Robyn Writes

Castrovalva – You’re Not In Hell, You’re In Purgatory My Friend

With a simple glance at the title of Castrovalva’s newest output, one almost knows what to expect straight away. Any band putting out a record with such an incredible mouthful across the cover is aiming for nothing less than the ostentatious and, with some sadness, I have to state that this is possibly the only thing the Leeds trio do manage to achieve.

From the opening rattled whispers of the short first track “Best Friends Go To Purgatory”, the one thing that reigns throughout this record is utter confusion. The band define themselves as “noise-hop”, and while I’m not sure about the hop, noise is definitely one way to describe this release. An incoherent mish-mash of styles, attempting to combine electronic backing tracks, overtuned guitar riffs and grating screamed vocals, this almost feels more like a failed experiment than a finished product. Immaturity appears to be the key amongst the few vocals that are distinguishable from the audio assault that “In Our Prime” provides, the roaring refrain of “Don’t be a pussy” standing as the best – if that’s even the right word to use – example. However, this is one issue which is admittedly redressed somewhat, as by the album’s fourth track, “Dining With The Pope”, the verses can almost be said to contain some sense and lyrics which might work in a more straightforward musical setting, before descending back into chaos with “Donut” – an accurate description of the songwriter if I ever heard one.

This album is also guilty of what I’ve always felt to be one of the most common crimes in music today – striving to achieve some level of shock value with some of the most gratuitous usage of language they can possibly muster. Of those few vocals which can be understood on most of this album’s tracks, every other word seems to be four letters long. While swearing certainly has its rightful place in music – just ask Motley Crue – and indeed in language in general, pointlessly throwing out f words every few seconds just points to a songwriter’s own uninventiveness, and this album stands as a strong example of this.

If there is any positive that can be taken from this album, it exists purely in the work of drummer Daniel Brader. His beats behind the tracks are the only thing that threaten to force the listener to do anything other than switch off, and the best thing I can say for him is that in another band, in another style, he could become a serious name in the business. Sadly, he’s never going to do that behind a truly awful frontline. Anthony Wright’s bass guitar lines are disjointed and practically sound confused, while frontman Leemun Smith’s vocals are nothing short of painful – either an irritating whine, or an ear-splitting screech, accompanied by some truly shocking attempts at rap; not to mention a misguided attempt at falsetto during the opening of final track “A Vulture’s Eyes”. The band have achieved some success in the past, garnering positive reviews and praise from sources like Drowned In Sound and even the NME. If I may be permitted a dose of brutal honesty to end this review, listening to this release, I truly have no idea how.

Retisonic – Robots Fucking

Spawned from the ashes of several great purveyors of underground alternative rock including Bluetip, J Majesty and Garden Variety are Retisonic, who with latest release ‘Robots Fucking’, carry on the great underground American alt-rock tradition of making uncompromising and agitated music. Released on the legendary Ian MacKaye-founded Dischords Records, ‘Robots Fucking’ is the sound of three guys who have played in every dingy, crumbling toilet venue in the U.S but are still intent on creating complex sonic chaos while retaining a distinctly keen ear for a melody or two. A stark and stripped back aural delivery is instantly recognisable to the Washington D.C scene of the late 80’s/90’s, where all three members cut their teeth in various spheres of the scene. Thankfully, the three now middle aged members seem as disgruntled and generally pissed off as they were back in the day as singer Jason Farrell despairs at the state of American culture as well as his own life. Coupled with a general rough-around-the-edges production, this album could be straight out of Washington D.C circa 1992. Singer/guitarist Jason veers his guitar between driving power chords and jangly aspirations while the bass for the most part remains urgently pure punk. ‘Wait…LOOKOUT!’ and ‘Called to Say’ meld the melodic intuitions with fervent musicianship. Hardcore bleeds into ‘Necropolitan’, a song that is as uncompromising in the music as it is in the lyrics as it scathes American culture in much the same way as the original wave of alt-rock bands. Closer ‘Defined’ introduces minimalistic piano in a slow building melodically driven affair that brings the album to a dignified and surprisingly restrained close. ‘Robots Fucking’ is as raw as it is bleak, and despite the odd additional instrument it remains simply three guys thrashing away with undeniable urgency. If you can’t get enough of the noise that erupted out of the D.C scene twenty or so years ago then ‘Robots Fucking’ is your next fix.

4.5 out of 5 high fives!

Radicus – The Bigger Noise

Every now and again, I’m introduced to a band through a support slot or an online recommendation and I find myself genuinely embarrassed that I hadn’t stumbled upon them before. Recently, this took the form of the Peterborough based post-hardcore act, Radicus. Sitting somewhere between Set Your Goals and Alexisonfire, they have an upbeat and fun quality to their music that proves to be almost unbearably infectious. With pop-mosh acts such as A Day to Remember more often being the order of the day with young gig-goers, Radicus are hard to place, but a real breath of fresh air.

Radicus’ 2010 album The Bigger Noise should really be required listening for anyone who likes their music loud, bouncy and fun. Take the album opener, Family Fortunes; the Against Me!-esque frenetic energy pushes along the vocal lines into peaks of fist-pumping harmonies. The vocal stylings are distinctly punk, but stay on the cleaner side of the road. That is until oDeJay God kicks in, when harmonies go into overdrive, and ferocity gets pumped up to a new level thanks to the inclusion of Phil Barker – vocalist in TwoBeatsOff favourite, We Are Fiction. oDeJay God is by far the stand-out track on the album; anthemic and frenetic with moments designed for throwing yourself into a stranger at a gig. My Legacy (The History to Come) takes a far different tack. While guitar riffs and drumsticks fall fast and sudden, like some upturned Jenga set, the whole tone is far more serious and genuine. Unaccompanied, yelled, sentiments are delivered so very punk-esque that it hurts. The Spark II however, takes the band back to a far more Americanised tone, with all the delivery and dynamism of a young Sum 41. Regardless of this, the repetitive chorus and simplistic vocal breaks are a mark of genius, born of fist-bumping and the suggestion of pits. 2 Legit 2 Quit is probably the most uninspiring song on the album; that’s not to say that it lacks merit, but it bears few notable differences from Radicus’ general sound. The bassline however is one of the heaviest on the album, juddering through the punk sensabilities like a greased juggernaut. MVP is a real ‘filler’ track in the nicest way possible. It’s thickly layered, manic and a blueprint for the perfect song to get an audience jumping. Business As Usual (BAU)’s climbing guitars and throbbing drums provide one of the greatest instrumentals on the entire album. Lyricism and vocal delivery aside, the riffs are what makes it as catchy as herpes in a dockside whorehouse. The album concludes with Let them Try, a more punk inspired offering with enough gang vocals to satisfy the most attention-starved listener.

With understandably low production costs and a commendable do-it-yourself attitude, Radicus are a band that are easy to respect and even easier to adore. If only they could manage to snare a wider listenership, I’ve no doubt that they’d achieve a far higher and much deserved level of recognition – one that they completely deserve.

4 out of 5 high fives!

A Tale Of Two Cities – New Horizons [EP]

This Bristolian five piece really pack a punch with their new EP ‘New Horizons’. Having already toured with bands like Attack! Attack! and Deaf Havana, this EP can be seen as a mission statement, showing a lot of quality and a shitload of potential. The songs show the sort of maturity you might expect from a band who have been in the business for decades rather than a matter of years. The EP itself has been finished to a high standard, with evidence of a very clean, crisp production. The sound may be similar to a lot of screamo, but the band still manages to carve out their own niche instead of living on the coattails of better bands that have gone before.

Opening song Four Words kicks in with heavy drums, thrashing guitars and vocals which remain prominent throughout. As an opening song it delivers an aggressive yet melodic sound, with the strong vocals of frontman Karl Ficarotta adding superbly to the atmosphere created by the whole band. With Familiar Traits the band show their alternative side, with the great addition of Joe Marsh’s screaming blended in with the lead vocals. Listening to the song you can’t help but think that it would have slotted in to one of The Blackout’s earlier albums quite nicely, the vocal exchanges between Karl and Joe definitely reminiscent of the interplay between Gavin Butler and Sean Smith. The song ends with a metal-esque breakdown that you would expect on the first couple of Lostprophets’ albums, with an electronic presence alongside the riffs and powering drums – it’s hard to believe they are actually from Bristol and not Pontypridd.

Fire Burning Through Our Wings shows how ATOTC can be quite dynamic, producing a very vocally central song in which the drums and guitars play a more diluted role, before Machine finishes the EP off nicely. Combining all of the elements from the songs coming before it, Machine has vocally dominated verses but heavier choruses, bringing back the pounding drums, the catchy riffs and the scream/clean mix of vocals.

It says a lot that the most negativity I could muster is that quite frankly, the EP is too short. It serves a platform from which the band can hopefully spring into the international circuit, but I was left wanting more. When a full length album comes it will have a lot to live up to. If they play their cards right, in years to come ATOTC could be as huge as the Dickens novel they presumably got their name from.

 

4.5 out of 5 high fives!

Artist Spotlight – Bigblast

Bigblast are a punk band from Lyon, France. Their most recent album, All Saviours, is an explosion of hardcore sensibilities and melodic gems, no doubt greatly aided by vocalist Emi’s fantastic vocals. From opening track ‘Something To Sing About’, their intentions are clear – to take the rock scene by storm, promoting humanist ethics and having a bloody good time along the way.

“For me, all kind of arts can deliver a message, politically or not. I think it’s easier to share strong statements through punk rock than dance or pop, though,” says Greg, the band’s bassist. Seb, who plays guitar, backs that up – “I think punk rock is a kind of music that offers us the possibility to speak out loud about everything. Not all bands are taking this chance, but strong messages are important for us.” All throughout All Saviours, there’s a true sense of hope, that Bigblast are just aiming to make the world a slightly better place, and they’ve put their faith in punk. Liom, on screams/guitar, points out the power of punk – “Since I was 14 years old, punk bands that I’ve listened to have opened my eyes on a lot of issues that I didn’t even know about, and made me realise how the world works. It’s a very good way to share opinions and bring awareness!” The band aren’t afraid to reach out either – “We write our songs in English for 3 reasons,” say Emi and Liom. “It sounds better (to us), we can touch more people and the message is more powerful!”

Of course, Bigblast have far more influences than just punk, as is evident from their songwriting. Citing influences like Deftones, Linkin Park and VersaEmerge, as well as some slightly more predictable ones like A Wilhelm Scream, Rise Against, The Flatliners and Mute, Bigblast have managed to craft a unique and compelling sound. This sound hasn’t been found that easily though. When quizzed on the formation of the current lineup, Liom adds “Like a lot of bands we started as friends making music and playing a few gigs. Some of us wanted to go further, some didn’t. That’s why there were a few line up changes before the current formation.” And though their sound has “evolved” since Emi and Greg joined the current lineup, the band are quick to stress that they’ve always been diverse in their sound – “It’s always hard to put a label on your music. Some people think that we are very poppy and that we’re easy listening thanks to Emi’s voice. Others think we are hardcore punk because of our lyrics, screams and also because we play fast,” says Liom. “But I think we’ve always been melodic.”

Here at TwoBeatsOff, we’re always keen to scope out new and awesome music from around the world and our knowledge of the French punk scene is reasonably shocking. So we asked Bigblast whether they knew any good bands. Liom was eager to offer forth some suggestions – “There are a lot of good bands in our town, but no one is close to our style. That said, you should check out these bands, you won’t regret it: The Traders, The Amsterdam Red Light District, uncommenmenfrommars and Burning Heads.” But has that scene helped them along the way? “It’s always the same story. The scene trusts you only when you are about to reach your goals. For the past year and a half, we’ve worked our asses off and we’ve done lots of things (album, tours, opening for famous bands) and people want to be a part of that success,” says Liom. “But Every new fan is a special one for us and we always remember the ones that were there when we were nothing. Being supported feels good, man!”

Bigblast care about their fans a lot, and are always finding ways to get them involved. As such, touring is a big deal for them, and they put their heart and souls into their live shows. We asked what you might expect from a Bigblast show – “Lots of energy between the band and the audience,” says Emi, and Seb agrees – “Loud music, and as Emi said, energy!”. Liom adds “If you’re coming to one of our shows, you’ll see a band having fun on stage and enjoying every minute of it. Our aim is to share this feeling of happiness we all have when we are on stage.”

With such an exuberant stage presence, it’s not hard to believe that Bigblast know how to have a good time and they’ve got plenty of tour stories from their latest European tour. “The European tour had a lot of good moments; meeting new people every night is very exciting. I think music is a really good way to link people because it’s a passion and you’re living these strong moments together. One of my favorite moments on this tour was in Liberec in the Czech Republic, we played with a kick ass band called Burning Steps and partied like crazy ‘till 6 in the morning. Come on, one Euro a pint, we had to honour this local beer!” says Emi. “For me it was a real discovery,” says Greg. “We’ve met super cool people, we’ve done lots of kilometres and partied with a lot of new friends and fans. I personally enjoyed discovering new foods and drinks. Trust me, I’ll remember this fucking spicy soup we got in Liberec! I also keep a sweet memory of this after party in Livraga, Italy, where I discovered sambuca and chinar, two local spirits.” Liom enjoyed himself a lot too. “The tour was pure awesomeness! The crowd welcomed us warmly, we’ve shared our music, and discovered countries we’ve never seen before. I remember this morning waking up in the van after a snowy night, everything was white and beautiful. It was a totally unbelievable and unexpected view for a band on tour.”

With the release of All Saviours and numerous tours, it’s been one hell of a busy year for Bigblast and it’s set to get even busier. “This year, we’ve released an album, we’ve done two tours and another one is gonna be added at the list in October,” says Emi. “We are proud of what we’ve achieved in a year and we definitely have reached our first goals! Now we’ve set up new ones – to reach larger audiences and tour in an other continent are some of them.” Seb’s got some other ideas too – “Touring is definitely what we are made for! A new album can be a good project for the future …” And Liom’s already thinking ahead to next year – “The Eastern European tour in late October is our priority for the moment, but we are already planning some exciting stuff for next spring. Those plans can involve taking a plane…”

Bigblast are Emi, Liom, Greg, Seb and Jérome. All Saviours was released in January on Craze Records, Bad Mood Records, Maximise Records, Sirkel Pit Records and Culture Punk Records. You can check them out on Bandcamp.