October 2010
21 posts
6 tags
Album Review: The Sleeping - The Big Deep
Posted on Alter the Press in September 2010.
With their second release in just over eighteen months, The Sleeping return with ‘The Big Deep’ and see them becoming slightly more diverse, but the usual gruff, hard rock style remains in tact. ‘Dark Days’ jumps right in with its fuzzy bass line before breaking off into a spacey mid-section that is quite confusing but equally...
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Album Review: In Gratitude - Only In Youth
Posted on Alter the Press in September 2010.
Earlier this year I declared In Gratitude’s ‘Moving On’ as one of the best singles of the year so far, and I’m still standing by it. Now with the release of their début EP, ‘Only In Youth’, its time to see what else this four-piece have. The six tracks here (including one remix) sees the band continuing the feel-good...
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Album Review: A Face For Radio - E.P. Phone Home
Posted on Alter the Press in September 2010.
Texas’ A Face For Radio are the latest in the expanding line of “pop-punkcore”, with ‘E.P. Phone Home’. Its an EP that rides on the coat tails of bands like Four Year Strong; crunching guitars with singalong pop-punk vocals. ‘It’s Official, I’m Over It’ opens the EP and is pretty much what you...
5 tags
Album Review: March of the Playwrite - March of...
Posted on Alter the Press in September 2010.
Featuring members of Atom Gang and The Misnomer comes March Of The Playwrite, a London-based trio that have produced a hook-filled EP in this self-titled effort. Their influences include Green Day and Saves the Day, which is evident early on ‘Breathe You In’ and ‘Down & Out’; choppy guitars play against Ellis pop-punk rock...
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Album Review: The Wonder Years - The Upsides...
Posted on Alter the Press in September 2010.
I’ll try and keep this review short purely because we reviewed ‘The Upsides’ back at the start of the year. If you’ve not heard ‘The Upsides’ yet, you’re missing out on truly positive album that is nearly pop-punk perfection. Whilst the idea of re-release just ten months on is questionable, it is still...
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Album Review: Attack! Attack! - The Latest Fashion
Posted on Alter the Press in September 2010.
The last time I reviewed a band called Attack! Attack!, I was a bit harsh on them. However that was the poor US one, this Attack! Attack! is the more accessible, straight up rock Welsh band. For their second full-length, ‘The Latest Fashion’ have joined Hassle Records and used the superb production skills of Romesh Dodangoda (The Blackout,...
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Album Review: Jimmy Eat World - Invented
Posted on Alter the Press in September 2010.
For Jimmy Eat World’s seventh studio full-length brought back in the services of Mark Trombino, the same producer who worked on the bands best work; 1999’s ‘Clarity’ and the following ‘Bleed American’ album two years later. Nine years and two releases later, Trombino and the Arizona four-piece have reunited...
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Album Review: Victory In Numbers - Killing....
Posted on Alter the Press in September 2010.
Philadelphia’s Victory In Numbers kick off their latest effort with‘Midnight In London’; decorated with springy synth keys and crunching guitars before settling into a calm Mathcbook Romance-like verse then going back and forth. For an opener it doesn’t have enough immediacy or urgency, its passable. Whereas ‘The King Is...
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Album Review: Hostage Calm - Hostage Calm
Posted on Alter the Press in September 2010.
On the surface Hostage Calm seem like another pop-punk band but once you delve into this self-titled effort, you discover the band have much more in their arsenal; ‘A Mistrust Earned’ and ‘Rebel Fatigues’ touch on Crime In Stereo’s later material, whilst ‘Affidavit’has an old-school punk feel with a slight...
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Album Review: Castevet - The Echo & The Light
Posted on Alter the Press in September 2010.
Tiny Engines have once again delivered a unique slice “90’s emo/indie” with Castevet’s latest full-length ‘The Echo & The Light’. From the start the band mix twindling guitars with rough vocals on‘Six Parts Summer’, whilst ‘Narrow Hallways’ starts off slightly calmer but builds up to a...
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Album Review: Bayonets - Bayonets
Posted on Alter the Press in September 2010.
Before sailing off into the sunset, Hereford’s Bayonets give one last hurrah with this second self-titled full-length. From the start we are given and more aggressive, forceful Bayonets as Thom Craig sounds bitter and angry during ‘So Afraid of Different’, whilst ‘The Joke and the Damage Done’ bursts through with brilliant...
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Album Review: Dorena - About Everything and More
Posted on Alter the Press in September 2010.
The Northern European region of Scandinavia is somewhat known for producing atmospheric, euphoric instrumental post-rock, with Iceland’s Sigur Ros becoming the obvious examples. Sweden’s Dorena continue this trend with their sophomore release, ‘About Everything And More’. It can be said all the “typical” post-rock...
6 tags
Album Review: The Strange Death of Liberal England...
Posted on Alter the Press in September 2010.
With such a grand name, its no surprise The Strange Death Of Liberal England have delivered an album that is filled with much grandeur; sweeping strings, bursting brass sections and more. From start to finish ‘Drown Your Heart Again’ leaves you feeling captivated and to an extent, overwhelmed. Opening with ‘Flickering Light’,...
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Album Review: Terrible Things - Terrible Things
Posted on Alter the Press in August 2010.
For any established artist it can be difficult to move on and not be compared to your previous work. With Terrible Things both Fred Mascherino (formerly of Taking Back Sunday/Breaking Pangaea and The Color Fred) and Andy Jackson(ex-Hot Rod Circuit) are left with the task of burning their bridges. However their experience of being guitar-driven...
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Album Review: Dead Confederate - Sugar
Posted on Alter the Press in August 2010.
From Atlanta, GA comes Dead Confederate and their second album, ‘Sugar’, a record that despite its dark, bleak delivery has an overall light aura which draws you in as opener ‘In The Dark’shows, it swains and swirls subtly behind pounding drums with slight psychedelic tone. Whereas ‘Run From The Gun’ has a grainy,...
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Album Review: The Graduate - Only Every Time
Posted on Alter the Press in August 2010.
‘Only Every Time’ sees Illinois’ The Graduate starting over with a new label (Razor & Tie) but at the same time carrying on, as the band worked with producer Brian McTernan once again; those who are familiar with McTernan’s work (Saosin, Flood of Red, Senses Fail, Emarosa) this is somewhat obvious. Nonetheless The Graduate...
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Album Review: Death In The Park - Death In The...
Posted on Alter the Press in August 2010.
For some this self-titled full-length has been a long time coming; Death In The Park first released material with a self-titled EP in late 2008, and this full-length was expected to be released last year. However 2009 came and went with to little to no word from the band, and with the news that former Hot Rod Circuit frontman Andy Jackson joining Fred...
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Album Review: Johnny Get The Gun - Johnny Get The...
Posted on Alter The Press in August 2010.
Apparently Johnny Get The Gun are for fans of You Me At Six, My Chemical Romance and All Time Low, however I find this statement questionable, as their 6-track mini-album concludes being a decent release, but nothing to shout about. The opening guitar chords of ‘You Will Be Mine’ might suggest the above comparisons are true, middle of the...
6 tags
Album Review: Little Fish - Baffled and Beat
Posted on Alter The Press in August 2010.
Oxford’s Little Fish’s brand of garage rock could easily be described being built around Juju Sophie’s husky, passionate voice. Throughout ‘Baffled and Beat’ Sophie’s vocals takes charge whilst Nez Greenaway’s drum work provides the backdrop, but subtly controls Sophie’s delivery from going out of control;...
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Album Review: Shadows Chasing Ghosts - The Golden...
Posted on Alter The Press! in August 2010.
Shadows Chasing Ghosts’ debut full-length starts off as your usual heavy riff-filled rock band, with your usual aggressive-melodic vocal work (see ‘Girl In Sheep’s Clothing’). ‘You Ain’t Got The Minerals’ on first impressions follows a similar path albeit a heavier one, but as a unit the band are tight and have...
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Album Review: Orphan Boy - Passion, Pain & Loyalty
Posted on Alter The Press! in July 2010.
‘Passion, Pain and Loyalty’ begins a lengthy, over-stretched intro before settling into a safe indie sound, that admittedly sounds out dated; something that comes up and time and time again throughout. The organ-led spine of ‘Popsong’ dosen’t make for the best of listening, despite its youthful romantic lyrical imagery....