A totem of the monstrous urbanisation and aspirations of youth - BOXZILLA the album!

Date published: 20/02/2006

Nouveau Retro is the new sound emerging from the local music scene. In essence a blend of the past masters of Brit Rock with the latest Indy pulse, the genre is  'Current yet Classic', and in the hands of Rochdale band, theH!gh, it is worked out as crafted songs, wrapped in subtle tones and performed with high energy and passion.

Formed in 2002 by Pete Maughan and Ryan Wilson whilst the pair were at college, theH!gh are solid live performers renowned on the Manchester music scene as a high energy band of real talent. To go to a gig with theH!gh on the bill is to be aurally assaulted, but it’s no snatch and grab, it is an exhilarating experience, to start in one place and be transported to a different plane entirely without the aid of magic mushrooms!

It was therefore, always going to be a real test to see if they could reproduce the same high energy sound and immersive experience in the studio and capture it on CD. It took many months, a few delays, and the odd obligatory rock n roll bust up before the definitive answer arrived in the shape of their debut album BOXZILLA!

The album is billed by management company Blah Blah Media as “a totem of the monstrous urbanisation and aspirations of youth”, but could it live up to their live performances, the expectations of their fans and the hyperbolic billing? We obtained a preview copy to find out.

Now I have to declare an interest here, I have been an ardent fan and follower of theH!gh since hearing them at the Rochdale Band Nite in summer 2005. The sound they produced had a raw intensity married to a polished delivery that belied their youth, I was (I am!) genuinely puzzled that they have not been picked up to be groomed by one of the major record labels. Declaration out of the way, hold tight or hang loose for an honest assessment of the debut album that is BOXZILLA!

There can be little doubt that the distinctive sound that is the essence of theH!gh has not been lost in the transformation from masters of the live performance to rookies in the studio, but with the expertise of manager, talented guitar player himself, Duncan Rigby, and former Civvy Street musician, Pete Troughton owner of Studio Studio where the album was produced, on hand it would be a surprise if it was otherwise.

The album begins with the band’s signature air raid siren before they quickly nail their colours to the mast and let rip with throbbing bass and electrifying guitars, underpinned by a rock steady beat over the top of which Wilson puts just the right amount of snarl into his vocals.

The mix of old and new works well. Influences from past masters that can be heard include such as The Doors, The Who, The Beatles, even Jefferson Airplane and Steppenwolf; from the modern era, Jet and a lot of Oasis in their Morning Glory days, though Wilson has a little less of the Gallagher snarl, which is no bad thing! However, to try and categorise theH!gh by comparison with other high profile bands is to do them an injustice, genuinely innovative they have carved out the niche that is Nouveau Retro and the album serves to firmly establish them as true pioneers of this nascent genre. It includes out and out rock and roll numbers such as The Box and Sister Solo intertwined with the subtle undertones of melancholy found on High Spirit Café – better known to locals as the legendary Drake Street café, the San Remo - and the brooding intricacy of East of Esher.

If there is one criticism, and it is nit-picking, it could be said that the production is perhaps a touch on the conservative side, sure the pulsing bass of Gaz Price and the stunning guitar technique of Maughan and Michael Gidley shines through, as do the vocals of Wilson, however for my own personal taste I would have preferred to hear the superb drums of Aaron Troughton further forward in the mix, in your face, driving the beat, but that really is a personal preference and in no way detracts from what is a superb debut album.

Should you buy it? I would say without doubt, but no need to take my word for it because theH!gh are no slouches with new technology either and you can find samples of BOXZILLA on the web site created specifically to accompany the launch of the album:  www.boxzilla.co.uk