Membranes: What Nature Gives... Nature Takes Away: Album review.

Membranes.

What Nature Gives... Nature Takes Away.

Cherry Red.

CD/DL/Vinyl.

9/10

Release Date: 7th June.

Membranes finally follow up their critically acclaimed universe-explaining 2015 album ‘Dark Matter/Dark Energy,’ which received rave reviews and radio play on BBC 6 Music and became the bestselling album in the band’s history.

The new album, ‘What Nature Gives…Nature Takes Away’ is a double album, using the band’s own 20-piece choir to juxtapose their dark drones and melancholic epic power across sixteen songs about the beauty and violence of nature. The album features guest appearances from the likes of Chris Packham, Shirley Collins, Jordan and Kirk Brandon, all dealing with various themes of nature and the cycle of death and life. Ding Archer is behind the wheel on production duties having produced the last nine albums by The Fall which is fucking highly commended at the least!

After getting back together on the request of Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) The Membranes came back with a stunning album, a conception dealing with all things space and time which sounded like nothing they'd done in the past. All the trademark bass rumblings and primeval drumming were there but on a grander scale. Just when you think they couldn't get any more grandiose with their sound what do they do? Bring in the BIMM Choir to add to the already big soundscapes.

Lead track A Strange Perfume start the whole affair with John's whispering vocals backed by that angelic sound from the choir. Then the guitars come crashing in and it rocks. What Nature Gives... Nature Takes Away floats in with an infectious bass line that stays in your head and the choir just uplift the whole song making it a wonder. A Murder Of Crows goes all punk on our arses and gives a hint of John's love for all things Birthday Party with his maniac like vocals, screaming "Caw Caw Caw" over rumbling distorted bass and crunched guitars.
The City Is An Animal paints a picture of city life and the pockets of nature cropping up in small areas of town. Think of all the new apartments cropping up with their artificial gardens. It's dark and brooding, but manages to shine. The 21st Century Is Killing Me is like a follow up to 21st Century Man off the last album, yet totally different in sound. It's like Spiritualized in many ways with the hypnotic guitar sound, and the choir go gospel!! Brilliant.

Deep In The Forest Where The Memories Linger has a Joy Division mixed with early Floyd feel. A slow builder with a proper psych feel. The guitars crash in the drums are primal as fuck, and John drawls out the lyrics with an enticing snarl backed by that choir. It proper rocks out like fuck with a sprawling guitar attack at the end. Epic stuff. Black Is The Colour ticks all the boxes for me. A bassline to kill for that rumbles in with psych effects. Repetitive at it's best. And those guitars.... Fuckin' ell! This should be a single. Totally separates the men from the boys in songwriting skills. 84 year old folk singer Shirley Collins makes the first guest appearance on A Murmuration Of Starlings On Blackpool Pier which has some cracking visual lyrics referencing the annual Tory Party conference, discarded knickers on the beach, the beauty of starling formations. It's a dark song with smatters of beauty and very gothic. The Magical And Mysterious Properties Of Flowers features powerful vocals by Kirk Brandon and goes proper tribal psychedelic. Rob Haynes has such a distinctive drum sound he can call his own. Powerful stuff.

Mother Ocean / Father Time kicks in with the dirtiest bassline going and John's vocals are menacing as fuck backed by the ethereal guitars and more click drumming. Love the bass change in the middle. Snow Monkey is old skool Membranes at it's best. Straight out punk rock here. A short stomper, dirty as fuck with that drawling snarl all over it. Stand out track for me is Demon Seed / Demon Flower featuring his old mate Jordan. Another fuck off earworm bassline, disjointed smattering sound effects that fuck you up, and a great guitar refrain that goes west. Very clever. I wouldn't like to hear this on acid! Fuckin' tune. The Ghosts Of Winter Stalk This Land slows the pace right down with it's mellow dark beauty. Proper dub stuff going down here. Pass me the spliff. Clever as fuck, whispering vocals, Ding's production excels on this one. Haunting stuff. Chris Packham the nature TV presenter guests on the tribal sounding Winter ( The Beauty Of Violence And Nature). It's like something you'd hear on your headset in a museum. Death is compared as life's loving partner and the music is hypnotic to say the least. Nocturnal ups the tempo again with another one of those fuckin' basslines that get into my head. The squalling guitars and trance like lyrics are great. A close cousin to Joy Division's Transmission with more bollocks. Last track Pandora's Box is a haunting closer featuring the choir at it's best and is trademark Membranes tune, brooding, menacing, gothic. It's got the lot.

What a comeback. When you think their last album was that good it had to be remixed by a plethora of artists? This is a massive leap forward and should see The Membranes getting the recognition they deserve. A sprawling ambitious album with a lot of thought put into it. Definitely a contender for one of the albums of the year!

TOUR DATES
June 8   Manchester - O2 Ritz Manchester
June 22 Bedford - Esquires
June 23 Brighton - The Prince Albert
July 5    Blackpool - The Waterloo
July 7    Birmingham - O2 Academy Birmingham
July 19  Stoke-On-Trent - The Sugarmill
July 20  Liverpool - Phase One
Aug 2   Rebellion Festival
Oct 11  Glasgow - King Tuts Wah Wah Hut
Oct 12  Aberdeen - Krakatoa
Nov 2   Corby - The White Hart

Keep up with The Membranes
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Slowthai: Nothing Great About Britain - Album Review

Slowthai

Nothing Great About Britain

CD/LP/DL

Method Records

Available now

There are quite a few new artists these days delivering the goods with their debut albums. Can Northampton hip hop grime artist Tyron Frampton join the ranks with his? He’s already making waves with his live shows. Wayne Carey gives it a spin.

Slowthai knew the title of his album long before he wrote a single bar of it. He knew he wanted the record to speak candidly about his upbringing on the council estates of Northampton, and for it to advocate for community in a country increasingly mired by fear and insularity.

Title track, Nothing Great About Britain, dives straight into the subject of the state of Britain today, as the beat kicks in and he spits out about the EDL, real English boys, St Georges flag, Doc Marten boys. He paints a vivid picture of today’s state to a banging beat and this reminds me of the first time I heard the opening track on Original Pirate Material (The Streets). And he calls the Queen a cunt. Straight for the jugular.

Doorman is an angry track with a kind of hardcore feel to it, a crossover if I’ve ever heard one. Imagine how many people he converted when supporting Slaves! It’s rock rap at a high standard and tells the tales of mad nights out, trying to pull girls and egging on bouncers. Love the glue sniffing news report outro!

Dead Leaves is hip hop grime at its best, and it hits on bad relationships being brushed aside to get a better life, whereas Gorgeous mellows out a bit in soundscapes and has loads of good synth effects flying around, while he shows his love for his home town, Northampton. It then cranks up again with the dirty sounds of Crank, the flows being upped by his unique voice. You know he’s making an impression when he can pull in heavyweights like Jaykae for Grow Up, and early grime star Skepta, for the Tarantino inspired Inglorious which has the two swapping beats and rhymes and announcing, “Come up against us and you’ll fail”.

Toaster slows the pace down again with a more dubstep style going on, more intelligent words, and a style of his own. Peace Of Mind is one of the highlights, a short and sweet banger with the Resident Evil warning siren floating in and out, and even giving a shout out to Sid Vicious. Missing just flows and you get the feeling that this guy isn’t going to stick to that grime tinged sound for long. As I said before the crossover potential is huge. He has the rage in his rap style that would sound great with a guitar band. Last number, Northampton’s Child, is a cracking closer, an autobiography of growing up being looked after by his single mum, losing his brother, the tough times of council estate life, and the touching line of “No way I can pay you back / I just hope I can make you proud”. An emotional end to an album that has similar feeling to The Streets debut, except more angry and vital, painting a picture of modern life for today’s youth. A unique take on modern hip hop and grime that takes it to the next level.

Live Dates:

25/05 – Love Saves The Day – Bristol

31/05 – Bad Bonn Kilbi – Dudingen, Switzerland

01/06 – Primavera – Barcelona, Spaom

08/06 – Parklife Festival – Manchester

19/06 – The Echo – Los Angeles, CA

21/06 –  Elsewhere (Zone 1) – Brooklyn, NY

29/06 – Glastonbury Festival – Somerset

06/07 – Down The Rabbit Hole Festival – Ewijk, Netherlands

07/07 – Longitude – Dublin, Ireland

12/07 – Lovebox Festival – London

20/07 – Melt Festival – Ferropolis, Germany

27/07 – Kendal Calling – Lake District

02/08 – Off Festival – Katowice, Poland

09/08 – Flow Festival – Helsinki, Finland

10/08 – Oya Festival – Oslo, Norway

11/08 – Boomtown Fair – Winchester

16/08 – Pukkelpop Festival – Hasselt, Belgium

24/08 – Reading Festival – Reading

25/08 – Lost Village Festival – Lincoln

25/08 – Leeds Festival – Leeds

14/09 – Nova Batida – Lisbon

~

Slowthai: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

Dead Dead Good Weekend - Northwich - Live Review.

Photo credit: Trust A Fox.

Dead Dead Good Weekend, Northwich.

Various venues.

After last years success of CW9 with The Charlatans taking over the town you’d expect it to be difficult to emulate that success. With like minded music heads like Steve Harrison and friends getting together to start their own festival and make it a yearly thing (already confirmed for 2020!), it actually worked! Wayne Carey checked out as much as he could and caught some of the highlights with a little help in the mix.

Friday 10th May.

Photo credit: Neil Winward.

I arrive early on Friday to check out the pop up stage that has been built in one of the empty Barons Quay units (that’s another story…) and it’s been well laid out for this debut festival which is scattered around town. It actually started last night with an opening party at The Salty Dog and a DJ set from Clint Boon over at Retros. Being a lightweight in me old age I thought three nights might be pushing it. First band on Friday are a blast from the Boardwalk past The Train Set. Hailing from Crewe they were a staple on the Manc indie music scene in the 80’s on Dave Haslam and Nathan Mcgough’s label Playhard. They do a nice set of indie tunes and even throw in the their old classic She’s Gone. A nice start.

I’ve never had chance to catch The Maitlands before so nows the chance. They’re a Manc group through and through and remind me of that heady 90’s Madchester boom with a tinge of their own. And Carl has that banter like a young Jarvis Cocker. Best song in their set is Daunting From Derker which is a funked up hypnotic groovy train that totally changes key three quarters in. Interesting.

Time For Action played Northwich Plaza last year and made an impression. Dermo displays his passion for punk and still flirts with the Northside sound of things in the mix. a fast paced set of tunes as usual including the punky Time For Action, Uniform and a catchy as fuck Bone Idol. Festival growers already.

Argh Kid is just moving forward with every performance. His band are tight as ever and his stage presence is getting more menacing with his passion and gesturing. The intro as ever build into the start of debut Frank and the set is is gripping. Apparently during the blistering Reunion with it’s rumbling bass and stark lyrics “Does the shoe fit the foot that kicks her to the kerb”, the cinema complex behind the venue has five film screens close down due to his set! All ending with the great duet on Never Drink Again. Stunning and a tough act to follow.

Mark Radcliffe is up next with his electronic project Une. I can’t tell whether he’s taking the piss or being serious. It’s actually quite good though. Think Pet Shop Boys swapping heads with Orbital and watching The Mighty Boosh. They even go country techno at points and they have a large screen to the right of them just flashing nonsensical images. Why?….

Last band on are The Kar-Pets. I  don’t normally do tribute bands but being as Tom Hingley from the proper Inspiral Carpets is the front man, There’s a difference. With the hits flying out like Saturn Five and She Comes In The Fall if I close my eyes I’m back at the G-Mex again in the nineties. Tom’s voice has never faltered and the backing band actually hold their own on all instruments. They do a great Dragging Me Down, Move, Find Out Why and This Is How It Feels where a few of the audience are invited on stage for a singalong. A cracking night for the opener.

Saturday 11th May.

Photo Credit: Trust A Fox.

Saturday turns out to be a mixed day as I’m in a dilemma. I’m reviewing Cabbage at The Memorial Hall, Glen Matlock and Earl Slick are playing The Salty Dog at the same time, so The Snuts are unfortunately out. We need a few more reviewers out for it next year! I get it covered and enjoy the day. I catch The C33s early on who are another Manchester band improving on the live scene with their surf rock Tarantino offerings that can be thrilling at times. There’s a little girl in the audience waving a C33s plackard in the air, sat on her dad’s shoulders enjoying every minute. Debut single Manic Depression goes down great with it’s gradual speed building to a crashing end. Brilliant.

Reclaim Vienna deserve a mention as I caught bits of their set, but my attention was elsewhere and nothing grabbed me by the balls. Not my bag, however, being local lads they seem to have a crowd following them, as the room emptied a bit when their set ended.

Which is a shame really because The Empty Page have come a long way since I last saw them at The Membranes a few years back. Every track from their debut album works well and Tame is a great set opener. Wardrobe Malfunction is powerful and Kel and Giz romp the stage together acting like stars. Jim the drumming backbone and all round comedian keeps it all together even when Giz is interfering with his playing to wind him up. Deeply Unlovable is pure a pure grunge tune with a rousing chorus reminiscent of me old mates Solar Race. When The Cloud Explodes gets the best reaction of the afternoon so far and is a great return to form with it’s fury from Kel.

I don’t really know The Weekend Recovery only from a few tunes I’ve heard, however they impress today. A similar group to Empty Page in ways. Grungy punk with attitude, but in a different style. It looks like a mini punk grunge revival is on the cards and they seem to get on well. A good set. I also get to see Narcissus for the first time today. Lots of talk going on about these at last years event and regulars in Northwich recently. They have an electronic sound with distorted guitars that recalls stuff like Puressence who were really under rated. The Window is a cracker live and Ben Guy’s vocals are unique as fuck. Almost falsetto at times which gives the band a gothic edge. Another belter Cuttin’ Through Red Tape gets the thumbs up with a distorted riff building into a bit of an anthem. A bit different from the normal these lot.

The ones I’ve been waiting for Deja Vega burst straight into the set with psych opener Mr Powder and just hit you with that noise. They just have that energy and are almost psychic the way they are tuned into each other. They power through the set with crowd favourites and Jack blows the power about 10 minutes in! Chasing flies out as usual and Eyes Of Steel has amps blowing again it’s that loud. Closing song The Test is just a lesson to new bands in every sense. Jack is wielding his axe in the air, and Tom lucks fucked on those drums, and Mike smiles knowingly on that bass he wields so well. Big things are coming!

I head over the road to the Memorial Hall and catch North Manc band Callow Youth. After landing the golden support slot they show their teenage prowess to a crowd who get them. They are another of these new generation of young bands kicking off the new indie movement and perform well. Into The Sun is gonna become one of their early classics, where new single Does It Really Matter shows the growth in these new indie upstarts. A group that are going for the jugular with the indie masses and looking good on a bigger stage.

Enter Cabbage, who land on stage wearing £1.50 shades (true story) bought from a local pound shop, the anti thesis of poseur. No rock star shit going on with these misfits as they launch into new single Torture, probably the nearest they’ll get to a proper pop song! Then comes some early live favourites such as Uber Capitalist Death Trade, Dissonance, Gibraltor Ape. It’s all there and they are still as crazy as ever. There’s a small mosh pit growing at the front with young girls falling over and the friendly security staff look wary but treat them well, even helping some of them up! I’m buzzin when they play the song that launched my website Tell Me Lies About Manchester and it feels like a tribute as they’ve not done it for fuckin ages. Still brilliant and essential to this day. Dinner Lady gets Lee going shirtless, they throw in a few new ones, then give the crowd a final blast of now anthemic Necroflat In The Palace to put the icing on the cake. Still relevant and a little bird tells me they have a new album ready in the pipeline. They have been welcomed in Northwich with open arms and rewarded us all with another blinder of a set.

Photo credits for Glen Matlock gig: Steve Hampson. (Earl Slick above)

Meanwhile, back at The Salty Dog, punk legend Glen Matlock performs with his band and Bowie guitarist Earl Slick. Here’s the review from another writer:

Glen Matlock, he wrote a large proportion of the album that defined punk rock, he played with Rich Kids, Iggy Pop and The  Small Faces to name a few, to see him in a 100 capacity room is simply amazing….

First up though we have Ally Dicakty, the front man of Macclesfield’s Virginmarys, this is a band that sound huge, they often play with rock legends and they have one of the most dedicated fanbases you can imagine, when playing solo though you really get to see the talent Ally has as a songwriter, you’d be hard pushed to find a vocalist with the passion and commitment he delivers. Tonight he is stunning, the room is busy from start to finish and the crowd are treated to a raw and powerful set, there is so much conviction in these songs, you really get the feeling that he needs to get every single word out of his body, 30 minutes later the crowd enthusiastically applaud the end of his set and you get the feeling even a few of the old punks have been won over.

It’s rare to get an electric buzz, but when it happens there is something so special about it, there is almost an air of disbelief about what is to follow, not only is Glen Matlocks band great with Jim Lowe on bass and Chris Mundo on drums, but also featuring occasional guitarist Earl Slick, the man that stood alongside the likes of Bowie and Lennon.

The band crack into their set and immediately the room is with them, Glen is a warm and entertaining frontman, he chats between songs and plays a great array from his sizeable back catalogue. The crowd hang on his every word and his every strum, an hour and a quarter passes and the band leave the stage.

Sometime in a small place the call for an encore can be a little feeble, people can get a little self-conscious and hold back, leading to a somewhat lacklustre return to the stage, this is not one of those nights, the crowd are baying for an encore like a pack of hungry wolves, the band return after a few minutes to rapturous applause and Glen launches into Pretty Vacant, the crowd bounce and sing along, how do you follow that you might ask? Luckily Glen and the boys have the answer with a perfectly pitched version of All or Nothing, a sentiment echoed by the people in the room, they have given all, they are sweating and exhausted, but beaming, the band are soon back out into the pub talking with the fans and taking photographs, there are no rock star pretences and no bullshit attitudes, they obviously respect their fans and it was fantastic to witness.

Review by Harry Floatmans. (thanks mate)

A great weekend, a first time crack at a new festivals, and the dates for next year already announced. If they can do this in a few months, think about what groups they can get on the bill in a year. Exciting times ahead!!

Photo credits: Sal_GigJunkie, Neil Winward, Steve Hampson and Trust A Fox. Use of these images in any form without permission is illegal.

Headsticks: Kept In The Dark - Album Review.

Headsticks

Kept In The Dark

STP Records

CD/Double Vinyl available now

9/10

This album gained my attention a bit late but it was worth it. First album Muster was reviewed by LTW back in 2014 and made an impact. Their third album proper takes them further on in their punk folk journey with a few twists and turns in there as I discover to my liking!

Two years on from last album Feather And Flames the North Staffordshire crew are back with a double album that aims to impress. 16 songs that take you on a journey through numerous issues and sometimes funny as fuck in parts. First track When kicks straight in with a blast that matches any good old skool track and Andrew Tranters vocals are spat out with controlled venom.

I Love You is ska tinged and funked up with some nice bass going on and a nice summer sound. Peace Or War ups the tempo again and I think, where has the folk element disappeared to? Until Cynical turns up. Although repetitive at times it has some nice touches to it, especially when you get the Spanish like guitar solo towards the end which is a surprise and adds to it.

Mushrooms is a laugh with it’s upbeat sound and impish giggling, and also a dig at the government regarding keeping secrets and feeding us bullshit, without getting too serious. Mr ‘I’m Alright Jack’ verges on a rockabilly sound and you may think I’m daft but sounds a bit like something Cabbage have ventured into in their earlier stuff?!

Andrew gets a bit personal on My Own War which brings the folk back into their punk sound but with his own state of mind being questioned and It’s A Matter Of Time continues with it’s Frank Turner like stance but with that trademark Headsticks sound they can call their own.

Smoke And Mirrors and What If They’re Right go for a more rock angle of their sound and that’s what is so good about this record. Loads Of Diversity going on but with Tranters distinctive vocals. You can even catch that North Staffs twinge when he gives us a bit of spoken word on Out Of Fashion where he states “Compassion is out of fashion”.

The reggae-fied Family Tree touches the subject of politics again and being shit upon which is quite a running theme, whereas All Of The Trees goes all folk punk on us and is subjective on climate change which is concerning us all at the moment.

The Song For Song’s Sake is brought in to cheers us up again with it’s funny as fuck pointless lyrics that remind me of an Adventures Of Salvador tune Pop Song. When The Sun Turns Black has a stop start punk rock thing going on that harks bark to late 80’s gothic punk and again addresses the environment in the lyrics.

Last tune Baboon Shepherd is a sprawling 11 minute dub reggae jam session layered over with a great tale which starts off describing an African football player / legend who played for the Orlando Pirates (I did me research) who lived through apartheid yet died in poverty living in a shack. Andrew describes discovering him after watching a documentary as a teenager when was was a bit of a casual, and describes events in his life growing up a football music fan. Just listening to the story drags you in from the start, especially if you’re from the same era as I am.

A great ending to a diverse album that will surely earn them more fans on their relentless tour schedule with bands like Steve Ignorant’s Slice Of Life, Interrobang? and The Membranes (dates below).

Tour Dates:

25/05/2019 Bearded Theory
26/05/2019 Strummercamp, Oldham
02/06/2019 Something to Smile About Festival nr. Doncaster
07/06/2019 The Underground, Stoke-on-Trent, supporting Conflict
08/06/2019 The Albert Nottingham, with Alvin Gibbs
22/06/2019 Esquires, Bedford, supporting the Membranes
29/06/2019 Roystonbury Music Festival
04/07/2019 Katie Fitzgerald’sStourbridge, with Steve Ignorant’s Slice Of Life ‘The Headsticks Two’ Acoustic
07/07/2019 Birmingham O2 Academy, supporting the Membranes
19/07/2019 The Sugarmill, with Membranes
1,2,3,4/08/2019 Rebellion Festival, Blackpool
09/08/2019 Down on the Farm, Herefordshire
24/08/2019 Sun Inn, Llangollen
30,31/08/2019 Off The Tracks Festival, Castle Donnington
06/09/2019 The Underground, Hanley, with Spear Of Destiny
04/10/2019 Wroots Rocks, nr Doncaster
13/10/2019 Star And Garter, Manchester
18/10/2019 Blank Generation Festival, London
19/10/2019 Esquires, Bedford
09/11/2019 The Palladium Club, Bideford, Devon
28/11/2019 Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, with UK Subs
29/11/2019 Salty Dog, Northwich

Official Website

Obeid Gallery Launch - Northwich.

What a way to launch the Dead Dead Good Weekend by opening an art gallery to celebrate all things Manc?

Mark Radcliffe (pictured with gallery/coffee shop managers Zoe Corker and Abda) starts the ball rolling with a top speech, down to earth as fuck and a genuine guy who I admire highly (he played my bands single on Signal Radio back in the day) Wayne Carey gets an invite to see some of the excellent works of all things arty in the music business.

It’s not all about the music you know. Yes it fuckin is! No it’s fuckin not! I’m arguing with meself now. Joking apart, some of the artwork by the people who love music is stunning. Photography, personal artwork, smashing vinyl, it’s all here. Let me take you through some of this amazing shit.

First up is a great picture of Mr Manchester, Anthony H Wilson. It looks grainy and gritty just like the times he lived through with the Factory Records era, Joy Division, The Happy Mondays, you know the story. Wanker or Wonder. Opinions are divided but he made Manchester music a hallmark in everyone’s lives and deserves the worldwide credit. Created by Ian Hill Smith.

An inspiring picture from the moment James and The Charlatans got together for a series of gigs last year. The epitomy of two great Manchester bands in one shot. Tim Burgess the ambassador of Northwich and Tim Booth, the crazy frontman who still holds his own live on stage. I miss his hair though! Created by Charlotte Wellings.

I had to put two in here. Top one is an iconic pic of the great Ian Brown. Perfection going on here. I’ve got to say though if I had some fuckin money the Mark E Smith one would be mine. An excellent portrait with the added touch of a glowing fag to make the whole piece stand out. £250 quid if you want it ( or give me a sub or loan and I’ll buy it!). Created by Stone Icon (aka Dave Atkins).

This is the sort of picture Paul Husband creates. He’s one of the best photographers to come out of Manchester in my eyes. His pictures have a gothic feel and a texture of their own. When you see any photo of a band by Paul Husband you know it’s his. Very distinctive like the stuff Kevin Cummins presented to us. On his own and a true artist.

Last but not least is an artist who fucks all over everyone. I first met him at a Cabbage art exhibition in Manchester and thought he was a maniac. Kneeling over, wearing a vest, smashing vinyl with a hammer in his hand. I was scared until I spoke to him. A true gentleman who also happens to manage one of my favourite bands The Pagans S.O.H. West Country boy with a heart of gold who creates stunning pictures with broken vinyl. I’ve even got a Mark E Smith one in my writing room. You ask him, he’ll create it. The name is Kirk Hendrix Whitehouse. Remember that….

Clockwise from bottom: Wayne Carey, Kirk Hendrix Whitehouse, Paul Husband, Stone Icon.

And what better way to end the night having a laugh in The Salty Dog with three of the artists? Why not? Special thanks to Zoe Corker for curating the whole event and all the staff that helped out. The Dead Dead Good Weekend starts here!!

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Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes: End Of Suffering - Album Review

Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes

End Of Suffering

International Death Cult

Release Date: 3rd May

CD/Vinyl/DL

 9/10

Two years on from their last album Modern Ruin, Frank and co are back with their latest album and it’s aiming high for those stadium stakes. Can Frank take his live intensity up a level? Wayne Carey checks it out.

Three album in now and Frank Carter is not letting it lie. The intensity is still there in the lyrics, and in some ways you can say he’s mellowed out, however he can still belt it out when he feels it. Don’t expect a Gallows comeback here though. While first album Blossom shown hints of his hardcore punk roots, Modern Ruin took more of a stance to his last project Pure Love. This is a hybrid of the two albums.

This album sounds quite personal and asks a lot of question along the way. The album title itself is named after the Buddhist term for enlightenment which gives you some clue to where he’s at right now. On first track Why A Butterfly Can’t Love A Spider, he tells us “When I’m High I’m In Heaven/ When I’m Low I’m In Hell” over a tight network of slow burning bass chugs, a far cry from the punk of Gallows, this veers into Trent Reznor territory, though less industrious. Tyrant Lizard King ups the tempo with some great guest guitaring going on by Tom Morello (RATM), brought in after meeting in Spain last year. It has an early 80’s upbeat goth feel and has chanting rights for those larger venues. Latest single Crowbar gives us that early Frank rage and is one of the more rockier tracks, inspired by some graffiti he saw in France during the Paris riots which said “We’ve cut off heads for less than this”. Frank said “I loved that attitude. People are sick of being force fed doom and gloom”

There are some proper rock ballads going on here (don’t woryy) which has Frank showing he is not afraid of being called a sell out for not being punk. He doesn’t give a fuck. He’s been there. Love Games is a belter of a song, amazing vocals giving a nod to Amy Winehouse with a slight distortion going on. Could be a contender for a Bond theme. You have Anxiety which is going to slay the festivals with it’s Nine Inch Nails feeling of paranoia and catchy as fuck chorus that screws with your head. One of those bastards that stay in your head for a while. One of the best moments on here is Angel Wings with it booze and drugs references and hallucinogenic lyrics such as “Feathers made of diamond rings / dragons made of oxygen”. Is this a love song? You decide. It’s haunting and affecting with some nice piano keeping it stark. One of my favourite tracks is Latex Dream, another ear worm with great lyrics “I won’t make it through the front door, for that I’m sure, but I couldn’t give a fuck about a dress code” Another example of why Frank Carter can pen a tune with ease. He’s a punk rock renegade in Kitty Sucker and the album title track ends this whole affair showing that he is still questioning life from all angles rather than spewing out the rage he did during the early days. It’s do flirt with commercial rock in some ways, but wins me over in others due to the Nine Inch Nails feels (it’s been mixed by Bob Moulder….) Full of hope and optimism this a great third album and probably the best. This is heading for the wider audience and rightly deserves to heard by the masses. A nice achievement from a tight knit band of punk rock renegades.

 TRACKLISTING 

1. Why a Butterfly Can’t Love a Spider
2. Tyrant Lizard King feat. Tom Morello
3. Heartbreaker
4. Crowbar
5. Love Games
6. Anxiety
7. Angel Wings
8. Supervillian
9. Latex Dreams
10. Kitty Sucker
11. Little Devil
12. End of Suffering

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Deja Vega: Mr Powder - Single review.

The Winsford trio are back with the final installment of their promising trilogy of singles which are blowing away the scene at the moment. This next installment shows how they are growing with each release. Wayne Carey gives you the lowdown.

I’ve heard some good stuff this year and this next single by Deja Vega is a stunner. One of my Next Wave bands are breaking through in style and incendiary live performances. Mr Powder is becoming a live favourite for any who’s seen them as it ups the game totally with it’s psychedelic repetitive sound and frantic pace building to a mental climax as Jack Fearon commands that guitar like an axe. The band explain what the song is all about.

“Mr. Powder is based on one of Jack’s previous bosses whilst working in a cement powder factory. His job took over his home and personal life, and his only pleasure came from keeping the line running at all costs. The title comes from him whistling at staff to get them back in line, to be told ‘Don’t whistle at me Mr Powder, I’m a man not a dog’. Dismissal followed shortly after…

The motorik rhythm and repetitive lyric reflect the relentless speed and drone from the factory.”

It’s a slayer live and you can witness them next week at The Dead Dead Good Weekend in Northwich. Other dates as below. You’ll be converted….

This is the third in a run of limited edition 7” vinyl singles following on from 2018’s ‘Eyes Of Steel’ and ‘Chasing’. It will also be available on all major digital platforms.

Website: https://dejavega.bigcartel.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dejavega/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/dejavega

Milkshakegate!!

I know this is a music website but this I could watch over and over again!! Please share!