Browsing Tag

Faith No More

The Elegant Chasers explored the trappings and torment of addiction with their maniacal alt-rock hit, The Hungry Ghost

Posted on 15 March 2024

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Mike Patton had formed a new side project after being exposed to the vocal dynamism and tightly controlled instrumental chaos in the latest single, The Hungry Ghost, from the London-based alt-rock originators, The Elegant Chasers.

The franticly alchemic production which echoes 90s Britpop and grunge entices you in through the urgency as the James Dean Bradfield-esque guitars shimmer and act as an anchor in the tumultuous storm brewed by the rhythm section. The lack of restraint is a conceptual sonic visualisation of the nefariousness of addiction, which the volatile lyrics explore influenced by the work of Gabor Mate.

There was no forgetting The Elegant Chasers after getting acquainted through their previous release, Running Around the Sun, but The Hungry Ghost is a million maniacal miles away from the mash-up of indie, Britpop and Psych Rock. It’s safe to say The Elegant Chasers can stop running because they’ve arrived at exactly where they need to be with The Hungry Ghost.

The Hungry Ghost will be officially released on March 15; stream and purchase the single on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Master Splinter – A Caustic Version: Mike Patton Spawned a Stoner-Rock Monster

Posted on 2 November 2023

If the Alice in Chains discography hit a little bit harder and attacked their song crafting with an infectious sense of facetiousness, their grungy tracks would roll with the same vitriolically zany punches as Master Splinter’s latest single, A Caustic Version, which also runs in the same Machiavellian vein as some of Mike Patton’s most maniacally unhinged tracks.

With the vocals taking on swathes of different guises to amplify the unpredictability of the hard rock hit, your speakers will be smoking the wildfire ignited by the Portland, Oregon-based outfit’s determination not to take themselves too seriously.

If you’re sick of the brooding narcissists who proliferate rock and metal scenes across the globe and want a taste of eccentrically elemental stoner rock ingenuity, sink your teeth into A Caustic Version

A Caustic Version was officially released on October 17^th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Perry Lockwood prescribed comfortingly stoic ear candy in their soul-pop-rock serenade, What If Tomorrow Never Comes

Posted on 1 June 2023

While there are no good answers, what if tomorrow comes? At least the latest soul pop-rock serenade from Perry Lockwood, which titularly ponders the same inquiry into non-being is comfortingly stoic ear candy.

With the same ascending effects utilised in Crazy by Seal and Echoes of Faith No More in their Angel Dust era, noted through the smooth crooned vocal lines and grooves laid down by the guitars and bass, What If Tomorrow Never Comes is instantly accessible. But there was plenty of room for Lockwood to scribe his distinctive sonic signature in this deeply contemplative release, which will leave you grateful for the sentience you are granted today.

The official video for What If Tomorrow Never Comes is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

LUCID LIP soulfully speak on disillusion in their alt-rock single, Who Would Notice?

Posted on 30 July 2022

New York’s smoothest and synth-heavy alt-rock outfit, LUCID LIP, has unveiled their latest heartbreakingly smoky single, Who Would Notice? which taps into the same sense of disillusioned isolation that everyone with any degree of self-awareness has battled with lately.

The lyric, “What the hell does anyone want anyway?”, efficaciously captures the frustration of the irrationality of most of the people you encounter. While “I’m not here to sell my soul, but who would notice?” pulls you into the darkened ennui of depression’s grips. Metaphorically, of course.

Far more remarkably, nothing about the single resonates as self-piteous; there’s a comforting sense that the candour was used as a means of solidarity with the listener.

Who Would Notice? left the same evocative imprint as Incubus did on me back in my slightly less jaded teen years, with a touch of Faith No More’s The Real Thing (I don’t make Mike Patton references lightly).

Who Would Notice? will officially release on July 29th. Check it out on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sakara’s Son gave grunge a psychedelic kick with their single, Crying Shame

Posted on 23 August 2021

Irish alt-rock artist, Sakara’s Son, gave their grungy alt-90s single, Crying Shame, a bluesy psychedelic garage rock kick and proved just how mind-melting Alice in Chains could have been if they were a little bolder with their distortion pedals.

After an early FNM-style intro, the swaying melodies give way to a sonic kaleidoscopic furore, forceful enough to leave the hair on the back of your neck give a standing ovation to Sakara’s Son.

There really is no overstating the level of energy and innovation contained in this scathingly veracious release, paired with the practically pornographic guitar solos, what more could you possibly ask for, other than the opportunity to experience that wall of noise live?

Stream Crying Shame on Spotify and Bandcamp; connect with Sakara’s Son on Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The silence is deafening in Shadow Box’s alt-90s hard rock hit, Without a Word.

Posted on 11 August 2021

Alt-rock outfit, Shadow Box, made its debut in 2021 with their album, Flat Moon. The lead single, Without a Word, will quickly become a playlist staple for fans of Faith No More, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. (I don’t make Mike Patton comparisons easily.) If someone told me that Without a Word was a lost relic from the alt-90s, I’d believe them; the panoramic anthem pulls you in with the intensity of the emotion poured over tight melodic instrumentals.

Shadow Box formed when Mike Roman (guitars, vocals, keyboards) and Mike Rajinone (guitars and vocals) fused their respective hard rock and folk-rock styles. Any difference between them quickly became aural chemistry. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

Check out the debut album on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Pierce Point revives dusty Grunge Rock tones with his Funk-soaked single “Who I Want to Be”

Posted on 5 October 2020

Any fans of early Faith No More and Alice in Chains are definitely going to want to indulge in the Funk-soak raucously eclectic Rock hit “Who I Want to Be” by up and coming solo artist Pierce Point.

There may be plenty of aural nostalgia woven into the track, but Pierce Point possesses enough distinction and flair to revive those dusty Grunge Rock tones and remind you why you fell in love with them in the first place. There’s something all too indulgent about the driving wah-soaked guitar solos sliding against the caustic slaps of the bass which utterly consumes your consciousness.

Pierce Point is definitely one to watch, you might want to warm up a comfortable spot on your radar for their smooth soulful sound.

Who I Want to Be is just one of the tracks off the artist’s Charged Atmosphere EP. For more info, head over to the artist’s Facebook page or website.

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

Crisis King – Tonight – If You Thought That Extreme Music Could Not Be Eclectic, Think Again!

Posted on 3 November 2017

Crisis King is an artist with a fondness for hard-hitting metal, post-hardcore and industrial tones. His recent studio work, Tonight, is an EP that features 6 original songs. The artist’s music explores genres as diverse as hardcore, industrial, new-metal and more, going for an eclectic, yet direct sound. Opening number, “Die Easy”, is an extremely powerful wall of sound that feels like a stampede of vikings, crushing and burning everything in their path. The song has powerful drums and loud guitar riffs that are down-tuned and aggressive, perfectly matching the vocals.

The dark lyrical themes on the songs of the EP are also a great match with the album’s production aesthetics, but there is also room for melodies here and there.

“The Tides” highlights the group’s most melodic side, yet it still features hard-hitting drums, loud guitar walls and serendipitous changes. Throughout the span of these 6 tracks, Crisis King really stand out for the diverse approach they are able to bring to the table, exploring different sides of their musicianship and offering up an EP that feels eclectic, yet extremely direct, just as you would expect from a band such as Crisis King!