The Image
In Light Of Your… Etcetera
Release Date: September 2014
Doncaster band The Image have been together for 2 years and over that time they have built up plenty of experiences playing shows which has culminated in the release of their debut album ‘In Light Of Your… Etcetera’ in September last year. Released independently, it is a true testament to the whole hard work pays off mantra and now I give my opinion on 2014’s full length release.
Kicking straight in with hard hit drums, crashing cymbals and riffs with a slight well-worn, retro tinged edge to them on opening track ‘Our Fractures’. The vocals are powerful and commanding instantly gaining your attention from the very first moments. The strong bassline and building drums create dramatic build up’s to chaotic choruses, a good start to this debut.
A funky bassline opens ‘Deluded Messages’ before quick, pounding drums are added alongside a riff that is full of fuzzy moments. The vocals are still commanding with their authoritative tone but they are less in your face than before. While ‘Natural Born Liars’ is slower with rhythm-laden drums and a funk fuelled bass line giving this the perfect head-nodding, foot-tapping beat. The lyrics throughout the album feature meaningful statements from political notions to standpoints on everyday life and it is no different here where great words are delivered in a very straight way.
Quick drums and a quick guitar line opens ‘Daytime T.V.’ carrying on throughout. When the vocals arrive they have a fast-paced urgent delivery matching the rushed tempo of this raw, chaotic account of everyday life with a real punk feel. On ‘Negative Spiral’ however, a deep, sinister bassline toys around the edges of the opening. There is a completely different atmosphere here that is felt straight away through slower, quieter and a more gothic edge. The vocals are lethargic, difficult to make out and drawn out, a huge difference from the big vocals on previous efforts, while the guitars are huge with a real buzz to every single strummed note.
There is another shift in tone with next track ‘Ill Omen Blues’ and its 80’s reminiscent opening from the synthy style guitars that echo their way around your ears. The riffs are fast, the drums create a steady, prevalent rhythm and the bassline is doing a great job of holding everything together with quick chord changes; this whole thing has the feel of a truly great track to experience live.
A big classic rock feel run through ‘Personal Budgets’ with a huge, echoey riff, powerful drum hits and the swagger that runs throughout everything from the way the vocals are delivered to the way the guitar nonchalantly changes from chord to chord with utter ease. That is followed by a short but sweet prelude to the final track with ‘Public Reaction’ and its fast, loud riff that is punctuated by thrashing drums, cymbal crashes and a direct vocal delivering storytelling lyrics.
We come full circle as the album ends with a track that is big, in your face and full of attitude from every single part of it in ‘No God of Mine’. It features a prominent bassline backs up drums that are being pummeled before cymbals cause disarray alongside a stop-start guitar which add a big sense of rock and roll to this.
Below is the track ‘Negative Spiral’ taken from the album:
Sadly the band have called it a day since they got in touch with me but this is still an album worth your time and you can find out more about what the band were up to on their Facebook page.
Mixtape Couture 