You can’t help but like Dave Grohl. Regardless of your opinion on Foo Fighters or Nirvana, he is someone undeniably dedicated to his love of music, as he has made clear through his dedication to playing even with broken bones, and his seemingly never-ending list of projects he has been involved in with other musicians. Play sees him trying something new again: A 23 minute instrumental in which he plays all seven instruments. Ambitious? Maybe, but aesthetically the idea is not to show off, nor to aspire to be in the league of Steve Vai or Joe Satriani. Rather, the music here is kept quite rhythm based, reflecting Grohl background in punk and grunge rather than trying to be pretentiously complex. In the accompanying short film of the same name, we see children persevering their first instruments, reinforcing our frontman’s famous quote deriding X-factor and championing the next generation of musicians: ‘’Musicians should get in their garage and just suck, and they’ll have the best time in their lives, and all of a sudden they’ll become nirvana’’.
With each musical shift here, from mellow and subdued to epic and commanding, you can hear the influences – Rush, the Clash, Killing Joke – taking toot and shaping his musical direction. Adding to the raw vibe emanating from every facet of Play is the decision to record every instrument part in one take, simply scrapping ones with mistakes and starting from scratch. We see this paying off especially in the final few minutes as the instrumental reaches a roaring and triumphant crescendoing, audibly illustrating that making music in any genre requires commitment, yet is a challenge that ultimately pays off. Or, as Dave Grohl excellently puts it as we see seven carbon copies of him walking into a studio and taking their seats by their instruments in the music video: ‘’I always feel like a kid again when I’m working. Like any kid, the reward is just to play’’ 8/10
Idles: Joy As An Act Of Resistance (Partisan Records) [Alex]
Notorious for their acerbically satirical brand of punk rock, flaunted by their debut: Brutalism, Idles could not just leave us in the clutches of the current political state without serving up some more of their uniquely sarcastic wit. To the uninitiated, they smash together influences ranging from stranglers to Fugazi, capturing perfectly the angst and wit, combined with a serious commitment to the music, to make those sounds sincere.
Colossus begins on a broodingly downtrodden note before exploding life, setting up the themes of striving to find joy in an age of negativity. Lead single, Danny Nedelko champions immigrants and their contribution to society with the artwork for the single reading ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor solely by the Romans’. While there is an irony to singing about toxic masculinity and self-worth aggressively and forcefully, moments like Never Fight A Man With A Perm, Television, and Samaritans do so excellently with the later declaring ‘’I kissed a boy and I liked it’’.
Idles: Joy As An Act Of Resistance (Partisan Records) [Alex]
Notorious for their acerbically satirical brand of punk rock, flaunted by their debut: Brutalism, Idles could not just leave us in the clutches of the current political state without serving up some more of their uniquely sarcastic wit. To the uninitiated, they smash together influences ranging from stranglers to Fugazi, capturing perfectly the angst and wit, combined with a serious commitment to the music, to make those sounds sincere.
Colossus begins on a broodingly downtrodden note before exploding life, setting up the themes of striving to find joy in an age of negativity. Lead single, Danny Nedelko champions immigrants and their contribution to society with the artwork for the single reading ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor solely by the Romans’. While there is an irony to singing about toxic masculinity and self-worth aggressively and forcefully, moments like Never Fight A Man With A Perm, Television, and Samaritans do so excellently with the later declaring ‘’I kissed a boy and I liked it’’.
Yet when Idles aren’t sardonically berating themselves for being ‘special snowflakes’ as on I’m Scum or making references to Dirty Dancing in order to rip into modern conceptions of romance as on Love Song, they are capable of being a lot more direct. ‘’Blighty wants his country back, fifty-inch screen in his Cul-De-Sac, as he cries at the price of a bacon bap’’ asserts Great, showing off a distinctly British sense of humor, the satire only perhaps bridging both sides of the Atlantic with the line ‘’Islam didn’t eat your hamster’’. On a personal note though, June is a slow and sombre song about the death of Talbots daughter, lines in the vein of ‘’Baby shoes, for sale, never worn’’ proving painfully emotional, proving there are some topics which bridge even the political or social divides we might possess
Clearly drawing on the concepts of their last record, a wide palette of lyrical topics are pinned up against the wall here, some of them drenched in controversy. Yet whether you agree with Idle's or not, the melodic yet aggressive sting of the instrumentation, mixed with the worldview-challenging insight and charm, could prove enough to win anyone over. 9/10
Nonpoint: X (Spinefarm) [Alex]
Give Nonpoint the respect they deserve. Now on their 9th studio outing, they have had a prolific career, honing their own sound and technical ability, and surviving the early 2000s which spat out and chewed up many acts in the post-grunge scene like a machine. In fact, while I will confess to never being a massive fan, I do sincerely understand the love and devotion from their cult following.
X still embodies many of the best features of alt-rock fused with metal, combining complex grove-like riffs and wailing solos. At the same time though, I can’t help but feel somewhat perturbed by regressions into some of the worst characteristics of nu-metal. Notably, on almost every song – from Chaos And Earthquakes to Passive Aggressive, vocalist Elias Soriano decides to rap obnoxiously. To clarify, I am by no means against combining hip-hop with metal – my love of Rage Against The Machine will disprove any claims to the contrary. In this case, however, the rapping stands so far out in the mix, I have trouble discerning the subtle nuances in the playing of the sincerely talented musicians.
Nonpoint: X (Spinefarm) [Alex]
Give Nonpoint the respect they deserve. Now on their 9th studio outing, they have had a prolific career, honing their own sound and technical ability, and surviving the early 2000s which spat out and chewed up many acts in the post-grunge scene like a machine. In fact, while I will confess to never being a massive fan, I do sincerely understand the love and devotion from their cult following.
X still embodies many of the best features of alt-rock fused with metal, combining complex grove-like riffs and wailing solos. At the same time though, I can’t help but feel somewhat perturbed by regressions into some of the worst characteristics of nu-metal. Notably, on almost every song – from Chaos And Earthquakes to Passive Aggressive, vocalist Elias Soriano decides to rap obnoxiously. To clarify, I am by no means against combining hip-hop with metal – my love of Rage Against The Machine will disprove any claims to the contrary. In this case, however, the rapping stands so far out in the mix, I have trouble discerning the subtle nuances in the playing of the sincerely talented musicians.
Any interplay between the music and the vocals becomes minuscule. Case in point, the three best songs on this entire album are the closers; Feel The Way I Feel, Position One and Paralysed, where the singing is melodic, and rises and falls in turn with the instrumental passages, creating an expressive and poignant atmosphere, in which the emotions and messages are not obscured by anyone. Alone, these closing moments are the mark of good musicians who deserve all the praise they get and more. Let’s hope that as they reach the latter stages of their career that they can continue to impress. 5/10
Dynazty: Firesign (AFM Records) [Stief]
Admittedly, this is my first time hearing the Swedish quintet but I'm very glad I have now. The sixth full album from the band, and it's a cracking one. It's great power metal from beginning to end, with shades of Orden Ogan and Amaranthe, while still keeping their own individual sound. Nils Molin's vocals are perfect for the band, never seeming to falter, as well as the constant riffage and harmonies from Love Magnusson and Mikael Lavér.
This great guitar work paired with Georg Härnsten Egg's drumming and Jonathan Olsson's bass give an almost industrial feel to the proceedings, while still retaining the power metal feeling of the bombastic with strings and synths weaving throughout the album. Standout tracks include the chuggingly great title track Firesign which involves some eerie synths midway and album closer The Light Inside The Tunnel, a great slice of pure power metal. Overall, a brilliant album, and a band I'm going to be checking out more often. 8/10
Psychostick: Do (Self-Released) [Stief]
As you all probably know by now, I'm a fan of some silly stuff, and it doesn't get sillier than Arizona's Psychostick. The first self-released album since 2003's We Couldn't Think Of A Title, it's what we've all come to expect from Psychostick; An album of heavy metal songs about mundane topics, including Bacon, Eggs And Cheese, Losing Keys, Being An Adult. The only problem is...nothing seems to have changed in the 4 years since IV: Revenge Of The Vengeance. Sure, the band sounds heavier, more refined, but the meat and potatoes of it (another song idea there) is that this entire album is disjointed, and feels like a jam session that the band just happened to record.
While there are some decent songs, most of them involving breakdowns with 'Rawrb' Kersey talking over them, or half-singing. Having reviewed them in the past, plus seeing them play the globe, I want it to be good, but for some reason, it isn't. There are only a few stand out songs, including the very relatable From The Heart, an acoustic ballad about hating people and the final song Flop, a Mindless Self Indulgence-esque song which pokes fun at the constant dance songs trying to force new dance moves on the public. That being said, with 22 songs on the album, most clocking at a minute and a half, and only a handful of good ones, I'm hoping the next thing Psychostick brings out is a bit more focused. 5/10
Dynazty: Firesign (AFM Records) [Stief]
Admittedly, this is my first time hearing the Swedish quintet but I'm very glad I have now. The sixth full album from the band, and it's a cracking one. It's great power metal from beginning to end, with shades of Orden Ogan and Amaranthe, while still keeping their own individual sound. Nils Molin's vocals are perfect for the band, never seeming to falter, as well as the constant riffage and harmonies from Love Magnusson and Mikael Lavér.
This great guitar work paired with Georg Härnsten Egg's drumming and Jonathan Olsson's bass give an almost industrial feel to the proceedings, while still retaining the power metal feeling of the bombastic with strings and synths weaving throughout the album. Standout tracks include the chuggingly great title track Firesign which involves some eerie synths midway and album closer The Light Inside The Tunnel, a great slice of pure power metal. Overall, a brilliant album, and a band I'm going to be checking out more often. 8/10
Psychostick: Do (Self-Released) [Stief]
As you all probably know by now, I'm a fan of some silly stuff, and it doesn't get sillier than Arizona's Psychostick. The first self-released album since 2003's We Couldn't Think Of A Title, it's what we've all come to expect from Psychostick; An album of heavy metal songs about mundane topics, including Bacon, Eggs And Cheese, Losing Keys, Being An Adult. The only problem is...nothing seems to have changed in the 4 years since IV: Revenge Of The Vengeance. Sure, the band sounds heavier, more refined, but the meat and potatoes of it (another song idea there) is that this entire album is disjointed, and feels like a jam session that the band just happened to record.
While there are some decent songs, most of them involving breakdowns with 'Rawrb' Kersey talking over them, or half-singing. Having reviewed them in the past, plus seeing them play the globe, I want it to be good, but for some reason, it isn't. There are only a few stand out songs, including the very relatable From The Heart, an acoustic ballad about hating people and the final song Flop, a Mindless Self Indulgence-esque song which pokes fun at the constant dance songs trying to force new dance moves on the public. That being said, with 22 songs on the album, most clocking at a minute and a half, and only a handful of good ones, I'm hoping the next thing Psychostick brings out is a bit more focused. 5/10
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