Midnight/Devastator – The Exchange, Bristol 09.07.23

Midnight/Devastator – The Exchange, Bristol 09.07.23

Twenty Years of Hell, Speed & Sleaze Fuck Yeah! I’ll have some of that. As we gather in the live room of The Exchange it looks like the green room of the walking dead as old-school Thrashers congregate with full corpse-painted kids waiting for some Black Thrash punk courtesy of Devastatoooooooor and the mighty Midnight.

First up are four guys from Oop Norf called Devastator who ply their satanic Black Thrash from I believe the East Midlands. Sounding like proper early Slayer ‘Live Undead’ meets Kill em All with a healthy dose of Mantas licks, they do a sterling job of warming up tonight’s audience with songs such as ‘Worship The Goat’ and ‘Night Of The Witches’ simply because every Black Thrash combo should have either a challenge, fire, tombstones or of course a fuckin Goat! these mofos have the latter stuck to the mic stand as it goes. They also had time to throw out a splendid cover of the Motorhead classic ‘Iron Fist’ as the solos falling from Mr. R Batemans fretboard were mesmerising as his Alien-like fingers became a blur of fretboard fuckery (which I think if I’m not mistaken did burst into flames at one point such was the speed at which he maneuvered across the neck of his instrument) songs like ‘Baptised In Blasphemy’ and ‘Death Slut’ or ‘Hail Death’ went down a treat and before you know it their work was done. The audience was suitably warmed up and sweat began to fall down the collective brow. The live room was now a steaming heaving mass waiting for what was to follow, as if this shit couldn’t get any more bonkers – Hold onto your camo shorts kids this might get a little rough.

The last time Midnight played the Exchange it was a fantastic set of memorable black thrash punk but tonight there was a packed room expectant for the trio of noise bringers and boy did they bring the noise. I might be forgiven for thinking this was one of if not the loudest show I’ve seen for many many years not since Saxon on the Crusader tour back in the day, Biff would have been proud of the volume Athenar and his boys were playing at. This wasn’t just loud this was loosening the screws on your pacemaker volume. Every beat of the bass drum was like a gots hoof kicking you in the bollock’s two-footed, real nosebleed volume. Once you get the picture we shall begin. With Sisters of Mercy volumes of dry ice billowing across the dimly lit stage it was time for Midnight to spend the next hour kicking the living shit out of a sweaty heaving mess of metalhead who quite simply couldn’t get enough of this ridiculous Black Thrash assault.

It’s been twenty years of Hell, Speed, Sleaze, Goats, Fire, Dogs, Tombstones, Whips, Chains, Violators, Masks, and loud as fuck Black n’ Roll music. It’s a fact that you won’t this Metal/Punk hybrid beast done better anywhere else on the planet or in the firey pits of Hell. With only a degree of separation from the likes of Zeke or prime-time DKs, this metal take on Punk Thrash is an absolute joy to behold when it’s done as well as this. Athenar and Commandor Vanik cross the stage from mic to mic like a pair of demonic Hell hounds guarding the opening of Hades, throwing out shapes and headbutting their instruments with enough force to wake the dead. Did I mention that the volume they were playing at was filling rattling and could probably be heard in Helldom. No not probably, it absolutely could be, it was that loud. The frenzied pit was also exceptional considering how fuckin hot and busy it was in The Exchange bodies bouncing off eachother like oiled up battle tops it was a joy to behold.

‘Funeral Bell’, ‘All Hail Hell’, ‘Szex Witchery’, and ‘Fucking Speed And Darkness’ are all despatched early doors and with such aplomb Midnight are a well oiled machine and Much like other speed metal bands or the likes of The Dwarves and Zeke they absolutely go for it no holds barred. As the pace and ferocity in which these tunes are delivered is breathtakingly exceptional (as well as incredibly loud) By the time we reach ‘Satanic Royalty’ there isn’t even time to vomit due to the heat and volume inside The Exchange (did I mention it was loud?), ‘Lust Filth And Sleaze’ and ‘Evil Like A Knife’ are dished up with a ferocity that no other bands I’ve witnessed in a long long time could keep pace with. Midnight isn’t taking any prisoners tonight, I find my mind drifting, wondering how they are celebrating twenty years of Hell, Speed, And Sleaze in the back room of a Bristol club and not selling out huge venues all over this spinning rock. Is the metal and punk communities too afraid of Midnight? Are kids worried they wouldn’t handle the intensity of a live show like this? There aren’t enough bands willing to take it to the next level.

Athenar asks if the crowd are getting tired after about fifty minutes of unrelenting power and ferocity and then says he doesn’t care because he could go on for hours, something I don’t doubt for a second. Even the wall behind me is perspiring it’s that hot in here, and at any moment the floor could rip open and Satan himself could appear and beg the band to turn it down a few thousand decibels before his head explodes.

Before the band is done they take requests from the floor and proceed to play ‘Endless Slut’ before ‘Can’t Stop The Steel’ is brutally executed. Quite simply Midnight are the real deal, and taking the spirit of prime Venom and the likes of Motorhead and the speed punks ethos on board they are in a league of their own as well as being in league with Satan (obviously). If they ever make it to a venue near you – quite simply you have to make it to a show, you will not be disappointed or leave unimpressed. When they ask ‘Who Gives A Fuck?’ you will be compelled to reply – I do. Midnight rule and that my friends is a fact – no it’s the law! Now where is the merch table I want one of those well-priced T-Shirts with the flames, goats, nuns, and Chains on, please. What a wonderful night in the company of the kings of Blackened Rock and Fuckin’ Roll! Hail Midnight.

Author: Dom Daley

PJ Harey-‘I Inside The Old Year Dying’ (Partisan Records)

PJ Harey-‘I Inside The Old Year Dying’ (Partisan Records)

‘I Inside the Old Year Dying’ is PJ Harvey’s tenth album, and her first in seven years. Throughout her career, she has always ensured that each phase of her progress has taken her somewhere new, but her latest music is audacious and original even by her own standards. Full of a sense  of a cyclical return to new beginnings, it combines its creative daring with a sense of being open and inviting, inthe most fascinating way. The new songs, Harvey says, offer “a resting space, a solace, a comfort, a balm-which feels timely for the times we’re in.”

And that intro from the press release is as good a place to start as any, I started listening to Polly Jean back in the time of 5OFT Queenie coming out, stocking Dry when I first opened my own record shop, have moved with her through virtually every stage of her career and watched and listened as every LP has unravelled each with their own personality each echoing a time in Polly Jean’s life making a statement from a snaphot, but always moving forward, the music itself constantly changing and adapting and very much as with people like Bowie and Nick Cave fans will be drawn to a specific era, a genre and sometimes not move forward with the artist happy in the now, unwilling to Embrace change, not something that can be levelled at artists such as Polly Jean.

So what does the LP give us again drawing on Polly Jeans words from the press release

” In the album’s liminal world, scattered with biblical imagery and references to Shakespeare, all these distinctions dissolve. “I’m somewhere where I’ve not been before,” Harvey says. “What’s above,what’s below, what’s old, what’s new, what’s night, what’s day? It’s all the same, really–and you can enter it and get lost. And that’s what I wanted to do with the record, with the songs, with the sound, with everything”.

Opening up with “Prayer at the gate” your instantly drawn into that world of Aural soundscapes faved by Warren Ellis and the Producer flood’s work really draws you in, this is a very different PJ Harvey, the voice an instrument in the whole rather than a lead. Next up “Autum leaves” has quite a Soulful almost funk feel in the backdrop, but the vocals push the song forward in a very different way almost sitting outside the music dipping into and weaving through the Sound. “Lonesome tonight” again has a very different feel a song that stops you dead and you just have to listen, the story unfolding takes me to a parallel with the Orianthi Poem written in old Cornish, this is probably my fave on the LP, it twists and turns and is I think one of the strongest PJ Vocal performances I’ve heard.

“Seen and I “ hints at past sounds but again the vocals move in a very different direction, the John Parish influence I think coming to the fore. “The Nether edge” weaves a very different soundscape almost industrial in its reverb and repetition, but again the vocals sit outside moving in and out, The acoustic guitar that introduces “I inside the old year dying” drifts away as that industrial soundscape takes over, the music changing and adapting to the story being told. “All Souls” enters almost hesitantly the piano and vocals overtaken as the distortion and reverb comes in. At this point you realise how strong the Vocals are throughout this LP I would definitely say this is one Of PJ’s strongest ever vocal performances,

Moving through the rest of the LP “A child’s question July” “I inside the old I dying” with its stop start animation led video, “August” with its initial Piano led soundscape, flows seamlessly into “a Child’s question July”which has an almost mystical feel weaving a fairytail picture, “A noiseless noise” finishes things up with again one of my faves of the LP tearing you back with power and intensity to earlier PJ Harvey works.

This is a powerful LP but in a number of ways, it holds your attention and is very definitely one to listen to all the way through, for someone new to PJ Harvey I’m not sure that it’ll set things up for you to explore the artists earlier work this Isn’t ‘Stories from the City’, ‘Is this Desire’, ‘Dry’ or ‘Pure’, its also a long way from ‘The Hope Six Demolition Project’ and ‘Let England shake’, but if you sit and listen you can pick up pieces from them all just re-interpreted. It might not hit you first listen, but stick with it I think it’ll creep on to my LP of the year list come December!!

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Author: Nev Brooks

The Cult, The Alarm, The Mission, Lili Refrain – Cardiff Castle 04.07.23

The Cult, The Alarm, The Mission, Lili Refrain – Cardiff Castle 04.07.23

A more spectacular setting for a Rock n Roll show you won’t find. Set inside the grounds of Cardiff Castle it’s a great place to watch live music. The date is Tuesday the 4th of July and one epic lineup of three of my favourite bands are gathered together for a show. I’ve had the privilege of seeing these three bands as a collective mass of well over three figures. Stretching back to the ‘Love’ days for tonight’s headliners and seeing them on several continents as it goes. I’ve seen some remarkable performances as well as the odd indifferent one it must be said. So, let it rain down, no, quite literally let it rain.

As I made my way through the gates the skies opened and we managed to get drenched for the first time. As Lili Refrain took to the stage for her performance which has to be said, is an acquired taste, she works her magic with loops, a floor tom, and telecaster. It’s certainly captivating as she weaves her way through her 30-minute set winning over new admirers looking for some ambient vibes. She also set the tone by looking delighted to be there rain or shine.

Next up, The Mission. I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing them at a recent show in Barcelona as well as reading the second installment of Wayne’s new autobiography. So believe me when I say that their addition to the lineup was a majestic announcment in my house. So Even if it was at the ungodly hour of before 7 pm when they took to the stage. Goths out in the wild before sundown? What sun I hear you say wasn’t it pissing down. Daylight and we’re treated to the intro of ‘Tower Of Strength’. Not a place any self-respecting Goth would be other than under such exceptional circumstances.

The Gods however held the sun back and instead decided to drench the audience just as the band took the stage. Opening with the big hitter that is ‘Tower Of Strength’ set us up nicely for what was to come over the next forty-five minutes. If I was to say I didn’t notice it was pissing down would be a bit of a fib but I couldn’t care any less as ‘Beyond The Pale’ collided into ‘Met-Amor-phsis’ before ‘Severina’ gave us a breather. Hussey and the band have been on the road for a while and looked and sounded locked in and battle ready and understanding that when playing for an audience, possibly made up of other bands’ fans (obviously there’s a decent cross-over tonight) its important to give em something they might know and a reminder that, Bloody Hell these are pretty bloody good at this Rock n roll lark.

With the clock ticking it was time to smash it out of the grounds with a hattrick of ‘Butterfly On A Wheel’, ‘Wastelands’, and finishing off with the punchy ‘Deliverance’ and just as they were hitting their stride it was adios amigos. Now that’s a way to take a short and sweet set early doors and lay down the gauntlet to the rest. Now follow that. See you in the Roundhouse in October – Can’t wait.

With the unenviable task of following a short sharp set from The Mission, Mike Peters and The Alarm seem up for the challenge, and whilst you’d think it was a no-brainer playing in Wales it’s not a foregone conclusion that someone elses audience will “get you”. Starting their set with ‘Coming Home’ there were no vocals or guitars in the PA and the rain had thrown a spanner in the works it would seem, what a bummer. Never undeterred the band carried on as you’d expect. Next up they went with their biggest hitter or at least a track that most people (unless they lived under a rock for the last 40 years) would at least be familiar with. Now I’m all for trying new things and I’ve seen Peters enough times to know he does like to rework old songs but not sure this was the place to do it, even if the vocals and guitar were restored I think it would have been better to just pile into the song as most would know it. A lost opportunity? Maybe, Who knows considering they only have 45 minutes to impress but that’s just my take on it.

Next up was ‘Warriors’ which offered something more aggressive and something with a bit of grunt that would grab the attention of the soaked masses, lifted from their recent(ish) ‘War’ album. It got the crowd involved with its rattling rhythm and tempo and sound problems seemed to have been sorted so nothing to distract the band further, just what the crowd needed.

‘Where Were You Hiding’ went down a treat and might have been responsible for the weather Gods being stirred again and the heavens opened once more. Some recent songs from ‘Sigma’ and ‘Equals’ were aired which is great for people like me who are happy to hear newer material pepper the set but for the casual fan there to see The Headliners maybe it was time to bang out a greatest hits set and do it with plenty of punch. But hey, I only want the best for the bands I love and I do love the Alarm. Peters was manouvering his way across the stage making full use of the four mics even if they were all set at different volumes and the sound guys seemed slow to react. Keeping the engineers on their toes is always nice.

As we headed into the final third of the set it was a great choice to play ‘Superchannel’ a song I’ve always loved and maybe one to open with it has a great energy and helped pick the soaked crowd up with some good crowd interaction. It was the home straight as ‘The Stand’ preceded the opening piece of ‘Spirit of 76’ which made way for the apt ‘Rain In The Summertime’ which then segwayed back into ‘Spirit’ and that was that over way too quickly but that’s outdoor events for you. I thought they could have run wth the Weather theme maybe included ‘Raindown’, ‘Two Rivers’, ‘Howling Wind’, ‘Only The Thunder’, ‘Sold Me Down The River’, there are several more water or rain based songs I never realised and ended with ‘Rescue Me’ ok I’ll get me coat (I wish I had).

Anyway, a set that was dogged by technical issues like when James Guitar just fell out of the mix for no reason that must have played a factor in the performance, but from the audience’s view, I found it frustrating. However, not a band that’s easily deterred they gave their all under trying circumstances. Had they stopped to sort out their issues it would have cut the set list which nobody wanted but them is the breaks at gigs like this.

Now if the Rain could fuck off for the rest of the evening I’d be very grateful, soaked to the skin I wasn’t going anywhere, thank you kindly.

Now, I saw The Cult play support to Alice Cooper and I have to admit it I found that particular performance a bit lackluster, a performance that seemed a little phoned in I believe is the term used. Maybe due to it being at the tail end of a huge North American tour where they played the same set night after night and ‘Sonic Temple’ heavy.

So, on that recent experience, I had dampened my expectations as I didn’t want to get carried away. I’ve seen The Cult over many years in several countries from America to Europe and a lot of shows from every tour, from the Marquee on Charing Cross Road to Wembley Arena or Fields at festivals. they’ve played a million places and rocked them all and to be fair they always pull me back in just when I think we’re done. I know they have it in their locker to dazzle as they’ve done so many times so the odd off night is alright.

The rain seems to have finished and the dark skies have drifted so it was time for The Cult and opening the set with the monster that is ‘Rise’ sort of set the tone for the next hour and a half. A crystal clear sound that was significantly louder than the other bands and the benefit of it going dark by the time they hit a wicked ‘King Contrary Man’ it was obvious to everyone inside the castle grounds that The Cult mean business and this set was so far from a phoned in tired set it seemed crazy that I could ever doubt them.

I also have to admit that one of my least favourite records by the band is ‘Sonic Temple’ I guess the early years were part of my impressionable youth and the likes of ‘Born Into This’ and ‘The Cult’ albums don’t get near enough airtime live or kudos from critics and fans alike. so seeing that ‘Sonic’ was kept to a minimum with the obvious big hitters in attendance I was delighted. The ‘Electric’ tracks sounded huge and it has to be said Astbury sounded better than he has live for decades, you’d possibly have to go back to the ‘Love’ era to hear him singing so well, and he seemed in a really happy place as he prowled the stage apron engaging with the crowd and sending out hugely positive vibes.

Whoever decided on the setlist should take a bow – it played into the very best of Billy Duffy who pulled all the shapes as the notes flew from his fretboard like cascading waterfalls ‘Aphrodisiac Jacket’ was a prowling beast bristling with energy and following ‘The Riff-a-rama of ‘The Witch’ this was turning into an epic night and showing why The Cult can still draw massive outdoor crowds.

With a new album in tow, they slid ‘Vendetta X’ and ‘Mirror’ in seamlessly. There was even time for the brilliant ‘Spiritwalker’ to ricochet off the castle walls before the home straight of the big hitters as the apt ‘Rain’ preceded ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ before leaving the stage for a well-deserved ovation.

For a thoroughly deserved encore of ‘Peace Dog’ the air guitarists in attendance tuned up and were pleased with the performance before finally setting the stage alight with a full tilt ‘Love Removal Machine’ and then they were gone. They’ve always been good to South Wales have the Cult from their debut show in Swansea all those years ago to this their biggest show on this epic performance in a Castle The Cult came, saw, and conquered, oh, and Rocked like fuck, Tonight the Cult left everyone in attendance in no doubt that they were the kings of this particular Castle and rightly so. What a line up, What a day, Fan-bloody-tastic!

Author: Dom Daley

Cancer Bats/Grove Street – Le Pub, Newport – 3rd July 2023

Cancer Bats/Grove Street – Le Pub, Newport – 3<sup>rd</sup> July 2023

The last time I can remember a band playing two sets in the same Welsh venue on the same night because the first gig sold out in nano seconds, was when Electric Six added a matinee show to their scheduled Barfly appearance just as ‘Danger! High Voltage’ exploded all over the nations’ music video channels (remember those) around about 20 years ago. Tonight, though that’s exactly what Canadian punk metallers Cancer Bats are doing for their most intimate (and obviously sold out) show/s on Welsh soil since their days of them also playing that same legendary (and sadly long since closed) downstairs bar in the heart of Cardiff city centre.

“Up close and personal” is always going to be the order of proceedings for the hundred or so of us lucky souls who managed to snap up a ticket for one (or perhaps even both) of tonight’s shows, and with the prospect of a two-band double slam dunk ahead of them it’s totally understandable that Le Pub need to run a tight ship here tonight.

So, it’s at 7:45 precisely that Southampton hardcore crossover outfit Grove Street are let off the leash with their own brand of metal meets hardcore by way of a hint of rap, and I can’t help but have a smile on my face that stretches from Town to George St bridge. That’s because there’s tonnes of chugging metal riffage to keep the headbangers happy, lashings of double time aggression to kick off the first circle pit of the night and yes that really is a lyric lift from Grandmaster Flash in the middle of ‘Lessons of The Past’. Grove Street look like they weren’t even born when some of tonight’s audience would have been first launching themselves off the nearby Newport Centre’s stage to the likes of Nuclear Assault, Dark Angel, and Sepultura, but the young guns can hold their heads high knowing that their performance tonight had more than one of my mates yelling in my ear that they reminded them of Suicidal Tendencies. I shall certainly be keeping an eye out for the band’s debut album ‘The Path To Righteousness’ when it’s released in September. 

“The best thing about being Welsh has surely got to be you have a dragon on your flag” quips Cancer Bats frontman Liam Cormier mid set during the briefest of moments of between song respite, before adding “tonight we are going double fucking dragon on you guys, so who is with me?”

It’s been quite some time since I’ve crossed paths with Cancer Bats on the live front it’s certainly the first time I’ve seen them since guitarist Scott Middleton left their ranks, and Covid break aside I’m not exactly sure why. It’s great to see that nothing has really changed in that time though, Cormier is still the consummate showman cajoling, teasing, and maybe even terrorising the audience in equal parts, whilst his trio of bandmates literally pummel our senses into a mush thanks to their ridiculously heavy and indeed LOUD sound, and these guys do it night after night, and yes of course, twice nightly if need be.

I’ll also rather awkwardly admit that I’ve yet to add a copy of the band’s current album ‘Psychic Jailbreak’ to my Cancer Bats’ collection, but as one of the highlights in tonight’s set just happens to be ‘Radiate’ that album’s opener, I’ll most certainly be putting this matter to right first thing tomorrow.

The Cancer Bats I first fell in love though has always possessed the near perfect blend of stoner groove and punk rock attitude and there’s a point tonight where towards the end of their hour long set they unleash, ‘Hail Destroyer’, (their cover of) ‘Sabotage’, Bricks and Mortar’ and ‘Lucifer’s Rocking Chair’ all in quick succession and it feels like I’ve been swept up in some maelstrom of heavy metal excellence. It’s the near perfect way to get those with tickets all salivating for the band’s second set, but sadly I’m not one of those.  So, at 9:45 exactly, I’m out the venue doors and on my way home green with envy for those lucky enough to be sticking around for the band’s late-night set.

Nights like these are very special indeed, make sure you take the time to experience them whilst you still can.  

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Author: Johnny ‘Double Dragon’ Hayward

James and the Cold Gun ‘James and the Cold Gun’ (Loosegroove Records)

James and the Cold Gun ‘James and the Cold Gun’ (Loosegroove Records)

Vital, cathartic, and essential are some of first words that come to mind when I think of James and the Cold Gun. They first came to my attention last year when I saw they were signed to Loosegroove Records, who has released some great music over the years and is owned by Stone Gossard and Regan Hagar. I checked out their ‘False Start’ EP, which I also reviewed here, and immediately bought everything I could by the band. James and the Cold Gun were formed by James Joseph (ex-Holding Absence) and James Biss (ex-Frown Upon) and rotated through some other band members before settling into what is hopefully a now permanent line-up. Their debut full length has been on the way since late 2022 with the release of hard rocking first video ‘Chewing Glass’ and is finally arriving. This has been my most anticipated album of the year, and it lives up to my high hopes by a wide margin.

The aforementioned ‘Chewing Glass’ kicks off the album and already feels like a classic that has been permanently etched into my brain due to repeated playing for the last 7 plus months. The door closing at the beginning welcomes the album as a lone electric guitar and James Joseph’s vocals set the tone for what is to come. Slowly more guitars and the rest of the band crash down the door and lay waste to everything with the chorus refrain of ‘I’m spitting blood; I’m chewing glass’ providing hope and inspiration in the darkest moments. ‘Something to Say’ follows and was the only prerelease song that didn’t initially grab me in my soul. It has grown on me immensely and works amazingly within the context of the album. The bouncing approach to the verses allows each word to stand apart and then the break in the drums at the first chorus brings the vocals to the forefront. The band channels some of the best parts of rock music over the past three decades and injects it with their own style and approach. This song could have appeared in the 90’s and would still be getting played on the radio today.

‘All the Wrong Places’ turns back up the tempo and spills out of the stereo in a surge of adrenalin with another amazing hook. If you’ve ever enjoyed the likes of RFTC or the Hives, this song should immediately appeal to you. It leads into the slower but still rocking ‘Bittersweet’ where the band provide a lot of space in the verses, but the guitar and bass are irresistible underneath the vocals. This song should be getting played on stereos and on computers all over the world. The rhythm work of Peter Smith (bass) and Jack Wrench (drums) is locked into a great groove here. This one has a chorus that burrows into your brain without you realizing it. ‘Headlights’ contains a chaotic start recalling early ‘Rated R’ era Queens of the Stone Age with Joseph providing primal sounding vocals that fit the song perfectly. It leads into one of the other early singles, the hook filled ‘My Silhouette.’ This one maintains the up-tempo edge and has one of my favorite choruses of the year. The triple guitar attack of Joseph, Biss, and Jynx is used brilliantly throughout the album but especially here.

Starting the back half of the album with the acoustic led ‘Grey Through the Same Lens’ recalls the late Mark Lanegan with some bluesy electric guitar tastefully added as the song progresses. Joseph’s vocals bleed from his soul here with the ‘I’m a bottle lost at sea’ lyric jumping out of the speakers. It sets the stage perfectly for the contrast that comes with the raging ‘Saccharine.’ This is the band at their most untamed but still contains a great hook. On their EP, ‘Plug Me In’ was one of the songs that provided me with a lot of catharsis for getting out all the negative energy in me, and this one creates a very similar feeling. I am pretty sure I can feel my vocal cords tearing when I try to sing along. ‘Alone Again’ was an early song the band did and have redone it brilliantly here. The three guitars all have space to add to the musical tapestry.

‘Cheating on the Sun’ was also an old bandcamp single that has been given a fresh set of paint here and again channels some Queens of the Stone Age type feel. Joseph’s vocals here tap into some great high notes and remind me that this band has developed their own sound but never feel like they are repeating themselves. Closing out the album is their epic ‘Three Years’ which approaches the six-minute mark. They give themselves more room to breathe here throughout the verses with the triple guitar approach being applied perfectly. As the song progresses, we can feel the emotion building and building in the music and the tone of the vocals. It’s a perfect closer for the album. 

As far as debut albums go, this one is perfect for me, but I will go further and say this is one of the best albums you will hear this year. They have managed to create their own sound and really craft an album where the songs complement one another to give the album a flow and dynamics. I could go on and on about how great this album is, but I recommend you go purchase it now and hear it for yourself. Album of the year contender? Most definitely!!

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Author: Gerald Stansbury

Tommy Stinson’s Cowboys in The Campfire – ‘wronger’ (Icons Creating Evil Arts)

Tommy Stinson’s Cowboys in The Campfire – ‘wronger’ (Icons Creating Evil Arts)

Tommy Stinson Should need no introduction however there might well be a whole generation who’ve not had the chance to appreciate the genius of his work be it as an integral member of The Replacements or his solo work, Perfect, Bash & Pop or as a member of Guns N Roses or Soul Asylum. His catalogue of work is extensive as its magnificent and has stretched over four decades. is a revered American musician who has enjoyed a significant four-decade-plus career. He’s appeared on recordings by the Old 97’s, Moth, and BT, plus played bass on Puff Daddy’s ‘It’s All About the Benjamins (Rock Remix)’. There you go kids go look that lot up and then bow down at his feet.

Stinson’s latest venture is Cowboys in the Campfire. A duo with Chip Roberts, their debut album ‘Wronger’ is Americana as apple pie or a star-spangled banner, and whilst he’s dabbled at various points it’s always been fleeting. This bad boy is on a well-trodden trail on horseback with his buddy and they’re suckin’ on cigars and twanging them strings be it Ukulele, pedal steel, or yeehaw, sorry I mean guitar. The very first song, ‘Here We Go Again’, sets the tone; Stinson is on ukulele, singing about the ardors of creativity, while horns swell and the only hint of percussion is from the tapping of feet by the musicians in the room. Toss another log on that there fire boy.

An obvious hanging post would be some Steve Earle and of course, Johnny Cash it’s broad and passionate from the rough ‘n’ ready rockabilly of ‘That’s It’ its a thigh slapping salamander stick thumping banger. ‘We Ain’t’, is authentic and heartfelt, and that’s what draws you in. Other songs such as ‘Schemes’, ‘Souls’ and lead single ‘Dream’ prove the man’s genius at this here songwriting thang be it punk rock or pop and some country has got the whole shooting match sorted. what an ace pop songwriter Stinson still is. If this is the best ten songs he had then his work here is done and he knows it’s nailed.

The genesis of Cowboys in the Campfire actually dates back over a decade. Roberts is the uncle of one of Stinson’s exes and was previously a gun-for-hire guitar slinger. “We’ve been really good friends and writing partners pretty much since we met, writing rock tunes to ballads or country or Americana,” explains Stinson. Neither expected their association to become a going musical concern, but the mid-2010s saw a Guns N’ Roses hiatus prior to Stinson venturing into Replacements and Bash & Pop reunions, so things got a little more serious. “We thought, ‘Let’s go play some shows and fuck around.’ I took some songs he and I had written together, some of my solo stuff, some covers, some other stuff of mine he plays.”

‘Schemes’ is a lush ballad with a swirling organ and a gently picked guitar with a tear-jerking vocal melody superbly delivered. Hell, they could have headed to Memphis and locked themselves away in an office out the back of Sun Studio and worked 9 to 5 to get these done and the living breathing proof would have to be ‘Fall Apart Together’. After only having the briefest time together listening to this I’m sure some Stinson fans will be disappointed it’s not a full-throttled rocker but given time to get used to it I’m sure they’ll appreciate its songwriting genius or if they’re sad about it they can listen to the tear-jerking ‘Hey Man’.

By the time we get to ‘We Ain’t,’ the guys in the band are cooking and there’s plenty of meat on the bone with some lovely twanging going down over the solid acoustic chords. As the album moves gracefully to its finale with ‘Souls’ via some wonderful hazy slide guitar.

This really impressive record waves goodbye with the poptastic ‘Dreams’ with its late-night vocal and honking guitar its signs off in style, with a doffed stetson and a cowboy shirt it’s so long from Tommoy and the gang until next time just don’t take another decade unless you fancy doing another Bash & Pop or pretty please Replacements, but this will more than do. Now throw some ribs on that campfire and let’s do this again.

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Author: Dom Daley

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Iggy & The Stooges – ‘The Truth Is In The Sound We Make’

Iggy & The Stooges – ‘The Truth Is In The Sound We Make’

IGGY AND THE STOOGES are the subject of a lavish new coffee-table book.

Clocking in at 300 pages, ‘The Truth Is In The Sound We Make’ and features many rare and unseen photos as well as previously unpublished fan pics covering the Detroit legends’ concerts and recording sessions from 1967 to 1974 – so no solo Iggy and no latterday reunion pics. The text features a complete listing of Stooges shows and recording sessions collated by author Per Nilsen.

Published by Wintergarden Books, the sister company of Easy Action Records, the label behind many Stooges rarities, the 14” x 11” The Truth Is In The Sound We Make is presented in a limited print run of 800 copies, with a super-limited edition bundle of 150 numbered copies, including two high-definition 8×10 live shots, a high grade art print, poster and bookmark.

UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1970: Photo of Iggy Pop Photo by Tom Copi/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Limited edition bundle https://easyaction.co.uk/product/the-stooges-the-truth-is-in-the-sound-we-make-coffee-table-de-luxe-book-hand-numbered-1-100/

Regular edition https://easyaction.co.uk/product/the-stooges-the-truth-is-in-the-noise-we-make-book/

The Exploding Hearts – ‘Guitar Romantic’ (Third Man Records)

The Exploding Hearts – ‘Guitar Romantic’ (Third Man Records)

For under £20 you too can own a fine quality record of the debut album from power pop punks The Exploding Hearts. Their story is one of tragedy and a band dealt the most extraordinery end in music. There was talk of a documentary about the band but that seems to have gone all quiet and the one remaining member has surfaced to promote this here release, which is the shining light that has come out of this incredable story, apart from the fantyastic bunch of songs that made it to this record and the comp ‘Shattered’.

Four snotty kids with a bunch of Boys like power pop anthems enter a cheap studio and lay down some tracks that clock in at less than half an hour and subsequently blow people’s minds then tragedy strikes and the dream is gone. Kicking off with the majestic ‘Modern Kicks’ as good a power pop punk rock anthem you’ll ever hear, yup it’s that fuckin’ good.

I could have reviewed it from the original I own but I wanted to wait for the remastered to land with the bonus tracks but thanks to Third Man awful distro it was in the shops a few weeks before my copy arrived from their mail-order and almost ten UK pounds cheaper on Amazon but that’s a debate for another day. Where were we? Oh yes ‘Modern Kicks’ what a tune, an absolute gold standard banger. What a legacy to leave behind man some bands have been at it for decades and never wrote a song close to that, but, there’s more. This record is fantastic. House in a nice gatefold and with a decent loud remaster at least Third Man has done the band’s memory proud on that front.

Theres a new wave melody at every turn its like Rockpile if they were late teens mixed with the Boys mixed with valley of the dolls mixed with a hint of The Jam its none more evident than on ‘Throwaway Style’ or the epic and punchy ‘Thorns In Roses’ with the snotty melody and rapid beats underpinned by the chiming guitars before some serious boogieing.

This band could also seriously boogie on down with the best of them – from the Stooges one fingered piano drill on ‘Boulevard Trash’ to the acoustic baladeering on the dreamy ‘Jailbird’ turning the dial back as far as the Kinks or The Who for inspiration but you’re never far away from a Johnny Thunders inspired guitar lick like the snotty ‘Still Crazy’ with its cool as bv’s. As much as I love this album its forever steeped in tragedy but its one hell of a record and Third Man have done them proud here.

With a couple of remixes nailed onto the end is a welcome addition but I can’t urge you enough if you’ve never heard these cats then do it and buy this album – you absolutely won’t be disappointed – these songs rule and have aged superbly well. Long live The Exploding Hearts their flame is still buring thanks to reissues like this. Adam “Baby” Cox, Matt “Lock” Fitzgerald, and Jeremy “Kid Killer” Gage rest in peace fellas your legacy is forever preserved. Long live the Exploding Hearts.

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Author: Dom Daley

No Choice – ‘And Still Some Cannot See’ (Weird Beard Records)

No Choice – <a>‘And Still Some Cannot See’ </a>(Weird Beard Records)

Way back in 2015 when influential Cardiff based punk rockers No Choice decided to call it a day, I was the person the band’s frontman Gagz decided to share the news with first. I was co-running and writing for Uber Rock back then and I’d been raving about the band’s 2012 released third album ‘Thru It’ to anyone and everyone who would listen to me, and checking up with Gagz to find out how that record’s follow up was shaping up, it came as a real shock to not only find that band didn’t feel like they were in a position to write album number four, but also, not have the energy to once again enter into the whole write, record and gig process all over again. Yeah, they had some basic ideas worked up, but the motivation seemingly just wasn’t there anymore, and to hear someone as passionate about his music as Gagz admit that it was probably best to draw a line under things as they stood was a very sad day indeed.

Fast forward eight years then, and with the UK seemingly having gone to hell in a handcart and back again six hundred and sixty-six times over (and with possibly even more shit to follow), it’s feels positively cathartic to finally have the fourth No Choice album blasting out of my stereo, and ‘And Still Some Cannot See’ sounds every bit as pissed off as I’d hoped it would. Post Covid, it’s a ten-track record that whilst dealing with the UK Government’s more than obvious shortcomings also touches on such subject matters as addiction, narcissism, eugenics, racism, greed, and failure…. and that pretty much sets the tone for what to expect, the guys having toughened up the No Choice sound especially for 2023. Then when Gagz recently explained that this record is also a heartfelt tribute to his sadly departed and dear friend Mr Gared O’Donnell from Planes Mistaken For Stars the “go for the throat” approach suddenly makes even more sense.

Returning with Gagz for this much tougher, more abrasive sounding record are guitarist Mowgli and drummer Lewis, whilst picking up bass duties this time around is Kaney. Beginning the recording process at Stompbox Studios in Cardiff towards the back end of 2022 with producer (and Bastard Son guitarist) Todd Campbell, opener ‘Sold City’ catapults the listener straight into that moshpit in your mind, thanks to Mowgli’s ferocious six string riffing and Gagz trademark barbed wire vocals and clocking in at just 1 minute and forty-four seconds it pretty much sets out the blueprint for what is about to follow.

Highlights are plentiful within the grooves of ‘And Still Some Cannot See’ and amongst them are ‘Sites And Sounds’, a thundering tirade against toxic masculinity and a tune which whilst not having what you might call “a conventional chorus” still manages to get stuck in your head, and then there’s the hugely impressive ‘Icons’, a tune I first heard over a year ago at a low key support slot No Choice played at a local pub and instantly recognisable again here. Elsewhere ‘The Snakes Took Out Ladders’ is not only a great song title but also a punchy just shy of two minute anthem that would have been a prime candidate for a single back in the day, and then there’s the band’s very own ‘Lust For Life’ in album closer ‘More Fool The Man’.

I’m not going to guide you track by track through ‘And Still Some Cannot See’ though because it’s a record that deserves everyone discover it for themselves, it’s one of those punk rock records that operates on many different levels, with each one designed to make you scream your head off, and I have to say that in ‘Warrior’ the band may very well have written their best tune yet.

‘And Still Some Cannot See’ is available right now on pink vinyl and download from Weird Beard Records (simply follow the link below to get your hands on one) or alternatively you’ll find copies in Spillers Records Cardiff and Kriminal Records Newport and hopefully via Pig at this weekend’s Slugfest at Abertillery Park, and if all that fails you can also email Gagz at gagzrox1963@gmail.com for a copy or if you are interested in putting a live No Choice show on anytime soon this is also the best way of getting in touch with the guys.

It’s great to have No Choice back, it really is, they are an essential voice of conscience within the UK punk rock scene. Hear them roar and relish every second of it!

https://theweirdbeard.bigcartel.com/product/no-choice-and-still-some-cannot-see?

Author: Johnny Hayward

Helen Love – ‘Yeah, Yeah, We’re Helen Love’ (Damaged Goods Records)

Helen Love – ‘Yeah, Yeah, We’re Helen Love’ (Damaged Goods Records)

To celebrate the band’s 30th anniversary, the folks at Damaged Goods Records are releasing a double CD/vinyl compilation of dayglo, D.I.Y bubblegum punks, Helen Love. 30 years? I can’t remember where I first heard them, possibly Mark and Lard on the late shift. It’s like they’ve always been here.

From ‘Yeah, Yeah, We’re Helen Love’ onwards, it’s a reassuring trawl through their back catalogue. No one wants a drum n bass/free jazz Helen Love album. It was no wonder that Joey Ramone invited them to New York, they share similar DNA; instantly memorable tunes for sunny days, or when you need to pretend that the sun is shining. Most of them fly past in under three minutes, always guaranteed to raise a smile. Whether it’s ‘Beat Him Up’ or ‘King Of Kung Fu’, they put their Casio keyboard and Woolworths guitar to good use. Their hand made, primary colour record sleeves were designed by necessity, but perfectly suited the tunes.

‘So In Love With You’ would sit nicely in John Shuttleworth’s set, a real compliment in my book! Oof!

They even had the nerve to nick the title ‘Leader Of The Pack’ for one of their songs. ‘So Hot’ should be the theme to your summer holiday. This is ear worms a-go-go. There’s ‘Joey Ramoney’, of course, the perfect fan response song. I can even forgive their cut-up of ‘Wig Wam Bam’, and Joey himself appears on ‘Punk Boy’, a joyous duet.

As it’s looking like we’ll have a ‘Golden Summer’, this is the place to acquaint yourself with Helen Love. Over 30 songs. Tune into their own ‘Summer Pop Radio’, break out the ice pops and stop being so serious. Let’s go!

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Author: Martin Chamarette