The Bent Moustache

Forst

From our favourite Dutch label (home to Persil and Zea) this is a rather odd twist, as it’s something of a Scottish supergroup (with former members of Dawson and Dog Faced Hermans) in exile in Amsterdam who have produced this debut album. more… “The Bent Moustache”

Descent

This Violent Reality

Blimey. That’ll teach me. This had lingered near the bottom of the review pile. There are a lot of rubbish death-thrash-core metal bands out there, and only a few good ones. more… “Descent”

Sound Of ZZZ

Sound Of ZZZ

This album follows very much in the veins of recent efforts by The Rapture and LCD Soundsystem, generating brutal sweaty tension through heavy basslines and kick drums. Unlike much of the aural candy floss which passes itself off as hardcore dance music, this album is a heart-pounding treat, lingering long in the mind after the disc has stopped spinning. more… “Sound Of ZZZ”

The Mock Heroic

Dignified Exits

The best marker by which to judge a rock’n’roll record has always been its opening track. Dignified Exits opens on an absolute blinder. ‘Own Eyes’, with its thunderous drum rolls and gravelly guitars grabs the listener by the neck. more… “The Mock Heroic”

999

Death In Soho

How do you slag off a band such as 999? The short answer is – quite simply, you don’t! You can’t! Formed in 1976 during the original wave of punk music, they have continued touring since and still manage to pack out venues. more… “999”

Stephen Fretwell

Man On The Roof

The Roof sounds like a very dangerous place for Mr. Fretwell to position himself. On the tracks offered here he sounds either drunk enough to fall; close enough to a dreary sleep to collapse; or maudlin and despondent enough to jump. more… “Stephen Fretwell”

Love Of Diagrams

An almost static platform of driven rhythm; an outline of tuneful, meanderingly melodic bass; scale and measurements dictated by detached, methodical vocals; and extravagantly coloured by wild and wailing guitars. more… “Love Of Diagrams”

Elíza

Empire Fall

Elíza Newman, formerly the lead singer of Icelandic rockers Bellatrix, is compared on this album’s accompanying press release to Kate Bush, Bjork, Debbie Harry and Nico. This immediately strikes me as a pretty desperate and unrealistic attempt to sap a cool credibility from the most notable female icons in alternative music. more… “Elíza”