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Album Reviews

Sum 41

Sum 41

Heaven :x: Hell

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SUM 41 – Heaven :x: Hell – Album Review

When bands announce hiatuses, splits or disbandment’s these days the news is usually greeted with a heavy pinch of salt and much scepticism. The news that Sum 41 were calling time on their near three decade long career was no different and ultimately only time will truly tell if this is indeed it for the Canadians icons.

Their career has certainly been eventful and they’ve had more than their fair share of ups and downs. As recently as September, singer Derek Whibley was hospitalised again, there have been line-up comings and goings, heralded and maligned releases and shows and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. It definitely hasn’t been boring being a fan of the group.

So, with a farewell tour underway and a final double album, ‘Heaven :x: Hell’, out now, it’s time to celebrate the legacy of Sum 41, and that’s exactly what this record sets out to do!

Broken into two halves, ‘Heaven’ commemorates the pop-punk sound that served as the launching pad for the band at the turn of the century; whereas the second half, ‘Hell’, is a more lineal continuation of their recent heavier output. Together ‘Heaven :x: Hell’ truly captures the best of what the band have served up over their previous seven studio albums.

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Sum 41 – ‘Landmines’

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‘Waiting On A Twist Of Fate’ and ‘Landmines’ set the tone of ‘Heaven’ and the following eight tracks all help give this side a classic feel which concludes with the melancholic ‘Radio Silence’. In isolation ‘Heaven’ is a short and fun pop-punk romp akin to their breakthrough EP ‘Half Hour of Power’.

‘Rise Up’ soon delivers the overall package a kick up the backside however as ‘Hell’ hits much harder over the second half. Whilst sonically bigger than ‘Heaven’, ‘Hell’ is again a thoroughly enjoyable listen and the inclusion of former live favourite ‘Paint It Black’ is a nice touch.

If future history does ultimately prove this to be the grand finale from Sum 41 then the band can rest assured that they’ve done their great career justice. Whilst this may not be their magnum opus, it’s a true to heart celebration of everything that they’ve achieved and that’s all anybody will really want from ‘Heaven :x: Hell’!

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Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Vol. 29

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The latest issue of the Full Pelt Magazine is here, and you can download your copy for free below!

Volume 29 features our cover stars Creeper as they bring ‘Sanguivore’ to the masses! We also catch Fightstar return at Wembley Arena and review the debut album from Crushed By Waves.

Our News Report has all the latest music news including live announcements from Bludfest, Stonedead Festival, Royal Blood, Deep Purple, King King, Blues Pills, Smash Into Pieces and Lacuna Coil!

Plus all the best new releases including Shannon & The Clams, Battlesnake, Interlaker, Cage Fight, Travis, Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties, Atomic Life, P.O.D., The Pleasure Dome, The Dollyrots, One Step Closer, Weatherstate, Dan Patlansky, Crushed By Waves and Indoor Pets!

Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist including Chloe Star, VENUS GRRRLS and When We Were Wolves!

Full-Pelt-Magazine-Vol.-29

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Album Reviews

Crushed By Waves

Crushed By Waves

More To Life

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CRUSHED BY WAVES – MORE TO LIFE – ALBUM REVIEW

Manchester’s Crushed By Waves have been making, well… waves over the past few months with a string of impressive modern rock singles. Now the time has arrived for the group to unleash their debut album and for ‘More To Life’ to be judged! Will the band soar or be crushed (sorry) under the weight of expectation.

Well the first hurdle that the band must overcome is the crowded scene in which they find themselves. Where everybody is trying to stand out, often that means that nobody does. The blame can perhaps be placed at Bring Me The Horizon’s door (or Linkin Park’s if we go further back), as their innovation has inspired no end of copycats.

Whilst it’s almost inevitable that new bands breaking through will get lost in the shuffle these days, you instantly feel that there is enough on ‘More To Life’ to elevate Crushed By Waves above the parapet. Opening duo ‘Nothing Left’ and ‘Dangerous’ set the tone early and act to dispel any worries that this is just another cookie cutter new age rock album.

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Crushed By Waves – ‘Nothing Left’

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The band have touched on a feeling of imposter syndrome whilst discussing the album but the fruits of their labours here should give them vindication. They’ve managed to produce a thoroughly enjoyable set of hard hitters that can more than hold their own in the current congested climate.

‘You Know’, ‘Won’t Get Out Alive’ and the title track all highlight that ambitious sound which is the sonic template for rock bands in the 2024. They do so however in an assured manner which belies the relative inexperience of the group.

Indeed for a debut album, Crushed By Waves couldn’t really have wished to have delivered anything more resolute and intriguing. Whether they can cut through the noise or not only time can tell but with ‘More To Life’ the band have managed to deliver a notable opening gambit.

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Live Reviews

Creeper

Creeper

Epic Studios, Norwich

Monday 18th March 2024

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CREEPER – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW

📸 (C) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

Despite being one of the most active live bands in the UK, it has been almost a decade since Creeper last played in the city of Norwich. Back then they were the support band in the backroom of a pub, now they return at the much larger Epic Studios and their fans are out in numbers despite some competition from local favourite Justin Hawkins just up the road.

ZETRA

Before the main event however we have our openers Zetra who, after opening for Creeper at their one-off Roundhouse show in 2022, are along for the ride on this ’12 Days of Night’ tour.

The mysterious duo deliver a methodical set of elevator music for Goths. The elements of theatre fit naturally with the aesthetic of a Creeper show and the respectful crowd appear content with their performance. Whilst sparks don’t necessarily fly, the band create the perfect ambience to prepare us for what’s to come next.

CREEPER

What comes next is a band who have certainly made their case for the best live act award. Creeper are now a wholly different prospect compared to their early Norwich shows; for whilst they can still go hard when the moment calls, they are now an elegant and effervescent force. To go with the vampire theme, they are less the brute force of Blade and more the seductive charm of Count Dracula.

Speaking of awards, Creeper won two of our end of year awards this past December and it’s our Single of the Year ‘Cry To Heaven’ that kicks their set off in spectacular fashion. The catchy song instantly elevates the audience energy levels and alongside the quickfire romp of ‘Poison Pens’ sets the tone for the evening.

The setlist for this tour is carefully curated given the band now have three albums and four EP’s to choose from. There are therefore many big songs which don’t make the cut this evening.

That’s an indictment of how packed their back catalogue has become and that’s never more apparent then when you consider the tracks not present with the fact that they can still pull out the likes of ‘Hiding With Boys’, ‘Cyanide’, ‘Down Below’, ‘The Honeymoon Suite’, ‘Annabelle’ and ‘I Choose To Live’. That’s not to even mention the stunning Hannah Greenwood led interlude of ‘Ghosts Over Calvary’ and ‘Crickets’!

The second Full Pelt Award taken home by Creeper last year was Album of the Year for their latest masterpiece ‘Sanguivore’ and those are the tracks that perhaps own tonight. ‘Teenage Sacrifice’ is glorious, ‘Lovers Led Astray’, ‘The Ballad of Spook & Mercy’ and ‘Chapel Gates’ are all highlights and the rock opera ‘Further Than Forever’ is simply magnificent.

The line-up for the band now officially features guitarist Lawrie Pattison and it feels like they are firing off all cylinders together. Each member brings somewhat special and together they have hit another level, and whilst there are a few clichés there, ultimately you can’t help but be excited for the future of the band.

It’s an old favourite though that brings the evening to a spine-tingling close with ‘Misery’ eliciting the sing-a-long to end all sing-a-longs. Creeper can leave Norwich this time around knowing that they’ve ascended into something much bigger than their humble beginnings. The fans however will be heading home praying that it doesn’t take the band another nine years to return to the city.

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Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Vol. 28

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The latest issue of the Full Pelt Magazine is here, and you can download your copy for free below!

Volume 28 features our cover stars Feeder as they head back out on the road this month! We also review the latest releases from Kid Kapichi and Greywind!

Our News Report has all the latest music news including live announcements from Glastonbury Festival, Kendal Calling, Biffy Clyro, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Interpol, NOFX and Samantha Fish!

Plus all the best new releases including The Treatment, The Warning, Soft Play, Scott Stapp, DragonForce, VEXED, Royal Republic, Blue Öyster Cult, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Ashen Reach, The Dandy Warhols, Gun, Sløtface, fakeyourdeath, The Lemon Twigs, Destroy Boys, Dea Matrona, Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard and BIG SPECIAL!

Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist including Gold Bloom, Attic Theory and Eville!

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Live Reviews

Feeder

Feeder

Epic Studios, Norwich

Wednesday 13th March 2024

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FEEDER – NORWICH – live review

📸(c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

There is a lengthy queue formed outside Epic Studios in Norwich this evening with the considerable amount of Feeder t-shirts giving a good hint of what will be taking place inside the venue.

Indeed, this show sold out well in advance and it appears that Norfolk’s indie lovers are excited to catch the band playing what Grant Nicholas terms as ‘old school Feeder territory’ for the first time in nearly five years.

THE PEARL HARTS

Up first though are a band also keen to make up for lost time. The Pearl Harts were originally scheduled to support Feeder back in March 2020 but we all know what happened then!

The venue is already full as the duo take to the stage and kick proceedings off with bluesy rocker ‘Black Blood’. Looking around, there are a few in the crowd perhaps surprised to be given such a good rocking as soon as they walk in the door.

The Pearl Harts released their second album, ‘Love, Chaos’, last year and have honed their craft by playing shows across the UK and Europe in recent years. They are therefore an assured live prospect, in that you know that you’re going to get a good time!

That’s exactly what the band give us this evening with a mixture of newer material and older favourites such as ‘Lara’ and ‘Hurt’. Any early trepidation seems to have been blow away and by the time the duo exit the stage they’ve certainly won some additional followers.

FEEDER

Feeder on the other hand certainly need no introduction, the audience are packed in, raring to go and ready for a sing-a-long. Those big moments come with the likes of ‘Feeling A Moment’ and ‘Just The Way I’m Feeling’ eliciting excitable reactions, but the first half of the set focuses predominantly on newer tracks.

The band are set to release their twelfth album ‘Black/Red’ next month and songs from the double record take centre stage this evening including grandiose opener ‘ELF’. The crowd are respectful and show appreciation for these new offerings, which are quite sonically diverse.

This preview of the newer material truly does pique interest and you can almost hear the penny dropping for attendees that ‘Black/Red’ is going to be worth some exploration. Equally newer tracks such as ‘Kyoto’ and ‘Fear of Flying’ demonstrate that the band also have some fine offerings in their more recent collections.

To the surprise of no one though the biggest reactions of the evening come with the likes of ‘Buck Rogers’ and show finale ‘Just A Day’. Any band would sell their soul to possess mega-tunes like these and their sing-a-long moments will always ensure fans go home happy.

The key takeaways from this show however should be firstly an appreciation for the depth in quality of the Feeder back catalogue and then an excitement for what this next chapter holds.

Regardless of all that though, those that formed that queue can now head into the night having just seen two fantastic live acts in their local venue and that’s what it’s really all about!

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The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 21 – The Pearl Harts

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EP Reviews

Greywind

Antidote

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Greywind

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Album Reviews

Kid Kapichi

Kid Kapichi

There Goes The Neighbourhood

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KID KAPICHI – THERE GOES THE NEIGHBOURHOOD – ALBUM REVIEW

Kid Kapichi have certainly made an impression in this desolate and austere post-apocalyptic landscape. Whilst they are far from the only band to gain popularity by mixing punk attitude, indie swagger and witty lyricism, they’ve certainly been one of the most prolific.

Prolificacy and quality though don’t always go hand in hand and with some high profile peers fending off some lacklustre reviews recently, it’s an interesting time for Kid Kapichi to be releasing their third studio album.

Let’s face it, there is not absence of source material for musicians looking to call out government incompetence, social injustice or horrifying world affairs, but in an election year at home and abroad there’s also a risk of political statement fatigue from music fans.

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Kid Kapichi – ‘Zombie Nation’

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Well, that’s where Kid Kapichi seem to find their niche… in finding balance between heavy subject matter and playful output. ‘There Goes The Neighbourhood’ unapologetically continues where ‘This Time Next Year’ and ‘Here’s What You Could Have Won’ left off, with a razor sharp tongue and catchy beat.

Any listeners looking for some ambitious sonic exploration on this album will be disappointed, but anybody hoping for more biting, frank and ferocious bangers will get their fill! The ability of the band to create this steady stream of passionate and astute songs is really quite canny, and at times like these their music should be classed as essential listening.

If we were to pick one track here to highlight, we’d be amiss not to guide you towards to fabulous Suggs featuring ‘Zombie Nation’, but this album is one of those ones where we get to say that there really isn’t a bad track.

The gentler ‘Jimi’ is a charming way to close out an album which will be defined by that now well established brashness. All said and done this is just the latest statement from a band marching relentlessly towards revolution.

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Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Vol. 27

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The latest issue of the Full Pelt Magazine is here, and you can download your copy for free below!

Volume 27 features our cover stars 2000trees as unveil their stunning 2024 line-up! We also catch last week’s cover stars Lake Malice live in Norwich and review the new album from Grace Petrie!

Our News Report has all the latest music news including live announcements from Garbage, The Black Keys, BERRIES, Another Sky, Seasick Steve, Himalayas, Editors, Dream Wife, Oakman, InMe, Indoor Pets, Twin Atlantic, Crushed By Waves, Future Static, Brighten the Corners, Y Not Festival, Make A Scene and RADAR Festival!

Plus all the best new releases including Creeper, Seasick Steve, Delilah Bon, Like Moths To Flames, Pillow Queens, FM, Smash Into Pieces, The Pearl Harts, Twin Atlantic, Saxon, Robert Jon & The Wreck, The Commoners, Jinjer, Hockey Dad, Slash, Marisa and the Moths and Dream Wife!

Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist including Young Fatigue, QUEEN LAYA and LOVELOST!

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Live Reviews

Lake Malice

Lake Malice

Waterfront Studio, Norwich

Saturday 9th March 2024

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LAKE MALICE – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW

📸 (C) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

There isn’t many new bands currently with a similar level of buzz as Lake Malice. Impressive support shows and memorable festival slots have already won them a dedicated fan base and their debut EP won even more plaudits including winning our own ‘EP of the Year’ Award last year!

The band are presently in the midst of their debut headline tour and tonight that finds them at the Waterfront Studio in Norwich and there aren’t many tickets left. Once inside the venue you get a true sense of the anticipation with fans filling the front to save their spot, and soon those fans are greeted by local openers Omega Bad.

OMEGA BAD

Despite some good old fashioned technical difficulties the band leave it all out on the stage and deliver a compelling opening set. With moments of ferocity and finery diligently dispersed, there is plenty to enjoy during their time on stage and it’s very apparent that the crowd agrees.

Thecityisours

The opening third of this tour features TheCityIsOurs in the main support slot and there are clearly a few of their own fans in the audience this evening. The band have been chucking out some outrageously good new tunes recently and again expectation is high.

Sadly those gremlins that toyed with Omega Bad take things to another level and almost completely sabotage TheCityIsOurs. With only one song down, it reaches a point whereby all resign themselves to a missed opportunity. What transpires though is something special with guitarist Mikey Page serenading the fans with toned-down versions of songs which the crowd truly appreciate.

Thankfully the group are able to remove the gremlins in time to quickly deliver a handful of all-out rippers to finish their set and show the packed crowd what they should expect next time around. The band deserve credit for persevering and those in attendance will surely be waiting patiently for their return.

LAKE MALICE

Doors were early tonight and with an early finish due to a club night, time is running short. It doesn’t take long for our headliners to hit the stage and thankfully Lake Malice avoid any of the issues which plagued our opening acts.

If you were to put money on an act to breakout in the heavy world over the next year or so, you’d expect a lot of smart money to be put on Lake Malice. As we’ve touched on they’ve already done the legwork required to establish themselves as a must see act and now that message is being spread far and wide.

Tonight, they explode on to the stage with ‘Black Turbine’ and ‘Bloodbath’ showing their ungodly energy and whipping the audience into a frenzy. That level of intensity doesn’t drop at any point with even the two new tracks in the set going off big time.

That debut EP ‘Post-Genesis’ has shown what the group can achieve but as the evening progresses you can’t help but contemplate that this is only the beginning! Indeed, the future of the band feels huge and that future is going to be built on the foundations of their incredible live shows.

With just that one EP and a handful of standalone singles in their arsenal the set is relatively short, but at this unrelenting pace you’d probably need an oxygen tank to keep up with the band. The finale of ‘Stop the Party’ and ‘Blossom’ ends the evening in fierce and passionate fashion and word of these shows is surely bound to spread.

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The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 45 – Lake Malice

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