VLOG #1, AWARDS SEASON SUMMARY

The inaugural theNOISE Music Awards have come to a close, as has 2012, so thank you to everybody for reading and Tweeting  - it all helps, and I'm very grateful! Now, sit back and enjoy my first attempt at a vlog! The video quality is pretty bollocks and  I need to do something about it, but here we go...

As a final note for 2012 then, here's a rundown of how shit went down...

FALLEN HERO OF 2012; Mitch Lucker of Suicide Silence
A tribute over an award; RIP Mitch, you will be missed by the legions of SS fans everywhere.

BEST LIVE BAND; Marmozets

BEST EP/MINI-ALBUM; Marmozets; VEXED

BEST SONG; Muse; SURVIVAL

BEST BAND; Enter Shikari

BEST ALBUM; Enter Shikari; A FLASH FLOOD OF COLOUR

Happy New Year! x

TOP 10 TRACKS OF 2012

Let there be no ado about this - a brief countdown of my top 10 songs from this year, more or less rated on how addicted to them I got. Set? Let's dive in.

10. Muse; UNSUSTAINABLE

The first we heard from The 2nd Law, containing (in my opinion) one of the best bits of music Muse have ever written (in the middle section), and all told a breathtaking live intro.

9. The Chariot; FIRST

The highlight of my 10/10 rated album from the mental metalcore pioneers. Metal x spaghetti western is all I'll say. Genius.

 

8. Rolo Tomassi; OLD MYSTICS

Full to the brim of shredtacular riffs and general brilliance.

 

 7. Parkway Drive; DARK DAYS

Brooding from the start, a killer riff, some brutal breakdowns and powerful vocals, it's PWD at their best.

 

6. Biffy Clyro; STINGIN' BELLE

A joyously triumphant song, and that's before the bagpipes come in. It's just awesome.

 

5. While She Sleeps; SEVEN HILLS

Everything that makes WSS good - heavy power with melody, emotion and an anthemic chorus.

 

4. Enter Shikari; GANDHI MATE, GANDHI

An absolute gem that continues to set ES apart. Dubsteppy beats, hardcore breakdowns and a classic Rou rant.

 

3. Marmozets; GOOD DAYS

I'd have settled for a song's worth of the opening sexalicious bass hook, but no, everything's awesome too. Way to keep getting better, guys.

 

2. Baroness; EULA

Lyrically clever, beautifully complex; an outstanding song.

 

1. Muse; SURVIVAL

A rousing, intentionally ridiculous but brilliant piece of Olympic bombasticness.

 

So, something Marmozets didn't win? I am still in possession of most of my marbles. Butt I just loved Survival so much, it was over-the-top, inspiring, but at the same time almost a pastiche of itself. The perfect Olympic theme, and a microcosm of why Muse are modern prog rock/the natural successors to the mighty Queen.

 

 

TOP 5 EPs OF 2012

Getting into the meaty bit of my mighty awards season now, into EPs/mini-albums (but come on, they're just longer EPs, really). I've heard a good few this year, and though I didn't get many reviews out for them, I'm doing something anyway. So here goes...

 

5. Cold Summer; WAKE

ReviewWell-developed mix of post-hardcore and rock stylings.
 

4. Blitz Kids; NEVER DIE

Big, inspirational rock, though seems to lack a little of their earlier quirky flair.

3. Voragan; CHAOS DREAMS

Review
Ambitious and well-formed first release from fledgling melodic death metal quartet.

2. Mestis; BASAL GANGLIA

 

Intelligent and complex twiddly goodness from visionary guitarist Javier Reyes, of Animals As Leaders/TRAM fame.

 

1. Marmozets; VEXED

Unpredictable, mental and downright genius from the future of the UK's punk/rock scene.

 

 

So, chalk up Marmozets' second theNOISE award, to go with their Best Live Band gong, prizes that are uber-valuable and worth their weight in Unobtanium. So I just made this, and will shortly be adding an appropriate one to the Live Band post (click on Best Live Band above to be zipped straight there); I hereby award Marmozets with theNOISE's 2012 Best EP/Mini-Album Trophy. Or a NOISY, if you prefer. It'll totally catch on, just you wait.



BEST LIVE BAND OF 2012

As I mentioned when I originally published my list of awards, the Best Live Band one is even more limited than most because it only takes in who I've been to see this year, which is probably not as many as I'd have liked. So this is a little arbitrary.

In fact, I've searched the history of reviews I've written this year, and there's 1 worth including here. The other 2 were Labrinth and Newton Faulkner, who, to their credit, were very good, but a bit out of place. I also saw the rather epic Muse in October, at Madrid's Palacio de Deportes, but I still haven't got round to writing the review, and I may never. It was an amazing show, but my Best Live Band of 2012 award goes to...

MARMOZETS!

I saw them just the once, supporting Young Guns back in March at the Norwich Arts Centre. Young Guns were great, but special mention is reserved for the 'Zets, who played an awesome set despite being largely unknown by the crowd, had mental energy and capped it off by jumping in the crowd for their final song. Read the full review here.

So I wholeheartedly recommend seeing them when you can, you'll nae regret it.

So here's your trophy, the first theNOISE Best Live Band digi-trophy. Congrats.

 

 



FEAST YOUR EARS ON NEW MARMOZETS STUFF. DO IT. DOOOOOO ITTTTTTT.

The mighty Northern noisefolk that are Marmozets are amazing. To say that I love them is like saying Stephen Hawking is about bright enough for a pub quiz team. They are BRILLIANT. You can check out a live review I did a few months back if you need convincing. But the point of all this is that they have a new single Good Days, w/ b-side Skin, coming out on October 29th via Venn Records (the lovechild of Gallows), which you can listen to right here on your computing device.

KERRANG! AWARDS 2012: MY PREDICTIONS

It's that time again kids. The K! Awards are upon us, and this is who I'd like to see scoop the awards (although I know some won't come close)


Best British Newcomer: Marmozets (no contest in my mind)
Best International Newcomer: Kvelertak
Best Single: Cancer Bats - Old Blood
Best Album: Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood Of Colour
Best Live Band: Enter Shikari
Best British Band: Enter Shikari
Best International Band: Mastodon
Best TV Show: Being Human
Best Video Game: Skyrim
Best Film: The Skin I Live In (far too arty though. It's Spanish, for one thing)
Best Comedian: Bill Bailey
Tweeter Of The Year: Jono Yates of Blitz Kids (@jonoBLITZ)
Hottest Female: Romily Alice of Japanese Voyeurs
Hottest Male: Jared Leto of 30 Seconds To Mars
Villain Of The Year: The whole of Metallica (yes for Lulu)
Hero Of The Year: Rou Reynolds of Enter Shikari
Best Festival: Download


So maybe I may have shown a slight bias to a particular British band... It's what I think though, so... awards.kerrang.com

VANS WARPED TOUR UK

BRING ME THE HORIZON are the first band on the bill for WTUK!


It's all going down at Alexandra Palace on November 10th, and tickets go on sale May 7th, when there'll be a load more bands revealed (although I'm sure there'll be more before then, to try and peak interest). www.vanswarpedtouruk.com is where you need to go for the very latest.


Although I won't be in the country for it (sad face), I hope it goes well enough to bring it back for 2013. It'd be good to see some international bands on the lineup, and in terms of UK bands, my thoughts drift toward You Me At Six, Kids In Glass Houses etc, but it'd be brilliant to see the smaller bands like my faves Marmozets, While She Sleeps, The Ocean Between Us, Release The Kraken... That ilk. Fingers crossed!

MARMOZETS to support THE USED!

This happened like a day ago, yet somehow I missed it.


My current favourite band Marmozets (check out my review of them live the other week at http://yesthisisnoise.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/live-review-young-gunsmarmozets-24312.html) have nabbed themselves a support slot with The Used on their upcoming 4-date stint on our fair British shores.

• 24/4 - Glasgow, King Tuts
• 25/4 - Manchester, Ritz
• 26/4 - Birmingham, Academy II
• 29/4 - London, Islington Academy

I recommend that you go out to one/some/all of these. In the meantime, check out Marmozets' EP's Passive Aggressive and Vexed, and The Used's new album Vulnerable, which I'll be reviewing as soon as I get the time to listen to it good and proper.

LIVE REVIEW; YOUNG GUNS/MARMOZETS, 24/3/12, NORWICH ARTS CENTRE

*****


Off the back of the Bare Bones acoustic tour in support of recent album Bones, and a support slot around Europe alongside the mighty Enter Shikari, Young Guns came to the Norwich Arts Centre on the first of 2 UK headline dates to play an intimate sold-out show. Warming up the crowd for them were Yorkshire math-punks Marmozets, one of the most exciting and hotly-tipped new British bands to emerge for some time. Both bands combined to create a triumphantly breathless and chaotic night.


Now, I don't normally cover the support bands, but I'm making an exception with Marmozets, because I came to see them as much as I did Young Guns. With 2 EPs (the free Passive Aggressive and the £2.50 bargain Vexed) under their belts, Marmozets have already received critical acclaim from the likes of Kerrang! and Rock Sound, and despite their young age (the drummer's only 17, I think), delivered a polished yet decidedly mental half-hour. Opening with Vexed's first track Onemanwolfpack, they ripped through tracks from each EP such as Lives (check the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CbMxMJwhnI) and The Perfect Beverage with a fantastic energy, even going into the crowd for their last song. One of my favourite bands at the moment (and lovely guys - I chatted to vocalist Becca and guitarist Sam afterwards), with the sort of technical skill that would make a lot of metal shredders, drummers and vocalists cry into their beards, Marmozets are going a long, long way, and I recommend that you get on board. 


And then came Young Guns, the interior of the Arts Centre by now packed out. With a set comprising of their best from their 2 albums All Our Kings Are Dead, Bones and lone EP Mirrors, they burst onto the stage with a combo of Elements and the anthemic Bones. Wasting no time except to thank the crowd for turning out in such numbers, they played with great enthusiasm and force. That fed back into the crowd, who responded in turn to lend the band their own energy back - it was a cycle that lasted the whole night. The only minor disappointment was the lack of an encore to their set, but given that they played a well-rounded set with appeal to fans from every stage of their career, closing with EP track and fan fave Daughter Of The Sea and singles Winter Kiss/Weight Of The World, there were few complaints. A brilliant evening.


COPYRIGHT Thomas Castle, April 2012
Special thanks to Livewire 1350's Head of Music Jay Lawrence for getting me (and mate Simon) in!