Outburn Magazine - September 2007
Representing a half-male, half female merging of two international societies, Guards of Metropolis is comprised of two California lads and two dames from Norway. Formerly known to the world as Softcore, vocalist Kristin Blix, guitarist Charles Normal, bassist Silver Sorensen, and drummer Jason Carter regrouped as Guards of Metropolis to forge forward and demonstrate their ability to create catchy angst driven rock tunes. Each track is carried by the exciting voice of Blix, who interweaves her playful perspectives on the world at large while capitalizing on the uncanny ability Scandinavians have to write very catchy melodies and choruses. Some of the best exhibitions of this talent are found on tracks like "Already Gone," "Postcards From Heaven," and the instant hit "How Does It Feel 9To Be Unreal?)." Aside from being memorable, each song has a bit of its own, provided entirely by the rock driven guitarwork created by Charles Normal. The deep basslines of Sorensen keep the songs grounded and give them an almost darker feel, moving them away from the pop choruses that are sweetened ever so slightly by Blix's voice. Alligator is comprised of 13 memorable rock tracks that have staying power, even after the first listen. 9 out of 10 - Joseph Graham
------------------------------
East Bay Express - August 15, 2007
This Portland-based band includes two Norwegian women: singer Kristen Blix, whose full-lipped pout should make her an instant candidate for the cover of Rolling Stone; and Silver Sørensen, a bassist with a propulsive, no-nonsense approach. The boys in the band are drummer Jason Carter and guitarist Charles Normal, ex-Californians with long résumés in punk, pop, and jazz, including studio work, production, and touring experience with Frank Black. Together they've put together a punchy batch of tunes that combine the crunch of metal and the drive of early-'80s dance beats with an ability to write memorable pop melodies. Their sound — Garbage meets Blondie meets Sweet — is strangely familiar, but has its own character. "Down" has a blaxploitation/metal vibe and a lyric that smacks of S&M. On "Exhole," Blix sneers at a metal-loving ex with a pounding beat that brings to mind the frenzy of the Stooges, and in the country-meets-garage-band kiss-off "Already Gone," she jumps into her car and burns rubber down the highway. The lyrics are usually tepid put-downs of stupid girls, clueless guys, and music industry hacks, but the music is strong enough to turn off your brain and keep you rockin' till you drop.
-------------------------
Cashbox Magazine
Standing in for Superman, The Guards of Metropolis protect the masses from mediocre rock with the release of their sleek pop masterpiece Alligator. Part Garbage, part Elastica and part Republica; Guards of Metropolis take the female fronted rock band to their own comfortable place of creativity without casting their influences to the side. Tightly woven tales of love, boredom and societal woes are fit to the upbeat instrumentation throughout Alligator. Vocalist Kristin Blix does not hold back her anger on “Exhole” with lyrics such as “Hey Romeo, you hit on all my girlfriends so debonair you scared them all away. It’s time for Jerry Springer, looks like your family’s on today.” A shift in Guards of Metropolis’s sound comes on sixth track “The Way You Are”, swapping out their edgy rock sound for a polished synth-pop, the Guards show their range and talents go farther then straight forward rock and roll. “The Way You Are” seems a likely candidate to appear not only on modern radio, but also in television and film.
Postcards From Heaven welcomes Alligator’s first mid-tempo track, matching the pop quality of the previous “The Way You Are”. This mix of rock and roll with pop seems to be Guards of Metropolis’s ticket to fame. While their edgier numbers are great, it is the songs that lean more towards pop that leave a lasting impression. After the beautiful songs like “The Way You Are” and “Postcards From Heaven” the album continues its upward trajectory through its midsection. The Guards seems poised for success around every turn on Alligator, especially on the albums first slow number, “Tired”. Slowing things down, Kristin Blix brings her best vocal performance on the record. In a strange way, “Tired” could be a rock or a country song. It is so well written that it could be covered by artists of any genre and it would still ring true as a hit. Title track “Alligator” closes the album with a mix of all the parts that make Guards of Metropolis a success. The production is perfect, the arrangement is lush and the song is an apt closing to such an adventurous and compelling effort.
-----------------------------
BC Magazine
Guards of Metropolis, Whatever It Is
Is there a void in your life where Elastica and Garbage used to reside? Then this half-Norwegian, half-Californian quartet might be the cure for what ails you. The first two songs on Guards of Metropolis's new four-song EP are slick, happy-angry little elasto-rock gems, and the title track even boasts a light taste of progressive-rock complexity. Its chugging antiwar message goes down easy: "You keep screaming that peace is a reason to fight/You keep praying and saying the future is bright/You keep shovelin' shovelin' shovelin' shite/Under our noses/While telling us that you're planting roses." Hmm, who could they be talking about?
I'm not sure what the fast-barreling rocker "Exhole" is about, but it isn't anything nice. And that's a good thing. On the heavier "Perfect World," snarling singer Kristin Blix switches to a menacing whisper. "It's a perfect world," she sings, "and I'm the perfect girl" - daring us to say otherwise. The EP closes with "Have You Found Your Yoko Yet?", a pretty, Lennon-esque power ballad with a nicely building musical structure.
Guards of Metropolis is a promising band and I look forward to hearing a lot more from them.
-------------------------
The Village Voice - New York - Eddy
Music Pick Of The Week
Cute L.A.-based Norwegians (brunette girl. blonde girl, redhead boy, brunette boy) doing synth-and-guitar-hooked dance oriented pop rock, somewhere in between Garbage/Republica and The Hives/Caesars. Their CD opens with a dis ("You're so seductive / you should be kissed / congratulations now you've made the critics' list...sing like a nightingale / don't understand a word...Don't wanna be like you"); second song namedrops Molly Hatchet and Jerry Springer. Nifty!.
-----------------------------
IF NOT NOW… WHEN?
Guards Of Metropolis- Indie Musicians Of The Week! April 21, 2007
I love this band! Melodic, Intense… SURPRISING….
Two women from Norway.. two men from California, who evidently first got together in an abandoned chocolate factory on the outskirts of Norway! (sweet! as my brother-in-law Martin would say…)
You can here their single “Whatever it is” on this week’s episode, “Are You Good Enough?” (and audio supplement) and you can support these indie artists by buying their fabulous 4 song EP on itunes!
-----------------------------
Sea of Tranquility
Two women from Norway, two guys from California and one giant Molly Hatchet diss: Welcome to Alligator, the debut record by the intercontinental band Guards of Metropolis. Scandinavian and American West Coast influences collide in an angry yet smart sonic brew that’s original and imminently commercial. In garage-band-meets-pop-band style, this snappy quartet addresses such lyrical hot buttons as mental illness (“Postcards from Heaven”), immigration (“Fadeaway”) and the recording process (“Alligator”). Musically, severe tempo drops (“On My Own”), an edgy effort in F# minor (“Why”) and even a lilting country-tinged ballad (“Tired”) demonstrate why the female-fronted Guards of Metropolis are more talented, flexible and tolerable than your average indie rockers.
As for that Molly Hatchet diss, it comes early — on the second song, in fact — in “Exhole,” a blitzed kiss-off that opens with the following lines: “You crashed my car/Pulling in the driveway/Your mullet friend blew up my stereo/The air-guitar you play to Molly Hatchet/Is a sign it’s time for me to go.”
The rest of Alligator, however, proves that it’s really time for Guards of Metropolis to stay — even if they don't like Molly Hatchet.
-----------------------------
ACED magazine - Sunday, 22 July 2007
Guards of Metropolis, a two-women, two-men band, were formed in an abandoned chocolate factory during a raging snow storm. It’s not surprising then that their music is at once a sweet concoction of cheery melodies saddled against fiercely heated lyrics, thunderous guitars and synthesized everything else. It may march to a household-funky lockstep, but it works.
The band’s makeup, an off-beat hybrid of Norway and California with two gals from Norway and two guys from California, churn out one catchy riff after another. They write songs about old boyfriends, fame, and unencumbered self-reflection with a gutsy directness and honesty. It helps that the four distinct personalities all contribute to the song writing. Throw in guitarist Charles Normal’s savvy production, and you’ve got the makings of a record that dares you not to sing along with it.
Their debut album Alligator begins on a high note with the sarcastic “Perfect World” in which lead singer Kristin Blix belts out “No more lines between what’s right and wrong / This is right where I belong” to drummer Jason Carter’s unfailing beats.
The album's best song, “Postcards From Heaven”, is it’s most undressed. It begins with a strong acoustic. “Don’t wanna be like you” is the most infectious riddle with “You’re making millions pretending that it’s rough.” Have fun figuring out who the unnamed rock star is.
The album holds up pretty well, even “Exhole” could be forgiven for its shallow truculence and the bad joke title, if only it could do away with the action movie histrionics and the title track that lacks the beauty or eloquence of a great slow dance song.
There is enough sonic fandangle here to make U2 blush. This is the Garbage record that Garbage used to make and more.
To find out more about the band, visit their MySpace Page.
-----------------------------
Mickie's Zoo - blog
Guards of Metropolis readying "Alligator"
Two girls from Norway's Artic Circle, two guys from sunny California - GUARDS OF METROPOLIS - have combined influences from the laid-back northern reaches of Scandinavia with America's frantic west coast for their stunning debut album, "Alligator," out August 14 (Slackertone).
Produced by guitarist Charles Normal late last year primarily in the band's adopted hometown of Portland, OR, "Alligator" is a fistful of driven rock and roll riffs tempered by the layered harmonies that Scandinavian groups are famous for. Vocalist Kristin Blix's lyrics filter the American experience through a foreigner's eyes, from the vacuous hangers-on the band encountered while recording their demos in Hollywood, to such U.S. cultural "icons" as Jerry Springer and Molly Hatchet. Musically, think Garbage, Elastica, ABBA meets AC/DC.
The 13 songs on "Alligator" tackle diverse topics - "Perfect World" begs the question, "Have humans evolved FROM or INTO animals?" "Don't Wanna Be Like You" was inspired by a certain million-selling rock star who constantly complains that he doesn't like the spotlight and whines about having to do promotion and interviews, while burlesque, mental illness, Ken Kesey and The Andrews Sisters pretty much sum up the inspiration behind "Postcards from Heaven." The tongue-in-cheek song "Exhole" benefits from lyrical suggestions by actor Keifer Sutherland and songwriter/producer Jude Cole, as well as the rhythmic scratching sounds of the band's dog Cloee.
The four members of Guards of Metropolis -Blix/lead vocals, Normal/guitar and vocals, Silver Serenson/bass and vocals, and drummer Jason Carter - first got together in an abandoned chocolate factory on the outskirts of Oslo, Norway while a furious blizzard raged outside. Within three months of their first string of European concerts, the band left the Old World behind them for a 50-date U.S. tour. Their melodic pop/rock sound, confrontational lyrics and intense live performances quickly amassed industry attention, an ardent public response, and terrific critical reviews - L.A. Weekly cited the band's "accomplished songwriting and stylized sonic flamboyance, rare among today's club fodder."
All four band members have interests outside of Guards of Metropolis; Jason Carter build schools for underprivileged children in Viet Nam, some 300 of Kristin Blix' oil and acrylic paints have been on exhibit at Portland's largest and oldest gallery, Silver Sorensen is a part-time music teacher and Norwegian music folklorist, while Charles Normal is an avid collector of audio recordings from the 1930s. Both Carter and Normal also play in Frank Black's band and will be touring Europe with him this Summer. Guards of Metropolis will hit the road in August in support of "Alligator." Tour dates will be announced shortly.
-----------------------------
Indiemusicstop
Artist: Guards of Metropolis
Title: Whatever It Is EP
Rating 7.90 out of 10
By Senior Staff Writer C.W. Ross
This is the debut release from the modern rock band Guards of Metropolis. The female half of the band, Kristian Blix (vocals) and Silver Sorensen (bass) are from the Norway Article Circle region, while the male half of the band, Charles Normal (guitar), and Jason Carter (drums) hail from California, USA.
The four tracks of music that you'll find on this release are filled with layered harmonies set against a backdrop of driving rock beats. The song lyrics are filled with a punk rock-like angst driven flow.
The band uses the songs to take a slap at the current American president, B-list people like Jerry Springer, and the corruption and self-destruction found in today's society.
While I can't totally agree with everything the band is railing against, I can appreciate the quality of music that they put forth as a platform to express those views.
This EP should act as a solid musical foundation for them to continue to grow their musical career upon.
-----------------------------
Collected Sounds
What a fun record!
“Whatever it Is” is really catchy, jumpy, and has some great lyrics; “Shoveling shiite under our noses while telling us your planting roses” You’ll find yourself singing along after the first listen (heck maybe even on the first listen).
“Perfect World” uses some distortion on the vocals that is very cool. Sort of a conspiratorial smoky whisper.
Really all these songs are great. This is a fun party EP that would be a good summertime party CD
-----------------------------
Infuze Magazine
What did you get when you mix two girls from the Arctic Circle (Norway in particular) and two guys from California with a volatile political landscape? You get Guards of Metropolis, one of alternative rock’s best hopes for a future. Equal parts Garbage and Pixies, the band have just released their debut EP, Whatever It Is.
Produced by the band’s guitarist, Charles Normal (also recognizable to some as the godfather of Christian rock, Larry Norman’s, brother), Guards of Metropolis offer a full sounding punk rock laced quirkiness that is hard to pin down. Vocalist Kristin Blix sort of staggers when she sings, trying to find balance between, sexy, relevant, and angry and achieving it more often than not. She is certainly the center piece of the band, as most female singers tend to be.
The title track “Whatever It is” and “Exhole” open the EP with scathing political commentary that isn’t all that different from what the rest of the music industry is offering up. I’m all for speaking your mind politically but, honestly, I’m getting a little tired of how whiny sounding bands are becoming. “Perfect World” has more of a pop edge that kind of reminds me of later Blondie and “Have You Found Your Yoko Yet?” is the obligatory ballad. “..Yoko…” is probably the highlight of the album for me if for no other reason than it’s a clever use of Yoko Ono’s name and her despised position in music history.
This EP makes me think the band is still searching for the direction they want to pursue but it also serves as solid evidence that whatever they choose they are going to climb the ladder fast. Musically this band is superb and Kristin Blix is well on her way to becoming a great frontwoman. For now we have a nice little sampler to preview though, aptly title Whatever It Is.
-------------------------
L.A. Weekly
Humans and machines get along swimmingly in their world, but it's always clear who's controlling whom - Kristin Blix's sensually accented vocals are absolute flesh and blood; reedy, whisper-in-you-ear verses balooning into obvious but effective hooks amid metallic bass lines, mutant guitars and all manner of expertly arranged techno babble. Don't expect keyboard prodding geeks. Their vivid image and the double-barreled appeal of Blix and bassist Silver Sorensen are both alluring and appropriate...this five-piece display subtly accomplished songwriting and a stylized sonic flamboyance rare among today's club fodder. They either fall between fashion stools or straddle them brilliantly, yet they stimulate on enough levels to almost guarantee a good time. - Paul Rogers
-------------------------
Music Biz Magazine
"More hooks than a Montana fishing trip”
-------------------------
Music Connection
“Loaded with talent and intellect”
