Yellowhouse - What's Shining Through
(Self Released - 2000)

I can't categories this outfit as they cross right across the board, bringing to the forefront aspects of rock, jazz, funk, metal plus a bit of reggae. Imagine Faith No More meeting Ugly Kid Joe, Living Colour and Lenny Kravitz at a party - sounds cool - believe me it is.

Opener, 'Return to the Sky' will put you in the picture of what I mean by my description of 'Yellowhouse' which features a jazzy solo early in the song. 'Another Day' jumps into the laid back Chilli Pepper territory and I'm sure I recognise that chorus arrangement from somewhere but can't put my finger on where. The title track, 'What's Shining Through' is a bright story about a girl trying to make it and is a likeable power ballad. Then they get weirdy and sorta depressing on us with 'Hollywood Cell' - a strange and negative way of looking at what it's like getting to the top, losing popularity and having no-one to turn to.

An interesting quirky and rather intrepid outburst for a debut - there's plenty going on here.

7/10

By Glenn Milligan

Yellowhouse - Illusions of Everyday
(Rock Werk Records - 2003)

Album number two sees the band sounding far more confident with better developed melodies and harmonised vocal approaches but that quirkiness is still there - just listen out for it.

Yellowhouse keep it interesting throughout especially in songs like 'Nobody needs you' about an unwanted control freak by the looks of it. Highlights include 'Signs'; the funky bass grooving of the proggy, quirky 'Babylon'; the poppin' rock EMF like like 'Between the where'.

Be nice to see what album number three will be like.

8/10

By Glenn Milligan

Our first label discovery of '04 provides us also with one of the most interesting bands yet. These two lads -though there may be a few more hands on hire - have crafted quite an intriguing piece of metal artwork here.

Take the symphonic metal styling of - well most of the talent Scandinavia has to offer, place on top, a voice that could only be of those who front Paradise Lost or My Dying Bride, but equipped with a few of the harmonies of Brit melodic rock king Gary Hughes and you can work through this one in little time at all. With very little that fails to satisfy, this is a top rate conglomeration of ideas and integrity that has more legs on it than a two-bodied centipede.

With hope, this outfit should move onto a more major league label in the near future, though an album of this quality could see Holy Records heading in that direction. Yearning are definitely a name to remember for the coming year.

9/10

By Dave Attrill

Way of the absolutely-off-their-bl**din'-trolleys, more to the point. I don't quite know what this Chicago based lot's games is, but I'll tell 'em somefink, I certainly wouldn't have minded playing for their team. Either they're trying to be as incredulously diverse as five chaps called LaBrie, Petrucci, Myung, Rudess and Portnoy or they're trying to scrape right against the realms of innovation, or probably both. I mean , mixing metal, industrial, hardcore, punk, jazz, classic rock, folk and goth into the space of one disc.

The rock elements of the blend lean heavily on Strapping Young Lad, Faith No More, Dub War, Slayer, Machine Head, Sabbath and Dream Theater amongst countless others, and in using the word countless I'm rather understating the matter. 'Vergasso', 'Yama', 'Chicago Typewriter' and 'Obscurity' are but four examples of a band whose music takes itself more where it wants to than where they do.

The piece de resistance for most will be unquestionably the last track '01000011110011', at a record 43 minutes, the longest song I've ever listened to. You may be missing the vocals a bit as they would have helped to pass the song by, quicker, but sitting back to savour the mix of instruments and their uses through this incredible track soon becomes easy. Just imagine accidentally knocking the reverse skip button on your player, during the middle of this tune and trying to find again where you left off.

A band who've done the unpredictable and who I can safely brand unpredictable. There's only one mark I can give this display of almost previously unbounded musical genius and highly tutored craftsmanship.

10/10

By Dave Attrill