Plus Dots – Driven by an Unholy Desire
[Feedback sound, 2009]
Genre: ska punk, reggae punk, punk rock, hardcore
Album review by Goresonic and Sovereign
The story of Plus Dots started back in 2001 in Athens, Greece. The first two years of their music career, were a four member hardcore punk band. In 2003, two saxophonists were added in the line –up and this fact turned their music in a more ska –punk, reggae-punk style. With this line –up they gave a lot of live performances. In 2007, Plus Dots record their debut EP “Give Me One Kick Start Beat for Breakfast” in Feedback sounds record label. In this EP their hardcore punk pastness met their new ska punk style and created a music mix that we had never heard before. That year they decided to make some experiments with their sound, so they added a trumpet player in their line-up. These 2 years made them more mature to create their own sound, a mix of ska and reggae punk with some swing elements and of course with Oi and street punk influences as well. Year 2009 is a landmark year in the history of Plus dots as they had their first live shows around Europe. During this year they made two European tours, one in 
Central Europe playing in festivals and clubs during the summer and one in the Balkans during this month. This year also they produced their first full length album named “Driven by unholy desire”. I have listened to the album and even if I’m not a reggae fan I have to admit that the guys are really really good. In the first two songs, “My war” and “Morning”, trumpet and saxophones create a happy and dancing atmosphere. These songs have a reggae punk style with trumpet and saxophone riffs that stack in your head. “65”, the song that follows, it’s a ska-punk composition that continues the party. It’s a heavy song with great drums and real punk guitars which transformed into a more dancing ska-punk beat. The guys wanted to show us that they didn’t forget their music past with “EMS” an instrumental song: great punk rock guitar and a fantastic bass and drum rhythm section. The songs that I’m really stacked with are “Blame Authority” and “Time is up”. Everything in these songs is perfectly combined. The first one starts with a slow melody but with quick and crazy drums, then it gets crazy with a fantastic trumpet riff and a guitar string violation which is really hardcore punk. The second one impressed me with the way that is transformed from a reggae song into hardcore punk then to ska punk and back to reggae. “Victim” and “Dedication” are songs that could be perfect to start a live performance. Heavy, fast, with drums which change three rhythms in a row and pure hardcore vocals that are saying to you: tonight we will gonna to have a fucking good time. The closing song “Years ‘n’ years” is band’s goodbye to their audience.
Anyone that followed Plus dots these years could easily realize that they made a big effort and they are really developed as a band, especially the singer Nikos Fenerlis that tried to changed his accent which was one of band’s disadvantages in the past. The idea of adding the trumpet sound to their music was totally correct. Nikitas, the trumpet player, knows very well how to play this instrument. Mitch, the drummer, finally set free his proper talent. Chris, the guitar player, keeps the balance between the punk rock violence and the ska sounds of the saxophones and the trumpet.
Finally, I have to congratulate Feedback sound for the production which is more than good for the old standards and Aris p for making this mysterious and dark artwork.
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Live παρουσιαση δισκου
Αθήνα: An Club, Σολωμού 13 – 15, Εξάρχεια Σάββατο 31 Οκτωβρίου
Θεσσαλονίκη, BLOCK 33, πρωην Υδρογειος Τρίτη 3 Νοεμβρίου
“Morning”,”65”, “Blame Authrity” from the album available here
Links
http://www.myspace.com/plusdots
http://www.feedbackstudio.net
Buy the album here
http://www.musicpost.gr/mt/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=3622&category_id=22&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=8
tracks
1. My war
2. Morning
3. 65
4. EMS
5. I need sometime
6. Blame Authority
7. Time is up
8. Ninja Cat
9. The end is near
10. Victim
11. Dedication
12. Years ‘n’ years
I didn’t know ‘Future of the left’ before this album and I am really sad. That’s why I get disappointed when I first listened to this album, an album that has everything: hardcore, punk, garage punk, and noise.
What comes after the ‘Station’ album? ‘Geneva’ and it is better. It is more than better. It is huge. I was expecting their 3rd release, and I think I am pretty satisfied with this album. This period of time (autumn) a post-rock album, atmospheric as this one, is the most appropriate sound to listen. The band creates heavy rock and ambient metal compositions which stuck in my mind. Fantastic progression in their music structure, excellent sounds and a more metal attitude than ever before. I need some more listens to understand this one, but I am already pretty sure that this album is quite close to my music taste, and their post-rock is better than ever before. Fans of GY!BE, mogwai, Isis, Pelican, Porcupine Tree, Pain of Salvation will appreciate this. ‘Geneva’ is the most progressive album of them and I think this style is better than before, because in all these myriads of albums around post-rock, you need something fresh and different to make it favourite. 
Θα αποφύγω χαρακτηρισμούς για τον χώρο, την διοργάνωση και τον ήχο, για να μην αναλωθώ σ’ αυτά, αφού οι συνθήκες, η τήρηση του ωραρίου και οι ηχητικές δυνατότητες του υπόγειου που λέγεται Rodeo κατάφεραν να με ξενερώσουν ιδιαίτερα. Ευτυχώς που υπάρχουν καλλιτέχνες και μπάντες σαν αυτές που είδαμε χτες και κίνησαν το ενδιαφέρον μου, καθώς διασκέδασαν και διασκεύασαν την διάθεση μου. 
“Hush arbors” are actually one person, Keith Wood, a musician from Virginia, USA, accompanied by a band that performs his songs. His music is folk with some psychedelic pop influences. We can say that this music is in general what we call Americana. This is their second album in Thurston Moore’s record label Ecstatic Peace. J Mascis (guitarist and singer of the Dinosaur jr) is the producer of the album who also plays drums and guitar on a few tracks. This fact, made them sound more 90’s and more indie than their previous album especially in the songs that he is playing.
We are trying to support this band because I realize that their post-rock is really easy listening and truly well constructed.
Nuggies a have a released a new ep entitled The Sound of Explosions from the Northeast . The EP is being released by Gorilla Ointment and is also being distributed for free via the internet.
“Il fuoco” (the fire) was a silent movie directed by Giovanni Pastrone in 1915.
This is the debut album for this Polish band. The band is the brainchild of the duo Michal Sliwa and Jarek Lesklewicz, who perform all instruments, samples and production. They perform really well and their metal is quite experimental. Their mood is dark, experimental and doomy. Their music is really interesting and I found some special and really inspired sounds inside their compositions. This album is ambitious and this band is promising. The music is full of ambient soundscapes and there is a fantastic drone atmosphere. This band is trying to go forward and the atmosphere is dark like the most of these kind of artists but its much more creative than others so it makes the 76 minutes pass really easy. The release is in 500 copies limited CD digipack edition. Their sound is psychedelic, I can’t really describe it as a metal release, but the doom metal and drone metal influence is the strongest around. The album mastered by James PLotkin (Isis, Khanate, Pelican). Fantastic fresh and influenced modern kind of slow metal. Try to listen to this band and found out this release to buy it. I can say this album is one of the best among the others in this experimental and modern kind of drone doom metal. Fantastic sounds, I said that again but there are fantastic sounds spreading around the album. Fantastic point of view, Releases of a great combination between metal and ambient sounds. I am proud of them. 
“The Jim Jones Revue” is a noise garage band from London. They sound really dirty and it’s obvious that they are trying to play rockabilly in the noisiest way. This album is a collection of some singles released by the group, singles that was very difficult to find as most of them run out, together with two new rock ’n’ roll tracks. The album starts with “Rock ‘n’ Roll Psychosis” their first single ever and its b-side “Big Hunk O’ love” cover of the classical Elvis song, Two Napalm bombs that explode the speakers (and your ears as well). “Cement mixer” and its b-side “Little Richard’s, “Good Golly Miss Molly” continue the album. Even if “Cement mixer” is less speedy it’s very heavy garage song. “Good Golly Miss Molly” couldn’t sound heavier than it sounds here. It reminds me the Guitar Wolf cover of “summertime blues”. “Princess & the frog” is the opening song and the first single of their first album. The piano solos remind Jerry Lee Lewis style but in a more modern and strong way. Its b-side “Freak Of Nature” it’s a rock ‘n’ roll dance song. “Burning your House down “and “Elemental” are two new songs. The first one is a garage blues song. It has classic blues rhythm and dirty garage vocals. “Elemental” is the goodbye explosion in a ‘Chuck Burry’ way. If you want to have your first contact with “the Jim Jones Revue”, I strongly believe that this collection is the best way to do it. 
8:40 μπαίνω στο Gagarin. Πάω καρφί στο bar να πάρω μια μπύρα γιατί από τον κόσμο που έβλεπα ήμουν σίγουρος ότι αυτή θα ήταν η μοναδική μου ευκαιρία να το προσεγγίσω. Κατά τις 9 εμφανίζονται στη σκηνή οι SadDoLLs. Η μουσική που παίζανε ήταν ξεκάθαρη απ τα πρώτα 10 δευτερόλεπτα που τους άκουσα. dark – gothic metal. Μου φάνηκαν συμπαθητικοί αλλά σίγουρα δεν πρόκειται για κάτι το ιδιαίτερο. Μου άρεσε πολύ το πόσο το διασκεδάζανε πάνω στη σκηνή, είχαν χεστεί απ τη χαρά τους. Μετά ακολούθησαν οι Poem. Εδώ σίγουρα πρόκειται για κάτι το πολύ ιδιαίτερο. Η μουσική τους χώραγε πολλά είδη, progressive, death, thrash, metalcore, ακούγονταν δηλαδή σαν μια σύγχρονη, φτασμένη, σκληρή, τεχνική μπάντα. Μπορώ να πω ότι με ενθουσίασαν. Φοβεροί παιχταράδες όλοι τους και οι φωνητικές ικανότητες του frontman τους εντυπωσιακές. 
I think this is the sixth time I wrote for this band only this year (2009). And this is the 8th or the 9th release of them for 2009. What else to say, collaborations, compilations, live, old covers, full length albums, 12”inch, EP, remixes and singles. Here are all the other 2009 nadja posts of this blog: 
When I’ve listened “
This is a great chance to meet 13 new bands around the music genres of post-metal, post-rock and ambient. There are some great songs which some of them can make the difference in the near future. Check this compilation and choose your favorites. I think you can find interesting compositions and fresh ideas around here. Remember the names and check them in 
Black Cobra spoils the poison of sludge metal in my veins. The band absorbs the energy of stoner rock, the dirty atmosphere of sludge, the metal attitude of doom and the modern concept of alternative post-metal. The duo, with guitarist/vocalist Jason Landrian and drummer Rafael Martinez who played for ‘Cavity’, ‘Acid King’ and ‘16’ create a powerful release and the record it for on of my favourite labels “Southern Lord”. Remember ‘Boris’, ‘Sunn’, ‘Khanate’, ‘Pelican’, ‘Weedeater’, ‘Earth’ and ‘Om’ from this label. My head is going to explode. This album is really heavy. These guys have to be in the frontline of modern heavy metal. ‘Mastodon’ and ‘high on fire” are like sissies in front of them. They really surprised me like ‘Zozobra’ last year. Heavy as hell, dirty as mud, raw as a corpse. 38 minutes of unbelievable energetic guitars and noisy drum session. 
I do like the music of DMST for some years now and as I said back in 2007 (
“Let the dominoes fall” is the seventh album from the California based punk rock band Rancid. It came out after 6 years from their previous release and a new drummer Branden Steineckert, who replaced the original line –up member Brett Reed has been added. It also came out when everyone was thinking that this historic band was ready to break up.
After the red one this is the blue one, similar artwork, same enthusiasm and the same activity. I was expecting this album for long time. After all these uncertain quality releases around metal, this record is heavy and so progressive. The band has the same direction like in 
Feedback guitars and an Isis join Tool and meet Boris sound!! Some tracks in this album remind me the feelings I had when I first listened to Tool’s awesome tracks from Lateralus and AEnima. Arnold which is the whole band produces an unbelievable clean sound. The music production is fantastic. The album is one of the best progressive releases of the year. I met the project through 
The British band since the “Paradise lost” album started taking backward steps in their sound. The album “In requiem” confirmed that, but I didn’t actually believed that they can go any heavier than that. I am in the happy position to say that they just did it. ” Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us” is the heaviest, the darkest, the most doomy goth piece of music they made since “Shades of God”. Nick Holmes is using harsh vocals again. Heavy riffing and heavy drumming are everywhere with some atmospheric parts bringing the melancholy on. Production is nothing but great. After 4 or 5 hearings the smile couldn’t fade. The darkness and melancholy of their early years was here again. I don’t know if I am a bit excessive here but that’s what this album made me feel. Do not miss this one. 
Jay Reatard (Jimmy Lee Lindsey) started his career as the front man of the Reatards, a garage – punk band in the end of the 90’s. Through these years he was one of the developers of this music and the Reatards became famous even outside the garage fans’ spectrum. During that period he was having his own projects (The Lost Sounds, The Bad Times etc.) with whom he was playing pure punk music.
Koffing is a pokemon character… And this small EP has music driven out some pokemon stories… Experimental industrial sounds mixed with noises and drones. Three tracks of inspirations or three scary, dark and murky compositions. Nine minutes to get to know this new band. This mini cd is free delivered via internet from their record company murky. Have a try, they worth it. 
“I am you we are” is a new Swedish band and Masquerade is their first well promise ep. Their sound is close to dark music but it’s not exactly darkwave, it’s close to pop but not pop-driven, and of course it’s close to ethnic and world music. I believe that generally the word “experimental” is what really describes it as a music genre. This EP is especially “strange” and I believe that deserves something more than a try. This is not a “normal” band, as they introduce to their music non usual instruments, like the flute, the accordion and the traditional djembe.
“The Golden City” is the first album of a new German band named “Airpeople”. We are talking about an instrumental “hard” post rock album from a band that is obviously influenced from Tortoise and Mogwai’s music. The names of the tracks are names of some cities from all around the world plus the self titled “Golden City”. It’s like a big travel to the world in 38 minutes. This travel starts from their imaginary “Golden city” that introduces the album. This song is the best song of the album and the more intensive one. The one that shows how they want the city of their life: Full of tense, sentiments and appetence of love. Then the band decides to leave from there to meet other cities, in order to communicate and get more experiences. “Amsterdam”, the first step of the travel, is the groove city, where you go to get destroyed. That’s why the music is more aggressive. “Denver” is the adventure city in the Far west, is the next stop of the travel. In this city they don’t really know what to expect and the fear of the unknown is obvious. “San Juan” is the city to relax and chill-out a little while. They have a long way to go and they have to calm down. They get rid of all these heavy sentiments for a bit and get ready to continue their travel to the world. “Mombassa” is the mysterious city but it’s the city for fun as well. They relaxed and now are ready to have fun in a more oriental way. Then they discover the mysticism of the city. “Le Mans” is chosen for the race. They started it easily and slow and then they have chosen the time to speed up and try to win it. They continued this speed till the last meters where they finished it totally exhausted. “Saigon” is just a stop to find them before going to more familiar cities and finish their trip. It’s the last travel to the unknown. The travel ends in Northern Europe. The cities that were chosen weren’t randomly chosen. “Glasgow” is the capital of their favourite music. They had to pass from there. Then “Stockholm” the city that has this depressed atmosphere. Airpeople with this travel made a very promising beginning. The only advice that I can give them is to play their own sound now. This will allow them to be surer in the travel. 
Caïna is a one-man band, from Hampshire/Sussex. Stylistically, it draws from genres as disparate as black and post metal, drone, doom, shoegaze, neofolk and post-rock. 
