Old?

No real post this week – due to moving house and other distractions I’ve not had chance to read, watch or take note of anything particularly interesting. I do, however seem to be turning into my Grandparents. The evidence so far:

I routinely wake up before my alarm – what happened to sleeping in, or being dragged from my torpor by some awful electronic buzzing?

Having ‘a nice cup of tea’ before leaving the house in the morning is now almost de rigueur.

Concerts are too loud for my delicate, shell-like ears. All that divides me from uttering the curmudgeonly line ‘How can you listen to that racket?’ is time.

A sniffing kid (and I mean between 8–10 years old) sat opposite me on the back seat of the bus. Instead of ignoring it I reached into my bag and offered him a tissue.

Everything was cheaper/better/simpler/less pretentious when I was a kid.

I actually used the line ‘When I was your age’ the other day, half in jest, but completely accurately nonetheless. This in itself was completely terrifying.

I prefer trousers and shirts to jeans and T-shirts, and everything has to be ironed.

So, you decide – am I merely mature, acting ancient or virtually venerable?

Exclusive Preview Of Transformers Cover Art

I’m very pleased to announce another cover art preview – exclusive to You Look Like A Little Kid With A Beard.

Barry Spiers, designer at Titan magazines and freelance illustration ninja, has pencilled his first cover for TF:UK. Jason Cardy provides the stunning colours.

Good work chaps!

Transformers UK issue #12 is out on 22 May, don't miss it.

Alex Bell – Book Review

The Ninth Circle
Alex Bell

When a young man wakes up in a modest apartment in Budapest with no memory of his previous life, he must piece together clues about who he was, and where he came from. But why does he own so many books on angels and demons, and why does he have so much money?

Alex Bell’s debut novel is a cleverly constructed tale, told from the first person, in flowing easy to read prose. Much like a supernatural Bourne Identity, The Ninth Circle sometimes suffers from a whiny protagonist in the shape of Gabriel, who is routinely upstaged by his Italian friend Stephomi. This unfortunately leaves the story falling a little flat as the seemingly hapless Gabriel struggles to make sense of the world around him – however, readers who stick with it will be rewarded by some nice sleight of hand from the author. The book revolves around a small core of characters and will likely not appeal to readers who prefer their stories more epic in scale.

The Ninth Circle is a well-plotted story, and draws on history to challenge the black and white world view of the amnesiac hero. The ending doesn’t come as any great surprise and naturally, paves the way for a possible sequel. Bell gives vivid descriptions of Budapest and throws in some unexpected twists to keep the two hundred and sixty two pages turning.

An impressive debut novel, that delivers both a mystery and a supernatural showdown against the backdrop of wintry Hungary.

7 / 10

The Slip - Nine Inch Nails – Album Review

Most artists seem to release a slew of albums early on in their careers, with a noticeable slow-down once they have established themselves. Not so with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, who becomes more prolific with each decade.

Established fans could wait for anything up to five years between releases in the 1990s, however NIN shocked everyone by releasing The Slip as a free download on the 5 May this year. With no hype or fanfare Trent Reznor simply released an album ‘for the fans’.

A whole Nine Inch Nails album for free.
Gratis.
Not a single £, $ or ¥

The album of ten tracks is comparable to their 2005 release [WITH_TEETH], fuelled by heavily distorted guitars and bass, piano melodies and the trademark industrial percussion.

Stand-out tracks are: ‘Discipline’, which whilst being poppy has enough S&M overtones and a driving baseline to hook you in;
‘Echoplex’ which initially feels a little sparse and unfinished but quickly grows with it’s near-whispered chorus and lyrics of understated loneliness and isolation; ‘Lights in the Sky’ is reminiscent of ‘Something I Can Never Have’ from NIN’s debut album Head Like a Hole, being a sombre piano piece overlaid by Reznor’s broken, haunting vocals. Then there’s the sublime ‘Corona Radiata’ which could just as easily be on the previous NIN release, Ghosts I-IV, but follows on so perfectly from ‘Lights in the Sky’ it doesn’t feel out of place on this album and leads into ‘The Four of Us are Dying’ perfectly.

The lyrics have reverted to the fragile, vulnerable, introspective musings of previous albums, after the political speculative fiction of Year Zero.

Whilst [WITH_TEETH] and to a lesser extent The Slip are both the most commercial works of the NIN back catalogue, they both seem to lack the epic sweep of albums like The Downward Spiral and The Fragile. Still, there are standout tracks on both, and repeat listening will reward the patient listener, particularly on The Slip.