Reviews: Motionless In White, Voyager, Sea (Reviews By Paul)

US metalcore is a genre I tend to avoid but having read a recent interview with Chris Motionless in the excellent Powerplay magazine, and having been very impressed with how he conducted himself, I thought why not. Let's see what the kids are into these days! To be fair, Graveyard Shift is pretty much what I expected ... but not quite. Certainly more industrial Manson style riffs for album opener Rats which is a very solid track whilst the introduction of guest vocalist Jonathan Davies from Korn and a few well known samples enhance Necessary Evil substantially. It's crushingly heavy at times although it reverts to the some of the more generic standards in various parts, for example The Ladder. However, tracks such as the anthemic Untouchable, the sinister Not My Type: Dead As Fuck 2 peak the interest. Whilst Motionless In White are a band I would probably avoid seeing unless at a festival with nothing else to watch Graveyard Shift is probably at the higher end of the spectrum and in that respect it's a fine album. 8/10

Voyager: Ghost Mile (Self Released)

Although they have been around since 1999 progressive metallers Voyager are a band that I'd not discovered until recently. Unlike the majority of bar room rock 'n' roll boogie or out and out thrash bands, this Australian outfit are a much more complex outfit. Time changes and polyrhythmic sequences about throughout Ghost Mile, album number six in their catalogue. Unlike many of their contemporaries Voyager don't over extend their songs, preferring, on this album anyway to keep matters under the five minute mark in all but a couple of tracks.

Whilst I'm not the biggest fan of the djent style choppy bass and staccato chord changes, this is an album that I really enjoyed. I'm sure that this is in part because the strong clean vocals of Danny Estrin, founder member and also the keyboard player in the band. It's relatively complex at times with intricate compositions that demand attention. Give it the attention it deserves, however, and this is a thoroughly rewarding release. 8/10

Sea: The Gift Of Time (Mighty Music)

Danish oufit Sea certainly pack a big noise. The Gift Of Time is their sophomore album and it’s a solid affair. Opener Rust is delivered with the aplomb of a band finishing a headline set at Wembley Stadium, bombastic and Anders Brink. Check out Once We Were Dead and Shout for the evidence. Brink also adds to the quality of the release with his excellent vocals. Whether it’s on the rampaging opening track, the melodic No Dawn which has a melancholic feel or the stomping Sing For Your Right, his smoky blues centred delivery adds to each song and whilst I’m not convinced of the Cornell/Coverdale comparisons, his voice is certainly in the same ball park. With a polished production having captured the live sound of the band, I’d certainly recommend Sea as a band to watch out for. 8/10