August 24, 2006
Black Vinyl Heart
Tonight's entertainment at The Maze is an interesting mix of ambient, progressive and dynamic rock from some of Nottingham and Derby's best up and coming acts, to start proceedings we have Black Vinyl Heart. From the first song this band fill the room with emotion, mixing more softer moments of clean guitar, moving bass, viola and soft vocals with huge bursts of electric guitar, funky drums and heavy bass. It is an explosive mix and the band are tight and well rehearsed. The vocalist has a feel emotional and song voice and unlike some female vocalist's her vocal cuts through the louder moments well and adds power and feeling to the songs. As the set progresses she shows her talent with building moments of almost operatic quality and with the viola adding depth and layers to some songs, Black Vinyl Heart mix the indie rock of early Ash with huge bursts of epic musicianship which reminded me of later Smashing Pumpkins. The added twist of the female vocalist who also has good and chatty stage presence means the crowd love the set and it starts the night off on a high.
http://www.myspace.com/blackvinylheartmusic
Ardency
Next up are a band who have had some great press over the last few years, Ardency. Tonight they are without the projectors and film reels I have seen in the past but this seems to enhance the quality of their music, with huge effects on the guitars, moving bass lines, clever vocal patterns and solid drumming, they create huge soundscapes of wonderful proportion. The upbeat and funkier moments reminded me slightly of The Happy Mondays whilst the softer more psycidelic moments show a Pink Floyd influence. The vocals are strong and powerful and with some catchy hooks and interesting lyric lines, they are tight and catchy. Though they don't move around loads on stage they are easy to watch with just the right amount of movement and a relaxed presence from the frontman. This was an epic performance and mixed some catchy and moving styles once again leaving the crowd in good spirit.
http://www.myspace.com/ardency1
The Faster I Drive
Third to take the stage are The Faster I Drive who are from across the midlands in Derby. As the electo synths lick in and guitars start bursting in and out with their amazing interlinking riffs, it is evident we are in for something special. This band are instrumental but still build a mass of feeling and emotion, changing mood, tempo, time signature and dynamic constantly. The guitars interlock really well and they are one hell of a tight band! The sound mixed styles of jazz, rock, funk and electronica. The drummer was really tight as was the bassist and they seemed to have a psychic connection, changing the times and tempos it such a flowing way. It reminded me at times of Oceansize as they built the sound up before breaking it down and back again, it also had elements of Jaga Jazzist, Square Pusher and with the softer synth moments some old skool Kraftwork. The band flew through their set and layered the sound amazingly, it was a feast for the eardrums! The Faster i Drive are one of those bands I feel I should write a lot about but I can't as it left me speechless, one word WOW!
http://www.myspace.com/thefasteridrive
Beyond This Point Are Monsters
Finally we have another instrumental band from Derby, Beyond this point are Monsters. This band were a bit heavier than the previous act but once again showed great skill in building their sound up and down and hitting dynamic notes. However rather than changing riffs and tempos as The Faster I Drive had, Beyond this point are Monsters build their songs round one riffs with some clever and subtle changes making the sound bigger and bigger like a boulder flying down a mountain! The drums were pounding and the bass heavy, with one guitar providing the complex riffs whilst the other mixed solos and breaks as well as added minor riffs to give the sound a really cool feel. Again there was a real mix of genre influence and at times the sound hit even metal tones reminding me slightly of The Mars Volta but then the other extreme was much softer and had a expressive and ambient edge.
Overall this was a brilliant night with all the bands showing great expressive, emotional and dynamic music played to a high standard and leaving everyone in awe.
Reviewed by: Gaz
