Tag Archives: album review

Joe Symes And The Loving Kind, Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

There are some bands that just typify a new way of thinking by recognising and acknowledging the past. The sound they create and bring together is the special blend that others strive for but quite often gets lost in a murky and heady fog of ideas. For Joe Symes and The Loving Kind, the amalgam of 21^st Century life in their home city of Liverpool and the consideration of what made the city stand out as the musical powerhouse of the country go hand in hand on their exciting and astonishing self-titled debut album.

Joe Symes And The Loving Kind, Album Review. full post

(439 words, estimated 1:45 mins reading time)

Risa Hall, Second Chance. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

When a musician from New York makes a statement it usually pays to shut up, listen intently to what follows and then take in the enormity of what they have said or sang about. Just like Liverpool, New York, the cities on each side of the Atlantic are perhaps the closest comparable ones in the world. Never mind the size and scale of the two respective places; it is the beating heart, the artistic underbelly that drives the two seemingly polar opposites together.

Risa Hall, Second Chance. Album Review. full post

(413 words, estimated 1:39 mins reading time)

Dana Fuchs, Bliss Avenue. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Where others fall and drown in their lyrics, Dana Fuchs takes it all in her stride. With a voice that endears itself to the listener as she soaks up the intensity and passion afforded by the generous musicianship by Jon Diamond, Jack Daley, Shawn Preston and the superb Glenn Patscha and in return her gravelly smoky voice blows tenderness up the backside of those who might dare to dismiss her and her latest album, the fantastic Bliss Avenue.

Dana Fuchs, Bliss Avenue. Album Review. full post

(368 words, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)

Powerwolf, Preachers Of The Night. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Unless the band are either extremely brilliant at what they do such as Megadeth or Black Sabbath, they have an incredible loyal fan base that will buy everything from the merchandise site which will keep the interest at peak levels such as Iron Maiden or are just plain quirky enough to keep the fascination going from album to album such as…well only Helloween and Rammstein really springs to mind, then a Metal album can soon lose it shimmering beauty. It needs to be constantly updated, taken to different areas, Prog, Doom, Speed and so on to keep it fresh and attention-grabbing.

Powerwolf, Preachers Of The Night. Album Review. full post

(366 words, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)

Buffalo Summer, Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Some albums announce themselves with a whimper, the cry of a terrified mouse confronted with the agonising choice of seeing a million traps before him or the faithful household cat stalking him from behind. Others roar as you would expect a majestic lion would on the Serengeti, full of deep meaning and warning those not to come too near him lest they get hurt in the process. Buffalo Summer’s self-titled 2011 release goes beyond the imagery of a the imposing king of beasts in its sweat and power of hard work as it stampedes and crushes all who stand foolishly in its wake.

Buffalo Summer, Album Review. full post

(367 words, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)

Court Yard Hounds, Amelita. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7/10

When a band, revered, unknown or considered with indifference by the greater music buying public starts to release side projects, no matter how good or popular, it always feels as though that there is an underlying issue waiting to come out and hit the bands fans in the face with a soaking wet and mud filled dirty sock, the shock seemingly coming as a surprise to everyone except those who started the thought of solo recordings under the group umbrella in the first place.

Court Yard Hounds, Amelita. Album Review. full post

(367 words, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)

Newsted, Heavy Metal Music. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

From out of the cold realms of darkness comes something seriously fresh, an addition to realms of Metal…something new in Heavy Metal Music. Jason Newsted hasn’t sat around doing nothing since splitting apart from Metallica over a decade ago but he hasn’t quite hit the heights that he did during the period of which arguably Metallica were one of the highest rated and musically dominant groups on the planet. His tenure with the band coincided with the release of …And Justice For All and the so called Black Album/Metallica and in some respects he was the only person worth listening to during the groups torrid time between 1992 and his withdrawal at the start of the new century.

Newsted, Heavy Metal Music. Album Review. full post

(425 words, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

Rachael Wright And The Good Sons, Dig. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Although the first words out of your mouth when the album finishes might well be the breathless exclamation of wow, or perhaps something more akin to anything considered vaguely Anglo-Saxon, it really shouldn’t be a surprise to hear that Rachael Wright and The Good Sons new album Dig is nothing short of fantastic. It is roller coaster of supreme sound, unblemished and rigorous to the point that the listener is not just gasping for breath as if supremely exhausted by the effect but revelling in its mastery. A collection of songs that leave you consumed and overjoyed is a rare feat but Dig achieves it in spades.

Rachael Wright And The Good Sons, Dig. Album Review. full post

(438 words, estimated 1:45 mins reading time)

Julia Fordham, Under The Rainbow. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Perhaps it is with deep regret that Julia Fordham was never as big or seemingly taken as seriously as she should have been. There are many women whose presence on popular music has kept them so entrenched in the British public psyche that even well into a new a century they are still spoken about with hushed reverential tones or outlandish and bullish feelings of near greatness, Julia Fordham and perhaps the great Sam Brown, daughter of the superb Joe Brown, are unfortunately only remembered when they bring out an album or one of their earlier songs deems play worthy on the radio…days in which seem too few and far between.

Julia Fordham, Under The Rainbow. Album Review. full post

(410 words, estimated 1:38 mins reading time)

Sorrows Path, The Rough Path of Nihilism. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

When things are bad, the sensible thing is to turn to art and especially music to remind you of the beauty that once strode hand in hand with you. When a nation suffers as the Greeks have for the last few years, their world turning upside down as bail out after bail out by those with perhaps less altruistic agendas, then you would be forgiven to think that the mood of the people, let alone the young, can turn their ideas to being creative. Don’t mention that in front of Sorrows Path as they reflect on the 2010 release The Rough Path of Nihilism ahead of a new album this year.

Sorrows Path, The Rough Path of Nihilism. Album Review. full post

(398 words, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)