New Music Review – Monolord (two tracks)

Monolord are a psychedelic, doom, sludge, and monster threesome of a band that sound infinitely more villainous than you’d expect a trio of gents to. Despite forming in 2013, this band has already brought a menacing mixture of proficiency and nasty sounds to the table. These young doomers are releasing their debut EP, Empress Rising, on April 1st (or are they? April fools is a bitch) through the newly named indie label Riding Easy Records and it has to be said, it’s a well thought out move on the behalf of both parties. I’ve had a chance, just like any has, to preview two tracks from the upcoming EP and so far, things are looking suitably chunky and full of evil.

The title track of the EP, Empress Rising, is a 12-minute long monolith of a track that saunters around the naughty parts of town, flaunting its fuzz ridden backside. The guitars in this track are massive and could completely swallow up your face, given the opportunity. What also works for me is how crisp the drums sound, the bass could use some more love, especially if we’re getting really dirty.

The drums feel every bit as big as the guitars, which is how it should feel with an outfit as mean as this. The vocals waver in the background, adding a bit of depth to the track, but they never feel central. This isn’t a bad thing, but it would be nice to see some more vocal play.

Icon is goes straight for the jugular with its intro, holding no guitar tabs back. This track is, so far, my favourite, if only because of the absolutely glorious breakdown where the guitar has a second or two to breathe a sigh of relief. But it’s not long before it screeches with anguish is dragged back in for some smashing chords. The reversed outro is quaint and brings things to a close quickly.

With the full release coming soon, it’s getting exciting. Fingers crossed this isn’t a plan in advance April fool’s joke. You can check the band out of Twitters and Facebooks and preorder/buy Empress Rising from their Bandcamp.

Chat soon kids.

New Music Review – Levi Civita – Event Horizon (demo track)

Local bands are always that and a bag of potato chips, especially when you know a member of them so you can get free swag and other such nonsense. However, they do also offer some of the best talent you’ve never heard of; sometimes. In this case, we all get a special first look at Nottingham based prog-metalheads, Levi Civita.

Levi Civita has released their debut studio track, Event Horizon, after tearing it up at the local battle of the bands. What have we learned from seeing them live and listening to their first bit of studio material? That this band has a lot to offer the music scene and the collective ears of said scene.

 

Event Horizon shows listeners what the band are all about, and if you’re going off of what you can hear, then you’ll get an impression of stellar twinkling guitars, blissful synths and rythemic bass. That is, until the world comes crashing down around a wall of distortion and intense sound. At times, the tracks can sound somewhat like Russian Circles, or even the harder sections of instrumental Oceansize, but what it all amounts to is this: tight songwriting and music that tantalises .

The band itself, offers up five members, each uniquely talented with their weapons of choice. What might also interest any potential listeners is that the track was recorded in two hours, one dreamy almost spring Sunday, which more than shows off the band’s proficiency music and their knowledge of the technical wizardry behind it. Two guitarists offer up the majority of the texture for this track, but live tracks have much more attack from the instruments, especially the bass.

More tracks should be coming soon. As such, we’ll be sure to keep an eye on these gents as they raise up through their well put together scene of metal, maths and mechanical mayhem.

Right now, the band are selling their track for a ‘name your price’, price and it would be great to see these guys get some support. So head on over to their Bandcamp and contribute some wonga.

You can also follow the lads on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Collection Review – Hotline Miami OST

Hotline Miami came out back in late 2012 and was crowned as one of the best fuck-em’ up games of this generation. It incorporates gameplay elements of top-down beat-em ups, mixed with the speed and mentality of a frightening drug trip. Clearly something needed to be done to soundtrack to step up the game of this already, brutal game. Thankfully, the developers at Dennaton Games have incredibly good taste in music. This taste in music adds a massive layer to the atmosphere of Hotline Miami and cements it’s foundations in the neo-80s feel that the game offers along the fucked-up trip of a story.

The soundtrack boasts 9/10 different artists (depending on how you classify featuring artists) and each of the musicians offer a unique twist on the tracks provided. The soundtrack mostly gives listeners this neo-80s synth sound to everything, but there are a few occasions where you’re presented with maybe more industrial laden tracks and even a few rock ones. All of which aggressively bookmark where you are in the game. Whether Scattle’s Knock Knock has you erupting onto the scene and caving in the heads of Russian mobsters, or Sun Araw’s Deep Cover brings you back to your increasingly grimy and surreal digs. The artists do their jobs with great talent.

What these artists do right with the entire soundtrack is mark that tension and deep feelings of visceral unease. Turf, by El Huervo, creates this incredibly brutal track that initially has no placement or direction until it contorts and twists with these messy beats into something more disturbing and vicious. The beats get larger, angrier and messier. The perfect track for Hotline Miami. We also get someone that I’ve heard of before! You also get to see another side of El Huervo with the chill track Daisuke, which just sounds like it was designed for lounging around before you destroy a gang of gents and their apartment. It’s got some really laid-back piano and great relaxing rhythms that would be right at home in a neon lounge club. Or a porn.

Jasper Byrne, who’s also worked on the indie game, Lone Survivor; a game about, well, a lone survivor that takes a deathly Silent Hill approach to mood and gameplay. Jasper has, in both cases, created wonderfully suited music for each game, which shows off this gentlemans ability to adapt to the game; Mr Byrne is no one trick horse!

Check out his Hotline Miami music and his Lone Survivor music.

What’s important to remember about this soundtrack is that it works best with it’s playable counter-part, but what makes it so strong, is that almost all of the tracks you can listen to individually. That being said, I can’t listen to Horse Steppin’ or Deep Cover for too long, if only because I begin to feel more and more like the protagonist as the track goes on; uncontrollably mental.

Tracks like Perturbator’s Miami Disco and M.O.O.N.’s Crystals stand alone well enough to warrant multiple listens. Turns out they also work fantastically well for studying; they get you pumped in such a way that you need to take a break, just because you’ve done so much! Or just started writing complete nonsense. M.O.O.N.’s tracks seem to be mostly focused towards the levels of extreme violence and chaos, which is fine, since it suits him down to a tee. Hydrogen is worrying; the lead that it uses is fraught with chaos and intensity that fits the ultra-violence you dish out as the protagonist.

Overall, this soundtrack does it’s job and there are very few tracks that I’ll actually skip when they pop up on my music player. They all change how you see the world around you, for the worse, so be considerate with your usage and be aware of your mentality at all times.

Does it stay in the collection?

Yes, it might beat me up otherwise.

P.S. very excited for Hotline Miami 2.

 

 

New Music Review – Cloud Boat – Carmine (Track)

Facebook is funny, ain’t it? Sometimes, it can really hit the nail on the head, but from what I’m used to doing and used to seeing other people doing, it’s better to just rip on it. This time, however, it hit the nail on the head, through the table and onto my poor foot. In the best possible way(?).

A suggested post came up, recommending the band Cloud Boat and their brand new (free) single, Carmine. Now, I know nothing about Cloud Boat, so it would almost seem unfair to just jump right into this track and rip it up, but I gave it a go. Like every writer and his cynical uncle, I was initially skeptical, but I gave it a listen and was in a few minutes lost at sea on a boat of clouds and mist, with no company but the gentle tones of Carmine.

The song glows with a wonderful chord progression, dripped with reverb, care and atmosphere. The atmosphere is very reminiscent of dream-pop and shoegaze, but very difficult to pin down to a single genre as it mixes in elements from the above and more so efficiently.

This eloquent and stunning mix of music comes from two people dream-boats (boosh) Sam and Tom. Despite these two using simple building blocks to construct this song, they manage to create something beautiful that it, by and large, hitting the larger scale airwaves. It may be possible that we’re seeing a reassurance of shoegaze and dream-pop that was so prevalent back in the 90s.

Carmine feels like a boat trip along where the ocean meets the night sky with twinkling synths, elegant guitars, dreamy ambiance and submissive beats. From what I’ve seen so far, Cloud Boat looks like a band to watch for 2014. So keep those telescopes prepared and those sails of dreams and stars at the ready for a voyage.

Details about a full-length release are minimal, but it would be fair to say that something could be released this year, it’s just a case of as and when; keep an eye out.

If you like Carmine, head to their website for a free download.

Until next-time kids, keep shoegazing.

March’s Albums Of The Month

Trying to keep this blog feature active, since the other one didn’t work out so well. The idea is to post a few of my favourite albums from March, these might not have been released that month, but I’ll have been listening that month. I will get some from that month in though (if they aren’t shit).

Let’s get this flea circus tickin’.

Elbow – The Take Off and Landing of Everything

Although this album didn’t really convert me to the Elbow craze rocket that everyone always seems to be going on about, I did enjoy some of the songs on this album and from the songs I’ve heard, it feels a lot better than the previous albums (that’s right fans, come get me), but I’ll have to have a proper listen around at some point.

The Megadudes – Postcards From The Past

Released on the 3rd of March, this power-pop outfit rocked onto scenes with an exciting debut packed full of power-chords and character that gave listeners a very immediate idea about who The Megadudes are and what they’re about. Which is? Catchy tunes, fun rock music and not taking the scene they inhabit too seriously. I also had a look at Postcards From The Past, a week or so ago, check that out, here.

Tycho – Awake

The follow up to Tycho’s 2011 effort, Dive, may not have been praised as much as it should have been, but, Awake was a solid effort from one of the more interesting IDM artists out there. I personally, would like to see Tycho take a page from Trentmoller’s book and incorporate some vocals into his next album. Even if it would nice to hear a voice in the journey of this album, it’s still a solid album that I enjoyed. Very angst ridden.

Gregory Porter – Liquid Spirit

Good ol Mr Jazz hat released this carefully considered jazz album back in September last year, but, I heard Water Under Bridges and work and fell in love. Gregory Porter, has put together a gentle collection of tunes for the broken of hearts, the needy and more importantly, for the the people. A very enjoyable jazz album that requires a rainy night lit with nothing more than a desk lamp and an accompaniment of your thoughts.

Moonlit Sailor – We Come From Exploding Stars

Inspiring-core post-rockers Moonlit Sailor, released We Come From Exploding Stars last month and I was rather late to their ill-lit party, but it definitely deserves a mention. These guys mix some new styles into the mix of their uplifting status quo and as such, have grown as artists. Nice to see them remaining consistent with the strength of their releases. This is another one I took a closer look at, right over there.

Between The Buried And Me – Colors

A very crafty purchase from work. This bad boy was released back in 2007 and still remains as one of my top albums, ever. Colors is also, what I consider to be, Between The Buried And Me’s most unforced, eclectic release. These guys jump into different genre breakdowns a lot and on this album it feels tighter, less flamboyant and a lot more consistent than their most recent album,The Parallax II: Future Sequence. Also, dat intro song man.

I’ll have to add some more later, cause I’m almost positive that I’ve forgotten something. Let me know what your top albums of March are!

New Music Review – Moonlit Sailor – We Come From Exploding Stars

Recently, I made a post about some of the best albums to listen to while you work or write late into the night and on that list was Swedish post-rockers Moonlit Sailor. Little did I know at the time that just under a month ago, they released a brand new album. Complete with beautiful album art, which we’ve come to expect from these guys now anyway, but still.

Now, I’m no fan-girl when it comes for Moonlit Sailor (yes I am), but I instantly goshed and O-M-G’d all over the shop. While we do have the more veteran post-rockers like, Mono, putting out newish material for us to turn to, but, it doesn’t sound quite as refined, epic and passionate as Moonlit Sailor’s newest release, We Come From Exploding Stars.

Moonlit Sailor have almost always opted for a positive tone to their songs, which is a welcome change from a lot of moody post-rockers, and it’s nice to see that they’ve stuck with this formula. However, it’s even nicer to see that the band have grown and composed some genuinely striking moments of emotion. A combination of major key compositions with optimistic song-writing make for one grand album, which is exactly what you get with this new Moonlit Sailor effort.

Moments where the instruments spark around the studio seemingly randomly and uneventfully always turn into this satisfying clash of music. For example, when a guitar plays a lonely little riff, to suddenly be accompanied by the bass, drums and another instrument, it all clicks and works so seamlessly.

The first track on the album, Minutes From Somewhere Else, sticks out beautifully in it’s gorgeous sounds, it’s uplifting build-up and ultimately emotive climax that lets you know, you are listening to ‘hope’ being turned into a musical format by four Swedish gents. To be honest, it’s very difficult to talk about this album without just getting a sample, pointing when something cool happens and just being like: “I know, right!?” when it happens.

I know, right?! That being said, there are plenty of moments on here that are interesting and showcase, not a new direction, but how Moonlit Sailor is expanding and becoming a major contender to post-rock veterans like Explosions In The Sky.

The song, Dollar Underwater is a magical experience of a song that really shows off how well Moonlit Sailor gels as a band. The drums are prominent, the bass is naughty and the guitars shine bright like a diamond. Also intro after the drum sequence at the start sounds inhuman in the best possible way; was it a wizard? The breakdown near the end is also extremely neato. Before that, we have a short number, Into The Fray, that’s led by a synth and twinkly wee piano; give it a few seconds and the quiet, rest of a moment is taken over by a kaleidoscope of sound that is over before you can say, delay.

Some people could argue that We Come From Exploding Stars, might become too sickly sweet after a few listens and  that’s cool. This album might not be for people that enjoy their post-rock with the deep, crushing atmosphere that you’d expect from Godspeed You! Black Emperor, but with Moonlit Sailors, you get something else. A very different type of post-rock that uplifts and soundtracks the more hopeful and graceful periods of everyday life. There are many moments in this album that I haven’t mentioned, in fact, I don’t think I’ve done the album much justice at all, but that’s because, like a lot of music, this is something that you should experience first ear.

Welcome to the soundtrack of all those moments in Spring and Summer that you wish you could remember forever.

If you love what you’ve heard, head over to their Bandcamp and grab a copy of We Come From Exploding Stars, it’s a name your price album and worth every penny you pay, or not.

Does this deserve a spot in your collection?

In a short answer, yes. In a long answer, yeeeeeessssssss.

New Music Review: Linkin Park – Guilty All The Same (Track)

So, Linkin Park are back. It’s been about two years since they last put out an album that was met with, mixed reviews, even though a lot of the less than favorable reviews could be taken away as, old-Park fans that snub anything new. Understandably so though, it should be said. Their newest song, Guilty All The Same, dropped back in March 6th and I feel a little bit guilty not getting to it sooner. Mainly because me and LP have shared fleeting moments of a fling in the back of speeding cars occasionally. But only briefly! And they didn’t rush me.

Linkin Park have put out a new effort, something that fans have said, is slightly reminiscent of the old days of of the Linkin Pizzle (a pet name that will never catch on). Mind you, only some fans have said this, others are very quick to tie a a rope around it’s neck and hang it over the stairs. In my opinion though, the song is nice; swish; decent. The first thing that strikes me about this track is the heaviness of the intro. It also has this quite, I know it sounds strange but, vampire like guitar lead, it’s very hard to explain, but it’s cool and standout. There’s also this quivering piano that comes in afterwards to back up Chester’s vocals and for the most part, it feels suitably bombastic. The accusatory lyrics, brass-tarty piano epicness and non-offensive vocals all sound rather familiar. Obviously, I’m not saying they sound the same, or Linkin Park copied, I’m saying that it all sounds rather similar. Although they do use very familiar clouds…

That being said, the track still sounds alright, although I do have to agree with the fans that have said it would great to hear Chester get a little bit moody again. Shout! That’s what I (and a lot of other people) enjoy about Linkin Park; the merging of genres like metal and hip-hop. The track as a whole though, is a step in the right direction; the instrumentation is heavy and unforgiving and Chester is (hopefully) returning to vocal form. Big fan of the softer parts in this song; the smooth synths that chunk things up in the quieter parts; really killer choice.

Get back to some Faint though guys, only for a song or two, but do it for the kids!

Collection Review: Alexander DeLarge – Selected Works (Demo Album)

A remnant of my neo-classical phase. I say phase, still to this day do I enjoy a few select artists, such as: World’s End Girl Friend, Yasushi Yoshida and Worrytrain. I downloaded this album back when it came out, back in 2012. It’s also a name your price, so if you like it, check out the Bandcamp. Alexander DeLarge is the protagonist of the critically acclaimed, ultra-violence, novel Clockwork Orange and he is also a neo-classical composer based in Russia. Today, I’m going to be re-listening to his album, Selected Works (Demo Album).

This short album mixes together elements of, classical, of course, trip-hop, IDM and even glitch all rather well, which gives Selected Works, a very versatile and unique feel to it. At times the mixture of some angry glitching is at risk of breaking and destroying the beauty of the classical melodies. However, it simply bends it to the point of no return and then returns it to a fitting and wondrous return. This is most apparent in tracks like: Cellar Door, Nocturne and Last Record From Earth. It’s this flexible fragility that makes releases, such as this one, so interesting to listen to.

Alexander also manages to mix in little sprouts of post-rock, although this is most obvious in Last Record From Earth and Desolate Memories. In the former you have ambitious, explosion of sound, including guitars and percussion that add so much to an albums finisher. For Desolate Memories, the guitars are used as a backing instrument, to add another layer to the thickness of the sound that is being piled on. This does actually work; the guitar wails quietly away in the background while the piano leads you hand in hand through the growing drum loops and haze of music.

This haze, could swallow up listeners quite happily, were it not for the song that comes after, Nocturne. This song uses a very interesting and kind of jazzy lead piano with a drum loop that’s really glitched out. It sounds really cool, but it would have been nice to see this idea expanded on. Although the album is not bad, it would have been preferred if we could see this different side of the musician. The point is that this sort of music is very experimental and as such, you can use so many different things to keep it interesting. See Kashiwa Daisuke’s album 5.Dec for a stunning sound. To see this album, expand on the experimental ideas that it did have, briefly, could have really set this album apart from the others.

This small album does still have plenty to offer any fans of classical, IDM and trip-hop; it’s also a name your price album, so if you like what you’ve heard, you should give it a go. Check out Alexander DeLarge’s Bandcamp.

Will it stay in the collection?

It will.

8 Albums For Studying Or Writing

It’s about 1am and you’re finally preparing yourself to do that most audacious of tasks, start doing some real work; detrimental to your physical health as it is. The lamp flicks on, the pen/keyboard is ready and you’ve got your supply of sugar, but what do you listen to? What album plays you off into the ungodly hours of the morning? Here is a short list of albums that I rate, specifically for situations like this.

Helios – Eingya

Keith Kenniff, the genius behind Helios and Goldmund, is an absolute wizard with all things soothing and ambient. His 2006 and six release Einya, will however always stay with me as his strongest album (as Helios atleast). Utilising blissful synths, gorgeous acoustic instrumentation and superbly implemented samples, Einya will see you deep into the abyss of the morning. Don’t expect to stay awake all night; your study plane will crash into bed, however, when it does happen, you’ll at least be at peace.

Recommended listening: Coast Off

Damien Rice – O

Another release that makes me feel more vulnerable than I’m willing to admit, but Damien Rice’s, O, is perfect studying music, IF you have a bottle of wine. Damien sings the sad truths of love, commitment, time and disappointment; perfect for the self-pity that comes with the 4am crash. I had an internal debate between O and the other release, 9, but O is much more miserable and wonderfully acoustic compared to 9. That being said, it would be nice if I had more choice, but Damien seems to be selfishly wallowing around in despair and not releasing anything new; what a douche. Please note that if Mr Rice ever reads this I have nothing but unrequited love for him, seriously.

Recommended listening: Older Chests

Moonlit Sailor – Colors In Stereo

All the tunes so far a wee bit too down-tempo for you? Let’s move things in the other direction for a bit then. Moonlit Sailor. These guys are four-piece Swedish act that make some of the most divine post-rock music I’ve ever heard. Colors In Stereo has everything you could want from a work album, amazingly uplifting tunes, lovely album art and a mentality of optimism that’s infused into the music. It won’t be long into this album before you’re feeling cautiously optimistic about your work. You may even feel, dare I say it, confident!

Recommended listening: Weekday Escape

65daysofstatic – We Were Exploding Anyway

Not peaceful, not considerate, but breathtaking and powerful. The 2010 effort of Sheffield’s instrumental-rock legends sets itself apart from their early albums with a more vicious and (you could say), fake sound that lured them away from their post-rock roots. More synths, more drum machines and more boom, boom, pow! This album stands the test of time and proves that change can not only be successful for a band, but essential to keeping a sound fresh and stimulating. Expect to feel jumpy, hip and kissable (that album art man), while you etch down your innermost thoughts on that essay. And then delete them because you realise you were talking nonsense.

Recommended listening: Crash Tactics 

Bark Psychosis – Hex

The slowest of slowcore that sets one of the most memorable music scenes you’ll ever listen to on an album. Bark Psychosis create this incredibly thick atmosphere of rainy late-night movie soundtracks in Hex and it becomes something you have to shake off after your listen, or you might take up smoking and standing in the rain to feel as if you’re in a scene from this album. Give it time and this album will become the soundtrack to your months of rain and solitude. Try to get that essay done and forget how gloomy Bark Psychosis make the world seem.

Recommended listening: The Loom

L’Orange – The Mad Writer

L’Orange takes a bunch of samples from old movies, applies some sick beats, delicious textures and occasional vocalised songs that hit rather close to home. I didn’t pick this album because of how shamefully obvious it is, I did it because of how tip-fucking-top it is. I swear on me mum. Perfect for studying, this album has a thick smoky atmosphere that insists you crack open some whiskey to fully enjoy it. Every track on this album has an incredibly eerie mood that binds together samples from olde-time radio and movies like mad that makes it burst at the seams with personality. Pay attention and you might learn something.

Recommended listening (I couldn’t decide): The Mad Writer / The Imaginary Friend 

Faithless – Reverence

My British is starting to show. Despite this absolutely mesmerising album only reaching the #26 in the UK charts on it’s release, some of it’s songs still went on to be absolutely massive. See Insomnia. What I think is really striking about this album is how fluently it rides the early trip-hop genre that was around during the early 90s. Faithless use the same big elements as Massive Attack, but go about it in a very different, and talented, way on some tracks and I think that that’s what helps Faithless stand out. Not to mention that the laid back nature of these songs lends itself perfectly to the student all-nighter; whether your partying or studying, this album can help you through it.

Recommended listening: Insomnia (The full version)

World’s End Girlfriend – Ending Story

World’s End Girlfriend is the project of a single gentleman that just wows me. The albums put out by the mastermind that is Katsuhiko Maeda, are consistently beautiful, startling, strange and effective. The sounds of classical music, rock, funk, electronic and a whole handful of other genres are mixed seamlessly into this guys work. The album I choose though, Ending Story, is a more electronically/classically focused album. If you haven’t heard of World’s End Girlfriend, then this album is a grand place to start. Just be sure to bookmark your sanity; some of these tracks take strange to a whole new level and could roll you down to the looney bin before you finish that essay.

Recommended listening: Listening You

New Music Review: Megadudes – Postcards From The Past

The Megadudes first hit me with their mixture of rock and power-pop back in April, last year, with their tune, Garlic Dad. The Megadudes are a combination of something that don’t take themselves too seriously and just enjoy the rock and roll that they provide the fans. Here’s a short taste of how this band does things:

And what have they provided fans recently? Why, a full length release that I’ve been looking forward to since last April. Postcards From The Past, is the debut full length release of The Megadudes and it’s a real corker that sounds as energetic, colourful and generally, as fun as a band’s first release should.

To get the band firing on all cylinders nice and early, the song Into The Crusher takes control with exciting hooks and loud and proud chorus’. It’s a short little number that enthuses listeners in the short amount of time it’s around with that same quick and to the pointless sound (not a bad thing) that the band are known for. Garlic Dad, will have a room reserved in my heart for years to come, simply because of how summer-like it sounds; heavy power-chord guitars, catchy vocals, funky bass and driven drums tie together this very striking and fun track.

So far, The Megadudes gel together elements of Green Day, Weezer, and The Offspring, all successfully together, however, they do so with their own flair. It’s also very fortunate for them that their vocalist is rather unique. The vocals certainly set them apart as Chris Rodes sits comfortably in his range, never forcing his vocals to do anything they don’t need to. And it works. Fortunately, he does also experiment with where his voice is going, making things a whole lot more interesting that just a mumble here and a grumble there.

This One, makes the conscious decision to change up the pacing of things and mix things up with quiet, loud and interesting segments that segue seamlessly between each other; proving that The Megadudes play with more than a few cards held against their chest, including this knockout punch of a moment. And with the naughty solo at the penultimate moment, it’s also clear that they play with proficiency as well as a self-aware simplicity. For What It’s Worth, is another ace in the hole that plays hard to get with its rockier moments; it teases at the louder moments, but doesn’t give it to you, until you’re begging for it.

In These Ancient Streets, we get something different, the bass taking a hard lead and wonderful mixed vocals from Chris, pushing his voice for that aggressive extra bite that really adds a whole ‘nother layer to the mixture of an already interesting song. The same goes for Worthless Heart, it lets the guitars take a more relaxed spot at the back of the studio while the rhythm sections and vocals shine. But there is some nice guitar work here, duh.

With their first journey into the world of bands with full length albums, The Megadudes have managed to carve a scene with their fun, crowd-pleasing rock. Postcards From The Past is a strong first effort that holds up as a very successful first launch, setting a path out for these boys, now, we just stick close to our Garlic Dads, wait for the tours and new material with eager ears and wallets. In terms of what I’d like to see next time, I think some more progressive moments, just little spots to break up some of the rockier songs. We hear a lot of these in their Soundcloud material:

Go fourth Into The Crusher and get yourself a copy of Postcards From The Past.

You can check the band out on Facebooks, Twitters and you can buy Postcards From The Past on iTunes.