Palm Reader - Braille

If you're yet to hear of Palm Reader, this is the perfect time to get yourself acquainted. The Nottingham based mentalists have been knocking about since 2011, but their newest record Braille knocks all their past material out of the park. It's a master stroke of unease, anger, passion, beauty and calm. A frantic journey through the senses. I reviewed their single Swarm a few months ago for Invicta Magazine (you can read that review HERE), so I already had excitement brewing for the release of the full length. But nothing could truly prepare me for what I heard. It is not the record I expected at all.

Swarm completely readied my palette for the record when I first heard it towards the end of February. A whirlwind of manic drums and frenzied riffs, all with an underlying sense of dirt and grit. Married with the enormous chorus melodies, there was nothing to dislike. It sounded, to me at least, like a cross between Every Time I Die, Norma Jean and The Dillinger Escape Plan, which just happen to be 3 of my favourite bands of all time. I mean they've always sounded like that, but the initial listen of this track sucker punched me right in the gut and I was hooked. Then came the release of the rest of the record, and it did not disappoint. Quite the opposite, in fact. It seriously impressed me. The Turn is a modern metalcore slice of genius, flowing in and out of enormous riffs and serene stripped back atmospherics before erupting into a simple yet crushing sledgehammer of an outro. Coalesce is a 6 minute epic, demonstrating the bands grasp on dynamics and flaunting their ability to build suspense. Like A Wave is a thrashy and punishing affair from the get go, featuring breakneck verses, dirty riffs and a dark yet catchy chorus. The standout tracks here, though, are the 2 that close the album. Clockwork is a slow burning ember, gradually growing and rising before exploding into a storm of pummelling drums and gigantic chords. Album ender A Lover, A Shadow is almost like a combination of the 9 tracks that have preceded it rolled into one. Everything that you heard running up to this point is on show here, acting almost like a conclusion. The aggressive and dirty riffs, the soaring clean vocals, the sense of unpredictability, the serene and beautiful calm; its all here, and it's all been expertly woven together. As the final bass note and cymbal crash rings out, you find yourself wanting to listen all over again. And that's exactly what I've been doing. Numerous times. For weeks.

Not only are Palm Reader great on record, but they put on one hell of a live show. They've racked up quite the reputation over the last few years for the ferocity and musicianship they exert when they perform which, as a witness, I can confirm isn't just hearsay. They're touring the UK and Ireland in July and August this year, and I highly recommend that you attend. One of the most underrated bands in the UK scene. Pay attention to these guys, you won't regret it.

D.S

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Shields - Life In Exile

To get back into the swing of things with my writing, I'm going to be posting a bunch of reviews for albums I've been listening to over the months I've been absent from this blog. But, it's been about 4 or 5 months since I've posted anything and a lot of music has been released in that time. Therefore, rather than post reviews for everything I've been listening to (it would take FOREVER), I'm going to post reviews for albums I've heard that I think really deserve your attention. And the first album that I think deserves it comes from the UK's very own Shields.

For those unaware of who Shields are, they're a little London based metal outfit that have been making copious amounts of well polished noise for the last few years. They're one of the hardest working bands in the UK scene right now, and haven't really stopped grafting since they burst onto the scene with I Just Feel Hate back in 2013. They've toured here, there and everywhere. They took some time out to do a spot of writing. And then, in April 2018, they released Life In Exile, the culmination of all their hard work. And let me tell you, it absolutely slays.

From beginning to end, this record is jam packed with pit material. There are riffs scattered through the album that are dirtier than a hoarders house. The first riff in Upside Down is equal parts filthy and bouncy, and also features a breakdown that forces you to scrunch up your face upon hearing. Delilah has an almost Slipknot vibe to its chord heavy verses, accented by gigantic drums that sound like they're being pummelled by sledgehammers. I also dare anyone reading this to listen to Mother and sit still. It's impossible. If I had long hair (well, if I had any hair) I would windmill from beginning to end. The song is an absolute monster. The record isn't all crushing heaviness, though. It is just as beautiful as it is disgusting. Singles It's Killing Me and Black Dog are perfect examples of how to marry melody and brutality together with ease. Both showcase the bands ability to transition from mood to mood, jumping from crushing riffs to enormous soaring choruses like child's play. White Embers is the closest thing on the record to a ballad and is probably the most melodic track on the record, featuring a really well written vocal line that is immediately memorable. There are so many strong tracks on show here, especially (for me at least) In The Grey and the epic album closer Aokigahara.

As well as the quality of the songwriting, this record is also the most professional sounding product that they've released so far in their career. Every single note cuts through and makes itself known, but the whole record maintains balance throughout. Never overwhelming, but always full of clarity. I was hooked after the first listen, and I've been listening to it every week since its release. To say that I've been impressed by it is an enormous understatement. It is, without doubt, the strongest release that I've heard from a band of their level in a long time.

On the run up to the release of the record, the band discovered that their guitarist George Christie had tragically committed suicide. They dedicated the video for Black Dog to his memory, and I imagine will dedicate everything that they do going forwards to him too. The strength that they've shown continuing to push forwards is beyond admirable, and they deserve everything that will undoubtedly come their way as a result of this record. Support this band.



D.S
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