Sidechain – ‘Sidechain’
Album Review By Adam McCann
Independent Release/Alternative Rock
Italy may not be the first place that comes to mind when one thinks of alternative rock, but more recently the Italian underbelly has proven itself to be a hotbed of musical talent with Sidechain being just one of those bands who are ready to deliver their eponymous debut.
‘Sidechain’ has all the hallmarks of a band still finding their feet; the production is muddy and barely above demo quality, but it portrays a band hungry and working hard at honing their sound. On this release, Sidechain manage to bleed their influences throughout its thirty-minute running time; ‘Wars Today’ has all the heavy dissonance that made 80’s Soundgarden so appealing and whilst vocalist Simone Tedeschi may not have Cornell’s pipes, there is still room for growth and improvement, whilst ‘Horrible Tentacle’ shows that Sidechain have the ability to write quick-fire accessible tunes full the of melody and power of Nirvana and Silverchair. Furthermore, it is the closing track ‘Flame’ which peaks the most interest by channelling some Rush style ‘Tom Sawyer’ melodies that show that this band is much more three-dimensional than just a 90’s alt-rock one trick pony.
With this release, Sidechain have provided a very good foundation for them to work from. Yes, there is still plenty of work to be done, but it is this rough and ready rawness which only adds to the overall charm.
Rating : 70/100
MHF Magazine/Adam McCann
