Voice FM Christmas Eve Party

Hello this is my first video review of 2014! It's of the Voice FM Christmas Eve party; the video includes my own commentary of the band's performance as well as footage of the bands themselves!

Top 5 Singles of 2013

Welcome to the second installment of the end of year post! So far I have shown you my top five albums of 2013 and now onto top five singles! Before I go further with the post I would first like to say that I picked five incredible songs and it was so tricky to put these in order of preference!

5) Katy Perry - Roar

Kicking off the top 5 with a roar is Katy Perry’s single…well Roar. It's not the usual rock or metal song I go for but for me this single was a highlight of 2013. Empowering lyrics and a catchy melody are the two components needed for the perfect pop hit. It also seems to show the growth of Katy Perry herself as she been through quite a lot in the past year or so.

4) Avril Lavigne feat. Chad Kroeger – Let Me Go 

At number four is the single Let Me Go by newly weds Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger. I must admit I was very sceptical when I heard these two were going to release a single together. I’m very happy to say that I was proved wrong in this case; captivating use of the piano, the haunting lyrics and the beautiful harmony between Avril’s and Chad’s voices completes the song! The thirteen year old inside me is squealing with joy that my two favourite artists growing up have collaborated.

3) New Device – Save Your Life

Coming in at number 3 is the single Save Your Life by New Device. It was very refreshing to here some brand new material from the London rockers after a three-year gap. I remember first hearing this on Voice.FM and feeling warm inside within the first few seconds of the song. From the familiar clean crisp vocals provided by charismatic front man Dan Leigh to the original riffs and solos delivered by Matt Mallery and Nick Jones, Save Your Life has all the crucial features of a perfect rock song.

2) Within Temptation feat. Tarja – Paradise (What About Us?)                        

At number 2 is the sing Paradise (What About Us?) by Within Temptation featuring Tarja Turunen. When I first heard these two were going to do a single together I was very excited and I had every right to. Sharon Den Adel and Tarja’s beautiful voices complemented each other to create a strikingly moving song with a chorus that gives me goose bumps every time. If these are the kind of songs that we will hear on the new album then I think we don’t have to worry.

1) Shinedown – I’ll Follow You       

Finally my number one single of 2013 is I’ll Follow You by Shinedown. I was really excited to hear about the release of this song! After hearing it at their live show in Southampton in 2012 and listening to it again of the album I realised how profound this song is. With deeply thought lyrics and an enchanting melody to complete it I’ll Follow You has become a favourite single of mine. It doesn’t matter how many times I listen to the single it continues to blow me away each time. The reason why it is my number one single of 2013 is because it reminds me of some happy times; particularly when they performed this at Wembley Arena to 12,000 adoring fans as they sang along! That is an experience I will not be forgetting any time soon!

Top 5 Albums of 2013

Well that time of year has come around again! Before we exit with a festive cheer I thought I would reveal my top five albums and singles of 2013! So without further ado here are my top albums of 2013!

5) Amaranthe – Nexus        

To kick off my top 5 albums is the album Nexus by Swedish/Danish metalcore group Amaranthe. Being well known for mixing melodic pop with death metal is the reason why this band are a personal favourite of mine. The album has a versatile collection of songs from the heartfelt Burn With Me to the upbeat Electroheart I think 2014 could possibly be their year. The album includes a beautiful acoustic rendition of their enchanting ballad Amaranthine.

4) Alter Bridge – Fortress   

At number four is the fourth studio album from the almighty Alter Bridge. This was one of the anticipated rock albums of the year; this masterpiece from the Florida rockers entices you within the first few seconds of opening track Cry Of Achillies and it invites you to listen on to some killer sounding tracks such as Addicted to Pain, Lover and Waters Rising. A spectacular arena tour featuring their friends from Shinedown and Halestorm accompanied this epic album.

3) Bad Pollyanna – Monstrous Child                     

I originally saw this band on a friend's Facebook page. After hearing Hollow for the first time I was blown away at first listen so my expectations of the album were high. Those expectations were exceeded as it opened with Hollow and Awake Now; the amazing melodies, unusual instrument arrangements and the spectacular vocals provided by Olivia Hyde give Bad Pollyanna’s Monstrous Child a fantastic package for a fantastic album.

2) New Device – Here We Stand    

Coming in at number two is the second studio album Here We Stand from New Device. Due to line up changes there was at least a three-year wait for this album from the London rockers but it was most certainly worth it. The album is great pick me up for when you are feeling down; this is demonstrated through songs such as singles Here We Stand and Save Your Life as well as my personal favourite song on the album End Of Hope. So if you like beautifully clear vocals, talented guitarists and rolling drums than this is the album for you.

 1) Heaven’s Basement – Filthy Empire     

At number 1 is Heaven’s Basement’s debut album Filthy Empire. 2013 has possibly been a great year for rockers Heaven’s Basement and this album is crucial evidence. From the profound acoustic ballad The Price We Pay to the high energy I Am Electric this album has innovative and genuinely brilliant rock songs to suit every mood under the sun. Everyone has an album in their collection that they can listen to from start to finish over and over again without growing bored; well Filthy Empire has become that album! Making it my number one album of 2013!

Voice FM Halloween Party

NEW DEVICE

TOXIC SHOCK, EVERLONG AND BASECAMP

THE TALKING HEADS, SOUTHAMPTON 30/10/2013

Things were certainly spooky at the Voice FM Halloween Party featuring some ghoulishly great music from four fantastic bands!

First up were rockers Basecamp, I was surprised to walk into the stage area to find out how young they were. As well as performing some fantastic covers of well-known songs such as Firework and Still Into You, they performed some of their own material. Writing good songs is no easy task yet they pulled it off so well.  Finding out from manager Andy Ayres that they were all aged between ten-twelve was also remarkable. Overall, a brilliant set from Basecamp!

Everlong were next up! Their stage presence instantly got the crowds attention, what was brilliant about this crowd is that it reminded me of college where I would go see a friend’s band at The Talking Heads with a lot of my best friends and classmates. I really liked their sound and how they got their crowds going, their passion for their music was clear in their performance and I really think they could go further up the music ladder.

I am familiar with the kick ass rock tunes and energetic stage presence from the main support act Toxic Shock. This one was no exception, I found myself head banging to the songs and blown away by their live show. Particularly when frontman Ash Lynhurst got down from the stage and sung his heart out on the floor amongst the crowd.  Toxic Shock are a vital example of why we should support local music, they are simply fantastic and they are right on your doorstep.

I had not seen headliners New Device for a good few years until Wednesday evening; in between I had seen frontman Dan Leigh’s solo acoustic, which I have praised before in my blog for being fantastic. From Wednesday’s show I can confirm they are back and mean business! Starting off with Make My Day and On Fire made me smile as the familiar modern classic rock songs were starting to fill the venue.  What was also exciting about their set was the new songs from their latest album, Here We Stand; singles Save Your Life and Here We Stand were very well received by the very energetic crowd. 

Ending with their anthemic hit Takin Over allowed the crowd to have one last mosh before marking the end of a successful set.

Overall the experience of the Voice FM Halloween party was just amazing!

Words by Charlotte Whittingham

Find Basecamp here

Find Everlong here

Find Toxic Shock here

Find New Device here

Two amazing videos!!!

Hello everyone I hope you are well! On this post I am sharing two videos that have caught my attention!!

The first one comes from Dutch Symphonic metal heads Within Temptation; it features not one but two of metal's leading ladies, front lady Sharon Den Adel and ex-Nightwish turned solo vocalist Tarja Turunen. The song is just flawless, both voices compliment each other remarkably. Within Temptation released The Unforgiving two years ago so it is refreshing to see some excellent new material from them. It has been a long time since we have seen Tarja in the spotlight but it is great to see her back and better than ever. If this video isn't further proof that Within Temptation continue to produce original haunting material then I don't what it.

The next video I understand it was released a month ago but I have finally got round to watching it. It's from London hard rockers New Device and it's the second single of their latest album Here We Stand. It is my personal favourite song off the album so I was pleased to see it released as a single and a video. I love the catchy melody of the chorus and it makes an excellent opening track for the album.

So those are the two brilliant videos I thought I must share! Take care now and stay musical!

Musical Lotty!!

New Device - Here We Stand

London rockers New Device are back and they mean business with their brand new album Here We Stand!

Opening track Here We Stand was a fantastic way to open the album, it is evidence that they have come back with a bang. I recognised some of the songs on the album such as New York and my personal favourite End Of Hope from when frontman Dan Leigh performed an acoustic set in my local area. It was particularly great to hear End Of Hope with some distorted guitars and rolling drums as I had only hear acoustic versions of this song. New Device have had it tough these past years and there hasn't been a new album for a while but this masterpiece was most certainly worth waiting for.

Overall this is a fantastic album, with stadium like songs such as New York and Here We Stand this album proves that New Device are back!

For fans of Alter Bridge and Guns 'N' Roses

Stand out tracks:  Away From Here, New York and End Of Hope

Find New Device on Facebook, Twitter and their official website

New Device - Save Your Life

Hi there guys, it has been a while. A lot has happened in this time, I turned 21 in March, my time at uni is nearly at the end and I have been hunting for jobs. This morning I caught up with Voice.FM's rock show where the brand new single by New Device played. Save Your Life is a booming, strong single that definitely introduces listeners to what to expect on the upcoming album Here We Stand. From the familiar crisp vocals provided by charismatic vocalist Dan Leigh to the original guitar riffs from new guitarists Matt Mallery and Nick Jones, Save Your Life has the whole package of a great rock song. New Device are definitely back and they mean business. A great introduction to their upcoming album.

Here We Stand is due for release 6th May 2013, click here to pre-order the new album now.

Find New Device on Facebook, Twitter and their official website.

Daniel Leigh - The End Of Hope (Is A Long Way To Go)

Daniel Leigh is usually well known for front London hard rock band New Device; he tends to take a break by performing solo stuff exploring all types of genres. There is a huge contrast between his solo stuff and his work with New Device; his brand new EP is due for a release soon and this song I'm reviewing today is his single from the EP. It's called The End Of Hope (Is A Long Way To Go); it's the song to get you through those dark moments in your life, it encourages the thought that hope is never ever lost and that's one of the most wonderful things about this song. I had heard this song performed live at his acoustic sets so was wondering what the studio recording sounded like, I was very happy it consisted of an acoustic guitar combined with one of the most amazing voices today. This is possibly about the fifth time I have listened to this song in the past day or so and I am still blown away; the title of the song is very very true.

If the rest of his brand new EP is as brilliant as this song, I have nothing to worry about. Cannot wait fot it; keep up the good work. To show you what a wonderful solo artist he is I leave with a video I found of him singing the song.

Find Daniel Leigh on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

You can also check out his band New Device by finding them on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LastFM and their official website.

Interview with New Device

After watching a soothing acoustic set from New Device frontman Daniel Leigh at Southampton's cosiest venue, The Cellar (Formerly The Soul Cellar), I managed to pull him and drummer Greg 'Rozzy' Ison aside for a quick chat in the chilly Southampton air. We chatted about their new upcoming album and generally life as musicians; I would love to thank the boys for boosting my confidence on the interviewing front.

Also I would like to say I re-recorded one of the questions in the radio studio since when I asked it in the interview, nerves got the better of me and the question didn't make sense. Anyways I hope you enjoy listening to the intriguing and some hilarious answers; being why you can hear me giggling in the background in some parts. Click the link below to listen to the interview.

Daniel Leigh and Greg 'Rozzy' Ison interview

Find New Device on their website, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and LastFM

Rock The Loft @ The Soul Cellar; Southampton 28/1/11

I have been waiting for this since the end of last year; my first gig of 2011 and let me tell you it was a fantastic one. Entering the intimate cosy atmosphere of The Soul Cellar definately made me feel right at home for I was about to see what Angry Badger records had to offer plus see Daniel Leigh perform an acoustic set.

The first band to play that evening were We Caught The Castle, a pop punk band from Reading. They put a great performance with the catchy melodies and how Hollie's vocals harmonised well with male backing vocalists Simon and Robbie. I did recognise Tainted Love, the song they covered, from that Friends episode where Danny Devito plays a stripper so everytime I hear the song I give a little giggle. Overall an enjoyable set, I also got their EP to so you'll see a review about that shortly.

Up next were Bournemouth/London rockers Karmine, I had heard their stuff briefly before and quite liked it so I was wondering what kind of performance they were going to give tonight. I loved vocalist Charlotte (wonderful name) Kavanagh's energy with her wonderfully weird dancing whilst upbeat cheerful rock was played, her voice was remarkable too. They are currently working on the new album.

Orignally New Device were to headline tonight; however due to two guitarists leaving the band vocalist Daniel Leigh came by himself to play an acoustic set. I have seen acoustic sets in the past and like them a lot so I was thinking it would be nice to see. He started off with one of his own songs We Will Be Lovers Tonight, I had heard this song before with electronic type sounds to it; tonight I was absoulutely amazed by this performance. The set got better and better with songs from the new album he is working on with New Device; getting me more excited about their new album also performing In The Fading Light and Heaven Knows from Takin Over. His covers of Livin On A Prayer and Sweet Child 'O Mine were also beautifully performed; so amazing I got a video of one of them (will be uploaded soon). This acoustic performance was so so wonderful, had me nearly in tears and will definatelty see perform an acoustic set again.

Next to play were Timshel; I had seen them before and they do give a very upbeat  performance like they did  last night. I like their quirky sound very much, it gives a bit more of a laid back hippy like atmosphere to the building. I did recognise some of the songs played last night from their EP, which is avaliable on iTunes overall a very studio sounding performance.

Unfortunately couldn't stay for Kodiak Jack's set last night but did catch a glimpse from them and loved their energetic performance. I had heard some of their songs before and quite like them so I'm hoping to catch them again soon.

You can join each one of these bands on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube. 

Overall a great first gig of 2011, giving me the torch to light the pathway of many more great gigs to come.

Tuomaslotte's Best Live Shows of 2010

This year I saw quite a lot of local gigs which is nice since you're not spending so much money for an big arena gig and trying to get to the venue somewhere that seems like a distant land to you. Here they are in chronological order :D

Lostprohets @ Southampton Guildhall 26/2/2010 - I have been a fan of Lostprophets since Liberation Transmission so I was estatic when I heard they will be coming to Southampton Guildhall to do a live show; even though me and my cousin were seated we still had an awesome time listening to the music. When favourites such as It's Not The End Of The World, Burn Burn and Town Called Hypocrisy we were singing a long like mad. I was suprised but mega chuffed that they performed my ever favourite Lostprophets song Can't Catch Tomorrow. I've just found that one of the support acts were Kids In Glass Houses; after seeing a fantastic live set from them I hope to hear more from them. Hope to see Lostprophets again real soon.

HIM and Dommin @ Bournemouth O2 Academy 18/3/10 - I will say now I am a massive fan of the goth rock scene; dark lyrics with haunting melodies that send shivers down your spine I just love it. Anyways I went to this gig by myself but when I entered the venue I completely forgot about that since I loved warm welcoming vibe the O2 Academy brought; I went to buy some merchandise first before finding the best possible spot to see the bands. Once I did the lights went down for the first band Dommin were due to play first; I had only heard a few songs by Dommin that I really loved so I was looking forward to their set. The smoke made their entrance mysterious, which say a lot about the band, soon the drums were heard; the opening song New was about to play. This entrance was definately one of the best I had seen; they then played one favourite song after another. My Heart Your Hands, Tonight and personal favourite Dark Holiday all performed beautifully. Their closing number I Just Died (In Your Arms Tonight) was just fantastic; the whole crowd were singing along. Waiting for HIM patiently my excitement was gradually buiding up; those particular moments where you are waiting for a band you love to come on stage just make you realise how much you actually love the band. Suddenly the last went to down; my excitement was almost ready to be released. A love song from the 50s played which at the end of HIM appeared and the first few bars of Like St Valentine were heard. From that I knew HIM were well underway. It was truly a wonderful wonderful set; they played classics such as Kiss Of Dawn, Wings Of A Butterfly and Funeral of Hearts along with new album ones such as Heartkiller, Scared To Death and Love The Hardest Way. It was during HIM's set I had met the band Dommin which was amazing; they were so lovely and down to earth. This was definately a magical concert with two brilliant bands.

The Bon Jovi Experience @ The Brooke; Southampton 14/8/10 - This was a couple of months after I had seen Bon Jovi at The O2 Arena. I thought this was a great way to spend a night out with the girls; a lively warm venue, a bar and a band playing tribute to world wide superstars who still rule the earth today with anthemic hits since It's My Life, You Give Love A Bad Name, Bed Of Roses and the show stopper Livin On A Prayer. The lights went down and the girls started to scream, it was as if Bon Jovi were appearing on stage since the frontman looked so much like Jon Bon Jovi. One anthemic hit after another this night will definately be one I will never ever forget.

New Device @ The Edge Of The Wedge; Portsmouth 15/9/10 - One of my bands of 2010 and hope to see more of in the new year; this gig was my second time seeing them after an outstanding set at The Soul Cellar in Southampton. Wondering down a lonely street trying to find this intimate cosy venue was definately worth it; it was this night where I watched and listened to the south's best up an coming bands. With the likes of MG & The Juggernaughts jumpy, bouncy guitar solos, Toxic Shock's sucessful debut, The Light Divided's melodic, heartfelt tunes and New Device's energetic performance were all enough to make this gig one of Tuomaslotte's best live shows of 2010.



In Darklight @ The Hobbit; Southampton 8/10/10 - Another one of my bands of 2010; seeing them at the same Soul Cellar gig as New Device and loving what they had to offer I went to any gig I could get to. This one will always stick out in my mind as being one of the best with their fresh indie boy look and sound. I loved this enjoyable set of alternative, experimental rock songs that you can just hum to and it's amazing these guys also took a few minutes to sign the album I had bought along. Along with other bands from their record label Angry Badger they are one of the south's best up and coming bands; I think this gives them a great start for 2011. 

Dear Superstar @ The Joiners; Southampton 10/12/10 - I wrote a review about this recently; I meant it when I said this was the best gig of 2010 for me. Everything about this gig was just amazing; the lively warm atmosphere, each band performed a distinguished performance and a lot of pleasant people. It was also at this gig where I saw a sight that will definately make history of fans ways to get the attention of bands; the ultimate mosh pyramid, a human pyramid made up of those crazy rockers who moshed to Jenna's Revenge.

Tuomaslotte's bands of 2010

Here's a post dedicated to the bands that have become my favourites this year, in no particular order here they are:

New Device:  This year a friend told me these guys were to support Bon Jovi at the O2 so she sent me their video for the song Takin Over, which I loved. I decided to download the album from Amazon; I had seen reviews about these guys saying they sounded like Guns 'N' Roses, Van Halen etc and I thought 'Wow great influences there'. The album was so so good, unfortunately I missed them at The O2 but I got to see them twice this year locally in Southampton and Portsmouth. They put on a fantastic live performance, lots of energy and passion behind it; also they are possibly one of the nicest bunch of guys you could ever meet. Looking forward to the new album guys. 

Jettblack:  I was in my looking for new bands to listen to mode and came across these guys. I think it was via the video for Two Hot Girls; it made me feel awesome, the song is energetic, sexy.....basically so darn good. This song is on their debut album Get Your Hands Dirty; which is one of my albums of 2010. Their live performance at The Joiners was just incredible; most of the songs sounded amazing live, most of their stage moves reminded me a lot of a stadium rock band and finishing with Dangerzone was definately a great suprise. They are also a lovely bunch when I met them at the bar afterwards.

Poets Of The Fall:  My friend Charlotte (a.k.a Marcolotte) sent me the song Lift by this band via Facebook; liked it so so much that I downloaded the song. I listen to this song at least a few times every day; I downloaded the rest of the album which was also incredible. Marko's voice is truly wonderful, his voice emphasises with the emotions in the songs very well. My favourites by this band are Dreaming Wide Awake, Lift, Illusion and Dream and Carnival Of Rust. Carnival Of Rust particularly since it has influenced me greatly with the story I am writing for part of my course at university. The video is very surreal and powerful like a lot of their other videos.
 

In Darklight:  I first saw these guys at The Soul Cellar with New Device; they were the first band to play and was entirely impressed. So impressed that I immediately signed their mailing list after the show and pre-ordered their debut album; loved the album as I've mentioned in previous posts. Also sparking up a great friendship with these guys too; we've kept in touch and I have been to more of their shows ever since. I have seen them four times in the past few months (no I don't want a medal :P) Hope to see more of them next year and looking forward to the new EP.

Heaven's Basement:  I decided to give Can't Let You Go a listen, which I loved a lot so I downloaded the rest of their EP. The songs that stood out for me were Fear Of Getting Off, Executioner's Day and Graduation; these particular songs were incredibly catchy. Bit like 80s metal songs you hear a lot. Unfortunately missed these guys at The Joiners due to the fact I found these guys way after that hopefully they'll do a UK tour next year.

Dommin:  If I'm right Dommin were the first of my 2010 findings back in late January early February and have been a favourite of 2010 ever since. I started to look for this band's music when I heard they were to support HIM on their UK tour; the first thing I do when I find out the support band. It's straight to YouTube, type the name of the band in the 'Search' box and you click on the first link. This particular first link lead me to My Heart Your Hands; the first enticingly haunting song I listened to by this band. With that in mind I found more and more of their songs, all of which I really loved. They put on such a spell bindingly brilliant live performance too, in my opinion they were a bit better than HIM but I'm glad I walked out of Bournemouth O2 Academy a Dommin fan that night. I also had the opportunity to meet them too; they didn't mind me coming over more than once. All such lovely guys; hope to see them in the new year.

Uniklubi:  Another band from Finland that have stood out to me this year, they sing in their native lannguage that does not stop me listening to them. I love the melodies these guys produce; they are very very versatile whether it'd be a mellow acoustic track such as Kukka or a hauntingly heavy track such as Huomenna. Finland's metal heads are also well known for being incredibly gourgeous; in my eyes anyway but of course it's not about the appearances it's about the beautiful music they write.


We Are The Fallen:  I am always interested when there is a female fronted metal band on the scene, I can't stress how big my respect is for female musicians. Considering the music industry particularly rock is usually male dominated so it's brilliant to see female faces in the picture. Anyways this band popped up on Dommin radio on Last.FM and loved the song that played; I think it was called St John, immediately downloaded the album from iTunes. Carly Smitheson's voice has more beauty than a priceless diamond sitting on a velvet cushion behind glass in a jewellery shop, it complements well with the heavy distorted guitars and in the softer tracks an elegant piano. Hope they travel across the pond to the UK sometime.

Dear Superstar:  I saw that these guys were to play a gig at The Joiners so I listened to Brothers In Blood; to be honest I didn't really like it at first but after hearing the track a few times it grew on me. Heartless is a great album; Brink Of Destruction, Signposts to Bedpost and Live, Love Lie were few of many tracks that I loved on that album. Like Heaven's Basement and New Device these guys were influenced by 80s rock giants and I could hear the same kind of melodic guitar riffs and easy on the ears vocals. Their energetic live performance will also be something that will stick out in my mind definately and lovely lovely guys. Hope to see them in the new year and look forward to the new album.

Tuomaslotte's top 10 Albums for 2010

I have decided to start an annual top ten chart for all the albums that make my year. For this post I am starting with the top ten albums that have been my personal highlights of 2010, so here they are in reverse order:

10) Skunk Anansie - Wonderlustre 

I really love this is album, it had me listening from beginning to end. I loved the unique approach to music and Skin does really have the most fantastic voice. The songs are also very cleverly written and it also has a Blondie/Paramore vibe about it. If you're a fan of dance indy and punk rock then this is the album for you.

For fans of:  Blondie and Paramore

Stand out tracks:  You Saved Me, It Doesn't Matter and Would You? 

9) In Darklight - Dying To Confess 

This album right here became known as the start of a great friendship I now have with this band. To be completely honest the kind of rock on this album wouldn't have originally been my first choice. When I listened to it in fact it was very different to what I was expecting, I really liked the opening track What's Happening? (now my favourite). I also liked the cool sci fi like sounds these guys used, I hadn't heard it anywhere else before so it was nice to hear a new sound. Can't wait for the new EP boys.

 

For fans of:  Idlewild and Jimmy Eat World

Stand out tracks: What's Happening?, Leave Me Here and In Control (Of Not Being In Control)

8) Die So Fluid - The World Is Too Big For One Liftetime

This particular band are a perfect example of why you should not judge bands by their appearance. When I saw Grog the lead vocalist for the first time I was intrigued by her myterious Japanese anime goth look and thought the genre would be some heavy screamo that would be hard on the ears...not that I would have minded that. I was wrong of course; the music was very melodic and the vamperic like vocals from Grog added the mystery behind the album. Of course she is the bass player too; she was phenomenal at that and thanks to this album she is one of my favourite musicians now.

 

For fans of:  The Birthday Massacre and I Am Ghost

Stand out tracks:  Mercury, Hearts Are Too Hollow and If Wishes Were Bullets

7) Paramore - Brand New Eyes

Originally not being the biggest fan of Paramore, I had only heard songs such as Misery Business and CrushCrushCrush that I liked very much. Some of my friends really love this album so I decided to give it listen. It was certainly a great cure for travel sickness on the way to Gloucester. The first song Careful being particularly spectacular and my personal favourite track on the album; I listen to that song at least five times a day :P. With Haley William's beautiful voice enticing me every step of the way; her voice works on any track whether it being a nice heartfelt slow track such as The Only Exception and Misguided Ghosts or a very energetic track such as Ignorance. Overall a truly amazing album, although it's official release was last year this album was a highlight this year.

For fans of:  Fall Out Boy and No Doubt 
Stand out tracks:  Careful, Playing With God and The Only Exception

6) Fighting With Wire - Man vs. Monster 

I had only discovered these guys this year at a recent gig at The Joiners this year and thought they were phenomenal so I purchased this album. If Kurt Cobain with grunge pioneers, Nirvana, had listened to this I'd say he'd be proud; this album proves that grunge rock, an epic genre (possibly one of the best) still walks this earth. If you like Lostprophets and Nirvana then this album is really for you as lead vocalist does sound a bit like Ian Watkins in some of these songs.

For fans of:  Lostprophets, Nirvana and Foo Fighters

Stand out tracks:  Long Distance, Strength In Numbers and This Body Is In Danger

5) We Are The Fallen - Tear The World Down 

This was one of few female fronted rock bands that caught my eye this year and it's thanks to this album. Carly Smitheson's enticingly beautiful vocals, brilliant guitar solos and haunting melodies really make up this album; the poetically written songs also have the power to touch feelings and empathise with people. The use of orchestral instruments also earn it Brownie points.

For fans of:  Evanescence and Lacuna Coil

Stand out tracks:  Sleep Well My Angel, Without You and St John

4) Jettblack - Get Your Hands Dirty

Engery, sexy male vocals from Jon Dow and Will Stapleton singing some the most epic tunes of all time are the secret ingriedents that make Get Your Hands Dirty so awesome. Usually I have to listen to an album more than once to get into it but I knew I loved this band at the first listen. Reasons why I like this album is because most of the songs make girls feel great about themselves; particularly heartfelt War Between Us, the acoustic version of this song is beautiful. I will be seeing these guys live in less then a few weeks, I am looking forward to it very muchly since most of these will sound great live.

For fans of:  Dear Superstar and New Device

Stand out tracks:  Get Your Hands Dirty, Chasing Love and Two Hot Girls

3) New Device - Takin Over 

It's quite hard to choose a top three when you have so many favourites you want to put here but this album here is definately top three material. Like Brand New Eyes this album's official release was last year, however I found it this year and has been a great album find in 2010. Being that they were to be supporting Bon Jovi this year I decided to download this album off Amazon. I decided to listen to it on the bus to town after I had finished my last A Level exam so I was feeling pretty chuffed anyway. This album boosted my good mood; Make My Day was the perfect way to open the album with its catchy guitar riffs, clear crisp vocals from Mr Daniel Leigh and the band's positive, energetic approach to music. Can definately listen to this album from beginning to end and have the biggest grin on my face; even the heartfelt love ballad In The Fading Light has the power to put a smile on my face.

For fans of:  Guns 'N' Roses and Van Halen
Stand out tracks:  Make My Day, You've Got It Coming and On Fire

2) Dommin - Love Is Gone 

I'd be lying if I said this album wasn't a highlight of 2010, Los Angeles goth rockers Dommin win 2nd place of my top albums this year. Dark haunting melodies that just send shivers down your spine and powerful, unique vocal work from Kristopher Dommin are what make this album truly remarkable. Whenever I play this album it's like I'm put under a magic spell that puts me in a trance that makes me forget reality.

For fans of:  HIM and Lacuna Coil
Stand Out Tracks:  My Heart Your Hands, Dark Holiday and New 

1) Indica - A Way Away

It was incredibly hard to pick a number one album for this year, I chose this one for a number of reasons. I had heard about Finnish five piece pop/rock girl group Indica via Nightwish when I heard Erämaan Viimeinen that featured Indica's charismatic, fairy like vocalist Jonsu. This lead me to songs such as Ikuinen Virta and Vuorien Taa, from then on Indica became one of my favourite bands. When I heard they were going to be re-recording some of those songs in English I was very excited so I immediately preordered this album. Kicking off with the ever mysterious Islands Of Light (orignally Vuorien Taa) this was a wonderful to start the magical journey this album takes you on. Beautiful poetical lyrics, musical arrangements that make you feel like part of a film and me as a listener can just use your imagination to visualise what could be going on. Some of these songs sounded better in English; Scissor Paper Rock (orignally Ikuinen Virta) had a more rocky vibe to it and In Passing (originally Valoissa) had so much more mystery behind it. This album is one of so many reasons why Finland has had such an outstanding reputation for music.

 

For fans of:  Nightwish, Finnish Music

Stand Out Tracks:  In Passing, Islands Of Light and Scissor Paper Rock

New Device @ The Edge of the Wedge, Portsmouth 15/9/10

This is my first gig review, I want to be a music journalist when I'm older so I writing these for practise. Any hints and tips will be great  

Energy, passion and perfection are THE three words that sum up a mind blowingly awesome performance from every single band that performed tonight. Particularly headliners New Device who recently supported Bon Jovi on their 20 day residency tour at The 02 Arena, London to 23,000 people. 

The night kicked off with Bournemouth rockers MG and the Juggernaut, I personally really enjoyed their performance with Led Zeppelin like guitar solos, the bounciness in their songs and clear vocals from the boys. Their unique approach to music also got my attention, can definitely see a bright future for these guys.

Next up to play were local boys Toxic Shock playing their debut gig. They did a wonderful job getting the crowd hyped up with their energetic and passionate performance, they definitely deserved the positive reception they got that evening and did very well at their first gig.

Southampton rockers The Light Divided were the last support band to play an enjoyable set. I have seen some talented upcoming bands from Southampton such as Statement Code, TenFourAndOut! and Chromatones, these guys kept up Southampton’s great music reputation with bouncy songs that made you want to dance and head bang.

Last but not least, New Device. I’d seen them once before in Southampton and I thought they were so good that I’d come see them again at another local venue in Portsmouth. They kicked off with the ever energetic songs Make My Day, Never Say Never and On Fire, which definitely warmed up the crowd for some good old classic rock. The tone of evening smoothly transformed into a calmer atmosphere with the power ballad In the Fading Light, I find this is a great song to chill out too and it makes you smile at the same time, those are the key elements for a great classic rock ballad. Their new single Seven Nights, Seven Bodies was played to perfection with its catchy chorus and the fans singing back, I had recently seen a preview of the video and liked what I saw so I was looking forward to this song being played. It was nice surprise to see that they performed You’ve Got It Coming, which they had never done before, so I was very excited since it is my personal favourite on the album and I loved dancing to it live as well as in my bedroom. Finishing with show stopper and crowd pleaser Takin Over which describes the band perfectly...they are definitely Takin Over, I can definitely see these guys headlining a stadium concert at The 02 Arena or a big festival such as Sonisphere in a few years time since for every single song they showed so much passion and energy, which I personally really admire. After the show I watched and smiled as they were more than happy to sign things from tickets to t-shirts, pose for photos and talk to fans, I spent quite a bit of time with them too and can honestly say they are the nicest, most down to earth guys you could ever meet. I am so so glad I came to see them again this year; their performance blew me away once again and I look forward to seeing them soon.