Biffy Clyro – Ellipsis

Posted on July 20, 2016 by coralmccallum

ELLIPSIS

Despite living less than fifty miles from this band’s hometown of Kilmarnock, I’ve arrived late to the Biffy Clyro party. Perhaps I should start this review with an apology…

Biffy Clyro first crossed my musical radar about six years ago when Boy Child asked me to buy him one of their albums. I did but I didn’t listen to it.

They launched themselves into my radar and, literally, had me swept off my feet (took me three songs to get my feet back on the floor) when I saw them play live at the MTV Worldstage double header show with Slash back in November 2014 at Glasgow’s O2 Academy. Their set on that occasion was mainly comprised of songs from 2009’s Only Revolutions album, the one that I’d bought years before for Boy Child. It was an incredible set!

Biffy Clyro recently released their seventh album, Ellipsis, on the Warner Bros label. The album opens with a little snatch of almost derisive laughter and captures front man, Simon Neil, scoffing “Record this?!” …eh… yes!

If I had to describe Ellipsis in only one word, I’d say emotional. Each and every song is filled with emotions – half angry; half personal and more than a tad haunted.

Simon Neil has spoken openly and candidly to the press about his emotional breakdown. The songs that make up Ellipsis see him explore the various aspects of this tormented period of his life and make for a powerful listening experience.

The album opens with The Wolves of Winter, the first song that the band recorded for the record. It’s an impressive start! It’s angsty. It’s aggressive. It’s fantastic! Biffy Clyro are back in business!

Friends And Enemies follows, complete with children’s choir in the background. Great drumming with an African tribal feel to it. This is an anthem about betrayal. “With friends as good as you who needs enemies.” Speaks volumes.

Animal Style completes the opening powerhouse trio. Another aggressive energetic track. “I didn’t want the captain’s role but I’ll steer us over highs and lows.” And you’re doing a grand job, Captain Neil.

Then suddenly the mood shifts with Re-arrange, written as an open letter from Simon to his wife. This song has a haunting fragility to it and is stunningly beautiful. “I wrote a hundred songs to make sense of the meaningless. I’ll un-write them if you help me clear up this mess.” The fact that Ellipsis was written, recorded and released suggests that Mrs Neil did. Thank you!

The anger and aggression returns a few tracks later with On A Bang. Strong punk/hardcore influences here. A complete change of tack for our captain. Awesome drumming from Ben Johnston. This song threatens to descend into a rant but Simon Neil holds his anger in check….just! “Why don’t you f**king do better?” I can’t help but wonder if the rant was directed inwards at himself.

Small Wishes is a delightful find and a moment of light heartedness amidst all the emotions of Ellipsis. Yes, it’s a bit cheesy. A bit like an American happy family TV drama theme. Small Wishes has a strong country air and flavour of summer to it. Love the honky tonk piano. Great melody and the wolf howl is inspired. Love this wee song!

Howl follows on (more wolf references) and is perhaps the most commercial/radio friendly track on the album. Hints of the Foo Fighters here perhaps? Howl is sure to be a big fan favourite when played live. Again it echoes back to past torments – “Lately it’s hard to let you know that I’ll never learn” in the fan friendly chorus.

A standard version of Ellipsis draws to a close with People. Another change of mood. Horns and an acoustic guitar into. A very powerful song musically and lyrically. “Life illuminate dark.” Yes, it sure does. Gorgeous song.

There are two more gems on the deluxe edition of Ellipsis. The first of these Don’t Won’t Can’t has strong ska/reggae influences. A fantastic beat and my favourite line on the entire record. “By the time you reach thirty you’ll be useless as f**K.” Brilliant! (I guess, as I’m on the far side of forty five, I’m done for!)

In The Name Of The Wee Man (love that title) rounds things off in a defiant angry volatile display of talent. It suggests that Biffy Clyro are a force to be reckoned with…and I for one won’t disagree.

This album is a powerful emotional and, at times, very intimate musical journey. The personal nature of some of the songs may make some listeners uncomfortable. I however think that the band, especially Simon Neil, are to be commended for showing their vulnerable side to their fans here. Scots folk aren’t very good at admitting when things maybe aren’t quite right on an emotional level (“Och, I’m fine” – we’ve all heard it said and known it to be a lie) but the Scots are world class at pouring their hearts and souls into their music.

To reflect on the title for a moment – Ellipsis means “the omission from speech or writing of a word or words that are superfluous or able to be understood from contextual clues” It is the perfect title for this masterpiece. All the clues are there if you listen.

Loved it!

 

10/10

 

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Mark Harrison – Turpentine

Posted on June 28, 2016 by coralmccallum

Turpentine

Sometimes in life you stumble across an artist or band who perhaps doesn’t naturally fit with your preferred genre of music but who swiftly become your guilty pleasure.

Since I was first introduced to rootsy blues/folk maestro Mark Harrison, when I was asked to review his third album, The World Outside, almost two years ago, he’s become my guilty musical pleasure.

Turpentine is Mark’s fifth release and follows swiftly on the heels of his live album, On The Chicken Sandwich Train. It was recorded at London’s Heart of Gold Studios and produced by Tim Bazell.

Armed with his trademark National and 12 string acoustic guitars, Mark is ably accompanied by fellow musicians Charles Benfield (double bass and backing vocals) who appeared alongside Mark on 2015’s live recording, Ed Hopwood (drums, percussion, harmonica and backing vocals) and Paul Tkchenko (mandolin, piano. Organ and accordian).

Turpentine brings us thirteen, lucky for some, songs, all written by Mark Harrison. Three of these, Black Dog Moan, Hell Of A Story and Hardware Store, premiered on On The Chicken Sandwich Train but these, along with the remaining ten, are fresh and vibrant.

The album opens with Black Dog Moan. Instantly toe tapping, this upbeat song delivers a positive message in a slightly downbeat fashion that life’s not always perfect. This song contains perhaps my favourite line from the whole record. “And I really love the bits of her I can stand.” I’m pretty sure we’ve all felt like that about someone at some point in life!

One of the highlights of this record is The Treaty Of Dancing Rabbit Creek. This is a solid rootsy blues tale, telling the story of Greenwood Leflore and the Choctaw Indians in Mississippi in the 1830’s. Love the harmonica on this one. Great track!

Dog Rib is the only instrumental on the album and showcases not only Mark’s musical prowess but that of his fellow musicians. Stunning slide guitar work here. The bowed double bass is a subtle touch. When the drum beat begins, the toe begins to tap. Love it!

Next of Kin brings things down a notch and adds another dimension to proceedings. It’s slow rootsy blues vibe creates slightly sleepy mood. I can visualise myself sitting on a swing or a rocking chair on the front porch of a house in the Deep South at dusk while this is played. There’s a dark, swampy, gothic edge to this one. A powerful piece of music.

I want to meet Josephina Johnson! Maybe we’ve all met her. Maybe some of us are part Josephina. This track spins the tale of a formidable lady who might be walking down the street in downtown Chicago during the Great Depression or down the main street in a small town in the Mississippi Delta or she could be walking down the street ahead of you. Can you see her? Great simple song. No frills. Just good old honest playing. Inspired!

Turpentine is brought to a fitting close with Shake The House. There’s a real upbeat feel good vibe here. A ray of hope! As the liner notes explain “when blues music was invented, juke joints were the social scene- bars and shacks in small towns or on the edge of plantations for partying away from the gruesome rest of life”. The story goes that on occasion folks partied so hard that they went straight through the floor. (Cue a vision of the scene from Disney’s Aristocats where Scat Cat and his band crash through the floors of the house and keep on playing.) Great track to end on! We’ve shaken the house to its very foundations with this one! This would be a great set closer in the live arena…hint!

I’m going to be honest. I don’t have enough technical musical knowledge to do justice to describing Mark’s musicianship. To my uneducated ear, I recognise brilliance when I hear it and it resonates through every one of the thirteen songs on offer here.

Mike Harding, renowned folk musician and TV/radio presenter, has described Mark as “one of the British Isles’ great blues singers and guitarists…totally and absolutely original.” He’s right but he perhaps forgot to add that Mark is an incredible lyricist, spinning stories with every song.

So, if you allow yourself only one guilty musical pleasure this summer, treat yourself to a copy of Turpentine and Shake The House!

 

9/10

 

More information about Mark Harrison and his music can be found here:

http://www.markharrisonrootsmusic.com/shop.php

 

Mark Harrison

credits to the owners of the images sourced via Google

 

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A Tremonster Night With Tremonti

Posted on June 17, 2016 by coralmccallum

Last Monday evening I boarded the 525 train to Glasgow, picking up my chaperones, Boy Child and Facebook Son en route, and headed off out to play.

Our destination for the evening was the O2 ABC to see Tremonti in concert, fresh from their appearance at Download the day before.

As we marched our way up Sauchiehall Street, we paused at a junction to wait on the “wee green man”. I glanced across the street and found myself staring straight at Messrs Tremonti and Keegan (both on their phones otherwise I would’ve said hello) going the wrong way!

Almost half an hour later as we queued outside the venue, Messrs Tremonti and Keegan reappeared and then promptly disappeared into a nearby bagel shop.

Fifteen minutes before the doors were due to open one of the Showsec guys came striding past, entered said bagel shop and promptly returned with half the support act plus the two members of Tremonti.

Almost show time….or should that be dinner time?

Man The Mighty were the only support act of the evening. It’s a credit to them that the O2 ABC was pretty much full when they took to the stage at 7:30. Not many support acts are afforded the privilege of a full room. Man The Mighty blasted their way into their all too short half hour set (They may actually have been louder than the headliners). These four guys from Chicago have a huge future in front of them. Their set was a balance of songs from their debut album, I Am Icarus, and their recently released ep, Paper Crown.

Derek Smith on vocals is a mighty force to be reckoned with and soon had the Glasgow fans on side. Not to detract from the talents of Bass player Tyler Nelson and drummer Matt Harmening, but Tim Tournier on guitar was a joy to behold! So much talent on display. (Have you been taking lessons from Mark, Tim?)

Highlights of their set for me were Sick and Friend Or Foe. Eargasmic!

Hurry back to Glasgow, guys. We need to hear a full set from Man The Mighty!

A few short minutes later, the lights dimmed, the spotlights swept the stage and Tremonti stepped out, launching straight into Another Heart. Instantly there was a renewed energy in the room!

With Tremonti the songs fly off the frets hard and fast with the band cramming some sixteen numbers into a mere ninety minutes.

Another Heart was swiftly followed by Cauterize and You Waste Your Time. Next on the set was one of my personal favourites and possibly the highlight of the night – Flying Monkeys! It’s impossible to listen to this firm fan favourite without your head nodding in time. It’s hard. It’s heavy. It’s raw. It’s loud! Love it!

Dust was another highlight a few minutes later. Mark Tremonti’s opening vocals here were majestically controlled, highlighting just how much he has matured into the role of front man. Mark’s solo in Dust was incredible.

As the dust settled, Tremonti began the distinctive intro to one of the heaviest songs of the night- Brains! With strobe lighting illuminating the room, the mosh pit was in full force in the centre.

“Let me fucking hear you!” roared Mark Tremonti from the stage.

The fans obliged in true inimitable Glasgow style.

Arm Yourself and Decay continued the heaviest section of the set much to the moshers’ delight ( Boy Child and Facebook Son were in the thick of the mayhem- gulp!)

All too soon Mark was introducing their final number, Wish You Well, with his usual request for a huge circle pit, with the caveat that the crowd keep it friendly and look after each other. The pit started to circle, almost spanning the room, but soon contracted into a standard mosher’s paradise.

And then it was done!

All evening I’d been standing a row back from the rail in front of bass player Tanner Keegan. In front of me was a young man of about twelve with his mum. He’d stood wide eyed and smiling all night. Tanner had been keeping an eye on him throughout the show. At the end of the set he had leaned forward from the edge of the stage to pass the boy his pick. The boy dropped it! Undeterred tanner passed him a second one which he caught. A lovely gesture!

For those who had purchased items from the merchandise stall the night wasn’t quite finished. While the majority of the tired fans trooped towards the door those of us with the neon wristbands waited patiently in line for the post show meet and greet.

As I reached the front of the queue I exchanged pleasantries with Eric Friedman and Garrett Whitlock, stealing a hot sweaty hug from each of them. Next in line was Mark Tremonti and I couldn’t resist asking if he’d enjoyed his pre-show bagel. With a slightly quizzical look he confessed that it hadn’t quite lived up to expectations. Tanner Keegan was last in line and I duly stole a fourth hug.

Sweaty hugs all exchanged and ticket duly signed it was time to head home, tired, very sweaty (it had been roasting hot in the venue) but happy.

Hurry back, guys, and try the coffee shop on the opposite side of the road next time

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Rival Sons – Hollow Bones

Posted on June 10, 2016 by coralmccallum

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The long awaited successor to Rival Sons’ critically acclaimed Great Western Valkyrie is released on 10 June 2016.

Hollow Bones is the band’s fifth album and is released on Earache Records.

When Rival Sons decided to step into the studio everything was accomplished at quite some pace. They took a mere three weeks to record Hollow Bones at Nashville’s LCS Studio under the watchful eye of Grammy award winning producer Dave Cobb.

The album opens with Hollow Bones Pt1. Similar to the approach taken with Manifest Destiny on Head Down in 2012, Hollow Bones Pt 2 will appear later in the record. Instantly recognisable as Rival Sons, this is quite a short blues-influenced track. Short and sweet but sure to be a crowd favourite in the live arena.

Tied Up has already featured on the recent live sets across Europe. This track is bold with an edge of gothic menace to it. Filled with deep strong rhythms and a thundering riff, this is one of the album’s highlights. Love it!

Thundering Voices follows with a fabulous riff.  Great bass here too. Stunning vocal performance by Jay Buchanan on this one. A complex track with a delightful haunting edge to it.

Pretty Face brings a change of vibe a couple of tracks further on. Described by the band as an “electrifying anthem” this song is suitably quirky. It’s the epitome of the Rival Sons that the fans have come to know and love over the years.

In contrast, Fade Out is haunting, raw and filled with emotion. Soulful vocals blended with a blues/rock melody. Magnificent performances all round and some beautifully controlled drumming by Michael Miley. Another incredible vocal performance by Jay. Love it!

Black Coffee, a cover of the Humble Pie song, is perhaps a surprising inclusion on Hollow Bones. It was included in the “tour edition” of Great Western Valkyrie but it remains one of my personal favourites. (This should be my anthem considering my own caffeine habit!) Love Scot Holiday’s passionate guitar work on this one.

Hollow Bones Pt 2 follows and brings a contrasting track to Pt1. There’s a hint of spaghetti western at the very start with a smattering of Native American. There’s no denying the Led Zeppelin feel to this one. Hollow Bones Pt 2 is a deeply spiritual tracks, perhaps encapsulating the varying beliefs of the four members of Rival Sons.

The album is brought to a beautifully tender conclusion with the closing track All That I Want. For me personally, this is the star track. It is Jay Buchanan as his finest and rivals the likes of Jordan and Where I’ve Been. This song is truly breath taking. Scot Holiday takes a back seat here with his accompaniment as do his fellow musicians. Their performances are suitably subtle. All That I Want is as emotional a song as it’s possible to hear. I adore it!

With this record Rival Sons have surpassed all my expectations. There is nothing hollow about this album! It is filled to the brim with musical genius.

I can’t wait to hear these songs on the live stage and am now impatiently waiting for news of a UK tour (hint! Hint!)

 

10/10

 

 

 

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Man The Mighty – Paper Crown EP

Posted on June 5, 2016 by coralmccallum

man-the-mighty-paper-crown-ep

Paper Crown EP is Man The Mighty’s second release, the follow up to 2013’s critically acclaimed I Am Icarus.

Released on 3 June, Paper Crown is a six track EP from the boys from Illinois. For those who are unfamiliar with the band, Man The Mighty are a four piece band with Derek Smith on vocals/guitar, Tim Tournier on guitar/vocals. Tyler Nelson on bass and Matt Harmening on drums. A mighty talented quartet!

The Coldest Day in August opens the proceedings with some passionate drumming. It’s a strong powerful but melodic track that’s instantly enjoyable. For me there was a vibe of a 1980’s brat pack movie theme to it. (Not a bad thing, by the way!)

Dead Man Walking is next and sets a dark brooding tone. There’s a hint of synth, almost electronica in the intro but this is soon swept away as the song progresses. Great strong vocal performance on this one.

Friend Or Foe is hard and heavy from the off. When the vocals come in, the anger becomes more passionate but again in a melodic way. Love this one. Strong sweeping track.

Title track Paper Crown follows. There’s no denying the Mark Tremonti/Alter Bridge influences in the intro. Beautifully played. While not strictly a ballad. Paper Crown is the highlight of this EP.  Love the emotion in the band’s performance here and it showcases how much these guys have matured into their own sound. Looking forward to hearing this one live.

Man Made Thunder is a thundering track from the start. Hard. Heavy. Powerful. Again the vocals are strong and melodic without detracting from the energy of the song.

Trenches is the final track on this all too short record. Great riff. More of an 80’s vibe here again. The drumming on this track is perhaps the best in the EP. Stunning if brief guitar solo here too. A soaring conclusion that takes the listener’s breath away and leaves them begging for more.

There’s not a weak track on Paper Crown and, in my mind, it’s only fault is it’s too short (Hint for next time, guys!)

Really looking forward to hearing how these tracks translate to the live setting when I see Man The Mighty in Glasgow on 13 June.

 

9/10

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Tremonti – Dust

Posted on May 5, 2016 by coralmccallum

tremonti-dust

The third album from Tremonti, Dust, was released last week via Fret 12. Produced by the talented Michael “Elvis” Baskette, Dust is the “companion” album to 2015’s Cauterize. I use the term “companion” loosely. Both albums were recorded together, ten tracks on each. Prior to Dust’s release, concerns were voiced online that it may be a collection of B-sides.

WRONG!

Dust is a powerful beast of an album!

The record opens with My Last Mistake. With its aggressive thrash metal intro, Tremonti instantly grabs their listener by the throat! This one is hard and heavy, setting the tone from the off. There is a huge chorus here that fans are bound to love in the live setting.

Next up is The Cage, bringing another mind blowing speed metal riff from Mr Tremonti. Again there’s a strong fan friendly chorus. Star of this track has to be Garrett Whitlock on drums. Awesome drumming, young man!

Title track, Dust, slows things down for a few moments. This is a soaring epic song that really shows how Mark Tremonti has matured as a vocalist over the past few years. Dust is full of soul and there’s a passion in the delivery of this one. Love it!

Tore My Heart Out adds another dimension to this album. There’s more of a grunge/psychedelic feel to this track. It would also be fair to say that there’s an Alter Bridge feel to it too. Love it.

Catching Fire is yet another huge heavy and powerful track. More incredible riffs. Fantastic drumming – possibly the best drum track on the record. Huge fan friendly chorus. Really hope this one makes the set list when Tremonti tour next month…hint..hint.

Tremonti have saved the best till last on Dust. Like Cauterize before it, Dust concludes on a mellower note with Unable To See. Again, like Providence on Cauterize, this song could’ve found its way into the Alter Bridge file but I’m glad to say it didn’t. A stunningly delicately picked intro is followed by a warm heartfelt vocal performance from Mark Tremonti. Is it the strongest vocal track on the record? No. Is it the one with the most raw emotion and passion for the lyrics? Yes! My highlight of the whole album. Love love love it!

In all honesty there’s not a weak track on Dust. It has a different vibe to it than Cauterize, despite the two records being recorded simultaneously, but that’s not a bad thing.  There’s still strong speed and thrash metal influences mixed in with the grunge influences and Alter Bridge-esque moments but in essence that’s what Tremonti’s sound has evolved from.

Much as I love the bass tracks laid down by Wolfgang Van Halen, it would be fantastic if going forward we could hear what touring bassist Tanner Keegan could do in a studio setting.

All in all, an awesome third outing from Messrs Tremonti, Friedman, Whitlock and Van Halen. Can’t wait to hear how it all translates to the live stage.

See you in Glasgow  in June, guys!

  

10/10

 

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Chris Cornell at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall 29/04/16

Posted on May 2, 2016 by coralmccallum

Once again last Friday, I found myself climbing on board the 5.25 to Glasgow, accompanied by my good friend, Miss Rose Wine.

This time we were travelling to the civilised surroundings of Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, to be found at the top of the city’s Buchanan Street. It had been a long time since I had last visited the venue. (If memory serves me right, almost twenty years and the band on that occasion were Bjorn Again – no comment! I didn’t buy those tickets!!)

We arrived a little early for the show so headed into the Concert Hall’s café/restaurant. No queuing outside in the cold at this venue. Told you it was more civilised. Ha Ha. Both of us were in undecided mode as to what we wanted so I opted for a coffee and a scone while my friend chose to wash her scone and jam down with a glass of rose wine, hence the name! To each her own.

Just after seven we took our seats  – yes, seats!! –  in the auditorium. I’ll be honest, I was a little disappointed that we were seated so far back but we were still afforded a perfect view of the stage.

Oh—and the reason for our visit? We were here to see Chris Cornell’s live acoustic show as part of his current Higher Truth tour.

Opening act was Fantastic Negrito. This tall slender bundle of charismatic energy declared to the crowd that he was going to “turn the bull shit into good shit” and he most certainly did. For over half an hour, with piano accompaniment, the audience were treated to high quality, straight from the heart, rootsy blues with a heart of soul. Highlights of Negrito’s short set for me were An Honest Man and Eat My Cancer. Perhaps the other stars of his set were the loud golf trousers that Negrito said he’d paid £14 for earlier in the day. Great opening act and would love to hear a longer set from him someday. Check this guy out..there’s quite a back story there.(http://www.fantasticnegrito.com)

Shortly after 8.30, Chris Cornell stepped out on stage to a rapturous welcome from the Scottish sell-out crowd. He opened his marathon set with Before We Disappear from his current album Higher Truth.

I’ll be honest, I hadn’t really known what to expect from the evening. Chris is better known as the front man of Seattle rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, neither of which cross my radar too often. His solo stuff though, I really enjoy and I love his Higher Truth album.

A few songs in, Chris Cornell took a moment to pay tribute to the late great Prince and performed a spine tingling version of Nothing Compares 2 U, a song made famous by Sinead O’Connor back in 1990.  Definitely one of the highlights of the night.

Next up was one of my favourites but before he began the song, Chris treated the crowd to one of his many stories of the evening as he recounted a tale of how he came to purchase a mandolin some eighteen years ago then did nothing with it. He was accompanied on stage by Bryan Gibson, an incredible musician from South Carolina. On this occasion Bryan did the honours with the mandolin as they played the fabulous Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart. Love it!

With an extensive back catalogue to select from, the set was interspersed with acoustic covers of several Soundgarden and Audioslave classics. One of the highlights of the back catalogue was Black Hole Sun. Bryan is more famous as a cellist than a mandolin player and his performance on this one was breath taking. In fact, his performance all night was incredible! I didn’t know that a cello could be made to sound like that!

It goes almost without saying that Chris Cornell’s performance was fantastic. He is a super skilful musician and has a very distinctive fabulous voice that really lends itself to an acoustic setting. His versatility shone through when we were treated to two of his movie soundtrack songs, Misery Chain from 12 Years A Slave and You Know My Name from Casino Royale.

I was embarrassed thought by some of the audience’s reaction to Chris’s introduction to You Know My Name. The Queen may not be everyone’s favourite monarch but some of the loud comments were uncalled for. Give Chris his due, he ignored the drunken jeers and continued un-phased to make his point.

Wooden Jesus, a Temple of the Dog song, was another highlight of the main set. Fell a wee bit in love with this one.

The main set ended with a cover of The Beatles A Day In The Life.

Both Bryan and Chris earned themselves their first standing ovation of the night as they left the stage.

The encore, when they returned a few moments later was a lengthy one – five songs! Chris’s cover of One (U2 chords and Metallica lyrics) was perhaps my highlight of the night. Stunning performance! The mammoth two and a half hour, twenty seven song set drew to a close with a heartfelt dedication to the people of Paris and Brussels as Chris played Higher Truth. A perfect song to end a perfect show on.

Everyone in the room was on their feet once again. A stunningly epic acoustic night that’s sure to go down in Glasgow’s musical history books. I’m proud to say, “I was there.”

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photographs courtesy of Robert W Miller

 

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Massive – Destination Somewhere

Posted on April 8, 2016 by coralmccallum

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One of my favourite albums from 2014 was Full Throttle by Aussie rock band Massive. As a debut album it was sensational. But how do you follow such an impressive start?

The answer’s easy- you tour, you write, you enjoy a beer or two, you play till you bleed, you get back in the studio and you do it all again….only better! And that’s what these road dogs have done.

Massive’s second studio album, Destination Somewhere, is released on 22 April on Earache Records. Hailing from Melbourne, for those of you who aren’t familiar with these boys yet, Massive are Brad Marr on lead vocals and guitar, Aidan McGarrigle on bass and backing vocals and Jarrod Medwin on drums and backing vocals. There’s been one change in the band’s line up since 2014 with the band’s original guitarist being replaced by Brendan Forward. It’s a dynamic combination of talent!

Destination Somewhere opens with One For The Road. Gentle hi hats then BANG! Riff heavy, with searing vocals and a strong chorus, this is an awesome start to this ten track record and an instant reminder of just how good these boys are. “There’s a new day coming. A chaos about to ignite.”

Don’t say you weren’t warned, folks!

There’s an air of maturity to this album that demonstrates just how far Massive have come in the past two years. Full Throttle was just that – pedal to the metal, good, sleazy RnFnR all the way but this one is more controlled, almost delicate in places.

There’s not a bad track on here. Each and every one brings something different to the table – or should that be bar, boys?

Second track is Blood Money Blues although once you get past the outstanding vintage blues intro, there’s not much blues to this track. The cow bells are back!  Perhaps a hint of an SMKC influence to these? One of my favourite tracks from the record. Fabulous guitar solo. Awesome vocals. Can’t wait to hear this live! (Hint! Hint!)

The longest track on the album is Sinking Ship. Loosely based around a miserable but memorable trip to Tasmania, this one brings another dimension to the album. Was that a little country vibe about 30 seconds in? I think it was. Brilliant!

Track four, The Fall, is perhaps the heaviest song on here. Soaring riff. Huge chorus. Instantly head bobbing. Adore the timbre to Brad’s vocal on the slower sections and the tone of Aidan’s bass is sweet. Dark and sleazy rock at its finest.

Perhaps the most radio friendly track on Destination Somewhere is Made of Stone. Brad Marr describes this as “our movie soundtrack song off the album. It’s not a ballad but it’s definitely more cruising than the others.” Think Days of Thunder, Tom Cruise and long open highways at sunset. Epic song!

Title track Destination Somewhere sums this band up. These guys cover more miles than you could ever dream possible, practically living in their van. Jarrod Medwin declares that this song has “probably my favourite chorus ever in Massive.” He also confessed to a little studio trickery, having recorded a double drum track for the intro. We’ll forgive him. This is a real feel good rock anthem. Another classic track.

The Way Its Always Been has a honky tonk bar feel to it. Love the effect used on the vocal track on this one. And is that more than a hint of blues here, guys? Great song and another great chorus.

Beaten Dog brings proceedings to a close. Love the mournful guitar intro with the subtle acoustic track over it. Filled with raw emotion, this is my personal favourite on the record. (well, for today it is because I love them all) The guitar solo two minutes in is stunning – mournful, depressed but not wailing. Beautifully executed. “Even a beaten dog gonna have its day.”

There’s nothing beaten about these Aussie boys. Destination Somewhere is a fantastic rock album and deserves to be regarded as one of THE releases of 2016.

It may be titled Destination Somewhere but these hardworking rockers deserve to destined for the very top. Hopefully all their hard work and dedication will pay dividends and see Massive being massive worldwide in 2016.

 

 

10/10

 

Thanks to Dan H from Earache for the promo copy.

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Brian Fallon & the Crowes – no Painkillers required for this show!

Posted on April 7, 2016 by coralmccallum

Normality finally resumed on Wednesday night as I boarded the 5.25 train to Glasgow, accompanied by my two teenage chaperones, Boy Child and friend.

We were heading to my favourite venue too!

Yes, we were off to the city’s O2 ABC to see Brian Fallon and the Crowes.

(For those of you going “who?”, Brian Fallon is the front man of New Jersey rock band The Gaslight Anthem who are currently on an indefinite hiatus…was it something we said when we saw them at the O2 Academy last summer?)

I’d bought the tickets to this O2 ABC show months ago, long before Brian Fallon released his solo album, Painkillers. I took the gamble that the genre wouldn’t vary dramatically from his other projects. The gamble paid off (to be honest I was pretty sure it would) as Painkillers emerged as a fantastic rootsy rock album last month.

First on stage was Jared Hart. A familiar looking face and a familiar voice? Yes, it was. He was the front man with The Scandals, a fellow New Jersey band, who had supported The Gaslight Anthem last year. Alone on stage ,with his acoustic guitars, he delivered a solid six song support set. As he performed, the room was slowly filling up, but Jared engaged expertly with the Scottish crowd. Personally, I love the gravel in his voice so he’d won me over right from the start. Definitely a man to watch out for!

Next up were Good Old War, a duo from Philadelphia. I’m kind of at a loss as to how to describe these guys. Do you remember the TV show The Wonder Years? Do you recall Kevin’s geeky friend Paul? Yes? Well, that’s my best description of the singer with Good Old War. This duo played a blessedly short eight song set. To listen to, they were a poor man’s Everly Brothers. I’m sorry, they missed the mark entirely for me. The Glasgow crowd were gentle with them – something the duo should be thankful for – and they’ve lived to harmonise another day.

As the smoke swirled on stage, the lights dimmed then bright spotlights sent beams of light onto the stage as Brian Fallon and the Crowes stepped out to rapturous cheers, opening their ninety minute set with Smoke. Instantly the passionate crowd were on side and singing along in fine voice. The moment and the warmth of the welcome wasn’t lost on Mr Fallon who was grinning from ear to ear.

There were five Crowes out on stage with him who included a couple of members of The Gaslight Anthem plus Jared Hart (remember him?) on acoustic guitar and backing vocals.

The entire set was interspersed with some relaxed banter between Messrs Fallon and Hart, some of which was highly entertaining in itself.

Most of the songs on the setlist were from Brian Fallon’s Painkillers album with a few Horrible Crowes and Molly and the Zombie numbers thrown in.

A highlight of the night, but perhaps a bit of a gamble in front of a Scottish crowd, was a fabulous rendition of Billy Bragg’s New England. Brilliant song!

Mid-set Brian switched from his well-worn Telecaster to a Martin acoustic. A delicate keyboard intro from Alex Rosamilia tipped the audience off as to what was coming next. It was the beautiful ballad Honey Magnolia. Simply stunning.

After a brief chat about literature with the audience and Jared Hart and more than a few laughs at the expense of Harry Potter, Brian Fallon played one of my favourite songs from Painkillers, Steve McQueen. The audience was in fine voice as they sang along to this incredible song. Magical moment.

Glasgow was also treated to a premiere performance of Mojo Hand. (A mojo hand originates from African American hoodoo and is a spell or a prayer in a bag) Now this song was THE highlight of the night for me. I love it! Seeing the band play this and have as much fun as the audience were having made it all the more special. I adore Brian Fallon’s vocal on this one. That extra spoonful of husky gravel is sheer brilliance.

In true Brian Fallon fashion, he declared towards the latter end of the set that there would be no encore. He doesn’t see the sense in the pretence of ending things only to come back out to play two or three songs that you knew you were intending to play right from the start. And you know, I have to agree with him.

The last few numbers were a little harder, a little heavier and more lively than the bulk of the set and these boys went out in a blaze of glory. Mary Ann, a Molly and the Zombie song, almost raised the roof off the room.

Then, one song later, it was all over with a swift goodbye.

The Crowes had flown.

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Black Stone Cherry- Kentucky

Posted on April 5, 2016 by coralmccallum

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For their fifth studio album Black Stone Cherry have stripped off the “commercial cloak” and returned to what they do best – dirty, grungy, riff heavy swamp rock with their own unique Southern stamp of authority.

They returned to their roots and went back into the same studio where they recorded their debut album Black Stone Cherry almost ten years ago. Released on the Mascot label, this record was produced by the band themselves and engineered by long standing friend Dave Barrick and, hey presto, Black Stone Cherry are back where they belong.

This album runs to some thirteen tracks and there’s not a bad or a weak one among them.

Kentucky opens with The Way Of The Future. Fuzz laden from the off with a seriously strong riff. Instantly heads start to nod. This one’s dirty, hard and heavy. As the lyrics say “Take back control. Fight for your soul.” Yeah! The “real” Black Stone Cherry are back in the Practice House.

Single, In Our Dreams, is up next. With an edge of darkness to it, this energetic track is another classic tale from Black Stone Cherry. Live this is one monster of a song!

Shakin’ My Cage spins a dark Gothic magic over proceedings. If you liked The Ghost of Floyd Collins then you’ll love this one. Deep Southern swamp rock at its finest.

Soul Machine sees a different approach for the boys. Still hard and riff heavy, the addition of a horn section and some female soul backing singers is inspired. Its Southern rock meets The Blues Brothers. Brilliant!

Kentucky see Black Stone Cherry cover Edwin Starr’s Motown classic, War. When I saw this on the track list, I had my doubts. I was 100% wrong. This may be a Motown classic but it’s had a good ole Kentucky Black Stone Cherry trademark stomped on it.

Hangman is sure to prove to be a fan favourite when it hits the stage on tour. With a killer grunge riff and strong anthemic chorus, this one will be awesome live! “Sometimes I wonder what’s it going to take to end all this suffering.”

No one’s suffering listening to Kentucky!

The album closes with the stunningly beautiful The Rambler. This is a heartfelt ballad telling the story of a ramblin’ man’s regrets at not always being there for his family. Jasin Todd, formerly of Shinedown, brought this song to the boys and, with a few tweaks, they’ve made it their own. It’s got some of my favourite lines in it. Chris’ emotional, straight from the heart, vocal creates the imagery to perfection as he proclaims, “I played a pretty Southern girl right out of her dress.” I’ve had the pleasure of hearing this one played live and it was one of the highlights of the set. A goosebumps moment. And yes, I do – “turn the radio up when your heart breaks down.”

Black Stone Cherry’s hearts are in Kentucky, their families and their souls are in Kentucky so there was only really ever one choice for the title of this album. True Black Stone Cherry fans are right in the heart of Kentucky with them.

 

10/10

 

But wait….there’s more for those fans of vinyl among you.  I bought this record on both CD and vinyl- yes, I’m a bit old school and proud of it. The vinyl came with a free digital download code that revealed two hidden treasures in the way of bonus tracks – I Am The Lion and Evil.

I Am The Lion is a solid, hard, head banging track but is perhaps more akin to the commercial vibe of Magic Mountain.

Evil on the other hand is a hidden gem. There’s strong Led Zeppelin influences to the opening section, even in Chris’ vocal. A stunning guitar solo is followed by a change of vibe. Suddenly it’s a step back to the 1950’s rock’n’roll of Chuck Berry with a healthy dose of Southern charm. There’s nothing Evil about this one. It’s pure genius and pleasure to hear these boys from Kentucky having so much fun.

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 (credits to the owners of the images used -sourced via Google)

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