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Thursday 25 June 2020

Read Out Loud - 'S/T' Album review


If you’ve ever been to gigs across the North West, and especially the wonderful venue that is Eleven, there’s usually a guy in attendance that you know is a bit of a kindred spirit and looks the part like he should be in a band. Tim has had his talons into some very decent bands, such as Demon, Chrome Molly and probably the best tribute band I’ve ever witnessed, Limehouse Lizzy. The bloke has got some serious chops….and a black book to kill for.

If you’re going to do a debut album then why not drag in some great mates to join the party. First to be in on the act was Demon drummer Neil Ogden, then they enlisted the services of producer and Demon member Paul Hume (owner of Eleven), and the three laid down the basic tracks for the album. Once completed the final pieces of the jigsaw were made, with FM’s keyboard tinkler supreme, Jim Davis joining the ranks. And last, but by no means least the band is rounded out with Josh Williams. Before I’ve heard the album (apart from the live launch), I’m excited to listen to it as I’m expecting harmonies to die for as all the guys involved in Tim’s band can certainly sing.

‘Surrender’ opens up as bit like FM’s ‘Tough it Out’ with police sirens wailing, before an ‘ever so 80s’ sound that makes me go info a comfort zone of wonderfulness of bands like Only Child, Blue Murder et al……and as expected there’s harmonies a-plenty. Read has a gravel and gruffness to his tone that does not detract from the songs. I was expecting more polish in his style, but its a good contrast. Read delves deep into his musical influences - from the Valley Of The Kings/Kashmir/Judgment Day influenced  ‘Nowhere To Run’, to Down To Earth era Rainbow (oooh I love me a Hammond organ) ‘Close To You’, Theres a full red blooded high octane Malmsteen like ‘The Girl Is Trouble’, ‘Playing With Fire’ has undertones of April Wine’s classic ‘I Like To Rock’, only with more menace and thunder, and there’s the classy ‘In My Heart’. Six songs in and Read is cooking with gas!

If you ever wondered what it would sound like if Phil Lynott made a band with Steve Harris (Iron Lizzy?), the outcome is ‘Are You Out There?’  A good homage to a great guy. ‘Staring At The Sun’ is the ‘big’ track on the album for me, it has that Blackmore, Kotzev guitar with the underlying organ. As a big rainbow fan, it ticks a lot of boxes for me, and it is fab. ‘Talk To Me’ opens up like it could be metalised Abba! ‘Take No More From You’ pulls everyone in for a highlight of their talents. ‘You’re My Angel’s’ piano sound evokes Styx, and is the poppiest sounding song on the album. ‘Don’t Go’ is apt for a final song, as I found I wanted to listen to it all again.  This shows another side to Reads persona, it’s a ballad that screams ‘class’ from high and Read plays like one of his Lizzy cohorts Brian Robertson on the solo. Its a great ending for a great debut. I’ve changed my mind. THIS is the big song on the album!

I was VERY pleased with this cracking debut from Read. A mix of influences but with both his feet firmly planted in the golden era of rock. Unless Ive got it all wrong of course! Read has himself some great songs, pulled together one hell of a blackmail list of participants, and plays his part like any leader should. It’s not called ‘Read Out Loud’ for nothing. In fact it does exactly what it says on the tin. Only sing it loud!

In the current Covid-19 crisis it’s a difficult time for everyone, musicians in particular. If you can spare the money I can think of no better way of supporting the music we love and send some of it Read’s way. 

8/10

Surrender
Waiting For The Sun
Close To You
The Girl Is Trouble
Playing With Fire
In My Heart
Are You Out There?
Staring At The Sun
Talk To Me
Nowhere To Run
Take No More From You
You’re My Angel
Don’t Go



Sunday 7 June 2020

Wicked Smile - 'Delirium' EP Review


Wicked Smile - EP 

Australian heavy rock band Wicked Smile will release their debut ep titled ‘Delirium’ on July 1st. 

The band is fronted by charismatic powerhouse lead vocalist Danny Cecati (ex Pegazus & Eyefear) with Stevie Janevski (The Radio Sun, ex Black Majesty) on guitars. The four song ep is produced by Paul Laine (The Defiants) who also plays bass and sings backing vocals on the ep. 

Danny and Stevie are no strangers to the world stage, having both toured around the world with their respective bands and performed at prestigious festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Masters Of Rock, Metal Universe, Hard Rock Hell, and Screamfest amongst others. The boys have released a whopping twenty- five full length albums combined. Match fitness? - Absolutely!!

Guitarist Stevie Janevski goes on to say, “because we’re a new band, we released our debut single ‘We Fall’, an in your face uptempo song to give everyone a taste of what we are about. It received such a fantastic response worldwide that people wanted to hear more right away. This was particularly pleasing to both Danny and I. We were both overwhelmed by the positive response. It was also fantastic to have so much support from Internet Radio who got behind us by playing our song, with some stations putting us on heavy rotation”.
Vocalist Danny says “I’ve really enjoyed putting my stamp on these songs. It’s allowed me to put my heart and soul into them and really capture the emotion of the lyrics. We cover important issues such as government and decision making in the song ‘We Fall’ and discuss the human state of mind in ‘Daze Of Delirium’. Another talking point is the track ‘Stronger’ which was written by Stevie to highlight the issue of bullying in schools and in society as a whole. 

We can’t wait to get out there and launch things in a live setting. Songs like ‘Love’s Got A Hold On You’ are going to sound huge. We’re going to be loud and proud!”

From the first few bars of ‘We Fall’ it’s what Ive been wanting (occasionally) from Stevie’s other band The Radio Sun. I knew he had ‘more metal’ in him, it just needed a likewise parter to bring it out. It blazes with an 80s style riff, and oh my God has he got a fine singer to deliver the vocals in Danny Cecati. Ive only heard a didgeridoo once on a record and that was Cryptex, but fair play in opening with an Aussie musical instrument. The chorus on the other hand is very European, like Avantasia. It’s a very good start. ‘Stronger’ digs deep into a Judas Priest vibe only with better harmonies. Its driven foremost my Janevskis metal riff, and its a song about Steves daughter Cassidy getting bullied. Well I guess they have both stuck two fingers up to the bullies, and is a great message for anyone you use for their armour. Stevie and myself both have a love of Rainbow, and I wonder if there’s a bit of ‘Man On The Silver Mountain’ coming into play for the riff of ’Love’s Got A Hold On You’ ?  It’s a bit lighter than the other two but that doesn’t mean its any less effective, and have a very catchy and immediacy remembered chorus. Well done Ritchie, I mean Stevie! Finally, it’s ‘Daze Of Delrium’ again delivery a driving, pulsating beat, with some great backing vocals (all courtesy of Paul Laine). Laine also weighs in with bass on all four songs , and produced it, with catering by Bruno Ravel

I wasn’t too sure what to expect as Im so used to The radio Sun, but Stevie and Danny have definitely pulled a massive rabbit out of the hat. Its four infectious songs all delivered in an 80s vibe that RAWK. 


If this is an entree for what’s to come, then my appetite is well and truly whetted! Bring it on

Score 8.5/10

Wicked Smile Are 
Stevie Janevski - Guitar
Danny Cecati - Vocals

Additional musicians
Paul Laine - Bass and BVs
TBR - Drums

Contact Wicked Smile
Email : wickedsmileband@outlook.com 
YouTube : Wicked Smile (please subscribe)
Merchandise : official merchandise available via : https://store21429008.ecwid.com/

Saturday 6 June 2020

Cryptex - 'Once Upon A Time' Album Review

 
Cryptex - Once Upon A Time

You know that feeling you get when you go and see a band, but have no idea who the support act is, then get completely blown away by said support band. Well Cryptex was one such surprise back in 2012. A very nice surprise, in fact. I was reviewing and interviewing Pain Of Salvation for another site, and thankfully made it just in time to see Cryptex perform. There was nothing ‘normal’ about these three guys, and it made for one the best gigs of the year.

To describe them is like trying to decide which one of your two children is the favourite! As a bit of a broad example, think Meat Loaf, crossed with Jethro Tull and they made up the threesome with Queen, or Coheed and you might be getting somewhere close. They also look as if they might be the offspring of Fraggle Rock and a Tim Burton movie. Even with all this comparing, there’s still no one quite like Cryptex.

To call Cryptex a rock band is like calling Queen a bit ‘glam’. Like Queen, there’s a lot more going on with Cryptex than a run of the mill band. Sure, there are couple of downright heavy songs in ‘Reptiles‘ and ‘The Promise Keeper‘, where Mertens lets rip with some serious riffage. Most if not all of the ideas come from Simon Moskon. And it’s his vocals, and piano playing that come right to the fore.  It's a big smorgasbord of ideas all clashing and colliding like the CERN particle accelerator, sometimes in just one song. How he puts it all down into a song only he knows, but the songs range from progressive (but not in a snotty prog rock way), but in pushing the envelope, to theatrical, to pomp. It took me about four songs to realise that there is hardly a guitar solo in sight, I was swept up in the storytelling and emotion to care about a traditional guitar solo. That’s what I like about Cryptex. Theres no ‘ tradition’, theres no formula. Rules, formulas and tradition are ripped up and spat out, and are all broken.

‘Once Upon A Time’ is a belting opener, with a pulsating bridge, before a gospel/choral choir style chorus. ‘Because The Reason Is You’ is folky at the off before expanding outwards into porosity and grandeur. ‘Bloodmoon’ is one of my favourites. One of the few 5min plus songs it really shows Cryptex at their finest moments, Moskon builds the tempo from his piano, with some wonderful harmonies and a great riff from Mertens. Also I feel that Simon Schroders drumming is carefully placed, and intricate. It is fair to say that Cryptex throw in the kitchen sink with regularity, but in this instance, it’s the sink, fridge, washing machine, and the mix coming out the other end is lovely. Mid ‘Body Language’ we get a bit of Moskon’s narrative, and it’s not on the side of parody, but Tenacious D almost came to mind.

‘Two Horned Crown’ errs on the side of bands like Epica, Avantasia and Nightwish, again with some great layered vocals and harmonies. Greta Leona Hasenberg adds contrast to Moskon’s vocals on the middle eastern sounding ‘Haunted’. ‘Reptiles’ is the other long number, and it opens with a Tremonti style riff. It also highlights why the Cryptex harmonies are so good as also taking on lead vocals is Mertens, a pretty useful singer in his own right. Andrejkovits weighing in with BV prove Cryptex are not to be messed with. It is probably the closest to the term ‘prog’ as they come. I tell a lie, its the one song with a guitar solo, a song where you don’t know where exactly it is going, but that make it part of the fun. ‘I Dont Know Why’ is where musical theatre meets Jethro Tull, with a nice electric piano refrain, and is another example of their diversity in a single song. ‘The Promise Keeper’ is an out and out rock song for the guys, and prove they can rock it out when the desire takes them. 

‘I See It In Your Eyes’ is mainly Moskon and his piano. Its a reflective, and sombre piece. It even ends with whistling, which in itself is haunting and poignant. Who’s have thought it? ‘Leaving’ is the final track, and it’s a spoken word that Simon Moskon narrates with dramatic effect. It builds into a crescendo over the second half, and is quite atmospheric. Then ends. Suddenly. It leaves you wanting more, so I'll add the bonus track which isn’t on my vinyl, ‘Closer’ which is definitely in the realm of bands like Porcupine Tree and Pain Of Salvation. It would have been a highlight of a (excuse the pun)….’Closer’ had it been included.

‘Once Upon A Time’ isn’t the most accessible album you will hear this year, but if you open your ears and your mind to these guys then a world of delights await you. I promise you. Cryptex are my favourite three piece this side of Rush.


Score 9/10

Review by Paul Chesworth

Cryptex are 
Simon Moskon - Lead Vocals / Piano & Keys
André Jean Henri Mertens - Guitars and Background Vocals
Marc Andrejkovits - Bass & Background Vocals

Simon Schröder - Drums & Percussion

Tracklisting
Once Upon A time
Because The reason Is You
Bloodmoon
Body Language
Two Horned Crown
Haunted
Reptiles
I Don’t Know Why
The Promise Keeper
I See It In Your Eyes
A Mo(u)rning
Leaving

Bonus track - Closer