I’ve reviewed some releases from Echoviolet in the past but that Echoviolet are gone, this is the new Echoviolet. The band have taken some time to explore a new direction, acquired a new vocalist. And here we are with a new single.

‘Necromancy’ is heavy – churning riffs, guitars turned up to 11. It sits somewhat in the intersection between melodic metal and heavy alt-rock. Yep, it does that quiet/;pud thing – you get this is relatively speaking – but the guitars are louder, the drums are pounded harder than alt-rock. There’s probably a name for the genre but I’m not about genres right now.

What I’m about is the sheer power of the track, because it has that. But also the beauty of the quieter bits. These showcase the vocals of new singer Lamece Varley. These go from a barely heard whisper, build and then go stratospheric in the loud bits.

Yes, this track is heavy but come closer my friends for there is something going on here. And that something is what I’m going to call a specialness in the arrangement. There are sounds here that surprise, sounds that compel. There are sawing string sounds, things that sound like backing vocals but may be synth sounds and a simply astonishing variety of guitar sounds. This isn’t just mindless riffage but a track that’s composed. There is obvious musical ability at work here.

‘Necromancy’ rocks, but it rocks with musical cleverness. A cleverness which is all about feel and atmosphere. And it’s this which raises it above the average, makes it so compelling and so fucking good. OK, so crank it up, rock out, but then listen again more closely and be amazed. This is music for the head as well as headbanging. This new direction for Echoviolet is shaping up to be a bloody good one.

The info

The band are recently acquired lead singer Lamece Varley from Halifax, Rowan Minnis on Guitar from Bradford, Lee Cudwoth on bass guitar from York and Ethan Swales on the
drum kit from Wakefield.

Boy oh boy do FloodHounds deliver the goods. The headline here is that ‘Quicksand’ is a blast of swampy psychy down and dirty rawk ‘n’ roll. And it is worth, well worth, getting the good biscuits out before cranking it to the max.

For those of you who are saying ‘Floodhounds, who are they?’ Here’s the briefing. They started – at least at the time I first heard them – as a kind of bluesy indie band. Since then they’ve taken the odd swerve into alt-rock, always with a touch of the blues or psychedelic rock, before ending up here. In a way it makes sense, because you see Jack, their vocalist and guitarist, just can’t help what I assume is an internal insistence to include big somewhat retro, bluesy psychedelic rock guitar sounds.

The other thing to love about FloodHounds is that they play beautifully. The three of them stand out individually; I say stand out when I mean that when you listen to their individual playing it’s jaw droppingly good. But when they lock together,, the collective sound is like a bulldozer; unstoppable.

Before we go on ‘Quicksand’ is about something. “‘Quicksand’ is all about the emotional turbulence of life’s journey, exploring resilience in the face of moving “two steps forwards another backwards,” says Jack. “Life rarely moves in a straight line but the song is about finding the determination to forge on regardless through unpredictable situations,”

How this track sounds is therefore a reflection of what the song is about. The sound is overwhelming because life is overwhelming. The backing vocals at times almost seem to reflect the monotony of life’s little obstacles. The chorus sounds like the collapsing of walls around you, It’s swampy because, well, because quicksand..

I guess if we’re being picky here it might be more accurate to say ‘a blast of swampy psychy down and dirty alt-rawk ‘n’ roll’ instead of ‘a blast of swampy psychy down and dirty rawk ‘n’ roll’ because yes, there are hints of that alt-rock ‘format’. But somehow that ignores the downright uniqueness of the sound of this track. The oddness of the dual female backing backing vocals that oddly sound rather punky or cartoony or even new wave, the compelling swirly section. It also ignores the inventiveness of the riffs.

But make no mistake this, my friends, is heavy – or even ’very ‘eavy …very ‘umble’ – and dirty. I played this to one of my metal loving friends, and they were convinced it was some edgy metal band. It has hints of classic rock, punk, the psychedelic blues sound of certain early Fleetwood Mac tracks, and pinches of garage rock. And even a dash of weird japanese pop.

The thing is you might not hear all all this stuff I written about, you might describe this as a fucking great rock track; and that’s cool. It is. It’s my job to pick tracks apart until the stuff I heard makes no sense as a blending of sounds, until you’re so confused that you have not the slightest idea what it sounds like.

It is equally my job to cut through all of my picking apart and tell you that this, people, kicks arse, it rocks, it bloody rocks hard. You can rock out to it, you can dance like a crazy person to it, you can blast it loud and proud. With every release FloodHounds get better and better, and ‘Quicksand’ is the current pinnacle, how high they are in the sky, Every release is a sign of where they can go; further. Get on this right now, no excuses, no delay.

The info

The band are

Lauren Greaves – Drums
Jack Flynn – Vocals/Guitar
Anna Melidone – Bass

“We had a blast loading the track up with more guitars than I can count, squealing stuttering feedback from sizzlingly overheated amplifiers. My trusty stratocaster just wasn’t enough for the grisly sound we were after so I ended up playing the majority of the song upside down on Gavin’s collection of right-handed humbucker equipped guitars,” says Jack.

“We even added some piano parts with some Iggy & the Stooges style high octaves stomping away in the chorus,” Lauren adds

Static Caravans describe themselves as ‘emerging from the post-punk miasma’. Despite that there are echoes of post-punk; echoes of the loping bass, post-punk electronic music. Possibly this is the influence of the whole of the 4AD catalogue. There is definitely the sound of computers and sophisticated synths at work, there is the influence of music past, now and possibly future.

As if predicting my very opening remarks to this review ‘Marble Faun’ has the feels of post-punk electronica circa early New Order – check out that bass sound and riff – but in the mix is indie rock, all sorts of sounds that come from bands and genres that came after punk, math-rock all combined into this exceptional tuneful, deeply compelling sound. It is rave-y – the dropout is almost orgasmic – and bloody hell is this something you’ll want to dance to.

‘Previous Engagement’ almost defies description. There is mutant hip-hop, the sound of early electronica, electro-pop. Much as I dislike pulling direct comparisons out of the hat there are hints of The Thompson Twins and Big Audio Dynamite, 80s’ pop as played by King; big sounds abound.

From the opening weird vocal intro to the segue into electro-pop ‘Sparkly Deathtrap’ is undoubtedly strange but bloody glorious and full of musical joy. Yep, there are hints of pure post-punk but let’s not get hung up on that.

As if returning to ‘we’re a 4AD influenced band from Leeds’ ‘I’m A Big Winner’ has an altogether darker feel. Beautiful vocals, sometimes whispered, drift over sombre guitar and keyboards. Washes of menacing sound drift into what sounds like cello For me, and I will band drop here, there are hints of Dream Academy, Cocteau Twins and The Ravishing Beauties. This my beautiful readers is all about mood and atmosphere and it is frankly almost too beautiful to bear, it is achingly so. I wept.

To return to my opening paragraph, the band saying that they are emerging from the post-punk miasma is something of a misstatement because by saying they are influenced by the essence of 4AD they are actually placing themselves deep in the heart of post-punk territory. And by that I mean music that came after punk. A hell of a lot of Goths loved the Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil; I know I was one back in the 80s.

And before I forget the writing, the playing, the arrangements are beyond criticism. The vocals = lead and backing, shine. I almost feel guilty especially mentioning a particular vocal but for me the vocal on ‘I’m A Big Winner’ was a particular standout. And despite the presence of computers the actual real instruments are fantastic.

I actually prefer bands that are near to or completely impossible to even crowbar them into a niche or genre. And Static Caravan are that, for that reason I love them. Simply put they make music that is compelling and mesmerising. It can be wonderfully joy filled or achingly darkly beautiful. They make music that is so carefully put together it almost hurts but it doesn’t, and this is the key, lose the mood or the atmosphere. It can make you want to dance in glorious happiness or weep on the floor in a small heap. But at the same time it all makes you want to submerge yourself in the layers of fabulous sound.

This EP, if you haven’t worked it out already, is wonderful, fantastic and other kinds of all things good. This goes beyond recommended listening, it’s compulsory listening.

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The info

Emerging from the post-punk miasma, Static Caravan have been flung into the digital age. With computers in hand they work towards creating a post-hyper patchwork of genre. Drum and bass machineries course through ruptured beat velocities, giving way into chaotic glitched out collapse, and then descend gracefully into delicate soundscapes.

The EP portrays a surreal summer with bishops stripping in night clubs, echoes of Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet, and the emotional excess of watching cheerleader films whilst feeling that you’re not in love. The semi-self-titled lead single ‘Marble Faun’ blends melancholic dream pop with glitchy electronica, exploring the history of a decrepit East Hampton mansion that once belonged to Jackie Kennedy’s eccentric extended family, seeking a glimpse of decadence past.

Over the course of 14 months, the EP was recorded in bedrooms, kitchens, and living rooms, and then processed on laptops that buckled under the weight of the 350+ Ableton tracks. The production draws on the essences of 4AD, Sophisti-pop and Techno-kayo, as well as influences like The Go! Team and Hot Chip, synthesising them with the futuristic sounds of Bladee and Otto Benson. Extending songs organically with computer processing; pipe organ is folded in on itself, guitars are warped into clouds of vapour, birds sing over gentle textures, and various computer-crashing resynthesis algorithms are deployed using Max MSP.

Static Caravan are a five-piece band from Leeds, members are:

Tom Carroll – drums, production
Jack O’Connor – guitar, vocals
Tom Owen – guitar
Matt Purbrick – bass, production
Mia Windsor – keys, vocals

I have come to a point where I felt I needed to at least get it clear in my head why I have developed this liking for Moose Wrench – AKA the finest dad-bod alt-core trio in the world. I came to the very quick conclusion that it’s purely because they project this sense of ‘we just love playing our music’, and because they play their music so well. It’s really that simple.

Well having surprised us all with their cover of The Ting Tings ‘Not My Name’ you are really not going quite where to put yourself with ‘Don’t Let Me Down’. If you were expecting something with at least a touch of alt-core; spoiler alert, you won’t get it.

Yes, there are some epic guitars but it sounds like some mutant mix of early electro pop, late Queen – when they did use synths, a touch of out there jazz bass solo and art-rock punk with the feel of something I just can’t put my finger on. It is, in short, madcap. But it’s also fucking wonderful; somehow the craziness of the sound charms you. It charms you and leaves you swooning, strangely and inexplicably emotional, and somehow confused as to why.

Sorry I had to take a short pause there to check that this was actually the track I should be reviewing; it is.

Reading what I’ve written so far I’m worried that you might be put off from actually listening to the track. So please don’t be. Please listen to the song. You may or may not regret it but please listen. Cos you see this is brilliantly madcap, totally out-there, brilliantly played and wonderfully written. Listen to it, love it, and don’t try to work out why just let yourself do it.

Mince do the unexpected, they do what they feel like. So with ‘(Don’t Forget) You Can’t Swim’ a band generally known as having at the very least a hint of the post-punk do something entirely different.

If you’ve done ‘the listen before reading this thing’ – look I know it happens, it’s OK honest – you may be reaching for ‘ this sounds like a ramshackle original indie song’ but I urge you to think again. This is pure garage rock circa mid-60s. If this doesn’t mean a thing to you then checkout the album ‘Nuggets’ (a compilation of mid to late 60s garage rock and early psychedelia made by bands who mainly played in their garages, yep that’s how garage rock got its name). This took the pop of the day and through a variety of things – including the fact that some of them were not that proficient – made these ragged on the edge of falling apart songs.

To drive this home this is the classic 60s’ teenage death song format. The track is about a lover, all too keen to get to the deep end, and the other party willing to risk it all to keep the other around. We are left at the end with the warning… ‘(Don’t Forget) You Can’t Swim’.

So that’s the sound, that’s the history. But the important thing here is what in the hell does it sound like – if you haven’t done the listening before reading thing – well it will come as no surprise that it sounds like ragged, on the edge of falling apart, garage rock. Glorious touches abound – the casual vocals with just the right touch of Ramones drawl, the pop song at the very heart of it, the somewhat ragged but arch to the max guitar work. It’s clever you see, it’s not as chaotic and ragged as you may think; there’s thought behind it.

But it feels like 2 minutes of musical joy that leaves you with the biggest grin, a compulsion to crank it louder and play it again and again. It is, to paraphrase, fucking brilliant. I bloody love this band.

I love noisy heavy on the gorgeous sound of guitars rock of all kinds, But where did this start for me? Simple, it started with metal and heavy rock. In my youth Metal. heavy or hard rock was in transition – on the one hand you had the classic heavy bands – Zeppelin, Deep Purple, AC/DC, Sabbath, you know what I mean – and on the other you had the heavy but fast New Wave of British Heavy Metal – Saxon, Tygers of Pan Tang, Diamond Head, Iron Maiden – who fused that short sharp blast of punk with metal.

The reason I mention this is that Dead Demons do heavy hard rock which kinda fuses both your classic heavy rock and NWOBHM sounds.

Off the bat with ‘Devil May Care’ we for sure have some heavy loudness but there’s a riff that grooves. There’s the hint of heavy blues in that sharp guitar riff. But wait for there’s more – not happy with just doing that the band add in some rather wonderful melodic sections just to mix it up. Great riffs, guitar to drool over, vocals in that classic metal style. A groove that takes me right back to the Clarendon Hotel, Hammersmith at a Friday rock night. Fuck is this good.

‘Time Is Your Enemy’ does that classic rock intro thing – start with a siren, bring in a grinding riff. This one has that early Diamond Head feel. It’s fast, has a rift that you could break a neck to. And yet there’s that spice, a slower section (with the sounds of war, no less). And this is the key to Metal, you need to add in the spice – a slower section, a faster section.

‘Outlaw’ is your classic metal bikers song. And an excuse for off the hook guitar. As if they need one.

So, every Metal band release needs a track or two that gives the band some space to stretch it out; ‘Trial By Fire’ is the first of those. Look, you still get riffs to die for but you also get melodic sections, vocals that go beyond the Metal scream,

And so, sadly, we come to the closing track ‘Another Space In Time’. I say sadly because I really like the EP and the band. This burns people, your slow melodic start, fade to heavy riff and a solo of a kind I haven’t heard in years. Riffs galore, a frankly heart stopping descending hook. This has it all.

Look, in a way I’m sorry that my frame of reference for this EP is the past, and in particular my past. But on the other hand, from the opening notes of the EP opener I was taken back to my late teens; because it sounds like I remember Metal or Hard or Heavy rock (you pays yer money, you takes yer choice) back then sounded like. Except it doesn’t. Just for shits and giggles I pulled out of my mountain of vinyl a few examples of classic NWOBHM, and nearly without exception it sounded a bit wimpy – nowhere near as heavy as I remembered it. So in a way it isn’t old music, it’s influenced by old music but filtered through the music since. Or it’s how it SHOULD have sounded but didn’t.

Nor do I want to label it as classic rock – although if you’re into that, feel free to get into this EP – because that kinda washes out the freshness and vibrantency of it.

Rather I want you to think of this as a fine fine EP of songs that fucking rock, cover some topics that might surprise you and are full of some bloody marvellous playing. Music that is for all fans of loud, hard and heavy music. Dead Demons are alive and making music that fucking kicks like hell.

Buy the EP: https://dead-demons.sumupstore.com