Alive in the Superunknown #8 - Godless by Blue Origin

Stoke-on-Trent metallers Blue Origin have been rocking for over half a decade, and that experience really shows in their single 'Godless' from their brand new, independent and soon-to-be-released album 'Somnium'. The song is a 3 minute and 46 second rollercoaster ride showcasing the band's unique blend of "rock, blues and every good album from the past 80 years"*, and a must-listen for anyone who likes heavy rock music, with a bluesy edge.

'Godless' begins with a haunting, lone guitar melody, before the thick, distorted guitar and bass tones, double-bass-pedalled drums and bluesy vocals kick in. The band's approach to metal seems to hark back to rock bands of the '70s, '80s and '90s, in a refreshingly good way, delivering typical heavy metal power chords, melodic vocals and a strong drumbeat. That doesn't mean that Blue Origin aren't innovative musicians - it just means that their take on heavy rock is more in line with AC/DC, Iron Maiden and Soundgarden rather than Cannibal Corpse and Lamb of God. Which, in my opinion at least, definitely isn't a bad thing.

The song isn't just musically great - it's also lyrically interesting. In a world where songs can get to #1 in the charts with lyrics like "What's charming? Just a rapper / Load him up and eat that snapper / I want 16 pints of rum and then I go bom bom" (I'm not even joking. Those lyrics are from 'Bom Bom' by Sam and the Womp, the UK's current #1), the lyrics of 'Godless' yet again provide a refreshing contrast. Listen closely to the track's vocals and you'll hear comments on capitalism, the loss of morality in society and the worship of material goods - the things that have replaced traditional beliefs and made us 'Godless'.

Also, as a guitarist myself, I've noticed that a lot of newer bands struggle to write decent solos. Some guitarists (*cough* Dragonforce *cough*) showcase their technical ability really well, but fail to produce something melodic and in keeping with the song as a whole. Some bands have even resorted to abandoning guitar, bass and drum solos altogether! But in keeping with Blue Origin's traditional blues-metal sound, the 'Godless' solos are, like the song as a whole, refreshing to hear - the technicality is there, but at the same time the solos are packed full of bluesy double stops, slides and pitch bends, so they stay in keeping with the feel of the song as a whole, and sound absolutely awesome.

I could probably sit here typing all day about the track's incredibly catchy riffs, the band's inventive use of dynamics (stripping away the guitars and bringing them back again and again with a powerful, heavy metal kick), and raving about how amazing this song must be live. It's a truly fantastic effort from a local, relatively under-the-radar band - a band that, like all unsigned bands, need as much support as they can get from their fans. So check out 'Godless' if you haven't already (the music video is embedded at the top of this blog post), and if you like it then you can download it via iTunes (search for 'Blue Origin'), Amazon MP3, or buy it through the band's own merchandise store.

 

PsyD

Coming soon on Superunknown -

· This weekend: I'll (finally) be posting a review of 'Electronic Earth' by Labrinth

· Next time on 'Alive in the Superunknown': I'll be reviewing 'Everlong (Acoustic)' by Foo Fighters 

Also, major thanks to We Like Humans, who I reviewed in a 'You Know You're Only In It 'Cause It's Hot Right Now' post just over a week ago, for posting a link to my blog on their official website. (And while I'm on that topic, hello to all of my new readers who found this blog through Blitz Kids' retweet the other day! *waves*)

*From the band's Facebook page

The Blackout + Blitz Kids + Proxies - Thursday 23rd August 2012, Stoke Sugarmill

It's 1:44am right now, but I can't sleep. Why? Because tonight (erm... technically yesterday night) I went to one of the best gigs of my life: The Blackout's Reading and Leeds Festival warm-up gig, at The Sugarmill in Stoke. I'll probably write up a coherent review tomorrow and I'll edit this post to include that, but until then, here are my favourite pictures from the night:   Edit: The review's now up! So, without further ado, here's what I thought of Thursday night's gig...

Proxies - The awesome first support act...

Proxies' set was musically amazing. The band presented a heavy crossover of the electronica and pop-rock genres, and their energy-fueled setlist kicked off the night fantastically! However, the band's performance wavered in only one area - crowd participation. Although they maintained a packed room throughout their set, the audience was generally very still, choosing only to enthusiastically applaud at the end of each song. Overall, the band performed a great set, but it was a set that could've been even better had they made the crowd feel truly involved and immersed in the music, rather than maintaining their position as spectators.

Nonetheless, you should definitely check out Proxies' music! You can download their EP 'Lost Tapes, Volume I' for free via their official website, and trust me, it's a fantastic set of tracks from a very promising band.

Blitz Kids - The absolutely epic second support act...

In contrast to Proxies' set, Blitz Kids got the crowd jumping, singing and clapping from their first song to their last! Whilst lead singer Joe James enjoyed running right up against the barrier to get as close to the ecstatic audience as possible, the rest of the band owned the stage with the energy of a handful of Mexican jumping beans on Lucozade. And on top of the songs that required the audience to go, in the frontman's own words, "a little bit crazy", the quintet also showcased (slightly) slower-paced, more anthemic and melodic tracks like Never Die, proving that they're not a one-trick-pony band only capable of high-octane, hard rock numbers. 

The band put on a truly great set. It's safe to say that the handful of fans in the audience that had come all the way from Nantwich to see Blitz Kids perform (and who sang along to every word of every song with their whole heart and soul) weren't disappointed. Indeed, if Thursday's performance was anything to go by, the band's hardcore fanbase will be continuing to grow fast over the coming months and years. And after that momentous performance, consider me one of those fans.

You can (and I recommend that you do!) check out Blitz Kids' music for free on their official Myspace page. Also, look at this fancy banner I found on their Myspace site! How cool is this?...

The Blackout - The headliners!

And now, the headliners. To be honest, The Blackout's set is all a bit of a blur in my mind - a mass of headbanging, arm-waving, singing along and hoping that the gig would last forever. Before Thursday, I'd heard of The Blackout, and I'd listened to a few brilliant songs of theirs, but I was yet to understand what the massive Blackout-hype was all about in magazines like Kerrang! and NME. Witnessing the band in action showed me what all the hype was about. And then some.

Musically, the band were faultless throughout, and their post-hardcore sound packed a punch with every track. This wasn't the best aspect of their set though - the most memorable part of The Blackout's headlining performance has to be the atmosphere. It was mental. During some tracks, the entire ground floor of The Sugarmill was transformed into a huge mosh pit. The immense heat in the room, coupled with the feeling of mass hysteria, led a handful of fans to literally strip down to their underwear. Frontmen Sean Smith and Gavin Butler had the crowd in the palms of their hands, on one occasion getting the entire audience to sit down, jump back up and dance like there was no tomorrow. Other memorable moments include Butler climbing off the stage and onto The Sugarmill's balcony (see the above images), Smith asking the audience to "remember those less fortunate than ourselves" - which he later specified to mean Avril Lavigne, upon to her recent engagement to Nickleback singer Chad Kroeger - and Smith tying guitarist James Davies' shoelaces whilst casually chatting with the audience (again, see above).

At one point, Sean Smith told the audience that when the band decided to perform a one-off gig at The Sugarmill, "we didn't know if anybody would come" - albeit with a wry smile on his face as he said so. He had nothing to worry about - the band are absolute masters live, and Thursday night's packed-out gig was no exception. It's definitely made its way into my list of all-time favourite gigs. If you ever get the chance to see The Blackout live, take it, because onstage this band deliver everything you would want from a rock concert, and more.

So, hopefully I've given you a bit of an insight into how manically awesome the gig was! 

Stay tuned to Superunknown because coming very soon is my review of 'Godless' by Blue Origin, and next week I'll be reviewing Labrinth's 'Electronic Earth' album. Rock on!

PsyD

You Know You're Only In It 'Cause It's Hot Right Now: August 2012

Here’s my second entry into the unnecessarily long-named ‘You Know You’re Only in It Cause It’s Hot Right Now’ feature, where I pick out the songs that are ‘Hot Right Now’ in my world.



George Gershwin, photographed by Carl Van Vechten

1) George Gershwin – Prelude 2

To kick off the post, here’s something a bit different – a classical piano piece. I know a lot of people probably just switched off at the word ‘classical’, but just hear me out for a second! I too used to be completely averse to this kind of music, but recently it’s seriously grown on me. This piece is one of my favourite classical pieces, and I think it’s a fantastic introduction to classical music if you’ve only heard the typical Mozart and Beethoven material before, because it proves just how versatile and varied the genre is.

I first heard this piece on the radio the other day – I was just about to turn the radio off, this song came on, and I just stopped dead in my tracks and had to listen.

Gershwin’s ‘Prelude 2’ sounds mysterious and suave; it brings to mind a crossover of the atmosphere of blockbuster silent-movie 'The Artist', crossed with the intellectual, confident personality of literary character of Sherlock Holmes - but in music form. It also seems to have a sort of American Western feel to it, creating images of saloon bars and shoot-outs with each unusual harmony and chord. On top of all that, the chord progression reminds me of Radiohead’s ‘Everything In Its Right Place’ for some reason, and I’m a huge fan of that track!

...Whatever it is about this song that captures my imagination and attention every time I hear it, it’s totally addictive - I’ve been listening to it on loop for about a week now, and I'm still not tired of it!

Gershwin’s ‘Prelude 2’ is available to download online (legally, of course!), and available to buy in your friendly neighbourhood music shop as part of one of the many, many George Gershwin albums and compilations.

2) Devlin – Watchtower ft. Ed Sheeran

On a completely different side of the coin, here’s a rock-hip-hop-indie fusion track from Devlin and Ed Sheeran, based on ‘All Along the Watchtower’ written by the legendary Bob Dylan and famously covered by Jimi Hendrix. Just as with any adaptation of a classic track, Devlin’s effort has been controversial (especially with fans of the original!) but personally I really love it! I think that Devlin and Ed Sheeran have done a fantastic job in a) fusing the new sounds of contemporary hip-hop and mainstream music with the classic, guitar-based music of the 60s hippie movement, and b) hopefully bringing the music of Dylan's era to a whole new generation and a whole new audience.

Devlin’s lyrics are deep and contemplative, Ed Sheeran’s vocals are pitch perfect and, as usual, contain his trademark laid-back, tranquil tone, and of course the original track's instantly recognisable guitar lines are prominent throughout. In my opinion at least, this song isn’t just a cover of an old hit – it’s an obvious tribute from two great, exciting artists, to artists that have evidently inspired them (and inspired countless other people) very much.

Devlin’s ‘Watchtower’ (Featuring Ed Sheeran, of course!) was released as a single on 19^th August. You can watch the official music video right here…

3) We Like Humans - Homebound

I first heard about this band a few weeks ago, by stumbling across them on YouTube. They’ve literally been around for a matter of months, but already they have a professionally-produced EP for sale featuring their own, original material, they have their own website (none of this Facebook/Myspace business!) and they’re already developing their signature sound with leaps and bounds. We Like Humans are evidently a band with a clear focus in mind, and the determination to get there. They also have the musical potential for success, with obvious influences in their sound from huge acts like Foo Fighters, Twin Atlantic and even Rage Against The Machine! Their music has a sort of raw honesty about it, but it’s also accessible for a more mainstream audience, sounding like it’d be very at home on the likes of Kerrang! Radio and the Radio 1 Rock show. Keep your eyes and ears out for We Like Humans, because I’m super-confident that we’ll be hearing a lot more from them in the future!

We Like Humans’ debut EP can be bought via their website, www.welikehumans.co.uk. You can listen to a selection of tracks from the EP, including ‘Homebound’, on the website and on their official YouTube channel.

4) Twin Atlantic – Free (Ballad Version)

Regular followers of this blog will probably know by now that I love a mash-up. One of my favourite things about music is the way that certain musical concepts and ideas can transcend genres, and I like to consider myself open minded in terms of musical styles and artists. This remix of ‘Free’ by Twin Atlantic is no exception. ByronJWu has somehow turned what is quite an aggressive, bold song into a calm, chilled-out ballad, which sounds as good as – if not better than, dare I say – the original! Die-hard fans of Twin Atlantic might have to give the remix a few listens to get used to it, but it’s definitely a grower, and a song that I’m completely addicted to at the moment! Who knew that classical strings and pianos would go so well with the emotionally charged vocals of Sam McTrusty? It’s a combo that works together unpredictably well; a really pleasant surprise!

Twin Atlantic’s Free (Ballad Version) is available on YouTube, on ByronJWu’s channel. The original track can be bought as part of Twin Atlantic’s album ‘Free’, and also as a single.

5) Alex Day – She Walks Right Through Me

Generally, I tend to be the sort of music fan that puts music first. Music videos, merchandise, branding etc. come second in my opinion, to the main priority - the sound of the music itself. Usually. But here’s an exception. I don’t particularly hate this track, but its cheesy-Europop vibe doesn’t really appeal to me, and with lyrics like “When she takes off her clothes and I know that it’s only me that knows”, it hardly matches the lyrical genius of bands and artists that I usually listen to. However, here’s the catch – I’m just obsessed with this song’s music video. Namely, the dancing in this music video. I don’t really have any words to describe it – you’d have to watch the video yourself (see below) – but it just makes me laugh so much that since I first saw it a few days ago, I can’t stop watching it! Oh, and the video also features a Karen Gillan look-alike, whose resemblance is so strong to the actress, I’m not entirely sure that it’s not actually her. Any fans of 80s pop, cheese, questionable dancing, Doctor Who, or just general randomness really need to see this video.

‘She Walks Right Through Me’ is available to download (LEGALLY. Don’t you be trying any of this illegal downloading funny business! *patronisingly wags finger*), and you can watch the music video right here…

So, that was ‘You Know You’re Only In It Cause It’s Hot Right Now’ #2! Stay tuned to Superunknown, because next week I’ll be posting the next article in the ‘Alive In The Superunknown’ series (a review of ‘Godless’ by Blue Origin), and the week after I’ll (finally) be posting a review of Labrinth’s ‘Electronic Earth’!

PsyD



Alive in the Superunknown #7 - Map of the Problematique by Muse

The single artwork for 'Map of the Problematique', © Warner Bros. Records

After cracking the ‘250 word limit’ challenge (twice!), this week I’m going to attempt yet another daringly dramatic feat: to review this week’s ‘Alive in the Superunknown’ track in the style of a liveblog – that means I’ll review the song riff-by-riff, chorus-by-chorus, in brief, chronological snippets. Here goes...

The London 2012 Olympic Games seem have an ‘official’ everything – official water, official tracksuits, official face wipes, official pyjamas... the list goes on! You’d be forgiven for thinking that Muse have been picked as the official band of the games – after all, the stadium rock megastars have released the official Olympic single, provided the soundtrack to the Opening Ceremony’s countdown and their music has been featured in endless sports montages as the games have gone on. Why? Because Muse are a band with a powerful, inspirational and truly unique sound that showcases the best in British rock music.

The song that demonstrates the band’s unique, signature sound best in my opinion isn’t their latest sport-centric effort Survival, but is in fact a song from an album made all the way back in 2006. Today I’ll be reviewing that song – ‘Map of the Problematique’, from the album ‘Black Holes and Revelations’.

So, in true Olympic style, let the liveblog begin... NOW!

0:00 (That means 0 minutes and 0 seconds into the song)

One of the most epic riffs ever created begins. It’s a riff that just oozes with tension and atmosphere – a riff just made to rock stadiums all over the world. As the drums, synths and layers upon layers of guitars kick in, the dramatic and powerful feel of the track increases and increases until...

0:53

The first line of the song perfectly describes the feel of the song so far: “Fear and panic in the air”. The operatic vocals soar above the distorted, grungy guitar and bass parts and compliment them perfectly. Too often in the rock genre, drums become outshined and pushed into the background by the vocal, guitar and bass parts, but here the drums refuse to be overshadowed and continue beating loudly and deeply, fulfilling their essential part in keeping up the frantic atmosphere of the track.

1:24

Here ensues one of many lines in this track that prove Muse’s lyric-writing proficiency. The simplicity of it is striking – “I can’t get it right, get it right, since I met you” – but it strikes a chord with the audience because it’s something that everybody can relate to: Trying your utmost best for somebody, but getting ‘it’ wrong.

1:40

Too often songs are created that seem to waste time, or ‘fill time’, in order to reach the desired 3-minutes-or-more by repeating sections already used, or using weak ‘filler riffs’. Muse are a band that waste no time in their music – even this short bridge section between the chorus and next verse utilises otherworldly synths, some heavily layered vocals and perfectly matched guitar, bass and drum-work to continue the fist-pumping momentum of the track.

2:48

At this point is, in all honesty and sincerity, my favourite lyric of all-time. “No one thinks they are to blame. Why can’t we see that when we bleed, we bleed the same?” – Never has so much meaning and significance been packed into so few words. Muse’s lyrics are consistently perfectly crafted and thought-provoking, completely complimenting the momentous instrumental music.

3:20

And now, it’s the beginning of the end for this amazing piece of music. Even this late on in the track, there’s still the introduction of brand new sounds to accompany the repeated riffs and beats commonplace throughout the previous minutes of the song. The band succeed in keeping listener’s interest active from the first note of the song to the last.

4:06

Muse go out with a bang, as the track finishes just as it started. The crunchy, distorted guitar’s enviable tone rings out the final few notes of the epic riff that’s been present throughout the entire song - but still doesn’t sound old, repetitive or tired. The listener is left stunned; a Muse fan for life.

And that was my review of ‘Map of the Problematique’ by Muse! As always, I completely recommend that you listen to this track, either by purchasing the track itself, which was released as a single back in 2007, or by buying the ‘Black Holes and Revelations’ album.

Anyway, I’d better go, the Olympic Closing Ceremony starts in 15 minutes*, and guess who’s performing? Muse! Stay tuned to the blog for much more reviews and write-ups on the world of music, and thanks for reading!

PsyD

*Correct at the time of writing. Obviously.

Next week's 'Alive in the Superunknown' featured track will be...

'Godless' by Blue Origin

The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal

The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, or the NWOBHM as it's commonly known, was (and still is) one of the most influential movements in music history. It happened in the early 1980s, and saw hard rock music return to a widespread popularity after the punk explosion forced it temporarily underground. A whole generation of Brits inspired by hard rock heroes such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Judas Priest picked up instruments and changed rock history, and that is why this week I'm writing a feature on the NWOBHM: How It Happened, What It Sounded Like and Its Legacy.

How It Happened

The NWOBHM, as with any music movement, relied on three key groups of people to push it up from the underground and onto a world class stage.

A sold-out metal gig at The Marquee Club (see footnote*)

The Bands: NWOBHM bands had a common ideology - they wanted to blend the high-energy approach and rebellious values of punk bands with the musical technicality and meticulous efforts of their classic rock heroes. This approach really came across in their music, which contained the strong, fast rhythms needed to get whole clubs dancing and rocking out, but with the talent to produce complex solos and make use of uncommon time signatures, giving their music an unusual feel which set it apart from other genres and movements.

The Media: For any movement to be successful on a mainstream level, it needs the support of the media. The NWOBHM started out as an entirely grassroots, word-of-mouth affair, publicised by DJs like Neal Kay in heavy metal discos, clubs and pubs. Before long, the growing movement picked up the attention of the national media. Magazines like 'Sounds' wrote features on the band, and music journalist Geoff Barton (the founder of 'Kerrang!' magazine) coined the term 'NWOBHM'. DJs like BBC Radio 1's Tommy Vance gave NWOBHM bands valuable airtime, and the movement found itself the subject of TV documentaries like Granada TV's '20th Century Box'. Even Top Of The Pops took notice, and started to occasionally feature heavy metal bands!

The Fans: Neal Kay's hallowed Heavy Metal Soundhouse attracted over a thousand fans a week, and the metal movement as a whole relied on its wholeheartedly dedicated fanbase. NWOBHM pioneers came from all walks of life, but they had one thing in common: They loved to go to gigs, and go absolutely mental! Huge crowds of leather-clad, studded, long-haired metallers regularly queued for hours to pack out venues like The Marquee, The Ruskin Arms and The Bandwagon, and revel in the intense atmosphere. Some fans went even further than the usual headbanging and air-guitaring at metal shows, creating their own cardboard or plywood mock-up guitars and competing in competitions to see who was the 'best headbanger'!

What It Sounds Like

Here are three top tracks that, in my opinion, truly define the movement...

'Losing My Grip' by Samson: At the height of their popularity, Samson was one of the biggest bands in the NWOBHM movement. This track demonstrates exactly why. With killer guitar riffs, bluesy, growled vocals, a powerful, fast-paced rhythm section and an epic, effect-heavy solo, this track is a perfect example of the way that metal bands combined the energy of punk with the technicality and feel of classic rock. 

The promotional video for this song is available to watch on the official YouTube channel for the Paul Samson Archive, but embedding has been disabled so I can't embed the video here. Here is a link to the video on the PaulSamsonArchive YouTube channel.

'Iron Maiden' by Iron Maiden: Don't worry, that wasn't a typo - The track 'Iron Maiden' was a song created by the band Iron Maiden, for their debut album called 'Iron Maiden' (I know, it's confusing!). The track went down a storm in early NWOBHM pubs and clubs, and is still a staple part of their set to this day. It showcases the heavy crowd participation element of the movement, with metal bands encouraging their audiences to clap and sing along to create an intense, interactive atmosphere. Also, just like Samson's 'Losing My Grip', it makes use of a great, fast pulse, rough vocals and those face-melting guitar lines!

'Captured City' by Praying Mantis: If there was ever one track that completely summed up the NWOBHM, it was this one. Praying Mantis combine time changes, twin guitar harmonies, a strong beat throughout (to headbang to, of course), complex drumming, guitaring and basslines, a typical kick-ass solo, and one of the world's catchiest riffs, to make an awesome pool of good, honest heavy metal.

Sadly I can't find an official source to embed the track on the blog (I only embed tracks from official YouTube channels, SoundCloud sites etc., and not from unofficial sources, to respect the wishes of the copyright holder) but the track is available to download legally online, on sites like Amazon and on iTunes, and I thoroughly recommend that you give it a listen!

Its Legacy

It may seem hard to believe, but the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal is probably just as relevant today as it was in the early 1980s. Why? Well... 

• A lot of top NWOBHM bands are still going today, and receiving success all over the world. Saxon and Iron Maiden are two of the most prominent bands to come out of the NWOBHM movement, and both are still making music, going on tours and keeping metal fans headbanging all over the globe!
• Pretty much all of today's metal bands are influenced by the NWOBHM in some way. Ever heard of Metallica? Or Trivium? Or Bullet For My Valentine? All of those bands, and many more, have cited the NWOBHM as one of their biggest musical influences, and the genre's influence is clearly evident in their music. In fact, many people claim that the whole thrash metal subgenre owes its existence to the NWOBHM!
• The NWOBHM hasn't just influenced metal bands - less obvious acts that claim to take inspiration from the genre include pop-rockers You Me At Six, comedy rock duo Tenacious D and even pop megastar Lady Gaga!

So next time people say that the 80s only produced cheesy electro-pop and spandex-clad glam rockers, correct them by telling them that in fact, that key decade spawned one of rock's biggest and most influential movements; a movement that still lives on today.

...And that was the long-awaited blog post on the history and influence of heavy metal! If you enjoyed it and want to know more about the genre, here are some handy sources that I used to research and compile the article...

The album cover of 'Metal for Muthas', © Sanctuary Records

Listen to: The 'Metal For Muthas' Compilations - two compilation volumes of pure NWOBHM, showcasing bands like Praying Mantis, Iron Maiden, Samson and more. A must-have for any metal fan.

Watch: Iron Maiden's DVD 'The Early Days' - a mini box set containing a documentary about Iron Maiden's formation and early years, information about the wider NWOBHM scene and a documentary from the 1980s called '20th Century Box', which talks about the pubs, clubs and fans of the movement.

Read: 'The Night The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal Was Born' - an article by Classic Rock Magazine, which can be found here.

'Bruce Dickinson: Flashing Metal With Maiden And Flying Solo' - a book that talks a lot about the vocalist's experiences in the NWOBHM bands Samson and Iron Maiden. On a side note, don't be put off by the bad Amazon reviews - I've read it and it's actually a really good book!

Wow, that was a very long blog post. I hope it was as fun for you to read as it was for me to write! Remember to stay tuned to the blog for more reviews and write-ups of the latest and greatest in music. Rock on!

PsyD

*Image of Iron Maiden performing a gig at The Marquee Club is a screenshot from the documentary '20th Century Box', © Granada Media

Graffiti-Atlantic!

I know, I promised that the NWOBHM article would be uploaded this weekend... the one that's just gone... but hang on, I'm working on it! It'll be up very very soon! Until then, enjoy this graffiti piece that I made. It's inspired by Sam McTrusty from Twin Atlantic, and the band's track 'Edit Me'...

Alive in the Superunknown #6 - 45 by The Gaslight Anthem

Remember all the way back in June, when I set myself a challenge to review 'Rize of the Fenix' in under 250 words? Well, since then my reviews have been getting longer and longer. I think it's time to challenge myself again to reign in that word count to a nice, round 250! Here goes...

I think that there's one word which sums up '45' perfectly. That word is momentum. With Brian Fallon's passionately shouted vocals, Alex Rosamilia's driving guitar work, Alex Levine's strong, rhythmic basslines and Benny Horowitz's consistently powerful drumbeats, the whole quartet work together seamlessly to create three-and-a-half minutes of pure, honest, loud, heavy rock.

It's a song that sounds as if it was just made to play live; with every single chord and every screamed lyric the listener is begged to jump and dance, forced to forget the monotony of everyday life and rock out like there's no tomorrow. The song also lends itself perfectly to radio airplay. It hardly touches mainstream pop music in terms of commerciality and simplicity, but it contains plenty of those crucial melodic hooks and riffs, and of course an extremely catchy chorus - "Turn the record over, see you on the flipside!" - necessary for it to appeal to the masses.

To sum up, '45' is a fantastic effort by The Gaslight Anthem, and a perfectly chosen lead single for their new album 'Handwritten'. It's a momentous rollercoaster ride of a track, with the heavy and distorted sounds needed to appeal to hardcore rock fans, but also the potential to bring a whole new, more mainstream audience to the band.

And, as always, here's the official music video for '45', so that you can have a listen to the track without even leaving the blog...

'45' is out now - it's available to purchase as a single, and as part of The Gaslight Anthem's new album 'Handwritten'. If you like the song, buy a copy and support the band!

PsyD

This weekend I'll be concentrating on getting the long-awaited New Wave Of British Heavy Metal article finished and posted on the blog. Then, the weekend after, 'Alive in the Superunknown' will resume as usual. The featured track next time will be...  

'Map of the Problematique' by Muse