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Elly Roberts reviews
Warner Bros.
CD: 
Special Edition:
- Released: May 2008
- Rating: 8/10
- Vote and comment on this album:
Aussies relocate to UK make big impact UK number 2 album.
Starting as studio producers in Perth in their native Australia, this dance outfithave learnt a lot form the European club scene. After five years in the UK,they have finally cracked the UK market. Pendulum began as a drum andbass band whove evolved into hi-energy dance band using thrusting heavybeats with low buzzing basslines layered with synthesisers.
Geared for young clubbers, its easy to see why their infectious grooves havecaught on with stylish single Propane Nightmares at 12 with In Silicoholding up nicely at number 2, behind Neil Diamonds Home Before Dark.
Compared to their peers, Pendulum bring an antipodean flavour to the sceneand bodes well for their future. Above all, its the clever and subtlearrangements that puts them head and shoulders above their UK and Europeancounterparts theyve listened, waited, pounced and just possibly conquered.
First two tracks are seamless Beats Per Minute, until a Latino brassintro heralds Propane Nightmares, which unfolds into a stylish blast.
Jewel in the crown is instrumental 9,000 Miles showing theyve gota bigger vision and hold a more expansive template than maybe expected. Thistrack will crop up somewhere on a TV or film soundtrack. Track Mutinyis a superb blend of dance/rock, introducing guitar licks to punctuate thepace, which is, inevitably, pretty frenetic for much of the album.
The pace and tone changes dramatically on Granites intro as we mightexpect some supersonic respite, only to find it turns into an almighty pulsealtering monster. Their crowning glory is closer The Tempest, fuzzyand epic rocker without a BPM in sight.
File under: Watch this space.
Weblink:pendulum.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Showdown
2. Different
3. Propane Nightmares
4. Visions
5. Midnight Runner
6. The Other Side
7. Mutiny
8. 9,000 Miles
9. Granite
10. The Tempest
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.