favourite albums in 2013

Hiya, worlds worst blogger award is definitely mine. College has absolutely killed all my spare time. I finished ages ago for Christmas and had a couple of days to do fun stuff and what not. Then all my spare time this week has gone on public affairs revision, shorthand speed building and oh, work. So yeah. I've had this post in my head for a while now and I thought I should probably crack on and get it out there. So, here we have, my favourite albums of this year.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD - HAIL TO THE KING
How predictable am I? But yes, Hail to the King. I love how huge and theatrical this sounds, especially on Shepherd of Fire. Each song is heavy, desperate to be played at ear splitting volume. M Shadows' voice carries you through each song, each story. There's themes of war and being imprisoned, death and being away from home. Synyster Gates dialed down the guitars to great effect and the introduction of Arin Illejay as drummer saw Avenged take the first steps to moving on. It's exciting, with a lot of interesting lyrics, and it's shooting them into the stratosphere.
Favourite song: Acid Rain.

ALTER BRIDGE - FORTRESS
Predictably one of my most anticipated albums of this year. I fell in love with Alter Bridge when I heard AB III way back in 2010. Fortress is AB's darkest, angriest album to date. They've shaken off all the Creed associations. Each song tells an intricate tale, Addicted to Pain surrounds a destructive, abusive, inescapable relationship, Bleed it Dry borders on the political and All Ends Well is a comforting reminder to all those feeling a bit lost or stuck. Myles Kennedy's vocal is perfect, and there is never a dull moment. Big surprise comes in the form of Mark Tremonti taking charge on Waters Rising. It's exciting, fresh, but keeping in with a classic Alter Bridge sound and feel.
Favourite song: Lover.

FALL OUT BOY - SAVE ROCK AND ROLL
Oh my heroes. Fall Out Boy seemed to appear from absolutely nowhere with this album. There wasn't much time to create too much hype and anticipation as the bomb of My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark was dropped and not long after, the rest of the album. It's quickly become my favourite Fall Out Boy album. Every song is different and it's not like anything else on my iPod. Patrick Stump's voice is stunning, and the lyrics are so clever. I think part of the appeal with it, is a few songs were a bit of a 'right song at the right time' moment, especially Miss Missing You. I was on board with this album from the start and I remember streaming it on my work experience and feeling excited about the music. (fangirl mode deactivated)
Favourite song: Just One Yesterday

HEAVEN'S BASEMENT - FILTHY EMPIRE
I've had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Heaven's Basement for a while. I liked the EP. Then that singer walked out on them. For a while, I didn't like the replacement's voice. He couldn't sing the old songs, because they weren't written for him to sing. Enter Filthy Empire and suddenly I fell for Heaven's Basement all over again. Aaron Buchanan's vocal fits in much better with this set of songs. There's a slight nod to their origins with Can't Let Go (previously on their self-titled EP) it's slightly heavy, in a more accessible way, each song is bigger and better sounding than the one that comes before it. A couple of ballads sprinkled here and there make for a strong, well rounded debut.
Favourite song: Be Somebody

MALLORY KNOX - SIGNALS
Mallory Knox were 2013's British band for me. After hearing Lighthouse at the end of last year, I was completely sold. Signals was a real surprise. In the past I've championed You Me At Six, Young Guns etc when they'd just started out, release full length albums and so forth, but with all of those I'd never liked an album as much as this one. The singles are very poppy, radio friendly rock. Death Rattle is a personal highlight, a much heavier sounding track. The songs feel like they have more depth than a lot of band's releases out there. There's plenty of hidden meanings, open for interpretation. It definitely gives them the edge they need in such an over saturated market.
Favourite song: Death Rattle.

Other albums I could've written about, but then this post wouldn't been the length of a Harry Potter novel:
30 Seconds to Mars - Love Lust Faith Dreams
Tonight Alive - The Other Side
Bullet For My Valentine - Temper Temper
Korn - The Paradigm Shift
Deaf Havana - Old Souls

Instagram weekly update #001

pink kinder egg, saturday night turbo, oreo the hamster, happy weekend face.

 

Bit of a different post today. Unfortunately, I've got nothing else to talk about but myself and rather than leave my little blog post-less for another week or two, I thought I'd write something even if it is meaningless and a bit dull.

My friend came to stay last weekend, which prompted a trip to Asda so I could buy Rekorderlig (standard) and a ridiculously big pizza. Obviously, I couldn't resist picking up one of the new Kinder Egg's. And got a bit too excited about the fact I got a My Little Pony toy in it. Me and two of my best ones had an impromptu trip to the cinema last night. Having been to the all you can eat, absolutely every food ever buffet, we decided to see Turbo. It was really cute, not quite what I expected, but still pretty decent for a kids film! A couple of weeks ago, our old hamster, Percy died. My sister had just bought him a new cage the week before, so not to waste my sister's money (or a decent, shiny, new cage) we got a new hamster. Named Oreo by my sister (not the most original at naming things) he has the biggest ears I've ever seen on a hamster.

My journalism course is well and truly taking over my life at the minute. I've not had chance to read anything. I'd started the first Mortal Instruments book and I'm not even halfway through yet. I've got a few albums I want to post about, but again, I've not had chance to have a 'proper' listen to any of them. I've skimmed over Deaf Havana and Tonight Alive. Korn's album might be the first I write about, but I'm seeing Alter Bridge on Tuesday in Manchester so it's kind of all been about Fortress at the minute. 

But yes, the course is super intense. I'm in 9-4ish Monday through to Thursday and then work 6-10 each evening. So, in short, I'm constantly knackered and getting more and more annoyed that I barely have time to myself during the week. The weekends however are a different story. I've been trying to do something 'fun' at least every weekend, whether it be a night out or cinema trip, whatever. The course has been getting me down a bit, because I'm always tired, I've found it harder to remember things quickly and find myself on 'auto-pilot' quite a lot. 

Hopefully, I'll be able to write something about Alter Bridge this weekend. I've got half term off (yay), so hopefully I'll post some more then. (:

Fortress

Back in 2004, Myles Kennedy stepped into the void left by Scott Stapp. Creed were done. Enter Kennedy, and the creation of Alter Bridge. Back then, Myles Kennedy thought he was stepping into something that was so established in the US, he worried fans would hate him.

Fast forward to 2013, Alter Bridge have released their fourth album, lost that Creed sound and Myles Kennedy is an absolute hero in his own right.

'Fortress' is going to be the moment Alter Bridge lose all the Creed connotations for good. It's so far removed from 2004's 'One Day Remains', it's unbelievable. They aren't as big in the US, of course, but in the UK and Europe, they are a huge deal. 'Fortress' is only going to cement that fact even further.

Opening song, in true AB fashion is like a punch in the face in the best possible way. The Spanish, flamenco sound introduces us to 'Cry of Achilles' a thunderous song, filled with lyrics of doubt and a slight hint towards some positivity. Lead single 'Addicted to Pain' follows, the story of an abusive relationship an individual doesn't want to leave. It's heavier than previous singles, and with that leading the way, it's clear the remainder of the album is going to be much darker than the likes of older albums.

'Bleed It Dry' touches on the environmental and the political, it won't suit everyone's tastes. If that track has you wanting to turn off, wait until you hear the bitter and scathing 'Lover'. This song shows off Kennedy's true talent, it's emotional and angry.

The mid section of the album melts into one, the songs sounding fairly similar, those are the ones that take a few listens to tell them apart. Guitarist Mark Tremonti takes the lead on 'Waters Rising', a bold step for him as on previous albums he's remained fairly silent when it comes to vocals. He took a tiny step into the spotlight on 'AB III' singing duet 'Words Darker Than Their Wings' with Myles Kennedy. Since the release of his solo album in 2012, it seems Tremonti is more willing to take on vocal leads.

'Cry a River' is a personal favourite, it's bitter and twisted lyrics are masked by the upbeat guitar work and fast pace. Ballad of the album comes in the form of 'All Ends Well' a song that will no doubt speak volumes to fans across the globe. It's not quite as lighters in the air as past ballads 'Wonderful Life' (from AB III) and 'Watch Over You' (Blackbird) and it might not be as much of a crowd pleaser, but it's still emotionally charged and has the words that will mean something to someone. Closer 'Fortress' is a huge wave of a song, a perfect finish to what is without a doubt one of the albums of 2013.

On a personal note, I only fully took to Alter Bridge upon the release of AB III. They are a good, solid band, and the more material they've released, the more they've shaken that slight hint towards Creed. They've been through a lot, with record label battles and fighting to get their songs out there. In the UK they've gone from playing student unions to a dozen people to headlining major arenas up and down the country. Their music has pulled on the heart strings of so many individuals and will more than likely continue to do so.

Jimmy Eat World, 15/09/13, Leeds O2 Academy

It's that time of year again. All the festivals are done and dusted, the weather's getting horrible, and all the bands take to the tour buses and head out for another run. For me, it's Jimmy Eat World up first for the latter half of 2013. After seeing them at Download, I had to see them again on this small tour.

Support tonight comes in the form of Essex four piece, We Are The Ocean. A very fitting support act, We Are The Ocean's more mature sound on 2012's 'Maybe Today Maybe Tomorrow' is a good warm up for what came afterwards. Opening with 'Trouble is Temporary, Time is Tonic' touches upon where they once were. Liam Cromby manages to get through the song, originally recorded as dual vocals with ex-singer, Dan Brown. It's a good thing, not to leave behind 'Go Now and Live' as it's a brilliant album, but it's obvious Cromby struggles at times. He sounds much more comfortable singing newer material. 'Bleed' gets everyone clapping along, 'Runaway' is a hands in the air power ballad and 'Young Heart' is even more emotional live. It's closer 'The Waiting Room' that gets everyone going 'oh, yeah, I know who they are now'.

Jimmy Eat World are a band of little banter, less showy off, no extravagant pyrotechnics, just the four men and their instruments. Throughout their albums is the tinge of loss, falling in love, angst, falling out of love, bad, bitter break ups and gut-wrenching heartbreak. So tonight shouldn't feel as upbeat as it does, right?

Instead of a dramatic, massive opening, the band, lead by Jim Adkins walk onto the stage, introduce themselves and launch into 'I Will Steal You Back'. They've set the tone in that one song. What follows is a set full of emotive songs. 'Big Casino' gets the crowd moving as does sing along ballad, 'Always Be'.

Halfway through, the music comes to a halt with Jim Adkins shouting for the band to stop. Two guys are having a fight in the middle of the crowd and Adkins decides to call them out. Watch the video, it's actually brilliant. Adkins has a way of commanding a crowd without swearing, without calling everyone 'motherfuckers' every verse end, he comes across as truly caring about the fans and their well being. The two villains of the evening are promptly boo-ed by the crowd, Adkins gets a big cheer and the show goes on.

A huge sandwich of ballads slows things down quite a lot. This section of the show is strictly reserved for the more hardcore Jimmy Eat World fans. 'Hear You Me' manages to get phones in the air and a huge sing along. But it's 'Bleed American' that really brings things back up a notch. Disappear for the encore only to return with a perfectly predictable closer in the form of 'The Middle'. It's no surprise, but it get the loudest screams and singing of the night.

Credit for the video goes to LS Photography on YouTube.

About a Girl

Oh hello, I'm writing about another girly book I proper enjoyed.

'About a Girl' is Lindsey Kelk's recent effort at writing a new series after the successful (and much loved by me) 'I Heart' series. After the standalone 'The Single Girl's To-Do List' found me being quite disappointed, I wasn't sure what to expect with 'About a Girl', but I tend to try and read every book written by an author I like.

'About a Girl' is the story of Tess Brookes, an advertiser living in London. Tess is dedicated to her job, it's all she knows and the main thing she cares about. At the beginning of the book, she's preparing herself for a promotion at work, but is promptly given the boot by the company. A trip up North home see's Tess sleep with her best friend and long time crush, Charlie, before finding out he's not what she expected. She then escapes to Hawaii, under a false name and occupation and is set the task of taking photo's for a glossy fashion magazine. Between the mess she left behind at home, keeping up a new identity and all the troubles Hawaii throws at her, the novel is exciting and interesting.

On a personal level, I really liked 'About a Girl'. Tess has plenty of character development throughout the novel to please me. She goes from being a 'by-the-book' workaholic, to taking on an alter ego in the form of her double identity. It's interesting to see how her mind set shifts and she often refers to other more measured thoughts and actions as being like 'Old Tess'. The story itself is interesting, keeping readers guessing what will happen until the end. There's also a good old twist towards the end of the novel, which made me think 'what an absolute bitch!' It's brilliant.

Keeping in with her previous novels, Kelk has managed to capture the paradise of Hawaii perfectly, the descriptions alone will make you want to get down to Thomas Cook and book the next flight out there. The 'I Heart' series saw the characters travel to New York, LA, Las Vegas, Paris and London, but none of those felt as luxurious as this one.

The ending is open ended, awaiting a sequel that I'm really excited to be released. I think this is another series I will enjoy as a bit of light relief. Kelk writes your typical girly novels, but with relatable characters in unrelatable, dreamy settings. It's just what I needed to read after wading through crime novels and journalism text books.

Hail To The King

Or hail to Avenged Sevenfold.

Back in the summer, Avenged Sevenfold dropped the bomb that they would be releasing a new album at the end of August. The artwork was released along with the first single 'Hail to the King'. There were hints at Download with a fake news round up including Avenged Sevenfold songs and video clips being shown on the big screens between bands. That all seems like a long, long time ago, because the album is finally here.

I wasn't sure what to expect with 'Hail to the King'. Avenged Sevenfold are a band I've loved since I heard the self titled album a few years ago, I preferred the softer, less screamo sound. Then came 'Nightmare' which I found really difficult to get my head around. It was a tough listen and I didn't immediately love it. With 'Hail to the King' that is simply not the case.

Opening track 'Shepherd of Fire' is what you'd expect with an Avenged song. It's big, it's epic, there's more than just the guitars, bass and drums. It's a typical opening song from them and is reminiscent of 'City of Evil' and the heavier moments of 'Nightmare'. M Shadows' vocal is perfect throughout the whole album, his voice carrying anger and aggression with ease. The guitars are still complex, but I think it's less 'in-your-face' and slots in with the rest of the instruments better. The most notable change is the drums. Of course after the passing of The Rev in 2009, the band's immediate thoughts weren't to replace him. Where 'Nightmare' was kind of a memorial with Mike Portnoy playing the drums exactly the same way, 'Hail to the King' is the baby steps of Avenged Sevenfold moving on.

As far as the songs go, there's lot of themes about war and a few nods towards biblical themes. 'Doing Time' and 'This Means War' sound a bit Metallica-esque. They're two of the heavier tracks on the album. 'Acid Rain' is a perfectly dramatic closer on the album. The songs are very 'City of Evil', heavier, stronger, but they're not as catchy as the choruses of self titled tracks, 'Almost Easy' or 'Afterlife'.

Will this be the album that pushes Avenged Sevenfold into the stratosphere? Maybe. It hit number one last weekend in the album charts and with a UK headline arena tour this winter and rumours of a Download 2014 headline slot, the future is looking incredibly strong for Avenged Sevenfold.

and the worst blogger award goes to...

I have actually been pretty terrible with keeping this blog afloat. Attention span wavers very quickly and easily with anything to do with the internet, in all honesty, I'd rather peruse Ebay than write. Extremely lazy and not very good for the old bank balance. But, with college looming, I probably ought to start putting more effort into this blog.

My issue is that I'm very critical of myself and my opinions. I never want to put anything negative out there, I don't see the point, but I worry what I write about is too enthusiastic and maybe comes across as being a bit gushy? I don't know. But I feel like everything I write is a bit 'omgthisisamazingyouallneedtolistentoitnow' and I can't quite get past that mental block. I think it's a fear of not being good at something I've wanted to do for quite a while.

However, with college starting up soon (16th September to be precise) I should probably put myself out there a bit more via social media websites. I need to have some sort of presence in order to make an impact and whilst I remain unemployed by any form of newspaper or magazine, the internet is my only option. I've been playing with the layout a little bit and I've attempted to make it look a bit more professional and less Blogger default layout with tweaked colour scheme.

So, my plan is to try and get at least one post written and put out there per week. It might not seem like a lot, but I work five evenings a week and I'm also extremely lazy, so little and often is going to become key. I have little lists of things I could write about, albums and songs and various other bits and bobs, it's just gathering the motivation to write about it and push all self criticisms aside.

Ultimatum

Simon Kernick is without a doubt becoming one of my favourite authors. 'Ultimatum' is his latest book and the fourth one I've read of his. I've enjoyed all previous reads, so I was bound to rave about how great this one was, and it really was.

Set just over a year after the siege at the Stanhope Hotel which is the central storyline of 'Siege', 'Ultimatum' starts with a terrorist attack at a coffee shop. A man is given a rucksack containing a bomb and instructed to go to this specific coffee shop for a specific time. The bomb detonating is the beginning of a chain of complicated events.

As with all Kernick's novels, each chapter is told from a different viewpoint. We're back with police officers Tina Boyd and Mike Bolt, the mysterious Richard Burnham-Jones (the only chapters told from a first person perspective), and terrorist Fox (yes, I squealed a little when his character was introduced once more).

'Ultimatum' is told within the space of one day. A fact I temporarily forgot about halfway through. There's so much that happens in such a short space of time, you wonder how it can all happen in less than twenty four hours. The first bomb attack happens in the first chapter, followed by Tina and Mike chasing after various suspects on more than one occasion, plenty of gun fights, dodgy deals, undercover operations and near death experiences. The suspense is racked up even higher. Kernick has created a very well mapped out story, with loads of unexpected twists. That's the beauty of his novels, you never truly know how it's all going to end.

'Ultimatum' ends, I wouldn't say 'happily', but it's hopeful for Tina and Mike. There is of course a lead that could mean the story continues at some point, but it isn't left open like a gaping hole. I would like to see something continue on from this story. I think there's a lot of potential to create even more destruction in a different way.

I started reading Kernick's novels with 'Siege' at the beginning of the year. That is still probably my favourite so far. His novels make you think, and keep your attention. Reading these books has even made me want to start writing stories again myself, something I've not done for ages now.

If by any chance you are following my blog, Google Friend Connect will be a thing of the past as of tomorrow, so I've skipped over to Bloglovin.

My Festival Experience: Download 2013

I've been very bad at keeping this blog afloat, but I'm going to jump back into it and hopefully post a bit more often. Since I got back from Download, I've been wanting to post about it, but have taken to being extremely lazy.

So, here we are, two weeks after it all and I'm still wishing I was back there. Admittedly, I wasn't too keen on the thought of camping, not having a shower, not washing my hair and those toilets. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it might be.

After a bit of a sludgy start on Thursday (we had to drag our wheelie soft cases through proper sludge, not the easiest task) Friday was the day I was most excited about. We trekked to the arena to catch Architects in the early afternoon. I don't think we saw any of the bands being spectacularly awful, obviously some were better than others and quite often we found ourselves catching bits of bands we weren't that fussed about whilst waiting for someone else. On Friday, we also saw Papa Roach, We Are The Ocean's acoustic set, Bullet For My Valentine and Slipknot (in the lovely rain). We did catch bits of Asking Alexandria and Korn whilst waiting to go somewhere else. Other than the stages, there's not much for entertainment in the arena itself. There are shops and stalls to look around, and it kills a bit of time wandering around those, but once you've been around once, you don't really need to do it again. The undercover sections were swarmed when the weather was bad, so my Primark rain coat got aired out a lot! Slipknot were incredibleeee, I could ramble on about it for ages, it was just brilliant.

Saturday was a bit better, weather wise. Although the horizontal rain halfway through the day really wasn't welcomed. This was the day I was probably least excited about, but we were in the arena really early to catch Young Guns (who had some super dodgy song choices...), Escape The Fate (more than likely all pissed as a fart), endured the horizontal rain, filled a lot of time between bands by trekking around (the calories I burned that weekend, honestly...) we managed to catch some snippets of Lit and Thunder whilst waiting for other bands. Jimmy Eat World were my highlight of the day, hands down. Following on from their perfect set came Enter Shikari. I'm by far not their biggest fan, but figured we'd wait around and see what we'd eventually miss out on due to my sister wanting to catch The Hives later on. After about four songs I got very fed up and we made our way over to the Pepsi Max tent to see The Hives. They were a complete surprise and I really enjoyed their set. I knew more songs than I initially thought as well.

Sunday was a very good day indeed. Due to not wanting to see Stone Sour till 4, we wandered around The Village and had a look in a few of the shops and stalls there for a while. The Village is the bit that connects the campsites to the arenas, the general entrance to everything Download Festival. There's shops and stalls, rides and lots of food places. My kinda place really. The walk to the arena feels like it takes forever, so we set off earlier than planned and strolled along. Because it was finally decent, dry weather, we sat on the grass and basked in the screaming of Five Finger Death Punch. Then Parkway Drive. Paid £5 for some curly fries. But Stone Sour were wonderful. The Gaslight Anthem were brilliant sounding, but it wasn't showy enough for a main stage performance in my eyes. It was lacking a bit of something. They did sound really good though and I do still love them. 30 Seconds to Mars were okay... It kind of felt like the Jared Leto Show at times, all a bit self indulgent, playing vague album tracks instead of the singles everyone wants to hear. Ending on 'Kings and Queens' kept me won over enough to buy tickets for their UK tour. Unfortunately for me, there was one clash with A Day To Remember and 30 Seconds to Mars and part of me wishes I'd seen the former now. Limp Bizkit closed the weekend for us. They were surprisingly brilliant. I loved it.

Also managed to catch Rammestein setting each other on fire which freaked me out no end.

Overall, I enjoyed the whole weekend. Sunday night, we found out someone had rifled through our tent. Fortunately, we had all money and valuables with us so there wasn't anything to steal and nothing was taken. Despite that, it was really good. I was exhausted and in desperate need to wash my hair when we got back. Would I go again? Already hoping 2014 has a decent line up.

Fall Out Boy - 'Save Rock and Roll'

Expect some gushing because these guys have been one of my favourite bands since I was fourteen.

Very late to the review party, but I don't have much else to talk about and I'm using the old excuse of I'm extremely lazy and have been ridiculously busy these past few weeks. Writing has most definitely been kicked to the wayside. But, I've been meaning to write about this album since I heard the stream back in April, so here we go.

'Save Rock and Roll' has been one of my most anticipated albums of the first half of 2013. Fall Out Boy have always been one of 'those' bands for me, it doesn't matter what they do, how they change, I will always love it. And this album was no exception. When I first heard 'My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark' on the radio, I'm not going to lie, I was a bit unsure about it. It was when 'The Phoenix' was released that I thought the new album couldn't be all bad.

A lot of critics claim 'Folie a Deux' was a low point for Fall Out Boy. Personally, I didn't see many problems with that album. It wasn't as playable as previous efforts. (Of course nothing ever is going to beat 'From Under The Cork Tree') but I'm bias, as I've mentioned.

Fall Out Boy recruited an array of guests on the album. Courtney Love and Elton John are the most notable. I hadn't heard of Big Sean or Foxes (but have since discovered a love for the latter) I was pleasantly surprised with the guest songs. 'Just One Yesterday' and 'Save Rock and Roll' are definitely two of my favourite songs. Other highlights are 'Alone Together' and 'Miss Missing You'.

Overall, I really like this album. Fall Out Boy managed to pull off a spectacular comeback, complete with a well crafted album, filled with clever lyrics and a very interesting but likeable sound. I would recommend 'Save Rock and Roll', even my dad is into it!

Wrong Time, Wrong Place

Do not read this book on the bus. Just, don't.

Simon Kernick is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. It's a different genre for me, something new and not what I usually read at all. Although, it's fast becoming the sort of story I look for on the Kindle store and in the library.

'Wrong Time, Wrong Place' is the short story of an Albanian girl, shackled to a wall in a dungeon like cell. She's used as a sex slave, and she doesn't know why. Her friend in a neighbouring cell has disappeared and she knows that her friend is dead. So, there's only one option, she has to escape.

A group of friends have been hiking in the middle of nowhere, staying in a log cabin with no phone reception and only one car as a getaway. The runs into the hands of the group and is taken under the wing of Ashleigh. Cue many arguments about where the girl came from, why she's so battered and bruised and why she was running away. The group of friends consists of two couples, Ashleigh and Nick who represent the curious and the sympathetic then the set in their ways, missing their luxurious lives, Guy and Tracy.

Ashleigh's character is the one you can identify with. The girl can't speak any English and she's willing to look after her, take her to the nearest hospital and protect her from whatever she was running from. But when the survival instinct kicks in, lots of sacrifices are made. In some places, it's a difficult read, but the pace and the sheer terror will keep you going till the end.

With Kernick's stories, there's some brutal murders, blood, guts and gore, shocking and spooky twists and the ending that will leave you wanting to hear what happens next.

For such a short story, it's brilliant. Suspense is racked up even higher, with less time between events.

The Crash

 I've mentioned before how emotionally invested I get myself into books and television programmes. I've found myself getting attached to characters I've created myself in the past too. It's normal, right? Maybe. But when it's a story of this emotional intensity, I think it's a natural reaction to be crying by the end credits.

'The Crash' shouldn't have appealed to me. I shy away from things I know will upset me at certain times. But, something made me want to watch this two part drama.

The story revolves around a group of friends, their ages aren't ever specified but at a guess I'd say they're all around the eighteen-nineteen mark. Main character, Kate (Sacha Parkinson) has returned home from university for Christmas. Instead of a romantic reunion with boyfriend, Tom (Lewis Rainer) the couple are dragged out to the pub by their friends. The scenes flip between two cars. The first driven by Tom, the second driven by Ethan (James Burrows). This is the most intense section of the whole programme. As a viewer, we know what's coming, but it's waiting for that one tiny misjudgement that causes it. Immediately after the crash, we're shot six months into the past.

The flashback scenes are told before, during and after the school prom. You see how the group interact with each other, how their friendships and relationships develop and decisions about the future are formed. They talk about how they wouldn't want to be without one another (Kate's move to university sparks this off) and it's upsetting because you've already seen what happens in the future, but so many things are still uncertain. 

In that first episode, the bit that really got to me was seeing how the teens parents reacted. Rachel's (Georgia Henshaw) parents run across a field towards the crash site. And Kate's parents drive over in their car. There's arguments with police and paramedics and it's so desperate and agonised. Of course by the end of the first episode, viewers will have learned of two fatalities, one is very obvious, the other is a huge surprise at the end. And we are left wondering who will survive the second episode.

The second episode is immediately after the crash, keeping up the intensity. It's quite fast paced at first. Parents are making their way to the hospitals their children have been sent to. The first ten minutes are heartbreaking. I don't want to give absolutely everything away, but it made me cry. We learn of everyone else's fate, death or survival and how the parents react to the outcome. In particular I found Tom's section of the episode extremely upsetting. Again, without giving too much away, there's a lot of tension between him and his mother towards the end. It's interesting to see how family life plays out after such a horrific accident, even more so when Ethan and Tom face trial to see if the crash was an accident or if they'll go to prison for causing death by dangerous driving. The group's dynamics change dramatically throughout the episode, and Rachel in particular goes through such a transformation. 

The ending is very poignant. The survivors head to the crash site for the first time in months. A few choice words are had, but things are resolved as a group of school friends turn up brandishing red balloons to let off into the sky. Now, I was crying at this point! The end scenes don't include much dialogue, if any at all, but it's so emotionally charged, it can still move even the stoniest of hearts. 

'The Crash' really does make you think twice. The story is a true one. Car crashes do kill a lot of young people every year, but the point of this two part drama wasn't to highlight boy racers or young people being reckless. Tom's character makes one misjudgement and it costs lives. The other characters aren't distracting the drivers, no one is drinking or doing drugs. It is simply a mistake, one accident that changes everyone's lives forever. And I think that's the biggest impact. Accidents can happen by being reckless, of course they can, but the point of this wasn't to bathe young drivers in a bad light, it was to simply highlight the risks and cause awareness. 

If you haven't watched The Crash, but want to (have tissues at the ready) you can on the BBC3 website.

Bullet For My Valentine: Temper Temper tour, 15/03/13, Manchester Apollo

Some would say Bullet For My Valentine have taken a step back. 2010 saw them release third album 'Fever' and subsequently embark upon the arena tour that followed. Fast forward three turbulent years and they're back at the Apollo in support of 'Temper Temper'. A smaller venue than the MEN Arena maybe, but the show feels even bigger.

Support tonight comes in the form of special guests Halestorm. Given a very tight half an hour slot, Lzzy and co. rush through a six song set. It's undeniable that Lzzy Hale is a phenomenal front woman. She has the crowd eating from the palm of her hand the moment she strides onto the stage for opener 'Love Bites (So Do I)'. Halestorm's mix of bitterness and anger is a nice taster of what's coming tonight. It's album track 'Rock Show' that gets some of the loudest screams and has the entire room clapping along. The set feels somewhat rushed, to see Halestorm in all their glory it's probably best you go to a headline gig, but nevertheless, they get everyone warmed up nicely.

Half an hour is all it takes for the Bullet For My Valentine guys to grace the Apollo with their presence. A dramatic opening to Queen's 'We Will Rock You' and 'O Fortuna' in the dark, before the band are lit up in green for 'Breaking Point'. Fourth album 'Temper Temper' has had mixed reviews. Die hard fans love it, fair weather fans are on the fence. It's raw and angry, Matt Tuck changed the writing process of this album to suit the bands rocky circumstances. Despite the anger in the lyrics, the band are clearly a united front tonight.

The set list is a showcase of Bullet's greatest hits. Power ballads from past albums are left by the wayside in favour of the angry, hate fueled screams of relationship breakdowns. It's when the band disappear and the crowd are left in the dark to listen to the haunting sounds of the Apocolyptica intro from 'The Poison'. A strange choice to put such a build up halfway through, but it feels appropriate. They gently touch upon the debut and follow up 'Scream Aim Fire' opting to slot in newer album tracks. 'The Last Fight' see's Matt Tuck stand alone, stripped back for the first half. And new song 'Dirty Little Secret' entices Lzzy Hale out for a duet.

Bullet For My Valentine are the heavy weights in British rock music. 'Temper Temper' is cleverly written, changing the sound of Bullet forever. The choice to write autobiographically came from the internal problems the band were having. It should be awkward for the four of them to perform them on stage, but it isn't. Matt Tuck is cocky in a likeable way, a decent front man, engaging with the crowd. Years of practice for him have definitely paid off.

There's no encore tonight. It's song after song with shots of banter in between. They say they're ending with 'Tears Don't Fall' - the original, not the part two version that was a surprise track title on 'Temper Temper'. Chants of 'bullet, bullet' and 'we want more' before the grand finale, 'Begging For Mercy'. A fitting end to what has been a very angry set list. The band disappear and come back to throw guitar picks and drum sticks into the crowd. It's like they never wanted to leave, and truth be told, neither did we.

The Following

 2013 is the year when I try some new things. Due to my scare easy nature, I tend to shy away from horror and thriller books, films, television programmes. Since I read 'Siege' (review below) I've gotten an insight into that thriller genre, and have decided that I want to dip into it a bit more. So, what better way to do it than with America's latest series?

'The Following' is the story of serial killer slash literature lecturer, Joe Carroll (an extremely creepy James Purefoy) and his legion of 'followers'. Carroll was imprisoned in 2003 by FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) after murdering fourteen young women. He is obsessed with Edgar Allen Poe and his writing is often used as a theme throughout each episode, quotes appearing on walls in blood etc. In the first episode, we see Carroll make his great escape from prison, and find out who his first few followers are as the FBI put him back behind bars once more.

Each episode is told through present day events and past ones. The relationship between Joe Carroll and Ryan Hardy (they were once friends, funnily enough), and between Hardy and Carroll's ex wife, Claire Matthews. Flashbacks show how each follower came to meet Joe, why they were so keen to join his cult of oddballs and what they were willing to do to show their loyalty. The struggle of the FBI becomes more prominent as each episode progresses. There's plenty of twists and turns to keep viewers clinging on until the end.

That's been the beauty of this series so far. Not one point is boring. The intensity is wound up to fever pitch, silences build up suspense and sometimes it's unbearable to watch. There are some twists that are very unexpected, followers creep up on the public and the FBI from absolutely everywhere, and I mean, everywhere. Despite the often gory violence (eye gauging, finger breaking, grisly suicides to name a few) it is an enjoyable watch. With most television programmes there is that element of ridiculousness. Joe Carroll killed fourteen women, yet he was allowed internet access in prison? Hmm doubt that would happen in reality. If we ignore the loopholes, the writing is incredible. Each character is flawed in some way, no one is clean cut and perfect, and the flashbacks really show the history of the characters and how they came to be who they are in the present. The story itself is intriguing and original, which is something that is becoming difficult to come by these days. 

I think the UK are on around episode seven now, but with last week's absolute bombshell of an episode, there's no clue as to what's coming next. The series ends at episode fifteen, but has been commissioned for another series. So, who knows if Joe Carroll's followers will ever be stopped and brought to justice? I guess, we'll have to watch to find out.

The Following is on Sky Atlantic on Tuesday's at 10pm, but if you're super behind, you could probably catch up on Sky or alternatively use one of those virus riddled websites.

Mini Shopaholic

I'm never one to be guilty about things I read/listen/watch. I've always been quite open to trying different genres of things, but the fact I read a lot of 'chick lit' books isn't something I spread around. Not through shame, but through the fact that during my time at university, these weren't on reading lists and I don't think my lecturers considered them worth reading.

However, after 'The Hunger Games' ruined reading for me, I had to find something else to read that would be satisfying, fun and a bit lighter. I've always liked Sophie Kinsella's novels, the main characters aren't flimsy and have a bit more to them, more independent with high flying jobs. I started reading the Shopaholic series last summer, and I instantly enjoyed it. Of course, with every series, there are weak links, some of the books I found to be dull and others were more exciting, but I was determined to see it through to the end.

'Mini Shopaholic' is set two years after the previous book, 'Shopaholic and Baby'. Becky and Luke are having to live with Becky's parents in Oxshott, rather than their dream family home in Maida Vale. Their daughter, Minnie, is a two year old terror and as a financial crisis takes hold of the country, the family are forced to face a few truths.

At the start, I quite liked this book. I've always liked Becky's character throughout the series. Her justification for making extravagant purchases is often really funny, and the way she acts very over dramatic is entertaining to read. What I did like about her character is that she wasn't a damsel in distress, she's always had a decent job and never needed any form of 'saving'. In this book, I think she loses some of that. Kinsella writes her as being very dependent on Luke (who, isn't a likeable character at all). There's a lot of pining after him in this novel, and it's off putting and boring to read.

I ploughed on through, and despite a massive dip in the middle of the story, things are picked up towards the end. Becky decides to plan a surprise party for Luke's birthday and attempts to make it thrifty and not spend any money at all. An impossible task, yes, but it's not so impossible when an old character walks back into the story to shake things up a little. There's a slight twist, it's not jaw droppingly shocking, but it is quite a nice one that'll have long time fans going 'aww'. The ending was open ended, although I hope Kinsella will leave it at that. I do believe this series has come to a natural end and anymore would just be pushing it.

Overall, a decent read. Probably better if you read the previous books in the series first. It's definitely not the best in the series. With a lull that carries on for several chapters, I found it difficult to get through sometimes and it wasn't as engaging as other books. Highlights include Nanny Sue and her input into Becky's family life, and old characters Danny, Suze and Tarkie having their own little parts. A decent read, but not one I'd recommend to all.

Don Broco, 27/02/2013, Sheffield Corporation

Tonight's show is a sell out. The main room at the Corporation is packed out, fans push and shove their way to the front, to be involved in the centre of it all. It's just another night of the tour for Don Broco, another sold out gig, another night to showcase their incredible talent, and another reason why they've shot into the stratosphere.

Support tonight comes in the form of up and coming band, Mallory Knox. They manage to get the crowd warmed up nicely, although with their album only been out for a few weeks, sing a longs are in short supply until closer (and debut single) 'Lighthouse' is given an airing. Even those at the back are on their feet, singing the lyrics back with gusto.

Twenty minutes and a scream a long to You Me At Six's 'Underdog' later, Don Broco bounce onto the stage. It's clear within the first ten seconds that tonight is going to be an energetic one. Opener 'Priorities' sets the tone nicely, front man, Rob Damiani struts around the stage, commanding the crowd into circle pits and walls of death throughout.

There's a lull halfway through when old songs from EP's of long ago are dragged out, and only the die hard fans really care. It's during one of these songs that Damiani asks the 'proper boys of Sheffield' to get down on the dirty floor and do as many press ups as they can. Those at the front are only happy to oblige. There's circle pits galore to 'Actors' and 'Whole Truth', songs from debut album 'Priorities' go down a storm.

This is the thing about Don Broco, they've been around for years, but it wasn't until they started to get more radio play, press coverage and slots at festivals such as Reading and Leeds, Hit The Deck and Download that they started rising in popularity. This whole tour has been a sell out, albeit, not in mere minutes or seconds, but it's been a gradual process. You can see tonight why it's a sell out. Every song is flawless, Damiani's voice is just as good live and the band seem to genuinely have fun, doing small dance routines and never staying still for a second.

Drenched in sweat, Damiani leads a boys vs girls sing a long through slower song, 'Yeah Man', in which everyone gets involved, before announcing the next song would be their last. The fans boo, starting a 'we want more' chant. The band look bowled over, before Damiani grins 'we can't finish yet anyway, we've not done 'Hold On', and proceeds to launch into their biggest single, the one that has had plays on Kerrang! radio and TV. Closing song 'Fancy Dress' creates a frenzy, with the finale a huge wall of death.

It's clear tonight that Don Broco are definitely one of the best up and coming bands in the UK. Their live show is simple, four guys doing what they love. They've got the energy and the charisma to make the fans want to join in and be a part of the show. Rob Damiani is a very good front man, confident enough to tell stories and have fun with everyone on and off stage. They're a breath of fresh air, and I have a feeling good things are on the horizon for Don Broco.

Beautiful Creatures

'Beautiful Creatures' could be easily cast aside as the new 'Twilight'/'The Hunger Games'/'Vampire Diaries' etc. But, don't dismiss it just yet. Supernatural and fantasy based, it is, but cringy, complicated and gloomy it is not.

The story is told from alternating viewpoints. The first is high school senior, Ethan Wate (Alden Ehrenreich) who can't wait to escape the small town he's grown up in. The second is the mysterious new girl, Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert) who has just moved in with her uncle, the feared, Macon Ravenwood (Jeremy Irons). Setting the story in a small town in South Carolina allowed the writers to create a bitchy group of girls, driven by their parents strong religious views, to bring out Lena's darker side.

Of course, with any supernatural tale, a mortal human will fall in love with a supernatural being. Ethan falls for Lena, despite the fact that she's waiting for her sixteenth birthday to see if she will be claimed for the light or the dark. Lena is a 'castor' (nicer term for a witch, as they say in the film) and her powers will either be for good or for bad. Uncle Macon is trying to steer her towards the light, despite a family curse that runs extremely close to home.

I found 'Beautiful Creatures' to be a far superior story to predecessors within this genre. Lena is angsty, dark in physical appearance and rarely smiles throughout the film. She could be compared to Kristen Stewart in the 'Twilight' series or Nina Dobrev in 'The Vampire Diaries', but I found her character to be much more intriguing. She tries her best to believe she is good and not give into her darker side. She has a past, history with her mother and cousin (both claimed for the dark themselves) and is torn between resisting or allowing herself to go the same way. Her relationship with Ethan is sweet rather than sickly, and isn't so intense that viewers will find themselves rolling their eyes or groaning in dismay.

Overall, the film is a very likable watch. I hadn't read the book prior to seeing it, so I had no mental images of how characters/settings should look like. I do however have the book on my Kindle and do plan to read it and the rest of the series. The characters were much more entertaining, with a slight injection of comedy in places, which sets it apart from other series in this genre. Of course, the story does dip in the middle as Ethan and Lena's relationship takes form, but it is soon picked back up by the introduction of Lena's cousin Ridley (Emmy Rossum), who was claimed for the dark on her sixteenth birthday.

I did enjoy it. The younger actors are relatively unknown, which I prefer in these kinds of films. It stops viewers like myself comparing them to other roles they may have been in. A personal highlight was the introduction of Ridley, that is definitely when things are really shaken up. I would like it if the series was continued, but the ending was satisfying enough so that if another film wasn't made, viewers would still be content with the ending.

Mark Tremonti, 17/02/2013, Manchester HMV Ritz

Tonight the HMV Ritz in Manchester is packed. Floor and balcony are awash with a sea of Tremonti and Alter Bridge t-shirts. The atmosphere is quite calm, the result of an older, more mature fan base. Most of these people have been here before and will no doubt be back again.

Support tonight comes in the form of Heaven's Basement. They take to the stage ten minutes late and don't create much of a riot. Songs off the long awaited, debut album don't go down so well, and it takes a lot of jumping around, shouting and swearing for even the die hard fans at the front to move.

It isn't long before the lights go down and Tremonti strides into the green spotlights. Opener 'Leave it Alone' sets the tone for tonight. Tremonti's solo album, 'All I Was' is an angrier effort to previous works with both Creed and Alter Bridge. Some songs sound very Alter Bridge, the guitar riffs and solos are typical of the heavier songs that come from albums such as 'Blackbird and 'AB III', but 'All I Was' lacks in vocal ability.

Mark Tremonti is a good guitarist, there is no denying that. His technique is flawless, guitar fans the world over have snapped up his signature guitars. Every song is performed perfectly, matching the recorded version. Of course, his vocal ability isn't as good as that of Myles Kennedy, but for once, Tremonti isn't in the shadow of the front men he is used to playing with. It must be daunting to be thrust into centre stage, suddenly having to command a crowd, demand circle pits and clap-a-longs, but after a slightly awkward entrance, Tremonti takes to his new found role as front man of his band.

'All I Was' is an album filled with bitterness, betrayal and being hurt by the ones you once loved. It's nothing new or different, but it's still good. He has a following of extremely loyal fans, who sing the lyrics back at the risk of bursting a lung. Album tracks go down a storm, the emotional 'Proof' brings proceedings to a slight halt, only to be picked straight back up again with 'Decay'. Crowd pleaser power ballad 'New Way Out' has everyone singing along, and debut single 'You Waste Your Time' makes the floorboards shiver. It isn't until 'Wish You Well' that Tremonti demands 'a huge fucking mosh pit' and fans at the front oblige, creating a pit of head banging and hair swishing.

By the encore, Mark Tremonti looks like a very happy man. It isn't the first time he's played a venue of this size, of course he's played arenas with Alter Bridge, but this is all his own for the first time. A rejected B side is brought out for the encore, closing with the hate fuelled 'Brains'. Tonight has been a success. As the man who has walked in the shadow of Myles Kennedy and Scott Stapp for a number of years has finally come into his own, gained a legion of dedicated fans and will no doubt go on to continue doing what he does best. Will another album be on the cards? Maybe. AB 4 is due out at some point in 2013, but if Myles Kennedy abandons Alter Bridge in favour of Slash again, I'm pretty sure Mark Tremonti will be just fine.

Siege

Admittedly, 'Siege' isn't a book I would usually pick up. It was for a want of trying something different that made me purchase it for my Kindle.

As a girl that spent a lot of time reading young adult fiction (John Green, David Levithan) or 'chick-lit' novels (Sophie Kinsella), I wanted to get out of that cushy comfort zone and try something new. I've never been that brave and often find myself steering clear of action orientated novels, with lots of violence and gore. Fortunately, 'Siege' wasn't like that at all and has opened a whole new world of fiction that I plan to jump into. (Albeit after some light relief with a Sophie Kinsella novel...)

Simon Kernick is often referred to as 'the master of suspense' and I couldn't agree more. With short chapters, each from the viewpoint of a different character, Kernick manages to keep the pace up throughout the novel. There isn't a moment where it drags. Of course readers will find themselves preferring some characters to others. In particular, I found the chapters following terrorist, Fox, a lot more interesting than that of the cancer stricken hotel guest, Martin. Although, I find it depends on the events and what we find out about each character that makes them interesting overall.

The novel begins with the kidnap of two children, setting the scene for an explosive twenty four hours in which the terrorists create decoys, before finally taking hold of the Stanhope Hotel in London. For many of the characters it's a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The terrorists seem like ruthless killers at the beginning of their attack, but after a while when the cracks begin to show, that's when things get really interesting.

There are plenty of twists and turns, some unexpected, and remember the very first chapter, because those events do come back to affect one of the characters introduced as the siege takes place. The last ten chapters or so really will make you want to finish the book in quick time. Kernick has a wonderful way of building the suspense, creating characters that intertwine and dealing with such a big event in an intricate, detailed way. It's clear he has done a hell of a lot of research into the police, negotiations, terrorism, weapons and bombs.

Overall, an intriguing novel, one I would recommend to absolutely everyone. It isn't so squeamish or vulgar that it'd make the faint hearted feel sick. Of course there is violence and some gory bits, often it seems Kernick is writing it in such a casual way that makes it even more shocking, but he sets the tone for the terrorists perfectly, creating angry, cold blooded killers in most of them. The introduction of Tina Boyd was a surprise for regular readers, as I've since found out she's a reoccurring character in Kernick's novels.

A detailed, thought provoking story, where readers will be excited until the last page.