Pendulum, Immersion

Drum 'n' Base legends Pendulum are back with their third studio album in the form of 'Immersion' and are currently occupying top spot on the iTunes album chart.

A combination of genres have been brought to the table in their attempts to further succeed their previous albums 'Hold Your Colour' and 'In Silico' and perhaps even their fierce competitors, 'The Prodigy'. As well as the return of the famous drum 'n' base style that makes Pendulum so popular, rock, electronica and a quick thrash of metal all contribute to the line-up.

The same old hard hitting Pendulum are ever present, but the graceful vocals of Rob Swire seem to add that extra bit of maturity to the bands progression; the recently released single, 'Watercolour' is a perfect example of the slightly melodic direction that seems to bless a selection of the latest list of anthems produced by the Australian band.

'The Island', split into two parts, is the soul track that highlights their latest ideas. Part one(Dawn) being a soulful rock tune with smooth electrical notes running through it, where as Part Two (Dusk) is the insane fury of computerized tones that refuses to accept much vocal input. And yet it does not end with the tuneful vocals, the rock, electrical sounds or pounding drum 'n' bass. Each song has its own say, its own characteristics and it is well worth the listen.

The diversity that is 'Immersion' is likely to cause contrasting views on its favourite songs but for the mainstream listener, 'Watercolour', 'Witchcraft' and 'Crush' jump out as the top songs, with a large group of tracks close behind.

The Perth based group have started their tour of the UK having just made an electrifying appearance at Radio 1's Big Weekend, performing a mixture of old favourites with the new big hits and the crowds response showed that they have not lost their touch in throwing a pulse-raising 'riot' (in the words of band member Gareth Mcgrillen).

Although this hard-hitting band create a once in a life time experience live, their sounds on a disk are a spectacle in themselves and 'Immersion' is arguably their best yet.