Pierce The Veil – The Jaws Of Life
It’s been over 6 long years since we have had an album release by Pierce The Veil, and to be honest, I really was not sure what to expect. I mean at their height, they were the quintessential emo band. As the band, and fans alike get older and more mature, we often see a shift in stylings and this can go in almost any direction. After my first play through, I could hear that there has been a shift, however it feels like a very natural progression, retaining several of the main elements that made Pierce The Veil just who they are.
Founded in San Diego California in 2006, Pierce The Veil have met with success, line up changes and controversy over the years, however their long awaited return sees them having delivered a very solid 12 track album. This is also the first album since the departure of Mike Fuentes, and sees Vic Fuentes (vocals/guitar), Jaime Preciado (bass) and Tony Perry (guitar) take PTV onto the next level.
The Jaws Of Life, out February 10 via Fearless Records, is the fifth album for the band. The first single from the album, Pass the Nirvana, dropped on September 1st of 2022 and was ridiculously well received, racking up massive numbers of streams. This however is not surprising, as these guys are no strangers to receiving high accolades, including topping Billboard charts, reaching platinum record sales and selling out arenas. Emergency Contact was released in November to coincide with the announcement of the upcoming album, and its official music video has amassed over 1.1 million views already. The third single, Even When I’m Not With You landed on January 12.
The opening track is Death of an Executioner, and it kicks the album off with high energy. A somewhat latin inspired intro brings us into the main riff, which is then followed by some really dirtied up bass and some synth. The trademark emotional, deep, well worded lyrics are not lacking, and give the listener the instant “they’re back” feel.
Pass The Nirvana is up next and has that fuzzy retro sort of sound, which gets heavier as the song progresses. Quite the post hardcore element at times. The screams are still on point, and not overdone.
Track #3 is Even When I’m Not With You which brings with it some gritty fat chromatic guitar work, accompanied with some mildly hip hop & lofi influenced beats and bass work which is, to me, the lifeblood of the track.The vocal melody on this track is very catchy despite being under 3 mins long, leaving the listener wanting more.
Emergency Contact is up next. A modern radio rock hit, it hits all the right points when it needs to. A very catchy chorus and the production of the song is fantastic, with some ambient work thrown in the verses. Lyrically it reaches into your soul, as PTV very typically do.
Whilst Flawless Execution may not have the screams or super heavy riffs, it is no less emotional, and is perfectly placed in the tracklisting. It starts with a lush, chorus soaked clean guitar, and has an excellent vocal melody.
The next song, The Jaws Of Life, tells its story in somewhat of a theatrical manner, almost reminiscent of a song from a movie. I get a kind of Weezer vibe coming through on this one. The guitar and vocals are quite anthemic and showcase perfectly why this is the title track of the album.
Track 7, Damn the Man Save the Empire, starts with some banter and some heavy hitting drums and noisy feedback from guitars. A bop your head type verse which even includes a cowbell in the second verse. Groovy bass too.
Another chill, somber emo track is what Resilience is for me. Opening with a quote from the film “Dazed and Confused” that ramps up from mellow and ambient, to distorted guitars.
Irrational Fear is a 22 second piece with an airline safety spiel running underneath. I guess maybe someone doesn’t like to fly?
The tenth song on the album is Shared Trauma, a soft, spacey sound, with piano, and guitars soaked in reverb. Yet another track that lyrically will reach many who can completely relate.
Not hard to miss the title of song 11, So Far So Fake, as the name is belted out right in the beginning. Upbeat, groovy chorus, with a surprisingly very ‘notey’ and hard hitting bridge section with some small brush strokes of post hardcore towards the bridge and end of song.
Closing the album at track 12 is the beautiful 12 Fractures. With superb harmonies, and a stellar feature from Chloe Moriondo, who lends her beautiful, yet haunting vocals that compliment Vic’s vocals wonderfully.
As far as comeback albums go, I believe this album, The Jaws Of Life, definitely will have a captive audience. Whilst some songs are a vast departure from some of their older material, I think the maturity that comes with growing older will also mean that the more melodic and intimate nature of the album will appeal to fans who have grown up listening to Pierce The Veil. The angsty teens are now 20-30 somethings, many of whom still relate to the struggles that life can present, and look to music such as this to help them get to where they need to be.
I will undoubtedly have this one added to the rotation once it drops, and cannot wait to get a hard copy, to be able to read all the lyrics, some of which I am sure to have missed in the first few listens. Mature alternative modern emo rock is what I would define this as, and it’s damn good!!
Interview with Björn Gelotte (In Flames)
IN FLAMES represent the best of metal’s past, present, and future. New Wave Of Swedish Death Metal architects and innovative purveyors of groove, hard rock, and melody, the band’s artistry, influence, and stature loom as large as the vibrant style’s horizons. The widely recognized titans boast an impressive and diverse catalog celebrated internationally. IN FLAMES are as vital (and even more energized) today than when they unleashed classics like Come Clarity and Clayman in decades past.
“IN FLAMES are one of the few bands to successfully pull off a radical stylistic shift and not only maintain but actually grow their fan base, while also staying true to the band’s core sense of self,” Revolver Magazine wrote in 2020, saluting their dual status as hooky hard rock heroes and melodeath icons.
The continued popularity of anthems like ‘Only for the Weak’ (72 million streams on Spotify alone), ‘Cloud Connected,’ ‘Alias,’ ‘I Am Above,’ ‘Pinball Map,’ ‘Zombie Inc.,’ ‘Artifacts of the Black Rain,’ and ‘Come Clarity’ demonstrates how much the fans embrace the diversity of In Flames.
The songwriting duo of singer Anders Fridén and guitarist Björn Gelotte (both of whom appear on every IN FLAMES release since 1995) persists as one of the most potent creative teams in heavy music.
Foregone, the furious fourteenth studio album, combines the greatest aggressive, metallic, and melodic strengths of their landmark records with the seasoned songwriting of their postmodern era.
“In a way, it sounds stupid to say we wanted to be more ‘metal,’ because we always felt that we were,” Fridén observes. “Over the last couple of years, the world became even more hostile and evil in certain ways. We have a war in Europe. People, in general, are more stressed. All of that energy and anger helped fuel this album. We went in to make something on point, heavier, and yes, ‘more metal.’”
Gelotte concurs. “We made an aggressive album. We kept the dynamics, some big epic choruses, heavy guitars, lots of kick drums, and melodies. That’s who we are and who we’ve always been.”
Foregone is the second IN FLAMES album with bassist Bryce Paul and drummer Tanner Wayne, the first with ex-MEGADETH guitarist Chris Broderick, and the third with Grammy-winning producer Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, THREE DAYS GRACE). Mike Plotnikoff (ALL THAT REMAINS, WARBRINGER) engineered at Benson’s West Valley Recording Studios. Joe Rickard (10 YEARS, STARSET, DIAMANTE), who played drums for IN FLAMES from 2016 through 2019, handled mixing duties.
“Tanner is the best drummer we’ve ever had,” Fridén says proudly. “I don’t say that to diss anyone that came before. Tanner has so much energy and there is so much stuff going on all of the time. Bryce is an amazing bass player, really, really heavy, with a good feel. Chris comes in with all of his knowledge of the guitar. His solos are way different from Bjorn’s and the combination of those two guys just works perfectly. It’s easy to do what I do on top of it because the foundation is so solid.”
Songs like ‘State of Slow Decay,’ ‘End the Transmission,’ ‘Bleeding Out,’ ‘Meet Your Maker,’ and ‘The Great Deceiver’ pulsate with hypnotizing power and furious anger. There’s desperation, a raw nerve exposed, brought on by the chaotic dystopia of post-pandemic society.
“This album is about lost time. Everything is going in the wrong direction,” Fridén explains. “We can’t make up for the lost time. That’s why the album is called Foregone. We’re destined to end. That realization creates different emotions – panic, frustration, fear. ‘Scary’ isn’t a horror movie or an angry metal guy screaming. The real horror is what’s going on in the news from around the world. We are basically doomed. The album is about the few moments we have left and what we do with them.”
The melodic guitars, crushing riffs, and high-speed tempos that define much of the IN FLAMES catalog first crystalized on their second album, The Jester Race (1996), complete with hints of the catchy choruses to come. Whoracle (1997) is the rawest and arguably heaviest IN FLAMES album from the 90s.
Metal Hammer declared melodeath masterpiece Colony (1999) “an undisputed fireball of an album.” Clayman (2000) introduced synths and more prominent clean vocals, with accessible hooks, without sacrificing the band’s overall intensity, resulting in their first Top 20 album in Sweden. Reroute to Remain (2002) took the groove element even further and broadened the American audience.
Soundtrack to Your Escape (2004) expanded the arena rock bombast. Come Clarity (2006) is a perfect metalcore slab, as majestic as the American bands IN FLAMES inspired. Even as it stepped away from death metal, A Sense of Purpose (2008) delivered some of the band’s best and most eclectic songs.
The gothic groove metal of Sounds of a Playground Fading (2011) paved the way for the unapologetic arena rock of Siren Charms (2014) and Battles (2016), albums full of Active Rock hooks. Fans of the more aggressive side of IN FLAMES heralded I, the Mask (2019) as a return to form. Foregone masterfully, if improbably, manages to serve all sides of the IN FLAMES fanbase, with powerful force.
“We’ve had our fair share of times when we were trying to please others,” Fridén reflects. “‘You should write with other people. You should go after radio.’ We tried it but it wasn’t for us. With this album, we didn’t even think about anyone else or any of that.” The major strength of Foregone, and of IN FLAMES altogether, continues to lie in the long partnership between the singer and guitarist.
“Bjorn and I have 100 percent trust in each other,” Fridén says. “He can give me a piece of music and know that I will give him something back he’ll feel proud about. I know his way of playing and it’s something I love singing on. He’s from that Ritchie Blackmore, Jimmy Page school of soulful, bluesy guitar players. And he has a good melodic sense. I know him inside and out and I love him to death.”
Both men continue to follow their own compass. “It’s impossible to please everybody. So the most important question to ask is always, ‘Do we like it?’” Gelotte points out. “If I didn’t like the music we play, I couldn’t believe in it. It’s a lot of time away from family. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t love it. That’s why we’ve been able to do it for such a long time; because we actually enjoy what we do.”
The band built a stunning reputation with devastating, crowd-moving, inspired performances around the world at every major rock and metal festival imaginable, on festival tours like Rockstar Mayhem and Ozzfest, headlining multiple treks, and touring with their heroes, friends, and giants in the genre.
The band regularly headlines some of the biggest stages and festivals in the world. The list of IN FLAMES tourmates boasts SLIPKNOT, MEGADETH, JUDAS PRIEST, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, WITHIN TEMPTATION, and LAMB OF GOD. (Over the years, they even took newer bands like GHOST & GOJIRA as support acts.)
“I’m really proud of what we achieved and that we never went away,” Fridén says reflectively. “Sometimes you’re loved, sometimes you’re not, but we always pushed ourselves and created the music we felt was awesome. I’m so proud and happy with Bryce, Tanner, and Chris, what they’ve brought into the band, on the recordings, and with their energy, and where IN FLAMES is at today.”
A sense of pride, accomplishment, and continued vitality are evident every time the band takes the stage, and all over Foregone. The album itself represents IN FLAMES of the past, present, and future.
“Not caring about anybody’s opinion but ours is a great situation to be in,” Gelotte says. “We’re confident in what we’ve done. We love what we’re doing. And we’re constantly exploring forward.”
Xandria – The Wonders Still Awaiting
XANDRIA, are a chart-topping, German, female-fronted Symphonic Metal band formed by Guitarist / Keyboardist / Composer, Martin Heubaum in 1994. Throughout the years there have been various lineup changes, including five different singers. Ambre Vourvahis was announced as the latest singer to join XANDRIA in May 2022 when the band posted a music video of their new single, Reborn. Along with a new singer, Bassist Tim Schwarz, Drummer Dimitrios Gatsios and Guitarist Rob Klawonn were announced as the new and current lineup. The single’s title seems apt since the entire band except for one member has been replaced thus bringing a rebirth to the band.
In September 2022 a second single and music video was released, You Will Never Be Our God featuring Primal Fear frontman, Ralf Scheepers. Then in November a third single and music video, Ghosts was released and the band announced that their eighth studio album, titled The Wonders Still Awaiting, was to be released – the first in six years – on 3rd February 2023 through Napalm Records. Shortly after, they released yet another music video for the title track, The Wonders Still Awaiting. On January 31st one more single and music video, this time for the opening track, Two Worlds, dropped, so if I am counting this correctly, of the thirteen tracks on the album, five of them are singles all with accompanying music videos. That’s ALOT of hype to live up to!
Lyrically, this album was inspired by the recent pandemic where questions regarding dystopian society and treating each other with respect were brought to our attention. This seems to be a common theme with many bands who have already or are in the process of releasing new albums post-pandemic. This is not a criticism, merely an observation. It appears to me that the covid restrictions and lockdowns have had an impact on the general vibe of current music being released, especially the lyric themes, and it has brought a certain darkness to the energy of the music.
XANDRIA have gone all out on this album in order to create an epic, dark, heavy, cinematic sound. With the implementation of a 40-piece classical choir in The Bulgarian National Radio Children’s Choir, authentic Celtic instruments, Primal Fear frontman Ralf Scheepers, violin and cello performed by Subway For Sally’s Ally Storch, and orchestrations by Lukas Knobl, they are sparing no expense and they are leaving no stone unturned in presenting the biggest, boldest, most bombastic symphonic metal release of 2023. It’s early in the year, but XANDRIA have definitely thrown down the gauntlet with this album and it appears that Napalm are backing them to the hilt. I strongly suspect that this is going to be an interesting journey of discovery into the new XANDRIA ….
The Wonders Still Awaiting opens with the latest single, Two Worlds, an epic 7:09 minutes of symphonic proggy-ness with double-kick drums and driving guitar layered with a 40 piece choir and the soaring vocals of Ambre Vourvahis, with lyrics such as “Around every corner now, Orwell’s next dystopia, Is this world the closer one, Chosen over wonders? How can all these dreams prevail? It’s such a fragile hope, Cause a spark can give such light but also burn it all”.It asks the listener what kind of world do they want to live in and as an opening track, it’s definitely a statement. I’m intrigued to hear more.
Moving into Reborn Ambres vocals travel from melodic pop-rock to operatic and back while the choir sings sweetly behind her. It’s an anthem for a band ‘reborn’.
You Will Never Be Our God is a power metal track, the orchestration and choir are given a rest and the guitar, bass and drums drive the rhythm, featuring harsh vocals by Ralf Scheepers of Primal Fear, this is where 80’s heavy metal meets Arch Enemy. This is a song about human rights.
Next is the album title track, The Wonders Still Awaiting. This gives me Nightwish (circa Anette Olzen) feels. Ambres voice soars, as she reminds us that there is still beauty in the world and not to give up on hope. The chorus tells us “Fly far away, Goodbye, until your last day, See the stars, Hear the melodies play, The notes that show us the way”.
Ghosts rockets along then around 3:36 the song suddenly slows and quiets for the bridge until 4:15 where unexpectedly, the angelic voice of Ambre suddenly turns demonic. “Ghosts actually started as a reminiscence to good old Swedish melodic death metal and with that archetypical guitar riff that you hear right in the beginning. And then we integrated it into our XANDRIA soundscape with lots of film score atmosphere and big choirs…”
Your Stories I’ll Remember is a sentimental and emotional power ballad. With the use of traditional Celtic instruments it gives it that “ye olde worlde” atmosphere while Vourvahis holds our hand and tells us, “All these moments I’ll remember, All the stories that you’ve shared with me, I will never get to hear your voice again, But they’ll stay,…”.
My Curse Is My Redemption starts softly, “I’m on my way, but still it stays, I’m walking in silence, For no-one to see, There’s nowhere to go from here…” as it builds into an epic cinematic track. Vourvahis’ vocals rock the song into the keychange while the choir gently backs her.
Illusion is Their Name pulsating double-kick drums drive this song about the powerful deceiving the world with their lies. “I have been holding the key, And I won’t give up my life anymore, To slavery of your kind, We have been waiting so long to be free, To finally see, The truth of this grand design…” Ambre executes this with equal measure of death growl and melodic vocals.
Paradise brings some relief from the previous songs frenetic drumming and at a slower pace, has a melodic metal-pop sensibility with strong hooks.
Mirror Of Time is a song about hope and despair and everything in between. The tale is told with clean vocals layered with death growls, thumping drums, and intense orchestration. The last 1:40 Ambre builds to the end, her voice reaching higher and higher, layered with the screaming lead guitar solo.
Scars begins with a futuristic-synth sound that would be comfortable on an Ayreon track. Enter the strings – they build in intensity as guitars take over and the death growls blanket the melodic clean vocals. There is a rhythmic heaviness to the song as it ends with an intimate whisper, “It’s never enough” by Vourvahis.
With chorale chanting punctuating the melody line The Maiden and the Child begins its aural assault as double-kick drums set the pace and the sweet vocals of Vourvahis commences. The death growls two-thirds of the way through, reintroduces the chanting again, along with Ambres vocal melody line building to the conclusion.
Asteria returns the listener to the prog metal influence with a whopping 9:08 mins of epicness. This track evokes images of an ancient place with a Middle-Eastern violin and zither sound, it begins with chorale chanting and heavy orchestration. Ambre starts to sing, “I came from far away to save my soul..” and we are taken on this final journey of the album. Pulsating double-kick drums, distorted guitar, death growls, and chanting, this is a song that would fit comfortably on an Epica album. Vourvahis sings some of the vocals in Greek, lyrics written by her. It’s big, bold and epic. This track is the exclamation mark at the end of the album!
Ambre Vourvahis brings to XANDRIA an impressive vocal wealth from sweet pop, to gritty rock, to operatic highs and death metal growl lows. If you wondered why she was chosen to be the new lead vocalist, a listen to this album should give you a satisfactory answer. She has the ability to carry the listener on the journey with her, expressing the emotion of the song beautifully.
The Wonders Still Awaiting is an album interspersed with many influences, rich in different styles and genres while still staying within the boundaries of the Symphonic metal genre. It’s brash, bombastic and unapologetic. Often resembling a film score. With a live choir, orchestration by a Hollywood heavyweight, integrated with different instrumentation, coupled with guest appearances by respected artists, a lead vocalist who can sing clean, operatic and harsh vocals, a rhythm section that keeps a cracking pace, guitars and keys that colour and fill each track to tell the story of each song, I can imagine Martin Haubaum must be smiling because XANDRIA have their proof right here that they are indeed, Reborn.
XANDRIA online:
The Winery Dogs – III
Back in 2012, three rock music heavyweights formed a band. The Winery Dogs are Drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Adrenaline Mob, Sons Of Apollo), Bass guitarist Billy Sheehan (Mr Big, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth) and guitarist / vocalist Richie Kotzen (Poison, Mr Big). They have released two albums, first the self titled The Winery Dogs (2013) featuring the tracks Elevate, Damaged, We Are One, Time Machine and I'm No Angel, followed by the second album, Hot Streak (2015) featuring the tracks, Hot Streak, Devil You Know and album opener, Oblivion. Hot Streak cemented their fanbase and in the years following, they toured heavily and released a live album, Dog Years – Live in Santiago' (2017). By 2019 all three 'Dogs' were working on their other creative projects and were ready to put The Winery Dogs project on the back-burner. Then in 2020 the world was stuck down with the covid19 pandemic. During lockdown, Richie Kotzen and Iron Maiden guitarist, Adrian Smith got together and wrote, recorded and released an amazing self-titled album and EP together (Smith/Kotzen) followed by a tour in 2021, and I started to think The Winery Dogs were over, but then I saw Mike Portnoy had posted a few pictures on his instagram, one of him on a plane “flying to California'' then what The Winery Dogs fans had been waiting for, a picture of Mike, Billy and Richie all together at Richies property in SoCal. Finally, a new Winery Dogs album was in the works. On December 9th, 2022, we got our first listen, with the release of the first single and album opener, Xanadu, then on January 6th 2023 the second single, Mad World dropped. Both songs are classic Winery Dogs tunes. And this week, Friday February 3rd, which incidentally is Richie Kotzen's 53rd birthday, we will finally get to hear the new album in full!
The third Winery Dogs album is simply called – III
III opens with the aforementioned Xanadu. Right out of the gates, it's a punchy rock track with classic Winery Dogs style matching rolling lead guitar and bass lines, Kotzens husky, bluesy vocals are questioning life with tongue in cheek humour, “maybe I will, maybe I won't do, maybe I got too soft out here in Malibu, maybe I love, maybe I hate you, maybe you're too much of a bitch to live in Xanadu''. It's a strong opening track, Portnoy's drumming driving it relentlessly. The song ends with Portnoy tossing his drum sticks, which he says is not frustration but rather, him showing his satisfaction with the song. And rightfully so, it's a damn catchy song that winds its way through your brain and two hours later you're still humming it.
Next up is the current single, Mad World, a song that calls for human connection and societies' understanding. It starts out with a bluesy riff that has a '70s California blues-rock vibe then the chorus hits “we live in a mad mad world, get on the run, we gotta help each other, turn from a scar to a pearl, yeah we got the love, livin in a mad mad world, it's a mad man's world…”,… “So get what you can, They've got your compromised, You wanna laugh and be dancing in the streets, But you're being fined, You've got to sacrifice, They make mistakes and we're the ones who pay…”
Listening to III, you get the distinct impression these songs were written during the pandemic. The main lyric themes seem to be questioning people and relationships. The Winery Dogs aren't about making political statements, but it's unavoidable that the cause and effect of the political climate during lockdowns has crept its way into their dialogue. III feels darker than previous albums because of this.
Portnoy notes, “I'd like our listeners to be transported in a way that they can experience what we are going through. Our records are snapshots of life, and how we're living it”. Kotzen says his approach to songwriting and recording is, “to be as true to the vision that's in my head, heart and soul and not try to think about 'how am I gonna do it live'.”
In Breakthrough, Kotzen sings, “You're telling me I was your favourite, You made me feel like wasted time, I always thought you looked for angles, To put you over in your life, Now I see how cool you play it, And how you look the other way, I was so naive to think you'd ever stay, And now im having a Breakthrough, And now I know what I'm facing is the truth…” It's a song about realising the truth of a relationship. We've all been there!
Rise begins with a loud and chaotic-sounding riff that settles into the signature blues-rock sound, complete with Kotzen lead guitar interspersed. He boldly declares in the chorus, “They build you up, they pull you down, but I Rise, Rise, Rise …”… “Their bitter tongues spit and yell, judging the unwell, I come out unscathed”
Stars opens with the line, “I've been in a condition of doubt, I don't know if I'm in or out” a song about a relationship being tested and it is followed by The Vengeance which starts with a chugging rhythm and builds up to a hard hitting chorus where Kotzen wails ” You don't break my boredom, you break my balls'' leading into a blistering lead guitar solo. In my opinion, this is the best lyric on the album and had me chuckling. Relationship woes continue with Gaslight, Richie Kotzen's voice proclaiming, “Right from the start you're bringing crazy, That's how you like to play, Twist up the mind and keep it hazy, Do what you wanna do but don't Gaslight me…”
Lorelei it's a slower bluesy track that is filled with emotion. This is the album ballad. I listen with my eyes closed as Richie soars into his head voice, it's so good that I had to replay it, and then the lead guitar solo that followed. WOW! This is what I was needing and it delivers – in spades. With lyrics like “Sugar coat my heart, Lead me from my woes, A siren story told, Oh Lorelei oh Lorelei, I'd rather die than go home…” I'm sold. It brings tears to my eyes. It's beautiful and heartfelt.
III ends with a song of celebration and joy, The Red Wine, with the lyrics, “People let go of your burden, Rewrite your script and listen what we're saying, …. so come on everybody put your hands up and celebrate…”…”Your composure's fine, Just keep pouring the Red Wine, Three Dogs turning you loose tonight, You've been fortified and it's party time…”
III is everything we've come to expect from The Winery Dogs. Kotzens trademark laid-back, blues-rock plectrum-less picking style guitar playing, and husky, emotive vocals, Sheehan's rolling bass runs that compliment Kotzens guitar to perfection while keeping pace with Portnoy's distinctive punchy drum groove. III is full of ear-catching riffs, hooks and strong harmonies. It’ll have you shaking your booty and humming along, and the following day, that earworm will still be winding its way through your brain. The Winery Dogs are a tight trio who instinctively play off each other's own individual signature style and it blends beautifully on this album. The lyrical themes of life and relationships lend itself to be an album that is easily relatable to most people, with some smile-inducing lyrics that while punctuating the song's vibe, will also emit a chuckle from the listener. There are some heavy rock moments on this album where I found myself nodding my head and pumping my fist in the air, but mostly this album stays in the California blues-rock lane that fans of The Winery Dogs love and appreciate. III is a grower, it needs a few good listens to properly percolate. Given time, I'm sure this album will be a fan favourite. The songs on this album complement previous albums so lets hope we see The Winery Dogs touring in Australia soon.
P.S. Happy Birthday Richie.
www.facebook.com/TheWineryDogs
[Review] girl in red @ 170 Russell, Melbourne 25/01/2023
girl in red’s live concert was far from a one-woman-show – it was the unwavering energy of the fans, the band, and Marie herself, that when combined created the perfect storm. ‘Do you listen to girl in red?’ – the colloquialism that has become part of mainstream queer culture was truly bought to life with the night boasting hand-drawn tattoos, candy necklaces and many sets of locked lips.
To warm up the eagerly awaiting crowd, many of whom had braved the concrete outside ‘Billboard’ nightclub for longer than ten hours, was Betty Taylor; the Sunshine Coast duo whose music has, until now, been an underground secret. The light blue wash over the two freestanding mics set the scene for the beautifully haunting harmonies that were to come. For the Indie pop rock band, fronted by Sophie Patrick and Kayla Smart, this was their first performance outside of their home state, a one-off, stripped back acoustic show. It would have been impossible to tell this was a first for the pair, as they delivered perfect synchronicity in both their vocals, and guitar accompaniment.
Lyrically, Betty Taylor was the perfect opening act for the young, queer crowd, as they sung heart-wrenching lyrics of love and loss. Lyrics such as ‘fuck you for forever hurting me’, sung in such smooth, calming tones felt straight out of a romance film, or music for walking in the rain. The heartache was universal.
Including snippets of relatable chit-chat with the crowd, the pair moved into Glitter and Bullshit, a song ‘about a man’, which was closely followed by a member of the crowd responding with ‘fuck men’. The interaction remained raw and playful from beginning to end.
The remainder of the set persisted as gorgeously modest, with dreamy, husky vocals and retro feel of electric guitar. Stalling, the first and only released Betty Taylor song left the crowd enchanted by the odd nostalgia, and the hypnotic way in which the pair moved with such synchronicity – as if they just knew how the music needed to be expressed in the body. Sweeping lights closed out the performance, illuminating the beautiful sea of humans who were now ready to share an extraordinary night together.
The heat of a thousand bodies grew from the back of the venue as Norwegian, indie pop singer-songwriter Marie Ulven Ringheim made her way to the stage. The opening night of the Australian leg of the If I Could Make It Go Quiet Tour, was about to kick off with an entirely sold-out show. The screams of the crowd were deafening as she made her way onto the stage, repetitively mumbling ‘Melbourne’. The room began to silence, adoring fans glued to her every move.
It all began with a violent hit of the drums – and suddenly the room erupted into absolute chaos. The deep, steady bass line of You Stupid Bitch rocking the room like a heartbeat working overtime. The indie-rock hit was the perfect way to kick off what was going to be a wild night, reminiscent of a 90s grunge band paired with deeply relatable lyrics about struggles with sexuality and mental health. The high energy of a room filled with passionate young people paired with frantic flashing lights was suggestive of the underlying themes of manic mental health. Marie left every piece of herself on stage from the absolute outset. Screaming the lyrics in unison with her fans and jumping until you could see the sweat rolling down her face, girl in red is a spectacle born for the stage.
It would be remiss not to mention the heat of the five-piece backing band that accompanied the entire length of the show. All just as high-energy as Marie herself, their musicality was both grunge and carefree, yet professional and melodic. The conclusion of the first song began what was a running theme of the show – a juxtaposing jump between feverish performance and casual conversation. The contrast of her hilarious rambles in a dimly lit room and the rockstar present during the songs showed the versatility of girl in red’s performance and the likely reason behind the passion of her adoring fans.
Following the energy of the first song, girls did not disappoint. Hearing the certified gold single live for the first time would have been a long time coming for this room of young queer women. The unashamed lyrics dealing with coming to terms with sexuality are a breath of fresh air in today’s heteronormative society.
A beautiful change of pace, ‘.’ was played largely acoustically, with a kick drum accompaniment. An absolute stand-out lyrically, the words ‘It’s been so hard ever since you broke my heart’ are universal and were clearly shared by all who were lucky enough to be singing them. During We Fell in Love in October there was a deepening of connection between Marie and the crowd as the room fell silent, mumbling ‘my girl, my girl, you will be my girl’. To have a room of a thousand people at your fingertips is the work of a true artist.
A change of pace came with the next set of songs as we were instructed to ‘pretend it’s sunny outside and we’re at a festival’; and it did indeed feel that way with everyone giving themselves fully to the music during I’ll Call You Mine, and the following ‘song about being horny’ hornylovesickness. The obedience of the crowd in waving their arms in unison and singing every lyric was all in the lead up to the final portion of the show.
The song Serotonin was beautifully poetic, as the crowd was filled head to toe with the hormone; a complete contradiction to the lyrics ‘I’m running low on serotonin’. At this point Marie was ready to literally throw herself into the crowd, stage diving into the arms of her fans during bad idea! – bringing a level of energy to the tracks that cannot be replicated without this high level of interaction.
The set closed out with midnight love and Did You Come? before the last hurrah; a wall of death during i wanna be your girlfriend. Marie left the crowd with all they could have wanted, jumping into the mosh pit and dancing through the entire song alongside her adoring fans, who she then soaked with her drink bottle before a well-deserved mic drop.
Being covered in water, sweat and copious amounts of glitter – a night at girl in red is one which audiences will take home with them… literally.
Be sure to catch girl in red in their final Australian performances at Laneway festival:
Brisbane Feb 4
Sydney Feb 5
Adelaide Feb 10
Melbourne Feb 11
Perth Feb 12
Tickets available here
Katatonia – Sky Void of Stars
If you listen to the void, you will be able to hear incredible things. Once you think you’ve heard everything it has to offer, you will find something else that will draw you in even deeper. Welcome to Katatonia’s, Sky Void of Stars. Katatonia have covered a lot musical soundscapes in their 22 years of playing and now they take the very stars from the sky and leave us with a stellar album, filled with Jonas’ incredible voice and melodies behind him that will have you headbanging, swaying or singing along from start to finish.
Three years since the previous album, City of Burials, Sky Void of Stars follows a similar writing style and production. This album is just as crisp and clean as you would expect from these gents, with arrangements that just form and melt into another for a smooth journey that will have you questioning where some songs are left off or begin.
The first three singles, Birds, Austerity and Atrium are great choices for Sky Void of Stars, they all give elements of what to expect out of the album, giving a good overview to anyone who hasn’t listened to Katatonia before and are wanting just great songs to chuck on any prog rock playlist. Birds has a great bass driven verse section, I always fall for a good bass tone, it’s an incredibly melodic song that will hook you in from the get go. Atrium is a bit more poppy with a big chorus and open guitar playing, a bit more atmosphere about this song and Austerity being the album opener, it has everything a song needs bring its listener to focus, rock riff straight out of the gate, catchy vocal melodies and hints of things yet to come.
My personal favourite track was Colossal Shade, a heavy rock song that kicks in with a fair amount of melody as well. It plays on a duality of light and dark very well, you have a solid rock riff and drum beat that kicks in to a low heavy chugg pre chorus then into a big chorus with strong vocals that match each mood perfectly. I had this song on repeat quite a bit. Impermanence was another track that stood out to me, this track was maybe the most epic or cinematic sounding off the album. There was so much in this track that I had it on repeat to make sure I could hear everything. Guided by a slower guitar riff that dances between clean and distorted to then bring in an amazing guitar solo just adds to the flow of the album, a standout track for sure.
Speaking on duality, this album has an equal amount of both light and dark moments. You have a few heavy rock songs but then you also have your quieter, melodic songs like Drab Moon, with a slower pace that lets the drummer shine. This guy nails everything about this album, his drumming fits all moods. The more I listened, the more I found little cymbal or tom rolls that just get captured in the mix that make it all the more interesting. Dynamics are an integral part of this bands playing and overall sound. I can’t imagine a song that doesn’t have a flow or certain arrangement style to it.
This is such an easy album to just put on a rock out to. There’s enough here to keep you entertained from a background music vibe but then you get a hell of a lot more in the writing and playing when sitting there paying attention. I really hope there is a Katatonia tour on the horizon, two albums have now been released since they were here, and I would love to see these songs live. Go and check this album out now!
[Review] Switchfoot @ The Triffid, Brisbane 31/01/2023
Multi-Platinum, Grammy Award Winning rock outfit Switchfoot made their long awaited return to Australian shores and played their first show of their tour on Tuesday night at Brisbane’s Triffid. Their global fan base as strong as ever, not deterred at all by the midweek show and looming heatwave, sold out the event and showed up early and excited with the line stretching down the street outside the venue. I myself have been a fan since the 2000 release of ‘Learning To Breathe’, which now has a special place in my heart, however this will be my first time seeing them live and I couldn’t be more excited.
Local heavy hitters Nervous Light opened the night with a sampled intro from modern day spiritual philosopher Alan Watts. This spiked interest from the start, implying an indication of the depth of the music about to saturate the Triffid. From opening track Rope, the band didn’t disappoint delivering an emo vibe any Mayday Parade fan would love. Their tracks bridge emo, pop punk and metalcore with an extremely natural flow. The depth and disparity in each track, given strength by the combined talents of Jordan Olive (guitar/vocals), Antony Borrmann (guitar/vocals) and Rich Brown (bass/vocals) all contributing their unique vocal styles through all songs. Latest single, Coffee Stains & Picture Frames, hit the crowd full on, projecting a melancholic feel across the room, the crowd mesmerised by Brown’s emotional guttural intensity.
They lifted the tone with pop-punk drenched Outsider bringing out the crowd and continued through their set closing with a haunting intro to their popular track Haunt. All three guitarists on vocals providing an intense ending to an incredible set. Nervous Light may have seemed like an interesting choice to open for the popular Christian rock act but the response from the crowd indicated it was a chance well taken. You gotta love it when the support band for the night becomes a new favourite local act – I’m looking forward to seeing these guys again live and immersing myself in their recorded work.
Switchfoot – Jon Foreman (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drums, percussion), and Jerome Fontamillas (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals) – walk up onto the stage with touring guitarist Boaz Roberts, to the cheers of an enthusiastic crowd. The gentle guitar riff to Beloved begins and Jon’s comforting vocals with wise words join in soon after. The band forms an immediate connection with the audience and sets the intentions for the rest of the show.
Taking us back a bit further into their impressive discography spanning almost a quarter of a century, they lift the energy in the room with Stars and Oh Gravity. Then called on the crowd to help them in the opening chant for Hello Hurricane, the title track for the album that won them a Grammy Award for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album in 2011. Jon jumps up onto the crowd barrier, scaling along, touching as many hands as he can, using some for support, before jumping back up onto the stage to finish the song.
Bull in a China Shop kicks off and fittingly, Jon steps off the stage once again, this time crossing the barrier and launching into the crowd, moving towards the back of the venue – not missing a single word. “I wanna rock this block like a bull in a china shop!” His vivacity and enthusiasm is contagious. The room is jam packed and it’s hard to make out where he’s gotten to, but before long I realise that he hasn’t just gone to the back of the room… he’s made his way upstairs and is now up with the crowd on the mezzanine! This is fantastic! The venue security have an easy job with the respectful crowd but are having an absolute field day trying to keep up with Jon! The song ends with the frontman still up on the mezzanine, exclaiming how grateful he is for having this opportunity to be back in Australia. He shared a tale of his time in this country as an exchange student at university.
It takes him almost the entirety of If I Were You to get back to the stage with the rest of the band then is passed his acoustic and begins to play I Won’t Let You Go. The ENTIRE crowd sings along with him from the very first breath and word. A special kind of harmony is created and has its own life when a venue of fans erupts in unison and form a union with the band like this. Jon sings in falsetto and the audience has its own register – this song is given a whole new meaning when it’s played live and exactly like this.
Jon introduced Boaz Roberts on electric guitar and tells of how he convinced Boaz to go for a surf when they were just in New Zealand… and Boaz injured his foot, slicing his heel on a rock – this explains it looking a little like a balancing act for someone who’s use to moving freely wielding the guitar and stomping on pedals – he’s doing a brilliant job up there keeping up with the energy on stage and hiding the fact though!
A tom drum gets placed in front of Tim and he begins to pound it for what becomes the very heartbeat of their 2018 single Native Tongue, the words also boldly and proudly painted on Jon’s electric guitar. Fluorescent follows, and then that unmistakable and catchy groove of Tim’s bassline for Float – if Switchfoot were to have a dance track, this could very well be it! Jon has removed his jacket for this one and heads across to Tim, arm around him – the wholesome, heart-warming brotherly love is in the air! And yes, once again, Jon makes his way back out into the audience!
Dark Horses is probably my highlight song of the night. It’s a track that’s always felt like an anthem to me, one for the underdogs – now, together in a sea of fans singing every word together as one, it shines a new light on those anthemic qualities. Switchfoot have that power – the ability to bond emotive, passionate, and meaningful lyricism with a driving force of rock beats and infectious melodies to connect to and soothe the soul of the listener and earn them such loyal fans. I wasn’t expecting this song to be the standout for me, but it was for this very reason.
Meant To Live is followed by Where I Belong, and the band get a short respite offstage before returning for a two song encore of Only Hope and Dare You To Move, which is one of the first Switchfoot songs I ever heard and is the perfect end to this crazy amazing show for me.
You can catch Switchfoot at the remaining dates around the country:
Feb 3 – Melbourne, Max Watts
Feb 4 – Adelaide, Lion Arts Factory
Feb 6 – Perth, Freo Social – ALL AGES
Tickets available here
𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐒