Blakfish - See You In Another City

Ever found yourself searching for a band that combines two types of music you like ?

Blakfish bridged that gap for me. Combining the heavy elements of hardcore and the technical playing side of math rock they created something so jaw dropping I haven't listened to anything else all week.

SYIAC is only a 5 track EP but packs a punch that most full length albums could only wish to do.

Opening with my favorite song of the 5 "Preparing For Guests" is pretty much about how people tidy their houses before company arrives. You may think this a rubbish idea for a song but the lyrics make up for it. With this song displaying the bands sound at its best If you dont like this I wouldn't recommend the rest of The EP.

Lyrics like "Its like were lying to all of our friends, This place wont ever be this tidy again" captivating imagination and provoking thought you cant go wrong.

My next most appealing song as my first hearing of Blakfish, "Jeremy Kyle I A Marked Man" opens with amazing technical catchy guitar and with the vocals keeping screaming to a minimum on this track its a nice break from the epic and adrenaline pumping sound of the other songs.

I cant love this band anymore right now, I highly recommend this EP. 

Blakfish have their debut album "Champions" out on the 25th of May.

MP3: Blakfish - Preparing For Guests

Look Out For...

So everyone is doing a list of bands that they think are going to be big in 2009 so I thought id jump on the band wagon and try my own. Enjoy.

Haunts - This band awed me with there self titled album released late 2008. With good reviews all around and a UK tour already underway this band are set to be big. If the dont become big Im going to have to formally complain to music.

You Slut! - The first of many bands I got interested in that create instrumental rock. With a unique complex style that verges on math rock but has far to much distortion and anger to be so You Slut! are a band to remember... And with a name like that you not really going to forget.

We Are Enfant Terrible - Hailing from Paris and with a sexy female vocalist this electro pop group are probably the least known of this list but are damn good. Keep an eye out for them.

Teengirl Fantasy - These guys were listed as a hit for 2009 on 2stepsforward4stepsback and rightly so! Making a frenzy of electro insanity Teengirl Fantasy are a diamond in the rough of electro at the moment.

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Top 25 Songs Of 2008

Its taken me ages to get round to writing this as there have been so many good songs this year I wasn't sure what to put or not to put in this list. I haven't ordered them as everyone is amazing and its to hard to deicide.

Bring Me The Horizon - Chelsea Smile

Haunts - Breaking Up

Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip - Angles

Biffy Clyro - Mountains

SebastiAn - Dog

Late Of The Pier - Focker

You Slut! - Mybloodyjesusexploreronfire

Bullet For My Valentine - Forever & Always

Errors - Cutlery Draw

Elle Milano - Juliet's Dead

Paul Gilbert - Norwegian Cowbell

Metronomy - The End Of You To

Does It Offend You Yeah? - Battle Royale

Friendly Fires - Photobooth

Bloc Party - Talons

Crystal Castles - Black Panther

Busy P - To Protect & Entertain

Justice - Planisphere pt.4

36 Crazyfists - The All Night Lights

The Whip - Trash

Rolo Tomassi - Abraxas

Ratatat - Shempi

Producers With Computers - Colon Bracket

Mr. Oizo - Hun

Metallica - The Day That Never Comes

There we have it. There were so many other amazing songs but I would have to write a much longer list. I recommend you download everyone of these songs.

Head Wound City

This band are born of 5 super member all of which are from previous or current well known bands. These are A member from The Locust, 2 members from The Blood Brothers, A member from The Yeah Yeah Yeah's & One member from Holy Molar.

This 5 man band have created a blizzard of hardcore punk that will send you into a frenzy of violence. The vocals provided by ex Blood Brothers vocalist Jason almost sound alien to hardcore music but you cant help but love them.

They have released one self titled Ep that is an insane array of guitar and high pitched screams and one track that has caught my eye of it is opening track "Radical Friends". After the 50 seconds of feedback the song pounds straight into the bands signature sound.

Every other track although is brilliant and although none more than 2 minutes long are all enjoyable.

As quoted by the band "Its kind of like if alien and predator started a band instead of fighting each other".

Head Wound City - Radical Friends.m4a

((Catch Up))

The Christmas laziness seems to have struck many of my friends and family so I turn to music to entertain me. I have been listening to alot of new stuff over the past week or so and below is a short round up the band that caught my ear....If that makes any sense.

Tonight, We Dance!

Dont confuse these guys with the same named band minus the ! as these guy are far better. They play a mix of hardcore, electronica and indie rock. They could be likened to Rolo Tomassi but with less synth and more guitar. They arent signed yet but just released an album entitled "Everything happen in my life scared me"... Im not if because they are italian they may have translated the title wrong or its meant to be that way but Its a sweet album.

Ladytron

These gusy have been around a while but I only just heard about them. The album I grabbed was the most recent release called "Velocifero" and although starting of with a brilliant opening track and a few good ones after it drops in quality about half way through. But that intro song is damn good.

Cloudkicker

I have been searching for an instrumental metal band for sometime and although I have come across a few they werent any good. This guy is very good though. Its a one man band all done in his bedroom but the quality is amazing. With elements of math rock  in there its not one to get bored of. There are no images of this genius so I have included some of the artwork from his release "The map is not the territory".

((A Gift From Me To You))

So there we have it folks. Christmas is gone and new years beckons, Im frightened of what the new years brings people and what its leaving behind... An array of truly great albums. This here is a list of the ones that were damn good but didn't make top ten. I recommend you at least listen to these bands if not buy the albums.

John 5 - Requiem

Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off The Lavender Bridge

Paul Gilbert - Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forvever Ago

Does It Offend You Yeah? - YHNIWYAGYIT

Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles

Children Of Bodom - Bloodrunk

Annotations Of An Autopsy - Before The Throne Of Infection

Joe Satriani - Proffesor Satch

36 Crazyfists - The Tide & Its Takers.

Meshuggah - ObZen

Heaven Shall Burn - Iconoclast

Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing

Exit Ten - Remember The Day

Ed Banger Records Volume Three

Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires

Black Tide - Light From Above

Dead Swans - Southern Blue

Maybeshewill - Not For Want Of Trying

Avenged Sevenfold - Self Titled

SebastiAn - Remixes

Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone

Glasvegas - Glasvegas

Ratatat - LP3

Don Cabellero - Punkgasm

Destroy The Runner - I, Lucifer

Seasick Steve - I Started Out With Nothing

Producers With Computers - Volume 1.

Mr.Oizo - Lambs Anger

Mogwai - Hawk Is Howling

Out of the above list I specifically recommend Ratatat, Fuck Buttons, SebastiAn, Mr.Oizo & Maybeshewill. All of these i have enjoyed at some point in the year and although not top ten material still carried enough musical stylings to please me.

The 10 0f 2008 Part.2

Ok. Its here. The second installment of the top 10 albums of the year. It was very hard to choose these and order them as every one was first place quality. There is still some doubt but I think this is my final decision.

5.Metallica - Death Magnetic

 This album was my most anticipated of the year as it is the first album Metallica have released since the frankly awful St.Anger. The hype was incredible, rumor had it that they had reverted to there former glory and brought the classic Metallica sound back with a vengeance. They had.

Nothing surprised more than loving this album, With tracks like Cyanide & All nightmare long reminding us what Metallica are all about and pounding riff after relentless riff into your skull this album was the savour the band needed. It felt almost like a re-debut... An apology for not being on top form recently and what an apology it is. 

4.Haunts - Haunts

 I only got into this band a few months ago and the album in question was only released a month or so ago. All of this aside this is one of the most amazing albums I have ever heard. The debut from this band astounded me and for a while I wasn't sure what to make of it. Was it good? Was it typical? No, it was amazing and worthy of a place on this list. Songs like Black Eyed girl & Breaking up are beautifully harrowing and with the noir side of this band mixed with modern sounds and brilliant lyrics this album had to come in my top 5 of 2008.

3.Late Of The Pier - Fantasy Black Channel 

 This album can do no bad in my eyes. Late of the pier are a band I have liked for a wile now and their debut was highly anticipated. So much so me and a friend arranged to meet up and listen together.It has been that album that I turn to when in need of a boost ad every song oozes happiness and fun. In particular the song "Focker" has given me the most... Those closest will understand. The synthy electro rock sound this band have sewn there signature on is amazingly unique and no matter what happens I will always love this album. Thank you Fantasy black channel.

2.Bullet For My Valentine - Scream ,Aim, Fire

 This was my hardest to place album on the list it battled for first constantly but just missed out. Bullet awed me with their first album and kept fans waiting a long time for the second. Well worth the wait though. The band had changed there sound and matured a great deal. I bought the album on the day of release and saw the band the next day, I didn't get time to listen properly but after seeing them live I knew this was an album to remember. Some of the songs are tearjerkers and some fill you with rage but all will give you something unique. Metal is suffering at the moment and Bullet, In my eyes could be the saviors. Check out songs Hearts burst into fire and Say goodnight.

                                                 

                  1.Bring Me The Horizon - Suicide Season

So here it is. The number one album of 2008. No other album gives me a feeling like this one. It fills me with passion for whatever is sung. This album wouldn't be the same if Oli Sykes wasn't the singer. He puts so much passion and anger into his vocals that its hard not to be swayed to follow every word he says. I was first hooked on this when I head the song Chelsea Smile and it blew me away. The raw energy in the song mixd with the brilliant guitar tones and drums  was unlike anything I had ever heard before. The albums couldn't come quick enough and when It did I was left gasping for air. Songs like Diamonds Arent Forever & No Need for introductions leave the mind, body and soul exhausted. I saw this band live not long ago and the live experience tops most others I have ever seen. The crowd chants and general atmosphere was so intense and I was left addicted to shouting about sleep and weak people. This album isn't for the light hearted its more for people who maybe used to be light hearted then something happened that changed that. Be warned this album isn't going to give in without a fight.