Guitar/Vocals – Sel Balamir
Drums – Matt Brobin
Bass – Neil Mahony
"Armed with choruses more akin to detonations and an album joyous in its darkness AMPLIFIER are British rock reborn, post-classic rock if you will.
A band that didn’t so much form as gravitate together at the beginning of the new century in Manchester, coalescing from DNA strands of Celtic spark & Byzantine motive. Ready to roll. Evolving from an arsenal of treasured teenage records; AMPLIFIER take Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Police, Mogwai, Massive Attack, Bowie and Brad – in fact just about anything of any quality, and exhale it through a cloudburst of guitar pickups and distortion pedals.
A three year gestation period culminated in 2004's debut album co-produced by Sel Balamir with Steve Lyon (The Cure, Depeche Mode) and mixed by Chris Sheldon (Foo Fighters, My Vitriol, Feeder). Selling 5000 albums in the UK, stoking up a frenzy of Summer Festivals and shows with the likes of Deftones, Datsuns, Melissa Auf der Maur, Therapy?, Explosions In The Sky and Oceansize, all while gathering extreme praise from Radio 1, XFM, NME, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer and Q, AMPLIFIER are now Airborne in Europe.
Already No. 7 in the Visions Reader Poll for Best Newcomer after just a handful of European dates, AMPLIFIER are "rolling forward". The May European release of their startling debut album through SPV and the anticipation of more tours are further heating up expectation."
Quoted from Amplifier website.
I firstly heard The Consultancy by Amplifier and was blown away literally by the amazing guitar on it and searched for their album finding out than it came out within a couple of months. The next song I heard was One Great Summer and though that this had such a powerful chorus and deffinately wanted to get the album. I purchased the album later to find that the rest of the album is nothing like those 2 songs, its, well "crap" to be honest, its all the same with a few songs that re good but its just fairly repetative.
1. Motorhead
Opens with some feedback and after 0:12 the drums start with the feedback continuing until 0:26 and then Sel plays a few hard distorted chords. Tempo slows down after 1:12 and Sels vocals come in. The distorted guitar into the chorus reminds me of the heavy distortion that Kurt Cobain used on the album Bleach. Chorus is nothing special. Song ends with feedback. Good song to start off with.
3.5/5
2. Airbourne
Begins with a strange effect with some faint guitar in the background until the drums kick in at 1:06. Vocals comes in at 2:37. Chorus is fairly cool with some fast drumming towards the final choruses. Some cool distorted guitar work 3/4s. In the final stage of the song the guitar goes off course a litte with a few effects and the guitar going out of scale making it sound bad and the ending is a little messed up, almost sounds like they didnt know when to end.
2.8/5
3. Panzer
A guitar opening with some mixed effects that sound strange yet cool. This has some more lead guitar in it compared to the distorted guitar chords we heard alot of on the last two songs. Fairly hard to tell the chorus in this song but generall its an "ok" song with some good guitar effects . Songs kind of repetative.
3/5
4. Old Movies
More of a slower song with faint acoustic in the background and some wierd effects but in the chorus the guitar is alot more noticeable. Nothing special on this song, pretty much Verse>chorus>verse>chorus>ending.
2.9/5
5. Post Acid Youth
Starts with some sliding and some effects which I thin kare chorus and flanger. More of a better song that the last couple, the chorus has some more wierd sliding that contains effects. Nothing special.
3.2/5
6. Neon
The second song released from the album. Even though this was the second song released I heard One Great Summer second. More of alouder song than the last few. Verse quietens down alot with some palm muted guitar. Chrous gets a little louder but the intro seems to be the loudest part of the song. The break from the chrous into the verse contains a cool effect.
3.4/5
7. On/Off
Another slow intro. Song is generally slow until it gets about 2/3s in then it gets a volume boost. Unfortunately, nothing to really say about it. A few reviews I have read say it has a powerful and epic chorus but I dont agree whatsoever with that statement.
2.5/5
8. The Consultancy
First song I heard from tthe album, now this is more like it. Some slow bending up and back down, up and back down a few dozen times with the bass and drums building off until it literally explodes into ther main lead riff. Now why cant the rest of the album be like this? Some really wierd lyrics in this song "theres too many rhinos for just one cage" The break into the chorus or back into the main chorus is amazing.
5/5
9. One Great Summer
Second track from the record that I heard. Starts off moderatly slow with some fairly slow guitar and goes into the vocals. The chorus is very powerful in this song and almost epic. Wierd lyrics from Sel here even thoough it isa great song.
4.7/5
10. UFO's
Starts with very slow paced drumming and a few harmonics in the background. The chorus is pretty good in this song but doesnt last for too long until it goes into the quiet verse yet again with the harmonics. Some lead in this towards the end with a slow solo that contains alot of delay with some heavy distortion too. End comes to a very quick tempo change and ends the album.
Pros
Some good effects
A few catchy riffs and good choruses
Cons
Even though they are satisfying, there are too many effects
Very repetative at times
Even though The Consultancy is a wicked song it may not have been the best sonng to release as it gives a false idea that the album may be like it.
Recommended tracks
The Consultancy
UFO's
One Great Summer
Motorhead
