Reviews / Album

As the title Elysium suggests, this is an almost heavenly album.

Focused, resolute and challenging, this is an assured debut.

The North ends up a staid imitation of their younger selves.

His vision is clear and beautiful.

The reissue includes four solid bonus tracks, beautiful packaging (including track-by-track liner notes from the band) and the 1992 concert documentary, Live At Brixton, making this a must-have for any fan of shoegaze and a more-then-interesting artefact for fans of guitar music in general.

Not only will Hate be a game changer for bands seeking to out-brutal each other in Australia – it has pushed the boundaries of what ‘deathcore’ (if this can still be classified as such?) can be on an international standard.

It’s heavily political, but Election Special is brilliantly executed.

Shrines ends up being both surprisingly unique and one of the most perfectly crafted examples of the ‘present’ out there today.

There is still the odd jarring moment, like an impenetrable fuzz of noise midway through Baton, but that is probably the price you pay for dealing with so many creative elements in what is another seriously classy effort from this band.

It’s a deeply affecting album and, thanks to the improved production, one that is likely to see a well-deserved expansion in the artist’s audience.

Bailey Bailey has assembled an all-new outfit and continued in the vein of elegant, catchy music which has characterised the latter eras of the iconic band.