Reviews roundup – DarWin | Battersea | Louien | Powerroad | Falling Into Red | The CEO
DARWIN
Origin Of Species
independent
One has to question of recording an album in the internet era under the name DarWin and calling it Origin of Species as I suspect someone may have used that name before. Especially when it’s a near future concept album about a planet wreaked by climate change. Good luck Duckduckgogoing that.
You won’t be surprised after the words concept and album arrived to learn that this a double CD of progressive rock. Very good progressive rock, mind, so don’t run off anywhere. Whoever the mysterious DarWin is, he’s got a good wee black book as in amongst the myriad names on the inner sleeve are drummer and producer Simon Phillips, bassist Matt Bissonette and guitarist Greg Howe. That’s before you chuck in the The Reykjavik String Quartet and The Chamber Orchestra Of London. Proper prog.
Anyway DarWin wakes up in a cave one morning with no memory of how he got there. After he leaves he is cybernetically augmented and the powers he gains could help save the Earth. As you do. Musically, the 84 minutes traverses a wide range of genre from out and out prog to melodic AOR (that’s what decades in Toto will do to you), ballads, classic rock and beyond. It’s immaculately performed and presented and if you buy it rather than get a promo freebie it comes with a graphic novel.
It’s very War of the Worldsy and once you start listening you find yourself drawn in so make sure you’ve got an hour and a half to spare before you hit play. You definitely won’t regret if you like your prog to be prog. A good one.
BATTERSEA
Arguments & Sentiments
Rock Company
Quite why a furrin rock band would name themselves after a dogs home is anyones guess. Insert your own dogs dinner joke here.
Actually it’s not that far of the mark as Battersea of this ilk seem a wee bit confused about what’s going on. On the one hand they seem rather fond of distorted grunge like guitars. On t’other the songs seem to be veering very much on the pop side of pop rock. And odd cove altogether.
Depending on your ears this may work for you especially as vocalist Ben Hermsen has a very listenable voice but despite the best efforts of the better songs such as ‘The Light’ and ‘The Sight’ it just misses for me. It’s well performed and well produced but it’s definitely one of those records where you’ll want to spend a fair amount of time streaming before you put your hand in your pocket to dish out those guldin pfennincs. Try before you buy.
LOUIEN
None Of My Words
Jansen Records
Some Scandi-folk anyone? Well, me, certainly. Although whether it’s a good move for someone as grief stricken as me, who is slowly disintegrating into a world where the tiniest disappointment is magnified into a slurry of alcohol fueled rage, to be listening to a record where Live Miranda Soldberg (for it is she) explores themes of death, isolation, separation and mourning following the death of her father, is debatable.
Actually it’s not. It’s a fucking stupid idea. But there is a bottle of rum in the fridge so I’m going in anyway.
Under normal circumstances I would hail this as an absolute classic of dark, melodic folk, bordering on death gospel. It is. But that doesn’t stop me hating every minute of it for its pinpoint accuracy. She’s a young ‘un so I will forgive her statement of “Grief allows for beautiful things” as the idiocy of youth. Wait till your my age, hen, and all of what passed for family are dead and buried, along with your soulmate. Then come back and talk about beauty.
She has a fabulous voice and the arrangements lift what are quite insubstantial melodies into something much more resonant. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone living a life of pain as it only magnifies your emotion. But if you’re one of the many dead inside masquerading as people, then take a leap.
POWERROAD
Kings Before Daylight
independent
Anyone up for some Swedish Supersuckers? You are? That is the correct answer. Although I wish the band would make their mind about what their name is. Their FB and Bandcamp still has them down as 276Powerroad but for the purposes of this, their second album, the 276 seems to have vanished.
Anyway that Swedish Supersuckers is a tag I’m sticking with, right down to the excellent hats in the video below. It’s high octane, I’m going to punch you in the face very hard, rawk and roll. If their first album was as good as this then it’s a shame that life and seven years got in-between them as the performance from Ove Noring (bass), Jonas ”Yorko” Runald (drums), Anders Mårs (vocals/harmonica) and the now departed Jonas Asplund (guitar) are exemplary examples of the genre.
Chuck in some proper, kick arse, powerful tunes like ‘Thorn’, ‘Profanum Vulgus’ and ‘Bird Of Prey’ alongside themes of motorbikes, riding motorbikes and thinking about motorbikes and I have no hesitation in proclaiming this Proper Rawk.
https://www.facebook.com/276powerroad/
FALLING INTO RED
Falling Into Red
Gainar Creative Music
So you thought nu-metal was dead and buried? Thought it was safe to creep back into a world where 36 Crazyfists and American Head Charge were confined within the walls of sanitoriums?
Well husband and wife duo Amy and Scott Gainar have got news for you. It’s back!!!
They’ve released a few singles since 2016 but are now ready to unleash a full album on the world. And despite what they say about electronica and modern film scores this couldn’t be more nu-metal if the CD came wrapped in a backwards baseball cap. There is even a tune with an actual rap on it! Well I say rap. A fella talking.
Thing is there was a lot of good nu-metal. And this is good. Considering it’s a self produced and released album, it sounds amazing. It wouldn’t be the first record I would personally reach for but there is some great guitar work on tunes like ‘The Storm Inside’ and considering how many Linkin Park and Papa Roach fans out there who’ve got the shakes waiting for a new fix, there is definitely a market waiting for them. It’s high energy and they have the sound of passion that raises a band from the workaday. Definitely worth investigating.
THE CEO
The CEO
Bearland
What the…? More post grunge, nu styled metal. What the flippity flip is going on?
Now I know you have to have a hook to get noticed in a world where any Tom, Dick or Harriet can record an album on their phone and release it, but I’m still not sure that telling everyone that you’re real life entrepreneurs who’ve hired someone to write an album for you is necessarily a good thing. It’s definitely different, I’ll give you that. But.
That’s what Mack Mullins and Mike Dunn have done. No more secondary marketing for them. No, it’s time to rock. And a round of applause for Gary Stone who gets a much smaller credit but who wrote the music and played drums, bass and rhythm guitar. And produced it. Which leaves Mack singing and Mike lead guitaring. Which they actually do really well. It may be a vanity project of sorts but Mullins has a sneering Ozzy quality to his vocals. Seventies Ozzy I should clarify, not the wheezing asthmatic of today. While Dunn can certainly shred.
Musically, it veers between the aforementioned post grunge / nu-metal guitars and more classic metal sounds which hint at doom. There are plenty of highlights with ‘Beautiful Bastard’, ‘Today Is The Day’ and the somewhat mucky ‘Glamour Of The Dirty’ real standouts. There is a helluva lot to enjoy here with my expectations thoroughly confounded. Quality.
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http://linda.hamilton.muchloved.com/
The Rocker - The Artist Formerly Known As Zeitgeist. TAFKAZ 
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