BEFORE the Spice Girls started their meteoric rise to chart success, female-fronted-bands were everywhere in the Britpop scene - with the likes of Elastica, Sleeper, Kenickie and Catatonia.

I thought perhaps Anemo's debut album Slowburn marked their return - the Brighton-based three piece is fronted by enticing blonde Hazelle Woodhurst - until I listened to the CD.

It's as if a hurricane has torn through a very eclectic record collection with shards of vinyl turning up as strong influences for Anemo.

But these influences are too diverse, with Woodhurst sounding like Shakira has slept with Evanescence against a backdrop of huge riffs.

This strange mixture is neither pop, indie, rock nor metal and the only real way of describing it is as a post-modern mash which just doesn't work.

The band is a big hit with American college radio - which is no ringing endorsement.

I studied in the States and know what kind of Limp Bizkit and Evanescence-style rubbish those college radio stations play.