Audio Asylum gig review by Thom Yorke of ArtCity magazine

Gig: Basement 20

Closing the night were the headline band AUDIO ASYLUM, Swanning into the performance space in the midst of a delay pedal swamped, noisy introduction. They cracked straight on with their fairly funky, yet melodic brand of hard rock. While sometimes slipping into what sounded, almost like prog, they kept their hard rock chops with tight riffing and non-stop simple, powerful drumming. It was easy to tell from the get-go that this was a band who knew exactly what they were doing. While being extremely skilled at each instrument, they gelled together perfectly.

The bass consisted of surprisingly complex, yet rib-rattling basslines which could be likened to The Specials and even funk bands such as Level 42 (in a positive way), all the while both guitars fly between fairly light Talking Heads new-wave sort of melodies into heavier bridges and breaks like those of early Radiohead. Their sound is both complicated and affected, without ever going over-the-top or sounding forced or ostentatious. The lead vocals were constantly melodic, even over the height of the aggression, akin to those of Jeff Buckley or even Ian Curtis at times. The singers powerful voice more than matched the power of the music and blended, along with everything else, into the rich tapestry of sound that was AUDIO ASYLUM.

AUDIO ASYLUM show how great music never needs to be forced under a single banner. Their uncategorizable sound and striking performances, work to create music that is extremely impressive, interesting and original. 4/5.

Audio Asylum gig review by Katy Jago

Gig: Talk-to-Frank

Date: Saturday 9th July 2011

Although individually racking up a wealth of experience, Audio Asylum as a collective are very fresh having only been together for 2 months. Currently recording their first EP, the gig on Saturday was a showcase of what is to come.

Opening with 'Into the Fire', the energetic and charismatic front man, Will, burst in to action, clearly feeling incredibly comfortable on stage. His voice was filled with a maturity that complimented the bluesy sound of the song and the way in which he was captivated by the music, but made sure he didn't alienate the audience, highlighted his professionalism.

The versatility of Audio Asylum seemed to hold no bounds, most evident in 'Spinning Yarn'. Here the band are clearly influenced by Radiohead, combining eerily beautiful vocals with a soulful tune giving way to an energised crescendo. This gives guitarist Gaz the perfect opportunity to show his guitar playing prowess whilst also showcasing Dan's skills on the drums.

Audio Asylum performed the set with an energetic vigour and intensity with 'Hitting Bottom' getting the audience to passionately singing along and, although most bass players tend to be ignored, this song gave Dave his time to shine.Giving that the atmosphere was buzzing there was a sense that, even though Foxy's is an intimate venue, the band would be equally as comfortable in a larger setting; having no trouble engaging with their audience and getting the fine balance between raw talent and crowd pleasing right.

I predict great things.

Audio Asylum demo review courtesy of Jason Boner @ Mangone Music - 10/10

Audio Asylum is a four piece alternative/indie rock band from Liverpool. As musicians, they have been successful in their previous bands and success is already beginning to emerge for them collectively as Audio Asylum. Since they formed in Summer 2010, they have enjoyed strong radio play and a string of gigs at some of Liverpool’s top venues and events, such as Bumper and the Mathew Street Fringe Festival.

The opening song of the demo is Into The Fire. It is a song about last chances and actively pursuing what you want in life, before your time runs out and everything that was within reach fades away from your grasp. Into The Fire starts with an energetic build up of catchy guitar hooks and riffs before launching into the first verse of vocals. The energy of the opening continues on throughout the song and sets the tone for the three songs included in this demo.

Into The Fire is followed up by Autonomy. It is a song about confronting our fears and having the independence to stand on our own two feet and move on in life, despite what atrocities may take place in everyday life. Autonomy initially does not appear to have the same energy to it as Into The Fire, instead opting to go with more of a slower pace. However, it always feels as though it is building up towards something until half way through; when it switches up to build upon the momentum of Into The Fire and perfectly set up the final song of the trilogy, appropriately titled Pressure.

The closing song of the demo is Pressure. It is a song about finding yourself in a situation with mounting pressure and you bounce back and respond to the pressure you are feeling on your shoulders. From the very opening of Pressure, it feels as though it is building to a climax and the guitars, drums and haunting vocals always help to bring that feeling forward. The bass guitar riff in the mid-section of the song launches the song into an instrumental for the final 100 seconds climax of the demo.

In summary, my favourite song of the three is Pressure as it always has a pace and an atmosphere that is worthy of being placed at the start or the end of any release. Just over half way through the song, when you think it is about to end, it continues and gains momentum throughout with an unanticipated instrumental, which lasts for a minute and 40 seconds. For a band that have only been together for a year, their tightness of their timing on all of these three songs would suggest otherwise, as they are recorded as though they had been rehearsing for a lot longer.

The three song demo is a preview of their upcoming EP, which is scheduled for release in late 2011. The three songs are available for free on CD at gigs and for free streaming from Audio Asylum’s official MySpace Music Profile at http://www.myspace.com/audioasylumuk so make sure to give them all a good listening to and buy their EP upon release. If you like their music, then support them at the Ticket Wall New Music Competition by voting for Into The Fire at http://competition.ticketwall.org/track/audioasylum-into-the-fire/ which could help launch the next big thing!

CD Rating: 10 out of 10

Tracklisting:
Into The Fire [3:04]
Autonomy [3:31]
Pressure [4:04]
Article by Jason

Audio Asylum demo review courtesy of Vicky Parsons @ Top Hat Magazine - 4/5

Audio Asylum - 'Demo' -

Audio Asylum’s demo is the perfect demonstration of some of the hidden talent the UK has to offer. Hailing from Liverpool, Audio Asylum really set the boundary for up and coming alternative rock bands.
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‘Into the Fire’ has one of the catchiest riffs you could imagine, and the non-stop drumming keeps the song alive, upbeat and, ultimately, fun.
‘Autonomy’ allows for some heavier guitar playing, and the bridge in particular reminds me of something an early Radiohead would have written. It’s one of those songs that makes you tap your foot, hand, pen, whichever you prefer, and is a perfect example to show this band knows exactly what they’re doing. ‘Pressure’ is the final song on the demo.
The vocals sound more progressive, but the instrumentation keeps the traditional rock alive, with a more recent twist.

It’s usually difficult to predict how successful a band could be when you’ve only heard three songs, but there’s no doubt that this band are talented.
It’s difficult to compare them to any other bands, because they show such individualism and originality. Overall, this is a very impressive demo and it’s definitely left me wanting to hear more.

For Fans of – Radiohead, Bombay Bicycle Club.

Track to download – ‘Pressure’.

VICKY PARSONS

4/5 Top Hats.

Audio Asylum demo review courtesy of Stephen Billington @ Independent Music News - 9/10

Audio Asylum- good name. That seems to be lacking nowadays- some bands seem to have names that are so cryptic that the word wouldn’t even be allowed in Scrabble against an illiterate uncle with vision problems. My least favourite name is ‘The Butthole Surfers’. Some may find that name funny. Well it isn’t. It’s ridiculous and probably a name bought up by someone after too many tequilas and a first homosexual act.

Their profile describes them as an ‘indie rock band’. I for one hope that this band are fighting the negative stereotype that every member smell like body odour and dead cats, and instead maintain an air of cleanliness that means that they smell good, but not so much as to question their manliness. Hmm. Maybe I shouldn’t concern myself with such things.
So this is the demo- I’ll go through it in the usual fashion; track by track, guiding you through them like a warden on this Audio Asylum:

Into the Fire- The track opens with a gritty start that reminds me of an ACDC track of some kind. I hope they don’t dress in the same schoolboy outfits as ACDC front man Angus Young- he’s earned that right, but it somehow seems a bit paedophillic if anyone else does it.

As the track progresses, it certainly maintains that interest that you rarely see in rock bands nowadays- instead of going for the conventional style of the chart topping nonsense type rock, they have invited me into the TARDIS and transported me back to the good old days where rock and roll reined supreme; when it was okay to do drugs and kill the occasional hooker.

I like this track, I could imagine it easily being played in a rock scene, yet it seems a little too big to be wasted on a small bar- it demands a room of a bigger magnitude.
Rating: 8/10

Autonomy- Onwards and upwards to the second track! Again, it’s a track that is proving that rock and roll (yes, I said ‘and’, not rock ‘n’ roll- deal with it) isn’t dead; it’s a creature that’s alive and well, like Osama Bin Laden (ohhhhh! Controversial!).

Again, the track manages to build to a point that I like to call the ‘rock out’ point. You know- the point where the track makes you lose all control, and you go into a euphoric state of mind where it’s okay to be shirtless, even if you could do with going to the gym more often (or ever). As well as this, the guitars work fantastically together, weaving together like the sweater your Nan knitted for you.

The song maintains the level of quality the first one did. I even like this one a little bit more, which is sort of like fancying a twin a little bit more than the other one because she has slightly bigger breasts.
Rating: 8.6/10

Pressure- I’m surprised. Pleasantly so- I like this track even more than the previous two! To shamelessly self- reference, the twins have just been joined by the third, less well known, but ultimately hotter, sister. And I like her even more.
The electric guitar solo towards the middle adds a new twist to the track, adding quality. Then it’s backed up by a bass and drum that slowly join and unite in the common goal of creating the atmosphere to lead into the explosion of sound.
While this one has less vocals, I find it to be above the other two, riddled with as much passion and raw power as a five year old boy’s hair is riddled with knits. You stay away from that boy!
Rating 9.2/10

I have several friends that are interested in this kind of genre, and I feel it would be a disservice to the rocker inside me (his name is Clive) if I didn’t turn people onto this band. Suddenly I wonder if the image in my mind for this band is correct- that this band must dress like a rock band as well, smoking cigarettes and having groupies hang around them who believe they can sex their way to fame. I hope that this band don’t dress like Kiss though; I’m not one of the fan boys into a band I like wearing clothes and make-up like a bunch of cross-dressers.

If you are a rock fan, this band are definitely worth watching.

Overall Rating: 9/10


Stephen Billington

THE END

Audio Asylum demo review courtesy of Ian Pye @ Mako Records - 4/5

Audio Asylum are an indie rock four piece best served live. They are among the most talented and nicest guys on the unsigned circuit right now. With members of former ‘Silk Pigs’ fame (I hope the guys don’t mind me dropping that in there) their current formation is a treat to behold on stage, with dynamic songs that are full of energy, my question is: does this performance power translate in their latest studio offering?

Swaggering it’s way to the front of the class is ‘Into the Fire’. Packed with a sinister bounce, it’s riffy yet intelligent, not to mention infectious. There’s a definite doffing of the cap to mid 90’s Radiohead with a pinch of The Seahorses for good measure, yet the sound doesn’t get lost amongst the nostalgia, we’re probably closer to something that would give Franz Ferdinand a run for their money. The song as a whole is pitched perfectly, with changes in all the right places, melodic vocals, clever guitar intricacies and a runtime of just over 3 minutes, ‘Into the Fire’ packs a punch that’s sharp and hard. If I was teacher, this song would be pet.

Next is ‘Autonomy’, which provides a clever change of pace, not in a “look at us, aren’t we clever” kind of way but in a way that simply gives the band’s vocals and song writing skills room to breath. Vocally we’re venturing into The Smiths territory with this slightly more maturer effort. With gorgeous harmonic bass runs and superbly accented drum fills, it’s clearly a talented effort but it still manages to remain refined… that is until the ending. Just when you think you’ve got this one figured out, the previously subtle guitar kicks the doors in like the school badass to show these clever clogs a thing or two, cue the blistering solo. It’s a strange choice of ending, maybe this is the band’s attempt to capture their live presence? I’m not sure it works, but one thing IS for sure, it’s got balls.

‘Pressure’ is the bands most commercially accessible song. With a guitar lick that’s akin to The Editors, it kicks the song into life in the verses in a lovely contrast to the stripped down chorus. But wait! More surprises are in store, the song all but disappears to a gentile solo guitar, thuds of bass gradually bashing their way into the limelight, brilliantly accented by trills of symbols, all gradually building and building to a truly spectacular crescendo. With magisterial addition of ghost like vocals that wouldn’t be out of place on a QOTSA track, it is a beautifully composed and rather unlikely ending to the song. I have no school euphemism for this track. Maybe it’s the cool foreign exchange student?

It’s evident that this is a talented band with great songs and while the recording has been expertly done (each song being clear, bright and not over produced), there appears to be some oversights in the mixing department for the low end, which is particularly noticeable midway through Autonomy (around the 1:30 mark). Also, it’s not quite as tight as I would have liked, with that being one for major factors that had blown me away at their gigs. Maybe the band decided to record live in the studio to capture that “energy” I’ve been harping on about?

So, back to my initial question. Can these guys translate what they produce on stage to your headphones? My answer is no, you have to see this band live! This is not a detriment to their recording, but a testament to the band and their amazing live performance.

Audio Asylum demo review courtesy of Luke Moore @ Independent Music News - 8/10

With a cheeky supposed nod to Foxy Lady in the first few seconds of Into The Fire, I was pulled in to their three-track demo which landed in my inbox a while ago.  Yes, on reflection, definitely should’ve listened to it sooner, there was definitely an overcast Thursday in October where this would have been the perfect pick me up…

So far so good and a quick bit of research shows that the AA gents have been doing rather well for themselves, clocking up international radio play and kudos back home too.  With a tight rhythm section and a pretty clear desire to keep the sound pretty raw, generally all of the parts blend really well.  Following from the opener is Autonomy, a slightly slower track that gives a lot of room to guitars and bass playing against each other – Chili Peppers clearly an influence, juxtaposed against a vocal that seems to take inspiration from Stipe.  Or Yorke.  Or Morrisey.  Or all three or maybe Dave Matthews, I’m not sure, maybe even neither.


And it’s this that is my only criticism of the otherwise formidable talent on show here – I just struggled to put the vocal together with the rest of what was going on in these tracks – but I think I know what they are aiming for.  That’s not to say frontman Will doesn’t deliver, he does, but perhaps just pushing the vocal a touch higher in the mix and him just unlocking his annunciation so we get a bit more of the lyric can only add to the pretty fantastic overall sound these guys have.

The third and final track is my favourite out of the three and is driven by an octave guitar riff laden with intent and a dash of melancholy too.  With a guitar led break down two minutes in interrupted by some pretty mean bass before the track explodes into a frenzied departure into something that took me back to early Ocean Colour Scene.

Wonderfully energetic rock and great to see that footage of them live show that they can deliver this material in front of a crowd without compromise – I expect to hear more about these guys very soon!

Audio Asylum Demo:  8/10

With a gritty raw sound, I really believe this band and these songs – have a listen!