We Are The Young EP – A Year Today: REVIEW

Bristol upstarts, A Year Today are an extremely young band, still in their infancy under this name. Once known as Albion, they gigged for close to a year, before realizing that they weren’t playing the stuff they wanted to. Albion as a name didn’t suit the sound that they wanted to pursue, so they underwent the rebranding before releasing this; their debut EP.

First off, this EP is 4 songs long, definitely the best length for an EP and clocks in at 15 minutes, which again is the best area of time. At 4 songs long, the EP allows the band to show what they can do without giving away too much. First track ‘I Remember My First Beer’ has features great guitar work from George Smith and Josh Mortazavi, leading into a Biffy Clyro-esque bridge with gang vocals which will make this tune a great live banger. Singer, David Hackett’s vocals are a joy to listen to, and his charisma pours through the speakers.

Second track ‘2607’ is a slower affair, but shows off Hackett’s vocals to their fullest, in a dark and brooding atmosphere, featuring another great chorus, while showing off some very heartfelt lyrics, and sounds like the most likely song to make a connection with the listener. It’s a real lighters in the air, arms swaying song, showing that they have a side that can please all listeners.

‘Oh Captain’ explodes into life with a vigor and riff which would work well as an opener to a live set, crunchy and intricate, it then turns into a rock stomper, featuring furious drumming action from Will Earl, and it’s clear that him and Conor Freeney on Bass have a great understanding, creating the canvas for the guitarists to create a picture, and Hackett to add the finishing touches. This is without doubt the strongest song on the EP, combining everything that a strong debut song needs.

Title track ‘We Are The Young’ closes out the EP, and it’s another strong song. Combining everything the last three songs have, and creating this tune, brings out one of the best choruses this year punctuated by the line ‘We are the young, this is old news’ symbolizing the struggles of dealing with growing up and dealing with parents moaning about stopping hobbies to create a career. ‘This is old news’ in particular hits home with being told over and over that hobbies are a waste of time now. An obvious choice to be a lead single, and most bands would be proud to have a song as good as this as their introduction to the wider world.

Overall, this EP is a fantastic mission statement for the band.  The fact that the band consists of 5 long-term friends shows throughout the EP, as their playing is tight throughout, the gang vocals are placed well, and the band have taken great care to put their best foot forward. These guys are definitely one to look for!

For fans of: Deaf Havana, You Me At Six, Taking Back Sunday.

Check out the video for 'We Are The Young' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeGlTSIfFvA&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=AYearToday

A Year Today are on tour in April, check their Facebook for the dates: https://www.facebook.com/ayeartodayband/

The Blackout - Wolves EP: REVIEW

Right, we all know the score with The Blackout don't we? No? In short, one of the best live acts the UK has been blessed with in the last 10 years. They've had some extreme highs, like headlining the Camden Roundhouse and extreme lows, such as cancelling tour dates last year due to singer, Gavin Butler's neurological disorder reappearing. In October 2014, they're back. And they're back, bigger, heavier and more focused than ever. 

Aptly, the Wolves EP opens with 'Wolves' a slice of crushing rock, which could easily fit in on the radio playlists, with a massive chorus, and some fantastic guitar playing, this 5 track EP is off to a good start. Second single 'Liars' is a more technical affair, but also a lot more heavy, with unclean vocalist Sean Smith taking a more front and centre role for this song, delivering the verses and harmonising the chorus behind Gavin Butler's massive delivery. With a refrain of 'Sick, We're Sick, We're Sick, Sick of all this shit!' to close, this song was definitely built for a live setting. 

'Pieces' isn't the song to change your mind on The Blackout if you've still, somehow, not got it, but it shows off the two vocalists talents to a massive degree. Both Smith & Butler interplay their vocals to great effect and show great textures to their deliveries. 'Hold On' brings the heavy back, rapid fire lyric delivery, crushing drums and a great riff, this song encapsulates what The Blackout are all about. 

Closing with 'Chains' yet another crushing tune, with a massive, live baiting, ending refrain of 'Break from the chains', they've certainly done that. The Blackout save the heaviest and the best, song for last on this short EP. The thing with The Blackout is that they're a band made for a live setting and they've gone back to basics to create a live sounding EP on record. Every song on here sounds like it was written with a live crowd in mind, and there's no doubt every song will slay on the upcoming tour. 

The Blackout are back and they're ready to make you put your hands in the air, cause some mayhem and leave you breathless from all the singalongs. A smashing return to form. 

Mallory Knox: Asymmetry - REVIEW

Mallory Knox have been threatening to blow up since their inception. Via the Pilot EP & debut album 'Signals' they've always been a buzz band. Now comes the difficult second album and, to be honest, they've completely smashed it. 

Starting with lead single 'Ghost In The Mirror' the band set about bridging the debut with the sophomore effort to great effect. What follows is nothing short of a triumph. 'Getaway' deals with the problems of relationships and features a trademark chorus, Mikey Chapman's vocals have always been of a high standard but he seems to have found a whole new level and it's shown throughout the 11 tracks. Second single 'Shout At The Moon' is the perfect example of this, featuring a chorus made for radio and large venues. 'When Are We Waking Up' uses the quiet-loud dynamic to great effect, and is the perfect song for someone who's in distress. 

There's even time for a Led Zeppelin like long song. Clocking in at 7 minutes 21 seconds, 'She Took Him To The Lake' shows off the writing talents of the whole band. Hitting so many levels of the emotional spectrum, with so many twists and turns, the song shows a maturity and hints at bigger things to come for the band. One of the standout songs, not just for the band or the album, but possibly the year is 'Heart & Desire'. A fantastic chorus, against a background of noise, this song was written to be screamed back by crowds of thousands. 

Overall, Mallory Knox have written a collection of songs which could threaten to catapult them into the stars. 'Asymmetry' could quite easily make them the hottest rock band of the UK, and could comfortably slot them in as one of the top bands in this country today. The next tour is a big one, culminating in 2 nights at the Electric Ballroom. Next year could easily see them headlining Brixton Academy and it's fair to say that these guys deserve it. A masterclass in the 'difficult second album'. 

Marmozets @ The Fighting Cocks – ALBUM RELEASE SHOW

Album release shows are a chance to see bands in environments that you wouldn’t normally see them in and Banquet Records are quite adept at getting big name artists to play smaller venues for such an occasion. In the past they’ve had bands like Twin Atlantic and Royal Blood play special shows, but this time, it’s the turn of the young upstarts, Marmozets.

This show has been a long time coming, having released two EPs (both of astoundingly good quality) this debut album was highly anticipated, and has not disappointed. The day of the show, the album hit number 25 on the Official Nationwide Charts, a feat which is not lost on the members of the band. Becca and Josh expressing how mad it was after the show, shows maturity and a sense of down to earth which is incredible.

Now on to the show; first up were support Beasts. Sounding like a punkier, more rock and roll version of Bleach-era Nirvana, they jaunted through a 30 minute set to a decent reaction. Closest comparisons would probably be made to The Vines, and these guys are a band to watch. With a bit of polish, they could be a big shot in the arm to the British Rock scene.

Taking to the stage on a Sunday afternoon at 3.30 might not be the most obvious time for a show, but Marmozets show they can play on any stage at whatever time. Inside the Fighting Cocks, 150 people lose their inhibitions for just over half an hour, in support of Britain’s hottest young band. Opening with the song with the best chorus of last year, they rip through ‘Born Young and Free’ with the crowd going absolutely mental. Becca’s vocal chords absolute shred throughout the entire set, but there is not a better vocalist in the country right now, especially on stage. Whether screaming, crooning or softly whispering the lyrics to ‘Particle’, the band are on top form. Playing a ten song set, encompassing the majority of the album, they show why so many bands are tipping them for the top, and why they deserve to be headlining venues such as Scala. ‘Hit The Wave’ is a highlight of the day before the ending double act of ‘Move Shake Hide’ and ‘Vibetech’ brings the show to a crashing end, complete with Becca, Sam and Jack getting involved in the crowd’s mayhem, crowd surfing whilst still playing.

Marmozets are only going to go one way, and that is up. The talent in the band at such a young age proves they’re going to be a massive force. The fact they’re already writing for album two shows a commitment that not many bands actually have. This show may be the last time they’ll play a tiny stage, but that’s because they deserve to be on so much bigger stages.

Hands Like Houses – Reimagine EP Review

 Hands Like Houses are Australia’s hottest new band, having released their second album ‘Unimagine’ last year, gaining a whole legion of fans. Hitting the road, they’ve played every where they can, and are back in the UK later this year, supporting Bury Tomorrow on their UK Headline Tour, taking in venues like The Institute in Birmingham and the legendary KOKO in Camden.

After releasing ‘Unimagine’ fans have been waiting for a follow up release and they have it in a reworked EP titled ‘reimagine’ taking 5 tracks from that previous release and rewriting them in a different way. Having wanted to show the songs the same respect as they were first shown when they were first written, the 5 track EP has come out very well.

Reordering the tracks as well, as the first song to be given the ‘reimaging’ is ‘Shapeshifters’ retitled ‘recollect’. The new version has a Deaf Havana twist to it, which gives it a new lease of life. Trenton Woodley’s vocals were shown to be impressive on ‘Unimagine’ but they hit a whole new level on ‘reimagine’, especially on this first track. A jangling guitar riff and a dreamy bassline, combined with a chorus of claps gets the EP off to a great start.

‘reimagine’ has a very dreamy effect throughout the course of the five songs, taking in many different influences and effects. Some great guitar playing comes from Matt Cooper and Alex Pearson, showing growth both as players and writers. ‘No Parallels’ (retitled ‘rediscover’) is still a catchy song, showing that Hands Like Houses have many different arrows in their bows, and all those arrows are differently colored. ‘A Tale of Outer Suburbia’ (retitled as ‘release’) has become a proper ballad number, with haunting vocals and intimate instrumentals, this could easily be slipped into a live set and be a real lighters in the air moment for the band.

Overall, the EP may seem like a stopgap to some people, but it’s an incredible show of talent by the band, to be able to rework some of the best songs of their career so far and still make every one of them essential listening for fans. If you’ve never listened to Hands Like Houses, this EP is a great start.

Hands Like Houses tour the UK in October 2014 as main support for Bury Tomorrow, along with In Hearts Wake and Slaves (UK).

‘reimagine’ is out now on iTunes.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handslikehouses?ref=ts&fref=ts

Twitter: @HandsLikeHouses

Foo Fighters Rocking Return!!!

When the rumours started circulating that the Foo Fighters were going to be playing three UK club shows alongside their headline slot at the closing ceremony of the Invitcus games this coming Sunday, the last place that anyone expected them to play was Concorde 2 in Brighton… Yet they did just that. The first of three club shows, proved why the Foos are one of the best live acts currently on the scene and will go down as one of the best acts ever to play a live set.

Accustomed to playing larger venues than the 600 capacity Concorde 2, the band has never failed to create chaos and mayhem wherever they play. Deciding to play a lot of rare songs, some of which haven’t been played for many years, they delved into their back catalogue as well as playing many of the hits which have become a staple of their live set. Playing under the guise of ‘The Holy Shits’ and opening with the energetic and emotive ‘Enough Space’, the crowd created the perfect atmosphere, with many diehard fans not being able to believe their luck as to be able to see this show, as well as hearing some classic Foos. Playing for near two hours, the rarities were very much weighted with the hits, and the crowd sang every single word back.

Frontman Dave Grohl was on top form, bantering with the crowd, talking up the history of the Foos, commenting on the venue having not changed since they were last there, calling it ‘a f*cking sweatbox, just like the last time’. ‘I’ll Stick Around’ followed and the crowd collapsed into pandemonium. Grohl then decided it was time to slow things down a tad, before launching into ‘Big Me’ one of the love songs as he so eloquently put it. This signaled the start of the ‘hits’ aka the classic Foo Fighters set list. A ferocious ‘Rope’ followed ‘Generator’, but the biggest cheer of the night so far was saved for a near ten-minute rendition of ‘The Pretender’ with extended bridge and breakdown for good measure.

Grohl also acknowledged that the UK’s tribute act for the band ‘UK Foo Fighters’ were in the building, before inviting the lead singer ‘Jay’ up on stage to sing ‘White Limo’ which was a surreal moment. Looking at the stage, you’d be hard pressed to tell who was the real Grohl! After a plug for the UK Foo Fighters playing at the Concorde 2 themselves, the originals got back to it and delivered hit after hit, including a cover of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers ‘Breakdown’. The main set concluded with a song, which the Foo Fighters wrote after visiting the UK for the first time, and possibly had the biggest singalong of the night ‘My Hero’. ‘Hey, Johnny Park!’ and surprisingly ‘Everlong’ rounded out the main set after which the Foos left to make the crowd wait for a good 5 minutes, building the anticipation for an electric encore.

Striding back onstage, the front man pointed out that there were ‘a good 2000 people stood outside, listening in’ and after a muted reply from that crowd, they finished on an incendiary ‘All My Life’. Even without playing ‘Best of You’ or ‘Times Like These’, the Foo Fighters showed why they’re one of the best bands in the world today. Not many bands could come to a tiny venue like this and treat it like it was Wembley Stadium. They did just that, and with a perfect sound to boot.

Joking about a ‘week of Wembley’ shows, Grohl was masterful throughout, and all the members played their parts to 110% accuracy. No hiccups, no bad atmosphere and best of all no dodgy sound. Perfect show.

Foo Fighters are back and with a new album on the horizon, that week at Wembley Stadium may not be far away…

Sonic Highways is available on the 8^th November 2014.

The Hiding Place - So This Is Home... - REVIEW

I have sent this review off as an audition piece for Punktastic's website and I thought I may as well post it up on here as well. This band are quality and definitely deserve to be so much more prominent in people's minds. These guys are definitely worth a chance.

Short, expansive and loud. These are just three adjectives, which sum up the latest release from Midlands upstarts, ‘The Hiding Place’. Having been a band since 2010, they’ve developed a decent following of fans on social media and in their base city of Stoke-on-Trent. Combining furious guitar playing from guitarist, ‘Jonny Wood’ with ‘Dominic Webber’s’ croons and screams brings together an EP of such promise, ‘So This Is Home…’.

Opening salvo ‘Maybe You’ll Drown’ is quite calm, echoing the intro of many ‘Of Mice & Men’ songs, a dark brooding riff with ‘Webber’ very quietly singing, before an avalanche of riffs, drums and bass hit with a great scream. The opening song may only be just over two and a half minutes long, but it is impactful and shows intent. Whilst the EP is just shy of fifteen minutes long, it hits all of the right notes and shows off some expert playing. Lead single ‘Guts’ could be the song which garners them the most attention, with it’s heartfelt lyrics and an expansive palette of sound, it’s a solid choice for a lead single.

Moving onto ‘Barfly’ a song named after the legendary London venue was always going to incorporate themes of alcohol wasn’t it? With a harmonized chorus and a crunchy riff, the song is one of the strongest the band has. ‘The Whole World Is Ending In My Head’ shows off the vocals again with a quiet-loud dynamic which just works, whilst closer ‘Long Winters’ sounds like ‘Anberlin’ but a whole lot heavier. This isn’t a bad thing, and it closes the EP with a barrel full of sound.

Overall, ‘The Hiding Place’ could be on the cusp of joining the ranks of the national alternative rock scene, and could prove to be one of the leaders if this EP is anything to go by. They’ve got the tunes, now they need the overwhelming support that they deserve. Fans of ‘Mallory Knox’, ‘Finch’ and ‘Anberlin’ will love these guys.

‘So This Is Home…’ is out now via iTunes & http://thehidingplace.bigcartel.com/