Filed under: review | Tags: electronic, goth rock, music, Tapping the Vein
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
If you’re looking for a cheerful album to pick you up, this is definitely not the one! It is an incredibly dark and depressing album. That being said, I like the bleakness and I think it is a wonderful electro-tinged goth rock record. Heather Thompson’s voice is truly unique and awe-inspiring; I think it’s what sets the band apart from others of this genre. One minute she is singing softly and almost child-like, the next she’s snarling with a sinister edge or wailing powerfully. This, combined with the dark soundscapes and (often disturbing) lyrics, really make the songs an emotional and intense listen. Favourite tracks on the album are ‘Party Favours’, ‘Razor Blades’ (which stood out straight away), ‘Burn’, ‘Complicate It’ and ‘All My Heart’. It wasn’t an album I instantly loved, but it grew on me after a few listens and it has firmly taken hold of me as one of the best albums I’ve heard in 2009. Unfortunately not enough people know about this band and the album is difficult (or expensive) to get hold of if you’re not from the United States, but I highly recommend them!
This is Tapping the Vein’s second album and their first in seven years. Another Day Down was released in March 2009.
Filed under: free tracks | Tags: alternative, Christmas, female vocals, music, Tori Amos
Amazon.com are offering ‘Snow Angel’ by Tori Amos as a free download today as part of their 25 Days of Free. The song is from her first seasonal album Midwinter Graces. You can download it here.
Filed under: newly discovered, review | Tags: acoustic, armed forces, charity, hard rock, metal, Morpheus Rising, music
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I feel awful that it’s taken me so long to listen to this single. Morpheus Rising are a five-piece rock band based in York and whose lead vocalist, Grae Tennick, is a member of the Armed Forces having served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is due to return to Helmand Province next year. The band released this charity single on November 2nd 2009 in aid of Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.
Both tracks are hard-hitting, but in different ways. First track, ‘Fighting Man’, is a blistering old-school-esque metal track. The song gives the listener a glimpse into the mind of a soldier and really captures the essence of what it means to be fighting for your country. The music fits really well with the image of war and the guitar solos are amazing! The second track, ‘An Ordinary Man’, was originally released in 2008 but it has had a revamp for this release. It is an acoustic track, but still as powerful and very moving.
You can still purchase the single or donate to the causes via their official website. It’s a great single (an alternative to that X-Factor charity single that was put out last year, at least!) and for very worthy causes! A minimum of 25p per CD sale and 15p per online sale will be donated to each charity.
Filed under: album news, free tracks, upcoming | Tags: MAdM, Melissa Auf der Maur, rock
I did Twitter (ugh) this on November 9th, but just in case you missed it: you can download the brand new Melissa Auf der Maur track, ‘OOOM’, for free on her official website. The video for the song will be live online from December 1st – so don’t miss that either. According to the website, it was shot on solar power with real fireballs and bleeding trees! It has also been announced that the eagerly anticipated Out Of Our Minds album-film-comic-web experience will finally be released in 2010!
