Monday 13 February 2012

GASOLINE THRILL - BURN (CD REVIEW)


01.Let Me Down
02.Leeches
03.Walking On Steel
04.Enemy
05.Break
06.So Be It
07.Burn The Flame
08.The Pill
09.Afraid
10.Never Go Back
11.(Never Stop) Singing
12.Hayleen
12.Kill Me Again

Samara Kain (Vocals/Guitar)
Dave Guy (Drums)
Monica Nix (Bass)
Martha Lewis (Guitar)




Formed by Singer-guitarist Samara kain (Ex Nemhain), GASOLINE THRILL took its name when final member, drummer Dave Guy (Kopperhed) took up sticks and completed the line up
alongside Marf Lewis (Guitarist) & Monica Nix (bass). The explosive creative entity and
strong camaraderie were born and a pact to go full speed was sealed.

“It's fast and furious!" and from then on, Gasoline Thrill rapidly became ''THE band to
catch live taking London by storm, emerging as not only a great live act but as a band
who produce outstanding songs” was how i first described them coincedentally on Feb 13th
back in 2009 after their debut gig supporting Nemhain.

Gasoline Thrill gathered speed and produced the self released EP ‘Never Go Back’ under
their previous name Catfight, a 4 song EP comprised of 3 amped-up and 1 mixed-tempo
blasts of fury! Describing their sound would be easiest with a Venn diagram, placed in
the area where metal and punk and distorted indie rock overlap”, writes The Impaler in
Mass Movement.

Following countless interviews, reviews and radio plays, Gasoline Thrill embarked on a UK
tour and recruited new 'Thrill Seekers' playing shows alongside Die So Fluid and Black
Sonic among others while in turn continuing to write new material .
After a successful tour, The Thrill Givers switched into higher gear in the summer of
2011 when they entered the studio in South London to record their most sought after
tracks. The full length album titled ‘Burn’ was ready to release in Jan 2012. In
anticipation, the first single 'Not Afraid' was released digitally in Dec 2011 with a
Video to accompany the track.

In its (at times) turbulant 3 year history they have evolved into one of the most
dramatic and sought after up and coming rock bands with red blooded live performance,
dynamic, high-powered catchy songs and an attitude to match.

So as i said its literally 3 years to the day that Samara first took to the stage with a
new band and now she and her cohorts in noise have produced their first album, so lets
give it a spin!

'Let Me Down' kicks us off in style with a high energy Motorhead vibe, has that kind of snarl that Girlschool had back in the early days. Two thirds in to the song we get a downbeat break that gives the song more body.

One helluva catchy guitar riff drives 'Leeches' throughout, in fact im sitting here singing along to the riff!!

With a touch of the Bryan Adams classic "Run To You" in the general mood the song 'Walking On Steel', its a slow brooding moody rocker.
This one comes armed with some awesome lyrics, "Left the desert, buried my ghosts, i arrive in a shallower place, still i cant break off the chains".

Another mid paced in your face song 'Enemy' is the kind of snarling fuck you that Kat Bjelland once made her own.

'Break' reads like a text message sent to an ex lover.Great backing vocals lift the song to that live sing a long that you know is gonna get the crowd on your side.

Sounds like Kurt Cobain jamming with Courtney Love thats the vibe you get from 'So Be It', interestingly the chorus is very upbeat with a cheerleader styled chant.

Acoustic guitar greets 'Burn The Flame' a fairly straight forward rock ballad, the bass really cuts through the mix on this and keeps the head nodding.

'The Pill' is an old Catfight song and always a crowd fave, Whilst the music is just as aggresive the vocal delivery is very different, making this very much the Gasoline Thrill version and nailing it!

From the opening shout of "Go" the song 'Afraid' conjures up images of CBGB's back in 1977 with The Runaways and Blondie.
Classic styled Rock/Punk brilliantly delivered and perfectly executed.

Fucking love the bassline in this one, 'Never Go Back' blends melody and agression, backing vocals, guitar and drums balanced to the ear perfectly.

'(Never Stop) Singing' fucking right, hmmm seem to remember saying something like that myself a few years ago, a happy and defiant song with some lyrics that ring true, and hey look at the results.

'Hayleen' well i have described this before as a "lesbian grunge rocker" and im sticking to it, so my apologies to Samara and co if this is about something much deeper but hey im a guy and i like the words "Grunge" and "Lesbian".Maybe i shouldnt write reviews whilst drinking vodka?

'Kill Me Again' From the opening bassline this song is pure, deep, violent and disturbing.Its slow, brooding, downbeat like you wouldnt believe.In many ways a simple song about a break up, but for a song to carry such emotion to a level of intensity that you can feel it is almost impossible in music.
A dual vocal approach creates those images of two girls in a darkend room with a dead body between them, maybe its just me?
If ever a song deserves to be heard by everyone then this is it, you will never hear a song this good ever trust me.

Not often you get an album that is perfect, but then its clear that Gasoline Thrill are not your average band, on every level this band deserve your attention.

Rating 10/10
For fans Of: Nemhain, Hole, Babes In Toyland, The Runaways, L7, Girlschool.

STU


Saturday 11 February 2012

OPERA DIABOLICUS - 1614 (CD Review)


01.Overture
02.The Gates
03.Blood Countess Bathory
04.The 13th Guest
05.In Memoriam
06.Mythos Lamia
07.Forbidden
08.Stone By Stone

David Grimoire (Guitar/Keyboards)
Eric Rauti (Guitar)
Adrian De Crow (Bass)
Snowy Shaw (Vocals/Drums)
Elias Holmlid (Keyboards)
Mats Leven (Vocals)
Camilla Alisander-Ason (Vocals)
Jake E (Vocals)
Nick Night (Vocals)
Jonas Heidgert (Choral Arrangements)




The history of this ingenious project goes back to a chance meeting between multi-instrumentalist and composer David Grimoire and bass player Adrian De Crow at a stage presentation of Umberto Eco's book “The Name Of The Rose” at a theatre in Gothenburg, Sweden in the year 2006.

So impressed were the two musicians by the story that the two there and then decided that a theatrical and dark metal musical based on a kind of story in the same genre could be a really profitable hunting ground. Further conversations took place in Gothenburg that bleak December and during 2007, and in 2008 the two musicians finally assembled the line up that could grow the seed of the concept - Opera Diabolicus / “1614” – a combination of dark musical elements, theatre and musical excellence, with the ideas for the ensuing album first introduced to the world via the band’s Facebook page.

Hired to produce was King Diamond guitarist Andy LaRocque; all the music was brought to the table by Grimoire and Adrian would arrive with the lyrics; but who to use to turn this fantastic concept into a reality?

Enter the imposing shadow of non other than multi talented musician, Therion, King Diamond and Dimmu Borgir member Snowy Shaw, who not only introduced an added vocal element and set the guys off in search of vocalists such as Mats Leven (Krux, Yngwie Malmsteen), Niklas Isfeldt (Dream Evil) and Jake E. (Amaranthe) to blend with his immense talents, but also brought interest from choral arrangers such as Jonas Heidgert and the talent of Dragonland keyboard player and founder Elias Holmlid, to combine with his infamous ‘drums of doom’. The pack was complete.

Nothing short of pure dramatic and dark doom metal with atmospheric, epic, progressive and symphonic elements, with enough twists and turns throwing up Death and Black Metal riffs.

It is without a doubt another awesome showcase for the never ending talents of Snowy Shaw who must now rate as one of metal's all time vocalists.

The composition of each track is perfectly structured to create ambience and melody balanced with traditional metal riffs and symphonic rhythms.


Rating 10/10
For Fans Of : Therion, Dimmu Borgir, Candlemass, Dream Evil, Devin Townsend, Cradle Of Filth, Nightwish



STU

EKTOMORF - THE ACOUSTIC (CD Review)

01.I Know Them
02.I´m In Hate
03.Be Free
04.Redemption
05.Simple Man
06.To Smoulder
07.Folsom Prison Blues
08.Again
09.Through Your Eyes
10.Fate
11.Stigmatized
12.Who Can I Trust


Zoltán Farkas (Vocals/Guitar)
Zsabolcs Murvai (Bass)
Michael Rank (Guitar)
Robert Jaksa (Drums)


Hungary´s premiere force in neo thrash, has released an “acoustic” album.Surprising but if you take a closer look at EKTOMORF´s evolution, it seems like a logical step after band leader Zoli prepared this new style with their latest release “Redemption” (2010). The album included the track “Sea Of My Misery”, which the band also filmed a video clip for. This song was different from everything that we knew from EKTOMORF before; a melancholic track, based solely on semi-acoustic guitars, drums and Zoli´s voice, who – as he says himself- for the first time actually “sings” instead of screaming.

This new side of EKTOMORF was received really well, so the band arranged a secret acoustic gig in Berlin, to celebrate the release of “Redemption” in late 2010.“We wanted to see how an EKTOMORF acoustic gig would be received by the audience. And it worked out amazingly”, Zoli said.

Then, after the success of the “Sea Of My Misery” single, it became clear that this new side of the band would be worth evolving.

“First of all I have to make it clear that “The Acoustic” is a very special album to me”, the frontman speaks. “But no fan needs to worry, because we´ll do heavy-as-shit albums in the future again,“ Zoli laughs. “But this time the other side of EKTOMORF is in thefocus with “The Acoustic”. I guess many people will be surprised that an “acoustic” album can be that heavy, but after all we are still EKTOMORF”.

“The Acoustic” features cover versions of 'Lynyrd Skynrd's' “Simple Man” which is good musically but the vocal delivery does not fit.

The second cover is “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash, This is a different take on the classic almost creating a hillbilly/punk vibe to it and is probably the best song on the album.

Rest of the album is made up of new versions of the bands well know tracks, “I Know Them”, “Redemption”,“Who Can I Trust”, “Stigmatized” and “I´m In Hate”.
There are also five new songs.

“This album very much shows where my roots are, which artists and bands really inspired me”, Zoli says. “And then it takes you one step further, to something that you haven´t heard before”. Like its successors, also “The Acoustic” was produced, mixedand mastered by Tue Madsen, the band´s long-time engineer and one of the most respected producers in the scene.

Rating 5/10
For fans Of : Nickleback, Shinedown, Sign, Alter Bridge

STU