Biography
Howards Alias began at the end of 1999, writing songs mostly in the ska-punk vein. Even by the time that The Chameleon Script was released in 2002, it became apparent that the band's sound was somewhat more mature and defined than the usual third wave sound that had been overdone in previous years. The album was critically acclaimed; even by notorious UK rock weekly Kerrang!, who awarded it four "K"s out of five.
The band continued to tour hard with bands such as Lightyear, Captain Everything!, No Comply, Sonic Boom Six, DESA and Rx Bandits (who are generally acknowledged as a major influence in later Howards Alias work).
In early 2004, the band wrote three new songs for inclusion on a split EP with DESA. The EP showed a change of direction from The Chameleon Script, with the band dropping a lot of the predominant ska influences. This showed a transition that the band cemented with the release of The Answer Is Never later in the same year. The album was hailed by critics as "a masterpiece" and "one of the best British rock records ever made", with EuroPunk.net firmly stating "If you claim to love music, you owe it to yourself to own this record, simply as that". Longtime drummer Jevon Snell left the band in early 2005 (soon to join another Southampton-based band: Chin Music), and was replaced by Jon Warren of Workin Lunch. The band went into the studio with this new line-up to record the follow-up to The Answer Is Never. The result was Beat Heart, Beat, which was released in the July 2005.
Less of a drastic step and more of a natural progression from the previous album, the critical reception of the album was mostly positive. The inclusion of a keyboard (played by the multi-talented Nicholas Horne) was particularly praised for adding a new depth to the Howards Alias sound. Some older fans, however, were alienated by the step even further away from the original ska-punk roots of the band.
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