Reviews

There are many people who would have you believe that when Kurt Cobain died in April 1994, grunge rock died along with him.  Well you can now tell those people to p*** off, grunge rock is back and the band carrying its banner is Nine Black Alps.  Nine Black Alps took their name from a Sylvia Plath poem and hail from Manchester, England.  Signed to Island/Interscope Records, they now release their debut LP "Everything Is" in America. 

Though Nine Black Alps have a more polished sound than the likes of Nirvana, Soundgarden, and new grunge rockers The Vines, they still incorporate the spirit of grunge rock by exploring life's darker themes including death, drugs, and politics.  This is perfectly illustrated through the acoustic song "Behind Your Eyes" in which vocalist Sam Forrest is calling on people to "stop talking, act" and "Don't Follow the Machine." 

Though there is much political ideology being bounced around on the record in songs like "Not Everyone" and "Intermission" which the band surprisingly uses a slide guitar throughout the song (George Harrison must be leaping up and down in heaven), not every song is about politics.  The song "Just Friends" deals with trying to remain friends with an ex-girlfriend and the problems encountered in doing so.  In "Cosmopolitan" the band talks about weight issues in Hollywood, and how Hollywood is more concerned about image rather than health.   
Overall, "Everything Is" is a solid grunge rock record that really showcases the band's musical range and gives the listener a good indication of what a Nine Black Alps concert must be like (high energy, t-shirt and jeans rock to the fullest). Nine Black Alps are definitely a band with a message, and by eschewing formula-based grunge, they have the potential to be a very big band in the future.  We look forward to more good things to come from Nine Black Alps; perhaps they can climb the peaks of success?