The Dust Coda - The Dust Coda

The Dust Coda hail from London and released their self titled debut album last year.  I came across them this year thanks to a twitter post on Down the front media's twitter linking to a live review.  They came across as a band I would like so I checked them out.  After a few listens to their debut album I went and ordered it.

So what are they like?  Well they are your classic rock band in every way. Comparisons to the likes of AC/DC, Aerosmith and Led Zepplin feel easy. But at the same time there is something refreshing and exciting about The Dust Coda. As like their predessors they are very good at what they do.  While Greta Van Fleet are putting Classic rock back on the map in a big way at the moment. Hopefully this will pave the way for more rock bands like The Dust coda to get recognised more as it would be well deserved.

While most of the album is what I would call "All out rock" and to me it is rock done right with big riffs and solos. My personal highlight off the album "Sweet Love is gone" which is a more sweeping, low key rock ballad.  Which shows off singer John Drake's amazing vocals which are very reminisant of a certain Robert Plant in this instance. Album closer "Will I ever see you again" is another rock ballad and finishes off the album superbly with a sublime solo.

Overall this is a very good debut and a band which are definitiley worth your time if you are into classic rock.  And if you are into it you won't have to wait too long for album 2 as rumour has it the next installment is out next year!

13/12/18 - Uriah Heep @ SWG3, Glasgow

This gig was due to take place at the ABC in Glasgow. But after that burnt down earlier in the year luckily the gig manged to get moved to SWG3. A venue in the west end of Glasgow I hadn't been to before. Uriah Heep are my Dad's favourite band so has seen them many, many times since they formed in 1970.  This was my 3rd time in seeing them but I reckon I haven't seen them for a good 10 years or so. 

Tonight there was only 1 support act which I think was half down to who it was and the other half down to the fact it was an early show meaning it finished about 10.15pm.  The main support were the Von Hertzen Brothers. When I said before the gig to my Dad that this was the support act he was very pleased as he had heard and reviewed quite a few albums by them before and was impressed by them.  I checked out their latest album "War is Over" before the gig too and thought it was very good.  To open their set they started with the first song "War is Over" off the latest album of the same name which was 10 minutes plus.  This was just the start of a wonderful prog rock set which lasted for 50 minutes. A very generous amount of time for a support act but throughly deserved given the quality of the music.

This set the stage nicely for the Heep.  While I wouldn't say I was a major fan of the Heep. I am familiar enough with their hits now to be able to appreciate them live.  The first half of their set seemed to focus more on the new album "Living the Dream".  I have only listened to this albums a few times before the gig but what I was impressed by was how good these songs sounded live.  It just felt like the quality between the new songs and the old classics stood side by side on the same level.  One stand out for me was "Take away my soul" which had this amazing guitar solo which seemed to go on for at least 2 minutes. It was incredible and it was one of those songs I just didn't want to end. 

Of course as well as promoting the new album they played all the classics too which the crowd were only too pleased to hear.  The likes of "Rainbow Demon", "Gypsy", my personal favourite "Look at yourself".  They also played their biggest audience participation song "Lady in Black" which went down a storm.  Finshing their set with my Dad's favouite song "Easy Livin".

Uriah Heep were celebrating releasing their 25th album when releasing "Living the Dream".  And to be frank they are still sounding as good as ever.  It will be interesting to see how long they will keep going for but right now it seems the crowds are loving them and they clearly are still loving performing. And long may that continue.

06/12/18 - Tremonti @ Liquid Room, Edinburgh

I don't often see an artist twice in one year. In fact I don't often go outwith Glasgow to see an artist. However after seeing Tremonti in June earlier in the year and then announcing that he would be back in Scotland later in the year; I was eager to grab the opportunity. Also Campbell being a big Tremonti fan since the start meant we were good to go.

We arrived at the venue bang on 7pm which the ticket stated thats when the doors open.  So we were surprised to find that there was no queue unlike the academy earlier in the year where the queue was huge at doors opening time.  As we got in the first band, Disconnected, were already on.  I was in disbelief.  I love catching support bands and it turned out the song we arrived to was to be the last in their set. It seems quite a few other folk were caught out by the early start too as it was probably about quarter full at this point.  After I got home I did check various websites/social media about start times but couldn't see anything about change in start times.

Anyway I was still pretty excited and did not ruin what was an excellent evening.  The main support act The Ravens age came on and powered through a set of rocking/metal songs.  Their new singer really came to the fore as an engaging frontman. While the rest of the band seemed to be having the time of their lives.  And quite rightly so as they have amassed a good collection of songs to show off.

Now for the main act of the night Tremonti who were just as good as when I saw them back in June.  While the skeleton of the set remained the same with the likes of "Cauterize", "Another Heart", "Dust" and "So you're afraid".  Their did seem to be more songs off the new album creeping into the set with my personal favourite "Traipse", then "Trust" and "The first and the last".  Then you have the already classics "Dying Machine", "Take you with me" and "Bringer of War".  Personally I think the selection of so many songs off the new album speaks volumes on how good it is, as its knocking out of the set some big hitters from other albums.

I have to say I pretty much enjoyed the whole set.  There was only a few song section where I didn't enjoy as much - being "Flying monkeys" and "Radical change".  These are clearly popular songs though but I'm afraid they are slightly weaker tracks than the others for me.  But I think everyone will have tracks from artists they don't like as much.  On the whole though the night proved once again that Tremonti are a band on top of their game and one of the best bands on the live scene.  He did say at the end they would be back. But obviously with Mark's Alter bridge commitments next year it may be a few years.  Oh well just as well I got to see him twice this year! Totally worth it!!

The 1975 - A brief inquiry into Online relationships

"A brief inquiry into Online relationships" is the 3rd album by UK pop/rock band The 1975.  This is also part 1 out of 2 of albums they are releasing in quick succession as the next album is due out in May 2019. I would say I am a fan of this band however with the 2 previous albums there have been many tracks off both which I love, but at the same time there are tracks on both which I really don't like at all. 

On first listen to this album and when I heard "Love it if we made it". I did think this album was going to go down the same way for me. But after 5 plus listens I have got into this album more and more. And now all the songs are making sense and all 15 tracks seem to work well together. One thing I noticed on the other albums was that they like to have different sounding songs, even spanning different genres. And with "A brief inquiry.." they have done this again but as I say this time for me they have got it spot on. 

The first track "The 1975" is one of those moments which make this band so special. It is the same tune as the first track on their debut and sophomore albums but again with a different twist. Different effects used in the vocals and also a piano used too. Not many bands do this and for me its part of the bands identity.  Then second track "Give yourself a try" is where the album really comes to life. A great uplifting track with a great riff which goes round in a loop for the whole song.  Its not a song I can listen to on repeat due to the repetitive nature of the riff but it does fit in well when listening to the album as a whole and the lyrics are also great. In particular "So what would you say to your younger self, growing a beards quite hard and whiskey never starts to taste nice".  Something I can relate to :-)

Next up is "TOOTIMETOOTIME", Another feel good track which will get you moving and grooving. "How to draw.." is almost like an interlude for starter as it begins softley and for the first minute and half it is an instrumental. Then Matt Healy's vocals creep in, then things start to pick up and it has a trancy type feel to it. Matts vocals are different to usual here and he is experimenting but it does work with the music.  The next track "Love it if we made it" I did hate when it first came out as a single.  It starts off with Matt singing incredibly high for the beginning of a song.  And the opening lyrics I thought were rubbish "We're f**king in a car, shooting heroin, saying controvertial things just for the hell of it".  But like "Give yourself a try" it just worked in an album listening environment. And now I look at the song structure of this song and think it is actually really good and different. I love it especially when the song breaks down and it turns into a kind of dance type track.

"How to draw.." was the first surprise on the album in terms of The 1975 doing something different. Then you have "Be my mistake" which sees them doing something different again. This time totally stripping back with Matt and an accoustic guitar. It feels so intimate and emotional in the delivery. I don't recall them doing this on past albums and they have absolutley nailed it here.  "Sincerity is scary" sees them change direction again, keeping it chilled this time with saxaphones added to the mix too. The track flows nicely into "I like America and America likes me". They had "She's American" on their last album. Sometimes I wonder if they include America in the title of their songs to appeal to the American market.

"The Man who married a robot......" sees them doing something different yet again. It features spoken word rather Matts vocals. And tells a story about a man loving the internet with a soft musical backdrop. It acts like an interlude and adds an extra dimension to the album.   "Inside your mind" is a piano ballad which builds with guitars as the song goes on.  Then they probably decided since "Be my mistake" went so well that they should have another acoustic track on the album so "Surrounded by heads..." comes in and again they deliver another quality track which tugs with the emotions. "Its not living..." is an upbeat, feel good track which for me is my favourite track off this album.  "Mine" sees them do another piano ballad. This time slightly slower than "Inside your mind" but again works well. "I couldn't be more in love" continues the ballad trend. Then the album finishes on "I always wanna die (sometimes)", a very nice album closer.

Overall I really do think this album is a classic and I will be listening to it for many months to come. While the first 2 albums I thought were good but patchy. There is not a bad track on this and the diversity in the sounds and genres spanned just shows the ambition and talent of the band.

Starset - Vessels

"Vessels" is the second album by Ohio four piece Starset. "Vessels" was originally released in 2017, then released again with a bonus disc as "Vessels 2.0" in 2018. I first came across Starset a few months ago supporting Shinedown and to say I was blown away by them was an understatement. I haven't listened to the debut album "Transmissions" that much yet as I have been listening to "Vessels 2.0" a lot. 

With "Vessels" Starset really are spoiling their fans. It is a 15 track album, lasting roughly 70 minutes. Meaning the average track length is just under 5 minutes. Some bands are guilty of making albums this length and sometimes quality control doesn't quite hit the mark. But Starset have created an album here which hits the spot in every way. They are very much a rock band and most of the songs do have the same sort of feel to them. But Starset have got cello and violin players drafted in to give their music an extra dimension. "Last to Fall" and "Bringing it down" for example have incredible string outros.

There are many songs on this album which are big sounding rock songs that have that stadium rock feel. Most notably "Satellites", "Die for you" and "Ricochet".  But there are so many other tracks which fit the bill, but those ones I suppose were most standout to me. Vocalist Dustin Bates has an awesome voice which fits the music well. Another great track worthy of a mention is album closer "Everglow". What a closer to an album. 7 minutes plus and has Starset's trademark frenzied guitars causing an almighty racket. But this one stands out more as it lasts longer. 

One thing which I thought was missing from "Vessels" was a slower, ballad kind of track. There are of course moments in the songs on the album which have slow moments but generally these seems to build up to the explosions of noise. Not a bad thing but I did think that Starset would be good at the slower stuff. That is why I was pleased to discover that some of the bonus tracks on "Vessels 2.0" were in fact acoustic versions of the album tracks. Then you have "Love you to Death".  This track is just sublime and at the time of writing my favourite Starset track.  This is a softer track and everything about it works really well. I was slightly disappointed when I found out it was a cover (Type O Negative). But Starset have done a great job with it.  "Vessels 2.0" as previously mentioned is 2 discs. First is the album. Then second is bonus tracks. Taking total listening time to 1 hour 50 minutes. And these remixes and acoustic tracks are well worth it. And I don't often say that about artists who release albums or have bonus discs.

Overall this is an absolutley fantastic album and I am so happy I discovered this album. If you haven't seen them live you need to go, as it is a mesmerising experience. "Vessels" is straight out the top drawer and if rumours are true it won't be long till the next instalment. Wikipedia says 2019!  They are big in America but don't seem to be as big in Europe. Hopefully with this support slot on the Shinedown tour they will amass some more fans. They have a new one here that is for certain.

Muse - Simulation Theory

"Simulation Theory" is English rock 3 piece Muse's 8th studio album. They started life as a band in the late 90s and I got sucked in by their rifftastic tunes very early on when their debut album "Showbiz" came out. While the first 4 albums I absolutely loved, particularly "Origin of Symmetry", I did go off them for a bit during albums 5 and 6. But when 7th album "Drones" came out I was sucked back in again and thought the album represented a triumphant return to form.

It seems like the build up to this album has been happening for quite a while, with the likes of "Thought contagion" and "Dig Down" have been on playlists maybe for as long as a year. But to be honest they weren't on my playlists along with more recent single "Pressure".  I just didn't think they were very good and in Muse terms they feel very basic and safe. And I think this is, generally speaking, the story of the album. But I have to admit on the whole when listening to these songs and other songs on the album, I do like these songs more now than I did when listening to them individually. They fit in with the album and while they don't particularly challenge the listener they do have a lot of fun songs to listen to on here.

I do think that there is a stand out track on here and it happens straight from the word go in the form of "Algorithm".  This to me is Muse at their best. The long introduction before the vocals kick in and the whole feel of the song really does set the bar high for the rest of the album. As I said while I have started to enjoy the album and the singles within in it more after multiple listens. But this track for me really does stand out.

On the contrary their are two tracks on here that let the album down badly and I would say they are two of the worst Muse tracks I have ever heard. These are "Propaganda" and "Break it to me".  These songs feel like the band are trying to add more complexity and creativity to their songs but for me here it backfires and ends up very messy, to the point where I am going - what were they thinking.

Overall I would say there are nine good tracks on here. For other bands maybe I would say they were great but what I have heard Muse create in the past, I know they are better than this. So I would give this album four out of five based on the nine tracks.  But those two other tracks I was talking about really bring it down a notch so I can only give this three out of five. But on the whole I see myself listening to this for a while as on the whole it is still an enjoyable listen.

02/11/18 - Kacey Musgraves @ Armadillo, Glasgow

I only discovered Kacey Musgraves back in March this year when her third album "Golden Hour" came out. I was blown away with this album and was on the hunt to see if she was playing Glasgow any time soon. And I was in luck, although tickets were already on sale for this gig, there were still quite a few tickets left and my mum was up for it too so we snapped a few up.

So fast forward to yesterday and we got there in plenty of time for the single support act for the night Soccer Mummy. I'm glad I found out stage times before hand as doors opened at 6.30 but Soccer Mummy wasn't on till 7.50. But it did mean we didn't have to queue at any point.  Sophie Allison or Soccer Mummy is her stage name also had 3 other band members with her. A guitarist, bassist and drummer. I quite enjoyed her 40ish minute set. The tone of her music is quite relaxing and she has quite soothing vocals. She also had quite good chat in between songs which the crowd warmed to.  I did like the way the guitarist would go off on wee guitar solos at the end of some of the songs too.

It set the scene quite nicely for Kacey Musgraves.  She was due on at 9pm but for some reason or another she didn't come on till 9.20pm. But even with the slightly delay she still stormed through a 17 song set along with a 3 song encore. Most of the set was quite rightfully built around the latest album "Golden Hour". I know she had quite a reputation before this album but this album has seemed to have propelled her further into the spotlight. My personal highlights was a nice acoustic rendition of "Oh what a world" and also one of her older songs "Merry go round". But really the whole set was really good.  I can't remember the song but there was one song which turned into a 2-3 minute jam session which was excellent and also unexpected.

For most of the set everyone was seated but when the likes of "Velvet Elvis" and "Follow your arrow" started more and more people began to stand and by the end of the set everyone was standing. Especially for the final song "High horse".  It will be interesting to see what direction takes with her music. Obviously "Golden hour" was hugely successful but the majority of the songs on it were quite laid back with emphasis on her amazing vocals (which really shone through tonight). But in that album she also has these upbeat dancy numbers which the crowd clearly love too. It was one of those gigs where its appropriate to sit down for 3/4s of it and then standing for the other quarter.  So what venue is really suitable for her?!  Well I suppose a comprimise would be a place with standing and seating, for example the hydro. But could she sell that out with her next album? Time will tell...

Overall an excellent night.

30/10/18 - Shinedown @ O2 Academy, Glasgow

I only discovered Shinedown back in March of this year but they have fast become one of my favourite bands. So I was very excited to get tickets for this one, especially as they sold out with in an hour of going on sale. Tonights line up was myself, Craig, Campbell and Brian and we got to the venue about 7.15 to find huge queues. By the time we got in the place was 3/4s full and first support band Press to the Meco were half way through there set.

Press to Meco are a 3 piece rock band from London. They did have some good moments and it was interesting to see that all 3 members sang at various points. I have a rule at gigs at the moment in that if I haven't heard of a support before going to the gig. I keep it that way as I enjoy getting into bands live. But in Press to Meco's case I think it would have been better to get into their songs first.  And for that reason although I wasn't completely blown away by their set, I will be checking them out further.

Now I don't ususally do this but I will make an exception here - if you are going to see Shinedown on this tour or you think you'll see the next support band Starset which I am going to talk about now. It is probably best you skip over the next section till you see them. People who have seen or know about Starset will know what I am talking about. So skip this section if you dont want to know about Starset's set.  But if you aren't planning to see them I would read it!

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OK what can you say about Starset!  I don't think I have ever reacted to a support band the way I reacted to Starset. When they came on stage and started going into the first song my mates just looked at each other and just said "WOW".  Coming on in space suits which lit up in different colours depending on how they moved. They had projectors too and generally had such a great stage presence.  The band is made up with the lead singer, guitarist, bassist and a string section which are very much part of the band. And one of them played keyboards for a bit too. They did remind me a bit of Bring me the Horizon but longer songs and maybe not as heavy. This really was an excellent set. And I should mention by the time they came on the place was full.  It was unfortunate at the start of the last song they ran into technical difficulties. They tried to fix it for 5 minutes but time was getting on and they decided to call it a day. But when they explained this they got such a good reaction. I think they had already won the audience and didn't really have anything left to prove. It was tremendous.
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Now on to the headliners Shinedown.  They came on and drove head first into hit single "Devil". That really got the place going. They then played "Diomond Eyes" which to be honest was the only song they played which I was unfamiliar with but appearently it was on a soundtrack.  It was interesting to note that there was no songs I don't think from the first 2 albums but the were all spread out over the last 4. This was ideal for me as the first 2 albums I didn't think were as good. But at the same time it may be because I haven't given them enough listens yet. But either way I was pleased the set focused on albums 3 to 6.

Such is their back catalogue now every song they played was a hit and when you can exclude songs like the "Crow and the Butterfly" from the set you know you have a strong set of material. One thing which could get on peoples nerves a bit and I have seen a few Twitter comments about it - is frontman Brent Smith's talking in between songs. But I think it is brilliant. He really knows how to get the crowd going. In fact before "Enemies" he went all the way into the crowd and up to a section we were standing near just to tell people to jump for the next song. He then went back and everyone was jumping. He just knew what to say to get the crowd on side.  I know some people might want more songs but I think it can be what is said in between songs makes gigs a better experience too.

My favourite moment of the night though came in the form of an acousitc version of Amaryllis. I absolutley love that song and I dont think they play it that often live at the moment as they said they asked folk what they wanted to hear earlier in the day on social media and quite a few people said this song. So Glasgow was very lucky!  The gig was due to finish at 11pm but I think maybe because of the problems with the support acts set it didn't finish till about 11.15pm with the magnificent song "Brilliant" which is the closer on their latest album "Attention, Attention".

Overall this was an absolutley amazing gig. One of the things I love about Shinedown is that the songs are so easy to sing along to.  They rock so much and put everything into it. They are clearly grateful for the position they are in and to the people that made them who they are. I was late to the party with them but I am there now and I am planning on being at the next one.

Greta Van Fleet - Anthem of the Peaceful Army

"Anthem of the Peaceful Army" is the debut album by American rockers Greta Van Fleet. After releasing 2 EPs last year they were very much honing their sound. "Anthem of the Peaceful Army" sees them step it up a gear and really show what they are about.  Since their last EP "Friendly fires" came out last year I still think they are one of the most talked about bands in rock music today. They have divided music fans and critics right across the globe.

I think one of the most refreshing things about this album is that they could have done what so many artists do with debut albums and take tracks from previous EPs which have done well and put them on the album. But Greta haven't done this at all and have delivered all fresh tracks which are up to the same standard, if not better than the tracks on those EPs.

I would say the main approach Greta have taken here is slightly safe in as much that most of the tracks are all out rockers with a few exceptions. I do think they have every right to do this given this is their debut album and really with a debut album you are trying to build up a fan base. But I do think they are capable of a lot more and I think over time as they develop as musicians and as songwriters they will become more adventurous in their songs. Songs like "You're the One" and "The New Day" show a softer side to Greta and prove they are not just all about the all out rockers.  By being more adventurous I am talking about Greta creating that epic track that would really put them on the map which they need to write in order to be considered alongside the greats they are being compared to. For example "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin or "November Rain" by Guns & Roses.

But at the same time you have to give it to Greta Van Fleet for what they have done so early in their career. Many, many bands have tried to create this style of music in the past few decades and have not had such an impact as Greta Van Fleet have had. Their is a reason for this and it is because of the talent they posses.  I think the keys to their success is the vocals and the guitar. Josh Kiszka has such distinct vocals that are so powerful and has so much energy that it turns these songs from good songs into great songs.

Overall this is a very good album that has propelled Greta Van Fleet further into the spotlight. I think they are capable of even more than this which I hope they deliver on. But for now I have an album which I can delve into further and enjoy for the next few months.

Young the Giant - Mirror Master

Alternative indie band Young the Giant return with their 4th full length album "Mirror Master". The Californian 5 piece burst on to the scene in 2010 with their self titled debut album. I thought that up until this album came out, it was Young the Giant's best album. But their second and third albums; "Mind over Matter" and "Home of the strange" respecitively showed a band who have found their rhythm and have a high level of consistency of producing very good albums.

"Mirror Master" I feel very much sees them in their own comfort zone. If you like Young the Giant before I think you will really like this album. The consistency which I was talking about in the introduction has well and truely carried over to this album and I would even go as far as saying that in places they have upped their game. So much so there is stuff on "Mirror Master" which is some of the best work they have ever done. 

There is a good mixture of songs on here, from upbeat, head nodding stompers to some more delicate songs which really show off Sameer Gadhia's superb vocals. I often say with bands that you can have good guitar players, bass players and drummers. But more often than not its the vocals which can set a band apart.  And this is one of the reasons I think Young the Giant have been producing such great music over the last 8 years and beyond.

The upbeat songs I am talking about come in the shape of "Superposition", hit single "Simplify" and the title track which finishes off the album.  Really good, feel good tracks.  But my favourite track off the album is the slowest and that's "Darkest Shade of Blue". It's a song which is not in a hurry at all. Slow paced, fine lyrics and vocals just very pleasent listening. If anything I wish it would last a bit as it is only 2 minutes 13 seconds long.

Overall I think "pleasent listening" describes how I feel when listening to this record. Young the Giant have produced another fine album. With the singles being so good it will be interesting if radio stations pick up on the fact they have upped their game a bit and play them a bit more.

Avenged Sevenfold - Black Reign EP

After there final tour of "The Stage" album era was cancelled due to M Shadows vocal issues. Many fans must have thought it would be an age before they would hear from Avenged Sevenfold again as they head back into the studio to record a new album. But then they throw a curve ball and release the "Black Reign" EP. A collection of songs they made for the Call of Duty games over the years. Fans of the game and older Avenged Sevenfold fans generally may have different opinions on releasing these songs in EP form. But for me as a very new fan (discovered them last year); This was all new material to me so it is all fresh and very exciting.

One strange thing which I have never heard this happen before is that this EP was re-released within a week of being available. This was due to feedback from fans saying that the mixing was bad. The band totally agreed with them, got it fixed and put it back out there. I don't know if its because I'm not in a band or don't have a trained ear but I didn't actually notice that the mixing was bad in the first place. I really enjoyed listening to it on the whole.

This is a four track EP, kicking off with "Mad Hatter". It opens with M Shadows trademark vocal style and sounds similar to stuff from their self titled album. But one of the things I love about the song is M Shadows variation in his voice throughout the song. For example when he sings "the feeding of the voices in my head", the first time he is casually sings it, then the second two times he ups it and it works so well. He treats his voice like an instrument.  There is also a nice kick back guitar section in this song too.

"Carry On" is a ferousious all out metal track.  Here M Shadows is delivering some of the vocals in the screaming style appeared in the first 2 albums Avenged released. I didn't really like those albums. But here because those style vocals are complimented on this track with proper singing I actually really like it. Again really fine guitar work and another cracking tune.

"Not Ready to die" starts off with an organ and guitar build up before the guitar and drums really kick in and we're off again on another epic metal track. M Shadows uses the occasional scream vocals once more to good effect. The EP ends with "Jade Helm" which is an instrumental track.  I always like bands attempting instrumentals as I do feel it is harder to make a track stand out without vocals as there are less hooks.  Here I don't think Avenged quite pull it off here. I think maybe I'm expecting too much like "Exist" off The Stage which was a predomintaly instrumental track. "Jade Helm" does have a number of frustrating silences throughout the song. Sometimes bands use silence to good effect within songs but for me it doesn't really work here. I think the silent bits are too long. It does have its moments though this track and I really like the drum beat.

Overall this is a quality EP. 3 out of 4 good songs ain't bad. I like the way Avenged Sevenfold go that extra mile trying to keep there songs interesting and refreshing, especially since they have been going for so long.

Nosound - Allow Yourself

Nosound return with their 6th full length album "Allow Yourself. In the build up to the release of this album, the band made it clear they were experimenting with new sounds and really pushing the boundaries of their music. So I was keen to hear what exactly they had in store and exactly how far those boundaries were pushed.

The results are very interesting to say the least. I think they definitley have found a new direction while keeping that Nosound stamp on it. The album starts off with "Ego Drip" and gets you into a kind of hipnotic trance right from the outset through its mesmirsing electronica. But the album has so many twists and turns it will keep you guessing which way they are going to turn next. I do think although this is a further progression in sound for Nosound that it does still follow on from their last album "Scintilla" in the fact that the tracks remain shorter. Unlike their earlier albums which saw a lot longer tracks. This album comes in at just 38 minutes. Certainly not a critism but it would be interesting to see them explore this style of music further with longer tracks.

The style of music I am talking about here is this electronica/alternative landscape. The genre of electrorinica and alternative is often hard to nail down as its is so vast. But here keyboards are domintant which I think really is the driver for electronica. I think the best moments of this album are the wonderful climaxs for example on "This night" and "Growing in Me".  The way everything builds in "This night" up to these moments are fantastic and as a listener it keeps you captivated. But then you have songs like "Shelter" and "At Peace" which give the album this beautiful balance as these represent the softer songs on the album.

Overall Nosound have well and truely come up with the goods here. I am very impressed with this album and appreciate that they have stepped outside their comfort zone a little.

The Fallen State - The View from Ruin

"The View from Ruin" is the second EP by hard rockers The Fallen State based down in South west England. I first discovered them supporting Tremonti this year and the set they delivered more than warranted me to delve into their back catalogue. But I think this EP even surprised me just so much I have listened to it. So much so this 20 minute EP now has place in my daily routine.

The EP is 5 tracks and when I say there is not a bad track on this I really do mean it. The term "banger" gets thrown about a lot these these days. Well try this on for size. These are 5 absolute bangers.  Recently I have been finding tunes stuck in my head wondering who they are. More often than not it is by The Fallen State. The songs are just well crafted. Great guitar work. Excellent vocals. What more could you ask for.  I must get round to listening to the other EP "Crown your Shadows".  I also hope an album is on the cards in the near future.

Recommended.

Alter Bridge - Live at the Royal Albert Hall with Parallax Orchestra

Alter Bridge have released many DVDs which I haven't had the pleasure of watching yet. The likes of Live at Wembley and the Amsterdam one. But this DVD has the added speciality that it is first time Alter Bridge have performed with an orchestra.  Not only that but it was at the Royal Albert Hall. A venue I am gagging to go to a gig too as just looks like an awesome place.  Before I got into the review of the DVD I'll give a bit of background to my journey with Alter Bridge.

I first heard of Alter Bridge last year thanks to a friend who was and still is a huge, huge fan of them. I liked "Cradle to the grave" but other than that I could not get into them at all and I went as far as saying I did not like them.  I continued to follow them on twitter and facebook as I did quite like their posts and retweets. When Myles's solo stuff started being released earlier this year I sat up and took notice. This was really good! I bought the album and loved it. I then started to get into Tremonti and love most of his stuff and have been to see him live. However I still didn't really like Alter Bridge. I tried listening to a few albums and just could not get into them.

Then things started to gradually change when they released "Addicted to Pain" live version from this gig was released. I loved it. Most bands when they release a live DVD just release it and that's that. With Alter Bridge its like they are releasing singles of it to get people into it. And it really worked on me. Especially when they released "Words darker than their wings". An awesome track and that high note Myles sings is phenomemal. Then they released "The End is here". A track which sees Myles without guitar, allowing him to really connect with the crowd.

Now the edition of this I bought contained the DVD, Blue ray and 2 CDSs.  I have listened to the CDs on their own and while they are excellent. They don't fully capture what went down that night at the Royal Albert Hall. I think this is a performance you really need to see whether its the blue ray or the DVD.  The CDs are also all about the music with none of the talking in between songs. Also the DVD/blue ray contains interviews with the band and manger in between some of the tracks.   These interviews show what great people the likes of Myles and Mark and the rest of the band are. They come across really well.

This DVD really has really opened my eyes (and ears) to more of Alter Bridge's music. And they really have produced something amazing and special here. You don't always realise the orchestra is there but there are tracks you do and they do add a great deal to those tracks. There are so many amazing moments. But I really like the streak starting with "The end is here", moving on to "Words Darker than their wings", on to "Water rising" (love Marks vocals on this), "Lover" (I think this is the track the orchestra works best with), "Wonderful life/Watch over you" (Myles accoustic).  Now you may notice that a few of these tracks have Mark on vocals. To be honest while Myles does have a good voice and suits Alter Bridge's style. I do actually like Mark's vocals better which is why I am a big fan of Tremonti.  But when it comes to acoustic stuff Myles is awesome.

The thing is though even though I do like Mark's vocals better. I think Myles is a better front man than Tremonti. He really connects with the crowd both in between songs and during songs. I'm not saying the rest of the band don't - they have their roles and perform them excellently. Mark's solo's on many of the songs are awesome. And it was also nice to see Myles taking a few solos to, showing just how talented a guitarist he is too.

Overall this is an excellent release. The DVD - all 2 hours 45 minutes of it. Worth every penny. With or without an orchestra I would go and see Alter Bridge live. And who knows I might even give the albums another listen now I am getting into them more.

Capital Cities - Solarize

"Solarize" is the second album by LA dance pop act Capital Cities. It has been 5 years since their debut album "In a Tidal Wave of Mystery" came out. Although it is only this year that I discovered the band as it came up in my Apple Music recommendations. I was very impressed with the debut album but for some reason didn't take my interest any further in terms of following them on Twitter/Facebook etc.  So last week when I was looking through new releases on Apple Music I noticed "Solarize" was literally just out. It was a nice surprise and a novelty for me going into an album where all the songs are fresh. Rather than being drip fed singles in the lead up to the release.

I don't really like calling Capital Cities a pop act that much to be honest. As much as I like pop music and there is some talent within the pop genre. I feel the artists themselves generally don't really posess that much talent themselves and often get songs written for them. Where as Capital Cities really do possess talent.  Maybe an indie pop band would describe them better.

For those hoping for something different from their debut I think will be slightly disappointed with this album. But for those like me who wanted more of the same will be absolutley delighted.  This is an absolute stormer of an album and I reckon I must have listened to this album at least 10 times already.  The key which makes this album so good is that it is feel good music. It has nice variety and so many positive upbeat vibes flowing through it.

My favourite track on the album is "Just say when". As well as having that wonderful upbeat vibe I was talking about. It also has what I think is a trumpet solo which is just fantasitc.  "Drop Everything", "My name is Mars" and "Drifting" are other highlights. But to be honest there aren't any skipable tracks here. There are also a couple of alternative versions of songs on the album. Most notably "Girl Friday" which has some rapping thanks to Rick Ross.  I'm not generally a fan of rap music but I don't mind it in small doses. And here it works well. In fact so well I prefer it to the other version on the album.

Overall this is a fantastic album and I'm so glad I discovered by accident it was out. I won't make the mistake next time as I'm now following them on Twitter and Facebook. I'm not sure how big they are in the UK but if they keep producing music like this someone has to sit up and take note eventually.

Death Cab for Cutie - Thank You for Today

Seattle indie rockers Death Cab for Cutie return with their 9th studio album "Thank You for Today". Most of the publicty around this album seems to focus on how it's the first album Death Cab have released without founding member Chris Walla.  And also that they brought in guitarist Dave Depper on guitar and Zac Rae on keyboards for the first time.  This kind of change in the band does bring questions on how this will effect Death Cab's sound and what direction they will take.

Well to answer this, this is easily recognisable as a Death Cab album. It still has that same kind of chirpy guitar flow to it and Ben Gibbard's noticable vocal style. When I first heard the singles come out one by one I did get very excited for this record. I thought "Gold Rush", "I Dreamt we spoke again" and "Autumn Love" were all excellent and still do.  But the rest of the album feels a bit like they are on auto pilot a bit in terms of their sound. Don't get me wrong they still good songs but I don't feel like its anything they haven't done before. They did bring Lauren Mayberry in from Chrvches in for the track "Northern Lights" to do some vocals.  However, I don't feel it adds a great deal to the track but doesn't take away from it either. 

One thing though that this album is missing and would turn this album from a good album to a great album is that epic track which is lacking here. The likes of Tranatlantasim" and "They might be giants" from the album "Transatlantasism" or "I will possess your heart" off "Narrow Stairs" are no where to be seen. To me those songs took those albums and Death Cab for Cutie into the highest of heights of indie rock.  It almost feels that "Thank You for Today" was the safe option for them. They can churn out 4 minute indie tracks all day long. But writing that epic its a bit more challenging, a bit more risky in terms of whether they can pull it off etc. Especially if former guitarist Walla was the inspiration behind the longer tracks.

Overall though this is still a good album.  If I hadn't heard any of the previous classic albums that they had made before it I would have been more impressed with this. It is just I know what they are really capable of.  But this time I think they chose to get settled in with the new line up. Hopefully they can go off a bit more adventurous in future as we all know they can pull it off.  

The Coral - Move through the dawn

Liverpudlians The Coral have just released their 9th album "Move through the dawn". The band formed in 1996 and came to the forefront of the British indie scene in the early 2000s with their breakout self titled debut album featuring indie classic "Dreaming of you" along with many other jangly, inticing pop numbers.  Despite not seeing them live in their early days I was keen on their first few albums. After that for me, although they kept releasing albums, they kind of disappeared a bit. And they did actually go on a hiatus for a while.

That was until this year when they seemed to have got themselves back on the map. I caught them supporting the Manic Street Preachers earlier this year and was very impressed. Although "Dreaming of you" still appears to be their best song. There was enough other good material on show to make me investigate some previous releases, most notably there previous album to this one "Distance inbetween".  They did play one new song at that gig "Sweet release" which does feature on this album but to be honest at the time it did feel like one of the weaker tracks on the night.  So that being said I wasn't all that excited about this album but at the same time I was happy to give it a listen and be proved wrong when it came out.

So that's what I did and I have to say I was pleanstly surprised in a very good way. The last album seemed to focus more on guitar wizardry and more rock.  This is for me the most accessible album I have heard by them. It also feels like they have not gone for the approach of making all out singles. But instead a collection of songs that fit together. I'm not saying the sound exactly the same. There are some up tempo songs, there are more tender songs. But the general feel of the album is consistent throughout and that is what makes this album so good. 

I did mention that I didn't really like "Sweet release" when I heard it live and even when I gave it a few listens when it came out as a single. But I have to say it has grown on me and I do think that its because it fits so well with the rest of the songs on the album. Other highlights include opener "Eyes Like Pearls" and the closer "At the fair" which is a majestic acousitic track.  I don't really listen to the radio these days but due to the type of tracks and the quality of the tracks I can see this being played by a variety of radio stations from XFM to Radio 2.

Overall this was a really nice suprise.  Even though the last album "Distance inbetween" got me to sit up and pay attention to The Coral again. With this album I really do feel they have stepped it up a notch and is my favourite Coral album I have listened to.

White Lies - To Lose my Life

"To Lose my Life" is the debut album by London based band, White Lies. In 2009 White Lies were arguably one of the hardest working bands in Britain. With sources counting up to 31 festival appearances, a support slot on Coldplay's stadium tour and a headline tour of their own. I saw them twice in 2009 and both times I wasn't there to see them. T in the park I was waiting to see someone else and the other time I was seeing Coldplay. I thought they were ok but would've helped if I had heard the album beforehand. Well now I've got it and the survey says...

This album is absolutely magnificent. 10 tracks and not one bad song on it. Each track is a crowd pleasing anthem. Easy comparisons can be made to Editors and Interpol's more accessible stuff. But the reality is each of these songs have the White Lies stamp on it.  Obviously though like any album, there are going to be some tracks you like better than others. It's just in this case the other tracks still rank pretty high.

If I had to choose my favourites it would probably be "Death", "A place to hide", "Unfinished Business" and "Fair well to the fairground". Yes I know that's 40% of the album but I just love these tracks. They represent just why they have been invited to so many festivals. These are catchy tunes which are easy to sing along to; exactly what you want at a festival! I think the biggest variable with bands is the singer. Although you can get many degrees of talent with different instruments. The singer's voice can be the big differentiators which is definitely the case with Harry McVeigh. He does sound a bit like Tom Smith from the Editors but with the different feel of the songs making White Lies stand out.

Now the other tracks, I have tried to look for flaws in these tracks, even the more downbeat "Nothing to Give". But I can't because it adds a new dimension to the album and works so well! I think its one of those albums you'll either love all of it or hate all of it.

Overall this is by far the best debut I have heard in 2009 and is definitely in my top 10 albums of 2009. Each lyric is sang with such purpose and meaning and everything else combines to make this absolute belter of an album.  The only thing is, where do they go from here for their second album? No idea but looking forward to it already!

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Blind Worms Pious Swine

Normally I start off album reviews by saying this is the 1st or 2nd album by so and so. With Omar Rodriguez - Lopez I am actually in disbelief the amount of records he has released as a solo artist. Never mind what he has done with his various other bands - Mars Volta, At the drive-in etc. "Blind Worms Pious Swine" is the 29th ALBUM by Omar! This was released in 2016 and he has released 20 more albums since then!  Although its clear he is a very busy man, some of these albums were stock piled as they were recorded between 2008 and 2013. But even still he is a total machine.

I did keep on top of his releases in the early days but found myself going off him a bit. And then when he announced in 2016 he was releasing 11 albums which were to be released every fortnight I just could not keep up. I thought this was just too much and wanted to listen to more than just one artist.  But what made me come back now?  Well I was listening to Mars Volta on Spotify, then after the album finishes it goes into similar tracks which they think you'll like. A track called "Lights" off of "Blind Worms Pious Swine" came on and I absolutely loved it.  Interestingly this is a cover of the Ellie Goulding song and is the only cover of a song ever to feature on an Omar album.

As you would imagine with a solo album, Omar takes control of most things, such as guitars, synth, bass and some of the vocals. But also featuring on this album is Deantoni Parks on drums. And also Teri Gender Bender on main vocals from Les Butcherettes.  The first 7 tracks on this album do have do vary from song to song and it is just really nice melodic alternative music. But it has this extra edge to it due to Omar's musicianship. These songs would sound good in basic form but Omar always adds these extra effects or guitar wizardry just to take the tracks to the next level.

The thing is the first 7 tracks feel like the first half of the album.  If you are listening from track 8 onwards for the first time it is a bit of a surprise in a way. But if you have heard Omar at all in the past its probably not really surprising at all! And this is a very good thing. The vocals disappear on the last 4 tracks and it just sounds like a full on jam session. It is marvellous.

Although I never really stopped listening to At the Drive-in and the Mars Volta. This album has really made me want to get into more of Omar's solo stuff again. This album shows that even if you didn't like some of the album. You do need to listen to it all the way through as you just don't know what is around the corner.

Shinedown - Sound of Madness

"Sound of Madness" is the 3rd album by American hard rockers Shinedown. It came out in 2008 meaning this year (2018) marks a very special 10 year anniversary. It doesn't look like they are doing anything to celebrate it, like special tours etc. But the music press have been keen to point out that this is the 10th anniversary for the album. And when they do that it tends to mean the album was a memorable one and still relevant 10 years down the line. I only came across Shinedown this year and I have been slowly getting through their back catalogue. In fact I have pretty much getting into the albums in reverse order to when they came out meaning I've only heard the hit singles from the first two albums.

But let's focus on "Sound of Madness".  This album saw quite a change for the band as 2 members - Jasin Todd and Brad Stewart were fired from the band. They were replaced with Zach Myers and Eric Bass. For a four person band where your lead guitarist and bassist get replaced this is pretty big and you would think their musical output would change. But from what I've heard of the first 2 albums "Sound of Madness" does seem like a continuation of their sound. I think because vocalist Brent Smith is still their means that it still sounds like Shinedown. You can replicate guitars and bass to an extent depending on talent, but vocals are a lot more difficult.

The one thing that really grabs me about this album is that their are so many anthems on this record.  I mean there are songs on hear which only really deserve being played in stadiums and headlining festival slots. By the looks of things they did get big in America but didn't quite have the same impact in the UK. But what I'm trying to emphasise is that these are great big sounding songs. I would say 2 singles which stand out in particular are  "The Crow and the Butterfly" and "Second Chance".  This album is hard rock at its best.  There are also some lighter moments on the album with songs like "What a shame" and "If only you knew".

I don't normally review deluxe versions of albums. But I did buy the deluxe version of this album and I have to say it is well worth it.  The DVD has about 6 live tracks and all the music videos belonging to the album. While the album also contains a few bonus tracks which just need to be heard!  "Energy", "I owe you" and "Son of Sam" are all excellent. Sometimes I think you need to listen to the album they put in front of you and it should be a whole. But these bonus tracks actually add to the listening pleasure and would stand proud alongside their more well known songs if they were to play them live today.

I have reviewed the 3 latest albums by Shinedown and gave them all 5 stars. I still stand by that. And this album I can't give anything less than 5 stars. It is fantastic. The deluxe version just takes it to another dimension. I sure don't envy them for the job of choosing a set list.

Ghost - Prequelle

"Prequelle" is the 4th album by Swedish rock/metal band Ghost.  It's hard to say exactly what genre these guys fit into as their music is so varied they are quite a hard band to pigeon hole. But for someone who likes variation on albums and bands pushing themselves in new ways this is a very good thing for me. Although Ghost formed back in 2006. I only heard of them last week (July 2018). Showing I have well and truely missed the boat on this one. But after a recommendation from a friend I found myself listening to the top tracks by them and most of them seemed to be off this album which came out at the start of June 2018. So let's get into it....

It's a bit of a none start really, as first track "Ashes" takes a while till you can actually hear it, then when it does you get a sampler from kids tune "Ring around the roses". Which is a bit random but the guitar kicks in about half way through and it's only 1 minute and 21 seconds long and to say the best is yet to come is a huge understatement as next track "Rats" testifies. There are many good things about "Rats".  The soothing, gliding vocals by lead singer is something which makes Ghost a truely great band along with the excellent musianship. As Cardianal Copia sings the actual chorus where he emphasises the word "rats" is quite a moment and one you are glad to hear again and again throughout the song. There is also a fine guitar solo in this song which is just one quiver in their bow.  This is quite a heavy song musically but as I say the vocals are what seperate Ghost and make them hugely listenable.

"Faith" has Copia's trademark vocals but also mixes it up with more appropriate ghostly dark vocals. Kind of Mwhahahhahahhaha style feeling about it and also has a nice organ style outro.  "See the Light" takes things down a notch and the singing just gets even better.  To me it sounds more classic rock with some progressive elements.  Next track "Misasma" throws a bit of a curve ball. And I didn't really expect it. This track is purely instrumental. Personally I think it shows a lot about the talent of a band who can make a good instrumental track. As often bands can hide not very good tracks with excellent vocals/lyrics. As often that can be the main focus of the track. Without the vocals for a whole song. It has to be good. And "Misasma" is very good!!  At just over 5 minutes it takes you on a journey letting different instruments coming to the forefront of the song. For instance the keyboards, then guitar, then a truely amazing saxaphone solo which is my highlight of the entire album. It has such a good tempo the song and could go on for 7-10 minutes and I wouldn't get bored of it.

When you think that can't be topped, the next track does really try and its not far off. "Dance Macabre".  This track is back to the classic rock feel again with gliding vocals and soaring choruses. You can imagine these songs would be great singalongs in a live arena.  "Pro Memoria" has a more gental introduction with some nice violins and piano. This song does make me laugh a bit as I sarastically think about how positive the lyrics are to the song with things like "Don't you forget about dying", "Don't you forget that you will die".  The song is good though and has quite a theatrical feel to it and is more piano driven than the other tracks.

"Witch Image" kicks things back up a gear with yet another rocking, singalong chorus.  Then another turn in the album sees another instrumental - "Helvetesfonster" slow things right back down again, at least to begin with. It almost sounds like some sort of woodwind instrument being played here as the track slowly builds up after 2 minutes of interesting "weaving". Then things start to get dramatic as the twists and turns become more substantial. While being totally different to "Misasma" this track is just as good in its own way.  Then final track "Life eternal" goes out on a trimphant note.  It just has that epic feel to it. One of those songs that can create moments played live that you would never forget.  It builds and builds throughout the song coming to a great climax with opera style vocals towards the end of the track.

Overall this really is an exceptional album and you really do not know what way they are going to turn next. It's one of those that they just keep you guessing. But its never the same path as they are always mixing it up and keeping it very interesting for the listener. I have mentioned that probably the best tracks on the album are the two instrumentals as I feel these tracks show off the best of the talent the band has to offer. But that does not take anything away from the vocal performance of Cardinal Copia. As without his vocals this album would not be half as good as it is. I will certainly be listening to a lot more of Ghost this year as I delve further into their back catalogue.

Asylums - Alien Human Emotions

Indie rockers Asylums are back with their second album "Alien Human Emotions". I have been into Asylums right back before their debut album "Killer Brain waves" came out, round about the time the fantastic single "Missing Persons" was released. Although that and "Joy in a small wage" were absolute anthems. "Killer Brain Waves" wasn't an album I found myself going back to that much. I liked it initially but I did feel like they were in one gear which was edgy punk/indie songs.   But from that album it was clear the talent was there and I was excited to hear what they would come up with next.

Well first up from this new album they released "When we wake up" which really is a total belter. Picking up from the best bits of the last album and really sending out a statement of intent. But that changed slightly in the second single "Milenials" which threw a bit of curveball as we see Asylums starting to try and mix things up a bit. This is a bit more of a laid back track and finds Asylums really getting into a groove.

And getting into a groove is really what Asylums have done with this album. It is a far more diverse album than "Killer Brain Waves" and this is a very good thing.   The songs feel like a band who are progressing and making better songs. The album kicks off with "Day release to the moon". A track which is such a good way to start an album.  "Bottle Bank" and "Alien Human emotions" are some more indie rock goodness. "Napalm Bubblegum" would not be out of place on their first record as its a more edgy, punky track. But it still fits in here and adds to the diversity. "Sexual Automation" takes you on a bit of ride. Starts off with some nice acoustic guitar with Luke's fine vocals. It then picks up and is a really nice track to listen to.  Album closer "Company you can keep" is an even slower track and fine way to end the album.

I've probably mentioned about half the tracks on this album but one thing I haven't mentioned is the weaknesses. And to be honest there is a reason for that. Beacuse there isn't any weaknesses on this album. This is a very well put together album which shows a band who have taken things to the next level.  It has a certain feel good factor about it and that is something the band should be feeling right now as they certainly have delivered the goods.

The Vines - In Miracle Land

The Vines return with their 7th studio album "In Miracle Land" in what seems like the most low key way possible. They released the first single off the album back in 2016 and it seemed an album was imminent as they tweeted "new album coming soon". Fast forward 2 years and it's finally here. Since 2016 there has been a serious lack of activity by the Vines on social media and really I had to be proactive to find out an album was still going to be released. They haven't released any videos or other songs in the run up to the album coming out and only a few posts saying that album is going to/and is released.  But that's not all, currently you can only stream the album on Amazon and the actual CD is not out till next week unless you buy it direct from the Vines webstore. The CD is currently priced on Amazon at a ridiculous £18.

I'm not sure what is going on in the world of the Vines at the moment but you would have thought they would put a bit of effort in to actually promoting this album. I'm not sure if its down to the label or the band. It could be that the band just don't like social media or that they feel that they have the fanbase and that will be enough to sell records.  Which I think for a band like The Vines is vital since their live presence outwith Australia is non existent since their early days. Now their lack of live presence is not a critism as this is down to lead singer Craig Nicolases condition as to why they don't tour outwith Australia. While many bands nowadays make their money from touring. You would have thought that since the Vines can't they would make more effort to promote the album.

Anyway enough about the current mysteries surrounding the release. Let's get into this album. Miracle Land is the follow up to 2014s double album "Wicked Nature". While The Vines are well known for their care free rock n roll. "Wicked Nature" took this a bit to the extreme. It felt a bit rushed and a more all over the place. But I loved it. Everytime a song from it came on shuffle from that album, I would be drawn into listening to that album again. "Miracle Land" does seem like they have taken a bit more time to polish off the songs.

I think what The Vines do best is their all out rock songs and this album has some right crackers on it. "Slide away" in particular and at the moment that is my favourite track off the album.  Other all out rock stompers include "Leave me alone" and "I wanna go down". They also have these really nice kick back tracks such as "Broken Heart" which particulary deserves a mention due to the fine guitar work on display. Title track "Miracle Land" will bring back some memories from fans who grew up in the 90s playing the Sega Master system like I did as this song is about the video game Alex the kid in miracle land. It's nice that Craig delves into something different lyrically to the norm.

This album does come with some weaker tracks in the shape of "Willow" and "Emerald Ivy". "Willow" has a bit of annoying guitar riff which just goes round and round.  "Emerald Ivy" just feels like it never gets going. There is no real hook to reel you in and ends up passing you by.  These come back to back, but then you have the wonderful "Sky Gazer". What I love about this track is the way it changes pace throughout the song. It's also the longest track on the album sitting at 4 minutes.

Overall, although "Miracle Land" does have its weaker points; this is a very solid album. It's very well balanced and is well produced. And although this is not quite at the level of "Highly Evolved" which in my opinion is still their best work, this does fit into their back catologue very nicely. With songs like "Slide away", "In Miracle land" and "I wanna go down" I can see fitting into their live set for the forseeable future. I just hope for their sakes they promote it a bit more so it gets the attention it deserves.

28/06/18 - Tremonti @ O2 Academy, Glasgow

Before delving into the gig review I'll start from the beginning of my Tremonti journey but don't worry it's not that long. It started when tickets came out for the gig. At this point I knew Campbell was really into him so I told him that tickets had just come on sale. At this point I had never heard a single song by them. Campbell then asked if I wanted to go so I said I would listen to them and get back to him. I went onto You tube and played the Tremonti playlist. And to be honest the first few videos I heard did not sound good. They were live videos but in hindsight I think they were crowd live videos which was the problem. But then "The things I've seen", "Proof" and "New way out" came on and I was blown away. "New way out" was the clincher and I ordered Campbell to get me a ticket!

The gig was meant to be in the ABC but unforetuantley due to the devestating fire a few weeks back, it got moved to the Academy which was something Mark Tremonti touched on during the set. I arrived at the gig just after 7 and met with tonights gig buddies Campbell and Craig. It was soaring tempretures of around 30 degrees celcius so one thing which had to be taken into account more than usual tonight was hydration. Something the Academy took into account by keeping doors open and leaving plenty of water at the bar for people to just take. The queue to get into the gig was huge and stretched right along the side of the academy. So much so that when in the queue we heard the first band coming on which was Anchor Lane. So we missed the first few songs but I think we caught most of the set.  They are a Scottish hard rock band and were a very good opener.  I actually thought they were the second band Fallen state during the set as Fallen State had their banners up but I was quickly corrected.

Which takes us on nicely to Fallen State. There was quite a quick turnaround. When the delved into the first song it did feel a bit messy and I was a bit disappointed with them. But throughout the set they just got better and better. I think maybe it was the sound wasn't quite right at the start of the set. But by the end I was really impressed with them.  I would have bought CDs from both supports tonight but one thing I was amazed with when I got into the venue was the size of the merch queue. It was huge. And you can see that Tremonti fans really are loyal as every second person seemed to wear a Tremonti t-shirt. Obviously there were quite a few "A dying machine" t-shirts bought and worn tonight. But there was also a tonne of "All I was" t-shirts too showing that he has had this loyal fanbase right from when he started releasing his stuff. I do refer to Tremonti as them and him because it is a band but also has a feel about it as a solo project too. After all Tremonti is Mark's surname!

Anyway, onto the headliner! We were trying to predict what he would open with and we all named tracks off the new album. But we were all wrong as he opened with the title track off "Cauterize" and then leaping into another track off that album "Another Heart".  It's an album which is my least favourite Tremonti album but these are the tracks I like the most off it so for me it was a very good start.

One thing I was concerned about going into the gig was that I maybe unfamiliar with some of the songs as he does have 4 albums. But this wasn't really the case at all and it really did show how much I have listened to this band since I got into them back in March. I would say there was a good spread of songs played across all of the albums with 5 tracks played from the latest release "A dying machine". Personal highlights for me was the title track "A dying machine" which just sounded absolutley awesome live and also "Dust" where everyone had their phones out to light up the place.

There was a very good atmosphere about the whole gig and you felt that all the bands really wanted to be there, taking pictures and what they were saying in between songs. And during Tremonti, Mark would always be getting the crowd involved getting them to clap during songs. In fact I don't think I've ever been to a gig where there was so much clapping. But it was a good thing as it added to the atmosphere. There was also the obligitory mosh pit too for those that wanted to get involved.

I did find myself really enjoying this gig. I would say it is probably in my top 5 gigs I have ever been to although i would need to work out this list!  Tremonti really are as good live as they are on record. And that is really saying something as the songs, especially the solos he does seem so complex but he pulls them off live with effortless ease. The band also are so tight. It was nice as well that we got to wish guitarist Eric Friedman something he seemed to appreciate.  I can appreciate now why Tremonti has such a hardcore following and I certainly looking forward to seeing them again.

19/06/2018 Foo Fighters @ Etihad Stadium, Manchester

When Foo Fighters announced their UK tour last year; I immediately took to twitter laughing that their UK tour was in fact 3 dates in England, 2 in London, 1 in Manchester. I was disappointed that no Scottish date was announced. Then I was round at my parents for dinner and was telling them about it, when Dad suggested we go down to the Manchester for the gig there. I've never delibrately been so far to a gig before but thought that should be good especially as I was really digging the new album at the time "Conrete and Gold".

Fast forward 8 months and the gig was finally upon us. Being a stadium gig and the fact that the Foos gigs last for ages, the first band was on at half 5. So we missed most of their set but caught a few of The Cribs catchy songs which were not bad.  Next on was Wolf Alice.  The do seem like a hype band amongst the alternative music press. Personally I didn't think the sound setup was that good for them which didn't do them any favours. They were ok but I can't see myself investigating their stuff any further.  During this set amazingly the stadium was lucky to be even quarter full.  It wasn't until a late surge in the 45 minute build up to the Foos that the stadium reached capacity with an estimated 70,000 in attendence tonight.

When the Foos came on, the place just erupted. In terms of noise  and people just completley going mental this was right up there. They started with "All my Life", then my personal favourite "Learn to Fly" and then an extended version of "The Pretender".  These three songs went down an absolute storm and I was absolutley beaming.  Then they started to do something in songs which did begin to annoy me.  The next song was off the latest album "Concrete and Gold" and that was "The sky is a neighbourhood".  After a minute of the song they do this pause for effect.  The audience then clap thinking this was just a short interlude. Where in fact its part of the song. I like this for impact sometimes but this became a feature in probably 5-6 songs.  Some pauses lasted maybe up to a minute with Grohl trying to get the biggest reaction possible out of the crowd.

But then they would do things like the extended version of "Rope" and I would be happy again. Great to hear songs like "These Days", "Walk" and "Breakout" too as these are also some of my favourite Foos songs.  I was quite surprised that they only played 4 songs off the new record. "Run" went down particularly well, along with "Sky is a neighbourhood". But "Sunday Rain" and especially "Dirty Water" felt so flat live. And an otherwise bouncy crowd was static for these songs.  Its funny because when I did an album review of C & G, "Dirty Water" was one of my favourite songs but the quiet to loud parts just really did not work live.  Even so I thought they should be playing more songs than that from the album. But the thing is its not like they are just playing the old songs back like when they were recorded for the albums.  They are taking these songs apart and making live versions of the tracks. Some working better than others.

Dave Grohl prove once again that he is one of the best frontmen in rock music at the moment. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand the whole night. They would literally have done anything he asked them to do. And the way he ran about the stage working each section of the crowd makes you think he would do well at a local parkrun on a Saturday morning which take place at 9.00 in England, 9.30 in Scotland. Although he did say he'd play a song from each album tonight but no sign of anything from Sonic Highways?  Which I thought was one of their better ones, albiet a bit short.

As much as I liked the jams in the likes of "Rope", I couldn't help but think how much better the Red Hot Chili Peppers are at jamming/extending songs but at the same time I am glad that the Foo Fighters are doing this as afterall they have been going for so long they need to do things to keep things fresh which I can imagine can be challenging when you have been going for nearly 25 years.

Overall a good night and I'm glad my Dad convinced me to go. It's not the best gig I have been to this year but still a very enjoyable gig, especially as I knew most of the songs they played.  They did a cracking encore of "Times like These", "This is a call" and of course finishing on "Everlong".

Set list

Mike Shinoda - Post traumatic

Mike Shinoda's debut album doesn't really need any introduction. Unless you have been sitting under a rock for the last year you will know exactly what happened and exactly what he has been through in the last year. I have listened to many albums by artists after they have gone through some seriously difficult times and they have been to mixed results. But I think the overall thing to remember here is that the quality of the album is not really what these type of albums are about and whether it is good is just a bonus for everyone else. These are deeply personal albums where at the end of the day it is Mike Shinoda going through the grieving process and getting through it by doing something he loves. Making and sharing his music.

When I first listened to the Post Traumatic EP last year I gave it a listen and wasn't impressed with it as to be honest as I'm not a big rap/hiphop fan. This EP contained three tracks that are on this album and turns out it was a taster of what was to come.  The thing is I come from a rock background and that is how I got into Linkin Park. The fusion between rap and rock is what made Linkin park so special and really stand out. Especially as they were just so good at what they did.  Over the past few months though I began to watch the videos of Mike's stuff online and it started to grow on me, especially "Crossing the line".  He released an incredible 7 tracks from the album before it came out which seems somewhat over the top but as I say this really is down to Mike and wanting to share his music so I respect that. But the thing is its a 16 track album so at least over half the tracks were still sitting round the tree on album launch day.

Onto the album. This is, as you can imagine. An incredibly personal album and Mike really doesn't hold back on his feelings or emotions. His lyrics are straight to the point.  The likes of "Over Again" as he sings about what it was like to go up on the stage again without his friend and bandmate and the very memorable memoiral concert on Chester's memoiral concert. "About you" talking about even when he writes songs which are about Chester they become songs about Chester. But I think the biggest one is "Holding it together" which is what he is been trying to do throughout this whole process. This must have been very difficult for him to do being in the limelight and it is expressed through this song.

One of my favourite tracks on the album is actually the only instrumental on this album called "Brooding".  This is just one of the examples of the talent of Shinoda and sets him apart from others in the hip hop genre because of his versatilility.  I did say I'm not a big fan of hip hop but the reason I like this album is because for the most part the tunes have a nice melody and he often sings the choruses.  The parts where he does rap are understandable and clean. There is one track which goes against this and is slightly messy which is I.O.U. Ghosts is probably my favourite track with singing/rapping on it with "Crossing the line being a close second.  I like the way he has brought other artists in to do some rapping/singing on too with K.Flay, blackbear, grandson and Chino Moreno.

Overall I think think this is a really good debut album by Mike Shinoda. Everyone wondered what was going to happen to Linken Park now but I think most fans will be delighted that Mike is still making music.  I wonder if this album will make more rock sided Linkin park fans visit the land of hip hop more as it certainly has made me journey over at least for the weekend.