In 2012, session drummer JK Impera’s eponymously named band released ‘Legacy of Life’, a solid melodic rock offering also showcasing the talents of much-loved guitarist Tommy Denander and European vocalist Matti Alfonzetti (best known to most as the frontman of Myke Gray’s Jagged Edge in the early 90s). With a first class guitarist and a great singer (who rarely gets his due for having a voice that’s held up extremely well over the years), the project had the right ingredients to please many classic rock fans. While the songs were of a tried and tested formula, most of the material was strong – and Alfonzetti’s voice just gave the band an extra edge, often missed from so many other “second-tier” melodic rock acts.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
KILL CHAOS – PromisesPromises
Nottingham’s Kill Chaos have been working hard at making a name for themselves, creating a mini-buzz in the north of England. They’ve toured in support of INME, Frank Turner, Arctic Monkeys and the seemingly famous-for-five-minutes Reef and their 2013 full length ‘PromisesPromises’ [released via Field Records, home to the excellent Maybeshewill] is a reflection of the band’s live sound, in that it isn’t too polished. Its fantastically bass heavy in places, while the main riffs often carry just the right balance between melody and distortion.
THE 1957 TAIL-FIN FIASCO – The Cruise Control EP
Having already released their ‘Private Jet Flashback’ album at the beginning of the year, 2013 proved very busy for Essex-based pop rockers The 1957 Tail Fin Fiasco, as they also dropped this EP of extra material in the autumn. It’s not clear whether it ought to be regarded as a companion piece to the full album or treated as a stand-alone EP in its own right, but what is clear is that this is a band you should not miss. This raises the bar with regard to how something self-released should sound sonically, while musically the band Indulge in a whole cavalcade of 70s pop sounds, that’s absolutely thrilling in its all too knowing retroness.
SLAVE ZERO – Disambiguated Visionary
Let’s not pretend here: along with ‘Abandon All Life’ by Nails, this is undoubtedly one of 2013’s heaviest releases. But then, we had been warned: prior to Slave Zero dropping this fifth offering, vocalist Graham V. Flynn claimed ‘Disambiguated Victory’ to be “heavy, unrelenting and unpredictable”. It is certainly all of those things. It’s also a brief lesson in how to make an intensely technical death metal record – one which branches out a little further with each passing track – but naturally, it won’t be to everyone’s tastes.
THE BEAT RATS – Have Mersey!
As far as homages to the early Beatles are concerned, The Rutles will always be the best loved, but then their songs were strongly modelled on the already very familiar. As superb as the parody evident in the likes of ‘Number One’ and ‘Goose Step Mama’ may be, they will always be just that – parody. On this, their second disc, New York’s Merseypunk pioneers Beat Rats show they clearly love The Beatles’ early work as much as Neil Innes does, but although the sounds of rock ‘n’ roll prevail, they’ve been far less tempted to use obvious existing templates to create their brand of fun. As far as celebrating the sounds of the very early sixties are concerned, you won’t find much that’s more authentic sounding.