Albums of the Week: 10/05/19 (Employed to Serve, Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties, We Never Learned To Live)

Employed to Serve – Eternal Forward Motion

9.5/10

Best Tracks: Beneath It All, Force Fed, Reality Filter, Owed Zero

FFO: Code Orange, Rolo Tomassi, Deftones

Woking’s own Employed To Serve have, in recent years, become the band in underground British metal. Their 2017 rager The Warmth of a Dying Sun was heralded as a modern classic upon its release, garnering album of the year awards left, right, and centre. In the years since, the band have become one of the most talked-about names in heavy music, and subsequently signed to Spinefarm Records.

On Eternal Forward Motion, ETS have taken the groove-laden hardcore of their sophomore record and simply improved on it in every possible way: it’s tighter, heavier, more technically proficient, and more explorative within their sound. Vocalist Justine Jones is in a league of her own, nailing every single word in her own distinct style with crystal-clear articulation and a gutful of fury. Instrumentally, too, the album is unbelievably brilliant, with feverish drumming and thunderous bass laying the foundation for a masterclass in the art of the riff. Lead guitarist Sammy Urwin (who also does a good chunk of the vocals here) knows his shit, and so the guitarwork all across the record is its biggest draw; the groove is stepped up, and songs like ‘Force Fed’ come close to rivalling the catchiness of ‘I Spend My Days’ (the big-hitter on Warmth).

The record also sees Employed To Serve experiment with clean vocal hooks more boldy than on their previous work. This can be best heard on the spellbinding closer, ‘Bare Bones On A Blue Sky’, which has echoes of one of last year’s best releases in Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It (from former label-mates Rolo Tomassi). Of course, that’s not to say the band aren’t still as heavy as a blue whale with a stomach full of concrete. There are countless moments and breakdowns on this album which make me screw up my face like I’ve just smelled something foul, and it’s absolutely glorious – from ‘Dull Ache Behind My Eyes’ in all its beat-down glory to the deranged, mesmerising, Dillinger Escape Plan-esque lead guitar passages of ‘Owed Zero’ (my personal favourite on the album).

There are very few bands in Britain who deserve as much unanimous praise as Employed To Serve, and thankfully, they still seem to be getting it. With a front cover of Kerrang!, countless 5/5 and 10/10 reviews, and a number one spot on the iTunes metal chart under their belts just in the past week, Eternal Forward Motion marks yet another career high-point  for the band. It’s my album of the week, and I can guarantee it’ll be pretty high up in my end-of-year list too.

Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties – Routine Maintenance

8/10

Best Tracks: Just Sign the Papers, Bloodied Up in a Bar Fight, Rosa & Reseda

FFO: The Wonder Years, The Hotelier, Bruce Springsteen

Dan ‘Soupy’ Campbell spends most of his time focusing on being the frontman of the best pop-punk band of all time (yeah, I said it) in The Wonder Years, but his more folky side-project in Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties is not to be overlooked.

For the unfamiliar, all of the Aaron West material is tied together by a beautiful narrative focused around the life of the eponymous protagonist, a role wholeheartedly played by Campbell himself. To put it mildly, the character has been through some shit thus far; 2014’s We Don’t Have Each Other details the worst year of West’s life, from his divorce to the loss of his father. This record, then, has been described as his “redemption arc”, through which he fights against the unhealthy coping mechanisms of alcoholism and social isolation. The way this narrative is woven throughout the sound and lyricism of this record is properly impressive.

Routine Maintenance boasts some incredible songwriting, and countless hooks which are simultaneously infectious and heart-wrenching. The chorus of  ‘Just Sign the Papers’ will stay with you for days on end, with West baring his soul in regard to the divorce process as he sings “Let's find an end to the gloom/I'm sorry for every single thing I put you through”. Soupy’s voice is, as always, note-perfect and bursting at the seams with emotion, lending the whole thing another layer of depth and resonance. You’ll find that the choruses stick with you both because of their brilliant grasp on the melodies and the actual lyrics which form them.

Sonically, Routine Maintenance finds a sweet spot between the earnest, lyrically-involved pop-punk of The Wonder Years and a classic, heartfelt, folky Americana sound. Dynamics play a big role here, in that it's often able to shift from driven and passionate (on something like ‘Rosa & Reseda’) to subtle and considered (in ‘Wildflower Honey’). The use of brass and horn sections is reminiscent of some of Bruce Springsteen’s earlier tracks; ‘Runnin’ Toward the Light’ sounds like ‘Born To Run’ for a new generation of (much more emo) kids, right down to the horn melody. It’s exciting, it’s touching, and it’s impossible to listen to just once.

We Never Learned To Live – The Sleepwalk Transmissions

8/10

Best Tracks: Permafrost, Luma Non Luma, Owari

FFO: Black Peaks, Rolo Tomassi, Hell Is For Heroes

In yet another stellar release from Britain’s greatest record label, Holy Roar, Brighton-based outfit We Never Learned To Live have just dropped one of the year’s best concept albums in the form of The Sleepwalk Transmissions.

The follow-up to 2015’s Silently, I Threw Them Skyward is a meticulously-crafted post-hardcore project which leans heavily on the “post” without scrimping too much on the “hardcore”. There’s headbanging, doomy rhythm guitar and bass counterbalanced with lead guitar glazed in lingering, ghostly reverb, which often drifts off to create its own ambient soundscape after a particularly heavy section. Other parts of the record evoke 2000s brit-rock like Hell Is For Heroes and YOURCODENAMEIS:MILO, finding a sweet spot between energised riffing and fantastically British-sounding vocal harmonies. In fact, the vocal work all across The Sleepwalk Transmissions is engaging and unique, as frontman Seán Mahon is able to switch between furiously emotive screams and beautiful melodies on a dime (see ‘Luma Non Luma’).

Though it’s only 44 minutes long, The Sleepwalk Transmissions feels, in many ways, like quite an epic feat. Through the band’s use of post-rock tropes, ambient soundscapes, complex lyrical themes, and structural experimentation, they achieve a feeling of impressive scope which mirrors the record’s cover artwork: it feels like an adventure onto a new, technologically advanced alien planet. Indeed, the concept of this album is based in sci-fi, with track titles like ‘Android Anaesthetist’ and ‘Wounds Like Wires’ setting the scene for the rich narrative and metaphors within their lyrics.

The Sleepwalk Transmissions looks to be the breakthrough record for We Never Learned To Live, and rightly so. They've created a niche for themselves in "sci-fi post-hardcore", and their unwavering commitment to it deserves a whole lot of respect.

Albums of the Week: 03/05/19 (Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Fury, The Physics House Band)

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – The End of Suffering

8/10

Best Tracks: Love Games, Angel Wings, Kitty Sucker

FFO: Royal Blood, Nothing But Thieves, Marmozets

When I first heard Frank Carter, he was ripping his vocal chords to shreds on Gallows’ Orchestra of Wolves, an album I still consider one of the best I’ve ever heard. Since those days, Frank has grown and evolved (both as an artist and as a person), and it seems that The End of Suffering summarises the changes of these past 10 years or so pretty perfectly for Britain’s greatest rockstar.

The third album from the Rattlesnakes sees a change in the band’s sound yet again. It almost completely does away with the venom of their debut, and instead follows the path laid down by songs from Modern Ruin such as ‘Wild Flowers’ and ‘Thunder’, but still feels a lot more thoughtful and purposefully minimalistic than the sophomore attempt overall. The brilliant contribution of lead guitarist and co-songwriter Dean Richardson cannot be overstated here, with his hand in the record’s production and instrumental elements. Whilst the guitar and bass is still massively fuzzed-up for the most part, it’s not necessarily employed in the way it would be in a punk band; instead, the staccato riffing evokes the style Royal Blood, an artist with similarly huge choruses.

Indeed, the simple catchiness of the hooks all over The End of Suffering is its biggest strength, especially in regard to the album’s slower moments. ‘Love Games’ could be a Bond theme, in all its sultry, piano-led, Winehouse-esque glory, and ‘Angel Wings’ is an affecting slow-build with a refrain which is far from easily forgotten. Of course, Carter’s typically rowdy side still comes across on songs like ‘Crowbar’ (“Fuck ‘em all, they don’t tell us who we are”) and ‘Tyrant Lizard King’, even if it’s conveyed more through the lyrical content than the actual sound.

The title track of The End of Suffering is its final song, and it’s a beautiful, heartfelt ballad dedicated to Carter’s daughter, Mercy. The closing refrain finds him wishing that “[her] happiness will be the end of suffering”, providing some incredibly poignant context to the album’s name, and it’s all made even more touching with the inclusion of an audio snippet of the frontman and his daughter laughing together. This closer reinforces the idea that the record is an ode to how far Frank Carter has come since his bitter, spiteful youth, and it feels like the conclusion to a 13-year-long journey of which every single step has been compelling for a different reason. Even as he admits he still struggles (on ‘Anxiety’ and ‘Angel Wings’), there are underlying themes of genuine hope and self-love on this album which sets it apart from anything else the artist has put his name to.

The End of Suffering is an incredibly personal album, and it serves as a reminder that we, as a country, have a legitimate national treasure on our hands in the form of this unapologetically punk-rock cult of personality. I might still prefer the raw energy of Blossom, but it can’t be denied that this is the album Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes were destined to make at this point in their career. The End of Suffering is my album of the week.

Fury – Failed Entertainment

7.5/10

Best Tracks: Angels Over Berlin, New Years Days, Crazy Horses Run Free

FFO: Minor Threat, Ecostrike, Turnstile

Hardcore punk has experienced somewhat of a revival in recent years, at least on a more mainstream level. Bands like Turnstile, Knocked Loose, and even Ho99o9 have all brought the mantra to the fore in one way or another, and it seems that the genre’s reach is being felt as far away as the big names of the industry.

Orange County punks Fury, with their steadfast DIY ethos and classic influences, are a timely reminder of hardcore’s roots, and how brilliant it can be in its purest form. Failed Entertainment is peppered with moments which sound like Minor Threat or Black Flag with a chunkier, more robust production job; from the two-step and double-time passages in ‘America’ to the short-lived solo on ‘Birds of Paradise’. There’s inspiration from modern hardcore, here, as well, in that there’s an irresistible bounce to the riffing across the record akin to Turnstile’s Time & Space, even if it does replace the good-time disco vibe with a more outright mosh-pit punk feel.

Ultimately, the record really comes into its own at the close. ‘New Years Days’ and ‘Crazy Horses Run Free’ both stand out for their melodic elements (whether it be in the guitarwork or vocal performances), and it lends everything a sense of individuality and uniqueness which, it could be argued, the rest of the album lacks a little (save for ‘Vacation’, the record’s third song, which almost sounds like early Culture Abuse). With 11 songs clocking in at 27 minutes, Failed Entertainment is an exercise in efficient, down-to-earth hardcore punk songwriting. It’s exciting, it’s rugged, and it’s… well, furious.

The Physics House Band – Death Sequence (EP)

7.5/10

Best Tracks: I usually give three songs here but this EP is four songs long, so just listen to all of it.

FFO: Three Trapped Tigers, God Is An Astronaut, KOKOROKO

The Physics House Band have long been on my radar as a curious fan of psychedelic, jazz, post, and math rock, but I’d never gone in on their previous work. As such, their new EP, Death Sequence, is the first I’ve heard of the Brighton quintet, and it’s as lovely as I’d expected… but, thankfully, with more horns.

This EP consists of four tracks, each serving as a different step on a journey; the first is a luscious, swirling trip which combines the beautiful aforementioned horn section with some chunky riffage and creative effects trickery, dipping in and out of intensity with structural expertise. In the second song, the jazz influence is more apparent, and its end is an explosion of colour that eventually suddenly gives way to an ambient third part, which itself features a rather unexpected spoken word piece by Solihull comic Stewart Lee – a seemingly questionable decision which actually ends up being oddly compelling, as he rants about his upbringing and heritage. The climax finds the EP ending with a vortex of complex guitar and synth passages which gradually build to an abrupt stop, pulling the listener out of their experience without mercy or warning.

To some, this project might often seem like background listening, but I'd defy anyone to listen to it all the way through and tell me it doesn't absolutely demand their full attention. Death Sequence may feel like a night at the world’s weirdest working men’s club on two tabs of acid, but it’s an enthralling listening experience because of it. More than anything else, this third “proper” release from The Physics House Band is a testament to their artistic capabilities.

Albums of the Week: 26/04/19 (Otoboke Beaver, The Damned Things, Catfish & The Bottlemen)

Otoboke Beaver – ITEKOMA HITS

8.5/10

Best Tracks: akimahenka, What do you mean you have to talk to me at this late date?, Don’t light my fire

FFO: Melt-Banana, Shonen Knife, Bikini Kill

One of the joys of reviewing new albums every week is that once in a while you’ll come across an artist who you haven’t yet heard and just be instantly blown away. With Otoboke Beaver, this is certainly the case.

ITEKOMA HITS is the second full-length from the Kyoto punks, and is largely comprised of previously-released material. As someone who has never heard their music before, though, it’s all new to me - and it’s all absolutely brilliant. Rattling through 14 songs in 26 minutes, the band don’t let up from their brand of spasmodic, furiously pitched punk rock for a single second, and it remains exciting throughout; you never know what’s round the next corner on this album. Beyond the obvious riot grrrl influence, there are strong elements of math, experimental, and post-hardcore on ITEKOMA HITS, channelling the likes of At The Drive-In, Melt-Banana, Circle Jerks, and Tricot, all in one gloriously angry, inherently rebellious melting pot.

Breaking through the language barrier, the theme which runs through the lyricism of the record concerns a violent lashing out at the aggravating monotonies of modern life, as well as specific people, moments, and things that the band’s members deem worthy to rage at.  From the self-explanatory 6 day working week is a pain to firey 16-second closer ikezu (the lyrics to which are simply “What time did you say you’d come back today? Mean.”), every track on the album is fuelled by brilliant, almost condescending anger. It’s reflected in the vocal rasp of lead singer (Accorinrin), as well as the breakneck, ADHD instrumentation, and makes for a powerful, cathartic listening experience in the most fun way imaginable. 

With this LP, Otoboke Beaver have firmly established themselves as one of Japan’s most exciting exports in recent memory. The visceral, unapologetic nature of their music, inspired by the classics and yet entirely unique, refuses to be taken for granted. ITEKOMA HITS is my album of the week.

The Damned Things – High Crimes

7/10

Best Tracks: Cells, Something Good, Storm Charmer

FFO: Clutch, Black Spiders, Every Time I Die

These days, “supergroups” in rock and metal are a bit dodgy, or at least never as spectacular as you’d expect them to be. From Prophets of Rage to Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, there’s always a level of potential which it seems is near-impossible to reach. The Damned Things, then, are the exception that proves the rule. Consisting of Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley of Fall Out Boy, Scott Ian of Anthrax, Dan Andriano of Alkaline Trio, and the incomparable Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die, the group burst into existence with 2010’s classic-rock-spiked Ironiclast before quickly returning to their own individual projects for nine years. After nearly a decade of studio silence, High Crimes is here. The question is: does it live up to the wait?

If you’re looking for a rollicking, sludge-tinged rock n’ roll record, then the answer to that question is obviously yes, but the band have also taken it upon themselves to expand their sound a little on this sophomore effort. Alongside the huge choruses and sleazy guitar licks you would expect from the group (most effectively done on a song like Cells), The Damned Things aren’t afraid of a few risks in their use of effects, synths, and samples this time round. Storm Chaser, for example, utilises a wobbling keyboard synth in its introduction, as well as vocal effects and punchy electronic bass on the pre-chorus. At first, these elements seem pretty out of place, and could even be considered jarring, but the further into the song you get, the more it starts to make sense – and how could it not, with a chorus that huge? Unfortunately, not every experiment pays off; the piano on Let Me Be (Your Girl) sounds weirdly shoehorned in, and ultimately serves no purpose but to make the track feel a bit off-kilter.

Still, High Crimes is a rare example of a supergroup properly showcasing the talents of each of its members (even if to varying degrees). There’s brilliant guitarwork and drumming from the two Fall Out Boy instrumentalists (which makes their album from last year even more depressing), but the clear standout across the board is, of course, one of the greatest vocalists of this generation – Mr. Keith Buckley. It seems at this point he can do no wrong, exuding genuine rockstar charisma in such a natural manner that it comes across as second nature for the ETID frontman. His voice is perfect for the musical canvas: bold, technically confident, and unmistakably him, with that southern-rock edge lending the album an extra bit of swing.

Whilst it doesn’t quite manage to captivate all the way through, High Crimes is an enjoyable ride on the whole, and lays claim to a few singles which will easily stand the test of time. The Damned Things are still the best rock supergroup of this decade.

Catfish and the Bottlemen – The Balance

4/10

Best Tracks: Longshot, Fluctuate, Basically

FFO: The Hunna, The Sherlocks, Blossoms

Indie rock, particularly on our side of the pond, is tough to get right. For every Arctic Monkeys there are twenty Pigeon Detectives, and while in recent years the scene seems to championing more interesting bands, the effects of the swathe of shit indie from the mid 2000s can still be felt, clinging on like an especially belligerent ghost.

Catfish and the Bottlemen are a band who, on their 2014 debut, took a lot of influence from said indie leftovers, and still managed to be original enough to kick up a huge amount of hype. The Balcony was a record full of ready-made festival anthems and inescapable hooks, and every white British kid in their teens was spoilt for choice between it, AM, and The 1975. Catfish struck gold with the album, but their next effort, The Ride (two years later), just turned out to be the same kind of thing but worse; plagued by less memorable songwriting and perhaps one or two standout tracks.

This leads us to The Balance, which is the aural equivalent of unseasoned chicken. The Welsh quintet have produced another record here which effectively utilises the same formula but, again, delivers less in terms of quality. I’ve listened all the way through it twice now and honestly couldn’t sing you a single hook from any of the tracks, which isn’t to say any of them are necessarily bad; just utterly, utterly forgettable. The musicianship is serviceable, vocalist Van McCann's voice is still easily recognisable, and it’s obvious that they’re not a talentless group of individuals... but the record doesn’t really inspire hope for a new wave of great music within their genre.

It’s long past time for Catfish to reinvent themselves, and The Balance proves it. I understand that this is a pretty lacklustre review, but it’s important to recognise that groups as lacklustre as this still hold some decent weight in the current musical zeitgeist. Fortunately, there’s simply no more room for bands this dull in the modern British rock landscape, now that hardly a week goes by without a brilliant album from our island. The bar has been consistently raised, and Catfish and the Bottlemen can no longer reach it.

Albums of the Week: 19/04/19 (Memory of Elephants, Inter Arma, Kevin Abstract)

Memory of Elephants – Beachballin’

7.5/10

Best Tracks: Teflon Wombat, I Just Karate Shit My Pants, Tiles, You’re Dead

FFO: And So I Watch You From Afar, Alpha Male Tea Party, Poly-Math

Bristol natives and ArcTanGent festival stalwarts Memory of Elephants have been in the process of releasing their crowdfunded debut album, Beachballin’, for a little while now. In that time they’ve built up an ever-growing cult following and have carved out a niche for themselves in the mathy-post-rock scene in which they exist.

On Beachballin’, the band demonstrate incredible technical prowess and understanding of said genre. With the inventive use of complex time signatures and polyrhythms across the board, and the progressively-minded way they construct a longer song like Teflon Wombat or Tiles, You’re Dead, it’s obvious from the get-go that Memory of Elephants know exactly what they’re doing, and they’re bloody good at it. There’s almost nowhere the album doesn’t dare to tread; from the sludge-heavy stomp of the middle section of I Just Karate Shit My Pants to the early-And So I Watch You From Afar-esque stylings of Herb Is The Toothpaste of the Soul, to the huge, ethereal post-rock opener, Psychological Extras.

The song titles should clue you in to the unabashedly tongue-in-cheek nature that runs through the veins of Beachballin’. The band don’t take themselves too seriously, and seem to relish in keeping the listener on their toes, throwing in tempo changes wherever they fancy and completely switching up the tone of any given song seemingly just because they can. To convey such an obviously wry, knowing smile on an album without any lyrics is an accomplishment not to be sneered at.

This debut LP from Memory of Elephants may not necessarily break any new ground, but it’s a great showcase of dizzying musical proficiency and inventive songwriting. I’d definitely check it out if you’re into your math sensibilities.

Inter Arma – Sulphur English

8.5/10

Best Tracks: A Waxen Sea, Stillness, Sulphur English

FFO: Neurosis, Isis, Paradise Lost

Unsurprisingly, the word “heavy” gets chucked around a whole lot in the world of metal, but it’s rare that a record comes along which carries as much real, palpable weight behind it as Inter Arma’s Sulphur English.

I’m not au fait with the band’s other work - this is the first project of theirs I’ve listened to – but I’d heard the unanimous praise and unavoidable comparisons to post-metal giants Neurosis. What I’ve learned from listening to this album is that the hype is by no means unfounded; the doomy, atmospheric, almost monstrous world that Inter Arma manage to build here is outright impressive. It’s perfectly structured to act as a narrative, and takes a lot of influence from avant-garde, prog, stoner/sludge, and black metal in the ways that the contrasting dynamic elements work alongside one another. This is best demonstrated by the three-track run of Citadel (a bleak, crushingly heavy, doom-based behemoth), Howling Lands (powered by a powerful and near-tribal drum beat, taking influence from the colder edges of black metal), and Stillness (the record’s centrepiece, vast and haunting).

Each sonic element on Sulphur English has an equal hand in the creation of the all-encompassing aura of woe that enshrouds it. From the aforementioned drums (which shift between spacious and dominating to burrowing and violent), to the creative guitarwork, to the industrial-strength bass, it all adds up to a perfect storm. While some of the more ambient sections and piano balladry may be lost on me if presented by themselves, the whirlwind of influence and inventive ideas on this record not only makes everything within it listenable, but it makes everything feel like it NEEDS to be listened to.

Inter Arma, here, have produced the richest (and heaviest) metal I've heard all year. It might take a few listens to get stuck into, but it really is worth the effort. Sulphur English is my album of the week.

Kevin Abstract – Ghettobaby (EP)

8/10

Best Tracks: Joy Ride, Georgia, Baby Boy

FFO: Childish Gambino, OutKast, BROCKHAMPTON

It only takes a quick skim of this blog to realise that I’m not as well versed in hip-hop as I am rock and metal, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy artists like Jpegmafia, Danny Brown, and BROCKHAMPTON. As a fan of the-best-boyband-since-One Direction’s more aggressive and experimental material, though, I wasn’t necessarily expecting to enjoy an EP from one of their more typically melodic and calculated members, Kevin Abstract.

The thing that stands out the most about Ghettobaby is that Abstract’s identity is woven into the fabric of every single song. It's difficult to miss the deeply personal and anecdotal lyricism concerning his struggles as a gay black man in the pop culture spotlight of modern America (best displayed on Corpus Christi). His use of meter and rhythmic flow on Big Wheels demonstrates his ability as a hard-hitting rapper, but for the most part, the melodic hooks on this project are its highlights; the chorus of Georgia; pretty much the entirety of Baby Boy; the “I don't think I would ever wanna fuckin' listen” on Joy Ride. It’s a masterclass in effective, catchy songwriting, and it borders on enchanting to listen to.

From a musical standpoint, there are elements on Ghettobaby which I never expected to like under any circumstance before I heard them utilised this well. For example, the heavy use of autotune on Joy Ride would typically put me off - I find that artists like Travis Scott use the effect in an overbearing manner, and it just makes the music come across as synthetic and passionless. Abstract, though, uses autotune on his songs more sparingly, saving it for moments that work inexplicably well and contrast with his more unadulterated vocal takes. I’d also be remiss to neglect how fantastic the production is, as well, because (although it takes a backseat to the man who drives the EP) Jack Antonoff and Romil Hemnani have done a wonderful job in painting a shining, starry-eyed instrumental landscape for Abstract to riff atop.

There's meant to be more solo material coming on the 25th, but I love the brevity of this project in and of itself, and it feels like it doesn't need to be added to. I'm amazed by the fact that this is, thus far, my favourite EP of 2019. It's a testament to the strength of the current hip-hop landscape, and it solidifies Kevin Abstract as an artist within that landscape who cannot be ignored.

 

Live Review: PUP/Milk Teeth/Gender Roles at The Fleece, Bristol

Photo by Vanessa Heins

After an unprecedented 37 days without a gig, I broke my dry spell on Tuesday night to go see PUP at the Fleece, touring my album of the year so far, Morbid Stuff. I’d never been to the venue before, and was really impressed by the layout, sound quality, and (because I’m a massive greebo) the lack of a barrier.

I only managed to catch the second half of Gender Roles (7/10), but what I heard was really enjoyable. Their fuzzed-up, indie-rock sound is primarily reminiscent of bands like Fizzy Blood and Otherkin, but it’ll be occasionally interspersed with a twinkly Orchards-esque riff, resulting in a style of music I really am a sucker for. The band approach their set with a laid-back attitude, and make it abundantly clear that they don’t take themselves too seriously. Considering that they face a pretty lukewarm reception from the crowd, Gender Roles do an admirable job in getting the audience on board with their songs whilst simultaneously warming everyone up for the night ahead. I’ll definitely be looking to catch a full set from this band at ArcTanGent in August.

Having seen Milk Teeth (7.5/10) seven times now, it’s hard for me to find new things to say about them, but obviously they put on a good set in this support slot. The fairly new dynamic that they have as a three-piece, I think, suits them even better than their previous incarnations; not only is it musically tighter, but it allows all three members to shine in their own unique way. There’s wisecracking political mouthpiece Em Foster on guitar and backing vocals, lairy-as-fuck whirling dervish Oli Holbrook on drums, and Becky Blomfield, face of the band and master of the massive chorus, on bass and lead vocals. Between them, they make up one of the most consistent live bands around right now, and this support set is the perfect appetiser before the main event. New tracks Stain and Flowers(?) both stand out amidst the onslaught of bangers, as well, which is a promising sign of things to come for Milk Teeth.

I made the bold claim in my album reviews this week that PUP (9/10) might be the best band in the world. Seeing them live on this touring cycle has convinced me to stand behind that argument even more firmly, because from start to finish their live show is exhilarating, musically spot on, and bursting at the seams with personality. It’s punk rock in the most Canadian way possible, with frontman Stefan Babcock apologising after one of the songs, saying that they had “definitely played that one better before”, and repeating throughout the show that “if you came to see a professional rock show, you came to the wrong place”. It’s clear that the crowd wouldn’t have it any other way; drinks and bodies are flying all over the place over the course of the band’s hour-long set, and there’s a real sense of community in the room which culminates in the wonderful finale of If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You… and DVP – two songs which are purpose-made to close a show.

PUP’s setlist leans heavily on the material from Morbid Stuff. Seven out of the thirteen tracks that they rage through are from the new album (including deeper cuts like Closure and Bloody Mary, Kate, and Ashley), and that’s definitely not a bad thing in the slightest. A good chunk of the crowd still sings every word back, and, in the cases of Sibling Rivalry, Scorpion Hill, and Kids especially, the new stuff is the best that they play all night. I would’ve been happy if they played the record in full, quite honestly, but there you go. The only bummer, for me, is that Dark Days and Reservoir are the only two songs that remain in the setlist from the band’s self-titled debut (which is still my favourite of theirs). I can’t help but feel that bangers like Mabu and Back Against The Wall should be forever enshrined as live set staples… but that’s the problem with having a perfect track record of three albums: you can’t play every song you’ve ever done in a single gig. 

If you fancy seeing The Best Band in the World Right Now™, then there’s good news for you: they’ll be touring the UK and Europe once again later this year, playing venues which better accommodate their ever-increasing popularity. Tickets go on sale next Wednesday, the 17^th of April, and dates can be seen below. You won't be disappointed.

Albums of the Week: 05/04/19 (PUP, Raketkanon, JAWS)

PUP – Morbid Stuff

10/10

Best Tracks: Free At Last, See You At Your Funeral, Scorpion Hill, Bare Hands

FFO: Joyce Manor, The Dirty Nil, Meat Wave

In my second ever post on this blog (in which I discussed my most anticipated album releases for this year), I named Toronto punk-rockers PUP as not only one of my favourite bands, but a group who had never released an album that wasn’t 10/10-worthy. On their third album, Morbid Stuff, my point is proven.

In terms of the actual sonics, there are a plethora of things to love about this record. Zack Mykula’s drumming is fantastically creative across the board, finding ways to play along to riffs that your average percussionist wouldn’t even consider. Accompanied by world-class bass by Nestor Chumak (more prominent here than on the band’s previous work), PUP’s rhythm section is unstoppable. On top of it, jazz-trained lead guitarist Steve Sladkowski works his magic in his own definitive, instantly-recognisable style, and thus is responsible for some of the most memorable moments on the record; from the bridge on Sibling Rivalry to the end of the final track, City, which features a guitar lead consisting (rather brilliantly) of what sounds like manipulated feedback. And then, of course, Stefan Babcock’s vocals are at the forefront of it all, as good as they’ve ever been, with songs like Bare Hands and Scorpion Hill (the best track on the album, for me) showcasing the very best of his ability.

For PUP, it’s an evolutionary step in their sound, but one which makes perfect sense and doesn’t feel at all out of place in the back catalogue. The reason for this is that Morbid Stuff is their most versatile album by far; they’re poppier than ever on songs like Bloody Mary, Kate and Ashley and See You At Your Funeral (the choruses of which will be playing on a constant loop in the back of my mind for the rest of my life). In contrast, the band’s wildest, heaviest, and sludgiest tracks also feature on the album; Full Blown Meltdown sounds something like a Canadian version of The St Pierre Snake Invasion, and Closure’s bass-heavy, stomping main riff is the size of the Empire State Building.

If you find yourself, in the middle of singing enthusiastically along to the chorus of Bloody Mary, Kate and Ashley or Kids, wondering what exactly Babcock’s lyrics are about, you’ll likely be surprised by how introspective, nihilistic, and downright dark they are. From the opening lines of the first song (“Sitting around and thinking all this morbid stuff/Like if anyone I’ve slept with is dead”) to the existentialism of a song like Full Blown Meltdown, Morbid Stuff tackles some serious issues head-on, and does it with pure, unfiltered venom. The juxtaposition with the upbeat joviality in terms of vocal delivery, though, gives the record as a whole an almost tongue-in-cheek vibe. It says, with a smile on it’s face, that we’re all gonna die alone, and it’s alright to laugh about that sometimes.

I fucking love this record. To me, it proves that PUP are perhaps the best band in the world right now, and if not, they’ve definitely got a serious claim now that Morbid Stuff completes a flawless three-album run. There's so much more I want to say about it, but for now I'll say this: this is my album of the week, and I’d be amazed if it’s not my album of the year.

Raketkanon – RKTKN #3

8/10

Best Tracks: Ricky, Hannibal, Ernest

FFO: Battles, ZOAX, Radiohead

Raketkanon have been, for my money, one of the most interesting musical pariahs of this decade. Between the actual sound of their music (I always describe it as “noise rock made by aliens”) and the nonsense lyricism, the band have rightfully garnered a cult following who worship their oddball brilliance. They’ve also made a name for themselves as a mind-blowing live band.

On their third full-length, the Belgian four-piece go more experimental than ever before. Their earlier work followed a more punky, rock-based structure, even if it was done in the weirdest way possible. Here, though, the use of synths is brought to the fore in a huge way, to the point that it feels like a lot of the songs are built around them (evoking bands such as Battles and Fuck Buttons). The opener, Ricky, for example, is a hefty, bombastic stomper, fuelled almost entirely by a low-end synth riff. A song like Mélody, on the other hand, is a far more understated, haunting track which uses electronic parts to accent the vocal lines of its chorus. It's the synths which pull the album together into a cohesive project; without them, the songs are all so wildly disparate that they might fall apart from each other.

It’s proper difficult to review RKTKN #3, because it literally doesn’t sound like anything else out there (which supports my theory that the members of the band are actually extra-terrestrial). This album is the musical equivalent to David Lynch’s ‘Eraserhead’; it’s so purposefully deranged and expectation-challenging that at points it almost doesn’t make sense. Just like the film, though, the songs here slowly sink their claws into you and get inside your head in an insidious way; whether it’s through a languidly-paced, Radiohead-esque track like Robin or an abrasive, violent burst of chaos like Hannibal.

Raketkanon’s third record has to be heard to be believed, and approached with an open mind, but at its core it’s inventive, exciting, and essential. They continue to be one of the world’s strangest – and most morbidly intriguing – musical acts.

JAWS – The Ceiling

6.5/10

Best Tracks: Driving at Night, Do You Remember?, Looking/Passing

FFO: The Night Café, Turnover, Slowdive, Coasts

JAWS’ 2016 sophomore album, Simplicity, is one of my favourites from the world of British indie in recent memory. While it didn’t necessarily break any new ground within the genre, it was just a damn good 40 minutes of laid-back, summery indie-rock with catchy pop choruses.

The Ceiling sees the band wear a far more eclectic range of influences on their sleeve; from more prominent shoegaze-y elements across the board to light experimentation with electronic sampling (on songs like Fear and Patience). They throw it all at the wall to see what sticks, and a fair amount does. Do You Remember?, for example, with its new wave and post-punk influence, roars along with surprising virility; Looking/Passing is progressive, climbing slowly from dreamy single-strums on reverb-glazed guitar to an ending which sounds like a Chapterhouse chorus. Unfortunately, a couple of the other tracks don’t reach their aim quite as effectively. The aforementioned Fear comes across as a little confused with itself, with a throbbing electronic bassline buried under choral backing vocals and repetitive lead guitar, making it sound like a discarded Coasts B-Side.

The name of the opening track (and the best song on the record), Driving at Night, manages to encapsulate the atmosphere of the whole experience rather well. This is an LP specially crafted for a long, moonlit drive, because it just about manages to put across that unique feeling of solitude in freedom. Though some of JAWS’ experiments land more satisfyingly than others on this album, it definitely achieves the atmosphere it reaches for overall. The Ceiling is the sound of a band growing up, and it’s a pretty enjoyable listen.

My Picks For Record Store Day '19

Record Store Day has, over the last five years or so in particular, become a sort of international holiday for collectors of vinyl. It’s a great opportunity to support your local record store, and so with RSD 2019 fast approaching (Saturday 13^th April), here are seven releases you should be looking to pick up. To find out more about the event, head over to www.recordstoreday.co.uk.

Delta Sleep – Ghost City Rarities (ft. Tricot)
https://recordstoreday.co.uk/releases/rsd-2019/delta-sleep/

Brighton math-rock extraordinaires Delta Sleep released one of my favourite records of 2018 in the form of the wonderful Ghost City. It’s an album with such rich imagery and atmosphere that it almost offers the same experience as watching a film rather than a piece of music, and I’d recommend it as a listen for anybody, regardless of genre preferences. You can read more about it in my Albums of the Year list from last December.

For Record Store Day this year, Delta Sleep have elected to release a four-track EP of re-workings of songs taken from Ghost City. Two of these will be acoustic renditions of choice cuts from the album – Single File and Sans Soleil. The other two are versions of the record’s first and final songs (Sultans of Ping and Afterimage) turned into collaborations featuring Tricot, another of the best math-rock outfits in the world right now. Sultans of Ping (ft. Tricot) is up on YouTube already, and the implementation of female, Japanese-language vocals gives the song an absolutely stunning new meaning, and it makes me fall in love with the world of Ghost City even further. This’ll be my number one choice for RSD ’19, especially considering it’ll be pressed on gorgeous, pink, etched vinyl.

The Menzingers – No Penance/Cemetery’s Garden
https://recordstoreday.co.uk/releases/rsd-2019/menzingers-the/

The Menzingers are one of my absolute favourite bands, and for good reason. Their Springsteen-esque, Americana-spiked brand of rock music is a joy to listen to every single time, and their most recent album - 2017’s After the Party – has become one of my all-time favourites in the two years since its release.

It’s no surprise, then, that two of the unreleased tracks from the After the Party recording sessions (produced by the best in the world, Will Yip) being put out for RSD ’19 would make me very excited. Obviously I can’t comment on these particular songs, as they haven’t yet been released, but if they’re even half as good as Charlie’s Army or Your Wild Years, this is a release that’ll undoubtedly be worth picking up next Saturday.

Chapterhouse - Whirlpool - The Original Recordings
https://recordstoreday.co.uk/releases/rsd-2019/chapterhouse/

I don’t pretend to be a connoisseur of dreampop or shoegaze, so when I actively rep for an album from those genres,  it has to be something special.

Chapterhouse’s Whirlpool is perhaps the only shoegaze record I listen to on a regular basis (if we disregard Deafheaven’s Sunbather), and that’s not just because I share some hometown pride with the band. A lot of the genre is dominated by dreary, uninteresting soundscapes, but this record, by comparison, sounds refreshing and uplifting for the most part. Songs like If You Want Me and Breather sit somewhere between the soundtrack to a summer daydream and an earnest student indie film.

Not only is Whirlpool an actual genre-defining classic, it can be just as easily appreciated by somebody who hasn’t heard anything of the sort before. There’s a lot of influence from new wave bands like The Cure and Joy Division, especially in the guitarwork and dreamy atmospherics (even if it is a lot less dreary). A few of the songs, as well, like Guilt, feel very much ahead of their time in their experimentalism, crafting industrial soundscapes that utilise discordant synths and all-encapsulating sound effects.

The songs here are not, however, the actual finished album – they’re the original recordings, before they were remixed by Ralph Jezzard, Robin Guthrie, and John Fryer into a more polished-sounding version for wider release. Thus, the cuts on this vinyl (on wax for the first time ever this year) will be much more raw and, in a weird way, punky. Whether you’re a fan of dreampop and shoegaze or not, I definitely recommend checking it out.

Death Grips - Steroids (Crouching Tiger Hidden Gabber Megamix)
https://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/10817

Death Grips, if you’ve been living under a rock for the past seven years or so, are perhaps the biggest name in experimental music today. They relish in subjecting their listeners to an all-out aural assault through a combination of hip-hop, electronic music, and elements from every other genre under the sun.

On Steroids, a 22-minute long track which Frankensteins together several separate songs, the group creates a brilliant self-portrait that encompasses everything that makes them so interesting and enjoyable. Vocalist MC Ride is like a man possessed all over this mix, with his trademark unrefined yells cutting right through a swamp of electronic-sample madness which itself goes from one extreme to another like nobody’s business. From Throbbing Gristle-style industrial passages to trap-influenced hip-hop verses to the (frankly insane) final few minutes, there's nowhere that this piece of music doesn't go, and it never lets up on how unapologetically confrontational it is. 

As someone who rarely delves into electronic music or hip-hop, Death Grips are one of the acts with a foot in both worlds who really stand out for being so ahead of the curve. This release demonstrates why.

Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica
https://recordstoreday.co.uk/releases/rsd-2019/captain-beefheart/

The most infamously arty record of all time, perhaps, Trout Mask Replica has all but passed into musical folklore. Made by one of rock music’s most eccentric characters (a fact reflected tenfold in the sound), the blend of blues rock, free jazz, and outright weird experimentation on this album is unprecedented, and its’ bizarreness has yet to be outdone by anything released since – and that’s in 50 years of music.

I won’t pretend to understand Trout Mask Replica, and it’s not something I listen to on the regular, but I have a level of respect and reverence for it, largely down to Beefheart’s sheer ballsiness in creating it. Yes, for a first time listener (especially someone with little experience in experimental music), it’ll just appear to be a band playing out of time and out of key with each other, setting a backdrop for the vocalist to go all alternate-dimension-Screamin’ Jay Hawkins to. But then music, for me, is all about eliciting a reaction in a listener, and I’ve never met someone who feels ambivalent to the sound of this record, for better or for worse. That’s impressive. It does legitimately sound like a violation of the ears, and I love that.

Captain Beefheart Trout Mask Replica will be back on vinyl this Record Store Day for the first time in 35 years, to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of it’s release. If you’re a fan of left-field experimental rock, it’s probably the genre equivalent to Nevermind, Dark Side of the Moon, or Sergeant Pepper, so get on it.

Mastodon - Stairway To Nick John
https://recordstoreday.co.uk/releases/rsd-2019/mastodon/

Prog-metal legends Mastodon recently posted about the reason behind their RSD release on social media, and it’s a touching story. Here it is, straight from the mouth of the Facebook page:

“In early September 2018, we lost one of our closest friends and our biggest fan, our manager Nick John. He was essentially the band’s Dad. From our highest highs to our lowest lows he was always there. Every single move we made went through him first as our trust in him was marrow deep. His favorite band besides us and Gojira, was Led Zeppelin. We were asked to perform “Stairway to Heaven” at his funeral. Afterward, finding out that someone had recorded it, we figured we should record a studio version and release it on Record Store Day as a tribute to Nick with all the proceeds to be donated to pancreatic cancer research. We would not be the band we are today without the help of Nick John. We miss him dearly and think of him always. We love you buddy.”

On top of this release being both a lovely tribute and a fundraiser for a great cause, you can guarantee it’ll be a storm of musical brilliance. Mastodon are one of the greatest metal bands of the 21^st Century, and I’d take them over Led Zeppelin any day, but to hear them cover - and most likely improve - one of the most iconic songs ever recorded is an opportunity too good to miss.

My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade Is Dead!
https://recordstoreday.co.uk/releases/rsd-2019/my-chemical-romance/

If I had access to my own time machine, there are three gigs I’d like to travel back to and witness for myself before anything else. Those shows are The Chariot’s final show in Douglasville, Nirvana at Reading ’92, and My Chemical Romance touring the Black Parade.

As I grew up and first discovered I really loved rock music, I must’ve listened to this live album from MCR a good hundred times. It’s a victorious rendition of the best album of all time (yeah, I said it), and the sound of one of rock music’s greatest bands at the peak of their career and the height of their powers. Gerard Way, at the forefront of it all, sounds almost maniacal at points, and you can really hear the energy the man pours into his performance (and that’s not just because he’s out of breath the whole time). When you hear a crowd of 26,000 screaming along with him to songs like Mama and Welcome to the Black Parade, it really puts the grandiose scope of the original record into proper perspective.

Through the fantastic mixing job on this live album, each member gets to shine on an equal pedestal. The band are tight throughout, and moments like Ray Toro’s modified solo on I Don’t Love You serve as a reminder that part of what made My Chem such a phenomenon was the fact that everyone involved offered something different. Like the Spice Girls with a lot more eyeliner. 

Though my love for this band may seem a little hyperbolic by typical standards, it cannot be denied (whatever your tastes) that few have made such sizeable waves in music in the 21^st Century as My Chemical Romance. This live album is a brilliant snapshot of a time when a band this good could be one of the biggest on the planet.