WVM – The End Is Only The Beginning

    The End Is Only The Beginning is the upcoming album from multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, performer, programmer, and visual artist WVM and also the EP which is an appetizer to the imminent album. We are taking a look at the five track EP and it has to be said that the album simply cannot come soon enough. Bringing together a stirring and enthralling mix of industrial, metal, gothic rock, and fiery electro, WVM has created a sound and release in The End Is Only The Beginning which incites only the hungriest appetite and passion. It is a tremendous force of invention and invigorating creativity which is as accomplished and as happy to caress and seduce as it is to ravage and violate, both extremes greedily welcomed when fused together this impressively.

The EP we assume is the recording debut of the Los Angeles based artist, but is a release showing the craft and touch one would expect of someone well-endowed in experience and know how on how to bring the strongest potency to his armoury. Whether his history is one of numerous endeavours or actually is his first appearance in any form, the stature of the songwriting and its stunning realisation is immense. Mixed by Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson), whose private studio Blue Room Studio WVM was given access to for the recording of the vocals, the EP can be best described across its length as Nine Inch Nails meets Gary Numan and The The with additional flames from Marilyn Mansion, Depeche Mode, and Fear Factory, individual tracks offering different permutations.

The opening pair of tracks on the EP immediately exploits the appetite for muscular enterprise and resourceful melodic persuasion with expressive and riveting creativity. When Universes Collide, one of three tracks featuring Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle) on drums, instantly chews on the ear with raptorial riffs and exhausting rhythms before expanding its sinews to allow the emergence of scintillating electronic washes and equally excellent vocals, the tones of WVM clean and expressive yet with a steel to match the forceful sounds. Into its stride the track is a mountainous march of epic atmospheres and impacting intensity which engages an anthemic breath to its incendiary presence. It is an adrenaline coursing encounter in contrast to the slower more deliberate prowl of The Echoing, though both tracks are equal in their potent impact and invention. The melodic and vocal embrace of the track has a smouldering heat to their contact whilst the heavy stance of the track alongside a Ultravox like electro inducement, consumes with a weight which devours and rewards with mutual greed.

The outstanding Black Sun makes its entrance upon electro affected vocals and a brewing ambience which is warm yet provocative of something larger to come. What does rip from its expanse is a thrilling weave of electronic elegance and ingenuity forged to a heavy rock spine complete with metallic lures and hooks. Across its sizzling twisting invention and unpredictably shifting stances, the track reminds of John Foxx era Ultravox with the ravenous energy of Pitchshifter and further magnetic sonic temptation of Celldweller, whilst the guest appearance of Chris Vrenna (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Tweaker) on drums only drives its vigour deeper.

For A Better Tomorrow steers its presence towards electro pop with a definite eighties lilt, though again the rhythms and vein of the song still holds intimidation and weight to charge up the desires of any metal favouring fan, the beats of Freese showing no interest in taking it easy on the listener. The melodic caress of the synths is bewitching and with the compelling menace courting its charms, the likes of Trent Reznor, Numan, or even Thomas Dolby spring to mind.

Closing song Escapism, again with Freese adding intense bone to the sublime industrial encircling of the senses, roams around and preys on the passions with the strongest NIN influenced presence on the release whilst aligning those flavours to its own carnivorous snarl and persistent sonic taunt. It is an exceptional end to a tremendous EP in quality and endeavour. WVM is on the path to great things one can only surmise with this outstanding release whilst the full album of The End Is Only The Beginning cannot come soon enough.

https://www.facebook.com/WVMOfficial

http://www.wvmmusic.com/

9/10

RingMaster 15/03/2013

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The Savage Nomads: Tension In The Middle EP

After the acclaim that soaked their debut album Coloured Clutter, UK rock band The Savage Nomads return with the Tension In The Middle EP to justify previous opinions and inspire even more fervour and attention. Before the release the London quintet had set themselves up as one of the most exciting and promising emerging UK bands, the new EP takes that promise and turns it into a full reality. The sounds are unique, staggeringly imaginative, and wholly exhilarating, The Savage Nomads a band to fire up the heart.

With the likes of Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Matt Johnson (The The), and Robyn Hitchcock adding their support and praise to the ever growing wealth of fans and media attention, the band has not looked back since their debut single The Magic Eye of last year. Consisting of vocalist and guitarist Cole Salewicz, guitarist Joe Gillick, bassist Josh Miles, drummer Billy Boone, and Aviram Barath on trumpet and synths, with all adding backing vocals, The Savage Nomads made a big impression when supporting Big Audio Dynamite, the band added to their Justice Tonight tour by the request of Jones.

Tension In The Middle brings the punk infused originality which ignited their album but with a more restrained and mellower intent, well if a subtler and more smoothly intrusive manipulation can be called mellow.  The energy within the EP may not be as boisterous and excitable as on Coloured Clutter but it is just as eager and deeply infectious, the band bringing an evolution which is thoughtful and openly adventurous whilst retaining the core and irrepressible heart of their sound.

The title track opens up the release with a shadowed atmospheric grace and emotive wash. The spoken vocals of Salewicz reflect and unveil their thoughts over the fine piano pulses of Barath. The song littered with the excellent beats of Boone floats with a riled smoothness over the ear, bringing group harmonies and incisive guitar charms alongside the throatier basslines of Miles. The song equally caresses and scrapes the ear like a mix of The Three Johns and Babyshambles with Salewicz adding a Mark E Smith lilt to his vocals.

The excellent Four Personalities steps up next to bring a variation and slightly livelier breath to that of the opener. Tall velvety bass notes at the start announce the arrival of the guitars, their slicing of the air accompanied by blistered trumpet melodies and artillery driven rhythms. After a riled crescendo it drops into a hypnotic vein of bass riffs and sonic guitar manipulations. The track offers to explode at various times but never quite does take that final step and the result is compulsive. With the distinctness of Jazz Butcher and the manic energy of The Higsons the track is a growing infection which leaves one breathless. It is not an instant engagement but give a deserved attention it emerges as a magnificent piece of songwriting and inventiveness.

An Empty Seat from Coloured Clutter is included on the album and again is pure magic. Full of feisty energy and eager attention seeking guitars it riles emotions and thoughts up into a bedlam of excitement and rattled nerve ends. The song is part Baddies, and part Wire with Andy Partridge seemingly at the helm, a track bringing a post punk intensity with modern unbridled creativity. It was a true highlight of the album and is so again though its companions more than match it in adventure and imagination.

Completed by the radio edit of Tension In The Middle and a clean radio version of An Empty Seat, the EP is as impressive as one hoped and truthfully expected from the band. It offers up an even greater promise with its stylish change in presence and a reassurance that UK post punk and ingenuity are in safe and instinctive hands with The Savage Nomads.

https://www.facebook.com/thesavagenomads

RingMaster 22/05/2012

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Tom Kills – Million Pieces

Rather than introducing himself to the world through an elaborate bio or a colourful rhetoric Scottish singer songwriter Tom Kills has announced himself with the release of the single ‘Million Pieces’ and further more made it a free download. Giving away tracks is nothing new of course but usually an artist or band has constructed a ‘body’ to themselves before hand. Kills is letting his music make his welcome, his song being the first ‘face’ for people and a fine introduction it is.

From Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire Kills creates music that swarms slowly but eagerly across the senses, its 80’s electronic pop laced with a dark tone bringing a thoroughly mesmeric sound. ‘Million Pieces’ wraps itself around the ear, soothing deeper as it caresses with vibrant graceful melodies and atmospheric sways of synth creativity. The track is emotive despite the lighter easy hook that latches on first to open up the listener for the expansive emotion touching sound surrounding it. The track carries an expressive mix of Strangers, Depeche Mode and Matt Johnson (The The) blending a nostalgic 80’s feel with a modern darker edge.

For a starter to any public musical introduction ‘Million Pieces’ is deeply impressive and a perusal  and digestion of other tracks posted on Kills’ web site and profiles shows this is not a one off. Songs like the emotive ‘Silly Little Self’, the excitable majesty of ‘Sex Robots’, and the impassioned ‘Catastrophe’ all show that Kills is a songwriter than knows how to create well crafted songs that make their home far deeper than the ear. All are haunting in some degree and trigger responses to ensure they are not fleeting romances with their hosts.

As mentioned ‘Million Pieces‘ can be downloaded for free by simply going to his official website @ http://tomkills.com/ or Facebook profile https://www.facebook.com/tomkills to treat yourselves.

RingMaster 18/01/2012

Tom Kills – Million Pieces

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RKC (Roses Kings Castles) – British Plastic

British Plastic the new album from RKC ripples with the lo-fi DIY feel inspired by the late 70’s punk rise and the electronic pop sensibilities that followed. Ex- Babyshambles drummer Adam Ficek has created an adventurous and vibrant release that brings two eras into an undeniably engaging and unique union to bring some welcome nostalgia alongside thrilling new adventures.

Originally named as Roses Kings Castles, the name having been abbreviated recently, the band was first conceived in 2007 for songs that were too ‘odd pop’ for Babyshambles, the project to be an underground base for their emergence. A debut self titled album released via his own label, The Sycamore Club in 2008 received strong acclaim, as did the subsequent 2009 Apples & Engines EP and 2010 album Suburban Time Bomb. With British Plastic also via The Sycamore Club, there is an evolution not only in the reduction from being a six piece unit on its predecessor to all instrumentation coming from Ficek apart from lead guitar from former band mate in Babyshambles Patrick Walden, but also in a bigger and bolder adventurous sound.  

The album was recorded solely in Ficek’s makeshift home studio and I guess critics could claim a naivety and at times an undefined sound on the production but one would argue this adds to the instinctive and personal feel that a polished big studio treatment would have lost. The accompanying bio to the album comments that British Plastic is an ‘aural scuffle between The Buzzcocks and The Beta Band’s resurgent hero Steve Mason’ which is a very apt declaration especially on songs like ‘I Can’t Say’ which has a distinct Pete Shelley flavour to the melodies against the mesmeric electronics and pulses. There is much more to the music here though, many classic bands and sounds fused into modern touches and additives. This song epitomises everything that is British Plastic, its electronic pop recalling bands like early Depeche Mode, The Normal and especially The The, blending with the DIY of bands like The Television Personalities and the disquiet from the likes of The Strokes.

The tracks within British Plastic are varied with the only inconsistency coming from the best songs on the album being so good they show up the slightly ‘weaker’ ones. Opener ‘These Are The Days’ is a perfect start to the release, its pop tendencies and open sounds the perfect invitation into the album’s unique qualities. The song reminded of 80’s band King Trigger with its electronic flowing sounds surrounding natural melodies and rhythms; the bass is pretty tasty too.

The song ‘Here Comes The Summer’ has already garnered attention and airplay with its fuzzed up sounds, urgency and The Cure like pop laced with a grittier approach and completes a strong ‘awkward’ pop beginning to the album. The first single from the album ‘Kittens Become Cats’ follows next. A more subdued and soulful song but no less intriguing and satisfying though maybe a surprising choice as lead track to draw people in as good as it is.

Many highlights follow, the punk vibe of ‘People And Places’, the scuzzy air of ‘Seeds Of Moscow’, and the pulsating discordant experimental delights of ‘Tapping’ all play easily and with enterprise upon the ear. It is the quick fire incessant post punk drive of ‘Cockroach’ that takes the top dog award on the album. With essences of 80’s bands The Three Johns, Swell Maps and Wire mixed in with some The Mae Shi and The Pixies, the track is a wonderful hypnotic inflamed blast at life.

Fuelled by a feeling of anger and distrust the album is a thrilling and expressive release that shows real music does not need to be polished beyond recognition to be very satisfying and stunningly effective. The more one listens the deeper the attraction and love affair with British Plastic and RKC.

Check out the British Plastic @rkcmusic.bandcamp.com/releases

RingMaster 01/11/2011

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