Browsing Tag

post rock

Seattle’s Christian Rock Reverend Ryan Graves Used His Credence to Create an Electrifying Alt-Rock Hit with ‘Enemy’

Posted on 23 September 2023

Impressively, Ryan Graves is fresh from the release of his second LP of 2023; far from new to the game, he became an integral part of Seattle’s Christian alt-rock scene in the 90s; with his latest album, Human, which stands up to the cataclysmic threat of AI, Graves definitively proved that he can still hit the high-fire mark.

With a rap-rock edge that is just as sharp as the ones carved by The Beastie Boys in the verses of the standout single, Enemy, and classic rock credence making its way into the choruses, it is an electrifyingly hair-raising hit that mainlines the adrenaline through the post-rock instrumentals that create a platform for Graves’ piously enlightening vocals.

Graves’ latest album, Human, was officially released on September 11; stream it on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

A Desolate Light printed the ticket to transformation in his alt-rock debut single, Suppressor

Posted on 16 September 2023
Suppressor by A Desolate Light

The Sparks, NV alt-rock artist, A Desolate Light, got his forthcoming debut LP, To Knell and Vanish, off to a scintillating start with the first single released from the concept album, Suppressor.

Starting with the solitary strike of a gong, the spirituality of the release asserts itself from here and unravels further through the Jungian and Zen-inspired lyricism throughout the evocatively high-octane progressions. The instrumentals find themselves in the middle ground between gunge and post-hardcore to stoke the fires of a blazingly hot brand of ingenuity that is uniquely finger-printed to the solo artist.

A Desolate Light is a one-man project fuelled by the enlightened innovation of Sam Spivey (ex-Authmentis); aside from the percussive work, Spivey is putting all the finishing touches on his upcoming 13-track album, which is being fan-funded via his Patreon page and Bandcamp pre-orders of the record.

Suppressor was officially released on September 8th; it is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Twysted is post post-rock in their future-ready electro-rock hit, Out of Yay

Posted on 1 July 2023

For their latest single, Out of Yay, the up-and-coming experimentalist, Twysted put a histrionically spacey spin on electro-rock. The pioneeringly orchestrated hit unravels as a series of curveballs to knock you off kilter with every progression.

If Shinedown collaborated with Skrillex and the two icons of their respective genre added a smorgasbord of theatrical flair to their production styles, the end result would be somewhat akin to the infectious sonic insanity that prevails throughout Out of Yay.

The bass dubs towards the outro are futuristic enough to put Bring Me the Horizon in the same nostalgic league of Guns N Roses, yet, Twysted still found enough room for a few classic rock elements, which resound in the soaringly smooth vocal lines and assuring ring of the acoustic guitars.

Out of Yay will hit all major streaming platforms on July 1st. Hear it on SoundCloud first.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Eguie5 turned up the heat in the Latin American alternative scene with his solo project debut, One Last Dance

Posted on 19 June 2023

Eguie5 became a conduit of post-rock and pop-punk alchemy in his anthemically hooked debut single, One Last Dance, which efficaciously captures the bitter-sweetness of goodbyes before bringing in the cacophonous drums that pay homage to the superlative skin-beating style of Taylor Hawkins.

After spending two decades cutting his teeth as one half of the alternative duo, TUNNL19, the Puerto Rico singer-songwriter reconnected with his artistic roots via his solo venture, which keeps expressive experimentalism at its core.

The emotively melodic structures in One Last Dance made the heart-in-throat choruses all the more riotous, in the same way Linkin Park allowed their audience to feel the sense of resonant vindication while screaming the reprise of “I’ve given up”, One Last Dance became the silver lining of heartbreak. The atmospherically intuitive hit struck all the right chords to affirm that Eguie5 is a one-man monolith of innovation.

One Last Dance hit the airwaves on June 14th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shift your perceptions in a brighter direction with ORCHAD’s riotously synthy call to arms, DAMAGED GOODS

Posted on 9 June 2023

‘DAMAGED GOODS’ is the latest hyper-cosmic feat of synth-driven alt-rock from Montreal’s most monolithic powerhouse, ORCHAD.

With pinches of pop-punk making the hooks even sharper, this riotous call to arms to everyone who knows how it feels to disregard themselves as broken and too idiosyncratic to love is enough to shift self-perception in a far brighter direction.

The riffs that will make you reminisce about Dragonforce are just a fraction of the hard-hitting impact of DAMAGED GOODS. With an entire generation at risk of being lost to entropy and apathy, ORCHAD delivered an upbeat anthem, fierce enough in its exhilaration to affirm that it is society that is royally fucked, not the people living through the fallout.

If you could imagine what it would sound like if the Black Parade was written today, you will get an idea of the heart-in-throat resonance you will sink your teeth into when you hit play.

“The song is about the struggles and challenges of life and mental illness, including the pressure to conform and fit in with societal norms. It encourages the listener to let go of the expectations that society places on them and to accept themselves for who they are, flaws and all.

We should all focus instead on finding solace through healthy forms of self-expression. Everyone is going through their own struggles and we really are all “damaged goods.” If we focus on loving ourselves first and “dance in the rain” you might just be able to ease the pain.”

DAMAGED GOODS will hit the airwaves on June 9th. Hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bear Witness ticked the underbelly of madness with their addictively grooved alt-rock hit, INSANE

Posted on 13 April 2023

The Brighton-based brother duo, Bear Witness, tickled the soft underbelly of madness in their latest addictively grooved alt-rock hit, INSANE, which unravels as an arm wrestle between the strength of the hooks and riffs.

The hooks may have a slight advantage through their ability to pull you right into the riled core of the exhilarating feat of soul, but the tensile technicality of the supernovically overdriven guitars still plays an absorbing part in this candidly un-candied window into entropy.

The electronic synthetics of the track may allow INSANE to flirt with the post-rock genre, but rock fans will never have been seduced in this vein before. It’s a mainline of pure resonance that affirms Bear Witness is one to watch.

INSANE hit the airwaves on March 31; hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

FLEAS became agitated alt-punk icons in the making with the visceral rancour in their post-rock hit, Nightmare

Posted on 17 February 2023

Slip into the visceral disquietude of the latest single, Nightmare, from the Suffolk-based alt-punk five-piece FLEAS.

Starting with a raw spoken-word verse over sludgy post-rock guitars, the candid rancour slowly builds until you’re palpitating at the same pace of the frenetic arrangement that conceptually ties together to replicate the sensation of being torn from a dark trip curated by your subconscious mind.

FLEAS banded together while studying at West Suffolk College, which saw them put their own spin on an iconic track by Slaves and finding the inspiration to orchestrate their signature aggressively versatile sound. Since forming, FLEAS have been lauded by BBC Introducing, won the NMG award for the best rock act and supported major acts, including Fightmilk and Dingus Khan.

The reissue of Nightmare will officially release on February 17th. Hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Transcend to a new distorted dimension with the post-rock instrumentals in Bundle of His’ latest single, Patches

Posted on 7 February 2023
Úr Ur by Bundle Of His

If Grandaddy dialled the polyphonic distortion and fuzz up to 11, their sweet synthy melodies would be as infectiously muddy as the electro post-rock tones in the latest single, Patches, from the artist and producer, Bundle of His.

With a touch of Kraftwerk melded into his intrinsically authentic instrumental hits, the Outer Hebrides-based artist pushes the envelope beyond the limits most dare to, and his instrumental lo-fi tracks are all the more alluring for it.

After an illness got in the way of the artist playing bass in various bands in Glasgow and the Outer Hebrides, it is safe to say Bundle of His didn’t fail to bring his bass-driven ingenuity to life as a producer.

Patches was officially released on January 1st. It is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grab a seat at the table for Tuncratio’s atmospheric alt-rock instrumental, Feast of Nothing

Posted on 26 December 2022

There’s something in the atmosphere of Tuncratio’s seminal instrumental alt-rock single, Feast of Nothing. The intro instrumental framework threw me right back to when Alexisonfire was a prized possession in my CD collection. Feast of Nothing then progresses into a deeply evocative melodic piece with complex time signatures that compel you to lean deeper into the alluring sonic mise en scene that cinematically wraps up through a cinematically orchestral outro.

The Italian-born, Scottish-by-adaption multi-instrumentalist and producer entered the music industry in the early 2000s. Not one to feel sated in the confines of one genre, his music spans across multiple, often in the space of one track. In his eclectic range of influences, Smashing Pumpkins, Mogwai and Deftones often push to the forefront in his sonic signature scribbled across his discography. Tuncratio’s back catalogue currently consists of two LPS, two mixtapes and the EP, Elephant in the Room, from which Feast of Nothing was taken.

Feast of Nothing was officially released on December 12th; catch it on Spotify. Stay tuned for Tuncratio’s upcoming

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Templemind reached the pinnacle of life-affirming alt-rock anthems with, More to This Life

Posted on 29 November 2022

I don’t make a habit of head-banging alone at home but I’m only human, and when Templemind’s latest single, More to This Life, flooded the room with visceral energy and hooky guitar riffs, getting caught up in the cathartic momentum was non-optional. The meditative yet rhythmically arresting propensities of the monolithic alt-rock track started to make a little more sense upon learning the single was tuned to 432Hz, which is proven to lower heart rates and heightens perception.

Starting with a disconcerted scratchy prelude that threw me right back to my teen days obsessing over Linkin Park’s raw introspection and catapulting into an alt-rock soundscape which raises the vibe with funky angular guitar chops around the massive synth lines and grittier tones, More to This Life is a life-affirming lesson in vindication.

I’m going to throw professionalism out of the window and confess to fucking ADORING Templemind. Although I guess I’m not alone. After his 2022 debut, the mastermind behind the project, Philipp Schardt, amassed over 500,000 streams.

More to This Life is now available to Stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast