HELL IS FOR HEROES - Night Vision (Chrysalis / EMI)

‘Night Vision’ is the fantastic follow up to ‘I Can Climb Mountains’ and is the third single to be lifted from the forthcoming debut album, ‘The Neon Handshake’. It's contemporary British rock at its best, with enough energy to power small town for a good few weeks. Hell Is For Heroes will be on a headlining tour throughout November and December, including a date at the RMS Rock Club in Merthyr Tydfil. After that they will never play there again, or in fact any venue of that size. This band is off to join the big boys, and this single will increase their already healthy fan base. This West London outfit have got it right; they are in the right place and are definitely around at the right time. Stuart Bryce.

LONGVIEW – When You Sleep (4:45 Recordings)

‘When You Sleep’ is the magnificent follow up single to Longview’s debut ‘Further’, and it’s better, a hard task to achieve but Longview have done it.  If they carry on with this form the album will surely feature highly in the end of year album polls.  Rob McVey rocks, his voice compliments his band just as well as Funhouse compliments kids TV.  His soft but powerful vocals during ‘When You Sleep’ capture the listener more effectively than Steve Irwin will ever do trying to capture large reptiles.  He welcomes us into hearing about his life experiences, and we can only listen and marvel in amazement.  The guitar and backing vocals reinforce McVey's energy, adding greatly to the beauty of this record and coming on like mid-career James.  Each section flows smoothly into the next and we're left wondering just how long the band spent slaving over this single.  It couldn’t sound more professional and precise.  ‘When You Sleep’ is a car journey, in the countryside at night.  Next time you find yourself in this situation make sure you have a copy of this Longview classic nearby. You will thank me for it. Single of the year? Close.  Stuart Bryce.

THE CRESCENT – Spinnin’ Wheels (Virgin Records)

Yet again The Crescent do the business with this 3 ½ minute piece of indie-rock magic.  Some people may decide to dismiss the band due to the comparisons to an early Cast, or even the La’s, but after you’ve heard them on record you can appreciate their own unique style.  Spinnin’ Wheels would sound great in any venue, of any size and you can be sure of a great live performance how ever big The Crescent get. They certainly have the potential to get bigger; every band member can write outstanding and diverse songs and play their instruments like there is no tomorrow. Will we see this band on Top of the Pops in a year’s time or will they be another talented band that will just wither away and die? (not literally!)  The Liverpudlian quartet gel together smoothly throughout this single, a prime example of just how a rock band should sound.  From the Dandy Warhols like intro to the fade out ending you know this band really are special and it's hard to believe that the average age of the band is just 21.  Their sound is that of a band that has been together longer than The Crescent have been able to strum a guitar or hit a drum.  Can things get any better than Spinnin’ Wheels for The Crescent? The test of time will tell.  Stuart Bryce.

HALO – Neverending (Sony)

When listening to ‘Neverending’, the forth single from Bristol’s Halo, you can’t but wonder where on earth the comparisons to Muse came from, this band for sure don’t sound like them.  Comparisons to both Haven and The Leaves are far easier to understand.  Halo are one of those bands you just know are never going to make it ‘big time’.  They try too hard to impress the music industry with their strange vocals and boy band like lyrics; they would sound a lot better if they formed their own style naturally.  ‘She can walk right into heaven’ is the opening line to Neverending, a line that has been used in 87% of all Westlife songs. Take away the lyrics and vocals, and there is the framework of an excellent band that really could go places, they just need to get rid of their leader.  Neverending?  I’m glad it did!  Stuart Bryce.

IKARA COLT – Basic Instruction EP (Fantastic Plastic)

Yet another blast of rock n roll magic from the Colt gang.  Bring it to me kicks out the jams with an MC5 style riff played at terrifying speed, before disintegrating into a barrage of punk rock with its intensity turned up to 11.  Before destroying the senses all together, they use the fantastic trick of stopping and starting, which gives you enough time to regain energy before thrashing round the bedroom again in mock rock n roll superstar mode.  Ace.  An electronic remix turns May b 1 day into a sleazy, paranoia inducing monster that the album version only hints at.  Through the rest of the EP Resende snarls over the rolling drums, whilst the guitar and bass hypnotise before counting to five and blowing the speakers up.  The only moan I have is including an album version of May b 1 day – I want more Ikara Colt, they’re that good.  Chris Parkin.

MINUTEMAN – 5000 Minutes Of Pain (Ignition)

5000 minutes of pain?  Not quite, but certainly 3 and a half minutes of unremarkable indie rock.   After early Minuteman outings ‘Gave You All The Blame’ and ‘Words Fail Me Know’ suggested Matt Jones was the talented one in Ultrasound, this single is a disappointment.  Amiable enough at first, after repeated listens ‘5000 Words…’ really starts to grate.  Can I suggest, Mr Jones, that if you don’t want to forever be in the (somewhat large) shadow of Tiny and Co., you stop writing songs about them?  Despite the efforts of the Ignition PR department (The Minuteman Street Team, anyone?), on this evidence Matt Jones is destined to follow his former colleagues into the indie-void. Martyn Bryce.

LONGWAVE – Pool Song

New York’s finest band since, erm, The Strokes give the record buying public of Britain their second slice of outstanding material in the form of ‘Pool Song’. It's one of those songs you can tell will be special even before the first verse is over. It has the classic drumbeat of a modern day Doves whilst supported by the beautiful structure of a typical Lowgold track. The sudden ending comes as a disappointment; you can’t help but think this track could have been made into a 7 minute epic and no one would have complained. If you fell for the NME ‘No Name’ scene then you will fall for Longwave. This band can surely only get bigger. Only praise from over here!  Stuart Bryce.

SEACHANGE - Superfuck (Radiate)

There’s a rawness about this band, maybe due to the vinyl I’m playing it on, that makes them seem pretty special.  However I’ll reserve final judgement until I hear their next outing as Superfuck isn’t particularly original but it does more than satisfy.  In an ideal world this is how Oasis would sound, scratchy geetars, hypnotic drum beats, a fantastic bass groove and a vocalist who sounds like a Liam whose been drinking far too much domestos, realises the delights of screaming has told his singing teacher to fook right off – brilliant.  I’ve also heard they’re somewhat extreme live and the other songs on this record, Forty Nights and 7Miles from Intrex, certainly prepare you for this and sound like a messy rehearsal practice with a drugged up Cooper Temple Clause having a fight with The Eighties Matchbox mentalists. Chris Parkin.