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Hard Rock Music Promotion & Blog

London’s fret prodigy BlueMelt twined tribute with originality in ‘Running with the Fool’

Posted on 11 July 2024

BlueMelt’s latest single, Running with the Fool, showcases the criminally underrated guitar savant Vito Tardia at his finest. In the smooth tempo of the hard rock track, hard-hitting percussion and solid rhythm guitars elevate an intense melody that testifies to the permeability of the soul; the solos sink right in and kindle a searing white-hot fire.

Tardia may have unashamedly worn his influences (Eric Johnson, John Petrucci, Marty Friedman) on his strings in Running with the Fool, yet the single stands as a testament to the artist’s ability to blend tribute with originality. His impassioned and flawless style, marked by technical precision is a sonic spit in the face to anyone who declares they don’t make them like they used to. Vito Tardia’s timelessly expressive guitar style stands as the ultimate attestation to the enduring power of guitar music.

Many would think it hyperbolic to say an independent artist can rival the work of legends like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, yet the simple act of hitting play on Running with the Fool proves otherwise. The pantheon of the guitar gods will undoubtedly be waiting to open its gates to BlueMelt.

Running with the Fool was officially released on June 28th and is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

NIGHT WHIP shot from the hip in their 16-minute psychedelic western eponymous debut single

Posted on 28 June 2024
NIGHT WHIP

Emerging from the arid expanse of Western Colorado, NIGHT WHIP cast aside all semblances of convention with their electrifyingly debauched eponymous debut single which spans 16 minutes and stretches the mind even further.

If you ever wanted to know what a synthesis of sludge, doom and psych rock would sound like filtered through Tarantino’s cinematic lens, hit play and sink into the tour de force of tonal alchemy, which is far more potent than any substance sampled in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

The track deftly balances dusky desert atmospheres with the rhythmic intensity reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age and the tight licks characteristic of Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster. As NIGHT WHIP tears through their inhibitions, the explosive doom metal breakdowns and relentless rhythmic drive culminate in a deeply authentic and unflinching score.

Formed in 2018 by Griff Chiono and Colin Keefe as a side project of the alt-punk band Bronco Country, NIGHT WHIP has rapidly become a staple in the local music scene. Their sound, described aptly as “heavy western,” captures the profound isolation of small desert towns with its distorted baritone guitars, relentless drums, trippy electronics, and hauntingly layered vocals.

Set to release on June 28th, 2024, under the band’s label, Bureaucracy Records, Night Whip is poised to cast a long shadow over the alternative music landscape. Discover your preferred way to listen via the band’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jordyn Rayne captured the zeitgeist of digital culture with ‘1-800-Cyber-Bully’

Posted on 27 June 2024

In her latest seminal single, 1-800-Cyber-Bully, the indomitable breakthrough icon, Jordyn Rayne, lyrically modernised rock n roll while staying reverent to the roots of the genre.

With a powered-by-dynamism voice to rival Donita Sparks of L7 and Joan Jett, Jordyn Rayne proved her mettle as a rock vocalist in the hit that pours with conviction as it berates antagonists who spinelessly sink their teeth into their victims behind the security of screens.

The emotional underpinnings of 1-800-Cyber-Bully serve as a tragic sign of the times, yet, rock has always served to speak for the disenfranchised and Rayne affectingly carried the genre’s rebellious legacy on the overdriven crunched chords in this high-octane hit that ticks all the right rock boxes and distinguishes Rayne as an artist unafraid to lend her ferocity to fighting injustice.

Whichever vanguard she stands at next, one thing is for sure, the Alberta-hailing visionary is worth keeping at the front and centre of your memory if you seek sanctuary in hair-raising rock anthems.

1-800-Cyber-Bully was officially released on June 7th; stream the single on all major platforms and follow Jordyn Rayne via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Prisoner harnessed thunder in their hard rock hit, Skies Are Blackened

Posted on 19 June 2024
Prisoner

Prisoner brought the hard-rock hammer down once again with their latest single, Skies Are Blackened. Prepare for the colossal impact of their hell-hath-no-mercy riffs, tumultuously tight breakdowns, and lightning bolts of dynamic vocal energy that pull you right into the centre of the frenetic furore Prisoner is quickly becoming infamous for.

There are high-energy rock bands, and there are powerhouses who go sonically supernova. With Skies Are Blackened, the Canadian three-piece firmly planted themselves in the latter camp, which any fans of Metallica, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, and Iron Maiden will want to join them in.

Vocalist Murray Emery’s ability to keep the power surging through his mirthfully electrifying vocal lines in the higher register and the instrumentals being tighter than Mick Jagger’s jeans is enough to seal the trio a place in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. They’re not an outfit to underestimate. Watch this space as they tear it up with hedonically high-voltage hits.

Skies Are Blackened will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Apple Music, from June 19.

Discover more about the Prisoner via their official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Stitcher Unchained a Relentless Sonic Onslaught with ‘Distant Mirage’

Posted on 19 June 2024

Stitcher opened a mystical portal to the unfiltered soul of rock n roll with their sophomore single, Distant Mirage, which rhythmically taps into Eastern esoterism to add an arcane Arabian aura to the speaker-ravaging hit lures you in with a dusky overture before the hellbent-for-distortion guitars bolster the track beneath Annabelle Piper’s siren-esque soaring-with-soul vox.

Her ferociously infallible vocal lines that burn red-hot throughout the release are enough to lead you to believe that the spirit of Medusa resides in her vocal cords. The monolithic middle eight allows you to tear away from her spell, but you won’t meet any mercy here, the alchemic brutality of the guitar solo hits hard enough to leave bruises. If you thought you knew the meaning of frenetic before listening to Distant Mirage, you’ll think again once your senses begin to function after the exhilarating rampage.

Distant Mirage first played on June 6th; stream the single on Spotify and follow Stitcher’s debauched rock n roll journey on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gothenburg’s Feral Mind Gave Rock Fans Nowhere to Hide From Their Eponymous Debut LP

Posted on 18 June 2024

If you’ve ever wondered what the Misfits might sound like if they swapped their horror punk theatrics for mature, unfiltered rock ‘n’ roll, look no further than Feral Mind’s seminal release, State of Mind. The standout single from their eponymous debut album has been igniting the global rock scene with its raw power and hints of psychobilly, reminiscent of the Koffin Kats and The Coffin Caddies.

Founded in Gothenburg in 2023, Feral Mind comprises seasoned rockers who have honed their craft both in the studio and on live stages; their uniquely whiskey-soaked sound is grounded in rock ‘n’ roll grooves, with influences spanning from 70s hard rock to funk and prog. Yet, unlike your run-of-the-mill assimilators, Feral Mind is delivering the future of rock, surpassing the banality of pastiche while inviting you into the psyche of one of the most promising acts creeping their way up from the European underground

State of Mind is a powerhouse of rolling rhythms, technical riffs, and seductively rugged croons, which prove that Feral Mind knows exactly how to bring the rough with the smooth.

We can’t wait to hear what follows this flawless LP.

Stream the debut LP on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Oceandvst cured nihilism with their hooked-up juggernaut of an emo post-hardcore anthem, Dead End Hope

Posted on 16 June 2024

‘Dead End Hope’ is so much more than the sum of its parts; a savant polymath wouldn’t know where to start breaking the latest expansively affecting single from Oceandvst down.

The only true way to do the augmented with raw volition alt anthem any justice is by alluding to the visceral impact of the release that covers the entire emo spectrum while extending an olive branch of empathy to anyone who has ever known the claustrophobia of being trapped within their own mind.

From Paramore-esque vocal hooks to the heart-in-throat vindication of MCR to the hell-hath-no-fury like a post-hardcore breakdown of blast beats, ferociously distorted guitars and snarled basslines, Dead End Hope delivers it all while keeping the emotion of the single at its core.

Since forming in 2017, the Greek trio has lived up to their mission of becoming architects of sonic sanctuaries to the disillusioned, the lost, and the outliers with the candour in their lyrics and the intensity of their melodies. Messages of solidarity and hope underscore each of their releases which have been lauded by Billboard Magazine and Alternative Press.

If any outfit is capable of curing nihilism while simultaneously perfecting the formula for a pop-punk-post-hardcore anthemic hybrid, it is Oceandvst.

Dead End Hope was officially released on June 7th; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Radiant alchemised sociopathic kryptonite in their alt-rock anthem, Formulaic

Posted on 16 June 2024

Alt-rock rhythms rendezvoused with moody electroclash-esque pop aesthetics in the latest single, Formulaic, from the Canadian harbingers of sonic revolution, The Radiant.

The accolade-decorated outfit used the single from their forthcoming LP, Take 3, to hold a mirror to the contrived ilk of sociopaths who always know what to say to manipulate a situation while wrapping themselves up in the narcissistic fantasy of a belief that they’re untouchable. The visceral impact of Mikhaila Anderson’s soaring with scathed soul vocals will undoubtedly make them think twice and embolden others to join The Radiant at the vanguard of silken-tongued resistance.

In their most accomplished single to date, The Radiant let their endlessly expanding audience know exactly who they are; a powerhouse with rock n roll reverence in their bones and innovation in their blood.

After receiving nominations for Rock Artist of the Year from BreakOutWest WCMA in 2020 and Alternative Artist of the Year in 2022 from North Sask Music Zine following the release of their eponymous debut EP in 2019, with the release of their debut album in the pipeline, more award nominations will naturally follow.

Formulaic will be available to stream on all major platforms from June 16th. Find your preferred way to listen via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Zack Kirkorian Held No Prisoners in His Riff-in-Cheek Rhythmic Revolt Against Self-Obsessed Drama in ‘Tell Somebody’

Posted on 9 June 2024

One of the fieriest renegades in alt-rock, Zack Kirkorian, has ignited the airwaves once again with his latest single, Tell Somebody. The riff-in-cheek riptide of amplified contempt holds no prisoners as it launches a scathing attack on the kind of people who plague lives through their incessant self-obsession that is paraded as self-pity. We all know them, now we all have the perfect ammunition to launch at them or simply find catharsis in.

The exhilarant tour de force captures Zack Kirkorian at his most uninhibited as he rolls with the rhythmic punches in the same vein as the New York Dolls and proto-punk pioneers. You can’t help getting caught up in the frenetic fever of classic rock being filtered through a Zappa-esque lens.

There are few artists who can truly emulate the verve of the Sunset Strip. After blazing down it and touring in iconic bands, Zack Kirkorian is one of the rare rebels who can revive the golden era of rock with swathes of infectious authenticity. Notably, he was placed on the official ballot for the Grammy Awards for a reason.

Tell Somebody was officially released on May 28; stream the single on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

heaven // alone summoned karma in their Deftones-meets-melodic-post-hardcore single, full circle

Posted on 8 June 2024

Perth’s premier heavy alt-rock outfit, heaven // alone, gave the enduring appeal of Deftones an edge of melodic post-hardcore with their latest single, full circle, which reached all major streaming platforms on May 31 alongside the immersively thematic official music video which speaks volumes of how far the upcoming outfit has moved up from the underground since the release of their debut single, canvas, in 2023.

After an overture of crunched guitar chords, the sludgy hooks sink in before an explosive crescendo of hard-rock rancour with white-hot guitars tearing through the ennui the production is laden in.

The cutting electronica installations towards the outro augment the evocative impact of the release mused by the cyclical torment of a relationship that tempts you into surrendering to mercurial desire which is always followed by the inevitability of being pushed away.

The vocals become a sense of gravity within the kaleidoscope of cultivated volition as they drift from tender melodies into the Alexisonfire-esque hell-hath-no-fury like a soul screaming for karma outpours of visceral rage.

Stream the official music video for full circle via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast