STACK #142 Aug 2016

REVIEWS MUSIC

Montaigne Glorious Heights

Billy Talent Afraid Of Heights

“I ate a salad today, I ate one yesterday, too.” You’d have to be a rare vocal talent to make those words come alive, and Sydney’s Montaigne (real name: Jessica Cerro) has a voice that simply soars. Her debut album is aptly titled, with the singer delivering thrilling electro pop infused with genuine soul. She’s just as effective when she straightens up and simplifies things – check out the ballad Consolation Prize and the pure pop of What You Mean To Me . A star is born. If she’s this good at 20, I can’t wait to hear what she does over the next decade. (Wonderlick/Sony) Jeff Jenkins

Billy Talent could be Ontario’s answer to The Alkaline Trio but

Sarah Mary Chadwick Roses Always Die As an art form, song is largely decorative. Oh sure, there's substance – loads! – but it’s only when you spend an album with Sarah Mary Chadwick that you realise how much emphasis most artists place on bells and whistles. One nasty old pre-set church organ and its built-in robot rhythm-ticker are the only things the Melbourne songwriter needs to colour

their transition into adulthood has gone so much more smoothly. Songwriter and guitarist Ian D’Sa eases off the metal pedal this time with more country and classic rock in his leading riffs, but Benjamin Kowalewicz’ vocals remain a familiar constant. Afraid of Heights confronts the declining state of the world and finds optimism to grasp with surging anthems like the Against Me!-ish Leave Them All Behind and the synthy march of Horses & Chariots . Besides an egregious misstep in the rock supremacist rally Louder Than the DJ , which makes them sound ancient for dissing Millennials who like electronic music, Afraid of Heights shows a band ageing gracefully with their audience. (Warner) Jake Cleland

the soul-scraping world view poetically described by the title Roses Always Die . Her early morning smoker's voice is less concerned with pitch than red raw and uncompromising communication of her own depression. "You should see me on my knees in the alley," she croaks – and so we do, too vividly to look away. Titles like Yunno What , The Fire That Touched My Fear and Every Year's The Same promise much and deliver far more. Right Now I'm Running gives us "my soul through a sieve", for instance. It's tempting to wonder how a more traditional sense of music production might make her fabulous skeletal melodies soar, but it's the cold psych ward atmos that keeps us hanging on every burnt and blackened phrase. Fans of Cat Power will recognise the uncomfortable proximity to self-harm in Chadwick's words and delivery. Worry only if you don't care. (Rice Is Nice) Michael Dwyer

MUSIC

Dreadnaught Caught The Vultures Sleeping Dreadnaught have been active since the nineties, and have become one of Melbourne’s most respected bands. Their strength lies in their ability to experiment within the hard rock/heavy metal format, but with 2009’s self titled effort, they created a faultless hybrid of both worlds that won many over. Caught The Vultures Sleeping follows a similar path and as expected, it packs quite a punch. Vocalist Greg Trull spits and snarls, without ever forgetting to deliver memorable hooks, while the band backs him up with a granite-like performance. Caught The Vultures Sleeping is not to be missed. (Rocket) Simon Lukic

Totally Unicorn Dream Life Dream Life is 26 minutes of absolute ruckus. The rowdy Sydney-siders have been quiet for a few years but are well and truly back with first full-length after a string of EPs. Lead track Old, Cute & Purified hits you like a flying schooner to the skull. Guitarists Karem Erkin and Aaron Streatfeild’s incredible chord progressions are the perfect backdrop for frontman Drew Gardner’s punchy vocal. Nothing but brutal breakdowns en masse through Customer Service Station and Space Congratulations . Karina Utomo of High Tension jumps in for one minute of chaos on Convict Brick. The band themselves summed up the album perfectly: "it's a motherf*ckin' PHOENIX, man!" (Farmer &The Owl/Inertia)Tim Lambert

Cash Savage And The Last Drinks One Of Us When she says Run With Dogs she means hellhounds, of course. Like one of those nightmares where your fleeing feet are stuck in quicksand, there's a grim undertow to Cash Savage's booming voice, whether she's howling up midnight heart palpitations in Rat-a-tat-tat or sinking in the tender hangover of Sunday Morning . The Last Drinks' black country landscapes drip poisoned destiny in the colonial flashback of Port ; even mock a sweet dream of the goddess messiah in Do You Feel Loved with fiddle shrieking and demons hooting. Things don’t end well as "the pen bleeds out on the page" but Savage's road to desolation is never dull. (Mistletone) Michael Dwyer

Allegiance D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n

The release of D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n in 1994 was a major event. Hailing fromWestern Australia, Allegiance were the nation’s premier thrash metal band at the time. Influenced by the likes of Metallica and Anthrax et al, they made quite an impression and D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n remains highly revered to this day. This reissue is long overdue. The album is remastered, getting the extra power where needed, with additional liner notes and rare photos in tow. Available in limited edition vinyl as well as a CD/DVD edition with Time To React…..Live on DVD for the first time, this is a great opportunity for many to rediscover one of Australia’s most significant heavy metal bands. (EVP/Rocket) Simon Lukic

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