High/Low - Raygun EP review

This follow up to last years 'Forty', left me asking one question. How long will we have to wait for a full album from these guys!!?

This is another belting EP that leaves you wanting more, and more, and more. It's a fantastic mix of heavy guitars, great vocals, and brilliantly produced tracks. The title track bursts into your ears as soon as you hit the play button. It doesn't have the pace of 'Forty' from their previous release, but that doesn't deter from the fact that these guys certainly know how to rock!! Raygun is a great start, and a more than worthy first single.

The first thing you notice about the Raygun EP, is that it's instantly recogniseable as High/Low. they haven't taken the winning formula from 'Forty' and tried to change it in any way whatsoever. Which, to me, is a great thing. If you listened to, and enjoyed 'Forty', then you're going to love 'Raygun, and thats no exageration. From the opening of the title track, through the in your face, Foo Fighter/Nirvana-esque 'Beef Back', via 'Boulder Hill', the pounding percussion of 'Walk Away', which you can't help but nod your head to, then 'Soda' and 'Tapedeck', what you have here is a collection of 6 brilliantly written, produced, and performed indie/rock songs. This should take pride of place in any music fans collection. Steve and Lee prove that 2 people really do make beautiful music together.

Raygun EP by wearehighlow

As with 'Forty', 'Raygun' belongs on your Cd rack, if it doesn't already. It's a purchase/download you will not regret.

High/Low are:-
Steve Weston - Vocals, guitars, drums, and noises
Lee Yates - Bass, Percussion, Keys, backing vox

Black Mamba - Black Mamba EP

So, Black Mamba. A band from the North West that up until a few weeks ago, had flown totally under my RockRadar! Dammit!! These guys are goooooood!! And thats only listening to their self titled EP. God knows they're gonna be amazing to see live, (at some point, hopefully).

If you like you rock heavy, full of dirty guitar riffs, power chords and power vocals, with the odd awesome solo thrown in for good measure then these are the rockers for you!!

Be under no illusion, this EP is gonna kick your ass!! from the opening riff of Give Me Poison, you'll know what you're letting yourself in for. Brothers Jonny and Jimmy Garlo front the band, with the former providing lead vocal and bass guitar, and the latter being the axe master and backing vocals. There's a fantastic solo from Jimmy in Give Me Poison, and also in the second track Refuse To Lose, an equally brutal track with all band members on better than top form.

They wrote the 4 songs on this EP themselves, and they really show the massive potential that this band has. These guys really could be stadium fillers of the future. Song 3, Losin My Mind, has an almost Def Leppard feel to the vocal, with Jonny's voice taking on a softer tone for the verses. But the track has a more metal edge than DL, and there is again some fantastic guitar playing from Jimmy. The final track, Tooth Ache, has a more hardened feel to it. It almost sounds how tooth ache makes you feel, i.e pissed off and angry. But take nothing away from it, it's a great song, and in all honesty, any of the 4 tracks on the EP is single worthy.

With Jonny leading the way, these guys, who see their priority lying with performing their reportoire of self penned songs live, there begs just one question.....how are these guys not HUGE!! Massive vocals, massive riffs, and anthemic songs in the mix, watch this space in 2013, BlackMamba are a band you're gonna be hearing a lot more of!

BlackMamba are:-
Jonny Garlo - Lead Vocal and Bass
Jimmy Garlo - Lead giutar and backing vox
Adam 'Pez' Perry - Rhythm guitar
and a drummer :)

The Sonic Revolvers - Suns of Mercury EP

I've had the pleasure of meeting these guys in person, when they played at Scruffy Murphys on December 13th supporting Sinners Highway. They really are a great bunch of guys, put on a great live performance and have great interaction with the crowd.

The Sonic Revolvers come from Runcorn in the North West of England, and a lot of the tracks they performed live were taken from their 2nd EP, 'Suns of Mercury' which is a great showcase of their own brand of alt/rock.

Vocalist Darrell Tinsley and the guys certainly know how to put a great record together as each track on SoM is a solid, single quality song, with the stand out track for me, being Feverglass, which is also featured on the BritRockArmy album 'The Uprising'.

But as I mentioned, each track on SoM could quite easily be released as a single. The opening track, Gun Shot, is a loud, frantic, energetic, rock track. With Darrell kicking off the vocals as he intends to carry on, powerful, and edgy. Plastic Rock, the 2nd track continues in much the same vein. Great guitar work from Richy Jones, another great vocal from Darrell, it again shows off the class that this Cheshire 4 piece have. Blending elements of influences such as Nirvana, Manic Street Preachers, and Biffy Clyro, Suns of Mercury is a great piece of work. But as I said, and it is only my opinion, it's Feverglass that is the standout track. A slower pace, an acoustic intro, with guitars and drums only really kicking in halfway through the first verse. The vocals this time kind of remind me a bit of Suede frontman Brett Anderson. Although the track doesn't sound anything like Suede, lol. We return to a much more rocky feel with Sunset Bridge, with almost metal riffs, but an early MSP feel to it. March of The Millions, brings the EP to a fitting close. Again, a power performance on vocals, and also from Richy on guitar and Justin (sorry ;D) on drums.


Sunset Bridge by THE SONIC REVOLVERS
If you haven't yet bought, downloaded a copy of Suns of Mercury yet, then you really should. It's brilliantly written, well produced, and fantastically performed, by a band who are quite possibly under a lot of peoples radar. Bellieve me, that is definately gonna change, and sooner rather than later.

The Sonic Revolvers are:-
Darrell Tinsley - Vocals
Richy Jones - Guitar
Phil Mealing - Bass
Mike 'Bieber' Jones - Drums