Year End: The Top 10 Best Albums of 2014

10) Trudger – Dormiveglia

What we said:

“Trudger’s Dormiveglia is a thick, multi-layered experience that gets better every time you listen to it. The band has grown tremendously since their debut EP and the song writing on Dormiveglia is absolutely top tier. This might be a challenging listen for heavy music fans and the band’s raucous fusion of sludge, doom, death and black metal might make for a bleak experience, but it’s one of the best bleak experiences you’re going to have for a while. Buy this record, light some candles and get moody.”

Read the full review by clicking here.

9) Goodtime Boys – Rain

What we said:

“Goodtime Boys have really hit their stride on Rain and it’s an album every post hardcore fan should consider owning. The music is still aggressive but it now flourishes into gorgeous melodies drenched in haunting atmosphere. 2014 has been a stunning year for post hardcore records with Vales delivering an equally excellent album and it’s about time we recognise Goodtime Boys in a similar light. Rain is an astonishing debut album that deserves your attention.”

Read the full review by clicking here.

8) All the Best Tapes – All the Best Tapes

What we said:

“All the Best Tapes have put together an extremely diverse and challenging record that cleverly drenches all the music’s elements in a huge helping of melody. Albums like this are proper once-in-a-lifetime experiences and nothing can prepare you for how utterly bonkers it all sounds while still sounding like a cohesive record. Well done All the Best Tapes and thanks for being so mind-bogglingly weird.”

Read the full review by clicking here.

7) Corrupt Moral Altar – Mechanical Tides

What we said:

“Corrupt Moral Altar have delivered one of the most amazing debut albums any metal band could hope to make. Mechanical Tides is a raucous, nasty bastard of a record that manages to take influences from as many areas of the metal spectrum it can and it fuses them into the band’s already brilliant sound with ease. It’s not often we get to experience an album that’s so magnificently loud yet diverse at the same time and Corrupt Moral Altar have made us wish this experience occurred more often.”

Read the full review by clicking here.

6) Mongol Horde – Mongol Horde

What we said:

“Regardless, this is an explosive debut by one of the weirdest bands in heavy music right now. Mongol Horde’s self-titled debut album is equal parts punk and groove and it’s presented as a series of surrealist stories told by Turner that give the band an identity of their own. Welcome back Frank; we’ve missed your unhinged side.”

Read the full review by clicking here.

5) Bad For Lazarus – Life’s a Carnival, Bang! Bang! Bang!

What we said:

“Regardless, this is a minor complaint on a near flawless album. Bad for Lazarus’ debut album may have been a long time coming but the five years the band have spent writing, recording and touring has changed them into a well-oiled yet raucous, blues rock machine. Life’s a Carnival, Bang! Bang! Bang! is loaded with infectious songs and there isn’t a minute of it that’s not worthy of your attention. Buy this album and tell your friends; Bad For Lazarus are coming to town.”

Read the full review by clicking here.

4) Alpha Male Tea Party – Droids

What we said:

“This is an easy recommendation to make; you need Alpha Male Tea Party’s Droids in your life. This a wonderfully unique and riff-laden record that is loaded with catchy melodies. Despite the progressive nature of the band’s music, they manage to make it incredibly palatable and Droids is a considerable more enjoyable experience for it.”

Read the full review by clicking here.

3) Sunwølf – Beholden to Nothing and No One

What we said:

“Sunwølf’s Beholden to Nothing and No One is a gargantuan epic that traverses many genres but always feels focussed. A double album clocking in at an hour and 23 minutes might strike you as an impenetrable time investment but Beholden… never outstays its welcome. There’s a reason why this album is so long and it’s because it’s stuffed to the brim with interesting, thought-provoking music that’s always changing and always engaging. Sunwølf have written their masterpiece and it’s one of the most essential listening experiences of the year.”

Read the full review by clicking here.

2) Grand Collapse – Far From the Callous Crowd

What we said:

“Grand Collapse have put together a début album that I simply cannot listen to without the words ‘FUTURE CLASSIC’ coming into view. Far From The Callous Crowd is a no-nonsense shot of adrenaline and there isn’t a single moment that doesn’t sound like a cacophony of punk’s best riffs. I want more and I need it now.”

Read the full review by clicking here.

1) Marmozets – The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets

What we said:

“Marmozets have made an album that I would regard a classic had it been released in my youth. The fact that it’s being released now hopefully means that a whole new generation of kids will be introduced to post hardcore through what I regard an essential purchase for any fan of the genre. The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets is one of the best rock albums this year and if you’ve ever enjoyed a catchy rock number then you’ve just found your new favourite band.”

Read the full review by clicking here.

Review: Mongol Horde’s Mongol Horde

Frank Turner returning to heavy music is a dream come true for a lot of us who were raised on Million Dead, the post hardcore band Turner fronted before he decided to go solo and make folk pop. Turner has been messing around under the Mongol Horde name with fellow Million Dead stalwart Ben Dawson and Sleeping Souls member Matt Nasir for 2 years now and while a few songs have been drip-fed to the public nobody was expecting an album materialise out of thin air. For the unsuspecting public it really felt the way when their debut self-titled album was announced a week before release and the no bullshit approach to announcing the record really suits the music it contains.

Despite being a heavy record, this is a very different beast to Million Dead. Mongol Horde make hardcore punk infused with groove metal and each song is built around a massive down-tuned riff, frantic punk drumming from Dawson and an absolutely furious roar from Turner. This is the sort of album Refused and earthtone9 might make if they ran really fast into each other.

What’s really interesting about the band’s formula is that no real effort has been made to beef up their rather bare-bones sound. Nasir makes up for the lack of bass guitar by tuning his guitar low and running it through the dirtiest fuzzbox he has available. This gives the band a satisfying quiet/loud dynamic that means the verses generally lack bass before it drops into the mix for a massive chorus. It’s simple but amazingly powerful stuff.

Turner has also approached the vocals in a very different fashion. The man almost exclusively uses screams and spoken vocals and there’s more than a touch of humour to Turner’s lyrics. Tapeworm Uprising chronicles the journey of Natalie Portman’s tapeworm as it escapes her body to found a new republic for tapeworms. Blistering Blue Barnacles discusses the career advice Turner was given that lead him to captain his own ship just to satisfy his inferiority. Winkyface: The Mark of a Moron discusses the modern phenomena known as using emoticons instead of actual words to express yourself. It’s beautifully bizarre stuff and despite the almost constant screaming, Turner is incredibly clear and expressive which really engages you in the bonkers scenarios he creates.

The album is superbly consistent with every track being built around a traditional verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure that puts emphasis on Nasir’s enormous riffs and Turner’s aggressive choruses. It’s all tied together by an absolutely relentless display of drumming from Dawson who sounds like he probably got through about ten pairs of sticks per song.

The only real let-down comes in the lack of bass. On occasion the songs feel somewhat lacking without a dedicated bass-line and the furious openings to Casual Threats from Weekend Hardmen and Your Problem are great examples. It’s only a minor complaint as the bass often strikes at the most opportune moments, but you can’t help but imagine how utterly devastating the band would sound if the riffs were bolstered by that extra bit of bass.

Regardless, this is an explosive debut by one of the weirdest bands in heavy music right now. Mongol Horde’s self-titled debut album is equal parts punk and groove and it’s presented as a series of surrealist stories told by Turner that give the band an identity of their own. Welcome back Frank; we’ve missed your unhinged side.

8/10

Mongol Horde’s debut self-titled album is out now and available to buy direct from Xtra Mile Recordings.

News: Mongol Horde Release Debut Album on May 26th

Hardcore punk band Mongol Horde are about the drop their debut album through Xtra Mile Recordings on May 26th. The band feature Frank Turner (ex Million Dead and erm… Frank Turner) and Ben Dawson from Palehorse.

The self titled album is available to pre-order now and a limited edition white vinyl version will also be available soon.

You can check out the music video for their first single Make Way below:

Review: Jamie Lenman’s Muscle Memory

A little bit about Jamie Lenman before we talk about his début solo album ‘Muscle Memory’; Lenman was the lead vocalist/guitarist and main songwriter for Camberley rockers Reuben. Reuben were identified by melding genres like post hardcore and mathcore together with grunge. The band would then sprinkle melody and hooks into the mix to create brilliantly intriguing and challenging rock music that was strengthened with hugely memorable choruses.

The reason why this context is important to Lenman’s début album is the record is split into two discs that focus on both sides of his writing style. The first disc deals with the heavier side of Lenman’s music and generally takes the form of the louder moments on Reuben’s last album ‘In Nothing We Trust’. Fans of songs like ‘We’re All Going Home in an Ambulance’ and ‘Blood, Bunny, Larkhall’ will know exactly what to expect on this side of the record.

The second disc sees Lenman explore his more melodious side in greater depth and is far more eclectic in its instrumentation. This side of the record features a far more stripped back, semi-acoustic sound that isn’t afraid to venture into more elaborate styles and puts Lenman’s brilliant storytelling at the forefront of the music.

So let’s begin with the heavier side of ‘Muscle Memory’. This side of the record is going to be the more polarising of the two as without the dusting of melody that features so heavily in Reuben’s music it lacks a lot of what made that band so important to a lot of people. Beginning with ‘Six Fingered Hand’, Lenman screams his way through a growling, riff-heavy slab of alt-metal that never lets up. This becomes the key theme on this side of the record and it draws comparison to bands like Botch, The Dillinger Escape Plan and The Armed. Lenman rarely breaks into song and keeps up his absolutely raging scream for the entire length of the disc. This is really intense stuff.

The highlight comes with lead single ‘Fizzy Blood’, an unapologetically harsh track that features some of the best riffs on the album. It’s also bolstered with some lovely backing vocals that add some rare melody and help make the song a lot more memorable. This unfortunately highlights a problem with this disc in that when melody gets a chance to rear its head it makes the songs far more engaging as is apparent in ‘No News is Good News’ and ‘Shower of Scorn’.

This disc reaches its tipping point when the enormous, grinding groove of ‘Gary, Indiana’ kicks in. The song is bizarrely similar to Pantera in its structure and features the biggest, throat-tearing roar that Lenman can muster.

The first side of ‘Muscle Memory’ is an unashamedly noisy racket and Lenman clearly enjoys showing his heavier side without the inclusion of sung choruses like his previous band’s music. The problem is is that the songs often have trouble carrying themselves without a big riff or hook to grip the listener. I hate to keep calling on Lenman’s work in Reuben for comparison, but the majority of his fan-base is going to be looking for these hooks and it’s going to be a difficult thing for the man to shake.

In contrast, the second side of ‘Muscle Memory’ absolutely revels in melody, choruses and hooks and there isn’t a song on it that won’t wriggle its way into your psyche. Lenman is an absolute joy to listen to when he puts that sultry croon of his on show and his storytelling has never been better.

What’s so engaging about this side of the record is that Lenman opens his song-writing up to a huge variety of styles that sees opener ‘Shotgun House’ being completely ukulele-led. Lenman’s vocal inflections make him sound like Lily Allen and her song ‘Alfie’ in particular. The banjo is used liberally on songs like ‘It’s Hard to Be a Gentleman’ and ‘For God’s Sake’. ‘A Day in the Life’ is a bloody marching song. This is extremely diverse stuff.

This side of the record is also far more intimate in style and the semi-acoustic nature of it brings to mind Lenman’s acoustic work on Reuben b-sides like ‘What’s Good For Me’ which also succeeded in putting Lenman’s outstanding song-writing and storytelling at the forefront.

That isn’t too say this side of the record isn’t without its eccentricities. Lenman finds time to do his best impression of The Pogues on the rollicking ‘If You Have to Ask You’ll Never Know’ and things get even more bombastic on ‘Pretty Please’ which is stuffed with swing beats and leans on a big band approach. I also recognised a similar melody to Frank and Nancy Sinatra’s ‘Something Stupid’ on ‘A Quiet Understanding’. Lenman has thrown everything in his repertoire at this side of the album and it’s just glorious to listen to.

So how the hell do we sum up such a bizarre and challenging record? ‘Muscle Memory’ is very literally an album of two sides and while the heavy side of Jamie Lenman’s music can sometimes fall flat without his trademark melody, the side of the record which focuses solely on his beautiful song-writing succeeds on many, many levels. There’s an awful lot to love about Jamie Lenman’s ‘Muscle Memory’ and while not all of it works, a far higher margin of songs do and it reminds you exactly why this man’s music is so special to so many people. Welcome back Jamie you crazy bastard.

8/10

Jamie Lenman’s ‘Muscle Memory’ is out November 4th of Xtra Mile Recordings. Pre-order it now.

News: Jamie Lenman (ex-Reuben) is Back With New Double Album

Jamie Lenman, the iconic frontman of riff-rockers Reuben is back with a solo double-album called Muscle Memory which is split into 2 discs; 1 heavy and 1 not so heavy.

The album will be released on the 4th of November through Xtra Mile Recordings and is available to pre-order now.

You can also check out the music video to both Fizzy Blood and Pretty Please below:

[Source: Thrash Hits]