Alternative rock performer, storyteller and multi-instrumentalist Primordial Alien reaches the pinnacle of his creative output this year, delivering an album of conceptual weight, musical diversity, skill, playfulness, genre-fusion and cool but cutting narratives, as we dive into the brilliantly eclectic pop-punk and progressive rock vibrancy and shadows of Casus Belli.
Hard Rock
Fiercely delivering a slice of iconic indie hard rock, with a twist of alternative grunge and something evocatively soulful, New Zealand four-piece Powder Chutes achieve a near-orchestral fullness with their heavy riffs, guitar solos, and faultless structural unity.
From the UK creative who dropped the intense genre fusion of Internal Combustion earlier this year, SEDATIVE is an explosive new blend of heavy metal and drum and bass, with haunting hard-rock vocals and intense distorted guitars, all leading through a truly intoxicating realm of terror and inner turmoil.
“All over the world people are used to being silenced, both in their personal lives by family and others who seek to control in subtle and unsubtle ways, and under the brute force of government, whether democratic or dictatorship. It’s a good time to be brazen and lose the fear impulse.”
Personification, metaphor, and all-round powerful songwriting elevate the appeal of an indie band well and truly paving their own way. Glasgow’s Revelation 23 have that something fresh and fascinating to their sound, something topical and piercing about their sense of purpose, their rebellious intrigue, and Veal is a fine dedication to the craft.
The spider, the web, the build up, the choreography, the drum playing – Ok Goodnight are great then sensational with this release, and the latter half is unmissable as the song evolves and ultimately peaks; noting a kind of hard rock crescendo at the finish that’s no doubt phenomenal in the live setting.
Brilliant punk-rock writing and a passionate all-together-now recording introduces the timeless and aptly-titled volume of French band GRINFAITH’s intoxicating anthem RIOT.
The brilliant Lion Drome continue their climb, this time briefly softening the mood with something sultry, funky, but ultimately dark and intense in its commitment to concept. Featuring lush vocals, expressive and fluid, with long-form verse melodies that descend and satisfy with charm and character, Goodnight Sleep Tight is a compelling taste of the upcoming … Continued
Atmospheric design and a euphoric metal distortion, tempo, and tone – LŸRA showcase a brilliantly unique level of artistic escapism, with the diverse and immersive four tracks of their debut EP The Weight Of Nothing.
Vocally unique and recognisable, there’s a raw and distinct tone and character to the sound of ILIA’s voice, and this heavy metal arrangement from the band adds something completely unexpected to the existing anthemic power of Halsey’s original song.
From a fierce wall of nostalgic grunge distortion, to spacious and characterful, snappy and melodic vocal verses, After Halloween is quick to assert a sense of songwriting prowess and creative charm, with the uniquely lyrical and impactful alternative anthem of Please Don’t Shake My Hand.
Explosive new music from the creative force of Syblianta brings further clear development of structure, sound, and substance. The debut was impressive in itself, and this project seems to all the more boldly balance intensity and melody, story and sentiment, across a series of tracks inspired by Bible stories and events.