Review: Congoroo - No, Monkey no!

Info

Band: Congoroo

Album: No, Monkey no!

Style: Alternative Rock

Released: 2012

Label: none

From: Germany

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Congoroo/130494203628041

Website: www.congoroo.de

It is well known that concept albums are always a little more difficult to understand. To release a concept album as a debut is even more audacious. Usually. German band Congoroo have tried exactly that and put us onto their rash experiment. Let's see if they succeeded.

“Don't End Up” is the first song on “No, Monkey no!” and purveys a slightly melancholy mood by using spherical riffs and emotional vocals. A nice rock song for a start which is followed by a complete change in atmosphere. “Gibbon” has a little reggae twist to the verse and African-like backings in the chorus. This shows that the band's influences seem to be very extensive. If you didn't recognize the theme of the album by its name, you will here it in this song.

“One Day” is again completely different to the previous tracks. This time, the band goes Punk which definitely brings some change to the record. Variation is always a big plus in my eyes. The break at the end of the song is surprising and makes this track one of my favourites. The tranquil intro, that slightly reminds me of Lostprophets' “Last Summer”, supplies a mysterious atmosphere to “Welcome to Hell”. The song itself is the first more emotional and ballad-like track on the record, which I can only recommend to listen to for more than one time.

“Good Luck” is a little more rock-like again. It comes up with southern rock guitars and a great drive during the chorus. Adding to that, you play a great solo and there you have the next hit song. “Ape of Hate” is one of my absolute favourites of “No, Monkey no!”. Heavy metal tunes, underlined by the breakdown, follow the intro's jungle sounds; but still, even that track surprises with the sudden change of style after the hardcore-like chorus. What a song!

Time for a break, now. The piano-intro to “So Small” already indicates an opportunity to catch some breath. An emotional chorus and slightly bluesy guitars during the verse make it a great rock ballad. Add the explosive beginning of the solo to it and you get my next song recommendation. A track in the style of Metallica's “Nothing Else Matters”. “Pray for Rain” offers some more bpm and typical skate punk style riffs which you could find again when listening to old NOFX or Zebrahead records. That song could definitely be used for the beginning of one of these teen-comedy-films (you know the ones: Golden Gate Bridge, convertibles, sunshine, that kind of thing).

Following that is “Monkey Revolution”, again more ballad-like and with great guitars, songwriting, and a really emotional chorus. Another song recommendation. “You Say” is a very varied track. These guys do not just know what “balance” means, they live for it. The bass melody in the verse creates a great groove. The guitars make it rock. The song moves on to a punky rock song later and has a great solo to offer after the break. If I would recommend you to listen to it? Sure, but it's really hard for me to think of a song on this record that I wouldn't recommend.

Just when I thought there couldn't be any style of music these guys didn't cover, I am taught otherwise. “Hypnotize” is a typical nu metal track at first: rap during the verse and heavy, grooving guitars; but suddenly, all this collapses and I feel as if Congoroo passed me on from Limp Bizkit to Johnny Cash. People who whinge about songwriting here, really should question their knowledge of music. That must be every style of modern music covered, now. The only thing that's missing, I thought, is an acoustic track. Boom! That's the moment when “Hollow” began. Exactly, an acoustic track and with that, a very emotional and thought-provoking ending to the record. My last song recommendation, as well.

Variety, balance, extensive influences, and great songwriting are more than just convincing. The album's concept is pretty easily audible to everyone and although I never give more than 8 points for a debut, “No, Monkey no!” just deserves more than that.

Listen to: “One Day“, “Ape of Hate“, “So Small“, “Hypnotize“, “Hollow“

8,5 out of 10 points

Tracklist:
1. Don't End Up

2. Gibbon

3. One Day

4. Welcome to Hell

5. Good Luck

6. Ape of Hate

7. So Small

8. Pray for Rain

9. Monkey Revolution

10. You Say

11. Hypnotize

12. Hollow

Members:

Vocals: Matze

Guitar: Stefan

Guitar: Max

Bass: Marcel

Drums: Gregor

Review: Green Express - GEX

Info

Band: Green Express

Album: Gex

Style: Alternative Rock

Released: 2013

Label: none

From: Brazil

Facebook: www.facebook.com/greenexpressrock

Website: www.greenexpressrock.com

Seattle sound from Brazil? This was my first thought after the opener “Ice Road” had ended. Hard, driving guitars, strong bass lines and catchy vocals make this song a surprise and my first favourite on “Gex”! Green Express' alternative rock convinces me with its little guitar knick knacks, heavy melodies and one of these really beautiful and honest productions.

After moderate rock songs “Bitter Romance” and “Pipeline” the band decreases the tempo for a bit. “Kill the Pain” offers spherical guitar sounds, the lead guitar catches my attention immediately, and the chorus makes me sing to it – a great balladic track.

“Hot City” is not the most noticeable song on the record; but still, it's a good, slightly heavier rock song which is followed by “Evil Mind”. This power ballad convinces me with its interesting melodies and an once again very pleasant lead guitar sound.

It's important to accentuate the harmonious instrumental “Station” as well as the slightly punk-like “El Complemento” which brings some variation to the album by its driving rhythm and another great lead guitar melody!

Talking of variation: Unfortunately, I have to say that the one or other song is very similar to each other – or at least, that they have the same kind of atmosphere.

“Elevator” slightly reminds me of Foo Fighters' sound; but still, it's a great song which uses a lot of effects during the middle part. However, “Mary Me” is my second favourite track on the album. A little Smashing Pumpkins here, a little Alice in Chains there: that's how you write a nice ending to an album. Tranquil, clean guitar sounds make this song sound a little more spherical which is underlined especially by the vocals – a real hit song!

Summary:

“Gex” is a nice record for grunge and alternative rock fans. It was mastered in Seattle, WA, and that's what it sounds like! The only point of criticism that I can come up with is the lack of variation. Still, the record has a lot of really great songs!

Listen to: “Ice Road“, “Kill The Pain“, “Station“, “Mary Me“ (the hit song)

7,5 out of 10 points

Tracklist:

1. Ice Road

2. Bitter Romance

3. Pipeline

4. Kill The Pain

5. Hot City

6. Evil Mind

7. Station

8. Yellow Lane

9. El Complemento

10. Lovin' Hit

11. Underground Gold Mine

12. Show Me Power

13. Elevator

14. Mary Me

Members:

Vocals, Guitar: Daniel Green

Guitar: Lipes

Bass: Butch

Drums: Tomaz Lenz

Review: Salut the Sergeant - Heavy Walk

Info

Band: Salut the Sergeant

Album: Heavy Walk (EP)

Style: Alternative Rock

Released: 2013

Label: none

From: Germany

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Salut.The.Sergeant

Being amateur musicians ourselves, every one of New Rock Reviews knows how hard it is to find your own sound as a band. A sound that makes you happy and somehow also makes you sound unique. Leipzig newcomers Salut the Sergeant tried exactly that on their debut EP “Heavy Walk” – successfully?

The first song “Steve” reminds me of The Velvet Underground due to the strong pre-punk elements; however, the band doesn't destroy the song in the end as VU would have done. Especially because of this atmosphere and that cool time change in the end of the track, this song is my absolute recommendation to listen to.

“Heavy Walk”, the EP's title track, has a funky and jazzy touch to it. Definitely a great song. The range of the vocals varies between Bob Dylan and Lou Reed – possibly not everybody's taste, but I don't feel too bad about it. I mean, there were times when everyone said that Neil Young and Lou Reed couldn't sing and they're still here, touring the world nowadays.

The EP's last track is called „Down at the Bar“ and starts pretty alternative and a little jazzy. The verse makes me think about one of those old-fashioned detective films and I really like the atmosphere created by that. It doesn't take long and the song finally starts. What I mean is the part in the middle which then goes back to that jazzy verse again. There's no lack of variation in that one as well.

Salut the Sergeant successfully demonstrated that they've found their style. 60s production, the songwriting, the style that they already found for themselves, plus a little time while listening to the EP are definitely a positive thing. Still, I can't give Salut the Sergeant more than 6 points as there are only three tracks on the EP (although I know how hard it is – especially financially - to record more songs).

Listen to: „Steve“

6 out of 10 points

Tracklist:

1. Steve

2. Heavy Walk

3. Down at the Bar

Members:

Vocals, Guitar: Markus Lindner

Bass: Christoph Kürz

Drums: Georg-Maximilian Bielfeldt

Review: Cold Acid - Cold Kids Don't Need Acid

Info

Name: Cold Acid

Album: Cold Kids Don't Need Acid

Style: Alternative Rock

Released: 2012

Label: none

From: Germany

Facebook: www.facebook.com/coldacidmusic

Web: www.coldacid.com

50s/60s rock'n'roll meets Foo Fighters and DAD – that's how I would describe Berlin newcomers Cold Acid after listening to their debut “Cold Kids Don't Need Acid” for the first time. That's supposed to sound good. And I'll say one thing straight away – it does.

There's nothing bad to say about the LP in terms of production. A little garage band sound here, a bit typical 70s rock production there and I don't have the slightest reason for criticizing anything. That's leading me to focus on the songs in detail.

“I Got You” starts with the chorus and stuns me right away. The driving rhythm and just mentioned chorus lead to this song being a real catchy tune. First song, first hit song – that's what I call a good start. And it doesn't stop with “Can't Make It Up”. There couldn't be more rock'n'roll in this song: the song's length of 2:30 minutes, the riffs, and the subtle DAD influence are the main reasons for that. This beginning is already worth the money for the whole album.

And it just doesn't stop. I feel as if Cold Acid want to devastate my room with their first three songs. Although I do have some time to catch some breath due to the more tranquil and groovy verse of “36 Hours”, I can't do so for long as the parts following the second verse are filled with brilliant rock riffs and an awesome old school rock solo. The chorus gets stuck in my head for weeks especially as I need to listen to this song every day. Finally, the band gives me a break from all the rock'n'roll dancing that I just had to perform during the first three songs and offers me “Story to Pretend”. The song somehow reminds me of Foo Fighters' “White Limo” which is especially the case as the vocals are produced in a similar way. It doesn't have the same potential as FF's track but it still gives the album a little bit of a change.

And back to the roots with “Nothing Left” and its pretty groovy verse. Unfortunately, the chorus doesn't have as much power as what I would have liked it to have; however, nobody should skip this song. The same is definitely true for “City Breakdown”, which, in my opinion, is the coolest song on “Cold Kids Don't Need Acid”. I'm absolutely impressed by the bass intro, the groove which gives me no other option than dancing to it, and the classical rock song structure. It's a shame that the track doesn't last for 45 minutes (maybe you could think about a live version of that length, guys – at least 20 minutes would be cool). It doesn't matter which songs you did listen to on this record as long as you listened to “City Breakdown” (although you absolutely should listen to the other songs as well)!

“Dead City Walk” doesn't impress me as much as the previous songs. Although the track's got an awesome solo again and I can sing along to the chorus, it misses something special. The tranquil intro to “Another Place” is exactly what I mean there. I like this track because of its off beat verse which makes it sound a little like something I would call reggae rock. This is definitely a nice experiment and a successful one as well.

“Thief!” again stuns me completely. To me, this is the best song with “City Breakdown”, although it is really hard (one or two exceptions excluded) to name one which I wouldn't love to write down as a recommendation to listen to. But this songs' guitar play is brilliant, the chorus sticks again (not at last due to the lead melody of the guitar) and there's no lack of surprises (with surprises I mean the little break and the following solo). “Thief!” has got everything I would need for a great rock song: a little surprise, cool riffs and groove. “I've Told You” starts a little bit more tranquil again. The vocals somehow remind me of Metallica's “Low Man's Lyric” and although it's going to bore you by now: that solo is amazing!

The album's last track is “Can't Save My Soul” which again surprises me. Why does it surprise me? Well, it's acoustic! I can hear a little Cash influence which makes the 50s/60s sound come alive. The second surprise is only available for owners (woohoo!) of the physical data medium (yes, I'm talking of CD's). Let me put it that way: It's worthwhile waiting after the song's ending.

“Cold Kids Don't Need Acid” is a brilliant first record of an interesting band that definitely deserves to play bigger stages. To everyone who reads this: There's a link to their facebook page in the info section above. You will find some of my recommended songs on there. And to Cold Acid: perfect work, keep it coming!

Listen to: „I Got You“, „36 Hours“, „City Breakdown“, „Thief!“, „Can't Save My Soul“

8 out of 10 points

Tracklist:

1. I Got You

2. Can't Make It Up

3. 36 Hours

4. Story to Pretend

5. Nothing Left

6. City Breakdown

7. Dead City Walk

8. Another Place

9. Thief!

10. I've Told You

11. Can't Save My Soul

Members:

Vocals, Guitar: Daniel Prenzlow

Bass, Backings: Christopher Koch

Drums, Backings: Eric Köckeritz

Review: Incus - Lifelike

Info

Name: Incus

Album: Lifelike (EP)

Style: Rock

Released: 2013

Label: none

From: Germany

Facebook: www.facebook.com/incusband

Website: www.incus-band.de/

When Million Sleep impressively made clear that we can expect good German newcomers, who deserve to get a review on New Rock Reviews this year. Now, German band Incus wrote us a mail to ask us for a review about their first EP “Lifelike” and, of course, we couldn't deny our interest.

I don't have to wait long for the record's beginning as “Carry Me Away” starts right away with the chorus. I like the progressive twist, the tranquil and slightly dark verse and (for all the Velvet Underground fans amongst us) the slightly atonal singing during the chorus. This song is a great opener and, coming after that, “Colours” immediately holds the position as my favourite track on the EP. The songs starts with a slightly darker intro and reminds me (especially because of the vocals) of Lostprophets' first album during verse and chorus. The great time change after the first chorus and a slide solo that really surprises me in this moment, make that song absolutely worth the money. Great song. Full stop.

“From Scratch” is again a darker track. I like the balladic verse and can't help but think about early Lostprophets during the chorus again. Still, this track is another good song. “The Equation” confirms my opinion of this EP having a slightly darker atmosphere. Especially the tranquil verse, the screams during the centre part of the song, and the little breakdown, which reminds me of Canadian progressive metal band Protest the Hero, make that clear. Incus definitely convince me with their creative songwriting and “The Equation” definitely is another song that I can only recommend.

“Blind Spot” makes me forget about Lostprophets' first album. However, this time I can hear a slight System of a Down influence (especially because of the vocals during the chorus). The track ends with a rock breakdown and, again, I'm not disappointed. Unfortunately, “Masquerades” already is the last song on the record. And nobody could not like the cool rock riff during the intro that repeats itself now and then during the song. The hard rock sound, screams, and a breakdown that some metalcore bands couldn't have composed in a better way, make this song another recommendation on my list.

With great bass lines without exceptions, very good and creative songwriting, good production (especially for fans who like it old school), and a little time to get used to the sound, Incus can definitely convince me. If you asked me for a recommendation, “Lifelike” is definitely worth the money and achieves very good 7.5 points for a debut!

Listen to: „Colours“, „The Equation“, „Masquerades“ (!)

7.5 out of 10 points

Tracklist

1. Carry Me Away

2. Colours

3. From Scratch

4. The Equation

5. Blind Spot

6. Masquerades

Members:

Vocals, Bass: Johannes Möllers

Guitar: Josa Wollheim

Drums, Vocals: Cornelius Laube

Review: Varna - This Time, It's Personal

Info

Name: Varna

Album: This Time, It's Personal (EP)

Style: Rock

Released: 2013

Label: keins

From: USA

Facebook: www.facebook.com/varnaband

Website: www.varnaband.com

And here we are with another newcomer this year. American band Varna directed our attention to their mini-EP “This Time, It's Personal”. Although it only contains three songs, I decided to write a short review about it. According to the description on their facebook page, Varna have influences from Mariah Carey to Slayer, which made it especially interesting for me as I like bands that don't only focus on one style of music.

Let's start with the band's first single “Down”. The first influence is pretty easy to guess. The guitar's sound would make every metal fan fall in love with this band, if the song wouldn't already be that great. Singer Tiana Woods gives it that little twist towards pop so that many people, who are not used to this style of music would possibly compare it to bands like Evanescence and Nightwish. Still, the vocals are way more pleasant on “This Time, It's Personal”.

I was wondering at first, how “hard rock/pop” should sound like. Listening to “My Heart” I get the idea. The song definitely has a rock edge and sometimes reminds me of Lostprophets during their good times (for me that would be the times around “Start Something”), but still the lyrics make it sound like a song that could absolutely be played on a radio show. Despite it's less rock than “Down”, I absolutely like this kind of songwriting.

“Running Away” is a song that I can only recommend to listen to. The track is great and to me even better than the single. Despite not liking the fact that I can hear a bass playing during the song when the band doesn't even have a bass player (something that I would always criticize), I can't stop listening to this track. It's just that good.

Varna impressively show that there is definitely more than just talent in this band. Three high quality songs already are enough to make me a fan of this band (something that no band managed before), which is why they get more points than I would usually give away for a three-track-EP.

Listen to: „Running Away“

6 out of 10 points

Tracklist:

1. Down

2. My Heart

3. Running Away

Members:

Vocals: Tiana Woods

Guitars: Rossen Pinakas

Drums: Rob Shin