Browsing Tag

heavy metal

Sunset Cobra replenished their venom for their latest feat of hard rock nihilism, I Remain

Posted on 26 December 2023

Sunset Cobra is back with even more hard rock venom than before with their latest single, I Remain. By contorting genres and influences into a ferociously unique high-octane ride through the landscape of rock and metal, the monolith easily sets itself apart in the contemporary music scene.

From the opening notes, I Remain grabs the listener with a relentless intensity. The band channels the spirit of Velvet Revolver, updating it with a serpentine electro-rock edge. The influence of Drowning Pool is evident in the rancorous energy that permeates the track, while the breakdowns echo the tightly controlled chaos reminiscent of Mushroomhead. Yet, amidst this sonic maelstrom, Sunset Cobra finds room for technical, frenetic riffs and fragments of sunset sleaze.

The dynamism is not just in its instrumentation but also in its lyrical depth. The song delves into the darker aspects of the human condition with nihilistic poetry that is as compelling as it is confronting. The lyrics hold no prisoners, expressing contempt with a rawness that is both brutal and beautifully articulated.

As listeners eagerly anticipate what Sunset Cobra will unleash next, I Remain is a testament to their potential. It’s a song that will not only resonate with fans of rock and metal but with anyone who appreciates music that pushes boundaries and defies expectations.

I Remain was released via Reclusive Audio Ltd on December 1st; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nu World Order exposed the secrets of ‘Area 51’ in the surrealism of their Alt-Metal debut

Posted on 13 November 2023

Who ordered an installation of thrash metal insanity? One has just arrived in the form of the debut single, Area 51, from the Brighton-based prodigal sons, Nu World Order, which forged in response to the surrealism of the modern age, where extra-terrestrial signs of life are in essence the new Schrodinger’s cat. Are they real or fake? We won’t know until we look inside Area 51, but it seems Nu World Order has the inside scoop.

With groove metal breakdowns following insurgencies of thrash and heavy metal in the progressive track, which also exhibits the dynamism in the vocals as they switch from soaring hair metal high notes to guttural laments, Nu World Order knew just how to keep listeners hooked into their orchestration of rhythmically tight subversion.

If riffs got bands to the top of the charts, Nu World Order would be overlooking everyone from a seat of supremacy; the outfit isn’t lacking in the lyrical ingenuity department either. We can’t wait to hear what is lingering in the pipeline.

Area 51 was released on November 3rd; stream it on Spotify or purchase the track by heading over to iTunes.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

LOOK ALIVE quaked the Calgary metalcore scene with the visceral vehemence in their single, Scum

Posted on 8 November 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePZqf-mHKso

LOOK ALIVE ripped up the roots of hardcore and implanted them within their latest behemoth of a single, Scum, which is set to put them at the vanguard of the Calgary metalcore movement. Savage and intricately intelligent, the powerhouse efficaciously succeeded in its strive for a distinct sound that shatters the confines of hardcore.

From the first blisteringly tumultuous beats and savagely cataclysmic guitar licks, LOOK ALIVE drags you into their adrenalized-with-aggression realm; expect to collide with a universe drenched in wild hues and intricate layers and Jeremy Richardson’s raw, unmatched vocal prowess.

Before the scummy protagonists in your life lead you to a breakdown, embrace the cathartic vehemence in the gnarled breakdowns and put Scum in your sonic arsenal. Crafting every tune, visual, and concept off the back of their own visceral volition, LOOK ALIVE emerges as an outfit few should dare to rival.

The official video for Scum premiered on October 27; stream it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Eville unleashed a champion heavyweight earworm with their ragefully incandescent brat metal hit, Leech

Posted on 4 October 2023
Eville

After driving drum n bass breakbeats through the prelude, the Brighton trio Eville underpinned their vengeantly furore-fuelled pop-hooked single, Leech, with industrial nu-metal volition to deliver one of the most vindicating hits of 2023.

So much more than your average brat metal Barbie, the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist Eva Sheldrake became a fierce icon of the alt-metal scene with Leech. Hell hath no fury like a woman free from toxicity and vehemently determined to raise others to her own level of empowerment. With the instrumentals mainlining adrenaline into your rhythmic pulses, the track monolithically unravelled as the ultimate protest to subjugation via manipulation.

Fans of Slipknot, Powerman 5000, and In This Moment won’t fail to accommodate the infectious and ragefully incandescent single on their playlists. It almost seems a paradox to describe such an instrumentally heavy single as radio-ready, but there’s no disputing the mainstream appeal or quality of the production, which was ensured by Jamie Sellers at Run Wild Music, who has worked with everyone from Ed Sheeran to Elton John to Little Simz.

Eva Sheldrake of Eville Said: 

“Leech is very special to me; it’s an emotionally raw track through determination to make the lyrics real, no matter how uncomfortable that reality may be. 

I hope listeners take as much from it as I did by relating through experience with inner conflict and toxic situations that are hard to escape. As always, our producer, Jamie Sellers, brought our vision to life more viscerally than we could have imagined.”

Leech will officially release on October 20; pre-save the single on all major platforms via this link.

Keep up to date with the latest releases from Eville via Instagram and Facebook or join their legion of followers on TikTok.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

IMMORTALIZER unified a legion of metal fans with ‘We Were Born for Metal’, featuring Ralf Scheepers

Posted on 15 August 2023

The one-man metal powerhouse Dave D.R. has been storming through the Ontario rock and metal scene with his project, IMMORTALIZER, especially after the release of his debut LP, Born for Metal, produced by none other than Ralf Scheepers of Primal Fear fame.

The standout single, We Were Born for Metal, sees IMMORTALIZER wear their influences on their sleeve, but there was plenty of room for the originality engineered by their determination to bring something new to the metal genre. Giving Black Sabbath and Metallica fans a reason to turn away from their favourite records is no easy feat. By breeding something devilishly distinctive in the atmosphere of his seminal single, attention was soon piqued by the tune of fresh blood entering the territory.

The phenomenon that We Were Born for Metal became after its debut earlier this year goes to show how intrinsically linked identity and music are. Scenes are more than tribes; they’re lifeblood, and if anyone can mainline metal into your veins, it is IMMORTALIZER with their classic metal riffs and vocals that galvanise as they unify and defy expectation.

The official music video has garnered over 321k streams. Indulge in the furore by heading to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lyrical Poetry Heightens the Monolithic Heavy Metal Alchemy in Maximilian Wentz’s Single, Your Silhouette

Posted on 11 December 2022

Sweeter than honey sentimentalism sits side-by-side with melodic hooks, gigantic riffs, and theatrically monolithic breakdowns in Maximilian Wentz’s seminal single, Your Silhouette, which fuses the heart-in-throat feels of Shinedown and the progressively distinct furore of SOAD.

Just when you start to hear the reminiscences of The Calling’s Wherever You Will Go, post-hardcore motifs blaze through the soundscape to prove that when Maximilian Wentz pays homage to a visceral emotion, he goes all in to capture the extreme.

The independent singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and Berklee College student is one of the few artists in the heavy metal that is bold enough to fully commit to emotional expression with no pretence. We can’t wait to hear what the Massachusetts-hailing artist who has enriched the industry with his solo work and via his band 51st State has to offer next.

Listen to Your Silhouette on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Talk Is Cheap: Louisville hard rock band Wyld Ryde run the streets on powered-up new single ‘Gasoline Alley’

Posted on 30 November 2021

As they let us know that you need to be vigilant in this part of town as one erroneous move could have you in difficulty, Wyld Ryde light up our imagination and keep on emitting out high-velocity vocals and devastating guitar riffs that shall certainly wake you up on ‘Gasoline Alley‘.

Wyld Ryde is an explosive 4-piece Louisville, Kentucky-based indie hard rock/heavy metal band that seems to make the speakers bleed with their hardcore music creations.

”Members Chief-Lead Vocals & Guitar, Tommy Blitz-Lead Guitar & vocals, Mick Watkins-Bass Guitar & Vocals and Kidd Vicious-Drums are on a mission to dominate modern Rock music.” ~ Wyld Ryde

Wyld Ryde is absolutely breathtaking from start to finish as the ominous start of this video projects, as they swarm our ears with a thunderously-charged performance that reminds you of the greats from yesteryear.

‘Gasoline Alley‘ from the Louisville, Kentucky-based indie hard rock/heavy metal act Wyld Ryde, is the type of track that might send shivers running down your unprotected spine. They prove why they are one of the most respected outfits around at the moment and are on top form here – with an exceedingly-energetic track – ll about making sure that you know where your place is on these mean streets.

See this roaring new music video on YouTube and get a sense of what they are all about on their IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

SCARSUN pull punches in their latest hard rock hit, MAKE ME ACHE.

Posted on 20 October 2021

MAKE ME ACHE is the latest storming alt-rock single from SCARSUN. With Letha’s Brody Dalle-Esque vocals cutting through the instrumentals, her magnetism captivates from the first soaring vocal note. It is a hard and fast ride through the menacingly confrontational single, one that you will probably want to strap yourselves in for and play loud. For any metal fan, MAKE ME ACHE will be instantly accessible through the barbarous riffs, thrashing percussion and technical basslines, but the UK-based outfit left plenty of room for distinction.

SCARSUN has been on the scene since 2014, their tendency to keep an open mind to the sonic elements in their sound always ensures that each new release delivers unpredictability and high energy authenticity.

The official music video for MAKE ME ACHE is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shrapnel take us into the ‘DARK AGE’ with their new blackened thrash metal sound.

Posted on 16 October 2021

After achieving coveted status in the thrash scene, Shrapnel boldly broached nuanced atmospheric territory with their latest single, DARK AGE.

Their sonic shift proves that they’re so much more than your run of the mill hard and fast powerhouse with the capacity to keep the boomers that nothing but assimilation happy. Their new testament to their authenticity may not have won over thrash purists, but seriously, the 80s happened 40 years ago, mate; the world doesn’t freeze in stasis because your tastes are pedantically pathetic.

Like their former releases; the progressions in DARK AGE still blaze at a breakneck frenetic speed, but in this groove metal hit, there is enough spatial effect to leave you captivated by the constant transitions in the super techy riffs, bouncy breakdowns, infallibly gorgeous drums and laceratingly sharp vocal hooks.

It’s enough to give you serious nostalgia for the Saw III soundtrack with the fleeting reminiscence to Slayer, Static X and Lamb of God, but anyone searching for new tumultuous catharsis and practically pornographic talent won’t be disappointed.

After seeing first-hand their ability to leave a crowd frenzied and pious to their matchless stage presence while supporting Evile on tour in Manchester earlier this month, I can safely say that Shrapnel isn’t a band to be slept on. Even with their tendency to take inspiration from the most nefarious and brutal facets of the human experience, Shrapnel’s sheer ingenuity that makes nihilism enjoyable won’t fail to leave you psyched. Save a spot on your radar.

The official video premiered on October 15th; check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Artist links: Website, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Finding a way to survive no matter what: Wirral Heavy Metal Rockers Riptide Messiah rise up again from the dust on ‘Still Human’

Posted on 4 January 2021

Riptide Messiah send us a heart-boosting message of hope and grit on their excellent new single named ‘Still Human‘.

With their upcoming self-titled EP, which will be released this month; big things are on the way for the Wirral-based four piece band Riptide Messiah– who are on a mission to get their music known the masses during this pandemic. For them, this is the only way to keep busy and help others out there during this horrendous time.

Music is the savior to all problems and they make a hard-hitting sound that breathes new life into your ears to spark them to life and get you motivated again.

”Cold, numb, drowned in grief.”- Riptide Messiah

Their rawness and edgy sound helps them stand out from the crowd and the driving energy rips your shirt off here. His vocals are a tremendous shot to the cold face to that clears your doubts and gets you jumping in the air to get all frustration out. This is a band that are clearly in tune with each other and this is a song that deserves love.

We are all still human no matter what our current circumstances are and this is the time to reevaluate ourselves and build up our armor to be indestructible if this even happens again. Things may seem dark but the light is there if you look deep enough for it.

No what happens in our lives we need to find a way to rise up again. This pandemic has been absolutely terrifying but if we can find others that are willing to go to battle with you and be there in tough times, the bond is like blood and will be there forever.

Merseyside Heavy Metal act Riptide Messiah prove that brotherhood is alive and well on ‘Still Human‘. They were formed from the ashes of the frost-bitten floor and will only be stronger now as they have achieved something that many others haven’t been able to. The band have made quality music with a real self-aware message, during a time that shows who are willing to do whatever it takes to get their message out there; to inspire fellow citizens of the world that are cold and need heat-filled motivation to face an uncertain tomorrow with a new mindset.

Enjoy this new wave British Metal single on Spotify and see their story of social media via IG and FB.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen