Dienstag, 26. März 2013

Review: Heaven's Basement - Filthy Empire


Info:
Name: Heaven's Basement
Album: Filthy Empire
Style: Hard Rock
Released: 2013
Label: Red Bull Records
From: England
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeavensBasement/
Website: http://www.heavensbasement.com

Here we are with another review about a British band. This time we're talking about hard rockers Heaven's Basement, who are held high by many British rock magazines. I just had to listen to an album with four K's in Kerrang Magazine. Unfortunately, I find a first point of criticism on the album cover. The album's name is perfectly visible, but where's the band's name? An F for marketing. How should you find an album of a band that you just know the name of, if it's not on the album cover?

Filthy Empire” starts off with a song called “Welcome Home” which reminds me of Metallica's “Master of Puppets” album. Didn't that have a song of the same name on it? Still, I like the song. The verse is just as you would expect it to be on a hard rock album but the chorus is a little too soft for my taste. In terms of production, I need to mention one more point of criticism. Although the band only has one guitarist, I can hear two guitars on the record. In my opinion, a band shouldn't pretend to sound like something they couldn't sound like when playing live. This includes having two guitars on the record, if you only have one in the band. “Fire, Fire” is a song made for stadiums and couldn't have been better, had it been composed by Guns'n'Roses or Aerosmith. My highlight number one on the record.

“Nothing Left to Lose” again is a typical hard rock song with a short solo during the intro, and changing singers (singer Aaron Buchanan and guitarist Sid Glover) during the verse. But again the chorus is too soft for what I expected (sounds to me like the early You Me At Six with a rock singer). “Lights Out in London” is the first less intense rock song on the album. The chorus fits in this time and gives the song the emotion that I wanted it to have and guitarist Glover shows again that he is more than just a good guitarist.

After this little balladic track Heaven's Basement go back to hard rock. “I am Electric” sounds like the good Lostprophets and the breakdown is certainly one of the best parts on the whole record. The second highlight for me. “The Long Goodbye”, however, is another song that I heard in similar ways from other British rock bands before. A good track but nothing that I would have missed on “Filthy Empire”.

But I would definitely have missed “Heartbreaking Son of a Bitch”. The chorus again reminds me of You Me At Six, but I'm totally convinced of the song itself. I could listen to it again and again. The third highlight on the album. The next song, “Be Somebody” is one I would definitely like to be off the record. Not a song that I need and certainly a filler.

Can't Let Go” sounds a little like The Offspring during the chorus. Nothing bad, but nothing good either in my eyes. The big surprise to me is “The Price We Pay”, a beautiful ballad with acoustic guitar(s) and a descreetly played piano in the background. Something different and my absolute highlight on the record.

Jump Back” is, just like “Fire, Fire”, composed to be played in stadiums and makes me want to sing during the chorus. Another candidate to be listened to more than once in a row. It's not enough for 45 minutes, but 15 minutes can do. “Executioner's Day”, the last song on the album, is another hard rock song that makes me want to hear more of this band. Unfortunately, it's the last one and therefore a little late for this album to get more.

Conclusion: Heaven's Basement are certainly a talented band but I would like to see more experiments and variety on the next record. “Filthy Empire” is a pretty good debut but if you'd ask me, I wouldn't agree with Kerrang's four K's.

6,5 out of 10 points

Listen to: „Fire, Fire“, „I am Electric“, „The Price We Pay“, „Jump Back“, „Executioner's Day“

Tracklist:

1. Welcome Home
2. Fire, Fire
3. Nothing Left to Lose
4. Lights Out in London
5. I Am Electric
6. The Long Goodbye
7. Heartbreaking Son of a Bitch
8. Be Somebody
9. Can't Let Go
10. The Price We Pay
11. Jump Back
12. Executioner's Day

Members:

Aaron Buchanan
Sid Glover
Rob Ellershaw
Chris Rivers

Montag, 25. März 2013

Review: We Are Animal - Idolise


Info:
Name: We Are Animal
Album: Idolise
Style: Indie/Rock
Released: 2010
From: Wales
Facebook: www.facebook.com/weareanimal
Website: http://weareanimal5.bandcamp.com/

Alright, it's time to restart our international part of New Rock Reviews again. And it's again a Welsh band that gets the opportunity to prove themselves. I first saw We Are Animal as support for The Joy Formidable in Berlin in February and was quite impressed about their intense sound and creative music. So I thought I should buy the album but, unfortunately, it was already sold out before I had the opportunity to get it. So I sought for it everywhere on the net and finally found it on Amazon and it didn't take me long to decide whether I should buy it or not. Although “Idolise” is from 2010, I think the band definitely deserves a place on NRR 2013.

I don't remember the songs they played live too well because, as we all know, it's hard to remember songs that you just hear for the first time. Nevertheless, I'm absolutely sure that some tracks on “Idolise” were played live that night. The record's first song is “1268” and when I first listened to it I was quite disappointed about the sound of the guitars because I remembered them to be way more intense. Still, the tracks is absolutely worth listening to and my disappointment disappeared with “Unfold Fold”, the second song on the album. I remember that this song was played at their Berlin gig because I remember the crowd doing the backings and I already liked it then. In my opinion, the studio version is even better, because it's brilliantly produced and the way the guitars are played during the verse is just amazing. I guess this song will never leave my ears again. Ever.

The next highlight on the record is “Black Magic” with its verse (“We saw some movements up in the tree tops / Mind if we ask how you got so high”) making me think about people who want to reach out to the stars but never actually get up from their seats at first. Great lyrics for a great song. “Hunting” is a little difficult to warm up to. The monotonous guitars could cause a little headache to some inexperienced alternative rock listeners. Still, this song points out a certain variety on the album which shows that the band also tries other ways of writing songs and that, in my eyes, is a very good way of writing music when every other celebrated rock band only stays with the way they always write songs because they will definitely sell more with that approach.

The next four songs are my absolute favourites on the record. “No vacancy” is a prototype of what I call indie rock: variety, a little round-the-bend synthesizers and it still has the necessary rock sound. Another hit. “Empire” is another great example for that style of music. I love the slightly strident sound of the guitars and the lyrics remind me of the situation of Wales' English neighbour:

„ We have a fallen empire
that's the word on the streets
we have many conversations
but we don't mention defeat“

The lyrical change during the chorus from “Fallen empire” to “Your fallen empire” even gives it a little mocking touch.

Following „Empire“, I get another dose of synthesizers during the beginning of "Benin". The guitars are joining in at the pre-chorus and the vocals remind me of The Doors. Again We Are Animal could be the ideal example for every want-to-be indie rock band. “Feeding Off the Energy” is my absolute favourite on “Idolise”. A rhythm which would make everybody love rock music makes me think: Even after 45 minutes of this song I would still need more of it.

No machine” gives me a little and well deserved break after so much brilliant indie rock music and this break is continued by “Clean Up and Run”. The only ballad on the record convinces me with a little mystical sounds but also makes me think of my only point of criticism. Welsh lyrics would have suited this song great but, unfortunately, there are none.

Indie rock continues with “Super Overdrive” which is an absolutely catchy tune and will never leave me again. But then again, that's what comes to my mind after nearly every song on this record. I can not find any more bad criticism, especially as the last song “Animals” is another hit and leaves me saying to everyone who didn't see this band live yet: Go out of your house, catch a plane to Wales (if you don't live there already) and go see them live.

Conclusion: “Idolise” is a great debut and I for one can't wait for more. It's a shame, that I don't give the highest amount of points for a debut because you always have to leave some space for improvement, otherwise We Are Animals would have gotten more points for this record. I still give them:

8 out of 10 points

Listen to: “Unfold Fold”, “Black Magic”, Empire”, “Feeding Off the Energy”, “Animals

Tracklist:
1. 1268
2. Unfold Fold
3. Black Magic
4. Hunting
5. No Vacancy
6. Empire
7. Benin
8. Feeding Off the Energy
9. No Machine
10. Clean Up and Run
11. Super Overdrive
12. Animals

Members:

Owain Ginsberg
Cynyr Hamer
Dion Hamer
Liam Simpson
Carwyn Ginsberg