Breaking The Silence - Heathen

Advantages: Every beat in every bar has a reason for being there.
Disadvantages: The mix seems to lack a bit of bottom end.

...Break The Silence is the debut album from Brighton based McQueen. The album was produced by UK based Richie Kayvan and mixed by Kayvan and Queens Of The Stone Age/Tool producer Joe Barresi . The ten songs are short and sharp, aggressive tunes that attract punk and metal fans (no ballads here) but with enough melody and hooks to have wider appeal without sounding contrived. The tracks I did not take to straight away grew on me over time and I have found the CD more enjoyable with repeated listening. The shortness of the album also leaves me wanting more, which is never a bad thing. McQueen are impressing all the right people. This year A&R guru Tom Zutaut joined their management team, Slash invited them to tour with Velvet Revolver and they have been making guest appearances with a host of stars since relocating to Los Angeles to work... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Nice to see a female fronted band performing edgier rock music
Disadvantages: Lack of individuality and personality within the music

...Great album for lovers of cliched, rehashed rock, but those looking for individuality or personality within their choice of music will be sorely dissapointed. The music isn't bad, but its nothing new. It seems that this band are aiming to be a female Nirvana only they miss the mark with the copy cat sound they employ, as well as lyrics that leave something to be desired. Break the Silence isn't terrible, its barable at least, but it isn't suprising that since the release of this album, there's been no news from the band. They haven't hit the big time, and we may never hear of them again, but there are certainly worse albums out there. A mediocre effort, and somewhat boring, I'm afraid to say.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: It's rock n' roll in it's purest from
Disadvantages: Album is too short

...Heathen Chemistry was released on the first of July in a blaze of Internet fuelled speculation. The title of the album by the way, coming from a t-shirt that Noel Gallagher saw whilst doing a photo shoot for NME magazine. Wishing to stay away from the internet saga, I bought the album first thing on the Monday morning of its release and took it home to listen to straight away. What I heard was a new Oasis that had matured since (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? To resurrect what some thought, was a sinking ship. The previous two albums did not live up to the hype that they were given, although I felt Be Here Now was treated rather unfairly by the press, and this was the make or break album for Oasis. Noel writes seven of the songs, Liam three, Gem one and Andy one also, here then is the album track by track. Written to be... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful