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Amplifier
Amplifier


3.0
good

Review

by Yppolitia USER (8 Reviews)
July 8th, 2005 | 27 replies


Release Date: 2004 | Tracklist


Guitar/Vocals – Sel Balamir
Drums – Matt Brobin
Bass – Neil Mahony

"Armed with choruses more akin to detonations and an album joyous in its darkness AMPLIFIER are British rock reborn, post-classic rock if you will.

A band that didn’t so much form as gravitate together at the beginning of the new century in Manchester, coalescing from DNA strands of Celtic spark & Byzantine motive. Ready to roll. Evolving from an arsenal of treasured teenage records; AMPLIFIER take Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Police, Mogwai, Massive Attack, Bowie and Brad – in fact just about anything of any quality, and exhale it through a cloudburst of guitar pickups and distortion pedals.

A three year gestation period culminated in 2004's debut album co-produced by Sel Balamir with Steve Lyon (The Cure, Depeche Mode) and mixed by Chris Sheldon (Foo Fighters, My Vitriol, Feeder). Selling 5000 albums in the UK, stoking up a frenzy of Summer Festivals and shows with the likes of Deftones, Datsuns, Melissa Auf der Maur, Therapy?, Explosions In The Sky and Oceansize, all while gathering extreme praise from Radio 1, XFM, NME, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer and Q, AMPLIFIER are now Airborne in Europe.

Already No. 7 in the Visions Reader Poll for Best Newcomer after just a handful of European dates, AMPLIFIER are "rolling forward". The May European release of their startling debut album through SPV and the anticipation of more tours are further heating up expectation."

Quoted from Amplifier website.




I firstly heard The Consultancy by Amplifier and was blown away literally by the amazing guitar on it and searched for their album finding out than it came out within a couple of months. The next song I heard was One Great Summer and though that this had such a powerful chorus and deffinately wanted to get the album. I purchased the album later to find that the rest of the album is nothing like those 2 songs, its, well "crap" to be honest, its all the same with a few songs that re good but its just fairly repetative.






1. Motorhead
Opens with some feedback and after 0:12 the drums start with the feedback continuing until 0:26 and then Sel plays a few hard distorted chords. Tempo slows down after 1:12 and Sels vocals come in. The distorted guitar into the chorus reminds me of the heavy distortion that Kurt Cobain used on the album Bleach. Chorus is nothing special. Song ends with feedback. Good song to start off with.
3.5/5

2. Airbourne
Begins with a strange effect with some faint guitar in the background until the drums kick in at 1:06. Vocals comes in at 2:37. Chorus is fairly cool with some fast drumming towards the final choruses. Some cool distorted guitar work 3/4s. In the final stage of the song the guitar goes off course a litte with a few effects and the guitar going out of scale making it sound bad and the ending is a little messed up, almost sounds like they didnt know when to end.
2.8/5

3. Panzer
A guitar opening with some mixed effects that sound strange yet cool. This has some more lead guitar in it compared to the distorted guitar chords we heard alot of on the last two songs. Fairly hard to tell the chorus in this song but generall its an "ok" song with some good guitar effects . Songs kind of repetative.
3/5

4. Old Movies
More of a slower song with faint acoustic in the background and some wierd effects but in the chorus the guitar is alot more noticeable. Nothing special on this song, pretty much Verse>chorus>verse>chorus>ending.
2.9/5

5. Post Acid Youth
Starts with some sliding and some effects which I thin kare chorus and flanger. More of a better song that the last couple, the chorus has some more wierd sliding that contains effects. Nothing special.
3.2/5

6. Neon
The second song released from the album. Even though this was the second song released I heard One Great Summer second. More of alouder song than the last few. Verse quietens down alot with some palm muted guitar. Chrous gets a little louder but the intro seems to be the loudest part of the song. The break from the chrous into the verse contains a cool effect.
3.4/5

7. On/Off
Another slow intro. Song is generally slow until it gets about 2/3s in then it gets a volume boost. Unfortunately, nothing to really say about it. A few reviews I have read say it has a powerful and epic chorus but I dont agree whatsoever with that statement.
2.5/5

8. The Consultancy
First song I heard from tthe album, now this is more like it. Some slow bending up and back down, up and back down a few dozen times with the bass and drums building off until it literally explodes into ther main lead riff. Now why cant the rest of the album be like this? Some really wierd lyrics in this song "theres too many rhinos for just one cage" The break into the chorus or back into the main chorus is amazing.
5/5

9. One Great Summer
Second track from the record that I heard. Starts off moderatly slow with some fairly slow guitar and goes into the vocals. The chorus is very powerful in this song and almost epic. Wierd lyrics from Sel here even thoough it isa great song.
4.7/5

10. UFO's
Starts with very slow paced drumming and a few harmonics in the background. The chorus is pretty good in this song but doesnt last for too long until it goes into the quiet verse yet again with the harmonics. Some lead in this towards the end with a slow solo that contains alot of delay with some heavy distortion too. End comes to a very quick tempo change and ends the album.



Pros
Some good effects
A few catchy riffs and good choruses

Cons
Even though they are satisfying, there are too many effects
Very repetative at times
Even though The Consultancy is a wicked song it may not have been the best sonng to release as it gives a false idea that the album may be like it.

Recommended tracks
The Consultancy
UFO's
One Great Summer
Motorhead



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user ratings (204)
4
excellent
other reviews of this album
KerfuffleinaHussle (4)
Like floating weightlessly in the airy, sunny summer breeze; with your head stuck in a mother fuckin...



Comments:Add a Comment 
masada
July 8th 2005


2733 Comments


Yeah, it does look suspicious.

Pretty good review, besides that.

Yppolitia
July 9th 2005


44 Comments


Yeh ill admit I copied the info from the website but I dont know anything about them really.

Yppolitia
July 9th 2005


44 Comments


Ohh ok, sorry, I know for next time though :thumb:

Neoteric
November 4th 2005


3243 Comments


You always believe Kerrang?

halfdeadhippo
July 29th 2006


52 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

If you don't enjoy this one, you might like the EP. It's got "Continuum" and "Everyday Combat", both of which I consider to be better than anything on this album. I still dig this album, though.

Clunge
August 19th 2006


32 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Sorry, but that review sounds as if you've listened to the album once and then just left it.



The Consultancy and One Great Summer for me, stood out when I first heard this album but when you become familiar with the tracks, they do not stand-up to the epics like Airborne and UFO's.



This album is probably in my top 5 albums ever and I just think it deserves far more than a three.





halfdeadhippo
September 2nd 2006


52 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Yay Clunge, MD represent!



I think the problem is that the reviewer listened to the album with the expectation of heavy guitar-based rockers, while that doesn't seem to be the emphasis of the album. If you listen to it expecting tripped out build-up songs, it's quite good. I still dig the EP better, though.

Collis
November 7th 2008


662 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

UFOs is such an amazing song. It's just a great album in general.



Saw the support PT last year, they were probably a bit too good to be supporting.

cb123
February 4th 2011


2238 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

this review misses the mark by a long long way, great album

acorncheese
February 4th 2011


7139 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

More a fan of Insider, to the contrary of most Amp fans.

cb123
February 4th 2011


2238 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

real keen to listen to their new one, by all accounts its impressive

kangaroopoo
February 4th 2011


3175 Comments


Neon fav track, new album looks more epic in style

acorncheese
February 4th 2011


7139 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Don't know how I haven't rated this yet. Octopus didn't really do it for me.

audiosmurf
March 28th 2011


74 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

hugely disregarded band. Epic music! UFOs and Neon are easily in my all time favourites.

greg84
Emeritus
August 9th 2011


7654 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I'm not a fan of the review, but it's a damn strong album. Awesome stuff!

Mad.
December 10th 2012


4917 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

This review is horrible. Just saying.

menawati
December 10th 2012


16731 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

yea

KerfuffleinaHussle
January 6th 2013


1033 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

How have I not heard about this? Awesome stuff



Gonna try and review it soon, seeing as I still only have 1 review and I feel like somebody needs to show this album in a positive light

Mad.
January 7th 2013


4917 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Go ahead. I'd love to read a well-written review for this.

PistolPete
February 9th 2013


5306 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

The Consultancy has one of the best riffs I've ever heard come out of the rock genre. Absolutely amazing when it kicks in at 0:47, holy shit.



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