Osmium Guillotine 'Subhuman' EP Review

There’s something evil brewing in the music pubs and rehearsal rooms of the Essex countryside. Bubbling away in a cauldron of uncanny instrumental deviance is a music so wicked and twisted that it corrupts your very soul, plaguing your subconscious with memories of shadowy figures, ghouls and goblins, and midnight skinny-dipping in lakes full of bloodthirsty leeches…

Yes, Osmium Guillotine have released a new EP.

Subhuman, the third release from the Essex-based mock-metal four piece, rounds off a pretty decent couple of months for the band. They were nominated for Best Band at the Panic Awards 2012 in April and followed their awards night performance with an appearance at the Mansfield Metal Gods festival in May.

Subhuman opens with Blight Upon Mankind, a song with a typically bleak subject matter (a creature(s) rising from a tomb to destroy mankind) and an ominous Hammett/Hetfield style guitar intro. James Balcombe’s drumming is solid and to the point; his fills are without frills and he resists the urge to constantly clutter with the fussy thundering of double bass drums. The huge riff is the strongest element of the track, though it wouldn’t be complete without the signature dual guitar solo.

It’s probably an understatement to say that any band are taking a massive risk by including a voiceover containing the words ‘sieg’ and ‘heil’ in one of their songs, but then you’re missing the point if you take Osmium Guillotine too seriously. D-Day is a shot at history through the heavy metal mangle, and while it may do little for their EP sales in the Fatherland, OG’s two lead guitarists Lance Steele and Pete Keliris really come to the fore on this track.

Hobgoblin could be a beer festival favourite. The song pays homage to Wychwood brewery’s Hobgoblin beer, and its quirky, mythical fantasy feel is underpinned by Elijah Kindon’s spoken/chanted vocals as the track launches into a driving punk rhythm. With the potential to become a real ale anthem, it won’t be long before Hobgoblin has lager drinkers cowering behind their fancy continental pint glasses.

Fourth track Genocide has the same controversial undertones as D-Day, with the band again running close to the mark with lyrics about mass murder most foul. There’s more than a hint of East Bay thrash about this one, which sets it apart from the other slower tempo numbers on the EP, though it still retains the tongue in cheek attitude that stops you from squirming in your headphones on first listen.

Title track Subhuman closes out the EP with a sprawling seven minute slog. There is a change of feel dead-on halfway through, and the amalgamation of the slower sludge pace with a (seemingly) ceaseless guitar solo shows enough versatility to back up the devil horns bravado. While the riff is still king for most of this last seven minutes, you do get the feeling that all of the guys pushed themselves that little bit more on this one in order to leave a good lasting impression.

The EP also includes live versions of the first four tracks; proof enough that OG are not mere slaves to the evil reign of Pro Tools.

Subhuman is available now on CD for £4 or for download at £3 from www.osmiumguillotine.com/album/subhuman

George Henry King ‘Silhouette Trees’ Single Review

George Henry King is a seventeen year old Clacton troubadour with an ear for a melody, and an image that female fans will adore. George has recently broken free from the shackles of band membership, and is currently working hard (both online and in the flesh) to promote his own solo material. And he’s had his fair share of local media and online attention of late, with his youtube videos gaining more than 18,000 total views, and his single ‘Silhouette Trees’ finding it’s way onto a compilation album showcasing the best of East Anglia’s undiscovered bands and solo artists.

In such a saturated singer-songwriter market, first impressions count for a hell of a lot, and ‘Silhouette Trees’ certainly catches the imagination on first listen. George’s delicate, refined finger picking style adds a subtle element to the song’s motif, giving it an emotional, nostalgic quality that is often smothered by the pub-friendly chord-bashing of some singer-songwriters. The bridge adds a simple but effective change to the dynamics, which is in keeping with the repetition of the memorable rhythm and lyrics.

‘Silhouette Trees’ is the folk pop song for an adolescent midsummer’s evening spent around the campfire with friends. Whether you spend that time reflecting on an old burnt out relationship, or looking forward to a new one, ‘Silhouette Trees’ is a fitting soundtrack. With more gigging, writing, and recording planned, be sure to keep an eye on George’s progress as he takes his next steps on the wobbly solo ladder. A cosmic collision of talent, recognition, and luck could well see Clacton’s own chart-friendly son emerge from the mire of acoustic moaners that plague our online news feeds, and go onto much bigger and better things. Check out the links below to judge for yourself.

www.youtube.com/georgehenryking

www.twitter.com/georgehenryking

www.georgehenryking.tumblr.com

www.facebook.com/GeorgeHenryKing

Chase The Enemy

Chase The Enemy have already achieved a huge amount for a band that only found their current form some 18 months ago. 2011 has seen them supporting the likes of Mallory Knox and Futures, playing numerous venues across East Anglia (as part of a summer tour), and releasing their debut self-titled, six track EP. Add to that two battle of the bands victories (at Y Fest and Great Baddow), and you get some idea of how busy these guys have been over the last year and a half. A workload like the one mentioned would be challenging enough for seasoned scene veterans, but the fact that most of CTE's five parts are not even old enough to buy a round of drinks at the venues they perform in, makes their success all the more impressive.

I first came across CTE through youtube (the video for single 'Lionheart'), and therein lies a major strength that the band has over some of their young contemporaries. Their social media presence is spot on, with the band tweeting and facebooking their arses off to get their music to as many potential fans as possible (using 'theenemy' in each of their twitter handles is a particularly clever touch). Although this says nothing of their music (which can speak for itself), utilising the power of social media shows a clear understanding of what is needed to climb the first few rungs of the modern-day industry ladder. The band get regular mentions and tags through Facebook and Twitter statuses, and are not averse to posting the odd freebie cover or teaser video every so often. But don’t be mistaken by this praise; their tech savviness doesn't distract from their ability to write, record, and perform, all of which they do with an admirable mix of maturity and enthusiasm.   

The EP opens with ‘Weigh Me Down’, a huge pop punk anthem that is really brought to life by singer Jessica Moore’s energetic vocal and James Buck’s wailing lead guitar licks. The middle eight section takes the edge off of the crunchy, driving chorus just long enough for Jessica to bring the intensity back to the boil as Thomas Moore’s drum roll builds into a final chorus and outro that cements CTE’s ability to take things up a notch when necessary. ‘Hiding Away’ features another huge chorus, with heartfelt lyrics that are tinged with a sad sense of regret/acceptance. The recurrence of the uplifting guitar slides gives the track an optimistic feel, which is also in evidence on third track ‘Give Us The Sky’, which features a chugging verse rhythm courtesy of Tom Bellman (rhythm guitar) and Josh Dawson (bass). The versatility of Jessica’s voice is clear from the tender pre chorus, which launches into another big, powerful dance-along chorus that bobs around in your head long after the first couple of listens.

‘Jewels’ is more reserved than the EP’s five other tracks, suffering a little from being in the five minutes plus category. If CTE have a weakness it may be in the length of the longer songs, as they flail a little following the initial attack of the first three minutes. ‘Lionheart’ is more concise, crashing in from the first few seconds before lulling the listener into a gentle verse with the haunting lines, ‘So grab the gun and get gone, don’t let anyone inside, just get the money and run, don’t leave anyone behind.’ The huge outro and professional video make ‘Lionheart’ a solid choice for a single release, and captures a sound that the band will surely try to replicate with future recordings. Final track ‘Victim’ is also in anthem territory, with an infectious energy and undeniably catchy chorus, giving an indication of how big CTE could potentially become.

Catch Chase The Enemy now at any of the links below.

 

http://www.myspace.com/chasetheenemy

http://www.twitter.com/chasetheenemy

http://www.youtube.com/user/chasetheenemy

http://cte.bigcartel.com

Dead End Liars – ‘Monarch’ Single Review

So the wait is over. After what feels like months of mysterious status updates and tantalising iphone video clips, Colchester two piece Dead End Liars have finally released debut single Monarch via their new website www.deadendliars.co.uk.  Rising from the ashes of Sign or Die favourites Flares, Danny Gaisford (bass and vox) and Scott Clarke (drums) have reunited for another assault on the Colchester scene, stripping their sound back to the primal rhythmic simplicity of acoustic drums and distorted bass. And although they’re missing the third arm of the Flares arsenal, you’ll be pleased to hear that Monarch delivers the same raw, catchy energy that made their previous form such a live favourite.

Monarch opens with a glassy hats beat and mind churning bass riff before hunkering down into a hefty, marching verse. The sense of outsider alienation in the chorus lyrics ‘For Queen and country, who said that? We’re on our own now, so watch our backs’ hints at an intriguing anarchic spirit, and sounds as sincere as you’ll get when delivered in Danny’s colloquial, almost nonchalant twang. The final chorus kicks you in the face with meaty, no flab drumming (not a moment is wasted on unnecessary breaks or flashy fills) before a return to the opening bass riff, which closes out the track.

Dead End Liars will be making their first live appearance at The Judge & Jury, Colchester on Thursday 2^nd February 2012. If you’re into no frills, no fuss rock and roll, then these guys will be right up your street. Marrying the chaotic fuzz zeal of notorious two piece Death From Above 1979 with a very English Britpop sensibility, DEL are sure to capture the collective imagination. And if Monarch is anything to go by, then the duo’s debut EP will be as eagerly anticipated as their return to the scene.

www.deadendliars.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/deadendliars?sk=info

http://www.twitter.com/deadendliars

http://deadendliars.tumblr.com/

The Suggested

Now I don’t know how much skanking goes on in the pubs and bars of Colchester on your average weekend, but unless there’s been an overnight ska/two tone revival in Britain’s oldest town, I would imagine the answer is ‘not nearly enough.’ But a resurgence could well be on the cards, especially with the likes of local four piece The Suggested bashing out their boisterous skunkalongs to anyone foolish enough to get within spitting distance. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with harking back to an image or style that was born out of genuine youthful rebellion, especially with the current smog of monotonous metalcore and pop punk pomposity that seems to be settling over some important towns and venues.

 A story to be told, an acoustic-based band love in that tells of bonds forged from heavy nights, late night practice sessions, and chaotic live performances, will have you dusting off your Fred Perry polo shirt and buffing up your Doc Martens, ready for the skanking to begin. The sense of nostalgia fuelled by tales of drinking, smoking, fighting, and generally having a good time, speaks to anyone who has ever attended a raucous teenage house party-come-impromptu gig, and you can’t help feeling that this track could be the perfect accompaniment to a This is England style montage. Luke Fisher’s distinctive, blokey snarl sounds even better on Conceited, a third wave ska track that features a strutting verse bassline and Americana style chorus (complete with mob backing vocals). Things get a bit mental in the middle eight, before the hooky sing-along chorus comes back in, accompanied by some horns that follow the melody through to the end.

Hats off to these guys for being true to a style that they clearly love, even if it may seem a little dated in the context of the current scene. There’s plenty of room in Colchester for bands with a solid identity, and given their fondness for an energetic live performance, I’m sure The Suggested will get their boot in the door at the first opportunity. Get ready for some old school skanking.

The Suggested play The Soundhouse at The Bull, Colchester on 30^th December.

http://www.facebook.com/thesuggestedband

http://www.reverbnation.com/thesuggestedband

Ice Breaker Promotions 1st Birthday Party - Colchester Institute 11/11/11

Colchester-based promoters Ice Breaker promotions celebrated their first birthday in style on Friday with cake, party hats, and performances from some of the town's best young acts. Founders Jack Jordon and Gary Hill have put on some great live shows at numerous Colchester venues over the past year, and their hard work and dedication was rewarded on the night with sets from acoustic guitarist Alex Gordon, pop punk delinquents Forever After, scene new boys Lamplight Hideouts, and Ice Breaker favourites Never Ending Lights.
 

Softly spoken singer-songwriter Alex Gordon kicked things off on the night with a set of popular covers reworked to suit his clever acoustic approach. With his pint-sized travel guitar, tender vocal tone, boyish good looks, and witty self-deprecation, Alex has everything he needs to make a female audience go weak at the knees. Opening with songs by Paolo Nutini, Jason Mraz, and Bruno Mars, it was soon clear that there's plenty of substance to match the solo artist's style. Stretching his considerable vocal range on Bruno Mar's Beautiful Girls, Alex reached even the highest notes without stalling the song's momentum, creating the kind of chilled out summer beach vibe that brought a smile to several faces despite the November chill outside the auditorium. Nizlopi's JCB song was specifically requested by the Ice Breaker guys, and it was easy to see why when Alex got the crowd involved during the midsection sing-along. But it was on the stripped back reinterpretation of Jamiroquai’s Virtual Insanity that his voice seemed most at home, rising and falling with the undulating melody and showing considerable poise and control throughout. An Ed Sheeran cover allowed Alex to showcase the versatility of his voice, as he handled the transitions between the spoken word rap sections and the clean melodies with ease, upping the ante for the bands that followed.

Alex Gordon

Forever After, the first band to follow Alex on the night, might be better known to some in the Colchester area as Abusing Mary Jane. The four-piece, consisting of front man Dom Littler, lead guitarist Tom Lonton, bass player Harry Stokley, and drummer Craig McQueen, have made a decent impression on the live circuit over the past three years under their previous moniker, but are intent on a new musical direction to accompany the name change. Fans of AMJ will be relieved to hear that the band’s pop punk swagger hasn’t suffered; Dom’s casual petulance and offbeat vocal phrasing maintains the youthful exuberance of the band’s older songs, without stunting the ambition of the new material. Harry contributed an assortment of rhythms and solid backing vocals throughout the set, while the mutual energy between Dom and drummer Craig provided a focal point at the centre of the stage, proving particularly effective on Red and White (with its broken verse beat and powerful chorus) and Lights, a track that fuses a slap bass funk feel with a driving, hard rock pulse, all within a loud/quiet dynamic. Lead guitarist Tom adds clever touches with classic/acid rock licks like the one that plays out old AMJ track Five Past Midnight, while final track The Answer picked up the pace with its huge feel good Americana chorus and clever verse groove. Dom is given the chance to shine in the track’s final chorus, again touching upon his potential (in the same spirit as bands such as Blink 182) to speak for the experiences and alienation of an adolescent audience.

Forever After

Next up was the night’s most underrated band, Lamplight Hideouts. The three-piece; Billy Muldoon (guitar/vocals), Sam Keyes (bass/vocals), and Louis Day (drums/vocals), take their name from a line in a Gaslight Anthem song, and were a bit of an unknown quantity before they took to the stage. There were few in the audience who could forget their performance after a furious eight song set that mixed original tracks with some of the band’s favourite covers. Lamplight Hideouts play foot stomping, no-nonsense rock, complete with low slung guitars and hard-hitting drums, and their covers of The Gaslight Anthem’s 1930 and Misfits’ Saturday Night were full of punk fury, uplifting sing-along choruses, and repetitive strain injury (mainly for bass player Sam, whose head banging was getting more and more vigorous as the set went on). The band sounded great live, going for a ‘fuller’ sound with solid chord structures instead of overcomplicating things beyond the means of their three parts. Drummer Louis adds an original touch to his quick (but powerful) beats with a quirky use of the bell of his ride cymbal, which chimed every now and then, signalling breaks such as those in the original track 1944. The crazy faces he pulls throughout the set are worth the admission price alone, though so was final track Emily, which rang out through the auditorium with Billy’s chugging guitar and soaring chorus vocals. They might not hit every note and their originals might not scream ‘cutting edge’ or ‘innovation’, but there’s no doubt that the Colchester scene could do with more bands like Lamplight Hideouts.

Lamplight Hideouts

It turned out to be a difficult night for headliners Never Ending Lights, who have recently released their debut EP Kings With No Crowns. The band were without bass player Rob Brown for the evening, and his absence became more apparent when lead guitarist Ash White suffered some unfortunate technical difficulties. Vocalist Dan Brady was also suffering from illness, making the performance an intimidating prospect for the band, especially considering the strong showings that had preceded them. Despite the issues beyond their control, the four remaining members played through a full set, with Dan and Ash in particular doing their best to make up for these handicaps by putting everything into the vocals and lead guitar parts on opener Broken Apathy and older track When the Moon Divorced the Sky (probably the best song of the set). A rock version of Kesha track Tik Tok dragged the energy levels up a notch with a clever change of pace in the chorus, and the crunchy, distorted guitars and heavy, primitive drumming (courtesy of Jack Hudson and Adam Harrison respectively) on Growing Patiently really brought out the best in NEL’s sound. The same can be said of Fragile Fingers, which features a fantastic lead outro even if it does lack Ash’s backing vocals (which give Growing Patiently some real depth). NEL finished up with new track Kings with No Crowns, which perhaps sums up how they felt about headlining the event.

Anyone with an interest in local live music should get along to an Ice Breaker event and support the young bands on show. If Jack and Gary continue to improve and expand, then next year’s Ice Breaker birthday is sure to be an even bigger success.
 

False-Heads and Osmium Guillotine EP Reviews

They say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. When applied to unsigned rock and metal music, this statement could easily be mistaken as a crude attempt to rip-off your idols, instead of re-imagining their work. But just how far can you allow yourself to be influenced by a popular band or artist before you get labelled as rip-off merchants? This past week I’ve been listening to False-Heads and Osmium Guillotine, two bands whose influences shine through in their own original songs. But are they merely lacking inspiration of their own? And can their EPs be seen as anything other than tributes to those that they admire?

False-Heads are a gloom-embracing three-piece who fly in the face of current unsigned trends, keeping recordings stripped back and lo-fi, with squealing guitars and mumblecore vocals. The band’s debut EP ‘Animation Draining Needles’ (a name they may or may not have known would yield Google results such as ‘How to Lance a Boil’) has a raw honesty that few young bands are able to express on record, and while the tracks may lack polish and precision, they buzz with an unpredictability that can only be born out of playing from the heart.

The art rock tone and resonance of early grunge icons Sonic Youth catches the ear on Guards Of The Stairs, while the chunky bass line and distorted guitars of Without A Doubt scream allegiance to the Kings of Seattle. A cynic might suggest that this sound is carefully constructed; pouncing upon the lull in no-nonsense guitar bands before the trend inevitably reforms itself and thrusts a new wave of despondent anti-heroes into the spotlight once again.

But False-Heads are not playing to anyone else’s tune, as the EP’s two bonus tracks Old Cartoons and Feed the News prove. Neither song would necessarily sit well with the band’s demographic (due to their laidback nature), though in the current social climate it would be hard not to identify with sceptical musings such as ‘You don’t need to cry to show how you feel. Misconceptions are boring, You went back on our deal’. Lead singer Luke Griffiths’ deadpan delivery allows the loud/quiet dynamics to come to the fore across all the tracks, complimenting the distorted dissonance of Without A Doubt and lending the pop melody of Where Is Your Man? a wistful innocence.

There is nothing innocent about Osmium Guillotine. Stalker! (the first track from the band’s new EP ‘Into the Battle’) opens with a thunderstorm sample (a la Slayer) before launching into a barrel-chested riff that stomps to the destructive beat of a medieval horde like that depicted on the EP’s front cover (painted by guitarist Lance Steele-clearly a man of many talents). The troops take the battle to the listener, upping the tempo and bursting into a punk offensive that cuts through beneath the growl of bass player/lead vocalist Elijah Kindon.

Second track Evil Beyond Evil gallops along to the primitive thud of James Balcombe’s drums, leading you down deeper and deeper into the lair of the creature that feasts on mortal flesh and human souls. Despite Elijah’s menacing tone there is a playful humour to these lyrics that comes through in the band’s live performances (a skull adorns the headstock of Elijah’s bass like a battleground trophy), suggesting that they are well aware of the excess of their idols but just can’t resist the urge to have a go themselves. The skill of duelling guitarists Lance and Pete Keliris comes through in the middle section, where they get the space to solo in call and return fashion as the relentless rhythm chugs alongside.

Death From Above is an anti-war song cut from the cloth of Sabbath and Metallica, rallying against the mindless destruction and political corruption of modern warfare. There is a sense of narrative cohesion with Wasteland Warriors (the track that follows), which warns of the savagery and destitution that would ensue in the wake of a nuclear war one hundred years into the future. The EP’s original tracks are rounded off well by Into the Battle, a rousing anthem fit for only the most raucous of ale-fuelled Viking/Saxon feasts. The full EP features no less than seven bonus tracks; two covers (ZZ Top’s Sharp Dressed Man and Anti-Nowhere League’s So What?) and the five original tracks performed live at the Surface Festival in London.

False-Heads and Osmium Guillotine are two very different bands paying allegiance to two very different styles of music. What unites them is their ability to acknowledge their influences without impersonating them, which is surely the aim of all aspiring musicians. The majority of signed rock and metal bands are popular because their music is admired and appreciated, so why not aspire to that level of song writing? Music fans know what they like, and there are sure to be plenty out there who appreciate and enjoy what both of these bands have to offer.



http://false-heads.bandcamp.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/False-Heads/300650261291

http://www.myspace.com/falseheads

http://www.facebook.com/osmiumguillotine

http://osmiumguillotine.bandcamp.com/album/into-the-battle

https://mobile.twitter.com/#!/OsmiumG