Rock – Page 22 – Wonderbox Metal

Lo-Pan – Colossus (Review)

Lo-Pan are from the US and this is their fourth album of Stoner Rock.

Bursting straight out of the speakers with the kind of direct, fat riffing that lets you immediately know where their priorities lie, Lo-Pan make a noticeable entrance.

The lazy, melodic vocals recall the early 90’s where there was an embarrassment of lean, hungry vocalists filling the airwaves with choice melodies. Lo-Pan’s singer reminds me of these times and his voice is like liquid honey.

Like a joyous cross between Soundgarden and Torche; Lo-Pan give me a big happy smile and make me want to stomp around to their colossal riffs whilst grinning like a maniac.

The songs on Colossus are instant gratification and sound like they’re very much written with a live audience in mind. As such they’re high energy, catchy and have an easy rolling attitude about them.

Lo-Pan are surely the latest incarnation of the Stoner Rock gods, sent from on high to teach us lesser mortals to rock the fuck out.

So let’s do it.

Violet – The Love/The Lust (Review)

Violet are from the UK and this is their début album.

Violet play en energetic mix of Metalcore, Post-Hardcore and Rock. It’s on the more commercial side of the spectrum certainly, but the passion and enthusiasm is real.

For comparisons think elements of bands such as From Autumn To Ashes, Eighteen Visions, Bleeding Through and Coheed & Cambria.

The band are a six-piece who boast two vocalists, plus vocals from one of their guitarists; they carry a fair amount of diversity due to this. Snarled, Metalcore vocals and clean singing share space with the music being similarly divided between the heavier and lighter sides of the musical spectrum. The clean vocals are sometimes a little too Pop for my tastes, but the shouted vocals make up for this deficiency.

The music is nicely enhanced by keyboards, effects and sounds that give all of the tracks a silken sheen and add a bit of depth to the tracks.

The songs are catchy enough to hold attention, although the sugary cleans can be a bit too sugary on occasion. If they added a little bit more bite to their attack and reined in the more Pop aspects of their sound then in my eyes they’d really be a force to reckon with. On the other hand though, this is clearly an important aspect to their sound that they enjoy and no doubt many others will also.

Overall this is a good début from a promising young band who could feasibly do very well and have a great potential to appeal to a much wider audience than the average Metal band.

Have a listen.

N/ill – Black Marble Carapace (Review)

This is the latest EP from Germany’s N/ill. N/ill is a one-person project playing Ambient/Industrial/Drone/Electronica/Rock.

This is a collection of dark soundscapes that use electronics and sounds to create atmospheric pieces that are reminiscent of Shoegaze Post-Rock only from an Industrial/Electronica standpoint.

The songs are slow builders and rise and fall like the ebb and flow of the tide. Rather than sounding organic though these tracks are largely artificial sounding, but not in any bad way. They come from a place of technology and show that this is not any barrier to evoking real feelings in songs.

When vocals appear they are ragged and heartfelt, lending the tunes the feeling of a singer like Mark Lanegan set to a backdrop of Nine Inch Nails-styled proto-Industrial Rock mixed with a synthetic Earth. Or they are female and come across as a stitched together sample that permeates the music like permanent ink.

These compositions are well written and the 33 minutes of music here comes across as a bleak soundtrack to a post-modern film. Each track has its own identity and it covers a diverse range of genres and styles across the 7 songs.

Before listening to this I wasn’t sure what to expect – the cover and the name didn’t give much away, so I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the contents.

This release has the potential to transcend the usual genre limitations and make a mark for itself. With the right exposure/backing it could do well.

Black Marble Carapace is the product of a very talented individual. If you’re looking for something a little different then check this out and lend him your support.

Ghegga – The Brutishness of a Similar Thing (Review)

Ghegga are a Scandinavian band and this is their début album.

Ghegga play Electronic/Industrial-influenced Alternative Rock. These influences are embedded into the core of the band’s sound; rather than just add a few keyboards to their main instruments as some bands do, Ghegga incorporate these additional noises, sounds, etc. into everything they do so that the Industrial aspect is an integral part of their approach.

Obvious references would be a band like Nine Inch Nails, although it also brings to mind lesser known acts like Sunna and Gravity Kills. Think of these, add a more Techno/Aphex Twin influence to things; then strip away everything glossy and bright and you’ll have an idea of the Ghegga sound.

There are some good beats on this release and the songs work well as a stylistic whole. This is a bit too Industrial to be overtly commercial and is more like an underground Techno band who have discovered Rock and the beauty of guitars.

The vocals add to the underground Techno feel of the album. Sometimes melodic, sometimes spoken, sometimes threatening, sometimes conspiratorial, sometimes roguish; the vocals are a bit different and wielded like any other instrument to be warped and manipulated artificially by the band.

The tracks are very inorganic; they reek of mechanisation and industrialisation whilst maintaining a techno-darkness undertone that informs the central theme of the tracks. This is the soundtrack to an urban nightmare set to the backdrop of street-level warfare.

This is an interesting release from a band who have chosen to go down the road less travelled for this style of music. It would have been so easy to inject a glossy sheen to this kind of style and have anthemic choruses covering everything like sickly-sweet sugar. Instead we have a grittier vision of the future of music, one where urban decay is rampant and mechanised grime stalks the innocent.

If you’re looking for something a bit unusual then look no further. Delve into the world of Ghegga, just make sure you bring something to protect yourself as this land is not for the unwary.

Interesting and different.

The Von Deer Skulls – It’s Time To Paralyze (Review)

The Von Deer Skulls have their origins in many different countries and have a suitably unusual sound to boot.

I suppose the best way to describe this band is Experimental Rock with elements of Drone, Ambient and Electronica/Industrial.

The tracks here are largely laid back, relaxed affairs. Low-key riffs and sounds move the compositions forward whilst soft vocals and gentle noises punctuate the flow.

This is relatively easy listening and the overall mood is an atmospheric one. Although I wouldn’t describe them as having a dark sound per se, it’s certainly not a bright and hopeful one either. They seem to be aiming for a slightly creepy, unnerving sound and I think they’re headed in the right direction.

The guitars are largely lo-fi but the distortion is noticeable here and there. They even approach a Rocky beat in places.

This is a good release from a band who are still finding their sound and these songs give them a good base to work from. If you enjoy this kind of Experimental Post-Rock then The Von Deer Skulls should be right up your street.

Give this band some of your time and see what you think.

Ann My Guard – Innocence Descent (Review)

Ann My Guard are from Hungary and play Melodic Rock/Metal. This is their début album.

Mixing the extravagance of bands like Evanescence and Lacuna Coil with the Earthy grit of bands like Hole, Ann My Guard have produced a very impressive début.

The singer has a very powerful voice that’s versatile and strong. The vocals seems to seep from every pore of the music, however they don’t overpower it as the band has a core of Rock/Metal that refuses to be subdued.

This is richly melodic and falls on the more commercial side of the Modern Metal spectrum, although that certainly doesn’t intrinsically mean anything is wrong with it. Quite the reverse in fact, as the songs are strongly written and well-produced.

Although the vocals are undoubtedly the central focus, the music doesn’t slack. The instruments are well played and have a good sound to them. The fact that the guitars are not completely watered down like some bands of a similar style to this should tell you all you need to know. Rather than a vehicle for a singer this is a real band, as the coherence of the album attests to.

The band create very lush and textured soundscapes, with plenty of piano and subtle sounds to accompany the traditional drums/bass/guitar triad. This is an album of memorable tunes and good songs.

Although a lot lighter and considerably less extreme than a lot of the stuff that makes its way onto this site, this is nonetheless a worthy acquisition for when you want something a bit less intense and a lot more floating-ly melodic.

Check them out and have a listen.

Elevators to the Grateful Sky – Cloud Eye (Review)

This is the début album from Italian Stoner Rock band Elevators to the Grateful Sky.

This is a groovy and rocking release from this band.

A warm, happy sound emanates from the album and even in the band’s heavier moments the sound still manages to capture the heat of the desert in every note.

The singer has a good voice that’s as welcoming and familiar as the style itself. Not too high and not too low, it’s in that sweet spot where it doesn’t grate at all and fits the songs like a glove.

The songs are catchy and memorable and altogether a relatively relaxed affair. Even when the band rock out with their riffs at full throttle they still manage to foster a laid-back vibe at the same time.

The tracks have the usual Stoner Rock-styled riffs and composition that’s so definitive of this genre as well as having a bit of a Grunge feel in places. They do throw in the odd curve ball however; horn sections, for example.

Whilst not reinventing the genre this is still a solid and enjoyable release for anyone who likes this style.

Have a listen.

We Have A Ghost – We Have A Ghost (Review)

We Have A Ghost are from the US and this is their début.

The band play Electronica/Industrial-laced Rock. Think Nine Inch Nails/Mogwai/Ulver and you’re on the right lines.

Other points of reference include the little-known/remembered Electronic Rock band Vitro, who released an excellent album named Distort in 1999 of a similar style, as well as the fantastic experimental Paradise Lost album Host.

This is surprisingly complex music that weaves elaborate soundscapes around itself like a cloak of static and charged beats.

Atmosphere and tone are an important part of the We Have A Ghost sound, as well as fostering a futuristic sense of mystery.

A feeling of foreboding is hidden throughout this album. Sometimes it’s hidden underneath energetic sections and other times it’s right out there in the open.

This reminds me of the build-and-release style of Post-Rock/Metal if it had been given an Electronic/Industrial overhaul and the build/release sections were chopped up, warped and separately focused down into shorter songs.

Varied and expansive, this is a great listen, especially if you’re in the mood for something a bit different. The entire thing plays out like some form of soundtrack and the album is suitably cinematic in scope in this regard.

A slow builder that impresses on first listen but nonetheless really shows its charms after repeated spins; this album is a keeper.

Check this out – highly recommended.

The World State – Flier (Review)

Danish band The World State have released their first EP Flier.

Orchestral sounds and touches of Rock and Metal collide in this ambitious release.

The ex-Sirenia singer shows that she still has an amazing voice and her vocals here are exquisite.

The tracks have lots of ideas and effects to hold attention. Ambience and subtlety are used effectively as well as heavier and more intense sections.

Well written songs with a great sense of dynamics and pace pound or slink their way out of the speakers and it’s clear that this is a very talented band.

Each song captures a different mood but all of them are involved and have a playful experimental edge that sounds fresh and exciting. There are three main songs and one piano instrumental.

After listening to this over and over I can’t get enough of it. It’s simply wonderful, that’s all there is to say about it.

At under 20 minutes across 4 tracks this EP is brief but effective. A full album of this would be most welcome!

The Socks – The Socks (Review)

The Socks are from France and play a 70’s-style Stoner Rock.

The album art immediately drew me in, although I must confess that it is slightly marred by what is, for me, a really awful band name. Still, personal taste and all that.

But onto the important stuff – the music. The Socks, (ugh), play good, old-fashioned Rock in a retro style with a liberal dashing of era-appropriate keyboards that add to the feeling of having just stepped out of a time machine. Well almost anyway, as the production has a good modern sound to it. Rather than coming across incongruous though it allows the songs to sound much more alive than if they had gone with a usually-muted 70’s style “authentic” production.

They have songs that are upbeat and joyful, with groove, energy and vigour, while also having songs that are more laid back and introspective. Holy Sons is one of my favourite of this latter type.

The album has a good deal of variety across the 9 tracks, with even some contemporary influences sneaking in occasionally, (Next To The Light contains parts that sound almost Alice In Chains-y, for example).

The singer has a good set of lungs; relaxed and soulful. He makes his mark over well-played and written songs that are both catchy and involving.

This is only their début album but the band display a knowledge and experience of songwriting well beyond what other bands might have acquired by this point.

Despite my reservations about the name; the band acquit themselves nicely and this is a solid album of really enjoyable retro-style Rock. If you’re partial to a bit of this then you can do a lot worse.