Browsing Tag

Melodic Rock

Lighters in the air for Phatt James’ latest melodic grunge single, Ahead of Line

Posted on 27 May 2022

The evocative rock raconteurs, which form the melodic grunge powerhouse, Phatt James’ are fresh from the release of their latest single, Ahead of Line, which is a sublime convergence of the styles of Incubus and Red Hot Chilli Peppers, with plenty of their own distinction injected in between. Production-wise, the instrumentals gravitate around inexplicably intricate gravitas while the vocals expose nothing but raw soul.

It is still early days for the Bridgeport, Connecticut hailing outfit after releasing their debut EP, Circle Bent, in 2019, but notably, if any new band has what it takes to stir the hearts of 90s and 00s rock fans, it is Phatt James with their familiar yet sincerely original sound.

Ahead of Line is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Glass Image reached the pinnacle of evocative riff-driven alt-indie alchemy with their latest single, Again

Posted on 30 April 2022

On the basis of their latest single, Again, Glass Image is the entire pensively intellectual alt-rock package. With the artfully evocative gravitas of Radiohead, the monolithically melodic guitars and the raw yet honeyed indie alt-rock vocals, it’s enough to aurally lull you into an emotionally heightened state of intense appreciation of their candour and signature brand of riff-heavy alchemy.

After forming in 2018, the NY-hailing outfit got to work on their debut 2019 EP, which stood as a testament to their proclivity to always weave a meaningful narrative around melodic riffs. Following the release of Again, they are set to release their debut LP in 2022. Notably, they’re one to watch.

Again is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chuck Solo – Only time remains: A roots-rock effigy to love lost and unrelenting emotion

Posted on 31 December 2021
Only time remains by Chuck Solo

Sydney-based singer-songwriter, Chuck Solo, has released his roots-deep country pop-rock single, Only time remains, which runs through as a bitter-sweet effigy to love lost and unrelenting emotion to the tune of bluesy, choppy guitar chords and shimmering reverb.

Each note is plucked on his Strat by hand to boost the folky twang in the minimalist roots-rock track that allows his soulful yearning vocals to resound. Chris Isaak and Neil Diamond fans will instantly feel familiar with Only time remains through the stridently candid delivery of the sharp lyrics. Yet, Chuck Solo didn’t fall short on experimentalism with the sublime sonic layering of Only time remains. Which is accompanied by the equally as psychedelically sweet B-side single, Holding on (too tight). The crooned vocals and just as affectionate choral chords are enough to test your soul capacity’s to feel.

Only time remains is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Abandon the Fall – Exhale: A Phenomenal Resurgence of Alt Rock

Posted on 29 November 2021

With all the atmosphere of Porcupine Tree’s Fear of a Blank Planet album and the glitchy post-rock progressions, Abandon the Fall’s stormer of a single, Exhale, featuring Dayshell, is a phenomenal resurgence of the alt-rock ingenuity that faded away after the turn of the century.

The white-hot wailing guitars, emotionally-charged vocals and stormy transitions right the way through the tumultuous emo-tinged track all pull together to create a soundscape that leaves you more adrenalized with each deftly contorted evolution of sonic finesse. Exhale has become Abandon the Fall’s most popular track to date shortly after the release; the power trio will be unstoppable from here on out.

Exhale is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Vulpine break new ground with their experimental post-rock EP, Ventures.

Posted on 19 October 2021

Scotland’s most melodic alt-rock outfit, Vulpine, has released their genre-spanning debut EP, Ventures, which brings a rare sense of accessibility to math rock and plenty of solemnity and poise to emo pop-rock.

The best introduction to their atmospheric, progressively gripping songwriting style is the title track, which carries the evocative weight of Frightened Rabbit combined with the instrumental furore of Mogwai.

From an ambient prelude, an intricately immense storm kicks up in the instrumentals, taking you through gripping breakdowns and even sweeter crescendos that hit the climactic spot every time. As the consistently in-flux sonic palette switches up through the progressions, vocalist, Pete Fox, demonstrates the provoking range of his vocal power.

The Ventures EP released on October 1st. It is now available to stream and purchase on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Danny Mortimer revitalised alt-rock with his single, Opener

Posted on 24 August 2021
Danny Mortimer

There was no forgetting the Scottish melodic rock progressive Danny Mortimer after his haunting 2018 single, Anything But Silence. Discernibly, lockdown added even more virtuosic flair to his melodic ability; if his latest single, Opener, is anything to go by.

After a scuzzy hard-rock riff as a prelude, Opener unravels as a lyrically tender Trans-Atlantic time capsule to the 90s with hints of both Paul Draper and early FNM Mike Patton in the vocals that pour plenty of soul into the otherwise strident and emotionally-charged track.

Opener will be released on August 20th; check it out by heading to Danny Mortimer’s website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Stop Playing Games: Swedish rock band Pressure open up the floodgates with ‘No One Can Hear You’

Posted on 8 May 2021

With a thudding beat that stomps the sweaty socks right off your busting boots, Pressure do what they do best on their new high voltage classic rock feeling of a single with ‘No One Can Hear You‘, that is taken off their latest album called ‘Path Of A Shadow‘.

Pressure is a full-paced three-piece Stockholm, Sweden-based melodic rock band, who certainly turn up the volume and keep it there the whole way through.

With vocalist Olof Jönsson, songwriter and lead guitarist Simon “Siirpo” Forsell fused together with the powerful Emil Salling, this is a strong team that bring the electric guitar-packed heat with every second, that actually leaves you quite breathless.

This is about asking your friend to stop playing games, as all their dreams will come true if they just buckle in and open up their eyes to what is quite easy to see.

‘No One Can Hear You’ from Stockholm, Sweden melodic rock band Pressure, is a soaring effort that has you in a flux of emotions as they perform with a ferocious velocity, that burns the doubt all off your tired body. This is a band that leaves it all on the line and bring back that classic sound, from the rock heyday of yesteryear.

Hear this new single on Spotify and see their IG for more new release news and stories.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Empire Of Lights ‘Hit The Highway’ out of South Wales and into the big leagues.

Posted on 9 April 2021

Small towns in Wales seem to regularly turn up superb melodic rock bands, and Empire of Lights – with their new single ‘Hit The Highway’ is no exception to that rule. Sparse, echoey guitar, pounding drums, and driving bass are the order of the day here; there’s a gothy vibe to the music, a feel of ‘The Forest’ or ‘Jumping Someone Else’s Train’-era Cure, mixed with Johnny Borrell Razorlight vocals from singer John Aziz.

It’s a vaguely psychedelic, spacey sound – there’s something special about the dynamics of three piece rock bands; think Hendrix, Cream, Husker Du and Sugar, and of course Nirvana. The interplay between instruments and vocals, the necessity of accepting and using space rather than simply turning everything up louder than everything else, allows for a different approach and that serves Empire Of Lights well here, adding to that slightly ephemeral, dreamy feel, and coming from such a young band – drummer Eifion Davies is still too young to drink in the bars that Empire Of Lights should be playing this year – shows a realy understanding of arrangement and songwriting. The future looks very bright for Empire Of Lights.

Hear ‘Hit The Highway’ on Spotify; follow Empire Of Lights on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Abandon the Fall – Compass Rose: Relentlessly Mesmerising Instrumental Alt Rock

Posted on 1 April 2021

‘Compass Rose’ is just one of the interstellar instrumental tracks to feature on Abandon the Fall’s latest alt-rock EP ‘Infinite Seasons’.

With the morosity of the National resonating in the quiescent interludes, when the track builds up to the breaks, you’ll be on the edge of your seat as Abandon the Fall plays havoc with your emotions and takes control of rhythmic pulses.

Compass Rose is a relentlessly mesmerising single that never leaves you feeling over-faced by the layers of viscerally-charged instrumentals. Instead, it leaves you leaning deeper into the soul of the single which is easy to find in the distinctive guitar notes which linger over atmospheric electronic effect.

Compass Rose is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Abandon The Fall drop new instrumental melodic rock ‘Memories’

Posted on 31 March 2021

When we reviewed Abandon The Fall’s ‘Enemy’ single back in August 2018, Amelia Vandergast likened them to Linkin Park’s ‘Hybrid Theory’, saying ‘the vocals are stripped back and left emotionally bare around the resounding instrumentals’. In the case of ‘Memories’, from new EP ‘Infinite Seasons’, Abandon The Fall have taken that a step further and provided an instrumental track bereft of vocals altogether. It’s not, however, bereft of power or melancholy, that same electronic-meets-metal vibe that was there on the debut coming through across the track. There’s definitely that Linkin Park feel at times, but with thundering kick drums aplenty behind the shimmering, echoey guitars, there’s touches of Enter Shikari and 30 Seconds To Mars in here too. It’s a potent, powerful track with no loss of emotiveness from its instrumental-only nature.

You can hear ‘Memories’ on Spotify; check out Abandon The Fall on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes