Search - New Model Army :: Eight

NMA Rock - Don't they?

09/27/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"NMA over the last 5 years can't have been the happiest band in the world. Lead singer Justin almost died on stage by electricution. Now ex-drummer Robert had a brain tumour removed. And still the vast majority of the British musical establishment ingore their impact on UK and Europeon political-rock culture.This album really sees NMA returning back to the days of an album representing their sheer passion they feel about music, life and Yorkshire! Much like Ghost of Cain, this album is honest. Even though I have been well into NMA for years it is true to say that over-production has been a part of some of their albums. If you have seen them live over the years then you'll know what I mean.Raw passion comes out of this album and I must say, if you have never got into NMA even after 20 years, the time is now!"

Underrated, underrated

W. D. Scales | Reidsville, NC | 05/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"New Model Army cannot be discussed without mention of 1988's THUNDER AND CONSOLATION, which remains the most unsung masterpiece in rock history. Everything that they have done since has been compared to it, to the detriment of those releases. It's human nature to say "this is not as good as that", and comparisons of EIGHT to T&C are bound to occur. Set those comparisons aside for the moment. Purge "Vagabonds" and "Stupid Questions" from your mind and listen to EIGHT on its own merits. Some of Justin's best material ever is here. "Flying Through The Smoke", with its tribal drumming and layered percussion, sounds like the club that Justin is describing. The drum breaks and sudden attack of the guitar add a fantastic tension and drama. "You Weren't There" should be required listening for all television news employees the world over -- a logial follow-up to the brilliant "Deadeye" (the b-side to "Vagabonds", and a classic all its own). "Paekakariki Beach" is wonderfully serene; "Leeds Road 3AM" shivers and quakes its way into your mind; "Mixam" is the sound of youthful defiance tempered by the experience of encroaching middle age; and I'm not sure that I have the vocabulary to adequately describe or pay homage to "Snelsmore Wood" (an NMA classic if there ever was one, and one that sounded even better on NMA's recent 2004 US acoustic tour). Please don't compare this to THUNDER AND CONSOLATION. Nothing at all compares to THUNDER AND CONSOLATION. This album is as good, and in some cases better, than anything else they have done, and this is saying a great deal. EIGHT is a truly wonderful album - do not miss out on this one."

Classic NMA

Joseph Summers | Altoona, PA USA | 09/24/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The main impact of NMA is that the songs tell a story, and that the music always sets the tone for that story. It's this blend, and Justin's strong delivery that drives the songs in "Eight." And drives them straight into you mind, so that you're left to ponder them long after the CD has ended, and leaves you wanting to fire it up again and again. And unlike most CD's these days, if there's a loser song in the bunch, I haven't heard it. So why not a five star rating? I suppose because "Thunder and Consolation" is still my all time favorite. But this is right there."