This is a band that we at ÜRHQ covered for their second album release, ‘Show Me Your Teeth, released back before the pandemic in 2019. That was a good second album so the third was a hope that it demonstrates growth and maturity in a band where they have had opportunities to play the Kiss Kruise and Beth has been backing vocalist for Thunder on their ‘Please Remain Seated’ album (‘Miracle Man’) and several tracks on ‘All The Right Noises’.
That must have been the impetus required to get the band to aim for a week in the famous Rockfield studios in Monmouth, as this is where Thunder did those albums. The question is: did it pay off? I guess you’ll have to read on to find out!
Kicking off with the booming drum/bass line on ‘The Other Side’ before the rock track kicks in with Beth’s vocals rise above the bass driven track. There is more power and control in her vocal than I have heard before. Good start.
A very aggressive riff opens ‘Sin Eater’, but the vocals remind me of Hayley Williams of Paramore in tone in some parts. Having known Beth for many years, discussion has led me to understand that the majority of tracks recorded in one take. This makes the album all the more impressive as you know this is what you will get live.
Although ‘Tonight I’m With You’ kicks off in a pop rock style, I can see it becoming a bit of a singalong anthem during the hook line, especially towards the end. However, the anthem on the album has to be ‘Who You Are’, a lyrical catch all that will get everyone who is different in anyway singing along and connecting with the song. I can see this being the theme tune to some teenage angst movie with the right promotion.
With all that angst there is enough emotion to lead you into the ballad ‘Hold Your Heart’, which is mainly an over acoustic guitar track before the subtlety of the drums and other instruments gently carry it to the breakdown and crescendo. However the star of this track is Beth’s vocal range: I know she can sing, but the range is immense.
Another upbeat track, ‘Undo Me’ follows and the power vocals just grab you by the ears and say listen to me or else, especially through the chorus. There is some pretty impressive guitar work lying underneath the vocals on this track that are so well mixed into the track that you may miss them until the outro.
‘Persephone’ is a heavy rock track full of power vocals and low thumping bass and drums that will have the hardest rocker banging his head in time to the music. In case you don’t know Persephone is the daughter of Zeus who was kidnapped by Hades.
In keeping with the mythological theme, there is a definite dark rock track called ‘Ozymandias’, based on a poem by Shelley about the Pharoah Ramesses II and the ravages of time that have been the result of many aged men. It’s a real rocker of a track. ‘Sacrifice’ has a discordant bass line intro before vocals of Beth assume the tonic qualities of Hayley Williams again in a balladic reflection on a bad relationship. It’s a really well written and emotive track, that comes to a decrescendo at the outro.
‘Trigger Warning’ is a real upbeat rocker of a track with a nice repeating riff and power vocal that has a very ’80s rock feel to it that I’m sure will go down well live. The last track, ‘Still Not Asking For It’, is bass driven from the outset but the vocals remain the key. There is a very good guitar solo before the final chorus and outro.
On the demo I received there were two bonus tracks: an absolutely stunning piano based ballad that is nearly six minutes long; it is obviously about a deeper lasting relationship that is superbly sung by Beth demonstrating subtlety and a vocal range that she doesn’t normally utilize in the other more rock driven tracks. With the right promotion and an appropriate edit it could be a huge single. The second bonus track, ‘New York Time’ has a bit of a Joan Jett feel to it; another real rocker, it just rattles through from beginning to end.
Overall, this is their best music to date and there are several more potential singles on here which, if handled appropriately, can get the recognition that the band have been working towards for many years now. The gamble to record in such a prestigious studio with Nick Brine has paid off in spades. Other than Beth Hart’s Led Zeppelin covers album, this is one of the best albums I have listened to so far this year
- ‘Mythos, Confessions, Tragedies and Love’ is released on 8 July. You can get your copy HERE.
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