Robyn Writes

Review: Screaming For Scarlet – Five Lights

Screaming For Scarlet (who have a very snazzy website for a free one), hail from the South much like most things fantastic these days and have been described as “post-punk”, a genre they’re not entirely sure of themselves. They’ve also previously been matched up to heavyweights Fightstar and Hell Is For Heroes and have passed on their single Five Lights and a couple of demos for our delectation.

The single opens with the eponymous track, starting off slow and building up to the vocals. Despite this initial weak start, the track psyches itself up into a storming chorus with a truly memorable bass riff that pervades the entire song. The Hell Is For Heroes comparison becomes clear in this instance, as SFS demonstrate their ability to craft those initial slow burners that win you over in no time. An interesting echo effect on the vocals midway through, followed by the pained shriek of “We’ll be alright!” hits hard and the gang vocals are, while minimal (perhaps a few more voices required), pretty impressive.

The b-side to the single, Bridges, features some more of the same. It starts off shaky – there’s a bit of dodgy timing on the guitar – but as soon as the chorus breaks, the track immediately picks up with a killer hook. It’s a tightly controlled romp, but less interesting than its cousin in ‘Five Lights’, hence its B-side status. There’s still plenty to like though, particularly that verse riff when it’s timed right, and the instrumental section about two thirds in kicks into a definitely heartfelt and emotional chorus.

‘LXV’ starts off a bit differently, vocals kicking in first but continues on with the same kind of guitar lines shown before. Reminiscent of several songs from InMe’s first album, Overgrown Eden – the pedal effects sounded suspiciously familiar – they’ve certainly retained that early 2000’s feel. Out of all the tracks sent to me, this is by far the weakest, but still an enjoyable listen even if it doesn’t stand out from the rest.

The Raven, described to me by bassist Bam as a bit of a ‘bonus track’ opens up with an absolutely awesome riff and to begin with, has a bit of a Juneau-esque vibe to it. The synth effects in the interludes really add to the track and vocalist Matt seems to have hit the right style in this one, alternating between clean vocals and a haunting rasp for ‘Never more!’ Although lyrically, the band aren’t wonderfully proficient (there’s a few choice lines here and there throughout all the songs sent to me), it simply doesn’t matter with vocal lines as strong as they are in this song. Great stuff.

Although hitting the nostalgia part of my brain with tunes reminiscent of last decade, there’s still a lot of new and exciting stuff here. There’s clearly bounds of potential in these few tracks and with news that they’re introducing a new guitarist into the mix, it’s bound to get a bit interesting. If you’re a fan of Hell Is For Heroes, InMe or Hundred Reasons, give these guys a listen and I promise you, there’s a lot to love.

3.5 out of 5 high fives!

Live: Panic! At The Disco – HMV Institute Birmingham, 3/5/11

The sweat. The adrenaline. The screaming teenage girls. Oh it’s certain, Panic! At The Disco are back in town and they are better than ever. Vices and Virtues is a great return to form for the guys, especially after the Beatles-inspired trainwreck that was Pretty Odd. The departure of Ryan Ross and Jon Walker certainly hasn’t hurt Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith in the slightest, instead inspiring them to create awesomely catchy tunes with a hell of a hook. But can they still cut it live?

Before we could get down to business, London louts Love Letters lumbered onto the stage. From an aural perspective, they were relatively competent, playing rock and roll inspired electropop. However visually, they were a complete shambles. The lead singer clearly looked like he should have been passed out back surrounded by beer cans, wearing shades on a dimly lit stage and with a terrible 80s look. Duff McKagan can pull it off still, this guy couldn’t. At times, it was also highly uncertain whether or not he was miming – it could have been some clever effect pedal. This element still ruined the set for me, proving that Love Letters rely on over-production even on stage. The music itself is pretty catchy, the performance extremely uninspiring. They’d be perfect for Radio 1 but not much good elsewhere.

And then Panic! At The Disco get on stage and bring it. Although nowhere near as elaborate as some of their previous shows, Panic! clearly still have an eye for flair and showmanship as Urie bounds on stage, dressed in white and black, bow tie on firm and a backdrop containing the new logo flourishes dramatically behind Smith. After all, if there’s anything we’ve learnt since Panic! last graced the stage, bow ties are cool. The band immediately break into new single, Ready To Go, an absolute anthem in the making. The band are happy, eager to be back on stage and it shows – the screams are momentous.

I’m going to take a break from music for a paragraph to just emphasis how LOUD that screaming was. And teenage. And kind of weird considering that most Panic! fans are now about my age (I’m getting towards 21). The sheer enthusiasm in that crowd was awesome, if a little intimidating. I personally know the trials and tribulations of appropriate gig behaviour and when to throw it out of the window. I know that my fellow writer Kitteh was not impressed. I kind of get the hype. Not going to lie, Brendon Urie and co are looking gorgeous still. It’s easy to forget that Panic! are still in their mid-20s, despite their insane talent. Fangirls being back in full force was an interesting experience, perhaps not one I would repeat quite so readily though.

But back to Panic! now, the balance of material was excellent. There was a great mix of old and new material, picking the best songs from each album, but left Time To Dance out. Crucial mistake? Not so much, considering their inclusion of Camisado, a song I’ve always felt more suited for the dancefloor. Only two of the singles from Pretty Odd made an appearance, which I expected and was more than happy about. An unexpected Smiths cover proved interesting and signifies a return to one of Panic!’s favourite features in their live shows. Urie showcased his musical talent, flitting from the keyboard to the guitar to timpani, and every member, including new friends Dallon Weekes and Ian Crawford, getting a go at the drumming. It is this that makes it more of a show than a concert as everyone moves frenetically across stage, giving it their absolute all. The sound quality was more than awesome in songs, but Urie’s stage banter came across somewhat more unclear. But we didn’t need to hear him talk to know that Panic! were having a great time there. As a quick grin from Smith to Urie showed, Panic! love what they do and in turn, we absolutely love them. Charming as ever and fantastically fun, Panic! At The Disco, and their reintroduced exclamation mark, have an extremely bright future ahead of them.

Upcoming shizzle, yo.

Hey dudes and dudettes,

Plenty of stuff going on this week. Kitteh and I have hit up about four shows in a week. Jinkies. So we’ve got reviews/video stuff heading your way very very soon.

Also, if you have a demo you want us to listen to, then send us your tracks! ripper [at] twobeatsoff.co.uk is the place to go.

xoxo – Ripper

Resolution 242 – Resurgence EP


Resolution 242 from Stratford-upon-Avon describe themselves as a “three piece, dub influenced, progressive punk rock band” and have already amassed an impressive number of shows, playing alongside the late Ghost Of A Thousand, The King Blues, The Skints and The King Blues to name but a few. Their second EP, Resurgence, is a cheeky little precursor to their upcoming debut album and a bit of an interesting release.

Opening track, Pyramids and Poltergeists begins as a bit of a slow affair, opening with a powerful bass riff courtesy of Oliver Taylor and a great guitar tone. The vocals are spot on here with a memorable and soulful chorus which grabs you from the start. About halfway through, that punk rock begins to shine on through with a great mix between the two different styles shown in the song. It finishes off with a penetrating solo, leaving you ready for more.

Next up is Blueprints, which to begin with is fairly similar to the opening track, but towards the end takes a completely different turn. This is where the dub really comes apparent with a bloody fantastic rap section and some awesome bass. Combining this with an incredibly punk edge works well – the pounding guitar with the rap overlay sounds great. By far the best song on the EP, Blueprints is a political anthem and a half.

Finishing on Speak Of The Devil, this takes a bit of a departure from the rest, starting off on a heavier riff and blending into a slower verse, all with that dub echo throughout. The chorus is again really memorable and effective and the vocals are simply brilliant. Alex Johnson clearly knows what he’s doing. That isn’t to say that the rest don’t – Adam Payne’s drums are ace in this track, showing himself to be a highly diverse and skilled sticksman, and this features one of the best bass riffs on the EP. The song builds itself up to an absolutely epic finish, creating the perfect final track for a fantastic EP.

The EP is excellently produced but sadly, just isn’t long enough! There’s still plenty to shout about though and this shows a lot of potential. Hopefully, the debut album is going to be just as good if not better, truly highlighting the diversity that I know these guys can achieve. I’m very excited to see these guys around.

3.5/5 high fives!

Review: Emmure – Speaker Of The Dead

 

 

‘Brutal and tubby. The triumphant return of Frankie Palmeri and Emmure’

Dear readers, I have a confession to make. I’m in love with a chubby, hairy man who doesn’t even know my name. I hang on every word he says, but stand in silence. I stare at him adoringly, but he looks away.

Okay, it’s no great romance, so let me lay it down. I fucking love Frankie Palmeri. Seeing him live turned my loins to mush, and with the release of ‘Speaker of the Dead’, my womb pretty much exploded as soon as I pressed ‘play’.

While many Emmure fans have been mourning the change in subject matter with ‘Speaker of the Dead’ (sorry guys – it’s hard to find any graphic rants at ex-girlfriends on this release!… well, maybe just the one…), nothing has been sacrificed in order to achieve this album’s new polished sound. And considering how loathsome some areas of modern deathcore have become, Emmure have done particularly well to retain their fanbase without straying into Bring Me The Horizon-style ‘Marmite’ territory i.e. There soon becomes two options: you either love them, their faces, their music and wish to erotically sidle up to their tunes in a dusky nightclub, OR, you’d rather nail your own scrotum to an anvil and throw yourself off a cliff, sooner than listen to them play a single note. While there will always be a fresh wave of hate for such ‘-core’ genres, Emmure have done particularly well to bridge the gap between ‘exciting new deathcore’ and ‘respected band’, and are fast becoming forerunners of the genre.

‘Speaker of the Dead’, although not Shakespearian in its lyrical content, or ground-breaking in its musical structure, is a bloody brilliant album that is sure to keep my stereo on its toes for the rest of 2011. Before you transpose any preconceptions on to the release, I urge you to take into consideration that this is a real case of not judging a book by its cover. While Emmure deliver that which is expected by their fans, it is their distinctive take on structural features that sets ‘Speaker of the Dead’ aside from other similar releases. Emmure’s tracks are still filled with breakdowns aplenty and enough guttural growls to wake Cthulhu from his slumber, but the band seem to have undergone an evolution of sorts- opening up their musical avenues to incorporate new musical movements and features. Many of the tracks on ‘Speaker of the Dead’ feature new electronic elements, and while the breakdowns are as heavy as ever, many instances feature a distinct dubstep influence which (surprisingly) adds to the overall heaviness and severity of the album.
While ‘Speaker of the Dead’ displays a clear musical evolution from 2009’s ‘Felony’, and it certainly has become my preferred Emmure album, the release is by no means flawless. While fifteen tracks may seem to be great value for money, more than a few of them could be seen as surplus to requirements – many are simply filler. That’s not to say that one can’t enjoy filler, but not every track on ‘Speaker of the Dead’ is a winner. Considering the longest track lasts 3minutes 50 (Solar Flare Homicide) and the shortest a mere 1:15 (Words of Intulo), if you don’t like one song, it’s not long before another one comes along to grab you.

Despite there being too many tracks and not enough time, there are some real stand-out works on Emmure’s release that are really worth a listen or two. ‘Area 64-66’ is a gritty, hazy slab of deathcore goodness and ‘4 Poisons 3 Words’ is a masterclass in how to make rap vocals really work in heavy genres. ‘Speaker of the Dead’ is very much Frankie’s record, with his vocals receiving the most attention and variety throughout the tracks. I wouldn’t go as far as to say he ‘carries’ the group, but he’s certainly their unique selling point. ‘A Voice from Below’ features some of the meatiest vocal lines I’ve heard in a long time, and although painfully clichéd (thanks to the repetition of ‘We’re all gonna fucking die’), ‘Words of Intulo’ sounds like it has been shat from the bowels of hell itself.

Personally, I have found there to be three stand-out tracks on the release, songs so immense and beefy that they shake your bones with each listen. ‘Demons With Ryu’ is the audible equivalent of a twelve car pile-up at a monster truck show. Or, if you don’t fancy my car-based imagery, ‘Demons With Ryu’ is fucking awesome. With a great structure, technical brilliance and dynamic changes strong enough to shift continents, it’s hard not to fall in love with this release. ‘Solar Flare Homicide’ is Emmure’s first single from ‘Speaker of the Dead’, and (thanks to the internet and the like) is accompanied by a neat little video of the guys going apeshit in a warehouse of some form. It’s consistently heavy, and builds to an enormous eye-bleedingly anthemic chorus. It’s understandable why it was chosen as their first release from the new album – with each listen, a new musical feature jumps out at you and you can spend all day picking up nuances. My iTunes play count pretty much sums it up: 34 and counting. ‘Last Words to Rose’ is definitely the wildcard track of the release that proves that *gulp* deathcore can be sensitive. Instrumentally, the song stands head and shoulders above the rest, with a soaring guitar line that could tear the roof off the studio. It is only Frankie’s distinctive vocals that pin the track down back into the Emmure canon. Like most other Emmure songs, the lyrics for the entirety of the song can be written on the back of a cigarette paper. Yet surprisingly, this time round, it doesn’t detract from the complex and delicate nature of the piece.
Overall, ‘Speaker of the Dead’ is an album of light and shade, with enough variety to keep you occupied for many, many months to come. Although not every song is a blinder, there certainly aren’t any duds, and tracks like ‘Solar Flare…’ soon help you put aside any negative thoughts towards the release as a whole. In short, whether you’re new to the genre or a seasoned Emmure fan, it is well worth splashing your cash to pick up a copy of ‘Speaker of the Dead. Me and my quivering loins say you won’t regret it.

4 out of 5 high fives!