Review: Mallory Knox, Cambridge Corn Exchange

Last night, I was lucky enough to see Mallory Knox perform live for the second time.  Last time I caught the band live was at Leeds Festival in 2014, not long before the release of their second album, Asymmetry.  This time, the band are touring to promote their third record, Wired.  

First off, however, I’ll talk about the support acts.  Scottish act Fatherson were first to take to the stage, and this was my second time seeing them perform live – the first time was when they supported Enter Shikari on The Mindsweep tour.  In all honesty, I thought their performance took a little while to kick off, so maybe the first 20 minutes of their set was a bit lacklustre.  Their last couple of songs, thankfully, picked up the band’s energy levels and managed to get the crowd jumping.   Here’s the video for Lost Little Boys, one of the tracks the band played last night.

Next up were fellow Cambridge band Lonely The Brave. Unfortunately their performance was marred by a few technical issues: lead vocalist David Jakes had a number of issues with his microphone and in-ear headphones, so there were a few awkward pauses between songs whilst the problems were sorted out.  Otherwise, the band’s performance was spot on, just as good as when I saw them supporting Deaf Havana in 2014. Check out Black Mire, one of my favourite Lonely The Brave tracks:

Finally, Mallory Knox took to the stage.  Their performance was very strong throughout the night, with the entire band working together like a well oiled machine. Lead vocalist Mikey Chapman had some trouble with his voice, declaring about halfway through the set that his voice was “fucked up”, but he managed to power through and perform the rest of the set.  Plus, backing vocals from bassist Sam Douglas helped to fill any gaps.

The band’s set list was very strong, with a great mixture of tracks from all three of their albums.  They probably got the strongest reaction from the crowd whilst playing Lighthouse, Beggars and Wake Up from their debut record Signals, but it seemed like the crowd were equally happy hearing songs from Asymmetry.  The tracks from Mallory Knox’s latest album went down very well, and even though Wired was only released a couple of weeks ago, a decent portion of the crowd were singing along to the tracks.  Here’s the video for last night’s opening track, Giving It Up:

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So there you have it.  Mallory Knox put on an awesome show, and if you have the opportunity to see them live, you’d be silly if you didn’t take it.

Have you already seen Mallory Knox live on their Wired tour?  What did you think of their performance?  Let me know on my Facebook or Twitter page, or in the comment section below this post.

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Review: Wired

Friday marked the release of Cambridge band Mallory Knox’s third full length album, Wired.  Hype for this record started building when the band released its lead single and opening track, Giving It Up: you can watch the music video for the track here:

Giving It Up is a fantastic opening to the record, with its bassy, grungy introduction and vocalist Mikey Chapman changing up his usual style to favour a falsetto in the chorus.  In fact, I pre-ordered the record on the strength of both the lead single and Better Off Without You, so it’s safe to say I have big expectations for Wired.

The second track, California, is an awesome song with summery vibes, and not just because it references the golden state in its title.  Its huge chorus with layered backing vocals bring to mind the image of driving down a palm tree lined boulevard, with the windows down and car speakers blasting.

Lyrically the record is even more personal than the band’s previous efforts: For You and Better Off Without You discuss bassist/vocalist Sam Douglas’s struggle with mental health and use of antidepressants in a raw and honest way.  These tracks are definitely the jewels in the Wired crown: Mallory Knox are at their best when being open, honest, vulnerable, and willing to take chances.

Another favourite is the gorgeous Falling In Love: it starts slow and quiet, with the focus on the emotion in Mikey’s voice, which builds with more layers of raw vocals and powerful guitar riffs as the track plays out.  Plus, Lucky Me is arguably Mallory Knox’s most aggressive track yet, and I absolutely love it.

That’s not to say that Wired is perfect, however.  Midnight is a pretty generic track, with little imagination in terms of the instrumentals or its lyrical content.  It’s not an awful song, don’t get me wrong, but to me it screams “filler” and the album wouldn’t have suffered if it hadn’t made it on to the final track list.

Overall, it’s obvious that Mallory Knox have grown and matured as a band when comparing their latest album to their previous records, Signals and Asymmetry.  The band have grown together, and are experimenting with new musical elements without leaving their signature sound behind.  The band’s incredible atmospheric choruses and thought provoking lyrics have evolved and simply become better and better over the years.  Mallory Knox are already doing pretty well for themselves, but I predict Wired will help launch the Cambridge lads towards further success.

Highlights: California, For You, Lucky Me, Saviour, Mother

8 incredible tracks you need in your life – January 2017

We’re now in 2017, and a new year means new releases.  January has seen the release of a number of great albums, including efforts by You Me At Six, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, As It Is, and the Dropkick Murphys.  There have also been a number of singles released over the past month, so today I’ll be giving you a rundown of the best tracks around.

Mallory Knox – Better Off Without You

Mallory Knox have released a couple of singles in the lead up to their third full length album, Wired, due to be released in March.  I love the rhythm of this track, and it has a powerful chorus which ties the song together.  I’ll be seeing the band alongside Lonely The Brave and Fatherson on their Wired tour in March, and I cannot wait!

Acceptance – Haunted

Acceptance is a band with a tumultuous past.  They formed in the late 90s and released a couple of EPs as well as a full length album, Phantoms, in 2005.  Not long after this the group disbanded, and its members took part in a number of other projects until they reunited in 2015.  The pop-rock group have released their latest single, Haunted, in the lead up to their second album due to be released next month.

Touché Amoré – Benediction

Post-hardcore rockers Touché Amoré released their fourth studio album, Stage Four, last September, and this track is their most recent single.  If you want emotive choruses and great drumming, this song is for you.

Lower Than Atlantis – Boomerang

This track has a heavy electronic influence, with programmed drums, synths, and autotuned introduction and vocals.  So far Boomerang stands out from the rest of the singles off of Lower Than Atlantis’s upcoming record, Safe In Sound, as the rest fit more comfortably with the band’s rock sound.

Dryjacket – Spelling Era

I featured another Dryjacket track, Two Toasters, in the November 2016 edition of …incredible tracks.  I really enjoy this band’s lighthearted sound, which is why I decided to feature them again.

Biffy Clyro – Flammable

It should come as no surprise that I’m a big fan of this track, the fifth single to be released from Biffy Clyro’s latest record, Ellipsis.  Although this album received mixed reviews from fans and critics, I think most will agree that this track is one of the closest on the record to their trademark aggressive proggy sound.

Breaking Benjamin – Never Again

It can’t be denied that Breaking Benjamin are a cornerstone of American heavy rock music, and have been for many years.  The video for Never Again was released this month, taken off of their 2015 album Dark Before Dawn.

Halestorm – Heathens (Twenty One Pilots cover)

Now, I’m not the biggest fan of Twenty One Pilots, but I am a huge lover of Halestorm, so I knew Lzzy Hale and the rest of the group would be able to put their own spin on this track.  This single is taken from the third volume of ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP released earlier this month.

What do you think of these tracks? Let me know on my Facebook or Twitter page, or in the comment section below this post.

News: First half of 2017 ram-packed with fantastic UK tours

For those of you, like myself, who enjoy attending concerts, the first half of 2017 is set to be an amazing few months of live music.  These acts are absolutely fantastic, so if you manage to get tickets for a few of these tours your bank balance could end up being in serious trouble. Today I decided to round up some of the best tours coming up next year.

January 2017 – Avenged Sevenfold, dates here

This tour is the only tour on my list which I already have tickets for, and I am extremely excited to be able to see Avenged Sevenfold for the second time.  I’ll be attending the Nottingham date, and although I was already looking forward to the date, my excitement pretty much quadrupled after reviewing the band’s latest album, The Stage.

January 2017 – The Pretty Reckless, dates here

After reviewing the band’s latest record Who You Selling For, my love for The Pretty Reckless has seriously increased.  I’m hoping to be able to attend their Nottingham date on January 19th, because it promises to be a fantastic night.

February 2017 – Deaf Havana, dates here

I’ve seen these guys perform twice and I thoroughly enjoyed myself both times, so I’d love to make it a hat trick.  Again, I’d probably have to make the journey to London to catch these guys live, but it would be worth it!

February 2017 – Kings Of Leon, dates here

I’m really excited at the prospect of seeing Kings Of Leon live, considering how long I’ve been a fan of theirs.  Even if you weren’t a massive fan of their last two albums, their great live performances would make attending one of their shows worth it.

March 2017 – Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, dates here

Not wanting to rest on their laurels for too long, even though The Rattlesnakes have only just finished up a string of UK tour dates, the band announced this week that they’ll be touring yet again next March.  I’m gutted that they haven’t announced a Nottingham date, but I’m willing to make the trek to London to see these guys perform live.

March/April 2017 – Mallory Knox, dates here

I’ve been a big fan of Mallory Knox since their first mainstream success, and I really enjoyed seeing them perform live at Leeds Festival in 2014.  Unfortunately I haven’t had the opportunity to see them live again since, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to attend either the Cambridge, or one of the London dates.  Plus, Lonely The Brave is one of their support acts, and I’d love to see them perform live again too.

March/April 2017 – Pulled Apart By Horses, dates here

Even though I’m a fan of this band, I have yet to see Pulled Apart By Horses live, so it would be great to see them next year.

April 2017 – You Me At Six, dates here

I really enjoyed You Me At Six’s latest single, Night People, so I’d really like to see them perform it live next year.  Plus, I’ve been a fan of the band for a long time, so it would be great to hear them perform some older songs alongside the new on tour.

Are you attending any of these tours?  Are there any other awesome tours planned for 2017 that I missed off this list? Let me know your thoughts on my Facebook or Twitter page, or in the comment section below this post.

News: Mallory Knox return with single, album and tour announcements

It’s official: everyone’s favourite Cambridge rock band is back with new music.  Mallory Knox released a pretty simple video for their latest single, Giving It Up, yesterday, and I really enjoyed the track.  You can listen to the track here:

The vocals are a little rougher around the edges than the band’s usual fare, and the bass sounds a little louder than usual which gives the song a more grungy feel.

Giving It Up has made me pretty damn excited to hear the band’s upcoming third full length album, Wired.  The record is due out next March, and I’ll be looking out to see if any more singles are released, to give me a better idea of what direction the band will be heading in.

Mallory Knox will also be heading out on tour during March and April next year to celebrate the release of their new record.  This band is absolutely fantastic live, so I definitely recommend attending one of these shows if they visit a venue near you.  Helpfully, here is the list of dates for your viewing pleasure:

• 20/3 – O2 Academy, Bristol
• 21/3 – Tramshed, Cardiff
• 22/3 – UEA, Norwich
• 24/3 – O2 Institute, Birmingham
• 25/3 – Leadmill, Sheffield
• 26/3 – Corn Exchange, Cambridge
• 28/3 – Garage, Aberdeen
• 29/3 – Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh
• 31/3 – University Students’ Union, Newcastle
• 1/4 – O2 Academy, Liverpool
• 2/4 – Pyramids, Portsmouth
• 4/4 – O2 Academy, Oxford
• 5/4 – KOKO, London
• 6/4 – KOKO, London

What did you think of Mallory Knox’s latest single?  Will you be heading out to see them on their UK tour next year? Let me know your thoughts on my Facebook or Twitter page, or in the comment section below this post.