|
 ANBERLIN – New Surrender
(Universal Republic)
Who Goes There?: Five dashing American gents with a penchant for emotional rock return with their fourth album
How Goes It?: Despite touring the states with Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance, Anberlin have retained an edge to their emo-tinged rock which still allows them to hit small clubs across the world and get a crowd of independently-minded fans singing along within seconds. New Surrender, like their previous albums contains massive catchy choruses and guitar work, dreamy melodic interludes and a dash of sincerity and only differs in the extra effort put into production and a little ambient experimentation.
Sounds Like: Emery / Armour For Sleep / The Hot Lies
****
 THE REAL MACKENZIES – Off The Leash
(Fat Wreck Chords/Shock)
Who Goes There?: This Fat Wreck Chords quintet play Guiness-soaked punk rock with a dash of Jamiesons for good measure.
How Goes It?: Opening a punk record with a bagpipe is pretty ambitious to say the least. Unfortunately, this is where the originality ends for this release. While the gravelly vocals and pipes are a nice touch, the guitar and bass riffs and drumming are incredibly predictable, with every note sounding as though it were lifted from another memorable punk album. That said, had this album been released in 1998, it would have blown minds. Pity it’s 2008.
Sounds Like: Dropkick Murphys / Flogging Molly / Mutiny
**
 WATCH YOUR STEP – Taking You Down With Me II
(Pee Records)
Who Goes There?: Hailing from Florence, Italy, Watch Your Step play hardcore for themselves first and the world second.
How Goes it?; Taking You Down With Me is a more than solid compendium of short and sweet hardcore tracks that never top three minutes, yet still pack a punch. Filled with Italian riffs that would sound at home in old NYC, this release puts the pedal to the metal from start to finish, leaving you spent and your hardcore fix satisfied for a week.
Sounds Like: Internal Affairs / Gorilla Biscuits / Outbreak
***½
 THE MISSION IN MOTION – A Curse, A Calling
(Taperjean/Shock)
Who Goes There?: Lurking amongst the expanse of Sydney’s up and coming rockers, you may come across this talented five-piece.
How Goes It?: Roughing it out around the traps since 2004, The Mission In Motion have the uncanny ability to write a song that inserts itself into your cranium and takes an earthquake to dislodge. Obviously destined to impress, A Curse, A Calling, is a slickly produced – if slightly unoriginal – slice of emo-rock pie, and if these young guys can pull this off live, A Mission In Motion is a name you will be hearing on television and radio nationwide in the near future.
Sounds Like: Kisschasy / Taking Back Sunday / Anberlin
***½
 NEVERSTORE – Heroes Wanted
(Sony/BMG)
Who Goes There?: Sweden’s latest pop-punk gods return with their second LP.
How Goes It?: Sweden is like the Perth of the world, good at everything without even trying. Neverstore write effortlessly catchy punk gems that have caught the ears of fans and MTV worldwide. If you are due for a little punk-rock reminiscence circa 1996, this album will tickle your fancy to no end.
Sounds Like: Relient K / Blink 182 / Millencolin
***
 Honourable Mentions
OURS – Mercy (Dancing For The Death Of An Imaginary Enemy): If Sparta took loads of LSD, it would sound like this.
STATIC THOUGHT – The Motive For Movement: Every genre of punk in a blender with a dash of gravel to toughen the mix.
Dishonourable Mentions
GYM CLASS HEROES – The Quilt: Emo-rap plus B-grade gangstas equals d-to-the-odgy.
FALLING SHORT – Aperture: Misguided pop-rock rehashing tired themes on the cheap.
PATRICK PERRIER
|
| Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged. |
|
Be first to comment on this article
