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Mason Hill – Mason Hill EP
Self-Released
Release Date – December 2015
Running Time: 18:02
Review by Beth Jones
9.5/10
Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, Mason Hill are, in my opinion, one of the most exciting new bands to hit the scene in a very long time. Their classic heavy rock style, combined with their talent and professionalism on stage give them the full package. Their debut EP is just a brief snippet of their skills and a very tasty bite of what is to come.
Showing off a range of their musical styles very succinctly, the four tracks on the EP develop through the chunky, toe tapping riffs of ‘Survive’ to the classic power Ballad of ‘Where I Belong’, visiting the influences of Country, AOR and classic heavy metal along the way. Their chunky riffs, driven bass, intricate guitar solos and tight drum fills give the EP a real pace and snap. But for me, the thing that makes it is the vocal range of Scott Taylor – this man has some pipes!!! Back that up with some great harmonies and it all comes together to form a very neat, but very exciting little package that definitely leaves you wanting more!
My feature track would have to be ‘Where I Belong’. This track for me is the classic ‘lighters in the air’ song that finishes off a gig perfectly and leaves you welling up with tears of joy. Starting acoustically with just Scott’s vocals and a beautiful guitar line provided by James Bird, the song floats into full band mode with a skillfully understated Rhythm section provided by Craig McFetridge on percussion and Matthew Ward on bass. It is lilting and melancholy and has the feel of a Pink Floyd epic of yesteryear, especially with the guitar solo, which I think would impress the great Mr Gilmour himself. The song gathers intensity throughout, building to its climax of defined rhythms, power vocals and twiddly solos working in perfect harmony and it is almost a shame when it finishes! Every time I listen to this track I notice something new. It makes me smile, it makes me cry, and it makes me want to listen to more – I simply cannot wait for the album and I will be first in the queue to buy it!
My only criticism, and the reason why the score is just off a perfect 10 is because the third track, ‘Now You See Me’ fades out at the end. This is one of my biggest bug bares in music – BOYS YOU ARE MORE TALENTED THAN THAT, THINK OF A WAY TO FINISH IT!!!! But seeing as this was one of their earliest recordings, and they are a new band, I will let them off for now – just don’t do it again!!!
That aside though, this is an exciting first EP from a very exciting young band. I am excited, and I am rarely excited by anything, so that is an achievement!
TRACKLISTING:
01. Survive
02. Your Memory
03. Now You See Me
04. Where I Belong
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Beth Jones and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of [user_login] and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.