FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE - Labyrinth

Fleshgod Apocalypse's third studio effort, Labyrinth, is based upon the myth of the Labyrinth of Knossos (Greek Mythology) and its analogies in modern times. Subject matter aside, this is an incredible album, one which forces us to look at the metaphors it presents – the maze itself, for example, seen as a representation of mankind’s endless search to define itself. Not, sadly, anything to do with David Bowie’s Labyrinth.
We’re presented with the best death metal the Italian group has to offer, but much more besides, as this album truly breaks down the boundaries of Modern Music and introduces elements of classical orchestration and moving piano recital into sweeping majestic guitar work and thunderous rudimentary beating of drum/bass. The songs are linked together, fused into a musical barrage, there’s not much time to catch your breath between the melody of ‘Elegy’  and the guitar driven “war cry” of ‘Under the Black Sails’
If I have one criticism of this album, it’s the monotony, in the sense that guitar and orchestra is kept on equal footing – neither is allowed to outgrow or expand relative to the other –  when such chances would be welcomed as rich explosions of creativity. That being said, this album is far from disappointing, its exhausting melodies and haunting intro’s almost inspire you to rise against and invade a neighboring country!
Symphonic people becoming metal and metal people becoming symphonic is not an easy process, Fleshgod have managed it in this release and credit must be given where due.

Wayne Madden

RIVALS - Brewdog, Newcastle - 22nd August 2013

This was a free gig, sponsored by NARC, but even a free gig can be hard to fill of a Thursday night when the students are away and people are on their holidays. So it was great to see a healthy sized crowd. Brewdog pub, at the bottom of Dean Street provided ideal lubrication.

  

Cauls created varying rock soundscapes, with slightly awkward lack of spacing between songs, maybe they were rushed. I felt we would enjoy the sound more if there were more engagement with the audience. The music was complex and had a depth that I could appreciate although whether this is something I could play in my car on a long journey, I'm not sure.

Die Die Die! from New Zealand, brought the room to life and vocalist Andrew Wilson clearly felt that the little corner of the room was insufficient space for him to express himself. He took many trips out into the audience and entertained them with creative uses of the mic’ stand to play the guitar and climbed on furniture to get a better rock and roll position over the crowd at one point. The music was infectious. Foot-tapping, head-nodding rock-punk.

Rivals frontman Ross Millard 

Rivals have a sound I associate both with The Clash and with Therapy?. A small number of loyal fans claimed the front of the crowded stage area and, as the gig progressed people lined the balcony area clearly enjoying the spectacle and the music. Whilst Rivals are fairly loud and fond of distortion, they have a great ear for a tune. They are definitely a band to look out for.

Words and Photo - Jo Oliver

Jo is the founder of Jowheretogo PR and a regular contributor to NE:MM 

JOHN WIZARDS - John Wizards

John Wizards – John Wizards 

Bounce around the room. Bounce around the house. Bounce around the world. This is all I want to do when listening to the debut album from this Cape Town based African-pop, electronic, funk, meld-of-all-sorts band. Main man John Withers, who is at the helm of this project, creates a wonderfully joyous and original sound which ricochets excitedly throughout, almost, the entire album.

When opening track ‘Tet Lek Schrempf’ begins to unfold, you instantaneously get the feeling that you’re being enveloped in someone’s world, no, universe of sounds. It starts with some pleasant piano and friendly blips acting like creatures flying around in a colourful jungle. It quickly transforms into something more electronic, bringing in synthpop influences on the arpeggiated rhythms. This is swiftly moved on and replaced yet again, this time with metallic Rock N Roll guitars, raising the song to raucous levels. And then all of these sounds are brought together in an excitable medley, evocative of walking through a dream-like fantasy of colours and nature. And that’s just the first track.

Near every track on the album brings in something new, a new sound or instrument which keeps the album fresh and poignant throughout. Even with all of the electronic elements, the songs all have a natural feeling to them. This is mainly down to the frivolous use of African percussion instruments in almost every track, some of which sound distinctly handmade on tracks such as ‘Lushoto’, giving that touch of honesty. The percussion sometimes delves in to the electronic realm, on ‘Limpop’ especially, which boasts extremely hectic synthetic beats which rattle through the track giving an intensely hyper feel.

Nostalgic vibes are brought into play on tracks such as ‘iYongwe’ and ‘Jamieo’. ‘iYongwe’ has a quintessentially 80s feel+. It has that trademark 80s funk to it, but with additional sounds from several different arenas of music too. It sounds as if it’s their experimental African-pop tribute to Chic. ‘Jamieo’ on the other hand is like a soul song revived from the 70s, complete with smooth piano chord progression and endlessly positive finger clicking, and remixed in this odd ‘John Wizards cauldron of sounds’. Whilst it displays these soul elements, it also has an electro bass-wobble accompanying it, which sounds like it’s been taken straight out of a Mr Oizo song; another of the genius mixtures on this album that works so staggeringly well.

Unfortunately there are some songs on the album which are a tad pedestrian, such as ‘Finally/Jet Up’, ‘Maria’, and ‘Hogsback’. Tracks like these, while relatively pleasant, just don’t throw around an interesting variety of sounds in the same way as other tracks on the album. However even some of the more subdued efforts still pay-off; ‘Muizenberg’ begins with a jangly, affected guitar riff, before introducing some surprisingly deep bass sounds and a blissfully soft melodic vocal. It comes across like a less constructed Alt-J song, but with a vocal that doesn’t sound like someone mimicking their mother.

Similarly, the reserved ‘Durvs’ is nice and subtle, and plays out like a calm dance-pop tune. The song ‘LEUK’ also has a slight dance vibe, and sounds like it could have been played on children’s toy instruments. The happy, childlike composition is led by a high-pitched squeal, acting like a cute, pleasant vocal for the song to trundle along with.

Subtlety can be pleasant; however it is most definitely the more up-beat tracks in which John Wizards truly shine. The medley of sounds on ‘Tet Lek Schrempf’, the eclectic percussion on ‘Limpop’, the reggae-style guitar upstrokes on ‘I’m Still a Serious Guy’; all of these intriguing and ultimately enjoyable segments come together to create the feeling of waltzing merrily through a safari park of sounds. Generally, the vibe of the album as a whole is most reminiscent of Battles’ masterful album Gloss Drop: so much intricacy and depth to the whizzing sounds, and yet they come together in a cacophonic symphony of sunny beauty.

If some of the weaker links had been dropped from this lengthy album, it could have been closer to perfect. But nevertheless it is a wonderful trip into a fantasyland of colours, characters, and all sorts of mind-sparking wonderment. If Nintendo decided to make an exceptionally colourful Mario game about partying in the Caribbean, it’s difficult to imagine anything but this being the soundtrack.

Leo Lumley

GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT - Origins

I acknowledge from the outset that this is a slightly odd review. For a drum and bass enthusiast to write about a new and hotly anticipated post-rock LP is a bit like having a Vietnamese food vendor review your local Michelin starred restaurant. He’s going to be out of his depth; a touch befuddled; and he is in no way going to possess the adequate vocabulary needed to describe what he is experiencing. But he is going to like it. Such was my feeling when I first listened to the clips of God is an Astronaut’s new LP, entitled Origins, a few weeks ago. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was listening to, what genre of what I normally refer to as ‘band’ music I was coming into contact with, but I knew instantly that I liked it. Later, I learned that it was being pressed on a clear translucent vinyl, of which only 500 copies were going to be produced. Being an apprentice vinyl hoarder, this was all the persuasion I needed to stick an order in. I then promptly forgot I had even made said order, and therefore got a pleasant surprise when it turned up on my doorstep a couple of weeks later.

The sounds made by this lucent piece of wax are fantastic. Pleasant piano melodies intertwine gorgeously with slow, deliberative guitar riffs, while those orchestral walls of noise rise up in almost every track to engulf you within a cocoon of warmth and calm. There is a fuzzy, analogue feel to the whole thing, almost as if the album is being transmitted to you underwater: it conjures up ripples and distortions in the sound which provide a wonderful contrast to the mechanical, laser guided productions we tend to hear more and more of these days. Personal favourites off the LP include 'Weightless', a euphoric, almost messianic track that summons up an effortless atmosphere of bliss, and 'Autumn Song', which features a spiralling lead piano melody and an echoing vocal that soars and recedes in the background of the song. Also notable are 'Strange Steps', with its slow, thoughtful riff and that fleeting, ghostly vocal, and 'Spiral Code', which screams of Gotham Town and Jukebox on a Friday night in Newcastle. We are treated to peaks and troughs, sorrows and intensities, all before the outro track 'Light Years from Home' bids us farewell with a twinkling, electronically garbled chorus. 

I found myself enjoying this LP more and more, and in hindsight I think I know why. As I listened to it, I kept comparing it to the sort of ambient music I am used to, the sort of stuff made by the likes of ASC and Sam KDC, wondering how they had managed to capture the same sort of essence using instruments and not a computer with loads of hardware plugged in. And that's precisely it I feel. With Origins, God is an Astronaut have taken the abstract, downtempo electronica that I know and love and then fused it wonderfully with the very same contemporary 'band' music that I sometimes struggle to understand. The result is enchanting. And for that, not only have they taken my money for this stunning piece of work, but they have also taken my endorsement, my sincere approval, and my utmost respect. One of the only bands, it should be noted, to ever do so. It is out now, and I therefore strongly suggest that you pick it up, whatever your normal musical inclinations may be. 

Matthew Scott