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Hard Rock Music Promotion & Blog

Telling Secrets – Fall Behind: Impeccably produced, piercingly poignant post-hardcore

Posted on 9 December 2023

Telling Secrets masterfully captured the essence of emotion-driven post-hardcore with their latest single, Fall Behind, setting a new standard in the genre. The track, a pivotal piece in the band’s upward trajectory, showcases their extraordinary ability to blend thunderous guitars, angelic vocals, and sinister, atmospheric synths into a sound that is both raw and refined.

The polish of the production makes it almost impossible to distinguish where your consciousness ends and the sonics start as the confessional anthem delves into the complexities of mental turmoil. If you know how it feels to wage war with your demons in a bid to not give up the ghost on someone worth persevering, expect Fall Behind to strike some raw chords.

The journey of Fall Behind is as intriguing as its sound. Initially conceived before Telling Secrets was even formed, the track underwent various demos and re-recordings, ultimately culminating in what Vik Kovacs, the band’s founder and creative force, considers one of his best lyrical works.

Kovacs’ influences range from Led Zeppelin to Escape the Fate, contributing to his expansion into songwriting, vocal performance, and music production. This evolution is evident in Fall Behind, where every element showcases his comprehensive musical prowess.

The anticipation for Telling Secrets’ full-length LP, set for release in early 2024, is high, especially with the involvement of talents like Rachel Blum and Elliot Polokoff.

Fall Behind is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Post-Hardcore goes Pop (Punk) in Secular Era & Drexl Bowie’s single, Master Morality

Posted on 8 December 2023

Two juggnautical entities in their own sonic right, Secular Era and Drexl Bowie, converged to show mere mortals what ‘Master Morality’ sounds like with their latest release. With guitars augmented in the same vein as the hooks in MCR’s I’m Not Okay fused with Slipknot-esque nu-metal percussive proclivities and synthy melodies to keep the down and gutturally dirty track upbeat, Master Morality is an adrenalizing slice of ingenuity that will swallow you whole and spit you out drenched in rancorous euphoria.

While many heavier outfits turn their nose up at the tones of pop-punk, Secular Era & Drexl Bowie saw the potential within it. By using the stickiest and sweetest elements and infusing them into a tumultuously electrifying sequence, they made it impossible to find a track that hits harder while simultaneously keeping their finger on the guilty pleasure pulse. Putting Master Morality into words is no easy feat, but if you can imagine Nena’s 99 Red Balloons fused with Sugar We’re Goin Down and tasked Static X to pay ode to the cross-genre synthesis, you’d get an idea of the engrossing, ingenious, uninhibited insanity delivered via Master Morality.

Master Morality was officially released on December 1st; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Immerse yourself in the artfully metamorphic instrumentals in Blinded By Hope’s seminal prog-rock release, All We Know

Posted on 5 December 2023
Blinded by Hope

Emotion charters the path through the artfully metamorphic instrumental arrangement in one of the standout singles from Blinded by Hope’s debut LP, The Darkness That Surrounds Us.

The Australian innovators found their signature sound between the landscapes of prog-rock, melodic rock, and art rock to allow the seminal single, All We Know, which unravels as an emotionally resonant and sonically complex piece which takes you through the dark depths of human emotion via a backdrop of artfully progressive instrumentation.

From the opening notes, All We Know draws the listener into its profoundly reflective aura which swells around the alt-metal roots in the complexity of musical structures. But don’t let the gravitas in the release fool you, the track is as accessible as it is resonant as it vies for your attention through technical prowess and the emotional odyssey it represents.

The vocals echo the tender yet powerful style of Incubus, adding a soulful depth to the track. This vocal gravity anchors the song’s tumultuous ebb and flow, creating a captivating tension that is both stirring and poignant. The band’s focus on crafting a meaningful song, rather than just showcasing technical skill, shines through every note and lyric, making All We Know a superlatively compelling listen.

Stream Blinded by Hope’s music on Spotify, and keep up to date with news of the release via Facebook.

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

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

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

The Verge struck all the right raw, protestive and empowering chords in ‘Keep the Head Up’

Posted on 8 November 2023

If you fused the ferocity of Rage Against the Machine or Bikini Kill with the rhythmic pull of Guns n Roses and threw in augmented layers of down-and-dirty blues rock, you’d be left with a cocktail as aurally visceral as the seminal single, Keep the Head Up, from the underground’s most indomitable outfit, The Verge.

The Parisian powerhouse has been cranking up the overdrive on their guitars since 2014; since banding together they haven’t failed to establish themselves as an unmissable live act and an ensemble which knows exactly how to infuse that energy into their records.

With melodies and riffs that will tattoo themselves across your synapses from the first spin and the way the vocals pull you right into the core of their boisterously bluesy hits, their provoking emotional depth knows few bounds. In Keep the Head Up, they demonstrate their ability to strike the right raw, protestive, and empowering chords.

The official video for Keep the Head Up is available to stream on YouTube.

Keep up to date with the latest aural antics from The Verge by heading over to their official Facebook page.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

From the cockpit to the mosh pit, the fighter-pilot rock duo Fox 2 played it hard, dirty, and bluesy in their debut LP, Sidewinder

Posted on 5 November 2023
Sidewinder by Fox 2

When the members of the fighter-pilot rock duo, Fox 2, aren’t in cockpits, they’re starting mosh pits with their dirty, hard, and bluesy hits. Last November, the dualistic powerhouse debuted its first LP, Sidewinder, and staked the claim of being one of the hottest rock acts in Portland, Oregon.

Delve into the title single and you’ll be hypnotised by the adrenalised swaggy blues guitar bends in the reverent rock n roll hit, which melds modernist production styles and percussive assertion in the same veins of Royal Blood with classic blues rock cuts to orchestrate an era-spanning testament to their talent, cross-over appeal, and authenticity.

Sidewinder will be a tough record to follow, but something tells us that Fox 2 has plenty more innovative firepower to ignite an onslaught of ensnaring hits; watch this space and feel the heat.

Sidewinder is available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

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