Words By Tom Reakes

This blog is a collection of pieces I have written for various blogs/publications. If you would like to get in contact with me. Do so at [email protected]

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Conte, Kante, 3-5-2 and Kick Starting Chelsea

Conte, Kante, 3-5-2 and Kick Starting Chelsea

On Monday April 4th 2016 it was finally confirmed after months of speculation that former Juventus, and current Italy boss Antonio Conte would be joining Chelsea at the end of Euro 2016. This lead to the spotlight being on him further in the European tournament not just by the Italian faithful, but by Chelsea fans as well. Eager to get a glimpse of their newly announced coach. What they saw was sure to delight them.

Before Conte was even mentioned to be available Chelsea had been longtime admirers of Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone. His famous fiery temperament and incredible intensity seemingly destroying nearly all in his path. But with Diego not willing to budge from the dynasty he is building at Atletico, Conte seemed the only manager available that was similar to his approach. Throughout his time at Euro 2016 all of that intensity and Italian passion was on display for all to see. Conte stood on the edge of the tactical area, berating each of his players for their position and feeling every pass, every tackle, every decision that went against them. Even at one point booting a stray ball away in his anger. During his time at Juventus, Andrea Pirlo once said he had the most dangerous place in all of turin - the seat nearest the door in the Bianconeri changing room.

At Euro 2016 Conte took an Italian squad who many believed to be the weakest in some time, especially with PSG’s injured Marco Verratti leaving a big hole in the centre of the field. But Conte, much like Italy stayed resolute, and stuck to their guns. They played with Conte’s well known for 3-5-2 system allowing them to soak up pressure before hitting teams on the counter-attack. Not only this level on concentration but tactical dexterity allowed the Italians to get results many thought them not capable of (most notably the win over Spain). Sadly Italy and Conte exited the Euros in the quarter finals after being dismissed by an off colour Germany team on penalties.  

But what for his Chelsea? After all this is a manager who largely sticks to his 3-5-2 system almost exclusively. He has already added the sensational N’golo Kante this transfer window, to the spine of his team, to take some pressure off the much depended on Nemanja Matic. This in turn will allow Cesc Fábregas to get forward and become more creative. Because of this the midfield nearly picks itself, but with this system it may work out that the wide players are the ones that end up under the microscope. Conte himself has already confirmed that he wants to retain Juventus loanee Juan Cuadrado and has tied down Chelsea player of the year Willian to a new four year deal. Adding Pedro and Eden Hazard to that list makes for exciting reading, but these are all players that are not defensively minded. Especially when working in a system where they are the sole wide defensive cover.

This may mean that Conte sees the versatile César Azpilicueta occupy his left wing-back position and would be hard pushed to leave Willian out of the team considering the season that he has just had being the only constant performer in a time where Chelsea looked to almost tear itself apart under Jose Mourinho. This should mean that the right wing-back position is occupied by Willian. Leaving Juan Cuadrado and a certain Eden Hazard with no places for them.

Which is why Hazards future may lie in one of the striking options within the system. Allowing himself to make runs to support either Cesc Fabregas, the wide players or allowing him to be involved in link up play with main striker Diego Costa. Hazard is widely known for his superb close control, ability to commit defenders and excellent acceleration. All of these are assets needed to play in advanced positions in this sort of system. Since the Euros have finished Chelsea have also confirmed the singing of Belgian youngster Michy Batshuayi, to add further competition to Diego Costa following the departures of failed experiments Radamel Falcao and Alexandre Pato. The 22-year old joins after a good season in Ligue 1 after scoring 21 goals in all competitions.

Defensively, seeing as Conte himself has already announced that John Terry be will staying as club captain seems to suggest that he will have an influence in the team. Given Terry’s age and his pace becoming a problem at times last season it would be right to suggest that he would take the place centrally within the back three, closest to his keeper, allowing Gary Cahill and Kurt Zoma to take the left and right centre back positions respectively. Due to the ageing Terry and the currently injured Zoma, Chelsea themselves have been linked to a few central defenders this transfer window. Most notably Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly and Juventus’ own Leonardo Bonucci.  

It is possible to look at his Italian team for clues as to where he would play certain players. As there are similarities in types of players available, and even when not but the roles that the players in those positions have had. For example the superbly talented youngster Mattia De Sciglio is reminiscent of César Azpilicueta in in his versatile nature and natural ability to defend. Both have played across the back positions before De Sciglio finding himself a left wing-back for the time under Conte. Daniele De Rossi being the anchor and pivot of the midfield with quicker and more creative players around him much like Nemanja Matic has been for Chelsea.  

Comparison of Italian team V Spain against Predicted line up 2016/2017 season.

As with nearly all teams in the English premier league this season looks to be the most exiting for a long time, with seemingly everyone around them strengthening in either manger or players. Where Chelsea finish is purely down to how much commitment they’re willing to put into their managers philosophy. With Antonino at the helm, the sky’s the limit.

Tom Reakes

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Why Assassins Creed Needs A Break

Ever since the release of the sequel (Assassins Creed II, 2009) to the original (Assassins Creed, 2007), Ubisoft has released an entry in the main franchise every year. This type of production schedule is similar to that of a sports franchise or Call of Duty. With different studios working on aspects of the next game and the release schedule being staggered, this allows for efficiency in the supply of product for the Audience.

Instalments in the The Assassins Creed franchise are set in different time periods throughout history, with them all being interlinked by the same narrative. Through a machine called the ‘Animus’, developed by fictional company ‘Abstergo Industries’ allows the user to live memories of their ancestors in the past through their bloodline. Through this and playing as primary protagonist Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad set in the Crusades. The player uncovers a plot of treachery and deceit, one faction known as ‘The Templars’ are searching for ‘pieces of Eden’. These artefacts are incredibly powerful and can be used to control minds. Opposing the Templars and always presented in a morally right light is the Assassins. Throughout the game the player is mislead to believe that Altair’s plot is the main and only plot line. But at the end of the game it is revealed that we are living the memories of a man called Desmond Miles. He has been kidnapped and is being put through the animus to lead the templars to the pieces of eden in the modern day. This twist left some of gamers confused but also excited that there would also be a modern setting component of the game.

Following positive reviews and sales of which Ubisoft admittedly “greatly outstripped their expectations”, work began on a sequel. Two years later, Assassins Creed II was released, with a brand new setting and main character. This time within Italy in the time period of the renaissance.

Main protagonist ‘Ezio Auditore da Firenze’ or simply known as Ezio, is a incredibly likeable young man, who the player is able to identify with much more than the stone cold nature of Altaïr. Especially in the way he converses with others, and emotes.

Assassins Creed II, is quite possibly a modern masterpiece. A brilliant game from all sides. The gameplay from the original had naturally evolved and improved, in all the areas that it needed to. The story was greatly expanded on, with the modern day plot becoming the central role of the story with the memories lived through the Animus being secondary. Even whilst spending 90% of the time, playing as Ezio. Characters were much more fleshed out and detailed. The quests were much more varied and offered a break up from the sometimes monotonous “take this from here and bring it here” quests from AC1.

This sadly started the decline of the series, with production being changed so that games instead of taking two years to be released would instead take one. This would be accomplished by Ubisoft using 6 studios across the franchise. Three of which are in Canada, one in Italy, France and Bulgaria. Following on from ACII two direct sequels would be released, these games follow on from the Ezio storyline and also the modern day one. These games although good, felt much more emptier than the last main entry in the franchise. They did more to build upon the character of Ezio and Desmond but in terms of gameplay they added little to the experience apart from the odd bells and whistles.

These games would the the last entries into the series that followed directly on from one another in the historical settings. This allowed the development team to explore other time periods and but meant that each time the protagonist, surrounding characters, the world that they are in and their motives had to be established every time. This left for less time in character development and an inability to expand further upon them within the main game.

The modern day story of Desmond Miles is pushed so hard in promotional material and in the game throughout 2, Brotherhood, Revelations and 3. But strangely since then it has been all but completely dropped. With no real progression since 2012, considering that this was made to be so important - especially in Assassins Creed 2’s ending it is bewildering. Perhaps Ubisoft felt that the audience found it difficult understand and remember the differences and characters from each setting, and each game having to presume that the player knows the previous backstory lead to it being dropped.

Because of this overtime combined with a new protagonist with every instalment has left people becoming bored of the franchise. Add to this tired and game play mechanics that haven't seen major improvements and adjustments since Assassins Creed 2 in 2009. If anything the later games have tried to find ways to cut corners around the experience. With the most recent release Syndicate, actually including mechanics to the game that actively act as cheats. A grappling hook/zipwire that allows for quick ascent and transition between buildings and a horse and carriages which make moving around the city so quick - travelling by foot becomes pointless over large distances. This in turn cuts out the amount of exploring carried out by the player due to it being easier to use a vehicle instead.

This left the series in free fall, with expectations becoming lower and lower with every release. But for Ubisoft, sales were still decent so what did it matter to them? This was until Unity (2014) happened. Unity was the first game created solely for the new home consoles (Playstation 4 / Xbox One) and it’s was damaged by releasing in a unfinished and very buggy state. It took Ubisoft months to patch and fix but with a product that was already out, and with a lot of negative media attention lead to them openly apologising for the state of the product. And admitting that it should not have been shipped in that state. Unity itself was an okay game, it had some technical problems still when I played it. But as a narrative and experience it was decent. But still nowhere near the heights of Assassins Creed 2.  

Due to the production schedule, Ubisoft had already started work on a new Assassins Creed game when the release of Unity happened. And with the damage done to the brand and reputation by the rocky release, it meant that releasing Syndicate a year later after it took months for Unity to be fixed after release put a bad taste in some gamers mouths. Syndicate also felt the brunt of Unity by  it’s sales clearly being impacted as they were much lower than other instalments. With the quality of the franchise going downhill in the narrative and game mechanics but now the actual quality of the game itself the audience has lost it’s patience with Ubisoft.

So with the rumour that there will be no Assassins Creed game released in 2016, and that the production will be changed to maintain the quality of the product what do Ubisoft need to do to get the franchise back on track?

First and foremost the quality of the product is paramount, they simply cannot have another release that is as buggy/unplayable as Unity was at release. By changing their production schedule to take more time on polishing the product this can be achieved but it depends on the resources available and the scale of the project.

Give the player more time with a single protagonist, the Ezio trilogy (II, Brotherhood and Revelations) worked largely because the audience spent time with a single character that they identified with and watched him grow as a person. Both physically and mentally. They were allowed the time to get personally involved with him, and his quest.

Change up the flow of the franchise, quest types and also break the game mechanics down. The mechanics especially should be looked at, a natural progression from II its long over due, of course this depends on the type of technology available in the time period that the game is taking place. It should be fun to play, not a chore like some of the latter Creed games.

The combat system, needs refining and changing up. With the games getting closer to modern day with every instalment this has been difficult to balance due to the inclusion of guns. Guns break the hand to hand combat system cycle as it allows people to target the player from distance with high damage.

Decide once and for all what to do with the modern story, it is currently left on a cliffhanger from III, that will be 5 years old if the game releases in 2017. All other games have featured parts from the modern narrative but nothing significant enough to be considered noteworthy. Give people a reason to care.

It’s a tough task for Ubisoft to bring back the glory days of the Ezio games but considering the improvement between the original game and sequel Ubisoft are more than capable. But it remains to be seen whether this eagle will sore again.

Tom Reakes.

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What Jose Mourinho needs to do to fix Manchester United

Following another defeat - this time at home to Norwich in the Barclays Premier League, the pressure is seriously on Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal. Some rumours and people within the football world speculating that Jose Mourinho (recently sacked from Chelsea after their disastrous form this season) would take over as soon as before Christmas. 

With Manchester United struggling domestically - dumped out of the capital one cup by a home defeat by Middlesbrough, league form coming to standstill and dropping down the table off the back being despatched from the Champions League. The pressure will be on to get results as soon as possible, in order to do this. Here is what Jose Mourinho will need to do :

1) Restore Darmian to the team

Upon signing for United, Italian fullback Matteo Darmian looked to be a real solid singing. Putting in a string of good sometimes great performances, he looked to have taken to the challenge of the Barclays Premier League straight away. But as the season has progressed his confidence has been knocked - also because of his adaptability to be played as a left back in place of the injured Luke Shaw he has seen himself in and out of the side as of late. Van Gaal has favoured in recent weeks playing youth products Guillermo Varela and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson in respective fullback positions instead of Darmian, possibly to manage the amount of games he is playing so United don’t end up with another fullback out with a lengthy injury.

But due to the amount of inexperience at the level required they have struggled at times defensively - Borthwich-Jackson especially. But Varela has faired much better, especially during the loss which saw United leave the Champions league - Wolfsburg away. Varela was outstanding and gave his absolute everything, if he can make performances like that the norm then given the absence of Luke Shaw and Darmian’s flexibility then Matteo can definitely take up the Left flank of our defense. 

2) Play Schneiderlin as an out and out defensive midfielder

Morgan Schneiderlin was bought for his performances at Southampton the past couple of seasons, where he was an absolute pain in the backside for the opposition to play against. But he has normally worked on his own as a holding midfielder, playing in front of the back four and shielding them. Essentially the same role that Carrick has played for us under the last few seasons of Sir Alex. Van Gaal has played Schneiderlin along side Schweinsteiger/Felliani/Carrick and Ander Herrera as holding midfielders without someone playing further forward in front of him. This has left him isolated without a direct forward option when in possession with his only options sideways, backwards, or a long ball to a winger. This has left him with an impressive 90% pass accuracy this season after 12 appearances, and not one defensive error. But Morgan is normally very good in possession regardless, in his last two seasons at Southampton he averaged an 89% pass completion without a single defensive error. 

It’s statistics like these that prove that Morgan should be the pivot at which the base of the midfield should be built upon. His growing understanding with Daley Blind and Chris Smalling has left United with the best domestic defensive record. 

3) But rotate the midfield around Herrera

As proved in his first season at the club, Ander Herrera simply is Manchester United’s best midfielder. His link up play with fellow Spaniard Juan Mata, has been instrumental at times - re; Mata’s first goal away V Liverpool. And without Ander Herrera in the side, giving the midfield a forward driving option, the whole team looks lost without ideas. Ander can tackle, pass and score goals. He may be slight of frame compared to previous Manchester United midfielders like Scholes or Keane but he is the most balanced. An energetic workaholic for the team and is a real joy to behold on his day. Ander is almost the antithesis of Marouane Felliani - Ander looking calm and suave on the ball compared to Marouane’s hulking “please take this off of me” body language.

Given the options at United’s disposal and the experimentation carried out by Louis Van Gaal, it has become clear that Carrick cannot play along side Schneiderlin very well - they’re almost the same player which leaves no one making runs/movements forward infront of one another. Schweinstieger has been underwhelming since moving to United in the summer, looked to be almost a touch overweight at times, Bastian has struggled to make the impact that most United fans expected him too. 

But this can be attributed to Louis Van Gaal paying Schweinsteiger much deeper than he is used to normally being played. Leaving him to be ineffectual behind a group of players that are static, and at times too far apart to past balls through too. Depending on which formation Jose Mourinho would want to play - during his time at Chelsea he favoured a 4-2-3-1 will impact who he chooses to occupy which positions and roles. It should be taken into account that Carrick is also 34 now, and coming to the end of his career. 

4) Play Mata Centrally 

This will come as no surprise to most people but even though Mata has been effective since signing for United and almost pivotal at times, he has been a shadow of the player that was at Chelsea. This is down to Rooney being given special privileges despite his performances being dreadful and his goal return dropping off almost completely. Mata should be played in his best position at Number 10 in behind a striker. Simple as that. But because of other players being higher in the pecking order that has meant other hugely talented Number 10′s have been forced out wide - re: Shinji Kagawa’s brief time at United.

Juan isn’t blessed with lightning pace, he won’t beat a player down the line and whip in a ball, so even though at the moment he’s playing as a right winger he couldn’t be further from that. Mata comes alive when he is in the hole surrounded by players moving and giving him options to slide balls into them. He has been criminally undermanaged because of players that are considered ‘more important’ United had a chance to have a player that could be as influential as David Silva is for Manchester City. It’s time for that to stop, he needs to be played behind Martial - a player that looks as if anything to could happen the second the ball comes to him. Let Martial make runs and have Mata as the base of your attack at the oppositions box and watch the goals rain in. But for this to happen then the manager needs to make another big call..

5) Drop Rooney

As glaringly obvious that Mata should be playing at Number 10, it is as obvious to every single Manchester United fan that it is time for Wayne Rooney, Manchester United’s now most experienced player, top paid and Captain to become acquainted with the bench. His performances this season have been nothing short of a disgrace. Even his passing and first touch, absolute basics have been shocking. Slowing up almost every attack that he is involved with. Under David Moyes reign at United Rooney was under speculation of Chelsea attempting to sign him, at the time it didn’t seem a good idea to let him go at all. But in hindsight it would’ve been some cracking business given his form since then. But Jose needs to get the best out of him, either Rooney needs to realise that given the amount of Football that he has played throughout his career that his body is alot older and harder worked than players around him or that he needs to leave.

Given that he is rumoured to be on 300k a week, he needs to be putting in performances to at least make that somewhat worthwhile. Right now United have better players in better positions, before buying Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger and Herrera, Rooney found himself playing back in midfield but now there are better options. Up front? Martial offers more, At 10? Mata much more effectual if given a run of games. His days are very much numbered.

6) Quicken the tempo and balance risk/posession 

United this season have been turgid. Slow. And ultimately too safe. Averaging the best position in the league but third lowest amount of shots on target says it all. United enjoy the vast majority of the possession of the ball but do not do anything with it. Van Gaal has sacrificed goals for control. Ever since losing 5-3 away to Leicester in his debut season at the club, with a very attacking output Van Gaal has almost been too afraid for a repeat of that. The ball ends up going side to side and backwards much more than it does end up going forwards. This is not to the vast majority of United fans taste, considering the 20+ years of “attack attack attack” football with two flying wingers down the side putting in balls for a striker to finish off. This could be just down to United fans not wanting to adapt with the times, but simply United do not move the ball quickly enough for this to be effective. 

This ends up leaving their attack slow, ponderous and ultimately predictable. Teams know what they’re going to get when they play Manchester United now, with the key tactic to beat it to be just sit back and catch them on the break. At times its like watching a bad Arsenal. Which given the team’s rivalry back in the late 90′s and early 2000′s will hurt. But it is true. 

The next manager needs to throw caution back to the wind. Yes it is good to control games with possession but do it with purpose. Get shots on goal, create chances, play players to move around and be fluid, work for each other. 

7) Unleash Martial and Memphis

The two young guns at Manchester United, Anthony Marital and Memphis Depay looked like hugely interesting and risky singing’s in the summer. Young and exciting - two unpolished diamonds where the sky was the limit. But since playing for United throughout the season it’s almost like the confidence has been coached out of them. Specifically Martial given his influence since his debut waning and becoming far less dynamic. 

Give them the freedom to attack, to take on players to beat them with pace or skill. Not to look for the safe option and play the ball sideways or backwards instead. Let them express themselves and ultimately enjoy their football. Something that not one Manchester United player looks like they’re doing this season.  Since playing together there looks like there had been a real understanding developing between both players. Add Jesse Lingard into the mix and you potentially have a exciting front 3, blessed with youth and unpredictability. 

There are the makings of an exciting, solid, hardworking team there for a manager with the right tools. But he has to give them the chance to begin to express themselves and play without limits when set up properly. 

All stats provided by Squawka’s brilliant matrix comparison tool.

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Atlético Madrid and Breaking the Power Struggle of the Big Two

Atlético Madrid and Breaking the Power Struggle of the Big Two

Somewhat the surprise package this season in La Liga, Atlético Madrid have proven they have enough to keep up the pace with the ‘big two’. Lighting the fire on the page of what is normally a boring two horse race for the title, providing a menacing attacking display on the pitch and a manager whose philosophy oozes attacking flair. Atleti have taken the advantage of both Réal Madrid and Barcelona replacing their managers and ripped up the usual narrative of the La Liga season in the process After falling down the pecking order domestically and ultimately finishing 7th in the 2010/11 season, coach Quique Flores was sacked and made way for Diego Simeone, something of a cult hero after his playing career at the club having won the domestic double in the 95/96 season. Diego Simeone can always be seen stalking his technical area, often berating his players give more on the field. Even when they are at their full tilt he is seen always screaming for that little bit more effort. It’s as if he is on the field himself, feeling every challenge, every unjust decision and every goal. In the past few seasons, Atlético Madrid have seen their fair share of players leave the club for ‘bigger and better’ things. Superstars such as Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero, Radamel Falcao, David De Gea and veteran Diego Forlan have all gone in search of silverware overseas, but Atlético have never looked to panic to buy a big name replacement. They do not wield the financial prowess of their rivals Réal Madrid. They are seen as the working mens football team in Madrid. Atlético's dealings in the transfer market are seen as one of Europe's success stories similar the likes of Porto. When one attacker leaves the Vicente Calderon, an even stronger forward seems to competently fill the void. Aguero replaced Torres, Falcao succeeded Aguero and more recently David Villa and Diego Costa have filled the gap left behind by Falcao's decision to leave for Monaco. Their attacking mainstay this season has been the brilliant Brazilian target man, Diego Costa, who at the age of 25 has been at the club since 2007; this demonstrates the dividends of keeping faith in players. In the Premier League strikers are given very little opportunity to make an impact at the club. For example look at Daniel Sturridge’s rebirth since joining Liverpool - someone who was seen as surplus to needs at Chelsea. Diego Costa’s record this season speaks for itself, 20 goals in 23 games. Which is 2 goals behind Ballon d’or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Not bad for a lad who has spent his time at the club living under the shadow of Radamel Falcao and Sergio Aguero. Replacing the Manchester United bound David De Gea, Simeone looked to take on one of the most promising young talents (yet unproven at a big club) on loan rather then buy someone to fill the void. Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtios was only 19 when he left parent club Genk, but was rated highly enough by Simeone to be given the chance and is still currently at the club on loan for his third spell. This season he has conceded only 14 goals in 22 games - the fewest in the league. Following Simeone into Atléti in 2011 were central defenders Gabi and Miranda, a simple yet effective centre back partnership where Gabi is generally more composed on the ball allowing for it to be played out from the back at times, and Miranda is able to read the game and make the incisive tackle. It is the fruits of this partnership, combined with a brilliant young goalkeeper which account for the few amount of goals shipped this season. It takes time to build and understanding between to players, especially as defenders. You need to know exactly where the other one is, and what course of action they are likely to take depending on the danger given at that moment. Combining these incredibly important characters with the ‘next’ Xavi - 22 year old Jorge Resurrección Merodio - otherwise known as Koke. Having played for the club at all levels for fourteen years, Koke has matured wonderfully into a fantastic midfielder, breaking into the spanish national team in the process. Quite an achievement, considering the plethora of midfield talent available to Vicente Del Bosque. Koke has been partnered in the middle of the park by defensive midfielder, and captain, Gabi. Adding effective wide players, Arda Turan and Raul Garcia, into the mix. The icing on the cake for the club is knowing the right time to strengthen and what players to bring in. In the summer transfer window being able to secure a veteran in David Villa, from Barcelona for a measly €5.1m started the rebuiled process up front. Given the calibre of player, €5.1m is a snip for a club looking to replace their second choice striker (behind the promoted Costa). In the January transfer window the club were also able to bring in Brazilian playmaker Diego from VFL Wolsfburg €1.5m, further adding more creativity and depth to the side. Atlético Madrid are the embodiment of Diego Simeone on the field, fiery and passionate, aggressive and unwilling to give up. Simeone has been able to breed a sense of belief among supporters and players alike that things can ultimately go their way if they work together towards it. Demanding nothing less than 100% percent. Playing every game as if it were a cup final. Sticking to a no frills 4-4-2 the team are able to press and hunt the ball back from opponents, before working it into the box. The team have been successful so far appearing to benefit from a manager who truly cares about the club given his time spent in the red and white as a player. A manager who is respected immensely from their own fans. Ultimately the progress of the club over the past three years, in particularly this season, is credit to Diego Simeone and the players together. Unified in their goal to break the monotony of a Real/Barcã top two. Whether they are able to succeed and ultimately where they'll si come May will be left solely up to them to decide. Words by @Tomz0rr

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Ten Players to Replace Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic

Ten Players to Replace Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic

On the back of a sucker punch in the Champions League at the hands of Olympiakos, Manchester United face a summer of upheaval. Just is the Mancunian club's luck that the only player who looked up for the fight and willing to put his body on the line for the cause in Greece was the first to announce his departure at the end of the season. The club have a huge problem on their hands when it comes to replacing their defensive stalwart and club captain, Nemanja Vidic.

Since signing for Manchester United from Spartak Moscow in 2006, not many players have made the impact that Vidic has for the Premier League Champions. A born leader, willing to put his body on the line to snuff out even the slightest flashes of danger. Vidic went from obscurity to forming a key partnership with Rio Ferdinand in the centre of defence of the 2006/07 season that would flourish over the coming years and becoming club captain in 2010. The pair went on to secure three consecutive Premier League winners medals, along with a Champions League win in 2008 over Chelsea and two further Champions League finals in 2009 and 2011 against Barcelona.

As of February the defender, now aged 32, announced that he will be leaving the club at the end of his contract in the summer, with Inter Milan his likely destination. This leaves some tough decisions for David Moyes, given the assumption the Scot makes it through to August in the United dugout. Over the past two seasons, due to persistent injuries, Vidic has rarely been there to form half of  the partnership that has been the backbone of United's dominance for so long. Young defenders Chris Smalling (24) and Phil Jones (23) were drafted into the club in 2010 and 2011 respectively, but combined with academy graduate Jonny Evans have rarely featured without Ferdinand to keep them solid at the back. 

Reportedly, Rio Ferdinand could be looking to retire at the end of the season and with French left back Patrice Evra also supposedly considering his options there is some serious defensive work to be done over the summer. We start by looking at some of the most likely options to replace the United skipper, who proved his worth time and time again on Tuesday night against Olympiakos in a team that looked so devoid of passion for the cause.

1) Jan Vertonghen Since moving to Tottenham Hotspur in 2012, Jan Vertonghen has quickly proven that he has the quality to succeed at the highest level. At the age of 26 he is a great reader of the ball and extremely comfortable playing out from the back to kick start an attack. Powerful in the air and able to put in a great tackle, the big Belgian has a varied skill set which also includes the positional flexibility of being able to play as an equally adept left back, and if the rumours of Patrice Evra also leaving in the summer then Vertonghen looks all the more an attractive asset for the Reds. Vertonghen was named in the PFA’s Premier League team of the year for 2012/2013, the icing on the cake to an incredible debut season in the Premier League.

2) Mats Hummels Mats Hummels is one of the rising stars of german football. Having already managed to help Borussia Dortmund break Bayern’s chokehold in the Bundesliga during Dortmund's back to back league title winning seasons in 2010/11 and 2011/12, Hummels has proven himself in one of Europe's biggest leagues. Much like the aforementioned Jan Vertonghen, German defender Mats Hummels is a player very much comfortable on the ball. Given the dexterity of being able to kickstart the play from his own 18-yard box and with an eye for a pass, Hummels is more than just an imovable object in defence. Having already lost Kagawa to United in recent times, the exit of Mario Gotzë to title rivals Bayern Münich and impending departure of striker Robert Lewandowski to the Bavarian giants, United will surely have to break the bank to bring Hummels to Old Trafford.

3) Dante The 30-year-old Brazilian centre back signed for Bayern Münich in 2012 and was part of Bayern’s treble winning season last year. If United were able to lure him away from arguably Europe's strongest club it would be a big statement of intent from the red half of Manchester and if Moyes were the manager to complete the deal, then it would act as a vote of confidence from the board, proving they are still willing to back their man. Given his age and experience throughout Europe, Dante would be an ideal partner for either Smalling or Jones to learn from. Bayern are currently unbeaten domestically and although he was linked with a move in January it would seem very odd for him to make the switch to a club floundering outside of the European places in England. Also, given his age he wouldn’t be an ideal long term replacement. Still, stranger things have happened.

4) Dejan Lovren The Croatian centre-half has been a sensation this year in the Premier League for everyone's new favourite second team - Southampton, with his performances even garnering plaudits from ex-United right back Gary Neville. Lovren has made an instant impact to the Saints' Premier League campaign, forming part of the team's dominant spine that has seen the south coast club shift their attentions from the relegation dogfight to a battle for a European place forcing him to become a firm fan favourite in the process. A nightmare to mark at set plays and able to hit the odd screamer too, the Croat would be something of a utility player for United should they opt to pursue him. 

5) Raphael Varane Real Madrid's French centre-half Raphael Varane has been at the Bernabeu since 2011 and stormed onto the scene last season with some superb performances in La Liga. Having to compete for a spot in the first XI with seasoned internationals, Pepe and Sergio Ramos, may mean that Varane could opt to look for more first-team action elsewhere. At the age of 20 he is a superb reader of the ball, has impeccable positional awareness and is more than able to put in a game deciding challenge. His performances for Madrid against the likes of Barcelona last season caught the eye of a host of European clubs, which may force United’s hand if pressed to get his signature. 

6) Kosta Manolas

The greek defender has been a solid buy for Roma since signing from Olympiacos in 2014. Linked heavily with major european clubs this summer, with many looking at his range of passing and ability to play on the ball as vital ability for a top centre half now-a-days. His tall stature also makes him a good asset in the air, winning many aerial duels in his time at roma. He’s still young though and has the potential to grow massively under the right coach.

7) Eliaquim Mangala France international Eliaquim Mangala is one of the hottest prospects in world football. Brilliant in the air and also committed enough to put his body on the line, Mangala would be an ideal replacement for Vidic. At the young age of 22 he represents a chance to add yet more young blood into David Moyes’ team. Compared to others he is not as experienced, however he shows great promise and looks to have attracted the attention of all the major clubs across the continent. City rivals Manchester City are reportedly very interested in Mangala - with his asking price apparently the only hitch in them trying to sign him in the January transfer window. 

8)  Mehdi Benatia Benatia moved to AS Roma in July 2013 on a five year deal, amid interest at the time from Manchester United with Moyes apparently deciding to wait and see how his old guard performed this season. Benatia has has gone on to be incredibly impressive this season in a Roma side that has domestically only conceded 11 goals in 24 games. This would be one of the tougher deals for United to secure however as Champions League football would be on Benatia's mind and also taking into account his contractual situation, United would surely have to pay big money to land the 26-year-old Moroccan. 

9) Ezequiel Garay It seems that during every transfer window in the last two seasons the papers have been rife with rumours surrounding Garay and his "will-he-won't-he" move to the Theatre of Dreams. The rumours intensified even to the point that both Benfica and United had allegedly even ‘agreed terms on the transfer’ last year when Nemanja Vidic had been struggling with a comeback from a lengthy cruciate ligament injury. At 27 years of age, Garay already has plenty of experience across major leagues in Europe and also both the Champions League and Europa League, having played for Racing Santander, Real Madrid, and currently Benfica. 

10) Ryan Shawcross Ex-Manchester United youth and senior team player and somewhat of a wildcard, Ryan Shawcross is an outside bet for a return 'home'. Having left the club to sign for Stoke in 2008, Shawcross has been a consistently good defender for the Potters. At 26, he is of the mould of an old school centre half, big, powerful in the air and strong in the tackle. Albeit not as good on the ball as others, the England international is well aware of his defensive responsibilities and is a real nuisance when attacking from set pieces. The former United graduate could add some much needed bite into a defence that is lacking in fear factor. We only have to look at Tuesday night's game in Athens for proof of that. Sometimes looked at as potential Ferguson mistake to let him go, the only worry is the amount of times Shawcross manages to get himself in the referee's book. Maybe the possibility of a second chance at United would be enough for the Englishman to tidy up his act.

Manchester United's decision to sign Juan Mata in January when there were far more pressing matters at hand, most notably their consistent concession of sloppy goals, showed a neglect of the real issues. It is undoubtable that a sever overhaul is due at Old Trafford in the coming summer, with a centre back and full back both at the top of their shopping list. Their only job now is damage control and to ensure that this pitiful season doesn't tarnish the reputation of arguably the world's biggest club so much so that they fail to attract their top targets in July.

Words by @Tomz0rr

[wordsbytomreakes]

Why Robin Van Persie Must Leave Manchester United

Why Robin Van Persie Must Leave Manchester United

Since moving from Arsenal controversially on August 17th 2012, with the “little boy inside him" screaming for Manchester United, Robin Van Persie has been nothing short of a revelation. Continuing his red hot form from the previous campaign  RVP went on to score 30 goals in all competitions last year, helping United reach a historic 20th league title, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s last. Van Persie scored goals not just at an alarming rate but at key times - his late freekick winner against local rivals Manchester City at the Etihad coming to mind instantly. United have had Premier league top scorers before, but unlike his predecessor Dimitar Berbatov, who famously netted five goals in a 7-1 trashing of Blackburn Rovers in 2010, RVP popped up with the winner on a number of occasions. Considering his work rate, output and ability to weave himself into the fabric of the club so easily RVP quickly became a fan favourite. But as with most things at the club since Sir Alex’s retirement, the spearhead of United's attack last seasons has not been quite the same. The club has gone through a monumental power shift with the departure of Sir Alex. His hand picked successor, David Moyes had decided upon his appointment to bring in his own back room staff, so in turn Goalkeeping coach Eric Steele, first team coach Rene Meulensteen and assistant manager Mike Phelan departed the club to make way. Following Moyes from Everton was assistant manager Steve Round and coach Jimmy Lumsden. They would soon be joined by ex-Man Utd and recently retired Everton captain Phil Neville, who would be installed as first team coach.

But due to the size of transition the club has gone through between managers and the entirety of back room staff being altered, the players performances have dropped remarkably as the season has progressed. As of now United sit, rather ironically, level on points with Everton. United’s playing style has broken down completely, with Moyes being blasted for being too one dimensional - putting in 80+ crosses against Fulham at home, to merely draw the game 2-2. Speculation has been rife surrounding the crux of the problem at Old Trafford. Was the previous manager so good that he was able to get the very best out of them week in, week out? Could it simply be a lack of tactical nous being applied to the game? It should be suspected that the level of change in the back room has had a massive effect on players training regimes and overall performance - with some previously having been dealt completely differently to others due to their age/injury history. Standout candidates for this are the aforementioned Robin Van Persie and veteran defender Rio Ferdinand, who had to be managed carefully to be able to play multiple games in short spaces of time. 

It should be noted that when given the opportunity, Robin Van Persie has still performed for United when fit this season. But because of the way he has been handled it makes it hard to justify this as a good season for him. Against Newcastle at Old Trafford earlier in the season, Van Persie made his first comeback from injury after a short spell out. David Moyes' said that he had intended to give him 60-70 minutes, but decided that if he had taken him off with United chasing the game then supporters would “wonder what he was doing”. Due to Van Persie playing full 90 minutes - which United lost - he was then sidelined again with a thigh problem. This has been a running theme throughout Moyes' term at United. His inability to understand his players properly has cost him when it counts. Perhaps his only saving grace is the breakthrough from the youth team of forward Adnan Januzaj, who at times has been the only shining light this season in an otherwise desperate campaign for the champions.

In January, to the surprise of nearly everyone in the premier league, David Moyes announced the signing of Spanish playmaker Juan Mata from rivals Chelsea. Mata, who was out of favour with the newly reinstated Jose Mourinho, was annoyed at the lack of playing time he received. During his time at Chelsea Mata became an instrumental player in their two European successes (Champions League in 2012 + Europa League in 2013). But the acquisition of Mata highlighted more questions than it solved problems. With Wayne Rooney currently occupying Mata’s favoured No 10. position, just where would he play? The answer came in Mata’s first game against Cardiff City at home where he initially started in his favoured no. 10 role due to Wayne Rooney's absence through injury. But since Wayne Rooney's return to the team, Mata has found himself pushed out wide playing on either left or right flanks. Although playing at times in this position while at Chelsea, his output is simply much greater when in the hole. He doesn't have the build or pace to beat players when out wide, so instead plays more like an inside forward. In his most recent performances out wide Mata looked isolated and unable to get a feel for the game due to begin uninvolved for long periods and in trun drifted inside. In addition, the cat and mouse game between Wayne Rooney and the club intensified towards the end of February resulting in a shock announcement. As of 21st February the striker had extended his contract a further four years, as his previous contact was due to expire next summer. The position that United were put into chase the renewal of Rooney’s contract is a difficult one, especially when you take into account that reportedly he will be earning £300,000 per week before tax - making him the highest earning player in the league by some margin. At 28 years old this deal will take him into the twilight years of his career, but to replace a player of Rooney stature and calibre would cost far more.

So you have a club record signing being played out of position, a boy wonder breaking onto into the first team and this seasons top scorer now signing a new deal, and with last summer's key signing struggling due to the new training methods and becoming frustrated it's eays to see why he is finding himself on the bench or being hauled off after 60 minutes as he was at West Brom this weekend. When the issues in selection upfront are combined with a leaky defence and awful tactics then its clear to see how United are struggling under David Moyes. Considering that it would be very unlike Manchester United for Moyes to play without wingers a 4-3-3 system looks unlikely, leaving not enough positions free for these forwards - Januzaj aside, three simply do not go into two.

So the emphasis should be placed upon building a side around Mata, after all he is already proven at a high level that he has what it takes to play in the hole. The most plausible solution here looks like a 4-2-3-1 formation. Moving forward Mata should be the focal point for everything else to orbit around him. With wide roles being occupied by proper out and out wingers, a choice of Valencia/Young/Welbeck on one with Januzaj occupying the other, thus allowing opportunity for players to keep a spot in the team with Januzaj being given the time and space to grow. The spearhead of the attack would then be Wayne Rooney, who already has 15 goals for club and country this season. This would leave Van Persie to be used as an when necessary due to injury either in exchange of Rooney or for Mata with Wayne dropping back into the hole. This adds alot more solidity to the team, a regular starting XI will be a foundation on which David Moyes can build a successful squad. Forgotten man Shinij Kagawa could also be brought in and used to compete for a starting position with Juan Mata. 

The summer could be another memorable one in the history of the club and for Moyes, he simply has to go and get the players he wants, early, while also rooting out the players that are not working or want to leave. He has to grab the team by the scruff of the neck and move them forward - but also the players in term have to allow him to do this. There are issues throughout the defence and in the middle of the park - with Carrick being the only standout player int he middle this season - the last thing that David Moyes needs is an issue upfront where arguably Manchester United are still one of the strongest in the league. It would be expected that at 30 years of age, Robin Van Persie will want more than to be just a bit part player as part of a Manchester United looking to find their domestic feet once again. But if the intentions of the club and Moyes are to be understood with Rooney's contract and the purchase of Mata, he may have to settle for that. Words by @Tomz0rr

[wordsbytomreakes]

NOW, VOYAGER - TELL TALE HEARTS [DESTROYEVERYTHING]

NOW, VOYAGER - TELL TALE HEARTS [DESTROYEVERYTHING]

Plucky Belgian metalcore/mathcore four piece upstarts Now, Voyager unleash their new EP Tell-Tale Hearts, a follow up from 2011’s effort Seas. This four track EP absolutely wastes no time in demonstrating what this band are about.

The Initial track ‘From The Brain’ shows a technical proficiency that is incredibly ambitious, but Now, Voyager are able to execute it well. The erratic guitar work over frantic drumming keeps things interesting; fans of tech-metal will be pleasantly surprised with what’s on display here.  This similar theme bleeds into ‘Where We’ll Start’, although this track also does well to demonstrate vocalist Nabil Sanaullah range as well as the band’s strengths in song writing. Just as it can feel like a lot to take in third track ‘The Long Lane’ is a far more mellow, downbeat and melodical affair, complete with some light electronic influences providing some respite.

This is before bursting into the epic ‘To The Heart’, which is a fantastic send off and is easily the best song on the EP. The electronic elements feature across the EP but never outstay their welcome or are used excessively but add just that extra layer of depth or dimension to their sound. It’s a smart decision and works in the bands favour. The EP flows well and allows each song to be presented as their own piece rather then – rather typically of this type of music each song blending into one another.

While the average fan of rock music might not be able to comprehend or understand this type of music, stylistically, even as a ‘mathcore’ release, the band do well to keep their sound balanced and accessible enough but without damaging their material to do it. Fans of bands such as Devil Sold His Soul and other metalcore/ambient/mathcore bands will feel right at home with Tell Tale Hearts. With this release Now, Voyager have made themselves stand up from the crowd, and prove that they’re worth being counted. Where they go from here though, could be very exciting indeed.

Rating: 4/5

Tom Reakes

[wordsbytomreakes]

MISERY SIGNALS - ABSENT LIGHT [BASICK]

MISERY SIGNALS - ABSENT LIGHT [BASICK]

Following a five year gap in any new material (2008’s ‘Controller’), Misery Signals offering ‘Absent Light’ has been eagerly awaited. After leaving their previous record label New Jersey based Ferret records, the band decided that using the growing kickstarter/indiegogo crowd funded scheme, where the audience themselves pay for the band to record, mix and master the new album. Combining this with the departure of bassist Kyle Johnson and guitarist Stuart Ross from the band it’s safe to say that anticipation couldn’t be higher.

The record kicks off in a somewhat anthemic manner, ‘A Glimmer of Home’ featuring soft clean guitar and classical instruments building the tone before vocalist Karl Schubach barks his stylistic vocals “I’m not ready to say goodbye.” This then flows into second track ‘Luminary’ which fans of Misery Signals and other tech metal bands will be right on the page with. It’s an impressive piece and the instrumentation is fantastic. It’s obvious that a lot of time has been spent on writing this to sound as good as possible – there’s a lot going on here. Absent Light keeps good pace throughout whilst adding some variation to the Misery Signals sound. The album also does a good job at steering clear away from metal clique’s such as the use of breakdowns to make the song sound heavier than it really appears ‘Shadows and Depth’ and ‘Lost Relics’ are fantastic examples of this.

Karl Schubach’s vocals are on point and exactly what Misery Signals fans have come to expect. The record also features several different guest vocalists Matthew Mixon (7 Angels 7 Plagues), Todd Mackey (With Honor) and Fredua Boakye (Bad Rabbits) all lend their voices and help give the record some variation. Karl has a very enjoyable clean singing voice within him and it’s good to see that the band haven’t bowed to that to write generic metal with ‘shouted verses but sung choruses’. In fact it’s not till the second to last track that his singing voice is displayed - It keeps the album feeling fresh and unpredictable. The record is able to maintain a sense of flow, for every heavy song there is a small slight breather in the form of slower paced downbeat clean guitar moments. This then allows the listener is able to catch their breath again and stops the tracks from feeling too ‘samey’.

Guitarists Ryan Morgan and Gregory Thomas who produced the album should be congratulated on easily the best sounding Misery Signals release to date. It’s a first for the band to have self-produced the record but has worked wonders in keeping the sound of the record focused and slim lined yet literally massive sounding – an achievement considering the amount of tracking that it’s on songs at times.

Absent Light more than demonstrates that there is more life left in this old dog yet. Even when all the odds are against them and the pressures of delivering a record to fans that have helped fund it, Misery Signals manage to pull it off with flying colours.

4/5

Words - Tom Reakes

[wordsbytomreakes]

LETLIVE. - THE BLACKEST BEAUTIFUL (EPITAPH)

LETLIVE. - THE BLACKEST BEAUTIFUL (EPITAPH)

Since releasing their breakthrough sophomore record, ‘Fake History’, in 2010, the past three years have been nothing short of a whirlwind for Los Angeles based four piece Letlive. After touring extensively, creating a reputation for their onstage antics and the growing critical reception of ‘Fake History’, the band eventually signed to the prestigious Epitaph records. The band has since made it into various publications’ “albums hall of fame” and frontman Jason Butler has been hailed as the biggest rockstar in the world. It could be said that expectations couldn’t be higher for this new offering, The Blackest Beautiful.

Letlive.’s sound is classic post-hardcore with some modern day influences that keep it pushing forward.  Reggae to electronic beats and even the odd Hendrix-inspired riff make it in here. Fans of early 2000s nu metal and post-hardcore acts like Glassjaw, Rage Against The Machine, Finch and Deftones will be right on the same page from the initial crushing drums of first single and album opener ‘Banshee (Ghost Frame)’.  This track demonstrates completely what Letlive. are all about and shows the depth of their sound now.

The strength in the band’s song writing is absolutely paramount here as much as the way it is executed. It’s this that keeps the record tied up together as a complete package; a great example of this is ‘White America’s Beautiful Black Market’. The vocal interplay for harmonies as well as the diversity of frontman Jason Butler’s voice is at the forefront of this album – going from sounding as if he’s going to blow his voice at any moment to singing his heart out. Butler’s lyrical content ranging from against modern culture, corporate culture, religion, to personal issues make for an interesting listen. It’s added depth to a canyon that opens up before the listener.

Overall, The Blackest Beautiful feels much more rounded and focused as a record compared to their previous work. For everything that it’s aggressive and thought provoking, it’s slow, melodic and methodical. ‘That Fear Fever’ and ‘Younger’ are two great executions of this, with the former a complete brute of a track that doesn’t let up throughout its duration, whereas the latter is a slower more calculated affair but equally leaves the same impression.  The Blackest Beautiful shows the level of progression all bands should aspire to obtain. Furthering their sound whilst keeping the core elements and energy is what made people stand up and take notice in the first place.

Letlive. have completely exceeded all and any expectations here and in doing so have created a masterpiece. The band now has the platform to stand alongside some of their contemporaries as one of the marquee bands of the genre. This record will be talked about for a very long time to come indeed and will go down in history as one of the most progressive and overall important post hardcore/punk records of this decade.

5/5

Tom Reakes

Since releasing their breakthrough sophomore record, ‘Fake History’, in 2010, the past three years have been nothing short of a whirlwind for Los Angeles based four piece Letlive. After touring extensively, creating a reputation for their onstage antics and the growing critical reception of ‘Fake History’, the band eventually signed to the prestigious Epitaph records. The band has since made it into various publications’ “albums hall of fame” and frontman Jason Butler has been hailed as the biggest rockstar in the world. It could be said that expectations couldn’t be higher for this new offering, The Blackest Beautiful.

Letlive.’s sound is classic post-hardcore with some modern day influences that keep it pushing forward.  Reggae to electronic beats and even the odd Hendrix-inspired riff make it in here. Fans of early 2000s nu metal and post-hardcore acts like Glassjaw, Rage Against The Machine, Finch and Deftones will be right on the same page from the initial crushing drums of first single and album opener ‘Banshee (Ghost Frame)’.  This track demonstrates completely what Letlive. are all about and shows the depth of their sound now.

The strength in the band’s song writing is absolutely paramount here as much as the way it is executed. It’s this that keeps the record tied up together as a complete package; a great example of this is ‘White America’s Beautiful Black Market’. The vocal interplay for harmonies as well as the diversity of frontman Jason Butler’s voice is at the forefront of this album – going from sounding as if he’s going to blow his voice at any moment to singing his heart out. Butler’s lyrical content ranging from against modern culture, corporate culture, religion, to personal issues make for an interesting listen. It’s added depth to a canyon that opens up before the listener.

Overall, The Blackest Beautiful feels much more rounded and focused as a record compared to their previous work. For everything that it’s aggressive and thought provoking, it’s slow, melodic and methodical. ‘That Fear Fever’ and ‘Younger’ are two great executions of this, with the former a complete brute of a track that doesn’t let up throughout its duration, whereas the latter is a slower more calculated affair but equally leaves the same impression.  The Blackest Beautiful shows the level of progression all bands should aspire to obtain. Furthering their sound whilst keeping the core elements and energy is what made people stand up and take notice in the first place.

Letlive. have completely exceeded all and any expectations here and in doing so have created a masterpiece. The band now has the platform to stand alongside some of their contemporaries as one of the marquee bands of the genre. This record will be talked about for a very long time to come indeed and will go down in history as one of the most progressive and overall important post hardcore/punk records of this decade.

5/5

Tom Reakes

[wordsbytomreakes]

MALLORY KNOX - SIGNALS (A WOLF AT YOUR DOOR)

MALLORY KNOX - SIGNALS (A WOLF AT YOUR DOOR)

2013 has been a blistering year for Cambridge quintet Mallory Knox. Exploding out of the UK scene to much fanfare on nationwide radio stations and music publications, the band now release their debut album Signals.

Signals starts in all the right ways; the intro of ‘Beggars’ is big enough to make even the most jaded of music fan stand up and take notice. Vocalist Mikey Chapman does a fantastic job of carrying the soul of this record.  His performance oozes power and class while also being able to be incredibly delicate when needed. ‘Lighthouse’ is a fantastic example of this, with a guitar melody and chorus that will simply refuse to leave your head for days.

Mallory Knox have real strength in their song writing, especially when it comes to melody. As a result, the songs are catchy without relying on repetitive choruses or other clichés that are typical of bands within the same genre.  Influences can clearly be drawn to early 2000s UK rock, and at times it can feel like a mixture of Lost Prophets, Funeral For A Friend and the twang of the USA’s Finch, but with Mallory Knox’s own twist to keep it feeling fresh.

The record as a whole feels slightly disjointed and, at times, the album feels like it is just simply songs put together. This has a huge effect on the pace of the album, with central songs feeling like they could have been removed.

It’s sad that the album ends up leaving this impression, as when Mallory Knox are at their best, it’s bloody good. Simple three minute, guitar and vocal hook rock music. The standout tracks are easily the ones that will be made singles, and they fit this mould completely. ‘Wake Up’ is a good representation of everything Mallory Knox should be - fast and simple – yet effective and to the point.

Signals is clearly a band trying to find their footing properly, and with the added pressure of being in the limelight now, it will be interesting to see which way this band goes. The right ingredients are here to create something masterful, and Mallory Knox could very easily be the next big thing. From here though, who knows?

Rating: 3/5

Tom Reakes

[wordsbytomreakes]

BRING ME THE HORIZON - SEMPITERNAL (RCA)

BRING ME THE HORIZON - SEMPITERNAL (RCA)

Since 2004 Sheffield’s Bring Me The Horizon have made colossal strides in carving out their sound since their first offering, ‘This Is What The Edge of Your Seat Was Made For’, steadily evolving with every release since then and culminating in the hotly anticipated ‘Sempiternal’.

Easily the most notable change to BMTH’s sound is a strong emphasis on electronics. The messy departure of guitarist Jona Weinhofen paved the way for keyboardist/guitarist Jordan Fish to join the ranks, intelligently weaving synthesized melodies between the pounding drums, chugging riffs and pinch harmonics. This is best exemplified by the most recent single ‘Sleepwalking’ as the keys provide the perfect melodic accompaniment to crunchy guitars and Sykes’ ever-strengthening vocal abilities.

Any listeners expecting to find shallow beatdowns and cliché chuggy riffs will be left pleasantly surprised. This isn’t to say that there aren’t breakdowns and heavy elements on this album – there are, but stylistically they are handled far more maturely and the material features a far more expansive arsenal. This adds an extra dimension to their music that the band previously lacked. Lead single ‘Shadow Moses’ executes this perfectly, showcasing the band’s strengths in heavy song writing with an electronic flare.

The defining factor of ‘Sempiternal’ is that the band are now able to write fully fledged anthemic choruses; a prime example of this is ‘Seen It All Before’ – a complete and utter ripper of a song that simply refuses to not be sung, nay, screamed along with. Without doubt, the most impressive element of ‘Sempiternal’ is frontman Oliver Sykes’ vocals. With the Bring Me musical arsenal growing ever more diverse, Sykes has to stretch his vocals to the limit, singing ever so delicately on songs like ‘And The Snakes Start To Sing’ and damn near snapping every vocal chord in his throat on ‘Antivist’.

The production of this album is incredible. It’s clear that the band and studio engineers were both on the right page with what they were trying to achieve. The pacing and feel of the album both meanders elegantly and sprints viciously, without one song feeling out of place or forced; the record deserves to be left on repeat for a very long time.

The level of growth Bring Me The Horizon have shown since 2010’s “There is a hell…” is monumental, not only in developing their sound further, bringing riffs reminiscent of their older material back in, but in their song writing itself.  In all honesty, the band are barely recognisable, but for all the right reasons. In years to come ‘Sempiternal’ will be looked back as being the defining moment in Bring Me The Horizon’s career. This is the moment in which they became men and in which the argument that they were ‘style over substance’ is well and truly buried.

Rating: 4.5/5

Words by Tom Reakes

[wordsbytomreakes]

SOPHOMORE - THE BLUE EP

SOPHOMORE - THE BLUE EP

What productive things have you done in your bedroom? How about read all the Harry Potter books? Completed Contra on the hardest difficulty? Maybe made a model plane or two? How about writing, recording and producing an EP? No? Well that’s just what south west musician Alex Sears has done. Oh, and all just before putting the final touches to his band Decade’s debut album.

Under the moniker ‘Sophomore’, this new record - quirkily named ‘The Blue EP’ - is a follow up to the previous released ‘Teller’, which weighs in at four tracks long. Whereas its predecessor was a project taking shape, ‘The Blue EP’ is that project learning to walk – at a blistering pace.

Straight away, the level of musicianship and professionalism becomes apparent. ‘The Blue EP’ dances the line between grunge and punk rock but with a modern twist thanks to the vocals and writing. It’s a fresh approach to a genre that had long been diluted with the bands at the time. Reminiscent of Balance & Composure and early Foo Fighters - the balance between all instruments is key to what makes Sophomore’s sound work. Nothing sounds out of place or overstays its welcome; it’s kept simple yet direct without being too overstated.

‘Young Adult’ sways in gently, invitingly building atmosphere only for the fuzz of distorted guitars arriving to bring you back down to earth. There is no messing around and it is clear he means business, wasting no time to get stuck in. In particular, Sears’ vocals are the butter to the bread of the track, everything fits instinctively. This drifts neatly into ‘Caged’, a catchier number, which bops and sways with the brunt of the EP’s energy.

‘House Spider’ is easily the standout track of the bunch and the real meat and bones of the EP. The ambient mood it creates, only for the colossal chorus to pummel your emotions, is astonishing. ‘XYZ’ ties things up nicely, carrying the mood of the EP to the end, and by the breakdown you’ll be reaching for repeat.

It’s genuinely surprisingly the level of quality that has been achieved here. Sounding for the most part better recorded and produced the most modern albums that are done on a thousand times the budget. The songs are able to stand up on their own feet because of this and it benefits the overall experience tenfold.

‘The Blue Ep’ is a delight to behold and should be inspiration enough for any musician of any level to stop making excuses about budget and circumstances and just create.

4.5/5

[wordsbytomreakes]

TITLE FIGHT - FLORAL GREEN (SIDEONEDUMMY)

TITLE FIGHT - FLORAL GREEN (SIDEONEDUMMY)

There are few records that act as almost a celebration of the genre itself. For Kingston, Pennsylvania’s Title Fight, their third full length is exactly that. Following up to the superb ‘Shed’ released in 2011, this new effort wastes no time at all in kicking things in to high gear. The opening track ‘Numb But I Still Feel It’ soars into your subconscious, and refuses to leave. It act’s as a fantastic appetiser for the rest of the album.

Ned Russin’s angst-ridden vocals boarder the line between tuneful to straight out noise, it’s quite clear from the start what the band is trying to achieve.  Floral Green sounds like it should have been released in the early 90’s but is still fresh enough to grab your attention now. It’s a vintage package wrapped up in a brand new box, none better demonstrated then on ‘Head In The Ceiling Fan’. The sense of melody is clearly a main thought through the whole record. “Like A Ritual” is a prime example of this, with a riff that will not leave your head for days. Now if that doesn't get you then the vocal line will. It’s an all-out attack and boy, is it a good one.

The band have clearly matured on this release, leaving their pop-punk sound found on their debut ‘The Last Thing You Forget’ dead for good. And the band honestly sound all the better for it. In a day when people refine their sound to be more mainstream it’s nice to see a band do the opposite. Those with a keen ear will appreciate all the work gone into the instrumentation of the record.

It’s genuinely a pleasure listening to this record and bearing witness to one of the finest current bands absolutely kill it. Few albums released this year will come close to capturing the energy of a live show like this album does. The chord progression within the songs and the tone of the record anchor back to the hay day of grunge, and the band pull it off flawlessly. Sure some of the vocals and direction of the songs can appear to be obnoxious and almost at times abrasive (See ‘Sympathy’) but ultimately due to their well written nature, end up working towards the charm and appeal of the band and of the record as a whole.

The record ends up pacing around nicely, not one track drags around or overstays its welcome to long. That said, it could be seen as a short record coming in at just 33 minutes; but the trade-off for the impact and impression it leaves is more than worth it. At a time in the music industry when people will do whatever to sell more records be it change image or sound it is refreshing to see a band doing things completely on their own terms.

Rating - 4.5/5

Tom Reakes

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WHILE SHE SLEEPS - THIS IS THE SIX (SEARCH & DESTROY)

WHILE SHE SLEEPS - THIS IS THE SIX (SEARCH & DESTROY)

Hype can be a dangerous beast indeed, either live up to it or wait for it to consume and spit you out. For Sheffield’s While She Sleeps hype behind them has been building at a scarily increasing rate. Focusing on the band full time in 2009 they were able to release the stellar 8 track EP ‘The North Stands For Nothing’ on Small Town records.  This lit the fire behind them and eventually earned them a Kerrang! award for best British Newcomer – an award that had been previously won by acts such as; Funeral For A Friend, Bring Me The Horizon and You Me At Six - so expectations were rising.

Fast forward two years and with the release of debut album ‘This Is the six’ the band have some big hype sized shoes to fill. The band hasn’t made massive strides to improve their sound, after all this is what got them noticed amongst the waves of bands in the UK metal scene. Simply If it isn’t broke then don’t fix it. The dynamic of Lawrence Taylor’s harsh husky vocals against the rest of the bands chanted vocals works surprisingly well. Providing something different to the normal polished clean vocal/harsh vocal approach seen far too often nowadays.

‘This Is The Six’ gets off to a great start with ‘Dead Behind The Eyes,’ one of the heaviest songs that the band have written. Focusing on the theme of Britain and it’s ignorance to change, the track rings in the listener and puts them into the right frame of mind for what follows.

Lead single ‘Seven Hills’ is without a doubt the best track on the album, and proves that this band is worth taking notice of. The simplistic approach of a guitar line straight off the hook into one of the biggest moments on the album, into a superb verse riff is something to behold. It’s heavy, melodic, and intelligent whilst at the same being catchy. It is the perfect mix and demonstrates what this band is capable of.

‘This Is The Six’ displays clearly what the band are able to provide, well written intelligent brutal yet- catchy metalcore. The gang chanted sections feel like more than just 3 blokes shouting at the same time, almost at times coming across like a football stadium – a family, all with the same message. It’s these moments that show the amount of heart and personality that this band has put into this record. ‘Love At War’ is a perfect example of the package this band are. Drifting from piano led introduction to chanted melody into face ripping metalcore. It’s an absolute pleasure to listen to.

While She Sleeps make some very good footing here with this debut. Reflecting and even going back to some old material whilst being able to move forward yet ignoring over used styles of the genre is a smart choice, and in the long run makes it a more refreshing listen. The band has completely lived up to the hype and now will be able to play by their own rules from now on.

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EVACUEES - THE TIME I KILL IS KILLING ME (UNSIGNED)

EVACUEES - THE TIME I KILL IS KILLING ME (UNSIGNED)

Forming from the members of various local bands, Bath based Evacuees haven’t exactly had the odds stacked in their favour from the off. The risk of combining parts of different bands that played different genres and ultimately broke up for a reason and hoping it will pay off is high. Luckily for them, they seem to have pinched the best parts from each one.

Opener ‘Miss Guided’ showcase what the band do best. Their punchy simple rock and roll yet with an edge is a breath of fresh air in a music scene that is all about the extremes nowadays. Vocalist Dean Bryant’s commanding voice is suited to this style to T, as he is not only able to work the melancholy softly sung verses well but isn’t afraid to give it some attitude come the chorus.

On the other side of the coin that is Evacuees is lead single ‘Da Vinci’ which takes things down a step and displays this outfits other strength. As well as being able pull off the ‘everything to 11’ rock sound they can write a damn good ballad. But also more importantly pull it off. Back up vocal duties by bassist Joe Daly combined with the accompanying piano only sweetens the deal.

Thing’s get picked back up again by the haunting ‘Grounded’ which provides some of the heaviest and ambitious moments on the record. It works well and keeps the record flowing, with some soaring choruses.  

The EP finishes off with ‘Escape Song’ much like ‘Da Vinci’ starts as a down tempo affair before building then greeting you with guitars under heavy distortion at the chorus. It’s easily Bryant’s best vocal performance and is the reason this EP isn’t just good – It’s bloody good.

Those with a keen ear will be able to appreciate the level of musicianship that has gone into this release. The layering of various instruments and it ultimately paying off is skill that they should be praised for. Production on the record wavers from the raw to the polished, and can struggle to do find its middle ground at times and sometimes ends up working against them.

The sky is the limit for this band at the moment, with a UK tour coming up later in the year and hopefully some more time to record where this band go from here is entirely up to them. But without a doubt they are one of the shining lights in a dreary local scene.

Rating - 4/5

Tom Reakes

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INTRODUCING: MONTROSE

INTRODUCING: MONTROSE

Newly formed Midsomer Norton based quintet ‘Montrose’ are looking to gain momentum after releasing their debut promotional video. In a local scene that is drying up at every moment, the band are looking to establish themselves as quickly as possible and seize the opportunity.

SouthSonic’s Tom Reakes caught up with guitarist Ash Phillips to discuss the bands short history and what the future may hold.

SS: How did the members meet and how long have you been together now?

AP: We were all friends and in bands before. After they came to an end, we started talking about ideas for a new band that was different to bands we had already played in. After a couple of months of writing and demoing songs, we found our sound and ‘Montrose’ was born.

SS: What are your influences and how would you describe your sound?

AP: Our personal influences are vast and varied. All the way from City and Colour, through to Architects and While She Sleeps. But the main influences as a band are bands such as: The Wonder Years, Man Overboard and The Story So Far. We also take influence from bands even closer to home, such as our friends in Decade.

SS: You’re due to record your debut EP soon. How many tracks are you looking to lay down and where is it being recorded?

AP: We are currently in the process of demoing songs for the EP. We want to make sure we’re completely happy with the material we’ll release in the future. We believe that demoing these songs before we hit the studio is the best way. Once we’re happy with the material, we’ll be hitting the studio soon after and planning many gigs around the release. At the moment we just can’t wait to get in to the studio. Although at the moment nothing is final, we would like to record at Stakeout Studios. We have decided that five tracks will be on the EP, but which five is still undecided.

SS: Any thoughts on a name for the EP yet? Or is it too early to think about that?

AP: There have been many names put forward. We’re not deciding on a final name until the EP is recorded, so that we have a complete understanding and feel to the record.

SS: Any future gigs planned?

AP: Yes we’ve just announced our first show - Which will be at The Wunderbar in Midsomer Norton on the 25th October. We’re excited about this as it’s a local show and the venue is where the band was conceived. So it feels fitting that our first show should be there. Also it’s an intimate venue which will be awesome so we can really be in everyone’s faces!

SS: What’s in the pipeline for the future?

AP: At the moment our priorities are to perfect our live shows, to continue demoing songs for the EP, and to play as often as possible. And just to really get our name out there, show people what we’re about.

SS: What would you say the main goal for the band is?

AP: I know that It sounds cliché but it’s to have fun and play as many shows as possible. So that we can get out on the road and start touring. This band is what we love doing and having the chance to play every night would be the best thing ever. Nothing beats that.

SS: You recently released a promotional video which does well to introduce the band, how did that come about?

AP: It came about from a mutual friend to the band, who is a freelance cinematographer/editor. We had lengthy discussions as a band, on how to introduce ourselves. We believed that something visual would be the best way. We approached our friend about the idea and he just ran with it. Everyone involved is really happy with the outcome and it’s had a great reaction from people.

Montrose play their debut show in Midsomer Norton’s Wunderbar on 25th October, admission is free.

https://www.facebook.com/events/164611380329351/?fref=ts

The band’s promotional video can be seen here:

Words by Tom Reakes

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COHEED & CAMBRIA - THE AFTERMAN: ASCENSION (EVERYTHING EVIL)

COHEED & CAMBRIA - THE AFTERMAN: ASCENSION (EVERYTHING EVIL)

Concept-prog-rockers Coheed And Cambria return with sixth studio album and the first part of a double album ‘The Afterman: Ascension’. With yet another line-up change – this time for those keeping count, original drummer Josh Eppard is back and Zach Cooper takes up bass duties for the first time.

The band’s music focus around the concept of the fictional story called ‘The Amory Wars’ created by frontman Claudio Sanchez - Think ‘Star Wars’ on acid. After finishing off the main ‘Coheed And Cambria’ story of ‘The Amory Wars’, Claudio now looks at expanding the universe that it is set. Although most people won’t be here for the story it’s nice that some depth is there for those that want to dive on in.

Starting in a similar Coheed And Cambria fashion with some spoken dialogue between two characters, it’s eerie and could be slightly unnerving to those less familiar with the concept or the bands previous work. All before launching into the main meat of this nine track album - The eight minute rock opus ‘Domino The Destitute’.

Any concerns about Coheed And Cambria’s future are slowly but firmly stamped out over the course of this one song. It is the sound of a band finding their form again, somehow against so many odds, on their sixth album they’re still able to produce something as progressive and catchy is a testament to the members involved. Claudio’s vocals are a particular highlight, pushing him further than he has done in years to deliver what could and should be the rock song of the year.  

The following tracks each offer something different in their scope and sound and manage to keep the listener interested. Stand out moments are the Thin Lizzy-esque “Goodnight, Fair Lady” and the insanely catchy “Vic The Butcher” which showcases the band on their absolute best form. The fat from the guitars has been well and truly trimmed and stripped back. No more 8/10 minute guitar solo sections and it works well for the record. Everything comes across as very focused and with good direction.

The musicianship on display is second to none and the attention to detail of every moment makes this album shine amongst the current wave of beatdown/breakdown/heard it all before bands and work towards making them a more mature outfit.

The Afterman: Ascension feels like a ‘best of’ of the bands previous albums. Coheed And Cambria do well at making their craft interesting, progressive and most of all memorable, at not one point does the band feel like they’re just plodding along on autopilot. Each moment is well thought out and will without doubt leave an impression. Although to the new listener most of the concept narrative will go over their heads and may even put them off altogether but if you invest the time in this record and this band is definitely worthwhile.  

Rating - 4/5Tom Reakes