Releases Of November In Brief: Vol. III (Polar Bear Club/ Robbie Williams/ Five Finger Death Punch)

Death Chorus – Polar Bear Club

Released 12^th November on Rise Records

Post-Hardcore/ Alternative/ Rock

Heavy, but not too heavy. It’s probably won’t piss off your parents. Really, post-hardcore has turned into a heavy brand of pop.

Most of the music is fine and the vocals have some great harmonies worked into them, but it’s the breakdowns that really make this piece worthwhile. The bass is badass in its grinding churn and the drums have some fun when they’re not just there to hold the vocals in place. Although, it would have been nice if they’d written some real riffs to go with this melodies.

RATING: C+

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Swings Both Ways – Robbie Williams

Released 18^th November on Island/Universal

Jazz/Pop

Robbie Williams is back with another swing album, but this time with one of the greatest puns found in a record title in a long time.

It’s not the greatest swing record out there, but the man certainly enjoys what he’s doing which is always great to hear. I mean, he can definitely sing, but there’s not a lot of power or hep-ness to it. Still though, you just can’t deny the fun, especially when he’s taking on the Disney classic I Wan’na Be Like You.

In summation, it’s fine and it’s fun, but Williams is no Sinatra and he never will be – his voice just isn’t quite up to it. At least, however, he’s having more fun than Michael Buble and that makes me happy.

RATING: B

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The Wrong Side Of Heaven and The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 2 – Five Finger Death Punch

Released 19^th November on Prospect Park

Metal/ Nu-Metal

The riffs are there, the solos are there, and the beats are there, but there is just something missing from this release. So much of it sounds like a bad rip-off of old Slipknot albums without as much thought and depth going into it, and one has to remember that Slipknot were never really known as deep thinkers.

Maybe it’s the fact that the lyrics are out on a middle-class rampage of teenage angst, maybe its that I’ve heard the same whining and groove riffs a hundred times before, or maybe it’s just that my old bones can’t take this much heaviness (not likely), but I just couldn’t seem to get that excited about this release.

I suppose it will be a hit with fans and all those disaffected teens who feel the need to seem edgy, but for any serious about the musical form and expression I can’t see it being anything more than a momentary romp.

On the other hand, those riffs are pretty harsh, and that’s always a lot of fun.

RATING: C-

Related articles

• Polar Bear Club stream new album “Death Chorus” (itsalldead.com)
• Polar Bear Club – Death Chorus (itsalldead.com)
• Polar Bear Club – Death Chorus (Review) (craigreviewsmusic.wordpress.com)
• Band of the Week: Polar Bear Club! (chwomp.wordpress.com)
• Robbie Williams’ Swings Both Ways claimed record pre-orders on Amazon.co.uk (musicweek.com)
• Robbie Williams & Lily Allen Duet On Dream A Little Dream! Listen HERE! (perezhilton.com)
• Death Chorus: POLAR BEAR CLUB Streaming New Album (americanaftermath.net)
• Robbie Williams on course to equal Elvis chart record (itv.com)
• Robbie Williams was bored. So he had a hair transplant (thetimes.co.uk)
• Robbie Williams would equal Elvis with one more hit (itv.com)