Alkaline Trio - Damnesia

Originally published at Rhythm Circus

Marking a band’s big anniversary often calls for something special, be it a tour or a ‘Greatest Hits’-style compilation, and Illinois punk-rooted trio Alkaline Trio aren’t ones to miss the party – in their own special way. Instead of offering up simply a track listing of hits that fans will undoubtedly already own, to coincide with the band’s fifteenyear anniversary they’ve put together a compilation of tracks remastered in a semi-unplugged, acoustic setting.

Formed in Illinois in 1996, the current line-up consists of original founding member Matt Skiba (vocals, guitar), along with Dan Andriano (vocals, bass) and Derek Grant (drums). 1998 marked the release of their first studio album, Goddamnit, followed by Maybe I’ll Catch Fire (2000), From Here To Infirmary (2001), Good Mourning (2003), Crimson (2005), Agony & Irony (2008) and This Addiction (2010), leading up to the release of Damnesia this year.

The album is compiled of twelve fan favourites spanning the band’s career, along with two brand spanking new original songs and a cover, and available not just on CD, but on vinyl with a souvenier branded Zippo lighter available as part of a package. One huge benefit of the unplugged style is the ability to notice the quality songwriting presented in the tracks – something the Trio are able to hit the nail on the head with is writing dark and sometimes starkly depressing lyrics, without straying into the realms of melodramatic emo fodder. Alkaline Trio have a rare ability to make love songs that aren’t generic or full of soppy cliches – as well as being masters of angst and misery. The more intimate feel allows the macabre metaphors often hidden within the songs to come to the forefront. This Could Be Love’s twisted lyrical genius is amplified by a moody piano overtone, creating a darker overall feel than that of the original recording.

Whilst some songs on Damnesia are stripped down, Clavicle and We’ve Had Enough are supported by folksy, uptempo guitars – and the latter keeps the background shouts, showing that the Trio are still in touch with their punk roots. The folky sound continues with their cover of the Violent Femmes’ I Held Her In My Arms. Often going unnoticed on 1998′s Good Mourning, Blue In The Face comes close to the original recording, but cleaned up significantly. Similarly, You’ve Got So Far To Go shows that the only downside of the album is that if you’re a fan of the rough, demo-feel of some of their older material, you won’t find much of that here. But the slicker production that the band have grown into is evident here, and has plenty of upsides. Skiba’s voice sounds in better form than ever, and Dan Andriano’s vocals are perfectly suited. The American Scream, one of the newer tracks taken from their most recent album, is given the full on piano treatment allowing Skiba’s lone voice to rise to a perfect climax, and bears some similarity to the style of Skiba’s solo material.

As well as fan favourites, they’ve thrown in a couple of new tunes to wrap your ears around. Amongst the melancholia of their back catalogue, a common theme is having a good old drinking sesh – or drinking away your misery, depending on the song. Olde English 800 is an ode to the liquor of the same name, going so far as to call it a love song about how the ‘charcoal filtered sun yellow malt liquor’ making ‘grey sky blue’, even with ‘pop’ and ‘ahhh’ sound effects. Perfect to complement a chilled out afternoon drink. Preferably of Olde English 800. Compared to the rest of the album the other new track, I Remember A Rooftop, does feel a little underwhelming – but it’s nice enough.

If you’ve heard one Alkaline Trio song, there’s a high chance it’s Private Eye, with it’s fast, punk guitars. The Damnesia version is a far cry, with just acoustic guitar and synth backing, once again bringing out the stunning lyrics. The album closes with singalong favourite Radio (with the lyrics ‘shaking like a dog shitting razorblades’, who WOULDN’T sing along?), and it’s an incredible vocal delivery from Skiba, managing to balance heart-wrenching depression and spitting angst perfectly. Faint backing violins create a melancholy soundtrack, and the final 60 seconds after the song finishes, the mic is left on to capture the sounds and talk of the studio.

One thing that can be taken away from this album is that when you strip away the catchy punk riffs, what’s left are some beautifully crafted and thoughtful melodies with dark overtones and stunning lyricsism. They’ve managed to do enough to some already outstanding material to give a refreshing new take on almost every song, as well as adding in a few new extra bits to boot. If you’ve been adverse to Alkaline Trio’s punk-inspired sound before, give Damnesia a try – especially if you’re a fan of acoustic-style tunes. And if you’re a fan…well, chances are you’ve been spinning this album for the past fortnight already…

Scottish optimism pulls on the heart

 Sucioperro – The Heart String & How To Pull It

Published on Pugwash News

Under-the-radar Scottish rock trio Sucioperro can already boast plenty of fans in the music world, having toured with Hell Is For Heroes, Fightstar and Oceansize to name but a few. The Heart String & How to Pull It is the group’s third full-length release, and comes straight off the back of recent EP ‘Reflexes of the Dead’ released just a week earlier on Feb 28th.

If vocalist JP Reid seems familiar, it might be because he makes up half of Marmaduke Duke, alongside Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neill.Comparisons can easily be drawn between the two; Reid’s vocals have a sense of melodic dischordance with a strong Scottish tone, reminiscent of early Biffy material, although The Heart String & How to Pull It has a distinctly lighter feel.

EP title track ‘Reflexes of the Dead’ is a simple, pretty little number enhanced by the female backing vocals that punctuate the album. ‘That’s Why You Pull Me In’ is accompanied by a hip-shakingly jerky guitar riff bound to get toes tapping, whilst some tracks such as album closer ‘Hands’ have a more acoustic feel. Lyrically, optimism is the hero of the day and the songs are often uplifting, euphoric numbers. Relatively simple instrumentation and dreamy chimes give the album a relaxing feel. On the downside, a few of the songs do feel a little repetitive and lack a real kick, at times feeling like the songs blend into each other. However, for laid back, pretty guitar tunes, you won’t go far wrong by giving The Heart String & How To Pull It a listen.

Architects - The Here and Now

Featured here at PugwashNews.com, and in Issue 51 of the publication.

Review: Architects build towards change in The Here And Now

Architects- The Here and Now- Out Now

Blowing up on the metalcore scene in the past couple of years, The Here and Now is the latest offering from Brighton-based Architects. The follow up to 2009′s Hollow Crown (incidentally, one of my favourite albums of that year) seems to take quite a step away from its predecessor, notably less heavy and leaning more towards the post-hardcore than metal sound. In fact, at times it seems like a completely different band. Tracks such as Learn to Live showcase a more melodic sound that wouldn’t seem out of place on an Alexisonfire album, and as a whole the release is peppered with more clean vocals than would perhaps be expected of the band. The frantic riffs and agressive vocals still show up, particularly in Delete, Rewind, but the overall sound of the album seems lighter and much more polished than expected.


Not necessarily a bad thing, however – An Open Letter to Myself is a slow-burner in the same vein as the title track to Hollow Crown, showcasing vocalist Sam Carter’s improved singing and has the perfect build-up to do so. Heartburn is an anthemic ballad-esque track that strays even further into the softer side, and will divide opinion. Stay Young Forever features Comeback Kid’s Andrew Neufeld and injects a frantic dose of crunch and agression. On the subject of guest vocals, The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato pops up for closer Year In, Year Out/Up and Away, a seven and a half minute track which hits the nail on the head for mixing the heavy and melodic and throwing in all the elements of the album, and the band’s overall sound.

Fans of the heavier sound they’ve been accustomed to may be disappointed by the album, but at the same time, it has a more commercially accessible vibe which will undoubtedly draw in some new listeners. It’ll definitely divide opinion – some will accuse the band of purposely taking a more commercial direction, others applaud for blowing new life into the often-tired metalcore genre. With a few songs feeling slightly same-y, and a feel that there’s something missing, it doesn’t quite stand up against the band’s previous releases. However, taking it as a standalone, it’s a strong album that provides an enjoyable and relatively diverse listen and a few outstanding tracks.

Deftones - Diamond Eyes

Written for Pugwash News, also published here on Rhythm Circus.

Released earlier this month, Diamond Eyes is US melodic rockers Deftones' sixth studio offering, presented with artwork that is quite frankly terrifying for an ornithiphobic like yours truly. To give a brief background, the band have been around since 1988 - although debut album Adrenaline was not released until 1995. After the release of fifth album Saturday Night Wrist (2006), the band began work on their next release, due to be titled Eros, when bassist Chi Cheng was seriously injured in a car accident. The band made the decision to indefinitely delay Eros, and instead start work on an album that became Diamond Eyes.

The opening, title track has the unique sound of the band marked out in under a minute, with vocalist Chino Moreno's vocals ethereal and distant-sounding, almost as if the were recorded in a completely different place and time. Make no mistakes though, Deftones are no chillout band, and their often heavy and highly experimental style is showcased on this album of delicate, distinctly different tracks.

As tracks such as Beauty School and Sextape particularly reveal, Diamond Eyes is perhaps one of the outfit's lighter album offerings as a whole, concentrating more on creating a ghostly, atmospheric sound. But the band's heavy roots still show through, CMND/CNTRL showcases a more angry vocal, and the verses in particular give a nod to the nu-metal influenced music that came hand in hand with the skateboards and baggy jeans of the 1990s/2000s. However, there's no staleness or nostalgia here, as Deftones manage to still keep their sound modern and interesting.

The closing track, and a standout moment on the album, is a cover of Japan's Ghosts - a song the band completely put their own stamp upon. The echo effect on Moreno's vocals combined with experimental, disjointed riffs, percussion and drone elements creates an almost unsettling, eerie feeling. Although the album doesn't quite live up to previous offerings, such as Saturday Night Wrist, Diamond Eyes continues to demonstrate perfectly the band's ability to create complex and beautiful songs. Even when using someone else's song, as seen with Ghosts, the final product of whatever Deftones create is sure to be original, captivating and unique.

Featured on: http://pugwasharts.tumblr.com/

The Great Rock Battle of Summer 2010: Download vs. Sonisphere

Originally featured on Pugwash Arts and Ents tumblr. Preview piece.

The Great Rock Battle of Summer 2010: Download vs. Sonisphere

This summer, two festivals will battle to be crowned the UK’s biggest rock festival. Both have heavyweight headliners, and with plenty of bands already announced, who will ultimately triumph?


First up is the established Download Festival, and it’s a special year as 2010 marks 30 years since Donington Park hosted the inaugural Monsters of Rock festival, which spanned 16 years and played host to a plethora of heavy metal legends such as Iron Maiden, Guns’n’Roses and Judas Priest. After a break, Donington continued it’s reign as the UK’s Rock mecca, with the rebirth of the festival in 2003, renamed Download and spread across 2 days - increasing to 3 days in 2005, and featuring headliners such as Kiss, Metallica and Slipknot.

For its 30 year celebration, promoter Andy Copping has managed to scoop AC/DC, who played at Monsters of Rock back in 1981. Also headlining are Rage Against the Machine, fresh from their ‘victory gig’ at Finsbury Park the previous weekend, and another dose of classic rock in the form of Aerosmith. However, it’s not just about the main stage - on the second stage, Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor’s band, Stone Sour, actor-turned-musician Jared Leto’s 30 Seconds To Mars and Welsh metallers Bullet for my Valentine are all taking top billing. If it’s classic rock you’re into, Sunday will be paradise with G’n’R frontman Slash, Cinderella and Ratt on the mainstage. If modern alternative and rock is more your bag, Coheed and Cambria, The Dillinger Escape Plan and The Blackout are all worth checking out, and for the metalheads among you, there’s Megadeth, Lamb of God and my own ‘ones to watch’, Taking Dawn.

Download has always been the forerunner when it comes to the UK rock festival, but last year, it had its first major competition in the form of Sonisphere, held in the grounds of Knebworth House. Led by ex-Download bigwig Stuart Gailbraith, and part of a series of festivals in six different countries, the UK leg spanned 2 days and was headlined by Metallica and Linkin Park. The setup featured two ‘main stages’, and bands played straight after each other alternating from stage to stage, hence the name Sonisphere - ‘a sphere of sound’.
This year, Sonisphere is back, with the legendary Iron Maiden and German metal gods Rammstein, reknowned for their crazy onstage antics and theatrics.

As well as a full 2 days, the music kicks off at 6pm on the Friday, with Alice Cooper closing and a Rocky Horror theme. The general undercard is also very strong, showing a large metal emphasis with bands such as Slayer, Anthrax and Fear Factory. As with Download, the festival is diverse, also making appearances are post-hardcore outfit Fightstar, Welsh emo-rockers Funeral for a Friend and the infamous Motley Crue. Billed as ‘special guests’, crossover dance/rock act and festival favourites Pendulum will be treating festivalgoers to a set, and for something a little bit different, Henry Rollins will be performing his spoken word show.

For the lucky ones who get to experience both (at this point, I may have a slight smug grin…), it’s going to be a VERY good summer, however, with both festivals packing plenty of rock punch, the decision between the two could be a tough one for punters. But whichever festival you go to, be it Download, Sonisphere or both, you’re sure to have your wellies well and truly rocked off.

Anberlin - Live Review

Originally published in Issue 49 of Pugwash News

Anberlin (support: Hawthorne Heights, What Now)
Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms 21/11/10

What Now opened the show, giving a solid yet somewhat generic performance to a relatively unresponsive crowd with movie soundtrackesque songs and performance of catchy new single Toy Soldiers. Special guests were Hawthorne Heights, probably taking some of the crowd back to their teenage emo phase, with a small contingent of very excited fans singing every word. The band were quite slow to get into their stride, despite starting with plenty of energy something seemed to be missing. Performances of well-known tracks This Is Who We Are and Ohio Is For Lovers marked the performance finding its feet and the crowd warming to the band. Material from new album Skeleton showed a slightly more mature sound, although still definitely pandering to their emo-pop style, and ended with a singalong to Niki FM, which had anyone with memories of the song mouthing the words.

Anberlin took to the stage with raptuous cheers and immediately incited movement into the previously static crowd with We Owe This To Ourselves, and the words were bellowed back at them during Paperthin Hymn. New material from latest album Dark is the Way, Light is a Place played a big part in the set, with songs such as 'Take Me (As You Found Me)' and 'Pray Tell' recieved just as well as the older songs. Vocalist Stephen Christian's performance was pitch-perfect and energetic - his impressive vocal far surpasses that of any X Factor contestant or two-bit 'popstar', and was showcased perfectly on acoustic track 'The Unwinding Cable Car'. The downside of this was that in parts, the show could've done with more of a 'live feel', and the band's interaction with the crowd was very limited. However, using samples and instrumentals to link between each song gave the whole show a sense of flowing seamlessly, and combined with a forest backdrop, the whole performance had a very atmospheric feel. After disappearing briefly, the band treated the fans who had been chanting for the song all night with Ready Fuels, and the explosive reaction showed just how much this show had been enjoyed and appreciated.

How to get work at festivals

Published here at MookyChick.co.uk

Summer festivals! What's not to love? Being outside in the sun (fingers crossed), cider in hand (admittedly probably lukewarm, but hey, it's August...) and your best friends, with your favourite band rocking your wellies off - be it Glasto, Reading, Download, V or Bestival, the summer music fest is becoming a staple in music lovers' yearly calendar. In the gloomy early months of the year, it's those kicker headliner announcements that give festie junkies something to look forward to.But, unfortunately, these festivals don't come cheap, with many tickets to the bigger events costing you around £200 of your hard-earned cash - or at least your student loan. For those who need their fix but can't afford the tix, there's another option - volunteering.

There are plenty of positions out there which allow you to work usually around 3 6-8hr shifts between Wednesday and Monday, and offering free entry to the festival in return. When not on shift, your time is your own and if there's a band on that you'd sell your granny to catch, you can usually work your shift patterns around them. Speaking from experience after volunteering at Sonisphere festival last year, it could be a weekend you'll never forget. From the party that is staff camping and the new, like-minded friends you'll make to seeing your fave acts for free, to having something exciting and different to whack on your CV, festival work is filled with perks. Admittedly, there may be an initial investment of a deposit but this will be fully refunded after the festival, and the work itself barely feels like work, so you can usually soak up the atmosphere and have a laugh while you're at it.

Campsite Assistants (CATs) and festival stewards are the most common roles available. They involve a range of activities, located in, as the name suggests, the campsite. You could be helping campers find their way to the loo, helping them put up their tent, or simply sitting down and having a chat and being a friendly face.

Where to get festival work

The Better Festival Group - born from the 'Love Not Riots' campaign, not only are they a great bunch of people (I should know, I'm one of them) but this is a group with a conscience and an aim to improve festivals for their attendees.
Hotbox Events recruits and manages the CAT festival staff and volunteers at the Reading, Leeds, Latitude and Big Chill Festivals. The Hotbox festival application usually goes live in early March each year; you can sign up to their newsletter on their website.
Festaff - hires staff for a variety of UK festivals - they haven't updated for 2010 at the time of writing, but they have a newsletter that you can sign up for.
Oxfam festival stewards - There's also the option of working for a charity - Oxfam hire stewards, which are very similar to CATs, and also campaigners, who promote the charity through fun initiatives over the weekend, so you can party for free and get that warm fuzzy feeling.
Workers' Beer Company - hire bar staff (without the obscenely long shifts) in return for a ticket, and also donate a chunk of their profit to charity.
These are just some starting points - it's always worth browsing sites of the festivals themselves for other opportunities.

A few words of advice though - make sure you know exactly what you're setting yourself up for. I have a friend who volunteered to work Reading Festival a few years back, and the shifts he was asked to work were ridiculous - long hours with barely any time to enjoy the festival itself. Also, unless you're working purely for the cash, steer clear of a lot of festival bar work - another job that may not let you enjoy your weekend.
Be sure you check exactly what shifts you'll be expected to work before you dive in. Other than that, there's nothing to lose and loads to gain from working at a festival - so all you need to worry about is getting a funky festival tent and a pair of proper bitchin' wellies!

A Day To Remember - What Separates Me From You

A Day to Remember have come a long way since covering Kelly Clarkson's Since U Been Gone, and the Ocala quintet are back with their fourth studio album and follow-up to 2009's Homesick. Opening with the gut-punch first riffs of Sticks and Bricks, you'd be forgiven for thinking A Day to Remember have leant more towards the heavier, more brutal side of their sound, but the album offers their traditional mixing of styles that have been demonstrated throughout their musical career, right from their first studio album, 2005's For Those Who Have Heart. 

Combining angsty yet often hopeful lyrics with upbeat, rousing guitar riffs, vocalist Jeremy McKinnon effortlessly hops from guttural growling and melodic screaming breakdown to catchy chorus. All Signs Point to Lauderdale is catchier than flu as it bounces along, with tongue in cheek lyrics  'I hate this town, its so washed up, and all my friends don't give a fuck', a chorus just made to spend hours bothering your brain in the best possible way.

As with previous albums, there's a softer side too. Tracks such as single All I Want and the stunning This Is The House That Doubt Built feature completely clean vocals, where the emotional tone in McKinnon's voice really shines. Their trademark gang vocals pop up - It's Complicated and album closer If I Leave will undoubtably create an electric  atmopshere live, where the fans are often as loud as the band themselves. A Day to Remember may well have been pegged by critics as a 'scene band' - part of the passing trend of screamo hipsters, but their latest offering proves they showcase a sound different to many of their middle-of-the road peers. A perfect amalgomation of pop-punk excitement and elements of metalcore brutality, if you enjoy this album, make sure you catch the band on their UK tour in January for what will be an absolutely phenomenal show.

9/10

The Ricky Gervais Show - The Complete First Series (2010)

Ricky Gervais has always split my opinion - I wasn't a fan of The Office, although I found Extras slightly more watchable. However, on a long car journey to Birmingham with some friends I discovered the Ricky Gervais Show podcasts. The insanely random conversations that the three of them have remind me of the strange conversations I often have with my friends – wonderfully entertaining yet quintessentially pointless.

Following the success of these podcasts, which earned them a spot in the Guinness Book of Records for the most downloaded podcasts, the trio released their ramblings onto the DVD world, coupled with animated characters, which bear a stylistic resemblance to the Flintstones. Seth McFarlane, creator of infamous cartoon comedy Family Guy branded the show ‘the best animation [he has] ever seen’. The show is set in a cartoon recording studio, interjected with illustrations of their ramblings – often abstract, so very much suited to the tone of the show. A particular highlight is the ‘Monkey News’ feature, introduced by cartoon-Gervais pulling his shirt off and turning into a chimpanzee.

The real star and centrepoint of the series is the irrepressible chump, yet undeniable genius of a man that is Karl Pilkington. Responsible for much of the insanity and leading many of the rambles, Karl’s animated persona sits at the end of the table, with a slightly bemused and vacant expression on his little cartoon face as Gervais and Merchant mock him senselessly. His train of thought is astounding, with a deadpan serious delivery, and it really makes you wonder what on earth goes on in his perfectly round little head. Although Gervais and Merchant are comedians and a vital part of the proceedings, it is the musings of Pilkington that really steal the show.

Unfortunately, the series does not bring new material per se – instead, animation has simply been added to the original podcasts. The Special Features also give little extra – mainly just TV ads and trailers where additional material would have been very welcomed. The show is definitely worth a watch as the animation complements the podcasts brilliantly, but if you’re expecting something entirely new, you’ll be disappointed.

An introduction to...Silent Descent

Welcome to a brand new section of the blog, where I catch up with the best unsigned and up and coming bands and recommend them to you, dear readers! For the very first feature, I managed to catch up with Silent Descent, an up and coming metal outfit hailing from Dartford, Kent, a band who Metal Hammer magazine praised as 'the trance metal juggernaught the world has been waiting for'. After impressing the crowd at the Download Festival Boardie Takeover for the second year running with their innovative and exciting sound, I managed to ask a few questions!

Looking back, how did your Boardie Takeover performance feel?
After coming off stage in '09 we all felt that it would be a long time before we ever got to experience something like that again, but this year was bigger and better - it really felt like headlining one of the stages at Download.

How did the crowd respond to your set?The crowd were amazing - looking out and seeing people sing along to your songs in such mass is an unreal feeling and seeing them all jump in unity as the songs climaxed was un-frikin-believable.

How was you overall weekend at the festival? What were your highlights - musical or otherwise?!
We all stuck it to the man whilst watching Rage and our vocalist managed to get back stage for Stone Sour, being Corey Taylor's number 1 fan (and he definitely is) he was ridiculously stoked.

How did the band come together?
We've been together a good few years now, but all started back in 2004 with our vocalist and guitarist in a shed with paint pots for drums and an Argos Yamaha Pacifica - surely how all good bands start out? Over the years I think we've gone through 40-odd members, so when you say 'band come together' it's been a long old search to find the right people.

And what plans do you have for the future?
With any luck get signed to a major label and get on tour? In failing that we'll try and win Britain's Got Talent.

Finally, is there anything else you'd like to say to the readers of the website and those who attended the takeover?
Thanks to everyone that came and saw us and supported us at the Boardie Takeover! It was the maddest gig we've ever played and will hopefully see you all soon if we get touring later this year.


To hear more from Silent Descent (and I reccomend you do!), check out the band's Myspace!

If you'd like your band featured in this new section, get in contact!