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Album Reviews

Feeder

Feeder

Torpedo

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FEEDER – TORPEDO – ALBUM REVIEW

Feeder are a band who have experienced most of what the music industry has to offer; the highest highs and the lowest lows. Their endurance has to be admired and here they are with their eleventh studio album, ‘Torpedo’!

Part of their staying power has been fuelled by a proficiency of stability. They’ve never really attempted to break the mould or reinvent the wheel. But, and it’s an important but, they’ve also shown enough evolution to avoid becoming stale.

So, they’ve never put out a dance album and they’ve avoided a paint by numbers formula! What does that mean for ‘Torpedo’? Well, you guessed it more of the same!

WATCH ‘TORPEDO’ ON YOUTUBE
Feeder – ‘Torpedo’

Yes, ‘Torpedo’ is instantly recognisable as a Feeder album, but this time around there are darker, murkier undertones both thematically and sonically. The band have proven their ability to play heavier styles in the past and this record certainly leans in that direction frequently.

The title track together with ‘Magpie’ and ‘Decompress’ exude this whilst there are more standard Feeder offerings in ‘When It All Breaks Down’ and ‘Hide and Seek’. There are ambitious moments such as album opener ‘The Healing’, and there are classic single compositions like ‘Wall of Silence’.

Listen to ‘Wall of Silence’ on our Spotify Hot List!

If you are already a fan of the band, then this album is a fantastic addition to your collection. If you are somebody just discovering the band then ‘Torpedo’ is a nice little sampler, but you’ll need to further explore for the bands highest moments.

At the point in their career, ‘Torpedo’, does exactly what Feeder needs it to do and it will ensure that their endurance levels are well maintained.

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Read our review of ‘Oochya!’ from Stereophonics

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Album Reviews

Von Hertzen Brothers

Von Hertzen Brothers

Red Alert In The Blue Forest

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VON HERTZEN BROTHERS – RED ALERT IN THE BLUE FOREST – ALBUM REVIEW

Finnish rockers Von Hertzen Brothers have always been progressive in nature, but new album ‘Red Alert In The Blue Forest’ is surely their most ambitious work to date.

I’ll admit that seeing a runtime of well over an hour appeared daunting at first, but as the album progresses any fears prove unwarranted. There is plenty of experimentation, lots of expansive musical exploration and countless grandiose rock moments, but at no point does the album drag or lull.

WATCH ‘ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU’RE GONE’ ON YOUTUBE
Von Hertzen Brothers – ‘All of a Sudden, You’re Gone’

Listen to ‘All of a Sudden, You’re Gone’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Spotify Playlist!

In fact, the reverse is true and time actually flies by whilst listening to the bands epic creation. From the towering opener ‘Day Of Reckoning’ through to tender finale ‘Disappear There’, the album is packed full of mesmerising melodies, stunning solos and valiant vocals.

All the aspects and genres that make up the traditional Von Hertzen Brothers sound are here at various points, with folk and prog moments intertwined with classic and modern rock. On ‘Red Alert In The Blue Forest’, the band take us on a musical journey, but as mentioned not a trek!

This is a very digestible effort from a band potentially reaching the peak of their powers. This perhaps is summed up best on the remarkable ‘Northern Lights’ which incredibly features samples of sounds of the actual Aurora Borealis.

Yes, there is certainly a lot packed in the 11 tracks that comprise the album. ‘Red Alert In The Blue Forest’ therefore deserves your full undivided attention, you won’t regret it.

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Read our review of ‘IMPERA’ from Ghost

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Album Reviews

H.E.R.O.

H.E.R.O.

Alternate Realities

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H.E.R.O. – ALTERNATE REALITIES – ALBUM REVIEW

In a very short period of time Danish rock band H.E.R.O. have established themselves as purveyors of soaring anthemic pop rock. Despite the disruptions of the past few years the band are now releasing their third album since 2019.

WATCH ‘GRAVITY’ ON YOUTUBE
H.E.R.O. – ‘Gravity’

That album is entitled ‘Alternate Realities’ and shows no easing off the throttle. Bursting straight to life with the ambitious ‘Gravity’, and ‘Lead The Blind’ which features Philip Strand of Normandie. That certainly feels like a match made in heaven with H.E.R.O.’s sound following a similar path to that band and many others.

Listen to ‘Lead The Blind’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Spotify Playlist

Whilst those singles set the tone very much for what follows on the record, there is no lull over the following eight tracks, either in terms of intensity or indeed quality. The likes of ‘Oxygen’ and ‘Made to be Broken’ particularly maintain the albums energy levels.

Whilst the fusion of rock and pop is far from a new concept, the likes of Bring Me The Horizon have broken ground and engaged new audiences for the genre hybrid. Many acts have since attempted to follow in those footsteps with many feeling forced and disjointed; that can’t be said of ‘Alternate Realities’, with H.E.R.O. surrounding natural and polished.

Perhaps the best example of this is the Melissa Bonny featuring single, ‘Monster’, as the track lives up its name with its monstrous chorus and thunderous riffs!

The album closes out with the tender ‘Heavy Heart’ which really showcases the softer side of the band, and neatly puts the icing on the very delicious cake that is ‘Alternate Realities’.

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Read our review of ‘Dark & Beautiful Secrets’ from Normandie

H.E.R.O. feature on Episode 8 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with the episode debuting on Monday 21st March 2022! Be sure to subscribe to Full Pelt Music wherever you watch or listen to your Podcasts so you don’t miss out!

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Album Reviews

The Ninth Wave

The Ninth Wave

Heavy Like A Headache

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Glasgow’s The Ninth Wave released their debut album, ‘Infancy’, to much critical acclaim in 2019. That album arrived as the band were building upwards momentum with a string of impressive support slots. They’ve since released another acclaimed EP, ‘Happy Days’ and can boast numerous sold out shows.

It was somewhat surprising therefore when the band recently announced their imminent indefinite hiatus. That break arrives as they release their second album, ‘Heavy Like A Headache’, and play a farewell run of shows.

WATCH ‘MAYBE YOU DIDN’T KNOW’ ON YOUTUBE
The Ninth Wave – ‘Maybe You Didn’t Know’

The question on our mind as we dive into the album consequently is – can the album do their career justice? Well, instantly as ‘Maybe You Didn’t Know’ segues into ‘Heron On The Water’ you feel yourself getting absorbed into a dark, moody yet somehow upbeat world.

This is an emotive and stylistically diverse album that pulls from various influences and genres and refuses to settle. The Ninth Wave take us on something of an sonic rollercoaster over the course of ‘Heavy Like A Headache’.

Listen to ‘What Makes You A Man’ on our Spotify Hot List!

Standout moments include ‘Hard Not To Hold You’, ‘What Makes You A Man’ and ‘Piece And Pound Coins’, but the album as a whole is more than able to deliver that justice.

If this is to be the last hoorah for the band then they go out on a high with a stunning album punctuating a short but impressive career.

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We recently caught up with Haydn from The Ninth Wave to discuss ‘Heavy Like A Headache’, their final shows and much more. Watch the video below or find audio options here.

Read our review of PET NEEDS live in Norwich

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Album Reviews

Ghost

Ghost

IMPERA

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GHOST – IMPERA – ALBUM REVIEW

The evolution of Ghost over the years has been fascinating to watch. The imaginary around the band, their stage show and importantly their musical output have always evolved and grown in majesty with each incarnation.

With the band at their commercial and creative peak and with the revelation of Papa Emeritus IV coming just days before the pandemic took a grip on the world, I was worried that their momentum could die.

WATCH ‘HUNTER’S MOON’ ON YOUTUBE
Ghost – ‘Hunter’s Moon’

In September as the band emerged from the darkness once more with the single ‘Hunter’s Moon’, I again considered whether the band would be able to pick up where they left off. This apprehension may of translated across to the way I received their pre-release singles, ‘Call Me Little Sunshine’ and ‘Twenties’.

Ahead of the release of ‘IMPERA’ I will admit to having my doubts that the band would be able to continue their hot streak. All of that however quickly dissipates when the opening fanfare of ‘Imperium’ takes hold. Soon thereafter ‘Kaisarion’ and ‘Spillways’ suck me straight into the magnificence that is Ghost!

Listen to ‘Call Me Little Sunshine’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist

By the time we have passed through ‘Hunter’s Moon’ and ‘Call Me Little Sunshine’ to ‘Twenties’, which I’d initially bulked at, this incredible band has once again hypnotised me. It’s a magical place under the mesmerising spell of Ghost at their pinnacle, and by the time the album closes out all my doubts and worries have disappeared.

‘IMPERA’ may not instantly standout as a masterpiece as its predecessors have done, but it burns slowly into your conscience and enthrals you with the unparalleled glory of Ghost. How, just how could I have ever doubted this band?

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Read our review of Ricky Warwick live in Norwich

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Album Reviews

The Mysterines

The Mysterines

Reeling

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THE MYSTERINES – REELING – ALBUM REVIEW

The Mysterines have been busy building a solid reputation over the past few years and anticipation is high for their debut album. Thankfully the wait is over and ‘Reeling’ now belongs to the world, but can it live up to the hype?

Spoiler Alert, it can! Yes, upon hitting play you are instantly struck by the quality on offer. Opening track ‘Life’s a Bitch (But I Like It So Much)’ sets the tone immediately for what’s to follow. That is a very polished, fast paced explosion of cataclysmic rock.

As the album continues with ‘Hung Up’, ‘Reeling’ and ‘Old Friends / Die Hard’, you can hear a massive sound that you sense will feel equally at home in stadiums as it will in small venues. That’s a credit to the versatile sound that the band has struck upon.

The Mysterines have featured on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist – Listen here to discover more incredible new artists!

It’s hard when listening to debut albums not to try and picture what the future may hold for the artist. Trajectories can be difficult to predict with many variables on the way, but with ‘Reeling’ you can’t help but picture this band taking over the world.

The album is that good; in fact it is an early contender for Album of the Year. Instead of listing highlights on the album I could probably just copy and paste the entire tracklist. The likes of ‘Dangerous’ and ‘In My Head’ however are particularly noteworthy.

WATCH ‘DANGEROUS’ ON YOUTUBE
The Mysterines – ‘Dangerous’

Something that helps to elevate the record is that each song has its own identity. Whilst some bands strike gold and try and make carbon copies of that success, The Mysterines have clearly allowed each track room to breathe whilst ensuring enough cohesion to hold the album together.

Hype can be dangerous in the music industry and has suffocated many promising acts. Only time will tell what the future truly holds in store for this band, but with ‘Reeling’ they have cleared an enormous hurdle on the road to major success.

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Read our review of PET NEEDS live in Norwich

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Live Reviews

Ricky Warwick

Ricky Warwick

The Waterfront Studio, Norwich

Wednesday 9th March 2022

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All 📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

A year ago, back at a time when live music was just a distant memory, Ricky Warwick delivered his stunning solo album, ‘When Life Was Hard and Fast’. The album featured highly on our 2021 Album of the Year list but since then Warwick has been unable to tour the album.

That is until now, as with restrictions withdrawn Warwick and his band The Fighting Hearts are able to hit the road once again and tonight they find themselves at The Waterfront Studio in Norwich.

THE HOWLING TIDES

First on stage this evening are young rockers The Howling Tides who make the most of their time with a splendid performance. The four-piece get the crowd engaged early on with the likes of ‘White Crow’ and ‘Crack My Soul’.

THE VIRGINMARYS

They are followed by the criminally underrated The Virginmarys who are emerging from the pandemic as a two-piece. Having witnessed the band live many times, I was interested to see how this new dynamic would work and whether they’d maintain their power.

Thankfully that power is still there, as is a new layer of ferocity as the band plough through a setlist featuring many new songs. These new songs offer great promise, whilst older favourites such as ‘Running For My Life’ and ‘Just A Ride’ remind of just how good this band are.

RICKY WARWICK & THE FIGHTING HEARTS

It’s not long thereafter that Eminem’s iconic ‘Lose Yourself’ blasts out and Ricky Warwick and The Fighting Hearts grace the stage. They burst straight into life with ‘Gunslinger’, ‘Over the Edge’ and ‘The Road to Damascus Street’ riling the audience up.

As if fronting The Almighty, Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders wasn’t enough, Warwick has also established a successful solo career over the years. This was punctuated last year with the release of ‘When Life Was Hard and Fast’. Tonight’s show is a mixture of each aspect of this unlikely career, including the likes of ‘Jailbreak’ and ‘Finest Hour’ from “the day job” as Warwick terms it.

Read our review of ‘When Life Was Hard and Fast’

Whilst these big hitters a natural highlights, it’s telling that the true highlights come from ‘When Life Was Hard and Fast’ including the title track, ‘You’re My Rock ‘n’ Roll’ and ‘Still Alive’. This just goes to show that at this stage of his career Warwick is perhaps tunnelling his experiences into producing his best work.

It helps tonight that he is backed by a tight band that helps bring his visions to life. There are a good number of The Almighty tracks in the set tonight and it’s ‘Free ‘n’ Easy’ that brings the evening to a close; a thoroughly enjoyable evening of the hard rock majesty that we’ve missed these past couple of years.

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Live Reviews

Pet Needs

Pet Needs

Voodoo Daddy’s, Norwich

Tuesday 8th March 2022

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 All 📸 (C) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

Voodoo Daddy’s is tucked away in the side streets of Norwich’s city centre. Inside you are greeted with a cool pizza bar downstairs and an intimate music venue upstairs which is the scene for the show tonight.

Only announced recently, this show is part of a small run of dates headlined by PET NEEDS under the banner of the Nick Alexander Memorial Trust (NAMT). If you are not familiar with NAMT then you really should be, as the charity does incredible work helping disadvantaged and marginalised sectors of society access to music.

For more information on NAMT click here

MORNING CRUSH / HENSHAW / GHOSTS OF MEN

Opening the evenings proceedings is a short solo Morning Crush set, which captivates the early attendees and finishes with a poignant new song. Shortly thereafter (Paul) Henshaw graces the stage and serenades us with a selection of rousing acoustic numbers. A fine start to what promises to be a great night.

Things get turned up a notch soon after as the hard rocking Ghosts of Men storm the stage. Despite some good old fashioned technical difficulties, the duo still produces an entertaining performance, raising the noise levels in preparedness for our headliners.

PET NEEDS

Those headliners, as mentioned, are Colchester group PET NEEDS. Fresh from signing with Xtra Mile Recordings the band has graced many a stage with labelmates such as Frank Turner, Beans On Toast and Skinny Lister.

They’ve been honing their craft and nights like this will help forge their cohesiveness and delivery. It may not be the biggest show, but the bands appetite is ravenous for a rock show.

Tracks like ‘Kayak’ and ‘Pavlovian’ instantly build the audience engagement and the sing-a-longs continue throughout their set with ‘Punk Isn’t Dead (It’s Just Up For Sale)’, ‘Toothpaste’ and ‘Tracey Emin’s Bed’ all highlights.

It’s a short, sharp set from a band with huge potential and the encore of ‘Overcompensating’ sends attendees off into the Norwich night delighted with what they’ve just been a part of.

That is the independent small venue scene, the DIY punk scene, the support fantastic causes scene, the just supporting new, exiting music scene. As we emerge from the pandemic, get yourselves back to these venues, find the acts of the future and support real music!

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Watch our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests PET NEEDS!

Audio options here

Read our review of ‘Fractured Party Music’ from Pet Needs

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Album Reviews

Stereophonics

Stereophonics

Oochya!

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STEREOPHONICS – OOCHYA! – ALBUM REVIEW

Longevity and relevancy in the music industry don’t always go hand in hand. There aren’t many acts that can realistically claim the relevancy of Stereophonics who are now in their 30th year as a band!

While many contemporaries have either split up or faded into the nostalgia scene, Stereophonics are still going strong, still putting out hit albums, still selling out arenas and still headlining major festivals. The staying power of a band written off many times over the years is indeed incredibly impressive.

Their creative output is equally as impressive, both in terms of quality and quantity. New album ‘Oochya!’ is their 12th album and continues their streak of realising an album roughly every two years since their 1997 debut.

So, we’ve established that nobody can really argue their work ethic, but let’s look at that quality point now as we hit play on ‘Oochya!’.

WATCH ‘HANGING ON YOUR HINGES’ ON YOUTUBE
Stereophonics – ‘Hanging On Your Hinges’

Kicking off with lead single, ‘Hanging on Your Hinges’, and latest single, ‘Forever’, there is a familiar start to the album, with another single, ‘Do Ya Feel My Love?’,  sitting at track 4. This is obviously a very good start but the album clocks in at over an hour long, so can the rest keep up the pace?

I do find these days that bands with good levels of longevity and relevancy sometimes become over reliant on a couple of good singles to sell albums which in reality lack any real substance. With their release schedule, I’m always half expecting Stereophonics to fall into this category, and in all honesty you’d argue they’ve earned that right.

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They never have appeared to be willing to settle on their laurels however, and once again as ‘Oochya’ progresses there is plenty to enjoy. Be it rockier numbers like ‘Running Round My Brain’ and ‘Don’t Know What Ya Got’ or slower tracks such as ‘You’re My Soul’ and ‘All I Have Is You’, that proven Stereophonics quality is here in spades.

You’re never going to get much in the way of experimentation, this is Stereophonics doing what Stereophonics do, but it sounds modern enough to maintain that aspect of relevancy.

To answer the overriding question here, ‘Oochya’ is good, it does exactly what it needs to do for the band and will continue their place in the musical eco-system.

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Read our review of Stereophonics live in Cambridge

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Live Reviews

Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice

Norwich UEA LCR

Saturday 26th February 2022

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WOLF ALICE – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW

After another spate of COVID related cancellations and postponements over the past couple of months, live music is back once again. One such postponement was this tour, but thankfully Wolf Alice were able to complete a quick turnaround and tonight arrive in Norwich just the 6 weeks later than expected.

Along for the ride is support act Matt Maltese who provides a somewhat sombre yet very well received opening. Maltese and band serenade the audience with their unique brand of indie pop (imagine Keane in a jazz lounge) and no doubt win over some new fans with their delightful set.

Really though tonight is all about our headliners Wolf Alice. Acclaim and praise seems to gravitate towards the band with three highly lauded albums now under their belt. Of course, we awarded ‘Blue Weekend’ our 2021 Album of the Year Award. Anticipation is therefore high as the sold out audience await their arrival on stage.

As soon as they do arrive, it’s straight down to business with ‘Smile’, ‘You’re A Germ’ and ‘Formidable Cool’ instantly creating a connection between band and crowd.

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Wolf Alice – ‘Smile’

The incredible versatility of the band and singer Ellie Roswell in particular is a major part of what sets them apart from their contemporaries. Their ability tonight to segue between all out rockers and tender ballads with such ease is unfathomable. It probably shouldn’t work, but is does.

In fact, the audience as literally held in the palm of their hands tonight throughout the likes of ‘Bros’, ‘How Can I Make It OK?’, ‘Silk’ and ‘Visions of a Life’. Some moments even feel like an outer body experience such as ‘No Hard Feelings’ and ‘The Last Man On Earth’.

‘Moaning Lisa Smile’, ‘Giant Peach’ and ‘Don’t Delete the Kisses’ all feature in the latter portion of the show and serve as the cherry on top of a delicious cake. If incredible music is food, then the crowd go home full to the brim tonight.

Some bands are really good live, some bands are great live and then a select few bands just feel special, tonight Wolf Alice affirmed that they are in that elite category.

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