| CD REVIEW Ceasars Rome |
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Band : Ceasars Rome Since its formation in 2007 this Welsh band’s line-up (singer/ guitarist Jonathan Hopkins, lead guitarist Kyle Smith, bassist Ashley Cocco and drummer Richard Berry) has remained the same. The bandmembers’ unilateral view on the music they wanna make (influences ranging from old Thrice, Jimmy Eat World and Brand New to Hot Water Musicmaking for a true “wall of sound” with catchy verses and anthemic choruses) and a strong friendship for each other, have made that so. The band’s breakthough from the Underground came, when they won XFM Radio’s Unsigned Artist Of The Week, which got them regular national plays. Soon after CR did a BBC Radio 1 Live Session, during which they recorded 4 songs, then followed an interview on Wales’ Bethany Elfyn Show…which led to national plays on the Huw Stevensshow. Along the way, CRhas developed a friendship bond with fellow Welshmen and major label band Funeral For A Friend, for whom CRhas played main support on several occasions. Other “names” in the music business CRhas played support to include InMe, Innerpartysystem, Twin Atlantic, and The Xcerts. The guys also gained endorsements from the likes of Fender, Aguilar, Orangeand Hiwatt. All this outside attention eventually led to the band starting recordings for their debut album on the first of December 2008 at Cardiff’s Long Wave Studio. There in the studio with them was the famed Romesh Dodangoda to record and produce the album (previous bands Romeshhas worked with include Manic Street Preachers, Kids In Glass Houses, Funeral For A Friend, The Blackout). Actually, the producer had begun his work with the band from before they started writing music for the album, because he believed in those songs the band had already on their slate at an early stage. That the album then took so long to be released, is due to the fact that Hopkins(hey, some trivia: he’s a nephew of former Welsh and British Lions Rugby International star Chico Hopkins) then fell sick to the point that he couldn’t even sing, and as a result recordings had to be postponed to early 2009. Then the IRS came down on the band for some reason, and before all the paperwork between German label Superball(who’d shown their interest in the band since late 2007) and the band was done, it was already July 2009 before the guys could return to the studio. Recordings done, mixing done, it was September before the band delivered their album to the label. Although there’s not really a red-line story, the album is conceptual in that the lyrics all stem from the central theme of the bandmembers’ “…evolution as friends, how moods and situations can change us and how we continue to develop the strong relationships with people that surround our lives…”. Stylistically, you might say the band plays a Post-Hardcore, very much in the style of old Thrice (still the band’s biggest influence). By the way, don’t ever use the term “Emo” when talking to the band about their music, because they feel it’s completely inappropriate! In order to giive the album some variety, and to prevent the listener from “having heard it all” after only 3 or 4 songs, the guys paid attention to incorporate a couple of overall calmer songs in the 10 song track-list, and I dó have to say, that tactic wórks! At Myspace.com/ceasarsrome, you can listen to 3 tracks off the album (charismatic album opener “Vegas & Its Nightlife”, the album’s ensuing track “High On The Nines”, and an early version of “Awake & Armed”, the album’s 3rd track). End conclusion? It’s amazing British press, who have a somewhat chauvinistic & nationalist habit of throwing themselves “en masse” on any band that’s somewhat special, apparently hasn’t gone beserk about CRyet. Maybe that’s just as well, because a lot of bands treated that way tend not to survive the exagerrated attention they suddenly get flooded with. As things are now, Ceasars Rome has a chance to develop further, become a steady constant in the Welsh and British scene…perhaps even slowly set foot on continental Europe, thanks to their German label!? Time will tell, only time will tell! 89/100 Tony. |