Robyn Writes

If Rock Died, 2014 Saw Its Resurrection

About a month ago I was eagerly awaiting the band announcements for Download: Slipknot, one of my all time favourites, awesome to have them back; Muse, fantastic live band and a great headliners; then last and definitely least, Kiss. Why did it have to be Kiss? Why ruin what was looking to be such an enjoyable line-up? Why really shit up my 2015?!

So, where does my dislike of ‘one of the greatest bands in rock’ – not my words, not my opinion – come from? My dislike comes largely from the thoughtless, overly dramatic, idiotic mouth of Gene Simmons, the so-called ‘God of Thunder’, even though he didn’t even write that song. If you’ve been living in a cave for the last few months, let me fill you in on the stupidity he has spewed forth: Firstly, before we even get to “Rock is Dead”, Simmons had some pretty dumb shit to say about depression:

“For a putz 20-year-old kid to say, ‘I’m depressed. I live in Seattle.’ F– you, then kill yourself. I never understand, because I always call them on their bluff. I’m the guy who says ‘Jump’ when there’s a guy on top of a building who says, ‘That’s it, I can’t take it anymore. I’m going to jump.’ Are you kidding? Why are you announcing it. Shut the f— up, have some dignity and jump!”

There is no misquoting, no taking out of context, that is what he said. To be fair, he cited the trauma his mother went through as an example of people dealing with a lot of trauma and bouncing back, but he failed to note that depression is mental illness. An ILLNESS, not a choice, not someone being ‘a bit miserable’, but an actual illness. You wouldn’t tell someone with a broken arm to shut the F up and do some heavy lifting. All he has done is shown his ignorance, his insensitivity, and alienated fans. Luckily, Nikki Sixx (recovering addict) called him out on this:

“It’s pretty moronic because he thinks everybody listens to him, that he is the god of thunder. He will tell you he is the greatest man on earth, and to be honest with you, I like Gene. But in this situation, I don’t like Gene. I don’t like Gene’s words, because … there is a 20-year-old kid out there who is a Kiss fan and reads this and goes, ‘You know what? He’s right. I should just kill myself.’ For people who are depressed, there is a way out. There are many, many ways out.”

That’s right, shut the F up Gene.

Rock is Dead, it was Murdered

Shortly after pissing me off with his comments about depression, Simmons decided to get dramatic once again. In an interview with Esquire, he announced “rock is dead” and that this wasn’t a natural death, “it was murdered” by illegal downloads and file sharing. Okay, I’ll give him a little credit, illegal downloads have hurt the music industry, but killed rock? Why is rock dead and why is it the only genre shouldering this burden?

Does buying the albums make much of a difference? Well, it certainly did, but times change and so does the industry. The failure of a system calls for evolution, not bitching and whining about a time when things were easier. I remember being at a Lostprophets gig (back before, you know, all of the shit hit the fan) when the band called on fans to illegally download their music, if that meant they would listen to it more. This is what bands want, fans listening to their music; fans turning up to gigs. This is where bands make money and their reputation, live shows are what it is all about. “But young bands never get the chance to play big venues any more!” Oh really? Well as BMTH were telling 12,500 people in a sold-out Wembley Arena to “fuck someone in the eye”, they’d probably disagree.

Slipknot, again to use one of my favourite bands as a favourite example, saw their album this year debut at number one on the US Billboard. Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan said at the time: “Once again we have received the #1 album in the country, for the second album in a row. By achieving this, it reconfirms that our culture is still alive.” Rock isn’t dead; if anything it is coming back stronger.

Rock’s Righteous Resurrection

Rock and metal are creeping back into popular culture, just look at radio air-time. The increasing amount of pop-rock spread throughout the charts is a sign that we might be close to a turning point, but even on top of this, full-blooded rock and metal are getting more traction too. Radio 1 have added BMTH and Of Mice and Men to their playlist and Dan P Carter’s rock show has been moved from its unsociable late night position to three hours of Sunday evening prime time. Rock isn’t dead, it is just transforming to lure more fans in. For a great example of this, look no further than BMTH’s ‘Sempiternal’. Shaking off the pure-noise sound and shaving off some of the attitude which made them one of the most hated bands on the UK scene, they maintained their metalcore roots and laced them with hooks and melodies to draw you in before the breakdowns shatter your spine.

Asked for his opinion on the matter, Corey Taylor (vocalist of Stone Sour and Slipknot) said: “I think people put too much [focus] on sales. ‘Cause that doesn’t relate to how many people have heard it… I mean, we had three million views of the Knotfest live streams. You don’t get an award for that. We had so many million views of ‘The Negative One’ video and ‘The Devil In I’ video. You don’t get awards for that. So, for me, what we did was great.”

He continued: “Just the fact that we had 65,000, almost 70,000 people, over the weekend of Knotfest, I mean, that proves something, you know?! You don’t always need a platinum album to relate that to success. So, with all due respect to Mr. Simmons, he needs to get out more… It’s an ebb and flow. It’s like that probably every — what? — 10 [or] 15 years. There’s an ebb. But it’s definitely coming back.”

If rock has died, it has been quickly resurrected. There is still plenty of stuff to be angry about and as long as there is, there will be a place for rock, metal and punk. The genre isn’t dying a death, it’s coming back strong; possibly to fuck you in the eye…

Review: Wank For Peace – Fail Forward

It’s getting closer to Christmas, so perhaps it’s apt that we’re bringing you something you could easily love or hate. Even the name of this band is liable to conjure up either feelings of humour and admiration, or a strong and lasting distaste. What is this band you ask? Wank For Peace. Childish, or amusing? Is the music going to good ol’ punk, or a lazy arrogant effort by people who think they’re more funny than they are? Don’t worry, we asked ourselves all of these questions as well, but if you like a bit of edgy punk, we think you’ll like this! Even if you don’t fancy a bit of hardcore punk, just be grateful, it’s not like we’re just giving you socks for Christmas, is it?!

Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of Wank For Peace, they’re not a band I had stumbled across either, but it seems they have become a household name on the European punk scene. The French quintet have used 2014 to burst out of the Euro-DIY punk community, bringing with them their new LP Fail Forward. Its 13 tracks never stray too far from the murky waters that separate good rustic DIY punk and what I usually call ‘shit masquerading as punk-rock’. For the first couple of listens I couldn’t decide whether I had found a new favourite, a hot-bed of hardcore, melodic punk rock, or whether I was taking more time to listen and review the record than had been put in to making it. So maybe the ambiguous feelings that stir when presented with their name is appropriate, but after a few more listens I can happily (and tentatively?) say that Fail Forward’s punk-laced and anger-fueled mayhem shouldn’t be simply dismissed!

Sure, you can find all of the clichés you might expect on a hardcore punk album, with backup chants galore and lyrics full of self-loathing. The drum pattern doesn’t change all that much throughout the whole album and the lead vocals do remind me of the rants and ravings of a chain-smoking drunk, but even while I’m typing this I know I’m being a little unfair … Opening track ‘Friends First’ crashes into life with screams out of insanity and hollow, grinding guitars. The distorted power chords shattering against the rocky, crunching vocals. It’s fast and sharp, like a dagger between the ribs, just as punk should be. ‘Heavy Shoulders’ showcases a nice bit of melodic punk, with catchy pop-punkish guitar riffs, but keeps the harsh edge, and ‘How High Can You Fall’ plays on angsty teenage feelings of desperation, which certainly works well with the vocals which are searing and rasping in equal parts. It just goes to show that sounding like a pissed off, drunk, chain-smoker can actually work well – I’m not even being sarcastic.

‘Was That What You Expected Kid’ is a track you would expect after hearing ‘Heavy Shoulders’, keeping some of the melodic features alive in the album with an anthemic chorus, while remaining a potent force of guitars smashing and shredding, the drums clattering and vocals cutting you to the bone. ‘Choices/Feedback’ and ‘Mea Culpa’ are the shortest and most obviously full-blooded punk songs on the album, and both sound like they’re racing to the end as quickly as they possibly can. They certainly have the potential for being great live songs by a band that loves to tour and tear shit up. ‘Five Steps To Nothing’ also strikes me as a force to behold in a Wank For Peace gig, with some awesome guitar parts and the ever-present trashy, hardcore growls.

So what does all of this say about Wank For Peace and Fail Forward? While it doesn’t do anything special to pull in new fans (it’s not unlike any of the hardcore punk you might hear elsewhere), it’s got to be worth a listen if this genre is the one for you. They don’t sound like they’re just copying other bands and despite the mixed feelings after the first few listens, they do sound like they’ve put a lot of effort into punching and kicking the album into shape, but it’s not going to blow your mind. Their live shows on the other hand, they might be something to behold …

3.5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: This Legend – It’s In The Streets

If you’re a fan of pop-punk or just know a bit about the genre, you probably heard about Longineu W. Parsons III (LP) leaving Yellowcard earlier this year after 17-18 years as the band’s drummer. So after almost two decades in the reasonably successful outfit, what would you expect LP to do next? Play it safe and make quality music with people he already knows well, or push boundaries and create something new and better? Well he manages both and we’re bloody happy he does! For the first time in over a decade LP has teamed up with best friend and previous Yellowcard guitarist Ben Harper. After forming Yellowcard almost 20 years ago, fans were rightly expecting big things once the two got back to making music together, and it has culminated in a new pop-punk outfit: This Legend. To complete the line-up, they also recruited Chris Castillo of Stanley And The Search on vocals and rhythm guitar, with HeyMike!‘s Steven Neufeld on bass guitar.

Speaking about the formation of This Legend, LP said: “After being in Yellowcard for 18 years, this will definitely be a new experience for me. The last 18 years with Yellowcard has played a big role in who I am today. I am excited to begin this new adventure with my best friend Ben Harper and re-unite in a new musical endeavor together.” And why choose the band name that they did? Well, it’s a pretty cool sentiment actually: “It’s a positive statement to say, ‘no matter who you are and no matter how many times you get put down in the world, you can look at yourself in the mirror and see a legend.’”

Great, Harper and LP have joined forces again, but that’s not why you’re reading this, is it? You want to know what this new band sounds like, and we’re here to tell you that you should be excited! This Legend have released their debut It’s In The Streets through Cyber Tracks (an LA-based record label founded by El Hefe – guitarist of NOFX – and his wife) and you’ll be stoked to hear it is pretty damn sweet. Only they will know whether they felt like they had something to prove with this release, but if they’re trying to show what Yellowcard is missing, then mission accomplished!

LP’s drumming ties the entire album together, especially on third track ‘Holiday From Crazy’ where he totally steals the show. The drums come to the fore and take the focus intermittently, before fading into the background and marrying the riffs, bass-grooves and Castillo’s vocals together into a package that is catchy as hell! For someone I hadn’t really heard of before, Castillo really impresses as well, with strong vocals which display a lot of variety. He shows he is capable of more aggressive moments demanded by the punk elements on title track ‘It’s In The Streets’, where the time signatures shift away from the preceding tacks showing the album isn’t just a one-trick-pony, while Castillo’s vocals are just as at home blasting out more melodic choruses for the riff-dominated track ‘Moving On’. ‘Regrets’ follows on where ‘Moving On’ leaves off, jam-packed with riffs and easily showing off the technical ability of Harper and Castillo. The track’s breakdown is sculpted off the back of LP’s pounding beats and the overall infectious sound ‘Regrets’ encapsulates definitely makes it a highlight of the album.

If, like me, you weren’t a fan of Yellowcard’s recent musical shift in Lift A Sail (their first release without LP) then you definitely need to listen to this. When band members go off to explore other musical projects on the back of something which has been so successful, there is a tendency for it to fade into nothingness and obscurity. This won’t be happening here, I guarantee it. But that said, a lot a fans can come to expect such a similar sound when old band-mates re-unite, so be fair and judge This Legend in their own right; you won’t be disappointed. They may not have been together for a long time, but their combined years of experience is noticeable in each and every track. With all of the energy of a brand new band, they show why pop-punk is known for its insanely infectious catchy tunes!

4.5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: Doe – First Four

Today we have the joy of introducing you to the DIY indie punks Doe, heralding from North London. A band very much in their infancy, Doe have only been treating audiences to their brand of indie-punk for 18 months; in that time they have put out four EPs, which have now been collected in to the imaginatively named First Four LP. They haven’t just been sat in a garage somewhere jamming; the busy bees have been touring across the UK and Europe, including a 2014 tour with another band we hopefully brought to your attention, Pale Angels. I can honestly say that they are shows I’m sad I missed.

What do Doe have to say about themselves? Well, not a lot, but we like what they do say; their ‘About Us’ section simply states: “Doe likes feminism, horror films and brown beer.” They already sound good in my book. In terms of what they actually sound like, it becomes immediately obvious that although they are developing their own catchy DIY-ish sound, there seems to be something missing. That something is a bass player. With a three member line-up of Nicola (singing and playing guitar), Matt (playing guitar too) and Jake (for the male vocals and drums), the lack of a bass player is noticeable, but it isn’t necessarily a lack that holds them back. The songs crafted across the four Eps that make up this new release are made in a way that, while it is obvious that there is no bass there, wouldn’t necessarily be improved by its introduction. That’s nothing against Doe either, if anything it is a complaint, there is an alluring charm to their stripped back sound.

The LP is made up of thirteen tracks of indie punk pulled straight up from the 90s. It wouldn’t take a trained ear to hear elements of Weezer and Helium in there. The girl-boy shared vocals harmonise nicely, without feeling like you’re just listening to a sing-a-long conversation like We Are The In Crowd. Nicola and Jake’s vocals fit perfectly with the hooks of the battling guitars, to great effect on ‘Unrested’ in particular. There are even moments when my mind is thrown back to Imogen Heap circa her Frou Frou days, especially at the opening of ‘C.A.E.’

‘Let Me In’, the first track you’ll have the joy to hear, is full of the energetic drums and whiny guitars you’d hope for from a slice of indie punk, with Nicola’s vocals building in strength throughout the track. The vocals are strong, and subtle when the need to be, with the fast paced ‘Nowhere Girl’ being a prime example and a personal favourite. It isn’t all about the vocals though; many of the tracks have great hooks and melodies to get the charmingly crafted tunes stuck in the listeners’ heads.

All I would say against the release is this: it is four EPs put together. It sounds like four EPs put together. When a band crafts an album, you want to hear great individual tracks and Doe have that, but you want it to be more than a collection of stand-alone songs. When you listen to the First Four LP you can enjoy every song, but it’s not clear that you’re meant to enjoy them all together as an experience. On this compilation, a full listening can cause feelings of familiarity and repetitiveness. It isn’t unusual for the same techniques to be used across separate songs and EPs, especially when they are used well and to great effect, but if they are all put together it does devalue the individual uses a little. Doe have a great sound, some bloomin’ good songs and nice EPs, but stuff it all into the same package and maybe you’ve just got too much of a good thing.

3.5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: The Color and Sound – Peace of Mind [EP]

Formed from the embers of two recently kaputt Boston bands, The Color and Sound merged together their influences and ideas back in 2012 and released their first EP in the spring of the following year. With a wide range of musical backgrounds, the group have spent the last year or so touring and honing in their varying influences and experiences, creating what they call “a uniquely-tinted blend of a modern indie band”. If that description doesn’t do much for you, try to imagine the love-child or Mumford and Sons and Reliant K, with a dose of Modern Baseball there too.

On the back of the amalgamation of their influences, The Color and Sound have released a new EP Peace Of Mind, through New Jersey DIY label Black Numbers and it certainly is all sorts of indie pop-punk (but easy on the punk). Peace Of Mind is six tracks of optimistic pop-driven rock. Opening track ‘Cigarettes’ uses explosively indie-pop choruses to announce much of what is to follow, with the strong melodic vocals creating a high point.

In Peace Of Mind the group seem to be calling on a number of influences (I’ve already mentioned the unmistakable Mumford-ish sound with smatterings of other indie-pop-rock) and create a sound that is ridiculously upbeat but off-the-wall at the same time. It’s like someone condensed Little Miss Sunshine into an EP. While it is not an entirely unique sound, it is one that they are truly making their own. The EP probably doesn’t have enough punk in it to use the tempting label of pop-punk, although it skirts around the edges, but it has hooks and melodies to keep you bopping along in a happy-go-lucky way.

I’ll be the first to say that it’s not for me. I like that their joyful style really does seem to be a reflection of the band members – check out their lyric video for ‘Cigarettes’ in the style of a karaoke machine or take a look at their Facebook page and you’ll see what I mean – but the optimism is lost on me somewhat. There’s no anger, edge or real overflow of passion, and I need that in a song. That said, if you dance around to Against Me!’s gentler numbers, if you love a bit of Say Anything, or if you lose yourself in an Arcade Fire album, then we may have found your new obsession!

3 out of 5 high fives!