Browsing Tag

progressive rock

8udDha bl0od – Ophiuchus: Serafin: Transfixingly Avant-Garde Progressive Alt Rock

Posted on 28 July 2020
https://soundcloud.com/william-orpen/ophiuchus-serafin/s-oatUmsMFUld

Ophiuchus: Serafin is the latest single to be released from the immeasurably ingenious aural alchemist 8udDha bl0od. If any artist could be described as the modern-day equivalent to The Residents, it’s 8udDha bl0od

The Brighton-based artist may constantly switch up their sound with their new releases, but you can usually rely on a transfixing level of avant-garde accessible chaos. The accordantly rhythmic disarray in Ophiuchus: Serafin certainly didn’t disappoint.

Within Ophiuchus: Serafin, you’ll find nuances of Psych Rock, Surf Rock, No Wave and plenty more. The ten-minute extended track may make some dramatic tonal shifts and throw some discord your way, but each progression is as indulgent as the last.

If there’s an artist we’re grateful to have discovered this year, it’s 8udDha bl0od with their infinitely wild imagination when it comes to orchestrating soundscapes.

You can check out Ophiuchus: Serafin which was released on July 20th for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

AJ John invites listeners on a progressive journey with their Alt Rock single “Waste My Time”

Posted on 4 July 2020

If you like your smooth Bluesy accordant Rock with a side serving of raw emotion, you’ll be as captivated by up and coming artist AJ John’s progressive Rock Ballad Waste My Time (The Laze) as we were.

With the Jazz infusion in Waste My Time, Time Signatures have been disregarded in the extended soundscape which could only be described as epic. The instrumental textures and tempo may be light for the most part, but each progression will leave you more immersed in AJ John’s ingenuity. The momentum gradually builds throughout the soundscape until Waste My Time becomes a colossal offering of Anthemic Rock. We definitely didn’t see that coming.

Waste My Time is just one of the singles which you’ll find on the artist’s 2020 album “Till the End of Time” which shatters Rock archetypes and constructs a brand-new Alt-Rock experience.

You can check out AJ John’s single Waste My Time along with the rest of their album Till the End of Time by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rum Buffalo – Screama Preacha featuring Kathika: Rhythmically Filthy, Cinematically Flamboyant Prog Swing Hop

Posted on 16 June 2020
Rum Buffalo

If rhythmically filthy yet cinematically flamboyant Alt Rock is your bag, you may want to make room on your playlists for Rum Buffalo’s flamboyantly transfixing Prog Swing Hop single “Screama Preacha” featuring Kathika.

The progressive track utilises an impressive horn section which will reinvoke any love you harbour for Swing music. Yet, Screama Preacha is anything but archaic. The tensile friction within the soundscape allows this highly innovative mix to ooze seductive contemporary appeal as it evolves through offerings of Cinematic Indie Rock, Nu Metal, Funk Rock and Jazz.

Usually, you’d need to look to Mike Patton for offerings of such arrestive aural innovation, but Rum Buffalo has proven with Screama Preacha that they possess plenty of their own uniquely alchemic appeal.

The lockdown may have hindered Rum Buffalo’s summer plans, but they’ve got plenty more tracks in the pipeline io release throughout 2020.

Head on over to their website where you’ll find links to their releases and social media.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

8udDha bl0od – W3Y3D: Progressively Dynamic Alt Rock

Posted on 17 May 2020
8udDha bl0od

W3Y3D is one of the most mesmerizingly intricate manifestations of 8udDha bl0od’s aural ingenuity we’ve heard so far. Their ability to accordantly merge such a dynamic array of nuances into one soundscape will never fail to astound us.

W3Y3D starts off with quiescent Neo-Classic-infused Alt Rock prelude before the mellifluous keys fall back in the soundscape and are overtaken by stronger elements of Grunge, Alt Folk, and Blues. As W3Y3D progresses, it shifts into a smoky feat of Rock n Roll with colourful tinges of psychedelia before closing as a stunning offering of Art Rock.

You’ll need to wait a little longer before you can listen to W3Y3D. In the meantime, head over to SoundCloud where you can catch their earlier releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Prog Rock and Indie Jangle Pop combine in Paper Trails latest single “Inside Out”

Posted on 12 May 2020

Generic Indie Jangle Pop guitars may be all you hear if you turn on any Indie-inclined radio station in 2020, but up and coming artist Paper Trails found a way to bring the captivating alchemy of New Wave right into the 21st century with their progressive Indie single “Inside Out”.

Listening to the Smiths is a rather bitter-sweet experience these days. The only thing that will linger after you hear Inside Out is an earworm.

As soon as the punchy passion-soaked chord progressions start to carve the melodies, you’ll be hit with the excitement of ingesting the energetic ingenuity which was perceptibly poured into Inside Out.

Falling in perfect synergy with the instrumentals are the vocals which offer an evocative sting which is just as potent as Brian Molko’s along with the same accessible warmth as the likes of Paul Draper.

It isn’t every day we get to hear an artist with such a distinctively absorbing guitar style paired with soulfully connectable vocals. Paper Trails’ unique amalgamation of Prog Rock, Britpop and Indie definitely isn’t to be missed.

You can check out Paper Trails’ single Inside Out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dark World Carousel – Einhander: Ensnaringly Progressive Alt Rock

Posted on 5 May 2020

If you are under the impression that there are no new avenues to take Alt Rock in, Dark World Carousel’s standout single Einhander will smash those perceptions into oblivion.

Einhander kicks off with a Dark-Alt-Folk-style prelude before the progressive track picks up rhythmic momentum and transforms into an electrifyingly serpentine feat of Alt Rock complete with volatile ensnaring vocals.

Yet, Dark World Carousel doesn’t stop there. There’s yet another seismic shift in the soundscape which allows Einhander to experiment with the chaotic insanity of Symphonic Death Metal.

It’s a monster of a track which doesn’t just depend on sheer speed and intensity to leave you gripped. I never thought I’d have the pleasure of indulging in a track which offers reminiscences of Soundgarden and Nekrogoblikon. Dark World Carousel offers a dynamically adrenalizing sound which is all too easy to get obsessed with. Get them on your radar.

You can check out Dark World Carousel’s single Einhander for yourselves by heading over to Reverb Nation.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

8udDha bl0od – F3n1x 23r0 fx 13:42; 83ck5 luckY l0n3lY h3Ar75 fAn clUb bAnD

Posted on 20 April 2020
https://soundcloud.com/william-orpen/f3n1xfx

By now, we know not to have any expectations when hitting play on Brighton-based artist 8udDha bl0od’s tracks, but F3n1x 23r0 fx 13:42; 83ck5 luckY l0n3lY h3Ar75 fAn clUb bAnD was still quite the aural curveball.

Not only does it serve up a smorgasbord of genres but it also acts as an aural TARDIS which will ricochet you as far back as the 60s with a pit stop in the 70s, and you’ll pick up a few angsty 90s Alt Rock postcards while you’re on your way.

From grooving smoky Blues Rock to New Wave Indie, it’s all thrown into this mesmeric melting pot of sound. If you could imagine what it would sound like if The Legendary Pink Dots and The Stone Roses collaborated, you’ll get a good idea what’s in store when you hit play on this all-consuming rhythmically magnetic epic 8-minute track.

You can check out 8udDha bl0od’s single F3n1x 23r0 fx 13:42; 83ck5 luckY l0n3lY h3Ar75 fAn clUb bAnD for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Thomas Bradley Project – Eternal Sea: Progressive Melodic Rock

Posted on 18 April 2020

Folk meets Rock in Thomas Bradley Project’s stunning new progressive melodic Rock single Eternal Sea.

While there are plenty of tonal transgressions in the epic 7-minute long track, each is as beguilingly immersive as the last. The seamlessly captivating progressions offer ample amounts of cathartic escapism as the deftly arranged instrumentals work in complete synergy. So, even though we’re on lockdown right now, we can still allow our minds to explore aurally arcane soundscapes.

With the Folk-Rock vocals, violin strings offering a pensive sting, the acoustic guitar and bass bringing the rhythm and Thomas Bradley’s Stratocaster setting up sweet Blues Rock riffs, don’t be surprised if your consciousness is consumed entirely once you hit play on Eternal Sea.

You can check out the official video to Eternal Sea which was released on March 8th via YouTube.

Keep up to date with the latest releases from Thomas Bradley Project via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Pandoras shadow – Solo: Powerfully Pioneering Rock

Posted on 21 March 2020
https://pandorasshadow1.bandcamp.com/track/solo

After garnering plenty of acclaim with their previous releases, Hereford, UK-based artist Pandoras shadow has dropped yet another striking Alt Rock single with “Solo”. If BBC Introducing pays attention to an up and coming rock act, that’s an irrefutable affirmation that they’re worth pricking up your ears for.

In the epically lengthed single Solo, the arrestive vocals rest against the sludgy heavily-distorted guitars in the verses which lead up to all-consuming choruses where you’ll get to hear the true power of Kelly G’s dynamically soaring vocals.

The vocals may make your soul feel a little sore, but the experimental instrumental virtuosity will leave you in awe as you listen to the progressive single unfold. Pandoras shadow has covered the full raucous tonal palette with Solo, they may not move too far away from the traditional rock sound, but you’ll find plenty in Solo which you’d be hard-pressed to find from any other artist.

If you’re not already excited about this band, now is the time.

You can check out Pandoras shadow’s latest single Solo for yourselves via Bandcamp.

Keep up to date with their latest releases via Facebook.

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