EP Review: Hawk Eyes

EP Review: Hawk Eyes
Album: That’s What This Is
Label: Self

Since adopting a new moniker, Hawk Eyes have gone from strength to strength. Festival-goers across Europe have been treated to their acerbic blend of chaos and melody off the back of 2012’s explosive Ideas. Now, as a precursor to a third album, the band offers up another tasty morsel of crunching guitars and wild-eyed vocals.

EP Review: Torche

EP Review: Torche
EP: Songs for Singles
Label: Hydra Head

Torche took a massive step forward on 2008’s Meanderthal, which boiled down their previous rough ‘n’ ready EPs and albums into a much more refined take on the stoner rock genre that the band inhabit wholesomely. Though Songs for Singles isn’t a full-length follow up to that cracking album it is an encouraging preview of things to come.

EP Review: Three Trapped Tigers

EP Review: Three Trapped Tigers
EP: 3
Label: Blood & Biscuits

Three Trapped Tigers are doing things their own way. Having already put out two solid releases in the forms of 1 and 2, the band is now flowing at full momentum, with the successive release of (can you guess?) 3.

EP Review: Wounds

EP Review: Wounds
EP: Wounds
Label: Yoyo Acapulco

Slayer. The Shining. Dante’s Inferno (and not the videogame). These are just a few of the inspirations that Dublin based Wounds proudly display on their otherwise tatty MySpace. So far, not so unique. I mean, who doesn’t consider Slayer as an inspiration? Even my nan wishes she could keep on going like they do at such a ripe old age. However, Wounds have done a good job of backing this up with a brilliant debut EP.

EP Review: Wall Street Riots

EP Review: Wall Street Riots
EP: Playground Politics
Label: Self Released

Wall Street Riots? Oh, I see what they did there! How very contemporary! Clearly on the cutting edge of culture reference band names, WSR introduce themselves with their first EP, the scathingly titled ‘Playground Politics’. That’s it boys, you show those nasty politicians what you think about them and their free duck houses and porn!

EP Review: Kierononon – Three Man Party

EP Review: Kierononon
EP: Three Man Party
Label: Roxxor2

Have you ever stopped and noticed patterns developing when it comes to band names? Last year was the year of ‘Fuck’, as the likes of Fuck Buttons, Holy Fuck and Fucked Up were paraded on the front of the music magazines. I think we’re still trying to get over the amount of bands who put ‘The’ in front of their name a few years back, and now in 2009 I think I am beginning to see what could possibly be the next fad in band naming – the repetitive, overlong, ‘we’re wacky’, name.

EP Review: Shiema – Make Them Swing ‘Till It Hurts

Artist: Shiema
EP: Make Them Swing ‘Till It Hurts
Label: Self Released

Shiema are a young trio working hard on getting their music heard by someone other than their mums and dads. Hailing from East London, the band’s press release claims that they were “always the bunch of kids who were the square block trying to fit into the circle hole.” What this says for the degradation of our education system here in the UK is a matter I will leave for the hilariously named Ed Balls to decide. All I’m willing to discuss here is Shiema’s self released EP, Make Them Swing ‘Till It Hurts.