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Single Review - Dance Like A Maniac.......Rockmidgets.com

Fiery and full of more bounce than a rabbit on a trampoline, TAOL play an exciting, if rough, alternative rock. Simplistic but effortlessly catchy without descending into pop or appearing as pretentious as the many hipster fans their Victorian English Gentlemens Club-meets-Sons & Daughters rock will likely attract. An engaging, infectious track from a band worth keeping an eye on.

Single Review - Dance Like A Maniac.......Organ Magazine Online

Another urgent buzzsaw of a single from the Northern side of things – buzzing  boy/girl twin vocal and more wired up spiky screaming urgency and Pixies suss and plenty of snarl (and that’s just how it starts).A knife to your back and like we said last time around a band you really need to check out.

Single Review - Dance Like A Maniac.......Soundsxp.com

In the year that I finally relented and admitted that maybe I do quite like folk music after all, this single takes me back a bit. Just five years ago I was a regular at one of Newcastle’s premier rock clubs, drinking 70p bottles of unspeakable no-name alcopops and marvelling at both the wonders and horrors of PVC corsets. Dance Like A Maniac would go down a storm there, I reckon.

Described in the press release (so take a pinch of salt now) as ‘McLusky jamming with Kim Deal’, on the evidence of this pretty ace single, The Adventures of Loki are actually closer to being Andrew WK teaming up with Joan Jett. Suitably bestowed with cracking riffs and a big shouty chorus, it’s guaranteed to get the party started faster than Shirley Bassey snorting coke off Pink’s tits. The b-side sounds more like the press release description and is of course nowhere near as good.

Single Review - Dance Like A Maniac.......The Sunday Experience

Totally wired. From the word go with its frenetic scatter attack in your face full frontal assault charge this freak show baby just refuses to relent. The second release from this Lancaster based three piece following their acclaimed 'Feminine Side' outing which - bugger - we missed. 'dance like a maniac' is quite frankly the most off the wall and devilishly delicious thing to have had us bouncing off the walls while near destroying our poor hapless hi-fi since the Victorian Gentlemens English Club's debut release wrestled its way through our mail box and held siege to our listening space. Fast, furious, demented and happily bonkers, 'dance like a maniac' is as the title suggests a fried and unhinged invitation to go mental - teetering precariously on a finite knife edge between chaos and collapse this festering slice of unstoppable unruly pop carnage is just what the doctor ordered. Obtuse, angular, acerbic and anarchic, this boy / girl delivered primal paint bomb stutters with playful menace coercing dislocated hip swerving savvy with a deliciously twisted candy pop underpin that'll floor you just for its brazen audacity. Flip over for the slightly more toned down yet equally frenetic 'split' which if I didn't know better I'd say was B-52's recalibrated with a rampant post punk / art pop mindset relearning how to play from scratch and using the Pixies 'Surfer Rosa' as a template from to crank out spitefully twisted fractured morsels of acute anti-pop. Frankly kids this lot wipe the floor with most of the talent-lsss tat that seem to hog the column inches of the music rags. Expect a whole full lengths worth of twisted treasures in the shape of 'melomania' early next year.

Single Review - Dance Like A Maniac..........Subba-Cultcha

Wired and abrasive like The Pixies in a knife frenzy with Cay, TAOL are the sort of band you literally feel an electric shock leap from the speakers as you press play - harnessing the malevolence of The Cramps with the bouncy, care free attitude of The Slits (without any cod-reggae thankfully). A stunning slice of new wave genius from a band we hope to hear a lot more from in the near future!

Single Review - Feminine Side..................theplasticashtray.co.uk

The Adventures Of Loki are a Lancaster three piece who have impressed Zane Lowe & by the sound of their biog, alot of other people. 'Feminine Side' has even been inducted in the great Shifty Disco's (online) singles club. A very welcome move for this explosive band. Having gigged extensively, I expect this cd only shows part of their live experience. The first track is 'Feminine Side' which ironically being the title track of the cd, isn't the strongest here (in my opinion). 'Feminine Side' is a thrashy jolting punk song, parodying nursery rhymes & 'Bohemian Rhapsody' of all things."Don't Worry Man I'm With The Band" Brigit Colton, screams as the band break into an instrumental interlude, Adventures Of... make good use of having three members. Both bass & guitar share vocals with Rachel Parson's thundering drum rolls, loud & ready, compliment the punked up guitar of Steve Wade. Impressive.

'Take 5 To Break 9', is more like it. 'Steve Wade' screams out his a cappella intro, almost spitting blood in the process. 'Take 5..' is a tale of frustration, "I'm Bored! I'm Bored!" they scream, we are not. This is compelling rock music built up on fast thrashy guitar & meaty basslines which hark back to the days of Mclusky (sadly missed) & the drumming comes right out of punk rock school. The Adventures Of Loki remind me of an early Seafood, their mid song interludes are welcome rest-bites in their high octane songs. 'Take 5 To Break 9' is breath-taking & energetic & loud. Everything you want to see live. To cap it off they finish with all out rock n' roller, 'Suck It And See' which has traces of Bis, Seafood & even Sonic Youth in the crazy leadwork breaks.

The Adventures Of Loki are surely ones to watch, these songs must sound fantastic soaked in beer, sweat & aggression in a live setting somewhere. Their mix of indie rocking influence, rock n roll sensibilities & punk rock attitude will take them along way if not the whole hog. High Octane fun for those who like ringing in their ears the next day!

P.D Stanley

Live Review................Supporting The Like @ Manchester Academy 2..............bbc.co.uk

Dastardly, dark and divine - three words to describe the phenomena of first band, The Adventures of Loki. Think The Pixies, Dead Kennedys and L7 on a livid, face thumping day and you are sidling close to the Loki experience.

Snarling male lead vocals, with a screaming and coaxing female counterpart, greasy, fuzzy guitars and bass candy thunder, pert and perky drums and a tightness that made me too scared to breathe.

If you are a woman and your faith in rock music is fraying, go and see this band.  If you are a man and your faith in rock music is fraying, go and see this band.  I pray I'm not the only person to recognise brilliance when I see it.

Single Review - Feminine Side..................Soundsxp.com

Music, like life, is unfair. A band as uninspiring and dull as three-piece boy/girl group The Subways are hailed as the next-big thing, mainly because of their apparently foxy bassist, whilst (unsigned) three-piece boy/girl group The Adventures of Loki have to sell copies of this self-financed single themselves “to get by”. This sorry situation will surely not last for long, because Loki’s riotous blend of passion, energy and goddam rock n’freakin roll, perfectly showcased on three-track single “Feminine Side”, is starting to get the recognition it deserves, without any need for judgement on the foxiness of the four string plucker.

The lead track is, expectedly, the best; a full frontal assault on the ears, which sounds even better played really really loud (as all the best music should). “Fee fi fo fum I smell the blood” they shout, which, apart from reflecting the primal and ferocious nature of the music, proves that fairy-tale lines should be used way more in rock. “Take 9 To Break 5” covers the more typical topic of dissatisfaction at life; “I’m bored” may not be the most complex of lyrics, but it sure gets the message across. “Suck It And See”, meanwhile, contains that most sacred of all rock clichés, the hand-clap. These songs are by no means perfect, perhaps a touch more melody here and there might improve matters, but they’re wild and fun and ballsy and have enough potential to suggest that, if life decides to be fair for once, Loki are heading for better things. Let’s hope so.

Gig Review..........................The Bovine Sex Club, Toronto - Canada..............03/06/06.............Jeff Sippione

The Bovine Sex Club, Toronto - Canada

Of the bands that we did catch up with at the bars and clubs, it was Loki that we came to immediately fall in love with – and not just because they have a cute little drummer girl. A three piece, they told us during an interview that they have been haunted by the presence of Loki, the self-respecting God of Mischief, and the story of their amp blowing up on stage is what prompted lead vocalist Steve to kiss the amp at the end of their set at the Bovine Sex Club late Friday night. Their set was the highlight of the NXNE for me. They had an incredible dynamic exhuberence they exhibited on stage which was largely due to the combined raunchy and raw vocals from the fiancé duo guitarist and bassist, Steve and Brigit, respectively. Rachel was busy dominating with a quick and fierce drum beating to the catchy and melodic tunes that bring the attitude of the Sex Pistols and the sound of The Ramones and The Pixies into a delightful band and group of people. The Adventures of Loki rocked it hard and rocked it very loud for the packed house at the Bovine.

 

Gig Review..........................The Yorkshire House, Lancaster..............03/06/06......http://www.ukbands.net

Adventures Of Loki arrive onstage and rock the entire pub from the start, not just the venue room. With a well – rehearsed set, they surpass themselves and excel in their Superiority tonight. They know how to play Music that hits all the right spots with a barrage of instruments they brandish like weapons and a vocal Mastery. They perfectly synchronise vocals with guitars with drums. They have singers who can really sing, guitarists who know LOADS of chords and can really play, and a drummer who beats the **** out of the drum kit and still ends up sounding like a professional!

With songs like “Feminine Side”, the audience are won over, but most of them are here for this band anyway ‘cos they’re SO good. This is Rock Punk music that goes beyond any caring of what label it does or doesn’t fit into as the music says it all. “Suck It And See” is their finale: Heavy and hard, then explodes into a bansheeic glorification of manicness with overtones of an anthem that finishes in a blazing display of geometrics and lights. Ace!!!

 

Gig Review..........................Dr. Wu's, Leeds.........................13/02/06......http://www.studentguru.co.uk

The Adventures of Loki make you completely forget about the previous band, getting a few of the audience head banging too, with their down and dirty rock which emanates from the speakers. From the first song they drag you in and blow those Monday blues away. Initially sounding like a heavier version of Queens of the Stone Age, there’s also the whiskey ‘n’ bourbon rock of Supersuckers and the underground stoner rock of Orange Goblin in there too, there’s even a song which sounds like The Sex Pistols. It’s amazing how much stomach churning noise this 3 piece can do. The Adventures of Loki also have the no compromise attitude of The Sex Pistols. They sound vital and make you believe in how powerful new music, particularly rock music, can be when it’s this good. Tonight they played for free but really they should be headlining at the Cockpit, or possibly somewhere bigger, as The Adventures of Loki have only just begun.

 

Gig Review..........................Leeds Carling Festival..............26/08/05......KERRANG Sept 10th 05

Any self-respecting God of Mischief would be proud of The Adventures Of Loki getting things off to such a wonderfully skewed start in his name.  Anthemic hooks, jagged riffs and barking mad boy-girl vocals all play their part in an enthralling opening slot.  "This is a fucking important stage - stay here all day" demands singer steve and while you've got to say. 'whoa there eager bloke, there's other things to see', there are definite highlightsto be seen here throughout the weekend.

 

Gig Review..........................Leeds Carling Festival..............26/08/05.......link

"THE ADVENTURES OF LOKI set a standard with the first set for Friday. Looking back it's still in my top five moments of the whole Festival (I saw 55 bands all-told). Brigit on bass and Rachel on drums drive a frantic ship through terrifying and beautiful storms of noise and pure music. Guitarist Steve adds his aching voice to theirs and a punky rasp is brightened by huge invention and a great stage presence. Single "Feminine Side" stands right up and punches us to our senses - are all the bands on the stage going to be this good? I had heard 'Loki were good.. They are awesome."

CD Review...............................From Leeds Music Scene.....April '05

4 and a half stars out of 5 please Mr Sugden

The Adventures Of Loki- Feminine Side. 

I don't write reviews. I've rarely felt moved enough to bother taking the time to do it, and I categorically do not do pannings. This, however, is an exception. This band is incredible. 

This is the second release from Lancaster's finest, who are quickly building a following in and around Leeds due to their quite frankly astonishing live show. To give you a local reference point, they sound a bit like Mama Scuba on speed. Live, seeing and hearing Loki is a bit like being twatted over the head with a length of 2x4 for 25 minutes. In the words of guitarist and singer Steve, they sound 'a bit like a car crash'. They are aggressive, energetic and passionate. See them once and you'll be back for more.  

Unfortunately, their previous release 'Issue #1' didn't quite do them justice, mainly due to a weedy sound and a band not quite into their stride. It was a good listen but not a true reflection of the power they have live. It is incredibly difficult to capture this kind of live band in the studio, where volume, power and energy cannot be relied upon to hook the listener. That is the job of the songs, and 'Issue # 1' didn't really have them to be honest. 

This release however, is not only a reflection of them live, it is a quite staggeringly stonking slab of rock and roll excitement. It's punky, it's arty, it's poppy and it's loud. We have loud verses and louder choruses. For a measly £3 you get 3 tracks, all under 3:30, all with hooks you could hang your coat on.  

'Feminine Side' opens with a staggeringly cheeky lyric theft and romps to a halt a breathtaking 2:18 later. The lyrics are ice cool, the melodies addictive and the rhythms relentless. The twin girl/boy vocals work beautifully here, Steve holding the melody down whilst bassist and co-vocalist Bridgit screams like a pre-menstrual Yoko Ono over a simple two chord trick. By the time it reaches the 'Don't worry man, I'm with the band' section, you are either totally immersed, singing along like a grinning loon or suffering from some serious illness. Like death.  

'Take 5 to Break 9' picks up the mantle. It's the most angry song here. For once, distorted vocals actually add something to the song, instead of just being there because the engineer was bored!  1:30 is the key point here, when the harmonised vocal melodies hit home to great effect. Hooks this good make me want to punch the air and hug my mates.  People in Leeds on a Friday night usually end up hugging the air and punching their mates, but that's a different story. 

'Suck It And See' is the jewel in the crown. Since Little Richard first screamed 'awopbapaloobomawopbamboo' there has been a fine line of songs with unintelligible lyrics. I'm pleased to report that 'Suck It And See' continues that tradition with aplomb. I don't know what on earth they're shouting about but it sounds important. (Actually I do know what they're shouting about as there's a lyric sheet included, but you know what I mean!) There's a fabulous breakdown section here, complete with hand claps and a hook you will have in your head weeks later, on the bus, in bed, walking down the street, whenever it feels like being there. If this hook doesn't get your goosebumps out, your goosebumps aren't working properly. 

Any one of these three songs could have been a single, they're all that good. There's a disarming simplicity about these songs, the kind of simplicity that is so difficult to do and takes years to develop. There are no pretensions in the lyrics, the music or their stage show. This is quite simply a great rock and roll band with great songs that have all the crap stripped out.  

Where have they been whilst the music industry at large has been fawning over Pete Doherty and which ever bunch of ham fisted hillbillies he's brought along this week? In a lame music world full of poseurs and non-entities this band are the real deal. They just hit me where I live. Once the right person hears this they will be completely irrepressible. If they're not huge within a year I'll eat Steve Kind's hat. 

Daz Xi  
 

Live Review......BULL AND GATE, London.........Camden New Journal................18th May '05.

RECENTLY featured on Zane Lowe’s Fresh Meat section, where listeners vote for their favourite track from three up and coming bands, The Adventures of Loki won the vote despite being the only unsigned act.
To capitalise on the subsequent airplay of latest self released single Feminine Side, the Lancaster based three-piece performed a concise seven-song showcase at Kentish Town’s Bull and Gate on Wednesday.
Tracks on their first EP Issue #1 summon an intense rock noise, but it’s live that the thundering bass, angular guitar and girl/boy vocal attack make most sense.
With passion and energy, they tore straight into an incredibly well rehearsed set. Three songs in and guitarist Steve Wade was simultaneously whipping up squalls of angry guitar noise, screaming the vocals and raising a huge cloud of dust as he furiously stamped out the rhythm. Drummer Rachel Parsons pounded the hell out of her drum kit and bassist Brigitt Colton coolly held the whole lot together.
But it was the exhilarating hurricane of Feminine Side that blew away the audience. With its cheeky lyrical steals (“I see a little silhouetto of a man”) fantastic riffing and twin vocal shouted chorus, the song is both a visceral punch to the gut and an exhortation to jump around like crazy.
Hear it at their website www.the-adventures-of-loki.org and I’ll see you down the front at their next London gig.

CD Review.................................. From  the Rapscallion........Feb' 04.

"Formidable Lancaster 3-piece, the Adventures of Loki have released a fantastic 5-song CD. Having been mightily impressed by AOL (ahem) in their live aspect (see Rapscallion October) I was curious to hear whether they could cut the sonic mustard on disc. I was delighted to find that the CD is at least as good as they are live - it loses none of the excitement which so many other bands find impossible to translate from gig to studio. it kicks off with 'Fast, Faster, Fastest', which pummels along, but with lots of dynamic. 'In spite of the trip' barely slackens the intensity. 'Unseen' has lovely harmonies and an ending which peculiarly makes me think it should be a Bond theme! 'This is the Fight' is perhaps the highlight: it is full of passion, catchy full-on ROCK! 'An Extraordinary Imagination' is good, but the previous track makes it seem a little anti-climatic in comparison. the CD also contains a CD-Rom 'Fast, Faster, Fastest' shot at the Yorkie - where the CD is on sale!"...........................................................(RT)

LIVE Review................................. From the Rapscallion.........Oct '03.

"In the words of an experienced punter, "it looks like we might have another local legend on our hands".  Indeed, it does, but they also have all the ingredients to make it into the big time......a fantastic energy-laden indie-punk rock'n'roll rollercoasting beast of a band!  They look good, they sound good, and they've got anthemic repeated choruses about going faster and faster and having something to fight for!  At the yorkshire house in particular, and at the Bobbin, they played short sharp sets that were totally engaging, and left you wanting more, as all good bands should.  There are hints of early-mid 90's indie-rock llike the Pixies, Sonic Youth and PJ Harvey.  This band will do well for itself - check them out soon before they're on Top Of The Pops!!".......................................(RT)

CD Review................................. From City Life Magazine, Manchester.........April '04.

Out of the dust cloud left by the very fondly remembered Angelica and 50 Heads Wide comes The Adventures of Loki, who while adhering to the classic 3 piece combo set up make an all consuming and tumultuous noise more befitting an act with far more team members. The 3 numbers here (and great live mpg clip) teem with angular and emotive Rock'n'Roll moves and are literally seething with inventive, edgy sonic energy. Plainly the sound of a band who know they've nailed it....(Jay Taylor, Night & Day)

LIVE Review................................93 Feet East, London...Pam Savage Live Journal........March '04.

it’s just all about the rock, and t.a.o.l ROCKED. There’s really no other word to describe it. It was so barrage-of-soundy that at one point I was sure I could feel the music in an ominous cloud just behind my head. Brigit and Steve’s boy/girl vocals were of the toppest quality and Rachel drummed like a maniac. In fact they all played like maniacs, like they were really pissed off about something (having to drive back to Lancaster afterwards? No, it must be something deeper than that), but not in a whingy way, in a good righteous anger kinda way. So yeah, it was all good. Someone book ‘em some more London gigs…