7am - Benefit for Iggy´s Shirt

#FOR FANS OF: Punk/Garage Rock

'Benefit for Iggy's Shirt' is the 2019 release from Slovenian alternative rockers 7am - lead by Anabel on vocals and bass, Mico on guitar and vocals and Devor on drums. 7am are punk rockers at heart who play their instruments and wear their influences on their sleeves, delivering a sound reminiscent of Northern England's indie rock scene of the early 2000's with hints of Weezer and with a taste of The Ramones thrown in for good measure. Fronted by Anabel on lead vocals and bass it differentiates 7am from the male dominated vocalists of the genre making their sound fresh. Singles "Ugly Life" and "Everytime" kick off proceedings and immediately deliver a sound you can get excited about. In the midst of dull generic sounding rock pop it's great to find something authentic you can stomp your feet to. Single "I Can't Believe" transitions nicely into power rock pop whilst enjoying every sound the guitar can create. Tracks "At Least I Tried" and "Nevermore" see 7am showing their more minimal side with the sound feeling more intentional. 7am capture their raw live sound on this record mixing messy aggressive guitars, head bobbing base lines and sweet vocals with depth that set their sound apart from music in the alternative rock genre - delivering an enjoyable record from start to finish. (Stuart Barber)

(Self - 2019)
Score: 69

https://sevenamsevenam.bandcamp.com/album/benefit-for-iggy-s-shirt

Nazca Space Fox - Pi

#FOR FANS OF: Instrumental Post Rock/Psych

'Pi' is the 2019 release from three piece German instrumental post-rockers Nazca Space Fox. 'Pi' opens with "Windhund", initially sounding like a dystopian future, the guitar leads the way with its serious tone and hard-rock melody, eventually sounding like Incubus in the middle with its stop/start structure. "Space Drift" is the longest track on the album, at over ten minutes long with its short dirty riff that grunges along until the groovy base line completely changes the dynamic acting as a cushion to soften the second half of the song, excluding the screeching guitar that is. "Space Farm Blues" does exactly what it says on the tin, with a laid back blues riff that continues to grow. "Hummingbird" would fit right in on an Audioslave record letting the simple hard riff speak for itself. "Showdown" returns to the ambient side of the album, initially, but it is evident throughout that Nazca Space Fox can't help themselves and need the sound of each song to evolve into hard-rock despite the sound that comes before. The final track "Grinder" feels like it has more intent, however follows suit with the rest of the album with the riff growing bigger and noiser as the song progresses ending abruptly. 'Pi' by Nazca Space Fox is hard to pin down post-rock with some obscure moments, hence why they also identify as psychedelic rockers, presenting an eclectic take on a typical hard-rock record with its inclusion of blues, ambience and groovy base lines all lead by hard-rock riffs. (Stuart Barber)

(Tonzonen Records - 2019)
Score: 65

https://nazcaspacefox1.bandcamp.com/album/pi

Sons of Alpha Centauri - Buried Memories

#FOR FANS OF: Instrumental Industrial/Post Rock

'Buried Memories' is the 2019 instrumental release from industrial post-rock band Sons of Alpha Centauri (SOAC). The album is immediately intriguing as the first three tracks are separate mixes and remixes of the same track "Hitmen" by Justin K. Broadrick. The first is a standardized mix with dark distortion, typical of its genre, lacking depth, until the final two minutes of the track, that resembles Pantera, however that maybe an overreaching comparison. The second remix feels more original with haunting sounds that accompany the distorted instrumentation and even though it continues the dark theme there are hints of ambience and lightness layering the mix creating more depth to the sound. The third remix follows nicely with a literal more industrial sound, with the rhythm section being replaced with what can only be described as a moving machine, with the song evolving into a haunting wobble. The second half of the album is mixed and remixed by James Plotkin who improves the sound massively with his creativity and originality. "Warhero" strips back the effects with cleaner sounds creating a mild uneasiness at first, until the marching band style drumming begins and the conventional repetitive heavy guitar riff takes over. "Remembrance" delivers the optimum industrial sound of the album with moments of almost silence at times that seemingly include the sound of rain drops echoing in a cave. SOAC saves the best for last with the final track "SS Montgomery" - the single taken from their debut album. Remixed again by James Plotkin it begins with a pleasant base line and a truly original and unique drum beat. The remix is reminiscent of "Wake Up" by Rage Against the Machine with an outro that leaves you wanting more. SOAC deliver an original idea with this record and the collaboration with James Plotkin elevates their sound to new heights. (Stuart Barber)

(Robotic Empire - 2019)
Score: 68

https://sonsofalphacentauri.bandcamp.com/album/buried-memories

Petricor - First Breath

#FOR FANS OF: Instrumental Post Rock

'First Breath' is the 2019 release from Italian post-rock band Petricor, released on Fluttery Records. The opening track "8" begins with calm progressive synths and twinkling melodic guitars with its enthusiastic melody leading the album with its soft-rock roots. "People" follows transitioning into almost hard-rock with darker melancholy sounds revealing Petricors true intentions by deviating from the generic rock formula. "Naked" returns to the more relaxed sound of the album constantly chasing a climactic melody feeling like a film score for a romantic coming of age independent indie movie. "Last Breath", "Unbroken Horses" and "Saudade" see the album start to become repetitive, stuck in a soft-rock loop with a sound that initially seemed optimistically refreshing but becomes increasingly stale, although "Saudade" does hold some of the charm of the opening tracks. The same can't be said for the closing track, "Super8 (Remix)" which is a welcomed departure from the formulaic structure, almost feeling like Hot Chip, with its electronic emphasis deviating from the conformity of a standard progressive pop-rock sound, feeling more experimental, giving hope for Petricors future. (Stuart Barber)

(Fluttery Records - 2019)
Score: 63

https://petricor-band.bandcamp.com/releases

Pando - Negligible Senescence

#FOR FANS OF: Dark/Industrial/Black

'Negligible Senescence' is the 2016 debut release from Industrial Alternative Progressive Rock outfit Pando, recently re-released by Aesthetic Death. On the opening track "Residue", the first strum of the guitar sounds like 1997's "Kiss The Rain" by Billie Myers but doesn't continue as so, leading into a mariachi riff with borderline satanic growling vocals which seem out of place (a common theme throughout the first half the album). Following on from the opener is "Runt", which leads with a funky Rock n Roll riff that the Black Keys would be proud of, however, the vocals again seem like they are disjointed from the music. "Trek Through Utah Desert" has a pleasant sound (in comparison), but throughout the album, there is the inclusion of voice and sound samples that are a mostly meaningless contribution to the sound serving only to elongate the track times in an attempt to make the music seem progressive. Midway into the album, the sound transitions into Industrial Doom Rock, and for the first time the vocal style actually complements the sound. "Allisandrina" is one of the calmer moments of the album, making you feel as if you are stranded at sea whilst your deck hand is uneasily serenading you because of the lack of fish you have caught. The closing track "Ohm" is uninspired atmospheric tosh, that makes you feel like you're sitting in a damp cave, which I'm sorry to say is where this album belongs. Overall, it seems Pando had a bold idea to deliver an album (as the album name suggests) that has no signs of ageing as time goes on, however it fails in it's pursuit, leaving you with a disjointed feeling of dissatisfaction. (Stuart Barber)

(Aesthetic Death - 2016/2019)
Score: 50

https://thetremblinggiant.bandcamp.com/album/negligible-senescence

Oui! The North - Make an O with the Ass of the Glass

#PER CHI AMA: New Wave/Electro Dark, Joy Division, The Cure

'Make an O with the Ass of the Glass' is the debut album by Peschiera del Garda (Verona) based band Oui! The North, from Marco Patrimonio and Marco Vincenzi (previously guitarists in the Italian rock band Le Pistole alla Tempia) with contributions from local musicians including Stefano Bonadiman (former LPAT bassist), Matteo Baldi (from WOWS) and Giorgia Sette, a local singer and songwriter, to name a few. The post New Wave journey begins with "Radio City Hall", which initially is light and uplifting and then descends into electronic darkness paying tribute to the New Wave sounds of the 80's. Following on from the opener we are treated to, what would sound like if Joy Division made a video game soundtrack, with simple heartbreaking lyrics, loaded with meaning, and as soon as the electronics kick in, we are racing towards a subdued Depeche Mode sound. "The Moon Of Tangeri" starts where "Radio City Hall" leaves off and feels like a twisting funky town training montage for the future. "Sermon" follows with it's stomping melody and the contradictory God loving preaching speech along with a funky electro sound that makes you realise, you need to see Oui The North live. "As Sincere As Never Before" has a tranquil Atari game accomplishment vibe, with ocean wave sounds mixed with aggressive jet engine sounds which somehow compliment each other making for a charming piece. "True Love" reminds us that Oui! The North can transition between darkness and tranquility with ease and "A Kind Of Aggression" reminds us just how good of musicians Oui! The North really are with their dark optimism that continues to surprise by never becoming repetitive. 'Make an O with the Ass of the Glass' by Oui! The North is a post New Wave romp, that delivers and is an album you didn't know you needed but definitely do. (Stuart Barber)

(Self - 2019)
Score: 78

https://www.facebook.com/pg/ouithenorthband/posts/