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Grunge

Break out of your digitally paralysed repose with A VOID’s latest single, The Gutter

Posted on 2 December 2023

After gaining international airplay, featuring in seminal Spotify editorial playlists, and hitting the most prestigious venues in Europe, the Paris-born, London-residing three-piece, A VOID, are currently at work on their third studio album with the Grammy-winning producer Shuta Shinoda.

Their latest single, The Gutter, serves an evocative aperitif to the highly anticipated LP. By encapsulating the essence of the alt-90s while refusing to allow influence to inhibit their creative song crafting, A VOID became one of the refreshingly rancorous entities in the UK’s expansive alternative scene.

The song kicks off with an unfiltered rawness reminiscent of Hole and the Distillers. This visceral yet tonally dreamy introduction sets the stage for what’s to come: a Vercua Salt-esque chorus that delivers a heavy artillery earworm in the form of pounding hooks.

As the track progresses, it introduces angular guitar work that echoes Interpol to add layers of complexity and showcasing the artist’s ability to blend influence and ingenuity into authenticity. Rather than paying tribute to the past, A VOID remain relentless in their determination to breathe new life into the familiar.

The overarching artfulness of the track doesn’t overshadow its integral linchpin; the powerful chords struck through the lyricism which reflects on the stagnancy screens can sucker us into This lament on fear of failure and frustration with procrastination speaks for the vast majority who watch the hours and days slip by in a malaise despite best intentions.

Produced by Shuta Shinoda (Daughter, Spiritualized, Ghostpoet) at Hackney Road Studios and mastered by John Webber (Bowie, Echo and the Bunnymen, Yungblud), The Gutter transcends and subverts all expectations in its artfully grungy beguile as it playfully leads the listener down Lynchian rabbit hols with instrumental drops.

The Gutter was officially released on November 18th; stream it on Spotify

Review by Amelia Vandergast

djamesk13 touches on the existentialism of the temporal experience with ‘No Time’

Posted on 2 December 2023

“No Time” is a sonic meditation on temporal experience, a nudge to wake up to the present and to prioritise what truly matters. djamesk13’s unique blend of grungy guitars, atmospheric psychedelia, and introspective lyricism creates a powerful commentary on the human tendency to let life’s precious moments pass us by.

By encapsulating the elusive and fleeting nature of time and serving as a poignant reminder of the moments that slip away unnoticed as we get entangled in the minutiae of everyday life, the theme of No Time is universally affecting as it reflects on the complicated tapestry of the human condition.

The instrumentals weave together the dark tonal shades of grunge with the introspective swirls of psychedelic rock. There’s a weight to the sound that mirrors the gravity of the song’s message, creating a soundscape that’s both haunting and intimate. As the music unfolds, it lays down a dark and reflective atmosphere that perfectly captures the essence of the lyrics, encouraging a deep, inward look at the listener’s own personal timeline.

djamesk13, with this track, asserts why there’s always space for his artistry on our radar. His lo-fi expressionism has a rawness and authenticity that strikes a chord with his audience, tapping into emotions that are often left unexplored. His music doesn’t just pass through the ears but lingers in the mind, igniting thoughts and feelings that resonate on a deeply personal level. The gritty authenticity of the production enhances the song’s message, allowing the listener to feel the immediacy and the urgency of the present moment.

No Time was officially released on November 19; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gaze into The Elegant Chasers’ riff-carved kaleidoscope of sludgy psychedelia, Running Around the Sun

Posted on 1 December 2023

Hersham’s hottest indie rock act, The Elegant Chasers, swathed their latest single, Running Around the Sun, with lashings of kaleidoscopic psychedelia to indulge their ever-growing fanbase in a mind-bending sonic experience which finds the perfect balance between heavy and sludgy rancorousness and melodicism to keep you locked into the innovation which drips from every progression.

Running Around the Sun is the first single to drop following the critically acclaimed success of the band’s long-awaited debut album, Sentimental Dust. Following a significant stint of soul-searching, The Elegant Chasers, who always live up to their moniker via the cultivated gravitas in their hits, struck aural gold once more whilst exploring a bigger and bolder sound that rings with reminiscences of the Seattle Sound and subverts all expectations by industrialising 70s rock synthetics.

Running Around the Sun will be officially released on December 1st; hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Play That Funk Metal Music and Hit Play on Master Splinter’s Latest Installation of Clamorous Rancour, Wednesday Night

Posted on 28 November 2023

For their latest release, Wednesday Night, the trailblazing outfit, Master Splinter, which is hell-bent on being the breakthrough outfit out of the year funked up a sludgy and clamorous alt-rock aesthetic reminiscent of Mudhoney, Melvins and Soundgarden while proving once again that Mike Patton isn’t the only one capable of delivering the Mr Bungle effect.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would sound like if a 70s funk rock ensemble had a violent acid trip with instruments in hand while being caught in the throes of lust, indulge in the Portland, Oregon-hailing troubadours of rhythmically tight, face-melting aggression’s latest offering, which punches through hip-hop-inspired drums and uses the devil may ensnare vocal lines to rile up the energy from the searing hot guitars and prowling basslines.

The 2023 Remaster of Wednesday Night hit the airwaves on October 26; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Peach Giraffe scorns the sands of time in his grungy lo-fi indie gem, Running Out of Time

Posted on 27 November 2023

Running Out of Time by Peach Giraffe is a lo-fi indie gem that marries the raw, emotionally charged vocal delivery of Kurt Cobain with a lighter, more melodic instrumental arrangement, which creates an entrancing dichotomy between the visceral vocal expression and the gentle yet complex, guitar work. The track is bound to captivate listeners drawn to the music of AJJ, Roar, Vundabar, and The Mountain Goats.

Peach Giraffe’s approach to music production—treating each recording session like assembling pieces of a puzzle—lends the track a sense of organic cohesion that’s both intimate and relatable. With genre conventions cast aside, the independent singer-songwriter channels pure and spontaneous creativity, evident in the sound and lyrical expression alike.

The lyrical content is a thoughtful reflection on the ephemeral nature of existence. The way Peach Giraffe intertwines the desperation of time slipping away with the soothing instrumentals is a beautiful contrast that keeps delivering the consolation, regardless of how many times you hit repeat.

Watch the lyric video for Running Out of Time via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Every Glazer refused to be silent on the needless extensively-voyeured bloodshed in ‘Silver Screen’

Posted on 25 November 2023

With a more frantic tempo to match the urgency of the message in the intro and opening verse which scathes over what society has become in light of the bloodshed, which is only pouring harder the further we get into 2023, The Every Glazer veered into nu-metal territory with his latest single, Silver Screen, before bringing in the grungy melodicism in the chorus. If Linkin Park ever saw sense and collaborated with Deftones and Soundgarden, the result would be as alchemic as Silver Screen, which captures the singer-songwriter’s compulsion to ensure this fucked up segment of history will be never forgotten by the music industry.

As The Every Glazer has had a vice-like grip on his muse throughout 2023, there’s plenty of traction picking up around him; now close to 20k listeners are finding solace within his discography, which never shies away from reflecting the most heart-wrenching stitches in our social tapestry. If you want a virtuosic hand to help you through this slither of dystopia, hit play.

Stream Silver Screen on Spotify and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Coyote Fire came in electrifyingly hot in their garage rock revival ‘Klepto’

Posted on 15 November 2023
Coyote Fire

Coyote Fire will steal the show with their latest electrifyingly hot garage rock revival, Klepto. Fuelled with the noisy nuances of grunge and reverent to the insurgency of rock n roll, the Chicago fourpiece became the sum of all parts while ticking every conceivable garage rock box with their ferociously infectious track that puts the devil on your shoulder and compels you to fall in line with the kleptomaniac tendency of the lyrical protagonist who makes no apologies before taking what they want. Starting with the track with a voice of contempt in the medium of a voicemail, the tongue in maniacal cheek energy doesn’t hang around before asserting itself in the riled with raucous flavour single.

The ensemble’s roots trace back to the former band of Louie Kertgen and Miguel Contreras, Yard Sale, which couldn’t endure the loss of their leading voice, Jimmy Dooley, who passed away in 2018. As the calendar pages turned, Louie and Miguel’s paths diverged, only to be rekindled when Louie traded his drumsticks for guitar strings, finding solace in six strings and a new beginning.

The spark reawakened; Louie dialled Miguel’s number with a proposition that set the stage for rebirth. They coaxed Austin Yurasek into the metamorphosis from guitarist to bassist, and his conviction to the cause was absolute, “The vision was clear, the purpose was calling, and I was all in,” he affirmed after the pitch of the idea. Yet, their symphony lacked its final note—a drummer. Enter Victor Aguirre, the percussive wizard whose hands could converse with any rhythm. Louie, through a twist of fate and a friend’s recommendation, sent Victor some rough cuts. Victor heard the call, and like a moth to a flame, was enchanted by the vision.

Coyote Fire isn’t about the vanity of uniqueness, the complexity of sound, or the chase for flawless execution. Their creed is to forge a visceral bond with their audience. If the crowd’s pulse matches the beat of their music, their mission is accomplished. They aim to weave an intimate tapestry of emotion, attitude, and raw power. Influenced by the likes of Jack White and The Black Keys, Louie adopted a philosophy where music serves as a bridge to the soul, a raw yet simple channel to convey their stories, and a performance that teleports the listener into the band’s collective consciousness.

Klepto will be officially released on November 15; stream it on Bandcamp and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Master Splinter – A Caustic Version: Mike Patton Spawned a Stoner-Rock Monster

Posted on 2 November 2023

If the Alice in Chains discography hit a little bit harder and attacked their song crafting with an infectious sense of facetiousness, their grungy tracks would roll with the same vitriolically zany punches as Master Splinter’s latest single, A Caustic Version, which also runs in the same Machiavellian vein as some of Mike Patton’s most maniacally unhinged tracks.

With the vocals taking on swathes of different guises to amplify the unpredictability of the hard rock hit, your speakers will be smoking the wildfire ignited by the Portland, Oregon-based outfit’s determination not to take themselves too seriously.

If you’re sick of the brooding narcissists who proliferate rock and metal scenes across the globe and want a taste of eccentrically elemental stoner rock ingenuity, sink your teeth into A Caustic Version

A Caustic Version was officially released on October 17th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bellwether exhibited a tonal melancholic masterpiece with their alt-rock single, Gates of Gold

Posted on 28 October 2023

After an opening sequence of shoegaze-y angular guitar work, the standout single, Gates of Gold, by the US duo Bellwether transitions into a doomy synthesis of melodic prog rock and superlatively matured pop-punk with just enough room for a little bit of Modest Mouse reminiscent twang.

Juxtaposingly, Gates of Gold unfurls like a record you’ve been addicted to since the 00s while very progression is a lesson of scintillation thanks to the pioneering song crafting in the hauntingly spectral single which starts to pull the heavyweight punches towards the mid-way mark. A single which traverses themes of child loss was always going to hit hard, but my God, the melancholy mixed with the atmospherics of the tonal masterpiece is as affectingly raw as you could possibly ask for.

I have no idea how Bellwether evaded my radar up to now, but if I’m certain of anything, it is that I will follow them to the grave after being consumed by their debut EP, gods. Since forming in Atlanta, Georgia in 2021, the duo hasn’t failed to amass momentum with their releases and live performances, which has seen them share stages with the likes of The Mysterines and Manchester Orchestra. We can’t wait to see where their talent takes the duo next.

Gates of Gold was officially released on September 22nd with the rest of the debut EP, gods; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nullor has arrived with his compelling prog rock Tour De Force,  Here

Posted on 26 October 2023

The Fort Worth, Texas-hailing solo artist, Dan Crawford, operating under the moniker Nullor has made his long-awaited debut; it came in the form of his dynamic LP, Finalform. The dusky, doomy and artfully captivating lead single, Here, envelops you in an atmosphere you will never want to come up for air from.

The progressive 6-minute Tour De Force won’t fail to evoke contemplation; the grungy vocal lines which run in the veins of Alice in Chains allow the melodic ambience in the orchestrally cut instrumental arrangement to resonate as a sonically sweet sedative before the monolithic build and burst into intricately electric groove metal.

In the following single, Overdrive, Nullor gives you a taste of classic thrash metal, proving that there are few alternative genres outside of his repertoire. Rather than being a jack of all genres, the versatility of his talent is just as impressive as the degree of it.

Here was officially released with the Finalform LP on September 29; stream it on Spotify and follow the artist on Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast