Browsing Tag

Metal

Owl Rose have unleashed their frenetically cathartic post-hardcore EP ‘PTERODACTYLS’

Posted on 17 March 2021
OWL ROSE

If any up and coming alt-rock act is going to make hardcore fans miss sticky floors and colliding with sweat-soaked strangers, it’s Owl Rose. The Norfolk, UK-based alt-rock powerhouse’s EP, ‘PTERODACTYLS’, shares the same genre-blending propensities as Enter Shikari, Bring Me the Horizon and Architects, but this frenetic 6-track release is anything but assimilative.

In the standout single, Sigourney, along with the aggression you’d expect to find in any thrashy post-hardcore release, you’ll also be confronted by abrasive punk attitude. But when the chorus hits, the soaring vocals hook you even deeper into the sonic catharsis offered by Owl Rose’s mindful approach to metal.

Short of sticking a fork in a plug socket, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more electrifying experience than hitting play on Sigourney.

The PTERODACTYLS EP was officially released on February 25th. You’ll be able to check it out via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get Acquainted with Tricia Fitz’s theatrically elemental alt-rock earworm ‘Welcome to the System’

Posted on 8 March 2021
https://open.spotify.com/track/3rUpgky6BenDqlzxVrC9Ax&si=239ee2b03dae4f0c

With a Nekrogoblikon-style symphonic playfulness to the dark alt-rock track through which Tricia Fitz’s dynamic vocals resound, Welcome to the System proves that elemental alt-rock singles can also be perennial earworms.

No matter how eclectic your playlists are, you’ll never have come across an alt-rock artist as veracious, theatrical and imaginative as Tricia Fitz. Now that Marilyn Manson is (rightfully) cancelled, it’s time we embrace visionary artists, such as the zeitgeist-breaking artist Tricia Fitz, who put ominous tones on the airwaves, but the true essence of their sound lies in the empowerment within.

The Brazilian-Canadian artist is set to make other dark alt-rock acts such as Jack off Jill, My Ruin, Angelspit and Lunachicks proud with her emboldening unique approach.

Welcome to the System is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

I don’t want you there: Nigel T drops eye-catching visuals for ‘Get Out Of My Head’

Posted on 26 February 2021

With a deep frustration about a former friendship causing him pain, Nigel T shreds all thoughts of the person away rapidly on the fiery new single ‘Get Out Of My Head‘.

Nigel T is an indie rapper/singer from Minneapolis in Minnesota, who breaks the genres of metal and hip-hop into his own escape from this wild world, with breakneck appeal that you need to keep up with. His quick-fire fuse of a delivery, splatters all doubts on the walls, as you are engulfed by a man who is at the top of his game.

This is the highly entertaining but sinister chronicle of a pissed off rapper, who has been let down and is supremely annoyed by the lies, so he is taking action to make sure it doesn’t happen again. He is consumed by the thoughts of the past and just wants them to wash away and never return to his head. These vivid memories are making him obsessed, which he knows needs to vanish into the distance as soon as possible.

‘Get Out Of My Head‘ from Minneapolis, Minnesota’s rap/metal artist Nigel T, is a lightning bolt into your consciousness, as he enthusiastically shows us into the room of gloomy darkness, where the frustration boils over and heat is on the way real quick. He savages the mic with ferocious abandon and torches all doubters and fake former friends away from his mind for good.

Hear this head-banger on YouTube and see more from this life on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Keep your mind open: Neves drops thought-provoking smash single ‘Liars’

Posted on 31 January 2021

Neves rips through the mainstream conversation on his hard-hitting new single, that stimulates you to think differently to what they say on TV via ‘Liars‘.

Neves is a formidable underground Trap/Metal/Hip-Hop artist from Daytona Beach, Florida, who unleashes his inner thoughts to what is really going on in the world- with a barrage of fiercely unleashed raps that makes him stand out from the rest. He makes that rare music to help others open their minds to more than what is staring at you in the face. By educating and teaching us to trust our gut, he is the modern day street poet that remains hidden and just heard by those that dig deep for new music.

His wordplay is gritty and honest as he lets loose with a style that is remarkably hard and he takes no prisoners with his blast to the decision-makers, that hide the truth. You have to catch your breath as you listen here, as the sheer blast is like an explosion going off in your curious brain.

‘Liars‘ from Daytona Beach, Florida rapper Neves, is that song you put on when you are feeling in the mood to let that frustration lose at the state of affairs in the world. With a powerfully constructed lyrical attack, this is one emcee that tells it how he feels and doesn’t hold back for a second.

Opening your mind to what is really going on is the way to unlocking further thoughts and not staying caged up. Whether you really want to find the key and see what is inside, is completely up to you. Knowledge is power but with it, comes great responsibility.

Hear your next gym track here on YouTube and see more on FB.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Alt Metal instrumentalist Jorge Gomez has made his debut with the ‘Beyond Blackened’ EP

Posted on 27 December 2020

Madrid-residing Spanish musician, Jorge Gomez, has made their solo debut with the EP ‘Beyond Blackened’ which serves thrashy furore while fervently stamping down his signature sound on the Metal scene. There’s very little chance his imprint will go unnoticed for much longer.

The 4-track release, which was recorded at the legendary Alex Cappa’s Metal Factory, shows just how much nuance can be packed into a fast-paced offering of blackened instrumental Metal. In the absence of vocals, there’s definitely no absence of feeling as you wrap yourself up in the progressively transfixing soundscapes which are consistently leading you into another facet of Jorge Gomez’s dynamic elemental style.

The build-ups from the melodically tender Rock intro’s, especially with track 3, Hollow, is a journey you’re going to want to take time and time again.

There really is no overstating the level of skill exhibited in Beyond Blackened. It’s so much more than just technical ability. The artist’s talent when it comes to hooking you in from the intro and toying with your emotions and rhythmic pulses and psyche in equal measure right until the outro makes Beyond Blackened one of the most promising debuts we’ve heard in 2020.

You can check out Jorge Gomez’s EP for yourselves via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

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

Grindcore meets Sludge Metal in XMALCOLMX’s humanity damning single ‘MAN IS THE PREY’

Posted on 16 December 2020

Sludge Metal, Black Metal, Nu Metal and Grindcore all cataclysmically collide in the 2020 album from  XMALCOLMX, ‘MAN IS THE PREY’. Each track exhibits the Stockton, California-hailing artist’s experimental style which has set the benchmark for boundary-pushing within the DIY music scene of Northern California. If you want the best introduction to XMALCOLMX’s addictively visceral sound, hit play on the title single.

The progressive track kicks off with distorted trepidation and hostility before rhythm starts to break through the caustic sonic sludge and punky protestive vocals bounce along with the monumental progressions. With an aural curveball at every turn in the tight instrumentals and the vocals proving to be just as versatile, MAN IS THE PREY quickly entices you through the addictively rhythmic abrasive energy

You can check out MAN IS THE PREY along with the rest of XMALCOLMX’s sludgy masterpiece for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

When Dark – Madness: Stylistically Ensnaring Metalcore

Posted on 15 November 2020

Alt Rock trailblazers When Dark may have only made their inception in June 2020, but the collective of experienced artists brought all of their prowess to the aural table to form one of the most promising powerhouses currently contributing to the airwaves. Yeah, that includes Mr Bungle too.

Their latest single, Madness, perfectly captures that tempestuously frustrative state which you teeter on while on the brink of madness. Trent Holcomb’s vocals offer all the sniping rage you’d want to meet in a feisty high-octane Metal hit. More pertinently, the vocals affirm that their undiluted soul fell into the orchestration of their standout single.

With massive choruses which will catch in your throat alongside colossally visceral instrumental breakdowns, you really couldn’t ask for more from the darkly electrifying track. You hit play and you’re instantly left sharing in the ardent potency of the stylistically ensnaring release.

Any fans of Killswitch Engage, In Flames and As I Lay Dying will definitely appreciate this monstrous Metalcore gem.

You can catch When Dark’s track Madness via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast  

Chris Mike – Limerence: Theatrically Virtuosic Rock

Posted on 30 September 2020

It’s theatrical, it’s virtuosic, it’s ingeniously intense. It’s Chris Mike’s latest guitar-led instrumental track “Limerence”.

Rock aficionados will be enraptured before the first solo has time to make your jaw drop. But Limerence isn’t solely about Chris Mike’s fretboard wizardry. With symphonic elements amplifying the energy of the electrifying mix, you’re in for a raucously euphoric treat.

We might not be able to go to gigs right now, but even if I found myself front-row for my favourite artist, I’m not entirely sure I could be as blown away as I was when listening to Limerence for the first time.

There’s no amount of acclaim that Limerence is unworthy of. Not only is Chris Mike one of the most talented instrumentalists I’ve heard in 2020, there’s also plenty of distinctive flair around his rhythmically masterful shredding. I think I’ve found a new guitar hero.

Limerence is just one of the tracks which will be featured on the artist’s forthcoming album Socialholic which is due to drop on October 16th. You can pre-save the album via this link.

You can check out the official video to Chris Mike’s single Limerence for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast  

UK Alt Rock Trailblazers Settlem3nt are Set to Unleash Their Colossal New Hit “CHAMPAGNE”

Posted on 5 August 2020
Settlem3nt

Anyone with a penchant for scuzzy biting Alt-Rock won’t want to hang around on jumping on the latest release “CHAMPAGNE” from UK powerhouse Settlem3nt.

After a promising debut, the band had plenty of hype to live up to with CHAMPAGNE. They definitely succeeded with their viscerally charged infusion of Punk, Post-Rock and Metal. With the colossal sound, alchemic riffs and transfixing instrumental breakdowns, Settlem3nt easily set themselves apart from any other emerging artist.

Their high-octane sound would have reminiscences to Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes if Frank Carter went heavier with their sound, and dare I say threw in the same level of ingenuity?

You can check out Settlem3nt’s single CHAMPAGNE for yourselves from August 31st by heading over to Spotify. In the meantime, you can check out their equally as masterfully volatile debut single Visions.

Review by Amelia Vandergast