POST ROCK

(Hydra Head)

Not everyone gets to be centre stage, and it takes people like Justin K Broadrick, methodically exploring their own themes, ideas and textures on the fringes so that the likes of Razorlight have room under the spotlight to parade their vacuous wares.

Broadrick creates wave after wave of thick, detuned, guitar drones but instead of the regulation growls and pseudo-metalisms, the grind is edged with a hazy My Bloody Valentine vocals and plaintive, lush keys. This is sad, gloomy and sometimes beautiful music that is bloodied by the harshness of the world but refuses to go down. Veteran Broderick may have mellowed with age but his ability to create something huge, stark and often brilliant remains intact.