Almost any melodic rock fan will tell you that the first two Harem Scarem albums are classics. The band’s 1992 debut and ‘Mood Swings’ – their harder sounding follow up from 1993 – set out the Canadian outfit’s stall as a band to be reckoned with. Twenty years on from ‘Mood Swings’, someone in the Harem Scarem camp decided the best move to celebrate the milestone anniversary would be to re-record the songs…
Monthly Archives: September 2013
Long rumoured Saxon acoustic/re-recorded disc released in October
First mooted back in 2011, British metal legends Saxon will finally release their promised disc of acoustic and orchestral re-recordings on 21st October.
‘Unplugged & Strung Up’ – a fourteen track collection of re-worked material – has been confirmed with the following track listing:
MATTHEW GOOD – Arrows Of Desire
Matthew Good’s 2013 release ‘Arrows of Desire’ is the Vancouver-based singer/songwriter’s seventh solo outing [and eleventh studio album overall, counting those fronting his eponymous band] and yet it seems as if he’s hardly made any waves at all in the UK. In his homeland, The Matthew Good Band were/are big news, and yet prior to the release of ‘Arrows’, Mr. Good’s UK shows were in front of a rather intimate, select crowd. However, it seems that those in the know really get him – and for those who do, this is an album that does not disappoint. Years of honing his talent has resulted in a striking disc, the first half full of huge riffs and simple hooks, the second more cerebral, which combined leads to a hugely entertaining listen.
Helmet / Melvins: Aussie tour dates
Alternative rock fans in Australia are getting a special treat this December when Page Hamilton is scheduled to appear at a run of dates across the country. What’s more, most shows will also feature near-legendary Washington State noisemakers (The) Melvins!
HELMET/MELVINS dates:
GEOFF USELESS – Don’t Stop
After almost a decade churning out music for a cult following, US punks The Guts went on hiatus in 2009. Frontman and founder member Geoff Useless took the opportunity to embark on a solo career, resulting in an EP and this full-length offering, originally released on Livid Records in 2010. Considering Useless had also worked with The Queers and The Nobodys, ‘Don’t Stop’ is pretty far removed from being the punk (or even pop-punk) record each of his prior connections would ever suggest. But then, what’s the point in having an outlet for solo work if it’s just gonna mirror your “day jobs”?