In the 1970s greatest hits collections were a quick way for record companies to bundle together previously released material under the pretence that it was a celebration of a band’s career up to a particular point. These were not usually so much a celebration as a way to make a quick buck, but whatever the justification, such releases rarely troubled the more serious record buyer. In the late 80s, the game changed when record companies began to pad such collections out with two or three unreleased tracks, not only ensuring the collection of singles would sell to a more casual listener, but also hoping it would tempt the long term fan into that extra purchase. Such practice became common.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
THROUGH THORN AND BRIER – Good Grief EP
Through Thorn and Brier is a band made up of four musicians from New Jersey who claim their key influences and interests are “pizza” and “filth”. Although billed as crust/hardcore punk, their music rarely takes the speedy grindcore or powerviolence route of their closer contemporaries. Where most are content with thrashing out minute long bursts of noise paying homage to the likes of Discharge and F-Minus, Through Thorn and Brier take far longer to get their point across, preferring instead to throw down long, grinding metallic riffs, served up with a slightly raw garage punk production value. On this EP, the mix of styles serves them well.
TRANSMANIACON – The Darkening Plain
Delivering four songs in approximately 47 minutes, the 2014 release from London-based doom/dark psych rockers Transmaniacon is not for the faint of heart. Housed in a sleeve depicting a desolate post-apocalyptic horizon dominated by robots (expertly conceived by artist Ian Miller), part epic hard rock, part concept album, ‘The Darkening Plain’ is a both a frightening and frighteningly grand work, especially aimed at those who love things from the fuzzier and (occasionally) less heavy end of the doom rock spectrum.
FRANK TURNER – The First Three Years
After the demise of hardcore band Million Dead, frontman Frank Turner embarked a relentless touring schedule. Playing most nights throughout 2006 helped build a strong and devoted following for his semi-acoustic folk-punk material. Appearing both deeply personal yet accessible, his debut album ‘Sleep Is For The Week’ – released in January 2007 – attracted very positive responses. His second release ‘Love, Ire & Song’ saw a huge leap in terms of quality and although not a huge seller upon its release, this album set Turner on the route to stardom.
LINDA AND THE PUNCH – Obsession
Most of this debut from German rockers Linda and The Punch mixes traditional AOR guitars with a radio friendly pop edge, resulting in something that resembles Pat Benetar reshaped for a post-80s audience…only hugely inferior. However, even though the press materials appear desperate for listeners to think this could stand alongside works by P!nk, it often comes across as a much less fortunate entity – usually a second rate rehash of works by Issa, an AOR singer who (despite best intentions) has no hope of ever being as good as Benatar either. It may collect tunes from jobbing songwriters who’ve written for pop artists, but the very fact that the album is produced by German hard-rocker Michael Voss (of Demon Drive fame) and leans on Escape Music stalwart Tommy Denander elsewhere, unfortunately ‘Obsession’ just isn’t as far removed from the label’s usual stock as they’d so desperately like you to think.