27 | March | 2012 | The RingMaster Review

With their deeply expressive ambient/post metal sound UK band Echoes are starting to stir up some very positive attention, their video of Leaving None Behind the introduction that has caught the notice of a lot of people. Now the band is poised to increase that following and response with their new three track EP With An Eye On The Shoreline & A Hand To The Sea. With an album planned for later in the year the EP is the perfect doorway to immerse into the heavy yet soul searching sounds of the band. It oozes quality, thought, and imagination whilst still challenging the senses firmly, a release that sets the band as ones to watch very closely.

Formed in 2010 the Winchester quartet creates a sound that has the flavoursome spices of the likes of Devil Sold His Soul and This Will Destroy You added to their own creative invention. The music is a heady fusion of harsh intent and majestic melodic provocation, the result something that is impossible to ignore whether it connects with the heart or not. It inspires thoughts and imagery whilst leaving blistered scars upon the senses with its caustic intensity.

Safe It Seems stands tall before the ear with stirring riffs and a delicious darkly toned bass demanding attention. Not over forceful the song draws one into its atmospheric mass as it gradually raises the intensity. The guitars of Karl Koch and Angus Cadden conjure and manipulate emotions at will whilst the drums of Oliver Todd drive the song steadily and firmly. With the ominous bass of Steve Tolloczko riding the ear the song envelopes the listener with a web of melancholic intrigue and sinister coarseness from vocalist Joshua Thurbin and his wearing growls. The mix works so well and lingers long after the last note dissipates.

The partly haunting Rivers steps forward with an emotive ambience that leaves one chilled from its ambient starkness and gasping under its full weight of expression. The acidic melodies shine like beacons within the blacker tone to give a vibrant and deeply pleasing feeling as it wraps tightly around the senses. With tumbling rhythms that tease and crystalline guitar sounds cascading throughout, the track is a masterful pleasure that ignites multiple emotions within and is easily the best of the three songs on offer.

Leaving None Behind is the third of the songs and another to mark Echoes as one very promising band. From a swooping subdued start it erupts into a thundering stomp through the ear with muscular riffs and rhythms interspersed with sharp and beckoning melodic charms. Another dark engaging bass line leads one deeply into the song as Joshua unleashes more deeply rooted emotion through his almost scathing vocal delivery. With an ethereal grace and atmosphere lying hand in hand with the imposing and taut heaviness the song brings a seamless meld of extremes, forging a complex and completely consuming experience for the senses.

With An Eye On The Shoreline & A Hand To The Sea is an impressive and very satisfying release that right now marks the bands as strong new blood for metal and sets an eager anticipation of what they are surely set to evolve into as a band. To be slightly over critical the release possibly could have done with some variation brought into the vocals. Thurbin is a fine growler that brings out the emotion in the songs as well as the music but it does have a similarity that grounds the ear down a little at times. This is being picky as the release is so good but this was the one thing that did raise a finger as to a possible improvement.

Echoes is a band your ears should meet, they offer something that is strong and inventive and in With An Eye On The Shoreline & A Hand To The Sea a release that leaves one keen to hear their album sooner rather than later. With the EP being a free download from their website there really is no reason not to bring you and it into an impactful and rewarding union.

Get With An Eye On The Shoreline & A Hand To The Sea from http://www.echoesuk.com/

RingMaster 27/03/2012

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Unsure what to expect going into the debut solo album from Mike Paradine, the drummer of metal band ArcticFlame, there was a slight reticence alongside the intrigue. Traditional metal the sound his day job creates is not the favoured sound here but as soon as the opening chords and riffs broke out upon Death In The Family any doubt was blown right away. The album is an eager and undemanding muscular burst of honest and straight forward rock ‘n’ roll. An immediate buddy to go sink some beer with and delight in mischief alongside, basically a total joy.

The Mike Paradine Group has produced an album that captures the imagination and heart with songs that carry no pretence or self indulgence. They are tunes wanting to have and to offer fun which they do across all ten exuberant tracks to the fullest satisfaction. The collection of songs are a personal journey for Paradine with many of the themes being taken from his “on-going feud” with certain family members, his battle with cancer as a thirteen year old, and his life growing up through the 70’s and 80’s in Bayonne, New Jersey. With the lyrics and melodies provided by Paradine alongside the music of Dave Manheim (Supernatiral, Society Killers), who also produced the release, the album is an honest creation from the heart with no sign of bitterness or anger, just truth.

The album sees Paradine bringing vocals and all drums to its tracks with Manheim providing the guitars, bass, and keyboard. There are also additional contributions from Richard Holmgren (Wolf) and Michael Clayton Moore (ArcticFlame) who do the vocals on some songs as does Manheim, Jeff Scott (ArcticFlame) on bass for the cover of Parasite by Kiss, and Kilroy on guitar. Death In The Family is wonderfully varied, bursting out with quality heavy metal energy and aggression at times whilst on some tracks exciting the ear with powerful rock based songs. There is never a predictable moment or any point when one looks forward to the next track. The release is not ground breaking but simply feeds the senses with the best infectious rock ‘n’ roll wrapped up in an invention and energy that captures the heart and imagination.

Venom And Piss opens up the party with robust eager riffs and a melodic teasing of the ear. It takes the senses on a boisterous addictive ride, the song dripping well crafted metal intent and fresh energy. Holmgren brings the personal words of Paradine forth with an accomplished and expressive delivery that lies perfectly on the irritable groove which winds around the ear persistently. An excellent start easily backed up by following song Rise Up from the Grave. With Clayton Moore taking over the vocals the song deals with being a 13 year old boy having cancer, the defiance of Paradine despite losing his leg from it at the time bristling from every word and punched through by the fine metal driven sounds behind. Already the album has won the heart but it only gets better from here on in.

The wonderful Cooperesque Monster’s Ball is an instantaneous love affair; it defies anyone not to join in within the opening minute of its infection. The tale of various serial killers gathering together for a party is an exhilarating audio cartoon strip to increase the pulse rate. The dual vocals of Paradine and Manheim ride an avalanche of hungry riffs and a groove that takes control with a siren like charm. The solo it unleashes is as sharp as the evil that frequents the characters within the song and the anthemic like quality throughout is a rewarding pleasure to fully lose one self within.

The album holds these heights throughout with songs like the soulful power ballad On a Tuesday Morning (The John J Harvey), the mighty Taste My Fist another metal defiant tune carrying a great Dead Kennedys like groove dealing with Paradine’s battle with cancer, and the stunning emotive closing ballad The Dust, all striking deep and wholeheartedly with quality and immense relish. The finest moment on the album though is Suzie with an Uzi, a punk veined rock song that captivates with a contagious melodic attack and hi-intensity energy. It sums up the whole album, irresistible excitable riffs, extremely well crafted flowing songs, and a personality that one simply cannot fail to be enamoured with.

Death In The Family is one of the most enjoyable and impressive albums to come out so far this year. It makes no claim to be anything more than what it is, an excellent vibrant rock ‘n’ roll album that makes listening to it a complete and long lasting pleasure.

www.mikeparadine.com

RingMaster 27/03/2012