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Archived Reviews
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Anyone who was lucky enough to catch this UK trio's recent set at the Dark City Festival in Edinburgh won't need me to tell them how good they are. If you missed out, however, then be aware that this is an excellent band that deserves to be massive. Their music is a potent mix of hard rocking gothic-flavoured guitars & pumping electro beats that keep the music sounding fresh & modern with Kelly Newton's assured vocals are the icing on the cake. This self-released CD compiles the best of their work to date & while 14 tracks can often be a lot to get through there are so many highlights spread throughout its 70-odd minute duration that boredom is never an option. 'Broken (Without You)' starts in a deceptively atmospheric & melancolic manner thanks to John Baker's piano work that builds & then takes off into the kind of scorcer that is the band's forte while Kelly's vocals show their versatility by moving from plaintive to strong in the course of one track. But if that was good then the excellence of 'Goth Idol' with its urgent electro effects being underpinned by Bryan Sutton's guitar, cannot be denied. Such is its immediate & lasting appeal that it's sure to become one of the band's anthems while the sitar & tabla effects that add a slightly exotic, serene touch to the otherwise hard rocking 'Bring It Down' shows the band are not afraid to be adventurous & look outside the usual realms for inspirations. The more goth-flavoured tracks do bear a slight resemblance to Evanescence, among them 'Addiction' & 'Stay' (thanks in part to the plucked string effects) as well as 'Lonely' which actually starts out sounding almost funky but then settles down into a rich & full-sounding piece with synths & guitars intertwining to great effect. Likewise, 'Tears Of Angels' brings their gothic tendancies even more to the fore with a potently atmosperic, expertly-textured piece with definate emotional overtones although the rhythmic effects that are employed initially do sound a bit cold & mechanical in comparison, sounding more at home later on when the track really takes off again while retaining the emotive mood that is so important. If, on the other hand, you're in the mood to really rock out & mosh 'til your heart's content then you'll want to check out 'Ruined', the soaring 'Under Me Or You' which sees Kelly in a no-nonsense mood & the full-blooded closer 'Last Request' which goes for a slightly more traditional rock feel embellished with imaginative effects. Similarly, the manner in which 'Last Call' mixes electronica effects & rhythms with jaunty, confident guitars makes for another standout piece (along with the very sexy laughter at the beginning!). So, there's no doubting this trio talents then, no sirree, they deserve to be massive & if they're not selling millions by this time next year then there's simply no justice in this world! |
