Words: Tom Willmott

It seems every year begins with endless discussion in the music media about which artists are tipped to come out on top when the year’s out. The most tempting route is the inevitable comparison between past and present – for example, are Howler this year’s Strokes or Tribes the new-found Libertines? Thankfully, Antlered Man, an upcoming four piece from London, who have been criminally overlooked by several outlets, have created a sufficiently individual sound with their debut album “Giftes 1 and 2”, that many will be left floundering as to where to pigeon-hole them in today’s musical landscape.

For some, the delightfully demented vocals in “Surrounded By White Men” have resonances with Faith No More, while others will spot a range of Tool-esque progressive elements, particularly in the opener “Outrages 1 Ta 3”. Adding to the palette are some suitably heavy and almost ear-shattering moments in the five minutes of mayhem that can be found in “Platoono of Uno.” This track begs comparison with veteran alt metallers System Of A Down – quite a compliment as there really have been very few acts in recent years to rival those guys.

However, Antlered Man do not just embrace the heavier aspects of music, but use to their advantage more measured melancholic sounds, as in “Buddhist Soup” and “Schizo Tennis”. That’s a fairly short respite, though, before they plunge into the grungy tones of “Mr Runner-Up Teenage Bloomfield”, making this the defining point of the album. Typically, it closes with the hard- hitting “Misruly Roo”, another assault on the ear drums.

Maybe with better production, this could have been a stone cold classic, but that is just a minor issue. What recognition they receive for this remains to be seen, but it’s good to hear once in a while a record that signals authenticity, and stands out in a saturated market. Antlered Man should take credit for this, and who knows what they will deliver for us next time?

Words: Tom Willmott

Ten years ago, Inme were the subject of substantial hype, touted as the future of UK rock music, destined for arenas and heading for some big festival slots. Unfortunately for them, that still hasn’t materialized but it’s good to know that they’re still out there producing great material for their dedicated fan base.

Their latest release and fifth studio album “The Pride” kick starts a new era for the band. The Inme of today are a different animal from the one who brought you so called classics “Underdose” and “Firefly”. With the addition of their new guitarist, Gary Marlow, they further embrace the technical influences they adopted on the last two records. Opener “Reverie Shores” is perhaps one of the best tracks they’ve produced since the days of White Butterfly, incorporating a subtle heavy edge with Dave MacPherson’s trademark eccentric vocals, making this nigh on perfect. “Moonlit Seabed” features shades of electronica, not too distant from the likes of Enter Shikari, delivering another solid cut. With “A Great Man”, there’s a strong pop rock feel, whilst retaining their signature sound. Following that, they opt for a more mellow production, as demonstrated in “Escape To Mysteriopa” and “Silver Womb”, the latter showcasing impressive symphonic arrangements. They get their feet off the ground with “Guardian”, yet another strong moment for this album. The only disappointment perhaps is towards the end, when it starts to drift slightly and maybe lose focus, save for the last couple of minutes of “Legacy”, but by now the positives have far outweighed any negatives found on the record.

“The Pride” shows that Inme have grown gracefully from their nu metal/post- grunge days and managed to put their own spin on a genre that aspiring bands may well emulate in the foreseeable future. This album will undoubtedly appeal to fans who have waited so long for a release, but it is a very different sound – although just as appealing – from the glory days of 2003.

The band will be embarking on a 35-date UK tour next month, covering almost the entire map of the island. If “The Pride” is anything to go by, then they are certainly worthy of your hard earned pennies.

Words: Emma Lawrence

Goldfrapp first came onto the music scene 12 years ago in 2000 when I was in first year at high school and had just purchased my first pair of Doc Martins.  They, like my Doc’s, have gone in and out of style, reaching the peak of their fame in 2005 when I had become a self confessed indie kid and fell madly in love with their 2005 album “Supernature”. Since then they have gone on to release two more albums “Seventh Tree” (2008) and “Head First” (2010).  Now in 2012, they are releasing a Greatest Hits Collection and it’s packed full of all their best songs including “Utopia” and to the dance floor classic that is “Strict Machine”.  Starting off with “Ooh La La”, the album is everything you could ever want in a greatest hits collection; It does what it says on the tin.

The album has just the right mix of dance and ambiance about it. It chops and changes from all the different genres that Goldfrapp have covered in the 12 years they’ve been around. One stand out track, that not many people will know, is Goldfrapp’s “Lovely Head” with its beautiful strings and haunting vocals from Alison Goldfrapp. It’s under-rated and has been used on lots of TV shows and adverts.  “Ride A White Horse” is another highlight of the album which makes you want to get up and dance around like a crazy person (OK, maybe that’s just me!).  It does, in my humble opinion, have one “bad” song, “Train” which lasts slightly too long and is a bit too ambient for me.

Overall this is a brilliant collection of hits! Perfect if you like Goldfrapp songs but aren’t the biggest fan and wouldn’t go out and buy an album of theirs as it has all their best songs in one place! If you’re looking for an album to party to, Goldfrapp is a one stop shop to party away to on a Saturday or any other night of the week.

Words: Gaz Martinez

As a metalhead, I have always been a fan of a strategically placed breakdown or two (or six), and Attack Attack!, While may not be masters of the art, do well enough on their latest album, This Means War to place breakdowns aplenty to get everyone in the crowd moving up and down like crabs.

The synths, which seem to be a staple in the band’s sound, return for this third effort. Alas, amidst the screaming/breakdowns/crabcore, on this album they see relatively little action outside the choruses and as a result, it never feels like they are used extensively enough to be considered more than a gimmick that quickly becomes predictable. That said, they do add a nice quality to songs like The Betrayal and The Reality.

Variation in the general riffing wouldn’t go amiss either, after listening to the album the whole way through, several times, most tracks flow seamlessly into the next, to the point where a fair amount of the songs, as separate entities, begin to lose that individuality that they each need to make a solid album. It feels as if I could easily cut one song riff out of The Reality and paste it into The Revolution.

It is only when we get halfway through This Means War are we treated to some variation with The Motivation, which treats you to a gentle piano intro, but even with a longer, more melodic chorus, and The Wretched which places a much needed emphasis on synths, these two are by far the highlights of this album. The album definitely picks up half-way, The Confrontation even offers us what sounds like small bites of dubstep which does wonders to mix it up a bit. But for a first time listener, the CD may have already been taken out of the player and swapped for something else, you are rewarded for listening to the whole thing, but the first half of this album makes it a tedious slog to get there.

If you’re looking for a solid slice of bog standard metalcore, then This Means War offers plenty of stock material to bounce to, but not much that kicks you in the proverbial nuts. For a fourth album, variation in structure and tempo should be a number one priority; otherwise a follow up to this album may be their last as Attack Attack! Continue a streak of mediocrity that This Means War may have started.

Words: Tom Willmott

About this time of year, statistics of the previous twelve months’ album and single sales are released and – when all is revealed – the verdict usually seems to be along the lines of “guitar music is dead”, and other such obituaries that lazy journalists resort to on an annual basis. Anyway, luckily, the latest effort from five-piece The Maccabees will prove the cynics wrong, as it appears they have nailed their career- defining record.

They have come a long way from the days of their Post-Libertines sounding debut to the experimental somophore “Wall Of Arms”. “Given To The Wild” combines the best of both worlds, offering even more vibrant sounds with great song structures thrown in for good measure. “Child” is a great example of this, creating a chilling, climactic atmosphere; and further down the track list, you’ll find tunes such as “Ayla” and “Go” that invoke comparisons with Radiohead or Arcade Fire. But then again, this album is about a band finding their own sound, whereas five years ago, you probably wouldn’t have expected these guys to be pushing the boundaries. “Pelican”, the first single to be taken from the record, is possibly the stand out moment, with clever harmonies and great instrumentation throughout, clearly showing why it deserves all the radio airplay it has received so far. Credit is also due to the guitar-emphatic “Unknown” and “Slowly One”, which enhance this album.

Essentially, this is the record that will take The Maccabees to the next level. Expect them to be frequenting the festivals this summer, and also witness them upgrade to a new set of venues. It seems for a while, indie music has been looking for a big hitter, packed with a suitable amount of anthems that thousands will latch onto. The Maccabees may have just ended that search.