X
March
2010 |
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XIREN - Trip R
(S/R – 2009) No relation to Dutch songstress Xoch, this Detroit act’s melodic
rock sound is equally pleasant. The guitar mixture gives every tune its own floor to walk with sturdily arranged grooves and all round suss assaults on many numbers. Noticing that the quartet feed off widespread influential juices that include Led Zep, The Police and Porcupine Tree instead of most modern day two-hit tricks shows me as it will many how ‘Burn Your Love Down’, ‘I’m Here’, ‘Money Machine’, ‘Ship Of Fools (Big Enough)‘’Just Like Rain‘, ‘Something More’ and ‘The Mirage’’ run on total substance and welcome-ly less on the style-o-meter. A band who deserve to be important, Xiren should be treated as already as they are in possession of one of the most healthily assembled structures Ive encountered in recent years and live totally by their own instincts to shape their craft. Recommended. 8/10 By
Dave Attrill |
| June
2009 |
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XXX – Heaven,
Hell Or Hollywood
(Perris Records – 2009) How do you take a band from Gothenburg, Sweden with a name like that serious? – easy answer – you ain’t meant to - lol. They come on as a band it's simply impossible not to like – kinda imagine a cheesey sleazy glam band that have elements of both 80’s and 70’s licks, riffage and passion – kinda Sex Pistols & Slade and then some … meets an updated Pretty Boy Floyd meets Robin Black. Awesome version of Cheap Trick’s ‘I Want You To Want Me’ – very riotous and noisy with it – cool and full of energy too. Their own material totally stands up as good as this too. Especially the opener ‘Hello’ that sets the standard; the 70’s Kiss like coming complete with cowbell ‘So Fxxxing You’ with that female choral bit and tacky drum machine section; ‘We’re Gonna Rock’- not to mention party! And the balls out title track closer ‘Heaven, Hell Or Hollywood’ – big sounding vocals the way it used to be – excellent. This band deserve to go places – Hollywood maybe? 10/10 By
Glenn Milligan |
| Feb. 2004 |
| X
IS LOADED - Sampler from 'Raw Nerve' Album
(Music For Nations - 2004) This new trend of mixing melodic rock with contemporary arrangements has proved a successful marketing vehicle in the last couple of years, especially since Nickelback's success. Not restricted to the Artenzia label, MFN signings X is loaded impressed from the green light with a sound that while stays to the style, offers vague traces of AOR giants Harem Scarem and Von Groove's most recent material. While only two of the six tracks are here in their fully durations, the minute-long excerpts of the other four maintain the already surprisingly high standard, and I should look forward to hearing that album when it arrives for more of the same. Very promising. 8/10 By
Dave Attrill |
| Pre-2004 |
| XYZ
- Letter to God
A band you may or may not remember from the early 90's who were of those who were part of the big hair days before the scene went t*ts up thanks to Grunge. There's plenty of hard rock (like the title track, 'Letter to God') and a love for the 70's stompin' of Led Zeppelin (such as 'Rainy days' with it's Kashmir influence). The vocals from Terry Ilous are even Percyfied at times - they really do hold that atmospheric Robert Plant-like high, throaty wails not to mention the fully bloomed sh*t kickin' well-structured songs to add the golden coated icing to the cake (with good examples being 'What's on your mind' and 'United') making the best of old fit in with the best of 'em in this new millennium. It's nice 'n' mixed and this album presents both electric and acoustic material banded together having that feel of artists like Skin (the band that featured Mike Gray ex-Jagged Edge) and the excellent but vanished without trace 'Kiss of the Gypsy' - oh and a tad bit of The Little Angels - check 'Inside Out (2003)' for a stab at this!! Good to see XYZ back and are ready to tour soon. 9/10 By
Glenn Milligan, BA Hons CS
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