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DVDfever.co.uk – The Gilded Palace Of Sin: You Break Our Hearts, Well Tear Yours Out CD reviewElly Roberts reviews
You Break Our Hearts, We’ll Tear Yours Out
Central Control Records
- Released: Out now
- Rating: 4/10
Great start. The rests not so hot.
The Gilded Palace Of Sin take their name from a 1969 album by the Flying Burrito Brothers. Featuring legend Gram Parsons, they specialised in fusing modern country music, which included rocknroll, folk, country, gospel, and soul.
This band may have taken their name from their illustrious heroes, but their music couldnt be much further apart. The only connection between them is, that this Manchester band is steeped in an American sound. Even lead singer Pete Phythian sounds remarkably like Bruce Springsteen.These dark and moody rockers open You Break Our Hearts with such hangdog stylings (For When We Forget), you might just believe that its gonna be the same formula for the entire album. Yes, the doom and gloom isnt too far away (redemption and regret, principally), but they can mix it up a fair bit despite its dark outer sheen. There is a problem though, as youll find out.
After a dirty chord hold, delicate acoustic picks and banjo roll out Rosa Salvaje. With plucks well and truly established it meanders along to a pseudo-Springsteen-like dustbowl ballad.Changing tack, a thumping and tribal Mean Old Jack lifts the mood considerably. The heavy riff and edgy guitar licks provide Phythian to crank out some gravelled vocals. It plods on for almost 80% in a linear fashion, and then explodes into a cacophonous jam. The effect is long overdue and should have come much earlier adding more dynamics.
After an uneventful Rubbing Up and There Is No Evil, huge drama hits you in the gut Vony & The Plinths. Black skies hang heavily over the lyrics to a sound that crunches and grinds, but once again its far too one dimensional for my tastes.Bones Of The Saints provides a breather. This is their quietest moment since the album opened, but again, it doesnt seem to actually go anywhere which seems to be their problem. Youre always hanging on for something special, and it doesnt happen. The very same thing happens all over again on Wedding Rice, as nice as it is, and thereafter on crunching rocker Nautilus.
The verdict Exasperating.
Weblink:exenecervenka.com (includes audio samples)
The full list of tracks included are :
1. For When We Forget
2. Rosa Salvaje
3. Mean Old Jack
4. Rubbing Up
5. There Is No Evil, There Is No Good
6. Vony & The Plinths
7. Bones Of The Saints
8. Wedding Rice
9. Nautilus
10. Home Because Youre Here
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.