Browsing Tag

Dark Rock

INSiGHT deliver a damning depiction of the socio-political climate with ‘THiS is AMERiCA’

Posted on 21 December 2020

Opening up with the powerful statement that ‘last year, 39,603 people died from gun violence in the USA’, ‘THiS is AMERiCA’ is a powerful indictment of gun culture and bloodshed from the California-based metallers INSiGHT. Once a six-piece, and now effectively the solo-project of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Dave, INSiGHT drive hard-hitting, hard-riffing metal in the style of Machine Head, Pantera, Metallica, or the late, great Randy Rhoads.

Grinding and thundering like another sadly-lost guitar hero, Dimebag Darrell, Dave’s guitar tone is all heavily-scooped gain-cascaded chug and grind, the vocals alternately nonchalant and angry, mumbled or growled over rumbling bass and heavy blast-beat drums. It’s a potent mix, the angry, disbelieving message of the track made all the stronger by the stomping grind of the riff, like Pantera’s ‘Walk’ or Machine Head’s stunning ‘Davidian’. Boosted by the potent animated lyric video, ‘THiS is AMERiCA’ is a strong introduction to INSiGHT’s forthcoming album ‘GEMiNi: The Light And The Dark’.

Check out ‘THiS is AMERiCA’ on YouTube, and follow INSiGHT on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Dark World Carousel – Einhander: Ensnaringly Progressive Alt Rock

Posted on 5 May 2020

If you are under the impression that there are no new avenues to take Alt Rock in, Dark World Carousel’s standout single Einhander will smash those perceptions into oblivion.

Einhander kicks off with a Dark-Alt-Folk-style prelude before the progressive track picks up rhythmic momentum and transforms into an electrifyingly serpentine feat of Alt Rock complete with volatile ensnaring vocals.

Yet, Dark World Carousel doesn’t stop there. There’s yet another seismic shift in the soundscape which allows Einhander to experiment with the chaotic insanity of Symphonic Death Metal.

It’s a monster of a track which doesn’t just depend on sheer speed and intensity to leave you gripped. I never thought I’d have the pleasure of indulging in a track which offers reminiscences of Soundgarden and Nekrogoblikon. Dark World Carousel offers a dynamically adrenalizing sound which is all too easy to get obsessed with. Get them on your radar.

You can check out Dark World Carousel’s single Einhander for yourselves by heading over to Reverb Nation.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jessamine Barham – Denial: Baroquely Dark Alt Rock

Posted on 21 March 2020

Any fans of Nick Cave are going to want to check out the latest single “Denial” from up and coming Rock artist Jessamine Barham.

The pensive piano-led soundscape sets the perfect tone for the vocals to fall upon and conjure a dark-brand of aural alchemy. It’s dramatic, it’s unapologetically distinctive, and I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to hear and artist throw herself completely into a track with little inclination to assimilate what already exists on the airwaves.

Denial may be on the twee side of Rock, but that’s not to say that it’s not a striking soundscape to delve into. Jessamine Barham’s baroque vocals ensure that your attention is never in danger of faltering once you hit play.

You can check out Jessamine Barham’s single Denial for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tryst Has Released Her Baroquely Dark Feat of Alt Rock “Vulgar Virtue”

Posted on 8 March 2020

Someone may want to inform Lydia Lunch that she’s got competition after up and coming Alt Rock artist Tryst released her latest single “Vulgar Virtue”.

Vulgar Virtue is a baroquely dark feat of electronically-driven Rock with elements of Industrial, Synth-Pop, Post-Punk, and Metal weaved in for indulgently dramatic effect.

With unrestrainable vocals which bleed just as much adrenalizing appeal as the heavy caustic instrumental arrangement which comes complete with buzzsaw riffs, Vulgar Virtues has all the essential components of a successful goth anthem.

Any fans of Nine Inch Nails, My Ruin, Depeche Mode and Marilyn Manson are going to want to find the time to check out Vulgar Virtue. And thankfully, there’ll be plenty more to come from Tryst in 2020. As Vulgar Virtue is the title track to the NY-based artist’s upcoming album.

You’ll have to wait until March 21st for the album to drop. In the meantime, head over to YouTube and check out the stunningly fierce official video to the single.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shifting Jack – Exit: Progressively Cinematic, Ominously Arrestive Alt Rock

Posted on 2 March 2020
https://open.spotify.com/track/0YjIr7Aa9rAEgbo1aDRZM9

Shifting Jack have recently dropped their darkly progressive 2020 album “Valentine”. Anyone with a penchant for artists who audibly push against every genre boundary and constraint to serve you pure unbridled ingenuity will definitely want to indulge.

Each of the nine tracks stand a testament to Shifting Jack’s deft skills when it comes to creating cinematically ominous music. Yet, the perfect introduction to their sound is the epic 7-minute feat of intricate aural disconcertment “Exit”.

With a prelude which shares reminiscences with Faith No More’s “Motherfucker” followed by a seamless progression into a soundscape which is sure to win over fans of Nine Inch Nails, Exit is the Alternative Progressive track we never knew that we needed. At that point, you’re not even close to knowing just how much Exit has to offer. There’s a myriad of stylistic turns to encounter in Exit. Expect blistering crescendos, iron-wrought tension, and an unparalleled dosing of emotional magnetism.

If you could imagine a melange of all the Alt Rock tracks which appeared on the Saw 3 soundtrack, you’ll be left with an idea of what to expect from the Norwegian studio artist.

You can check out Exit along with the rest of Shifting Jack’s album via Spotify.

Keep up to date with their latest releases via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sage Morei – Spin: Futuristic Darkwave EDM Alt Rock

Posted on 15 February 2020

Up and coming Alt Rock artist Sage Morei made their darkly mesmeric debut on February 2nd with their single “Spin”. Someone may want to tell Peter Murphy that there’s a new contender for goth supreme.

With futuristic darkwave beats along with a seductively ominous vocal prowess, it’s all too easy to get pulled into the murky depths of Spin which has given the evolution of Rock a brand-new trajectory.

Spin fuses Traditional Rock components with the modernity of hard-hitting atmospheric electronica which any fans of Nine Inch Nails and Celldweller will definitely appreciate. There may be reminiscences to other artists, but the distinction will hit you harder than any similarity.

There’ll be plenty more to come from Sage Morei in 2020, they’re well worth placing on your radar.

You can check out the official music video to Sage Morei’s track Spin via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Love Ghost – Dead Brother: Atmospherically Phantasmal Dark Rock

Posted on 21 January 2020
Love Ghost

I’m used to psychological terror on-screen but listening to Love Ghost’s latest single “Dead Bother” was my first time of taking it in aurally.

That all sounds frightfully macabre. But what you’ll actually get when you hit play is an atmospheric, groove-filled feat of Dark Rock complete with lyrics which share reminiscences with Horror Punk pioneers the Misfits. Yet the serpentine dark 80s-inspired rhythms combined with the phantasmally bewitching vocals create a hazy mellow soundscape which allows you to soak up the disconcerting lyricism all too easily. Any fans of Deftones, Type O Negative, Incubus and A Perfect Circle are sure to appreciate Dead Brother as much as we did.

Dead Brother is due to drop on January 24th, 2020. You can pre-save the single and check out the earlier releases from Love Ghost with this Spotify link.

You can keep up to date with the latest release via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Faunshead – Come Wake Me Up: Ethereally Dark Experimental Indie

Posted on 21 December 2019

LA Rock duo Faunshead’s recently released single “Come Wake Me Up” is a salaciously ominous soundscape which any fans of dark Indie Rock will want on their playlists.

If you could imagine what Marilyn Manson would sound like if he adopted a fuzzy, grungy, melodic Indie approach to his music, you’d get a good idea of Faunshead’s nuanced distinctive style.

With Come Wake Me Up, the US artist created a sublime feat of Alt Rock through the use of cavernous drum rolls, growling ethereal vocals and inventive blasts of synth. But around the experimentalism, they weaved in a massive chorus which is extremely efficacious in snaring you into a feat of rhythmic euphoria. Faunshead’s sound feels like it has already has a home on Mike Patton’s Ipecac record label.

You can check out Come Wake Me Up for yourselves by heading over to Spotify. Or, you can witness the aural alchemy in the making with the live video via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dame Tu Alma – Skeleton Key: Monstrously Cinematic Swiss Alt Rock

Posted on 25 November 2019

If you hadn’t noticed, there was no shortage of ominous Halloween releases this year. Up there with the best of them is the Dark Rock single “Skeleton Key” from Swiss artist Dame Tu Alma.

The single may be packed with chilling atmospherics, but the phantasmal air weaves in-between sharp melodic hooks which pull you right into potently energetic choruses. There’s a unique synergy within the soundscape of Skeleton Key which constantly progresses never allowing you to find a moment’s complacency with the aural alchemy you’re ingesting.

It’s not all too often that we come across Alt Rock earworms, but Dame Tu Alma didn’t fail to deliver with their colossal high-octane stylistic offering to the genre.

You’ll hear a smorgasbord of influences within Skeleton Key, from Black Metal to Post Rock to Nu Metal, it’s all fed into the cinematically monstrous hit which stands as a testament to the artist’s authenticity and ingenuity.

You can check out the official video to Skeleton Key which was released on October 31st for yourselves by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Witchingseason – Queen of the Zoo: Grittily Dark Hard Rock

Posted on 11 October 2019

“Queen of the Zoo” is the latest sonically bewitching track to be dropped by London-based Dark Rock trio Witchingseason. Fans of Queens of the Stone Age, Velvet Revolver, Eagles of Death Metal, and Soundgarden will definitely want to check it out.

While there may be a fair few similarities between the vocals in Queen of the Zoo to Josh Homme’s vocals, Witchingseason has made sure that they’ve made the soundscape well and truly their own. The sultry snaking rhythms possess a grittily mesmeric distinctive allure which you won’t be able to find elsewhere easily on the airwaves – especially not from another UK artist.

If you ever hear anyone say there are no ‘real’ Rock bands around anymore, you’ll be able to aurally slap them in the face with this blisteringly raw stylistic offering.

You can check out Witchingseason’s latest single by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast