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Album Reviews

Holding Absence

Holding Absence

The Noble Art of Self Destruction

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HOLDING ABSENCE – THE NOBLE ART OF SELF DESTRUCTION – ALBUM REVIEW

It has been quite a remarkable journey for Holding Absence, for example you probably won’t find many bands on their level this early in their career whilst technically featuring no original members. The band have come so far from their early beginnings though and to have the opportunity to marvel upon their evolution in recent years has been very special indeed.

Every challenge has been met head on, and the ability of the band to form such a strong, organic connection with their fans has been a pleasure to see. Hard work in the studio and out on the road has born beautiful fruit and 2021’s ‘The Greatest Mistake of My Life’ was a true masterpiece.

The band now find themselves in the unenviable position of trying to follow that release and they do so with third album, ‘The Noble Art of Self Destruction’, which is perhaps more than a subtle nod at the obstacles that they’ve overcome.

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Holding Absence – ‘Her Wings’

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As mentioned already, the evolution and growth of the band has been special to witness but their sound in particular has developed so elegantly over the course of their career. On this new record they are sonically soaring above the clouds with a majestic aura connecting each track.

The ten songs here will suck you in and you’ll lose yourself to the honesty and richness of the lyrical content whilst be carried about by the gentle waves of the atmospheric soundtrack. It’s impossible to cherry pick highlights here as the album will simply take you on a journey that you’ll willingly follow.

Holding Absence are a band that appear to have found a magical formula for song writing because every time you think that they’ve peaked, they go ahead and surprise you all over again.

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Album Reviews

The View

The View

Exorcism of Youth

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THE VIEW – EXORCISM OF YOUTH – ALBUM REVIEW

The career of The View has been really fascinating, full of ups and downs, hit singles and missed opportunities. Once tipped to be the next big thing, the band now find themselves pigeonholed into a noughties indie nostalgia scene.

There has always been a youthful volatility to the band that has both garnered positive sentiment and turned people off in equal measures. After a hiatus the band returned to a receptive fanbase who packed out shows and soaked up a look back at the glory days.

What is interesting here is that most bands would settle for their place in the pecking order and hit up that nostalgia circuit for as long as possible. Perhaps that’s what many would’ve expected The View to do, but instead here they are with a brand new studio album, which really is rather good!

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The View – ‘Woman of the Year’

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Yes, that isn’t something we perhaps thought we’d be saying in 2023 but ‘Exorcism of Youth’ is undoubtedly the group’s best work since their debut album. With a more mature and explorative sound, a strong argument could even be made to say that the album is actually their very best.

There is plenty of what made the band popular on offer but rather than just copy their previous homework the band have put in the work and delivered something fresh. The likes of the fantastic ‘Shovel In His Hands’ and the superb ‘Woman of the Year’ standout but the album as a whole is full of melancholic indie anthems.

Fans of the band will very much enjoy this album and the band can be proud of proving all the naysayers wrong by pulling a rabbit out of the hat with ‘Exorcism of Youth’!

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The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 34 – The View

Read our review of ‘Learning How to Live and Let Go’ from The Xcerts

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Album Reviews

The Xcerts

The Xcerts

Learning How to Live and Let Go

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THE XCERTS – LEARNING How TO LIVE AND LET GO – ALBUM REVIEW

It’s somehow been five years since The Xcerts released the sublime ‘Hold On to Your Heart’, and in the meantime a lot has happened both in the world itself and in the world of The Xcerts.

The band now return with a new album, on a new record label, and with a newly expanded musical ambition, which is perhaps best demonstrated on statement single, ‘GIMME’! Yes, ‘Learning How to Live and Let Go’, is the sound of a band testing themselves and pushing their boundaries, removing any pre-set assumptions about what is expected of them.

That said, the DNA that runs through the likes of ‘In the Cold Wind We Smile’ and ‘There Is Only You’ is very still inherent on what is perhaps the groups most well rounded record yet. The juxtaposition between the likes of ‘Ache’ and ‘My Friends Forever’ is so finely balanced because the band have taken the two ends of their sonic palette and stretched them are far as possible.

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The Xcerts – ‘Ache’ ft. Sam Carter

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As a result you get a wide range of new colours but the identity of the artist remains the intrinsic link. In a day and age where artists are encouraged to play it safe and stick to the rulebook, The Xcerts have been brave enough to throw that book out the window and explore themselves.

The result is twelve thoroughly enjoyable tracks interwoven by the theme of acceptance and the road to it. This very much feels like the band also coming to terms with their place in the world, pressing reset and setting off on their next journey; and given the immense quality of the outcome, you can’t help but want to go on that journey with them!

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The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 33 – The Xcerts

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Album Reviews

The Hives

The Hives

The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons

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The hives – the death of randy fitzsimmons – album review

The Hives have always been a phenomenal live band and earlier this summer the UK seemed to realise this on a larger scale when the band played as special guests on the mammoth Arctic Monkeys stadium tour.

The Hives, as expected, blew the headliners out the water and now it’s time for the band to remind everyone just how good they are on record. After all, ‘The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons’ is the group’s first new studio album in over 11 years!

That’s far too long to wait for another frantic release of energy in the manner that only The Hives can deliver. The album bursts straight into life with ‘Bogus Operandi’, ‘Trapdoor Solution’ and ‘Countdown to Shutdown’ and it never really stops for breath any at point.

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The Hives – ‘Bogus Operandi’

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Yes, on record the band are equally as exuberantly riotous as they are on the stage. The runtime of circa thirty minutes is ideal and ensures that the listener’s attention is never even tested in the slightest. Indeed you’ll just want to hit play again straight away.

There may not be any earth-shattering developments to their sound since their last effort, but let’s all be honest, nobody would’ve wanted that. This is The Hives doing what only they do and doing so elegantly well!

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Skindred

Skindred

Smile

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SKINDRED – SMILE – ALBUM REVIEW

Over the course of their twenty-five year career Skindred have etched themselves into the consciousness of the British metal scene. One of the most loved live bands on the circuit, the band have also built up an impressive catalogue of songs to get audiences moving.

‘Smile’ is the groups eighth studio album and finds the band in impeccable form as they once again showcase their power to entice and engage. This is a spectacular summer record which is guaranteed to get the listener pumped up and ready to stand in a field swinging their t-shirt above their head!

Skindred have built their reputation on their live shows and this sometimes means that their recorded works are underappreciated. It’s easy to pigeonhole the band, even if they are put into their own unique box, but on ‘Smile’ you can again feel the creative dexterity they possess within the undertones of the record.

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Skindred – ‘Unstoppable’

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The prolificacy of the band is immense, but again can sometimes lead to accusations of being a one trick pony. Across this album though whilst the band are again prolific (there’s not a bad track to be found), when you dig down beyond the pre-release singles you can get a real sense of the sonic palette on offer.

Whilst ‘Gimme That Boom’, ‘Set Fazers’, ‘L.O.V.E. (Smile Please)’ and ‘Unstoppable’ are designed to sound massive live, the likes of ‘Mama’, ‘If I Could’, ‘This Appointed Love’, ‘Addicted’ and ‘State of the Union’ are equally enjoyable and make this album more than worth your time.

It’s great that whilst on the live circuit the band are enjoying their biggest successes (Wembley anyone?), twenty-five years in Skindred can also still deliver the goods in the studio!

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As December Falls

As December Falls

Join The Club

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AS DECEMBER FALLS – JOIN THE CLUB – ALBUM REVIEW

If one thing is for sure with As December Falls it’s that the band isn’t afraid of hard graft. Recent years have seen the band play every stage willing to host them and new album, ‘Join the Club’, represents their third studio album in less than five years!

But then what is the old saying? “Find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”. Given their chosen style of music is joyous pop punk, it’s no stretch to imagine that the band feel this way.

‘Join the Club’ is an instantly fun-filled romp through the genre which doesn’t let up throughout its thirty-two minute runtime. If you are a pop punk fan then this album is a perfect example of everything good about the oft maligned music.

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As December Falls – ‘Join The Club’

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At its core ‘Join the Club’ is simply an enjoyable collection of songs which just flies by when listening, which is always a good sign. Deeper down its an expansion of the groups previous two efforts with the band sounding more assured and ready to take over the world.

Hard work sadly doesn’t always pay off in life and certainly not in the music industry, but everything does seem to be falling into place for As December Falls to climb the echelons of this tricky business. ‘Join the Club’ is exactly the album they need to capitalise on their current momentum, so it will be exciting to see where they go next!

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Read our review of ‘Evergreen’ from PVRIS

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Saint Agnes

Saint Agnes

Bloodsuckers

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SAINT AGNES – BLOODSUCKERS – ALBUM REVIEW

The rise of Saint Agnes to this point has been slow and steady, but post pandemic the band have certainly been growing their cult following and making an indent on the masses. If you’ve been following their development then it’s obvious that ‘Bloodsuckers’ is an important release for the band as it could smash down a considerable amount of barriers.

The pre-release singles such as the title-track and ‘Animal’ undoubtedly set the stall perfectly for the band to catapult themselves into the rock mainstream, and as soon as you hit play on ‘Bloodsuckers’ you have to sit back and admire a band taking things to the next level!

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Saint Agnes – ‘Bloodsuckers’

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The record begins with a ferocious defiance interwoven between the gothic aesthetic and modern nu-metalesque sonic exploration. Lyrically this is an angry yet stubborn start with singer Kitty Austen full of hatred but offering hope such as “…never feel afraid to be the outsider, I promise you’re never alone, because what the fuck do they know…” on the biting ‘Outsider’.

As the album develops you begin to hear a more diverse palate of musical and lyrical delivery with the likes of ‘This Is Not The End’ and ‘At War With Myself’ and ‘Forever and Ever’ making this more of a well rounded record.

There is still plenty of rage on the second half of the album however with the double header of ‘Middle Finger’ and the Mimi Barks featuring ‘Body Bag’ offering a tonne of controlled fury to maintain the fierce pace.

If this album needed to be big and bold to continue the rise of Saint Agnes, then the band has delivered exactly the record that was called for.

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Album Reviews

Greta Van Fleet

Greta Van Fleet

Starcatcher

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GRETA VAN FLEET – ‘STARCATCHER’ – ALBUM REVIEW

It’s seems almost impossible for anyone to review anything that Greta Van Fleet do either on stage or in the studio without comparing them to a certain mythical classic rock band. Our aim is to not use their name because ultimately, no matter the obvious sonic resemblance, Greta Van Fleet have forged their path through their own talents.

Every release thus far has been exceptional and as they release their third studio album, ‘Starcatcher’, the pre-release singles have again evidenced a band of enormous musical capability. There is an ethereal raw power in their song-writing and this materialises in the most visceral of fashions.

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Greta Van Fleet – ‘Meeting the Master’

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Thematically ambitious, whilst sticking to a tried and tested formula, ‘Starcatcher’ is a continuation of its predecessor ‘The Battle at Garden’s Gate’ and will instantly gratify fans of the band.

There are a plethora of songs which sound like they were born for the live setting and as the band continue to mature and grow their audience that’s a vital element. Lead single ‘Meeting the Master’ teased listeners into the experience that this album presents and arriving at the back end of the record ensures that the album finishes as strongly as it begins.

With this release, Greta Van Fleet continue to prove that they are no mere flash in the pan and no cheap imitation. Yes, rather than another band stuck in the past, this group are literally the future of rock music!

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Read our review of ‘The Battle at Garden’s Gate’ from Greta Van Fleet

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Album Reviews

Blur

Blur

The Ballad of Darren

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BLUR – THE BALLAD OF DARREN – ALBUM REVIEW

‘The Ballad of Darren’ marks the first new Blur album in eight years and only their second in the past twenty years. That other release was 2015 effort ‘The Magic Whip’, which was missing completely from the bands setlists at Wembley Stadium this month.

That point is made because upon listening to this release, ‘The Ballad of Darren’, equally sounds like an album set to be lost to this moment in time. Musically this is of course another solid record from the band, and not many would have expected anything different.

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Blur – ;St. Charles Square’

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Ultimately though the record lacks anything truly memorable. When selecting their setlists for those historic Wembley gigs, there would have been certain songs that it would be unthinkable for them not to play. If in ten years the band make a return again for more huge shows, you don’t feel that any of these songs will be in that conversation.

If you are a dedicated Blur fan then this record is an unexpected new addition to your collection. You will listen to it solidly for the coming weeks and months. Thereafter it may fall back behind the classics but will certainly continue hold its own.

Blur are musically exceptional and this at its core is another stunning collection of songs. Those reviewing this album purely on quality will write words of praise and quite rightly so.  However, to drive home the point, for anyone other than a diehard follower, this will also be an instantly forgettable collection of melancholic hymns.

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Album Reviews

James and the Cold Gun

James and the Cold Gun

James and the Cold Gun

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JAMES AND THE COLD GUN – ALBUM REVIEW

It takes a lot of courage and self-belief to walk away from a band experiencing considerable success, but that’s exactly what James Joseph did. Switching from bass player in a well known band to guitar and vocals as the frontman of a completely unknown entity, Joseph teamed up with fellow James, James Biss, and the duo set about building a new legacy under the moniker James and the Cold Gun.

A handful of key support slots and a well received debut EP have led the now five-piece band to their all-important self-titled debut album!

Described as a “…no frills rock n roll ripper…” by Joseph, this fits the narrative from the original duo when we spoke to them in a year ago on our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast. Joseph in particular was clear that his previous band had changed to the point of no longer aligning with his desired creative output, with Joseph wanting a back to basics approach.

From the opening riff of ‘Chewing Glass’, it’s abundantly clear that Joseph has accomplished his desire. This is good old fashioned rock n roll and this album does exactly what it promises, repeatedly punching you in the face with another dirty riff, another bouncing chorus and all round gloriously effortless rock.

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James and the Cold Gun – ‘Chewing Glass’

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This is a well-rounded debut album, which shows that the band have plenty to offer other than just noise. The songs are well crafted and have an accessible enough sound that they should cut across in bigger venues just as well as they will in tiny clubs.

The likes of ‘Something to Say’, ‘Bittersweet’ and ‘My Silhouette’ may lead the pack but whilst it may be cliché, there really isn’t a bad track on what the band can be proud of as a memorable debut album.

In thirty-eight minutes of pure rock n roll adrenaline, James and the Cold Gun ensure that the bravery and confidence talked of in our opening sentence was well placed and fully justified!

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Watch Episode 18 of our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests James and the Cold Gun!

‘Discover’ New Music Podcast – Episode 18 – James and the Cold Gun

Read our review of James and the Cold Gun live in Norwich