February 24, 2005
Infinity Land - Review - Music Emissions
Infinity Land is the Glasgow-based Biffy Clyro's third full-length and I have been watching this band grow since day one. Infinity Land ends up being a little schitzophrenic with it's delivery though. The first track on the album (the first single as well), "Glitter and Trauma" is one of the juciest slabs of alterna-pop that I have heard in quite some time. And for the most part Infinity Land is pretty much along this track, semi-accessible pop tracks that have a bit of an angular approach to them. "Wave Upon Wave" is one of the easiest to get into. It's got a driving beat to it with some chuggy lyrics sounding like Shudder To Think a little. There is this accessible sound and then they get all hardcore metal on us on tracks such as "Only One Word Comes To Mind" or the post-hardcore sound of "There's No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake". "The Kids From Kibble and the Fist Of Light" sounds like a Jimmy Eat World song. Then there is the overly ambitious song "My Recovery Injection" that is just screaming to be released as a single. It's a funny mix but seeing that the UK has hooked onto them, they may just make it. They have been hailed as one of England's hardest working bands and that would probably explain their big fanbase in the UK. Infinity Land is a very ambitious album that Biffy Clyro should be proud of. Whether or not they catch on State-side is another story but rest assured, Infinity Land has what it takes.
(Beggars 2005)
Review date: 2005-02-24 23:49:27 by Dennis Scanland
Posted by Chris at 10:12 PM | Comments (0)
October 11, 2004
Infinity Land Review - BBC Music
Last time we saw this Glasgow three piece, they were being tipped for great things but couldn’t sell out a phone box. Now, thanks to Kerrang and relentless touring, they have a top 30 single and this album could quite easily go top ten. Why?
Infinity Land
Glitter And Trauma
Strung To Your Ribcage
My Recovery Injection
Got Wrong
The Atrocity
Some Kind Of Wizard
Wave Upon Wave Upon Wave
Only One Word Comes To Mind
There’s No Such Man As Crasp
There’s No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake
The Kids From Kibble And The Fist Of Light
The Weapons Are Concealed
Pause It And Turn It Up
Out on Beggars Banquet
Rating: 8/10
Reviewer: Paul Clarke
Well, it’s partly the hard work but it’s also the fact they are a genuinely clever band who play with time changes and power chords as if they were rawk veterans.
The aforementioned hit single, Glitter and Trauma (number 21 pop pickers), sums them up with an unsettling squeaky electronic intro, big chords and Simon Neil’s wonderfully committed voice. Oh, and brothers James ands Ben Johnson are one hell of a rhythm section.
Forthcoming single My Recovery Injection is way more catchy and, on the back of their next tour, will definitely crash into the top 20. But at this heart of all this goodness is an odd schizophrenia. On one hand they are a competent rock band so you can see why Kerrang might rate them but they are also a wonderful indie band. In a way, that is where they score best.
The Atrocity is a new form that I dub neo-rock-emo and this semi-ballad has touches of very early REM, while Some Kind of Wizard is out and out emo, before they dip into dull rock with Wave Upon Wave Upon Wave.
The song that hints at greatness for the Biffy boys is the simply stunning There’s No Such Man As Crasp. Scary isn’t in it as Simon Neil puts down a spine tingling vocal only performance that is the best vocal performance I’ve heard this year. Truly beautiful.
Infinity Land is their breakthrough album and they are ready to take on the Lost Prophets as Britain’s best new rock act. But they could also take on the indie kids too. Maybe that is a weakness but on this showing it doesn’t matter. A quantum leap from the last time they appeared on record.
Posted by Chris at 12:59 PM | Comments (1)
October 10, 2004
Infinity Land - Review - Leeds Music Scene
Scotland's sonic purveyors of progressive alt-rock return with their third album in as many years. Throughout this timeframe we have witnessed the bands initial fusion of cathartic pop/metal grow increasingly sophisticated, with the three-piece's latest offering Infinity Land being a great example of what may-or-may-not become known as "everything but the kitchen sink-Rock".
Indeed, upon first-inspection of opening track Glitter and Trauma you'd be forgiven for being completely gazumpted by the notion that this is the same Biffy that are frequently derided as angst-ridden Nirvana clones. Layers of bastardised Euro-synth pop give way to abrasive guitars and a phat-assed groove that could be straight out of the heyday of Motown. Well, not quite but you get the idea. Likewise, recent single "My Recovery Injection" is a fine example of how to create a beautifully crafted mellow schizo-rock song. Elsewhere "Got Wrong" is the best song Weezer never wrote, and Wave Upon Wave Upon Wave" is a tour-de-force in moulding together screaming, vocal harmonies and handclaps and making them all sound good together. Genius.
It's also a positive sign to hear the band taking more time over the recording of this album, as opposed to the one day that previous effort "The Vertigo of Bliss" took to lay down. The overall impression is of a band that are more confident in a studio environment, not afraid to experiment and layer their sound.
Infinity Land does not pass without criticism however; the new experimental streak that runs throughout the album has unfortunately resulted in a big twatting trumpet being put on "The Weapons are Concealed", which lends the song the general feel of a cheesy 70's cop-show. I don't know about you, but I've always thought 70's cop shows were pants. Ultimately though, this is a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things.
Intensely intricate with complex instrumental intercourse, Infinity Land is the sound of a band reaching its musical zenith. Essential listening for all of the emo/hardcore/math-rock/fraternity. Tell all of your friends.
Posted by Chris at 10:08 PM | Comments (0)
October 08, 2004
Reading Fez Club
Posted by Chris at 01:12 PM | Comments (0)
October 07, 2004
Camden Electric Ballroom
Supported by X is Loaded and The Boxer Rebellion.
The Boxer rebellion were fairly dull, as I recall, and largely ignored by large sections of the crowd, just as they were at the Barras. X is Loaded were a bit more lively, but didn't make any huge impression on me, it has to be said, in spite of Simon's patronage.
Glitter and Trauma
Bodies in flight
Joy.discovery.invention
Liberate the illiterate
wave upon wave upon wave
a day of
questions and answers
there's no such thing as a jaggy snake
got wrong
justboy
my recovery injection
christophers river
convex concave
some kind of wizard
57
toys
~~~~
27
now the action is on fire
Posted by Chris at 01:11 PM | Comments (1)
October 01, 2004
Northampton soundhaus
Posted by Chris at 01:12 PM | Comments (0)