Album Review: Paramore - S/T

Having never been a huge fan of Paramore, but always been a big fan of their singles, I've found myself listening to their entire discography over the years but have never been overly impressed; sure they were often showing glimpses of being a great pop punk band, but the reliance on a strict formula and cringe worthy ballads totally killed it for me. On their latest self titled album I was totally caught off guard by how much I enjoyed this album, with a total line up overhaul, Paramore have strung together a diverse collection of top tier pop songs that just relentlessly deliver in memorable hooks, melodies and energy. With tracks such as 'Fast In My Car', 'Grow Up' & 'Ain't It Fun' all jostling for single of the year you also have some awesome heavier moments such as the Post Rock closer 'Future'. It could be criticised for being perhaps a bit too long but as far as I'm concerned the isn't really a dud on the whole album, but if it was only 12 track it'd have been one of the greatest pop record released this generation.  As it stands it's a flawed pop masterpiece. 

Comadre - Self Titled

A fresh new year and a time for fresh new releases & whilst I have never heard Comadre before this release I have to say that if 2013 continues in this trait then I'd be a very happy chappy. Comadre is very much a hardcore/screamo album with onslaughts of distortion underneath some incredibly palatable and melodic guitar riffs. Clear influences would be bands such as 'The Blood Brothers' with their grooves, screams and noise. 'Cold Rain' and 'King Worm' pull off one hell of a 1 2 blow as they come in loud and proud with grooves and infectious hooks. 'Drag Blood' comes out a little leftfield with inclusion of Trumpet and the ninth track 'Hack' is a superbly poppy synth laced number with lots of momentum and drive. And that how I'd best describe this album, it's album with a lot of momentum and drive & it never relents, it finds it's footing and pacing early on and runs with it. The isn't any real weak tracks on here, just some tracks outshine others & this is a fantastically punchy record which I'm sure will get a considerable amount of plays this year. 

The Heavy - The Glorious Dead (7.0/10)

'The Glorious Dead' is at it's very core a rock album this has been heavily influenced in sound by soul and blues, think  of bands such as The Black Keys & 22-20s, but whilst many of these bands would typically focus on the slower more broody side these genres this album is quite often the sort that throws in the more jubilant and upbeat vibes from both genres by offering a strong arrangement of loud, bombastic and fast songs that are designed to get you to dance as much as they are meant to sound moody. Personally the stand outs on this album are the ones that embrace this ethic to the umpteenth degree with tracks such as 'Big Bad Wolf' ,with it's very present and stupendously catchy horn section cutting in between a fantastic vocal hook, 'Can't Play Me Dead', which adds a very hypnotic groove complete with soul filled vocals blasting behind the main gruff vocals & 'What Makes A Good Man?', with it's very large upbeat sound complete with what sounds like backing choir  found in your typical African-American church. It's the songs with the inclusions of the more eccentric side of Bluesy Soul rock that stand out the most but to say this album is without it's filler would be a bit of a lie, & whilst not much of it, songs such as 'Same Ol' & 'The Lonesome Road' seem kind of lazy and uninspired in comparison to the rest of the album.  But besides those few faults this album is full of very strong songs & whilst lacking a truly defining sound this album is full of tracks that embrace the more eccentric & upbeat side of Soul filled Blues Rock, & I recommend it to fans of the genre.

Recommended Tracks

Album Review: The Smashing Pumkins - Oceania

I guess the most surprising thing I can say about Oceania is that this is the first album under the Pumpkins moniker to sound like what most would expect a Smashing Pumpkins album to sound like. Zeitgiest was a truly awful record seeing the band sink to a low that many didn't think possible; with 'Starz' being the centerpiece and at the heart of an album which was, put kindly, a self indulgent egotistical mess. 'Oceania' is by no means in the league as the bands 90s output, but the are moments where it comes staggeringly close. This album is full of the scope and ambition that made 'The Smashing Pumpkins' such a cornerstone in 90s alternative music. The songs are well crafted and thoughtout and truth be told this feels like the album that fans expected to follow Mellon Collie & The Infinate Sadness. Quite frankly I've been taken back about how much of a U-Turn Billy has done on this album and it's a record that will probably shut a lot of his critics up, shame this wasn't the come back record because 'Zeitgeist' was unforgivably shit.

Album Review: Royal Thunder - CVI

It's time to don the devil hands as I take a look at CVI an album but stoner metal band 'Royal Thunder'. I had never heard of this band until this album came about so forgive me if my knowledge of the band is pretty much bugger all but what I do know is this band are sludgy, progressive, hypnotic, stoner rock fun with a powerful female vocals. Now this album is by no means anything out of ordinary for the genre, it's mostly slow and very grungy discords playing over some anguished vocals but it does the formula very well especially in the 2nd half where an above average album becomes a very good one. The album seems to take more life when it experiments a bit and from   'Blue' onwards you get driving rock, stoner rock bliss in the fantastic 'Sleeping Witch' and even some calming melodic tones in 'Black. Yes this album is good and if you're looking for something to do this to \m/ you could certainly do a lot worse & for what it's worth I think this is one of the better heavier releases from the year. 

                                                                                 

Album Review: Tenacious D - Rize Of The Fenix

I'm not going to beat around the bush, to this day I still love the self titled 'Tenacious D' album and I frankly will never get over how perfect a song 'Tribute' actually is & the original TV series involving the duo is still to this date an incredibly funny & one of the best band based sitcoms I can think of. Truth be told though somewhere around 2006 when the album & movie double 'Pick Of Destiny' came out it all became apparently clear that the joke had long outstayed its welcome & 'the d' gracefully faded into obscurity. Is 'Rize Of The Fenix' even necessary? Well no it isn't at all necessary but to say it was bad would be a disservice to the album it's self, whilst not nearly as fun as charming as the debut the are a few giggles to be had out of this album and for the most part the song writing here is solid. 'Rize Of The Fenix', 'The Roadie', 'Death Star', '39' and the surprisingly hilarious skit 'Flutes & trombones' does justify it's existence somewhat but on the whole this album is one from a band of diminishing returns, a must for fans but those with a passing interest needn't bother.