A SECRET POLICEMANS BALL – Teenage Crimewave: This Nashville based indie band have had their album in the making for six years and it’s a pretty cool listen. In fact they’ve fine tuned every song so they uniquely stand out and that’s why I’ve enjoyed every track here. In fact in 10 years time this album will stand out because of the great musicianship and dark vocals from Nikki Cliff. For a heads up I’d check out tracks such as ‘I’m Not A Scientician’, ‘A Flock Of Beagles’ and ‘Stairway To Upstairs’. Almost certainly the best tracks on this release though the others aren’t far behind! I love the way that the band have developed these songs unlike many others who have an album out even before they’ve played a gig! 8/10
CRY HAVOC – New Life EP: If you’re into bands like Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet For My Valentine and Guns N Roses then you should be listening to Cry Havoc. Some great musicianship and vocal delivery here which these guys should be proud of and with songs like ‘Losing On’ only confirms to me what a good band these guys are! Just give these a listen and you’ll find some enjoyable tunes on this EP. 7/10
DIRTY REVOLUTION – The Heat: I’d been waiting for a fair while for this album to be released. When it fell through the letterbox this beauty was straight in the CD player. From the opening moments I knew this was going to be the album that I hoped that Dirty Revolution would record and track by track I fell more in love with The Heat. Musically the band have moved on from their earlier sound to a more of a reggae / dub sound but the ska beats are there too! Lyrically the band are still as socially aware as ever. More so than their debut. I think this album really captures what Reb and Dirty Revolution are about. Every track on here is well worthy of being heard but the ones that stood out for me included ‘Feel The Fear’, ‘The Heat’, ‘The Frontline’, ‘No Mans Land’ and ‘Life’s Too Short’. Everything about this album IO love and I think it’s one of the best albums I’ve heard this year. You can’t go wrong with this band so if you’ve not heard Dirty Revolution before this album is a good place to start! 9.5/10
IMMENSION – The Enemy Within EP: I think I’ve finally found a new metal band in the UK that I actually think stand out from the crowd. Immension have many influences which include Arch Enemy, In Flames and Metallica and with their own ideas they really tear it up! It’s not surprising they’ve received awesome reviews in the likes of Terrorizer and Rock Sound. Just have a listen to these four new tracks and tell me they aren’t going anywhere! I’d think you were nuts if you rubbished off tracks such as ‘The Enemy Within’ and ‘All That Remains’. You’d be a fool to miss out on what I’ve heard on this EP. Great stuff from Immension. 8.5/10
Release Date: 12th August 2013
INFECTIOUS GARAGE DISEASE – S/T: If you’ve never heard this band before then you’re in for a treat! IGD are an obnoxious late 1980’s gutter punk band from Northern California! They were well known for annoying the fuck out of people with their politically incorrect songs. On this release you get to hear 43 of their numbers alongside over 45 minutes worth of video coverage. In fact this release is packed with lots of extras that add to the release. It was mad as fuck to hear tracks such as ‘Fat Dykes On Welfare’, ‘Porno Junkie’ and ‘Psycho’s On Speed’ again. Not only do you get to here some cool music on this release but you also get some great packaging which includes decent sleeve notes. A well appreciated trip down memory lane here! 7/10
Negative Reaction Records (UK) / MDV Audio (R.O.W)
LOST TRANSMISSION – All The Time In The World EP: This Geordie rock band release their debut EP and with influences from the Foo Fighters to the Manic Street Preachers you know you’re going to get something good. There’s five tracks on this release and not one filler but tracks such as ‘All You Left Behind’ and ‘Mess You Make’ did it for me. It’s just a shame this release wasn’t an album as five tracks just aren’t enough! If you’re looking for a new band to enjoy this band could be what you’re looking for! 7.5/10
Release Date: 17th June 2013
MYCELIA – Nova: I’m not a big fan of progressive metal but this album really grabbed my attention. My only problem is I think in places it’s a little rushed and if they had given more time between albums they really would have a gem on their hands. The musicianship on this release is of high standard and each member certainly knows how to get the best out of their tools. Just have a listen to ‘Shmashmortion’, ‘Dopamine’ and ‘The Golden Ratio’ tracks and you’ll understand why Mycelia are a decent band. Aside from great music you’ll also find a decent production too! An album worthy of your attention! 8/10
Release Date: 15th July 2013
OUR FINAL HOUR – The Moving House EP: Our Final Hour release their third EP and it’s not bad at all. They manage to incorporate punk, metal and HC with good effect and that’s what makes this band stand out. The six tracks that you find on this release are of a decent standard and certainly worthy of telling the truth. Tracks that really stood out for me were ‘Four Years’, ‘Autumn Breeze’ and ‘Evergreen’ as they are tracks that I keep going back too! It’s just a shame that I’ve never come across this band sooner! 7/10
Release Date: 24th June 2013
REAPER IN SICILY – Islands: Another UK band I’ve not heard of before but glad I’ve found them. Their hi-tempo rock sound shook away these Thursday morning blues. Ok so many would say they’re not original but name me a band today that is original and you’d be hard pressed to name one. When you listen to tracks such as ‘Boys Will Be Boys’, ‘Chuck Norris Got A Chainsaw’, and ‘Sunnydale Sucks’ then you’ll realise why I like them. Just listen to them guitar chords and bass lines. Blinding! My only grumble would be their band name! But hey not everyone can be perfect! 8/10
RON ASHETON Tribute Concert DVD: This is a heartfelt tribute to Ron Asheton and to the music he contributed too! For those who don’t know this man he was the guitarist and co-songwriter for the Stooges before passing away in 2009. The main part of this concert evolves around Iggy Pop an the Stooges who perform some great tracks such as ‘Raw Power’, ‘Search And Destroy’, ‘Open Up And Bleed’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ and ‘No Fun’. There’s also a speech from Iggy Pop too. If that wasn’t enough some of the Stooges songs include a string section which adds to their charm. Could it get any better? It sure does with appearances from Henry Rollins and Deniz Tek on guitar. A wicked release where all proceeds go to the Ron Asheton foundation! Buy it! 9/10
Street Voice UK PR 