Head Noise - Special Effects Improves The Defects

(Words by Gareth Burra)

Head Noise are a 3 piece Electro Art-Punk band from South Wales, often using a keytar as a primary instrument as well as an array of nontraditional instruments. With no live drums or an actual drummer they are certainly a different act and stand out from the crowd with their less conventional, more experimental approach.

So here we have the bands new 6 track mini-album "Special Effects Improves The Defects", a very fun sounding release here; upbeat, with some wicked little electronic jingles and beats throughout, which wouldn't sound out of place in an 80s disco or a soundtrack to a film set in such era, truth be told.

Some highlights of the EP, for myself, are "Finally Snapped", which may be my favourite of the bunch, with its dark and ambient sound - I'm getting some major A Flock Of Seagulls-esque vibes from this one - as well as "Diamond Planet", with its perfect groove and a more alternative 80's sound.

Overall a nice little release her; its fun, its fresh, its different, and stands out. Nicely done.

Kilslug - Sin, Tricks And Lies

Kilslug are a sludgy band from the USA fronted by the mysterious Larry Lifeless, who initially comes across as a mix between Eyehategod's Mike Williams, Scott Walker and err, Crank Sturgeon or something like that. Kilslug have been around for yeeears, and the Limited Appeal (what a label!) pressing of Sin, Tricks and Lies is so awesome it makes me want to start collecting vinyl again. I mean, just mosy on over to Discogs and look at that cover, and it plays from the inside out, for fuck's sake!

I get an almost Christian Death vibe here (run through a thousand fuzz filters, of course!). The opening croons of "Your God is not real!" sets the bar for the type of journey that we are going on. Imagine if Lou Reed fronted Black Sabbath, just for a second. Really, the comparisons can go on and on, but you should really just listen to this thing, especially now that it is in Spotify. Stand out tracks for me are the opener "Hangman's List", and the spoopy "March Of The Skeletons". 

David Lynch - Crazy Clown Time

Crazy Clown Time is, for the most part, a journey through rusted Americana with treated, dense beats. Repetition is God, repetition is key! Lynch has openly admitted that he is neither a singer nor a guitar player, but it only seems right that the all-encompassing artist releases his own music as well, and it does not disappoint me in the slightest. I mean, I kinda half-braced myself for some Mr. Bungle / John Zorn style freakery, but what we have here is much more fitting into the Lynchian aesthetic.

There are good songs, and there are not so good songs. Some of his vocal performances are lacking somewhat; not so much in quality, but in delivery. I love Lynch, and I don't dislike this record, but as someone who has listened to thousands of albums, I can't deny a weak vocal performance when I hear one. Lyrically, the man is on point, and the music is smokey and authentic. It's just the whole thing lacks a little, how should I say it, pizzazz.

Nicole Dollenganger - Natural Born Losers

I'm not sure if "angelic" is the correct word to use in regards to Nicole Dollenganger, but it is indeed the first thing that comes to mind whilst listening to this possibly troubled teen. I say that because there is something a lot more than just the voice of an angel here; there are many other faces, perhaps those of demons, bubbling beneath the surface. Her voice is fragile and delicate, yet powerful and mesmerising. 

On Natural Born Losers, Nicole combines ethereal, dreamy, almost non-structured synth work with an alternative pop vibe that for me evokes the work of Daisy Chainsaw / Queenadreena's KatieJane Garside, Grimes, to an extent Lana Del Rey, or even Kate Bush. The music that accompanies her voice is akin to various shades of post rock, the experimental side of indie or even shoegaze. 

Favourite track: "Angels of Porn II"

Paramore - After Laughter

(words by Bizrae Isnae Disnae)

Okay so, this sounds nothing at all like the Paramore records you may have come to know and love; this is worlds apart from their more pop punk and power pop tendencies, but what with times changing, and a series of line up changes within the group, that time has kind of passed anyway, I guess, and the band had been slowly morphing for quite some time, lets be honest. Of course, it is the voice of Hayley Williams that really lets you know it is a Paramore record, of which there's no denying its anyone but her upon listening.

Aside from the breezy catchy little 80s inspired tracks that shine through here like "Hard Times", "Pool" and "Told You So", there are some slower numbers scattered throughout such as "Fake Happy", and "26", but if I'm honest prefer the straight up catchy 80's poppy moments on this; they are the record's finest moments, and where the album kind of shines through.

Overall, it's a bit hit and miss for me, but it does have it's moments, and again if we are going back to previous albums by the group where every track is an absolute belter, start to finish job, then this does unfortunately lack that level of enjoyment - not that I'm calling this a bad record as such; I will let you decide for yourselves, however.

Highlights include "Hard Times", "Told You So". 

Dreamcar - Dreamcar

(Words by Gareffff Burra)

Dreamcar is a new project made up of Tom Dumont, Adrian Young and Tony Kanal of No Doubt, and AFI's Davey Havok.

Since hearing of this unique and perhaps mix-matched collaboration, I have been very keen to hear how this album would sound, having the majority of the members (i.e the band itself) coming from a very ska and pop-based background, and the vocalist coming from more of a punk and alternative rock style of music. This was definitely something I was curious about hearing; excited about how it'd sound, especially as I'm quite partial to both acts, especially AFI.

Upon first listen I am immediately drawn in by - and familiar with - Davey's vocals, and pleasantly surprised as the album kicks off with opener "If I confessed", which sets the tone and sound for the project nicely to anyone else curious. I'd say there is a strong 80's vibe shining through on this release with the guitar sound particularly, which is very A Flock of Seagulls-esque at times. Overall, we're talking a more moody and darker 80's sound here, rather than a straight up pop record. Although, I can't help but get an ever so slight Duran Duran vibe from "On the Charts", especially from that vocal hook, so there are elements of both.

Overall though, a cool and very refreshing sounding side project here, and a great album. Personal highlights for me include "All The Dead Girls Love Me", and the album's single "Kill For Candy".

Altered Sky - Without Wonderland

(words by Gareth Burra)

Here we have Without Wonderland from Scottish pop rockers Altered Sky. I have seen this band play a good number of times (and in most instances, I shared the stage with them, in my Led by Lions days). I can say that every single time, there was always a very good live show with a fantastic stage presence, and I have always been impressed with how well front-woman Anna performs vocally. They were a band that I'd actually heard live first before hearing a record, so when it came to checking out their stuff I had a very good idea of what to expect and was looking forward to hearing it.

The production on this album is spot on for this type of music; it is on point for all instruments as well as the powerful vocals - there's a perfect, big, dramatic pop rock sound here (just like their live show). Something for everyone here really too, a nice mixture of pop rock anthems (i.e "Bury It All", "Waves") as well as some piano ballads ("Imagine Adventure"); some really high quality sounding material throughout.

Highlights include the massive sounding "Waves", and the slightly heavier toned "White Witch". Overall, a great sounding album, from a very hard working band.

For fans of: 

Avril Lavigne, Paramore, Tonight Alive

This Becomes Us - This Becomes Us

(Words by Burra, The Fresh Prince Of Porth)

This Becomes Us is the solo collaborative release from Future Of The Left (and not forgetting ex-Million Dead) bassist Julia Ruzicka. This debut contains ten tracks of absolute pure gold, featuring a different vocalist on each track, including Black Francis from The Pixies, among others. Opener "The Picture of Delorean Gray", is a cracking little number; a nice and fast-paced, hard-hitting, fuzzy, punky number that leads into the bouncy "Undervalue Love", which has a kind of dark pop vibe to it. 

The third track - and a possible favourite -  is "Big Hitter" (featuring the vocals of Billy Mason Wood), which has quite an At The Drive In sound to it, I'd say. Absolutely love this one. Not to go for the obvious and lazy review, but "Painter Man Is Coming" (featuring the vocals of Black Francis) has such a nice Pixies vibe to it. This is a lovely track, and is very reminiscent of some of Pixies' finest work at times. Another favourite from this release.

I would describe "At The End Of Everyday" as having a very early 2000's kind of sound; I'm thinking like that original emo/post hardcore sound that was starting to come out around then; Cursive, Rival Schools etc. vibe I'm getting - it is refreshing to hear, either way!

The short and sweet "Simple Too" leans towards a distorted-yet-arty punk type of sound, leading into "The Gift That Nobody Wants", which sounds very Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster-esque, "Songs In My Mind" is great, really like the vocals on this one, a catchy little punk number with some powerful female lead vocals from Chantal Lewis-Brown. "Sassessa" is cool; a more laid back number compared the rest of the bunch, yet still upbeat and driving. The album's closer "This Horse Needs Peace" is a well-placed last track to the record, and a subtle instrumental outro to the whole thing.

Overall though, This Becomes Us - despite having a different collaboration on each track - still does the wonderful thing of managing to sound like a fully flowing, coherent album and not just a compilation of songs. As solo projects go,  this is exceptionally well done!

Sum 41 - 13 Voices

(Words by Burra)

This is the brand new album from a recharged Sum 41 and the first with guitarist Dave Baksh back in the group. My initial impression upon listening was "Oh it's darker, keep this theme going please and we may have a good record here," and I wasn't too far off with such a request; its a lot darker, especially to those that may only know Sum 41 for "In Too Deep" or "Fat Lip", as its definitely not the happy, bouncy pop punk as reflected in such earlier hits.

Big riffs! Some lovely guitar playing on this record actually - throughout in fact; riff after riff, with loads going on. This is a very strong album here; a really solid set of songs with a lot more aggressive vocal approach, and very mature to boot. Highlights include the single "Fake My Own Death", "There Will Be Blood", the anthemic "Twisted By Design" and the title track "13 Voices", but seriously, this album is cracking throughout, so I won't go into too much singling out any in particular, just song-after-song great!

For anyone that has wrote them off, only knows Sum 41 for the career-breaking singles, or hasn't really kept up to speed with the band, this really is a fantastic re-introduction, and well worth a listen!

Taking Back Sunday - Tidal Wave

(Words by Burra, who recently gave back Wednesday)

I really like this album. Overall, it feels so much more alive with energy than any of the more recent releases; maybe with a slight return to their classic sound at times. Although nothing they do will ever be as good as Tell All Your Friends or Where You Want To Be, unfortunately thats just how it is! So anything they do always lives in the shadow of those albums, I guess (feel free to disagree, mind).

However, that is not to say they don't come close at times on this record at re-capturing some of that magic. It stands its ground well. That aside, here is a band that has obviously aged and grown up into a more mature sound over the years, and why would they want to just keep releasing the same record over and over again?

I haven't caught the band playing anything off this album live yet, but some tracks on here I can imagine go down really well in a live setting, especially the opening track "Death Wolf"; one of my favourites off the album, and a cracking introduction and welcome return.

If you're already a fan and have followed the bands rise since the mic swinging "emo" pioneers they were, then I'm sure you'll enjoy this just as much as anything else they've done. Lots of energy as well as the odd slow moment. A great record!

Highlights: "I Felt It Too", "Death Wolf",

Jimmy Eat World - Integrity Blues

(words by Burra; eater of worlds, rustler of Jimmies)

Here we have the band's latest 11 track release: Integrity Blues; a beautiful sounding record from start to finish, and one that definitely shows off the slower, softer side to the band (which I love) with lots of atmosphere and lots of emotion. Haunting, soothing and yet, at times, harder hitting. 

It's very difficult to pick any stand-out tracks from this album, simply as this is a band that when I choose to listen to them, I can listen to the album in its entirety, rather than single out any specific tracks. I feel that is the type of band that Jimmy Eat World are. For arguments sake however, I do really enjoy "Get Right", with it's dark, driving riff and big chorus; one of the somewhat heavier tracks actually from this little bunch. "Sure and Certain" too, for that big, happy-sounding chorus alone. I also enjoy the soft yet moody "Pretty Grids", as well as "Pass The Baby", which builds and builds slowly until out of nowhere in comes those surprising riffs to lead the song out. But, as the entire thing all flows so well I won't delve any further into picking the tracks apart!

In a nutshell, this is just a really nice sounding record, and there's always something about Jimmy Eat World's music that gets me lost inside it. I'll admit that Clarity, their 1999 release, is one of my favourite albums ever, so it was of no surprise to me that I really enjoyed this release. Haven't really got a bad word to say about this, if you're a fan no doubt you'll enjoy, and if your new to them I still recommend a listen.

Billy Talent - Afraid Of Heights

(Words by Burra, writaen a'yon thon billae talgan)

Everything I could have wanted from a Billy Talent album is right here. I'm happy that they've released yet another solid album from start to finish, as few bands nowadays manage to release cracking record after cracking record with little filler, but so far Billy Talent haven't let us down there at all, I feel. This is full of catchy hooks - both vocally and musically; the catchy riffs and shouty choruses that this band have mastered so perfectly and what makes them so great to listen to. "Ghost Ship Of Cannibal Rats" is a standout track on this one for me - it literally has all the right amounts of the above mentioned and more. Easily my personal favourite, and I'm pretty sure most fans of the band will agree with on this one too.

Another big highlight is "Rabbit Down The Hole", a very anthemic number. But, as I say there's literally not a bad song on the whole album. In a nutshell, if you're already a fan of this band you'll love it, whilst it is also strong enough to maybe pick up some new fans who might have been late to the party upon checking them out. Very high energy, very fun, very enjoyable! It's also worth noting the drums on this record were instead performed by Alexisonfire's Jordan Hastings - who's also touring with the band too - as regular drummer Aaron Solowoniuk is currently unable to drum due to a multiple sclerosis relapse (both drummers feature in current 2016 promotional pictures).

Montreux Fires - Trying For The Sake Of Trying

(Words by Burra; The 6th Beatle)

This is the debut EP from fresh on the scene South Wales-based female-fronted four piece, Montreaux Fires. The EP starts with a quick spoken word intro taken from the recording process (it's worth noting that this was self-recorded by the band's bassist in his living room) before launching into the track "Our Little Life" - a cracking opener and one I can imagine would go down really well live, with a nice big riff to kick this one off before slowing down into some dreamy, haunting verse vocals and unleashing that perfect chorus hook! Great track to kick off the release with is this one!

"Disclosure", which the band has made a video for - I feel this track shows off all elements of the band, both musically and vocally, again with another awesome chorus (there's a pattern emerging here). The track is somewhere in-between the slower and faster side to the band, so I think it was perfect choice to choose to showcase themselves with. Loving the group harmony sounds too, on this one.

"Trying" is a lovely slow number, with a what I would describe as very Brand New-esque sound to it, which works so well, leading into a nice big faded out ending and with some spot on guitar sounds throughout. A big sounding track overall and a definite EP highlight. However it's "Walls" that really is the perfect choice of track to see out the EP with. I love how the song builds up to that massive sounding ending! Again, with some big sounding group harmonies thrown in here too, which accompanies vocalist Lydia's powerful vocals very nicely indeed. Well crafted and well chosen.

Overall this is a fantastic debut release; one that the band can be confident in too. I'd also like to say top job on the production here; keeping things DIY yet still managing to set the bar at a very high standard, and despite being a such a new band it's very promising to see and hear material so strong already.

For fans of: Brand New, Paramore, Jimmy Eat World

Bestial Mouths - Heartless

Heartless is the most recent offering from bizarre, dark and menacing electronica group Bestial Mouths. Expect "darkwave" (the Youtube comments section just had a triple bypass with the use of this word) meeting ethereal pop in a world of decay, pain and seemingly endless reverb. The tracks do sound kinda similar however in a bizarre twist this only seems to cement the record together as a solid whole, rather than drive boredom into the heart of the listener. Expect Florence & The Machine meeting 2004-onwards-era Gary Numan in an abandoned underground car park. At points, in certain passages the record harks back to an undeniable influence from 80s synth-pop flamboyance such as that performed by Kate Bush, or perhaps more subtly David Bowie (on the part of Bestial Mouths' interpretation, of course).

Bestial Mouths have that strange mid-level appeal; weird enough to play fringe and underground festivals around the world, deep in the pockets of the twiddly mustache and APA drinking crowd, whilst at the same time possessing the catchiness that could easily point to a more mainstream success. Saying that, if you thought Lady Gaga was weird, artistic and expressive, this is probably not for you. 

Calling Apollo - The Great Depression Act 1

(words by Porth's man-in-thon-know, Gareth Burra)

Here we have the new 6 track release - The Great Depression Act 1 - from South Wales 5 piece Calling Apollo. What a huge sounding record this is; production wise, instrumental and vocal wise - it's great! A very wisely chosen opening track comes in the form of "Light The Way"; I love the guitar tone in this, it's very reminiscent of a lot of the 2000's era rock that was about, topped off with some really powerful vocals, solid bass playing and hard hitting drumming.

Personal favourites for me include the popular single "Clone City", "Obelisk" (massive sounding track!) and the ballad-like "The Wars", but this release just flows so well as a whole. There is a really carefully chosen and selected bunch of tracks here, all skillfully crafted. Also, the perfectly chosen ending to the release - "...And The High Plateau"; another ballad style number just closes the record off perfectly. Such a nice sound to this one and a great closing track. As I say, the whole thing just flows so perfectly.

Plain and simply this mini-album is just brilliant. It oozes strength and power; a really confident-sounding record from a band that know exactly what sound they are going for and are confident in doing such so early on in their career. There's nothing shakey about this one. Calling Apollo are a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale Welsh music scene, so stick with these guys as I can only see good things for them. This is a release they can really be proud of, and I see no reason why these guys won't be pretty huge a few years down the line.

P.S Fans of Saosin, Billy Talent, Circa Survive, Thursday etc may enjoy this one!

Black Sun - Twilight Of The Gods

Black Sun are (or possibly were) a three piece from Scotland. I think (from lending CDs off the Doomfinder General) that they pretty much started out as a one man industrial/noise project before evolving into a full band. They self-released a bunch of stuff before this final full length dropped on Future Noise and Head Of Crom. Twilight Of The Gods is a solid album through and through. The best way I can quickly describe it off the top of my head is to imagine Swans and Iron Monkey having a fight in a methadone clinic. Oh, and Oxbow is there as well, just because.

The record bursts into life with "Code Black", re-recorded from the 7" split with They Are Cowards, quickly followed by the excellent "Terminal Velocity". "Gethsemane" is a perfect example of one of the album's gut-wrenching crawlers. "Black Angel" (possibly a nod towards Death In June with that title?) and "Warhead" remain two of my favourite songs ever. 

I'm not entirely sure what became of Black Sun, but leaving us with this record seems like a pretty good way to go out. 

The LaFontaines - Class

(Words by Burra)

I was recommended this band to check out, and having known literally nothing about them I was interested to hear what was going on. The LaFontaines are a very difficult band to pigeonhole; I'm finding myself presented with rapping, smooth sounding vocals, riffs, indie guitar licks, lovely guitar tones amongst really big sounding anthems. What a mental combination! On paper this shouldn't work, it really shouldn't... however these guys have seemed to pull it off nicely. I'm hearing multiple genres at play throughout the album - even throughout a single track! But, I'm finding it's very refreshing to listen to something so different; something that has a surprise around every corner. 

The standout track on this album for me is definitely "Castles"; if I had to sum this particular track up, it sounds a mixture of all the sounds I've just mentioned, but with a slightly anthemic vibe, and to me, what sounds like it could be a You Me At Six or Deaf Havana-kinda sound with a cheeky rap thrown in for a good measure. I'm finding myself hitting repeat on this one. However, the track that follows, "King", is almost straight up hip hop; such a confusing album in terms of direction and flow, and as I say, this really shouldn't work, but I find myself quite drawn to it. I think from a marketing perspective this band has something great going on too. as they can kinda squeeze into very varied bills and lineups, and I should imagine the band draws an extremely varied fan-base too. 

Overall though, it's a ridiculously strong album and I'd definitely recommend a listen to this to see for yourselves what you make of it - it really is an odd mix, but a great album! For me the album highlights are "Castles" "Class" and "All She Knows".

Public Image Ltd - What The World Needs Now

(Words by Burra, Porth's Official Ambassador to the Outside World)

I went into this release not sure what to expect, but what a fun record! Opener "Double Trouble" immediately sets the mood with John Lydon's spoken intro; a catchy number with a catchy, repetitive bass line and an indie pop guitar sound. There is a similar vibe and sound throughout the whole record, instrument-wise, mixed in with angst-ridden yet humorous vocals and lyrics from Mr Lydon.

I think what really draws me in to this record is that it has really damn catchy songs! So many hidden little pop hooks and harmonies throughout. The track "Bettie Page" for example, showcases this point, as does "Spice Of Choice". We do have a few slower, stripped back numbers too however; "C'est La Vie" for example.

The more I listen to this the more I like it - a great album.

American Head Charge - Tango Umbrella

American Head Charge are one of my favourite surviving memories from the early 2000s nu-metal explosion. Their sound owed more towards industrial than straight up nu-metal and therefore they seemed to survive the nu-metal cull that crept in overnight sometime in 2003. They continue to be a big draw live, mainly as a nostalgia trip for most, but they haven't dropped a record since 2005's The Feeding, 11 years ago. There was an EP in 2013, but it was fairly forgettable.

Unfortunately, in a few months time, I believe the same will be said of Tango Umbrella, which is a sadly boring romp through the sounds of old. It sounds like The Feeding crossed with a bad Marilyn Manson album (and there's a lot of those floating about now) played at half speed with half effort. I guess that is a bit harsh, but the fact that I listened to this thing all the way through and not one single track managed to ignite even the tiniest spark of passion simply cannot be a good thing at all.

I've seen these guys live countless times and they absolutely killed it every time, but this.....this is shit. 

Pvris - White Noise

(Words by Burra)

As debut albums go this one is certainly one Pvris can be proud of - what a remarkably strong album that could easily be a greatest hits album rather than that of a debut release, and from such a young band. Opening track "Smoke" is an incredibly good opener and one that shines through as a live set opener for the band too (which I can confirm after being lucky enough to catch them live). Some lovely sounding keys to kick off the album and a track that really shows off the power behind vocalist Lynn Gunn's voice.

It's really hard to single out any tracks in particular from this release as it effortlessly fits and flows together as a piece so well, as also showcased in the way that the band's videos from the release flow. However, personal favourites are "St. Patrick", "My House", and "Fire".

It really is the vocals that stand out on this record for me, especially the first time I heard it. It's very easy to see from this release why this band have quickly built up a following. If Pvris can keep up with this level of quality upon future releases then they have a very successful career ahead of them.