With great age comes great wisdom or so our webmaster would have it at the moment, with great wisdom (teeth) comes great pain! Why Am I starting this review like some over-grown Yoda? Well this album  has proved a point you should not judge things on first impressions. This album arrived with the Brigade album and I gave one quick listen and being  at heart a hard rocker I decided that it was not for me and thus would send it off to one of the other hardrockhouse scribes who perhaps would appreciate it more. However 48hrs or so later I heard some great guitar based music coming from my son’s bedroom and upon enquiring whom it was he said its that Get Amped. Surprised to say the least, I gave the album another spin and was hooked and the album grows with repeated listening. 

Get Amped have an original twist on the power pop/punk pop that appears to be all the rage at the moment, taking current influences like Blink 82 and the Foo Fighters and mixing them with old influences like certain band I like to call the ancient William and Iron Maiden and even Queen.

Opening with a short 'Intro' and then into the albums title track 'Postcards From Hell', guitarist Tim gets to show his chops from the off,  driving the title track along with a great driving riff and alternating rhythms. 'Reject & Sterilise' is a track I cannot get away from as its on Scuzz every time I turn over at the moment but, lets be honest, it is as catchy as the common cold whereas 'Tyrannosaurus' is more of a  mid paced number, but none the worse for it. 

'In Loving Memory' sounds like U2 jamming with the Crash Test Dummies and is  different to most of the rest of the album and then with 'Short Fuse'  Tim is again allowed to show what a great a guitarist he is with a track that reminds of the Foo Fighters crossed with Therapy! 'It's In Control'  returns to the mid tempo range with a riff that reminds me of The Cult at times and this is followed by the instrumental ' All That I Wanted'

'Walking On The Moon' is a cover of a song written by my former milkman who was named after the business end of a bee and then made famous by his band, the old bill, although Get Amped's version is rocked up considerably. 'God Of The Zombies' conversely has almost dance feel to it and appears, lyrically, to be a swipe at “DJs” who play dance music all day long on their shows. 'Replay' though Is yet another track built around a catchy guitar riff and with hooks that could catch a whale! 

'Find Someone' is an almost indie style track that again reminds me of the Crash Test Dummies whereas 'Dougal's Dit' is a short prat about with drum machine Nuff said! 'Plug Me In' takes this more up-tempo which is reminiscent of all of those nu-metal numbers that hit the charts with a vengeance a few years ago and finally to round things out 'Across The Sound'  and 'Black Clouds' close the album  in a rocking style, however there is an extra prezzie of a track on my promo but I’ll leave you to find out if its on the finished version!  

In short 'Postcards From Hell' is a debut album that shows a band with many influences and one not afraid to let these be known, wrapped them all up neatly in one package. Most definitely an album that I’ve grown to like a lot over several listening and it would have been my loss if I had pasted it on to one of the other reviewers

Let us know your views on 'Postcards From Hell'

Track List

Intro
Postcards From Hell
Reject & Sterilise
Tyrannosaurus
In Loving Memory
Short Fuse
It's In Control
All That I Wanted
Walking On The Moon
God Of The Zombies
Repaly
Find Someone
Dougal's Dit
Plug Me In
Across The Sound
Black Clouds