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6 out of 10
I'm not entirely sure where to start with this review. I'd never heard of this Canadian trio before the CD landed on my doormat, and I had no idea what to expect, which meant the audible onslaught that this EP provides was something even more unexpected.
EP opener "The Goat Horns" is by no means a quiet number - it's stoner rock with a hint of Seattle grunge, and it's loud. Very loud. The intro consists of some excellent guitar work and very tight drumming, but this seems to get a little lost amongst the weaker lyrics that appear almost out of nowhere. As track 2 rolls around, the musicianship is again, excellent, but as soon as the vocals kick in, the attention is drawn away to something nothing more than average in the shape of the lyrics and (At times) shrieking vocals.
By the time track 4 "The Story Of My Life" has arrived, the stoner-rock edge that I have been somewhat enjoying is now absolutely nowhere to be found. There's now something of a blues edge, and there are moments of a sound that's not a million-miles away from a Pulp record that I can't quite remember the name of. Whilst this is pretty far away from the sound of the previous tracks, this is still entertaining stuff. Again, the vocals aren't very strong, but the musicianship is still pretty exceptional. "Novelization" follows suit, and the vocals are a definite improvement on any other track on this EP. There's more of a radio-friendly pop-rock attitude to this song that wouldn't sound out of place in a Hollywood teen-comedy soundtrack, but as I've mentioned, this is still entertaining music. There's enough aggression to really make you listen intently, but it's not just "noise" as a lot of bands today seem to be producing.
The musical talent of these guys is marvellous; it's just a shame that the vocals don't quite reach that level of excellence, because they'd be on to a sure winner otherwise.
This EP is by no means perfect. The production leaves a little to be desired, and the variation of sound takes a little bit of getting used to, not to mention the fairly week lyrics; but it's certainly an excellent effort which is best played LOUD.
Listen: www.myspace.com/colddeadhandsmusic
Tracklist:
1. The Goat Horns
2. Read Between The Lines
3. Golden Goose
4. The Story of My Life
5. Novelization
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