Usually I try to introduce the band in the beginning of review but in case of Alleyway I just put a quote from press release, because it can’t be better than this: “From the sewers of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Us metal group Alleyway have emerged, speed-crazed and piss-drunk with their fourth full length album After Dark.” Beautiful, isn’t it?
Alleyway was formed in 2012 (according to metal-archives.com), when Nick Moyle (vocal, guitar) and Dave Patterson (drums) decided to found a band to play simple and fast music that will fit to small bars and basement clubs. Later Andy Beam (bass), who played in some Doom Metal band, joined Alleyway and the trio started to work on music. The name was chosen by Nick: “I like the name Alleyway, because it sounds dirty and trashy, but it’s also like this dark place where if you think about it, a lot of films and stories have chosen alleyways for some pretty strange and creepy things to happen. There’s also a feeling of danger and mystery.” “When you think of an alleyway you think of the streets. We are just street trash rock ‘n’ roll alcoholics.” – adds Andy.
After Dark became a quite short album: ten songs last about half hour, but the shortness is more than compensated with the speed and vigor of the music – Heavy Rock-‘n’-roll in its best, with simple riffs, sharp solos, potent drums and mighty bass. The sound is quite dirty and it fits great to this music, drenched in beer and whiskey – this is the work of Adam Tucker from Signaturetone Recording. And Nick’s vocal is a harsh snarling, of course, while sometimes he don’t sing but just shouts out the words.
From the first song “Next Passenger X” the music gains tempo and doesn’t decreases it until the last one “Genesis In Rapture”. “All The Screams”, “After Dark” and “Snake Eyes” – they all sound dirty, fast and powerful. These songs will not allow you to stand still, for sure (as well as they will not leave even a drop of an alcohol in classes or bottles).
“Live Wild Now”, “Sousson-Pannan” and “Her Own World” sound more Punk, than heavy. And if the last one is a classic American Punk, then “Sousson-Pannan” goes Thrash in the middle, but soon goes back to its initial Punk-ish form.
And, you know what? That’s really good thing when musicians are aware what do they do and talk about it honestly. Alleyway didn’t invent something new in music, but they weren’t planning to. They just play quite simple and dirty Heavy Rock-‘n’-roll, which was already played by lots of bands before them and will be played after them. And it has enough energy to power up their hometown Oshkosh and maybe a couple of surrounding countryside houses. So get yourself your favorite alcohol and prepare to some furious headbanging: it will be impossible to stay unmoved.
After Dark will be released on October, 13 via Sliptrick Records.
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