"WE DON'T CARE WHAT THE SCENESTERS SAY, DON'T LIKE THE STUPID GAMES THEY PLAY, WE'RE ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKIN' IN, OUR LIVES THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND!!!"

THE BLACK HALOS - "ALIVE WITHOUT CONTROL"
("People Like You Records"; CD):

Here you now get a review of the second (?) full length album of this (for what I think to know) Canadian Punkrock band, THE BLACK HALOS (from Vancouver in British Columbia (?) up and over there in Canada), and this album was released back then in 2005 via the german "PEOPLE LIKE YOU RECORDS" label and is or at least was some months (uh, I think 'some many' months) back (in 2010) sold for very low prices. That was the time, place and reason how I got it, trying it out, and what shall I say, this album is really some good and very strong rockin' and rollin' Punkrock that knows how to defend and stand its ground. (And it would have been worth even a full price, if you know what I want to say.) Hard but melodic and very relaxed good rockin' PunkROCK music, energy and big doses of some chilled laid-back mentality are combined here very good, all delivered to us with a lot of heart and soul and passion. The mood changes pretty good, dark and melancholic tracks change rapidly with some battle song stuff just to be replaced soon by some chilled as well as rockin' songs, and so they manage it to step away from some boredom stuff that would take this record down. The guitar work is really strong and it's markin' the songs heavily, no matter if ya take the riffing work (that dictates the rhythm as well as the mood of the songs in a very strong way), the truly cool and damn good guitar solos or the great lead guitar work, it's really some great stuff. The rhythm section is heavy and precise at work, and the changes of and in the rhythm structures are pretty quick and tight and btw also some really pretty cool stuff. Then there are the lead vocals, some snotty and somehow partly more spoken and whispered (in a 'smoky' way) done and 'sung' then what you may would call some 'classical' singing stuff. The vocals are a truly love or hate thing, at least that's what I guess, because I think you have not only get used to it but you have to fall in love with them if not you will pretty much hate them. But anyhow, I somehow really fell in love with them, hm, and maybe that's all what matters here at the end of all days, haha;-). Here and there we get also nice suprises, like a piano or some cool distorted voices chanting the back ups and some other stuff like this. Ah, and don't forget about the pretty cool band back ups. Problems of and with this record is just the fact that sometimes they go a little bit too chilled-relaxed and also here and there too much Rock or Rock & Roll, I would really love to hear and see them stay more in the Punk or Punkrock department. Hm, but I think they called themselves Punkrock & Roll and so I guess that things have to sound this way. And anyway that's just my personal problem... If ya like the BACKYARD BABIES as well as SOCIAL DISTORTION and also THE HELLACOPTERS, all mixed up with some Glam Punk stuff (think, for example, of the german band SECOND DISTRICT) and also some few 1977 old school Punkrock marks then you will also more than just like this canadian originals that, sadly enough, are history today (for already some years now). So, yes, a really good record of a really good band that you should check out if you don't know or own it and especially if ya can locate your personal gusto in music (at least also) somewhere between the above mentioned bands and styles. Ah, and don't let yourself be fooled by the bandpictures, this here is no THE 69 EYES like Gothic Rock copy, haha;-). (Even I really like THE 69 EYES anyhow.) Check out "THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND", "ALIVE WITHOUT CONTROL", "DARKEST CORNERS", "I NEED TO KNOW" and the fantastic "BURNING TRASH" if ya want to know how great this band used to be in its/their strongest moments. All is coming with good lyrics, in a great artwork and a damn good production sound, just that you also know about this 'hard' facts. Really good stuff!!! (8 of 10 points)

(Contact: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2534486132&v=wall)

Now two videos of them should be coming for ya, "THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND" and "DARKEST CORNERS", so check them out and hopefully you will enjoy them and it will make your decision easier if you go and buy and grab it or not, so open up your eyes and ears right now...

THE BLACK HALOS - "THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND"

THE BLACK HALOS - "DARKEST CORNERS"