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Deftones - Diamond Eyes
posted on Tuesday, 22 February 2011 @ 09:51 | permalink
Written for Pugwash News, also published here on Rhythm Circus.  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/ Labels: album, deftones, review A Day To Remember - What Separates Me From You
posted on Sunday, 12 December 2010 @ 07:52 | permalink
 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 Labels: A Day To Remember, album, review The Stepfather (McCormick, 2009)
posted on Thursday, 6 May 2010 @ 03:44 | permalink
 In contrast to the truckloads of identikit slasher flicks bombarding our screens, The Stepfather gives a real sense of suspense building - reminiscent of 2007's Disturbia (Caruso). The premise behind the film plays on the belief that one's home is a place of safety, and the fact that this safe haven can be infiltrated by a killer is extremely unsettling. Incidentally, the film is based upon the true story of John List, who killed his family then disappeared - we discover 'David' has done this on multiple occasions, in his bid to find a family who don't 'disappoint' him. Another difference to the common slasher movie, which are often ambiguous of the killer's identity, is that we know from the outset that 'David' is a killer - thanks to a particularly disturbing scene in which 'David', at the time going by the name Grady Edwards, prepares to leave his current residence. As he casually makes coffee and toast to the perfectly chosen sounds of Silent Night, the camera slowly tilts to a shot of a young boy sat at the kitchen table...a normal family scene...except that the boy is dead. The film's attention to small details, such as 'David' rearranging the children's toys before he leaves reinforces his psychotic persona. Walsh plays the 'evil stepfather' perfectly, showing a happy, family man mask when he is interacting with the Hardings, but (with particular credit to the cinematography), when he turns away we see his face mutate into the monster he truly is. The opening revelation creates a high dramatic tension - we see the entire family (except Michael, that is) taken in by this stranger - and from this, we notice his little slips. The fine subtleties in his facial expressions and the build up of his anger and sociopathic nature creates a powerful tension. The Stepfather is a truly disturbing movie - and McCormick, although having only one other feature film to his name (although extensive work in television), seems to have a knack for creating a movie that is suspenseful, disturbing, and actually genuinely scary - without resorting to blood, gore or cheap thrills. Labels: 2009, film, review, The Stepfather A Day To Remember - Pyramids Centre 15/3/10
posted on Tuesday, 30 March 2010 @ 09:01 | permalink
A Day To Remember Support: Architects, Your Demise Portsmouth Pyramids Centre 15/3/10  Entering the venue, I breathe a sigh of relief that, as with the seeming trend of gigs these days, my 5ft 1 self actually has a hope in hell of seeing, thanks to a large portion of the audience being barely in their teens, and therefore pre-growth spurt. Ignoring the monstrosity that is a ‘Mrs Oli Sykes’ t-shirt, I make my way to catch Your Demise open with a bang to an excited crowd – although it’s clear to see they’re mainly here for the headline act. Architects gave a strong performance, however seemed muted at points despite vocalist Sam Carter’s efforts to get the crowd going, who were seemingly less responsive, excepting a small portion of loyal fans. A shame that a large portion of the crowd probably only knew them due to Carter’s vocals on Bring Me The Horizon track The Sadness Will Never End, as they currently lead the way in the growing British hardcore scene. The last time the Pompey crowds saw A Day To Remember, they went down a storm supporting Bring Me The Horizon (yep, them again...) hit the stage to rapturous cheers and applause, hitting hard with ‘Fast Forward to 2012’, an unexpected yet appreciated opening song. The Ocala boys had clearly aimed their set at fans who had been there from the beginning, playing tracks from earlier released ‘And Their Name Was Treason’ and ‘For Those Who Have Heart’- although it was standout tracks from latest album ‘Homesick’, such as singalong-friendly ‘The Downfall of Us All’. Despite these recieving an eager reception, the excitement of die-hard fans to hear old favourites was clear, and the crowd as a wholewere generally consistent, with just a few lulls when rarer or slower tracks were played. Things were slowed down a little with the frankly stunning cover of The Fray’s Over My Head, and Have Faith In Me - the only downer was the band’s slightly sexist claim that they ‘had’ to play the soft songs ‘for the ladies’. A notable omission was the removal of previous 'set staple' Kelly Clarkson cover, 'Since You Been Gone', showing the band moving onwards and upwards, and being known for their own original work. After ending on arguably their best known track ‘The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle’, and the young’uns poured out to waiting parents, it’s easy to see that A Day To Remember are a band that aim to please their fans - and succeed. This review can be seen in Pugwash News Image credit (for illustration purposes only!) Labels: A Day To Remember, live, review New Town Killers (Jobson, 2008)
posted on Monday, 22 March 2010 @ 15:53 | permalink
'All you have to do...is hide.' Read more » Think hide and seek is a kids' game? Think again. Richard Jobson's New Town Killers (2008) is a gritty cat-and-mouse thriller that follows ruthless private banker Alistair (Dougray Scott) and sidekick Jamie (Alastair McKenzie) who make down-and-out Sean (James Anthony Pearson) an offer he can't refuse. In order to make himself £12,000 to pay off sister Alice's (Liz White) debts, he simply has to hide in the city for 12 hours. Sounds easy, but the killers have eyes everywhere, and if he's caught, he'll be facing not just losing the game, but losing his life. Labels: film, new town killers, review |
