Bullet For My Valentine + While She Sleeps (O2 Academy, Bournemouth – 01/10/15) ★★★★★

Whilst Bullet For My Valentine were born to play the arenas, While She Sleeps are definitely the sort of band I believe thrive on the smaller scale dingy sweat boxes with near non-existent stages. It’s not that they don’t deserve it, or they look lost on the bigger stage tonight, it’s clear that they make the most of having all that space to run around in! I don’t know, I guess it’s just the mood the music sets…they still pull off an incredible set though. Barely letting up the whole time, it’s fast and it’s heavy, broken up briefly with a mini speech on unity within the rock scene, very nice. It’s not long though before front man Lawrence is once again roaring, crowd surfing….and coughing up blood? Brutal! Ace work from these heavy as fook northern lads!

Tension builds in the darkness before Bullet For My Valentine emerge from a great wall of white light like some sort of metal messiah’s second coming, diving straight in to their trademark riffs, screams and duel guitar attacks. It’s fitting in a way, seeing as a lot of those who had been fans in their early years had most likely lost track of them until they heard they were making their debut appearance in Bournemouth…I know I had! They make up for this lost time though for sure, treating us to the oldies that made us fall in love with them in the first place; Four Words To Choke Upon, Suffocating Under Words Of Sorrow and Tears Don’t Fall all make the cut, and to a riotous response. Bournemouth has been waiting for this.

I have to admit, at one point it did occur to me that their performance seemed a bit too rehearsed, a bit clinical, something which I guess comes from over 15 years on the road. So it was a nice reminder that it hasn’t got to that point when after acknowledging that a trip to Bournemouth has been a long time coming, maybe the crowd should decide which classic track from debut album The Poison the band should play next. It was a close vote from where I was standing!

I think it’s safe to say that Bournemouth went ape shit crazy for these guys’ first trip here, so hopefully it’s been enough to encourage them to return. It seems that more and more well established artists are heading this way, so fingers crossed we get another chance to see the mighty Bullet For My Valentine….it’s been loud.

★★★★★

FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!

Joywave – How Do You Feel Now? ★★★★★

How Do You Feel Now? kicks off with a brilliantly sassy fuzzed up riff, backed by an appropriately punchy beat on opening track Somebody New. A very strong start and an encouraging welcome. My first thought? If Kasabian had developed the gritty electronic influences they broke out with rather than turn in to just another generic indie/Brit-pop band then maybe they could have sounded as good as this. Where that band were afraid to tread though, Joywave gladly venture out barefoot to dance on the graves of other’s missed chances.

You know what, it’s not a word I use to describe music often, but I’ll say it again. This is sassy as hell! How Do You Feel Now? oozes confidence, turning what are quite often pretty simple ideas on the surface in to mighty pop-rock anthems.

Parade is another perfect example of this sass, this attitude….if music could smile, Joywave would be sporting a knowing smirk and would more than likely wink at you. Possibly followed by a gentle caress of the leg. You would be powerless to resist.

It’s great to see a band with this level of accessibility doing something a little different. It may not be totally new ground, but it’s certainly a lot more exciting and different to the samey generic chart hunters clogging up the radio, while still being mainstream enough to ensure they don’t lose out on those listeners. Edgy pop-rock. Rocky synth-pop. Grunge pop? Whatever this is, it’s awesome!

★★★★★

FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!

Wolf Alice – My Love Is Cool ★★★★★

My Love Is Cool is a wonderfully dreamy collection of spaced out indie pop songs. Pop songs with the occasional slab of snarling, grungy rock and roll attitude. Think Queen Adreena meets Explosions In The Sky…is that possible? Wolf Alice seem to have done it!

One minute they’re floating through the music amid haunting vocals and chilled out guitars, then their dark side shows itself and all out riffage smacks you in the face. It’s a great combination that brings variety without sounding disjointed and random. Wolf Alice have a serious knack for trying everything and having it flow seamlessly throughout, experimental done properly.

This is an album you could really get lost in, it’s begging for repeat listens! There’s so many different layers here I want to re-visit, there’s just too much to take in and fully appreciate on the first time….My Love Is Cool is an album that just expands every time you listen to it, getting better and better with every play through. My Love Is Cool is a fine wine, only getting better with age. Wine doesn’t go off, right?

These guys don’t play it safe here, they take risks, and these risks have paid off big time! It’s these surprises and strange directions that have made this album the masterpiece it is. Too many bands are afraid to try different things, to step out of their comfort zone. They know what’s safe and they stick to that. Those bands get boring after 5 minutes, My Love Is Cool may have what it takes to become timeless….I certainly can’t see it getting old right now.

★★★★★

FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!

Jacob & Goliath – Eyes Conveyed ★★★★★

I’ll be honest, the first 13 seconds of opening track Eyes Conveyed for this EP of the same name had me worried. There is a very good chance that my eyes rolled at the sound of yet another copycat indie band. But then it all changed….Jacob & Goliath have serious swagger! A quirky, awkward kind of swagger, but it works. It’s definitely a refreshing approach to what has become a bit of a stale genre. Too many bands are playing indie by numbers these days, so it’s nice to have a band embrace their inner oddballs.

Lead man Jacob displays some great vocals, with wonderfully rough flourishes that seem to slip out completely naturally. None of that forced rock star sound here. The whole band plays with a kind of dangerously cool attitude that isn’t often seen in this genre, carried along by the punchy drums and laid back guitar providing some more folksy moments.

This London three piece have shown enough here to stand out from a very over populated crowd, and for that they should be commended. The quirks feel organic here rather than put on for the sake of sounding different. That, I like.

I approve.

★★★★★

FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!

Youth Club – Brothers ★★★★☆

Youth Club may have a tendency to sound a bit like generic chart fodder at times here, with their jingly jangly, R&B tinged, indie pop stylings…but to be fair, they do it pretty well. Anthems would be too strong a word, but there are definitely some great summertime tunes here. Perfect for those beachfront barbecues with friends and frolics.

Third track People embodies this feeling perfectly, that snappy guitar and stupidly catchy chorus. There’s no denying that Youth Club have perfected their craft, they absolutely have all it takes to secure themselves a place in the charts and a regular bit of radio play. It’s inoffensive, at times it’s a bit fun. In short, it’s nothing new.

That’s not to say this EP is bad though! Brothers is a great set of well written songs and Youth Club clearly have the chops to take this further. It may feel like I’ve heard it all before, but this isn’t merely a cheap knock off version, this is as good, if not better than the rest. For me, it’s background music. For you, it could be the soundtrack to your summer.

★★★★☆

FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!

Colour The Atlas – Amethyst ★★★★★

With the twin vocal approach Colour The Atlas deliver through Jess and Alex, Amethyst is almost reminiscent of minimalist indie stars The XX. Though not as sparse in sound and with Jess undoubtedly at the forefront, these guys follow an equally chilled out path.

There are haunting, spiraling vocal melodies to get completely lost in here, and these couldn’t be more perfectly matched with the rest of the band. Here is a group of musicians totally in sync with each other. Nobody is trying to outshine the others, they work in harmony to create this beautifully crafted 4 track EP.

Amethyst is effortless and natural. Nothing is forced. It invokes a connection with the listener that puts the band right there in the room with you. With Colour The Atlas you are amongst friends.

So prepare to sit back, grab a cup of tea, relax and lose yourself to the soothing yet haunting sounds of Swindon’s finest.

★★★★★

FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!

Beartooth – In Between (Single) ★★★★★

Beartooth, you beauts.

In Between is a hardcore anthem in the truest sense of the word. A massive sounding, epic chorus, but just enough throat shredding throughout to keep it noisy. It’s catchy as hell, it lodges itself deep and hits that big old repeat button in your brain. A real sing along tune with enough “Wooooooah” moments to ensure a crowd can no longer talk the next day.

Awesome.

★★★★★

FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!

Marilyn Manson – The Pale Emperor ★★★★★

So, Marilyn Manson has shed his band members, some as iconic as the man himself (Twiggy Ramirez anyone? John 5?). Is this as scary as it sounds? Actually, no.

As a HUGE long time Marilyn Manson fan, I was ecstatic when I heard Twiggy was returning for The High End Of Low. But let’s be honest, his reappearance didn’t really have the impact everyone thought it would. In the three albums since The Golden Age Of Grotesque there’s been something lacking in the Manson sound. It’s not that they were bad albums as such, just not the quality we’d come to expect. Some very good songs and a lot of filler. Almost as if the band were just going through the motions and not really feeling what they were doing anymore.

Now Marilyn Manson has returned, with just himself and producer/composer Tyler Bates, a name that hasn’t previously featured in the band’s line up. But you know what, thank fuck for Tyler Bates. Whether Manson has just finally found his groove again, or Master Bates (sorry) has truly reignited the flame, something wonderful has happened. This is the first album since 2003(!) where I can honestly say there is not one track worth skipping. This album has soul. No plodding along, just making music so people don’t forget about him, this is Marilyn Manson doing what Marilyn Manson does.

To fans it should come as no surprise that he’s changed direction yet again, but that’s when he’s at his best. You could argue that the three albums before this one could easily have made one decent release by just cutting out the filler and putting the best tracks together, they were that similar. In his prime, Manson was releasing album after album of new directions, experiments and mind fucks. Finally, he’s back to doing the unexpected.

The Pale Emperor is a toned down, bluesy affair, but with the dark undertones that keep Manson fans coming back for more. There’s subtle moments that take me back to Holy Wood, Mechanical Animals or even Antichrist Superstar. And this is a very good thing, without trying to recreate those albums. In fact, don’t get me wrong, this sounds absolutely nothing like those albums…but the same genius is intact.

I’m so glad that this is the review I’m writing. When I first heard Third Day Of A Seven Day Binge, I was in awe. Then Deep Six was revealed, and although the video was a bit pants, I had hope. This hope was not misplaced, I’m happy to say that this is the Marilyn Manson album I’ve been waiting for.

Hail to the king, baby!

★★★★★

FollowSuit – Chapters ★★★★★

I honestly have no idea why I haven’t heard of this band before. Just epic.

I mean, Wales isn’t short on talent. There was a time not too long ago where it seemed like every new band climbing the ranks was a product of Welsh wombs. It seems though, that it still has plenty more tricks up it’s sleeve. Which leads me to introduce you to FollowSuit, a band on a mission….surely heading for mainstream attention! A read through their Facebook page tells me that all five of them are writers as well as musicians and this doesn’t surprise me at all. All four songs on this EP are so finely crafted, it had to be the work of a fully functioning creative collective such as this one.

One of the first things that really hit me on this release is the sincerity in the vocals, there is so much emotion behind the words….most notably on the stripped down White Flag, where the guitars stand back for a moment and let you appreciate the singing for how great it really is.

This is pop-rock at it’s finest, coming across a bit like a beefed up version of The Script. But don’t let that comparison put you off, if anything, FollowSuit are more rock than they are pop. More guitar heavy than a lot of the stuff you’ll find floating about the charts, but possessing a knack for writing a chorus the size of the sun that could see them share that success.

I have to draw particular attention to the chorus on Heartbreak, my absolute stand out moment on this EP….In fact, the whole song. Definitely the highlight for me, 100% single material! Boys, if you’re thinking of making a video to one of these songs, I vote this one!!

I’m gonna go and buy Chapters now, you should too – www.facebook.com/Followsuitband

★★★★★

Hard Target – Everything You’re Not ★★★★☆

Like your hip-hop with flannel shirts and a Southern twang? Then Hard Target is the best thing you may never have heard of!

With a style that is entirely his own, he has been creating something of a refreshingly different take on the genre over the years he has been making music. Lyrically, his heart is worn proudly on his sleeve, an approach that is mostly lacking with hip-hop these days. This makes for some touching moments amongst the hard beats and guitars. Most notably on album closer, Waiting, which just found it’s place on my list of most emotional songs ever! With it’s toned down, quieter delivery, it comes across as if he’s speaking directly to his daughter. Seriously, I had goosebumps. If you have kids, and you love them, you’ll relate. If you don’t have kids, you’ll want them a.s.a.p.

Hard Target looks like a Southern rocker, his vocals fit the same bill, and he’s found a way to make it work in a hip-hop casing. You have country, rock and rap all under the same roof here, and it works way better than it should! This is a man who could easily adapt himself to the same mould as the majority of rappers at the moment, but chooses not to. With a raised middle finger aimed directly at convention, Hard Target is doing his own thing with no hidden agenda. This is music made from love. It’s deep, it’s personal, and it asks for nothing in return but your ears.

With a mountain of mixtapes in his portfolio, and now this album, maybe it’s time people sat up and noticed this guy. Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit certainly has, which could provide him with the push he needs. Not that it’d make much difference, you get the impression that Hard Target doesn’t care much for fame. But it’d be nice to see such a talented artist rewarded in a world where anyone with the right connections and a bit of auto-tune can make it big.

If you haven’t heard any of his stuff before, you can get some of his old mixtapes for free on his website www.hardtargetmusic.com. But honestly, get this album too. It’s the only music where he’s asked for money, and it’s worth every penny. Support real music.

★★★★☆