The Mirrored album is a bit of a let down and sonicaly a bit clinical for my tastes but live they are mind-blowing!

I've seen them twice and the second time I can't remember a time that I'd seen a band get such a reaction. Sold out show, kids totally losing it, glowsticks being tossed around like its a rave and the sound of that bass during Race:Out! Stanier bashing away like a futuristic Shaman, Ian being... Ian.

Slight waffle factor for outsourcing to the Echoplex a bit much and often dancing around to cover up the fact not much is actually being played at that point. The guitarist, Dave was also appeared high as fuck on one of those 'Behind the Music' type drugs, which may lead to musical impotence, but for now definitely Not Crap!

EDIT: ok i used to not like this band, now i think they're ok, mostly because of stainer...

BClark wrote:battles....

hey, annoying vocalist with an annoying voice, it's time to shut the fuck up.

"i hear sound fx are, like, in these days. must be a new-wave-revival thing. let's zoom in on our echoplex during the video."

CRAP. and that song "tonto" is just plain boring. sometimes you just have to ask "ok, where is this song going? enough prog-rock-ish meandering already"

high WF for stainer being in the band. he "makes" the band, no two ways about it. screw the annoying vocalist and bounce-dancing bass player. but tomahawk > battles, helmet > battles.

I'm sorry, but the riff at (approx) 3.25 of Tonto kills me everytime, as well as the sleigh bells at the end.

As for the vocals, i'd rather hear Battles than say the nu-rave sounds of The Klaxons.

Awesome live band too.

I saw them twice, at the same venue.

EXACTLY the same experience, but without the novelty the second time. I have paid double for one memory!

Third time, I passed.

i've never heard them.

any good?

Was that the Band that opened up for shellac in London back in march or so? If so I liked their drummer.

watched them from afar at the pitchfork fest this summer and thought they were one of the few bands that translated well to the large stage. Listened to their newest record and found it boring and annoying, but figured the magic must be in the live show.

saw them headline with caribou opening a month or so back. Utter crap. Caribou blew them out of the water. I left after about 3 songs. So fucking annoying, and the sound was shit too. This is at the metro where the sound is shit anyway, but Caribou sounded worlds better, so I don't blame the venue.

They played Sao Paulo recently, show was very good, but the record definitely sounds clinical and lacks excitement in comparison. Stanier´s drums are at the front of the stage for a good reason, though, maybe it´s one of those things where the fact that such music is being actually performed live is more exciting than the music in its own right (hope that made sense).

Lords (the nottingham UK band) opened for shellac in March, and have an awesome drummer.. maybe you are thinking of them,



http://www.myspace.com/lords

they are not much like battles though.. who I vote crap on as one song in particular reminds me of sigue sigue sputnik.

I like Sigue Sigue Sputnik.