SATELLITE
reviews
CLASSIC ROCK
April 2010
“If you’re familiar with PANIC ROOM's somewhat eclectic previous album ‘Visionary Position’,
you’ll be surprised by their new direction.
Here, they more or less invent a genre called ‘prog-pop-rock’ – or AOR with knobs on.
The quirky ‘I Am A Cat’ notwithstanding, there’s some glorious stuff on offer,
culminating with the sprawling power balladry of the title track.”
Geoff Barton – 'Classic Rock' Magazine
CLASSIC ROCK presents PROG
February 2010
“Satellite is another strong collection of songs, and while it may lack the novelty factor that enveloped many of the tracks on debut Visionary Position, repeated listens prove Satellite to be a more cohesive and direct set of songs.
Opener Freedom To Breathe, kicking off with a riff that is equal parts Bad Company’s Wild Fire Woman and The Monkees’ Last Train To Clarksville, soon finds it’s groove as guitarist Paul Davies’ effective guitar, which underpins the entire album, grabs a hold of the central riff and, combined with Anne-Marie Helder’s strong vocal, sets the tone for an album that rocks harder than the debut.
Picking Up Knives continues the theme and while initial listens to the frivolous I Am A Cat seems to jar, the listener soon warms to the song’s theme. Equally, the breathily seductive Sunshine proves Helder more than able to shift from rousing rocker to a vocalist of subtle grace with ease.
Yet it’s the more in-your-face numbers that really make Satellite as an album. Some having been previewed at the band’s gigs over the last year, it is these songs where they completely gel as a unit, whereas some of the softer tracks see keys and the rhythm section allowing the tune to find it’s own path.
Black Noise is, as the title implies, a stirring rocker that is both strident and majestic, Into The Fire a melodic delight. But they save the best for last. Dark Star and the title track must surely stand as the finest Panic Room have offered. The former boasting a wonderfully urgent keyboard riff from Jonathan Edwards and yet more impassioned singing from Helder, whilst the latter has all the epic qualities that made Elektra City and Apocalypstick stand out on the debut.
Now a stronger, more coherent unit, one can only hope that Satellite and PANIC ROOM themselves get the justice that they both truly deserve.”
Jerry Ewing – Editor, 'Classic Rock Presents Prog' Magazine
POWERPLAY
May 2010
“It’s been almost two years since we had the debut ‘Visionary Position’ from Panic Room and I remember being very impressed with that album, so can these guys and gal dispel all those myths and, dare I say it, cliché’s about ‘that second album’?
You bet they can.
Before I sat down to write this review I tried to summarise and put into just a few words how the music on this one made me feel. I gave up as the few words quickly gave way to sentences and then paragraphs so I thought ‘fluff it’, just do what I should have done in the first place.
I guess the thing I was looking for (and in no particular order) was more of the good strong songs we’d seen on ‘VP’. Check, they’re there. Excellent musicianship? Yep, another huge tick. Anne-Marie Helder’s excellent vocals – oh yes, a definite thumbs up. So far, so good, but is there any kind of musical progression from their debut?
We still have the variety of sounds which make it a very pleasurable listening experience; light, dark with the odd but of fun (‘I Am A Cat’) thrown in for good measure. Surprises? Maybe not as many as I’d have expected , but that aside, there is a huge sense of more space throughout this album. I like space when it’s space for the the music to find it’s own way on an album. You’d maybe not expect too many hooks in this sort of music to reel you in, but surprise, surprise, they’re also in there.
It’s not very often that I go all gooey over a particular track but there’s something about this album’s title track that just clicked with me. It could be the underlying guitar lick or the stunning guitar solo or the vocals or a combination of everything that makes up ‘Satellite’, but it’s a terrific song.
Panic Room have once again given us a stunningly good album. Probably not as busy as their debut album but, for my money, it’s all the better for it.
There’s not many bands that I’d say I have to see play live but this band is a definite. If they do get around to venturing north of the border as headliners, then I’ll be first in the queue to buy tickets.”
Allan Bannerman - PowerPlay
You bet they can.
Before I sat down to write this review I tried to summarise and put into just a few words how the music on this one made me feel. I gave up as the few words quickly gave way to sentences and then paragraphs so I thought ‘fluff it’, just do what I should have done in the first place.
I guess the thing I was looking for (and in no particular order) was more of the good strong songs we’d seen on ‘VP’. Check, they’re there. Excellent musicianship? Yep, another huge tick. Anne-Marie Helder’s excellent vocals – oh yes, a definite thumbs up. So far, so good, but is there any kind of musical progression from their debut?
We still have the variety of sounds which make it a very pleasurable listening experience; light, dark with the odd but of fun (‘I Am A Cat’) thrown in for good measure. Surprises? Maybe not as many as I’d have expected , but that aside, there is a huge sense of more space throughout this album. I like space when it’s space for the the music to find it’s own way on an album. You’d maybe not expect too many hooks in this sort of music to reel you in, but surprise, surprise, they’re also in there.
It’s not very often that I go all gooey over a particular track but there’s something about this album’s title track that just clicked with me. It could be the underlying guitar lick or the stunning guitar solo or the vocals or a combination of everything that makes up ‘Satellite’, but it’s a terrific song.
Panic Room have once again given us a stunningly good album. Probably not as busy as their debut album but, for my money, it’s all the better for it.
There’s not many bands that I’d say I have to see play live but this band is a definite. If they do get around to venturing north of the border as headliners, then I’ll be first in the queue to buy tickets.”
Allan Bannerman - PowerPlay
FIREWORKS
April 2010
“This is the second album from Panic Room, and it provides quite a contrast from their extremely diverse debut ‘Visionary Position’ (reviewed in Fireworks 32). On that occasion the term ‘progressive’ was entirely appropriate, given the experimental and lengthy nature of four of the eight tracks. This time around, the band (which, you will remember comprises four ex-members of Karnataka, plus bass player, Alun Vaughan) has demonstrated their ability to write an extraordinary set of really quite sophisticated songs, some of which have a slightly experimental or whimsical edge to them. I cannot really regard this as a ‘prog’ album per se; more properly it could, perhaps, be categorised as melodic pop/rock with occasional progressive tendencies.
Last time around few opportunities were presented for guitarist, Paul Davies to demonstrate his individual prowess, but instead he contributed very effectively to the layering and textures of sound that categorised the debut. He does the same here, but there are a number of occasions where he is able to stretch out and it’s always a delight to hear his passionate approach. Jonathan Edwards’ keyboards are once again a major foundation to the overall sound, feel and mood of each of the tracks, but time and time again I found myself full of admiration for the absolutely superb bass and drumming contributions from Alun Vaughan and Gavin John Griffiths. The crisp and precise production has brought a magical sonic quality to ‘Satellite’ and it’s baby brother (of which more anon).
With repeated listens to the album I found myself referring more and more tot the lyrics of each song. For me, it is the overall sound of an album that first draws me in, but here I have found the lyrical and musical elements to be totally intertwined; a quite remarkable quality here. Anne-Marie Helder’s vocals have come on in leaps and bounds and throughout ‘Satellite’ she gives formidable performances. On up-tempo opening song ‘Freedom To Breathe’ she absolutely oozes sensuality, while the slightly jazzy feel of ‘Picking Up Knives’, with it’s pointed social comment, leads to an appropriately different style that works a treat. It is here that the notable prominence of Gavin John Griffiths’ precise drumming can be heard. Some may be critical of this; for me the balance is absolutely fine. ‘I Am A Cat’ is where the whimsy creeps in, although I’m convinced the lyric is to some extent metaphorical. I love the loud purring at the end, by the way! ‘The Fall’ is a superb, passionate love song and includes some fine acoustic guitar. Anne-Marie’s performance here is so redolent of Kate Bush!
Most of the songs on the album are Edwards/Helder joint compositions, but ‘Black Noise’ is a song of despair by Helder and Vaughan – an urgent, guitar-driven number with keyboard fills and throbbing bass. ‘Yasuni’ is the only Davies co-write and is the most powerful and emotional song on ‘Satellite’. Anne-Marie producing a stunning vocal to highlight the destruction of a tropical forest in Ecuador that contains the planet’s greatest diversity of species. ‘Sunshine’ is by complete contrast a song of optimism, hope and wonder with partly whispered, breathy vocals. ‘Into The Fire’ is a lovely song that unfolds effortlessly about making the most of a relationship. ‘Dark Star’ is a moody, insistent and complex song that begins with bombastic organ and, unlike the preceding two songs, takes time to reveal it’s intricacies. ‘Muse’ is a short, gentle but haunting song featuring just piano and voice. Anne-Marie’s vocals here inject a slightly dreamy, celtic feel. The title track – the longest on the album – concludes ‘Satellite’. It’s rather meandering structure and complex sounds and textured layers have meant that it has taken time to absorb. It is, however, a tremendous song and do watch out for the huge chorus.
These eleven songs constitute the album as release on Voiceprint. However, there is also a special edition of the album that comes with an additional 4-track bonus disc (‘Little Satellite’) and a very nice 20 page art booklet that is exclusively available from the band direct at their website (www.panicroom.org.uk). There is no dip in quality amongst the four songs (‘5th Amendment’,’ The Great Divide’ (another Helder/Vaughan co-write), ‘Go’ and the jaunty keyboard-led ‘Sandstorms’) and cat-lovers amongst you should note that this bonus disc concludes with a longer version of the purring cat!
It’s a phenomenal second album and make sme wonder just what the members of Panic Room will have up their sleeves for us next time around. An essential purchase for everybody who likes quality melodic rock presented by a female voice and transcending precise genre categorisation.
Paul Jerome Smith – 'Fireworks' Magazine
Last time around few opportunities were presented for guitarist, Paul Davies to demonstrate his individual prowess, but instead he contributed very effectively to the layering and textures of sound that categorised the debut. He does the same here, but there are a number of occasions where he is able to stretch out and it’s always a delight to hear his passionate approach. Jonathan Edwards’ keyboards are once again a major foundation to the overall sound, feel and mood of each of the tracks, but time and time again I found myself full of admiration for the absolutely superb bass and drumming contributions from Alun Vaughan and Gavin John Griffiths. The crisp and precise production has brought a magical sonic quality to ‘Satellite’ and it’s baby brother (of which more anon).
With repeated listens to the album I found myself referring more and more tot the lyrics of each song. For me, it is the overall sound of an album that first draws me in, but here I have found the lyrical and musical elements to be totally intertwined; a quite remarkable quality here. Anne-Marie Helder’s vocals have come on in leaps and bounds and throughout ‘Satellite’ she gives formidable performances. On up-tempo opening song ‘Freedom To Breathe’ she absolutely oozes sensuality, while the slightly jazzy feel of ‘Picking Up Knives’, with it’s pointed social comment, leads to an appropriately different style that works a treat. It is here that the notable prominence of Gavin John Griffiths’ precise drumming can be heard. Some may be critical of this; for me the balance is absolutely fine. ‘I Am A Cat’ is where the whimsy creeps in, although I’m convinced the lyric is to some extent metaphorical. I love the loud purring at the end, by the way! ‘The Fall’ is a superb, passionate love song and includes some fine acoustic guitar. Anne-Marie’s performance here is so redolent of Kate Bush!
Most of the songs on the album are Edwards/Helder joint compositions, but ‘Black Noise’ is a song of despair by Helder and Vaughan – an urgent, guitar-driven number with keyboard fills and throbbing bass. ‘Yasuni’ is the only Davies co-write and is the most powerful and emotional song on ‘Satellite’. Anne-Marie producing a stunning vocal to highlight the destruction of a tropical forest in Ecuador that contains the planet’s greatest diversity of species. ‘Sunshine’ is by complete contrast a song of optimism, hope and wonder with partly whispered, breathy vocals. ‘Into The Fire’ is a lovely song that unfolds effortlessly about making the most of a relationship. ‘Dark Star’ is a moody, insistent and complex song that begins with bombastic organ and, unlike the preceding two songs, takes time to reveal it’s intricacies. ‘Muse’ is a short, gentle but haunting song featuring just piano and voice. Anne-Marie’s vocals here inject a slightly dreamy, celtic feel. The title track – the longest on the album – concludes ‘Satellite’. It’s rather meandering structure and complex sounds and textured layers have meant that it has taken time to absorb. It is, however, a tremendous song and do watch out for the huge chorus.
These eleven songs constitute the album as release on Voiceprint. However, there is also a special edition of the album that comes with an additional 4-track bonus disc (‘Little Satellite’) and a very nice 20 page art booklet that is exclusively available from the band direct at their website (www.panicroom.org.uk). There is no dip in quality amongst the four songs (‘5th Amendment’,’ The Great Divide’ (another Helder/Vaughan co-write), ‘Go’ and the jaunty keyboard-led ‘Sandstorms’) and cat-lovers amongst you should note that this bonus disc concludes with a longer version of the purring cat!
It’s a phenomenal second album and make sme wonder just what the members of Panic Room will have up their sleeves for us next time around. An essential purchase for everybody who likes quality melodic rock presented by a female voice and transcending precise genre categorisation.
Paul Jerome Smith – 'Fireworks' Magazine
R2 - ROCK'n'REEL
April 2010
“When we reviewed PANIC ROOM’s debut album, ‘Visionary Position’, back in 2008, we notesd their lineage through various progressive ensembles (Karnataka, Mostly Autumn and Fish’s band) and heard them as part of a refreshingly new approach to the genre –
livelier and more engaging than traditional exponents.
Two years on and they're back with a strong second offering that eschews genre, in favour of a wide-ranging sense of expression and some really luscious tunes.
Their twin strengths lie in the consummate musicianship of the band and the silky-smooth, confidingly intimate vocals of Anne-Marie Helder. These strengths are perfectly entwined in Panic Room’s cosmopolitan night-time gloss on songs such as the heartbreaking, beautiful unburdening of ‘The Fall’ and the warm afterglow of ‘Muse’.
Captivating as these quiet moments are, the intriguing interstellar design of the accompanying booklet paints a bolder ambition, one that is also envisaged through Satellite and particularly ‘Dark Star’;
not exactly space rock, but using key elements of space rock to broaden out their sound and lyrical visions.
‘Dark Star’ really pounds out it’s rhythms, loud and direct, whilst ‘Satellite’, almost anthemic,
plays out a set of very well conceived material with a confident sense of purpose.”
Ian Abraham – Rock’n’Reel
livelier and more engaging than traditional exponents.
Two years on and they're back with a strong second offering that eschews genre, in favour of a wide-ranging sense of expression and some really luscious tunes.
Their twin strengths lie in the consummate musicianship of the band and the silky-smooth, confidingly intimate vocals of Anne-Marie Helder. These strengths are perfectly entwined in Panic Room’s cosmopolitan night-time gloss on songs such as the heartbreaking, beautiful unburdening of ‘The Fall’ and the warm afterglow of ‘Muse’.
Captivating as these quiet moments are, the intriguing interstellar design of the accompanying booklet paints a bolder ambition, one that is also envisaged through Satellite and particularly ‘Dark Star’;
not exactly space rock, but using key elements of space rock to broaden out their sound and lyrical visions.
‘Dark Star’ really pounds out it’s rhythms, loud and direct, whilst ‘Satellite’, almost anthemic,
plays out a set of very well conceived material with a confident sense of purpose.”
Ian Abraham – Rock’n’Reel
THE MUSICIAN
Summer 2010
“Powerful, edgy rock from this Swansea five piece, who step into the limelight with their commercially-focused sound,
led by the tasteful keys of Jonathan Edwards and Anne-Marie Helder’s outstanding vocals.
Anthemic drums and bass (Gavin John Griffiths and Alun Vaughan, respectively) plus Paul Davies’ potent guitar parts forge an enviable foundation.
Treading effectively between Evanescence and early-1970’s Fleetwood Mac,
they show an appreciation of what makes for vibrant, forward-looking rock.
Able to deliver tight rockers (Freedom to Breathe) and prime ballads (The Fall) alike,
PANIC ROOM possesses the attributes to crash the mainstream party.”
RAVENHEART MUSIC
UK Webzine
'Satellite' is the awesome new album from UK rock band PANIC ROOM.
Basically recorded over a two week 'live studio session' period, the album is full of great hooks and melodies,
coupled of course with the powerful vocals of front lady Anne-Marie Helder.
I was highly impressed with their debut album, 'Visionary Position' that was reviewed here back in March 2008,
and the more commercial sounding 'Satellite' to me seems a step in the right direction.
'Freedom To Breathe' kicks off proceedings offering great vocals and great musicanship. 'Picking Up Knives' (one of my faves on the album) carries on the great work,
and I do love Anne-Marie's vocals. Great stuff.
'I Am A Cat' is a little light hearted ditty me thinks, while in general, the album contains highlights a plenty -
the funk metal sound on 'Black Noise', the catchy 'Into The Fire' and the anthemic sounding awesome title track as examples.
I also like the rocky 'Dark Star' (great gothy church organ sound!).
With the right promotion, 'Satellite' surely should break the band to a wider audience.
The promotional copy kindly sent to me by Jonathan Edwards from the band also has an additional EP, and that in itself makes this package even more worthwhile.
All said and done, this is a cool release (over 80 mins of music with the EP) and what a great start to 2010.
'Satellite' gets released 25th January, but while you are waiting, check out www.myspace.com/panicroomuk.
9 / 10
(Reviewed by Dave)
Basically recorded over a two week 'live studio session' period, the album is full of great hooks and melodies,
coupled of course with the powerful vocals of front lady Anne-Marie Helder.
I was highly impressed with their debut album, 'Visionary Position' that was reviewed here back in March 2008,
and the more commercial sounding 'Satellite' to me seems a step in the right direction.
'Freedom To Breathe' kicks off proceedings offering great vocals and great musicanship. 'Picking Up Knives' (one of my faves on the album) carries on the great work,
and I do love Anne-Marie's vocals. Great stuff.
'I Am A Cat' is a little light hearted ditty me thinks, while in general, the album contains highlights a plenty -
the funk metal sound on 'Black Noise', the catchy 'Into The Fire' and the anthemic sounding awesome title track as examples.
I also like the rocky 'Dark Star' (great gothy church organ sound!).
With the right promotion, 'Satellite' surely should break the band to a wider audience.
The promotional copy kindly sent to me by Jonathan Edwards from the band also has an additional EP, and that in itself makes this package even more worthwhile.
All said and done, this is a cool release (over 80 mins of music with the EP) and what a great start to 2010.
'Satellite' gets released 25th January, but while you are waiting, check out www.myspace.com/panicroomuk.
9 / 10
(Reviewed by Dave)
