Can pop punk be prog? I mean Green Day's concept albums would say yes and while Who Saves The Hero don't have 20 minute guitar and keyboard solos, their new album Love | Hate | Demons is split thematically into the three categories of the title.
So the first four songs are all about love; lost, found, old and new, they would say are the most pop driven tracks here. The middle three all take the role of hate, a bit more angry and annoyed, adding a bit more experimentation such as drum loops and reggae beats on Make Your Mind Up, which features Benji from Skindred on the intro. I'd say the last three, demons are the most emotive and heavy in both senses as they come from some of the things that can affect the way we deal with events, specifically mental health struggles and self medicating.
Josh Frederick (vocals/guitars), states that half of the songs are about him and the other half are about his alter ego Freddy, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality will telling stories that feel very real and honest, with brilliant pop punk that draws inspiration from the greats of the genre.
Expect some biting bubblegum guitars, massive shout out loud choruses and grooving basslines from Nicky Hughes to get you involved with their musical melancholy from the first track to the last. It's a record that bristles with energy and doesn't stop to often for breath, taking their cues from all era's of pop punk, Love | Hate | Demons is designed to be played live with everyone in the room bouncing and singing along.
So not quite prog but meticulously crafted, conceptual and emotional pop punk from this Welsh duo that will evoke some heavy nostalgia while bringing freshness to the genre. 7/10
Kill By Mouth - Necessary Evil (Self Released)
A four track EP now and it's the long awaited release from Swansea thrash/groove band Kill By Mouth. The multiple time M2TM South Wales finalists are like a steamroller of aggressive riffs on stage, bringing a dangerous edge to any show they play. So does that translate to the record? In a word yes as they've managed to capture their on stage energy with these four tracks.
Cardinal Point brings a chug, the influence of Pantera or Exhorder obvious here, Cassar's vocals a bellowed shout as the riffs lock in tight with the rhythm section of Rich's bass and Gregg's drums as this noisy quartet is rounded out by guitarist Lee, the four piece definitely wants you to bring your mosh shorts for their music.
The shift to a doomy groove in the middle of Cardinal Pont has them playing with dynamics. However 228 come straight out of the crossover stomp of Suicidal Tendencies and even Anthrax with the solo section. Both of these songs have been remixed for this record and sound bigger here than before as KBM using some Left Channel/Right Channel stuff to make it a record that has an old schools sound.
Johnny Volcano is, and I quote, about a man who's head explodes, and it's got a gnarly grind to it that builds, ticking like a time bomb with some more great solos. It's one of two new songs for this EP, the other being Lost Love which gets a bouncing groove going underwritten with synths.
Necessary Evil, has been a long time coming but Kill By Mouth have put a lot into this EP giving them something strong to shop around labels and as a way of taking their live intensity home! 8/10
Contrasts - False Idol (Self Released)
Returning with a refreshed line up, alt metal band Contrasts, now deliver their debut EP False Idol. Recorded at Long Wave Studios.
Despite only being formed in 2021, during the pandemic, the band started releasing singles immediately so with False Idol they have managed to collate these recordings and position them into a showcase of their collective talents. All the band members are South Wales scene veterans, some of whom have played with bands like Whitechapel, FFAF and Hawthorne Heights and Contrasts bring some inspiration from these bands, while also relying on their own backgrounds in music.
On False Idol which features lyrics about trauma and mental health struggles, beginning with Ghost In My Head, Contrasts barrel out of the gate with maturity and some experienced songwriting as they pair heavy, down tuned djenty riffs with huge choruses all augmented by some atmospheric/syncopated synth patterns.
From here the Space Between brings more heavy dissonance and the full range of clean harsh vocals featuring Aaron Roberts of De'Lour, while there's an ambient break on Armageddon before the title track closes out the EP with more of that modern metal bluster.
Veteran instincts with renewed creative drive has produced a strong debut EP for Contrasts. 7/10
No Murder No Moustache - As Everything Else Decays (Self Released)
A bit of Celtic punk rock now from No Murder, No Moustache aka Owen Crawford, a one man crusade against hate and injustice, who has been lighting up stages for a number of years now, playing heartfelt punk music using often just an acoustic guitar, like the troubadours of old, singing songs of rebellion, resistance and taking a lot of inspiration from his own life and experiences too, be it unethical regimes, anti-fascism, mental health, grief, they are all given an open and honest platform.
Sticking to that ethos of being a D.I.Y punk he is very active as a campaigner for grassroots music and against the corruption we see every day, but always with pointed optimism that is so often lacking. With this record he's looking inwardly on this one, it's a reflective record that tell tales from his past, delving deeper into Owen's ideals, struggles and past for inspiration directing it through the bouncy Celtic punk of band such as The Pogues, Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphy's.
Acoustic and electric guitars are joined by mandolin and banjo, on Celtic Skies and Dic Penderyn, there's a more than just that though, the arrangements here's also as some rock toners and in a very un-punk move there's even a few guitar solos too, especially on Wasted. There's also moments of restrained beauty such as the piano and strong driven As Darkness Falls, while One More Round is a ska/thrash tribute to the Cardiff nightlife that turns into a mortality tale.
No Murder No Moustache is an insight into Owen Crawford's creative mind, totally D.I.Y with anthemic influences and a sense of hiraeth. Most of all though it's an entertaining collection of Celtic Punk. 7/10
So not quite prog but meticulously crafted, conceptual and emotional pop punk from this Welsh duo that will evoke some heavy nostalgia while bringing freshness to the genre. 7/10
Kill By Mouth - Necessary Evil (Self Released)
A four track EP now and it's the long awaited release from Swansea thrash/groove band Kill By Mouth. The multiple time M2TM South Wales finalists are like a steamroller of aggressive riffs on stage, bringing a dangerous edge to any show they play. So does that translate to the record? In a word yes as they've managed to capture their on stage energy with these four tracks.
Cardinal Point brings a chug, the influence of Pantera or Exhorder obvious here, Cassar's vocals a bellowed shout as the riffs lock in tight with the rhythm section of Rich's bass and Gregg's drums as this noisy quartet is rounded out by guitarist Lee, the four piece definitely wants you to bring your mosh shorts for their music.
The shift to a doomy groove in the middle of Cardinal Pont has them playing with dynamics. However 228 come straight out of the crossover stomp of Suicidal Tendencies and even Anthrax with the solo section. Both of these songs have been remixed for this record and sound bigger here than before as KBM using some Left Channel/Right Channel stuff to make it a record that has an old schools sound.
Johnny Volcano is, and I quote, about a man who's head explodes, and it's got a gnarly grind to it that builds, ticking like a time bomb with some more great solos. It's one of two new songs for this EP, the other being Lost Love which gets a bouncing groove going underwritten with synths.
Necessary Evil, has been a long time coming but Kill By Mouth have put a lot into this EP giving them something strong to shop around labels and as a way of taking their live intensity home! 8/10
Contrasts - False Idol (Self Released)
Returning with a refreshed line up, alt metal band Contrasts, now deliver their debut EP False Idol. Recorded at Long Wave Studios.
Despite only being formed in 2021, during the pandemic, the band started releasing singles immediately so with False Idol they have managed to collate these recordings and position them into a showcase of their collective talents. All the band members are South Wales scene veterans, some of whom have played with bands like Whitechapel, FFAF and Hawthorne Heights and Contrasts bring some inspiration from these bands, while also relying on their own backgrounds in music.
On False Idol which features lyrics about trauma and mental health struggles, beginning with Ghost In My Head, Contrasts barrel out of the gate with maturity and some experienced songwriting as they pair heavy, down tuned djenty riffs with huge choruses all augmented by some atmospheric/syncopated synth patterns.
From here the Space Between brings more heavy dissonance and the full range of clean harsh vocals featuring Aaron Roberts of De'Lour, while there's an ambient break on Armageddon before the title track closes out the EP with more of that modern metal bluster.
Veteran instincts with renewed creative drive has produced a strong debut EP for Contrasts. 7/10
No Murder No Moustache - As Everything Else Decays (Self Released)
A bit of Celtic punk rock now from No Murder, No Moustache aka Owen Crawford, a one man crusade against hate and injustice, who has been lighting up stages for a number of years now, playing heartfelt punk music using often just an acoustic guitar, like the troubadours of old, singing songs of rebellion, resistance and taking a lot of inspiration from his own life and experiences too, be it unethical regimes, anti-fascism, mental health, grief, they are all given an open and honest platform.
Sticking to that ethos of being a D.I.Y punk he is very active as a campaigner for grassroots music and against the corruption we see every day, but always with pointed optimism that is so often lacking. With this record he's looking inwardly on this one, it's a reflective record that tell tales from his past, delving deeper into Owen's ideals, struggles and past for inspiration directing it through the bouncy Celtic punk of band such as The Pogues, Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphy's.
Acoustic and electric guitars are joined by mandolin and banjo, on Celtic Skies and Dic Penderyn, there's a more than just that though, the arrangements here's also as some rock toners and in a very un-punk move there's even a few guitar solos too, especially on Wasted. There's also moments of restrained beauty such as the piano and strong driven As Darkness Falls, while One More Round is a ska/thrash tribute to the Cardiff nightlife that turns into a mortality tale.
No Murder No Moustache is an insight into Owen Crawford's creative mind, totally D.I.Y with anthemic influences and a sense of hiraeth. Most of all though it's an entertaining collection of Celtic Punk. 7/10
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