Handguns - Angst Pop Punk quarter release their full length debut album, "Angst" - have they aimed to high or struck the target?!.. Opening song, "Porch Light" gets things of to a good start with a driving riff and good use of dual and gang vocals, which is used throughout the album. It has the makings of a fan favourite track and is the stand out song of the album for me. "Drag You Out" contains some good catchy riffs, and strong dual vocals which help to give more..'angst'! Perhaps one of the more anger filled song in terms of use of vocals and lyrics. Strangely one of the best moments on the album comes in the form of the shortest song, "Capsize" a fast paced number coming in at just over a minute long as it stands out and has a bit more character! Lyrically the issues are fairly standard, but "The War At Home" and "Where I Belong" offer some more personal insights, with "Where I Belong" regarding the departure of front-man Taylor Eby and his return back to the band - giving the song more depth, making it one of the best and most memorable songs. This closer seems like a perfect closer, leaving it on a optimistic note and hopefully suggesting that the future for the band is set and more stable! They have put a lot of hard work into their debut, it shows, but unfortunately they haven't quite found their distinguishable sound yet, but to be fair it is early days, so for a first release, there is a lot of promise! But with so many pop punk bands around, nothing particularly sets them apart, admittedly this is hard to achieve within this genre. Nonetheless this is an enjoyable album to listen to with plenty of catchy songs. I think the bands future looks good, so will be interesting to see how they develop and hone into their own individual sound. CL
Muse - The 2nd law As a fan of previous Muse albums, I am really disappointed that Muse have taken this road with the new release. The problem with the 2nd law is it is less a cohesive album and more of a collection of diverse songs that just do not flow. But, it’s not all doom and gloom, if I were going to look at this album from a “muse virgin� fans point of view, there are many positives. From the epic Supremacy to the funky Panic Station, or the subdued guitar genius of Animals to the chilling isolated system, there are many highlights. The songs big freeze and liquid state may be weak links, but the rest of the album is strong. It's a much more diverse and interesting record than the resistance, with Muse showing the bombastic sound that made them famous ahead of the manufactured sound from their previous effort. You may not like the album, but you cannot complain of a lack of heavy songs-survival, Supremacy, Liquid state and possibly even Follow Me are all loud tracks. It's heavier than the resistance, and again features a wide range of genres, with influences coming not just from Queen, but also from INXS, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin and even Stevie Wonder. The addition of two tracks by bassist Chris Wolstenholme is also a welcome addition, as he has a good voice and produced a great track in Save Me. Overall, the album is over the top. But I respect muse for trying to push the boundaries with their music. AJ