The Defects - Revelator EP CD/DVD (2011)

The Defects - Revelator EP CD/DVD (2011) [DIY]

CD
Opening track and EP title "Revelator" kick us off and it's a song you can get excited about. This is 77 meets street. The echoing ring of the guitar and the build ups are great. The harrowing voice throwing out a chorus, brilliant backing vocals pieces and the drumming is good and adventurously successful in some areas and solid throughout. The Reggae piece towards the end in particular shows this band can diversify whether the fuckin want to or not. And jesus christ that's only track one. "Guilty Conscience" maintains the same pieces as before. Solid riffs, brilliant backing vocal sections and solid drumming. "Metal Walls" is still a good song, with an impressive solo in there as well and it's a good jump around but not better than the last two songs. Then comes track 4, I was so, so, so dreading listening to this. I had listening to dub mixes of songs. It ruins them. But.... not this one. It's "Revelator Dub" and while the song originally has a wee section of reggae in it, this one is all over reggae and it sounds beautiful. With tormented echos which stretch on in the vocals and the guitar before hitting incredibly hard vocally with the chorus to bring you to attention and appreciate it. Like I said, I usually fucking despise these tracks thrown onto the end of EPs. In my opinion it's laziness on the bands part, but this one has been done very well and pretty good considering their drummer Glen did it and it's his first bash at it. Impressive EP 9/10



DVD
Bet they didn't think I'd review this too eh.... haha. To start with I'm thinking this video is shite! It's put together pretty crap, but a sneaking suspicion that that couldn't be the case, cause no one would do something this bad on disk, was confirmed when the next track, the live one, came on and the video was equally as fucked up. Well you know what, Windows Media Player can get tae fuck. So for now, I'll leave it at that until I can get a dvd player to watch the DVD.

The Defects @ The Wellesley Inn, Methil

Saturday November 26th 2011 @ The Wellesley Inn, Methil
What. A. Fuckin. Night. Great times and not one i'll forget in a hurry.... well let's hope not, cause here's the review! This was my first time at a gig in Fife that wasn't Dunfermline and I didn't know what to expect. I figured we'd be a in a function room sorta thing at a local pub and I was right, but it was pretty damn good if I'm honest. The layout of the place was spot on and everything about the place was great. Loved it. I'm not going to lie, when I first walked in I was confronted by a skinhead in a West Ham United tracksuit screaming at the bar (as in behind the bar) cause no one was there to serve us, all the while having the word "FIFE" tattooed accross his knuckles. Ye jump to conclusions, but he was a good lad.

Razorblade Smile

So starting off we've got Razorblade Smile from Glasgowville. Now I'm convinced I've seen them before somewhere, but not entirely sure. To be honest, they were a bit off for me. I thought the vocalist was very good, her voice suited the music very well, she just seem struggled a bit to push the energy onto the crowd, but for fuck sake, what opening band does. It's too early to get anyone in the mood, it's an impossible task. Musically however they didn't seem to gel. Musicians that is, not what the were playing. It reflected a bit too much like a jam session, but still, I thought they were nae bad like! 6/10

Prairie Dugz

Then! Oh Then Oh Then! I got me a treat. Prairie Dugz. Fuckin' smashin. Loved it. What I got from their performance was this. I like UK Subs, you like the subs, we all like the subs. But what If we were to give the subs tons of speed. Then make them more powerful. We're talking about the 6 million dollar band here, we can rebuild them and make them stronger and the result is in Ayrshire. And even saying that I'm taking away from them their own style, cause by fuck do they make their own. If you can see this band live, go and bloody see them, they are brilliant. 9/10
 
This next band I had the distinct pleasure of having a few brews with up the road afterwards, but you know me, no special treatment. Hi-Fi Spitfires played a particularly good set, but to be honest I think the only thing stopping me from getting more into them was how high the previous band had placed the bar. But take nothing away, a solid set, the crowd loved it, tight as hell, if anything wasn't on form for this band, to be honest it was probably me, So i'll definitely be seeing them again if I get the chance. 7.5/10

Hi-Fi Spitfire

Now I would have been happy with what I'd already been offered, but we're forgetting one thing here, we've The Defects all the way from Belfast Rock City this evening and it's their turn for a bash on the speakers. These boys come out guns blazing and just tune after tune is something that's very easy to fall head over heels for. They're energy was unquestionable, stage presence impeccable and playing to perfection. I'd heard a lot of hype kicking about for this one and I was not left disappointed, not in the slightest. 9.5/10

Overall the gig gets a 9/10 from me. Half an inch short of spectacular. I would also like to extend my hand to the Fife Scene. You lot showed up in your numbers and supported your scene. Well done, keep it up. It was was a bastard of a night to be outside, but for those of you who braved it, good on ye. Every person I spoke to at the gig were absolutely top people and a great time was had by all. Thanks also to the bands for having faith in a dodger that comes up asking for a CD to review for a fanzine you've probably not heard of.... yet! It's much appreciated and I will hopefully have all the CDs reviewed by the end of the week. And finally the best for last, for feeding me, picking me up and housing me for the evening a big thank you to Pauline and Jim Brown, I had an awesome time, thank you.