The Duel - NEW ALBUM
Following on from our previous review of The Duel, Garry from SAN PR recently dropped us a line about their latest album, Soundtrack To The End Of The World (The Zak Splash Story), to see what we thought of things. Formed in 2001, the band have been going from strength to strength, forming their sound and continuing to develop as a unit, so this album represents the fruits of their labours as it were. Drawing influence from the likes of The Clash, Iggy And The Stooges and Patti Smith, this album promises to be a journey back into the world of punk fused rock and roll – so what of the music?
Moving on (I say moving on, you say but this is the first thing you’ve said, I’ll explain at the end!) to Intro we’re presented with a conventional track, the opening punky style riffs merging with a new wave style backing to form a sound which is both upbeat, and dark at the same time. It’s a great introduction to the album, immediately setting the tone for what is to follow and letting you know roughly what you’re in for! Invincible continues this theme, this time moving back towards the more ‘Stooges’ like punk style and using the different elements of the band to keep the sound alive and moving. Most notable about this track is how they’ve managed to create a sound which somehow sounds retro, yet new and original at the same time, it’s a hell of an achievement and demonstrates the bands understanding of their music and where it came from.
Moving on to Less Everyday there’s an immediate shift towards the upbeat and catchy style which keeps this genre so popular and alive, the vocals flowing out over the backing music and forming a sound which is sure to get people moving. As a track this one stands out as one to make sure you check out, harnessing the refined power of the band and crafting a sound which is going to envelop you, make you fall in love with music all over again and pass judgement against everything else you listen to. You Can Do It continues this idea, once again forming around you to create a dark and ominous approach which at first listen, sounds familiar, yet once again new. This to me is a track which is perfectly crafted for the live scene, demonstrating the different elements of the band and encouraging you to sing along throughout. If you’re looking for a track which epitomises the sound of The Duel then this could well be it, forming into something which harks towards punk but incorporates the more indie elements along with it to make it accessible.
Fake Like You Do once again captures the essence of the band, tossing you into a track full of catchy hooks, raucous guitar melodies and powerful rhythm sections. There’s also an atmospheric quality to this track, the whole sound merging around you and drawing you in, harking back to the heyday of punk and new wave, showing that it is possible to take an older genre and make it sound up to date and original when the band have got the skills to do it. As if to further testify to this, Love Me Do comes up next and presents us with another upbeat and catchy number, once again a track which is going to work insanely well on the live scene. This is the sort of track which gets people moving along, gets them singing and demonstrates why The Duel are going to be a force to be reckoned with. Conventionally punk lyrically, there’s something about this track which makes it stand out, showing that when the right musicians are put together, their sound can rove on that thin line between upbeat and dark with aplomb.
Penultimate track Splash On You comes as a more refined and laid back moment on the album, almost moving back towards the atmospheric elements of the band and crafting another new wave, 80’s like sound. Bass heavy throughout, the band use the mix well on this track to move the drums to the background, the vocals to the forefront and the guitars to a place in the middle so that every single element of the band can be heard throughout. Closing with When The Fire Goes Out we’re left on an upbeat and more ‘sunny’ track, almost building things around a ska like guitar line with a soft yet appropriate drum line backing everything up. As a closing track this almost leaves us on a cliff hanger, not giving away what’s going to come up next but letting us know that what ever it is, it’s going to be another interesting and diverse journey.
Now, at the beginning I said ‘moving on’, and the reasons for this are that the first track on this album, The Zak Splash Story is a melee of all of the tracks on the album, interspersed with a vocal commentary which tells us the story of said character. As a concept album it works well, but equally, the tracks work well on their own – presenting you effectively with two options as to how to listen to this!
The Duel are one of those bands that seem to be able to produce music which sounds ageless, almost harking back to the glory days of punk and rock yet still managing to form something which is new and exciting, and they’ve done it again with this album. There were times when I found it really quite hard to write as simply, there was so much to listen to – meaning what you’ve got here is something which is going to get you listening, thinking, and reflecting from start to finish. As a concept album, it works, as a stand alone album, it also works – so check it out and see what you reckon.
To find out more about The Duel, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Moving on (I say moving on, you say but this is the first thing you’ve said, I’ll explain at the end!) to Intro we’re presented with a conventional track, the opening punky style riffs merging with a new wave style backing to form a sound which is both upbeat, and dark at the same time. It’s a great introduction to the album, immediately setting the tone for what is to follow and letting you know roughly what you’re in for! Invincible continues this theme, this time moving back towards the more ‘Stooges’ like punk style and using the different elements of the band to keep the sound alive and moving. Most notable about this track is how they’ve managed to create a sound which somehow sounds retro, yet new and original at the same time, it’s a hell of an achievement and demonstrates the bands understanding of their music and where it came from.
Moving on to Less Everyday there’s an immediate shift towards the upbeat and catchy style which keeps this genre so popular and alive, the vocals flowing out over the backing music and forming a sound which is sure to get people moving. As a track this one stands out as one to make sure you check out, harnessing the refined power of the band and crafting a sound which is going to envelop you, make you fall in love with music all over again and pass judgement against everything else you listen to. You Can Do It continues this idea, once again forming around you to create a dark and ominous approach which at first listen, sounds familiar, yet once again new. This to me is a track which is perfectly crafted for the live scene, demonstrating the different elements of the band and encouraging you to sing along throughout. If you’re looking for a track which epitomises the sound of The Duel then this could well be it, forming into something which harks towards punk but incorporates the more indie elements along with it to make it accessible.
Fake Like You Do once again captures the essence of the band, tossing you into a track full of catchy hooks, raucous guitar melodies and powerful rhythm sections. There’s also an atmospheric quality to this track, the whole sound merging around you and drawing you in, harking back to the heyday of punk and new wave, showing that it is possible to take an older genre and make it sound up to date and original when the band have got the skills to do it. As if to further testify to this, Love Me Do comes up next and presents us with another upbeat and catchy number, once again a track which is going to work insanely well on the live scene. This is the sort of track which gets people moving along, gets them singing and demonstrates why The Duel are going to be a force to be reckoned with. Conventionally punk lyrically, there’s something about this track which makes it stand out, showing that when the right musicians are put together, their sound can rove on that thin line between upbeat and dark with aplomb.
Penultimate track Splash On You comes as a more refined and laid back moment on the album, almost moving back towards the atmospheric elements of the band and crafting another new wave, 80’s like sound. Bass heavy throughout, the band use the mix well on this track to move the drums to the background, the vocals to the forefront and the guitars to a place in the middle so that every single element of the band can be heard throughout. Closing with When The Fire Goes Out we’re left on an upbeat and more ‘sunny’ track, almost building things around a ska like guitar line with a soft yet appropriate drum line backing everything up. As a closing track this almost leaves us on a cliff hanger, not giving away what’s going to come up next but letting us know that what ever it is, it’s going to be another interesting and diverse journey.
Now, at the beginning I said ‘moving on’, and the reasons for this are that the first track on this album, The Zak Splash Story is a melee of all of the tracks on the album, interspersed with a vocal commentary which tells us the story of said character. As a concept album it works well, but equally, the tracks work well on their own – presenting you effectively with two options as to how to listen to this!
The Duel are one of those bands that seem to be able to produce music which sounds ageless, almost harking back to the glory days of punk and rock yet still managing to form something which is new and exciting, and they’ve done it again with this album. There were times when I found it really quite hard to write as simply, there was so much to listen to – meaning what you’ve got here is something which is going to get you listening, thinking, and reflecting from start to finish. As a concept album, it works, as a stand alone album, it also works – so check it out and see what you reckon.
To find out more about The Duel, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
The Duel
We were recently put on to The Duel by Garry from SAN PR. The Duel are a Punk Rock band from London. Originally starting off in 2001 as a two piece band which was comprised of the powerful vocals of Tara Rex and talented Keyboardist/Bassist Andy Theirum. Since then the band have expanded to five members and are going from strength to strength. Being influenced by the likes of The Sex Pistols, Blondie and the Ramones, I was intrigued as to what I would get. Anyway here’s how it went down.
All Aboard The Crazy Train was the first track I listened to, as soon as the track opened I found myself being transported back to the 80's, there’s a real funky bass line all the way through and I half expected David Bowie to kick in on the vocals. The tempo throughout is fairly slow, I liked the almost background like vocals. The structure of the track is simple but effective, there's solid guitar riffs accompanied by the occasional sound of distorted guitars, there’s a catchy drum beat you can know your head to with a guitar solo thrown in towards the end.
The second track I selected off the album is called Singing N Dancing. This track was a stark contrast to 'All Aboard The Crazy Train', the track is carried along at a much faster rate of knots, there’s more of a Punk Rock feel to the track and influences such as the Sex Pistols really begin to stand out in this track. I liked the keyboard start and the fact that it doesn’t get drowned out by the drums and guitars and you can make it out at various times of the track, this can sometimes get underpinned by everything else going on and I think it adds a new dimension to the track. The vocals are extremely punk rock and work well with this track especially.
Empty Highway starts with the sound of a powerful car; it doesn’t take long for rolling drums to come to life. The simplicity of the tracks is key for me. Why complicate things when you don’t have to? The band seems to have this integrated in all their stuff. I liked this track as it showed a little bit of variation vocally, they sound different than the previous two tracks and adapt to the style of record they have produced. Backed up by the always solid guitar riffs, and meaty drum beat, I couldn’t have been blamed for thinking the new age Blondie has arrived.
As soon as the 1st stick hit the drum, I was hooked on this track. New Dream made me feel like I was actually in a dream. The tempo to the track is back to walking pace and amazingly this track has both contrasts in vocals that I mentioned in the previous track, all rolled into one. There’s a punchy tune all the way through and it’s pivotal for pushing this track through to the end. The drum beat is addictive and I found myself mumbling away to the lyrics as I got more and more engrossed in the track.
The last track I selected off the album is called Loneliness; this was my favourite track of all the ones I have talked about. This track had a Fleetwood Mac style bass line with Bowie like guitar riffs, all complimented by a true Punk Rock style of vocals. The beats are slow and heartfelt; the soft keys at the start of the track set the tone. In a sense the track never gets out of first gear its played on the floor, however there’s so many different layers to it that it didn't need to. Not the longest of tracks, but any longer and I would have been so chilled out I wouldn’t have wanted to get up.
Overall I think that The Duel are putting out a sound we haven't heard here for a long time. I liked it, even though it’s not my usual thing and I think that having such a unique sound at this present time can only mean good things for them in the future.
To find out more about The Duel, check out their Facebook page HERE.
All Aboard The Crazy Train was the first track I listened to, as soon as the track opened I found myself being transported back to the 80's, there’s a real funky bass line all the way through and I half expected David Bowie to kick in on the vocals. The tempo throughout is fairly slow, I liked the almost background like vocals. The structure of the track is simple but effective, there's solid guitar riffs accompanied by the occasional sound of distorted guitars, there’s a catchy drum beat you can know your head to with a guitar solo thrown in towards the end.
The second track I selected off the album is called Singing N Dancing. This track was a stark contrast to 'All Aboard The Crazy Train', the track is carried along at a much faster rate of knots, there’s more of a Punk Rock feel to the track and influences such as the Sex Pistols really begin to stand out in this track. I liked the keyboard start and the fact that it doesn’t get drowned out by the drums and guitars and you can make it out at various times of the track, this can sometimes get underpinned by everything else going on and I think it adds a new dimension to the track. The vocals are extremely punk rock and work well with this track especially.
Empty Highway starts with the sound of a powerful car; it doesn’t take long for rolling drums to come to life. The simplicity of the tracks is key for me. Why complicate things when you don’t have to? The band seems to have this integrated in all their stuff. I liked this track as it showed a little bit of variation vocally, they sound different than the previous two tracks and adapt to the style of record they have produced. Backed up by the always solid guitar riffs, and meaty drum beat, I couldn’t have been blamed for thinking the new age Blondie has arrived.
As soon as the 1st stick hit the drum, I was hooked on this track. New Dream made me feel like I was actually in a dream. The tempo to the track is back to walking pace and amazingly this track has both contrasts in vocals that I mentioned in the previous track, all rolled into one. There’s a punchy tune all the way through and it’s pivotal for pushing this track through to the end. The drum beat is addictive and I found myself mumbling away to the lyrics as I got more and more engrossed in the track.
The last track I selected off the album is called Loneliness; this was my favourite track of all the ones I have talked about. This track had a Fleetwood Mac style bass line with Bowie like guitar riffs, all complimented by a true Punk Rock style of vocals. The beats are slow and heartfelt; the soft keys at the start of the track set the tone. In a sense the track never gets out of first gear its played on the floor, however there’s so many different layers to it that it didn't need to. Not the longest of tracks, but any longer and I would have been so chilled out I wouldn’t have wanted to get up.
Overall I think that The Duel are putting out a sound we haven't heard here for a long time. I liked it, even though it’s not my usual thing and I think that having such a unique sound at this present time can only mean good things for them in the future.
To find out more about The Duel, check out their Facebook page HERE.