This is my review of The Automatic at TWells Forum, for my school magazine. It starts with "four nights later," as it's going to be put just after the review I wrote for The Holloways at the same place. Short and sweet this one....
Four nights later, and this reviewer is right back in the middle of the action. This time? The Automatic. With the departure of Him Who Yelped A lot, it was always going to interesting to see where they would musically venture next.
Tonight, it’s disappointing to see a less responsive crowd ready to find out. However, The Automatic are clearly still up-for-it, playing a fast-paced show to keep fans on their toes. Starting with a track off ‘Not Accepted Anywhere,’ Paul is keen to show fans why he has replaced the yelping. As they move onto more recent single Steve McQueen, the crowd begin to wake up. Packed with infectious drumbeats and lyrics made to inspire, something tells this review that this is the direction they’ve always wanted to go in.
Throughout the evening, their banter with the crowd keeps us entertained as they are happy to mock themselves. Their confidence is loud, proud and quite honestly, well deserved. New songs such as Interstate and Parasol boast an air of triumph, as they fight back against the record label that dropped them. As the night draws to a close, Monster is the obvious crowd pleaser, with a bumped up guitar heavy section to replace the yelping it started with. Dropping the encore in order to keep the crowd hyped up, they end with Recover, perhaps a track that inspired that ended up encouraging themselves to carry on.
After all the drama, The Automatic have come back fighting. Watch this space…
Monday 30 November 2009
Thursday 26 November 2009
FALL OUT BOY PUBLISHEEDDDDDD
Just got VERY excited to see my Fall Out Boy review go up on rocklouder's website :D Unfortunately, I screamed, causing some embarassment. It's worth it though. Here's the review....
After selling over seven million albums worldwide, it’s only fitting that Fall Out Boy release a Greatest Hits album, complete with a DVD. Not content with just this, they’ve only gone an written a brand new single to add that little bit more - and damn good it is, too. ‘Alpha Dog’ is the single that wants to teach the world exactly why they've sold all those albums, as its catchy chorus and "oh-oh-oh" refrain will resoundly refuse to leave your head until next week. Sorry.‘Alpha Dog’ gives Fall Out Boy the chance to prove to 'haterz' why they deserve to be here. Chucking in lyrics like "I’m a star" and "standing ovations or boos", it’s clear that they truly don't care what anyone thinks anymore. This single's bound to fill many a concert venue and get young hearts racing, as the thumping beats and inspiring lyrics connect with an audience of plenty. The only disappointing part of this track is Patrick Stump’s voice, which is occasionally overshadowed by echoes and studio effects. However, if the rumours are true and this is the last time we'll hear from FOB, it's great to see them go out with a bang.
And to see it actually ON the website, follow this link...
http://www.rocklouder.co.uk/singles/article/fall-out-boy-alpha-dog
Enjoy!
After selling over seven million albums worldwide, it’s only fitting that Fall Out Boy release a Greatest Hits album, complete with a DVD. Not content with just this, they’ve only gone an written a brand new single to add that little bit more - and damn good it is, too. ‘Alpha Dog’ is the single that wants to teach the world exactly why they've sold all those albums, as its catchy chorus and "oh-oh-oh" refrain will resoundly refuse to leave your head until next week. Sorry.‘Alpha Dog’ gives Fall Out Boy the chance to prove to 'haterz' why they deserve to be here. Chucking in lyrics like "I’m a star" and "standing ovations or boos", it’s clear that they truly don't care what anyone thinks anymore. This single's bound to fill many a concert venue and get young hearts racing, as the thumping beats and inspiring lyrics connect with an audience of plenty. The only disappointing part of this track is Patrick Stump’s voice, which is occasionally overshadowed by echoes and studio effects. However, if the rumours are true and this is the last time we'll hear from FOB, it's great to see them go out with a bang.
And to see it actually ON the website, follow this link...
http://www.rocklouder.co.uk/singles/article/fall-out-boy-alpha-dog
Enjoy!
Tuesday 24 November 2009
Rise and Fall Review :)
Just got an email back from the Editor of rocklouder.co.uk, saying that my Rise and Fall review will be published sometime this week... vvvvverrrrry happy :) So now that it's got the all clear, here's it is...
Formed from the simultaneous break-ups of “The Deal” and “Kingpin,” Rise and Fall have long established themselves as the most successful hardcore band to make it out of Belgium. Since the original release of their debut album ‘Hellmouth’, they have stopped at nothing to make sure they provided fans with the goods they wanted. They’ve had the usual band ups-and-downs, with band members coming and going as they please, but now all members are full-time, it seems Rise and Fall can truly concentrate on the job in hand.
And so we are presented with their newest offering, ‘Our Circle is Vicious.’ From the very beginning, it’s clear that they’re not messing around. We’re instantly drawn in by opener ‘Soul Slayer,’ with Bjorn Dossche’s electrifying vocals and Wim’s pulse-racing drumming. This is true proof that going through many-a-drummer has been worth it. Merging effortlessly into ‘Built on Graves,’ listeners are kept on their toes as they’re put through pace changes and the masterful guitar skills of Cedric Goetgebuer. Moving through the album, we are eased into ‘To the Bottom,’ as the crossover of guitar and drum skills moves into one of the most mesmerising tracks on the album, be it due to the surprisingly attractive slow pace or the pure talent on show.
As we continue the journey through, ‘In Circles,’ provides a chance to see a different side to Goetgebuer’s guitar skills, and a more controlled vocal from Dossche. This may be a standout track from the album in the way it’s crafted, but it’s a welcome one, making itself known in all the right ways. The eeriness of ‘Stillborn’ will have listeners hooked on every note, as vocals take a back seat and we can enjoy the entrancing effect of the pure music. This is a quick pause in the album, before we are thrown headfirst into closer ‘Knowing.’ This is really where the magic begins, as the lyrics connect to every one of us, and we can truly see how Rise and Fall have grown. The changing line-ups have now come together to create the album’s highlight, which seeks out to showcase what each member brings to this band. The creative juices have surely been flowing freely for the making of this album, one which will keep the ever-growing audiences bouncing along to every note.
Turn it up loud, put it on repeat, and enjoy the artform which is ‘Our Circle is Vicious.’
4/5
Formed from the simultaneous break-ups of “The Deal” and “Kingpin,” Rise and Fall have long established themselves as the most successful hardcore band to make it out of Belgium. Since the original release of their debut album ‘Hellmouth’, they have stopped at nothing to make sure they provided fans with the goods they wanted. They’ve had the usual band ups-and-downs, with band members coming and going as they please, but now all members are full-time, it seems Rise and Fall can truly concentrate on the job in hand.
And so we are presented with their newest offering, ‘Our Circle is Vicious.’ From the very beginning, it’s clear that they’re not messing around. We’re instantly drawn in by opener ‘Soul Slayer,’ with Bjorn Dossche’s electrifying vocals and Wim’s pulse-racing drumming. This is true proof that going through many-a-drummer has been worth it. Merging effortlessly into ‘Built on Graves,’ listeners are kept on their toes as they’re put through pace changes and the masterful guitar skills of Cedric Goetgebuer. Moving through the album, we are eased into ‘To the Bottom,’ as the crossover of guitar and drum skills moves into one of the most mesmerising tracks on the album, be it due to the surprisingly attractive slow pace or the pure talent on show.
As we continue the journey through, ‘In Circles,’ provides a chance to see a different side to Goetgebuer’s guitar skills, and a more controlled vocal from Dossche. This may be a standout track from the album in the way it’s crafted, but it’s a welcome one, making itself known in all the right ways. The eeriness of ‘Stillborn’ will have listeners hooked on every note, as vocals take a back seat and we can enjoy the entrancing effect of the pure music. This is a quick pause in the album, before we are thrown headfirst into closer ‘Knowing.’ This is really where the magic begins, as the lyrics connect to every one of us, and we can truly see how Rise and Fall have grown. The changing line-ups have now come together to create the album’s highlight, which seeks out to showcase what each member brings to this band. The creative juices have surely been flowing freely for the making of this album, one which will keep the ever-growing audiences bouncing along to every note.
Turn it up loud, put it on repeat, and enjoy the artform which is ‘Our Circle is Vicious.’
4/5
Generate the music that makes you feel better...
Back to writing for the school magazine again this week. This time, I'm writing a review of two events at Tunbridge Wells Forum- The Holloways [6.11.09] and The Automatic [10.11.09]. I started with The Holloways...
As you walk through the doors of the Forum tonight, you are immediately greeted by a buzz of excitement as fans young and old gear up for an energetic night. The faint smell of alcohol follows you round like a bad smell, which in some cases it is. Packed venue? Check. Background music pumping? Check. Dancing fans? Check. Must be time for The Holloways.
From the opening note, fans know they are in for one hell of a good time. Opening with ‘F*** Ups,’ the crowd are already bouncing around like they have ants in their pants- which they hopefully don’t. It’s clear to see that The Holloways know how to get a crowd start, as they mix old classics such as Two Left Feet with new songs from their forthcoming album. Personally, WOK! think the new songs are sounding as good, if not better than the old ones, and the crowd seem to agree. Other album tracks – Dancefloor in particular- create mass frenzy as a giant moshpit circles around the floor.
The night ends with dance-along favourite Generator, the truly show-stealing song. As you long around, every person in the audience is still moving around with the energy of five-year-old. As fans file out in drips and drabs, the smiles on their faces immediately indicates that this has been a worthwhile night out.
As you walk through the doors of the Forum tonight, you are immediately greeted by a buzz of excitement as fans young and old gear up for an energetic night. The faint smell of alcohol follows you round like a bad smell, which in some cases it is. Packed venue? Check. Background music pumping? Check. Dancing fans? Check. Must be time for The Holloways.
From the opening note, fans know they are in for one hell of a good time. Opening with ‘F*** Ups,’ the crowd are already bouncing around like they have ants in their pants- which they hopefully don’t. It’s clear to see that The Holloways know how to get a crowd start, as they mix old classics such as Two Left Feet with new songs from their forthcoming album. Personally, WOK! think the new songs are sounding as good, if not better than the old ones, and the crowd seem to agree. Other album tracks – Dancefloor in particular- create mass frenzy as a giant moshpit circles around the floor.
The night ends with dance-along favourite Generator, the truly show-stealing song. As you long around, every person in the audience is still moving around with the energy of five-year-old. As fans file out in drips and drabs, the smiles on their faces immediately indicates that this has been a worthwhile night out.
ROCKLOUDERRRRR
Haven't written on here for a while....
Since I last wrote, I've been given the opportunity to write for an online music website called http://www.rocklouder.co.uk/
So far, I've written two reviews- one single and one album. Just waiting to hear back from the editor and hopefully they'll get published :)
I really hope this is going to give me the chance to write more features, rather than just reviews, because that seems to be all I've done so far. I have done an interview with Peter Tatchell for my school magazine, but as this was a joint effort with someone else, it's not really fair to publish it as my work...But I'm not complaining either way!
I'll put the two reviews for rocklouder up once they've all been cleared...
Since I last wrote, I've been given the opportunity to write for an online music website called http://www.rocklouder.co.uk/
So far, I've written two reviews- one single and one album. Just waiting to hear back from the editor and hopefully they'll get published :)
I really hope this is going to give me the chance to write more features, rather than just reviews, because that seems to be all I've done so far. I have done an interview with Peter Tatchell for my school magazine, but as this was a joint effort with someone else, it's not really fair to publish it as my work...But I'm not complaining either way!
I'll put the two reviews for rocklouder up once they've all been cleared...
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