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!
THE AMAZONS – HOW WILL I KNOW IF HEAVEN WILL FIND ME? – ALBUM REVIEW
Reading rockers The Amazons are back with their third album, ‘How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me?’.
The band burst onto the scene with their 2017 self-titled debut and quickly established themselves as one of the hottest young rock bands in the country. Follow up ‘Future Dust’ was far from a flop, but probably didn’t build on their momentum as well as they’d have hoped. It will be interesting then to see how ‘How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me?’ fares and what impact it will have, if any, on the group’s career trajectory.
WATCH ‘HOW WILL I KNOW?’ FROM THE AMAZONS ON YOUTUBE
Making their name for out all arena rock anthems, this new record follows a path hinted at on its predecessor with a more melodic sound. Sombre and delicate, the harder side of the band only makes rare appearances as they explore their softer capabilities.
Whilst there will certainly be some fans slightly alienated by this, there will be many more that will welcome this change of pace; after all the band have successfully shown this side in past.
When we look beyond the aesthetics of the album, blinker ourselves from their past output and focus solely on the eleven tracks that make up ‘How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me?’, then we are looking are a superb record. A delicately crafted collection of melancholic glory!
Yes, The Amazons may be evolving before our eyes, but they are also proving themselves to be the future superstars that their debut album promised.
When we caught The Amazons supporting Royal Blood in arenas recently, we speculated that they would soon be headlining such venues themselves. With this album the band have ensured that trajectory remains.
As Mike Kerr reminisces multiple times on stage tonight, it has been 10 years since he joined forces with Ben Thatcher to form Royal Blood. As he surveys a packed to the brim O2 Arena, it’s clear that this is a landmark moment for the duo.
To use a tired cliché, their rise has been meteoric (well, by today’s industry standards anyway!), and this evenings show is truly a celebration of what the band has achieved so far.
Over those years the band have proven themselves dab hands at choosing support acts, and this tour has been no different with candescent indie rockers The Amazons opening proceedings.
Soon to release their third album, they are a band already making a mark in their own right, and nights like tonight will only assist in affirming an already growing reputation. Their slot disappears in an instant as they grasp the audience with both hands and shake them with a good old fashioned rocking.
Early favourites ‘In My Mind’ and ‘Black Magic’ sandwich a set showcasing what has come and what is on the way with new single, ‘Bloodrush’ another highlight. The way the band own the stage tonight it’s not unimaginable that they will one day return to headline this venue themselves.
Stage ownership is also something our headliners have never struggled with. From their early beginnings on smaller stages to now playing on the largest stages in the world, Royal Blood have always planted their flag.
With a simplistic yet visually stunning stage show behind them, Kerr and Thatcher set out once again to demonstrate just how much noise two individuals can make.
WATCH ‘HONEYBRAINS’ ON YOUTUBE
Royal Blood – ‘Honeybrains’
With their third album, ‘Typhoons’ arriving in the pandemic era this tour is a chance to take this newer material to the masses and the title track and fan favourite ‘Boilermaker’ instantly kick the door in (I’ll avoid any blowing the roof off puns!).
Older material such as ‘Lights Out’ and ‘Come On Over’ naturally send the crowd into a frenzy, but it is very telling that the newer songs such as ‘Trouble’s Coming’ and ‘Limbo’ elicit equal reaction; even brand new single, ‘Honeybrains’ already appears to be a bona fide crowd pleaser.
It really has been a pleasure following the ascent of Royal Blood from their early days until now. It’s extremely difficult for rock acts to break the mainstream these days; and it’s beautiful yet heart wrenching that the band still recognise those that have supported along the way with a tribute to the late great Taylor Hawkins during a traditionally thunderous Thatcher drum solo.
By the time old favourites ‘Ten Tonne Skeleton’ and ‘Out Of The Black’ ring out the band have proven themselves as belonging on this level. It’s one thing to get there, but another thing to stay there and on this evidence Royal Blood are here to stay.
