Browsing Tag

Deftones

The future of alt-rock surged through Adamic’s latest post-hardcore sonic juggernaut, All of a Sudden

Posted on 10 December 2023

Adamic’s latest single All of a Sudden from their self-titled album is a ground-breaking addition to the alt-rock genre. Hailing from Linton, Indiana, Adamic has been shaping their unique sound since 2013, and this track is a testament to their artistic growth.

The song is a masterful blend of alternative, metal, and punk elements, reminiscent of the likes of Deftones, Foo Fighters, Tool, and P.O.D., yet it carves out its own identity. All of a Sudden stands out for its progressive arrangement, echoing bands like Bring Me the Horizon and Enter Shikari while offering a fresh perspective on post-hardcore. The crunchy guitars create a robust foundation, while the percussion leads listeners towards a euphoric oblivion. This innovative instrumentation ensures that the song remains engaging and unpredictable, a quality that will undoubtedly appeal to fans of alt-rock.

The vocal performance by Ian Swaby is another highlight. His endlessly soaring vocal lines drench the track in addictive energy, adding an emotive depth that resonates with listeners. Adamic’s decision to team up with producer Andrew Stanton of Disciple for their fourth studio album has clearly paid off, allowing them to elevate their sound to new heights.

The official music video for All of a Sudden is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

heaven // alone seared their striking alt-metal aesthetic into the airwaves with their sophomore release, cognitive decline

Posted on 14 November 2023

With melodic grooves as rhythmically seductive as the White Pony LP fused with an early 00s metal aesthetic in the same vein as Mudvayne, complete with white-hot searing riffs and cataclysmically all-consuming breakdowns, heaven // alone asserted themselves as one to watch via the unveiling of their sophomore single, cognitive decline.

The vocals effortlessly keep pace with the seamless sonic transgressions as they veer from atmospheric harmonies that draw you into the ennui to guttural cries that will throw you right back to when Mushroomhead held dominion over the alternative scene.

The Perth-hailing five-piece may be fresh from their debut, but through their stylistic authenticity, alchemic song crafting and polished production, you can consider them a triple threat as you lose yourself in their evocatively compelling ingenuity.

cognitive decline was officially released on November 3rd; stream it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hex Date cut right to the carnal core with their debut alt-rock hit, DIE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY

Posted on 21 September 2023

LA’s literally and figuratively hottest new alt-rock outfit, Hex Date caused a Dionysiac stir on the airwaves with their vehemently hook-rife debut single, DIE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY.

The track title may appear maleficent and macabre, but the sonic experience of DIE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY is a sensually awakening revelation. With the rhythmic salaciousness of In This Moment and Deftones and Mars Rose’s dark pop harmonies drawing you into the carnal centre of the single, the alt-rock scene will never recover from the genre-defying storm that tore through it by the fair hands of the prodigal fourpiece.

Taylor Momsen might not have any choice in moving over for Mars Rose; the superlative siren has exactly what it takes to take Hex Date to the top of the charts.

DIE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY was officially released on September 8; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

She Burns Red are set to unveil their monolithic magnum opus of a debut LP, Out of Darkness

Posted on 6 August 2023

After a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign that proved just how many rock fans were keen to see the debut LP, Out of Darkness, come to fruition following a series of performances at Call of the Wild, Winter Rocks and Love Rocks Festival, She Burns Red are almost ready to unveil their monolithic magnum opus.

If you Punk n Rolled Jimmy Eat World, threw in a few Slash-esque guitar lashings, the ferocious heart-in-throat ear candy melodicism of Foo Fighters and the grungy salacity of Deftones, you still wouldn’t come close to the superlatively amalgamated triumph that ticks all the right rock boxes while evading every rock cliché.

Pairing melodic-hooked instrumentals that are richer than Musk in their era-spanning influence with sentiments that couldn’t be closer to home, the sonics scintillate through the addition of visceral emotion that is mainlined into each of the releases.

With the sticky-sweet pseudo-emo trappings juxtaposed by the juggernautical manicured immensity, it’s no surprise that Out of Darkness has rendered even the most consummate rock journos speechless. To be fair, even the most superfluous verbiage couldn’t scratch the surface of the cavernous depth of Out of Darkness.

“There is something incredibly uplifting about truth and honesty and having the means to express that, to share it with other people. We’re all drained and drowning in our own thoughts but our songs allow us to feel liberated and free to express, hold our heads above the water for a moment and remember we’re all in this together, not divided at all. This is what we hope ‘Out Of Darkness’ will do for people. Enable them to realise… they are not alone. All of these songs come from a place of looking for hope within the darkness.” – She Burns Red

Out of Darkness will be independently released on September 15th; pre-order a vinyl or CD copy here & and grab the last remaining tickets to the launch show on September 9th via Fatsoma.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Robots! Attack! break free through a bitter-sweet epiphany in their melodic rock hit, Tangled

Posted on 18 January 2023
Robots! Attack! by Robots! Attack!

Taken from their debut eponymous LP, the standout single, Tangled, from the Memphis-based fourpiece, Robots! Attack! is a reverently evocative rhythmic trip back to the alt-90s.

The breeze of the midwestern melodies is brought down to earth by southern grit in the grungy amalgam of punk, rock and harder-to-pin-down alternative inclinations that allow the outfit to carry fleeting reminiscences to Incubus and Deftones in their magnetically imploring vocal harmonies and the softly angular guitar lines that are never all too far away from an off-kilter breakdown.

While the lyrics allude to our tendency to fictionalise the characters in our own stories and give them far greater roles than they were destined for, the accordance-soaked instrumentals abstract any bitterness from the bitter-sweet epiphany of realising that time with some protagonists is always finite.

Tangled is 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

The Alt-90s Cinematically Lives and Breathes Through Agent Envy’s Grungy Industrial Rock Single, No Friend

Posted on 9 December 2022

San Diego artist and producer Agent Envy is fresh from the release of her sultrily fierce single, No Friend, which cinematically amalgamates trip-hop, industrial rock, grunge and metal. Under the wide-spanning influence of acts including NIN, Tool, Massive Attack and Deftones, Agent Envy found her own striking sonic aesthetic that is nothing short of iconic in itself.

Any fans of Warpaint and Wolf Alice will want to sink their teeth into this demurely powerful protest against life’s prolific protagonists who guise their usury entitlement as friendship to take what they can, and guilt trip you when they’ve bled you dry of your empathy but still haven’t quite had their fill.

“No Friend is about finally saying, “enough is enough,” and captures the triumph and catharsis of setting a boundary. The track explores a powerful side of my vocal range not previously featured in my earlier songs, along with the deep, sultry vocals that my audience is familiar with.”

No Friend will be available to stream and purchase on all major platforms from December 9th. Catch in on Spotify & YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Mystical Hot Chocolate Endeavors delivered a prodigal prog-rock evocative firestorm through their single, MU-TH-UR

Posted on 5 July 2022

I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting a band under the moniker The Mystical Hot Chocolate Endeavors to sound like, but as sexy as Deftones & Kyuss wasn’t high on the list.

Fresh from the release of their MU-TH-UR EP, they sucked us into the atmosphere of the title single, which catapulted us across the spectrum of human emotion with the tightly tumultuous post-rock gravitas.

There is something endlessly sweet about the melancholy-tinged harmonies, which run in the same vein as Incubus, creating a bridge over the proggy furore that can’t be pinned down with any discernable accuracy. MU-TH-ER was the result of pure unbridled experimentation. Yet, with the stellar songwriting talent, The Mystical Hot Chocolate Endeavors makes it easy to enjoy going along with the ride that hits you with crescendo after curveball after breakdown. Considering that gas prices are at an all-time high, you may as well expand your horizons with the hypnotic propensities in the progressions in MU-TH-ER. We know we will. Repeatedly.

MU-TH-ER is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Disorder – At the Door: Grunge has Never Hit Harder.

Posted on 7 July 2021

Stop wearing out your Deftones and Smashing Pumpkins records and hit play on the frenetically dark alt-rock hit, At the Door, London’s luminary outfit Disorder.

With mastering work by Alex Wharton (Pixies, The Beatles, My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai) at Abbey Road Studios and the mixing and co-production talent of Billy Bush (Garbage, Muse, Foster the People), you don’t need us to reassure you of the production quality.

But plenty of the ingenuity in At the Door comes via Disorder’s energetically confrontational presence in the alt-rock scene.

They offer the chaos of punk in a tumultuous soundscape blazoned with serious rock n roll stripes. The combination of heavy down-tuned guitars, synths and drum machines have redefined what rock and roll means in 2021. At the Door isn’t a revival but a reformation.

At the Door officially released on July 2nd; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Connect with Disorder via Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

GLASS EYE – PRAYERS: Salaciously Ethereal Alt-Rock

Posted on 12 April 2021
GLASS EYE

With vocals that hit the high notes with the same precision as Matt Bellamy, the sex appeal of Deftones and classic rock licks that come with an ethereally evocative twist, it’s hard not to expect big things to come from GLASS EYE with the release of their album ‘SOMEWHERE, NOWHERE’.

PRAYERS is the perfect introduction to their sound that is so much more than an aural crumble of prominent bands that we’ve come to love across the decades. It’s a delectable invitation to witness the US-based powerhouse’s visceral authenticity that will appeal to anyone who likes their alt-rock to come with rhythmic salacious chills.

PRAYERS is just one of the singles that feature on their forthcoming album ‘SOMEWHERE, NOWHERE’, which is due for release on June 10th.

You can check out GLASS EYE via their website and on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast