Atmospheric progressive metal of extensive meandering soundscapes – an EP of genre-fusing takes both dissonant and harmonised, beginning with a nine-minute epic that feels like multiple tracks in one. Swedish composer and musician David Blomgren creates under the project name Valfreyja, and The Rose Of Rebirth is a multi-coloured, chaotic and conceptually profound look at the artistic freedom that drives his approach.
Alt Metal
Star-crossed lovers recapture their truth in a post-apocalyptic world. Empty Spaces celebrates Margarita’s fascination with fantasy and folklore, whilst delivering an original story and song that proves fearlessly artistic. The song releases in unison with the Japanese festival of the stars, Tanabata.
Celtic metal, alt-folk and rock – bold and beautiful vocals, distortion and delicacy consistently ebbing and flowing – Morganway carve out an unmistakable lane, with this piercingly emotive and gritty new anthem I Feel The Rain.
Indie champion and lifelong contender for the best rock and metal vocalist (and lyricist) of the scene – 3mind Blight’s latest release Hollow maintains these connections to the alternative metal realm, but also weaves in a surprisingly mellow, bass-heavy production and vibe, for something that feels infectiously emotional as it rolls along.
Jake Edwards and Kid Piccolo make up the Nu-er Metal act Human I Was, a creatively poignant and conceptually provocative act, with equal parts ambient and intense layers of expression all devoted to a single story.
Introducing a compelling fusion of genres, an explosive collaboration between the unique spiritual consciousness of rapper Souleye, and the fiercely intense new metal weight of We Are PIGS – Ghost Town is a fast-paced and fascinating original track, that manages to feel both nostalgic and unrivalled in originality.
The project is quite faultless in its musicianship and songwriting, a mighty contender to re-animate the alt-metal scene, and a worthy reminder of the legendary rock sub-genres that first built this multi-faceted universe of reflection.
Irish fourpiece Chiral note hints of influence from the likes of Tool, Rage Against the Machine and The Prodigy, but ultimately carve out their own unrivaled art-rock alternative, which proves both seductive and unsettling in its gentle to explosive unpredictability.
Ohio’s The Static Wake delve into the complexities of toxic experiences and lasting negativity, with the uniquely enchanting, passionately all-consuming single Wraith.
Technical precision and haunting lyrical darkness present a journey from relatable resentment of the rat-race through to the horrors of self-destruction, death and the inescapable grip of time.
Oakland alt-rockers The Angry Toons delve into the creative abyss, with their intense and stylistically limitless new album Toonomincon.
Unexpectedly distorted for a worthy fusion of electro-pop and hard rock, Synthetik Blonde deliver a brilliantly immersive soundscape, with a subtle hit of dance-pop songwriting humbly intertwined.