Amplifier- 'Amplifier' (SPV) Released 06/06/05

Amplifier are very much a product of their musical upbringings. They break away from the commercial rock that surrounds them, drawing influences from Led Zeppelin and The Who and producing a sound that has rarely been heard before. They created a massive buzz in 2004; when supporting a band in Manchester they pulled in more people than the headliner.

Think Muse, but a little darker, minus a high-pitched vocalist, and you get Amplifier. The opening of track ‘Airborne’, with its weird, spaced-out sounds, demonstrates this perfectly. The tracks aren’t just quick hits either. Most of the songs clock in at more than five minutes, allowing the sound to naturally evolve rather than to squeeze everything into a radio-friendly two and a half minutes.

Vocalist Sel Balamir, who also co-produced the album, has a lazy, hypnotic voice, which sounds a little like Brandon Boyd on Incubus. ‘On/Off’ is a wonderful example of how delicate his voice really is, complimented by backwards guitar loops. It then builds to a heavy climax, reminding the listener just how versatile Balamir is. Stand-out track is definitely single ‘The Consultancy’, with its distorted guitars and trance-like melodies. The riff will be stuck in your head for days.

Amplifier are very much a musician’s band, who will no doubt be able to analyse the songs to death, and fully appreciate the genius behind every track. Some people may find this album a little hard to listen to. With the songs being so lengthy and dramatic, it may take a few listens to get used to it. But it will be worth it.

This re-issue of the album comes with a bonus EP, which contains brand new tracks, as well as the music videos for ‘The Consultancy’ and ‘Neon’. If you haven’t discovered Amplifier before, now you don’t have an excuse.