Children Collide - Theory Of Everything

 I had established quite high expectations for Children Collides sophomore effort due to their intense live show and amazing first album, The Long Now. The band definitely still has the ability of writing great songs but I can't help but feel the album isn't a progression for the band. There is nothing particularly bad about this new release but it seems like the band hasn't attempted to step forward in any way and its almost as if they just pumped out a bunch of songs in a short period. Despite this, the band has managed to create an album that is still consistently enjoyable with a cool charm.

Highlights include "My Eagle" which is a groovy pop-rock anthem with catchy lyrics and despite its simplicity, manages to keep an exciting vibe. I can already picture the massive live sing alongs. Tracks like "Jellylegs" show they can still write catchy guitar parts and songs like "Seven Forks" show the band exploring different elements of composition and melody. "Loveless" is a nice contrast to the more upbeat tracks, being a mellower soulful song without coming across as lame or forced. "Complacency No Vacancy" shows some catchy Nirvana-esque style rock which also contains groovy guitar licks allowing it to be instantly likeable. Although, some songs such as "Fashion Fits" and "Future Monks" misses the mark, providing little to entice listeners.

As usual the bass and drums work together excellently to provide a solid rhythm throughout the album and the simple lyrics create an innocent vibe that is easier to relate to and consume. Overall the band has created an adequate follow up that contains great songs for the most part. 8/10

Favourite Songs: Complacency No Vacancy, Loveless, Jellylegs, My Eagle.

Bring Me The Horizon - There Is A Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let’s Keep It a Secret

 Bring Me The Horizon is a band that is often debated about, being both widely adored and equally criticised and hated. In their third full length album, BMTH attempt to create a balance between the monotonous chugging found on previous releases and exploration into new sounds. To their credit, it is great to see them attempting to step beyond the realms of generic metalcore that is so often found in recent times but it seems they still lack the ability to write decent songs that are widely appealing. I found myself pleasantly surprised with the opening track 'Crucify Me', kicking off with a more melodic structure with additions of keyboards, choirs and strings which make for a more epic and interesting feel, allowing the more generic guitar and drum parts to be tolerable. It seems like a great start to the album despite the tedious length of the track. Suddenly, the next track 'Anthem' kicks in with a wall of bland noise, predictable structure and uninspired lyrics, creating a bad feeling about where the rest of the album will go.

The next track is the slightly more interesting 'It Never Ends' which follows a more interesting direction and contains decent hooks which is then followed by the near unbearable 'Fuck', which for the most part carries a tiresome structure with some of the worst excuses of lyrics I've ever been subjected to, (Let's fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! 
Let's fuck till our lungs give up) :/ The next few songs continue with the monotonous, stale, signature sound of BMTH with some attempts of incorporating cock-rock guitar solos, 'Don't Go' being an exception with further experimentation of ambient music. Just when all hope for the album has been diminished, 'Blessed By A Curse" kicks in with a refreshing progression and more coherent guitar playing. The album ends with yet another boring and generic track that seems unnecessary altogether, leaving a disappointing feeling with the album overall.

I can't help but feel Oli Syke's vocals brings the whole band down even further. His incoherent yelling seems to detract from the more enjoyable tracks and just add to the noise anywhere else. Once again, the band has relied on guest vocalists in order to save some of the tracks, with guest vocals from Lights being one of the highlights of the whole album and the addition of Josh (You Me At Six) being the only highlight of "Fuck". The whole album seems as if they wanted to try be inventive and for some part succeeded in creating something more refreshing but for some reason, they decided to essentially ruin the album by adding a bunch of bland and lifeless metalcore songs. Maybe they just got self-conscious and didn't want to risk disappointing the legions of scene kids that praise their usual sound. It's sad that the band could've broken the mould and created something wonderful only to bring it down in various other aspects. I guess its subjective in the end, but for me its just another painful album by one of the most overrated bands in the metal/hardcore scene. 4/10

Favourite songs: Crucify Me, Blessed By A Curse

The Houses EP

 The Houses built themselves up from a local band in Geelong to winning the Victorian wide Push Start Freeza Battle of the Bands. With such a title under their belts, it was safe to say certain expectations were established for their debut EP. The House's EP is a 5 track mash of psychedelic, bluesy rock songs fueled with Jack White inspired guitar licks and vocal melodies reminiscent of Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeah's). That being said, there is a noticeable degree of other varied influences and a level of quirkiness, giving the songs a fresh feel, as well as showcasing an experimental approach to song structuring and guitar playing.

Upbeat drumming, soothing rhythms, driving bass lines and catchy vocal lines are evident, with various mood changes as the album progresses. The variation in the songs gives the band the opportunity to appeal to a variety of tastes, the combination of traditional and contemporary styles on the EP keep it interesting and exciting. Although its unfair to say it is the most innovative sound in recent times, the passion, musicianship and ability to write excellent songs are still displayed. This band has a fantastically energetic live show (As seen at Push Over 2010) and with the collection of songs put on offer here, there is nothing stopping the band from getting bigger and better if they continue refining the sound they have. 6/10

Favourite Songs: Help Or Hinder, She's Cactus

The Dead Weather - Sea Of Cowards

The bands first album Horehound gained a positive response and earned the band a lot of fans that liked the band for reasons other than the fact Jack White was in it. It was interesting to listen to the collaboration of the musicians on the first album, with White grooving the beats on the drums and providing back up vocals, letting the wonderful and sexy Alison Mosshart take the lead for the most part.

The first thing you will notice about the bands sophomere effort is the change in vocal presence. White sings almost as much as Mosshart which contrasts well with her vocals. A wider range of vocal styles are used creating an interesting sound that is different from the first album but also runs the risk of making the band seem like just another Jack White side project (which would probably be the likely response if this were the first release by the band).

Nevertheless, the two main artists focus on a different aspect of rock music, shying away from the catchy choruses and melodic licks similar to The Kills and The White Stripes, relying more on vicious guitar leads and the ferocity of the band as a whole for the hooks. It definitely has its stranger moments and seems to have more focus than the first album. It comes down to preference in the end, but fans of their previous work will love this, as will all the Jack White sweaters. 8/10

Best Songs:  Die By The Drop, The Difference Between Us, Blue Blood Blues

Grenadiers - Songs The Devil Taught Us

 

After hearing a song by this small time rock band from Adelaide on a compilation album, I decided to check this band out. I'm usually impatient with new rock bands but this band caught my attention. It might not be the most innovative album, drawing influences from bands like The Bronx (the lighter material anyways), but the guys definitely know how to write brilliant rock riffs and catchy songs. And they have beards as epic as Four Year Strong.

They use everything from melodic breaks, massive choruses and interchanging aggressive and melodic vocals which makes them stand out. Driving drums and well executed riffs shows the bands excellent musicianship, tracks like "Old Uncle Scratch" and "No One Listens" being good examples of this. Grenadiers are as good as any of Australia's bigger rock acts and are definitely an act to keep an eye on. 7.5/10

Best Songs: Old Uncle Scratch, Abandon Ship, No One Listens, Bad Hand.

Attack Attack! - Self Titled

After looking over their previous work which always had a mixed reception, Attack Attack! decided to try "step it up to new grounds" with a sophomore album. I could never take this band seriously but I found that "Someday Came Suddenly" could be fun to listen to. Now with an attempt at a "tougher sound", all you can do is laugh. The album is made up of a bunch of electro-pop sounding songs, a bunch of metalcore songs and a few combo songs. The metalcore songs sound like poorly done For The Fallen Dreams rip offs and the electro-pop songs sound like 3OH3! rip offs. I guess that was their attempt at expanding their fan base. The rest of the songs consist of cheesey keyboard sections, autotuned clean vocals and screams that sound like they've been digitally lowered.

A lot of the songs open with repetitive breakdowns, giving it a very tedious feel. There are some potentially alright songs like "Sexual Man Chocolate", one of the few occasions where the synth parts aren't over done. The highlight of the album for me was "Shut Your Mouth", one of the dance tracks. The sound was nothing new but at least it could be a little catchy. "AC-130" has potential but seems too full of attempts at incredibly heavy breakdowns. By the end of the album I just wanted it to end finding myself asking "Why the hell am I listening to this again?" every minute or two. The band has tried way too hard to impress everyone instead of trying to find a sound that works for them, which loses them any respect they had in the first place. Hopefully one day they can develop their sound and create something worth listening to but this album is just a confused mix of genres and poor musicianship. 2/10

Best Songs: N/A (That's up to you to decide, I can't enjoy any of these songs.)

Jack Johnson - To The Sea

 Not too much to say about his latest effort. It got the same sweet melodies and catchy lyrics accompanied by his soothing mellow voice. You can't really say he's gone on to try anything new with this album, not that he needs to in order to keep his fans loyal.

Some could argue it is disappointing that after such a long time his sound hasn't evolved, but I don't think too many people will argue. Sure this album is nothing too groundbreaking and life changing like some of his previous albums, but it is more Jack Johnson and the more, the merrier and I'm sure many, many people with agree. 7/10

Best Songs:  The Upsetter, To The Sea, Only The Ocean

Stick To Your Guns - The Hope Division

I had much doubt with the announcement of this album after finding "Comes From The Heart" so disappointing. I was skeptical about how this album would be and whether the band could pull off something that was close to their first album but still relatively new and refreshing. As soon as it kicks off, they're on the right track, utilising both the genius old school hardcore and metal sounds that were evident on "For What It's Worth" as well as using some aspects of the second album that weren't so awkward. This album is definitely a return to form, the band have put together well structured metalcore that has everything from groovy breakdowns to catchy as hell choruses and still manage to stand out from a lot of other bands, filling the niche in the repetitive metalcore scene. The biggest highlight of the album are the poetic and meaningful lyrics, one of the greatest assets of STYG. The band isn't doing anything incredibly unique but they have written songs that are interesting enough to keep your interest.

With excellent lyrics relating to an overall theme of hope (as the title implies), well executed and unique vocals as well as good driving metal riffs, this album is indeed full of energy and heart. The only criticism is that the album can be monotonous when you listen to it all in one sitting and the copious amount of philosophical speech quotes can also be tedious. Overall, it is a good album but if you've never been a fan of their previous stuff then this wont appeal to you any more than the other albums. 7.5/10

Best tracks: Amber, Where The Sun Never Sleeps, Faith In The Untamed.

Deez Nuts - This Ones For You

Ah, the second full length by Deez Nuts. At first sight it is more of the same hardcore punk power chords mixed with the hip-hop styled vocals and misogynistic lyrics but it seems this time JJ Peters may have made an attempt at evolution. Featuring guest appearances from the likes of Louie Knuxx and Oli Sykes, the haters will keep hating and the kids who love singing along will keep loving this band.

The album kicks off with a nifty hip-hop intro reminding me of retro skate videos, before kicking in to the fast and heavy "Don't Call It A Comeback". The band seems to have taken on more influences from bands such as Madball with the sound on this record feeling a lot bigger than before. Catchy choruses like the one in "DTD" are welcoming as well as short and fast hardcore tracks like "Go Veg" and a Grips And Tonic cover of "Pigs Is Pigs" is lovely, all making for a bit of unexpected variety.

Some of the tracks have added flair making for some memorable moments but in the end it's more of the same old thing for the most part. It is a fun album, especially with the participative gang vocals and it's something that shouldn't be taken too seriously. It's no Rep Your Hood but if you just think of this as Stay True Part 2 then this band is right on the ball.  5/10

Best Songs: Pigs Is Pigs, Go Veg, Don't Call It A Comeback, DTD.

Dead Letter Circus - This Is The Warning

 I've long awaited the full length debut from these alternative rock fellows from Brisbane and my expectations were high after the last two EPs. A lighter release than their previous efforts, it is the type of album that grows on you the more you listen to it. Despite having an indifference to the Australian progressive rock scene, I always had a soft spot for Dead Letter Circus. This album showcases intricate melodies, electronic flourishes and soaring vocals with heavy use of the delay pedal from the sounds of it. The band claimed they have spent over 18 months recording this album with the attempt of making it a non skip album, finely tuning each song and working with producer Forrester Savell (also producing albums by the likes of Karnivool, Mammal and The Butterfly Effect) to help out in achieving this.

Kicking off with "Here We Divide", it showcases the impressive vocal range of Kim Benzies. I admire his ability to hit every note live just as he does on record. "Big" is among the highlights of the album, it shows a maturity in their sound, applying progressive techniques while still retaining the classic structure of Dead Letter Circus. 'The Space Of The Wall" is another rad track, sounding a bit like a march song at the start with catchy vocals as it progresses. It also had a sweet video clip. I then come across two old tracks, "Reaction" and "Next In Line". Although they are quite good songs, it's a bit of a cop out after claiming to spend so much time perfecting this record. "The Drum" builds up really well, taking the progressive approach to the full extent. Awesome drum beats towards the end make it particularly exciting. Definately one of my favourites on this record. "The Design" sounds different to the usual sound of the band. The mellow sound of this song is rather welcoming which is also accompanied by catchy lyrics. "This Is The Warning" ends the album with time signature changes and another showcase of the progressive elements taken on by the band. A perfect way to end the record.

Overall it is a good album, with strong points showing the development of the bands sound as well as weaker points with skippable tracks like "This Long Hour" and "The Cage". I personally prefer the older material but the flow of this album is still good. I feel at times the songs can seem a bit similar with the occasional stand out moments. It needed more songs like "The Drum". I'm not too knowledgable when it comes to prog rock but I think if they keep developing this sound then they can just get bigger and better from here. I definately recommend this to fans of Karnivool, Cog and The Butterfly Effect. 8/10

Best Songs: The Drum, Big, The Design, Reaction.