Tag: Music

Categories
Album Reviews

The Black Keys

The Black Keys

Dropout Boogie

Follow us on Social Media

THE BLACK KEYS – DROPOUT BOOGIE – ALBUM REVIEW

Flashback almost 10 years ago now and the already well established The Black Keys were on the cusp of real superstardom after the incredible success of ‘El Camino’. Then the disruption began.

Whilst touring follow up album, ‘Turn Blue’, drummer Patrick Carney dislocated his shoulder and several shows were cancelled. Once that tour concluded the band went on an extended hiatus, returning in 2019 with ‘Let’s Rock’ to somewhat of a whimper.

A covers album followed last year, and any momentum the band still had seemed to dissipate. Neither, ‘Let’s Rock’ or ‘Delta Kream’ were bad albums, but neither lived up to the high standards and expectations of the band.

On now to March this year and a fantastic single, ‘Wild Child’ peaked interest again. Could The Black Keys rediscover the magic that established them as one of the biggest and best live bands rock bands on the planet?

WATCH ‘WILD CHILD’ ON YOUTUBE
The Black Keys – ‘Wild Child’

Find Full Pelt Music on Youtube

Well, here we are in May 2022 and we now have their eleventh studio album, ‘Dropout Boogie’, and thankfully that special touch seems to have returned. ‘Wild Child’ and fellow single, ‘It Ain’t Over’ open the album superbly and remind fans just why they fell in love with the band.

Yes, this truly is a clichéd return to form for The Black Keys, who have seemingly benefitted from returning to basics. This is a simple yet effective hard rock stomp capturing the elements of blues and garage rock that helped define their sound.

Billy F Gibbons featuring track, ‘Good Love’ is another highlight, but really there isn’t a bad song on the album. Carney and Dan Auerbach have their synchronicity back, and fans have The Black Keys back on top form.

Share this review on Social Media

Read our review of Muse live in London

Categories
EP Reviews

BLACKGOLD

BLACKGOLD

Follow us on Social Media

BLACKGOLD

The mysterious BLACKGOLD burst onto the scene earlier this year with their debut single, ‘It’s Art’, and now they have unleashed a monstrous self-titled debut EP!

That single gets the EP started and sets a tone that remains throughout the other four tracks. That is a tone of passion and ferocity in a distinctly nu-metal-esque presentation.

There is a good mix of both a throwback nostalgic sound with a fresh and innovative twist on this statement of a record.

It can be hard for new bands to break through, but BLACKGOLD clearly have eye-catching aesthetics and a sound that can back up their bravado. The band could have an intriguing future and this EP is the perfect introduction to the world.

Listen to ‘Sorry’ from BLACKGOLD on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist

Read our review of Muse live in London

Categories
Live Reviews

Muse

Muse

Eventim Apollo, London

Monday 9th & Tuesday 10th May 2022

Follow us on Social Media

MUSE – LONDON – LIVE REVIEW

Muse have stated that their new album, ‘Will of the People’, is “influenced by the increasing uncertainty and instability in the world”. For two nights in Hammersmith the band do what they do best in order to help. That is of course play live, and over Monday and Tuesday they raise money for 3 important causes – War Child, Médecins Sans Frontières and The Big Issue.

The chance to watch bona fide stadium-fillers Muse, oft recognised as the best live act on the planet, in the relative intimate surrounds of the Eventim Apollo is salivating and these shows aren’t just sold out but the queue stretches and bends all around town.

There is no support for night one, but Razorlight do a superb job of warning up the audience on night two. Choosing to focus solely on their first two albums, the reunited band have the crowd singing along to hits such as ‘In The Morning’, ‘Golden Touch’, ‘Somewhere Else’ and ‘America’.

Muse start both nights with the first single from their upcoming album, ‘Won’t Stand Down’, which already appears to be a fan favourite. Momentum is then maintained through a rip roaring ‘Hysteria’ and ‘Pressure’.

WATCH ‘WON’T STAND DOWN ON YOUTUBE
Muse – ‘Won’t Stand Down’

Find Full Pelt Music on Youtube

The setlist remains largely the same over the two nights with only a couple of alterations. Monday gets ‘Bliss’ and ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, whilst Tuesday gets ‘Map Of The Problematique’ and ‘New Born’.

There are rarities such as ‘Assassin’, ‘The Gallery’ and ‘Citizen Erased’, old favourites like ‘Starlight’, ‘Plug In Baby’ and ‘Supermassive Black Hole’ and another new single, ‘Compliance’. An ideal set mix really for fans at all investment levels, which finishes with a huge sing-a-long moment in the shape of ‘Uprising’.

Throughout the shows the band look to be having fun, relishing the opportunity to return to the stage after two awful years for the world. Speaking of which, these shows aren’t going to fix the mess that is Earth, but the money raised will help those in need; and those in attendance will be overjoyed at the majesty of Muse on top form.

An encore of ‘Space Dementia’ and perennial closer ‘Knights of Cydonia’ provide a spectacular end to both the evenings and serve as a reminder of the genius of this band.

Share this review on Social Media

Read our review of Royal Blood live in London

Categories
Album Reviews

Puppy

Puppy

Pure Evil

Follow us on Social Media

PUPPY – PURE EVIL – ALBUM REVIEW

London rockers Puppy offered great promise on their debut album, ‘The Goat’, back in 2019. Now the three-piece return with sophomore offering, ‘Pure Evil’, so how does this album hold up against its predecessor?

Well, from the very beginning the bands trademark sound remains intact as they produce a unique crossover of grunge and metal with a pop bow on top. Intro ‘Shining Star’ leads into single ‘The Kiss’ as the album very much picks up where ‘The Goat’ left off.

WATCH ‘THE KISS’ ON YOUTUBE
Puppy – ‘The Kiss’

Find Full Pelt Music on Youtube

That’s certainly not to say that there isn’t progress made on ‘Pure Evil’. Somehow the riffs feel meatier yet the melodies sound poppier as the band stretch the differing ends of their rock and roll rainbow.

In doing so the end result may well be a pot of gold. Well perhaps not literal gold, but definitely musical gold. The likes of ‘My Offer’ and ‘…And Watched It Glow’ show that Puppy maintain their power to craft strong singles; but it’s the overall quality on show that cements the band as one of the finest purveyors of new rock music.

As the album comes towards a close, the band deliver more examples of the maturity in sound reached since their debut. ‘Angel’, ‘Shame’ and ‘Glacial’ give ‘Pure Evil’ a stunning ending and leave you ready to hit play again.

Puppy have managed to back up their fantastic debut with another album packed full of sublime alt rock that further establishes the band as amongst the best young rock bands around.

Share this review on Social Media

Read our review of October Drift live in Norwich

Listen to ‘…And Watch It Glow’ from Puppy on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Spotify Playlist

Categories
Album Reviews

Sunflower Bean

Sunflower Bean

Headful Of Sugar

Follow us on Social Media

SUNFLOWER BEAN – HEADFUL OF SUGAR – ALBUM REVIEW

It’s feels like Sunflower Bean have been around forever, yet in fact it was only 2016 when the band arrived with their debut album, ‘Human Ceremony’. It didn’t take long for the band to release their follow up, ‘Twentytwo in Blue’ in 2018, now four years later the band return with album number three.

‘Headful of Sugar’ has been born out of the pandemic in many ways, but it arrives now as the world has largely unlocked and summer is on the horizon. This suits the album well as it really feels like an album to play loud with the windows down, perhaps driving along some coastal roads.

Sonically it’s a delightful album which is a highly digestible mixture of genres which blend into a familiar sound for the band. Lyrically the album tackles both the agony and ecstasy of the world that we live in.

WATCH ‘ROLL THE DICE’ ON YOUTUBE
Sunflower Bean – ‘Roll The Dice’

Find Full Pelt Music on Youtube

Singles ‘Who Put You Up To This?’, ‘Roll The Dice’ and ‘Baby Don’t Cry’ represent the overall album well. There isn’t much to catch out listeners on ‘Headful of Sugar’ just a band that is very good at what they do.

‘Headful of Sugar’ is an album that you will get lost in, so find the time to escape the world and take an opportunity to appreciate this charming record.

Share this album on Social Media

We were recently joined by Nick from Sunflower Bean on The Full Pelt Music Podcast to discuss ‘Headful of Sugar’ and lots more! You can find audio options here, or watch the video edition on Youtube below:

The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 9 – Sunflower Bean

Read our review of October Drift live in Norwich

Categories
Album Reviews

Fozzy

Fozzy

Boombox

Follow us on Social Media

FOZZY – BOOMBOX – ALBUM REVIEW

The career of Fozzy is a very unique one, but the trajectory of the band both in terms of quality and professional growth is simple. The group’s career progression has been driven by the continued advancement in quality of their musical output.

2017’s ‘Judas’ took the band to new heights, with major thanks to the success of the title track. Now five years on the band are back with their eighth studio album, ‘Boombox’, and looking to maintain that positive ascent.

The album starts well with the singles ‘Sane’, ‘I Still Burn’ and ‘Purifier’. These tracks had already given a strong inclination of what to expect from the album as a whole, and they provide a fine opening run for listeners.

WATCH ‘SANE’ ON YOUTUBE
Fozzy – ‘Sane’

Find Full Pelt Music on Youtube

Over the past 20+ years Fozzy albums have transformed from all covers, to a mix of covers and originals, to originals with a couple of standout tracks, to finally in recent years fully developed pieces of work.

‘Boombox’ continues this trend, and flows well with the bands signature sound taking centre stage with a few ebbs and flows mixed in to keep things interesting. ‘Army of One’ and ‘Ugly On The Inside’ particularly add something a little different into the mix.

Speaking of adding surprises into the mix, the band continues to throw in occasional cover versions and ‘Boombox’ features a surprisingly fun version of ‘Relax’ from Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

Fozzy have no doubt proven many doubters wrong over the years, and thankfully for their fans there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight. Eight albums in and the band feel like they have reached the peak of their powers, although you wouldn’t put it past them to keep on getting better.

On ‘Boombox’ the band show again that the likes of single ‘Nowhere To Run’ are no longer outlying standouts but they are now the normal standard for Fozzy.

Share this review on Social Media

Read our review of The Treatment live in Cambridge

Categories
Album Reviews

Halestorm

Halestorm

Back From The Dead

Follow us on Social Media

HALESTORM – BACK FROM THE DEAD – ALBUM REVIEW

Halestorm sing “…In my redemption, I’m my own redemption…” on their new track, ‘My Redemption’.

The band may not be in need of redemption but their upwards trajectory has appeared to be stalling recently. Let’s not talk about flattening curves however as we’ve heard enough of that over the past two years! But certainly momentum has been slowing for the band.

The band has built a solid and very dedicated fanbase over the past decade or so, but have they hit their peak? Well, they certainly never died, but with their fifth studio album, the band are ‘Back From The Dead’ as it were!

WATCH ‘BACK FROM THE DEAD’ ON YOUTUBE
Halestorm – ‘Back From The Dead’

Find Full Pelt Music on Youtube

Yes, living up to the name of the album, new life now breathes through the band as they deliver some of their best work to date.

The album starts out strong with the title track, ‘Wicked Ways’ and ‘Strange Girl’; and the quality never really drops. Whether rocking hard on the likes of ‘The Steeple’ or captivating on ballads such as ‘Terrible Things’ or album closer ‘Raise Your Horns’, this is Halestorm on top form.

It has obviously been an appalling couple of years and many bands have struggled or seen their momentum hit during this time, but with ‘Back From The Dead’, you feel that Halestorm have caught the ball rather than dropping it!

The band will be returning to the UK for an Arena tour with Alter Bridge this December and you feel , with the reset button pushed, that the band are ready to live up to their potential and sit atop the throne sooner rather than later.

Rock most definitely isn’t dead (sorry Gene), and neither are Halestorm!

Share this review on Social Media

Read our review of Ghost live in Birmingham

Categories
Live Reviews

The Treatment

The Treatment

J2, Cambridge

Thursday 28th April 2022

Follow us on Social Media

THE TREATMENT – J2 CAMBRIDGE – LIVE REVIEW

All 📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

Cambridge rockers The Treatment released their latest album, ‘Waiting For Good Luck’ a year ago now. With the country still in lockdown at the time, the band are only now getting to properly tour what is perhaps their best work.

As we talked about in our review of the album, constant line-up alterations have somewhat stifled the growth of the band. That is until now, and as the band discussed with us on The Full Pelt Music Podcast, they feel that they are entering a settled phase and are ready to push onwards and upwards once again.

‘Waiting For Good Luck’, was a positive indication but for rock musicians the bread and butter is in the live performance, so how are they holding up on that front? We head to the J2 in Cambridge to find out!

Read our review of ‘Waiting For Good Luck’

SOUTH OF SALEM

Opening up this evening are South of Salem who themselves have a pandemic era album to present. Tracks such as ‘Let Us Prey’, ‘Cold Day In Hell’ and ‘Demons Are Forever’ translate well on stage and get the early crowd suitably warmed up for what’s to follow.

PISTON

Hotly tipped rock group Piston follow on stage and ramp up the atmosphere further with a run through of tracks from their self-titled album. They finish their set with a rousing rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival hit ‘Proud Mary’, which really gets the audience in the party spirit.

THE TREATMENT

That party truly gets going as locals The Treatment finally arrive on stage. The five-piece burst straight into ‘Let’s Get Dirty’ and ‘Let It Begin’ as those in attendance really let go.

Musically the band are tight and quickly demonstrate that they are fighting fit with the likes of ‘Devil In The Detail’ and ‘The Doctor’ sounding great. All new songs fit in well and sound excellent with ‘Wrong Way’ particularly standing out.

The band is an established act now with a dedicated following, but they’ve always had the potential to do more. With latest frontman Tom Rampton owning the stage and the rest of the band cohesive and polished, hopefully that long held potential can finally become reality.

As for tonight, a firing on all cylinders The Treatment plus an excitable hometown crowd equals a very memorable evening; an encore of ‘Rat Race’ and ‘Running With The Dogs’ sending fans home happy.

Share this review on Social Media

Watch The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests The Treatment

The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 5 – The Treatment

Read our review of Ricky Warwick live in Norwich

Categories
Album Reviews

Bloc Party

Bloc Party

Alpha Games

Follow us on Social Media

BLOC PARTY – ALPHA GAMES – ALBUM REVIEW

It has been 6 years since Bloc Party released their last album, 2016’s ‘Hymns’. Since then solo projects, anniversary tours, pandemics and life in general have taken over, but now they are back with their sixth studio album, ‘Alpha Games’.

The group of course shot to prominence with debut album, ‘Silent Alarm’ back in 2005 and their career took them into huge venues across the world. Recent years however haven’t seen a great deal of activity from the band, with a couple of line-up changes also occurring.

It’s hard now to take stock of where the band fit into the musical landscape, are they are nostalgia act, or a creative entity still? Are they full time or part time? What direction are they heading musically?

Well, the fact we are discussing a new album demonstrates that the band still appears a viable commodity. This is great news as the band always did stand out from the crowded indie scene of the so called noughties.

Predecessor ‘Hymns’ however received rather mixed reviews, so how will ‘Alpha Games’ fare and how will it position the band moving forward?

WATCH ‘TRAPS’ ON YOUTUBE
Bloc Party – ‘Traps’

Find Full Pelt Music on Youtube!

There are lots of questions here, but as soon as the album starts you sense the Bloc Party of old. Not in a rehash, cash in way but instead in the innovative and sonically diverse way that helped make them unique in the first place.

Opening duo ‘Day Drinker’ and ‘Traps’ set the standard early and the rest of the album manages to hold that level with only one or two slight lulls. There is a good mix of faster and slower numbers and the album flows pretty well with little drag.

This is a decent Bloc Party album that is well worth a listen, but it doesn’t really answer all the questions. Whilst this isn’t a lazy effort by any stretch of the imagination it isn’t groundbreaking either. It almost feels like the band hitting the reset button after a period of meandering change. Where they go next will be interesting.

Share this review on Social Media

Read our review of ‘Skinty Fia’ from Fontaines D.C.

Categories
Album Reviews

Rammstein

Rammstein

Zeit

Follow us on Social Media

An unplanned consequence of the forced downtime of the past couple of years, ‘Zeit’, is only the eighth album in the nearly thirty years of Rammstein. That means that these days there is a real sense of occasion when they do release anything.

The anticipation started building upon the release of the title track towards the start of March, and built to a crescendo with the debut of latest single ‘Zick Zack’ at the beginning of this month. ‘Zick Zack’ particularly promised full on Rammstein insanity both musically and with its absurd video.

WATCH ‘ZICK ZACK’ ON YOUTUBE
Rammstein – ‘Zick Zack’

Find Full Pelt Music on Youtube!

Now the album is here and it’s once again time to get lost in the lunacy of this incredible band. ‘Armee der Tristen’ and the title track set the tone for what’s to come. This isn’t the heaviest album musically compared to previous works, but it harnesses the various elements that make up the band’s sound well.

I guess you could say that this is what you could expect an easy listening album to be like when done by these metal icons. There aren’t any bad tracks here but perhaps not any that really jump out of the pack either.

From start to finish this is a very enjoyable album that is a nice addition to the band’s back catalogue, although I’d hazard a guess that it won’t trouble the top of any best Rammstein album lists; that being more of a compliment to their previous work than any kind of jab at ‘Zeit’.

For the past decade Rammstein have been mainly a live act, so it’s a pleasant surprise to receive another album so soon after their untitled 2019 album. Soon though the band will be returning to the stage and it will be interesting to see how many ‘Zeit’ songs will feature in the set list moving forward. ‘Zick Zack’ could be lots of fun and I’m sure other songs could grow in the live setting also.

Share this review on Social Media

Read our review of ‘Ego Trip’ from Papa Roach