So... The new album then... well? - Expect Spoilers.

[Zo]

I'm now way past my 10th listen....it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride since it wasn't quite what I was expecting. But, I can say this: STUNNING. AWESOME, MAGNIFICENT!! Much of the content of this album has the "feel" of those wonderous "B" sides of the early nineties. Stand out tracks for me so far: "Rooting....", "The Revolution....", "The Hard Way", and "Bi-Polar Baby". To these ears, this IS the Wildhearts. Brilliant, genius, and classic.

Keith - couldn't agree more! Wasn't what I was expecting either - only took me till 'Slaughtered Authors' to realise that this is an AWESOME album. I can hear influences from just about every album they've done before - plus there's a fair feel of Valor and Yoni to some of the lighter tracks... to me it just feels like this is the culmination of all that has gone before... kind of a 'sum of all it's parts' if anyone understands what I'm saying - i'm not sure even I do!!

Anyway - it just seems such a 'complete' album - there's a little bit of everything for everyone!

Stand out tracks for me...

Definately Slaughtered Authors - that gives me goosebumps

Revolution Will Be Televised - I love this just as much as I thought I would. Lots of people mentioning the Clash similarities. Can anyone hear quite a bit of SLF in there too? (I'm standing at the edge of the world reference too) Oh, and listen to the verses whilst singing 'to have and have not' by Billy Bragg in your head very old-school punk. I fuckin LOVE it!

The New Flesh - if this gets the right amount of promotion i can see this being HUGE. Great choice for a first single. Catchy as hell, and I love love love the lyrics.

God, I could go on about this all day - I'll shut up now and go for a dance around me bedroom

[pete]

had a couple of listens and really impressed
the hard way has classic written all over it. I havent quite got destroy all monsters yet though but Rooting is stuck in my head for good now.

[Bang!]

Yes, and enough of a brain to not blindly love everything by one artist.

Couldn't agree more

At the moment I think Hardway is excellent and bi-polar baby stands out as being very good. I think almost the whole album has vocals too low and too drowned in the mix.

Just think that any singles, any radio play etc will suffer because casual listeners wont be able to make out lyrics for large parts of the songs. Dunno, maybe just how I see. Just gingers lyrics are almost always brilliant I just think sometimes the crunchy guitars almost .totally hide the vocals.

Think the album is a grower a bit. Am enjoying every listen a bit more, not quite convinced theres any "classic" songs yet up to the standards of I wanna go, tv tan, just in lust, sick of drugs etc. But we shall see.

I have to say I think Shes all that is b-side material at best. And certainly not up to the strength of older wildies b-sides. Just don't like it at all :/

Revolution and slaughtered I really like both. Genuienly think its a very good album, but I think atm i might agree with some of the more catious reviewers rather than most people on here "IFUCKING FANTASTIC, ITS AMAZING, BEST WILDHEARTS EVER, BEST ALBUM EVER!111" type stuff.

I just don't think the melody and hooks and the absolute fan-favourite, classic songs are really present on alot of the album. Listen to tv tan, then listen to rooting and tell me honestly if you think it's even close to being as catchy, as good lyrics, as clear vocals, as good melody etc. Maybe its just me.

Nice that everyones enjoying it, and hope they get a few more decent reviews to boost sales Looking forward to seeing em in Brsitol, always awesome live.


Ps. This is merely my opinion, so don't get all bitchy if you disagree, if you all think its the best album ever then that's all well and good

[Chris Davies]

not quite convinced theres any "classic" songs yet up to the standards of I wanna go, tv tan, just in lust, sick of drugs etc. But we shall see.

Id agree there mate, your post on the whole I thought was very good.

I think the album does have its classics but its really hard to compare them with the above mentioned songs and other such songs from the classic 90's era.

I dont like comparing any music from the wildies , I just take each song as they come and see what I think of it , thats why I love this band so much because 99.9% of the time I love every song I hear from them.

After a few fair listens to the album I agree like most people on hear that it is amazing. Rooting ... , Reveloution ... , Hard Way .... Bi Polar Baby(agree that it sounds Ginger solo) and Inner City Overture are still my early favs so far.

Slaughtered Authors and Destroy All Monsters have grown on me alot from my first listen and I think there both quality tracks.

Sweetest Song and The New Flesh and just quality pop rock songs with catchy chorus' that get me singing along all the time.

She's All That ? Well this seems to be the only song people have got a bit of a problem with it would seem. Its kinda the same with me. But im starting to like it just not as much as the others.

Anyways I cant wait to hear some of these songs live on wednesday tis gonna be rocking

[SuperJake]

The New flesh is a good song, but am I the only one that thinks it should be the single? I think Rooting should be. The New Flesh lacks the usual Wildhearts punhc. Really liking the new albuma t the moment though. Very Happy, Bring on tuesday. I also think Slaughtered Authers should have done the jammy/Riff bit after the first chorus for longer, I was loving that bit .

[Piedude]

The New flesh is a good song, but am I the only one that thinks it should be the single? I think Rooting should be. The New Flesh lacks the usual Wildhearts punhc. Really liking the new albuma t the moment though. Very Happy, Bring on tuesday. I also think Slaughtered Authers should have done the jammy/Riff bit after the first chorus for longer, I was loving that bit .

I guess you mean shouldnt? Well I think Rooting could make a great second single (maybe they'd have to have a trimmed down version availble also) but I think The New Flesh is the best choice for 1st single. Its the right sorta length, catchy verse and chorus, good lyrics (from the ones I can work out, why remove lyrics from the UK version booklet?). Anyway, I reckon it'll convert some more people, my girlfriend tried fighting the CD out of my hands when I tried putting it on yesterday (not the biggest fan of the band...) but when The New Flesh came on she instantly began to warm to it, kept skipping tracks back to it, and hours later was asking for me to send her a copy of it (only other song thats happened for was Anthem)...so I'd say its got a chance of making new fans.
Your off to Bristol gig too? who else on the board is?...

[SuperJake]

The New flesh is a good song, but am I the only one that thinks it should be the single? I think Rooting should be. The New Flesh lacks the usual Wildhearts punhc. Really liking the new albuma t the moment though. Very Happy, Bring on tuesday. I also think Slaughtered Authers should have done the jammy/Riff bit after the first chorus for longer, I was loving that bit .

I guess you mean shouldnt? .

...yeh . lol.

[Ean]

...good lyrics (from the ones I can work out, why remove lyrics from the UK version booklet?)...

The lyrics haven't been removed from the Uk booklet. The Japanese version (as possibly all overseas rekkids do) just has an extra sheet inside the case with the lyrics and a translation on it.

[JasonH]

Gradually picking out more and more bits that I love. Think the downside with the first dozen listens was that they had to be background noise whilst I was working. Listening closely now and I'm starting to "get" a lot more of it.

IMO Revolution is the track with "crossover" most written all over it. Love the 2 distinct movements of it. I can hear a lot of American Idiot in it - y'know, put Revolution and New Flesh together and it has a feel akin to Jesus Of Suburbia / St Jimmy / We Are The Waiting. (that's a good thing btw) Highly political and lots of musical ideas going on.

And someone shied away from comparing the end of Hard Way to the Quo - that's exactly what it is. Don't be shy. And when either band are on fire, that's also a very good thing.

[Damian]

And someone shied away from comparing the end of Hard Way to the Quo - that's exactly what it is. Don't be shy.

Or indeed to "...Headf**k". In fact a lot of the riffs sound quite familiar. Wouldn't say I'm complaining though.

[Nickinvincible]

The album is starting to sink in now, and overall I've gotta say I think it's great and a brave step in a slightly new direction for the wildies. I agree the big catchy chorus's maybe aren't as apparent as they are on Earth vs and Must Be Destroyed, but the beauty of the WHs is that their material spanners off in a million little directions at once and leaves you wondering, wow, where the fuck did that come from!!! and i reckon this album does that, in spades.

Standout tracks - the first five are amazing, and inner city overture as well, thats what has grabbed me so far! the bassline of slaughtered authors is inspired, rooting for the bad guy is a drop dead gorgeous song, the new flesh is catchy as hell.

bi polar baby and she's all that maybe aren't wowing me at the moment, to me they sound a bit more like solo Ginger material in terms of sound and probably of quality as well. i'm sure over time they'll knock me flat but right now they are the low points in an album that is very short on low points!

a lot of it reminds me of drinking in the daytime and inglorious.

not got the jap version yet. well looking forward to the tour now, reckon the first five songs will definitely be in the setlist!

overall - well impressed, it has got album of the year all over it, i'd put it up there with phuq and ffl, still reckon earth vs is their best effort but this is certainly pushing it all the way!

[davejnick]

The only one that hasn't really grabbed me yet is "Destroy All Monsters". Give it time though!

[Workyticket]

The only one that hasn't really grabbed me yet is "Destroy All Monsters". Give it time though!

I'll second that. It's great and all, but possibly the heaviest/least melodic song on the album, and I think I'll need a while to get used to some of the other gems on the CD before I can give it the time it needs. Actually, my first impression of it was that it reminded me of Therapy?, and that can never be a bad thing!

Great bass playing too. In fact, does Scott not absolutely fucking kill on this album? Some of his lines on Slaughtered Authors are sublime.

[Chris Norway]

OK. After listening to the album for a little week, here is my smartass norwegian take on the album:

"Rooting For The Bad Guy"
A brilliant song to open the album. A powerful tune, riff after riff after riff and catchy chours. Reminds me of "Fishing For Luckies" era, and will be remembered as one of the bands greater moments.

"The Sweetest Song"
In my ears already a classic. I´m usually not a big fan of this kind of verse, but mixed with the bridge and nanana chours it just makes sense . I love this tune!

"Revolution Will Be Televised"
IMO very close to Earth VS era. This is Wildhearts at their best. Very melodic, very catchy. And the "outro" is a stroke of genius!

"The New Flesh"
Its very, very cool, but I just dont like the second half of the chours, and how they goes from the chours and to the second verse, so that kinda destroys it a bit for me. I understand why its a single, but they´ve made better singles than this. And, I think this version really needs some editing and remixing to make it more radio-friendly.

Slaughtered Authors
Ahh! The slow and heavy feel, the intro, the verse, the big chourses and the riffathon! I fucking love this

The Hard Way
Its ok. Not up with the best hardrock tunes this band have done, IMO the chourses are a bit boring, and so is much of the instrumental parts. Love the end of this songs wich reminds me a lot of "my baby is a headfuck". The song as whole sounds a bit third-release-luckies-album to me.

Inner City Overture
Today this song is my favorite on the album. I took some time before it hit me, but now I cant get it out of my head. Sounds like it could be track 5 on the Suckerpunch EP.

Bi-Polar Baby
Very cool powerful intro riff and melodic harmony verse. The chours could be more interesting and the solo is boring and long. Still, a good rocker.

She´s All That
Its not bad. It just a bit "filler" material IMO. Its kinda boring because there´s not much cool stuff going on trough the song, as we are used to from these guys. And therefor it makes me think "unfinished". But its still an alright tune that should be cut shorter.

Destroy All Monsters
Ha ha! This tune makes me laugh. This is a brilliant way to close the album. Love the riff after riff stuff and the really heavy feel of the song. perfect ending!!

So The Spencers Can Poke Out (japan bonus track)
Its a nice instrumental piece. And thats all it is.

Oh Bonita (japan bonus track)
Yeah!! Of course they hide something superbly brilliant at the end of the Japanese release, in typically Wildhearts fashion.
Very melodic with cool harmony vocals and great chours.
---------------------

So, my favorite list looks like (today):
Inner City Overture
Revolution Will Be Televised
Rooting For The Bad Guy
Slaughtered Authors
The Sweetest Song
The New Flesh
Destroy All Monsters
The Hard Way
Bi-Polar Baby
She´s All That

("Oh Bonita" would have made top 6.)

IMO this album kills "...must be destroyed". I think its a brilliant classic Wildhearts album that might be the best or second best in the bands history (a litlle early to say). This album mix the best of the Earth VS and p.h.u.q./fishing with must be destroyed/coupled era.

The band sounds superb, and the productions/mix is good. Ginger and CJ do great vocals and Ritch does some very cool rock and roll drumming. I like this line-up just as much as the Earth VS line-up.

I wont give the album 10/10. I guess it´s 8/10 because I think they can do better than "The hard way", "bi-polar baby" and "she´s all that". But the seven other tunes: Fucking amazing brilliant superb 11 out of 10 stuff!!

[Gigantor]

Got the (japanese) album on Friday and listened all weekend.
Like with some others here it wasn't what I expected but it's a fucking good record indeed. The riffing is a bit too much here and (riffing for riffing's sake / jacking off, etc.) but the good riffs are really like the old times ("Sky Babies", "Inglorious" etc.).

My faves so far:

- Rooting... (9 minute killer á la "Sky Babies" and that's only the opening, hahaha!)
- Sweetest... (really good riff!)
- Slaughtered... (right now for me the best chorus on the album)

and my most favourite:

- Bi-Polar Baby
The opening riff is HUGE! AWESOME!

Good record, lads, good record!