Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews

“LET IT ROLL…”: an absolutely free album-length sampler from Real Gone!

Posted on by

To celebrate the work of lots of independent and DIY bands appearing at Real Gone, it’s time to end the year with something special.

With the co-operation of sixteen different artists, we are able to bring you “Let It Roll…”, the first ever Real Gone sampler. The name comes from a Dead Exs line, and it was good enough a title for George Harrison too, so…
[It was almost called “Now That’s What I Call Don’t Say We Don’t Ever Give You Nuffin’“, but in lots of ways, the name is unimportant].

Here’s hoping you find something to enjoy. If you do, please get in touch with the musicians to tell them and make sure you check out their full releases! If you’ve downloaded it, please link back to this page on twitter and facebook – help make this a major exercise in spreading the word…

All tracks were used legally with the help of the respective artists.

This download has now been removed from our server.  Should you still wish to download it, please email us via the contact section on this website and we’ll send you a zip file of the contents.

Tracks included:

01 KURT SHANKS Seven Flights Up
02 GUSTAV NILSSON Paper Cuts
03 MUTINY MUTINY A Movie With No Plot
04 THE BLACK STOUT Voices of Generation
05 MISHKIN Good Day To Die
06 THE GENUINE FAKES Time Is Slight
07 DANIEL TASHIAN Anna
08 STATE COWS Hard Goodbye*
09 THE DEAD EXS Come Down Easy
10 MICK TERRY Comets
11 PROSPEKT Dissident Priest
12 NATHAN EDWARDS Be OK
13 RABBIT IN THE BLOOD Back To The Sea**
14 DOM LIBERATI Won’t Let You Down (live)**
15 PALE AUTUMN The Tides Return
16 SHARKS TOOK THE REST Restaurant

* Non-album track
** Previously unreleased

Real Gone would like to extend their thanks to everyone who took part. You can find various links back to the band’s products and websites scattered around this website, as well as reviews for everyone. There are a couple of notable absences due to missed deadlines or Ts&Cs… Here’s hoping they can be a part of it all at the end of 2012.

Merry Christmas.

GARY JOHN BARDEN – The Eleventh Hour

Posted on by

Best known for lending his vocals to a few of the early Michael Schenker Group’s releases, Gary Barden has been a jobbing vocalist for decades.  Aside from his work with Schenker, his voice can be heard on albums by Silver, Praying Mantis and Statetrooper. 2011’s ‘Eleventh Hour’ is his fifth solo record.

The album begins in a rather unsubtle manner.  The heavy-handed ‘Baghdad’ presents a heavy-ish riff coupled with some already out-of-date political statements (ridiculously simplified to children’s news level).  Although the tune is augmented in places by equally unsubtle effects noises of bombs and the like, the riff itself is a more than reasonable one. Sadly, however the show’s over once Gary Barden starts to sing… Over the riffs, he wails such lyrical howlers as “George W and Tony Blair took years to find the madman’s lair”, after which it’s impossible to even try to take this seriously.  Some of the other lyrics are harder to decipher in places due to Barden’s over-singing, which hasn’t improved much over the years; it’s still full of unnecessary growls, warbles and other potentially nasty elements.  In fairness, it could be said that Barden sounds a little better on parts of this release than on Statetrooper’s 2004 outing, ‘The Calling’ – where he wailed like he was having a kidney removed without anaesthetic – but, most of the time, that’s not saying much.

The following couple of tracks are less bombastic, as if Barden believes he’s made his grand statement and can now settle into something more natural…and perhaps more fun.  With an upbeat pace, ‘Fallen By The Wayside’ is a slice of rock with plenty of drive where the twin lead guitars are the obvious high point, while ‘Child of Sorrow’ is a stomping rocker – the kind you’ll find on any number of Rainbow-esque hard rock discs.  The needle on the cheeseometer is flickering off the end of the scale here, but at least it could be said this number attempts to bring a rousing chorus to the table.  It’s okay, yes, but you’ll certainly find better examples of this kind of thing on hundreds of other melodic rock discs out there.

‘Easy Does It’ offers one of the best riffs on the album, as well as one of the best vocals.  Instead of going for the big rock edge, Barden attempts something soft and soulful (albeit still in a rock style); the slightly gritty element in his voice works well as he hits the longer vibrato-filled notes.  A more than commendable bluesy guitar solo ups the stakes here too, before the track loses its way temporarily.  All bluesy elements are eschewed in favour of a faster paced swagger that’s just horrid.  It may only be temporary, but it’s so ill-judged, as if it was shoehorned in from another work in progress.  Despite this faux pas, it’s a track which showcases what Barden and band are capable of when everything comes together – it’s a shame those times are somewhat of a rarity.  The eight minute epic ‘Before The Eyes of The World’ brings with it another superb riff – the kind which would have been at home on Dio’s ‘Angry Machines’ record of ’96, but aside from a twin lead solo it doesn’t really offer much more of any real interest.  Barden’s vocals are average at best, and even that once-promising riff starts to sound repetitive and leaden before too long.  Bringing in the track at half the length could have been a great improvement…

‘Would You Wanna Do’ is another of the better numbers (although, as always, better is a relative concept).  A pleasing selection of guitar arpeggios during its verses starts things off well enough, while a good sense of melody during the pre-chorus and a few decent lead guitar moments also help the track stand out.  The chorus doesn’t live up to the promise set out by the pre-chorus, however, and the female vocals on hand instantly make the piece sound dated.  On the plus side here, Barden reins in his voice a great deal, making it much less of an endurance on the listener.  On the negative, yet again, it sounds like a recording from a third generation cassette dub, thanks to the slack production values.  That production just mars many of the good moments on this album – often sounding like you’re listening on the morning after a particularly loud gig.  It’s a pity; a much slicker (ie: more expensive) production could have improved this album’s general feel, even though it would never have saved us from Barden’s terrible lyrics.

Bulking an already not especially enjoyable disc out to eleven songs, Barden offers his own recording of ‘Don’t Take Me For A Loser’ – an early 80s co-write, originally featured on Gary Moore’s ‘Corridors of Power’.  Lacking any of Moore’s effortless style, Barden and band chug their way through the tune in a workmanlike manner: the lead guitar work never rises above average, the lead vocals are okay at best and the female backing voices are lost somewhere in the sludge.  On the plus side, it’s still a well constructed tune – a hundred times better than most of ‘Eleventh Hours’ paltry efforts.

With ‘Eleventh Hour’, Barden adds yet another pretty ropey release to his expanding legacy of mediocrity.  Generally speaking, his backing band is okay, but Barden himself proves to be a wholly second division talent in both the vocal and song-writing stakes – someone rarely worth the admiration he seems to gather.   This is an album for his devoted fans only; other melodic rock aficionados would be best advised to spend their hard-earned cash elsewhere.

November 2011

CROWN OF THORNS – Crown Of Thorns

Posted on by

If you meet people who were fans of melodic rock in the 80s, chances are, they’ll bang on tirelessly about how alternative music killed melodic rock at the beginning of the nineties.  However, in 1994,a small UK based label called Now & Then Records provided a wave of genuine excitement with their first bunch of releases.  After releasing an album by Gary Hughes (later to become the frontman with pomp/melodic rock giants Ten), the label released a string of fantastic melodic rock discs, some of which had been rescued from the vaults of major labels, destined to potentially never see the light of day.

One of these early releases was the debut album by Crown of Thorns, a black rock band made up of a handful of cult musicians. Featured in the band’s first line-up were ex-Plasmatics/Little Steven man Jean Bouvoir, drummer Tony Thompson, who’d previously worked with the Duran Duran/Robert Palmer vehicle The Power Station, and bassist Michael Paige.  Rounding out the quartet was a rather unexpected musician: Micki Free, who’d previously been a member of Shalamar’s final line-up.

Right from the opening bars of the first track – the band’s self-titled song – there’s a sense that Crown of Thorns are a really tight unit.  After a brief drum intro from Tony Thompson, lead guitars drive the track into its first verse where Beauvoir’s soulful vocal style adds plenty of melody, while retaining enough bite to still be very much a rock performance. While the chorus is strong and the band’s gift for solid arrangement should never be undervalued, it’s Micki Free’s lead guitar work which makes this a killer opener, as he strikes a perfect balance between melody and squealing rock chops.  Lead single ‘The Healer’ offers similar rock stylings, though it’s perhaps a little punchier all round.  Beauvoir’s vocal is turned up to eleven, hitting more high notes than elsewhere on the disc, but remaining totally professional, he understands the importance of melody and never overplays those rock elements. Again, the chorus comes with a big hook, but it’s the harmonies which really drive it home.

The album’s big ballad ‘Standing On The Corner for Ya’ is a match for many of the big, arguably more famous 80s rock ballads, with huge chords and fantastic use of harmonies throughout. Understated verses, featuring Beauvoir with piano accompaniment allow that big chorus to really make an impact.  As with many other tracks featured here, Micki Free’s guitar solo – this time full of long, string-bent epicness – provides one of the high points, even though it’s fairly short in duration. ‘Winterland’ (co-written with Kiss man Paul Stanley) gives the impression of a track that’s more atmospheric at first, due to a soft intro featuring Beauvoir delivering a modest performance, backed by a clean sounding guitar.  However, after a few bars Free chimes in with a few hard, rhythmic chords, which help give the number an extra bit of oomph.  The verses are decent enough, but a chorus featuring Beauvoir in good form, singing against some great harmonies really lifts the track even farther.  With such a simple and memorable chorus, it’s easy to forgive a guitar solo that includes a couple of odd, really jarring notes.

‘Dyin’ For Love’ moves away a little from the melodic hard rock sound and offers something closer to classic AOR.  This is due to a more mid-paced approach and a keyboard giving an extra depth of sound in places.  Tony Thompson’s drum line and Michael Paige’s bass work both provide solid simplicity, giving the band a fine anchor.  The arrangement is spot-on throughout and the chorus one of the album’s absolute best.  ‘Hike It Up’ is a track full of mid-paced paunchiness; while it doesn’t bring anything new to the genre, it’s a brilliant driving rocker featuring great harmonies, a couple of great key-changes and a whammy bar solo.  If ‘Standin’ On The Corner’ and ‘Dyin’ For Love’ provide the album’s best examples of rock balladry and solid melodic song writing respectively, then ‘Hike It Up’ stands as one of the best examples of Crown of Thorns “the hard rock band”.

With an almost mechanical bassline, ‘Til The End’ has all the hallmarks of a Jim Vallance penned Bryan Adams number, though rather strangely, although Vallance is credited as co-writing a couple of numbers with Crown of Thorns, this particular track was written without his assistance.  Jean Beauvoir can be heard in particularly strong voice here, and although his performances on this release are all good in their own right, it’s on the slightly softer numbers he really comes into his own.  The harmonies used within this track are especially good.  If there’s a weak link on this debut album, then ‘Are You Ready’ pulls the short straw.  With its mix of hard rock, retro grooves and a tinge of funk metal, it was obviously designed as a live crowd-pleaser (and in the live setting it’s certainly rousing enough) but on record, its contrived efforts at creating good times do not translate quite as well in your average living room. That said, it’s definitely not a skipper.

Boasting so many strong numbers and decent production courtesy of renowned studio man Beau Hill, this debut is not only one of the best melodic rock discs of its time, it could possibly rank as one of the finest melodic rock discs ever.  It still sounds great so many years later.  Like a few of the other early Now & Then Records releases, it’s an album no decent melodic rock/AOR collection should be without.

June 2011

THE BYGONES! – Radio, Ready Or Not!

Posted on by

Brooklyn three-piece The Bygones! are a band whose main musical thrust is garage rock.  Their debut EP ‘Radio, Ready or Not!’ has a DIY approach which gives everything a slightly rough around the edges feel.   As debut releases go, it’s far from perfect, but to be fair, it is home to a couple of great numbers.

‘Gimme Some Space’ is a trashy piece of goodness which sounds like a cross between a ragged version of The Real Kids and Boston four piece Watts, if they were in a particularly shouty mood.  Dan McGuinness’s drums are crashy and live sounding, which sound great placed against Billy Janisewski’s particularly urgent vocal and guitar work.  Pulling everything together, Colin Van Deusen’s bassline is a bit lost under the raucousness, but in just under two minutes, The Bygones! clear the cobwebs on this number, proving that at full pelt, they’re a band with a lot of promise.  Likewise, the rock ‘n’ roll twang which carries the title cut shows a great energy, with Janiszewski’s slightly warbling vocal line fitting the bill rather well.  Van Deusen’s bass is audible on this track too, which is a major plus considering his playing is busy throughout. It’s also rather tight for this type of garage-based arrangement.

When The Bygones! slow things down, the cracks start to appear in their performance.  ‘Sour Apple’ begins with a very retro guitar, while the bassline is solid and high in the mix.  The basis for something decent is very much there, but the vocals are a little waily, never really settling in.  A counter backing vocal does its best to make everything gel but, fact is, Janiszewski’s lead vocal just doesn’t blend as well as it should.  It may work better live, of course, but here it’s in need of a bit of polish up, particularly when it comes to a particularly unrestrained ad lib just before the fade out.  ‘Begging’ is musically better all round, with a stronger lead vocal.  The real star on this number is Van Deusen, whose bass line really carries the piece with its unwavering approach.  The end section where the band cut loose is just a little too rough around the edges once again, but it’s a minor point.

‘The Lonely Ones’ expands The Bygones! range to include a little 60s style power pop.  The rhythms and general arrangement appears pleasing enough, but it’s a simple lead break which provides the track’s strongest element.  This track also features the EP’s most memorable chorus, but stepping back and looking at the whole package, their sound isn’t terribly original.  If you need a firm pointer for  what to expect here, The Bygones! sound like a budget version of The Flamin’ Groovies.  There’s not a lot wrong with that for a musical basis, but The Bygones! would have achieved better results if they’d been able to inject a little more of their own style into the recording.

Based on this debut EP, The Bygones!  have lots of potential when it comes to a full-pelt approach, but generally need to work at their craft with regards the more mid paced stuff, or those tunes which require a little more subtlety.  The DIY nature of their recording means The Bygones! are not necessarily ready for radio yet, but some the foundations are firmly in place.

Listen, or download the EP using the widget below.

September 2011

GALLOWS – Death Is Birth EP

Posted on by

In the summer of 2011, a big change occurred in the Gallows camp.  Founding member and lead vocalist Frank Carter announced his departure from the Watford-based hardcore punk band.  While such a major change can be daunting, it was only a matter of weeks before Gallows announced his replacement and seemingly barely any time at all before they unveiled new material, which suggests the changes were already in place by the time they went public with Carter’s departure.

This EP marks the first Gallows release with new frontman Wade MacNeil, previously of Canadian post-hardcore merchants Alexisonfire.  Before the release of ‘Death Is Birth’ he announced proudly that the new material sounded like a kick in the teeth.  Judging by most of these first spawned by the Wade-fronted Gallows, he’s not far wrong.  Things may have changed for the band – and with new blood comes new ideas – but the passion which has driven Gallows previously is still abundant; ‘Death Is Birth’ offers four numbers of a very high standard.

The opening number ‘Mondo Chaos’ musically suggests that Gallows have toughened up considerably to accommodate their new vocalist.  Frank Carter came with a severe rasp and plenty of edge, but MacNeil’s delivery comes fully loaded with an exceptional intensity.  The guitars at first have a similar grinding edge to most of the band’s previous output, but there’s more bottom end than ever before.  Combining that unsubtle amount of power with the deliberately confrontational refrain of “Hey, say fuck the world” makes an opening statement which is so intense, it’s almost ridiculous.  As the number progresses, there are hints of a slightly bouncier edge, but no sense of Gallows ever lightening up.  However, it’s a mere pop ditty in comparison to the uber-hardcore ‘True Colours’, a track which points at the aggressiveness of US government: “if moves like a snake and lies like a snake, the whole world knows it’s a snake / Your true colours shining through like the 4th of July”.  A direct statement backed by an even more direct riff gives this bile-filled thirty-seven seconds a sharp impact which never lessens on subsequent plays.

‘Hate! Hate! Hate!’ is the EP’s best number, mixing a grinding lead guitar with a slightly more groove-laden riff.  The faster elements here sound not unlike a pumped up Sick of It All, something more than reinforced by MacNeil’s shouty hardcore vocal; but, obviously, this is no bad thing – especially once the band finds room for a memorable refrain of “next stop revolution!” at the track’s end.  Looking beyond the fast riff, there’s even time during the relatively swift two minutes for a slow, pounding riff, which provides another blast of extreme intensity;  especially so when coupled with the suggestion that “you better run for your fucking life!”

Although driven by more similarly grinding guitars, the title cut has a very slightly lighter touch, and is perhaps the closest the EP comes to reproducing the sounds of “classic” Gallows.  Musically, it may nod to the band’s past, but since MacNeil’s in-your-face delivery stomps across any relative musical flourishes, it is best not to expect anything which overtly resembles Gallows’ past work.  Still, since it would have been unwise for Gallows to attempt to recreate ‘Grey Britain’ – let alone improve on it – it was definitely a wise choice to take a slightly different musical path.  And even when their newer-found, even more extreme hardcore elements meet the older strains of the Gallows sound, as they do here, they still excel as a musical unit…and Gallows still sound more essential and vibrant than their closest peers.

Arriving with the subtlety of a bomb, ‘Death Is Birth’ rattles the listener for little over seven and a half minutes before making a swift exit.  There are hints of the old Gallows throughout, but understandably with MacNeil out front, there are almost as many hints of Alexisonfire’s more aggressive tendencies in here too.  The tougher sound and different frontman might lose Gallows a few fans, but it’s just as likely to win them new ones with the big change.   Some people may have predicted the absence of Frank Carter would spell the end for the band, but this EP suggests anything but the end of the road.  With ‘Death Is Birth’s sledgehammer riffs and recurring messages of new beginnings, Gallows sound more determined than ever to succeed, leaving the punk world one of the year’s most brilliantly uncompromising releases in the process.

December 2011