Robyn Writes

Converge – Brighton Concorde 2, 01/12/12

Tonight the temperature on a winter Sunday night is straggling the minuses but inside the seafront confines of Brighton’s finest venue, the Concorde 2, things are about to get very sweaty. Marking their return to the venue on the back of their startlingly good new album All We Love We Leave Behind, Converge bring three diverse but no less extreme bands to warm the frozen crowd.

First on is Italy’s The Secret, a four headed beast of a band who play something akin to black metal interspersed with Sabbath riffs covered in a crust some twelve inches thick. Approval is shown through an increasing amount of devil horn salutes and raised pints, commending the band’s ability to switch between blastbeats and sludge riffs in a manner not unlike tonight’s headliners.

A Storm Of Light rely on atmospherics rather than brute force to communicate their sprawling, multi visual, sludgey post-rock compositions. A film collage, projected behind the band, shows images of warfare, atomic bombs and riots, providing the ideal backdrop for the ear-splitting cacophony that envelops the crowd in an inescapable wall of pure noise.

The front rows who await Touche Amore are made up almost exclusively of teenagers, proving the bands popularity with the young Tumblr-savvy crowd. As the band plays the first few warm chords of ‘~’ the venue suddenly explodes into life with the soul baring lyrics being screamed back at frontman Jeremy with aplomb. Always emphasising brevity over longevity, the band rattle through songs in quick succession, covering most of 2011’s acclaimed Parting The Sea Before The Brightness And Me as well as a number from their debut …To The Beat Of A Dead Horse. A new song entitled ‘Gravity’ gives the first indication of the bands future direction, a track where ideas are allowed to develop and flourish into the band’s longest song to date.

As the crowd forms in front of the stage, a distinct smell of stale sweat, beer and marijuana emits from the gaggle of metalheads, hardcore kids and other down and outs who have gathered to watch the most influential extreme bands of recent times. Converge take to the stage to little fanfare, no backing track or elaborate entrance. Vocalist Jacob Bannon bluntly states “we’re ready to play” and they launch headfirst into ‘Concubine’ (probably the most extreme seventy-nine seconds of music ever written); the crowd quite literally goes wild for their blastbeat infected hardcore. Driving bass and drums signals the intro to ‘Dark Horse’, a track that possesses much of the unstoppable kinetic energy of a speeding train. The masses at the front exercise their demons in all manner of violent gestures. From some extremely vicious headbanging and air punching to the flailing throng in the pit, the floor is soon covered in puddles of sweat and splattered with blood fallen from smashed noses. ‘Aimless Arrow’ and ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ represent the new album with the crowd reacting to the new songs like they were old favourites. ‘No Light Escapes’ from the recent split seven inch with Napalm Death spurts a fifty second long tirade of aggression. Guitarist Kurt Ballou is every bit the virtuosic guitarist, switching from caustic breakdowns on ‘Axe To Fall’, to two finger tapping and relentless chugging whilst Nate Newton’s driving bass and booming vocals dominate ‘Worms Will Feed’. Converge’s backbone- Ben Koller, provides some of the most devilishly difficult yet undeniably solid drumming in heavy music. As the band leave the stage the crowd are still thirsting for more aural brutality and the band oblige readily with an encore of ‘First Light/ Last Light’ from You Fail Me. The closing schizophrenic breakdown sees the bruised and battered crowd losing their shit for a final time. As the house lights come on, the state of the crowd speaks volumes about the intensity of tonight’s show. The bloodied, sweat-covered throng certainly got what they came for- a masterful performance by one of the most uncompromising bands on the planet.

Tyler Daniel Bean – Longing

Longing is the melancholic sound of former screamo enthusiast turner singer-songwriter Tyler Daniel Bean. In his first solo outing since the disbanding of his former and much more aggressive outfit Ghosting, Tyler delivers ten emotionally fraught songs from the freezing desolate landscapes of his Vermont surroundings. Think Brand New at their most gloomy and you’ll get a good indication of Longing’s sumptuously depressing ballads.

First track ‘Flowers At My Feet’ begins in a low-key fashion with Tyler crooning over a finger picked acoustic and foreboding cello. Without much in the way of warning, the song erupts into crashing drums and furious lead guitar with Tyler giving a brief throwback to his Ghosting days through cathartic screams.

The ridiculously titled ‘I Think Its Time To Go Back To Our Original Smoothie Plan’ is a more upbeat foot stomper of a song with sullen, fuzzy guitars permeated by the lead guitars melodic jangle. The track flows effortlessly into ‘Heather Lane’, a similar sounding faster paced song that unfortunately doesn’t posses any real memorable moments. ‘Lake Eola’ on the other hand is a much more attention grabbing outing with the instruments and Tyler’s voice especially coming across delectably sulky. Haunting reverb –laden backing vocals provide the song with an added depth and expansiveness. Tyler’s croon is intertwined with slightly off-kilter female vocals harmonies in ‘I’m Just Going TO Go Home And Not Make Any Progress’. The instrumentation is stripped back to its bare bones creating a sense of emotional and musical fragility to match his equally troubled lyrics. As the band unleashes another short burst of restrained fury at the end of the track it seems that what Tyler is best at is creating songs that start out as slow burners; his measured acoustic strumming and soulful croon luring the listener into a state of comfort. Then, quite unassumingly he unleashed his raw emotion with aplomb, allowing his band to loosen up their inhibitions and otherwise beautifully subtle playing into brief cacophonies of melodic catharsis. ‘Rootbeerlington’ again displays Tyler’s dynamic prowess, his hushed voice giving way to a brief flurry of shouting which brings to mind Balance and Composure at their most introspective. ‘It’s Vegan, Not Vagan’ introduces subtle xylophone melodies in between bouts of simple yet refined drums. Closer ‘Sometime The Details Are Underground’ begins with pounding drums and grungy overdriven chords with the lead guitar carving out melodies through the aural barrage. The track is brought down to its bare bones several times, finally descending into a single acoustic and minimal accompaniment to bring the album to a reserved close.

Although most of his songs seem to follow the same quiet/loud formula, they still remain powerfully raw- possessing an engrossing emotional sincerity evident not only in Tyler’s versatile croon but in his distinguished songwriting. For a debut release, Longing is a record of maturity. Showcasing Tyler’s emotional fragility through ten, for the most part, beautifully constructed and recorded songs.

4 out of 5 high fives!

Avastera – The Clocks Have Ticked Too Long [EP]

A lot of bands are very resistant to being defined by a certain genre, fearing being pigeon-holed and shunned by potential fans because of it. With Avastera and their debut EP The Clocks Have Ticked Too Long, the problem is immediately more complex. These boys simply don’t fit any one genre. You could try to describe them as pop-punk, alternative, melodic post-hardcore and sure enough there are elements of truth in each, but none really do justice to the diverse sound that explodes out of every single song on the EP. Having recorded the EP with producer Paul Leavitt (All Time Low, Yellowcard), the band have already begun building up an impressive track record since the release of their debut-single ‘December Sun’ in March 2012. As well as playing a lot of high-energy shows across their native Australia, Avastera have even started to develop a loyal fan-base stateside, touring with more established bands such as Mayday Parade, The Pretty Reckless and A Skylit Drive.

The EP itself kicks in with the fast-paced “Hear Me Out” and straight away, the diverse sound of Avastera becomes blindly obvious. Most of the song swings by in a blur of kick drums, harmonised riffs and strong vocals, but it is full of changes in tempo and even delivers a sweet sounding guitar solo before ending with a surprisingly light ‘Avastera-styled’ breakdown. The melodic post-hardcore really hits home in “As The Tables Turn” as piano and guitar morph into one harmonious sound while the rest of the band manage to fluctuate from the softer to the heavier side of rock with ease. This is perhaps even more dynamic than the opening track, bringing in some sections with a symphonic sound and the first signs of growls emanating from Chris Hanssen’s throat.

“December Sun” is clearly one of the most heartfelt songs on the record and it’s no surprise that teenage girls have swooned upon hearing it. The song itself is upbeat, with some nice transitions in it, and gives pride of position to Mike Lang’s vocals. While it isn’t unlike anything you may have heard before, the lyrics are a nice spin on the usual. Rather than singing about heartbreak or bitterness at a relationship gone south, Hanssen tells of fond memories from a past romance, refreshingly with no pretence.

“This Beautiful Nightmare” delivers another mix of heavy and soothing vocals, carried along by melodic riffs. It’s a testament to the band that they manage to pull off the various different sounds without sounding confused or like they’re trying to do too much. Adding to the EP’s mysterious variations, “Ms. Conception” starts with a two-hand tapping piece on the guitar that sounds incredibly like someone on the piano. The track showcases Avastera’s style quite well, with the rest of the song following dynamically from this opening riff. The final track on the album is an acoustic version of “December Sun”, which delivers the same tenderness but in a smoother, more stripped down package.

If Avastera were out to prove something, you can only assume it is mission accomplished. While showing definite traces and influences of other bands (Hanssen names Yellowcard among others), Avastera manage to create a distinctive sound which transcends genres. This can only be a hit.

4 out of 5 high fives!

Darwin and the Dinosaur – Romulus [EP]

Romulus, the latest offering from Norwich-based Darwin and the Dinosaur opens with all the majesty of its legendary namesake. ‘Mow Mow’ is a charming, enrapturing kind of track. Right from the off, you’re faced with beautiful guitars and an impeccable sense of melody. And it’s the perfect track to showcase what’s still to come. There’s intensity, technical skill, emotion and a certain cheekiness. It’s Minus The Bear meets Taking Back Sunday but with an unmistakeable Britishness. That’s the whole EP in a nutshell, but Romulus does have a lot more to offer as well.

Liebe is catchy, dancey, and would fit perfectly on Kerrang! TV’s current rotation. It’s bundles of fun, but not a carbon copy of current British alt-rock. Lyrically, the EP is a cracker – extremely self aware, a little bit self deprecating and above all, intelligent without being too pretentious. This is best showcased in ‘Lady Die’, a 30-second “fuck you” wrapped in gorgeous melodies and following track ‘Fuck You And The Horse You Road In On’, an amusing insight into the lives of underground music acts. DatD is packed to the brim with excellent musicians, and there are inspiring instrumental sections on every song, but ‘October’ really takes the cake, giving each member a place in the spotlight. The EP has a great pace to it – there’s radio friendly slow burners, like ‘Stupid Is As Stupid Does’, an Armor For Sleep esque ballad with some killer backing vocals, as well as upbeat made-for-a-live-audience anthems.

The production values are also incredible. Everything is clean, crisp and clear. No instrument battles it out with another, there’s no tinny cymbals, it just sounds great. If there’s one criticism of this EP, it’s that occasionally the main vocals slip into a slightly American based whine, and as this seems to be consciously combatted at times with a more British pronunciation, it sometimes pushes them out of tune. But otherwise, Romulus is an absolute joy to listen to, and Darwin and the Dinosaur are set to conquer.

4 out of 5 high fives!

Heartwell – Certainty Of Change

It’s a rare thing to listen to a record and be instantly aware of how much fun the people on said record are having- singing their hearts out and thrashing away at their instruments like their lives depend on it. Emerging from the New Jersey D.I.Y punk scene, Heartwell are caught somewhere between fellow Jersey residents Lifetime, with their melodic emo-tinged hardcore approach and the catchy jingle-jangle of Indie. The band’s debut – Certainty Of Change, despite the usual self deprecating emo lyrical histrionics, possesses a unique ability to warm the cockles of your heart through songs that beg to be sung along to. From the first raspy vocals of opener ‘Second Annual’ you may feel the inclination to jump around and shout the words back with all the strength in your lungs. These are songs written for playing in a live environment – to be best enjoyed covered in sweat in a small room of writhing bodies.

As the mosh-inciting opener draws to a close, there is an instant sense that this album has raised its head above the mire of similar sounding groups. ‘Milpool’ sees dual harmonising vocals with each vocalist competing to claim the title of having the most bedraggled and tattered vocal chords. Ringing guitars provide the beautifully simple harmonies whilst gruff power chords maintain momentum throughout, hammering away at riff after riff with hearty vigour. ‘Adults’ features a more subdued and melodically inclined intro with guitar lines weaving in and out of each other, flowing into following track ‘Chronometry’. The relentless energy rarely lets up until the more sombre ‘Untitled’, a wonderfully understated three chord interlude that lets everyone catch their breath before the pace intensifies once again for ‘Who Monitors The Monitor’ – yet another raucous foot-stomper of a track. ‘Bring Me Back Something French’ has more than enough “woah-ohs” to keep the pop-punkers content as well as some clever drum work that is brilliantly intricate without being too distracting. The group finish the album on ‘Winter Swimmers,’ another fast-paced blast of punk that descends into a piano line of stark simplicity that brings the album to a subtle and dignified close.

Sure, there may be thousands of bands who instill the same Lifetime-isms into their music as Heartwell, yet few can claim to do so with such sincerity and energy. It is clear that Heartwell are injecting every morsel of their very being into their music, placing much higher value towards overt passion rather than originality. It is this fact that makes ‘Certainty Of Change’ such an enjoyable record and if by the end of listening to it you haven’t as much as even though about stagediving to their bouncy emotional punk, then I’m afraid there may be something wrong with you.

4 out of 5 high fives!