From Christchurch, New Zealand, Arcadian are a six piece alternative metal band with some really serious chops. On their 2015 EP ‘Fault Line’ they bring six tunes that are guaranteed to impress anyone who loves their metal with an alternative slant that’s heavily downtuned with aggressive vocals, but most importantly of all, brings a frightening array of sledgehammer riffs.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
TREVOR AND THE JONESES – There Was Lightning
Las Vegas based quartet Trevor and The Joneses care not for fashion. Parts of ‘There Was Lightning’ – their debut LP from 2012 – could have been recorded at the same time as The Stooges’ ‘Fun House’, while also showcasing material that’s clearly channelling a lo-fi equivalent of Neil Young’s ‘Zuma’ with occasional nods to the underground of the late 80s. In theory, this sounds like a disjointed mess…and true enough, it doesn’t sound so special the first time you hear it. After allowing the tunes time to mature and to properly sink in, however, you’ll discover an album celebrates retro rock styles in a huge fashion. …And although the material is varied – drawing influence as it does from over three decades of rock – the band have developed a surprisingly confident style.
THE NAKED SUN – Pickled Hearts
At the end of the first quarter of 2013, underground Americana band The Naked Sun dropped their first studio EP, ‘Space, Place and Time’, a brilliant mix of sounds that borrowed heavily from Neil Young and Wilco, with passing nods to the quieter strains of The Great Affairs and The Grateful Dead. In terms of blending classic Americana sounds with a little psych and a pinch of rock, it provided a great – if all too short – listen. Two years on, ‘Pickled Hearts’ picks up where the first EP left off, and for those who enjoyed their previous slice of slow-burning Americana, it will not disappoint. In fact, there are a couple of numbers where the band shows an increased confidence in their abilities; thankfully, though, any improvements are not made on a sonic level. Recorded live in the studio, ‘Pickled Hearts’ provides another brilliant glimpse of the band’s warts ‘n’ all style.
LIMB – Terminal
At the beginning of the second quarter of 2014, British doom rockers Limb unleashed their self-titled debut LP. An uncompromising barrage of heavy riffs and gravelly vocals, the London based quartet announced their arrival in a most unsubtle manner and although they were outshone by labelmates Black Moth in terms of doomy goodness, the elpee set them up as a force to be reckoned with and a band upon which everyone should keep a close eye. The subsequent live shows demonstrated an almost boundless fury: aside from their capabilities to bring the noise, one other thing was pretty certain – the next time around, Limb would drop an absolutely killer release.
THE JAM – Fire And Skill (Live 1977-1982)
Although only a recording unit for just under six years, The Jam left behind a musical legacy that influenced the generations to come; from the whole of the Britpop movement, through to The Libertines, Kaiser Chiefs and so many others, The Jam had, in turn, become as influential as the bands which had influenced them. The songs penned by the young Paul Weller – whether capturing heartfelt political statements, the anger of youth or an occasional melancholy ballad – set him on the road to being one of Britain’s finest songwriters, a man whose lyrics have really stood the test of time.