TesseracT - Demo

Its not often you hear music that moves you through & through and yet fills you with a hollow feeling that cant be filled. TesseracT's demo puts you through all this and more.

TesseracT's website says that the initial idea was to "Create heavy music that moves you; embraces and enhances you; giving you what you think you want and then taking you somewhere totally unexpected, like a journey or an adventure", and this is exactly what you get, something pure and simple yet so deep and heavy theres no limit as to how to describe it.

Although this demo only has 3 songs totalling up at 19 minutes its enough to show you how good and how unique TesseracT are. The second track (For all you Fredrik Thordendal fans out there) opens with what is uncannily like Special Defects and then morphs into it's own realm of musical features.

Take the Symphony X front man (Russel Allen) and put him with Meshuggah/Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects and you get an idea what TesseracT sound like.

TesseracT - April Song.mp3

Buy TesseracT Demo

Scroobius Pip - No Commercial Breaks

As most of you will know Scroobius Pip just released an album with Hip-hop producer Dan Le Sac entitled "Angles" which has been received with open arms.

What most of you wont know is that Scroobius Pip released a solo album several years ago which consisted of him, a few unknown artists and his 16 track recording desk set up in his home in Stanford Le Hope, This was called "No Commercial Breaks".

This low-fi, badly recorded solo project comes across dull and thin to those more accustomed to his collaboration with Dan le Sac but when you get past the idea that there are beats missing and no relative singles on there you can start to enjoy it for it is, Lyrical genius.

It opens with 1000 words possibly the most well known of all his solo tracks which consists of nothing more than a piano and Scroobius' mellow voice and yet it becomes much more accomplished as the track plays through. The album then goes into "Muses" and much more welcoming tracks such as "Development" and "Angles" both of which have been re-recorded and added to the Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip roster. "First Time I Met Musik" is one of the finest on this 10 track disc and speaks of his unsettled attitude to the current music scene in the form of a lady called Musik.

All in all this has nothing on "Angles" but for anyone out there willing to listen to Scroobius Pips spoken word minus the input of Dan le Sac "No Commercial Breaks" is the place to start.

7/10

36 Crazyfists - The Tide And Its Takers

I first heard about this band many years ago from a friend and immediately judged them on there name, shit.

I gave them a second chance as there supporting Exit Ten on a tour at the moment and I thought I should give them a listen and where to start but there most recent album "The Tide And Its Takers".

After giving it a full listen you think its nothing special but when you leave your computer or CD player and start doing other things you find yourself craving more of Brock Lindow's harsh yet pleasing voice.

The opening track "The All Night Lights" is a awe inspiring display of brutal breakdowns and melodic phrase's which pretty sets you up for the rest of the album and yet warns you of whats about to come next. The next few tracks are all brilliant and then when you reach "Clear The Coast" you just cant quite believe how good an album this is for a band with such a dire name. The next track after "Clear The Coast" is about as melodic the album gets and yet you still feel the adrenaline that this band brings coursing through your veins.

Overall a stunning album that deserves a palce in any metal fans collection.

8/10

For fans of: Still remains, Exit ten, Machine Head.

- Reading Overveiw -

This is just a brief post on the current Reading Lineup. For me personally there's not much going on Friday except Rage Against The machine so for the hell of it I will probably see Dizzee Rascal, Serj Tankian & QOTSA.
Saturday is better but there is a clash that I still cant resolve...Bloc Party or Bullet For My Valentine! Other than that Justice, Seasick Steve & Gallows should all be great.

Now Sunday is the grand finale! Lets start with Metallica. Everyone has a band they have been listening to since they knew what music was and it got them hooked on their current music selection, for me that band was Metallica...Nothing on earth can stop me seeing them. Slipknot are one of my all time favourite bands just because before I bought Duality single at the age of 13 I didn't know what heavy was, looking forward to seeing them. Avenged Sevenfold have only recently got my blessing as their latest album is a mix of metal and old school rock, they should be good live with synyster gates being an awe for all guitarists.
Unfortunately While Ill be at the main stage all of Sunday other bands like Crystal Castles & Digitalism will be playing the dance tent which I would have loved to have seen but It will be worth it.

Exit Ten - Remember The Day

Not many metal bands claim influences such as Radiohead and Jeff Buckley but British metalcore group Exit ten aren't just any metal band.

The band was originally a punk/metal covers trio of three brothers who did there fair share of pubs and clubs. Several miles away in bracknall indie-funk band Ant Salon were struggling with line-up changes and turmoil within the group. Vocalist Ryan Redman was looking for a new challenge...Enter Exit Ten.

Although Ryan wasn't by any means a metal vocalist but he fitted well within the band and gave Exit Ten a new sound that could only be described as metal for the masses.

With there first release (This World They'll Drown) being scorned by the majority of metal heads the future looked bleak for Exit Ten, but did they give up.No.

Remember The Day is a completely fresh and new experience for any music listener our there. It really does appeal to everyone. It opens with Technically Alive the current single and in my opinion not the strongest track to open with but it defiantly shows you what Exit Ten are about. Resume Ignore has been remastered from the mini album and what a track it has been formed into, It has any riff loving man weak at the knees and vocalists wishing they could match Ryan's amazing pitch range.
Every track is distinct and nothing blends in which on this album is defiantly a good thing as each song hits hard and fast but keeps any ear drums not so used to metal intact.

Exit Ten have defiantly opened up a whole new scene with this debut.

7/10

For fans of: In Flames, Shadows Fall, Bullet For My Valentine.

- Tablature -

I thought every so often I should do a post on what I have been learning on the ol' six stringed instrument I play so here are some of the songs I have been tearing through in the past few weeks:

Bullet For My Valentine - Say Goodnight

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/b/bullet_for_my_valentine/say_goodbye_tab.htm

John 5 - Flatlines, Thin Lines

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/j/john_5/flatlines_thin_lines_tab.htm

John Petrucci - Glasgow Kiss

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/j/john_petrucci/glasgow_kiss_tab.htm

Blotted Science - The Machinations Of Dementia

Blotted Science is the new project from guitarist Ron Jarzombek ( Watchtower, Spastic Ink) and Bassist Alex Webster ( Cannibal Corpse). This is tech metal of the highest standard, but it differs a little from the usual tech metal madness. First of all there are no vocals on the album, and secondly although this is very technical music, it´s still listenable.


I found out about the Blotted Science Album through listening to Ron Jarzombek's solo work (A 45 track masterpiece) and came across his most recent release that being his side project Blotted Science.

I find it hard finding anything truly fresh and inspiring in the solo guitar album world but this really is epic, Not often can you find something so brutally heavy combined with guitar work to drool over all mixed into one totally listenable album.

The album starts with possible the defining track Synaptic Plasticity which pretty much sums up what your going to be hearing for the next 57Min's, And yet you don't mind if it all sounds like the first song because its unlike anything you have ever heard or ever will hear.

The rest of album is just as good as track one and is relentless in its ability to have any guitarist throwing in the towel in shame.

Theres nothing more I can say about this album that will do it justice, Its simply brilliant. If your fan of Meshuggah's off beat riffs, John petrucci's progressive Solo guitar and The crushing sounds of Pantera this is the best thing to ever be recorded.

10/10