Ad Alta

Reviewed: Demo

Well?: Much respect is always due for bands taking chances. Ad Alta have taken the risky step of leaving their hometown behind to duke it out with the legions of unsigned bands in London, hoping to leave their mark. They've already attracted some label interest and it’s easy to see why on the strength of this demo cd.

The first thing that grabs you about Ad Alta is that they love their choruses. Big singalonga choruses. Opening track “Don’t Hold Me Down” is a prime example of that – you'll be humming along within seconds of hearing it. There’s a real feeling that these guys would be more at home playing big stadium-esque venues than grotty little clubs such is the focus on sweeping rock anthems here. “Tonight” continues the trend with more “lighters aloft” swooning refrains that goes all Smashing Pumpkins before returning to . Closing the ep, “Hide” is my own personal fave which has an epic ending that just seems to perfectly float along on a cloud forever. It’s partly reminiscent of “The Unforgettable Fire” era-U2. You can even picture the video with the band high up on a mountain top rocking out as the camera gracefully pans around, eighties style!

Criticisms? Having a demo full of epic songs comes at a price. There’s nothing on this cd under 5 minutes in length, sometimes tracks seem to dry up as on the curiously named Led Zep influenced “Bing Boo”. Also, I’d interested to hear a few shorter, faster songs (if they exist) – having quality big songs is a good thing but an entire album of them might be a bit much for some people to stomach.

However, the future could be a rosy one for Ad Alta. There’s a whole bunch of good ideas here, some of which I think would be channeled correctly under the tutelage of a decent producer. Definitely worth keeping an eye on.

The Best Bit: Big "punch the air" choruses a-plenty!

The Worst Bit: Can tend to run out of ideas occasionally.

reviewed by KG

Website: www.ad-alta.co.uk