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Album Reviews

Creeper

Creeper

Sanguivore

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Creeper – sanguivore – album review

The evolution of Creeper from their early EP releases to now is quite astonishing. Each release has seen the band grow exponentially and now on their third full studio album, ‘Sanguivore’, we see the band ascend to a higher plane of creative mastery. What other band out there would dream of opening an album with a grandiose nine minute saga!

Yes, this album is a work of sheer majesty and magnificence. ‘Cry To Heaven’ follows the epic ‘Further Than Forever’ and sees the band fully embrace the synth-laden, 80’s-esque, theatrical sound that emerged over the course of ‘Sex, Death & the Infinite Void’ and the ‘American Noir’ EP.

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Creeper – ‘Cry To Heaven’

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The influences on this album though stretch far and wide, with the scope of its sonic exploration only matched by its ambition. As the record progresses the listener is taken on a musical and mythical journey of vampires, horror and intrigue.

The word masterpiece is overused these days, but the urge to use it for ‘Sanguivore’ is just too irresistible. The problem that Creeper have produced is that with every release you think that they’ve peaked and couldn’t possibly top what they’ve created… and then they go ahead and do just that!

It should probably be illegal to have this much imagination and ingenuity because it’s simply not fair on the competition. The reality is though at this point, certainly in their chosen sphere, there is no competition and Creeper are in a league of their own.

It’s easy to wax lyrical here about this album, because it’s such a well rounded record. There are fantastic singles, or bangers as the kids would say, yet there is also such depth present as well. Pre-release singles such as ‘Teenage Sacrifice’ and ‘Black Heaven’, certainly gave a good insight into what to expect, but listeners really need to dig deep and immerse themselves into ‘Sanguivore’ to fully comprehend its brilliance!

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Album Reviews

Dream Nails

Dream Nails

Doom Loop

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DREAM NAILS – DOOM LOOP – ALBUM REVIEW

Dream Nails have been slowly building momentum and breaking down doors since their formation in 2015. Their self-titled debut album emerged mid-pandemic and gave a glimpse of a band ready to breakout. Sadly, as with all bands releasing music at this time, they were unable to properly capitalise with the world hiding away.

Well the world is now back in full flow for better or for worse and with new vocalist Ishmael Kirby in place so are Dream Nails, ready to smash boundaries once again!

New album, ‘Doom Loop’, opens with a bang as the band call out toxic masculinity on ‘Good Guy’, and continues as it means to go on. This may be deemed a political record due to the various subject matters highlighted but respecting fellow people for who they are without question shouldn’t be a divisive ideal.

Dream Nails – ‘Good Guy’

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To that point ‘Doom Loop’ is a celebration of the power and resilience of diversity, putting the spotlight on the mutual accountability that our communities share in tackling misogyny and discrimination of all kinds. And given recent political statements, you may feel that an album like ‘Doom Loop’ has never been more relevant.

Musically the album is a clear evolution to the sound offered by that self-titled album. Despite the serious and sinister themes of the lyrics, sonically ‘Doom Loop’ is a fun and bouncy record which emphasises the happiness as an act of resistance mentality. This is perhaps best demonstrated on another of the albums singles, ‘Ballpit’.

Dream Nails convey a vitally important message through great music and despite promotional frustrations with their debut and subsequent line-up changes, it would appear with ‘Doom Loop’ the band are still on a trajectory to shatter any glass ceilings above them.

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The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 37 – Dream Nails

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Live Reviews

The Xcerts

The Xcerts

Waterfront Studio, Norwich

Saturday 7th October 2023

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THE XCERTS – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW

📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

As singer Murray Macleod jokes onstage tonight, it is easy to forget just how long The Xcerts have been around. The origins of the band date back over two decades already, although their debut album arrived back in 2009. It’s in recent years though that the band have truly threatened to breakthrough.

The trio do have a cult following in place as is evidenced by the fact that their queue for the venue tonight is much larger than that of The Sherlocks who are playing in the larger room at the same time.

snake eyes

Fans filing in early to the Waterfront Studio in Norwich tonight are first treated to a fantastic opening set from Brighton’s snake eyes. Another trio, the band echo the grittier side of The Xcerts sound and are able to win over the audience with relative ease.

The band put out latest EP, ‘health’, earlier this year and the likes of ‘crybaby’ and ‘medicine’ from the release sound great tonight as does latest single, ‘lean’. The group have certainly shown growth on record and this evening they are able to showcase themselves well live also. They most definitely are on that proverbial ‘ones to watch’ list!

THE XCERTS

The Xcerts have probably been on that list for all of their career at this point and the untapped potential is still clear for all to see. 2018’s ‘Hold On to Your Heart’ was a magnificent album which demonstrated the sheer brilliance of the bands songwriting. If there was any justice in the world, then that album would have jettisoned The Xcerts into the mainstream.

Five years on and the band have followed that album up with a sonically expansive collection entitled ‘Learning How to Live and Let Go’. The graceful ferocity of the album is put at the forefront tonight as the band open their set with ‘GIMME’.

Naturally new music is front and centre in the setlist tonight, but with five albums out in the world, there is a nice selection on offer from across the bands releases. It’s a good sign though that the audience seem to sing new tracks like ‘Ache’, ‘Jealousy’ and ‘Lovesick’ with equal levels of passion as favourites such as ‘Aberdeen 1987’ and ‘Slackerpop’.

The back catalogue of the band is mightily impressive at this point, but you also sense that there is plenty to come. The Xcerts uniquely find themselves with considerable experience whilst still being young enough to have their best years ahead of them.

On the evidence of tonight they certainly have the live side of things perfected and they have a divine talent for creating a real connection with their audience. You therefore leave the venue into the unseasonal October warmth acknowledging how phenomenal a band The Xcerts are whilst pondering just how great they can still be!

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The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 33 – The Xcerts

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Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Vol. 6

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Our weekly music News Report has evolved into the Full Pelt Magazine, and you can download the sixth issue now for free!

Volume six includes an update from cover stars Dream Nails, reviews of Ash, The Subways and Muse live and a load more!

We have our News Report rounding up new releases from Mike Shinoda, Normandie, The Cadillac Three, Tesseract, Haunt The Woods, Millie Manders and the Shutup, LØLØ, Tropic Gold and BLACKGOLD!

Plus new live announcements from Within Temptation, Tenacious D, The Gaslight Anthem, 2000trees, Suede, Manic Street Preachers, Beartooth, Blackberry Smoke, The Sleeping Souls and Sean McGowan.

Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist with modernlove., Break Fifty and Noah and the Loners!

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Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Vol. 5

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Our weekly music News Report has evolved into the Full Pelt Magazine, and you can download the fourth issue now for free!

Volume four includes an update from cover stars Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, reviews of new albums from Black Stone Cherry and King Nun, a live review of Theory of a Deadman plus a special feature on the upcoming Ash vs The Subways tour!

We have our News Report rounding up new releases from Neck Deep, Within Temptation, Europe, Lake Malice, Filth Is Eternal, Nervosa and Sum 41!

Plus new live announcements from Yard Act, James, Nothing More, VUKOVI, Lynks and The Longest Johns.

Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist with Spiritual Cramp, Butterfly Hurricane and Grove Street!

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Album Reviews

Black Stone Cherry

Black Stone Cherry

Screamin’ at the Sky

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BLACK STONE CHERRY – SCREAMIN’ AT THE SKY – ALBUM REVIEW

Black Stone Cherry have been a constant to UK hard rock fans now for almost two decades. Regular tours and releases have kept the band relevant and they’ve established themselves as one of the most adored bands around for their core demographic.

Whilst many other bands have undergone drastic changes and re-births, Black Stone Cherry have shown modest sonic exploration and largely stuck to their signature sound. For other bands this tact often inevitably leads to dips in quality as the ideas run out. Not Black Stone Cherry however as they’ve demonstrated a rare knack for delivering consistently quality albums.

In recent years though the band have had to navigate the pandemic, the first loss of a member and what was a slightly lukewarm response to previous album, ‘The Human Condition’. Perhaps fatigue was finally kicking in for the band?

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Black Stone Cherry – ‘Nervous’

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Well, any whispers of a downturn in fortunes can be quickly dispelled because on their new album, ‘Screamin’ at the Sky’, the band are here to you remind you why you fell in love with them in the first place!

The title-track and ‘Nervous’ kick the album off with a full throttle attack and neither the pace or quality drop over the course of the record. Each track feels shorter and more succinct, akin to those on ‘Between the Devil & the Deep Blue’ and their self-titled debut.

That winning formula is followed closely, with the band taking something of a back to basics approach as clichéd as that may sound. This really is an album that old school fans with relish and new fans can jump on board with.

Yes, any concerns that the beginning of the end may be upon us are squashed to a pulp by a band still capable of harnessing their raw power and creating something magic. Eight albums in, Black Stone Cherry are as consistent as ever and they remain a reassuring constant in an ever-changing world!

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Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Vol. 4

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Our weekly music News Report has evolved into the Full Pelt Magazine, and you can download the fourth issue now for free!

Volume four includes an update from cover stars Creeper, a review of ‘Confessions of the Fallen’ from Staind plus a special feature on Metal for Good!

We have our News Report rounding up new releases from Bruce Dickinson, Blink 182, The Dollyrots, Chelsea Wolfe, Alien Weaponry, Helmet, VEXED, The Cadillac Three, P.O.D., The Vaccines, Against The Current, The K’s, Casey, Jack Valero, Little Man Tate, The Sleeping Souls, Interlaker, The Pale White, Florence Black and North Atlas!

Plus new live announcements from Bury Tomorrow, Poppy, Hot Water Music, Jake Bugg and Grade 2.

Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist with BIG SPECIAL, Humour and headcage!

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Album Reviews

Staind

Staind

Confessions of the Fallen

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STAIND – CONFESSIONS OF THE FALLEN – ALBUM REVIEW

Staind are the quintessential early-noughties US radio-rock band. A nostalgic string of hit singles and multi-platinum albums has long established their position in the industry, but they will also know that they’ve hit their commercial peak.

Many in this position have chosen to milk the nostalgia, others have long separated to seek new opportunities and a small handful continue to release records and try to stay relevant. Over the past decade or so, Staind have mainly been the middle option whilst occasionally dipping into option one, but now they are going all in on option number three!

Whilst their own fanbase will be overjoyed at the news, there will also be many naysayers of will laugh, such is the popularity of shooting down bands of Staind’s ilk. Call it the Nickelback effect if you want but there is an equal amount of love and hate out there for radio friendly rock music of their generation.

This combined with singer Aaron Lewis’s outspoken politics the band are something of an easy target, but ‘Confessions of the Fallen’ deserves to be separated from all of the above. After all it’s a brave decision to put out a new album after 12 years, and one that they didn’t need to make.

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Staind – ‘Lowest In Me’

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Fans will be glad they did though as musically the record feels like they’ve never been away. Ten tracks spread across thirty-five minutes and you can’t really fault what the band have created at all. The likes of album opener ‘Lowest In Me’ had given a good indication of what to expect and the record fellows suit.

Staind have managed to capture what shot them to great heights in the first place, and this album wouldn’t have felt out of place twenty years ago. That said, it still manages to feel fresh enough that to avoid any nostalgic pitfalls.

There probably weren’t many clamouring for this album to be made, and the band certainly didn’t need to make it, but those that do find themselves checking out ‘Confessions of the Fallen’ will be pleasantly surprised by the quality.

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EP Reviews

North Atlas

The Longest Shadow Attached to the Ankle

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North Atlas

North Atlas made their emphatic arrival with 2021’s ‘A Weight for the Heavy Handed’ EP, and now they are ready to double down on their enormous potential with new EP, ‘The Longest Shadow Attached to the Ankle’.

This EP is a brutal sonic onslaught of intense, soaring heavy rock. Carefully infused electronic elements and deep analytic lyrics help to set the band apart from the pack musically and you really sense that this is an elevation of the North Atlas sound.

In an industry now filled with formulaic acts trying to find their place without setting themselves apart, this is a refreshing glimpse of a band ready to separate themselves from any pre-conceived notions. Gloriously heavy but catchy as hell, North Atlas have set their bar high with their future output!

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‘Discover’ New Music Podcast – Episode 52 – North Atlas

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Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Vol. 3

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Our weekly music News Report has evolved into the Full Pelt Magazine, and you can download the third issue now for free!

Volume three includes an update from cover star Chris Shiflett, and a review of ‘Race the Night’ from Ash.

We have our News Report rounding up new releases from Don Broco, Lonely The Brave, Dream Wife, TesseracT, DragonForce, Staind, Duff McKagan, Skinny Lister, All Time Low, While She Sleeps, K.Flay, The Meffs, END and Mother Mother!

Plus new live announcements from British Lion, Fozzy, KITE THIEF, VV, The Amazons, The Coral, Twin Atlantic and Lonely The Brave.

Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist with Major Moment, Tropic Gold and Future Static!

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Read our review of the Foolhardy Folk Festival