Robyn Writes

Review: Plebeian Grandstand – Lowgazers

Do you like your metal imbued with melody? Your breakdowns coveted by harmony? Your guitar solos harmonized by gorgeous major 5ths and subtle minor 7ths? If the answer to any of these queries is yes than well, Lowgazer simply ain’t your bag.

The latest release on the consistently brilliant Throatruiner Records by French melody-detesting quartet Plebeian Grandstand is nothing short of an aural bludgeon. It’s a record brimming with such unfathomable bile that those who purchase the vinyl version will be forced to adorn themselves with health and safety garb for fear of the record stomping on them and spitting in their face before brutishly strolling off to find the next victim of its puerile rage. Lowgazers arrives defiantly devoid of the slenderest amount of melody, instead sporting more tri-tones than you can shake a stick at and scattering them with such abundance as to mock the historical belief that their inclusion in music amounted to the equivalent of installing a “devil in the music”. The Toulouse four-piece draw upon just about every gnarly and malevolent derivative of extreme metal, throwing it all together in a singular maelstrom, a swirling cyclone of violent noise. Tracks are underpinned by the frantic blastbeats of black metal, whilst the guitars administer a rather unique blend of wrist-aching black metallic speed and dissonant open notes, occasionally slackening the speed into the murky realm of sludge.

Opener ‘Thvrst’ is resplendent in its sheer vitriol, guitars making it their duty to maintain a staunch dissonance, a duty that adamantly continues for the length of the record. Vocals abound with terrifying throaty screams, slicing through the instrumental tumult with piercing shrieks that surely leave vocal chords in tatters. Somewhat inevitably, the tracks coalesce into a singular frenetic blur of blastbeats and caustic furore, with difficulty arising in recognising when some tracks begin and end, even after repeated listens. In fact, the record exists as a singular barrage of satanic sound; largely unrelenting and upholding its manic intensity until a much needed mid-section respite. ‘Relief of Troth’ provides just that: relief. The two minute track marking the midway point for the album, a track of ambient noise that although unsettling, allows for a much needed break from the aural terror. ‘Svn in Your Head’ however, throws the listener right back into the fray with doom-laden feedback and a supremely sludgy, sloth-paced riff. Things soon return to their intense disposition on ‘Aimless Roaming’ whilst the album ends in the same fashion as it opens; in a veritable flurry of apocalyptic, discordant and hate-filled metal.

Lowgazer is a record of extremely limited appeal, but its sheer uncompromising audacity and intent on carving out some of the bleakest, most grating and extreme metal around deserves due recognition. It is a rare record, solely in terms of its breath-taking intensity and focus. Plebeian Grandstand aimed to make the most ruthless record they could fathom, and all credit to them, they have done just that.

3.5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: Above The Underground – Sonder

You wouldn’t believe the amount of pop-punk that passes through my inbox. From all corners of the world, I’m assaulted by a ton of bands that still manage to sound exactly the same. Which is why it’s always a real pleasure when something that stands head and shoulders above the rest manages to slip through – and that’s exactly what Above The Underground have done with Sonder.

In our review of Autumns, we noted that these guys had plenty of potential, but with the release of their debut LP, Above The Underground have managed to seriously up their game. Sonder is an absolute joy to listen to, and it’s fantastic to see just how far the band have progressed. The album’s structure is a lot more coherent, the songwriting is much stronger, and all in all, Above The Underground have managed to nail ten solid bangers, none of which will leave you disappointed.

The first half of the album is a bit more of your straight forward pop-punk fare, and it starts with the short, acoustic ‘Prologue’ before launching into ‘Return To Point Pleasant’, which demonstrates some great dual vocal work in the chorus. Although virtually all pop-punk is inspired by our friends from across the Atlantic, Above The Underground do a great job of not giving into the nasally vocals and cookie-cutter riffs; there’s plenty of sunshine, but with a little more bite. ‘Lavender Town Syndrome’ doesn’t do much to reinvent the wheel, but it’s easy listening; perfect for an afternoon drive with the sunroof cranked open and some proper posi lyrics to propel you along. Lyrically, the album is just as strong as than Autumns, if not stronger – each track is its own emotional journey, and embodies the confusion and excitement of youth in a deft and intelligent way.

But midway through, the album, and the band, begins to reach a turning point with ‘Cheer Up’ – a slow burning instrumental, reminiscent of that Northstar or Inkwell style, which rings out beautifully before becoming a launchpad for ‘Not Home’. Potentially the best track on the record, ‘Not Home’ is an aural assault of minor chords and perfectly timed palm mutes. ‘Shine’ is a beautiful acoustic ballad, melancholy yet uplifting. Although it’s much of the same, ‘Bring Me The Sun’ has some stellar woah’s in the chorus, before end track ‘Reprise’ hits like a freight train. Eschewing gang shouts in favour of a proper gang verse, the band show their skills off loud and proud and leave you ready to hit repeat.

Above The Underground have really proven themselves with Sonder. Will it be hard for them to replicate? Only time will tell, but for now, Sonder is a truly exciting record.

4.5 out of 5 high fives!

Metal and religion: sworn enemies or friends with benefits?

Is enjoying heavy metal at odds with being religious, or are they just misunderstood friends? Well, plenty of people seem to think the former must be true: “How can you listen to music like that, didn’t you say you were a Christian?!”

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had that reaction from friends, mostly followed by them either taking the piss out of me for my love of metal or my being vaguely religious, and recently it has got me wondering – what is the place of religion in metal? It’s no surprise that a lot of metal is pretty anti-religious, seeing as metal is more largely anti-conformist, and it’s not difficult to find anti-religious sentiments spread throughout the genre, from the more subtle references to the openly satanic ‘Antichrist Superstar’ by Marilyn Manson or ‘Shepherd of Fire’ from Avenged Sevenfold.

Is it okay for metal to rubbish religion? I’m all game for freedom of speech, but something does seem wrong about demeaning people just because of their religion. I love metal’s ‘fuck you and fuck what you think’ attitude, even when it’s aimed directly at religion, but only when it’s used in a positive way. “Fuck what you think, this is how we are and we like it” – this is the sort of message that unites fans and makes people feel accepted. I shudder to say it, but it’s the sort of message that has been so successful for Black Veil Brides. When it’s just discriminatory the message only succeeds in being insanely hypocritical – “fuck religion for being intolerant and aggressive”. If you’re going to be totally intolerant of intolerance and aggressive towards aggression, then you’re headed for chaos. Have people learned nothing from Martin Luther King?!

Turn it around though, and you can argue that it’s equally unfair for religion to rubbish metal – it’s the same hypocritical stereotyping and alienation. I vaguely remember the previous pope coming out and saying that all heavy metal and the like was sinful – a pretty stupid and unfair thing to say. Especially since, to tip the scale back, there are quite a few well supported and (relatively) successful Christian metal bands out there: The Devil Wears Prada, Underoath and August Burns Red to name a few. There’s no reason that metal and religion need to be at odds with each other.

Religion isn’t and shouldn’t be untouchable and music is a good avenue to criticise and support it, without having to be extreme and hate-mongering either way. A good current example of this is Architects’ ‘Broken Cross’ – which guitarist Tom came out to defend after it was roundly criticised by certain people of a religious persuasion: “To say ‘Religion is rubbish’ or ‘God is bad’ would be rather reductive, wouldn’t it? Let’s face it, religion is an unimaginably multifaceted beast, there’s plenty of good guys and bad guys”. I couldn’t have put it better myself!

I’m going to go ahead and repeat a little more of what Tom said, because he really hits the point I’m trying to make: “For millions (probably billions) I’ve no doubt that religion serves as a peaceful influence in their lives and that’s fantastic! But the moment others are outcast for their race, gender, sexuality and yes, even religion – well that just gets my goat. And I have no apologies for being upset about that.” The same goes for metal. There shouldn’t be any place in this world for marginalising and discriminating against people just because of who they are and the life they live.

So what am I saying? Simply, don’t be a dick and just be happy with your fellow earth dwellers. That’s not said as a Christian, or as a metal-er, just as common-fucking-sense. Another great example of this message, delivered by a band who I’m much happier to talk about than Black Veil Brides, is from Bury Tomorrow. When I happily moshed around at one of their gigs in Liverpool, screamer Dani Winter-Bates took the time between songs to tell everyone to just be happy and appreciative: “You can tell me you love Bieber and I’ll still shake your hand”. I think we can all agree, that’s pretty bloody tolerant.

Like any art, metal is there as freedom of expression – it can criticise religion and I can still enjoy it, just as I can enjoy ‘Mutter’ by Rammstein, even though I get on pretty well with my own mother. Stereotyping and aiming to be offensive to any group is out of order though – we can make quality music without needing to be dicks to each other.

Review: Johnny Foreigner – Stop Talking About Ghosts [single]

Fanboy alert! I need to start this review with a confession that Birmingham indie-emo-popsters Johnny Foreigner have been my favourite band since the release of third album Johnny Foreigner Vs Everything in 2011. Therefore it is hard to stay impartial, but let’s be honest, this is JoFo we’re talking about. How could this ever be a bad review?

There had been a lot of hype over the band’s upcoming fourth album You Can Do Better, with fans desperately hoping that it can in some way live up to the perfection of the last one; an expansive 17-track cocktail of beautifully heartbreaking slowies, breakneck indie rock-outs, and everything in between. In many ways the lead single throws off the shackles of that record, from the title ‘Stop Talking About Ghosts’ (srsly, leave the past in the past dudes) to the shout along chorus of ‘the hardest part is letting go’. At just 2 minutes 30 it rips apart any lingering doubts fans may have and replaces them with a back to basics approach fuelled by all the punky powerchords, rapid drum rolls and duelling vocals first heard back on 2008’s debut ‘Waited Up ‘til It Was Light’. That’s not to say that the band hasn’t progressed since those early days though. The addition of second guitarist Lewes Herriot has upped the intensity, matched with a far superior production and more lead vocals by bassist Kelly Southern, who takes a notably more prominent role on these new tracks.

Continuing the theme of drowning ‘…Vs Everything’ in its own reputation and wiping the slate clean is the second track on this digital single, a rousingly noisy reimagining of piano ballad ‘Johnny Foreigner Vs You’. Tagging a defiant ‘…and Everyone You Love’ onto the end of the title and replacing melancholy with melodrama has resulted in something sounding like the Pixies doing a pissed-off waltz with amps cranked to 11. Completing the package is ‘Hit’, a quirky slacker anthem that prove JoFo still know how to make a killer b-side.

Stop Talking About Ghosts is available now as a pay-what-you-can download from Bandcamp with proceeds going to Cavell Nurses Trust, a charity organisation that offers emergency financial support to nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants. The new album You Can Do Better was released on Alcopop! Records on March 10th and the band are currently touring the UK to support it.

5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: Vales – Wilt & Rise

A few years ago, four teenagers from Cornwall’s rugged coastline set out into the UK hardcore scene in a veritable flurry of fraught screamo and a commendable work ethic that defiantly belied the group’s collective youth. Through a prolific touring schedule and consistently impassioned performances, Vales garnered a respectable following in the blogosphere. Surprisingly, the band decamped to heady climes of LA to record an eagerly awaited full-length with the same producer who previously put to tape the screamo darlings Touché Amore. The hype steadily grew, the band poised to reach greater prospects, but then … silence. Vales dropped off the map for the better part of a year, the completed album lying dormant and the buzz they had sweated and bled so hard to garner seemed on the verge of dissipation.

But sure enough, Wilt & Rise, their debut full-length, has finally emerged from hibernation and by all accounts the extended wait is well worth the reward. Through its ten song repertoire, Vales demonstrate a tantalizing ferocity that hones much of chaos and wild furore of earlier releases into a different level of anger-fuelled song-craft. It remains a fervently bleak aural accompaniment to a fractured and decimated world, devoid of hope and future, a collective howl of anguish at a bewildering and alienating modern landscape. Uncompromising and unflinching, Wilt & Rise is positively bursting at the seams with almost unfathomable levels of emotional vitriol, embodied first and foremost in the larynx-shredding screams of vocalist Chlo, whose capacity for producing such consistently terrifying vocals is rather astounding. Around her, a savage storm of semi-melodic guitar and blistering drums are repeatedly whipped into a frenzy that’s breathtakingly intense, relenting only for a brief period of introspection on ‘Katrina’, the track acting like the eye of the very storm which bears the now infamous moniker. It’s a brief moment of reflective splendour but one that is crucial to the record’s brilliance, juxtaposing the savagery with measured beauty; it’s a much required breathing space to take stock before being plunged headfirst back into the cacophony.

Benefitting from a considerably higher production value than their previous releases, Vales are afforded new levels of depth and space to explore which they take full advantage of throughout Wilt & Rise. Closer ‘Waterfalls’ is an expansive demonstration of dynamic ability, the intensity fluctuating into a climactic close that bears resemblance to former touring partners Suis La Lune and their rather grandeur version of screamo. ‘White Horse’ and ‘Wildfire’ demonstrate similar levels of epic inclination, the former acting as the records high point of which almost every track is a genuine contender, it’s outro a passage of head-banging hardcore stomp.

Wilt & Rise is a record of true uncompromising brilliance. It doesn’t quite reinvent the screamo canon, instead it injects it with a dose of intensely aggressive hardcore that’s emphatically British in its bleak outlook. Aside from its tenacious ferocity, Wilt & Rise momentarily exudes a startling beauty, demonstrating that Vales are far from a one-dimensional band of pure unbridled anger. With a full-length finally tucked under their belts, Vales can only move onto greater prospects and rise through the hardcore ranks to reach levels of devotion that they so unequivocally deserve.