Cross Wires – Assembly EP

     Hankering for a slice of post punk infused new wave with that irrepressible eighties originality? Then a healthy purchase of the exploration of the new Cross Wires EP is your next mission in life.  Assembly is a riotous stomp of energetic imagination and deliciously niggling invention, a quartet of songs bred in the birth of those genres but equally ripe with a modern psyche stirring mischief. It teases, taunts, and romps with the senses like a discord draped devil child to quite easily and unrelentingly stir up the passions.

     Hailing from Bethnal Green and Romford in the UK, the foursome of vocalist Jonathan Chapman, guitarist Peter Muller, bassist Pete Letch, and drummer Ian Clarke has been sculpting an impressive reputation for their sound and live performances since their debut at The Others in Stoke Newington in late 2010; subsequently playing across the capital and home county Essex at notable venues including the Camden Barfly, Sebright Arms, Queen of Hoxton, 93 Feet East, The Half Moon, and Hoxton Underbelly. Two EPs, Forward/Repeat and Animal Heat announced the band to a wider audience in 2011 whilst a third, Dark Water, the following year only helped cement and accelerate their emerging presence which the outstanding Assembly will surely add another enthusiastic gear to.

    Cross Wires bring inspirations from the likes of Buzzcocks, The Clash, The Cure, Gang Of Four, and Wire into their own inventive devilry as well as that of XTC whose song on the White Noise album, the band named themselves after. To be honest anyone reaping the influences of one of our eternally favourite bands is given a head start with us though their music obviously has to do the talking, which on Assembly it loudly does. From the beginning of the opener Stranger’s Bed, the band lays an infectious hand on the imagination and passions as they cavort with the relish of a maniacal puppeteer. Thumping anthemic drums seize instant attention, setting things up for the jangle of guitars to add their own bait around the expressive vocals of Chapman. Into its infectious stride soon after the track stomps with a rhythmic vivacity and range of hooks which the Buzzcocks would be proud of, indeed the overall sound has a rich essence of the Mancunian band as well as the discordant enterprise of Medway band Houdini. It is an undemanding and thoroughly giving slab of post punk pop with a fuzzy breath to increase the appeal.

     Acid Bath, like the first, makes the strongest entrance possible. This time it is the bass stroking the ears with a riff certainly Gang Of Four inspired, its carnivorous voice and suasion an irresistible lure which only increases with the scythes of guitar and unpolished enticing vocals. The chorus of the song loses some of that initial potency as the thrust of the track softens but replaces it with a virulent causticity which touches on The Fall. Once more band and song has feet lurching around with eagerness whilst voice and energy is seduced into action with ease, the same results achieved by the brilliant I Want To Be Your Man (Again). The best track on the EP swaggers in with a slow swerving of its hips and a persistent flexing of its sonic audacity, the track a hybrid of all the good things already gracing the release, taking those qualities and invention into a loftier frisking of the passions. It is an exhilarating exploit raising a lustful greed once thought lost to those times in the eighties.

   Final song White Dress makes a less dramatic entrance than previous songs but is soon, through a precise hook within thumping rhythms, unleashing another Shelly and co styled persuasion with the Cross Wires imprint. It traps satisfaction in a lustful romp of angular enterprise and refreshing adventure and though the weakest of the four songs, in that it does not unleash the demon inside as certainly the previous pair of tracks do, White Dress still provides a magnetic proposal to sell your dignity for and a delicious end to a thrilling release.

     If any of the bands mentioned or just simply punk, new wave, and post punk in general lifts your temperature then Cross Wires is a band to set a fire in your thoughts and emotions, though as Assembly shows, expect the unpredictable and something which is certainly seeded in those glorious older times but takes you on a new adventure. With the Assembly EP free at http://crosswires.bandcamp.com/album/assembly-ep there is little reason not to be part of this extremely promising and exciting band.

https://www.facebook.com/CrossWires

9/10

RingMaster 21/02/2014

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Coven 13 – Destiny of the Gods

There is a sense of insanity to Destiny of the Gods, the new album from Detroit metallers Coven 13 (also known as just Coven), an almost schizophrenic intrigue and unpredictability to its invention which is just compelling. It has flaws and is wildly undulating in its persuasion at times but equally there is something which works away with a deceitful seduction that makes you want to return to its manic lair, and often. The band is tagged as doom metal but that is also a falsehood of sorts as though that essence does offer a loud whisper at times it is no more vocal than the gothic rock and certainly classic metal side of things, with post punk and numerous more extreme flavours also making their presence known. The result is a sound and release which at times seems unsure of its direction whilst simultaneously being confident, actually wanton in its intent and journey. It just adds to the magnetism wrapping the release and with several needed encounters Coven 13 ultimately makes a uniquely enterprising persuasion.

Coven formed in 1985, the line-up of bassist Roger Cyrkeil, guitarist Todd Kreda, drummer Brian McGuckin, and vocalist David Landrum coming together over a short time to write and create music with influences from the likes of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden and themes inspired by Celtic and Nordic themes. Their well-received debut album Worship New Gods was self-released on their Crom Records in 1987 as the band built a formidable fan base in Detroit and beyond. A name change followed when approached by the original band Coven (of One Tin Soldier fame) which saw 13 added to the name. 1991 saw the release of Ragnarok again on Crom as a demo cassette and though again well favoured it failed to match the success of its predecessor. The same year saw the departure of Cyrkeil and though the band continued for a short while it came to an end in 1992. In 2005 the band reformed for 4 acclaimed reunion shows which was followed by a hiatus of sorts for Coven 13 until 2011 when the original members came together working on new material. The line-up also saw the addition of Richie Karasinski who had been a long-time friend of the band and who Cyrkeil has tried to enlist in Coven 13 from the start but could not due to the guitarist’s commitments and projects. Entering the studio last year the band have stormed back into action with the Shadow Kingdom Records released Destiny of the Gods, a record which has uncertainties taunting thoughts but still makes for a generally riveting and enjoyable exploration.

A harsh atmospheric climate draws in opening track Thor’s Twins, the song breaking the scenery with an instantly gripping dark bass and guitar beckoning. It is a gentle coaxing which erupts into a charged gait veined with a combination attack of guitar and bass with a prize-fighter hook which seals an immediate submission from imagination and emotions. There is also a punk breath to its lure whilst the entrancing vocals of Landrum add a gothic rock lilt alongside the dark group harmonies. Alongside a dark heavy metal stirring it all makes for something unexpected and enthralling, like a union of Sisters Of Mercy, Danzig, Joy Division, and Venom which excites and awakens a strong appetite.

That anticipation is soon diminished a little by the following Winds of Revelation, a track which is straightforward classic metal for the main with none of the mystique and hypnotic adventure of the first track. Mid paced and certainly well-crafted, guitars and rhythms firmly making it a more than decent proposition, the track lacks the spark to ignite any real passion and a lot is down to the vocals of Landrum. On the first song he was forceful and a perfect fit for the sounds but here stretching whilst his boundaries and tussling with numerous notes it simply deflects form the strong sounds around him. He is certainly a more than decent vocalist in certain scenarios as shown on the album but has obvious limitations which this time around leaves doubts a strong reaction.

Elfstone opens with a pulsating heavy bassline and another irresistible groove which is right out of the eighties gothic rock songbook. Once again a hunger is sparked even with the wandering vocals which at times excel and in others dismay. Like Iron Maiden meets The Mission, the track and album has the listener back in its hands ready for crawling intensive drama of Walpurgisnacht and the brilliance of Isle of Man. Both have a doom presence not always open across the album, especially in the first of the two but also further potent varied spicery to favour the appetite. Isle of Man though stands wide apart from the rest with ease, the track a broody and bustling tempest of dark punk and gothic imagination. It is a masterful beast of sound and predation, at times reminding of Southern Death Cult and Theatre Of Hate and in others Type O Negative and Fields of Nephilim It is virulently contagious with Landrum outstanding and takes top honours with ease, the only complaint being it is less than two and a half minutes long.

The thrash fuelled Frost Giants keeps the album thundering along with skill and intensity whilst Witches Kiss brings a little southern heat into is seventies keys clad presentation, variation upon Destiny of the Gods another certain success. The song like its successor She Rides the Dawn do not reap the same strong responses as others, again a lack of that spark and the vocal discrepancies though the guitar inventive grooves and solos impress.

The album ends on a high through firstly the excellent Cult like Solitary Days and a quite enjoyable and surprising cover of Siouxsie and the Banshees’ Spellbound. The band make a very satisfying fist of the song, yes Landrum is no Siouxsie Sioux but holds his vocals to add expression and flair to the song whilst McGuckin without creating that rolling pulsating hypnotic slavery which Budgie made his own, brings the track into an anthemic and dramatic tempting for the passions. With keys adding a delicious elegance to the stomp the track is an excellent conclusion to an overall enjoyable release. Yes Destiny of the Gods is a bit of mixed bag, falling flat when venturing into the classic/heavy metal stance and excelling when employing a much wider experimental  array of styles and imagination, but one which makes the return of Coven 13 very welcome.

http://www.coventhirteen.com

7/10

RingMaster 19/11/2013

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Young Knives – Sick Octave

Unpredictability and imagination not forgetting compelling ingenuity has always fuelled the sounds and invention of Young Knives, their unique blend of post punk and indie pop never low on surprises and persistently high on infectiousness and experimentation. The UK band’s new and fourth album Sick Octave as expected is no departure from that intent but takes the exploration and experimentation of their songwriting to new riveting heights. Taking further the challenging enterprise which has been hinted at on previous albums through songs like Tailors, I Can Hardly See Them, and Storm Clouds, the trio dives head first into a hungry invention which maybe ebbs and flows a little in its success but undoubtedly emerges within the new release as an ultimately magnetic adventure.

Financed through Kickstarter, the wholly DIY made album is a mesmeric landscape of striking and seductive persuasion, one which tests and pushes limits for band and listener but rewards richly, especially the more time  you spend in its taunting arms. There are moments and tracks where quizzical expressions find a home on the face but even in those less persuasive times the Young Knives leaves a temptation which ensures you feel a need to explore just that little more. Whether Sick Octave will find the success and responses of previous albums such as their debut Voices of Animals and Men of 2006 and Superabundance two years later, amongst certainly more fair weather fans is debatable but for those with an already waiting appetite for the band’s deeper aural research it is a release which potently satisfies.

Released on their own Gadzook Recordings there is a feeling of freedom to the album, something which possibly was pent up and restrained on earlier releases from label restrictions. Through a comparison to its predecessor alone, the 2011 album Ornaments from the Silver Arcade, there is a bolder, braver, and hunger to the invention upon Sick Octave which feels like the band has been able to uncaged  a new bolder creativity, and they have never been slouches in that department from day one. Young Knives opens the album up with the brief 12345, an entangled vocal countdown made by children which is the first raising of eyebrows. It is immediately forgotten though with the arrival of Owls of Athens, the song exploding into view with eager electro bait. Like a jaunt with Sigue Sigue Sputnik whilst a haunted sax wails appealingly in its riveting sky, the track roams around the senses with an addictive bait washed with melodic brass flames and the fine vocals of Henry Dartnall, ably backed by the rest of the band. The song is a smouldering temptation, one which never truly explodes but teases and provokes with craft and a contagious invention to immediately awaken the passions with its spellbinding presence.

The following We Could Be Blood opens up another distinct tempting avenue. The bass of The House Of Lords emotively twangs across the ear at first to be soon joined by Dartnall’s voice and the caressing touch of a Hammond organ. With the beats of Oliver Askew firmly framing the start there is an eruption of melodic fire from within the gentle stroll, an energy which subsequently shares time and position with the melancholic call of the track. One of the slow burners upon the album, the song is a pleasing encounter which sets the emotions and thoughts up nicely for the strikingly impressive suasions of All Tied Up and White Sands. The first from a raw feisty start, the guitars chewing up the opening ambience, strolls through a warped tango like weave of rhythmic and sonic enterprise. There is a Talking Heads breath to its body that plays mischievously within the darker heavier croon of the song, shadows which have the scent of Joy Division to their encroaching. It is a masterful venture soon surpassed by its sensational successor. White Sands is a schizophrenic rhythmic bewitchment which manages to rein in its full insanity to make an addictive cage for the predacious bass lures and carving guitar strikes, the mix an imagination stirring narrative led by the continuing to impress vocals, the album Dartnall’s finest hour so far one suggests.

Something Awful, a song inspired by Dartnall’s Grandfather and his battle with Alzheimers, opens up deeper intensive lyrical shadows with a  brewed intimidation within the words with is powerfully interpreted by the music. A melodic swagger with bright tones crossed with rapacious challenging furies, the track is a thrilling provocateur for the senses and thoughts which flows into Preset Columns/ Default Comets, the track a less convincing evolution of its predecessor which leaves thoughts a little uncertain even after numerous flights through its sonic soundscape.

Both Bella Bella and Marble Maze ignite greater strength within the open appetite for the album, the first of the two a chilling cross between Wire and Blur whilst the second sees the band in many ways reverting to the sound and structure of earlier songs in their career but with an approach awash with emotive strings and spiralling intensity which burns a deep satisfaction into thoughts. Both songs fail to match some of the earlier heights crafted but still keep a fascination intently alive as does the jazz bedlam of Green Island Red Raw, the song a wanton scattering of ideas within a containing cloak of timing and restraint which just works if without setting blazes in the passions, though the bass work is quite delicious.

From the decent enough short rub of scuzziness that is Score, the album goes out on a major high with firstly the excellent Bed Warmer followed by the closing treat of Maureen. The penultimate song is a wonderfully abrasive and fiery encounter which rubs the senses up the right and wrong way to leave them wanting more whilst succumbing to the rabidity fuelling the energy and invention of the song, again something which harkens back in a way to their Young Knives…Are Dead EP with an extra sinewy splatter of Baddies infectiousness to it. The final song is the band at its melodic and lyrically incisive best whilst stretching their inventive boundaries. Another David Byrne like inspired festivity flirts with the dark veins of the song whilst its chorus is a virulent call which lays a healthy dose of funk spicery into the mix, with Dartnall at times delving into his finest John Lydon squall.

     Sick Octave is an enthralling and thrilling release which suggests the next chapter of the Young Knives adventure is going to be a highly captivating one. The album may not be another Superabundance but it is without doubt a charismatic tantalising slice of instinctive excitement.

http://www.young-knives.com/

8.5/10

RingMaster 04/11/2013

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Nonagon – The Last Hydronaut

Carving out a noise which simultaneously torments and seduces the senses, US band Nonagon is an encounter which challenges and rewards with an equal intensity and vitriolic craft. Their third EP The Last Hydronaut takes no prisoners, its offering demanding and invigorating with a squall which blends stretches of punk and garage rock with noise and post punk/post metal irreverence. To be honest the six track release and songwriting of the Chicago trio defies any exact definition of their violations but that is just the start of the enjoyment and potency of the release.

Nonagon was formed in 2003 by drummer Tony Aimone (ex-The Blue Meanies, J. Davis Trio, Taylor), bassist Robert Gomez (ex- Der Lugomen and of Martian Law), and guitarist John Hastie (ex- Jumpknuckle). The band released the No Sun EP in 2008 and the People Live Everywhere EP last year, the first a more punk driven causticity whilst its successor shows the beginnings of the varied corrosive endeavours which ignites The Last Hydronaut. The new release sees the band taking another step forward, it’s uncomfortable and compelling presence a fury of unconventional and uncompromising uniqueness as destructive as acid and as thrilling as a magnetic storm.

Opener Razing All Boats instantly ignites ears and emotions, its initial crowding of the senses a tempest of sinew driven rhythms, bass predation and antagonistic riffing. That starting scourge never changes across the track but with the squalling vocals and niggling groove irresistibly capturing the imagination, the song makes a constantly riveting and dramatic introduction to the release. The throaty bass prowl and unpredictable rhythmic caging reminds of early Killing Joke in a union with The Fall whilst with the scowling punk vocals across the grazing riffery the song aligns a mix of Converge and at times Melvins. It is an excellent rage soon matched by The Pfister, another virulent torrential abrasion which teases, taunts, and tantalises with a multi-flavoured acidity. The bass makes the early call before sonic guitar scrubbing disguised as a groove employs its excellent toxicity upon senses and emotions. The vocals help create a presence which recalls eighties band The Three Johns whilst the melodic intent of the barbed groove with discord an enthralling bedfellow adds elements of The Fire Engines to the outstanding confrontation.

For those old references the EP and sound is a refreshing wind of modern inclination which King Corky takes to another depth of potency with addiction forging niggling grooves and guitar temptation. Less immediate than its predecessor but no less intense and dramatically contagious, the track creates a daunting consuming web prowled by the excellent bass courting of the ears, its crawl and enticement as rapacious as the equally predatory drum exploits which builds an enthralling frame for guitars and vocals to spurt their fractious sonic brawls from.

Both Elvis and Affinity Fraud increase that intensity previously taken to darker places to even heavier testing heights, the first with a rigorous almost destructive presence whilst the second of the two twists and turns with a scalding and scathing invention of melodically drenched sonic hunger. Though neither quite lives up to their predecessors, the experimental invention and hunger to push their boundaries is undeniably fascinating and gripping, the second at times almost bringing whispers of pop punk to bear within its sour laced pungent enterprise.

The final track Hydronauts completes the excellent release with more of the same adventure in a new appealing guise for the EP, vocals and guitars acerbic bait inside a continually arresting and incendiary rhythmic ingenuity. The Last Hydronaut will not be an easy listen for some and noise manna for others. For us with repetition and spellbinding droning as much a bewitching antagonist as the rhythmic conjuring and sonic tempestuousness, the EP is a gripping and exhilarating trial for nerves and senses.

http://www.nonagon.us/

8.5/10

RingMaster 22/10/2013

 

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Deathline – Every Dying Breath

photo Beki Cowey

    Taken from second album Nova which came out last year, London/Helsinki electronic rock duo Deathline release new single Every Dying Breath to once again stir up and bring a compelling caustic breath to air and senses. A blend of industrial rhythmic provocation, swarming dirty electronics, and post punk starkness veined with tender melodic tempting, the singles is a magnetic confrontation which without igniting burning fires in the passions stokes them up into a healthy hunger for the band’s invention and imagination.

Consisting of Jennie Werlemar (vocals/bass) and Kaoru Sato (guitar/programming), Deathline bring a reworked version of Every Dying Breath coating it in a hazier almost suffocating atmosphere and acidic ambience. It is a creature which permeates every pour and thought whilst engaging them on a corrosive dance of enterprise and enchanting mystery. The opening call of the song is a close relation to Blondie’s Atomic, a whisper which never truly evaporates as the track wraps its causticity and temptation around the ear. The vocals of Werlemar are dark and sinisterly seductive complimenting the shadows of the track whilst the keys and guitar temper each other’s strengths to sculpt a union which pulls appetite and imagination deep and eagerly into the song’s textured depths. With elements of Artery and Jesus and Mary Chain also making their essences open within the psychedelia licked sonic soup, the song is a vibrant and enthralling lure which earns and offers stronger rewards with each journey within its stifling beauty.

Two remixes of the track follow to differing effects. The first is from Danish electronica duo holm/mirland and clears away the sonic smog of the original but loses the depth and crowding entrapment which works so well. It is a decent enough take but stripped down even with a more electronic punctuation, the track is merely a passing smile between the broad dark grin of the lead track and the riveting lip spread of the following Shaken Not Remixed version from The Dead Zoo. Again this track receives a clean-up but in its place a stringed embrace and orchestral wash fills the dramatic gaps left empty by its predecessor. With a Bond like breath and smouldering melodic heat the track is an immersive and absorbing flight which even makes a valid suasion on our less than eager thoughts on remixes.

The release closes with a demo version of The Death Line, the track a beguiling conspirator with shadows for an emotive, filth littered sonic waltz which leads the imagination into a fall within a noir narrative and aural isolation. It is a pleasing end to an equally satisfying and eventful release. Every Dying Breath is an attention grabbing riveting tempter for both Deathline and Nova for all new recruits and confirmation of the band’s qualities for existing fans.

https://www.facebook.com/theDeathline

7/10

RingMaster 07/10/2013

 

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Maths and the Moon – Night Train Daydream

As soon as the opening track of Night Train Daydream, the debut album from UK band Maths and the Moon, began its tantalising flight of persuasion and rhythmic dance a broad grin emerged pushing back lips in lustful anticipation. The track took mere moments to ignite an intrigue and hunger which was last rife back in 1977 when the albums Pink Flag and more so Chairs Missing registered their instinctive temptation upon the passions. As the band unveil more of their psyche bred sounds across the release thoughts of those album’s creators Wire whisper very loudly across the imaginatively hued, transfixing addictive journey Maths and the Moon skilfully conjure. There is plenty more to the spellbinding sonic travelogue of course, all of which only teases and thralls the senses and imagination into its tense and dramatic escapade.

Hailing from the New Forest area of the south of England, the trio of vocalist/guitarist Andy Fielder, drummer Luke Taplin, and bassist Matt Hirst formed Maths and the Moon in 2009 and made their live debut alongside legendary Can frontman Damo Suzuki the following year. Night Train Daydream and its startling contents were recorded and produced by the band across 2009 through to 2012, a journey of time and internal venture for the release which finally has its departure into the thoughts and you can only suspect hearts of the country September 30^th. Already preceded by the single Old Days/New Daze which was released as  free download invitation, the album provides one of the most unexpected and thoroughly, greedily consumable treats of the year.

The provocative intensive dark charms of FFWD (Fly From Danger) opens up the dramatically imposing and scenic expanse of the album. It is a riveting first stop on the imaginative travelogue of sound and invention, a brewing rhythmic virulence emerging from a sonic mist to mark its first call. A cavernous breath calls from within that evocative chilled ambience as restrained whispered vocals tempt and coax in the passions further. Submission to the deliciously claustrophobic toxic fumes is unavoidable especially as voice and rhythms darken their presence and intensity to crowd and incite the imagination and emotions further. It is a staggering entrance of repetitive discordance which strongly pushes forth that Wire reference, which is confirmed and cemented in thoughts by the following On A Knife Edge. Another bait of rhythms beckons whilst a minimalistic bass and guitar call alongside the again reserved yet expressive spoken vocals seduces with ridiculous ease. Once the narrative sends the delivery of Fielder into a more mania bred uncertainty there is a sense of The Mae Shi to the song which merges with post punk chills of again Wire for a captivating almost nightmarish wonder.

The stunning start is next taken into a schizophrenic waltz of sonic and emotional discordance in Hekyll And Hyde which challenges its own psyche and the imagination of the listener; dark and light, peace and mania all conflicting yet seamlessly united provocateurs which explores inner turmoil whether emotional or physical. The great thing about album and songs is you can interpret things into personal potent landscapes as easily as sensing the band’s intent, their aural descripts guides without dictating which ensures each continued trip with the album is unique.

It’s Okay To Be Afraid continues the incredibly addictive and immense presence of the album, the track an initial caress of melodic warmth and tender comfort sculpted by sensitive guitar melodies and bass pawing which embrace the shoegaze glaze of the chorus, the mesmeric tone adding an extra reassuring kiss within the coarser shadows of the track. Another magnetic enticement which recalls the likes of House Of Love and My Bloody Valentine in many ways, it leads the senses into the mesmeric instrumental Recurring Dream Number 13. The chilling verging on sinister atmospheric piece is the continuation of the previous narrative of dreams and sleep within its predecessor, the track a hypnotic meditative embrace with imposing edges.  The outstanding Old Days/New Daze is the awakening from this track, its busy and feisty bass stroll and rhythmic rounding up of the senses and thoughts a forceful slightly deceptive lead into new fearful yet rewarding if faced, adventures. The guitars carve a sonic storm of riveting enticement across the sky of the song whilst the drum and bass bait make a perpetually enslaving inducement alongside the monotone but engaging vocals, again so reminiscence of Wire and the early solo work of Colin Newman.

Through the likes of the air blistering menacing WWYB (The Demons March), the acoustic and starkly elegant Anxious Cats, a song which launches upon a larger intensively dramatic stance midway, and the deceptively hypnotic Monochrome which finds an invention and roving stance that is pure post punk toxicity, the album takes the passions and imagination through strikingly and intensely coloured emotive explorations which stretch not only thoughts but the boundaries of the songwriting and album.

From the slightly industrialised instrumental Lolocomo, Night Train Daydream heads to the completion of its absorbing dark ride with firstly the exceptional Light At The 11th Hour, the track a fiery garage punk infused slice of rewarding fun for the traverse of so many exciting dark stops on the journey, and lastly the electronically propelled Polychrome. The song is a scuzz driven dance of bright sonic lights and heart spawned celebration, though as now expected it does not come without dark corners and shadowed distractions to ignite even greater rapture and intrigue.

 Night Train Daydream is a brilliant debut, a mesh of droning seduction, fire drenched corrupted melodies, and uncompromising imagination. Maths And The Moon almost make you believe in musical reincarnation, as though they are not the new Wire they are surely the kings of their legacy.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maths-and-the-Moon/168962103158259

www.mathsandthemoon.bandcamp.com

10/10

RingMaster 25/09/2013

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GagReflex – Nails EP

A release which passed us as probably it did a great many at the tail end of last year, Nails the debut EP from UK noise punks GagReflex is a release and introduction to its creators which undoubtedly still needs a bit of late retrospective investigation. Consisting of four tracks making for a stirring and intrusively provocative presence, the EP is an early marker for a band which has all the promise and inventive craft to evolve into an even more potent and gripping confrontation.

Hailing from Cheltenham, the band consists of bassist/vocalist Stu Hawkins and drummer Seb Goffe. Their sound as you might suspect from the line-up of instruments is a throaty and uncluttered enticement, a new direction for a pair of musicians used to a more conventional band situation. Bands such as Morkobot with their bass only attack has always sparked a strong hunger for us and GagReflex is no different, their sound intimidating and predacious whilst simultaneously captivating with an infectious enterprise and carnivorous imagination.

Opening track Cut To The Spike opens on a lure of sonic tempting with swift to join rampant rhythms, the combination instantly riveting and even more so once the darker heavier bass tone takes its place in the persuasion. A niggling groove taunts the ear in the background before sheltering behind the soon involved intensive walls of rhythmic narrative led by the punkish vocals of Hawkins. Magnetic and contagious the song is like the greatest evil, menacing, fiercely intrusive, and wholly seductive. Post punk whispers are a healthy by-product of the instrumentation and just as welcome as the caustic touch of the song, the whole inspired union a striking first encounter.

I’ll Be The Hyena offers a lighter again post punk tempting to start things off, thoughts of The Three Johns and in many ways Gang Of Four raising an appearance. It soon develops a sterner and darker riling which like the first song finds an eager appetite lying in wait for its concussive rhythmic juggling and darkly sonic narrative. As before there is plenty of imagination involved to keep the song fresh and intriguing whilst musically it works on the primal side of satisfaction.

Both Chew Myself and What’s The Deal, Kim Jong-il? to conclude the EP unveil distinctive and seditious incitements, the first with a melodic toast to the punk rock vocals wrapped by the guttural croon of the bass within another sculpted rhythmic cage and the closing track through its blaze of spiky rhythms and snarling bass painted sound. There is a more new wave like pop lure to the final song and throughout the Nails EP there is that almost taunting irresistible light charm or is that venom which leaves ear and imagination greedily contented.

Though their demo debut is raw and coarse around the edges, Nails is a thoroughly pleasing and adventurous encounter. GagReflex is a fresh animosity for noise rock and one which surely will gain stronger vitriolic depths ahead for all our benefits.

The Nails EP is available as a free download from http://gagreflex.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/gagreflexmusic

8.5/10

RingMaster 11/09/2013

 

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TeribalAnamal – Anamala

pic Taylor Trash

Steeped in and seeded from the early minimalistic days of post punk and new wave adventure, Anamala the debut EP from US band TeribalAnamal, is a rather tasty introduction to a band well worth keeping a close eye upon. Containing six uncluttered but resourcefully sculpted songs, the release is a tantalising provocateur which is simultaneously nostalgic and fresh to the ear, and one you find yourself drawn back to time and time again.

Formed around a year ago from the meeting of Stephanie ( guitar/vocals), Chalky (drums), and Ryan (bass/vocals), the Brooklyn band has swiftly built a fine reputation around NYC finding potent success and responses across the likes of the Trash Bar, Delancey, and Fontana’s Bar with their intensive gigging regime. Their sound is influenced by bands such as Siouxsie and The Banshees, The Cure, The Pixies, Joy Division, New Order, Sonic Youth, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, The Cramps and more, which gives you a good hint of what to expect with Anamala, though it does not reveal all of its potency.

The deliciously throaty sound of the bass welcomes the ear first as Ice starts things off to soon be pierced by the howling vocal call of Stephanie. With the bass continuing to seduce the senses and thoughts whilst the guitar lays down a slightly caustic web, a Joy Division like haze invitingly wraps the ear whilst the vocals of Ryan add to the sinister embrace with his reservedly expressive tones. Not for what will be not the first time on the EP, the bass suggests Gang Of Four inspirations whilst the melodically hinting guitar makes loud suggestions of The Pixies. It is a richly persuasive opener sparking real appetite for what is to follow.

Mourning Dove also makes an irresistible entrance, a Bauhaus suggestiveness inciting the air before a rhythmic prowl which incessantly probes the senses seizes control of song and thoughts. Rhythmically and sonically the track reminds of Alien Sex Fiend also, though the vocals and guitar enterprise takes it to another unique persuasion. Though the guitar ‘solo’ is too sparse to flow fluidly it still adds extra incitement and pleasure to what is already an easy to devour slice of punk infested magnetism.

The next up Turkey is a fuller song with arguably more colours within its walls compared to its predecessors. It is an indie fuelled piece of songwriting and sound which shows the band can stretch their post punk into stronger diversity whilst still permeating it with hypnotic beats and virulent hooks, though it does seem a little pale in comparison to the previous track and its successor Garuda. The EP is one of those releases which could turn you into a rhythms whore, this track returning the release to another engagement rife with epidemically addictive drum bait and solicitously persistent bass bewitchment, though the two here are split by a wonderful almost elegant kiss of guitar. The Cure come to mind as the song settles into stride though again TeribalAnamal create something distinctive to their invigorating imagination. The song as much as it reminds of the band mentioned and whispers at others also has a sound bred of today; though as post punk seems to be a rich enticement to numerous emerging bands the whole release to be fair finds a current flavour. The only niggle with the track is that it seems to finish before being ready, not a sudden stop but feeling like it has had enough and wants to move on to its next invention.

That also applies with Ravenous though neither song suffers in the slightest. The track is a more concentrated almost predatory prowl of the ear, drums more restrained in its allurement but bass bringing a closet predation to its stalk. The dual vocals is beguiling in their still drone seeded delivery whilst the guitar skirts their call with exciting sonic flames, again with a rein on their full heat. It is another high even if it decides to go before we are ready to let it.

Flamingos closes off Anamala in fine style, a garage punk intensity and intent scrubbing across the ear as the song builds an anthemic lure which is impossible to refuse. It concludes an impressive introduction to a band with a wealth of promise which makes it hard to see them not forging a noticeable mark in sound and presence ahead. Already suggesting they alone have their creative sights on grander things post punk just might be making an even more dramatic comeback, fingers crossed.

www.facebook.com/teribalanamal

8.5/10

RingMaster 06/09/2013

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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Disappears: Era

Over their five years of existence, Disappears has continually delved deep into their creative thoughts and stretched not only their limitations but the listeners, their recent abstract and challenging Kone EP a prime example. With Era, the fourth album from the Chicago band, there is not exactly a less adventurous experimentation going on but certainly a stripped down one which has a core seed driving its breath and intent. The seven track album is bred from early 80ʻs post punk, admittedly given the distinct rapaciously dark Disappears touch and a modern voraciousness but openly spawned from a suggested passion within the band for that period and aural bedding. It is a stunning release which has a foot in nostalgia and another in current noise artistry as it takes the senses on a chilling venture into light exhausting realms and emotive provocation.

Sculpting the album through an almost psychotically oppressive merger of dub, psyched fuelled repetition, and carnivorous post punk cold, the quartet of Brian Case, Damon Carruesco, Jonathan van Herik, and making his debut drummer Noah Leger, immediately throw a caustic web over the ear with Girl. Its slow dawning soon coaxed into greater life by the lone bass croon, which itself is soon immersed in a harsh sonic wash of guitar and effected vocals. There is an immediate sense of Public Image Limited to the stark and hoarse glaze which appeals strongly whilst the persistent haze of noise only adds to the concussive temptation, the repetitious squalling of vocals and sound furthering its strength yet again as the climax of the track scorches the air.

The following Power has a clearer sky to its presence, the tempestuous air of its predecessor replaced by a haunted blackened breath veined by a compelling bass narrative and the drum beats. Instantly riveting in this insistent design, the guitars bring an additional expressive hue to the provocative persuasion, their sonic colour pushing a sense of The Cure from around their second and third album to thoughts whilst the steely ice embrace caging it all seems bred from the heart of Joy Division.

Two tracks in and Era has already secured full physical and emotional involvement but an elevation of ardour is soon forced as both Ultra and the title track enslave and appease the now rife appetite further. The first of the pair from the off niggles with a steely stare from the guitars with a rhythmic beckoning which only enhances the thick lure. As the vocals slowly coat the engagement with gelid reserve, the repetitious stance of the track becomes a greater temptress, its minimalistic encroachment bringing a sense of Wire and early Killing Joke into play with the uniqueness of Disappears. Its successor continues in the same teasing persistently nagging way, riffs and hooks on repeat until they seduce down to the instinctive core without ever verging on annoyance though this time they are accompanied by a richer melodic colour dripping delicious discord and wrapped in a polar climate. Carrying a sense of Artery and Gene Love Jezebel to it, the track accentuates the diverse and enriching depths of the release. It may come with a frosty nature but works with resourcefulness on every aspect of the body and mind.

The exceptional Weird House steals top honours with its scintillating stroll of noise pop and pop punk revelry. Holding a swagger arguably missing on the other songs and equipped with a melodic sun that glistens off of the metallic sinews of the drums and compelling bass temptation, the song is a virulent infection on the senses. Again loaded with a singular course for its intent and with vocals that seem to swing with relish simultaneously to the slight wantonness of the song, there is an indefinable familiarity to the scintillating offering though once more you can suggest Wire as a source.

As Elite Typical rolls firmly through the ear with an early Gang Of Four cold scold and invention, and the closing stark expanse of the Joy Division/Colin Newmanesque New House invades every pore with its arctic noir kiss, Disappears ensures that Era is as potent and invasive at its tail as its head. There is a clarity and uncluttered voice to the album and all of its uniquely offered songs which alone sets the album apart from their other releases, but mostly it is the merciless entrancing presence and intensive suggestiveness which leaves no thought and emotion untouched. Rich in the essences of the past but stood rigorously in the present, the Kranky Records released Era is a stunning and exhilarating slice of tender desolation and melancholic joy. A definite album of the year contender too.

http://www.disappears.us/

9.5/10

RingMaster 26/08/2013

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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Bête Noire – Shut Your Mouth

Of course everyone has spent a moment to wonder what a merger between Joy Division, The Pixies, and Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster would sound like right? But ponder no longer as UK band Bête Noire brings you the answer with their debut release Shut Your Mouth. Unveiling much more than that trio of essences suggests, the two track single is a thrilling and potent introduction to a band which is almost as new itself as the release is to the world.

Hailing from London and consisting of vocalist David M Hargreaves, guitarists Danny Defalco and Billy Bloom, bassist Andrew G, and drummer James Whitfield, Bête Noire has been existence for around six months though listening to the songs you hear a maturity which leads one to believe their musical exploits could stretch back further. Taking influences from the likes of Chameleons, Magazine, Pixies, Stereo Lab, and Serge Gainsbourg, the quintet create a post punk stemmed sound soaked in dark shadows and chilled ambience but equally littered with hooks and deceptive melodies which only captivate in their worst moments and seduce at their heights. The single is a stirring marker for the band which though you could suggest right now their sound lacks a little originality you feel time and evolution will solve that minor ‘issue’.

Shut Your Mouth is the lead track and needs only the brief moment that it takes for the opening beats to be joined by the wonderful snarl bitten bass to secure full attention and draw a lick across the lips of the passions. As the steely jangle of the guitars coax in the excellent expressive vocals of Hargreaves the Joy Division vibe is instantaneous but only a strong flavour in a vibrant mix. Whilst the song wraps its cold engaging charms around the senses with flushes of warmth contradicting and elevating the core of the song through the hooks and sonic caresses, there is a feel of early Devoto led Buzzcocks peeping through and a noise rock shimmer bringing remote comparisons to bands like The Gaa Gaas and Engerica. It is an outstanding brew that issues distrust and persuasion with open hands whilst rising the temperature of the psyche and hunger into a greedy recipient.

Its companion Out and Proud is a similarly bred song but with more restraint in its deliberate prowl of the ear, the guitars crafting a sonic narrative to spark upon ear and thoughts whilst the bass kindly stalks their colour within a firm rhythmic frame. Once more the vocals tantalise with the great expressive delivery of Hargreaves coated in a hollow effect and pointing to Ian Curtis in likeness. With the bass offering throatier bait as the song progresses and the chorus providing the road to addictiveness, the song is like its predecessor a potently appealing and compelling encounter.

The single simply impresses from start to finish. It flows with such promise and enterprise that expectations of major things ahead from Bête Noire are already flourishing. Possibly it is too early to make such assumptions but as Shut Your Mouth holds the ear in its creative palms again, there is no betting against it.

http://betenoiremusic.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/betenoiremusic

9/10

RingMaster 22/08/2013

 

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