Browsing Tag

Grunge Punk

The future of alt-rock arrived with Zegovia’s grungy punk-pierced protest, (It’s All Just) Noise

Posted on 3 June 2024

Imagine an immensely volatile lovechild of Dinosaur Jr and Pavement with punk proclivities, and you’ll get an idea of what Zegovia birthed with their latest single, (It’s All Just) Noise.

After the warm overdriven guitar chords swathe the pulsative drum rhythms with discordance in the intro, the rancour strips back as angular notes deliver intricately off-kilter melodies, creating a raw edgy aesthetic that speaks to how sharp Zegovia cut their teeth before they delivered the hook-rife controlled chaos in (It’s All Just) Noise.

So much more than your assimilative bubble of alt-90s nostalgia, Houston’s most inventively authentic alt-rock outfit rose up from the sludgy ennui of grunge, driven by the punk rock ferocity that is clearly running in their veins.

After feeling the full force of the visceralism in their latest release, it is evident that the four-piece’s determination to keep the pulse of rock beating in their rhythm won’t be in vain. Sleeping on a bed of nails would be easier than sleeping on Zegovia.

(It’s All Just) Noise arrived on the airwaves on May 24; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Unbranded penned a riotous alt-90s love letter with ‘Novacaine’

Posted on 4 April 2024

If you’ve ever wondered what Dinosaur Jr would sound like with a bigger and louder sonic stature, find the answer in the high-octane riotous love letter to the alt-90s, penned through The Unbranded’s hit single Novacaine.

Once you let the impaled-with pop-punk-hooks earworm in, don’t expect it to depart any time soon. As the kinetically infectious chord progressions subjugate your rhythmic pulses into submission, the augmented-with-charisma vocal lines draw you further into the centre of the frenetic epitome of rebellion which spits in the face of anyone who wants to shunt people who don’t fit the mould of banality to the sidelines.

The track is a clarion call to all the outliers looking for permission to transform their idiosyncrasies into fuel for their empowered fire. Following in the footsteps of the likes of Social Distortion, The Unbranded and their motivation to inject spiritual awakenings into their music are an essential listen; just one hit, and you’ll want to join them at the vanguard as they smash down toxic social constructions.

Novacaine was officially released on March 15; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

HeadWar has another hit in their grunge-punk arsenal with ‘Ladders’

Posted on 19 October 2023

With their sophomore EP, Bled Dry, the Madison Wisconsin prodigal sons of grunge punk HeadWar forcibly occupied the middle ground between Fugazi, Nirvana and Pantera and took no prisoners.

The self-described icons of awkward exceeded themselves with the catatonic furore which unfurls through every fortified with catatonic contempt progression in their most seminal single to date, Ladders, which is a cutting with razor-sharp lyrical position exposition on the need to socially climb.

The monolithic breakdown which bursts into a riff that would even leave Slayer fans weak at the knees is the ultimate affirmation of the technical skill of the powerhouse, which is otherwise disguised by the speed of the time signatures and lashings of distortion which lends itself effortlessly well to the lyrical lamentation.

Stream the Bled Dry EP by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

HeadWar say R.I.P. to cognitive autonomy in their rancorous installation of grunge-punk ‘Sheep (2023)’

Posted on 18 July 2023

Don’t wage war; wage HeadWar by listening to the Madison WI-residing grunge-punk trio’s latest single, ‘Sheep (2023)’. While saying R.I.P. to cognitive autonomy, the trio pulled out their heaviest instrumental artillery before sludging it up to the nth degree to replicate the chaos currently breeding in socio-political landscapes across the globe.

While I wasn’t all too convinced by the idea that hard times breed good music before, HeadWar is headstrong enough in their vindication to create an irrefutable testament to the adage. With Dalton Aerts ensuring that his vocals are just as savage as his guitars, Sam Tisue paying homage to the drum fills that make Metallica so ferociously cathartic, and Kyle Eith making the rhythm section as tight as possible; for three minutes, Sheep (2023) may convince you to stop banging your head off the wall and bang to the sonic absolution instead.

Add Sheep (2023) to your Spotify playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sabres sold sludged-up punk sanctuary in their latest single, Moronic

Posted on 29 May 2023

Now the 2006 sci-fi comedy film, Idiocracy, has become a contemporary documentary, the intelligent amongst us are left picking up the pieces of dissonance; Sabres’ latest sludged-up punk track, Moronic, is the ultimate antidote to the frustration and futility that comes as a consequence of living in the 21st century.

After noting how fans at live shows got into the groove of the dystopia-reflecting release, the Portsmouth-hailing duo shared the primal fury of their latest single that bares teeth at the right-wing press with the airwaves to extend further catharsis to the disenfranchised by association with their common sense. The incorporation of a heavily distorted reading from Nineteen Eighty-Four was a vindicating touch to the flawlessly tension-contorted release.

You will have plenty of chances to catch Moronic live as Sabres have filled their 2023 gig calendar with slots supporting Mondo Generator in addition to festival billings and dates with the support act, Hot Juice.

Moronic was released via Mayfield Records on May 19; get it in your ears by heading to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Honeybadger is out for blood in their biting alt-punk hit, Cold Wind

Posted on 6 February 2023

After hearing the ferocity of the grungy punk riffs in Honeybadger’s latest single, Cold Wind, there is no room to question how the Brighton-based sonic juggernauts came about their moniker.

With a tonal palette that makes Oh Sees sound sedate, Cold Wind is a high-octane psychedelically off-kilter whirlwind through the breakthrough act’s ingenuity and technical ability. Lyrically, Cold Wind spits venom at the type of frauds destined to trip over their contradictions after falsifying the truth to fit their insidious agenda.

Everyone has met one such protagonist, and Cold Wind is the ultimate vindicating middle finger with the boisterous rolling punches. Playing chaotically is one thing; orchestrating tightly disordered anthemics is quite another, and that is exactly where Honeybadger, who had a riotous 2022, excel.

Since forming in 2014, Honeybadger has stormed stages across the UK and featured on BBC Introducing, BBC Live Lounge and Wyatt Wendel’s Planet Rock show. Though we are sure the best is yet to come.

Cold Wind was officially released on January 28th. Hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast