Jack - Reviewer

I guess this is where I am supposed to tell you a little about me and my interests, so let’s dive straight into this shall we? 

My name is Jack and I’m relatively new to all these music-writing-reviewing shenanigans and whatnot, I play guitar and write for a studio based progressive metal band. I also host a small scale radio show where I promote new bands and argue with my co-host (what do you mean you don’t like Turbowolf?!). 

I currently study Music Technology and Media at Andover College, alongside learning music theory and multimedia journalism online. I first got into music properly when someone showed me and old Fear Factory record back in year 8 of Secondary School, and the rest as they say is history. Now I can generally be found at local gigs enjoying myself way too much for an opening band.

Favourite Band

Ghost B.C, Thy Art Is Murder, Dethklok, Year Of No Light, Iron Maiden, Trivium, Heights, Whitechapel, The Defiled, Sabaton... I could go on all day here so I’ll spare you that!

Top 5 Albums of all time

Heights – Dead Ends

Trivium – Ascendancy

Thy Art Is Murder – Hate

Machine Head – The Blackening

TRC - Nation

Best live show

Defiled @ Wedgewood Rooms, Lamb Of God @ Southampton Guildhall, Bowling For Soup @ Southampton Guildhall

Charlotte - Editor/Reviewer

Hi there I'm Charlotte (or Musical Lotty) and I am the editor of Musical Lotty's Music News. I started up this blog nearly four years ago after deciding what I wanted to do for a career choice and that was to promote bands/artists. The inspiration of my career choice was sparked the morning after a local gig where one of the bands asked if they could use my photos for their website, which I of course said yes to.                                                                                             Music is a huge passion of mine that has helped me over the years escape the outside world and it still continues to do so when life gets too much. My music taste varies from Danny Elfman to Dimmu Borgir, my favourite genres are rock and metal. Nothing beats the buzz and atmosphere of a brilliant live show, you will often see me at gigs. Bands I have interviewed include New Device, Heaven's Basement, Liv Kristine (Leaves' Eyes), Crashdiet and Jettblack.

In my spare time I like to cook, swim, walk, film things and spend time with my friends and family.

Favourite band(s) 
New Device, Alter Bridge, Jettblack, Heaven's Basement, Shinedown, The Treatment...I could go on til Christmas

Top five albums of all time 

Filthy Empire - Heaven's Basement 
Blackbird - Alter Bridge 

By The Way - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Dark Passion Play - Nightwish
Under My Skin - Avril Lavigne 

Best live show(s)

Turisas @ Southampton University 15/11/2011 

Alice Cooper @ Bloodstock 2012

Alter Bridge/Shinedown/Halestorm @ Wembley Arena 18/10/2013

Monks Of Mellowah - Turn The People

Sounding like the illegitimate lovechild of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Muse, Monks of Mellonwah may have a slightly odd name but damn do these lads deploy funky riffs like nothing I’ve heard before. The kickass cover artwork shows exactly what’s in store, funk, colours and strange happenings for all. Declaring themselves as an Indie/Electronic band Monks of Mellonwah have previously won awards for “Best Indie Rock Band” and “Best International Act”. Turn The People is their debut album.

Opener and lead single “Ghost Stories” slowly coils and burns into an anthemic climax and is over far too soon, whereas “Vanity” builds upon a riff in the same style as Velvet Revolver. When even the electronic elements of an album can carry emotions you know that you are into something big. Monks of Mellonwah are able to mash together minimalistic moments with heart pounding, life affirming choruses.  An all too common feature in releases like this is lyrics that do not live up to the technical and expressive music. I’m glad to say that the lyrical content here is mature and often adds that little extra to a track. Even to go far enough to make a listener feel exactly what a track is about. One of the standout tracks that does this is “Tear Your Hate Apart”.

Nice to know I failed you again
I'm sinking, stumbling I don't know the way
Nice to know you'll all be OK
My only question
What remains of me?

Monks of Mellonwah have constructed something a little special here, an album that conveys a palette of emotions whilst still being easy to pick up. Prepare when this drops people, this will be the start of something big.

Words by Jack Webb

The Treatment - Running With The Dogs

One of Britain’s best upcoming rock bands The Treatment have made a name for themselves touring with KISS, Motely Crue and Slash. They are back with a brand new album that most certainly shows the growth of the Cambridge rockers!

Kicking off with the single I Bleed Rock And Roll is a song that I think particularly sums up The Treatment to a tee…they bleed some classic, raw rock and roll perfectly. The album from that point on just gets better with songs such as Drop Like A Stone, title track Running With The Dogs and Cloud Across The Sun; these songs contain the crucial ingredients needed for the perfect rock songs, which includes original guitar riffs/solos, excellent vocal work and melodies that will fly around in your head for hours on end.

My personal favourite tracks on the album are Emergency, Cloud Across The Sun and Unchain My World. I cannot get enough of the song Emergency; I have probably listened to that about ten times today because the fantastic harmonies in the catchy chorus just have you hooked. Cloud Across The Sun is the equivalent of Just Tell Me Why from the previous album, a brilliant track just to sway and wave your arms along to when you need a break from headbanging. Unchain My World is a beautiful acoustic ballad that really shows off the ability of vocalist Matt Jones and it’s very different to the tracks I have heard from them previously.

So from this review I’m sure you gathered that I really enjoyed this album from The Treatment. All I can end the review with is that the albums of 2014 have most certainly got off to an unbelievably cracking start and Running With The Dogs is vital evidence of that!

Click here to listen to their new album before release date Monday, I've bought my copy!

Rating:  10/10

R.I.Y.L:  Aerosmith, Jettblack and AC/DC

Stand out tracks:  Emergency, Cloud Across The Sun and Unchain My World

Be sure to catch them on their UK tour which starts Monday 3^rd Feb!

Tour dates

03/02/2014             Waterfront Studio, Norwich

04/02/2014             Rock City (Basement), Nottingham

05/02/2014             The Sugarmill, Stoke On Trent

07/02/2014             O2 Academy Islington, London

08/02/2014             Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton

09/02/2014             Academy 3, Manchester

10/02/2014             Corporation, Sheffield

11/02/2014             King Tuts, Glasgow

13/02/2014             Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff

14/02/2014             Thekla, Bristol

Find The Treatment on Facebook and Twitter

Introducing - Cage The Gods

With an appearance in Classic Rock magazine, an upcoming tour and upcoming debut album under their belts, it looks like Cage The Gods are the newest rock band to watch out for this year. ‘Comparing it to previous experiences, 2013 has been quite quick for Cage The Gods’ says guitarist Jam ‘Our first gig was almost a year ago, so 2014 could go at the same pace’.

They will be joining fellow hard rock band The Treatment for their UK tour, both of these bands will be promoting their brand new albums, for Cage The Gods it will be their debut album Badlands. ‘Favourite Sin the title track of our previous EP will be included on the album’ Jam reveals ‘An acoustic version of Sacrifice will also be on the album too.’

Be sure to catch Cage The Gods on tour with The Treatment throughout the UK, which starts 3^rd February.

Tour dates

03/02/2014             Waterfront Studio, Norwich

04/02/2014             Rock City (Basement), Nottingham

05/02/2014             The Sugarmill, Stoke On Trent

07/02/2014             O2 Academy Islington, London

08/02/2014             Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton

09/02/2014             Academy 3, Manchester

10/02/2014             Corporation, Sheffield

11/02/2014             King Tuts, Glasgow

13/02/2014             Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff

14/02/2014             Thekla, Bristol

Find Cage The Gods on Facebook, Twitter and their official website.

Voice FM Christmas Eve Party

Hello this is my first video review of 2014! It's of the Voice FM Christmas Eve party; the video includes my own commentary of the band's performance as well as footage of the bands themselves!

Song of the Day - 27/01/2014

Today's song of the day comes from The Treatment with their song Emergency!

Their latest album became available for streaming today, whilst listening to a remarkable album that I know cannot wait for the official release for I came across the song Emergency! As I write this post, I am listening to the song for about the tenth time. It's catchy, has a great rhythm, possesses original guitar work and owns a chorus that flies around in your head moments after listening to it. These components give Emergency the essential package for a perfect rock song! Let me know what you guys think!

Click here to listen to the song

Be sure to catch them on tour and look out for their brand new album Running With Dogs!

13/1/2014 - Song Of The Day

From the title of this post I have taken the liberty of starting a song of the day post where I basically tell you about a song that has either made my day or a song that everyone is talking about! 

So let's get it off to an icy start with the song Let It Go from Disney's latest instalment Frozen. Beautifully sung by Idina Menzel Let It Go is the perfect song to fit a situation in the film where her character Elsa is able to let her ice powers out and feel free after being kept in isolation for years. The reason why it is my song of the day? The film Frozen has done very well this week;  the soundtrack is number one album in the nation right now, today Frozen was just named Best Animated Feature Film at the Golden Globes and I still get goosebumps after hearing the song!

The soundtrack for Frozen can be downloaded from iTunes and catch it on the big screen while you still can!

Words by Charlotte Whittingham

Happy New Year!

Hello everyone and Happy New Year!

Well guys I am back for the new year and willing to bring you more music news, reviews etc than ever before! A new year also means new challenges and I have taken up a couple, here they are!

100 Days Of Happiness

Originally seeing this on another blog I thought I would give it a try! I'm the kind of girl who stops to smell the roses and I want to do this challenge to show that the little things can make you happy. On day 2 so I can only wonder what will happen tomorrow!

To enter the challenge click here

Go For It, Face Your Fears!

I have been uneasy around dogs for as long as I can remember, it would be the kind of uneasiness where I would just walk the other way whenever I saw a dog or cling onto whoever I was walking with. Today when I saw a dog I decided to walk towards the dog and pass it, I think the more times I carry this out I think my uneasy thoughts on dogs will disappear by the end of 2014!

I also want to use this year to try new things and visit new places!

Get Fit, Eat more healthily!!!

This is my biggest goal this year! I feel like I wasn't very good at this in 2013 but I think I'm getting to a good start for the year. I have re-joined the gym and entered Sport Reliefs swimathon where I will swim two hundred lengths whilst raising money! To enter one near you click the link here.

I also want to start eating more healthily; by that I mean eating more fruit and vegetables, eating less junk food and drink more water! I'll hopefully try out more recipes and try more food which relates back to my second challenge!

Well those are my three challenges! By the end of 2014 I hope to be happier, less afraid and healthier!