Formed in 2010, Helsinki based rockers Damage Limit spent six years plying their trade on the live circuit and released a couple of demo EPs before taking the plunge and entering the studio to record their first professional release. The years of stage toil and sweat shows, too, since ‘Crank’ has an edge that very much sounds like the work of a hard-driving live act. Throughout the seven tracks, the riffs come thick and fast – aided by a reasonable crunch, too – and some of the hooks not only feel like they’ve been honed not just in front of an audience, but created very much with that audience in mind; a more than reasonable translation from stage to disc.
Monthly Archives: February 2017
DARK HORSE – Shot Down EP
The names Matt Knee and Rosie Doonan might not be at the forefront of your mind, but prior to the launch of Dark Horse, both musicians had been fixtures on the music scene in the north of England. Matt had been drummer with Wakefield post-punkers Last Gang, while Rosie – among other things – had found herself with a much higher profile gig as part of Peter Gabriel’s orchestral shows in 2012.
Within Dark Horse, Doonan’s slightly trill vocal style is a good match for the retro pop sound and for some people, this may well prove to be the EP’s main attraction. However, as good a performer as she is, it’s the music that really counts here…and ‘Shot Down’ offers three songs that are an instant mood lifter. The band knows all about making that important first impression, too, making no apologies for front-loading what is arguably their best track.
Check out the new video from Bullet Proof Lovers
Towards the end of 2016, the debut release from Bullet Proof Lovers finally got a belated US release. The cross continental band, fronted by Kurt Baker and featuring members from Spain and the US served up plenty of excitement in a short duration and suggested the band would deliver the goods on subsequent releases.
The wait is over.
ALTER EDEN – Tigers & Lambs EP
Alter Eden’s first release – ‘Fearless‘, released in 2015 – showcased a world of heavy riffs, which combined with a few big hooks and a quirky vocal style made for some interesting listening. While some tracks were better than others, that EP showed no weak links musically speaking, which suggested that future endeavours would be equally good…if not better.
KING BLACK ACID – Twin Flames EP
King Black Acid started as a bedroom project for song writer and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Riddle. Over the course of a few years, it has evolved into a full band, often with a revolving cast, dependent on Riddle’s own musical needs. Past King Black Acid alum have included Pigface’s Joseph Trump, Scott Adamo of the Wipers and Richmond Fontaine’s Dan Eccles.