Robyn Writes

Monolith – A Votive Offering [EP]

A Votive Offering is the latest E.P from young metal purveyors Monolith.  Kindly given away free by the band, the twelve minute track, divided into four parts, should be avoided by those with a weak disposition or anyone who doesn’t posses an overt fondness for pulverizing, unforgiving beatdowns or caustic, intensely aggravated vocals.

For anyone unfamiliar with Monolith, the band specialises in a brand of devilishly heavy hardcore, incorporating off-kilter riffs delivered with an unrestrained anger Vinnie Jones could only dream of.  Their debut E.P- I, Misanthrope was an exercise in sheer aural brutality, but with their latest release the band have upped their game across the board, although any wholehearted concept of subtlety remains defiantly absent.  What’s instantly palpable is that the Meshuggah influence has been dragged to the forefront, with riffs eschewing Fredrik Thordendal’s enduring legacy of convoluted mathematically precise metal, which rains down relentlessly.  The constant terror allows little breathing space for the listener in lieu of an unremittingly intense listening experience.  The opening wall of foreboding feedback and the scene setting sample provide one of the few respites from the bludgeoning assault, providing a sinister backdrop to the fierce cacophony from which there appears to be no salvation.  Techy as it may be, the band are well aware of the power that simplicity can provide.  Several times they drop into more straightforward but no less aggressive moments of brutality to keep those with a penchant for hurling themselves round the pit satisfied.  Some highly inventive drum work fires off complex poly-rhythmic blasts, using every inch of the kit whilst remaining impeccably tight.  Vocals growl unremittingly and it is an object of wonder as to how the vocalists throat can withstand such a battering without being torn apart by the sheer force with which every line of lyrics are delivered.

A Votive Offering is a record that hovers eagerly on musical boundaries, facing uncharted waters which the band has more than demonstrated they have the ability to explore and warp to their own twisted liking.  The sheer level of musical competency and progressive intuitions belies the band’s short lifespan as well as the young age of the members themselves.  If, with only their second release, Monolith are making music so tantalizingly complex and powerful, then at this point their potential knows no bounds.

4.5 out of 5 high fives!

J-Pop Sunday – The High-Lows

Something a bit different for your reading pleasure! The first in series of semi-regular features that dives head first into the weird and wonderful world of Japanese music. I’m Kaito and I’m the one who will be pushing you off the end of the aforementioned diving board. However, there’s no need to worry! I’ll ease you in gently for our first foray; we’ll start on the familiar punk rock ground TBO readers are accustomed to as we get to know a group known as The High-Lows.

Quick guide
Act Name: The High-Lows (ザ・ハイロウズ)
Years Active: 1995- 2005
Genre: Punk Rock
Notable Singles: “Missile Man (ミサイルマン)” – 1995, “Seishun (青春)” – 2000, “Thunder Road (サンダーロード)” – 2005
Album Title that Amused Me the Most: “Tigermobile” – 1996

The High-Lows formed in the summer of 1995. Born from the ashes of The Blue Hearts (ザ・ブルーハーツ), former band of lead singer Hiroto Koumoto, guitarist Masatoshi Mashima and keyboard player Mikio Shirai, the trio partnered with bassist Sakito Shirabe and drummer Kenji Oshima to form The High Lows. Riding on the popularity of The Blue Hearts, October saw the band release their debut album “The High-Lows” – Which reached a respectable No.5 in Japan’s Oricon charts – along with their first single “Missle Man (ミサイルマン)”. The band’s upbeat punk rock style helped keep the band in the public eye and a steady stream of singles followed over the next few years.


– a live performance of Missle Man

1996 was a busy year for The High-Lows: The year saw the release of the band’s second album “Tigermobile” which reached No.6 in the charts and also saw the band make its first major nationwide tour, with 36 dates in 34 cities. The band also managed to nab a gig performing as the opening act at the renowned Nippon Budokan venue in Tokyo for some English band called “The Sex Pistols.” (Nope, I’ve never heard of them either…)

Time passed, and new albums and singles flowed: 1998 saw their third album “lobster” released followed by “baumkuchen (バームクーヘン” in ’99, both of which broke the top ten in the charts, but 2000 was the year that the band had their most successful single: “Seishun(青春)”


– The band performs their biggest hit “Seishun” live

Reaching number 8 in the Oricon charts, Seishun (or “Youth” in English) was the band’s bestselling single and it’s clear to see why: It’s hard not to like it; it’s cheerful but powerful and optimistic all at once: Its release in late May cemented it as a perfect anthem for the upcoming summer. Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that it was used as the theme song to the comedy drama serial “Densetsu no kyoshi (伝説の教師)” (“Legendary Teacher”). Probably the latter. Either way, it’s an enjoyable song, don’t you think?

After Seishun the band continued strongly, releasing three more albums over the next three years and continued their energetic live performances, however in 2003 keyboardist Mikio left the band in 2003 to pursue solo projects, but that didn’t hold the remaining members of The High-Lows back: Hiroto and the crew kept rocking across the country and producing hits for another two years. Activities during this time included a slot at the 2004 Fuji Rock Festival; performing alongside big name international acts such as The Killers, Snow Patrol, Franz Ferdinand and… erm… Dizzie Rascal.

However, after 10 years performing as The High-Lows it was time to take a break: 2005 saw the release of the band’s final single: “Thunder Road (サンダーロード)” on the 18th of May and 5 days later The High-Lows played their final show in Naha, Okinawa, as a part of their “The ★ MUSTANG 04-05” nationwide tour.

So, that’s the story of The High-Lows. But what happened to these guys? Well, in 2006 lead singer Hiroto Komoto and guitarist Masatoshi Mashima set up yet another band together: The Cro-Magnons (ザ・クロマニヨンズ). I guess you can’t keep an old rocker down because The Cro-Magnons are still rocking their way across Japan. Their latest single “Totsugeki Rock (突撃ロック)” (“Assault Rock”) was even used as the opening theme song to the popular ninja themed action anime series “Naruto Shippuden”. Meanwhile, keyboardist Mikio Shirai’s solo projects didn’t work out for him, however in 2005 he re-united with another former member of The Blue Hearts, Tetsuya Kajiwara, to form a new band called The Big Hip (ザ・ビッグ・ヒップ) sadly, the hip wasn’t big enough and the duo only lasted for three years before collapsing. Alas, drummer Kenji Oshima and bassist Sakito Shirabe seem to have fallen off the radar since The High-Lows put down their instruments. I like to pretend that they’ve both got nice jobs at a record company somewhere or that they also found new bandmates to carry on playing with and that they’re not sweeping the streets somewhere in Shinjuku…

Ten years, eight albums, twenty six singles, two spin-off bands and a heck of a lot of music are only part of the legacy The High-Lows have left to this world. Join us again next time for another glimpse into the wonderfully obscure world of Japanese Pop here at TwoBeatsOff. For now, I will leave you with one last track from The High-Lows: Their 1998 single “Rolling Jet Thunder (ローリング・ジェット・サンダー)”. Feel free to sing along!

Oh! Oh! Hang on! Wasn’t a “The Sex Pistols” song used in one of those Tony Hawk skateboarding games? Number 4 I think. On the PS2! Ehh, doesn’t matter…

Streetside Vinyl – If There’s A Hope

Streetside Vinyl hail from Bakersfield, California, and it’s impossible to deny the influence of California’s sweeping musical heritage in their debut album. Even at just seven tracks long, If There’s A Hope is a daring and individual effort, jam-packed with laid back pop rhythms and storming rock anthems.

While the album begins with a brilliant classic rock style riff in ‘I Have My Reasons’, it takes it a short while to really get going. The vocals falter slightly in that opening track and it takes the chorus a little bit to build up into a fantastically sarcastic ‘la la la la’, but as the track goes on, it bolsters in confidence and brings forth a great outro. ‘Promises and Rings’ is a nice, chilled out affair and very reminiscent of that early 2000s Decaydance scene, but the real gem in Streetside Vinyl’s crown is ‘Enough With The Tricks’. With a bit of anger behind the vocals, the track really hits its stride. The guitar work is absolutely incredible, the bass is entrancing and there’s no doubt that Streetside Vinyl is filled with very talented musicians. Building to an outstanding crescendo, this is the track that will cement Streetside Vinyl’s reputation as keen and intelligent songwriters.

It’s not to say that it’s all downhill from there either; absolutely far from it. The band experiment a little more with their sound in ‘Still Searching’, adding some sweet piano riffs throughout and ‘His Name Is Chaos’ utilises a dual-vocal approach for maximum intensity. The record is produced to a very high standard, and a lot of the tracks lead into each other perfectly, leading to a very fluid and well constructed sound. As well as high-octane rock hits, Streetside Vinyl aren’t too shabby at ballads either. ‘Castles and Crossroads’ is a beautiful slow burner of a track, and although the lyrics are a little bit cheesy, they’re quick to sink into your cortex, leaving you singing along for days. The album ends on ‘Escape’, an optimistic ode to the road. The journey certainly begins here – almost all of the tracks on If There’s A Hope have that huge arena potential, perfect for a summer festival, and it’s only a matter of time before Streetside Vinyl hit it huge.

4 out of 5 high fives!

Best Friends, Ex-Friends To The End – why the Fall Out Boy reunion matters

Pop punk has already had its commercial golden age. It came in the mid 2000s, when I was going through high school. Fall Out Boy were the kings of that era, and we made sure to shout it from the rooftops. I have followed this band around on tour to the point where I probably knew the set list better than they did. Between my sister and I, we own every single album, single, B-side. My email address is a misheard Fall Out Boy lyric (which in this one case, actually turned out to be better than the original). I have plenty of Clandestine clothing. Everything points at me being one of Fall Out Boy’s number one fans, but I’m not. At least, I haven’t been for years. When high school ended, and Fall Out Boy released Folie a Deux, it was time to move on to different things.

Now I am twenty-two years old. Four years have passed since the last Fall Out Boy album and I’ve graduated from one degree and moved on to another. Pete, Patrick, Andy and Joe all went their separate ways for a while. This website, initially little more than a blog, grew up into something a little bit bigger. We can finally call ourselves a ‘zine’. I went and saw other bands on other labels. I read Patrick’s essay on Alternative Press, about how he wanted a break from music because of all the hassle and stress it was bringing. I watched from the sidelines as more and more of the Decaydance bands split. I had boyfriends who didn’t know who the fuck Fall Out Boy were, nor cared. Pete Wentz maintained his penchant for swearing lots on stage whenever he came to the UK with his god-awful side project. Other bands, like Blink-182 came out of hiatus. Rumours would fly every six months or so about a Fall Out Boy reunion, but none ever came to fruition. Patrick’s solo album was outstanding as far as I could see, but the critics didn’t rate it. Andy and Joe’s time in The Damned Things was pretty awesome. Time just… went by.

Occasionally, Fall Out Boy would come up on my shuffle, and I would smile. They were a reminder of my teen years, more so than any other band. I rarely decided to listen to an album though, too busy with the tidal wave of promos that threatened to decimate my inbox. It’s not that I didn’t care. I’ve always cared. I’d just burnt myself out on them. Like they needed a hiatus, I needed a break.

But I didn’t realise how much I needed a Fall Out Boy reunion until it happened. There’d been a few false starts, but as soon as the proper announcement and the video exploded all over my Twitter feed, I felt my heart race. I listened to the song. I listened to all the songs, and I found that I remembered every single word. I texted people. None of them were that bothered, but I was. I belted out the lyrics as I sped down the motorway. It wasn’t like I’d been transported back to my youth again at all, because let’s get one thing straight, no Fall Out Boy album has been the same as its predecessor. Pete’s lyrics have gotten more metaphoric and Patrick’s experimented more and more with different genres. It’s this change that arguably led me to become disenchanted with the band, especially thanks to Folie a Deux. I still maintain that Take This To Your Grave is the best thing they ever did, built from heartbreak and mayhem and distilled into gloriously irreverent bursts, but like Patrick said, there would be no sense in writing another TTTYG. They’re in a completely different moment of time. Save Rock And Roll is not going to be a pop-punk album, but I can’t wait to see exactly what it will be. I’m not waiting for Fall Out Boy to come and show the newcomers how it has been done, but how to do it now. The new track is audacious, laden with hooks and takes more than a few cues from the music that Patrick’s been writing in the downtime. This is not Fall Out Boy as we know it, but something new. And that’s why this reunion matters so much. I have grown up, and Fall Out Boy have too.

Just one thing – no more hardcore screams, Pete. Please.

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