SEVEN RAYS OF THE SUN (AHS399)
out on Ace of Hearts Records
Heat From a Dead Star -- SEVEN RAYS OF THE SUN [Ace of Hearts Records]
The thirteen tracks on this album, the full-length debut (I think) by this British band, combine the spirit of pure rock 'n roll and the catchy appeal of pop with the edginess of punk and new wave -- echoes of bands like Joy Division, Fugazi, and the Refused appear in the band's sound, especially in the tinny, chiming guitars and pulsing, melodic bass, but the vocals and tightly-wound song structures are pure pop goodness. The energy in the songs may come from punk roots, but the layering of sound and attention to detail are more consistent with pop music; the band is essentially a power trio, but they round out their sound on the disc through the judicious use of keyboards, piano, mandolin, and castanets when appropriate. (Their lyrical stance, too, which revolves mainly around relationships and other facets of ordinary life, rather than politics or heavy intellectual themes, is considerably more attuned to the pop idiom than to punk.) This is not to suggest that they're a lightweight-sounding band, however; there's a hefty dose of attitude to their playing, along with hard-rocking percussion, and the guitars are fuzzy and razor-like just as often as they are jangly. Best of all, even at their punkiest, the guitars are drenched in melody, lending a stark beauty to many of the songs even while they're rocking out.
About Ace of Hearts Records:
Ace of Hearts released terrific albums by the aforementioned bands and others, but it's really the 25 tunes here that had the most impact. In particular, Mission of Burma's "Academy Fight Song" backed with "Max Ernst" and the Lyres' "I Want to Help You Ann" with "I Really Want You Right Now" had nationwide repercussions, fueling the post-punk era and the second coming of garage rock. By TED DROZDOWSKI, http://thephoenix.com
Heat From a DeadStar
Pierrick Abouquir
Philippe Gerber
XXXXXX (FOR NOW)
Heat From a DeadStar's music spans over various genres without belonging to any:
"This is music of blackhole darkness and raging intensity. But it's constructed from a pattern of short repeats that's bizarrely catchy" Opposition T Webzine
"[....]65days style bass and spooky guitars morph into the sound of crying monsters, and twisty time signatures barrage their way through brick walls,[...]" God is in the TV Webzine
"There's always a place for this wonderful noiseniks,taking the surging rushes of Godspeed, marrying it to the intense atmospheric brilliance of Mogwai and the melodic, almost orchestral sounds of early Mercury Rev[...]" Subba-Cultcha Webzine
L i v e R e v i e w / Mon 7 November 2005 @ The Hope and Anchor
Three men with a message: a message that builds. Tribal drumming opens. Subtly piping keyboard grows into a space storm. Bass emerges, a fussin' and a botherin'. Then spooky guitar rears, grunts and reverbs. Suddenly, the trio break into a classic rock'n'roll intro. They follow on with five wild musical experiments. Grinding guitar, whistling and squealing feedback, mad fx pedalling, a Black Sabbath of diabolic revs and slashes. The bass man's tunes jerk and spider, strings bending, mad slides, frenetic speed and groovy slapping. This chap plays keyboard with his feet - not foot pedals, yer actual keys. Beats are stilted, but graspable, tempos frayed, but nothing broken. Hawkwind, Black Sabbath and Spiritualized thrown together and forced through the grinder.
Heat From a DeadStar made my week. This is music of blackhole darkness and raging intensity. But it's constructed from a pattern of short repeats that's bizarrely catchy. A breakneck progression from the intro, through a sequence of end-to-end tunes, ultimately arriving at a finale that plunges around a groove, a hooky helter-skelter crunchathon, and a white noise conclusion.
John Lydon observed that "Anger is an energy". Heat From a DeadStar have travelled from France, where the energy has been emerging as rioting, to prove that their energy can be harnessed in the service of timeless musical beauty.
Energy not just from celestial bodies, but the perpetual power of Mr Jimi Hendrix.
Heat From a DeadStar are producing a illuminating brand of post-rock/alternative whatever, it’s just "a bit good rock.” Take a song like “Elusive Ways,” built like a big fuck off tank: 65days style bass and spooky guitars morph into the sound of crying monsters, and twisty time signatures barrage their way through brick walls, briefly reminding me of the missing in action My Vitriol. They ain’t no one trick ponies either, the dead chamber strum of Lighthouse inhabited by ghostly vocals or winding down dark forests brings to mind My Bloody Valentine or the ethereality of early Mogwai. Currently holed up in Steve Albini’s studio in Chicago, HFADS are potentially stratospheric.
RICK HARTE OF ACE OF HEARTS RECORDS INTERVIEW:
"On Friday February 20th, 2009 Boston’s legendary rock producer and owner of Ace of Hearts Records joined me on the Kick Out the James! program on WZBC 90.3 FM. We talked for two hours. We spoke about his latest band, Heat From A Dead Star a fantastic trio from France via England. Rick also spoke about the fruitful 1980’s Boston rock era, his infamous past, and humble beginnings producing and releasing bands like; Mission of Burma, The Neats, The Neighborhoods, The Lyres and many more. He has some great stories."
James / WZBC 90.3 FM Listen to the interview!
The thirteen tracks on this album combine the spirit of pure rock 'n roll and the catchy appeal of pop with the edginess of punk and new wave... THE ONE TRUE DEAD ANGEL (USA), MARCH 09
Proches musicalement des travaux récents de Logh, ils clament un amour intact pour des chansons abordables et en même temps chargées de mélancolie lourde (la reprise du déjà connu « Elusive Ways »)... OBSKURE (FRANCE), APRIL 09
Deadstar is a repository for all the emotions we don't know how to put into words while they fester inside... ETHERIZED (USA), FEBRUARY 09
Parfois on dirait presque un album posthume de DRIVE BLIND, voir des chutes de studio de POLICY OF 3 et HAL AL SHEDAD boeuffant ensemble. Ouais. Et c’est aussi bon.. RECORDS REVIEWERS ARE PRETENTIOUS ASSHOLES (FRANCE), MARCH 2009
This stirring collaboration between the acclaimed post-punk producer and the London-based trio is exactly the sonic assault Harte fans anticipate, as flashes of inspired song craft punctuate “Seven Rays of the Sun.” ANTI MUSIC (USA), APRIL 09
...it becomes the album where the whole is greater than
the sum of its parts. Almost unique, truly accessible, immensely enjoyable and very long-lasting pleasure. DEAD EARNEST (UK), APRIL 09
Dischordance seems to be the name of Heat From A Dead Stars’ game. Imagine Bleach-era Nirvana playing Mission Of Burmas’ songs on Fugazis’ instruments and you might have something of a sense of their particular brand of noise. SUBBA-CULTCHA (UK), MARCH 09
Slackers, loose messy grungy, sometimes energetic, sometimes moody, London slackers. Searching for their nirvana out there in the grungy space or something like that. ORGANART (UK), FEBRUARY 09
DISCOGRAPHY
SEVEN RAYS OF THE SUN (AHS399)
1. Messy Kid
2. Seahorse Seafish
3. Ad Astra
4. Elusive Ways
5. Psychotic Girl
6. Summer of Dark
7. Daylight
8. The Gallows
9. To The Twilight
10. Craving
11. Crown
12. Unharmed
13. Velvet Chairs
Songs produced by Rick Harte aceofheartsrecords.com
"Slackers, loose messy grungy, sometimes energetic, sometimes
moody, London slackers. Searching for their nirvana out there in the
grungy space..."
Sean / Organart
"Seven Rays of the Sun is the latest in a slow but steady trickle of releases from Boston label Ace of Hearts - possibly best known for Mission of Burma records in the early 80s.
I reviewed Heat from a Deadstar's Lighthouse EP in our July/August issue last year, and this full-length is unquestionably continuing to fuck with my mind. The only familiar track is "Elusive Ways." The version on this record is a lot cleaner-sounding and catches the ear with a sort of despairing Nirvana vocal melody. I have a feeling that within a few more listens I'll be mumbling half-remembered words under my breath and staring into space.
This album runs all over the place - from some sort of twisted punk to light almost relaxing music with ample pieces of dissonance, yelling, strange guitar sounds, and slowly developing minimalist structures. I can only imagine that this trio writes in a horrible mood in a basement somewhere most of the time. On the plus side, it's hard to ever pin Deadstar down to a genre or set of influences - they're always shifting, and something about them always focuses on a groove and a downward gaze. Deadstar is a repository for all the emotions we don't know how to put into words while they fester inside. "
1. Elusive Ways
2. Joan
3. The Lighthouse
4. Black Swans,
reinterpreted by Re: dux tion
tracks 1 to 3:
Recorded and mixed by Kevin Porée
at The Berry Street Studio (London) in 2006
Mastered by Tim Branton at João Carvalho Mastering Studio
(Toronto, Canada)
"There's always a place for this wonderful noiseniks,
taking the surging rushes of Godspeed, marrying it to
the intense atmospheric brilliance of Mogwai and the
melodic, almost orchestral sounds of early Mercury Rev,
one's to watch, check them out on our
forthcoming Podcasts."
Thanks for the request. Welcome on the Grosse radio's World, Rock,Metal, Reggae & alternative. For Listening our radio programming, connect at: http://www.lagrosseradio.com
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