Monsters In The Attic - Tales of the Worm Review
|
They Say :- This is definitely the band for you If you like your rock mixed with a handful of
Sham 69, a bit of B-Movie Horror, a dash of the 50s and fat-free gang vocals, all fired together with
a Cockney swagger. Inspired by performances from Living End, Gallows, Hellacopters and The Hives, the
Monsters settle for nothing less than a whirlwind knockout show that have audiences leaving with their
blood suede shoes still moving!
In the past they have been crowned by Metal Hammer for the demo of the month, top of Total Rock
accolades and have been featured and reviewed in various music mags. They are veterans to the London
scene playing at venues like the Camden Underworld & Mean Fiddler, which has helped them craft a
blisteringly monstrous live set.
|
If you were to go the Monsters In The Attic
MySpace page and listen to the tracks available there, you would think you had a pretty good
idea of what this London band were all about. Infectious, Roch'n'Roll infused, guitar driven songs
with loads of energy. Great stuff, go check it out. So, as they say themselves, a whirlwind knockout
show, a blisteringly monstrous live set....
But....
If you think you know what to expect, you're almost definitely wrong. When we first spun up this
4-track EP we were amazed by what came out the speakers. Instead of anything 'Whirlwind' or 'Blistering'
our ears were treated to four tracks of excellent, laid back acoustic bliss. These are stripped down,
simple things which show off a different side of the bands capabilities. Once you get over the
surprise you realise it's a very good release, and one well worth 15 minutes of anyone's time.
The EP opens with Church Sundae, which is arguably the simplest song on here and, although pleasant
enough, doesn't quite have the catch of the others. The second offering, Get To The Border,
more than makes up for this though and it even includes an instrument you may not entirely expect ;).
It's certainly a track that shows off the bands aptitude for life in this unfamiliar genre. The
remaining two tracks on the EP, Zombie Girl and Jules maintain this high standard to the end.
It's always nice when you hear something that pleasantly defies your expectations. But who,
exactly, are Monsters In The Attic, and why would they make such a radical change in musical
direction with Tales Of The Worm.
We caught up with guitarist Tom Walding to find out...
|
How would you describe your music ?
Hard Rock with a pinch of Roll
How did Monsters in the Attic get together ?
Errrrrr don’t have space to answer that. Pat (singer) found people to play in his band is the short
answer.
|
Having checked out the stuff you have on MySpace, to say the new EP came as a bit of a surprise was
an understatement, how did the idea for an acoustic EP come about ?
We were basically drummerless for a while and wanted to gig a lot more without the hassle of lugging
amps and drum kits around. The idea of acoustic sprung up. After a couple of sessions we looked at
each other and thought this ain’t too bad; lets try gigging it- so far so good.
You expecting a lot of people to be bemused by this ?
Those who know us or have heard about us will definitely be bemused. But the feedback we’ve got has
bemused us more. Its been great. Its also allowed more people to step into Monsters in the Attic
more easily shall we say.
How would you describe the 'theme' of the EP, it's not the usual acoustic ballad territory ?
Well there is a ‘theme’ but we don’t like to go too far into it. Take the title, look at the artwork
and listen to the tracks- I guarantee you’ll find the theme.
Is it a recent idea, or something you have had at the back of your minds for a while ?
To be honest when I sat at home with my acoustic I use to always wonder what our songs would sound
like in a different light. I would basically prat around with different styles like gypsy- jazz or
Spanish flamenco on the songs and jam around on the ones I liked or felt good. I can’t speak for the
other guys but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were trying it themselves as well secretly.
Do you see this release as a chance to show off a different side to your musical talents ?
I guess but I don’t feel that confident to ‘show off’. Its more to have the chance to get another
angle or going further into what the song is about. Music ability comes second really. If you got
more tools then great but don’t use them for the sake of using them.
There's a 'Tell Jules' on Be Lucky, and an acoustic version, so who's Jules then ?
We get asked this quite a bit. It wouldn’t be fair to go into it too much but Jules was a real
person who was seeing a mate of ours. The song is about that messy ordeal.
Are there plans to include these acoustic songs in your live set, or will your audience lynch
you ?
The first time we ever played we were expecting a lynching- we were real nervous about how people
would take it. Fortunately we had a really loving crowd that night. We learnt quickly that it was
best to keep the two things separate- its either an acoustic or an electric gig.
What have you got planned for the future ?
We are going on tour in November with Anonymous Tip around the UK for a wee bit then getting busy
on the second of the two EP releases. We’re working with the same producer for ‘Tales of the Worm’
but this time it will be electric. Looking forward to that one!
We'd like to thank Tom for taking the time to answer our questions, and we are looking forward to
catching the band on their upcoming tour.
|
