Wednesday 28 April 2010

Review 28/04/10- Death Disco "The Proof"

SCREAMLITE RECORDS LTD REVIEW FORM
Band Name: Death Disco
CD Title: The Proof
Press Pack Included: Yes
Review: The press pack included was very brief with only minimal info and one band picture. The EP cover from which this track is from was included in a ZIP file emailed to our hotmail.
Hailing from Italy, Death Disco describe themselves as “music concerning dark atmospheres although rarely melancholic,” and this is demonstrated by “The Proof.” Most of this track is bass heavy, á la Peter Hook while the guitar is sparingly used throughout. The pre chorus, chorus and post chorus have the guitar veering between melodic riffage and balls to the wall power chords while the drums circle a very familiar beat. The vocals are all in English and sound no different to any Anglo-American band, giving Death Disco a wider appeal than just in their native Italy. The music is not too heavy or dark, just as their claim suggests but there is an atmosphere to this song that transcends normal UK indie pop and most of the American stuff too, placing Death Disco firmly in the 80’s indie rock style (The Smiths et al).
Overall, a good track by Death Disco. Mixed well and well balanced throughout, there are no faults. It would be good to see if they can step it up a gear and really go for the jugular, but this is a good ease into their sound.

Tuesday 20 April 2010

Review 20/04/10- Little Room "Little Room"

SCREAMLITE RECORDS LTD REVIEW FORM
Band Name: Little Room
CD Title: Little Room
Press Pack Included: No
Review: This EP was sent to our hotmail account.
First track “Breaking Gnosis,” instantly draws you in with it’s prominent piano and almost sampled drums. This song sounds alot like “Walking After You,” by Foo Fighters, as it’s a low tempo, well mixed track with a great deal of compression and minimalistic instrumentation. As this track is labelled as “Edit,” we would like to see what has been cut from the overall ambiance of the song, but this is a well constructed edit. The second and final track is a rough mix of “Drowning In Mercury.” Even though this is a first mix, it seems that there are few signs of it not being mastered, sounding as good as some other bands polished work. This is a bit more cluttered, but that gives this track a marked difference from it’s predecessor. The drums fill and wander where possible meaning there is a more fluid structure to the overall sound while the guitars don’t get in the way with their riffs leaving the vocals to really shine through. There are a few indications of this track being relatively MOR á la Snow Patrol, but this is no bad thing in the current musical climate.
All in all, a good little package which demonstrates the band’s style well. It would be good to hear a full version of “Breaking Gnosis,” and a finished version of “Drowning In Mercury,“ in the future.

Thursday 15 April 2010

Review 15/04/10- Megahera "Lethal Noise Of Violence"

SCREAMLITE RECORDS LTD REVIEW FORM

Band Name: Megahera

CD Title: Lethal Noise Of Violence

Press Pack Included: No

Review: This EP was posted to us without a press pack.

Italian metal heads Megahera kick off their EP with “Let It Loose.” This song starts like all classic metal should, fast and loud. The guitars are chugging along at a great pace while the drums keep it all solid at the back. This is pure headbanging material, much like old school Metallica and even some of the really classic Sabbath moments. The vocals are low on volume but the echo effect used creates extra volume. The guitar solos are OTT, but perfectly executed for this genre, not leaving any part of the scale untouched. “Welcome Back (Heavy Metal)” is another fast thrash through the metal genre, but there are subtle nuances in the mix which make the guitars double in frantic energy with the added reverb and echo throughout the track. The drums are very similar to “Let It Loose,” but this is a genre trait. The double bass pedal keeps defying the odds and the vocals are again drenched in echo to create more volume. At around the 4 minute mark in this epic 8 minute song, the bass gets a starring role as the genre seems to shift to a more funk rock footing, with the guitar covered in Hendrix-esque effects and the drums going down in the mix. “Before The Night,” is next up and continues on the standard thrash metal theme. Again, the solos are OTT but well within thrash metal standards, the vocals are still low in the mix and echo throughout while the drums continue to pound away in the background. “Nasty Savage,” rounds off the EP starting with 4 part harmony before going straight into the same thrash guitars. However, the bass then again takes the lead with a very variant riff, something which holds the song together very well.

Overall, a good EP by Megahera. There are flashes of different directions in the EP but are rarely experimented with, which is very much a shame. But for a great example of ’83 era thrash from a modern band, this is well worth a look.