Just over a year since their last release, New Device are back with their second EP Coming Home. January last year saw the release of Devils on the Run (which I reviewed here), their first EP in their then nine year career. It is amazing to think that 2017 will see the band celebrating their tenth anniversary! Having formed in 2007 during a time when hard rock music was starting to have a bit of a resurgence, New Device found themselves up against a lot of competition. I was growing up and discovering music around the same time and the likes of Heaven's Basement, theFALLEN, Glamour of the Kill, Dear Superstar, and others were really exciting. I loved all the classic rock bands, but it was great to have a new generation of bands to call my own. New Device were part of that troupe, but they went a little under the radar for me at the time and it has only been in the past couple of years that I have really given them a proper re-evaluation. Sadly, many of the late 2000s hard rock bands are no more, but New Device have bucked the trend and seem to be on a real creative streak of late. Their 2009 debut album Takin' Over was well received, but numerous line-up changes definitely cost the band momentum. Only frontman Daniel Leigh and drummer Greg 'Rozzy' Ison remain from the line-up that wrote and recorded Takin' Over, and it would be four long years before New Device would release any new music. Here We Stand finally saw the light of day in 2013, and introduced the band's now-core line-up of Leigh, Ison, guitarist Matt Mallery, and bassist Nick Hughes. A couple of other guitarists have come and gone in the intervening period but, with the band now slimmed down to a four-piece, New Device seems to have a stable line-up. A live album Takin' Over London, which was recorded in 2014, was released in 2015 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the band's debut album, and since then New Device have been looking forward. A successful Pledge campaign allowed the band to record Devils on the Run, which was stylistically very similar to Here We Stand, and that momentum has been carried forward to create Coming Home, the band's first all-acoustic release. Naturally, given the stripped-back nature of the EP, Coming Home sounds quite different to anything New Device has done before. Most of the five new songs that make up the bulk of this release are on the slower, ballad-y end of the spectrum, which is probably unsurprising. Those fearing that Coming Home might be somewhat of a tame effort as a result need not worry however as the songwriting style is still very much that of Leigh's usual fare and the songs here are strong and work well as a collection. The physical edition of Coming Home also comes with two bonus tracks in the form of acoustic versions of On Your Knees (from Here We Stand) and Heaven Knows (from Takin' Over) which helps to add value for money when purchasing the CD and gives these fan-favourite songs new twists.
The EP opens with Everything, a delicate ballad which shows a softer side of Leigh's vocals to what he usually displays. It opens with just vocals and a single acoustic guitar, but it does build up into a full band arrangement in time with some sparse drumming and extra layers of guitar. Due to the stripped back nature of the song, and indeed the EP as a whole, the simple arrangements allow the melodies to really breathe. This song in particular is built around a really strong vocal performance, which is helped by some subtle harmonies in the choruses, and shows that Leigh is an emotional and versatile vocalist. I Miss You opens in a similar way, but the addition of some delicate piano lines really helps the song to stand out and add depth to the overall feel. Leigh's uses a slightly lower register in his voice on this song, and it helps to add a darker vibe throughout, which is helped by some prominent bass playing from Hughes and the minor acoustic guitar arpeggios. This slightly darker feel really helps the song to stand out and makes it one of the instantly memorable pieces on offer here. The EP's title track has some delicate string arrangements throughout, which helps to create somewhat of a dramatic feel despite the sparse, acoustic arrangement. What New Device has done with this song, and the entire EP, is show what some restraint can really do. All too often bands are intent on packing as much as they can into a song and some of the basic melodies can get lost. This is not the case here. Collide is my favourite song on this EP, with a really strong chorus with a really emotional vocal delivery from Leigh which seems him hit some quite high notes above a gorgeous guitar melody. This is a song that I could really see working well as a full band arrangement, especially with the wordless gang-vocal section part-way through that would really whip up a storm live. The song works fantastically in this acoustic arrangement however and in my opinion is the centrepiece of this little collection. On the Wind is the last of the five new songs here, and is another slower song but with a slightly funky overall feel with a tight drum performance and lots of little bursts of bluesy lead guitar from Mallery. This is another song that would really work well with a full rock arrangement, especially with all the lead guitar parts, but it closes out the new material here perfectly. As mentioned above, there are two bonus tracks on the CD which help to bulk out the physical release. Both versions are enjoyable, but probably not as good as their full electric counterparts. Overall, New Device have shown a new side to their songwriting and style with Coming Home and it is a welcome addition to their growing and impressive discography.
The EP was released on 21st April 2017 via ND Records.
Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Sunday, 14 May 2017
Snakecharmer - Tavistock Review
Snakecharmer was originally formed by ex-Whitesnake members Micky Moody (guitar/vocals) and Neil Murray (bass guitar) in 2011 as a vehicle for playing some of the songs live again that they helped to create with the legendary British rock band in the early 1980s. Early shows featured Whitesnake material exclusively, but the guys obviously felt that the chemistry within the band was good enough to write their own material and turn Snakecharmer into a 'proper' new rock act. The band's self-titled debut album (which I reviewed here) was released in 2013 to strong reviews, and it has been an album I have played fairly regularly since. Obviously the early Whitesnake influence is strong throughout the album, but the other four musicians that make up the band all brought their years of experience and touring with many world-famous bands to the table and the result was a strong collection of bluesy hard rock songs that are backed full of strong riffs, soaring vocal melodies, and fluid guitar solos. While Moody and Murray were arguably the most famous names in the band, it was frontman Chris Ousey and Laurie Wisefield (guitar/vocals), who played with Wishbone Ash for a number of years in the 1970s and 1980s, that wrote the majority of the debut album. Rounding out the band was Harry James (drums/vocals), from Thunder and Magnum, and Adam Wakeman (keyboards/vocals) who has had a long association with Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. Over the next couple of years the band toured sporadically, when their schedules allowed, to promote the album and I caught the band for the first time at the Cambridge Rock Festival in 2015. It was a great show, featuring plenty of their original songs along with some choice Whitesnake classics, and they went down a storm. A further UK tour followed in the Winter of 2015, which I sadly missed, and at the end of the tour Moody left the band. I feared this would be the end of Snakecharmer, as Moody had been instrumental in setting everything up, but last year it was announced that Northern Irish guitarist Simon McBride had been recruited to fill Moody's shoes. The announcement of a second album was also made around the same time, and the band has been busy since then working on what would become Second Skin, which was finally released a couple of days ago. This show in Tavistock is part of a fairly lengthy UK tour to support Second Skin, despite a few of the shows taking place before the album was actually released!
Before Snakecharmer hit the stage however the gathering crowd was treated to a set of hard rock by local band Departed who are starting to make a name for themselves in Devon (and further afield). I first saw the band a couple of months ago supporting The Fallen State in Plymouth and was really impressed by their high-energy sound. This set in Tavistock was made up of songs from their debut self-titled EP, new songs, and a rather rocking cover of Queen's Tie Your Mother Down. The songs during their early part of their set I was mostly unfamiliar with, so I presume they will make their way onto a release at some point, but towards the end they played the best cuts from their EP including the melodic Are You Ready? and the powerful Superstitious. Frontman Mark Pascall is a pretty captivating presence on stage and has a strong bluesy voice to match the material, and Ben Brookland (guitar/vocals) is a real star with his endless supply of catchy riffs and shredding solos. Departed are well worth seeing if you like great live rock music, and I suspect it will not be too long before they start seeing a bit more national exposure.
The changeover between the two bands was not a long one, and it was not long before the guys from Snakecharmer took to the stage. The 90 minute set comprised mostly of new material from Second Skin, but some choice Whitesnake cuts and songs from their debut album were also included throughout. I had heard a few of the new songs on Youtube, but with the album only being released the day before this show, I had not had a chance to even buy it let along hear it (I bought a copy at the merch stand during the gig)! They opened with a song I had heard though, Follow Me Under, which is an instantly catchy song with a soaring chorus which makes good use of Ousey's bluesy vocals. The new material is in the same vein as the first album, but the guitar pyrotechnics of new boy McBride are pushed right to the fore. He is an amazing guitarist and as soon as he starts playing you forget that Moody is no longer in the band. He had many chances to solo throughout and always impressed with his fast, but tasteful, playing. The Whitesnake classic Ready an' Willing certainly got the crowd going early on, but the single from their debut album Accident Prone was received just as warmly and shows that Snakecharmer are just as known now for their own songs and not just as a glorified Whitesnake tribute band. The slower Where Do We Go From Here from the new album was also warmly received, before then bluesy anthem A Little Rock & Roll from the debut really rocked and featured lots of funky keyboards from Wakeman. More new songs impressed in the middle of the set with both Hell of a Way to Live and I'll Take You as You Are impressing with big choruses and bluesy riffing. The new material seems to rock a little harder than the songs from the first album in places, and that shows McBride's heavier blues influence with some tougher riffs a bit more attitude. A monstrous version of Whitesnake's Crying in the Rain was a highlight late on too, and the song was stretched out to include lengthy solos from Wisefield, Wakeman, and finally McBride who really blew the roof off the place with his bluesy shredding. Wakeman's solo was great too, and it was really good to see him playing a proper Hammond organ during the set, as the growling sound basically epitomises 1970s hard rock for me! The new single That Kind of Love was well received towards the end too, and the main set came to an end with a powerful rendition of the Whitesnake mega-hit Here I Go Again which saw a large sing-along from the crowd towards the end conducted by Ousey. There was time for one more, and the band encored with another new song, the hard-hitting uptempo rocker Dress It Up which really impressed with another powerful chorus and a great solo from Wisefield. The band took their bows to loud cheers from the large crowd, and it was clear that everyone there had had a great night. The setlist was:
Follow Me Under
Are You Ready to Fly
Ready an' Willing [Whitesnake cover]
Accident Prone
Where Do We Go From Here
A Little Rock & Roll
Nothing to Lose
Hell of a Way to Live
I'll Take You as You Are
Fade Away
Crying in the Rain [Whitesnake cover]
That Kind of Love
Guilty as Charged
Here I Go Again [Whitesnake cover]
-
Dress It Up
After the set the whole band came out to the merch stand to sign autographs so I got my copy of Second Skin by all six members of Snakecharmer. I also took along my LP copy of Whitesnake's Live...in the Heart of the City, which I had got signed by Bernie Marsden previously, and Murray was kind enough to sign it for me which was really good of him! I'm really looking forward to spending time with the new album and after hearing many of the songs live in Tavistock I am sure I am going to really enjoy it.
Before Snakecharmer hit the stage however the gathering crowd was treated to a set of hard rock by local band Departed who are starting to make a name for themselves in Devon (and further afield). I first saw the band a couple of months ago supporting The Fallen State in Plymouth and was really impressed by their high-energy sound. This set in Tavistock was made up of songs from their debut self-titled EP, new songs, and a rather rocking cover of Queen's Tie Your Mother Down. The songs during their early part of their set I was mostly unfamiliar with, so I presume they will make their way onto a release at some point, but towards the end they played the best cuts from their EP including the melodic Are You Ready? and the powerful Superstitious. Frontman Mark Pascall is a pretty captivating presence on stage and has a strong bluesy voice to match the material, and Ben Brookland (guitar/vocals) is a real star with his endless supply of catchy riffs and shredding solos. Departed are well worth seeing if you like great live rock music, and I suspect it will not be too long before they start seeing a bit more national exposure.
The changeover between the two bands was not a long one, and it was not long before the guys from Snakecharmer took to the stage. The 90 minute set comprised mostly of new material from Second Skin, but some choice Whitesnake cuts and songs from their debut album were also included throughout. I had heard a few of the new songs on Youtube, but with the album only being released the day before this show, I had not had a chance to even buy it let along hear it (I bought a copy at the merch stand during the gig)! They opened with a song I had heard though, Follow Me Under, which is an instantly catchy song with a soaring chorus which makes good use of Ousey's bluesy vocals. The new material is in the same vein as the first album, but the guitar pyrotechnics of new boy McBride are pushed right to the fore. He is an amazing guitarist and as soon as he starts playing you forget that Moody is no longer in the band. He had many chances to solo throughout and always impressed with his fast, but tasteful, playing. The Whitesnake classic Ready an' Willing certainly got the crowd going early on, but the single from their debut album Accident Prone was received just as warmly and shows that Snakecharmer are just as known now for their own songs and not just as a glorified Whitesnake tribute band. The slower Where Do We Go From Here from the new album was also warmly received, before then bluesy anthem A Little Rock & Roll from the debut really rocked and featured lots of funky keyboards from Wakeman. More new songs impressed in the middle of the set with both Hell of a Way to Live and I'll Take You as You Are impressing with big choruses and bluesy riffing. The new material seems to rock a little harder than the songs from the first album in places, and that shows McBride's heavier blues influence with some tougher riffs a bit more attitude. A monstrous version of Whitesnake's Crying in the Rain was a highlight late on too, and the song was stretched out to include lengthy solos from Wisefield, Wakeman, and finally McBride who really blew the roof off the place with his bluesy shredding. Wakeman's solo was great too, and it was really good to see him playing a proper Hammond organ during the set, as the growling sound basically epitomises 1970s hard rock for me! The new single That Kind of Love was well received towards the end too, and the main set came to an end with a powerful rendition of the Whitesnake mega-hit Here I Go Again which saw a large sing-along from the crowd towards the end conducted by Ousey. There was time for one more, and the band encored with another new song, the hard-hitting uptempo rocker Dress It Up which really impressed with another powerful chorus and a great solo from Wisefield. The band took their bows to loud cheers from the large crowd, and it was clear that everyone there had had a great night. The setlist was:
Follow Me Under
Are You Ready to Fly
Ready an' Willing [Whitesnake cover]
Accident Prone
Where Do We Go From Here
A Little Rock & Roll
Nothing to Lose
Hell of a Way to Live
I'll Take You as You Are
Fade Away
Crying in the Rain [Whitesnake cover]
That Kind of Love
Guilty as Charged
Here I Go Again [Whitesnake cover]
-
Dress It Up
After the set the whole band came out to the merch stand to sign autographs so I got my copy of Second Skin by all six members of Snakecharmer. I also took along my LP copy of Whitesnake's Live...in the Heart of the City, which I had got signed by Bernie Marsden previously, and Murray was kind enough to sign it for me which was really good of him! I'm really looking forward to spending time with the new album and after hearing many of the songs live in Tavistock I am sure I am going to really enjoy it.
Saturday, 13 May 2017
Mostly Autumn - Tavistock Review
Mostly Autumn's now-annual trip down to the West Country to the excellent Wharf in the Devonshire town of Tavistock is always one of the highlights of my gigging year. I have said this many times in the past, but the first ever concert I went to was to see Mostly Autumn at The Wharf back in 2006 and it was an evening that changed my life. It would be the shows supporting the Heart Full of Sky album the following year that would really cement my love for the band, including the one and only Mostly Autumn Convention, but that show in 2006 was where it all started. I usually see Mostly Autumn a handful of times each year, but the Tavistock shows are always special ones for me. This one was extra special in the fact that it was the first time I had see the band since the release of their excellent new album Sight of Day. In fact, the show in Tavistock was only the second UK show in support of the new material. The 2017 tour was kicked off in the band's hometown of York at the beginning of April to coincide with the official release of Sight of Day (although those of us who pre-ordered the album through the band's website have had their copies since February), and a string of dates in the Netherlands and Germany followed. I am glad the band continue to make the effort to come down to Tavistock each year, and luckily it seems there are plenty of others in the South West who share that sentiment. While I do not the turnout was quite as strong as it has been for the past couple of years, there were still plenty of people in attendance and the atmosphere was excellent throughout. While the current line-up of Mostly Autumn is the same as it has been since the 2015 tour, the band looked a little different at this show as regular drummer Alex Cromarty was unavaliable for this short run of shows, which also includes gigs in Southampton and Cardiff over the weekend, so his place behind the kit was filled by Henry Rogers from Touchstone, DeeExpus, and many other bands. Rogers (although Bryan Josh kept calling him Henry Roberts for some reason!) did fantastically throughout, having learnt a lengthy set in a very short space of time. He is more a technical prog drummer than is usual for the type of drummers Mostly Autumn usually go for, so it was interesting to see his heavier style (with the use of double bass drumming in parts) fit in with the band's music. It worked really well, and Rogers really is a fantastic drummer, but I still feel that Cromarty's more organic swing-based drumming is the best style for this current line-up of Mostly Autumn.
The show itself returned to the split-set format that the band used to use regularly, with a short interval for trips to the bar and to the toilets! As has become customary over the past year or so, Angela Gordon (flute/keyboards/vocals) and Chris Johnson (vocals/guitar) took to the stage alone and got the folky instrumental Out of the Inn started. The song builds from a flute-driven jig and soon morphs into a hard rock workout based around Bryan Josh's (vocals/guitar) guitar solo. The rest of the band slowly come on stage throughout the song as it builds up towards a strong climax. As with last year, the song led nicely into In for the Bite, from Josh's recent solo album, with it's Blackmore-inspired main riff and dramatic vocal from frontwoman Olivia Sparnenn-Josh. Despite being quite heavily pregnant now, with the baby due at the end of June/beginning of July I believe, her vocal performance throughout was as flawless as ever and seemed unaffected vocally by the tiny eighth member of the band! The set was clearly well-paced to allow her to get some little breaks occasionally but she sung her heart our as always throughout. The first set was filled with older material, and was mostly a condensed version of last year's touring set. It was good to hear Running from Dressed in Voices included again, as it was absent from last year's shows, and was the first song in the set where Sparnenn-Josh really let rip vocally. A couple of old standards that have not been played as much recently, the classic Evergreen and the bluesy-prog of The Last Climb, were extremely well-received by the long-standing fans. The former is always a live favourite, and builds towards and emotion climax which saw Rogers really explode behind his drums with a flurry of fills. Wild Eyed Skies is saw another dramatic vocal performance, backed by Iain Jennings' (keyboards) delicate piano melodies, before again exploding into a real symphonic rocker with walls of keyboards and guitar chords. The first set came to end with a stunning rendition of Johnson's Silver Glass, which has become a real setlist staple over the past couple of years, which was sung in his usual enigmatic style while Jennings played the piano parts and Josh nailed the emotional solo. It has always been one of my favourite Mostly Autumn songs, so it has been great to hear it live again a few times over the past few years.
After a short break, the band came back with another set that was dominated by songs from the new album. No short of four of the new songs were played in succession to kick things off, with Jennings' synth-heavy Tomorrow Dies getting this part of the evening off to a winning start. It is one of Sparnenn-Josh's most explosive vocal performances on record, and that was replicated perfectly live above the somewhat dancey rhythms. The ending saw both Josh and Johnson harmonising during the emotional dual-lead guitar ending, and it was great to see Johnson getting a chance to play a little lead guitar along with Josh. Only the Brave is made to be heard live, with Josh's raw lead vocals above the driving hard rock riffs and drumming. Gordon's flute solo replaced the myriad of folky instruments that are used in the instrumental section on the album version, but sadly she was a little buried in the mix so the effect was lost somewhat. The laid-back rocky vibe of Once Round the Sun and Sparnenn-Josh's delicate but gorgeous piano-ballad The Man Without a Name rounded out this little suite of new material. Mother Nature is possibly the ultimate Mostly Autumn song, and since it's resurrection in the live set last year it has become an ever-present fixture again - at least for the time being. It has everything that makes the band great; from the opening vocal harmonies from Josh and Sparnenn-Josh, through the Pink Floyd-inspired mid-section built around a lengthy Jennings' keyboard solo, to the hard rocking closing section which saw the band firing on all cylinders. Another real highlight for me was Johnson's Changing Lives, which is one of my favourite songs on the new album. The somewhat strange song worked really well live, and took on a slightly rockier edge than it does it on the album but Johnson's strong vocal performance still drove everything. The ending with the wordless vocal section saw a bit of crowd participation, and the lengthy instrumental section gave everyone on stage more chance to rock out. The last new song in the main set was Hammerdown, a song I have always enjoyed on record but it really came alive when played live. The organsic, bluesier sound was made for the stage and the gorgeous vocal harmonies really shone through. Sparnenn-Josh's Questioning Eyes has been a staple in the set since she took over lead vocal duties in 2010, and it is always a powerful live number. Her emotional vocal delivery always makes the song a special moment, and the slide guitar solo from Josh at the end only emphasises this. The cinematic Tonight, complete with band introductions, which has been out of the set for a couple of years, brought the main set to a soaring close. There was of course time for a couple more, and plenty of cheers and clapping brought the band back on stage. Raindown was the last new number of the night and a lengthy flute intro for Gordon introduced it before Sparnenn-Josh's gorgeous vocal lines really stole the show. The vocal harmonies between the two ladies are a key part of the band's sound and this song exemplifies this with the two giving their all during the section where the title of the song is repeated many times to a powerful effect. The ever-present set closer Heroes Never Die brought the evening to a close and the song always packs a punch live and it would not be a Mostly Autumn show without it! The setlist was:
Out of the Inn
In for the Bite [Bryan Josh solo material]
Drops of the Sun
Running
Evergreen
The Last Climb
Wild Eyed Skies
Silhouettes of Stolen Ghosts
Silver Glass
-
Tomorrow Dies
Only the Brave
Once Round the Sun
The Man Without a Name
Mother Nature
Changing Lives
Nowhere to Hide (Close my Eyes)
Hammerdown
Questioning Eyes [Breathing Space cover]
Tonight
-
Raindown
Heroes Never Die
Mostly Autumn shows are always special, and this one was no different. It was great to hear so much of the excellent new album played, although I do hope the band choose to play the epic title track of the new album live one day - maybe at the shows later in the year after the baby is born! Luckily I do not have to wait long to see the band live again, as I am heading up to Bilston in June to catch the band at the Robin 2, which after last night's display I am already looking forward to.
The show itself returned to the split-set format that the band used to use regularly, with a short interval for trips to the bar and to the toilets! As has become customary over the past year or so, Angela Gordon (flute/keyboards/vocals) and Chris Johnson (vocals/guitar) took to the stage alone and got the folky instrumental Out of the Inn started. The song builds from a flute-driven jig and soon morphs into a hard rock workout based around Bryan Josh's (vocals/guitar) guitar solo. The rest of the band slowly come on stage throughout the song as it builds up towards a strong climax. As with last year, the song led nicely into In for the Bite, from Josh's recent solo album, with it's Blackmore-inspired main riff and dramatic vocal from frontwoman Olivia Sparnenn-Josh. Despite being quite heavily pregnant now, with the baby due at the end of June/beginning of July I believe, her vocal performance throughout was as flawless as ever and seemed unaffected vocally by the tiny eighth member of the band! The set was clearly well-paced to allow her to get some little breaks occasionally but she sung her heart our as always throughout. The first set was filled with older material, and was mostly a condensed version of last year's touring set. It was good to hear Running from Dressed in Voices included again, as it was absent from last year's shows, and was the first song in the set where Sparnenn-Josh really let rip vocally. A couple of old standards that have not been played as much recently, the classic Evergreen and the bluesy-prog of The Last Climb, were extremely well-received by the long-standing fans. The former is always a live favourite, and builds towards and emotion climax which saw Rogers really explode behind his drums with a flurry of fills. Wild Eyed Skies is saw another dramatic vocal performance, backed by Iain Jennings' (keyboards) delicate piano melodies, before again exploding into a real symphonic rocker with walls of keyboards and guitar chords. The first set came to end with a stunning rendition of Johnson's Silver Glass, which has become a real setlist staple over the past couple of years, which was sung in his usual enigmatic style while Jennings played the piano parts and Josh nailed the emotional solo. It has always been one of my favourite Mostly Autumn songs, so it has been great to hear it live again a few times over the past few years.
After a short break, the band came back with another set that was dominated by songs from the new album. No short of four of the new songs were played in succession to kick things off, with Jennings' synth-heavy Tomorrow Dies getting this part of the evening off to a winning start. It is one of Sparnenn-Josh's most explosive vocal performances on record, and that was replicated perfectly live above the somewhat dancey rhythms. The ending saw both Josh and Johnson harmonising during the emotional dual-lead guitar ending, and it was great to see Johnson getting a chance to play a little lead guitar along with Josh. Only the Brave is made to be heard live, with Josh's raw lead vocals above the driving hard rock riffs and drumming. Gordon's flute solo replaced the myriad of folky instruments that are used in the instrumental section on the album version, but sadly she was a little buried in the mix so the effect was lost somewhat. The laid-back rocky vibe of Once Round the Sun and Sparnenn-Josh's delicate but gorgeous piano-ballad The Man Without a Name rounded out this little suite of new material. Mother Nature is possibly the ultimate Mostly Autumn song, and since it's resurrection in the live set last year it has become an ever-present fixture again - at least for the time being. It has everything that makes the band great; from the opening vocal harmonies from Josh and Sparnenn-Josh, through the Pink Floyd-inspired mid-section built around a lengthy Jennings' keyboard solo, to the hard rocking closing section which saw the band firing on all cylinders. Another real highlight for me was Johnson's Changing Lives, which is one of my favourite songs on the new album. The somewhat strange song worked really well live, and took on a slightly rockier edge than it does it on the album but Johnson's strong vocal performance still drove everything. The ending with the wordless vocal section saw a bit of crowd participation, and the lengthy instrumental section gave everyone on stage more chance to rock out. The last new song in the main set was Hammerdown, a song I have always enjoyed on record but it really came alive when played live. The organsic, bluesier sound was made for the stage and the gorgeous vocal harmonies really shone through. Sparnenn-Josh's Questioning Eyes has been a staple in the set since she took over lead vocal duties in 2010, and it is always a powerful live number. Her emotional vocal delivery always makes the song a special moment, and the slide guitar solo from Josh at the end only emphasises this. The cinematic Tonight, complete with band introductions, which has been out of the set for a couple of years, brought the main set to a soaring close. There was of course time for a couple more, and plenty of cheers and clapping brought the band back on stage. Raindown was the last new number of the night and a lengthy flute intro for Gordon introduced it before Sparnenn-Josh's gorgeous vocal lines really stole the show. The vocal harmonies between the two ladies are a key part of the band's sound and this song exemplifies this with the two giving their all during the section where the title of the song is repeated many times to a powerful effect. The ever-present set closer Heroes Never Die brought the evening to a close and the song always packs a punch live and it would not be a Mostly Autumn show without it! The setlist was:
Out of the Inn
In for the Bite [Bryan Josh solo material]
Drops of the Sun
Running
Evergreen
The Last Climb
Wild Eyed Skies
Silhouettes of Stolen Ghosts
Silver Glass
-
Tomorrow Dies
Only the Brave
Once Round the Sun
The Man Without a Name
Mother Nature
Changing Lives
Nowhere to Hide (Close my Eyes)
Hammerdown
Questioning Eyes [Breathing Space cover]
Tonight
-
Raindown
Heroes Never Die
Mostly Autumn shows are always special, and this one was no different. It was great to hear so much of the excellent new album played, although I do hope the band choose to play the epic title track of the new album live one day - maybe at the shows later in the year after the baby is born! Luckily I do not have to wait long to see the band live again, as I am heading up to Bilston in June to catch the band at the Robin 2, which after last night's display I am already looking forward to.
Thursday, 11 May 2017
Pyramaze's 'Contingent' - Album Review
Pyramaze were a band that I took a blind chance on a few years ago and it is fair to say I have not looked back. There are a couple of good second hand CD stalls in Plymouth's indoor market and I have made many worthy purchases at them over the years. On one such visit I noticed a copy of an album called Legend of the Bone Carver and was taken in by the fantasy-inspired artwork. At the time (we are probably talking about 8 or 9 years ago) my knowledge of metal music was nowhere near as extensive as it is now so the name Pyramaze meant nothing to me. I took a chance on the album and was immediately impressed. At the time I was becoming a big Iced Earth fan, and found the band's heavy, but melodic, form of metal to be somewhat similar to that American band's style. This was before I knew that long-time Iced Earth frontman Matt Barlow had contributed to one of the band's albums, in fact it was probably around the time of 2008's Immortal's release, the album that Barlow sung lead vocals on, that I stumbled upon Legend of the Bone Carver in Plymouth Market. Legend of the Bone Carver, which was released in 2006, remains my favourite Pyramaze album. It soon became clear that I became a Pyramaze fan at the wrong time, as after a short tour supporting Immortal's release, the band went into a deep slumber with founding member and main songwriter Michael Kammeyer leaving the band. The band's fans waited patiently and finally, in 2015, the band's fourth album Disciples of the Sun (which I reviewed here) was released. The album's release came as a bit of a shock to the metal world, but the reviews were universally excellent. This was a new-look Pyramaze with a new sound, but the songwriting and performances were up there with their three Kammeyer-led albums. The band's heavy power metal sound was replaced with a more cinematic and soaring brand of progressive metal that at first seemed strange but soon became accepted. Jacob Hansen, who is more known in the metal world as a producer, stepped into Kammeyer's songwriting and rhythm guitar shoes and Pyramaze produced a belter of an album that still receives regular plays here and is my second favourite album of the band's behind Legend of the Bone Carver. The band's fans were not made to wait quite as long this time for new music however, and just under two years later the band have now unveiled Contingent to the world. Contingent is the first Pyramaze album to feature the same band line-up as the previous album, and this stability has helped. This is a much more collaborative album with lead guitarist Toke Skjønnemand and founding keyboardist Jonah Weingarten, who had made modest songwriting contributions previous, taking on a greater songwriting role along with Hansen. The result is a varied and dynamic album that takes the smoother sound established on Disciples of the Sun and really runs with it, turning everything up to 11! The album is more bombastic than it's predecessor, which definitely brings back memories of the band's earlier albums, but the strong and melodic songwriting remains. It is frontman Terje Harøy, now on his second album with the band, who is the real star of the show here however, with a hugely impressive vocal performance that shows just how much he has grown in confidence over the past couple of years.
Breaking with tradition Pyramaze forego the traditional cinematic intro piece and get straight down to business with the hard rocking opener Land of Information, which is one of the most instantly memorable songs on the album. A keyboard-heavy intro soon gives way to a crunching, mid-paced verse and shows the newly-acquired grit that Harøy's voice now possesses. While the song is not as heavy as the band often is, the melodies are extremely strong and constantly shine through. The chorus is one of the album's most catchiest, with some soaring vocal melodies and fluid keyboard leads from Weingarten that provide an excellent counter-melody. Weingarten seems to be higher in the mix on Contingent than he has been on any previous Pyramaze album, and that really contributes to the epic, cinematic feel of the album. Not to be outdone however, Skjønnemand lets rip with a short solo towards the end that shows off his skills as a guitarist. Kingdom of Solace is another keyboard-heavy song, but the crunching riff that drives it gives it weight and is backed up by some sledgehammer drumming courtesy of original member Morten Gade Sørensen. This song is very reminiscent of the smooth sound created on Disciples of the Sun so fans of the band's modern sound should really appreciate this. Harøy's voice is less gritty here and he really oozes out of the speakers as he sings the chorus melodies. He does not posses the greatest vocal range of all time, and does not have as much of a distinctive style of previous vocalists Lance King and Barlow, but his voice is perfect for this version of the band and the style of music they are creating. The highlight of the song however is an impressive instrumental section which sees Skjønnemand and Weingarten trading fast leads without each other to great effect. Despite a piano-based intro, Star Men is more of a guitar-driven number. Skjønnemand's snaking main riff, backed up by Hansen's tough rhythms, drives the song and forms the basis of the verse which is accentuated by Sørensen's off-kilter drumming. The song is almost a power ballad, but with too much crunch to really be worthy of that label. Whatever the song is, it is very strong and possesses another instantly memorable chorus and a lengthy guitar solo. The new era of Pyramaze does not seem to give too much time over to soloing, instead choosing to focus more on the song's overall melodies and impression, but the few occasions when Skjønnemand gets to really cut loose he proves himself to be an excellent guitarist. A World Divided, which the band filmed a video for, starts out with a moody piano melody but then the rest of band come in and the song morphs into a real thrashy, power metal anthem which definitely brings back memories of the band's early albums. Sørensen's double bass drumming really drives the song, and the band's two guitarists riff it out together with some tight and heavy playing. Harøy's performance here is particularly strong and really demonstrates here why he is the man to take Pyramaze forward vocally. Nemesis carries on the somewhat heavier feel, but mixes the pummelling metal sections with soaring cinematic ones to great effect. A razor-sharp riff drives the chorus, which is backed up by a matching drum beat. The production is perfect and the band has never sounded as tight! The chorus is more keyboard-based, with another soaring vocal performance and layers of warm synths. The first half of the album is brought to a close with the short, keyboard-heavy instrumental Contingent - Part I: The Campaign which leads nicely into the album's second half.
20 Second Century follows on perfectly from the instrumental and is another song that is instantly memorable. It is another heavier song, with a really powerful main riff and a real headbanging vibe throughout with prominent guitars and a strong drumming performance. The song's chorus is once again reminiscent of the band's early days, with big power metal melodies and a fast double bass drum pattern. Weingarten's keyboards take more of a backseat here, but constantly provide a melodic halo to proceedings, and occasionally subtle piano melodies break through which add depth. Perhaps unsurprisingly for the song of this nature, there is another lengthy and flashy guitar solo here from Skjønnemand that takes the energy of the rest of the song and really runs with it. Obsession opens with a really groovy guitar riff that is doubled up with some really symphonic keyboards from Weingarten. His playing really comes to the fore again here, be it that playing in the intro or the many piano breaks that are scattered throughout which sit perfectly atop the mid-paced groove. This song is another which really emphasises the band's modern, keyboard-heavy sound well with the smooth vocals of Harøy and a strong cinematic atmosphere. Heir Apparent also has that strong modern feel, emphasised by the piano backing to the song's tight main riff. This song is a little more laid back than the last few numbers, but is no less enjoyable. The chorus in particular is the song's crowning moment with some really catchy melodies and plenty of strong vocal harmonies. Weingarten really plays out of his skin here with lots of beautiful piano motifs throughout and lots of soaring synth sounds which add depth while the song's main, slower riff is playing. The second part of the album's instrumental title track follows, which is again a keyboard-driven piece that is heavy on moody atmosphere and sets up the last part of the album nicely. Under Restraint picks up the heaviness again somewhat with a tight and heavy opening riff that leads into a crunchy mid-paced verse. I particularly like Skjønnemand's hypnotic guitar leads during the verses here, which are a little low in the mix but really help to enhance the overall mood perfectly. Where keyboards are used elsewhere in the album to provide subtle colour and mood, the guitars performs that role perfectly here with lots of little effects-heavy sections that make the song stand out. While the chorus here is still memorable, it is a little too similar to other choruses on the album to really make it's own impact. The guitar solo is excellent however, and really elevates the song despite the weaker chorus. The Tides That Won't Change is the album's only true ballad features the guest vocals of Kristen Foss who duets well with Harøy. The song is piano-based and enjoyable, but fails to reach the heights of the band's previous ballads, in particular the excellent She Who Summoned Me from Legend of the Bone Carver. It is a little predictable, but the vocal interplay between Harøy and Foss is strong and the two harmonise together very well. After the lull from the ballad, the album has one more trick up it's sleeve with the heavier closing number Symphony of Tears. It is a mid-paced rocker, but is one of the most memorable songs on the album with instantly singable melodies and soaring vocals. I particularly like the way the song speeds up during the chorus, which gives the song a real tangible energy. Usually choruses in metal are slower than the main song to make use of epic vocal melodies, but the reverse contrast here works very well and keeps the album surprising the listener right to the end. Overall, Contingent is another successful chapter in the Pyramaze canon and is one of my favourite metal releases of 2017 so far. The mix of all the band's previous sounds works well, and makes for a progressive and thoughtful album that really delivers with repeated listens.
The album was released on 28th April 2017 via Inner Wound Recordings. Below is the band's promotional video for A World Divided.
Breaking with tradition Pyramaze forego the traditional cinematic intro piece and get straight down to business with the hard rocking opener Land of Information, which is one of the most instantly memorable songs on the album. A keyboard-heavy intro soon gives way to a crunching, mid-paced verse and shows the newly-acquired grit that Harøy's voice now possesses. While the song is not as heavy as the band often is, the melodies are extremely strong and constantly shine through. The chorus is one of the album's most catchiest, with some soaring vocal melodies and fluid keyboard leads from Weingarten that provide an excellent counter-melody. Weingarten seems to be higher in the mix on Contingent than he has been on any previous Pyramaze album, and that really contributes to the epic, cinematic feel of the album. Not to be outdone however, Skjønnemand lets rip with a short solo towards the end that shows off his skills as a guitarist. Kingdom of Solace is another keyboard-heavy song, but the crunching riff that drives it gives it weight and is backed up by some sledgehammer drumming courtesy of original member Morten Gade Sørensen. This song is very reminiscent of the smooth sound created on Disciples of the Sun so fans of the band's modern sound should really appreciate this. Harøy's voice is less gritty here and he really oozes out of the speakers as he sings the chorus melodies. He does not posses the greatest vocal range of all time, and does not have as much of a distinctive style of previous vocalists Lance King and Barlow, but his voice is perfect for this version of the band and the style of music they are creating. The highlight of the song however is an impressive instrumental section which sees Skjønnemand and Weingarten trading fast leads without each other to great effect. Despite a piano-based intro, Star Men is more of a guitar-driven number. Skjønnemand's snaking main riff, backed up by Hansen's tough rhythms, drives the song and forms the basis of the verse which is accentuated by Sørensen's off-kilter drumming. The song is almost a power ballad, but with too much crunch to really be worthy of that label. Whatever the song is, it is very strong and possesses another instantly memorable chorus and a lengthy guitar solo. The new era of Pyramaze does not seem to give too much time over to soloing, instead choosing to focus more on the song's overall melodies and impression, but the few occasions when Skjønnemand gets to really cut loose he proves himself to be an excellent guitarist. A World Divided, which the band filmed a video for, starts out with a moody piano melody but then the rest of band come in and the song morphs into a real thrashy, power metal anthem which definitely brings back memories of the band's early albums. Sørensen's double bass drumming really drives the song, and the band's two guitarists riff it out together with some tight and heavy playing. Harøy's performance here is particularly strong and really demonstrates here why he is the man to take Pyramaze forward vocally. Nemesis carries on the somewhat heavier feel, but mixes the pummelling metal sections with soaring cinematic ones to great effect. A razor-sharp riff drives the chorus, which is backed up by a matching drum beat. The production is perfect and the band has never sounded as tight! The chorus is more keyboard-based, with another soaring vocal performance and layers of warm synths. The first half of the album is brought to a close with the short, keyboard-heavy instrumental Contingent - Part I: The Campaign which leads nicely into the album's second half.
20 Second Century follows on perfectly from the instrumental and is another song that is instantly memorable. It is another heavier song, with a really powerful main riff and a real headbanging vibe throughout with prominent guitars and a strong drumming performance. The song's chorus is once again reminiscent of the band's early days, with big power metal melodies and a fast double bass drum pattern. Weingarten's keyboards take more of a backseat here, but constantly provide a melodic halo to proceedings, and occasionally subtle piano melodies break through which add depth. Perhaps unsurprisingly for the song of this nature, there is another lengthy and flashy guitar solo here from Skjønnemand that takes the energy of the rest of the song and really runs with it. Obsession opens with a really groovy guitar riff that is doubled up with some really symphonic keyboards from Weingarten. His playing really comes to the fore again here, be it that playing in the intro or the many piano breaks that are scattered throughout which sit perfectly atop the mid-paced groove. This song is another which really emphasises the band's modern, keyboard-heavy sound well with the smooth vocals of Harøy and a strong cinematic atmosphere. Heir Apparent also has that strong modern feel, emphasised by the piano backing to the song's tight main riff. This song is a little more laid back than the last few numbers, but is no less enjoyable. The chorus in particular is the song's crowning moment with some really catchy melodies and plenty of strong vocal harmonies. Weingarten really plays out of his skin here with lots of beautiful piano motifs throughout and lots of soaring synth sounds which add depth while the song's main, slower riff is playing. The second part of the album's instrumental title track follows, which is again a keyboard-driven piece that is heavy on moody atmosphere and sets up the last part of the album nicely. Under Restraint picks up the heaviness again somewhat with a tight and heavy opening riff that leads into a crunchy mid-paced verse. I particularly like Skjønnemand's hypnotic guitar leads during the verses here, which are a little low in the mix but really help to enhance the overall mood perfectly. Where keyboards are used elsewhere in the album to provide subtle colour and mood, the guitars performs that role perfectly here with lots of little effects-heavy sections that make the song stand out. While the chorus here is still memorable, it is a little too similar to other choruses on the album to really make it's own impact. The guitar solo is excellent however, and really elevates the song despite the weaker chorus. The Tides That Won't Change is the album's only true ballad features the guest vocals of Kristen Foss who duets well with Harøy. The song is piano-based and enjoyable, but fails to reach the heights of the band's previous ballads, in particular the excellent She Who Summoned Me from Legend of the Bone Carver. It is a little predictable, but the vocal interplay between Harøy and Foss is strong and the two harmonise together very well. After the lull from the ballad, the album has one more trick up it's sleeve with the heavier closing number Symphony of Tears. It is a mid-paced rocker, but is one of the most memorable songs on the album with instantly singable melodies and soaring vocals. I particularly like the way the song speeds up during the chorus, which gives the song a real tangible energy. Usually choruses in metal are slower than the main song to make use of epic vocal melodies, but the reverse contrast here works very well and keeps the album surprising the listener right to the end. Overall, Contingent is another successful chapter in the Pyramaze canon and is one of my favourite metal releases of 2017 so far. The mix of all the band's previous sounds works well, and makes for a progressive and thoughtful album that really delivers with repeated listens.
The album was released on 28th April 2017 via Inner Wound Recordings. Below is the band's promotional video for A World Divided.
Sunday, 7 May 2017
Karnataka - London Review
Since releasing their fifth studio album Secrets of Angels in 2015, Karnataka have had a bit of a resurgence. A couple of UK tours in 2012 introduced Hayley Griffiths as the band's new frontwoman, but then the band battened down the hatches to write and record the album. Secrets of Angels received high praise on it's release and contains many of the band's best songs, so it is unsurprising that the band have been touring it ever since. The last time I saw the band was in 2015 on the initial Secrets of Angels tour at the Islington Assembly Hall. That evening was a fantastic display of live melodic progressive rock music and a large, appreciative crowd was gathered on the day. Despite another fairly lengthy tour in 2016, there were sadly no dates that I was able to make. When I saw the announcement of the 2017 End to End tour towards the end of last year I knew I had to make an extra effort this time around as the band would be playing both Secrets of Angels and 2010's The Gathering Light at each of the shows. The final night of the End to End tour at London's O2 Academy, Islington seemed the most appropriate option so settled on a hotel in Finsbury Park for the trip. Islington's O2 Acedemy is a fairly regular haunt of mine and I have been to quite a few gigs there over the years. While there are better venues in London, there are also certainly plenty of worse ones too and shows in Islington are always an enjoyable experience. With doors opening at 7pm, and Karnataka hitting the stage at 7:30pm, this was an evening of no fuss. The planned support act had to pull out at the last minute, but with the band playing two albums in full the punters more than got their money's worth. Sadly, both Panic Room and Ghost Community were also playing concerts in London on the same night which definitely affected the turn out. This seems rather poor planning on the bands' fronts and I would not be surprised if the turn out at all three of these shows were somewhat lower than expected. That being said, Karnataka still managed to attract a respectable crowd on a Saturday night given the competition and there is no doubt that those who chose Karnataka's gig definitely were in for a treat.
The show was split into two halves, with an album either side of a short interval. First up was the full performance of The Gathering Light. As the instrumental intro The Calling played over the venue's PA, Enrico Pinna (guitar/vocals) took to the stage alone to play along with the end of the piece, before the rest of the band joined him for the following lengthy instrumental State of Grace. The piece is still very guitar driven, but Çağrı Tozluoğlu (keyboards) added plenty of symphonic melodies to balance things out. Griffiths made her first appearance during Your World, a song she has really made her own since joining the band, and from then on the first set really rocked. While The Gathering Light material was written for a singer with a different type of voice to what Griffiths possesses, she still sings the songs very well and did so with plenty of confidence as she strutted around the stage interacting with those in the front row and the other band members. The highlights of the first set were a monstrous version of The Serpent and the Sea and the gorgeous ballad Forsaken. The latter is one of my favourite Karnataka songs, and I love the contrast of the book-ending vocal sections with the lengthy guitar solo in the middle which sees the band firing on all cylinders. Pinna easily stole the show during the first set as he spent so much of it soloing. His fluid, emotional guitar playing was the defining feature of the album and seeing him re-create those solos live is always special. The album's title track is always a stunning live number and the version played in London was no different. Griffiths always owns this one vocally, and the whole band really really seem to up the ante as the lengthy songs draws to a close. Plenty in the crowd were singing the chorus at the tops of their voices too, and the atmosphere built up constantly.
If Pinna was the star of the first set, then Griffiths was the star of the second. The Secrets of Angels songs are ones that she co-wrote, so naturally she is more at home with them and her confidence soared as a result. The songs in the second half were more concise and rocking (the twenty minute closing number aside) and really showcased the band's rhythm section. Drummer Jimmy Pallagrosi and founding member Ian Jones (bass guitar) really locked in perfectly during the second set and their high-energy playing really drove the material. The symphonic Road to Cairo got the second half going, but it is during the emotionally-charged Because of You that things really reached the top gear. The song is a real showcase for Griffiths and she knows it, nailing the vocals and owning the stage as she did so. The melodic and heavier Poison Ivy and Forbidden Dreams gave the band a real chance to rock out and the audience showed their appreciation with large cheers between songs. Karnataka have never rocked harder than they have since the release of Secrets of Angels and songs like this are a real welcome addition to the setlist and help to create a change of pace when necessary. Borderline helped to lighten the mood with a killer chorus, before a personal favourite in Fairytale Lies really wowed the crowd. This is the song that is, in my opinion, the closest to the original Karnataka line-up's sound and has been a real favourite of mine since the album was released. The delicate piano ballad Feels Like Home provided a little moment of calm in the set before the grand finale of Secrets of Angels itself. It is a real tour de force of progressive rock songwriting, with acoustic sections, full-blown symphonic rock instrumental passages, and a diverse and captivating vocal performance from Griffiths. The song is always a winner live and is has probably become the band's signature piece over the past couple of years. The venue erupted into rapturous applause when it was finished and the band took their bows with huge smiles. The setlist was:
The Calling
State of Grace
Your World
Moment in Time
The Serpent and the Sea
Forsaken
Tide to Fall
The Gathering Light
-
Road to Cairo
Because of You
Poison Ivy
Forbidden Dreams
Borderline
Fairytale Lies
Feels Like Home
Secrets of Angels
More and more bands are now embracing these 'albums in full'-type sets, and it works well. Both of the albums Karnataka chose to showcase in full on this tour work well when played in sequence and playing only the newer materials shows that the band are forward-thinking and trying not to rest on past glories. It must nearly be time for a new Karnataka album however, so I wonder if that is what the band will turn their attentions to now the tour is over?
The show was split into two halves, with an album either side of a short interval. First up was the full performance of The Gathering Light. As the instrumental intro The Calling played over the venue's PA, Enrico Pinna (guitar/vocals) took to the stage alone to play along with the end of the piece, before the rest of the band joined him for the following lengthy instrumental State of Grace. The piece is still very guitar driven, but Çağrı Tozluoğlu (keyboards) added plenty of symphonic melodies to balance things out. Griffiths made her first appearance during Your World, a song she has really made her own since joining the band, and from then on the first set really rocked. While The Gathering Light material was written for a singer with a different type of voice to what Griffiths possesses, she still sings the songs very well and did so with plenty of confidence as she strutted around the stage interacting with those in the front row and the other band members. The highlights of the first set were a monstrous version of The Serpent and the Sea and the gorgeous ballad Forsaken. The latter is one of my favourite Karnataka songs, and I love the contrast of the book-ending vocal sections with the lengthy guitar solo in the middle which sees the band firing on all cylinders. Pinna easily stole the show during the first set as he spent so much of it soloing. His fluid, emotional guitar playing was the defining feature of the album and seeing him re-create those solos live is always special. The album's title track is always a stunning live number and the version played in London was no different. Griffiths always owns this one vocally, and the whole band really really seem to up the ante as the lengthy songs draws to a close. Plenty in the crowd were singing the chorus at the tops of their voices too, and the atmosphere built up constantly.
If Pinna was the star of the first set, then Griffiths was the star of the second. The Secrets of Angels songs are ones that she co-wrote, so naturally she is more at home with them and her confidence soared as a result. The songs in the second half were more concise and rocking (the twenty minute closing number aside) and really showcased the band's rhythm section. Drummer Jimmy Pallagrosi and founding member Ian Jones (bass guitar) really locked in perfectly during the second set and their high-energy playing really drove the material. The symphonic Road to Cairo got the second half going, but it is during the emotionally-charged Because of You that things really reached the top gear. The song is a real showcase for Griffiths and she knows it, nailing the vocals and owning the stage as she did so. The melodic and heavier Poison Ivy and Forbidden Dreams gave the band a real chance to rock out and the audience showed their appreciation with large cheers between songs. Karnataka have never rocked harder than they have since the release of Secrets of Angels and songs like this are a real welcome addition to the setlist and help to create a change of pace when necessary. Borderline helped to lighten the mood with a killer chorus, before a personal favourite in Fairytale Lies really wowed the crowd. This is the song that is, in my opinion, the closest to the original Karnataka line-up's sound and has been a real favourite of mine since the album was released. The delicate piano ballad Feels Like Home provided a little moment of calm in the set before the grand finale of Secrets of Angels itself. It is a real tour de force of progressive rock songwriting, with acoustic sections, full-blown symphonic rock instrumental passages, and a diverse and captivating vocal performance from Griffiths. The song is always a winner live and is has probably become the band's signature piece over the past couple of years. The venue erupted into rapturous applause when it was finished and the band took their bows with huge smiles. The setlist was:
The Calling
State of Grace
Your World
Moment in Time
The Serpent and the Sea
Forsaken
Tide to Fall
The Gathering Light
-
Road to Cairo
Because of You
Poison Ivy
Forbidden Dreams
Borderline
Fairytale Lies
Feels Like Home
Secrets of Angels
More and more bands are now embracing these 'albums in full'-type sets, and it works well. Both of the albums Karnataka chose to showcase in full on this tour work well when played in sequence and playing only the newer materials shows that the band are forward-thinking and trying not to rest on past glories. It must nearly be time for a new Karnataka album however, so I wonder if that is what the band will turn their attentions to now the tour is over?
Friday, 5 May 2017
Labyrinth's 'Architecture of a God' - Album Review
Italy seems to be a hotbed for power metal, with many great bands coming from the European country over the years. Rhapsody of Fire (and all of their incarnations and spin-offs) are the undisputed kings of Italian power metal, but I would argue a case that Labyrinth are the best! My history with Labyrinth goes back to 2011, when I saw the band live in Wolverhampton supporting Sonata Arctica. It is fair to say that Labyrinth blew me away that night with their highly melodic brand of power metal, and the vocal gymnastics of dynamic frontman Roberto Tiranti. To this day I do not think I have seen any man hit notes as high as Tiranti did on that night in Wolverhampton, and it remains one of the best live vocal performances I have ever seen at a heavy metal concert. Despite this display, it took me a long time to warm to the band's albums. I bought their second album, 1998's Return to Heaven Denied, not long after the show but it did not immediately grab me. It is seen as a bit of a classic in the power metal world, and I have grown to love it over the years, but at the time it fell flat compared to the excellent live display I had seen. In fairness, I lost interest in Labyrinth in the years since that show. Live appearances were extremely sporadic and then, in 2014, Tiranti announced he was leaving the band. Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force; Ring of Fire; Royal Hunt; Dokken) was announced as his replacement, but Labyrinth never toured or recorded with the American and it seemed the band was totally dead in the water. This all changed last year when the Italian record label Frontiers, who seem to good at convincing bands to re-unite and record new material, announced that Labyrinth would be re-grouping with a new line-up and releasing a new album in 2017. Architecture of a God is the band's eight studio album and the first since 2010's strong Return to Heaven Denied - Part II: A Midnight Autumn's Dream; which is arguably the greatest 'sequel' to a classic album that any band has produced and was the album the band was supporting on that 2011 tour. Founding members, guitarists, and songwriters Andrea Cantarelli and Olaf Thörsen, who started working together again in 2009 after Thörsen's seven-year departure, returned to their power metal roots on Return to Heaven Denied - Part II: A Midnight Autumn's Dream. The Thörsen-less Labyrinth moved down a heavier, more progressive direction in his absence, but the return of Thörsen saw the two guys who were behind the success of the original Return to Heaven Denied and 2001's Sons of Thunder working together again and creating high quality power metal. That trend has continued on Architecture of a God, and the results are very strong. Tiranti was convinced to come back on board again, and therefore completes the songwriting triumvirate which has produced much of the band's best work. The other three current members of the band are all making their Labyrinth debut on Architecture of a God. Keyboardist Oleg Smirnoff (Eldrich; Death SS; Vision Divine), who previously worked with Thörsen in Vision Divine has fit right in with the band's grand and romantic sound perfectly and has made a few choice songwriting contributions too. The rhythm section is made up of bassist Nik Mazzucconi (Edge of Forever) and the journeyman American drummer John Macaluso (Ark; TNT; Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force; Jorn).
Despite a lengthy keyboard intro, which introduces Smirnoff to the Labyrinth fans perfectly, Labyrinth waste no time at all with the hard-hitting opening number Bullets. A great twin-guitar riff, backed up by some frantic drumming from Macaluso, gets the song proper underway. Despite being a power metal act, Labyrinth have never been one to play at fast tempos all of the time for the sake of it, and this song moves along at a solid mid-pace throughout it's duration and is spearheaded by a great vocal performance from Tiranti. The choruses are quite dramatic, with a tough guitar backing, but it is the choruses where the song comes live. Fluid keyboard leads dominate the chorus' sound, and Tiranti's romantic and smooth vocals really ooze out of the speakers. Both of the band's guitarists, and keyboardist Smirnoff, get a chance to solo during an explosive instrumental section part-way through the song that really highlights the musical prowess of the band early on. Opening with a powerful bassline from Mazzucconi, Still Alive is another strong mid-paced song with plenty of crunch. The main riffs are simple, but solid, with a strong keyboard backing, but the verses take on a mellower feel, with prominent acoustic guitars and a slightly more toned down vocal performance. The song is pretty varied throughout however, with a more upbeat chorus with some really gorgeous melodies, and some excellent keyboard-led instrumental parts with some faster double bass drumming. All of the different parts fit together nicely however and things never feel contrived or bolted together. After two somewhat measured songs, Take on my Legacy really hits the ground running and is the first real dose of power metal on the album with a really fast drum beat that never seems to let up throughout. While I feel the more mid-paced material suits the band's overall style better, it is still great fun to see the band cut loose like this with some slightly thrashier guitar riffs to suit Macaluso's drumming. As you would expect, the guitar solo section is a real shred fest. Thörsen starts the instrumental section off before Cantarelli takes over; with both delivering some excellent fretboard pyrotechnics. A New Dream returns to the more measured approach of the opening two numbers and has the appearance of a quasi-ballad, although it does get somewhat heavier as it goes along. A strong acoustic guitar opening soon gives way a lush metal backing with plenty of keyboard textures and a really smooth vocal delivery. The chorus is based around simple melodies, but is delivered with so much conviction that it immediately stands out. Someone Says is another song with a strong power metal vibe, but this time relying on heroic melodies rather than speed. A great harmony guitar intro gets the song off to a strong start, with a driving rhythm to back it up, before acoustic guitars once again dominate the verse. The vibe still remains a very metal one however, as Tiranti's cuts loose a little more vocally and delivers a really memorable performance. The song does not stay acoustic-based for long, and the choruses in particular are heavier and retain that driving beat from the song's opening. A short, but sweet, guitar solo section is followed by a piano-led movement that really helps to shake things up a bit and provide some variety in what is mostly a guitar-dominated album. Smirnoff's playing is once again featured heavily on the short instrumental piece Random Logic. It is essentially a piano piece, with some excellent booming chords and ominous melodies, with a ghostly spoken-word piece placed on top. It acts as an extended intro to the album's title track which is up next.
Architecture of a God is the album's longest song and, unsurprisingly, it has a rather progressive feel. Lots of different sections are pieced together here to create an epic song that is packed full of atmosphere. Acoustic guitars and haunting keyboards are the order of the day for the opening section which really sets the mood with some stunning vocals from Tiranti. Heavier sections follow, which all start with a strident power chord riff that really kick the song into action; but it is the mix of light and shade that make this song so enjoyable. The acoustic-led sections sit well alongside the heavier moments and the song really feels like is contains all of the best parts of Labyrinth's sound. For this reason, I feel that it is probably the strongest song on the album and a really excellent slab of progressive power metal. Another instrumental piece, Children, follows and continues the band's early tradition of covering an Italian synth-pop song on their albums. Both Return to Heaven Denied and Sons of Thunder had covers of this nature, and Children is another interesting metal take on a piece of music which is probably as far from metal as you can be! It is essentially centred around guitar solos and melodies from the band's two guitarists, but Smirnoff's keyboards also dominate in places with some excellent synth sounds to balance out the heaviness of the guitars. Those Days is more of a typical fare for the band, with gorgeous acoustic guitar melodies and a soaring guitar intro from Thörsen that is packed full of tortured emotion. The song is another pseudo-ballad, with lots of downbeat and mellow sections, but the band does raise the energy at certain points throughout like during the heavier choruses. This is the sort of song I associate with Labyrinth the most, as they seem to be able to make these slightly mellower songs work a lot better than many other power metal acts do. Tiranti's vocal style is a large factor in this, and the band a certainly a stronger force when he is in the ranks! We Belong to Yesterday is a heavier song with a strong chugging guitar sound throughout and a really powerful drumming presence. Again, the song sticks mainly to the tried and tested mid-paced metal sound the band is comfortable with but still manages to pack a punch with plenty of soaring melodies and a fluid bassline throughout. The heaviness really picks up towards the end with some really doomy riffs that soon give way to another impressive solo section again featuring bot guitarists. Stardust and Ashes is another fast song, and this one really hits the spot with a great galloping feel and some excellent drumming throughout. Tiranti cuts loose a little more again vocally with some higher notes reached and a more in-your-face delivery used overall. The song is not as catchy as many of the band's other numbers, but as far as giving the album a late kick musically this really does the job. I would say it is one the better faster songs the band have done in their career so far and having the veteran drummer Macaluso in the ranks now probably helped give this song the boost it needed. There is even a short, melodic bass solo towards the end! The album comes to a close with the short Diamond that shimmers with lots of different keyboard textures and spacey guitar sounds. It has an odd sound, but works surprisingly well as an album closer with Tiranti's slightly mournful vocal added. Overall, Architecture of a God is a very strong comeback for the Italian band and is easily their best work since Return to Heaven Denied. There is a good mix of styles here, but the songwriting is strong enough to make it all work together nicely and still produce a powerful and cohesive album.
The album was released on 21st April 2017 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Bullets.
Despite a lengthy keyboard intro, which introduces Smirnoff to the Labyrinth fans perfectly, Labyrinth waste no time at all with the hard-hitting opening number Bullets. A great twin-guitar riff, backed up by some frantic drumming from Macaluso, gets the song proper underway. Despite being a power metal act, Labyrinth have never been one to play at fast tempos all of the time for the sake of it, and this song moves along at a solid mid-pace throughout it's duration and is spearheaded by a great vocal performance from Tiranti. The choruses are quite dramatic, with a tough guitar backing, but it is the choruses where the song comes live. Fluid keyboard leads dominate the chorus' sound, and Tiranti's romantic and smooth vocals really ooze out of the speakers. Both of the band's guitarists, and keyboardist Smirnoff, get a chance to solo during an explosive instrumental section part-way through the song that really highlights the musical prowess of the band early on. Opening with a powerful bassline from Mazzucconi, Still Alive is another strong mid-paced song with plenty of crunch. The main riffs are simple, but solid, with a strong keyboard backing, but the verses take on a mellower feel, with prominent acoustic guitars and a slightly more toned down vocal performance. The song is pretty varied throughout however, with a more upbeat chorus with some really gorgeous melodies, and some excellent keyboard-led instrumental parts with some faster double bass drumming. All of the different parts fit together nicely however and things never feel contrived or bolted together. After two somewhat measured songs, Take on my Legacy really hits the ground running and is the first real dose of power metal on the album with a really fast drum beat that never seems to let up throughout. While I feel the more mid-paced material suits the band's overall style better, it is still great fun to see the band cut loose like this with some slightly thrashier guitar riffs to suit Macaluso's drumming. As you would expect, the guitar solo section is a real shred fest. Thörsen starts the instrumental section off before Cantarelli takes over; with both delivering some excellent fretboard pyrotechnics. A New Dream returns to the more measured approach of the opening two numbers and has the appearance of a quasi-ballad, although it does get somewhat heavier as it goes along. A strong acoustic guitar opening soon gives way a lush metal backing with plenty of keyboard textures and a really smooth vocal delivery. The chorus is based around simple melodies, but is delivered with so much conviction that it immediately stands out. Someone Says is another song with a strong power metal vibe, but this time relying on heroic melodies rather than speed. A great harmony guitar intro gets the song off to a strong start, with a driving rhythm to back it up, before acoustic guitars once again dominate the verse. The vibe still remains a very metal one however, as Tiranti's cuts loose a little more vocally and delivers a really memorable performance. The song does not stay acoustic-based for long, and the choruses in particular are heavier and retain that driving beat from the song's opening. A short, but sweet, guitar solo section is followed by a piano-led movement that really helps to shake things up a bit and provide some variety in what is mostly a guitar-dominated album. Smirnoff's playing is once again featured heavily on the short instrumental piece Random Logic. It is essentially a piano piece, with some excellent booming chords and ominous melodies, with a ghostly spoken-word piece placed on top. It acts as an extended intro to the album's title track which is up next.
Architecture of a God is the album's longest song and, unsurprisingly, it has a rather progressive feel. Lots of different sections are pieced together here to create an epic song that is packed full of atmosphere. Acoustic guitars and haunting keyboards are the order of the day for the opening section which really sets the mood with some stunning vocals from Tiranti. Heavier sections follow, which all start with a strident power chord riff that really kick the song into action; but it is the mix of light and shade that make this song so enjoyable. The acoustic-led sections sit well alongside the heavier moments and the song really feels like is contains all of the best parts of Labyrinth's sound. For this reason, I feel that it is probably the strongest song on the album and a really excellent slab of progressive power metal. Another instrumental piece, Children, follows and continues the band's early tradition of covering an Italian synth-pop song on their albums. Both Return to Heaven Denied and Sons of Thunder had covers of this nature, and Children is another interesting metal take on a piece of music which is probably as far from metal as you can be! It is essentially centred around guitar solos and melodies from the band's two guitarists, but Smirnoff's keyboards also dominate in places with some excellent synth sounds to balance out the heaviness of the guitars. Those Days is more of a typical fare for the band, with gorgeous acoustic guitar melodies and a soaring guitar intro from Thörsen that is packed full of tortured emotion. The song is another pseudo-ballad, with lots of downbeat and mellow sections, but the band does raise the energy at certain points throughout like during the heavier choruses. This is the sort of song I associate with Labyrinth the most, as they seem to be able to make these slightly mellower songs work a lot better than many other power metal acts do. Tiranti's vocal style is a large factor in this, and the band a certainly a stronger force when he is in the ranks! We Belong to Yesterday is a heavier song with a strong chugging guitar sound throughout and a really powerful drumming presence. Again, the song sticks mainly to the tried and tested mid-paced metal sound the band is comfortable with but still manages to pack a punch with plenty of soaring melodies and a fluid bassline throughout. The heaviness really picks up towards the end with some really doomy riffs that soon give way to another impressive solo section again featuring bot guitarists. Stardust and Ashes is another fast song, and this one really hits the spot with a great galloping feel and some excellent drumming throughout. Tiranti cuts loose a little more again vocally with some higher notes reached and a more in-your-face delivery used overall. The song is not as catchy as many of the band's other numbers, but as far as giving the album a late kick musically this really does the job. I would say it is one the better faster songs the band have done in their career so far and having the veteran drummer Macaluso in the ranks now probably helped give this song the boost it needed. There is even a short, melodic bass solo towards the end! The album comes to a close with the short Diamond that shimmers with lots of different keyboard textures and spacey guitar sounds. It has an odd sound, but works surprisingly well as an album closer with Tiranti's slightly mournful vocal added. Overall, Architecture of a God is a very strong comeback for the Italian band and is easily their best work since Return to Heaven Denied. There is a good mix of styles here, but the songwriting is strong enough to make it all work together nicely and still produce a powerful and cohesive album.
The album was released on 21st April 2017 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Bullets.
Saturday, 29 April 2017
The Quireboys - Birmingham Review
It is safe to say that The Quireboys have become one of my very favourite bands over the past few years. Despite having many opportunities to catch them live over the years, it was a support slot with Saxon in 2013 that finally turned me on to just how good The Quireboys are live and I have not looked back since. They must be one of the hardest working bands in rock, which is why this particular show in Birmingham was my ninth Quireboys show since that 2013 introduction. Whether it is in their stripped-down four piece acoustic mode, or the 'proper' six-piece rock version, The Quireboys always deliver and that is why I now take every opportunity I can to see them. This current, extensive, UK tour is in support of their latest album Twisted Love which was released last year. Twisted Love is the band's fourth album in as many years and is clear that the band are having something of a second wind. After years of line-up changes the band seems to have found relative stability with the current six members of the full band and this new-found chemistry has certainly led to some very powerful live shows. Birmingham's Asylum venue is a new one for me. I had previously been to the smaller Asylum 2, which is upstairs in the same building, but this was my first visit to the main room. It was much bigger than I was expecting and it proved to be a decent venue, with a good-sized stage and a decent sound system. While there was a good crowd in the place by the time The Quireboys hit the stage around 9pm, it seems very few people made the effort came down early to check the support bands. The opening band played to a pitifully small crowd, and the second band fared somewhat better but it certainly could have been better. I will never know why so many people often come down deliberately late to miss the support bands, as sometimes there are some real gems to be found.
The majority of the crowd missed out, as both of the support acts put on enjoyable displays. Souls of Tide from Norway were up first and played through around half an hour of retro-sounding hard rock with plenty of Hammond organ! In fact, it was the band's keyboardist that really stole the show for me and he added lots of the band's traditional hard rock sound. One of the song towards the end of their set featured an instrumental section which saw the lead guitarist and the keyboardist trading licks and leads with each other, which was really fun to see. The songs were not as catchy as they could have been, but there was certainly a lot to enjoy during Souls of Tide's set and it is just a shame that not more people were there to see it.
A modest crowd had gathered by the time Last Great Dreamers came on stage, and it seemed that most in attendance were already familiar with the band. After a little research, it transpires the band had some success in the mid-1990s before breaking up and reforming a few years ago to tour and record a second album. The band were instantly likeable, playing a form of catchy power-pop that went down well with the crowd - fans and newcomers. Their sound was like a mix of Cheap Trick and Hanoi Rocks but with a strong London influence. The songs were full of energy, bristling with attitude, put packed full of catchy pop melodies and guitar leads from Slyder (guitar/vocals). Frontman Marc Valentine was the band's focal point however in his bowler hat and sporting a rather lovely white Telecaster. His slightly punky voice helped to add an edge to the material. I enjoyed most of the songs that they played, especially the high-energy closing anthem Dope School so I will be investigating their two albums in the near future.
People were slowly filing in during Last Great Dreamers' set, and by the time The Quireboys took to the stage there was a healthy amount of people packed into The Asylum. The title track of the new album Twisted Love opened the show, an the band showed a little more restraint that usual out of the blocks with the Hammond-drenched bluesy number that really showcases the raspy vocals of frontman and founding member Spike. Any thoughts that this show might be lacking in the classic Quireboys energy are soon dispelled however when another newer number, Too Much of a Good Thing, follows with the loose guitar interplay of Guy Griffin and Paul Guerin really taking centre stage. This opening combo works really well, and Too Much of a Good Thing provides the first real sing along of the night as the crowd help Spike and the boys to belt out the raw chorus. Despite including a couple of new numbers tonight, the band stuck to their tried and tested live favourites for the most part, with both Misled and There She Goes Again - both from the band's debut album - going down a storm early on. Sometimes I do wish the band would be a little more adventurous with their setlists, but it is hard to argue with their choice to play many of the same songs night after night when you see the reactions from the crowd! The bullish strut of Gracie B was a welcome addition to the set and the grinding blues song is different from the usual riff-driven Quireboys sound and features an absolute stunning Spike vocal. Spike was on fine form throughout the night, joking with the fans and band between songs, throwing his microphone stand around in his own inimitable way, and singing the whole set with that cheeky, schoolboy smile that rarely leaves his face. The gorgeous Mona Lisa Smiled is always a highlight of the band's sets, and it really hit the spot here, before another new number Breaking Rocks really took hold with a strong blues groove underpinned by a tight Nick Mailing bassline. The last third of the main set was packed full of classics. Tramps and Thieves is always a showcase for Griffin's slide guitar skills, and the poignant ballad I Don't Love You Anymore sees Keith Weir (keyboards/vocals) take the spotlight with his piano playing. Sandwiched between the two, bona fide hit Hey You really gets the crowd going and you can hear the voices of the crowd about the noise from the band at many points throughout the song. Spike's 'country honk' of Sweet Mary Ann, which sees more noise from the crowd during the noiseless vocal sections, and the band's signature song 7 O'Clock round out a triumphant set and the band leave the stage to rapturous applause. The band still had plenty of time, so a three-song encore followed. I Love This Dirty Town got this lap of honour started with it's grubby, anthemic barroom rock stylings, before the piano-driven White Trash Blues really stole the show. This is a song I have been wanting to hear live for quite some time, and I was so pleased that they decided to include this in the set in Birmingham and it was easily the song of the night for me! The sleazy Sex Party brought the evening to a close and those in attendance were once again reminded why The Quireboys are one of the best live rock 'n' roll bands on the circuit currently. The setlist was:
Twisted Love
Too Much of a Good Thing
Misled
There She Goes Again
Gracie B
This is Rock 'n' Roll
Mona Lisa Smiled
Breaking Rocks
Tramps and Thieves
Hey You
I Don't Love You Anymore
Roses & Rings
Sweet Mary Ann
7 O'Clock
-
I Love This Dirty Town
White Trash Blues
Sex Party
Overall this was another stunning live display of rock 'n' roll from one of the country's best bands. Luckily I do not have to wait too long for my tenth Quireboys show, as I will be catching them, along with FM and Gun, at Castell Roc in Chepstow in August. I am already looking forward to that eagerly!
The majority of the crowd missed out, as both of the support acts put on enjoyable displays. Souls of Tide from Norway were up first and played through around half an hour of retro-sounding hard rock with plenty of Hammond organ! In fact, it was the band's keyboardist that really stole the show for me and he added lots of the band's traditional hard rock sound. One of the song towards the end of their set featured an instrumental section which saw the lead guitarist and the keyboardist trading licks and leads with each other, which was really fun to see. The songs were not as catchy as they could have been, but there was certainly a lot to enjoy during Souls of Tide's set and it is just a shame that not more people were there to see it.
A modest crowd had gathered by the time Last Great Dreamers came on stage, and it seemed that most in attendance were already familiar with the band. After a little research, it transpires the band had some success in the mid-1990s before breaking up and reforming a few years ago to tour and record a second album. The band were instantly likeable, playing a form of catchy power-pop that went down well with the crowd - fans and newcomers. Their sound was like a mix of Cheap Trick and Hanoi Rocks but with a strong London influence. The songs were full of energy, bristling with attitude, put packed full of catchy pop melodies and guitar leads from Slyder (guitar/vocals). Frontman Marc Valentine was the band's focal point however in his bowler hat and sporting a rather lovely white Telecaster. His slightly punky voice helped to add an edge to the material. I enjoyed most of the songs that they played, especially the high-energy closing anthem Dope School so I will be investigating their two albums in the near future.
People were slowly filing in during Last Great Dreamers' set, and by the time The Quireboys took to the stage there was a healthy amount of people packed into The Asylum. The title track of the new album Twisted Love opened the show, an the band showed a little more restraint that usual out of the blocks with the Hammond-drenched bluesy number that really showcases the raspy vocals of frontman and founding member Spike. Any thoughts that this show might be lacking in the classic Quireboys energy are soon dispelled however when another newer number, Too Much of a Good Thing, follows with the loose guitar interplay of Guy Griffin and Paul Guerin really taking centre stage. This opening combo works really well, and Too Much of a Good Thing provides the first real sing along of the night as the crowd help Spike and the boys to belt out the raw chorus. Despite including a couple of new numbers tonight, the band stuck to their tried and tested live favourites for the most part, with both Misled and There She Goes Again - both from the band's debut album - going down a storm early on. Sometimes I do wish the band would be a little more adventurous with their setlists, but it is hard to argue with their choice to play many of the same songs night after night when you see the reactions from the crowd! The bullish strut of Gracie B was a welcome addition to the set and the grinding blues song is different from the usual riff-driven Quireboys sound and features an absolute stunning Spike vocal. Spike was on fine form throughout the night, joking with the fans and band between songs, throwing his microphone stand around in his own inimitable way, and singing the whole set with that cheeky, schoolboy smile that rarely leaves his face. The gorgeous Mona Lisa Smiled is always a highlight of the band's sets, and it really hit the spot here, before another new number Breaking Rocks really took hold with a strong blues groove underpinned by a tight Nick Mailing bassline. The last third of the main set was packed full of classics. Tramps and Thieves is always a showcase for Griffin's slide guitar skills, and the poignant ballad I Don't Love You Anymore sees Keith Weir (keyboards/vocals) take the spotlight with his piano playing. Sandwiched between the two, bona fide hit Hey You really gets the crowd going and you can hear the voices of the crowd about the noise from the band at many points throughout the song. Spike's 'country honk' of Sweet Mary Ann, which sees more noise from the crowd during the noiseless vocal sections, and the band's signature song 7 O'Clock round out a triumphant set and the band leave the stage to rapturous applause. The band still had plenty of time, so a three-song encore followed. I Love This Dirty Town got this lap of honour started with it's grubby, anthemic barroom rock stylings, before the piano-driven White Trash Blues really stole the show. This is a song I have been wanting to hear live for quite some time, and I was so pleased that they decided to include this in the set in Birmingham and it was easily the song of the night for me! The sleazy Sex Party brought the evening to a close and those in attendance were once again reminded why The Quireboys are one of the best live rock 'n' roll bands on the circuit currently. The setlist was:
Twisted Love
Too Much of a Good Thing
Misled
There She Goes Again
Gracie B
This is Rock 'n' Roll
Mona Lisa Smiled
Breaking Rocks
Tramps and Thieves
Hey You
I Don't Love You Anymore
Roses & Rings
Sweet Mary Ann
7 O'Clock
-
I Love This Dirty Town
White Trash Blues
Sex Party
Overall this was another stunning live display of rock 'n' roll from one of the country's best bands. Luckily I do not have to wait too long for my tenth Quireboys show, as I will be catching them, along with FM and Gun, at Castell Roc in Chepstow in August. I am already looking forward to that eagerly!
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