Film Review: Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck

The Man Who Rocked the World

If ever there were a band to ruffle the norm of the music industry during the course of the 20th century then Nirvana were arguably the most successful and highly publicised act to do so during the 1990's, where the pop-rock music of the decade previous began to seem tiresome and self-indulgent in the face of Cobain and co.'s fearful rawness and eagerness to proclaim their hate for not only teenage lifestyle in the USA, but almost everything that encapsulated 1990's America at that time. What we have with Montage of Heck is the first official documentary on the tragically short life of Cobain, which intertwines footage and documents belonging to Cobain, his family and his friends with epiphany-like dream sequences in an attempt to highlight the troubled nature of one of musics' most beloved, iconic, and unforgettable artists of all time. The question is, does it work? Oh yes, it really does. 

The fundamental issue that came to mind before watching Montage of Heck was whether it would be successful in encapsulating both the Nirvana fan-base and the lay movie-goer who although may be aware of Nirvana and their influence in musical history, may not be as engaged as Nirvana fans may be in a documentary solely interested in the life of Kurt Cobain. From the viewpoint of someone who is a Nirvana fan, I would have to say Montage of Heck succeeds in providing enough interest to suitably entertain both ends of the spectrum, with its' detailed and sometimes solemn interviews and insights being effectively juxtaposed with the sheer madness of live Nirvana performances, showcasing how at the time, their refreshing punk-rock style was something sorely missing in the forefront of the musical industry. 

The documentary goes right through from the early days of the Cobain family up to Nirvana's wonderful performance on MTV Unplugged, detailing the many issues and problems surrounding Kurt throughout his lifetime including a misguided youth, the influence of drugs, and finally his marriage to Courtney Love. If ever there was a documentary so in love yet shocked by its' subject matter, Montage of Heck would definitely be it, with the film not shying away from both the calmness and carnage of Cobain's life, something of which was hard, yet needed to be seen in order for the documentary to sway away from being classed as a full frontal homage to the greatness of Kurt. By showcasing the darker, seedier side of the Cobain lifestyle, the documentary expands beyond the one-sided nature it could have been, and by doing so, makes the definitive conclusion of Kurt's suicide even harder to take. 

Montage of Heck truly succeeds in bringing the life of one of music's most influential and iconic rock stars to the big screen in a dark and uncompromising fashion, showcasing the rise and fall of Nirvana and the issues that had arisen in Kurt's life prior to his suicide. This year marked the 21st anniversary of such a tragic event and Montage of Heck proves to be a fitting and emotional tribute to a musical artist lost at an age much too young. In a time where music is questionable to say the least, Cobain solidified Nirvana into rock and roll history, emphasised by the release of this documentary where Kurt and his music are needed as much now as they were within the late 20th century. RIP. 

Overall Score: 9/10

Live Music Review - Muse at Brighton Dome

The Sound of Muse-Ic

Earlier this year, I was reminiscing the brilliant back-to-back gigs I witnessed when Muse shook the foundations of the Emirates Stadium to its' core back in 2013, where although me and my fellow cronies queued for near on six hours on both the Saturday and Sunday, the quality and sheer awesomeness of the concerts that proceeded were more than worth the wait. Almost two years later, with an impending seventh album on the horizon, Muse are finally back on the road with their aptly named "Psycho Tour", consisting of six gigs at rather small venues across the UK. Fortunately for myself, I managed to bag a ticket for their final show at the Brighton Dome and it would be criminal to say that the show was anything less than perfection.

Before the show even began, Muse fans were treated to the release of the first single from the upcoming album Drones, "Dead Inside", which I heard briefly before entering the beautiful and rather intimate Brighton Dome. I could only assume therefore that we were set to hear its' first live performance that very same night. Kicking off with the riff-ology that is "Psycho", it was clear there was to be no messing around tonight, with the fulcrum of the gig being based around the trio of drums, bass and electric guitar, adhering to the bands' promise of going back to their roots. As soon as the "bum bum de bum de bum bum" riff kicked in, mosh pits were evolving and the energy between the crowd and the band were in complete sync already. Next, the crowd was treated to the magnificent "Map of the Problematique," from Black Holes and Revelations, relaying echoes of both U2 and Depeche Mode, something of which could be said of the new single which was played for the first time ever swiftly after. If "Psycho" is Full Metal Jacket, then "Dead Inside" can only be described as Atonement, with it's funky beat centered around the idea of loss and love whilst clearly outlining the central themes of the upcoming album. Also, it sounds pretty damn great live.

Accompanied by the fan-favoured "hullabaloons", the band then bashed out Origin of Symmetry single "Bliss" which ended with a jam of Rage Against the Machine's "Maggies Farm" followed by Matt Bellamy retelling of how the band stayed in Winston Churchill's house in Brighton for almost a year during the recording of their third LP "Absolution". It was only apt for the band to then play the trilogy of "Time is Running Out", "Hysteria", and "Stockholm Syndrome" from that particular album, with the latter ending with a thrash-metal version of the rocking outro to "Micro Cuts" and Bellamy jumping energetically into his on-stage amps. If that wasn't enough, the band then treated the hardcore fans, me included, to B-Side "The Groove", leaving the crowd sweaty, the band pumped, and my neck considerably damaged from the headbanging required for that particular quartet of songs. 

With that carnage of rock out of the way, it was only inevitable for the band to calm things down slightly with singles "Starlight", "Supermassive Black Hole" and "Uprising" all being performed to perfection, even with Bellamy's consistent improvisations and asking the crowd to sing parts of the songs for him. It was simply magical to witness thousands of people all scream "THEY WILL NOT FORCE US" at the top of their voices, and although I had seen this at previous gigs, the acoustics of the Dome enhanced the power this particular demonstration provided. The main set concluded with new track "Reapers" channeling vibes of 80's rock artists such as Van Halen and AC/DC, not surprising when Robert John "Mutt" Lunge is the producer of their upcoming album Drones, whose previous efforts include "Highway to Hell" and "Back in Black". 

After a short break, the encore consisted of rare Showbiz single, "Uno", sounding as brilliant as ever, the classic fuzzed-up "Plug in Baby", and concluded with mosh-pit magnet "Knights of Cydonia".  Even with it being the seventh time I had seen them, Muse continue to impress. The sheer amount of energy they produce could stabilise the economy, and their showcasing of the new tracks has made me even more excited for the album release in June. Best gig ever? Quite possibly.

Overall Score: 10/10

Music Review: Muse - Psycho

Full Metal Racket

Here we are at last. Finally, after three years we have confirmation of a new Muse record by the name of "Drones", and although the full album is set for a June release, the Teignmouth Trio decided to do a Beyonce this week and drop all information regarding an upcoming tour, song titles, etc. resulting in crazed Musers across the world. Being part of such an esteemed group of fans, it was fair to say my excitement levels reached DEFCON One when the band suddenly dropped their promotional tune "Psycho" to the world this week and it is fair to say I wasn't disappointed.

Kicking off with a Rage Against the Machine inspired riff that Muse fans have known for near-on a decade now, with it famously being part of the closing stages of "Stockholm Syndrome" at Glasto 2004, the song begins with the same DNA you would expect in early Muse tracks such as "Agitated" and "Dead Star", with Chris Wolstenholme's trademark bass sound perfectly accompanying Matt Bellamy's distorted lead, whilst Dominic Howard's effortless drumming emphasising the notion that the band are trying to revisit their roots. After a pretty funky breakdown, the lyrics, sang over the top of a "Roadhouse Blues" inspired rock-riff, start to paint a picture of the theme the album is probably going to based around, especially the screamo-sounding,"I'm gonna make you, I'm gonna break you, I'm gonna make you, a fuckin' psycho," followed by the questionable chorus of Bellamy screaming, "Your ass belongs to me now." 

After another verse and chorus, we have another pretty funky breakdown with Bellamy alone playing his new favourite riff followed by the band exploding once again into their rocky rawness with an added, yet uninspiring, guitar solo of which, is very reminiscent of the guitar solo from "Showbiz", a track that I have never had the pleasure to witness live (Hint to Muse: Play it at Brighton). The song concludes with another whack of the chorus and the band fizzing out to distorted guitars with Bellamy showing off his unreal knack of mastering the male falsetto. All in all, "Psycho" is a solid start to the "Drones" era of Muse, with their promise of a return to their earlier rock-infused madness being clearly abode by. I look forward to hearing the full record in June.

Overall Score: 8/10

Live Music Review: Royal Blood at Plymouth Pavilions

For Those About to Rock

As a man who admits freely to being born in the wrong century when it comes to music, what a fantastic surprise it was to hear some proper rock n' roll last year when Royal Blood popped up out of the black (pun intended) and gave the music industry of the 21st century a well needed shake. I was first made aware of the Brighton duo's riffery when I saw them support Arctic Monkeys last year during their gig at Finsbury Park, and all I could think of after the show was, "Wow. Those guys rocked," with their set arguably being more memorable than that of Alex Turner and co. So now I've bought the album, claimed the T-Shirt and bragged about being able to see them once again at my local shithole of a venue, Plymouth Pavilions, did their brilliance shine once again? In a simple answer; Most definitely.

Arriving fashionably late and subsequently missing the support act, Mini Mansions, me and my rock cronies managed to blag our way to a reasonable standing position and after only ten minutes the troublesome twosome appeared and began to blast out their brilliant Nirvana inspired B-Side "Hole", which for all accounts should have been on the full album, accompanied by flashing neon lights and the sound being well and truly rammed all the way up to eleven. Good start. After giving us a brief "Hello Plymouth", which was always going to inspire cheers from the Janner faithful, the band swiftly treated the audience to singles "Come On Over" and "Figure It Out" interjected by album filler "You Can Be So Cruel", all of which went down a storm and succeeded in awakening the natural response of a rockn'rolla to mosh heavily to the monster riffs the band have a easy knack of creating. 

Halfway through the gig, the duo blasted out the killer single, "Little Monster" which was leading contender for song of the night so far, with its' simple bass riff being turned on its' head with the sheer power of drummer Ben Thatcher, who is slowly turning into one of my favourite musician of recent times with his monstrous playing being reminiscent of the very best rock drummers such as Zeppelin's John Bonham and The Who's Keith Moon. After new track "One Trick Pony", was ripped apart, the duo showcased their love for famous rock riffs by blasting out T-Rex's "20th Century Boy" which for all accounts was a masterful take on one of rock's most famous songs of the 1970's. The latter stages of the gig focused on the octave-madness of both "Careless" and "Ten Tonne Skeleton", whilst mosh of the night was clearly won by "Loose Change", closely followed by gig closer, "Out of the Black" which was a grand-spanking way to conclude a monumental night for both band and the audience. 

Royal Blood's performance at Plymouth Pavilions, if anything, only reinforces the notion that the band are one of the hottest acts in the UK music scene right now, with the live atmosphere working brilliantly with the heavy rawness of their debut album. Well done lads. 

Overall Score: 9/10

   

Fall Out Boy - American Beauty / American Psycho - ALBUM REVIEW

Fall Out Boy is a band that I've grown up with. Witnessing their rise and popularity through Kerrang!'s publications, I always enjoyed keeping up with the squad. Although I was never an all-out fanboy, the big bangers of Sugar, We're going Down, This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race & Dance, Dance are the definitive collection of FOB that were enough to keep me coming back and enjoying what they threw out but I never could see myself rushing out for a new album to add to my collection. Then it hit me in 2013 - Save Rock n' Roll jumped onto the scene with the ingenious plan of creating music videos for every song on the new album with one narrative that really captured me. At this point, I found the FOB album that I would go out and buy, the one that I can play endlessly without it going stale.

If you want to read my review of Save Rock n' Roll, Click HERE

Obviously, I was extremely excited to follow the developments of American Beauty and loved the full album release on Youtube. What defined the previous album was a compilation of featuring talents and obviously a Rock inspired composition. Now, FOB turn the tide with an album that has electronic flares, no featuring artists and a definitive style. With the bands desire to appeal to more than just the rocker community, they have diversified their style and blended catchy riffs and chorus' that'll have you itching for another fix. Its move into the mainstream music means a reliance on synth and auto-tune, albeit well balanced and not as potent as T-Pain's catalogue but a level of which seems out of place and character.

As ever, certain songs jump out to me. Centuries is the first single released then you have The Kids Aren't Alright and Uma Thurman that have some awesome sampling and little titbits that add individuality to each tune. Technically, the variation is great, each song is its own, flows well in and out of the structured playlist with alternating tones and emotions. Stump's vocal range and style is brilliant and flourishes with the backing vocals of his band mates, although we cannot define whose voice is whose. Although it is minor, I feel that they have been cut out and replaced.

The album is solid. Its loud, rhythmic and a must for any fan. Yet, we have the issue of length and with albums, the bigger, the better. American Beauty has fallen even shorter than Save Rock n' Roll with just less than 40 minutes. Its this sort of length which means albums can finish so quick, you didn't have time tidy yourself up. Although its move to a more mainstream audience has led some of their older fans to get their knickers in a twist, I feel that Fall Out Boy are pushing boundaries within the rocker scene and American Beauty extends these further. However, at this moment, I don't feel that this album is as diverse and exciting as Save Rock n' Roll and lean towards giving this outing a 7.5/10 in the hope it will grow on me like its predecessor and may warrant a higher score. Its ambition is reported positive and I'm inclined to agree with some of these groups out there.

Stone Sour - House of Gold and Bones part 2 QUICKY REVIEW!

 Ha!, didn't expect me to throw this out, did ya!?

Right, straight to it. The album doesn't drift to far from what we normally expect from Corey and his gang. So we won't be hearing any fan boys/girls crying about them changing. Around about average, the album is 51 minutes long and

Corey Taylor's ability to shift between deep growls and harmonies are well executed and isn't over the top. We open with what appears as a calming track but soon kicks in with true Stone Sour fashion!

Musically the album is filled with killer riffs, a mix of old tape or vinyl recordings blended to make them as creepy as damn possible, and then drop into the roar of the guitar. They have kept their metal flavouring which everyone likes and we won't see many people moaning about drastic changes or those 'Hipsters' with the whole "Saw em before they were cool" shite!

Corey has always been strong when it comes to his lyrical capability which is reflected in Slipknot and other projects or collaborations. Nothing lyrically is actually lacking, but songs do appear very similar in their tones, style of vocals or common vocal trends (I can't think of a word for it, gimme a break).

I'm enjoying the album, it's short, so I recommend downloading it. Unless you are an extreme fan of hard copies. The album doesn't have much variation to differentiate it from previous albums and

seems like it may just drift out of people conciousness in a months time. Hard work has gone into this album and the music is alright. Yet why part 2?, it seems like they trapped themselves into following part 1's style and may be the reason that it appears much the same.

I'm thinking that the album deserves a 7/10

Paramore's self titled album QUICKY REVIEW! 2013

Hello guys!, Paramore are back and it's not bad! Since two of the original group left, you would think that it was kinda the end for these guys. Yet they have bounced backed with a fresh new style!
Let's start with my basics for a good album. Length is an hour plus, which I feel all albums should at least aim for when music costs as much as it does. Even if the quality of the music sucks, they have given you an hour of suckiness for your dosh! My second positive for this album is the release, we in the UK got it before the US which is the 9th! Not a huge gap, but it's nice to see that the UK are getting earlier releases recently. One issue I do have however is the interludes...it's not a fecking show, play the music...
Paramore recently said that the single "Still into you" was written as a pop song, this may seem a huge punch in the face of die hard anti pop people out there, but the album blends pop and Paramore's classic pop styling throughout the album even sometimes having an indie flare wrapped up inside. Opening up the album with "Fast in my car" really helps to strengthen my claims.

Lyrically and musically the album is good, catchy choruses and powerful riffs make this album a definite listen, yet it does lack some finesse with how Hayley's voice can over power the music and doesn't blend with backing track. The album flows nicely between songs but doesn't show you the

change, which can make a song appear much longer and quite dreary to listen too. As always there are lyrics that don't vary and feel like they have just been copied and pasted later into the word document!

Overall, the album is good, it's a sound album and as a fan of them from Misery business, I've seen what they've been through, such as the dark times with the whole Twilight thing...but anyway I have seen that the group are changing their style and adapting with the music industry to access a bigger audience and I believe they have done this very, very well!
7/10 from me!