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Tonight was the penultimate GroundBreakers for the year and as such was the last of the typical album reviews. For this occasion Adam brought with him, Avenged Sevenfold – Nightmare (2010).

Adam started by telling of how important the album was to the band and thier fans after the passing of Jimmy (The Rev) Sullivan, the bands drummer during the production Nightmare. This continued to be a theme throughtout the album with many songs working as referwence to the feelings of family and friends, death and moving on.

Whilst not all of the tracks are related to the death as some were completed before hand, the album is now considered as a tribute to his memory and it sales in the first few weeks of release show just how closely knit the fans and band community really are, as well as showing just how much they were all effected.

Musically, the album shows us a turn back to the earlier styles of Avenged Sevenfold though with a somewhat darker feel. Whilst it isn’t expressely anything special due to return to thier old sound, the feeling and darkness in the music and lyrics can really stir some feelings.

The album it self was a difficult one to judge. The music and songs were well written and composed but were nothing outstanding or really different from older offerings of the band. The reason it recieved the final rating was based on the symbol that it has turned into for the band, thier fans and the rock world as a whole. As has been mentioned the album has now become a symbol of the Rev and his importance to ther other band members and fans, and the album itself has become a tribute to his memory. this shows the amount of love and respect of the fans and as such, the album deserves the rating merely for that.

So the albums final rating was:

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED – Seal Approved.

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As we near the end of the year, the second from last guest Alex downing brought on the slightly older album of Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory (2000).

This shgow was easily the hardest that I have ever taken part in. As many listeners maybe aware Linkin Park are one of my favourite bands and have been since this album was first released so trying to stay impartial and unbiased was difficult though I did just about manage it.

Alex presenetd the album as the origins and influence for many rap/nu-metal mix bands of the noughties. The album itself was something special as it marked a new mix that hadn’t really been attemepted in such way in the past and so was very much a grey area. The result however was unquestionably something special, reciving 10′s of platinum ratings within its first five years and boosting Linkin Park to the internationally acclaimed band that they are today.

In conclusion, whilst there are some tracks on the album that are less appealing to my tastes and it is by no means a perfect offering, it does as a rule cater to many tastes. This was evident by the input from listeners throughout the show who said there could be no two ways about the shows outcome. Even when removing any personal bia, the sales figures and listener input alone lead the outcome of the show and the highest rated album in Ground Breakers history to date!

So the albums final rating was:

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED – Seal Approved.

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Lindsey was our guest this week, with her favourite album, Florence and the Machine – Lungs (2009)

Lindsey presented the album as important in the musical field due to its sucess, the power of Florences voice and the feeling within the songs. She mentioned that in some cases it almost felt like a fairy tale story or a magical event due to the different instruments and the ways in which they have been used to compliment the vocals.

Overall I felt the album was a good attempt and does highlight a move from the sterotypical pop of the period which is important. It also showcases some amazing harp work however it fell short of greatness due to the over reliance on Florence’s voice. I felt that the song had been written and sung with the music then added later just as support, not written as a whole in together-ness.

So the albums final rating was:

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED – Seal Approved.

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Next up was the turn of Lisa to try and see if she too could get her chosen album White Stripes – Elephant (2003) to achieve the seal of approval.

Lisa tonight proved that she certainly knew her stuff and had clearly done the research on the album which was nice to see. We learnt that each track only actually uses a selection of four instruments per track. Some of the songs also seems to highlight the failing relationship of the pair, with these feelings being echoed in the lyrics and musical feel.

The album also brought a revival of a an older sound, which was over produced but still held some good simple, clean riffs that got it some big ratings in the market at the time.

Whilst I felt that the album was a fair attempt I felt that its simplicity, very much in the drumming and core left the album to be a little less appealing. This was however counter balanced by the use of different instruments out of the norm and the idea of only using a couple per track for a two piece band does hold a certain individuality. Overall the album was lyrically pleasing and only really let down by it’s simplicity in places hence my final rating.

So the albums final rating was:

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED – Seal Approved.

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Tonight’s guest had a list of albums which he could’ve chosen but finally Ash settled on Enter Shikari – Take To The Skies (2007)

The album was Enter Shikaris debut album and peaked at #4 in the UK album charts, which for a band of this type is impressive. Ash presented the album in a way that we haven’t seen for a while and more focussed on the history attached to the album giving stories and annecdotes of days at college and profiteering from gigs.

Alongside this Ash compared the songs lyrics and musical style to that of his college life, stating that alot of the lyrics have a very “Chilled, relaxed, not a care in the world college days” attitude and sttates that the band too seem to have that sort of sounds, that they a re just a bunch of mates, making music they like because they want to and enjoying it.

Having heard on Enter Shikari before but not this album made it interesting to see where the band had originated musically and it was refreshing to hear such a varied album going from hard hitting fast hardcore to the more melodic tracks present later in the album. Overall I felt that the album was well produced, but not over produced and still retained a certain roughness and felt that that
this was a band that enjoyed what they had made and that too came across in the music. Plus any album with a Stingray reference for a track name has to be a winner right?

So the albums final rating was:

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - Seal Approved.

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Tonight saw the return of past guest Eddy, and a second attempt to gain that prestigious seal of approval. This time with the Gorillaz – Plastic Beach (2010)

Again the album was a very produced offering that produced some big singles such as Stylo and On Melancoly Hill. The album had a really varied sound with some tracks being quite fast and upbeat and others being somewhat slower and slightly darker.

Again, this was another album that was difficult to judge as whilst the music its self was ok and a few tracks stuck in my mind, again it didn’t really grasp me in any way however it had kept me interested enough to keep listening through out the show.

As a result of this, a new star system was implemented into the shows rating system in order to try and make it slightly easier and less “Black and White” in its ratings. Therefore if the album receives higher than 2.5 Stars its a pass, any lower then its a fail.

So overall the album received:

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - Seal Approved.

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Tonight’s guest Sean brought with him Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Californication (1999)

The album marked a change in sound for the band and was as such their most successful studio album, providing several popular singles. The reason Sean chose this album was not only because of the varied musical style but also because of the messages and stories evident in the albums lyrical material. Alongside this it hold memories of driving and chilling out with family and friends back home.

The album was very difficult to assess as whilst Sean did raise a fair argument for its cause, I felt that the album didn’t have enough influence on me to for it to succeed however, there was also nothing expressly wrong with it in order to fail it. In the end the decision hinged on the strength of the track ”I Like Dirt” and the bass work of Flea. Hence finally, just about the album received;

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - Seal Approved.

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Chris Iredale tonight brought the album. Dan Le Sac vs Scroobilus Pip – Angles.

The band themselves were a back-room duo so to speak, with much of the album being recorded either in a bedroom or shed using fairly normal equipment and gear.

The songs on the album all touch on subject that are considered as taboo such as suicide, drug use and depression. The lyrics concentrate on the other “Angles” to the situations that may not normally be touched upon. Hence the album title.

Its because of this bravery to touch on such taboo subjects but in a way that is quite delicate and respectful whilst also being thought provoking that compliments the very rough round the edges and realistic feeling to the album that compliments the under lying messages. These reasons lead to the final conclusion of;

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - Seal Approved.

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Welcome back to Groundbreakers. A little late on parade but hope all you guys had a great Xmas and New Year! So for our first show of 2012 we had Cameron Ward with us showcasing the Arctic Monkeys debut - Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006)

Cameron decided on this album for a few reasons. The origins of the band;  being based around near his home town and sounding “Local” to the area. The second is due to the widespread success of such a young act and the influence the album had on the musical scene of the time and the final, and probably biggest reason is due to the story that each song tells in a way that can either be related to past mischiefs or to more “taboo” subjects.

Whilst originally I wasn’t of the singles from the album, I was however by the end of the show more impressed by the al;bum, leading to the final success and seal approval. The main reasons being due to the relate-ability and also the bravery of such a young band to risk writing and performing songs that covered such “Taboo” subjects and still pulling it off.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - Seal Approved.

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