Browsing Tag

Punk n Roll

Lions Like Zebra riffed away complacency in their seminal rock-licked embodiment of the punk ethos, ‘Rise’

Posted on 21 December 2024

Lions Like Zebra—originally formed in Portugal in 2009—never simply coasted on tradition. After testing fresh sounds and ideas, they fused bold melodies with a stripped-back approach and a firm rhythmic backbone. Now, with their current line-up settled since 2024, including vocalist, composer, and guitarist João Pedroso alongside Sara Ângelo (rhythm guitar, vocals), Bruno Filipe (lead guitar, backing vocals), Tiago Mendes(bass), and Ruben Rodrigues (drums), they’ve forged a new legacy of raw sonic energy.

Their single Rise, taken from the decade-old seminal EP Lights Off, warrants rekindled attention for the way it scours rhythmic magnetism reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age and injects the scuzzy grit of punk n roll. The percussion hits like fists in a riot, while the white-hot guitars screech through the atmospheric tension. In the verses, the vocals temper the intensity, holding it taut, only to erupt into a rallying cry during the choruses—urging listeners to rise above complacency and embrace a punk ethos that refuses to settle.

This is not a timeworn artefact—it’s an anthem of action, shaking off dust and lighting a fuse that still crackles with life.

Stream Rise with the rest of Lions Like Zebra’s EP, Lights Off, on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Feel the fevered pulse of The Sonic Redemption in their hedonistic riot of a hit, I Got a Fever (and I think I like it)

Posted on 6 November 2024

The Sonic Redemption stormed back onto the rock scene with their latest single, ‘I Got a Fever (and I think I like It)’. The track is a riot of rock-reverent chaos, with the band taking a few tempo cues from Motorhead and channelling hook-driven euphoria reminiscent of Rancid’s …And Out Come the Wolves LP.

The anthem burns a blazing trail of aural adrenaline, leaving your speakers hyped as the whiskey-soaked vocals snarl over the dynamic tight as a straitjacket instrumentals.

Fronted by the iconic Dominique De Vos, previously of Southern Voodoo and Motorcity Angels, and joined by Jelle De Vos on guitar and Bram Decrock on drums, The Sonic Redemption continues to deliver unbridled power and unpolished rock ‘n’ roll.

Dominique De Vos describes the new single as embodying the band’s core identity: “unrestrained, fast, and uncompromising.” It’s a song about the exhilarating freedom and energy that floods through you when you’re completely caught up in the music—a fever that’s genuinely infectious.

The Sonic Redemption doesn’t just revisit the glamour and depravity of the Sunset Strip in the 80s; they reimagine it, spreading it with authenticity and intensity across the globe. The track is an unfiltered tribute to the soul of rock ‘n’ roll, showcasing a band that not only pays homage to this timeless genre but also defines it for a new era. Prepare yourself before you roll with the juggernautical punches of this hit.

I Got a Fever (and I think I like it) dropped on October 26th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hotel Security reached the pinnacle of euphonic furore in their symphonic pseudo prog rock hit, Forget It

Posted on 25 September 2023

If Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster did an 8-ball of speed before falling into the studio, their sound still wouldn’t match the fervour in the latest single, Forget It, from New York City’s most volatile prodigal sons, Hotel Security, who have been trailblazing through the NYC alternative scene since 2020.

With the symphonic keys adding a histrionic edge to the tumultuously tight instrumentals that revolve around the dizzying guitar riffs that rip roar with Psychobilly-esque furore, Forget It would be an all-out attack on the senses if it weren’t for the melodic hooks infused through the catchy vocal melodies that give you a centre of gravity in the chaos of the pseudo-prog rock orchestration. Ironically, Forget It is as brutal as an MK-Ultra operation.

Forget It was officially released on September 15th; strap yourselves in and experience it for yourselves via Spotify. For more info on the self-professed band of music nerds, visit their official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Stephen The Storyteller pulled a wild sonic card in his punk n roll hit, Missin On.

Posted on 11 April 2023

If you fused the roguish appeal of the Cramps with proto-punk scuzz and bluesy rock n roll riffs, the amalgam would be as raucously gritty as the standout single, Missin On, from Stephen the Storyteller’s album, Supragenre.

With his whiskey-soaked vocal lines pouring into the frenetically progressive pace of the authentic by-design hit, you’ll be shakin’ like Elvis by the time the chorus kicks around. He’s the complete antithesis of artists of the modern era who create around the confines of stereotype and genre; reminiscences aside, Stephen The Storyteller pulled a wild sonic card with this release that stays true to the organic nature of expression. The Doylestown artist, poet, and producer, may keep his sound design experimentally old school, but with his music videos, he’s embraced the future and allowed AI to take the metaphorical lead.

The AI-created music video for Missin On premiered on April 1; watch it on YouTube, and check out more of his content on his official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Delta Sun dialled the scuzz up to 11 in ‘When the Music Stops’

Posted on 21 July 2022

Brighton’s Delta Sun held no prisoners in their debut EP, The Lies We Tell Ourselves and Others. Case in point; the grungy punk n roll track, When The Music Stops.

With the jagged Social Distortion reminiscent vocals carrying a similar timbre to the scuzzed up, low-slung yet punchy guitars, Delta Sun’s authenticity will never be in question. Especially with their indie no-wave inclinations and bluesy guitar middle-eight. Combine that with the fact that the lyrics take the ‘music is life’ conversation further than it has ever lyrically been, it is impossible not to be arrested by the roguish candour.

For all intents purposes, When the Music Stops is a powerful hit that definitively deserves renown.

Stream When the Music Stops on Spotify with the rest of the debut EP.

Review by Amelia Vandergast