What a difference a year makes, right? HOUSE Of ALL's follow-up to their self-titled debut came about at some risk to band and label . . . so absolutely sure of their debut, Martin Bramah asked for an advance on recording costs for the follow-up before their self-titled album had even been released. Needless to say, things went pretty well with the debut, which led to a few sold-out tours, wildly enthusiastic press and great sales.

Follow-ups do come with perils, but perhaps Bramah's presumption was the very thing which has allowed CONTINUUM to escape the dread second album syndrome, because . . . it's fantastic! Whatever initial re-establishment of synaptic connection was needed to get things grooving on their debut, after many years since they'd last played together (excepting Peter Greenway, whose genuine bravery in joining four former members of The Fall whom he alone had never played with before) is history now. The grooves are bigger, the lyrics brilliant, Tomos Williams' production is top-notch and the necessity sitting on this album while the first one kept on rolling offered the advantage of allowing Dave Trumfio (of The Mekons and Pulsars) time to fine-tune the mixing and mastering . . . and it sounds HOT.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: There's no doubting House Of All's credentials, being formed of Fall alumni and clearly heavily influenced by the sound of their former band. What we get here is a slightly less abrasive, heavily punky redux of The Fall's soaring momentum and chaotic wall-of-sound roars, but topped with brilliantly sung vocals and produced to perfection. Ace.

TRACK LISTING

1. For This Be Glory
2. Murmuration
3. Gaudy Pop Scramble
4. Cuckoo In The Nest
5. Under A Crooked Sky
6. Aim Higher
7. Letter To A Young Poet
8. A Taste Of Money
9. I Must Get Clean
10. Each Ending Has A Beginning

These days everyone loves The Fall, but rarely has a band's rise to cult status been quite as lengthy, unpredictable and unprecedented as that of those lovable Mancunian misfits who went through more line-up comings and goings than anyone sane would bother to count. Martin Bramah, The Fall's singer until Mark E Smith's lesser guitar skills caused them to swap places, was, per Daryl Easlea, "possibly the last true equal to Smith in the group" and likewise the longest survivor of the original line-up. Yet while The Fall was later famous for their legendary productivity, Bramah often went great spans of time between releases, releasing fewer albums in thirty-five years (under any guise) than he has in the last seven with Blue Orchids - who already have a fantastic new album in the can. What caused HOUSE Of ALL to come together is something of a mystery. Bramah has joined forces with four other mighty Fall alumni: Steve Hanley, The Fall's longest-serving bassist, as well as his brother Paul Hanley, who drummed on what may be the best run of Fall records, from "Grotesque" to "Bend Sinister". The three have also played together as Factory Star, for a brief period. Joining them are two surprise members - drummer Simon Wolstencroft, who joined the Fall around the time Paul left, and more surprisingly, guitarist Pete Greenway, The Fall's longserving and final guitarist who has, to our knowledge, never played with the other four before. And the album? Recorded in a burst of intense creativity, we won't tempt to propagandise you, the album speaks or itself, but it wouldn't be a false boast to say that it stands with much of the best Fall or Blue Orchids music, displaying an energy and psychic impulse all its own, each member playing as sharply and with as much drive as ever, around manic motorik grooves and a shocking lack of 'compromise'. It's an album of depth which demands multiple visits to uncover its many dimensions, yet it still satisfies upon first listen. The album will be supported by a week-long tour in late May, with more surprises to come. "[Bramah]'s lyrics are brilliant - some of his best ever. It stands up against the Fall at their very best. It's unimaginable, A Fall Album Without MES." - Ged Babey, Louder Than War. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Martin says: There is certainly some echoes of the jagged groove of The Fall here, but House Of All is more of a modern take on Smith's golden era band. It's both wonderfully reminiscent while being entirely a thing all of it's own. A bunch of very talented musicians showing their best side.

TRACK LISTING

Aynebite 
But Wilful I Am
Dominus Ruinea
Harlequin Duke
Magic Sound
Minerva Disrobed
There's More
Turning Of The Years