Clean Lines isn’t necessarily the best known name in punky circles, but the band have put in some hard yards on the live circuit in the US. They’ve shared stages with Me First & The Gimme Gimmes and The Kids, and have creative links with Geraldine Fibbers and Circle Jerks. They caught the attention of The Briefs’ vocalist Steve E. Nix, who eventually joined their musical ranks.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
Check out ‘Backbone Of Existence’, the new video from Perpetual Paradox
In May 2025, British tech metallers Perpetual Paradox released ‘Ash & Blood’, an absolutely face melting single which provided the first taste of their forthcoming full length. In terms of all round heaviness, this was a track that didn’t hold back. Unlike some extreme acts, though, this band clearly understood the need for other elements in order to maintain long term interest. Against the extreme riffs, the track also found time for a more melodic thrash influenced interlude and contrasted the aggressive edge with some finely tuned prog metal theatrics.
MAX RAEL – Slightly Less Than Human / When The Only Winning Move Is Not To Play
Max Rael’s debut single ‘Brighter Future’ pushed the alternative envelope by applying spoken word passages to bleak sounding synth backdrops, creating an almost dystopian musical landscape. The number’s darker side was effectively offset by the History of Guns man offering listeners a positive lyric, where he suggested we can look to the past and learn from mistakes to forge a brighter future. Issued at a time when the world seemed incredibly negative with seemingly little escape from a political turmoil, Rael’s optimism – no matter how obtusely applied – offered fans of less mainstream music a small beacon of hope.
THE FALL – Fall Sound Archive Vol. 10: Middle Class Revolt
In some ways, The Fall’s 1994 release, ‘Middle Class Revolt’ has spent most of its life living in the shadow of its immediate predecessor, ‘The Infotainment Scan’. With the help of a rather spirited cover of ‘Lost In Music’, ‘Infotainment’ found its way into the consciousness of the more casual listener and, as a whole, the album showcased a more commercial sounding Fall at somewhere near their best. In retrospect, ‘Middle Class Revolt’ has actually aged just as well, and a few of the record’s deeper cuts provide a really interesting listen.
The 2025 super deluxe release from Cherry Red Records, wisely, takes a tried and tested approach when it comes to re-presenting the album with a wealth of interesting period extras. Mirroring the ‘Infotainment’ box set, the vastly expanded ‘Revolt’ greets the fans as a six disc tome, with the original long player joined by a disc of studio based extras and a generous four disc helping of sounding live material drawn from different sources.
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VARIOUS ARTISTS – Feelin’ Alright?: Mod, Rock, Funky Prog & Heavy Jazz 1967-1972
When it comes to curating a period specific, multi disc anthology – particularly covering the exciting, ever evolving sounds of the late 60s and early 70s – there are few that do the job anywhere near as well as Cherry Red Records and their family of associated labels. That said, it doesn’t initially feel as if ‘Feelin’ Alright?’ will be one of their better efforts. By kicking off with Deep Purple’s over-exposed ‘Hush’, reaching for Spencer Davis Group’s ‘I’m A Man’ in record time, presenting what feels like the hundredth compilation outing for Small Faces’ ‘Song of A Baker’, and having the first disc also play host to the titular track from Traffic – tracks that’ll need absolutely no introduction – there’s a strong feeling of deja vu.