to be "big" because it doesn't mean much anymore but I reckon Darkest Era will be a hit with metal heads around the world but are also accessible enough to have a more widespread appeal. And I mean that very much as a good thing.
This is splendid, epic rock music played with an passion and intensity that is remarkable for a first album.
Darkest Era have made their mark.
Much as I've come to terms with cookie monster growling et al it makes a nice change to hear someone actually singing their heart out. And on The Last Caress of Light, Darkest Era's excellent debut album, we get heart as big as a house.
The band are from Northern Ireland and their Celtic roots provide the foundation to everything they do, infusing the music with passion, honesty and conviction.
First track The Morrigan teases before a rousing roar kicks things off. The double-bass drums pound along merrily and there's a great guitar break. A morrigan appears to be a "a goddess of battle, strife, and fertility", giving a clue to where Darkest Era's lyrical inspiration comes from. This is the perfect opening statement.
Next track An Ancient Fire Burns launches straight in and already you realise that this band believe implicitly in what they do and they do it superbly.
The middle three tracks contain more soaring guitars, pounding drums and convincing vocals in an immensely satisfying way but then Darkest Era pull out the stops for the final three tracks.
The epic start of To Face The Black Tide is full of fire and brimstone before settling back into a more reflective passage. Then the band really hit their straps. Krum's vocals are superb...best new rock vocalist I've heard in a long time; plus we have a new female-drummer hero. Stand up Lisa Howe...not literally though.
Poem To The Gael is a traditional-type Irish folk song and its beautifully done. It paves the way for the closer, The Last Caress Of Light Before The Dark, all 11 minutes of it. An acoustic start continues the feel from the previous track but then the guitars and drums fire up and we are on a journey, drawn along by the force of Darkest Era's will. Its an adventure, fraught with danger but with redemption and glory in sight.
The playing by the whole band is exemplary and this is a magnificent way to finish. I will have to pootle along to the Barfly in September if they are half as good live as they are in the studio.
Other reviews have mentioned Thin Lizzy, in particular Black Rose, but I think the band that this album most reminds me of is Amon Amarth. Not that Darkest Era are remotely black metal but because it is obvious that they, like Amon Amarth, are very proud of their heritage. I read that Darkest Era remind other reviewers of Primordial, another Irish band, but I know nothing about them so I'll have to leave that one hanging.
Furthermore, Darkest Era are rousing and jolly in much the same way as Amon Amarth are. Jolly is probably not a cool epithet for a metal band but what the hey.
Its pointless to predict that a metal band is going to be "big" because it doesn't mean much anymore but I reckon Darkest Era will be a hit with metal heads around the world but are also accessible enough to have a more widespread appeal. And I mean that very much as a good thing.
This is splendid, epic rock music played with an passion and intensity that is remarkable for a first album.
Darkest Era have made their mark.
Sunday 1 May 2011
Review of Mammal by Altar of Plagues
Okay, so the only thing I know about this band is that they are Irish. I’ve not heard anything by them before so we’ll have to see whether that’s a good or bad thing for the purpose of this review.
If you’ve read anything else I’ve written you’ll notice I don’t like to use genres as a simple way of describing a band. For a start, most of them are too simplistic but also I don’t understand half of them.
You’re either a metal band or you’re not.
Altar of Plagues are a metal band. The guitars are for the most part grungy and noisy, the drums are often ferocious and the vocals are…well, the human equivalent of grungy, noisy and ferocious.
First track “Neptune is Dead” lasts, good grief, over 18 minutes long. It starts off with some atmospheric guitar then kicks off with some frantic drumming and shouting and riffing. I wonder if this if this is Altar of Plagues’ MO. Halfway through we move into a less ferocious phase. There’s not a great deal of light and shade as such but to be fair its not unenjoyable. What this band seem be doing is creating a landscape, an atmosphere of uneasiness, of darkness, and I found it pretty agreeable. Its not what I routinely want my metal to be, but sometimes its good to be out of your comfort zone.
“Feather and Bone” features some impressive-sounding ambient guitar before getting pretty crunchy. Its also got an interesting, unsettling quiet passage with some piano and acoustic guitar. This has turned out to be my favourite track on the album although its hard to say what elevates it above the others.
“When the Sun Drowns in the Ocean” begins with some traditional Irish keening (vocal lament) which really establishes the haunting atmosphere. The track is like a soundtrack for a movie you really wouldn’t want to watch on your own.
“All Life Converges to Some Center” closes the album and follows a path now established through the previous three tracks: unsettling, challenging, bold. And the guitars are terrific. Altar of Plagues seem to know the path they want to be on and are striking out admirably.
After a couple of plays I have now gone on the web to try and find some context for Altar of Plagues and the other band that keeps cropping up is Wolves in the Throne Room. I don’t know anything about them either but listening to some tracks on YouTube I can recognise that Altar Of Plagues are somewhere in the same ballpark.
For the purpose of this review I’ve now listened to Mammal more than half a dozen times and its getting better every time I play it.
Go immerse yourself…but don’t play the album in the dark, on your own.
Which, of course, means do.
If you’ve read anything else I’ve written you’ll notice I don’t like to use genres as a simple way of describing a band. For a start, most of them are too simplistic but also I don’t understand half of them.
You’re either a metal band or you’re not.
Altar of Plagues are a metal band. The guitars are for the most part grungy and noisy, the drums are often ferocious and the vocals are…well, the human equivalent of grungy, noisy and ferocious.
First track “Neptune is Dead” lasts, good grief, over 18 minutes long. It starts off with some atmospheric guitar then kicks off with some frantic drumming and shouting and riffing. I wonder if this if this is Altar of Plagues’ MO. Halfway through we move into a less ferocious phase. There’s not a great deal of light and shade as such but to be fair its not unenjoyable. What this band seem be doing is creating a landscape, an atmosphere of uneasiness, of darkness, and I found it pretty agreeable. Its not what I routinely want my metal to be, but sometimes its good to be out of your comfort zone.
“Feather and Bone” features some impressive-sounding ambient guitar before getting pretty crunchy. Its also got an interesting, unsettling quiet passage with some piano and acoustic guitar. This has turned out to be my favourite track on the album although its hard to say what elevates it above the others.
“When the Sun Drowns in the Ocean” begins with some traditional Irish keening (vocal lament) which really establishes the haunting atmosphere. The track is like a soundtrack for a movie you really wouldn’t want to watch on your own.
“All Life Converges to Some Center” closes the album and follows a path now established through the previous three tracks: unsettling, challenging, bold. And the guitars are terrific. Altar of Plagues seem to know the path they want to be on and are striking out admirably.
After a couple of plays I have now gone on the web to try and find some context for Altar of Plagues and the other band that keeps cropping up is Wolves in the Throne Room. I don’t know anything about them either but listening to some tracks on YouTube I can recognise that Altar Of Plagues are somewhere in the same ballpark.
For the purpose of this review I’ve now listened to Mammal more than half a dozen times and its getting better every time I play it.
Go immerse yourself…but don’t play the album in the dark, on your own.
Which, of course, means do.
Review of Everyone Into Position by Oceansize
Writing a review for an album that came out six years ago is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.
Instead of listening to each track and jotting down some notes about odd time signatures, explosive guitars, tender vocals and layers upon layers upon layers, I am just sitting back with my eyes closed soaking it all in and marvelling – for the umpteenth time – at how fantastic Oceansize are.
Were. Still can’t get used to that.
I mean, if I tell you that track four ‘Music for a Nurse’ starts with guitar using a delay effect, how can that possibly convey the utterly mesmeric quality of it and how beautiful the entire 8 minutes of the track are?
If I say that track three ‘A Homage to a Shame’ explodes from the speakers / headphones in a fury of guitars and off-kilter beats does that in any way describe how totally thrilling it is? No surprise that this track has been one of the high points of the live set ever since.
And as for the closing track, ‘Ornament/The Last Wrongs’…I’m not sure any words can do justice to its grandeur. As it turns out, it was this track that they closed with when I saw them last year, so it is this track that will be the last track I see Oceansize ever play live. Which is fitting.
Released in 2005 Everyone Into Position was Oceansize’s second album and shows the band becoming even more adventurous and ambitious. There’s also some commercial success with fourth track ‘Meredith’ being used in the TV show The O.C. and the aforementioned ‘Music for a Nurse’ used in an O2 advert for a while. I still recall the first time I realised I was hearing Oceansize on the telly. My first thought was, I hope they are getting paid enough to guarantee a third album.
Lyrically the album is as impenetrable as a lot of modern rock lyrics but that could just be me being a bit dim. And, after all, when have rock fans ever worried about lyrics. With the exception of Rush, of course.
I don’t need to detail every track. I’ve mentioned some highlights but truth be told, Everyone into Position is pure Oceansize all the way through and probably the one you’d play to a mate to try and get them into the band.
Instead of listening to each track and jotting down some notes about odd time signatures, explosive guitars, tender vocals and layers upon layers upon layers, I am just sitting back with my eyes closed soaking it all in and marvelling – for the umpteenth time – at how fantastic Oceansize are.
Were. Still can’t get used to that.
I mean, if I tell you that track four ‘Music for a Nurse’ starts with guitar using a delay effect, how can that possibly convey the utterly mesmeric quality of it and how beautiful the entire 8 minutes of the track are?
If I say that track three ‘A Homage to a Shame’ explodes from the speakers / headphones in a fury of guitars and off-kilter beats does that in any way describe how totally thrilling it is? No surprise that this track has been one of the high points of the live set ever since.
And as for the closing track, ‘Ornament/The Last Wrongs’…I’m not sure any words can do justice to its grandeur. As it turns out, it was this track that they closed with when I saw them last year, so it is this track that will be the last track I see Oceansize ever play live. Which is fitting.
Released in 2005 Everyone Into Position was Oceansize’s second album and shows the band becoming even more adventurous and ambitious. There’s also some commercial success with fourth track ‘Meredith’ being used in the TV show The O.C. and the aforementioned ‘Music for a Nurse’ used in an O2 advert for a while. I still recall the first time I realised I was hearing Oceansize on the telly. My first thought was, I hope they are getting paid enough to guarantee a third album.
Lyrically the album is as impenetrable as a lot of modern rock lyrics but that could just be me being a bit dim. And, after all, when have rock fans ever worried about lyrics. With the exception of Rush, of course.
I don’t need to detail every track. I’ve mentioned some highlights but truth be told, Everyone into Position is pure Oceansize all the way through and probably the one you’d play to a mate to try and get them into the band.
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