We were lucky enough to get to review some fantastic artists recently, first we have KIK and their brilliant new record ‘RockScar’ and we thought we would put them together with Washington DC natives XUBERX so that you could get all this musical goodness together!
Thanks for reading and enjoy!
KIK
‘RockScar’
This is the eagerly anticipated debut of Sheffield Glam upstarts KIK. ‘RockScar’ displays the band’s ability to switch between commercial pop sweetness and down and dirty alternative every few minutes in a similar vein to how core influences Bowie and INXS have managed previously.
Opener ‘Sensation’ is soft and seductive and leads into the biting synth infected beats of ‘Sweet Ambition.‘ The guitars on this are bold and true while the vocals are filled with the sweetest venom and a nice touch of sleaze. ‘God Gave Her To Me’ and its hypnotic voice and addictive thump remind of the latest Nine Inch Nails while also harking back to the glory days of androgynous Britpoppers Placebo.
The already popular ‘Define My Love’ starts slow and develops into a dark pop ballad and what will surely be a future anthem for the group. ‘4ever’ by contrast is a commercial epic which keeps KIK’s strong identity but works in the same way as Gary Numan’s ‘Replica’s’ era material. It’s strange, eerie and experimental but it ticks all the right boxes and burrows into your head with ease. ‘Ever Twisting Face’ sees the five members turn their sound up to 11 with this all out rock beast which will no doubt be a strong favourite within the live arena as there is major potential for sweaty headbanging.
‘Fall In Love’ and it’s successor ‘Crack Whore Barbi’ are robotic rock powerhouses which knock the socks right off of credible bands like Crystal Castles and IAMX with raging guitars and a real sense of drive and determination to break the alternative mould. ‘Ecstasy’ is simply “evil disco” for the masses that will tickle the beards of the hardest of metal fans as well as those impeccably dressed electro aficionados. This song belongs smack bang in a re-make of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which we here all adore.
Meanwhile ‘Gimme The Word’ will continue to shake you to your very glittery soul and bring the noise like a punch in the face. Fans of HIM will definitely pound their fists along with this one, smooth vocals and intelligent strumming form the songs core while some punk styled drumming adds fire and spite to the potent mix.
As this confident debut comes to a close, the pop sensibilities of ‘Amphetamine’ coupled with the stadium ready rock of ‘Automatic Doll’ display perfectly KIK’s ability to produce varied and relevant material and both efforts will not fail to make an impression. The last few direct shots of pleasure are ‘Re-Load’ and final track ‘Sensations Down.‘ These gems hammer the nail into the already stylish coffin stored in the back of the almighty pimped up ‘KIK hearse‘ that just happens to be heading full pelt toward us and the rest of the world. So, get ready.
CHECK THEM OUT: www.myspace.com/kikuk
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XUBERX
Intelligent Demise (US Release)
This disk comes from three musicians skilled in creating hard Industrial tunes. ‘Intelligent Demise’ and its synthetic orchestra of sound should see the Washington based act rise up from the underground within their native City as we head into 2009 having already gained critical acclaim and noteable support slots with the likes of Hanzel und Gretyl. The opener ‘Ingression’ starts things off with furious beats and aggressive vocals and this sets the tone for a great rollercoaster ride of juicy electro nourishment.
‘The World Ends Today’ is particularly catchy and acts as a venomous homage to acts like Angelspit and Ego Likeness as well as allowing the band to retain a real sense of individuality as they change pace so easily. The dual vocals shared between Zomboy and Liebchen work incredibly well on the haunting ‘Gone’ while the dance ridden follow up ‘Hollow’ carries unlimited potential within its structure as a raw and emotive effort, despite being a little lengthy.
‘Solution’ by contrast is more experimental and showcases perfectly the diverse elements in both voices with a hard hitting impact on the ears similar to early Godhead. ‘Forgive, Forget’ lends itself slightly to the work of Combichrist if you mixed in a powerful operatic element and some emotive synths. Without meeting the band, it is easy to imagine Zomboy as the physical embodiment of aggression while Liebchen is seemingly the complete opposite. It makes for an intriguing musical contrast on ‘Blood Dept’ which blends furious guitars with strong vocal variation, it is very raw but the feeling here is that it will work incredibly well in a live setting.
‘Blackened’ is essentially a pop track with some nice guitars which burst in and out at regular intervals, it is probably the most well crafted track on the album and flows well, it certainly has the most wide reaching appeal. As the disk comes to a close we are hit smack in the face by an amped up guitar driven version of the earlier track ‘The World Ends Today’ which is simply grand and in our eyes rivals the original. Next up, ‘Rogue State 08’ provides some finely tuned and well composed Industrial Metal, while the last track ‘Lost Inside’ is pure chaos added into the batch to cap off a solid collection of wholesome electro-industrial goodness. Yummy.
CHECK THEM OUT: www.xuberx.com
