WICKED COFFEE SHOPPERS, SKYSENT LU, THE RABID WHOLE

WICKED COFFEE SHOPPERS – Damaged Sunrise

Two Sides Moon ( Release Date – Out Now)

Serbian alt rockers Wicked Coffee Shoppers formed back in 2007 when vocalist Zoltan Budai and his guitarist brother Robert got together with some school friends to make music. Five years on and the band have released their debut album bringing us some alt rock musings for your delectation.

The album sounds dark and a bit bleak with a dirty sounding mix which was the intention apparently. Sound wise they are a bit post grunge with added Radiohead and the odd bit of funk which is a left over from their early days when they were more funk rock based. Playing wise they do ok, but there is little to get excited about. Best track is ‘One Good Moment’ which knocks on the stoner rock door and has a child on vocals along with Zoltan which adds a bit of interest to the proceedings.

This one wasn’t for me, too downbeat and a tad boring. Not too keen on the band name either, but I have a feeling I won’t be hearing it much in the future anyway.

David Wilson

SKYSENT LU – 2 Seconds Late

Two Sides Moon ( Release Date – Out Now)

Classic hard rock with a pinch of prog is what is on offer from Greek rockers Skysent Lu. No idea where the band’s name came from, but the music is very familiar. Taking elements of 70’s rock, NWOBHM and a bit of prog they blend them together to produce something which is fairly ordinary and a bit mundane.

Over the course of the 9 tracks there is nothing that really kickstarts the album or encourages you to get your head nodding. The guys are all competent players and put in a good shift but ultimately it’s not enough to hold your attention or encourage you to listen repeatedly. It is hard to pick any standout tracks here as none of them really make that big an impression on the listener.

Not recommended then unless you want some background music or suffer from insomnia.

David Wilson

THE RABID WHOLE – Refuge

Boonsdale Records ( Release Date – Out Now)

Recently relocated to Canada, this is the second album to come from electronic rockers The Rabid Whole. Nine Inch Nails meet Linkin Park is what is on offer here and the band make a decent fist of it.

Whilst not as immediate as Linkin Park or as edgy as NIN this is still a good effort with heavy passages enhanced with keyboard effects and decent vocals provided by Andreas Weiss and Chalsey Noelle. They do stray into early nineties pop a bit and their promo picture looks like they are a Five Star tribute act, not a route that anyone should go down!

To be honest, this wasn’t my cup of tea, especially the track ‘Rhythmic Reflection’, which sounded like one of those relaxation CDs you find for sale in stately home gift shops. On the other hand you have the track ‘Stargazer’ which is much more like it with heavy, driving rhythms and furious riffing throughout, another few tracks like that and we could be on to a winner.

This album split my opinion down the middle, hence the final mark. Moments of greatness, tempered by what can only be described as filler. It would have made a great EP.

**1/2

David Wilson

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David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)