Asylums - Signs of Life

 

"Signs of Life" is the 4th album by UK indie band Asylums.  Having formed in 2014, they have been pretty consistent in bringing out albums every 2 years being 2016, 2018, 2020 and now 2022.  I got into them before their debut came out after hearing "Missing persons". All their albums are really good and although the critics have praised their work too, they haven't managed to get to a level many think they should be.

They don't seem to tour that much and to my recollection have only played Glasgow once when they supported Ash.  They have however made various festival appearances including Glastonbury.  They may just be a band that prefers making records rather than endlessly touring which would be fair enough.  Another reason I think they are not as big as they should is because I don't think they are a part of any movement.  For instance, like Brit pop in the 90s, emo in the late 00s or the current alternative metal movement going on just now. 

 
I think if Asylums were around in the early 2000s when the UK indie scene was thriving, I think they would be a lot bigger than they are at the moment. As right now there isn't many new bands out there doing what Asylums are doing at the moment.  But the band has to be true to themselves and make music they believe in, and they enjoy. And when you listen to their music you really get the impression that this is exactly what they are doing.  They are not trying to pretend to be band that they are not just to gain popularity which I'm sure must be tempting.

"Signs of Life" is another cracking album by the Essex lads. Filled once again with some edgy riffs through songs such as "Scatterbrain" and "Crypto Klepto".  But also, on this album you'll find the introduction of strings on quite a few tracks such as "Eras the Edges" and closing track "The Mirror".  I like how the strings fit into the songs rather than dominate them or not be strong enough in the mix. They are just right.  "Eras the Edges" is probably one of the slowest songs they have done.  While "The Mirror" is a fine way to end an album.

Overall, Asylums have done it again.  A great album and one I will be going back to time and again, much like the rest of their discography.  I hope the get some more recognition because they sure deserve it.

Taylor Swift - Midnights

"Midnights" is the 10th album by US country/pop sensation Taylor Swift.   I have been a fan of Taylor since she released 2nd album "Fearless" way back in 2008.  Her career trajectory since has been nothing short of phenomenal.  Winning loads of awards and selling millions and millions of records.  Even if she did have, in my opinion, the occasional blip in her discography.  Those being "Reputation" and "Lover".  But the rest of the albums feel flawless.

"Midnights" was an unexpected album as many thought Taylor would continue with her reissues but in October 2022 this album dropped without even a single to promote it.  When the album was announced she didn't even announce the track names and it actually led me to think each track was called "Track 1, track 2...track 3" etc.  As that is what it said on the CD sleave artwork.  But if you have Tik tok you will know she gradually unveiled the track listing in the run up to the album being released.  

I decided to by the deluxe edition of the album on CD.   I found it strange that it was kind of hidden away on her website while all the different colour vinyls were pushed more.  The deluxe edition contained two remixes and an extra track but you didn't know this till you got the CD.  But that is not the most annoying part.  Three days after release she released a 3am edition of the album with 7 extra tracks on streaming services.  Which is great now you know this but at the time for me it was infuriating.

I do, however, have to give credit to Swift for Midnights.  She has once again plunged herself into a new space in her music. Giving us a full blown synth pop album which has a completely different vibe to what has come before.  The way she does this is like nothing no one else does in her field.   And everything she does, whether I like it or not, seems to turn to gold too.  Some of these songs already have over 300 million plays on Spotify and it's only been out a few months.  

It does have a very chill out feel about the album, apart from maybe "Vigilante S*&t" which shows off Taylor's angsty side which reminds me of "Bad Blood" off "1989".  "Karma" and "Anti-Hero" are probably my favourite songs off the album. "Karma" is the most upbeat song off the album and "Anti-Hero" the biggest hit.  The thing I find with this album is that if you strip out the vocals, I think would be a pretty bland album as for a lot of it, it is just the same beat running through it.  Taylor's vocals very much carry the album, and her lyrics also get a lot of attention.  For that reason, I don't think this is an album I will be going back to that much as I prefer more imagination in the instrumentation part as well as good vocals.

Overall, though this is a decent album and I have to give kudos to Taylor for going in yet another direction with her music.  This album does have some great songs on it. Sometimes it does feel like it is too samey, and some songs blend into each other. But since it’s so different to what she has done before we can let her off with that.  I do notice though that the tour she announced is an "Eras" tour which is basically a best of tour rather than a "Midnights" tour.  Now there is the argument that she hasn't really toured the last 4 albums (including "Midnights").  However maybe it's also because a lot of "Midnights" and "Folklore" and "Evermore" weren't really built for stadiums.  And maybe there is not enough big hits on these albums to justify it.

 

Top 10 albums 2022

 Hi, I hope everyone had a great Christmas/enjoying the holiday season.  I had a nice day yesterday thanks to family.  Now time for my top 10 albums of the year.  To be honest the album which I have listened to the most this year is "That's the Spirit" by Bring me the Horizon.  But since that was released in 2015 it doesn't meet the criteria for this list.  Rules are rules :-P.   But here are the albums that did make the list:

1. "IMPERA" by Ghost

2. "Tekkno" by Electric Callboy

3. "Unlimited Love" by Red hot chili peppers

4. "Planet Zero" by Shinedown

5. "Pawns & Kings" by Alter Bridge

6. "Being funny in a foreign language" by The 1975

7.  "True Power" by I Prevail

8. "The Death of Peace of Mind" by Bad Omens

9. "Fix yourself, not the world" by The Wombats

10. "Midnights" by Taylor Swift

Top 10 songs of 2022

 Now time to unleash my top 10 songs for 2022. Also added them to a spotify playlist with an additional 10 songs. Last year I did top 10 songs under 5 minutes and top 10 songs over 5 minutes. But this year I didn't think or find as many good songs over 5 minutes hence just put them in one list.  But it was still a great year for music and top 10 albums will be coming next week.  Have a great Christmas folks :-)

1. Daylight by Shinedown

2. Bad Things by I Prevail

3. Bad Life by Sigrid & Bring Me the Horizon

4. The Steeple by Halestorm

5. This is Why by Paramore

6. Fable of the Silent Son by Alter Bridge

7. Foxglove by Boston Manor

8. Dignity by Porcupine Tree

9. I Don't want to go to Mars by White Lies

10. Just Pretend by Bad Omens

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4L8C5zAinVQ7xGtqY7M9Dh?si=peyDzQJrRjKFuZFTKfzSAw

06/12/22 - Alter Bridge @ OVO Hydro, Glasgow

 This would be my second time seeing Alter Bridge and also the second time seeing them at the Hydro.  Over the past few years they have turned into one of my favourite bands and have reviewed all 7 of their studio albums.  One thing which is special about Alter Bridge gigs is not only the band themselves, but the fact they bring with them really big supports and tonight was no exception.

Tonights line up of people I attended with included Campbell, Craig, Brian and another Craig who I've got to know through parkrun.  The first support tonight was Mammoth VWH who I have been really eager to see live and this I believe is the first time the band have played glasgow.  The band is pretty much Wolfgang Van Halen who plays every instrument on his only album.  He shot into the limelight through his late Dad, Eddie Van Halen. Having been a touring bassist with both Van Halen and tonights headlining guitarist's band Mark Tremonti whose own band is Tremonti.

I got into Mammoth's stuff right from when they released their first single "Distance" which is a tribute to his father.  The set itself tonight was so good.  Mammoth has this ability to create warm rock melodys and every song played tonight was a hit.  With his touring band they were impressivly tight and this hopefully won't be the last time I see them.

Next up was Halestorm.  I have had the oppotunity to see Halestorm in the past as in recent years they have played places like the Barrowlands and headlined the Hydro themselves.  But thing is I have never really been that into them.  But tonight their performance won me over and I feel they are just a really gritty and gutsy rock and roll band fronted by one of the queen's of rock herself Lzzy Hale.  One song which has captured me from this band this year is "The Steeple", what an absolutley belter of a song that is and so glad they played it tonight.  But it wasn't just the Lzzy show tonight. The drummer, Lzzy's brother Arejay Hale had his own moment in the spotlight with a bit of a drum solo and hyping up the crowd at the same time. And also playing a bit with massive drumsticks which I thought was very orignal.  Quite unusual for a support act to do this but they were also on for a bit longer than a standard support act so had a bit of flex to do it.

Then came Alter Bridge who were on for roughly an hour and a half.  I think they normally play longer but were a bit restricted due to the 10.40 curfew.  So had to miss out the title track "Pawns & Kings" which has been played as the second last song on many nights.  But they did dip into the new album playing monster tracks such as "Silver Tongue" and "Sin after Sin".  And at the same time ensured none of their albums were left untouched as they played at least one track off each.  Surprisingly the album they played most off was their first album "One day remains" with 4 tracks, then their was 3 tracks off "Fortress" which is less surprising as I think that's their best album. Mark led the vocals in his segment with "Water Rising" which is from "Fortress".

Campbell and I discussed set lists after the gig and made up our own and while some of the core songs remain like "Metalingus" and "Blackbird" (which is still one of the greatest tracks of all time).  Our setlists were not only different to each other but also to the one played tonight.  I'm not saying this was a bad set because it wasn't, it was great.  But it does show just how much amazing material Alter Bridge have now and this is great news for fans as there is more to go back to.

Overall this was an absolutley cracking night and a great laugh once again with the guys.

Photos by Campbell Hunter

30/11/22 - Shinedown @ O2 Academy, Glasgow

 I have seen Shinedown twice before. Both, during their tour cycle supporting their album "Attention, Attention".  One was a headline show at the very venue I saw them in tonight.  The other was a special support slot supporting Alter Bridge at the Hydro in Glasgow.  I wasn't really sure if I would go this evening as I'm eager at the moment to go and see bands I haven't seen.  But at the same time, I had such a great night the times I did go and see them, I thought why not go and see them again.

The night didn't get off to the best of starts as we didn't get to see the first support act unfortunately.  We literally walked in as they were playing their last song.  This was due to a mix up at the restaurant where someone had charged an extra 7 pints to our table, so took a bit of time to get sorted out.  When we got to the O2 Academy though the place was already rammed, but we found a nice spot on the second level of standing which you get a good view of the stage from.

The second support act tonight was Asking Alexandria.  Although there was no sign of anyone called Alexandria so my questions, I had prepared were gone to waste :-P.  Joking aside it felt like they were a metalcore band that have taken the same journey as many who started in the late 2000s.  The band formed in 2006 and released their debut in 2009.  They have now released 7 studio albums and have moved away from metalcore into alternative metal where the vocals are delivered a lot more clearly.  Much like the direction bands like Bring me the horizon and Architects have gone.  I thought they were ok but didn't really grab me as much as those bands.  They did have quite a lot of diversity in their songs during their short set which I think presented the issue where when you try to please everyone, there maybe won't be many who appreciate the set as a whole. Which is the category I fell in really.

Shinedown ended up being on for about 2 hours, but it didn't feel like it all.  The time flew by.  I do joke that going to see Shinedown is like going to therapy.  I know many people would argue all music is therapy.  But until you go to a Shinedown show you won't truly understand what I mean.  Lead singer Brent Smith really connects with the audience.  And his speeches in between songs are all about mental health and positivity.  There was an especially touching speech before this year’s landmark single for them "Daylight" which I think is one of the best songs of the year.

The set list was interesting.  Not surprisingly a quarter of the set list came from new album Planet Zero with 5 songs.  They did say it was a special anniversary for their debut album "Leave a whisper" of 20 years and they would celebrate by playing songs off the album.  But they only played "45" and the bonus acoustic cover "Simple Man" which I was perplexed about as I thought they would play more.  But they did play a a lot of my favourites from "Sound of Madness", "Amaryllis", "Threat to Survival" and "Attention, Attention".  So, all in all can't complain at all.

Overall, a superb gig and thanks to Campbell and Craig for the company.

Photos by Campbell Hunter

Alter Bridge - Pawns & Kings

 "Pawns & Kings" is the 7th album by US rock band Alter Bridge.  Alter Bridge released their debut "One day remains" back in 2004, although members had very successful bands before Alter Bridges inception.  Myles fronted Mayfield four. While other 3 members Mark, Brian and Scott made up 3/4 Creed. I was never really that into either of those bands but appreciated some of the singles.  But over the last 3 or 4 years Alter Bridge have rapidly become one of my favourite bands.   They just have not written a bad album.  This is really a testament to how talented all the members of this band are.  They are next level.

And with "Pawns & Kings" they have well and truly continued this streak.  Previous album "Walk the sky" saw them shorten the songs a bit and make it a bit more of an in-your-face rock album.  "Pawns & Kings" in contrast feels a bit heavier and more complex.  Also lengthening some of the songs too.  Generally, Alter Bridge albums have 12-13 tracks. But unusually for them this sits at 10 tracks which means although some of the songs are longer; Because of the reduction in number of tracks this is actually a shorter album than usual sitting at 53 minutes.  It has to be said though, that is a decent length.

Title track "Pawns & Kings" was the first track to be released off the album which was quite surprising as it is one of the longer tracks on the album sitting at just over 6 minutes.  It is a wonderful track though and allows you to see the best of all the band members.  One strange thing I find about this track though is the position of it on the album as it is the last track.  I find this strange as it just doesn't feel like an album closer.  In fact, I would say its better as an album opener given the amazing intro. Which I think is a much better intro than the one they went for in "This is War".  Don't get me wrong it is a great song and I think the idea was to end with a strong track.  It's just I feel it would have been a more impactful opening.  This is a bit uncharacteristic because generally I feel Alter Bridge are the absolute masters of picking the right opening and closing tracks.

I wouldn't say the track positioning deteriorates the album quality though as there is plenty of top tuneage to be found on here.  "Silver Tongue" and "Holiday" are probably the biggest rock anthems of the album.  "Stay" is Mark's moment to shine vocally, which he does ever so well as usual.  Myles is obviously the main singer of Alter Bridge.  But we all know from Mark's solo project and "Water Rising" and "Forever Falling" Mark is a great vocalist too.  My favourite song on the album though, is also the longest in the form of “Fable of the silent son” which sits over 8 minutes.  The way the song transitions from one part to the next is magnificent and the solo in around 5 to 6 minutes is an absolute joy.

Overall, Alter Bridge have well and truly done it again.  An absolutely wonderful album full of rocktastic tunes.  Many bands get to their 7^th album and run out of ideas, but this band just keep knocking it out the park like a well-oiled machine.

The 1975 - Being Funny in a Foreign language

 

"Being Funny in a Foreign Language" is the 5th studio album by UK pop rockers The 1975.  Arguably one of the biggest bands to come out of the 2010s. Certainly in the UK anyway.  Although the roots of the band date back to the early 2000s but they were very much underground and in school for much of that period.  Last album "Notes of a conditional form" was heavily criticised by critics, many felt it was too long, too many tracks and Matt Healy was a bit up himself with the ambitiousness of the project.  I actually really enjoyed the album.  I wrote twice as much for that album as I normally do. There is just so much to it and yes, they did push their boundaries a bit with weird interludes and did hopscotch round some different genres.  But that is why I found it so refreshing.

"Part of the Band" was the first single to be taken from "Being Funny in a Foreign language".  This is quite a low-key track, especially for The 1975's single standards.  It is also quite unique for them. In the past they have been no stranger to a saxophone solo.  But with this track is the first track where the strings do a lot of the heavy lifting on the song. Don't worry there's still a wee saxophone jam in there too.  I think there will be many fans of the band slightly let down by the single as it is down tempo and perhaps better as an album track.  But I don't think they needn't be worried as next singles "Happiness" and "I'm in love with you" see them crank up the tempo again.  "Happiness" has that feel good, upbeat and joyous rhythm.  It's a blinder of a track. "I'm in love with you" is slightly cheesy but certainly fits with the theme of the album generally - Love.

Personally, I think the band have taken into account what the critics have been saying and channelled it into this album.  There are no instrumental tracks on this album which act as interludes or songs in their own right.  I don't feel there are any political statements, or a mixture of emotions conveyed in this album.  The album is very focused, all the songs fit together and it's the right length.  They have songs like "The 1975", "Part of the band" and "About you" which have those strings which differentiates things from their previous albums.  The changes in pace throughout the album work well.

"Oh Caroline" and "Wintering" are in my opinion two of the best tracks off the album.  I think Matt's vocals are at their best on "Oh Caroline" and "Wintering" is a nice chirpy number, thanks to an acoustic guitar and piano mixed in together.  I would say the weakest tracks are "Human Too" and "I'm in love with you".  As previously mentioned, "I'm in love with you" is a bit cheesy.  While "Human Too" just doesn't cut the grade compared to the other tracks.

Overall, this a decent album.  But in terms of where it ranks compared to the rest of their albums it is lower down.  I wasn't complaining that they were getting more ambitious, doing instrumentals, doing longer albums. I embraced it and was thankful for it.  It was one of the magical things about this band.  The masses I imagine will like this album and it has already done the job as it went to no 1 in the UK in a week where Red Hot Chili Peppers also released an album.  But as I say job done still, a good album.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Return of the Dream Canteen

 

"Return of the Dream Canteen" is the 13th studio album by Californian rock funksters the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  When I reviewed 12th album "Unlimited Love" here is what I wrote in conclusion:

 "Coming back from all his solo electronic escapades it's clear Frusciante is still one of the best guitarists around and it seems his chemistry with the rest of the band is as if he never left.  This is great to see and hear and I hope the Chilis now get in a rhythm of writing music again, so we don't have to wait 6 years for the next album."

Amazingly we have not had to wait another 6 years.  In fact, all we had to wait was 6 months!  This has to be the most unexpected album since Taylor Swift released "evermore" in 2020" which came off the back of "folklore" earlier that year.  But is this just a bunch of b-sides to "Unlimited Love"?  

Personally, I don't think so.  Being so close together I think they would have known they had too much music for one album and even a double album.  But albums are roughly 75 minutes.  Meaning if they had released both albums - combining them into a double album.  It would be far too long, and fans just would not be able to digest it.  For me, they had to release it this way.  And there is no way "Return of the Dream Canteen" is a b-sides album either.  This has many, many good tracks on it.  And sees them start off as "Unlimited love" ended.  I would say they did front load the album with all the bigger sounding tracks which would really sell the album as singles.  "Tippa my tongue", "Peace & Love", "Reach out" and "Eddie".  It really is a cracking start to the album.

"Reach out" is currently my favourite song off the album.  This one has a great rhythm to it and an impactful chorus.  "Eddie" is a tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen and what a way to pay tribute with one of the sole guitar solos on the album where Frusciante lets loose.  I say it is the only real moment on the album where John takes centre stage.  I think this shows that he'd rather work as part of the team/band and create a good song without taking centre stage.   Which those familiar with the Chilis work will know he has had a tendency to do in the past.  That's definitely not a criticism though as it is one of the reasons the Chilis have been so successful over the years.  It's no accident that arguably the Chilis best albums have come with John Frusciante on guitar.

As well as the stand-out singles on the album, it goes through many highs and lows.  And by low I don't mean bad but more the softer points on the album like "My Cigarette" which has such a chilled-out vibe with a much welcome brass section.  Then you have more up-tempo numbers such has "The drummer".  Another turning point is the lush "La la la la la la la la" which I actually had to do a double take - is that a piano I hear on a Chili's album!? surely not :-D.  The album finishes with quite a unique track which is quite impressive for a band who are not far off 40 years old.  "In the Snow" Kiedis vocals are like talking which may sound simple, but it works and makes for a fantastic end to the album.

Overall, the Chilis have done it again.  A superb album and I'm glad they realised the quality of these songs and didn't just put them on the scrap heap.  Which they could have done given the success of "Unlimited Love" where they could have toured that for a good 4 years.  Instead, they have given themselves the welcome problem of how to play the 34 songs which they have released this year live.  Let's forget they do have 11 albums worth of material out-with what they released this year.  They could only just be able to play these albums back-to-back in a live show.  But the fans will always want to classics too, so I imagine many of these tracks won't be played live.  Which is a shame but at the same time it is a good problem to have.  Now will it be 6 months till the next Chilis album?  Go on........ :-D 

Electric Callboy - Tekkno

 "Tekkno" is the 6th album by German metalcore/electronic band Electric Callboy.  Much like most people in UK and America, I only heard Electric Callboy for the first time a few years ago with the release of "Hypa Hypa" in 2020.  One of the reasons for this is because the music video for this song went viral and the band became an overnight sensation due to its very light-hearted/comedic approach.  But on top of that it's a catchy, infectious track with a terrific hook.  

But as I say even though they have only really just broken through in the UK and US.  This is their 6th album, and it appears Germany have been keeping them a secret since they formed in 2010.  Out of the 6 albums, 4 have gone top 10 in Germany. And it says it all when Wikipedia don't even mention where they charted for any of their albums in UK and US.  One of the reasons for this may have been that recently they have removed a lot of their older songs from streaming services due to offensive lyrics.  So maybe the media were aware of them over here but deemed them too risky to cover.

Another interesting thing about this band is that they only recently changed their name to Electric Callboy as they use to be called Eskimo Callboy.   After starting to get more recognition, particularly in the US, it was brought to their attention that the term "eskimo" is an offensive term to certain groups of people in Alaska.  So, after the band realised this they did some research on this and decided it would be for the best if they changed their name.  To give them their dues, they did a series of you tube videos explaining what they were doing and why with the name change.  They are often known for their comedic side but this they dealt with, with extreme maturity and seriousness.  I like that they kept the first word in the name beginning with "E" too and keeping Callboy.  So the band is still recognisable.

But onto "Tekkno" and this is a really fun, outlandish, rollercoaster of an album that really has set them apart from anything that is out there at the moment.  Some music acts which have a comedy element focus too much on comedy and not enough about the music. But Electric Callboy have the talent in all areas.  They combine metalcore and electronic music and their songs are really catchy. All 10 of them. 

 
They do front load the album with the biggest hits, with "Pump it" kicking off. Then "We Got the Moves".  “*&^)boi” features a band called Conquer Divide and has a good balance between female and male vocals.  "Arrow of Love" is probably my favourite song at the moment.  I would say the most interesting and different track on the album, is the closing song "Neon".  The reason for this is because it is really a ballad to close off.  But not a soft ballad, but the singer does put a lot of emotion into it.  So much so it's the most Chester Bennington sounding vocals I have heard in a long time.  That is a compliment as Chester was of course a true great.  As good as the vocals are on this track, there would be a danger if they went down this route in future, they would become a Linkin Park tribute act.  Whereas with the other 9 tracks on the album prove, they are very much in their own lane at the moment.  As I say though "Neon" is a nice way to finish the album still.

Overall, "Tekkno" is a very good album from a band who have clearly paid their dues in their homeland over the last 12 years and are maturing like a fine wine both in terms of music and just generally.  I noticed also this is the first album with new singer Nico Sallach after the departure of Sebastian Biesler.  Clearly Nico has had a very positive influence on the band and I can see them going from strength to strength in years to come.

 

Boston Manor - Datura

 

"Datura" is the fourth album by Blackpool alt rockers Boston Manor.  These guys were definitely my best find during lockdown.  With their previous album "Glue" being my favourite album of 2020.  Since then, they released a 5 track EP last year and now in 2022 we have an album.

But is "Datura" really an album?   Well, that's up for debate as it is only 7 tracks.  Of course, you do get albums with not many tracks but due to the length of tracks they can be longer than some albums with lots of tracks.  "Amarok" by Mike Oldfield for example, 1 track but 1 hour long.  But this album comes in at 26 minutes and usually I would say an album should be at least 30 minutes.  But in a Q and A I saw with the band they were absolutely adamant it was an album.  So, if they say so you just have to go along with it.  One thing this does affect though is pricing as EPs really should be cheaper than albums as they have less music.  So maybe hear they are calling an album as well so they can sell for more.  And in these times, I wouldn't even argue with that as bands really need any help, they can get at the moment to keep going financially. So, if calling it an album means they can get more for it, you have to support it.

The other aspect of saying wait a minute, it's only 7 tracks, is that all you are going to give me?  Here you really have to zoom out and look at the bigger picture with Boston Manor.  They have released albums in 2016, 2018 and 2020.  Then released a 5 track EP in 2021.  There are many bands you don't hear from for years but here are Boston Manor giving you over 20 tracks in a 2-year period.  And in a way as well I think what they are doing is actually genius.  Many bands release long albums and then don't get to play many songs live from albums because they have too much to choose from.  Whereas as with Boston Manor, even though they still have loads of tunes to choose from. By doing shorter albums they can put a larger percentage of the EP and "Datura" into their set lists as they tour after each release.

So yeah, I think they did the right thing by releasing this as a 7-track album.  But what about the music I hear you say?  Well, the first couple of singles that came from "Datura" came in the form of "Foxglove" and "Passenger", both anthemic, rocking, singalong and just outstanding singles to kick off and really get any crowd bouncing.  Next single "Inertia" was the slower more downbeat track which takes you on a mesmerising journey.  I noted when this came out that it was the single version and was 4 minutes long.  So, I was highly anticipating the full-length version when coming to listen to the full album.  This is the last track of the album and to be honest I did feel a bit let down by it.  Don't get me wrong, they didn't ruin the song or the album.   But I felt this could have been turned into a truly epic, longer track.  Instead, what we got was the same as the single version then the last 2 minutes are kind of some random noises which don't really add to the song.  

"Crocus" was a last-minute single before the album dropped and that is another class tune.  Then moving onto the other tracks on the album.  Title track kicks off the album and has quite a moody feel about it and links in well with 2nd track "Floodlights on the square" which is where BM step it up a gear and the album bursts into life.  Momentum keeps going with "Foxglove", "Passenger and "Crocus".  Then the album takes an unexpected turn with "Shelter from the rain" as this is a purely instrumental track.  This is not trying to be anything big or outlandish.  More trying to create that moody, atmospheric vibe.  There is not a lot to it but it’s still an ok track.  I can't see it being on the set list but it's good to see them trying to mix things up a bit and try new things.  "Inertia" brings the album to a close.

Overall, I think the singles on this album stand shoulder to shoulder with the best tracks they have ever done. They have tried different things with this album and time will tell to see if it works in their favour.  It gives people something to talk about which is important for bands and overall, the album has really grown on me.  This is just part 1 of a 2-part project so it will be interesting to hear the other side of the album.  I am particularly intrigued to see if the end of "Inertia" makes more sense and links up with part 2 of the project.

I Prevail - True Power

 "True Power" is the 3rd album by American rock/metal outfit I Prevail. Although they were formed back in 2013, I have only just discovered this band in the past 2 months when they popped up on my Facebook promoting the single "Body bag" for this album.  They captured my attention on the first play with the sheer ferocity of the song, the twists and turns and the amazing delivery of the vocals.  I'm not really sure how it's taken so long for me to discover them as they seem to have built quite a following and have songs off previous albums which have had over 50 million plays on Spotify.  Also, even though they are American, they are doing headline tours in the UK playing 2000/3000 capacity venues.  So not quite arenas yet but still very decent sized venues.

With "True Power" I really feel it displays the great versatility and high standard of song writing of the band.  If you put Linkin Park and Slipknot in a blender it feels like out would pop, I Prevail.  They do have some songs with elements of rap but for the majority it feels like Chester Bennington and the heavier elements of Corey Taylors singing.  This in turn makes them unique and gives them plenty of creative options.  Creative options which they excelled at in "True Power".

The opening track "0:00" is a very brief instrumental before firing into the magnificent "There's Fear in Letting Go".  The balance between the two vocalists here works so well and towards the end of this song there is a brilliant use of temporary silence and then the song bursts back into life like a fountain being switched on.  The next song is "Body Bag" and previously mentioned opened the door for me getting into the band.  Such brilliant bursts of aggression and so many twists and turns.

My favourite songs off the album are probably "Bad things" and "Judgement Day".  "Bad things" has a great intro before turning up the velocity and then going into a mesmerising chorus.  "Judgment day" has more aggressive versus but again soaring choruses.  I think that's really the appeal about I Prevail, they have this aggression, but it is controlled, and the choruses are so catchy and memorable.  "Deep End" has that Mike Shinoda style rapping.  Here they take their foot off the gas a bit aggressive wise but still as catchy a chorus you'll find.  Last track "Doomed" sees them completely turn it down with a much more melodic track to finish off with.

Overall, this is a great album and I'm glad I found I Prevail.  I really think they have the potential to go far.  Although their influences are obvious, having those 2 vocalists really makes a massive difference to what they are capable of doing compared to what’s out there at the moment and long may that continue.

Muse - Will of the People

"Will of the People" is the 9th album by UK stadium rockers Muse.  This is the follow up to 2018's "Simulation Theory" which in all honesty I wasn't too impressed with.  And that's coming from someone who is big fan of most of their work. So much so this year I reviewed every studio album they have ever released.  But how would "Will of the people" fit in with the rest of their discography.

As the singles trickled out, I had mixed feelings.  "Won't stand down" I thought was Muse back to their best.   An all-out rocker with a huge chorus.  It really felt like Muse had put themselves back on the map.  Next single "Compliance" I wasn't as in to as it did feel a bit generic, but it has grown on me recently.  "Will of the people" is a great opening track and with that kind of dance groove wouldn't have been out of place on "Simulation Theory" and would certainly have improved the album.

"Liberation" and "Ghosts" see Bellamy back on the piano.  "Ghosts" is a great track and displays Bellamy's magical fingers at their best as well as his vocals.  "Liberation" does actually feel like a Queen song. Nothing wrong with that of course but may be a tad too close to a rip off.  "You make me feel like it's Halloween" sees them back in that groovy dance place like the self-titled track.  That's the thing with this album, even though there are many good songs on it.  It does feel like it jumps about a bit between slow and more rocky songs then dancy songs.  Instead of previous albums where there is often a direction of the overall album.  This one almost feels like they are trying to do a bit of everything and by doing this the album loses a certain cohesiveness.

I would say the best song on the album is "Kill or be Killed".  Amazingly for Muse this is the longest song on the album sitting at exactly 5 minutes which is unusual for them as usually there are many songs which go over that length.  But this track has a great riff which goes right through you.   I can't even say what the last track is as it's swear words, but I'll star it out "We are ****ing ****ed".  Quite controversial of Muse to have a song with swear words in it as this is not something they are known for and have been a radio friendly band in the past.  But maybe Taylor Swift had an influence here and opened the floodgates when she swore on her last album.  I can see both sides of why they would do this.  On the one hand you can see it from the perspective that this how people feel the world is going at the moment with all the wars and climate change.  Then there is the other perspective saying, well yes but you didn't have to point it out.  It's quite a short album closer and I think they were so focused on the lyrics of this song to really make a good tune out of it.

Overall though I would say this is an improvement on "Simulation Theory".  It's not their best as I feel they have made many more amazing albums which feel more like albums and are a lot more cohesive.  But at the same time, I don't think this album will be forgotten about as it still has many great tunes on it which can stand side by side with some of the great songs they have made.  They remain one of the top rock acts in the world and this album is not going to diminish that fact in anyway but well and truly sustain it.

24/08/2022 - Coldplay @ Hampden park, Glasgow

This was my 5th time seeing Coldplay. But first time I had seen them with tonight’s gig buddies - Craig, Lewis and Hugh.  Something Craig and I discovered was that the first time we both saw Coldplay, unbeknown to us at the time that we were both there, was at the X and Y tour back in 2005 at Bellahouston Park.  Since then, I saw them twice during the Viva la Vida tour - one at SECC and one at Hampden.  Then in 2012, which is the last time I saw them was at T in the park.  Amazingly between then and now they have only played one Scottish date which was at Hampden supporting A Head full of Dreams tour.  An album I wasn't really into at the time, hence did not go to that gig.  But a few years later I bought the live DVD from that tour and realised that Coldplay had seriously upped their game with their live performance so when tickets went on sale for this gig I was determined to get in on the action. And thankfully Craig managed to snap up some tickets for us.

Due to the other guys living on the north side of the central belt it took a bit of time after work to get across to Hampden. So, we ended up missing the first Nina Nesbit.  I think her first album "Peroxide" came out about 10 years ago and I quite liked it. But to be honest I didn't know what happened to her after that. Hope she got a good audience though.  We did, however get to see all of London Grammar’s set. They reminded me a bit of Florence and the Machines but a bit more chilled out.   I thought they were quite good, although I can't imagine investigating them further.  

Before Coldplay came on, 2 young Scots came on to introduce the video about how environmentally friendly the gig was.  For example, the reusable cups, where the energy came from to power everything. Particularly the small side stage where there were static push bikes to generate the power.  Coldplay came on shortly after that. They started as they meant to go on with "Higher Power" off the newest album "Music of the spheres", before going back through their catalogue with "Adventure of a lifetime", "Paradise", "Charlie Brown" and "The Scientist".  So, as you can see already it was all the big songs.  They then moved down from the main stage to the B stage which we weren't far from.  And the hits continued with "Viva la Vida", "Hymn for the Weekend" and "Let somebody go".  Where Nina Nesbit came on to sing the parts that Selena Gomez sang on the album.

Back to the main stage and they went back to the start with "Polotik", "In My place" and "Yellow".  To be honest I loved every song up until this point, but I must admit I have never been an "In my place" fan.  It just feels so basic, and I realise it’s a good singalong and popular amongst fans, but I don't get it.  Anyway, it was back on top again when they played "Yellow". Then they went with a couple from the new album "Human Heart" and "People of the pride" before returning to "Rush of Blood to the head" again with "Clocks".  "Something just like this" was absolutely brilliant not only was the whole place jumping but also the lightshow was fantastic. You just didn't know where to look.  To finish the main set yet more big hitters with "My Universe" and "Sky full of stars".  The latter was quite funny as they decided to have a band meeting halfway through just at the bit before the song really kicks off.  To get people to put their phones away and really enjoy the moment.  All part of the act.

In the encore, they went to the C stage which was at one side of the stadium.  Even though we were on that stage we could hardly see it and they were facing the seating area anyway.  Hard to please everyone anyway but would be interesting to get thoughts of people way over on the other side of the stadium.  Here they played “Sparks” and then Edwin Colins sang "Never met a girl like you before" with Coldplay.  Then they went back to the main stage and finished the set with "Humankind", "Fix You" and to finish off the worst song they have ever recorded "Biutyful".  lol.  I don't think I'm the only one that thought that either as people were leaving in their droves during it.  I must admit even with "Fix you" the encore did feel like a bit of a come down after "Sky full of stars".  

In terms of the songs in the set, you can't really argue with it as they played a lot of the most popular ones.  But maybe in the wrong order so you are finishing on the highest of the highs rather than wanting to leave lol.  Which was just the last song.  But when I look back at this gig overall it was an absolute belter of a night.  Coldplay were on fire.  They did loads of stuff to make things interesting and always something to look at whether it was fireworks, light show or watching everyone’s wristbands light up different colours.  Then there was the song the band wore glowing astronaut helmets and had this strange puppet singing the high pitch parts of the new album.  What a night and great banter all the way too with the guys.

Zach Tabori - A Pandemic Performance

"A Pandemic Performance" is the 3rd EP/Album by LA rocker Zach Tabori.  At this point in time Zach seems very underground in the music scene and like anyone in his position is trying to make a name for himself.  His fans may not use Spotify and choose other mediums to listen to his music but currently in his top 5 most popular songs on Spotify only one has more than 1,000 streams.  His first single "28" came out in 2018 and his first album came in 2020 called "Pandemic Ballads", followed by "Soft Boiled" in early 2022.  Then "A Pandemic Performance" came out in May 2022.  

It's quite difficult these days to differentiate between what's an EP and what constitutes as a full-length album. I always used to think it had to be at least 30 minutes and minimum 10 songs. But of course, progressive rock albums throw that theory out the door and an example of this is "A Pandemic Performance" itself sitting at 8 tracks and just over the 30-minute mark.  I know I have mentioned the low Spotify streams, but you really have to take into account that Zach has released all his albums during the pandemic and wouldn't have been able to promote and tour these albums like up-and-coming artists so badly need to do to get their name out there.  

"A Pandemic Performance" is a studio album, but it is delivered in live like way.  For example, second track "20th Century fox Fanfare" is an adaption of the film company 20th century fox theme music. Followed by Zach saying, "Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends 1,2 3, 4..." leading into 3rd track "Someone" which of course is taken from Emerson, Lake and Palmer.  Then at the start of track 4 "Until the Next one comes around" he says "And now for something completely different."  Then in the last track at the end he is saying "We'll see you next time".  All this combined gives the feeling of a live performance even though it's a studio album.  Something you don't really get a lot.  Although this really did work well with this album, maybe it would be good in future if he used his own gimmicks to make it more original.

In terms of the music though, it's clear he has influences, but it is also clear he has the talent to make songs and good ones at that. This is really a progressive rock album and is a lot of fun.  In the year 2022 every artist has the difficult task at coming up with anything original and setting themselves up to be set apart from the rest.  Which is made even more difficult when more and more music is made.  So, I'm not going to say here that what Zach is doing has never been done before or is ground-breaking.  But it does draw influences from several different decades.  And that in turns means the diversity of the album is very refreshing.  "11:13" for example sounds like a cross between Royal Blood and The Mars Volta.  Most of the album is guitar centric but on "Piss Tape" the saxophone takes centre stage making it a standout track.  

The way Zach changes the pace of tracks within songs and from song to song really does a fine job of keeping the listener engaged.  "Breakdown" for example is so high tempo.  "Someone" and "Whipping Post" are very much the cornerstone of the album sitting around 7 minutes each and thus nearly half the album.  These tracks have great build ups and solos in them and really show off Zach's talent the best both as a songwriter and his technical ability.

Overall, this is a fantastic 30-minute listening experience.  I hope Zach gets more exposure as he really does deserve it. He clearly has a lot of influences and it's like he has put them all in a washing machine and then when he took the washing out it has morphed into something which has made him that wee bit different.  

 

"

Bring me the Horizon - That's the Spirit

 

"That's the Spirit" is the 5th studio album by UK metalers Bring me the Horizon and was released in 2015.  I first heard Bring me when they released "Follow You" off this album and regularly watched the dramatic video on You tube.  Basically, it had lots of things blowing up hence dramatic.  But I listened to their other work at the time, and nothing really stuck with me. It felt different at the time, and I wasn't really into to it.  That's until they released "Mantra" off "amo" in 2018 and then I started to get into the band proper as "amo" is an excellent album.  They then released "Post Human: Survival Horror" which saw them start to collaborate with many artists in 2020.  And since then, they have collaborated with many more artists such as Ed Sheeran, Sigrid and Machine Gun Kelly.  And at the same time seeing their trajectory in terms of popularity increase more and more by the day.

Now I am starting to go back through the older albums again and to be honest, their earlier albums don't really do it for me.  It's very much metalcore meaning growling vocals which don't make for the best listening experience in my opinion.  4th album "Sempiternal" saw them start something a bit different but still sticking to the metalcore roots.  "Can you feel my heart?" for example is a terrific song off that album.  But "That's the Spirit" in my view was the catalyst for a complete transformation for the band and altered the bands course forever.

The album features Oli Sykes on vocals, Lee Malia on guitars, Jordan Fish on keyboards and programming, Matt Kean on bass and Matt Nicholls on drums.  Although not part of the core band there were also additional musicians which featured on many of the tracks on the album through, Will Harvey on violins, Maddie Cutter on cellos and Emma Fisher on backing vocals.  Combining all these instruments turned this album into not your typical metal album.  The keyboards brought in some electronic elements which shine through brighter than the sun on "Throne" which is an absolute tune.  And it's the keyboard intro which really sells it from the outset.  I would go as far as saying this is one of my favourite intros to a song end of, it's just that good.  Sometimes I wish they would have put in elements of that keyboard in for the rest of the song, but the song still is top tier.

"Happy Song" is another classic.  The key to this song is the extra female vocals provided that go "S.P.I.R.I.T, THAT'S THE SPRIRIT" delivered in this fun chant kind of way.  Moments like this really set Bring me apart from their peers in the scene.  I know I mention the vocals here without mentioning lead singer Oli Sykes vocals.  All I can say about his vocals on this album is that he is on total top form.  Like on "Follow You" for example is one of those songs which he stretches his vocal range more, than particularly compared to previous albums.  "Follow you" is one of those ones that builds nicely and has explosive moments at the right times.

Closing track "Oh no" has a dance feel about it, bringing back those vibes from "Throne" through the electronics.  It has a nice vibe to finish the album on.  Other worthy tracks worth a mention are "Drown", "Avalanche" and "True Friends".  All brilliant.  But this really is one of those albums I wouldn't skip a track.

Overall, this is for me, a classic album.  Although I wasn't into them when this came out, I can appreciate now that this was a brave move for the band changing their sound so dramatically which may have lost their loyal metalcore fans.  But the risk worked and now they are filling arenas and are teetering on being mainstay festival headliners if they haven't already cemented themselves that position already.

Shinedown - Planet Zero

 

"Planet Zero" is the 7th album by Floridian 4-piece Shinedown.  I discovered Shinedown prior to their 6th album "Attention, Attention" coming out, which was released back in 2018.  I enjoyed most of their albums.  The first two albums I would describe as being good in patches.  But from a sales point of view those 2 albums did launch them pretty quickly into being a pretty successful band.  But to me it is clear that the change in line up which occurred prior to their 3rd album "Sound of Madness" coming out, really made them reach that next level.  That line-up has seen them now through another 5 albums including "Planet Zero" in the form of Brent Smith on vocals, Zach Myers on guitar, Eric Bass on bass and Barry Kerch on drums.

I think the thing which struck me the most when this album was released was to find it was a 20-track album.  This is not completely unusual in the industry at the moment.  Kula Shaker, The Coral and The 1975 have all released albums in the last couple of years which are round about 20 tracks, and they are all good albums.  But when I hear of albums having this many tracks, I do wonder how digestible the album will be in a sitting.  Thing is though that although Shinedown haven't released a 20-track core album before.  They have often released deluxe editions of albums which can have at least 20 tracks on them.  

This time however, the reason for "Planet Zero" being 20 tracks is quite different as 7 of the tracks are more interludes.  It's as if these tracks are from some 1980's sci-fi movie with a robotic female voiceover sending out powerful messages on the state of the planet, social media usage and mental health, to a synth driven backing track.  This is something Shinedown have never done before and shows great creativity on their part.

So, this means it is in effect a 13 track album and what an absolute roller-coaster this rock outfit take you on. There are plenty of all out rockers on this, that will keep fans bouncing and singing along at their much-loved live shows.  "Planet Zero" was the first single taken from the album and it is the epitome of this. The next single "The Saints of Violence and Innuendo" has my favourite riff of the album.  It just feels so different and fresh.  "Clueless and Dramatic", "No sleep tonight" and "Army of the Undepreciated" are some more absolute bangers.  The drumming in "No sleep tonight" should be highlighted in particularly as it is so ferocious and lifts the song up so much.

There is one song on here which the band say, "is the most important song they have ever done" and that song is the 3rd single "Daylight".  I remember the hype when Coldplay released "Fix you" and it is still one of Coldplay's biggest songs even though it was released in 2005.  I can see similarities in the songs, both piano driven, both have a deep meaning that everyone can relate to.  They both really strike a chord and are sung so powerfully.  To me "Daylight" is in the same league of greatness as "Fix You". That is how good it is. Coldplay were three albums deep into their career when they wrote that. Shinedown are 7 and they are clearly a band who are still ascending in terms of quality they are producing even though they have been creating great albums for over 20 years now.

There is a lot of lyrics that hit home in "Daylight". But I think the main one is the chorus as Brent sings "It's amazing what the hard times can reveal, like who shows up, who walks away and who’s for real".  Everyone goes through hard times, and I don't think there is a single person who can't relate to that line.  But I think this song as well just sums up Shinedown.  They are much more than just your average band.  They have a purpose.  A lot of people call music their therapy.  But if you go to a Shinedown show it's like the best counselling you will ever get.  The positivity and words of wisdom Brent speaks mixed with top notch tunes is something which makes them a truly unique and great band.  And now this is really summed up through "Daylight" what they are all about.

Overall, like any album there are songs which stand out and float to the top as it were.  But there are no bad songs on this album, and each have their rightful place.  People talk about streaks artists go on in making good albums.  For me this makes 5 for Shinedown.  The only band I can think of that's done better than this is Alter Bridge with 7.  This is how good Shinedown are and how good "Planet Zero" is.