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Review |
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Despite the implication of their name, self-confessed
Emo-Core rockers ‘San Andreas’ actually
hail from the Netherlands. Passionate on the verge
of being reckless, they claim to have booked their
first UK tour before having written any songs. It’s
been 3 years since their debut album ‘The
Lover Kills’ was released, but their latest
offering, ‘Man Or Monster’ doesn’t
disappoint. They’ve come a long way since
2005, and their sound has matured; but it hasn’t
lost its raw quality like so many second albums
tend to.
The album opens into ‘Deactivate’
with heavy guitars and some seriously cool synth
undertones. Vocalist, Sopo, provides plenty of
energetic screaming, balanced well with catchy
melodies. The first track is promising and full
of enthusiasm, and the rest of the track listing
follows suit. Sadly, the album is fairly one-paced,
but there are a few excellent stand-out tracks
that break the mould (‘Leave teddy’
and ‘The Riddler’). ‘The Riddler’
in particular has perfectly balanced vocals and
a fantastically catchy tune. Parts of it remind
me of the late, great Hell Is For Heroes, which
is no bad thing in my book. The title track is
much heavier than the rest of the album, and echoes
the grandiose fervour of Finch.
Released on UK based label Lockjaw Records (Muse,
A New Day), recorded and mixed by Christiaan Stijen,
and mastered by Alan Douches (Thrice, Sepultura,
Fall Out Boy), San Andreas should have excellent
backing. Unfortunately, the production sounds
fuzzy and flat to me, and the distinction between
the instruments and vocals isn’t as clean
as it could be. Sopo’s melodic, catchy vocals
would benefit from a boost; they drown on most
tracks, and you have to struggle to hear the lyrics.
Having said that, their aim was to capture the
vibe and energy of a live performance, and they
have succeeded in this goal, even if it does make
the record slightly loose and messy. It’s
refreshing to listen to an album which isn’t
polished so much that the band’s original
sound is lost.
This is an impressive second album, and one I
would recommend to anyone. San Andreas have a
fresh, exciting sound, and their deviation from
the norm is very welcome in the current climate
of samey rock bands. My only criticism is the
slightly questionable production quality; but
what they lose in tight production, they gain
in raw energy.
4/5
Review by Helen Williams |
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| Band
Members |
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Sopo (Vocals)
Jrn Jqt (Drums, Vocals)
Roger (Bass, Vocals)
Robert (Guitar)
Peter (Guitar) |
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| Track
Listing |
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1. Deactivate
2. Taking Care Of Number One
3. Leave Teddy
4. I Am Not Alone
5. Conflict
6. The Statement
7. The Riddler
8. Run And Hide
9. Man Or Monster
10. Je T'aime, Paris
11. There Was A Time |
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| Band
Related Links |
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| Review
Score Code |
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- Top Cheese
- Brilliant
- Pretty damn good
- Ok I guess
-
What Was That? |
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